A/N: Tonight's chapter is the second part of Emmett's POV 'Heaven and Hell'. I know how much you all want to read about James and his transformation, but read on because Emmett will bring forth some answers for you. We're back with our favourite trio next week, I promise x
AcrossTheSkyInStarStars as you all know is my beta, but mere thanks are never enough for how much she saves me. This week I had major writers block and Tanya helped by sending me lots of juicy Rob pics, one of which is now my new desktop background, so Tanya, thank you for sending me inspiration and for reading over my chapter and telling me what you think. I love you babe x
Heaven and Hell Part two
Emmett's POV
I could hear a scraping on the soil above me. It was followed by a snuffling sound, and eventually a slither of light broke through.
Since the blackness had covered me, I had no concept of time, reality, or even who I was. I blinked as the light penetrated my vision and the grit hindered my sight. The snuffling continued, reminding me of an animal, and as more and more soil fell away, spilling daylight into my tomb, I eventually felt able to reach up and push the rest of me.
The burning in my body had almost stopped, now only my throat felt raw. I tried to swallow but could summon no saliva as the ache continued.
After pushing away the dirt, I lay still, worried that any further movement would invite pain back in again. As strong a man as I was, I could not stand anymore of that excruciating agony that had consumed me.
I listened as the sounds of the forest stopped, almost as though every bird and every animal had paused to listen to me. The creature that had been digging up my grave had also stopped and I waited; the fire raging in my throat, for any sound or movement to commence.
I realised after the longest time, that I had been holding my breath. I drew in air, and along with it, the smells of the forest.
The damp grass smelt so clean and I could picture the dew drops adorning their blades. The crisp, burnished brown of the autumn leaves scattered over the ground, decomposing in the mid morning sun threw up a smell of wood and earth; such fauna smells iridescent of this time of year. The sun had warmed the plants it touched, and the fragrance from October blue buds, dotted around the clearing, made the aromas slightly floral, feminine almost.
Besides all that, I could smell rain and mushrooms, dirt and sunshine, pinecones and acorns, and the refreshing breeze itself as it gently blew all these scents my way, like a generous host sharing with me the secrets of its garden.
Turning my head, I inhaled again, and my breath caught in my chest as the warm, fluid scent of something delicious caused me to choke. The ache in my throat felt more raw, more alive, flaring up and filling my mouth with a sweet, acrid taste. It was like saliva but tasted different. It coated my teeth and tongue, and I felt it escape the side of my mouth as the smell of that thing alive nearby overruled all other bodily functions.
I gasped and swallowed the excess saliva, or whatever it was that filled my mouth, and recognised the smell as rabbit, but for the life of me could not recall ever having smelt rabbit so strongly before. It was distinct and so close, and as I pictured the small, brown creature, my thoughts became clouded with images of my teeth tearing into that fatty flesh and swallowing the warm blood down. I could practically feel it coat my mouth and throat, and I believed the warm, coppery fluid would soothe the ache and nourish my broken body. For that second, more than anything else, all I wanted was that damn rabbit.
The desire to feed was so strong, that with a guttural roar, I lifted myself from the hole where I'd thought my life had been claimed. The effort of pushing up launched me higher than I imagined possible, and as I landed in a crouch, my head whipping round for the animal that had tempted me out of my grave, I vaguely registered that my body was healed, my movements were fast, and everything was so very, very vivid.
The grass rustled not three feet away, and before I could fully distinguish what had made the noise, I was in the air and soaring down onto the terrified and frozen form of a dirty, brown hare. Its ears were back and its eyes wide as I descended through the air above him. I heard his heart pick up pace, forcing that decadent blood to fill its veins, fattening them, ready for my bite.
I landed, and before the hare could move, it was in my grasp, its head pulled back in one hand as my other hand held its legs which had started to scurry, aimlessly trying to carry its body to safety. It was too late, the prey was in my hands and its neck was at my lips. I bit down, the musty smell of rain and earth filling my senses before the blood spilled forth and I swallowed greedily, the pulsing rate of its erratic heart pumping its juice down my throat faster than I could swallow.
