Disclaimer: I am not Stephanie Meyer. I do not own Twilight.
Chapter Eight
There was a vampire on my front porch. There was a vampire near Charlie. There was a vampire who knew my name on my front porch near Charlie!
I didn't know who he was, but I would recognize those red eyes anywhere. He had short curling hair that was the color of wet sand. His tanned skin looked odd mixed with his chalky complexion. I knew that if I touched his skin, it would be colder than death.
"I do apologize for knocking so loud. I was in a hurry to see Bella," the vampire said.
"Who are you?" Charlie asked, glaring at him.
"Afton. I am a… friend of the Cullen's. They asked me to come by and check on her," Afton smiled.
Charlie continued to glare at him. I was trying to control my shaking, but failing miserably. I had noticed the pause and I was pretty sure the Cullen's wouldn't be friends with a human drinker.
"Well, you've seen her. Now get going. And tell them not to worry about Bella anymore. She's no longer their concern," Charlie rumbled.
"Of course. Do you mind stepping outside with me for a moment, Bella? I have some things I need to discuss with you," Afton asked politely.
I knew it wasn't a request. If I even dared to say no, he would attack and drag me from the house, probably killing Charlie in the process.
"S-sure. Um, Dad, if one of the guys comes, tell them I went for a walk," I mumbled, walking past him.
"Bella, I don't want you going anywhere with this guy. I don't trust him," Charlie frowned.
"It's okay, Dad. Carlisle told me about him. He won't hurt me," I tried to convince him.
Charlie continued frowning, staring at Afton's odd colored eyes. I bit my lip, hoping he would just let me go.
"Alright. Not too far, though. She just got out of the hospital," Charlie groused, slumping a little.
"Of couse," Afton bowed slightly.
I walked outside and he took hold of my hand, a little too tightly. He wasn't going to take any chances with me escaping. He led me away from the house and towards the woods. He walked as though he had a specific spot in mind. I followed helplessly, hoping the guys had made it to the house by now and knew what was going on.
I was suddenly jerked to a stop.
"Ah, Bella. You smell as delicious as he said you would," Afton sighed, smiling.
"Wh-what do you want with me?" I asked.
"Well, now, it's not what I want. It's what Aro wants," Afton corrected.
"Who's Aro?" I asked.
"The leader of the Volturi. Didn't your precious Edward tell you?" Afton laughed.
I shook my head.
"Of course he didn't. Wouldn't want to scare his little play thing," Afton cooed.
"What do you want?" I asked again, my voice getting stronger.
"Ah, yes. You see, Bella, humans are not to know about us. Those that find out have to be taken care of. Your Edward has refused to turn you, so Aro must decide what to do with you. He will either kill you or turn you. But, as I said, Edward is fighting him. Apparently, he thought you were dead. Otherwise, he never would have come to us for neutralizing," Afton explained.
Nothing he was saying made any sense to me. They were going to kill me or make me a vampire? Why? Just because I knew what they were? But, I was an Omega. That meant it was okay if I knew, right?
I could feel the pack as they moved through the trees. They were coming closer. Jake was in the lead, letting our imprint tell him where to go.
"I'm not human," I told him as the pack began closing in.
Afton looked at me in shock for a moment or two and then threw back his head and laughed.
"Oh, my, Bella! That was rich. Tell me, if you aren't human, what are you?" Afton asked, his eyes still laughing.
They were close. Just a few more yards. I was surprise Afton didn't hear or see them.
"Omega," I whispered.
The trees were suddenly alive as four wolves flew out at the vampire. I stumbled back against a tree, breathing heavily. A light grey wolf came to stand before me. I knew it was Leah. She was the only girl, after all. The others were Sam, Jake, and Seth. I wondered briefly where Paul, Jared, Embry, and Quil were.
Leah's back was to me and she was watching the fight. She growled with the pack as they ripped the vampire apart. I clutched her fur, leaning against her as the tearing continued. I buried my head into her shoulder blades, wishing I could drown out the sound.
I felt one of them phase and then there was the sound of fire and a sickly sweet smell in the air. Leah whined beneath me and shifted. I looked up to see Sam was the one who'd phased. He was standing there, staring at the flames.
