DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. I have so many bills. There's exactly twenty-seven cents in my checking account; so I guess, technically, I do own something, just not this.
If you're reading this, I am in love with you. Have I imprinted on you? Yes, yes I have. Sorry if that's weird. But then again, you're the one reading twilight fanfiction in the year of our lord 2020. Who's the real weirdo? (Hint: it's the one writing twilight fanfiction in the year of our lord 2020.)
This was a fun chapter to write. I hope y'all didn't mind the twist last time. I'm trying to make it different from Eclipse in a few ways; first of all, Mike Newton is most definitely a vampire. And let me tell you why I did that; I wanted to. This is for fun, after all, and how can a story be fun without a few plot twists? Also, I thought it would add a lil depth. I really liked that scene in breaking dawn part 1 before the wedding when Bella is dreaming and there's the pile of all her friends' bodies, and I sorta built off of that. If you don't like it, let me know why, and if you think I could do it better, tell me! I'd love to hear your opinions. All the same, this is my story, and I'm gonna do what I'm gonna do. But I don't own anything. Like I've said, kind of a catch-22.
To the super-trooper who has been reviewing literally every chapter of this story, Poppy; how do you manage to say something so brave yet so true in every review? Remarkable. Absolutely astounding. I have no words for how happy it makes me that you've enjoyed this story so far.
If you have any thoughts, or if you would like to rant about smeyer, by all means leave a review. If you're shy, do not fret! Simply turn off all the lights in your bathroom, stand in front of your mirror holding a flashlight under your chin, and say my name three times. I will appear in your reflection. Please do not scream.
XXIII
I woke up the next morning to Billy holding a phone in my face. 'Bella,' he mouthed, followed by a throaty yawn.
"Bells?" I slurred, still half-asleep.
"Jacob! What happened last night? Is everyone okay? Did you find – "
"No," I mumbled, shame breaking through the fog of sleep. "They got away. I'll tell you when you get here," I promised, rolling away from Billy's prying eyes and curling up on my side with the phone laying over my ear.
"They?"
Oops.
"Yeah, uh…" I started, but the pull of sleep wouldn't be ignored. My eyes closed of their own accord, and I was drifting off when her voice vibrated in my ear.
"Jacob Black!" She yelled. "Who was out there last night?"
"Do you remember that guy who was puking his guts out at the movie theater?" I breathed.
"Mike?"
"Yeah, him," I sighed. "He was out there. Hunting downtown."
"Hunting…?"
"It's kind of a long story," I hedged. "Shouldn't you be on your way to school?" I asked, glancing over at the outdated alarm clock on the floor.
"Crap!" She exclaimed. "I'll see you later, Jake!"
The line went dead, and I collapsed onto my back, handing the phone to Billy.
"What did she want?" He asked, taking it from my hand.
"To say g'morning," I grumbled, eyes closed.
Billy said something after that, but I didn't catch it, because I was already fast asleep.
I woke up around noon. It was the most I'd slept in the last week, but I still felt tired. I blamed it on the weird dreams about Mike Newton.
In my dream, I was a wolf, which wasn't unusual. Some of my more pleasant dreams were about running through the woods, filled with the feeling of absolute freedom that came with flying faster than a bullet. This was not one of those dreams.
I was a wolf, but I was not in the woods. I was in the hallway of a movie theater, and Bella was there, shivering when I pressed my nose against the crescent-shaped scar on her hand. I couldn't hear what she was saying, but she was visibly uncomfortable, one arm wrapped around her torso like a vice.
And then, Mike Newton – who I had not thought of since getting him out of my car and saving the upholstery – came stumbling out of the bathroom, a popcorn bucket sloshing blood in his hand, smiling at me with pointed fangs and crimson eyes.
Why did I have to recognize this guy?
Not only did I have to tell Bella that Victoria had gotten away – again – but I had to explain what I didn't really understand. Did this mean there were more vampires in Forks than we thought?
And what did it mean that both his and Victoria's scent was at Charlie's house? Would he be at school with her today? How long had he been a vampire? It couldn't have been long. He was totally average and human at the movie theatre, I'd even seen him leaning over a toilet bowl blowing chow. If he had become a vampire after the Cullens left, it wasn't likely they had been the ones to bite him. This meant the treaty was still intact, unfortunately. I would have liked an excuse to kick Edward's ass on sight.
