Your Princess is in Another Castle
Chapter Eight: The Wolves of the Woods
Bella was devastated. She cursed herself, Victoria, James, and this stupid castle for what had transpired between the rows of books.
She had let Victoria touch her like that. A woman, touch her like that. A vamprye. And Bella had enjoyed it. She had even kissed upon those lips which drank blood, which had stolen others lives.
How could Bella have done this? How could she give in so easily?
The devil had been tempting her and she had given in and she had no one to blame but herself. She did not know what to do about this. Prayer would not cleanse her sins. All she could do was confess to Edward about what she had done and hope he would take her back. Hope he could forgive her. Bella voluntarily kept herself locked up, Victoria leaving food for her outside the door during her self contained imprisonment. But the worst part of this was not the guilt, or the shame, or the countless hours of crying, but the fact that even now Bella missed Victoria and that she would not mind doing it again.
And that scared her beyond words. She could not understand where this need for Victoria came from. It was almost like black magic. Like the devil's work and Bella wondered if witches existed and if one had cast a spell on her as a joke.
Her indiscretion weighed heavily on her and mercifully Victoria did not press her, simply gave her space, as much as was needed. Another chunk of winter passed in this manner-January dragging on in a mix of despair and shame and self loathing, full of prayers that were hopeless.
Bella wished for James to come and take her away. She wished for Edward to finally arrive to the rescue. What was taking him so long?
Her solitude was interrupted by an unlikely candidate. One she had not seen in a while. It was fortunate she had a friend on her side during this trying time. Yet, Sir Reginald was no ordinary friend. He was a wolf, to whom she spoke to at a specific hour each day. While he could not speak back to her, he did listen and he reacted accordingly to news that was good, that was bad, or that was funny. He would wag his tail, or drop his head, or open his jaw in laughter. And Bella would toss him her meat because she knew he was starving and would benefit more from it than she would. She could always sneak into the kitchens and steal more if need be.
"So that it what you are doing," Victoria drawled one day, catching Bella in the act of spiriting away a ham shoulder. Bella nearly dropped it in surprise but caught it last minute. And then she nearly dropped it again when she saw what Victoria was wearing. The tightest pair of trousers known to man kind and a shirt unbuttoned so low that Bella could see the vampryess's breastbone. Pale and smooth skin greeted those who laid eyes on Victoria and Bella swallowed hard before drawing her gaze up.
It had been a while since her eyes had feasted up the red haired woman and Bella found herself longing for the touch of those slender hands, for the press of lips upon her.
She tried to ignore the surging emotions insider her; surely Victoria was doing the same. Face blank like she was staring at a wall and not a woman she had incited forbidden feelings in.
"So that is what I am doing, what?" Bella said quickly, feigning innocence.
"You are stealing away food for those mutts."
"Mutts?"
"Those filthy half breeds that are coming onto our land and polluting it," Victoria snapped out, getting up from the wall she had been leaning on, arms crossed across her chest.
"Are you referring to the wolves?"
"If that is what you call them."
"I will feed them if I want to. The wolf is my friend and has certainly done me less harm than you and your kind have."
"I would not call them friends," Victoria's tone was light but her face had darkened. "And there are worse monsters than us outside these castle walls. You would do well to remember that." And then Victoria left without demanding to have the meat back.
Bella shook her head at Victoria's words and sighing, hurried up to her room where she dropped the ham out for it to feed three hungry wolves this time. "I see you bought friends, Sir Reginald," Bella said with a wistful sigh. "I wish I could have friends but all that I am trapped with is a temperamental she-devil that stalks me day and night and at every move I make. I cannot even wipe my own ass for she sees me."
Sir Reginald sneezed in laughter and so did his friends. They were looking more fed and Bella was pleased to note that her efforts were working. At least someone was getting something out of her arraignment.
"I just wish I could be free."
Sir Reginald keened in understanding and then yapped something to his two friends. They nodded their heads and growled something back before they all bounded away, leaving the empty carcass of the ham. Sir Reginald gave her one last look as he lept off free like the wind.
Bella sighed and thought not for the thousand time, that Edward needed to come find her if she was talking to animals like the insane.
She did not see her wolf friend the next day, or the day following that one, and she began to worry. Where could he be? Did harm come to him? Did Victoria chase him away?
