[The Trybid Chronicles 1] Fated at First Sight

Chapter One: Student Exchange

*The year 2015*

Niky

“Why did I agree to do this stupid exchange program?” I groaned.

“You know why. Jason and I are going, and you didn’t want to be left alone.” Chelsea, my best friend, told me. “Come on, Nik! We’re going to have so much fun. This trip is a new and exciting adventure.”

A part of me knew that Chelsea was right, but I didn’t want to admit that to her. Plus, I honestly didn’t want to be left alone. Amber, my twin sister, had walked out on us three years ago and went to live with our grandmother in England. Amber had told our Mother, Queen Claire, that she wanted nothing to do with her or the throne, and since then, Amber and I have not spoken. It’s not that Amber hasn’t tried to talk to me; I don’t want to talk to her. Call it abandonment issues if you want, but I feel betrayed that she would leave me here alone.

The real reason I was dreading this trip was not that I hated the prospect of leaving home for so long; I couldn’t wait. It was because I was worried I would run into an old friend. The boy who had broken my heart at the tender age of ten. We had been best friends since kindergarten and had made childish promises to take on the world together, but sadly it seems that those promises meant nothing to him. I had tried to keep the connection alive, but he and his little brother had better things to do. So I gave up and moved on with my life.

Shortly after that, my Mother decided that it would be a good idea to start preparing me to take the throne. Technically I can’t ascend to the throne until after my twenty-first birthday, but according to my Mother, it’s never too early to learn your royal duties. My heart has never really been in it, but since my twin abdicated and we have no cousins, the job goes to me. If I told my Mother that I didn’t want to be Queen, Nahonia would surely fall into ruins, or at least that is what my overdramatic Mother says.

A little history on what I am talking about, I was born in Idaho Falls, Idaho, but I am the sole heir to the throne of Nahonia. Nahonia is a city in the Ethereal Realm, home to all of the supernatural. There are many Islands in the Ethereal Realm. Nahonia is home to mostly Angels, Vampires, and shifters. Think about it like this, all the fae, wolves, angels, and vampires exist in the same plane as the humans; the only difference is we have an entire guarded community within a magical void that humans can’t access without permission.

The gates lead from the human world into the Realm. Most gates lead to a specific island within the Realm, but a couple of the gates have the ability to take you anywhere in our world that you wish to go. The gates to our Realm are well protected by ancient magic, so a human can not just accidentally stroll through town. This is probably good because most supernatural creatures haven’t ever seen a regular human. Some humans have been permitted to come and go as they please. Those humans have been given the seal of protection by the High Council, so they are never in danger in the Realm. To harm a human with the seal means death.

However, if you are supernatural, you already have access to the gates. To be honest, I am not entirely sure how it all works, that lesson bored me to death, but it has to do with ancient magic dating back at least five thousand years and the original High Council. So that leaves one question: what am I? Well, you see, my Mother is an Angel. Her family line has been on the throne for as long as Nahonia has existed. My father is not the king, but my parents are married; my Dad is a vampire, and then there is me; I am a vampire-angel hybrid. I know that’s a weird combination, but I am not the first of my kind. However, I will be the first hybrid to sit on the throne, but I have a secret that no one will ever know.

“I don’t know what you are so worried about.” Jason piped up, interrupting my internal monologue. “I thought you were excited to get away from all of this.”

“I am,” I say. “It’s just that this is the first time I will be away from home without having the constant stream of guards watching me.”

“Lies!” A voice hissed in my head. “You’re scared that you are going to run into him.”

“Shut up!” I snap, then focus back on my conversation.

“I get that, but I promise I will keep you safe,” Jason told me. “Besides, it’s not like you will be without them, Gavin, your bodyguard will be with us the whole time.”

“I know.” I sigh. “What about you? Aren’t you nervous about leaving your pack behind for the rest of the school year?”

“Nah.” He replied. “They don’t need me yet. I won’t even become Alpha until after I turn eighteen, and if there is a problem, my father will call me.”

“What about you, Chels?” I ask.

“I am a little nervous about leaving my grandparents behind, but they will also be fine. They know how to pick up a phone and call me.” Chelsea told me.

I wish that I could be as relaxed as them. My mom was upset that I was leaving in the first place, but she didn’t try to talk me out of it. Chelsea and Jason are lucky their families support them no matter what. Jason is a werewolf and the next Alpha of the Dark Moon Pack, Chelsea is his girlfriend. Also, she is one of the last remaining genies, not to be confused with jinnis. Genies are the good ones, while Jinnis are your worst nightmare. They are sure they are soulmates but won’t know until Jason turns eighteen. Of course, he could be one of the lucky ones and find out on his sixteenth birthday when he shifts for the first time. Jason’s birthday is only a month away, so we will know soon enough. Jason will also change into his wolf form for the first time. I am surprised he’s not nervous because he will be shifting without his pack for backup.

