Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, just my characters.
Renesmee Cullen
"What do you mean we should be afraid of Cassia?" Jasper demanded.
"How do you know her?" Jacob demanded.
Ray Parker, who I found out almost attacked my family tonight, sat up in his seat. He shrugged the blanket concealing his half-naked body to reveal his intimidating physique. He was large. And pretty tall. He was either Jacob's height or only slightly shorter. He was covered in shredded muscles. If he and Jake stood beside each other, you would think they both were bodybuilding together.
He hopped off the hospital bed but almost stumbled lightheadedly on his feet. Seth and Emmett ran over to his side to help him up.
Ray growled slightly at Emmett but didn't waver.
They carried him to the open chair around us.
"Sorry for the disorientation. You were shot by –"
"The hunters, I know." He grumbled, digging into the hole in his shoulder and pulled out the bullet that was lodged into it.
He snarled at the pain. He stared at the thick, aerodynamic bullet. It had a weird purple-bluish aura floating around it.
"It's a wolfsbane bullet." He muttered gruffly. "It dampens our abilities. If it hits our heart it could be lethal."
"Can wolfsbane kill you?" Emmett asked, fascinated by the wolf.
"If it's in my system long enough, it could travel its way to my heart." He told us, throwing the bullet onto the coffee table before falling back into the chair, recovering almost instantly.
He was still winged. His open wound on his shoulder was slowly closing in. His veins were purple, the same color as the wolfsbane bullet when it pierced through his skin. It traveled all the way down to his arm, but now that the bullet was out, he was healing rapidly. He healed faster than I would, than any shapeshifter would. He healed expeditiously.
"You heal exceedingly fast." Carlisle mused, almost in awe.
"It comes with the territory of being part of the supernatural." He uttered.
"What about silver? If it was a silver bullet, would that have killed you?" Seth probed.
Ray looked at him, examining him. He then looked back at Justin who was still unconscious. I hadn't noticed Alex was now sitting by her half-brother's side, just watching him.
"No. That's just a myth." He replied. "Silver bullets don't affect us at all. It is what is inside the bullet that affects us. Instead of gunpowder, looks like they used wolfsbane and vampire venom."
"Vampire venom?" I questioned.
"How do vampire hunters hold position of vampire venom?" Carlisle asked.
"And why?" Alice demanded.
"My father tells me that vampire venom can act as a protection for them after they slaughter a vampire." Alex spoke. All heads darted at her way. "When the vampire is incapacitated, they collect the venom from their mouths and keep it contained for future use when threatened by an attack from another supernatural creature."
I blinked. Her human father and his fellow hunters can do all of that? But how? Aren't they supposed to be human? How is it they are able to singlehandedly take down a vampire and still collect samples of their venom for their own use when they were only just mere mortals? I would think vampires were more powerful, agile and quick for any human.
"But vampire venom alone isn't dangerous to us." Ray revealed.
We turned our attention to him.
"Werewolves are immune to the venom when exposed. However, when we bite a vampire, they don't share the same fate. Our venom can be lethal to a vampire." He said, looking at all the faces of my family.
I gulped, staring up at my dad who had a blank facial expression.
"It would explain why Caius is so afraid of them." Carlisle said, mostly to himself.
Ray frowned at his words.
"Caius is a member of The Volturi. They are the assumed heads of the immortal world. Well, the immortal vampire world. Century old men who reign over all vampires, enforcing laws and making necessary decisions. They are the council that enforces the law that we keep our secret from the outside world. The human world." My father answered his thoughts, I presumed. "I'm surprised you haven't heard of them before?"
"Edward, if he had knowledge of The Volturi, he most likely wouldn't have been alive." Carlisle said to my dad.
I knew what my grandfather meant.
If Ray Parker knew about The Volturi, it would mean there were other werewolves who were still alive that weren't destroyed by them in centuries past. Caius almost wiped out a third of the population of the Children of The Moon in Europe. The news would've spread across to the Transatlantic and Caius would've surely known there were more wolves in North America and he would've destroyed them all as well.
"Remember how surprised Caius was to see Jacob and the rest of the wolves? Of course, if wolves did know about Caius' tirade they would've gone into hiding. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the remaining went underground." Carlisle mentioned.
"Are the Volturi the vampire clan up in Italy?" Ray asked.
I darted my head to him.
So he does know them?
"You know 'em?" Jake questioned.
He shook his head. "I've heard whispers of a vampire clan in Italy that ran the vampire world. Never knew who they were. Never saw them in the flesh." He told us.
"They're one of the oldest living vampires in our universe." Edward mentioned. "They hold positions of unofficial power in our world so to say. They are royalty."
"Think of the British Royal Family but without the staunch imperialism, crowns and tiaras and their excessive royal weddings." Bella added.
"I think their royal weddings are fantastic!" Alice admonished, her eyes in shock. "In fact, one more is on the horizon in a couple of years. But that's not important right now. Okay." She cowered under Edward's calm glance.
"What do you know about Cassia?" Jasper quizzed, cutting straight to the chase.
Everyone was interested to hear.
Ray sighed. "To let you know, I'd have to start from the beginning." He began to recite.
Nessie tightened her hold on my hand with both her hands as she listened attentively, not realizing she was projecting her thoughts through her palms.
He's so intimidating! Why aren't my family nervous around a deadly wolf in their midst? She asked herself.
"To let you know where Cassia fits in all of this, I have to tell you my story." He stated. "It all started more than a century and three quarters ago in 1834 or early 1835. My great-great grandfather, Theodore Raymond Parker, was a prominent member of the Oak Wood County –before they changed it to Oakland Woods." He said.
