The Hybrid King and His Hidden Mate

The Aftermath

As soon as the lashings were done, I couldn't hold myself up any longer. Dante released the restraints and stepped back as I collapsed to the ground with a thud. His coven laughed with amusement. He didn't try to catch me because he was livid and was teaching me a lesson.

My body felt like the skin had been ripped away, and lava had been poured over it. I couldn't bear the excruciating pain or barely breathe, but there was nothing I could do to help myself. I was fighting between consciousness and unconsciousness. One hundred lashings had been too many for me to handle, but Dante knew I wouldn't be able to fight my way out of his punishment. He enjoyed my pain and suffering immensely.

My mother sobbed uncontrollably and rushed to me, but my father gripped her arm and yanked her back to him harshly. "Leave her. She must deal with the consequences of her actions as you will, too, my dear wife." He said with a low and dangerous growl.

She tensed and shook her head. "N-No, please, she needs me. Look at her back." A pained sob wrenched out, and she shook her head as more tears streamed down her face, "She needs me to heal her. Please, Zion. She's our daughter."

"Yes, a daughter who you took away and never gave me the chance to know. She is Dante's property and problem now. You will not go against her Master and if she is the fated mate of that demon scum, then she is worth more to me in Dante's care so that we can go through with our plan. She is the fastest way to him." My father snarled viciously and dragged my mother away.

My mother screamed over and over again as she thrashed in my father's arms, but he just pulled her out of the torture room. Oncw they were out though, my mother clutched her stomach and began screaming in pain. At first, my father ignored it, but when my mother began to have convulsions in his arms, he rushed back into the room towards where Dante hovered over my damaged and broken body.

"You must help my mate." My father said with slight concern, but I could feel the hatred seeping out of his mouth. He was furious and annoyed that she was going through pain but knew she needed to be treated. It was as if I could read his thoughts, even though I couldn't. I could feel it, though. His emotions. It was very stifling.

Even though my body was weak and beginning to shake uncontrollably from pain, I managed to peek a glance at Dante. The expression he showed was a complete farce. I could tell he was faking it, but for some reason, my father believed the concerned look of Dante.

"Yes, of course, Zion. I shall have my witch take a look at her right away." Dante said with a forced smile as he squeezed my father's shoulder. Zion nodded his head and followed one of Dante's servants to the witch to heal my mother.

Once Zion was out of sight, Dante chuckled darkly. "Everything is going perfectly. Katasha, make sure the witch knows what she must do. I need control of Zion, and she is the only way. He may hate her at the moment, but I know he still loves her. Well, at least his Lycan half does. Go. Hurry now, my precious."

Katasha blushed slightly and then rushed to do her Master's bidding.

Dante leaned down to me and gripped my hair tightly. "Have you learned your lesson, my pet?" I looked up at him, and with all the strength I could muster, I spit in his face. "Fûck you. I will never belong to you."

His hand was faster than my mind could comprehend as he backhanded me across the face. "You will pay dearly for your disobedience and disrespect." He gritted his teeth, but he pulled a small vial from his pocket and opened it. He placed it on my back and dragged it across my skin.

I cried out, but he just cackled. "There's no need to be so dramatic. I am just collecting some of your blood for your dear mate."

"He won't fall for your plan," I croaked out, "He is smarter than you think."

Dante narrowed his eyes at me suspiciously but didn't say anything. He dragged me out of the room by my hair, but I had no strength left in my limbs to follow him. He growled in frustration and then threw me over his shoulder. I screamed out with deafening pain as my body collided with his shoulder, but he just ignored me and stalked back to my room.

Once he opened the door to my room, he tossed me on the bed. "I will not bring the witch in here to heal you. I want all of these marks on your body. My marks. I want you to suffer for your venomous words. I want you to feel the pain when you move or breathe. That way, you can remember this day very well and make sure it never happens again." He sneered venomously and then slammed the door as he left.

I laid there as my sobs filled the room and thought of Sebastian. Would he come for me soon? Did he hear me calling out to him? After a few minutes, the pain became too much, and unconsciousness took me away once again.

* * * * *

Sebastian

I rushed down the hallway and knocked on my father's door. The door opened, and my mother smiled at me. "Seb, my sweet boy, come in." I smiled warmly at her and followed her inside.

My mother was the picture of perfection. She was pregnant with my sister, who would be coming out in a few months. She was rubbing her belly as she led me to my father.

"How is my sister treating you, mom?" I said softly. She just laughed and shook her head. "She is very active today. I can feel her attitude already. She wants out and lets me know just unhappy she is that she isn't."

I leaned down and whispered to my sister, "Be good to our mom. She deserves everything. She has done so much for our family." My mother looked down at me and smiled. I stood back up and wiped the tears that slipped past her eye.

"Don't cry, mom. I hate seeing you cry." I said roughly. "It's happy tears, I promise. Always happy tears." She whispered.

Hands wrapped around her stomach, and a low growl filled the air. "Why are you crying, little one?" My mom turned around and snuggled closer to my father. "It's nothing, Garrett. Sebastian just said something sweet to his sister, and I got emotional. You know how I get these days with the pregnancy. I am all over the place with my emotions."

My father just sighed and placed his chin on the top of her head. I wanted what my parents had. They had been through so much to get where they were today. Sacrificed so much.

"I need to speak with you two. It's important, but I need the whole family present -"I began but was interrupted with a pain so excruciating that I collapsed to the ground. "SEB!" My parents screamed out and rushed to the ground next to me.

