Hybrid Aria by Jessica Hall
Chapter 44

Taking a seat in the kitchen, Reid rummaged through the pantry, making something that I knew wasgoing to turn my stomach upside down. The smell alone of him just getting the ingredients out wasenough to make me dry heave. I felt lightheaded and rested my head on the cool tabletop. Reidcame over.

"What's wrong?”

I didn't say anything, refusing to give him any reason to send me back to the cell. Loneliness andthe quiet down there was enough to send a person crazy. I was also scared that if I did go backdown there, I would sleep. What if I slept the entire time away, slept until this pregnancy was over orworse never woke up. That thought scared me, the thought of leaving Lily alone in this worldwithout me to protect her. I didn't want to go back to the cell. My own thoughts would send meinsane, and I couldn't bear being away from Lily. I needed her like I needed air. She was the piece ofmy life I was proud of, the only thing I would fight to the death for besides Reid, who I wasn't sosure would do the same for me, at least not anymore. Making sure to keep my walls up so hecouldn't invade my thoughts and think I was just trying to defy him. I could feel him probing tryingto replace a way in.

"Stop blocking me out, Aria,” he growled annoyed. “I have warned you and yet you still go againstthe warning. Are you trying to piss me off?”

“They are my thoughts; you have no right to know them. If I wanted you to know what I wasthinking, I would tell you.” I told him, taking deep breaths through my mouth, so I couldn't smell therevolting stench of the bacon he placed on the counter. Reid gripped my shoulders, hauling me tomy feet. The room spun before tilting. I bent over throwing up bile and narrowly missing Reid's foot.Walking over holding my breath, I washed my face under the sink and rinsed my mouth, trying tobring my temperature down. My body felt like it was on fire burning up and to think he wants me tokeep going through this for another twenty weeks. Grabbing a tea towel and wetting it, I walkedback over to where I threw up, intending to clean it. Reid snatched the tea towel from me.

"Sit, I will clean it.” He sounded furious like he thought I did it deliberately. I suddenly wished to beback in the cell, anything to stop this heat that was overtaking my senses boiling me from theinside. I sat in the chair and watched as he cleaned the floor before walking out and chucking thetea towel in the laundry. A few seconds later, Wendy walked in with a mop.

"Here Wendy, I will do it,” I said, trying to take the mop from her hand.

"Sit back down, Aria, I didn’t say you could move.” I glared at him.

“I'm pregnant, not fucking disabled.” I spat back at him, snatching the mop from Wendy's hand. Iwas not going to make her clean up after me. Especially something so embarrassing like vomit.When I was done, Wendy took the mop and bucket and left. She didn’t say one word to me theentire time. I wonder what Reid has said to them, usually even Wendy would have pushed the limitswith Reid and tried to reach out to me. Only she didn't this time. Was she mad at me too forwanting to abort this pregnancy? Was I the only one who thought this was a disaster? Maybe I hadgone too far, gone against the Moon Goddess.

I sat back down, my stomach starting to settle now that it was empty. Surely, I can't be sick againafter throwing up already. That thought was soon proven wrong when Reid walked over, placing theplate in front of me. He had cooked bacon and eggs, toast, and fried tomatoes. I stared at it, notwanting to be anywhere near it. I knew the consequences of eating, I could feel it already in theback of my throat, threatening to come up at any moment. I could already taste the bile comingback up. Reid grew annoyed, his fist coming down on the table next to me, making me jump. Thewood creaking and cracking up the centre from the force. I was quite surprised it actually didn'tbreak and split down the middle. Looking up, Reid was glaring at me. If looks could kill I would havebeen turned to ash with the way he is glaring at me, the venom in his words made my heart sink tosomeplace deep and dark.

“Fucking eat, or I will force-feed it to you.” I didn't want to know what that entailed, so I picked up apiece of toast and tore off a bit. Chewing slowly before trying to swallow, as soon as it touched mytongue, I heaved and ran for the sink. Only just making it in time and throwing up yet again in thekitchen sink. Reid was at my side in an instant gripping my arm making sure I didn't run off.

