Chapter Six: Werewolf: Ally or Enemy?
One particular trip to school the next week was oddly tense, and Alice the most tense of all. I searched her mind, but could not find anything besides the Chinese alphabet symbols repeating over and over. She was hiding something, and I was ready to find out what.
"Were are Jacob and Seth today? They usually never pass up a chance to ride in the Jeep," Bella questioned, raising her eyebrows slightly. I heard a different question echo inside her mind. No, Edward. I want to know what is with Alice and this tense air. It's making Jasper squirm! I laughed at the last part. She always looked out for others.
Bella, I can't get through! She's blocking me with Chinese characters! I hate it! They always do that, ever since Rosalie figured out that that was the only thing that could block me. So many years of annoyance…she figured it out in 1931! Bella snorted at the mini rant. I pulled the Jeep into the spot underneath the huge oak tree and stepped out. Everyone outside of the school looked to us at once.
"This is getting really annoying. I think we should just tell them already. I don't like them staring at me…it makes me feel mythical or imaginary…" Renesmee's voice trailed off, her eyes focusing on the woods. Emmett turned to look with her, and soon we were all standing in the middle of the parking lot, staring.
There were three wolves running towards us, two the size of horses and the other a black with white spots wolf with piercing blue eyes. A werewolf friend; a friend of Seth's. Bella and Alice gasped in unison, and Renesmee started running. She reached the woods a few seconds before the wolves got to the edge, and the russet wolf rubbed his head against her shoulder.
"Why did you bring a full-werewolf here? You know that's really dangerous! What were you thinking?" Renesmee turned to look at me, expecting me to translate. And I was flooded with three snarling wolf thoughts. I cringed away from the loudest one.
I am Ranger, a werewolf from Australia. I am the only one of my kind that lives there, and I have reigned in my solitude for 752 years. This pup came to me 4 years ago after visiting my cousins in Ireland, pleading an alliance. I have come to see what the pros and cons of my alliance would be. I know one of you Danag can hear what I am thinking, would you please come forward with your mate? This snarling voice overpowered the other two, and startled me. I gripped Bella's hand and pulled lightly.
"Where are we going?"
"To meet Ranger, our new werewolf friend." I pulled again, and this time she ran with me. The humans on the stairs into school were rooted to the spot, watching our confrontation. Ranger did not like this, so he snarled lightly. The sound echoed it's way across the lot and rang against the building. All of the humans scattered in the doors.
"Greetings, Ranger. I am Edward, and this is my mate, Bella. The city of Forks welcomes you," I said, quoting the sign that sat on the main road into town.
Greetings, mind reader Edward. I am sorry I cannot talk in 'human' form; I am a full werewolf, so in that frozen in this form until the half moon. This town of Forks seems a dainty place. May I question why a coven of 7 Danag and 2 Indian-wolfs reside here?
"Ranger, our coven is different from others. We do not drink humans; we drink animals, as in working in our quest to be civilized. Our golden eyes are result from the animal blood, and this sets us apart somewhat. There is one other coven like ours in Alberta, Canada. We live here because of the cloud cover. There are only around 40 days here where there are no clouds, and we prefer to live a human as possible, which means coming out in the day. We also have two more members of our coven, but they were changed at a later age and therefore act as human adults." My voice sounded…Carlisle-ly. That was a good way to put it. I sounded like a leader.
Good Danag? Well, that is a relief to me, knowing this alliance would not sacrifice human life. My friend, Seth-beta, has only told me about your adventures with a girl, Bella, and the Volturi? Volturi is correct? Bella nodded, she was listening. Renesmee and Jacob had long since left, leaving Seth, Bella, and I with Ranger.
I feel I should call you Stregoni benefici now, for the Volturi are quite obviously powerful Danag, and you are against them. I have agreed to watch how your coven lives for a week, acting as a dog in school and watching from the inside as one of you. Bella nodded again.