"Born in 1775 to a council member's son and a coal miner's daughter, and firstborn of five children, my great grandfather was destined to be a prominent member of the public. During that time, religion was highly looked up upon. Christianity was upheld and anything that conflicted with the basis of religion was to be eschewed. The Parkers were well renowned for their nobility, which was the reason why my ancestors headed the Town Council. They were aristocrats if you will. The town raved on about them. They trusted them. They kept the peace within the town. They were protectors of the people. They protected the town from even the inexplicable of threats." He stated.
"Inexplicable threats?" Jasper probed.
Ray turned to the historical vampire. "Supernatural threats."
"Wait – The Parkers were supernatural hunters?" Alex asked.
"Hunters wouldn't be the correct terminology because there were real supernatural hunters in the town. People who truly fought to rid the town of vampires. Your people." Ray answered Alex.
"Then what did your people do?"
"They were defenders of the public in a judicial and preternatural sense but they also had an enigma. There was one detail they kept from the residents of Oak Wood. Their deepest darkest secret…"
"What was it?"
"It was their own connection to the supernatural." He said. "My great-great grandfather Theodore Raymond Sr. was a respected member of the council by day and turned into an animalistic creature by night."
Wait. An animalistic creature by night? Did that mean…?
"Your ancestor was a werewolf?" I probed.
Ray nodded. "The first of our family's bloodline. I don't really recall the accurate dates but he was turned around his late 20s and early 30s. This happened just before he would marry the farmer's daughter, Elise van der Bilt. My great-great grandmother."
That would mean Ray's great-great grandfather would've been turned around the early 1800s.
The first of his family? That would mean there were more werewolves to come out of his family? Was the gene inherited through generations? Like the Quileute wolf gen?
"What happened to him?" Carlisle asked, seemingly intrigued to know more.
Ray sighed. He looked to be in thought. The thought was bugging him because he looked visibly irritable or angry.
"He wanted to go above the grain in his choice of bride. But his father had his reservations. His father had an array of potential suitors to wed his eldest son and the farmer's daughter was at the bottom of the barrel. His father didn't approve of Elise, albeit she was not the poorest of the farmer's daughters, he feared her pedigree wouldn't have a match for the Parkers even though Elise van der Bilt was probably the most beautiful young woman in the land. Her shiny golden brown locks, her impeccably rich and fair skin and striking gray eyes. There was a reason why Theodore was enamored with her."
I smiled. It sounded like such a sweet love story I've read before. Pride and Prejudice came to mind.
"So he went against his father's wishes and wanted to marry her anyway." Ray cogitated.
"He was returning from Elise's home one night after asking her father's permission to marry his daughter. It was the antediluvian era after all. In the archaic times of the 18th and 19th century, the form of transport during that time was still horse-drawn carriages, rickshaws or just horseback." He added. "As he was travelling in the night of the quiet town of Oak Wood, he heard a faint distressed cry coming from an abandoned shelter. He stationed his horse and began following the cry…"
"Excuse me, miss?" He called out for the woman hidden underneath the shelter. "Is there something wrong?"
The cry turned into a silent whisper. "No, dear kind sir."
The woman's voice was melodic, almost like a bird singing a sweet, rosy lullaby. Theodore was intrigued at the idyllic tone in her voice, despite clearly being troubled.
"What are you doing all in your lonesome in the dusky nightfall, madam?" He inquired.
The woman didn't answer. Her head and body covered in a red cape with a hood shielding her face from view. He has seen the lady with the crimson-chartreuse shaded cape before upon his travels.
"Do I know you, ma'am?" He asked, eyes squinting to get a better view of the woman.
"I do not know. Do you?" The woman replied, her hand holding tightly on the side of her hood.
"What is your name?" Theodore asked.
"What is yours?" The woman with the melodic voice countered.
"I asked you first." Theodore chuckled.
The mysterious woman titled her head to the side, revealing her facial skin slightly. Her skin was too fair. The pallor was an impossibly rich snowy color. No blemish. No stain. No dirt. Even in the dark, you could tell her skin was the light.
The utopian man smiled at the woman.
"You really shouldn't be out in the dark all alone, sir." She replied coyly.
Theodore laughed. This mysterious woman asked him a question he should be asking her. He thought that she would be more endangered in the night than him.
"I think I would have better luck than you, milady." He told her. "Do you need help? You could show me to your home."
"It's too dangerous." She replied.
"I think I'll take my chances." He smiled. "I would like to see your face."
The enigmatic lady paused, contemplating for a while. The beatific woman turned her head to face the man, looking down before slowly unveiling her cladding. Her mane was elongated past her back, her tresses and tufts were a wiry sunbeam yellow. Her fair skin was evident in the glistening moonlight. Her fair skin was an incrustation of hard marble-like stone. Even through his human eyes, he could see. She was otherworldly. Her beauty was illustrious…remarkable.
The man gasped after what felt like so long.
"You are…magnificent." He mused.
Her eyes were still sealed shut. He so wanted to see her eyes. She looked unreal. Albeit he was captivated by her beauty, he also felt an element of danger radiating off of her.
He heard stories about the Hoary Creatures. There were hunts for such creatures who inhibited these qualities. Snow-white pallor, marble skin and impossible beauty. They only come out at night.
He knew.
He didn't want to believe.
But he knew.
He went down to reach for his weapon.
He was halted when he heard the rustling of leaves coming from the forest nearby. He darted his head to the noise and frowned before turning back to the woman who suddenly vanished into thin air.
The rustling of the leaves still continued though and it seemed to be getting closer. Theodore then pulled his rifle out from his boot and followed the sound into the forest.
