The Hybrid Series | Book 1 | Hybrid

by Stead, Nick

  Lizzy, God bless her, had not run after all. She had given the street a proper search for something, anything, that she could use as a weapon. And she’d found half a beer bottle.

  The wolf twisted round, trying to get at the wound in his shoulder where she’d plunged the glass deep inside until it had hit the bone and could go no further. He couldn’t reach it. An angry growl rumbled through his chest and with a slight limp he charged again, this time at Lizzy. She stood her ground but I could see the fear in her eyes.

  I wasn’t sure what happened next. Something must have spooked the wolf because he veered off course at the last instant, now unmistakably fleeing. But what could possibly scare a wolf like that? We weren’t sticking around to find out. The next thing I knew, Lizzy was standing over me and helping me to my feet.

  I couldn’t stand unsupported at first, feeling bruised and battered from being knocked over, and the blood loss was making me dizzy. My chest felt like it was on fire and I wondered if the wolf had managed to crack a rib.

  “Come on, Nick, we have to get you to a hospital,” she said, helping me walk.

  “No hospitals,” I gasped.

  “Nick, you’re covered in blood! You need a hospital. Those wounds might need stitching.”

  “Not my blood,” I lied. “Most of it’s wolf after you stabbed him.”

  “Come on or you’re going to die and I’ll lose my bet. I never thought it’d be death by wolf.”

  I started to laugh but it hurt too much. “Just get me home.”

  “I still think you need to get those wounds checked out.”

  “No hospitals!” I snarled through the pain. “Please.”

  I could tell she wanted to argue but my house was nearer than the hospital and we currently had no signal on our phones to call an ambulance, though she kept on checking. If she didn’t want to leave me at the mercy of any other wolves on the loose, she had no choice. I had a feeling she’d want to come into the house with me and ring 999 as soon as we got through the front door, but I was adamant I wasn’t going. It was stupid and childish, but I knew a hospital would lead to too many awkward questions, and my parents would probably never let me leave the house again if they knew there was a predator out on the streets. How I would cover up the extent of my injuries I had no idea, but I thought I could hide more of the night’s events from my parents than I could from the hospital staff.

  “I suppose you’re going to tell me we can’t go to the police either?” she asked after a few minutes spent walking in silence.

  “That’s right,” I answered.

  “They need to know there’s a dangerous wild animal on the loose, Nick.”

  “Well leave an anonymous tip if you must but with that wound you dealt him, I don’t think he’s gonna survive for long. Unless a vet removes that glass it’s not coming out, and more than likely it’ll get infected, trust me.”

  She fell back into sullen silence. After a while the pain became bearable and as strange as it seemed, a little of my strength was returning. I told Lizzy I could manage to walk the rest of the way unaided. That seemed to satisfy her that I didn’t need a hospital after all.

  We reached the point where we would need to part ways if Lizzy was going to go straight home. She still wanted to make sure I got home safe, but I was insistent she should take care of herself. It was only another five minutes to my house. What could possibly go wrong in such a short space of time?

  “I’ll be fine,” I assured her. “Just promise me you’ll ask the others not to tell anyone about the wolf, okay?”

  “Those four ought to be too ashamed of themselves to tell anyone about what happened. But if it’ll make you feel better then yes, of course I’ll talk to them about keeping it quiet.”

  I nodded my thanks and turned away, feeling her eyes on me as I staggered towards home.

  My route took me past the school. I tried not to think about the fact I’d be trapped within its walls just hours later, wishing the holidays could have lasted indefinitely. Then I passed the playing field on the opposite side of the road, where dog owners frequented with their furry friends, and football matches often took place. Hedges bordered it and on the side nearest my house there were trees and some other kind of vegetation, all kept safe behind a spiky metal fence.

  Most nights I wouldn’t have given my surroundings a second glance. But most nights the vegetation didn’t contain gleaming yellow eyes tracking my movements. I think my heart stopped at the sight of them.

