Origins

Answers?

I woke up early the next morning and rolled over and saw Bella sprawled across my bed and sighed. She's not that big. How does she take up so much room?

I got up and did my morning routine. Brush my teeth, wash my face and b1rush my hair. I went into my closet and got dressed. I decided on a black tank top with a red and black plaid shirt over it, my favorite pair of ripped skinny jeans and my chucks. I headed downstairs and saw my parents sitting at the dining table holding hands while reading the paper. My dad looked up at me and smiled. "Happy Birthday, Alice!" he exclaimed. My mom looked up and smiled as well, "Happy birthday, sweetheart!" I stared at them and continued walking into the kitchen without responding.

I opened the fridge and grabbed a yogurt and a string cheese. Damn I'm glad I'm not lactose intolerant.

My mother followed me into the kitchen. "Alice? What's wrong sweetheart?" she asked with concern laced in her voice.

I looked up at her and suddenly I just got so angry.

"How long have you known, Mother?" my question came out more aggressive than I intended and my Mom flinched.

"Known what baby? You're not making any sense. What's going on sweet girl?" she was worried about me and I knew it. I never spoke to my parents this way, so I knew she was shocked at my outburst, but I was still so angry. They were playing dumb and I knew it.

"ENOUGH OF THE LIES! HOW LONG HAVE YOU KNOWN THAT BELLAMY WAS A WITCH?!" my mom took a couple steps back and stared at me in surprise.

"Alissandra, we've known her whole life. We couldn't tell you. We had to protect you."

"PROTECT ME FROM WHAT?! YOU LIED TO ME FOR 10 YEARS! HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO ME?!" I wanted to stop yelling but I couldn't. I had never felt so angry in my entire life.

"Alice, darling, please, just breathe. We will explain everything. We just need you to take deep breaths. Please stop yelling and let us explain." My father pleaded with me, wrapping his arm around my mother's waist. I realized that she was sobbing so hard that she was shaking.

"Mom... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell like that. I just got so angry and I couldn't stop it."

She shook her head, "It's alright my love. You have every right to be angry. Why don't you take a seat and we will explain everything."

I nodded and sat at the dining room table across from them.

My dad cleared his throat, "Ahem... Where to begin? I guess we will start with... Alice, you are not human."

My eyes bulged out of my head. "Wha...what do you mean I'm not human?"

"Alice, I promise I'll answer any questions you have, but please, don't interrupt dear. It's a very long, sad story but it will explain everything," my father said quietly. I leaned back in my chair and crossed my arms over my chest and raised my eyebrows, waiting for him to continue.

"As I was saying, you are not human, Alice. You are a werewolf. And you are not our child. Your parents are what is called Alpha and Luna of their wolf pack. They are the leaders of the Evenstar Pack, which is located in Florida." My eyes widened even more. "I want you to know that they love you Alice. More than you can possibly imagine. And letting you go was the hardest thing they've ever had to do and that's saying a lot, since they run the largest wolf pack in the United States. Over 3,000 wolves. They have their own town. You were your parents' miracle child. They thought they'd never be able to conceive, they had been trying for 30 years."

I held up my hand and stopped him. "What do you mean trying for 30 years? How old are they? What the hell?"

My father just glared at me. "I told you to wait for questions." I shrugged. "ANYWAYS, yes. They had been trying for 30 years. The thing about werewolves, and especially werewolves in your lineage, is that they don't age as humans do. Once you turn 18 as a werewolf, you only age 1 year for every 10 years lived. For example, I am 108 werewolf years old, but in human years I only look like I'm in my mid to late 20s. You didn't find it strange that your mother and I looked so youthful?"

"I just thought you took great care of yourselves." I shrugged.

