Chapter 6

• The rest of the meal is uneventful. Pop retires early, trying to do so inconspicuously. I notice how he's barely touched his plate of food. Nanna is busy doing the dishes with Rose and a few others, and Billy has pulled my father with him, heading towards the pasture.
• Enjoying a moment of solitude, I find myself exploring the many pictures that cover the walls in the house. I recognize a few of the faces now. There's so much joy in each of the frames. I find many of Billy and my father. They are often joined by two bronze haired girls, one with clear green eyes and the other with grey-blue eyes like Nanna's. They appear to be a few years younger than my father. I find myself wondering who they are.
• Suddenly, a small picture catches my eye. There it is. Proof that I am a part of this family. Right there among so many unfamiliar pictures is one that I know very well. My first family picture, taken just after I was born. My parents look so young, so happy. My heart warms. The picture is small, but the placing is smack dab in the middle. This, my birth, is important to Nanna and Pop, to this family. They have loved me all this time.
• "So, I had an idea." Leah's excited, yet slightly apprehensive voice pulls me from my thoughts.
• I place the picture back in its place. She gestures towards a sofa in the living room and I follow. In front of her she has a stack of papers.
• "I figured you probably needed a little crash course in your family and pack history. I know Nanna probably has much nicer ones and more extensive ones laying around somewhere, but I just threw this together while we were eating," she explains hurriedly, placing the papers next to one another.
• There are several family trees in front of me. A beautiful emblem of a sun rising over the familiar looking mountains, and wolves running through a forest is doodled at the top. I recognize it. Twisting the ring on my thumb, I see it's an exact replica.
• "I've just focused on your immediate family, and some important people you should know about who you will be meeting later this evening. We'll have to do your ancestors another time, and go a little bit more into detail about the pack history. But in very short terms, our pack: The Midnight Sun, came over from Norway in the mid-1800s. They chose to settle down here in Washington because it reminded them of their homeland. To begin with, there were only two strong families, intertwined by marriage and friendship: the Cullens and the Swans. Later, smaller packs joined and today we even have a few rogues with us, but the pack consists mainly of four strong families: the Cullens, Swans, Whitlocks and McCartys." She pauses pulling up the first family tree.
• "Nanna's maiden name was Hannah McCarty and she mated Henry Swan, Pop, when she turned 21."
• I wonder about the strange choice of word: "mated", but Leah is quickly continuing so I decide to leave it for now.
• "They have two sons, Billy and Charlie, and a daughter named Carlie." Leah stops, looking uncomfortable for a moment. "Unfortunately, Carlie passed away when she was 10 in a… an accident." I stare at the girl's name, trying to process the information. Shocked to know that my father had a sister and that she died. Before I can ask any questions, Leah continues. Clearly, my questions will have to wait.
• "Billy mated a woman from a nearby pack. He and my mother, Neyeli, have five children: Jake, Quil, Embry, me and little Seth. Mom's previous pack is Native American and they are in an alliance with us, so we meet them often."
• I remember a beautiful dark-haired woman with beads and feather's in her hair working in the kitchen. That explains their dark complexions and beautiful, jet-black hair.
• "Your father, Charlie, married Renee Dwyer and had you. And, that's your immediate family." Leah and I share a smile before she continues.
• "Pop has three younger brothers: Hank, Harrison, and Hugo." I laugh at all the "H" names. "Hank and Josephine have twins; Jamie and Jackson. So, those are all of your cousins who are a part of this pack. Harrison never mated, and he lives in a cabin up the mountain somewhere. We see him from time to time, but not very often. Hugo (the youngest) married Elena and joined the Denali pack in Canada with their five children: Tanya, Irina, Angelina, Alexander, and David."
• My head is pounding slightly, struggling to keep up with everything Leah is telling me.
• "You still with me?" she asks, pausing.
• "Yeah, it's just a little overwhelming. I've gone from being a single child with just my Dad, and now I find out I have this huge family."