Jacob POV
Salem was a bust, there was nothing there. I spent the day going to old known areas of witches literally sniffing for a trace of Raena. I even showed some people her picture to see if they recognized her, but there was nothing. I couldn't give up though, I know that Embry was desperate for any sort of news and if this had been Renesmee, I would want whoever it was to be thorough. Tomorrow, I was thinking about going back for part of the day then looking around Boston. If that didn't give me anything, I would start going around the state, I would scour this place to see if she was here. If Raena was in Massachusetts, I was going to find her. Now times up... Charlie will be expecting Raena home any minute and I can't find her.
I took out my phone and called Bella.
"Did you find anything."
"No," I admitted. "I haven't felt a trace of her at all."
"Charlie's already called me twice about Raena... I told her I dropped her off but he said she never came out of the school. I'mg going to have to tell him, Jake."
"I know," I sighed. "I'm still looking, I'll find her if she's here," I promised her.
"I know you will. I'm scared for her Jake... what are they doing to her?"
"Don't think like that. We know she's alive, that's what we should focus on."
"I have to go... I need to talk to Charlie."
"Good luck," I hung up the phone.
Bella POV
I looked up at my old house, the white paint chipping away and the yellow stains on the siding.
"He'll understand," Edward squeezed my hand.
"I can tell when you're lying," I told him.
"What are we telling him?"
"As close to the truth as I can get," I marched forward to the door.
"Raena!," I heard Charlie call as he ran to the door. He opened and saw me, but his face looked devastated. "Bella! Raena wasn't at the school, I called the principal but he said she hadn't been there all day. You dropped her didn't you?"
"Dad, can we come in?"
"Yeah, yeah, sure," he walked away and Edward and I followed. "She isn't anywhere, I called her friends Lily's house, I even called Embry's mom... no one has seen her."
"Dad... that's what I want to talk to you about."
"So you know where Raena is?," he sounded hopeful.
I paused," No. I don't."
"Bella...," my dad looked between Edward and I suspiciously.
"Dad... Raena's not here."
"Then where is she?"
"We aren't sure, Sheriff," Edward stepped in.
Charlie was quiet for a moment," Did you drop her off at school this morning?"
I sighed," Dad... I wanted to tell you but I can't."
"How long has she been gone," he demanded an answer.
"Sheriff," Edward grabbed his attention. "We are going to find Raena. We're out looking for her right now."
"So your saying she ran away? She's missing!?"
"I'm saying that she will be found."
"Bella," he turned back to me. "How long has she been missing? Did she run away over the weekend?"
"Dad, we'll find her."
"That's not what I asked," he looked at me with serious eyes.
"She's missing, that's all that matters now," Edward told him.
"That's not true, missing kids have to be reported within a certain time frame."
"But you can't report someone missing unless it's been 48 hours."
Charlie looked to me," Has it been 48 hours?"
"Dad, listen," I pulled him down next to me on the couch.
Raena POV
Nathaniel and Caio left after a pretty boring dinner with no really good topic of conversation.
"Let us speak more of these topic, things should be in motion for the young couple," I heard Nathaniel tell Adrian as he was putting on his coat.
"Yes, we should proceed as planned," he said before waving them off.
"Lovely to meet you," Caio smiled to me. "Raena."
"Yeah," I nodded. "Bye."
"You did great," Adrian smiled as the door shut
"Really? I don't think I did much."
"It was perfect! See you fit right in with us," he boasted proudly.
I couldn't help but feel a swelling of pride, I never really truly fit in at Forks and Chicago seems so long ago.
"Adrian," Cassia called to her son. "We need to discuss."
"Ah yes," he smiled. "We'll be back," he said as the entered his office space.
Kalem already had disappeared upstairs and no doubt Valerian and Emelie were in bed. I went upstairs and took the dress of and wiped off my makeup then wandered until I found Eva's room.
"Hey San Franscisco," I joked while standing in the hall.
She looked up and grinned," Hey Chicago," she played along beautifully and pulled me into her room. "I guess, I've never apologized for everything properly. About lying to you."
I sighed," So much has happened since then, I've forgotten all about it."
"I really am sorry I lied to you, Raena. But if I hadn't, you never would have experience all of this," she smiled happily.
