I know it's not Sunday. I know it hasn't been the seventh day yet. I know that I'm technically cheating.

Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you look at it), I do not care.

Therefore, I give to you: chapter eight!!!

Enjoy

Tress Blues.


Chapter 8. When the Wolves howl…You know You're In Trouble

Paul

I got in the door and raced past Ma and Zoe (the latter of whom was jumping up and down to the Wiggles on television and making thoroughly too much freakin' noise), spitting out greetings and goodbye to them both before dumping my bag, tearing off my shirt and grabbing a pair of shorts to go on patrol.

Because I was seriously freaking late.

I took out into the forest behind our place and my spine arched and bones cracked and my hair spread all over my body. In about five seconds, I was a wolf and there were about four other voices yelling in my head. Now if that doesn't make me sound insane, I don't imagine what would.

Where the hell have you been?! Jacob snapped. He was pissed at having to cover for me and then do his patrol too.

Relax Jake, I'm coming, you can stop you bitch fit already. I thought and Embry sniggered before Jacob cracked his jaws at him.

Shut up Paul, I'm tired and pissed and there is NO ONE to take it out on except you. He threatened before loping up to the north area. Sam wants you covering the south and Embry's taking the east. Don't know about Seth, he's meant to be here soon.

Jake take a rest, I'll take your shift and call in Jared to help. Is that all right your highness? I asked, mockingly. He grumbled something, incomprehensible even in his own head before his mind jumped out of the circuit and I couldn't read him anymore. My temper was flaring up again as a wolf though; thoughts of Sophie only lead to her bruises and scratches, and my suspicions that she wasn't as clumsy as she looked.

Whoa, what happened? Embry asked as I took off to call for Jared. He'd be at Kim's and as much as I hated yanking him away from her, I felt worse for Jacob who was trying to hide something. I growled as he saw her narrow fingers and the scratch on her cheek. Paul, they aren't exactly extensive injuries, she's probably just clumsy, like she said.

Yeah well she doesn't look clumsy and I've never seen her trip-

Except for the day you actually met her. He pointed out, running through yesterday. He hadn't been on patrol so he hadn't gotten the full scoop in my own head yesterday. Heavy stuff man. He whistled in his head at the imprint instinct.

I howled for Jared and watched as he appeared at Kim's window, looking irate before flipping me off and coming downstairs. He changed, disappearing into a big mass of brown and white fur. Jared reminds the Pack of a cow; you know, the black and white one, in colouring except he's brown and not black. Gee, thanks for the amazing compliment he thought, dryly. Now tell me why you're howling to the moon to get me out here. you almost woke Kim!

Sorry man, I know you were with Kim and shit but Jake- I winced.

Needs a break otherwise he's like going to go like, completely bitchy. Seth said, sniggering and sounding like an airheaded blonde. Because you've had your share of them eh Paul?

I growled at him and took off down south and Jared followed a track to the north. Shut it kid. I snapped.

Just cause I got dates and he was too busy waiting for his imprint to show up- wait, I couldn't use that anymore, seeing as I was imprinted. Well, crap there goes my best excuse.

Seth snickered in response to my thoughts. It was odd hearing voices and seeing no bodies around to match them too, I noticed, running through the underbrush to the south side of the treaty boundaries.

Yeah, but you should be used to it by now, I mean we all know you here those little voices in your head telling you do burn things or punch people or be a complete pri-

Embry if you do not shut the hell up, I don't care about the leeches, I'll come over there and make you, got it?

Whatever. He grumbled, following the boundary in the east. It was instinctual, knowing where it was, like you couldn't get wrong if you tried.

Nah, it's okay man, Kim was tired cause of her exams, she's sleeping anyway. Jared explained and I felt queasy as he thought of Kim in her bed at her house. So…how was studying?

Embry and Seth laughed openly and I rolled my eyes. Fine, Mr Murrays made me sort papers out. Guy's really losing his touch with the whole detention task things. Unconsciously, I thought of Sophie's paper, re-reading the words to myself in my head…

Sweet Jesus, she is smart. Embry said, apologetically. Sorry mate, looks like you're out of luck.

Wow. And she's a junior? You're screwed. Seth interrupted my string of profanities at Embry. Seth was a sophomore, a year younger than Sophie, two younger than me and Jared.

Will everyone shut up about my love life? I groaned, thinking of the absolute flogging I would get if all three of the Alphabets were here.

