Chapter 22: Strange Happenings.

Eric still hadn't returned to school by the time the final bell rang, which had me feeling a bit disconcerted. Part of me feared that something had happened to them on their way home, maybe something to do with the individual I'd seen in the woods. I started wondering whether or not I had made the right decision by not telling Ira and Dante about the white-haired stranger. As I met them in the parking lot, I was about to open up about the stranger I had been seeing in the forests, but Dante cut me off.

"They're back," he said with an endearing smile and, after taking in my confused expression, added, "Apparently they ran into traffic on the way back."

"Oh," I replied, still a little stunned, and all thoughts of informing them about the stranger flew away with the chilly wind that tossed my hair. I ran a hand through my wild mane as I thought towards everything I had to do today. I needed to get to the store before all the turkeys were taken. Oh! My hand found my forehead as I realized that, in order to get to the store, I had a truck that was probably an ice cube by now. A groan slipped through my lips as I realized the daunting task of defrosting my vehicle was going to take much longer now than it would have earlier. Maybe I should have driven myself to school.

"Is everything all right?" Ira inquired and, as I met her gaze, her brow furrowed. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I murmured and threw my hands up exasperatedly. "I just remembered that I need to go to the store and my truck is currently frozen."

"Oh, that's not a problem," Ira said in a surprisingly happy tone and rubbed Dante's arm. "We'll take you."

"Oh…no…I couldn't." I waved my hands in front of my body, in a gentle rejection, but their sincere smiles told me they weren't convinced. "I don't want to impose anymore than I have."

"Impose? Never!" Dante grinned and wrapped an arm around me, guiding me towards the SUV in the middle of the parking lot. "It'll be a privilege!"

"Are-Are you sure?"

"Try and stop us, Bella," Ira teased, while I climbed into the car, and shut the door behind me. Once inside, she turned and began talking endlessly the door behind me. Once inside, she turned and began talking endlessly about everything from the gossip at school to Eric. "Did you know that he takes baths for the fun of it?"

"Vampires don't need baths, right?" I remembered Alice mentioning that to me during the summer. She explained that although her kind didn't need baths or showers—because they didn't sweat—they did need a way to clean up. However, never once did she say anything about bathing for fun.

"We certainly don't," Dante chortled and looked at me from the rearview mirror. "Eric has always been a bit of a drama queen."

"Sounds like it," I muttered, not really sure what to say to that. I knew Eric, but not nearly as much as Ira and Dante knew him. From the sound of it, they were a bit irritated by some of his nuances—like bathing—which I didn't see as a big deal.

Once we reached the grocery store, I immediately switched to business mode; having experienced Thanksgiving shopping before, I knew I had to be aggressive. I grabbed a cart and barreled into the shop, with my vampire chauffeurs in tow, and was immediately surprised to see the lack of people. True, Phoenix had a bigger population of last minute shoppers, but this was astounding. The grocery store was empty!

"Uh, wow," I sputtered and stopped where I was, confused by the absence of people in the relatively small store. After rubbing my head, I pushed forward and headed towards the butcher's area. Once there, my stomach dropped as I saw the Turkey section completely diminished. Not one bird was left.

"No turkeys?" Ira inclined an eyebrow as she appeared beside me.

"No turkeys," I confirmed and crossed my arms across my chest with a huff. "Great, now what am I going to do?"

"We could steal one from someone else's house," Dante suggested with a wicked smile. Ira and I both glared at him in response. "Well then, I suggest you pick something else."

"I guess." I had to admit, Dante was right. There was no sense crying over spilled milk, so I turned my attention to the remainder of the poultry aisle. Sitting regally, without a head, staring at me, was a decent-sized large chicken. My stomach rattled as I thought of my recipe for baked chicken, and I placed the plastic covered bird in my basket.

"Chicken?" Ira appraised my choice with a skeptical eye.

