Early Encounters, a twilight fanfic

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Welcome to the RPCC Contest!

This is a collaboration contest in which members of The Original Twilight Role Play! have teamed up to give the fandom a taste of the fun and skills gained from role playing through one shots.

Entry #03.

Title: Early Encounters

Summary: I reach the edge of the river, feeling the water suck my paws in, leaving me standing with the water up to my ankles. I huff and raise my head just as a gust of wind blows through the forest. I breathe in the woodsy musk, tasting the clear, odorless scent of water and the sweet, delicious scent of...No. Oh hell no.

Rating: T

Genres: Romance, Suspense

Characters: Emmett Cullen, Jordan Uley

Authors: The Bloody White Wolf xoxo and LightWitch12

Disclaimer: This is an excerpt from chapter 32 of 'Monster' by TheBloodyWhiteWolfxoxo. Even though it happened in the role play, this is also a part of another published fic.

Water levels have risen with the melting snow. The river is swollen, expanding out over the bank, reaching for the trees. My paws splash through the water, oblivious to the chill. I don't bother being quiet—the point is to keep leeches off our land, anyway. I reach the edge of the river, feeling the water suck my paws in, leaving me standing with the water up to my ankles. I huff and raise my head just as a gust of wind blows through the forest. I breathe in the woodsy musk, tasting the clear, odorless scent of water and the sweet, delicious scent of. . .

No. Oh hell no.

Strolling down the bank across the river, shirt on but muscles still in full view, is none other than Emmett. He is not close enough to get attacked, but he is close enough to cause some sort of ruckus. The minds of Jared and the new wolves are all channeling into mine as they stop. They're right on my heels and reaching the edge of the tree line. It's too late to stop them now.

Jared growls softly to himself as he sees Emmett, but it's ignored. Collin and Brady freeze, their muscles locking in place. I feel the cold realization as it seeps into their minds. They stare for a moment before they erupt into a frenzy. Both of them throw themselves forward, yowling and yelping and snapping. Dirt flies as their paws move, the easy silence of the forest disrupted. Cold Man! Cold Man!

I pause for only a moment, my gaze catching Emmett's, but that moment is a waste of time. As I am standing still, a large silver form charges past me, howling and snarling up a storm. The form hurls itself across the river, splashing through it before knocking Emmett to the ground, planting his paws on his chest.

Got it! Paul turns his head to look back, his wolfish expression smug as he looks straight through me, his gaze focusing on Jared and the new wolves. I have been so focused on the forest, I haven't even heard Paul's thoughts as he joins us.

Emmett grunts, his nostrils flaring as he is held to the ground. "Get off of me!" he snarls.

A moment later, Paul crashes into a tree, a foot-shaped imprint in his fur. Emmett shakes his head and stands, glaring at Paul pointedly. He growls once before glancing over at my tense form. He winks at me, his dimples popping up as he grins.

Jared's unease swells in my mind for a moment, but it quickly disappears. He shakes his head and turns, figuring the situation will solve itself, making himself busy by herding Collin and Brady up the bank and back into the trees despite their noisy protest. I continue to stare, my mind and instincts conflicting. Paul shakes his fur as he picks himself up. His dark gaze shoots between Emmett and me. He snaps his teeth, his hostility on high.

Emmett shifts to face Paul. His grin morphs into a smirk while his eyes narrow. He crouches into a fighting stance, sizing Paul up. Paul's warning growl grows in volume. Emmett leans forward, baring his teeth at the sound.

Paul howls, the sound of it rising above the trees. He spreads his paws out and crouches, snarling through his teeth—he is accepting Emmett's challenge. In my mind, I can picture the two of them charging at each other, and that thought alone boils the protectiveness inside of me. My need to protect a side that is young and uncovered, but as I watch Paul start to circle Emmett, my thoughts change instantly.

He's going to kill him. Paul is going to kill him. Paul is going to kill him. Paul is going to kill my Emmett.

