I woke after twelve hours, but if felt like mere minutes to me. After waking, I still felt like I needed to sleep badly.
I sat up in the bed after stretching my arms, and I could hear the quiet discussion downstairs clearly. Sam and Emily were speaking about me in perfectly civil tones, but I could tell Sam was angry.
I lied and debated about whether to go down there or to simply go out the window and try to make amends with Paul. I decided to go downstairs because Sam won't hit me. At least I don't think he will.
As I open the door I hear Sam saying "… you shouldn't have just let her stay, Emily. She needs to learn how to control herself."
Emily's voice was smooth and caring as I walked down the steps. "She was in perfect control last night when she got here, Sam. She was just tired and naked."
I laughed quietly and I stepped onto the main floor, leaning onto the same squeaky board I hit last night. The conversation stopped immediately, and then Sam was standing in the archway between here and the living room, his arms folded across his chest. His eyes were angry, his face composed.
"You shouldn't have run off like that," He said sternly.
"You could've stopped me," I shot back, hinting at his Alpha command ability. His eyes narrowed.
"I wouldn't waste it on you." I was taken aback by the acid in his voice, the daggers that were his eyes. I looked down, regaining my composure and finding it difficult.
Maybe it was the fact that he was my Alpha, and that, should he wish it, I had to follow his command that made me suddenly very insecure about the whole thing.
Or maybe I knew he was right.
"I'm sorry, Sam." My voice sounded pathetic and childish as I headed for the door, waiting to hear a reprimand, but got a different sound.
"You'll be able to see Emmett again." Emily's little blurt stopped me dead in my tracks. I turned, not breathing.
"Really?"
Sam sighed. "Yes, maybe sooner than we thought. A week, ten days at most."
I ran to Sam and hugged him, saying thank you over and over. He hugged me back hesitantly and I let go of him.
We looked at each other, my beaming face looking into his soft, but hard, face. His brown eyes were contemplating something, but I didn't know or care about it.
I turned back towards the door. "I have to go talk to Paul."
Sam nodded. "I know about your guys' argument. He shouldn't have done tha-"
I put a hand up, something I normally would have never dreamed of doing, and Sam stopped. When I put my hand down and looked up at him, he looked confused.
I didn't say anything else, but left the house. As soon as the door closed behind me, I trotted into the woods, took off my clothes, and tied them to my leg with a leather cord that I'm sure wasn't there by coincidence. I stood and relished the breeze caressing every inch of my body smoothly. An instinctual part of me took over, and I felt myself fall into being an animal. My mind was simpler, easier to understand. I liked it, but pulled myself back into reality, where I was standing, naked, in the forest.
I took a deep breath and tried to phase. It was the first time I had done it while having peace of mind. I tried to remember how it had felt and finally found it: The heat in my center that had been sitting dormant until a day ago. I let the living flame spread inside me, right to my toes and fingers, the top of my head.
And then I was different. I stood the same height on my paws, but the earth felt more in place. I could hear Seth thinking when I phased.
Hey! Brook! He thought excitedly and started to howl.
Cool it, Seth, I thought right back. No need to raise an alarm, right? Everybody's fine.
He thought it over quickly after silencing his howl. I guess your right.
Of course, I thought easily, starting to move to our house. I realized it's not really our house. It was his.
Yeah, that sucks. Seth thought, startling me. You can always come stay with us, Brook.
No thanks, Seth. I suddenly got an idea. Can I ask you something?
Go for it.
I whimper quietly, not even realizing I did it. How hard was it for you to adjust to the Cullens' scent?
He paused for a moment, then I thought of Emmett and he smiled inwardly. It only took me about two weeks- I groaned- But it may be different for you. You have a better bloodline.
Thanks was all I thought and then I ran to Paul's, which was on the polar opposite of the reservation. I went into the forest and phased back, letting that breeze wash over me again, the sea salt in it tickling my nose. I dressed and walked to the door, thought about knocking and decided my stuff was still here, so I just walked in.
He was sitting on the couch, waiting for me. I looked past him and three back packs were there, and I could smell myself on them. He just looked furious with me. I proceeded with caution.
I nodded towards the bags. "Mine?" I asked quietly.
He caught the hurt in my voice and looked into me eyes with daggers. Stilettos. "Yes."
His voice made me catch my breath, it was so painful. Painful because it was so dead. There was no emotion in his simple answer except hate. He hated me.
"All of it?" I was praying for him to yell at me, maybe even say sorry, but I had no such luck.
"Almost. Go look around and make sure I got it." He looked back at the TV.
I bit my lip, trying to keep myself from crying. As I walked to my room, all I could think of was Paul. He had been my best friend for as long as I could remember, and now we were broken. The fissure between us was so deep it seemed bottomless.
I went to my room and broke down. It was empty. My bed was the only thing there, stripped of blankets. Just a headboard, a box spring, and the mattress. The floor was bare, my closet was open and empty, and my dresser was gone as well.
I took two steps forward, then fell to my knees, sobbing. I kneeled in my empty room, hugging myself and trying to take control back from Paul. That's exactly what was happening, Paul was controlling me, he knew I was up here, hurting, and was probably getting some kind of sick enjoyment from it. A satisfaction I will never understand.
