My family wasn't rich. My mom wasn't anything special. My sisters, there were three. I wasn't the smartest. I wasn't the strongest. Or the funniest. I certainly wasn't the prettiest. So why was I chosen? I was just Jacey, a simple writer. Or, to quote my favorite author and inspiration, "Me? I'm the King of the Twentieth Century. I'm the boogeyman, the villain. The black sheep of the family." The more I think on it, the more fitting it seems. Out of every generation in every family, one is chosen. Out of many, there is one. Us, the rejects, the dark sheep of the flock, we are cast out and made to live on our own. They pretend nothing has changed, but everything has. My Pride, they became my everything. Until it was torn away. Then everything changed.
It began on a Shasta reservation in southern Oregon. My sisters, Annie, Hazel , and Beth were packing the moving truck while I once again begged my mother to let me stay.
"Mom," I said desperately. "Please. You have to let me stay. Bradley, Jason, Hylla and Peter, they need me."
"Your friends will be fine without you." She sounded utterly exasperated, but I didn't care. They weren't just my friends; they were my family. We needed each other. "Jacey, just get in the car." She sounded tired, like a woman who couldn't be bothered with such trivial things. Peter shot me a concerned look as he loaded the last box on the truck. "Say good bye, just don't take too long. Your sisters are already ready to go. They said good bye yesterday." I quickly closed the gap between Peter and myself, crushing him in a hug.
"I'm gonna miss you, Jace." He said in a hoarse whisper. The others watched from a distance, respecting the sanctity of that moment.
"You too, Peter." I choked back a sob. The others descended now, knowing we had little time together before my departure.
"Good bye Jacey." Bradley eyes looked unusually bright, like they were brimming with tears. I ignored it, as I knew he would want me to. Bradley would never want anyone to know that he wasn't as tough emotionally as physically. Jason didn't seem to be in any better condition. Hylla, my dear best friend, looked as if she dare not speak.
"Don't say good bye," I choked out. "Good bye means going away and going away means forgetting." It struck me how pathetic my voice sounded: broken and struck with sorrow.
"You won't be going away; not really." Hylla tapped the side of her head. "Built in unlimited calling." She forced out a smile that looked so fake I almost busted out laughing. Almost.
"Together forever, remember?" Jason held up his palms, the ones that were identical to our own. I linked my hands with theirs.
"Always." Hylla looked at each of us in turn.
"Family." I closed my eyes and poured out what I was unable to put in to words. I could feel the distress radiating from them.
"Jacey!" Annie called my name from the passenger seat of my mom's silver Honda.
"See you guys later?" I smiled weakly and they squeezed my hands. As I ran to join my sisters, I could hear their voices ringing in my head. But standing above all the others, was that of Peter.
"I love you, Jace." I looked back as we drove away and I saw the pain on his face.
"I love you too, Peter."
Chapter One
The house was small, to say the least. Not that our old one wasn't. But this one, the one we rented from a man named Mr. Rogers (like seriously?!), was definitely in the cottage area of the size spectrum. It had a cute sort of charm, with a waist-high stone wall with a tiny iron gate. The house itself was white with a grey roof. The window panes were a bright red.
"Clearly this man had exquisite taste." Hazel scoffed sarcastically. Personally, I would have thought it was great if I wasn't going to be living there, but this was coming from the girl who thought that hoodies were acceptable in every situation. Fashion and style weren't really my thing.
It was a two bedroom house, one bedroom for my mom, one for my sisters and I. I was a little worried when I saw the miniscule size of the living room and kitchen, but the room wasn't that bad. There were four beds built in to the wall to make more space, an old fashioned writing desk, a large dresser, and a relatively spacious closet. It was the beds though, that I couldn't get over. They were set up like bunk beds, one on top of each other, with a ladder in the middle, also set in to the wall. It was fabulous, like someone had just cut out little spaces for beds.
Beth and Hazel chose the two bottom beds, not wanting to climb up and down ladders. Obviously they were too good for that. Annie had the bed across from mine, which was fine with me; she was the one I was closest to. I went to work, pinning up some of my favorite pictures. Jason, Bradley, Hylla Peter and I at Jason's birthday party; that time we all went to the beach, last Christmas when we took a picture in front of a giant Christmas tree, my copy of The Japanese Bridge at Giverny by Claude Monet. The picture of me and Peter smiling on a log, roasting marshmallows. The same things I had on my walls at home.
