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Written by Nashmeira S. W.
Edited by EstrellaGrace
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(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ Chapter 9 ✧ﾟ･: *ヽ(◕ヮ◕ヽ)
(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ Falling For You ✧ﾟ･: *ヽ(◕ヮ◕ヽ)
The last hour that Edward and I had spent together was like nothing I had ever felt in my life. If felt right, there was no other way to say it. It was just right. When Edward had left abruptly I didn't understand it, I thought that he was under the impression as humans did when they saw us for what we were that we were a demon. That he like so many others had bought into the ribaldry of the humans and that hurt. I had jumped to a conclusion that he wanted nothing else to do with me and that was why he left.
That was far from the truth. By Edwards reasoning, there was no way that I could be damned, he had confessed to me that for so long that he had felt vampires were damned, and hearing our story had shaken him. The fact that he was pouring out deep-seeded beliefs was cute and heartwarming that he trusted me so much so soon. It was just so easy to talk with Edward and to bask in his smile.
We just lay there on the grass of the meadow for what seemed like forever, but it only a two to three hours if the sun was anything to go by.
"Bella," said the angelic voice beside me. I turned to meet the face that it came from a warm grin. His warm butterscotch met my gleaming yellow on red. He didn't flinch, he didn't look away or avert his eyes.
He accepted me for me.
"It's getting late. We should probably head back." He looked off at the setting sun as his smile faltered slightly. "It's twilight, it will be dark soon." He was standing in an instance, his hand extended toward me. I know I blushed ever so slightly as I took his hand. It was cool to the touch but I wouldn't flinch away from him, not ever.
"It's fine, Edward," I said as he pulled me closer. "I'm not afraid of the dark. After all, you and I are what humans are afraid is hiding in the dark." I smiled up at him as I cupped his cheek his expression remained that same. "And they're right to be afraid."
(｀〇Д〇）
As we walked to the river, I was trying to get leaves out of my hair ever since moment we had together in the field. My hair was unruly so any attempt to get all the leaves out was a futile effort. Hand in hand, we walked through the woods; the dimming light giving way to the night and neither of us bothered by the fact that it was dark. The walk was giving me time to think about how with Edward, I was free to be me. This wasn't something that I had contemplated.
As unrealistic as it was, I loved Edward. We were only now realizing that it really was love, in the start it was hatred, then it turned into apprehension, then maybe fear. Then we moved past fear to curiosity, and finally after spilling our deepest secrets we knew that love was what we were working on now.
I never expected that. I never thought I would find love. Even now I still wasn't sure that I knew what love was but I think it was the feeling of being with Edward. Just holding his hand like we were without talking but instead giving each other knowing glances, made me feel alive and happy. If I could take drugs, then surely this is what it feels like to be high. I never wanted it to end.
Edward Cullen was my drug and I wanted to be high on him forever.
I couldn't help but smile at him and giggle a little at my mental definition of love being a narcotic.
"Something funny?" He asked.
"Just thinking how you're the best drug I have ever taken." I laughed at my own puny self; but Edward genuinely looked a little concerned. "I'm joking Edward. I meant it only as a joke, well almost."
"You're like a drug to me, Edward Cullen, and I don't think I can ever get enough of you," I said, pulling him to me and kissing him. "Now let's get back. I'm sure everyone is wondering where we are." I reluctantly pulled away, leaving Edward with a mischievous grin as I took off running.
Maybe I'm faster than Edward?
That train of thought lasted for less than a fraction of a second as Edward effortlessly came up beside me in a smooth and elegant stride. No matter what he did he was graceful. I was a little jealous.
I smirked pouring on more speed and Edward kept pace with me without even trying, it wasn't really a race to see who was faster, I was pretty sure it was Edward, it was just fun, but all good things must come to an end. The river was just ahead and then we would have to contain ourselves around everyone.
