A/N: Hmmm I wonder who the red rose is from ð
Actaeon Island: The Vulcan Clan
As a heart monitor beeped aged wrinkled hands moved fluently. Emma sat still as Ambrose continued his daily check up. From blood to strength to hearing. Ambrose checked for any signs of her old self. It was meticulous and boring but necessary. He needed document her changes in order to find a cure for the venom. Ambrose believed that if her body reverts to it's indestructible self, a cure can be made from her blood.
After a long hour of tests Ambrose was finally done. Straightening he stood from the microscope to look at her with a relieved smile but rather than waiting for his explanation she pulled out the machine wires off her before getting up and stepping to the blood sample currently under the microscope. Bending she inspected it herself.
"The venom is disappearing but slowly."
She commented. As Ambrose spoke up.
"Your white blood cells are multiplying your body is cleansing it self. Its possible to create a cure."
At this she straightened to look at him.
"My blood is potent, no one I have met can handle it."
"I know. Which is why I think it should be diluted. An Alpha can save their pack member, what if we add a few drops of yours to the mix. It might work."
"A plausible theory but I don't want anyone dying because of my blood, we will need a willing volunteer"
"Okay, I am going to tell them the good news that you're hybrid powers are coming back."
Ambrose spoke with a smile before turning for the door but a cold detached voice stopped him.
"No..."
Turning he took in Emma's forlorn expression as her gaze lifted from the floor to meet his. A cold shiver ran down his spine at her tortured expression, she was hurting.
"This stays between us. No one is to know I am recovering."
As keen observation eyes looked at her Ambrose questioned even though they both already knew the answer.
"No one or Jake?"
With a loud sigh her shoulders hunched as Ambrose walked over to sit beside her placing a hand over her's in comfort waiting for her to speak. After a few more minutes she did.
"You know what happens when an alpha is under suspicion of being unfit to led by the council?
A royal is sent in. They observe and determine whether the alpha is unfit. Jake was one of those alphas, I was the royal. I gave him a test... me. I pretended to be human."
As a lone tear slipped from her eye Ambrose thumb stroked her hand in comfort. Just speaking about it brought back the pain of her rejection. The stabbing in her heart, the emptiness but most importantly the lost. Taking a deep breath calming down a little she continued.
"He failed."
She whispered out as tears began to fall freely. Despite how strong she thought she was the pain of her reject hurt more than anything she have ever felt. Even the torture the witches put her through didn't compare. Mainly because he was the only person she thought wouldn't hurt her.
"I will have a word with him. Rejecting a mate is a crime punishable by the council. Since you can't do it yourself I will."
Ambrose spoke quickly and fiercely with a fire burning behind his eyes. As his grip tightened on his staff and a light spark of electricity escaped his fingers it was clear the last thing Ambrose was going to do was 'talk'.
"No one touches him."
Emma spoke quickly, the threat was clear. No one can touch what was her's.
"Yes, he hurt me. Yes he should be punished but I think there is a reason for his actions. No one is born bad."
She spoke emotionless trying to detach herself hoping the pain of the rejection will ease.
"At least we agree on something, he should be punished. How do you plan to do it in your current state?"
He questioned curiously with a tilt of his head.
"I'll start by making him submit to a human me. Power isn't all that I am."
She spoke firmly as Ambrose continued observing her. He was trying his best to understand what she really think of Jake. As understanding dawned he looked at her in pity.
"You don't want him to know you're recovering because you want him to love you, not your power."
"He rejected me for being human and now I actually am. I'm afraid he only wants me because he thinks I'll gain my powers back soon. He will overlook me being a human now because he knows it's only a matter of time before I am my old self again. I need him to believe there is no hope that I will never be more than a human. If he can accept me as a human then I'll be with him."
Ambrose's keen eyes studied her.
"You don't trust him... do you?"
At his words Emma looked at him once again emotionless trying to hide her pain before whispering.
"No"
Ambrose finally understood her pain, her torture. She didn't trust her mate. She was afraid.
"He is something I have always wanted. I'm not letting him go because of some rough edges. I will shape him into a man worth of being with me."
She spoke determined but Ambrose sensed a crack in her resolve. There is something she placed higher than her own desires.
"Unless?..."
Ambrose prompted watching her eyes widened at him before dropping to the floor.
"The greater good."
Ambrose nodded softly in understanding. No matter how much Emma wants Jake she will always put mankind first. No one has ever questioned her selflessness when it came to human but they suspected it was the cause of her mixed blood. With both angel and witch blood she was even more protective of the humans than the council members themselves.
"Okay, this will remain between us. No one will know."
He assured her standing up as she quickly wiped her tears and gathered herself. Ambrose looked on thoughtfully before speaking softly.
