27. Complete
I casually slipped out the door, just like I would have any other school day. I had to make sure
that my sister wasn't suspicious of anything. She probably wouldn't care about me skipping
one day, but I figured it was better to ask for forgiveness, rather than permission. She usually leaves
for work around the same time I do for school, so skipping should be an easy task. Nervousness
and excitement filled me as I headed towards the beach. I knew that I would feel relief about
choosing someone, and I know that I've made the right choice, but it could backfire in so many
ways.
When I got to the beach, there was no one in sight. For a while I wondered if she even
remembered reading my text. It was pretty late when I sent it and I could tell that she had obviously
been asleep by her response. I tugged at my raincoat as the rain started to intensify. Finally, a
model-like figure came into my view. She was barefoot and wearing cutoff jean shorts with a plain
black v-neck t-shirt. She didn't appear to be the least bit cold. Meanwhile, I was bundled up in two
shirts and a rain jacket. She didn't look too thrilled to be awake, but I was ecstatic that she actually
came. She rubbed her eyes as she approached me. "So, what's so important that you had to see me
so early in the morning?" She asked sleepily.
"This isn't easy for me, but I'm going to try my best. Just please try to be kind." I pleaded.
"Aren't I always kind?" She joked. I shot her a skeptical look.
"Leah, I know that you probably already know this, but I have something that I need to get off my
chest."
"I actually have no idea what you're going to say, but I do know that you're extremely nervous. I don't
think that I would need extreme hearing to hear your heart pounding. " She teased as her beautiful
brown eyes gave me an intrigued look. I took a long deep breath trying to calm myself.
"Leah, I've felt something for you ever since I first laid eyes on you. I can't explain it, but it was like
something clicked as soon as I saw you. I've felt drawn to you ever since. Your beauty is overwhelming
to me. I can honestly say that I've never seen anything that is more beautiful than you. I know that this
is a long shot, but I can't just keep going on trying to be your friend and pretending that I don't have
feelings for you. I know that you don't feel the same way, so please, just let me down easy and I'll try to
continue to be your friend. At least it would be better than nothing." All I could do was stare at the
ground in embarrassment after spilling my guts to her.
"Wilder, when I first met you, I thought that you would just be another annoying guy. I just assumed that
after I helped you, that you would say thanks and I would never see you again. I thought that my theory
was confirmed when I followed you out of Forks to make sure that you were safe, but then you came
back. I really enjoyed our time together this summer. We've really bonded and you've broken down
walls that I've had up for years, but I've got to ask you. Are you really willing to have the patience to
deal with me? I've still got barriers that are up and I'm still flawed and broken. You've helped me get
better, but are you willing to take the time to help me be completely whole again? It could take some
time, and I may never completely heal, but I would like to give it a try if you're up for it."
"I would love nothing more than to give us a try. I'll be as patient as you need me to be. There is no one
else that I would want to be with." I assured her.
"I've lied to myself for too long. I've had feelings towards you for a while, but I've tried to keep them
bottled up. It feels good to finally admit them." She said with a smile of relief.
"I know the feeling." I said as I wrapped her in my arms in a hug. It was nice being taller than her
now. I'm glad that I no longer feel like I have to pull her down for a hug.
"I have to warn you though. The whole pack will know about us soon. There is no way that I'll be able to
keep from thinking about this."
"I don't mind at all. I wouldn't care if the world knew. You're the one that should be embarrassed about
people knowing. You're way out of my league."
"You should give yourself some credit. You were good looking before, but now you've gotten a lot taller
and you've put on a ton of muscle. I'm sure that there are tons of girls chasing after you." She assured
me. Then it hit me. I would have to break this news to Carley, Candace, and Hayley as soon as I got
back to school. I hated the thought of hurting them, but this decision was the one that brought me
true happiness. I would just have to live with the aftermath of it.
"So, do you have any plans today? I've got some time to kill since I'm technically supposed to be at
school." I said with a hopeful look.
"No, things have been pretty calm around the reservation. We've been able to ease back our patrols. I'm
definitely thankful for the extra rest. The only excitement we've had was that strange scent outside of
your house. I can hang out today." She assured me.