We both leapt over the river hand in hand, a smile plastered on both of our faces. After we landed on the other side our smiles lasted all of ten seconds. Out of nowhere, the porch was occupied by the Cullen family followed by Charlie, his band still out for all to see, a beer in his right hand and in an instant, the grin on his face fell.
Before we knew it my Dad was in front of us, but his sights were set on Edward. His eyes raking over the both of us and our joined hands.
"Care to explain what you two have been doing?" I was seven years old again, we were getting the look and I felt Edward's hand tighten around my own.
"I think it's pretty obvious what they have been doing. Little Eddy is going to have to turn in his V card." There was a round of chuckles from the others. If Esme could, I think she would have been blushing, or maybe shedding tears of joy.
As I studied how nice the upturned ground was around my father's feet, I started to realize how this must look. I'm wearing Edwards shirt and my hair looks like I have been rolling on the ground, which we had been doing. No way could our appearance could get any worse.
"Son." Charlie's entire attention turned to Edward. "I think you and I need to have a talk."
Oh God, Dad is going to kill him.
ゞ◎Д◎ヾ
From the minute that Paul said the word leech, the two were moving as fast as they could. As luck would have it, Embry had phased for some reason and Sam had taken the opportunity to pull him back from his day off. Which elicited a grand amount of complaining from him over the pack mind.
So it wasn't long till the two wolves arrived to find their pack mate down on the ground and sleeping…
"Really?" Jake said as he nudged Paul a few more times. Paul only whimpered a little and continued to sleep.
The scent of leech was heavy in the air making both of the conscious wolves' fur bristle. Try as they may they could not wake Paul.
"I smell the leech; it wasn't one of the Cullens that's for sure," Sam said. It was evident from the mental picture that Paul had painted. It was slightly hazy due to the distance at the time but both wolves knew what to look for and the red eyes were a dead giveaway. That leech was a murderer and free game. There was no sign of the human girl, just her scent. The leech had no doubt taken her. "This isn't looking good. As soon as Embry gets here, you and I are headed to the Swan house. Something just isn't sitting right with me." Jake became worried at Sam's unsettling tone.
"What do you mean?"
"Just too much of a coincidence this red eyed leech showing up and the Cullen's becoming social all of the sudden." Sam glowered at possible implications. Before, he expected that Paul would find nothing at the Swan's home and then they could get back to their usual routine, but now there was no chance of that.
(＃￣ω￣)
The two horse sized wolves arrived at the edge of the woods behind the Swan residence and held their position. Their keen eyes searched and nostrils flared while scenting for anything out of the ordinary. The ears of the two abnormally large wolves swiveled to pick up any sound that would alert them to the presence of anyone, but there was nothing.
The road the chief of police lived on was not a well traveled road, and while he did have neighbors, they were almost a mile away. This was not uncommon in a small town like Forks; the vast forest allowed every citizen to have a great deal of privacy around their homes, but privacy like that that was a double edged sword and left people vulnerable.
"I don't see anything," Jake mentally voiced. "Nor do I hear anyone nearby, but there's defiantly been a leech here. It is really faint from the rain earlier, but it's leech no doubt."
"I smell it too. Come on," Sam said over the pack mind as he cautiously stepped from the tree line. The scent of the blood suckers had both of their hackles up, and with the mental images that Jake kept sending over the mind link, Sam's day was getting worse by the minute. The two padded around the back of the house and when they turned the corner of the house, the two of them stopped in their tracks and Sam's day went from bad to terrible.
Both Sam and Jake stared at the upturned earth, the overturned tree and divots of uprooted earth.
"What the hell happened here!" Jake growled.
This was not what Sam had expected, he had planned on placating Billy by sending Paul here, but he had been knocked out by that red eyed leech and she had taken one of the locals. Now it was looking like the Swans were also wrapped up in something less than savory and the stench of leech was all over both incidences.
"It was the leeches!" Jake seethed.