Or at least, it seems that way, but I don't allow him the chance.

In the blink of an eye, I have thrown myself across the river. I charge onto the bank and rear up as I near Paul's large silver body. My dead weight crashes down on top of him, knocking him right off his feet. Paul spits and snaps his teeth toward me, his body thrashing. I swing my head directly at his own. My skull meets his opened jaw, bashing upward beneath his chin. Paul howls out as his head slams pack into the dirt. He kicks his legs and thrashes his weight around, rumbling angrily in frustration.

Some side of me knows that if I continue to play the offense, I will do more harm than necessary. My weight leans back, my paws dropping down against the earth. I sense Emmett behind me and hold on to the cold feel of his presence, soaking in the sensation, letting it seep beneath my fur and hold me together.

Paul is up again in moments, shaking his head to clear it. Globs of saliva fly. I am a heated, towering barrier before Emmett. My jaws have spread to reveal each fine point of my teeth, giving off a clear warning to Paul. Paul doesn't retreat. Instead, he lowers his head and tips his weight from side to side. His mind evaluates and tries to come up with a smart move to get me out of the way, but his temper is getting the better of him.

He snuffs out a breath and slashes a paw through the dirt before throwing himself forward into a straight charge. Paul's head raises, his teeth bared as he closes in. I let loose a sharp bark, the sound booming above his snarls. I launch forward, meeting Paul halfway. The two of us topple into the muddy river, head over heels. For a moment, I am completely submerged. Paul scrambles on the muddy river bottom as he tries to regain footing. I waste no time in shooting out of it, bracing my paws firmly in the muck.

Paul blasts out of the surface, his snarls echoing out in the forest around us. His dark gaze locks with mine. I register the uncontrolled rage in them. For just a moment, I can sense the fear in the background, nestled into the minds of the other wolves. For a moment, I can feel the awe that the cold being behind me holds as he watches. But the sensations only last a moment. Paul barks once at me before lunging toward me with all of his might.

Water bursts around us in large waves as our bodies clash together, the heat of our temperatures seeming to set the water ablaze. Paul swipes his paws at me, his head pressing in as he snaps at my throat. I return each snarl and snap, but I don't make any move to tear at him. Instead, I lower my body, aiming at his exposed belly before I heave myself forward, knocking him back. My teeth graze his throat as he crashes down, but I am quick to pull back. My paws drop back into the river and I huff, my shoulders quivering and my body wired with the same need to defend. I ready myself to move again.

Paul rises, but this time he makes no move to charge again. He snorts and shakes his head, sending out a spray of water. His mind burns with tempered rage as he pulls himself onto the bank. He pants heavily as he steadies himself. His thoughts flash into mine, his tone bitter and blunt.

You really love the tribe, Jord.

My mind instantly rejects his words. I curl my lip back and let out one last snarl. Jared, who has stationed himself in the trees, out of the way, steps forward. His gaze moves between Paul and me before he swings his head back, gesturing for Paul to join them. Paul's thoughts focus only on the forest as he trots past Jared, bumping into his shoulder roughly as he passes. Jared shakes his head and nods to Collin and Brady. They glance at each other before moving to follow after Jared. The shock has worn off and they are completely riled up, nearly exploding with excitement.

THAT WAS AWESOME! Their thoughts start to bounce off one another, coming in too quickly. They sound like over-excited children, jabbering to each other without a single pause, images of the brawl whirring through their mind as they break down each moment at it.

I listen to their thoughts before pulling my focus out of it. My attention settles on the completely relaxed form of Emmett. His golden gaze is bright with amusement as he stares after the patrol, smirking as he slides his finger across his throat. Emmett's eyes narrow again as he studies the forest for any sign of the wolves coming back.