Like medicine coating my insides, the blood slipped down my aching throat, soothing and filling me. But just as I was relishing the ease of pain in my oesophagus, the animal ran dry and I threw its empty carcass to the ground, looking around me, hungry for more.
My heightened senses knew there were more about the clearing and they were all frozen in fear, waiting for the predator to pass. But the predator was still hungry, and moving so fast the trees became a blur of green, I scooped up another and drained that too.
It took twenty-five bunnies to satisfy me and I sat in amongst their remains, glancing in wonder at the shimmers dancing off my skin as the sun broke through the canopy of trees. I checked my stomach for the puncture wound and was amazed that not only was the skin clear of an open cut, but there wasn't even a mark. My skin was pale and shimmering with no flaws.
I had not a bruise nor scratch on me, but what was more bizarre was the fact that I had no idea how I had gotten here. The only memory I could summon was incredible pain, and the ground being thrown on top of me.
The earth behind me shifted with the weight of cautious steps, and in an instant I was on my feet and crouched, a growl emanating from deep in my chest; all were reactions I had no recollection of considering. It was purely instinctive.
I stared into the eyes of three wolves.
They were huge; the biggest wolves I had ever seen and they returned my growls with ferocious ones of their own.
I watched warily as the wolves to the left and to the right broke apart and circled me, leaving me glancing back and forth between them as they surrounded me.
The beast in front seemed to look about at the remains of my meal, before silently communicating with its pack.
To my utter shock, it morphed before my very eyes into the form of a man. He was naked, his skin deep brown and flawless. His hair was long and hung over his shoulders, and midway down his back. His muscles were bulging, and I knew his strength would closely match mine as his physique was parallel to my own.
I stood straight and tall and looked to my left, then my right, but the animals flanking me remained in their canine forms.
"My name is Jacob." His voice was deep with no hint of an accent to distinguish his origin. "And these are my brother's Paul and Embry." He gestured with his hand to the two wolves still surrounding me.
I looked between them and back at Jacob.
"Your name?" He enquired, raising one brow.
I opened my mouth to speak but nothing registered; with no recollection of why I was here or who I was. I closed my mouth and looked back and forth between them, over and over again.
"Hey!" Jacob called back my attention. "You're new, I understand this, and we want to help. "
"Help?" I croaked, my larynx unused in sometime, sounded strained.
"Yes," he nodded. "We want to help you."
"Help," I said again. There was more that I wanted to ask, I was sure there was, but the breath of air I had taken so I could speak invited more warm smelling aromas to tempt my palate.
I groaned as the metallic scent of blood, oozing like perfume from their pores, tickled my throat and awoke the ache again. The meal of rabbit, feasted upon only minutes earlier, was now forgotten as my body translated that the bulk of live animal standing before me would equate the level of my hunger.
This man would quench my thirst.
The two wolves beside me growled as a guttural rumbling carried forth from my chest. I moved forward, towards the man named Jacob, and coiled my fingers into claws. My lips curled back and my teeth oozed that sweet, acrid juice that served to remind me how much I needed to feed.
I licked my teeth and sucked on the alternate saliva.
"That's your venom, my friend," Jacob spoke, unafraid by my predatory stance. "It secretes when your body desires blood. It would appear you have already tried to slake your hunger," he motioned to the many carcasses I had left littered around the clearing. "But they weren't enough for you."
He stepped closer and I bent my knees, ready to strike, but his words held me captive. His voice was low and spoken with patience. Despite the urge roaring through me right now, his control seemed to hold mine.
"You can smell me, can't you, my friend?"
He stepped forward again.
"It burns, does it not? I know how it courses through your veins. That venom will control you. It will change you and dictate to you when and where the man you once were becomes the animal you are now."
I cocked my head, confused by his words.
