Chapter Ten
Bella
He got up and walked to the window. "I can't tell you more, I've already said too much Bella just keep away" and he jumped out the window. Yeah Jake very dramatic end to the story I thought then stopped. I wasn't on the ground floor was I? I got up slowly holding my head and walked over to the window. No I wasn't, we were twenty odd feet in the air. How had Jake done that? I stood watching the lights in the car park and trying to puzzle it out. There was that sound too, the growl. Had I really heard it before? I turned too fast as the door opened again and Charlie walked through. "Bells what are you doing out of bed? Come on girl". He helped me back, tucking me in like a little girl. "I spoke to Dr Cullen about his foster daughter and then I talked to Jasper and thanked him. I'm not so sure Jake is an appropriate friend for you. I'm very disappointed in his behavior . Oh good, Charlie was seeing the light at last. "I'll speak to him and Billy tomorrow at the station. For now I'd rather you didn't go out with him". I smiled "OK Dad. Just as you say". At last I was free of Jacob Black.
The next day Dr Cullen came in to check on me before he'd let me go. While he took my pulse he thanked me for speaking up for Jasper. I felt my heart skip a beat as I heard his name and Dr Cullen smiled a little sadly. I wondered if he'd heard it, Bella he's a Doctor, not Superman I chided. "I wasn't going to let him take the blame for something he hadn't done. In any case if his reflexes hadn't been fast I might not be here. I should be thanking him". Dr Cullen sat on the bed beside me, a very serious look on his face. "Can I give you some advice Bella?" I groaned inwardly, why did everyone think I needed advice? I nodded, "Sure Dr Cullen".
He waited a second before starting. "My family isn't your usual unit as I know you are aware. They are very adult about many things but I think you should know that it's probably not a good idea to get close to Jasper." Oh God not him too! "Alice is very possessive and I don't think Jasper always knows what is best for him. He is rather...troubled". he stopped so I carried the conversation on. "Dr Cullen are you warning me off? Only we've only spoken a few times and I'm not pursuing him. I know he's with Alice, she's made that abundantly clear. I will tell you something I've noticed though. He's unhappy. He spends most of his life in a different time from the rest of us".
I didn't understand the Dr's sad smile but there, I'd said my piece. He got up nodding, "Well I've said what I felt I needed to, Bella. The rest is up to you. There is just one more thing, we've had quite a few cases of tick infections. If I were you I'd stay out of the woods". As he shut the door I sat back puzzled, tick infections? Stay out of the woods? What was he on about? Was the Dr crazy too? I shook my head then got dressed to wait for Charlie to pick me up. As we drove home I asked him about the ticks. He looked at me as if I were mad, "Who told you that Bella? It's not the right season really". I didn't answer, Id been given a message. All I had to do was to decode it. There were a few odd things I needed to put together in fact.
When I got into bed I heard the rustling again and it was beginning to spook me. I might have to ask Charlie to check it out. I'd shut my window anyway, rabies shots I could really do without. As I lay in the dark I tried to put together the odd things I'd noticed or heard or whatever. There was Jake's hatred for the Cullen that was shared by Billy and Harry, there were the strange sounds I'd heard at the accident, snarls and growls plus the huge wolf I thought I'd seen, then there were the Cullen's themselves. There was nothing you could put your finger on but they were not quite like everyone else.
They were all pale and the ones I'd touched were cold, they were all stunningly beautiful, Jasper at least was strangely fast, he'd beaten Ems truck to school somehow. I needed to research Jake's tribe, see if there were any clues there as to why they hated the Cullen's. I'd do it over the weekend. I certainly wouldn't be going anywhere with Jake, that was over. I had Friday off as my head still ached badly but I did put some coal on the computer and finally got it working.
I tapped in Quileute and just browsed the hits. Some were about the Reservation and its Elders then I clicked on one about Quileute legends and what I read there stopped me in my tracks. The Quileutes were supposedly descended from wolves, they turned into wolves to protect the tribe from something they called the Cold Ones. When I read the legend of the Cold Ones the hairs on my arms stood out in goosebumps. The Cold Ones were basically vampires by another name. They had cold skin, were very strong and they drank blood. Well as far as I knew the school cafeteria never sold blood so that was ridiculous. I tapped the Cold Ones into the search engine, this was more disturbing. To add to cold skin and strength there was speed, pale skin and beauty. Wow Bella you are talking yourself into a nut house here. The thought of a group of seven vampires living in small town America, going to school, working in a hospital, dealing with blood. It was plain ridiculous. The wolf legend of the Quileutes was more odd, especially as I thought I'd seen a giant wolf before I read the article. I needed to watch myself! Emmett and Carlisle vampires? Never. Jasper a vampire? He'd picked me up while I was bleeding and transported me to hospital, even more ridiculous. I wonder what Jake would say if I asked him. That gave me an idea for tomorrow.