COLD.
The wind brisked up gradually each day, growing more terrifyingly chilly-even for me, us. Mornings sluggishly turned into more depressing gray afternoons which brought the rain so cold that every front lawn, every car was covered in frost, which then turned the whole shebang into a never-ending thunderstorm.
I was having a bad week.
It's been three long days since any of us got a good night's sleep. Three days that seemed to drag on to the next at a snail's pace ever since Sam insisted that we patrol every night for hours on end. I personally had no idea why he felt patrol was necessary. Bloodsuckers hadn't caused any havoc since the battle-the same battle that caused the left side of my body to shatter after having a rough brawl with a Newborn-but he still insisted. Three days, it's been, and there wasn't even a hint of that familiar stink…so the boredom I was usually left with during patrol did nothing more than torment my already troubled mind.
I knew that essentially nothing had changed. Sam hadn't given in to Raeleigh's mad-skills of persuasion about learning the legends of our tribe, but had I ever dreamed for one moment that he would? Okay, so I was a little hopeful, but his persistence had only confirmed what the guys and I'd already known. No reason for fresh disappointment.
In theory. Not getting disappointed was easier said than done.
Jared, Embry and I were on patrol again tonight, and as I explored the vacant woods for what already seemed like hours, though my shift began merely five minutes ago, I knew a chase wasn't going to happen anytime soon. I wandered aimlessly through Forks, knowing I'd fall asleep if I sat too still for too long, still searching for the too sweet scent. A scent that reminded me of her every time it burned my nose. It's going to be another long night, guys, Jared whined.
There was, I noticed, something different about tonight's patrol that made things uneasy for me. I wasn't sure about the other guys, but it sure as hell put me on edge. I walked slowly, just minding my own business, and eyed everything which surrounded me cautiously. I noticed a Screech Owl eyeing me high in a tree with his head turning fully around as I passed him just before making that wretched scream, which caused me to jump out of my skin. No pun intended.
As I sat just beyond the trees-camouflaged in the darkness of the forest-with Bella's house facing me and Raeleigh's house, half a block down the road which was also in perfect view, I came to realize that the eeriness about the woods was the silence it surrounded me with. It was too silent. Psst. Guys, I whispered. Why I was whispering, I didn't know.
Why are you whispering? Embry asked, also in a whisper. I coughed a laugh.
Do you guys here that? I asked. They stayed silent for a short moment.
No, they both replied simultaneously.
Exactly. It's too quiet out here, I called and peered a little closer. I narrowed my eyes as I looked down the street on either end, though I hadn't needed to, and took a step closer. A twig snapped beneath my gigantic paw causing the Screech Owl to frantically fly from its perch.
C'mon dude…you're losing it. Get a grip, Embry called and joined me at my side shortly after. A dog barked from across the road and Embry jumped-hair rising on his shoulders.
I barked a laugh, Who's losin' it now? I teased and nudged him. Jared joined the two of us, a little more excited that he'd been for the past couple days, sniffing the ground intently. Dude, what're you…
Do you smell that? He asked, cutting me off. I sniffed the ground but smelled nothing. I waited for him to continue, hoping he'd describe whatever it was that he smelled but instead-he followed what seemed like to be a pathway. With nothing else to do, Embry and I followed his lead. It was either that or nothing.
Almost immediately, I smelled the scent as I followed Jared's pathway. It was a stink…but not the stink we were made to sniff out. This certain stink was…somewhat a rotten stench. It got stronger and stronger the more we pressed on as well. An hour passed, I could tell by the way the sky was illuminated now, and was stopped short when I ran into Jared's backside. I growled at him but stopped when I suddenly caught the sight of the half naked, paler than pale female body lying before us. Tearing my eyes from the corpse, I turned to Jared and noticed the fixated gaze on the girl, while Embry whined sadly as he laid on the ground. We…we have to tell Sam, I called roughly as the words caught in my throat.
"Jake," Jared called softly, catching my attention. I jumped at the suddenness of his voice and looked over at him with tear filled eyes. "C'mon man…pull it together."
