The Vampire King's Hybrid Mate

Chapter 1 - Nightmare

He pressed his lips against mine, as his hands ran down my back, leaving a trail of sparks everywhere he touched. I pushed closer to him, my fingers entangling with his soft, silky hair, my nose flooded with his scent. Everything about him made me want more; his touch was electrifying.

Breathless, I pulled away, but he did not allow me to look at him. His lips latched onto my neck, and I held onto his broad shoulders, my claws digging into his white skin. He didn't even wince, but his teeth grazed against my skin, causing the muscles in my stomach to clench.

The next second, there was a sharp, excruciating pain in my neck, one that brought me to my senses.

I screamed in agony, my eyes shooting open, as I managed to free myself, pushing him off. His gaze met mine, and my throat ran dry.

Staring at me were pools of pure red, a pair of eyes infused with blood. His fangs were longer than a werewolf's, and his skin as pale as snow. And his gaze was filled with only a single emotion: hunger.

- - -

I sat up with a loud gasp, as beads of cold sweat rolled down my forehead, and my heart pounded in my chest. My hand instinctively went to my neck, searching for signs of harm, or blood. But there was none. I ran a hand through my hair, before glancing at the clock. Just like every single time, it was three in the morning.

I let out a shaky breath, and pulled the covers off of myself, stepping into my slippers. My panties were wet, and I groaned in annoyance, still able to feel the tingling of my skin.

"Every damned night," I whispered, walking out of my room.

I made my way to the balcony of the pack house, eager to catch a whiff of fresh air. The cool breeze greeted me, littering my skin with goosebumps, and distracting me from his electrifying touch. I could still feel his hands on me, and it was still causing my heart to flutter.

No matter how much I wanted to forget about him--whoever he was--it just wouldn't happen. Every night, since the past three years, I was subjected to the torture of wanting him, but never being able to discover his identity. Each time, his scent would plague my senses, his lips would drive me nuts, and his touch would make me squirm. He invaded all of my dreams, and with time, they were becoming more and more vivid, as well as sensual.

I let out a sigh, shifting my gaze towards the night sky. The stars were still glimmering, and so was the moon, half-way shrouded by the grey clouds. The full moon... the night every werewolf needed their mates, in order to keep them from going crazy and slaughtering anyone who crossed their way. I was thankful I had not found mine yet, because the thought of being bound to someone for eternity was frightening. Much more than him, much more than the man of my dreams. His eyes were terrifying, unlike anything I had ever seen before. His fangs, the hunger in his eyes, everything about him... it sent chills of fear through me.

"You'll know who he is when it's the right time, Imara." My mother's voice echoed in my ears.

The right time. When would that be? How would I know it's the right time? Would the Moon Goddess whisper about it when I'm asleep? Or would I, one day, be able to ask him his name, and why he's trying to drain me of my blood?

"You're probably connected to him, Imara. What if he's your mate?" Elisha's voice asked.

No. Just no. He couldn't be my mate. He looked at least three, if not four years older than me. And he was, in no way, a werewolf. I suspected him to be a vampire, a revenant. A creature of darkness, one that fed on blood. How could a revenant, be mated to a werewolf? That was forbidden. Just like the idea of romancing him.

"Thinking about your mystery blonde dude again?"

I let out a sigh. "Yep, who else?" I shrugged.

Rayon leaned against the balcony railing, smirking at me.

"So, what part of you did he kiss this time?"

"Shut up." I rolled my eyes. "Go back to sleep. Don't you have to wake up early? Learn how to run a pack?"

"No, I don't," he replied. "Elisha does. She's the older one."

"By five minutes. And you know she doesn't want it."

"Neither do I," he scoffed. "We all know that if it comes down to it, she'd be the better leader."

"That's true," I muttered. "My best friend is a badass. You're a dumbass. There's no comparison."

"You wish." He rolled his eyes, before gazing up at the sky. "So, you were telling me about the blood-sucker."

"Shh," I scolded, looking around. "Don't call him that in the open."

"Oh come on. It's just a dream, Imara."

"I know. But it's a forbidden one. You know what wolves feel about revenants."

"Your parents don't. Neither does my Dad. Haven't you thought there's a reason?"

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe, you actually are connected to them in some way. You're different after all."

"She's not different," a voice snapped, bringing a smile to my face.

"Here comes the over-protective psycho," Rayon muttered.

"Shut up," Elisha replied, putting her arm around me. "You're not different, alright? You're special."

