Once Upon a Forbidden Mate

Chapter 3 - Dominic

I couldn’t believe that after what she put me through she showed up at my dorm room and even worse she brought him with her. I loved her with all of my heart and she just threw me aside like I was nothing. It hurt but I could understand why she did it. I have seen enough werewolves find their mate and I knew how powerful that bond could be. It was naive of me to think that my love could overpower that bond but that didn’t make me feel any better. I gave her all the love that I had and it still wasn’t enough to change anything.

She threw me aside like I was garbage, she didn’t even have the decency to tell me the truth. I had to walk into the cafe that we normally went to only to see them snuggled cosily together. It was the worst feeling in the world to know that you gave your heart to someone, only to have them trample all over it.

Now that she had chosen him I tried to do the honourable thing and keep out of her way but she didn’t have the same respect for me. Was it really too much to ask that she leave me alone? Did I really need to see them being happy together all of the time? It didn’t matter any more. After today I would be far away from this place and if I was honest with myself, I didn’t ever see myself coming back.

There was always plenty of work for a trained rogue hunter. I might not be as strong or as fast as my werewolf half brothers but I made up for it with superior tactics. My mom didn’t want me to stay in that line of work. She had wanted me to have a normal life complete with a safe office job so she had pushed me to get my degree. It was a nice fairytale but my life was never going to go that smoothly.

I knew that my time here was ending when my parents didn’t check in for five days in a row. This was unheard of for them, even if they were busy hunting rogues deep in the forest they would always find a way to check in with me. I tried everything I could think of to reach them but nothing seemed to be getting through. In the end I resorted to contacting Franklin, that was six days ago and he has only just got back to me.

Franklin wasn’t a friend so much as a work acquaintance of my parents. He is a vampire who specialised in hunting down other supernaturals who had lost control of their powers. He used to work with an organisation of other supernaturals until he worked out he could earn a lot more by going freelance. That was how my parents met him, they had worked with him on a few of their assignments and they would throw each other work from time to time. He seemed nice enough but he was always very serious. Then again, this way of life had a way of doing that to you.

“Will you stop feeling sorry for yourself already?” Franklin complained. Turning around I saw him standing in the doorway to my dorm room, leaning against the door frame. He was wearing his usually dark shirt and jeans, his long dark hair was tied back in a low ponytail. I wonder how long he had been standing there watching my pity party.

“I see you haven’t got over the whole gothic vampire stereotype. You do realise that isn’t cool anymore right?” I countered. I laughed for the first time since my girlfriend left me for another man. Maybe getting out of here was exactly what I needed. I could get away from anything that reminded me of her and move on with my life.

“It’s the best way to make sure I get left alone.” Franklin said. I laughed again. Yeah right, this had nothing to do with getting left alone. He loved playing the role of the brooding vampire. It was more than just a look, it was almost his whole personality.

“Maybe we should get out of here,” I suggested.

We had a long way to go. Franklin had spent almost a week looking through my parents home and speaking to all of their known contacts. He didn’t find much information, the one lead that we had was a small pack who had sent them messages asking for assistance with a rogue problem around their pack. We couldn’t be sure that my family had gone to help them, we couldn’t even seem to get in touch with the pack on the details they had provided. However, given the timing it was the only thing that made sense.

“Are you planning to take all these bags? You do realise I only have one car, right?” Franklin complained.

“I know but I don’t think I am coming back here.” I replied. Shock filled Franklin’s face. He coughed and took a couple of steps back, I could tell that I had made him anxious although I had no idea why.

“Look Dom, I like you but I am not really interested in that kind of relationship.” Franklin replied, rubbing his fingers along the back of his neck and looking at everything except for me.

“What kind of relationship are you talking about?” I asked. I already had a clue where this was going but I wanted to make sure that I was right before I went into something that was still very painful for me. I had been taking things a little too personally recently and it had gotten me into a few arguments and fights. All anyone had to do was mention Molly’s name and I would lose my temper.

I loved her. I offered her a life with me, a way of getting away from the pack who treated her badly for half of her life. I would have even let her turn me into a werewolf just so we could be together, something that I swore I would never do. It hurt that all of that got thrown away the moment she met her mate. I was never going to risk going through that kind of pain again and that meant not getting involved with any more supernaturals.

“I think you know exactly what I am talking about. You should know me well enough to know that I will take no partner other than my destined soulmate.” Franklin said.

“I know that and it wasn’t what I had in mind, I just need your help to find my family. I am never getting involved with someone else’s soulmate ever again.” I replied with a lot more venom that I had intended.

“I have a feeling that there is a story behind that tone but maybe it's a story for another time.” Franklin said. He gave me a sympathetic smile before he picked up two of my suitcases and started heading out of my room. I took one last look around before taking my remaining bags and following him. I was going to miss this place. It was a shame to be leaving this part of my life behind me so quickly but if I was honest, it was never me.

I just wasn’t built to have a comfortable life. I spent the early years of my life in hiding, squatting in empty houses with my family and eating what we could find while dumpster diving. My family may have come a long way since then and built a life for ourselves but we were still rogue hunters. In all my time at college I never stopped looking over my shoulder, expecting my past to finally catch up with me.

My parents wouldn’t be happy with my decision to give up on my education but they would get over it eventually. Besides, I could make more money in one year hunting rogues than I could in five years as a graduate of my chosen field.