Alexandria Tarbell lives in Essex, Vermont. With her parents at their busy jobs and Cobey, the one friend she has. Alexandria's life isn't the most glamorous.
She spends her time reading books beneath the great green and yellow trees and makes her m...
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Everyone. And I mean everyone in the room looks towards me. Some with worry, some with wanting to release the burden that was me. And some, staring blankly through me as if I didn't exist.
Silence pierces the air, as Kellan waits for my father's response. Obviously, being the impatient person he is, he quickly pulls up a chair and positions himself right opposite me.
Face to face.
His blank and bored expression tells me that he wants nothing more than to get this over and done with. Whereas I have nerves stabbing into me left, right and centre. My heart is thumping so hard against my chest, that it's preventing me from saying anything.
My eyes are glued to my hands which fiddle around, trying to distract me from whatever was going on.
Kellan breathes in deeply, and reaches over to the plate on the table, he grabs the avocado toast and takes a giant bite out of it. He leans in closer, trying to study my expression.
"So, I'm going to break this down" he begins, still with a mouthful of toast. He swallows and breathes in, "I'm just going to start this by saying Lycanthropes, are real".
As soon as he says that, my eyes shoot up but I don't say anything which signals him to continue. He clears his throat and continues by saying, "So...they are humans who take up the form of a giant wolf and hold attributes like strength, speed, fastened healing and mind-linking. Every wolf originates from a breed..."
And before he could continue I interrupt by saying, "like a dog?"
He pinches the bridge of his nose and just shakes his head unimpressed, "No, not a like a dog Alexandria. Kind of just like an ethnicity. It's like being Italian or Chinese. Just for wolves".
And then I interrupt again, "So you're saying there are such things as Italian and Chinese wolves?"
He looks at me as if I was the dumbest person in the world. Well, good. I had to lighten up this bizarre situation somehow.
"What I'm saying, is that each breed of wolf separates each other into packs. Like countries. For example, I'm a Hytherin wolf, and my pack is from Hythera territory". He raises his arm and displays the back of his very toned tricep. "Here, is the Hytherin mark. Every wolf must get the symbol of their birth territory".
On his tricep, was a circular tattoo which had lines running through it, and what I could see as a broken wolf. Stamped in it was the letter 'H'.
"Your family are Urbanian wolves. Originating from Urbania territory".
He pauses for a second, allowing me to process what he just said. But to be honest, I have consumed so much information today, that I just sit and nod my head. Not even knowing if I was processing this or not. This was probably just a really whack dream.
"In fact," he continues, "Your parents are the leaders of the Urbanian tribe. One of the most powerful packs, alongside mine." I look up at my parents, who could barely make eye contact with me. There is no way on Earth my parents are...are..w-w...
Werewolves.
No way. Not a chance.
They're dressed in business attire with not a scratch on their perfect faces.
I shake my head refusing any of this. "You're lying. They're lawyers. I live in Essex, Vermont. Wherever you think you're going with this sick joke, you can stop". The first sentence I could say mildly with strength.
Kellan just smiles to himself and lightly shakes his head, as if I was the ridiculous one here.
"Fine". Is the only thing he says, before standing up from his chair and signalling his men to follow. On his way out he stops in front of my father and says, "If you're planning some surprise bullshit with her, mark my words we'll come running. And if you don't plan on having someone fulfil your Alpha roll in the next month, I'll report your entire pack to the council. I don't want anyone else knowing our territories are vulnerable. So you better act quick, Tarbell".
And with that, he was out the door.
~~~~
No, it was not a dream. That did just happen.
After Kellan left, Isaiah and Kelly are cleaning up the café, whilst my parents sit in front of me, holding their breaths.
My mother reaches for my hand, and I just flinch away.
"Ria, I'm so sorry we didn't tell you" my mother apologises, placing her hand on my chin, forcing me to look up at her. "I'm so sorry," she says again.
"Why?" I breath out, my voice shaking, "Why did you never tell me?"
"Because we don't want this life for you. You were supposed to start showing signs at the age of seven. And then again at 12. And again at 16, where you're supposed to make your first shift".
As my mother was explaining this to me, it was as if someone had completely fried the brains of my parents and replaced them with...this. How could this be my mother and father? I just couldn't bring myself to believe it.
"And then at 18, wolves take on responsibilities for their pack. Everyone helping it to thrive. However, you haven't shown a single sign of having Lycanthrope blood. So, we made the conscious decision, with other members of the pack to protect you".
I look over at Isaiah and Kelly. They are holding plates in their arms and show small smiles, acknowledging that it was them all this time. I raise my eyebrows and my mouth parts a little.
"Y-you guys are a part of this...pack thing?" I ask as they reply with an affirmative nod.
Wow...werewolves. Jesus...now I'm on a whole new level of discomfort.
I remember Kellan saying something how marks confirm which pack you're from. And every wolf has their birthmark...
"Well...you're supposed to have some birthmark thing, and I've never seen any of you with a tattoo". As soon as I finished my sentence, all four of them, at the same time lift their shirts slightly to reveal a small circle on their lower right abdomen.
The mark was a circle like Kellan's, however had an aggressive looking wolf across it, with lines beaming onto the wolf...as if it was the sun. Also, stamped in the circle was the letter 'U'.
I swallow, rub my hands over my face, and say the only thing my mind can muster...
"What the fuck".
~~~
HAHAHHAHA woooo, secret is revealed. I wonder what's going to happen next with this new...something that Alexandria has found out about.
