Chapter 12: Complications With The Heart

Christa

I had always been a light sleeper. I mean I was a late sleeper-never dared to call myself an early bird-but the sound of a penny being dropped could surely wake me up. Unlike my sister who could, er, used to sleep through anything, even her own sleep talking. So of course growing up I refused to sleep in the same room with someone who talked to themselves.

Nor could I sleep in my room in my cottage when Jericho and Dominic were fighting in the basement.

I had woken out of my peaceful slumber in the middle of the night when I heard someone stomp their foot, followed by a beastly yell. I shot upright in my bed thinking someone had broken into the house before I recognized the yell as Dominic's.

Already in a grouchy mood, I shuffled my feet out of my bedroom to go investigate the commotion, smack the sense into two rowdy boys, and force them to go to sleep in their shared bed in the basement. However, as I approached the basement door, I stopped cold when I head what Dominic said next.

"Are you stupid? You traitor!"

"Like I care anymore," Jericho spat back at Dominic.

"But you were her friend-"

"If she's my friend, then why is she just using me?" I flinched at Jericho's insult.

"She's not using you," Dominic whimpered.

"Don't you get it?" Jericho hissed, "Why else does she want us to stay here? She's just trying to use us as pawns to get what she wants."

"We're not pawns, she's the leader of our clan and we're helping her with the clan."

"You're clan. Not mine."

By now I was more confused than shocked; why was Jericho planning on leaving me when he was so kind and (dare I say it) affectionate towards me? Didn't he also care about Sage and Ellie? Maybe if I talk to him-

"I'll tell her!" Dominic threatened, "I'll tell her you're leaving."

"You're not going to do that," Dominic said with an underlining confidence.

"You going to stop me?"

"You won't, because I could go upstairs and tell Christa that you're a traitor and she would believe me."

There was a pause; it was short but felt longer from my suspense and I was afraid enough that they would able to hear me breathe. I hushed my breath and strained to hear even a whisper.

"Fine," Dominic muttered, "But this isn't over."

"It is for now," Jericho mumbled back.

For a moment everything was quiet as I fully digested everything that was said. A part of me contemplated that since the argument sounded like gibberish to me that I hadn't woken up and I was still sleeping and this was all a really weird dream. That part, however, was proven mistaken by my senses telling me that everything I was hearing, seeing, and feeling felt too true to life to be considered a dream. Which means that Jericho really was leaving here, leaving me.

My drowsy brain brought me back to focus when I heard someone climbing up the basement steps. I panicked, but instead of walking quietly back to bed, I sprinted/tip-toed as fast as I could away from the basement towards the back of the room and out the backdoor.

Now outside in my meager pajama tank and pajama sweatpants with the chilly air biting at my skin, I instantly regretted going outside. My breaths looked like clouds being puffed out of my mouth and I futilely rubbed my arms with my hands to try and ward off goose bumps. The sound of my own teeth chattering seemed louder than my thoughts but I still pondered anyway.

I didn't know what I had done to make Jericho think I was-no pun intended-wicked. I couldn't recall a time I ever seemed manipulative to Jericho and Dominic, or even Sage and Ellie, and Jericho never seemed to complain before. And why was Dominic calling him a traitor?

Just because Jericho wanted to leave did not make him a traitor. Maybe Jericho was simply seeing hospitality has something like his experience with Victor, and maybe I assumed that Jericho wanted to stay here, stay here with me.

But it all doesn't matter because I didn't own Jericho, or anyone, and unlike what Dominic said, this was not a clan. I was not a leader, and everyone else that stayed or frequently visited here was a friend, and Jericho was my friend, even if he hated me.

I sighed.

Who was I kidding? Truth is maybe I did control everyone; Nessie hadn't visited in days, Sage and Ellie are rarely at the house anymore, and Dominic thought he was my servant. Now my controlling side didn't want to see Jericho go away because I had grown attached to him and I wasn't willing to lose him to just yet.

Wasn't willing to let him leave.

I would have pondered more, but something was standing near me in my peripheral vision. It was a person definitely, that was standing by the edge the forest behind my house. She-I recognized it as a young woman-was standing just several feet away, almost behind me. I made no sudden movement at first but then quickly I turned around.

Unfortunately, she reacted too quickly and before I could fully turn around, she vanished. But without a doubt I knew who she was, the girl that was watching me.

It was her.

I panicked for the second time tonight and clumsily shuffled to the backdoor. I opened the door a little too loudly but without out a second thought I ran into my bedroom…

…Only to stop halfway when I bumped into the chest of a certain traitor.

