Chapter 17 — The Cullens

Jacob

I had promised my friends that I would think about what they had said, to truly consider going back to Nessie. It wasn't difficult. It had been all I'd thought of since I'd made the decision to send her away. It had been about 7 months since I had seen her. Part of me knew I wouldn't hold out for much longer. And yet, the thought of going to her, of beginning this relationship with the previous love of my life's half-vampire daughter, made me shudder with horror.

I was home from work, attempting to force myself to eat dinner, even though eating was the last thing I wanted when my stomach ached with grief and longing. My phone rang, which was odd because no one ever called me. I saw it was Leah and answered it.

"Jacob?!" she said, her voice shrill panic.

"Leah, what is it?" I said, standing up immediately.

Something had happened. I felt it in my bones. I was already pulling off my pants in preparation for what it was.

"It's Nick," she said, half sobbing.

I'd never heard her like this. Leah was always so strong, so resilient.

"What's happened?" I said, shaking all over with fear.

"He's— he's—" she spluttered. "He's phased, Jacob."

"I'm on my way," I said.

I ripped my shirt off, ran out my back door and phased in midair. Immediately, panic resounded through my head.

"What the fuck? What the actual fuck? I'm going insane, I've completely lost my mind. This must a fucked up dream— I must be tripping or something. What the fuck—"

"Calm down," I thought, sprinting through the woods at top speed. "Everything is okay. I know this is weird, but you're okay. You've turned into a wolf. Just like our ancestors did. Just like the legends say—"

"Oh god I am going insane," Nick panicked. "Now I'm hearing voices—"

"You're not hearing voices," I thought. "It's me, Jacob. I'm a wolf, too. I have been for years. It's actually really fun once you get over the shock of it—"

"This is not fucking happening. This is not fucking real," Nick was continuing to scream in my head.

I was having real sympathy for how Sam must have felt at this moment, with no one there to tell him he wasn't going insane.

"Sam? Sam's a wolf too?" Nick thought.

It had been so long since I'd had someone listening to my thoughts—

"So you can hear all my thoughts too?" Nick thought, horrified.

"Sam used to be a wolf, but not anymore. And yes, I can and you're screaming pretty loud in my head bro so just calm down. You're probably freaking your mom out right now."

"Of course I am! I just turned into a fucking wolf in our living room!"

"It's okay," I assured him. "Your mom was a wolf, too. She knows what's going on. She just doesn't want you freaking out about it."

"My mom turned into a wolf?" thought Nick. "Oh god, how long is this gonna last? When am I gonna be human again? Wait, how are you a wolf now when you're human—"

"You phase back and forth," I said. "It's hard at first, but you get good at it pretty quick. I'm almost there."

I showed him the outside of his house. It seemed to calm him down a bit. The door opened and a dark gray wolf bounded, completely uncoordinated, from the house to the yard. I couldn't help but find it funny and endearing to see.

"Shut up! I'm actually losing it here," thought Nick, staring at me in shock.

"Okay, okay I'm sorry," I thought. "Everything will get easier with time, trust me. I'm sorry this has happened to you, but—"

Suddenly I stopped and thought about that. Why had this happened? There were no vampires near, unless—

"Vampires? Don't fucking tell me the Cold Ones actually exist," thought Nick.

"It's the reason we exist," I thought. "Last time a bunch of us turned into wolves over 40 years ago it was because a vampire family lived in Forks. But they don't live there anymore—

Flashes went through my mind. That house, Edward's face, Bella's new face. Carlisle, Alice, Jasper with his scars. Nessie when she was first born. Nessie now.

"That's them? The vampires? Hey, wasn't that last one that hot girl you brought to Jordan's graduation party?"

"I've gotta check something out," I said. "But hang on, I need to talk to your mom."

I ran into the woods, phased and changed.

Leah stood there, shaking.

"Thank God his father and sister are at softball practice," she said. "I don't know how I'll explain this to Finn—"

"You can't, Leah, you know the rules," I said.

"Why is this happening, Jacob," she said, half sobbing. "I didn't— I can't— I just wanted him to have a normal life."

