Hybrid Aria (Hybrid Series)

Book 3 Chapter 4

The next morning, I woke up early wanting to leave for school before I had to face them. Quickly getting ready, I raced down the stairs catching my father just as he was getting ready to leave with Ryker. Barrelling through the front door and waving them down as they started to pull out of the driveway.

Ryker stops the car and I swing the back door open and hop in. “Is there a reason you are coming to work with us?” My father asks, turning in his seat and looking back at me.

“I’m not, I need a lift to school”

“School doesn’t start for three more hours Lana”

“I know, I just wanted to get there early today” I lie.

“More like you're trying to avoid your mates” Ryker says but reverses out anyway before driving down the long driveway.

“You know you can’t avoid them forever?” My father asks.

“I’m hoping they will get that I don’t want mates and leave”

Ryker snorts, shaking his head at my logic.

“Pretty sure it doesn’t work like that Sis” Ryker teases as we drive into town. When we drive past my high school though, I sit forward.

“I am not leaving you at school for three hours, you can come help at the office and Ryker can drive you when school starts” I sat back, I had no idea what I was going to do once I got to school, so I was glad to go to work with my father and brother.

That changed once my father dumped a heap of paperwork in front of me and asked me to file it. I groaned at the sight of it.

“If you are going to be sneaking out every morning you can help or you can catch the bus with Arial” He states.

“Fine” I tell him, sulking before grabbing them from the desk. It took two hours to sort through them and put them in alphabetical order. When I was done my father came out with Ryker.

“In this day and age you would think everything would be electronic” I tell them, laying my head on the secretary's desk. My fingers felt numb from flicking through pages.

“It is, we just wanted to see how badly you wanted to avoid your mates” Ryker snickers and my dad elbows him, but I could see the amusement on his face.

I cross my arms annoyed they just made me do a pointless task. “Come, I will run you to school” Ryker says, grabbing his keys and walking toward the elevator.

“I take it you didn’t have breakfast?” My brother asks in the elevator and I shake my head.

“We will grab something on the way,” He says. Ryker drives me to school, stopping at McDonalds on the way and to grab breakfast and coffee.

Once I get to school, I sit in the car eating. The school bus pulls up and I see Arial looking around before her eyes stop on Ryker’s car. She glares at us before stomping over. I groan, she was pissed off because I ditched her.

“Morning Arial” Ryker says, handing her a bag with food as she climbs in the back, her anger forgotten with food and caffeine.

“See this is why you’re my favourite” Arial states and Ryker chuckles.

“I’m your twin” I tell her.

“You’re also the one that abandoned me to deal with your mates”

“She was helping Dad and I” Ryker tells her, sending me a wink.

“I saw that” Arial says pointing a finger at him.

“Both of you get out, I have work to do, and before you ask, yes Lana I will come get you after school” A smile slips on my face, he knew before I even had to ask.

Arial and I hop out, both walking through the school gates. The day goes by quickly much to my horror and before I know it my brother was out the front waiting for me. Arial skips over to me, looping her arm through mine.

“I’m not going home if you are not” She states but I could tell she was nervous about something. As we near the car Arial lets me go. “Shotgun” She screams, darting for the front seat and opening the door and sticking her tongue out at me. I roll my eyes. I was going to let her have it anyway. Getting to the office we both hop out and head upstairs. My father was in a meeting. Ryker came out with more files dumping them on the desk and I glare at him.

“Arial file those, Lana come with me, you can file the ones in my office” Ryker says.

"What? All of them? That will take a week” Arial whines and I shake my head not even bothering to tell her she didn’t have to. Following Ryker into his office, I put my hands on my hips wondering what phony task he was going to make me do.

Instead, he sits at his desk and motions for me to shut the door. I shut it before sitting on the sofa.

“So, what crap do you want me to do that is unnecessary?”

“Nothing,” he tosses me a paper bag, opening it I find donuts and steal one out.

“She is going to kill you?” I tell him. He shrugs, a smirk on his face.

“Would be the most work she has ever done” He states before laughing. I sat in the office playing candy crush for a few hours when suddenly Arial walks in and spots me relaxed on the sofa.

“What the f**k Ryker,” Arial screeches.

“And you knew? I knew something was up when the dates were all wrong” She accuses and I laugh.

“I have donuts” I tell her, holding up the bag. She really was too easy to satiate.

“Seriously don’t understand how you're not the size of a house” My brother teases as she shovels one in her mouth, she flips him the bird before flopping down next to me and putting her feet on my lap.

“I have papercuts, that’s the last time I ever help you” She glares at him, but he pays her no attention, used to her rants.

“They have an electronic filing system, they got me with the same thing this morning” I tell her and her eyes blaze.

“You mean I just wasted my bloody time?”

“Yep” I tell her.

“Think of it as work experience, dad made me file for three weeks when I started before the secretary let it slip that they were fake files and that everything was done electronically” Ryker says.

My mouth falls open, three weeks of filing fake files. My father has a strange sense of humour.

“Where is dad?” I ask just as I hear the elevator Bing.

"That would be him” Ryker states before the door opens and in steps my father and my supposed mates.