Yeah, I guess.
"I guess, it's crazy the school let you enroll. I bet you had all the fake papers... from magic or something."
Eva blushed," Actually we just kind of hypnotized the principal. There is not record of me ever being a student there."
"What?!"
"We just kind of... already convinced him I had all the paperwork done. It was harmless, he's not hurt of anything."
"You know, the more I hear about your magic... the more it sounds really convenient."
"What do you mean?," she sat on her bed.
"I mean, you guys can do anything. Cassia says she can breath underwater! To have power like that... it's crazy."
"Power comes with a price."
"What does that mean?"
"It means look at me. I got to a school with only one other student... I only have one friend and once we graduate out, I don't know what I'll do. I've never even had a real boyfriend before."
"Really?"
Eva covered her face," Oh god, that's so embarrassing!"
"No, no... it's okay."
"Dinner's over? How was it!? Start at the beginning," Eva switched the topic eagerly.
I shrugged," Boring...bland."
"Caio was there?," Eva asked.
"Yeah."
"Talk about boyfriend material," she swooned.
I shook my head," You like that guy? He talks like he's a vampire from an old movie."
Eva giggled," I like to think he's just sophisticated and mature."
I laughed," Whatever you say. But I mean, he's cute. Why don't you go for it?"
Eva's smile faltered," I can't."
"Why not?"
"I kind of... have a fiance...," she mumbled looking at her lap.
"FIANCE?!"
"Shhh," Eva jumped up and closed the door.
"You've never had a boyfriend, but you're engaged?! How does that even happen?"
"My parents arranged it for me. I've known Jordan basically my whole life."
"You can't marry him, that's crazy!"
Eva sighed," I can see how it looks crazy, but that's how it's always been."
"Do... you love him at least?"
Eva looked at me, her green eyes were wide," I could... possibly one day. We don't talk enough for me to know. I see him once a year, he... he actually lives in San Francisco," she ended with a laugh.
"That's honestly that craziest shit I've heard... and I just heard that magic is real."
Eva chuckled," I'll see him soon, I'm almost excited too," she admitted.
"Well, that's good?," I didn't know if it really was or not.
"You'll get to meet him too! Oh, that will be fun!"
"Yeah, sure," it was my turn to look away.
Do I trust Eva? Can I tell her what I'm thinking?
"You okay?," she asked, sitting beside me.
I faked a smile," Yeah."
Adrian knocked on the door," Raena, I need to speak with you."
I got off the bed and followed him down to the study. Adrian turned to me with a smile," I've got the Sheriff's office on the line here," he pointed to the phone. "I know how much you want to speak with your uncle."
My heart raced," Really?!"
"Yes. I just... I ask again, you don't tell them you're here."
I picked up the phone," Uncle Charlie?"
"Raena!? Where are you? Tell me right now."
Of course that's his first demand.
"Uncle Charlie, I'm okay. I'm okay, I promise."
"You are coming home right now. Tell me where you are."
I looked at Adrian, I could tell he was listening, but didn't want to pry on my conversation.
"I can't. I'm sorry."
"Raena, what is going on? Are you hurt?"
"No, no, no. Nothing like that, I promise. I'm fine, I just... I just needed to get away for a while is all."
"Raena, you can't just run away," Charlie groaned. "You had Bella worried sick, she wouldn't even tell me!"
"I know... I'm really sorry. I tried to call earlier, but I can't get through."
"Where's your phone? I've tried to call you dozens of times."
"I lost it."
"Ranea...," Charlie took a deep breath. "Wherever you are, I'll come get you. I just want to get you home safe and sound. I... I haven't called Diane yet, but if you come home now, maybe I don't have to tell her. I don't care what you've done, we can figure it all you as son as I get you."
I swallowed the lump in my throat, All the times I ran away in Chicago, my mom always found me... But this time, I don't think she can.
"Uncle Charlie, I can't leave yet," I said the words without realizing.
Why not? I mean... I can leave. I want to go back and see Embry... but I... I kind of want to stay here too.
"Leave where? Where are you?"
"I'm safe, Uncle Charlie. Tell my mom I love her and that I'm not on drugs."
"Raena, please, tell me where you are. I don't want to put an APB out on you."