Subsequently, there was a wolf howl echoing from the distance. It wouldn't have frightened him if it was any normal wolf howl but this one was different. It was lot more ominous. A lot more alarming and stern. A lot more bloodcurdlingly shaking and ravenous.
All it took for him was to release one shot…
"So what happened to Theodore?" Jasper asked, interrupting Ray's storyline.
Ray looked at him. "That was the night of a full moon."
He didn't need to explain.
I turned to Jake who had his eyebrows creased as he listened intently.
"His first shift happened a couple of days later on the night of the Oak Wood Debutant Ball hosted in the Council Hall. High society members of the town attended the prestigious event. Theodore had miraculously recovered from the bite but he had no memory of that night."
"How do you know all of this?"
"He had recorded all of this in his memoir." Ray told us.
"Theodore Parker Sr. knew his son would want to bring his betrothed farmer girl to the party so he took the event as an opportunity to bring together his final suitors for his eldest son to meet. Hoping to change his mind about Elise. The suitors arrived all in pristine carriages, stunning ballgowns and dripping in jewels. It was probably something out of a Jane Austen novel." He chuckled.
Alice and Rosalie hummed in delight at the thought.
"The first to arrive was a French woman named Belle, a daughter of a Grand Duke. The next was a British woman named Constance, the daughter of a coronal. The third was a woman named Henrietta Hepburn, an actress and ancestor of the Audrey Hepburn. The fourth and final woman was a woman named Cassandra Cerise Humphrey from Mississippi –" He spat the last name out.
Cassandra…
Sounds awfully similar to…
"When Theodore's eyes met with the woman, he was speechless. She was beautiful. Easily the most beautiful woman in the land. Her thick, long sunbeam hair was pulled back into a very high bun with few, long tufts of curls dangling on the frame of her face. Her skin a rich snow. She was gorgeous. But all of that beauty didn't match to the magnificent cherry-colored eyes he was met with. It was nothing like he had seen before. Cherry with a tint of violet and streaks of lime. All those variations of colors into two little eyes would be a sight for sore human eyes. It was almost hypnotic. The men were hypnotized with her level of beauty and so was Theodore.
He wanted to know her. The second she gracefully greeted and curtsied to him and his father, she revealed the most heartbreaking smile…
"The name's Cassandra Cerise Humphrey." She bowed her head and curtsied to Theodore as she extended her hand to him.
"The weirdest thing happened. His senses seemed to have heightened at that very moment. He could suddenly hear the heartbeats of every person in room, he could smell all the scents floating in the air. His vision had suddenly sharpened and he could now see almost everything in clear detail, no distorted view of his previous. He dropped his glasses and blinked to examine the woman that stood in front of him. There were too many scents surrounding him for him to register the most distinguished, most distinctive scent in the room. From the woman right in front of him…
"Son, what is the matter? Is there something upsetting you?" Theodore Sr. asked his son.
He shook his head. "No, father. There's nothing at all." He replied, regrouping himself and turning back to the stunning woman with the smug smile.
He smiled and took her cold hand and gave it a kiss. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Madam Humphrey."
Cassandra smirked as she took her hand out of his grasp and hoisted her voluminous crimson colored ballgown and walked into Council Hall, bypassing the perpetual stares she was met with.
Theodore spun around look at her beautiful gait.
"She's outrageously attractive, isn't she son?" Theodore's elderly father mused. "It should be inhuman to be that stunning,"
"She's definitely inhuman." Theodore replied.
"That was his first sighting of Cassia, wasn't it?" Bella asked.
Ray nodded his head. "That night, she seduced my great-great grandfather into his bed chamber. He knew he was committed to Elise but Cassandra had a hold of him. He only later eventually knew why. And it wasn't too long till he found out what she was. But then again, it didn't take a while for the town to be aware of the supernatural creatures in the town.
A supernatural outbreak ensued, residents were drained of blood and impaled that night. The supernatural hunters were called upon by the Town Council, to which Theodore Sr. was head and his son Theodore Jr. was Chairman of. They needed to handle the situation quickly before it wreaked more havoc. Cassandra – or should I say, Cassia fled off immediately when she got whiff of the hunts. The killings ended for a while. My ancestor believed he might have scared her off.
Not long after, he had his first shift. He was returning from work one night when he looked up at the night-sky and saw the full moon. He started feeling his blood boil, his temperature rise and body begin to ache in agonizing pain. He screeched and roared and rumbled and cried as the effects of the moon took hold over him.
His carriage driver upon hearing the commotion, stopped in the middle of the woods and climbed out to see what was going on. He should've ran off, he probably would've made it but curiosity killed the cat and curiosity got him killed as well the minute he opened that carriage. A beastly creature jumped out, ripping the man apart from limb and then attacked the two grey horses as well. As a wolf, you don't have recollection of your human mind. The animalistic instinct almost consumes you to no point of return." He recited.
I hid my face into Jacob's shoulder as I pictured the ferocity of his explanation in my head.
"He woke up naked and afraid the next morning in the middle of nowhere. Not remembering a thing. He was covered in dirt and his hair was tattered and messy. He could smell smoke not too far from where he was and he knew he needed to follow the smell in order to find his way back. He came across a small little pebbledash hut or cottage in the center of the woods. The hut was layered with pebbles and rocks with some thatches and wood acting as the roof. He watched the smoke travelling out of the little chimney on the roof. Someone must be home. It was a cold winter's evening and he was unconcealed but the coldness didn't affect him at all. Regardless, he felt the need to cover himself with his arms. He knocked on the faded wooden door with a small creak opening on the edge. After two more knocks, the door was opened and an elderly woman in antiquated and scrappy clothing appeared. She didn't have a welcoming face..."
