Chapter 1
I felt a nudge at my shoulder as I groaned and rolled over. I winced as an inch of pain slithered up my shoulder. I scrunch my nose at the coppery smell. Blood.
The nudge was persistent and obviously didn’t give a damn that I was happily blacked out.
“Maeve.”
My eyes practically split open at the sound of my dad’s voice. I sat up, noticing a trickle of blood drip down my shoulder from a piece of glass prying my skin open.
I grimaced, looking up into the eyes of my dad. Well, one of them at least. Unfortunately, it wasn’t Everette or Atticus, but Axel instead. Shit.
“Hey, dad.” I gave him my best smile that used to melt any frown off of his face. I guess that expression had an expiration date of ten years ago.
“What the hell is this?” He asked, eyes wildly mad as he flicked his hand in the general direction surrounding us.
I slowly looked away from his piercing vampire eyes to look around. Holy fuck, I’m screwed.
I laughed uneasily. “Well you see, it’s actually a funny story-”
“Get up. This was your last chance, Maeve. We’ve tried everything with you.” He shook his head disappointedly but also with some other emotion behind his expression. Fear?
I rose myself to my shaky legs and walked out behind him. I looked back around the room one last time, fully taking in what I had done. The walls were burnt to a crisp, blood smeared everywhere, and the taste of magic still lingered in the air. Not to mention booze...and a lot of it.
I clenched my fist, striding out of the room and following my father towards the middle of our lands, where our family home resides. I noticed the tension practically radiating from the house, knowing that I had ultimately fucked up...and they were tired of it.
The rocks and pinecones crunched under our feet as we strode up to the front door of the house. I calmed myself, knowing that I would accidentally blow a hole in the wall with my nerves. We don’t need a repeat from the last time I was in trouble.
We walked into the living room where my mother and two other fathers stood, looking straight at me. Yes, I understand that our family dynamic is unusual to some, but it was fate. No, seriously. Like as in they’re mates. I don’t know how she handles it. I normally just call my dads by their first names. It got a bit confusing growing up trying to figure out what the hell to call them. Let’s just say, they don’t like it. Which is why I do it.
Axel walked towards the fireplace with the swiftness of a vampire as he ran his hands through his dark hair. Yup, I am definitely screwed.
I looked towards Everett, pleading with my eyes to go easy on me. He wouldn’t make eye contact as he frowned down at his hands. Oh hell fucking no. I’m dead. If Everett won’t even look at me with his gentle wolf eyes, then I am utterly fucking screwed.
A throat cleared as my mother looked up at me with a saddened expression. “What happened?”
My throat felt like it was closing up as she looked at me with such disappointment. “I-I didn’t mean it,” I said, my voice quivering. “I was angry, I just need to be alone to blow off some steam. I couldn’t control the outburst, but it won’t happen next time!”
I can’t believe I’m in this fucking situation all because Lenny decided to go fuck some other chick and leave me in a boiling hot mess. So yes, I might have torched that room and killed him and the bitch he was sleeping with but am I really the one at fault here?
Atticus lifted his head, looking at me with a surprisingly stern face. “We worked on your magic, you told us you were getting it under control.”
I blinked back angry and embarrassed tears. “I’m trying.” It was a lame excuse, but it was the truth. I’m not like everyone else at school. I’m the daughter of a tribrid. Tribrid being, part witch, vampire, and werewolf, which makes me one too.
“I don’t know what else we can do, Maeve. Your magic is out of control. We’ve never had to deal with a situation like yours. I think it’s out of our hands now.” My mother said as a tear slid down her cheek.
I felt the air rush out of me as I looked around at the faces I’ve grown up loving. Nothing feels right, this feels wrong...like they’re not telling me something.
“We’re sending you to Nightwood Academy, where you’ll be better equipped. They specialize in all kinds of magic, you’ll be safe there. Besides, you shouldn’t be restricted to one pack lands. There’s a whole world out there to see.”
I shook my head, blinking my eyes fast. “I don’t understand.”
“Pack your bags, Maeve. We’re leaving in the morning. I’m sorry, sweetheart.” Everett said, standing up to kiss my forehead.
I walked in a dizzying silence as I descended the hall, hearing their voices trickle quietly down towards me.
“I don’t like this,” Atticus said somewhere far behind me.
“She’s too strong, she’ll kill herself if we don’t do anything,” Axel intervened.
“Rose, you were able to keep your powers locked and in control,” Everett said, assumingly to my mother.
I could practically hear her shake her head before adding in an almost inaudible voice. “But my sacrifice happened years later than hers.”
I furrowed my brows, replaying that same line over and over as I closed my bedroom door behind me and slid to the floor.
Nightwood Academy, huh? So I’m basically being shipped from one school to another. Except this one won’t have parents watching my every move? Doesn’t sound too bad. Unless Nightwood Academy was code for an insane asylum, in which case, would not be cool with me. I heard they don’t even give you jello, like in the movies. What would I do? Choke a guard with a small container of squish?
I looked up at my ceiling before reaching my hand up to turn the lights off. I exhaled a shaky breath, looking at the glow in the dark star stickers on the ceiling. I felt myself calm down as I stared at the small yellow-green shapes, pretending that it was just me and them in the world. I pretended that there was no one else, just me and the stars floating in an endless abyss of space.
I closed my eyes, remembering every detail of the lands I grew up in. The vampire clan, the witch coven, and the werewolf pack. I would miss home. I would miss my family. But maybe there was something else out there that I was missing. Maybe I am slowly losing my mind and my control over my magic. Or maybe...there was no hope for me at all.
This is just a rough draft of the beginning of the book, but I decided to go ahead and put it out here for you guys to read. This is just an introduction chapter, so the actual plot will begin next chapter and I hope you guys like it.
Yes, this can be read as a standalone. However, I think you will be able to understand the storyline of this book better if you read “Three Mates & A Tribrid” first. Also, I changed the names from Margo (in the last book) to Maeve in this book. So, this is the same character for those wondering.
*Updates will be once a week and chapters are longer than the previous book!*
