The Year of the Wolf (Completed) (Book One of The Almair Series)

Chapter 2 (Edited)

We walked into the dining room, and I looked around, spying all the faces that I know and love. However, I didn't see Mom, or my older twin sisters, because they were in the kitchen, cooking.

"Ah, there is the birthday girl," my father, who was sitting reading the newspaper, said. He moved the paper down, so that he could look at me with his brown eyes. A smile was on his face, and I could see the love in it.

"Hello, Dad," I said, giving him a kiss on the cheek and hug.

"Awww, that's so sweet. Little Martha is giving her father a hug," my brother, Nick, gushed teasingly. His twin brother, Mike, started to laugh. Nick and Mike were both 16, and they were the second and third youngest. Nick was born before Mike, so he was the third youngest.

"Nick, Mike," John warned, raising an eyebrow.

They got quiet and looked at each other. There was an 'uh oh' look that passed between them, making me smirk. Oooh, were they so busted.

"So, how does fifteen feel? Do you feel any different?" my father asked, making me turn around to look at him.

"Nope, no changes," I lied, shaking my head. I did feel a little weird, but I wasn't going to tell him. I'm guessing it was just a twenty-four hour bug, since I had felt that for about the whole day.

My father knew I was lying. He raised an eyebrow and frowned, waiting for me to change my answer. "Are you sure that you don't feel any different at all?" he asked, after I hadn't answered his frown.

"Umm... I am going to see if Mom needs any help with cooking," I said, making my escape into the kitchen.

Dad followed me into the kitchen to where my older sister, Helen, was working, stirring something in a pot. Helen was 18 years old, and she was the oldest of the twins. Abigail, who was the other twin, was nowhere to be seen, neither was my mom.

"Helen," he said.

Helen looked up, startled. There was a frown on her face when she saw that I was standing besides him. "What is it, Dad? It isn't time yet, is it?" Helen asked.

"It's time."

"It's time, for what?" I asked, confused.

"Where is your mother?" he asked, ignoring my question.

"She is in the pantry," Helen replied.

"Okay what is going on here?" I asked, louder, causing them to look at me, startled. "I am not going to leave this spot, until someone tells me what the heck is going on here." I folded my arms across my chest, letting them know that I meant business.

"Martha," Helen warned. There was a frown on her face, not liking my tone.

"Helen, she is right. She needs to know about our family secret," Dad said. "It's time."

"Family secret? What family secret?" I asked, confused. I wrinkled my nose a little, because they were making me very nervous, and that was my nervous face.

"Annabeth," my father called out to my mother.

Helen and I looked at each other, because it wasn't everyday our father called our mother by her first name. I'm guessing that meant it was something important.

"What is it, Jack?" she asked, walking out of the pantry, holding a bag of flour. She took one look at his face and knew what it was. Her face paled, and her lips were pressed in a firm line. "God, no, Jack. Please no. She isn't ready."

"I'm sorry, but it's time." He looked away from her, a frown on his face. His hair fell into his face, covering his eyes.

"I'll get John," Helen said, moving the door. "I'm sorry," she whispered, so that I could only here, before she disappeared.