Hybrids were born, but some were created by scientists who lived undercover as famous philanthropists. Between them, a fracture was created by those same scientists, one that could bring all hybrids to one place.
~~~~~~
This was finally the part Aurora had been waiting for. She adjusted her glasses and settled into a more comfortable position on the bed, lying flat on her stomach as she flipped the book to Chapter twelve. At the top of the page it read Created Hybrids, followed by the subtitle Unlike Born Hybrids, Made Hybrids Are Far More Feral.
She scanned the first paragraph, skipping a few sentences until she spotted the word. Fracture. Just as she was about to read further, a guard’s voice echoed outside, followed by a female voice she recognized instantly as Jules.
"Ma’am, you can’t go in," one of the guards outside her room warned Jules.
Bang.
Her bedroom door flew open, making her jump up instinctively. Jules had somehow forced the door open and stepped inside.
Aurora scrambled off the bed to cover the book she was reading and told the bodyguards to let Jules pass.
The guard nodded and shut the door firmly.
"Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?" Aurora asked, clearly irritated at being disturbed. She had been planning to read this Chapter ever since she saw her father with it, but he always told her never to look through his textbooks or read anything about hybrids. He claimed they were all a lie, yet she had managed to sneak the book into her bag. She was too curious not to know what the Fracture was, and why every time her father mentioned it to his fellow scientists it ended in arguments or worse, him taking his anger out on her. And now she was being interrupted.
"Get dressed," Jules replied, ignoring her question completely. A wide grin was on her face as she walked straight to Aurora’s wardrobe and started rummaging through her clothes.
"Why? And don’t crumple those clothes. I’m wearing them to class tomorrow," Aurora said quickly, picking up the outfit Jules had thrown onto the floor. Her three-inch heels pinned the fabric against the marble floor.
Aurora gritted her teeth. Her jaw ached as she fought not to snap.
"I wonder how you even put all this on. Don’t worry though, I’ve got something better," Jules whispered, her smile fading just a little.
Aurora stood with her arms folded tight across her chest.
"Let’s go party, bitch," Jules announced, grinning again as she finally pulled out something she liked.
"Party?" Aurora asked, raising an eyebrow.
Jules stepped closer and leaned in. "Club."
"I’m not going. And if Dad finds out, I’ll be sent straight back to that mansion," Aurora shot back, snatching the red gown from Jules’ grip. It was a gift from her mother, given on her twenty-second birthday before she left.
"Aurora," Jules said softly, walking over to her makeup desk to grab a makeup wipe, eyeliner and lip gloss. "You really want to go. You’re just scared of your father. But if anything happens, I’ll take full blame. I’ll say I forced you. And honestly, nothing bad is going to happen. Let’s have some fun for once, instead of burying our heads in genetics textbooks all the time."
Aurora bit her lower lip, rubbing the back of her neck as she thought it over. "Let’s break Daddy’s rules today," she said, forcing a smile. She tried not to think about how no one else remembered what day it was. Not even her father or her best friend.
"I got you these earrings to wear tonight. Happy birthday," Jules said, handing her the gift before wiping her face gently. "Did you think I forgot?"
"For a second there, I did. Thank you, Jules. I love you," Aurora murmured, her voice cracking as tears blurred her vision.
"Hey, don’t cry. You’ll ruin my hard work. And we need to hurry. The party’s already started. I heard Henry might be there, but I promise I’ll keep that creep away from you," Jules said as she applied lip gloss. "Now go get changed."
~~~~~~
The Kingdom Palace was nothing like the clubs Aurora had imagined. She had been to one before, but it had been dull. Her father had made sure guards followed her every move and she was only allowed one drink. Today though, Jules had tricked the guards by saying they had an evening class, and Aurora had refused to go. That was how Jules had convinced them she was just dragging Aurora along to catch up on missed work.
Jules took her by the hand and pulled her through the crowd of sweating bodies while music blared from the speakers. The air smelled of brownies and sweet perfume, and people were kissing openly in every corner they passed.