"I don't really think it's what we eat that counts," I spat, a little agitated, and headed towards the vegetables. I was relieved to find a good collection of fresh veggies waiting for me. After picking up a few carrots, celery, some squash, and a few other items throughout the store, I paid the clerk and carried the items to the car.

"So, what are your plans for the remainder of the day, Bella?" Ira asked as we rounded the corner to my house.

"Nothing, really," I replied, curious if they were going to invite me to do something. Then again, I wondered if Eric would be happy if I just showed up. Perhaps he wanted some alone time before seeing me. I didn't want to be a nuisance. "I think I'll probably work on some homework or something."

"Nonsense," Ira shook her head as Dante stopped the car in front of my house. "We're heading towards a holiday, Bella; you can't spent time doing homework. Come with us to the house."

"I don't know, guys," I said and climbed out of the SUV. What if I showed up and Eric didn't want to see me? "I don't want to bother anyone."

"Bella," Dante strode forward and seized my head with two hands, "stop it."

"You're not a bother," Ira insisted as her husband released my head from his vice grip. "We love your company; I wish you could see that."

They both looked at me with pained, disheartened grimaces and I couldn't help but feel like I had insulted them. Not wanting to upset them, I quickly agreed to come over for a visit, after we dropped off the groceries. I was astounded that I didn't get the third degree from Charlie as to why I didn't take my truck to school. In fact, as I entered the house with the groceries, he hardly acknowledged me. He was far too busy barking orders and questions into the phone.

I carefully moved around him, putting food items into the fridge and the cupboards, all the while still attempting to eavesdrop.

"That's right, it was south of town again," Charlie growled and shifted his body away as I shoved some bread onto the top shelf of the pantry. "No, I told you, keep the reporters out until we've examined everything!"

Something happened south of town…again? I was immediately filled with uneasiness as I thought of the McRaes; they didn't value life the way the Cullens did, could they be doing something that I wasn't aware of? Pondering the possibility for a few seconds, I shook my head when I realized if they had been killing anyone, then their eyes would be red.

"The M.E. just arrived?" Charlie's voice arched in interest. "Good, then call me when they finish." He hung up the phone and stood there for a few seconds before shifting to face me.

"Hey, dad," I said warily, not sure if his mood had improved since he was off the phone. "Everything all right?"

"We're still having problems south of town, Bells," Charlie said with an exasperated sigh and practically collapsed into a chair at the table. He pulled his hand across of his forehead before letting his head fall to his hands. "I'm not sure what's happening anymore."

"How so?" I took a seat across the table from him and leaned forward. "Tell me what happened, dad."

"It's nothing you need to worry about, Bella," he said and I could visually see him close up, which meant I wasn't getting anything out of him. This worried me to no end; it took a lot to rile Charlie up like this. Whatever was happening south of town, it was bad.

"So, you didn't take your truck today?" Charlie asked, his voice taking a lighter tone, trying to change the subject.

"Yeah, I got a ride," I answered and motioned towards Dante's SUV parked outside. My eyes widened, as I realized that I had kept them waiting for awhile, and I was instantly on my feet. "Speaking of, I was going to go hang out with the McRaes again today—if that's okay."

"South of town?" Charlie's brow indented and his eyes took on a frightened look.

"Yeah," I confirmed and quickly added, "their entire family is going to be there though."

Charlie rubbed the back of his neck, probably debating with himself on whether he should let me go or not. After taking a look outside, he sighed and hesitantly agreed, saying what I thought was a curse word under his breath, but I couldn't be sure. Charlie's behavior was getting more and more bizarre with each passing day, and, since it obviously had something to do with their neck of the woods, I decided to ask Ira and Dante.

The two vampires were idling by their SUV, playing with one another's hair, when I returned. They shifted to face me, eyes glistening in the dim light, and grinned broadly.

"Your father is watching us from the window," Dante said, looking over my shoulder briefly. "He's worried, isn't he?"