"What is it you want?" The raspy voiced woman demanded.
"I apologize for coming unannounced ma'am. I seem to be lost. I woke in this current state mine with no recollection of what happened to me. I was wondering if you could offer your living quarters as my asylum until I figure out how to get back home? Would you be so kind as to provide that for me, madam?"
The woman scrutinized him. She probably thought the young man was too guileless and unwise to be a predator. So she reluctantly invited him in. She offered him a covering and some soup to drink.
"So where is it you come from, child?" The shrewd yet peculiar woman posed as she arranged her living quarters.
"I hail from the town of Oak Wood. I'm not quite certain it is anywhere nearby."
"Oak Wood would be a few 70 miles from here, child." She said.
He sighed.
"How did you find your way here unsheathed?"
"I honestly do not know how I found myself here." He confessed.
The woman frowned, pursing her lips together before arching her back towards the ceiling and retrieving a glass with liquid. She then turned around to break a flower, a purple flower with green streaks of leaves. She then crushed the plant in a mix bowl before tossing into the bottle of liquid and began twirling it around.
She turned around and walked over to the puzzled man.
"Drink this," She urged him.
He looked. "What is it?" He asked questionably.
"Drink," She stated.
He looked at her with suspect but took the glass anyway and took a sip whilst the woman waited.
The second the liquid touched his tongue and mouth, he hissed at the sudden burn he felt and automatically dropped the glass to the ground, shattering it instantly.
"What is that?" He demanded.
The woman gasped. "Just as I suspected! You are one of them." She stated as if that was supposed to have some significant meaning to him.
"I'm sorry?" He probed.
"You must be a neonatal creature of the night. Oh poor young man. What have they done to you?"
He looked at the woman as if she were insane.
"You need to go now. Get out of the town. Before it happens to you again." She said, now ushering the man out of her home.
"What are you talking about?"
"Strange things, child!" She exclaimed.
I listened attentively.
"He left immediately and returned home to Oak Wood a day later. There was a search party already starting for him when he arrived at his house. His betrothed waiting patiently on the steps for him. He couldn't stop thinking about her during his time away and he was glad to have her in his arms. Elise was glad Theodore was okay. They were due to marry the week later."
"Who was the woman in the hut?" Edward asked him.
Ray shrugged. "A woman who clearly knew of the supernatural. But my grandfather would never see her again."
Jake held on tightly to me.
"Justin?" I heard Alex call.
I turned to see Justin coming to and sitting up.
"What is happening?" He asked, clutching his head.
"It's okay. You're okay." Alex appeased her half-brother.
"Justin, how are you feeling?" Carlisle asked as he ran to his aid.
Justin looked at all of us with a frown. He was probably wondering how he got here and why he was around a bunch of vampires.
"I don't know. Okay. I guess." He replied.
"Thanks for saving him." He said, he turned to Justin and then his eyes were on Carlisle.
Carlisle nodded his head.
"Continue," Edward urged Ray when we were sure everyone was paying attention.
"Theodore went on to marry Elise and had their first child, my great grandfather a year later. It had been a year since Cassia terrorized the town. The Town Council were expecting her to return or anyone else like her. Theodore was handling this matter all the while dealing with the pressures of his werewolf life. He learned to navigate the effects of his condition and managed to build an underground lair far away from the town where he would lock himself when he would turn on the night of the full moon. It seemed to work for him for the time being. He didn't think about how suspicious it might seem to the residents when they watched him leave every other night.
One night, as he fled, a few members of the Town Council decided to follow him, including his old father as they realized his constant disappearance posed great worry upon his family. They lost track of his traces in the dark woods and decided it would be best to head back but they were so far gone it was almost inevitable they would be lost.
Theodore emerged the next day after his agonizing shift to find the bodies of his father and fellow council members decapitated and drained of blood. He had no recollection of the night before so he made his own conclusion. It must have been him who had done this. He had to be the root cause of this mass destruction."
"What did he do next?" Esme probed.
"He decided to flee. He heard whispers of riots happening in the night. They were looking for the killer and he believed he was the killer. He wanted to run away. But he also knew he couldn't leave his family behind, defenseless from potential attacks. So he took his pregnant wife and his firstborn child and they all fled to Europe. London, United Kingdom to be exact where he would base his family there whilst he searched for answers to his problem, keeping a safe distance from his family –"
"Hold on." Emmett halted him. "Your grandfather was An American Werewolf in London? Whoa. Talk about foreshadowing. I'm guessing that was a disaster too?
Ray smirked at my comical uncle. "They decided to reside in London for the coming ten years. They built their family there. Five kids in total at the time. Theodore learned to control himself over the years and was able turn without wreaking havoc upon the city. He thought of himself as a monster but he now found a way to contain some of his pent up anger when he shifted. There was only one problem that he faced. His aging. His wife was aging with each year that passed but he remained the same. His wife had questions but never dared to ask them.
Theodore came across a fellow wolf in 1818 on his day at work. He could smell the familiar scent and he knew he needed meet the wolf before they paths would never cross. He was expecting to find a male mentor in the wolf but was surprised to find it was a woman. A beautiful, masculine woman. Her name was Anne Wentworth. A century old werewolf from Sussex. She spent the past 80 years underground or on the run after a vampire clan destroyed her pack."
"The Volturi…" Bella confirmed.
Ray turned to her and pursed his lips.
"Anne and Theodore ran together, shifted together and formed a bond that was unbreakable. Anne helped Theodore with his shifting. She was an experienced wolf whilst he was fairly new in comparison. She was an alpha before so when she turned her eyes were a searing red whilst his were an illuminating blue since he was a lone wolf when they turned.
