Bella's Point of View
I decided the best way to pass the time would be to just do some laundry for the time being. It wasn't much, but just enough to keep me distracted. Eventually I finished all the clothes, so I began washing blankets and bed sheets. Since it was a nice day out today, I took the chance to use the clothesline out in the backyard. If the weather held up and it didn't rain, I preferred to dry the blankets outside. There was a gentle breeze, along with just a bit of warmth reaching through the clouds. The sun peeked through the clouds a bit more today than usual.
Being outside on a day like this, may be the only chance I get to enjoy the sun. Even if it was just a small tease of light. But there was something going on. I could feel it. A heaviness in the air. The smell of something disgustingly sweet. My stomach churned. Something sweeter than honey. I gagged, covering my nose. The world seemed to shift under my feet. I dizzily clutched onto the wooden pole of the clothesline to steady myself.
Standing in the tree line was a man. I wasn't sure if he was really there, or if it was a figment of my imagination. My skin went ablaze as I locked eyes on the man. His eyes were crimson, like blood. I felt a mixture of several different emotions all at once. Fear, panic, anger. It all swelled up inside of me.
The man casually strolled over to me, a dark smile on his face. With each step closer I took greater note of his appearance. His pale skin glistened like a thousand diamonds. It was stunning, but terrifying.
"What do we have here, you are a strange one aren't you?" His voice was like a melody, but the sharpness of his tone kept me uneasy.
"Who are you, what do you want from me?" I took a few steps back.
"Now, you just stay right where you are, don't make this any harder than it needs to be. I'm not in the mood to chase my prey today." He responded, baring his teeth at me. A bone-chilling snarl broke through his teeth. It didn't sound human.
My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach. I turned away, looking for an escape, but the second I looked back in his direction. He was just a foot away from me. He towered over me, with eyes cut through me. His hands to my shoulders, grabbed them roughly as he brought me to his chest.
I tried fighting out of his hold, but he was too strong. His hands were so cold and hard. I winced as his hands pressed down harder. It felt like he was about to crush my bones into pieces. My legs trembled. But the fear I felt was suddenly extinguished, as fury took hold of me. My entire body began to shake from underneath him.
Bursting through the trees I watched as two huge wolves came barreling into my yard, growling fiercely. This took the man off guard, he turned around, releasing his grip on me. I quickly scurried away, on my hands and knees. I couldn't stop the shaking, I couldn't suppress my anger. Sweat was dripping down the sides of my face as I tried to catch my breath. I curled myself into a ball, glancing over to the wolves and the man.
They attacked him with startling aggression, ripping the man to pieces right before my eyes. I had the urge to run or scream. Surely they would make their way over to me next. I would be the next on the menu. My only hope was to make it back inside the house. But I was frozen in place.
It didn't seem to take the wolves long to completely destroy the man, but I found it strange they didn't devour, even a single piece of him. They ripped his body to pieces, but there was no blood. The smaller wolf held the man's dismembered head in its mouth, looking prideful of it's kill. The other wolf lingered a few steps away from me. This one was really. Sleek black fur, with specks of silver dotting the tops of the ears and tail. It was a beautiful creature. Its eyes followed me, but there was no sign of hostility.
I turned away, feeling my hormones playing tug of war over my body. Anger and fear. I didn't know which one was winning. I felt like I was losing my sanity. That's when I began to feel my body begin to shift. My clothing turned to shreds as everything began to change. My senses were heightened immediately. Everything was more clear, every blade of grass, crisp vibrant green. I could hear the world around me humming. The fluttering of wings from the birds above, to the trickling flow of a stream off in the distance. There was a strong earthy smell surrounding me, it was comforting and alluring. I followed the scent, turning my sights back to the wolf. It was coming from him.
I didn't realize that I made it to my feet, until I stumbled. I was on four legs. But it felt so natural. I took a few dainty steps in the wolf's direction, but I couldn't seem to find my balance. It felt like my legs were weak and feeble. I tripped a few times as I tried coordinating my steps. But I made it over to him. The pull was overwhelming. I gravitated to him without question. I wanted to be close to him.
