Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction and Twilight is under the rightful ownership of Stephanie Meyer. However, I do own the plot and original characters within this work of fiction.
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Chapter Two: Goodbye Forks
Bella's POV
It was like waking up in a dark too small stuffy box.
With black iron bars that dug deeply in my sensitive hindquarters.
I was distinctly aware that I was moving, mainly because the ground was rocking back and forth with every sharp turn.
"Where am I?" Peeking between bars provided no answers. There was a black separation wall between this accursed box and what I assumed to be the front of the vehicle. "How did I even get here?"
The last thing I remembered was walking through the forest. How many times have I heard that before? Usually before the stupid blonde heroine is knocked out cold.
"Hiiiii! Anyone up there?" I screamed…and then froze. 'Was that my voice?'
It sounded almost like a heaving cow rather than the English language. Was there even words in that mixture of what sounded like deep pants and drawn out huffs?
For the first time I noticed I could see clearly inside this 'supposedly' dark cage. And that my head was reaching way too high up in what had to be a 10 foot enclosure.
Then I looked down.
It proved to me a mistake.
A large light brown snout met my gaze. My eyes followed it and met with a pure black wet nose.
Spinning around I collided with another wall of iron bars. It didn't really hurt seeing as I seemed to now possess a thick shaggy coat of fur and fat. However that movement allowed me to see just how LARGE I was.
And that I was standing on all fours. I held up what used to be a pale thin arm with baby pink fingernails. I was met with a huge brown- almost black- paw with 4 inch claws. They were dirty and covered with mud.
I had seen grizzly bears before. Admittedly, they had been on T.V but still. The ones in Alaska drew hunters and nature viewers and from all over and were said to be one of the biggest grizzlies around, the males towering at 5ft at the shoulder and 9-10 ft standing on its hind legs and weighing over 1,000lbs. Why I chose to remember such a fact now was lost on me. Perhaps it was my mind's way of staying calm until the last possible moment.
Being confined in a small cage made looking at oneself difficult but I could just tell that I was definitely either that size or bigger.
It was suffice to say I freaked out.
Screaming I pounded against the cage, throwing my entire body into it. The truck rocked sharply to the left and for a minute I was standing completely sideways.
"Let me out! Let me go!" The words came out in a series of panting whines.
This couldn't be happening. I had to be dreaming.
The truck slammed back onto its four wheels and I bounced along with the tires.
'Well if this is a dream I'm waking up right now' Determined, I pounded my head into the cage bars like a deranged mental patient.
It hurt. A lot.
I distinctly remembered Jake telling me you couldn't feel pain in a dream. But what did a sixteen year old boy know?
I did it again just to be sure.
"Hi calm down back there!" A feminine voice screamed and I stopped mid hit. 'So they can hear me back here!'
I roared. The sound bounced off the walls. It made the cage feel even smaller and I sat back down and curled up as tightly as possible.
It didn't help.
I had to get out now. The walls, the cage, the iron bars were becoming too much. I felt claustrophobic- though I had never been so in my life. I had never had much phobias in my life, though I should have after all the crap Edward had put me through in our short time together- though I could admit and laugh about the fact that most of that shit had been self-inflicted.
'Am I really thinking about Edward at a time like this?' I almost slapped myself before remembering the fact that I had knife like claws attached to my finge..uh um – paws.
The trunk suddenly lurched to the side and I hobbled over, flat on my back. The weird hump thing on my upper back felt awkward and tears escaped my eyes as I stared up at the barred cage in this dark dinky truck. This was real.
And there was nothing I could do about it.
It could've been the physical strain, mental stress or claustrophobia but my mind went blank and sunk into blissful ignorance.
In other words I fainted.
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"Oh great she's at it again!" Amara, the third in command of the BRT (Bear Recovery Team) said, grabbing Kirby's headrest as the large hummer rocked sharply to the side. For a minute they were all balanced precariously on two wheels before mercifully balancing off.
"She's a tough one that's for sure" Malina said, resting her head back "I gave her enough Thiopental to knock out an elephant!"
"I'm just looking forward to getting back." Kirby sighed, wincing as the girl started to grunt and rattle the cage. "Hi be quiet back there!" She snorted when the roaring started.
Cheeky thing.
"Aww is someone missing her latest honey boo boo?!" Kyson- the fourth in command- laughed, his grey eyes shining "Imagine that, our fearsome leader falling heads over heels!"
Blushing, Kirby growled "Shut up!"
"I think its adorable" Malina smiled, supporting her friend "I still remember Cay's face when she found you two cuddling in the barn!"
"Haa! Trust me there was little cuddling going on in there and our little wolf alpha knew it!" KJ howled from the driver seat. As the newest member of the BRT he had the lowest job, which was mainly driving the team from A to B, but his work ethic had Kirby, the team leader watching him closely.
For a werewolf he wasn't too bad. I would so get smacked if Alex heard me thinking like that.
Alexandria Wolfe, daughter of the alpha of the Eastern Alaskan pack, Cay Wolfe, didn't take shit. Especially people even joking about her species. The fact that werewolves ranked right above vampires on the 'Most hated supernatural' list was not something Alex took kindly too.
