MATED TO HIM: HIS HYBRID MATE

CHAPTER 1

Panting, Ivora, a girl of about twenty, pushed open the door to the tattered little house that had sheltered her and her father for years. Small as the house was, it still could keep one's body warm. The building, mostly made of wood that needed to be replaced often, held a stench of rotten wood in the air but Ivora had gotten used to it. She had even come to love the little house.

She closed the door and secured it with the piece of stick that was often used to lock it. Pulling down her worn-out cloak, she let it fall down her shoulders.

"Father!" She called out, dropping the plain old sack she was holding on the table. A scrawny man with a distinct sickly pallor and completely greyed hair walked towards Ivora, the flame in the lamp he was holding, flickering continuously.

"My Vora." He croaked, smiling as his blue eyes crinkled at the sides. He tried to speak again when he doubled over in a fit of coughs. His ghastly skin paled even more, blue veins bulging out of his skin.

"Oh, father!" She said, moving over to hold him. Leading him to the table, she sat him down gently.

"Father look! I got us enough food today."

She poured out the contents of the bag as she laid the food neatly on the table.

"Vora. Did you go stealing food today again?" Her father asked, disapproval laced in his voice. Ivora ignored his question, taking out a loaf of bread and sharing it into equal halves.

"Here." She gave him one-half of the bread and bit into her half. He didn't say a word again as he dipped his bread into the water his daughter kept on the table earlier to make it soft enough for him to eat. Ivora watched him quietly as she struggled to fight her tears away, her throat clogging up.

It was painful to see what their pack had turned him to. The Dark Blood Pack. The most bloodthirsty wolf pack in the world. It's men, so hefty and strong looking that one would think they were made of iron. With its big-boned savage women and the weird green-inked symbols tattooed on their bodies.

A pack that was even capable of eating its children in times of hunger. As cruel as its rules were, it was one particular rule that Ivora hated the most. On the first day of winter every five years, the mated men would exchange their mates with each other, such that everyone had a different woman to warm their beds on those nights.

Her mother, Luny, unlike every other woman in the pack, was a human. A soft, exquisite woman she was. On one such winter night, her mother was to be exchanged to the Alpha of the pack, Malavan, her father's brother. Ander, her father knew that nothing romantic happened on those nights. It was raw, savage sex. Her mother's human body would never have been able to endure it. Worse, she was pregnant with Ivora. Ander had to refuse for he feared for his yet-to-be-born child and his weak human mate.

The alpha was furious. No one had ever refused him before. He ordered for her mother to be killed and her father, to be locked in a special cell for traitors and to be fed poison every day for six years. Luckily, her mother was able to get Malavan to let her deliver the unborn child before she was killed.

Ivora was nursed by her mother's maid, the woman who helped deliver her. But she too died when Ivora was six.

Ivora saw her father for the first time that same year. Her father's health had been deteriorating since then. it hadn't been easy for them to feed as they had been treated as outcasts and though her father was a werewolf, he couldn't shift to his wolf form since then. They went into hiding to prevent the pack members from finding and killing them.

A sharp knock on the door pulled Ivora from her thoughts. She whipped her head to her father and made to get up.

"Sit. I'll go." Her father said.

"Okay, father." She nodded.

When Ivora sat for a while and her father did not return, her eyes shot to the door. She grabbed her dagger, put on her cloak and went outside.

"Leave my daughter alone."

Ivora heard her father saying and her heart jumped into her throat and she picked up her speed.

Nothing could have prepared Ivora for what she saw. Her father kneeling on the ground, blood dripping from his head. Another man, tall, huge and bald stood sneering down at him. A Dark Blood Pack member.

"Please. Leave my daughter alone. I promise... I promise.. she won't steal from you again." Her father said, his voice shaky.

" Father!" Ivora screamed, making her way over there. The man turned to see Ivora then. With grim eyes and a crooked nose, Ivora recognized him as the man she stole from.

"Go back Vora, I'll be okay." Her father said looking at her gently.

"I would not go anywhere, father." Said Ivora, her pale blue eyes spitting fire.

" Great. Watch this then." He brought his claws to her father's chest, ripping out his heart and leaving a bloody, gaping hole in its place. It all happened in a second. Before Ivora could process what happened, her father's body fell on the snow with a weak thud, his streaming blood painting it red.

A gut-wrenching scream tore out of Ivora's mouth.

"Bastard!" She lunged herself at the man. She thrust forward, aiming her dagger at his chest. He twisted his body out of the way as the blade missed, piercing his stomach instead.

