Hybrid Aria by Jessica Hall

Chapter 29

Aria’s POV

“Now what do we do with her?”

“We use her to get my daughter back. Alpha Reid will come for her. If he wants her he will hand Lily

over.”

“He will kill the entire Pack. This is insane even for you. You’re willing to risk everyone?”

I could hear whispers. Alpha David was talking with someone. Slowly opening my eyes, I stay as still as

possible to not alert them that I’m awake. I was in Alpha David’s office. I could see shelves of books

and a desk that had papers and maps all over it. I was placed on the brown leather sofa in the centre of

the room. I could see Michael with his back to me, talking to the Alpha who was seated at his desk.

My throat felt incredibly dry. I felt like I had a major hangover. My head was pounding against my skull.

Testing out my limbs, I realised I could move my legs and arms. I was weak, but I had feeling back.

That wasn’t the only feeling I had though. Hunger. I was ravenous. I needed blood. I could hear four

heartbeats in the room. My own standing out above everyone else’s thumping loudly in my chest

against my ribs. I knew two belonged to the Alpha and the Beta, but the fourth person must be behind

me somewhere. I could feel my fangs breaking painfully through my gums, my mouth filling with the

metallic taste of my own blood.

“You hear that? She is waking,” said the mystery person behind me. Looking over in the Alpha

direction, I hear him stand up. Michael made eye contact with me.

“That’s impossible, she should have been out for hours,” he stated.

“Dose her again before she regains her strength,” ordered the Alpha through the mind link to the

person behind me. Obviously, he forgot I can hear them, or maybe his Pack members forgot to mention

that detail. I heard the person behind me start walking towards the back of the sofa. Just as his hand

reached over to inject me, I gripped his wrist, pulling him over the sofa making him land on the floor.

Sitting up, I still had hold of his wrist that was gripping the syringe. I squeezed his wrist, making him cry

out and drop it. I saw the Alpha and Michael about to lurch forward to stop me as I ripped the man

towards me, sinking my teeth into his neck. I drank voraciously, draining him in a few seconds before

rolling his body off me and onto the floor, his lifeless eyes peering up at us in shock.

I grabbed the syringe that had fallen at my feet, twirling it between my fingers, admiring the poison that

just knocked me out cold. I heard shuffling as the Alpha went to try to stop me from attacking first, but I

had no intentions to fight; it would end in their deaths. I sat back on the couch, getting comfortable.

“I understand it now, why you did it,” I said clearly. The Alpha stopped. Looking up at him, he looked

confused. Michael wore the same expression, trying to figure out what I was talking about. I observed

the Alpha. He didn’t look the same. I no longer feared him. He looked rather normal in his blue denim

jeans and a black t-shirt. I could tell he lost weight, his eyes were dark with sleep deprivation, He

looked like he aged ten years since I last saw him at the diner.

Now I just felt sorry for him. I knew I shouldn’t, but I couldn’t help it. He was a monster to us for years,

but now I see a broken man, not someone to be feared.

“What are you talking about, Aria?” asked David, crossing his arms over his chest he leaned back

sitting on the edge of the desk.

“I’m talking about why you hated Lily and me. Why you abandoned your own pup.” The Alpha bared his

teeth at me and growled. “I understand it now. I know a wolf goes crazy without their mate. I

understand what it does to them. I don’t agree with your actions, but I do understand,” I told him.

“You know nothing, Aria. Don’t pretend you know anything. I just want my daughter back.”

“You mean the daughter you dumped in my lap to raise? The daughter you pretended you didn’t have?

That daughter?”

“Watch it, girl,”

“No, you're right. I don’t know what it’s like to lose a mate. But I understand why you are the way you

are. Most wolves kill themselves after they lose their mate, or they go mad. You went mad with anger

and blamed her. When you should have put all the anger you had into loving her.”

“Aria, shut up,” warned Michael. Looking back over at the Alpha, his face was red with anger, veins

sticking out along his arms like he was a ticking time bomb. But that no longer scared me.

“Listen to Michael, Aria. You know nothing of what you’re talking about. You can’t sympathise with me.”

“You think I don’t know what it’s like to lose her? You lost your mate. I LOST MY FUCKING MOTHER,”

I screamed. “I was thirteen, and you threw Lily in my lap. I couldn’t even attend her funeral because

you were too gutless to be around your own daughter. Mum’s flesh and blood. You didn’t just lose her. I

lost her too. Then I lost my childhood. I threw everything away to raise her. ME, not you. I took care of

her, and now you expect me to hand her over to you.”

