Eyes on Fire- Chapter Seven
A/N I don't own it, just tinkering with the plot. Thanks to my Beta/Pre reading peeps for looking this over for me. Now without farther ado...
Unease slithered along my spine as I pulled Kitt to a halt in front of the Black residence. I'd been on my way home when I'd taken a U turn and headed towards the reservation to see Jacob. Patience had never been one of my greatest virtues, I was rather curious to find out what bug had crawled up his ass and set up a permanent residence there. It would also be nice to see Billy. I should have kept in touch with him, even if Jake was no longer in my life. At the time, it'd seemed like a good idea to cut all ties.
Checking the rearview mirror to make sure my contacts were firmly in place. I took a deep breath and hoped no one would notice the coldness of my skin. I'd learned a trick from Jasper about submerging our bodies in scalding hot water to create an illusion of warmth. The trick only worked for a short time and I figured a trip to the rest room would be in order if I intended to pull this off.
I stepped out of the car and was about to walk up the steps when Billy opened the door - he must have heard my car pull up. I raised my hand in greeting and was slightly puzzled when he continued to stare at me stone-faced. I would have thought he would have been happy to see me, granted I hadn't written or called in a long time, but still.
"Billy, hi," I called, flashing a smile. "Long time no see!" My nose twitched again picking up that weird scent. Come to think of it I'd smelled it before when I was out hunting but I'd paid it no mind. "Is Jake home?"
"He's not here, Bella."
I placed a foot on the step. "I don't mind waiting, we could…."
"Bella, you shouldn't have come," he interrupted, freezing me in place.
My smile faded slightly. "Billy, I'm sorry I haven't been in contact, but things got hectic with school and I just didn't feel up to returning to Forks and…"
"You should leave before it's too late."
"Too late for what?" I couldn't help but ask. I usually wasn't one to ask dumb questions, but it was obvious Billy didn't want me here and I was baffled by his reaction to my presence. Once upon a time I'd been family, what had I done to the Blacks to make them behave this way?
"Just go," he yelled.
Feeling rejected, I turned to go but then irritation set in and my hands flew to my hips as I stared up at Billy. "Not until you…," the crackle of leaves coupled with a heartbeat alerted me to the fact we were no longer alone. A low growl reached my ears and I spun around to see a huge black wolf stalking towards us.
What the hell had this mutt been eating? Was my first thought, followed closely by, how was I going to protect Billy without giving away my secret?
"Billy," I started to say, but the door slammed shut before I could get the word completely out of my mouth. What a bitch move, I thought, backing up a step as the mutt moved closer. I wasn't scared, I'd taken down bigger for dessert but there was something about this animal that did not appeal to me. "Easy lil doggie," I cooed in a soft voice. "You don't want to tangle with me today," I added, staring straight into its eyes.
Show him whose boss, Jasper's voice sounded in my head. The animal kept growling as it inched closer and I backed up another step, still talking to it softly, but firmly. This was new to me, usually animals cleared out of our paths with no questions asked.
The sound of an engine roaring up the gravel road reached my ears, but I didn't take my eyes off the wolf. It hadn't moved closer, but he looked like he would pounce at any moment. I couldn't afford to be distracted.
"Jake, stay in the car," I yelled, hoping he didn't try to be a hero. The beast was positioned in between us and, if he went for Jake, I might not make it in time.
"What are you doing here, Bella?"
"I think we have bigger things to worry about," I shot back with a gesture at the over grown wolf pacing back and forth a few feet away. Maybe if I distracted it I could lure him closer to me and away from Jacob.
"Brady won't hurt you unless provoked," Jacob informed me as he ignored my warning and moved closer. Jacobs's movements didn't seem to interest the beast for those yellow eyes never wavered from mine.
"You named it," I shrieked in horror.
"No his parents did," He stopped in front of the wolf and said something low. I watched slack jawed as the damn thing turned and trotted away.
"What the hell are you, the wolf whisperer?" I asked in disbelief as the animal disappeared into the trees.
"You shouldn't have come here, Bella," he sighed, raking a hand through his short hair. "I told you I would meet you at the house."
"You're the second person to tell me that today," I grumbled, pissed with the fact his father had left me to become puppy chow. We would certainly be addressing that issue later and then I'd tell them both to kiss my ass before getting out of there. "You wanted to talk so here I am. What was that all about?" I asked, gesturing in the direction of the trees.
"You and your kind are not welcome here."
"And what exactly is my kind?" I asked, exasperated. Behind me the door opened but I continued to glare at Jacob. There was no way…
"Vampires," Billy said from behind me. I quickly masked my look of surprise and turned to see Billy wheeling himself out on the porch.
