Chapter 21:
Not So Friendly Talk
"What if this is all a trick and you're here to recruit us or kill us" Paul said and I sighed exasperatedly
"Okay, we obviously have some trust issues" I muttered.
"Hey, I don't deal with bloodsuckers and your half or part or this mutant abomination" he spat and my body began shaking with fury.
He just proved why of course, we never told people about the supernatural world. One, they would freak out and then, they would see us as mutant abominations and maybe try to examine us.
Still, actually being called that by some mutant wolf that I'm trying to help even though they tried to kill me . . . that just made me severely angry. Being called a mutant abomination . . . it's one of the biggest insults among Guardians.
Sure we joked about it but when you're serious . . . not good. I felt my muscles tighten and my eyes were blazing. I curled my hands into fists so I wouldn't maybe do something I wouldn't want to do.
"Um . . . Bella?" Jake said as he put a hand on my shoulder but I shook it off.
"Don't. You. Ever. Say. That. Again." I said in a deadly voice, stepping closer to him on each word.
"Or what?" he challenged.
"Paul, let it go, I think you insulted her" Sam ordered.
"No, you can't insult something that's not human" he said and I lost it.
Before anyone could stop me, I lunged at him, making us fly back. Then I twisted him hand back and slammed him to the ground.
"Not so strong now are we big boy" I snarled. "I am human, did you hear me? HUMAN. I just have special abilities that were given to me to help protect morons like you" I said. "I'm here to help your people and you so suck it up" I said as I stood up of him.
He jumped up suddenly and swiped at me. I jumped out of the way just in time but he got my ankle. I heard a couple cracks and pain soared through my leg.
"Ahh" I said as I collapsed.
Jake caught me in his arms but all the wolves began converging around me.
"Ahh . . . my ankle" I said as I saw a couple bones protruding the wrong way. "Ugh, this just sucks . . ." I muttered as I glared at Paul.
"Bella" Sam trailed off and I saw them looking in horror at my leg.
I looked down again. On top of the broken bones, I had 4 long scratches from my knee down. Blood quickly began to fill my socks. I took of my t-shirt, leaving me just in my tank top in freezing weather but that didn't really mater right now. I pressed it against the cuts. I took a couple deep breaths as the pain got worse.
"We should take you to the hospital" Sam said, standing up.
His eyes were filled with self loathing and . . . regret? Why? My brain quickly dismissed its curiosity as the pain got worse.
"No" gasp "It's fine, I'll call Sebastian and he'll take me to—" I was cut off by the voice I least wanted to hear.
"Isabella, well, what a surprise!" Scott's voice resounded through the woods.
I cursed loudly as he and 4 other Guardians slipped out of the woods.
"Well, well, it looks like you been talking to my future friends" he said and I quickly put up a shield.
Why did he always have to pop up in the worst possible moments?
I quickly speed dialed Sebastian behind my back.
"Sebastian, I need Maddie, don't worry, I'm fine, I just need Maddie" I said rapidly and then put my phone away.
Seconds later, Maddie appeared next to me. The wolves jumped and began to snarl at her but I shook my head quickly.
"Bella . . . what —"
"Shhh" I said as I pointed to Scott.
Her eyes widened and she ducked to where I sat with Jake. She looked at my leg and couldn't stifle her gasp.
"Bella . . ."
"My friends" Scott said, turning to the wolves, completely ignoring Maddie and me "I assume Bella has already explained everything but she missed one fact. Were the good people. Join us. We are powerful and will easily take out Aborlorn. Then we can live in peace as rulers of this world" he said.
"All you'll bring is terror and despair" I spat from Jake's arms.
All of them shook their heads firmly.
I turned back to Maddie. "I had a little accident, I can't really explain now" I said, my eyes flickering angrily to Paul's.
She nodded and took off the blood-soaked t-shirt and began working.
"Well my little wolves. Let me make the decision a bit easier for you. Either you join or you die, leaving your precious town and people completely unprotected" Scott bargained.
"Over my dead body" Paul snarled as he changed into a wolf and ran for them.
"No!" I yelled as I used the last of my strength to make the shield around Paul as thick as possible.
As expected, 2 Guardians threw their daggers; the other 2 threw energy balls. The shield protected him physically but still, the impact was enough to throw him back and probably change him back.
I didn't really see that part one, because with the pain and lack of blood, my eyesight was getting fuzzy and two, I did not need to see Paul when he's not in his wolf form and has no clothes on. Slowly, the pain began to disappear.
"Almost done" Maddie said as a bead of sweat formed on her forehead.
"Well my dear wolves, trying to fight us would not be a good idea. We are a lot more powerful than you can ever imagine so just join us" Scoot said just as Maddie finished.
The pain was gone but I was still tired from my fight earlier and the injury too.
"That's the best I can do right now" Maddie said.
"It's perfect. Thanks Maddie" I said as I stood up shakily, testing my ankle.
"Try not to get into too much trouble from now on" she said and I smiled.
"Oh, don't tell them about this, they'll freak and come and that won't help so just, tell them something else" I said.