"You filthy whore!" He roared, hoisting her up with her neck and smashing into a large tree. He pinned her to the cold snow, his weight almost choking her.

"I'll make you pay." He spat.

Reaching in for the knife tucked safely in her waistband, she plunged it violently into his chest. He made a choking sound as he collapsed over her. Ivora struggled, pulling herself from under him as she plunged the knife into his body again and again, roaring madly each time.

"You hurt my father!"

He lay limp on the floor but Ivora did not stop. Werewolves couldn't die by a mere stab in the chest. She picked up her dagger, hacking his head from his neck, she watched as his ugly head rolled on the snow before she fell, panting. Her blonde hair, wet and darkened with sweat, fell over her eyes.

****

Ivora jerked up with a start when she remembered her father. She stood up and went over to her father. Her legs stopped just a few inches from him as it refused to go farther. Ivora felt something shift in her chest as she looked at her father, eyes glazed, body almost frozen in the snow. She let out a breath as her eyes raked over her father's face again.

The same face that would always form into a smile as its croaky voice called her name _My Vora_ and pulled her into a hug. That would develop more worry lines if she got hurt each time she went out to steal. The same face... The same person lay down on the reddened snow, face frozen.

A violent sob tore out of Ivora's lips as she fell onto the snow, holding her father's face in her hands.

"Father." She whispered.

"I'm okay. I.. I killed the bastard, he's lying there on the snow, just like you. Are.. are you happy now?" She waited but of course, the reply did not come, she would no longer hear her father's croaky voice again. Ivora broke down once more as she closed her father's eyes, letting her tears drop freely.

****

Ivora stood up moments later and looked at her father. She knew had to bury her father as soon as possible. Getting up, she broke one of the tree branches and quickly shaped it into a shovel using her knife. She checked the ground looking for a softer part that would be easier for her to dig.

When Ivora stopped digging, she didn't know how much time had passed but the moon was out again. She carried her father's body as she gently lowered him to the ground. Tracing his face one more time, she covered his body slowly. Ivora half expected that she wouldn't be able to stop crying for days but as she finished burying his body, the tears refused to come down. She was numb.

Sucking in her lips that had been purpled in the cold, she stood up and grabbed her cloak and dagger. Ivora walked towards her house, she moved a few steps and stopped walking to look back at her father's blood.

"Red Circle Pack. I will get revenge." She whispered, her eyes growing cold.

She ran to her house, grabbed some things she needed, put them in her bag and turned to leave, never turning back to the house again.

CHAPTER 2

Reese walked along the snow, his boots occasionally crunching some fallen branches.

His friend Mander, a tall, muscular man with black hair pulled up in a ponytail trailed behind him.

"Beautiful weather isn't it?" Reese asked his friend.

"I'm afraid I don't see anything beautiful here. Although if we somehow find a catch I'd readily agree." His friend replied.

" Oh come on. Don't be a grump." Reese smiled, his black eyes twinkling mischievously.

"Hold on. I think I heard something. Ha! I told you we'll find something. After all, I've got killer instincts." Reese said to Mander who rolled his eyes secretly.

They heard a slight rustle again and they hurried to the sound. Passing a flurry of trees, they could distinctly make out someone sitting in front of a large bonfire. Though it was night, werewolves could see regardless of whether there was light or not.

They got closer and the person froze, turning around abruptly to look at them, the thing in his hands falling softly on the snow. The person was wrapped in many layers and it was hard to make out whether it was a boy or a girl but they could see his blazing blue eyes.

"What are you two doing here?" The voice was clear and sharp, it was impossible to make out if it was a boy or a girl who had spoken.

"Well, well, what do we have here? A little kid, all alone in the woods. Don't you have a house to go to?" Reese drawled, his eyes scanning the boy from head to toe. Mander kept quiet, also staring at the person.

"I'm not a kid!' The person growled.

"Enough!" Mander said, taking a large step towards the person.

"Mander," Reese called, calling him back with a raised hand.

"We don't wanna scare the little boy, do we? Let's join him around the fire, I'm feeling a little cold." He said, taking lazy steps to join the boy around the fire. Mander let out a scoff, since when did werewolves get that easily cold? Reese was playing the kid.

Reese walked, stopping at the thing that fell earlier. He bent to pick it up and saw that it was a deer.

"Here, Cook this, let us eat. I'm sure you'll be kind enough to let us share your meal with you, won't you? " He said, looking at the boy.

" This deer is supposed to last me a week. Sorry, I won't be sharing any of it. " The boy said, looking at him with a gaze that said, I won't back down. Reese already found the kid interesting. For a kid who was all alone in front of two big men, he sure had guts.

