My Guardian Angel.

5.27.2036
(1:38 am.)

I washed my face, hands shaking, heart pounding. Could I get over the fact that my brother just morphed into a giant, muscled dog?

Yes.

Was I completed stable and ready to face the crowd gathered in my living room?

Hell no.

I heard soft knocks on the door, "Aura? Can I come in?" Mom's gentle voice drifted down under the crack. I wiped my chin one last time then opened it.

I put on my best smile and said, "I'm fine, I swear."

Her face held doubt, but she took my hand and led me into the tight room anyways. Everyone looked up, and at that moment I only wanted one person, and one person only.

And that one person wasn't here. Anger ran right through me.

I took notice that Dad was missing, too. Yet another person I would've sufficed for. Instead, I was stuck with everyone but them—and everyone in the room looked at me as if I had two heads. Like I terrified them.

I shifted uncomfortably and folded my arms. "Is anyone going to explain anything to me?"

No one replied.

"Mom?" I turned to her. Her face was kind, and understanding. As if she knew what I felt—how embarrassed I was.

When she spoke, her voice cracked with emotion, "I always knew the day would come," She sighed, and for a brief moment I knew she wanted my dad here as much as I did. He was her rock, and vise versa. "I just didn't expect it to be like this." She gestured to the room full of the people whom were supposed to be my family—who were supposed to love me unconditionally. "You had plenty to talk about when we all knew Asher's turn was coming, but now that my daughter has some different traits she's suddenly not as important?"

The group continued to stare, if not at her, at me.

"She was born this way, just like the rest of us, she can't help it."

Sam shifted forward, "We should be helping Asher—"

"No, listen here." In all my life, I'd never heard my mothers voice drop to such a cold tone, "I went through my entire life being picked apart. I never had a childhood. Jacob and I knew what we were getting ourselves into when we had Asher and Aura—that was a choice we were willing to make. There was a part inside of me, hoping that they would take just the human parts, because Jake and I were both only half—we thought that there might be a chance at a normal life." For a moment, she looked desperate, "None of us wanted this—because we don't know whats going on. Could Asher just be a shape shifter? We don't know. Could Aura just have a crave for blood, again, we don't kno—"

"Crave?" Suddenly, I was very confused. "Crave blood?"

"You bit Embry!" Krys said, throwing his hands up in the air.

"That counts as a possibility that you could bite others—that you could kill." Nate ran it through his head, eyebrows pulled together. He wasn't the only one—Paul, Quil, Seth and Leah, they all seemed very confused.

"She won't kill." My mother seemed very set on that.

"We don't know that." The entire group looked at Dan. He was hidden in the corner, his face filled with disgust. "She's more vampire then you, Ness."

"Vampire?"

For the first time in a few years, Leah spoke, "Listen, we're missing the big picture here."

"And that would be?" Sam urged.

"Why is it just starting now? She's been around Embry her entire life—if she wanted a taste of his blood, why hadn't she done so before? And she can't possibly have all the vampire traits—she's got bruises."

"What about my opinion on the matter? You guys won't know anything if you keep assuming that I'm some blood-thirsty fourteen year old."

Jared sighed, "Fine. What's your point of view?"

I said it simply, "I didn't bite him because I wanted to. I bit him because I was uncomfortable. It seemed like a good idea at the time—it got Embry off me long enough to get away. But I didn't crave more," I rolled my eyes, "God. I swallowed, and I'll be honest, it's more filling than food, but I wouldn't do it for 'kicks and giggles'."

My mom looked to them with satisfaction on her face, "There you go." She threw her hands up.

"Wait," Seth stood, and looked at me, "So, you did it to.. help yourself?"

I shrugged, "I guess. Embry's got a pretty permanent fever, and a persons usually a little heavy when they put all their weight on you."

"That doesn't tell us why it only started now." Paul reminded everyone, head in his hands.

"It's simple." Nate said then, his face full of realization, "Aura's never been put in that kind of situation before—because she's been so well protected. I guess you could say it's her way of defense."

"For the time being." Quil smiled, "We'll get her into training. Give her some other options, just so we don't end up with another scare."

I heard them before they entered the house. There were only two people, so that could mean that Embry went home..

Or not.

I was surrounded by warm, familiar arms, "Are you alright?" Dad asked. His looked up to the group, "Is there an issue?"

"No, actually. We just figured it out."

"Come again?" Embry asked, leaning against the wall.