"You could say that," I answered and, after a few seconds of awkward silence, I continued. "Hey guys, what's going on south of Forks?"

Ira and Dante both glanced at one another and narrowed their eyes, looking skeptical and threatened. Dante crossed his arms and leaned back against the SUV, while Ira moved forward and placed her hands on her hips.

"What are you talking about?" she asked with a hint of suspicion in her tone.

"My dad's the chief of police," I explained, a little nervous by their sudden change in demeanor. "He said there have been some strange attacks south of town. He's really worried about me, especially since that's where you guys live."

Ira exhaled and glanced back at her husband, whose face was hard as stone, before answering. "It's nothing, Bella."

"No offense, guys," I said and mirrored Dante's position by crossing my own arms, "but my dad doesn't get upset like this over nothing. I know something weird is going on, and I'd appreciate it if you let me know."

"She's telling the truth, Bella," Dante responded in a monotone voice without looking me in the eye. "It's some animal that's been feeding on the hikers."

"But—," I started, about to contest that if it was just an animal then why hadn't my father and the other policemen been able to kill it? However, as I opened my mouth, a prompt jingling came from Dante's direction.

He pulled out a small silver cell phone and flipped it open. "Hello? All right, we'll be there in a bit." He shut the phone quickly before opening the backdoor of the SUV and shifting to face me. "Someone wants to see you, Bella."

I cocked my head sideways in curiosity, but was ushered forward by Ira into the backseat. Making a silent vow to find out what was going on, I dropped the subject for the time being as Dante started up the car and began driving south.

The air was full of moisture, which told me that the rain wasn't that far off, but Forks was still relatively dry by the time we got the McRaes house. I was still blown away every time I saw their home; it was just so large. Even the Cullens' home was no match for the grand McRae mansion. As the three of us crossed the yard, I noticed the large hulking form of Argos standing at the edge of the tree line. As I pointed him out and he shifted to face us, his dirty blonde hair falling across his face. Ira waved him over and his figure blurred immediately. In half a second, he was standing in front of me, the curves of his muscles caught my attention as they flexed through his black shirt.

"Hello, Monstro," Dante quipped and threw an arm around Ira. "Keeping the house safe?"

My eyebrows drew together as I saw Argos' features contort at Dante's words. His eyes melted with a hint of sadness, almost hurt, before flashing angrily at the blonde vampire. However, before he had a chance to speak up, Ira decided that it was her turn.

"Of course it's safe, Dante," she giggled and patted Argos's shoulder. "Who would dare defy this leviathan?"

Argos's head fell, his jaw locked tight, and, with a nod of his head, he turned and headed towards the back of the house. My face had fallen already at the sight of this, but my heart broke a little as I watched Argos disappear around the side of the house. I turned back to Ira and Dante, astounded that they would insult Argos in such a way, however their jovial faces told me they probably didn't care.

"You coming inside, Bella?" Dante inquired, his arm still tight around Ira's shoulder.

"Yeah," I said, a little distracted. However, the more I thought about Argos, somewhere in the backyard, I knew I had to do something. "I…uh… actually want to…uh…talk to Argos about something."

"Really?" Ira's lips arched as she stared at me in disbelief. "Why?"

"It's…uh…personal," I stuttered, trying to try and find a reason why I needed to talk to their brother, whom I had only seen a handful of times. "I'll catch up with you guys in a bit."

"Um, all right," Dante said slowly and the two made their way to the front door at human pace, glancing back occasionally with incredulous looks.

I didn't waste any time; as soon as they were halfway to the door, I headed after their massive brother. However, as soon as I rounded the corner he had disappeared behind, I realized the error in my way. Argos was nowhere to be seen. I glanced around the flat expanse, where the McRaes apparently trained, but couldn't see him anywhere.

Just when I was about to give up, I noticed a trail leading into the forest and rushed towards it. As I moved into the trees, I was immediately surrounded by a dark green ocean. The clouds had grown heavy and dark, a warning of rain, and it was becoming difficult to see.

