Chapter Seven: Broken Generation
ROSE
"Do you need a ride home, Rose? We're dropping Kellin off on the way."
I shake my head as Vic sits next to me on the wall just outside the school, "I'm actually going somewhere with Austin. I want to be able to make up for all the lost years; if I'm comfortable around you then I need to learn to be comfortable around Austin again."
"That's great Rose," he laughs ruffling my hair, "you two were inseparable. But don't have too much fun now."
Vic jumps off the wall and walks off towards his car where his brother Mike and Kellin were waiting for him. Kellin waves in my direction and I wave back.
"Shall we go Rose my cars on the other side of the car park?"
I jump out of my skin when Austin appears next to me like a ninja grinning. I put my hand on my chest and my heart was beating very fast.
"Thanks for the heart attack Austin. Now lead the way."
I get off the wall and allow Austin to guide me across the car park. On the way we pass by Oli who I wave at, he smiles and waves at me while glaring at Austin who glares back. I swear I even hear Austin growl beside me but I could have been hearing things.
The drive to the park was semi-silent, it wasn't an awkward silence but the conversation wasn't flowing naturally. Some rock radio station was playing in the background and Austin taps his fingers on the steering wheel in time with the music.
"I would make a comment about awkward silence Austin, but that would probably make this even more awkward."
He chuckles, "how about twenty questions? I really missed you Rose and I want us to be best friends again."
A sad smile plays on his lips, I didn't really remember what it was like to have friends my own age because Alex homeschooled me and because of my 'illness' I wasn't allowed to play with the other kids so I couldn't quite relate to the obvious pain Austin was showing.
"Twenty questions sounds good Austin. You go first."
Austin pulls his car into the park and before he can even kill the engine let alone ask the first question I take off my seatbelt and jump out of the car and start running towards the swings. On the odd occasion Alex took me out just the two of us, he took me to the local park and would push me on the swings. I would giggle and tell him to push me higher, and then panic when he pushed me too high.
"Rose wait up. Don't run off." Austin pants having run up the hill after me.
I claim the only non-damaged swing and start to push myself and pout in Austin's direction when I didn't get enough height.
"Austin push me, pretty please with a cherry on top."
Austin's anger subsides and he shakes his head before walking up behind me and starts to push me.
"You're one of a kind Rose. This is the same park you were kidnapped from and you just run off, I don't want to lose you again when I just got you back."
"I guess that slipped my mind," I sigh, "you're not going to lose me, Austin, now I believe you have to ask me a question."
This trip wasn't about our past, it was what we could make our future.
"I'll start easy Rose. What's your favourite colour?"
I roll my eyes at the cliché question, but I guessed we had to start somewhere.
"Dark purple, yours?"
Austin grunts, "Black and don't even think about calling me an emo."
"Black is a very classy colour Austin, it's probably my second favourite." I laugh at how defensive he gets when he came across as a bit of a loner at school.
"Have you ever had a boyfriend Rose?"
"Wow, Austin way to ramp this game up and we're only on question three. If you really must know, I've never had a boyfriend because my dad and uncles were very protective of me."
I regret my choice of words instantly as Austin stops the swing bringing me to a halt. It slipped out, I didn't mean to bring up my past and now he probably thought I was a freak talking about my kidnappers like they were my family. But Alex was my family for the last ten years, I couldn't forget that overnight.
Austin kneels in front of me I and try to look anywhere but his face, I didn't want to discuss this right now.
"Don't ask Austin, I'm not ready to share. Just know that I'm not crazy, for ten years my kidnappers raised me like their own daughter and never once made me feel like a captive."
"Okay, you're not crazy Rose. I won't push you any further, tell me in your own time."
Next thing I know I'm throwing myself at Austin, he catches me but we both tumble to the ground. I stare into his eyes before we both burst into laughter.
"Maybe jumping off the swing and taking you by surprise wasn't my best idea today."
"I can tell you're going to keep me on my feet Rose." He chuckles, stroking my cheek making me blush.
I sigh, "It's my turn to ask you a question, Austin. Do you believe in the supernatural?"
Beneath me Austin tenses but quickly composures himself, "I do believe Rose, but why do you?"
I shrug my shoulders and roll off Austin getting back to my feet and brushing the dirt off my knees. Austin sounded serious about believing, then I remember the conversation I overheard the hunters having about Austin being a werewolf. I chew my lip and start to rub my wrist with the birthmark on.
"Do you find it odd that we share the same birthmark with Oli? Birthmarks are normal and unique to an individual, but to share the same exact birthmark with two other people isn't normal."
"I know it isn't normal, but don't trust Oli he's not a good influence. He plays the smooth card, but he goes after anything with a pulse and I don't want you to be another notch on his bed."
There was something else Austin wasn't telling me, but he was trying to hide it behind warning me off Oli. Did he know what it meant? And if so why didn't he just come out with it? Then again I could just confront him about being a werewolf and ask what Oli was to save some time, but it wasn't the easiest thing to bring up in conversation.
Staring at Austin hoping he'd crack I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket. The caller ID said 'mum' and in my gut, I just knew this phone call wasn't going to be pleasant.
"Hi, mum-"
"Where are you, Rose? And don't lie to me."