"You know when we rescued you, you never cried. You just stood there silently. Crying doesn't make you weak. It just shows all you have survived."
He reached forward wiping under her eyes with his thumb before continuing.
"You don't have to always be strong. You are a person too."
She blinked a few times in confusion.
What was he trying to say?
Everyone looks at me for my strength so I can't show weaknesses.
Ambrose chuckled lightly before continuing.
"Yes you are the all powerful hybrid but you need to learn to lean on others, you can't do everything on your own."
Humming a reason Emma smiled lightly as Ambrose turned and left.
Emma sat quietly thinking to herself.
Now, how do I teach my mate a lesson he wouldn't forget?
. . . .
Tobago: The Crescent Wolf Pack
Brittney stood in the kitchen over a hot stove. Stirring some soup she was lost in thought unaware that the pot was about to boil over. The new alpha had never acknowledged her after that moment in his office when she begged him to save Jarred. Slowly glancing over to the TV room she found herself questioning whether she made the right choice. Jarred sat drinking beer after beer for the past hour by now he was wasted. This was a daily occurrence since he got better. Also he never touched her. Even when she hugged him in front of Cole trying to get her new alpha's attention but instead Jarred simply pulled her arms free and Cole walked seemingly not bothered.
Sizzzzz!
As the soup flowed over her thoughts were snapped back to the present as she hurried to turn off the stove and clean up the mess. What was supposed to be chicken soup was now a gooey mess. This was another thing. She found herself doing things the runt use to do. Not because it was forced on her but because Jarred seems to not being paying any heed to her and after meeting her own mate she knows exactly what he really wants. Jarred will forever want Alice, nothing she can do about it. She thought she could try to be happy with Jarred since Alpha Cole seems set on rejecting her. Maybe if she was a more like Alice Jarred might take more interest in her. So she did, Brittney did everything she could remember the runt doing but nothing worked even Alice's famous chicken soup that she knew for a fact was Jarred's favorite even if Alice herself never knew is mess.
Signing she walked to the fridge pulling some meat, cheese and vegetables out to make a sandwich for him instead. Putting the final touches she walked over to Jarred placing it on the table next to him. He ignored her as he continued to drink his beer staring at the floor with an tortured expression. She wasn't one hundred percent sure but she believed the reason he was acting like this was because Alice had disappeared and from what they learnt mate can't be separated, it hurts the furthered they are from each other however he seems to be way too miserable. She tried to comfort herself with that reason but deep down inside she knew what was really happening. Jarred had never been the same since the day he shifted into his Lycan and from the talk going around about Royal Alex being the infamous equalizer for mates, she had a hunch the mate bond between him and Alice is broken. Meaning it was only a matter of time before the need for his true mate consumes him.
Placing a hand on his shoulder gently she spoke.
"Hey, eat something. I made a sandwich."
His response was instant, his hand came up to slap hers away as he looked up from the floor to her. Once tortured and depressed eyes now glared at her with an intensity that can probably roast her alive. He put that beer down and roughly rubbed at his shoulder like her touch was some disease he needed to rid himself of.
"Jarred come on, just eat. Okay."
She tried again. At her words his eyes glanced at the sandwich with scorn before going back to her.
"I told you chicken soup."
He rasped, he wasn't drunk but he wasn't fully sober either. Brittney wasn't good at cooking, sandwiches was the only decent thing she could make. So whenever she had too cook for him, she would make a sandwich.
"It didn't turn out okay so I made this. Please just eat."
She plead as he looked at the sandwich like it was responsible for both world war one and two. With a quick flick of his hand the offensive bread now lay in a mess on the floor along with the shattered dish. Standing Jarred glared down at her.
"Don't ever make me a sandwich again!"
He shouted before heading up to the bedroom retiring for the night. That was another thing, since Alpha Cole saved him, they have been sleeping in different rooms.
As she bent down cleaning up the mess her thoughts drifted once again. She was regretting everything. She should have just lived like Alpha Jake, staying pure. Had she done that she would have been where she really wanted to be, with Cole.
. . . .
Actaeon Island: The Vulcan Clan
Emma's pov
As the sun streamed in I slowly woke from my sleep. Sitting up I stretched thinking about last night. I was healing, becoming my old self but I still needed to hide it if I wanted to ever trust my mate. With a heavy sigh I pulled the blankets off and stepped out of bed heading to the washroom. Still being mostly human I didn't notice the tall dark muscular form hiding behind my curtains or the chocolate brown eyes that followed my every move in curiosity.
After a hot shower to break the cold morning I stepped back into the room in just a towel drying my still damp hair. Only to notice the window was once again open. With a loud groan of frustration I mentally cursed Ryder out not even bothering to close it but instead quickly looked around for the trouble maker. Why does he keep sneaking into my room. I checked inside my closet behind my curtains even under the bed before deeming the room safe. I was about to start changing when a flicker of red caught my attention. Turning slowly I froze staring at the single blood red rose sitting innocently on my pillow.
