Bella Swan

I awoke to a bright yellow and orange light glowing behind my closed lids. Slowly I creaked my eyes open to find myself in a room that I was not familiar with. The walls were painted a soft cream color and the floor was covered in snow white carpet. It looked so clean and…homey. I sat up and threw my legs over the side of the bed. My head whipped to the side just as I heard a large booming laugh come from downstairs.

"Shut up man!" a husky voice guffawed.

I jumped in surprise. Cautiously I got up and walked over to the door, opening the door and peeking out into the hall. Where was I?

I bit my lip as I strode over to the top of the stairs. I peered over the wooden railing to see a group of shirtless men and one woman. She was facing a counter, chopping up something. I couldn't really get a good look.

"Hey, you finally up?" I gasped as a voice asked from behind me.

I spun around to come face to face with a bronze chest. I looked up into a pair of chestnut eyes.

"Who are you?" I asked

He burst out laughing.

"Hey guys, I guess Bella really did knock her head hard! She can't even remember who I am!"

"That's because she doesn't even know you, dickshit!" Another male said.

"Where's Paul?" I asked

"Over here!" A voice called somewhere downstairs. I raced down the stairs, surprised when I didn't fall.

I followed the voice to what looked like the living room to see Paul relaxed on the couch. I sighed when I saw him and sat on his lap. His arms wrapped around my waist and I rested my head on his shoulder. I felt at home. The rest all piled in the room, including one new girl I didn't remember seeing.

"I think this time calls for introductions," the oldest said

"I guess. Bella, this is Jared," Paul pointed to the one that was on the stairs. He gave me a goofy grin and thumbs up. "His girlfriend, Kim," The new girl with curly shoulder length hair giggled and said a polite hello. "Embry," The one who looked the shyest gave me a small smile. "Quil," The one with curly hair and glasses waved at me. "Sam," The oldest gave a slight nod. "His fiancée, Emily," The girl at the counter gave me a warm smile. The right side of her face was brutally scarred, so only the left side of her face was actually smiling. I wondered what had happened to her, but the look on Paul's face shut me up. "Seth," The youngest looking one smirked. "And finally, Jake." The one guy who was sitting the farthest away from the group gave me a toothy grin.

"Hi," I said and blushed under their penetrating gazes.

"Everybody this is Bella," Paul said

"Hi Bella," They said in unison and I turned tomato red. I hid my face in Paul's chest and they all chuckled.

"Does she know?" Sam asked

"Yeah, she does," Paul said

"So she's the one that dated the leech?" Jared asked

"Um, this 'she' has a name you know," I butted in.

They all chuckled.

"Okay seriously, is it true you dated the leech?" Jared asked

"Actually, I think I still am," I said truthfully.

They all stiffened and Paul growled.

"But, I'm thinking of dumping him. He's being an ass," I said and they visibly relaxed.

"Hey guys, I hear there's gonna be a big storm tonight. Are you game?" Jake asked

All the guys' eyes lit up.

"Hell yeah!" They shouted in unison.

I turned and looked at Paul incredulously, "Werewolves play baseball?"

"Hey, if humans can do it, so can we. Only better," He grinned

God that smile will be the death of me, I swear.

It was just beginning to drizzle when Paul turned onto my street. He pulled into my driveway and put his truck in park.

"I think I can take it from here," I said

"You sure?" He asked and cast a nervous glance at my porch.

I followed his gaze to see a very angry looking Edward standing on my porch steps. He glared at Paul with so much hatred the phrase 'If looks could kill' ran through my mind. I bit my lip and turned back towards Paul who was staring at me.

"I'm sure," I said

He nodded. "Just yell if you need me."

"Okay," I nodded

He swiftly leaned in and kissed me just under the edge of my jaw. I could feel my heart lurch in my chest and glanced over at Edward. His fists were clenched so tightly I could see his tendons, even through the now pouring rain.

"Hurry back soon," He said and gave me the grin that set my heart racing.

"Soon," I stressed as I opened the door and stepped out into the rain.

I could feel his eyes trained on my back as I jogged over to the porch. I put my hood down as I walked forward and unlocked the door. Edward followed me in and shut the door behind him. I took off my jacket and hung it up on the coat rack before walking over to the kitchen and getting all the ingredients for dinner tonight. Edward followed me the entire time.

I walked over to the cabinet drawers and got out sticky pads and a pen.

Went to Jake's house. Be back soon.

Bella

I stuck it on the refrigerator door.

"Are you just gonna stand there or are you speak up?" I asked as I hurriedly chopped up potatoes before gathering them in hands and dumping them into the pot full of hot water. I quickly set the temperature.

