Thank you for all of your support, dearest readers! I hope you enjoy this chapter :)

XOXO Ally Layne.

Bad Moon Rising

Chapter 9: A Shift in Character

They were called the Cold Ones.

Blood drinkers.

Immortal predators.

To the rest of the world, they were known as Vampires.

Wolves, vampires, and demigods… oh my! It was like I had suddenly found myself in a strange-modern and mythical version of The Wizard of Oz. Gods, the next thing I know there are going to be wizards and witches running around, too.

Nevertheless, it looked like this town was going to get a lot stranger.

However, after the night by the fire, and my sudden understanding of just what was going on around me, I found myself holed up in my rental house for the past week. I've been ordering takeout nearly every day, and I swear the pizza guy knew something weird was going on from the number of times he's stopped by.

It wasn't that I was scared of the "pack" or whatever they call themselves… I just wasn't ready to confront them about it.

Because next thing they know, I will be revealing my own self and where I actually come from when they sniff out that I'm not exactly, you know, 100% human.

I suppose I haven't been too smart about keeping my secret, well, secret- but it's kinda hard. I find myself amidst monsters that don't actually try to hurt people or demigods, and they can't even tell that I'm a Halfblood.

It just seems so weird, I've been caught off guard.

Which, of course, has probably been what has led me to accidentally reveal some proof that I may or may not actually be human, but I hope no one noticed.

But a part of me knows that's like wishing for rain in a draught. Never gonna happen. Someone saw, and I have a good feeling that Billy Black knows exactly everything about me, somehow. It's just that all-knowing look in his eye that throws me for a loop, and I've barely even spoken to him.

I sighed, throwing myself back into the deep cushions of the sofa, and grabbed a pillow to place on top of my head with a groan.

Speaking of Billy Black… his son was absolutely something else.

I would have killed the dude a long time ago if he were a demigod or any other kind of monster for gods sakes.

So why does it hurt me so much to think of the guy dead?

Why does it hurt me to see him with that Swan girl?

It was this primal frustration and pain that would well up inside of me that I knew was sooner or later going to explode like Mount St. Helens. I just hope I didn't cause another volcano to erupt, or Annabeth was going to kick my ass.

A knocking on the door made me dig the pillow into my face even harder. Maybe if they don't hear me they'll think that I'm not here-

"Andie, I know you're in there!"

Dammit.

There goes that plan.

"What did we do?" Embry's voice called out from behind the door.

I just thanked the gods that none of them had tried to break into my house. I've been avoiding answering the door to the pack boys for days, now, and one day soon they were going to run out of patience.

I just hope that's not today.

"Andie, open up!"

I winced.

Paul did not sound happy. At all.

"At least we know she's alive," Quil's voice spoke.

"Yeah, which means she's ignoring us!" Paul yelled loud enough for me to hear.

Well, I suppose that everyone within a few-mile radius could have heard that, but I'm usually not one to make any assumptions.

"Whatever, when she's ready to speak with us, she will," Embry said.

Someone growled, and I felt my hand reach to where my sword was on pure instinct.

Yeah, these guys were definitely wolves.

How did I not know this before?

"Just… call us, okay Andie?" Embry called out, making my heart reach out to the sensitive pack member. He was really such a nice guy, it was kinda shitty of me to be treating them this way.

But I just wasn't ready.

I was still confused.

"We just want to know you're okay," Quil added.

"Just get your head out of your ass and get out here so we can talk," Paul spoke, which was followed by the sound of a smack. "The fuck?"

"She won't come out with you acting like that," Embry scolded lightly.

Paul, who was far larger than Embry, probably looked menacing to the man. But Embry still was sticking up for me. If that didn't make me want to go out there, I don't know what would?

"We need to go," Quil said. "We'll be back tomorrow, Andie."

"And you better open up, Andromeda," Paul threatened.

But, when wasn't Paul threatening someone? Well, besides the times he was shoving food in his mouth?

I heard the trio scuffle away and looked out the window to make sure they really had left for good measure.

Running a hand through my hair that had long since fallen out of the braid I put it in this morning, I let out a huff of air. I didn't know when, or even if I was ever going to be ready to face them. It was quite mortifying, really.

Would they try to kill me if I revealed myself?

I crossed my arms and kept them close to my chest as I looked out the window at the forest surrounding me.

That was definitely something I didn't want to figure out.

Walking over back to the sofa, I noticed my phone buzz.

Annabeth.

I grabbed it and swiped to see the message she had sent.

Thalia and the other huntresses have stopped at camp.

I quickly responded.

And?

Her response came a few seconds later.

Nothing.

