Renesmee burst through the front door of the sanctuary, sprinting across the porch at an impossible speed. Her blurry form skidded to a stop, hand shooting out to grip the column for support. Her hair – tangled and wet from a shower, presumably – caught up in the strong winds and blew towards us, mimicking her outstretched hand.
"Jacob!" She shrieked. Her voice was full of desperation. The winds that snatched at her hair brought with it her familiar scent. It was only when I inhaled her scent that I realised how painful it had truly been without her. It was as if the world had centred and stopped spinning wildly out of control. Her eyes focused on me only for a split second before shifting slowly to the shadowed figures emerging from the forest behind me, their gigantic artic wolf forms appearing almost at home in the frosty landscape of West Virginian winter. Her surprise echoed in the single word she exhaled. "Wolves…"
The Cane pack halted all conversation – well, the thoughts and emotions they sent to each other through the bond they shared. Somehow, I'd started hearing them after they had agreed to join us. Brady said that the same thing had happened to him the moment he agreed to join them, that being invited to be one of them, to work and live and fight alongside them, had solidified a bond between them as strong as the one I'd had with my own brothers and sister back home before…
Now, I could sense their caution and hesitation at facing her, the impossible child gawking at them from across the clearing. The Hybrid, they'd called her.
At the sound of Nessie's voice, the members of the Sanctuary emerged behind her, pouring out onto the porch to witness our return and the surprise arrival of another pack of Shifters. I noticed a few new additions. At the sight of them standing there and the army of wolves gathering behind me, I finally felt as if we were no longer without hope.
Renesmee was snoring in my arms, her hot breath wafting over my chest. I smiled.
"It's the first sound sleep she's had since you left," Esme whispered from across the room. The moment Nessie's eyes started to flutter and her mouth droop open, all conversation in the room halted or turned to whisper; even the new wolves, who barely knew her, wouldn't risk disturbing her rest. To know her really was to love her.
"She'll sleep there all night," Rosalie hummed in response, beaming down at her. I could tell she was itching to snatch her out of my arms and take my place but even she couldn't deny Nessie would be much warmer in the comfort of my arms.
"That's fine with me," I whispered back. She hitched a breath at the movement of my chest but quickly settled back into her dream.
Asher's Note:
Hello, I apologise for not updating. I lost my motivation for writing and it took some time to get it back. I hope I am forgiven.
~ Asher ~