Disclaimer: S. Meyer owns the characters.
All mistakes are my own.
I breathe through my nose, letting the cool air sting as it slides down my throat and fills my lungs.
The soft pelt of rain quickens as it hits the black waterproof fabric of my umbrella, the sound grating on my nerves.
Light flashes across the field, lightening the towering pines from beyond the mountains before the loud clap of thunder shrieks through the echoing forest.
The storm is close.
I pull my coat tighter around me as I crouch down over what's left of the body.
The stomach had been ripped open, and the entrails removed creating a hollowed bowl inside the body. I turn on my heel, my eyes scanning the ground around the corpse.
No blood.
My hands tighten, my fingers curling into fists and pulling the black leather gloves tighter around my skin.
Anything?
I shake my head at his question and stand up.
"It didn't happen here" I say out loud, sighing and turning away from the ragged torso.
That's a thirty mile search area.
"I know" I turn towards the shadow just under the tree line and walk towards him "but at least we know he stays close to home."
Where are you going? His ears shift backwards as I move past him.
"Diner" I say over my shoulder.
Jacob's paw's hit the ground behind me, his weight pressing against the drowned forest floor.
This is hardly the time to be eating.
"I'm hungry" I shrug as I step over a fallen log.
Jacob comes up beside me, his body dwarfing mine as he moves with that animal grace. I graze the top of his head with my hand, the fur shinning with rain under the now fully risen moon.
You are always hungry he barks a laugh and I glare at him.
"Laugh it up, but for that, you can walk" I say as I push back the dripping branches of the pines that hang close to the ground and step into the road side ditch.
That's really mature. I can picture his eyes roll.
"I'll see you in five" I call over my shoulder as I jump over the flowing creak water and climb up the side of the ditch.
I'm not saving you a seat.
I wave my hand over my shoulder and unlock the door to the ancient Ford that's parked on the shoulder of the empty highway. I lift myself into the cab, the door squealing as I shut it and the motor protesting as I start it.
I toss the umbrella to the ground and shake my head of the rain.
I twist on the heat and shift the gears.
The roar that it coughs mingles with the howl of Jacob as he runs alongside me.
I grab the phone sitting on the seat beside me and wait until it begins to ring. I slide my thumb under the screen and flip it open, holding it up to my ear.
"Yeah?"
I bring the tip of my gloved finger to my mouth and pull it between my teeth, tossing it to the side, the other following.
"You're late" he mutters his voice rough and tired.
"I'm always late" I return, squinting my eyes through the rain soaked windshield.
"This one was important" he sighs.
"They always are" I glance at the clock.
10:29
"When are you getting here?"
"Uh, never?"
"Bella" he says and I hear him shifting in his chair through the phone.
"Charlie."
"Would it kill you to call me Dad?" he sighs again.
"Yes, yes it would."
I hear him rub his jaw through the phone and I picture him running a hand through his grey and thinning hair. "You and I need to talk" he says.
"No, we really don't" I shake my head and turn off the highway and onto the back road that leads into the city.
"It's not what you think" he insists.
"Mhm" I mumble as I pull up to the stop light.
"Bella, I just need to talk to you, can't you give me that much?"
I shake my head even though he can't see me "No."
"You can't just shut me out like this" he says, his anger beginning to boil.
"Actually I can, I've gotten very good at it. Here let me show you" I snap my phone shut.
I pull up to the brightly lit diner parking lot and lean my forehead against the steering wheel.
"You need to see this" says Jacob as yanks open the door and shove the newspaper into my face.
I frown at him and grab it from his hands.
"You couldn't wait?" I mumble as I jump down from the cab and slam the door.
"Nah" he throws an overly warm arm over my shoulder and pulls me towards the diner doors.
Bells chime as we walk in and head towards the booth in the very back.
Jacob slips off the leather jacket he probably just put on and hangs it over the seat. His black hair is slick with rain and sticks to his forehead while the rest of his clothes are bone dry.
Dark eyes watch mine as he fiddles with the frayed edge of the newspaper while he waits from me to sit.
