Hybrid Aria by Jessica Hall

Chapter 53

Reid’s POV

We all finally came to, I could feel my Pack members waking, I lifted my head in search of Zane. Only

to realise I wasn’t in the industrial area anymore but a bunker. I rolled to my side, my eyes landing on

Abel, Aria’s father. Zoe and he were going over something on the steel table across from me. I sat up,

dropping my feet over the edge of the couch I was placed on.

“You're awake about fucking time. Now get up and help me find my daughter.” Abel spoke, I could hear

the venom in his words, and I jumped up growling. Abel turned to me his anger clearly on display not

even trying to hide what he is, his eyes burning brightly, reflecting oddly under the lights.

“Maybe you can answer that, they should have taken you, not my mate!” I screamed, grabbing a hold

of his shirt and flinging him back into the table. Zoe raced to his side but was too slow before he

charged at me. Grabbing me around the waist, we fought, throwing punches back and forth. I noticed

Zoe taking a seat out of the corner of my eye, looking annoyed. I headbutted Abel and felt his nose

break on impact. He stumbled backwards. Just as he went to lunge again, Zoe spoke up.

“Enough we have to find my granddaughter and great-grandchild this shit isn’t helping.” We both

stopped glaring at each other, both of us breathing heavily trying to catch our breath.

“I see being mated to my girl has made you stronger,” he said rebreaking his nose into place. I knew he

was holding back slightly. I shouldn’t have had the upper hand on him, but I think he needed to blow off

steam and I was the more durable target in the room.

“Where is the rest of my Pack?”

“I could only bring you; I am not a bloody donkey. How many did you want to bring back here?” He

snarled. Zoe hit the table with her hand bringing our attention back to her, the Pack will have to wait.

“I have scoured the entire City trying to pick up their scent, they covered their tracks well,” Abel said,

annoyed at his lack of progress.

“How long have I been out?”

“Only about twelve hours,” Zoe said matter of factly. Ryder wasn’t happy about being out so long, they

could be anywhere by now.

“I enlisted the help of some humans; a lot of people noticed the war happening on their doorstep and

are also scouring everywhere trying to find a lead.”

“Humans?”

“Yes Reid, they aren’t stupid. They know what happens in their City they just choose to turn a blind eye

to it, but now I have spoken to some, human or not these monsters killed innocent children they won’t

stand for that, they are going to help move yours and those of David’s Pack that are injured to the

stadium, they are willing to help if needed, we just need to find them first.” Zoe added.

I nodded. It felt strange knowing they have turned a blind eye. I knew a few high up members of the city

knew of our existence but never in a million years would I have thought the entire City knew, times

were definitely changing. We had a war on our hands and could really use the extra reinforcements,

maybe this is a good thing them knowing.

“So, what do you know? So far?”

“Not much I just got off the phone and was about to tell Abel what I know, but then you woke up, and I

couldn’t get a word in with you two trying to kill each other” Abel turned to her giving her his attention.

He lent back on the table, and I folded my arms across my chest, waiting to listen as well. Now

realising our mistake, we weren’t going to get anywhere fighting amongst ourselves.

“Well, he didn’t have much, an old friend heard about what happened and called me. Apparently, the

Hunters dispersed years ago, but everyone was called back with the promise of immortality if they

helped catch the Hybrid. Apparently, their numbers have grown massively and that a man by the Name

of Kade Barclay is now running things. He said he noticed some of the original labs had been Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

undergoing refurbishment, that he has been watching them for a while keeping tabs on them, he is on

his way to help try locate them.” I nodded and looked at Abel. He looked livid and his face changing to

a crimson colour with his anger. Like a kettle about to boil over.

“Did you say Kade Barclay?” he asked.

“Yes, why? Have you heard of him?” Abel nodded deep in thought.

“Yes, but he is human. I don’t know how he could still be alive.” My eyebrows furrowed, and I felt Ryder

press against my skin listening in.

“What do you mean, he should be dead?”

“He is human, and the only Kade Barclay I know was alive in the eighteenth century, it would be

impossible.”

“Could be someone else with the same name,” I suggested he nodded but didn’t look like he believed

that.

“Say it is this Kade, how do you know him?”

“He captured me when I was younger, him and a group of Hunters noticed I wasn’t aging figured out

what I was and hunted me down, I was placed on a ship brought here to some underground labs, he

was a mad scientist, crazy smart for the times and had a few small breakthroughs in medical science.

After he caught me, he started looking for ways to prolong life and create immortality. As far as I knew it

never worked, he also tried to replicate my Hybrid gene. He became obsessed with becoming like me.

He used to test my blood on other werewolves. He even managed to capture a Vampire, using them

like guinea pigs trying to mutate their genes and make them like me. All of them died from his science,

and after a while, I managed to escape when they were moving me to a different compound, they sent

off litres of my blood to a French scientist. He claimed he found a way to change the DNA and mutate

it. I haven’t seen him since I left the country. I returned a hundred years later forgetting about him and

assuming he died.”

That was one hell of a story, was it possible he did find a way to create immortality? Ryder was thinking

the same thing.

“When will your friend get here?” I asked, looking at the clock, it was already the middle of the night.

“He should be here soon, he isn’t far from here,” Zoe stated. We both nodded our heads.

Not even ten minutes later we heard a knock on the door upstairs, Zoe looked to the TV screen above

the bunker entrance, a man was waiting at the door with an armful of papers.

“That’s him, I will go let him in. Wait here and don’t kill each other.” She gave us both a pointed look,

and I chuckled. We were past that now, our little dispute was forgotten.

I walked over and looked at the documents on the table which were actually the City’s blueprints. Every

building, including mine, had underground tunnels. Something to look at in the future would be

destroying those tunnels or at least blocking access from underground. I noticed one of the tunnels

leading into the City ran along the boundary lines between both mine and David’s Packs.

I pointed to it, and Abel nodded. “Yeah, I’m fairly sure that’s how they got in without being noticed. If

you follow that tunnel, it leads to nowhere though, only to the city library and cuts off halfway through in

the other direction, if these maps are still correct. It could have changed by now, I think these maps are

outdated, they belonged to Joe,” Definitely something we needed to check out, we were going to have

to go into the tunnels and see where they lead.