"Very well Ranger. We will be pleased to host you here for a week or more, however long you like. Now, if you please, would you accompany us into the school to the office? We have to get permission to bring a wolf, or as you will be acting, a dog, into school." Bella reached out tentatively, and Ranger's spotted paw landed in it, shaking her hand.
The day was tense, and I finally understood why Alice had acted the way she had. She had seen Ranger's coming, and she wanted to keep it secret for Seth's sake. He had wanted to surprise us. Seth was excited, because we knew who our new ally was.
Seth was also sad, because Ranger spent the day traveling around the school with Bella and me. Ranger played the part of a dog very well, stopping to sniff everything.
"Ranger, you are acting very well!" Bella said.
My dear Bella, I do not act right now. This is my only time to see what human civilization is like when I am like this, in my wolf form. The people of Australia shy away from all wolves, me included. This is also my first experience with Danag of your type, the all-amazing Stregoni benefici. I like to see how you live. The other two of your coven, what do they do? Every time Ranger spoke it was like a speech. It amused me.
"Carlisle is the oldest of our coven, and he can control his thirst all the time, and so he works at the hospital as a doctor. Esme is a stay at home 'mom' so to speak," I said, standing up. It was lunchtime.
Stregoni benefici. Who knew any breed of vampire could be so civilized as to work in a hospital! The self-control would need to be great, I reckon. Am I correct, mind reader? Ranger snarled slightly at the word vampire.
"The need for self-control is even greater than you would have thought. It took Carlisle over two hundred years to achieve this level of self-control and discipline. I was the first vampire he created, and I haven't even reached this level yet. Bella, though, is special. Thanks to all of her preparation before she was turned, she has been able to completely resist human blood for 100 years. She puts me to shame!" I laughed, and Bella elbowed me in the ribs, a light giggle escaping from her smiling lips.
Ranger meanwhile, was baffled as we sat down at the lunch table. Preparation? How did she prepare for this life? I know from what Seth-beta told me that your leader only changes persons if they are inches from death! Everyone must tell me his or her story. Ranger lay down on the floor behind Seth's chair, and rested his spotted head on his paws.
"Well, in 1901 I was still human and in Chicago. Both of my parents, Elizabeth and Edward, had already died from the Spanish influenza, but I didn't know that, for I was dying of the same disease. Carlisle changed me just hours or minutes before I died, then took me to his home, where I endured the three days of agony." I shuddered slightly, and Bella put her hand on my arm.
"Are you okay?" I nodded.
"Well, I'm the newest addition to the family, and I was changed in 2006 here in Forks. Edward and I fell in love when I came to Forks two years before, and we had gotten married. When we came back from our honeymoon, I was pregnant with Renesmee. I had her two months later, and I nearly died in the process. Edward had agreed to change me if I married him, so we were ready. He had a syringe with his venom in it that he injected into my heart. That's why I only had two days to contend with the pain and burning." The two days that I was unsure of how she would turn out, if she would live, flashed across my eyes and sliced my happiness. Those two days were the worst days of my life.
"Alice, Jasper, you two need to tell Ranger your story, the story of how you were changed." I said, reaching across the table to snap my fingers in front of Alice's face. She snapped to attention.
"Edward, I really can't. You know I have no memory of it! But I will tell what I know from James' video. I was held in a mental asylum because of my ability to have visions while I was human. There I was the favorite of a vampire who worked in the building. James, a hunter vampire, took the challenge of hunting me simply because another vampire desired me. Once it was clear to him that James was after me, the vampire who worked in the asylum freed me and changed me before James could kill me. James killed the other vampire instead. I have no memory of these events and was left to find my own way after being changed." Jasper's hand tightened on the table when Alice mentioned James. The one thing Bella did not know about the night that we killed James is that he attacked Alice seconds before we ripped him apart. She had a mark like the ones Jasper had on her left shoulder.
Ranger just sat there, his wolf eyes wide and his ears pricked forward. Emmett, Rosalie, Renesmee, and Jacob sat down without Ranger even popping his head up. We talked about how everyone was changed all through lunch and halfway through our fourth class. Nobody at our table noticed the passing of time.
