Chapter 12: Wolf's outta the bag
A few weeks had past since the incident in River Grove and needless to say Lauren had done her work. I was officially an outsider with a brother who murdered someone and Lauren was the victim who barley escaped with her life. I groaned to myself as I made my way to my locker avoiding the whispers that were floating around in the hall.
"Why wouldn't my brother just let me be homeschooled, I knew this was going to be awful." I muttered under my breath while throwing my biology book in my locker harder than I should of. But at least summer break was finally a couple weeks away.
"That what would be awful." Edwards silky voice made my hair on the back of my neck stand up. His sister and him had been trying to become closer to me since we all got back to Forks. Why? I had no clue.
"Nothing Edwin." I slammed my locker door shut getting a few stares from people passing by. He was starting to get on my nerves with the constant questions. I glanced up at him as he had a smirk playing on his lips. I rolled my eyes as I put my hair up into a messy bun before grabbing my keys out of my pocket and headed for the gym. Of course Edward followed me only taking a few strides to catch up.
"So what you're skipping the rest of the day?" His voice was full of curiosity as he continued to follow. "Oh, so you're ignoring me."
"It's none of your business what I do. Now why don't you go find Bella and leave me alone." My voice was full of annoyance as we got to the gym.
"You know you should come to prom with us tomorrow. Alice has extra dresses you can choose from." Edward had walked in front of me stopping so suddenly I ran into him.
"I'm not going Edward. I don't know how many times I've told you and Alice. Just leave me alone." My voice started to raise as he had fully gotten on my nerves. He gave me a curious look before I stomped past him going out the emergency exit in the gym.
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"So tell me again Embry, what does Sam have you do that requires shifts?" I started to unwrap the muffin I had swiped from him earlier looking at him with curiosity. "You guys have never really told me what it is that you do."
"Um..you know just patrol around La Push." Embry said sounding not so sure. "Isn't Forks having their prom tomorrow?" He tried to change the subject.
"That didn't answer my question Embry." I said in between bites of my muffin. "Why are you getting so weird about this." Embry had turned his attention to a string on the pillow and kept pulling at it trying to ignore my stare. "So what, you were right the whole time? What kind of drug do you guys sell?" I said knowing it would get under his skin. Embry shot up glaring in my direction before heading into the kitchen. "Come on Em. Just tell me what you guys are hiding."
"Ask Paul. He should be the one to tell you." Embry snapped back at me as he started raiding Emily's fridge.
"Well I would but oh wait. I wonder where he is. Oh that's right he's been with Sam doing god knows what for two weeks straight." I threw my arms in the air before dramatically falling into the kitchen chair. "So I'd like to know Em, pleaseeee." I started to bat my eyes in Embry's direction. He slammed the fridge door shut before rolling his eyes.
"I thought you guys were "just friends" or whatever. So why are you obsessed with knowing what he's doing." Embry let out a frustrated sigh before he started going through the pantry. My mouth dropped with the comment Embry had said, what's up his ass lately?
"I like to know what my friends are doing. Is that such a bad thing." Also it was keeping my mind off of Kelsey. My brothers said they had a lead in her a week ago but I haven't heard from them sense.
"Sure. Whatever Lex." Embry rolled his eyes as he brushed past me and started to put on his shoes.
"Where are you going? Just going to leave me at Emily's by myself?" I said jokingly only to have Embry shoot daggers in my direction. "Okay seriously Em. What's wrong? You haven't been yourself at all this week."
"It's nothing Alexis. Can you just drop it." Embry looked defeated as something new showed in his eyes.. I stared at him confusion clear in my eyes as I stood up placing my hands on my hips.
"Seriously Embry. What's up. You know you can tell me anything."
"It-I just. I'll just show you. Since it's the only way around it." Embry was in front of me before I could blink griping my upper arms with his hot hands.
"Show me what? You sound crazy Em." I looked at Embry puzzled as his tone changed once again. Seriously whats wrong with him. I heard the back porch door slam shut and voices coming down the hall.
"I'm really sorry for doing this. Please dont hate me." Embry squeezed my arms a little harder looking guilty. My head was spinning trying to figure out what Embry was getting at.
"Sorry? For what?" I met Embry's intense stare with confusion clear in my eyes. "Seriously Embry what's wrong wit-" Before the words left my mouth Embry's lips were on mine as one of his hands cupped the back of my neck holding me in place. My eyes went wide in shock. What was going on. I tried to push Embry away but it was like I was pushing at a brick wall. As quick as it happened a hand grabbed my free arm and yanked me out of Embry's grip. I had spun around and fell face first into a bare chest that had uncontrollable tremors running through it. Paul's face was hard as I glanced up to see who it was, but he continued to glare at Embry. His entire body shook ferociously as his grip tightened around my arm holding me in place.