Just as the cusp of the third day of his disappearance neared, a rock was thrown at her window. Than another one. Bella knew it was not the wind for the wind could not throw rocks with such trajectory and she peered out her window to see a young man outside. He was wearing but a mere thin shirt, one that looked wrongly fit on him, as did his trousers, tied to his waist with rope. He was a handsome man, with long thick hair that reached between his shoulders, and with a skin color that was russet and healthy.
Bella had never seen him before. Why was he here? Perhaps he was one of Edward's people, come to whisk her away? Her trepidation faded away, replaced by hope. "What is your name and your intent?" she asked as she opened up the window to let the frosty air in.
He smiled up at her. "I have come to rescue you princess. I have heard your pleas for help and me and my kind shall aid you by saving you from those vile leeches."
"Leeches?"
"Those you would call vampryes," he frowned in disgust at the mere utterance of their name.
Bella's heart began to pound in increasing hope. "Did Edward send you?"
"I do not know this Edward you speak of. But I assure you I am here to help you."
If Edward hadn't sent him, than who had? "Did Sir Reginald send you?" She felt a mite ridiculous to ask this, but she had to know, to assuage her curiosity.
The man gave a knowing look. "He did."
So the wolf had been some sort of magical creature. Bella did not know how to feel about it, except to be grateful to her wolf for being able to find a man to help her.
"But how will you rescue me? There are monsters in this castle that are stronger than any man I have ever seen before."
"Than good thing I am more than merely just a man," he said and then instructed her to stand back.
She did as asked and wondered why he had told her to do this. She was given an answer a moment later when he catapulted his way into the room through the window. Bella let out a shriek of shock which she quickly clamped down.
"How- how did you do that?" Was he another monster? She had no want to meet another one of those.
"I was gifted by God and nature the addition of agility. But I am not a leech. Have no fear." Up this close she could smell the woods on him, smell the cold of winter. Yet, he radiated a heat that no human should, and he was huge. Broad shouldered and tall and made of pure muscle. "I do not share their traits, see for yourself." He gently took Bella's hand from where she stood frozen and pressed it against the thick cord of his neck. A pulse beat under his warm skin.
"You are not a vamprye." Bella said, appeased but not entirely. "Than how are you able to leap like a gazelle?"
"So many questions. I fear I do not have the time to answer them if we are to escape before your captor notices."
"I need to know," Bella insisted as she shrunk back to the wall, wondering if a stake could save her if this man beast attacked her. But no danger radiated off of him. He seemed safe, like a tranquil lake. Whereas Victoria radiated a dark aura, a wild danger to her, he made Bella want to sink into calm, into trusting him. And that was dangerous in it's own sense. "I need to know if I am to trust you for I do not want to escape one prison only to be dragged to another."
He nodded his head. "I understand. Therefore I will tell you a secret of my clan. A secret that will be discussed more in depth when we arrive there. We were made by the forces of God and nature to combat vampryes. Our sole purpose is to destroy them whenever we can."
"Is that why you are here? To destroy the vampryes in this castle?"
The man shook his head. "No. We have a truce with the vampryes here. We are allowed to co-exist. We only hunt down those who are a threat to society, those who feed and kill indiscriminately."
"So you are protectors of humans?"
The man's head jerked to the side whip fast and he seemed to be listening to something. Whatever it was, Bella could not hear it.
"Quickly, we must go. I can hear her approaching. You must trust me now and go with me or else I will be forced to leave you behind for good, never to return for I cannot break the treaty between my clan and hers anymore than I already have."
This was a huge decision to make but anything was better than being trapped here any longer. "Very well. Take me away." She stuck out her hand to him and he took it.
"You may call me Jake, in the language of your people," he smiled and scooped her up into his arms. He was warm and his hold safe and tight.
"Hold your tongue unless you want to bite it," he instructed and then jumped out the window before he hit the ground and began running. His speeds were nowhere as close to Victoria's but he was still fast.
Bella kept her eyes closed and held onto him for dear safety. She had no clue as to what her future would hold; she was going into this blind and trusting a man who proclaimed to be built to be the antithesis to vampryes. Would he be her savior? Or would he be yet more trouble for her? She sent out a quick prayer to the lord to help her in her travels and for him to keep her safe. All she knew, was that she had to get away from the temptation inside the castle. She had to get away from her shameful emotions.