"There is a dead girl in the middle of our woods, covered in blood, and naked," I growled through gritted teeth as I pointed in the direction we exited from.
"I know, I know," he whispered and closed his eyes, shaking his head. "We have to tell Sam and we can not freak out…especially with Emily and Leah in there."
I nodded and looked over at Embry who seemed to be in complete shock from the whole ordeal. "We'll go in calmly and tell Sam we need to talk to him-leave the girls out completely. And then we'll take it to Charlie," I explained in a whisper. Thankfully it hadn't taken us long to recollect ourselves, or at least make it look like just an ordinary day had passed, and walked into the house. "Rae?" I called softly when I saw her, Leah and Emily chatting on the couch.
She turned to me and smiled that homey smile, "Hey," she started happily but then it turned into immediate worry. Damn her for being so observant. "Hey…are you okay? You look as if you've seen a ghost."
Not a ghost, I thought and tried to fight back the tears. "Sam, can we talk to you and the guys for a sec?" I asked, dodging Raeleigh's concerning inquiry entirely.
"What?" She asked and glanced from Sam to me before standing up from the couch. I glanced at her for a split second and started toward Sam, but she quickly made her way from the couch to me and tightly grabbed my forearm. She turned to Sam and held her arm out, "Wait a minute," she demanded and turned back to me. "Jacob…what's going on?" she asked. "And don't tell me that it's nothing…because I know there's something going on."
I looked down at her and remained silent. How in the hell could I just stand there and tell her what I'd seen? She was a strong girl…but not strong enough to take this in. I sighed heavily and started toward Sam again but Raeleigh stopped me, blocking my way. "Raeleigh….please, not now." I looked up at Sam. "Sam?" He nodded and started for the other room. Quil, Seth, and Paul followed his lead automatically with no hesitation. Jared and Embry stayed behind, waiting for me, but I gestured that they go.
"Jacob?" Emily called out and stood from the couch. She crossed her arms and glanced at Leah. "Is everything okay?"
I dodged her question too. I didn't know the answer to that…I couldn't think straight. "Em…will you please stay with the girls?" She eyed me for a short moment and eventually nodded in reply.
"Dude," Paul was the first to speak the moment I stepped foot outside of the small home. He'd been pacing, I could tell, as he now bounced on the balls of his feet. "What's going on?"
I sighed heavily and looked over at Jared and Embry for a short second before turning my full attention to Sam. "During patrol…" I started but the words got caught in my throat. I didn't want to say the words…didn't want to picture the girl's lifeless body in my head. "A girl's been murdered," I finally said. "Brutally."
"What?" Paul exclaimed, incredulous. Seth gasped at the news and covered his mouth with a hand, completely inconsolable. "Where?"
"We found her a hundred feet in through Forks," I explained, trying to keep my guard up but no one was fooled. "Fifteen, maybe sixteen years old."
"Alright," Sam whispered softly and rubbed his face roughly with both hands before sighed heavily. "We'll talk to Charlie in the morning."
"We can't just leave her out there like bait though," Seth called out. "What if…I don't know…a bear tries to eat her."
"Bears don't want to eat people, Seth," I told him reassuringly. "We don't taste that good."
"Well apparently we taste good to some things," he shot back. Kid had a point. "Sorry."
"Don't be," I grunted and ruffled up his hair a little to show sympathy. "We have to tell Leah," I started and looked at everyone before continuing. I crossed my arms and sighed heavily, "Maybe even R-"
"Don't even think it," Sam ordered. Usually I'd obey to his command, but not this time. I can not, not defend her.
"C'mon Sam…she likes to take walks in the woods…we have to tell her!" I called out but soon regretted it when I realized I'd broken the point to a 'meeting'. "We have to tell her!" I repeated in a whisper.
"Jacob…do you realize what that'll mean?" he asked, stepping closer to me now.
"Yeah," I growled back. "She'll end up learning the damn secret anyway…so why not tell her now? Besides…its either tell her something she's bound to know anyway, or not tell her at all which'll cost her, her life," I explained gruffly. "If you were smart, you would have told her a long time ago."
