Royal shuffle: Vampire's mate

ANDREA

"Are you angry with me, mom?"

Of all the things to wake up to after a well deserved rest, a question such as that didn't make the list. I cracked my eyes open and groaned when I saw Adela standing on my bed right above me, still dressed in her pajamas and puffy eyes. I sat up swiftly, and patted the spot next to me.

"Why do you think that, my darling?" I asked, as she settled next to me and crossed her legs.

"I don't know. A lot has happened. First, I accused you of killing..."

"I can never blame you for that, and I can never be angry with you for something your young mind tricked you to believe," I replied.

"But then the girl I almost killed..."

"You had just gotten your powers and didn't know your own strength..."

"So what is my strength? I hear people whispering but..." She lowered her head shrugged.

"Whispering? What are the whispers saying?"

"They're calling me a freak. They say I'm not like the rest," Adela replied, tears pooling in her eyes.

"Baby..." I tried pulling her into my arms but she pulled away from me and moved to the far end of the bed.

"I need you to tell me what's happening? Is there something going on?"

"There's nothing..."

"Stop lying to me...please..."

Adela's voice broke at the end and tugged at my heartstrings, I balled my hands into fists to stop myself from reaching for her again.

"There's something going on...with you..." I started.

Adela sat up straight and pulled in closer.

"What's that?" She asked, her eyes wide with curiosity and shining with bushes tears.

"You're not just werewolf. You're vampire also. You're a nightshade hybrid."

"Really?"

I nodded. "Yes. Your father and I...our union, it rarely happens. And the few times it has happened, the offsprings are either vampires or werewolves. But you...you my darling are both. You embody both vampire and werewolf. You're rare." Adela's brows were furrowed in confusion, a welcome improvement from her teary eyes.

"Really?" She asked, moving closer to me.

"Yes. You're strong. You're the strongest being there ever was, and it's possible that you just might be the last. You didn't mean to severely harm that other girl, it's just you don't know your strength."

Adela nodded her head slowly. I smiled at her furrowed brows and her twiddling fingers. From my post to on on the bed, I could see the gears moving in her head.

"So, what does this mean for me?" She asked.

I took a deep breath. "A lot of things, my love. It means that your trainings won't be regular like that of the other kids who come of age. It means that you cannot tell anyone about this because your life will be in danger." "What?!"

"Calm down. I'm here. I will protect you. It's exactly why the best warriors are training you," I replied.

"What about vampire trainings? I need those, don't I?"

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"Yes, you do..."

"So when is dad coming to help me train?"

And just like that, the tables had turned and it was my turn to hide my tears. I lowered my head in shame and sighed. All these years, and the mention and thought of Leo was still able to wreck my emotions. But she needed him. How the arrangement would be made, I wasn't sure. But he needed to be aware of what was happening. He needed to know so I could better protect her.

"I'll let him know before the end of today. We'll work something out for you, I'm sure."

Adela smiled brightly and lunged herself at me. I wrapped my hands around her and stroked her hair, realizing I needed the hug more than she did. "Thanks a lot, mom."

"What for?" I asked, watching as she stood from my bed and headed for the door.

"For everything. And for dad. I've missed him..."

And with that, she smiled and happily skipped out of my room, humming a happy tune. I slumped back on my bed as soon as the door closed. This was going to be harder than I thought. I picked my phone and fired a text to Leo telling him to make himself available as soon as possible.

Even though I had told my ex that it was an emergency and to make himself available as soon as possible, I still didn't expect him to show up at my office out of breath and with panic in his eyes.

"Where's Adela? Did something happen to her?" He asked, slamming his hands down on my desk.

I looked over at my secretary whose eyes were wide open with alarm.

"I'm so sorry, ma'am. He just..."

"It's okay. You can go," I said, smiling.

She threw a disapproving look at Leonidas and waltzed out of my office, still huffing and puffing. I waited until the door closed behind her and I could no longer hear her before speaking. I wasn't taking chances. "What's going on? You said this was an emergency!" Leo said, his eyes roaming frantically.

"It is. You should sit. This might be a long conversation."

Leonidas slowly lowered himself into the leather seat on the other side of my table and leaned back into it. I kept my eyes on my laptop, pretending to be busy to avoid having to look at him.

"Did something happen to Adela?"

"Yes and no," I replied.

"Stop been cryptic, Andrea. What's going on?!"

I sighed and shut down my APC, running my hand over the somewhat smooth exterior of the MacBook, and summoning courage to look at him. I raised my eyes and immediately met with the intense eyes of Leonidas. "Adela has gotten her powers," I said. It was my turn to be confused when there was no reaction from him. "Wait, you knew?"

"Yes, Andrea. Adela getting her abilities at the ripe age of twelve isn't need to anybody. Is this what this was about?" Leo asked, standing to his feet and ready to leave.

"You really cannot bring yourself to be in my presence for a few minutes, can you?" I asked, shocking myself. Where that had come from, I wasn't entirely sure.

Leo sighed, and ran his hands through his hair. He lowered himself back into his seat, and folded his hands across his chest. I looked at him...truly looked at him. A lot of things could definitely happen in a few years. He had specks of gray littered all over his hair. His once bright and vibrant eyes were now dead pools of bright brown. His once lean muscular build was now bulky, it would seem he had taken the gym seriously.

"Are you done checking me out?" He asked.

Color rushed to my cheeks at getting caught ogling your ex. My heart turned sour as it remembered why he was my ex. I sighed and leaned back in my chair.

"I wasn't checking you out," I replied.

Leonidas smirked. "Sure you weren't,"

"Back to the situation at hand. Our daughter is a nightshade hybrid."