  Despite what I’d told Lizzy about the wolf’s wounds, it looked like he’d come back to finish me off. And though I’d recovered enough to walk on my own, I was far from strong enough to run. I was doomed and I knew it.

  I struggled down to a kneeling position and prayed I would find something to defend myself with as Lizzy had done. Except the only litter on the pavement that time was empty crisp packets and chocolate bar wrappers, nothing of any help whatsoever.

  As I searched, the wolf leapt for me again, but there was another yelp similar to when Lizzy had first wounded him. A dark fluid ran down the fence. I stood and looked over at the wolf I expected to see, but it was not a wolf’s limp form on the metal railing – it was a man’s!

  This was no trick of the light. His silhouette was unmistakable, hanging there on the sharp spikes piercing his chest. I felt compelled to move closer and soon realised it was the man who’d passed us earlier that night, although he was naked now. Was I becoming delirious with blood loss? I decided it was time to get myself home before the night got any weirder.

  With a slight shiver I staggered away, puzzled at what had happened, because after all, as much as I wanted to believe werewolves were real, Ava had been right – they were only stories. Though I was sure it had been the wolf lying in wait for me on the other side of that fence, not a man, and yet there he was… I supposed I should just be grateful he’d impaled himself before he could do me any harm. The spikes might not have been as effective at stopping the wolf, or maybe the animal would have still struggled to clear it with the wound Lizzy had dealt him. Maybe I was just confused and seeing what I wanted to after the movie.

  Somehow I managed to stagger the rest of the way home. I was in agony again as I walked, mostly from the burning in my neck, far worse than anything I’d ever experienced before. The mystery was soon forgotten. I let myself in to find Mum asleep on the sofa, probably having nodded off there while she waited for me to get in. I crept past her and struggled up to my bunk bed, collapsing onto it and muttering to myself.

  “I guess I did reach the Devil after all.”

  CHAPTER THREE

  I Was a Teenage Werewolf

  The next day I spent in bed, lost in nightmares. It was already growing dark again when I woke, my head pounding and stomach churning. I staggered downstairs, still dressed in the clothes from the previous day. There was no hiding the blood on them, but I struggled to remember why that had even been important.

  “I think we need to ring the doctors’ for an emergency appointment,” Mum was saying as I entered the kitchen.

  “Don’t be silly, Emma. He’s just tired because he came home at silly o’clock. Look, here he is now,” Dad said.

  “Nick!” Mum cried, rushing over to hug me. “What happened last night? Where did all this blood come from?”

  “Nose bleed,” I grunted. It was the best I could do in my current state.

  Mum frowned as though she didn’t believe me but she didn’t push it, too relieved I’d finally come round I think. “Let me make you some supper. You look pasty – chicken soup ought to do you good.”

  Dad was eyeing me with far less sympathy. I could feel the bile rising in my throat at the mere thought of eating and I was in no mood for a telling off from him. “Actually, I think I’m going to go back to bed. I’m sure I’ll be fine after a good night’s sleep.”

  Mum looked doubtful but neither of them stopped me as I made my retreat.

  I really did intend to go back to be
d. My memories of the previous night were hazy and I came to the conclusion the wolf attack must have been nothing more than a nightmare, since my wounds looked to be gone. There were no cuts on my arms or pain in my chest, and my body didn’t feel bruised at all. Nor could I find any puncture wounds in my neck. The blood stains though. They were real enough. Had it been a nose bleed like I’d said to Mum?

  Something drew me towards my bedroom window. I looked up at the last full moon of the month, knowing I should really stick to my plan of more rest. The need to vomit was growing urgent; with my mind’s eye I could see it bubbling in its pit and frothing up like a green raging river. I almost sensed the vile taste in my mouth and felt the urge to curl up in a ball until it settled. But I couldn’t pull myself away.

