Trigger Warning: Mentions of sexual assault and violence.
Song: Monsters (Ruelle)
Jinx POV
When Jinx stepped out of the tent, she met Silco’s gaze.
She had always felt conflicted about that man.
She should still hate him, and yet over the years she had come to think of him as a father.
But she would never forget what he was capable of.
« Where have you been?
»
“Well…
I went for a walk.
I’m bored around here.
So, when are you going to give me another mission?” Jinx said, sounding as though she were thrilled by the prospect of a new assignment, when in reality all she wanted was to go back to the tent and feel Hope’s body against hers again.
Jinx had never been in a romantic relationship before.
In fact, that had been her very first kiss.
This woman had completely enchanted her.
For the first time in her life, Jinx wanted someone so badly that even being apart from them felt like a kind of torture.
It was then that she sensed something was different.
She felt another presence inside her.
Emotions that weren’t her own.
It was impossible.
But Hope was her soulmate…
What did it even mean to have a Tribrid as a soulmate?
She had been avoiding thinking about everything Hope had told her.
But she couldn’t ignore what she was feeling through their bond.
Guilt.
Pain.
An overwhelming loneliness.
Jinx knew those emotions.
She felt them every damn day.
But she didn’t want Hope to carry that pain.
She wanted to protect her from it.
Without thinking, she sent a wave of tenderness through the bond toward Hope.
She felt surprise in return, then hesitation, and finally that same wave of tenderness flowing back to her.
I love her.
I love her, she thought again, completely shocked and on the verge of panicking.
Hope must have felt her panic, because a soothing sense of calm washed back through the bond.
Jinx took a deep breath and tried to focus on what Silco was saying.
“There’s a shipment to move tonight at Dock Fifteen.
Don’t be late.
And what exactly are you wearing?” he finished, sounding thoroughly offended.
Jinx had forgotten she was still wearing Hope’s clothes.
“It’s for sleeping.”
“Did you steal them from a Piltie?”
“They were a gift,” she replied with a dangerous smile.
“Don’t forget.
Tonight, two a.m., at the docks.
And try to keep yourself under control,” he told Jinx before turning to leave.
She shot him an annoyed look.
But the moment he disappeared, she hurried back into the tent.
When she stepped into the tent, she didn’t find Hope in the main room.
She found her in the kitchen instead.
She was spreading cheese over a layer of sauce-covered dough.
“What are you doing?”
“Making a pizza,” Hope replied without looking up before sliding the pizza—what a weird name—into the oven.
When she turned around, she walked over to the sink, washed her hands, and carefully dried them.
“You know I can feel that, right?”
“Feel what?” Jinx asked, confused.
“That you want to kiss me,” Hope said with a teasing smile.
Jinx immediately realized that Hope had sensed her impatience, her desire to touch her, and was playfully using it against her.
Hope stepped closer and kissed her.
When she pulled away, Jinx still looked a little dazed.
“Before we go any further, maybe we should talk about the fact that our emotions don’t seem to be private anymore,” Hope said, with an uneasiness Jinx hadn’t sensed when she had first walked into the room.
Hope let out a quiet sigh.
“Before I came to this world, I met my ex-boyfriend, Landon.
Long story short, he was possessed by his father, who happened to be my enemy.
I had to kill him, and after he died, he became the Ferryman.
He’s the one who told me soulmates exist.
He knew that after everything I’d lost, I’d be afraid to let anyone else in.
He did something…
I think he did something to my soul so I’d recognize my soulmate.
And I think he’s also the reason I can feel your emotions.”
She looked away as she spoke.
Jinx could feel the guilt radiating from her.
“I’ve never had an ex,” Jinx said, “but I’m pretty sure they’re not usually that considerate.”
Hope’s expression softened with melancholy.
“A lot of the time, he was the only one who chose to stay by my side.”
Jinx wrapped her arms around her.
“A part of me will always love him,” Hope admitted quietly.
“But it will never compare to what I feel for you.”
Despite herself, Jinx felt relieved hearing those words.
“But his little trick is going to have consequences I don’t understand yet.
