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Chapter 12

To say that dinner had been completely awkward was an understatement. DJ had shown up in addition to my family and the meal had been filled with sporadic small talk and long silent stretches. The ride home in the back of Brandon and Braden's truck was just as awkward. For some reason, my parents drove separately and even though I could have road home with them, Brandon had directed me to their truck. Alex was still with his friends at Jared and Kim's, and that got me thinking yet again.

"Does Alex know about all this?" I asked out of nowhere from my seat behind Brandon who was driving and Braden turned his head to look at me, the lights from the dashboard lighting his face enough for me to see his blank expression. "He does, doesn't he?" I asked when my eyes met his and Braden sighed softly and looked away from me, his eyes glancing at Brandon. "Why did no one tell me?"

"It wasn't up to us, Liv," Brandon said and I scoffed.

"Bullshit," I said sharply and Brandon quickly pulled over the truck and put it in park. I took the opportunity and climbed out of the cab before I started marching down the deserted two lane road.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Brandon asked as he caught my arm and wheeled me around to face him. The headlights of the truck were on and lit up the night around us as Braden joined us in front of the truck.

"Don't touch me!" I shouted as I pushed away from him and surprisingly he let me go. "I understand why Andrew couldn't tell me, but you! Both of you!" I shouted as I looked between them. "You all lied to me! Mom, Dad, Lucas, everyone! If I would have known, nothing would have changed. Why did all of you keep this from me?"

"Dad didn't want you to know, Liv," Braden said and I frowned.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because he wanted to protect you from all of this!" Brandon shouted and I looked at him. His body was tense and his fists clenched at his sides.

"Protect me from what?" I asked.

"There's a reason the gene is still active, Liv," Braden said and I looked away from a tense Brandon to Braden who was glancing at Brandon with worried eyes before he looked back at me. "We haven't had any problems for a while, but there's always a threat. Dad figured the less you knew the better."

"How is that better?" I asked with a frown.

"Mom worries about him and about us when stuff is going down. It bothers him that she gets so upset, which is why he doesn't go out unless it's absolutely necessary. He didn't want you worry with her," Braden said.

"Is that supposed to make sense? Because it doesn't," I said, my frown deepening as I shook my head. "It sounds like a lame excuse you just made up to placate me. I already feel like a complete idiot, Braden, you don't have to rub it in anymore."

"It's the truth, Liv!" Brandon shouted; his deep voice so loud it actually made me jump as I turned to look at him. Braden reached out and put his hand on Brandon's shaking shoulder.

"Calm down," Braden said softly and Brandon took a deep breath through his nose before he let it out of his mouth.

"If Dad could have his way, all of us would be blind to it. Hell, Braden and I were until we started to show signs of changing. It wasn't until then that Mom talked Dad into telling us along with Lucas since he would be next, and Alex didn't find out until recently," Brandon said sharply. "He wanted to protect you from everything. He didn't even think that it was a possibility that one of the other guys might imprint on you."

"I don't care if he wanted to protect me," I said. "I've never lied to him, about anything, and he's lied to me my whole life. All of you have." I turned on the balls of my feet and started walking down the road once more.

"Liv, where are you going?" Braden asked.

"Home!" I shouted.

"You're not walking!" Brandon said before I was yanked rather roughly by the arm and thrown over a shoulder.

"Put me down!" I screamed and it wasn't until we were at the truck that he finally put me down. I was no more settled on my feet before I reared back and punched Brandon in the face as hard as I could with my right hand. He didn't even flinch while I let out a blood curdling scream as I actually felt bones break in my hand.

"Damn it Liv!" Brandon shouted as he grabbed my arm, but not as harshly as he had before. However, I still cried out in pain as involuntary tears filled my eyes and started spilling over at the pain radiated up my arm from my hand.

"First Drew now you," Braden said as he came around and took my arm from Brandon's hand, but with far gentler hands than Brandon had.

"This time it was her fault," Brandon said sharply.

"What's going on?" came DJ's voice and I was too focused on the pain to figure out what he was doing there.

"Liv?" a panicked Andrew asked and I found myself passed off to him. "What happened to your hand?" he asked his hands settling on my upper waist.

"She let that temper of hers get the better of her," Brandon said.

"And I'm going to guess you had something to do with it," Andrew said with venom in his voice as his grip on me tightened.

"Go fu-," Brandon started, but I interrupted my brother.

