𐂂

.𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝘃.
𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒄𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒇𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒚 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒕
.𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐢.

The Wallow's Cottage
Forks, WA.
May 2010

𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐍 𝐒𝐎𝐅𝐓𝐋𝐘 𝐏𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐏𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐄𝐋𝐃 𝐎𝐅 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐇'𝐒 𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐘 𝐒𝐄𝐃𝐀𝐍, casting a grey aura over the horizon. Forks was always rainy, but in Spring it stormed more than the sun shone. Evangeline didn't mind grey skies, but hated the unpredictability of Washington's weather. Only an hour prior it had been sunny, and now it was pouring rain, which annoyed Evee.

Leah and Jacob sat in the front seat, Evee and Seth in the back. Jacob rambled on about some girl named Bella to Leah, she simply listened without giving her input on the situation. Evee guessed she didn't talk much, she was quite the opposite of her brother.

"So," Seth hummed, Evee turned her attention from the window to him, smiling as soon as her eyes met his. "I know you have questions."

"About a hundred." Evee agreed, laughing softly.

"Ask them. Anything." Seth stated, his voice almost a whisper so that Leah and Jacob would mind their own business in the front seat.

"Well for starters. How? Like. . How did you turn into a werewolf? Were you bitten, scratched?" She questioned.

"No, I was born like this. But I didn't turn until a few months ago. When my dad died. So you see, phasing is usually triggered by an intense emotion like fear, anger, sadness, anything that can make you loose it."

"So it's like a gene?"

"Yeah, sort of. It's a little hard to explain, but it derives from our tribe. So how it works is that the werewolf gene is derived from us, the Quillette tribe, and over the hundreds of years when tribe members married outside of the tribe, the gene was passed on and carried outside of La Push."

"So there are werewolves all over?"

"Yeah, there's actually another pack here, The Farrow Pack, you haven't met any of them yet but you will." Seth explained, "I mean-that is if you want anything to do with me after this." He tone dropped, his face sinking a bit. They hadn't actually gotten a chance to talk about that.

Evee took his hand in her own, in a friendly gesture, not meaning for it to come across as romantic-but not at all minding of her took it that way. "If I didn't want anything to do with you, I would've left last night." She stated confidently.

Seth felt his heart flutter as she took his hand in her own, a huge smile spreading across his face at her words. He really liked her. A lot a lot. And in that moment he wanted to blurt it out right then and there, but he couldn't bring himself to do so.

"We're here." Leah deadpanned from the front. Seth and Evee looked up, realizing they were already parked and both Jacob and Leah were intently watching them.

Evee pulled her hand away, awkwardly getting out of the car without a second glance at them. She felt like shoving her head in an ant pile when she realized their entire conversation had been listened in on.

Seth glared at Leah and Jacob, "assholes." He muttered, getting out of the car and walking over to Evee's side, he let his knuckles rub against her own as they walked, but was too chicken to grab her hand. "Ignore them." He whispered, glancing back at Leah and Jacob as they walked behind the pair.

Evee followed his gaze, looking back at them and grinning at his words. Jacob and Leah both made a face at Seth and Evee's judgmental glances, looking to each other with annoyed expressions. Jacob and Leah had an odd bond with one another, they were friends, but also fought more than anyone else in the pack. They were both too similar personality wise, which caused them to butt heads. But also somehow get along really well at times too. It just depended on the situation.

As they neared the door Evee inhaled sharply, she felt nervous about what her Aunt and Uncle had to say-expecting they'd be angry with her for being out last night, worried that they wouldn't understand that she had absolutely no idea why she was out there when she was. Evee was used to not being believed, used to people thinking she was just crazy.

Before she had a chance to knock the door flew open, and Jonah flung himself out of it and pulled Evee into a tight embrace. "You're okay," he breathed out, holding the girl tightly in his arms. Logan appeared next, running out the door and picking the two of them up into his arms.

"Air!" Evee hollered, the three of them letting out a laugh. Jonah and Logan let her go, their attention diverting to Seth, Leah, and Jacob.

Seth stepped forward and held out his hand, "I'm Seth." He introduced with his signature lopsided wide grin.

"I've heard of you." Logan teased, glancing over to Evee whose entire face flushed red at her brother's words. Logan and Jonah shook his hand, their eyes falling onto Leah and Jacob.

"So, the wolfies?" Logan smiled, pointing to them and then Seth.

Evee's head snapped to Logan, her brows knitting together in confusion. "How do you~?"

"Grams and Pops told us everything last night." Jonah explained, taking a second glance at Leah, looking her up and down, and then back to Evee.

"Yeah, it was the only way to stop us from getting in the truck with Dad's shotgun." Logan mused, a soft chuckle falling from his lips. "And they want to explain everything to you so~" he nodded his head toward the front door.

"You're right." Evee was less worried than before, relieved by her brother and cousin's reactions.

Jonah turned toward Jacob, Seth, and Leah. "Thank you. So, so much." Jonah thanked. His eyes said it all, he was very grateful for her safety. Jonah didn't know what he would do if he ever lost Evee, she was his best friend.

Leah nodded her head, smiling awkwardly "yeah, yeah, of course!" She spoke out, earning bewildered looks from both Seth and Jacob.

