RIVER POV
ll I could see was the tall, brooding, beautiful man standing there merely ten feet from me, staring at me. I could feel his eyes on me, felt like they were looking into my soul. I felt this strange pull towards him, but I resisted it. It would be so weird just to follow it to a total stranger, no matter how hot the guy was. To be honest, he seemed just as drawn to me as I was him for a split moment time seemed to stop.
She took a deep breath before following Brice back toward Lilly, who sat at the bar looking oddly sober and scared. Even the way Brice walked seemed tense, and I could sense that it had something to do with the man standing in front of me. As I walked by him, my knees felt like jello and almost gave out from underneath me when I got a whiff of him. I fought through it, and if my friends were nervous about him, then I'd stay away.
I got to the bar and leaned my back up against it between Lilly and Brice, their nerves so tense that I could feel the constriction in my own body.
"He is...attractive," I said, unsure if attractive was the right word; it wasn't strong enough to describe him, but I wasn't sure how I was supposed to feel. It was strangely all very confusing. He's a stranger, and I feel unnaturally drawn to him.
He did have the most beautiful golden yellow eyes I'd ever seen, though. I felt like I was swimming in them, and the longer I stared, the dizzier I began to feel. My body was beginning to feel hot, and I thought I was about to pass out.
"He looks like bad news, babe. A bad choice." Lilly whispered, her eyes set hard on this man. Her voice me from whatever trance I was in, well mostly, I was still on the edge of whatever it was that was happening to me.
"Well, Lil, you know me...I'm all about bad choices." I said as our eyes never wavered as we continued to stare. I could smell him. I don't know how to describe what he smelled like even from a distance between, I could smell him, and I felt nearly drunken by it. I wanted him closer to me, and yet a part of me kept saying no and to keep him away. I was conflicted.
"Let's go." Brice said quietly, "let's get home and watch a movie." He grabbed my hand to pull me away, but the moment he touched my hand, the man's eyes turned black, and Brice let me go with a gasp. I knew that moment should have scared me to death. Honestly, I don't know why it didn't.
"Yeah. I think that's a good idea." Lilly added, and no one moved their eyes from him. I felt Brice and Lilly tense up even more as he began to walk up to us. I, however, was trying to appear relaxed and collected.
"Hello," Malachi said as he approached us, more brooding than ever. I straightened myself up from the bar, and I needed to appear confident, not to seem easily led. Something told me he knew I wasn't easy, though, and I don't know how I knew. I just did.
"Scottish?" I asked, mentally melting at his accent. It was getting harder to tell myself "no" with him so close, smelling so good, looking so good, and well talking with a sexy accent.
"Yes." He replied, taking a small step closer to me. We both stood there a moment staring at each other, I could tell it felt awkward to everyone else, but the sexual tension was intense between the two of us. It was thick; you could cut it with a knife.
"Cool. Welcome to America." I said, looking at Lilly then at Brice, "let's go. It's my turn to pick the movie tonight. Nice meeting you. Bye."
Lilly hesitated before hurrying around the back of the stunned Man. Brice and Lilly tried to rush me from the building, but I refused to hurry. I couldn't seem as if I was running away from him. He seemed like the hunting type, and hurrying would make me better prey. Or at least that's how I saw it. Just before stepping out, I almost turned back to look at him, but with every bit of strength I had inside of me, I didn't.
Once we got to Lilly's apartment, she turned on the TV and began rolling through movies. I know I had said it was my turn to pick the movie, but it was actually Lilly's. It was always her favorite movie night. I liked pretty much any movie, so I didn't care much either way. I don't actually know what movie she put in because my thoughts drifted off to the man at the bar.
My thoughts were perverted; I hadn't thought like that before; men or women didn't offer me any sexual curiosity before. But this man, this man was different. Every cell in my body began to heat up again as the images of touching my body all over the place began to fill my head. Soon he would be removing my clothes, and in my head, I released a moan only for Brice and Lilly to pull me back to reality.
"And what were you dreaming about?" Lilly asked, her arms crossed sternly.
"I did that out loud?" I asked, and the two of them nodded, and I let myself slump back against the couch, not sure if I was annoyed for moaning out loud or because my thoughts were interrupted. Probably a bit of both. "Hey, listen, guys...Do you know that man?"
"NO." Lilly snapped before I had even finished the question.
"You do too. How? Who is he?" I questioned, the curiosity I'd shoved down when I was at the bar with him bubbled to the surface. I had to know, and they knew.
"He is just a nasty man, Ri." Brice answered, "very, very bad."
"Like how?"
"Like murderer bad," Lilly answered, and I felt a knot form in my throat. I was severely disappointed by her words. But I wasn't done yet.
"What's his name?"
"Seriously, you still want to know?" Brice asked me, I could hear his annoyance in his voice, and I could feel it coming off him.
"Yes."
"Why?" Brice asked, sounding even more frustrated.
"Because...I just do. I don't know why just tell me." The exchange between Brice and Lilly made me mad, and I knew they could tell.
"His name is Malachi. He is a very, very bad man. Very bad, okay?" Lilly answered, trying to soothe my frustration.
