Chapter 32 - Mystery
Early morning light filtered through the window panes. Swaying branches from the trees outside cast their long, shadowy arms across the floor. The air in Washington was bright, cold and crisp that December morning. Bella had awoken from a dream, feeling the comforting warmth of Jacob's body snuggled behind her, one arm tossed possessively beneath her breasts, their legs intertwined beneath the sheets.
Slowly so as not to wake him, she'd turned on her side, watching as he slept. There was a peace on his face so profound it brought tears to her eyes. It struck her that she'd only ever seen a shadow of it before, in those fleeting moments when they fell in step with each other as if forever was within their grasp. As quickly as it happened, it would fade away with the afternoon sun. In all this time, he had been afraid, nervous the supernatural world would force her to walk away from it and him.
Bella vowed to give Jacob that contentment every day for the rest of her life, no matter what the cost. Part of her knew that could very well be her own heart. Even as much as he swore he'd never imprint, it was a fear that would always loom in the shadows. Seeing the peacefulness that softened the beautiful lines of his face, she resolved to push all fear back, refusing to allow the what if's of tomorrow to make decisions for today. They'd live their lives in the now and cross whatever bridge the future held when they came to it and they'd do it together.
Cuddling deeper into his chest, Bella closed her eyes, feeling the gentle rise and fall of his chest, allowing Jacob's quiet breathing to lull her to sleep and dream of all that life could be.
ooo000ooo
The paws of the massive, grey wolf thudded heavily through the forest, keeping time with the thundering beat of his heart. Running was his peace of mind, losing himself in the wolf was a state of animalistic enlightenment within the primitive call of nature. The burden of questions that weighed heavily on his soul eased slightly but still loomed on the fringes, never far away. Something was coming, that much he was sure of. Just who or what, he did not know.
Through the deep canopy of trees a glimmer of sunlight shining on the glass windows of the Black house twinkled as a fading morning star. The pull to stay close kept him circling, never wandering far from where Bella would be.
Jacob did not understand the intense need he felt to protect Bella. It was, in fact, something he himself could not explain. There had always been some unseen force that drew her to him. It delved far beyond the normal bounds of friendship. Through their teenage years he hid it well, able to back away knowing Jacob's propensity to protect would keep her from harm. Yet, from the minute she had first crossed into Forks, Embry Call had been inexplicably drawn to her like a moth to a flame.
Even now, when danger lurked in every shadow, he knew there was something else, something more that could not be explained. Nights of restless sleep, littered with broken illusions, plagued his mind. It was always the same. A woman with an elfin face, eyes of cimarron, evocative of the warm, rich cedar that towered over the land, framed between a fan of thick, ebony lashes. Cascading over shoulders of delicate french cream, long strands of silken gloss which shimmered and changed beneath the waning moonlight breathed like a living thing, an object of beauty. Embry could feel the warmth of her smile upon his face and hear the bubbling sounds of her laughter echo all around. Yet, she was always just out of reach, deftly eluding his grasp, leaving behind the lingering scent of honeyed strawberries and freesia.
An illusion, the essence of Bella contained within the quiet meanderings of a dream. A warning, a wish, a whispered prayer, punctuated by the ever present danger of vampires and fragmented nightmares which inserted themselves into every waking hour of his life.
Bella. He would go to the ends of the earth and back for her, protecting her, even with his own life if necessary. Yet, he could not understand why she pricked his heart in such a way. It was the protectiveness a lover should feel when all he sought from her was an unending friendship.
No matter how hard he ran, the answer continued to elude him. Fueling his desperation, the desire and drive to do her bidding, to safeguard as if it were this dream woman and not Bella who depended on it.
This was what drove him in those early dawn hours between the illusion asleep and awake, when the rest of the world was still entranced by nature's unending song.
The beauty of a woman and the heart of a man.
ooo000ooo
He watched her in front of the mirror, adjusting her sweater, then placed the cool hammered silver saddle cuff over her wrist, hiding scars of her past from sight. There was a glow about her today, the freshness of love showing clearly in every line of her face and each movement of her body. It hit him that he'd never tire of looking at her, just as he had done this morning, with a cup of steaming coffee in hand, Jacob had stood in the doorway of the room, admiring the curves of her beauty as she slept.
She'd lain on her stomach, crisp white linen sheets cast off to the side and twisted around her small feet. Bella was different now. Six years had worn well on her. When they were teens, she had been slender, not exactly boyish, but tiny, delicate in stature. Time had enhanced her beauty, adding supple curves over creamy skin; from the heavy fullness of her breast to the sway of her hips, creating a woman, innocence wrapped in a lie.
Watching as she lay sleeping, Jacob wanted her more than ever. The ever constant presence of the warrior who breathed inside him begged for her, body, mind and soul.
