Bella, where are you? Charlie is looking for you everywhere. No one knows anything. It's like you've vanished without a trace... If you're still alive, we will find you. I promise. -Alice
Consciousness came abruptly, bringing back the harsh reality of her situation. The room was dark, with the soft glow of wall lantern to go by. Bella groaned as she sat up. The IV and the handcuffs were gone. Bella looked around squinting in the dim light. She could hear soft snoring, and across from her sat a figure in a chair, fast asleep. Bella sucked in her breath, all at once terrified and running through the information she knew. The cliff, and the jump. Alaska, the women. Handcuffs. What the hell was going on? If she had to guess, they had someone to watch her. The sleeping figure didn't move as Bella slipped out of the hospital bed and padded her way over. The sleeping figure was a man with scraggly beard. His arms were crossed over his chest. He was in a T-shirt and jeans with his neck bent at an odd angle from sleeping sitting up. Bella looked around for a door and crept to it. Hesitating, she looked back one more time to the sleeping man before resting her hand on the doorknob and twisting it. The door led to a hallway. The thick blue runner was soft under her bare feet. The hallway led to a set of wooden doors, thick enough to suggest they led to the outside. Bella felt passed the stairway, pausing to listen for any sound of footprints. Hearing none, her hand rested on door handle for a moment. Did she really believe that she was in Alaska? If she did believe them, she should turn around and not open the door. Bella shook her head. Impossible. She yanked the door open.
Wind whipped past the door. At the same time, an alarm went off above her head. Bella could see a panel she didn't notice before blinking a series of red dots. Bella didn't think. She ran. The world was dark, but the moon was bright. Funnily enough, her feet seemed to know where they wanted to be placed. Bella didn't feel the cold, she didn't feel anything. It's the adrenaline, she thought. Her breaths clouded the air in front of her and she ran. She couldn't see much but the snow stretching in front of her. In the distance was the idea of trees. The wind kicked up the snow and it swirled around her. She could here someone behind her, yelling her name. Bella could hear the rushing of blood through her ears. Something about her felt different.
Without notice, the ground under her feet disappeared. She was tumbled down a bank and slid to a stop. The ground felt harder than the snow, and Bella realized she was on ice. She scrambled to her feet and continued to run. She ran, not knowing her way or her destination. Her feet just told her to keep going. The dull thud and creaking of ice helped her fall into a rhythm. Cutting through the night, a howl wrenched through the air. Bella attempted to stop, only to slide uncontrollably across the ice. Her arms cartwheeled as her body tried to catch up with her feet. The wind stopped. The howling stopped. Time seemed to stop. Her breath came out slow and her eyes were drawn to the distance. There at the top of the bank, a wolf stood. It was staring at her. The wolf matched the snow, she wouldn't have known it was there if not for the eyes that seemed to shine. Larger than she ever thought possible, the lifted its nose to the moon before looking back at her. Bella too looked to the moon. Snow was beginning to fall, large flakes dancing in the sky before landing on her face. Her eyelashes fluttered. Something deep inside her seemed to wake, stretching and filling her body. The moon bathed her in light. Warmth filled the empty places where there was nothing before. Bella took the deepest breath she'd taken for a long time. A breath so crisp and clear it was like she had never breathed before. It filled her lungs with something intangible and couldn't be grasped.
Bella looked back to the bank, and the wolf was gone.
"Bella!" The distant yelling was getting closer. Bella was calm, however. Whatever was headed towards her couldn't shake the peace that had entered her mind. Bella turned and to her surprise found herself at the edge of the ice, and water swirling below her. The murky depths called out to her. Her mind turned to the flight from the cliff into the water. The peace she felt now was the same as what she felt beneath the stormy waves. Was this the answer? Life seemed to lead her back to the water.
"Bella?"
Bella snapped her head up. There stood the woman she had seen before. Her coat was rimmed with fur and beginning to collect snowflakes. It looked she had been standing there for some time.
"Hello Bella. Do you remember me? It's Leanna. I'm glad you stopped running. Why don't you step away from the ice Bella?"