Yes, I felt different, and I acted out of character. I had feasted on twenty five rabbits and emerged from my grave unscathed for Christ's sake. I would be a fool to not realise something beyond my comprehension had taken over.
But what had happened?
I glanced back at my grave, the hole dark and shallow, taunting me with its emptiness. I had lain in the cold earth and watched...as what? Someone was there, someone who mattered to me. I had reached out to them...had I wanted to say something? Had I begged for help? Who had left me here? Did they believe me dead?
Images of a dark sky, of many figures and dirt being thrown, swirled round and round in my head but it was so cloudy. There was no clarity. I tried to shake my head and focus on the faces, on that important person watching me with terror in her eyes, but each time I found her in my memory, she blurred again.
I fell to my knees, clutching my head, mumbling incoherent thoughts as I tried so hard to bring it forward. The answers were so close I just couldn't find them in the recesses of my mind.
"My friend." Jacob was closer than I realised and my head snapped up at the sound of his voice. In my confused state he had approached and knelt before me, his eyes level with my own. "We can help you. I know how much it hurts you. I know."
"Help," I muttered again, my hands still holding my head as his scent intoxicated me. "Help." I didn't know if I was accepting it or requesting it. It was all I could say.
Jacob reached out and placed his hand on my shoulder, the movement sent waves of his body odour under my nose. His blood was hot and smelt musky with a woody tang. It reminded me of the forest and I licked my lips as my throat screamed for the taste of him.
I growled and launched myself from the ground. My body hit his and he fell backwards. I landed on top of him; my teeth finding his shoulder where they snapped at the bulging mass of muscle, which rippled beneath the surface of his skin. My incisors were sharp and his flesh, despite being solid, was still pliable, and I groaned in satisfaction as his blood gushed forth, spilling into my mouth. I tried to suction my lips to his shoulder, to feed from him, but his pack was fast too.
They attacked me from both sides, tearing me away from their wingman. We rolled to the floor, the wolves snapping and growling as they clawed at my back and sides.
I punched the one, and yelping, the wolf fell off me, rolling and standing up on all four legs, snapping and barking at me. Its teeth were completely bared. As the second wolf bit the back of my neck and dug its claws into me, I spun around, waving my arms frantically, trying to grab it and pull it off me.
Jacob was now standing, the blood from his wound had poured over his chest and groin. His hand pressed into the punctures, trying to stem the flow.
He smelt so strong now. Before, when he had spoken to me, it was banked, but now, as it seeped through his fingers and down his body, it called to me. My mind grew hazy again, my throat burned.
I had to feed.
I had to feed.
Spinning fast, I managed to grip the wolf's tail and yanked him hard till his claws scratched their way down my spine and I was able to throw him away from me.
The pain in my back screamed almost as loudly as the raw ache in my throat, but in my agony, all I could see was blood.
It was all I could smell.
It was all I could taste as it tainted the air around me, singing to me, telling me it was all I would ever need.
I threw myself at him, but the wolves reacted and knocked me to the ground. I roared and struggled but more seemed to appear from the trees around us, and each one assisted in holding me down, till my struggles died with the knowledge I was outnumbered.
"Help," I croaked as the raw pain suffocated me. It made it impossible to comprehend anything else except the fact that all around me was blood. Warm, sweet blood, pumping fast and furious in the veins of those who held me down, and I was helpless to resist, but powerless to fight.
"We will help you, my friend. I promise." Jacob clicked his fingers and four of the wolves morphed into men. Like Jacob, they stood naked, and each had the physical form of burly young men, proud and strong. They took my arms, gripping tightly, and I had no choice but to comply.
I stood as they guided me and I let the ache burn painfully in my throat. It hurt so much, but as I walked, following the men and wolves as they led me from the clearing, I realised the ache had turned from torturous to barely dull when I tried to ignore it.
