Chapter Three
I vant to suck your blood
Sammy
When the connection faded I crossed to the door and wrenched it open. "What do you want Dad?"
"To talk with you, quite frankly, if the others shifted I think that you wouldn't be able to lead them."
"They have to obey my orders, what does being able have anything to do with it."
"Maybe, but you also have to have them respect you and respect them. I made a mistake with Jacob and wound up loosing Seth's sister."
"She isn't lost, just with Alex and the Cullens."
"How do you know that the bloodsuckers might have bitten her by now. She doesn't realize the constant danger she's in."
"Maybe she does and finds it worth the risk, why didn't Mom leave when you clawed her? Because there are somethings worth getting into danger for, worth fighting for and family is one of them."
"Speaking of family, you haven't been very dedicated to the pack recently."
"Dad how can you say that? You don't let me run patrols and you don't ask Emile to cook do you? I might not be able to transform, but that doesn't mean that I want to spend my life cooking and making house."
"Then who do you expect will do it, I can't ask Collin and a time will come when you'll both want your own house."
"Not if he continues to treat me like I'm five years old! He doesn't let me go anywhere, or do anything!"
"He's worried about you, he has been since that incident."
"Dad! I was a baby, I could defend myself now, give me a chance, I'll go up against the guys, I can handle myself you know. I've been taking marital arts classes since I was six years old, I most probably know more about fighting then you."
"You don't know what its like fighting vampires, you can't understand what its like."
"Can't I Dad? I've seen the scars, I think I know what's what." I replied. "You have to stop treating me like a child, treat me as if I were another member of your pack."
"But your not, your my daughter."
"I'm also one of the pack, maybe not your pack, but a pack." I protested. "As such I think you should allow Alex to visit, although he's not coming to La Push, he wants to ask your permission anyway."
"I suppose that I don't have a choice, as they are allowed in Forks by the treaty."
"Alright, I'll tell him in my next letter."
"How many times have I told you that I don't want you to write that boy."
"He's my friend dad, not that boy." I replied. "Actually we're seeing each other."
"What?" He demanded his face becoming very colorful as he started to tremble.
"We're seeing each other, well through our letters anyway. We see the same movies and write each other about them, and about other things as well."
"I forbid you to see him, or date him."
"Your not my keeper Dad, I'm seventeen, in half a year I'll be eighteen. You can't dictate my life, even though you might want to, I'll see him if I want to and I'll take my cousins down a few pegs if I want to. I'll do what I want to, because there is a little thing called free will, maybe it doesn't sound familiar to you, but it exists!" I told him and he stared at me, his shaking had stopped and had made way for shock. He stared at me in surprise and I stared back into the eyes that so closely resembled my own.
"I give you plenty of freedom, you just have some things required of you and I expect that you do them. Not seeing leeches is included in that."
"Honestly Dad, I think that your stereotyping, I mean calling all vampires leeches is sort of like calling all shapeshifters drama kings. Which you know isn't true, as some are female and some don't have that much of a temper." I told him and he sighed, as there was a knock on the door.
"Sammy?" My mom asked from behind the door. "Could you help me in the kitchen?"
"Ask Emile to do it for a change." I replied. "I most probably would burn food the way I'm feeling at the moment.
"Cooking always makes me feel better." Emily said and I sighed.
"I know it does Mom, but that doesn't mean it makes me feel better now does it? I'm not a copy of you Mom, I'm not stuck in the nineteen fifties, I want to do more with my life then offer it in servitude."
"Apologize to your Mother now." My Dad said, trembling slightly.
"Honestly Dad, I look at people in my school, even the children of your pack and I wish I was normal. That I had a normal family, without a domineering father or a subservient mother. I'm glad that I'm not in your pack dad, otherwise I think we would both drive each other insane. You never truly understand what I'm saying you just act like you do in the moment and then you turn in the other direction. I'm not apologizing dad, because I'm not sorry and I need to stop acting to please you and Mom. I hate cooking, because I'm forced into it. Everything in my life is forced except for my relationship with Alex, can't I have one thing you don't rule over? Is that too much to ask? Don't answer that, I don't need your lies or false statements of sympathy. Why can't you just leave me alone and let me live my life the way I see fit?" I felt myself shaking all over and let it seize control of me, until I was on four feet instead of two and I ran out of the house.
