Hybrids

Chapter 9

Caedmon's POV

I carried her in my arms. She felt so light, so fragile. I carried her tucked in my chest with one arm as my other kept caressing her face. Her cold skin made contact with my warm chest. She smelled like teakwood. It made my mouth salivate. I couldn't stop myself from looking at her sleeping face. I took in all of her features, her plump lips, dark curly hair, the delicate dusting of freckles on her nose and cheeks. I can't help but to think about what happened to her ear. She was missing a spot of the upper cartilage, it looked like it was cut since it was a clean cut in a triangular shape. As I looked at her, I tucked the rest of the hair behind her ear and noticed something that really made me and Fenrir stir in anger. She had a mark, a number, 022.

Why the fck would she have that? I asked myself. It was not a subtle mark. It was basically carved into the skin.

She moved subtlety, her breath had evened out but it suddenly started increasing again. She looked a bit pale and uncomfortable, almost in pain.

She is not okay and needs help now! Said Fenrir. All I could do was reassure him that we were close to the pack and she would get the attention she needed.

I looked at her sister and she looked at me with her big eyes. She kept rolling her thumbs, one around the other, as she looked at me and looked at Nyx.

So what now? Said Mila. What is your intent with us, with my sister?

I could tell she was scared, but she stood her ground. As I provided her with answers, she would come ready with a few more.

Firstly, we need to get your sister to the pack doctor, then, we will get you some food. We can get you a room or some items for you to be with your sister in the room. It all depends on what you want to do.

On what I want?

Yes. Like I said earlier, we mean no harm. But you were on our territory and in need of help, so here we are.

Do you help any random stranger that you come across?

Not necessarily, but it felt right to intervene at this point.

She took a deep breath and told me that she would feel better if she could stay with her sister. That she didn't want her to wake up alone in a strange place.

Her response gave me some relief as I expected her to be more defensive. It seems she's just hoping for a better outcome rather than continuing to live in their state. We have a bit more of a drive, so I took the plunge and decided to ask her some questions myself.

What is your name? I wanted to ensure that she felt in control, that she thought we didn't know about them at all until today.

My name is Mila, my sister's name is Nyx.

Where are you from?

Far from here. I honestly don't really know from where. I just know that we've traveled a lot. We've jumped from town to town.

How did you survive?

Thanks to my sister. She would do any kind of work. From cleaning, to mowing grass, some small temporary jobs too. Anything that would give us money for some food and then move to the next place.

Where would you stay in the meantime?

Depends. Some towns have soup kitchens and shelters with no questions asked. In other towns, we would look for inns, though they're too expensive. At the harder moments, we would sleep on the corners of alleyways or areas near train stations. It wasn't until now that we actually found a place to stay. We didn't mean to intrude. We honestly didn't know that the cottage belonged to anyone. It looked worn down and abandoned, which is why we got things and lived in it.

So what would you do now? I asked her and she looked puzzled. She didn't give an answer. All she could do was lower her gaze and she mumbled.

I just want my sister to be okay. For now, please let the doctor check her as you said. Regarding afterwards, Nyx said she could pay. So, could we come to an arrangement?

She was brave. I'll give her that. I couldn't believe that she would be so willing to go back to the cottage. Then again, I could understand. After all, it was the place that gave them a sense of safety.

You'd be willing to pay for a place like that?

It's better than nothing.

What's your backstory? Are you running from something, or someone?

I could see her body tense, but just for a moment. She was trying to keep her composure.

We were at a place that was not good for us. So, we left. Nyx took me and we never looked back. Its been some time since we left and honestly I don't think I should speak on it unless Nyx was okay with it or she mentioned it herself.

Does it have to do with this? I moved my hand off Nyx's face and pointed at her ear and the number behind it. Mila sank deeper into the car and looked away. I decided not to push the topic for now as I saw how uncomfortable it made her.

I went back to looking at Nyx. Her breathing had calmed down but she felt cold to the touch. She hasn't even opened her eyes on this drive. Theo lets me know we are about to stop. Once we do, Zach opens the passengers door. Luke exists and extends his hand to Mila, who looks at it a moment before she even reaches for it. Zach has already linked the doctor who has prepped a room for Nyx to get checked. As we enter, eyes around the pack look at them. Curious gazes looked at them and followed us with their eyes until we entered the hospital wing. Jairus, our pack doctor, steps out of her office and tells me to put her in the room next door. Dropping her on that bed made me feel empty. I hear quick footsteps and it's my sister coming to see how I am. Willow is very protective and supportive. She was done with her shift but still came in. She checked on me and on Jairus to see if she can be of any help. Jairus is Willow's mate. Naturally, she would tell my sister if something was up regarding me, which explains why she was here so quickly. Just as Jairus enters the room with other nurses, she indicates that I needed to leave the room. This isn't something I'm willing to do, but knowing that Mila is already scared and Nyx didn't take lightly my presence, it would be best if I left. Just for now...