The Broken Mate

H a r l a n

"Bullshit," Blaze said. "Why would you need us to kill you? This is weird. She is planning something," she muttered to Callum, who just stared at her, heartbroken.

Harlan just scanned her, analyzing the situation, casually placing himself in front of Maya, who looked amazed and puzzled.

"What do you mean, Violette?" Callum said, worry in his eyes.

"I can't take this anymore," she refused to look at him. "If I run, he will hunt me for the rest of eternity. If I do not die and he catches me, he will torture me forever." Her eyes grew colder and colder. "It's my only chance to be free."

"So instead, you want that person to hunt us down for killing you?" Blaze asked.

"Blaze, shut up for once in your life," Callum retorted.

"What the fuck is wrong with you? Are you in love with her?" Blaze seemed outraged, more than he should have been, but Callum snorted.

"You know I don't swing that way," he started walking towards her. "I do love her, just not like that," he said as he took her hand and squeezed it.

"If you trust her, so do I," Selene said kindly. "Why don't you come to our house? We can talk there." Damien threw her a look, and so did Blaze.

"Would both of you stop being so overprotective? I.." Harlan couldn't say he didn't understand why his brother was being so anal about her safety.

And honestly, he knew that if his mate were pregnant, he would be exactly the same.

Now that he thought about it, as soon as he heard the news, he felt nothing but happiness for his brother and his friend. He guessed the baby had changed how he felt toward Selene, but he had an inkling it had more to do with Maya.

But he was still going to be careful about the vampire.

"Wait, before we can risk associating with her, we must know who will be after us," Harlan interjected.

"My father," she said, moving her hair back. A cross around her neck caught Harlan's attention. It was somewhat significant and had a red ruby in the center and a bigger one dripping from it, like it was a crucifix dripping with blood. It was emanating the same dark energy she was. "The Vampire King."

"The vampires have a king?" Maya whispered to Harlan, and as he was about to answer, Blaze spoke once again.

"Oh, hell no," Blaze said, and Damien looked inclined to say the same thing. "You want us to go against the oldest and most powerful vampire in history for some information we don't know is true?"

"Without what I know, you will all die. Hear me out first, then decide if you want to help me or not."

After Selene invited Violette in, they all sat around Damien's office, waiting for her to talk.

"Would you like some tea?" Selene asked with a kind smile, breaking the awkward silence.

"I would love some, thank you," the vampire said as she removed her cloak. Blaze stared at her with hatred, and so did Elowen. Arden didn't seem bothered by having a vampire in front of her. She was her usual shy self.

Selene asked Melody for some tea, and the omega disappeared into the kitchen.

"Start talking," Harlan demanded, earning himself a look from Callum.

"What would you like to hear first?" she asked, unfazed by everyone's eyes on her.

"Maybe start from the beginning," Callum suggested.

"Fine. It was 1534, France. I was fifteen years old, and.."

"You were born in 1519?" Maya asked. She had remained quiet for a while, but it seemed like she couldn't contain her curiosity. "That would make you 504 years old!"

"Yes, she's old as fuck. Moving on," Blaze said, and Violette gave him a furious look, which only seemed to make him happier.

"Maybe start with how we met," Callum placed a hand on her shoulder.

"We met because I saved his life when he accidentally pissed off a demon," she smiled. "It was a low-level demon, didn't even have a corporeal form, but still, pesky little creatures."

"Then I saved her life back, and that is how things have been for thirteen years. She owed me one, so I called her when she told me the rebels had gone to the council."

"What did they want?" Damien asked, worried.

"They asked for my father's help, offered him something he desperately wanted in return." Blaze was about to ask what, but she said, "My mother."

"The vampire... queen?" Maya asked.

"There is no such thing. Just consorts and lovers," she explained.

"Why is your father after your mother?" Selene asked.

"My mother wasn't like the other consorts. She was a human girl living a normal life. My father happened to walk into the village, and he fell for her so bad he kidnapped her and turned her." She looked disgusted. "My mother was special because she was the only one of the consorts my father 'allowed' to have his children. This is supposed to be a great honor, but it isn't, unlike the older traditions of your kind." She air-quoted the word allowed. "Long story short, she ran away. My father wants her head, so the wolves offered him a chance to find her."

"If Vesper is helping, then we are fucked," Elowen said.

"He hasn't said he will help them yet," Violette fingered the cross on her neck. "But he will. He's just making sure they are desperate enough so he can ask for more in return."

"So we will have to deal with him even if we decide not to help you," Damien stated, thinking out loud.

"Yes," she confirmed. "But with me on your side, you have a great advantage," she stated the obvious, not only because she was clearly a powerful vampire, but because she could be their spy.

"I still don't trust her. Why do you want us to kill you?" Blaze said.