Wolf Boy

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.

A/N-thank you for the kind reviews!

Part Thirty-Seven

The voices surrounding Colin were indistinct, muffled. He was in the grip of silent panic, wild eyes, pupils dilated, heart racing. His brain was on fire as he struggled to comprehend what was happening to him. The image of Bella's horrified face was eclipsed with the knowledge that he had killed her. He had killed Bella Swan-his almost sister was dead. Because of him. Her shrill screams rattled around his head like a cluster bomb exploding in his brain. He could still see her running, her arms flapping almost comically as she tried to escape from the monster he had become.

"I killed her! I killed her! I'm sorry. Help me!" His heart was bleeding at his feet.

"Cole, look at me, sweetheart."

The voices around him were becoming clearer now. The water plugging his ears was draining away.

"Mom?" He whimpered.

"Cole, baby. I'm here."

Colin's gaze flickered wildly at the sound of his mother's beloved voice. He was dreaming. Connie couldn't be here. He was a monster. He had killed Bella. He was a murderer. An evil thing. He twisted away from the sound of his mother's pleading voice and put his hands over his ears.

"I killed her! I killed her!"

"Hush, baby." Connie crooned. "You could never hurt anyone."

"Be careful, Connie." A deep male voice cautioned.

Was that Billy Black?

"Stay out of this, Billy." Another male voice said, his tone rough with anger.

"Charlie?" Colin breathed in despair. Charlie was here. The man he had already begun to think of as a father. He had ruined that now. He had hurt Bella. He had killed her. "I killed her." He sobbed. "I- "

"Stop." Charlie was hunkered down in front of him. "It's okay."

"Charlie, be careful…" Billy again.

"Shut the hell up!" Charlie roared at Billy.

"Chief, I…"

"Be quiet." Connie's soft cadence was filled with bitterness. "Don't interfere."

"He's just shifted for the first time. He's frightened…." Billy warned.

"And who's fault is that?" Charlie demanded. "Keeping us all in the dark like this! I'm never going to forgive you."

"I had no choice. I had…" Billy wept.

"Save it!" Charlie snapped again.

"My boy." Colin felt his mother's soft hands touch his face. His face? His human face? Her thumbs were caressing his hot cheeks. Had it all been a nightmare? Was any of this even real? "Mom…. I hurt Bella. I kill…"

There was the sound of a door crashing open. Then harsh breathing. Colin was jostled as his mother's soft hands were abruptly taken away to be replaced with others, equally as soft and gentle, but smaller. "I'm fine. I'm okay. YOU. ."

"Bella? Is that you?" Colin couldn't see through his tears as he grabbed her into a tight hug, his strong arms flexing around her, holding on too tightly.

"Easy now, Colin." Charlie placed a hand on the back of Colin's head when Bella gasped. "Just relax."

Colin loosened his grip. His vision cleared and he could see again. Bella was practically sitting on his lap, her pretty brown eyes full of tears, but she was smiling. "I didn't kill you?" He whispered.

"No." She shook her head and put her arms around him. "You saved me. You were so brave." Her gentle whisper was like a balm to his soul.

Colin held her for a long time, taking his time to let the relief that he hadn't harmed her sink in. Bella was the first to break away. She unravelled her choke hold on him and stood up, brushing her long hair away from her face with both hands as she smiled at him again. Colin smiled back, surprised that his mouth was able to follow the instructions from his frazzled brain. He was so damn hot! "Where am I?" He asked gruffly as he finally took the time to check his surroundings.

"My house." Billy Black appeared in his line of sight as the older man rolled his chair forward. "Your brothers would normally be here to guide you but they are busy chasing…."

"A vampire." Charlie cut in harshly as he eyed Billy angrily.

"V…v…vampire?" Colin said shakily. His whole body trembled as the memories of the strange man who had attacked him in the Swan's kitchen began to resurface.

"Dad, please." Bella shot Charlie a pleading look as she took Colin's hand in her own. "Save your anger and resentment for later. We need to think of Colin now."

"Yes." Connie took her son's other hand and held it against her face. "My brave boy." She murmured, closing her eyes as her tears began to fall.

Billy tried to pass Charlie a beer but the police chief gave him such a fierce glare that he ended up dropping the bottle onto his lap. He was forced to watch as Charlie turned his back on him and stalked out of the house. Billy flinched at the sound of the front door slamming, it shivered in its frame, the vibrations reverberating through the house. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Connie and Bella still fussing over Colin. Connie refused to look at him, though Bella flashed him a concerned glance. She rose to her feet as if about to go after her father but Billy shook his head and she hesitated.

"I'll go." He said huskily, manoeuvring his wheelchair toward the front door. With difficulty he opened it to find Charlie pacing back and forth like an angry lion on the front porch. He rolled his chair forward and let the front door smack closed behind him. "Charlie?"

