Their Human Mate

Do you want to hear a story about a queen who instantly found true love and lived happily ever after? Well, tough shit. This isn't that type of story. This is my story. My life, and how it all got turned upside down before I could come to know what love really was, but before I can get to the juicy parts of my life, I need to start at the beginning. I need you to really understand just how fucked up my life really was before I met.....them!

"The true stars of the show", one of them yelled from one of the rooms. I paused the video I was recording.

" Shut up, I'm recording" I yelled back, to which two pairs of laughs followed. Rolling my eyes, I continued.

Let me take you back to the beginning......................

Ember

I'm in bed and it's dark. Two pairs of hands are roaming all over me. I couldn't see who they were, but I didn't want them to stop. This was new for me. I usually can't stand anyone to touch me lately, even my own boyfriend. I could tell that neither of them was him either, but I didn't want their hands to move away. "Dear God , don't stop", I moaned slightly, feeling their hands across my neck, my chest, my back. One male was behind me, another in front of me as I sat on my knees. The one behind me was teasing me, breathing small blows on the right side of my neck. The one in front of me had his nose on the nape of my left shoulder blade. It was almost as if he was sniffing me as he trailed his nose to the left side of my neck. I stood completely still until he licked my sweet spot that sent a wave of tingles down my spine. I couldn't help the moan that followed after it and I heard them both grunt in unison at their satisfaction at hearing it. " Your ours", the one in front whispered in my ear before tugging on my earlobe gently with his teeth. The one behind me gripped my throat, but not in a way that made it uncomfortable. It was a demanding yet comforting way. He whispered in my ear, " Tell us what you want, Red", but before I could reply, I woke up to the sound of my stupid alarm going off.

"Fuck Me", I said out loud. That was the first time I had ever had a dream like that and I was wet from it.

"Language", I heard my mom call out from the room. I giggled and hopped out of bed, getting ready to start my day, cleaning the dream out of my head. It is a rainy day here in Tallahassee, Florida. It was definitely a nice change of pace since it's usually in the mid 90s all the time. I came out of the bathroom and looked at the clock. It was 7.30. I had to be at work by 10am. After I finished getting dressed, I helped my mom out of bed, washed her, and changed her into her daily clothes. I knew it always annoyed her, since there was a nurse from the family of the job I worked for that came by every morning at 9am to do this for her, but I wanted to. Sometimes , it felt like this was the only thing I could really do for her.

Four years ago, on a rainy day, my parents were on the way to see me graduate high school. They were about to take a left turn at a green light when an oncoming truck didn't stop at the red light and rammed into their car. Dad lost control of the vehicle and it flipped over a few times. Dad had a heavy impact and was killed on the spot due to his injuries and a heart attack. Mom survived, but had damage to her head, legs, and spine. She lost both of her legs to an infection that grew from her injuries. The truck driver didn't even get arrested as he drove away from the scene, and the stupid fucking cops had no idea how to trace him, even though there was surveillance that got the whole accident on video from a cafe across the street.

Ever since then, I have been taking care of mom. We didn't always have the best relationship. I didn't really have the best relationship with dad either. I grew up in their home having trouble in school sometimes. My classmates would always tease me about my red hair, or my curvy body. I developed faster than all of the other girls, who were slim and beautiful. Almost model like. I got my looks from my mother, having double d breasts, wide hips, and a small waist with a bit of belly. It was always an issue with the other girls, because boys would hit on me non stop, and it would make the girls jealous. Jealous enough that they would pull my hair, say smart ass remarks to me, and bump into me. My first reaction would always be to punch them in the face and mess up their pretty features. You would think they would have learned the first time it happened, but nope. My parents were called each time I fought and they were always disappointed in me.

Dad never hesitated to tell me how much of a fuck up I was to him, and that I was always ruining the family name. Mom didn't say much, but her silence sometimes hurt even worse than dad's words. I was put out of the house by 16, and after being on my own for a few weeks, realizing I had no where to go, I swallowed my pride and begged them to let me back in. They agreed, on the condition that I attended anger management until I graduated high school. My reward if I met their conditions was them paying for me to go to culinary school, since my passion was always to be a professional chef.

