Hybrid Aria by Jessica Hall

Aria’s POV

Walking downstairs, I find Lily playing with Amber. They were both sitting peacefully playing with a dollhouse and some barbies. Sitting next to them on the floor, I watched.

“Can we visit Zoe? I miss her,” Lily asked with a frown on her face.

“I can send Zane with you; I have a few things to look into,” Reid said, walking over to us. Lily beamed at him. Excitedly, she stood up, running off before coming back with some pictures she drew.

“Can I also go back to school?” Lily asked. I went to tell her not yet, but Reid decided to answer for me.

“Would you like to go to school with Amber at the Pack's school?” asked Reid. Seems like he has everything figured out, so I didn’t object.

“Yes,” she squealed excitedly, throwing herself in my arms. Looking up at me, she sniffed me before sitting back. “You smell different, Ari.”

“That’s another thing we have to talk about Lily, we are going to join the Blood Moon Pack, that’s why I smell different.” I thought Lily may be a bit disappointed joining another Pack that wasn’t connected to our family, but she looked just as excited.

“Really, we don’t have to hide anymore?” I shook my head, tears springing in my eyes at her excitement.

“Come on, we will go see Zoe and talk about it more when we get home,” I told her. Zane walked out standing beside me. Reid was on the phone now but pulled the phone from his ear as we were about to leave. “We are going to have a bit of a ceremony to introduce you to the Pack as the Luna. We can also do Lily’s initiation ceremony as well,” he said, handing me his credit card. “Here, find something nice to wear. Zane will escort you just in case you run into anyone from your old Pack,” he said before kissing me on the cheek.

When we arrived at Joe’s Diner, Lily took off and ran straight through the doors. Walking into the diner myself, I was greeted with a hug from Zoe. She hugged me so tight I didn’t think she would let go. Marcus also came out, picking Lily up and throwing her up in the air.

“Let’s go make pancakes, Lil,” he said excitedly. Lily followed him to the kitchen.

Turning back to Zoe, she had tears in her eyes. “I thought that Alpha killed you, but when he came in looking for you and Lily, I knew you must have escaped.”

Being shocked at her words was an understatement, I was completely gobsmacked. Zane gave me a nod before sitting in one of the booths. Zoe ushered me out of the diner and into her studio, walking behind the tv that sat in the corner off the wall. She pushed on the wall, which opened up, showing some stairs. I followed her down the stairs. As we walked down, lights started flicking on. They must have been motion sensor lights, little LED lights were running on each step. When we reached the bottom, the lights turned on and revealed a bunker.

Along the walls were tv screens. I could see different angles of the diner and the street outside as well as the back entrances. Looking at Zoe, she gestured for me to sit down at a long stainless-steel table that looked more like a medical table than one you would eat at.

“What’s going on, Zoe? What is all this?” Looking at Zoe, I came to realise I didn’t know Zoe as much as I thought I did. She never really spoke much of her life with her husband. Mainly she asked about us or told us what she had planned or what she might have done that day, but nothing personal. I just assumed the memories of her life with Joe were too painful, and so I never pushed her for answers.

“I’m shocked Reid didn’t say anything.”

Looking back over to her, I said, “What? He knew all along?”

mate. I kind of told him to back off and leave you alone,” she

is all this?”

pressed a switch on the wall. The wall opened a hidden compartment, and the whole wall on the inside uncovered an arsenal of weapons. Standing up, I walked over,

It appeared

to Zoe, I watched her carefully. She didn’t seem fazed about being in my presence. No matter who Zoe is or what her past

a nutter.” She giggled at the memory. “But after a little time, I came to see for myself. I never agreed with any of this, I couldn’t bring myself to stand on the sidelines either, so I was also a Hunter for a while. I helped track them down but didn’t get involved in the war, Joe preferred it that way anyway. He was a bit old fashioned, said it was too dangerous for a woman. Joe came from a family of Hunters, and when his parents died, he took over. He was raised to believe all supernatural creatures were dangerous and merciless killers and that he needed

to this story; the necklace around his neck- it was my necklace. Picking up my necklace between my fingers, I looked at the wolf’s head before turning it over to see the back, which I realised had the same face as the man in the picture. It captured his features perfectly,

it?”

was ruled by fear. They weren’t much different than us. Yeah, you have your bad eggs, but they usually keep to themselves. So, after he found out about your father, he quit. Your father was a good man, and after a while, he became family. A few years later, as you know, me and Joe couldn’t have kids, so we

Hunters my husband worked with found out about your father. My husband tried to get them to understand that he wasn’t like the rest of the Vampires

grandmother? Lily’s

died. Alpha David was very controlling when he met your mother, and when he realised she was his mate, he kidnapped her. I thought I lost her. He forbade her from having contact with me, but after a while, the bond was too strong, and she stopped fighting to leave. A few years later she had Lily. We kept in touch secretly, but once David came into the picture when you were 7, I never saw you in

still have a family; Lily and I aren’t

a Lycan. When we met your father, he was 440 years old. My husband discovered after a lot of research that your father was the first Hybrid in existence. Your blood holds so much power. I didn’t want to tell you earlier because if David found out that you could

also need to be careful about the Hunters. You may not hear of them, but they are still around. They find out about you, they will come for you. Your bloodline is old, rightfully you would be considered an original Hybrid. You can’t shift because you don’t have a wolf. Your Lycan blood means you aren’t a mutation, you're something special. Your blood

I don’t want to confuse her or

subject. I was having trouble wrapping my head around this whole Lycan stuff and the fact that I have a living

when he found out I was a Hybrid, but he has come around. Now we are having a little ceremony tonight to introduce us to

on him dear, he has his reasons for hating Hybrids. He has a pretty tragic background himself, but the mate

know so much about him?”

connections, and I have cameras all over the city. I have seen a lot over the

Marcus know about all this?”

“Marcus is also a Hybrid but just a

he hide it?”

your fathers growing brighter with hunger and strong emotion, but you can try contacts if you’re that worried. Your father wore contacts before we

screamed loudly, distracting me just as David punched me, knocking me to the ground. Zane and Marcus were quick to jump at him though, forcing him back before he could lunge at me. Getting to my feet, I grabbed Lily and pushed her towards the back of the diner. As I went to go help Zane and Marcus, I heard Zoe walk out from behind the counter, a

at her, and Michael got to his feet and

went to take a step closer to Zoe, who had Lily behind her. She lifted the barrel, so it was directly pointed at his head. “You think you can take my daughter away, my heir. I’m

raised her. The only thing you ever did was push your responsibilities on to me. You are nothing but a coward. Lily is mine, I won’t let you take her,” I screamed, outraged

the door and out of sight of the gun