Hybrids

Chapter 2

Nyx POV

Mila is ready to go. She looks great. When she asked me how she looked, I could only stare. A mix of emotions started stirring within me. She has grown up so much, and I still can't help but to worry constantly for her. We've settled down temporarily in this cottage. She doesn't really go out. I know it's not right, but I can't bear to think of what could happen if we're found.

Work, groceries, then me...

I make sure Mila is good to go and covers the back of her ear. It is something that can still stick out if seen; her number. She likes her hair up. I prefer mine down. My curly hair allows me to cover my face a bit more. The tag I had was ripped, but my number was still there. A brand. My brand. She's ready to go, so am I. I wave her a last goodbye, trying to keep my composure and not pester her. She wanted books, so I allowed her to go to the library alone.

Work, groceries, then me...

Work is normal. I work at a grocery store. Stocking products allows me to keep focused on a sole task and blend in. I can keep a low profile as I stock the aisles or work on the fridge section. I don't really talk to people, and I haven't been here long enough to do so or make connections. Not that I am interested in doing so anyways. I am there working quietly, plus I'm holding a temporary position, so it'll be over before they know it.

My shift ends, and I buy what I need here. It's not much, but it helps us out. Mila has a bigger appetite, but all shifters do. Her wolf came quite early, so it is something I'm used to. I remember when she would get flustered with hearing another voice in her head. Moira is her wolf's name, and she's as tough as her name sounds. She's large and with ashy fur. A mix of gray with a golden hue. Her eyes are just like Mila's. They've gotten so in touch with one another that shifting for her comes as second nature. For them, it's as natural as breathing. It's funny. I wonder what that voice would've felt like. What advice would it have given me. But in my head, there is only my thoughts. I shift but I hear nothing. Shifting is always draining for me, whereas Mila can go on a marathon and feel ready to go for another. There's so much we still need to learn.

Work's done, groceries are done, now me...

I've finished my tasks and now I have to figure out my situation. I have some money. I store the groceries in the usual area. A corner besides the trash by the grocery store. I hide them between some shrubs that grow there. I jump the fence behind the store and I make my way to the edge of town. I stood in front of a tree that I have marked. It has beautiful red flowers, its fitting for me. I dig under the tree for a bag that I keep buried there. Out of the bag, I pull out a hoodie and some extra cash. I always store some money with the hoodie just in case. I walk out of the tree line into a corner of the road and I get here. It's the same as usual. I meet a man who I barely look at and give him the money I have. He recognizes me by my hoodie. It is the same one that I use every time. It also gives the impression that I don't have a place to go. He gives me a smirk and says:

-The usual?

I nod. I always get the same thing.

-The price is rising.

What?! But it's always been the same!

-Well, it isn't anymore. Hospitals do counts and they get suspicious you know.

I take a deep inhale, pay, and go.

I go back into the forest, to the tree where I store my things. At this point, I'm starved. I can't constantly buy, it's too much. So I hold out until I can't hold on anymore.

B positive this time, huh

Interestingly, they're all different for me. I grab the punch of blood and open it. It is hard not to drink it all in one go. My body trembles desperately trying to fight it as I make this pouch last. I drink every drop, nothing is wasted or spilled. I can see pictures, not as detailed since they have been stored, but blood carries memories, and I can see them. As I finish the last left on the pouch, I feel it revitalizing me. A sense of ease washes over me and I let out a sigh. It would be so easy to go back to the seller and kill him, to feast on his blood. But then I wouldn't have a seller. These thoughts worry me. It's at these moments that I feel so cold, so brutal. It wasn't easy to find him since people usually ask for drugs. Being in a town that has other creatures living in it has its benefits. I put my hoodie in the bag, buried it yet again, and went back to get my things.

I've got to hurry up, Mila should be waiting.