by C. M. Owens
Holy fucking hybrid. There’s no way. He’s not supposed to be gifted.
Suddenly the raging crowd’s roar is brought to a desolate whisper as they stand in front of the hybrid ashing the front line with barely a flick of his wrist. A shriek from the back draws his attention, and I gasp when I see Angelica.
“Daddy,” she screams in a panic, and Grayson’s eyes glue themselves to her.
I know that look. I’ve had that look. I’ve seen that look from a man who had to have me. It’s the same look Hale and I share when we’re under the trance, and she’s automatically glued to his eyes too. The first connection of the bonding. She’s so young. It’s not…
I scream as a man tries to charge between them to halt Grayson’s approach, and he ducks before he can be ashed. Grayson isn’t planning on using his gift in the direction of Angelica though. She really is his counterpart. Fuck. Nicholas is going to flip the fuck out.
I run to Brazen, and he grabs me in his arms as we watch the first contact of the two hybrids.
“Please tell me you have more olophine. He’ll kill every full blood here the moment he’s spooked.”
“I do. Here,” he ushers, handing me the vial, and I rush toward Angelica.
Brazen starts to follow me, but I fling him backwards before he catches up.
“He won’t respond to you. Imagine someone who doesn’t love you acting the way I did,” I explain, and he swallows hard as he thinks back to my savage episodes he’s barely scratched the surface of.
“Grayson,” I coo, and his eyes barely meet mine.
“Araya,” he murmurs eerily, and I take a step toward Angelica. “Don’t,” he cautions.
“I’m not going to hurt her, and you know that. I came to help her understand how much you care about her,” I mislead, and his head tilts as he thinks it over.
“How do you know? You love a full blood,” he snarls.
“I also love a hybrid, just like you love Angelica.”
“We just met,” she sighs in a hypnotic trance.
I hate first-timers. She won’t be of much use to me if she’s too fucking out of it.
“I know you just met, Angelica, but he’s the man you’ll always be tied to in some way. He needs you right now, and I know you can feel it. It’s hard to deny, isn’t it?” I gently coach.
“Yes,” she hums, and I roll my eyes.
I hope I don’t look this fucking stupid when I’m tranced out.
“He needs to take medicine so he doesn’t get sick. Can you talk him into it? He’ll hurt himself if he doesn’t.”
Her eyes perk up to show some sobriety, and then she looks at me in a near panic when the initial hypnotic phase ends.
“What’s happening to us?” she worries.
“It’s a hybrid thing. I’ll explain later. Make him take this,” I almost whisper, and she looks at the man longing for her just as he touches her for the first time.
“How?” she trembles out.
“He needs to take this,” I murmur, and I float the vial to her hand dangling at his side just as his lips close over hers.
Nicholas runs up, but I halt his interference. He wisely remains quiet - even though his fists are white knuckled from being clenched so tightly. Without knowing why, she kisses the stranger back, and his hands grip tightly at her waist.
“Make him take it,” I repeat, and she slowly backs away from the chill-worthy embrace.
“Please take this for me,” she softly urges, and he tilts his head again.
“Why?”
“Because I asked you too,” she seduces, and I’m slightly impressed by her poise.
He smirks, and then he breaks his skin before injecting his veins with the medicine. His eyes soften, fade, and go back to normal just before he falls to the ground from the exhausting blood loss.
“He needs blood,” I scream, and Nicholas rushes over to wrap his daughter up in his arms.
“What the hell was all that?” he screeches.
Apparently he doesn’t know as much about hybrids as he thought.
“That was a gift, a savage, and a connection. I’ll explain later. He needs blood right now, and so do I,” I murmur while staggering backwards, and suddenly Brazen’s arms are around me and scooping me up to hold me to his body.
“I’ll help the boy to your place. I’m not sure what the hell they were thinking bringing him out here,” Nicholas growls.
Everyone behind us is speechless, and the compound guards have no problem sweeping up the defused fight. Nicholas tosses Grayson over his shoulder, and he grunts out his own pain as the deadweight of the boy takes a toll on his own wounded body.
