Hybrid Aria 1-4

Lily POV

My entire body ached, throbbing to its own beat. The last thing I remembered was Damien finally getting to us before darkness took over. Opening my eyes, I could hear a beeping noise. Looking around, I find I am in a bed in a hospital. Damien asleep in the chair beside me, his head leaning against the headrest with his lips slightly parted as he snores softly. Pulling the covers back, my wounds are healing but painfully slow.

Nearly every piece of skin is bruised and just moving slightly makes my breath get caught in my throat from the pain. Yet I am alive, so I welcome the pain. It’s better than the feeling that washed over me in the park. Never have I feared death so much as I did in that moment, as I felt nothing but weightlessness and darkness creep over me.

Pulling the pulse oximeter from my finger, the machine beeps loudly, and I reach over, turning it off. The movement makes me hiss as I throw my legs over the side of the bed. I pull the line attached to the vein in my wrist out. Blood spurts out from the sudden movement and I place my finger on the insertion mark till it stops.

Getting up, I quickly make my way into the bathroom and pee before washing my hands. I feel heaps better, and my wounds seemed to be healing faster than normal. The pain is there but it isn’t unbearable and for the most part just stings slightly. Looking in the mirror, I gasp. My skin is bruised, but that isn’t what I find shocking. It is the ugly mark running from eyebrow to my jaw, jagged like someone took a can opener to my face.

“Oh my god, please tell me that won’t stay there” I ask Layla who I forced awake with my shock, hitting her.

“It will heal Lily and barely be visible” She replies yawning. I feel tears brim at my marred skin. Not being able to look at the hideous mark, I turn away from the mirror and walk out. Damien is still sleeping soundly in the chair. I walk over to him, brushing my fingers through his hair. He moves slightly under my touch, moving my hand down. I cup his face and his eyes snap open from the sparks igniting on his skin. As soon as he saw me, he reached his arms out and grabbed me, placing me on his lap. I hiss in pain at the sudden movement as his arms wrap around my waist, pulling me closer.

“Sorry” He says when he causes me pain, his face in my hair while he breathes in my scent. I turn slightly so I can face him, but his grip is unwavering.

“You disobeyed me Lily, we told you to stay inside” He said, burying his face in my neck.

“I’m okay now” I tell him, and he shakes his head.

“No, you nearly died. Next time, listen. I can’t lose you” He tells me, and I nod, not wanting to argue with him.

A few minutes later, Doc walks in. Damien introduces her as Maria.

“You’re looking better today, Luna. Gave us quite the scare,” She tells me. She seems nice and motherly. Her chocolate brown eyes watching me. She has dark curly hair and a white lab coat on. Her glasses perched on the end of her nose as she looked at me.

“Can you lay on the bed? I just want to check you’re healing properly” She says, before I feel Damien stand placing me on the bed and I lay down. He stands close, watching as she lifts the hospital gown and writes some notes after inspecting my skin.

“You’re healing fast, The Alpha’s blood and Tatum’s have sped up the healing process” She says nodding her head happily.

I go to ask her something but hesitate, not wanting to sound vain. Damien notices my hesitation.

“What’s wrong?” He asks, brushing my hair from my face.

I point to my face where the scar runs jagged.

“Will this remain like that?” I ask her. Damien snorts, making me look up at him.

“You nearly died and you’re worried about scarring?” He shakes his head. Doc ignores him and answers.

“It will but it will be barely noticeable, Rebecca did a good job at stitching it, it will only be a very faint line once healed. The werewolf blood has helped heal you, Lily so it shouldn’t look anywhere near as bad as it does now” She explains.

I nod, feeling a little relieved that my face won’t look like I had been put through a blender.

“When can I go home?” I ask.

“Today I will organise the discharge papers” She goes to walk out when she pauses before turning back to me.

“You know. I know you’re hesitant about him marking you, Lily. But when wolves mark each other, they take pieces of each other, strengthen each other, the Alpha marking you might actually be beneficial not just because of the bond and the fact you won’t be rogue. Your wolf may feel more at ease and your ability to heal should become stronger. Just something to think about” She says before looking at the Alpha. His eyes lit up at the thought of marking me, and I could feel how much he really wanted to.

I nod, not saying anything. Maria left the room, leaving us alone.

“Did you ask her to say that?” I ask him, making him look at me.

“No, Lily. Doc is right though and I think you know that”

“I have a surprise waiting for you at home. In fact, three of them” He tells me, leaning down on the bed and kissing my head softly. I look up at him and he kisses my lips.

“And I’m not telling you so don’t ask?” He says smiling deviously. I roll my eyes before a more pressing question hits me.

“Why did they attack? What did they want?” I ask. Damien leans back, his face taking a more serious expression.

“I don’t know Lily” He answers, but I can tell he is lying, which angers me and Layla.

“You’re lying” I tell him, and he looks at me and suddenly realises I can feel what he feels, now I have marked him. He sighs before sitting next to me on the bed.

“I can’t tell you right now, just focus on getting better. Then once I have marked you, I will tell you,” He says looking toward the window and not meeting my gaze.

“So you refuse to tell me unless you mark me?” I ask, incredulous that he was actually using that against me.