I cursed and tossed my phone on the cushion next to me. How was it that someone could just disappear like that? So quickly and quietly, never to be heard from again?

Would we ever hear from him again? Ever see him again?

My heart ached.

I chugged a glass of water that was waiting for me on the coffee table and stood up. Ever since Percy had disappeared, my powers have been in a decline. It was almost as if our bodies and souls were so connected that we had to be around each other to remain strong, like a singular unit.

I couldn't even reach him with my mind, something my mom had claimed we have been able to do since we were toddlers.

My head throbbed at the loss.

It was as if I had gone into withdrawal.

At that moment, as I massaged my temples to fight away the headache, I realized something. By staying here, there was no way I was helping my brother.

And I came here in the first place for one thing and one thing only: to find Percy.

I definitely wasn't going to be finding anything by staying in this old-ass house that had floorboards creaking as the foundation was still settling.

I threw on some shoes, tied my hair into a messy bun, and opened the door.

I was going to find my brother.

.

.

.

.

However, considering I didn't currently have a vehicle, I was stuck with one option. The ocean.

It wasn't an option that was particularly bad, so I found myself walking on a trail that I knew would lead me to where the breeze of salt came from. It was as if it were a drug, and I were an addict. I followed the distinct feeling of the sea breeze on my face until I found myself on a small patch of sandy shoreline.

There were a few teenagers there who looked like they were going to be doing some surfing, which I didn't even realize was possible here.

I watched as some high schoolers shoved each other off a wave, and felt a smile cross my mouth.

My feet carried me to the shoreline, where my shoes somehow left my feet and I waded in a few steps, before stopping, and closed my eyes at the blissful feeling.

How long has it been? I snorted. Far too long.

The pain in my head had disappeared, as had the feeling of pain in my chest. All that was left was contentment.

I felt a faint tug in my gut as I asked the water to feel for my twin, but it came back without any vibrations that were close to my heart. Percy and I, when we both are in the ocean, no matter where in the world we are- we can feel this connection.

And it seems that he is nowhere near the water, as it felt nearly as deprived of him as I did.

"Err… hey."

I jumped, so caught up in my hydro-communication that I didn't notice anyone sneak up next to me. Let alone him.

And he was shirtless!

How in Hades's name am I supposed to remain calm when a guy who makes me feel weird things when I don't want to feel weird things is standing next to me… shirtless?

Aphrodite must be mocking me.

"Hey," I offered, looking up at Jake Black in confusion. "What're you doing here?"

He shrugged before sheepishly scratching the back of his head. "I, uh, was just going for a run and saw you here, I guess."

I nodded, turning back to look out at the ocean. "Oh."

Jake let out a harsh breath. "Yeah."

I wrung my hands together, not liking the nervous feeling that I was getting from standing this close to him. Whatever I did, I knew this was not the time to be looking stupid.

"Look, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for how I acted last week," he said, rubbing the back of his neck again with a sigh. "It was really rude of me to treat you the way I did, especially after just meeting you."

I looked up at him with a raised brow. "So that's not how you normally greet people?"

He snorted. "No, I haven't made that a habit of mine."

I nodded. "So I guess I must be special, then."

His dark eyes glittered in the light reflecting off the water. "Yeah," he said. "I guess you are."

Jake's eyes looked into mine, and for a moment everything else was torn away from my own personal reality. It was just him and I, and for some reason my heart sang in joy for the first time in a long time.

Weird feelings- nope, not a fan.

I blinked, before turning away and shaking my head slightly as I looked out at where a boat passed along in the distance. "Thanks for the apology."

He sighed again. "I should've done it a long time ago."

I nodded. "Probably, yeah. Or not have done it at all, yeah, that would've been even better."

"You're right."

I turned my head to eye him curiously. "Did it hurt you to say that, Black?"

His chiseled jaw clenched, but his eyes danced with amusement. "Yes," he groaned. "It really did."

A chuckle escaped my lips. "Of course, it always does with you men."

He didn't hold back his laughter. "Do you deal with men like me frequently, Jackson?"

I pondered over that for a second. "Well, I did grow up with a twin brother," I mused, "And I did go to a summer camp with other people my age- including the male gender, of course. So yeah, I've run into guys like you."

His eyebrows raised. "So men flock around you frequently, is that what I'm hearing?"

I rolled my eyes, unable to keep the grin that was slowly sneaking across my lips. "No, I definitely didn't make the cut. There were many pretty girls," I admitted. "And I just happened to be another one of the guys."

Jake grinned. "I don't think that's the case. Someone who looks like you ain't gonna have guys thinking like that."

A faint blush flittered onto my cheeks. "Someone who looks like me?"

His grin widened, and he turned to look out at the horizon. "I said what I said."

