HYBRID (4 page)

“Why did you run?”

Brice shrugged, “I was scared.”

Garrett clenched his jaw, his teeth grinding together in…anger? Was he angry at her? Why? He didn’t even know her. Then he took a deep breath, leaning his elbows on the table and looked down at his hands. When he looked back up, his eyes had softened. Flecks of blue within the steel. 

“Brice.” He breathed out her name in a soft whisper and goose bumps formed on her arms. “I need you to tell me everything.’

“I can’t.”

“You must.” He leaned forward reaching his hand towards her for just a second before pulling it back. “You’re in danger. I want to help you. I really, really do. I won’t be able to do that unless you tell me everything.”

****

Brice chewed on her lip for a while before looking him in the eye. Those big golden orbs of sheer innocence. So wide and trusting. Made him want to take her in his arms and tell her it would be okay. That regardless of what she told him he would protect her, keep her safe at all costs. Hearing her say that she had run because she was scared made him want to hit something, or the someone who had instilled that fear. It had taken every ounce of will power he possessed to keep him from demanding immediate answers so that he could find the culprits. Make them pay.

“I was hurt a couple of months ago.” Her hand moved to the scars on her neck.

“How?”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“Try me,” he said. She’d be surprised just how much he’d believe her.

“I was kidnapped. My abductors did tests on me.” Her lips trembled.

“What kind of tests?” he ground out.

Brice flinched.

“It’s okay honey.” He moved to sit on the same side of the table as her, putting his splayed fingers to her forearm. “You’re safe.”

“Why are you so angry with me? I’ve done nothing wrong. Well…except…that was an accident. I promise you, it was an accident.”

“I really need to get to the bottom of this.” He pulled his hand back because he wanted to pull her into his arms and mesh all that softness against him. The need was almost overwhelming. It would be too easy to lose control of himself with this woman. To start something he could never finish. Even though he wanted to. Man oh man did he want to.  “I’m not angry with you. It’s just the thought of someone hurting you…”

She smiled shyly and a lump the size of a small island lodged itself in his throat.

After taking a deep breath she continued. “Experiments – that’s the word they used. There were three of them. Really bad…um…people especially the one woman, she was cruel. She hated me.” Another shaky breath and he had to fight the need to throw questions at her. “She was the one who tried to kill me. She did this.” Brice pulled her hair to the side.

Although he’d seen the scars in his vision and had seen glimpses since she’d arrived, nothing prepared him. She should have died from her injuries. The one scar was particularly bad, it ran from behind her ear to the bottom of her throat. Thick, angry, he traced the length of it with his thumb.

“A she-wolf,” the words slipped out before he could stop them.

Her big brown eyes grew wider as her mouth dropped open. Brice stood, scrambling backwards to get away from him. In two beats he had her wrists clasped. She continued to back up until her back hit the kitchen counter and then at long last there was sweet contact. Garrett used his lower body to pin her to the counter. He couldn’t take any chances, if she escaped no telling the damage she could cause. Although he had yet to feel in any danger himself. Despite the vision. She struggled and squirmed and writhed.

 “Easy honey…easy.” Unexpectedly she calmed to the sound of his voice. “Was it a wolf that did this to you?”

“How did you know? Who the hell are you? Is your name really Garrett?”

This time she fought harder. All she managed to do was slide herself up and down the length of him. It was completely inappropriate, but all he could think of was parting those luscious thighs. Of doing everything in his power to get her dripping wet and of sinking into her tight sheath over and over until she begged him to make her come. There was something about this woman that did crazy things with his mind. Just like that he could feel himself thicken. His cock straining for her from behind his zipper. She gasped, looking down between them, her wide eyes narrowing in anger. That wild scent of barely contained electrical storm grew stronger. Utterly intoxicating.

Somehow he managed to put a rein on his need for her. “How is it that you manage to keep such control?” It should be impossible for a hybrid not to explode, carnage and death it’s only thoughts. She bit on her bottom lip, shutting her eyes for a few seconds. When she opened them again, they were glistening with unshed tears.