Bella looked back to the water. "Are we really in Alaska?"
Leanna smiled. "Yes. Crazy isn't it? I remember when I first arrived here. Couldn't believe it either." Leanna loped towards her, closing the difference. Bella took several steps back, closer to the water's edge. Leanna stopped. "Be careful Bella, you may feel good now but that isn't going to last for much longer.
"What do you mean?" Bella glanced back at the water. "Why do I feel this way? I feel amazing, like I could run forever. Yet there is something, almost like…"
"Almost like the water is calling for you?"
Bella looked sharply at Leanna. Leanna had her arm stretched toward her, as if to catch her if she fell.
Leanna dropped her arm and smiled softly. "You'll find here that many of us are called to things that destroyed us. The urge is only dangerous during our lowest points, or those just out of Adjustment. The moon gives us a second chance, but death is a greedy mistress and hates losing."
Bella shook her head. "Adjustment? The moon?" Her thoughts were running together. The water seemed welcoming.
"The water calls to you because you wanted to drown, Bella." Bella gasped, her eyes locking with Leanna's sharp brown gaze. Leanna took a step toward her. "You wanted to die. You didn't succeed, but not because you regretted your actions. In your final moments, you welcomed death. So did I. So did everyone else here. It is a part of what makes us who we are." Leanne caught Bella's wrist and pulled her close and away from the water's edge. Bella's neck arched trying to look up at the tall woman, too shocked at her speed to pull away. Leanne leaned over and whispered in her ear. Her voice was smooth and strong. "You were chosen for a different path Bella. You'll always be drawn to the water now, and you will remember what was and what now is. You're human life is on its last breath, and the next time you see the moon, you join the oldest and most sacred secret of this world, and you will be glad."
Bella felt the inhuman strength leave her body, and her legs collapsed underneath her. "What are you?" Bella asked, the cold biting now at her feet and hands. Leanna's warm hands burned her now, and the sense of déjà vu hit her.
Leanna gathered her up in her arms and started to walk away from the ice. "When I was first brought here, I tried running. I made it to the woods. I climbed the tallest tree to see a whole lot of nothing. Then that didn't matter anymore, and I just kept climbing and climbing until the branches were likely to snap beneath me. I stood there and stared at the ground until they found me. They were climbing the tree to get me. They called my name, but I didn't hear them even though they were right below me. The ground was calling, so loud it drowned everything else out. I didn't hear them until they grabbed my ankle. I fell but they caught me. Death was an upset mistress that day as well."
"What are you?" Bella asked again.
"I'm the same as you Bella."
Bella shook her head. "And what is that?"
"A Werewolf. A real one."
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After everything that happened, Alice never thought she would be in Fork's again. At least, not in Bella's lifetime. While 100 years could fly by for her, the last several months had dragged on without end in sight. Edward and Jasper's dark moods, and the overbearing presence of Tanya's pathetic seduction attempts meant Alice felt more than a little tense. Sending that email was her last hope besides getting another vision. Alice had searched high and low for clues at Forks. As far as anyone was concerned here, Bella had disappeared in the middle of a snowstorm. Her truck was parked at the border line leading into the reservation. Alice couldn't very well traipse over the line, especially after the discovery of the large group of wolves patrolling the border. She had immediately called Carlisle when the smell hit her, stronger than ever before. They all believed that the people here would stop transforming after they left, but Alice counted at least twenty before retreating. What was happening in Forks? Alice hated to admit it, but her brother would be more useful here than her. If someone had kidnapped Bella, then only a mind-reader would be able to extract clues from the people of Forks. If Alice was to guess though, it wasn't a kidnapping that ailed Bella, and it was something over the reservation line that held the secret. Whatever that secret was, Alice wasn't going to let Bella down again.
P.A.S.S.W.O.R.D
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"Alright, I should have known her password would be more mature than that one." Alice murmured. Getting the laptop out of the police evidence room be hard hard, especially as Forks used a renovated shed for it, and it wasn't exactly monitored. Guessing the password was harder than she imagined it would be though. Before they left, the password was the date Bella left Arizona. The day her life took a new direction, she'd said. Alice sighed, the laptop clicking closed as she took out her phone. After making the call, Alice put the identical laptop she brought with her into the evidence bag and sealed it. Replacing it in the box, she hopped down, taking the real laptop with her.
