I stared, incredulous at Mother Diana.

" You helped them." I said, feeling my blood boil at her betrayal. " How could you?"

She scoffed, leering down at me.

" How could I?" She was suddenly seething with rage and lashed out her hand at me. Her palm hit me square in the face and I fell hard to the cold, marble floor.

" That's enough, Diana!" Lorian's voice echoed in the room.

She ignored him and set her angry eyes at me. " They took my life from me. My family, my clan. Everyone died in their purge." She screamed at me. " I will never forgive him and now, that dog king will know what loss feels like."

" Rhydian did not cause the purge." I narrowed my eyes at her. " You did. Moon witches like you who helped these vampires weaken the barrier gave the former king tye excuse he needed to start the purge." I said, stunned by the realization.

" I helped them because werewolves are what's wrong with the world."

" And I am going to purge the world of this particular pest." Lorian lazily got off his throne and walked towards us. " Begone, witch. Your presence irritates me." He looked down at me and caressed my smarting cheek. " Did did she hurt you, my sweet?"

I slapped his hand away and stumbled to my feet as mother Diana disappeared. My thoughts went to Rhydian. He must be near mad with worry.

" Do not fret, my sweet. I have sent word to your mate to meet me alone, if he doesn't want you dead." He said and moved my hair away, eying the red mark.

" What he doesn't know though is that he is going to help me make you well, dead."

I watched filled with revulsion as his fangs pushed through and the vision flashed through my mind, the vision of Rhydian near dead and drained of blood by me... me as a vampire.

Lorian grabbed my shoulder and dragged me closer. In one swift move, he sunk his fangs into my mark. I couldn't hold in my scream as I felt the venom burn through my veins. He pulled out and let me fall limp, to the ground.

" Now we wait."

〰️〰️〰️

I had never felt this thirsty before. My throat burned. It was near maddening... The need for... blood.

I sat up in the cage I had been locked in. I was outside now. The cage had been dragged out into the snow laden night with me in it. I tried to scream, hopeful that Rhydian would hear but my throat was dry and it hurts like hell.

I grabbed my throat, nearly strangling myself at the pain and fell back on the floor. I could see the sky through the cracks. The stars looked sharper than ever. I could faintly hear the sounds of war and then, I heard footsteps.

I sat up immediately.

" Welcome prince!... Oh, pardon me. King." I heard Lorian and say I caught Rhydian's scent, strong and clear.

I got to my knees, wanting to call out to him but, I stopped myself wondering if he would even want to see me. I was now the one thing werewolves hated. He would hate my scent. He would hate me.

I shrank back into one of the corners of the cage feeling utterly terrified. The thought of seeing hate and disgust in his eyes sent my blood racing.

" Where is she?” I heard Rhydian ask, his voice filled with hate.

" Over there." Lorian said, simply.

There was a pause.

" Don't fuck with me, Lorian. I don't smell her."

Lorian laughed. " Oh she's here." He said and I heard him throw something. Rhydian caught it and seconds later I heard footsteps moving closer to the cage.

No please.

He opened it and walked in. It was dark but I could see him clearly and so could he. His eyes widened in shock.

" Dev..." He trailed off and my heart sank.

He hates me. Those words resounded in head.

He held out his hand and I shrank back, fearfully.

" Come here Deven. Let me get you out of here."

I stared wide-eyed at him surprise by the softness of his voice

" Let me take you home." he sounded so sincere. I couldn't understand why. I was now the one thing he hated the most. How could he speaks to gently to me?

I shook my head and whispered back. " I'll hurt you." I couldn't help but note the heavy pulsing of his every vein, especially the one close to his neck- focus Deven!

Rhydian smiled at my words. " Trust me Deven. You'll be fine. Come here."

" Are you sure that's what you want?” I had Lorian ask. " She's a fledgling you know. I haven't fed her leaving her with less than twelve hours to get blood or she dies a permanent death."

I stared up at Rhydian. The anger burning in his eyes was clear as day but I was able to convince myself that they weren't directed at me. Trust him.

" We're so far from people. You.. you're the closest she has to a meal. How... convenient." Lorian said with another laugh.

Rhydian ignored him and moved deeper into my cage. " Come Deven."

" Go." I choked out.

" You think I can just leave you? I love you Deven and I want to help you. Please." His hand were still outstretched. I tentatively reached for him and he led me out of the cage.

Lorian rolled his eyes. " Well, that was boring." He said and brought out a knife. He flung it at us and Rhydian knocked it out of his path easily but, Lorian's smile remained in place and soon, I knew why.

My senses heightened suddenly, especially my sense of smell and I could smell Rhydian's blood from the cut he got from the knife.

I swallowed hard staring at Rhydian while my throat burned in sudden hunger. Good goddess no. The smell of his blood... it was heaven.

" Do let her feed. You wouldn't want her to die?" Lorian teased and with Rhydian distracted, I knocked him to the ground.

" Deven?"

I was on him in a second, my whole being fixated on having a taste of his blood. It was like I had no control over my own actions. My body moved for one purpose. To feed.

