Fallen Mate

5 He was breaking her heart without even knowing it.

Fallen felt Triam’s hard stare from where he stood. She shivered at the heat in his eyes, quickly looking away, shaking her head. He was here for his mate, not her, Fallen told herself, hating that she still liked him. She watched him walk away from the vampires and head towards her. Fallen clenched her jaw and turned back into the house. She heard Triam run after her. Fallen quickened her steps, not wanting him to catch up with her, but he did because he was a f*****g hybrid, she thought irritably. He was faster and stronger than the damn vampire army. Fallen saw him fight them earlier. He had been unstoppable and so handsome.

She blushed, inwardly cringing about feeling like that about her cousin. Fallen closed her eyes wishing she could erase her feelings for him. But she liked him from the moment she saw him. Her fathers told her that she used to cry for him.

I was a fool even as a baby, she told herself.

“Fallen,” he called behind her. Fallen ignored him, walking into the kitchen. She sat down at the kitchen island and turned to the cook for her breakfast.

“I was about to come and call you,” Moura said, placing a plate of food in front of her. “I hate it when you miss breakfast. You’re not like the vampires out there. You need to eat.”

“I’m not human either, but you keep feeding me like one. No one knows what I am,” Fallen whispered. But Moura heard her all the same as she gave her a sharp look. “Thank you,” Fallen said quickly.

“Just because we don’t know what you are. It doesn’t mean we’re not going to take care of you,” Moura said, touching her cheek softly. “You are a gorgeous gift”.”

Fallen felt a heavy presence behind her and she sat up straight feeling all strange inside. Moura looked over her head at Triam.

“Are you joining her?” Moura asked.

“Yes,” Triam said, pulling out a chair to sit next to her. Fallen gulped, feeling his warmth along her side. She turned to him about to tell him to move but stopped when she found him staring at her. His stare made her speechless. She moved her chair and put enough space between them. Triam laughed and turned to Moura. “I’ll have what she’s having.”

Moura gave him a stare and then looked at her before she turned away. Fallen wondered what she was thinking. Did she catch the tension between her and Triam or…

“You two are behaving strangely this morning. Is something wrong?” She asked as she gave Triam his food.

Fallen coughed, choking on the piece of bread she’d just swallowed. Triam slapped a large hand on her back trying to help her as he answered Moura. “Strange? What do you mean?”

“I don’t know. There’s just something about you two that wasn’t there before,” she said, staring at them. Fallen shifted away from his touch feeling uncomfortable. She picked up her water and took a huge swallow. She ate her food fast and finished quickly. She couldn’t sit there with him any longer.

“I’m done,” she announced and rushed out of the kitchen. But she didn’t go far, before Triam was gripping her arm and pulling her to a stop. “What?” she shouted. His hand tightened on her arm, causing her pain. “Let go. You’re hurting me.”

Triam pulled her closer, his eyes burning with a strange light that gave her pause. He turned and walked out of the house, dragging her along. Fallen wanted to scream at him to let her go, but she was afraid he might hurt her if she fought him. She’d never seen that look in his eyes before. His grip punishing on her arm, she let him drag her out of the back door and walk deep into the forest away from the house. He didn’t stop until he was sure they were far enough. Turning to her, he backed her against a large tree.

Fallen shivered as her back hit the bark of the tree. Triam stared down at her, his eyes roaming over her face.

“Let her out,” he bit out roughly.

“What?”

“I want to see my mate. Let her out,” he said, stepping closer. “I didn’t come to see you. I don’t want to see you, in fact. Let me see my mate.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Fallen said, shoving him off her. Triam growled and gripped her jaw, shoving her against the tree. The rough bark scraped her skin, making her wince.

“You’re hurting me,” she said, shoving him away again. But it was like she was pushing a wall.

“I’ll do worse things to you if you don’t give me what I want,” he said, his grip on her jaw tightening. He was hurting her, and he didn’t even care.

“Triam,” Fallen cried.

“Let her out.”

“Please, I don’t know,” Fallen shook her head, confusion and frustration warring inside her. She didn’t kill his mate. She was only trying to help her, that’s all. She touched his chest and tried to reason with him, but he growled as if he hated her touch. Fallen flinched, dropping her hand, her heart hurting at the same time. She didn’t know why she liked him at all. He clearly hated her. And now that he thought she had his mate, the hate seemed to have doubled.

“Don’t tell me that. I saw her last night. Her soul is inside you. You killed her and swallowed her soul somehow. The spirits told me,” he said, his anger mounting. His red eye burned redder. “I want you to let her out now. I’m done playing games with you.”

Her mate’s soul was inside her? Fallen stared down at her chest confused. Did she really kill his mate and eat her somehow?

No. She wouldn’t do that. She wasn’t evil. She wouldn’t kill anyone. But he said he swallowed her soul. How? Wouldn’t she feel her inside her?

Fallen looked at Triam, beyond the anger and seething hate. He looked so desperate and hurt. He lost his mate last night. Her heart ached for him. A mate was an important thing to a werewolf and a vampire, and he was a hybrid. He had both traits from both species. He must feel the need for his mate so deeply. Maybe he couldn't accept that she was gone. And he was making up things, trying to keep her alive.

Fallen wouldn't swallow a soul. She didn’t know how.