"Oh, nice of you to join us," I snipped after I'd recovered sufficiently. Had he just said vampire? What did he know about vampires? "Your overgrown puppy was about to attack me!"
Billy shrugged as he wheeled closer. "I told you to leave."
I rolled my eyes. "Maybe if you had simply said 'Bella, there is a mutant wolf lurking in the woods' I would have!"
"Brady is not a mutant he's…"
"Dad," Jacob interrupted "I've got this, just go back in the house while Bella and I have a little chat."
Billy frowned but, with one last glare in my direction, he did as Jacob asked. I was tempted to kick the wheel on his chair and send him flying, but that wouldn't have been very nice and I doubted Jake would have appreciated my actions.
"So are you going to tell me what your problem is or am I going to have to guess?" I asked the minute the door closed behind Billy.
"Let's go for a walk," Jacob suggested. I gave him a look, reeking of distrust. If they knew about vampires this could be a trap.
"Are you sure your mutant puppy won't attack?"
"Brady does what I tell him," Jacob snapped impatiently. "As long as you keep your teeth to yourself, we won't have any problems."
"My teeth?" I repeated with raised eyebrows.
Jacob suddenly looked tired, "Let's not play this game, Bella, I know what you are. What I don't know and what I intend to find out is how you became what you are and why you felt the need to come back after all this time."
I sat on a step. "We can talk, but this is as far as I go." I wasn't about to be led into a trap. He hesitated before taking a seat next to me; apparently neither one of us was willing to trust the other.
Jacob was quiet for a moment before he looked at me out of the corner of his eye. "I think, all things considered, you should go first."
"How do you know what I am?" I asked curiously. I'd always been given the impression our existence was this huge cosmic secret that no man should ever know about. Carlisle had given me this huge lecture after my incident in the woods with the hunter regarding exposure. That was the first time I had ever truly seen him upset with me.
Barely concealed grief mixed with anger shadowed Jacob's dark eyes when he turned to stare at me. I recoiled a little under the intensity of that stare; I was no stranger to those emotions they had been part of me for so long but seeing Jacob like that… "Your kind killed my Angie."
There were about a million emotions that raced through me shock, disbelief, sadness, remorse and a whole lot more I couldn't began to name. We hadn't parted on the best of terms, but I would have never wanted her harmed.
My hand flew to my lips in shock "Oh my God," I whispered. "When?"
"A few months ago, she went into Seattle to pick up her wedding dress and never came back. By the time she was found her body was completely drained of blood and her killers were long gone." He took a deep breath and my heart broke for him. I could feel the pain radiating off of him in waves. "We've always known your kind existed. There's a coven of leeches that resurface every few years and set up a home here. A treaty was formed so we could find ways to co-exist." He laughed without humor "They were allowed to stay as long as they did not bite a human." So that was what Carlisle and Alice had been referring to that day. "and La Push was off limits to them," Guess that explained the icy reception I'd received from Billy. Suddenly two and two made four and I cursed my initial ignorance, I'd certainly taken a huge gamble coming out to see Jake "They up and left one day, at the time we didn't care, in fact we breathed a sigh of relief, but then this happened and now…"
"I'm here," I finished for him. I sent up a silent prayer hoping James hadn't been involved; it wasn't like they were the only vampires hunting in this area but deep down in my heart I knew better. "Jake, I am deeply sorry to hear about Angela." I wanted to hug him but I didn't know how he would receive my touch. "But you have to know I would have never ever done anything to harm her or you. I may be different now, but I am still the same old Bella. I don't hunt humans, nor have I ever killed one. That family you are referring too took me in and showed me how I could live without being a monster. I didn't ask for this life, neither did they, but we make the best out of it."
"You're still one of them," he growled, jumping up violently. I tensed, ready to fight if I had to. He paced back and forth in front of me, visibly shaking. This couldn't be good. I watched him breathe in and breathe out to get control of his emotions.
"Yes, I am, but not one of the ones that killed Angela." I reached up and took out my contacts so he could see my golden eyes "My family and I only hunt animals."
"I never bought that vegetarian vampire crap," he scoffed. "It's in your nature to kill; it's what your born to do," he growled, jabbing a finger in my direction.
"Not in mine," I protested strongly. "We've worked hard to resist what comes natural to us and let me tell you, it's no freaking walk in the park. You have no idea the struggle we have gone through, I doubt you could even comprehend the discipline needed… think about it, Jake. If I killed humans, I would have taken a bite out of you and Billy and been well on my way to dessert right now."