That dream almost died the day dad did, but mom told me he had already paid for a full 2 years at the Tallahassee Culinary School of Arts. I would be responsible for covering the remaining two years. I was in tears at the news and I made sure every year at school to excel in all things chef as well as my other studies. My two years were up last year, and I spent the summer looking for a job. Dad's life insurance policy was running out , and mom and I both knew that soon, the bills would start to pile up. I found a job at a local restaurant as a waitress. The job was easy enough, but the tips were absolutely trash. I had wanted to be a cook, since they were paid more, but my manager at the time was a scum bag, and wouldn't let me move up in the company. My aunt from my dad's side of the family, Rosalee, would take care of my mom for me while I worked double shifts. If it was not for working doubleshifts and saving money, I might not have met him. Ryder Woodcrest. My current boyfriend.

When I met Ryder at the time, he came in for some food and was going over his phone. I admitted to myself, he was kind of cute, with his dark skin, brown eyes, and black locks with gold on the tips. It was in a man bun. He paid me no mind as he ordered a BLT on wheat toast, and I brought the food to him. The cook had undercooked his bacon, and he was quick to notice. He looked up at me and I could just tell he was going to curse me out, but the look on his face somehow came close to shock. He grabbed me by my arm and pulled me out of the store, pushing me against the wall before I could realize what was happening.

" What the fuck?", I said, pushing him off of me. I was prepared to fight for my life. I knew the staff at the shop would not help me if I was assaulted out here. They were sick fucks and would probably watch and laugh.

" My name is Ryder. You don't you know me?", he asked me. He didn't come forward again. To be completely honest, now that I was really looking at him, there was a sense of familiarity, but I was certain I had never seen him before.

" No , I don't , and I don't take kindly to being shoved against my will on a wall outside my job", I told him. It was at that moment my boss came out.

" Ember, I'm not paying you to fucking entertain your company. Get your ass back to work'' He grunted at me before going back inside. I looked at Ryder, whose brown eyes almost seemed black and he was making a sound I could not even begin to understand. I was uncomfortable already enough.

"If we are done here, I'm going back inside to work, and you can just leave", I said to him, before turning around and going back inside. Thankfully , he didn't follow me. He stood outside the cafe, watching me work. I put one of the knives inside my apron, just in case. He seemed to take a phone call and with one last glance at me, he left.

"Fucking Creep" , I thought to myself.

It was almost two hours later when my shift was done. I had gone around to take out the trash for the night before heading home, and I saw the boss was still here. Which was weird, because he never stayed until closing time. I heard voices coming out the back, and I sat the bags down and stayed hidden behind some trash bins. The man from earlier, Ryder, was with two other men, and they were all beating up my boss.

" How dare...you fucking....talk to her....like that....piece of shit" , Ryder had said.

" Im sorry, Im sorry', the man was whimpering. One of the men with Ryder bent down. I heard a crack and my boss yelled loudly. I gasped. They were going to kill him at this rate. I couldn't intervene. This was Tallahasse. For all I knew, my boss probably owed Ryder money or something. Ryder seemed to sniff the air and then look right in my direction. His men did the same.

" You mind as well come out, love. We all know you are there", he said. How did he know? I was well hidden. Not enough, I suppose. Swallowing my spit, I stood up, and put my hand in my apron. If any of them tried to attack me, I would not have gone down without stabbing someone in the eye first.

" I'm sorry", I said. " I was just leaving actually. I promise, I won't tell anyone.", I swore. I knew I must have sounded stupid. They probably heard that all the time. Ryder just laughed, like it was the funniest thing in the world.

" Now Ember. It is Ember, isn't it? I think you and I both know I can't just let you leave. You are an accessory to murder after all" he said, folding his arms.

" Murder. He isn't dead" I said. It was in the blink of an eye when Ryder somehow uncrossed his arms. I heard a loud " POP" sound, and flinched, closing my eyes. When I opened them, Ryder had a gun in his hand, and there was a hole right in the middle of my boss's head. He was dead now.

