The Tribrid Heir's Orphaned Mate

Trapped and Alone

Elizabeth's P.O.V.

My eyes start to slowly close again, no matter how hard I fight them not to, as I stare at the door. I've been locked in this cell for hours now it seems like. The witches in our pack, MY pack, reinforced the cell that Warrick was being held in and they all locked me in here. I don't think they realize how much of a toll it's taking on my body. This cell was made for a tribrid, not an average werewolf. It's too much to handle, too much magic, wolfsbane and silver draining me. Carter just leans against the wall on the other side of the room with a smirk on his face, like he's having the best time watching me slowly die. Maybe this is what he wanted all along, to take my pack from me eventually. I can't imagine this is all because I wouldn't take him as my chosen mate.

As my eyes close on their own, not being able to hold them open anymore, I have flashbacks to what my mom had talked to me about when The Moon Goddess allowed her to visit me through Warrick. How she had rejected my father because she was power hungry and wanted Callan all to herself. How my father turned his back on his pack because he was so enraged about her rejection, and the reason for it being Callan. How she plotted to kill Athena so she could have Callan all to herself. All of it sounds way too familiar to me right now, like history happening all over again.

Now, I understand why Athena did what she did to my parents. I understand the troubles they had to bear because of my parents. The choices they had to make, even if they didn't want to. I've had a hatred in my heart towards her and Callan for so long, because of what happened to my parents because of them. In reality, though, it wasn't them that caused my parents deaths, it was my parents' fault all along. If they would've just given into the mate-bond, if they would've just let Callan and Athena be together, if their hearts weren't filled with so much vengeance, they'd still be alive. Now, I'm sitting here with the same situation happening to me, except I'm Callan in this scenario, and Carter is my mom.

My heart clenches in my chest thinking about what's going to happen to Carter eventually if this all plays out like the past. Even though I'm mad at him right now, livid, I can't help but yearn for him to be the guy I've known all of these years. I can't help but want for my best friend to come back to me, to see what he's doing to me, to himself even. Looking up at him with hooded eyes, a tear slides down my cheek. He's going to eventually get himself killed, and at this point, I don't think there's anything I can do to stop it. I wish I could save him; I wish I could talk some sense into him, but I'm positive he's too far gone now.

Carter rolls his eyes at me and lets out a small snort as he sees the tears trail down my face. He's so cold, so distant from me now. A month ago, he would've done anything in his power to make the tears disappear, but now, now he's looking at me with nothing but disgust. He's staring at me with pure hatred, pure rage, like I've wronged him in some way, even though I haven't. He can't even talk right now because of Warrick's command, and I wish for everything in me that he could. At least then I'd be able to hear what he has to say, to maybe talk this out in some way, even if it consists of him screaming at me nonstop.

I lay down on the floor of the cell, too drained to even worry about making it over to the bed. The rancid smell from the illusion spell hangs strongly in the air, but if I close my eyes and focus hard enough, I can smell the faint hint of coffee, the smell of my perfect mate. I try to focus on that, hoping and praying that he will find a way to get me out of here. Surely, he will, with how powerful he is. Not to mention he has Zeke and Delilah with him, who know the ins and outs of this city and apartment like the back of their hands. They'll figure it out eventually. I just hope that when they do, it's not too late, and one day I'll be back in my mate's arms.

I never would've thought that I'd be longing for that, be longing for the day to be in Warrick's arms. Right now, though, it's all that I want. My pack, people I have known for years, turned their backs on me within seconds. Warrick, though, stood by me even with everything that we put him through, that I put him through. After being captured, after my attempted rejection, after me pulling away from him time and time again, he still stood by me. It's now that I realize he's exactly what I've needed all of these years, what I've longed for. Delilah was right with what she said to me earlier, after everything I've been through in my life, I deserve a love that's unconditional. It's the only thing I've ever wanted after all. Not the vengeance, not the hate, not the fighting, only love. It's like I've been swimming in darkness for so long, that I was terrified of the light he brought into my life, scared of the warmth that he gave me, the comfort. It's like he became my home so quickly, that I was afraid to accept it, afraid it would be stripped away from me at any second, like everything else that has been stripped away from me.

Slowly, so slowly, I drift off to sleep and let darkness overtake me as I let the comforting scent of coffee consume my senses.

"Elizabeth." a soft melodic voice says to me from the darkness.

I don't know what's happening, or where the voice is coming from, but it sounds familiar.

"Elizabeth, focus on my voice." it says to me, the sound of it swirling all around me.

I turn in circles in the darkness, not sure where to look, not sure of which direction it's coming from, "Who's there? I don't know where you are."

A soft and warm chuckle warms my heart and calms me, before it answers again, "It's Selene, Elizabeth. I'm all around you my beautiful child."

"Selene? The Moon Goddess?" I ask, unable to understand how she's talking to me right now.

"Yes, Elizabeth, The Moon Goddess. I'm able to talk to you now, even if you can't see me, since you've started to accept Warrick as your mate and he has a direct link to me." she explains.

