~Hazel~
I received my first invitation to the Mate Gala last month. I found the perfect dress, red silk that hugs my curves with a sensual slit, and black strappy high heels. Now, I have to break the news to my parents. My mom and dad always tell me how horrible the supernaturals are. They chose to decline the gala invitations when they turned twenty-one, but I won't miss the opportunity to find a mate and live an extraordinary life. I don't want to settle for a human that most likely won't be loyal, and I want a connection with someone who was made just for me. He's out there; I can feel it in my chest when I think about it.
I accepted the invitation and sent back the RSVP to The Royals the day I received it. I've never seen any of The Royals other than my human leaders, Adrian and Harry Williams. The only time a human gets to see a supernatural is if they go to the gala. We are not allowed in other territories, and they cannot come into ours. It's hard to believe there was a time when they all roamed the world freely and without borders.My mom and dad arrive at my house for dinner, as they do every Wednesday.
"Hello, darling. Can I help you with anything?" Mom asks when she walks inside."I think I have it all covered. You and dad can take a seat at the table. I'll bring out the food." I go into the kitchen to make our plates and serve them with a glass of wine."This lasagna smells delicious, sweetheart." Dad always says the food smells good, even when it doesn't. Learning how to cook was a long process for me, but I finally got the hang of it."Thank you. Before we eat, I have an announcement to make," I'm so nervous to tell them about the gala, but I have to. After Saturday, I may never get to see them again. They have the right to know what might happen to their child."Did you get another promotion at work? You are so bright, Hazel." It almost makes me laugh that my mother called me bright because I know what she says next will not be so positive."I have accepted the invitation to the Mate Gala. I leave this Saturday." Dad slams his fist on the table, and it makes mom jump. I prepared for his outburst, so I gave him no reaction."Why would you sell your soul to the devil, Hazel Grace?" Mom's lower lip trembles."I am not selling my soul to anyone. I have dated plenty of human men. They're all morons. They have no loyalty to their spouse, and they only expect one thing when they get you alone. Thankfully, I wasn't stupid enough to sleep with any of them," Dad shakes his head in disbelief."Not all men are disloyal. You just haven't looked hard enough," He grunted."That's rich coming from you. The guy who cheated on his wife with his secretary. What was her name again? Hannah?" He sits back in his chair."Who told you about that?" Dad asked while pinching the bridge of his nose."You can't hide a scandal that the whole town talked about. Mom chose you, though. I guess she doesn't mind human flaws. I'm not like you, and I don't look forward to living an average life while being half loved by someone. Either be supportive or make this our last meal together." My parents have filled my head with enough negativity."You will never get our support. You don't think those creatures have affairs too?" Mom looks disgusted with me, but I don't care."Yeah, but you know the consequences are much worse for them, so it's not as likely to happen." She stays quiet because she knows I'm right. If a werewolf or Lycan is disloyal to their mate, it damages the mate bond. When the bond is damaged, their wolf weakens. A recent study shows humans are nine times more likely to have an affair than supernaturals are. Vampires are even more loyal than humans. I guess when you live eternally, cheating gets old."Let's agree to disagree on this. We don't want to lose our daughter; we just want you to be safe. We promise to stop giving you a hard time about it. You're an adult now, so the choice is yours." Dad is finally being rational."Thank you. I will be just fine, and I'll talk to you guys all the time. I'll always be your daughter, but this isn't the life for me." They share a concerned look and nodded their heads."Let's enjoy our meal together. If this is the last one we share, I want it to be happy." Mom wipes away her tears and takes a sip of her wine."I agree." Dad picks his fork up and starts eating.________My nails are freshly manicured and pedicured, ready for the gala tonight. I have never been more nervous in my life, but I'm ready to meet my soulmate. That is if my soulmate is at the gala. I've been lying awake every night wondering what kind of supernatural my mate would be. I don't have a preference because I feel like I could adapt to whatever new life I would have to live. I won't choose to stay human, so I know I won't be moving to the Half-Blood Enclave. Even if I don't find a mate this time, it will still be exciting to meet The Royals. I will go back every time until I meet my mate or even a vampire who is looking for the same kind of love I'm looking for.