Everything would be so different here. Like school. I wouldn't have any of my friends, any familiar teachers, or even a familiar building. I hated new things. If I hadn't already said it, I despise change. When you're like me, there are no constants. No constants but your people. Now even that was gone. Now we had moved outside of some weird town in Northern Washington called Forks. They were here. I could tell already. But there were many. And if I needed help there was no longer anyone to come to my assistance. Yes, we were made to fight alone, but one could not take on, how many was that? Seven? Eight? We were not built to take on that many alone. That's why there were multiple chosen. I wondered if another would be chosen now that I could not protect the tribe. But even above the ticks roaming the forest, or my tribe's vulnerability, there was another scent. It was mildly familiar, and slightly similar to my own and the smell of my siblings. This smell though, was less like fresh mountain air and the pine trees that braved the biting cold wind, and more of a woodsy smell. More like moss and the bark of trees.
"Mom, I'm going for a quick walk." I yelled as I walked out the door. The rest of my family was in the living room, taking up independent quiet activities in their version of "family time".
"Be back before dark!" I knew she cared about me, but the stress of the move and having to raise four teenage girls by herself often got to her. She was tired, and I knew I rarely helped ease her struggles. But hey, I had problems too. I hid behind the thick foliage, of which there was plenty, and stripped down to my underwear. I bought it cheap for a reason: in my line of work, it didn't last. And I felt the change happen. My vision improved twenty-fold. Even in the already waning light of the day, my surroundings were as clear as during the clearest afternoon. I could feel my now incredibly lithe and strong body as I prowled in to the forest. I could hear the deer trotting through the underbrush, the rabbits nibbling delicately at the plants, the flap of every bird's wings; and not one of them knew I was here. Such were the perks of being a cat. Never was there a more graceful or a more deadly creature. I flicked my tail and licked my chops. Time for the hunt. The powerful, sickly sweet smell of the Apotamkin permeated the air and burned my nostrils. Our tribe had previously been oblivious to the beautiful demons of the night until a man from the north came down and told us. He taught us how to merge our souls with those of animals to protect ourselves and taught us the word: Apotamkin. What now most people would refer to as a vampire. We never called them that. Vampire conjured up images of Dracula and Nosferatu skulking around castles in Romania. These creatures were much too sinister for that sweet childhood fantasy. They were killers.
I shook my head to clear my thoughts. Focus, Jacey. There was work to do. I isolated the woodsy smell: it was sweet and comforting, like a fire on a cold night. I prowled through the darkening woods until I found it. The smell. Staring back at me was a wolf. Not an ordinary wolf, in the same sense that I was not an ordinary panther. It was larger, more fearsome. More deadly. My ears perked up and I heard them. Many, so many, running to this location. I might be able to fight one, but eight? No, no, no. That was not possible. Even with the others there, I doubted we could have won. Wolves, when working together, are unbeatable. Cats are meant to work alone. They were coming quickly and I intended to make it to Christmas. I took the cat way out. I climbed the nearest tree and didn't stop until I knew I was high enough to be safe. The wolves circled below, snarling like monsters. I called out to them mentally. If they smelled like us, maybe they worked like us.
"I'm not trying to hurt you!" I cried desperately. One of the largest wolves, one with fur the color of hot chocolate paused. The other wolves, too, paused after a moment. He was speaking to them. I heard the voice of a teenage boy in my head.
"Who are you?" He sounded wary, and his voice had mildly threatening undertones. I tried to remember the stories the elders told us. Were there other tribes that could perform The Change? What was it the man from the north was able to do?
"I'm Jacey Andrews." They all stared at me; some growled; some merely looked curious.
"What business do you have here?" His voice was rough.
"No business. I live here. I was investigating the strange smell you and your pack radiate." The largest wolf stared hard at me, then turned to his pack. Once again communicating messages I couldn't hear. One of them, a relatively small sandy wolf, the one I had first encountered, shifted back. He was a relatively young looking teenage boy with tan skin and dark, messy hair.
