Where have all the reviews gone people?! Two reviews on the last two chapters?! Lets try get five on this one ? :D Thank you for reading!
A bright sunlight dripped across onto my face, opening my eyes I could see the open window opposite me and the morning winter sun shining brightly through it. I stared at the frosty window for a while, taking the cold sun in as it shone down on the house. Paul had been right; a storm had rolled in last night. The windows had been hammering all night long but I was so tired I had managed to sleep anyway, this sun was the beauty after the storm, the skies were always so clear after storms.
When my aching back could no longer linger in this bed I rolled over and sat up, the bedroom door was open and at the end of my bed were my clothes from yesterday. Dried and folded. Paul. Maybe he wasn't as big an asshole as I first thought. Maybe, just maybe Emily was right, maybe he could be decent. I suppose he had given me a place to stay when I needed it. Maybe, just maybe. But I wouldn't hold my breath, he had a pattern of making me change my mind then swinging back to the idiot I had first met.
I swung from the bed and got myself dressed, taming my hair into a semi neat ponytail I tip toed out to the hallway, I could hear voices but they were muffled. Whispering. Maybe his father was back. The thought of his dad being here made my stomach flip, I didn't want to meet his dad. I wanted to leave, I was sure of that. I still wanted to go home to Chicago, even if it meant living in a foster home although I'm sure Kyle would have me for a few nights, his parents were never home anyway. I snuck down the stairs, my eyes glancing between the front door and the door to the living room where the voices were coming from. I could make it, I could leave and run as fast I could to the main road and grab a lift with someone driving to Seattle. Maybe I could dance for money on the street and get flight tickets. It was a stupid idea but it might work. I hurried for the closed door but as my hand fell on the door handle the voices got louder and a door behind me swung open, creaking as it went.
"Savannah" It was a female voice, Emily. My heart sunk and I turned to look at her, her head was poking out from the living room door, a somewhat confused look on her voice as she watched me. "Where are you going?"
Why was she here? My heart sunk further into my stomach and all hope of me leaving his place faded. If she was here then Sam must be here or nearby and he was someone I didn't want to deal with. I said nothing back, I just stared at her as she got pulled back into the doorway making room for someone to walk out, I expected Sam but it wasn't him it was Paul who came out. He had a somewhat apprehensive look on his face as he approached me, he obviously didn't have good news for me.
"Sam's here" He was speaking lowly, his already low voice taking on a rumble as it dipped even lower and although the sound of it made every hair on my body stand on end, my chest ached with both annoyance and the desperation to leave. I didn't want to see Sam, I didn't want to see anyone I just wanted to leave and forget this place ever happened.
"You told me I could leave if I wanted to, I want to" I whisper yelled back at him and he fell against the wall as if a great inner turmoil was taking over. He was a good actor I would give him that, he didn't care. He brought me here so that he could force me to see Sam, he had lied about me being able to leave, I had been stupid thinking I could leave. They won't let me leave when I know their dirty little secrets.
"I didn't know he was coming, he just turned up" Paul tried arguing back but I didn't acknowledge him, I just shook my head while staring at the stairs in front of me.
"You told him I was here last night" I gripped harder at the door handle as I whisper yelled at him, I wanted to leave but they would catch me in seconds.
"Well I didn't know he would just turn up did I? Don't blame it on me, you're the one who ran away in the first place" He was getting angry, as was I.
"Savannah, can you please come and talk to us?" Emily broke the whisper yelling up as she walked toward us, her hand outstretched for mine and her face so hopeful I couldn't turn it down. I shot Paul an angry glare, finally matching the ones he loved to give me, and took her hand. She pulled harder than I expected and I went flying into the room behind her. "We were so worried yesterday" Emily continued talking as she sat me down on the long sofa Paul had taken up last night, my eyes finally were able to look for Sam and I found that with him he had brought Jacob and his father Billy. A full on meeting obviously.
"Sav, I'm sorry for what happened yesterday. I should have taken more time to explain things properly and we shouldn't have forced Seth on you like that" Sam shifted forward in his seat, his face pale and tired as if he hadn't slept all night.