Esme and Carlisle welcomed Ranger with open arms and a room in the house equipped for a wolf. The next week was centered on the wolves, and everyone seemed to be thinking about wolves all of the time.
Then one day while we were packing our lunches, a strong scent of blood floated down the stairs; it seemed to be half vampire, half human, like Renesmee. I couldn't recognize the human scent, and I hissed, pressing against the wall in a battle crouch.
When Seth entered the room, his arm was slung across the shoulders of a man who looked like James. Bella instinctively leaned into a crouch, her teeth slightly bared. Her mind was flashing back to that night, 151 years ago. I was surprised she still remembered it! Emmett and Rosalie did the same on the other side of the room.
"Guys, at ease! This is Ranger! Or in human form, Josh. The half moon was last night, so he is human again. I must agree though, his scent is oddly different. More vampire-ish." Seth seemed happy, and he was laughing. We all eased out of our crouches slowly, all except Bella.
"Bella, love, stand up. It's Ranger. You know it's not James," I said into her ear, leaning down next to her. I pulled lightly on her arm, and she stood with a hiss and bolted out to the car.
"I'm terribly sorry if I scared her. I know this change must be different for you, because I'm sure all of you are used to watching the Indian-wolfs change back and forth at a moment's notice." Ranger/ Josh's voice was still the same, and I heard Bella's small exhale of relief out in my Vanquish.
"It's perfectly fine, Josh! Bella's only scared because well, in the form you're in now, you look exactly like the sadistic vampire who attacked her when she was still human; right after we met. His name was James, and he was also the same one who tried to kill our Alice. She's never quite gotten over that night…" Carlisle's voice trailed off as Bella snarled in the car. He laughed lightly.
"We had better get going. C'mon," I interrupted, pulling open the door. Bella's face lit up as I entered the garage, and she scooted out of the driver's seat. I know I reacted badly, but you know…that's one of the strongest human memories I have! It terrifies me, even though you've told me that I took it so well then. I haven't the slightest idea why it scares me so much now. I mean, nothing should scare me! I'm a vampire, for crying out loud! Bella sounded angry in her thoughts, and I knew that it was all directed at herself.
"Love, calm down. I'm going to have Josh and Seth ride with us, so you can see just how different he is from James. Just keep his scent in your head. Remember that he's human. Well, sort of," I said, stroking her hair. She relaxed under my touch, and I smiled. Works every time.
Josh and Seth got in the backseat, and Seth reached forward to play with the radio. He was and always would be a 15 year old at heart. Bella whacked his hand playfully as we pulled out of the garage and onto the mountain road. The road that led into the mountains also led straight to the hospital and to La Push reservation. Seth, Jacob, and Josh were going to visit the reservation tomorrow, Saturday. Jacob wanted to check and see if any new wolves were developing because we were back in town. That would definitely give us away. At least to the Quileutes.
Dear Bella, I'm sorry if I surprised you in the house. I did not know that…James looked like me. It is quite a shock to me as well, because it seems very unlikely that I should look identical to a Danag who gave you so many troubles. For all I know, he could have been born my twin brother. I can only remember back 600 years, and I only have one memory of being fully human…the memory of being bitten by the oldest werewolf in the world, Ashland. And I know I was 24 years old when it happened." Josh's voice sounded sadder at the last part, almost like Rosalie's when she talked about how she was changed. Like he wanted to be fully human again.
"Josh, you sound sad. Do you miss being fully human?" Bella stole the words right out of my mouth. I suddenly felt like I hadn't been allowed to talk much in the past few weeks. I shrugged it off.
"That is an odd topic for me. I sensed that your sister Rosalie used to despise being what she is, but she is beginning to accept it. I feel like that is how I am as well. When I was bitten and learned what I would become, I know from what my cousins and sister have told me that I went into hiding for a year. Clarita, my sister, says that after 500 days she finally convinced me to come out and learn to act human like the others. I know now that it could be considered a honor to be a full-blooded werewolf." I cocked my head to side as I listened, and Bella's facial expression changed with each word.