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"Bella?"
Bella looked up at Audrey. The woman was taking her temperature with a scanner. "I think you are ready to go. I have informed Leanna, and I believe she is sending someone now to collect you. They are moving you into the house. Are feeling alright?"
Bella nodded. The week had been crazy. Leanna hadn't visited since she brought her back. The man watching her turned out to be a very embarrassed man by the name of Jason. The people here were friendly, and constant parade of people coming to peek at her and attempt to talk to her was constant. Bella wasn't much of a talk to strangers type, and for the most part accepted their welcome and kept to herself. The story she got was consistent though. She hadn't thrown the idea of a cult away, but she wasn't some incredulous nobody off the street either. Her exposure to the Cullen's had made the idea of the supernatural less insane then it should have been. She had yet to see any proof outside Leanna's strength the night she ran away though. And Bella had been watching. Everyone seemed normal. Well, better than normal. Everyone seemed to be glowing with health. They wore normal clothes, talked modernly and seemed to get along well. Most of them left in the morning for a run, and then split up until dinner. Bella could hear the laughter and yelling from their clinic she resided in. The same question started running through her mind, why?
She could understand the Cullens. The supernatural existed, and it wasn't so scary after all. Knowing that vampires could choose to be good gave her hope for the group she found herself in. Werewolves? Why wouldn't they exist in the same world as them? Was it really so strange? Bella didn't feel she was in danger, and her instincts hadn't let her down before. What she couldn't wrap around was Leanna's words about her. Bella Swan was not a werewolf.
Nobody else seemed to agree with her though. Before long, her escort had arrived. The girl before her was as shorter than Bella, with blonde hair neatly braided and pressed into her scalp. Her nose was sharp and eyes bright. She looked to be around 15.
"Bella I presume?" Her voice had an lilt and an accent Bella suspected was French.
Bella nodded. "Come with me then." Bella gathered her coat and followed the teenager out of the clinic. The compound had a clinic as one of the three building at the end of a gravel road half frozen in ice. As it was nearing the end of April, the ground had started to thaw and small signs of life poking through. The second building of the three was a block building with windows and fire escapes like a small apartment. It was the only building that was two floors high. The third building was arched like a yurt but bigger are more permanent. The clinic was clearly the newest building there.
"Not that you asked but my name is Elanor." Her escort's comment jerked her out of her musings.
"Oh, sorry." Bella brushed her stray hair behind her ear.
"Hmmp," Elanor led her to the block building.
Inside looked a lot how she expected, with a lobby-esque area and hallways and stairwells leading to the second floor. Elanor led her to the second story and few doors down Elanor handed her a key. "Here you are. The building is not that big but there aren't enough of us to fill it, so you get your own room. I'll come get you for dinner. If you're cleared by medical, they'll expect you to run with us in the morning."
"Oh. Um. I'm not much of a runner. Or a… walker. I'll probably hurt someone." Bella awkwardly stood under the stare of the younger teenager.
"I haven't met a clumsy werewolf before." Elanor's voice was flat.
Bella laughed awkwardly, "Then I'm probably not… one?"
Elanor's lidded gaze evaluated her from toe to head. "Maybe not." Elanor spun on her heel and walked away. The speed in which she did made Bella's eyes widen.
"No one tolerates isolation. So don't expect to be left alone here."
The apartment was small. A kitchenette, living room and one bedroom, all furnished. Bella stood in the kitchen for a long time, staring at the key in her hand. She was alone. Finally, alone. She placed the key gently on the counter. She went to the living room and collapsed numbly on the couch. She hadn't had a moment to truly think of everything that happened. Of all the memories, her thoughts turned to Leah. That night at the border, Leah had pulled her so close that Bella had thought…. But it didn't. The words wouldn't leave her head. Bella wasn't strong enough. She was a burden to all that knew her. If a practical stranger could say that to her, then they were probably right. Bella was alone, and she could attempt to escape again, but where would she go? Back to a town to play pretend to a concerned father. To a town that the love of her life could leave her so easily. Bella hands covered her face as frustration and shame filled her. The water called her.
