Chapter Twenty Five

I felt so stupid for falling into that trap, I crashed back down into my seat, no longer wishing to look him in the eye. "Ara, please." Sam fixed his chair and sat down next to me again. "Distance yourself from them. It can't be safe-"

"Holding company with someone who can kill me?" I looked pointedly at him. "You can't pick and choose who is okay and who isn't based off biases."

"I'm a werewolf, Ara! Werewolves and vampires-"

"Oh please! Yadda yadda, you're not even a true werewolf! According to lore the werewolves can only change during a full moon."

"According to lore, vampires can't eat anything but human blood." He countered back, seeming offended that I called him a fake werewolf.

"No, I'm just saying, aren't there old stories of your tribe being able to shape shift before becoming a wolf?" I finally looked him in the eye, he looked exhausted, bags were beginning to set in under his eyes.

"Those are supposed to be secret?"

"You really think I was going to spend every day of the summer on the res and not learn a few stories on accident?" I looked at him, dumbfounded. "I mean I spent all my time around you and Leah, and then Jake and the twins."

"And you just casually learned tribe secrets." He shrugged nonchalantly.

"Some people have surprisingly loose lips around little ears." I clarified, rolling my eyes. "Look. I don't want to talk about this much more tonight, can we just… move on?"

"I get it. I can't say I'm happy about you being with Cullen, but I see that he makes you happy, and that's all that matters really." Sam nodded as he thought it over, picking his burger back up. "I just can't imagine wanting to live forever like that."

"Me neither." That seemed to catch Sam off guard, he stared at me with a mouth full of burger. "Just because I'm seeing him doesn't mean I want to be like him. I'm completely fine being mortal. Do I really need to see history repeat itself a hundred times over? I think it would drive me insane." I laughed and shook my head. "I don't know how any of them do it."

After we finished our burgers and fries we both agreed to get some sleep, I shot a text to Edward that I was going to my room, and Sam and I parted ways. He had a blanket and a pillow for him on the overstuffed couch, and I let him have free reign over the breakfast choice in the morning.

Once I was in my room and had latched my door, I heard the window slide open. Before I was completely turned around, Edward had me in his arms, looking at my face and taking in every inch. "Edward I-"

"Are you okay?" He swept my hand up into his and began to examine my palm. "I could smell the blood outside what ha- Arabella." His tone shifted and he looked at me bewildered. My mind had betrayed me, the moment he mentioned outside the flood of events filled my brain again. He crushed me to his chest and suddenly, unbeknownst to me as to how, I felt the night air hitting my face. For all I knew, there was an Edward shaped hole in my wall.

Oh. I guess we are going on a little field trip.

After a minute or two of flying through the freezing night air, in my less than warm pajamas, in the icicle arms of Edward, light and warmth broke against my body. We were at his house, and I was in a hoodie and shorts. This, unfortunately, was not the plan for tonight. I had every intention of burrito wrapping in my bed, turning on my space heater, and sleeping through another alarm. When Edward finally set me down, it also dawned on me that I wasn't even wearing slippers. When Carlisle appeared in the doorway, he looked confused, but then immediately trained his focus on me. "What happened?" He was over to me in a second, inspecting my hand.

"It's not that, she took surprisingly good care of that cut. It's how she got it." Edward looked his father in the eyes, an unspoken urgency in his body language. Carlisle released my hand, and I heaved a heavy sigh. Esme was there in a second, taking in my appearance and then shooting Edward an angry look.

"Edward Anthony!" Esme huffed, and just like that, Edward looked the most like a seventeen year old I had ever seen him look. The fear in his eyes was unparalleled. "You dragged her from her bed when she was already dead on her feet!" The words were both an accusation and a statement. She threw her arm around my shoulder and began walking me to the couch, Alice coming down with a huge blanket and pillow, giving me only a quick smile before disappearing again.

"Thank you," I said to Esme, grateful to be able to lay down. The fall I had taken earlier was a hard one, and I was only just starting to feel just how bad my back and head hurt from landing on the steps in such a way.

"You go to sleep, we will wake you when you are needed." She hushed me, tucking me in on the couch.

