Aiyanna
Nana put her hand on my back. She then, turned around and stretched her hand towards Sam, who grabbed it to wrap it around his arm.
"Come inside. Your parents have been worried sick about you." she said.
"I know. Are they inside ?" I asked, as we were walking towards the front door.
"Did you think they'd be patient enough to stay inside ? Your mother is turning the whole town upside down to find you. Everyone is searching for you. You're even on the newspapers."
I winced, hating to be the subject of all conversations. Forks being a small town, I wasn't surprised that a lot of people worked together to find me. Everyone knew each other here.
"What is your name, my son ?" Grandma proceeded to ask Sam.
Being the last one to come inside, he closed the door behind him. "My name is Sam Uley."
"Sam..." she repeated before she grabbed his hand and mine. "You two carry the power of those who have come before you. This power comes with great responsibilities. May the spirit of your ancestors bring you strength and wisdom."
She squeezed our hands, looking at each of us with emotion.
"How did you know ?" I asked.
I still couldn't understand why she was here, in Forks. And the timing. How did she come here right when I turned ?
She guided us to the living room, where she sat on the couch while I prefered sitting on the floor, in front of her. I felt too dirty to sit on the couch. Sam followed, and sat beside me.
"Ever since your birthday, I felt something in my heart. Some kind of pressure weighing on my heart, everytime I thought of you. And then, that night, I had a dream. There were wolves. A lot of wolves, in La Push. And you were one of them." She told us. "To me it was a sign. Among all of my children and grandchildren, you are the only one I dreamed of like this."
My mom, being the last and only daughter of a family of 4 children, she was the last one to have a child among her brothers. My cousins were all in their twenties or almost hitting thirty. And obviously, none of my uncles or their children turned. If they did, it would have been known.
If I believed Sam, the reason why we turned was because of the affluence of vampires. Our dormant genes woke up at their presence. However, with how often I spent time with vampires, it surprised me that I didn't turn sooner.
"I landed this morning. Heta only knew I was coming when I called her to pick me up at the airport. When she told me you had gone missing, a part of me knew." Grandma continued. "I convinced your parents that I'd be resting so they could go and look after you, but in reality, I was waiting for you."
Knowing her, she couldn't stand still and not do anything for too long. I was sure that she went to the backyard and waited several times to see if I was coming back or not.
"When I touched your skin and saw you two barely clothed, I was certain. It reminded me of our young days with your grandfather. His skin was hot enough to make doctors worry, and he always wandered with only bermuda shorts after he would turn." she said, glancing at Sam with a smile.
"Nana, what do we have to do ? We only turned recently. We don't know what to do with these powers or who to turn to." I told her.
She nodded, before she looked at Sam. "Where do you live ?"
"I live in La Push."
Once again, she nodded. "There, you will find the descendants of the last wolves. The pack always has a leader. And at our times, it was Ephraim Black. I am sure that if they are still alive, his sons, grandsons and great grandsons would know how to guide you." Nana answered.
"Billy Black. Jacob's dad." Sam told me.
The only times I met Jacob were when we would go to First Beach with our friends at school. I grew closer with Sam's friends as time passed by, but since we didn't see each other often, I didn't create a strong bond with them. But it was enough for us to not feel awkward when we'd see each other.
I never met Billy though.
"I guess we'll have to pay him a visit then. The sooner, the better." I said, more to myself than to them.
"One step at a time." Grandma stopped me. "You both need rest. Take a shower and cover yourself. I will call your parents in the meantime."
I nodded, standing up. I knew she was right. And to be honest, I was ready to do everything she'd tell me to. She was the one with the most knowledge here.
"Does your family know ?" I heard her ask Sam.
He shook his head. "I haven't seen them since I first turned."
"Rest here, too. We'll leave together and accompany you home. Hakeem must have some clothes that will fit you." She told Sam.
"Thank you."
Nana then brought her attention back to me. "Go. I'm calling your mother." she said as she walked to the kitchen to get the phone.
"I'll be right back." I told Sam before I walked up the stairs, still with the blanket around me.
I ran up the stairs hurriedly. I needed that shower.
How would we tell my parents the news ? How would they react ?
The moment I opened the door of my bedroom, I suddenly felt like someone was punching my chest. I stopped in my tracks and brought my hand to my chest. The air in this bedroom felt suffocating. Every part of this room carried a year of memories that suddenly hit me back like a wave.
My hold around the doorknob tightened while my heart started racing suddenly. The emotional pain I felt a few days ago, when I thought about Ed...him, came back.
I fell on my knees, feeling suddenly weak. My breathing became unstable. And again, for the upteenth time in the past four days, tears started to blurry my vision.
"Are you okay, Aiyanna ?"
The question came from my grandma who was still downstairs. It scared me how her intuition was almost never wrong. It scared me how she could read people so easily.
Refusing to justify myself on this part of my life, I sniffed to avoid having my snot on my carpet and cleared my throat.
"Yes." I only answered, not finding the strength to say anything more.
"Mmh." she only answered.
While trying to focus on the breathing exercices Sam had taught me, I was reminded of what he said to me in the woods.
Get yourself together, it's not the end of the world.
It was indeed the end of the world. My world. And this drastic end was too difficult to accept.
I walked on all fours towards my bed, and rested against the cold wood. It took me a second to realize that I was seated where I had put my gifts before going to school the day following my birthday. However, they were no traces of them.
Did he possibly take everything with him ?
As an answer to my question, I was reminded of his words before he left.
It'll be as if I never existed.
"You really had to think of everything..." I whispered, knowing damn well he couldn't hear me anymore.
If only he had taken my memories and feelings with him, to leave me empty. Freeing me from this excruciating pain in my chest and these harrowing memories, encraved in my soul.
