GangstaSummoner: Once again thank you so much! I really enjoy writing this story! Now, on with the story...Enjoy!

Chapter 8 – Crush

It still bothered me that Bella would let Anya so casually bite her. It was like she did not care. Leave it to Bella to let those bloodsuckers do whatever the hell they wanted to her. Well, technically Anya isn't fully a vampire, but still in all, she has those qualities and it bothers me too much. I don't want Bella around her at all, but it is not like I could just barge into Charlie's house and demand that she comes with me this instant. Charlie may seriously get the need to kill me then.

I trudged out of my room when I heard the telephone ringing, "Hello."

"You should really put some clothes on and come outside."

"Bella?"

"Who else? Seriously, come outside," she said and then the phone went dead.

I had clothes on, well boxers, but I am so extremely hot. I needed coolness. I walked back to my room, kicking dirty clothes and what not out of the way with my foot. When I found a clean, wrinkled shirt and a pair of shorts I changed clothes; before doing the hygiene thing in the bathroom.

When I made it outside, Bella was leaning against the dark blue motorcycle that I had fixed up for her. I smoothed out the wrinkles on my shirt before looking at her again. She looked really rebellious as she stared at me with wide eyes and wind blown hair. She was dressed in a gray shirt and a loose fitting black and white plaid shirt over the top, with the sleeves rolled up to her elbow. She leaned away from the motorcycle, with a smile on her face. "Hi," she said.

I smiled back. "Hey, what are you doing here?"

"What? Am I not allowed to visit you?"

"Of course you are," I said, while jumping off the top step and to the ground beside her. "I just wasn't expecting to see you show up on that." I tilted my head towards her bike. "No wonder I didn't hear you coming."

"Well," she turned around, facing the bike, "I never got the chance to thank you properly. Besides, it's been awhile since I've been to La Push."

"Where's your vampire daughter?"

"School. Where's Billy?"

"Sue."

She smirked, "So, we're alone."

I caught that smirk at the corner of her mouth and I wondered what the meaning behind it was. "What are you up to?"

"Oh nothing. Let's go somewhere." I watched as she walked towards her bike, kicking the kickstand back with one foot and swinging her leg over the side. "Let's go to the beach."

"On that?"

"Yes, on this."

"Why don't you let me drive?"

She looked at me with disbelief, shocked that I would ask something like that. "Do you think just because I am a girl that I can't drive a motorcycle? Let me tell you Jacob Black…"

I was standing in front of the motorcycle in a matter of seconds, one hand covering hers and the other under her chin. Her skin felt so soft against mines, warmer, but slowly becoming hotter. Her cheeks were reddening with every second. I liked that about Bella, her innocent and gentleness. As much as she tried to act tough, she could not hide that sweet side about her. "I know. You drove all the way to Forks from Seattle without any guidance," my voice was subtle and husky, shutting her down in that instant. I could hear her heart flutter. Don't move. As if I had spoken the words out loud she froze underneath my touch as I leaned in closer to her. I was going to take it nice and slow, starting with a kiss on the cheek. I tilted my head slightly, my lips so close to her skin that I could feel her warmth. I lightly planted a kiss on her cheek, which were red with delight and embarrassment. "Bella?"

"W-w-we should…" She could barely get her words out and I found it to be quite amusing. I had no idea that I would have that kind of effect on her.

"Should go," I finished her sentence and she smiled.

"Yeah, we should go."

"Can I drive?"

Her dark brown eyes were locked on mines, taking in everything about me. She seemed to be in a trance when she said, "Fine. Sure." She got off the bike and I steadied it before taking her spot behind the handlebars. The bike barely shifted when she hopped on and wrapping her small arms around my waist. Before I revved up the engine I asked, "Are you living on the wild side now? Where's your helmet?"

She rested her head against my back and then sighed, "Does it matter? You're the mechanic and I assume that you are a good driver. I have nothing to worry about with you behind the wheel."

I liked how she put all her trust in me, it showed that I still had that and it had never faltered. I gave it some gas and the bike spins around, I was hoping to scare her just a little. She needed to learn her lesson. Safety first. To my surprise, she was giggling loudly. "Let's go!" she yelled while laughing and I did exactly that. It didn't seem like much scared her anymore.

