Title: Complicated Battle
By: TaintedAngeloftheSea21
Disclaimer: Well I don't own Twilight; sadly I never will either because all rights go to Stephanie Meyer!
Author's Note: Hahaha I'm finally updating and while it is not a holiday I tried to make it close to one. *WARNING* - I did change a few things to Jacob's Coven's Profile in chapter 2 to fit with their background story in this chapter. So check that out before reading so that years and ages don't confuse you. See yah at bottom ;)
lytebrytehybrid: Yeah he's a hybrid. No offense but I glad that someone picked up on it after I "put all my cards on the table" when it came to fleshing out Jacob's own backstory…unless you and everyone else already knew, which is okay too! And about your questions…I can't answer them because they may or may not be answered in this chapter. ;) You're just gonna have to read to find out.
KxZ fan: Hehehe…yeah I'm really trying. I do want to get a lot done before my freshman year in college starts, so you know I'm having to type this really late at night/early in the morning if I have any intention of meeting my quota. I really do appreciate you commenting for every chapter! It makes my heart swell with love! :')
Ominous07: Well I'm glad you're back! Yes it's been a while and that's because I'm a lousy writer but a busy person; however, I'm really trying to make up for it this year *crosses fingers*. To answer your question…yeah Nicole and Kara are siblings, you'll just have to see about that second part because *spoiler alert* their own backstory is in this chapter, but I mentioned that above so yay! And no they aren't twins, but I caught my mistake! So thank you! Sometimes I get so lost in typing that I forget, it really has become a norm for me to make a mistake and to go back to every other chapter to fix them. -,-' Opps?
MewnWolfGirl: Awesome writing? *blushes and rubs back of head* Hehehe hardly, I try. But regardless your comment makes my day (even though I saw it, a long, long time ago…)
Snowbeardolphin: Thanks a bunch! I'm glad you enjoy it so far!
veronika: Thanks a bunch I'm glad you see the potential in it. It's a damn shame it's a taking me a long time before I can get down to the smut. I just feel like that shouldn't be rushed. I could…but I don't think I will *shrugs*. Hope you enjoy this chapter sweetie!
Guest: Oh my Volturi in deed! Hahaha that had me laughing for a while. Glad you're excited for this chapter, just be careful when bouncing off them walls, whoever you are. Won't keep you for long then so enjoy!
Chapter 9 – Bonds Formed
Nicole's POV-
The ride home is awkwardly silent, in my opinion. I'm surprised Kara has kept so quiet, even as we walk through the front door.
Instantly Jacob rushes up the stairs, "I'm going to take a shower." He leaves us no time to reply as he slams the door.
I turn towards my mother the moment she sighs gravely, looking completely exhausted as she settles into a leather chair at the dinner table. Her hands cover her eyes and I knew that if she could cry, she would be doing so that very moment.
Kara and I exchange a stricken glance at one another before I decide to approach our mother cautiously. Kneeling before her I place a gentle hand on her left knee. "Mom…" She sniffles before removing her fingers to meet my gaze.
"I-I tried…" Her laugh sounds forced and her voice eventually cracks as she continues, "I guess it didn't matter. I still hurt him in the end."
"Mom, we're all equally guilty for hiding the truth from him…you don't have to put this all on yourself. Besides, we knew from the beginning that no matter what we said he would be hurt, feel betrayed even. It was inevitable." I point out, conveying as much comfort as possible toward her.
The elder vampire nods her head, allowing Kara and I the chance to swoop in and give our mother a comforting hug. It lasts a couple of moments before she pulls away.
Only second later does Jacob's ringtone goes off from its place on the couch; Anya was furious that Jacob forgotten his phone at home last night, especially when we were unable to find him after we came home and found out that he hadn't returned. However, by the look on her face, Anya can't help but feel relieved for the slightest moment that it could be Billy on the other line.
She goes to answer it, "Hello?"
"It's Sam." She mouths silently to us, before continuing to listen to whatever he has to say.