During their period together, they formed an alliance. They came across some random vampires from time to time. They always kept a distance but once they posed a threat they attacked. There were a lot of benefits to being a wolf. You were human by day but could protect your family from the supernatural by night. They were freaks, no doubt about it. They knew they were going to be forever different but they knew they had it a lot better than the vampires. Their meal source was the same as humans but also vampires as well. They could survive on both the flesh of animals and the flesh of humans. With Anne by his side, he felt like he could conquer anything. Even when the war broke out in the 1820s, he convinced his family and Anne to flee back to North America where they would continue to build their lives in Oak Wood. The residents of Oak Wood were pleased to have him return and he assumed his role as Head of the Town Council after his father and the interim head –Sheriff Peter Fitzpatrick. They changed the name of the town Oak Wood County to Oakland Woods to have a fresh start.
They spent many years of peace and tranquility. That was until 1835, vampires invaded the land and wreaked havoc again. Cassandra returned as well and decided to decimate the town again. She didn't like the fact that the town she was shunned from was living in peace and harmony. She didn't like that Theodore was living happily with his family. Anne and Theodore knew they couldn't take down Cassia and her vampires on their own so they knew they needed help. Theodore had five children, oldest three were all boys. His oldest was 27 and youngest son was 16. He knew they were of age. They didn't seem to inherit any of his wolf abilities so the gene must only be transmitted by a bite of a wolf. So he made the courageous decision to turn his children."
"Your ancestor sentenced his own blood children to that kind of agony?"
"He thought that was the only way to protect the town from Cassia. Cassia sought out power. She loved the screaming of residents running for their lives. She loved to terrorize the towns. And she saw a threat in Theodore and his family. The supernatural hunters multiplied and so did the wolf count. They banded together to destroy Cassia's vampires. Cassandra hardly ever fought in the battle. She usually sat in the sidelines watching, whether from afar or up close."
What did he mean by that? Up close? Was Cassia often watching the battle go down without intervening? Why wouldn't Theodore or Anne just be able to kill her at that moment if she was so defenseless?
"Up close?" Jasper asked.
Ray smirked. "Cassia had inexplicable abilities. I don't know how, I guess you could call them gifts. Like many of the gifts you have. Telepathist, Psychic, Mental shield, Mood compulsion. Cassia had an ability as well. But it was more physical than mental."
"What do you mean?"
Ray remembered. "I'd like to call her a chameleon although she had less of an ability to camouflage like one but was able to change herself."
"Change herself?"
"I don't know what you call it. Bodyshiftng? Metamorphism? She has that ability."
"Like a shapeshifter?" I asked.
He nodded. "Exactly like a shapeshifter. She could be whoever she wanted to be."
What?
Did that mean she could turn into anybody she pleases? She could shift into George Washington one minute and then Marilyn Monroe the next?
"Made it hell to find her. She can also mask her scent that way." He said.
I looked at Jacob who turned back at me.
"She's evil. She has had it out for my family for centuries now." Ray said. "After destroying her vampires, she fled off again for years and years. Until she returned and burned the Parker household down to the ground, taking my great-great grandmother and two unmarried great aunts to the ground. Theodore and his sons were patrolling that night and when they returned to find the house burned to the ground, they knew only one person could be behind it. And that was Cassia. Theodore told his sons to flee and hide because Cassia knew they would be rendered defenseless during the day. She would seek them out and destroy each one of them. It was a message and Theodore listened to it loud and clearly. The only way to protect his sons is if they spread out. He and my great grandfather Raymond Sr. stayed whilst my great uncles Theodore III and Anderson fled off to various parts of the world."
"Why did Raymond stay?"
"He had a family. His wife was already pregnant with their third child. Theodore knew he couldn't take on Cassia alone. He needed Raymond close by but not too close so that Cassia could destroy him and his family. So Raymond moved to New York with his family for a while, with Raymond often returning to help his father lead the new council with Anne.
Over the years, my great grandfather went on to have five children in total. It seemed like a trend with the Parkers. It was 1875, Theodore's 100th year when Cassia returned to Oakland Woods but found nobody home. The Parkers weren't around anymore. The Town Council was headed by humans again and she realized if she attacked now it wouldn't have been fun as it was when there were werewolves protecting it so she disappeared again."
"Where were everyone?" Justin and Seth asked in unison.
"The Parkers knew of Cassia's trend of returning every 30-40 years that passed. She first settled in Oak Wood in 1770 before knowledge of vampires. She came back in 1800, planning to kill Theodore Sr., she returned in 1835 to wreak havoc and kill Theodore Jr. and his family so it was obvious she would return to kill Raymond Sr."
"She was killing generations of werewolves?"
"Generations of Parkers. Still to this day I have no idea why she singles out our family but…that's what she did." Ray said.
"It didn't stop there did it?"
Ray shook his head. "She eventually found out where they were hiding and killed many of Raymond's children except his two sons who he also turned into wolves before disappearing again. My granddad then went on to have my father and his siblings in the 1920s but he didn't turn either of them. My great-great grandfather believed it was best to keep the circle small, to not sentence more of his descendants to death in the hands of Cassia. Cassia was cunning, conniving and deceitful. She was careful, smart and witty. She knew how to form relationships with people. She knew how to use it to her advantage. My granddad fell prey to her wicked scheme and was seduced by her. I think she believed she was his first love even though he was warned of her abilities."
"Did he know she was the real Cassia or was Cassia using her powers to shift into a different body?"
"That was what she did but I believe my granddad still knew. There is just something about Cassia that spells danger to you no matter what form she takes. She was a serpent and my family could easily detect it."