The man took to leaping over frozen streams and piles of snow and other forestry until the woods began to thin out and a small camp became more pronounced. He stopped once they got there and placed her tenderly to her feet. His breath plumed around him as his chest heaved from exertion. But other than slight breathlessness he looked fine. "We are here."
"Where is here?" she asked, now feeling the cold without his warm body around him. She shivered and wrapped her arms around her dress. She wished she had thought to ask him if she could bring a coat and some food. She was entirely unprepared for this new leg of her journey.
She gazed around the clearing to see houses with smoke curling above them. They looked to be constructed of animal skins and wood. She wondered if they were any warm at all. Men and women in skins walked around, carrying wood or hunks of meat or pails of water. And among them, weaved wolves.
"This is my clan's home."
"You-you live with wolves?"
He chuckled at this, something deep and rich. "That is something else to explain to you. Fear not, I shall fetch you some furs," for he had noted her shivering, "and a meeting with the chieftain of our village." Wrapping a sturdy arm around her shoulders he directed her towards the village which was in a scooped out hallow.
Immediately all of the villager's attentions were drawn to Bella. They watched her with curious eyes and she felt self conscious. She was a sore sight given her pink dress and ornate hair style. They all looked to blend into the woods with their browns and whites and blacks and their hair plated with feathers and beads.
They were savages, like Bella had heard the church proclaim. Vagabonds with no home but that drifted from town to town, from place to place, polluting it with their evil spirits and barbaric cultures. She had heard tales from the new world of how these savages would scalp others, would gouge out their eyes, and would scream in strange languages to gods that were pagan in nature.
However, they did not seem as truly dangerous as the church and government had made them seem. And Bella was inclined to think the best of others, to give them a chance. She pushed away the warnings that rang in her head and tried to keep her mind open.
As for the wild wolves around the village, she did not fear those either. Was mildly cautious of them, but if man and beast walked side by side without blood being spilt than it must speak to the kind nature of these wolves. A kind nature not beholden to all wolves.
One of the men, close to age like Bella's savior, came up to them, cautiously eyeing Bella. He spoke something in a language Bella did not understand and motioned to her. Her savior responded with something, his hold tightening on Bella's shoulders. The other man backed away and let Bella and her savior proceed to what she assumed was the chieftain's hut, a triangular structure that was bigger than the others. Two men with spears stood in front of it and their noses wrinkled up at the sight of Bella while her savior spoke to them in hurried tones. Eventually they were let through. It was dark inside the tepee but surprisingly warm. And cross legged in front of the fire was a man who did not look past the age of his mid life with a thick fur cloak around his shoulders.
"Chieftain Seth," Bella's savior said respectfully, placing a fist to his heart and Bella mimicked the motion.
"Jacob," Seth nodded his head, noticing the need to use more Evangelized names given their guest. But he did not look too happy at the sight of the boy. "I see you have brought a guest."
"Yes, a princess held captive by the leeches against her will."
Seth contemplated this while rubbing his chin and blowing out some smoke from the long pipe in his hand. The air smelled thickly of smoke and something sweeter. "Sit," he indicated for the both of them to do so. Bella did it as well as she could but it was a task difficult given all her skirts. Once she was all settled down they could begin.
"Tell me about your perils, princess."
"I am Isabella Swan, princess of the house of Swan. I was set to marry another neighboring prince, Edward Cullen of the Cullens, when I was set upon in my carriage. Vampryes captured me and held me in their castle as ransom to get my husband to be to adhere and abide by some treaty they are forcing upon him."
Seth sucked on his pipe before exhaling loudly, his displeasure palpable. "Jacob, what ever will I do with you and your rash actions?"
"I was not wont to leave her there by herself, to those monsters clutches! There was no telling what harm might come to her had her husband been unable to live up to the monsters dealings!" Jacob defended, his voice rising.
"We have a treaty with them. We do not meddle in their affairs and they do not meddle in ours," Seth's voice was low and disapproving.
"Provided they do not do something to violate a human's rights. And in this case they clearly have. They held her against her will."
"She is associated with the Cullen's, Jacob. You do know what this means, do you not?"
"And perhaps if we were to return her safely to them, they would reward us handsomely, or leave us to our own devices. They could stop hunting us."
So even the villagers knew of what the Cullens did. Was Bella the only who didn't know? She felt naive and young and blinded. She swore to herself she would become more educated on certain matters.
