THE HYBRID'S MATE, sterek [book 01] ✔

xxxvi. breaking point

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𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐘𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐃'𝐒 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐄

𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘵𝘺-𝘴𝘪𝘹: 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵

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     HE IS DYING.

     There is no doubt in our mind about that fact.

     We have to save him.

     There's only one way.

     Peter heard the voice of one of the Half Bloods. They are keeping Stiles' Mate away from Stiles to make him - and us - suffer for whatever some distant relatives of ours did to him and his family. He believes that we must pay for their mistakes. Oh well. How wrong he is. We won't go down without a goddamn fight. We are Werewolves, Werecoyotes, Kitsune, Kanima, and Chimera. There is no way we are going down without a fight.

     The Packs are unified in this.

     I am broken from my thoughts by a scent. A growl rips its way from my body and my eyes glow dangerously. Clad in skin-tight black clothes, a figure shimmers into existence in front of me. Their brilliant green eyes and contrastingly blond hair are what I notice first, then I notice the dangerously sharp blade in his hand. He is ready to fight if there is any sign of danger - or if I attack him.

     "Half Blood."

     "Werewolf."

     "Chimera, actually."

     "Ah. Makes sense now. Your sense of smell is too sharp to be Werewolf."

     "What do you want? This isn't just a friendly little visit."

     His eyes darken. "Of course not. My brother is dying. Whatever minute Mate Bond has been formed between your friend and my brother, is enough to be killing him."

     "What do you want me to do about it? We're doing all we can at the moment to find this friend of yours to save my friend. As you know, it's going terrible."

     "How long until they die?"

     This time, my eyes darken. "Tomorrow night. We have less than twenty-four hours."

     "Shit!"

     "Help us, Half Blood. If you know what's good for you, and your friend."

     He glares at me. "I am helping you. My friends and I can do very little. There are few loopholes right now. We are being watched, and we are being threatened with the lives of those we care about. Very tight leashes."

     "How exactly are you helping?"

     "We're posted as guards around my friend. You're close to him. You can smell him, can't you?"

     I shake my head. "Only you."

     "Damn. It hasn't worn off yet. Scent hiding magic."

     "How close is your friend?"

     "Very. Find him. That's what you have to do."

• • •

     Malia rolls her eyes. "You're trusting the word of one of these 'Half Bloods'?"

     My patience snaps. "It's all we have! There is nothing else we can go off! Nothing, Malia!"

     Everyone stares at me in shock, silence being a welcoming thing for once. Their shock is pooling in the room and I am struggling to stay in control, my eyes flickering between golden and normal, and my claws digging into my palms. This is affecting me more than the rest of them for some reason, and it has no logical explanation. None whatsoever. It's an antagonising thing, and it is only getting worse.

     Malia is staring at me in shock. I have never snapped at her like that before. Shooting her was one thing, but snapping at her is something completely different. Physical pain heals, but not emotional pain. Time does not heal all wounds, it just teaches us how to live with the pain. That's the difference between physical and emotional pain - one is easily forgotten and the other stays with you forever.

     "Theo, we will find him," Malia says softly, laying her hand on my shoulder. "I promise. We promise. Alright?"

     I stare at her, my eyes burning with salty tears. "What if we don't, Mal? What if we can't save him? What if we can't save either of them? What if we can't save any of them? Stiles. Derek. This other Mate. They're all going to die, and we're going to lose a limb or two. Some of us might even die!"

     Liam's eyes flash red. "Lydia?"

     We all look at the distraught strawberry blonde.

•

     They're looking at me.

     I don't blame them. I must be a mess. I must look insane. I am insane, or I am going insane. Either works at this very moment. The voices are whispering. Someone is going to die. Someone is going to die soon. So very soon. There is going to be no stopping this death, and I am not sure whether it is going to be a good thing or not. There might be pain, and, yet, there might not be pain. It's hard to tell.

     "Lydia?" Liam asks, half shaking me and making me look into his red eyes. "Lydia, talk to me. What's going on?"

     I just stare at him, unable to tell him.

     "Lyds?" Aiden asks, taking hold of my hand.

     I barely react to the sudden contact, my eyes moving to the keys lying on the table in front of me. I stretch out my hand and pick them up, the voices getting louder. I get a closer look at the keys and fight a scream. Stiles' Jeep. It's the keys to Roscoe.

     "No." My voice is shaky and empty, and sounds like it hasn't been used in a long time. "No. Please, no."

     It's getting closer; the inevitable truth. It's building like nothing I have ever sensed before, and it's not showing any signs of slowing. It's worse than the Nogitsune, and I thought that nothing would ever amount to that. For once, I am actually wrong about something. That feeling alone makes me feel sick - no - sicker. Then, I can't help it. I can't hold it back any longer. Too much pressure, too many voices.

     I scream.