"It's not looking good," Sam added. Some of the holes in the ground looked like they had been made by fists, others had marks that almost looked like the upper part of a torso and head had been forced into the soft earth. No doubt before the rain set in the snow would have covered up some of the marks but now they were clearly visible.
Sam followed what scent he could and which lead to the now uprooted tree that was going into the side of the house. Her scent still wafted out of the gaping hole where her window had been.
"The window and the wall were broken from the inside," Sam said flatly, and it was enough to interrupt Jakes mental tirade. "Maybe one of the blood suckers went after her or got in a fight or something."
"It doesn't matter, they're DEAD, Sam!" Jake raged.
"Calm down, Jake. The leeches have it coming, but you are right. Something is wrong." Sam's calm authoritative tone made Jake pause. The russet shapeshifter tilted his head to the side, trying to see Sam's train of thought before it made its way over the link. "The Swans may still be alive."
"Are you seeing the same thing I am, Sam? This place looks like the hulk showed up and threw down," Jake chided.
"Jake, get your emotions in check and think. What do you smell?" Sam asked trying to turn what was quickly spiraling into the worst day of his life into a learning moment.
Jake sniffed the air and pulled out all the different scents, Sam sharing his idea. Rain being the most prominent followed swiftly by the smell of leech, then there was the smell of Bella still wafting down from the open hole in the side of the house, it was a little off but nothing out of the ordinary. Jake shrugged, at least, as best as a horse sized wolf could.
"There is no blood, Jake. Why is there no blood?" said Sam.
"Why is there no blood?" Confusion replaced Jake's anger.
Before the two wolves could continue their conversation, there was a new voice added to the link.
"Sam, Paul's waking up," Embry said over the pack mind.
"Good, head back to the rez, we have a lot to talk about and we need to speak with Billy and the counsel." Sam's voice was taking on a more authoritative tone.
"But what about Bella and Charlie?" The fire in Jacob's eyes reignited.
"Not now, Jake." The command bleeding into Sam's voice left no room for argument. "Come on, we're losing daylight."
(」゜ロ゜)」
Seattle was a major city and by the dying light in the distance the city was beginning to light up to try and drive away the darkness. Fire had been the first tool man had used to drive away the darkness, and with the power they had over fire, their fears of what lurked in the darkness lessened. After all, monsters were just myths, they weren't real. No, the world of today was ruled by science, and logic. So the monsters were reduced to myth and discarded as such.
However, Payusha knew they were not myth and that the old tales were true, that there were things that lurked in the shadows in the darkness. After all, she was one of them, and the world had been changed so much since she was young.
She herself had changed.
Never would she have thought that she would see such marvels like buildings that reached for the sky, or that man would one day fly through the air. Those were once myths and stories once, but now they were real. It was just a part of life.
Payusha's red eyes watched as last rays of the sun dance off the stage of the horizon and with a reluctant sigh, she turned to the double doors on the far side of the room. She longed to be in there holding her angel, her other half, but she thought better and felt that it would be inappropriate for someone of her status. For the last few weeks Payusha had come to Seattle for holiday, though everyday was a holiday when you had nothing but time.
She had been here once before and found the city to her liking and so felt that it was a good time to return to it. It was only by luck that she had heard from a passing coven that there were vampires in the state. She felt that meeting this coven might provide amusement and a way to occupy her time. Payusha had never made it to the coven or seen another of her kind in the area since her run in with the nomads.
She found most other immortals detestable vermin that were beneath someone of her stature. She did not think lowly of all beings, most high on that list was her Danaa, but most vampires were nothing but scavengers and did not understand the finer things the world had to offer. Perhaps it was that they were still too young to understand. Admittedly, she herself had once fallen prey to her own instincts. But that was unbecoming of her, what would her mother think of her if she would have seen her in such disarray.
