Defiance: The Hybrid's Tale

Adam Wick.

My world came crashing down when Nathan’s eyes fluttered shut. I couldn’t do anything but hold him tightly to my chest while I begged him to wake up. But he didn’t. I should have prevented him from doing the crazy ritual. How could it not have ended up in a disaster? Magic has always found a way to fuck up one’s life. That’s why werewolves despised magic. Even though I was not a fan of magic, I accepted that part of Nathan’s life. I loved him, all of him.

“Adam?!” shouted Nathan’s mother, trying to pull me out of my trance. She kneeled down and tried to touch Nathan’s face, but I hugged him tighter and growled at her. She recoiled. “Adam, I need to help my son. The longer you keep him from getting medical attention, the greater the damage will be.”

She had a point. I had no way of helping Nathan, and it scared the crap out of me. One of these days, I was going to die of heart failure for all the crap Nathan had put me through.

“You regret knowing him?” Bane’s question whirred through my head.

I shook my head as I got to my feet, picking Nathan from the ground, bridal style. ”No, not in the least. But you have to admit, he keeps us on our toes.”

“Would you want it any other way?”

I rushed out of the chamber while the others followed my lead. ”No, I wouldn’t.”

Making our way out of the dungeons, we eventually surfaced. The chill in the air slammed into my spine, causing me to shudder. Nathaniel tried to take Nathan from me, but I snarled at him until he fucked off. I wasn’t going to allow anyone near him except for the pack doctor. I had enough of these crazy witches and their magic. What if they tried to heal him and made it worse? No, the pack doctor would know what to do. He was an expert.

After several failed attempts at removing Nathan from my arms, the bunch of old people gave up and allowed me to bring him to the clinic. I laid Nathan down on one of the hospital beds. The pack doctor, accompanied by his nurses, quickly shoved us out of the room. My father and Nathaniel had to drag me out.

***

Two Hours! Goddess! What was taking them so long? I growled while pacing down the corridor, while glaring at the dumbass sign that had the gall to tell me I wasn’t allowed past its plastic ass. Dumbass sign... I wanted to rush up and rip the notice off the doors.

“Calm down, Adam,” Tyson said. “Pacing trenches into the ground isn’t helping. It’s only pissing people off. Sit down.”

I wanted to strangle my friend, but the death glare Maisie shot in my direction told me that the health of my genitals was at stake. A huffed escaped my lips while I took a seat next to my dad, who sat next to the Supreme hugging the fluff out of her. I swear I’ve never seen my dad so touchy before. A sharp pain flashed across my chest at the sight, reminding me how I missed having Nathan in my arms.

“Don’t worry, Adam,” Maisie said, interlacing her hands with Tyson’s left hand. “My brother is tougher than he looks. If he could survive the wrath of his nutbag of a grandfather for this long, then he’ll be up and perky in no time.”

I wanted to believe her, but it was really difficult at the moment. The doctor was taking his goddamn time. Before another growl could slip from my lips, the doors swung open and the baldheaded doctor finally emerged. His stoic expression gave nothing away.

“Ms. Underhill?” the doctor asked, searching the group for Nathan’s mother.

Clenching my fist, I strutted up to the doctor and asked,” Tell me, doc. How is he?”

The doctor shook his head and said, “Can’t tell you until his mother’s pre—”

I grabbed the idiot by the collar, knocking our foreheads together. “I don’t have time for your bullshit! Tell me, how’s he doing?”

The doctor paled and swallowed heavily, but he didn’t tell me what I wanted to know, which pushed my blood pressure through the ceiling. I tightened my grip until the scrubs dug into the doctor’s throat.

“That’s enough, Adam!” My dad rushed up and yanked the doctor out of my clutches. “There’s no excuse for treating Dr. Reynolds in such a manner. I know you’re frustrated, but get a grip.”

I swung around and plunged my fist into the wall. “I don’t care! The love of my life is hurt and I can’t do anything to help him.” The edges of my eyes began burning. “And this doctor is wasting my fucking time!” I pointed my finger at the cowering doctor.

Running my hands through my grimy hair while firing off several cursed words, I turned around, facing a wall of bulging eyes. The group stared at me as if I stole their candy. “What?”

“Wow,” said Maisie. “The love of your life, huh? Now that’s—” She turned to Tyson and elbowed him in the stomach. “Why have you never told me I’m the love of your life?”