“I need more blood myself,” he says with a grimace. “One of my men managed to bring me a couple of packs, and I was able to get the children safely into the arms of our caretakers. I’m not sure who they belong to, but we’ll find the parents tomorrow. If he didn’t-”
“They’re hybrid children. They’re won’t be parents. They’re probably in transition from one compound to another,” I interrupt. “I saw it in their eyes. The ones he killed were full bloods. It’s always full bloods or humans when we’re savage. Never our own kind unless provoked, and like I said, you’re the only one I know to raise-”
I stop short when I see Angelica joining us, and she stares at the unconscious Grayson she just found an unfathomable connection with. Her studious attention causes Nicholas to scowl, and I smirk before wincing at my growing pain.
“Are you hurt?” I ask while looking up into the pale eyes of the man who refuses to give up on me.
“Just barely. I’m more worried about you. I didn’t know you got hit that badly, baby. I’m sorry. I should have gotten there sooner,” he murmurs guiltily while kissing my forehead, and I snuggle into his chest as we cross the threshold to the main building.
“Leon told them to take him back into visitor territory,” I hesitantly say to Nicholas.
“He did what?” he blasts, and suddenly Leon is in front of us as he comes out of his cowardly hiding place.
“Captain… Hawkins, Sir. The men have informed me the episode is over,” he stammers out like a sniveling fool.
Nicholas hands Grayson to another man, and then he slowly turns around before throwing his fist into the face of Leon. I want to laugh as he sails across the hall, and I hear the wall as it cracks out its own laughter.
“Sir, please don’t. I was following protocol.”
“Protocol? Our men are wounded, I’m wounded, and Araya damn near died. Not to mention how close this innocent boy came to dying along with my daughter out there. Some people did die, you arrogant son of a bitch.”
“Araya ordered the move, not you, Sir. I outrank her, and I followed protocol,” he says in defense of himself.
“That was my mistake years ago. I thought you a different man then, and I’m a fool for never paying close enough attention to you,” Nicholas growls, and he steps over to rip the badge off of Leon. “You don’t outrank her anymore, and you can leave now. I’ll have your shit shipped when you find somewhere else to destroy,” he growls, and men step up from all around to start ushering Leon out.
“Sir, you can’t. Sir, please. This is my home.”
“Not anymore,” Nicholas whispers, and then he ushers Brazen to continue walking while frowning at me.
“I’m afraid I let you down, Araya. I promised you a compound full of change and acceptance. I didn’t realize how terrible he had gotten. I’m so sorry.”
“It’s not your fault.”
“What is happening to my Angel?” he almost whispers as he stares at his daughter stroking the hair of the man she doesn’t know.
“It’s the initial connection. It’s so strong, and I doubt she’ll be able to be separated from him tonight. She’ll be worried, and if you take her away, I can promise she’ll sneak back to him.”
“Absolutely not. She’s eighteen,” he asserts, and she turns to cut her eyes at him.
“Most hybrids a
t eighteen have numerous black belts in every form of martial arts. They have lived on their own their whole lives, and they have a full day of workouts instead of parties. I’m sorry if I seem crude, but eighteen for a hybrid is forty for a human in terms of skill and experience.”
“My daughter is different. She’s still a child,” he counters.
“She’s different in many ways, but she’s still a hybrid. What’s she’s going through is too strong to explain. You can stay too,” I murmur softly, and I grunt as I shift in Brazen’s arms.
He kicks open a door in front of us which leads us to the hallway full of apartments and gasping natives.
“I’ll just take him home with me,” Nicholas inserts.
“No. He’ll be expecting to wake up in my place. It would be best if we gave him some comfort right now. He’s so different. He doesn’t have the marks of the gifted as he should. They did a thorough inspection before taking him into interrogation. I’ll question him tomorrow.”
“Then I’ll sleep on the floor next to my daughter if you really think she should stay.”