I let my head hang down and watched only my feet as I trudged forward. I thought of nothing but the sound of twigs snapping and leaves crunching beneath our steps. I held my breath and realised this was easier for me to do than I had thought possible. I didn't need to draw air into my lungs, and when I went without the once invaluable oxygen, then the smells of all who stood around me remained hidden. This aided my restraint, and by the time we reached their camp, I felt in control.
The men led me to a camp fire and I sat, watching as they, too, took a place beside me. Jacob walked into a tent and was followed by four young girls. He emerged moments later dressed in a sheepskin skirt. It was a pale faun colour and accentuated the deep, almost burgundy tones of his chest and legs. The skirt hung low on his hips, falling to just above his knees and was fastened at the waist by a decorative belt. The tails of the belt hung down his hip and leg and seemed plaited with many colourful reeds and beads and at the very end was a small wooden wolf, carved from pine.
His hair had been tied back at the nape of his neck. His throat adorned a necklace similar to that of the belt at his waist.
He was a striking figure, and as the people in his community waited for him to take his seat, I recognised him as their leader.
Jacob sat and waited a moment while the four girls following him cleaned and dressed his wound. He neither flinched nor criticised, merely waiting till their chore was done. Satisfied, they stepped back while he rotated his arm, ensuring the dressing had not hindered his mobility in any way.
I stared in awe at these people.
I had attacked and tried to feast on their leader, and yet they sat patiently, without judgement, waiting for him to address me.
I had acted like an animal. I had no doubt that whatever I was now, I was indeed an animal, but yet they treated me with humanity and understanding.
I felt ashamed of myself.
"You do realise that, should you lose control again my comrades will not hesitate to kill you?" Jacob nodded behind me and I didn't need to follow his gaze to know I was surrounded.
"I –" I swallowed past the ache and tried again. Words seemed so hard for me. I had never been articulate before, I was able to recall about myself, but I had never struggled to form a simple sentence either. "I'm – sorry," I whispered. I stared straight at Jacob, for it was him I owed my apology to.
Jacob held up his hand. "I know your pain, my friend. I do not judge you."
"My – friend?" I asked him.
"Are you opposed to that?"
I shook my head. It was beginning to get difficult to talk, for this entailed breathing, which tempted me with their scent again. My throat raged, reminding me of the creature I had become.
Jacob snapped his fingers and six women brought me three deer. They were dead but still warm, and placing them at my feet, they stepped away quickly.
Except for Jacob, Paul, and Embry, all the men around me stood and walked away. I waited till they had fully dispersed before gripping a carcass and feeding from it. The blood was slightly purer and thinner than the rabbits, and this eased my thirst more than the thickness of their blood. I gasped as I tore my face away from the empty shell clutched in my hands. I threw the deer down and attacked the second, and finally the third. All the while, Jacob and his brothers watched me, silent but totally aware of me, ready to strike should the call of their blood beguile me.
As the final deer feel to the ground, I wiped at the residue on my lips and breathed deeply, full from my meal. The ache in my throat has subsided and I felt happier to sit and try to talk to Jacob now that my appetite had been sated.
Jacob smiled. "Do you recall anything?"
I shook my head.
"A name?"
I shook my head again.
"Do you have anything on you, memorabilia?"
I shook my head then something surged forward from the far recesses of my mind, showing me a glimmer of a woman with golden hair and violet blue eyes. The ache that pressed down on me was no longer hunger, but a new pain that stole my breath and crushed my silent heart.
It was then that I realised why I had no need for air. My heart was still; nothing but a lifeless weight in my immobile chest. I was dead, yet I lived.
I searched in my memory for the reason why I sat here. For how I had managed to pull myself free from my grave, but all I could see was the woman with the golden hair. She was dressed in a pale blue gown and she was laughing, beckoning to me with her finger, her lips parted as she slowly mouthed my name.
I watched her speak, mesmerized by the shape of her lips, but I heard no sound, and slowly she drifted back into the foggy clouds which covered the answers to my life before today.