"Sure," I chuckled. "Having longer fangs is definitely special. Oh, and don't forget the cold body and the--"

"Wet dreams about a revenant."

"Shut up," both of us said in unison, and I proceeded to slap Rayon's arm.

"You know I'm right," he replied, before yawning. "Anyway, you guys carry on. Discuss steamy scenarios. I'll go sleep."

"Thank you, get lost," I said through a clenched jaw, glaring at his retreating back. He flipped me the bird before disappearing from my view.

"Don't mind him, he's just stupid." Elisha rubbed my shoulder in reassurance. But I could feel her own hesitation, her own lack of conviction as she said those words. I knew, that she too wondered what was wrong with me, and that why none of our parents knew anything.

"Yeah, I'm aware of that. But... he is kinda right. What if I really am connected to him? What if he's the reason I'm not like everyone else?"

"Then I think your mother would have told you, Imara. Aunt Monica never hides anything from you. Why would she hide something so important?"

An uneasiness spread in my chest.

"I... I know," I let out a sigh. All she does is be dismissive and look worried whenever I mention this guy.

"Come on now. Don't stand here like a brooding teenager. Go back to sleep."

"Excuse me?" I chuckled. "I'm older than you. You don't get to call me out like that."

"Shut up, it's just by a year," she replied. "Come on now." She took my hand, and pulled me back inside.

- - - -

"Hi Mom," I greeted with a grin, rushing to hug her.

"Hi baby," she smiled, wrapping her arms around me. She was covered in blood, and she stank of intestines, but I didn't care.

"You had a good fight, I see," I pointed out, pulling away from her. I pushed off a slimy substance off her shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm so sorry, I got the blood on you," she said apoligetically.

"It's fine," I shrugged, glancing down at my clothes. "I'm used to it by now."

"No, I don't want you to be used to blood and gore," she replied, clicking her tongue. "Anyway, you slept well last night?"

We started walking through the foyer, towards the stairs.

"I slept amazing," I lied. She'd get worried every time I mentioned him, so I had stopped by now. To her, I had not dreamt about him since the last five months. It was better for both of us this way.

"I'm glad," she replied, relief overtaking her features. "Any dreams?" she still asked.

"Nope."

"Are you sure?" she raised her eyebrows.

"Why are you asking me like that?" I chuckled.

"Because, Rayon said he saw you up at three in the morning."

I rolled my eyes in annoyance. "Mom, Rayon is an idiot."

"He is, but he doesn't lie. Why were you up?"

I sighed. "I did have a bad dream, but it wasn't about him. So relax."

"What was it about?" she pushed, stepping closer to me. "Did you feel any pains? Did it feel like--"

"No," I cut her off, my frown deepening. "There was no pain. It didn't feel like those times."

"Then what was it?"

"Let her be, Monica," Papa's voice announced, and a smile stretched across my lips. I turned around and rushed into his arms, making him laugh as he twirled me around. "How's my little Princess?"

"Your Princess is fine, but your Queen can't stop worrying," I replied, smiling up at him.

"Ah," he put his arm around me, and we walked back to Mom. "Why is my Queen worried? You had a dream again?"

"Yep."

Mom sighed, running a hand through her curly, blood-stained hair.

"I'm just concerned," she sighed, staring at Papa. "You remember what happened the last time, right? I don't want you going through that again."

I smiled, placing my hands on her shoulders.

"Mom, I can handle a little pain. It's okay," I reassured.

"You are as tough as your mother, Imara," Papa said proudly, ruffling my hair. "But you're still our little girl. Naturally we'll worry."

"I know," I replied. "But it's really nothing. If it were really that important, I'm sure you guys would know. And I'm sure you'd tell me."

I noticed how they glanced at each other, but quickly put on smiles.

"Of course we would," Papa said, taking my hand. "All we'd ever want is the best for you. You know that, right?"

"Yeah." I forced a smile too, nodding.

I know they loved me more than anything. Not just Mom, Papa too. Even though he wasn't my birth father. My birth father was a jerk, who had chosen someone else over the woman pregnant with his child. He had the chance to save one of them, and he had chosen the other girl. My Mom had fallen off a cliff, it was a miracle how either of us survived. Then Papa found her, and despite being mates, it took them a long time to accept each other. But Papa never made me feel like I wasn't his daughter. They never even wanted more children. Or so they told me. Deep down, I knew they had their hands full with me. If only I had been a normal child, if only I wasn't constantly plagued with nightmares and fits of pain, maybe we would have a bigger family. Maybe Papa would have his own kids too.