  Sweat broke out from my pores as I started pacing like a caged animal, feeling both drained and energised at the same time. What was happening to me? Was the moon really affecting me this much? Had my wishes finally been answered? But that was impossible, wasn’t it? Ava would say so. Did science truly have all the answers though?

  What came next is hard to remember. It was like the one time I’d been drunk at a friend’s house – that shift in your perception where you lose sense of what’s going on and if it’s real or not. Only the present existed; I couldn’t even remember what had happened seconds ago.

  The pain. I remember the pain. It was the only thing I was truly aware of. Its coming was sudden and without warning, a great wave of it, drowning me in its vast, angry sea. I think I might have been screaming, but it might have been too intense even for that. If I was making any sound it must have been covered up by Amy’s music, blaring out from her bedroom at full blast, despite the fact she knew I was unwell. As it was, no one came to check on me, thank God.

  There was also the fever. I felt like I was burning up from the inside, my flesh surely about to melt and slough from my bones at any moment. It drove me to reach up and open the window, but no sooner had I done that than the next wave of agony sent me crashing back into its angry waters, making me bend over and clutch my stomach where it was worst. That’s probably when I noticed my hands. My nails were lengthening and becoming sharper, like claws, and fur was sprouting on them, my whole body itching as the fur spread.

  My pet snake was watching me from his tank as my weak, pathetic human teeth tapered into points, too big for my mouth. He looked to have frozen by his water dish, like he was afraid of what might come next. I shifted my gaze back to the window and saw the reflection of my eyes burn amber, my eyesight blurring behind my glasses as a result.

  My ears were also growing more pointed and moving up to the side of my head while my nose turned wet and black, my face stretching out into a snout. The world was suddenly louder and full of odours I’d never noticed before, and as my glasses fell to the floor the room came into focus again, sharper than ever.

  Clothes tore as muscles bulged, shifting around underneath my skin. The structure of my legs completely altered, causing me to fall onto all fours, and my spine extended into a tail. Other bones changed size and shape with sickening cracks. Then there was an external crack which I was only vaguely aware of – my glasses. I could barely feel them beneath my hardened pads.

  The transformation complete, I felt the predatory mind of a wolf rising from somewhere deep within my being, made stronger under the influence of the full moon. I sensed a cold intelligence from it, and I was surprised to find more than instincts there. Then the wolf mind was pushing the human part of me aside, until I was all but gone. Only the wolf remained.

  I was ravenous. Sniffing the air, I determined there was no food to be had in the room I was trapped in, but there was no shortage of enticing aromas filtering through from the world outside. So I bunched my powerful muscles and leapt out the open window, just managing to catch a back leg on the sill and knock several ornaments off. It was a wonder none of them smashed on the hard floor.

  The grass cushioned my landing and I stood for a moment with ears pricked and nose to the wind. An irritable growl escaped my jaws when I realised there was nothing of interest. Save for a few nearby rats, there were only the old trails of humans walking the streets in the daylight hours and fumes from their great, roaring machines, all long gone by now.

  The rodents were far too small to waste my energy on and they were not the prey I desired. I was going to have to search for the meal I craved if I wanted to feed before the night was through.

  But of course the human world never really sleeps. Excitement flooded me at the sound of footsteps. Her scent carried on the breeze, making my mouth water in anticipation of the rich taste of blood and flesh. It drove my four paws to action, bounding across the pavement in a liquid motion. There was something incredibly freeing in the sheer joy of running through the town. I only slowed because instinct demanded a more cautious approach once I’d closed the distance between us, padding through the shadows until the woman was in sight.

  This would be an easy hunt. Everything about her spoke of her ill health, from her quick and uneven breaths to the layers of fat beneath her skin. She was no threat to me.

  Emboldened by my prey’s weakness, I emerged into the brightness of the street and began my advance. She glanced in my direction, but appeared to be too stupid to recognise the danger she was in, perhaps mistaking me for a large stray dog. It was only when my lips curled back into a snarl that she realised something was amiss. I could see her eyes widening with the recognition of my true nature, and her mouth opened to let loose a shrill scream, both painful and delightful to my ears.

