Chapter 10

So there I was, standing the middle of the road still angry, but more than that, I was terrified. There was no denying it now. I felt huge, hot, and... hairy. I was a wolf. I couldn't believe it only took a few seconds to get to this point, it was the longest seconds of my life. And it actually did feel like I had exploded. As if this wolf, that I was, had literally exploded out of my skin. It was... Wow.

Before I realized what I was doing, Edward was leaning against my truck and I was in right front of him, growling. Well, that's just wonderful. You break up with him, you're so upset about hurting him and the things that have happened, that you turn into a wolf and now... Well, I don't know what I was doing exactly, but it was pretty clear that he thought I was about to kill him. Why didn't he move? Surely he had plenty of time to.

I tried to talk stupidly forgetting that I couldn't, it came out as some weird yelping sound. The way he stared at me was like maybe he was trying to hear me, not my words, but my thoughts.

Can you hear me? I thought him, but he didn't do anything but stare.

Ok well, that answered my question. I was still the same. The problem also, I couldn't hear anyone; I was completely alone in this form. I was terrified all over again.

I backed up from him, not sure what to do, but I couldn't stay like this. I tried as hard as I could to change back, but I couldn't, I was too upset still. It was still the afternoon and I was still standing in the middle of the road. Problem there, I was a huge wolf. I had no way of communicating with him, and I couldn't change back. I guess I was lucky I knew so much about this before, lucky Jacob had talked to me so much about it, otherwise it would have been so much worse. That was actually hard to imagine.

After a moment of thinking I was actually kind of glad that I didn't change back, I forgot that my clothes were now in shredded pieces on the ground and I would have been naked. If I had had skin at the moment, it would have been bright red from thinking of it.

My huge head darted back and forth trying to decide what to do. Not many cars came down this road, but it was only matter of time before someone did. I looked at Edward again; he looked just about as confused as I felt. And sad. I whimpered involuntarily, spotted a break in the trees and ran as fast as I could, and boy was it fast, to get as far as I could away from Edward. I would just have to get my truck later.

After running for what felt like forever, I stopped in the middle of a meadow and felt even that was too out in the open. I walked back a little to hide inside some bushes and decided to lie down. I thought a lot and I thought hard. I had no idea what to do. Surely I couldn't just run back to Jake's house, could I? I knew they could hear each other's thoughts when they were phased and they could kind of feel each other. I couldn't hear or feel anyone.

I was so mad at myself. I needed to talk to Edward more, but I had gotten so upset that I blew my chances. Well, least now he believed me and what else was I supposed to do once I phased? He couldn't understand me and I wasn't about to stand there and risk getting noticed. That's just what the pack needed- me to come along and reveal them.

After an hour of waiting for something or someone, anything at all really, nothing happened. No voices had popped in my head and no one showed up in the woods. At first I thought that maybe no one else was in wolf form, but as I remember correctly, someone always was, just in case.

I gave up and decided that the only thing there was to do was go back to Jake. There was enough trees for me to get there safely. I got up slowly, still not used to being in my new form, and ran to the house. Luckily I wasn't too far away; I seemed to be able to follow scents and sure enough that worked.

Once the house was in sight, I suddenly came to a new problem. How was I going to get to him. What was I supposed to do, trot up to his door and knock my head against it hoping Jake would be the one to answer it? Then what? After a few moments of thinking, I realized the best thing I can do is give a little howl, and hope he is home to hear it. I'm sure he'll recognize the sound enough to follow it.

So I did, I howled. It oddly felt natural, but then again, what did I expect? I waited for minutes, listening for anything that I might have attracted. I suddenly hear someone say, "What the hell" and realized it worked, Jake was on his way out.

I was sitting in a grouping of trees right behind his garage. When he rounded the corner he came to a complete stop in from of me, shocked and his wide eyes froze on me. Again, not knowing what to do, that whimpering sound came out again and I ducked my head, and laid down.

"B-Bella?" he said. I have never heard him stutter before. Well didn't that make me feel better.

I raised my head a little and nodded. At least I could do that much.

"Wow," he mouthed, as if he hadn't believed it until then.

I dropped my head to the ground again and wished I could talk.

"Well, uh...." He paused, shock was being slowly replaced my curiosity. "Stay here, I'll go call Sam."

He didn't wait for me to do anything, he just walked back into the house and I did as I was told, like the dog that I now was. Jeez.

He returned after a couple more minutes. I had no real judge of time in this form and I didn't really like it.

"He's on his way. Can you hear him yet?"

I was confused, then I remembered. I should have been able to hear them, but I couldn't. I shook my head. He looked confused.

"Can't you hear anyone?" he asked and I shook my head again.

"Wow, uh..."

Great, just what I needed. More for them to not understand.

Suddenly, while Jacob was deep in thought, a wolf appeared to my right and out of instinct I crouched down and growled.

"Bella, calm down. It's just Sam," he said and I did, while I sat down.

Sam looked at Jake. I thought he was shaking his head, but when Jake nodded and Sam walked away, it was clear Sam was telling him what he was doing. A second later Sam walked backed back, human again. I was glad he didn't just change right there, though I'm sure a thought of my new Alpha naked was the last thing I should have been thinking about. Boy was I glad they couldn't hear my thoughts right then.