"I don't want to talk to you, Billy." Charlie responded through gritted teeth. "Go away before I say something I regret."

"Say it anyway." Billy said wearily. "I deserve it." He swallowed thickly. "I'm sorry about the damage Colin did to your kitchen. Jake and the boys will fix it up when they…"

"I don't give a fuck about the kitchen!" Charlie exploded in fury. "And Jake and the others will certainly not be fixing up the mess that you created with your web of lies."

"It wasn't like that." Billy replied defensively. "If you just let me explain."

"So, you can bullshit me some more?" Charlie laughed darkly. "You and Harry must have been laughing behind my back all these years. Stupid old Charlie! The fool can't see what was right in front of his eyes." He blazed, throwing his hands up in the air while he continued to pace. "My own daughter was dating a fucking vampire! A VAMPIRE!"

"Charlie…." Billy tried again.

"Just shut up!" Charlie ranted. "Bella could have died. She came back to me full of broken bones and you said NOTHING! What sort of man are you, Billy Black? And Harry? Where is he right now? Huh? My good old fishing buddy Harry Clearwater! In hiding. Too cowardly to face me."

"HE'S WITH THE ELDERS RIGHT NOW TRYING TO FIND A WAY TO SAVE EVERYONE. JUST LIKE WE'VE BEEN DOING FOR YEARS. AND HE IS AFRAID. HE'S AFRAID JUST LIKE I AM. HE'S AFRAID THAT MORE OF OUR CHILDREN-OUR CHILDREN, CHARLIE, NOT YOURS-WILL HAVE TO SCARIFICE THEIR CHILDHOODS TO KEEP EVERYONE SAFE!" Billy roared defiantly.

The two men faced off against each other, both breathing heavily. Charlie's hands clenched into fists, his jaw pulsing as he slowly let Billy's words sink in. His feelings of betrayal were fighting for dominance against Billy's harsh truths.

"I was in denial, Charlie." Billy continued after a while, his voice rough and full of pain. "After losing Sarah like we did I assumed my family had suffered enough for one life time. Harry and I never phased; we dodged a bullet. I never thought it would happen to Jake. His life had been turned upside down enough. I wanted him to have as normal a childhood as possible. I didn't want him to carry that burden on his shoulders-worrying about something that might never happen. He had enough burden already looking after me. And I had already lost my daughters when they found out the truth about Sarah…."

"Will Seth phase?" Charlie asked.

"For certain now that Colin has." Billy rubbed his aching forehead. "It's unheard of for it to happen before the age of sixteen."

"Colin is still a child." Charlie took a in a huge breath and shook his head in despair. "I should be in there comforting my family not out here yelling at you." His mouth twisted into a bitter smile. "I was going to propose to Connie. I don't expect she'll want anything to do with me now. Not after what's happened to Colin and Bella's involvement in it."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that." Billy murmured.

The two men locked eyes with each other for a long time as a silent apology passed between them which couldn't be voiced with mere words alone. Charlie was the first to break contact. He rubbed a hand over his face, shrugging his shoulders to loosen the tension in his body. He walked back inside the house, leaving Billy alone to stare morosely out at the darkening horizon.

Charlie walked into the front room to find Bella in the midst of telling Connie and Colin the truth of her relationship with Edward Cullen and the subsequent aftermath when he left her. She found it difficult to open up about something which she found so painful. Jacob was the only one who knew all her secrets, but even he didn't know the full of extent it. But guilt about what had happened to Colin because of her foolish decision to go back to the house unprotected made her forge ahead. Connie and Colin both deserved the truth from her and no one else. They may not understand, they might never forgive her, but at least she knew that she was being as honest as she could be.

"Connie…." Charlie said gruffly.

Connie turned to look up at him. He couldn't decipher her expression. He opened his mouth to continue but she held up her hand, indicating that she wanted him to be quiet. He fell silent and watched as she faced his daughter again. Connie took Bella's face in her hands, just like she had with Colin's earlier, and wiped the tears streaming down her cheeks away with a gentle caress.

"It wasn't your fault that you fell victim to a controlling vampire, Bella. As soon as he had you under his spell you never stood a chance, sweetheart. I know how painful it was to share your story with me and my son. Thank you for trusting us with the truth. And don't be ashamed of it." Connie gave her an empathetic smile before kissing Bella on the forehead.

"She's right, sis." Colin agreed as he flung his arms around them both.

Charlie felt his own cheeks wet with tears as he witnessed this emotional scene. He was determined not to be on the edge of it. He walked over to his family, because that was what they were, and wrapped his own arms around them in a group hug.

A/N-in the next chapter we'll see what's going on with Jake and the pack.