****

One second she’d been ready to tear out his eyes. Not in a literal the-thing-has-taken-control kind of a way, but more of a-woman-angry-with-her-man kind of a way. Not that he was her man or anything. Right now though, she just wanted answers. Garrett, if that was even his name, knew more about all of this than he was letting on. Maybe he could help her. For the first time she felt there was hope. Such a dangerous thing to feel, but she couldn’t help it.

“I’m not saying another word until you tell me who you are.”

“My name
is
Garrett. I am a cop. I’m also a Demon Chaser. I work for The Demon Control Agency.”

Shit, shit, shit
. This kept getting worse. He was one of them. Way worse than a cop. They’d visited her often during her stay at the hospital. Asking all sorts of questions. One day, when two jerk off Chasers thought she was sleeping, she’d overheard them talking about how they had taken her last batch of blood in for testing. That if she was compromised she would need to be exterminated. It was also the first time she’d had one of her gut feelings. It told her to get away. Even though she was still weak. Still in so much pain, she needed to run and hide. She did. And had been ever since.

“A small number of the human population house demons inside of them. Different species which give the human various traits. Werewolves, vampires and many other creatures of myth all exist. It’s my job to keep the various species in check.”

“What are you going to do with me?” His hands were still clamped on her wrists. His hard, hot body still fixed her in place against the counter. His equally hard, hot erection pushed up against her stomach. It irritated her how much he affected her. How much she wanted him. Her nipples had tightened and a needy ache resonated from between her thighs. It was important to remind herself that although his body reacted to her, he didn’t seem to want her. She must not allow herself to think for one moment that he was on her side. Garrett was very much the enemy.

“What I should do is take you in, but I’m going to give you a chance to come clean first.  Then…I’ll decide.”

She made a sound of frustration. “Yes. It was wolf. I thought she was a normal woman until she turned and tried to tear out my throat. The two others were…not human.”

“They were demon skins.”

“Oh.” Not that she had any idea what he was talking about, and it was as if he could pick up her train of thought because he continued.

“Highly aggressive demons that can change to any shape or form of their choosing. When they get mad out pop their big fangs and sharp claws.” Memories flashed through her mind and she cringed. Seemingly without thinking, he let go of one of her arms to cup her cheek. “You’re safe, remember.”

“Am I?” Was he going to turn her in? He took back her wrist, but allowed their arms to drop at their sides. “Can we sit back down?”

“Not until this talk is over. What did they do to you?”

“Injected me every day. I don’t know what it was, but it smelt sweet and looked a lot like blood.” Bile rose in her throat at the thought. “It hurt like fire through my veins for hours after.”

“It was blood. Their blood.”

“How do you know? What did they do to me?” This time she couldn’t help it. Even though she squeezed her eyes shut and breathed deeply, the tears still came.

“Bee, honey, please don’t cry.” He cupped her cheeks with both hands using his thumbs to wipe away the tears. Then he pulled her into his chest and enveloped her with his arms. She moaned. A sound he mistook for misery instead of utter joy and peace like nothing she had ever felt before. She buried her face into the solid wall of his chest.
He was hers.
She pushed the thought away. It was just the talk of a woman who had craved contact for so many lonely months. Nothing more.

****

What the fuck…

She felt perfect in his arms. It wasn’t his dick talking, not this time. This had nothing to do with lust or sex. She felt right somehow. Like she belonged, but that was lunacy.

She was a stranger. A hybrid of a demon skin that had to be warring for control inside of her. It was a wonder they could conduct a normal conversation at all. Still, he had to force himself to damn well let her go. Just so she didn’t get any ideas, he took back her wrists. It wasn’t because his hands needed contact with her. “I had a look at your file.”

Her lip quivered but at least she’d stopped crying. “Tell me everything you know please.”

“You were left for dead after a female demon wolf ripped your neck open. You should have died yet something kept you alive.” He paused not liking how she clung to his every word, licking her lips in anticipation. She nodded gently urging him to continue. “The demon skin’s blood turned you into what the DCA calls a hybrid. It affected your genetic make-up. You’re no longer fully human.” She didn’t react with the shock he expected. “You knew this already?”