Ellie

Another unceremonious morning was spent at First Beach in the beasts' domain. It seemed a little early for any of them to arrive but it didn't kill to be sure or to do a little overtime spying. Well actually it could kill if I'm talking about the beasts.

Any who, it's not like I have anywhere else to go. I'm not welcomed anywhere near Sage now after the fight and she's cooped up in her room at home. I tried to speak to her earlier this mourning but when I entered her room she just glared at me, and didn't speak, which was basically her way of kicking me out of the house. I'll attempt to go back later tonight once common sense knocked into her.

It still amazed me how my attempt at reasoning with her backfired. Maybe I was too subtle, maybe I should have actually smacked her then, then again I probably wouldn't have the heart to. But how could she be so naïve? The almost four day absence, the unreturned calls, the sappy letter, I found it pathetic and would still if he wasn't a beast.

I considered almost idly if these beasts had the power to hypnotize or mind control because Sage definitely acted like she was under a spell. Yes she was naturally over-confident and a little bit frivolous, but I wouldn't call her oblivious and immature. Sage was too good to be anything negative. In a way, I could almost call my best friend perfect, but Seth was slowly, like slow boiling water, killing that perfection.

I knew something in Sage changed, I don't what exactly but since the day of their first date, Sage seemed different.

I remembered Sage mumbling to me about Seth one day and it was about how it was more than love, how they were drawn to each other in every way possible and it was hard seeing someone else as more important than each other. She said it was impossible to tear them apart.

Definitely some sort of hypnosis. Maybe Christa can make some sort of cure.

"Ellie!"

I turned around in my seat on the fallen oak tree that I usually sat on (so many fond memories) to find a familiar man running towards me from far off in the horizon. My eyes, not being as great as my ears, squinted and waited until the man was close enough from me to recognize. Once I did recognize him however, I gritted my teeth.

I had always seen Jacob (one of the beast "alphas") with his two best friends, Thing 1 and Thing 2 and I was pretty sure that the constricting chain that bonded Sage and Seth together was the same chain that bonded the beastly trio of friends. So it was weird to find Thing 1 without Thing 2 and/or Jacob.

"Hey Embry," I said with my pseudo smile once he was sauntering his last few steps towards me. He ended up standing up in front of me without looking the slightest bit breathless from his run. I wondered if his family just accepted him as being superfluous in skills or just found him a weirdo.

"Hey Ellie," He replied with a polite smile. For a second, a gleam past through his eyes, I didn't know what, but it was enough to melt my pseudo smile.

"Where are the other two musketeers?" I asked, referring to the only two friends he had.

"On babysitting duty," Embry mumbled. I raised my eyebrows but he just plopped down next to me on the dead oak. It both disgusted and comforted me that he was sitting within close proximity of me. Disgusting because he was a beast but comforting because some sort of heated radiated off of him that I couldn't help but welcome when I was being bitten by the cool, early March air.

"Who are they babysitting?" I asked.

"Quil's babysitting Claire, you know her from last time, and Jacob's with Nessie," Embry said.

"You have no other friends?" I asked humorously while I raised my eyebrows.

"Everyone's busy with something," Embry said nonchalantly then added, "Besides I knew you would be here." However, as he said that I couldn't but hear something not far away. I wasn't sure from where but it sounded like people were talking. I pushed off as it was probably other tourists.

"Aren't you cold?" I asked accusingly, eyeing his t-shirt and jeans. I myself was wearing thick jeans, a long sleeved shirt, a sweater, and all covered with my heavy, cotton trench coat.

Embry shrugged his shoulders. Great, so the beasts enjoyed the blistering cold weather.

"You have no other friends?" Embry questioned "Besides Christa and Sage."

"They're elsewhere," I said and shrugged, similar to the way he did, even though the answer should have been no.

"So do you and Sage live together?" He asked. I was kind of surprised he didn't immediately change the topic to Sage in general.

"Yes."

"And you're cousins?"

"…Yep."

"Is it just you two?"

"…Yeah."

"Seems cool," Embry said nonchalantly. I was a little bit relieved by his casualty.

"Why do you always come here?" I asked, maybe this place was some sort of headquarters for the beasts.

Embry chuckled. "I live here," He said, "Why do you always come here? Is it really for the scenery?" I noticed the gleam in his eyes again; it would seem that the sun was reflecting in his eyes, but there was no sun.