"So you're still standing by your story? You're all wolves" I whispered and Jacob and Sam looked at each other warily, but both nodded and Emily's hand gripped mine tighter in silent support. "Right, in that case I think Paul said he would take me to the airport" I looked for Paul but I couldn't see him, anyone with a car would do right now.
"Savannah please" Sam begged before looking to Billy as if hoping he could make this all better, he couldn't. Nothing and nobody could, they were wolves or at least they thought they were.
"Savannah, I understand this is a shock for you but Sam isn't lying or playing a joke, you saw Seth yesterday no wild wolf would come that close to humans" Billy spoke up, his old but still big body leaning forward in his chair. I imagine that if he could stand up he would be huge, he had beefy arms that nearly matched his sons. He was the type of man who you respected even if you didn't know him, he was obviously high up in the tribal council.
"It could have been a pet" I looked to Emily hoping she would crack and start laughing about how scared I look but she didn't, she just looked at me with a knowing sadness like she knew how I felt in this moment.
"I know this sounds too weird to be true, when I found out I freaked out completely but it's not that bad it's really quite nice once you get used to it" Emily offered but I just stared at her, nice? It was anything but nice, it was screwed up. "You just need to hear it properly, all the facts"
"No, I think I've been told all I need to know" I shook my head at her and Sam's head fell into his hands resting on his lap.
"I didn't get the chance to" He started but I cut him off.
"No, Paul did though and I get it, you don't turn into werewolves on a full moon or get killed by silver bullets or howl at the moon, I get it, you're special wolves. I'm still going home so be free to stop telling me now" I had never been this harsh with him but I couldn't help it right now, it was just too much.
"Savannah please just listen to us, please? If you are still uncomfortable we can discuss you leaving but please just listen" Sam snapped back at me more forceful than earlier and I found myself nodding at him, I didn't want to listen but I was. "We weren't bitten, it's like you read and what I told you, it's part of our history. Our ancestors turned into spirit warriors taking the shape of wolves to protect the tribe from the cold ones, vampires"
"Vampires" I repeated sounding hysterical. This story got worse. Emily gripped my hand tighter rubbing her thumb over my skin as if trying to calm me down, not that it was working. Sam looked to Billy to take over and he shifted in his seat as if ready to tell a story.
"It's a lot to take in Savannah but if you could keep an open mind then it is possible" His voice was smooth and even, if I wasn't so on edge right now it could easily send me to sleep. "As Sam said our ancestors phased to protect the tribe, taking on the forms of wolves they were able to do so due to strength, bravery and speed, their link as a pack served them well and through the years the gift has spread through generations only being made active by the presence of our enemies, the cold ones" He paused as if waiting for me to catch up and I appreciated it. "Our enemies had been gone for years, treaties were made and the cold ones left this area but about three years ago a family of them returned to Forks, their close presence restarted the instinct to protect and our boys began to phase, Sam was first then Paul and Jared and so on" He stopped again and looked to Sam who was biting his finger nails like a nervous wreck.
"So there are vampires just down the road?" I asked, my voice going higher with hysterics. That was great to know; now I would definitely not be getting any sleep.
"No, not exactly. There was a big battle last year and shortly after they left Forks, two stayed behind with their daughter who you know" Billy slowed his words, his voice suddenly going uneven and his eyes shot nervously to his son. I knew her? Who? Flashes of a Dracula type girl flashed through my mind but I hadn't met one of them, if I had then I would have noticed the fangs. "Renesmee is half vampire, half human" He spoke slower now and Jacob's body fell stiff as he stared at me, waiting for me to do something and it didn't take long for me to do it. I stood up needing to leave but I didn't make it far before Emily was pulling me back down and I crumpled on the sofa with her practically sat on me.
"It's not like that, she doesn't drink blood, well she does but not human blood and she doesn't have fangs, they don't. They look pretty normal actually except they are really white, you look white, are you going to faint?" She sat up allowing me to actually breath and I nodded, I think I was going to faint. This was ridiculous. "I told you this was too much too soon" She turned and snapped at the tree men in front of us.
