Howling at the Stars

15

The next morning I woke with an uncomfortable feeling, a certainty I was being watched. I took some time to stare out both windows and close the blinds but even as I made my way down the stairs I was completely preoccupied with what Paul had told me and what the hell he'd meant by it. Were they just afraid I'd have a big mouth? Or was it something to do with their enemies? Was it a threat or were they really worried about me? And for that matter—

"Genevieve Olivia Swan!"

Crap.

"Good morning?" I had just made my way into the kitchen. Isabella and my dad were already sitting there eating breakfast, my dad glaring up at me and my sister looking sheepish. "What'd I miss?"

"I thought I'd asked you to stay out of the forest." My dad thundered, waving his hand between the two of us.

I pretended to be confused. Just because Bella threw herself under the bus doesn't mean I have to follow. "That was months ago. I figured that was over."

"Yeah?" Dad raised an eyebrow, not amused. "And how did that turn out?"

Jeez, how much did she tell him? "Not so well. Very badly. I don't know."

"And you didn't tell me where you were going?" Dad crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, considering me. "You didn't check your phone?"

"Oh..."

"Yeah?"

"I forgot."

"You forgot."

"Yes?" I winced. "I am sorry. Really."

Dad shook his head at this, leaning back over his plate of toast with a frustrated sigh. "As if I didn't already have enough to worry about with you two."

Bella finally chimed in here. "We didn't mean for you to worry." Our dad just shook his head. "And it was my idea."

There was a tense silence as I grabbed some cereal and joined them at the table. I stirred the broken bits of fruit loops around aimlessly, not really hungry, just trying to stall as I came up with a good way to ask my next question.

"I didn't see the cruiser when we got back..." I started slowly.

"We forgot the truck." Bella interrupted.

"Ah." I considered this for a moment. "Yeah, you are right to be a little angry with us."

"A little-!" Dad choked into his glass of orange juice. "Ha. You're grounded."

"Oh." I scowled into my breakfast, even as I realized there wasn't really anywhere fun I wanted to go. "Both of us?"

"Yes." He said firmly, frowning at me for a moment as I continued pouting. "It's the only way I'll know you're safe at this point."

"Ha ha." I replied sarcastically. Bella was now also refusing to meet his eyes, her face turned down out of guilt.

"You two can go get her truck and that's it outside of work. Understand?" We both nodded, though Bella squirmed a little in her chair.

"We'll be more careful, ok, dad?" I said, trying to distract him from my sister's weird expression. We were nodding: how can she not even nod a lie convincingly?

"Yeah, yeah, sure. Genny careful. I believe that." Dad half stood in order to give me a one armed hug and then a quick peck on the forehead as he got up. "Do be careful though, ok, hon?"

"Yep." I agreed, flustered.

Dad walked over to Isabella and gave her a tight hug as well. "Both of you. I need my girls." Shaking his head, he grabbed his coat from his chair and walked out of the room.