"Who has he killed? Does he live in town? If he is a murderer, why isn't he in jail?" My questions spewed out like vomit, and I could see that Brice and Lilly became more uncomfortable with each question. "Listen, answer my questions, or I'll track this Malachi myself." His name left a nice taste on my tongue. It was weird.
"Okay. Okay. He doesn't live in town. He has killed people in rival...gangs. And he isn't in jail because these...gangs deal with things on their own." Brice explained, but now I had more questions directed at them. How did they know these things?
MALACHI POV
"Okay. Okay, calm down. I was saying to myself, waiting for my beta Morgan to show up. She ignored me, not a big deal. I mean, she noticed me, not nearly as intensely as I noticed her, but still."
"What's wrong?" Morgan asked, walking into the house to see me pacing. I could feel my eyes were black; I was angry. And admitting to only myself, I was also confused and felt rejected.
"I found my mate," I replied, and he smiled for a split second before realizing I wasn't happy.
"And?"
"She walked right by me. Barely noticed me. Like walked away from me just as I started to talk to her."
"Really? That's weird." I wasn't too thrilled about his response, but I guess I understood there wasn't much he could say. "What did she look like? Was she pretty? Or ugly? You know what I mean, every werewolf finds that their mate is perfect."
"She is beyond gorgeous. Long brown hair, her orange or red eyes...They glowed when we looked at each other. Strangest thing. And she smells nice, except weird. She doesn't smell like any species, yet she smells like all of them simultaneously. And her two friends, lycans as well. She is small, but just...wow." I felt as if I could talk about her all night; I hated this so much. This is why I didn't want a mate, and I knew the potential for distraction was great. Even if I rejected the idea of going out and looking for a mate, I'd of found her eventually. That was probably why I instinctively moved most of my pack to America.
"Her eyes glowed?" Morgan asked, and I could see the wheels in his mind turning.
"Yes. Why?" I wanted to know if he knew anything, and I could see something that seemed off, like maybe he had an idea of what glowing eyes meant but couldn't quite place it.
"I don't know. It just sounds like something I thought I've read about in some of our texts." He seemed pretty lost in thought now, so I gave him a few minutes, just in case something popped up. I know it had only been a few minutes, but it was agitated and impatient.
"Is it something you've read about before?" I snapped, "is there anything you know that can help me out with this? I am losing my mind over a girl whose name I don't even know!" I couldn't help myself from yelling, causing my heart to race and my claws to form where my fingers should be.
"I don't know, Alpha, but I'll look into it. Go to sleep is the best thing right now. We will help you search for her tomorrow morning, alright." Morgan said to his alpha and best friend. "It will be okay. We will find her and sort all of this out."
I knew if I went to bed, I would obsess worse than I already was. Maybe I could turn that obsession into, at the very least, something enjoyable.
I stripped off all of my clothes and climbed into my big, soft bed, and for that moment, I hated being the only one in it. Damn this whole mate thing. I closed my eyes, and she rushed to my focal point. She smiled. She had a beautiful smile, and her eyes were intense and drew me in like nothing I'd ever known before. My imagination drew me in deeply and it felt real, for the most part. As I touched the soft skin of her neck and collar bone, I moved my other hand down to rub one out to the thoughts of her. My mate. The beautiful woman with the exotic smell and the ability to turn down alpha energy. I knew my imagination wouldn't do justice to the real thing, and even though it was working out for me at the moment, this would only fuel my desire to find her. I was going to find her if it was the last thing I did.
*Author's note:This book contains violence, sexual scenes and talks about rape. Reader discretion is warned. I appreciate all of the support my reader's provide for me and my kids. Please don't forget to give gems and votes and reviews please. Every little bit helps!
