A Hybrid's Hunger

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"There's no way I'd let you mark me if you keep me confined in this tower," I say while walking down the stairs from the room upstairs. "And without respect, there can be no true connection between us."

"I have my ways to put a pretty mark on that neck of yours."

I pause on the stairs, my back stiffening at his words. "It still won't be a true bond." I remind him.

He turns around and I finally see his face at the end of the stairs. His gaze is dark with my response. As he takes a step up, I move my feet back on the stair behind and stand still. He's intimidating, very intimidating.

"Don't tell me about respecting the mate bond here, Aurora. I think it was just yesterday when you married another man."

I hold my ground and nod, "Yes, I married another man. But it wasn't out of love or connection. It was a decision I had to make to save my mother. He promised to give a vampire's blood to me, to save her and I believed him."

"Whatever you say doesn't change the fact that you married that old hag. And now you expect me to accept you as my mate, to embrace a bond that has been tainted? Forgive me, but it's going to take a while before I can show you some pity." His gaze remains guarded, his expression hardened.

I become silent and he turns. We leave the tower together and he takes me back into the house. There's no purpose in arguing with a man like him. I made a mistake, I don't have to be punished for it.

I didn't know I was going to find my mate on the same night I was getting married. If I did, I wouldn't have done what I did.

In the morning, the sight of the mountains bathed in sunlight greets me. The air is still cold, but there's a flicker of warmth in it. The house continues to appear haunted, even with the sun showering its light on it. I follow him into the house and then into a large dining room.

Rays of sunlight filter through the windows, casting a glow over the polished table. My mate gestures for me to take a seat and I oblige, choosing a chair at the opposite end of the table from where he sits.

"You've such a way with your actions, my dear Aurora. Choosing the chair farthest away from me? Is this your way of expressing how much you despise me as of now?" His tone drips with a hint of mockery.

"I've heard a lot of stories about vampires attacking. I prefer to have a clear view of the exit in case you decide to unleash your true nature upon me." I give him a cool stare and his smirk fades as he takes in my words.

"It's great you're taking caution because—" Suddenly, his chair becomes empty and he stands behind me, his hand on my shoulder and his mouth inches away from my neck. Mere inches. "This is how easily I can attack you." He whispers, his breath warm.

My body tenses, but not in the right way—not in the way I want it too. He trails his hand away from my shoulder, his fingertips brushing over my neck just so slightly that every hair over my body stands.

His crimson eyes glimmer under the dim light as he sits on the seat next to me. The predatory look never leaves his face. I swallow hard, regaining my control before I lost it completely. He's a monster—I remind myself—also my mate.

I'm conflicted.

"Don't scare the girl, Zade." A warm, soft voice pierces through the tension, breaking the moment.

I raise my head and glance at the door. A woman walks in, wearing an apron, her graying hair pulled back into a neat bun. Her eyes flash at my mate in disapproval before she reaches us.

Zade.

That's the name carved on the wall in the tower. It's his name?

"Estella," My mate's voice is a low growl, but there's no real threat behind it. It's clear he respects the woman, maybe even fears her a little. She's not just a maid, I realize. "This is—"

"Oh, I know who she is," The woman walks closer to me, inching near till she's only a small distance away from me. Her pupils widen the longer she stares at me. It's an odd stare, one I've never received before. Before I know it, her fingers are under my chin, raising my head. "You're beautiful and it's so great to finally meet you."

My heart skips a beat, but I hold back my surprise. The way she speaks reminds me of my own mother. It's almost as if she's here now.

"Thank you." I manage to say.

She gives me a comforting smile while her hand drops away from my chin. She glances over at my mate, before looking back at me. "There's no need to fear the man next to you. Under whatever circumstances he has bought you here, I assure you he doesn't have a bone in his body to harm you. That much I can vouch for."

My mate clears his throat from across the table. "Are you sure about that, Estella?"

"Don't make me warn you again, Zade," The woman moves away from me and heads over to him. Her voice lowers suddenly and I can't help but tune into the conversation even more. "Your mother isn't here this time to clean up your mistakes, so be cautious."

I watch him, my mate, Zade, intently. His jaw clenches at the mention of his mother, and he nods slightly at the woman. Her gaze lingers on him for a moment more she turns away from and back to me.

"Now, now, what you would like to eat?" She asks me. "There's plenty of food here, a lot which you may enjoy and I'm well-trained in cooking anything you desire. All you have to do is to let me know."

I smile at her and nod, "I would love to have some coffee if that's not too much trouble." I say, trying to ease myself into whatever is going on here.

"Of course not. I'll get that for you as soon as it's possible," She finally turns and leaves the room.

At her departure, the room falls into an uneasy silence. I can't shake off the tension Estella has left behind. It's left me with many more questions. A few I might never even get answers to.

My head raises and I meet with my mate's gaze. His name is imprinted in my mind and thoughts, but I can't understand why it's carved on the wall of that tower I'm forced to reside in. Has he been in there too? Maybe locked up? Or maybe not.

"Your name," I catch his attention and continue. "I saw a carving of it in the bedroom you've given me. I thought it would be another prisoner, but I guess it's not."

The crimson in his eyes appears once more as he chuckles. It quickly fades away before I have the time to even stare at it for longer. Such oddness. "Prisoner?" He repeats, a grin spreading across his face. "Now that's interesting. Though I haven't been once, but I've spent plenty of time in that tower as a child. It was my sanctuary for a while—"

"From the blood on the walls, I can surely see what kind of sanctuary it was." My face scrunches with disgust as I imagine the worse.

Poor people being ripped by this half-bred vampire.

The smile on his face fades at my comment, a twinge of something that looks like pain flashing in his dark eyes. "The blood—it wasn't from—" he begins, his voice a low murmur, but he stops himself, clearing his throat.

When he doesn't finishes, I finish for him. "From the victims fed from?" I hadn't meant to sound so harsh, but the image of what I'd seen in that tower—the blood, the signs of struggle, the chains, the loneliness—they all add up to something horrific.

He leans back in his chair while his expression hardens. "It wasn't like that. I don't feed directly on people. I haven't, not for a long while."

I stare at him in disbelief. There can't be any truth to that. Vampires enjoyed feeding on werewolves and humans. They cherish the fact they can easily mind-control and overpower another person. It asserts more than just dominance. It gives him power and it feeds into their nature.

And my mate is a half-vampire, if not whole.

Read up to 60 chapters on Patreon, or on Inkitt.

Patreon: www.patreon.com/miakerr

Inkitt: https://www.inkitt.com/miakerr/subscriptions