◇The Hybrid◆

chapter 51

"get up" an alarming voice booms through my small dark cell, jolting me awake with a full force kick to my gut. 

I curl up in a tighter ball, trying to keep my body heat. They've kept me naked in a cold, dark cell a lot like in a jail but no food or toilet. Not that I have any body fluids to release. It's been my third day without water and my body is just about ready to give up. 

I let out a whimper when a gust of chilled air rushes over my body. The evil boy standing next to my curled body was blowing on me. How much sicker can he get?

I hear him sigh and his shoes scuff on the floor when he kneels next to me. "please, Layla, get up. I'm here to give you water" Brandon says softly. 

"I thought you weren't allowed to" my throat scratches more with every word. I'm pretty sure there's blood dribbling out of the dry cracks in my mouth. From the pain I can't hold in the tears that smear the dirt on my face. Something scratched in the back of my throat, causing me to cough and blood to splatter out. 

"damn it. Just drink this, please" he begs, putting the dark glass in my hand. 

"I don't want your pity water" I push the cup away and the clear liquid falls out of the cup onto the dirty floor. 

He has to grit his teeth to keep from screaming at me. "I'm trying to help you" his voice growls but his eyes show love. 

I shake my head and cough again, blood splattering on the ground. 

"you're going to die" his voice cracks. 

"not soon enough" I whisper. I let my head rest on the ground, the cool cement calming my headache just enough where my face isn't scrunched up from pain overload. 

"my orders are to make you suffer, not die"

"love is supposed to rule over all, not orders from your dick alpha" I spit, blood mixed with my saliva. 

A irresistible growl escapes his mouth. No wolf can help but growl when someone insults their Alpha. 

"If you drink the water I'll talk to him about letting you back out. You could use the exercise. We might as well keep your muscles working before they turn to jell-o" 

"can't I just die from dehydration in peace?" my voice sounds like one of those people in the movies where their voice is all strained and they're begging for water. Except I will never beg to the enemy. I have enough pride where  I will die with my dignity and never give in to beg for my life. That's exactly what they want from me, to beg for my life. 

"no" Brandon shakes his head. "I'm going to go get another glass of water and you're going to drink it, even if I have to force it down your throat. I'll even bring a bread roll, but that'll be your choice to eat it or not" 

He leans in closer to me and plants a warm kiss on my purple cheek. "I'll get you a blanket or something. You don't deserve to freeze to death, and that's not what the Alpha wants.. you're safe here, even if it doesn't feel like it. You can trust me" 

His eyes move away from me and to the chains shackled on my ankles. He picks one up in his hand and squeezes it so hard I think it might actually break some how, but it doesn't. 

"I won't let you die in here" he whispers. Both of his hands cup my cheeks. The warmness makes some of the olive coloring come back and I don't feel so cold anymore. The fact that he's my mate helps with the warmness. "but I need your help. You need to fight to stay alive, don't let your body give in. Stay strong, Layla. Please, it'll be over soon" He kisses my forehead then stands and walks to the cell door, opening it,  walking out, closing it, and locking me in.. again. 

I don't know how much more my body can take. I felt it as soon as his hands left my cheeks. I knew my face was a pale purple and my lips dark blue. I can't take it anymore, but I know that if I hold on a little longer I might just get out of here. 

But I also know that saving my life means giving up Jay's. Even though they're going to keep him alive, he's going to wish he was dead. I know he left here for a good reason, and I don't want to be the one to bring him back. 

It's like he escaped hell. I'm not going to be the one to drag him back down to the fiery pit. 

Brandon returns, kneeling by my side once more. Three items were in his hands; A glass of water, a dinner roll, and a small blanket. He sets the water and roll down while covering my body in the blanket. Even while my body was curled up in a ball, it just barely covered me. It was scratchy and thin, but way better than nothing. 

He held out the glass of water and stared at me intensely, waiting for me to take it from him.

"take it"

I shake my head.

"take it" he says again. 

I close my eyes and let slow breaths in and out. I could hear his breathing increasing as he tried to keep calm. 

"I don't want to fight with you, but I will" he warns. "you have five seconds to drink this by yourself before I make you" he does his best to keep his voice warm and welcoming, but it still sounds cold and deadly. 

"I don't want it"

I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of taking his help, even though I desperately needed it. 

"don't be stubborn, drink the god damn water" he grits his teeth and locks his jaw. 

I'm making him mad, and maybe if I get enough of a rise out of him he'll lash out and kill me himself. I just want to be done with this. My body can't take it and neither can I. 

"I said, I don't want it" I repeat, my voice getting weaker and quieter. 

"but you need it" he seemed to calm his voice, but I could still hear his rapid breathing. He was slowly breaking at the sight of me dying and my refusal to survival was making it worse. 

"too bad" my voice was so quiet and strained that I could barely even hear it, I'm surprised he did. 

I heard him snarl and a scraping noise from his werewolf claws scratching the concrete. "I can't take this anymore than you can, so you best help both of us out and fucking drink it" he yelled. 

I shook my head again and squeezed my eyes tighter when he stood up. He was about to strike me and I prepared myself for the searing pain that was to come. I was ready to die, but they had other plans. 

"Brandon! get the hell out here, we need your help! there's an intruder and I'm pretty sure you have a good idea of who it is.. and he brought company" Lucas yelled. He was standing on the other side of my cell door.

I opened my eyes and looked up at Brandon. When I looked in his eyes, I thought I would see fear or terror.. but I saw relief. 

"you're finally going to get out of here" he whispered so only I could here it. 

"Brandon!" Lucas screamed again and Brandon ran up to him, leaving the cell door open. Just as he was stepping out, I thought I saw something fall out of his pocket and the clink  that I heard when it hit the ground confirmed my suspicion. 

I looked closer, stretching my neck as far as it would go. It was exactly what I thought it was.

The key.