"What's going on Jake?" Sam asked him.

"I'm not really sure exactly," Jake barely said.

"What made her phase?"

"Don't know. She went home and about two hours later she came back like this," he said waving a hand towards me. Great. I'm a this now.

"What do you mean?" Sam was mad now.

"She wanted to go home and wanted to be distracted. Charlie would've been going home soon after fishing with Billy and she wanted the house clean for him." Jake shrugged.

"You shouldn't have let her leave," he practically growled at him.

Without a second thought, I stood up and was growling back at Sam, lips curled back with my teeth showing. They were talking about me like I wasn't there. Sure, I wasn't human at the moment and I couldn't speak, but hey I was definitely there. Besides, he had no reason to yell at Jake like that.

Sam froze and so did Jake.

"It's ok Bells," Jake said, but he didn't sound so sure himself.

Sam took a moment to calm himself. "What happened?" he asked me.

Well I really hoped he wasn't counting on me answering, because I was really in no position to. As quickly as he had asked, a thousand questions flashed across his face.

"Wait, why couldn't I hear her? Why didn't she know it was me walking up?" he asked suddenly. I whimpered again and sat back down.

"Don't know. Uh, how are we going to get her to phase back?" Jake looked at me. "Can you?" he asked.

I tried, I didn't want to in front of them, but I did try. Nothing. I shook my head. Maybe I wasn't doing it right.

"Well damn. What do we do?" Jake asked Sam.

"I don't know, she must not be calm enough. But we also need to know what happened to make her change too. Is Billy home?"

"Yeah, he got home about an hour ago."

"So Charlie is home," Sam said.

"I'd assume so. I was asleep," Jake looked worried.

I made that whimpering sound again. I was tired of this being my only real way to communicate, but whatever worked I guess.

"What?" Sam asked.

I shook my head

"I don't know what she's trying to say," Sam said and looked at Jake.

I looked at Jake this time and shook my head again. I looked in the direction of my house and back at him, then shook my head again.

"Uh... I think she's trying to say something about Charlie." I could always count on Jake to get me. I nodded. "Have you seen Charlie?" I shook my head. A new thought lightened his expression. "Did you even make it home?" Finally. I shook my head. They both looked at each other and Sam serious, Jake shrugged.

Ok, more body language I guess. I looked in the direction my truck should have been, stood up and looked at Sam, then looked back, walking towards it a little. I hope he would get that I wanted him to follow me. I repeated the movement. I suddenly had a whole new respect for dogs now.

"Follow-" Jake started to say, but Sam cut him off.

"I'll follow and the rest of the pack will meet here. Guess the meeting is moved up," Sam said, walking back into the woods, coming back as a wolf.

Jake walked over to me, "It'll be ok Bells. We'll figure this out," he said, stroking the back of my neck. It felt too weird. I nodded and took off running towards my truck, Sam following, howling as we got a little farther out.

When we got there, thankfully it was parked there alone. My nose burned a little and I suddenly realized what Jake had meant about the vampire smell. Ouch. My truck reeked of it. At least Edward had closed my door.

I could tell Sam noticed the smell too, because he looked at me and it looked like he suddenly understood. He nodded once and darted his head towards the house again and we ran back to Jake's, meeting another wolf halfway.

I couldn't tell who it was, but they stared at me, eyes full of surprise. Whoever it was nodded once and headed toward the trees closest to my truck. He must have been there to get my truck.

We continued back to the house and when we got there, there were five other wolves there. I slowed to a stop a little behind Sam and he continued to stand with them. All of their eyes stared at me, filled with surprise like the other wolf had. Guess they were just told who I was and probably that they wouldn't be able to hear me.

While I was still a little far from them, I decided to try to change back. I focused as hard as I could. I thought about changing, sort of willing my body to become human again. I felt a slow tingle through every bone in my body, slightly shaking and things blurred a little again. Before I really thought about it, I was standing there, naked and completely sore from head to toe, deep into my bones. Ok, that wasn't too hard.

I could hear Jake still not too far away and hoped he would have something I could throw on.

"Jake," I called out, my voice kind of croaked.

"Bella?" he asked and I could hear him running to me.

"Uh, don't come too close," I told him.

"Why? Oh," he said and laughed.

"Yeah uh..."

"I'll be right back," he said and I heard him laugh until he was too far away. I didn't think that was so funny.

I could hear him telling them I phased back and not to come near me. I was thankful for that. I don't think I could have handled them all seeing me there naked. Then it occurred to me that someday they might. Ugh.

About four minutes later Jake returned.

"It's not much and they're probably too big, but I guess it's better than nothing," he said, laughing again and tossed me the clothes.

"Yeah, a lot better than nothing. Thanks," I said

It was just a big t-shirt and a pair of sweats. At least there was a draw-string that would allow me to tighten the waist anyways.

After I put them on, I slowly walked out to the pack and stopped to stand next to Jake, folding my arms across my chest. Every set of eyes followed my every move. I felt very uncomfortable, but I looked up at Jake and he smiled. It must not have been too bad. After all, this was a lot to try to understand.

A/N: So, what do you think about the phasing? Did I do ok on that part overall? Reviews please =) They help keep me going.