A/N: I have had this bunny hopping around in my brain for months now. I have 6 chapters finished and plan to post bi-weekly. I hope you guys love it!
Beta: Melody Taylor Prereader: EMHW-Bear
I don't own Twilight... it all belongs to SM. I just enjoy messing with her characters.
She sat under a tree, her back pressed against the rough bark of the trunk, a quilt of blue and yellow spread beneath her. Turning the pages of a tattered copy of Jane Eyre, her favorite, she relaxed and enjoyed the peace of the surrounding forest. Her legs were curled under her, and she was completely content.
Bella had been in Forks for her normal summer visit when her mom had called and told her they would be moving to Florida with her new husband, Phil. Renee was always doing things like that. She was flighty and chaotic - she was her mom, and Bella loved her, but she couldn't imagine starting all over again for her last two years of school. Laying the copy of the book across her lap, she sighed deeply. She'd told Renee she should just box up her stuff and have it sent to Charlie's house. She'd made a few friends over the summer, and she wasn't leaving to do it all over somewhere else.
Renee hadn't been thrilled with the idea until she realized it would allow her to go on the road with her new boy toy, since he traveled for his minor league baseball games.
Her dad had been so excited to have her with him. He'd celebrated with a steak dinner at The Lodge. Of course, he splurged on dessert.
Stretching her arms over her head, she yawned. She hadn't been sleeping well at all. She kept waking up feeling as though she was being watched. But when she opened her eyes, no one was there. She blamed her overactive imagination. Setting an alarm on her cell phone, she laid down on the quilt and curled up, letting the sunshine warm her on the unusually sunny day.
She didn't plan on falling asleep, but she desperately needed a nap. When her alarm went off, she stretched and pulled herself up. Folding the quilt, she stuffed it into her backpack before laying her book on top and zipping it closed. She pulled a bottle of water from the side pocket and took a long swallow, relishing in the cool relief of the dry mouth caused by sleep.
A long howl cut through the sudden silence. Bella felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. It sounded close. Too close. Shielding her eyes, she squinted through the trees surrounding the clearing she'd found a stone's throw from the road.
She could hear the crashing steps of a large animal and thought to herself that it was just her luck to finally be a teenager instead of raising her mom and she would end up eaten by whatever was quickly coming her way. Charlie had taught her when she was younger about the dangers of going into the forest, and what she should do in the event she crossed paths with a bear. It had to be a bear. She couldn't think of anything else that would sound so thunderous as it ran. Stiffening her spine, she forced herself to be still. She tried not to even blink as enormous black fur was glimpsed through the trees.
It stopped; its snout raised in the air, sniffing, when suddenly its head whipped in her direction. Bella's eyes widened in surprise as she met the eyes of the biggest black wolf she'd ever seen… not that she'd ever actually seen a wolf, but this one was bigger than a horse, and even with her limited knowledge of animals, she knew that was abnormal.
The wolf stalked closer to her, and she felt dwarfed by its massiveness. When it was standing directly in front of her, she met its eyes, which seemed oddly human. Whatever possessed her, she would never know, but she slowly raised her hand out, offering her scent as one would to a wolf nuzzled along her arm and over to her stomach, sniffing her.
Not wanting to make too much noise so as to spook it, she whispered, "Hey there, big guy. I hope you can't smell it, but I'm quite frankly terrified at the moment. You are the biggest animal I've ever come across back here. Your eyes though… they don't look like an animal's. They look strangely human. It's the weirdest thing I've ever seen. Maybe I'm dreaming?"
He moved so her hand rested on top of his head, and she idly scratched behind his ears. Remembering the legends and stories from the bonfire she'd gone to on First Beach with Charlie and his friend, Billy, and Billy's son, Jacob, she giggled lightly. It would be crazy if those legends were real, wouldn't it? She wasn't completely certifiable. At least, she didn't think so. But she couldn't get past just how human those eyes looked. She could swear this wolf looked completely gutted. The pain in the eyes was deeper than she'd ever glimpsed in any other eyes.
"Am I crazy to think those stories from the bonfire might be true? I can't shake the feeling that your eyes are just all wrong for a wolf. Maybe you're a Quileute Spirit Warrior that transforms to protect us from the cold ones…" Still scratching the wolf's head, she exclaimed, "Shit! Would that make cold ones real? Oh hell. Cold ones… vampires. Holy crow. I'm going insane."
The wolf startled at her outburst and curled his lip, a low growl ripping from its chest. When Bella mentioned the cold ones, the wolf raised its head and howled.
Figuring that if this wolf meant her harm, it would have already bitten or attacked her, Bella sat down on the grass and leaned back against the tree. The wolf surprised her when it laid down and rested its head in her lap. Stroking along his head and down the back of his neck, Bella prayed he would eventually go on his way and she could get home to Charlie.
Unable to stop herself, Bella hummed a lullaby her Grandma sang to her when she was a tiny girl. Gazing down at the wolf after singing through it twice, she realized it had gone to sleep. With the warmth of him, she relaxed more into the tree trunk and went back to sleep.