"…I'm totally okay with that. Alright, I'll text you our address…No problem, see you in a bit."
"So they're coming here?" Kara asks curiously.
Anya shuts the phone after sending a quick message to Sam and places it in its original position, "Yes, I guess I should start making lunch for Jacob and our guests, assuming they'll be hungry when they arrive."
I nod once in understanding, "Alright then."
My younger sister and I watch as Anya strolls into the kitchen without another word.
The two of us let out a deep sigh in unison. Kara glances at me in questioning as if to say so what do we do now?
I shrug nonchalantly, "Want to watch a movie?"
"Sure, I get to pick though!" Kara exclaims, childishly shoving me out the way in order for her to stand in front of the movie cabinet first.
I can feel my eye twitch irritably, "Really?"
"Yup!" Sending me a quick grin, she plucks a disk from its plastic confinement before placing it in the DVD player.
"So what are you we watching?" I ask, flinging myself carelessly onto the nearest love-seat.
"Mean Girls," Kara settles across from me on the longer couch, sending me an enough said look. Nodding in approval, I shift in the chair to get as comfortable as possible for the movie.
Half way through the film, Jacob trudges down the steps silently.
"Are you in a better mood?" I question, scrounging up a bit of fortitude to ask the sullen teenager.
Jacob sighs, "Yeah..." He plops down next to Kara on the couch, eyes instantly fixed toward the TV screen.
'Your father's coming here, he'll be here in a couple of minutes.' Glancing at him with a passive look on his face, I receive a quick reaction from my informal remark.
Jacob's eyes look like their seconds away from popping out from their sockets. 'Now!?' His voice filled with complete anxiety and dread.
'Yup.'
"So…are you nervous?" Jacob fixes me an aggravated express.
'Could you please stop and give me a moment to think!?' He telepathically pleads and yet he replies uncomfortably, "Just a little bit."
My other questions fall silent after that and we continued to watch the movie.
Suddenly there's less shuffling in the kitchen and I don't have to the power of telepathy to know that our mother is clearly avoiding the urge to come out to join us. She just wants to apologize to Jacob, right the wrong that's been done, and make us the family we use to be, dysfunctional as we may be.
A frown sets on Jacob's deadpanned face, notifying me immediately that he tuned into my thoughts.
'You're angry I get that, you have every right to be, but she completely blames herself for not telling you the truth.
Months after your birth Anya informed Billy of your existence; in the end, though, he left you in Anya's care, because we all care for you and therefore only wanted to protect you.' I think toward my only cousin, hoping he'd see reason.
'Protect me from who?' His eyebrows furrow in confusion when his saddened gaze catches mine.
'The Volturi…They'll turn you into their own personal guard dog, literally, if they find out that you know about your own 'kind' and is on the verge of shifting.
Your father, from what Anya told us, was broken-hearted handing you over, but because he feared the worst of what the Quileute tribe would do to you, once they found out who you originated from, he wanted to give you the chance at a longer life.'
Jacob doesn't reply but understanding washed the sadness on his face away. It's not a second later that the doorbell rings.
Anya comes out from the kitchen, silently making her way to the front door. Jacob surprises us all, though, by joining Anya's side at the door and giving her a slight peck on the cheek.
He then engulfs her into a tight hug before whispering, "I understand now, I'm sorry."
My mother hugs him back immediately, causing me to inwardly sigh in relief.
We're going to be okay.
As they pull away Anya asks, "Are you ready?"
With a sigh Jacob nods, "Yes."
Seeing the anxiousness yet determination set on the young teenager's face Anya opens the door to reveal whoever is behind the door.
Jacob's POV-
This is it…I can't help but think as Anya, my biological aunt, moves to open the front door.
Revealed from behind it stands Sam and Jared. With them is a native man, late-thirties at least, with long jet-black hair and bound in a wheelchair. Is this him?
"Hello," The man smiles widely up at me, as if I were a missing piece in his life that he had just found. "I'm Billy Black…I'm your father."