"Paul. Just take it easy man. You don't want to do anything stupid in the house." Embry said in all seriousness. I felt another few big tremors shoot through Paul causing me to tremble with them. This wasn't normal at all.
"Paul! Seriously let her go before you do something stupid." Embry's voice was more demanding as Paul's arm now wrapped around my waist making me flush against him. A dry laugh passed his lips at Embry's comment.
"Like I would ever hurt her." He said anger clear in his voice.
"Paul?" My voice came out as a shakey whisper as I watched the tremors still shooting through his body. He glanced down at me only momentarily before turning back to glare daggers at Embry.
"It was the only way Paul." Embry said as he ran past us and Seth, heading for the back door. Paul instantly released me as he went after Embry. You've got to be kidding me right now. Why the hell did Embry do that? I could hear shouting from out the back door between the two of them as I ran past Seth and went out the back door to try and do damage control.
"Lex! Get back inside." Sam's voice was full of authority as he, Quil, and Jared appeared from the tree line. What the fuck were they doing in the woods? I ignored what Sam had said and continued down the back porch steps and stopped only a few feet away from Paul who looked like he was seizuring. I went to take another step towards him but was stopped by another hand grabbing my arm. My head flung around to see who it was this time only to see Seth staring cautiously in Paul and Embry's direction.
"Get her away from him Seth!" Embry shouted in our direction. His words seemed to be the tipping point for Paul as his body started twisting and jerking in ways that no human bodies should. I froze taking a step back and running right into Seth's chest. There was a popping noise that cut through the air as a giant wolf was now standing where Paul had been. Another popping noise was heard as the same thing happened to where Embry had been standing. What the actual fuck. My mouth fell open as I took in the scene in front of me until they disappeared into the woods.
"Seth, Quil get her inside! Jared come with me." Sam shouted before he also vanished into the woods. How could I of missed this? This whole time they were...my mind drifted off trying to make sense of what just happened as Seth lead me back in the house and onto the couch.
"I think she's handling this worse than Bella did." Quil said but he sounded far away in my head. The whole time. They were shifters and I never once recognized the signs. I wasn't sure how long I stared at the wall in front of me my head was swirling trying to make sense of everything. I heard the back door slam shut snapping my attention to the hall. My eyes landed on Paul the second he emerged from the hallway, he had a few gashed scattered around his body that seemed to be healing fairly quick but looked back to normal for the most part, whatever normal was. He slowly walked over in my direction as if he was scared I would run.
"So I guess the wolf's out of the bag now." Embry voice trailed down through the hallway as Paul noticeable tensed again. "Sorry about earlier Lex." He looked sheepishly between Paul and I before continuing, "Sam had a gag order to not tell anyone about this, so I figured this was the easiest way around it."
"Will you just shut up Embry." Paul said anger still clear in his voice. "It was stupid is what it was."
"Well Bella's known about this, so why hide it from Lex?"
"You know wh-"
"That's enough from both of you." Sam's voice boomed from the kitchen. Paul and Embry immediately stopped their bickering.
"Wait.." My voice was a whisper as it finally dawned on me. "You guys were in the clearing!" I stood up from the couch looking around at everyone. "That's why..." My voice trailed off as everything started clicking in my head. God I am so stupid for not seeing this. They all stared at me as if I was on the verge of a breakdown.
"Well now that you brought up the clearing. I want to know how you killed that leech." Jared said from the kitchen looking at me with suspicion. "You know it's only fair." My mouth slightly fell open almost forgetting that they did see that.
"Well if you were there you saw it." I said indifferently locking eyes with Jared.
"Yeah. But how. We're designed to hunt and kill them, but you show up and the next thing we know is they can all of a sudden be shot? It doesn't make any sense." I shrugged my shoulders before feeling as if I was being analyzed by everyone in the room. All of my instincts told me to run and get out of there but my feet wouldn't listen.
"Look Jared. I don't know how okay? I didn't even know it would work." I decided to not tell them the entire truth in case I ever found the Colt again. "My dad gave it to me and said to only use it if completely necessary."
"Why do you just keep lying." Jared shot back at me, the tension in the room kept growing as we bickered back and forth. I could feel Paul's presence right next to me as he kept moving closer.
"Oh so now I'm always lying, huh? Pretty funny coming from you and the fact you guys are some sort of shifters?!" I shot back at Jared my temper rising. "So what? You want to hear the truth? You want to know that my mother was murdered in my room when I was 6 months old as I slept? Or the fact that my brother Dean had to step up when he was 10 years old and raise me and my brother? Or do you want to hear about how my dad hated me and refused to have anything to do with me for years because I look so much like my mom did?" I could feel Paul tense up as I continued my rant. I wasn't sure where all of this word vomit was coming from but seeing Jared back down seemed to stop it. I looked around the room most of them were staring at me in shock, especially Emily who had her hands covering her face looking heartbroken.