Victoria must have turned him into a vampire. Why would she create a vampire out of Mike? He was possibly the most vanilla person I had ever met in my life. He never seemed like a threat to me.
But he was, now. Maybe not to me, but definitely to Bella and the town of Forks. I wondered if people would be worried about him at school. Had his parents reported him missing? Would Charlie have mentioned that?
One thing was for sure; I was going to have more questions for Bella than I had answers.
But first, I had to check in with the pack.
I didn't bother to pull on a pair of shorts before running out the back door, hopping over the side of the wheelchair ramp and shifting mid-air. Sometimes it was fun to be a werewolf.
Billy scoffed from the kitchen table. He had become used to seeing me naked, after accidentally phasing one too many times and coming home with my tail between my legs, looking for some underwear.
"Tell Sam I'm waiting for my invitation to the wedding! Sue got hers in the mail yesterday." He called.
Hear that? I thought.
Emily put it in your mailbox this morning, Sam chuckled. We found it wedged between the couch cushions. No idea how it got there.
I'll pass it on. Anything new?
Quil – he started, but didn't get to finish.
JACOB FUCKING BLACK!
I winced, absorbing Quil's very loud thoughts. He was having quite a day, and had always been very vocal. He found it quite convenient to have a direct link to my mind to get his point across and make sure I listened. He had many questions, but the loudest and most direct of all stood out.
YOU DIDN'T TELL ME?!
I couldn't, I tried to defend myself against his sudden barrage of thoughts. And I felt terrible. But, hey, now you know what happened.
I thought we were family, bro.
We are, even more than before. And Embry, too. I tacked the last part on, wondering if we would ever know which one of our fathers had been unfaithful.
Wait, really? He asked, momentarily stunned while he processed so much new information.
Congrats on the wedding, by the way, he added as an afterthought.
Thanks, Sam chuckled.
Before I could read his mind, Quil had always been very forthcoming. He was a forward, goal-oriented type of person who would blurt out whatever thought made it to his lips first. Only after he shifted – and I was privy to every inconsequential musing that passed between his ears – did I realize how much of his thoughts he kept filtered.
Wow, so we could be half-brothers. Cool. 'Course, we've always been close. Hey, Jake, you remember when we were little and ran around on all fours and barked at our parents when they told us to come home? We must have been practicing for when we turned into wolves! Hey, is this why I'm huge now? Like, I've always been jacked – you know that, Jake, deep down, I've always been the muscle – but now I'm on Schwarzenegger levels. I nearly ripped the door off the house this morning. And my arms aren't the only thing that's gotten bigger! You'll see –
Quil! I finally interjected. Aren't you confused?
What's there to be confused about? This explains everything! I mean, it's pretty crazy that we're werewolves, but isn't it cool?
He was probably right, but I didn't have time to agree. His thoughts ran a mile a minute, thinking things through. His mind went so fast I found it hard to keep up, flashing over every single detail of the last few weeks and making connections before I could fully understand them. One second he was going on about how his grandfather nearly had a heart attack when he phased at the kitchen table, then recalling how Sam had been there in his mind, explaining. And Old Quil was so proud, his face nearly beamed with delight. Then, he was gushing about how he had outrun a car on the highway, and how good it felt to fly through the trees.
You're not mad? I asked, coming up on the clearing where he stood with Sam, practically jumping in his excitement. You don't feel like a monster?
Are you kidding? Quil was surprised by how sinister I made it seem. This is the coolest thing that's ever happened. Hey, when do I get to kill a leech?
Patience, Sam cautioned. You need to learn how to fight them first.
How different can it be from fighting as a human?
You can't punch a vampire, man, I joked. I'd missed Quil.
So, who else is on the list? Who's gonna join up next?
Sam and I exchanged a look. As far as we know, Sam said delicately, you're the last one.
Aw, that sucks. Quil moaned. How come I gotta be the last to know?
I don't make the rules, Sam chuckled. He liked Quil, too.
So, you and Bella Swan? Quil asked suggestively, trying to wiggle his eyebrows but only managing to raise them. Facial expressions were different as a wolf, and it took some getting used to.
I know, I know, I sighed, it's complicated.
Quil heard the conflict in my thoughts. He could tell she was still broken up about the bloodsuckers leaving, and now that he knew how she had been abandoned by her leech-boyfriend in the woods, he understood why I was frustrated.
