Chapter 28
The next few weeks sailed by in their usual routine, except for Emmett constantly asking that I float him around everywhere. I took it in stride, using the opportunity to refine my abilities. I did like being able to use my powers around the Cullen property, which was a lot more open than the forest. Soon, I found myself able to move him much higher and easier than I had Demetri that first time, and, I'll admit, only occasionally "accidentally" dropping him on his face.
Carlisle took a keen interest in unraveling the mystery behind how my abilities were so profound while I was still human. However, I did not want to discuss my sex life, especially not with Carlisle. So, I brushed it off by simply saying I was a gifted human, not a total lie, really. I spoke with Alice, and she, along with Esme, set up the whole plan, then spoke with Charlie, leaving me free to go to Italy with Demetri.
It was Saturday morning when I woke up and realized Charlie had already left for a fishing trip with Billy. As I glanced out the window, the sun shone down brilliantly, which was a rare sight indeed. The idea of doing something fun and different stirred within me. I remembered the cliffs overlooking the beach in La Push that Jake had introduced me to on my first day here. Back then, the thought of jumping off those cliffs had sounded like a blast. However, after Jake gave me the cold shoulder, I never got around to trying it. But, I didn't need him to have a good time. I made up my mind to head to the cliffs and make the jump on my own. I thought Emmett would love to jump, and maybe I could convince Alice and Jasper to join in. But unfortunately, with the sun so bright, I knew they wouldn't be able to go out in public today.
Stepping outside, I was greeted by a beautiful day. I closed my eyes and tilted my head upward, basking in the warmth of the sun. Taking a deep breath, I let go of any worries or concerns and simply enjoyed the moment. The tranquility of Forks always had a calming effect on me. The thought occurred to me that running to La Push would be quite enjoyable instead of driving. The La Push beach was around 15 miles away, a distance I knew I could easily cover. If I ran through the forest, I could move much faster than a normal human could. It had been a while since I truly pushed my limits, the last time being the race with Demetri in the desert last year. I was confident that in the forest, I'd be alone so it would be fine. It would feel great to stretch my muscles and give them a proper workout.
I began my journey at a steady pace, reaching the edge of town before veering off into the forest, where I promptly accelerated to a rapid clip. As I streaked through the forest, I reveled in the speed. My determination to test my limits fueled me, prompting me to see just how fast I could move. It was nothing like how Edward moved through the forest with me on his back, but it was certainly faster than any human could run. It felt good to really let loose, and it felt like I was even going faster than I had last year with Demetri.
I was well over halfway to the La Push cliffs, dashing through the forest, when, seemingly out of thin air, a massive creature lunged at me from the side. Emitting a ferocious growl, it hurtled towards me, its mouth gaping open and its fangs poised to clamp down on my head. The sudden attack caught me off guard, prompting me to act on instinct. I swiftly activated my shield, propelling whatever it was backwards into a tree. The collision with the tree resounded in a powerful crack as the tree toppled over. I came to an abrupt stop, shocked by what had just transpired.
What the fuck was that thing? It definitely wasn't a bear; it was far too large. As I looked at the crumpled creature on the ground, horror gripped me as it began to regain its footing. It appeared to be a wolf, but it was enormous, towering over me. Reluctantly, I knew I couldn't let the creature attack me again. I was just about to slice the creature's head off when it transformed into a man. Not just any man, but Jacob Blackāa very naked Jacob Black.
I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Was anyone normal, or is the whole world just a bunch of supernatural creatures? I couldn't help but take a look at Jake, and 'oh my god,' that thing was enormous. His dick was huge, swinging back and forth like a pendulum. I wanted to look away, but it was like it was hypnotizing me as it swung. I had to focus and shook my head, lifting it up to Jake's face. The look of rage on his face brought my mind back into focus.
"What the hell, Bella!" Jake growled out.
"What the hell? What the fuck, Jake! Why did you try to kill me, and even more importantly, how the fuck were you that animal?" I spoke angrily, "But before you answer, will you cover that thing up? It's very distracting."
I watched as Jake put on some shorts that had been tied around his leg. As he now stood there in only his shorts, I realized all those guys who walk around like this must be wolves. Is the entire tribe made up of werewolves? Did anyone know this? I doubt my father knew. Well, I'd better get some answers now.
"Okay, Jake. What the hell are you? I want some explanations."
"Me? You should give me your own explanations. You're some type of vampire, aren't you?"
It seems Jake knew about vampires. "What are you talking about? You know about vampires? I assume you know the Cullens? It's sunny out. Am I sparkling? I have a heartbeat, Jake. Now, answer my questions: What are you?"
Jake looked at me with contempt, but he had calmed down some. "We're spirit warriors. I guess you would call us shape-shifters. We protect the tribe from vampires. When I saw you streaking through the forest faster than any human could run, I thought you were a vampire. I didn't realize it was you. What are you, Bella? I know you hang out with the Cullens a lot; don't try to deny it."
"I'm just unusual, Jake. Kinda like you. If you can exist, why can't I? The Cullens are my friends." He seemed to have a big beef with vampires. I figured it was best to neglect to say I got my abilities from a vampire, and I was going to become one someday.
"Well, vampires are not allowed on our land. We have a treaty with the Cullens: they don't come here, and we don't go where they live. As long as they don't kill a human, we allow them to live here."
"Well, I'm not a Cullen. I never heard of any treaty, and I had no idea shape-shifters existed. The Cullens neglected to mention anything about you." I would be having words with the Cullens; they should have told me this shit.