"Stop!" I shouted as I looked over at him, the moonlight shining down on all of us. "There's no point in arguing. Just get me to the fucking hospital." Andrew sighed before he helped me into the back of the truck and crawled up with me. I was sitting in the center of the back seat, Andrew on my left and while Braden climbed into the front passenger seat and Brandon got behind the wheel before he peeled off down the road after he said something to DJ. I cradled my hand to my chest and in the darkness I could already make out the swelling. I was doing my best to hold in my tears as Braden whipped out his cell phone.

"Are you okay?" Andrew asked me and I groaned quietly as I turned my head towards him.

"No," I said through my teeth. "I'm not." Andrew sighed and pressed a kiss to the side of my head before he rested his forehead against mint. It was both comforting and annoying, but it wasn't his fault I had a broken hand. After all, Brandon was right. It was my fault. I should have known better than to punch him. I may have just learned that the legends were real and was pissed for being kept in the dark, but that was no excuse for forgetting that they were practically indestructible.

"Hi Mom," Braden said. "Not exactly," he said after a pause. "We're on our way to the hospital." He sighed heavily. "It's Liv. We're pretty sure she's broken her hand." Another pause and I could hear Mom's muffled voice echoing over the phone. "Okay, we'll see you there." I turned my head towards Andrew and rested my head on his shoulder. I was so not looking forward to my parents showing up at the hospital. I knew I was going to be in for an earful.

I had broken two metacarpals and slight fracture to another thanks to my right hook to Brandon's face. Thankfully the broken bones were clean brakes and no surgery would be necessary to repair them. However, I was going to be stuck with a cast on my hand for the next six weeks. Mom was in the room with me while the nurse applied the cast that went a little over halfway up my fingers and down over my wrist. I had no idea how I was going to take notes in class, but I figured Grace or Andrew would more than likely help me out.

"There we go," the nurse said quietly, breaking the silence of the room. "Just keep your arm there for the cast to set and you'll be good to go." She started cleaning up the items. "I'll be back in with the paper work for you to sign, Mrs. Lahote," she said and Mom gave her a small smile as she nodded her head and the nurse left carrying the tray she had brought in before she started casting my hand.

"What was in your head when you punched him?" Mom asked the second the nurse was out the door. It was the first opportunity she had had to interrogate me and I sighed quietly looked at my drying cast.

"I was mad at him," I said. "I still am, and I'm mad at you too." I looked back up at her and she stood from her seat and walked over to the hospital bed I sat on as she crossed her arms over her chest. "How could you keep this from me, Mom?"

"Your father thought it was best, Olivia, and I agreed with him at first," she said as she uncrossed her arms and smoothed her hair on top of her head. "However, when your brothers started to show signs of changing, I thought we should tell you, but your father didn't think it was best."

"Why? Braden and Brandon said it was to protect me, because Dad didn't want me to worry; but I don't believe that," I said and Mom sighed.

"We should wait and have this conversation at home, maybe even in the morning," she said as she reached out and tucked my hair behind my left ear.

"Why wait until tomorrow?" I asked. "We should get everything out in the open because I'm sick and tired of being lied to." Just then the nurse came back in with a clipboard.

"Okay, Mrs. Lahote, I just need you to sign the release papers and you can get Olivia home," she said and Mom moved over to stand with the nurse. Mom took the clipboard and started reading over the paperwork as the nurse spoke. "Dr. Marshall has already sent Olivia's prescription to the pharmacy in the hospital, so, you'll be able to pick up her medication before you leave tonight."

"Great," Mom said as she signed the paperwork and gave the nurse back the forms. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," the nurse said with a smile before she looked at me. "We'll see you again in six weeks to get that cast off, Olivia," she said and I nodded before I forced a smile and climbed down from the bed. Mom and I made our way down the hallway and towards the lobby where everyone else was waiting. Dad stood first and started towards us with the rest of them following behind him.

"What's the verdict?" Dad asked as he looked at my hand.

"Two broken bones and a slight fracture to another," Mom said and Dad sighed. "Her prescription's ready at the pharmacy. Would you mind going to get it so we can head home?" Mom asked and Dad shook his head negatively before he made to kiss my head but I turned away from him, avoiding his kiss. I looked at him, a slight glare in my eyes. Dad took a deep breath through his nose and his body tensed before he turned on the balls of his feet and practically stomped down the hallway.

"Olivia Ann, that wasn't necessary," Mom said quietly but I ignored her and looked towards the guys, but Andrew wasn't there.

"Where's Drew?" I asked with a frown as I looked at my brothers.

