Waxing Gibbous

More Trouble (A)

The next morning, I woke up to the sound of breakfast cooking. Ever since I phased my mom has relaxed a little with our diet. It was still healthy, but she was willing to be more lenient on some things. For instance, instead of oatmeal and chia seeds every morning I was permitted to eat cereal and sometimes bacon like this morning.

I got to the kitchen just in time for my mom to pull out plates. Eve was sitting in the kitchen next to her a cup of coffee in her hands. "Morning" I said as I sat down.

"Morning Al" My mom replied while Eve was quiet, I looked at my mom for some sort of answer. She mouthed 'hung over'.

I snorted while grabbing some juice. We ate in relative silence, though my mother and I were both trying not to laugh at Eve. She's forty something and getting drunk, I don't really want to know what else happened.

"it's not funny" Eve mumbled looking at her cup with an expression of pure loathing. I couldn't help the cackle that passed through my lips, my mom soon following after. Eve gave us a playful glare.

"it's funny..." I replied.

"We're not 20 anymore Evie" my mom sighed handing her some Advil.

"I know, we had dinner and a few drinks. We were having fun and it got a little out of hand. I mean one-minute I'm completely sober then the next I'm topless"

"NO.NO.NO." I covered my ears, face red and focusing on anything other than what was going on around me. I felt my mom's hands cover my own, but I could tell she was shaking with laughter. Thankfully for me the phone rang.

Eve picked it up and my hands fell back to my side. "it's for you" Eve said handing me the phone. "I'm going to take a shower."

"you should sleep" my mom chuckled as I walked out of the kitchen "sounds like you didn't get much last night"

"Gross" I called as I stepped onto the back patio, putting the phone up to me ear.

"Hello?"

"Alex, it's Edward. I'll make this quick, there was a vampire in Bella's room. I don't know who and wanted to know if you caught anything recently"

I shook my head then realized he couldn't see that "I don't think we've caught anything new. Not since a few days after our last run in with the red head. But that was all up north, and I haven't been on patrol since the day before yesterday."

"okay... Jasper and Emmett are going to scour the woods."

"do you want some help? I do have the best sense of smell in the pack"

The line was quite for a minute as if Edward was debating "I'll tell the others you'll stop by."

With that I hung up and went inside to tell my mom I was leaving. Thankfully she and Eve were in the throes of a conversation I was able to give a quick goodbye without too many questions.

And without hearing too much.

I ran out to the edge of the woods and stripped down before phasing. With my clothes in a bag, I ran to the Swan residence, dropping the bag in a safe spot along the way.

When I got close to the house I saw Emmett, Lucia and Jasper waiting for me.

"hey" Emmett said "Edward said you'd show up. Ready to track down something to fight?"

I gave a wolfish snort before smelling the air around me. I was confident that I could do it, I did have the best sense of smell in the pack. I could track someone for miles, and locate them from miles away. Not even water deterred my sense of smell.