"Hey," Papa snapped his fingers before my face, pulling me out of my thoughts. "Where are you lost?"

"Nowhere." I took his arm and put it around my shoulder, and the three of us walked to the hall together.

"Where's Uncle Vik, by the way?" Mom asked me, looking around for him.

Uncle Vik, Papa's elder brother, was our Alpha. Papa was the Beta, and Mom was the Warrior Wolf of our pack, thanks to her strength and fighting skills. If the Alpha hadn't been my Uncle, a lot would have been expected from me too. But he loved me a lot, and he recognized that a few things were just 'harder' for me. Like not murdering my opponent during a training session, for example.

"Alpha," Mom smiled, walking up to him.

He beamed at her, giving her a nod. "And you're back, with victory once again."

Mom lowered her head slightly, pretending to be humble. But we knew how proud she was of herself, for being such a badass woman in spite of everything she had gone through. I glanced at Papa, knowing his eyes would be shining with joy and he'd be staring at her with love. I was right. My heart warmed in my chest.

Pack members started walking up to Mom and congratulating her, as well as asking her for details about the battle. I tuned them out, stepping back as Uncle Vik made his way to me.

"How's my darling niece?" he asked, putting his arm around me. "Proud of your mother?"

"Always," I replied, smiling. "I wish I can be like her one day."

"You will. You'll be better, because you have one thing she didn't."

"What's that?"

"People who love you," he replied, squeezing my arm slightly.

"There he is," Rayon said, as he and Elisha walked up to us. "Busy with his real child."

"Stop being jealous all the time," Elisha said to him, giving me a grin. I grinned back at her, shooting Rayon a sarcastic smile.

"Anyway," Rayon said, clearing his throat. "Dad, we wanted your permission. We'd like to take her out today."

"Where?" Uncle Viktor asked.

"Movies, restaurant, on a run, and then the lake. We'll be home by midnight," Elisha replied.

"Not the lake," he stated. "Rest is fine. You can go."

"Let me ask Mom first," I said, looking around for her. But she seemed surrounded by a sea of people.

"She looks busy. We'll tell her the Alpha allowed us, come on." Elisha took my hand, pulling me away.

"But--"

"It's okay, honey, I'll tell your mother. Don't worry," Uncle Vik reassured.

"Alright. Thank you." I relaxed, turning around and walking out with them.

- - - -

He pushed me down, and climbed on top of me, trapping my arms above my head. I struggled under him, but froze when his lips crashed against mine, instantly numbing every thought. The fear I earlier felt got suppressed deep within my chest, as my heart raged with thrill, rendering me helpless against his touch. My skin littered with goosebumps, and I kissed him back. His free hand cupped my cheek, and his lips moved from my mouth to my neck, sending shivers of excitement through my body. My chest heaved up and down with anticipation, when something sharp suddenly pierced my skin, making me let out a scream. He refused to let go even as I writhed and cried, something hot and wet trailing down my collarbone. My vision clouded with darkness, and my struggles got weaker, as I managed to whisper, "why...?"

His voice was hoarse, yet entrancing. "Go to sleep, Little Dove."

A loud crash caused me to jolt awake, and I sat up, breathing heavily. I glanced at the clock. It wasn't three yet. Why was I up?

Something was going on. The peace and quiet of the house seemed disturbed. It wasn't as silent as it usually was. Every room was sound-proof, but I could still hear low growls. I gulped, shooting out of bed. The second I opened the door, my breath caught in my throat. There was a ruckus in the foyer. My pack was being attacked. People were screaming, and the air reeked of blood and sweat.

My heart raced wildly as I made my way out, leaning on the railing and glancing down. There was mist and dust all around, I could barely see anything. Just silhouettes of wolves fighting one another. I jumped down, landing on one knee and hand. Someone bumped against me, but ran past, completely disregarding me. I stood up, coughing, as the smoke irritated my eyes. "What's happening?" I cried loudly. My eyes gleamed purple, yet still I couldn't see anything. The fight went on in full swing. There was blood and body parts scattered everywhere. Bile rose up my throat, and I gulped, trying to stay calm.

Someone stepped behind me, and I let out a low growl, my fangs growing and claws surfacing. I turned around to attack, but stopped when I saw who it was.

"It's me!" Mom said, grabbing my arm. I heaved a sigh of relief, leaning into her.

"Mom, what's happening?"