Introduction Victor, one of the oldest vampires around today, stood pacing back and forth on the hardwood floors of his mansion overlooking a lake in the British countryside. He knew something was happening. The energies from the moon had shifted, again, just as it had nearly a thousand years ago. And a little over a thousand before that. He knew what these energy shifts were; he knew them very well. "Hybrid." Was the word that slipped through his pale lips, and as if on cue, a man burst into the study, gaining Victor's full attention. "There have been reports in Maine in the United States that a young woman who has gained the attention of an alpha lycan. She is reported to have a strange smell, not like a human or a lycan or a vampire, but a mix of all three...Or none at all, depending on who you ask. And reportedly her eyes sir are red." The man said, and Victor smiled wickedly. "We shall be going to Maine then." He said, skipping away merrily. "Uh, one thing, sir..." T
MALACHI'S POV It was a restless night of sleep. It was filled with intense thoughts of my mate, the woman who had seemed to have little interest in me, but I wasn't going to give up. I know she worked somewhere in the tiny town, so I explained what she looked like to a few of my wolves, and off they went, prepared to go to every business in town every day until they found her. Luckily for my anxious ass, it didn't take long. My beta called me, and I immediately answered the phone before the second ring. Fueled by anxiety and desperation to find my mate. "Hey, I found her. She is at a cafe in the town center called Morning Java. She is a barista, and I see what you mean about her scent. She smells different than anything else I've ever come near before. I'll stay here and keep an eye on her until you arrive." Morgan said, hearing my sigh of relief. "Alright. Thank you. Make sure the others know, no reason to keep searching. I don't want them anywhere near her." I was very s
LILLY'S POV Maybe it was just me, but it seemed like Malachi found my reaction to his words amusing, but a guy with his reputation, I'm sure that's probably the case. His eyes shifted between the man that opened the door and me, and he had a slight smile in the corners of his mouth. But, after a couple of moments of silence, I could tell he was getting annoyed and impatient with us. "Let's talk." He finally broke the silence, walking away from his door leaving it open. I don't think it would've ended well if we had rejected his offer to come inside, so that would've been a bad idea, not that I thought going inside was a good idea either. "She is your friend?" "She is," I answered nervously, unsure if it was a comment or a question. "She is my mate. Ask me or tell me your concerns. I know you have them." I know he could sense the fear me and Brice were putting out, and he smirked before sitting down in a large, cushy black living chair, gesturing to the couch opposite of him. H
VICTOR'S POV Once we had landed the plane, I became impatient. That hybrid was out there waiting for me. But not just any hybrid, a female hybrid. They were useful beyond their ridiculously powerful and savage nature; the males mainly were just killing machines. I never minded America, though I did prefer it right after the Civil War had ended. Maine was a beautiful area though, it wasn't heavily developed in most of the state like most others. I knew she wouldn't be too hard to find; she would have a unique scent to her; I would just need to look. I can't imagine it would be too hard since it was such a small town. I was pleased to know she worked in a cafe and that there was only one in town, it made the search easy. When I entered the cafe, I got a very weak scent of her, which told me that she'd been here not too long ago. I guess I would have to wait, even though I didn't really want to, because I couldn't stand the smell of lycans, and were at least two of the nasty creatures
RIVER'S POV I was in a soft warm bed when I woke up, the room was dark but I could see the sunlight peeking underneath the floor-length curtains, the fireplace was still going so that told me someone had been into stoke it a few times throughout the night. I felt better now. My whole body was sore as I attempted to get out of bed, when I stood I realized I was wearing a long black t-shirt instead of the nightgown, and knowing someone, very possibly Malachi had changed my clothes while I was unconscious I was still so relieved not being with Victor. Malachi walked silently into the room rubbing his eyes and yawning, I think me sitting on the side of the bed caught him off guard because once he stopped rubbing his eyes and saw me he gave a slight jump. He wasn't wearing his shirt so I assumed the one I was wearing was his. He sat beside me and I could clearly see the dark circles and bloodshot eyes, it was then that I knew he was the one who kept the fire warm all night probably
RIVER'S POV The threat of Victor attacking hung heavily on us all, it had been a week since that night, and things seem still, quiet even. I still got to go to work. There was someone there at all times, just in case. I got the feeling that Malachi enjoyed watching me work. He smiled at me the entire time. "He is super hot." Jamie, my co-worker, said, gesturing to Malachi. "Yes, he is." I confirmed, "his name is Malachi." "Oh, you know him? So you two aren't just eye fucking for no reason?" She teased with a bit of an annoyed undertone. "He's my boyfriend," I said; she seemed a bit jealous as her face for a split second turned red. "So, you think it's cute that he sits here so much while you work?" "He did that before we started dating. You've been gone two months. This is what he did before. He does his work here." I kind of lied; some of it was true. I mean, he did have an empire to run, so he did his work there for a few hours in between Brice and Lilly being there. It had be
RIVER'S POV Today was cold as hell out. The weather was below freezing and heavy snow fell. I felt trapped inside, but knew it was for the best. It has been a week since Morgan and I discovered we were brother and sister. And with that, I was relieved to know the man I was fated to be with, to have offspring with wasn't not actually blood-related. The idea of being cousins with him grossed me out and I know it did him to. I must've been hard on everyone to find all that out. But hardest on him and I. A lot of questions had been answered, but all those answered questions did was reveal many more, different questions. I laid on my bed, in the room that I shared with Malachi. He kept his hands to himself for the most part, which was hard on both of us. But as time went on my feelings for him only grew, and I knew the wait would be worth turning him into a hybrid so I wouldn't have to lose him. After learning about Morgan and me, he decided that if me being able to turn lycans into
MALACHI'S POV I was in a panic, every cell in my body felt like it was going in thousands of different directions. I could only think about was River, and Victor taking her. I didn't know everything he would do to her, but I was sure he would rape her just yet. Not till her birthday, so I had a few months to figure out where she was. Doing this would take every resource I had. Morgan was almost as panicked as I was, his newly found sister was just ripped from him. That fight was obviously just to keep me distracted while he hunted her down and it worked. Only a few lycans lost their lives, but only a couple of vampires escaped. I gathered more of my wolves to my house, within days it was crawling with lycans. I needed to find Victor and kill him painfully and then needed to find my mate. Not just my mate, but the love of my life. God, I loved her so much and I hadn't taken the moment to be brave enough to tell her that. I was in the living room waiting for everyone to settle