The eyes of the wolf were clouded with concern as I approached him. But he stood his ground, keeping his head up. Authority washed over me, I had the sense that he was in charge. The urge to bow my head was strong. But I held my head up as well. We stared at each other for a while. Motionless. Until he moved over to gently lick my face.
Can you hear me, Bella? Edward's voice sounded in my head.
I looked around in a panic, hoping to spot him.
The other, smaller wolf trotted over to us, watching between the two of us. She is definitely an alpha female, I feel obligated to follow her as well. Of course, your commands would have a stronger effect.
The large wolf snorted, lightly nuzzling the side of my neck. Bella, if you can hear me, don't be scared. I'll explain everything, once you phase back. Again, the voice sounded like Edward. But it sounded like it was coming from this wolf. Was this him? Was this the big secret everyone has been keeping from me? The people of La Push were werewolves?
I glance down at my body, taking note of the soft white fur. I was in complete shock. I slowly felt my legs give way as I laid myself down to the ground. My head was spinning as I tried to wrap my head around this. My body felt so foreign to me, yet familiar as well. Would I be stuck like this forever.
Both wolves watched me tensely.
Bella, are you okay? Did that blood-sucker hurt you? The smaller wolf took a step towards me, still holding the head of the man they had both just killed. The voice was familiar. I think it was Emmett.
Stay back. Was the only thing I could think to say. My mouth didn't move, it was just the first thought that came to me. They were murderers. Sure, that man looked like he was just about to kill me, but I just couldn't accept the fact that they killed him. As if it was nothing. As if this wasn't the first time they did something like this.
Calm down, we aren't going to hurt you or anything. We just want to make sure you are alright. Edward's voice floated over to me. His words calmed me slightly.
You two just killed that man. I responded, feeling my ears flatten against my head.
The two of them exchanged looks.
That wasn't a man. That was a monster. He was about to kill you. He was hunting you Bella. Emmett's voice had a hard edge to it.
A monster?
Edward moved a little closer, letting me lean a bit on his side. He noticed my legs trembling slightly. He was a vampire. By taking his life, we have saved many innocent lives. Including yours.
He was a vampire. The thought was absurd. But looking down at my body again. Taking note of the wolf that I had just turned into. How could I deny it? This already felt like some kind of dream. Werewolves were real. Vampires were real. The supernatural world that I fell into was more than I was ready for. I instantly wanted to reject it. It was all just too crazy. But I stood here, on four legs, looking through the eyes of an animal.
My insides felt like they were tying in knots. Nausea struck me. I lowered myself to the ground again as I got dizzy. Edward watched me tensely, laying down next to me.
Emmett, take care of the rest of the leech. I'd like to explain things to her, privately.
Edward's tone was a bit frightening. So calm, but so strict. My heart squeezed as the feeling came back. To bow my head. I resisted the urge to move. But his will was strong. Stronger than mine. If he would have commanded me to leave, I'm not sure I would be able to physically stop myself from doing whatever he asked. Not because I wanted to, but because my body reacted to his wishes. Against my own will.
Emmett bowed his massive head, as he collected each piece of the vampire that they ripped apart. He carried them off into the woods. Completely out of sight. As if he was never even here to begin with.
Where is he taking the pieces? I looked at Edward feebly.
The only way to make sure that monster is dead, is to rip it apart and burn the pieces. So that's what he will do.
Relief washed over me, silencing my panic and rage. My body responded accordingly. My vision blurred for a moment, I felt the glass under me. The sun warmed my bare skin. I was back to normal. But completely exposed. I sat upright, quickly covering myself. My face warmed instantly as Edward eyed me.
To make matters even worse, Edward shifted back as well. I caught just a glimpse of his naked body, before looking away. The heat on my cheeks spread to my ears.
"It's alright, you can look." He spoke gently.