I hear him coming up the stairs and sit up at least, wiping the tears from my eyes. I almost don't want him to come up here and try to comfort me, as I know he will.
He stands behind me, hunkers down, puts a hand on my shoulder and whispers in my ear.
"Get out."
I'm again shocked by the lack of emotion in his voice. He begins to walk from the room and I turn. "Do you really hate me that much? You really want me gone, don't you?"
He hesitated. Then a quick and very emotive, "Yes." The way he said it made him actually sound human. He sounded hurt now too. I thought this may make me feel better, but it doesn't.
"I'm sorry, Paul. You don't deserve this." I stand up and look at his back, where he is still standing.
He turns to me, and I can see the extra wetness in his eyes. I know what he wants to say, but can't force out. He wants to tell me to stay. Don't go, Brook. I need you.
I walk to him and he pulls me, the crying one, into his arms. He puts one hand on the back of my head, the other on the middle of my back, pulling me close. I put both my hands on his back, not tall enough to reach around his neck, pulling him close. I need him so bad…
I feel his body shake once and then he let me go, almost pushing me as he went to his room, shut the door, and locked it. I go downstairs; pick up my things, and leave.
Walking into Sam's house in the evening is a wonderful feeling. I didn't realize how hungry I was until I smelled Emily's cooking. I didn't know or care what she was cooking, but I dropped my bags and walked to the kitchen, falling into a chair at the table.
"Good evening, Brook." Emily said to me without turning away from the stove. When she did, the smile fell off her face. "You were crying. Why?"
I tried to compose my face, and found that another tear was falling down my cheek.
"Oh oh oh…" Emily crooned, moving around the table and putting her arms around me like a mother would. I guess I didn't really know what that was like, but this felt about right.
I returned her embrace, but let go quickly. Sam walked through the door a second later, and we sat down and had our supper. After supper was done and the dishes were washed, Sam took me outside.
"If you want to see Emmett, you need to train."
"How so?"
"You need to become accustomed to his smell. I've brought one of his sweaters, taken right after he took it off."
"Okay… Where is it?"
"About a mile thata way." He pointed to the east.
"Then let's go." He stopped me when I began walking to the east.
"You need to phase." He said it like it was the plainest thing in the world, which I suppose it should have been to me.
"Gotcha…" I walked into the forest, took off my clothes, and phased.
Good job, kiddo Sam thought to me.
I figured it out earlier. I automatically thought about what happened at Paul's and Sam heard it.
Sorry.
Don't mention it. At all I said, the acid pouring into my thoughts.
I suddenly stopped, my nose burning like bleach was pouring through it, I reeled around, wanting to run from the smell, but I ran right into Sam, who towered over me.
Get used to it, Brook. This is always how Emmett will smell to you. His thoughts were harsh, but controlled. Are you aware of how small you are?
Not until now. This is horrible. Nonetheless, I stepped right up to the heap of clothes and buried my nose into it, breathing the bleach right into my brain.
Three nights in a row we did this. I didn't see Emmett, couldn't bring myself to answer his texts or calls. Soon, the smell wasn't as bad, or I at least got used to it.
I was out on patrol when it happened.
I felt someone else phase, and then heard Paul's thoughts.
He's dead he's dead he's dead Was all I heard
I howled, and no one responded. Paul was response tonight. Dammit. I started running towards where Paul was, listening silently to his thoughts.
How could he do that to her… He's dead. I'm going to kill him myself, tonight. His thoughts were harsh and scary.
While I was puzzling over who he was talking about, I heard him say the words that made my pure bloodline boil. After hearing it, I poured on enough steam to move a train around the world.
Emmett Cullen is dead.
I was running so fast the forest actually blurred by me.
Paul! Stop! I yelled in his head. He didn't answer, but he ran faster.
I screamed at him as I got closer, and he only got quieter.
Then I saw him. Perfectly, through Paul's eyes. Emmett must have been one hundred feet away, but close enough that I could still stop Paul.
I came from the side, Paul went from Emmett's back. When Paul lunged, so did I. I hit Paul just as Emmett was turning around, my astounding white fur reflecting the moonlight and making this small area of the forest brighter by fractions.
Paul was rocketed into the forest, and I landed where we hit the impact. My fur went from on end to relaxed in a second when Emmett spoke.
"Who are you?"
I phased back instantaneously, needing to hold him, to have him hold me. I never realy saw him. "It's me, Emmett." My voice shook.
I ran the small gap to him with my eyes closed and his arms were open, waiting for me. I jumped into his arms, and he held me there while our lips met.
My whole world was so perfect in that one instant, the very first time we kissed. His lips were hard and cold, yet so soft and inviting. My lips formed around his, and I let him take control.
It was all lip movement that went against every ounce of our nature. He pulled me very close to him, closer than I had ever been with anyone. Closer than I ever wanted to be with anyone else.
And then it went very bad very quickly.
Being very enwrapped in my own heaven, I didn't notice as Hell came up behind me.
Paul's claws were suddenly digging across my back, right over my spine. The pain made little white spots flash across my vision as blood poured down my back. Being blinded by the spots, I still couldn't see Emmett as he shouted my name and yelled for Edward to come. He wasn't breathing, but his hand was in my blood and I could feel it.
I tried to stay conscious, I really did, but eventually the black just won me over. My world disappeared and the last thing I heard was a bone breaking.