Hybrid Aria by Jessica Hall

Chapter 23

Aria’s POV

Driving back to the Pack house, Reid didn’t say much. He seemed to be thinking about what I said.

After about ten minutes, he finally spoke. “Do you know why I hate Hybrids?”

Shaking my head, I looked over at him. Reid was staring out the window. “No, I don’t know,” I said.

Reid thought for a few moments before speaking again.

“I wasn’t an only child. I had an older brother: his name was Alexander. He was 4 years older than me,

and he was meant to take over the Pack when my father died. He never got the chance, though. When

I was fourteen, my father took me away on Pack business with him. My mother and older brother

stayed behind. Alexander was meant to go, but I begged my father to take me instead. We were gone

for three days when my father got called through the Pack link saying the Pack house was under

attack. We shifted and ran all the way home. My father screamed in agony every time he felt a Pack

members link break, but he didn’t stop running because he knew his Pack needed him. When we

arrived at the Pack house…” Reid went quiet, trying to find the words to express what haunts him.

“When we reached the Pack house, Pack members bodies were strewn across the place. Men,

women, even the children that didn’t have a chance to get to the bunkers. All ripped to pieces, their

blood staining the soil where they lay. My brother was fighting for his life and the Packs, but we were

outnumbered. My father screamed, clutching his chest. It was the most agonised scream I had ever

heard. I felt like my chest was being crushed. I will never forget the feeling of my mother’s link

breaking. My brother dropped to the ground feeling it too, feeling my father’s heartbreak through the

Pack link. I ran towards my brother to help when a man put his hand through his chest, ripping his heart

out right in front of me. I killed the man, ripping him limb from limb. The last image of my brother has

haunted my dreams ever since...” Reid’s hand clenched into tight fists white-knuckled he continued.

“When my father managed to get to his feet, he became crazed at the loss of his mate, my mother. The

loss of my brother was the last straw. He slaughtered every single one of them. We lost half the pack

that day. My father wiped out the entire other Pack, every single person. He didn’t care if they were

involved or not, he went after them anyway. They were a rival Pack, my father had a dispute with them

a few weeks before. They waited for my father to leave so they could attack, and they enlisted the help

of the Hybrids. I hate them for what they did, not just the fact that they killed my family but for what they

did to my mother. The Hybrids ripped her to pieces. It took us hours to find her entire body.

“My father went on a rampage and killed every Hybrid in the city with my help. I promised him I would

kill every Hybrid I came across, promised to keep the Pack safe. A few years after, when I was sixteen,

my father took his own life. My father couldn’t handle the pain of losing his mate. I found him hanging

from the ceiling in my office. Losing a mate will send a wolf crazy or make them bitter and angry. My

father went crazy and killed himself, leaving the Pack to me. That’s why I hate Hybrids. It doesn’t

matter if they weren’t involved. I have seen what they can do, I know the destruction they are capable

of.”

I sat silently listening to everything he said, letting it sink in. He didn’t look at me or add anything else.

Reid just sat there gazing out the window trapped in his memories. Reaching over, I grabbed his hand.

Reid ripped his hand out of my grip, and a growl escaped his lips, making me flinch and pull my hand

back. We had pulled up outside the Pack house. Opening the door, Reid walked inside, slamming the

car door behind him, leaving me sitting in the car. I felt terrible not because he rejected me but because

he had his own secrets, his own pain. A pain I couldn’t take from him. Feeling through the bond, I could

feel how hard he struggles with himself being around me, but at the same time, I could feel how much

he rejects those feelings, pushing them aside for me. I felt guilty. I know I didn’t kill his family, but that

didn’t make me feel any less guilty knowing that my kind were the ones to cause his heartbreak and

knowing I was also making him break the promise he made to his father.

After a few minutes lost in my own thoughts, Zane came over, opening the door. He waited for me to

get out. “Let him calm down. He doesn’t mean to push you away.”

“I know,” I said, hopping out of the car. Zane looked at me, worriedly. “I’m fine, Zane. Reid is the one

that needs you, not me.” Zane nodded his head, following his Alpha.

Walking into the Pack house, I find Lily, who is in the kitchen talking to Wendy excitedly about the

upcoming celebrations. Looking at Lily, it made me think of what Reid said about losing a mate. How it

sends a wolf crazy. Alpha David lost his mate, my mother. I could, for the first time, understand what he

went through. I know if something were to happen to Reid, it would kill me. The mate bond was that

strong, it would be like losing a piece of your soul. How was David able to live with it? I couldn’t forgive

all the horrid things he had done, how he rejected Lily, but for the first time, I did understand it. He

blamed her even though she didn’t deserve that blame.

For the first time since my mother died, I felt sorry for him, but sorry doesn’t erase what he has done.