"Well, we do, but that's beside the point. Your lineage doesn't age at all. You reach 18 years and stop aging. Your parents are still only 18 years old in human years, but in werewolf years, they are closer to 200 years old. Your father found your mother when he was 134 years old. She had just turned 18 and he courted her. She accepted their mate bond 2 years later and mated and marked each other the night of her Luna ceremony. Your father's mark made your mother immortal just like him and they spent 20 years just living. They traveled and went on wonderful adventures and then one day your mother told him that she was ready to try a baby. And for 30 years they tried. They were insufferable, they couldn't keep their hands off one another even during pack meetings. They had just about given up, but then your mother had a dream one night. The Moon Goddess, Selene, came to her in a dream and told her to try again. She told her that the next time they tried she would bless them with their first pregnancy. She told them that they would give birth to a powerful heir and that the heir would lead the werewolf race into many years of peace and tranquility. You see, Alice, we are currently at war with Vampires and Demons. We have been struggling to keep them at bay for over 100 years now. We've just barely been able to keep them from exposing us to humans, but like I said, it's been a struggle." my dad paused and looked at me. "When you were born, we finally had hope. We had our savior finally. A beautiful baby girl. But, that excitement didn't last long. Octavius, a Vampire lord, learned of your birth and began hunting for you. Apparently, there is a prophecy that says a child born by your parents will turn the tides of war in the Vampires and Demons' favor. You were prophesied to be the Vampire King Oleander's bride."

He sighed and continued, "Obviously, hearing this devastated your parents. Their precious miracle would either be their savior or their doom. So they did the only thing they could think of. They sent you far away from them with their Beta and his wife. Us. We raised you as our own but kept your heritage secret to keep you hidden. We hated lying to you but your parents commanded us to keep it secret until your 18th birthday, when you were old enough to choose what you wanted to do. They would never force this on you, you're still a child in many ways and you deserve to grow up whatever way you wish." he finished.

"That's... alot. But it still doesn't explain Bella," I replied.

"Bella was brought to us by her mother to help protect you. When you were 8 years old, you shifted for the first time. Which is unheard of. Even your father, a powerful Alpha wolf, had to wait until he was 18 to shift for the first time. We were so scared and didn't know what to do. We contacted your birth parents and they sent the pack witch with her daughter, Bellamy, to help. And we did something that no one wanted, but it couldn't be helped. We had Bella's mother lock your wolf inside of you so you couldn't shift again. Bella was left here so she could watch you and help keep your wolf locked up until you turned 18."

My anger started rising again and I knew I couldn't keep it in check. I launched out of my chair so fast I knocked it over. I stood there with my fists clenched at my sides and glared at them. I picked the vase up from the middle of the table and threw it at the wall. My parents didn't even flinch.

"You mean to tell me that my best friend, my sister, is only here to control me?" I was surprised. I managed to keep my tone calm and even.

"That's how it started, yes, but you grew close. She loves you Alice. You're her best friend too. You both had to give up your family and your pack, so she saw a kindred spirit within you. Of course, you didn't know what you lost but she did. She told you about herself last night because she wanted to be the one to tell you all this but your parents commanded her not to. We can not defy Alpha and Luna, no matter how hard we try. Please don't be angry with her."

I let out a breath and glared at them again. "Why did you lock a piece of me away? Why couldn't I keep my wolf? Why did all of this have to stay secret?"

"Alissandra, your wolf, is like a beacon to Oleander and Octavius. They would be able to find you. I promise, everything we've done was solely to protect you and allow you to live a normal life."

I stared at them a little longer and then grunted. "I want to be able to shift. I want to be one with my wolf. How do we fix this?"

"We have to go to Florida with Bella. We have to take you back to the pack." my mother replied. I looked into her emerald green eyes and saw nothing but love and admiration.

"This is a lot for me to take in and I don't know how to deal with any of this. What do I even call you guys, since you're not really my parents?"

"You can call me Uncle Lucian or Luc, and you can call her Aunt Lysette or Lizzy." Uncle Luc replied. "Regardless of whether or not we're your real parents, we will always love you and you will always be family. That's what a wolf pack is, family."

"Can I see your wolves?" I asked.

"Of course, but we have to go outside. They're a little large for the dining room."

We went out back and I sat on the porch steps while Uncle Luc and Aunt Lizzy made their way to the middle of the yard. They started undressing and I became alarmed. "What the hell are you doing?" I screamed.

