AURORA ☾ Leah Clearwater ✔

Chapter 22... Truce

☾

Leah

We were planted in the middle of our new couch, clinging close together. The entire village circled around us. I couldn't tell anyone apart. Everyone was dressed in black, as was I, so we all blurred together into one dark, faceless mass. I stared at nothing, holding tight onto my mother's hand as a hundred unrecognizable voices gave their respects to my father.

I couldn't believe Dad was gone. Even in the middle of his funeral, I expected him to step through the door in his tacky fishing weighers and ask what the fuss was about. My throat thickened and I swallowed hard, trying to push it back. I didn't want to think about this. I couldn't. If I did, then I would think about how I was the one who—

A pale face emerged from the sea of darker ones. Charlie Swan. His formal officer's hat was clutched to his chest, and his curly, salt-and-pepper hair was flattened from wearing it. His deep brown eyes, like black holes against his alabaster skin, were rimmed with red. 

My head shifted to the side automatically, trying to hide my face in my long hair... but it wasn't there anymore. It had been cut off. I had to cut it as it affected the length of my fur in my wolf form. 

Mom had cut all hers off too, as a sign of solidarity with me. Some people hadn't been able to hide their shock after seeing it; she pretended it didn't bother her, but I knew that it did. 

"Sue, I'm truly sorry for your loss," he said, his voice gruff but sincere. He didn't even react to the difference in her hair and he had my gratitude for it.

She nodded back to Charlie and a few new sobs shook through her. Seth wrapped his arms around her, whispering what encouraging words he could muster into her ear.

As both of them were unable to respond, the task fell on me. My eyes met his and I muttered, "Thank you."

Never the verbose one himself, Charlie didn't seem to mind my clipped response. He just gave a small smile and moved along. I appreciated that.

For all my anger, I couldn't direct any of it at Charlie Swan. In a world full of assholes, he was a good man. And he was having as hard of a time as any of us; my Dad had been his best friend. And on top of that, right when he would need her the most, his selfish brat of a daughter decided to piss off to Europe on some idiot teenage whim, to rescue one of those... things.

Of course, I couldn't pretend that all the hate I directed towards her was all for Charlie's sake. It was mine as well. Since my change, I had been filled in on exactly why all this had happened. The leeches living under our noses had triggered the transformation in all of us, some kind of hibernating defence hiding in our genes. And Bella Swan, hopelessly entangled in their lives—or whatever you had once you were undead—only made it worse.

If not for them, I might still be normal.

If not for them, Sam would've never imprinted on Emily.

If not for them, my dad might still be alive. 

I tried not to picture that night, but the memories came flooding back involuntarily. The look of my dad's strained face as he took in my wolf form for the first time. The shock in his eyes... The shock that would set off the heart attack that killed them. The shock I caused. No, they caused. No, I—No, they—No—

My mom cried out and yanked her hand out of mine. I jolted in my seat, blinking rapidly as I returned to reality.

"Too tight," she whispered, flexing her fingers.