A/N: Hey guys, I know it's been too long, but I've been really busy and away for a week and etc etc. I've had so much writing block with every-damn-thing recently that this chapter was a bit hard to get, but here it is!
Thank you so much SasoLOVE111, RANDOM COOKIE NINJA, MintCcIceCream, kikikiki, TempusSimia, brightglo, Happy2BeeMe, 'Lil Obsessed and LoneWolfPack for the lovely reviews!
Hope you enjoy this one and leave a comment at the end!
. : Chapter 19: The Journal : .
Breathe. Just breathe, Evie. Oxygen is essential to a continued survival.
It gripped me, gnawed on me, and demanded that I face it.
I didn't want to. I don't want to, damnit!
I'd climbed up the stairs and shut the door firmly behind me. Now I leant against it and tried to calm the fuck down, whilst worrying that one of the buffoons had stupidly decided to follow me up and comfort me.
Hah. Them, comfort me. It was almost…no, it was nothing. I didn't need it. No. I'm not a princess, delicate and glass-slipper wearing. Nor would I ever marry a prince. Met one of them once, he was a prat. If someone else hadn't been trying to kill him, I probably would've myself. But that's not the point here.
I went to check my phone, but realised that I'd left it down stairs. Bugger, I probably could've used hearing Tammy's or someone's voices. Have them arrange me an appointment with some hideously overpaid shrink.
…Nah. You still couldn't drag me to one of those barsteds. Even if I knew I needed them.
My eyes fell on the old leather journal sitting on the bedside table. They stuck to it, unable to look away.
That's what I could use. A distraction. And what better distraction then a book left to me by my deceased father. What had he said about it?
'The story has been in this family, this tribe, for generations, but this is the first time it's really been written down.'
Hmm, definitely sounded like a distraction.
It'd do anyway.
I picked up the volume, felt the leather-soft from years of being-against my fingers. It wasn't very heavy, but it was a weight I felt inside me. I frowned down at it, but clutched it tighter anyway. I opened the window and climbed out, carefully making my way down the tree to fall the last foot to the soft ground.
Looking around carefully to make sure I hadn't been seen and there wasn't anyone to see me, I took off at a light jog into the trees.
I jogged on for a while, going deeper and deeper into the woods. Kept going until the path wasn't a well-worn one, it was littered with leaves and sticks, void of fresh tracks of any kind. I kept going until I could no longer feel the presence of man-of humanity, there was just nature, in its plainest and rawest of forms.
I slowed to a walk and just breathed for a while, pleased when the cool, pine-scented air filled my lungs.
Finding an appropriate log to sit on-it wasn't hard-I plopped down on it and stretched out my legs, digging my bare toes into the damp, dark soil. Sighing at the relaxing coolness, I shuffled around a bit more to get comfortable and opened the journal to the first page.
Tuari Uley
The name was scrawled across the top of the first page in neat, faded handwriting.
"Tuari…" I whispered, frowning in thought. "I know that name."
It clicked a few seconds later, and I resisted the urge to smack myself. Tuari was effectively my great-uncle, younger brother of Levi Uley-Sam's and my great-grandfather.
Summed up, our family tree went a bit like this: Levi Uley reproduced, then his children reproduced, getting my father and Sam's. As far as I understood it, our grandfather, Charles Uley, had a falling out with Dad over something or other, and my Dad changed his name to his mother's maiden name. Hence why I'm Eva Hanson and not Eva Uley.
So, my great-uncle's journal rested in my lap. Its pages weathered, yellowed and torn with time.
My interest skyrocketed. This was better then getting a new Harry Potter book. Well…almost. Yes, I do read more then instruction manuals and mission reports. Shocking, I know.
I flipped to the next page and started reading.
June 10th
It's happening again. First it was Ephraim, and now Levi has disappeared.
Ephraim Black-Jacob's great-grandfather.
He won't even see me! Four days it's been, since I last spoke to him. Then it wasn't much of a conversation. He told me that I was too young, that I wouldn't understand. I am not that much younger! He never speaks to Ruth like this. And she is younger then I am.
It was just like with Ephraim. He suddenly had an attitude and started eating the house down. Then he disappeared for a few days. Pa got all quiet, wouldn't even smile at Ruth when she made him cupcakes. When Levi appeared again, he was taller, broader and all muscle. He nodded at Caleb, ruffled Ruth's hair and told me off, then he left again.
I know the others know what's happened. But they won't tell us.
I remembered now. Levi was the second oldest, Tuari the second youngest, out of four.
June 20th
Levi came home again today. He's gotten bigger, if that was possible. Everyone acts like its normal again, like nothing has changed. But it has, I can see it in Levi's eyes. He's not the brother I knew before.