"Outside," Braden said. "His pacing was driving Dad nuts." I walked past them then and outside to find Andrew down the sidewalk and leaning against the brick wall of the hospital. He looked up from the cement at his feet and towards me.

The lights outside allowed me to see the relief wash over his face as he pushed off the wall and start towards me. I walked towards him, meeting him halfway, and the second I was within arm's reach he scooped me up in his arms and pressed me to his chest. It was then that I realized he was only wearing a pair of cut offs and nothing else. He and DJ must have heard my scream and phased to investigate what was going on. That was probably why they got there as quickly as they did.

"How are you?" he asked into my hair.

"A few broken bones and they gave me something for the pain, so, I'm much better now," I said into his warm chest. His arms tightened around me a bit before he kissed the top of my head. We pulled apart and I gave him a small smile and he chuckled quietly before he brought his hands to my face.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"You don't have anything to be sorry about," I said. "I'm the idiot that punched him in the face. Brandon was right. I let my temper get the best of me. I've got too much of my dad in me for my own good."

"You can say that again," Mom said from behind me and Andrew lowered his hands from my face as I turned around to look at her. "Say goodbye to Drew, Olivia. It's time to go home." I looked over my shoulder at Andrew before I looked back at Mom. "You can see him tomorrow," she promised and I looked at Andrew once more. He kissed my forehead and I closed my eyes.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he whispered and I nodded before I walked towards Mom and towards Dad's truck. I was anxious to get home and part of me wished that Andrew would have been able to come with me. It would have been nice to have someone in my corner.

It seemed like it took hours to get home rather than the thirty minutes I knew it took. We all made our way to the house and went inside, surprisingly everyone moved into the living room without a word being said. Alex was still at Jared and Kim's and would be until tomorrow; well, since it was after midnight technically he'd be home later that day. Brandon and Braden sat down on the sofa while Mom sat down in her chair, but Dad was standing and I didn't really feel like sitting so I stood with him.

"Why didn't you tell me the truth?" I asked straight out as I looked at him. "Why did you keep this from me?"

"I don't have to explain myself to you, Olivia Ann," Dad said and I frowned, "but I did it to protect you."

"That's like the millionth time I've heard that tonight and I still don't believe it," I said as I shook my head. "How is keeping me in the dark about everything protecting me; and just what are you protecting me from?"

"There's a reason the gene is still active and that's what I'm protecting you from," Dad said.

"I don't understand," I said as I shook my head and Dad sighed as he turned away from me and ran his hand down his face.

"You remember Jacob, don't you Liv?" Mom asked and I looked at her before I nodded. Jacob Black was Billy's son. He visited the reservation on occasion but he lived off of it with his wife who I had never met because she never came with him when he visited. "He lives off the reservation in a rural area at the edge of Forks with his wife, and her parents live close by."

"That's a big deal because?" I asked.

"Jacob's wife is a human/vampire hybrid," Dad said and I looked at him, not really believing what he just said. "Her parents are the girl Jacob was in love with when he was your age and her vampire husband. The girl's a vampire now of course, and since Jacob stays close to La Push because of Billy and his wife is his imprint, she stays with him. Her parents chose to stay there as well, and because of their presence, the gene stays active. We're born to kill their kind, Olivia, and as long as the threat remains the gene will remain active."

"You mean vampires live in Forks?" I asked surprised by that little tidbit of information.

"They keep to their cottage and the surrounding woods," Braden said and I looked at him.

"They're vegetarians," Brandon said with a scoff as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"They don't kill humans, they kill animals, and they have a treaty with our people; but I wanted you to be blind to their existence," Dad said and I returned my eyes to him. "I wanted you to think that the legends were just that, legends. Folk stories passed down from generation to generation; and nothing more. I'm not sorry I didn't tell you. I did what I thought was right."

"Satisfied now?" Brandon asked with a glare and I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Brandon, don't egg your sister on," Mom said. "She only has one good hand as it is and I'm not up for another trip to the hospital." Mom stood and walked over to me, putting her hand on my shoulders and turning me towards the stairs. "Come on, sweetheart, go on up to bed and get some sleep. You've had a long day." I didn't fight with her, I just went up to my room and closed my bedroom door. I changed, took off my glasses, pulled my hair back, and crawled into bed.

Whatever explanation I had been expecting when I finally got the chance to talk to Dad, it was not what Dad just laid out on the table. My head was a mess thanks to an overload of information and second dose of medication the nurse had given me at the hospital while casting my hand finally caught up with me and I slipped off into a dreamless sleep.