The Hybrid
Chapter 36 - A Witch's Vision

I’m warm. Too warm.

Crinkling my nose, I inhale the distinct earthy scent which immediately alerts me that Vulcan is near. Yawning, I open my eyes and blink drowsily, looking around to replace myself staring at a navy sweater. Pressing my hand against the material, I push myself away and sit up, only to replace myself in Vulcan’s lap. Embarrassed, I wipe the dried drool from my mouth before meeting his eyes. Light grey meeting forest green.

One of the things I absolutely love about Vulcan is his eyes. Those green orbs are the ones I lost myself in when I met him for the first time at the airport. I can stare at them all day and never get bored; when they twinkle with mischievousness or darken in anger and when they burn bright gold. Red is the most fascinating color to me, that has me entranced yet frightened at the same time. His eyes are the window to his soul, expressing every emotion he goes through via color.

“You’re staring.” His husky voice breaks through the silence and effectively snaps me out of my trance.

I smile softly, cupping his cheek, tracing the smooth skin of his lips with my thumb. “Not staring. Admiring, more like.”

“Really?” He muses before letting go of his pen and wrapping his arms around my waist with a sigh, pressing closer until our lips are just a breath away. “You seem to do that a lot.”

I bite my lip, I guess I have always known that he catches me staring at him. “I like looking at what’s mine.”

His eyes darken and the flecks of gold rise to the surface, his grip tightening around me. With a low and husky growl, he closes his eyes and nuzzles his nose into the crook of my neck to inhale my scent deeply.

“Fuck, I love it when you say that.”

I hum in delight, watching as he pulls back and presses his lips to mine. It isn’t the fierce and passionate kisses I’m used to, instead it’s soft, slow and sweet; like he’s taking his time to let us both savor the feel of each other. I slowly pull away when I start to run out of air, wrapping my arms around his neck and hiding my face in his chest. He chuckles from above, knowing how shy I get sometimes even if we have been together for a couple of months now.

I watch as he rifles through the stacks of paperwork, holding a page out in front of him and reading the contents before signing it and placing it on top of another growing stack. There are three stacks which makes me frown in confusion and watch carefully. Sometimes he’ll sign a page, other times not and some pages go to the middle stack. I assume the first stack is for things he will be going through with, the middle one for undecided work and the third one for rejects.

Edging forward in his lap, I tentatively grab a paper from the stack and let my eyes scan the contents, unaware that Vulcan is watching me with a proud glint. It’s a letter from one of the doctors in the pack’s infirmary who wants to expand the medical wing of the clinic to make more room so that multiple injuries can be looked at instead of wounded pack members waiting in line to get a room. I subconsciously nod, liking the idea a lot. It’ll help the doctors and nurses to tend to everyone at a faster rate.

I feel Vulcan’s warm breath near my ear as he leans down and rests his chin on my shoulder. “Do you want to sign it, baby?”

My breath hitches at the endearment and I almost swoon when I register his words. Turning around in his arms, I look up with a wide smile. “Really? I can sign stuff?”

“Of course you can,” He leans over to grab an extra pen and hands it to me with a soft smile. “You are my Luna.”

I take the pen from his hand and sign my name at the bottom where it states that I accept the proposal. Grinning, I place it in the acceptance pile and pick up another one. “This is so cool!”

Vulcan chuckles from above me, one arm wrapped around my waist as he reads a file before throwing it in the reject pile. “You won’t be saying that when we’re done.”

And he was right.

About two hours after, I stand with a huff and stretch. It feels good to let my limbs stretch from sitting down in the same position and repeating the action of reading and signing. I grumble as Vulcan guides me towards the door with his hand on the small of my back. Wrapping an arm around his waist, I lean into his side, using him to support my tired body.

“How’s it like to be a Luna?” He chuckles, picking me up and carrying me bridal style to our bedroom.

“Ugh! Paperwork sucks.” I groan, cuddling into the warmth his body provided. “No wonder you’re always grumpy.”

“Hey!”

