A/N: A quick thank you to everyone who added this story in their alerts and/or added it to their favorite list. It truly means a lot to me.

Chapter 9-

Bella's POV- Oh My God

"So, this is the kitchen," stranger lady motioned towards- well, exactly that, the kitchen- a small smile on her face as she looked around the room. "The master bedroom is that way," she continued, vaguely pointing in one direction. "The bathroom is attached, but of course, no one is ever interested in seeing the bathroom of someone's house."

"Glad you realize that fact." I quipped; sarcasm thick in my tone, so very glad that I was not being forced to tour someone's bathroom.

Yuck!

She waved me off, a giggle leaving her lips. "So, now that we are done with the tour…"

I raised an eyebrow in question, slightly taken aback by her words. We had literally seen just one room of the house, this very room that we stood in at the moment.

Now, it wasn't like I was dying for a tour or anything, but come on, one room- the kitchen at that?

She shrugged me off. "We can either continue with this boring tour, with you forcibly smiling and pretending as if you are enjoying, or we can get to the gossipy bits? Personally, I prefer the latter!" she finished with a wide smirk, waiting for me to take the bait.

I let out a sigh, nervously playing with my hands. "I don't know anyone here. I don't think I can contribute much in the gossip department."

Well….that was certainly awkward!

Though, it was true. Even if she told me some juicy revelation about someone sitting out there in the living room, it was not like I knew the person to react appropriately to her words.

And why me?

I did not even know her!

I did not even know her name, forget anything else more important.

Didn't she, like, have friends or something?

And wait. Who decides to gossip with a relative stranger?

Were all people Sam Uley surrounded himself with equally gone- cases?

That was definitely something to ponder over.

"Oh, dear," she gave me a small smile- slight pity visible in her eyes. "You are the current gossip."

"What?" I gaped at her. "Why?"

What had I even done?

I did not even know these people.

Heck. I hardly knew five people in total that lived in La Push. That certainly did not make me a contender for interesting gossip.

I mean, what could one even gossip about me?

That I lived with Joy and Quil?

Wow. That is so fascinating a topic to discuss over; let's all drop everything else and just talk about it!

Cue the sarcasm.

Obviously.

Anyhow, people were weird.

The older I grew, the more this notion firmed itself in my head.

No wonder I wanted to be a vampire, roaming around with people my grandfather and great-grandfather's age, on the lower side.

If people my age were this dumb and ridiculous, what do you even expect me to do?

"Well," she winced. "Every time a new imprint joins the ranks that is bound to happen, more so with the two of you, considering Paul has refused to accept it without a fight." She paused, sighing. "He doesn't understand. He thinks…he has convinced himself that if he doesn't meet your eyes, it will go away."

What will go away?

"The eyes?"

"Yeah," she waved a hand in air. "It is all in the eyes; the attraction and pull to one another. That need and want to take away the other's troubles…" she paused, seemingly lost in thought. "It is believed that our wolf can see our soul when he looks into our eyes, the entire connection stemming from there, like falling from an airplane high in the sky with no parachute in sight. Paul believes that he can fight this, but it isn't as easy as it looks. Sam tried firsthand. It is just not possible to deny it."

A deep sadness coated her words as she turned to look away from me, her voice heavy with emotion.

"It will just cause him pain, and if he loses control like Sam finally did…."

She did not need to continue, her long fingers stretching to touch the three horrifying red scars on her face, her eyes shutting as she ran her fingers over them.

"No." I gasped in horror. "Sam did that?"

How?

Why?

I was breathing too fast, my eyes refusing to lessen their widened state, as I waited with a bated breath for her answer, pin drop silence surrounding me from every direction.

"He did not mean to." She finally whispered. "His wolf lost control. I don't blame him."

"How?" I whisper-shouted, all sense of rational thinking having left my mind ages ago.

That looked like it was the work of some animal; no human could do that.

It was just not possible.

She stared at me for a few long minutes, confusion shining in her features. "You do know what we are talking about, right? Sam has told you the secret. Have you understood?"