"You got Sam?" He said to the cocoa wolf. It nodded its massive head. "Carlisle!" the boy yelled. "Dr. Cullen! Will you come here?" What? Who could possibly hear him out hear? Then it hit me. It was so strong I nearly lost me grip on my branch. It burned so terribly my vision blurred as my eyes watered. He appeared in the clearing, pale and beautiful. A scream escaped from behind my fangs and I pounced.
The tick threw me, almost gently, off of him, and backed away. And then the wolves descended. I sprang back to my feet, but it wasn't long before I was on my back again, two of the wolves pinning me down. I shrieked and twisted my body, but to no avail. There was no escaping. There was no overpowering the pack; they were too strong. I heard and smelled more wolves joining the others. I was finished. The Apotamkin moved to stand above me.
"Are you alright?" He looked concerned, but I assumed he was mocking me before he tried to snap my neck. "I apologize if I hurt you. Who are you?" I snarled in response. "Are you able to understand her?" The wolves shook their heads. They could only hear me when I let them. "Edward!" Seconds later, another one appeared; this one even more beautiful than the first. It almost hurt my eyes to look at them.
"Carlisle?"
"Will you interpret for me?" The second mosquito nodded.
"I told the others to stay behind," he said. "I didn't want Bella to get hurt." The blond nodded like accepted and expected this decision, then turned back to me.
"What's your name?" The bronze haired one studied me as I growled. He chuckled slightly.
"I don't think you want me to translate that."
"Please," he said, his eyes concerned. "I can't help you unless you're civil and cooperative." He said with worry. If I was human I would have rolled my eyes. The other Apotamkin, Edward, scoffed.
"As if I would ever help you. Just go ahead and kill me, you bloodsucker. I'm telling you nothing." He said it in an emotionless voice and my blood ran cold. Could he hear my thoughts? He looked me straight in the eye. "Yes." I froze, then struggled all the more, my shrieks echoing around the forest.
"Maybe you should let her go." Carlisle suggested. He looked tortured. Good. Damned Demon. Edward shook his head.
"If they release her she'll only attack you again." He looked back at me. "How about this: Quil and Embry will let you go if you phase back to your human form." I growled lightly and did my best to look at him like he was crazy. Not exactly something pumas are proficient at. "I assure you, no one will see you. Here" He unbuttoned his shirt and draped it over me. The smell made me want to gag, but I phased back anyway. There was no way I could be any more vulnerable anyway. I wrapped the shirt around me and buttoned it up. Thankfully, he was much taller than I was and it was like a short dress on me.
"Who are you?" He tried to look polite, but it was difficult to get that feeling with the wolf in human form standing by my like he thought I would claw their eyes out. Please. Cats go for the neck.
"I'm Jacey." I stared stonily back at him and a jolt went through my body. His eyes, their eyes, were golden. Golden. Not red, not black. "How about this," I said, staring at the strange creatures before me. "For every question I answer, you have to answer one too." They exchanged glances, then nodded. "You can go first."
"What are you doing here?"
"I moved here, with my family. I smelled the wolves, and I didn't know what they were. So I investigated." Edward sniffed the air.
"You do smell different from the wolves. Cleaner." I almost laughed.
"My turn. Why are your eyes yellow?" This seemed to be the pivotal question, for everything fell silent. The little wolf was the first to speak.
"They're good vampires. They eat animals, not people." As I turned to him, I could feel disgust distorting my features.
"You fool. There are no good vampires." I phased and dared and wolf to try to follow me. None did.
How do you like it so far? A little bit different than my other story. And if you read that, I promise it'll be updated soon. I lost my flash drive L Anyway, thanks for reading and please tell me what you thought!
Andi
Note: I came up with this idea a couple years ago before I read Breaking Dawn, so Bella is a vampire, but Nessie doesn't exist. Sorry, for anyone that loves Nessie, she just didn't fit!
P.S. Anyone who knows where I got a lot of my names is a winner, along with anyone who knows who Jacey talked about in the beginnign and what the quote is from.