Jake and Seth followed his example and phased back. Jake was by my side in an instant, wrapping his arms around me and holding me close.
"God, Bella! What the hell were you thinking?" Jake moaned, burrowing into my hair.
"That I didn't want that thing to kill Charlie," I gasped, holding onto him just as tight.
Jake didn't have a response to that. He just held me tighter. I understood completely. His emotions were flowing directly from him into me and it was causing me to feel both of our pain and worry.
"Jake, please. Just, take a deep breath," I panted, struggling under the force of everyone's emotions.
He took in a breath and let it out forcefully. I felt his panic reside and was able to get a hold of my own emotions. Everyone else was still pumped up on adrenaline, but I found myself blocking them out. My shield was safely back up, protecting my thoughts and feelings.
"We'd better get you back. Charlie was not happy when we got there," Jake sighed.
I nodded against his chest. He bent down and picked me up bridal style. I clung to his neck as he walked back through the trees. We were soon surrounded by the others. Seth bounced up beside Jake.
"Wow, Bella! That was so cool! I like having you around. Do you think any other vampires will come and want to kill you?" Seth asked, overly excited.
"I hope not, Seth," I answered, unable to keep the laughter out of my voice.
"What did he want, Bella?" Sam asked, coming closer.
"He said something about the Volturi wanting me, who ever they are. Apparently, Edward thought I was dead. He went to them and they found out about me. I'm not supposed to know about vampires because I'm human. I had just told him I was an Omega when you guys came tearing out of the trees," I explained.
"Do you think he came alone?" Sam asked.
"How should I know?" I scoffed.
"Sam," Jake warned.
Sam looked at Jake and backed off. I snuggled into his chest, placing a kiss above his heart in silent thank you. He returned it with a kiss on top of my head. I smiled and closed my eyes, enjoying having him close to me.
"Where are the others?" I asked sleepily.
"Around your place. We weren't sure what was going on, so just to be safe, we wanted them here for Charlie," Jake answered.
"Thanks," I murmured.
Jake tightened his hold on me as he climbed the steps to the house. Sam opened the door and the four of them walked in. Charlie was standing by the living room doorway, obviously pissed. I pushed against Jake's chest and he set me down on my feet.
"Dad, I can explain," I started.
"I would love to hear it," Charlie snorted.
"He knows the Cullens. Edward was worried about me and sent him to check up on me," I made up on the spot.
"Why would he care?" Charlie snapped.
I flinched at his tone and what his words implied; that I wasn't worth caring about. Charlie noticed and he seemed to deflate. His eyes turned sad and he reached out to hug me awkwardly.
"Sorry, Bells. I didn't mean it like that," Charlie sighed.
"S'Okay, Dad. You're right. He shouldn't have cared. I don't know why he sent Afton," I agreed.
"He won't be coming back, Charlie. That's what's important," Jake assured him.
"What'd you do to him?" Charlie asked suspiciously.
"Dad, he was… um… you were right not to trust him," I mumbled, staring down at my shoes.
"What did he do to you, Bella?" Charlie nearly shouted, grabbing my shoulders.
"Easy, there," Sam murmured softly.
I looked over at Jake to see him glaring at Charlie, his lips pulled back in a silent growl. He was trembling slightly and I knew I had to calm Charlie down before Jake phased right in our hallway and attacked.
"Nothing, Dad. He just threatened me. Sam, Jake, and Seth took care of it. Don't worry," I promised him.
"Roughed him up a bit?" Charlie asked Sam.
Sam nodded once, a satisfied look in his eye. Charlie gave him the same nod before letting me go. Jake's hand was instantly wrapped around my wrist and pulling me against him, away from Charlie. Charlie was looking at the two of us, confused.
I started worrying. Charlie was intuitive. He was bound to figure that something was up. I glanced at Sam in alarm, letting him feel what I was feeling. Sam stiffened and watched Charlie closer. Charlie was still focused on Jake and I.
One of Jake's hands came up and brushed against my hair. I could tell he'd felt what I'd sent Sam. I wondered if Leah and Seth had felt it too. I really needed to work on sending thoughts and emotions to the right person.
"Bella? What's going on?" Charlie finally asked.
