:

The unknown vampire quickly dodged my attack much to my relief and my beast's surprise. I used their moment of hesitation to regain control. My vampire and wolf relent but I feel them near the surface.

Waiting.

I turn my head at the sound of the unknown vampire clapping. He stops when he sees he has my full attention.

"Well done. You're new to this right? Yeah I could tell. You practically scream newbie. And what's with your eyes? They're funky looking. I thought you were going to kill me there, but I had it under control. I was hoping I wouldn't have to seriously harm you. I'm Anthony, by the way."

"Do you ever shut up?" My vamp gains control enough to speak her mind. I would have said it in a nicer way but she's not wrong. This guy never stops talking.

*'And he's still going'

I tune back in to hear this Anthony person rambling.

"-kind of creepy, not going to lie. I wouldn't do that to you. I don't lie, especially to friends."

Rolling my eyes, I begin to walk away before one of my beasts accidentally snaps his neck. I could feel the amusement from my beasts.

"Hey! Hey! Wait up!"

Anthony catches up and begins to fire questions.

"Who are you? You know my name, but I don't know yours. Will I guess? I'm not good at this game but I will give it a try. Samantha? Emma? Katie? Rose?"

* "We could be here for awhile. Goddess, why is he so annoying?" I couldn't help but agree with my vampire. This boy was starting to get on my nerves.

"ERIN!" Anthony jumps back at my outburst. I compose myself again before repeating more calmly.

"My name is Erin."

Anthony's face lights up. "Nice to meet you Erin." I force myself not to smile in return and instead give a simple nod. Turning my back to him, I begin my journey through the woods, almost sighing in relief when I don't hear him follow.

"Where are you going?"

I clutch my chest in fright as the strange vampire appears walking beside me. I stop and cross my arms angrily. He continues on, animatedly talking with his hands. He turns and frowns when he notices I'm not walking with him. He opens his mouth.

"No! Stop. I don't know you. You don't know me. Now stop following me. Okay? Good. Goodbye. See you never."

I start walking away from him again hoping he wouldn't follow. Luck wasn't on my side.

"I do know you."

My body stills. I slowly turn around to gaze at the stranger.

"What?" I could feel my beasts surfacing but I tried to keep them at bay.

"Your name is Erin. See? We are not strangers." He seems really proud of himself, plastering a huge grin on his face.

False alarm. He's just an idiot.

"Alright then. I've had my fair share of lunatics today so it's time for me to go."

When I walk away this time, he doesn't follow.

Just kidding. He follows me and continues to follow me six hours later.

"So then-"

I feel as if a force slams into my body as my vampire, who has listened to the boys ramblings and was now seriously fed up, took full control. She grabs his shoulders and slams him against a nearby tree. Our chest was rising slowly as we took deep breaths to calm down. Anthony looked a little scared, pleasing my beasts immensely.

"Shut up. Shut up. Shut up!" His body is slammed against the trunk again, the force slightly splintering some of the bark.

"If you don't shut up I'm going to be forced to carve out that stupid tongue of yours and force feed it to you. Capiche?"

His nod bobs up and down frantically.

She slowly releases him but scrutinises his every move. He seems nervous and unsure of how to act. Rolling my eyes I turn away. His form sags against the tree as he lets out a huge sigh of relief.

"Time to make camp."

I tune out his ramblings as he again describes how he thought he was a goner, that I was going to kill him, how his life flashed before his eyes but he knew I would never hurt him because I am his best friend now. I retreat into my own thoughts, ignoring the idiot.

My beasts hiss and growl at each other reminding me that everything is still so new. I am a hybrid now. I don't think there ever has been a hybrid before. Wow, don't I feel special. I have two beasts now that constantly fight each other and with me for control. I was fine with just my wolf, she's all I have ever known. But the introduction of the vampire side has completely changed my life. I am a monster. I have killed people. Drank them dry.

*"But you're powerful now." My vampire replies hearing my thoughts. Surprisingly her voice is soft but I hear the frustration in her words.

But at what price?

I think back to recent events. Lukas. Where is he now? Is he looking for me? I almost scoff aloud but refrain from drawing the other vampires attention to me. The mad man that changed me. He said his name was Jebidiah, a scientist. He said he laced his claws with a serum he invented that immobilised me. I couldn't move. He spoke reverently to me. I remember his look of awe as he peered down at me. As if I held all the answers. He mentioned creations. The rogues. He created those things? They were not ordinary rogues though. They had white soulless eyes instead of the usual red and black eyes. They had red veins coming out of their eyes and across their face. They looked sick. And they were a test. For what I don't know. No. That's a lie. I do know, well I can guess. Because after I defeated the rogues, that's when he stuck his teeth in me.

I flinch at the memory of the toxins flowing through my blood. It burned. It felt different from when I first shifted. That was bones breaking. This however, this pain was like a fire was scorching my body. From the inside. My blood boiling under the skin. My head throbbing until I saw white. Lukas' face pops up again. His betrayal. How he thought I hurt his mate when I saved her. The rational part of my mind reminds me that he didn't know. He was reacting to what he was seeing, what he knew. He saw his beloved lying limp in my arms and he knew the monster I had become. And yet his betrayal tastes bitter in my mouth. Did he deserve my forgiveness? Well it looks like I won't have to worry about him anymore.

Arabella. She was a sweetheart. I loved watching Arabella and Luka's interactions when they thought I wasn't looking. He looked at her like she was his world, his reason for living. Vampires call their soulmates, their Beloved and I always loved the name. It seemed fitting because when you see a vampire look at their Beloved, it is with reverence and love. Nothing like I have seen before. Not even with the werewolves. Yes, mates were sought after, every Alpha wants their mate. But it always came down to power. An heir. It seemed to me like it was a necessity in the werewolf world but for the vampires... I sigh with longing, ignoring the look Anthony sends my way.

Vampires treasure their soulmate. If you are lucky to be blessed to find someone to share the rest of your life with, then you are richer than most. I long for that. Rejected all my life, all I want is a mate to love me. I refuse to think too long on it though. It's just a dream. A dream of a monster.

Monster. I am a monster. But I no longer want to be.

Shaking my head from the morbid thoughts, I allow my mind to drift further back. To the pack that once took me in but were quick to abandon me. When I think back to what happened, a mixture of emotions consume me. Anger to those that tossed me aside, Alpha Dave and Luna Lexie. That bitch not only lied but framed me for something I didn't do! No one stopped to listen. There wasn't a fair trial.

Usually in werewolf packs, serious incidences like what happened with me would be brought before the council and would be punished accordingly. Alpha Dave's actions reflect badly on himself and his pack if the council were to find out. Something as serious as beating a pack member, stripping them of their place in the pack subsequently forcing them to become rogue is not a light sentence. Oh no. Sending someone rogue is always a last resort because everyone knows you're better off dead, that once you go rogue, you go insane and there's no coming back from that. Alpha Dave played judge, jury, and executioner that day. His actions reflect the love for his mate. Yes, but he blindly made a choice based on anger and justice for his injured mate. While some people may see his actions as called for and his right to defend and protect his mate, others like the council won't think so lightly. Alpha Dave took an oath in front of the council, the Royals and the other Alphas in the kingdom Azarea that he would be a just Alpha that would lay down his life for his pack.

His past actions could strip him of his title. If the council were to find out.

Alas, the truth lies with me.

No one in the pack would dare speak out against the Alpha, for fear that they will come to the same end as I did.

Abandoned. Forced to be a rogue. Rejected.

********************************************************

How do you like it so far?

Please comment, follow and vote

Sinead xx