Heartbroken by a Hunter

Mason Hart I stared into my cousin's soulless eyes and wondered how we'd gotten to this point. When I finally found my Fianna, I thought my life would be complete. Years of searching for her, I had built up a fantasy in my mind and this definitely wasn't it. I loved Freya more than words could describe, but nothing could've prepared me for the loss and heartbreak that she had brought along with her. I knew that it wasn't her fault, but I didn't understand how one sweet and perfect girl could have had so much tragedy and pain following her around.

My cousin was trying to fight his new natural instincts, that was screaming at him to rip me apart and bleed me dry. It made me wonder if my happiness was really all that worth it? All I ever wanted growing up was to find my Fianna, start a family, and live happily ever after. Cliché I know, but when I found Freya, she was beyond all that I'd hoped for.

A lot of hunters sadly got humans as their mates and then had to panic about leaving them if they ever had children. It was a very cruel fate to be given your soul mate, only to have to leave them one day. The archangels never planned to stay with their human mates. Their plan was to produce hunters and take the children with them. So, when hunters were given soulmates, the archangels didn’t care about their love of feelings. All that mattered was producing more hunter children.

I was one of the lucky ones and Freya was a hunter just like me. Our future together was going to be a long and happy one. Well, at least that's what I'd thought. Now I wasn’t so sure. Our faction had suffered so much since I brought her home. We had lost our Fionn, many hunters had lost their mates, friends and family and I couldn't let it go on! I needed to put the faction first. We couldn't lose any more people, just so that I could be happy. I had two choices, leave Freya and break both of our hearts, or leave the faction with her. If we went on the run, hopefully, the council would leave the faction alone and follow us instead. Although there was no guarantee of that outcome.

“You look troubled, dear cousin. How about I silence them thoughts for you!” Evan hissed at me, instantly snapping me out of my thoughts.

He lunged toward me with his arms stretched out, ready to grab me. I dodged to the side just in time and he fell onto the ground. He let out an agitated huff, then slammed his fists into the floor, before pushing himself up. I backed up against the wall, not really knowing what to do. I was chained up for Christ's sake. It wasn't a fair fight. The chains! I suddenly thought as an idea popped into my head. I grabbed the chains that were secured to my arms and as Evan lunged at me again, I managed to spin him around and wrapped the chains around his neck. His fingernails had extended into talons, and they easily sliced through my arms when he fought hard to try and free the chains from around his neck. A tear rolled down my cheek when I tightened the chains even more. His efforts became weaker, and as they did, I closed my eyes tight and prepared myself to say goodbye to my best friend. Tears now freely streamed down my face while I said to him softly, “Goodbye, Evan. I am so sorry.”

“No! Put him down,” A woman's voice screamed out at me.

Before I had a chance to open my eyes and see who it was, I felt a hand grab me around my throat, then effortlessly lift me up into the air. As I choked and gasped for air, I let go of the chains, instantly releasing Evan. I heard him hit the floor then cough as he tried to get his breath back. In one way I was glad I hadn't killed him, but in another way, I wasn't. He was now a monstrosity and a danger to all hunters.

“I would love nothing more than to choke the life out of you right now, but Freya would never forgive me. So, if I let you down, will you behave yourself?”

I nodded my head the best I could, then instantly plummeted to the floor. I sat there curled up for a bit, just coughing and choking, trying to catch my breath. Once I could breathe again, I looked up to see who had attacked me and saved Evan. The white-haired woman clutched Evan's face between her evil hands, and I was surprised to see that there was actual concern on her face. Selene had feelings for my cousin. It was hard to believe that the cold and demonic woman could even muster up normal feelings, but it was clear to see that she cared for Evan. He looked weak and held his head down low while she stroked his cheek with her thumb.

“He's not a monster, Mason. He is still your cousin, and he is still the amazing Evan that he was before,” she said in a low voice as she sat down in front of him.

She pulled him into her embrace, and I watched in disgust when she brought her wrist up to her mouth and then tore open her vein. Blood instantly began to run down her arm, and I turned my head away when she put her wrist to my cousin's lips. I could hear him moan weakly as he began to drink the crimson liquid.

“It's just the blood lust that's sending him crazy. He will be fine once he's fed. I promise you, you will have your cousin back,” she said sincerely.

