Disclaimer: I do not any of the characters original to Stephanie Meyers. They are hers, I only borrowed them. I'm not out for profit and there is no harm intended in my writing.
Authors Note: I'm taking a few liberties with the story line so just know that some things might not follow with cannon closely. This is my fic so you'll probably not see as much Bella. If you don't want to read a fic where the new OC is an integral part of the story then don't continue reading.
Otherwise here is my fic, I hope you enjoy and I look forward to hearing your thoughts both good and bad.
Jacob was left alone in the now dark room. The sun wasn't far off from rising. He stretched his senses out. Her scent was easy for him to pick out now. Her scent was fresh like the woods during a rain storm. It calmed him. He knew she didn't sleep, that she was only resting.
Chapter 2:
It was only a little after dawn when Crys heard the unmistakable sound of people moving downstairs. She felt much more rested after dozing off and on for the last couple of hours. However, if she wanted to be at the top of her game she would need to actually sleep for more than a few minutes at a time.
She got up and started to strap her knife to her leg but stopped mid action. If she armed herself they might see that as a sign of aggression. The situation was precarious enough without Crys intentionally provoking the cautious shifters. Besides last night she had seen dozens of things that she could use as weapons if the need arose. Crys looked down at her clothing and saw the dried blood from the wound on her arm still covering her body and clothes. She opened the bedroom door and stepped out to be flanked by her two guards.
"Morning boys. Could ya'll show me to a bathroom?" One of them gestured to the room across the hall. She smiled her thanks and shut the door behind her.
Crys didn't bother to lock it because she figured that it would be useless anyways. The size of those guys alone made a handle lock on a door pointless. If one of them wanted in that little lock wasn't going to stop them. She stood looking in the mirror- she looked like a mess. She really could use a nice warm shower. Crys looked under the sink and found a stack of towels. She stripped out of her dirty clothes eagerly and stepped into the warm spray of water. She found soap and shampoo on the side of the tub and used it to wash.
It had been a little over a week since she had done anything more than quick scrub in a truck stop bathroom sink. The warm water over her body was amazing. The gouges on her arm were nothing more than angry red welts now. Hopefully by tomorrow they would be all but gone. She was glad that she hadn't gotten scarred. Not that she didn't have her fair share of them, they were just a little hard to explain at times. Crys spent several long minutes under the hot spray of water before, reluctantly, she got out and turned off the water. Crys wrapped the purple towel around her body and picked up her dirty clothes. She balled them up and walked out of the door with her clothes in her hand and water dripping out of her hair.
Her guards were still there and they took a moment to look her over from head to toe. She knew she had to look much better now that she was squeaky clean. She smiled at them and watched amazed as they blushed. They acted almost like shy teenagers. Like the boys she should have been in school with. She walked back to the room she had rested in and shut the door. She grabbed her bag from the bed and dressed in the spare set of clothes that she had in there. She tugged on the once tight jeans. Crys sighed, she had lost some weight over the months of inconsistent meals and the jeans now settled low across her hip bones. She pulled the black tank top over her black bra and finished by sliding her socks and black boots back on next. She finished by pulling her wet locks up into a ponytail. It felt great having clean hair again. Between the rest and the shower she almost felt herself again. She opened the door with another smile to her keepers. Once again their eyes travelled over her.
"Is that bacon I smell?"
The smaller of the two men moved in front of her while the other one followed behind her. They made their way down the stairs and back towards the kitchen. The two of them never said a word to her. Crys could hear the voices from the kitchen and they were happy sounding. Once those in the kitchen sensed her coming closer the talking abruptly stopped and the room instantly tensed. She hated that she was causing this group of people such stress. She tried to put on her best smile, the one that used to come so easy before she went through the change.
