Hybrid

Chapter 37

The smile is wiped off my face. I don't even realize that his mind link is working again.

In the silence that follows after Max's mind link, I'm able to sense the hybrids. I can smell them, and I'm surprised I didn't hear them sooner.

"Brynn?" Mara says, her smile gone as well. Her eyes are wide and set on me. "What's wrong?"

"Max. They're here."

She swallows this information, and then she stands up. She reaches out her hands for me to grab, and when I do, she pulls me up to my feet.

I stumble to the doorway of my room after Mara, but she's not having it. She turns around and abruptly grabs my face between her hands. "Brynn." The stern tone of her voice makes me snap my eyes to her.

"Listen, I know this situation sucks, but you need to shape the fuck up right now. I love you, but you need to pull yourself together before we leave this room. If you can't, you're not going to be able to save Max. Is that what you want?"

Her harsh words are exactly what I need to hear. Her intentions are the farthest from being harsh, and that's what flips the switch inside of me. I wipe the remaining tears from my eyes and set my gaze into battle mode. Mara smirks, "There's the bad bitch."

"Let's go," I say, and then I'm the one leading Mara. With each step I take downstairs, I can feel and smell the fumes of the concoction working their magic inside of me. It's not a good magic, and I escape out the back door as fast as possible. Mara rejoins Hayden in the kitchen so they can put this plan into action.

The scent of the hybrids invades everything. The scent, the noise, the physical weight suddenly appearing in my chest. I don't see them near the house, but one quick moment of stillness to focus specifically on my hearing is enough to tell me that they're in the direction of the pack house.

Panic builds up inside me, because I still have no idea how the hell I'm going to get Max safely away from the hybrids but still leave enough time for them to be affected by the fire. I force the panic back to wherever it came from, though, because I cannot panic right now. I need to be on my sharpest game, and panic is not part of that.

As I wait for the hybrids in the backyard, my mind races with possible solutions for escaping. It almost seems impossible, but then it comes to me. I don't waste any time.

Mara, Hayden.

What's up? Mara mind links me.

Slight change of plans. Max and I are going to hang around until we're all too weak to escape. Then you and Hayden can shift and have Max and I on your backs. It's the only way I can think of to keep the hybrids here long enough.

So you're just going to put yourself in danger? Hayden responds.

And risk harming your baby? Mara says. Even in my mind, her voice is quiet.

Harming my baby was the first thing that came to mind with this plan, but I don't know how else to handle this. If I'm not here, the hybrids will keep searching until they find me. Without me right here, the plan is worthless.

I don't want to do it either, but it's the only plan we've got.

Brynn, what if there's a way you could do it and protect the baby?

Hayden, what the actual hell are you talking about?

You said you didn't know you were a hybrid until Max told you, and until then, the vampire in you basically didn't exist. It was hidden inside of you but played no part until you were made aware of it.