"Or they might come after us even harder. They might blame us for any harm that had befallen her."
"But if they do not? Then we could team up with them and defeat the vampryes."
"And become their lap dogs again? No, our ancestors fought too hard to be independent and it would be like spitting on their graves if we go back to the Cullens now."
Bella did not like where this conversation was heading. "I do not want to cause a war. I do not wish to bring harm to the vampryes."
"And why not? They imprisoned you. Took you from your husband!" Jacob decried.
"I know that. But I do not wish to cause blood shed even if it is vamprye blood that which is being spilled."
Seth looked on at her with respect, while Jacob looked horrified.
"The young princess is of kind nature."
"I will not send her back to the vampryes." Jacob got up to his feet, his anger rising.
"I did not tell you to do so. I do not agree with the vampryes holding a human against their wills, but I do not want to break the treaty and stealing from the vampryes on their territory counts as a breech in their contract."
"So then what do we do?" Jacob huffed.
Seth sighed out, sending a thick plume out of his mouth. "I will handle the fallout. Just be prepared to fight if anything."
Jacob bowed his head and they were dismissed. He helped Bella up to her feet.
"Take her to the spare cot we have and offer her some furs and a warm meal. She looks like she could use one," Seth said as they left the tepee.
"What is going to occur now?" Bella asked in curiosity. She did not want to be sent back to that castle. "Will there be battle?" but neither did she want there to be a fight broken out because of her.
"I do not know, but I will not let any harm come to you," he promised, stopping to look her intensely into her eyes. Bella was strangely honored by this, by his gallant offer.
"Thank you." And she meant it.
She did not know what the future would bring but she had hope that Jacob's people would bring her to safety and to her husband to be.
The rest of the day passed without any preamble. Bella was outfitted in furs, trading her stiff dress for the soft skins. She was given soup in a wooden bowl and she swallowed down every last drop. For she had worked up quite a hunger. And when night came she slept on the spare cot in the woman's tent. Many of them gave her odd looks but did not say anything or approach her. One of them did stare at her, a scathing gaze that Bella could feel fall over her like a scorching fire. And when Bella gazed questioningly at her, a woman as young as Bella with curly brown hair and golden green eyes, the woman would only glare back at her, lips slightly curled back.
Bella did not know what her problem was and there was no way of clarifying it because she did not speak Bella's language certainly. A few men did, but none of the women did from what Bella had seen so far.
When dawn broke the next day Bella felt oddly refreshed. She felt like the weight on her chest all those months ago had disappeared. The hut was empty when she exited it and she saw that most of the villagers were huddled up by the entrance of their settlement. Bella wondered why that was.
She wrapped her arms around herself and edged closer.
The crowd parted to let her through and her breath caught in the back of her throat when she saw who it was. Victoria, red hair shocking against the snowy outdoors. She was wearing a long over coat on her clothing, head held up regally and eyes full of rage. She was the only one there, facing off against Seth who had the rest of his clan standing behind him like an impenetrable sea of brown and black and white, of human and wolf.
"I know you are hiding her," Victoria's voice was a dangerous growl and her head whipped to the side when the wind drafted Bella's smell up to her. Her gaze narrowed menacingly on Bella who shuddered inside her skins, afraid of the vampryess's ire.
Seth turned his head to spot Bella and it was hard to tell what he was thinking given his neutral expression. He turned back to Victoria. "We are. But for good cause. We are protecting her from you."
Victoria scoffed. "She doesn't need your protection. She was safe with us."
"If you call locking her against her will, safe," Seth mocked. "You are impinging on human rights and we both agreed in the treaty that you would do no harm to humans and we would not attack you."
"And do you see her harmed? She stands, she walks, she speaks. Not even has her blood been drawn from her."
"But her soul has been damaged by your attempts to cage her. Her freedom has been stolen. She is not truly allowed to live a human life if she does not have those things," Seth explained calmly.
Victoria seethed at this words. "Yes, well, our contract dictated you would not step foot onto our territory without our consent. And you did."
"As are you now."
Each one of Seth's calm responses was only pissing her off more. "Only because you saw it fit to steal from us!"
"We did not steal. Only free Isabella."
Jacob stepped out from the crowd and his arm found a safe hold on Bella. "Do not worry. Things will work out," he whispered to her when he saw her looking distraught.