When she woke, the sun had set. Moving slightly, she remembered the large animal whose head still rested in her lap, but when she looked down, there was no wolf.
Instead, Bella's lap cradled the head of a sleeping man.
A very naked, sleeping man.
Startled, she tried to rewind her brain to remember if maybe she'd just been completely mistaken, or dreaming, but she was sure she'd been petting a giant wolf. When she looked back down at the man, she noticed his well-muscled arms, one that was wrapped around her knees, the other tucked up under his chin. The muscles in his back were chiseled, even in sleep. As she ran her gaze lower, her face flamed. Her breath caught in her throat, and she looked quickly back up at the night sky.
Touching him lightly on the shoulder, she whispered, "Uh, hey… Um, I-I, I think… I think you should wake up now… Hey mister?"
With a groan, the man curled himself up off her lap and to his feet. His movements were not quite human, they were much too fluid to be considered so.
Bella quickly looked back to the ground and used the tree to stand back up because her legs had gone to sleep. "So, uh… um, do you, do you need help?"
Looking into her eyes, the man looked surprised. "I-I don't know," he managed to whisper. His voice sounded rusty. He cleared his throat, "What day is it?"
Checking her phone, Bella told him, "It's Thursday, the 14th."
His eyes widened, and he started muttering expletives. "Three weeks. Three fucking weeks? Damn it. I lost three weeks!"
Stepping back, Bella noticed his agitation was causing him to shake. "I'm Bella. My dad's the police chief. Do you, uh, want me to call him? I know he can help you…"
Looking down at the ground, the man realized he was naked. "Shit!" He exclaimed, and he moved his hands quickly to cover himself up. "I'm sorry, Bella. I, uh, didn't realize…" He moved to stand behind the tree, but Bella stooped down and dug around in her pack to pull the quilt out.
"Here," she said, handing it to him. "I promise I didn't look…" much.
"Yeah, uh, thanks," he told her. "I'm Sam. Sam Uley. I don't, uh… I don't know what happened. I was having a conversation, and the next thing I know, my body felt like fire, so I ran… into the woods, and I felt this ripping feeling, and I just kept running." Rubbing his hand that wasn't clutching the corners of the blanket together down his face, he continued, "Three weeks, apparently, I've been running. I didn't even know…" His eyes closed, seemingly lost in thought.
"I can… give you a ride?" Bella said nervously.
"Where'm I even at?" Sam asked confusion etched in the creases of his face.
"About halfway between Forks and La Push. There's an old logging road I pulled onto and hiked just a little ways into this clearing. Come on. I'll take you where you need to go." She knew Charlie would kill her when he found out. And he would definitely find out. He always did.
She scooped up her pack, and took a few steps, turning back to make sure he was following her. Bella was almost back to her truck when she tripped over an exposed tree root. Feeling an arm catch her around the waist to keep her from hitting the ground, she turned in his light embrace to say thank you.
The words died on her lips as she stared into his eyes. The dark depths held confusion and pain. Reaching up, she laid her palm against his cheek. "I don't know what's going on really, but I know you're gonna be okay." Stroking her thumb across his bottom lip, she tried to reassure him. "Thanks for catching me." Her whisper was almost lost in the still night air.
Her breath hitched as his face dipped lower to hers and he rested his forehead against hers. She sensed he needed a human connection. A reminder that regardless of what he'd been through these last weeks, he was still human at his core. Bella closed her eyes, soaking in his heat.
Opening her eyes, she pulled back, needing to separate herself. She couldn't understand what she was doing. She never acted like this. And any normal person would have been running for the hills at the sight of his enormous wolf, not befriending it and taking a nap with its head in their lap. Not to mention waking with the wolf having turned human. She'd have to dissect her reaction later. In that moment, Sam needed her to continue to be rational.
Stepping back, she pulled out of his light embrace and moved over the root carefully, and finished her short walk to her old, red truck. Her dad let her use it while she was visiting over the summer, but when she'd decided to stay in Forks, he'd told her it was hers.
She opened the passenger door for Sam and hurried around to slide into her seat. She rolled the window down and backed down the graveled access path onto the highway. She drove in silence to La Push, leaving Sam alone with his thoughts.
When they pulled into the village, she asked, "Where do I need to go?"
Shaking his head as if to clear his thoughts, Sam replied, "Probably should go talk to the Chief. It's-"
"Billy Black's? I know where that is."
Pulling into the drive, she parked and got out. "I need to call Charlie. Let him know I'm okay. He's probably worried sick."
"You won't…?" Sam started to question.
"Tell him I found a giant wolf that turned into a missing person? No. I enjoy not being locked away in an asylum," she finished with a small laugh.
Toeing the ground, he sighed, "Yeah… thanks."
Once Charlie answered, she explained how she'd found a friend walking to La Push so she gave him a ride and thought she'd check on Billy and Jake while she was there. Charlie appreciated her checking in on them, and told her not to be out too late.
