This is a Chapter I finished early so I could post it today.
I'm moving!
Yeah, so that means that it will take me some time to set things back up but I wanted to get this chapter across to you folks!
Hope you like it!
I'm sorry I'm not personally acknowledging the Reviews in this chapter but please let them come in. I will surely get to you in the next chapter!
The drive with Sam was not at all what I expected.
For the record, I had no idea what I expected but it was certainly not Sam playing oldies stations on the radio and humming along with both windows down. The salty wind of the approaching sea made my hair billow around my head and I had a sudden urge to do the whole movie thing; in which the heroine puts her head out the window and swishes it, making the hair flow in waves.
I quelled that particular urge. I was pretty sure if I did it I would look like a golden retriever – or a pit hound.
However, I did not curb my natural urge to ask questions.
New Moon may have been a huge book but the author had a tendency to write a lot but not give away much information. Well, I could get all the info I wanted straight from the source.
They were very willing sources too.
Sam told me about the first time the Elders had told him about the Shift, the tribe stories, making and leading the Pack since Jacob wouldn't shift for quite some time. I didn't ask about Leah or Emily; I didn't feel like that was first meeting topics to discuss.
Jacob was tinkering around in his garage when Sam dropped me off, a brooding expression on his usually happy face. Billy had to go to another Elder's meeting so Sam dropped me at the back. "So, I was wondering; say the big bad wolf meets a young frightened girl in the woods, would he naturally revert to the Red Riding Hood syndrome?" I asked, taking measured steps towards him.
I didn't want to startle him and make him Shift.
He turned to look at me with an eye roll.
"I should've known they couldn't keep you away from here for long." He said.
"Yeah, I'm kind of hard to hold back." I grinned.
"Like a rabid dog," he said, standing up, folding huge muscular arms across an equally muscular chest.
I squinted at him, raising a finger to point at him, "I would watch who I call a rabid dog," I said. He caught the finger, dropping our hands between us as he raised his eyebrows challenging at me. "Christ, Jacob, you're huge, no, you're like a mammoth." I said.
"Am I supposed to take that as a compliment?"
I nodded fervently and he rolled his eyes again, sighing and rubbing his neck.
"So, I can't check on you but you can just march into the reservation? That is just so unfair!" he groaned.
"Are you jealous that I'm getting the VIP treatment, Jake?" I asked.
He snorted at that, "Yeah, don't you wish," he said, "It's just, I can't keep my promise if they won't let me," he sat back down on the stool.
"What promise are you talking about?" I asked.
He looked at me, his eyes big and dark. Sometimes with his childish behaviour it was easy to think that he was still the burly sixteen years old he'd been in the books. I had to remind myself that wasn't the case. He was as old as me and had been through just as much as I had – if not more.
"I promised myself I'd keep you safe." He whispered.
I blinked.
"Jacob, you…you didn't have to do that." I said.
"Why not; you're my friend, right? Friends protect each other. If that Stephen guy can try and protect you, I can do a much better job." He said before he looked sheepishly at me. "God that sounded like something straight out of some cheesy novel," He said.
Oh my sweet summer child, you have no idea…
"I'm sorry about the thing in the forest that day. I guess I must've scared you." He said.
"You didn't," I said, sliding down to sit next to him. "And stop apologising; I came to see you, not to let you spout off apologies like a garden fountain."
He gave me a dry look.
"Sam told me he had stopped you from seeing Bells and I, you don't have to worry," I insisted.
"Good for him; he isn't bound to some stupid ancient law to not tell anyone." He said bitterly.
"Oh, the Pack Oath; or something like that, huh?" I asked.
"I'm bound to the Pack and I can't give its secrets away. I suppose it's a good thing you already know. Saves me a lot of stress," he said.
I leaned against his side but he was so big, my head only brushed the top of his arm.
"I know where you're coming from." I sighed. "Our lives are weird," I said.
"What happened when you got back?" he asked.
"Bella spilled the beans to Charlie. They are on the lookout for wolves now, not bears." I said then looked intently at him. "Jake…what happened to Victoria?" I asked.
"She took off. Straight over the northern streams, maybe somewhere over the Canadian borders, I didn't see her." He mumbled.
I watched him in silence as he picked up a spanner and began to spin it in his large but nimble hands. His hands somehow reminded me of Edwards'. Both held the same amount of comfort when wrapped around mine. His hair, now cropped short made his face seem more angular, his full lips furrowed as he thought about things I didn't know about. His eyes, I realised with a jolt, looked like mine the first two months I'd been back. Hollow, and lost, he probably felt like the earth had shifted, leaving him with no footing.
I felt closer and at the same time so far away from him, it made me physically reach out for him.
I wrapped my arm around his, grasping his hand with both of mine, rubbing. Although his hands were already so hot, it made some of the cold in mine seep away. He watched our intermingled hands before lifting his eyes up to me.
"How have you been holding up?" I asked.
His face flickered. "I'm handling it, T." he said.
"Tell me," I demanded.
He looked back down at our hands.
"I shifted two months ago. I was lying in my bed and I suddenly start to feel like I'm on fire. I went out to cool down and before I know it I'm down on all fours and covered in fur. Dad found me on the porch, he brought me in, called in Sam and the others and they told me this twisted tale of Shape shifters and vampires. It was a month later when we discovered the bloodsucker. Dad told me…well, he told me about the Cullens and how they were the good ones. He also told me about you and Stephen. He told me not to get my hopes up that you might come back. He said there was a very good chance that you two might be dead…" his fist clenched before he let out a breath.
