MATTEO'S POV

There were legends of this sort of thing, I remembered studying ancient scrolls while I was apart of Ardor that detailed wolves who survived vampire bites and vice versa.

Hybrids.

They were things of myth and story books now, after all, it was practically universally accepted that a bite from either opposite specie equaled a death sentence. However, in the old days there were the rare accounts of creatures who had not only successfully lived through the transition but they thrived. Hybrids that could live in duality, harmoniously with the two combatting sides of themselves whilst reaping the benefits from either supernatural part of them.

It was also at this time in Ardor that I started to realize they were all positively mad, which is why the possibility of something like that happening today had always seemed outlandish to me.

The sound of cracking bones clearly begged to differ.

The knife slipped from my fingers and I rushed to Olive's side, her body was contorting in pain as it once had by the river but there was something about this time that was much more terrifying.

Her arms snapped and she collapsed forwards with a scream tearing through her throat, before she could hit the ground I supported her pained body.

"It's going to be okay, let the shift go. Let it happen." I tried my best to soothe her with some affirmation but I didn't even believe myself in the moment.

I highly doubted it would ever be okay. Not very alpha-esque of me but what the hell, it hasn't been a very alpha-ish couple of weeks either. I was even beginning to sound like her.

A roar pierced through the room and I immediately released Olive right before she finally shifted into her wolf.

Her wolf was brown like her brunette locks and while, to the unobservant eye there was seemingly nothing remarkable about her coloration but to me it was perfect because it was Olive.

It was small, which was to be expected with the delay and all the other madness surrounding her bloodline. But like my wolf, instantly I sensed a speed about her.

If Olive looked scared, Lysander looked petrified. She clearly had not read up on her werewolf history.

Olive took a hesitant step forward and it was obvious that she was still trying to find her footing. I offered my hand to help balance her and instantly a deep pain radiated up my arm, almost bringing me down to me knees beside her once more.

I could feel everything within me again, a warmth that had slowly been dimming was burning brighter than ever before. The wound on my stomach was no longer there and the helplessness I experienced had vanished as well.

The mate bond was finally complete.

She was all mine and I was all hers.

The guards that surrounded us shifted nervously and moved towards us both but Lysander held her hand up, stopping them in their tracks. She circled us slowly, the fear that once shrouded her featured vanished all together. "Isn't this sweet."

"My daughter lives and her mate finds his wolf again, it's like a storybook ending." Her voice dripped with a sickening sarcasm that made the hairs of the back of my neck stand up.

She paused in front of Olive, "I hoped it wouldn't come to this, dear child." Lysander murmured demurely, "Don't you see? All of this was for you, everything I did was so that I could get you back and rid us both of these beasts! We were supposed to be in this together, we were supposed to finally be a family again in peace and then you go and...shack up with one of them?"

Lysander's lip curled up in disgust, "Your blood is tainted now, you've become a monster just like your father."

She pulled out a long scythe from underneath her thick robes, the blade glinting across the room as she twirled it slowly in her hands.

"And you saw what happened to him, dearest. It would only be fair for you to meet the same fate, you can thank me for your little reunion later." Lysander raised her arm and swung the blade.

"Olive!" I shouted.

She didn't need my warning it turned out, she had sprung into action and at first I thought her primary instinct would be to run; after all this was completely new to her, but Olive had other plans.

Olive lunged at Lysander, her jaws snapping dangerously close to Lysander's hands holding the no doubt, silver tipped weapon.

Lysander gasped her mouth falling open in aghast, "You ungrateful little brat."

I rushed towards Olive, every instinct in my body screaming at me to take her place and keep her safe. Hands wrapped around my biceps from behind but I wasn't having it.

I turned quickly and threw my first into the first guy's face I could find, it had been a while since I'd fought but the familiar movements sent a smile across my face.

After taking down at least six wolves, the rest of the circle eased off of me. Rightfully so.

My attention was back fully on Olive, her heart was beating rapidly and her breathing labored. The fur on the back of her neck was standing straight but I could tell she was growing more and more exhausted with every second she held the shift.

I walked towards Lysander and Olive, Lysander turned the scythe towards me. "You're strong, unfortunately for your mate, she is not."

She sent the scythe flying through the air towards Olive and it connected with her shoulder.

Olive fell back onto the floor and instantly turned back into her human form, curled into her side with the staff sticking out of her.

She was still breathing, it had missed her heart. I knew that she was in an intense amount of pain and every fiber of my body wanted to go to her side but I knew better, that was what Lysander wanted.

"I'm going to enjoy this." I growled out lowly, "It's been a while since I've killed a vampire but there's a certain rush to it."

She was now without a weapon, just one bite and Lysander would be done for. Vampires were slightly stronger than wolves, especially when we were in our human form. They were also slightly faster, two things that could potentially shift the weight of a fight if you weren't as experienced as I was.

Lysander bared her fangs at me and her eyes turned from ruby to black in seconds, "Do your worst, pup."

I intended to.