Aunt Lizzy laughed, " Taking our clothes off so they don't get shredded dear. I happen to like these clothes."

Shredded? I thought they just fell off like in the movies.

I heard a quiet laugh in the back of my mind.

Weird.

I looked back at Aunt Lizzy and Uncle Luc and they were facing me in their underwear. Aunt Lizzy shifted first and I swear it happened in the blink of an eye. One minute she was there and the next, there was a giant wolf standing in her place. She had to be 4 feet tall at the shoulders. But she was beautiful. She was a chocolate color and her eyes stayed emerald green. She looked over at Uncle Luc and he began shifting. His took a little longer and I heard snapping and popping noises which I believe were his bones breaking and shifting into different places. After about 20 seconds, there stood a silver wolf in Uncle Luc's place. He was at least 6 feet tall at the shoulders because he towered over Aunt Lizzy's wolf. They nuzzled one another and then slowly they walked over to me. I hoisted myself to my feet and slowly descended the porch stairs. I reached out and ran my hand through Aunt Lizzy's fur and then did the same to Uncle Luc. I couldn't believe how docile they were. Uncle Luc's wolf snorted at me and Aunt Lizzy's wolf was shaking her shoulders. It looked like she was laughing.

I heard the back door open and turned and saw Bella. She looked down at me and smiled. I smiled back and ran up the stairs. I launched into her arms and hugged her tight.

"I'm so sorry Alice! I hated lying to you but I promise it was in your best interest!" She cried while hugging me.

"I know Bells, Uncle Luc and Aunt Lizzy told me everything. I know you wouldn't keep things from me if you could help it." I pulled away from her and wiped my tears away. "How about we go back inside and talk some more?"

Bella nodded and we headed inside while my aunt and uncle got dressed again.

I poured myself a cup of coffee and sat at the dining table with Bella while we waited for the others to come back inside. We didn't have to wait long. Uncle Luc and Aunt Lizzy walked in about 5 minutes later and joined us at the dining table.

"So, first things first, we need to figure out when we're going to head to Florida. Your parents have been looking forward to this day for so long and I'm sure they're ready to reunite with you." Uncle Luc sat across from me and reached his hand toward me.

I stared at his hand for a moment before speaking, "Uncle, I'd like you to answer some more questions for me before I fully agree to going to see my parents at their... Pack? Number one, why did they have to send me away? I know you said that they did it for my protection, but why EXACTLY am I being searched for? Like, what makes me so special?"

My aunt and uncle locked eyes and they clouded over. I looked over at Bella, who just shrugged at me. Their eyes cleared up again and they turned their attention back to me.

"What the hell was that? Your eyes got all weird and cloudy." I asked.

"It's called mind-linking, dear. All werewolves part of a pack have the ability. Werewolves related to one another in separate packs can also mind-link. For example, I have a sister in another pack in Colorado that I can mind-link with.But that is, of course, only if we're close enough to one another. The maximum distance for us is about 50 miles, I believe. You, on the other hand, are of Alpha blood, so once your wolf is unlocked you should be able to mind-link 100 miles away from one another. It would be difficult from that distance though," Aunt Lizzy explained.

"That sounds really cool. Are there other cool werewolf abilities like that?" I was genuinely curious about the different werewolf traits.

"Well, obviously you can shift into a wolf. That wolf is a part of us and we're able to speak to them in our minds. Think of it as like two halves of a whole. They even have their own names and personalities. For instance, my wolf's name is Arkos. And Lizzy's is Sigrid. Also, as werewolves, we have a much higher metabolism and endurance. Even as children, we're much faster and have better stamina than most human children. That's why you did so well in cross-country back in middle school." I nodded, letting Uncle Luc know I understood and was keeping up with everything he was saying. "And the best thing about being a wolf, in my personal opinion, is finding your mate." Uncle Luc finished and smiled over at Aunt Lizzy.

"Excuse me? What is a 'mate'"? I was once again confused.