Speaking of soulmates, I am confident I found mine, but every time I think about it, it makes me angry, so instead, I push those thoughts as far into the back of my mind as I possibly can.

“Are you finished packing yet?” Jason asked me.

“Are you kidding? She hasn’t even started!” Chelsea exclaimed.

Jason gave me a pointed look that suggested he was irritated with me. “Come on and pack then, we’re leaving at six tomorrow morning, and it’s almost dinner time, and you know the Queen will be pissed if we are late.”

“Fine.” I rolled my eyes before climbing off the bed.

I went into my large walk-in closet. It had a lot of clothes in it, some of which I would never wear, but my Mother wouldn’t let me get rid of them just in case I needed them. Grabbing my two large matching suitcases, I went through the closet, ensuring I grabbed all the necessities.

Once my suitcases were neatly packed with my band t-shirts, some nice blouses, jeans, socks, underwear, shoes, and other essentials, I zipped them closed and wheeled them out into the bedroom. Giving Chelsea and Jason a pointed look, I said, “Are you happy now?”

“Very.” Chelsea squealed and squeezed me with a hug. “Now, let’s get ready for dinner.”

Chelsea kissed Jason and then shooed him out of the room. My Mother was hosting a going away dinner party; of course, she had no idea that she was why I was leaving. After Amber moved out, my parents fought nonstop until my father had enough of it and moved out, but because my Mother is the Queen and we don’t believe in divorce, he is still married to her. I don’t think that my Dad would never fully leave her anyway. They are soulmates, and while my Mother can be insufferable at times, he is still very much in love with her and holding out hope that they could reconcile their relationship.

“So what are we supposed to wear to this thing anyway?” Chelsea asked.

“Formal, but not too fancy,” I told her. “I have some evening dresses in the closet. Feel free to look through and take one.”

All Chelsea did was nod and head straight for the closet, which made me chuckle. It’s a good thing we are the same size. To be honest, I don’t even know why my Mother insisted on this party, probably because she knew I would be miserable the entire time, and she enjoyed making me suffer.

An hour later, both of us were ready for the party. I was wearing a floor-length midnight blue evening dress and black platforms, and Chelsea was a baby pink party dress that came to the top of her knees with matching heels. We made our way down the stairs towards Jason. He held out both arms, Chelsea went to his right side, and I went to his left, then the three of us headed to the dining hall.

“You both look magnificent,” Jason said, grinning.

“Thank you.” We said in unison, but Chelsea looked away her cheeks bright red.

When the three of us entered the hall, it was filled with mingling people. A servant approached and pointed in the direction of the Queen. Along the way, we were told multiple times “to have a safe trip” and “To have fun in California” I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes.

The clock ticked by slowly, but finally, around ten-thirty, my Mother excused herself, which meant that I could finally head to bed. Jason and Chelsea left almost immediately, and I dragged myself upstairs. After showering and changing into my Stitch sweatpants and a white tank top, I laid down exhausted. Try as I might, sleep did not come for me. My mind kept wandering to the what if’s of this trip. What if I ran into my childhood friend again? He was my first love, kiss, and, most importantly, the first boy to break my heart.

“You don’t have any reason to be nervous.” A voice said in my head. “He’s the one who should be nervous.”

“Oh, Silver, I know you are right, but you know he probably doesn’t even remember me.” I whimpered.

“Bullshit! If he doesn’t remember you, then we will make him.” Silver growled.

“No! No one is supposed to know about you.” I panicked. If they discovered that I am a shifter and a Hybrid, you know what would happen, and not even my status could stop them. “

“Oh, that prophecy is a bunch of bullshit, and you know it.” Silver snapped. “Besides, I don’t feel all-powerful, do you?”

“No, I don’t, but the prophecy says-”

“Screw the prophecy. I can’t wait until we shift.” Silver grumbles before retreating into the back of my mind.

Silver came to me shortly after the boys abandoned me. She told me that she had begged the goddess to send her early because I was going through such a hard time. Silver had become my closest friend, but no one could ever know about her because of this old prophecy. The story says that there were three trybrids in the beginning, but they were the cause of a lot of chaos and violence. After they died, the first High Council had the prophecy that the three trybrids would return and, with them, the power to make or break the world.

I, like everyone else, thought it was one of those stories that meant nothing. That was until Silver made herself known to me. The Trybrids are a mix between shifter, angel, and vampire. But two of the shifters will be a type of shifter that went extinct with the original Trybrids. One Trybrid will be Wolf, Angel, and Vampire, which is a deadly combination as is, but then there are the other two. The other two are feline shifters mixed with Vampire and Angel. Which would be impossible if feline shifters were extinct.

Silver is a werecat which leads me to believe that I might be one of three trybrids, and I might know who the other two are, but I sincerely hope I am wrong. I don’t think I could live with myself if I am right. I don’t remember falling asleep, but I know that I did and that my dreams were haunted by demons of the past and nightmares of the future. Justin Omsford, his brother Dylan, myself, and the monsters we might become.