"Esme, you make such a good mom." I said with a sleepy smile, watching the shock and recognition run across her face.

"Thank you." She whispered, looking like she might cry. She then stood and walked over to where Edward and Carlisle were situated, which was right beside the sleek grand piano. Edward probably wouldn't need me for a while, he saw everything in my mind, and now I played it over a couple times, still getting a grip on exactly what had happened.

Did that really happen with Sam? I wasn't imagining that? It… it actually happened. He was in the woods for two? Three? Days. As a wolf. A huge… wolf.

My mind was officially blown, and I could hear Edward relaying words in a buzz too fast for me to understand, but when I looked up his eyes were on me. All I wanted was him to hold me, that was all I wanted since the moment I knew I would live in the encounter with Sam. I got a small bit of the comforting hold he had, but it was short lived. I wanted my own bed, Edward holding me, and a long, long, slumber. Edward must have said something to them, because they shifted their conversation, and he came over and sat next to me on the couch. I reached up and wrapped my hand around his, letting go after a few moments, and he began stroking my hair. Now I was done for, I'd be out in minutes. When I realized Edward didn't have the whole story, I looked up to him and played the rest of my memory, every moment after the wolf encounter. His eyes were bewildered, and he just nodded, looking back up to Carlisle and Esme. As I began to officially fade into unconsciousness, Edward's voice broke through my last bit of hearing I had before I left for dream land. "Arabella's gift might be stronger than we thought."

Well if that isn't ominous.

•••

I woke up just slightly, Carlisle and Esme were gone, the light was only just starting to break the darkness of the night, and I was in Edward's arms. "Shhh, go back to sleep." He murmured to me, I was still wrapped in my blanket that Alice had set out for me, but we were outside. I couldn't really see it, but I could smell it. The smell of earth and snow and trees. I groaned and rubbed my eyes, nestling my face against him and trying to fall back to sleep. But the gremlin who lived in my brain had gripped my consciousness and chose violence. I felt my eyes snap open, and I was aware of the wind whipping around me.

"Where are we going?" I lifted my gaze, now fully awake. I looked at his face, that was softly glistened in the new morning light.

"I'm taking you home." He murmured, and at that same time we were in my room, and he was sitting me on my bed. "I can't stay." He said regretfully, brushing my hair from my face.

"What!? Why?" I frowned and sat up in the bed, repositioning the blanket to be around my shoulders.

"The treaty Sam told you about. It's real. I didn't realize he was here, I was too distracted by the blood and making sure you were okay." He cupped my face and looked directly into my eyes, his own filled with remorse, looking torn for not being allowed to stay despite the fact that he was already here. I reached to grab his face, moving myself up to meet him with a kiss. He sighed against my lips and I felt him pull me closer gently. My hair was a mess and I was starting to shiver as the blanket dropped off me, and I was still cold from the wind outside. Despite all of this I pulled myself closer to him. Edward sighed when he felt the shiver run up my body, and pushed me away. "Ara, you're freezing." He mumbled, pushing me back down, pulling the blanket that Alice had brought to me, up around my shoulders.

"Stay." I grumbled, catching his hand and giving my best puppy dog eyes. "I know I was mad at you, I know I was furious. But after I thought I was going to die… I'm not saying I was wrong and you were right, but I am saying I was right and I miss you." I felt silly. It's only been two days since the fight, three almost, but so much had happened it felt like a week. Then the date dawned on me, and my breath caught in my chest. We had burned the half week in this fight. It was Wednesday. There were only two weeks left to prepare, but a whole new complication had been introduced to the situation. Elezar was supposed to meet us in a week, and the week after that was set to be the most anxiety riddled week of my life.

Hearing my mind go into a spiral, Edward shook my shoulders gently. "Arabella!" His voice had a sense of urgency. "Please breathe!" With those words I realized I hadn't taken a single breath in. I allowed a ragged breath to fill my hungry lungs, and Edward seemed to sigh in relief as I did so. "It's going to be fine. We can go up to Alaska tomorrow if that's what you want, if you need to get these answers sooner than planned." His words sounded desperate, like the lack of air entering and exiting my lungs was the thing he feared most. "We can- did you just call me pussy whipped?" He started laughing as he looked at me.

