The Hybrid King's Hidden Mate

Chapter 11: Attacked

-Amber-

I had been here for two days. Ruth was nice, but her son—though I didn’t see him much because he worked late—there was something about him I didn’t like. Every time he came back and saw me and his mother together, his eyes lingered longer on me than I liked. He was handsome for a human, but I didn’t like the strange heat in his eyes whenever he looked at me.

He thinks he can have us, my wolf pointed out, as Ruth’s son entered the house.

I smiled a little, turning away from his gaze, and focused on his mother instead. He disappeared quickly, heading to the kitchen to get something to eat. I was playing cards with his mother. She was so kind, but I knew I couldn’t stay here forever.

Nonetheless, I liked not having to run or find a new place to stay right now. She had mentioned I was more than welcome to stay for a while, so I did. I had found that it was the cancer that made her a little funny. It seemed to have spread to her brain. I wasn’t even sure if she was allowed to drive, but I didn’t complain. I was a guest here, and I didn’t want to be rude.

“So, Amber, how old are you?” she inquired.

I couldn’t say I was 92 years old.

“25,” I replied.

“Oh, so young you are!” she exclaimed with a happy smile.

I chuckled a little before reaching for the water beside me on the table where we had our cards laid out.

“I was already married and pregnant by then,” she mentioned.

I choked on my water, and Ruth looked concerned at me. Yet I couldn’t help myself. Her telling me about her marriage and pregnancy made me even more fearful about my own situation. Was I a younger... older... some other version of Ruth?

“Are you okay, dear?” she inquired.

I nodded, still coughing a little.

“Just fine,” I replied in a hoarse voice.

“Do not worry, I know you young kids want to have fun and not think about children yet.”

She winked at me, and I smiled back. Young kids? I guessed I was young. Hybrids could live well over 1000 years, and I had been hidden away for most of my life. There were a lot of things I didn’t know about. Things I had to learn by experiencing them.

“So, do you have a boyfriend?” she queried.

Ruth was a very funny woman, I had to say. Luckily, I knew what boyfriend meant. I wasn’t that uneducated.

“No,” I responded, shaking my head.

“Why not? You are so beautiful.”

I wasn’t sure if I agreed. I had inherited many traits from my father, such as my dark brown hair, though his had been even darker. I knew his appearance from written descriptions and portraits, and I hated that there was much resemblance between us.

On the other hand, I did have my mother’s red eyes, yet whenever I compared myself to her, I struggled to recognize similarities. She insisted that we looked alike, and perhaps she was correct. Maybe my fear of resembling my father led me to perceive differences that didn't truly exist.

“I like being on my own,” I explained.

It was not a lie. I did like being on my own, not answering to anyone but myself. I valued my freedom a lot because I had been so restricted for so many years.

“That is good,” she remarked. “Everyone should take some time for themselves. Even though I loved my husband until he died, I have to admit, he could drive me crazy sometimes.”

That made me laugh a little. Ruth was very open. It felt almost like having a mother again, though the idea saddened me a bit.

“Okay, I need a small break, so I can use the bathroom,” I informed her. “I will be right back.”

She smiled at me and told me to take my time. I chuckled a little, as I put my cards down before heading for the bathroom further away, down a small hallway. I walked inside, locking the door, before stopping in front of the mirror for a moment. My red eyes were staring back at me, having the same sadness they had always had. Did others see it too?

I wasn’t sure why it was there. It was as if I was lacking something, and you could see it in my eyes, but I wondered if maybe I was merely being a little crazy. I wasn’t sure, but I pushed away from the sink and went to pee. I quickly washed my hands afterward, before opening the door, but I was met with a confusing sight.

Right in front of me, Ruth’s son stood leaning up against the other wall. Had he been waiting? He probably just needed the bathroom himself, I concluded.

I don’t like it... My wolf’s voice wasn’t very powerful, so either she wasn’t very concerned, or she was extremely concerned. I slowly walked away when an arm suddenly ended up in my sight. I turned my head, seeing Cedric so close to me.