"She had to know" Sam didn't sound so sure as I lay there, my body was numb. If I stood up I was sure I would collapse again. Renesmee, the tiny little cute girl was a vampire. It was impossible.
"Look, Savannah this is all getting off track and too confusing, all you need to know is that we protect people we don't hurt them. We patrol the res to make sure nobody gets hurt, we will never hurt anyone other than vampires and we wouldn't hurt you. You're safe with us, probably the safest you have ever or will ever be, we won't let anything happen to you. We aren't telling you this to upset you, you're Sam's family and so you're part of the pack now" Jacob finally said something and I glanced at him; he sounded so truthful and honest. Protect me, I was safe with them? I didn't feel it. I felt like at any minute an angry wolf would come and rip me to shreds like Paul had told me they would that day in the woods. My thoughts made my stomach drop and my eyes wandered to Emily, her face had been ripped to shreds. What if a wolf had done that? As I looked at it all I saw was claw marks scaring her beautiful face.
She knew what I was thinking; she dropped eye contact with me instead opting for my hand and squeezed it again. She knew what was running through my head and as I looked to my brother all I saw was guilt, he knew too. He was looking between me and his fiancé and he knew exactly what I was thinking and it filled him with guilt. I could see it as clear as day, he knew. He had done it. I knew he had done it to her.
"I think I need some fresh air" I gulped as the realisation hit me, maybe Paul hadn't been scaring me but warning me that they would hurt me. I stood up dropping Emily's hand and shakily I walked myself to the big French doors that lay behind the dining table, his garden was fenced but at the back it led straight into the trees that covered this small town. If I could go out there then I could run.
I glanced back at the people behind me, none of them were looking at me and so I slipped through the tiny gap in the doors and across the back yard, my legs carrying me faster than they ever had as I made my way into the trees. My fingers trailed over my face in the positing Emily's was ripped, that couldn't happen to me, she was beautiful regardless but I was already plain as hell, I couldn't lose my face. Or any part of me, I just couldn't.
Vampires, wolves. This was crazy; next they would be telling me Santa clause is real. My stomach stung from a stitch but I kept walking, I wouldn't go back to them. I wanted nothing to do with wolves or vampires; they could all just keep their secrets and hide out here. I was going back to my life, as lonely as it was in Chicago at least it didn't have these people there. I was so focused on my thoughts I hadn't realised that I had completely walked across the main road and into a part of the trees I had never been in before. I was lost, again. I had to stop getting so lost.
My eyes scanned the trees in front of me but there was nothing was more trees and thick leaves covering any inch of day light. I swung around to look behind me, my body reacted before my mind and I went stumbling back as I saw an animal so big it could be a horse, but it wasn't a horse it was a wolf. Another wolf but bigger than the one from yesterday and a darker colour, it was staring right at me, it's big eyes wide as if not expecting to get caught but it didn't look ready to eat me.
"Oh" Was all I could say as I stumbled backwards again and the wolf cowered away swinging it's head from side to side as if unsure whether to leave or not, then it moved toward me and I screeched and backed into a tree.
"IT'S OK" A yell erupted from the trees behind the wolf and Paul came sprinting through knocking against the wolf as it came but the wolf didn't react, it just stared at me like a deer caught in headlights.
"Don't scream" Paul warned me as he slowed his run to a walk and stood between the wolf and me. How could he say that? A wolf was staring right at me.
I pointed pathetically at the animal still staring at me, my mouth moving but no words leaving it and Paul looked back at the wolf.
"Em, its ok you can go back to post" He talked conversationally to the animal and the animal looked at me again, its wide eyes narrowing in a sort of concern. Which was equally crazy, how could a wolf be concerned. "Embry its fine just go tell Sam I'm bringing her back" He spoke a little harsher to the wolf and it quickly turned around and left.
"Embry" I whispered and Paul turned back to me.
