Chapter 5

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Brandi's POV

"What is taking Jake so long, he was supposed to be here ten minutes ago?" I sighed impatiently. Annalee and I were waiting next to Jacob's Volkswagen Rabbit, for the past ten minutes. I was starting to lose patience; he was always on time for anything we did. Then out of nowhere Jacob came up from behind me and kissed the top of my head, he must have sensed my distress, and got here quicker.

"I'm so sorry, Edward and Bella needed something." I didn't press him any further for the explanation, I just opened the rear door for Annalee, and Jacob and I got into the front seats. I looked at Annalee from the rearview mirror; her eyes were lit up with excitement. I exhaled in relief, Annalee was going to know and I wouldn't feel like I was lying to her, even though it has only been nine hours since I knew what I was. This felt too fast, but I needed to tell her, she deserves to know.

We pulled up next to the curb; I hadn't realized that I was daydreaming for the past fifteen minutes, I got out of the car and let Annalee out while Jacob gracefully strides to my door and let us both in. As I walk in, I notice my mother sitting at the computer like she always is after I get home.

"Hello, how was your day?" She was playing it cool, like she hadn't anything to do with it. I narrowed my eyes, but she waved it off and went back to her game, I gritted my teeth and walked passed her to the basement. My mom caught my mood and followed Jacob, Annalee, and me to the basement. "What is your problem?" she asked. I swung to face her and she met my gaze without flinching.

"What's MY problem? I should ask you what's YOUR problem." A feral snarl ripped from my chest, as I struggled to get control of myself. Jacob grabbed her and Annalee and bounded to the other side of the room. I was glad for the expansive space that was granted to me at that moment, because I knew that at any second I would explode into my new furry form. But I wasn't shaking at all, so I guess I wasn't that mad, but knowing my mother, that would soon change.

"What did I do?" She shook her head in confusion. My hands started to tremble.

"You didn't tell me what was going to happen to me." I was surprised, my voice was even, but cold. Annalee was in the corner trembling in fear, not for my mom, but for me. I could see it in her eyes.

"It was your fathers idea, not mine!" Mom exclaimed, trying to stop me from getting any angrier.

"YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME THOUGH!!!!!!!" I shouted, I was starting to shake harder now, any angrier and I would explode, and not as in a yelling way either. A small voice from the corner shook me from my thoughts.

"Please calm down, I don't like what's going on here." Annalee pleaded. Her eyes full of fear, I shook harder, not because of anger, but because it was better than getting angrier. I was furious with myself because I scared the living shit out of my good friend; I closed my eyes, and what felt like a hot brand shot down my spine, and shimmered around me. I opened my eyes to see two shocked faces, and a proud one. I realized that my shoulder reached Jacobs head and they were looking up at me. I whined and lied down and put my massive head on my paws. My ears laid down in defeat, but I heard a soft footstep coming towards me, I pricked my ears and looked up, Annalee was walking to me. "Annalee, don't come any closer, you don't know what might happen." I pleaded, but it was useless, she couldn't hear me. She sat down beside me and put her hand in my thick midnight-black fur in comfort. I looked at her small hand in comparison to my paws that were ten times larger, but the only thing wrong here was that I had paws, I couldn't even begin to tell you how pissed I still am at my mother. I lowered my massive head to Annalee's level; I could only see concern and awe. I snorted, awe really?

"This is just amazing." Annalee murmured, still stroking the fur on my shoulder, I looked down, there was nothing to be amazed of, I was a monster, and anyone could see that. My gaze locked on my mothers while she took tentative steps towards me, but thankfully Jacob held her back. Annalee took a step back so I could get up on to all fours, again, this was wrong, I wanted to be human, not a giant graceful wolf.

"Brandi, I'll go and get clothes for you, and take these two upstairs so you can get dressed, okay?" Jacob asked. I nodded, and then I can only worry about a sleepover tonight. Jacob took my friend and mother upstairs while I could get a hold on myself. Jacob came down in maybe five minutes to lay the clothes beside me. He held a look with him showing how sorry he was to get this so out of hand, I would have to have a talk with him later about this. He bounded up the stairs to leave me alone while I changed back, I was surprised, it was just a short second of collecting my thoughts to change back. I put on my clothes and found it was easy to be graceful and not clumsy, that is what I liked most, not being clumsy. I closed the door behind me and walked into the living room, where my mom was getting snacks for my friends and myself.

"Hi" I said softly, all three of their heads turned to me, and Jacob ran to me and gave me a bone-crushing hug, and I couldn't breathe. "Jake-" I managed to choke out.