I answered, "Yeah. Well, they all thought that I was going to become some crazy, blood-lusting hybrid, and Leah pointed out that if I wanted a taste of your blood, I could've done so earlier. I explained that I didn't bite you because I wanted too," I stopped and shrugged, "I bit you because you had me in a very uncomfortable position. It was my only option, since trying to get a swing at you wasn't working."

"I made you uncomfortable?"

My mom laughed, "Embry, you weight over one hundred and ninety pounds. A majority of that is muscle, and you put you're weight down on her. Don't you think that it's a bit much for someone her size to handle?"

"Plus, you've got yourself a killer fever."

"I can't weight over one-ninety—I've been the same size since I first phased back in '06."

Since the beans were spilling out, I saw this as a perfect moment to spill my own beans, "Is that apart of being a.. shape shifter?"

"What?"

"Well, you're all shape shifters, aren't you? Except for mom." When they didn't answer, I continued, "I saw the picture from an article back in '06. Sam, Paul, Jared, Quil, Dad, Embry—you all look the same. Is that part of being a shifter? You never age?"

"Technically," Dad said, "When we first phase, we age in looks about ten years. We went from looking like boyish sixteen year olds to young twenty year olds."

"Why do you phase?"

Paul growled, "Whenever there's a vamp around, the fever sets in."

"Was mom the reason to the next generations turning?"

Dad shook his head, "Impossible. You're mother ran away with me when she was sixteen and pregnant with you and your brother. After a few months, she smelt just like the rest of the reserve—all traces of vampire stench was gone."

"Wait, you ran away?"

She sighed, "I was a hybrid—half vampire, half human. I aged quickly, and at fifteen I was married to your father. I got pregnant, and my family thought you and Asher would be nothing but monsters to unleash to the world. So, Jacob and I took the next flight out to Canada, and stayed there until I felt the need to come back, and we moved in with his father.

Billy's place was small enough as it was, so a month or so before you were born we bought this house. Embry spent a lot of time with us—he needed a place of his own, so we gave him the spare room until you were born. He was so helpful, that we considered him to be your godfather until—" She stopped mid-sentence and shook her head, "Until we realized that either way he was going to be a big part in your life. No title needed."

I looked over at Embry, eyebrows pulled together, "So.. you've been like this," I gestured to his tall, lean form, "for, what? Almost 30 years?"

"Yes."

"How old are you?" I demanded, just curious to how old my best friend was.

"Forty seven." He said it with such confidence—like he was certain that I wouldn't mind that I hung out with a middle aged man. Well.. sort of. If that was the case, then my father was the same age—that was fine, that was normal, but my best friend being forty seven? I didn't even think about these possibilities. Could I accept Embry, now that I know everything?

Of course.

"And, your parents," I turned to Mom, arms folded as I leaned into my father, "What're they like?"

She scoffed, "Over-protective. Selfish. They thought a lot about the cons rather then the pros."

"Bella wasn't so bad—"

"Who?" I didn't mean interrupt him, I was just merely curious. Apparently there was an entire life I didn't know—parts of my childhood weren't set in place.

"Your.. grandma."

"You said her name was Bella, right?" The thought that crossed my mind was devilish—could I ask now? Could I bring up something as testy as that right now? Apparently, I could, "Bella.. as in Isabella?"

Dad nodded, "Isabella as in Isabella Swan—well.. Cullen, technically."

"And she married your grandfather—"

"Edward Anthony Masen Cullen. Yeah, I know.."

The room stopped, "How?"

I held up one finger the exited the house to Embry's car. I retrieved the newspaper and invitation from my bag and when I showed it to her, she pulled her brows together, "Where did you find this?"

I shrugged, "In the attic."

Dad looked at me, then the papers in moms hand, "What were you doing in the attic?"

"Looking for old histories to help with my English project—"

"I thought you said it was for a History project?" Embry said loudly, eyebrows mashed together, arms folded.

"It's.. all in the same category."

Sam spoke up before the topic could be thrown into further discussion, "Look—we need a few wolves out on patrol. And with Asher still out there, we could use maybe two more." He glanced around the room, "Any takers?"

Krys, Dan and Nate all stood, heading out the front door in a hurry. He glanced at my uncle and Jared. Reluctantly, they followed.

Mom went off with the papers still clutched tightly in her hand. Dad followed her, but he continued until he was out the back door. For a moment, I felt a sharp twist in my stomach. I'd had my ten minutes of fame and now it seemed no one wanted anything to do with me—well, no one apart from Embry.

He stepped forward off the wall and sighed, "We need to talk."