Aurora curled her lip in disgust. Then her eyes landed on an older man harassing a girl who looked no older than seventeen, serving drinks in the VIP section. She looked away quickly, but not before seeing blood dripping from the man’s hand. She tried not to think about where it came from.
They finally got a table and Jules ordered ten shots of vodka. When the bartender left, she picked one up and held it up in a toast. Aurora did the same.
"To your birthday, to hell with class tomorrow, and to Henry getting lost somewhere far away from us."
Aurora nodded and downed the bitter drink. She almost choked, but picked up another, then another. By the sixth shot, the harsh taste had mellowed to something sweet. The room began to spin. Lights blurred into streaks and Jules’ figure seemed to fade for a moment before coming back into focus.
"My baby’s drunk already and she’s only had six," Jules laughed loudly, downing her tenth shot.
"I need the restroom," Aurora said, pressing a hand to her stomach as she pushed through the crowd toward the toilets.
A strange prickling feeling ran down her spine. She felt like someone was watching her, but when she turned around, no one was there among the sea of people. She turned the corner and pushed open a restroom door, but before she could step inside, an old man grabbed her by the hair and dragged her to the far end of the empty hallway. He let go of her hair but pressed his body hard against hers. Aurora screamed and hit his chest with weak hands that felt too heavy to lift.
"No one can hear you. Not even your drunk little friend," the man grunted in her ear before biting down hard.
Aurora cried out in pain and kept screaming, but the music swallowed every sound.
~~~~~~~
From the VIP lounge, Saint watched the crowd move to the music. People were pressed close together, kissing and touching, but none of it held his interest.
He came to this club hoping to blend in with humans who didn’t believe in hybrids or didn’t realize some walked among them.
Then the door opened. A girl with long dark hair that looked like storm clouds stepped in. She was holding hands with someone he assumed was her friend. When she glanced toward the VIP lounge, he saw her face dusted with freckles. She carried such a soft, innocent air, but it twisted with clear disgust as she looked away. For a second he thought she was looking at him, but then he realized she had been staring at the man harassing the young server.
He watched her try to peer through the crowd a moment later. In three long strides, he was there. He grabbed the man’s wrist, picked up a bread knife from the table, and cut off his first three fingers before walking back to his seat. If Dax hadn’t stopped him, the man would have lost all ten. The server scrambled away and bowed her head gratefully before hurrying off.
Saint smiled to himself as he watched her glance away from the scene and vanish into the crowd.
Minutes later, Marchetti began to thrash inside his mind. His eyes shifted from amber to black.
"Calm down, Marchetti. We can’t do this here," Saint warned his inner beast, who was fighting to take control.
Mine, Marchetti growled. The sound rumbled deep enough to be heard over the music.
Dax rushed to his side. "Don’t lose control here."
Ignoring him completely, Saint stormed toward the restrooms. His eyes went fully dark as Marchetti took over, following a scent of cherry shampoo mixed with vanilla and vodka. She was drunk.
Mine, the beast growled again, louder this time. He moved toward the dim end of the hallway where a man was leaning over someone. He bit her ear and she whimpered.
The man turned and saw Saint looming over him. He looked up into eyes burning with unbridled rage and his courage broke. He turned and ran, stumbling over his own feet as he fled into the crowd. Aurora sank against the wall, hitting empty air as she reached for Jules.
Saint caught her and held her gently, stroking her hair until she quieted. Slowly, his eyes shifted back to amber and he regained control. Marchetti had pushed him too far.
She looked up at him, eyes glistening with tears. She brushed hair behind her ear and looked at him with such trusting, innocent eyes that something inside him snapped. He pulled back and she hit the wall behind her, sliding down to sit on the cold marble floor. She made a small, hurt sound.
"I finally found you, Aurora," Saint whispered. He knelt in front of her and brushed her cheek with the back of his hand.