"Oh, um sorry." Jacob let go and wound his arm around my small waist and led me to the couch. Where soon after, Annalee and my mother joined us. Jacob sat on one side while Annalee sat on the other, causing my mother to sit across from us, and the sound went into a deadened silence. And it was so, so awkward, so I, as usual, tried to break the silence with a stupid question.

"Uh, I have always been curious, but why is there a leap year?" I asked lamely, oh gosh, I was never going to live this one down. And it seemed that every time I asked a stupid question, I have always been made fun of for like, ever. My mom shook her head.

"Oh, Brandi, why, why, why do you do this?" She said exasperated. I felt my whole face blush, that was so embarrassing. Jacob squeezed my hand in encouragement.

I started out with a even, calm voice, not sure if it would hold up, "Mom, why didn't you tell me what was going to happen."

"I didn't know, but a day after you brought Jacob home, I knew exactly what he was, and that he imprinted on you. But I had no idea until you came out to eat breakfast this morning, you grew five inches and there was no other explanation." I looked down at my hands, which were clenched fists, in concentration to not losing my temper. But she continued on from where she left off, not noticing if I was paying attention or not. " So I waited till you came home and to see if I was right, you came in with a cold, angry expression on your face and then I knew I was correct on if it happened." I looked up at my mother, who had a worried expression in her eyes, with a small smile on her face. I backtracked, wait, worried, she was worried about me. I didn't need pity, from anyone, not even my mother. I felt my anger flare inside me, but not enough to phase. I stood up, which made Jacob stand up next to me; I shook his arm off, and glanced pleadingly into his eyes for him to let go.

"Why, what's wrong?" He asked. Clearly worried on what I would do.

"I would appreciate it, if I could be left alone for a while, just to think, but I'll be back." When Jacob was about to protest I stopped him, "and I don't mean leave me alone in my room, I mean let me go and run a while to get situated with everything that happened in the last few days, but don't come after me, and stay out of my head." I started to walk towards the door when Annalee spoke up.

"When will you be back?" She asked. I opened the door and turned around, I searched my head while looking everywhere but at her eyes.

"I don't know, but I will come back." I turned back around and after I closed the door behind me I started to run.

Five Days later~~~~~~

I don't know how long I've been running, but I had a sense that I was running for a long time, I actually think I ran into a different time zone. But night came no matter how far I went night seemed to find me. I felt no cold, energy was still going through my tired muscles, but I had hunger gnawing in my stomach. I needed food, but as a giant wolf, I had no clothes, no money, no anything. But I remembered Jacob telling me that when he ran off for a while he just ate animals. I didn't want to do that, but eventually I would have to, no matter how gross it was. It was either eat, or die of starvation. So I trotted to a stop, and sat and scented the air, I smelled a meaty scent, with fur and a plant scent mixed in, I kept myself concealed from the animal to see it was a big moose. Wow how far north did I go? Canada maybe, but I didn't know. But while the moose was grazing I searched myself for that hunting instinct, an instinct that would allow hunger to drive it. But I felt myself slide forward, so I bared my teeth and let loose a feral snarl. The large animal heard me and started to sprint off, but I was faster, I leaped onto the animal and sank my large fangs into its throat, severing the windpipe and snapping the spine. The animal went limp under me, and collapsed, causing me to leap neatly onto the ground next to my slain prey. The animal within me rejoiced with the grace of food, and heck at that time so did I. I walked over to my meal and shoved my mouth onto the moose and ate my fill. Then I heard a branch snapping, I looked up, and alert on what was going to happen next, my eyes darting everywhere until I saw a giant wolf like me.

I was pissed, did Jake follow me even after I told him not to, but the wolf stepped out into the clearing, it wasn't a russet-brown wolf like Jacob it was pure white, it gracefully leapt over to me, I tried to see if I knew the scent, but I didn't smell anything, all around me it smelled like woods, and the spilled blood of my meal. But the wolf abruptly vanished into thin air in front of me. I was scared, a spirit wolf or something else like that, what did it mean, but as it left I heard a faint voice in my head.

You are the sole protector of my children, be aware of your gift and all around you.

I was freaked, what did the freaky wolf mean when she said: "Protector of my children" and "Being aware of your gift." I wanted to go back home, but I wasn't ready, I leaned down and finished my prey and started running, only stopping to sleep for a few hours or so.