"But Bella, Scott—"
"Maddie, trust me, its fine" I said and she reluctantly nodded, troubled.
"Be careful Bella" she whispered as she disappeared.
"So, what do you say wolves?" Scott asked.
They all shook their heads firmly.
"Oh, such a shame, you guys did look promising" Scott said.
I rubbed my wrist to activate my energy bracelet and with a start, realized I still had all the guns from our little Volturi visit.
"Take them out" Scott said to his followers and they stalked towards us, smiling evilly.
"Not another step" I said as I whipped out the hot sauce gun.
They saw it and began laughing.
"What are you gonna do, make us a taco Grande?" one cackled.
"This is my special salsa, I do believe you'll love it" as said I shot it at the floor at their feet and everything turned black as the hot sauce bean eating away at the ground.
"Now, it's your turn" I said as I switched to spray mode and shot at them.
They dodged some of my blasts but eventually, I got all of them. Quickly, the hot sauce began to burn them. I put that gun away and took out the water gun, splashing them. It wouldn't stop the burning . . . but it would have a nice effect when I lobbed the energy ball at their wet forms. They were easily electrocuted and collapsed on the ground.
"Wow Scott, these must be fresh out of prison because they are so weak" I said as I looked into his furious eyes.
"I'm going to kill you Isabella" he said as he sent a valley of fire balls and energy balls at super speed.
I had to take out my daggers to help me dodge them because there were so many. My muscles began ache from the strain of working so severely with barely any energy. Eventually, he added daggers and one even scratched my shoulder.
Sure it hurt but nothing compared to the poisonous one. He obviously had not been expecting me to my here. I felt the wolves began to run toward us and morph, stretching my already thin shield painfully.
"NO!" I yelled as I struggled profusely to keep my shield up.
My face began going pale with exertion and beads of sweat began to travel down my face and neck. I didn't have enough energy for me so I just kept it around them.
"STOP MOVING!" I yelled at them but they sort of seemed hesitant. "STOP MOVING OR WE ALL DIE" I yelled at them, trying vainly to keep my shield strong.
Another dagger scratched my cheek and I growled. That one got in deeper. I could feel the blood trickling down my face but I tried to ignore it. If I lost my focus, I was toast. I could feel my shield flickering to the point of non existence.
I suddenly changed into a vampire and began to shot energy balls as fast as I could conjure them. By some miracle, the wolves actually trusted me and stood still and didn't attack me.
I added my daggers and smiled widely as one of them managed to slice his leg, making him limp for a second. Eventually, he grew exhasperated and threw a huge wall of fire at me.
I use the very last bit of energy left in me to cover myself with my shield, leaving the wolves unprotected. That forced me turn back to my human form but I didn't really, care, I just had to keep us alive.
The fire curled around my shield searching for a way in. I fought against unconsciousness, trying with all my strength to keep my shield protecting me. But even then, I could feel the intense heat and I began to sweat.
When the wall disappeared, I collapsed from exhaustion, my breath coming in rapid breaths. Now that I had stop using my muscles, I realized they were also completely spent. They were tingling with pain and exhaustion.
They felt like molten lead. My head was pounding like crazy as if someone had just whacked me with a metal club. My shield and just about all my powers were completely gone, used to the point of non-existence.
I felt like a tow truck had run me over and then thrown me off the side of the cliff. I normally had more endurance than this but I had let myself get loose again. 'Mental Note: Start going to Gym 'With a start, I remembered Scott and looked up but realized Scott had disappeared too. On the floor, right where he had been there was a note written with fire:
You may have won this time Isabella, but you will soon be dead and so will all your precious friends. This war has begun
I sighed angrily, turning away. I shakily took out my water gun and splashed it on the grass, extinguishing the note, for the most part. I put the water gun away and fall back onto the ground. My goal was to concentrate on steadying my breathing and stay consious.
Then I remembered the wolves. I turned to them and they literally looked like they had just seen a ghost. I found just a tiny bit of energy to let out a tiny chuckle. I knew I shouldn't, it was mean and childish and stupid but I couldn't help myself.
"I told you so" I said in a raspy voice, chuckling softly again.
"Wait, can we move or will it hurt you more?" Jake asked.
"No, my shield is long gone" I said and Jake instantly ran over to me.
"Are you okay" he asked as he helped me up.
The other wolves began approaching us but they were hesitant, afraid of coming any closer without crowding me. My muscles groaned in protest as Jake helped me up but I sucked it up.
"Yeah, I'm fine, just a bit tired" I said and I had to admit, that was the biggest understatement in the history of understatements.
A bit tired didn't even cover it; heck, tired didn't even cover it. I was past extreme exhaustion, I was at the point where my body was about to shut down on its own just to be able to rest.
Jake put his arm around my waist, easily holding up my weight. He eyed me skeptically, measuring the exhaustion on my face.
"I'm fine Jake" I said exasperated as I began to take a step.
Immediately my muscles shut down and I collapsed. He easily caught me before I hit the ground.
"Yeah Bella, you're totally fine" he said as he swung me into his arms.
