I do not own Twilight!
Thank you for all the reviews and favorites and following for my story! =]
Also I am very sorry I have not updated sooner, I am in the midst of finals week and currently living in the library it seems. =/
Clary's POV:
"Oh," Bella replies to me as her eyes cloud in confusion and then she turns back to Jacob. She takes a slip of paper from her bag, a thick invitation looking thing. "Please, Jake. Just think about what I said, it…it would really mean a lot to me if you were there."
"Bella," a cold voice interrupts the exchange before Bella can hand the invitation to Jacob, who is sporting a very pained expression on his face that causes my heart to twist in painful contortions. I want to run to him, wrap my arms around him until that expression goes away and he smiles again in the way that lights up his whole face.
"Sam," Bella replies in a clipped voice. "I was just—"
"I thought I told you to leave him alone," he cuts her off and fixes her with a glare. "To stay away from the Reservation now that you have made your choice to join them." I exchange a look with Keally at how weird this all is and she glances over at me, then peeks at Embry before looking at me again with wide-eyes and scoots closer to me. Meanwhile, Embry is continues to stare at Keally like she is a goddess that he promised to worship for the rest of his life.
"What the heck is going on?" She glances at Embry and I realize that she is completely freaked out by the way he is looking at her, a laugh slips out of my mouth and I slap my hand to conceal it but the damage has already been done. Everyone's attention turns to me and the man—Sam or whoever—looks from me to Keally as if seeing us for the first time.
"We have guests it appears," he says giving Embry and Jacob a look before a few more boys make close in behind Sam followed by a girl that looks like she would like to be anywhere but where she is. He glances again at the frozen and angered-looking Bella, scowling. "I think it is time for you to leave, Bella."
The sound of her name being uttered seems to snap Jacob out of his trance and he walks over to Bella, frowning but accepting the invitation from her. "Come on, Bella, I will make sure you get back safely."
A growl of disapproval erupts from Reservation group as Keally and I remain motionless, standing quiet and watchful. "Jacob now that you are home, even if it is for a short time, you have rules to follow just like everyone else and we are to have a meeting soon."
"Screw the meeting Sam," Jacob snarls back and begins to tremble while everyone anxiously looks between him and Sam, muttering amongst themselves.
"Time to blow this Popsicle stand," Keally mutters and loops her arm through mine to lead me away from the tension of the Reservation group. We slink away until we make it back to Keally's car, and Keally still looks completely wigged out by the lingering look Embry sends her while we walk away but he remains where he is in the group.
"What the heck is the mutt's problem?" She narrows her eyes at Embry when he turns his back to listen to whatever Sam is saying to Jacob who is walking away with Bella. Bella places her pale, delicate hand on his shoulder and leans in to speak into his ear. The effect is almost instant, Jacob calms and I feel something twist in my stomach. Envy? Jealousy? No, that cannot be right…I do not get jealous usually.
"Keally. Be nice," I warn her and she shoots me a wide eyed "yeah right" kind of look. "Please? Not all men are dogs, Keally, and Embry has been nothing but nice and courteous to me since the day I met him."
She takes in my serious face and heaves a big, dramatic sigh. "Alright," she says and then smirks. "But I might have to throw a muzzle on him." She glances over at Embry wearily, finding him beaming back at her under her narrowed gaze.
"Honestly Keal," I reply laughing. "He is not a dog, my goodness."
Keally's blue eyes cut into me and I almost find myself shuddering from the serious, cold beauty that transforms her face. "You have no idea, Clary."
I take a step back, startled. Keally blinks as if she is just waking up. She flashes me a smile and my heart warms at the reassurance of her being herself, my Keally.
"Last chance to book it out of here?" She loops her arm through mine again and we walk around to the back of her car to get our suitcases. Her suggestion is very appealing but I steel myself to not run away, to not make this trip about Jacob and any useless hope of us being together.
"No," I whisper to her weakly, still absorbed in my own thoughts.
"You okay, Clar?" Her voice is laced with concern and I force a smile up at her before she starts clucking around like a mother hen.
"Yeah," I lie and look away. I clear my throat in attempt to make myself and her more assured. "Yes."
She looks at me uneasily, disbelieving. "We should probably head back before they start sniffing us out or something."
I roll my eyes at her. "They are not dogs, Keally. Be nice," I say in exasperation gesturing to her wildly with a wide grin as we wheel our suitcases down the path to the Reservation group.
"Yeah, yeah. Sure…" Keally mumbles under her breath and I frown at her, shaking my head in disapproval. Honestly, they are friendly guys that are perfectly polite. Well, most of them are anyways.
"What the hell are they doing here Embry?" Sam growls quietly as Keally and I halt at his words, teetering from foot to foot unsure what to do. I look at Keally whose face has gone impassive, she stares at the pack of boys with narrowed eyes and her lips pursed. Should we leave? I silently convey the message to Keally when she finally meets my eyes, blue eyes reading my own uncertainty.
