The Hybrid
Chapter 18 - Sugar Rush

Note: The “sugar rush” is just fiction: something that is invented and/or untrue.

I wake up too early for a Saturday morning and can’t go back to sleep. It’s probably because of sleeping in an unfamiliar room, one that I had requested if I was going to be staying at Vulcan’s place. He had argued a hell of a lot last night when I made my request, before grumbling out a dissatisfied “fine.”

Around ten o’clock, Caia texts me to meet her in town so, I decide to go out for a bit. I change into a t-shirt, denim jeans and combat boots before pulling on a jacket. I leave my hair open for the day before slipping my phone into my back pocket and heading out the door with just an apple and a granola bar in hand. Because I had taken too long in the shower, I can’t have breakfast otherwise I’ll be even more late than I already am

I head downtown to meet Caia and we join Nikolai at the skate park. I cheer him on as he successfully completes a trick, making him notice us and come over to where we stand. We talk for a while before he forces me to have a go. Grabbing the skateboard from him, I step up on it whilst clasping my helmet on before riding down the ramp and up to the other side. Caia follows behind and soon ends up beside me, grinning happily.

It’s a good thing Damon had taught me this otherwise I would have ended up in a heap on the floor. Eventually, I manage to get another skateboard and the three of us proceed to spend the whole morning at the skate park.

As we’re heading back, they invite me to come to the pack house because ″Helena, the pack cook, makes the best breakfast!″ So now, after breakfast, I’m lamely rapping in time to the beats Drew makes with his voice in the pack house kitchen, some pack members crowded around us. He’s one of the pack warriors and we had instantly clicked.

I spend the next half hour with the pack members playing fruit salad. It’s a game where whoever is playing sits on a chair in a circle. In our case, we stand on the grass in the backyard. Going around the circle, each person is given the name of one of three fruits, e.g., apple, pear, banana, apple, pear, banana, until everyone has a fruit name that they need to remember. It starts by someone standing in the center of the circle and calling out the names of one fruit. Everyone who is that fruit (e.g., all the apples) must get up and quickly move to an empty chair, including the person who called the fruit. Those who are not ‘apples’ remain seated. Whoever ends up without a chair then takes a turn in the middle, calling out the name of one group of fruit again.

But I, as one does when you’ve baked too many cupcakes, set a new rule: anyone who doesn’t get a chair gets a cupcake smashed into their faces by a person. And I’m the first one to experience that. I move to the center, grinning as I lick icing off the corner of my mouth.

″Fruit salad!″ I yell, sprinting to a nearby seat and smashing a cupcake into Nikolai’s face.

Vulcan Romanov’s P.O.V.

I hurry down the staircase, buttoning my shirt. Learning from Indigo and most of my pack members that my mate is at the pack house, I’m rushing to see her. The events of a week ago run through my mind, it has been only a week that she has accepted me and everything is going good. Our bond is strengthening but with that comes the intense pull that wants me to complete the marking and mating process with her.

I can’t push her, no matter how hard it’s proving for me to control my beasts. She isn’t ready and I will never forgive myself if I hurt her. Honestly, I’m afraid that my mark will harm her and just the thought of her hurt because of me stops me from going further.

Marching out of the house, I head towards the noise coming from the back of the pack house where my mate’s heavenly scent is the strongest. Breathing it in deeply to calm my beasts, I round the corner, stopping short at the scene in front of me. Aurora, my mate, is wrestling on the ground with one of my pack warriors who smashes a cupcake onto her cheek while she laughs. Immediately, my beasts snarl at the sight of their mate in the arms of another, growling at me to rip him apart.

″What is going on here? You are all supposed to be training! Aurora!″ My voice booms in the clearing, making everyone freeze.

My eyes snap to her as she grabs a cupcake from a nearby table and stands, sighing loudly. ″Alright fruit avengers. Disassemble!″

And just like that everyone disappears, leaving only her and I in the large backyard. I shamelessly let my eyes roam her long legs clad in ripped denim and feel myself twitch and harden. The things this girl does to me, I groan softly, knowing I will be having a cold shower later.

″Dammit! I meant disassemble on my speed!″ She pouts, stomping her foot in frustration before turning and running back inside the pack house.

