The Hybrid Series Book 2

MAE

“PLEEEEAAAAAASSSSSEEEEE?” Anya pleads, her voice high and whiny.

“No, no, and…no,” I reply, adding, “I’d just bring everyone down.”

Ali and Anya have been trying to convince me to join them at a beach bonfire tonight. They’ve been at it for an hour.

The old me would’ve been excited, but the new, broken me can’t muster the energy to be social.

“Well, you’re wrong. There are at least two people who want you there,” Ali interjects, a smug look on her face.

I roll my eyes at her. “You and Anya don’t count.”

Anya huffs. “Fine…we didn’t want to resort to this…but you’ve left us no choice.” She nods at Ali. “We’re bringing out the big guns. We won’t stop until you agree to come with us.”

Stop…stop what?!

The twins exchange a look, their eyes gleaming with mischief.

They take a deep breath and start making the most high-pitched, irritating noises they can think of.

Oh, Goddess…what fresh hell is this?

Imagine a band of screeching cats in a death match with a flock of parrots trained to make the world’s most annoying sounds.

I squeeze my eyes shut in annoyance.

Please let it stop, I think hopefully.

But my hopes are dashed when they increase the volume, making my eardrums feel like they’re about to burst.

“Please, girls…stop…stop!” I plead, my voice filled with frustration.

“LALA GAHA YO YETE TOTA FA FWA I,” they continue.

Ugh, Goddess…please make it stop, I silently pray.

I look up at the sky, scowling. Not going to help me out, Goddess? Fine, I’ll remember this.

“FINE! Fine, if it’ll shut you two up, I’ll go with you.” I huff, muttering under my breath about their evil genius.

“YAAAAAY!” they squeal, jumping up and down. “You won’t regret this!”

I sigh. “I already do.”

***

The palace chauffeur drops us off at the beach parking lot.

I can see the sand dunes and hear music in the distance. I can’t see how many people are there yet, but judging by the noise, there are a lot.

I step out of the car, smoothing my tan dress before pulling on my oversized cream knit sweater and a pair of sunglasses.

The sun is setting, but I plan to hide my raw emotions behind my sunglasses. It’s not the best plan, but it’s all I’ve got.

Ali and Anya come around to my side of the car, linking their arms through mine.

“I’m so glad you decided to come!” Ali chirps.

“I didn’t have much choice,” I retort.

“Oh, come on, you know you wanted to get out and have some fun. It’ll be good for you to be around so many wolves,” Anya says. “And…try to keep the claws in tonight, okay?”

“Me? Claws? I couldn’t even if I wanted to,” I smirk.

“You know what I mean,” Anya says, nudging me.

We climb to the top of the sand dune and look down at the party in full swing.

There must be at least forty people here, all scattered in different groups, either talking or dancing.

Some look like they’ve already passed out on the ground, and some look like they’re trying to swallow each other’s faces.

No turning back now, I sigh internally as we make our way down the dune and toward the group.

I hear a few groups talking about their surprise at seeing me here. Oh, yeah…that’s something else I should mention.

They don’t bother whispering around me anymore because they all know I don’t have a wolf. Which means I’ve lost all my heightened senses, like hearing…

What they seem to forget is that I’ve lost my wolf. I’m not deaf.

I’ve gotten pretty good at ignoring them. There’s no point in saying anything when I’m with Ali and Anya anyway.

They glare everyone into silence, like my own personal gossip shields.

Ali and Anya choose a spot to sit that’s close to the bonfire, right in the middle of the party…great.

They grab us a couple of beers each and we start chatting about the upcoming ball.

“Which lords and ladies do you think will come?” Anya asks.

Ali scoffs. “All of them, obviously! What pack would want to miss out on the ball at the Royal Pack, hosted by the ~king and queen themselves~?”

“You have a point,” Anya nods.

Lords and ladies are alphas and lunas who either have a lot of wealth or have been given the title for doing incredibly generous work in our communities.

Believe me when I say to get a title from hard work, they must have done something big—like Mother Theresa level big.

“What are you going to wear, Mae?” Ali asks.

“Err, I’m not sure. I usually let my mom choose something. She’s got a good eye for that sort of thing. Do you know what the theme is yet?”

“I heard it’ll be black and gold,” Anya says, taking another long gulp of her beer. “Or at least that’s what Mom’s hoping for.” She laughs.

We continue our conversation as just a trio. I’ve had a couple of beers and I’m starting to feel a buzz. Ali and Anya, on the other hand, have had ten beers each and are feeling more than a buzz.

They’re eager to hit the dance floor, trying to coax me to join them. I get to my feet but suggest they go ahead without me, assuring them I’d be content to watch.

They’re not having it, slurring out promises to stick by me until I’m ready to dance.

A group of guys from our old college saunter over. Jasper was the heartthrob of countless she-wolves. I can see the appeal.

He’s tall, dark, and handsome with a bad boy aura that makes panties drop, but I’ve given up on men. No one stirs anything in me, not even Jasper.

The rest of the group are also easy on the eyes, as 99 percent of the werewolf population tends to be. There’s Charlie, Mike, and Petey. Ali once had a thing with Petey and Anya with Charlie.

“Hey, ladies, can we get you another drink?” Jasper asks, flashing his killer smile.

“Hell yeah!” Ali hollers, hoisting her half-empty drink in the air.

Jasper signals to Mike, who scurries off to fetch more drinks.

“How are you, Mae?” he asks.

“I’m, um…good,” I reply awkwardly, glancing at Ali and Anya for help. They’re too busy rekindling old flames.