That was not there before!
Despite the uncomfortable feeling of someone sneaking into my room I couldn't help but be drawn to the flower. It was beautiful. I have always loved red roses. Reaching out I plucked it off my pillow as a tiny shinny object fell out from the bud. Lifting it up for inspection I was met with a chocolate, interesting. Then again I had no idea how Ryder was romantically so all this was new to me but a perfectly good chocolate shouldn't go to waste. With that thought I unwrapped it about to pop it into my mouth when I froze a second time. The color was almost exactly the same as Jake's eyes. I would never admit it out loud for a long time to come but I was enhanced by his eyes, then again he is my mate. They were such a rich chocolate color, and when the liquid gold swirled in them hinting his wolf... I was just lost in them. With a quick shake trying to rid myself of those thoughts I quickly popped the chocolate piece between my lips before hurrying to change and heading to breakfast.
Unknown to me a tall dark muscular figure was lurking at my window. On the branch of a tree to far for my human eyes but not to far for his. He took in my every reaction smiling softly as I finally ate the chocolate piece. A look of pure adoration crossed his features before a deep red blush bloomed across his face and he quickly looked away. Leaning forward he dropped to the ground quickly hurrying to breakfast. Though he had no idea how to win her heart he wasn't going to give up. He was going to do whatever it takes to win her over.
. . . .
The Bermuda triangle: The South Mermaid Kingdom
King Zander coughed up more blood as Alaric continued to drive his blade deeper.
"Where is she?"
Alaric questioned once again bringing his boot down on Zander's hand crushing all the bones in it. Alaric had him at the foot of his own throne in a blood of his own blood. What confused Zander is that Alaric didn't kill any of his warriors, just subdue them. That was not the Alaric he knew, something was wrong. Further more he had called to entire kingdom into the massive throne room to watch their king suffer.
"How about I offer you a deal. Noticed how I had yet to kill anyone? If you tell me where the safe house is it will remain that way."
Zander simply looked up at him with a mocking smirk. Emma was their last hope, if they all had to die protecting her so be it, because at all cost the gates must stay out of Alaric's evil hands. Sighing heavily Alaric looked down starting to lose his patience.
"Or maybe I should enlighten your people on the truth. The fact that a fake king has been sitting on the throne for the past one hundred and eighty years..." He whispered his threat so that no one heard but to his surprise Zander only smiled before rasping out in between spitting up blood.
"Really, that would save me the trouble. I was about to do just that before a un-welcomed guest decided to pay me a visit."
Growling in annoyance Alaric wrung the sword burdened in the fake king's chest drawing even more blood before a idea struck him.
"You know my soldiers are quite the obedient beings, god's third child. I wonder can I make a soldier out of his fourth?"
He questioned rhetorically with a wide smirk as he noticed the small flicker of fear behind Zander's eyes before it was completely blank of emotion.
As Alaric flicked his wrist indicating for Cain to come forward with the venom. Cain remained frozen on spot completely emotionless however if one look closely you can notice the slight clenching of his jaw. While both Cain and Alaric striven for seemingly the same thing there was one difference. Cain wanted the hybrid alive while Alaric wanted her dead.
"Sorry I didn't bring any venom, I thought we were just here to slaughter."
Cain responded calmly but on the inside he was freaking out. If Alaric managed to change Zander he could find the hybrid, worst kill her and all Cain's years of pretend loyalty to Alaric will go down the drain.
With a loud tsk Alaric looked past Cain to the newly turned ex royal Lucas.
"Come."
With that one command like a mindless puppet Lucas followed coming to a stop next to Alaric with his head bowed. Alaric removed his boot and sword casting a small healing spell making sure Zander doesn't die just yet before stepping away from him.
"Bite him."
At that one command Lucas swiftly lunged forward sinking his teeth into the fake king's neck as Zander's screams echoed throughout the throne room and the life slowly drained from his eyes.
Alaric looked on in glee as he noticed the small signs of the change. It seems like the venom works on mermaids too and he had a kingdom full of potential slaves to make.
With a wicked grin he causally walked up to throne and sat down as Zander lay dying at his feet. He quickly reached down plucking the gold crown off the dying king's head before placing it on his own and settling in like the throne was always his. With a slight nod to Cain, he stepped up passing him Zander's gold staff before turning to the kingdom that was gathered.
"Kneel before your new king!"
Cain shouted as everyone hurried to one kneel, ever the walkers and lastly Cain who did well to hide his displeasure as Alaric continued grinning like a manic knowing he now had the mermaid race in the palm of his hands.
. . . .
t;Q<#