Once we reached the beach, I pulled into one of the parking spots looking over the steep, rocky cliffs of First Beach. She clung to me as the ocean breeze suddenly shifted; against my skin I felt a slight change in the temperature, but it did not bother me. I waited for her to get off first, before kicking the kick stand down. The air was thick and humid, typical for the weather in Forks and La Push. I listened to the shore pounding against the rocky ledge, the ocean spray dampening the pavement.

She stuffed her hands into her pant's pockets before looking my way with a smile on her face. I returned the smile while walking towards her and wrapping my arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer to my warm body. "I bet I feel a lot better than that shirt you are wearing."

She wrapped her left arm around my waist, getting as close as possible, as we walked down towards the beach. The dark gray sand was thin and extremely damp; and the smell of sea salt tickled my nose. "Actually you do feel better. Very warm."

As we walked along the beach, it reminded me of the first time that we actually got a chance to spend some alone time together. It was the first time that I told her about the story of the Cold Ones and how we are descended from wolves. It's funny how that legend is actually true.

"This place hasn't changed much," she whispered, while staring straight ahead. Her eyes landed on angular and thick driftwood, curving into odd shapes in a corner. It was 'our spot'. She released her grip from around me, running towards the large driftwood like a kid in a candy shop. She seemed quite happy as she turned around to face me, her layered hair bouncing around her cheeks and the ocean breeze lightly touching her skin. I watched as she stumbled over the small rocks near the driftwood, before sitting on top of one of the large branches.

She's quite chipper today. When I made it to her side, I took a seat on the bottom branch right below her; both her legs on each side of me. For some reason she draped her arms over my shoulders and leaning so close to me that her cheek were touching mine, strands of her hair lightly tickling my skin. "What are you so happy about?"

She sighed lightly, inhaling the cool ocean breeze. "I guess that I miss these kind of moments with you."

"You've missed a lot of moments."

"Like what?"

"Like my birthday." My birthday was on the 14th of January and she missed it. I am officially legal, but to Bells, she wouldn't notice. When we kissed in her kitchen, I had just turned 18 the week before that, but I chose not to mention it, since she was getting back into the swing of things. Now that I think about it, she never did know about my birthday; back then she was so caught up in her love for Edward. Back then she was losing her mind.

"I can't believe that I missed it. Did you do anything? When I get a job, I am going to take you out to eat or something with my first paycheck."

"I didn't do much. I mostly hung out with the pack." And checking up on you. "There is something that you can do and it would not cost you a thing."

I tilted my head back; she was staring down at me, contemplating on whatever my request will be. I didn't want to be pushy, but I had to ask her. "Kiss me…again."

"Are you serious?" she asked. Way to kill the mood Bells.

"Positive."

She swallowed. I could see the movement of her throat contracting and then she stood up. I guess I was not going to get a kiss as a gift. But to my surprise, she was standing in front of me, straddling her small body on my lap. She felt like a fireball against my skin and it was burning me up. Her lips pulled into a gentle smile, a loving smile. It threw me off guard because I was not expecting her to be so willing. "What are you doing?"

She rubbed her hands over the thin, cotton material of my shirt, paying attention to every muscle that she felt. Over my chest, down to my abs, back to my chest, over my shoulders and she left a feathery trail down my bare arms. She wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling herself a little closer to me and I instantly felt my dick getting kind of hard when her ass touched my crotch again. She hadn't done a damn thing to me yet and I was all ready to get down and dirty.

I held her gaze as the burning deep within me intensified. I wanted her and she wanted me. I didn't want her as a sexual object. I wanted her as my soul-mate, my girlfriend, my wife. I wanted her as the woman who would stand by my side through thick and thin.

"Remember, I told you that I would thank you properly for the motorcycle and since I missed out on about two of your birthdays as well…" her voice trailed on. "Let me do this for you. Don't laugh okay?"

I smiled, "Sure, Bells." I wonder if all of this was a setup. She showing up to my house out of nowhere and then wanting to go to the beach to do whatever to me. Was I being Punk'd? I mean, this is not like Bella Swan at all…well as far as I know of. Who knows what she had done with the leech?

