Hybrid: The Prophecy

Chapter 12

"I told my mom about Kai," is the first thing I say to Brynn that afternoon. She's laying on my bed, and I'm pacing my bedroom floor. Her hands rest on her belly, and I'm hit with a flash of longing for something I can never have.

She gasps. "How did she take it?"

"How do you think?"

"Better or worse than when Lacey found out about me?"

"Better. She didn't disown me."

Brynn giggles, throwing a hand over her mouth to stifle the noise. "Sorry. I should not be laughing. Not being disowned should not be a standard, but somehow Lacey set it." She giggles again, and then I'm laughing too.

"She was upset at first. Scared, which is understandable. She'll warm up to it though, and it helps that my dad has been on board since day one."

"This was a good start, Mara. I'm happy for you. You're one step closer to getting to actually be with him."

I smile at Brynn's words. "Yeah." I still have to convince alpha Ryan and the other pack officials, though. That's going to be the hard part. "So," I smirk, changing the subject, "How did your date night with your man go last night?"

Brynn turns her head to look at me, a devious smirk planted on her lips.

"Good, by the looks of it," I tease.

"Better than good. Max could barely hold himself together during dinner. I'm surprised we even made it back home still intact."

"Speaking of home, when do you guys break ground for your house?"

"Next week! We're meeting with the builders tonight to officially see the layout to change any last minute plans. We're planning for a seven bedroom and eight bathroom place."

"Planning for the future, I see," I grin, hating the jealousy that courses though my veins right after. I can be sad that I can't have kids of my own, but I don't want to be jealous and hate my best friend because she can.

With sympathy in her eyes, Brynn teases back, "Might as well get it right the first time." I don't even need to tell her what's running through my mind for her to know, and I don't think I've ever been more grateful for my best friend.

"Are you and Max agreeing on designs?"

"He said he doesn't care as long as I'm happy. I've been tricking him until actually telling me what he likes so it's not all me, and for the most part we're on the same page."

I can already imagine the house that Brynn and Max are going to build. Brynn and I use to play home design games all the time as kids, and we've talked about what styles we like for just as long. If her likes and wants haven't changed (which they haven't, I would know), the house is going to be white, and the windows are going to be black. The floors will be a light beige, the trim and walls will be white, cabinets will be white, and any railings will be black.

"You two are a match made in heaven. Or hell," I tease.

"I know," Brynn laughs. "I'm sure you and Kai will be similar once he's out. It's kinda hard not to be. I don't know if you've started to realize that or not."

"I have," I sigh, smiling at the thought of my mate.

"I think we should tell Athena and Alden about Kai."

I furrow my brows at Brynn's words, silently asking her to explain.

"They're head of the elder's council. Alden had a hybrid brother. If anyone in this pack is going to understand your predicament with Kai, it's going to be them. They can help us convince alpha Ryan and the rest of the elders that Kai isn't a threat anymore."

"You're right," I agree, eagerness filling my veins. "When?"

"Now?"

"Let's go."

~~~~

Brynn knocks on the front door of the house. I shift my weight between my feet while we wait for Alden or Athena to answer. I'm anxious. I have no idea how they'll react, and if they react poorly and don't agree to help us convince the rest of the pack officials that Kai isn't a threat, him and I are screwed. I hear footsteps approach the door from the other side, and then it's swinging open and revealing Athena.

"Hey girls," she smiles, and it grows when she notices Brynn's bump. "Come on in." We follow her into the house and to the kitchen. Alden is sitting at the round table, and he greets us. I say a nervous hi, my nerves on an all time high.

"I take it the two of you didn't just stop by for a friendly visit," Alden says right away, not beating around the bush at all.

I gasp, "How did you—?"

"Know? You look more anxious than I did on my wedding day," he grins, finishing my sentence before meeting his with Athena. The brief moment between them hurts my heart. I want to be able to have moments like that with Kai. "Come sit down," he gestures, and we do. Athena joins us, taking a spot next to her mate.

"You both know about Kai, right?" Brynn asks, also not beating around the bush.

"The leader of the hybrids, right?" Alden confirms, and we both nod.

No one else is wasting any time, so I don't either. "He's my mate."

Their reactions are not what I was expecting. I don't know what I was expecting, but the knowing smile on their lips was not it. They both look like they've known all along. Brynn notices it, too.

"How?" she asks.

"There's been word amongst the elders that a young, mateless female has been going on to question in the middle of the night every night for the last week. Not just anyone would be given permission to go down and see him, and since Brynn is already mated, it had to be Mara," Athena explains.

My jaw drops. Elders don't get enough credit for how smart they are.

"And you're here because you're trying to get him out of the cell and think we can help," Alden adds, and all I can do is nod.

"How have things been going between you two?" Athena asks, changing the topic to something a little easier to talk about for the moment. It was a smart tactic, because it's the perfect material to convince them.

"As good as they can be," I smile. "As naive as this sounds, he really has changed. I know that's the most unbelievable thing I could possibly say, but he's not the same person he was when he attacked all those packs. Imagine living for seven centuries and never meeting your mate. He was lonely. Angry. He's been shunned his entire life for what he is, and all he wanted was to create a world where he didn't have to feel like that. I'm not saying what he did was right, and I will never say that, but he has changed. He met his mate," I say, all in one breath. I take a deep gulp of air, and softly add, "He met me."

Athena and Alden both smile at me, like they believe me and will do anything to help me be with my mate. "It sounds believable to me," Alden says, "But I'm also a bit more inclined to understand hybrids than most. It is going to take some convincing for the rest of the elders and Ryan."

"So you'll help?" I ask, tears welling in my eyes. I can't help myself. I'm so overwhelmed that I might actually get to see my mate without a bar separating us, and crying seems like the only way to let that emotion out.

"Sweetie, of course we will," Athena says, reaching across the table to grab my hand in hers. "Being separated from your mate is something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy."

All I can say is, "Thank you," through my tears.