Authors Note: OMG! I cannot tell you how sorry I am to have taken so long to update! Trust me like has been crazy! Quick Summary of the past year: Senior year, FFA President, Having a job, Marching Band, Drama, Boyfriend joining the Army and leaving for Boot Camp, More Craziness, Prom, Graduation, and then a Job all summer at an amusement park where I would work all day. And now starting to get use to college, I finally have found time to write and have found ideas to write about. Again so sorry, please forgive me and accept this chapter as a peace offering?! Cant tell you how happy I am to start writing again!
Disclaimer: As always, I do not own Twilight. :(
The look Emily gave me, I knew exactly what it meant: Someone picked up a scent. As soon as I hit the woods, I tied my clothes off and phased. Everyone but Jacob, Quil, and Jared were phased.
What's going on? I ask.
Vampire. Paul caught the scent on the northern border while on afternoon patrol, Sam replies.
Anyone spotted it yet? I ask.
Off and on, every time we spot him, he manages to evade us, Paul says.
Let's get him! I yell, and hear cheering from everyone else.
I started patrolling the inner circle, tracking anything suspicious. On my third loop around, it hits me. Not vampire but human. My human. Artemis. What could she possibly be doing out here? I see her just walking aimlessly through the woods.
All of a sudden, the wind blows and I catch the scent.
Vampire! I yell.
Following the scent as fast as I can, I finally catch sight of the vampire.
Right on your tail, Embry! Brady yells to me.
Suddenly, the vampire stops dead in his tracks and turns toward me. He is pretty tall, but nowhere near as tall as any of us in the pack, with dark hair and red eyes.
"Pretty girl you have just wandering the woods all by her lonesome," he says and I growl in response.
Do not let him get to you, Sam says.
"She smells amazing and I bet she taste even more amazing," he says trying to get under my skin and almost succeeding.
I lung toward him but he dodges easily, like it was nothing. He just laughs, ticking me off more. I lung and again he dodges.
Where is everyone! I yell.
Almost there, Brady says.
"Oh, I hear your friend's. Time to go, though I am sure I will be back," he says and then runs.
Following him until we reached the La Push border. I try to keep going but I lose his scent after crossing a small river. Damn it!
We will get him next time! Sam says.
Before or after he gets to Artemis? I reply.
She will not be harmed, Brady says.
No one will, Sam commands, Paul, Collin, Zeke, Zane and Ace keep patrolling.
Got it boss, Paul mocks jokingly.
Once dismissed, I run as fast as I can, only thought on my mind is Artemis. I finally reach the woods outside of Sam's, where I phase and change. Walking into the house, I see Artemis laying on the couch, hands on her stomach, eyes closed. I take a second to take in her beauty, of how peaceful she looks. Gosh, she is perfect. Going over to her, I place a soft kiss on her forehead. She stirs, blinking her eyes open.
"Hi Sleeping Beauty," I tell her and she smiles.
"Hi," she replies, still half asleep.
Picking up her feet and setting them on my lap, as I sit down on the couch.
"What did you do while I was gone?" I ask her, taking her right hand in mine.
"Talking to Emily, she says we can stay here until we can get back on our feet. She also thinks she can get my mom and I jobs. After that I went on a short walk, came back here and fell asleep until this very handsome guy came and woke me up with a kiss. What did you do? And what time is it?" She tells me.
"Just went running around with them, and I think about 5ish?" I tell her.
"Oh, well can you take my mom and I to the old house, if we are going to stay here we need to get our things from there. But Emily wants you or Sam to come with us," I say to him.
"I'd rather not take you back there but I understand that you need to get your things. So let's go now before sun down and get it done," I say, picking her up in my arms as I stand up.
"Put me down," she tells me through her laughs.
"Fine but get ready and we will go," I tell her.
"Okay, now put me down," she says, and I do but not before I place a soft kiss on her lips.
A half an hour later, I am in my truck, driving Artemis and her mother back to that awful house. I hate taking her back there but at least with me, she will be safe. Neither of those monsters will ever hurt touch her.
We reach the house and we all get out of the truck. When we reach the door, I stop.
"You two wait here and I will check out the house. When it is safe, you can come in. Okay?" I tell them.
"Okay," I hear Artemis say.
I go through the house, checking every room and space to make sure no bastard is hiding anywhere in the house. Finally after checking everywhere twice, I tell them to go ahead and come in. I follow Artemis to her room, wanting to help her get her things together.
"What do you wanna take?" I ask her.
"My clothes, my books, and couple of other things. I can pack my own things but will you go help my mom," she asks.
"Yea, just let me know if you need any help," I tell her, then leaving to find her mom.
I find her in what I assume to be her old bedroom, sitting on the bed, crying.
"Hey," I say softly," why are you crying."
"I… I brought this hell we were in upon us. I was weak and fell for that awful man. I let him hurt not just me but my baby girl. I let him take away her innocence. I even stopped fighting, fighting for her. I gave up and gave in to him. My poor, poor little girl," she cries.
I sit down next to her and cautiously put my arm around her, trying to soother her, without scaring her.
"How will she ever forgive me? How could she? She should hate me, I hate me!" she asks, seeming to talk more to herself than to me.
"She doesn't hate you. And she will forgive because she loves you. But you need to do something for her. Stay here for her, don't go away and leave her with a mother who gave up. Keep fighting," I tell her, gently but sternly.
"I can't help it, I-," she tries to start but I turn her face to mine.
"Try to fight it. Keep fighting not for yourself, but for her. Fight for your little girl. She needs you," I say looking straight into her eyes.
"I will fight," she says softly," for my little girl."
"Glad to hear it. Now what would you like to pack?" I ask her.
"My daughter is very lucky to have a man like you. To watch over her. You remind me of her father. How he loved and cared for me. He was an amazing man," she says lost in thought," Please don't hurt her," she says in soft, pleading voice.
"I would never, could never, hurt her. Ever. I promise you that," I tell her.
"Good," she tells me," Now we better get to packing."
We find a couple of bags and suitcases and start packing her clothes, photo albums, and other simple things she wants to take. As we were about done, Artemis pops her head and tells us she is done.
"So are we," I tell her after zipping the last bag," Let's go."
I grab her mom bags and on the way out of the room, grab Artemis's bags too. Though she tried to object. I won, of course, and earned a smile and roll of the eyes from her.
I put the bags in the back of the truck, while they climb in. When I climb into the truck, I see both of them staring at the house.
"You guys okay?" I asks, starting the truck.
"Yea just finally saying goodbye to this awful place," Artemis answers.
"It wasn't always awful," her mother tells her.
"I know mom," Artemis says, taking her mother's hand and squeezing.
"Are you guys ready?" I asks.
"Yes," they say at the same time and I start backing out of the drive way.
Hope you haven't forgotten how to Review and tell me if you liked it or not! I love hearing what you guys have to say, and helps motivate me to write more, though right now I am in the writing mood, don't be surprised if you get a new chapter here soon!
-Kels :)