Selcouth • J. Hale ✓

xii.

Karina's outfit is above!

chapter twelve.

There were no secrets from Aurora and Karina. Karina tried her best to tell her mother everything and with Karina's current issue at hand, she needed her mom now more than ever.

"Mom?" Karina called out as she heard noises from the kitchen. "Ma?"

"Here!" Her mother called out and poked her head from the kitchen. "What is it baby?"

Karina bit her lip, she knew that once she opened her mouth there was no going back. "Do you remember those legends, you used to tell me?"

Aurora had turned around, focusing on cleaning the kitchen, but froze at hearing Karina's question. The Quileute legends were stories that her father used to scare her into behaving. As a little girl though, Aurora loved hearing them and so, when she listened she was rewarded with hearing the stories.

"Why do you ask?" Aurora asked, her voice tight and Karina knew that her mother knew.

"You know." Karina stated and Aurora officially stopped cleaning. "You know about the Cullen's."

Aurora sighed and set down the rag in her hand. "Of course, I know." She whispered and sat down at the table, Karina sitting across from her. "I told you the stories, we descend from wolves and vampires are supposed to be our enemies. There hasn't ever been a female shifter in our history, but I could tell there was something off about them."

Karina suddenly recalled her mother's reaction when Carlisle got close to her at the hospital. "That's why you got so stiff around Carlisle."

Aurora shrugged, "More or less, yes. It's the Quileute blood in me, warning me, but Carlisle already explained to me that the treaty was still in place. His family doesn't go on their lands, nor do they feed on humans."

"They don't?" Karina frowned, "Then how do they survive?"

"Animals." Aurora told her bluntly. "Carlisle said it was why their eyes are amber and that if they were feeding on humans, then their eyes would be red."

Karina was at a loss for words, her mother had known this whole time and Karina couldn't believe it. "So, they're okay?"

Aurora nodded her head, "Yes."

Karina felt herself relax a little more at her mother's reassuring tone. "So, what does this mean?" Aurora frowned in confusion, "For me, I mean. You obviously know that I'm attracted to one of them."

"Jasper, right?" Aurora questioned and Karina felt her face heat up. "He's the one who saved you." Karina nodded and Aurora sighed. "I don't know. You'd have to ask him directly, what you feel towards him isn't something I know. Your dad never believed in the legends, he thought they were stories, but I was raised to believe them. I don't know honey."

Karina groaned and rested her head in the palms of her hands. "I told Jasper last night that I didn't want to fall in love."

"Say what now?" Aurora sputtered looking at her daughter with disbelief. "Sunflower, you used to gush about finding your true love and riding off into the sunset."

Karina blushed at the memory and shook her head. "I don't know mama, things are just different now."

"Because he's a vampire?" Aurora asked her while raising a perfectly plucked brow.

Karina shook her head. "Because I've never dated, never really had crushes, and I don't know how this works."

Aurora gave her daughter a small smile, one that sent waves of reassurance through Karina. "Sunflower, you need to talk to him."