"So what? Don't want to hear the truth anymore?" I said after a few moments of complete silence in the room. "Whatever this whole day is a fucking joke."
Before anyone could say anything I brushed past Quil and Seth going out the front door before anyone could respond. I sped up as I as soon as I saw my car just hoping no one would follow me out and I could just get away for awhile. I looked up at the sky as it had started to rain not long before. It matched my mood perfectly. Dammit why did I leave my jacket in the house. The thought crossed my mind to go get it but I quickly dismissed it. How could I of been so stupid.
"Alexis! Wait!" Paul grabbed my arm spinning me around to face him. "Look Lex, I didn't mean for this to happen this way. I-I'm sorry abou-"
"I'm not in the mood right now Paul." My voice was cold and emotionless as I looked up in his eyes. "I just want to be left alone for now."
"Lex. Please let me come with you. I'm sorry about Jared and Embry both being asses. I just need to tel-" I pulled my arm out of his grip suddenly missing the warmth from him.
"Just leave me alone Paul." The look on Paul's face made my stomach drop the instant it left my mouth. "I just need some space."
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My head snapped up from the book I was currently using as a pillow. Shit. What time is it? I rubbed the sleep from my eyes as I grabbed my phone. 3:57am. I slammed the book shut after I wiped off the drool that had accumulated on it. Legends of the Quileutes. I still was kicking myself for not noticing it earlier. They were never cold, gained a lot of muscle and grew a few feet taller practically over night. How could I of been so blind. Dean would have a cow if he knew how I missed this. I stood up and stretched, my joints thankful for getting out of that position. Grabbing my phone again scrolling through all of my text messages. I was honestly surprised to see that Paul or any of them for that matter, still hadn't tried to contact me, I guess they did listen for once. It had been six days since the incident and I guess honestly I still fine with not seeing them.
I opened my door and went to go down the stairs when movement from Bella's room caught my attention. I froze, Bella and Edwin had left to see her mom for a long weekend trip.. So who was in her room? A shadowy figure flashed by her door that was cracked open. It was too fast to be a humans and I was a sitting duck in open water as I now realized I was completely defenseless. The shadow appeared back as a hand emerged grabbing the door. My mind kept telling me to run but I was almost to intrigued. The door swung opened as the figure emerged from the shadows.
"Paul! What the hell are you doing in Bella's room!" My hand clutches at my chest trying to calm down my pounding heart. Paul's eyes looked wild as he took two steps pulling me into a too tight of a hug. I could feel just how tense he was. "Um Paul? What are you doing here?" I tried to pull out of his embrace still not fully trusting him but he refused to move.
"Get a bag packed. You're coming to the rez." His voice was strained as there was more commotion coming from Bella's room.
"The hell I am."
"Alexis. Please don't argue." There was a heaviness to his voice as his arms fell to his sides. "Now is not the time. Charlie isn't here is he?"
"No he's still at work last I knew." I side stepped around Paul pushing Bella's door opened. "What the fuck are you doing with Bella's shirt Jared." My nose scrunched up at the sight in front of me. Was he smelling her clothes? His head snapped towards us.
"This whole room make me want to puke." Jared said as he tossed the shirt to Paul who also took a whiff of it.
"Um..why are you guys smelling Bella's clothes? Is this like some weird wolf fetish?" I looked between the two of them with disgust. Jared shrugged his shoulder ignoring my comment before walking around her room.
"I'm sure Paul will tell you everything once you get to Emily's."
"And why do I have to go to Emily's?" Paul let out a frustrated sigh getting annoyed I wasn't listening to them. "And why is it always Emily's? Maybe I don't want to go there?"
"Fine. We'll go to my place and I promise I'll tell you everything Lex. Can you please just pack a bag and tell Charlie you're staying at Emily's for a few days." Paul said as he started walking to my room.
Oh shit. I scrambled after him, realizing that I left the copy of my dads journal opened on my desk. I ran in front of Paul just as he was looking at my desk about to pick the journal up. I slamming it shut and shoved it under my arm before he could.
"What was that?" Curiosity filled his voice as he tried to snatch it from under my arm.
"I'll tell you once you tell me what is going on." I ducked under his arm before pulling a bag out of my closet and throwing it on the bed. "Like seriously it's like 4 am, and you guys were smelling Bella's clothes like some perverts." Paul's jaw dropped before he made a look of disgust.
"You think I want to smell that leech lovers clothes." He all but sneered at the thought of that. "We're only here because a leech's scent lead us straight here." Paul's face soften as he sat on the bed looking at me. "Plus once we realized it was here I had to make sure you were okay."
"Why wouldn't I be okay?" I stuck my head out of the closet now confused.
"There was a leech in here." Paul's said hatefully before he got up and walked to my window.