From what he told me…
the bond is going to become even stronger after…”
“After what?” Jinx asked.
“After we…
make love,” Hope answered, blushing.
“Oh.”
A brief silence settled between them before it was broken by the oven timer.
Hope took the pizza out of the oven and sliced it.
“You haven’t eaten since you released your magic.
You must be starving.
Go ahead,” Hope said.
As soon as she mentioned it, Jinx realized how hungry she actually was.
She picked up a slice.
She hesitated for a second before taking a bite.
Her eyes immediately widened.
And under Hope’s amused gaze, she devoured half the pizza.
“Why didn’t Silco ask me anything about the tent?
It was right in front of him.”
“The tent is protected by a spell that makes it invisible to anyone who doesn’t have my permission to see it.
And if someone comes out of it, no one finds it strange.”
Jinx looked at the tent with open wonder.
“That’s a really good hiding place.”
“My aunt had no idea what kind of world I would end up in.
It was a precaution.”
“Do you trust Silco?” Hope asked abruptly.
“Silco gave me a place to belong.
He could have killed me when my sister abandoned me.
After all, I was his enemy’s adopted daughter.
But instead, he welcomed me with open arms, despite my episodes.
There were so many jobs he gave me that I ruined, costing him money, and yet he still kept me in his inner circle.
So yes, a part of me loves him and trusts him.
The other part never forgets that, for the sake of his ambitions, he could sacrifice me.
Zaun’s independence means everything to him, after all.”
“I don’t like drugs.
I haven’t been here for long, but I’ve seen what Shimmer does to people.
It turns them into monsters.”
Jinx looked at her, and then a small smile appeared on her face.
“Shimmer alone isn’t what creates monsters.
This city changes everyone.
It turned me into a monster too.
A terrible monster.
Does that scare you?” Jinx asked, though beneath her confidence, Hope could sense the worry hiding there.
Hope let her features shift, revealing her fangs.
She slowly stepped toward Jinx, and the aura surrounding her made Jinx shiver.
Hope leaned close to her soulmate’s neck, her fangs brushing lightly against her skin.
“I come from a family of monsters.
A monster hiding behind a human face.
I’ve killed.
I’ve drunk the blood of my enemies.
I’ve enjoyed it.
Don’t mistake my kindness for who I am all the time.
The only people I will protect with my last breath are those I hold close to my heart—the friends I made, the school that was my home for a decade, and above all, my family.
And now, there’s you.
“My family’s motto is ‘Always and Forever.’ I’m making that vow with you now.
I will stay by your side, always and forever.
And I will burn anyone who stands between us and that promise.”
With those words, Hope gently pressed a lingering kiss to the side of Jinx’s neck.
Jinx shivered beneath Hope’s kisses.
It felt as though she were burning from the inside out.
Hope pulled back for a moment before lifting her up and setting her down on the kitchen counter.
Then she returned to exploring the soft skin of Jinx’s neck.
“You taste like a storm,” Hope whispered against her ear.
“Electric, free, powerful…
and dangerous.”
Jinx let out a quiet moan when she felt Hope’s warm breath against her skin.
A moment later, Hope began gently sucking at the reddened spot.
Then Jinx felt a sharp sting at her neck, and a thin trickle of blood ran down her skin.
“Damn it,” Hope muttered, pulling away.
She stared at the bite she had left behind, guilt written all over her face.
“So you really were going to eat me this time.
Are we close enough now?” Jinx joked, remembering their first meeting.
Instead of answering, Hope bit into her own wrist and held it out to Jinx.
“Babe, I’m not a vampire,” Jinx said, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.
“My blood will heal you,” Hope replied.
She had calmed down, but through their bond Jinx could still feel that her desire had reached remarkable levels.
“And what if I want to wear your mark?” Jinx asked suddenly.
Hope looked at her in surprise.
“I’m a vampire, but I’m also a werewolf.
Leaving a permanent mark on your neck is almost like a marriage ceremony for a wolf.
And that’s something that happens when we’re wearing a lot less clothing—and definitely not when you have to go out and work tonight,” Hope said.