I couldn't believe what she was saying though. How could I have my cousin back? That blood-sucking fiend could never be my cousin. I mean look at Kali. From what Damien and my father had told me, she never used to be so twisted and evil. They said once she was turned, that's when she changed into the monster she was today. How could Selene know that Evan wouldn't change into an evil and sadistic monster?

“There, my King. Is that better?” Selene asked Evan as he finished drinking her blood.

He sat back and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. Then to my shock, he hastily crawled away from Selene. While still on all fours, he threw up all over the floor, before completely freaking out.

“What did she do to me? That fucking bitch turned me! No, no, no! I can't be a vampire! Please, no.”

Selene crawled over to Evan and pulled him into her chest. He sobbed while she stroked his hair and tried her best to comfort him. I couldn't believe how different she was from the first time I'd seen her. She was loving and, dare I say it, 'normal.’ I decided to try and comfort my cousin, but as I moved forward, my chains clicked and pulled against my arms. Selene turned and looked at the chains that shackled me to the wall. She held one of her hands up and the chains began to shake and crack. With a loud pop, they shattered and fell to the floor. I glanced up at Selene and mouthed the words 'thank you' while I rubbed my wrists to try and soothe them.

“It will all be okay my King. Kali will pay for what she's done to you. I will make her pay for what she's done to all of you!” She said to him and embraced him tightly. She stood up and walked towards the door. I scrambled over to Evan and cautiously put my arms around him. He rapidly yanked me close and sobbed into my chest. Selene smiled softly at me then said, “Freya's on her way. I'll tell her to go and meet us at the safe house.”

Without giving me a chance to reply she vanished. Evan had begun to calm down by now, so I pulled away from him slightly. He lifted his head, and his eyes were bloodshot from all of the crying. The man looked completely broken beyond repair and my heart went out to him. I could see his eyes scanning around the room looking at all of our mutilated friends and family. As his head turned in the direction of his father, I promptly grabbed it and jerked it towards mine. I rested my forehead onto his, and said calmly, “Evan, you don't need to see that. Let's take you to the office while we wait for, Selene to get back.”

He shook his head against mine and simply uttered, “Stevie.”

I suddenly remembered that Kali had also killed Stevie and another hunter. She must have done that in the office. I sighed then asked, “Is the dining room okay?”

He nodded his head in reply. I helped him up and told him to keep his eyes closed while I guided him through the slaughterhouse that was our living room. I managed to get us to the dining room and encouraged Evan sit down on one of the chairs. I went over to the cupboard and got out two glasses and a bottle of whisky. I think we could do with this right now, I thought to myself.

***

Freya Rose I'd been flying for about an hour and Sam had been constantly blowing up my phone. I should have turned the damn thing off, but I didn't want to miss a call from Mason. My phone rang again so I slowed down and found a secluded place to descend. I took out my phone and looked at the display. My heart jumped for joy when I saw who it was. It wasn't Mason but it was the next best thing, it was Evan. I hit the answer button then said excitedly, “Hello, Evan?”

“Freya, where are you?” A woman's voice asked, dragging her words out in a creepy kinda way.

I frowned and stayed silent for a minute, trying to work out who it could be. I didn't recognize the voice at all, but she did sound a little like my aunt Hannah. Oh my God, “Kali?”

“The one and only! Well, I was, but it seems that you like to follow in your dear old aunt's footsteps, now, doesn't it!?” She said sarcastically.

“I am nothing like you Kali! From what I've heard, you're an evil and sadistic monster!” I spat back at her.

Knowing she was away from the cabin gave me some added confidence. I heard her burst into laughter on the other end of the phone and I rolled my eyes.

“That's what you've heard have you? How is my beloved, Samael? You screwed him yet?” She asked venomously.

She tried to sound like she didn't care, but I could hear the jealousy dripping off of her tongue like rattlesnake venom.

“What? Of course not! We're just friends,” I told her honestly, then continued when I heard her scoff. “Not that it's got anything to do with you who he sleeps with. And besides, I'm with, Mason, or did you forget?”

“You're right, Freya. It is none of my business, but to be honest, who could blame you if you did sleep with him? I mean just look at the damn guy, he's stunning! I couldn't blame him for wanting to sleep with you either, from the pictures I've seen on Evan's phone, you look exactly like me,” she said with a chuckle and a weird sense of pride.

“Look, Kali. As nice as this bonding moment is, I'm busy, so do you want to get to the point?” I snapped at her.

