The Hybrid Mate

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Izzy blinked slowly and was aware that she was lying against someone's chest. She could also sense an arm wrapped around her waist, holding her close. Izzy wanted to get away, but somehow, she felt so exhausted. Exhausted from the sharp pain that stabbed her chest... how long ago was that? Anika? What happened to Anika?

As her consciousness cleared up more, she could hear the men talking to each other. She kept her eyes closed and listened.

"This will not look good, Sebastian." A man seated at the front said with obvious distress in his voice.

"Yeah, Seb. How are we supposed to explain this to the council?" Another man's voice said from behind Izzy. He must be sitting beside her, she thought.

And then Izzy heard the voice of the man holding her resonate in his chest. As her head rested upon it, Izzy also sensed the man's rapid heartbeat.

"I will answer to the council if it comes up. We just have to hide her."

This man’s voice enraptured Izzy... it was deep and captivating. And her heart skipped a beat when he spoke.

"Hide her? Where, Sebastian? They'll just send another team to find her." The man from the front said with more anxiety palpable in his tone.

"They won't if we tell them we are still searching for her." The man named Sebastian replied.

Izzy could not understand why her heart skipped a beat each time this man spoke. But she needed to focus... one thing was clear... they kidnapped her. But they will lie about finding her. What gives?

The man from behind Izzy then said, "You do have a point. No one could find her before until today's incident in her school. That sent signals across the globe. It took me forever to quash those signature signals, so no one can track her down but us."

"If I forgot to thank you for that, Ezekiel, then I'm thanking you now," Sebastian said in his deep and warm voice.

"Bah! You're crazy, Sebastian." The man from the front sounded annoyed. "Our job is to rid the earth of abominations. And here you are... saving one." He grunted afterwards.

"She's not just another abomination, Gabriel. She's Seb's mate." Ezekiel said straightforwardly.

Izzy heard another grunting sound from the front. And simultaneously, she felt the arm wrapped around her squeeze her tight when Ezekiel mentioned the word 'mate.'

Wait? What? Mate? I'm who's mate? Sebastian? I'm only 18! How can I be some weirdo's mate? Granted, this weirdo smells fantastic and has the sexiest voice I've ever heard.

As Izzy's mind prattled on, she felt a kiss on the crown of her head. It felt warm and possessive somehow...

And without warning, Izzy heard the man Sebastian whisper in her ear, "I know you're awake. I can hear your thoughts."

Izzy's body instantly became rigid with fear and anxiety... and humiliation because this man heard what she thought were private musings. And maybe the other men heard her thoughts, too.

She heard him chuckle, and whispered again, "Don't worry. Only I can hear your thoughts. Only bonded pairs can hear each other's thoughts."

After hearing what he said, Izzy relaxed a little. Then slowly and with some hesitation, she opened her eyes and gazed at the most dazzling pair of green eyes she had ever seen.

"Hello, Izadora. I'm Sebastian. Don't be scared. We mean you no harm." Sebastian smiled as Izzy noticed sparks flash across his emerald eyes.

Izzy could not help it but smile back, and as she did, she saw a twitch at the corner of Sebastian's lips.

"She's awake? Oh, good." Ezekiel said from behind her. "Hi, Izadora. I'm Ezekiel, and that's Gabriel. And the one driving is Joshua."

Joshua, the driver who had been silent all this time, raised his hand to wave and smiled at Izzy through the rearview mirror.

"It's Izzy. Not Izadora. Please call me Izzy." She tried to shift, to turn and face Ezekiel, but Sebastian pulled her tighter in his embrace.

Yes, that's definitely a possessive move. Izzy thought she might not have been in a relationship with a guy, but she's seen enough movies to recognize the signs.

Suddenly, she heard a voice in her mind warn her, 'You are mine! So don't even think about being in a relationship with another guy.'

Izzy knew it was Sebastian communicating with her through her thoughts. She stared back at him, frowning and thought her response, 'I just said I might not have been in a relationship with a guy, ergo I was never in a relationship. So stop being overly possessive. Did I even agree to this relationship?'

"Izzy. I like that better than calling you Izadora." Ezekiel was saying.

"Yeah, that does sound better." Gabriel agreed.

