Don't own anything except OC's.

Chapter 14: Betrayal

Claire's POV

Swerving into the driveway of the cute light blue house, I couldn't help but laugh at the thought of my mom seeing do that move so fast. She went crazy if I went two mile over the speed limit, I could imagine her having a heart attack if she saw me now. Chuckling to myself, I locked the car and ran up to knock on the door.

"Oh, hello dear," Dahlia greeted me with a warm smile. "They're in her bedroom."

I smiled gratefully at Gabby's grandmother and rushed up the stairs to join my best friends. They were sat on the bed giggling when I entered but stopped when the door squeaked.

"Okay, what was so important that you couldn't tell me over the phone?" I asked Gabby, jumping to Behati's side near the headboard.

"Don't freak out," Gabby looked like she was about to burst with happiness. "But Collin kissed me last night!"

My mouth dropped open. "Really? That's great, Gabby!"

"I know!" she squealed and Behati winced. "It was amazing, Claire. It was everything I had ever dreamed of and more."

"I've lost count how many times she's said that," Behati muttered.

"Shush, you," Gabby ordered jokingly. "I'm happy. Don't ruin my mood."

I silently listened as Gabby recited her kiss with Collin on the couch in the living room. I nodded and smiled at the right moments as she glowed with bliss. I was happy for her, really and truly, but I couldn't help but be a little jealous. If things were moving on for Collin and Gabby, why were Quil and I still stuck at limbo?

Gabby had been through a lot these past six months. She had gotten into a massive fight with her parents about her dream of being a party planner and all the things that Gabby had been holding up all of her life came out. She told me she had said she didn't want to be their daughter anyway and escaped to her grandparent's house to confine in them. Dean and Dahlia, said grandparent's, were furious at their son and daughter-in-law. Dahlia stormed over, shouted, screamed, and even slapped Gabby's mom across the face before demanding Gabby and her siblings pack their bags because they were going to live with her. Gabby had not hesitated, but had run into her parents again while collecting her stuff and they had another argument. Now, her parents were off in different places of the world "clearing their heads", not that Gabby cared, and the Williams siblings were finally getting the good family life they deserved. Collin finally seeing her as a woman was just icing on her wonderful cake.

After the day Quil and I sorted our issues out things had been going great...kind of. We were best friends again, which I loved more than anything, however I found myself falling for him more and more each day. Hanging out and talking everyday had highlighted, and even revealed, the reasons why I loved him. He was smart, funny, kind, caring, generous, beautiful, hot, sexy—he was Quil.

My distraction got so bad Peter started to notice. He made small comments about how I was paying more attention to Quil than I was him, then he started to outright tell me I needed to stop being so obsessed with being Quil's friend. I wanted—or tried—to stop, but I couldn't and I didn't want to. If I had to choose between spending my Saturday nights with Quil or Peter, I easily chose Quil. He made me laugh more, we had more fun together, he made me happier. Mine and Peter's relationship came to a head after I lied to him about sleeping over at Gabby's one night when really I went to spend the day with Quil. Peter rang me up on the night claiming he saw Gabby at the cinema with Behati and I wasn't with them. I was forced to tell the truth and we broke up. School become sufficiently more awkward after that, thanks to Peter's glares and snide comments. Though, I couldn't bring myself to care too much. I was free to hang out and talk to Quil whenever and wherever I wanted, so Peter's sour mood was the last thing on my mind.

For reasons unbeknown to me, I was waiting for Quil to make a move. I wasn't certain, but I had a feeling that Quil was starting to notice me. Since the day I announced to Quil that Peter and I were done, Quil had been a lot more open with me. Whenever I was close enough for him to touch me, he would. It was nothing extreme, just simple hand holding or placing his arm along my shoulders, however it was a good sign. Maybe he was seeing me in the same way I was seeing him. It was a long shot, but I held silent hope.

