Silver Is For Werewolves-BOOK 2 IN THE Garlic Is For Vampires Series-

Chapter 8: Blood Relative

The ride home was silent. I couldn't even hear the New York traffic as Brendon drove back to the apartment. My hands were shaking in my lap and I held my bloody hand in my good one. Brendon pulled into the underground garage for the apartment building and then we walked towards the elevator door.

"We'll clean up your hand right now," he said. He was checking text messages on his phone. He grimaced. "It's my boss. He's wondering where I'm at."

"You can go back to work," I said nonchalantly. "You don't have to worry about me. I can take it from here."

"Not after what happened," he said. "I'm not going to leave you right now, Bree-lee. You need to trust that work isn't important to me right now like you are."

I looked up at him and nodded my okay. I knew he wasn't a workaholic but he didn't always have to worry about me-okay, I was lying. I was absolutely terrified by what would happen if I handled things without him. I didn't know what to do right now so I just stayed quiet.

We stepped into the apartment and Brendon brought out the first-aid kit. I let him work on my hand, grimacing when I saw the angry red flesh on my nail bed for the nail that came right off. And I painted my nails a nice black. What a way to get rid of a good manicure. I dialed Skylark's number and put him on speaker. His phone rang for an eternity until he answered. "Bree," he said shortly. Almost like he was being a bit uptight today.

"We have a problem," I said, looking down at my phone.

"Okayyy...well, you have some skill in fighting. I'm sure you can handle it."

"Her father is alive," Brendon finally spat out. "Your best friend, Mason Cast, is alive."

"I saw my father fight a hybrid to save me," I said. "I thought hybrids didn't exist unless Dylan created them."

Skylark was silent. I heard his breathing quicken. "I hear you," he said, a little empty-minded. "But I don't believe you. How-what-where did you see him?"

"At school," I said with a snort in my voice. "I've been seeing him at school and today he was following me around. I hid but ended up getting attacked by a hybrid. Then he killed it. And he left."

"He didn't say anything else?"

"No." Then, in a low voice, I said, "I wish he did, though."

"It's impossible that Bree's father is still alive," Brendon said as he finished fixing my hand. "We dug up his coffin. His skeleton was there, and Bree's necklace. He left a video explaining things."

"He faked it, then," Skylark grumbled. "I shouldn't be surprised. Well, what did he look like?"

"Like he did in the video, but healthier," I said with a skeptic frown. "And a little younger. I almost didn't recognize him except for the eyes."

"Well, your father is alive. Hybrids exist. I need a drink and books to learn more about what might be happening. If your father turned up with a hybrid, of all creatures, that can't be good. I haven't heard of a hybrid before, even after his supposed death. What did it look like?"

"Like a-like a mad vampire," I said, closing my eyes to visualize the hybrid. "But his eyes were different colors. One was black, and the other an orange red. He didn't have pupils."

"Sounds like a demon to me," Brendon chipped in, packing up the first-aid.

"I agree," Skylark said. "But I can't be sure. Give me a few hours and I'll see what I can do. For now just stay home. Especially you, Bree. If your father has been following you, then he wants something. I'm not even sure he's your father."