A low growl escapes me, my wolf perking up at the thought of chasing my mate. Following her, I run inside to catch her just in time before she leaves the pack house. Throwing her over my shoulder, I start walking up the stairs. Aurora mumbles to herself, kicking her feet up and down slowly as we reach the second floor. Setting her down in my office, I open my mouth to speak when I notice her face scrunch in discomfort.

″I don’t feel so good.″ She groans, holding her stomach as she walks to the black, leather chair behind my desk.

Her grey orbs meet mine as I crouch down. Looking into her eyes, I notice the blue specks darker than ever. Her eyes aren’t resting on anything, flitting to look around at every little thing in the room whilst her leg bounces.

″Are you fucking high?″

″I am not. You’re just being silly!″ She replies a bit too loudly, pinching my cheeks and getting up from the chair to walk around the room aimlessly.

The sudden action has my breath hitching in my throat. I still have to get used to the sparks and tingles erupting on my skin whenever she touches me. Never did I think I would experience it again but, here she is and the bond between us, that I didn’t think I would have with any woman anymore, is growing stronger with every minute we spend with each other.

It’s getting difficult to resist her, especially when she wears clothes that just makes me want to rip them off her delectable body and take her over my desk. Fucking control yourself, Vulcan! I yell mentally. Focusing my attention back on my girl, I watch as she skips to the bookshelf, rambling under her breath.

“Aurora...” I start cautiously, remembering a piece of advice that Damon Valentine had told me. “Did you eat or drink anything with sugar this morning?”

″How did you know?!” She whirls around and grins at me. “Helena made me breakfast and she let me put extra sugarin my porridge!”

“And what did you do after?”

“I made cupcakes and spent some time with Drew, we attempted to rap because of a dare, but it was so lame.” She giggles whilst I clench my fists and feel my wolf at bay.

″Show her who she belongs to! Mark her! She’s ours!″ Ruxin roars inside my mind, making me growl angrily at him. Even her cute pout can’t calm me down. She doesn’t let me answer her though.

″Vulcan, did you know that stars are actually gas? Do you know that Santa doesn’t exist? Why does school even exist and - oh! Hello.″ My mate smiles up at me, I can hear her heart beating at an unusually fast pace.

Before I can answer, the phone rings, making her grin excitedly. I don’t have time to catch her before she runs over to it and picks it up.

″You’re talking to the coolest person in the world, how may I help you?″ She asks, huffing when I snatch the phone from her.

I walk over to the large window, my back to her as I greet the other person on the phone. Looking back, I see Aurora sitting on the table, dangling her sexy legs back and forth. Assured that she’s here, I continue my talk with the other Alpha. However, as I’m speaking I look down at the stretch of territory in front of me. My gaze strays on the pack warriors making their way to the border line to do their rounds when a while later, loud laughter distracts me from below.

I’m sure my eyes are blood red by now, my form shaking as I bid goodbye to Alpha Nicholas as calmly as possible. Throwing the phone on the desk, I use my heightened speed to run outside the pack house, just in time to see my mate trip over a rock and land on the ground.

She sits there laughing, not noticing my livid form behind her as Drew runs up to her and pulls up my mate’s elbow to reveal a jagged gash in her skin, blood oozing out of it. I nearly let my beasts take over and kill Drew at the sight of my mate hurt. Ruxin and Vladimir snarl within me, letting out a deafening roar

″Shit! I’m sorry, Aurora. I -″

″Get away from my mate, Drew.″ I grit out, making my way over to them and watching him back away slowly.

Aurora stands unsteadily whilst clutching her bloody arm. Turning around, she shoots Drew a bewildered look when he bows slightly and reveals his neck to me. I want to snap it right there.

″Go get a medical kit, do you not see that my mate is hurt?!″ My voice rises to a yell as I glare at him. Snapping my angry gaze back to her while she watches as Drew runs off, I walk up to her and grab her hand, leading her back to the pack house.

″That was mean.″ She remarks, looking up at me with narrowed eyes.

″Why are you with Drew? First, I see you rolling on the ground with him, then you tell me you rapped with him and now you’re chasing him around the house?!″ I turn to face her suddenly, watching my black eyes flash red with anger in her pupils.