"Why in such a hurry?" He asked

"That's for me to know and you to, hopefully, never find out," I said

I strode over to the fridge and got out the mayonnaise. I grabbed a wooden spoon and dropped some spoonfuls into a bowl. He leaned against the counter at my side and grimaced.

"How can you stand the smell?" He asked, disgusted.

"What smell?"

"That awful stench, you smell like wet dog."

"Really?" I said and sniffed my shoulder. It smelled just like Paul, woodsy. "Cause I think it smells good."

"God, go take a shower," He said

"No, I'm going out as soon as I'm done with this," I said

He huffed and crossed his arms over his chest.

"I'm gonna go change, can you please watch this for a bit?" I asked and jogged up the stairs.

"Fine, but when you come back I wanna have a little talk!" He called out after me.

"Great," I murmured under my breath.

"I heard that!"

"You were supposed to!"

I searched through my closet until I found a pair of decent black skinny jeans, a shirt that said 'Team WolfPack' on it. I slipped on my sneakers and tied my hair up in a high ponytail and headed back downstairs to the kitchen where Edward was waiting for me at the table.

I pulled out a chair and sat in front of him.

"Now talk," I said

"Bella, I am very sorry for what happened yesterday. Things got out of hand, that mutt was really getting me angry and I'm sorry I lost control. I'm sorry for what I said about the dog and I really hope we can work this out. We don't need anymore stress in our relationship and I think that we can make things work between the two of us."

Lies. All of it was lies and I knew it, but I just sat there with a blank face and casually nodded from time to time.

I took a deep breath and sighed. "I have to go now, Edward."

I stood up and walked over to the door. Once I reached it I was just about to open it when he was suddenly there, blocking my path. I sidestepped to the right and so did he.

"Edward, move," I said calmly.

"Not until we work this out," He said

"Work what out, Edward? It's over, we're done. Now please move," I said

"No, we are not over," He growled

"Yes we are," I said

"No we aren't, not until I say we are," He said

"Edward, just move. I'm warning you, I will not hesitate to call for Paul to come and kick your little sparkly ass into next week," I threatened him and he looked stunned.

"Isabella, watch your language," He scolded

I scoffed at him, "Who do you think you are? My mother? You can't tell me what to do."

"Isabella, you are my mate and you will abide by my rules."

"I am not your mate, nor will I ever be. Now move," I growled

"Make me."

A wicked grin danced on my lips as I took a step forward. He visibly gulped as I took a deep breath.

I looked him dead in the eye, "Pau-"

In a flash his hand was covering my mouth.

"Alright, alright, I'll move. Happy now?" He said and moved out of my way.

"Thanks. Oh, and don't forget to finish dinner for me. I expect it to be done by the time I get home," I said sweetly, yet sarcastically, and walked out to Paul's black Ford.

I climbed into the passenger side and shut the door behind me. Paul turned the key and the engine roared to life. We pulled away from the house.

"Nice shirt," He commented and I blushed.

"Thanks."

"This is a nice car you have," I said

"Thanks, I didn't think you'd like to run the whole way."

"Run?"

"Yeah, we're playing out in some field in the middle of the forest, Bella. We can't exactly drive through that, you know."

"I'm so stupid."

"No, you're not."

"Yes, I am," I said and shook my head.

"Hey, I think you're smart and beautiful. And trust me when I say that's something you don't find often," He said

"Thanks," I said

He reached over and joined our hands, resting them on my lap. I smiled as his thumb rubbed my knuckles. I loved how they seemed to fit together perfectly.

I gazed out the window, enjoying the blur of trees. The sky was starting to turn gray as dark clouds began to block out the sun. The ride was filled with comfortable silence except for the casual breath and shift. My legs were starting to go numb and I stretched them out a little in front me to get the blood flowing again. Occasionally I would steal a few glances at his profile. He really was a good looking man and it wasn't just because of his muscles, that part of him held its own beauty. His eyes were very unique, a startling shade of honey mixed with caramel, chocolate and icy blue with a few flecks of jade green. I could stare into those eyes all day and never get tired of them.

"Sorry, Bella, but it looks like we have to go on foot from here."

I was too caught up in my thoughts that I hadn't noticed we had stopped.

"Okay," I said and opened my door.

Paul ran over to my side with inhuman speed and helped me out of his monstrous truck. I laced our fingers together as guided me through the thick vegetarian. I grasped his hand tighter in mine as it started to get darker, the road behind us disappearing with every step we took. He chuckled and the sound gave me some relief.

Suddenly he stopped and turned towards me.

"Get on my back," He ordered

"Are you serious?" I asked

He rolled his eyes, "Yes, I'm serious."