My cheeks felt like they were going to cramp from how hard I was trying to keep my cool. "Good to know."

I looked down at my feet in the water and my eyes slowly scaled over to where the water met his legs, too. He was wearing his cut-off jeans, and I was wearing my own pair from camp. His skin was way darker than mine, from his indigenous blood, but my tan was nothing like Swan's ivory skin.

I guess that came with the climate, though. The sun rarely is out in these parts, and today was just a lucky day.

"I think you're pretty cool, you know?" Jake said after a few moments of silence.

I blinked.

"You what?"

He laughed again. "I said I think that you're cool, Jackson. And I guess this makes me feel even more like an asshole about before."

I shrugged. "You can feel however you like about it," I admitted. "As long as you don't do that again."

Jake nodded, taking the words in with an earnestness I hadn't seen from him before. "Yes, of course." He pursed his lips slightly, like something sour had just entered his mouth before continuing, "And you also have to understand that things are a little hard for me right now, but I had no right to take it out on you."

I felt my curiosity strengthen. "Oh?"

"Yeah, I mean, my best friend- Bella, you know her, right?"

I blinked. "She's yelled at me a few times, yes."

He frowned. "She wouldn't have-"

"You were there at the fire, weren't you?" I questioned. "You saw how she spoke to me."

Jake's face soured further. "She didn't mean it like that, you were just reading into things."

My eyebrows raised. "Reading into things?" My hands came to my hips. "I know exactly what she was thinking, Black. It was obvious she wanted me to leave. But, little did she know, I'm not someone to be trifled with."

I nearly rolled my eyes at the fire that was now burning in his own eyes, like a switch that had just been turned on.

Before he could open his mouth to speak, I continued, "And I completely understand how hard things are for you right now. It's obvious you have a thing for Swan and she's just using you. For what, I have no idea, but even someone as new as I am can see if from a mile away."

He grit his teeth. "You have no idea what you're talking about, Jackson. Stay out of it."

I grimaced. "I've been trying to, actually, but for some reason, you and that Swan chick keep pulling me into it."

"I was here first, you know-"

"And I had done nothing wrong when you acted like a complete dickwad and cussed me out last week!" I cut him off. "Also, for the record, after that it has been complete chaos for me! You and your friends won't leave me alone!"

He frowned. "I can tell them to-"

"No, no, now they're basically friends of mine, too," I admitted. "But how am I supposed to stay out of something when I keep being dragged back into it, Black? You're going to have to figure that one out on your own."

Jake crossed his arms. "Can you stop cutting me off and let me speak?"

I threw my hands up in the air. "Not when you act like a little shit when I let you speak, I won't!"

The others at the beach looked over at us at my outburst, but I scowled at them which made most of them look away.

Jake, for his part, was looking between me and the onlookers now with amusement. "You're something else."

"And you're a dickwad," I retorted. "You still have yet to prove me otherwise, even though you've apologized and stuff."

He nodded. "I can deal with that."

"But if you keep being a dickwad I'm going to leave," I warned him.

He nodded again. "I'll do my best."

We soon found ourselves seated in the sand, chatting about our lives and things that people would normally do when things weren't so crazy as they had been ever since I met him. It was actually interesting to get to know the guy, and see Jake as Jake and not some sort of psycho maniac who liked to cuss people out when he met them.

"What kind of camp did you say you went to?"

I grinned, leaning back against my arm that I was bracing in the sand. "A camp for special people."

Jake tilted his head, much like a dog would. Or a wolf. "Special people?"

I nodded. "You did say I was special, didn't you?"

He laughed.

I decided that I liked his laugh, very much.

"Yeah, I guess I did."

Feeling a little awkward, considering there wasn't much I could actually reveal about my life to him without actually telling him everything, I decided to give him something to hold on to. "I started going to the camp when I was twelve, with my brother Percy."

"Percy?"

"Short for Perseus."

He let out a hum of acknowledgment. "Perseus and Andromeda… where have I heard those names before?"

I grinned. "Probably in a history lesson, I'd imagine."

His eyes widened. "Really?"

"They're famous people in Greek mythology, so yeah, they're fairly commonly talked about when discussing Ancient Greece," I said. "Perseus, son of Zeus, and Andromeda, a mightily beautiful princess who had spiteful parents."

I looked out over to the horizon once more.

"She was sacrificed to the Kraken, a massive sea monster that was set loose to destroy her home after her parents said she was more beautiful than any goddess. And, considering the goddesses are quite spiteful about their looks and vane, they destroyed their home for it."

Jake blinked, and opened his mouth once before closing it. "Oh. So is your mother a fan of Greek mythology?"

