Her Forbidden Human Mate

Missing you

(Narrator)

Rowan laid on his couch, trying not to think about Tessa and failed miserably. He absently rubbed his neck. It was as if he could feel her touch on his neck. Unbeknownst to him, the mark Tessa had given him had deepened their connection. He ached to hold her in his arms. He covered his face with his hands, exasperated. He wasn't usually like this! He felt pathetic. Tessa was probably out enjoying the party she was at with her friends while he was moping on his couch.

His phone buzzed and he excitedly looked at it, disappointed to see it wasn't Tessa, but his friend Aidan.

'Meet for drinks?'

He stared at his screen. Did he feel like going out? No. But he was so over feeling pathetic.

'Sure' he typed back forcing himself to sit up.

'Lansdowne Pub in 30?'

Rowan sent back a thumbs up and got up to make himself more presentable. He needed a distraction. He was still trying to recover from the tremendous disaster of asking Tessa to move in. He had played it off but he had been serious. He felt like he had known Tessa for years vs months. But from the reaction she had given him, it was clear he was more into her than she was into him. He was hoping she wasn't going to distance herself from him, but that's what he worried would happen. He'd said it too soon and freaked her out.

A few beers sounded like the perfect antidote to stop his thoughts from spiraling.

With 1 last look at his messages he slipped his phone in his back pocket and headed out, determined to have a good time.

****

Tessa found Ellie coming out of the restroom. She wore a sour look on her face. But her scowl turned to concern when she saw the disturbed look on Tessa's face. She grabbed ahold of her friends arms pulling her to the side.

"Tess, what happened, are you alright?"

Tessa nodded slowly. She couldn't get over the shiver she had felt upon Dimitri's touch and her surprise from how happy he'd appeared to see her. It had taken her a few minutes to realize it, but she had not felt his wolf. There was something dark that she felt that was over powering his wolf. He did not feel like the Dimitri she had cared for.

"I think something is wrong with Dimitri," she said softly.

"Tell me about it! He didn't even give me more than a passing glance when I tried to talk to him," Ellie pouted. Then she dropped her eyes to the floor. "I got all dolled up and he still doesn't see me."

Her statement brought Tessa out of her funk. She grabbed a hold of Ellie's shoulders and stared at her fiercely. "He doesn't deserve to," she stated. "You are worth so much more."

Ellie brought her face up to smile at her best friend. "Thank you. You're right! Let's go home.... aaaafter one more glass of wine and and chocolate!"

Tessa gave her friend a squeeze and nodded. Hooking arms they went off to indulge on the expensive drinks and fine desserts. Tessa pushed her concern about Dimitri to the back of her mind.

________________

The next morning, Tessa woke up with a vicious headache. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the morning light peeking through her blinds. She groggily groped for her phone. No messages. She sighed, draping her arm over her eyes. She had been hoping for a good morning text from Rowan. She'd grown accustomed to them daily, spoiled even. Maybe he's sleeping in, she told herself. She was still kicking herself for how their night had gone the other day. She had blown it when he'd asked her to move in. She'd panicked and her pause before answering him had sent the wrong message. She had made him feel like she didn't want to, that she didn't want him, when in reality she was just terrified to tell him the truth. She had never considered living anywhere but her pack, but then again, she had never had a reason to even think about it. She still didn't know what their future would look like but what she was sure of, was that she couldn't be without him.

So far Rowan hadn't pressed her on her lack of details on her private life. He knew she was a micro biologist at a private lab. That she was an only child and that she lived in a small town just outside Boston. Her excuse for not inviting him to her house was due to a roommate and lack of privacy.

Hoping to see him today, she made the first move. 'Good morning!' After she sent the text she forced herself out of bed. She needed coffee and.... blood.

This was the part of being a hybrid that she hated. Over the years, her pack had transitioned from live feeding to paid donors. It was an effort made to keep their pack members safe and in turn, keep the humans safely oblivious. Their system was working brilliantly. They had a shell company that appeared as a regular blood donation center but the difference was, their donors were paid, generously at that. They had amassed a large number of donors who visited their clinics regularly. The donated blood was then delivered out to pack members weekly. Tessa and Ellie mixed it with other drinks, like coffee. Tessa didn't want to get used to drinking it raw. She had decided long ago to embrace her wolf side and just do what she needed to in order to keep alive and healthy, which meant consuming blood a few times a week.

Other pack members, in the beginning of the curse, had attempted to only embrace their wolf and starve their vampiric nature. In the end, their bodies became weaker and weaker until they fell comatose, later dying a shell of their former selves in a hospital bed.

Then there had been those who had embraced their vampire nature. They caused chaos and panic in the human world. They hunted ruthlessly, causing rumors and investigations. In the end, they were imprisoned in order to keep the pack safe. It had been a dark time in their history. She remembered her grandmother speaking about the days of dark. Those hybrids had suppressed their wolf, cutting off their connection and thus removing emotion and civility. They were the monsters the humans told stories about, only allowing their wolves to come out to help them hunt. Tessa shuddered at the thought.

She leaned on the counter as she brewed her vanilla caramel coffee. Her messy bun was half unraveled She had gone a little longer than normal without blood. She could feel the pain in her chest and her nerves felt fried. That coupled with her slight headache were enough to make her want to crawl back into bed. She pulled the bottle of blood from the refrigerator, pouring some into her hot coffee. She heard Ellie shuffling down the hallway toward the kitchen so she made her a cup as well. She took it gratefully. The two sank into kitchen chairs sipping in silence.

Finally Ellie spoke. In a soft voice laced with a tinge of sadness she sighed, "I thought about what you said last night, about my worth." Tessa met her eyes, lowering her cup to the table. She could already feel her chest easing up and her nerves calming. "I'm going to start loving myself more. Who knows, maybe I'll stumble upon my mate like you have."

Tessa smiled at Ellie but it didn't reach her eyes. Ellie took a sip of her drink and sighed, "Thank you for coming with me last night. I know it was hard for you to not see Rowan. You'll have to make it up to him." She did an obnoxious wink and giggled. Tessa wished it was that easy but she knew her mate was hurt on a deeper level.