Disconnecting the call, she shoved her phone into her front pocket and held her hand out to Sam. "Let's go."
His large hand encompassed hers, and she followed slightly behind him up to the door of the little red house. After knocking twice, Billy finally answered the door.
Billy's eyes were large, and his mouth was opening and closing like a fish out of water in shock.
"Billy, do you think we could come in? And maybe you have some sweats or something Sam could borrow?" Bella questioned in an attempt to bring him back to his senses.
"Yes, yes, of course. Come in," he said as he rolled himself backward out of their way. "Let me send Jake over to Quil's house. I have a feeling you guys have a tale to tell."
"Thanks, Billy," Bella said as she walked past him, still holding onto Sam's hand.
"Jake! I need you to go hang out with Quil for an hour or so. Tribal business, son," Billy bellowed down the small hall that led to bedrooms. He wheeled himself down to his room, presumably to grab something for Sam to wear, so he wouldn't have to continue clutching a blanket around himself.
Bella led Sam to the door of the small bathroom. She started to walk back to the living room, but Sam didn't let go of her hand. Turning back to look at him, she saw the silent question in his eyes. "I'll wait for you," she reassured him.
He searched her eyes, then nodded and ducked into the room, his height not allowing him to just pass through. He must have been at least 6'6, maybe even taller than that.
Billy wheeled himself out of his room and knocked on the bathroom door to pass Sam some pants. Realizing he hadn't heard anything from Jacob, he checked in his room, and Bella could hear low murmurs.
Jake came out, shoving his feet into his shoes, but he paused when he saw Bella. "Hey, Bells. What are you doing here?" he asked, pausing in his effort to get his feet in his sneakers.
"I came to talk to your dad."
"Dad, can't I stay? It's Bells."
"No, Jake, I need you to go over to Quil's for an hour or so. I'll call when we're done. I'm sure Bella will be back soon, won't you Bella?" he asked, turning his attention to her.
"Yeah, yeah. Of course. Charlie's bringing me fishing with you guys this weekend," she told him.
"Sweet!" He exclaimed, pacified. "I'll see you then."
Bella sat quietly on the faded couch, waiting for Sam, watching as Billy twiddled his thumbs, a look of deep concentration on his face.
The low creaking of a door sounded, and Sam quickly came back into the living room, taking a seat next to Bella.
"I'm not sure what I should be asking you, Sam, but judging by the size of you, I think you've grown five inches in three weeks," Billy said. "What happened? Why don't you talk, and I'll listen?"
Sinking back into the couch, Sam scrubbed a hand over his face. "I'm not really sure, Billy. I was talking to Leah. She was breaking up with me because long-distance would be so hard. Too hard. I was supposed to be registering for classes last week. I just… We argued, because I knew we could make it work, ya know? But then I was so angry." He stopped talking and sucked in a deep breath. "I couldn't figure out why I was so mad. I should have been hurt, yeah, but out of control with rage?" He shook his head, not able to reconcile his behavior. "I started shaking, and I knew I was gonna do something I would regret, so I ran outta the house as fast as I could. I felt like I was gonna rip out of my skin. I was shaking so bad. I just kept running and running. And then, all of a sudden, I felt this incredible pulling, and the sound was horrible. All my bones popping and shit. And then I was running on four paws. I just kept running. I didn't know what else to do. I just kept running." Sam started jostling his leg, fidgeting with his nails, while he waited for someone else to say something.
The silence was almost unbearable for Bella. She watched Billy try to process what he'd been told. "So the legends are true…" he finally spoke, steepling his fingers under his chin. His eyes lit with excitement. "We need to call Old Quil. And the Elders. We have so much to discuss. We need to call a council meeting."
Sam squeezed Bella's hand while the old man rambled on. Bella scooted a little closer to him, trying to offer what comfort she could. Her imagination wasn't good enough to imagine how he must feel. He was about to have his entire existence examined.
Billy's eyes lighted on Bella, "Bella, I forgot you were here. How did you come to be with Sam?" His brow crinkled with confusion, "This… well…" he trailed off, not making sense.
"I was reading in a clearing off an old logging road, and a ginormous black wolf came out. I was kind of terrified at first, but I just stayed still, trying to remember what Charlie always told me." She slowed her words, trying to make sure she didn't sound crazy. "The wolf, Sam, came over and stood in front of me. So I offered my hand. When I knew he wouldn't hurt me, I sat down on the ground, and he put his head on my knees. We fell asleep, and when I woke up, he was not a wolf anymore." She spilled the last few words out in a jumble, knowing she sounded completely unwound. "I know it sounds insane, but…" she finished with a shrug.
Sam snorted, "Not any crazier than being the wolf."
She nudged him with her shoulder. "It could be worse, right? You're not a cold one at least."
He couldn't help but laugh.
Billy's sobering face brought them back into check again… "Cold ones. They're back…"
Please let me know what you think! I'll post chapter 2 in 2 weeks. See you soon! ~ BK