I glanced around and, just when I thought about heading back, I heard a twig snap. My body whipped around in the direction of the sound, a shiver running through me, but I saw nothing.

"Argos?" I called into the dark shrubbery, not sure if he was here anymore. I figured, if he was anywhere near, with his advanced senses, he'd be sure to hear me. "Are you out here?"

"Are you lost?"

I screamed and lost my footing, which caused me to fall towards the earth. The moment I had called out, a deep, gentle voice had answered right behind me. As I began falling face first, my body stopped about six inches above the moss covered ground, and a second later I was over my right shoulder, I found a pair of concerned emerald eyes pouring over me.

"Oh!" I exhaled heavily and placed my hand on my chest, trying to catch my breath. "Argos, it's you."

"Is everything all right, Bella?" He cocked his head to the side and his brow wrinkled heavily.

"Yeah…I…uh," I stumbled as I noticed Argos had no shirt on. The hazy light was enough to throw shadows across his perfectly chiseled abdomen and defined arms. Even the memories of Emmett's muscles were nothing like this; Argos was completely unique. He was also apparently uncomfortable, because, as I continued to ogle him, his expression grew bashful and he crossed his arms over his small action was thankfully enough to break me from my trance. I flushed bright red at my actions and was grateful when he pulled his tshirt, which had been tucked in his shorts, over his head.

"What are you doing out here, Bella?" he asked and his facial expression grew worried. "The weather is growing dangerous."

"I wanted to…uh…make sure…um…you were okay," I stuttered, now feeling a bit awkward about my decision. I hardly knew Argos, and yet, I wanted to comfort him.

"I don't understand," Argos answered, his face losing none of its concern.

"Well," I said slowly, trying to figure out how to proceed. In the end, I figured to be direct. "I noticed that Ira and Dante said some mean things to you," I watched him cringe softly, "and I wanted to see if you're okay."

His lips tightened and he turned away from me, his hands falling to his sides. "Those two know how to push buttons."

"So I figured," I responded and moved closer to him. "Are they always like that?"

"Yes," he whispered, almost too soft for me to catch. "They only do this when Melena is away."

I nodded and cringed as my own memories of being picked on as a child arose. Argos turned back to me, his face pained, and I moved closer to him.

"I know what it feels like," I muttered and lowered my eyes to the ground.

"When I lived in Arizona, there were a group of girls who made fun of me every chance they got."

"Why would they do such a thing?"

"I have no idea," I answered and shrugged, feeling the old bitterness fill my throat. "My mother said it was because I was prettier, but they were the ones who had all the boyfriends. They used to poke fun at my inability to tan, and my constant clumsiness. The name 'Bumbling Bella' became like second nature to me."

I walked away from Argos, feeling the ancient wounds began to rip open, and found a seat on a fallen log. He followed me, taking a seat at my feet, and gazed up at me with his green eyes glittering in the faded light. A new expression had taken over his face and dominated the worry; Argos appeared intrigued and fascinated.

"How did it end?" he asked and I couldn't help but laugh.

"I moved to Forks," I responded angrily, remembering the send off that the group of girls had given me. All my belongings had been dumped into a toilet and flushed, flooding the girls' bathroom. My mother had been called and I left school early, too distraught to go back and stand up for myself. My hand curled into a fist as I thought of the smug grins on their faces as I sobbed all the way into my mother's car.

"You don't deserve that," Argos said and I looked at him, his eyes were lowered to the ground. "I do."

"What?" My mouth fell open at his last comment. "Why on Earth do you think you deserve it?"

"It's not important, Bella," he sighed and lifted his head, almost like he was listening for something. "Erickson is coming."

"But, Argos—"

"Bella!" Eric's voice called from the other side of the trees, and, before I could turn around, his arms were around me. His eyes poured over me, seeming to look for something. "Is everything all right?"

