Their Beloved Mate.

Introducing Maqual.

Sweat dripped down his back as he tried to control his thirst for blood. He groaned as he pulled himself out of bed, his legs leaden. Agonizingly slowly, he made his way to the refrigerator. Yanking it open, he reached out for one of the blood bags that were there. Usually, he would heat it up, but he knew he had no such luxury. His fangs were already down, sharp white incisors that could cause a whole lot of damage. Not bothering with opening the bag, his fangs pierced the bag, the cold blood hitting the tastebuds on his tongue.

With a shudder and a sigh, Xander drained the bag before he disposed of it. Reaching in, he got another one, this time being able to heat it up.

“Xan, everything ok, bro?” Dustin’s deep voice echoed in his head. “I felt your thirst.”

“No,” Xander replied truthfully. “Something is wrong, Dustin. She was held in a nightmare, but it wasn’t just a nightmare.”

“What do you mean?”

“Our mate, beloved.” Xander sighed, running a hand over his overly long hair. “It seemed like a web designed to keep her there, attacking her in her dreams. I had to pull her out by calling her name.”

Dustin was quiet for a few seconds. “You know her name? How? I thought you said you haven’t even pinpointed where she is.”

“I don’t know, bro.” Xander walked back to the bed and sat down. “Tazanna. That’s her name.”

Dustin was quiet for a few more seconds. The link was blocked before he came back on. “Ariella says that she sent you that information. She has had someone watching over her for years. I am with her now.”

“How?” Xander muttered, although he already knew the answer.

Ariella was a High Priestess from their homeland. She has always been with the royal family, protecting and guiding them throughout the years. She knew things. But she could only share the information when the time was right.

Her knowing about Tazanna should not have been a surprise.

“She says the guardian will make himself known to you tomorrow afternoon. I will be joining you soon, bro.”

Xander nodded before he remembered that his brother could not see him. “See you soon, bro.” He broke the link before resting on the cabinet. Tentatively, he let his mind open once again, seeking the one woman who had his and his brother’s lives in her hands. She was wide awake, her mind at war with her eyes. She desperately needed the sleep but her mind would not let her sleep. The remnants of the nightmare still echo in her head.

Calling his element, he flooded her mind with calmness and peace, holding her mind very lightly so that he didn’t spook her even more. He let his calmness be the balm for her tormented mind and worked on making her eyes heavier until she fell into a dreamless sleep.

He, however, stayed alert, just in case there was another attack on her.

Tazanna P.O.V

Tazanna opened one eye, her arm stretching to the bedside table as she tried to silence the continuous buzzing of her alarm. Sighing with success, she rolled onto her back, her hands going up as she pushed her hair away from her face. She couldn’t remember falling asleep last night. She had trouble closing her eyes after the nightmare. A shudder went through her body just thinking about it. But for some unknown reason, she had fallen asleep, no dreams bombarded her, not even the persistent one of the two men.

Scrubbing her face with her hands, she sat up and glanced at the clock. She really should be getting up and ready for work, but her body felt heavy. It was as if it was telling her not to get up, not to leave the safety of her blankets.

With great effort, Tazanna rolled to the side of the bed, got up, and walked to the adjoining bathroom. She opened the tap, letting the cold water run first. As she waited, she busied herself with brushing her teeth. Soon enough, the mirrors were fogged up, indicating the temperature was just about right. Stepping under the spray of hot water, Tazanna could feel her muscles relaxing. The fogginess in her head lifting, leaving her with more questions than answers. Thinking back on last night, she was sure that the person in her head had helped her sleep. But how? Was it even possible?

And how did he know her name? Most of the time when he spoke to her he called her beloved, but she was sure he was the one to pull her from the nightmare she was stuck in.

Pushing the whole ordeal out of her head, she got ready for work in record time. Walking downstairs, she found her mother, still in her scrubs drinking coffee, while standing by the sink and looking outwards. She seemed to be in deep thought and Tazanna hated to disturb her but she wanted to know if everything was OK.

“Ma, you good?” Tazanna asked as she placed her bag on the table and walked to her mother. She placed her hands in the pockets of the maroon linen pants she was wearing.

Her mother looked up startled, before she smiled at her daughter, “ Oh, you scared me half to death!”

“I am sorry,” Tazanna replied as she gave her mother a side hug. “You seemed so far away and I couldn’t just call you. Are you OK?”

“Yeah, yeah, I am fine,” Jazmine waved her daughter off, walking around her to take a seat at the table. “How was your night? Crazy dreams?”

Tazanna bit her lip. She wasn’t sure if she should tell her mother that she could now hear the man’s voice even when she was awake. Studying her mother, she took in a deep breath, telling herself she would hold on to the information a little while longer. “Nope. All good last night?”