"What do you mean?" I hedged.
"You know exactly what I mean, young lady," Charlie glared, crossing his arms.
What do I do? I thought to Sam frantically.
"Charlie, there are some things we can't tell you. You just have to trust us that everything is fine," Sam interceded.
"Damn it, tell me what's going on, now!" Charlie shouted.
I flinched back against Jake. He moved to stand in front of me.
"Leah, get her out of here," Sam instructed.
Leah nodded and grabbed hold of my hand. She pulled me from the house, not giving me a choice. Seth followed, blocking my view.
"No! Wait! What are they going to do?" I asked, tugging against her.
"Nothing bad, Bella. Calm down. They're going to call Billy and have him talk to Charlie," Leah soothed.
"They're going to tell him?" I screeched, stopping dead in my tracks.
"Well, it's going to be hard keeping it from him. After all, you are a part of the pack now. If we need you, we can't have him wondering what's going on. This way, he'll know your position in the pack and won't try to keep you at home when we need you," Leah explained.
"But… Oh, alright," I grumbled.
Leah stopped at my truck and leaned against it. Seth walked around and pulled the tailgate down. He and I hopped up to sit there, swinging our legs.
"Soooo… you and Jake, huh?" Seth grinned.
"Shut up, Seth!" I laughed, shoving him.
"What? I think it's great!" Seth argued.
"Oh, really?" I asked, smiling.
"Yeah. You two are great together. Plus, apparently Jake was a really bum to be around before. Not so much anymore. Now, we just have to deal with all the lovey-dovey thoughts he has about you," Seth gagged.
I laughed and shoved at him again. Leah was smiling, keeping her eyes on the house. I figured she was listening for any trouble.
Suddenly, Seth stopped laughing and was facing the trees on the other side of the truck, growling softly. Leah spun in that direction as well, her eyes scanning the trees.
"Cool it, Seth. It's just us," Paul grumbled, walking out.
He was followed by the rest of the pack.
"What happened?" Leah asked.
"We picked up another scent near the one you guys caught, but it disappeared near the beach. We weren't able to follow," Jared said, rubbing his face.
"We were able to tell it was a female," Embry inserted.
"Not Victoria, though," Jared continued.
"Jake's gonna be pissed," Seth groaned, leaning back.
"And you think Sam won't be?" Paul huffed, leaning against my truck.
"I can't believe we missed all the action," Quil whined, plopping down next to me on the tailgate.
"Don't worry. With Bella around, there'll be more," Seth teased.
"Seth!" I cried, taking a swing at his legs.
He jumped to avoid them, laughing all the while.
"Where's Sam and Jake?" Embry asked.
"Inside with Charlie. He got suspicious. They called Billy and he's setting up a bonfire tonight so the legends can be told. Charlie's not buying it," Leah sighed.
I frowned and looked towards the house. I concentrated and pushed my thoughts to Jake.
How's it going in there? I asked.
Not good. Charlie's looking a little red, Jake answered, showing me what he meant.
Charlie was talking on the phone, obviously to Billy, and his face was turning from pale to red to purple.
Jeeze, Jake. Get him to calm down! I insisted, moving to stand up.
Billy's handling it, honey. You just stay outside. I don't want you around him right now, Jake said.
I struggled with my desire to help my father and the knowledge that Jake would flip out if I was around Charlie right now.
Alright, I agreed, sinking back to the tailgate.
I love you. I'll be out as soon as I can, Jake promised.
I love you, too, I answered, smiling a little.
I severed the link and looked at the pack.
They were all watching the house, their heads tilted as if listening to something far away. I smiled at the picture they made. It was clear the wolf-half was seeping into their human-half. The way they were listening was just like a dog.
"Alright, you dogs, stop eavesdropping," I teased.
"Who you calling a dog?" Paul snapped, giving me a mock glare.
"You, dog breath!" I shouted, hopping off the truck.
"You are so going down," Quil mock growled.
I laughed and took off running around the yard, the pack right behind me. I was tackled to the ground, my face pressed into the dirt.
"Get off me, Paul!" I shouted in between fits of laughter.
"Apologize first," Paul taunted.
"NEVER!" I yelled, thrashing my arms and legs.