“I don’t think she should stay. I’m telling you she’ll need to stay. He’ll wake up expecting her, and it’s really best for everyone if she’s there. It’s a very potent emotion in the early phases.”
“Is that how you feel about Hale?” Brazen grumbles, and I now realize why he’s kept his silence during this slow walk to the apartment.
I’m happy to see the door to my home, and Brazen motions them in.
“I’m going to go grab some blood from my place, and I’ll be right back.”
He takes me with him, and I use my gift to open his door. I let out a cry of pain when he sits me down on the soft couch that pushes against me just wrong.
“Sorry, baby,” he coos as his lips press against my head.
“It’s fine. Just take them blood first,” I grunt out, and he swishes over to grab several packs before disappearing.
He returns promptly, and shuts the door behind him.
“Nicholas and Angelica are caring for Grayson. She’s rather taken with him,” he murmurs softly while coming to join me.
“It’s just the bells and whistles of our kind. It’ll wear off soon,” I wince out. “Blood?” I urge.
“You never answered me about Hale. Is that how you feel about him?”
I sigh out, and then I stare into his expectant pale eyes.
“It is when I’m savage. I used to feel that way all the time, but there’s only so much a girl can take,” I almost choke out, and he pulls me into him.
“I’m bleeding all over your couch,” I grumble.
He laughs lightly, and then he pulls me back. “I’ve got some good shit to clean up blood spills.”
“Can I please have some blood now?”
“Heal off me,” he blurts out.
“Brazen,” I mumble. “We’ve been through this.”
He scoops me up, and turns on the shower. I cringe as he steps into the cold water while holding me to his body, and my blood washes into the drain. My clothes become drenched, and I know he’s being careful not to let my fresh blood into his mouth because he fully intends for me to take his blood into mine.
“Brazen, I can’t-”
His lips cover mine while we stay under the multiple showerheads raining down fiercely against us, and my stirring begins along with the throbbing.
“Yes you can. Araya, I’m damn near begging, and you’ll heal quicker off blood from the vein. You’re a hybrid, and you’re hurt really bad. Twenty packs of blood won’t give you what you need, but I can with just drops,” he murmurs against my lips, and my desire for him starts to take control of sanity.
“Are you sure?” I breathe.
His eyes spark with erotic excitement, and then his lips cover mine harder to answer my question. I pull back, and he sits me down to stand on my own, holding my wavering body to him.
My lips press against his chest through his shirt, and then I rip it open. My blood bringers hover over his tempting skin I’ve always treated like forbidden fruit. His breath grows rasp under the suspense. A sharp breath strikes me with more pain prompting me to hurry up. I close my eyes before sinking my teeth into the supple flesh of his cool body. The warmth of his blood surprises me, and the erotic bursts of energy almost overwhelm me. I had forgotten how powerful a first blood fuck can be.
He groans as the fire surges through his veins, and my throbbing becomes the pounding sensation I almost forgot how to feel. My wounds close up all over, and his hands grip my head as I continue to bleed his chest.
There’s no denying what’s to come. The torturous game of push and pull is about to end. Uncertainty and hesitance washes down the drain with my blood as his hands grip me tighter. Suddenly I feel the tile shower cracking behind me as he throws me into the wall and his hips pin me as his tongue forces its way in. I feel his erection digging into my stomach, and he jerks my hips up so that he can have a better angle.
The tearing of fabric ripples through to mingle with the pounding of the shower, and considering he took care of my underwear earlier, there’s nothing preventing him from finally brining this cat-and-mouse game to an end. My shirt is next, and then I hear his pants clapping against the splashing water that has pooled slightly around the drain.
I’m completely healed, but now I need more from him. His lips continue to devour mine, and suddenly his erection forces its way in with brutal force. He fills me, and my claws dig into his back as his lips stroll up my neck.
He slams into me again, and a quivering feeling starts to brew. His teeth graze my breasts, and then he hammers in once more. I gasp at the painful pleasure, and then my teeth latch onto his shoulder to draw more blood while releasing more of my erotic venom. He grunts as he slams into me harder, and I feel my insides shivering.