“So you didn’t dream about those men?” Her mother looked up at her.

Tazanna sat down and shook her head, “nooo. I did dream about them, but it’s the same dream so nothing really new happened.”

Jazmin shook her head, “I really think you should see someone about those dreams, baby.”

“And have me admitted as a crazy person, nope.” Tazanna stood up, walked toward her mother, and placed a kiss on her cheek. “See you later?”

Jazmine smiled and patted her daughter’s hand, “ Yes. I have the next two days off. Any thoughts about what you want for your birthday?”

“Truthfully?” Tazanna asked as she straightened up. “Is for the dreams to stop. But I can also settle for some fancy restaurant meal, a movie with my favorite person, and some wine!” She collected her belongings and was gone before her mother could say anything.

Tazanna was not big on celebrations. Growing up it had always been just her and her mother. She had watched movies and read books where they talked about huge crowds of families gathering to celebrate together but she never understood that, she didn’t have that. It made her resent the celebrations even more.

But her mother loved them. Jazmine would go all out and do the whole family celebration thing, and Tazanna did not have the heart to tell her no.

Tazanna walked out of the house, not surprised to see Maqual standing outside, staring at the sky.

“Good morning, Mr. Sanz!” Tazanna called, giving him a small smile and a wave as he turned towards her.

“Nothing good about this morning, I am afraid,” Maqual stated as he went back to look at the sky. “Did you sleep well?”

“Aah, y-yeah I did,” Tazanna stammered as the lie left a bitter taste in her mouth. That happened so often when she lied to Maqual, but she was not about to tell a man who seemed strange himself about the nightmare that she had.

Maqual turned his hazel eyes to her, studying her for a bit before shaking his head. He never said a word but Tazanna felt as he had reprimanded her for lying.

“Well, I had better go. See you later.”

Maqual gave her a curt nod before turning and walking back into his house.

Tazanna got into her car, watching as the older man closed his door before shaking her head and starting the car, heading to the office.

Maqual

There was something in the air, something dark and searching. He wasn’t sure what it was searching for but he was sure it was dangerous. Sighing, he walked back into his house, or his place of residence. He already had a house in the far reaches of the world. But for now, for the past few years, this was his house. He missed it. He missed his home, but he knew that what he was doing right now was an honor like no other and even though he missed the wilderness, but he would endure a thousand years more.

He closed his eyes, his mind closed to all but the one he was searching for. It amazed him how powerful the High Priestess was. The distance between them was so vast, that they did not share a blood bond, but still, she could reach him without problems.

“High Priestess, the air grows heavy tonight,” he stated as her mind opens to him.

“How so?” The High Priestess’s voice was calming waters, soft like a butterfly’s wings as it brushed his mind.

Maqual could not explain it so instead he projected his feelings onto her.

There was a quiet moment as the Priestess deciphered the projected feelings before her voice gently came through. “Keep a more vigilant eye on her, Guardian. I am afraid there are those who have cast out a web to trap her before she unites with her mates.”

“Understood, High Priestess,” he said as he started to close his link.

“Maqual?” The High Priestess called him by his first name, something done only when something was important to remember. “One of her mates is already in the country. When it becomes a necessity, introduce yourself.”

“Understood, High Priestess.” For the remainder of the day, Maqual remained vigilant. He kept a close eye on the house, his guardian eyes making sure nothing passed him.

He was already outside when Tazanna returned from work that evening. The suffocating feeling he had before seemed to increase with her being back.

As per usual, they exchanged pleasantries before Tazanna walked into her home. Her mother was working a late shift again.

Even though Maqual disapproved of Jazmine leaving her daughter alone, he couldn’t blame her because she had no idea who her daughter was, nor what dangers lurked around them. That night Maqual could not sleep, the nagging feeling increased, and a heavy veil of evil was surrounding them. Getting out of his bed, he made his way out of the house, opening his mind to catch whatever it was.

The jolt of anger he felt radiating through him meant that he was right. Evil had found them. Quickly, his mind sort out Tazanna, finding her in a web woven by the dream walker. He could feel another presence, a presence that was trying to get Tazanna off of the web. The only way to do so was to call out the person’s name.

With a frown, he knew he couldn’t call out to her. Reaching out to The High Priestess, he asked for advice.

“Give her name to the other,” The High Priestess’s voice brushed over his mind and without hesitation he sent the name to the other, knowing he would be the one to pull her out.

Maqual stood in the shadows of Tazanna’s mind even when she woke up, keeping a lookout.

“Tomorrow you must introduce yourself to the Prince, Guardian,” The High Priestess stated. “Our hand has been forced. It is time.”

Maqual projected a nod, before slowly slipping out of Tazanna’s mind, knowing that she was safe with her beloved’s touch in her mind.

But this was only the beginning. Her life was about to be turned upside down.