Running out of openings, Victoria turned to Bella. "Isabella, do not stay with these beasts. You do not know their true nature. They will only bring you to harm. Come back to us."
"I think not. They intend to help me and bring me back to Edward."
"You are stupid if you think that," Victoria snarled out and her body strained as if she wanted to leap across the clearing and steal Bella away, but she did not. "Come back now and I will not punish you for what you have done."
"No." Bella was resolute. No matter how well she had been getting along with Victoria in the past days, she would not pass up this opportunity to be free. To run from those guilty moments indulging in the other woman's touch.
Strangely, it felt like she was betraying Victoria. She quickly dispelled those thoughts with a shake of her head.
Victoria's lips thinned. She turned to Seth. "Do not think this is over. You stand in our way for plotting against the Cullens and we will bring you down with them."
"No one can take down the Cullen empire," Seth said calmly, as if this was accepted fact.
"If you think holding onto the princess will help you with getting on the Cullens's good side than you are sorely mistaken. They have no good side."
"Neither do you, leech," Seth growled out, now letting his distaste be seen clearly. Victoria and him held gazes, staring off at each other before the vampyress twirled on her heel and raced off into the woods.
Bella let out a relieved sigh. She was safe for now. As the crowd dispersed, Jacob stayed by her side, shoulders tense and face pricked in awareness as if Victoria would come back. "What happens now, Jacob?" Bella questioned.
"Now, we must wait on Seth's decision. Until then you are free to stay here, and we shall protect you."
"As I mentioned prior, I do not wish to cause war between your kind and hers."
"I am aware of that, but honestly, war would have occurred sooner than later. Our species can never truly get along. Not when we are their utter demise."
His words were not reassuring at all but he did speak the truth. "Why did the treaty even occur?"
"Because the vampryes approached us first. We are both groups who live on the fringes of society, though our tale is not as harried as theirs. We were not always hunted down," he began, eyes twinkling with untold stories. "Let us sit by the fire and I shall fill you in on as much as I can."
She allowed him to take her to one of the communal tents where a warm fire was blazing. She sat down next to him and warmed her hands. Today he was wearing his clan's attire and he looked natural in it, not as uncomfortable as he had in European clothing. It suited him better, more attuned to his curves and dips of muscle.
He was handsome enough to be a prince and Bella shook her head, betrayed by her own thoughts. Why did her mind stray from Edward so oft? First with Victoria and now with Jacob. Edward was the one true love of her life. And even though his past was checkered and filled with secrets, that would not stop the ardor of her love. A wife was to love her man through thick and thin.
He gazed into the fire, constructing the words in his mind first. "Where to begin the tale? I suppose from the start. Many centuries ago, monsters ravaged the world. Humanity was scared of the night, were at the mercy of these beasts. But the upper forces had a plan. They would not allow their creations to suffer. So they imbued the spirit of brave men and women of pure hearts with special gifts. Gifts to rival those of the beasts, namely the vampryes which were the monsters which were most despised. And with those gifts, my ancestors banded together to kill them. But alongside my clan, humanity had also devised their own methods to slay beasts. The Cullens. They had science and religion to guide them, to make weapons, to make monsters cower. And they eventually joined sides with us. However, what started as a mutual relationship ended up badly for us. My kind were enslaved by the Cullens. Used as their dogs to hunt down the monsters and take the brunt of the damage for them. It was that way for decades until my kind finally freed themselves in an almighty rebellion. We ran away, intent on keeping up our coda of killing vampryes and protecting humans while keeping our clan safe and separate from the Cullens."
Bella silently absorbed all this. Each day she was learning something new that she hated about Edward's family. "I had...I had no idea they enslaved you. How horrid."
Jacob nodded his head in agreement. "Yes, it was. Which is why we are in a pinch on how to hand you over to the Cullens. It might be taken negatively."
Bella hurried to assure him, placing a soft hand on his forearm. "Not if I explain everything to them. Perhaps I can get Edward to understand that neither you or the vampyres in this village mean harm to humans."
Jacob shook his head sadly. "I fear not. Edward's people do not understand that we monsters were once human. They only see the ugly beast and kill it.