She seems into you, though, he noted. I mean, not as much as she's into me, but she likes you more than most people do.
Oh, please, I scoffed. As if any girl would be able to put up with you.
Hey, Sam interjected, why don't you go get Embry? He should be at Emily's. Send Paul, too.
Sure, sure, I replied, running back towards my house.
I shifted back a few feet from the porch railing, launching myself over it and pulling on the pair of basketball shorts Billy left out. They had gotten wet from the rain, but it was better than nothing.
"Emily put the invite in the mailbox this morning, it got lost. Quil shifted, so I'm gonna head over there now and get Embry, do you need anything while I'm out?"
"Could you drop me off at Sue's?" He asked. I noticed his hair was wet, like he had just showered. He was wearing nicer clothes than usual, with a hint of cologne on his collar.
"Suuuuure," I said, drawing out the word. "You got a date?"
Billy gave me a stern look. "Harry's funeral was yesterday, Jake."
"I know. That's why I'm asking."
"I figured someone around here better act civilized," he grumbled. "When was the last time you wore a shirt?"
"I'm gonna wear one when I pick up Bella from school," I affirmed, wheeling him out to the car.
"Oh?" Billy prompted, side-eyeing me from the passenger seat.
"It's safer for her in La Push," I explained, turning on the windshield wipers. "We caught a vampire last night in Forks."
"The red-head?" Billy asked.
"No, a new one," I sighed. Billy should probably know, anyway. "Newton's kid, the guy who owns the sporting goods store in town. I recognized him from that movie I saw with Bella."
"Hmm," he rumbled, low in his chest. "Maybe I should invite Charlie over tonight."
"Good idea," I enthused. "We can invite them over for dinner."
"I'll call. Maybe he'll mention something about the Newton boy."
"Sure, sure."
I dropped Billy off at Sue's, then drove over to Emily's. I could go faster running, but Quil was overloaded enough as it was, and I didn't want to add to his confusion. If I was being honest, though, I couldn't stop thinking about Bella, and these were the kind of thoughts I wanted to keep to myself.
I was imagining our reunion. She would be surprised; her mouth would hang open in shock when she saw me. Then, she would run into my arms, shirking away a couple senior boys vying for her attention, and I would know she was safe again. Butterflies clamored in my stomach when I stuck my head in Emily's door.
"Embry!" I called. "Quil shifted!"
"Now?" He yelled back, sitting in front of a half-eaten sandwich.
"Sam told me to get you and Paul," I answered. "Is that the time?" I added, eyes widening when I caught sight of the clock on the stovetop.
"Yeah, two-thirty. Why?"
"I gotta go. I'll see you guys tonight."
Paul hummed around a mouthful of food, standing up from the table with a smirk and nodding at me.
I didn't have time to grab a shirt. I dropped off the Rabbit in favor of the Harley, which would get there faster and have the added benefit of fitting in the back of the truck. I did not, however, think about how wet my shorts were getting in the misty rain. By the time I got to Forks, my butt was practically sliding off the seat.
I had impeccable timing, as always. Just as I pulled up behind the truck, I heard the final bell ring, and students came pouring out. I put down the kickstand and leaned on the seat, stretching my legs out in front of me. I caught more than a few incredulous stares, and one or two girls were twirling their hair in my direction, but I didn't see their faces. I was too busy looking for the one I saw when I closed my eyes, too preoccupied to bother acknowledging anyone but Bella as she stepped out of the Gym. When she caught sight of me, her eyes lit up over a broad smile.
"Geez, Jake, do you need me to lend you a shirt?" Bella called when I stood up and started walking towards her.
"Sorry, Bells, I was running late," I answered lightly, meeting her where the sidewalk joined the asphalt and wrapping her in a hug.
I sighed. The world was finally in its proper place.
Or, more accurately, my world was where she belonged – with me.
"Can't – Breathe!" Bella gasped.
"Whoops," I laughed, letting go and taking one of her hands. "Sorry."
"It's okay," she responded, a little breathless. Her eyes roamed the planes of my stomach, then up my arms and chest, and finally landed on my eyes. Her hands twitched as if to reach out and touch me, but then she shook her head, cheeks going red.
