The Hybrid

Chapter 41

Kyra stirred, blinking her eyes rapidly. Her head swam, though it didn’t hurt, and the bitter taste of alcohol still lingered in her mouth. She groaned, brushing her messy hair out of her face, and sat up, pulling the blanket around her. She still felt a little drunk, remembering she practically drank the whole bar. The events of earlier came rushing back—Mary’s revelations, the prophecy, and her emotional spiral.

Her heart felt unbearably heavy. Everything Mary had told her weighed on her chest like a boulder. Her entire existence had been planned before she was even born, and now, the burden of the prophecy loomed over her. Savior or destroyer. The thought was almost too much to bear.

She glanced around the quiet room, her eyes falling on Ryder’s side of the bed. The sheets were rumpled, but he wasn’t there. Kyra shifted, and her senses picked up on his scent clinging to her skin—a mix of his mahogany and mint and… something else.

Her cheeks burned as the realization hit her. His scent was everywhere, mingled with the unmistakable remnants of last night’s intimacy. She pulled the blanket tighter around herself, feeling a mix of embarrassment and warmth. Ryder’s scent was comforting, grounding her in a way she hadn’t expected, but it also reminded her of everything she’d let herself feel with him, despite the chaos around them.

A sudden knock at the door snapped her out of her spiraling thoughts.

“Who is it?” she called, her voice hoarse.

“It’s me, Allie,” came the familiar voice from the other side.

Kyra hesitated before dragging herself out of bed, the blanket still wrapped around her shoulders. She opened the door, and Allie stepped in, her eyes scanning Kyra from head to toe.

“You look like hell, are you still drunk?”Allie said bluntly, though her tone was filled with concern.

Kyra offered a weak smile. “Thanks, Allie. I needed that. And maybe.”

Allie shut the door behind her, crossing her arms. “You okay? You seemed… off last.”

Kyra’s throat tightened. “I’m sorry,” she said softly.

Allie tilted her head. “For what?”

“For not telling you the truth. About what I am.” Kyra’s gaze dropped to the floor. “I didn’t know how to say it. I was scared you’d hate me.”

Allie’s expression softened. “Kyra, I get it. You were protecting yourself. But I’m your friend. You can tell me anything, no matter how insane it sounds.”

Kyra glanced up, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “Really?”

Allie shrugged and opened her arms. “Really. Now, come here my drunken friend.”

Kyra hesitated before stepping into the hug, squeezing Allie tightly. For the first time in what felt like forever, a weight lifted slightly off her chest.

As they pulled away, Allie took a deep breath, and her nose wrinkled. She paused, sniffed again, and then her eyes widened in shock.

“Wait a second,” she said, her voice laced with disbelief. “Kyra, why do you reek of Ryder? And…” She sniffed again, her jaw dropping. “s*x?”

Kyra’s cheeks burned red. “Allie! Shut up!”

Allie smacked her on the arm, doubling over with laughter. “Oh my God, you and Ryder finally did it! I knew it was only a matter of time!”

“Keep it down!” Kyra hissed, her face growing even redder. “It’s not what you think—well, okay, maybe it is, but it just… happened!”

Allie grinned mischievously, her laughter tapering off. “Uh-huh. Sure, it just happened.”

Allie’s teasing expression faltered for a moment before a shy smile crept onto her face. “Well… we kind of… went all the way too.”

Kyra’s jaw dropped. “What?! Are you serious? You and Ethan!?”

Allie nodded, her cheeks turning pink. “Turns out we’re mates. We’ve been dancing around it for weeks, but last night, we stopped fighting it.”

Kyra’s shock melted into a smile. “Allie, that’s amazing. I’m so happy for you.”

Allie shrugged, her smile widening. “Thanks. But this isn’t about me.” She placed a hand on Kyra’s shoulder, her tone softening. “Kyra, I don’t care what you are or what some prophecy says. You’re still you, and you’re still my friend. I’ve got your back, no matter what.”