" Don't worry, Mander here is very good at hunting, aren't you, Mander? "

" Actually, no. I'm not the one with killer instincts. " Mander gloated, remembering the time earlier when Reese claimed he had killer instincts.

" He can get you another deer. " He continued as though he didn't hear what Mander said.

"Fine." The kid grumbled, albeit still looking skeptical.

"Great."

They sat down, watching as the boy picked up the deer, still looking at them warily.

***********

Reese watched with keen interest as the young boy cut open the deer with precision. His arms worked fluidly as he separated the innards from the edible meat. He watched as the boy brought out his spices from the little bag lying on his side.

The boy got up and made to leave when he stopped and looked back.

"Wait here for me." The boy said, turning to leave again.

"Where are you going to?" Reese asked.

"Just over there, I have to bury the innards and the blood to avoid attracting beasts."

" Clever. Let Mander help you bury it. " The boy merely looked at Mander and returned to the fire.

"No thank you"

"The both of you are sharing my food with me, it's only fair that you contribute something."

"Makes sense."

He went back to dressing and seasoning the meat. The kid pulled out a short, thin, blackened stick with two sharp edges. He arranged the meat and held it over the fire as it began to cook. Soon, a sweet, delicious aroma spread around the place.

"Help yourselves." The boy said, cutting a large part of the meat for himself.

Reese brought out his knife and cut out his share. He looked down at the meat, its juices dripping down his hands. He brought it to his mouth and took a bite of the tender meat. The flavor exploded in his mouth and he closed his eyes to savour it. By his side, Mander was noisily chewing on his meat.

"Where did you learn this from?" He said to the boy who sat, eating in silence as he stared at the flames.

"Self-taught." He replied curtly without raising his head.

Wandering away, Ivora decided that a male disguise would be a perfect cover for her. As she was never allowed to stay in her pack, she didn't know what position the man she had killed had in the pack. But if the man she killed was someone of importance, she would be in deep trouble if it was found she was the one who killed him.

The night was getting colder and her stomach had begun to rumble. She moved over to a darker place and wore another piece of cloth over the one over her body. She hurriedly wrapped her body in layers, her head whipping in all directions to see if she was being watched.

She drew out a little comb from her back and tied her hair into a man bun with a black piece of cloth. Next, she drew her eyebrows to make them thicker, like a male's. She put on the hood and brought out a small piece of mirror, Ivora looked at herself with satisfaction as a young boy stared back at her. Ivora had learned the art of cross-dressing from Anna, her mother's maid, an old woman who had brought her up.

Ivora walked for a while when she heard some rustling, holding her breath, she gripped her dagger tightly. The cause of the rustling came out and she breathed out in relief. It was only a deer.

After some minutes of struggling, Ivora managed to kill the deer. She kept it down by her side on the floor as she made to start a fire.

She had just finished making the fire when she heard footsteps. Again. Unmistakably this time, she was sure it was a human's footsteps she heard. She froze and whipped her body around, looking at the unwelcome visitors.

"What are you two doing here? She asked, unnerved by the men who appeared out of nowhere.

"Well, well, what do we have here? A little kid, all alone in the woods. Don't you have a house to go to? " One of them said, sounding incredibly lazy. He had a head full of thick, golden brown hair. The man, with his chiseled face, the color of olive, had the darkest eyes she had ever seen. His eyes. They were pure black and though he was smiling widely, none of it reached his eyes. It was unwise to trust these kind of people.

She looked at the other one, his straight black hair, and neat trimmed beard. His light brown eyes stared at her with impatience.

"I am not a kid." She looked at them, irritated.

" Enough!" The impatient one snapped.

"Mander. We don't wanna scare the little boy, do we? Let's join him around the fire. I am feeling a little cold. " Ivora looked at the thick black cloak, the black trousers, down to the shiny boots he wore and thought he was ridiculous to think she would believe he was cold. She heard the other one scoff like there was nothing funny happening.

He walked over to the deer she dropped earlier and picked it up.

"Here. Cook this, let us eat. I'm sure you'll be kind enough to let us share a meal with you right? "

" This deer is supposed to last me a week. Sorry, I won't be sharing any of it. " She replied. She'd never seen anyone as bossy as he was.

"Don't worry, Mander here is very good at hunting. Aren't you Mander? He can get you a deer."

" Fine. "

" Great. " The golden-haired man said.

They ate in silence for a while as Ivora sneaked glances at them from time to time. She looked at the golden-haired one and thought it was ridiculously unfair how clean he looked eating something so messy.