I needed to get flying again, or I wouldn't reach the cabin until dark. I knew pissing her off wasn't the greatest idea I'd had today, but I wasn't in the mood to play games, or to catch up with my crazy ass family members that were hunting me down.

“Ooo! Feisty, I like it. Okay, straight to the point it is. You need to give yourself up and come back to the council with me,” she said bluntly.

“Fat chance!” I scoffed down the phone.

I held the phone away from my ear when she screeched down it, I guess she didn't like my answer. I heard her scream a few curse words, then heard the van screech to a halt. There was a sound of a door opening, then another. I pressed my ear up to the phone to try and listen better, then snatched it away again when I heard a high-pitched yelp.

Mina immediately began howling inside my head, “Finnley!”

“Freya! Don't do what she wants. Run!” Finn screamed down the phone.

Mina whimpered when we heard him yelp as Kali hit him, then shouted, “Shut your mouth, you stupid mutt!” The line went quiet for a second then she spoke again, “sorry about that. Please ignore my pet, he doesn't yet know his place,” she said through gritted teeth then hit him again making him whimper. “But with a little time and re-training at the council, he'll be a perfect little puppy. Won't you? Yes, you will!” She said in baby talk. Mina and I listened while Kali spoke to Finnley. It turned my stomach when she said, “Who's a cute little puppy, huh? You're so scrumptious, I could just eat you all up, yes I could.”

I growled over the phone as my body began to shift. I couldn't keep Mina under control anymore, she wanted to protect her son and I couldn't blame her. I spoke to her softly in my head, “Mina, please, let me handle this. I promise that you will get your chance to rip her apart!”

She backed away with a huff and gave me back control.

“Your wolf getting all momma bear on ya, is she? That is adorable,” Kali mocked.

“Enough Kali! Let him go!” I snapped at her down the phone.

“Fat chance!”

Oh, for Christ's sake, what is wrong with this woman? She's a spoilt brat, that has the maturity of a three-year-old, I thought to myself while I rolled my eyes yet again. I stood there for a minute contemplating my options, then I realized I didn't have any. I already knew that Mina wanted our son back and it wasn't like I could just stroll up and steal him. I had to hand myself in, I could not let anyone be enslaved, tortured or God forbid die for me. The faction had already lost my dad and Ellie because of me, I couldn't let them lose Finnley too.

“Okay, you win. Do you know where Redwood Meadows is?” I asked her.

“Yes,” she replied abruptly.

“I'll be there in about ninety minutes,” I snapped at her, then hung up the phone before she had a chance to gloat. I shoved my phone back into my pocket, ascended and took off into the air.

***

I'd been flying for over an hour, and I'd had a lot to think about. Like, why didn't Mason tell me that it was Kali that the council had sent to the cabin? What were the council going to do with me? Was there any way I could save Finnley and make a run for it? Were Mason and Evan okay? Would I ever see Mason again?

I had to stop thinking about it all, because I was driving myself insane and becoming emotional. If I broke down right now, I'd be no use to anyone. Thankfully just twenty minutes outside of Redwood I got a mind link from Selene. I rapidly descended, and as I did, she rang my phone, “Selene?” I answered.

“Freya! Thank God, I've been trying to contact you for hours, where are you?” She asked in a panic.

“I can't tell you Selene, but just know that I'm okay and I'm going to fix it all. How are Mason and Evan?”

“Why can't you tell me? What do you mean you're going to fix it?” She huffed then continued, “it doesn't matter, we can discuss it later at the safe house. I'll get Samael to text you the address. And Freya, don't bother to argue with me. Mason and Evan, hell, all of us, need you right now!”

“Selene, is there something wrong with Mason and Evan?”

“Evan's been turned,” she said with sadness in her voice.

I'd never heard her like that before and it was unsettling. I'd gotten used to her being crazy, demented and over the top. This new Selene worried me.

“Werewolf?”

“Vampire,” she replied softly.

“Kali? Turned him?” I asked through gritted teeth and my blood began to boil.

“She did more than that Freya. She tortured and mutilated around a dozen hunters right in front of him, while trying to get him to give up your location,” she paused as I gasped down the phone. “She chained their corpses to the walls of the living room, and showed them off to Mason, like it was a damn trophy room. Then she tied him to the wall and left Evan in there with him while he transitioned,” she paused again to let it all sink in.