"I don't want her to share the same fate as us, Jacob."
"Neither do I…or the other guys for that matter," I told him firmly. They all nodded in agreement. "But we have no choice…she's got the gene."
"No…"
"Oh, C'mon Sam. Stop deluding yourself into thinking she's going to be normal. She's related to a pack of wolves…nothing normal about it," I growled. Raeleigh's sixteenth birthday was only several weeks away, and I wondered if he wasn't a little foolish to sit around, worried and rueful, waiting for the next explosion. It just seemed too dangerous to be human anymore, even for someone as fearless as Raeleigh…or as fearless as she claims to be-just begging for trouble. Talking to Sam, the Alpha, with such boldness was probably the most ridiculous thing I could have done-but he had to hear me out. I'm so tired of people not listening to me. I'm done. "Tell her…or I will."
Sam huffed loudly through his nose, a growl escaping. He took on that strange double timbre that we could not disobey…not matter how hard we tried. The voice of the Alpha. "You do that, then you're only-"
"Doing what's right!" I growled back, not caring if the girls from inside could hear. "She deserves to know. Not telling her would be an insult."
Sam sighed heavily and backed off a bit. He stared into my dark eyes for a long while before speaking again-his tone firm. "My decision is final. We tell Charlie in the morning and make sure Raeleigh goes nowhere near the scene."
"No problem," Paul replied quickly and firmly before I had the chance to oppose. "Jake?" he called, grabbing my attention from Sam to him. "I'm not the one in charge here…but I think you'd be great at keeping Raeleigh busy. You two seem pretty close," he stated simply.
"Shouldn't be difficult," I grumbled and crossed my arms, returning my gaze on Sam again.
"Jacob," Sam started, "I need you to promise me that she won't see the girl in the woods. Seeing her might trigger the memory of her father, somehow…Nina can't afford that again."
"Don't worry," I started blasé, and started for the door again, "I got it taken care of." I rested my hand on the handle and twisted it open. Just before I stepped inside, Sam grabbed my upper arm firmly.
"And keep your mouth shut," he demanded, using his Alpha voice yet again. I remained silent, pulled away from him, and stepped inside the small home. What irritated me most was the simple fact that even though I hadn't earned a single thing, there were things born in me that I'd left unclaimed. I never wanted to lead a pack of wolves, never wanted the responsibility that left their lives in my hands. What if I'd chosen wrong, leaving us to consol the families of the brothers and sisters we'd lost? I couldn't handle that.
And I had not been born to kneel to him.
The other members of the pack too knew my birthright and wondered when I'd take my rightful place as Alpha. I couldn't, due to the fact there couldn't be two Alphas in one pack, but that didn't stop me from being bold toward Sam.
I approached Raeleigh and grabbed her upper arm as I continued walking, and dragged her into another room. At first she tried to fight against me, but no prevail. "What're you doing?" she asked just before we disappeared into the now closed room. "Jacob? Why are we in a closet?"
"Listen to me," I started in a whisper, ignoring her question, "I need you to promise me that you won't go into the woods…for anything," I pleaded softly.
"Why?" she asked and crossed her arms, "Did something happen in the woods tonight?"
"Yes," I answered. I couldn't lie. If I had, she'd see right through it. "But I can't tell you."
"Why?"
"Sam's forbidding me from telling you anything. Please, just promise me you'll stay away." She eyed me for a long while, feeling unfair about the whole situation. I couldn't blame her, either. It was totally unfair. We kept all the secrets locked away in our minds, then forced her to promise things that she didn't understand. "Raeleigh, please," I begged, "Not for Sam. For me."
She exhaled deeply-not quite a sigh. The already formed tiny pucker in between her eyes, had deepened. She remained silent for a long while as her eyes narrowed and her mouth twisted into a lopsided pout. "Fine," she gave in, "I promise. But only because you asked me to…not because I wanted to. I'm too curious for my own good-where curiosity kills the cat. I'd be the cat."
Or just another girl in the woods, I thought but instantly shook the image out of my head the moment an altered version came to play. "Thank you."
She hesitated a moment before replying, "Sure, sure."