She cleared her throat and her lips parted into a song that we all know. "Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday my sweet, warm Jakey Bear!" she smiles while laughing, "Happy Birthday to you." She would then lean forward, kissing my forehead, cheeks, nose, bypassing my lips and pressing a very soft and tender kiss at the crook of my neck. When she looked up she whispered, "Happy Birthday," before leaning in to kiss me on the lips.

The kiss was not as passionate as our make-out session in the kitchen, but there was something so endearing about this one. It was light, feathery, but powerful. To feel her warms lips against mines was something that I would treasure for a lifetime and beyond. When she pulled back she was smiling and blushing; and so was I. I never thought that I would see the day when she would become so straightforward, not hiding her feelings. Well, technically, I can't say that we are in a relationship; and technically I can't say that she has feelings for me, but I can always dream.

Jakey Bear? Cute. "Thank you," I whispered back. "That makes up for everything that you have missed."

She tilted her forehead against mines and I could smell her minty breath, lingering with her natural scent. "Can I tell you something?"

"Sure."

"You make me happy. I…Um…" She began to struggle for the words, reminding me of the shy girl that I remembered, "…I feel safe around you. Even when I was with…Ed…him, I always knew that you would be there as well. I like you."

"You have a crush on me," I teased her, but she had a serious look on her face. "I know. Did you know that I felt the same way about you?"

"Of course. It was quite obvious."

I rested my hands on her hips, lightly gripping the thin material of her shirt. The wind blew again, making her hair go into a frenzy and she drew her body closer to me, warming herself up. She rested her head on my shoulder and I whispered, "Now what?"

She sighed, "Let's try something else. I mean, I want us to still be friends, but I want something more."

"Are you sure that you are ready for that? You just got back and all."

She rose up, staring at me with seriousness in her eyes. "I can't live in the past forever, Jake." She glanced out the corner of her eye, staring at an unknown object and searching for the right words. "I have to move forward…with or without him and I want to start with you."

Bella's POV

I wanted to start with him. The words sounded so real when I said them and it didn't sound fake at all; even with Edward watching me from far off. The things that Anya had told me about dismissing Edward on my own, was starting to sound true. I knew deep down inside that my heart and alliance was to Edward and no other man. I knew that in any relationship I decided get in now would be nothing, but lies. Seeing Jacob stare at me so lovingly with those dark eyes of his and the warmth exuberating from his skin; I realized that I couldn't do this to him. I can't pretend like I care about him more than a friend because I do. I do have feelings for him and it is stronger then ever.

When he wrapped his arms around me and when he sat between my legs, something just felt right. Like we belonged together. When I first kissed him in the kitchen, it felt right. I've never felt something so…real before in my life. Sure, I have had my share of passionate kisses with Edward, but it was always being safe. He left me breathless, but Jacob, he left me yearning for more. It was like electricity surged throughout my veins, down my spine and out through my fingers and toes. It is nice to feel the warmth and not the coldness. I could let loose with Jacob without worrying about being turned into a human popsicle or being killed by his saliva. I was safe with him.

"I can help you," he said. "If this is apart of your treatment, I can help you forget about him."

"Are you doing this because of your hatred towards him?"

He shrugged and that goofy grin tugged at his lips. "That and because I care about you Bells." He tilted his head towards me, his lips going straight for mines. I wanted him to kiss me. I really did, but I wanted to toy with him just a little.

So, I held my hand up, covering his lips with my fingers. "Easy now. One step at a time," I smirked.

He pulled back, returning the smirk, but his seemed more devilish. I knew that he was up to something. It was then when he stood up and I wrapped my legs around his waist, clinging to him for dear life. Instead of wrapping his arms around me, his large hands went straight to my ass, holding on just as tight as my arms were around his neck. I laughed against his chest as he took off running; I was bouncing up and down from his fast pace. I squealed loudly as the cool ocean water splashed against my arm and the lower part of my back. "It's cold!" I looked at him, staring at those perfect teeth of his and that oh-so-sexy grin of his. "Don't you dare drop me!"

"What are you going to do if I did?" he teased, while leaning down, pretending to toss me into the rough ocean.

"You better stop!" I yelled, while pounding into his chest. I was only hurting myself because my hand was starting to feel sore after hitting him a couple times. "I am not playing Jacob!"

