Our Surprise Mate

**~Hazel~**

Eden tapped my forehead, removing whatever trance she had me in. I couldn't contain my scream as I fell to the ground, clutching my neck where she bit me. My entire body feels like it's on fire. "Did you just fucking mark me?!" I screeched.

"No, not necessarily. I injected you with my venom, not neutralizer. You won't be going into a coma. You'll simply die unless you drink my blood. If I can't have you as my mate, then I will leave a piece of myself with you one way or another. This way is permanent." I feel like lying down in a pile of snow. My skin feels like it's blistering, and my chest is heavy.

"Why?" This is all I could muster. Even speaking is painful because my throat is so dry.

"I told you, you were supposed to be mine! I envisioned you for centuries, only for you to be claimed by the Lycan Royals. I have waited so long. So many years being alone because I thought waiting on you would be worth the wait. The Fates have a fucked up sense of humor." This woman is batshit crazy. I don't feel a damn thing when she touches me. She doesn't give me the tingle that Val and Tae give me.

Her eyes are still bright purple, but they're full of anger. Eden bites into her wrist, making herself bleed. She puts it to my lips, and I close my mouth tightly.

"If you don't, you die. Drink, Hazel." Eden is about to lose her temper. Tears streak my face, and for a second she looks remorseful. This bitch can kiss my Lycan ass.

"Hazel, please." Desperation sounds in her voice. It seems little miss Tribrid isn't as hard-ass as she portrays. What kind of life would I live if I became a hybrid? Would I still be able to go back to Val and Tae? I know they wouldn't love me less, but I would be too dangerous.

On the other hand, Eden still has an army waiting to be used against us, and not doing what she says could put my family in danger. Maybe I'll have a better chance of killing her if I gain the speed and strength of a vampire. I won't be useful if I'm dead. Fuck it.

I grab her arm and bite into her skin. She doesn't even flinch as I drink from her wrist. The initial taste of iron makes me cringe, but after a second, it isn't bad at all. The warmth soothes my throat like hot cocoa on a bitter winter night. "Okay, that's enough, Hazel." She tries to pull away, but I grip tighter. I am so damn thirsty.

She's finally able to snatch her arm away. A primal growl bubbles up from my chest as I feel a rage course through me. My skin is itching and my vision is blurring. I can still feel the fire in my veins.

"You are halfway through your change. I know you are thirsty right now, but once you're finished I will take you hunting." I hear her voice, but it sounds far away. I curl up on the floor, praying this excruciating pain goes away soon. I am going to drain every drop of blood from her body as soon as I get the chance.

The pain slowly decreases after hours of torture. I'm exhausted, starving, and angry as hell.

"How are you feeling?" Eden asks while sitting at the dining table. I blink a few times to clear my vision and rub my eyes. When my focus clears, everything looks more vibrant. I breathe in a deep breath. Eden's scent is overwhelming. My teeth are aching, and my stomach is throbbing.

"How do you think I feel, Eden?!" I spat.

"You'll feel better after we hunt. Follow me." As soon as she turns her back, I rip off the ring, shift, and lunge. It only took me a split second to have her pushed against the wall, her arms pinned behind her back and face shoved into the wood. I'm about to snap her neck when she uses her left foot to kick off the wall, throwing us both back across the room.

"Let me remind you; you won't make it back to your precious family if you kill me. You can't leave the perimeter without my magic to help. You'll be stuck here forever." I hear her heart begin to race. She may not be lying completely, but she's stretching the truth. One way or another, I could get out. Tae said one of Eden's weaknesses is her inability to mask her emotions. He said I could easily detect a lie if I pay attention to her pulse. However, her biggest weakness is her pride. He said she will most likely do something irrational, which is something all Tribrids are known for. I shift back to give her a piece of my mind.

"So be it! You made a big mistake. I am not yours. I was never meant to be yours!" My words cut her deep. Her eyes started to water, and her hands ball into fists.