She looked to the two double doors, listening to the light move and even the rhythm of the heartbeat in the next room, and returned to her careful watch of the world outside the window. When time was not bearing down on you and you had an infinite supply of it, it was easy to let time pass by so effortlessly, so it was a few hours later that Payusha was pulled from her musings by what she heard beyond the doors.
In the next room, the flutter of a heart beat sped up, a smile spread across Payusha's face and her bright red eyes brightened. Soon she will emerge from the from the bedroom and the two could truly begin to talk. It was like finding something she had never known that she was missing. Having it was the greatest thing she had ever experienced in her long life and she never wanted the feeling to end.
The feeling of cold terror filled Payusha, pushing the warmth away as the heartbeat quickly sped up. After that came the mumbling. She was at the door in a moment, opening the double door to the room wide to find a frantic Angela climbing out of the bed.
"Oh no, no, NO!"
"What is wrong, my Daana?" asked the vampire as she glided over to the side of the bed where Angela was going for her backpack. "What is troubling you so?"
"The time, it's past four o'clock," she said, pointing to the clock on the night stand. Angela grabbed her bag and began tearing her bag open and rummaging though it, eventually pulling out a cell phone. "I told my mom I would be home about two, three at the latest. It's…" A pregnant pause filled the room as the phone finished turning on. "Oh, crap on a cracker. I should have been home hours ago. Mom and Dad are going to kill me."
Angela was distressed and as the red eyed girl had had no experience with parents, she could offer no words of consolation that might help the situation. Payusha sat down beside her Daana as she fumbled through her text messages and voicemail messages, her left arm wrapping around Angela as her Daana's head hung in defeat.
"Where are we?" Angela asked hesitantly.
"Seattle, Washington." Angela sighed at the vampire's reply.
"It's going to take two hours to get back to Forks. It's already bad enough that I skipped out on school today. I mean, I didn't want to, but it was the perfect time and if I didn't do it today I would have had to wait a few more weeks. Gosh darn it," she said as she unconsciously leaned her head on Payusha, who didn't complain at the comfort.
She wished there was something that she could do to make things better for Angela, but there was nothing that could be done. Payusha did not want to hurt her Angela, but maybe some helpful suggestions, even if they were ones derived from television shows she had once watched, could help her Daana.
"Could you perhaps play it off with the aid of a friend?" She asked. In truth Payusha did not want Angela to leave as it almost frightened her to think of the girl not near to her. Angela looked deep into her ruby red eyes, her question written plainly across her face. "We once saw on a television show that someone called a friend and had them say you were staying over at their home. Could this not work now? You did accidentally leave your phone off, maybe omit that you passed out in my bed," Payusha said with a sly grin.
Angela's eye grew wide as everything came together. The feeling of being near this red eyed girl— no, vampire— made her relinquish her rational mind. But the day's events played out in her mind, she looked to her right hand and sure enough the silver bracer with the red ruby was still there, and it was just as red and as vibrant as Payusha's eyes, she realized.
"My Daana?" Payusha questioned. Angela nodded in agreement. "It will work out, have faith." So with the assurance from the vampire, Angela dialed Bella's number.
There were a few rings and then the voice of Bella spoke up on the other end of the line.
"Hello!"
"Bella?" Angela said questioningly; she had never heard her friend sound so excited.
"Angela, oh hi, sorry I thought you were someone else, how's it going?" came the voice on the other end. Angela swallowed and took a slow, deep breath.
"It is alright my Daana, all will be well," whispered Payusha in her smooth voice. Angela nodded at her encouragement.
"Bella, I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important and I'll explain later, but if my mom contacts you, could you maybe just say I'm over at your house tonight?" There was silence on the other end of the phone, apprehension to do what was being asked as opposed to what was right.
"Angela, answer me this, are you okay?"
"I'm okay I'm not in trouble, not really. I'm really sorry to ask this Bella, really, but I'll explain things to you as best as I can when I see you. Please, Bella."
"Okay Angela, if she calls you're staying over, but this better be good," Bella said as Angela looked to Payusha who was smiling.
