Hybrid - The Countess's Heir (Under Rewrite)

Two

It was starting to feel like a futile effort when Jean began to work with Taylor to gather information about the Vindicators, the group responsible for the abduction, torture, and experimentation of her kind. And the one who, apparently, had taken Chloe's sister.

It had been three days and they had nothing.

"Tay, this is... I'm getting tired of this, this is getting hopeless!" She exclaimed, earning a chuckle from her mother. She glared at her but the older vampire just laughed at her more.

"I love you, Jean, but you know you don't get to get tired of this."

"Why not?"

"First of all, you'll be the countess after me. You'll be doing information-gathering, all the time, it's maddening. And," she paused as she chuckled lightly, looked over her shoulder, and smiled at her, "someone is looking up to you. You gave her your word."

Jean looked behind and saw Chloe hiding behind one of the shelves of their library. She watched as her other mother took the young vampire in her arms, put her hands on her shoulders, and pulled her towards the balcony. She returned her gaze back to her brunette mother, who was smiling at her like an idiot.

"Are you sure she's not your mate?"

She let out a frustrated sigh. "No."

"She seemed to be very fond... and clingy of you."

"Yeah, I know, I feel... a connection with her, but... She's not the one."

"You'll find him, or her."

"Can I find her soon?"

Her mother smiled at her. "You'll find them most unexpectedly, my little one. I didn't expect to meet Andy, you know? But here we are, married and had a kid so cute and adorable we wished she never grew old."

"Hey!"

"I said cute and adorable, didn't I?" A laugh escaped her lips. Taylor smiled affectionately at her. "We wished you stayed a four-year-old kid but we are so happy that you've grown into a fine young lady."

She smiled at her, touched by her words as they walked out of the study.

"Have you ever thought of adopting another child before?"

Taylor laughed. "In addition to you and Phil? I don't think we'd survive. Andrea's hair would turn white sooner than she had anticipated."

"Why do you make it sound like we were bad kids?"

"The two of you are a handful. Ask your mother."

"You're my mother!"

Taylor grinned. "The other one."

"I... I wasn't that handful."

The older vampire looked at her pointedly. "Do you remember Squeaky?"

"He was a good pet!"

"That he was. May his adorable soul rest in peace. Do you remember why he was banned inside the castle?"

"I..."

"You and Phil decided to use a sentient bat to carry your 'grandest mud pie ever' up the roof—"

"Tay, stop."

"—but the thing was almost ten kilos, poor Squeaky had to fly up—"

"Please, stop."

"—Of course, the poor bat couldn't keep his strength. He crashed down and dropped the ten-kilo worth of mud, twigs, and inexplicable things—"

"Mom, I'm begging you, stop."

"—on your great-grandfather's head."

"He's a vampire! He healed almost immediately, Tay. He was fine!"

"He was leaving for London to meet with Count Aylwin. Took him another hour to take a bath, missed his flight. Poor Squeaky looked so panicked when he saw Grandfather's face he flew and crashed against Mom's portrait. Man, that was another debacle. I think Andy may have fainted when she saw the portrait with Squeaky plastered on Mom's face."

"I said I was sorry!"

Taylor laughed loudly. "So, no, adopting another kid didn't cross our minds because we already had our hands full."

"Fine, I get your point," she paused as they peered over the forest. "You think I can have another Squeaky?"

"If you find another sentient bat, go ahead. As long as there won't be another mud pie incident."

—

Jean had a very interesting dream that night.

Darkness enveloped her, a certain coldness around the air as her senses heightened.

"Help me," a voice called and she felt a pull towards it. "Please."

She could feel her slipping from her dreams but she was afraid to answer the voice.

"Please, help me." She sounded weak and in pain. She didn't hear any pulse, but she could still feel her. "The humans have me."

Suddenly, Jean felt anger ran in her veins.

"Who are you?" She asked and heard a gasp.

"I am yours."

Jean jerked from the bed. The dream didn't feel like it was just a dream. It felt real, yet she didn't know who she was or where she was but one thing was on her mind.

I need to find her.

She stood up from the bed, taking Vengeance with her as three words rang in her ear.

I am yours.

***

All she could hope for was that her sister was okay and that she wouldn't do anything rash that could endanger her. She was a young vampire, a hundred years younger than her. She just wished her sister could live a few hundred more years than her.

She had suffered a lot in her life, and this was supposed to be nothing. But still... Silver was a bitch.

It had been... days or weeks since the humans had her. They hadn't killed her yet, but she knew that it wouldn't take long until the humans had had enough of their fun torturing her.

And for that long, she had been trying to establish a connection to her other half, an ability their clan possessed. If she was lucky, her soulmate would find her before it was too late. But it had been too long that she feared that maybe the humans had got him too.

Then one night, she did. She knew she was in his mind.

"Help me, please," she called out, but there was no answer. She feared the worst, not death itself, but that maybe her mate didn't want her.

"Please, help me," she pleaded again, "The humans have me."

Her mind was suddenly filled with anger and it felt hot, like she stood too close to a fire. She almost breathed in relief. If this was what he was feeling, it meant he felt their connection.

She clenched her jaw as her strength began to wane. She hadn't had blood for weeks and she had been pushing herself to her limit by trying to connect with him.

"Who are you?" A voice asked, she gasped.

It was a woman.

She could feel her consciousness leaving, and with one thought, she answered her.

"I am yours."