Hybrid

Chapter 17

A massive building stands in front of us. We don't stay long out of fear of being detected, but now we know where the hybrids are. That's something.

We go back to my house, and the three of us jump onto the roof and sneak through my bedroom window. "What are you guys going to do now that you know where their base is?" Mara asks.

"I don't know. It's not like we can. . ." I trail off when I notice someone sitting on the armchair in the corner of my room. I didn't notice her when we first snuck back into my room. She's looking up at us with wide eyes, a book laying forgotten in her lap.

I walk over to Ellie and lean over, grabbing her sides tot tickle. "What are you doing in here, you little stinker?" I ask as she laughs.

"Brynn, stop!" she screams happily, trying to shove my hands away.

"Tell me what you were doing in my room," I say. I stop tickling her, and her laughter dies away. The smile still remains on her face though, her eyes sparkling with joy.

"I needed a new book to read. Mommy said you had a lot I could choose from." She holds up the forgotten in her lap. It's The Book Jumper Mechthild Gläser. "Where were you?"

"Doing something really important," I tell her.

Her eyes skip over Mara, who is of no interest to her, and land on Max. He spikes her interest. She stares at him for a few seconds, turns back to me, and asks, "Who is he?" She points at him, just to clarify.

"That's Max," I say, not elaborating on it. I'm not mad that she's in my room, but I don't think I'm ready to tell my family about him just yet. If I can get Ellie to keep him a secret for now, everything will be just peachy.

"You must be Ellie," he smiles.

I can't put it into words how much it warms my heart and sets my body on fire that he knows who she is. He's never met any of my family members before. He's only seen pictures and knows whatever I've told him about them. He remembered her name despite how confusing it is to keep all my siblings straight.

He's perfect.

Max is completely, utterly, perfectly perfect.

How did I get so lucky to be mated with someone as amazing as him?

I watch Ellie's eyes light up when he says her name. He just earned major brownie points with her.

"Yeah, I am!" she smiles. "Are you Brynn's boyfriend?"

So much for trying to keep it a secret.

"Um," Max says, and he looks at me with questioning eyes.

I take a deep breath, turn back to Ellie, and say, "Max is my mate."

Ellie gasps. "You met your mate?" she says loudly, and I shush her even louder.

"El, no one else knows. It's a secret for now," I tell her quietly.

"Why is it a secret?"

"Because. . . there's a lot of stuff we have to figure out before we tell anyone," I say, hoping it's a good enough explanation for her. She's only eight, but she's also smarter than me sometimes. She's seems satisfied with the answer, thank the moon goddess. "Can you promise me you won't tell anyone?"

"Pinky promise," she says, her tone dead serious. She holds up her pinky, and I hook mine around it.

"If you break this promise, you owe me big time," I tease, wrapping her in a huge.

"I won't break it," Ellie says, her little arms hooked around my neck. It's in this moment that I'm once again reminded that Ellie is my half sister. I close me eyes, and I realize that I don't care how we're related. Ellie and every other member of my family is still my family. I can't be mad at my parents anymore for not telling me the truth, and I don't want to hide something this big from them anymore.