"I didn't know that werewolves had to be bitten to change. I thought they were born werewolves, just like the Quileutes." Bella's voice faded ever so slightly as she got out of the car and stood on the pavement in her bare feet. I like going barefoot. And it proves my point that I am not exactly like Alice. Alice won't even walk around the house without shoes on! Bella saw me looking at her bare feet. I had a random thought about the time that I stole all of Alice's shoes for a day. She had gone barefoot all day. Bella giggled as she visualized it.
Renesmee, Jacob, Alice, and Jasper joined us as we walked into school.
"The Quileute tribe is a special breed of werewolf. I do know how they came to be shape shifters though. Ashland told me 3 years ago, after Seth-beta came to me. They mostly change into wolves because once, many, many years ago, the first Quileute chief got lost in the woods." Seth and Jacob's eyes widened at the mention of the first chief.
"The chief had only a small slice of pork with him, and he was preparing to eat it. But just before he took his first bite, a skinny russet wolf came into the clearing. The wolf lay down and looked at the pork, his eyes hungry. The chief was a man who loved animals, so he gave the meat to the wolf. Then the chief went to sleep with the wolf at his side. As he slept, the wolf bit his arm. This wolf was a normal wolf, but he was claimed to have been chosen by the gods to chose any Indian tribe and create a new breed of wolf. The blessed wolf chose this man's tribe because of his generosity and trust. When the chief woke, he was changed. One of the Quileute gods appeared to him and told him what had happened. She showed the first chief how to change back. But ever since then, every 600 years, a new animal bit the chief who ruled on the anniversary of that first bite. This has only happened once, and the animal was a mountain lion. The 600-year anniversary is in two months. Tell me, Jacob-alpha, who is the Quileute chief at this time?"
Jacob started for a moment. "I'll tell you at lunch, okay? We have to go. Class is about to start." Jacob rushed off, Renesmee at his side. I listened closely to what he was thinking.
Get out of my head, Edward. I know you're trying to figure out why I left in such a rush, but you'll know at lunch, just like the others. Over and out. Then he started singing the alphabet in his head. I hissed in fury and shook my head. Bella gripped my hand tightly and glanced at me with worry.
"Are you alright, Edward? It's Jacob, isn't it? He'll probably be blocking you until lunch, so just forget about it." Her tone was soothing, and I instantly focused on watching Alice's visions with her. Bella saw what I was doing and smiled. Now she would get to watch, too. She gripped my wrist and pulled me along to our first class.
I rushed to lunch, Bella trotting to keep up with my fast walk. Even walking I was faster than everyone in the family. I hadn't let go of Bella's hand since the start of first period. The doors of the cafeteria were crowded with people, but they all slide to the side as we walked by. This whole stay away from the freaky people thing was an advantage sometimes.
We sat down at the table at the same time that Josh. Jacob, and Nessie got there. Nessie sat down next to Bella and Bella reached over to stroke her cheek. Josh sat next to me, and Jacob across. Seth raced through the doors and plopped down next to Josh, who slapped him on the back like they were old buddies.
"Spill." I commanded, glaring at Jacob.
Jacob's eyes grew narrow as he stuck his tongue out at me. "I'll wait for Alice and Jasper to get here."
"No need to wait, we're here. Enough delay, I want to know who the current chief is. I just realized that's probably the only thing I don't know about the Quileutes." Alice had a huge smile on her face, and she started braiding a lock of Nessie's hair when she sat down. I stifled a laugh. If only she knew how well she played the part of classic American teenager.
"Okay…this is really shocking to me and it will be for all of you, too, but this is the solid truth." Jacob took a deep breath.
"I am the chief as of right now. And if we don't find a new one in two months, I won't be a wolf anymore."