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 night

was cold, and the walk home took longer than usual since I was still in pain from the gash on my ribs. It

was starting to get cold, and the breeze made it a little chillier than normal. I could smell an earthy

aroma telling me it was going to rain later. When we were nearly all the way to the Pack house, 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 she

walked.

“Go on then.”

She looked relieved and took off running towards the Pack house, which was only about ten metres

away now. I watched her run up the steps and into the Pack house. As I got closer to the Pack house, I

pulled the duffle bag off my shoulder, about to climb the stairs, when a new sensation took over 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 your body

rise, when you feel like your skin is crawling. Fear that makes your body freeze paralysing you on 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. I forced

my legs up the front porch of the Pack house, running in the direction I could hear her screaming my

name. My feet pounding on the floorboards in panic. I was moving so fast, I felt myself slipping on the

hallway rug, making me skid along the floor and into the wall. My head and shoulder twisting at an

awkward angle into the kitchen door frame with enough force that black dots danced in front of my

vision. My collarbone and shoulder sending shooting pain through my body, as I feel my shoulder

dislocate on impact.

“Aria! Aria!” Her petrified scream echoed through the house. Jumping to my feet, my head spun. I

turned the corner into the kitchen to see the Alpha dragging my sister by her hair into the basement

with a whip in his other hand. I start running to her, grabbing the basement door frame just 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 find it's been locked. I start trying to yank my hand free. I could 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 into the

door, trying to free my fingers and get in. Not being able to get a run-up, I threw my body with all my

might towards the side where my fingers were stuck. The door moved just enough for me to free 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 of my

lungs. I stood up, backing up again and ran harder. I dropped my shoulder hitting the door with so

much force it burst open. My feet hitting air as my body was thrown down the stairs landing at a weird

angle and my head smashing into the basement’s concrete floor.

“Aria!”

“Aria!”

Her cries made me pull myself to my hands and knees. The Alpha was standing above Lily, who was

cowering on the ground at his feet, tears staining her rosy cheeks. As he went to raise the whip, I threw

my body over hers just as it came down, tearing the back of my blouse open. I could feel my flesh

being torn. I screamed, shoving Lily out from under me and to the side. I turned over and kicked my leg

up straight between his legs. The Alpha grunted in pain before kicking me in the stomach. 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 connecting with

my nose making blood spill everywhere on the floor. I could hear Lily’s frightened screams making my

blood boil.

“I saw you today cosying up to Alpha Reid. You think you can betray me, girl?” His voice was

menacing; I could smell his putrid whiskey breath on my face which just fuelled my anger. I felt my

claws 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 body slamming

violently into the shelving along the walls. Feeling his teeth sink into my side, I let out a strangled

scream. My breathing was laboured, and I was fighting to stay conscious when I felt his teeth 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 rag doll. I

hit more shelves. Just as the Alpha went to lunge for my throat, he let out a scream. I looked up trying

to figure out what happened when my eyes fell on Lily. She was holding a bucket. Her fingers were

bleeding, and she looked on the verge of collapse. That’s when I put the pieces together. Wolfsbane.

She had grabbed the bucket of wolfsbane off the shelf, tipping some on herself 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. Scooping up

Lily, I started running up the stairs. Halfway up, Michael and one of the Pack warriors raced down the

stairs. I saw him look over my shoulder at the Alpha on the floor. A loud growl echoing through the

basement.

When we made it out of the basement, I went to place Lily down, but Michael stopped me. He jammed

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.” He sounded

panicked, so did the person with him, who must be new as I did not recognise him. He kept 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 the

newcomer.

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 running down my

legs and face. Stepping onto the porch, the breeze was cold, making me shiver. I could feel 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 the

forest that surrounded the Pack house. Michael mind linked me as we got close to the border. My legs

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 just on

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 fluttered open.

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 eyes

fluttering closed again.

“Come on, Lil, stay awake for a few more minutes.” Her eyes opened, and she groggily repeated after

me.

“I, Lily Violet Blackwood, reject the Black Moon Pack and understand by doing so I will become a

rogue.” 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 find us. Running as

fast as I could with Lily in my arms, I listened to my surroundings. I could hear a car. If I could just get 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 the

trees, I ran faster. Branches and sticks were scratching up my legs. I could still see the brake lights

when I realised the car must be stopped at the train crossing. I listened as much as I could, straining to

hear over the thunder from the storm that was coming. I could just make out the sound of a train

passing 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 the

branches trying to shield Lily as much as possible. When I came out the other side, I was on the road.

My clothes were in tatters. My legs were almost bare from the lantana stripping and scratching away

my pants, leaving cuts everywhere they touched my skin. My blouse was only held on 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 it

could cross. Not wasting another second, I put Lily in the tray before climbing in behind her. There was

an old tarp in the tray underneath a box. I quickly pulled it over us just as it started to belt down with

rain. Only when I felt the ute move and start to accelerate did I let out the breath I was holding and

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