"What are you doing now Paul?" I walked out of the closet my arms full of clothes. He stood analyzing every crack on the window. "Earth to Paul? Care to tell me what you're doing now?"
"Is that salt?" Paul's eyes shot up at me and his finger was now covered in the salt.
"It's an old wives tale. You know anything that isn't pure can't cross the salt." I started stuffing my duffle bag my back now turned from him. "Did whatever the thing that was in Bella's room come in here?"
"No. The leeches scent stopped right outside your door."
So it does work. I glanced over at my door thankful the salt I superglued across the floor actually worked. So it worked on that thing but not the Cullens? Weird.
"So why was it here?" I went back to my closet and typed the code on my hidden safe. "And what did it want?" I grabbed a sweatshirt off the floor and started to set some of my weapons on it to hide in my bag as well.
"It-look Lex. I need you to trust me, I'll tell you everything but not here. Once we get to the Rez."
I heard him walking around my room. A part of me told me not to trust him but another part was longing to be near him. Worse case is I become a snack for them later on. Plus I guess I could find out more about whatever they were. I wrapped up my sweatshirt and went over to my bag.
"So.. are you going to poof into a wolf and run the whole way there or.." I trailed not really knowing what to do. Paul let out a loud laugh one that made him actually look like a 16 year old.
"We can take your car. It'll probably be the fastest and then you can still go to school and come back to the rez if you want." I gave him a small smile as he grabbed my duffle bag and lead me out to my car.
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I flopped back on Paul's bed throwing one of the pillows over my face. This made no sense and Bella of all people?! He had spent the last few hours explaining and reexplaining why these wannabe vampires had an obsession with Bella and what he knew about them turning into wolves. I knew she was a danger magnet but this was a new level.
"So when Bella "fell down the stairs and out a window" she was attached by one of these things? And the Cullens killed him but his lady friend was mad they did and she now wants Bella dead?" I repeated back to Paul for the eighth time. Paul let out a big sigh clearly frustrated with having to repeat himself.
"Yes."
"And you and the others are protectors of the tribe? Why not Forks or Bella?"
"Because that's the treaty that was made long ago. Plus your cousin brought this on herself. Jacob is the only one that willingly wants to protect her."
"Well I guess you're not wrong there. So what happens if this treaty get broken? Also weren't you guys smelling her clothes for whoever's scent was there? So that means you guys must care about Bella." I sat up looking at Paul who was half asleep in his gaming chair.
"Then the treaty is broken and the Cullens are free game." Paul sat up and looked intensely at me as he continued. "Besides it's not Bella we care about its you. I would break that treaty in a heartbeat if you were in trouble."
"Why?" I watch as Paul moved over to the bed laying down beside me.
"That's where it get sorta complicated.." He trailed off before rolling over to his side. He grabbed one of my hands and started to mindlessly play with my fingers. It was actually pretty soothing but the hunter part of me was still on edge. "This is why I wished you paid more attention at the bonfires. You know Billy goes through everything I just told you except how Bella has caused more problems."
"She's still my family Paul, you should lighten up on her."
"So how do you feel about me?" Paul instantly changed the subject staring at our hands that had at some point intertwined.
"Like..?"
"Like..I don't know. You like me or have any sort of feeling for me?" His voice sounded more awkward like he'd never done this before. Butterflies swirled in my stomach when he said that.
Did I like Paul way more than I should? Yes. Was that also a bad thing especially with the line of work my brothers and I do? Also yes. Would my brothers kill him and then me after finding out he was some sort of shifter. Major yes.
"I-yeah. I mean this feels nice and for some unknown reason I'm not freaked out like i should be." I squeezed his hand now realizing how small it looked compared to his. I could feel his eyes boring into my face as I felt myself blush. I had honestly never been in this situation before.
I felt him shift on the bed before his other hand cupped my cheek turning my face towards his. A small smile played on his lips before he pressed his lips to mine with clear intention.
A constant buzzing from my phone made me pull away from Paul but he only moved his lips to my neck. Dean's name flashed up on the screen as I hit ignore turning my attention back to Paul. Only to be interrupted by my phone buzzing again. I groaned internally at Dean having the worst timing ever.
"You. Should. Probably. Answer. That." Paul said in between kissing my neck.
"Hello?" My voice was a little rough.
"Why in the hell did you ignore my call Alexis?!" Dean's voice boomed through the phone.
"I'm kinda bu-busy," a shiver ran up my spine as Paul's hand slipped under my shirt.
"What the hell are you doing?" Deans voice sounded accusing.
"Nothing." I placed my hand on Paul's chest to getting him to stop momentarily. "What's wrong Dean? Did you find Kelsey?" My voice sounded hopeful.
"It-no it's nothing with Kelsey." Dean stumbled with his words. I felt sick to my stomach with the words that came out of his mouth, almost wishing Paul wasn't here. "It's Sam. He's missing."
Could this week get any worse?