Page 44 of Beta Hybrid

‘That is one way, yes. But there is also another. The one I prefer, that is. A life for a life, indeed. Four sacrifices. One Dark Witch. One vampire. One wolf. And one fae.’

I frown. ‘Wait. What are you talking about?’

Cai growls. ‘That’s how he’ll stay alive. By sacrificing others in his place.’

Aldrich’s lips pucker. ‘Well, like I said. I’ve been given a second chance. Now, would you like to go to a war you cannot win, or prevent it altogether? Four lives instead of hundreds? The lives need not be yours. Zenna, in fact, would not be able to participate, for she is both mine and Gaia’s.’

‘You would sacrifice them, four people so that your siblings would die, and you would live?’ I raise my hands. ‘Hold on. This—this is not why we came here.’

Aldrich blinks those bright, green eyes. ‘Of course. Zenna, once you’ve lived a little while longer, you will gain more perspective. It’s the lesser of two evils, you might say.’

My vines rise from my arms in anger.

My mother gets quickly to her feet. Startled for the first time. ‘Zenna, what are you doing?’

Cai growls at them. ‘We should go.’

Both of us edge toward the door without turning our backs. ‘You’re despicable,’ I spit at the Origin.

‘That’s unkind,’ he says. ‘How is it despicable to lose four lives over hundreds, maybe thousands?’ He raises a white, bushy brow, genuinely curious. ‘Hmm?’

‘Because you don’t get to choose who lives and who dies.’

‘No? So you would rather more people die? Did they choose that fate?’ Aldrich shakes his head. ‘That’s the problem, little one. You think your moral compass is perfect. No one’s is. Tell you what, when you want to rethink your answer, contact your mother. I will even leave the comfort of my home to come to you. It is a good deal.’

‘What’s so good about it?’ I snap.

‘Because if you agree, I will even tell you exactly how I was raised. And by whom.’

Chapter Eighteen

Zenna

My feet land on the ground by the end of the ladder, Cai dropping behind me. I don’t bother looking back to see if my mother looks after me. The others are waiting impatiently for us. Vale shifts into human form. ‘Hey, how’d it go?’

‘There’s something we need to discuss. In private.’ My gaze lands on Divina.

Her dark eyes narrow. ‘What did he say to you?’

Reagan hurries by in wolf form, barrelling after a hare.

‘Oh, quite a lot. It was pretty interesting.’ I offer a smile, then turn, taking Cai by the arm and steering him into the woods.

‘Well, why are you excluding us again?’ Divina gets to her feet, as though to follow. ‘Alpha, you’ve trusted me for a long time. And what about your Second? Zenna, why leave Jana?’ She folds her arms over her chest. ‘I can’t help but feel left out.’

‘Tough,’ I tell her. ‘Cai and I are a team. The rest of you will have to wait.’

As Divina huffs, turning slightly, Jana meets my gaze. I wink at her. That’s all I can afford.

Cai and I march into the woods a fair distance away, so that no one will overhear us. Finally, he settles onto a large boulder overlooking a portion of the mountain. ‘It really is a stunning view.’

I try to smile. I know he would love to live in these mountains. To run through them, howling on the full moon. ‘It is.’

Cai sighs. ‘So, what do we do?’

I look at him. I reach up, brushing hair out of those silver eyes. ‘You know what we have to do. We have to take Aldrich’s deal. He can’t lie.’

‘Why would she raise them?’ Cai says.

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