Hybrid

Forest Floor

"Cancer?" Maria asked.

"How could it be cancer?" I followed her train of thought.

"The cure is acting like a cancer in your body in that it's multiplying rapidly at such a rate that the cells aren't fully forming, which means that they can't support life." The doctor looked on Maria with pity.

"But all the blood transfusions," Maria said.

"I'm not sure why they aren't working because they do remove the cure from your body at the time we do them. It's like you're getting doses of the cure somehow," The doctor suggested.

"Food," Maria whispered.

It had become blatantly obvious her parents were trying to suppress her wolf as best as possible, and most likely knew more than we thought they did.

"If she doesn't take in any more of the cure, do you think she can heal?" I asked.

"It can't hurt, but I won't be able to know until that happens," The doctor said.

We left the office with no game plan to work with, taking a shortcut through the woods to not be seen, "If I were to bring you food in school, do you think you can not eat dinner at home?"

Maria considered it, "I guess it's worth a shot. I can always say that the food poisoning makes me not want to eat."

"That's how it's going to have to be. I hate seeing you sick." I pulled Maria into my chest.

"Not that it's a competition, but I hate being sick a little more than you hate seeing me sick," Maria spoke into my chest.

"Wait." I pushed Maria back so I could see her face, "Your father said he had cured other wolves before, so what happened to them?"

"I don't know," Maria said.

"Maybe he knows you're dying," I said.

Maria's face didn't change at my revelation, "I thought so."

"And you're going to stay at his house even when you know he's trying to kill you?" I asked.

"I won't risk the safety of the wolves because I'm in danger. I can handle myself," Maria said.

She tried to part ways with me after that, leaving me to stop her, "I'm not comfortable letting you in that house."

Maria bounced on her heels, groaning as she did so like a small child that was just told they couldn't eat cake before dinner. When she was done with her act, she became really serious. As a wolf, she spent most of her time acting very serious and I had missed that side of her, the side that was in control.

"You mean the world to me, you know that. The plan is to leave as soon as I'm well enough. Until then, you need to let me do what I think is best," Maria spoke slowly as if she was explaining herself to a dumbass.

"I don't like the condescending tone. I understand what you're doing, I just don't like it," I replied in the same tone she had given me.

She pursed her lips, inhaling such a large breath that I expected her lungs to pop. When she let go of the breath, she let go of the face. I didn't mind the amount of time she was wasting with being dramatic because it meant she wasn't in that house for at least a few more seconds.

"Also," I stepped closer to her, "You don't get to control me anymore."

"I never did that." Maria scrunched up her face in confusion.

"I'm the alpha, and until you're an alpha as well, you're under my control," I teased.

"I am, and always will be the alpha." Maria's face grew angry.