Chapter 17 – Emily - Revised
Burdette had worked quickly to patch Emma up. She had placed the same thick mixture into the very deep gash that spanned Emma's hip and thigh and wrapped her in several large, warm towels.
"Unfortunately she's going to be on that table for a bit," said Burdette as she washed her hands, "I don't want to try moving her until she's regained some of her color."
Paul stood by Emma's side, gently holding one of her hands as she rested. The rest of the pack had left, presumably to go back on patrol.
"How are you feeling," Burdette asked me.
"If I don't move around too much I can hardly feel it," I said.
"Good," she said with a nod, "Then I can bandage you up and have you on your way."
"That means I have to take this shirt off, doesn't it," I said with a slight groan.
Burdette gave me an apologetic look, "I'm afraid so, but I'll be quick."
I sat down at the little kitchen table with my back to the rest of the room. Jacob, with his back to us, took up a position that blocked me from Paul's view. Burdette helped me lift the shirt up and around my neck so she could examine my back.
"Healing up nicely, I'm going to wash out the salve," she said. She walked to the sink and filled a bowl with hot water and grabbed a washcloth. She slowly worked the now dry salve from the cuts and then I felt her spreading a thick cream over my back. Finally, she wrapped thick bandages over my back and across my stomach and chest.
"I feel like a mummy," I said smiling.
"When will she be healed completely," asked Jacob, as Burdette helped me pull the shirt over the bandages.
"If she takes it easy, about a day, two at most," Burdette said.
I stood up and turned around to face them.
"Thank you, Burdette," I said, "I owe you one."
"You owe me nothing," she said waving me off, "I'm just glad you're all alright."
"Shall I escort you home," Jacob asked, a smile playing on his lips.
"Actually, I want to go check on Emily," I said.
"Good idea, she's probably worried sick," said Burdette.
We said our goodbye's to Burdette and Paul, Emma was still passed out, and made our way to Emily's. When she saw us coming she ran out the door to meet us.
"Is everyone alright," she said, stopping just short of running into us.
"We're okay Emily," said Jacob, "Did Sam stop by before he went back on patrol?"
"Ony for a minute but he didn't give me any details, he just said Arianna and Emma were being treated at Burdette's. I was getting ready to walk over there," she said looking at me with concern.
"Yeah well, the vampire used us as a scratching post," I said.
Emily's eyes widened, "What!"
"Come inside and we will fill you in," said Jacob and he led us into the house.
We recounted the story to Emily as she made us tea in the kitchen. She seemed to take it all well and she too congratulated me for killing my first vampire, but thankfully she refrained from clapping me on the back. After a cup of tea, Jacob decided he had better check in with the others. "Don't go mano a mano with any more vampires while I'm gone," he said, throwing a playful look at me.
"Who me? Never," I teased.
Emily raised an eyebrow at us but the look was quickly replaced with worry as Jacob walked out the door and took off into the woods.
"They'll be ok," I said, trying to reassure her.
"I know, but I can't help worrying. They're like family to me," she said.
"Like pack," I added.
"Exactly," she said with a smile.
I returned the smile. Emily and I spent the next few hours together. We made lunch; gathered blueberries from the bushes outside; I sat and ate said blueberries while she chopped wood; all the while we talked. She told me about growing up on the other side of the meadow, about meeting Sam, and about the day she had been told the werewolf legend was true. In turn, I told her about growing up in Winthrop, my best friend Gwen, and my parents.
"Did you leave a boyfriend, or girlfriend, behind when you came to live here," Emily asked me as we prepared dinner.
"Um, no. Well not technically," I said, stumbling over my words slightly, "An ex-boyfriend."
My tone must have caught her attention because she paused chopping a cucumber to look at me.
"Not ready to talk about it, huh," she said as more of a statement than a question.
"Yes and no," I admitted, dumping the salad greens I had been cutting into a big bowl.
"I understand," she said, adding the cucumber to the bowl.
"Well, when you are fully ready," she said, smiling at me gently.
"I appreciate it Em," I said, returning the smile.
"Are you settling in at Jacob's alright," she asked, and there was something of an implication in her tone.
"Yeah, I guess so," I said, throwing her a quizzical look, "Jacob and the rest of the pack have been really welcoming."
"Mmhmm," she murmured, more to herself than me. Her tone confused me. It was as if I had confirmed something, but our conversation ended there as Seth and Leah came walking in the door.
"Hey you two, how is it out there?" asked Emily.
"Where are the others?" I added.
"Sam and Jacob will be back in a few hours," said Leah.
"Sam wants two of us in the woods at all times until he's sure there arent any other vampires wandering around," said Seth.
As we all grabbed plates to serve ourselves I asked, "So, it's not a common occurrence. Vampires showing up, that is."
"No it's not," said Leah sitting down at the table.
We joined her and she continued, "It's true we werewolves were created to protect the tribe from vampires. That said, it's not like the planet is swarming with them. They tend to move in clans, and those clans remain well hidden. It's when the clans get tired of their old hang out, or they begin to worry that someone in a local town has realized they're friendly neighbor hasn't aged over the past 6 years, that they move."
"Didn't Sam and Jacob tell you all this stuff," Seth asked me as Leah paused to take a bite of her food.
"They told me the original legend, and explained that vampires are real and that the Cullens are our neighbors," I said, thinking back to the night before, "And they told me that new pack members were 'created', so to speak, whenever there was an imminent threat. But they also told me the reason the pack goes out on patrol is to ward off vampires. So I sort of assumed that meant there are a lot of them out there."
"The patrols are just a precaution," Emily chimed in, "Sam doesn't want the pack to become lazy."
"That, and he doesn't completely trust the Cullens," Seth added.
"Patrols keep up fit and alert," said Leah, "As for an imminent threat, the fact that vampires still exist is just that. There are always a few core pack members, typically an Alpha, a Beta, and a couple of others. Since the first werewolf was created there has always been at least one werewolf standing guard. Sam, Jacob, Paul, and Emma began transforming when older pack members were still around. The old pack trains their replacements and then essentially get to retire."
"Then why did the two of you transform," I asked.
"The Cullens," said Seth.
"Their clan moved back to Forks a couple of years ago and that triggered the gene," said Leah, "As I said, covens move periodically. They'll have to leave in a few years once their youngest can't pass for a high school, or young college student anymore. They'll wait a few decades until everyone who could remember them in Forks is dead, and they'll come back. It's a sick cycle."
We fell into silence after that. I mulled over everything I had been told about the vampires and werewolves so far. It was all so complicated, and I was sure I was still missing details. But there was time to catch me up. Hopefully.
When all the plates were empty and put in the sink we all sat down on the couches by the fire which Emily lit. We talked briefly about the vampire attack, getting Seth and Leah's perspective on the day's events. We quickly moved on, however. Each of us wanted to forget, if only for a moment, that vampires were our reality.
Another hour or so passed. It was past midnight before Jacob and Sam came walking in the door.
Sam kissed Emily and slumped onto the couch, "Paul is out on patrol, would one of you join him," Sam said to Seth, Leah, and I.
I began to stand but Jacob shook his head, "No not you. Burdette would be furious with us if she found out you went out while you're still healing."
Leah stood up and stretched, "I'll go."
"Thank you, Leah," said Sam.
Jacob sat down next to me. I curled my legs curled to my chest. I was possessed with the insane urge to put my head on his shoulder but contented myself with the fact that because he was sitting so closes our arms and hips were touching.
"How you feeling," he asked.
"Good, no one else has slapped me on the back so it doesn't hurt anymore," I said with a laugh.