"Then don't," I glanced to Adrian who was watching me now intensely. "I'll call you again later. Tell Bella, I'm sorry too... Bye, Uncle Charlie."
I hung up the phone while he was protesting. I've wanted to reach out to them all, hear their voices and tell them where to find me... but now actually doing it, it was painful. Now that I was torn between these two worlds, I had no idea which way to go or how to make both sides understand I wanted them.
"I'm sorry," Adrian apologized and sat in the desk. He sounded defeated and tired, like he might cry.
"Are you okay?"
"I... I feel like I did the wrong thing."
"What wrong thing?"
"I shouldn't have brought you here," he looked to me with sadness in his eyes.
"What? I thought you wanted me here!"
Every since I got to this house, Adrian's been talking about us being a family and how he was so happy to have me home.
"I want you here more than I want the air in my lungs, Regina. I'm sorry, I mean Raena." He sighed deeply," Hearing you on the phone... it sounds so hard. I know exactly what your uncle is going through, I went through it myself when I lost you, but I never got a phone call. I'm not sure if it would have made things easier or harder. At least he knows you're safe... I didn't even know if you...," he stopped himself and looked away.
"Anyway," he continued. "I... I feel just awful doing this to you. I wanted you all to myself and I forgot that you have others I need to share you with."
"Are you... going to send me back to Forks?," I asked, scared for his answer.
I want to go back... but I don't want to leave. What if they erase my memory? I'll never remember anything!
"I don't want to send you anywhere," he answered. "I want you here, with me... with your family. But I don't want this forced on you... I should have... I should have done this better, approached you differently."
Adrian was really beating himself up, it was hard for me not to take pity on him. I mean, he was my father, I could tell he cared about his kids and that meant me too.
"Yeah, you did do a really fuck up job," I joked, sitting across from him. "But... I don't hate it here as much I first did."
"That's not quite the rousing speech, I think you meant it to be," he smiled sadly.
"No, sorry. I meant that at first yes, you were really weird and kind of creepy and stuff and I thought you were all insane. But spending time with you and getting to know all of you, it was nice. I.. I've never really had a... a family like this."
Adrian put his hand over mine," We will always be your family no matter what you chose."
Embry's POV
"I don't know yet, Em."
Jacob told me.
"Have you found her or not?"
"I will, I'll find her."
"Let me come too. I can help, two wolves are better than one."
"Em, we've been over this."
"Jake, I don't care about school. You know it's all meaningless to me without her."
"You need to stay there. I'll tell you when I find something."
"He will find her, Embry," Quil told me.
"I can't just sit around here," I paced the room.
"I thought you were going to break Alpha's orders."
"I... I can't do that either. The pack is everything to me, you're my brothers," I ran my fingers in my hair. "I trust Jake, I really do... I just can't stand all of this."
"We know she's alive."
"But we don't know where, why, or what they're doing to her."
"Embry, you know she's a fighter. I bet she got away from them and is on her way back."
I sat and put my head in my hands. I know she's a fighter, I know she is... but how long can you really fight? What if she doesn't think we're looking for her? What is she doesn't think I care... I haven't found her yet. Why haven't I found her yet...
"Where she'll find me, just sitting here, not doing a damn thing...I'm sick of hearing about this..."
"You can't sit here, blaming yourself Embry."
"Then who should I blame? I was there! I was there and I didn't save her."
"Em..."
"No, I've had it. I've fucking had it! I am going to rip those witches apart, I'm going to kill them! I'm going to kill all of them!"
Sue's POV
I whipped my car into the driveway and got out, storming past the house and to the barn, I heard voices as I turned the corner.
"You better start explaining," I demanded,
Looking between the boys, I saw my son, Arane, and Quil all looking at me with wide eyes.
"Where is he?," I growled, scoping the room for Jacob.
"H-He's not here, mom," Seth stood up.
"Where is he?"
"Gone," Quil stated, without asking who I was looking for.
I turned to Seth, looking down at him sharply," I just got off the phone with Charlie... he told me Raena is missing. She's been missing for days and that Bella hid it from him. If Bella knew there's no way Jacob didn't know."
"Mom...," Seth looked down to the ground.
"Where is Jacob?"
"He's out looking for her, Ms. Clearwater," Arane blurted.