Hey! Embry snapped. He, Quil and Jacob were the Alphabets or otherwise known as the three annoying bastards who can't keep their mouth shut. Ateara, Black and Call made it too easy to nickname.

True man Jared backed me up, sniffing around one area. Nothing here. It's all clean.

Same.

Ditto.

Nothing. I agreed and we patrolled in relative silence for the rest of the time in purgatory. Idly, as the shift drew to close, I wondered if Sophie was asleep already. She probably wouldn't notice if I took a little detour from home to her place would she?

Paul, you're sounding kinda creepy. Jared started when I reminded him of the constant whining 'She's so beautiful, I'm going to go see her tonight, she's so gorgeous, I love her, I need to see her or I might DIE!' fest he'd participated in when he first imprinted on Kim.

He shut up without a second thought.

Invite her to the bonfire on next month Paul, Seth suggested although there was an ulterior motive. I wanna see the girl who turned you into a quivering puddle of hormones. I could hear his barking laughter all the way across the forest as Sam, Leah and Quil popped into existence.

You guys can go now, just make sure you're free for tomorrow night. Sam said and Jared went racing back to Kim's as if he'd been an elastic band being stretched from her house to far off into the forest. I was a little ashamed to say I didn't race as fast back to Sophie's because for one thing, I didn't know how she'd react to perhaps seeing an enormous wolf in her front yard and secondly…I was starting to wonder how she might take it if I told her it was me.

I was still musing on this when I tumbled out into the woods across from her house. Sophie's home was facing the La Push forest, separated from the wild undergrowth by a narrow strip of road and then a small lawn before the houses were lined up in a long line; like soldiers battling against the trees.

The moon was full (ironic huh?) and being the huge grey and white coloured wolf I was, it'd be difficult to miss me once I was in view. I tried to look up into the window she said was hers but all I could here was the noise of a television and dull yelling. The smell of beer was in the air too.

I took a deep breath…and stepped forward across the road.

---

Sophie

I sat in my room, scribbling down answers to my History homework. In what year did the English begin to colonize Australia and what were the repercussions of this action? I flipped through my text book (the old, ratty second hand one I borrowed from school) and jotted down notes, ready for writing up my report.

"GO YOU MOTHER FUCKERS! GO!" Dad bellowed from downstairs and I winced at the language. The smell of beer and smoke drifted upstairs and was enough to make me want to retch.

"HURRY THE HELL UP!" came another voice and I frowned, worried at it. Paul had been right when he dropped me off; there was another person here. Of course, I'd been lying when I said it was my dad's friend so what a surprise it turned out to be when it actually was a friend of his. Jeremy Anderson was a huge, tattooed, wasted looking mechanic, new in the Dowlings shop in Forks. Of course Dad had offered him a night at our house although when I came in, I wished nothing more than for him to leave.

"Jerry, this is Sophie, my wife's daughter-" I couldn't help but notice that I wasn't his daughter but my mom's. "-You, this is Jeremy Anderson and until further notice, you're going to leave us the fuck alone and won't make a single noise got it?" Dad had greeted me with. He didn't care that I was home later than others because I'd told him my school ended at five o'clock so to him; I was perfectly on time.

I muttered a hello to Dad and tried to get to the kitchen when Anderson had gotten off the couch and followed me in.

"You making something, doll face?" he'd asked, smiling and showing the cigarette blackened teeth in his mouth. I didn't stare at him just grabbed the bag of frozen chips and frozen beer battered fish out of the refrigerator and gotten to work. He didn't leave, just kept watching me as I cooked, putting things in the oven and trays and such. It was unnerving. I went to put the fish away and but Anderson beat me to it, already opening the fridge door and leaning against it. I tried not to get too close out of instinct but also because this man was staring at me like I was a piece of meat or something.

"D-Dad, food's ready." I called out to him and there was a groan as he lifted himself off the couch and staggered in the kitchen, a cigarette but between his teeth. So he was drunk and smoking: great.

"What did I say? Do not bother me and what d'you do? You drag both of us in for something that you coulda just left on the table. Bloody useless, what did I say Jeremy?" he laughed, bitterly and Anderson surveyed me again before smiling a definingly creepy smile.