She stared at the flames as she remembered how her father would eat the food she cooked with relief when she was younger. He would lick his hands clean each time he finished and smile at her. But then again, they didn't always have enough food to eat.

Her father. Ivora felt her throat grow tight.

"Where did you learn this from?" Again it was the golden-haired one who spoke. It seemed the one with a ponytail didn't speak much.

"Self-taught," Ivora replied, wondering why he was asking.

"The food is delicious by the way."

Ivora hummed in reply, wondering what he was driving at. Since no one spoke again, she went back to staring at the fire.

"What is your name?" Reese asked after a few moments of silence and Ivora turned her head to look at him with a start. She hadn't thought about any male name that would suit her. Most times she went out disguised as a male, she never really talked to anyone, so no one had ever asked for her name.

"Call me Snow." She said after thinking for a while.

The breeze began to blow and Ivora felt herself shiver despite the cloths wrapped around her and the fire sitting in front of her. It was clear that she would need to find shelter before it began to snow again.

"I need to go now, the snow would start soon and I'd be damned if I stay here any longer. " Ivora told them as she picked up her bag and made to leave.

" Wait. We owe you a deer, remember? "

" Oh, good, we'd be on our way too."

They said at the same time. Ivora threw a glare at the black-haired one called Mander and turned to the golden-haired one.

"Thank you for remembering your promise. Like you said, I was only helping two hungry mouths. Getting food shouldn't be too hard. I can do fine on my own." Ivora said.

**********

Reese looked amused at the thought that the young boy saw them as 'two hungry mouths'. The boy turned to leave again when he stopped him.

"How should we repay you then? We never like to owe anybody. After all, I am very kind." Reese said, his lips, curved into a lopsided smile. Mander gave an obvious scoff at what Reese said. If there was anything, he knew all too well that kindness definitely couldn't apply to Reese.

"Repay me by leaving me alone." The boy snapped.

" Okay then." He turned to Mander who seemed too happy to leave.

" Wait!... I know just how you should repay me." The young boy shouted when they had gone a little far.

Reese turned and waited as he ran to them. He watched him swallow before he spoke.

" Take me to Alpha Reese Falcon of the Grim Fiend Pack."

Mander took a protective stand in front of Reese, moving a little further so he could tower over the boy.

Reese merely raised his eyebrows.

"And why, if I may ask, are you looking for him?"

"There's something I want to tell him."

"What do you want to tell him?" Reese asked. The boy kept quiet looking at him.

" We won't take you if you don't tell us." Mander said, frowning heavily.

"I have information on how to destroy the Black Blood Pack."

Reese looked at the boy before him. He wasn't sure if he was telling the truth or bluffing. He would know sooner or later anyway.

"Seems we're fated after all," Reese said.

" I am Alpha Reese Falcon and this here is my Beta Mander Bhathom.

Reese said as he watched the boy's eyes widen in what he felt was fear.

"You will have to come with us so I can properly keep an eye on you if what you said was true then you'll be rewarded and if it isn't...." Reese purposely left that part out.

CHAPTER 3

"I am Alpha Reese Falcon and this here is my beta Mander Bhathom."

Ivora drew in a sharp breath as her eyes widened involuntarily at the revelation. She had heard tales. Tales of the oh-so-cruel Alpha who killed his own Father at the age of 16 just to become the Alpha. She had heard of his impatient Beta who had been with him since he was a kid.

It was only now that she knew who he was that she suddenly felt the cold aura surrounding him.

How she didn't figure out was a surprise to her. After all, who else put on masks? Ivora felt she was extremely stupid.

But then again, it was completely hard to link this man who had been warm to her with the infamous Alpha Reese.

"You will have to come with us so I can properly keep an eye on you. If what you said was true then you would receive a reward and if it isn't... " The man whom she had come to know as Alpha Reese said.

Ivora stared at his black eyes and felt her heart skip a beat. It had been easier when all she had to do was disguise herself, find the Alpha of the Grim Fiend Pack make a deal with him but now that she met him, it didn't seem so easy anymore.

EARIENWERE

Unlike every other pack domain Ivora knew, the Grim Fiend pack domain was situated in front of a humongous mountain. The tips of the mountain stretched far into the clouds that one couldn't even know where it ended.

As if by its name, the place had a cold feel to it. The thick, grey, heavy clouds that hung over them provided the place with a somber feeling. In front and sides of the domain, there were trees surrounding it. Peculiar trees that Ivora could only describe as weird. The brownish-grey trunks had sharp, thorn-like things attached to them. Only they were longer and much bigger.