"Would you like to take a walk along the beach?" I asked extending out my hand.
"Yes, as long as you won't get too cold." She said as she interlocked her fingers into mine.
"I'll never get cold as long as I'm next to you. You radiate so much heat."
"It's a wolf thing. I run a cool 108 degrees."
"Wow, I guess that leaves out going to the doctor then. I could only imagine the doctor's face when
they checked your temperature." I joked as we began walking down the beach hand in hand.
"That's why our super healing powers come in handy. We don't have much need for a doctor."
"It must be so cool being a wolf. Extreme senses, speed, and strength, with wolf telepathy and healing
powers to top it all off. I mean, that vampire was no match for you."
"It has its advantages, but it also has its disadvantages." She sighed.
"What are the disadvantages?"
"The wolf telepathy can be annoying when we're not fighting or hunting vampires. Also, my uh...
menstrual cycle sort of stopped after I phased. The not aging thing is nice, but that's one of the terrible
side effects of it. I may never be able to have kids."
"I'm so sorry Leah. Do you think that it's a possibility that you could still have kids if you stop phasing?"
"I doubt that it will make much difference now... Let's change the subject. I'm sorry for giving you too
much information."
"Don't apologize. I want to know everything about you. What you told me doesn't change anything. I still
want to be with you."
"Thank you, you really are a kind person. I guess we balance each other out."
"You're nicer than you give yourself credit for." I assured her.
"You may be the only one that thinks so, but I guess that's all that matters."
"You mentioned that strange scent outside my house again. Have you figured anything else out about
what it was?" I questioned.
"Possibly...I spoke with Jake and he discussed it with the Cullens. They have a theory that since it was
a full moon and that was the only night that I smelled it, that it could be a werewolf."
"Wouldn't you know the scent of another werewolf?"
"We're technically shapeshifters. There are true werewolves out there, but they are rare. The Volturri,
which are vampires who are sort of ove the other vampires, have tried to hunt them to extinction, but
there are still some that survived."
"Why were they hunted?"
"Much like us, although we made peace with the Cullens, the werewolves are enemies to the vampires.
The Volturri call them Children of the Moon, because they only phase during a full moon. They can beat
a vampire one on one like we can, but the Volturri sent groups of their guard to hunt them down all
across Europe and Asia, and since the werewolves rarely travel in packs, the Volturri were able to kill
them to near extinction. It is believed that they still could be spread out across North America."
"In what ways are the Children of the Moon different from you?"
"The stories say that, like us, they have the extreme senses, speed, strength, and healing abilities. They
have these abilities in human form as well, but they are much stronger while in wolf form. They do not
walk on four legs like us. They are said to have powerful hind legs and long arms, while having
opposable thumbs and really long sharp claws. They are thought to run like an ape. They also have
sharp teeth, like ours that can easily tear through a vampire. They would probably look more like the
werewolves that you see in fairy tales, but unlike those fairy tales, silver bullets will not kill them. They
are not able to breed in wolf form, but they can have human children. They do not pass on the wolf
gene like us. If they bite another human, that human will turn into a werewolf. They are completely
immune to vampire venom when in wolf or human form."
"They sound kind of terrifying, but I still don't understand why the Volturri have such a problem with
them."
"Unlike us, the werewolves don't have much control over themselves when they phase. They could do a
whole lot of damage in that one night. They were capable of slaughtering and eating whole villages. Of
course, most vampires use humans as a food source as well, so this creates competition. The
vampires thought it best to destroy the werewolves, before the werewolves destroyed them."
"Do you really think that is what was behind my house? That's terrifying to think about."
"Like I said, they are very rare, so it's a long shot, but it's the best theory we've got right now. I promise
you that no matter what it is, I'll be there to protect you if it decides to come back." She assured me.
"I trust you. Can you tell me more about this Volturri? They sound both terrifying and interesting."
She gave me a smile as she went into what she knew about the history of the Volturri. She also
explained to me about the near mega-war that almost happened between them. I hung on to her
every word. I looked forward to hearing more of her stories. I don't think I'll ever get tired of hearing
them. She assured me that she had plenty to tell and I was glad. It was at this moment that
everything finally felt complete.