"Y-Yes," I stumbled. I could feel my confident and cheery façade slowly begin to melt from the heat Embry was giving off.

"That's all?" He questioned.

"Y-Yah."

"And where's Sage?"

"At home."

"And why aren't you with her."

"Because she kicked me out." The words flew out of my mouth before I actually knew what I was saying. Once I did I bit my lip to keep from saying more. I wasn't even sure how I let that slip out; my quick thinking skills must have been deluded by my sudden nervousness, which was causing me to sputter out the truth. Maybe this heat the beast was giving off was getting under my skin and weakening me from the inside out. I was going to have to be more careful with how I interacted with one of the beasts in the future.

I peered over at Embry while still biting my lip, so much so I wondered why I hadn't tasted metallic blood already. I was expecting to see some sort of mischievous grin on his face or a doe-eyed expression that wanted to hear some sort of gossip, however Embry was just sitting there with a calm expression on his face that showed no sinful intentions.

I freed my bottom lip from the clench of my teeth when I was sure I wouldn't let another word slip out accidentally. "It's nothing," I mumbled.

Embry nodded his head, saying he wasn't going to push me any further and I was relieved.

"Didn't you say last time you'd be willing to see some of the other beaches?" He asked.

"Yes."

"Great."

Without warning, Embry stood up and then grabbed my hand with his oddly warm hand and pulled me up off the fallen tree. He then lightly pulled me by the hand as we quickly walked down the beach.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"You'll see," He said, excitement in the undertone of his voice.

I looked at his hand, it was large like a wolf's paw and perfectly tanned a dark caramel and it encircled my frail, tiny, and pale hand perfectly. I could feel the sickly warm heat of his hand melting into my skin but it didn't feel like I was being burned, and in the frosty air, Embry's hand was the best glove I was wearing.

Leah

"Is there really a point to stalking them?" I asked Jacob, "We all know what's going to happen next. Plus kneeling behind a bush is making my legs fall asleep."

"Shhh," Jacob whispered and I shot him an annoyed glance.

Jacob and me peered over the random green bush that we were hiding behind at the edge of the forest. I watched-Jacob looked more like he was studying-as Embry stood up from the fallen oak and pulled Ellie off with him. We watched them fade into the distance with Embry having one of his jolliest faces on and Ellie looking a little bit more than unsure and surprised.

Jacob sighed and spoke, "If you had talked any louder she would've heard us."

"How was she supposed to hear us if we're more than thirty feet from her?" I asked exasperated.

"Well you always seems pretty loud to me," Jacob muttered.

"Gee thanks," I muttered back sarcastically. "That was pointless," I grumbled.

"How?"

"We all know how this story ends," I said, "They fall in love, they get married, they have little baby-wolf children, and they live happily ever after. The end."

"It's kind of fun to watch though."

"I thought everyone would get bored around the, what is it? The seventh girl? Something like that."

I just stood around watching in case they came back, but after five minutes it's obvious they weren't. I muttered a goodbye to Jacob before shifting and trotting home to my grief-stricken family and prepare to go to a funeral.

My mother had been doing well with Uncle Lucas's death, better than she had dad's, but it was mostly because she had Charlie and the wedding to help keep her spirits high. I was all right, my heart grieved for a long while before it froze back into stone. I was mostly concerned about Seth.

Uncle Lucas had been one of Seth's father figures after our dad had died and had always made an effort to have something to talk to him about every time he visited. Seth had got some of his humbleness from Uncle Lucas and half of Seth's heart grieved for Uncle Lucas to return. The other half of Seth's heart was heartbroken over Sage. He regretted every hour that he had supposedly abused Sage and wants to fix things with her but feels too cowardly to do so. An imprint and a death had turned my brother into an utter train wreck.

After the funeral, however, Seth will gradually feel better about the death like he had with dad's, maybe faster if he ever spoke to Sage again. Which would probably be a good idea, if the pack were going to tell him that Embry had imprinted on Sage's cousin.

Author's Note: Yes you can read the last sentence again if you like it isn't a grammar mistake. Though some of you probably already caught on to the hints before hand (and I mean bomb-sized hints).

So I'm glad to say that I've got my things together and I have a plot coming along that before was still forming so keep reading cause I got some exciting things that I'm setting up for.

One last thing is that there is an error in chapter 7. Where it says that Ellie moved to Phoenix, Arizona at 9, it is supposed to be she moved to Riverside, California.

I'm too lazy to put a disclaimer this week but please, as always, remember to type something in the review box at the bottom.

-J.J.