Chapter 9 - La Push
I watched the couple laugh and joke around as they walked hand in hand along the beach, the waves softly lapping over their feet. A dog, belonging to someone else, ran towards them, splashing the salty water up their legs, and the female shrieked with laughter. I smiled inwardly to myself.
La Push was just as I vaguely remembered it; small, quiet, beautiful. I knew that I spent a lot of my time here as a human, walking on the beach, with someone I knew, but I couldn't place a name in my head; only a face. I also knew that he cared for me deeply, and I cared for him too.
"Sam! Stop it!" The female screamed, as the Indian with long hair picked her up, and started to approach the sea, playfully threatening her. Sam? I knew that name from somewhere.
"Say please." He laughed too.
"Please, Sam!"
"Okay, okay. You win." He chuckled and placed the girl with long black hair on back down on the sand. It was as if she could see me watching her from the trees. She glanced at me and the scars on her face brought back the same sense of recognition I had had with Charlie, years ago before I killed him. I knew she couldn't see me, but she kept looking. It managed to draw the attention of Sam, and he looked towards me too. I watched him kiss the lady on the cheek, and walk towards me, as she rushed towards the parked car about ten metres away. I jumped into a tree, hoping desperately he wouldn't see me. To run would be foolish. I could come across any hiker, or a human, in the forest, and my speeds would surely scare them. I held my breath as I watched Sam walk below me. He stopped, not a metre away, and what I saw next made me gasp. I had heard of werewolves before, but I couldn't remember ever seeing one. The big, bear-like wolf looked around, and then up – straight into my eyes.
At first he looked confused, and then angry, and then sorrowful. I couldn't move. Could werewolves be real? I heard the rustling on the forest floor before I saw another three of the wolves appear. A tall, russet coloured wolf didn't look at me, but straight at Sam; the big, pure black wolf. The other two wolves; a smaller grey wolf and a sandy coloured wolf, stared up at me, showing their teeth slightly. I looked around me, trying to think of a way to escape. I didn't know how strong these animals were, and I wasn't totally sure on how fast they were either. The grey one growled, but then, as if Sam had said something to it, it turned and looked at him. The grey wolf put its ears down, and bowed its head, as if obeying a command. Then, as quickly as he had changed into a wolf, Sam had changed into a human again. I looked away whilst he put what was left of his clothes back on, sure that if I could blush, I would have.
"You can jump down now. We have all agreed not to kill you, as long as you return the favour." He spoke with such an authority, it surprised me. I looked around me again, hoping to see a way out, but I couldn't be sure on how many wolves were out there. I held my breath and jumped down.
"You are not aware vampires are not to be on Quileute lands?" He asked me.
I shook my head no.
"Speak up."
"I-I didn't." I stammered. Wow, vampires can stutter then...
"Then you may leave. I ask that you do not hunt our people on your way out of town." I grimaced, then he turned to leave, the other's – still in wolf form - following.
"I don't hunt humans." I defended myself, shivering slightly at the thought.
"You don't?" Sam turned back to me. The other wolves looked at each other.
"No, only animals. And I didn't come here to hunt. I came to...remember."
"You must be a Cullen then." Sam surprised me there; he knew the Cullens. I grimaced.
"I'm not a Cullen. My name is..." hesitation "Izzy Diack."
"Not a Cullen? And you still only hunt animals?"
"Indeed, I do."
"Well, then I must inform you of the treaty we have with the Cullens, and the same shall apply to you."
"I-I think I know about the treaty." I remembered something about it; no killing people, no changing people...oh crap; no setting foot on these lands.
"If you knew, then why come here at all? Are you after death?" There was danger on Sam's face, and his body started to shake. I watched his hands clench into fists.
"No!" I almost shouted. "I told you. I came to remember. I used to spend time here as a human. I was with a boy. He meant a lot to me once." I explained. I sounded stupid, I knew it. It sounded like the grey wolf coughed back laughter, as the big sandy and the russet wolf looked at each other. Did they know the boy I was talking about? I jumped at my chance. "He was about 6"7, I think, with long black hair pulled back into a pony tail. And his skin was the most beautiful copper colour. And his father; I can remember calling him silly, or something that sounds like it."
"Billy?" Sam asked, eying me suspiciously.
"Yes. Billy, that's it."
"Then, I believe you are looking for Jacob Black." Was that slight defence in his voice? Was he protecting this person I wanted to see? Was Sam his son, his grandson?
"You know him?" I asked. I knew I was pushing my luck.
"Izzy, of course I know him. He's standing right behind me."