Sorry doesn’t make me think any better of him. I just hope one day Lily could have a father figure in her

life that adores her. But if not, she always has me. I will always make sure she knows that above

everything. That her happiness will always be more important than everything else that life throws at

us. But to keep her safe I will have to try to speak to her father. They may never build a relationship like

I used to hope they would when she was baby, but I also didn’t want to risk Reid’s Pack, our Pack, if we

were to go to war.

I know Reid would go to war if we needed to keep her safe. I just hope it doesn’t come to that, and if

there is any way to stop it, I promise Lily I will try. After all, as much as I can’t stand David, it doesn’t

change the fact that he is her father. Lily may want nothing to do with him now, but that could change

when she is older, and if there is a chance they could build a relationship, I will have to make sure she

gets that chance. So, for now, I need to find a way to defuse the situation before it becomes out of

hand.

Walking over to Lily and Wendy, they walked out the back onto the patio area that overlooked the pool

and backyard. Following behind them, the first thing I noticed was heaps of Pack members. There were

about a hundred people in the yard setting up long tables and placing out chairs. There were men

setting up what looked like a DJ station and dance floor. Women were happily chatting amongst

themselves, setting the tables. A large group of teenagers were hanging lights from the trees and on

the huge gazebos. How did they set up all this in the time while we were gone? Everyone seemed

buzzed and excited about the ceremony. I wondered if they would feel so excited when they discovered

they have a Hybrid for a Luna. I suddenly felt inadequate. I was a noone, now I’m expected to help lead

the Pack.

Wendy, noticing me, walks over, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. “This is all for you, Luna, you

and Lily. The Pack members are excited to meet their Luna finally. We never thought Reid was going to

find his mate. He has always been so closed off to everyone until you came into the picture, so

everyone is naturally curious.”

Her words only made me more anxious. Stepping away from her, I made my way back inside. Deciding

to go upstairs, I walked into Reid’s room, not really knowing where else I could hide from everyone. I

looked for a linen cupboard, wanting to take a shower, but couldn’t find one after a few minutes. I

walked back downstairs to the hallway. Walking past the bedrooms before coming to Alpha Reid’s

office, next to it was a cupboard and opening it, I grabbed a towel out. As I was about to turn to walk

back upstairs, I heard talking. “Calm down Alpha, if you go back and kill him, Aria will never forgive

you.”

“I don’t fucking care. I hate them, hate them all.” I quickly dropped my head going to walk off back to

the stairs when the floor creaked. Looking through the gap of the door. I made eye contact with Reid,

who was glaring directly at me. His canines protruding, his face was distorted with anger. I couldn’t

seem to pull my gaze away from him. His anger was strong, thick, reaching to me through the bond. I

suddenly felt like my blood was boiling, making me feel hot. His anger was burning hot and unrelenting.

Zane stepped into my line of vision, breaking my eye contact. He looked at me, smiling sadly before

closing the door.

Running to the room, I locked the door before walking into the bathroom. His anger scared me. I felt

frightened of what he might do if I pissed him off. I knew he can’t kill me without destroying himself, but

that didn’t make me fear him any less in this moment. Jumping in the shower, I turned the taps on,

washing my body with the shower gel and a loofa. I washed myself slowly, not wanting to get out of the

shower. My muscles were tense, and I was on edge. After about five minutes, I heard the door handle

to the bedroom break. It dropped to the floor with a soft thud. My heart skipped a beat, and my stomach

dropped when I heard the door handle to the bathroom twist before opening.

Dread consuming me, I froze. Reid’s imposing frame walked in. Watching him, I had the sudden urge to

not turn my back on him. He was still angry. Reid stripped his clothes off before stepping into the

shower and turning on the other showerhead at the other end on the wall. Putting his head under the

hot stream of water, I watched his shoulders relax, and he let out a breath. I quickly washed my hair

before turning my own shower off. Grabbing my towel that was sitting on the sink basin, I quickly

wrapped it tightly around my body. When I looked up, Reid was staring at me, his jaw clenched and

eyes blazing. Rushing out of the bathroom, I quickly closed the door behind me.

Sitting on the bed was a dark aqua coloured dress. The dress was beautiful, it was a mid-thigh off-

shoulder silhouette with a plunging neckline which would show a lot of cleavage. Picking up the dress, I Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

stared at it. I couldn’t remember the last time I wore a dress, maybe when I was a little girl. I wouldn’t

usually wear something so revealing. Next to the dress was a blue suit, which must be what Reid will

be wearing. Wrapping the towel tighter, I went to the draw and pulled out some underwear. The dress

wouldn’t allow for a bra, so I slipped my panties on, just as the door opened. Wendy and Christine

excitedly stepped in. “You like the dress?” asked Christine excitedly.

“It’s gorgeous but don’t you think it’s a bit revealing?”

“Nonsense, it will look great. Come on, let’s get you changed,” said Christine grabbing my hand, pulling

me from the room and down the stairs to her room. Christine was wearing a lilac floor-length dress.

Wendy was wearing a strapless blue mid-length dress that flared out at the bottom. Both of them

looked stunning.