The Hybrid
Bonus Chapter #1

Important Note: Aurora is now 22 years old and a University graduate.

Aurora Maxwell’s P.O.V.

The sky is painted with hues of candy pink and purple as I pull up into the driveway of my home this evening. Turning off the ignition, I grab my things and get out of the car, locking it before I make my way inside. Vulcan is nowhere to be seen when I walk further into the house, but I can sense him.

Deciding on changing first, I rush up to my bedroom and change into comfortable lounge wear. Letting my hair down, I put on some cozy slippers before making my way downstairs. As I reach the last step, Vulcan’s scent beckons me outside.

Following the strong need to be with him, I walk past the kitchen and open the back door to see him in his beastly form. He turns at the sound of my footsteps, a smile blooming on my lips as Vladimir’s eyes connect with mine. After reassuring Vulcan that it’s okay to let his beasts out around me, he lets them free more often.

“Angel.” His voice is a low rumble in my mind, red eyes following every move of mine with interest as I make my way over and sit next to him on the steps leading down to the garden.

“Hello, Vladimir.” I greet softly, resting my head on his shoulder.

He hums in satisfaction, wrapping his arm around my shoulders and pulling me closer. Vladimir is always colder than Ruxin but I don’t mind it. He pulls my top away and presses kisses to my mark, making me shiver at the burst of heat within me. I whimper softly when he pulls away, my cheeks coloring in embarrassment over how needy I’m being. He smiles softly, bright eyes taking in every little feature of mine, as if committing it to memory. Pulling away, he brings a gorgeous red rose forward, making me gasp.

I take it from him, smelling its fresh scent. The petals are soft and vibrant of the red color, the stem free from any thorns that could prick my finger. I murmur a quiet thank you to which he just nods, before placing the rose behind my ear. He moves closer and presses a gentle, lingering kiss to my cheek. But then, he stills. His body moves as he inhales and suddenly, he is pulling away with a frown. I stare at him, wondering what is wrong.

The red in his eyes darkens as he moves closer to my neck and inhales. Pulling away, an angry growl escapes him, his lips pulling up into a deadly sneer. I frown in confusion over his sudden change in mood.

“Mate doesn’t smell like me.” Vladimir growls and I suddenly realize why he is so angry.

I sigh before intertwining our hands, dark eyes connecting with light grays. “Vladimir, we’ve been over this before. I work in an office where there are both men and women.”

I graduated from university with a degree in Law and this is my first year working at a firm. Being in a different state whilst completing my studies was hard on both Vulcan and I, but we made it work. He was so supportive of everything I did and I didn’t feel any pressure when I was deciding on which college to attend, even if it was miles away from him. I cherished the memories of when either Vulcan or I would drive the few hours to see each other for a day or two. Being with each other after a lot of waiting made the visits even more special.

Whilst I was at university, I wore a promise ring Vulcan had given me before I left. I knew immediately that it was for his peace of mind to ward off the college boys. After I graduated with my degree, we got married with a beautiful wedding in the woods surrounded by nature. But regardless of having his ring on my finger, Vulcan is still the same man who can easily become jealous over me receiving attention from the opposite sex.

Now that I’m working, I have moved back home where I belong with Vulcan. I found the perfect balance of maintaining my duties as a Luna to the Renascence pack and working at a Law firm in the city. I’m content and I don’t think life can get any better than being married to the man I love.

A loud huff from Vladimir has me snapping out of my thoughts. I glance at him to see him scowling before he pulls me onto his lap in one swift motion. His arms wind around me in a tight embrace, the tip of his nose tracing the curve of my neck as he tries to smother me in his scent.

“Vlad,” I laugh, turning to face him slightly. “You’re overreacting, I’ll take a shower tonight okay?”

“No, mate will get rid of the scent right now.” He orders before standing with me in his arms.

Before I can ask what he is doing, everything becomes a blur and suddenly, we are at a lake in the woods. Vladimir ignores my questioning as he walks towards the lake, setting me down by the edge. I turn to look up at him in curiosity, surprised when he nods at the water.

“No way, it’s so cold!” I squeal when the icy cold water meets my fingers.

As I start to back away, Vladimir throws me over his shoulder and starts carrying me over to the water. I protest loudly, struggling to escape and shouting out threats but to no avail. A loud shriek echoes in the quiet clearing as I’m dropped in the freezing water. When I resurface, I replace him standing back at the edge of the lake with a devilish smirk on his lips. Glaring at him, I cross my arms over my chest and look away, pretending to be angry.

As I am trying to replace balance on the soft earth, I see big ripples in the water and I sense him before he wades closer. A shiver runs down my spine as I feel his cold body press against mine. He hugs me from behind, whispering out his apology. I bite my lip, Vladimir is just so cute that I can’t stay mad at him for too long. I sigh and turn to face him, noticing his red eyes shining with guilt.