And what would she do with another soul inside her anyway? That was disgusting. Fallen wanted to vomit just thinking about it.

She wouldn’t do something like that.

No way.

She took a deep breath and calmly stared at Triam.

“I didn’t do anything to her Triam. I tried to help her, but she was too hurt and she died. And if I had her soul inside me, wouldn’t I feel it?

“Then how do you explain last night? I spoke to her. And she told me that her name was Jesse. I wanted to talk to her more, but she was so scared. She didn’t understand what happened to her. How could you do this? How could you hurt her like that?”

Fallen stared at him, her heart breaking with everything word he said. She couldn’t believe he saw her like that. Like some monster who could hurt another soul.

She clutched her chest, her heart aching painfully. Tears filled her eyes, and she tried to shove them away, but it hurt so badly. She really liked Triam. And he was breaking her heart without even knowing it.

He was making her a monster. It hurt even worse because she didn’t know what she was. Where she came from or who her mother was.

Maybe she did…somehow hurt the human girl. She couldn’t explain why she’d been drawn to the accident last night.

Why did she hear the human’s cry?

Fallen deflated, leaning against the tree trunk. They stood there in silence, staring at each other. After a few seconds, Fallen stared down at her feet, unable to hold Triam’s stare.

He hates me, she thought. The pain intensified in her chest.

Why did it hurt so much? She asked.

“Just let her out. You and I don’t have to talk to each other. I only want my mate,” Triam said. He lifted her chin with his fingers. A shiver went through her, and she hated herself for feeling that way about him. “I really don’t want to do this. But you leave me no choice.”

“What?”

Triam’s hand moved to her throat, and she could feel his strong fingers flexing around her neck. Was he going to strangle her?

Fallen gasped when she saw the clear intention in his eyes. He was going to hurt her if she didn’t give him what he wanted.

“Triam…I really don't know how...” she began, but he tightened his fingers round her throat, cutting off her air. Fear gripped her. She tried to shove him away but he held on.

“I told you. I only want my mate. Not you. I'll never want you,” he said, applying more pressure. Fallen’s eyes filled with more tears as she fought for breath. Right before she thought she was going to pass out she felt it. The presence of another soul within her as she was shoved into the darkness. Fallen fought hard to remain in the forefront but she lost the fight as Jesse pushed her to the back.

“No!” she screamed. She didn’t want this. She didn’t want her in her body, and she didn’t want her with Triam. Jealousy burned through her very soul, and then everything went dark.

***

Jesse

The guy with the strange eyes stared down at her again. He was frowning, but he started to smile as if he was happy to see her.

“There you are,” he said, touching her cheek softly. She made him blush the way he was staring at her. No guy has ever stared at her like that as if he thought she was the most beautiful girl in the world. Jesse smoothed her hand in her hair shyly. Her fingers tangled in her long hair, instead of the short bob she preferred.

What?

She pulled a few strands of hair and stared at them. They were black. Panick started to bubble inside her but she pushed it aside as she stared down at herself like she did last night. But last night she’d panicked and didn’t find out what was going on with her. Or who was this strange guy?

She took in the black dress and boots, and swallowed the terror that filled her.

“What is going on?” she asked in a tiny voice. This was terrifying even though she was trying very hard to be strong. “What happened to me?”

He looked at her with sadness in his eyes.

“I don’t know. But you were in an accident. You died, but you’re somehow alive inside her. I don’t know how,” he said, taking her…it wasn’t her hand. It was someone else’s hand.

She died? Jesse closed her eyes as flashes of the accident ran through her mind. She had been on the phone arguing with her soon-to-be roommate when she hit something on the road and the car started to spin. Her screams filled her ears, and she slapped her hands on her ears, not wanting to hear. She had prayed and cried for God to save her as she fought to right the car, but she’d hit her head on the steering wheel and the airbag hit her chest, taking her breath away. The worst must have happened because the last thing she remembered was that her body had turned cold, and she remembered staring up at some girl. She had appeared out of nowhere. She looked so beautiful …like a ghost with pale skin, red lips, and very black hair. The moon had shown down on her, and Jesse had begged her to save her.

Jesse touched the black hair. Its her. She was inside her, but she was dead.

“I’m dead,” she cried.

“No. You’re not,” he said, pulling her into his arms. “I’m going to make sure that you remain alive.”

“How?” she asked, trembling.

“I don’t know yet. I hate the fact that you are inside her,” he rumbled, tightening his arms around her.

“Who is she?”

“I don’t want to talk about her. Don’t worry about her. She’s not important.”

“I know that’s not my mate you have in your arms.”

A male voice said a few paces from them. Jesse looked over his shoulder at the guy who had just appeared out of nowhere.

Oh my God, she thought as she stared at him. He was breathtaking. He had white hair piled on top of his head, dressed in simple jeans and a t-shirt. But he looked so handsome. Jesse couldn’t help feeling breathless as her heart pounded in her chest.

“Kelani, what are you doing here?”

“I should be asking you,” he said menacingly, and then his eyes dropped on her, and she felt like he saw through her, like he knew her somehow and she should be in his arms, not the other guy. She felt like she was betraying him just standing there with the other guy and not him.

Jesse shook her head, confused. Why did she feel like that? She kdidn't know him.