Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this story. They all belong to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just using them for non-profitable entertainment usage. However, I do own my two OCs mentioned in this chapter; Bailey and Kendra. :)
Chapter 1:
Contemplating
Her legs were bound to be numb by now, either from the cold or the unchanged position they remained in for the past two days.
She was sitting in the same spot, a dark corner by the broken window. Her body was curled into an upward fetal position, arms surrounding her knees and her head hidden between them. She had not moved since she walked in.
The russet wolf sat closer to the house now, even daring to sit by the window she was near. He watched now as four familiar figures emerged from the forestry wearing nothing but cut off jeans and tattered sneakers. The wolf nodded his head in greeting at the four of them, and they returned the gesture. The leader of the four walked in front of them and held his fist in front of the door, knocking three times. Only silence answered his knock, and it hailed him a second time when he knocked once more. Yelling ensued from the four men after that and a constant pounding commenced on the door. The wolf lowered his head onto his paws, giving out a huff. A recent memory came to him as he watched the events unfold in front of him.
The wolf was no longer a wolf, but human. He had the same russet colored skin, but is silky black hair was choppy and cut close to his head. He sat on the bed in his room, staring at the dirt and leaves that littered his feet. He thought about taking a shower, but his thoughts were interrupted when a soft rap hit the front door of his home. There was a light reel against the wooden floors of the hallway, and a middle-aged man sat at the doorway in his wheelchair.
"Can you get that, Jake?" the man asked.
"Sure, sure," Jacob mumbled, heaving himself up from the bed and taking quick strides toward the door.
When he pulled open the door, he was met with a familiar face again. It was the same girl he had seen before, the tall blond with the sunglasses and Freddy Krueger outfit. A small smirk found its way on her lips as she stared at him through her shades, almost the same eye level as him.
"Hi Jacob," she said, her smirk widening. "Is Billy home?"
"You got a name?" he demanded, crossing his arms and blocking the doorway.
The woman pulled back her sunglasses and showed off her cerulean eyes. "The name is Kendra Harrison. Did you really forget me that easily?" she replied with a pout.
Jacob blinked, suddenly remembering. "You're that girl," he said, eyes widening. "The one Billy took in for foster care a few years back."
"That would be me," Kendra said, grinning.
"Who's at the door, Jake?" a voice rumbled behind the two. He wheeled himself beside Jacob and a smile spread across his face. "Kendra, is that you?"
"In the flesh!" Kendra said, leaning down to envelope him into a hug.
"My goodness, you're almost as tall as Jake!" Billy said, glancing between the two with the same smile. "What brings you here today?"
Kendra sighed and fidgeted with her sunglasses. "Can I come in?"
"Of course!" Billy said, wheeling backward to let her in.
Kendra sat down on the worn out couch and immediately told her story. "I drove my sister out here not too long ago. Her name is Bailey. I told her about the reservation and she was set on going ever since," Kendra said, frowning slightly. "She moved into a house by the cliffs and insists on staying out here."
"Is there some type of conflict with that?" Billy asked, concerned.
"I wouldn't have any problem with this if we were in a normal situation, but this is chancy. Billy, you know me and my siblings have been through more than our fair share of wrong," Kendra explained. "But my sister, she's had it the worst, and now she's... unstable."
Before Billy could comment, she continued, "I know what you're thinking, but I can't stay with her. She won't let me. She becomes unresponsive when people get in the way of something she's fixed on."
"I understand that Kendra, but what do you want us to do?" Billy asked.
"I want you to keep an eye on her," Kendra requested. "I'm warning you now, she's not going to step foot out of that house for days. She won't eat anything, and I'm willing to bet money she won't move from a spot she picks to sit in."
"What? Why?" Jacob interrupted, alarmed by what he was being told.
"She always does that when we move into a different house. It's her way of getting used to the new environment," Kendra explained. "She has to be coaxed out of it, but once she adjusts to the house she'll be fine."
"Kendra, this is serious. She can't be left here alone like this," Billy said, his voice stern.