I stood silent for a moment while I processed it all. I tried my best to keep myself calm, flying into a rage right now wouldn't help at all. Once I calmed myself enough, I said, “Is that everything?”

“No, I just got there in time to stop Mason from killing Evan. Freya, Evan is really broken, he's not coping at all. The bitch even killed his dad!” She snapped down the phone.

I knew her anger wasn't aimed at me, so I thought nothing of her snapping. Although to be honest, I was quite surprised that she wasn't admiring Kali's work. Something had changed her, but now wasn’t the time to find out what. I knew that she wasn't going to take no for an answer, and she didn't need me to tell her where I was either. She could find me anywhere, she could find any of her werewolf or vampire children, so I needed to lie to her. I spoke as convincingly as I could, “Okay, get Sam to text me the address of the safe house, I'll get there as soon as I can. And Selene?”

“Yes?”

“Please keep them safe. Tell Mason, I'm sorry and that he's always in my heart,” I said as a single tear rolled down my cheek.

“Okay, I'll tell him,” she replied. Then, the line went silent.

I wiped the tear from my cheek then straightened up. I couldn’t let anyone else die because of me. I needed to go to the council, so that Kali would have no use for the faction, Evan, or Mason. I wanted to be able to keep Finnley safe while trying to figure out a way to either escape or bring Kali and the council down. Either way, I needed to keep the people I had left safe, and I was willing to do anything necessary. I wondered if I would ever see Selene, Sam, Evan, Mason, or my siblings again. The thought terrified me, but I needed to be strong. I took in a deep breath and screeched into the air when my wings ripped through my skin. Fanned them out, I showed off all their magnificence. Once fully ascended, I took off into the sky with Mina howling a war cry in my head. We were both more than ready to face our fate as I screamed up into the sky, “I Love you, Mason!”

Mason Hart Evan and I sat in silence for what seemed like hours. I had drunk three glasses of whisky in however long we'd sat there, and Evan was still nursing his first glass. He was just sitting there with his elbows on the table while he held his glass. He was staring off into space, with the occasional tear escaping his eyes and trailing down his already soaked cheeks. I had tried to speak to him, but he hissed at me, so I just left him to his thoughts. I couldn't imagine what he was going through. I knew that a part of me blamed Freya for being the cause of all of this, but I still wished that she was here. She was probably the only person that could relate to Evan and help him through all of it. Well, other than Finnley, but I didn’t have a clue where he was, right now.

I knew that Kali had him in the back of her van, but I didn't know if she was on her way to my mom's house to get Freya or if she would head straight to the council. Even though Finnley would know exactly what Evan was going through, he'd of no use, because he would be going through his own battles with grief. Freya chose to be turned and she didn't grow up as a hunter, so she didn't have the same hatred for werewolves or vampires like the rest of us did. Although she wouldn't fully understand what Evan or Finn were going through, she would still have a little idea.

To be honest, she couldn't do any worse than I was doing. I felt so helpless sitting there, not having a clue what to do or say to help my cousin. I was just having to watch him fight his own demons and there is nothing I could do to fix it. I got my phone out of my pocket and sent Freya a text.

Freya, I am so sorry that I left you behind.

You were right, I should never have come home alone. We should have faced this together. I can't wait to see you. I need you and Evan needs you too. We love you so much. Please forgive me, I will never leave you again.

Always on my mind, forever in my heart.

xxx I hit send, then put my phone down on the table. I poured myself another drink and went back to my thoughts. As I took a sip of my drink, my eyes glanced up over the rim of my glass and saw Selene standing in the doorway. She was ushering me with her hand to go to her. Placing my glass down on the table, I got up out of my chair. I looked over at Evan to see whether or not he had noticed me get up, but he was still staring off into space while holding his glass. I sighed, then strolled over towards Selene. She turned around and casually wandered out of the front door and I followed her out of the cabin. She continued to walk across the grass and into the woods.

I wondered where she was going and I still didn't trust her, but at that moment in time, I didn't have a clue what to do, or how to act. My head was a mess, and that crazy-ass woman was my only direct link to Freya. I knew that Selene was someone that I should keep sweet. I didn't want to make an enemy of her, I had enough to deal with already. So, I continued to follow her into the woods. She found an old fallen log and sat down on it. When I caught up to her, she patted the log for me to sit.