I kept at this routine, stopping, eating, and resting, and running again until I was at a cliff. I looked over the cliff and saw the ocean. I ran cross-country to the Pacific Ocean. How long have I been running? I thought to myself. Then four simultaneous howls sounded in the distance. I turned around ears lain back, and my lip curling up in defiance. Four wolves stepped out of the shadows, cornering me. A smaller gray wolf, a chocolate brown wolf, a sandy tan wolf, and the biggest wolf, a shadow black wolf. But they seemed smaller than me; I was a head taller than the black wolf. Who are you? I demanded.

I am Sam Uley. The black wolf replied.

Leah Clearwater. The gray wolf said.

Seth Clearwater. The tan wolf bounced.

Quil Ateara. The last wolf, said happily. Then I remembered that I spoke to Leah, right after I changed into my new form. But I didn't know who the others were.

Hello Brandi, welcome to the Quileute Reservation, located in Washington State. When I phased this morning, I was aware of your presence and called these three to come and welcome you. I relaxed a little allowing my ears to perk up and my sneer disappeared, but my defensive position never relaxed.

Hello, I'm sorry to intrude on your territory, but I didn't know, so if you let me though I would be appreciative of your actions, but if not, I will force my way out. I spat the rest at the end. I didn't realize that I was still acting like an animal, and not a human in an animal's body. I backtracked on my thoughts. I am terribly sorry, I was living like the animal I am right now for the past few days. Let me start over: Hi, I'm Brandi, it's very nice to meet you guys. I relaxed into a sitting position and the others did the same, letting my fur lay flat and a grin on my face.

Why don't you follow us to my house and we will phase back and talk there, I'm sure you are tired of eating like you have been. Sam suggested. I nodded, and they bounded into the woods before me, I followed them until a small house came into view, Sam told me to wait here, I expected an alpha voice to tell me what to do, but I felt nothing, and I think Sam felt it to. I could tell that he didn't like it, I guess he was used to ordering the others around, so I just sat there waiting for Sam or somebody to bring clothes. Leah came out with underwear and everything. I nodded to her, and she replied back showing me to a place where I could phase back. It felt strange, phasing back, I was so used to being an animal, which walking on two legs was a challenge at first. But I gracefully leapt onto the porch and walked inside.

"Hey Brandi, welcome to Emily's place." A kid, not much older than fifteen, said giddily.

"Hi, umm, I cant place names so who is who?" I looked at everyone awkwardly.

"Well, I am Seth, my sister over there is Leah. Sam is right there in a love-bird eye lock down with Emily, his fiancé, and next to me is Quil." Seth smiled. Leah walked up to me and stood next to me. I was as tall as her as a human, but as a wolf I was two heads taller. I felt normal, even though I was nowhere near normal. I sighed, my life was everywhere at the moment.

"Why don't you come and sit down Brandi?" Emily suggested, that was when I got a good look at her, her one side of her face was really pretty, but the other side was ravaged in three long pink scars ruining her complexion, she looked away uncomfortably and I sat down. She put down a huge plate of hot-dogs and bags of chips. Then she brought out two big pitchers of lemonade to top it off. i nodded my thanks and started to chow down, i didn't know how hungry i was! It was like i had a black hole for a stomach, but i only ate four hot-dogs before i stopped. I didn't want to make myself look like a pig, so i just settled to drink a few cups of lemonade.

"So Brandi, what brings you here to this part of the woods?" Sam asked conversionally, I grimaced, i didnt like the last day i was at home. But Sam caught my face before i looked away.

"I needed to think, my mother knew what was gonna happen to me. I phased when my anger got too much for me too handle when i was going off on her. So, I figured that i needed to get away, not have anyone check on me so I could think for as long as I needed to." I said softly. My gaze was burning into the table, my hands were clenched into fists on the table and were trembling ever so slightly. I felt so bad for leaving my life behind for the moment, I wanted to be back at home and in Jacob's arms, seeing my friends and at school. Maybe if i have never had a birthday party for Katrina, i wouldnt be in this situation.

"How long have you been gone?" Seth asked, i looked up i could see honest sincerity in his eyes.

"I don't know, what day is it?"

"Um Friday, the eleventh." He replied. I staired in shock. I left on monday the second. I had been away for nine days. So, in shock, i exclaimed.

"I've been away for nine days!" I stood up and ran outside. I breathed in as much fresh air as i could. I sat down with my head in my hands and started to cry in short broken sobs.

ha ha, i have produced a cliffy! no one will no what happens next.........Pleaze reveiw, and if you do, free plushies for everyone.............and if you dont.....well lets not get that far shall we?