"A mate is exactly what it sounds like, sweetheart. It's your soulmate. That one person that completes you in every way." Aunt Lizzy placed her hand on Uncle Luc's shoulder. He placed his hand on top of hers and squeezed. "Lucian is my mate. He is the perfect compliment to me in all things."

"How do you find your mate?" This excited me. Someone to know everything about you and love you inside and out? Sign me up!

"It all depends. Sometimes you find your mate in your home pack as soon as you turn 18 and gain your wolf. Sometimes you find them at pack events. The Evenstar pack hosts mating ceremonies every couple of years. These are events where wolves from packs all across the country can come and mingle in the hopes that they can find their mates. It's a lot of fun. I believe it's almost time for another mating ceremony to be held in our pack again." Aunt Lizzy smiled at me. "Maybe we can get there before its held and you'll have the chance to find a mate of your own."

"That would be nice, I guess. But I'm not sure if I'm ready for that yet. There's still so much more I need to learn about myself and family before I can even begin to think about devoting any time to a... mate." I finished. I realized that we got off topic once again and I still needed to figure out why exactly I was being hunted. "Circling back around, why exactly am I being hunted?" I asked once again.

Uncle Luc cleared his throat, "Yes. Well, like I said, you are the only daughter of the Alpha and Luna of the Evenstar pack. Your father comes from a very, very long line of Alphas, as does your mother. As such, you have been Blessed by the Moon Goddess with... certain gifts. What are these gifts? That I unfortunately, can not answer just yet. We won't know the full extent of your power until your wolf has been unlocked. Which is why we need to go to Florida as soon as we possibly can. Bellamy, have you packed yet?" He turned and asked Bella who nodded her head immediately.

I looked at her in complete shock. Who is this person? She is never this organized.

"I packed up a week ago. Alice and I were planning on going to Florida before we even told her all of this." Bella ratted me out.

My aunt and uncle stared at me. "Is there something you'd like to tell us Alice?" Uncle Luc asked raising his eyebrows.

"DAMMIT BELLS!" I just glared at her. I turned to them and explained, "Um... I-I... got accepted into Florida State University."

I watched and waited for their reactions. "CONGRATULATIONS ALICE! That's such wonderful news! I can't even begin to tell you how proud we are of you!" I let out the breath I didn't know I was holding. They were proud of me. A wave of emotions came crashing down on me and I couldn't stop the tears that were flowing. At the same time, I felt a sharp pain in my head.

"Ow! Son of a b*tch! What's wrong with my head?!" I held my head in my hands and the tears kept coming while the pain intensified. Aunt Lizzy came running around the table and started rubbing my back.

"Bella, what's going on? Is it the block? Is it coming down already?" Uncle Lucian asked. The panic in his voice was so clear it only scared me more.

I struggled to find Bella through my tear-filled gaze and when I finally found her I saw how red her face was and the beads of perspiration forming on her forehead. She reached her hand out towards me and started panting.

"Alissandra, I need you to rein your emotions in. The more you lose control, the more your wolf tries to break the barrier. We can't let her break out just yet. Please, just breathe." I was amazed that Bella was able to make full sentences while panting.

I took a deep breath and held it for a second. "Atta girl, just do the breathing exercises we did in that Yoga class. Very good. Keep going." Bella was doing an excellent job coaching me through reining in my emotions.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, I managed to get myself under control again. "What the f*ck just happened?" I looked around the table at everyone who was just staring at me as if I had grown another head.

"Your wolf was trying to break through the barrier to help you. She knew you were in distress and was trying to fix whatever was causing it. She is incredibly powerful. She almost made it through. That's why you were in so much pain." Bella patted my back. "It's gonna be alright love. I need you to keep your composure. What I have to say next is probably going to upset you, but I really need you to keep your cool because I don't think I'm going to be able to hold her back again." I noticed that Bella was still sweating and still trying to catch her breath. I nodded at her, letting her know that I would stay calm through whatever she had to say. She nodded as well and turned back to my aunt and uncle. "I think we should leave for Florida tomorrow. Call Maeve and Ciaran. Tell them to send the jet and we will leave first thing in the morning. Like I said, if she loses control of her emotions again, I won't be able to hold her back. We CAN NOT let her shift here. She needs to be back in the safety of our pack." My heart felt like it just dropped into my stomach.

