Aiyana (Twilight)

↩S I X T E E N↪

I groaned as someone knocked before flicking my light on. I rolled over and realized I had fallen asleep in my clothes, and his jacket. My brothers face showed the slightest hint of disgust as I hung the leather coat up in my closet. I slipped my shoes off and my mother handed me my mug of coffee.

"So, I heard about last night," she started and I shot an accusing glance at my brother.

"Nothing happened. I defended myself until Edwar-"

She held up a hand to stop me, "I know. I trust that you are okay. I'm very grateful that boy was there to help you, and this is about him."

"What about him?" I narrowed my eyes, hoping she wasn't going to be like my brother.

"Aiyana, sweetie, there's some thing you need to know. About our family," she said gently as she placed a hand on my cheek, "Very important things."

"What's going on?" I asked, suddenly very concerned. "Are you okay?"

She picked up the book from my bag and thumbed through it, smiling. She wasn't looking at me as she spoke. Tala sat backwards in my desk chair while she sat beside me on the bed.

"Your father always told you two about the Quileute legends. He was very passionate about his heritage and I'm so blessed that you two are able to connect with your people again. But there are things I wouldn't let him tell." She admitted.

"When you ushered us to bed," Tala interjected.

"It had skipped your father's generation. Him and Harry never had to experience these things and part of me had hoped that it would skip Tala, too," she looked sadly at her oldest child, "But your fathers death combined with moving back home....well, I knew we couldn't avoid it forever. But, god knows, I wanted to protect you from it, but you're making this so difficult."

I was getting confused, "I'm...sorry?"

"No," she laughed, "You're just like your father. Persistent yet so open-minded."

"Aiya, we're descended from wolves." Tala spoke suddenly.

My eyes widened and I couldn't suppress the laugh that bubbled out of me, "What?"

"We're shifters. It's through the men, really, although I have a feeling Leah is on her way," he shrugged.

"I don't understand," I admitted.

"Sam Uleys 'gang' are considered protecters. They re the current generation of shifters," Tala explained.

"So...you can..." I trailed off.

Tala smiled softly before getting up and jogging outside. I sat, dumbfounded, with my mother on my bed. She shook her head at my brother before turning to me.

"So what does this have to do with you, right?" She smiled. "That Cullen boy."

"The family hate goes deeper than our ancestors," I whispered, "I'm actually not allowed to see him?"

"They're different. You're smart, sweetie, you'll figure it out. But, Aiya... I want you to be happy. It's going to be difficult for our families, but I want you to make that decision for yourself." She said sincerely before pulling me to my feet.

She led me outside and I found my brother hitting his punching bag furiously. I raised an eyebrow as he stripped his shirt off and then his shorts.

"Woah, ew," I hollered but then I saw it.

He was shaking. Head-to-toe, in the same way he had when he saw Edward with me and when his friends were lingering a little too long.

Then it happened.

He shifted into what I can only describe as a giant wolf.

Descended from wolves.

I think I screamed.
______________________________________

Tala didn't run off that night. We stayed together in the living room for hours watching our favorite movies. We hadn't stayed like this since dad died. I had my head on my moms lap while she drank lazily from a wine glass. Tala was resting with his back against the couch, his head leaned back on my legs. It was quiet, peaceful, save for the few laughs and noise that came from the small television.

It was nice, being with them. No worry in the world. Just us. My head was racing with everything I had been told but it kept landing right back on him.

I didn't know what my mother had meant about Edward and his family. But I knew my feelings were much deeper than friendship, and that scared me enough - so for it to have complications thrown on top of it, it scared me.

I nudged Tala when the movie ended and he slipped in another random disk before passing back out on the living room rug. I only watched it halfway before my eyes began to drift closed and I was pulled in to my dreams.

I looked around wildly, desperately trying to find my way through the endless trees. I heard someone snag a twig behind me and I turned in circles trying to see anything mire than the endless sea of green. My eyes landed on him. Beautiful, perfect.

Edward.

The dream shifted then.

The trees clouded the sky and we were thrown into darkness. His hands were on me then, rough and angry. I turned around and the familiar and comforting golden hue of his eyes were replaced with those same dark, cold eyes he had when I met him.

A cold hand wrapped around the side of my throat and then there was pain.

For the second time that day, I screamed. I jumped up, nearly hitting my moms head on the way. The movie was still playing and exaggerated charicatures of mosters danced across the screen.

I knew what he was.

Edward Cullen was not human.