He's quieter now, but stranger. I saw him open a jar for Ma at lunch. He didn't even bat an eyelid. I know I couldn't have gotten it. But this time last month, he would've at least had to put some effort into it. And he's hot! It's raining and horrible today, and he's not wearing a shirt! It's not normal, but no one will listen to me.
Then Ephraim came around tonight, and he left again. It's strange between them now, too. Before, this, Levi was always the pushier of the two. But now…Ephraim has this…this sense about him. Like he's more.
Pa told me to leave it. That it was for my own good to leave it well alone. Ma just smiles and carries on. But she's worried. I can tell. I saw it on her face when Black showed up. Something is definitely going on, and I'm going to find out what.
July 3rd
Three! Now there are three of them! Quil Ateara is the new one. Same thing as with Ephraim and Levi. The aggression, the disappearing, the growth spurts, the weird behaviour! It's all there! A pattern that just keeps repeating.
I snuck up to a council meeting tonight, (that they are suddenly aloud to attend!) and heard the elders calling them our 'new protectors'. Something about genes, and talk of who would be next.
I would've stayed longer and learnt more, but Levi looked right into the place I was hiding. Like he knew I was there, like he could see me. I left, and he hasn't said anything to me about it, if he did know.
I've heard something about the protectors before. In our legends. Nothing makes any sense!
I paused at the end of the entry, recalling myself the referral to the protectors in the legends. Those who defended the tribe from the Cold Ones. The descendants of the wolves.
July 24th
Something's happening to me. The Protectors, as their being called now, have been watching me recently. Looking at me like…like I'm next. And now…it's happening, it is. I can feel myself changing. I've got such a short temper lately, no patience.
Pa clapped me on the shoulder, smiled, and said 'it'll all make sense soon, boy.' I DON'T WANT TO BE LIKE THEM!
July 28th
THEIR TRUE! ALL TRUE! The legends, the stories, their real, so real. There really are descendants of wolves, and there really are Cold Ones-Vampires. VAMPIRES!
I EXPLODED INTO A GIANT GODSDAMNED WOLF!
I'm a protector of the tribe, a carrier of the gene. Ephraim explained it all to me once I'd 'phased'. He said it has to be a secret from everyone except the Elders. I can hear them, in my head. When we're in our wolf forms, we can hear each others thoughts. Feel, and even see what the others are seeing.
I got so mad, that's what they said triggered the phase. When we get angry, we loose control and just phase. I was so close to hurting Ma, so close. If Levi hadn't been there, I don't know what would've happened. All I saw was red. I couldn't stop.
Ma forgave me, she said it was alright, that it was normal and that the others knew I was about to phase, so they were never to far away. It took me three days to turn back into, well, me. Three days!
It doesn't work like that normally. Ephraim said we can phase in and out at will, as long as no one sees us. He's our Alpha. He's got this sense about him, like he's born for this. And he is, I guess. His line will always have the Alpha gene, and be the Chief's of the tribe. I learnt Levi is his Beta, our second in command.
The growth spurts make up for our massive wolf size. We run on higher temperatures, so we don't really feel the cold. We don't get sick. We have the wolves' hunger, the strength and speed, in our human forms.
I can feel the wolf stalking inside me. Looking to get out.
Ephraim said that was normal too. Their half of us. Part of us.
It's so much! I can't get my head around all of it.
I'm a werewolf, my brother is a werewolf! It's all true. Their not stories.
I'm. A. Werewolf!
The journal suddenly felt like a brick in my lap. Was this some kind of sick joke? Was my great-uncle some kind of loon?
The legends, they couldn't be true, because then that would mean…
"Evie?"
I leapt into the air at the masculine voice, whirled around to face it, journal clutched tightly in my hand.
Jake stood there, looking worried and a bit confused. Bare except for the pair of cut offs that hung low on his hips. His muscular form seeming impervious to the slight breeze that was ruffling my hair.
Goose bumps ran up my arms and down my spine.
The muscles, the weird behaviour…
"Evie?" He took a step forward, reaching out and cupping my cheek in his massively warm hand. "Are you alright?"
I hadn't realised he was that close.
His touch made my skin tingle with a sensation in between pleasure and pain. His hand was hot. So hot.
"Ohmygod." I breathed, staring at him. "It's true. It's fucking true! Oh My God!"
"What?" He asked, frowning. "What's true? Evie, beautiful, what's wrong?"
I wrenched myself out of his grip and stumbled backwards until my back hit the trunk of a large pine tree. "The legends…you…you're a werewolf!"
A/N: I know it's cruel to leave it there, and that the chapter is pretty short in general-but I really did run out of time, and I wanted to give you something now.
I've been away again with work and I'm going away again today for another week-so, instead of making you wait, I thought I'd give you this!
I doubt I'll get much of a chance to do any writing for the next week so I have no idea when the next chapter will be up. But I'll try to have it for you as soon as possible.
Hope you enjoyed it! PLEASE REVIEW!
Love,
~Meg xx