Blood Solstice 2 (Sequel)

Chapter 41

Chapter 41: Consequence

Consequence

Werewolves.

Mother fucking werewolves?

I'm pretty sure I looked like a goldfish at that moment, the way my mouth was opening and closing, no words forming as I gaped at Carlisle. I still couldn't believe what I'd just heard, which was amazing considering I was in a room full of vampires. So why wouldn't werewolves exist, right? I mean, that makes perfect sense. Not.

"Are you fucking serious?" I asked. "They're actual werewolves? Like people who turn into mutant wolves that walk on two feet when the moon is out? Really?"

Again I received several soft chuckles from both my parents and my girlfriend, whose lips were twitching wildly in amusement at my reaction, no doubt. I scowled and crossed my arms petulantly, cursing them in my head for laughing at my lack of knowledge. I can't help it; it's not every day that you find out you were just on a beach full of real live werewolves, for God's sake.

"Aw, I'm sorry Bella," Alice cooed, kissing my cheek. "You just have the funniest reactions sometimes, I can't help but laugh. You're so adorable."

Carlisle quelled his chuckling and smiled apologetically at me. "I'm sorry for that, Bella. It's just that what you believe to know about werewolves is rather mistaken, much like the general information that people seem to believe about us. The Quileute wolves are in fact much different than your culture's stereotypical werewolf. In fact, I'm not certain that they are werewolves at all, but rather they are shape-shifters who assume the forms of wolves."

I blinked. "So they don't turn into giant half-human wolves at night?"

He shook his head. "No. They transform into giant wolves instead."

"Don't you guys, I dunno, eat wolves?" I asked.

"Ew," Alice grimaced, crinkling her nose. "Bella, do you have any idea how bad they stink? I'd rather be forced to eat your crappy human food and garbage than try and drink from those stinky beasts any day of the week, thank you very much."

"It's true, they don't smell very good to us," Esme stated. "I'm assuming that we probably stink to them too, for that matter. But we would never consider drinking their blood, because they are still humans, just a little extra."

"How the hell did they become werewolves anyways? Get bitten like vampires?"

Carlisle shook his head. "That is a mystery to us. It is likely that only they know their origins, though I sincerely doubt that they would ever be willing to share with us. It is sad that our kinds are considered natural enemies to each other. It has created a very strong hate between our groups, even if we do not drink from humans as most normal vampires do."

"However, we were able to establish a treaty with them years ago, prior to you, Alice, Jasper and Amara joining the family. When we first came here, we met with the leader at the time, a man named Ephraim Black. We desired to create a treaty with him and his people, you see. And even though there were only three wolves in their pack at time, I didn't see a reason for violence and instead I wished to coexist, so our groups forged a treaty. As long as we refrained from biting a human in any way and kept to our land, they would not attack us, nor expose our true nature to any of the humans in the area," Carlisle explained.

"Oh," I looked up at Alice. "I guess it's a good thing that I didn't take my shirt off and that I wore those armbands just in case, then."

She nodded. "They would have likely thought it was us right off the bat, knowing them. Damned mongrels, they always get pissy with every little accident that happens in Forks, always jumping the gun and blaming it on us."