"But what about graduation? I'm valedictorian! I'm supposed to give a speech! We only have 3 weeks left!" I exclaimed. I had worked so hard and now I wouldn't be able to even walk the stage? This isn't fair. My head started to ache again ever so slightly and Bella whipped her head around to look at me again.

"Calm Alice. I know you're upset, but this is for the best. We have to keep you safe. When we get to the pack in Florida we can hold a small ceremony for you, I promise. I'm sure your parents would be thrilled to see you walk across2 the stage!" I sniffed and then nodded my head. I scooted back from the table and stood up.

"I guess I should go upstairs and pack then?" My aunt and uncle nodded.

"Don't pack heavy, Alice. Only bring what you need and a few sentimental items." Uncle Lucian said quietly.

"Well, I guess I'll be upstairs. Want to give me a hand, Bells?" I asked.

"Sure Alice. I'll be up in just a minute."

I nodded and headed up the stairs. I made my way down the hall and towards my room. When I opened the door, I just looked around. How was I supposed to limit 18 years of memories? How could I pick and choose? Which memories are more important than others? I sighed and decided to start with clothes first. I could sort through my memorabilia with Bella when she made her way up. I decided that I didn't need to pack cutesy clothes and just settled for comfort and convenience. This included T-shirts, shorts jeans, a couple of hoodies and some sneakers and flip-flops. Once I got all that packed into my suitcase I flopped on my bed and waited for Bella to come up.

After about 20 minutes of waiting, I sat back up. Where the hell is that girl?

I stood up off the bed and decided to go look for her. I made my way back to the stairs and could hear Bella talking, well, more like arguing with my aunt and uncle. I walked down the stairs a little ways so I could hear better.

"...She has the right to know. We can't just drop this bomb on her while we're boarding tomorrow. What would happen if she shifted on the jet? Do you want to take that chance? Because I certainly do not. I happen to like my life. Thank you very much."

"Bella, she could barely keep her emotions in check when we told her we were proud of her! This would destroy her!" Uncle Luc argued back to Bella.

"Luc, I think Bellamy is right! We should tell her now and lay everything out on the table. No more secrets. I agree that it's a huge risk, but I think it's worth it. This will help resolidify her trust in us. I cant imagine she's going to trust her parents at first, especially after learning everything she has today. She's going to need someone she can trust down there." Aunt Lizzy interjected.

I was tired of just listening. I walked down the stairs and looked in the dining room where everyone was still sitting.

"What else are you hiding from me?" Everyone looked up at me and I saw the color drain from their faces.

I watched everyone but no one looked like they wanted to talk. I started getting really annoyed because as I've already said, I have ZERO patience.

"WELL?!" I yelled, and watched everyone jump.

Aunt Lizzy stepped towards me, "Alice... We contacted your parents, Maeve and Ciaran. They're sending the jet and we leave tomorrow morning but, they sent someone to escort us."

My uncle stood up, "Lysette, Dont!" I turned and glared at him.

"Don't you think I've had enough of these secrets? Just tell me what the hell is going on. What is with this escort? Why does it matter that they sent him? You've all told me I need protection, so it makes sense that they send someone along to help you all protect me, doesn't it?" I was pissed. Why can't I just get a straight answer from everyone? Uncle Lucian looked down and sighed. Aunt Lizzy took this as confirmation to continue her explanation.

"Alice, I just realized that we never told you your surname." She looked at me with so much concern.

"No, you didn't. But I fail to see why that matters. I feel like we're getting off track here." I said exasperated.

"It's Cavanaugh. And the reason we're concerned about the escort is not because he's there, but because of who he is."

I swear to God, the more they explain s**t to me, the more confused I get.

"His name is Cillian. Cillian Cavanaugh." My eyebrows shot up into my hairline. "He's your twin brother."

WHAT THE F*CK?!