Chapter Twelve: Save Bella From...What?

Fingers laced with his, my bare feet squished against the dirt floor of the forest. Normally, I hated walking barefoot anywhere but on my carpet, but I felt a bit out of place with Embry and everyone else going shoe-less. It was sort of a nice change, walking barefoot. Of course my feet would be filthy afterwards.

I winced, my toes touching the rocks along the beach. He noticed and easily lifted me up onto his back, something I was suddenly getting used to. I protested before, complaining about how heavy I would be for him, but Embry was strong. Very strong. I guess I should've been able to tell by how muscular he was.

Arms wrapped around his neck, chin resting on his shoulder, I closed my eyes to fully intake his warmth. Such a perfect medium, since summer's in Forks weren't as hot as summers were elsewhere, but whenever I was around Embry, I felt like I was down in Los Angeles or something. The sun was shining bright with pure white sand beneath us, the cool water beating up towards our feet... Of course, it real life it was a grey day, cool and chilly, my feet dangling at Embry's sides.

La Push slowly became my second home; Emily became like a sister to me. Whenever I was around and the boys ran off to do boy things, I would help Emily bake various things like muffins, cakes, and cookies, and we sat and gossiped over little things. I wasn't the best baker, but with her help, I was improving. My main goal was to learn how to bake peanut-butter chocolate chip cookies. They were Embry's favourite.

To my dismay, I didn't get to spend much time with Leah, but Seth seemed to fill the gap Leah wouldn't let me enter. He was such a cute, such a sweetheart, like a little brother that I never had. Embry tended to run off with Quil and Jacob to do things, so I stuck around with Seth, whenever Emily was with Sam. They were all so amazing though.

"Tired there, missy?" He grinned at me.

I hadn't even noticed that I yawned, but I smiled and nodded a bit. "Yeah, I guess so." I nuzzled my face against his neck. "Seth and I were playing volleyball earlier."

Not to mention that I won. Of course, it kind of seemed like he let me win.

"Did you have fun?"

"I did. Shame you weren't there though. What can be more thrilling than your beautiful girlfriend?"

Giggling as he took me around to carry me bridal style, he gave a distant look out towards the ocean.

"I'm so sorry, my love, never again." And as promising as that sounded, despite the fact I knew he was joking, I was kind of sad that that was a lie. Sure, I couldn't spend all of my time with Embry, and I couldn't take him away from his friends, but...

"Good."

He smiled warmly down at me, I smiled back, and we kissed. Every time we kissed it felt like the first -not at all awkward as the first kiss tends to be, it always got better as time progressed- the magic seemed preserved with every lip-lock. I loved it.

But I was afraid too. What if this magic was simply the magic of every begining relationship. I was afraid we'd lose it, I didn't want to. I mean, sure, he was just my first boyfriend, and it wasn't really safe to say I'd be with him forever, but...

I sighed.

"Is something wrong?"

"No."

My smile didn't fool him. He set me down to stand on a large, smooth rock, arms around my waist. I pulled his head to rest against my chest, twirling my fingers around his hair. He was the most gorgeous man I had ever met, not to mention the sweetest. I realised things weren't always going to be this special, but I had to relish in it while I had the chance.

Three words were whispered to me from my Embry's lips, three words I was uncertain of returning. Before I could voice any response, a blur of orange flashed before us, it went so quick, that I hardly even saw it.

"Embry did you just see that?" I rubbed my eyes, thinking I was seeing things. Of course I was.

He looked serious, picking me back up and starting back towards the houses. "I, uh, I forgot about something. I'm going with the guys to go work out. I'll drop you off at Emily's."

Holding on tight, Embry seemed to run pretty quick to Emily's. She seemed to be waiting for me there, smiling at me as though something was wrong, but she was trying to mask it. What the hell was going on?

With a quick kiss, Embry ran off. A blur, almost like the random orange I saw beforehand. Turning to Emily, I gave her a look. She shook her head and walked inside, calling about some cake.

This was weird. Like... Really weird. Instead of following her inside, I took a seat on the porch to think. The boys did seem to be like to sort of... Police, if you will, of La Push. Perhaps there was something dangerous. That orange blur that Embry had to have seen as well had to be some sort of dangerous animal, a lion maybe, and was a threat.

But what was a lion doing loose in Washington?

"Hey, Jake! Jacob!" I stood from my seat on the porch and followed after Jacob who ran passed Emily's house. Boy, those La Push boys were fast! "Jake, what's going on?"

"Nothing." he replied quick, his running slowed to a fast walk. I didn't buy it.

"Jacob, are we in trouble?"

"Yeah, go back inside."

"What's wrong? I don't want Embry going out there if there's danger."'

"Embry's fine, go back inside!"

He spun around to glare down at me. I simply blinked, the hood to my black hoodie falling off my messy hair. Turning my around, he gave a gentle push back towards Emily's house, but I grabbed his arm.

"Tell. Me. What's. Wrong."

Since when did I get so demanding? This wasn't like me, but I was worried. I was worried to Embry, for the boys, for... Myself? Well, not so much for myself, but I was still worried.

He rolled his eyes and walked on. "I need to go."

"Dammit, Jacob, tell me what's going on!"

Again, he stopped for a moment, then walked on. "I need to protect Bella."

I simply watched after him, retreating back to Emily's as she called me. Bella. Why her? I saw that Jacob liked her, that was obvious, but... Why did they all run off? Was she in danger? That's silly, she wasn't even around here today.

"Obsessed.."

I wonder...

"Ellie, cake's done." As I entered the house, I was greeted with the scent of cake. Vanilla cake.

Maybe I could help her decorate it.