The water splashed around us, soaking us both in the process. My hair was damp and so was my clothing. Jake's hair was just as damp as well, even though the water appeared to evaporate just by touching him. It was moments like this that reminded that I could still have fun. I would be safe. Even when the waves bashed against us and possibly sweeping me out of his arms, he held me tightly against him, wet and all. It was the possessiveness that I found appealing; that dominant quality. Edward was like that as well, but he treated my like I was an expensive, glass vase that could break any minute. He was so overprotective, but with Jake, it's the realness that I like about him. It's the reality of him knowing that I am only human and that humans get hurt. He knows that he cannot protect me from the world, but he would at least try.

"I miss you," I whispered as my fingers intertwined into his hair.

"I'm glad that you are back," he said, leaning in to kiss me again.

I would let him this time. His kisses were light at first; mimicking the ones I gave him only moments ago. One. Two. Three times he kissed me with those airy kisses. His full lips barely touching mines, his tongue flickering just at the corner of my mouth and I sighed happily. He pressed his full lips against mines, engulfing me with his intoxicating scent. Kiss me senseless, that's what I wanted to tell him. Our moans were becoming louder, trailing along with the rocking of the waves and the humming of the ocean breeze.

My legs were starting to give away, becoming weak under his spell. As my legs fell from around his waist and he wrapped his arms around my waist, I held on to him tightly with my arms. I could feel my legs bobbling around in the water, my pants legs soaked from the dark waters. I found my body deliberately pushing towards him and even though he was really tall and my 120 pound body barely did anything, it was the waves that helped us topple to the water.

I landed on top of him and he was laughing loudly as if the cold water had not bothered him. I felt like I had landed on hundreds of daggers, but for some reason, I still felt warm against Jacob; well my chest on down was quite warm against him. "Damn, don't rape me Bells!"

I couldn't help, but to laugh as well. It was funny, seeing the shocked expression on his face as the water pounded against the back of his head. "You know that you would greatly appreciate it if I did."

Anya's POV

Booorrriiing. I yawned loudly as I stared at the projector screen in my English class…in Mrs. Aston's class. What kind of name is Aston? Is she like the queen of ass or something? I watched as the short woman with pale skin and a long, sleek black hair turned her back on the class. She was lecturing on Romeo & Juliet again and I was getting tired of it to tell you the truth. This school bored me. They never did anything that would peak my interest.

Even the students were boring…well except for this one guy. Anthony Rivers. He was the only Quileute Indian who went to school in Forks as far as I could tell. He stood out amongst the crowd with his copper complexion and silky black hair. Even his style was completely different, he didn't dress in plaid like majority of the students here, he had a more preppy/punk/hip-hop style, if those three things actually went together, and he rocked it well in my opinion. His hair was pulled back into a ponytail, with a few locks hanging on each side of his face. I had been watching him for so long that I'd even notice the small scar just at the corner of his eye. I wonder where it came from.

"Anya?" Mrs. Aston called my name as she looked up from the projector. We had an understanding now. She had a secret that she did not want anyone to know about, so I blackmailed her. I threaten to tell her little dirty secret and possibly get her fired in the process. "Do you mind reciting Juliet's lines for us?"

I smiled, "Of course. O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name, or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, and I'll no longer be a Capulet."

"Good," said Mrs. Aston. "Does anybody know the meaning of those lines?" She looks around the classroom, some students were cowering down in their seats and others looked dumbfounded. "Anthony, would you like to enlighten us?"

My eyes fell on the boy sitting only desks away from me on the third row. He dropped his pencil in his textbook and then looked up towards Mr. Aston. His lips parted and then he spoke, "It means that Juliet will still love Romeo regardless of his title and his namesake, Montague."

I raised my hand and Mrs. Aston acknowledged me, "But also, if I may add, if Romeo did not give up his name, she would give up her own in order to be with him. She loved him that much."

"Correct," Mrs. Aston nods, "to the both of you." She then turns around and begins talking again, analyzing the lines in her own way to lengthen the class period.

I glanced at Anthony again as he continued to stare at his textbook, as if he were reading. I'd only been here for several days, but today was the first day that I actually really noticed him. He was a smart guy. Smarter than some of the numskulls in our class. He was interesting.