Vulcan Romanov’s P.O.V.

I’m lying in bed with my mate cuddled up to me, soft sighs of content escaping her occasionally as I stroke her shoulder length hair. She’s asleep again, we had spent most of the night awake and talking so both her and I are quite tired today.

Her head is tilted back on my chest with her dark eyelashes hovering above her blemish free skin. I lose myself in staring at the woman before me with messy black waves and a small pout on her lips, her expression peaceful whilst she dreams of something extraordinary.

Snapping out of it, I gently wrap the blanket around her and relish in the tingles that dance crazily on my skin from the mere contact. As an automatic response, she cuddles further into my chest, searching for a source of comfort only I can provide. And damn, does that do wonders for my ego.

I sigh in content before feeling someone push at my mental barrier. Indigo’s voice filters through and he informs me of Jezebel’s, my friend who is a witch, arrival drawing near. I know I will have to go soon but I refuse to let Aurora rest in my house when I’m not present, so we had moved to the spare room in the pack house. After the vampires almost got to my mate, I can’t allow her to leave my sight, not even for a second.

My ruby pendant throbs under my white shirt, emitting a red glow that alerts every member of my vampire’s presence. I hate wearing it sometimes, wishing that I only had one beast to control instead of two. It’s a struggle some days; especially during the time when I had found her.

My eyes scan her serene face as I caress the soft skin of her cheek. My heart beats a little faster at the sound of her low hum, it’s something she always does when trying to replace a comfortable position in bed before she slips away again to the land of dreams.

Her hair, dark as night, fans out on the pillow in loose waves. I trace the side of her face with my index finger, from her left temple down to her cheekbone. Her skin is truly the softest thing I have ever felt and I ache to discover how perfect she will feel against me, with no clothes between us. Struggling to reign in the beasts that are trying to take over, I breathe in relief when I manage to calm them down somewhat easily.

Before I can spend some more time with Aurora, I feel someone else trying to push through the mental wall that I have put up. It’s something I always have to do whenever I’m with my mate, if I leave it open the whole pack will know how fucking whipped I am. Sighing, I let one of my warriors in and am notified that Jezebel has passed my boundary. Tucking Aurora in and pressing a kiss to her forehead, I close the door as quietly as I can and make my way downstairs.

I walk through the thick forest, listening to the sounds of nature that surround me. My footsteps barely make a sound, only when rust colored leaves crunch under my feet. We are nearing the end of fall season where it’s getting chilly but it’s nothing to us werewolves, our constant warm temperature is a bonus.

Nearing the clearing, I walk out and see my warriors, my beta and the witch, Jezebel, standing in the middle. I wave off the patrolling wolves and motion for the others to follow me. Turning, we use our speed to rush to the house and in the blink of an eye, we are sitting down in my office.

The guards have resumed their position outside the house with two upstairs to guard Aurora while I’m downstairs. Even though she’s sleeping and my territory is well protected, I can’t risk her getting hurt at any cost.

The scent of blackberries and spice was always odd to me and I guess to the others as well when they frown, sniffing the air slightly. Jezebel winks at my little brother, causing him to grimace before he walks over to stand behind me. I can practically feel the discomfort rolling off him in waves.

I smirk at her actions, knowing she always likes to watch him squirm. As always, she’s clad in an all-black outfit, her hair is probably the most colorful feature about her after her striking silver eyes; dyed lavender hair. Last time I saw her, it was a deep red. Indigo sits beside her, his eyes glazed over with features set in concentration. He soon snaps out of it, the deep violet returning to surface.

“So, Vulcan,” Jezebel drawls, her voice soft as always. “Why have you called me?”

I lean forward in my office chair and clasp my hands together before looking at her. “As you know, I have found my Luna. Aurora has recently been receiving threats from the vampires and her apartment was broken into. I want you to see if I need to prepare myself for a battle in the near future.”

Jezebel hums, her eyebrows furrowing as she thinks long and hard. I mind link with Vanessa to keep Aurora away from the office until Jezebel leaves, if she just so happens to wake up.