He shook his head "That doesn't mean anything."
"It means everything," I insisted passionately "I've been in town a whole week and no one has mysteriously turned up dead or missing, so think about that before you sit here and judge them or me!"
"You've gotten spunkier," Jacob said suddenly. I blinked at him in confusion and he shrugged. "You never use to be this vocal."
I huffed in exasperation. "Yea, well there is a lot that has changed about me."
Jacob sighed. "What happened to you, Bella? How did you come to be a...," he trailed off, seeing my look. If he called me a leech one more time, I was going to kick his ass all over this front yard.
"Billy," I yelled. "Get your ass out here and stop eavesdropping. I'm sure pressing your ear against the door is getting very uncomfortable."
Jacob's lips twitched in humor when Billy rolled out the porch a few moments later. "I wasn't eavesdropping," he denied.
"Sure you weren't," I said sarcastically.
His eye brows drew together in displeasure at my tone "Charlie didn't raise you to be rude to your elders," he chastised. "He would be so disappointed in you."
"Not as disappointed as he would be in you," I reminded him sweetly "I don't think he would have been too thrilled about your earlier actions," His eyes dropped briefly and I fist pumped slightly. Score one for Isabella; there was no way I was letting him off easy.
"Bella," Jacob prompted impatiently.
"Ok, fine," I sighed. I hated telling this story, if I never had to tell it again, I would be a happy vampire. I took a deep breath and started from the beginning, leaving nothing out. I even shared with them the news that had sent me running home to Forks and why I had yet to return to the Cullen's.
"They never told you about us," Jacob asked curiously.
"There were a few mentions in the beginning but I was a little uh preoccupied and didn't pay much attention," I shrugged, thinking about how my obsession with James and Victoria could have gotten me injured or killed today. What else had I missed in my single-minded behavior? "I don't think they thought I would ever come back," Well maybe Alice, I reminded myself silently. I had to wonder why she hadn't included a warning in her letter. "And I've never encountered a shape shifting wolf before so…"
"Those bastards broke the treaty," Billy interrupted in a rough voice.
"Actually they didn't," I corrected him. "Carlisle never bit me and they were only saving my life. I made this decision willingly. They didn't force me. I couldn't die knowing James was in that monster's clutches. I need to save him."
Jacob started pacing again as he thought over all I'd said. "All this time we've assumed you were simply away at school but you've become a…"
"Say it one more time and I will break your face," I hissed.
Jacob held up his hands in surrender. "I was just going to say a vampire. Relax, Bella!"
"Umm hmm, sure you were!"
He stopped pacing and squatted in front of me, surprising me by taking my cold hands in his warm ones. "Bella, I am so sorry for this, for everything. Maybe if we hadn't pushed you away, we could have saved you from this…life."
"There was no saving me, Jake. My fate was signed the moment I ran into that alley after James. I'd do it all over again if I had too."
"I just wish I could have been there for you," he sobbed before pulling me into a hug. I heard Billy go back into the house to give us privacy. After telling my story, I could sense some of the animosity he'd felt towards me melting away, but he still wasn't happy with me being here. We hugged for a long time, neither one willing to be the first one to let go. He sobbed into my shoulder as he told me about Angela and how she'd insisted on going to pick up her dress by herself even though her maid of honor had offered. I remained silent while he berated himself for not going with her, knowing nothing I would say could make the pain go away. I nearly lost it when he confessed they'd intended to track me down and invite me to the wedding. Angela had finally realized what I felt for Jacob and what he felt for me was nothing to get jealous over. He apologized over and over again for all the hurtful things he'd said to me the last time we saw each other and I simply told him it was all in the past.
We finally pulled apart "Jake are we cool," I asked wiping the tears from his face gently "I know it will be hard to accept me as I am but truthfully Jake I am still the same Bella you pushed into the mud so you could impress Leah Clearwater. I've just been…upgraded."
He laughed shaking his head "You still remember that Leah incident?"
"Oh yeah baby," I tapped my temple "I have a mind like a steel trap and pay back will be a bitch."
He grabbed one of my hands and squeezed it "We're cool," he confirmed "I won't lie it will take some getting use to, by nature you are my natural enemy but you have and always will be my best friend. I lost sight of that once and won't ever do that again unless you go all red eyed on me then all bets are off," he said only half teasing.
I tilted my head towards the house "Do you think Billy will be alright with this?"
"He loved Charlie and he loves you, he will be alright with this." A scoff sounded from inside the house "Eventually," he mumbled.
A lone wolf howled in the distance followed by a chorus of others. That was definitely my cue to get my ass out of La Push.
