Hybrid Aria by Jessica Hall
Chapter 9

Aria's POV

Walking up the long driveway, Lily moved in my arms, waking up. I placed her on her feet. The nightwas cold, and the walk home took longer than usual since I was still in pain from the gash on myribs. It was starting to get cold, and the breeze made it a little chillier than normal. I could smell anearthy aroma telling me it was going to rain later. When we were nearly all the way to the Packhouse, Lily looked up at me tugging on my hand, I looked down at her.

“Can I run ahead please? I really need to pee.” I chuckled at her; she was wriggling around while shewalked.

“Go on then."

She looked relieved and took off running towards the Pack house, which was only about ten metresaway now. I watched her run up the steps and into the Pack house. As I got closer to the Packhouse, I pulled the duffle bag off my shoulder, about to climb the stairs, when a new sensation tookover me, making me drop the bag on the ground. A horrid feeling churning in my stomach,overwhelming all my senses.

Fear. Pure fear. The sort of fear that makes your skin itch. When you can feel every hair on yourbody rise, when you feel like your skin is crawling. Fear that makes your body freeze paralysing youon the spot. That's the sort of fear I felt when I heard her blood-curdling scream.

Only thing was, I was her big sister. I couldn't run away. I had no choice but to move, go to her. Iforced my legs up the front porch of the Pack house, running in the direction I could hear herscreaming my name. My feet pounding on the floorboards in panic. I was moving so fast, I feltmyself slipping on the hallway rug, making me skid along the floor and into the wall. My head andshoulder twisting at an awkward angle into the kitchen door frame with enough force that blackdots danced in front of my vision. My collarbone and shoulder sending shooting pain through mybody, as I feel my shoulder dislocate on impact.

"Aria! Arial” Her petrified scream echoed through the house. Jumping to my feet, my head spun. Iturned the corner into the kitchen to see the Alpha dragging my sister by her hair into thebasement with a whip in his other hand. I start running to her, grabbing the basement door framejust in time for him to slam the door shut on my fingers. My own scream escaped my lips in agony.Reaching for the door handle, only to replace it's been locked. I start trying to yank my hand free. Icould hear her crying and screaming for me on the other side of the door.

“LEAVE HER ALONE!" I screamed at him, banging on the door with my fist. Slamming my body intothe door, trying to free my fingers and get in. Not being able to get a run-up, I threw my body withall my might towards the side where my fingers were stuck. The door moved just enough for me tofree my injured, bloody, mangled hand. My fingers were definitely broken.

Backing up into the kitchen, I ran full force into the door and bounced off, knocking the air out ofmy lungs. I stood up, backing up again and ran harder. I dropped my shoulder hitting the door withso much force it burst open. My feet hitting air as my body was thrown down the stairs landing at aweird angle and my head smashing into the basement's concrete floor.

“Arial”

“Arial”

Her cries made me pull myself to my hands and knees. The Alpha was standing above Lily, who wascowering on the ground at his feet, tears staining her rosy cheeks. As he went to raise the whip, Ithrew my body over hers just as it came down, tearing the back of my blouse open. I could feel myflesh being torn. I screamed, shoving Lily out from under me and to the side. I turned over andkicked my leg up straight between his legs. The Alpha grunted in pain before kicking me in thestomach. I tried to get to my feet, but he grabbed me by my hair, forcing me to look at his rage-filled face.

This man is a monster. I tried to mind link Michael but was punched in the face, his fist connectingwith my nose making blood spill everywhere on the floor. I could hear Lily's frightened screamsmaking my blood boil.

“I saw you today cosying up to Alpha Reid. You think you can betray me, girl?” His voice wasmenacing; I could smell his putrid whiskey breath on my face which just fuelled my anger. I felt myclaws extend, and I didn't think twice as I plunged them into his thigh, making him let me go.“You're fucking dead now, bitch,” he screamed. My eyes widened when I heard his bones snapping.He changed so quickly, jumping into his wolf form in a split second. He lunged at me, my bodyslamming violently into the shelving along the walls. Feeling his teeth sink into my side, I let out astrangled scream. My breathing was laboured, and I was fighting to stay conscious when I felt histeeth sink into my thigh, feeling my flesh being ripped away.