~~
Sam and I were sitting on each sides of Nana, in front of the shocked faces of my parents.
I didn't need to worry about what to say to them. Nana took care of everything.
I was afraid that my mom wouldn't take it seriously, since it wasn't the first time she heard about our ancestors stories. However, when she scanned the serious faces of Sam and I, she came into realization. She was zoning out, probably thinking of all the signs she already noticed when they came back home.
Both my mom and dad had noticed the change of my body temperature when they hugged me. And even when I hugged them, I realized that I was now, the same height as my mother. How in the world could I go from 5'4 to 5'8 in two days ?
My father was also aware of our history but never really believed it, as my mother didn't even believe it herself.
"So...so you're telling me a wolf can come out of this small body of yours ?" Dad asked.
"I guess that's why I grew taller."
"That's impossible. Not Aiyanna. Not her, mama." my mom told hers, with teary eyes. "What is she going to be ?"
"One of the most respected protector of our people." Nana answered.
Mom shook her head, frowning. "What if something happens to her ?"
"A life is always confronted to danger." she answered calmly and confidently, only fueling my mother's fear. "She will be guided to learn how to defend herself and the ones she will protect. You may not worry."
My mom suddenly stood up. "I am her mother ! Of course I worry about her ! I refuse to lead my daughter to her death !"
Nana stayed silent.
They were not listening to each other the way they wanted to be listened to, only creating frustration on both sides.
I stood up, and walked up to my mother. I grabbed her hands in mine, and squeezed them. The tears she tried to keep to herself fell on our tied hands. I looked up at her, to see her shaking her head while refusing to meet my eyes.
Seeing my mother be this frustrated to the point where she would cry like this, was a rare sight. I didn't know what to tell them. I had no choice when I was choosen to turn into what I became, and I knew that I also had no choice but to use this power to protect them. I knew better than anyone the great danger that weighed on them, and they didn't even realize it. I was once the victim of it. And I refused to see them be victims as well. For eighteen years, they sacrificed and fought for me. It was time for me to return it.
I pulled my mother's head to my shoulder and wrapped my arm around her shoulders.
"Aiyanna, tell us. What can we do for you ?" my dad asked, standing up as well.
I looked up at him and grabbed his hand. "Trust me and I'll do my best."
~~
Before we'd take off to La Push, my dad gave clothes to Sam and showed him the way to the bathroom so he could freshen up.
In the meantime, my mom called Chief Swan to alert him and rest of the police station. She then proceeded to call the people who helped to find me, to say that I was back.
My dad joined me in the kitchen, putting his hand on my shoulder before he sat next to me. He stared at me for a few seconds first before he spoke.
"Are you okay ?" he asked me.
"Just tired, but a little sleep will do."
I could see his concern on his face expressions. I was avoiding the real subject he wanted approach.
"I'm talking about the Cullens." he said.
I couldn't hide the frown that creased my eyebrows, when he mentioned their name. It stirred something inside me, something that began to claw its way towards the surface, something I knew I didn't want to face. I looked back at the window on the other side of the table we were sitting around, to hide my pain from him. My dad sighed, and rubbed his hand on my shoulder.
"I was told they left on Monday. Carlisle got an offer very suddenly. He didn't want to make a big production out of leaving. But...a little warning might have been nice." he said.
By the sound of his voice, I could sense that he was hurt as well, although not to the same extent.
"Aiyanna ?" my dad asked.
I looked at him uneasily.
"He left you alone in the woods ?" he guessed.
"What makes you think that ?"
"Your note."
He reached into the back pocket of his jeans and pulled out a folded piece of paper. It had multiple creases from being opened and folded many times. He unfolded it again, and slid it on the table in front of me. The handwriting wasn't mine. Well, I was sure of it because I knew I didn't write these few words, but the handwriting had been imitated perfectly.
Going for a walk with Edward, up the path. I'll be back soon, A.
He did think of everything. And that was probably when he took all the gifts with him.
"When you didn't come back, your mom called the Cullens and no one answered. She then called me, and I told her that they were gone." he related. "I need to know, Aiyanna. Did Edward leave you alone out there, in the middle of the woods ?"
The sound of his name unleashed the thing that was clawing inside of me. A wave of torture that knocked me breathless, astonished me with its force. Again.
Desperate to end this conversation, and wanting to ease my father's anger that was very palpable, I shook my head. "It was my fault. He left me right there on the trail, in sight of the house. But I tried to follow him and that's when I started turning." I lied.
He seemed to believe me, because he nodded.
"I am ready." Sam's voice resonated from behind me.
Both my dad and I looked behind to see him standing awkwardly in my father's clothes that were almost too small for him, at the entrance of the kitchen.
I stood up from my chair, grabbing my car keys. "Shall we ?"
We would be going in two different cars because there was no way the five of us could fit in one. While my parents and grandma settled in my dad's car, Sam and I sat in mine. Sam, who knew La Push better than any of us, would lead the way.
"I'm sorry you had to see all this drama." I told him, passing the border that separated Forks to La Push.
"At least it prepared me for my family drama. I haven't gone home in two weeks." Sam answered.
"Don't you want to go home first ? We can wait."
"No. I need answers more than anything, at the moment."
I nodded, respecting his decision.
Billy Black's house wasn't as far as I thought it'd be. Sam had called Jacob before we took off, to ask if Billy was home. Thankfully, he was.
I parked in front of a red little house, soon followed by my dad's car. The front door opened even before we came out of our cars. There, on the porch, appeared a man with long hair sitting on a wheelchair.
"There he is." Sam told me.
One of the last werewolf leader's descendant. The one who'd give us what we came for :
Answers.