My heart thumps rapidly against my chest. My throat goes dry, making it impossibly hard to reply. "J-Jacob…" After clearing my throat, "I'm Jacob."
"Jacob…" Billy says, allowing the foreign name roll around on his tongue.
Before any silence can fall between us Anya quickly ushers the three males in, "Please, come in. Are any of you hungry?"
Once the three settle comfortably on the couch with the girls, Billy speaks up. "I'm quite alright. However if you boys are, then…" His eyes turns toward Sam and Jared, leaving it up to the two to answer when he doesn't continue.
"Sure!" Jared jumps up excitedly before dragging Sam up with him. Anya leads them to the kitchen, but Sam stops short to face me.
"You coming Jacob?"
Feeling the weight of Sam's stare, I immediately feel compelled to agree to his offer. Nodding once, I walk over to him from my place near the front door.
The two of us are greeted with a marvelous sight of finger-foods as we enter the kitchen behind Jared and Anya. The heavenly smell that consumes my sense causes my mouth to water instantly.
Not bothering with a plate I devour the nearest platter of food; Jared and Sam seem just as affected by my aunt's tasty meals as begin they follow my tactics.
Anya chuckles wholeheartedly, "You boys enjoy!"
Normal POV-
As Anya walks out the kitchen with a bright smile on her face, Nicole and Kara come in to silently watch the three boy's glutton-like acts. Moments later the five teenagers can instantly hear small chatter commencing in the living room; however, they don't bother to tune into the two adult's conversation, giving Anya and Billy a sense of privacy.
Once the boys are stuffed and satisfied, all five young adults pile quickly into the living room. Jacob settles comfortable by his father's side, suddenly feeling the pressing need to know everything about the man.
"Jacob," The oldest native says, catching the youngest teenager's attention. "I'm sure you have many questions. We certainly have a lot of catching up to do. However, there are some pressing matters that have come to my attention that must be addressed beforehand."
Jacob nods quietly, "Okay, what sort of matters?"
Billy sighs, "Your body is undergoing a change, a transformation be that as it may, in which I'm sure over the past few weeks you've become more aware of."
Jacob nods, "A wolf, or a shape-shifter, I take it? I've seen it a few times in my dreams."
"So did Jared, Paul, and I, weeks before we transformed. The three of us are here to make the transformation easier on you. It's painful to do so at the beginning but with our help, you'll be able to control your shifting. Once you've joined our pack, you'll begin carry an incredible amount of responsibility, becoming one of the few protectors of our tribe." Sam informs Jacob with an intense gaze.
Jacob blinks once, "Protectors? From what?" Immediately the younger boy internally slaps himself for having let his stupidly-obvious question slip out.
Sam stare turns toward the three females in the room, "From their kind. Of course we've never had any trouble with the Cullens. They keep to their side and we keep to ours, as expected; but the recent nomads that have passed through caused us to shift unexpectedly and that can only mean one thing…"
"Something big is coming…" Jacob whispers silently.
Sam nods in agreement, "There's no telling when those bloodsuckers will show their faces again, but we need to be prepared to protect tribe at all costs."
Does this mean I can't be around Anya, Nicole, or Kara anymore? The Quileute tribe have rules set out with the Cullens and if I become a part of their tribe does that mean I'll be forced to abide by them? Internally sighing, Jacob continues to ponder deeply. Here I am once again forced to follow someone else's rules…
"Look son…we're not expecting you to move in with me anytime soon. We just want you to visit a couple of times in the next few weeks as you near your transformation, that way it won't be so confusing when it does happen." Billy earnestly lays a hand softly on top of Jacob's, causing the boy to startle out of his thoughts. With one look into his father's eyes Jacob instantly relaxes, feeling the sudden pressure on his shoulders lift and fade away.
It'll be okay, son. For a short, peaceful moment, Jacob truly believed him.
