A Hybrid's Hunger

Chapter 49

Chapter 49

A soft ray of sunlight filters through the curtains, warming my skin as I slowly return to consciousness. The ache in my neck immediately makes it presence known. When I close my eyes again, a flash of yesterday afternoon appears. The teeth that were inches deep into my skin, sharp and deadly, drawing blood and life from me.

The taste of iron fills my mouth once more. My hands instinctively fly to the wound, fingers brushing over the now tender flesh.

It's not as haunting as the past few days have been, or maybe I haven't had the time to register it yet. Maybe.

Footsteps approach, light and quiet, but I still hear them. The door creaks open slowly, revealing Estella. Her face is etched with worry but she tries to cover it up while stepping inside the room to greet me. There's some food in her hands and something warm steaming up from the cup.

"You're awake," she murmurs, moving closer to the bed. She places the tray on the side and reaches me. Her hands are cool as she places them on my forehead, checking for a fever. "How do you feel?"

A bitter laugh escapes me. "Like I was a vampire's dinner."

Her lips quirk into a weak smile. "Well, technically, you were."

I hold my breath and glance at the food. It's not enticing. I'm not even hungry. The pain rushing through my body suppresses my appetite, especially the feel of my throat.

"I don't feel fine," I tell her, my voice still groggy.

"You should, but it does take a couple of days to fully heal." She sits down with concern still lingering in her eyes.

"I feel terrible."

"How terrible?"

I turn to the side while holding onto my stomach. "Like I might just puke."

"How was your rest?" She tries to distract me to from my nausea that has appeared out of nowhere.

"Good," My eyes flutter shut for a moment. "Couldn't even remember sleeping."

"That's good. You need rest, the more the better. And I made some tea, it should help with the taste in your mouth."

I shake my head. "I don't feel like eating or drinking anything."

"That's alright. You can eat whenever you're hungry, or when you feel like it. I'll take it right away." She stands up from the bed and reaches forward to grab the tray she had bought.

"Can you talk to me for a bit?" I ask her.

She halts her movement and nods. "Of course. What do you want to talk about?"

"About all of this," I wave my hand vaguely around the room. "You knew who I was, all this time and you kept it from me as well."

"I was in no position to tell you anything. I followed what Martha believed was best for you and it was to keep all this away from you."

"So then why did Zade bring me here? Why did he choose to go against what he had agreed to years ago?" I question her, my mind racing in the early hours of the morning.

Estella pauses, seeming to gather her thoughts. "You were his mate."

"But he already knew that, didn't he?"

There's a surprised look on her face before she shakes her head. "No. He didn't know that, and neither did any of us. We never thought that you'd be his mate. The night he bought you here was the same time he came to know that you were his mate."

I furrow my brows. All this time I thought he knew I was his mate.

"But—" I take a sharp breath and glance at her. "I thought he knew with all the time we had spent together earlier."

"He didn't. He was about to turn eighteen when you left from here and there was no way to tell that you were his mate. If he had any idea earlier, he would've done everything in his power to keep you close. After all, he would've had a right over you, to claim you."

I'm quiet after that, I don't know what to say. It takes me a minute to register. I recognized Zade as my mate instantly, during the wedding—my wedding, and so did he, but I didn't know anything else.

What was he even doing there that night? Was he there for me? Or was he truly there for another purpose?

I bite my lower lip as a nauseating swirl of emotions hits me all at once. I try to speak, but my throat feels tight. Suddenly, an overwhelming urge to vomit crashes over me. Clamping a hand over my mouth, I lurch to my feet, rushing past Estella and into the washroom.

"Oh God," Estella places her hand over my back as my stomach empties.

The room spins as I lean back. Blood drips from my lips and onto the sink. I don't know if it's my blood or the blood I had drank earlier—Martha's blood.

"Are you feeling okay?" She asks me.

"I don't know," I choke out, holding my stomach and crashing down on the floor. "My throat hurts and it's terrible."

Estella goes for a face towel and dampens it before pressing it to my forehead. "Calm down. Deep breaths."

I cough onto the towel, turning it red instantly. Fear rushes over me as I see more blood. Where is it coming from?

"I want Zade," I rasp out, panic clawing at my chest.

Without hesitation, Estella is on her feet. "I'll get him. Just try to stay calm." She instructs before darting out of the washroom.

I press the towel against my mouth as the metallic taste in my mouth makes me even more nauseous. Leaning back against the cold walls of the washroom, I can hear my own heart pounding with fear of dying, or becoming sick like my mother had been.

Suddenly, a swift gust makes the washroom door fling open and Zade appears, his eyes alarmed. In a heartbeat, he's by my side, his fingers brushing the strands of hair that stick to my damp face.

"Aurora," He makes me look at him. "What's wrong?"

Tears fill my eyes. "It hurts. Everything hurts."

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