"Thank you Bella, I'll... I'll talk to you Monday. I promise."
"Talk to you later, Angela." Then the call was over. Angela Weber had just coerced a friend to lie for her.
"I've never asked anyone to lie for me before," she said very monotone, as if fate was against her, her cell phone suddenly began playing a jingle and she looked to see 'Mother' displayed on the colorful screen. Payusha, for her part, could only smile lamely; secretly, she hoped that Angela would not be leaving so soon after they had first met.
"Well, today is just full of firsts. Now you get to lie." She seemed to think about how to word this. "No, selectively edit the truth to your mother." Angela could only chuckle at that and pressed the button to accept the call.
"Hey, Mom."
(￣▽￣*)ゞ
The air around the room was tense; everyone was in deep thought after the reveal that Sam and the others had brought back. Old Quil was unusually quiet. He was almost always the first to call for blood on any incident. The murderous look on Billy's face was not much better... than Old Quil's usual response. Sam, for his part, was taking the day in stride. He was angry, but then again, the pack was always angry; he just kept it in check better than most.
"Is there any chance this could be a random occurrence?" Billy spoke up, breaking the silence. Sam eyed him and could see that there was hope in the chief's eyes, hope that there might be a chance his best friend was still alive and safe.
Sam wasn't going to lie to him; he didn't know the answer and there was no way he could speculate, but he could give Billy a slimmer of hope.
"We didn't catch the scent of any blood at Chief Swan's house. There was the smell of leech all over the yard and like I said, it looked like a battlefield. It was definitely the Cullen's, we know their stench by heart, but no blood, and that is a good sign that they're still alive—maybe." No blood ment there was hope.
With no blood found anywhere, the more likely solution was that they were turned, and if that was the case, then it was bad news for the tribe. They were already outnumbered and they were definitely not ready for battle against hundred year old vampires.
"Well, if the chief and his daughter are alive then all the better. If those monsters killed them, then the treaty is off and it will be your responsibility to put those leeches down once and for all." Old Quil finally chimed in.
His statement was followed swiftly by a dismissive snort from Paul. Whether he had meant to be heard was a moot point as all eyes landed on him.
"Something to add, Paul?" Sam asked. It was rhetorical, he didn't want an answer and Paul knew this. He just didn't care.
"Oh nothing, we'll do what we have to alright. Whether we like it or not, isn't that right, Sam."
"Paul," Sam said in a chastising voice.
"What? Going to make me shut up? Do you know why we're here Sam? The genetic lottery put us in this mess, and what's more, some of us don't even want to be here." Paul had started off the day in a bad mood, but after the incident with the red eyed vampire and the girl, he had gone from irritated to plain pissed off.
"This isn't really the time…" Sam started, but Paul wasn't having it.
"Well I think this is the perfect time. 'It will be your responsibility to put the leeches down,' really?" Paul wasn't in danger of phasing, not yet any way, but he had had enough and Old Quil's insinuation that they would handle it had been the match to like the fire in him. "It's so easy for you to sit there and tell others they will go into the lion's den since it's not your life on the line."
"Paul, it is a great honor to be chosen as a spirit walker," chimed Billy with the usual tribe rhetoric about the great honor they all had.
"Do you know what else is a great honor? Going to college and getting out of this town. That is, until you turn into a damn wolf, oh and you're not allowed to leave because you have to protect the tribe. I want nothing to do this but as we know we don't have a choice in this do we, Sam." Paul's right hand was clenched so hard his knuckles were white. Sam stepped in front of him and the two squared off in a battle of will to see who would budge first.
It was Paul.
Paul turned and walked back over to sit down, his irritation made known for whatever good it would do. Though he would never state it openly, Sam felt the same. Thought his sense of duty to the tribe was greater than Paul's, he did feel that it was a little unfair to ask him to command his pack mates to stay. If their heart wasn't into their role they were just a liability, but for now he would just have to deal with it, the leeches had seven bodies to their four. Maybe ten if the red eyed leech was with them, not to mention the possibility that Charlie and his daughter were turned.