I put dangly diamond earrings in and two golden bangles on my left wrist. My hair is in a beautiful updo with a few strands framing my face. I apply mascara and red matte lipstick that will last through the night, but nothing else because I don't want to hide too many natural features. I slide my dress on and zip it up in the back before checking myself over. The sweetheart neckline shows just enough cleavage to be sexy but not enough to scream desperation. My tattoo written in cursive across my collarbone is showing. My mom was angry when I got it. Not because I was marking my skin, but because of what it says: *Remember my heart.*My strappy black high heels are on, and I'm ready to go. I grab my small black clutch and put my cellphone in it. As I walk out to the limo, I take a deep breath. Every guest to the gala must arrive in their designated transportation. The ride there is only thirty minutes from our borders, but it feels like hours."Are you excited to meet your mate?" The chauffeur asks with a bright smile. He's an older man with grey hair."I'm beyond excited. Did you ever attend the gala?" I know he's a human because The Royals hire chauffeurs within our territory to do the transportation for the gala."I went four times and never found a supernatural that was fated to me. Two months after my last gala, I met my wife. We've been together for thirty-four years. Our daughter met her mate last year and they're expecting their first child. I love how happy Ash makes her." He smiles at the thought of his daughter being happy in another territory, even if he's not able to see her anymore."I wish my parents were like you. Is your daughter still a human?" He shakes his head."Carlie is a lycan now. Ash never pressured her to change, but she knew it would cause difficulties if she chose to remain human. I'm proud of my daughter for making the right choice for herself and Ash. Her transformation was excruciating, unfortunately. It took her longer than most to wake up from her coma." That is the scariest part. When your mate injects their venom, your body goes into a coma as it changes the structure of your DNA. Once it's finished, your heart starts a new rhythm. It's the same rhythm as your mate."I'm glad she's doing well now. Congratulations on your grandchild, by the way." He shines with pride."Thank you. We're about to arrive in about a minute." I can barely contain my excitement.~Hazel~The venue is the most beautiful place I have ever seen. It's a palace on a large plot of land with freshly cut grass. My chauffeur opens my door for me, and I step out."Thank you." I give him a gentle hug to show my appreciation."It was my pleasure. I hope you find who you are looking for tonight." He hugs me in return, goes back into the limo, and drives away.I make my way up the stairs to the entrance and take in the scenery. The floors are white marble with a soft golden glow from the lights along the walls. The hall is full of perfect people dressed to impress, and we're waiting on the second set of double doors to open. That must lead to the ballroom."Hello, gorgeous. May I have your name?" I turn to my right and see a tall, red-eyed, porcelain male model wearing a velvet blue suit, perfectly fitted. He is stunningly handsome and clearly a vampire."I'm Hazel. What's your name?" I offer my hand for him to shake, but he takes it and softly kisses my palm. It's amazing
~Hazel~Sitting between my two mates is euphoric. I always knew I would be mated to someone, but two Royals are not who I expected. I have never dated a woman or considered dating women, for that matter. Up until tonight, I was straight.My mind wanders as I think about what kind of relationship I will have with Queen Valentina. Her possessiveness makes it evident that she accepts me, but what if she ends up not liking me? Since I am a human, will I become a Royal, or be a toy to them? Will I need both of their marks to change? They seem relaxed, but they're quiet. They probably have a lot on their minds. I close my heavy eyes and think positive thoughts. What is meant to be, will be.______~Valentina~Hazel drifts off into a slumber, and her head rests on my shoulder. She doesn't look very comfortable, so I adjust her to where her head is on my lap. She is beautiful even in her sleep. I never thought I would have this feeling for someone other than Octavius, but this little human wa
~Valentina~"Is he okay?" Hazel looks concerned for Tae."It is really hard for him to control his impulses right now. Especially with you being naked, so he is giving you some time to get dressed before he comes back." I gave the clothes to her, and she thanked me."Do you want me to get dressed in the bathroom, or does it not affect you the same way it affects him?" I realize Hazel is trying to figure out what kind of relationship she and I will have."You affect us both very much, so you can dress in here while I go take my shower. We would love to get to know you more before we start getting physical." Women can be overly possessive sometimes, so I want her to feel welcome by me."You seem incredibly nice. This is a lot for me to take in, even though I thought I was fully prepared for it when I left home." She sits on the bed, and a flash of sadness crosses her face."You don't want to be here?" I may not know her yet, but the thought of her being unhappy with us makes me uneasy.