"I don't know Jack; she's a pretty little thing. Might make some money off her one day." He laughed, never taking his eyes off me. I shuddered and grabbed my own portion of food and trying to get past the two drunken men. Dad was too busy laughing with Jeremy to block me but I felt Anderson's hand glide across my shoulders and down my back for a second when I moved past him. I didn't look back. Just ran faster.

Even the memory gave me chills and I shuddered, getting back to my studies. Except, I thought as I looked down, that I was done. Which left me nothing to do. Which got me thinking of Paul…

I could've thrown my books out my window if I didn't need them for class out of frustration. It'd been worse in library; I was still trying to figure out why Paul was talking to me then.

It was still inconceivable: I was a socially inept, barely present girl who had never spoken to him in his life and NOW he wanted to start a friendship? And what's more…I don't know there just seemed to be more. I had barely covered half of my Economics work before I found myself doodling question marks in the corners and thinking of the insanely odd looks I kept getting from him.

And then there was the fact that he completely ignored my warnings! Not only was it stupid to do so, it was annoying to be simply over looked all the time.

Paul kept asking me, why not and I couldn't give satisfactory answers. How do you squish nine years of complete hell into four minutes of conversation: Oh yeah, you can't be my friend because I'm a bit emotionally unstable from the last nine years when my life started to look like someone threw it in a paper shredder. Also my favourite colour is red and I'm a cat person, thanks for asking.

Somehow, I don't think it would work well enough for him to leave me alone. And I was starting to find, I didn't want it to. I could hear it in my own voice whenever I tried to explain why we couldn't be friends, he was wearing me down.

Would it really be so bad? Of course he'd have to start buying my lies and he'd never ever meet my father, but would it be so terrible to have Paul as my friend? Which brought me back to my point: I wasn't thoroughly convinced it was only friendship he wanted. Like I said: there seemed to be more.

Unless the more was some kind of trap. I sound paranoid but it was exactly the type of thing that I was afraid of…a whole 'Carrie' set up: boy tricks girl, girl gets humiliated…only I didn't have superpowers to take revenge on everyone afterwards. Not that I'd ever have the guts to do it and further more I don't think I'd want to hurt anyone, especially Paul.

So maybe it was better that I stay away from him because I wouldn't even have the initiative to stand up for myself later on which would probably make me an easy target…but then again, if it was really only friendship he was interested in, that would be a terrible idea too because eventually he'd notice something was off. And as much as I hated my current living circumstances, I wouldn't- couldn't- have anyone grow suspicious of my father and me.

So I was either getting into of a trap that was sure to end in my humiliation and possible further teasing or I was going to draw unwanted attention to something I was trying to keep off the radar, by starting a friendship with Paul…Ugh.

Lose/lose situation.

I closed my text books, my brain hurting with my predictions. Don't think about him at all then Sophie. I demanded of myself as I put my things in my bag for the next day. I could hear vague commotion from the house down from us. A party probably. I walked to the window, kneeling on the window seat cushions to open my curtains a bit. I was right. They were the only people up at this absurdly early time but they seemed happy about it. There were a series of fairy lights twinkling around our neighbour's patio and a group of adults were lazing around laughing. One of them had a guitar and plucked at the strings. I smiled, faintly. At least someone was having a good night.

"WHAT KIND OF A FUCKNG PASS WAS THAT, RENOLDS?!" boomed Anderson from below. Suddenly they were laughing loudly and there was even more smoke coming up the stairs. I sighed, getting up to close my door from the ashen smell. It stunned my nose with a sort of tainted burn and made me think of the scar on my back. Tenderly, I stroked my back, right under my shoulder blade where the tiny circular burn mark was still visible, even after two years. Even more tentatively, I touched right below it; a thin pink scar of about four centimetres followed the curve of waist from where I was thrown against the fireplace grate.

Don't think about that either Sophie. My inner sane voice quipped. Maybe it was just me but it sounded almost exasperated with me. Unknowingly, I'd gravitated towards the window again and I sat down, playing with the thin lacy white curtains that had been made by my mother. Not her either.

But what did that leave me to think about?

I sighed, growing more annoyed by the minute. Chancing a look out of my curtains, I saw the big white moon and the pointed edge of the La Push forest and way off in the distance, the rugged mountain ranges of the border between Oregon and Forks poked up from the south. A beautiful scene that made me wish I had learned more in my art classes a few years ago.

I was about to turn away when something flashed near the edge of the dark tree line, white and big. My eyes strained through the darkness, although it wasn't difficult in the bright moonlight. I wondered if it was a car, it looked big enough for it. My eyes widened and I had a sort of choked, inhale of breath as I leaned further to the window.