Black dots tried to take over my vision. I could hear Lily screaming and frantic footsteps above us.

I tried to look for Lily, but all I could see was fur, the Alpha violently throwing me around like a ragdoll. I hit more shelves. Just as the Alpha went to lunge for my throat, he let out a scream. I lookedup trying to figure out what happened when my eyes fell on Lily. She was holding a bucket. Herfingers were bleeding, and she looked on the verge of collapse. That's when I put the piecestogether. Wolfsbane. She had grabbed the bucket of wolfsbane off the shelf, tipping some onherself before she threw it at the Alpha.

Adrenaline kicked in, and I ran to her just before she collapsed. The Alpha was on the ground naked,screaming, turning back to his human form. I didn't wait to see what would happen next. Scoopingup Lily, I started running up the stairs. Halfway up, Michael and one of the Pack warriors raced downthe stairs. I saw him look over my shoulder at the Alpha on the floor. A loud growl echoing throughthe basement.

When we made it out of the basement, I went to place Lily down, but Michael stopped me. Hejammed a chair from the dining table under the door handle so the Alpha could not get out.

“Run. We won't be able to hold him for long, especially if he commands us to grab you.” Hesounded panicked, so did the person with him, who must be new as I did not recognise him. Hekept glancing between the basement door and me.

"Go Aria, get out of here while you still can.” Michael's voice dragged my eyes away from thenewcomer.

I took off out of the Pack house, adrenaline the only thing that kept me moving. I should be dead,and once I stopped moving, that might actually become a possibility. I could feel blood runningdown my legs and face. Stepping onto the porch, the breeze was cold, making me shiver. I couldfeel Lily starting to come to, which meant the Alpha wouldn't be far behind us.

Running down the stairs, I grabbed the duffle bag when I ran past and started running through theforest that surrounded the Pack house. Michael mind linked me as we got close to the border. Mylegs felt like giving up, and I spent most of the run holding my breath so I did not attack Lily.Slowing down, I listened to the Beta.

"He is awake, don't forget, Ari, you need to wake her and make her reject the Pack.” Stopping juston the border, I shook Lily a bit, and she stirred in my arms.

"Come on Lily baby, I need you to wake up.” I kept repeating what I said until her eyes flutteredopen. Tears sprang in my eyes seeing her look up at me.

"Ari," she said, her voice sounding so weak.

“Come on, Lil, I need you to wake up and repeat after me.” She was too weak to stand, her eyesfluttering closed again

"Come on, Lil, stay awake for a few more minutes.” Her eyes opened, and she groggily repeatedafter me.

“I, Lily Violet Blackwood, reject the Black Moon Pack and understand by doing so I will become arogue.” I felt her link snap just as she drifted off to sleep in my arms. Getting up, I did the same.

“I, Aria Rose Peyton, reject the Black Moon Pack and understand by doing so I will become a rogue.”I felt my teether to the Pack snap just as I heard vicious howls. He has told them to replace us. Runningas fast as I could with Lily in my arms, I listened to my surroundings. I could hear a car. If I could justget to the road before they found us, we might be able to escape.

Running was difficult because I felt like passing out. Seeing the brake lights up ahead through thetrees, I ran faster. Branches and sticks were scratching up my legs. I could still see the brake lightswhen I realised the car must be stopped at the train crossing. I listened as much as I could, strainingto hear over the thunder from the storm that was coming. I could just make out the sound of a trainpassing when I felt what felt like razors cutting through my skin.

Looking around, lantana bushes were everywhere, blocking our escape. I forced my way through thebranches trying to shield Lily as much as possible. When I came out the other side, I was on theroad. My clothes were in tatters. My legs were almost bare from the lantana stripping andscratching away my pants, leaving cuts everywhere they touched my skin. My blouse was only heldon due to me holding Lily, and I could feel one of my bra straps hanging on my back.

I quickly looked over, and the train had passed. The ute was just waiting for the gate to lift before itcould cross. Not wasting another second, I put Lily in the tray before climbing in behind her. Therewas an old tarp in the tray underneath a box. I quickly pulled it over us just as it started to belt downwith rain. Only when I felt the ute move and start to accelerate did I let out the breath I was holdingand closed my eyes.