~Hazel~Is it too soon to say I'm in love? Val is silly, and she's the most kind-hearted woman. I know she has gone above and beyond to make me feel welcome in their home instead of being jealous or malicious. Obviously, the spiritual bond is a huge factor in how we feel for each other because there is a strong connection between the three of us naturally. How anyone could reject this feeling is beyond me.Tae is equally goofy, but he looks intimidating and mean. If he were not mated to me, I would stay out of his way. Having a man who is gentle and funny for just his two women is a huge turn-on, though. No one else gets this side of Tae, except for their three-year-old son they told me about over dinner last night. I get to meet him today, and I can't wait. When they showed me a picture of him, my heart melted.Val is still asleep with her arm wrapped around me, but I felt Tae get up early. He must have had work to do because he kissed our heads before leaving the room. Val pulls me
~Octavius~I'm sitting in my home office to schedule a meeting with the alpha of the Dark Forest Pack when I feel a sensation form in my stomach. I can sense Val's arousal, but she always is when she wakes up. I would be fulfilling her needs right now, but we have to respect Hazel. I'm sure the feeling will go away soon when they get out of bed.I brush it off and called Alpha Jakobe to confirm the day and time of our meeting. By the time we hung up the phone, the sensation spreaded through my body, and I began to sweat. I can feel the touch of Hazel on Val's body. There is no way in Hell I will keep working while my two mates are getting frisky for the first time. As I get closer to our room, my breathing becomes unsteady, and eagerness takes over. When I open the door, Val and Hazel are stripped naked. Val is between Hazel's legs, but when she looks back at me, I can see the mischief in her eyes while Hazel is trying not to laugh. There is no doubt in my mind Val did this on purpose
~Octavius~"Daddy!" Lucas jumps into my arms, and I toss him into the air to hear his laughter. Val stayed at the castle with Hazel while I ran to get our son from my brother's house."Hey, Buddy! Did you have fun with Uncle Ash and Aunt Carlie?" He nodded enthusiastically."We made cookies!" He rubs his little tummy."Where are my cookies?" Lucas wiggles out of my arms and runs into the kitchen; Carlie follows him."So, a second mate?" Ash asks quietly."Hazel is so innocent and sweet. She and Val are already hitting it off as if they've been best friends forever, and she loves kids. I'm nervous about them meeting, but I know he will love her as much as we do." Hazel fits us like a glove, so there is no doubt in my mind Lucas will love her too."How will you explain it to him? Will he see her as a second mother?" Ash looks slightly concerned because this is not typically the Lycan way."He's only three, so it'll be a simple explanation. As he ages, he will form a proper understanding
~Hazel~Lucas is a ball of energy. I'm a pretty fit woman, but this little guy made me doubt my athleticism while playing on the playground. Today has been the best day of my life. Val and I went shopping for new clothes this evening while Tae took Lucas to an arcade in the mall. After dinner, we played Go Fish with Lucas and did a couple of rounds of hide-and-seek. Lucas said he wanted to be on my team, so we hid and found his parents together. Now that I'm showered and lying down in the bed, I feel exhausted. Val is giving Lucas a bath in the bathroom attached to his bedroom while Tae is showering in our bathroom. The privacy gives me time to call my parents. After two rings, my mom answers."I'm assuming you found a beast to corrupt you since you never returned home." I knew my mom would be upset, but I did not expect her to say something like this when she answered my call."Hello, sunshine. Put Dad on the phone." I don't feel like talking to her. Dad might not be any better."Haz
~Hazel~Sex is intimate, but Tae cleaning me up after I noticed the aftermath is a different type of intimacy. When your body is no longer running on adrenaline and lust, you feel raw and vulnerable. I wanted to rush to the bathroom and clean myself, but there's no way in hell I will be rushing anywhere after what he had just done to me. Val helped me up so I could use the restroom while Tae changed the comforter on our bed. He just left to check on Lucas to make sure he was still asleep, so Val and I are lying in bed, facing each other and waiting for him to join us."Sorry about the blanket." I don't know why I'm embarrassed right now. I'm assuming this is normal."I know how you feel, don't worry. It didn't bother Tae during my first time either. To be honest? I think he loves it. He did well with not getting too crazy. I can't say he'll be as easy next time." So that was him being easy. Noted."I assume he was gentle with you last night so I wouldn't get scared about my first time