"The treaty bars either side from exposing the other's secret. I knew there was something different about you, Bella, that first day you came here. I thought your scent was a little bit like a vampire's, but you were clearly human. What happened to you? How did you throw me like that?"
"I started to develop powers in Phoenix last year. When I moved here I was very surprised when I met the Cullens and soon learned that vampires were real. Charlie doesn't know about my abilities or about vampires. Does he know what you guys are?"
"No, he doesn't."
"Good. You can never tell him about any of this, Jake. Not me, not about vampires, not about you. The Cullens told me there are strict rules, and if a human learns that vampires are real, they have to be taken out. Now, since I'm sort of supernatural too, I don't have the same restrictions. I assume the same goes for you, but my dad would be killed. You can't tell him anything, Jake. Ever."
"I understand, Bella. We won't say a word. But how can you hang out with vampires? They are monsters and murderers."
"Says the werewolf who just tried to kill a girl who was just minding her own business! Come on, Jake, think. It's people's actions that determine if they are good or bad, not what they are."
"Vampires are evil, Bella. There were three vampires who came here last year, and when they attacked our tribe, we fought back. We killed one of them, but during the fight, we lost Paul, our pack brother. The other two got away and later killed two Forks High students. Vampires can't be trusted."
"I actually met those two the other week, Jake. A skeevy looking guy and a crazy chick with flaming red hair."
"They're back? When and where was this? I need to alert the pack. How could you talk with them, Bella?" Jake said angrily.
"The conversation was very short. They were evil, Jake, and after I had had enough of listening to them spout on about how they were going to drain me, I killed them both."
"What? You killed them? How? You're human... err, mostly human."
"I'm not as defenseless as I appear." I looked at a tree off to the side and sliced it in half, letting the top half fall loudly to the forest floor. "You're lucky you turned into yourself when you did, as I had been about to do the same to you. Can we call a truce, Jake? I'm not evil, and I'm not trying to hurt your tribe. I was only going to the coast to try out the cliff jumping that you had told me about."
Jake thought about it for a minute. "Okay, Bella. Thank you for taking out those two leeches and bringing peace to Paul's spirit. I'll discuss it with Sam, who is the leader of our pack, but I think we can be allies. I've never heard of any other type of supernatural being other than us and vampires. Have you?"
"No, I was quite surprised when I developed powers and then found out about vampires, and now you. The world is full of crazy shit, isn't it?"
Jake nodded at my assessment, "If you want, I'll take you to the cliff, and we can jump together. It's always best to jump with another just in case."
I smiled, glad that it appeared I had calmed the situation. I had to do a little fibbing, but I wasn't a threat to these people. "That sounds good. Do you have to turn into the wolf again? We're still several miles away from the coast."
"Nah, I can run pretty fast as a human as well."
"Too bad, I was hoping to get another peek at little Jake," I started laughing. There was nothing little about it.
Jake smiled, probably thinking proudly of his massive dick, and we took off through the forest. When we reached the coast, Jake showed me where the tallest cliff to jump from was located. We stood at the top, near the cliff's edge, and I looked out at the vast ocean. It was almost noon, and the sun reflecting off the water made quite a sight. I glanced down, and the drop looked even bigger than Jake had claimed. I smiled, already anticipating the thrill of jumping.
"Let's get a running start and make the leap," I said, smiling at Jake. He smiled back and nodded. We backed up a good 30 feet, then took off running toward the cliff's edge. I jumped with all my might, propelling myself about 10 to 15 feet into the open sky before gravity took over. The fall gave me such a rush, and I aimed to land in the water feet first. As I hit the water and went under, the rip tide pushed strongly against me. Fortunately, I was stronger than a normal human and had no trouble making it back to the shore next to Jake.
We went up to jump two more times, but on the third jump, I decided to have a little fun. As we stood near the edge of the cliff, I grabbed hold of Jake using my shield and lifted him up into the air.
"What the fuck!" Jake yelled, looking at me in surprise. I wore a big smile on my face.
"I think a little payback is in order, Jake, for you trying to kill me earlier. All I'll say is you're lucky there's water under you." With that, I moved him out past the cliff's edge, about 50 feet out, and held him there, suspended in the sky. It was quite the sight to behold, and I imagined how cool it would be when I could practice similar feats with myself.
"I'll let you go in a second, Jake," I yelled, then quickly backed up and ran toward the cliff's edge, jumping. As I started to fall, I let go of Jake, and he fell into the ocean alongside me.
When we reached the shore, the awe in Jake's voice was clear, "Damn, that was impressive, Bella. Sorry again about earlier. I didn't know it was you."
By the end of the day, we had a great time cliff jumping. After we had our fill of jumping, Jake and I sat on the cliff for a long time, talking, as I had many questions about shape-shifters. Jake told me so many interesting things, and it only made me wonder what else might be out there. He asked me questions as well, and I was truthful about all my abilities but left out any mention of vampires. Later that day, Jake drove me home, and we parted on much better terms than how we had begun the day. It was a shame that our relationship had been strained throughout the entire year I was here, all because of their stupid prejudices. We most likely could have been good friends.
Let me know your thoughts. In the next chapter, Bella makes her way to visit the Volturi. I had written the entire story out before I started posting and have been doing final edits as I posted each chapter. However, when I came to Bella's trip and the chapters after that, I was not happy with anything, so I have been redoing them. The good news is I have greatly expanded her trip and am now expanding the chapters when she is in college. The bad news is that eventually, the updates might come slower than every couple of days.
