Chapter 11
The bond screamed in protest.
“Holy shit,” Taya gasped, catching up beside me. “You and Daxon? You two just…wait. Wait.” She grabbed my arm. “He’s your mate? El, that was mate energy.”
“I don’t wanna talk about it.”
“Bitch.”
“I said..”
“Bitch.”
I stopped halfway down the steps and turned to face her.
My voice was low. Shaky. “He can’t be.”
Taya blinked. “Can’t? Girl, you’re glowing.”
I groaned, burying my face in my hands. “He’s a dick.”
“He’s hot.”
“He’s a dick, Taya.”
“You say that like it’s not fixable.”
I gave her the death glare of the century.
She threw her hands up and backed off with a teasing smirk. “Alright, alright, just saying…maybe the moon goddess knows your type better than you do.”
I shoved her playfully, but inside?
I was spiraling.
Because as much as I wanted to deny it, I’d felt it.
The bond.
1/4
11:55 Mon, Sep 22
Chapter 11
The craving.
The pull.
:
4 a
And then, like a dagger sliding between my ribs, I remembered something from the letter from my dad.
“Trust your mates.”
I stopped walking. I choked on air.
Frozen.
Mates.
Plural.
Oh, moon above.
What the actual fuck.
64
Taya and I beelined straight to the cafeteria, skipping the usual chaos and sliding into our table in the back corner. The spot we’d claimed since sophomore year, half shaded, half ignored, and far enough from the royal asshats to avoid another spitball incident.
We grabbed our trays, loaded them up with our usual nachos piled high with shredded beef, jalapeños, and enough cheese to drown a toddler. I grabbed two Dr. Peppers and slammed them on the table like we were settling in for war.
Taya narrowed her eyes. “Okay. Spill. You’ve been weird since the chest. And now the hair? You can’t drop that ‘glowing mate bond stare down with Daxon fucking Stormclaw‘ and pretend you’re fine.”
I stared down at the table for a long second. Then I sighed.
“I opened the chest.”
She stopped mid chip bite. “Wait. The chest?”
I nodded.
“The one your foster dad brought up the other night?”
“Yep. That one.”
“And?”
2/4
11:55 Mon, Sep 22
Chapter 11
I looked her dead in the face. “Taya… I’m not just a werewolf.”
Her mouth dropped open like her jaw lost the will to live.
“Wha..what the hell does that mean? You’re..what? A hybrid?”
64
“Half fae. My mom is a royal fae warrior. My dad was a beta wolf. Their bond was forbidden. She’s locked up in the fae realm for breaking some sacred law.”
Taya’s green eyes went wide as hell. “Dude. That’s like… the plot of an epic fantasy romance.”
“This is my life, Taya.”
“And you’re just casually telling me this while I’m trying to not drop nacho cheese on my boobs?!”
I chuckled. “There’s more.”
“Oh my goddess, of course there is.”
“There’s a prophecy. My dad said I’m… chosen. By the Moon Goddess.”
She blinked.
“Like, chosen chosen?”
I nodded, biting my bottom lip. “Apparently, I’m supposed to unite the creature races. End some ancient war. Stop a group called the Aegis Protocol that’s been hunting hybrids and powerful bloodlines to
experiment on and wipe out.”
Taya just… blinked. Like her brain blue screened.
I shoved a nacho in my mouth to keep from saying something else insane.
Then she finally muttered, “Holy mother of moon magic, El.”
I laughed nervously. “Yeah. And there’s more.”
She groaned. “Is this the part where you tell me you’re also secretly a dragon?”
“Not quite. But my dad’s letter said I’d have… mates.”
Taya leaned forward. “You mean mate. Daxon, right?”
3/4
11:55 Mon, Sep 22
Chapter 11
:
64
I shook my head slowly. “No. Mates. Plural.”
She gasped. “You lucky bitch!”
“No! No, I’m not lucky. I just found out I’m a hunted magical hybrid wolf fae freak who’s bonded to the guy I hate most in the entire pack and apparently destined to be in some magical polyamorous monster
rebellion.”
There was a pause.
And then Taya grinned like the absolute gremlin she is. “So when do I get to meet your harem?”
“Taya.”
She laughed so hard she nearly choked on a chip.
11:55 Mon, Sep 22
Hunted Hybrid Aegis War Saga 1