From there the two spend the next hour and a half talking about each other, making up for lost time. The two Quileute wolves and the three vampires sit on the couch, watching Jacob and Billy happily exchange stories with one another. Only on occasion will the four teenagers jump in to add embarrassing stories of their own about the two.
Soon enough, though, four o'clock rolls by quickly. Billy glances at the time at the end of one of his many fishing tales with Charlie Swan. "Wow, is it really that time?" Seconds later Billy sighs wistfully before continuing, "Sorry, son. I promised I'd head over to Charlie's to watch the game at four-thirty."
Jacob nods then proceeds to stand up in unison with Sam and Jared. He moves to shake each of their hands, "I was nice meeting you."
"Same goes for you, Jacob. Be sure to stop by the reserve sometime soon, the sooner we start training you the quicker you'll get at shifting." Sam says as he grips onto Jacob's palm in a questionably-strong restraint.
His blank stare sent shivers down Jacob's spine and not in a good way. Jacob begins to immediately sense hostility coming off of Sam as he sharply drops the young man's hand.
What's his problem? Jacob can't help but think as he ignores Sam's sudden, aggressive attitude and quickly sends him a tight smile, "Sure thing, Sam."
Jacob then meets his dad at the front door, after being wheeled their by Jared, to say their goodbyes. Jacob bends down to pull Billy into a comforting yet tight hug. "It's great to finally meet you, Dad."
Billy Black hugs his son back almost by reflex, tears fill the edges of his eyes in a matter of seconds. "You too son...I'm so sorry Jacob, for not being there for you all these years. I-It broke my heart to stay away, but I believed you'd be safer with Anya and her daughters. I'm just glad you were able to give me another chance, this means the world to me."
Wiping his father's tears, Jacob smiles down at him widely, hoping that his happiness and understanding comes across clearly. It does judging by the small grin Billy gives him.
With their goodbyes said and done, the three Quileute males stroll over to the Swan's residence next door.
Letting out a loud breathe of air, one Jacob didn't know he was holding in, Jacob shuts the door silently, feeling incredibly exhausted at the moment. "Well…" He tosses himself onto the couch ungracefully, allowing his head to be placed in Kara's lap. "That went well." At once Kara's hand gently begins to card through his short, jet-black locks and he leans into it slightly.
"I think it went better than expected. I mean I expected a bunch more tears, coming from you to be exact."
"Hey!" Jacob pouts before turning his gaze towards Anya, "So what time are we heading over to the Cullens?"
"Look we all know you want to see your vampire boyfriend so badly, little brother, but come on." Kara says in a teasing tone, patting his head lightly.
Jacob swats at the hand in his hair in rebuttal, "Cousin."
"Excuse me?"
"I'm your cousin."
Jacob's clarification disheartened all three females immediately; but before either vampire could negate his statement Jacob continues hastily as if sensing their change in mood, "But I was your brother before I knew that, so there's really no point in changing it now."
Nicole and Kara beam widely, looking completely relieved, while Anya simply nods in approval.
"You kiddos should get ready, we'll be leaving in about an hour." Anya says as she reaches for her phone. "I'm just going to let Carlisle know ahead of time."
Nodding the three teens rush upstairs to their respective rooms to dress accordingly. Like always the girls are the first to finish getting ready, while Jacob, on the other hand, stands in front of his closet struggling to find something suitable to wear.
Nicole and Kara waltz into his bedroom seconds later, as if sensing his fashion-crisis. "Need help little bro?" Nicole says with a smirk, trying her hardest not to laugh at Jacob's attempt to dress nicely for dinner at the Cullen's household.
"You know if you're trying to impress them, you might want to lean towards something that'll make you stand out. You know, makes your eyes pop and your booty more noticeable." Kara continues as she gracefully settles herself onto Jacob's bed.
Jacob's cheeks burns instantly after listening to her so-called "fashion tip". "I'm not trying to impress them!" He argues back pathetically.