I turned to him," What do you all know about this," I eyed the other boys. "You do not know this girl's history and protecting her now is only going to get her hurt. Tell what you know."
She could be out doing lord knows what.
"Nothing," Quil sounded guilty.
"This better not be some joke. Where you all just let her run away-..."
"No one let her run away," Quil defended.
"Do you know where Raena is?," I kept my gaze on my son.
"Of course not mom... none of us know."
"Even Embry?"
Seth shook his head.
So she really is missing... She ran away, but why?
"Why did she run away?," I asked aloud. "I thought she was...," I drifted off.
I thought we had started to get along... But addicts are the hardest people to control. They can be so unpredictable. We just have to find her.
"Mom, she didn't-.."
"Seth, no," Quil silenced him.
"She didn't what?," I looked between the boys who all held my eyes to theirs. "Seth Peter Clearwater," I gave him a warning tone. He stayed silent and looked back to the floor, he was growing up too fast if this didn't work on him. "Don't make me get Billy involved in all of this," I threatened the others.
Quil sighed, he was not willing to call my bluff. "We just don't want this getting around, it's easier for now if people think she ran away."
"She didn't run away?"
"Sue! I thought that was you," I heard Billy's voice and turned to see him wheeling into the garage.
I could tell immediately that Billy already knew, that's why he had come out here, to finally tell me.
"You better start talking," I told him icily.
Now that he could sense that the boys had spilled his secret, he dropped his act.
"Raena was kidnapped by witches."
Oh dear lord...
I looked back to Seth, who nodded, agreeing with what Billy had told me.
"Is she hurt?"
"We haven't been able to find her, we don't know where he is."
"I just got off the phone with Charlie, she called him."
"What?," Quil ran in front of me. "Tell us! What did she say?!"
"He told me she just said she needed to get away... she made is sound like she had chosen this. She didn't even tell Charlie where she was."
"Did they trace the call?"
"No, they couldn't... So you're saying Raena was kidnapped," then I shook my head. "Did you say witches?"
Billy sighed," It's a long story."
"Give me the highlights."
"The trespassers, they are witches. They have been coming around, we thought for Embry, they seemed to have an obsession with him and then it was at Prom, they took Raena."
"When were you all going to tell me this!?," I glared at the room.
"We didn't want to worry you or have to have you keep this secret from Charlie."
My heart sank, they were right, Charlie can't know about this... and now I have to lie to him. This is not how I wanted to start our future.
"Where are you guys on this? What have you found out?"
"Jacob went to flush out a lead."
"What about the Cullens?"
"They've been working around the clock. Witches are mystery to them as well as us," Billy told me.
"So were nowhere close to finding her?"
"It's only been a few days," Billy tried to explain. "Besides, if she called you, that has to be a good sign. Maybe they're trying to send us some message by letting her call Charlie."
I gripped my temples," Billy, I can't lie to Charlie about this. He thinks Raena ran away to get high."
"Better to think that then know the truth," Seth grabbed my hand. "Mom, we're going to find her."
I squeezed his hand," How is Embry taking this?," I turned to Quil.
Quil shook his head," He is a wreck. I actually had to drug him to get him to sleep."
"Tiffany must be so worried about him."
I was so lucky to be in the inner circle on the pack, to be in Tiffany's shoes thinking that her son was sneaking away every night to do lord know's what and that he never tells you anything. She is so frozen out and Embry thinks he is protecting her, but I know this is killing her to see her son change so drastically.
"Quil you should go tell Embry that Raena's called," Billy ordered. "Arane and Seth, you head out to the Cullen's, tell them the news."
Seth squeezed my hand once more before running out of the barn with Arane and Quil. I watched him go, he was growing up too fast, he wasn't really allowed to be kid since he phased. He's been worreid for his life and his pack's life.
"Why does it feel like we're always so close to death?," I asked Billy.
"Don't worry about Seth," Billy smiled. "I guess a congratulations are in order."
"Congratulations?"
Billy's hand traveled to my ring and I unconsciously grabbed it, playing with the stone," Oh yeah," I smiled.
"I'm hoping I'm still invited."
"I couldn't pry to invitation for Charlie's hands even if I wanted to," I almost laughed.
Now I have to go home and lie...