" Now, I do believe he is dead. tsk. tsk. tsk. Now what to do about you" he said, holding the gun at me. I hadn't planned on dying tonight, but it was about to happen. I didn't even get a chance to tell mom how much I loved her. Never got to finish school to make dad happy. I suppose I was about to meet dad now. I was a loose end that needed to be cleaned up after watching him murder someone. What I never suspected, was for him to lower the gun.

" Take her" , he said, and before I could react, someone came up from behind me and hit me on the head.

Ember

I woke up in my bed and in my nightgown. I was wondering if it was all a dream, but a "good morning, love" from behind me on my bed made me jump out of bed fast and turn around. There was Ryder, just sitting on my bed like it was the easiest thing for him. I was about to make a break to get to my mom's room but he was fast, and was blocking the door before I could get to it.

" Now why would you go and wake up that beautiful lady?" , he asked. He held a finger to his mouth in a hushed manner, and cracked open the door to mom's room. She was indeed sleeping, and there was a woman inside of there with a white doctor's robe on. She smiled and nodded one to me, before attending to my mother.

Ryder pulled me back into my room.

" What do you want with me?". "Who is that woman in my mother's room?". " How the hell do you even know where I live?". I asked. The questions seemed to tumble out at once. I had backed into one corner of my room and he leaned against my dresser. He was wearing a black shirt, with some denim jeans, with black and red Jordans.

" I have a proposition for you. As for the woman, she is a personal doctor of mine, and is now charged with overseeing your mother's condition, per my instructions. As for where you live, I'm a pretty powerful man. Finding you was easier than finding my lost watch. You should make your tracks more easily covered. You never know what could be hunting you", he said with a smirk. It didn't escape my notice that he said 'what', rather than who' and it sent a chill down my spine.

" Give me one good reason I shouldn't report you to the police" I told him. " Breaking and entering is a crime", I told him and he laughed a bit loud at that before pulling out his gun and setting it on the table. The fear of dying came back, so I decided to tread carefully. He saw the fear in my eyes. It was a threat.

" All of the cops here and under my payroll. None of them would listen to you, though they would probably believe you", he said.

" So what, your some mafia crime boss or something" , I asked.

" Something like that", he said.

" That still does not answer my question. What do you WANT with me?,' I asked him, eyeing his gun, then back to him. If he wanted to kill me, he would have shot me last night. With that thought, I moved from my corner and crossed my arms, leaning on the wall. He followed my every motion.

" Ember Maze. 20 years old. Dead father. Parapalegic mother. Going to culinary school to train to be a top chef, which was paid for two years by daddy's money before he died. I imagine that's why you were working at that cafe. To save money? Daddy only paid for two years and you've been paying the bills with his life insurance money. School starts next month for you, and you barely have just enough for a semester. Tell me if I am missing anything" he said. I stayed silent. Just who the hell is this guy? He smiled.

" My proposition to you is simple. You saw me commit murder last night, and I need you silent, which means, I need you in my sight 24/7. I'm offering you the chance to pay for the remainder two years of your school and take care of your mother, as long as you play by my rules." , he said, uncrossing his arms. The wheels were turning in my head. He couldn't be serious.

" And what on earth would I have to do in return," I asked him. I was no whore.

" Simple. You will come, every morning, to my mansion at 10am, and train my chefs. This surprised me as I was not expecting that.

" You want me to..... teach your chef's how to cook? " , I asked him slowly. Just to make sure I heard it right.

" That's correct. The chef's there. You could say they are apart of my extended family, so I don't want them fired. I want them trained, and after they are trained, I want you to lead them as part of your job. You will be paid, handsomely, of course. Money is no object to me," he said.

" You haven't even tasted my cooking. How do you even know if I am the chef you are looking for?" , I asked. He looked serious.

" Because if you aren't, then I will have to finish the job I started last night, he said , motioning his head to the gun.