“Yes…no.” Part of him wanted to smile. This was the second time she’d answered a question with opposite answers. “I mean I knew something was wrong with me, I just didn’t know what. Tell me everything Garrett please I need to know.”

Her eyes were so golden. Her long lashes dipping every time she blinked. Sweet, innocent. He simply could not believe that she was evil. Garrett refused to believe it. God how he wished things could be different.

“You have a piece of demon inside of you. They injected you enough times with the demon skin blood to take hold. The problem is you weren’t born this way, you were created which means you have never developed control although”—she had been nothing but restrained since meeting him—“you seem fine. Demon skins are aggressive. We don’t know very much about them which makes your situation worse.”

Her face scrunched in thought.

“I’m also a hybrid.” He hadn’t meant to tell her the last part, it just kind of happened.

Brice sucked in a breath, her eyes filling with awe. “The same as me,” she whispered.

“No, Bee. I was born this way. Our family lines have become very diluted with not much demon blood left. Our forefathers have been traced back to dragons.”

  “You can make fire from air?” she seemed excited now. Why the hell did he feel so damned pleased with himself for making her feel this way?

He shook his head, “No nothing like that.”

She gasped, “I know. You can fly, do you have wings?” She tried to peak around him to see his back. “I didn’t see anything back there, but they could be small.” Once again her breasts were plastered up against his chest. This time long enough for him to feel her hard nipples. He suppressed a groan and had to stop himself from picturing himself sucking them, nipping…oh God, he had to stop right now.

“I don’t have wings.” Garrett peeled her off him so that blood would start flowing back to his brain. He needed to think straight. “We possess powers of prediction and healing. We’re too diluted for fire and flying.”

“You’re a physic.” She giggled and he found himself smiling.

“No, okay. I have the odd vision. It isn’t something I can make happen or anything. It just does from time to time. I don’t have any healing powers. My sister was lucky enough to get that honor. Like I said, we’re highly diluted. I’m mostly a cop. Good at bringing down bad guys and all of that. I heal quickly and although I’m mortal, I will still age just much slower than a human. I’m stronger than your average human as well.” Why did he feel the need to say that? To somehow keep her approval. He had to admit though, he was a good cop, fast, straight aim. He could take out most men, and most demons for that matter. There was a reason they called him Midas – the man with the deadly touch.

“We’re not the same then.” She sounded so sad, he felt the urge to take her back in his arms.

“No honey I’m afraid not.” What was with the honey shit? He didn’t like endearments. The way they were used so lightly. Like his Dad used to call his Mom ‘Love’. Probably called all of his women that so as not to mix them up.

“Are you going to turn me in?” her golden eyes stared up at him. Her erotic scent surrounded him.

Maybe she was a new species of hybrid. More controlled. More lethal. First they lull you into a comfort zone, and then take your throat when you least expected it. He had to stay on his guard. “I haven’t decided yet.” Deep down he knew that it was his duty to arrest her. There was no other choice, but he couldn’t do it yet. He needed a bit of time to be sure of what she was.

****

As soon as the opportunity arose, she needed to escape.

Instead of letting her go, Garrett angled himself deeper into her. His hands fisted over hers. It was clear he didn’t even know that he was doing it. A multitude of emotions played across his face from anger to…regret back to anger. Truth then, he didn’t know what to do with her. His eyes focussed on her face for a few seconds before dropping to her lips. He leaned in, his breath a caress on her cheek
. Kiss me, kiss me.
Madness, he was still the enemy, but she’d never wanted anything more. Her blood heated, she burned for him. The need growing and not just to taste him but to have his hands all over her. To have him, all of him. She struggled to keep her breathing even. If he kept holding her like this. Looking at her like this, she was going to do something stupid like rub herself against him, kiss him and it wasn’t the thing controlling her.
It
liked Garrett and was calmed by him but this raging need, this desire for him was all hers. The realization scared her because it wasn’t just his body she craved, it was the man as well and not just because he kept the thing at bay, there was more to it. The closer she came to the answer the more panicked she felt
. Have to get away. Right now
.