Charlie had been acting weird all morning.
Rowan worried.
Bella was curious, sensing it wasn't to do with something at work but everything to do with the girls' day on Saturday.
Rowan sat at the kitchen table sipping a comforting mug of hot cocoa trying to pretend she didn't dream of vampire kings or wake to a room covered in pixie dust at 3am. Bella ate her cereal with a distracted look on her face.
Charlie cleared his throat, "Girls. We are going to La Push."
Bella blinked, "Now?"
Charlie nodded, "Now." Grabbing his keys and heading toward the door, "Billy's been asking to meet Rowan."
Rowan's gut sank, "Why?"
Charlie shrugged, "He just wants to."
The drive over was quiet.
Bella scrolled through her phone's recent text messages from Alice who had decided the girls' day had bonded them forever.
Rowan pretended she wasn't checking her palms every couple of seconds to check if they were glowing.
Charlie gave her side-eye anyways. "You doing ok, kid?"
Rowan shrugged, "Just trying to figure out what my new normal is."
When they pulled up to Billy Black's, Jacob came out first. Tall with a happy grin that only brightened when Bella stepped out of the cruiser.
Billy rolled out of his house, his gaze instantly going to Rowan.
"Well," his voice boomed out across the gravel parking area, "So this is the girl."
Rowan smiled nervously, "Hi, I'm Rowan."
Charlie stepped forward and patted Billy on the shoulder, "Rowan's been staying with us. Figured it was about time Bella and her meet the pack - uh, the boys."
Rowan's eyes widened. Was Charlie in the know? Well, that was a twist. Does that mean he knows already about the Cullens, too?
Billy shot Charlie a 'why did you say that' look, before turning toward Rowan. "You've got a light about you. An old light."
Rowan came closer, Bella trailing after her, and looked at Billy with suspicion in her eyes.
"My people have stories about ones like you."
"Oh no..." Bella whispered, already she had an idea that Rowan's luck wasn't the greatest, and already she worried how much deeper into an unknown world her friend would sink.
"What does that mean?" Jacob questioned his dad.
Billy ignored his son for the moment, instead motioning Rowan closer. "May I?"
Rowan hesitated before kneeling beside his wheelchair.
He touched two fingers lightly to her forehead.
Warmth pulsed beneath her skin - gentle and ancient - a soft awakening, nothing like the overwhelming glow of dreamlinking.
"This one," Billy murmured, "walks with powerful threads tying her to kings and to danger. But she is not meant to fall to either."
Rowan looked in surprise at the weathered features of Billy Black while Charlie groaned.
"Billy, English, please, for the rest of us that have no idea what you are talking about."
Billy looked back at his old friend, "She'll need guidance and protection." Then, looking back to Rowan, "And child...keep your light hidden around the forest at night. Dangerous things are drawn to it."
Rowan rose, dusting off her pants, "Thank you for the counsel. I will keep it in mind."
After that, they didn't stay long before they headed back home.
Once in the cruiser, Charlie muttered, "I swear every time I try to get things back to normal..."
Rowan slumped in her seat, "I'm sorry."
"No, kid, don't apologize." Charlie stared out at the road, "At least it makes life interesting."
And Rowan believed him, she just hoped she wouldn't come to regret bringing the "interesting" into Charlie and Bella's life.