"No point in denying it, you want to look nice and impress Edward's family." Kara and Nicole's grins increases its intensity, if that's even possible, and while Jacob became increasingly annoyed with their teasing he can't help but notice that they've been smiling a lot more because of it. Their happiness is all that matters.
"Yeah, yeah," He counters with a roll of his eyes, sarcasm absent in his response.
"Come on, we've got a lot of work to do."
The second the time struck four-thirty the three female vampires and the male soon-to-be-werewolf were ready. Donning a red silk, long-sleeved shirt and black dress pants, Anya tops her outfit with a black, nicely-fitting blazer and flats. Kara decides to dress in a light pink, flower-printed dress that came up to her knees. A blue jean jacket hugs her bare shoulders and she has chosen to wear black Converse to compliment her belt. Nicole, like Kara, also chose to wear a knee-high dress. However Nicole's dress is navy blue with peach colored belt to match the similar colored polka dots that surrounds it. Nicole chooses to wear her navy blue and white striped wedge sandals, along with the white blazer that hugs her figure comfortably. Last but not least, Jacob's attire is a dark gray button-up shirt, with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and added with a dark-colored pair of blue jeans; as well as joined with a pair of black dress shoes.
The Starks depart from their home and arrive at the Cullen's estate ten minutes early than originally planned. The four step out of Nicole's car and stroll over the door, where the Cullen's were graciously waiting for them.
"Please come right in." Carlisle holds the door open for the family of four, allowing them the opportunity to ease their way into his home. The Cullens crowd around the Starks, patiently waiting for their coven leader to speak. "Why don't we let Jacob eat first before discussing anything?"
Anya bobs her head once in concordance with Carlisle's suggestion. "That's perfectly fine with me."
Jacob's POV-
A moment after the two heads of the covens came to an agreement we all piled upstairs to the kitchen on the second-level of the house.
However, Alice quickly drags Kara and Nicole up to her room, babbling about their outfits along the way. Rosalie follows behind them immediately, feeling complete lost without some sort of attention on her.
Emmett and Jasper settle down on their living room sofa in the next room to watch a rerun of an earlier-played football game.
Carlisle and Anya began to talk about work, leaving Esme and Edward to finish up the dinner they were cooking me. "We're making home-style chicken curry for you."
Nodding I sit in a chair by a small black-marble table in order to watch them continue their work, "It smells great, Mrs. Cullen."
She sends me a stern look, making me feel like I said something wrong. Then it dawned on me. "Esme, sorry." Esme sends me a gentle smile in return, before going back to cutting up chicken thighs.
Its minutes later before I'm handed my food and my mouth waters at the sight. "This looks delicious…" Without waiting any long I take my first bite quickly, only to slow down my chewing once the gratifying taste hits my taste buds. After my first swallow I look up at Esme's anticipation on my feedback. "You're a fantastic cook Esme."
She beams widely in triumph, "Thank you Jacob. It's not often I find someone to enjoy my cooking."
Edward shoots her a look, like he knows what she'll say next. "In fact you should really visit more often, I could certainly use someone who can stomach all the recipes I want to try out."
Catching Edward's eye roll, I grin inwardly before saying, "Of course Esme I'd love to come over more often, whenever you want."
Immediately after my response, Esme's eyes shine as I had made all her dreams come true.
'Oh god, what did you do?' Edward mentally groans.
Before I'm able to reply to him, I'm pulled into a tight hug, "Oh thank you Jacob! I can't wait for you them all out." Esme pulls back, allowing oxygen to enter my lungs. "Well, if you need anything just let me know."
She leaves the room to join Alice, Rosalie, Kara and Nicole. Edward shakes his head while chuckling as he settles into the chair across from mine.
"What?" I tilt my head curiously, "I was just being polite."
'Plus your mom's cooking is great. My mom would kill me if she ever heard me say that I'd prefer Esme's over her.' I pick up my fork to continue eating the marvelous meal in big bites.
'So you'd lead your mother on to believe that you enjoy her cooking?' He questions with a smirk.