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Dinner was a stressful affair. Her escort was cool and unfriendly and abandoned her at the door of their destination. Bella was painfully reminded of Rosalie in her behavior. It seemed the whole group showed up for dinner in the not-a-yurt. Bella half expected a meat bonanza, but to her surprise and humor, it was spaghetti night. The seating arrangement was non-existent at least to her, and she found herself wedged between a man in his 30's discussing a rare form of fireweed he found on the south side of the forest, and younger woman chowing down on her spaghetti and nodding along.
"I'll show you tomorrow." The man finished.
"Eat your food, it's getting cold. You're boring our newest arrival. I'm Hannah, and this is Adrian." Hannah twirled her fork as she smiled at Bella. This is everybody, and soon enough there will be a new arrival and you won't be the new girl anymore. It's the circle of life in new places."
Bella looked down to her food.
"Where are you from Bella?" Adrian asked through his food.
"Ah, everywhere really. Washington actually." It felt odd to Bella to announce her Washington of her state, it wasn't too long ago that Arizona was her home. The choices that led her here like falling dominos was too much to contemplate.
"Lots of rain in Washington huh?" Hannah turned to Adrian. "You've ever been to Washington?"
"Can't say I have, not my job you know?" Adrian filled his cup from the plastic pitcher on the table.
Being bold in the face of the unnatural was never Bella's issue. "So, you two are werewolves?" Adrian choked on his drink.
Hannah smiled. "Yes. Adrian here has been one officially for what, 22 years? You'd think he would have learned more. Everyone here is a werewolf."
"How does that work? Blood, genetics?" Bella stared at Hannah through her lashes.
"Genetics mostly, it skips generations like nobody's business. We don't bite people, we aren't vampires."
Adrian laughed. Bella flinched.
"Not that I have a problem with vampires, for the most part. Or seen one, actually." Hannah said quickly.
Bella took a deep breath. "So what, you change every full moon? Silver bullets take you out?"
"Looking for ways to kill us already?" Hannah chuckled. "Ehhhh, kind of. We are stronger around the full moon. We can change anytime, but it won't do you any favors, it's not like we can blend in with the local species so well. Bullets will kill us, we aren't immortal."
"And why do you think you exist?"
Hannah looked troubled. "Well… I'm not the sort to push religion on anyone so soon but we have a few theories."
"Leanna said something to me… about the moon." Bella looked at Adrian. He was busy looking through the crowd and waving at someone across the room.
"Don't bother Adrian he doesn't believe in all that moon nonsense anyway, do you? We are stronger around the full moon, some of us have abilities that only work then, so of course we have a lot of moon enthusiasts." Hannah rolled her eyes.
"Abilities?" Bella's mind couldn't be running any faster. Alice, Jasper, Edward, how common were these gifts amongst werewolves? How similar were they? Could they be linked somehow?
Hannah shared a look with Adrian. "Don't worry about that. Hey, you should eat."
Bella ate and watched the rest of the group. Total couldn't be over more than 40 people here, a mixture of adults and a few teenagers sprinkled through the tables. No children. The youngest looked to be Bella's escort the wanna-be Rosalie.
Within the hour, the group was dispersing, and her escort showed up. "Leanna said she wants to speak to you, if you aren't too tired," Elanor looked as if the idea of turning down the offer made her disgusted.
"Oh. Um yea I'll talk to her." In a flash Elanor was gone, relieved of her burden of watching her. Bella had gotten the idea that Leanna was the de-facto leader of this group.
When most everyone had left, Bella got up and returned her cutlery and approached Leanna's table.
Leanna was talking to someone who had spread a map out on the table and was vehemently arguing with them, stabbing the map with her finger. Noticing her, Leanna leaned back in her chair and smiled. "Just a regular day arguing about travel plans. Sit, please."
