After Dawn Broke

Chapter Sixteen: Transformation

"Dad?" I asked in a hushed tone. We had been on the way to the reserve for a few minutes now, and Elizabeth was sound asleep. I never got full verification of our destination, but I knew that's where we were going by the winding backroads we were taking.

The short drive from Forks to where my dad grew up normally didn't take too long, and with the way he was driving, I knew we would be there in record time. We were racing down the road-going well over the speed limit. I tried calming myself by looking out of the window, but the green scenery of the forest was passing by too quickly for my stomach's liking-instead of helping, it made me feel more uneasy.

I squeezed my eyes shut, and Dad cleared his throat before replying.

"Yes?" he asked; the car shifted slightly as he turned it onto a worn gravel road. The sound of car tires gripping and scattering rocks filled the air.

Hesitantly, I asked the question that had been bothering me ever since the realization hit me that my father was actually here. "Where's Mom?"

He paused for a second and then exhaled a shaky breath. "Well, that's... You'll hear when Edward gets here," he replied in a tone that said he didn't want to talk about it.

The Volvo's speed decreased as we approached a neglected, weed-covered driveway. Dad turned in, shut off the engine, and rested his head on the steering wheel, being careful not to accidentally blow the horn. He dropped the keys into the cup holder in the center console, and they landed with a clank.

All was calm for a moment, and besides three steady heartbeats, the only thing to be heard was birds singing in the blooming bushes beside the house.

I glanced out of the slightly tinted window of my grandfather's Volvo. The place where we were stopped-at a small red house with chipping paint-wasn't very familiar to me, but I could feel the slight tugging of a memory trying to resurface. It made me feel uncomfortable and ashamed of myself-like it was something important, something I should remember.

I couldn't take it any longer.

"Where are we?" The words tumbled out of my mouth before I knew what I wanted to say.

My dad's head raised up slowly, and he turned himself to face me. "You don't remember?" The left corner of his mouth raised slightly into a half smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. I could sense that he knew I was straining to remember what I had forgotten.

"I know it looks familiar, but I just can't seem to recall..." My words trailed off, and I still couldn't remember.

"We used to live here-you, me, and your mom, I mean. We moved out a few weeks after you turned one." His dark eyes shifted back and forth between me and the barn-like house a couple times as he explained. "I grew up here with my parents and sisters. By the time Bell-your grandmother moved back to Forks, though, it was just me and my dad. I've been meaning to come by and clean the place up, but I just haven't made it back."

I assumed there probably wasn't anything to recall, since I had been so young, but his words brought back a few clouded, mostly-forgotten memories from the back of my mind. "Oh... I remember now," I half whispered in his direction as I started to unbuckle my seatbelt.

As I was bringing the strap around my head, Dad sat up quickly and stiffened. "Don't move," he demanded suddenly.

I froze where I was, and my heartbeat started to speed up. I squeezed my eyes shut and concentrated on the smooth rhythm of Elizabeth's heartbeat. I concentrated on taking deep breaths-in and out-to steady myself.

"Something's wrong," he decided. "It almost smells like..."

Before he could finish his sentence, there was a hiss, and something landed on the roof of the Volvo, creating a dent in the roof above me. My eyes flashed open, and I had to squeeze my lips tightly together with all of my strength to hold in my shrieks. I thought I would explode with the effort.

The loud echo of sound woke Elizabeth up, and she seemed more scared than she did when Demetri had her in his grip. I took her right hand into mine and squeezed it, hoping to provide a bit of comfort.

Dad got out of the car quickly, locked the doors, and rage flashed across his features-whatever or whoever was on the car really upset him. As he started to breath deeper and shake uncontrollably, I shut my eyes again and shielded my sister's with my free hand. I'd only witnessed my father transform once, and I wasn't about to watch it again. One time was creepy enough.

A loud ripping noise was my signal that it was over, so I opened my eyes and uncovered Elizabeth's. She blinked a few times, but then her eyes remained open in wonder, and I knew mine looked the same.

We'd both seen our father like this before, but never this close up.

A giant russet wolf was where he had been standing and shaking just moments before. It was massive and muscular-easily three times larger than my father's human size.

The Volvo's roof groaned under the weight, and I feared it would collapse on my sister and me. Then I watched in horror as the wolf took one powerful step towards the Volvo, bent down slightly, and then sprung up into the air and over the car, slamming directly into whatever or whoever was in the way.

The sound of impact was deafening, instinctively sending Lizzy's and my hands to cover our ears, and as soon as my father collided with whatever was there, he forced it onto the ground a few feet away. My dad-the gigantic wolf-landed on top of the mystery person/animal with a large thud. The thing he was attacking was trying-without much success-to fight back. I still wasn't able to see what it was, so I strained to get a better look. When I saw the black robe, I automatically knew it was a member of the Volturi. The vampire tried again to put up a fight, but my dad was too strong-this was what the wolves were designed for. I looked away when the crunching and ripping started.