Waiting for me outside were my 'cousins', the members of the clans that hadn't yet shifted and they were all staring at me. I could tell that Dad wanted to get the 'wayward daughter' back in line, right now however I didn't want to see anyone even in wolf form. I ran past them, my paws brushing against my cousin Harold's leg, he gasped in surprise and at once I felt sorry. His leg was slightly cut and bleeding. I couldn't keep my mind off the blood for some reason it seized hold of me, like I was some primitive animal and I had to taste it to bite into his leg. I reacted without thinking and clamped down. The blood didn't taste disgusting at all, like I would have expected in human form, rather it tasted delicious. With the blood however came clarity of mind and I realized what I was doing. I stopped at once and looked up at him in shock, while he stared down at me shaking, a moment later I was greeted by something that had a lion's main but a wolf's body.
What happened? Why did she bite me? Did I transform?
I nodded, Woah she just nodded at me, am a wolf or a lion? What will mom say when I tell her this, the guys are so jealous. I can practically see the envy, ha I can transform and you can't.
"Harold transform so your a wolf or a cat if your able to do so."
Woah did god just speak to me, hey God I didn't know you were a woman.
"I'm not god, now transform back Harold." This was just perfect, Harold had an attention span of a goldfish and not a particularly bright goldfish at that. Although saying that would be cruel to goldfish everywhere. I mean come on he's been hearing pack stories his whole life and he actually asks me if I'm god.
I'm not going to do that, wow that's a weird feeling, never felt that before. A moment later he became a silver colored wolf. No way that is so cool, I want to be a cat now.
"Harold, don't transform into a cat." I said quickly to him.
That voice again, wonder where its coming from, its no fun! I realized that I was doing exactly what my father did, I was ordering Harold around. I shuddered involuntarily. Hey Sammy is that you? Are you the voice inside my head, hopefully you are because hearing voices is a sign that your crazy and I don't want to go to the funny farm. Although there might be some cows there and I would kill for a stake, or Emily's stew. Sammy always burns the food and its yucky.
"Gee thanks I'm glad someone agrees with me. I can't cook to save my life and yet Dad keeps trying to make me."
Sammy so that is you! So did I transform what do I look like? I sighed, this was getting annoying fast. He spun around in a circle. Hey what's that bushy thing I think it looks fun to chaise, I've always wanted to do that. I'm gonna get you bushy thing.
"Harold listen to me." I told him and he sits down with one ear cocked up, just like I've seen him do in class about a hundred times. "Now I can hear your thoughts, can you hear mine?"
You are the voice I knew it, I don't have to wear a strait jacket yea, I hate clowns their scary anyway.
"Now Harold apart from when I speak to you can you hear my thoughts?"
The voice again at least its not telling me to do something, I can just hear the voice, the nagging voice. Its worse then Mom and Dad.
I sighed and put my head in my paws. "That's because your Mom and Dad let you get away with everything."
Not true, there was this one time, where I told them that I was going to the movies and went to a party to get drunk. I came back from the party and Mom and Dad were waiting up, they both practically shifted right then and there. I was too afraid to speak in case they did shift and come after me.
"I don't need this, I don't need this, come on Sammy find that happy place." I thought.
Turn that frown upside down, oh when your happy and you know it clap your paws, lets see how do I do that, oh right, leap into the air and clap them together got it.
"Alright Harold this is what I want you to do, you weren't actually that mad, but when you calm down enough for whatever reason I want you to transform back alright?"
What ever you say voice lady."
I groaned and realized that Daddy had arrived with the cavalry and my clothes. I barked clearly asking for some space to change and Dad nodded to Amaya, Harold's mother who came forward with a blanket. I quickly transformed behind it and wrapped myself in it. "How have you survived fifteen years with him?" I demanded and Amaya laughed.
"Sometimes I wonder that myself, so you heard him?"
"Yeah, it was sort of impossible not to, the strange thing though was that he heard me only when I wanted him to."
"That is strange." Dad replied and I nodded, I felt stronger then I had in my entire life at the moment. "So you bit him and he transformed?"
"No, first I had bloodlust, then I bit him and he transformed." I replied both ashamed and frightened.
"Bloodlust?" My father asked.
"Yeah I saw it often enough in Alex's mind as a child to know what it is. That's what I felt when I accidentally clawed him on my way by."
"Could you somehow transfer him over to my pack? He needs guidance and experience."