"That is why the treaty. Our freedom from them was fairly recent and my clan's numbers have fallen drastically. That is why we ran away to come here, to rebuild our numbers. We did not know there was a giant vampyre population here. We almost came to blows with them, but their leader, James, did not want that. He offered peace, for he too wished to hunt down those vampryes that hurt humans. He wanted human and vamprye relations. We did not believe him at first, but once we saw his work we were convinced he meant well. Until I found out you were trapped in his castle. He violated one of the rules. And we violated his by encroaching on his land, but he did it first. Surely, we are justified."
"And I thank you for rescuing me. I had been trying to free myself for so long to no avail." Bella meant it. She would settle things with the Cullens once and for all. Despite their low trust in him, Bella knew Edward couldn't be entirely cold hearted. She knew that he would see reason. Surely he did not want to put his people's lives in peril, not if it could be avoided.
"You are welcome. Feel free to wander the village. I shall go speak to Seth on the implications of my interference. My good friend Paul will accompany you."
They left the tent and Bella was handed off to Paul, the young man from yesterday that had spoken to Jacob when Bella had first arrived.
"Good evening, Princess," he spoke to her respectfully though his speech was nowhere as eloquent as Jacob's had been. "How are you?"
"I am fine. Tell me, how can you speak my language?"
"We travel much. Through many lands. Learn different languages for our needs," he explained, speaking avidly with his hands to make up for his lacking words. "Are you hungry?"
"I could do with a bite," she said and they made way to the dining tent set in the middle of the village.
Bella's stay in the village ended up being longer than she expected it to be. A day turned to two, turned to a week, to then two weeks. She wondered why it took Victoria so long to retaliate. Bella was hopeful she wouldn't, but she knew the vampyre better. She would not let Bella get away this easily.
Additionally, Seth and Jacob could not come to an understanding on what to do with Bella. They knew they had to deliver her back home but obstacles were in the way. Jacob informed her of them with a grave voice. "The vampryes have surrounded us."
"What do you mean?"
"Victoria has gotten the vampryes of the town on constant watch on our lands. There is no way for us to make a move without going past them and they will not let us go without a fight."
Bella could feel dread settling in her stomach. She had been freed from the castle only to be trapped in another cage, albeit, this one with air and sky and wolves. "What do we do now?"
"You do not worry about anything. Leave it up to us. We protect humans and we will find a way to protect you."
Bella was soothed by his words and by the strength behind them. "I will make sure Edward handsomely rewards you all."
Jacob did not seem convinced by that but he said nothing more.
During her improvised stay at the village, Bella began to partake more in their communal life. She helped the women prepare the water, and gather wood and make the meals. Though more often than not she felt more comfortable with the men because she knew Jacob and thus she knew his friends. The women looked on at her with odd stares, especially that golden and green eyed girl from before.
Bella had a strong feeling that woman did not like her and so she went out of her way to avoid her. She did not have time for added and unnecessary drama in her life. It was already complicated enough.
She did learn a great many things about the clan during her stay, though not as many as she would like since most of them were secrets and to be kept that way because Bella did have an association with the Cullens and she could inadvertently reveal something despite her intentions not to.
"Why wolves?" she asked one day as she watched a woman petting one of them and feeding it bits of meat. A lot of the villagers looked thin and she had seen how hard it was for them to get full meals. Bella had a greater appreciation for the meals she had had at the castle. The only good thing about her stay there.
"Wolves are the natural enemies of vampryes. Thus, we have a deep relationship with them," Jacob explained.
"Can they understand humans? I had some wolves frequent my window when I was in the castle. They were the ones who drew your attention to me."
"We can communicate with them, yes. It's like we can understand their thoughts. And since wolves do not have the same processes of speech like humans, they send images or general feelings so we can understand what they mean."
As Bella listened she became aware of eyes watching over her. It was that same girl from before. "Who is she?" she could not resist from asking.
"Leah. We used to be engaged once in affairs of the heart but not anymore," he said with a bitter twist of his lips.
"And why does she look at me so?"
"She does not take kindly to many. You are not the first or last to be on the bitter end of her mouth. Steer clear of her and do not rise to her bait. Tell me if she gives you issue and I shall take care of it."
Bella nodded her head in agreement. No issues arose with Leah until two weeks had hit and Bella was still among the clan and still openly friendly to Jacob and his friend Paul.
"Why do you cling to him so? It is disgustingly pathetic," Leah spat at her one day when Bella went back to her cot and Leah followed her inside.