I smirked. "Glad I didn't wear a shirt yet?" I asked.
Her blush darkened. She hid it behind her hair, looking down at her feet as she stepped down from the sidewalk and started walking towards the truck.
"How are things in La Push?" She asked hesitantly, glancing up at my chest and then looking quickly down.
"Good. And you can go ahead and stare all day, I don't mind."
Her eyes darted up to me, then turned pointedly over to the gawking student body. "Yeah, I figured," she said sarcastically.
"If you had my body, would you hide it under a shirt?"
"If I had your body…" Her eyes met mine as we approached the truck. I recognized the mischievous glint in her eyes from the night before, reminding me of the spark between us where our hands met. "I would do a lot of things."
Now it was my turn to blush.
She could have my body, if she wanted it. I was ready, willing, and most definitely able, but as yet inexperienced. I'd always been the friend who was a boy, never the boyfriend.
I lifted the Harley into the bed of the truck with two hands even though I only needed one. I would have shown off for Bella, but eyes were starting to bore into me from every side, and I was feeling shy all of a sudden. I caught a glimpse of a stern-looking middle aged man with a bald head and bulbous stomach peering through a nearby window, but when I noticed him he abruptly averted his gaze.
I chuckled humorlessly. I was strong, but not immune to suspicion. They could sense an air of danger around me – something I emanated consciously or unconsciously. The Harley probably didn't help. But it was better for them to keep their distance, even if they didn't quite know why.
Bella handed me the keys absentmindedly as she got in the cab, slinging her backpack onto the floor and cranking the window open to let some air in. It was warmer out today, a hint of spring in the air despite the steady drizzle. I hopped in the driver's side, eager to get away from prying eyes and be alone with her.
I peeled out of the parking lot. As soon as we were on the road, I threw one arm over the back of the seat and brushed her shoulder with my fingertips. Bella leaned into my chest, whether for warmth or comfort, I wasn't totally sure. I raced over the highway, the Chevy's engine groaning the whole way.
"Take it easy on the truck, Jake," she scolded. "It's old enough to be your grandfather."
"We'll be safer when we get to La Push," I insisted. "Plus, I built this car. She can't break down on me. In fact, I'm sure she won't. I think that ought to add another year to my age," I added teasingly.
"I still think being a good cook is worth more than one year," she argued. "I mean, what did you eat for dinner last night? Pizza?" She lifted her eyebrows at my meek expression. "Plus, I do all the shopping. I know how to get groceries on a budget. When I was living with my mom, I used to balance her checkbook at the end of the month," she bragged.
"Okay, okay, two years," I conceded. "But you gotta admit, turning into a wolf has got to add on a few more for me."
"Not really," she grumbled, looking down at the hand in her lap with the crescent-shaped scar.
I vaguely remembered the other day when she had gotten so worked up about getting old. Maybe this joke wasn't funny anymore now that she knew I wasn't aging.
"Tell me what happened last night," she gasped suddenly, looking up at me with wide, fearful eyes. "Did anyone get hurt? You said Mike –"
I shook my head. "The pack is fine. Last night was… interesting, I guess." I wasn't sure where to start.
"You said Mike was hunting," she prompted.
My fists gripped the steering wheel tighter. "Yeah. We didn't get there fast enough to save them, though."
"Save Mike?"
"No," the image from my dream of him stumbling out of the bathroom with fangs dangled in front of my eyes. "Save them from Mike."
Bella was quiet for a moment. Her eyebrows came together over her eyes.
"I don't understand," she said stubbornly.
"He's a bloodsucker, Bella," I sighed. How had she not put this together already?
"He can't be!" She exclaimed, throwing her hands up. "He – I mean, Mike?"
She was as perplexed as the rest of us were. "Was he in school today?"
"No, but –" she started, then paused suddenly, grappling with this new information. "Wouldn't the Newtons have reported him missing or something?"
I shrugged. "Would Charlie know anything about it?"
"He took the last couple days off for the funeral, but…" She looked back down at her scar. "It takes three days to turn into a vampire," she murmured.
"So, he must have disappeared at least three days ago," I thought aloud.
Bella lifted her head to look out the windshield, and I studied her face. Something was clicking together – some trivial piece of information falling into place. I could see it when her eyes flashed with intuition, like a cartoon when a lightbulb goes off above someone's head. Her mouth parted in horror, and the air blew out of her mouth in a quick gust.