“I haven’t seen you around lately?” he says, inching closer.

His cautious approach reminds me of someone trying not to startle a wild animal.

“I mostly keep to myself these days,” I respond with a shrug.

“I thought so, it’s a shame. It would be great to see more of you,” he says, his gaze sweeping over me.

Yeah, I got your drift, buddy.

“Ali and Anya kind of dragged me out, after breaking any remaining will I had,” I attempt to joke, hoping to dispel the awkward tension between us.

Mike returns with the beers and hands them out.

“Cheers…to Ali and Anya dragging you out,” Jasper says, a playful smile on his face, as he raises his beer to clink with mine.

“Cheers,” I reply, clinking our beers together and taking a sip.

He keeps the conversation going, always making sure I have a beer in hand and fetching me a new one as soon as I’m running low. I’ve lost track of how many beers I’ve had.

Ali and Anya stumbled off to dance with Petey and Charlie a while ago, leaving Jasper by my side.

I stand, swaying slightly as I listen to him.

“Hey, what do you say we get out of here?” he suggests, his voice dripping with seduction.

“No, sorry. I’m going home with Ali and Anya,” I slur.

Jasper leans in close, his hands resting on my hips, giving them a gentle squeeze.

“Looks to me like they’ll be going home with someone else soon,” he whispers, nodding towards his friends.

“No, it’s okay, they’ll be back soon,” I say, patting his chest.

“Come on, Mae, it’ll be fun... I’ll make sure you’re thoroughly satisfied,” he murmurs, nipping at my ear.

“I doubt that,” I blurt out without thinking.

Shit, that was stupid.

“You don’t think I could? I could fuck you all night long and make you scream my name,” he says, his voice heavy with lust.

“Thanks for the offer, really. But no thanks,” I say, trying to let him down easy.

“Oh, come on, Mae, you’re the pack slut. You’ve even let Hector have a fucking piece. It’s my turn now,” he says, his tone petulant, his grip on my hips tightening.

“Excuse me? Pack slut? Why? Because I fucked a couple of guys... how dare you!” My voice rises with my anger.

“Yeah. So why not be a good slut and just let me have my turn?” he says, his hands starting to roam, groping my breasts and ass.

“Jasper, stop it! You’re drunk, please!” Fear surges within me as I realize the precarious situation I’m in. He could easily overpower me, especially since I don’t have a wolf.

My only hope is to tap into my demon abilities, though I’ve never been very good at it... and today is no different.

I manage to conjure a small flame in my palm, like the flicker of a lighter. Even this tiny fire requires intense concentration.

I press the flame to his arm, causing him to hiss and suck in a breath. His eyes flash to the bright blue of his wolf’s.

“Oh, Mae, I do like it rough,” he growls, pulling me against him and claiming my mouth, biting my lower lip hard enough to draw blood.

I’m shaking, my mind racing. What the fuck can I do to get him off of me!?

A tear slips down my cheek as I realize I’m out of options. To everyone else, I just look like another horny wolf at the bonfire. Everyone else, that is, except...

Someone clears their throat.

“Jasper, put my sister down,” Hunter says, his voice serious. It’s a tone he rarely uses. He’s usually so laid-back.

I breathe a sigh of relief as I realize my brother has come to my rescue. Hunter stands behind me while Jasper glares over my shoulder at him, clearly annoyed by the interruption.

“What are you going to do if I don’t? I heard the future king isn’t supposed to be getting into fights at parties... so I think I’ll just keep her,” he says smugly, pulling me closer, causing me to stiffen and whimper.

“I do if someone is in danger,” he says, taking a threatening step forward.

“Danger? No one’s in danger here, just two adults looking to screw all night long,” he says innocently, though his eyes tell a different story…

His eyes are simmering with a dark, menacing wickedness.

“Maybe my brother would like to play with you instead? The future demon king doesn’t have to worry about getting his hands dirty, right?” He smirks over his shoulder, a cruel glint in his eyes.

Ozzy is sitting off to the side, quietly observing the unfolding scene. He’s sharpening a stick with a stone, looking dangerous as the bonfire’s light flickers across his face.

His grim expression is enough to make my stomach churn. He’s barely containing his rage, and I know Jasper is just one wrong move away from being at his mercy.

“No, brother, there are no rules for me,” Ozzy replies, his voice dark and chilling. His gaze is icy and threatening, but the corners of his mouth twitch upward into a predatory smile.

Jasper blanches, and I can feel his heart rate spike. He’s scared.

“I could use a new pair of balls… the hellhounds have ruined all of theirs.” Ozzy tilts his head, glancing at Jasper’s crotch before meeting his gaze again.

“Yours are a bit small… but they’ll do,” he taunts.

A twisted smile spreads across his face as he slowly rises to his feet, his eyes locked on Jasper’s.

A low growl echoes from the darkness behind Ozzy. Three pairs of glowing red eyes emerge from the shadows, announcing the presence of the hellhounds.

“You know what, I think we’ve just had a misunderstanding, yeah… We got our wires crossed, y’know? Have a good evening!” Jasper stammers, practically shoving me toward my brothers as he scrambles away from the bonfire.

Hunter catches me and pulls me into his chest. I wrap my arms around him tightly, unable to hold back the tears as sobs shake my body.

Ozzy comes over to comfort me, kissing my forehead and stroking my hair, while Hunter mutters curses under his breath about the ridiculous royal rules.

“I’m sorry you had to deal with him,” Hunter says.

“Let’s get you home,” they both say together.