Without thinking I reached up and patted my chest, feeling a hard object sitting in the inside pocket. I pulled it out and held it in the palm of my hand. It looked like a small book, the clasp was a tiny hook, closed and hiding from sight the treasure inside.
I didn't open it, instead I handed it to Jacob. I wasn't sure if I was ready to face the secrets it held. The pain I felt at seeing that beautiful image was crushing, and I knew that if I was able to breathe she would have taken my breath away.
Jacob reached out and took the locked booklet from my hand; he flipped the hook and it sprang open, allowing him to study the images. He gazed at them for the longest time before closing it again and handing it back to me.
I didn't take it from him.
"Are you not ready to face your past?"
I shook my head. I had no idea who she was and yet it hurt so much to envision her, even for just a moment. If I looked upon her image in that tiny book, and everything came crashing back down, my memories of any time we had spent together, I was sure that would destroy me.
I had no doubt that I knew her, had shared some sort of life with her. It was all there in that tiny trinket, the type of item given to a loved one. Was I her loved one? Was she mine?
"I can help you," Jacob told me.
"You keep saying that," I mumbled, looking down at my hands.
"I can help you face your future. Do you know what happened to you?"
I shook my head. "I can't –" I pointed to my temple. I wanted to explain how little I remembered but I was scared to admit it all out loud.
"Emmett," Jacob whispered, thumbing the back of the pocket portrait.
My head snapped up and I squinted at him over the flames of the camp fire. The sparks danced in midair, and for a moment the only sound was the crackle of flames licking their way across the wood.
Jacob looked back at me and lifted his hand, showing me the exterior of the pocket portrait. It was engraved.
"Your name is Emmett." He pointed to a signature underneath a short message.
My hands started to shake, itching to reach out and take it from him, to read the words emblazoned across the back of the covering, but instead I trembled, holding back, too afraid to remember.
"Your name is Emmett and this is your family. They believe you're dead. But you are not dead, not truly, are you Emmett? How can you be? You're sitting here with me, and we're having a conversation, are we not?"
I nodded my head.
"So, how can you be dead? Why do they believe you are dead?"
I shook my head. "I don't know."
"Do you know what I am, Emmett?"
I closed my eyes and nodded. "Werewolf." My voice was low.
"No," he answered and I glanced back up at him, narrowing my eyes at his blatant lie. I had witnessed his transformation from wolf to man, how could he deny what he was?
"We are shape shifters. It is very different to a Werewolf, in many ways my friend. Shall I explain?"
I nodded my head again.
"A Werewolf, or Lycanthrope as they prefer to be known, is a dark creature that infects its victims to make more of its kind. A single scratch or bite is enough to doom a person to an eternity of hell. They change at the turn of the moon and have no control over the schedule or effects. Once transformed, they also lose control of their actions and have no recollection of any attack or feeding frenzy that transpired. They are a curse, Emmett, and cannot be tamed."
"A Therianthrope," he glanced at me and smiled, "or shape shifter, will choose his form and can morph whenever, however and as many times as we please. We dictate the schedule and we can control the effects. Shape shifters, are fully aware of their human senses even when transformed and will recall with excellent clarity, anything that occurred during the metamorphosis."
"What do you mean, you can choose?"
"I will explain." Jacob smiled. "Shape shifting is a common theme in folklore, Emmett, and it's recognised under many different names, metamorphosis, transformation, or transmogrification, but it all means the same thing; a change in the physical form or shape of a person or animal. Almost every culture around the world has some type of transformation myth, and almost every commonly found animal probably has a shape shifting myth attached to them and usually, the animal involved in the transformation is indigenous to the area from which the story derives.
"Eight centuries ago, a reign of terror began with Vampire's dominating many cities in their lust for blood and power. As their antics spread across many countries, their 'disease' became worldwide and seemed unstoppable. All things Supernatural were dragged into this war with the belief that we were to stop the Vampire's and find peace and an equal existence together, but it soon became apparent that the Lycan's battled with the same bloodlust as the Vampire's; for the dominant power over all of man and animal kind.