"Who am I clinging to?" Bella asked with a raised chin and carefully crafted poise.
"Do not play dumb. Jacob. Why do you cling to him so?"
"You are delusional. He is only a friend. Only someone who will return me to my proper husband."
"A likely story. You want him for yourself!"
"Being vapid and making assumptions out of proportion do not suit you. I beg you to reconsider making them."
Leah took a threatening step forward and Bella could not help from shrinking back. "Yet another person from the caucus species that thinks they can tell us natives what to do. Has the ruination of our land not already been enough?"
"I am sorry for what harms and troubles befell you but I can assure you, I took no part in them."
Leah snorted, an ugly sound. "A likely story. And now you try to take one more thing from me. Stay away from Jacob or a worse fate awaits you than one the vampryes could give."
With those parting words, Leah left an unsure and frightened Bella.
It seemed even among the villagers and wolves, the true wolves wore human skin.
The wolves had finally devised a plan and relayed it during a town meeting in the dining hall. "We will head towards in a mad rush of several villagers towards one direction and pull the vampryes attentions there, while a smaller group will rush in the complete opposite way. Both will carry articles of Bella's clothing to draw the vampyres scent towards the groups while the real princess will be carried across the stream. The only question is who shall carry her through the stream? We need someone small and lithe." Seth spoke as he stood on a table so all could see him better.
"I will take her to the river," Leah offered, surprising everyone with her words. The crowd parted around her so she could be seen more easily.
Bella did not trust the woman's offer. Leah did not like her, why would she seek to aid her now?
Jacob too, was suspect of her help. "Why aid Bella now?"
"I want the princess out my hair, and I do not trust anyone else to do it properly. Thus, I shall do it myself and be given peace of mind knowing I did it correctly." Was the snappish reply.
Jacob opened his mouth as if to argue more against it but was cut off by Seth. "Now that that is all settled, we shall be on our way." He approached Bella. "Give us your scent so that we may trick the vampryes into thinking you are coming one specific way. And when they come towards us we will hold them off while Leah slips with you through the stream."
And so Bella handed over the clothing saturated in her scent while she wore clothing of another so as to mix her own scents. Additionally, she had been rubbed with pine and dirt to cover her smell better. With the cover of running water washing away any other smells it would be near impossible to find her on this route.
The clan knew to run directly at the vampryes would be like declaring war, but the vampryes had fouled up first the contract, thus it would be justified.
"Everyone to their stations. We will not give an inch to these vampyres who think they are better than us because their past is not tainted by an association with the Cullens. We will show them they have a right to fear us," Seth announced, bringing forth fire in the stomach's of his villagers.
"Come with me princess," Leah said. "We will run on foot."
Bella nodded her head and took the food pack they had prepared her. She had no clue what next awaited her after they managed to slip past the vampryes but she would trust Seth and Jacob. Leah led the way and Bella trailed after her, stumbling clumsily on the brush and small rocks. Leah moved lithely, like an animal. She knew the woods well.
Soon they approached the stream and though their boots were fur lined and waterproof, it did not help with all the cold. Bella shivered but followed without complaint for she doubted Leah would even stop to care.
They had not gotten far when Leah stopped. Bella hesitated as well, worried that the other woman had sensed an enemy.
"I dislike you," she announced rapidly, swiveling on her heel to glare at Bella. While this sentiment was not unexpected, the timing of it was. Her eyes were yellow and her skin seemed to pulsate. She shook too, like she was racked by illness. "You have captured Jacob's interest and for that I cannot forgive you."
"I do not understand. I did not do such a thing on purpose. He is merely my friend," Bella hastened to explain, feeling unease crawl up her spine.
"He does not see you as a friend. Your white man's beauty has captured him, despite everyone knowing your kind's nature is anything but."
"Leah," Bella begged, though she knew not what for. Recompense, perhaps?
"I'll lie and say the vampryes tore you to bits, and they'll believe me." A snarl dragged its way out of her mouth as right before Bella's eyes, Leah began to change form. Fur erupted from her skin, her teeth grew longer, and her body became hunched over and animal like.
Fear lodged it's way up Bella's throat and every last instinct in her body told her to run. Leah was not human either. The water splashed around her ankles as she screamed out for help, hoping it would attract help. Behind her the snarls and growls got louder and Bella feared to looked back on the transformation.
