Ariel listened and processed what Ben was saying to her. It sounded like a horrible thing, being taken from your home and changed into something like a vampire, to be a mixture of both of those things and to struggle like that. It sounded like he hid, too, what he was because neither species wanted to let him live and that would have been scary to her.
Closing the distance between them, Ariel wound her arms around Ben and hugged him hard. She closed her eyes and held on to him, "I'm sorry that I was afraid. I shouldn't be afraid, Ben and you are not...an abomination..." She didn't know that word but it didn't sound like something anyone wanted to be. "You're my friend and you always will be. I promise. I wish I knew how to help you." Desperately she wanted to help.
Her eyes opened and she looked up at her friend with a nod, "I will let you take this from me. To protect you."