Sebastian raised an eyebrow at her and retorted through their mind link, 'You have no other choice. Even your heart has recognized its bond with me.' Then he glanced down to her chest.

Izzy did not even realize that her heart was beating fast along with her rapid breathing. She averted her gaze but Sebastian still held her tightly with his arm around her waist.

To change the subject, Izzy said out loud for everyone to hear, "Where are you taking me? And why did you take me? What happened to my friends back there?"

Sebastian did not answer as silence fell within the cabin of the SUV.

Gabriel cleared his throat and said, "Your friends are fine. Call it a stoppage of time. And they won't remember anything once we left and time resumed."

"And we sort of created a distinct memory for your friend, Anika. Like she never saw you at the library." Ezekiel supplied.

Izzy tried to force herself to face forward, instead of being possessively embraced by Sebastian. He finally relented and released his hold, but kept his arm around her waist.

"So, why did you take me and where are you taking me? And what about my parents?" Izzy just remembered her parents. They must be worried sick by now. She was supposed to be home after spending time at the library, and they might be searching for her.

Sebastian tightened his hold around her and said, "Your parents know we have taken you. We made them think we have taken you into custody and will suffer the fate like all the other abominations from when they manifest their powers from age 13 through 20."

Izzy stared at Sebastian in shock, mouth agape. Her eyes welled up as she thought of her mother and father crying because they believed the council will execute their only daughter. Izzy had been told by her mother to always hide her secret and never reveal whatever powers she had. Because there was a ruling council, and mixed breeds... hybrids were not allowed. Half-breeds were acceptable, like half-human and werewolf or half-human and demon. But Izzy was exuding human and demon blood for sure, but there was something else she could not place... that was why she guessed dragon... Izzy was a firestarter, and dragons were the rulers of firestarters.

As her tears rolled down her cheeks, Sebastian pulled Izzy closer to him again and cradled her head against his chest. She sobbed quietly, while Sebastian gave her his handkerchief to wipe her tears.

Izzy wanted to be angry and return to her parents, but a tiny accident in school that she caused resulted in alarm bells around her to ring, and every reaper in the planet would find her if these men in this SUV did not come and take her away.

After several minutes of silence, except for Izzy's quiet sobs, Sebastian spoke, "Izadora, we had to make your parents think we have taken you, so the council will not force a confession out of them if they knew you are still safe. They might torture them for answers to your whereabouts."

Izzy then recalled the men's conversation while she pretended to be passed out. "But I heard you say that you would tell whoever that you did not find me... and that you are still searching for me. That does not sync up with what you made my parents think."

"She has a good point there, Seb." Ezekiel concurred, nodding his head and frowning.

"You can't be on the run all the time, Sebastian," Gabriel said in reproach.

"I know that. Why do you think I said we must hide her first until I figure out a plan to get to the supreme body…" Sebastian said with obvious impatience in his deep voice.

"We're here." Joshua, the driver, spoke up as he pulled into a hidden gravel road off the major highway.

"And to answer your other question," Gabriel smiled at Izzy, "We're taking you to a blank zone. No creature or being that has the senses to know what you are or where you are, can find you here. This is a place created by the supreme body... call it a safe haven for beings that have been pardoned. Unfortunately, there are still some out there that want to be rid of abominations, even though they don't cause any harm to the true balance of nature."

"You'll be safe here, Izadora." Sebastian gave her a reassuring smile.

"But I'll be alone..." Izzy said under her breath. She continued to lie against Sebastian's chest, finding comfort in his warm embrace.

"No, you won't be, Izzy." Ezekiel tried to cheer her up. "It's like a small community or city now. You'll meet new friends here that are similar to you."

Suddenly, Izzy wanted to know what nature these reapers were. So, she asked cautiously, "What kind of reapers are you guys? Are you demons?"

Apart from Sebastian, the men chuckled in amusement.

Gabriel spoke up first, "I'm a demon."

"I'm half-demon and half-human," Ezekiel admitted.

"I'm half-human and half-centaur... without the body and legs of the horse. Just in my blood." Joshua smiled at her through the rearview mirror.

Izzy then looked up at Sebastian and asked softly, "And you?"

"I'm an abomination..." Sebastian said as the corner of his mouth twitched.

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