She’s one of the oldest witches around and possesses a seekers vision. It basically allows her to see into the future and alert someone if something bad or good is going to happen. Be it either a barren she-wolf becoming a mother miraculously or a battle ending in death or victory, she can see it all.

“I see.” She finally speaks, resting her arms on my desk. “You’ve not marked nor mated with your mate?”

“No.” I reply, feeling my insecurities cloud my mind again before I push them away.

“I must confess, I have already had a vision concerning you and regardless of whether you would have called for me or not, I was going to pay a visit in two days anyway. So, I’ll just warn you now.” Her expression becomes serious and she leans forward, shoulders tense much like ours. “A battle is set to ensue between the wolves and the vampires after the next full moon. You have a month to prepare.”

I sigh, leaning back in my seat and pinching the bridge of my nose in frustration. I knew this would eventually happen but hoped that it wouldn’t with the crowning of their new King; Julius. I had gotten wind of his coronation through the gossip of the supernatural realm when I had returned to the Lycan Kingdom for a meeting with the warlocks. The vampires had no choice but to accept Julius as their king but they still didn’t forget about me.

They still think I will agree to rule over them again after I snapped out of my blood lust days. I was not myself back then. I was cruel, merciless and killed anyone who breathed wrong my way. My vampire side completely dominated my entire being and that’s what I hated. After snapping out of it and regaining control of my wolf, the amount of death and wars I had caused sickened me. To this day, it is difficult to look at myself in the mirror, for all I see is a monster.

This is the one thing I have not told my mate in detail, Aurora is too innocent - too pure. She will see me for who I really am and I know I won’t be able to handle the loss of another mate, especially someone like her. I will die.

“But, there is something else you need to do.” She utters lowly, her lavender hair shining from the sun’s golden rays. “And that is, marking and mating with Aurora before the war.”

I shoot up, the seat thumping into the wall behind me. My fingers grip the mahogany table, knuckles turning stark white at the sheer pressure. “What did you see?!”

She looks out the window with stormy silver eyes as loud yells can be heard from the training grounds nearby. “When I try to vision Aurora’s near future, it is filled with uncertainty and fear.”

“She is safe on my grounds. She is safe with me.” I growl, feeling my beasts rise to surface at her words.

Jezebel’s silver eyes meet mine, raging with determination. She stands and matches my posture, her hands resting on the table like mine. “Will she be when you leave for war? You know there is a high chance she will be attacked. You know they will hurt her in some way, or worse, take her and torture her -”

"I will never let that happen!” I roar, my voice deepening and alerting the others of my beasts.

Groaning in frustration, I punch the nearest wall and try to reign in my vampire. It’s hard enough calming down a territorial wolf already. Clutching my head, I snarl at the loud yells of my beasts, synchronized and wrecking my head.

Jezebel rushes round to my side, making me growl at her in warning. She waves me off and places her palm on my forehead, immediately murmuring words in a foreign language. I sigh in relief when a cool feeling spreads throughout my head, wanting it to be this way at all times. It’s peaceful and calm. No beasts. No constant reminders that I’m a hybrid. Nothing.

And fuck, it feels good.

Opening my eyes, I thank her before sitting back down in my office chair. “I can protect her.”

“Aurora is a human. We all know that.” Jezebel starts, softly. “It would be beneficial for you to have the mate bond and mind link with her so you can sense her when she is in danger, talk to her, feel her emotions. What good are you trying to protect her when you won’t even know what is happening if she is attacked?”

“Jezebel is right, Vulcan.” Indigo states, Nikolai nodding as he moves to stand behind him. “The vampires are not going to go easy.”

“Neither are we and Aurora will be kept in the safe house with the other members and children but, I don’t like the fact that we could be risking an attack on our Luna with nothing to contact her with.” Nikolai cuts in, concern for my mate in his eyes.

I have noticed that my two siblings and Aurora have become close over the time I had brought her to stay here. Knowing that they miss our sister, Natasha, they have started regarding Aurora as another sister and spending more time with her instead of being gloomy whenever Natasha leaves.