“Freya is going to meet us at a safe house,” she stated when I caught up to her.

I sat down on the log next to her.

“Okay, so when are we leaving?” I asked her, hoping that she would reply with 'right now.'

“That's why I have brought you out here. Mason, you can't come with us.”

“What!? Why?” I snapped at her while turning around to face her.

She gave me a soft smile, then replied, “Look, it's nothing personal, Mason. Don't for a second think it is. See, we are going to the moon realm. I did have another safe house picked out, but Kali has Finnley with her and she can use him as a tracker,” she paused for a breath, and then continued, “I control the moon realm, so I can keep people out. Kali, her hybrids or the twins, won't be able to get to Freya or Evan there.”

I furrowed my brow. I understood that the moon realm sounded like the safest place for them both, but I still didn't understand why I couldn't go with them, I couldn't help but take it personally.

“I agree, that sounds a lot safer, but wherever my cousin and Fianna go, you can bet your ass I'll be going too,” I replied bluntly.

She sighed and placed her hand on my shoulder.

“Mason, I'm going to tell you a story of who I am, and why I live in the moon realm, okay?”

I shook my head at her, and snapped, “As interesting as that sounds, Selene, I don't think we have time for that right now. Do you?”

“We have time, Mason, and besides, it's a story that you need to know. It explains why you have to stay behind. It's your choice, you can stay and listen, or you can walk away. But either way, it doesn't change the fact that we will be leaving, and you will be staying here.” She raised her eyebrow at me, then stayed silent while she waited for my reply.

I sighed and nodded my head at her, letting her know to continue. I needed to know why she was stopping me from going with them. I knew I wouldn't be able to fight against her and if Freya and Evan wanted to go, there was nothing I could do to stop them.

“Okay, so as you may know, I am thousands of years old,” she said, then paused to stare at me.

I smiled knowing exactly what she wanted. I quickly gasped, and replied, “No way!? You don't look a day over five hundred.”

She chuckled and gently swatted my shoulder.

“Aww, thank you. I do try my best,” she said with a giggle, then continued with her story.

“So, in 55 B.C., Emperor Julius Caesar invaded the south-east of England. He had taken two Roman legions along with him. He won a few battles against the Celtic tribes, but then returned to France.”

She continued on with her story and I listened intently as she told me all the history about how she became the moon Goddess and mother of all werewolves and vampires. She told me that Julius Caesar Invaded England for a second time the following year. That time, he landed in Kent and took five Roman legions with him. They consisted of around thirty thousand-foot soldiers and two thousand cavalries. That time the British tribes promised to pay tribute to Rome. As a result of their tribute, Rome left them alone for almost a century.

She then told me that just before that century was up, Emperor Claudius invaded England. He took along with him four legions, which consisted of around twenty-five thousand soldiers, plus an equal number of auxiliary soldiers, who were led by General Aulus Plautius. The biggest battle was fought on the banks of the River Medway, close to Rochester. The fighting only lasted two days and the Celtic tribes retreated. Although, the war was still not won, and many tribes resisted the Romans. Four years of battles followed, and many soldiers were lost along the way.

General Aulus was called upon by Emperor Claudius to find a way to beat the Celtic tribes once and for all. Aulus believed in the old Greek Gods and prayed to Ares to help them win the war. Ares answered and turned fifty of the Roman soldiers into Lycans. These new soldiers were strong and fast, but to balance out their new-found strength, once a month when the moon was its biggest in the night sky, the soldiers shifted into gigantic man-shaped wolves. They looked like wolves but walked around on two legs like men.

Armed with their new-found strength, the Lycan soldiers fought amazingly and finally took control of the south-east of England. As the war had lasted for a long and exhausting four years, many of the soldiers had secretly taken the Celtic women as their lovers. A few of the Celtic women became pregnant by the Lycan soldiers and some of them bore Lycan children. Selene was the first Lycan child to be born. As Selene grew up, she lived a fairly normal life, but on a night when the moon was at its fullest, she shifted into her Lycan form. While hunting through the woods she came across a bright white light and curiously followed it. Bent down by the river and splashing the cool water over his face, was an archangel.

“That was the night I met, Azael.” She beamed an enormous smile at me as she remembered the first time she'd met him. “He was the most magnificent creature I had ever seen. I watched him in curiosity while he splashed the river’s water on his face. I had forgotten that I was in my Lycan form, so when he finally stood up, he startled at the sight of me,” she explained and as she reached the end of her sentence her smile faded, sadness replacing its once prominent place on her face. I stayed quiet as I listened to her story, I was beyond hooked and completely fascinated by her.