"My ba..ck. S-So m-much... pa..in." I stuttered out painfully. My father shifted his nails to claws and ripped through my shirt, and turned me over on my stomach. The shocked gasp that left their mouths was filled with horror.

"What's happened?" My grandfather, Lucifer, rushed into the office with my two grandmothers behind him but stopped abruptly when he saw the looks on my parents' face and my back.

"WHAT THE FÛCK HAS HAPPENED?" He snarled viciously, "WHO DID THIS TO MY GRANDCHILD?" I shook head and whimpered painfully, "No one did this. It just happened suddenly," I whispered roughly, "I think something has happened to Cassandra."

They all looked at me with confusion. "Who is Cassandra?" My father said gruffly. "It's her, father. My mate, she... she... spoke to me." I choked out.

"What? She spoke to you? How is that possible?" My grandfather spoke. "I don't know, that's why I was coming here to talk to you all. She warned me that I was in danger and not to listen to Dante. He has here. I am sure of it. She said he hurts her. I need to save her." I said with firm tone, but my voice broke towards the end.

My grandmother, Lillian, placed her hands on my back and whispered out a chant. I felt the pain subside, and then she gasped sharply. "What? What's wrong?" I asked hesitantly.

"Somehow, she has opened the mating bond between you two. She is in grave danger. She needs you, Sebastian, but it's not safe for you.

We need to find her and fast. Where is this Dante located?" Lillian said with shock and concern.

"In Earth Realm. He resides in England, but his place is guarded with a spell. No one knows the exact location unless he invites you there." My father said with frustration.

"There as to be a way. Sebastian? Try to see if you can speak to her through mindlink." Lucifer said with curiosity.

I nodded my head and sat up. I closed my eyes and searched for the link in my mind. Once I found it, I took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Cassandra? Are you there? It's me, Sebastian. Your mate. Can you hear me? Please tell me your alright."

I waited with bated breath. The tension was killing me. Would this even work.

"Please. You have to respond to me."

Still, there was nothing. I slumped my shoulders in defeat and started to open my eyes when I felt it.

"Sebastian? Is it really you?"

"Oh, thank God! Yes, my love. It is really me. What happened to your back. Tell me!"

"H-How do you know about t-that?"

"I had to go through the same pain as you. Your pain is my pain, my love. We are connected. Please, you have to tell me what has happened and where you are. I'm coming for you, but I have to know where you are."

"Dante punished me for thinking about you while he was in the same room as him. Then I got mad and told him I wasn't his pet anymore and that he could go fûck himself. He didn't like that. He... he gave me a hundred lashes from one of his whips."

"WHAT! HE WHIPPED YOU. I'LL FÛCKING KILL THAT MOTHERFÛCKER. HE CALLS YOU HIS PET? YOU ARE NOT HIS PET. YOU ARE MY MATE."

"He has whipped me before, but this time was different. He wants you here desperately. He said he has a plan to rule the world and needs you to accomplish that. He has teamed up with my father, whom I just met today."

"You just met your father today?"

"Yes, both my parents. My mother tried to help me, but my father wouldn't let her."

"Who are they?"

"The Lycan King is my father, but my mother is a witch. I don't know if she is a lycan as well. I don't know that much about them at all. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's okay."

"Sebastian. Dante took some of my blood and said he was going to use it to bring you here. I don't know what that means, but I thought you should know. I have to go. I hear someone coming. Please come soon."

Then, just like that, the connection was cut. I opened my eyes and looked around at the looks of curiosity. "Did you find her?" My father said cautiously. I nodded my head. "Yes, she told me what happened. She said Dante and her father, the lycan king, have a plan to overtake the world and plan on using me to achieve that. He took some of her blood and plans on using it to lure me there, but I don't see how that would. I want to go already, knowing what he has done to her."

"Sebastian. He wants to lure your demon. He is going to force your demon to shift," Lillian said with worry, "Demons are very possessive of their mates, but even more powerful and out of control when their mate is hurt. If he has her blood and your demon smells it, he will go ballistic and rush to protect her. He won't be in his right mind. That's how he wants to capture you."

"GUARDS!" My father yelled. Within seconds, two demon dogs appeared. "Yes, my king?" They said in unison. "Keep an eye out for anything suspicious. Someone is trying to send Sebastian something. He must not receive it. Anything that comes for him, you mindlink me, and I will come to you. Under no circumstances must this package enter this castle and get near Sebastian. Tell all the guards. Do you understand me?" My father commanded.

They saluted and then transported out.

"Wait... did you say her father was the Lycan King?" My grandfather asked cautiously. I nodded my head, "Yes, why grandfather?"

He looked at me and then turned away. "Zion lost his daughter eighteen years ago. She died. Are you sure she isn't mistaken?" My grandmother placed her hand on his shoulder and squeezed softly, "My love, maybe there is more to the story that we don't know about."

My grandfather nodded his head, "Perhaps you're right. We just have to be careful. The news of Zion's daughters death spread like wild fire throughout all the realms. I never liked the man, honestly, but he was devastated. He blamed his wife and has been punishing her ever since, at least, that is what the gossip says. If it is all true, then Cassandra is the last royal lycan on Zion's bloodline. She is his heir. Zion can not have more children. She was special. Nobody knows how, but it was said she was a special breed. Her blood was mixed with something else. Something powerful."