"Say sorry!" Paul laughed.
"NO!" I barked, still struggling.
"Oh, Bella. Jake will be so disappointed if something were to happen to you. Don't make us hurt you," Paul mock threatened.
"Ha! You'll be sorry if Jake hears you threatening me!" I pointed out.
Paul went quiet.
"He never has to know," Paul murmured in a loud voice.
I was still laughing throughout this exchange and my sides were starting to hurt.
"Alright! Alright! I'm sorry I called you a dog!" I screamed as Paul began tickling my sides.
"Aaaahhh. Music to my ears," Paul sighed, rolling off me.
"You. Are. Evil!" I panted, rolling onto my back.
"Really, Paul. You're lucky Jake didn't see that. Looked a little suggestive," Jared teased.
"Yeah, right! Damn, Jared! She's his imprint. I'd never," Paul growled.
"Chill out, Paul. He was just joking," Leah snapped.
"Butt out, Leah," Paul warned.
"Alright, everybody calm down," I insisted, moving between them all.
The air was instantly still. The tension that had been flowing between Leah and Paul faded and it was quiet. I breathed a sigh of relief and flopped back down on the grass. Without warning, everyone turned to the house and Leah moved to stand closer to me.
"OUT! GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!"
I sat up, looking at the door. Sam and Jake hurried out, Charlie behind them, waving his gun.
"DAD!" I screamed, standing up and moving towards him.
Jake caught me around my waist and pushed me back.
"No, Bella! Not now," Jake said.
"Jake, he's my dad!" I cried, fighting against his hold.
"ISABELLA MARIE SWAN! GET IN THIS HOUSE THIS INSTANT!" Charlie roared from the doorway.
"Let me go, Jake," I demanded, pushing against his arms.
Jake growled and held me tighter.
"Let her go, Jacob," Sam ordered, pulling on his arms.
Jake dropped his hold and I ran into the house. Charlie grabbed my arm and yanked my inside, slamming the door behind me. He locked all the locks before turning to me.
"Explain," Charlie commanded, his voice low and dangerous.
"Dad, just calm down, okay? It's all going to be okay," I promised.
"Okay? You think this is okay? Bella, this is far from okay. Do you have any idea what those things are?" Charlie asked.
"DAD! They're not any different than they were yesterday! So what if they turn into wolves! If it wasn't for them, you and I would both be dead right now!" I shrieked at him.
Charlie just stared at me, his eyes wide.
"That's right! They saved our sorry asses from getting killed by a vampire. That guy who came here today was a vampire. He was going to kill you and kidnap me. If it wasn't for the pack, he would have!" I informed him loudly.
"Bells… I didn't… They didn't tell me…" Charlie stammered.
"Probably because you wouldn't let them! You probably just charged right in with accusations," I accused.
Charlie looked down at his feet, ashamed.
"Look, Dad. It's not all that bad. Really. Jake loves me so much. More than you can even imagine. This is a good thing. He'll never, ever leave me," I whispered.
"Yeah. Billy told me you are his imprint? What the heck is that?" Charlie asked, his anger gone.
I smiled at him. He was willing to give this a try. I threw my arms around his neck and squeezed. He staggered back, surprised, but wrapped his arms around me, too.
"I love you, Dad," I sniffled.
"Love you, too, Bells," Charlie replied gruffly.
I pulled away from him and continued smiling.
"I really think we should go to the bonfire tonight. Billy can tell you all the legends. He's much better at it than I am. Plus, it'll show everyone you're not angry anymore and they won't have to hide from your gun," I teased.
Charlie grunted, but gave me a small smile.
Everything was going to be fine, now.
I was sitting in between Jake's legs at the bonfire. Charlie was sitting beside us, watching and listening to Billy with an awed expression on his face. Every once and a while, he would glance down at me in disbelief. I just kept giving him reassuring smiles and patting his leg. He'd get used to everything, I was sure.
When we'd first arrived, he'd glared at Jake. I really couldn't blame him seeing as Jake came running up to me and lifted me into his arms, giving me one of the hottest kisses I'd ever had. It had been clear he'd been worried about what Charlie was going to do about the two of us. He'd caught on pretty quick, though, and had been good for the rest of the night.