"We're being attacked," she replied, leading me away from the foyer, dodging multiple wolves. I kept looking around for Uncle Vik, Rayon, Elisha and Papa, but couldn't spot them. We rushed up the stairs, onto the roof of our pack house. There was no one else there, and I frowned as Mom placed her hands on my shoulders, looking me in the eye.

"Why are we here?"

"Listen to me," she said, tightening her grip. There were stains of blood on her face, and her eyes were glowing brighter than ever. "We are being attacked by the Beasts of Helmfirth. They're a very powerful pack, and I don't know how long this fight will be. So you have to leave, before the Dark Alpha sees you."

"What? I don't understand," I muttered. "Why do I have to leave? What about Rayon and Elisha?"

"Uncle Vik's children will stay here, they have a duty to the pack. Besides, you're special. The Alpha... He's your father, Imara," Mom said hesitantly, and I felt my heart stop.

My eyes widened, and I stared at her incredulously. "H-Hayes? How could that be? He... He's the Dark Alpha? He's the one who killed Uncle Ethan?"

"Yes, Imara. Your birth father killed Ethan. I'm sorry, baby," she frowned, tears filling her eyes. She cupped my cheeks, gently caressing them. Her gaze held fear and regret, none of which I understood. "I couldn't bring myself to tell you what kind of a man he has become, I didn't want you to hate him. But now it is imperative for you to know. We don't have much time, if he sees you, everything will become too complicated."

"How will we recognize me? He's never even--"

"He will," she replied, taking a deep breath. "He will recognize you, and everything I've ever done to protect you will all go to waste."

I blinked, trying to make sense of things, and slowly nodded. A tear left my eye, and I sniffed as Mom wiped it away.

"But where do I go? How will I survive without you and Papa?"

"You'll be fine," she promised, smiling at me through her tears. "Your mate will be here any moment."

"My what?" I almost choked, gaping at her.

"Your-"

"Monica," a deep voice cut her off and for some reason, my heart skipped a beat. An odd chill ran down my spine, and goosebumps began to litter my skin, my breath hitching.

"Draco," Mom acknowledged, turning around to face him. "Thank you for coming."

Draco. Why does it sound so familiar? So... intriguing?

I titlted my head to glance at him, but Mom was blocking my view. As if reading my mind, she slowly moved out of the way, allowing our gazes to finally meet. And then the world seemed to stop, and the surroundings dissolved into oblivion.

My heart raged wildly, a storm brewing within me as I stared at him awestruck. A gasp involuntarily left my lips, and I found it impossible to tear my gaze away from him. It didn't even take me a second to recognize who he was: the man from my nightmares, whose incredibly handsome face haunted me every night. His eyes weren't crimson like my dreams, instead a cold, brilliant blue, lacking the warmth of humanity, yet still making my knees weak. His platinum blonde hair was disheveled, strands falling gently over his defined cheekbones, and his pale white skin seemed to shine under the silver moonlight. He looked to be around twenty, but his eyes looked older, as if they concealed secrets worth centuries.

I had never seen a man so handsome, so incredibly attractive that a single look would make me curl my toes.

In the blink of an eye, he was standing right in front of me. I gasped again, and backed away, his speed taking me by surprise. It was almost as if he had teleported. My heart beat quickened further, yet my body felt strangely warm. I knew I was afraid of him, yet drawn to him at the same time. I felt the exact same way as I felt in those dreams, except every emotion was much more heightened. The fear, the attraction, the nervousness... all of it.

"Don't be frightened," he said softly, extending his hand towards me. His voice was music to my ears, a melody I wanted to dance on, to worship. It was so deep, yet so gentle, that my heart fluttered. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath to calm my nerves, but the result was the opposite. His mesmerizing scent flooded my nose, and I bit onto my lip, feeling my legs shake. "Take my hand, Imara," he ordered, making me open my eyes again. I wanted him to say it again. Never before had my name sounded so hot.

He took another step closer, but this time, I held my ground. His strong, dominating presence demanded me to submit, but I refused to back down. I didn't want to give in to his authority, I didn't want to be afraid anymore, but the intensity of his gaze made me lower mine.

He gently took my chin, and as soon as we came in contact, sparks erupted in my skin. I had heard what it would feel like, but for some reason, it wasn't as prominent, and I was slightly disappointed. Maybe it was because he wasn't a werewolf, or maybe I was imagining the faint sparks, knowing it was supposed to happen. After all, a single word kept repeating in my mind over and over again, until it finally left my mouth:

"Mate."

- - - - - -