The Hybrid

5: Willow

"I'm ready," I say as I step out of my mother and I's hut. I guess I should call it my old hut now.

After an extensive conversation between my mother, Bennett, and me in which he explained they simply would like to observe me and learn about my species through safe and harmless methods and my mother laid out several conditions which included keeping me safe and my hybrid status confidential, it was finally time to say goodbye.

I said goodbye to everyone, leaving my mother for last.

"So, I guess this is it," She says.

I blink to rid my eyes of unshed tears and smile at her, "Yeah, I guess so."

She pulls me into a tight hug.

"Make sure to write to me or something while you're there," She says as she pulls away.

"Okay."

"I'm serious, Willow. If more than 2 moons pass without me hearing from you I will come to that kingdom myself."

I laugh, "You don't even know where it is,"

She smiles, "Oh, I'll find it. Nothing can keep me away from my Willow bug for too long."

Willow Bug. She hasn't called me that in so long. I know it was my decision to leave and go to the C.K, but now that it's actually happening it just seems so surreal. I was leaving home and my mother to go to a vampire kingdom where they were planning on doing all sorts of tests and experiments on me to learn about me and all just so could I be closer to my vampire prince of a mate who doesn't even seem to care about me. If that didn't sound like the most bizarre thing ever then I don't know what does. Despite my anxiety about the days to come, somehow no part of what was about to happen sounded more frightening than the idea of leaving my mom. It's always been me and her against the world and now I was going out into the world with just me. That thought alone was almost enough to make me tuck my tail and go back on my decision. I have to continuously remind myself why I am doing all this.

I not only needed to protect my pack, but I needed to be with Beck. Even if he didn't seem to be taking to bond like I wanted, I don't think I could be away from him. I couldn't just let him go after seeing him, inhaling his scent, hearing his voice...there was no way I could just go back to acting like my mate didn't exist because he did and he was real and he was mine.

Whether he wanted to be or not.

I take a deep breath and square my shoulders, standing tall like Mom always taught me.

"I gotta go now, Mommy."

She sighs and looks to Bennett who was standing behind me, "Take care of her."

"Of course," He says with such sincerity that I almost believe him.

My mother nods and gives me one more hug and kiss on the cheek before she steps away from me and lets me turn around.

Bennett gives me a small smile but it does little to comfort me, "Are you ready?"

I nod.

"We told the rest of our men to go home already but we are going to glimmer back to the C.K," He says.

"Okay," I say slowly as he gently takes my hand "What's that?"

"It's a form of transportation that witches and warlocks use to get around. It's what Christie did earlier to get our message to the king."

"Why can't we just run?" I ask.

Call me crazy, but some witchy form of transportation just doesn't sound safe.