"Bella!" a cry drew Bella's attention to a hill up above. Jake stood on it, worry on his face. He must have sensed his doubt's about Leah's aid had merit and doubled back for Bella.
"Jake, help me. Leah's turning into a monster. She says she wants to kill me!" Bella's face was red from running hard and Jake's face paled at hearing this.
"Come here, quick!" He instructed, eyes spotting something terrifying behind Bella. Bella could hear something in pursuit of her and she listened to his instruction without fail. However, she was moving too slowly.
"Shit," he grit out between his teeth. "I knew I couldn't trust you, Leah," Jacob growled out and his face was contorted in anger like Bella had never seen before. He too, to her horror, began to grow fur all over his body. His eyes flashed yellow and his canines extended. And then he jumped at Leah, still transforming on the way down.
Bella ducked down as he flew over her head, panic lining every inch of her body. Frightful snarls ricocheted behind her and she turned, worried for her newly acquired friend. What she saw froze her body and shook her to the core.
A giant wolf was facing off Jake, who was half feral and half human. His face was split down the middle between man and beast as the rest of his body shifted to accommodate the change. He was snarling and snapping his teeth at the other wolf and then they were fighting, in a fury of claws and snapping teeth.
Wolves. They were both wolves. How could Bella not have noticed this fact before? And as Jake finished transforming, Bella recognized that shaggy coat.
Sir Reginald.
Her wolf friend, had been her human friend.
She was beginning to feel a bit faint from all the shocks and she held onto a tree to regain her breath. Would Jake be alright? Would he win against Leah? The fight was vicious and blood splattered across the snow.
She wanted to help but she knew she would be of no use, so she did the only thing she could, and ran. Ran to where she was supposed to go.
She ran blindly, not knowing if this was the right direction. But to stay any longer would mean being maimed by Leah's teeth for her body strained towards Bella with ferocity.
She felt like a coward, running, but no other choice awaited her. To fight the wolves would be suicide for they were as big as cattle if not bigger.
Gradually the howling stopped behind her and she stopped running, holding onto a tree to catch her breath yet again.
The wind howled through the trees and she shivered, spent and exhausted. She had lost all sense of direction and knew not where she was to go.
"Bella!"
Bella's head whipped fast in the direction of her name being called and before she knew it, cold arms had encircled her along with the scent of honeysuckle.
It was Victoria. How was she here? How had she found Bella?
But the hug was short lived as fury over took Victoria's eyes. "What happened? Did they kidnap you? Did they hurt you?" she began to race her hands over Bella's body, checking for invisible wounds and Bella had to stop her with a gentle but shaking touch.
"They did not steal me away. I went with them willingly."
Now Victoria's fury was directed at Bella. "You went with them? Do you know how mad you are for doing that? Wolves are not predictable animals. They are violent and angry, and terrible things." Her voice jumped in the air, echoing through the dead trees and shrubs.
"Not all of them." She thought of valiant Jake, jumping to save her life from Leah.
"Why would you go with them?" Hurt flashed under the anger.
"I wanted to," was what Bella said. She would not elaborate more.
"I thought you gave up your foolish notion of escape," Victoria breathed, eyes still a maelstrom of anger and panic and fear for Bella's well being.
When Bella did not say anything another thought struck Victoria, given the wide look on her face. "Was this stunt all a result of what transpired-"
Before Victoria could continue and bring up that shameful moment to Bella's mind which had tried to forget it as quickly and as best it could, a long howl erupted. They both turned around, Victoria sniffing the air angrily.
"The damn wolves have smelt me. We must go."
Before Bella was given a chance to object, she was being pulled into Victoria's arms and they were running, the fast wind cutting and sharp on Bella's cheeks. They did not get far, even with Victoria ducking and weaving between trees skillfully.
She slowed down, a growl rumbling low in her chest, as the wolves came and surrounded them on all sides.
Victoria knew there was no way to win against the wolves. But she would not relent. She set Bella down and stood in front of her protectively while Bella swallowed nervously. What was going to happen now?
Frightfully, she clutched the cross under her clothing and sent a prayer, her hasty words interrupted by a growl of pure animal quality coming from Victoria as she lunged at the first wolf.
A/N: Jacob's people are technically gypsy's and people of pagan beliefs in this story, since the America's have not been yet discovered and so no one in Europe knows of Native American's existence.