Kyra felt tears welling up again, but this time, they weren’t from sadness. She reached out and squeezed Allie’s hand. “Thank you.”

Allie grinned. “Anytime.” Then, with a mischievous twinkle in her eye, she added, “But seriously, next time, I want details. Don’t leave me hanging.”

Kyra groaned, covering her face with her hands, though she couldn’t help the small laugh that escaped her. For the first time in what felt like forever, she felt just a little less alone.

Allie plopped down on the edge of Kyra’s bed, crossing her arms with a teasing grin. “Come on, Kyra! You can’t just drop a bomb like ‘Oh, I had s*x with Ryder’ and then expect me not to ask for details!”

Kyra groaned, tugging the blanket over her head. “Allie, I am not doing this right now.”

Allie yanked the blanket down, revealing Kyra’s flushed face. “Oh yes, you are! I need to know everything. Was he sweet? Rough? Did he—”

“Allie!” Kyra cut her off, her face burning bright red.

Allie leaned closer, wiggling her eyebrows. “Did he mark you?”

Kyra froze, her heart skipping a beat at the question. “No,” she said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Allie’s teasing expression softened slightly. “Wait… really? Why not? You’re mates.”

Kyra sighed, pulling the blanket back up to her chin. “It’s complicated, Allie. Im worried about what might happen because I’m a hybrid. We’re… taking things slow.”

Allie blinked, taken aback. “Wait, so Ryder—the big, bad Alpha—is actually holding back?”

Kyra nodded, her cheeks still flushed. “Im afraid of making things worse, with everything going on. Or hurting him.”

Allie tilted her head, her teasing grin returning. “Okay, fine, I’ll let that slide. But you’re not getting out of this. How was it?”

Kyra groaned again, burying her face in her hands. “You’re impossible.”

Allie leaned closer, poking Kyra’s side. “Come on, Kyra! Spill! I’ll tell you everything about me and Ethan if you do!”

Kyra peeked out from behind her hands, narrowing her eyes. “Fine. But if you tell anyone, I swear I’ll—”

“Relax,” Allie interrupted, holding up her hands. “This is a judgment-free, secret-keeping zone. Now, spill!”

Kyra took a deep breath, her face still red. “It was… amazing,” she admitted softly.

Allie’s eyes widened, and she grinned like a cat who’d caught the canary. “I knew it! Was he gentle, or did he go all Alpha on you?”

Kyra hesitated, her blush deepening. “A little of both,” she admitted. “He was so… attentive. Like he wanted to make sure I was okay the whole time, but there was this… intensity, too.”

Allie clapped her hands together in delight. “That’s so hot! Did you feel the bond?”

Kyra nodded, her expression turning more serious. “I’ve never felt anything like it. It wasn’t just physical. It was… everything. Like he could feel what I was feeling, and I could feel him, too.”

Allie sighed dreamily. “You’re so lucky, Kyra. Ryder’s the real deal. Ethan was incredible, don’t get me wrong, but you’ve got an Alpha who’s totally head over heels for you.”

Kyra smiled softly, her thoughts drifting to Ryder. “Yeah… I do.”

Allie nudged her playfully. “So… How many times did you do it?”

Kyra smacked her with a pillow, laughing despite herself. “You’re impossible!”

Allie laughed, holding up her hands in surrender. “Hey, I’m just curious. But seriously, Kyra, I’m happy for you. You deserve this, even with all the craziness going on.”

Kyra’s smile faded slightly, her thoughts turning to the prophecy, Wyatt, and the chaos still looming. “Thanks, Allie. I just hope we can get through all this in one piece.”

Allie leaned over and squeezed her hand. “We will. You’re not alone in this, Kyra. We’ve got your back.”

Kyra nodded, her heart swelling with gratitude. For the first time in a long time, she felt a glimmer of hope.

Allie slowly leaned closer, “So how big was he?”

Kyra groaned and buried her head under her pillow.