Our Surprise Mate

**~Valentina~**

Tae walked into the bedroom without her by his side. I felt his heartbreak before he returned, but I tried to remain optimistic. Our parents, Carlie and Ash gave me words of encouragement, but now their faces show fear. "Where is Hazie?" My voice has never sounded so small. Tae pulls me into his chest while struggling to keep his tears at bay.

"I had to let her go, Val. She was going to reject us." The pain in our chests is almost too much to bear. Eden will shred Hazie before she even gets the chance to blink. What the fuck is she thinking?

"Do you seriously think she would reject us?" I know we are still new, but how could she reject the love we have with her? How could she even fix her mouth to threaten such a thing? We could have worked through this together; fought Eden together. There is no hope for her now.

"Yes, she would have. She said she figured it out, and the only way to change the outcome of the prophecy was to turn herself in. She also shifted pretty quickly before running into the woods, so we should remain positive. In the meantime, we need a plan." I am so proud of her, even if I am pissed off at the same time. She should be here, not in the middle of nowhere. Fortunately, she isn't hurt at the moment, and her scent can be traced. I'm thankful we have completed the bond so we can use it to our advantage.

"Let's make a plan then." Tae sees my determination to find Hazie, but I don't like the look in his eyes.

"Dad and I will trace her. I need the rest of you to stay here in the meantime to protect the children." Tae is in full Lycan King mode; not asking me to stay here, but telling me to.

"Tae, please. I want to help find her." I need to be careful with how I approach him in moments like this. Yes, we are equals in our marriage, but our ranks are not equal. He is the ultimate leader, so I must have a form of submission to him. "No. We can't afford for something to happen to both of us if things go wrong. We need to think about Lucas. How would he feel if both of his parents left him to be raised by someone other than his mother or father?" I nod in agreement, and he kisses my forehead. He's a great leader but an even better father. I couldn't imagine not having him by my side. The thought of possibly losing him makes me sick to my stomach. Tae looks at my dad and Ash. "Ash and Kelvin, you men are responsible for protecting the women and children. Ladies, I need you four to stay together at all times, and never leave the kids unattended. Even if Eden has Hazel, that doesn't mean we are safe. Anyone Hazel loves is a target right now, so stay alert. Ash and Kelvin, you will need to alternate shifts." Tae starts giving orders left and right while we all listen. As always, the king knows best. We sit down together and come up with a plan B and C.

**~Hazel~**

I hate the woods, I hate the bugs, I hate the creepy noises, and I especially hate that I didn't think to bring an extra change of clothes. If I go back to my human form, I'll look like a caveman running around. Naked and dirty. No one would fight a dirty naked person if I were in Mortal Grounds, but this isn't Mortal Grounds. Lycans and werewolves will shamelessly fight in their birthday suits. I guess I need to get over it because I'm not a human anymore, and danger is lurking whether I'm naked or not.

About an hour passes when I stop in my tracks. This is where the vision took place. The only difference is I'm in my Lycan form, and it doesn't seem as cold. A slight breeze passes through, and I catch a familiar scent. A scent that I completely forgot about from the vision. It smells of citrus and sage, feminine but earthy. It must be Eden.

She flashes past me, just like she did in the vision. I assume she isn't too thrilled that I didn't make this into a chasing game. I won't entertain her by playing cat and mouse. I didn't come here to run away like a scared child. I came here to try to make peace with her. If she refuses to negotiate, then we will just have to fight. I have too much to lose, so I won't make it easy on her. She might be stronger, but she has nothing left to live for. I have an entire family and dreams motivating me to make it back home. I'm thankful for the talk I had with Val and Tae. They did their best, telling me everything I needed to know if Eden ended up catching me. I know her weaknesses and strengths. It's too bad I didn't have more time to get used to this form. I will have to make do with what I have.

Eden flashes past me again, so I lean against the Redwood tree and cross my arms while she plays in the forest like an idiot. She's hundreds of years old but still immature. My mom was right; some people never grow up. All of a sudden, she's right in front of me. She removes her black hood, revealing her charming looks. I don't know why, but I expected Eden to look like she's forty. To my surprise, she seems to be my age or younger. She has shoulder-length black hair with perfect bangs across her forehead and crimson red eyes. Eden's average height and built like a long-distance runner. She is intimidating, but beautiful.

"You're not as fun as I thought you would be, Hazel. That's a shame." She sounds bummed, but she's smiling. Creepy ass woman.

"Shift into your human form so we can have a proper chat, Hazel. There are important matters to discuss, and lives are on the line." I know a threat when I hear one, so I focus and shift as quickly as I can. It's still difficult, but desperate times call for desperate measures. I do my best to not let my nudity affect my ability to stand tall and confident.

"Secure in your body, I see. Follow me, and don't try anything stupid." Eden leads the way. We walk through the woods in awkward silence, but I couldn't stand it anymore.

"Where are we going?" We seem to be going even deeper into the forest, but I see no shelter in sight.

"Here, put this on." She ignored my question but handed me a ring.

"What's this for?" I examine it while she holds it out to me. It's golden, with two large claws meeting in the middle, holding a sapphire stone.

"I charmed it so you cannot communicate with your mates, and they won't be able to trace you." Before I take it, I mindlink Tae.

*I'm with Eden now, walking deeper into the Redwood Forest. You won't be able to reach me after this. I love you and Val so much.*

I grab the ring and slip it on.

"Brave little human," Eden mumbled.

"I am not a human." I snapped, "I am fated to be a Lycan Queen. Whether you kill me now or later will not change my duty to this territory."

Eden pins me to the ground too quickly for me to react, her body pressing against mine. The only other people who have had me in this position are my mates, so I feel slightly violated. "I would watch your tone, Hazel Jones. I've been playing nice."

"Let's be adults about this, Eden. You tell me why you're creating this chaos, and I'll do what I need to prevent a war." She's still on top of me, staring into my eyes like she can feel my soul. Sticks, leaves, and dirt cover my back and shoulders. No doubt, my hair is filthy too now.

"I set the pace, human." I roll my eyes.

"Okay, witchy-vampire-dog." I guess I'll join the fun.

An amused look flashes across her face before she composes herself and stands up. She offers me a hand, but I ignore it.

"Hmph. You sure are a stubborn one." She mumbles.

"I figured you would pull it away as soon as I reached for it, so I wanted to save myself the embarrassment." I shake off the dirt and run my fingers through my hair as much as I can.

"I think it's time we get serious, Hazel." Eden takes me by the hand and snaps her fingers. We appear in a small cabin; the trees outside the window are not Redwood but Oak. A fire is lit in the fireplace to the right, with old floral couches facing it. There's a round dining table to my left and a kitchen just beyond that. It's all open-floor, no walls separating the sections of the cabin other than one bedroom and a bathroom.

"Are we still in my territory?" I ask as my eyes roam around.

"I can't answer that. Not yet, anyway. I need to know that I can trust you, Hazel. If you work with me, there will be no war. Challenge me, and your entire family dies along with the three thousand." Again, I am not willing to take the chance. "Tell me what I need to do," I respond without hesitation. Her eyes flash from crimson to purple, and a smile spreads across her face before she's instantly in my face.

"Relax," Eden whispers by my ear. It's as if that one word controlled my body because I feel a sense of euphoria. She moves my hair from my shoulder and tilts my head. I can't stop whatever she's doing. Is she smelling me? Or maybe she's looking at my mark.

That's when I feel razor-sharp teeth puncture my skin. I thought Eden was drinking my blood until I felt the same burning sensation when Val and Tae marked me.

Eden removed her fangs and licked up my blood. "You were supposed to be mine, and so you shall."