The hope began to die during the months leading up to my seventeenth birthday. He still hadn't made a move on me and I had opened up plenty of opportunities. He stayed completely oblivious to anything I said, did or hinted at. Were the touchy-feely actions really just acts from one best friend to another? Had I been reading too far in-between the lines?

Christmas came (was he going to kiss me under the mistletoe?) and went with nothing. We exchanged presents, a kiss on the cheek and a hug and that was it. We spent the rest of the days with the Uley's and I got no alone time with him during the trip. My hope distinguished even more. He really did see me as his best friend, nothing more. Was that all Quil and I were meant to be for the rest of our lives? Best friends? That thought made me feel sick. Surely, there was something more to it—to us than that. I would never love another man like I loved Quil Ateara, I was positive, so why were we not together yet?

Hearing that Collin and Gabby, who had also been best friends for years and were the closest relationship I knew to be like me and Quil's, were stepping up in their relationship was like a punch to the gut. If they could do it, why couldn't we? Did they love each other more? Was there something wrong with me and Quil?

"So what next for you two?" Behati asked, popping a jelly sweet into her mouth. "Has he called you yet?"

Gabby sighed dreamily. "He called me this-morning and asked me out on a date tomorrow night. He said he missed me and couldn't wait to see me again."

"Sweet," Behati said dryly. "Anything naughty?"

"No!"

"Damn." She turned to me with a smirk. "I bet you ten bucks they're bonking within the month."

"Behati Spencer!" Gabby shrieked, her face blooming red. "That's so...actually, I hope you're right."

"Imagine how big he would be," Behati's light green eyes widened. "Like, it's going to have to be as big as the rest of him, right? And Collin's massive, so it's going to be massive."

"Not if he uses steroids," I pointed out laughingly. Behati always said the strangest things, but I loved her to pieces. Her randomness and kooky ways to life made her Behati.

"No, then he'll be tinie weenie," she made an inch gap with her thumb and forefinger. "Ha! That would be hilarious. If he is that small, take a picture...and if he's big, also take a picture."

"That would be quite weird," I said. "In the heat of the moment Gabby just whips out her cell phone and says 'oh, wait a sec, Behati wants me to take a picture of you'. I think he'd refuse to have sex after that, to be honest."

"That's so not how I talk," Gabby huffed at my squeaky impersonation voice.

"Fine, ask Quil if you can take one of his."

My face pounded at the thought of seeing Quil naked. Oh, God, I bet he would be like a statue or something judging from just his chest and stomach alone. The La Push guys walked around without shirts on more often than not down on the rez and I had seen Quil with only shorts on multiple times. From the age of twelve I had been greedily appreciating that fact as I took in the coppery plains of his toned body. One of the only parts of Quil I hadn't seen was his thing and his butt, and damn I wanted to see them bad.

"Oh, she's blushing!" Behati mocked brightly. "She's getting hot at the thought!"

Embarrassed, I turned away from her only to see Gabby giggling away at the opposite end of the bed. Traitor.

"Anyway, maybe I could see for myself," Behati mulled. "Quil's got some pretty hot friends. Like Brady, for example."

"Brady's not really into that kind of stuff," I mumbled. He was too busy following Evelyn Uley around like a puppy. Aunt Emily said they reminded her of Quil and I when I was younger. "You might get Aiden, though. He likes to play around a lot."

"Oh, yeah, Aiden's gorgeous," Gabby gushed. "He has nothing on Collin," she added more to herself than to us.

I had to agree. After Quil, Aiden was probably the hottest guy of the bunch that constantly dropped in and out of my Aunt and Uncle's place. He was quiet and brooding with a heart the size of Russia. He slept around quite a bit, but I had a feeling he was a bit broken. From what, I didn't know, and I had a feeling I didn't want to.