Chewing a handful a chicken curry, I make a few motions with my left hand before wiping my mouth with the napkin Esme handed me. 'Hey I enjoy her cooking! It's just that I'd prefer to continue to be fed, so yeah I'm going to tell Anya her cooking is the best in the world.'
'Right…So how was the meeting with your father?' It was obvious that he'd bring it up eventually, so I don't bother hiding my true feelings about the matter.
'We hit it off well. I certainly didn't know what to expect when I did meet him. I mean Anya raised me up until this point all by herself, so to suddenly hear that I have a father, one who is very much alive…well let's just say I don't like being the last one to know; honestly today has been overwhelming from the beginning. There's only so much information that I'm able to handle.' Edward sits there quietly, listening sincerely to every word I have to say. Which, all-in-all, causes my heart to swell, for some unknown reason.
Edward's mind halts all his upcoming thoughts as soon as Emmett strolls into the room and instantly looks between the two of us curiously. "Dude, are ya'll having a mental conversation with one another!?"
Before either of us could nod or reply, Emmett booms loudly, "That is awesome!"
Smirking, Edward stands up with my empty plate in his hand. I stand up too, just in time for Edward to join my side soon after he dashed over to the sink and back.
"We're meeting in the living room."
Without further ado the three of us silently make our way out the kitchen area to join the others. Emmett sits by Rosalie, while Edward and I take the unoccupied spots across from Kara and Nicole. Anya is sitting in a chair in the center of the living room, waiting patiently for every settle in before beginning her tale.
"I think our story is best told from the beginning…" After receiving a nod to "proceed" from Carlisle she continued. "I can remember my death as if it were only yesterday… It was the beginning of December 1941 when Rachel and I decided to take a trip together to Italy while my husband, Benjamin Welch, took care of the girls, being that they were too young to travel. Although I'd say our timing was absolutely horrible, because as soon as we landed it began to snow. It made it harder to find our motel and as we were driving down a steep hill the car driving in front of us swerved, pausing into the middle of the road. So when trying to maneuver around the car, the car's tires began to spin and, before I had the chance to control our vehicle, we drove off the side of the hill. It was about a ten foot drop and the car just kept rolling and rolling.
When I finally became conscious the first think I took notice in was the fact that we were covered in our own blood. My body ached so badly I felt as if I was paralyzed in my seat and Rachel was worse for wear when I took a good look at her unconscious self. Her breathing was shallow and I in that moment I knew that if we didn't get help soon we would both die out there. So I started to scream for help, as loud as my frail throat would allow. Then that's when Aro showed up, promising me that "everything will be alright" and that he was going "save" the both of us. I nodded, feeling completely reassured, before falling out of consciousness.
However I didn't realize that saving us meant waking up three days later with marble-like skin, blood-shot colored eyes, and a craving for blood. My sister didn't talk to me for days and, to make matters worse, Aro had sent a messenger to inform my husband of our "death", stating that returning home would but our kind and family at risk. He took us under wing and trained us to control our hunger, to the point in which we were able to be surrounded by humans without starting a massacre.
Ten years, that's how long it took for Aro to finally agree to allow us to head back to the states. Nicole's 17th birthday had already passed but we decided to get gifts her and Kara to make up for lost time. Tracking down my husband's last home address, it wasn't long before we stood at the end of the walkway leading toward the door in which our unforgotten family was housed in. With the gifts in hand we walked nervously to the door, stood in front of it, but before either of us could ring the doorbell we heard a loud crash coming from the inside.
Dropping the presents we didn't hesitate to kick the door open. The sight on the other side of said door, however, was not what the two of us were expecting to see.
Chairs were overturned, desks were flipped, lamps were in pieces, curtains were tilted, and glass dishes were in broken fragments on the floor. The place was a complete and utter mess but that wasn't the biggest issue.