"It was really good seeing you after that. When we found out that the leech is after you, I kind of promised myself not to let you get hurt." He finished.
"Oh Jake," I whispered sadly.
"It was getting difficult even before that. Sam told me that there might be a chance I might Phase – near you – that was a good way of getting you hurt so I had to stop seeing you until I learnt to control it." He said.
"You're in control now." I said fiercely.
He smiled at our hands.
"Guess you're my anchor huh," he nudged me with his shoulder, nearly toppling me.
"Don't quote teen wolf at me. Wait, do you even have teen wolf in this world?" I asked. He gave a laugh.
"Seriously though, I understand if you don't want to see me," he said.
"Don't be stupid. You're one of my best friends! Why would I stop seeing you? I mean, I get that you get all furry and grow fangs and claws but I'm not that shallow." I teased.
"You really get under my skin sometimes." He said.
"What are you talking about? I'm a joy to be around!" I giggled and his face softened and we both collapsed into silly childish chuckles.
He mumbled something under his breath but I was too happy to ask him to repeat it.
It felt nice to be with him like this.
If he and I could make each other forget what a hurricane our life was – it was good enough for me.
I would never want to give this up for anything.
Jacob dropped me off at the Swan house, promising to call me as soon as his schedule allowed him. In return, I promised to not wander about in the woods.
When I came into the living room, however, the first thing I noticed was that the mood was extremely serious and that Stephen and Bella were sitting on the couch while Charlie paced about.
"Um…is everything alright?" I asked.
Bella and Steph looked up and Charlie stopped, turning around to look at me. He strode towards me, gripping the tops of my arms. "Are you ok?" he asked.
"Yeah, sure, why, did something happen?" I asked again.
"We tried to call you but we couldn't reach you." Bella said, standing up.
"Dead battery," I said. Steph narrowed his eyes at me and I rolled my eyes, showing him the black screen. I hadn't been lying. "The battery died when I sent him the text." Well, that and all the photos Jake and I took.
"You were there all the time? No detours or excursions into the woods were there?" he pressed.
"We never left the garage. Would someone tell me what happened?" I frowned.
"There was another attack." Steph finally said. I opened my mouth then shut it, my eyes widening at him, waiting for him to elaborate. "One of the hikers at the resort was dragged into the woods. His wife saw a gray wolf." He said.
His eyes were intent on my face as if to say I told you so.
"Armed rangers are going into the forests. There's a reward up and it's worrying the police department. Excited men with fire power…there's bound to be accidents if people aren't careful," Charlie said. I looked at him quickly. "You can't shoot the wolves!" I nearly shrieked.
There had to be a mistake. No way would the pack hurt anyone!
"It has to be done, T. Don't get scared about this. Just stay in the town or stick to the highways if you have to drive somewhere, ok?" he asked.
That wasn't what I was scared for. I looked desperately at Bella and Stephen for help. Steph looked away and Bella bit her lip at my expression. Come on, Bella, what happened to animal rights?
Charlie was speaking again, but my ears had tuned out – filling my head with static.
What happened? How did the Pack…so careful…so sensible, get spotted this way? Ok, granted they were huge and wolves that size couldn't possibly go unnoticed but still…
Had Jacob looked so worried because of this? If he knew, why didn't he tell me?
Why was I questioning him? My mind asked me. I have to; I can't exactly blame humans for putting up defensive measures! My suspicious mind retorted.
"See you girls later," Charlie said and he kissed Bella on the head before looking at me. "You're ok, T?" he said. I nodded as he pressed a kiss to my head too. "Please be careful, Charlie." I said thickly as he went off to help the rangers.
"Tulika," Bella said softly but I had already whirled around, heading for the stairs.
I blindly dashed into my room, stumbling towards the charger so I could power up my phone. I needed to call Jacob. I needed to warn him that the rangers were out into the woods.
It didn't matter that he knew. It didn't matter if he didn't tell me.
If there was a chance that he didn't know, then they would be going into the woods blind, unaware that there were people out to shoot them. Greedy, frightened people who would gladly shoot at them to get a reward, to hang their skins up as trophies, I shuddered at the thought.
There was a knock and then Stephen entered, closing the door as he cautiously approached me.
"Give me your phone; I have to let him know." I said immediately.
He didn't argue. If possible, he looked sympathetic, digging his phone out of his front pocket and placing it in my palm.
"You were with Jacob, today?" he asked softly.
I nodded.
"He didn't tell you about this?" he asked again.
I shook my head, my fingers hovering over the number pad.
"Where are you going with this?" I demanded.
"Tulika," he sighed, rubbing his eyes, "I mean, come on; I know I didn't read the books or see the movies. But there is a witness this time; someone actually saw these wolves commit murder. An innocent man at that, not a vampire," he whispered.
I shook my head more fiercely.
"You don't understand. This wasn't the Pack. It had to be Victoria." I said.
Stephen frowned at me. "Tulika…please," he said.
"We know what they can do, Stephen. Did you forget what James made that security guard do in Seattle?" I pressed.
His expression shuttered as we both relived the bang of the gun and then the guard's body collapsing, blood oozing from his head.
"I remember. What do you want to do?" he asked.
I straightened up at that. This wasn't the voice of the boy who had been convinced that the wolves were bad.
This was the voice of my best friend. My most loyal ally, even beside the Cullens or the Pack, the one I relied on most to keep me sane. He was back to my Partner in Crime. I smiled at him.
"We need to warn them." I said simply.
Right, Dum Dum Dum!
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