I did as he said and hopped onto his back. My legs wrapped around his waist and my arms were in a choke hold around his neck. I nearly moaned when I felt the hard muscle sin his lower back brush up against my core, but was able to hold it in.

"Ready?" He asked me.

"As I'll ever be," I answered him.

"Do you wanna close your eyes?" He asked

I hesitated before answering, "Definitely."

"Alright then, hold on."

I quickly tucked my face into his shoulder blade, under my own arm, and squeezed my eyes shut. And I could hardly tell we were moving. I could feel him gliding along beneath me, but he could have been strolling down the sidewalk, the movement was so smooth. I contented myself with listening to his breath come and go evenly. I wasn't quite sure we had stopped until he reached back and touched my hair.

"It's over, Bella."

I dared to open my eyes, and, sure enough, we were at a standstill. I stiffly unlocked my stranglehold on his body and slipped to the ground, landing on my backside.

"Oh!" I huffed as I hit the wet, mushy ground.

He stared at me incredulously, evidently not sure whether he was still too mad to find me funny. But my bewildered expression pushed him over the edge, and he broke into a roar of laughter.

I picked myself up, ignoring him as I brushed the mud and bracken off the back of my shirt. That only made him laugh harder. Annoyed, I began to stride off into the forest.

I felt his arm around my waist.

"Where are you going, Bella?"

"To watch a baseball game. You don't seem to be interested in playing anymore, but I'm sure the others will have fun without you."

"You're going the wrong way."

I turned around without looking at him, and stalked off in the opposite direction. He caught me again.

"Don't be mad, I couldn't help myself. You should have seen your face." He chuckled before he could stop himself.

"Whatever," I mumbled and he chuckled, grabbing my hand.

He led me a few feet through the tall, wet ferns and draping moss, around a massive hemlock tree, and we were there, on the edge of an enormous open field in the lap of the La Push peaks. It was twice the size of any baseball stadium.

I could see the others all there: Kim, Jared and Emily, sitting on a bare outcropping of rock, were the closest to us, maybe a hundred yards away. Much farther out I could see Jake, Seth and Embry, at least a quarter of a mile apart from each other, appearing to throw something back and forth, but I never saw any ball. It looked like Sam was marking the bases, but could they really be that far apart?

When we came into view, the three on the rocks rose. Emily started toward us. Kim followed after her, Jared hot on her heels, following her like a lost puppy.

"Was that you we heard, Paul?" Emily asked as she approached.

"It sounded like a bear choking," Kim clarified.

I smiled sheepishly at Emily. "That was him."

"Sorry, we had a little incident," Paul said with a wide grin.

"Where's Quil?" I asked

"Out patrolling," Jared answered me as he played with Kim's hair, twirling it between his fingers.

"Well that sucks for him," Paul said

"Yep, especially since he's stuck with Leah."

"Ouch," Paul said

"Who's Leah?" I asked

"She's the only girl to ever phase. You'll meet her later," Paul said and squeezed my hand. I squeezed back.

"It's time!" Sam called out from across the field.

As soon as he spoke, a deep rumble of thunder shook the forest beyond us, and then crashed westward towards town.

"Eerie, isn't it?" Kim said with easy familiarity, winking at me.

"Let's go." Jared reached for Kim's hand and they darted toward the oversized field.

"Are you ready for some ball?" Paul asked

His eyes were eager and bright with excitement.

I tried to sound enthusiastic. "Go team!"

He snickered and, mussing my hair, bounded off after the other two. His run was aggressive, like a cheetah. The grace and power took my breath away.

"Shall we go down?" Emily asked in her soft voice, and I realized I was staring openmouthed after him. I quickly reassembled my expression and gave a quick nod.

Another peal of thunder began.

"Have I ever told you about what happened to me?" She asked, gesturing towards her scars.

I shook my head, not trusting my voice.

"Would you like to know?"

I nodded hesitantly. "Only if you want to tell me."

"It would be for the best," She sighed. "Sam was still young and new to the whole wolf thing, and one day we got into an argument. I wanted him to move in with me, both my parents had already passed away and I lived alone. He told me that he wasn't ready to leave his mom, especially when she needed him the most. Sam's mother is an alcoholic; she has been ever since his father died of lung cancer. He lost control of his temper and, unfortunately, I was standing too close, trying to calm him down. And it sort of went all downhill from there and that's how I ended up with these horrid scars. I was in the hospital for weeks, almost months trying to recover. I had lost a lot of blood, too much blood, and received many transfusions. Sam hasn't forgiven himself for hurting me ever since."

Her eyes glazed with tears, but she blinked them back.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "I don't really know what it feels like to be hurt in such a way."