"I invited them to spend the holiday with me—with us—because Clary was just going to stay at school for the holidays and then she asked if her friend could come along too…" Embry explains to Sam but anger forms inside me at his tone of voice, the anxiousness that is conveyed from Embry's body language. I don't like it. He does not want to anger Sam, this is all too strange. What horrible, controlling power does this guy have over Embry and everyone else? I exchange another look with Keally. More importantly, what have I gotten us into?
"We will discuss this later Embry," Sam decides finally with disapproval wafting off his body and laced in his tone. "They are sure to be back from getting their belongings soon and we do not want them to suspect anything."
"It is a little too late for that," a feminine voice says drily from behind Keally and I. We turn around frowning and find a woman our age with straight black hair, tan skin, and a sarcastic smirk on her face.
"Leah," Sam acknowledges with a grim face. "You are late."
"Yeah. Travel issues," Leah says shortly and rolls her eyes. "Good to see you too, Sam. How are Emily and the baby doing?"
Sam's face softens at the mention of whoever 'Emily and the baby' are and then his face twists into a pained expression when he looks at Leah. "They are very well," he whispers softly. "Thank you, Leah."
"That's good," she replies simply, shoving her hands in the pockets of her hoodie. Then she turns to me and her eyes take in my features, scrutinizing me for a moment before allowing a small smile. "Hi, I'm Leah. These jerks I am guessing are being extremely rude at the moment." She rolls her eyes in the Reservation group's direction, and I notice all of them are staring at her gaping with stunned expressions.
I smile warmly at her. "It is nice to meet you, Leah. I'm Clary and this is my best friend Keally," I reply and link my arm through Keally's once more at my reference to her. Everyone stares at Keally, Embry's expression going dreamy again, and she squirms uncomfortably under their intense scrutiny.
Then Sam takes a step forward, his expression murderous. "What do you think you are doing here? Invading on our turf," he roars at Keally and takes a threatening step forward. I look at Keally, her pale face tight and etched in icy beauty as her blue eyes stare at this crazed, controlling man.
"Well, that certainly took a shorter amount of time than I anticipated," Keally mumbles sarcastically.
Sam growls and turns on Embry. "How could you be so stupid as to invite them here?"
"I—um—I don't understand," Embry stammers out, confused. Sam's domineering nature causes a match to be lit inside me, the anger catching and erupting within me.
"She is one of them," Sam growls and takes a aggressive step towards Keally but before he can reach for her I stumble defensively in front of her, blocking him. His eyes widen as he looks at me, my mouth jaw set in determination and my eyes burning.
"Leave her alone," I warn him. Sam begins to tremble and Keally tries to pull me back but I just grasp her hand and plant my feet firmly, standing my ground as I lock eyes with Sam. "We were invited here by Embry, our friend, now I do not know who the heck you are but I can already tell you are a big bully. Who are you to say if we can be here or not? Last time I checked this is a free country, and you do not have your name on the world."
Sam immediately stops shaking at my words and his brow furrows in confusion, until a realization seems to dawn on him and his eyes widen. "You don't know," he whispers surprised.
"Don't know what?" I pause and stare at him. What the hell do you know anymore? My mind sneers at me and I narrow my eyes at Sam, confused and frustrated. "What is it that I do not seem to freaking know?"
"Nothing," he replies and looks away from me. He is lying! I grit my teeth and look at Keally who is carefully avoiding my eyes as well, in fact, when I peer around it seems everyone is keen on not meeting my eyes. Or answering my question it seems but that is pretty damn clear.
However, then I find myself locking eyes with Leah and her mouth slants into a hard line. She glances from Sam to Keally, to the group, and then back to me. "She should really know. It is not fair to be kept in the dark."
"Leah," Sam growls in warning.
"What?" Leah glares at him. "She is a grown freaking woman! She deserves the right to know what is going on in her life, no matter how screwed up it is." She gestures to me in exasperation, conveying exactly what I am feeling inside but refuse to reveal.
"Please," Keally whispers under all the growls and argument. "Let me tell her, she is my best friend."
"I am standing right here!" I suddenly burst out and everyone falls silent. "I am not a child and I damn well do not need to be sheltered from anything. So for once, can someone please be straight we me?"
"You want straight, little girl," one of the men from the group steps forward and just from the look on his face I know he has a temper and that we are going to butt heads. All I know is that I do not know this man and he is getting in my face, the anger inside me burning higher and higher to boiling point.
"Yeah," I say with slight attitude. "I would."
He takes another step forward and I hear Keally hiss behind me at him, he scowls in annoyance and disgust. "Well, I will make it real simple for you…you friend here." He gestures to Keally. "She is a disgusting, bloodsucking fucking leech!"
I am not sure if it is the fact that he is now yelling in my face, or that it is just pent up emotion waiting inside me like a ticking time-bomb but something inside me just…snaps. My fist flashes out and I am punching this angry stranger right in the nose, and man does it feel gratifying. However, it also hurt like hell. A lot.
Review? =]