"Jess said Mike went camping with his parents over spring break," she breathed, wrapping her arms around her chest and hugging tight. "They do it every year."
I gripped her shoulder tighter. "Where?"
"Olympia," she gestured towards the Olympic mountains, hiding behind a green layer of trees.
My hands shook with the weight of being human. "The red-headed leech must be responsible. His scent was with hers, at Charlie's. I just don't understand why, if they were that close –" I cut off abruptly when Bella leaned out of the window and heaved her lunch.
"Woah, Bella!" I cried, pulling over to the side of the road.
She was back in the cab, looking positively green and even paler than usual. "I'm fine," she groaned.
"No, you're not," I insisted, rolling down my window to let some air in.
"Really, Jake –" she started, then leaned out the window again.
I held her hair this time. When everything had come up, she collapsed back into my chest, a thin layer of sweat coating her skin.
"What's wrong?" I asked desperately.
"Poor Mike…" she moaned, closing her eyes and resting her head against my neck.
"I know," I said, rubbing her back. "Do you want to talk about it?" I asked, eyeing the scar on her hand.
I thought I knew what she was thinking about. She had briefly told me about what happened in Phoenix last year, and I remembered how banged up she'd been when she came back. I figured she was remembering her own attack, minus the rescue…
I felt a little sick thinking about it, too.
She shook her head. I pulled back onto the road.
I relaxed a little when we crossed the border into La Push. The green wall of trees broke off and there was the shore, the same as it had always been while I was growing up. The familiar view was comforting.
Bella's heartbeat returned to its normal rhythm, and her breathing was coming easier. The sweat was gone, and some of the color had returned to her cheeks. She sighed, then looked up to me with a guilty smile.
"I'm sorry about that," she said sheepishly. "Do you think I could borrow a toothbrush when we get to your house?"
"Sure, sure. Don't be sorry, Bells," I answered, brushing her cheekbone with the back of my fingers. "I know this must be hard for you. We will get Victoria, though. It's just a matter of time."
"How many people have to die?" Her voice was full of sorrow.
"I'm sorry –"
"Oh, Jake, don't you dare apologize!" She exclaimed, throwing her hands on my chest. "This is all my fault. She wants me, Jake. Not Mike, or his parents, or the hikers –" her breathing hitched and tears sprung up in her eyes.
"None of this is your fault, Bella," I sighed, pulling into Billy's driveway. "Don't blame yourself."
She started to get out of the truck, but I rested my hand on her wrist.
"Look at me," I demanded when she wouldn't make eye contact. "C'mon, Bells, you can't seriously believe this is your fault."
She shook her head, biting her lip as another tear fell down her face.
I wrapped my arms around her shoulders, pulling her into my chest. I patted down her wet hair, inhaling the scent of her strawberry shampoo. She smelled good in the rain.
"Jake?" She asked, voice muffled by my skin.
"Yeah?"
"Do you think she made him a vampire for a reason?" She asked quietly.
"I think…" I trailed off, feeling torn. I wanted to tell her the truth, but at the same time, I wanted to protect her from it.
"I think she wants to get numbers on her side," I sighed. "Not that it matters, the pack is bigger than it's ever been. Oh! I forgot to mention, Quil shifted today."
"Quil?" She asked, eyes lighting in recognition. "I'm so sorry," she added softly.
I snorted. "Don't say that to him. He's ecstatic."
She smiled. "I'm glad he isn't as grumpy as you were," she teased.
I rolled my eyes. "You were just as annoying," I countered. "Calling every fifteen minutes. Billy actually pulled the cord out of the wall." I laughed.
"I knew there wasn't anything wrong with the phone lines!"
"We figured you would take the hint. No such luck," I said, smiling down at her.
"I wasn't the first one to be annoyingly persistent," she chided, raising an eyebrow. "You're trying to distract me," she accused.
"It worked, though," I smiled, leaning closer to her face.
She blushed and looked down at her feet. "Can I use that toothbrush now?"
She brushed her teeth inside while I changed into dry shorts and a shirt. I waited on the couch until she joined me in the living room.
"Bella?"
"Yeah?"
"The other day… When you jumped off the cliff…" I paused, watching her flinch. "Was it because you thought Victoria coming here was your fault?"