I peeked over, avoiding any delicate areas. His muscular chest was dazzling. I ripped my eyes off of that area, to only look in his eyes. Just like me, he avoided any lingering looks to my private areas. There was a faint hint of blush on his cheeks as well.
"This will be something you will need to get used to. For the next few weeks, you may not be able to control when you phase. It would be for the best if you take some time off from school, until you have a bit better control. It's very dangerous to phase in front of others. You could accidentally hurt someone, really bad." He said with a sad smile.
"I mean, what would I tell Charlie?" I shifted some of my hair forward to cover my breasts from sight, so my hands could cover my pubic area. This was very uncomfortable. If it was possible, I'd die of embarrassment. I've never been naked in front of a man before.
"Charlie is well aware of the legends, in fact he is part of the elder council. Not many know about the Quileute stories as well as he does." Edward sighed, taking a couple steps back, before taking one of the blankets off the clothesline and handing it over to me.
I quickly wrapped it around myself, feeling much better. Edward wrapped a blanket around his waist before walking back over to me.
"I'd like to explain the rest of the legends with you. But I'm sure you would rather be fully clothed for that discussion," He watched me carefully. His dark eyes lingered around the curves of my body, before meeting my gaze again. "Although, I wouldn't mind either way."
"No, I think I'm going to get dressed before we go any further." I huffed slightly, giving him a sour look.
He chuckled, holding his hands up innocently. "I was only kidding. I'll come back in an hour or so. Try to pick something easy to get out of. You may start to phase in and out of your wolf form at random. So if you would like to save some of your clothes from getting shredded, pick something you can take off fast enough, before you phase."
I nodded, chewing my lip for a moment. "Alright, I'll see you soon,"
Edward smiled crookedly, before letting the blanket fall to the ground. He phased so quickly I almost didn't catch the change. A large wolf stood in his place. Massive. Powerful. And very intimidating. Our eyes locked for a moment, before he turned and dashed back into the forest.
I gathered up his towel, taking note that his scent was all over it. My heart fluttered as I clutched it in my hands. With a heavy sigh, I walked back into the house. The first thing I did once I got inside was run to my closet in search of something easily removable. I decided on a sundress. I wasn't sure if I should have a bra or underwear on, especially since I didn't have a bunch of them. And if I would be turning into a huge dog at random, it would be best to not worry about them.
I padded my way into the kitchen, to start brewing some coffee. Edward absolutely loved coffee. Every time he came over, he asked for a pot to be made. It always seemed to improve his mood. I never really had a taste for it. But recently I was growing fond of it myself. Although I couldn't drink it black, like Edward did. I had to have a lot of cream and a little sugar. I waited, a bit anxious, for Edward's return. I curled up in the living room and turned some kind of medical drama on. I had no plans on watching it, I just wanted some background noise. My eyes kept traveling down to the fireplace that sat under the television. The flames crackled, and flickered, the heat could be felt from where I sat. It was peaceful.
My thoughts trailed back to the first time Edward and I met. He had been so angry and I didn't understand why. It seemed that every thing I said or did, pushed him almost off the edge. He had a temper. Did it stem from him being a werewolf? Or was that his natural personality? All the shaking and trembling, even the slightest negative comment, or challenge in an argument seemed to set him off.
But I grew more and more anxious, the closer it came time for Edward to show up. My heart ached to see his face. I felt so alone. All I wanted was to run into Edward's arms and disappear. He could take me anywhere. Lead me down any path that he chooses. It was becoming abundantly clear that my feelings for him were growing. I couldn't deny it any longer. I may not be certain of many things in this world, but about three things, I was absolutely positive. First, Edward was a werewolf. Second, there was a part of him that couldn't control the rage dwelling within himself. Third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.
Edward's Point of View
It was physically painful being away from Bella right now. It took all the strength that I had, to walk away from her. I was anxious to get back. What if another vampire showed up? She doesn't know how to fight. I needed to be there. She needed to be protected.