Perhaps I've bitten off more than I can chew this time. Sighing Kirby laid back in her black leather seat and watched the rain dot the windshield 'I wonder if I should get her flowers on the way back.'
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It was nighttime by the time the armored vehicle finally lumbered into the edge of the Katmai National Forest on the North Slope of Alaska. It was -5 degrees Celsius and the night air was refreshingly crisp as a quarter moon loomed over the scattering of spruce and blackwood.
The side door busted open with a clink and Kirby sucked in a deep breath of fresh air. "Finally! I thought for sure I was going to die."
"Always the one for melodramatics." Malina laughed, jumping and landing softly on mud covered ground "Ahh smell that air! Forks was definitely too humid this time of year!"
"Let's just get sleeping beauty out of here" KJ yawned, a series of pops echoing as he stretched his arms "I'm going to be airing out this hummer for months, not to mention the damage she probably did to my poor cage."
"Yeah yeah Mr. Whiney" Kirby waved everyone over to the back "Let's get this over with."
With a heave Kirby retched the door open, blowing the scent of musk, fear and confusion into the open air.
"Is she sleeping?" Kyson asked in disbelief, looking at curled up ball of brown. For all the noise and commotion she had caused everyone expected the girl to be heaving and snarling the minute they opened the door.
"Probably the drugs finally took effect" Malina noted "I mean normally most go under right away but with all the adrenaline that was pumping through her system…" She trailed off.
"Well, I'm not going to look a gifted horse in the mouth" KJ hopped in and quickly started unlocking the 5 heavy duty bolted locks in place, tsk tsking as he noted the dents and scrapes lining the cage's bars. "I just had this thing reinforced too!"
"She's definitely a strong one" Kirby chuckled "The biggest female we've had in a while!"
Bella blinked awake at that moment
New smells immediately assaulted her, making her noise flare as she blurrily lifted her head.
It was dark even with the doors open, the quarter moon only providing the minimal amount of light. Still, Bella could perfectly see the dark figure looming in front of her. Could see his dark brunette hair, shoulder length and slightly ruffled as if he hadn't brushed in weeks. His ice blue eyes wide and chest heaving in barely controlled huffs as he stared at her.
Sniffing deeply dark brown eyes closed as she deciphered his unique scent – pine, sniff, apple juice, sniff sniff and the overpowering scent of animal musk.
Without warning her eyes turned nearly black and she lunged, slamming against the still mercifully closed cage.
"Shit!" Backing away in a blur KJ cursed as he shook his hand, his finger draining dark red blood before quickly sealing shut just as fast. He had been lucky not to lose his entire arm.
"Are you ok?" Quickly stepping forward Kirby examined his hand before signing in relief "You need to be more careful!"
"Yeah no kidding" Amara whistled, her dark brown eyes focusing on the now silent brown bear who was now carefully sniffing at them in confusion. "Poor kid's all hoped up on hormones, adrenaline and whatever lovely cocktail Docs been giving her. A fearful shifter abouts as dangerous as they come."
Bella stared at them, head swinging back and forth as she backed away further in the cage. Her head was killing her as she focused once again on the boy who she nearly KO'd.
"I'm sorry" Guilty and hurting she laid down in an instinctive behavior to appear smaller. Almost immediately all five heads swung in her direction and her ears twitched in discomfort.
"Bella"
Hearing her name Bella lifted her head and met another pair of similar but different pair of brown eyes. Wearing a pair of simple jeans and a simple black tee, this woman radiated power and Bella shrunk away.
"She's still got it" Bella heard another woman whisper and her eyes sauntered away to look. This woman also possessed dark brown eyes though they appeared almost black in the little light. Getting distracted Bella watched as dark shadows danced in the moonlight, stretching across the small shrub bushes and fallen logs surrounding them in the forest. The chilly air rushing into the truck felt good on her overheated face and she exhaled deeply.
"Bella" Kirby repeated her name as she watched with some amusement as the kid got distracted again "We need you to focus."
Kirby watched in almost amazement this time as the newly minted cub stretched out on her stomach and once again gazed in her general direction, though she kept her gaze specifically averted from her gaze. Good, at least her bear recognized her position. This is gonna make her transition much easier.
"Do you remember what happened in La Push?" Bella blinked at the question. All she recalled was trying to find the meadow Edward had taken her so long ago, searching for some closure. Then…Victoria! She had appeared, all fiery beautiful with a cruel smile on her face. She remembered how the red haired tormented her describing in detail how she was going to torture her.
That was when things got fuzzy. She had screamed how she's wasn't anything to the Cullens, especially Edward anymore. The injustice of it boiling her blood even as fear settled in her heart. The bitch hadn't even cared! Laughing she sauntered around the clearing, as if this was all just a game, as if the life Bella had just started to re live had all been for nothing but to end with her mangled corpse draped in the forest for her poor father to find!