Outside, a bright ray of morning sunlight parted the gray winter clouds, streaming through the trees and bedroom window, bathing her soft, warm body in buttery light. Feeling the warmth of it upon her face, she turned ever so slightly, her face glowing as God's own angel. My angel, he thought. My Bella.
It was a moment frozen in time, a beautiful flower enclosed in glass, forever blooming beneath a warm summer sky. A memory etched on his heart that would someday be the last thing he saw before closing his eyes to this earth. Silently, he thanked whatever power in the universe had seen fit to bless him with such a gift.
Then she smiled, drowsy and slow, the lines of her body stretching languidly across the sheets, drawing her hands through the silken curls of her hair so they fanned across the pillow in a cloud of amber light.
Now, as she stood in his house, getting ready for a morning of work and humming softly as she did so, Jacob was again overcome with the love he felt for her. Crossing the room, he slipped his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder, grazing her cheek with his lips. "Do you know how beautiful you are?"
His voice, so low and rich with devotion bound her heart with unbreakable ribbons of adoration. She turned, offering much more than just the feathery kiss of her lips, but a promise to always cherish the love between them.
ooo000ooo
"Bells, you done with these boxes?" Jacob surveyed the disaster that used to be Charlie's kitchen. If he didn't know better, he'd have sworn a tornado ripped through the place. Tinsel, garland, broken ornaments and Christmas lights that he was pretty sure the UL listing on had expired twenty years ago. Just plugging them in would turn a tree into a crispy, fried pile of ash in ten seconds flat.
"Yeah, I think so," she called back. "The nasty boxes go to the dump and the rest can go in the attic." For the better part of the afternoon, Bella had been sorting through the ancient cartons of decorations that Charlie had never bothered to part with. Then again, so far as Jake remembered, the man never put up a tree. At least, not in the years Bella wasn't around. After all, what was the point in celebrating when there was nobody to celebrate with? He and his old man weren't much better but at least they tried. Then again, they had each other. Something the Swan's never did until now.
When Bella stated that she wanted to surprise her father by getting his house ready for the holidays, Jake didn't know it would include hauling mountains up out of the basement. Half of the boxes were moldy and the other half carried the scent of mildew from being stored underground for so long. He'd already run to the store twice today, begging the stockboys to spare a few from the crusher. On top of which, he had been forced to go into a shop where one wrong move on his part could have resulted in the destruction of a thousand glass balls no bigger than an apple.
He could just picture himself ensnared in lights, fake trees toppling like dominos and Bella standing over him clucking her tongue in annoyance. The pack would have never let him live it down. With that in mind, he'd all but stood in the doorway, reading out a list to a lady with a bad blue rinse who wore an overabundance of baby-scented powder who he was pretty sure ogled his ass on the way out of the store.
It didn't matter though. If it was what it took to make her happy, he'd do it. Soon enough, the whole county would know he'd walk through the fiery gates of hell for her, that is if they hadn't figured it out already. Number one on the top of that list was Lauren Mallory. He'd found her leaning against the side of the truck when he'd come out of grocery store. How she knew Bella wasn't with him was a mystery, although, bitch that she was, probably didn't care.
"I was wondering if you'd give me a hand," she'd begged, pouring honeyed sweetness out of a voice that could scratch the ears off a cat. "My car won't start and I just don't know what to do." Then with what could only be described as that god-awful bend and snap move from that stupid blonde movie that Emily and Kim were so fond of, she stuck her ass in the air, picked up a pair of jumper cables and dangled them in front of his face. "I don't know which rod I'm supposed to stick it to."
Jacob appraised her head to toe with utter disgust. It was freezing out and here she was wearing a skirt so short that it bordered on obscene, some low cut halter top which her obviously fake boobs were practically falling out of, barely covered by an even more fake fur jacket and boots that would land her ass on the ice faster than she could blink. In her mind, he must have been checking her out, because before he could even register what was happening, the plastic boobs she boasted were pressed against his chest and he was choking on what had to be half a bottle of Chanel No. 5.
"Try calling AAA. I'm busy," he stated, shouldering past her. Already on edge, he didn't have the time or energy to deal with her bullshit. Matt had been gone for two days and Leah was nowhere to be found. It weighed heavily on his heart, doubling the natural instinct he felt to keep Bella safe from harm. Jacob's hand was on the door handle when she grasped his forearm, her acrylic talons scratching at his flesh.
"Oh come on, Jake. Don't be that way," she pouted. "I know it must be hard for you now that Bella has gone back to Edward Cullen, but I'm sure I can cheer you up."
Jacob's nostrils flared in anger. Just the mention of the Cullen name was enough to make him shift. He thought of the unknown presence, the feel of danger the night of the gallery opening and felt the wolf rise within. The cool metal beneath his fingers began to protest from being the target of his anger. "What in the hell gave you that idea?" he demanded, barely able to contain the growl trembling in his chest.