"I transfer him? I suppose I could order him into your pack but I'm not sure if that would even work. Hey maybe the link I have with him is like one Alfa to another apart from the fact that he's in my pack. Maybe I can even talk to you now Dad." Dad stared at me. "In wolf form I mean, you could give me some pointers now I'm a Alfa too."
"Don't get ahead of yourself Sammy." Dad said. "I won't allow you to run patrols and I defiantly will not allow you to lead a pack."
"Dad, what can you do about it? I could always live with Collin if you don't want me at home anymore, but I won't be cowled by you anymore if you don't like that then too bad. I definatly won't cook anymore as my efforts have something to be desired for and I think that everyone would agree with me on that subject." I sighed. "Dad I told you before that I need to become an Alfa in my own right, if these guys are in my pack I want to have the tools necessary to lead them and if you won't help me with that, I'll find out on my own. I'm not a little girl anymore dad, its time you start treating me like it."
"Are you challenging me?" Dad asked me.
"If it will prove to you that I can take care of myself then sure." I replied.
"Alright then, first one that gets pinned wins." Dad said to me.
"Fair enough." I agreed. "Wolf form or human?"
"Wolf." My dad replied and I nodded, a moment later I was back in wolf form. I nodded at my Dad who had stripped down to his boxers before he also transformed. I smiled at him sizing him up.
No way Sammy's taking on Sam, this is so cool.
"Hey Harold?"
Hi Voicy how's it going?
I growled letting my impacience show a little. "Don't call me voicy ever again, you know full well that its me and could you sleep or something? I'm trying to consetrate.
Alright Mrs. Voice, I feel sleepy now.
Thank you, why couldn't he just sleep all the time? I wondered as he curled up into a ball and a few seconds later he was snoring.
"You handled him well."
I actually yelped in surprise, it was weird to hear someone suddenly. "Daddy?"
"Turns out you were right we can talk in wolf form. I heard you giving him orders in my mind."
"Do you know a way that I could make him less annoying I want him to feel as though he's free to do his own thing, but he's driving me crazy."
"Congradulations Sammy its a boy." Dad said dryly. "Actually the whole thing sounds familiar to me, you see I have this reqlase daughter."
"Dad alright point taken, I'll think before I act as long as you let me go out on patrols and serve the pack in the way I want to."
"Very well but you need to spend more time with Collin, it hurts him that your seeing Alex."
"Well dad if Collin treated me like a woman instead of a girl, maybe I would. You know you simply order me to spend time with him or he stops by 'out of the blue'. Seriously Dad you have nothing to worry about he's not getting anything. There are several reasons why Alex is my boyfriend one of them being that he actually asked me out, through one of his...I realized suddenly that I was unable to lie to my Dad. "Through our mind link."
"Mind link what do you mean?"
"I can talk to him like we're talking now. Mind to mind, its so much faster then having a conversation. I won't let you stop me from seeing him or talking to him. We don't do anything, apart from the one time we kissed when we were three years old, but that was just on the cheek."
"Did you kiss him or did he kiss you?"
"I think I licked him and then he kissed me, we had gotten pudding on our faces." I replied as Harold started twitching in his sleep. "That's strange not that I would want to, but why can't I hear him while he's dreaming?"
"Quite frankly I don't know, it would be weird if the pack could." Dad replied.
"Yeah it would be." I agreed. "So do you want to fight? I don't really feel a need for it anymore."
"Neither do I, I suppose the problem is that I can't help but see you as a little girl Sammeth. My little girl, if that makes sense."
"I suppose it does in a way, you'll always be my way over protective father and I'll always love you even if you are domineering."
"I can't wait until you have kids Sammy, it would serve you right if they were just like you."
"If I have kids, who knows, I might not be able to." I replied. "At least it has perks, no cramping no bleeding through my private parts."
"I did not just hear that!"
"Classic guy response." I thought and let out the wolf equivalent of a laugh. "We should do this more often now that we can. It helps us understand each other."
"Agreed, more father daughter talks, but no touchy feely alright?"
"Definatly not! That would be too weird, I mean Dad no offence but your not the guy I want to tell my deepest darkest secrets to."
"None taken! If you give me gossip..."
"Oh speaking of which, Alise is dating again, thought I might pass that happy news on."
"How many times do we have to tell her that its a bad idea to get into relationships that aren't with her imprint.
"I don't know, should I awaken sleeping beauty or can he wake up by himself?"