I don't think I'd heard her sound this angry since I returned. She and dad stepped on egg shells around me. I shuffle on the spot and Austin shuffles closer trying to hear the conversation.
"I'm at the park with Austin. I'm getting to know my old friend again."
"You are coming home right now and are forbidden from going to that park again Rose."
I scoff and kick the grass around my feet, "how did you even know I was here mum? I'm sixteen; I can do what I want with whoever I want."
"Don't you speak to your mother like that? A concerned friend rang the house if you really must know. Maybe hanging out with Austin isn't such a good idea anymore, he got you kidnapped once and it could happen again."
I hang up before she can rant any further. Austin was looking down at the ground, his sad face back in place. Mum was wrong; Austin wasn't entirely to blame for that day. She should have kept a better eye on me when I was playing.
"I better get you home Rose."
Austin starts to walk away but I grab his arm bringing him to a stop.
"You're not to blame Austin, it could have happened to any kid in the park that day. Now who do you think would snitch us out?"
Austin shrugs his shoulders and I put my arms around him and he hugs backs reluctantly. My mum had no right to blame him and no way in hell was I going to stop being friends with him because of this.
AUSTIN
Even her mum blamed me for Rose's kidnapping. Maybe it would be better if I kept my distance from Rose. After I drop her off at home I start to drive back to the pack house when my phone goes off on the dashboard. Pulling over I unlock the phone to see one new message off Oli, who I didn't even know had my number.
Oli: Did I ruin your playtime, Austin?
Of course, it was Oli who snitched us out to Rose's mum. I wanted nothing more than to rip his stupid vampire head from his stupid vampire body. Now I definitely wasn't going to keep my distance from Rose, if Oli wanted to play dirty then we'd play dirty. What Vic didn't know won't hurt him.
Putting the car back into gear and getting back on the road the sooner I got back to the pack house, the sooner we could formulate a plan to bring the leeches down and win over Rose to our side. I wasn't surprised to see everyone's cars in the driveway and on the road, apart from school most of the pack wasn't that social with humans.
Stepping into the house I find the rest of the pack in the lounge playing video games. Aaron pauses the game and looks down at his watch before locking eyes with me.
"That was a very short date Austin? What did you do scare her off?"
I roll my eyes if I didn't respect Aaron as much as I did I would have leapt on him and beat him to a bloody pulp for thinking I would do anything to scare Rose off.
"Oli snitched us out to her mum. We need to keep that leech away from her, I was so close finding out about her past with the hunters and how much she knew about the supernatural. She asked me if I believed and I said yes."
Phil chuckles, "that's great Austin, the sooner we can get Rose on team werewolf the better."
"Why don't you just bite her Austin? That way she has to choose you over the bloodsucker. Oli's probably thinking the exact same thing, so why not beat him to his own game."
Alan leans casually against the open doorway between the lounge and kitchen. If I wasn't pissed off before, I was seeing red now. How dare the little ginger compare me to a vampire of all creatures.
"Don't you ever compare me to Oli again understood Alan?" growling, I stride across the room and pin the smaller wolf against the wall, "we were all born into this life and Rose will get to choose herself understood?"
Alan struggles against my arm which was pinned against his neck cutting off his air supply.
"Shit Austin let him go!"
Aaron runs over to us and manages to pull me off Alan who crumples to the floor trying to get his breath back. Fear flashed across Alan's face, yes I had snapped at the pack in the past but never had I physically made them fear me.
"Sorry alpha."
Phil and Tino help Alan back to his feet and take him out of the room. Alan was right, I was the alpha of this pack and I deserved respect from all the werewolves under my protection.
Aaron keeps a hand on my shoulder as if to keep me anchored instead of lashing out again, "before we even think that far ahead we need to know why the hunters haven't made a move yet Austin. They didn't plan on Rose escaping, so they have to be making a plan to get her back."
I sigh loudly and run my fingers through my hair, why did Aaron have to be the voice of reason?
"I'll call Vic."
Aaron nods and quickly leaves the room, most likely going to check on Alan. I pull out my phone and fall onto the sofa dialling the psychic's number; Vic picks up on the second ring.
"What can I do for my favourite alpha werewolf today?"
I chuckle under my breath, "you know how to make a day less shitty Vic. Oli ruined my time with Rose, I just lashed out at Alan who compared me to Oli, and Aaron wants to know why the hunters haven't made a move yet."
Vic inhales loudly on the other end, "yikes. I was thinking the same about the hunters, so I'm putting out my psychic feels as well as a few close friends within the community. If the hunters are planning something we'll know before they strike."
"Vic, Rose asked me today if I believed in the supernatural world and the mark we share with Oli. We need to know what she knows because I think she knows more than she's letting on."
"I'll try and do some digging into her past," he clicks his tongue, "you can't give up on her Austin, she will remember everything and you need to be the one to comfort her. Vic out."
The Mexican hangs up leaving me alone with my thoughts. I wasn't going to give up on Rose, because even if she thought she knew everything there was to know about thesupernatural world there were going to be some elements that scared her. Thetime for playing games was drawing to an end, she passed the point of no returnthe day she decided to run away from the hunters and now it would be up to therest of the local supernatural community to come together and protect her fromharm.