I spent the rest of the class period watching him from afar and answering questions when asked. Finally, something caught my interest. I took my time getting my things together, when the bell rung for our twenty minute recess. I wanted to talk to the enigma that had caught my attention. I closed my textbook, stuffing it into my backpack before standing up. Anthony was already on his way out the door. No one was around so I could move around faster than human pace. Swiftly, I walked out the door, right on his heels. I decided to slow my pace down, trying to move as normal as possible, but I was so use to graceful, yet fast speed. Anthony stopped at his locker, dropping his backpack to the golden tile floor and then bent down to pick it up. When he stood up, I was already standing beside him. "Hi," I said, shyly.

He glanced at me out the corner of his dark brown hues, his eyes looked almost pitch black. He used his thumb and pointer finger to put in his combination. I listened to the ticking of lock turning left and right: 8 right, 45 left, 34 right and 69 left, the door swung open, almost hitting me in the face. He was irking my nerves. He was ignoring me like my 5'4 frame was not standing beside him. I watched as he stuffed book after book into his locker, each thudding against the metal. Biology, Intermediate Algebra, History and replacing those books with Political Science, Spanish, Fine Arts and a P.E. uniform. His gripped the edge of the locker, closing it back without saying a word. Still ignoring me.

I had a throbbing pain in the side of my head and I imagined that I had a nerve pounding against my forehead like Principal Leonard. He was irritating me. "Hey, kid!" He was walking away from me and then I reached out to grab his shoulder, but he caught my hand in his fist, his grip becoming tighter to the point that it actually hurt. He was hurting me. I groaned loudly from the pressure. The pain brought me down to my knees.

"Back off!" he yelled in a voice that did not fit his body. His voice was deep, husky, older, and manly. There was no sign of his voice changing like some of the guys in our class; it was right where it was going to be once he officially hit puberty. He released my hand, disappearing down the hallway in a wave of students.

"Miss Moore!" I heard a familiar voice call out to me from down the hallway. It was Principal Leonard, that man had ears like an elephant.

"Shit," I mumbled as I stood to my feet. I could hear his loud footsteps behind me and then I turned around to face him. "What is it Mr. Leonard? I am dressed appropriately." I found an old, itchy, orange sweater that Bella had in her closet and a pair of tattered jeans that were too small for her and put it on. She said that I looked good, which was a complete lie. Who in their right mind would come out dressed like this? I scratched my shoulder, God it itches!

"I heard you way down the hall. What were you doing to Anthony?"

I rolled my eyes, shifting my weight to my left leg while folding my arms over my chest. "Am I not allowed to hold a conversation with my fellow classmate?"

"Doesn't look like he was talking to you much."

I sighed, "You should get on his case. I was only reaching for his shoulder and he is the one who was getting physical. Didn't you see me on my hands and knees just a minute ago? Look at my hand." I held my hand up so that he could see the bruises on my hand, which should have been there, but to my surprise they had already faded away. Damn my good genes. "Take me away."

Principal Leonard did exactly that, dragging me towards the principal's office without any other questions. I spent the rest of the recess explaining to Bella why I was in trouble again. She was with Jake somewhere because I could hear him in the background laughing. Why wasn't he in school? I understand that he is one of the tribe's protectors, but that does not mean that he can skip school whenever he felt like it. Senior or not.

For the rest of the school day most of the girls were discussing buying dresses in Port Angeles this weekend. The Sweetheart Dance is in two weeks and everyone will be there. It sounds nice to get all dolled up for a change and to see the gym be transformed into something out of a fairy tale. I would like to go, but I don't want to go alone. Going alone would be extremely lame…Then again, it could be fun.

When school was over with, I made my way through the sea of students talking to their friends before going home. Bella was already here. I spotted her faded reddish-orange truck in the middle of very nice cars and trucks. Don't get me wrong, Bella's truck is nice as well, but it is really ancient compared to the cars in the vicinity. I opened the door to her truck, watching flakes of paint flutter to the ground and tossed my backpack in first before climbing in. "Hey," said Bella.

I was paying her no attention because that is when I saw Anthony walking past. He took his right hand and rubbed his fingers through the locks hanging at the side of his face; I watched as each individual lock fell right into place. I admired his clothing, a black graphic tee on top, underneath was a long sleeve, white shirt, black jeans and a pair of black and white low top Converse. Nice. He would then duck in between two cars, but I could not tell if he got in one of those cars are not.