Ivora thought that was weird but it was the branches that were twisted into each other as if they were born of the same roots that left her in awe.

"What are these trees?" Ivora asked, still in awe.

"Trees," Mander replied.

"I know what trees are!"

"The trees have been here since the history of Earienwere. No one knows what they are. Perhaps they are just... Trees."

It was Alpha Reese who spoke this time. No wonder nobody outside Earienwere knew where the Grim Fiend pack lived. With the trees surrounding it, finding it seemed almost impossible.

Ivora shivered as they left the trees behind. The snow had started to fall a while back.

She tried hard to follow the figures of the two men in front of her but it was proving difficult as her vision had started to become hazy.

"You're even slower than a snail." Mander's annoying voice rang out.

"You should carry him then." Reese pointed.

"WHAT!" They said in unison.

"In your wolf form. I have some business to take care of." Alpha Reese said.

*************

Ivora stepped into the dark room Mander had led her in. The room was faintly lit but she didn't have the strength to look around the room. She moved to the bed still in a haze.

As Ivora drifted off to sleep that night, all she could think of was the warmth of the room and the plush softness of the bed.

Ivora woke up with a soft hum in her head. She didn't ever remember sleeping this peacefully. She opened her eyes as she let herself take in the room. The beds were Hoge and plush grey colored the silver curtains parted just a little to let a little light come in. She looked at the floors as she stepped down, they were made of a granite-like substance. They were like dark-colored silver substances mixed with black and ny white dots decorated them.

A table lay at the far side of the bed. It was so much better than the one she and her father had back at home. Ivora sighed, she would have given anything for her father to be here with her. But maybe it was all for the better. Though she didn't look like it, she was a prisoner here till they made out whether she was lying or not.

She walked around the room and saw two huge walls that looked like closets. Moving towards it, she felt the closet and chose to open the first one. Inside it were different kinds of clothes, ranging from black to grey to purple to white and red. It seemed dark colors were mostly worn by her.

Ivora went closer to look at the clothes and chuckled when she saw they were male clothing. So they still thought she was a boy, great. She moved back to the bed, deciding to open the second one later when she spotted someone at the far end of the bed.

A girl in a plain blue gown and her hair held up in ringlets was staring back at her with a huge smile. "What are you doing here?" Ivora asked with a raise of her brow.

" Good morning. Mister Snow. I'm glad you liked your room. I was sent here to help you bathe and prepare for the day. "

" Bath? "Ivora asked perturbed.

" Yes. I have prepared the water and the soap. Now if you'd just let me undress you and take you to the bathroom." The girl said moving fast towards her.

Ivora was flabbergasted.

"Why would you want to bathe me?" She asked stepping back.

"It is what we do, my work is to tend to the baths of people here, but you can refuse if you want to though. You were given that privilege." She said. Ivora watched her running mouth, stunned. She had never seen anyone talk that fast.

"Great then. I would be taking care of my bath by myself thank you very much." Ivora said relieved. The girl just laughed, giving her a slug-understanding look. It seemed she thought she was a shy gentle man.

"In that case, I'll be showing you the bathroom." She said, passing Ivora to the door Ivora planned to open after she rested. She opened the closet-like thing and pushed it open, stepping inside, she asked Ivora to come after her.

"This is where you take your bath, there is everything you need here. I'd be just outside your room in the corridors. Shout my name if you need me" she said as Ivora looked at the beautiful white walls of the bathroom. The bathroom was so big that her whole house could fit inside.

"I will call you if I need you," Ivora said. Looking all too pleased to let her go. She stepped inside the bathroom and looked into the pool-like bath. The tile of the floor was pure white which contrasted with the purple-grey tile of the pool. Inside of it were steps that you could climb when you got In. Ivora peeled off her clothes, one by one, letting it fall to the floor. She stepped into the water with a shuddering breath. The water was warm. Ivora swarms inside for a while letting her thoughts relax. When she was done, she stepped out, spotting neat, folded clothes on the floor beside the tub she picked it up to clean her body.

She moved to the small mirror hung on the wall that she hadn't spotted earlier and looked at her face. Her face was wiped clean and her hair which she shampooed was cleaner than it had ever been. Picking up the towel the young girl gave her, she brought it up to her face to disguise herself again. When she was sure she didn't look like a 20-year-old girl anymore but a young boy of about 16, she cleaned her teeth and left the mirror.

She went to the other closet and picked up the clothes she wanted to wear then she put her hair in a man bun, put on a cloak and let the hood fall over her face to her brows.

When she finally stepped out of the room, the young girl was no longer there.