Hybrid

TWENTY-TWO

⫷ ARIA ⫸

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty. Seriously, I'm getting bored over here."

My hand smacks out, expecting to hit James for waking me up at an ungodly hour. Instead, to my dismay, my poor hand slams against a cement wall. My eyes blink open. "Huh? What?"

The sorry excuse for a pillow crunched against my cheek, no doubt making an ugly imprint. Three walls of cement bind me into an enclosed space, with the fourth a row of bars, keeping my prisoner. One of those walls allows a sliver of the moon's light to spread into my enclosure.

Across the narrow hall, there is another cell. A silhouette sits slumped against the wall on top of a rickety bed. Carlos.

I scramble to my feet. "What's going on? Where's Gem?"

He lets out a dry laugh. "You mean the chica who turned us in? Who gives a shit?"

I narrow my eyes at him. Gem wouldn't... Memories of the tears in her eyes resurface. Memories of how she lured me out to the lake. Out where nobody could hear. "Why... would she do that?"

"Haven't got a clue."

"Wait, she turned you in too? How?"

Carlos lifts his head; his beady eyes glare at me. I notice his face has grown facial hair. "Somebody spilt my little secret. Or should I say our little secret? Gem slipped that information to a band of rogues who so happen to be searching for hybrids like us."

My shoulders slump forward. "You're here because of me, then? Because I told her about you?"

"You got that right."

My hand presses against my sore head. I snap my hand away once I look back over at him. "I know what we are."

Carlos lets out a bored sigh and flops back down on the bed. "I beat you to it, chica."

"How did you find out?"

His eyes flicker over to mine. "Your parents told me."

Like a kid addicted to candy, I slam my body against the bars, gripping two of them to steady me. "My parents? Where are they? Are they alright?"

"Yep. They're fine. For now."

"Where are they?" I repeat the question.

"Can't tell you that."

"Why not?"

Carlos lowers his voice. "It's a secret."

"Carlos, please."

"Okay, I'll tell you. Then whoever is eavesdropping will tell the guy who's out to get your mama. Then, he'll probably kill her... slowly, I'm guessing. Is that what you want?"

I pause. "No..." I slowly back away until I'm sitting on my own bed. A while passes before I speak again. "I thought the rogues captured them?"

He scoffed. "False information. I presume Gem planted that stupid lie. I bet it got you really mad at James, didn't it? I bet he didn't tell you."

I frown. "Maybe..." Settling back on my butt, I scoot so that my back rests against the uneven wall. "How are they?"

"They were good. I'm guessing they're a bit bummed that they didn't consider a traitor within the pack that was supposed to keep you safe. I gotta say, your dad is liking poor Alpha less and less."

My mind trails back to the conversation with Payton. "They're going to use us," I whisper. "Maybe for some type of war. They can control our wolves, then force us to use our magic however they want."