  She turned to run down an alley. To a human it might have been almost comical the way she scrambled for cover, rolls of fat bouncing with every step. For me there was only contempt at how she struggled and whimpered, a clumsy display which called to my hunting instincts. Howling my joy for all the night to hear, I pursued, snapping at her heels to drive her onwards but not yet dragging her down for the kill. I was too caught up in the thrill of the chase to end it so quickly.

  The sweet smell of her fear and the sound of her hammering heart only added to my pleasure. It became a game, my pace slowing just enough to let her think she stood a chance of escape, only to move in again moments later. I could have kept that up all night if I’d wanted to but she was quick to tire and the hunger was becoming unbearable. Time to end it and take my fill.

  I pounced, knocking her to the ground and lowering my snout to bare skin. My teeth closed around her neck and I pierced the fatty wrapping, savouring the warm rush greeting my tongue as I set her blood free. This was true ecstasy.

  The subtle hint of fabric sliding over fabric interrupted my kill, like a human’s clothes might make as the person attempted a show of stealth, creeping through the night to rescue a fallen sister. A hunter? I raised my head, cocking an ear in the direction of the sound and sniffing the air again, trying to determine if they were a threat. My prey took advantage of the distraction, struggling to crawl out from under me and kicking for all she was worth. She caught me a glancing blow on the end of my nose, and the sting it caused was enough to grab my attention. The potential threat would have to wait. My hunger had been denied long enough.

  Fully intent on my prey now, I lunged at her neck a second time and savaged the soft flesh with such violence that her neck snapped. She went limp in my jaws, her brain no longer able to communicate with her body.

  I let her head fall back to the pavement, her eyes wide and pleading, her mouth opening and closing in a voiceless cry for help. Blood spewed out from the gash I’d made, my body already coated with it, and I was falling into the bloodlust, oblivious to the world around.

  The last dregs of life faded as I ripped through her clothes and tore into the rolls of blubber beneath, right down to the muscle. Chunk after chunk came free in my mouth, sliding down my throat and slithering into the dark pit of my stomach, until her bones were all but bare. Flaps of skin surrounded them, a fatty jacket too big for the skeleton without its meaty pad
ding.

  Fangs crunched through bone and I nuzzled into the cache of treasure, in search of the richest offal within. It didn’t take me long to find my first prize, and I surfaced with her kidneys between my teeth. More blood splashed the concrete as I gulped them down, juices leaking from the side of my mouth and staining my fur ever darker.

  The liver came out next, then the heart. Blood squeezed out and along the veins in a mockery of life as my jaws clamped down on the dead muscle, pulling to rip it from the tubes chaining it inside its bony prison. It came free in a shower of crimson.

  Once I’d had my pick of the kill, I dragged it into the nearest garden and buried it deep down in the earth where nothing else would find it. My knowledge of mankind was limited to the little I had glimpsed from the human part of me during my awakening, but I knew enough to realise the need for secrecy. If dead bodies started turning up, it was only a matter of time before the angry mobs would form.

  That done, I decided to explore my territory and look for my pack – the same one the werewolf who’d bitten me had belonged to. They were my blood brothers and sisters, their blood calling to me stronger than even the moon above, and almost as strong as the hunger that had driven me moments before. I needed to run with them, to take my rightful place in the family and cement the bonds between us.

  I sent up another howl and stood listening for their rallying cries, calling me home. But only silence greeted my ears. That puzzled me. Why were they not replying? Had they moved on to better hunting grounds? But that made no sense – they wouldn’t leave without me, not so soon after waking me from my human dream. Could something have happened to them?

  Stranger still, there were no howls from any rival packs defending their territory. The night should have been ringing with our cries as we made our voices and our intentions known. Yet the silence persisted.