I shrugged. "Maybe. My dad is more into it, I guess."

He nodded. "And your parents are close?"

"I didn't meet my father until I was twelve years old," I told him. "He was a stranger all my life, and sometimes I think he still is."

Jake placed a hand over mine. "I lost my mom when I was young," he admitted. "I only have a few memories of her, but I do get it. It's hard to not have a parent."

I nodded. "Yeah, it sucks."

He choked out a laugh. "That's the truth."

"You have older sisters?" I asked. "Your dad was talking about them earlier, after… you know."

A faint blush spotted across Jake's cheeks and even down his neck. "Yeah, sorry 'bout that."

I laughed. "You already apologized."

"Then why do I feel like I need to keep apologizing?"

"Probably common sense."

His answering laugh made something in my chest flutter, and for a second I thought it was a heart murmur before I remembered he made me feel those weird things again. I guess if that's what happens when we talk I could learn to deal with it.

"So what makes you special enough to go to that camp of yours?"

I blinked. "We already discussed this," I claimed. "I'm just special."

"And your brother is, too?"

I nodded. "Obviously."

"That's all you're gonna give me?"

I shrugged. "Nothing more to give, I guess."

His eyes darkened slightly. "You guess?"

I sighed. "I only just met you, Black. Some things are personal."

The switch went off again.

"I told you plenty of personal things, Jackson. I just think you're avoiding something, and you are scared to tell me the truth." His eyes were dark and menacing, as he stood up to look down upon me further.

Here comes the dickwad again.

I stood up to meet him as closely as I could height-wise. "Stop acting like such a dick, Jacob Black."

Jake's jaw tightened as his eyes burned with underlying fury. "I can't help but wonder what else you might be hiding from us." He took a menacing step forward. "What actually brought you here? Are you endangering my friends? My father?"

I threw my hands in the air in exasperation. "And that's what you jump to?"

"You don't tell me anything," He stated. "How am I supposed to know what to think?"

I groaned. "I don't know, maybe something normal like the truth I've told over and over again?"

He pursed his lips. "Look, if you haven't shown up here, my life would be a lot easier. I wouldn't have everyone and their families breathing down my neck about you."

I blinked. "What?"

Jake shook his head. "You wouldn't understand."

"You don't even give me a chance."

"Like you refuse to give me one?" He retorted. "Look, even if I told you, you'd still not get it. You're not Bella."

Well, that hit like a slap in the face, making me take a step back away from him.

The asshole didn't even seem to fully understand what he just said, when wolves began howling in the distance, making his head perk up. Really I had no clue how I didn't know these guys were wolves before. Their mannerisms were hilariously similar.

At least, they would be funny if the guy weren't such a douche bag.

"I gotta go." He grunted. "I'll try to not drag you into any more of my business, if you keep your distance."

I felt my mouth drop as he stormed away toward the forest.

Oh no he didn't.

"Wait!"

I took off after him, part in curiosity, part in fury. He doesn't just get to end the conversation like that. It wasn't only his choice to make. Besides, I was dragged into all this already whether he liked it or not.

The pack were my friends, and I was done avoiding them.

Even if it meant spilling my secret.

When I got close enough, I grabbed his arm and whipped him back, pulling him into a stand-still. He immediately whirled around in snarl, and I merely rolled my eyes at his little wild side.

"You don't get to make that decision, Black. It's not yours to make anymore."

Jake's body started to shake. "Why are you so determined to piss me off?"

I rolled my eyes. "It's not just about you, anymore, Jake."

"And it's not you that I'm worried about, I need to be there for Bella," He snapped. "And with you around, I can't do that. Not like I need to."

I blinked. "Why do you hate me so much?"

His body kept shaking. "I don't hate you."

Rolling my eyes, I ignored his rage. "Yeah? Well, you coulda fooled me."

He paused for a moment, trying to take a deep breath and obviously was struggling to calm himself. "Go away."

"No."

"Yes."

I let out a groan at his childish behavior. But a part of me just wanted to know how far he could go. "Why?"

His shaking became even more violent. "Just leave, Andromeda."

"Not until you tell me why you hate me, Black."

He let out a growl of frustration. "I don't hate you. I can't."

Now this is becoming interesting. "Then tell me why you act like you hate me."

"Can't do that either."

Another irritated groan slipped from my mouth. "Dammit Black! I swear to the gods..."

"Get away from me."

Something in his tone had changed, I realized. He was starting to lose his control.

A wicked grin slid across my face. "No."

Desperation entered his voice, "Andromeda, leave. Now."

He was close.

"I won't."

Jake's eyes became wild. "Run."

He shifted.

A scream sounded out in the forest.