Harsh knocking sounded on my bedroom door.
“Come in,” I called out. My parents burst into the room.
“What was that?” asked my mom.
“It sounded like a mating howl,” my dad whispered to her, even though I could clearly hear him.
“I have no idea,” I said blithely, picking up my romance book from my nightstand. My mom began looking around my room as if in search of something.
“Where is it?!” she shouted.
“Where is what? You’re freaking me out.”
“The pills. The pills that I told you to take,” she said.
“It’s in my backpack,” I lied.
“Show me,” she said.
Shit. I slowly walked across the room, thinking of an excuse. Should I pretend I lost it at the university while taking it? That my friend stole it? I felt like an entire kid all over again. Why the fuck was I so scared? I realized I had never stood up to my parents before, especially my mom.
I was always their little girl.
My heart was pounding hard as I pretended to rifle through my backpack. Trying to act like I was looking for it.
“I think I probably left it in the bathroom,” I said.
“Bathroom where?”
“At the university or something,” I replied. “Why is it important? I thought they were vitamins.”
“You haven’t been taking it, have you?” inquired my dad, looking at me like he knew what was up.
“Yeah,” I finally admitted. “I keep forgetting, and nothing has happened to me so far. What the heck are they anyway?"
“Oh my god, no, no, no,” my mom wailed, holding her face in her hands.
“What is it?” I nearly shouted. She was losing her dang mind over nothing.
I had to know what was going on once and for all. I sat on the edge of my bed, watching my dad comfort her.
“Tiana, it’s time we explained something to you that we should’ve told you years ago,” said my father.
My mom sat on the floor in front of me, tears running down her face. My dad sat down next to her, wrapping his arm around her.
“It might be hard to believe,” my dad started. “But we are a family of werewolves.”
I shut my eyes tight for a second.
What in theactualfuck? Was he serious right now? I took in a deep breath.
“Dad, you’re pranking me right now,” I laughed. “That’s not even funny.”
“We don't shift into werewolves anymore. Only the alphas still have the power to do that. Over the generations, our werewolf abilities have been diluted. I'm an alpha, and your mother is a beta," he explained.
I sat there stunned on the edge of my bed, not knowing what to think.
It was quiet for two minutes as my mind raced with all possibilities. Dad didn’t look like he was joking. There was no sign of a smile like he usually did when he liked to prank me. His large black beard was still without unspoken laughter. My dad was as serious as could be.