No, the biggest issue was the condition of my family. Kara was standing protectively in front of Kara with blood drenching the top of her head. Kara had a swollen cheek, a slip lip and a deep gash across the top of her stomach. They looked like a pair of injured puppies, quivering in fear.
Instantly I was filled with rage, rage for my husband, because there he stood drunk with a broken beer bottle in his hand. I had Rachel carry the girls the car while I dealt with Ben. He looked shocked, no surprised there, but that didn't excuse that fact that he'd been physically abusing our children.
So…so I snapped his neck…it was the first time I killed a human being and in that moment I wanted to cry so badly, because it was him…the man I loved. I then packed up Kara and Nicole's belongings and the four of us left back to Volterra. Upon returning to Italy, I begged Aro to change them and he agreed to do so. It was one of the toughest decisions I had to make, but I wanted to make sure that harm would never come to them again. Then Rachel and I soon became their mentor until they were able to travel on their own, much to my discomfort.
Forty something years later we were sent to Alaska to swap Intel with the Denali Coven, you know, just to make sure their loyalty towards the Volturi never wavers. As I stated earlier this morning, we stopped in Forks beforehand and during our stay we met Billy and his friends at a local grocery store; that's when Billy imprinted on Rachel. I'm positive their imprint wasn't the first to be that of a vampire and werewolf, but they we were the first couple to conceive a child out of the coupling.
Only after Jacob's birth did I notify Billy of the news and it was decided between the two of us that in order to protect him, from both the Quileute tribe and the Volturi, it was best if he was left in my care. However, I couldn't stop Aro from raising Jacob into the Volturi Guard once his powers began to reveal itself.
Which brings us to our mission, his ultimate test to the Volturi of his loyalty towards them. We were ordered to hunt down James' Coven because of their audacious stupidity, unceasingly risking the existence of our kind. The Volturi has grown quite tired of their games and have insisted that we handle them. We were informed that Forks was the last place they were seen.
It wasn't our intention to get your family involved with our war with the other coven. We had every intention of leaving today, seeing as neither Victoria nor Laurent have made an attempt to return to Forks, but last night Victoria decided to make her presence known at prom. It seems that Victoria has become wrathful over James' death and she won't stop until either Edward or Bella die by her hands.
Jacob led Victoria away from the party to engage in battle with her, but his "condition" allowed Victoria the upper hand. As soon as the two heard the werewolves closing in on them Victoria fled and Jacob did his best to follow after her. She dove into the ocean waters, Jacob went on in after her, and, well, you already know the rest of the story…That's everything."
Like I said before, way too much information to take in. I internally grumble as our story time came to an end, silence hanging in the air.
Carlisle clears his throat, "Thank you, Anya, for sharing with us your family's past. If you ever need any help involving Victoria or Laurent, please don't hesitate to ask. I don't relish the thought of killing another creature, but, like you, we protect our family first. Bella is part of this family now and you, Jacob, have gone out your way to protect her and Edward. We are deeply indebted to you."
Anya bobs her head once, signally the form of a pact, an alliance, between the two covens.
Not a minute sooner does a family night commence between the Cullens and the Starks, compliments of one Alice Cullen. In that moment Edward grasps my wrist gently, pulling me toward the stairs, "Come on, I'll show you around."
Ascending up the wooden steps I take my time admiring the decorations up on the walls, but one, however, peaks my interest, causing me to halt. "Graduation caps?" I question, curiously pointing toward the frame that held rows of graduation caps assorted by color.
Edward leans against the edge of the frame, chuckling when he sees my curiosity. "Yeah, it's a private joke being that we matriculate a lot."
"I get it, so it's like the younger you guys start out the longer you can stay in one place right?"
"Exactly…but you already knew that." When Edward smile widens I know instantly that I had been caught red-handed.
Trying to read his mind isn't as easy as it was before. Sheepishly rubbing the back of my neck I say, "Well at least guests know that you've all accomplished a lot in life."
Edward brushes past me with a shrug, "Come on." Walking up a few more steps we finally reach the top of the stairs and he then leads me to the right.