"But with every species on this earth, Emmett, each has a weakness. The tricky part is finding it. With Vampire's, it became known that their weakness was the Lycan's.
"You must know that the most important aspect of shape shifting is whether the transformation is voluntary. When a form is taken on involuntarily, the thematic effect is one of confinement and restraint. That person feels bound to the new form. In extreme cases, known as petrifaction, the character, their personality of that person, is entirely disabled.
"In order to save the human race, shape shifters were tricked into morphing into Werewolves, with the promise of power and capabilities beyond our human state. But as with all things evil, they became misplaced in their new disguise and were never able to return to their previous shape. All humanity was lost in them.
"But on the other hand, if a form is taken voluntarily, it becomes a means of escape and liberation. The abilities specific to the chosen form, or the disguise afforded by it, allow the character to act in a manner previously impossible. To defeat a Vampire, one must become a wolf, but not a Werewolf.
"The shape shifters, feeling deflated at the loss of many men to the life of Lycanthropy, decided, as a last effort, to choose the form of wolf, but not of the Supernatural kind. No, we chose the natural being and all the majesty it afforded. Combined with our knowledge, fighting abilities, and mental capabilities, we became stronger and the Lycan's could not understand how we could be just like them but more in control, more powerful and finally – undefeated.
"The Lycan's lost, Emmett, and the Vampire's agreed to a life of obscurity. Some even confessed a preference to the world after dark and once again, mankind was able to live without fear. We vowed to uphold our protection and have been in existence ever since. Some shape shifter communities have even taken on other forms such as the bear or shark, even a horse, but no matter the form we take, it is clear that it is chosen and with the same goal - to protect."
"You're over eight hundred years old?" I stared at the young man opposite me. I had guessed him to be mid-twenties, but his story had been captivating and now I believed anything was possible.
Jacob and Embry laughed. Paul remained quiet. "No Emmett." Jacob smiled. "I am only seventy-five years old."
"Only?" I asked, incredulous.
"When we begin to change we stopped aging, and when we stop changing, we begin to age again."
"If you chose to stop changing, will you age dramatically?"
"No, I will just start to grow old at the pace of every other human."
"I appreciate you sharing your story with me, Jacob, but what does this have to do with helping me?"
"Shape shifters exist to protect humans, any way we can. You were a good man once, Emmett, and I believe there may still be a chance for you. You do not have to bend to the ways of the Vampires, there is another way."
"What are you talking about?" But I was afraid I already knew.
"Your heart is silent. You were buried and believed to be dead but something happened to you before that."
I nodded in agreement. The pieces of the puzzle were falling into place.
"Do you remember Edward?" He asked me.
I shook my head.
"Edward has lived here for a long time; he has come to know us as we do him. He was unique, Emmett, and that is how I know there may be a chance for you."
"How was he unique?"
"He was able to live in obscurity, and never threatened mankind. He is respectful to our community. He leaves us alone and vice versa."
"What does he – feed on?" I swallowed, the mere mention of 'food' itched at my throat, making me salivate and forget I had fed on three deer only hours previous.
"Animal, just like you did." Jacob pointed to the carcasses. "I believe it is possible for your kind to live on blood other than human."
"Where is Edward?" I asked, wanting to find and speak to someone of my own kind. Jacob had answers for me, but amongst his men and his people, I still felt incredibly alone.
"Alas, we don't rightly know. We were only aware of you after your men buried you and left. Edward broke an agreement when he bit you, Emmett. I had trusted him and he let me down. I don't know of his reasons for breaking the treaty but I would still like to hear his version of events."
"He too was trying to help," I murmured. It was starting to come back to me. "We discovered we were related."
It was Jacob's turn to nod.
"Rules are still rules, Jake," Paul growled.
"Do you not agree there are some reasons that transcend all rules, Paul?"