I slide in across from him, dropping my jacket along the seat and grabbing the menu that sits between the salt, pepper and sugar.
"Read" he whines and pushes the paper towards me.
I shake my head and hold up my hand. "Hold your fucking horses" I flip through the grease stained paper.
Jacob huffs and folds his arms across his chest.
A waitress comes over to us, all smiles, and hair dye. I eye the fake black that accidently dyed the skin of her hair line a faint grey following along the discolouration down to her brightly painted pink smile. Her lips stretch as he looks from me to Jacob and I notice a small swipe of lipstick on her teeth.
"What can I get you?" she grabs her notepad from the front of her apron and flips it open, her smile never slipping.
"Coffee, three cream" says Jacob and smiles at her, his voice oozing out and over her. I shake my head at his attempts of Manipulation and snort when she doesn't seem affected at all. Rolling my eyes, I turn back to the menu.
"And you, Hun?"she asks me. I open my mouth opens to respond.
"She won't be taking anything" says a voice above me. A voice I have come to loath with the very marrow in my bones. I narrow my eyes at the menu, never looking up.
I press my lips together as the urge to scream at him consume me, I tap my fingers against the stained table before answering: "Actually I was going to say that I'd like..."
"Nothing" he says and I can feel him glaring at my head.
I breathe in deeply, my hands curling around the edge of the table.
"Bella" he warns and I growl in frustration.
I turn to look up at the waitress and she gapes before swallowing heavily "I'm sorry Miss" she bites her lip and her eyes shift nervously "we have a policy" and looks towards the door at the sticker that now is just as common as 'No Shoes, No Shirts, No Service." A tiny blue rain drop, a little lick of an orange flame, a small gust of curling wind, and a miniature boulder all sit in little red circles with lines slashed through them. "No elementals" She whispers and shifts from nurse shoe to nurse shoe.
I close my glowing eyes and breathing through my nose.
"We're leaving" says the reason for my anger as he grabs my arm and lifts my body with ease.
I bite the inside of my check against the rising anger and clench my eyes shut. I rip my arm from his grasp and grab my jacket. I turn to look at the waitress and sneer "Magic-ist" before shouldering past the man in my way and out the door.
I can hear his footsteps behind me as I move through the rain.
"Bella, stop" he commands and my legs root to the concrete. I grit my teeth and press against his grip.
"Don't do that" I hiss as I pull against his hold. He tightens his magic, the cord like barrier biting into my skin before dropping it down completely.
"You have to go back" he says, walking closer to me.
I turn on my heel to face him.
His once free blown hair is now slicked back against his head, not a hair out of place, making me want to ruin the perfection. A black tie hangs in contrast to his stark white dress shirt looking as if he pulls on it, trying to loosen the knot at his throat. Silver cuffs reflect against the street lights, flashing the coat of arms of the all magic beings. His black shoes are spotless even with the rain and his dress pants that hang on his hips have not a single wrinkle. I narrow my eyes at his belt buckle that just like his cuff links bear the coat of arms.
"The hell I do" I fold my arms over my chest and narrow my eyes at him.
The bright blue glow of Manipulator magic rings his iris, flaring as magic thrums through his body, it slowly consumes his normal green eyes.
"It's against the law, Bella" I feel him reach out with his magic, slowly running the heat along my jaw, he caresses my face like a hand. "You have to come back."
I close my eyes against the familiarity of him and rip away from his touch.
I flick my hand at him, sending the stones from the side of the road at his head.
He ducks as they sail over him and pelt against the glass of the car on the other side of the parking lot cracking the glass.
"I'm not going back Edward. I'm never going back" I twist my hand over the puddle under his feet and pull it up into a ball of water, hovering over the ground "and keep your magic to yourself" I drop the water over his head, drowning that over-sized ego and that ridiculous suit.
A/N: Hello to all those lovely readers out there.
Yes, another story.
But this story will only continue if I get enough feedback seeing as I already have stories on the go.
Chapters will only be about this length so I'll be able to update more often.
So, if you want this to continue, let me know!
It's all in your hands.
Massive hugs.