Hybrid

The Call

Rachel froze, feeling her heart race faster than usual. She swallowed hard as Joey smiled softly at her. His eyes were dark but sparkling, and his presence brought a calmness to her—an ease that Lenny had never provided, not even once.

Silence settled between them; all that could be heard was the small branches breaking under the weight of their steps, the hooting of owls, and the faint sound of a river that was a little way off. They hadn’t spoken a word since then, but Joey seemed satisfied, while Rachel stared at the ground beneath her, asking herself countless questions.

Joey walked Rachel back to her apartment, the walk lasting about three hours. They stopped in front of her door, and now it was possible to hear their breaths—Joey’s steady, while Rachel’s was labored. The girl remained looking at the ground, unable to meet Joey’s seductive gaze. He understood, smiled gently, letting a light laugh escape his lips, took two steps back, and headed toward the exit.

Rachel quickly entered her apartment, took a deep breath, filling her lungs with as much air as they could hold, and then exhaled.

“Damn... Damn... Damn... What was that?” she began to mutter, pacing back and forth with a frightened expression.

She knew she still loved Lenny, despite him having abandoned her during her pregnancy. He rejected both her and their child, but Joey’s declaration, at that moment, felt wrong to Rachel. Part of her believed it was nothing but a trap or a way to manipulate her. She started thinking of numerous hypotheses about why Joey had confessed his feelings, but none of them suggested he truly wanted her.

She thought that maybe he wanted to get revenge on his brother for some reason, or simply use the child against his own lineage, since during dinner, he was the only one who didn’t laugh constantly at his mother’s remarks.

But why would he want the child, exactly? As a way to decimate the pack? To take revenge on someone specific? There were too many questions, and the girl was already getting a headache.

She went to the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water, and before she could take her first sip, her phone started ringing. She picked it up quickly. She knew who it was, but why were they calling?

“Hello...?” The voice on the other end was low, as if whispering, hiding from someone to make the call. “Why are you calling me?” Rachel asked, showing impatience right away. But before she could get an answer, the call was disconnected. The girl turned her phone to her face, seeing the name on the screen. It was Lenny, the man who preferred his lineage over their child, and why was he calling?

Rachel redialed, but before she could connect, the doorbell rang. The girl walked slowly to the door, unlocking the lock and opening it just enough to see who was waiting for her.

“I needed to talk to you,” Lenny said, hesitating, but stepping into the apartment as soon as Rachel made space for him. “I’m sorry for running away like that. I didn’t know how to handle it.”

Rachel crossed her arms, shielding herself from the storm of emotions. “And now? What do you expect to say? That you regret it but still don’t want to be a father?”

“Yes,” he replied, a weight in his voice. “But there’s more. I... can’t be a father. I can’t have a hybrid child.” Rachel frowned. “Hybrid? What do you mean by that?”

He took a deep breath, knowing he needed to explain. “Rachel, I’m a Lycan. And that means my child would be half human, half Lycan. I can’t place that burden on a child. The internal struggle, the instability... it’s dangerous. Hybrids face challenges that no human should. I don’t want my child to grow up fighting against something I can’t control myself.” He continued, sitting down on the couch.

“So, you want me to face this alone?” Rachel asked, the pain in her voice evident. “And what if I decide to go through with the pregnancy?”

“I don’t know, Rachel. I can’t decide for you,” Lenny said, crossing one leg over the other. “I just wanted you to know that as much as I care about you and the baby, I can’t be a presence that will only bring pain and confusion.”

The silence between them became unbearable. Rachel closed her eyes, trying to process the new reality. “You can’t just push all of this aside, Lenny. This child is part of both of us.”

“But you don’t understand the complexity of this. It’s a life that can’t be taken lightly.” The young man insisted, trying to change her mind about the pregnancy.