Hybrid: Between Alphas and Secrets

The Burden Of Discipline

John's POV

I've been trying to talk to this irresponsible girl I call my sister for over four hours. If Dad finds out she's out there, and I'm not even sure where exactly, he'll break up with me.

And, as if the universe heard my thoughts, here he comes:

- Good morning. Where's your sister? I need to talk to her.

My father's firm, authoritative voice hits me like a punch in the stomach. I swallow and try to stay calm.

- Good morning, Dad. I hope you had a comfortable trip,” I reply, aiming for a cordial tone as my mind works frantically to come up with a convincing response.

- Sâmia is at our country house with a colleague. They're having a... girls' weekend.

He frowns.

- Girls' weekend? - he repeats, as if testing the words, measuring them. - So tell me, John, two she-wolves are alone in our country house, unaccompanied. And you, who should be ensuring your sister's safety, are here, doing nothing? Is that what I understand?

I feel his gaze burning into me.

- Well, actually... I was already on my way there.

- I should have been there a long time ago. By the way, who exactly is she with?

The million dollar question.

If I say it's Alina, Dad won't like it. He's already made it clear that he doesn't want my sister hanging out with that hybrid. But if I don't say anything, he'll notice my hesitation and infer that I'm hiding something. Besides, I don't have any other names to come up with.

Worse still, if I pretend not to know, the situation could become untenable. Dad doesn't tolerate neglect or indiscipline.

- Cat got your tongue? - He claps his hands, snapping me out of my thoughts. - Come on, kid, wake up! You know I hate waiting.

There's no way out. I take a deep breath and tell him the truth:

- Dad... she's with Alina. After all, they're friends. They're just enjoying a quiet weekend. But rest assured, they'll be under my protection. I was only a little late because I had to sort a few things out first.

I try to go through the door to get there, but he blocks my way.

- John, John, John... It seems that, as a father and as an Alpha, I've failed to teach you something. Or maybe I've failed your sister even more. Alina... - He spits out the name as if it were something poisonous. - That hybrid. Not she-wolf, since she never transformed. He had already warned his sister to stay away from her.

- Yes, Dad. It's her. But Alina never posed any risk. She's harmless.

- Harmless? - He lets out a dry laugh. - I want your sister home before two in the afternoon. And another thing: have the place disinfected as soon as that hybrid leaves. That's the last time I let that go. I don't have time to deal with it now, but we'll talk later. Both of you.

I hold my breath, controlling my anger, but he continues:

- Before you go to the country house, I have a job for you. There's a renegade trapped in the basement of the house. I caught him prowling around our property. I want you to find out what he wanted and why he was here. Get on with it. There's no time to lose.

I nod and head for the outside of the house. At the back, a trapdoor leads to the basement where we keep prisoners in case of emergency.

The smell hits me before I even get down the steps. A rotten, putrid smell... characteristic of renegades. Wolves without a pack, devoid of any ties, many driven mad by the loss of their mates. They become wanderers, dangerous, until they are expelled or killed.

As I approach the cell, I see that he is not in good shape. Wounds all over his body. It probably wasn't easy to capture him. He's weak, but his expression nevertheless carries a strange determination.

I sit in front of him and watch him for a moment.

- Is he ready to talk now? Or will he need more encouragement?

Silence is the only answer. I sigh.

I take a thin but firm toothpick and slide it under his thumbnail. I press, I push... the pain is excruciating, and finally he reacts, letting out a strangled cry.

But what he screams is not what I expected.

- Mom, mom, mom, mom, mom, mom!

I frown and continue my work.

With each thrust under his nails, his cry becomes louder. He doesn't ask for mercy. He doesn't beg. He just calls for his “mother” over and over again, like a desperate mantra.

His eyes, glazed over, finally meet mine.

- The Mother...” he murmurs, with an insane smile. - She will ease our pain. The pain of the mad, the rebellious, the forgotten... those who suffer in agony.

- Who is this Mother you cry out to for help?

- Who told you that I cry out to her for help? You'll see... When you feel it, you'll know, she is of peace, but she is also of war, for all of us.

Then he begins to tremble. His eyes roll back in his head and a red foam pours out of his mouth. In a few seconds, he's dead.

I stand there, staring at the corpse, trying to understand what I have just witnessed. I'm used to it, but somehow this renegade has made an impact on me.

After all, who was this “Mother” he kept mentioning? And why would anyone dare prowl around our property?

Leaving the cell, I call Dix, one of my father's guards.

- Clean up this mess,” I order.

I go up to my father's office, where he is wrapped in papers. He doesn't even raise his eyes when I ask:

- What did you find out about the renegade, why he was here?

- Nothing useful. The renegade was mad, delirious and calling for his mother. He didn't reveal any relevant information before he died.

He sighs, closing one of the documents.

- I'll reinforce the patrols. I don't want any more intruders.

I take this opportunity to ask permission to go to the country house. He doesn't reply, just waves his hand, dismissing me.

I leave quickly.

The trip to the country house gives me time to reflect. My father doesn't make empty threats. He acts. And if he's unhappy about something, consequences will follow.

To this day, I carry scars from the one time I let him down. I was only fourteen when he threw me into an arena against the son of a rival Alpha who was nineteen. I took a humiliating beating. Then I took another from him.

I grip the steering wheel. As I drive, I try to get in touch with Sâmia, but, as always, she ignores my calls.

The world may be falling apart, but my sister continues to live in her bubble of tantrums and rebellion. And what about me?

I have to deal with it. With everything.

Because if I don't... Dad will.

And nobody wants that, especially not Sâmia.