"What happened then to your granddad?"
"It was his relationship with Cassia that led to the downfall of my family. My father knew of the stories but never got to experience them. My granddad knew the only way to protect the human side of the family from Cassia, was to never let Cassia know about us. So he changed our last name to Wentworth, after Theodore's trusted advisor and werewolf partner. My father raised us as Wentworth's and Cassia did not suspect a thing."
"Who turned you then?" Alex asked.
"My great-great grandfather." Ray replied. "Growing up, my father only ever told us snippets of our family history, never the full details. I was the second youngest of four, but I was the only boy to come from my father. My older sisters went on to marry men from overseas and followed them and never turned back. We knew of our family being defenders of the town but we never knew the full extent. I heard stories about my great-great grandfather. I admired him a lot but knew I would never meet him, thinking he would be long down the grave. Little did I know he was watching over me and my family all this time.
I came across Cassia in my late teens. I was in college. I had no idea who she was but thought she was really beautiful. She was intrigued by me and wanted to know more about me. I had just broken up with my high school girlfriend Ava when I met Cassia. She seemed to like me. I was nursing a broken heart and I wanted someone. She was different from all the girls. The way she looked was totally different from any other girls I've met, she sometimes spoke like she was from a different time. I was naïve. I thought she loved me and I really loved her but…Ava was holding me back. Cassia knew I couldn't get over Ava and got really angry that she suddenly just disappeared. I wondered what I did wrong for months until she eventually returned.
She told me to give Ava a call and so I did. Ava then told me she had been trying to reach me for months. Cassia forced me to tell Ava off and admit I had no feelings for her. I knew I was lying but Cassia was a great manipulator. I honestly have to tell myself that maybe that is her extra ability. After that, Cassia then revealed to me what she was. I didn't believe it at first but then she convinced me. I knew I should've ran but I didn't. I don't know why I didn't. She expressed her desire to turn me but she was using me as leverage. I found out only later that she had pissed off an old vampire boyfriend who was coming after with his friends and she said she knew someone like me could protect me. I wanted to protect her. I agreed for her to turn me and the day we planned to do it, a man appeared out of the blue with other men close behind him. I didn't know who they were but Cassia recognized them immediately…
"I thought you were dead!" Cassia stuttered.
I frowned.
The leader, more like the Alpha, dressed in leather and dark clothing took a step forward.
"Step away from the child, Cassia!"
Cassia took a step back away from me in fright but still held tightly to my hand.
"How did you find me?" She demanded with a sinister chuckle.
"My immediate thought was 'Is this the vampire boyfriend she was telling me about?' and so I stupidly decided to be protective over her and stood in front of her. The man looked at me with shock and confusion."
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, kid." The man stated.
"I want them to go, Ray."
"You heard the lady." I warned the man.
"He frowned but didn't waver. He was staring at me as if I belonged to him and I had somehow disappointed him.
Did he know me? Did I know him?
He certainly looked familiar. He was what I thought my dad would look like when he was younger.
Then subsequently, Cassia let go of my grasp and ran off superhumanly out of the way. I turned and called out for her…
"Cassia! Wait!"
"Let her go!" The man told me as he moved forward and put his hand on my shoulder.
I spun around to glare at him.
"You back off!" I warned,
He smirked. "You have fire in you." He said. "You have no idea who the hell you're talking to, do you kid?"
I frowned. "Am I supposed to?"
He shook his head. "I'm glad your father listened to me." He said.
"How do you know my father?" I demanded.
"…After that night, he told me everything. Who Cassia really was and who he and the men were. He was my ancestor. My great-great grandfather I heard stories about growing up. He was relieved he got there just in time after I told him of Cassia's plans.
I wanted to know more about him. I wanted to follow him. I wanted to be like him. I asked to be turned into a wolf and he countless of times turned me down. So I eventually gave up. I reconnected with Ava a couple of months later. She fell pregnant with my child before our breakup after graduation and couldn't tell me because she was afraid of how I would react. She was a couple of months away from giving birth and I decided I wanted to marry her. We got married, had our daughter Vanessa and years passed without Cassia reappearing."
"Obviously that didn't last long, did it?" stated.
"Nope. She eventually did return. And I eventually was turned into a werewolf by my great-great grandfather after my father died. I also changed my name back to Parker." Ray said. "Not long after, Cassia burned my entire alive when she found out about me one night when my family were asleep. She burned my grandfathers, my great uncles, my wife and my kid."
My eyes bulged. Such cruelty!
Esme gasped. "Oh honey. I am so sorry for your loss."
Ray didn't reply. "She's an evil woman. She's obviously returned to Oakland Woods for something, but she's here a lot earlier than I hoped. You guys need to be aware. She's a master manipulator. She probably took you because she thought you were one of us." He finally said, turning to Jacob. "She's possibly trying to look for me as I'm the remaining werewolf left. I don't understand why though. But the fact that she hadn't killed you yet makes me think she has another agenda for being here."
"We think she knows about us from someone who knows us." Edward replied to his thought I presumed. "Another vampire we've crossed paths with over the years."
"It can't be The Volturi because if she's been causing so much destruction, they would've dealt with her. They obviously have no knowledge about Cassia's existence."
"You'd better be careful if and when you meet her. She may seem weak to you given that she's usually running alone but she's powerful. More powerful than you could ever imagine." Ray warned us as he stood up.
I blinked. I felt my heart begin to race and my breathing begin to hitch. I was suddenly scared. Was Cassia really as dangerous as she's portrayed to be? If she has the ability to morph into a different body she pleased then would that mean we all might have been exposed to her during our time here?