Before I can speak, the doors to my office burst open making me growl at the interruption. Drew runs in and bows his head before speaking. “My apologies Alpha but, Vitaly provoked Luna Romanov to spar with him and...he’s not going easy.”

“What - when did she wake up?” I ask myself before speeding out of my office, hearing the others follow behind.

Running onto the training grounds, I watch as my mate and my oldest warrior circle each other on a black mat. The wolves have surrounded them and are now cheering their names, their loud voices disrupting the quietness of the area. I make my way to the front, pack members parting like the red sea when they smell me. My beasts rise to the surface when I notice the grazes on her cheek and arms, dirt and grass stuck to her light blue jeans.

“Vitaly, back down.” I thunder, glaring at him when he looks at me.

“Don’t be a little bitch, Vitaly.” Aurora teases, making both him and I growl at her.

“What the fuck is she trying to do?!” My beasts roar inside my mind, making me wince slightly. ”Don’t let him touch her! She’s ours!”

I ignore them and watch, Jezebel, Indigo, Nikolai and Drew coming to stand on either side of me. Jezebel laughs before cheering my mate on making me growl at her in disbelief and anger. She shrugs before resuming, pumping her hands in the air.

I watch with clenched fists as Vitaly circles my mate like a predator, his eyes glued to every move she makes, every step she takes. Aurora, on the other hand, walks around causally as if it’s an everyday thing. Typical, I snort, crossing my arms.

They continue like that for a while before she sighs and crouches down, clapping her hands and letting a piercing whistle escape her plump lips. I step forward when she picks up a nearby twig and waves it around, knowing exactly what she’s going to say.

“Fetch, doggy.” She smirks, throwing the stick over Vitaly.

He trembles before lunging at her, a loud roar escaping him when she avoids his swiping hand. She punches him in the gut before kicking his legs out from underneath him, causing him to land on the ground for just a moment before he’s up and charging towards her again.

Vitaly manages to kick her leg making her yelp before she lands a swift punch to his jaw, I can see her nails grazing his skin from here. He kicks her in her side twice before pushing her to the ground but not for long as she flips him around and punches his cheek, his head snapping to the side.

Everyone is surprised at how she’s fighting back. But I can easily tell that she’s becoming tired. Although I have been training her for a while, she will never be able to fight off a supernatural creature easily.

She jumps off him, stepping back with beads of sweat dripping down her forehead. He jumps up with agility and speed, opening his mouth to ease his jaw before glaring at her. He tackles her to the ground making me snarl as he straddles her hips, a fist rising to punch her. Before he can touch her, she punches him straight in the nose making him grunt. Noticing him lose focus, she uses those few second to slide out and knee him in the balls.

I grimace as well as the other male pack members, watching as she jogs away when he stands. They glare hatefully at each other for a moment, the atmosphere turning cold and tense. The pack turns silent as we watch her walk up to him until they’re nose to nose.

“If you ever call me filthy names again, I swear to God, I’ll fuck you up.” She mutters darkly, shoving him before storming inside.

I snarl loudly, advancing towards Vitaly when I hear her words but am stopped by Nikolai. I look down at him, seeing my black eyes in his clear blue orbs. He shakes his head, managing to pull me away from him.

“Question him later. Right now, Aurora needs you. Go.” He urges, making me nod at him before marching inside.

I follow the intoxicating scent of roses and fresh rain with the slightest hint of spice. Walking through the corridors and up the stairs, I finally reach our bedroom where her scent is the strongest. Hearing her muttering to herself, I smile in amusement before opening the door and walking in, closing it behind me.

The bathroom door is open with the lights on making me head in there to replace her sitting on the edge of the bathtub with her head in her hands. She looks up, hearing the sound of my footsteps, before groaning loudly. Her head tilts back slightly and she closes her eyes.

“I’m not sorry for hitting him so please don’t start lecturing me.” She grumbles, crossing her arms and looking away in a stubborn fashion.