"Well when you order a person to do something they have to obey it until you overlay the order with another. Sometimes they find some way of getting around it and then you have to tighten it up. It takes some time, but its important to remember that they each have their own mind."
"How could I forget that? Harold's mind is driving me crazy! Maybe I could order him not to think, I was just kidding Dad."
"I wanted to do that with Freddy more times then I could count. I'll talk patrols with you once more people transform, so you bit Harold and he transformed."
"Don't ask me to bite the others Dad, it was my suprise that stopped me from continuing to drink Harold's blood. I defiantly don't want to get addicted to it." We both shuddered at that thought as Mom walked outside.
"Dinner is ready, whenever you want although I'd prefer it if everyone waited for people to arrive before eating." The whole pack nodded and I got under the sheet again transforming and pulling on clothes. I then walked over to Harold, who looked almost sweet for a moment sprawled awkwardly in a heap as he was. I smiled and gently stroked his fur, feeling the softness of it.
"Harold?" I asked and he continued to snore. "Wake up Harold." His eyes snapped open and his tail wagged. "Now I want you to transform back." He nodded and a second later Harold became human again with the noticable lack of clothing. I admit that it freeked me out and I shrieked, the pack came running outside and laughed when they saw both of us blushing furiously.
"Welcome to the pack son, where your forced lack of modesty is worth the perks of transforming." Seth said as Harold hastily wrapped a sheet around himself.
I went back inside and the others went after me. "Bite me please Sammy." My brother asked and I sighed.
"I'm not biting you, I don't know where you've been and I know for a fact that you haven't washed in a week.
"I'll wash right now if you'll bite me."
"I'll order you to wash every day if you ever transform if you keep this up." Meanwhile Harold was looking around a little nervously, he seemed relieved after he looked around him and then he paled as something crossed his mind. At that moment Quil and Claire walked into the house, Quil carrying a small bundle of pink blankets..
"Claire convinced me to bring Sofia with us." Quil said as the bundle in question started to cry. Harold's eyes filled with tears.
"Oh no, no! She's only a week old!" Claire said.
"Sammy was only a day." Collin replied his eyes growing cloudy with memory.
"It hurts." Harold said and ran to the bundle. When he saw her he gasped and the crying stopped. "Sofia." He said as if it was the most beautiful name in the world. "Its alright, I'm here. Can I hold her Quil?" Quil looked at Claire who moved away for a moment before nodding reluctantly. Harold held her as if she was a treasure, precious to him. "Hello little Sofia, I'm Harold." He told her softly, Sofia screwed up her face and the room smelled fowl.
"Gross." Freddy said.
"Oh precious did you make a present?" Harold asked the baby. "Lets get you changed." He then looked uncertainly at Claire. "I don't want her to cry again, I don't think I could bare it if she did."
"I'll change her, she's my daughter after all." Claire replied and took Sofia from Harold pulling out a diaper bag.
"Don't worry Harold, she'll come around, Emily did." Collin said and I sighed.
"I don't envy you kid." Dad said. "Imprinting is wonderful, but if you thought he was annoying before...Well lets just say its a whole new ball park."
"Gee Dad thanks for the reassurance."
"Anytime Kiddo." Dad replied as he went over to sit at the table. Moment over most of the clan joined him apart from Harold who was still staring at Sofia as Claire changed her diaper.
"Come on Harold, you have to be hungry." I said to him. "I always am." He nodded and moved incredibly slowly to the table, taking the last chair close to mine. Emily served the plates and we waited for Claire before she nodded and we all started eating the soup she had prepared.
"This is good Mom." I told her and she smiled at me.
"Thanks Sammy." With Mom, not many words were needed, she understood me better then all of the clan and I loved her. I nodded and finished my first bowl before grabbing the serving spoon and ladling some more soup into it and I did the same with Harold who was eating robotically.
"Hey Claire, why don't you give Sofia to Harold so you both can eat?" I asked and they both stared at me startled before Claire nodded and passed Sofia to Harold. Harold started to eat more quickly with her in his arms and had soon finished his bowl. I sighed, rather then eat more I decided to head to my room, I felt very tired and filled with an new responsibility that I didn't know how to handle yet. "Mom? May I be excused?"
"Yes of course sweety." She replied and I picked up my bowl washing it up in the sink before going upstairs. I changed into my pajamas and fell into bed asleep practically as soon as I hit the mattress.