My mouth hurts horribly as my fangs jutted out and Rhydian managed to hold me back.

" Devenity! snap the hell out of it."

" Once she tastes your blood, she'll want more. She will drain you, killing you and then, she'll be dead too. A full-blown vampire. You'll both kill each other. How wonderful is that?” Lorian asked and his words of unsettled me, driving my thirst back.

I recovered my senses momentarily and that was when I heard it. Make him turn you. It was faint and I barely made out the words or the meaning.

Make him turn you. Make who turn- I froze as the realization hit me and pulled Rhydian close.

" You need to turn me. I begged.

He frowned at me confused. " What? You have vampire venom in your blood."

" Just do it." I insisted, pulling my hair back. Rhydian hesitated.

" I've never turned anyone before. Werewolves are mainly born.". He protested.

" Just do it, Rhydian." I screamed and felt relief as his fans sank once again into my mark, releasing a different kind of venom into my blood stream.

That relief was shortlived as my whole being spasmed in response to the two venoms coursing through my system. Saying it hurt was an understatement. Words could not describe the level of pain flaring through me. It felt like I was being burned from the inside.

I couldn't scream. I fell back, stiff and distantly heard Lorian laugh.

" Deven!" Rhydian screamed leaning over me. He shook me, looking for some kind of response but, my body was stiff and afire with pain.

" Do you hear that?" Lorian asked. " Her pulse is weakening. It's either your venom didn't do shit or you've killed her. A shame though."

" Deven." The disbelief in his voice was heart-wrenching.

" You killed your mate, Rhydian. How sad." Lorian taunted.

I could see tears forming in his eyes. He thought I was dead. I wanted to tell him I wasn't but just as I gathered to strength to move, my eyes rolled back into my head I caught a glimpse of the moon bright and white.

〰️〰️〰️

Life came into my numb limbs and I moved my fingers slowly. I opened my eyes. The glare of the Moon was strong. Its edges, more defined. Slowly, my ears picked up sounds close to me.

I sat up and watched as Lorian who was straddling Rhydian throw punch after punch but, Rhydian remains unresponsive. I could hear his heart beat from here. He wasn't dead, just broken.

" Fights me you fool." Lorian screamed and when he got new response, he took out his anger by dealing more blows on Rhydian.

A snarl escaped my lips and Lorian paused and turned back, surprise etched on his face.

" Well, you're not dead after all." He laughed. " This mate of yours though, he's no fun." He shook Rhydian by his collar like he was nothing more than a ragdoll and I lost it.

I rushed towards Lorian. He seemed to just stay there, completely still, watching me. I expected him to come after me and then I realized I was moving so fast, his movements with almost non-existent. I got to Lorian and slammed my right hand against him with as much force that I could muster. And it was a lot. He went flying back into the cluster of trees.

" Get away from my mate." I said and knelt in front of Rhydian. He was battered and bloody but, his eyes were open.

I pulled him up. " Rhydian, it's me. it's Deven. I'm alright. I'm not dead."

He blinked at me, still down from the shock of my 'death'.

" Dev?" He whispered and I nodded, tears blurring my eyes. " Your eyes, they're different. They're red."

They were? How? What in hell had happened to me? why was I so strong and fast. It was disconcerting... but in a good way.

" Well..." I stammered. " You'd better like it because I don't know how to change it back." I said and a smile formed on his face.

" How cute." Lorian's voice turned out to be the most irritating thing I'd heard today. Heck, all year.

I got to my feet and growled at him. Growled... me? I felt my fingers begin to hurt and watched as claws pushed through my skin. I bared my fangs at Loria, the Ardenite hung on my neck glowing a bright purple.

A root sneaked its way to Lorian, wrapped around his foot and slammed him hard against the ground. He struggled to his feet, staring at me new found horror. " W-what are you?"

I had no idea. I still looked through human but with certain beast like features. My senses were all incredibly enhanced and I could still use my Ardenite to do magic.

" I'm a moon witch, you asshole." I said moving closer to him.

He stumbled back. Memories of him biting me, sending his vampire venom coursing through my veins flashed through my mind.

" I guess a bit of a Vampire too." I smiled at Rhydian who was still looking at me in awe. " And a bit of a Werewolf."

" A Tribrid." Lorian whispered, his face awestruck. " No! Tribrids are... a myth."

" Well, I'm real now thanks to you." I said and he fell to the ground. I placed one foot on his shoulder, grabbed his hair with my hand and tore his head clean off.

I smiled at his slack jawed features. " And, now you're dead."

I left his head to fall to the ground and rushed to Rhydian. He looked like a heart attack was well on its way from the shock.

" Hey." I said.

" Hey." He breathed out. He glanced at Lorian's decapitated head. " You killed him."

I shrugged relaxing. My claws shrank back in and so did my fangs. " He asked for it. Come on. Let's end this wat so we can go home and just fuck."

At that, he seemed to overcome the shock and got to his feet, helping me up. " Yeah, that's probably best."

" Do you think they'll surrender if they find out that their leader's dead?” I asked, picking up your the head.

" Let's find out."

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