THE HYBRID'S MATE, sterek [book 01] ✔

xxxvii. scream [part one]

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𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐘𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐃'𝐒 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐄

𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘵𝘺-𝘴𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯: 𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮
[𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘦]

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Day Two

     THE SCREAM LAST NIGHT can mean only one thing: someone is going to die. Banshees only scream when certain death is going to occur. Whether it is Stiles or not, we are not sure. All we know is that Lydia picked up the keys to Stiles' Jeep and screamed. That alone does not leave very many options. It is either going to be Stiles or someone extremely close to him. That includes his father, and his Pack and Mates.

     Right now we are hunting for Stiles' other Mate. We don't have as long as we'd like, but at least we still have time to find them. Thanks to the surprisingly nice Half Blood that Theo somehow ran into, we know where we have to look now. We have around about one hundred metres cubed to search apparently, and we only have just under twelve hours to find this Mate before three people die for no reason other than some sadistic bastard wanting to make us suffer.

     "Sonya," my Mate says, shaking me gently to bring me out of my thoughts. "We've almost pinpointed the exact building Stiles' Mate is in."

     I smile properly for the first time in weeks. "Finally. We don't have much more time."

     "We have twelve hours," one of Stiles' friends mutter. "We have plenty of time. If we can't find them within that time frame, what good are we as supernatural creatures and Pack members? We may as well be dying with Stiles."

     "Isaac!" the Huntress snaps, whacking him over the head with her bow. "Stop it. Alright? We're going to find him. I promise."

     His eyes flash as a growl leaves him. "You're Human, you can't physically feel the Pack Bond. It is literally impossible for you to ever feel it now. You have no clue how this feels."

     "We aren't even in his Pack, Isaac. There is no Pack Bond."

     "We are actually," Scott interrupts. "Derek's not here, and that means that we automatically become a part of Stiles' and Liam's Pack."

     Isaac nods in agreement. "That and there isn't really two Packs. Derek's and Stiles' Mate Bond has linked the two Packs together. We just act like we're two Packs as to keep up pretences and keep complete control over Beacon Hills. Two Packs are better than one."

     I frown, trying to wrap my mind around what Isaac just attempted to explain. "So, what you are saying is that your two Packs are all one Pack, but, at the same time, you are two Packs?"

     Isaac and Scott nod in synchronisation.

     Cayden chuckles next to me. "Of course. Everything that Stiles told us makes more sense now."

     Gabriel bursts out laughing. "Oh my god. That means..."

     He continues laughing and cuts off in mid-sentence. Nick gives his brother a strange look, but there is a grin forming on his face. Kassidy giggles herself and then it turns into fully-fledged laughter. That causes a chain reaction. Nick starts to laugh as well. William has tears running down his face from laughter and is leaning against a wall to remain standing, his whole body shaking and making him slide down the wall until he is sitting on the ground. Cayden just grins, no laughter escaping the usually stoic Kitsune beside me. At that, a smile works its way onto my face and I chuckle.

     "Do we want to know?" the True Alpha asks, smiling slightly at our antics.

     We all shake our heads, laughter continuing to fill the air.

•

     The thing is, there never were three Packs. Stiles knew that from the very beginning. Everyone else just took a longer time to realise that fact that was all too clear to the former Human. Then again, was he ever really Human? He certainly never acted like one or treated himself like one. He was always running around and throwing himself into dangerous situations as if he was actually a supernatural creature all those years ago. He wanted to be accepted by his friends, and, by acting as if he was one of them, he felt as though that was what was making him accepted. In reality, that was never what they accepted him for; they accepted him for who he was - who he is.

     "Will!" Kassidy screeches, dragging me from my thoughts.

     Terror flies through me. "Kassidy!"

     "We have company!"

     We all share a look and run as fast as supernaturally possible to reach our Packs, stopping dead in our tracks as we come face-to-face with a black clad figure. A snarl rips its way from my vocal cords and my eyes flashing white with anger. Responding growls and snarls rick-rocket off the walls of the buildings around us, eyes flashing so many colours and causing the figure to shift his stance, obviously threatened and on edge.

     "Stop!" Theo yells out, running over to us with Malia, the twins, and Danny in tow. "He helped me! He helped us!"

     I stop growling and stare at the figure with distrust. Theo may trust him, but I don't.

     "I take it we're close."

     The figure nods, looking over at Theo. "Yes."

     "How close?"

     "I'm the designated guard today. My step-sister is about to switch out with me."

     "What's the radius?"

     "From here? About fifty metres."

     "Do we have enough time?" I ask, pushing aside my apprehension. "Can we find him with enough time to spare?"

     The figure seems to be giving me a 'what are you on' look, but I can't tell due to the hood covering his face. "Of course you can find him with enough time to spare. Unless, of course, you're a bunch of irrelevant and ridiculous-"

     "Stop it." A female voice rings out through the complex. "We don't have time for this. Our brother is dying, and so is their friend. So, get your priorities straight."

     "Who the hell are you?" Theo asks, an edge appearing in his voice.

     "I'm your friend's Mate's sister. That's all you need to know as of right now."