"This ability of hers. The ability to shapeshift into a different body. Is it an instant thing?"
"No. She has to have some tie to the person, whether knowing them or knowing somebody who knows the person. Then she'd have to touch them in order the change."
"So we shouldn't let anybody touch us then. No problem." Emmett stated.
"The fact that I know you, means that she can easily metamorphose into either one of you. That is why you need to be careful who you interact with. Wherever she is, she probably has no idea that you know about her ability. Keep it that way. Keep on the watch. It is possible to know who really is underneath a person because they always leave some clue." He stated.
I held onto Jacob's hand and gripped onto it tightly. He pulled me closer underneath his arm. We were comforting each other. He was calming my nerves and I was calming his.
The way he described Cassia almost made her more dangerous than any vampire we've met in the past. Almost more dangerous than even The Volturi and even Charles. Cassia was mysterious. She could make us blind before she attacks. That's worse than knowing what a serial killer is thinking before he does anything.
"I can help you defeat her." Ray told us. "I'm the only one who knows her more than anyone. I know her moves. I know the way she thinks and acts. She's like a serpent. Silent but deadly. She may run on her own but she has forged relationships with supernatural creatures across the spectrum. She has allies."
"Then I suppose you should be our biggest ally in helping us defeat her."
He nodded. "But it won't be enough."
"We also have talented and trusted allies of our own." Bella told him with a small smile. "You should have confidence in us."
"Yes. We've got a mind reader of a vampire and a psychic as well. We will be able to see Cassia coming." Seth stated, looking at Edward with a smile.
My dad just looked at him.
"I so hope for your coven's sake you can defeat this bitch." Ray Parker told us.
His revelation startled many of us but it certainly did to me. There was obviously something she wanted from Oakland Woods. There was obviously something she wanted from us as well.
But what?
… …
Jacob Black
Nessie managed to convince Edward and Bella that she would much rather prefer to stay over at my apartment for the night. I didn't complain. I felt safer with her by side, especially after tonight's revelation.
I was walking around the kitchen, pacing around but not doing anything. A lot was on mind. And I assumed the same could be said about Nessie as she was silent as well.
"Um…What do you feel about takeout?" I asked her. "I could order pizza? Or burgers?"
"I'm fine with anything." She told me.
I nodded and grabbed my phone and began dialing the pizza place. I stopped when I heard the sound my mate's soft cries. I immediately dropped my phone and ran to her side.
"Hey! Hey! Hey! Baby…" I sad as I took my seat beside her and pulled her in my arms where she automatically began sobbing into my chest. "It's okay." I said, caressing her head.
"No it's not!" She sobbed. "There's a vampire out there waiting to kill people, Jacob."
"No. we don't know that. We don't know what she wants."
"But we know it's not something good!" She cried. "Why can't we have period peace? Why does there have to always be something wanting to break our happiness?"
"It's the supernatural world, Nessie. And we're supernatural. Nothing is ever going to be natural." I said.
"I know but…" She sniffed.
"Look, baby." I said, holding her face in my hands. "We can get through this. We'll find out what Cassia wants and we'll stop her. It's like your family says, 'it's safety in numbers'. You will be safe. I will guarantee that."
"But how can you guarantee that?" She questioned. "We don't know her. We don't know how she thinks. Where she is. How can you guarantee even your safety?"
"Don't worry about me." I smirked.
She pulled away from my hold on her and glared at me, her milk chocolate glistening eyes blazed with anger and hurt.
I almost immediately regretted saying that.
"H-How could you even say that, Jacob?" She wept. "W-what would make you even say that? Of course I have to worry about you! You're my imprint! My soul mate! The thought of ever losing you…Why would you say that?"
"I'm sorry! I know. I was stupid. I'm sorry." I said, holding her face again, kissing her forehead before wiping away the tears on her cheek with my thumbs.
"I love you, Jacob. We have to stick together. I just…"
"I know. I know." I said to her, kissing her entire face before throwing my arms around her body and pulling her into me.
She wrapped her arms around my body.
"I can't spend another day and night away from you." She told me. "I just feel that we should always be together, you know. I wish we were."
"We will. Eventually." I assured her, engulfing her hand on my chest with me and I began rubbing soothing circles over her knuckles.
"Every time I fall asleep in your arms it's either I have to eventually leave or you're always gone." She whispered into me.
I smiled. "I just don't want to wake you up." I told her. "And we have sleepovers often."
"I'd rather just wake up with you every day and sleep with you every night." She stated.
I hummed. "Hey, now!" I teased. "Not all of us have the stamina." I joked.
I could feel her roll her eyes on my chest and I heard her beautiful giggle again ringing in my ear.
"We will. We will have all of that. Eventually." He assured me. "Graduation is only four months away."
"Four and half." She reminded me. "And it feels like a century away."
I smiled slightly.
"But there's a lot of boxes we'd need to check before we have that." She reminded me.
"Do you wanna open the boxes?"
"No. Not at this very moment." She said to me.
I frowned, turning slightly to look at her. Did she change her mind about us?
She saw me looking and realized what she had said.
"I mean…God, I do. I really do. But…with all of this going on. It's the last thing on my mind right now." She told me.
I sighed. I knew what she meant. Although I was ready. And I bet she was as well. The timing wasn't right.
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." I agreed.
"I wish it was soon, though. I want to have that life with you. I wish we had now." She told me.
"We could move into our little cottage." I chuckled as I planned our future.
"I was thinking more of a nice little apartment or penthouse in the city." She told me.
"You want to move into the city?" I asked her.
She shrugged. "If I'm gonna be living in New York then yeah. It would be a different speed but should be fun."