We talked for a few hours and then I left to go to La Push for the weekend. My parents and I had a deal, as long as I kept my grades up in school and didn't get into too much trouble, I was allowed to go to La Push on a weekend. I had to give it to my parents, they kept their promises. Like they had said, they didn't complain once as I left every weekend to visit Quil. We had rules and as long as I stuck to them, they stuck to their part of the deal. At first they had thought it would have a bad effect on my grades, however it did the opposite. Knowing that all I had to do was get good grades to see Quil on a weekend made me work even harder at my school work to make sure I got to see him. I had gone from a B average to an A*/A average. My parents were exceptionally proud and I had to admit, so was I.

Gabby and Collin's kiss replayed in my mind as I drove down to La Push. I wanted that to be me and Quil. I wanted to be on the other end of the gushing, my cheeks flushed from my thoughts and giggling at the new feelings the next step brought. Really, I wanted to be with Quil.

I text my mom that I had safely arrived, one our rules, in the car and then ran through the rain into my Aunt and Uncle's house. Tyrone and Nathan were playing on the X-box and my Aunt and Evelyn were painting at the dining table. My Uncle worked at a construction company from nine until five so he wouldn't be home for another hour. Instinctively, my eyes searched for Quil and disappointment ran through me when he didn't come out of the kitchen with food like he usually did.

"Hello, honey," Aunt Emily smiled, hugging me. Evelyn sloppily kissed my cheek and then went back to painting her flower. "Was your drive okay?"

"Yeah, fine. Where's—"

"Quil?" she finished knowingly. "He got called in by Embry to Fix 'n' Go fifteen minutes ago. He'll be back in about half an hour."

Sighing, I walked over to make conversation with my cousins as they played a car game on the TV screen. They were eight and six now and both took mostly after Sam in looks, whereas Evelyn was all Aunt Emily. After figuring out that I wasn't going to get a good conversation from them because of their vast interest in the game, I went over to play with Evelyn and Aunt Emily. I had just finished painting a rabbit when the front door opened and Quil walked in.

"Hey," I beamed, jumping into his arms. He squeezed tightly and I couldn't help from shivering at his boiling temperature. "What was the garage emergency?"

"The computer system crashed," Quil chuckled as we broke apart. "And Embry couldn't get it working again so I had to go over and mess around with it."

"Did you fix it?"

"Of course I did," he winked and I almost melted.

Evelyn called for our attention so we sat down at the dining table together and played with her as Aunt Emily went to make dinner. Uncle Sam came home soon after, greeted everyone and then went to help Aunt Em in the kitchen. We watched TV together after eating, I sat next to Quil snuggled into his side and tried to forget none-best friend thoughts, until the kids had to go in the bath and bed. It left Quil and I in the living room together watching shitty sitcoms. His fingers gently played with the ends of my hair and I was more interested in watching the way his fingers moved than what was on the telly.

"Did you hear about Collin and Gabby?" I whispered through the quietness of the room.

"No," he replied in a soft voice. "What happened?"

"They kissed yesterday," I answered casually. I didn't want to sound jealous or he might run away. His fingers momentarily stopped fiddling with the ends of my hair, and then started again seconds later.

"Oh."

"She's really happy about it," I continued semi-desperately. "Has Collin not said anything?"

"I haven't seen him today."

"Oh, okay."

He continued twirling my hair and I let out a small sigh, knowing this conversation wasn't going anywhere. My eyes fluttered closed on their own accord, the rare silence of the house and Quil's heat were lulling me to sleep.

Bang!

The front door crashed open and I jumped in fright as Quil blocked my way to protect me. "Quil," Brady sighed in relief. "Man, we need you out here."

"What?"

"It's Embry."

That was all Brady needed to say. Quil turned to me with an apologetic look that I found far too cute. "I'm sorry, I need to go and see him," he said, kissing my forehead. "I'll be back, okay?"