"Did I!?" I joined in his laughter, unaware my thoughts had veered in that direction.

"I believe it was along the lines of 'haha, pussy whipped.' And then the sound of a whip crack… but… like you were saying it?" He chuckled lightly while shaking his head.

"Puh-chow!" I mimicked the sound, knowing exactly what he ment. I felt my body relax as the discussion took an unexpected lighter turn. After our collective laughter died down, I reached my arms out, looking at him expectantly. I wanted a hug and he knew that. Sighing heavily, Edward climbed into my bed and wrapped his arms around me, his back leaning against the wooden pole that was wrapped in twinkle lights.

"I have to go, Ara." He mumbled into my hair, but I shook my head. Another small chuckle broke through his lips. "Get some sleep love, I'll see you later today." Kissed my head, seeming to breathe in the smell of my hair, before getting up from my bed and disappearing out the window. I heaved a heavy sigh, knowing I wasn't getting any sleep now, I was too awake. I pulled myself up from the bed and walked over to my closet, scrounging up clothes to throw on. I landed on some old jeans and a band tee, Nirvana. After snagging my underwear and a bra from my dresser that sat on the far side of my bed, I made the walk to the bathroom. When I finally saw myself in the mirror, I looked deranged. No wonder Edward had been so worried, I looked like I rolled through a parking lot to get here.

I turned on the water and let the steam get going, our water heater was huge so I wasn't worried about wasting the hot water. I grabbed a shower steamer from my under sink cabinet, tossing it onto the floor of the shower. The smell slowly filled the room, it was bergamot and orange oil. Once I was in the shower it was like all the muscles that had been tensed in my body since last night finally relaxed. I pulled the gauze off my hand and tossed it to the open trash can. The cut really wasn't all that bad, it just happened to be down the crease of my palm, right over my life line. I sighed, hoping internally that this wasn't an omen.

Washing my hair with one hand was a definite chore, but not as much of a chore as brushing and blow drying however. Once I was done I finally looked at the clock. "It's only nine?" I said bewildered as I pulled my hair to one side. Shaking my head I descended the stairs, Sam was still asleep on the couch, and my dad sat in the kitchen drinking a cup of coffee. "Hey," I smiled at him as I walked over to pour myself a cup. "How long have you been up?"

"I woke up just after you got in the shower, honestly I don't remember going to bed…" He shook his head and chuckled. Maddie sat at his foot staring at her food bowl. I rolled my eyes and poured her a cup of her food, to which she eagerly jumped up to begin chomping on.

"You were out looking for Sam so long, you were probably exhausted." I added slyly, knowing the unfortunate real reason.

"Yeah… I was dead on my feet." He agreed, scratching his stubble that had grown over the last day and a half. He went back to sipping his coffee and reading the paper, and I poured myself a cup. Eventually my dad went upstairs to his bathroom to take a shower, and after he was gone Sam entered the kitchen.

"So… this breakfast I was promised." He smiled a goofy smile that I know won Leah over.

"Well what do you want?" I jumped up from the chair, walking over to the fridge while he fished a mug from the cupboard and poured himself a cup of coffee, finishing off the pot.

"Eggs? Maybe some sausage or bacon if you have it… and some pancakes." His eyes glittered as he listed his menu.

"Absolutely." I gave him a smile as I pulled the carton of eggs, pack of bacon, and the jug of milk out of the fridge. At first as I mixed the batter and prepped the bacon, Sam was silent, but he finally spoke.

"I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable last night…" He sounded sad and regretful.

"You didn't." I smiled at him and poured the pancake mix onto the hot skillet. "I just didn't expect you to know about…"

"Yeah. I get it." He laughed, jumping up to sit on the counter next to the stove again, in the same spot as last night. I laid a few pieces of bacon down then rinsed my hands off from the slick grease. "I just, I was thinking about it last night and… maybe if the stories are true and they aren't a threat to the tribe." He paused as he thought. "Maybe I could stand to be in the same room as them."

"Oh. MAYYYBEEE." I dragged the word out dramatically as I flipped the pancake and then quickly flipped the bacon as well. "Crispy or correct?" I looked at him expectantly.