Unbeknownst to her Kirby and Amara easily watched the muggy scenes that played across the cub's mind, getting some glimpses as the bitter smell of anger suddenly filled the air.
"Bella!" The sudden growl had her muzzle lifting and flanks raising.
"You need to focus. I know you're confused but if you get angry we'll have to dart you again. Do you want that?!" It was mostly an empty threat considering there was no way in hell any of them was prepared to lug her 1 ton butt to their base camp further along the peninsula. Possible but in no way economical.
"Is that why I'm so tired?" Even now her legs felt like lead and her head throbbed. Shaking her head she forced herself to stay calm. Who knew what these crazy people wanted with her. Though the feat was easier said than done. Even now she could feel that that familiar thud thud thud against her head, as if some presence was trying to get her to open up.
Kirby ignored the question, not wanting to freak the kid out any more than she probably was. When the freak out came she hoped to be in her cabin, snuggled up with Alex in front of a fire preferably. Watching a next teenager throw a temper tantrum was not on her list of things to do today.
This mission itself hadn't even been on her list.
Shaking her head she focused back on her charge "We're going to let you out. Then you're gonna get a warm bed and some food." She spoke slowly, letting her scent flare as if to reinforce her words "Then we'll explain everything. You cooperate and everything will be nice and easy."
Amara almost wanted to snort at that, nothing was ever easy with these cubs. Young and drunk off their own power they were misguided as well as dangerous. Then again, that's what the BRT existed for.
"Why did I want this job again?" Shaking her head she tried to remain as calm and non-threatening as possible. Anymore agitation and the cub would bolt and there was no way in hell was she prepared to spend any more time than necessary outside. She was tired, hungry and needed a good piece of steak.
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The night bleed in stunning colors of soft pink and golden yellow. Bella didn't know how long they had been walking. When the tall pine trees of the forest eventually gave way to soft coastline and the sound of rushing water eventually met her ears she figured they had been walking for at least five hours.
She was surrounded, her so called guardians forming a tight V around her.
"I'm want to go home" She thought morosely, watching as her large paws formed puddles in the sand. New smells assaulted her nose with every breath now. The scent of fish was the most prominent and it had her salivating at the mouth "I don't even like fish"
The next scent was musky with the scent of earth and blood mixed in. It smelt familiar, yet different from the scent her five guardians gave off.
In all reality she was lost, dirty and hungry
"Hi keep moving" a soft voice commanded gently and Bella shook herself as if to clear the fog as she turned her head.
The woman with that strangely strong sent stood right in back of her.
"The most vulnerable position" Bella thought strangely as she continued walking. It still felt as if something else was lurking in the shadow of her mind but she ignored it as her gaze drifted around.
Clear rolling tundra stood on the right side, with snowcapped mountains far away in the background like some kind of elite guardians. The land was mostly flat with the scattering of what looked like black tinted lakes, white birch, pine and foothills.
It was beautiful and Bella concentrated on the landscape as they continued to trudge to who knows where.
Big ears perked a minute before a small red fox skulked out from beneath the roots of a large pine.
Its green silted eyes took one look at them before letting out a shrill bark and ducking back inside.
"Well that felt good" Bella sadly laughed, though it came out sounding like a series of guttural huffs.
Finally after what felt like forever they reached a small village. Well…to call it a village was stretching it.
A small scattering of natural wooden houses projected inwards from the coast. The land stretching outwards forming a peninsula within the peninsula. Shading the entire civilization was a large grass covered mountain. A small flag pole stood proudly in the center of this small abode.
It seemed desolate even though the sun was high in the sky.
"Finally!" One of the woman shouted, followed by what seemed a collective sigh from the entire group "That took forever!"
"Hi at least she didn't try to run, remember Tara?" Malina said even as she stretched out her back, pops echoing in the quiet.
Bella zoned out the conversation and let what her mind was quickly determining to be the dominant one of the group led her into one of the said cabins.
It smelt surprisingly fresh and crisp and reminded her of one of those scout camping trips Charlie had forced her into when she was nine.
With moose antlers, nature paintings and deerskin rugs making up the entire picture.
Kirby snorted as the kid lumbered into one of the twin size beds, wet fur and all, and face planted.
In the next second her body seized as fur shrunk, skin lightened and her spine contorted. Kirby winced as a series of sharp popping sounds echoed in the small space. Her claws were the last things to go.
"Kids gonna hurt in the morning" Jumping, Kirby glared at Malina as the woman walked in, needle in hand.
"You love doing that don't you?" She accused as Malina injected whatever serum into the slumbering kid.
"Yes and yes" Laughing, Malina ran her fingers through Bella's now butt length hair "Why don't you go say hi to your new boo, I'll sleep in the next room."
Not having to be told twice Kirby hightailed it in the next second, though she did take one last look at the cub's peaceful face "Poor kid didn't deserve this…"
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A/N I know this doesn't make up for my long hiatus but whoever's still reading I hope you enjoyed. Life's been busy as always.
As for my other story, I've lost the majority of my Twilight mojo but will try to continue it! I know what I want it to go but writing it proves difficult.
-Flames Miracle