Her face softened. "No, Jake," she said, resting a hand on my cheek. "I was trying to hear Edward," she explained, voice low.
"Oh," was my genius response. "Do you still… want to… hear him?" I asked slowly.
She didn't say anything for a minute, her face a confusing mix of emotions. "I want to be with you, Jake."
"That's not a no."
She sighed. "Sort of. It's complicated. I want to give him up, because I know you're right – Edward and I were wrong in every sense of the word. But I loved him," she confessed, hanging her head in her hands. "I loved him with everything I had. He took part of me when he left, and I'll never get it back," she whispered the last part, as if saying it out loud made it too real.
"But you love me, too, right?"
She smiled halfheartedly. "Yes. I love you." Then, after a pause, she continued. "That's the problem. I love you enough that if you got bored or annoyed at my humanness, I wouldn't survive. You would take part of me, too," she looked up at me, wide brown eyes glistening with tears. "I can't spare any more pieces."
I took her face in my hands and leaned in to show her what words couldn't describe; the unbreakable bond of our bodies joined as one, how inseparable we were. How across any distance, even beyond death, we would be together.
"Jake, please," she pleaded breathlessly, our faces inches apart. "Be sure."
That stopped me in my tracks. Was I sure?
The air around us crackled with electricity. Her skin flushed pink beneath my hands, eyes wide and begging me to be sure.
Absolutely sure, Sam's words rang in my ears. You see what those leeches did to her.
Being with Bella was as easy as breathing. She was my Bella – crazy, freaky Bella. The only person who could love both a vampire and a werewolf in the same year. Overbearing at times, sure. Destructively impulsive on occasion, definitely. But she was also giving, and kind, and funny, and the most decent person I had ever met. I'd known her my whole life, sorta. It definitely felt like I had.
But without that, was I sure I'd imprinted on her? Could I promise I would never look into a stranger's eyes and be stripped of my love for her?
My body rejected the idea immediately. I could feel her pull, the gravitational force I had seen through Sam and Jared's minds. I was made to be with her. I was sure.
I leaned down and pressed my lips to hers.
I wasn't sure where she ended and I began for a few minutes, caught up in the heat of the moment. Bella was kissing me back with the same hunger I'd seen in her eyes at the school, running her hands all along the planes of my shoulders and working their way down my chest.
Just as I was getting to the clasp hook on her bra, the phone rang, shrill and insistent.
Reaching over Bella's head, I grabbed the phone off the receiver and slammed it back down, returning to the matter at hand. Bella giggled, pulling me back down to her lips by the collar of my shirt.
The phone, which I vaguely remembered reconnecting to the wall, resumed its siren call a moment later.
This time, I picked up and growled, "What?"
"Jacob," Billy scolded. "Is that how you answer the phone?"
I dropped back onto the couch, running a hand down my face. "No, you caught us – me" – I corrected quickly – "at a bad time."
Bella was on the verge of laughing. I pressed a finger to her lips as a warning, but then I ran my thumb under her chin, lifting it up to mine…
"Jacob!" The phone vibrated in my hand. "Are you listening?"
"Sorry, phone cut out." I lied. "What was that?"
"Charlie says he's busy at the station," Billy repeated warily. "Said they found two more bodies in the woods this morning, attacked by wolves."
I sat up, alert. "Two bodies?"
"Yeah. The Newtons, who own the sporting goods store." Billy explained slowly. "No sign of their son."
"Hmph," I huffed. "Figures."
Bella was watching me anxiously, so I rested one hand on her cheek and kissed her forehead. I wanted to affirm how much I loved her, to prove how absolutely sure I was.
"He said it's okay if Bella stays for dinner, though, since he's not gonna be home 'til late. There's a search party combing the woods for Mike."
"Hmm," I hummed, twirling a lock of Bella's hair in my fingers.
"Are you paying attention?" Billy asked accusingly.
"I'll let the guys know," I promised. Bella was running her fingers across my collarbone, tracing the lines along my shoulder, making it hard for me to concentrate.
"Sooner rather than later," Billy insisted.
"Sure, sure."
"Jacob, what are you doing?"
"Uhm…" I trailed off, holding the phone away from my ear and pressing my lips to Bella's neck.
Billy waited a couple seconds for a response before asking, "Is Bella there with you?"