Tyson’s eyes leaped out of their sockets while his mouth scrambled for a lifesaving excuse. Luckily, his ordeal ended with a chorus of laughter that punctured the tense atmosphere. Nathan’s mother made her way to the doctor, with Nathaniel close on her heels. He held Lilly in his arms, while the sleeping beauty drenched his shoulder with her drool.

“Dr. Reynolds? Do you have news?“, asked Nathan’s mother. Tears welled up in her eyes while she clutched Nathaniel’s right hand for comfort.

The doctor glanced down at his clipboard and said, “We have. At the moment, Nathan is still unconscious and will remain so—”

“Why?” I interrupted the egghead. This didn’t sit well with the rest of the group.

Maisie huffed and said, “Adam, for Pete’s sake, just shut your maw and let the doctor tell us what’s up with my brother before I rip your dick off and make you play fetch with it.”

I instinctively covered my puppy maker and cringed, earning a few chuckles. “Fine, Doc... Go ahead.” I moved out of Maisie’s snatch range just to be safe.

The healer coughed and continued with his assessment. “As I said earlier,” his accusative eyes snapped to me, causing me to roll my eyes, “Nathan’s unconscious until he’s healed the neural scarring he suffered during the ritual. It is our belief that the access magical energy left over from the connection Nathan severed, backlashed and caused the damage.”

“Will my son be alright?” asked Victoria.

I held my breath with the rest of the group. Please, Moon Goddess. Don’t take him away from me. The doctor nodded and said, “Yes, he will. The damage he sustained isn’t permanent, but he’ll suffer from severe headaches while he recovers.”

Nathaniel walked up to the healer and shook his hands. “Thank you, Rick.”

Rick, the dick... Why couldn’t he just tell me that Nathan was going to be alright? What a bunch of drama queens in white coats, keeping desperate loved ones in suspense for nothing.

“Can I see him?” No, scratch that. This clinic was ours. I didn’t need the fool’s permission. “Where’s his room?”

“Only family members are—”

I rushed up to him and snarled, allowing Bane to snake forth. “Finish that sentence and you’ll be drinking coffee through a new hole in your throat.” I pushed past the doctor and rushed through the doors to Nathan. No one was going to keep him away from me. They’d have to kill me first.

***

The incessant beeping of the bloody machine next to Nathan’s hospital bed was driving me crazy. I wanted to rush over to it and throw the damned contraption through the window.

It’s been three days... three fucking days and Nathan still didn’t move an inch.

He laid there on the bed, pale as the sheets he slept on, unmoving. It drove me crazy that I couldn’t do anything for him. Not even the witches could do anything for Nathan, saying that blood magic caused the damage and that any healing magic would prove useless. His injuries had to heal on their own.

The hospital room’s door opened up and Maisie walked into the room, looking as haggard as I was. “Adam... You have to sleep. You’re about to crack under the pressure. We already have one lunatic out there trying to kill us. We don’t need another.”

I shook my head and squeezed Nathan’s icy hand tighter. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t keep them warm for long. “I’m not leaving his side,” I croaked out.

“Really? So stinking up the place is a better plan. How long has it been since you had a shower?”

“Don’t know...”

Maisie walked around the bed until she came to a halt next to Nathan’s other side. Sitting down in a chair, she picked up his hand. “Just take a shower before Nathan wakes up. Even he has standards and you’re currently pushing the envelope here by smelling like a fermented barrel of farts.” Maisie pinched her nose to emphasize her point.

I couldn’t smell that horrible... I lifted my arm and took a whiff of my armpit, nearly gaging. Damn, that’s ripe. I grumbled and turned to the door. “Just mind-link me the moment he wakes up, OK?”

Maisie smirked and saluted me. “Ay, ay, sir!”

Rolling my eyes, I begrudgingly exited the hospital room and made my way to the pack house. I had to scold myself several times when I accidentally turned around to head back to Nathan’s side. Fuck! It was nearly impossible to stay away from him. Even more so knowing that the creep from hell could turn up at any moment.

Once I entered my room, I rushed into the bathroom and took a quick shower. The scolding-hot water burned away the tension in my shoulders. After completely scrubbing my body clean, I walked into the closet and got dressed. But just as I reveled in the idea that I could return to Nathan’s side, a rushed voice burst into my head.

“Adam!” my dad shouted, causing me to flinch. ”He’s here.”

“Fuck!”