Forbidden Mate: Awakening

“Yes. You both are two in one. One cannot be without the other. A Guardian always has a companion and mate, or else most of her powers won’t be manifested. The same way your grandfather was to your grandmother that’s how your other person will be to you.”

I immediately understood she was referring to Adrian. Adrian, the hybrid vampire I loved, was connected to my destiny.

I asked, “Aunt? Can…a vampire be the other person for me? Can he be connected to my destiny?” Sarah gave me a side look but I didn’t pay any attention to her reaction.

Aunt Belinda thought for a while and then smiled at me, “It is not the label or nature that matters, it is the heart. If both of your hearts are conjoined, then he’s the right one for you. He who is the companion to the Guardian also has an important part to play in the prophecies too.”

“That’s exactly what Adrian told me.” I whispered myself.

As Aunt Belinda shared more, my mind was overwhelmed. It was hard to understand the huge responsibility I now had. Sarah squeezed my hand, offering her support amidst the whirlwind of emotions.

Aunt Belinda continued, cautioning us about the challenges ahead but also encouraging us to embrace our roles and trust in our inner strength.

“There is a lot to unfold and a lot to happen, my dear ones. No matter what, don’t lose yourself and don’t lose your way. Believe it or not but the fate of this realm now rests on the shoulders of you and your companions.”

Sarah and I sat there, amazed and humbled by the realization that we were part of something much bigger than ourselves. We knew our lives would never be the same.

After our conversation, Sarah and I hugged Aunt Belinda before she bed us farewell. As we were about leaving, she called out to me, “And Lily, don’t tell your parents about all this now. When the time comes, they’ll know themselves.”

I nodded and waved her goodbye.

“Oohh…those things she said sent shivers down my spine, Lily.” Sarah told me as we made our way back to the open road.

Suddenly, everywhere went black.

I found myself floating on top of the view of our realm.

We gathered at the edge of our territory. The pack hunters stood tall and ready to defend their home. Sarah and I stood at the forefront, aware of our duties and what was about to happen.

Adrian spoke words of encouragement, reminding us of our purpose and the bond that held us together. We faced the enemy, fighting with determination and resilience. The battle was intense, but we fought bravely.

The vampires and werewolves were locked in a fierce war that turned our peaceful grove into a battlefield. I stood in the midst of the chaos, watching as the vampires and werewolves clashed with ferocity. It was a brutal fight, with neither side giving in.

In the midst of the chaos, I saw Don charging into the vampire horde. He fought valiantly, but unfortunately, a vampire managed to overpower him and sucked his life away.

As the battle raged on, I looked for Jaxon, hoping for his support. To my shock, I saw him standing with the vampires, blatantly betraying our pack. I confronted him, and he revealed his true allegiance and mocked me, shattering the trust we had all these years.

Despite the betrayal, I focused on survival and protecting our remaining pack members. The losses were heavy, but we refused to give up. I became even more determined to lead the pack to victory.

With every step, I embraced my inner warrior, fueled by the pain of betrayal and the desire to bring an end to the vampires who wanted to overpower us. We fought fiercely, united by our goal to defend our kind and restore peace. Though the war was far from over, I marched head on with the army behind me.

Dawn was arriving and we finally emerged victorious. The vampires retreated, and our pack howled in triumph. Adrian held me and we both basked in the pride of what we had accomplished.

With our victory came a new sense of beginning in our lives. We howled louder and louder as the day broke.

Everything seemed to have happened in under a minute…

I got sucked back into my body and gasped out.

“Lily, are you okay?” Sarah held me before I staggered to the ground.

“My head…” I held my head.

“What is it?”

“I saw…battle…I saw us…”

“Was it another vision?”

“Yes.”

My phone buzzed in my pocket and I told her to help me pick it. She did.

“Hello?”

“Hello, Sarah, where are you two?” It was my mom.

“Just coming back from Aunt Belinda’s place.”

“I told you not to go there… look, both of you should get here as soon as possible. We’re all leaving for the main pack. Be quick.”

She cut the call.

“What’s that?”

“We need to get home. Come on.”

I shook my head and followed her out the forest.

•••••••••••

The atmosphere at the pack’s feast was tense. I was still trying to understand the vision I just got when my mom called Sarah and I to get ready to escort them to the main pack for what I Iater came to realise was lunch. Tiana, Audrey, Tyler and Sarah were present. I was also shocked Adrian stood as my dad’s bodyguard but happy nonetheless that he was here. Him and my father seemed to be getting along, I presumed.

Rex gathered everyone’s attention with the click of his wine glass, “Welcome everyone to our abode. My son, Tyler, has something very important he would like to share with everyone so I request your full attention.”

Adrian’s glances at me made me lose focus and I didn’t realize Tyler was watching both of us. I was helplessly blushing over there.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

All eyes were on Tyler, who seemed nervous. His forehead looked sweaty when he slowly stood up. I wandered what he was about to say. I hadn’t seen him in a while so it had helped surpress any unchecked and residual feelings I had for him. Adrian’s expression was unreadable.