Four against ten were not good odds. So for now he would have to deal with Paul and Paul would have to deal with how unfair life was for the time being.
"I think we need to talk with cold ones," said Billy, the previous confutations and outbursts forgotten. "Your pack doesn't have the numbers otherwise… Well, I can give the good doctor a call and see what he has to say. Maybe he will slip up, but if the worse has happened, if Charlie and his daughter have been turned into demons we have to have a response." He shook his head trying to banish the ill feeling welling up in the pit of his stomach.
"We will Billy, but I still say we need to tread cautiously, I don't think we should tip our hand just yet." Sam was doing what he could to mitigate the meeting turning into a shouting and maybe phasing match. "Let's see if the leeches know anything about the red eye leech. Don't let on what we know about the chief and his daughter. Billy, I don't like the blood suckers, but they have held up their end of the treaty as far as we know. Other than them being more social with the chief and his family, we don't know that they've done anything wrong."
The older members could see Sam's view, it was better to have all the facts before the pack went storming off to war. Sam mentally sighed before continuing.
"For now, we will talk with the... doctor and see what he says, then we go from there. Paul, you can go home and clear your head for now, but make sure to stick close. We need everyone to have a clear head," Sam said, giving Paul a warning look.
"Billy and I will call up the good doc. Embry, I'm sorry but you're needed for patrols. Jake should still be at my house so head over there and give him the bad news. You see anything send out a howl. Go," he commanded, leaving no room for argument, and Embry didn't. He for one was onboard with the pack lifestyle and doing his part. Sure he had aspirations, but nothing as crazy as college like Paul had wanted to go at one time.
"Paul, you'll be on call so go cool off and be ready at a moment's notice."
"Whatever, I don't really have a choice anyway," Paul said as he left, his irritation still bleeding through. Once he left it was Billy that spoke up, returning to the conversation to pack business.
"Sam, I think you should watch Seth Clearwater. I hadn't see in him a little over a week, but when I saw him today..." Sam's breath hitched. "The boy has shot up a good two, maybe three inches in the last week or so. I think it would be best to keep an eye him because it's only a matter of time before he joins the pack."
Sam mentally cursed. New pack members was always hard because there were so many questions that you were not allowed to tell normal people like your family and friends, so the new wolves were uniformed once they phased for the first time. The Seth situation would made even worse when Leah would be thrown onto the list of people wondering about her brother's new habits and friends. At one time Sam had truly loved Leah, he knew that he had, but now he just couldn't imagine a world without Emily.
He shook his head; he would deal with Seth when the time came. For now he would just grit his teeth and bear it.
"Okay Billy, we'll keep an eye on him. Is Harry doing any better?" Harry had been having problems with his blood pressure and was not in attendance at the meeting.
"Still high but the doctors are prescribing him some new medications." Sam nodded.
"Alright Billy, let's go call Doctor Leech."
AN
So it's been a while. Sorry. Work picked up and I had to be out of town for a bit, then The Legion Expansion for Warcraft came out. Then there was the Final Fantasy XIV patch, then FFXIV FanFest in October1 X3
So much to do.
Oh and one other big note as to why I was not around…. I was about 48K words into the rest of the story when I started having a nagging feeling. At around 52K I started going back and reading it, something didn't site right so I read it again then again. That's when I realized that I had created a plot hole and it was so ingrained as part o the main story I wanted to shout. So I had to burn some 52K words of work and start over.
When I realized this for a week I didn't even consider looking at my story, that and work got really exciting so I had to be in DC for a few days X3
Well any way this is half of what I have re written. The one that I sent to EstrellaGrace to edit and chastise me for some of my poor writing habits was about 11K words. I decided to split the chapter in two gets me more bang for my buck. :3