Chapter 22
It was five o'clock, end of the work day, and I was about to pick up The Great Gatsby and relive the roaring twenties, when my phone rang. It was an unknown number and I picked it up thinking it might be one of the girls from the group.
"Hello," I said.
"Hi, Serina, it's Sam Uley."
"Oh, hi how are you?"
"Been better. Um, as werewolves we find our soul mates through this thing called imprinting."
"Yes, Billy told me what that was."
"Oh, okay good. Well, anyway our imprints have all organized or something, and they all want to meet you, tonight at Emily's place."
"Ha, I see. I'll be there in twenty minutes. What's Emily's address?"
I drove my motorcycle up to a cute house out in the woods of La Push. I blew the horn, and cut the engine, then got off the bike. Seth, Collin, and Brady ran out of the house.
"Are we gonna spar?" asked Collin excitedly.
"Actually, Emily wants to hang out, but we can spar later," I promised, getting off my bike.
Sam came out of the house, followed by a girl with some scars, Emily, I remembered.
"Hi," I said.
"The Cullens let you come alone this time?" asked Sam.
"I kinda, snuck out. Split second decisions, Alice can't see. I'm bound to get a hundred texts from them in a minute."
Sure enough I looked at my phone. "Where are you?" texted Alice.
"I'm with the pack. We're fine," I texted back.
"So your a Cullen?" Emily asked.
"I am a Ricci. Carlisle and my mom are such good friends, we consider him my uncle."
"Well, I am the imprint of the Alpha, so I am the mom of this pack. I don't want anything to hurt them," she said, like she was going to fight me.
I almost laughed at the thought of being challenged by this human. "I have no intention of hurting them. I am a true friend of Billy and Ephraim Black and I am honoring this friendship."
"What about Bella?"
"What about her?"
"She wants to be one of them. Where do you stand?"
"Can I be honest without you ripping my head off?"
She nodded.
"Carlisle has given me the cliff notes of what has happened to Bella. She is not safe as a human in this world. Edward can't keep her safe from everybody, but there are alternatives to turning her."
"Which is?"
"I am working on it, and I am asking you to trust me."
Just then, Jared and Paul came out, with a girl walking between them. Paul looked at me and then bared his teeth, and started to shake.
"Easy Paul," said Sam. "Em, wants to check her out."
One of the girls slowly walked up to me, with her arm extended like she was going to pet a stray dog.
"Kim, what are you doing?" asked Paul.
"Kim, get back here now!" yelled Jared.
I grabbed Kim's hand, and shook it. "Hi Kim," I said. "Nice to meet you."
She took her hand back, and looked back at the wolves like she was scared that I was going to hurt her. Jared ran up to us and wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her away from me.
"Kim, what the hell?" he asked.
"I never met one before," she answered. "Billy's right, she's gorgeous."
I felt heat rise in my cheeks at the compliment. "So, Billy called me pretty, huh?" I asked.
"Well, he said all vampires were beautiful, but yes, he said that you were very pretty."
"It's the venom," I said. "It makes us appear like we are at our best. Don't ask me why."
Just then, the door opened, and a small child came running out being chased by the Atera boy, Quil I think.
"Claire, where are you going?" asked Quil.
Claire stopped and looked at us, eyes narrowed on me. "Angel," she said, stumbling over to me. When she reached my feet, she stretched upwards. "Up!" she cried.
I looked to Quil questionaly, then bent down and picked up the child. She ran her hands all over my face, apparently fascinated with how cold it was. Gently, she pulled on my black hair, and stared at me. I smiled at her, and decided to try something. I blinked my eyes, and they turned blood red. She did not like that, and started to cry. But then I blinked again, and they were dark violet. She stopped crying and looked at them mesmerized. Then I blinked one more time, and they were my birth color, hazel.
Claire laughed and clapped, "Again."
I laughed, and went though all of the colors again. This time she laughed, even during the red eyes.
When I was done, she said, "Again."
But instead, I asked "Quil?", knowing we could do this game all day.
"Quil!" She shifted in my arms and started to reach for him.
"I'm coming, Claire-bear," said Quil, and he came and got her from me, looking almost grateful that his precious child is away from the vampire.
"How did you do that?" asked Emily.
"A lot of the vampires have multiple color eyes when they turn from drinking on humans to drinking on animals. My cousins, the Cullens all have golden eyes. I have the ability to change my eye color. I have always had that ability, and I guess it is because I am a hybrid."
"Your a hybrid?" asked Sam, walking over to her.
"Yes, somehow, in the 1920's my mom got pregnant by a werewolf and gave birth to me. I am begging Carlisle to tell me the story, but he won't."
"Maybe Billy can get him to do it," said Emily. "I want to thank you for what you are doing for the pack. I know that you have not talked to everyone, but you will. They have seen a lot, and it's obvious I can't help them."
"You help them more than you know," I said.
She smiled, and wrapped an arm around Sam.
Just then, a car pulled up, and a girl who looked an awful lot like Sarah Black came out, hauling two big boxes of cokes.
"Someone want to give me a hand with these?" said a girl who looked so much like Sarah Black, she had to be her daughter Rachel.
I flew over there, and grabbed them both with my vampire strength. "These go in the kitchen?" I asked.
"Yeah. You don't have to do that. We have nine boys here," she said, glaring at them.
"It's fine. I'm a vampire. These are nothing."
I took them in the kitchen and laid them on the counter.
"Wait, your a vampire?"
"Well, a hybrid. I am treating the pack and the clan. Carlisle brought me here from Italy about a week ago."
"Oh, yeah. So do you like want to kill us?" she asked.
"Werewolves, no, I grew up around them and they do not bother me. Humans, are different. I am fine with blood. The whole being part wolf knocks out the urges to feed and crap like that. But, they are still confusing to me. That is why I studied psychology. I really don't understand your kind."
"Well, if you need a tutor, we are all here."
"Thanks. I do not go to school like the other Cullens, and Bella is obsessed with Edward. It would be nice to hang out."
"I'll talk to Billy," said Sam, helping me put the boxes of food in the fridge. "You are one of us. Carlisle called me yesterday morning to tell me you were a hybrid. You need to be around both kinds. You should come to the council meetings too."
"Will my presence make someone phase?"
"We talked about that. Since your technically one of us, you're not a threat to the land. No, no one should phase."
"I am not Quiltite. I don't know what pack I am from. Carlisle is still doing research."
"Can he figure it out?" asked Emily.
"Not without my mom's help."
"Why won't she help?" asked Rachel.
"I don't know. She won't tell anyone who my dad was. Edward does not even know."
"How is that possible?" asked Paul, finally piping up.
"I don't know."