She frowns up at me adorably, her head tilting to the side like a puppy. ″I like Drew, what’s wrong with him? We’re friends now.″

Nodding, she pulls away and starts towards the house again, accepting the medical kit from Drew before he runs off with one look at my fierce glare. Ignoring me, she opens the box and rummages through it.

″There should be an antiseptic here somewhere.″ She murmurs to herself, fingers sifting through pieces of gauze and sprays.

I snake my hand around and slam the lid closed. Before she can protest, I throw her up over my shoulder and run to my house using my speed. Natasha and Nero, her mate, glance over at me in confusion as I speed past but I pay them no mind. In an instant, I place her on the kitchen counter, grabbing the red box from her hand and opening it up, taking out the right things and then tending to my mate’s scratched skin whilst muttering angrily under my breath.

About five minutes pass in comfortable, quiet silence before Aurora asks the most ridiculous question ever. ″Unicorns exist, right?”

I halt in my work, placing both hands on the counter beside her legs and staring into her eyes before picking up the house phone and dialing a familiar number. She frowns, watching me with curiosity.

″Are you calling them? You have to give me their number.” She giggles teasingly, her eyes bright with mischievousness.

″Hello, Damon?″

I watch her mood instantly deflate and an irresistible pout appears on her lips. She removes my hand from her waist and slips off the counter, walking behind me as I fail to grab her.

″Vulcan? Did something happen to Aurora?″ He asks, an undertone of worry in his voice.

″Vulcan!″ She screams excitedly from behind. ″Look, I can juggle!″

I turn my body to face her slightly and see her standing on the kitchen chair with only two pieces of fruit in her small hands. ″That’s only two oranges, Котёночек. You need three to juggle.″ (Little kitten)

She looks down at her hands before pouting, dropping them on the table and running out of the room, leaving me wanting to run after her and keep her by my side. Turning back to the phone, I sigh and rub a hand over my face before speaking to Damon.

″How do I stop her sugar rush?″ I snarl when he bursts into laughter.

″Have her drink a lot of water to flush it out but even then, it’s going to take a few hours for her to start feeling the effects and end up crashing.″

Groaning, I curse loudly before slamming the phone down onto the receiver. Why couldn’t my mate be quiet and calm? I ask the Moon Goddess, looking up at the ceiling above.

"Shut up. She’d be exactly like your boring self then.” Ruxin mutters suddenly, making me snarl at him.

I walk back out to look for my mate, replaceing her on the couch and talking to Natasha and Nero. They turn to me when they hear my footsteps, Natasha wiggling her eyebrows at Aurora questionably. My mate, however, continues regardless.

″Cool.″ She nods, before settling further on the couch to make herself more comfortable, her eyes closed and her arms crossed behind her head. ″I don’t like my mate though. He isn’t answering my questions plus, he doesn’t like Drew; my rap buddy. Is he jealous that we can rap and he can’t?″

I growl lowly, making her eyes snap open to replace me walking towards her. If she mentions Drew one more time, I will have no problem succumbing to my beasts and hunting him down. She stops me with her leg before pointing at the other seats. Scoffing at her with a raised brow, I grab her ankles and sit down, placing her feet in my lap and rubbing her bare skin.

″What’s up with, Aurora?″ Natasha questions whilst Nero chuckles at my mate trying to kick me off the couch.

″I forgot to tell the pack cooks to keep her away from sugar and now she’s having a sugar rush.″ I sigh, making her slap my arm and stand to make her way to one of the portraits on the wall to my right.

I look back at her, wanting to grab her and take her up to our room. I’ll give anything to speed up the process; mark and mate with her, desperate to hear her moans of pleasure as I ravish her all night long. I also want a repeat of yesterday. Hearing her moans was so fucking hot, I want to hear it again and again. She turns around abruptly, her finger on her chin and a confused look in her eyes.

″Why do you have more paintings of this man? Do you have a creepy obsession with him, Vulcan?″ She asks thoughtfully, making me groan and rub my temples in frustration while the other two laugh.

I let her walk around the room, mumbling incoherent words under her breath before wandering through the various hallways. However, I start getting worried when she doesn’t return after ten minutes, the house is like a maze and she isn’t well acquainted with it yet.

I close my eyes and make myself comfortable on the couch. Before long, I hear her footsteps heading in my direction, her strong scent wafting up my nose. Reaching me, she pokes my chest.