"Yeah, I was just talking to Argos," I said, a little confused. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

I turned over my shoulder and noticed that Argos had disappeared, Eric and I were alone. Turning back to face him, I saw Eric do something that I had never experience before—I saw him get angry.

"Bella," he growled in a voice I had never heard before. It was guttural and raw, filled with anger and rage. "You will never do something so incredibly idiotic again, do you understand?"

I cowered a bit at the decibel his voice reached; he was almost yelling at me.

Taking a step back, my face contorted in horror as his expression remained the same. Who was this?

"W-What?" I stuttered, both shocked and horrified.

"You could've been hurt!" he growled, his face softening a bit, and moved forward, which forced me to take an additional step backwards.

"By who?" I demanded, my voice screeching as I reciprocated his glare. Seconds ticked by, filled with an impenetrable silence, and Eric's harsh features melted to a grimace and then to a sad frown. Seizing the opportunity, I moved towards him cautiously and touched his arm. "What's wrong, Eric?"

He lowered his eyes and sighed heavily. "It's nothing, Bella," he answered slowly but, after a second, added, "I'd just feel better if you didn't go off wandering alone."

"But, I wasn't—"

I was about to insist that I was with Argos, and therefore, not alone, but I stopped at I processed what he said. I'd just feel better if you didn't go off wandering alone. As the intensity of his words soaked in, my memories of Edward were triggered.

I'm not the most dangerous thing out there.

There was no animal in the woods killing people; Ira and Dante had lied to me. As I stared at Eric's face, I had a feeling that he wouldn't tell me if I asked him—but I didn't need to.

As I tried to put all the pieces together, to make an attempt to figure out what was going on, Eric's back became straight as an arrow. His face grew angry but he wasn't looking at me, in fact, he was looking over me.

"What is it?" I asked and turned around, only to find the vast forest behind me.

"We need to go," Eric hissed and wrapped his arm around my waist. Even though his posture was rigid and he looked angry, Eric guided me through the trail and back towards the house gently. I came to a stop as he started to guide me towards his car, parked haphazardly behind Dante's.

"Where are we going?" I asked, my brow indenting heavily. Eric had just shouted at me a few minutes ago, I was a little hesitant to go anywhere with him.

"I have to take you home, Bella," Eric responded in a monotone voice, and continued to stare over my head.

"Why? I just got here," I contested and crossed my arms as he reached out to take my hand. I was sick and tired of being kept in the dark, I wanted answers, and I wasn't leaving until I got them.

"Please, don't make this more difficult," he sighed and lowered his head.

"What's happening, Eric?" I asked and his eyes rose to me. "Please talk to me."

"I can't, Bella," he replied and cringed. "I'm sorry, not now anyway."

"But—"

Eric's eyes trailed over my head again, and, jumping on the impulse, I spun around. My eyes widened at what I saw. Standing behind me was a tall, slender individual, with pale skin and piercing red eyes. His crimson irises burned into me with a look of curiosity and his mouth was twisted in a confused frown. There was something familiar about his face, but, at the moment, I couldn't place it.

His dark hair fell clumsily just below his ears, and he ran a hand through it, moving loose strands from his eyes. His pallid face was perfectly

angular, but held a level of seriousness that I had never seen in any

vampire. His expression became hauntingly eerie as he focused his

attention on me fully. I shifted uncomfortably and took a step back towards

Eric, who was rigid against me.

The strange vampire looked confused but, after a moment, moved past

us. As he moved with liquid grace, he stopped beside Eric and placed a

hand on his shoulder, before heading to the front door and disappearing

into the house.

I was too stunned that I didn't resist when Eric pulled me towards his car

and started the engine. I was confused why Eric had let that vampire waltz

into his home like nothing was wrong. However, as we reached the

highway, realization dawned on me. I had just seen Lazarus.

Author's note: Passive aggressive, anonymous reviews will be deleted. If you're going to criticize me or my readers, at least have the decency/courage to leave a signed review.