THE SPOILED HYBRID.🧛 (MXM) - Chapter 1: Chapter 1

The heavy oak doors of the university dining hall creaked open, and Alessia slipped inside, his slight frame almost swallowed by the bustling crowd. The air was thick with the mingling scents of roasted meat, steamed vegetables, and the faint tang of metal from the cutlery. Laughter and chatter echoed off the high ceilings, a cacophony that made his sensitive ears twitch. He adjusted the strap of his bag nervously, his big green eyes darting around the room like a skittish animal. His black hair, slightly tousled from the wind outside, framed his pale face, making him look even more out of place among the vibrant, confident students.
Alessia was small for his age, with a delicate build that made him seem almost fragile. His shyness clung to him like a second shadow, and he kept his gaze fixed on the scuffed toes of his shoes as he shuffled toward the food line. The clatter of trays and the occasional burst of laughter from nearby tables made his chest tighten. He hadn’t made a single friend since arriving on campus weeks ago. The art of conversation felt like a foreign language, one everyone else seemed fluent in except him.
His thoughts drifted to his sister, Alysa, as they often did. She was his polar opposite—bold, outgoing, and effortlessly charismatic. While Alessia struggled to even make eye contact with strangers, Alysa could command a room with a single glance. They had relocated to this quiet, fog-draped town in search of Alessia’s mate, a quest that felt more like a burden than a blessing. According to the ancient lore of their kind, Alessia, a rare vampire-wolf hybrid, was destined to bond with a human male. The idea of finding his mate filled him with equal parts hope and dread. What if he wasn’t good enough? What if his mate rejected him?
The line moved forward, and Alessia grabbed a tray, his slender fingers trembling slightly as he picked up a plate. He avoided eye contact with the server, mumbling a quiet “thank you” that was barely audible over the din. He scanned the room for an empty table, his heart sinking as he realized most were already occupied by groups of friends, their easy camaraderie a stark contrast to his loneliness. Finally, he spotted a small, isolated table near the window and made his way over, his footsteps soft against the polished floor.
As he sat down, the sunlight streaming through the window felt too bright, too intrusive. He shifted uncomfortably, his hybrid instincts making him hyper-aware of every sound, every movement around him. The faint hum of fluorescent lights, the scrape of a chair against the floor, the low murmur of voices—it all pressed in on him, overwhelming his senses. He picked at his food, his appetite nonexistent, and stared out the window at the sprawling campus grounds. Somewhere out there, his mate was waiting. But for now, Alessia was alone, a quiet figure in a sea of noise, searching for a connection he wasn’t sure he’d ever find.
After lunch, Alessia gathered his books, their weight familiar and comforting in his arms. He slipped out of the dining hall, the hum of conversation fading behind him as he stepped into the crisp afternoon air. The campus pathways were alive with students, their laughter and chatter swirling around him like a distant storm. He kept his head down, his black hair falling into his eyes as he navigated the crowd. To most, he was invisible—just another nerdy kid lost in his books, his slight frame and shy demeanor making him easy to overlook. But to Alessia, every step felt heavy, every glance in his direction a potential judgment.
He reached his classroom and slipped inside, the quiet emptiness a welcome relief. He chose his usual seat near the back, where he could observe without being seen. The wooden desk was cool beneath his fingertips, and he traced the faint grooves carved into its surface as he waited for the room to fill. His green eyes flicked toward the door every few seconds, his heart pounding with a mix of anticipation and dread. He knew who would walk in next.
And then he did.
Drake entered the room like he owned it, his tall, lean frame commanding attention without effort. He moved with the confidence of someone who had never known doubt, his muscles rippling subtly beneath his fitted shirt. His sharp jawline and piercing eyes made him look like he’d stepped out of a magazine, and the way he carried himself—like a king among peasants—only added to his allure. Beside him walked Jamie, his girlfriend, her laughter ringing out like a melody as she leaned into him. They were the perfect couple, their connection undeniable, their presence magnetic.
Alessia’s chest tightened, a familiar ache settling deep within him. He couldn’t look away, even though every second of watching them together felt like a knife twisting in his heart. Drake was his mate—his *destined* mate—but by the time Alessia had discovered this truth, Drake was already taken. Jamie was everything Alessia wasn’t: confident, outgoing, effortlessly beautiful. She fit into Drake’s world in a way Alessia never could.
From his seat in the shadows, Alessia watched as Drake and Jamie settled into their usual spots near the front of the class. Drake’s deep voice carried across the room as he joked with a friend, his laughter warm and rich. Alessia’s fingers tightened around the edge of his desk, his nails digging into the wood. He hated how his eyes were drawn to Drake, how his heart raced every time their gazes *almost* met. He hated the way Drake’s scent—a mix of cedar and something uniquely his—lingered in the air, teasing Alessia’s heightened senses.
But most of all, he hated the hopelessness that clung to him, a constant reminder that his mate belonged to someone else. Alessia’s hybrid nature made the bond between them undeniable, but it didn’t guarantee a happy ending. He was a vampire-wolf hybrid, a creature of instinct and destiny, yet here he was, powerless to change the one thing that mattered most.
As the professor entered and the class began, Alessia forced himself to look away, his gaze dropping to the open book in front of him. But even as he tried to focus, his mind wandered back to Drake, to the life they could have had if things were different. The ache in his chest grew, a silent reminder of the bond that would never be fulfilled—at least, not in the way he had hoped.