″Vulcan, can I go outside?″

No but, we can go up to our bedroom. ″No.″

″Oh...do you have any games?″

I can think of many games to play with you, my little kitten. ″No.″

″Can I bake more cupcakes?″

Only if I can lick the frosting from your addictive lips. ″No, Малы́шка. Just sit down.″ I sigh, uncovering my eyes to see her standing before me. (Baby girl.)

She scowls at me in reply before turning on her heel and marching towards the front door, out of the house. I settle back into the couch with a sigh.

″Aren’t you going to go get her?″ Nero asks me, while I mind link with Indigo and give him the go ahead for a meeting.

″I’ve told Nikolai to watch her. As long as she’s on my lands and nowhere near other men, she’ll be fine.″ I reply, getting up off the couch and heading upstairs to take a shower.

A cold shower more like. Hot showers are now foreign to me ever since I found my little spitfire.

Two hours later, I replace myself freezing in my seat when I sense Aurora back in the house. I had told Nikolai to keep her away from the impromptu meeting but she must have slipped away...again. I notice the other Alphas and Betas inhaling before grinning to themselves. Apparently, every fucking werewolf had found out about my mate and how she was the ″hottest Luna around.″

I had shot out of my seat and nearly murdered the Beta who whispered that. Unfortunately for him, I have much stronger senses than a normal Alpha’s and heard the comment as if it was spoken right next to my ear.

Hearing her drag her feet across the floor, I realize that she’s going to crash from her sugar high very soon. Leaning forward on my chair when I hear a dull thud, I look at the door and back at Indigo.

″Oh for the love of God, Vulcan!″ She screams my name angrily and I hear her kick whatever she tripped over away from her. ″Get your ass down here and clean this mess up, are you trying to kill me?″

Immediately the men burst into laughter, stopping short when a low growl escapes my lips. I hear her march over and open the door, freezing on the spot when she notices the room filled with only men. Everyone’s eyes snap to her, roaming my mate’s figure in scrutiny making me snarl loudly at the end of the table. Her grey eyes meet mine, concern flashing through them before she smirks knowingly.

″Hi everyone. Is this a no-girls-allowed party?″

Alpha Nicholas, one of my close friends and allies, chuckles and slaps my back. ″You’ve got a good one here, Romanov.″

I sigh before shaking my head at her. Scanning her for any injuries, I frown when I noticed her pupils have not returned to their normal size yet.

″Come here.″

She narrows her eyes before walking over to me, fist bumping Indigo as she passes. Looking around for a chair, she yelps when I pull her onto my lap, wrapping an arm around her waist. Growling lowly when she rolls her eyes dramatically, I let her pull us towards the table with her hands before grinning at the men.

″So, what are you guys up to?″

″Discussing war tactics and making plans.″ Indigo mutters from beside me.

″What’s there to plan about? You go in, plant some fireworks, smoke bombs, use paintball guns and boom!″ Aurora slams both her small fists onto the table suddenly, making everyone jump in surprise. ″You walk out in a badass way.″

Leaning back into my chest, she smirks at all of them while I tighten my grip around her waist and breathe in her scent. Looking up, I notice some of the men grinning with curious looks in their eyes as they stare at me questionably.

″Excuse my mate, men. She’s a bit -″

″More awesome than I usually am!″

″Hyper.″ I state firmly, looking down at her with a stern look and hoping she will listen. ″You’re on a sugar high, Aurora.″

″No, I’m not.″ She, obviously, argues and slides the page in front of Indigo towards her, grabbing a pen and starting to draw on it. Of course, my stubborn mate won’t admit it. ″You’re just sour because I can rap better than you.″

She pays no attention to the low growl echoing in the quiet room and the short bursts of laughter quickly turning into coughs. Huffing, I glare at Nicholas’ red face and look down to see Aurora’s features scrunch up in concentration on making her “car” as detailed as possible. I gesture to the Alpha of North Canada to continue, gripping my mate’s hips as she leans forward with her tongue sticking out from the corner of her mouth.