What I saw was…most definitely not a car.

It was huge, almost as big as cow or horse and covered with dark grey fur that had patches of white, lit up in the moonlight. I had lost my mind. Officially. I knew that one of these days, something would come along and I would snap. Today was that day, I thought, stunned as the enormous dark grey wolf padded lightly into my front yard, completely unnoticed.

I felt stupid as I finished sweeping the street- it was almost getting on 2 in the morning, who would be up at this time. Even the party was beginning to pack up, I could see the fairy light flicker and dim to a black as they migrated inside. The missing of the warm golden light made the white and black contrast of everything else seem more sinister.

The wolf's head twitched to the door and then to the lower window and I wondered what it saw; Anderson and my Dad smoking on the couch? Yelling at the television? Passed out drunk? But then it looked slowly and deliberately upwards, it's big oddly light eyes unblinking and stared right at my window.

But I didn't turn away.

Somewhere, in the more logical, smart side of my brain, I knew that staring animals (especially enormous, dangerous animals like this one) in the eye was seen as a threat but instinct made me stare at it. It laid down with a thump and put its head on its front paws, its tail thumping against the moist grass. A tiny giggle escaped my lips; it looked absurdly like a puppy with a new toy.

Its head cocked to one side and its jaws opened (showing the razor sharp teeth lined up like knives in its mouth) and closed, not threateningly but almost…as in a yawn. Yep, insane. I felt oddly worried about the wolf when I took in the definite weariness around its shoulders but immediately shook myself: firstly, it probably wasn't even real and secondly, it was a wolf!? I should be wondering if it was coming to eat me or start calling the rangers not feeling worried about the last time it took a nap!

My head danced in circles and I didn't even notice what I was doing as I unlocked my window. I was on the second storey I mean…how high could it jump? Really? The night was cold and blew in the window like a gale but it calmed after a moment or two and I stared down at the wolf, feeling completely stupid as I peeked over the sill and slid my legs over the sill and balanced my toes on the little stone arch above our door. I'd come out here a few times when we were younger, even as far back as when my mother was alive.

The wolf reacted oddly. It jerked into motion from his otherwise still position and made a sort of whimper in the back of its throat. I frowned, swinging my legs absently. "What?" I muttered, looking around for a sign of distress. But everything was startlingly quiet on my street as I watched the wolf.

Now, discounting the fact that I'm insane and hallucinating and I wasn't actually seeing things clearly, I also felt the need to add the observational side of me to the argument. Even if I had thought it was real (which it wasn't), it was also too big to be plausible. I wasn't going to go into the fact that to my memory, not many wolf packs were situated around these parts, at least none of the ones I'd ever heard of, but this was the largest wolf I'd ever seen (not that there'd be many) by far. No wolves grew that big, it was implausible to the laws of science and nature-

The wolf swung its head jerkily at my feet, which were swinging again in answer. In. Answer. My eyes widened in shock and my feet stopped swinging. It may have been me but the wolf wore a look of triumph. "Did you just answer me?" I whispered, half to myself. The wolf barked once and I almost fell off the sill. It whimpered again, loudly as I scrambled back through my window. I needed to be on solid ground before I actually did fall out the window. Because my father probably wouldn't take me to hospital if I did. The wolf barked again and I stared at it before blinking and closing the windows again. This was crazy! Insane! Not Normal!

I yanked the curtains shut…but I peered through the lace and waited until it trotted back over the road and into the woods before I finally fell asleep, the thought to check up on mutated-wolf warnings in the area tomorrow, floating through my head…

Well, that and frustrating thoughts of Paul Beckett of course.


I got a few questions that I figure might need answering before we continue, if you have anymore, please, feel free to drop a line and interrogate me about my story...

So:

Why is Paul not with Rachel??

Well, not to offend anyone, but the whole thing flowed too much for me. I mean Rachel is allowed in on the secret because Paul imprints on her…the whole things too convenient. I pride m story on being difficult. Not so easy, if you get what I mean.

Who's inside the House??

Anderson, as you've just seen. I hope he freaks you guys out as much as he does me. And that's saying something considering, I wrote him.

Whatever happened to Erika??

She'll be back! Promise! Actually, she's got a key part to play in this so don't count her out just yet. ;)

Tress Blues