A Hybrid's Hunger

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

My mother's dying—I know it and everyone knows it. There's no way to save her. She's going to go away soon.

"Can I get you something to eat? You haven't in days, Mama." I whisper, my voice soft as I sit next to her with her hands wrapped around mine. I want to hold her for as long as I can before I no longer can.

A smile cracks over her face and she shakes her head. "It's alright. I don't really want to eat anything right now. Maybe just a little jasmine tea. It soothes my throat." She knows if she denies it entirely, I'll spend the rest of the day sitting next to her and forcing her to eat something.

I pull my hand away from her and rise up from the bed. "I'll get some of it."

She opens her mouth to say something but stops a moment later. I rush out in the meantime and turn on the stove before placing some water over it. It takes a minute to warm and in that minute, I pace back and forth while biting the insides of my cheek.

I don't know what to do.

It hurts me to see her like this, completely miserable and helpless. She's getting weak day by day and nothing's helping her, not even the medicines I have bought already.

Only last week, she stopped walking and doing chores. The pain in her muscles became terrible, and in no time, she was going to be paralyzed neck and nothing could stop her from her death.

Expect blood from a vampire.

The water boiled to the top of the pan and I snap to reality before turning around and switching off the stove. The handle burns in my hand as I pour the water into a cup and dip a jasmine tea bag inside before carrying it into her room. By the time I reach, she's sitting up on the bed, her back pressed against the headboard behind her.

"Here you go," I sit by her side and give her the tea. "If you need anything else to eat, I'll get it for you, Mama. I hate seeing you like this and food gives you energy. Please, have something." I beg her after seeing her terrifying condition.

The bags underneath her eyes worsen.

"Maybe by evening, Aurora." She responds before sipping her tea. Her eyes fill up with ease as she begins to take steady breaths. The jasmine tea truly soothes her and it's surprising.

I never knew that it contains healing properties, especially for werewolves like us.

"I'll get some vegetables from the market, and I'll cook them for dinner," I suggest.

"Maybe some steak."

I chuckle at her response and shake my head, "It isn't good for you in this condition. Vegetables would be better, Mama." I tell her, as softly as I can.

"Just a little bit won't hurt. I'm already dying. Steak isn't going to quicken my death." She says, barely any emotion in her voice.

My lips part in surprise and I reach forward, pressing my hand over her arm. "Don't say that again. And you're not going to die any time soon. We still have a lot of time to spend together. Steak isn't good for your condition, so we are not eating that tonight. Maybe some other day." My fingers tighten over her arm before I finish.

She nods and agrees, knowing what meat can do to her condition. It isn't an unheard of condition that no one knows about. Everyone knows. When a vampire bites a werewolf, a venom is released into the bloodstream which poisons the heart and drains the blood from one's body.

Day by day, the bitten werewolf begins to rot and in less than a month, it's meant to die and nothing can stop the process to go through except for vampire blood.

Vampire blood heals the venom released into the body and protects the bitten werewolf from rotting and dying.

All kinds of meat can quicken the process of death for a bitten werewolf. It's safer to have other foods and vegetables to live for as long as one can.

My mother was bitten nearly two months ago, when she was out in her werewolf form, stretching her limbs and taking a run. Suddenly, a vampire appears from nowhere and bites her, giving her the venom that races in his own bloodstream.

There aren't many vampires around, most of them ceased to exist as they all have been killed or buried, but some still lurk, in the darkness, waiting to attack and kill, or give a werewolf their curse, leading them to their deaths.

No one saw it coming.

I never did.

It was a boring Sunday morning when Mama returned from the run and showed me the bite. I instantly became aware of what was going to happen. She was going to die soon as she hadn't been fed a vampire's blood.

It's nearly impossible to find another vampire who'd give her his blood. They don't want to help us—they hate us and we hate them in return. They threaten our kind and our alpha's kill them all whenever they find one.

The vampire that bit my mother isn't caught—not yet, but the alpha promises he'll find him soon and kill him.

Mama still manages to survive for two months, it's a surprise, but death's coming closer to her, and in less than a week, it can come and take her away forever.

I don't want to think about death even when I know it's real.

I head out after tucking Mama into the bed with her tea. She sits and watches TV while I scour through the market to find something to make for dinner. There are plenty of vegetables, but I'm picky. I can't choose and there are other things racing in my mind.

The deaths of bitten werewolves—there have been three this year and the fourth is going to be my Mama unless there's a way to save her.

I pick some vegetables after a long time and pack them up before heading to my car. I stare ahead into the parking lot and envy all the families that come out with their parents and children. It's the beginning of a weekend and everyone in town is outside, enjoying their lives while I count the days to my mother's death.

A tear spills from my eye and trails down my cheek. I don't wipe it away, but I surely look away from the families parking their cars in front of me and getting out with their children.

The engine stammers as I start it and drive out of the parking lot. Just as I reach the main road, I see more people, more pack wolves rushing here and there, enjoying their evening.

I drive past the pack house that's settled in the middle of the town. It's where Alpha Gabriel stays with a few of his trusted wolves.

Just as I reach the signal to my house, my phone begins to ring. At first, my heart drops, thinking it's my mother but when I glance at the caller ID, I find Alpha Gabriel calling me.

My brows furrow, but I quickly pick up the call.

"Hello, Alpha." I say, my tone dull and filled with sorrow. Nothing can make me happy anymore, not after seeing my mother in her last few days.

"Hello, Aurora. Is it possible for you to come to the pack house? I've something for you and you might be interested in it more than you think." He says, a hint of mystery in his voice.

I consider for a moment and believe it's something that could help my mother. Or why else would he ask me to meet him at the pack house?

"I can come. What is it, Alpha?" I ask, my voice now tinged with a slight hint of hope, but not too much. I don't want to break my expectations for no reason.

"It's something I can't explain over the phone. You'll have to come and see for yourself." Alpha Gabriel responds.

I nod to myself, knowing it won't do any harm to go and check it out. "Okay, I'll be there in a few minutes."

"I'll be waiting."

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