"Well, nice to see you too," Bella mumbled as she started up the truck, the roaring of the engine scaring a couple of stuck up blondes nearby. She put the truck in reverse, backing out and then throwing on her breaks when she saw a very long and old, black Cadillac only inches from hitting the back end of her truck. Looking out the passenger side window was Anthony, emotionless, but his eyes looked like they were shooting daggers towards me.

I groaned, when Bella pulled back into the parking spot, letting Anthony and whoever was driving the car by. She then threw the car in reverse, following the black Cadillac onto the road on the side of the building. "Do you know him?" asked Bella.

"Yeah, he's in my English class."

"What's his name?" she asked motherly. She sounded more like a mother who took pictures of everything that their child did. Even the slightest stumble will go into the family portrait book.

"Bella, can you be less motherly and more BFF-ish?"

"Wait, I sound motherly?" She paused for a moment and then laughing escaped her lips, "I sound like a mother. Wow."

"You do. It has an odd ringing sound. It's embarrassing."

"Well, there is no way that I can rephrase my question."

"His name is Anthony Rivers."

Her lips pulled into a smile and then I could not believe what came out of her mouth next. "Anya and Anthony sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes Anya with a baby carriage!"

No she did not just break out into song. My face flushed and even though no one was around, I still felt embarrassed. Mainly because we were still behind Anthony at the stop sign. "Shut up Bella! You and Jake are going to have a dog pound full of puppies one day!"

She turned the car in the opposite direction of Anthony and then her laughing subsided. "Not funny, Anya."

We were not going to discuss anything about Anthony, so I changed the topic. "Where were you today?" I sniffed the air, catching the strong, but subtle scent of saltwater and Jake. "You smell like him. I heard him in the background when I called you today."

"Oh, it's his shirt," she tugged at the collar of the oversized black, button down shirt. I followed it closely to her jeans, which still smelled like salt and sand.

I knew that she was not going to give me the full details, so I decided to sort through Jacob's thoughts when he phased tonight. "Did you have fun?"

"Always." She made another turn into town. "So, tell me about Anthony. He seems friendly."

I sighed, while staring at the rain drops pounding against the glass, leaving winding trails down the window. It had started to rain again. I was actually enjoying the sunny days, but it was a rare treat that only lasted a day or two. "He is a jerk." A very smart and strong jerk.

"A jerk you like."

"Whatever, Edward was a jerk for leaving you and you like him." Bella became quiet for a moment and I could tell that my words hurt her. "Sorry. I do like Anthony."

Her voice was now soft as if she were thinking about something. "I know you do. Give him a chance, he is probably shy or doesn't like your blunt ways. Give him time; he is only a kid and so are you."

Jacob's POV

Tonight was the night that we decided to discuss Anya with the tribal leaders, Old Quil, Sue Clearwater who had taken over her husband's spot after his death, my father and Faith Rivers our local medicine woman. The tribe had our own share of secrets, especially regarding the certain number of young men transforming into wolves. Even Faith Rivers, grand-son Anthony did not have long before he joined us as well. The story is that his mother moved away to Forks in hopes that it would stop him from phasing. It was in her blood just as well as his, and no matter how far they moved there was no stopping the fever. The fever hadn't set in yet, but when it did…he and his mother will have to come to terms with it. It is what it is.

Faith was a beautiful woman with long, thick, dark gray hair. She had it pulled back into a tight, braided ponytail which hung to her waist. Out of the four she and Old Quil were the oldest. Her body was thin, almost frail, but when she stood erect, there was a quality about her that made you look past her frailness and see the strong woman that she was. She'd held her spot on the council for over fifty years now, never missing a beat. She held her own with the toughest of men.

"Jake, over here," I heard Sam call to me, in the large, wood frame lodge in the center of the reservation. I walked towards him, sitting down in one of the folding chairs with the rest of the pack nearby. "Do you think we should have brought Anya with us?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "You are the alpha. Isn't that your decision to make?"

"Yeah, but I am just as new to this as you are. Two years ago I was alone until you guys started phasing as well."

"Well, I will think of something."