I smiled remembering him offering to show Charlie his wolf form. Charlie had paled and shaken his head, clearly uncomfortable.
Billy was getting to the important part for me and Charlie; the legend of the Omega. I had told Charlie that I held a special position in the pack structure, but hadn't explained further. I had told him to pay special attention to the legend of the Omega tonight. I noticed him leaning forward out of the corner of my eye. I hoped he'd take it well.
Billy began the same story he'd told all of us over a week ago about the first Omega. Charlie was completely enraptured, hanging on Billy's every word. When Billy came to the part about a new Omega for the current pack, Charlie snapped to attention. He glanced down at me, his eyes wide. I gave a slight nod and Charlie turned his attention back to Billy.
When Billy had finished, everyone started talking and breaking off into groups. Charlie was staring at the flames. I waited for him to say something, but he just continued watching the fire. I looked up at Jake and he was watching Charlie as well.
"Dad?" I asked, looking back at him.
Charlie jumped and looked at him, surprised, almost like he'd forgotten we were there.
"Sorry. Just… a lot to take in," Charlie sighed, running his fingers through his hair.
"I understand. It's okay. It was a lot for me, too. And I already knew about vampires," I smiled.
Charlie closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. I knew this was going to be hard on him, but he was tough. He'd pull through it.
"Alright. I'm good," Charlie nodded, standing up and walking over to Billy.
I figured the two of them would be talking late into the night. Charlie no doubt had a ton of questions and Billy was just the person to answer them. I leaned against Jake, relief coursing through me.
"I love you," Jake murmured, kissing my neck.
"I love you, too," I sighed, tilting my head.
Jake smiled and rubbed his nose up and down the column of my throat. I shivered as he placed open mouthed kisses against my skin. He trailed his lips down to my collarbone, nipping it. I gasped and closed my eyes.
"Jake. Our dads are less than twenty feet away. You shouldn't be doing this," I warned softly.
"Mmm. They'd better get used to it. They're going to be watching it for quite some time," Jake chuckled.
His breath caused goose bumps to appear on my skin. He laughed again and placed one last kiss against my jaw before leaning back against the log we were sitting in front of.
Leah came over a second later, plopping down beside us.
"So, Bella, feeling better?" she asked.
"Yeah. I'm still tired. Billy thinks I'll be back to normal by the end of the week. Though, I have to admit, that run with Paul did not help any," I laughed softly.
"What run?" Jake asked, frowning.
"Paul decided to tackle your girl here after she called him a dog," Leah answered before I could shush her.
"Excuse me," Jake growled, standing up.
"You've done it now," I groaned, sinking against the log.
"PAUL!" Jake shouted, stalking over to him.
"Oh, come on. It's fun!" Leah insisted, smiling as Jake ran to catch Paul.
The two took off for the shoreline, laughing and howling. Seth, Quil, and Embry joined in on the fun. Jared and his imprint, Kim, were sitting with Sam and Emily, talking amongst themselves. Harry, Billy, Old Quil, and Charlie were sitting together, no doubt talking about the pack. Sue was sitting with Quil's mother, Diana, close to the Elders, listening in on the conversation.
Leah laughed beside me and I looked to see Paul walking out of the ocean, completely soaked. I laughed with her as I saw him run up behind Jake and tackle him to the ground.
This was home. Everyone I cared about in one place. I knew we should be worried about the other vampire and there was still Victoria to deal with, but right now, everything was perfect.
Come on, guys! You really didn't think I'd leave a cliffhanger for you, did you? And what's up with everyone thinking it was going to be Edward or a Cullen? Do I really come off as that unoriginal?!? I sincerely hope not!!
You guys rock so much!! I had a ton of reviews within an hour of posting!! I came back from class and had thirty some emails from FanFiction. I really hope this chapter was up to par. I tried to make it a little longer since the one before was so short. Hope you enjoyed!!
Unfortunately, I won't be able to post again for a few days. I just found out that my friend's mom passed away. I'm going home for the funeral, but I don't know when I'll be leaving, which means I have to be ready to go whenever. Anyway, I won't have much time to write, but I'll try to get something up on Sunday for you guys, cause you all totally deserve it!! See you next chapter!!