“Is this your plan to starve the baby to death?” How could he think that? I felt like slapping him. Ihave no intentions of harming it. I didn't ask for this. If I could eat I would.

“No, it's the food,” I choked out.

“There nothing wrong with it, you will eat whether you want to or not, one way or another Aria, sofucking choose.” I shook my head, rinsing my mouth again. I could feel my anger start to bubble.How could he think I would deliberately starve myself? I know I need to eat, but food right now issomething I won't be able to keep down. Then it clicked. This baby doesn't want food, it's a Hybridand Hybrids need blood. Just thinking of the rich, soothing taste of blood made my mouth waterand brought my need to feed to the forefront of my mind wrapping around my senses.

I could hear the soft beating of Reid's heart and a fast fluttering of another heartbeat. I lookedaround my fangs protruding painfully. Where was it coming from? No one was in the kitchen withus. I realised, it was the only thing that made sense. I knew it wasn’t my own. Mine was in sync withit, feeling it pushing the blood throughout my body. This one was faster and softer, the beating notnearly as loud. I looked down at the bump. The soft thrumming was coming from inside me, the lifeliving within me.

I looked at Reid, shocked at what I could hear. How had I not noticed it before?

“I hear it.” My words coming out distorted while my bloodlust takes over, my fangs getting in theway of my tongue.

"Hear what?" I looked down and placed my hands on my stomach. Reid's eyes followed my hands,watching.

“I can hear it.” I whispered. Reid figuring out what I was talking about. Placed his hand over mine.Like he could suddenly feel it, although we both knew that was a couple of weeks off yet. Zanestepped into the kitchen, before realising, he walked in on something. He froze and went to turnaround, but it was too late. My senses were already overloaded, his heartbeat just adding to thepressure snapping the control I had left. I lunged at him, the sound of his heart beating becomingtoo much.

Grabbing him by the shoulders, I bit into the tender flesh of his neck. Zane’s blood filled my mouth.I could feel my eyes change as my vision turned red as I drank greedily. Starving and rabid, I had nocontrol, but in this moment, I didn't want control. I just wanted blood and was willing to doanything for it. Zane tried to fight me off, but I was stronger, his hands pushing and yanking moreof an annoyance, a distraction but not strong enough to fight me off. Shoving him into the wall andbiting down harder this time into his shoulder, I had him where I wanted him pinned to the wall withno escape. It all happened so quickly not even Reid had time to react. I could feel Reid's hand wraparound my shoulders and yank me back, forcing me to let go of Zane. My teeth ripping away takinghis flesh with me. I spun around quickly to fend off Reid. Only for his intoxicating scent to hit me, hisscent filling my nose, as I breathed deeply my eyes fluttering closed, a growl tearing out of mevibrating through every cell in my body.

Zane's blood was nothing compared to Reid's. I craved Reid's blood. Zane's was sweet but bittercompared to the taste of Reids. Opening my eyes, I advance on Reid. I jump at him wrapping mylegs around his waist, my arms wrapping around his shoulders, as I sink my teeth into him, drinkingso fast I couldn't swallow fast enough, his blood running down my chin and neck. I could feel Reidtrying to pull away, fighting me off. It was only when I heard her agonised scream ring in my earsthat I stopped. The sheer pain in that one scream tearing through my heart and shattering my soul.All her fear and pain flooding me through the Pack link as she screamed out for her mate. Forcingmyself trying to override the need to feed, I turned to replace Zane slumped on the floor next to thekitchen door. Christine clutched onto his shirt, tears staining her face as sobs wracked her entirebody.

Her wailing as she clutched his shirt, trying to wake him. Wendy and Mitch ran in. Wendy's handsgoing to her mouth trying to hide her shock as Mitch ran to Christine pulling her out of the waybefore leaning down and placing his hand on his neck which wasn't healing just spilling out his life'sblood onto the tile. Zane's face drained of life as his skin started to lose its colour. Reid shoved meout of the way trying to get to his best friend and Beta. Then I see Amber and Lily step into thekitchen, Ambers screams shatter me as she runs trying to get to her father, only for Christine to grabher shielding her eyes away from her father's limp body bleeding out on the floor. What have Idone?