"Billy, I honestly think this is good for her. I've never seen her so determined to do something. She seemed so alive about it, " Kendra argued. "I'm willing to take the risk, and I'm asking you to help me out with this. You'll see, Billy. She's the sweetest thing on the planet once she gets back to her normal self. Well, not exactly normal but…"
"Is it a personality disorder?" Billy asked quietly.
"No. She's just fragile... among other things," Kendra muttered, turning to glare at her feet.
Billy chewed his lip for a few minutes, thinking it over.
"Dad, me and the boys can help. We can check in on her every now and then," Jacob said, scratching his head.
Billy sighed. "Okay, Kendra, you have yourself a deal."
"Billy, you're an angel!" Kendra squealed, jumping up from the couch.
"Sure, sure," Billy muttered in embarrassment.
Kendra pulled the shades back over her eyes. "Anyway, I have a long drive back home, so I'd best be going now."
"So soon?" Billy asked, disappointed.
"Yeah, I'm sorry. But don't worry, I'll be back sooner than you think!" Kendra said, making her way toward the door. "And please don't forget to check on her."
Jacob took her warnings to be exaggerated as a way to convince Billy, but from what he was watching now, Kendra had been right on the money. He observed now, in his wolf form, as the four boys finally decided to kick the door open and survey what was going on themselves. Through the window he chose to sit by, he saw the four boys walk up to the girl sitting in the corner. She didn't move an inch as they approached. The leader stepped forward.
"Bailey, my name is Sam. We all live here in the reservation." Sam paused, waiting for a response. There was none. "Your sister told us about you. We've come to check on you. You've been in here for days."
They were met with silence again. Sam bent down to her eye level, though her head was still hidden between her knees. He placed his hand on her shoulder, but she jerked away from his touch and cringed further into the corner.
"Bailey, we're not here to hurt you," Sam said softly. "We're here to help you. Will you come with us?"
The wolf by the window began slowly backing away as the girl seemed to think about her decision. Sam held out his hand, and after a few minutes of silence, she stood up with her hands pressed against the wall. She shuffled behind the boys without a word, fiddling with the faux fur that outlined the hood of her coat. During the short walk, Sam explained that they were going to his fiancé's—Emily's house. A quaint chestnut colored house came into view, slightly obstructed by a few trees. There were numerous potted plants placed on the porch and a small porch swing off to the side. The screen door was left wide open, giving view to a woman in a maroon button shirt and a loose pair of jeans. She turned when she heard creaking on the steps of the porch, and she grinned upon seeing the boys approach.
"Good morning," she greeted, turning back to the stove. "I'm almost finished with the pancakes. There's some fruit on the table in the meantime."
"We brought a guest today, Em," one of the boys said, settling in one of the chairs at a small round table.
Emily spun back around and wiped her hands on her apron. She glanced up, noticing Bailey for the first time, and smiled warmly. The scars on her face prevented her from smiling fully, but her eyes were welcoming nonetheless. She held her hand out eagerly, stepping forward. Bailey took a quick step back, partially hiding herself behind Sam. Sam put his hand on her shoulder, and at the contact, Bailey flinched and squeezed her eyes shut as if she was anticipating a blow. Emily stopped in her approaching, eyeing Sam in confusion.
"She's not going to hurt you either," Sam murmured to Bailey.
"My name is Emily," Emily said, shaking off what just happened. "Goodness, you must be freezing! Why don't you go sit by the fire for a minute or two?"
Bailey walked into the house slowly, looking around to scan everything that was in there. Each step she took was careful, like she was expecting a change in the scene at any moment. She stood in front of the fireplace without a word. She crouched down and rolled back the long sleeves of her parka. She looked around the room, her face open with curiosity and her body visibly relaxing. Emily walked over to her with a small tray, and on top of it was a plate of pancakes, a side of fruit, and small glass of orange juice. Bailey eyed the items critically.
"Help yourself to whatever you like," Emily said, setting the tray down beside Bailey.
