Destruction

18. What It Means To Have A Mate

 I love her story 'Her Billionaire Bosses' it's absolutely amazing and definitely worth a read, can't wait till the next update!

Zachary

"For the last time, it's practically impossible."

"And I am telling you, nothing is impossible, you see, if..."

I couldn't believe I was having this conversation, I should be standing outside Athena's door begging her to forgive me, I should be on my knees trying to come up with an adequate reason as to why I yelled at her.

She'd been so brave to come and seek me out herself, and I'd been a complete and utter arse.

I comb my fingers through my hair while glaring at the map which had been sitting on my desk since night fell, it made me feel ill to be so distant from Athena, and with each moment that passed it felt almost as if she was slipping further and further away.

"...Zachary, are you even listening?"

"Yes of course." It no longer mattered what they were saying, the sick feeling was beginning to become overpowering, to the point that it was almost painful.

"How about we resume this again tomorrow?" I met Sebastain's glare for what was possibly the first time tonight. "Fresh ideas."

In the time it took him to decided the sick feeling had become so overpowering that I had to lower my head to reduce the chances of me projectile vomiting.

What was wrong with me?

Vampires are never sick.

"Fine. Tomorrow." The words were spat out, almost as if he couldn't believe that he was letting me get my own way. "But I assure you that tomorrow we will take some sort of action."

With that the door slammed shut, the vibrations ricocheted around the room, which made me feel like I was on a boat, holding onto my sturdy wooden desk as a life preserver.

"Zachary are you-" Before Caleb could even finish my arms gave way, causing me to fall forward into the desk while my legs fell out from underneath me.

"No." I tried to push away the arm that Caleb was offering, I could only begin to imagine how pitiful I looked. A fully grown vampire, hundreds of years old, to weak to even stand up. "I don't understand."

Caleb knelt down, so that we were face to face. "Tell me old friend, what's wrong?"

It went against everything in me to admit to my weakened state, but if there was anyone I could confide in it would be Caleb, he was all the family I had, and an extremely loyal friend. "I feel sick." I spat the word out, I could hardly believe I was saying such a thing out loud. "Almost h-"

I was barely able to start my sentence before it felt like hundreds of small needles were digging into my heart, the pain was excruciating.

"Shit!" It was clear that Caleb was panicked, hell it was unheard of for any vampire to suffer from health problems. "I'll go and get Athena."

With that he was gone, leaving me slumped on the floor.

Athena. Yes, I needed my mate, my love, just her presence would make me feel better. To be able to brush my hands through her hair, nuzzle her neck and inhale her delicate scent.

It's said that to a male vampire there is no sweeter scent than that of your mate. I'd never really given it much thought before, how could meeting one person change something so fundamental? But in those few days, when she was too weak from the change to wake, I'd come to the realisation that I would die a happy man if I could die with her scent permanently imprinted on my brain.

"We have a problem."

A problem?

The problem was that I was as weak as a babe while men that threatened my very existence lay only feet away preparing for the rising sun when I couldn't even move from the floor of my study.

"Problem?" It came out croaky, like a man who had been starved of water and then asked to sing.

"Yes my Lord, Athena, she's gone."

Gone?

My head snapped up, all weakness forgotten, I could feel my fangs elongating, my eyes shift to a black blazing, and the monster inside taking over.

"Where?" My voice was harsh, guttural, it wasn't my own.

"I don't know my Lord." Caleb's head was hung in a submissive gesture.

I didn't need to hear anymore, my body was already in motion. I was Athena's maker, her sire, my blood flows through her veins.

I could find her anywhere.

The landscape of a ruined city blurred by as I followed the invisible rope which was our bond, young vampires fled from my path fearing my wrath.

But I hardly spared them a second glance as I neared the one place I thought Athena wouldn't have been stupid enough to return to.

The Orphanage.

The one place in a hundred mile radius that would have the nerve to kill her on sight.

A once beautiful Manor brought down to little more than a ruined wreck. Nearly all of the lights were out, the shutters nearly all down.

My body was still not my own as I threw open the front door and followed the invisible bond even even closer, my inner vampire demanded its mate and I wanted my Athena.

Lost in the all consuming mission of collecting my mate, I hardly noticed the young man sitting by the door looking like he'd just found out that he wasn't going to die, I didn't hear the moans through the crack in the door.

I was completely unprepared for what awaited me on the other side.

My mate, trapped under a pitiful human.

It all happened before anyone could comprehend.

I ripped the human off my mate, throwing him into a wall, I looked to Athena to check that my beloved was ok, only to be met by the piercing black eyes and elongated teeth of her inner vampire.

The crazed look clashed with her perfect exterior, blood was slowly drying all around her mouth, adding to her ferocious look.

But she was perfect.

My body reacted before I could process what I was doing, I gathered Athena into my arms and crushed my lips against hers, replacing the offending smell of human male while running my hands up and down her back to check that she wasn't hurt.

I was so lost in my mate, my love, that I didn't hear the footsteps as they walked up behind me, nor could I smell their rancid breath on my shoulder.

I only felt the pain.

I only heard the scream.

Who feels bad for being terrible with their updates?

*raises hand*

I am really sorry that it takes me so long to come up with so little, this chapter was also really hard to write which is my excuses for the delay.

But thank you if you're still reading the story.

Please comment and vote it means so much to me.

Thanks x