"What?" He looked bewildered.

"Your bacon. Crispy or correct? Because crispy bacon is terrible." This was a stance I was perhaps a little more passionate about than one would anticipate.

"Oh. Correct I guess then." Sam laughed, sipping his coffee. We were silent for a moment before he cleared his throat. "Did Leah seem… mad?"

"No. She seemed concerned. She worried herself sick about you, I don't think she's slept properly this whole time. You owe her the fattest of naps." I slid the food onto its respective plates and cooked the eggs quickly, both of us having them scrambled.

"Noted." He slid from the counter and took his plate after I pushed the eggs onto it. We sat in the same chairs we had the previous night, and of course the food was divine. "I can't thank you enough Ara." Sam gave me a huge smile as syrup dripped from his fork.

"For what?"

"For being so understanding." His sincerity caught me off guard, Sam never had a serious bone in his body unless he was angry.

"I mean, it would be crazy not to be understanding with you." I shrugged dismissively.

"Ari, I'm serious." He set his fork down on the half empty plate, this boy could shovel down some food, and he looked at me with sad eyes. "Don't discount your worth. You mean so much to so many people."

"Awe." I put my fork down as well, "don't go all sappy on me." I playfully pushed him, he however didn't move a hair.

Fantastic. I'm surrounded by people stronger than me. I need to hit the gym…

I shook the thoughts from my mind and looked down at Sam's nearly empty plate. "Do you want more?" My words were curious, no judgment whatsoever.

"I… yes please?" Sam had never looked more like a puppy dog in his life.

"Pancakes or eggs?"

"Pancakes!" At that response I saw the seventeen year old who's eyes glimmered happily. How he was only two years older than me boggled my mind, he looked like he was in his mid twenties already.

"Okidoki." I jumped up, my stomach full even though my plate was only half empty, and began to make more pancakes.

•••

After everything was eaten and the dishes were cleaned Sam had gone upstairs to take a shower, shortly after Billy arrived with Rachael and Rebecca. Leah had opted to stay on the rez with Jake and wait there for him. The clothes they had brought were just sweat pants and a shirt, meaning Sam would be barefoot, which only made me feel worse. Accepting the clothes I took them up to the bathroom, sliding them on the counter from the barely cracked open door while I heard Sam showering. When I came back down, Billy was giving me a knowing look, and instantly I felt my hands get clammy.

"Yeah," my father continued a discussion that had started while I was delivering the clothes. "Ari found him, it was shocking to see him lying in the snow like that. Ya know… naked and all."

"Oh?" Billy looked directly at me now, my jaw clenched, and he nodded slowly. "Does he have any injuries or show signs of hypothermia?"

"Nope." I quickly answered, attempting to flee to the kitchen where the twins sat chatting, unaware of what was going down in the living room.

"Derek, do you mind giving me a moment with Arabella?" Billy asked earnestly, to which my father complied, unaware of the discussion that was about to unfold.

"Billy I-"

"You know."

"Know what?" I could probably raise the sea level with the amount my hands had begun to sweat.

"About our people."

"What about your-"

"Stop, Arabella." He huffed angrily, somehow despite the chair, Billy seemed so much larger than me.

"What…" I felt like a small child again, getting chastised for not listening during a hike.

"This is bigger than you can imagine."

"I have a really good imagination." I couldn't help but counter with attitude, it was my defense mechanism after all.

"Arabella, if you know something you have to tell me."

"No she doesn't." Sam had come down the stairs, his hair still wet, but otherwise he looked refreshed compared to how he had been the previous night.

"Sam." Billy cautioned, obviously taking in how much the boy had grown since the last time he had seen him.

"Billy." Sam used the same tone of authority, making me wary of the tension in the room.

"I'll just see myself out." I mumbled, going to squeeze past Sam to run to my room, but his hand caught my arm, and his skin felt like the surface of the sun. "Oh my god Sam you're burning up." I whispered, laying the back of my hand on his cheek. He just looked down at me and gave a half smile. "Oh… wait it's… okay." I nodded, aware of how dumb I sounded.