She shook her head. "It's over now and we've moved on from it."

Emily stopped then; apparently, we'd reached the edge of the field. It looked as if they had already formed teams. Paul was far out in left field, Sam stood between the first and second bases, and Jared held the ball, positioned on the spot that must be the pitcher's mound. Kim was sitting on the rock again, cheering on her man.

Jake was swinging an aluminum bat; it whistled almost untraceably through the air. I waited for him to approach home plate, but then I realized, as he took his stance, that he was already there - farther from the pitcher's mound than I had expected. Embry stood several feet behind him, crouched down, catching for the other team. Of course, none of them had gloves or shirts on.

"All right," Emily called in a clear voice.

"Batter up."

Jared stood straight, deceptively motionless. He held the ball in his hand at his waist, and then, like the strike of a cobra, his right hand flicked out and the ball smacked into Embry's bare hand. Embry shook his hand a little and hurled the ball back to Jared's waiting hand. He permitted himself a brief grin. And then his hand spun out again.

This time the bat somehow made it around in time to smash into the invisible ball. The crack of the impact was shattering, thunderous; it echoed off the mountain tops. I immediately understood the purpose of the storm.

The ball shot like a meteor above the field, flying deep into the inky black forest.

"Home run," I murmured.

"Wait," Emily cautioned, one hand raised. Jake was somehow a blur around the bases, Sam shadowing him. I realized then that Paul was missing.

"Out!" Sam cried in a clear voice and waved his hands like an umpire would. I stared in disbelief as Paul sprang from the fringe of the trees, ball in his upraised hand, his wide grin visible even to me.

"Jake hits the hardest," Emily explained. "but Paul runs the fastest."

I nodded, letting this new information sink in. "Cool."

The inning continued before my incredulous eyes. It was impossible to keep up with the speed at which the ball flew, the rate at which their bodies raced around the field.

I learned the other reason they waited for a thunderstorm to play when Embry, trying to avoid Paul's infallible fielding, hit a ground ball toward Sam. Sam ran into the ball, and then raced Embry to first base. When they collided, the sound was loud enough that I jumped up in concern, but they were somehow unscathed.

"Safe," Emily called in a calm voice.

Jake's team was up by one - Seth managed to whisk around the bases after tagging up on one of Jake's long flies - when Paul caught the third out. He sprinted to my side, practically jumping with excitement.

"What do you think?" He asked.

"One thing's for sure, I'll never be able to sit through dull old Major League Baseball again."

"And it sounds like you did so much of that before."

"Shut up!" I stuck my tongue out at him. He threw his head back and delicious peels of laughter escaped his throat. I found myself mesmerized by the beauty of this man before my eyes.

He leaned forward and kissed my cheek, "You'll be the death of me, woman. I swear."

"Glad to know."

"I'm up," He said, heading for the plate.

He played very well, keeping the ball low, out of the reach of Seth's always-ready hand in the outfield, gaining two bases like lightning before Jake's could get the ball back in play. Sam knocked one so far out of the field - with a boom the hurt my sensitive and human ears - that he and Paul both made it in. Jared slapped them high fives.

The score constantly changed as the game continued, and they razzed each other like any street ballplayers as they took turns with the lead. Occasionally Emily would call them to order when they got into a heated argument.

I swear these guys act like they were raised by a pack of man-eating wolves the way they shouted and shoved each other.

Sam was up to bat, Paul catching, when Jared suddenly stood still, ball in his hand dropping to the ground.

"What's wrong?" I asked Emily.

"It looks like Jared picked up a trail. He's our best smeller," She told me.

"Oh shit," Jared said

"What is it, Jared?" Sam asked

His nostrils flared. "Vampire."

All their eyes flashed between me, Emily and Kim.

Suddenly Paul was at my side, taking my hand in his.

"Can't we just keep going? They're probably just walking by; I mean, why would they want to talk to werewolves? Aren't they supposed to be disgusted by us or something?" Seth suggested

"I don't think they know we even exist," Embry said

"Sam?" Emily asked

He shook his head, "I'm not taking any chances, we've gotta go before they can catch the imprint's trail."

"It's already too late," Jared said, glancing out into the northeast section of the forest.

I heard his breath stop, and his eyes zeroed in on right field. Paul stepped in front of me, angling himself between me and what was coming. Sam and Jared did the same with their imprints.

Embry and Seth turned in the same direction, hearing sounds of passage much too faint for my ears.

Help Wanted: We are in desperate need of a beta right now. Feel free to PM us if you want the job.

Sorry if we missed out on any characters in this scene, we were in a bit of hurry cause we have to go shopping for bridesmaids dresses!

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