HIS MATE

The Invitation

Natasha

"Natasha! Get down now!" I groan, every muscle in my body protesting even the slightest movement I make is agony. But move I do, somehow I don't know how but I force my body to listen to my mind and get out of the bed. I manage to climb up the stairs from the basement which might give creeps to others but it's the only place where I can feel at peace if my definition of peace is acceptable. This drafty, cold place is the only place in this big house that gives me warmth.

"You are such a lazy ass, look at you, still having your beauty sleep. I don't know why after your father's death I kept a free loader like you. Before I colour your right side of your hideous face to match it's neighbour you better get going. I want the kitchen clean and me and my girls breakfast in fifteen minutes." I can barely nod my head and stifling the groan from my battered self rush into the kitchen before Martha loses her cool.

The kitchen is a mess but I'll have to deal with it later, right now I just have to get the food on the table soon if I have to live. I don't know how but my ready to cook pre meals which I always stock it knowing how my step mom and step sisters are and ofcourse there isn't going to be any knight in shining armour around so gotta look out for myself. Once the breakfast is served and they basically ignore me which is a big mercy considering the kind of beating I got yesterday for ruining my youngest step sister's heels inadvertently while trying to polish it and apparently staining it which was hardlyvisible.

I somehow manage to prepare breakfast and arrange it on the table. After that, I am busy doing other chores in the kitchen when I hear a huge commotion coming from the dining area. I quickly run and see my two stepsisters, Rose and Jasmine, jumping with joy while Martha fans herself."Oh my! Oh my! I can't believe this! We got invited to the Prince's party... Someone please pinch me, I hope I am not dreaming," exclaims Rose.I don't know what the hype is about as I go back to my chores. This much excitement for a party. Well, I guess if someone gave me food and shelter, I could react the same way.As I continue with my chores, I can still hear my stepsisters yapping away about this party and the Prince. I wish there was a party and a Prince for me, a Cinderella. But this Cinderella, instead of taking the risk to go after the Prince, would rather just run far away from here. My life is a half-fairytale-well, the fairy is definitely missing in my story. I don't need a Prince Charming; I am just waiting to save enough money so that I can leave this hellhole and make a fresh start. Years of abuse and drudgery have erased all my notions of love and romance and have made me become self-sufficient and practical to the core.

Prince

The urge is there on the surface, waiting to just show my true self. I can smell the blood and gore around me yet the animal within me is craving far worse. "Please just kill me," the man groans and in response I cut off one finger more. He thinks I am the devil but he has yet to meet the real monster that wants come out and tear him apart. "Luca! Clean the mess,"

"Are you OK, brother?" "Stefan, have you just discovered your new maternal instincts, or are you itching for a chance to reshape your jaw?" He gives me a brooding look, which I don't even acknowledge as I continue to drive with my knuckles clenched. I know he is concerned, worried that my wrath and thirst for blood are unusual. Yes, I have always been a monster, but decades of practice and grit have ensured that I don't let it out. However, these past few months, my beast is fighting against the cage I have built. It seems raving mad to get out, and I don't think it's normal.

Stefan continues to stare and contemplate. "I think you need to find your mate." No sooner have the words left his mouth than I stomp on the brake, the car coming to a screeching halt, and I grab his throat with my bare hand, ready to tear him apart.

The word "mate" reverberates in my mind, sending shockwaves through my entire being. The beast inside me, long suppressed, roars in response, its fury ignited by the mere mention of a mate. My vision blurs with a red haze as the primal instinct surges, threatening to overwhelm my control. My grip tightens around Stefan's throat, and I can feel the power of the beast pushing against the cage I've built, desperate to break free.

A low growl escapes my lips, and my muscles tense, ready for the inevitable release of the monster within. But somewhere deep inside, a sliver of reason holds on, reminding me of who I am and the consequences of unleashing this wrath. I struggle to regain control, my breaths coming in ragged gasps as I wrestle with the beast's relentless desire to dominate.

Stefan's eyes widen in fear and understanding. He knows he's struck a nerve, and the risk he's taken by speaking those words. His hands reach up, trying to pry mine from his throat, but his efforts are futile against the beast's strength.

For a moment, the world stands still, and it's just me, the beast, and the fragile thread of control that's rapidly fraying. With a final, shuddering breath, I force myself to release Stefan, my hand dropping to my side. The beast retreats, but not without a fight, leaving me trembling with the effort it took to contain it.

Stefan coughs, rubbing his throat, but he doesn't speak. The silence between us is heavy with unspoken tension, and I know that this battle with the beast is far from over. The word "mate" lingers in the air, a reminder of the struggle within me, and the constant danger of losing control.