Chapter 2 - Violet

3 Months later..

“Hey Aunt Della” I greet my Aunt as I walk into our house.

“Hello Vi” she smiles at me from her armchair, all bundled up in a blanket, looking frail. “We need to speak sweetheart” she says with a slight frown to her face.

This does not sound good. And I have to say I am curious what it is she wants to talk to me about, but I can't shake the nervous feeling I am feeling too.

“Oh ok? Is everything ok, Aunt Del?” I smile at her, sitting down on the chair next to her.

“I am afraid I am going to have to look for somewhere else for you to live soon, sweetheart” she says quietly.

My heart drops. This has been my home since my parents died. All I have known since I was six years old. Surely she is not just going to kick me out and abandon me? Have I upset her? My mind is playing over so many past scenarios in my mind of things that could be the reasons behind all of this sudden change.

My heart is racing at the thought of it already. I can’t imagine not living with her. Despite her being old, and I know she won’t live forever, and I know she has been ill of late, I can’t imagine why she would want me to go? I have always tried to be a good lodger for her. Never causing her problems. Trying to help around the house. Why does she want rid of me?

“Oh, have I done something wrong, Aunt Della?” I stuttered.

I feel her frail hand touch mine. “No of course, not sweetheart. It isn’t as straight forward as that. Erm, I don’t know how to explain this well. This should be your Dad telling you this really. I promised when they passed on I would look after you. I knew of your Dad and his past. I told them I would keep you with me until I was able. But you are coming of age now, Violet.” She says.

None of this is making sense to me. She knew of my Dad’s past? What the hell does that mean? He didn’t have a dodgy past that I am aware of. Though would I know if he did, when I was only six when they died?

And what does she mean I am coming of age?! I am nearly 17. Wouldn’t coming of age be 16? Or is it 18? Either way, what has that got to do with anything? It is making no sense. Though to be fair, a lot of what Aunt Della says makes little sense at times. I should be used to this.

“I don’t understand” I frown. Still not happy at the prospect of leaving her.

“I didn’t expect you would, dear” Aunt Della smiled, stroking my hand, her papery thin skin of her hands rubbing against the top of my hand. “I made an agreement with your Dad’s family when they died I would take care of you”

“My Dad’s family? I thought there was none” I say in shock.

Aunt Della looks down awkwardly. “Well, not quite Violet, Dear, your Dad’s family didn’t really agree with your Mum and Dad’s relationship. Your Dad moved away to be with your Mum and never returned. Never had anything else to do with them after they said she was not good enough for them. When your Mum and Dad died we contacted them, but they said they did not want to know. That included supporting you, I am afraid.” She looks guiltily. Though this is not her fault, this is theirs.

I do not know what to say. I simply nod. “So that is how I ended up with you?” I add.

She smiles, a genuine smile. “Yes. And I am so glad! Your Mum’s Grandma was my sister. I never had children of my own. So taking care of you has been a privilege, Violet. Don’t ever forget that. I would do it all over again, even if I haven’t necessarily known what I was doing the whole time” she ruffles my hair affectionately in the way that she does.

“You have been amazing, Aunt Della, I don’t know where I would have been without you. But I don’t understand why you want to kick me out now?” I look to her, tears in my eyes.

“I don’t want to, I have to, Violet. You are coming of age. That was part of the arrangement. You are your father’s daughter. That means a few things. You need to go where they can prepare you. Besides, I am old, and I have not been well of late. It is for the best, I think.” She smiles sadly.

Arrangement? My father's daughter?! I am even more confused now. I am hoping she will explain more. I am looking to her.

“What does all that mean Aunt?” I ask.

“Ok, prepare yourself. This is going to sound so bizarre, sweetheart, and probably unlikely too, but your Dad, well, he was, well, he was a werewolf Violet. That means you are likely to be one too” Aunt Della says anxiously.

I take in what she has just said and start to laugh. She has to be joking, right? There is no such thing, is there?! It is simply something you read about in books or see in films. My Dad can’t be one, or have been one. Making me one. That is just plain craziness. Am I being pranked?!

I look to my Aunt again and realised she is looking at me, a deadly serious expression on her face. Shaking her head.

“You have to be joking. There is no such thing” I said.

“No, most people believe there isn’t. But there is, sweetheart. They live in packs across the country. Your Dad was at one. He met his mate, which was your Mum, but it did not go down well that she was human and not a werewolf shifter too. They moved to the pack initially, but the others were nasty to your Mum, so your Dad went berserk and decided he would not tolerate it and moved away with your Mum from the pack. Choosing to live away from the pack, which is almost unheard of.” Aunt Della explains.

This all sounds so bizarre. I am confused. Werewolves are real!?! My Dad was one?! So what does that make me? I have to be dreaming, right?

“Then you were born and he swore he would not go back, but teach you of the ways of the pack and the werewolf himself. But after they died, there was a letter given to who would be the one to look after you. Which as it turned out was me. It expressed the concern we would have if we had the issue of what was to happen to you if you had the shifter gene. It is highly likely. I contacted all his family, thinking they may want to be involved in your childhood and support you in the learning about your background, but they did not want to know, but said when you got close to coming of age you would have to go to a pack to be trained and taught how things would be. To prepare you for the things that were to come. And I am afraid, sweetheart, that time is here.” Aunt Della continues, a sad expression on her face, like the thought devastates her.

I am shivering, unsure if from nerves or anger. I do not want to leave, and I most certainly do not want to go to a pack that did not want me back when I needed them the most!

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Dear Diary…

Seriously, WTF?! I don’t even know where to start. How can I be nearly 17 and just finding out that

1. My Dad was a fucking werewolf?!

And

2. That I am likely to be one too?!

I mean come on now, they are things in films, right?

Yet no, that is what I am being told. Not only that, but because I could be one of them, I need to leave everything I now know, everything I love and feel safe around, to go and make a new beginning in a fucking werewolf pack to learn of this background my Dad did not want to be part of.

This does not seem right and it definitely is not fair. I want to run away, I really do. But I can’t see how I can. I have no where to go and if I am a wolf like Aunt D is telling me, I know nothing about it. I probably do need to learn something about it all. Because surely the things they show you in films are exaggerated, right?! I can’t be like that, right?

This is so messed up..

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