Bailey shrugged out of her parka and sat Indian style, placing the plate on her lap. She daintily took the silver fork and picked at a blueberry sitting on top of the pancakes. She stared at the blueberry, inspecting it. She lifted the blueberry into her mouth and looked up at Emily.
"Thank you," Bailey murmured in a light soprano.
Emily smiled brightly. "You're very welcome."
"Is that Jake I hear?" one of the boys asked aloud.
The wolf was taking a light jog through the forest, having to take a longer path in order to stay hidden. He paused at the forestry nearest to the house. There was a slight shimmer in the air, and Jacob emerged from the bushes, pulling at the zipper of his cut offs. He stepped onto the porch in one stride and was through the doorway in the next. The boys at the table stood up to greet him with high fives and mock punches. Immediately after one of the boys jumped on Jacob's back, Emily cleared her throat, interrupting their fun.
"No horse play in the house, boys," Emily chastised them.
"Sorry, Emily. I'm just too popular around here," Jacob said jokingly. He hit one of the boys behind his head.
"Jacob!" Emily scolded. "Don't be so rough! We have a guest today."
Jacob looked past her, noticing the girl, Bailey, sitting by the fire. He recognized her peach dress and saw her face for the first time, without the shrouding of her parka's hood. Her hair was white-blond, just as her sister's, but it was styled into a pixie cut. Her face contained soft, childish features and a rosy undertone on her dimpled cheeks. A small smile curved her lips upward, making a greater emphasis on her dimples as she looked at the pancakes that sat on her lap. What struck him the most were her bright, chocolate colored eyes. Just like her eyes, except intensified on this face. Even from the distance he stood from her, he could clearly see the tiny golden flecks inside of her brown irises.
The boys waved their hands in front of his face and called his name, but he ignored them, preoccupied. He felt as if he were stuck to the floor, caught in the influence of her eyes. He studied her features further, almost memorizing each facet and detail of her face. Her eyes held him there until she looked away, uneasy from his suddenly intense stare. Her smile lowered, and Jacob, too frowned at her suddenly troubled expression. Jacob swatted away the hands in his face and let his feet carry him toward the girl. He bent at her level, but her eyes stayed focused on the plate on her lap. Jacob smiled lightly, trying to relieve the tension he had brought upon her. Her body only seemed to stiffen at his close proximity.
"Sorry if I scared you back there," Jacob said, holding out his hand to her. "I'm Jacob."
She kept her hands to her side, her eyes zeroing in on his hand. "My name is Bailey."
Jacob smiled. "Bailey," he said, testing her name. "I like it."
"Thank you," she mumbled, pulling her hand back to her chest.
Sensing her discomfort, Jacob straightened up and backed away until he was sitting at the table with the other boys. They stared at him with devious smiles, nudging each other with their elbows. The boys burst out into snickers when Jacob scowled at them, his eyes narrowing.
"Aw, don't be embarrassed, Jake," one of the boys said, grinning. "She didn't reject you. Just take a different approach next time."
"You're not even close, Embry," Sam said in a low, hooking his arm around Embry's neck. "Jake imprinted on her."
"Jake caught a cutie," a boy said, winking.
Jacob growled. "Watch what you say about her, Quil," he snarled.
"Chill man. I have Claire, remember?" Quil claimed. The boys continued to banter with each other at the table.
Bailey used the knife to cut off a piece of a pancake, checking the insides. She looked surprised that they appeared cooked thoroughly, and the smile returned on her face. Bailey began chewing on her pancakes, giving the boys occasional glances as she observed them. They all looked extremely similar, as if they were all brothers. Their hair was cropped short and they each had the same hard features on their face. With the exception of a few being thinner than others, they all looked exactly the same. Even the tattoos on their biceps were identical. Only one stood out from the group, the boy that introduced himself to her. His hair was longer than the others, giving him a wilder look. He was the second tallest of the other boys that sat at the table and two of them seemed to always flank him. Bailey went back to staring at her pancakes, content with her surroundings.