Lauren was unphased by his anger, seeming not to even notice it at all. "Well, he did of course!" The smile on her face showed that she thought she knew a secret, or had caught Bella in the act of cheating and was ready to lap him up as the prize. "Saw him a few days ago up in Port Angeles. Said he was in town to see Bella and of course..."
Lauren continued to ramble, but Jacob never heard a word she said. Sudden fear stabbed through his heart. In an instant he was behind the wheel of the truck, leaving Lauren on the curb. "Hey! Where are you going! Jake! Come back!" she shouted.
The creaking engine of the old Chevy groaned in protest as he pushed her past the self-imposed limits of rust and age on the way back to the Swan house. All of his senses were on high alert when he climbed out, taking in huge lungfuls of air. His ears focused on every sound, the gentle flutter of birds' wings, the snap of twigs and the wind rustling through the trees. Inside sounded one heartbeat, strong and unfettered, a Christmas carol sung off-key issuing from Bella's lips.
Nothing. Not a trace of anything that shouldn't be there already.
After a whispered conference with Embry along the edge of the woods, Jacob went inside and then did his damndest not to add any more stress to Bella's plate. If that meant she got pissed off for keeping her in the dark another day or two, so be it. Like Embry had pointed out, Lauren could have been blowing smoke up their asses. She was a vindictive bitch who still had some sick high school vendetta and superiority complex reminiscent of a dejected prom queen. As much as he hated to admit it, Jacob knew Embry was right and gave in to his request to let him head up to Port Angeles to sniff around.
"Take Seth with you. He's got the best nose out of all of us. If there's so much as whiff of a leech to be found, he'll find it. Then do me a favor and tell Paul. I want him, Sam and Jared to take a run. They remember what scents the Cullen's left behind. If there's any hint they've been around the area, they'll know."
After that, he headed back inside, determined to stick to Bella like glue for the rest of the day. Thankfully, she seemed to have run out of things they needed in order to get into the holiday spirit.
So, really considering the pace of the day it should have come as no surprise to find fresh footprints leading up the attic stairs. The problem was, those were not Charlie's size thirteen clodhoppers. Nope, these prints were made from bare feet and couldn't be more than a ten or eleven at most. More than that, whoever made them appeared to walk cautiously, almost on the balls of his feet, a move the pack had down to a science. Yet, one sniff of the air and Jacob knew it wasn't one of his boys and it sure as hell wasn't leech. No scent at all, leaving only one possibility. Matt. The question was, what in the hell had he been doing up here?
Following the prints up the staircase, Jacob set down the boxes in his arms on the floor as soon as he reached the landing. Even though it wasn't necessary for sight, he flicked on the light out of habit, nearly jerking the old fashioned pull-string out of the fixture in agitation. It was a move that made him feel human in the most inhuman of moments.
Cold fingers of air reached in through the thin walls parting them from the outside world. Old lathe and wood had begun to crumble in places, small pebbles falling off with each gust that whipped around the house. Very carefully, Jacob followed the tracks over to the far wall, where they stopped in front of an old hammered trunk. It had been shifted aside recently, the dust on the floor indicating drag marks. Pushing it aside again, he focused on the floor, thinking maybe there had been something hidden beneath it. Then quite suddenly he caught it. Faint, but still there. Dried lavender and something else... something earthy but not quite human. "Bells," he shouted. "Can you come up here?"
"You don't have to yell. I was right behind you." Jacob turned around to see her standing in the doorway, hands full of lights. "These are still good, but I don't wanna use them." Bella glanced around the attic. "You know, I don't think I've ever actually been up here. I remember Dad hauling a few things up when I first moved back, but I guess I was never curious enough. Wonder what's stashed in here?"
"Honey, I think we're about to find out. Come over here, would you?"
Laying the strands of lights down on the other cartons she'd marked, Bella walked over the wall where Jacob knelt by an old steamer. "Oh wow, that trunk is really old. I wonder who it belonged to? Anything still in it?"
"Yeah, but that's not what I'm... here... look..." Jacob's fingers very carefully loosed one corner of the board, years of rot crumbling beneath his fingers. "What's that?" she asked.
"That's what we're gonna find out," he replied, eyeballing the rotted wood and trying to figure out how to do the least amount of damage to the wall. "Can you go get me Charlie's flashlight? Grab the hammer out of the kitchen drawer too."
Bella dashed downstairs realizing she was being as obedient as a dog following orders and was back up the two flights of stairs in record time, panting for breath.
Jacob glanced up amused, taking in her pink cheeks and heaving chest. In one tiny hand she clutched an old paint spattered, rusty claw hammer and in the other a heavy police grade maglight. "You know, you didn't have to make it a marathon."