"You have no clue, Hazel! I saw you before you even existed. We were supposed to meet at the gala, but you were gone before I got there. Doctor Green was a fucking moron! He wasn't supposed to kill you; he was supposed to bring you to me. I told him three thousand people were going to die if he didn't bring you to me, but he decided to take matters into his own hands." None of this makes sense to me. She is going through all this trouble because she thought I was her fated mate? I know werewolves are way more impulsive when it comes to their mate, so maybe that's why she's taking it this far.

"We don't have the mate bond, Eden. Your true mate could be out there somewhere while you're creating a war over me. Don't you think that is a bit extreme? Three thousand people aren't really going to die, are they?" The tears finally fall from her eyes.

"I feel the bond!" She yells, "You have been marked and claimed by other people. That's why you don't feel it with me. My soulmate was taken from me after I have lived so many lifetimes waiting for you. Can you imagine? Everything I thought I was going to have has been taken from me. I can't touch you the way I did in my visions. You don't look at me with the desire you were supposed to have for me. The love we made was so real. I know how your back arches while I taste you and what it sounds like when you moan my name. What would you do if you felt Octavius and Valentina's love for hundreds of years, only to have them taken from you? I would have chosen to die a long time ago if I knew then what I know now. I can't let you go now that you're here."

"So what about the prophecy? Where does that come in?" It's hard for me to feel bad for someone who threatened my family and territory. She might feel the bond, but I will still kill her without batting an eye. I feel nothing but hatred towards her.

"I made it up. Doctor Green wasn't going to help me, so I got creative. A few mind tricks and fear goes a long way when you need soldiers. It technically isn't a prophecy, but many lives will still be lost if you aren't careful. You may have changed the outcome of the vision I projected, but it isn't too late for people to perish." I'm not surprised she's just creating madness. This woman seriously fell in love with me from the visions she had of us. The werewolf in her makes her possessive and short-tempered. The vampire in her makes her thirst for blood and revenge. Lastly, the witch in her seems to have become wicked. This is why Tribrids are a danger, even to themselves.

"Killing people and threatening my loved ones won't make me like you. In fact, it makes me want to fucking strangle you. Your sob story is unfortunate, but the way you handled the situation made matters worse for everyone. If you and I were truly fated to be together, then we could have sat down and made arrangements, and maybe I could have developed feelings for you. Clearly, I am capable of loving more than one person. You blew it though, Eden. Now you're just a threat to me." The memories she has of us never really happened. They are her experiences alone, and I won't let her guilt me into being weak.

"If I call off the soldiers, will you give me a chance to fix the damage I caused?" For the first time, she is showing humility. Eden got down on her knees and pleaded. My guard is still up and ready for anything.

"If you call off your soldiers, leave my family out of this mess, and fix the damage you caused, then I will be willing to help you find your second chance mate." I'm not a monster, but I need to make smart decisions. My promise to her won't change the fact that she has invaded other territories and committed numerous crimes. Her punishment will be delivered by other Royals, and I won't be able to prevent that.

"I don't want a second chance mate. I did all of this so that I could have you, not someone else." So, she wasn't talking about physical damage. She wants to try to have a relationship with me after everything she did. I would be a dumb bitch to even consider having a relationship with her. However, I can't poke an angry bear, so I'll beat around the bush in the meantime.

"I can't make any promises. I'm not saying no, but you need to worry about the mess you made before you even think about being on good terms with me. I have a family that I will protect no matter what. You can start by respecting me and the family that I built. And fucking apologize for turning me into a blood-thirsty vampire!" My initial goal was a negotiation, but she messed with my entire life when she changed me. Now, I will outlive my mates and everyone that I love. Eden took away my ability to have children of my own, and I could be too much of a hazard to go right back home. The more I think about it, the angrier I become. I haven't had the chance to think about just how much she has ruined my life. I want to break everything in this house.

"You took so much from me." I walk past her and go outside. "I'll hunt alone. Don't follow."