Tyler looked at me for a moment, his eyes filled with different emotions. The room fell silent as he turned to face Audrey, his fiancée now, I guess. My heart skipped a beat, expecting a not-so predictable announcement.

With a heavy sigh, Tyler took out a small box and opened it, revealing a shiny ring reflecting the candlelight. Audrey looked surprised and hopeful. But then Tyler looked at me again, conflicted. Everything felt frozen in that moment.

Tyler’s voice trembled, “I…I…I can’t. I can’t go through with this.” He threw the ring away, and it rolled across the floor. Gasps filled the room, and the weight of his words held us captive.

Audrey’s face showed shock, anger, and betrayal. Her eyes burned with intensity as the meaning of Tyler’s words sank in. People began whispering, trying to make sense of the unexpected turn of events.

Without hesitation, Tyler walked over to me, grabbed my hand and led me away from the table. My heart raced, and confusion swirled in my mind. The world seemed hazy as we left the room, leaving behind the chaos and confusion he had caused.

In a quiet corner, Tyler faced me and explained the truth that had been weighing on his heart. His voice was filled with regret and longing as he expressed his feelings.

“Lily,” he whispered, “I can’t deny how I feel anymore. Being with Audrey feels wrong, forced. I guess she’s hot but that’s all I feel about her. But with you, it’s different. It feels more natural, like finding a missing part of myself. I miss you every single night and day. I can’t deny it any longer. I’m still in love with you.”

I couldn’t move or think properly as I tried to understand what Tyler had just said. He claimed he still loved me. His words echoed in my mind, causing a mix of emotions inside me. I didn’t know how to respond.

Tyler’s voice echoed in sincerity, “I know I’ve done a lot of stupid, unfair and bad things to you but I don’t know what came over me. I’m sorry for embarrassing you that day in front of anyone. I’m sorry for everything…” his eyes pleaded for me to understand and forgive him.

He opened up, “I swear, I still think about you. I can’t stop thinking about you, Lily. You’re the only girl I care about in this world.”

I felt the pull of our shared past, tempting me to go back to the familiar comfort of our past relationship. But I knew better. His sudden change of heart was insincere. Was it only because he was unhappy with his current relationship with Audrey? It was hard knowing his full intentions but I swore I’d hate myself if I fell for his trap and sweet words again.

Anger surged within me. I relived the pain and betrayal I had experienced because of him all in that moment. How could he expect me to forget the hurt he caused when he chose someone else over me? Tyler’s desperate attempt to win me back seemed like a weak effort to mend our broken connection.

Summoning all the strength I had, I stepped back and spoke firmly. “Your confession and everything else you’ve said right now can’t erase the past and the pain you’ve made me go through. I won’t be fooled by your act. If you truly loved me, then you’d not wait until now to tell me. If you truly loved me, all those times Audrey accused me of foul shit, you wouldn’t have believed her blindly. If you truly loved me, you wouldn’t have rejected me in the first place!”

He reached out, trying to pull me into an embrace, “Lily, I’m sorry. I don’t know what I can say for you to-” his hand trembled so I pushed him back. His eyes begged for my acceptance but I stood my ground, looking at him without wavering.

I knew that taking him back would only continue the cycle of heartbreak and uncertainty we had experienced before.

“It’s over, Tyler.”

With a heavy heart, I turned away but he just had to speak, “Is it because of Adrian? Was he the one who marked you?” His voice now held malice. I held my neck realising he had seen the hickey too.

“This is not about Adrian.” I flipped my hair back.

“Oh yes, it is.” He walked up to me, “It very well is. Before he took you from me, you were mine and mine alone! You let him mark you? Lily, you know you’ll always love me. We’re fated mates. The goddess has destined us to be together. Why would you accept him? I swear I should’ve killed him the day I saw him under your window…”

“Enough, Tyler! That’s enough!” I shouted, “I’m tired of your fucking bullying, and entitled ass! You don’t fucking own me! Yes, there was a time we were meant to be mated but you rejected me, remember?! Audrey is now your mate and I chose Adrian because he is twice the man you can never be. It’s over, Tyler. Get a fucking grip and move the fuck on!”

I abruptly turned away from him, leaving Tyler standing there and my words lingering in the air. Each step I took gave me the confidence I needed to walk away from that toxic past I had wanted to be free of.

As our consort was leaving with my family and friends, I looked back through the window and saw Tyler arguing with his father. Audrey, with anger in her eyes, stared right at me, making me feel a little bit scared.

In that moment, I suddenly understood things clearly. I saw the darkness that consumed Tyler’s life-the difficult relationship with his father and his toxic relationship with Audrey. His presence had led him down a dangerous path, but I didn’t want to follow that path anymore.

Even though Tyler had confessed something important to me, I stayed strong. I believed that my heart deserved a love that was real and steady, a love that could face any challenge.

As Adrian held my hand to assist me to sit in the car, I felt the tingle again and smiled at him. He smiled back and that was all I needed to know I made the right decision.

Adrian was the only right one for me.