"Arabella you don't have to go anywhere." Sam clarified, letting go of my arm.

"No really it's fine." I mumbled trying to squeeze past again, but he once again caught my arm, this time his eyes not leaving Billy. Whatever it was Billy wanted to talk about, he wouldn't do it in front of me or the twins, and Sam knew that.

"Sam, I think you should let Arabella go if that's what she wants." Billy was using a tone of authority that made cold run down my spine.

"Billy, I think you're trying to talk to me about something you don't fully understand." Sam's words were hot and angry, his grip on my arm tightened just a hair, but that was enough for me to wince in pain.

"No Sam, I don't think you fully understand what you're talking about, and what you're doing right now just proves that." Billy's words snapped Sam to attention, his eyes turning down to see my arm and the grip he had, paired with the desperate eyes I undoubtedly had. Shock ran through his body and he let go of my arm immediately, backing away from me with his jaw dropped.

"Arabella I'm…" he had no words for what had just happened, and I appeared to lack the clarity to speak as well. I reached my hand out, desperately wanting to tell him it was okay, that I knew it was an accident, but my muscles were tight and unyielding, and I winced in pain. The look that mangled my face only seemed to make it worse, and Sam shook his head and backed away. Accepting defeat I ran up to my room, leaving to them to discuss god knows what in the living room. All I wanted to do was call Edward, which felt so trivial and stupid in the light of things, but he was really the only other person I could talk to that would understand these things. Selfishly I wished the Gaia was a part of this world so I didn't have to hide it from her, she knew something was up, but thought better than to pry.

I caved and pulled my phone out, nestling down in the corner of my window bench and fishing out my earbuds. I didn't feel like leaving hand up by my ear the whole time, but putting him on speaker seemed like a dumb move. Once I was situated I hit his contact name on my favorites list, leaning my head against the cold glass of the window and staring at the snow that blanketed the world below. Half a ring and he picked up, his voice making me feel warm. "Arabella?"

"Edward." I countered, a smile creeping onto my face.

"Are you okay?" He sounded relieved, though not entirely.

"Yeah, of course I am." I said nonchalantly, but I couldn't hide the shake in my voice. Sam's anger had scared me, and my arm had a hand shaped bruise forming already where he had grabbed me.

"Arabella." Edward's voice was like a desperate plea, he sounded almost broken with fear. The sound of his voice with the bruise slowly growing on my bicep made tears form in my eyes and betray me further.

"No, I'm really okay, I promise. I just… I really wanna see you." My voice was thick as the tears made a slow descent down my face. I felt like an idiot for crying, and an even bigger idiot for knowing that the tears wouldn't fix anything but crying regardless. "But Billy, the twins, and Sam are all here so I guess you can't come over." I sniffled weakly, wiping the tears that rolled down my cheeks as my breath fogged the window. "I'm just being stupid, I'm sorry I called." My heart seemed to shudder in my chest as I spoke.

"Arabella, you're anything but stupid." Edward's voice seemed so saddened through the phone, like if he could he would show up and save me from myself.

"I know I know." I spoke dismissively as I tried to shove the tears back down.

"Let me know when they leave and I will come and get you." His words felt so comforting, and my heart swelled, because right at that moment I heard a car door shut. Jumping up I ran over to the window that faced the front of the house and saw Sam climbing into the back of the car. He tossed a look up to my window, pain and regret scaring his face. After a few moments they backed out of the driveway, and my father then walked to his cruiser, Maddie beside him ready to jump into the back.

"They just left, and it looks like Dad and Maddie are going to work too." I spoke hopefully, and heard the sound of movement come from Edward's end of the line.

"Okay, I will be there in a bit." He ended the call, and I walked over and unlatched my window, pulling it up to let the cold air in. A few minutes passed and Edward came bounding through the small opening with all the grace of a lion. When he was through I came crashing into his chest seconds later, wrapping my arms around him and burying my face in the cashmere sweater he wore. His arms locked around me, one reaching out to slide the window shut, and he stayed like that. The only sound between us for what felt like forever was my heartbeat, his steady breathing, and my own ragged breaths.

I could stay in his arms forever like this. Ew. Who am I?