"How is that possible?" I ask her, still confused with the situation that unfolding right now.

I feel warmness spread over my entire body, like she's wrapping me in a warm hug, before she speaks again, "Warrick is a very powerful creature, even more powerful than his parents. He might not know it yet, since he's never had to use his full abilities, but it's coming. He was born from two tribrids, the first tribrid to ever be born within an actual bloodline. You being his mate, you'll start to experience more abilities the more that you accept him into your heart. I just need you to stay strong, Elizabeth. He's coming for you, it just might take some time. I'll be here for you whenever you need me, but only in your sleep, since the two of you haven't marked one another yet."

"I don't understand. What makes you think I've started to accept Warrick as my mate?" I ask her, trying to hide the fact that I really have slowly started to let him into my heart, even if I don't want to admit it.

Selene lets out a small chuckle, "I can feel everything, Elizabeth. I know that you have. You might want to push him away, you might be scared to accept him because you're afraid that he will leave you at any moment, but you need to let him in. I know that it's been hard for you to love, because you're terrified that love leads to heartache, but I promise you that Warrick isn't going anywhere. Warrick has waited his entire life to meet his mate, it's the only thing in this world that he has truly cherished and clung onto. Now that's he's found you, he will never let you go, and he will protect you with everything that he has in him."

"Where is he now, then? He never came back for me? He just left me here." I tell her, a bitter taste coating my mouth as the words leave it.

"Warrick is doing exactly what you wanted, Elizabeth. You can't blame him for not coming back immediately. If he would've came back, there's no telling how many members of your pack would've been killed in the process. He wants to come back. It's taking everything in him not to. You wanted your pack to be accepted into River Crescent, though. You wanted them to be able to find a new home, a new life. He's forming a plan with Zeke and Delilah to make that happen. Forming a plan that will cause the least amount of casualties as possible." she explains to me.

I stay silent for a moment, trying to take it all in, because right now, all I want is to be out of this cell. Before I can say anything else to her, though, she continues.

"A true mate loves you for everything that you are and takes everything that you stand for into consideration. Warrick knows that your pack means everything to you, which is why he's making a plan to save your pack, not only you. You are the Alpha of this pack, and the future Luna of River Crescent. You're stronger than this. Just hold on and wait for him. Be strong Elizabeth. Your pack needs you to be strong for them, so they can be saved too. They might not know it yet, but there's a beautiful life waiting for them at River Crescent. You'll all get what you've always wanted there. Mates, happy lives, even little pups running around together years from now. Why do you think that most of your pack hasn't found their mates yet?" Selene says to me, with joy filling her voice.

"You're telling me that all of my pack members, the reason they haven't found their mates yet, is because their mates are at River Crescent?" I ask her, unable to believe what I'm hearing.

"That's exactly what I'm saying my beautiful child. There was so much hate that happened years ago when the war happened. So much fighting and bloodshed. I had to bridge the gap somewhere and make up for the pain that was caused, with happiness. I never take away, without giving love in return. Your pack needs to understand this, understand what they'll be losing if they choose to fight against River Crescent." she says, before she continues, "I'm sorry that all of you have faced so much pain in your past, but it was your parents that created it. This world that you're living in now is nothing like the world that it was almost twenty years ago. Only full-blooded creatures were accepted back then, and hybrid supernatural's had to go into hiding because of it. This pack that you have now, with different types of supernatural's, it wouldn't have been an accepted pack before the war happened. Even if fated mates were from different species, they'd end up rejecting each other and go against my wishes. Because of that, the supernatural's created a world that went against what I had planned, and the peaceful harmony between all of them that I had tried to make, soon turned into fighting with one another and nothing but hatred."

"Is...is Carter's mate at River Crescent?" I ask her, not wanting to hear the answer, because I'm pretty sure that he wouldn't care, even if she was there.

Selene lets out a frustrated sigh, before answering, "Yes, Carter's mate is there, waiting for him, but you will never be able to convince him of that. Only if she comes with Warrick to rescue you, will Carter possibly be persuaded to let go of all of this anger, all of this hate that he has towards Warrick and River Crescent. Even then, it's up to him and his mate and the choices that are made on what their future will be."

Tears prick at the corners of my eyes as I take in a ragged breath, "So Carter might die?"

"That's up to him and the choices that he makes, my sweet girl. Just trust in Warrick to do the best that he can to save ALL of your friends. Warrick is very headstrong and thinks outside of the box, just like Athena does. He will do everything that he can not to harm anyone, since that's all that you want." she explains, before the warmth leaves my body again, like she has just let go of me, "I have to go now, Elizabeth. The longer that I talk to you, the more that it drains you. You might be connected to Warrick a little to where I can reach you, but right now, you haven't fully accepted him. I'll be here, if you reach out to me. Just wait, be strong, and try your hardest to accept him as much as you can while you're here without him."

And with that, she's gone, leaving me in this cell alone, slowly opening my eyes to see a rage-filled Carter still staring back down at me.