“I took off running into the woods and as I ran with Azael hot on my heels, the morning sun began to rise and shine delicately through the trees. Eventually my Lycan speed began to fade, as my imminent shift back to my human form approached,” she paused for a breath, and then continued, “my speed dwindled, as did my stamina and I had to rest against a tree to catch my breath. As I did, I began to shift and collapsed to the floor with the pain.”

I was beyond invested in her story. I felt like I should have been sitting there taking notes for the hunters’ history journals. This stuff was a once in a lifetime opportunity to hear and I didn't want to miss a single word.

“I startled when I awoke from my shift. I was completely naked and being carried through the woods by this stunning man. He had long dark hair and the most amazing golden-brown eyes. His body was gorgeous. He had no shirt on, and I felt an enormous heat radiating off of him as my skin rested against his.” She spoke so softly as she described Azael to me. She even bit her lip when she imagined him, and I blushed red hot with embarrassment.

“He asked me where I lived, then carried me all the way home. We had some dirty looks and glares as we walked through my village. Once we walked past the people, I could hear gasps and whispers about his wings. I truly didn't care though, I was like a princess in our community, so no one dared question me. I was used to doing what I wanted, when I wanted,” she said with a proud tone and a giggle at the end.

That definitely explained a few things, she was basically born a princess. She was the first born of her kind and then she became a Goddess, before becoming the mother to two of the world’s strongest species, how could she not be cocky and feel above everyone else. I slid down the log and rested my back on it while I sat on the woodland floor. Selene stood up and sat on the floor beside me. She looked out into the woods and continued her story, “When we reached my home, he placed me on the bed. He didn't speak a word, but right at that moment in time, words were not needed. That was the first time we slept together. The connection we had was beyond this world. He left that night, but then returned to me every night after, for two whole weeks. They were the best two weeks of my entire life,” she said with such happiness in her voice.

She sat there silent for a moment, and I glanced up. Her expression did not match her previous tone. She looked a mix of sad and angry.

“My family forbid me from seeing him, they told me that he was a monstrosity. I couldn't believe my father of all people, had the cheek to use that word. He was the King of Lycans, for Christ's sake. He wasn't exactly the epitome of the perfect or normal human being, now, was he? Oh, and when the archangels found out about our relationship, they were even worse. They told Azael, that if he didn't cease his relationship with me, he would be cast out of heaven for eternity,” she said with pure anger in her voice.

I gasped and shook my head. I couldn't believe that their story was doomed from the beginning. It was like something out of a tragic romance novel.

“We did try to stay away from each other, but our connection and love for one another was too strong. Azael still came to see me every single night. He made me feel so special, like I was the only one in the world that mattered. He called me his Luna and I called him my morning star. Then when the moon was at its biggest again, I shifted and ran off into the woods on my usual hunt. I sprinted to the riverbank where Azael usually met me, but he wasn't there. I laid down on the floor and waited for him,” she paused, then took in a deep breath, then exhaled. “Suddenly the sky turned crimson red. Lightning bolted through the red clouds and thunder boomed and clapped louder than I'd ever heard before. It was so deep and violent that I thought the world was ripping apart at the seams.”

My eyes grew wide when she described the scene, I could imagine everything that she was saying to me.

“A final lightning bolt shot out of the crimson clouds and reached towards the river. It was so bright that I had to hold my arms up to my face to shield my eyes. An enormous crack boomed through the air, followed by a catastrophic splash and a wave the size of a house hurled towards me. I scurried backwards as fast as I could, but the wave caught me and swept me back with it as it returned to the river. I tried my best to keep my head above the water, but I kept being dragged below the surface,” she paused while she took in another breath. She sighed as she remembered that night.

“I must have passed out, because when I awoke, it was morning. I was back in my human form and cradled in Azael's arms. I hugged him tighter than I ever thought was possible. I was so happy to see him. He laid me down and we made love on the bank of the river.”

She stood up and walked over to a tree, then slid down the tree, with a sad and defeated look on her face. I guessed that the next part of the story wasn't going to be a 'we lived happily ever after' kind of ending.