" So work for you and get my shit paid, or die. Those are my choices?", I asked. He nodded to me. Even with all of this bizarreness, I was putting together pieces in my head. This could be the best thing for me. I could have school paid for, my mother taken care of, and make more money in the process of doing what I love. He was offering me a golden ticket.

" How do I know this is forreal, and not some sick game you've concocted to torture then kill me?" I asked him.

" Call your school. Ask about your balance", he said , tossing me my phone. Not taking my eyes off him, I called my school and they told me the remainder of two years had been paid in full earlier this morning. Well shit. He put his gun back into his belt and walked to me. His presence close to me as I looked in his brown eyes was not threatening, but I still knew he was a dangerous man. He brushed a piece of my hair off of my face.

" Believe me when I say, I don't want to hurt you Ember. Work for me. I'm offering you a chance to make your life better than before. If you don't do it for me, then do it for your mother", he said sweetly, before tucking my hair behind my ear. I stood frozen, unmoving. Not sure what to do. He grinned then walked to the door, before turning around.

" I'd hate to see anything happen to her. I'm sure you will make the best decision." he said menacingly , before leaving completely. I let go the breath of air I hadn't realized I was holding. Did that really just fucking happen? I received a text on my phone from Ryder. The fucker put his name on my phone.

Come tomorrow to 113 Brownsville road for your new job. Be here by 9.45. Don't be late, love.

Ryder.

I went to my mother's room. She was just waking up and was looking confused at the woman in there.

" Who the hell are you?" , she asked the lady.

" My name is Doctor Charli Hanes, but you may call me Charli ma'am" she said, looking at the tubes connected to my mother. I spoke before my mother had a fit.

" Mom, I got a new job as a cook for a job I applied for a few weeks ago. I didn't want to tell you if I didn't get it. Apart from the new job comes with the last two years of school being paid off , as well as your fees. They are paying me to teach their cooks how to better manage the kitchen, and then I will be leading them", I told her, coming to sit beside her. She was shocked.

" Are you serious, Ember? Oh my God, that is amazing,' she said , almost in tears. She hugged me tight. I did my best to put on my bravest face as I felt like I could break down at any moment.

" Oh, your father would be so proud of you. I know I am. You're destined for great things , my little fire Ember. I just know it." she said. A clip on the TV came from the news about a wolf being spotted and breaking into people's homes. I kissed her head and went back to my room, shutting the door. I allowed myself to finally process everything and somehow I just ended up in tears. Charli knocked on my door a little later, letting me know she was heading out to go home.

" I will be here every day at 9am, so you just focus on yourself and your job. She will be well taken care of Ember" she said behind the door. I heard her leave. This was the start of everything, and if I had known what was coming soon, it probably would have been mercy to have him just kill me on the spot.

Ember

I keep thinking back to that day. One year ago, today, the events with Ryder that changed my life happened. Ryder kept all of his promises. Charli came by faithfully every day to monitor my mother. They had gotten really close over the last year and I was glad my mother had someone she could bond with. Her relationship with Rosalee was strained already. As commanded, I trained his staff and now I was leading them. I got to know more about Ryder as time went on. His family controlled every part of northern Florida, and their main location was in Tallahassee. He told me that he was raised to lead his family in this lifestyle, and that he had no choice. I almost felt sorry for him. Ryder lived in a huge mansion. It was a beautiful, all-white, three-story mansion trimmed with blue. There were apartments nearby, where he said some of his extended family lived. At least the ones who didn't want to live in the mansion. When I had first arrived, everyone looked at me as if they had seen a ghost, and then all eyes turned to Ryder at once, who was glancing silently at all of them. It was almost some sort of a warning, but after that, things went to normal. Ryder explained that Florida was split between two families. His, and a rival family. He said that their grandfather had a treaty that they still go by to this day. Ryder and his family control the northern region of Florida. The rival family controls the southern half. As long as neither of them step foot in the other region, there is no cause for war amongst families, but Ryder believes they have spies in his territory. He just has yet to prove it.