I curse mentally at the sight of it wetting her lips, dirty images flashing through my mind of what she can do with that tongue of hers. The meeting continues with me losing my focus every now and then because of the raven-haired beauty on my lap. The meeting continues for one more hour with Aurora convincing Nicholas and Indigo to have a thumb war with her and suggesting the craziest pranks we could do to ″the enemies.″

Eventually, everyone rises from their seats with me picking her up off my lap and making her stand beside me. She continues drawing on a piece of paper while I finish off the meeting.

I’m talking to a few Alphas when Indigo leans in to look at her picture before chuckling loudly. ″Oh my Moon Goddess, is that Vulcan?!″

Everyone crowds around us and leans over to look at what she drew. On one page is her disproportionate car and mountains with a lake smack dab in the center, that one I don’t have a problem with, the other however...

″Aurora,″ I start, my tone dark. ″Why the fuck am I wearing heart printed boxers on a unicorn?″

Snickers erupt around me as some of the Alphas and Betas stifle their laughter with their fists. My mate stands there with pride in her eyes and a giant smile on her face as she looks around the room before her eyes meet mine.

″I don’t know, the pen had a mind of its own!″ She exclaims, holding up the picture to me. ″You should frame this or something. This can go above the fireplace! Won’t that be cool? I can make more.″

She rambles on and takes another sheet of plain paper, starting yet another drawing while I escort everyone out before walking back to crouch beside her.

Her eyes suddenly droop making her shake her head and yawn cutely. Gripping her chin, I turn her around to face me and trace the bags under her eyes before placing my fingers against her wrist where her pulse throbs at a much normal speed than this morning.

″That’s it, you’re coming with me while I answer some work calls in my office. I don’t want to leave you alone.″ I murmur gently before picking her up and carrying her to my office.

Sitting down in the chair, I adjust her on my lap, watching as she grabs a nearby frame and fits her drawing of me into it. She rests her head on her crossed arms, shiny black hair flowing down her back in loose curls. ″You didn’t tell me what you think.″

I halt in my typing and look over to the picture, eyes narrowing slightly before a hesitant smile stretches across my lips. It’s the most ridiculous picture anyone has ever drawn of me but, my mate has drawn it and I will make damn sure it stays on my desk. ″Best drawing I ever saw.″

She grins at me sleepily before nuzzling her cheek against my chest and yawning quietly. I want to pull her back up and kiss her until she begs me to stop but more than that, I want her to rest...so I can do it when she’s back to her normal self.

I gaze down at her in affection but, that soon turns into fury when I notice the purple-blue small bruises on her skin. Grabbing her by the forearms, I pull her back and assess the damage, my blood boiling at the thought of how someone has hurt her.

“What happened?” My voice is gruff with anger as I watch her wince when I lightly touch a bruise.

“What do you mean...oh!” She exclaims, looking down at the bruises littering her arms with a shrug. “’I played basketball with the boys today but they all used their speed to win, so I got hit more times than I can remember.”

Struggling with myself and my beasts who scream at me to march down to the pack house and murder those boys, I pull her tighter towards me and rub her back in soothing circles. “I’ll kill them.”

She hums sleepily and hides her face into the crook of my neck making me shiver when her lips meet my skin. Fucking hell, if she wasn’t so tired right now, I would take her up to my room and make her moan louder than she did right now, I think to myself, my fingertips skimming the soft skin of her bare legs as I pull the boots off her feet, dull thuds echoing as they drop to the hardwood floor.

“Don’t be silly, Vulcan. My skin just bruises easily, it’s not their fault.”

"Not their fault?! Aurora, they are werewolves with twice the strength of an average human, they knew what they were doing and hurt their Luna. I will punish them.” I seethe, my beasts making an appearance as they growl viciously in my mind.

“Don’t.” She murmurs sleepily, cuddling further into my chest as a reflex action to soothe me. “It was just a game and besides, these bruises will be gone within two or three weeks.”

“But -”

“Please, let me sleep!” I’m cut off by her loud whine as she blinks up at me, peeved.

Sighing heavily, I hug her body to my chest and let her wrap her arms around my neck, her cheek nuzzling against my left shoulder. In minutes, she’s fast asleep and releasing soft snores.

Little does she know, that whilst she sleeps soundly in my arms, I’m seething through the mind link and shouting punishments to the men who have hurt her, pack members whimpering in reply as my voice booms through their minds. The only person keeping me from shifting right then and there is my soulmate holding onto my arm, her touch calming the livid beasts inside me.