I smiled. "What about all your plans to have multiple cats, dogs, porcupines and pigs on your ranch?"
She chuckled. "We can still have that in the future." She told me.
I laughed.
"Your birthday is coming up." She reminded me.
"Esme reminded me today." I chuckled.
"Today?" She quizzed, looking up to meet my eyes.
Dammit! I wasn't supposed to let that slip.
I couldn't lie to her but I also couldn't let her know the reason why I went over to her family's house. She couldn't know I was over there to ask her dad's permission to marry her.
"Uh…yeah…" I said. "I went over to talk to your parents about a few things."
"Okay. Like what?"
"That's confidential sweetheart. Do I ask you what you talk to your girlfriends about daily? I'm assuming you talk about me a lot, huh?"
"You don't always come up." She said with blushed cheeks.
I chuckled.
"I've been thinking a lot about the stuff Ray said earlier." She said suddenly.
"Okay. About what?"
"The stuff about werewolves not finding ways to navigate human and werewolf life. That there is always a grey area."
"Uh huh." I replied.
"I'm a freak among freaks, Jake." She said bluntly.
"A freak among the Cullens? Well that's a first." I snorted.
She glared at me. "My entire life has been a grey area. I've always been the odd one out. I'm not human enough for humans and I'm not supernatural enough to be a vampire. I don't belong anywhere."
"You belong with me." I said to her.
She smiled slightly. "I do." She said. "But you've also got a purpose. You have your pack and the Quileute tribe. You belong. I on the other hand don't even fit in with the other imprints, no matter how hard I tried."
"What are you talking about? The imprints love you, Ness. You jell so well with them. My sister thinks of you as her third sister. Emily and Kim both love you to death."
"I know but…I'm a pale face, number one. I may get along fine with them now but it would've been a lot different if you imprinted on say someone from the rez."
"Don't ever say that again, Nessie!" I warned her, my voice unamused and slightly irritated.
I could never be irritated with her but I was irritated by her words. What would possess her to feel this way?
"Look. I'm saying anything, really. I'm just saying things would be different if I was one of you, s'all!"
"How the hell do you know that? If I was meant to imprint on a rez girl I would've. Rez girls never appealed to me much anyway."
"I know I'm just being ridiculous." She chuckled.
"I'm glad you know that." I said to her, lifting her chin up. "Because there is no one else in this world I was meant to be with than you. There never will be."
"I mean, I know that." She laughed.
"Besides, we're both freaks, baby. Freak Nation."
She laughed.
"We gotta stick together." She told me, smiling that gorgeous sexy smile I love. "You know my love for you is out of this world, right?" She reminded me.
I nodded. "I know that, my love. My love for you is out of this galaxy."
"Ugh! No fair! I hold the right to change mine." She told me.
I snickered before dropping my head down to join my lips with hers in a tender, soft kiss.
"Mmm." She moaned as we pulled away. "I think I'm hungry now."
I think the word had a double-meaning.
I smirked. "I'll call for pizza."
"We should definitely try this new fancy restaurant that opened up a couple of months ago. My friends keep talking about it."
"Do you prefer to go there?" I asked her.
Did she want to rather have a fancy date? I've always wanted to ask if she'd prefer that rather than constantly going out to cheap diners.
She shook her head. "God no. I'm not in the mood right now. It's too late for that now anyway."
I nodded.
"Do you know we've never actually gone on a proper date?"
She frowned. "What do you mean? We've been out on many dates."
"Yeah but to casual restaurants all your friends go to. We haven't been on a formal date."
"We'll have an opportunity. I mean we don't have to. I love our casual dates. Makes it less hard to look good for you. Less pressure." She joked.
"Come on! You always look good."
She shrugged. "You always look good. You could wear a dress shirt and chinos and still look so hot. Girls don't have it as easy as you. No other guy has it as easy you, Jacob."
"Because no other guy is as lucky as me," I told my mate as I nibbled onto her neck and tightened my grasp around her waist. I pulled her hips in between my legs as I breathed in her scent.
She giggled as she gripped onto my muscled arms.
"God, you smell amazing." I whispered huskily into her neck. "Why do you always smell good? I smell of sweat all the time."
"Pfft. No you don't! You smell like a man. A well-kept, musky, real man. It's intoxicating, actually."
"Mmm. C'mere!" I growled as I gripped her chin and smashed my lips onto hers, devouring her scent into me.
She moaned as I bit her bottom lip before pulling away.
"Okay! I'm going to order food. Pizza or burgers? This is your last chance."
"Burgers!" She replied.
"Didn't you say pizza?"
"Yes! Pizza! No burgers! Pizza!" She stated indecisively.
I laughed. "I'll just surprise you."
"I love you!" She called with puckered lips.
"Love you too." I said, pecking her lips before dialing the number.
A/N: I hope you enjoyed it. Thank you to all my reviewers. Means a lot that some of you stuck around for almost three years now. I hope to see a new reviews in the future as the story progresses. Good reviews , critical and bad. I accept and appreciate all.
The next chapter will be set back at school for Nessie and a possible Cassia sighting. BOOK 1 is about to end very soon. I have about 9 or 10 more chapters of Book 1 left and then Book 2 will commence. The ending of Book 1 will lead to Book 2. I have sketched out the story in my mind and on paper already. There will be a maximum of 60-70 chapters of this story. Maybe less who knows.
What to look out for: New characters, new abilities, new creatures, new couples, old couples, breakups, hookups, makeups, pain, sadness, happiness, love, tears, laughs, gossip, cheats, heartbreak, dishonesty, deception, DISGRACE (okay I'm quoting The Lion King now), suspense, thriller, horror, action, romance and DEATH!
Review!