“Harder,” I breathe, and he responds by pushing into me with an ungodly force.
I gasp again, and he jerks my hair back to make my head tilt - exposing my neck. He bites hard, but he doesn’t unsheathe his blood bringers. I moan as he fucks me like he never has, and then my nails slide up his back as I begin screaming out in a way I only ever have with Hale.
He thrusts into me even harder, and it almost hurts to the point it feels incredible as he bursts into me. He starts slowing his rhythm, and his hands grip me so tightly to his body as we share the closeness we need right now.
“I love you,” he breathes into my ear, and now tears want to fall.
“I love you… but this can’t go any further than tonight. It’s just the blood fuck screwing with our heads.”
“You know I love you without a damn blood fuck, Araya. Stay with me tonight,” he murmurs gently while trembling.
Why did I do this?
“I have to stay at my place. Grayson will be scared when he wakes up.”
“Then let me stay with you. I swear I’ve never needed someone so much as I need you right now. This shit is strong,” he murmurs against me.
“A blood fuck is different when you really care about someone. The fact we waited so long just built up the climax,” I chuckle out, and his lips cover mine.
“I know,” he grumbles. “I’m glad and pissed we fucking waited now. That was the most… I don’t even fucking know what to say. Shit, bite me again.”
I laugh ridiculously loud, and he finally pulls out of me before scooping me up. I laugh at my soaked bra which stayed on my body, and I strip it off to toss it on the floor behind me.
“Really?” he smolders, and I smirk lightly before kissing him again.
“I don’t like wet clothes, and I need a shirt now.”
“I don’t want to let you go long enough for you to put on a shirt,” he murmurs while pulling our wet bodies together.
The blood fuck requires closeness, intimacy, and complete trust. I don’t know how absolute strangers do such a thing.
“We’re wet, I’m hungry, and if I can dry off and put on a shirt, we can snuggle in your bed
for a little while before heading back to my place.”
“You’re letting me stay with you?” he chirps.
“Only to sleep.” And possibly fuck again since I can’t stop at just one. “And only because we just blood fucked for the first time - meaning we both need this closeness right now. It’s affecting me too,” I murmur while kissing him a little harder. “But I’m serious about this being a one-night deal.”
“Until you get your closure,” he says with a wolfish grin, and I stifle my grin.
Hale or Brazen?
“Until I have closure, and then… we’ll see.”
He smirks, and then he leans past me to pull a towel out of his closet. His arms wrap around me, momentarily while he kisses me softly, and then he dries off quickly. I smile as I stare at his marvel of a body while he pulls on some loose lounging shorts that dangle just below his mouthwatering hipbones, and then he lets a smile cock up on one side to ensure me my drooling has been caught.
“Here’s you a shirt,” he murmurs against my lips as he pulls me into another kiss, and I slide into the shirt while walking backwards with his lips pressed against mine.
“Hold me,” I mutter, and his arms wrap around me without hesitation as he lowers me to the bed.
His body curls around mine as I snuggle into him, and his eyes stare so softly into mine.
“I wouldn’t mind trying that again,” he smolders.
“I wouldn’t either, if the right moment ever occurs.”
He smirks lightly, and then he pulls me into him again.
“I have to go on a week’s detail in three days. I’ll be back on the seventh day like clockwork. Will you at least humor me with a date. Nothing too pushy, but something nice to remind you of how well we work together.”
“I know how well we work together, Brazen. I spent two years with you, and you were unbelievable.”
“Until I fucked it all up in one night,” he murmurs shamefully. “I never meant it, Araya.”
“I know you didn’t, but it did hurt. That’s not all that’s holding me back though. I forgave you almost instantly. I love you enough not to drag you around while I’m still torn over Hale. I wasn’t ever over him the way I thought I was. You’re incredible, Brazen. You have no idea how terrible I feel knowing I can’t just be with you.”
