(Eb Pov) 6. A Turn For the Worst
The ride home was purely boring except for the occasional flash of silver fur from Sasha. Swinging the car into the garage, the three of us-including Sasha-strutted in the mansion. When we crossed the threshold of the living room, Sasha paused at the door and curled into a small ball, favoring her front left paw. Onyx followed suit and kept her wolf company, scratching her head and stroking her body length
"Where do you think Dad keeps the first-aid kit?" I hollered down from the second-floor.
"Try under the sink in the bathroom. I think I saw it there last night," she responded.
"Thanks!" It was exactly where she said it'd be, but there was no rubbing alcohol, only hand sanitizer and those wet-wipes. It'll have to do.
"Did you find it?" Onyx asked while fiddling with Sasha's paw.
"Yeah, but there was no cleaning alcohol," I sighed.
"Come on, Sasha. I need you to change back," Onyx whispered in the wolf's ear.
She began to shudder, her eyes rolling into the back of her head as bones began to crack and pop. The fur retracted into her skin, and a pale brunette lied in the place where Sasha was. Her hazel eyes flicked up to our faces, and she whimpered, shivering as she struggled to cover her stark naked form. I shushed her, and ordered Onyx to flash upstairs for some clothes. A pair of blue jeans, some underwear, and a white tank top appeared on the floor.
"Get dressed, and sit on the couch while I fix you something to eat," I commanded, not waiting for a reply as I rounded the corner to the kitchen. Humming, I gathered some bread and lunch meat and started making sandwiches for all of us. "What do you like on your sandwich?"
"Turkey, cheese, pickles, mayo, and honey mustard," a tired voice called from the front.
"You know what I like," Onyx replied.
Once done, I carried three plates and placed them on the coffee table, one PB & J for Onyx, three turkeys-on-wheat for Sasha, and a BLT for myself. I relaxed by my favorite shape-shifting wolf and my sister and voiced, "Dig in."
It was quiet for a while, but I could only take the suspense for so long. It was killing me. "How did you find us? We wanted you to find your pack because we babied you for too long; I realize now you're as stubborn as me."
Technically, I did tell the truth to the Cullens. We found her as a wolf, digging through our trashcans in Atlanta. We didn't want the neighbors to call Animal Control, so Mother bought a house in the Appalachian Mountains in northern Georgia for her to roam around in. One night, we heard a pain-filled howl and witnessed her first change back into a human. Her story was that an evil witch cast a spell to punish her for her cruelty to others. She was frozen in that wolf's body for years until we found her and loved her. That was the key to her transforming body. The witch was kind enough to let her retain the ability to phase back and forth.
"Yep," she agreed cheerfully. "You can't get rid of me that easy. Now will you fix me up, Doc, or do I have to ask Onyx? Trust me, she is awful at putting on gauze."
"Fine," I huffed, exasperated. "You"-I pointed at Onyx in a motherly way-"go somewhere else. I know how much you hate the sight of blood. Sasha, stretch out on the couch and roll up your jeans."
The bruises, abrasions, and cuts covering her hands and feet were gruesome, some fresh and still gushing blood, others weeks old and healing quite cleanly. I quickly soaked a dish rag with some hand sanitizer and began tending to her wounds, wincing every time she whined softly in protest. After a couple of minutes my healing ability flowed through my fingertips, sealing her cuts and lightening her bruises.
"Feeling better?" I murmured, fluffing the pillows and coaxing Sasha to sleep. Her eyelids drooped, and then surrendered to the sleep invading her mind. I lifted my cheek in a small smile and tip-toed to the kitchen.
"Is she okay?" Onyx breathed, worry knotting her eyebrows together. "I know she must be tired."
"She is," I acknowledged. "So don't bother her; she needs her rest."
"But-" she argued.
"No buts," I said sternly. She pouted, and I rubbed my hand over my face wearily. "At least not until 8. That should give her a couple hours of sleep. I'm going for a walk; see you later."
I didn't wait for a response as I bounded out the back door to the surrounding forest. Trees engulfed the house in a matter of seconds as I hurriedly hiked the path to our meadow. A falcon-or maybe an eagle-screeched as it swooped in front of me to catch an unsuspecting mouse. Its squeaks and cries of help reached my ears as the predator devoured its dinner, and a shudder ripped through my back.
Abruptly, a howl sounded through the wind. I stiffened in total surprise and fear as soft paw pads rustled leaves and snapped twigs. Two glowing eyes met mine, and the wolf's large head whipped upward to sound the hunt. Following my instincts, I dashed through the bushes and bracken, terrified for my life. The sounds of pursuit were evident in the peace of the night, and something sharp grazed my left forearm. I gasped at the sudden pain fogging my mind, but I held on to my dear consciousness.
I stumbled on a root from a mighty oak, and the pack's howls of joy and triumph coursed through the sky. Hot breath panted on my face as I gazed into the alpha's eyes, and I panicked, thrashing against its heavy paws on my chest and screaming in its ears. It winced, and I used that to my advantage as I pushed my shield out. Its large body flew against a tree as the stunning electricity of my shield raced through the wolf's veins, delivering a shock that could have killed a smaller animal. The others of the pack were wary when they saw their leader opposite of me, whimpering sounds of pain. They surrounded me, attempting to attack but being forced to retreat. I guess my shield is too powerful.
Luckily, two other wolves approached the scene, one silver and another that's tan. They ripped the large pack to shreds. While I stared at the fight, entranced by my sister's techniques, the black one-the alpha-sneaked up to my side. Its gigantic paw swung at my face, and a nightmarish cry emitted from my mouth as blood poured from my cheek. My sister and Sasha snapped the remaining wolves' necks and sprinted to my side, scaring the dog away. Sasha took off after the wolf, and in the distance a mournful yelp caressed my senses. Onyx licked my face in comfort and curled up next to me. I couldn't move, could barely breathe. Pain made me immobile.
Trees rustled nearby, and Onyx lifted her lips back in a frightening snarl. Her warning was clear, but the footsteps continued toward my body. She vaulted over me, landing in a threatening crouch. A menacing yet slightly amused chuckle tickled my ears, and I knew it was him.
"Call off your dog, Ebony. We're just here to help," Edward ordered. I tilted my head and strained my eyes to see. He, along with five other people, emerged from the bushes. Two I didn't recognize, and Rosalie was absent from the bunch.
"Come here, Olive," I called her a fake name. She cocked her head to the side and snickered, trotting to the right of me and laying down. Sasha decided to make her presence known and imitated Onyx's position, head on her paws and on her stomach. They approached slowly, wary of the two protectors that guarded me.
"Ebony. My name is Carlisle, and I can help you. I'm a doctor; let me carry you to our house," the blonde male offered.
"No way. My house is closer; let's go there," I mumbled. Onyx nodded in agreement.
"Fine. Time is of the essence; we must hurry. You're loosing too much blood. Emmett, you carry her while I try..." His voice depleted rapidly as blackness overtook my sight.
A horrifying growl broke the thick sound barrier, followed by calm murmuring. The last thing I felt were two cold arms slipping beneath my head and legs, Edward's sweet voice whispering in my ear. "Sleep, my dear Ebony. Sleep."
AN: Review, people! And I'm sorry I'm not updating bi-weekly, or weekly, or anything else like that. The thing is, I already have the chapters through 10 on this story, so I've working on some others. Also, I've kind of had a mental block on this story, so I'm struggling through it. Give me some hope, guys! I refuse to let this story die until the end!