"Jake . . . "I whined but he just turned to me, his eyes challenging."Fine" I muttered. "Maybe I can't walk just yet but can you at least get my backpack" I muttered and he laughed as he leaned down, picking it up and handing it to me.
"Okay guys, to my house" Jake said as he took off into the woods.
The other boys followed instantly, their wolf forms quickly passing. It didn't take us that long to reach the clearing of Jake's house. Jake slowed down, his run slowing down to a quick walk. When we reached the house, Sam was there, holding the door open for Jake to take me.
"Thanks Sam" he said as he headed inside with me.
I bet his house was nice but frankly, I was too exhausted to even care at this point. Jake took me over to what seemed like his living room and deposited me softly on the couch.
"Thanks" I murmured to him as I began searching in my bag.
The other wolves walking in but I ignored them as I searched as fast as I could, which was really slow, through the pockets of my bag. I always carried a little emergency cleanup pack in each bag but this backpack was old so maybe . . .
"Got it" I said as I took out a small cube.
I could tell it was an old version but any version was good enough for me. I took it between my hands and squeezed as hard as I could. The box dissolved and a white mist began to curl itself around my body.
I smelled my favorite strawberry shampoo suddenly and then ping! The mist disappeared. I smiled. See, the mist took all the dirt and sweat out of my body and hair, sort of like a bath in a box. "That's better" I sighed.
"Whoa, what was that?" the wolves asked as they looked for the mist.
I chuckled slightly.
"Sort of like a bath in a box" I said.
Sadly though, it didn't do anything to wounds, the version must be too old, so the continued to flow down my face. Jake suddenly walked back in with a towel. I blinked. I hadn't even realized he had left.
"Here" he said as he made it into a bundle and pressed it against my face.
"Jake, I think I can do that" I said as I tried to sit up.
My face went pale and my arms began to shake violently.
"Bella, I'm not a doctor, but I'm pretty sure you shouldn't move" Jake said as he softly pushed me back down
I easily collapsed, my breathing ragged.
"Just keep the cloth on your face" he said and I frowned. "Okay Paul, you, Embry and Jared go make Bella something to eat" Jacob ordered and they nodded, quickly getting to work. "Sam, let's see if I still have a first aid kit in this house" Jacob said and Sam nodded as both of them got up and left.
"Ugh" I muttered as I let my head fall back.
Here I was, lying on the Pack's couch, barely able to move, having to have them do everything for me. It irritated me so much.
"I hate being a damsel in distress" I said— a bit more loudly than I thought—and laughter emanated from the kitchen.
I sighed as I took my phone out of my pocket. Surprisingly, it had survived everything. I quickly dialed Edward's number, knowing he was probably pulling his hair out with worry.
"Bella" Edward's voice came from the other line, showered in relief.
"Hey" I said softly, my voice still raspy.
I heard shuffling and I looked up to see that the boys had come back with food. Jake and Sam were behind them, holding a first aid kit. I held up a finger shakily.
"Bella, what happened to your voice? Are you okay? Did the wolves—"
"Edward, relax" I said, trying to clear my voice.
Recognition flashed in their eyes and they began to growl. I flashed them a glare, warning them. Not the time.
"I'm fine, the wolves were very understanding" I said and their eyes widened in amazement. "Yeah, they didn't hurt me at all" I said, glaring at Paul. "Everything went great. I should be back in a few hours, maybe less" I said.
I didn't want to lie to him, but I personally already had one war on my hands and knew if he knew what had happened, he would race over here and I really didn't need that. But that thought made me smile, because I knew he would do it for me, even if it meant starting a war.
"Bella, are you sure you're okay?" he asked, worry still lacing his tone.
"Edward, I promise I'm fine. We'll talk later okay, I love you" I said softly, feeling terrible that I was lying to him.
I just . . . I didn't want him to worry. I'd be fine by the time I saw him again.
"I love you Bella . . . so much" he whispered into the phone.
I smiled softly as I hung up, my exhaustion suddenly very unimportant.
"Bella" Sam said and I looked up. "You ready?" he asked holding out the first aid kit.
Jacob walked back in with a wet towel.
"Can I eat first? Once I eat something, I'll be fine and I'll be able to function" I said and they laughed as Jared brought the platter of food.
I smiled appreciably as I grabbed the plate of pasta with bread and lemonade. I ate slowly as they watched me. I felt my energy slowly coming back. I know that isn't how it works with a human but hey, I was special. By the time I finished, I felt fine. Well no, I still felt really tired but I could move and I could feel my shield again.
"See, I told you food was the solution" I said as I stood up, stretching slightly.
I was stiff and was feeling like I would collapse in sleep at any moment but I fought it.
"We really should get that stuff cleaned up before it gets infected" Sam said and I nodded, sitting at the table.
He took out a cloth, splashed hydrogen peroxide on it and began cleaning the cuts. I hissed as I felt it clean out the bacteria.
"Do you guys believe me now?" I asked as Sam continued to clean out my cuts.
They all nodded, looking slightly ashamed and guilty.