“It’s not like that, Lily. I have my reasons”

“And what are they?”

“It doesn’t matter right now, just let it go” He sighs, running his hand through his hair before pinching the bridge of his nose. Doc suddenly walks in and I don’t get to demand he answer.

She gives some papers to Damien, which he signs before he walks over to a bag under the chair he was asleep on and places it beside me. He pulls some clothes from the bag and helps me get dressed in some loose-fitting track pants and shirt.

I say goodbye to Doc and we leave, making our way down to the car. When I hop in, Damien turns to me.

“Just let it go for now, Lily. Please, I don’t want to argue” He says rubbing my cheek with his hand.

We drive home in silence. When we pull up at the Pack house. I notice two familiar cars parked in the driveway. I look at Damien and he has a smile on his lips confirming who I think it is. Throwing the door open, I run toward the door completely forgetting any pain I felt. I hear Damien telling me to slow down. But I didn’t listen, I was too excited. Before I reach the door, it opens. Aria stepped out with a grin on her face and I threw myself in her arms.

She stumbles back before wrapping her arms around me. “Surprise” she whispers into my hair. I squeeze her tightly, tears running down my face. Goddess knows how much I have missed her, we may fight and bicker, but she has always been there, always the one constant thing in my life refusing to give up on me.

“I missed you” I tell her and I feel her hand rubbing my hair soothingly.

“I know, I have missed you too” She tells me.

“Where are the kids?” I ask, hoping they are here too.

“At home, with Reid. I just spoke to him and he was complaining about having to watch my little pony on repeat,” I chuckle slightly. The girl’s favourite show.

“And Ryker?” I ask, he was my little buddy and reminded me of myself. We always had a strong connection like two peas in a pod. “He is fine, he wanted to come, but I told him when you’re feeling better,” She tells me.

I hear movement behind her, and I look over her shoulder. My father stepped through the doorway and onto the porch.

“Hey kiddo” He says, and Aria lets go and I run to my father. He scoops me up, my feet leaving the ground, and kisses my hair. I hiss at the sudden pain radiating down my side from his tight embrace.

“Oops, sorry I forgot” he says, putting me down on my feet and wrapping his arm around me.

“I didn’t think you would be happy to see me” He says, looking down at me.

“You know I suck at holding grudges” I tell him, and he chuckles. Damien scoffs behind me. Making me turn to look at him.

“What?”

“You have to be the most stubborn person I have met and have had it out for me since I brought you here” He comments with a smile on his lips. My father chuckles.

“That’s my girl, give him hell” He says, making Damien shake his head at his comment.

“You said three surprises, this is only two?” I tell him.

“She is inside” My dad says, looking down at me and squeezing my shoulder. He steps aside and I walk in, but no one is there. I walk into the lounge room. And she is standing next to the lounge, a huge grin on her face as her eyes light up at seeing me. I squeal and all but tackle her onto the lounge. She erupts into a fit of giggles.

“Miss me?” She asks, squeezing me back. I nod, breathing in my best friend’s scent. We sit up on the couch while dad, Aria and Damien come inside. Damien raises an eyebrow at us on the lounge.

“Now just because Amber is here, don’t think you will be allowed to run amuck Lily” Damien warns, and I roll my eyes at him. He shakes his head before walking toward the kitchen.

“So, what’s there to do around here?” She asks. Making me laugh.

“I still haven’t figured that out yet, but we can escape him” I whisper.

“I heard that?” Damien sings out from the kitchen. Aria adds her two cents worth.

“Best behaviour Amber, your father was hard enough to convince to let you come. Don’t make me regret bringing you” Aria warns and we both giggle.

“They do realise you’re the bad influence, right?” She asks before laughing.

“Me?” I say, pointing to myself. “Never, it’s all you” I tell her. She chuckles. Damien walks in then and stands by the door.

“From what I have observed, it is both of you and I will be keeping tabs on the pair of you at all times” He warns. I get up pulling Amber with me, needing coffee.

“Coffee?” Amber nods and we make our way to the kitchen, followed by Damien.

“How long are you staying?” I ask Aria.

“We will leave in a few days, but will come back up with the kids, as long as it is alright with the Alpha?” She says and Damien nods.

“Why are you asking, you could always demand him, shit you could make him rub your feet if you wanted?”

“No, Lily, I don’t like to abuse my authority and it is still his territory” She answers. Damien shoots me a look.

“What it’s true” I tell him, and he shakes his head and starts pouring coffee.

“I see you still don’t bear Damien’s mark?” Aria asks, making my father look at me. Here we go, another lecture. She doesn’t waste any time. Damien smirks at her, questioning me.

“Forget it for now Lily, but we will have a chat later about it” She tells me, and I nod. Maybe it would be good talking to her about it. I know she will understand me better and not judge despite banishing me, she will at least listen.Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

Damien places the coffee on the bench and everyone grabs one.

“I have Pack business to attend to, David, you can join me if you like” He says, turning to my father who nods. It was weird not hearing people refer to him as Alpha. Felt strange, but my father seemed quite casual, more relaxed without the title, like he wasn’t carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. I watch as my father grabs his coffee and follows Damien.