Through their bond, Jinx could feel that Hope’s reluctance had nothing to do with leaving her a mark.
It came from having to stop herself from making the one she had already left permanent.
Jinx sighed and took hold of Hope’s wrist.
She slowly drank the blood and smiled when she heard Hope let out a soft moan.
She felt the wound on her neck close, and at the same time, a wave of sadness that wasn’t her own washed over her.
“Can I have a few cuddles before I leave?” Jinx asked.
The request seemed to lift Hope’s spirits.
She scooped Jinx up into her arms and carried her to the bedroom.
Hope POV
A few hours later, Hope found herself alone in the tent.
She changed into her training clothes and headed toward a room she hadn’t shown Jinx yet.
Her training room.
Enchanted punching bags hung from the ceiling, and weapons of every kind were mounted on the walls.
Hope walked over to one of the bags and started hitting it.
For the first time since arriving in this world, she was alone.
Alone with her thoughts.
Images of her family filled her mind, and she tried to drive them away by striking the bag over and over again.
She remembered what Rebekah had told her.
She would need to find something to occupy herself, because Jinx couldn’t be with her every moment of every day.
But she felt lost.
Maybe she should look for books about Runeterra and learn more about this place.
She was hesitant to go to Piltover, but it was probably the best place to find what she wanted.
She should also see if they had banks.
Exchanging some of her gold for local currency would make things much easier.
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through her shoulder.
Hope immediately focused on the bond, and the moment she felt the wave of anguish coming through it, she teleported.
She reappeared in the middle of a battlefield.
She realized she was back at the docks, but gunfire was raining down from every direction.
Catching Jinx’s familiar scent, she rushed toward her.
What she saw made her blood boil.
Jinx’s shoulder was covered in blood, but that wasn’t the worst part.
A giant of a man had her by the throat while she struggled against his grip.
And when Hope heard his words, she lost every shred of restraint.
“Silco’s daughter will make a fine trophy in Bilgewater.
And once I’m done with you, I’m sure my friends will want a turn.
Or maybe I could sell you to Noxus—they do love anything a little…
exotic.”
Suddenly, the man’s predatory grin froze.
He watched in shock as the arm holding Jinx dropped to the ground.
He stared blankly at the severed limb for a heartbeat before blood erupted from his shoulder.
He started screaming, but the cry was cut short when a hand closed around his throat.
He tried to fight back, but his body was trapped by an overwhelming force.
And then he met the cold gaze of Hope Mikaelson.
Hope turned her head and saw Jinx getting back to her feet.
She let out a sigh of relief before turning her attention back to the bastard who had laid a hand on her soulmate.
“Do you know that torture is an art in my family?
In a thousand years, they’ve had plenty of time to learn all sorts of techniques.
Unfortunately, I don’t have enough time to truly savor this.
But in your next life, you’ll learn never to touch a Mikaelson’s mate.”
Hope murmured a few words, and suddenly the man began to wither before their eyes.
He struggled, then his movements slowed, and finally stopped altogether.
When Hope released her grip, nothing remained but the man’s skin, which fell to the ground with a dry thud.
She turned toward the other attackers with a smile, her fangs on full display.
“Any other volunteers?” she asked.
The gunfire had stopped.
Both sides stared at her, their eyes filled with terror.
But instead of running, the pirates opened fire on the monster that had just killed their captain.
“I gave them a chance,” she said with a shrug.
Within seconds, every one of them had a gaping hole where their heart had once been.
Hope reappeared beside Jinx, a still-beating heart in her hand, which she casually let fall to the ground.
She turned toward Jinx’s group.
They too had their weapons raised, aimed directly at her.
Before Hope could say anything, Jinx cut in.
“If a single one of you shoots my girlfriend, I’ll hang you above the bar on a spike.”
“Girlfriend!?” a woman with a metal arm shouted in disbelief.
“I’ll let you handle the rest,” Jinx said to her before taking Hope’s hand.
“Let’s go home, babe,” she said tiredly.
Hope looked at her with concern before teleporting them both away.