"No. He is a leech and always will be, and as for this one," Paul stood and pointed his finger at me, "he will never be anything less than what he is either. How can you allow him here? This is our home and you risk us all."
Jacob stood and faced his brother. "He acted on impulse, Paul. He knows nothing of this life. We have already shown him how to control those urges. With a little more patience why can it not be possible for him to walk amongst us, safe and free, just like you and I?"
"You're a fool," Paul spat and stalked away. I was shocked at his forefront, no man should ever disrespect his leader like that, but Jacob remained unfazed by his brother's reactions and allowed him to leave without rebuke.
"I'm sorry." I stood too but Jacob stopped me by placing his hand on my shoulder.
"Stay here, with us, Emmett."
"I need to go home," I whispered.
"You have no home, my friend. You have no one. Your wife and child are not safe around you."
"But you said yourself, I can control myself."
Jacob shook his head. "No, I said we showed you how, but remember back to the forest, Emmett. What if that was your little girl stood before you and all you could think about was draining her blood?"
"I'd never do that!"
"Really?" Jacob asked. He gestured to Embry who handed him a knife. Without hesitation Jacob sliced his arm and held up the gaping wound, close to my face.
The sweet, metallic scent of his blood clogged my throat and I gasped with the intensity of the burn. My mouth filled with venom and my lips curled back to expose my teeth. I was abhorrent of the animalistic reactions his blood aroused in me but at the same time all I wanted was to taste him.
Embry moved between us and Jacob covered his arm. I stepped closer, but before I could even blink the entire campsite was filled with the forms of Jacob's men. All had been hidden from sight but of course, within ear-shot and at the slightest threat to their Alpha they had appeared in his defence.
I was in awe of their loyalty, and holding my breath I turned and ran through the crowd and into the trees.
I kept running till I reached a tiny stream, and falling to the ground I tried to cry, to release my fears and frustrations, my heartache and my desires, but nothing came forth. I made the sounds but without the sweet release of tears, my pain only escalated.
I punched the ground beneath me, denting the earth and gripping clumps of grass I tugged and dragged until the area in front of me was bald.
I felt the shudders wrack my frame, and squeezing my eyes closed, I wished for tears to fall. Suddenly, through my suffering, it all flooded back to me; her name, her face, her voice, her smell as well as our child and her innocent curiosity.
And then the day I had left them, and the night before when Rosalie had begged me to touch her. How good she had tasted and felt and how I had known I would never see them again.
My chest hurt, and if my heart could beat, it would've broken at the ferocity of my pain.
"Rosie," I whispered. "Oh Rosie, I'm so sorry."
In the far recesses of my mind, I recalled words that James had spoken to me. How he had promised she would be his, in his bed, in his arms, and my sorrow turned to rage.
"Stay with us and learn to live like a human, Emmett," Jacob spoke quietly from behind me. "Give me one year and you will be able to walk amongst them, safe, and in control."
"One year?" I asked him.
Jacob walked to my side and sat on the floor next to me. "I promise you will never hurt a human. One year."
Jacob held out his hand to me and waited for my decision. I pictured my beautiful wife and child and the evil face of my former Captain. My hate turned murderous and I took Jacob's hand and shook it.
"One year," I vowed.
Jacob would teach me how to live with my curse and I would eventually go home and find my family again. But in shaking his hand I had already broken my promise to Jacob.
One human would not be safe upon my return, for in his death, I would find my revenge.
End A/N's: The information regarding Lycan's and Therian's (shape shifters) has been researched and is not a fabrication of my imagination. The battle between the Vampires and all other supernatural beings is mine.
For more information regarding Lycan's and Therian's, please visit my profile page for the links I used.
I don't know if you've noticed, but Spellbound has almost 600 reviews!! I never even dreamed I would even reach 300 when I started this fic, so thank you so much for absolutely everything! You guys 'Wow' me x
Hey, how hot was Jacob in this eh? Tell me if you found his naked awesomeness a little bit mind-blowing too.