It's not long before we're both standing in the middle of a doorway. Flipping on the light switch Edward says to confirm my suspicion, "Umm, yeah, this is my room."
His room, like all the others in the house, is very open, the beautifully-lit midnight sky can be seen through the tall trees surrounding the house. Books lay scattered around the decently open space and a large number of records and CD disks shelved along the only wall in the room. Two white couches stand off to the side of the room near a desk and flat-screen TV. But what catches my attention is the small piano adjacent to his music collection, with music sheets spread across its shiny, black surface.
"You write music?" I ask, glancing at him over my shoulder before turning my attention to study the music notes on the page closest to me.
His posture looks frigid and before I can ask what's wrong he answers with a sharp, "Yes." Edward walks slowly to my side and then peeks at the unnamed piece of music I was just staring at.
The nervous look in his eyes causes me to analyze the music sheet a bit more. "Mind if I play it?" I ask, motioning toward the music sheets and piano.
Edward glances of to the side and not a second later does his gaze meet mine, "Sure, go right ahead."
I place the nameless music sheets on the music stand and plant myself on the piano bench. Edward sits down beside me watching as my eyes scan over the music, my mind slowly matching the right notes on the paper with the notes on the keyboard.
Taking a deep breath, my fingers soon begin to glide across the piano keys, producing a beautiful melody to echo throughout the room. I take notice of Edward's look of surprise and awe but I don't tear my eyes away from my hands' dance on the keyboard until minutes later when the chillingly-beautiful song comes to an end.
"It's a beautifully written song Edward," I praise him with a toothy smile, causing the vampire to look a bit sheepish. "Did you write it for Bella?"
Edward stares off as if he's not comfortable with replying, but then he speaks barely above a whisper, "No…I wrote it for you."
"For me?" My eyes widen and my voice hitches, expressing my bewilderment.
He nods and refuses to meet my eyes, "I wrote it sometime after we became friends."
My eyes soften at his admittance, "Well what are you calling it?"
This question gets his topaz-colored eyes to meet my chocolate brown ones. "I-I haven't named it yet," Edward stumbles over his words, completely thrown off by the question.
I take a moment to recall the melody, seeing if I can make up a name of my own, see as it was written for me. A couple of moments later a title quickly comes up, "I've got it! I know what the song should be called."
Edward chuckles as I vibrate with instant excitement, "Well, I'm open to suggestions."
"I know I'm a Wolf. I think it's perfect."
"Yes, it is." Our gaze towards one another intensifies at that very moment, this time bring forth a confusingly-large amount of emotions into the mix. Edward's room completely fades away, causing me to panic internally but I don't. Edward is there, looking at me in such a way that allows my mind to forget about the rest of the world and just live in the moment. Deeply lost in thought I don't take notice in Edward's attempt to snap me out of my hypnotic state.
The moment is gone, along with the rest of its fuzzy feelings. Shaking my head, I apologize immediately, "Sorry, I zoned out for a bit."
While it is only half true I don't exactly have the words to explain it all and thankfully Edward doesn't push for answers. It's then that we decide to join the others in a game of Monopoly, but throughout the night one pressing question would not leave my mind.
What the hell just happened?
Well that's all for Chapter 9! Oh and the song that Jacob played towards the end is called I know I'm a Wolf by Young Heretics, if you haven't heard it yet I recommend it for sure because it's certainly a beautiful song to listen to. Anyways I hope you enjoyed it and I going to go ahead and apologize ahead of time because I'm positive the end sort of got a whole lot of boring and lacked my usually add-details-to-everything writing. My brain has been wrapped around the idea of me attempting to finish this chapter for weeks now and it probably doesn't help that my sleeping schedule is all fucked up right now, so if you guys are suffering terribly I am so sorry! Beside the point, don't forget to review, ask questions, and heck, recommend this to a friend while you're at it! The more fans the happier the writer gets ~ 'til next time darlings!