"Good morning." She looked around the room. The others from the night before were there, with some with shirts and some without. She couldn't help but wonder why they appeared half dressed all the time. The woman from the night before with the scars smiled at her. Crys decided to focus on her, she seemed more inclined to be friendly than the men. "Thank you for the use of the bed last night. I was so near to exhaustion. I hope you don't mind that I helped myself to the use of your shower as well? It's been too long since I've had not only a bed but a shower as well and I couldn't help myself." Crys said as she sat at an empty chair with a scowling man on one side and slightly happier looking one on the other.
She had thought about approaching the woman to talk to her a little closer but as soon as she moved closer she noticed that Sam became taught and moved over to the woman with a protective arm around her. So he was not ready to trust her that far. She could live with that. Crys sat at the table and looked around trying to judge the thoughts of the group around her.
"I am happy that you found everything so nice. Why has it been so long for you since you have had a bed and shower?" The woman smiled shyly at Crys. Her expression was open and curious, like she knew unequivocally that no matter what she was safe from the stranger in her home. Crys couldn't help but think that maybe she was and maybe she wasn't, she hadn't had a chance to gauge the skills of the wolves yet.
"I move around a lot. Some places I get to stay long enough to work and get a little money for the necessities. Then other times I find a trail to follow and then I'm on the run. I have to live off of what I can at that point. That usually means sleeping in lots of woods and taking sponge baths in cold creeks or dirty truck stops. Guess the monsters out there don't really care that I'd prefer hot baths and soft beds." Crys smiled. Her stomach rumbled as the scent of the bacon wafted back over to her again. The men in the room smirked. "Or that I'd like a decent meal either."
The tension was still thick but Crys could slowly feel the shifters in the room relaxing, if only a little bit. The woman walked over with a plate of bacon and biscuits. Crys was very sure to keep her hands and body language extremely relaxed. Sam was watching her intently. The two men on either side of her wasted no time in filling a plate each from the stack of them on the table. She did the same since it looked like it wouldn't take long for the others to clean all the food from the table.
"I'm Crystal, by the way. I prefer going by Crys though."
"I'm Emily." The two women smiled. Crys was just raising her first bite of food to her mouth when a shiver of awareness rolled over her. It started slowly and as he moved closer she felt the now familiar warmth permeating her body. The door opened and she let her senses expand and took in his scent.
She realized that the whole room seemed to be watching her and her reaction to the new comer. It was strange, but she couldn't seem to bring herself to care because he had opened the door and she was overcome by the sheer pleasure of his scent. It was earthy and pure masculinity. It was the kind of scent that let you know that he was a strong capable male that would offer his female protection. Crys shook herself out of her daze, she was being crazy. She was a superhuman, or something, and she didn't need a male to protect her. She was the protector.
"Jacob, you are just in time for breakfast." Jacob. That was his name. Crys turned to smile at him. His dark eyes were furrowed in concentration. Their eyes met for the first time. His brown meeting her grey and if she didn't know rationally that it couldn't happen she would have believed in that instant that she fell in love and that forever more there would be no one else but him for her. Jacob made his way to the far corner of the kitchen. He took a plate from Emily and began eating. Crys did the same she wasn't going to pass up a meal.
"I'd like to be on my way as soon as possible today. Victoria has a hell of a start on me and its going to take a stroke of luck to pick her scent up again. I doubt she'll be stupid enough to linger in one place like this again." Crys said to the room at large though she knew Sam would be the one to answer her. She'd love a chance to get to know more about what these people were but Victoria and she had some business to finish. Sam crossed to the table and took a seat across from her. His look was all business.
"Actually, Crys, you are going to have to stay here as our guest until we can be sure that you are our friend."
"Oh really. Don't take this in the wrong way but do you and your little band of merry men here think that you can really stop me if I want to leave? I assure you that you have no idea what I am capable of. I'd like to be your friend but I won't be your prisoner. I have to go after Victoria. I don't want to hurt any of you."
"I don't think it has to come down to that." Sam paused and looked her deeply in the eye as if he were trying to come to terms with a decision. "If it weren't for tracking Victoria would you feel that you had to leave so quickly?" Sam questioned.