“Angel...I’m sorry. It’s just that you smell like other men and I couldn’t take it. Can mate forgive me?” He murmurs softly, tucking my wet strands behind my ears.

“Fine, but that wasn’t cool Vlad.” I mumble, hugging myself to create some warmth.

Before he can say anything, his eyes start to switch chaotically between red and black. Suddenly, black fur sprouts over his body and with a deep growl, Ruxin makes an appearance. He picks me up, cuddling me closer to his body as he makes his way back to the house. I stifle the giggles threatening to escape as he curses Vladimir to the deepest, darkest pits of hell.

“This is not funny!” He growls in warning, an incredulous look in his eyes as I laugh. “Any second longer in that cold water and mate would have gotten sick!”

I bite my lip as he carries me into the house. Ruxin uses his supernatural speed to rush back to the room, ordering me to change into warm clothes before he leaves. I sigh and shake my head in humor, picking a cozy sweater and sweatpants before changing out of my wet clothes. When I make my way down to the sitting room, I see that Ruxin has the fire on and is waiting for me with a towel.

Smiling softly, I walk over and sit down on the fluffy carpet, grabbing it and drying my hair by the fire. I close my eyes in content as he hugs me afterwards, the extra heat from his body warming me up in an instant. After a few minutes of silence, Ruxin releases an angry growl before he huffs and nestles his nose in the crook of my neck. He inhales deeply, seeming to be calming himself down.

“What’s wrong?” I ask softly, running my fingers through his fur.

“Vladimir wants to know if mate is okay.” He huffs, still peeved at the other beast’s actions.

I chuckle and nod, leaning into his embrace. “Tell him that I’m fine.”

“No.” He shakes his head stubbornly, making my eyes widen. “Mate could have gotten ill, he does not deserve to speak with you.”

“Ruxin,” I start in a soft one, pulling him down so that our eyes meet. “Wouldn’t you want to know that I’m alright if the roles were reversed?”

“I am not an idiot like him. You would never get hurt or sick if I was with you.” He rolls his eyes, nuzzling my neck.

“Ruxin...for me?”

He stills and I know I have him. With a frustrated huff, he nods. “I told him...but he can be with you tomorrow. Right now, you are mine.”

I laugh and agree, squirming away when his fur tickles my skin. His eyes glint with mischief and I scoot back, only in vain when he pounces. His paws pin my wrists to the carpet and he nuzzles his head against my cheek and neck making me shriek with laughter. I beg him for mercy and finally, he relents and pulls away. I breathe a sigh of relief, a few chuckles escaping me here and there. Tilting my head when I catch him staring at me in adoration, I wiggle my brows as if to say ‘what?’ He shakes his head and instead, lies down on the carpet.

“Mate looks beautiful when she is happy.” He admits softly, his eyes closed.

I mentally coo at how sweet he is, running my fingers through his dark fur that has hints of orange in it from the glow of the fire beside us. “You make me happy.”

He shuffles closer to me and puts his head in my lap, purring when I scratch the back of his ear. I laugh, making him open his eyes to stare up at me. “You are so cute when you purr.”

Immediately, he sits up and shakes his head. I grin, continuing to tease him over how he was purring like a kitten just moments ago. Eventually, he releases an angry growl and I bite my lip so I don’t laugh. Clearly, this is a serious thing for Ruxin.

“I don’t purr, I protect mate. I am not a stupid, little kitten.” He scoffs, like the idea is absurd.

“Okay, okay.” I laugh, pressing a kiss to his forehead. “Ruxin is my big, bad wolf who keeps me safe.”

He nods in satisfaction before frowning. I watch his eyes glaze over for a few seconds before he sighs and turns to me with a sad expression. “Vulcan wants to be with mate now.”

“It’s okay Ruxin, we’ll spend more time soon.”

“Promise?” He asks like always when he must give control back to Vulcan.

“I promise, Ruxin.” I nod, watching his eyes shine with happiness at my answer.

“I love you, mate.” He steps closer and nuzzles his nose into my neck. “Does mate love me too?”

“I will always love you, Ruxin.” I tangle my fingers into his fur, hugging him tightly. “Never doubt that.”

He presses a soft kiss to my forehead before walking out of the room. About a minute later, Vulcan makes his way back into the sitting room wearing a t-shirt and black sweatpants. He runs his hands through his tousled hair before his forest green eyes meet mine. Smiling, he takes a seat on the couch beside me before pulling me onto his lap.

“If you keep making promises like that to my beasts then it’ll be me who won’t be able to spend time with you.” He chuckles huskily, peppering kisses over my mark.

I laugh in reply, resting my head back on his shoulder. “Don’t worry, I’ll always need you.”