How did that even matter at the moment?

Considering she was referring to that little white lie that I had spoken back in Billy's house.

It was so not important in this moment.

"I…" I began to speak, my eyes pacing the room in nearly uncontrollable fear and nervousness. If Sam was capable of doing 'this' to someone, this was neither a safe place nor some place I ever wanted to be in my life.

I don't care about the how or why, I just needed to get away from here.

Away from these people who were apparently capable of causing such painful and permanent wounds to a seemingly innocent being.

For I had no doubt in mind, if Sam was capable of this, so was his entire band of followers.

No wonder they roamed with one another!

All of them could do something of this sort….

Were perfectly capable of doing so.

No. I needed to get away from here.

Call me selfish, I don't care.

But I did not know these people and I did not care about them.

I cared only about myself in this moment.

"I…I need to go." I stumbled over my words, turning in the direction of the door, my steps quick as I ran towards safety.

"Bella. Wait." She called after me. "I did not mean to scare you away. Paul would never harm you in this way…"

I shrugged her off, not even bothering to glance at the several eyes that were looking at us at the moment, confusion and question evident in all of them.

"What is happening here, Emily?" Paula demanded to know.

Oh. So that was her name?

"I am sorry." Emily whispered, nearly in tears. "I should have kept my mouth shut, but everyone in here knows. I did not want to keep it a secret. She is family." She broke down towards the end, Sam wrapping his arms around her as he kissed her hair softly, glaring at me all throughout.

Like what?

He did that to her, and I couldn't even worry about my own fucking life?

And, secondly, if Sam was supposedly with Paula, who was Emily….and why were they sucking face?

Ew.

So did not want to see that.

Was Paula okay with all of this?

They were together, weren't they?

It should have been slightly more uncomfortable a situation for her to be in, if nothing else…

Why do I even care?

I don't.

I just don't.

"I need to go." I stated to the room at whole, haste visible in my eyes, as I contemplated how many steps it would take me to get out of this house.

"No. wait." Paula pleaded. "It was a mistake. Paul has amazing control over himself. He would never lose control in your presence."

Someone scoffed at that, possibly Paul himself.

"I…I don't care." I finally mumbled, running out of the house, several footsteps following me, attempting to convince me otherwise.

I ignored the voices, way too concerned for my safety to pay any attention to them.

I don't how it was even possible, but those scars looked so very painful.

I touched my face with quivering hands, unscarred and soft.

No.

I could not deal with that.

Emily was brave. I was not.

"Bella, listen to me."

I ignored the asshole, no respect for him earned in my eyes.

Who does that to someone?

How?

"Bella, will you please listen to us?"

I was almost there.

I could see my truck in sight, parked in the nearly abandoned driveway.

I would be out of here in just a few more minutes, never to return again to this hell.

Yes.

My mind was made up….

My feet stopped all of a sudden, a gasp leaving my mouth, as an animal….a wolf…..stood convulsing right in front of me, standing in my very way to reach my truck.

I don't think he had heard me approaching, his eyes shut as he concentrated on… his shaking.

What was it doing?

Why was a wolf this close to civilization?

Gosh. Was everything out to kill you in this place?

I want to go back to Forks!

The only threat there were thirsty, sadistic vampires who broke your foot before they killed you….

Yeah, I know, I just made it worse!

Either way, I could not move.

I just stared, frozen like a statue, the minutes tickling by in the loud imaginary clock.

And then, suddenly, the wolf disappeared, a naked man standing in its place, looking down at the ground as he ran a hand through his hair, seemingly unaware of what had just happened here today….

He looked the same, yet he looked almost unrecognizable this close; lost in his thoughts as he hummed to himself.

Unaware of the shitstorm he had brought to this world.

Typical Jake.

I shook my head to myself, my eyes wide as I forced myself to concentrate.

It was him.

The wolf was him.

He was the wolf.

He was a fucking wolf!

And then, the next thing I know, blackness coated my very being, my eyes shutting as I felt myself fall….