If it weren't for Jacob imprinting on the girl he would have loved the chance to take her down a notch or two. However, for the sake of his young friend he would save the death sentence until she gave them a reason to carry it out. She seemed to be thinking. He watched as she took in the five of them. Paul and Quil were on either side of her. Jacob was standing across the kitchen next to Embry. Leah and Seth were patrolling around the house. Her face didn't give any of her thoughts away.
'How old is she anyways'? Sam thought to himself.
"If it weren't for Victoria then I don't think I would mind staying awhile. As I said earlier it has been a while since I have been able to stay in one place for any amount of time. I am curious about your people and it's obvious you are curious about me as well. But Victoria is out there and she won't be coming back here again, not after last night."
"I think you are wrong there. There is a reason that she has been returning time and time again."
Crys leaned forward intrigued. 'What could be so important that the vampire would keep risking the wrath of this pack to return over and over again?' "So you think that she will still come back again. That ya'll haven't run her off?"
"We've run her off plenty. She returns time and time again. The ones responsible for the death of her mate live here and she is still plotting her revenge on them."
"I can imagine that is an interesting story. James was one of the most sadistic vampires that I have ever encountered. They shared that trait, he and Victoria. They were extremely attached to one another. I have no doubt that she won't stop hunting the ones responsible until she either kills them or someone kills her. I would like to be that someone. "Crys paused and thought a little more about what they had told her. If it was true and they had no reason to lie that she could think of, then it was extremely likely that she would be back and this would be the best way to catch her. She was smart but with the help of the pack and her gifts then they could bag Victoria with no problems as a team. She looked up into the intense gaze of the one named Jacob again.
'It wouldn't be so bad to get to know him a little better either.'
"Alright. I'd like to stay for a little while. If she doesn't return within the month I can just start tracking her again." Sam smirked a little and his eyes drifted up to look at Jacob again.
"You can stay here with Emily and me."
"Thank you. That is very kind of you." Crys told Sam. She took a few more bites of food and stood to take her empty plate to the sink. As she approached Emily she heard a growl from behind her and rolled her eyes. Emily saw it and laughed quietly. "Thank you for the food, Emily. I also appreciate you allowing me to stay in your home. I'll be happy to help you with the cooking and cleaning, anything you want in return."
"Thank you, Crys. I'd appreciate that. You can only imagine the work involved in keeping this group fed." The woman smiled and Crys turned back towards all the men in the room. Each of them were watching her intently. "Down boys. I'm not gonna bite the hand that feeds me. Believe me on that one." She saw as the one who had been sitting next to her, the one who didn't scowl as much, openly smiled at her. Crys returned the smile and then went back to her seat. If she was ever going to earn the trust of these people she was going to have to be the one to extend the olive branch.
"Sam I know that you do not trust me and I cannot blame you for that. I think that if the roles were reversed that I would be the same way. However, if we are going to make this work and not come to blows over this whole thing then we have to start by getting to know one another so that the trust can build."
Sam nodded his head in agreement.
"My name is Crystal Frasier. I am…what date is it?" Crys looked around the room. Emily answered from her spot by the sink where she was handing one of the others dishes to dry.
"Then I am just recently turned 19. I have been like this since I turned 15 and was attacked by a vampire that had been brought into the home I was living in. He had posed as a runaway and when he was taken in by the family I was living with he made a meal of them all. I don't remember a thing about the attack but I know when I came back to consciousness, laying in the back yard, I was beaten up badly, bitten, broken, you name it, the vampire was nothing but a ball of ash in a dying fire. I ran when I saw what was in the house. I never looked back but from then on I started to change. I became what I am now. There isn't really much more to tell. I've hunted everything from vampires to werewolves and any number of impossible things in between. Vampires are the ones I find the most though."
All eyes were looking at her. Crys didn't shift in her chair although she felt like it being the center of so many intense stares.