My father nodded to me as he passed by with Sue pushing his wheelchair, followed by Old Quil and then Faith. She smiled towards us, her high cheeks pulling up making her eyes look like they are squinting. They all took a seat beside Billy, each falling into their roles as the tribe's elders, my father being the chief. Billy opened his mouth to speak, his voice rumbling with authority. "Sam, you called us here today to discuss the matter of Anya. She is a vampire, werewolf hybrid correct?"

"Yes, sir," said Sam.

Old Quil nods, his voice a little shaky. I watched as the wrinkles in his face moved as he spoke, "Jacob, would you mind phasing for us, so that Faith will be able to see this child."

"Um, sure," I said while standing to my feet. I was not expecting this, but I figured that this was the reason why Billy wanted us to meet in the lodge instead of at Sue's house. The lodge was big enough for us wolves to phase and move around without any problems. I walked about five feet away from them, phasing in a flash of the eye. I no longer felt my body twisting into an unknown form, it came easily to me now, even though some of the other guys, like Paul was still able to feel the pain when they changed.

The wooden floor barely creaked under my weight as I walked towards Faith. "Come my child," she whispered as I sat on my hind legs, towering over her fragile frame. I stared at her closely now, it was the first time that I had actually really gotten a good look at her. The bags under her eyes creased, with lines at the corner of her eyes, the skin on her neck seem to sag, as if it were hanging off her bones; but she still looked good. Her eyes were an unusual greyish-blue color, a result of cataracts. "Down."

My body went slightly limp when she said that, automatically lying on my stomach. I could hear the murmurs from the pack as they watched closely. I would then feel her thin hand lie flat on my head, between my ears and then she spoke in a language that only a few members of our tribe knew. The pressure on my head became heavier somehow, as if she were trying to dig down into my brain. I could feel her fingers burying deeper through my thick fur, almost touching my scalp. "What do you see?" I heard Sue ask.

"Show her to me, Jacob," said Faith, her voice subtle and relaxed. I closed my eyes again, focusing on images of Anya at her best. Twisting her body so that Faith could view her from all angles, before landing on the night that Anya phased. "What's this?" She was referring to Anya's wolf form now, the ivory wolf with golden specks throughout its fur.

As I opened my eyes, Faith's arm dropped to her side, her eyes closed. Crap! Is she dead? "Grandma," I heard Anthony call out as he rushed through the front door of the lodge. I hadn't sensed him here, but I assumed that Faith did not want him here; otherwise he would have been with us. "Grandma!" he yelled again, touching her hand and then he froze too.

I felt a strange thumping through my mind, images flooding my sense. My fellow pack members groaned loudly as well, in shock because they could see it too. The vision was so realistic that I could smell the rain in the air and feel the gentle drops dampening my fur. The fog covering the deserted road was thick, but I could not see exactly where. Everything was foggy. I could hear a baby crying in the distance, when the image of the deserted road faded. "No! Don't take her away from me!" a woman screamed and the image faded again.

Anthony jerked his hand away from Faith. I could see the shame on his face when he glanced my way, sadness in his eyes. What was that about? I whimpered while looking at Sam out the corner of my eye and then back to Faith who had now opened her eyes. "I am fine, child." She began to stand to her feet, Anthony helping her in the process by wrapping his arm around her waist. "I would like to analyze what I have seen." She looks towards Billy, "Will it be a problem, if I wait awhile?"

"No problem at all, Faith," said Billy. "Take your time."

Sue spoke up, "But is this girl safe? We need to know. I don't want to put my family or the pack in any harm if they are to be around her."

Faith looks over her shoulder and says, "She won't hurt us. There is much that we can learn from this girl."

I watched as she and Anthony left the lodge and then Sam looked my way again. He was just as confused as I was. I didn't understand what we had seen and what the meaning behind it was. Why did Faith black out like that? And what was up with Anthony? I didn't feel a thing until he touched her hand. "Jake, phase back and meet me at Emily's."

I nodded my head, assuring him that I would be there, but first I had to take my dad home. I waited until everyone left the lodge before phasing back and quickly changing into the clothing that I had tied to my leg. When I made it outside, Billy was already in the truck; obviously Sam had helped him get in. I got in on the driver's side and sighed before starting the truck. We didn't say much as I drove back to our house. What was there to say? The only thing we could do was to contemplate on what information that we did have. I was more concerned about Anthony if anything. He is an odd kid. The weirdness is to be expected when your grandmother is practically a witch doctor.