The Pull

Chapter Six (Rowena)

Rowena

It had been surprisingly easy to escape. I let my brother and Lawrence sleep the day in my bed. Apparently, Vampires aren't going to die when exposed to sunlight. They avoid the day because Vampires are nocturnal creatures, and the bright sun hurts their eyes and weakens some of their abilities. I told them I would spend the day in the main house and I would return when dusk fell.

I waited until they were asleep, quickly packed a few items, and went to the main house.

I expected a fight from Alice, but it was the strangest thing. She believed me immediately, and within an hour, we were on the road. I hoped we would get a 10-12 hour head start, although I had no idea where we could go.

Once Charlie was settled in the car playing his iPad and wearing noise-cancelling headphones, I asked Alice, "Why did you believe me? I still don't believe me, and I saw what they could do."

Alice glanced back at Charlie, making sure he couldn't hear, and said, "Because I know Vampires exist."

I nearly drove off the road. It was not the answer I was expecting. "How could you possibly know that?"

"I have met a few in my time." My jaw dropped. Alice continued, "When I moved here, into this territory, I had to ask permission from their King."

"What?" I asked, confused. "Why?"

"Because of Alex," Alice spoke calmly, but the way she was fidgeting told me she was worried.

"What on earth does Alex have to do with this?"

"Alex is a werewolf."

I slammed the breaks on the car. Traffic backed up behind me on the freeway, and we were blasted by a cacophony of horns and squealing tires. 

"Fuck, shit, fuck!" I yelled. Could this shit get any fucking weirder?

"Mum!" Charlie cried from the backseat. "Why have we stopped?"

"I missed the fucking exit," I lied.

Both Alice and Charlie protested my language. I grimaced, "Sorry." I started to drive again. I waited until Charlie had settled before I spoke. "Are you a werewolf?" I asked, shaking my head. I can't believe I asked that question earnestly. This was all kinds of fucked up.

"No," Alice said without a hint of a smile. "His father was. I was his mate."

"Does that mean Charlie is too? A wolf, I mean?" I peered back at my little boy. He seemed human to me. But then again, so had Alex.

"We won't know until he reaches adulthood. Wolves don't generally shift until they are between seventeen and twenty or so." Seventeen. The age I was when Charlie was born. Alex was eighteen. Something clicked into place with this new piece of information. Suddenly so much about Alex made sense.

"Is that why Alex left me and wanted me to get an abortion? Did he find out he was a wolf?" I asked despite not wanting to know the answer.

Alice had the good grace to look away as she said, "Yes."

"Did he know he was a wolf when we got together?" I asked. My voice was more sedate than I felt inside, my stomach clenched and spasmed and I felt a wave of heat roll over me like I was about to throw up.

"No." Alice shook her head.

"But he knew by the time I found out I was pregnant, right?"

"Yes," Alice said. "He turned for the first time a few days before you told him"

"So he broke up with me because he knew I wasn't his mate," I asked. I knew in my heart it was true. The sudden and savage difference in Alex between when we had last seen each other and when I told him I was pregnant was obvious now.