“Who exactly are you, Amber?” he inquired.

“Sorry?” I responded.

“I said, who are you?”

“Your mother told you. I was in an accident. She found me.”

“And normal people would have gone to the hospital,” he remarked. “You decided to stay here. Do you not have any relatives looking for you? Friends? You can see why I am a little concerned here.”

For someone who was a little concerned, he certainly liked to invade my personal space. It was like he was insinuating I was a bad person or dangerous in some way, but if I was such a dangerous person, then why stand so close?

He doesn’t mean us well, my wolf pointed out.

No, I had already figured that out.

“I am not staying forever,” I assured him, and tried to move under his arm, but he lowered it, blocking my way.

“I am not so sure I believe you,” he retorted.

I turned my whole body to him this time, crossing my arms and showing him that I was not afraid of him.

“Get out of my way, Cedric. I don’t mean anyone harm here, and I am only staying for a few days,” I reassured him.

He still didn’t look satisfied, but he finally lowered his arm. I sighed and walked away, but as soon as I had taken one step away, he placed a hand on the side of my neck from behind, and then smashed my head into the wall. It took me so much by surprise, I had no time to react, and before I knew it, I was lying on the floor, him on top of me, placing a hand over my mouth. Everything was blurry and I couldn’t quite see him.

“I don’t trust you, b***h,” he stated.

What the hell was wrong with this guy? I wondered. I couldn’t even shake him off of me. The blow to my head seemed to have done more damage than I first thought. The room wouldn’t stop spinning, and I felt like throwing up.

“Now you’re going to tell me who you are and why you are here, or this will hurt even more,” he threatened.

He started to open his belt, and I knew where this was going. I tried shifting beneath him, but he was forcing all his weight down on me.

Come on, he is just a human!

I knew that, but he had to have put a lot of power behind the attack. I couldn’t get control of my own body, and I feared he had caused internal damage.

“Well?” he demanded, lowering the hand that he had placed over my mouth.

He started to unzip his pants, and I grew more frantic, which didn’t help my confused mind. I tried shaking him off, but I simply couldn’t. What was the matter with me? Was I still not completely healed after being kidnapped?

“Get... off...” I managed to say.

“Not until you tell me who you are.”

Something was not right here. Was Ruth’s son perhaps involved in something illegal himself? Was that why he was reacting this way? It would make sense, especially since I didn’t know much about his occupation, except that he earned good money while caring for his mother. Considering this, I couldn’t shake the suspicion that he might be involved in activities frowned upon by human law.

“I don’t...” He cut me off, placing his hand over my mouth, and I knew he wouldn’t hold back now. He was going to punish me for something I didn’t even know what was. I let out a small scream, hating that I felt so weak in that moment, but I felt extremely dizzy. I even believed I saw someone else behind Cedric...

Wait.

Suddenly, the weight on top of me was lifted off, and I saw Cedric dangling in the air, as someone held him by the neck. He was thrown into the wall beside us before the terrifying man knocked Cedric out.

My rescuer turned to me shortly after. It was then I noticed it was one of King Ronan’s warriors. He grabbed my arm, helping me stand, but he quickly realized that I was not very stable on my legs. He reached out with his other hand to stabilize me.

“How did you... find... me?” I asked.

“You really think he would not send someone after you to keep you safe?” the vampire asked.

I didn’t know his name, but right now I was very grateful that he was here.

“Come on.”

“No... Ruth... the lady... can’t see,” I said, shaking my head and barely making sense.

“Which is why we are escaping out the back door,” he explained.

I wanted to complain, but where could I go? In that moment, I could barely stand, and I could feel something hot and sticky covering the side of my head. Was I bleeding?

“Don’t argue with me about this,” the vampire insisted. “I already made the woman forget.”

“The son?”

“Took care of his memory before I punched him. Should I kill him?” He asked me in a casual tone, as if offering me something to eat.

“No!” I exclaimed.

“Then let us go,” he said, and dragged me along with him.

I had no strength to fight him. So, eventually, I ended up in his car, knowing exactly where we were going.