My coworkers are super nice to me, minus this one woman named Rhea, but I was told it was because Rhea was in love with Ryder, who did not return her affection. She was jealous, because I was the only one there who Ryder showed even more than a minute of attention to and had even tried to sabotage my first day by putting children's glue in my flour, and baking soda in the sugar. Luckily, thanks to my training at the Tallahassee school of arts, I was trained to recognize different smells, and my sense of smell was amazing. Best in my class. If I was to teach these chef's what I was learning in school as well, I needed no one to question my authority, so I spoke with Ryder asking advice on how to deal with Rhea. He said he would handle it. I took it that he would speak to her but I'm not sure what happened. Rhea went to work the next day, less bitter and more determined to learn. She almost looked scared. Knowing Ryder, who knows what he did to her to make her that way, I made sure to treat her with more kindness. She asked many questions along with the rest of my coworkers and I answered them. After a few months, their training was complete and now I lead them each morning with meal prep. I only stay for the breakfast portion, since school starts at 1pm every day, so I make sure the rest of the meals for the remainder of the day are properly prepped to be cooked later.

Ryder has one of his men, Lamonte, follow me to school each day. Lamonte sort of sits in the back and monitors me. Ryder says it is for my protection, since there are spies looking to threaten his organization daily. Even though I don't know anything, they would still torture me just for working for him. Given that he was the head crime boss, I believe him. I'e seen movies. Knew what happened. Hell, I have even seen Ryder kill a man just because he yelled at me. Who knew what he and other people like him were capable of?

Somehow, in this last year, against better judgment, I had somehow fallen for Ryder. You're probably thinking, What Ember? He is a fucking monster!! How could you? You're absolutely correct. He is horrible. Almost villain like, but there was the small part of me that was attracted to this darkness, and no matter how much I tried to fight it, I could not deny it. So, we started fucking, and he turned it into an actual relationship. He told me he hadn't dated anyone since his last girlfriend, Victoria, killed herself from depression. It was all he would say about it and looked sad when he spoke about her, so I never brought her up again. I had spent the night at his mansion one night, and we ended up in an argument over my last year of school. He suggested that he hire my professor to teach me here, and that I officially move in, since a few of his men were starting to go missing. He was already focused and the last thing he wanted was to be worried about me.

" I'm a grown woman, Ryder. I can handle myself. " I said to him, which made him angry.

" I don't give a fuck if you can handle yourself or not. You are staying here live and to be schooled," he said back angrily.

" So what Ryder, your just going to keep me fucking locked up here all the time? What about my mother?" I shouted at him.

" Obviously, I would get her here too. How fucking dumb can you be?" he said, which annoyed me.

" Dumb enough, I suppose, to see how paranoid and ridiculous this is. Are you even sure your men were trustworthy? What if they just left because they hated you, I said, attempting to make him see reason.

" Then that's even more reason to keep you here. What better way to reach me, than to hurt you?" he said to me.

" I carry a fucking gun everywhere I go, Ryder. Lamonte watches my every fucking step to and from school. " I said to him, almost yelling. He didn't take being yelled at too kindly and he did something he promised he would never do again. His eyes seemed to turn black again and he struck me across my face. It had only happened once, in the past, when he was angry with me, and after I turned away from him, he apologized and kissed my face as tears fell. This time, it caught me off guard, but I was prepared for it. I took my gun from its holster and aimed it at his head.

" Hit me again, I dare you", I said to him, gun on his head. Ryder had taught me how to shoot and I ended up being a pretty excellent shooter. He was not expecting me to pull a gun out on him. He was quick though. Quicker than I realized as he pulled the gun from out my hand. A shot went off, hitting the room door as I was being pushed to the opposite side of the room. He stripped the gun and tossed the pieces aside, before walking over to me and hovering over me. My head was bleeding from the impact I took, and I was feeling weak.

" Don't you ever pull a gun out at me, bitch", he said in the calmest yet dangerous tone, before standing up and leaving the room. Nurse Charli came in not long after and bandaged me up. She gave me some medicine and helped me to Ryder's bed. I don't know if it was the drugs she gave me, but I was hallucinating. I heard a howling sound before I drifted off to sleep.

" You rest now