Bella sat. Leanna raised an eyebrow. "I know you don't believe us, and you're still on edge. You'll probably not going to be able to keep up on the run until next month, but I do want to prove to you what I'm saying is true. You are a werewolf. I'm sure you can already feel the difference in your body. You feel better, you don't feel like something is missing anymore. Strength is slowing filling your limbs. The cold doesn't bother you as much. Every day for the next two weeks you'll feel stronger everyday. Then, you'll finish your Adjustment under the full moon. Once that happens, we will teach what you need to know."
"You're crazy." Bella blurted out, before immediately cowering, expecting anger or a blow.
Leanna hand touched her shoulder, "No need to be afraid here. No one is forced to stay after the Adjustment. No physical violence is allowed within the town."
Bella straightened up. "How are you so sure, nothing like this runs in my family. I mean.. Look at me! I fall over my own feet!"
Leanna laughed. "Nothing extreme happens after the Adjustment. I'm sure you will always be a little clumsy." Leanna sobered quickly. "That is a lie. A lot changes. But nothing I fear for."
"You're being purposely mysterious." Bella accused.
"When you jumped off that cliff, something inside of you woke up. Call it a genetic trigger, call it destiny, but a certain set of requirements are necessary for one of us to come into being. The fact you exist means you are meant for a higher purpose." Leanna stood from her change. "And that... is a life changing event."
"I didn't ask for this. I didn't ask for any of this, I don't want whatever this is. I just want to... I just want to!" Bella stuttered.
"Die?" Leanna gave her a knowing look. "Are you happy with your life right now Miss Swan?" Leanna began folding up the map.
"I." Bella's cheeks burned with embarrassment of not being able to answer the question.
"Arrive early tomorrow and I'll prove it to you. We leave at six, so be there at, say, five-thirty okay." Leanna clasped Bella's shoulder and bounded out of the hall.
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Bella found herself shivering outside the squat apartment building at five thirty-five, waiting for Leanna to show up. Bella wrapped her coat tighter around her body. Instead, Elanor stomped up to her. "Well come on. We have some ground to cover before six." With those encouraging words, Elanor started a light jog out of town. Bella seriously considered turning around and entering her apartment and going back to sleep. Against her better judgement, Bella followed. Bella was not a jogger, or a stamina-based person. The boundless energy from her failed escape had not returned. Less then a minute she was already huffing for breath. As she rounded the corner of the not-a-yurt building, she saw Elanor pulling a canvas cover off a Jeep.
"This was here the whole time?" Bella panted.
Elanor just looked at her like she was an idiot.
"Are you old enough to drive? Bella asked as she slid into the passenger seat.
"I'm as old as you." Elanor pulled some sunglasses off the vizor and slid them on.
"Oh." Bella blushed and said nothing else through the ride. Eventually, after around twenty minutes, Elanor pulled off to a rocky outcrop and cut the ignition.
"Look, I know what you're going through. Everyone here does. Elanor pulled up on her sleeves and Bella caught a glimpse of scars along her wrists. "So maybe don't act like a woe is me girl and start being grateful of the second chance you're given. Everyone is going to act on eggshells until you lighten up."
Bella was speechless.
Elanor just rolled her eyes and exited the jeep. "Come on new girl, you'll miss it."
Bella hastily opened the door and clambered after the small teenager. "Stay here!" Elanor called, already descending the rocky outcropping. In the distance, Bella could see something approaching. As it got closer, Bella recognized Leanna leading the group in a run. Bella watched Elanor wave and jump into the group, running out to join them. To her shock, Leanna waved to Bella and in the same breath jumped through the air as a human and landed as a wolf. A gigantic grey wolf. One by one the members of the jogging group transformed before her eyes and landed as wolves moving as one group through the small valley below. The view of the pack weaving their way through the valley stirred up something inside her.
Two supernatural species. How many more were out there? "What the fuck?" Bella whispered.
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Hey I'm back. Or I never left. Hard to tell. This is the next installment. Please enjoy. This is the way it was always supposed to be. I look forward to future chapters. Expect one by next Saturday. Or bug me about it please. Sorry for formatting, it's on mobile.