"Yeah," I answered, throat thick. "We were just going to Emily's."
"You get on that," Billy warned. "Sue is giving me a ride home. I'll be there in five minutes."
I snapped out of the trance and back into reality, where Bella and I were in a precarious position on the couch, which would no doubt get me shot if Chief Swan happened to stop by. Billy would feel the need to do some parenting if he found us tangled up like this, and it was safe to assume if Billy knew about it, Charlie would know soon enough.
"Yeah, leaving now," I said quickly, hanging up the phone.
"Where are you going?" Bella asked, looking forlorn.
"We are going to Emily's," I corrected, standing up and offering her my hand. "Sue is driving Billy home now, they'll be here in a few minutes."
"Oh," she breathed, throwing her shirt on inside-out.
I laughed. "Is that a new fashion trend?"
She looked down and scowled, then took her shirt back off.
This was definitely an improvement from the shirt being on, but I couldn't let myself get distracted again. I walked briskly into the kitchen, trying to extinguish the fire growing in my belly and pooling between my legs.
"I'm decent," Bella announced, gliding over to me and pressing her lips to the hollow of my throat.
My arms wrapped around her waist without hesitation, pulling her closer to feel the heat of our moment alone. I wanted to tell her how utterly indecent she looked to me, how very tempting she was at any point in time.
"You're more than decent," I said instead, pressing my lips to hers and getting lost in time.
I heard the tires turning into our driveway, but I didn't pull away. I was too absorbed in her, completely blissed out on the intoxicating high of her mouth pressed against mine. We didn't disconnect until she heard Billy's wheelchair rattling on the railing.
She pulled away, rolling her eyes. "Let's go to Emily's," she said, and I thought I heard the same hesitation I felt in her voice.
I drove us in the Rabbit, one arm slung over her seat and the other resting on the steering wheel. We drove in charged silence, stealing chaste kisses every once in a while. She blushed whenever she caught me staring, so I spent less time than I should have looking at the road.
At Sam's house, Emily was standing in the rain five feet away from Leah, who was vibrating with anger.
"Leah, please –" Emily began. I got out of the car faster than humanly possible and used my long legs to stand between the two women.
"What's going on?" I asked.
Bella was getting out of the car, so I shook my head at her, but she didn't heed the warning.
"She wants me to forgive them," Leah spat, glaring at Bella quickly before settling her icy, unstable stare back on Emily.
"I just said I didn't think it was worth the heartache," Emily responded sadly, her face falling somber. "I see how much you're hurting, we all do. I thought if we could talk –"
"There's nothing to talk about!" Leah shrieked, her body convulsing. My eyes darted to Bella, who had stopped a few feet away from the Rabbit, watching with wide eyes.
Emily recognized the warning signs and ran back into the house. Bella took a careful step back, finally seeing the danger.
"Leah," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. She was probably too far gone for me to talk her down, but I had to try.
"Don't start!" She snarled. Then, with a shiver, she ran into the woods.
I watched her retreat. I had a good idea what she was feeling, and briefly considered shifting so I could try and talk to her, but I didn't want to provoke her any more than I already had. With a sigh, I turned back to Bella, who was watching me suspiciously.
"Leah is a werewolf?" She asked, stomping through the mud to stand next to me. "Why didn't you say anything?"
I smiled down at her half-heartedly. "You didn't ask."
She huffed, rolling her eyes. "I didn't think I had to."
"Well, now you know," I responded, grabbing her hand. "Does it change anything?"
She thought to herself for a moment. I could practically see the gears turning in her head.
"Is anyone else a wolf?" She asked finally, tightening her grasp on my hand.
"Seth," I sighed. There was no use hiding anything from her. "They both shifted when Harry died."
She gasped. "Is that how he died?"
"Well…" I trailed off. This was sensitive information, and not exactly her business. I should have known better than to look down at her curious eyes, but I did, and soon I was telling her the whole story.
"Not really. See, no one thought girls could be werewolves, since it's never happened before. Harry didn't recognize the signs in Leah because he thought it was impossible. But then she shifted in their living room. She thinks Harry had a heart attack from the shock."
"Poor Leah…" Bella mumbled, looking into the forest as if she could find the gray wolf.
"Yeah," I replied. "She's having a harder time than I did."
We walked silently into the house, ignoring Emily's bloodshot eyes.