“She is my daughter, Aria.”

“Yes, you’re right, she is, but she doesn’t know you. She knows only to fear you. You spent so much

time hating her, but did you ever think of what Mum would have wanted? I know she wouldn’t have

wanted you to abandon her flesh and blood. She would have wanted you to be the father you promised

her you would be. Now after six fucking years you want to claim her back.”

Alpha David walked back to his desk and took a seat. He knew I was right. Lily doesn’t know him the

way she should, and he doesn’t know her. “So, what do you suggest then, Aria? You think you’re

calling the shots? You think you have all the answers?” Michael relaxed a bit before sitting on the edge

of the desk. I sat back understanding the Alpha was willing to compromise.

Looking at the clock, it was a little after 8pm. The Blood Moon Pack was already at the border, but why

haven’t they crossed over yet? Reid would know I’m here by now.

“I am only here because of Lily. Despite the hell you have put her through, she still feared Reid was

going to kill you. She wanted me to stop this. You and I still have unfinished business, but for now, this

is about Lily, so I suggest you prove you deserve to be a part of her life. Maybe visit, get to know her,

but she remains a part of my Pack.” The Alpha growled at me about to disagree and argue back. I held

my finger up at him, motioning him to let me finish.

“When she turns 18, we let her decide if she wants to take over the Black Moon Pack. For now, until I

can trust you, you can get to know her and then maybe down the track if Lily decides she wants you in

her life we can sort out custody agreements.”

“Shared custody, she is my daughter,”

“Listen to her, Alpha. She has a point. You can’t just rip Aria away from Lily and expect Lily to be okay

with that. Aria is all she has ever known.”

The Alpha seemed to think about it. I heard Michael start to mind link him and blocked him out, giving

them some privacy to speak. Pushing through the bond, I could tell Reid was close.

“Reid you there?”

“Where the fuck are you, Aria? Do you have any idea of the damage you have caused?”

“Calm down, I’m with Alpha David. I will be back at the border soon.” I could tell he was using the bond

to find my location.

“No, I’m coming to get you. Tell David to tell his warriors to let us through or it will be a bloodbath.”

“Just wait there, I will be there soon,” I argued back.

“No, you went against me. This could have been avoided, but you had to defy me. I’m coming to get

you, and that’s final.” He cut off the mind link. I could feel his anger pouring through the link.

“Reid is on his way. Tell your warriors to stand down.” They both stopped talking and looked at me.

Alpha David raised an eyebrow at me. “I tried to stop him, but he is coming anyway. Tell them to stand

down. I don’t want our people hurt.”

“Our people?”

“Yes, I might not be a part of this Pack anymore, but they are still family to me, despite what you may

think. I don’t wish any harm to anyone here. Please.”

“Very well. I will tell them to let them through, and as for Lily, we have a deal for now.”

I smiled, genuinely excited for Lily. She may just get the father she wanted, after all. I always had that

hope for her that this monster would eventually come to his senses and see what a great little girl she

was and how much like Mum she is.

It didn’t take long before we heard cars pulling up in the driveway. Following David and Michael out we

made our way through the Pack house.

It hadn’t changed much. I had so many horrid memories here, but it was home for so long it just felt

familiar, comfortable in a way. Which is absurd, but it was home. It’s where I lived with my mother for 6

years, where some of my earliest memories were. This place will always feel familiar.

Once outside, five black SUVs were parked out the front. Men piled out of the cars, standing alongside

the vehicles. Reid stepped out of the one that was parked in front of the stairs. He only had blue shorts

on, and his chest was bare. He was covered in dirt and sweat. Meeting his eyes, I went to walk down to

him when I noticed him glaring directly at me. I froze on the step. He was furious. My heart skipped a

beat when I heard him speak.

“Aria, get in the fucking car.” I was frozen. I didn’t react which just pissed him off even more. Marching

forward, he gripped my arm, ripping me towards him, making me stumble into him. I heard Michael

growl at him behind me at his forceful grip.

Reid shoved me towards the open rear door. “Get in the car NOW!” he shouted at me, making me

flinch. Alpha David came down the stairs and extended his hand to Reid in a polite gesture, trying to

diffuse the situation, but Reid just spun on his heel and punched him breaking his nose making David

stumble back falling onto the steps.