Chapter Nine: Elders
Things were going well in the pack, until Sam took me to see the Elders.
The Elders were like the council of the Quileute tribe: the experts on legends, werewolves, myths, and vampires. It was too much for me; I wanted to bolt, run away; sure they would mark me as an outcast. I was a leech-lover, after all. I winced at the derogatory term, even as I myself used it.
We gathered around the bonfire, me half-hiding behind the guys, and when Billy, Jacob's father told me the legends, I could hardly pay attention.
I was worried about Jacob. Worried that maybe he would be like me; like us; and none of us wanted that fate for him.
I listened to Billy as best I could, flinching every time he mentioned the other kind of monster; I hated how Billy made them sound, hated how he made my former family seem like dark, evil creations.
But maybe, I voice in my head said, maybe they were; they left me alone to suffer through this— NO! I fought back this thought; of course they were good, it was me who wasn't, a little plain human, not worthy of gods like them, I tried to hide these thought from the others, who despised the vampires, but they saw right through me, of course.
When Billy finished telling me, Harry, (Leah and Seth's father) took a step forwards. "I'm sorry this happened to you Bella, we will help you as best we can, but first we need to see you in your wolf form." He said gently, eyes locking with mine.
I took a deep shaky breath the nodded; I ran into the trees, stripped off my clothes, and let the heat spread around my body; I had practiced phasing, whenever I had a free minute.
After a few seconds, I felt my golden fur explode from me; I felt the familiar sensation of my bones cracking and reforming, the landing with a silent thud on four paws, twice the height of my human form. All this took just a second— what seemed like a very long second. I glided into the clearing, my nose wrinkled at the sharp smell of burning wood.
The Elders gasped. There was an explosion of noise from the gathered men and women as they all voiced their disbelief and shock.
"What does this mean?"
"She can't be the one! This is impossible!"
"Why her?"
"How could we have let this happen?"
Then one familiar voice reached my ears, louder than the rest.
"I'm so sorry Bella." Billy Black said sadly, gazing at me with despaired eyes.
My hackles stiffened; I whined in distress, I didn't understand what they were talking about. What was impossible? Why is Billy saying he's sorry? What's going on! Then Old Quil asked a question.
"Sam, when Bella first phased, was she injured like you?"
"Actually she was, I was going to ask you about that." Sam replied, looking from old Quil to me.
The Elders all paled.
"I'm so sorry Bella." Billy repeated; Sam gave him a questioning look, and then signaled me to go back to the woods and phase. I nodded my huge head, as I turned around Paul grabbed my scruff, and threw himself on my back, landing astride me like a horse. I almost laughed, but I was still worried about what the elders knew that I didn't.
"You have to give me a ride home now bells." He said, and I just knew that there would be a smirk on his face.
"Paul, why don't you just phase and run yourself home?" Jared asked, rolling his eyes.
"'Cause Bella is faster!" Paul retorted, as if it were obvious.
I sighed, but began to run; Paul seemed to enjoy it, but about halfway to his house it dawned on me: had Sam told him to keep an eye on me. Then I realized something else,: I hadn't been left alone since the first time I phased— why did I need to be watched?
I reached Paul's house, all but threw him off my back, and raced to Sam and Emily's place. I howled when I got in sight of the house so Emily knew I was coming. She met me outside with some spare clothes, she looked pale too; did she know what was going on?
"I'm sorry Bella." She said, and then I lost all hope. What was going on, why was everyone acting strange, and why was everyone sorry?
I huffed in annoyance but butted my nose into her hand to say thanks for bringing me her clothes, I don't know why she did; I must have destroyed enough of her wardrobe the first few days, but she still put the clothes in front of me, patted my great fury head and walked away.
I groaned again; I was being treated like a giant puppy! I calmed myself down and phased back. Glad to be on two feet again, I pulled on the clothes and jogged inside; Emily greeted me with a fierce hug.
"Emily…" I tried to ask, but she cut me off. "Sam wants you back in the clearing." she told me, and I thought angrily, than what was the point of me going to Paul's house?
Then she smiled and threw a bag of food at me "Take these with you, they must be starving, they haven't eaten in like… two hours!" She laughed, and I chuckled, and then sighed. "Sure." I said, before jumping in Jared's pick-up truck and driving towards the forest; some of the Elders would need a ride home, and the pack usually lended their cars out to whoever needed to borrow them.
I could hear them before I could see them.
"Should we tell her?"
I leapt from the car and sprinted into the clearing, about to demand to know what was going on, when Sam's voice was directed to me.
"Bella, we need to tell you who you are."
