"A Protective Dad" There's Something Wrong With That Phrase

Being a demigod, I would have thought that I could sense a monster a mile away. Except, the whole Cullen thing proved me wrong.

And I think I was about to be proven wrong again. I was hoping not but I had a feeling when Embry told me about the gang.

"It's like they're waiting for me to join them or something. It's annoying and, at the same time, it's creeping me out."

Of course, the explanation my mind could come up with is that the gang is being controlled by monsters and said monsters are trying to lure me into their trap by using my friends.

And now I'm wondering why the monsters would choose Embry instead of the other guys. I mean, they haven't been watching me? Have they? I seriously hope not because tha is invasion of privacy. There's gotta be some law about that somewhere.

If I ever catch those monsters, I am so going to send them back to Tartarus. Hopefully, it would take a hundred years or until I die for them to regenerate.

"Have you told the others about this?" I asked him and he shook his head.

"I don't know what to do, Lee," Embry said. "I don't want to join them but it's like they know I will."

"Don't worry about it," I told him. "I'm sure it's nothing. They can't possibly tell the future." I tried reassuring him, but what if I was right and there were monsters controlling the gang?

I mean, I had met Paul once before he joined the gang. He was kinda nice back then. I mean, I met him while the guys and I were having a waterballoon fight the summer before he joined the gang. He was just at the wrong place at the wrong time so I wouldn't blame him for being pissed at Quil.

So, yeah. Monsters were controlling the gang. My mind was pretty much set on that idea. But I could be wrong. I was wrong about the Cullens so I just have to do a little more stalking . . . err, research. Yeah, research. 

Embry shrugged. "Can we stop talking about this? You're probably right. It's nothing."

I was lying when I said that it was nothing but I wasn't going to tell him that.

"Hey, Lee," Embry started to say something but was interrupted by his phone ringing.

He answered his phone and I sighed, already knowing who was on the other line. I didn't even bother to listen as he replied.

"You seriously have to get your own phone," Embry told me as he stuffed the phone into his pocket.

I eyed the beat up old truck in the driveway. I swear my dad wants me to move in with him a little earlier than planned. I understood why he took away my Porsche but replacing it with an old beat up Chevy was a bit too much. My truck looked like an exact replica of Bella Swan's except it was in worse condition.

When I came to visit Embry the last time, I still had my precious baby but then I woke up and poof! It was gone.

Hades wouldn't tell me why he took away my car but Nico contacted me after I had my little tantrum. Apparently Hades found out about what happened with the Cullens last year. He's a little too late on the punishment but he found the perfect excuse when he sent one of the Furies to spy on me. The monster found me hanging out with Embry that day, in all his annoyingly hot and shirtless glory, and now Hades is trying to play the protective dad.

I had no idea that Hades cared that much for me. I mean, I know he cares because my wicked step-mother hasn't killed me yet or something much worse, but my father being protective of me . . . . That was something new.

"What happened to your car again?" Embry asked as he followed me to the truck. I opened the door and hopped into the driver's seat.

"My dad found out about last year and took it back," I told him.

"Right," he muttered. "The rich daddy who left and sends about 0.01% of his money to you guys every two years."

We both had daddy issues. Our stories were pretty much the same. Our dads left and now all we had were our moms. Except I knew who my father was and I knew why he couldn't stay with us. Embry didn't.

I stared at him, surprised by the bitter tone in his voice. "What's wrong with you?"

"It's nothing, Lee," he muttered.

"I don't think it's nothing, 'cause it sure doesn't sound that way."

"Just let it go, Lee."

I couldn't. "Fine," I mumbled. "But I just don't get why me."

"Ashley," he started but I cut him off.

"I gotta get home." I slammed the door shut and drove off. Embry didn't try to follow me nor did he try to stop me. I guess it was for the better, really. I was angry because he just snapped at me for nothing.

I was just about to exit La Push when the engine stopped running. Great.

Stupid universe. Stupid gods. Stupid best friend.

I hopped out of the truck just as rain started pouring down. I don't know if it was just my luck or the Lord of the Sky just wanted to make my day worse.

A protective dad? Pfft. First, he leaves. Then he replaces my dream car with this piece of trash. Now he won't even try to tell his younger brother to quit messing with the weather for me. Monsters are always out to get me, and he doesn't do anything to stop them. And he might also be the reason why Embry probably hates my guts right now.

Needless to say, I wasn't in the best moods at the moment. And kicking the piece of metal in front of me was one of the stupid decisions I made because I was so frustrated.

I cried out in pain and then just stared at the old truck before deciding to shadow-travel back home. I could probably try to come back for it tomorrow. Maybe not. I didn't really care about it.

I appeared in my living room, right in front of my mom who had been watching a re-run of Supernatural. "Lee, what happened to you?" she questioned worriedly.

I just shook my head and ran as fast as I could to my room. I grabbed my bag of ambroisia and took one small bite to help with my aching foot. It was actually a miracle that I managed to even run. It felt like it was broken or something.

I wiped the tears off my face as I settled onto my bed. A knock came at my door but I didn't answer it.

"Lee? Honey, Embry called," I heard my mom say. I didn't say anything. "He told me to tell you that he's sorry."

I just nodded, letting the tears fall down to my cheeks. My mom had probably gone back downstairs already because she didn't say anything else.

I lied down on the bed and tried to stop the tears. It didn't take long for sleep to pull me into its grasp.