While his attention is divided, I take the opportunity to slip behind a large boulder. I drag in a large breath, allowing my eyes to fall shut for just a moment as I bend forward. The water stirs as it adjusts to my new form, the change only taking a heartbeat. I waste no time. My eyes snap back open, my hands tearing the clothes still secured to the string loosely wound around my ankle. Both the shirt and the shorts are absolutely soaked with water, but I don't mind. I yank each piece in place in record time. I sigh quietly to myself and breathe out again, placing a hand on the rock. I know he's there before I peek around it.

Emmett grins at me casually and raises a hand in my direction, as if he's been waiting for me to look over at him. He raises his voice as he speaks. "Just stopping by."

I shake my head, moving my gaze off him and onto the murky surface of the river. Do I stay, or do I go? The choice threatens to tear me apart once again. Paul's burning gaze still hovers at the edge of my thoughts, but the pull is drawing me in again. I exhale sharply, knotting a hand in my hair. I glance his way once more. Emmett's eyes catch mine and he raises an eyebrow. I am about to turn away when he grins at me, his dimples appearing as he does.

Damn the dimples.

I quickly wade through the current of the river, stepping onto the bank. Water runs off of me, sliding down my arms and dripping off my fingertips, but I ignore it as I hold Emmett's eyes with my own. I can almost see the pierce of my dark blue gaze reflected in the golden pools of his eyes. He still seems unaffected by all that has happened. Emmett leans back against a tree, crossing his arms tightly to his chest.

"Back for more already?" he asks with a chuckle.

The humor is normally softening, but the fun isn't over just yet. The same suppressed fury is boiling deep within me, blistering hot. I continue to approach Emmett, my steps slow. "Exactly why are you here?" My tone is flooded with warning. I am no damsel in distress like any other woman these days. He isn't going to sway me so easily.

Emmett shakes his head again, continuing to chuckle. "I could ask the same."

Suddenly, I am face to face with him. My instinct goes into overdrive and I am pressing in close to him, my gaze nearly level with his. The fury settles into my expression.

"Damn it, just tell me what you want from me already!" I demand. "What is it that keeps you coming back? You shouldn't be here, at all, but apparently you're looking for something. The more you come here, and the more I come here, the more complicated things are gonna get. Neither of us needs this, so just spit it out!" My fingers start to tremble. "A fight? Entertainment? Sex? Hell, it doesn't matter, but enough with all this crazy shit. It's driving me mad!"

Emmett doesn't reply at first. He doesn't bother to move me away from him, either. His fingertips brush the side of my neck again, stopping my furious rant in its tracks. All of the rage is bottled up and locked away suddenly at his touch. A smile curves on his lips as he holds my gaze again. "I came here to ask you if I could take you out in Seattle tonight. You know, like a date?"

The words send my words straight back down my throat. I pause for a moment, my mind scrambling, shaken by his unanticipated response. When I do manage to speak again, my words come out slowly, almost carefully.

"This . . . This is another joke. It is, isn't it?"

Emmett laughs, dropping his hand. He tilts his head as if he isn't quite sure why I would think that. "No, it isn't." He rakes a hand through his hair, wearing the same easy-going smile. "It's what I came here for. It was worth a shot, even if you're with," he gestures across the river, "them. From what I've seen, you're a badass. And a badass doesn't back away from a challenge."

I remain locked in place. I don't move my stare. "I'm dangerous," I tell him slowly, making sure to pronounce each word so they can't be mistaken.

"Just my type." Emmett smirks at me knowingly. "Are you really gonna reject me? I mean, I might only be completely heartbroken for the rest of my existence, but if you don't want to. . ."

My eyes trace the joking shape of his smile before resting on his eyes. I search the golden hues, probing them for any signs that they can't be trusted. They find nothing but the same light of shining humor, and maybe something more than that.

"To hell with it," I murmur. "When should I be back here?"

He grins, nodding slowly in approval. His eyes hold mine a moment longer before he turns his back to me, still beaming. "I'll be back at sundown." Emmett darts away then, disappearing into the dense green of the forest.

He's just as crazy as I am.