I ran as fast as I could back to my house. I phased back into my human form as I bounded up the stairs of my porch. Walking through the door, my father looked up from his book. He was seated in a recliner in the living room. He nodded to me, in acknowledgement, before casting his eyes back down to his book.
"How did the meeting with the vampires go?"
I grunted, stomping past him and down the hall to my room. I rooted through my closet for an outfit. I barely looked at what I picked up. A simple pair of shorts and a short sleeve top. I brushed my hands through my hair, before walking back out to the living room.
"It was that bad? I'm sorry for burdening you with these kinds of tasks." Again his eyes came back to mine, his glasses perched at the very end of his nose.
"It wasn't a big deal. Emmett and I took down one that wandered onto our land. Caught him, just about to take a bit out of Bella." I grumbled as I again passed over him, heading to the kitchen for a drink of coffee.
I filled my cup and took a big gulp, only to hiss in anger. I threw the cup into the sink, watching it break into pieces. "It's cold,"
My father sighed heavily in the other room. "We do have a microwave, just warm it up first. I didn't expect you to be home this early. You are usually with that girl, until late at night."
Angrily I grabbed another cup, and did as he said and put it straight into the microwave. I detested old coffee. But the caffeine would most likely improve my mood. I'm not sure why it helped, but I wouldn't ask questions. Whatever helps. Hopefully we will figure out ways to keep Bella calm as well. She has a bit of a temper as well. Not as bad as mine. So many it would be easier.
Once my coffee was warm enough to drink, I stalked back into the room and sat down on the hardwood floor. I found being lower to the ground was more comfortable. The floor was cooler. It helped reduce my body temperature a bit. Just enough to take the edge off.
"So, you were saying. A vampire attacked your imprint. Is she hurt?"
I shook my head, not meeting his gaze. "No, but she was really scared… even more so when she phased."
Now he put his book down, a surprised smile coming to his face. "Really? That's wonderful. So she did get Charlie's genes passed down. That's great news. Now we can include her in the legends. We could gather everyone together and have a little party. A bonfire. Some great food. And a circle of others just like her. She will understand that she isn't alone in this. She now has the whole pack's support."
Of course he would want to do something like that. And yes, that might make her feel a bit better. But I knew her well enough that she wasn't ready for something like that. She just went through something traumatic. She wants to be around people that love her. People she is comfortable around. She needs to know that even though this happened, she is accepted. Charlie should be there… and if she allows, I will be there as well. I wanted to be the one to welcome her into the pack, in my own way. Slowly and without making a big show out of it. Bella was modest and reserved.
"I don't think so. She needs some time. Everyone needs to give her some time and space to wrap her head around all of this. Until then, no parties. Especially not until she gets phasing under control." I took a few more swigs of my coffee.
"Fine, that's perfectly fine. When do I get to meet the girl?"
I rolled my eyes. "Who says you are going to meet her at all?"
"Don't be like that Edward, you know Esme has been dying to meet this Bella Swan, the moment you let it slip that you imprinted on her." My father's smile grew, becoming more of a teasing look.
"We've only known each other a few weeks now. Let's not get ahead of ourselves." I was downplaying my feelings a lot when it came to my parents. They didn't need to know the depths of my love for that woman. But trying to fool them was next to impossible. After all, they imprinted on each other. They know how it feels to have that strong pull. That yearning and adoration you feel, just seeing her face. Or the feeling of her soft skin. The pucker of her lips when she was getting annoyed. The delicate laugh that rolled off her lips, sounding almost like the ring of a bell. I wondered if that's why her parents had picked that name for her? Isabella.
Shivers rolled down my spine. I snapped my head in the direction of the clock. I wanted to see her now. It's been too long. But only thirty minutes have passed. I wanted to give her some time to sort things out. Clear her thoughts and prepare herself for everything I was about to tell her. This would be a challenging day for her. I just hoped that she wouldn't send me away. I wanted to stay beside her through these hard times.
A/N: Thanks for taking the time to read this! Let me know what you all think so far.