Hunting Death

Chapter 30

"What do you mean, it's Cybil?"

"The wolf, it's Cybil," Keith replied automatically, his face devoid of expression as he slumped back down on the sofa.

Madison came around and sat down on top of the coffee table in front of him. "The wolf? The wolf is Cybil?" She asked again for clarification, not sure she'd heard him right.

"She's a hybrid Madison."

"But you're a hybrid, are you telling me you can turn into a wolf too?"

He shook his head. "No, it's different, I'm not a true hybrid. I'm like a copy, I share some of her DNA, but I'm not really a hybrid."

"So... what you're trying to say is, it's like a diluted form of the virus?"

"Yes. I can walk in the sunlight, and my bloodlust is controllable to a certain extent, but I'm more or less an enhanced version of a vampire. Cybil was born, not created. Her grandfather was half vampire and half lycan. Her grandmother one-hundred percent lycan. And her parents, as you've already read, Adeline, her mother, who was likely more lycan than vampire, mated with a vampire. Cybil can breed, and I'm sorry, I get that it all sounds so barbaric, like we're talking about animals..."

"Well, we kind of are."

Keith smiled weakly. "Yeah, I guess so. Anyway, Cybil is immortal, but she also has a lot of lycan in her DNA, she can shift."

"Into a wolf?"

"Yes, into a wolf."

"And you're sure that it was her I saw, and not some other lycan?"

"I'm sure," he nodded empathically. "The wolf you described, a large black phase with red eyes, that's Cybil. I've seen her do it, and I'll never forget the color of her eyes, they looked like rubies."

"Oh God, Keith. Why do you think she's here?"

"I'm not sure."

"I wonder if she's the one who's been setting you up?"

"Probably. But I don't understand why."

Madison wanted to ask him about his last encounter with Cybil but the front door suddenly opened and Molly walked in with her friend Ace.

Keith stood immediately, an uncomfortable smile on his face.

"Oh, hey Keith!" Molly gushed, rushing up to him and giving him a hug.

Keith grimaced at Madison, while patting Molly awkwardly on the back, but smiling again when she finally pulled away.

"Hey, Molly, Ace, what are you girls up to?"

Ace stood near the door, eyeing him and twirling a long lock of blonde hair around her fingers.

"Oh, not much," Molly said with a nervous smile on her face. "I got out of work a little while ago and Ace called to ask me if she could come over tonight and watch a movie on the big screen downstairs."

"That sounds like fun." Madison chimed in, going over to Keith and looping an arm around his shoulder. "Keith and I were just getting ready to go back to his place and check on Jewel, the puppies are getting SO big."

Molly's smile seemed to wither a little, her eyes going flat. She obviously didn't like Madison's hands on Keith. Doing her best to stifle her amusement, Madison dropped her arm back down to her side.

"Oh! Puppies? I LOVE puppies!" Ace squealed. "Can we come and see them too?"

Ace was tall, almost taller than Madison even, and she seemed pretty fit like she lifted weights or something, but beyond that, Madison had always kind of figured she was an airhead. It had surprised her when Molly told her she wanted to work in forensics and had a job down at the police station.