BANG, BANG, BANG

I jerked awake to the loud knocking at my door. I was drenched in sweat. “Come in!” I yelled.

Monique, my handmaiden, entered. “Princess, it’s time to wake up, it’s four, and your bus leaves at six.”

Monique opened the blinds and then went to get the outfit that had set out the night before. When she saw it, she giggled. Holding up the t-shirt, Monique said, “You are quite the little rebel, your highness.”

“Yes, I figured I would leave with a little sass,” I replied, laughing. “I’m sure my mother will be very pleased.”

“I take it with your outfit choice; you will not need assistance this morning,” Monique stated. “Would you like me to bring your breakfast to your room?”

I sighed. Why wasn’t I surprised that my Mother wouldn’t be having breakfast with me before I left? “That would be great, Monique. Thank you.”

“I am sure she will see you off, Princess,” Monique told me, trying to lighten the mood. I guess my facial expressions said it all.

“It doesn’t matter,” I said, shaking my head to clear my thoughts. “You know why I am leaving, so I don’t care if I see her or not.”

“I know,” Monique said sadly. “Alright, Princess, get ready for your day, and I will get your breakfast.”

“Thank you, Monique.” I smiled brightly at her. “You don’t know how much I appreciate you.”

Monique grinned and left the room. After eating and ensuring I was ready to go, Gavin and Jack, my guards, came in to get my bags and take them to the car. I followed behind them, but when I saw the figure standing behind the door, I pushed past them and ran down the rest of the stairs.

“Daddy!” I yelled, running into his arms. I had to keep myself from crying. I couldn’t believe he had come. “I missed you, Dad. I feel like I never see you anymore.”

“Hi baby.” my father, Daniel, said as he hugged me back.

“I am going to miss you, Dad,” I told him, not bothering to hide the tears anymore.

“Shh, baby, don’t cry. Remember that I am only one call away.” my Dad whispered. “Be safe, and call me when you get there.”

“I will, Dad,” I promised him. “I will call you every day. I love you.”

“I love you too, baby.” He said, kissing me on the forehead. “Now go on before you are late.”

I smiled and took one last look around before heading to the car. Before long, I was joining Jason and Chelsea on the bus, and we began the almost twelve-hour drive. California, here we come.

*****

I must have fallen asleep on the bus at some point because the next thing I know, Chelsea is shaking me awake. “What’s going on?”

“We are here?” Chelsea grinned.

I stood up and stretched, the sun was starting to set, but we still had several hours of sun left. As I exited the bus, I could see the student apartments. They were more like townhomes, but about fifty were in the block we were at. Each student could have their own apartment with no issue since only twenty-five of us were there. We probably do get our own apartments. One of the adult supervisors, Charlie, called for us to come together.

“There are fifty units, twenty-five students, and six adults. The units have been assigned. They are fully paid for, so there isn’t any need to pay bills, but if you want to buy things for your unit or extra things that will not be on the weekly shopping list, you will need to use your own money. The apartments have been set up the way that you requested. They have been fully stocked, and yes, you each get your own unit.” Charlie shouted. “Get your keys from Allison, and go on and settle in. These will be your home for the rest of the school year. Dismissed!”

Everyone turned to Allison and waited for her to pass out keys and information packets. When she got to the three of us, she said, “I made sure that you three are right next to each other, with Jason in the middle of you two and Gavin on the other side of the princess. That way, she is protected at all times.”

“Thank you.” I said as I took my key. Chelsea and Jason followed my lead.

“Your welcome; now go get settled in. I know Spring Break just started, but you still need to rest fully.” Allison told us.

We headed to our apartments, and after hugging goodbye, the three of us split up and went to our apartments. I knew Chelsea would join Jason at his in a little bit, and I felt a pang of jealousy, but I pushed it away. I walked into my apartment and was stunned. It was bigger than I expected.

There was an entrance hallway where you could hang coats and take off shoes. Another entry led to the living room. Which had a 65-inch flat screen tv. It had a love seat facing the tv and a lazy boy recliner in the corner. On the right side of the room, there were some stairs. Under the stairs was a half bath. I walked through on the left side and found the kitchen. It had a four-seat dining room table and all of the essential appliances.

I finally made my way upstairs. One bedroom upstairs had a canopy bed, with black sheets, blackout curtains, a desk on one side, and another smaller flat screen, on the wall directly across from the bed. I was excited about that. There was a bathroom on the right side. I walked into the bathroom to find a huge clawfoot tub and a shower that had many shower heads. There was another door, which I thought might be a closet, but I walked right into a mini library when I walked through.

I squealed and did a mini happy dance before running to the bed and flopping down on it. Memory foam. Awesome. This was going to feel like a vacation compared to home. At that moment, I had forgotten entirely about Justin and Dylan Omsford and my fear of seeing them again.