Starting the bath, I let it fill up with water before pouring in some of the bath salts Natasha had put in here, the room smelling like lavender in just a few seconds. I pull her up and tilt her chin to look up at me, her stormy grey eyes meeting mine. They are intensely dark and brooding, like grey clouds coming together just before they crash and soak the earth with water.

I tug on the hem of her shirt making her raise her arms and letting me pull it off her, her silky black curls making me jealous as they caress her skin. Staring at her white lace undergarments, I let her unbutton her jeans while I bring a chair over beside the bath. She slips out of her dirty converse and her socks, placing them near the edge before I lift her up and lower her into the bathtub, shutting off the water.

I watch as she takes off her undergarments under the bubbles and places them on the pile of clothing beside the bath before gathering up some bubbles. Chuckling when she blows some at me, I kiss the top of her forehead before grabbing some shampoo and conditioner and working them into her hair. I grab the shower head, taking turns to rinse her hair twice while she tells me about how the fight started.

“He’s such a jerk! Caia asked me to spar with her just for fun and he overheard then proceeded to spout useless crap about how I’m a little human and I can’t fight and whatnot. Then he called me unfaithful for hanging out with Drew the other day when all he was doing was teaching me some defense moves!”

I growl angrily at how unnecessary and rude Vitaly was to my mate. Picking her up, I wrap her in a large baby blue towel, carrying her into the closet and setting her down. I’ll need to have a little chat with Vitaly about how to respect my mate, maybe I can use my fists to set him straight.

She hides behind a shelf, dressing into a new pair of undergarments before walking out, letting me slip one of my sweaters over her head. I grin when she slips her feet through the legs of her black leggings, unaware of what she’s doing whilst she rambles on.

“I told you he’s no good. This time you must put him on some humiliating punishment so I can get revenge – I mean,” She coughs into her hand, her eyes widening innocently before putting on a poker face. “I mean give him like a timeout thing, you know?”

Picking her up again, I bring her back into the bathroom and place her onto the black marble counters. She tries slipping off when I take out some ointments for her cuts and scrapes, making me growl and pull her back. I don’t know what it is about medicines and creams that my little mate hates so much. I work in silence, pulling up the sleeves of the sweater and applying the ointment to her cuts and scrapes, hearing her hiss and squirm.

When I’m done and have checked her for any other injuries only to replace none, I grip her chin and claim her lips hungrily. I growl when I hear her soft moan, gripping her curvy hips and placing myself in between her long legs. Her head presses back into the cabinets as I push closer, biting down on her full lips before swiping my tongue across it.

When she denies me access, I hoist her onto my hips, her legs wrapping themselves around my waist so she doesn’t fall. Carrying her to the bed, I squeeze her perky, little bottom causing her to gasp in surprise and groan when I slip my tongue into her mouth. It’s so easy sometimes to get my little kitten to submit to me. Other days she’s beyond cheeky, spitting fire from her irresistible lips.

Laying her down on the bed, I pin her arms above her head and crawl on top of her, deepening the kiss. I love how she responds to me, knowing no other man can have her like this. However, we’re interrupted by the bedroom doors suddenly opening and a loud shriek echoing in the room. I groan before turning to look at the door, seeing Caia covering her eyes and shouting at us to come downstairs.

Aurora clutches my shirt and hides into my chest, a bright pink blush on her cheeks making me kiss the heated skin. She giggles when I start pecking all over her face, pushing me away when we hear Caia’s yell again. I pout making her press her sinfully addictive lips to mine before I let her up, watching as she stands and slips her flats on.

“You’re so whipped.” My wolf mutters, making me protest in return.

“Am not.” I scoff, standing up to follow Aurora downstairs, closing the black double doors behind me. ”Want me to remind you of how you moan about her for hours on end whenever she’s at school or her apartment?”

“Fuck off.” He mutters, making me snicker inwardly.

“Love you too.” I grunt, wrapping an arm around my mate’s waist and guiding her downstairs.