“No, why are they here?” I groan. The very two people I was trying to avoid. My father folds his arms over his chest before glaring at Arial.

“Do you have something you need to own up to young lady?” He asks her, giving her a sharp look. She feigns innocence. Batting her eyelashes but my father knows her too well. I wonder what she did.

“So, you know nothing about the Alpha’s tyres being slashed on both their cars?” He questions and my mouth falls open, shocked. Arial closes my mouth before nudging me with her elbow.

“Nope, no idea what you're talking about” My father glares at her before I feel her stomp on my foot wanting back up.

“It was probably an act of god,” I tell him. Not knowing what else to say, my brain was not able to conjure up any excuses with my two mates staring, making my brain muddled from their godlike looks and intoxicating smell.

“Since when did you become Christian?” My father asks, turning to me.

“Hmm I was just assuming it must be him, Arial would never do something so crazy” Ryker snorted, choking on his laugh.

“Well did this so-called god happen to steal your sister's pink pocket knife?” He asks in a mocking tone knowing I was lying for her. My eyes snap to her. She got me to lie for her and she left evidence.

“I couldn’t get it out, it got stuck and don’t look at me like that” She blurts giving herself away not that she hadn’t already. I shake my head and my father glares at her, and she shrinks under his gaze.

“Well, you just earned yourself a week of being grounded” My father announces.

“It’s not my fault, they were going to follow me to school to find Lana” She screams at him, jumping to her feet. My father growls at her outburst and I see my fathers wolf Ryder come forward, my father's eyes bleeding black at her tone. My sister sits back down crossing her arms over her chest. It was one thing testing my father, another challenging his wolf, though mum was scarier and dad would never hurt us, but that didn’t make him any less frightening.

“You can go Lana; your sister will be cleaning this entire office with a toothbrush” Dad says glaring down at her.

“You can’t be serious?”

“Deadly serious, you can’t just do what you please and not face the consequences” Arial huffs and I felt a little bad for her because I knew she did it for me.

“I will stay and help” I tell him, but he shakes his head.

“Just go Lana, I will see you at home” She tells me. I look at Ryker, but he shakes his head pointing to Drake and Tate. No, I didn’t want to go home with them and listen to them fight the entire way home.

Dad hands them his keys before they walk out keeping a good distance from each other. Walking out the door, they press the button for the elevator. The thought of being trapped in an elevator with them horrified me. When I didn’t get in, Drake reached forward, gripping my wrist and pulling me in. Tate hit the ground floor button and the doors closed.

“Are you avoiding us?” Drake asked, his warm hand still holding my wrist. I could feel Tate’s eyes watching him

“Nope, just wanted to help my brother” I tell them, stepping away and toward the front of the elevator.

When the doors finally opened, I bolted out and away from them. Walking toward the car park, Tate unlocks the car and I hop in the back doing my best to ignore them.

Tate hops in the driver seat but Drake climbs in the back sitting next to me. I place my bag on the seat between us, my heart skipping a beat as the car fills with their scents making my gums tingle.

Tate starts driving and I can’t wait to get home and away from them.

“Would your father really make her clean the place with a toothbrush?” Tate asks.

“Yes, not the whole office but he will make her clean until close”

“With a toothbrush?” He asks again.

“Yes, are you hard of hearing?” I ask and Drake chuckles beside me. Tate glares at him through the mirror. Halfway home, Drake reaches over grabbing my hand. Sparks rush over my skin and I pull my hand away not liking the feeling. He sighs before running his hand through his hair. Both their scents were becoming overwhelming in the car. Pressing the button, I try to wind the window down but it's locked.

“Can you unlock the windows please” I ask. Tate looks down looking for the button. I started to feel a little claustrophobic and stuffy, their scents were engulfing me and the need to feed was getting worse.

“Unlock the windows” I snap at him, panic coursing through me.

“I am trying, which button is it?” He asks, pressing random buttons on the door trim.

My fangs break through my gums and I could kill my father for making me go home with them. He knows how hard it is around humans for us let alone trapped in a car with two men whose scents were intoxicating to me and addictively sweet.

“Pull the car over” I scream as my fangs protrude. Tate pulls over and I jump out before he even turns the car off. Drake gets out walking over to me, his hand touching my shoulder. I jerk away from his touch.

“Don’t touch me” I snap, trying to regain control.

“Are you okay?” Tate asks and I could hear the concern and confusion in his voice.

“Do I look okay?” I ask, snapping my head towards him. I hear them gasp, clearly, they weren’t used to dealing with vampires let alone a hybrid. Drake composes himself first.

“Do you need blood?” He asks and I shake my head.

“No, your scents are overwhelming. I am fine just give me a second” I tell him and he nods. Drake walks back to the car before leaning in the driver's door and starting the car before finding the button that unlocks the windows. He winds them down.

When I feel my fangs retract, I walk back hopping in the car. Tate starts driving but Drake hops in the front and I am grateful. I could feel Tate’s eyes on me as he kept looking back at me in the mirror like he thought I was going to rip out his artery while he was driving.

“Can I ask how old you both are?” I ask, curious. Tate answers.

“23 and Drake is 25” I nod that didn’t sound so bad, not that it mattered because I am not their mate.