“When we finished, Azael was different, he was usually so loving and kind, but now he was distant. He would have usually carried me home and embraced me throughout the night. That wasn't to happen that night, or any other night, ever again. Azael told me that, that night would be the last time I would ever see him. I didn't understand why, and I tried to beg him to stay, but he cruelly laughed in my face and told me that he could never settle for just one woman. I couldn't believe what he was saying.” She lowered her head and I watched as the tears rolled down her cheeks. I couldn’t believe I was seeing this vulnerable side to her. I didn't even know the woman had a heart beating within her chest.

“As I sat there naked and heartbroken on the riverbank, Azael fanned out his wings. Their usual brilliant white color was now an ashen gray and half of his wings were either black and singed at the ends, or completely burnt off and missing. I scanned up his body in shock and when I glanced at his eyes, I scurried backwards in fear. The golden-brown beautiful eyes that normally stared back at me, were now a piercing crimson red,” she said in a low and monotone voice. I think it broke her heart a little as she relived that night.

She sighed heavily, then told me of how Azael had been cast out of heaven and was now a fallen angel. He had lost his soul and any love that he'd once felt for Selene. It kind of reminded me of how Tristan had lost all of his love for Freya once he found his mate. Selene went on to explain that as her punishment for disobeying her father, he had prayed to their Roman Gods and the Gods had decided to banish her to the moon. There she was to spend an eternity alone. What they didn't realize was that on the night that Azael was cast out of heaven, Selene became pregnant to the fallen angel.

“I was in my new realm, scared, alone and eight months pregnant. When I went into labour it was the scariest thing I'd ever been through. Hours went by and at certain points the pain was so unbearable, that I wished for death to take me. Eventually, I managed to bring my son Marik into my world. He looked just like an angel. He had dark blonde hair and stunning deep blue eyes,” she said with a huge beaming smile on her face.

I could tell just by looking at her, that her son meant the absolute world to her. She then smiled even wider, as she continued, “A few moments of pure peace washed over me, then the pain started up again. I panicked and thought that something was terribly wrong, then I felt the sudden urge to push again, so I did. That was when I brought my second son, Traian, into the world. He looked so much like Azael, he had a full head of jet-black hair and golden hazel eyes. I felt complete with my two sons, who were then contently sleeping in my arms.”

My heart melted while I watched her beam with love and pride for her boys. She went on to explain that as the boys grew, she knew that they were very special. By the time they were teenagers their abilities were beginning to show themselves. Marik could shift into the form of a wolf at will. He was kind and loving. He wanted nothing more than to go to earth and find someone to fall in love with. Traian on the other hand was feisty and had a cruel streak. Selene explained that he was a lot like his father, after he had lost his soul. She had a hard time controlling him and he kept trying to attack his brother and her.

One day, just after their sixteenth birthday, Traian had completely lost control. She described it like how Evan was with his blood lust. She had to break up a fight between the two boys and that was the first time that Traian had extended his fangs. He sank his fangs into his mother’s wrist and nearly bled her dry. Her voice became low, barely above a whisper and she rubbed her wrist as she nervously recounted that day. I looked down at her wrist and I could see a scar. It was two tiny puncture marks and she frantically scratched at them.

“I managed to fight Traian off, but when I looked into his eyes, they were as black as coal, and they had his father’s crimson red glow to them. I panicked and knew I had to keep Marik and myself safe. I had no choice and I instantly cast my own son out of the moon realm, letting him loose on the earth. He went on a bloodthirsty rampage and before long, he had an entire brood of vampires, following him around like a King.”

She scratched even harder at the scars on her wrist, and they began to bleed. Tiny streams of blood ran from the puncture marks and dropped down onto the dirt. I furrowed my brow as she continued in a frantic and panicked voice.

“Shortly after casting him out, I got sick. Marik was beside himself and thought I was going to die. When I came around from the fever, all I could think of was blood. I could hear Marik's heart pounding, and the noise of it was deafening. I couldn't stand it; I could smell his blood and hear it pumping through his veins. I knew I didn't want to hurt him, but I couldn't help myself. That's when…That's when I…” Selene stuttered, then burst into tears.

I got up onto my knees and crawled as fast as I could towards her, she was delirious and mumbling to herself. I went to touch her, but she lunged forwards and hissed at me. Her eyes were raven black and had the crimson red glow. With her fangs extended she screamed out the name Marik, then vanished into thin air.