"What about your family? Is there anyone to answer any questions?" Sam asked.
"No. I don't know anything about my parents." While her tone was not rude, her body language said clearly that it was a topic not up for discussion.
Crys looked around the room awkwardly, she couldn't remember the last time she had nothing to do. It was a look scary not having anything to occupy herself with. She needed activity.
"Why don't you show Crys around a little bit? I'm sure she'd like to get to know the place." Emily quietly suggested to Sam. He looked as if he was considering the amount of mayhem that Crys could cause around his house and reservation.
"I'd like that. I just need to run upstairs and grab a few things." She smiled her thanks to Emily and ran up the stairs without a backward glance. Quil and Jared looked at Sam to see if they were still expected to guard her.
"No. If she is going to be here for a while then we need to work on trusting each other." Sam looked at Jacob, it was obvious from his body language that he was fighting his instinct to follow his imprint. Once the bond was established firmly he would feel the overwhelming need to be with his partner. The first few months were the most intense until the imprint bond was solidified. "You alright, Jake?" It took a few seconds for Jake to turn his attention to Sam.
"I'm good. Don't worry I'm fine. I need a little space though. I'm going to go for a bit."
"Okay. We'll see you later at the beach."
Jacob left just as Crys came back into the room. Emily caught the quickly hidden glance of longing that the other girl cast towards Jacob. Emily smiled, at least the feelings were mutual.
"I feel a bit overdressed. Ya'll have something against shirts?" She asked with a smiled as she looked around the kitchen. "Should I take my shirt off too? Blend in with the locals?" The boys laughed deeply as she reached for her hem.
"I think that might be a bit shocking for your first day," Emily said around a giggle.
"Don't listen to her, you'd fit in fine." Paul suggested with a comical leer. Crys looked him over with a gleam in her eye. It was the first time that morning that he hadn't had a scowl on his face.
"I'm too much horse for you cowboy." She told him drawing her accent out a bit more. She watched him glare at the man next to him for laughing.
"I think you've got it backwards, you couldn't handle a stud like me." He smiled and it fell when she laughed back at him, his smile usually sealed the deal with the ladies.
"You even managed to say that with a straight face." She paused a beat. "Oh, I'm sorry, you were serious?" Crys tried to keep an innocent mask on her face but it failed when the smile broke free. Crys didn't know which was better the other guys laughing or the look of indignation of the big guys face. Sam stepped in before Paul could think of something to say back to her.
"We should go. I have a few places I need to show you. By the way these three laughing like hyenas are Jared, Embry and Quil, the "stud" over there is Paul.
"Nice to meet ya'll. Paul, I'm only giving you a hard time." She smiled at him and he returned it with a smirk of his own. AT least he was a good sport she thought. Crys followed Sam outside with a wave to Emily.
"What do you want to see first?" Sam asked.
"I'd like to see the areas that Victoria has been the most."
"We can do that." He looked around and thought for a moment. "We'll drive a ways and then hike in the rest of the way. You should be able to do that right?"
"What do you mean?" Crys was slightly confused.
"Normally, we'd go in wolf form so it'd take less time, but it can be some rough going."
"Sam, seriously I'm not like other humans. Just give me a moment to force the change and there shouldn't be any reason we can't go the fastest route. I can hold my own with a vampire I think I can handle a little hiking."
Paul, Sam, Jared, Quil, and Embry watched as she closed her eyes and went still. They felt the change in the air surrounding them. It went freezing then warm as her scent disappeared. Crys opened her eyes and smiled. They were all looking at her with varying expressions on their faces.
"How do you do that?" Jared asked.
"I just imagine how a vampire or any of the bad things out there smell and feel to me. That will usually trigger the surge in my powers, they won't be as strong as they are when I am truly faced with one of those things but it's enough to help me out when I need them."
"What powers? What exactly can you do?" Sam questioned. He was clearly channeling the alpha now.
"Go somewhere we can do this without being seen from the road?"
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