He waited for me to nod and then he was off out the door and into the night. Worn out, I switched off the telly and sneakily jogged up to the guest bedroom at the back of the upstairs hallway. The bedroom was used for any person that wanted to sleep over at the Uley house though I was the one that used it the most. It was like a second bedroom to me. It had some jeans, tops and underwear in the wardrobe, my make-up and perfumes on the shelves and some pictures of me and the group. Aunt Emily had opened the window so I went over to close it only to see Brady and Quil in the backyard under the porch lights. They were at the edge of the woods talking furiously to each other. Quil looked disgusted and upset over something and Brady didn't look much better.

Automatically, I pressed myself against the window to get a better look at them. They had ditched their tops already, leaving them at their feet and standing in only pants. What the hell were they doing standing out in this weather? It was the end of January, for God's sake! It was freezing outside, you could even see their breath as they talked. I felt like shouting for them to put on jumpers but by the seriousness of their faces it looked like the wrong thing to do.

Just as I began to turn away, Brady unbuttoned his pants and let them drop to the grass. Though I shouldn't have, I stared. He had his hands covering his private parts but I could see his bare bum. He said something and then disappeared into the woods. My eyes attached to Quil to see if he thought this was as insane as I did, but he just looked angry and upset. Then he hooked his hands into his pants, turned and dropped them. My eyes zoomed in on the perfect roundness of his butt cheeks and the way that the skin there was slightly lighter than the rest of him was.

Already I felt like I was going to faint, however, Quil decided this would be the perfect time to turn into a wolf.

Holy shit!

The moment I blinked, he was gone.

What the hell had just happened? Was I dreaming? Had Aunt Emily slipped something into my dinner tonight?

Oh, God.

Did Quil, my best friends and lifetime confident, seriously just turn into...into a wolf?

No. No, no. That wasn't possible. It was against the laws of science. It was against everything that was factual. There was no way in hell that Quil had just turned into a wolf!

But what had I just saw? It was as plain as day. One minute Quil was stood butt naked in the backyard, the next he was a giant ass wolf. It couldn't be true, it wasn't possible...was it?

I started to hyperventilate and had to sit down on the floor to calm myself down, I couldn't even make it to the bed. Hysteria rose to every cell in my body and I started to shake. How could any of this be real? I had always thought there was something off about Quil and his friends, but this? Not even in my wildest dreams had I thought of this happening. Maybe some secret gang, but turning into a wolf?

I started to curse myself about not asking more questions over the years. Why had I not questioned more when my Uncle and his friends had to run out into the woods? Why had I not questioned their mysterious behaviour more? Why had I not forced Quil to tell me? I had trusted him, even more than my parents sometimes, and yet he had lied to me my entire life. I couldn't believe it, Quil, my Quil, had blatantly lied to my face without so much as a second thought! Did he really think so little of me? Did he not trust or love me at all?

I felt sick. Not only at Quil but at everyone. If I thought correctly all the guys were wolves, even my Uncle Sam. I had always thought they looked like brothers and shared a strange connection, but I thought it had been because they had grown up together. How wrong I was! Who was in on it? Was my Aunt Emily? Aurora? Renesmee? Embry? Jake? My parents? Nora? Who else had lied to me for most of my damn life?

I needed answers and I needed them soon. Hurt, angry and confused, I stumbled to my feet and burst out the door and down the hallway. Without really thinking about it I ran to Quil's apartment, forgetting he wouldn't be there considering he'd just gone wolf into the woods. Sniffling, I took a seat on the sofa and waited for Quil to come home. Tears streamed down my cheeks before I could even begin to stop them. I shuffled into the corner of the sofa, wrapped my arms around my legs and started to sob.

Betrayal was a horrible feeling.

Thoughts?

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Sorry for the late update, I know it's been three weeks but my life has been hectic! I don't have a valid excuse, but I hope you don't mind too much :)

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Also, I personal reading question that I'm curious about, do you guys like First Person POV or Third Person POV better? I'm writing a new story and I can't decide which one I prefer, so I'm asking my trusted readers!

Thanks for being patient!

-Laylax