"Yes, yes! Thank you, you guys have a good one!" Logan called out beginning to lead Evee into the house. Seth, Jacob, and Leah began making their way back to the car.

Evee pulled away from her brother, "wait just one second." She turned on her heels, "Seth wait!" She called out, jogging toward him.

Seth turned around, and was immediately met with Evee's arms wrapping around his neck. He melted into her hug, placing his face in the crook of her neck and letting out a soft breath.

Evee held onto him for about thirty seconds before pulling back, wishing she could just fling herself into his arms once more. "I still have questions for you." She brought up her finger, pointing it in his face with a soft smile dancing along her lips.

"Mhm," Seth grinned as she threw her finger in his face, his eyes flickered down to her lips-not able to help himself from stealing a glance, and longing for just one kiss. "How about tomorrow, pick you up around ten?"

"See you then." Evee agreed, her eyes shifting to Jacob, who was stifling a giggle from the passengers seat of Leah's car. Leah on the other hand looked just about ready to commit murder. Or maybe that was just her face.

Seth nodded at her agreement to meet, he cleared his voice. Wanting to ask her if he could take her out to dinner soon, "Evee I-" suddenly the car horn honked, Seth glanced back and Leah waved her hands impatiently. "Sorry." Seth frowned, looking back to her.

"It's okay! I'll see you in the morning." Evee chirped, turning and walking back toward the house. Seth walked back to the car, opening up the side door. "Oh and Seth!" She called out, both of them turning back toward one another at the same time. "Thank you." Evee thanked genuinely, the two shared a smile before parting ways for the day.

As Evee entered the house she was immediately met with the sight of her family sitting around the dining room table, waiting for her like it was some big meeting. Her nervousness from before began to creep back, she let out a soft breath. "Well this is formal."

"Here dear," Millicent smiled, reaching out and pushing a cup of tea toward Evee.

"Ah so this is tea worthy?" Evee joked, holding the mug in her hands for warmth.

"Chamomile tea matter of fact." Logan continued the joke, but Millicent didn't laugh-she seemed nervous.

"Gram's? I mean cmon, it's not like there anything weirder to tell me. I mean I just found out that the guy I like turns into a wolf so." She sipped the tea, her nervous smile fading when she saw her Aunt's serious face.

"Oh so you do like him?" Logan quipped, instantly earning an elbow into the gut from Jonah.

"Not the time." Jonah whispered under a hushed breath, motioning to the very serious look on their Aunt and Uncle's faces.

"Before you get angry, let me explain everything." Millicent eased.

"Angry?" Evee's eyes flashed in panic, an anxious pit welling in her throat at her Aunt's words.

"Just listen dear." Thackeray placed his hand atop of Evee's smiling warmly to the girl.

"Evee, your mother, had a very best friend named Sophia. Well, Tara and James were always here at the house, you know they got together in middle school so naturally Sophia was always around too. Sophia was always a, misunderstood girl growing up, and even more so in college. No one really got her, atleast not like Tara and James did." Millicent explained, holding out some pictures to show Evee. One was of Tara and Sophia on Tara's wedding day, and the next was one of Tara holding Logan when he was just a toddler. Evee noticed Sophia's very pregnant belly in the picture.

"So um," Millicent paused for a moment before continuing, "Sophia, she was like I said misunderstood. Because of her. . Gifts. But your mother saw right past it all-"

"Gifts?" Evee questioned, leaning forward.

Millicent pursed her lips, "Sophia and you are, well one in the same. Both drawn to death."

Evee's head spun, "how did you know that I..."

"Your parents told me at the first sign of it."

"Of what?" Evee questioned. "And why would I have the same abilities as this random Sophia woman that I'm just now hearing about for the first time." Evee's voice cracked, anger and confusion swelling into her brain.

"Well, Sophia got into some trouble...She was fresh out of college, didn't know what to do with her life, and got involved with the wrong crowd. With her wrong guy. Then she got pregnant," Millicent paused, glancing to Thackeray, "with you."

"With-" Evee stood up, taking a step back from the table "-me?"

"Evangeline please~"

"What the hell Grams?" Evee yelled out, her hands flying to her forehead in confusion.

"Evee, my dear, I am sorry~ your parents wanted to tell you, and then they. ." Millicent began to tear up.

Hot tears of anger began to stream down Evee's face, she felt lied to, betrayed by her own parents-who turns out, weren't her parents. "Where is she?" Evee blurted out. "My mother."

Thackeray took his wife's hand in his own, "we don't know my dear. She vanished, left you here with Tara and a note. After a year of not hearing from her your parents made the decision to take you and Logan and get as far away from Forks as possible."

"So-the abilities? Gifts or whatever- what, what is it, what am I?"

"You are what they call a banshee. It's a great, powerful gift among the supernatural." Millicent explained, "I fear I don't know much more than that."

"Well. I plan on finding out." Evee stated, storming up the stairs and to her room.

"Evee wait-" Jonah tried to reason with her, but the response was her door slamming from up stairs.

"No no, let her. She will come around you know our girl." Millicent coaxed, standing up. Thackeray wiped her tears, placing a chaste kiss along her forehead.

Evee let out a loud irritated sob into her pillow, feeling a million emotions crashing down on herself at once. She cried for a while, eventually calming down enough to pull out her laptop. She immediately opened up safari, typing in the word 'Banshee'.