"What?" she shrugged, kneeling beside him. "I'm curious."
Just as he was about to pry the board loose, Bella clamped a hand down on his wrist and he could hear her heart thrumming faster than a hummingbird's wings. "Wait... there's not, I mean, it's not bones or something, right?"
Grinning, Jacob leaned forward and dropped a light kiss to her nose. "You've watched way too many crime shows."
The old nails groaned as they came out of the wood, but gave no protest, sliding out with relative ease. When he'd pried two of them away, Bella held the flashlight pointing the beam from over Jacob's shoulder. "What on earth?" she asked. Dried herbs, so old they fell apart at the touch, were stuffed behind the wall, along with moth-eaten bags filled with small stones, suspended on sharp backs of nails in the board situated above. But it was what was behind that, which caught Jacob's eye. "Bells, shine that light a little lower."
Sure enough, slipping down between the old slats of lathe, a piece of paper, more yellowed than parchment lay hidden like buried treasure. Very carefully, Jacob tugged it loose. "Looks like it's torn in half, but I know I didn't rip it."
"You think there's more in there?" she questioned, shining the light closer, to no avail.
"One way to find out, but I'm gonna have to put some new boards on here or Charlie's gonna have my head." Jacob pulled out his cell and quickly punched in some numbers. "Damn, they're not back yet. Bells, I gotta run back home and get some boards to patch this."
"Sure. I'm curious to see what's in this old thing anyhow." Bella kicked at the trunk with her toe and held out her hand for the paper. "Let me see it."
The second she touched it, the paper seemed to shimmer. It was only for a second, but the luminescence was unmistakable. Then, almost as soon as it happened, it stopped. "What on earth?"
Jacob pulled it out of her hands, wary of what it contained. Suddenly, the innocuous slip of paper seemed dangerous. He wasn't sure, but from the way it reacted to Bella's touch and the footprints... "I don't know. But, Bella, someone was up here before."
"Huh?"
"There were footprints on the stairs and on the floor." he explained, then shot her a pointed look. "Bare feet and they weren't Charlie's tracks."
"Who do you think?" Bella blanched, the color draining from her face. "You think it was Matt?"
"I'm not sure who else it could be," he replied slowly. "There was no scent that I could pick up and I can't think of anyone else who might have been in the house recently."
Bella's eyes flew open wide and he could almost see her mind racing with possibilities. "Do you think he put it there?"
"No way. Too old. The boards were practically falling apart when I touched them. There's a serious case of rot up here," he reminded her, indicating the hole in the wall. "No, my bet is he knew it was here."
Without touching it, Bella stared at the old scrap of paper. The ink markings were clearly native, but the anthropology degree she'd acquired didn't help her much with linguistics. There was almost nothing on there she could decipher on her own. "Jake, can you make out any of the words?"
Jacob took a closer look and then shook his head. "Nope. Whatever this is, it's an ancient language. Some of it looks like Quileute, but I can't make heads or tails of this. Not sure there's anyone alive who can."
"Jake? Bells? You guys here?" Embry's voice echoed off the walls, startling them both. The flashlight dropped from Bella's hands, rolling across the wood floor and stopping at the base of the trunk. She cursed herself for feeling so jumpy. "It's just a piece of paper," she mumbled, then straightened up and clapped the light into Jacob's hands so she could wipe the dust and cobwebs from her own off on the seat of her jeans. "Up here!" she called.
In a matter of seconds, Embry's large frame took up the doorway. Jacob leveled a serious stare at him. "Anything?"
"Nah, not a trace."
Bella looked back and forth between the two of them suspiciously. Maybe it was just nerves, but something felt off. "What's going on?"
"Nothing," Embry shrugged. "Just a routine run." He strode over to them in about three steps, then teasingly ruffled her hair. "Nothin' to worry your pretty head about." His brow furrowed, eyes lighting on the paper in Jacob's hand. "What's that?"
"Not sure yet. Listen, I need to run home and get some boards. Fix this mess before Charlie sees it. Can you stay here with Bells for a bit?" He tried to make his tone sound casual, but knew Embry could smell the fine layer of fear rolling off him.
"Jake, I'm fine by myself," she assured him. "I'm going back downstairs to clean up the rest of the mess, maybe go through this old trunk and see what's in it. I promise, I'll be fine."
Pulling her to his chest, Jacob kissed the crown of her hair, gazing over the top of her head, allowing Embry see the small amount of fear in his eyes. "Yeah, but I know you. You're gonna end up wanting blue bulbs or purple balls or something."
"Whatever," she responded irritably, pretty sure she was being placated with absolutely no idea why.
"I'll be back in an hour," he promised, leaving the love of his life alone with Embry in the dusty attic.