"No, I'm Paul" He was so sarcastic I had to roll my eyes and he copied me. "Yes, that was Embry, Sam's looking for you" He walked closer to me, his composure a little more on guard than he had been yesterday.
"So why is it you that keep finding me?" I started following him as he walked, his head turned to shoot me a smirk before replying.
"Because no one else believes me when I say you're shit at directions, you're heading toward the Makah reservation again"
"Well Embry found me" I argued back getting defensive about his direction comment, I was shit at directions but that wasn't for him to say.
"No, Embry stumbled across you on his way back from his mom's house. His mom lives on the Makah res, come on" He waved for me to keep up and I did but I had to jog to catch up with him.
"So that was Embry then, that huge thing" I looked around for the wolf that had been here minutes before but it was long gone.
A smirk covered Paul's face and his eyes danced down, lingering on me for only a second before he looked at the path ahead. "That huge thing being a wolf, yes it was Embry" He was still smirking as he continued to walk but his pace quickened and I began stumbling unevenly trying to keep up.
He said nothing else as we walked in a hurried pace toward his house. He gave me swift somewhat awkward looks every now and then but that was it. He was still intimidating, no matter how 'nice' he had been in the last 24 hours he was still unapproachable. He turned on me as we rounded the front gate to his house, he wasn't letting me go any farther but his eyes travelled to a car pulling up behind me, his stiff composure going stiffer as it pulled to a squeaky halt. I didn't look around for it I just stared at him as he grew more uncomfortable with each second, he finally met my eyes but his stare was too harsh and unkind for me to hold. I instead settled on the door to his house that opened giving way for Emily to rush out toward me, her worried face easing up as she saw me.
"Savannah, are you ok?" She didn't give me time to answer, not that I could. I was suffering from whiplash caused by Paul, he had been somewhat nice to me all night and only five minutes ago and just like that he was back to snapping bitterly at me as if I was the worst person he had ever met. "Sam has gone back to the house; I thought you would want to talk to me. Will you come back with me?" Emily carried on and my eyes flashed between her and Paul.
I had nowhere else to go, Paul was obviously never going to take me to the airport anyway, I should have just run harder yesterday. I nodded at Emily and she turned to thank Paul for finding me again before rushing past me to her car, calling for me to follow but I couldn't. I just stood where I was and looked up at Paul, his face was hard and unkind, he was good at hiding what he actually felt. I had no idea what he was thinking.
"Well, thank you for letting me stay and everything" I whispered so quietly he probably couldn't hear me but he gave a swift jerk of acknowledgement before looking over my head as if I weren't even there. I tried not to show the deflation I felt as I turned to walk to Emily but it definitely did, Emily had climbed into her car but I could see her watching the car parked in front of her. I too let my glance linger on it but I lingered too long, the driver door opened and out from it stepped a girl who was undeniably pretty, she wore tight clothing that looked nothing like the other girls from around here yet she was from here. She had russet tanned skin and ebony black hair, big almond shaped eyes and a thin mouth. She looked at me as she walked past, a smile falling on her lips that grew as her eyes fell back on the guy stood behind me. I tried not to look but as I climbed into Emily's car my eyes fell on Paul and the girl who was now hanging from him and placing kisses on his cheek. Paul however wasn't holding her back or kissing her back he was just staring at the car where I sat.
My heart pained as Emily sped away, a feeling I had never felt crept over me and I felt hot and uneasy. Paul had a girlfriend, it shouldn't bother me but it did. I could feel my breathing getting harsher and my skin hotter, even the news of the wolves hadn't made my body react like this. I felt ready to roll in a ball and cry. Maybe the emotions of the last two days were finally catching up with me, I was tired and overloaded with information. I didn't care if he had a girlfriend, he was nothing to me. I didn't care. All I cared about was going home and sorting this wolf mess out, I didn't care about Paul, he could do whatever he wanted to do with whomever. I glanced at Emily as the uneasiness hit me again, she wasn't looking at the road ahead but at me, a glint of pity and sadness in her eyes as she took me in. She didn't need to pity me, I was fine, I was fine. I didn't care.