"Hey, hey," I said, awkwardly patting her arm. "It's not a normal life, but it's really not so bad. We had fun sometimes. I mean, maybe not you so much, but he'll have a good enough time—"

"Fighting vampires?" said Leah, angrily. "It's dangerous."

"Nah," I said. "Remember how easy it was?"

"There were more of us then, Jake," said Leah, then she looked horrified. "Oh god, you don't think there will be more kids phasing, do you?"

"I don't know," I said, my brow furrowed with concern. "But I'd call Seth. Warn him. Jordan would be the next one in line. Or Embry's kid, Tyler."

"What if it happens to Ally?" said Leah, tearfully. "It happened to me—"

"We don't know anything yet," I said. "Maybe it was a fluke. But I've gotta start at the Cullen's house. Find out what's going on."

"I'll kill them myself," said Leah. "If they're back. I'll phase again. I think I've got one more in me."

"That's insane," I said measuredly. "Don't do that. I'll figure it out what's going on."

"Nick must be so terrified," said Leah.

"He's definitely pretty shocked," I said. "But we all were. And he's got me, don't worry."

"Hmm, I guess that's comforting," said Leah, doubtfully.

"I'll figure out what's going on and I'll come right back," I said. "Nick can come with me. It'll be good practice for him."

"To go to a house full of vampires?" said Leah, horrified.

"To get used to vampire scent in a non-threatening situation," I said. "We know the Cullens are not a real threat."

She snorted. "Look who's changed his tune. Have you decided to finally go back to your half-vampire?"

"Bye, Leah," I said pointedly.

I ran into the woods and phased again.

"Half vampire? Was that the girl you brought to the party? She was a half vampire?"

"We're not getting into that," I said, although thinking of Nessie, thinking of the fact that she could be back made my heart race.

"This is fucking wild! I can hear all your thoughts."

"Yeah, it gets old pretty quick," I grumbled. "Follow me. You'll find that you can run much faster than you ever thought possible."

Although sharing a mind with a brand new wolf was stressful, it was fun and nostalgic to experience his first run. That's the moment when you let go of all your fears and anxiety. When being a wolf first really feels natural.

"It's true!" thought Nick. "This is awesome!"

As we approached the Cullen house, I knew at once they were there. I could smell it and Nick could, too. He started to whine.

"It burns my nose. Just like in the stories," he thought.

"Just wait until we get up close," I thought.

The lights were on in the house. My heart was pounding. Nessie was there. If I strained, I could hear her heartbeat, the fluttering birdwings.

"What even is a half-vampire? How are they made?" asked Nick.

Against my will, I thought about starved and sickly human Bella and Edward's tortured face.

"A human and a vampire?" said Nick. "Don't vampires suck humans' blood?"

"Not these ones," I thought. "They suck animals' blood. Now, quiet for a moment. Let me concentrate."

"Edward," I thought as loudly as I could. "I know you can hear me. We need to talk."

"Whoa, vampires can read minds?" said Nick, sounding awed and terrified.

"No," I thought. "Just this one."

Edward came out quickly, meeting us at the treeline.

"What's going on?" I thought. "Why are you back here? We've got kids turning into werewolves again, you can't just—"

As if on cue, another voice entered the fray. Jordan, Seth's son.

"Ahh! Ow! What the fuck! Ow!"

"Nick, as my second in command, I need you to explain to him what just happened."

"Oh my god who's talking? Who's in my head?" yelled Jordan.

"I'm your second in command?" said Nick, excitedly.

"Yeah, you've got seniority by like an hour," I said sarcastically. "I'm phasing, hang on—"

I ran behind the treeline, phased and felt relief as silence returned.

"It must be nice," said Edward, snidely.

I dressed and came back around.

Suddenly, Carlisle joined him, along with Jasper and, my heart skipped a beat, Bella.

"Listen, you guys can't just move back here," I said. "Nick just phased and another kid phased literally a second ago. With you guys back more and more kids are going to be turning into werewolves."

"It's not just us returning that is starting the process," said Carlisle quickly. "Your tribe is about to be under attack by an unstable vampire named Joham."

"What are you talking about?" I said, blankly. "Why?"

"He found out about your tribe," Edward said. "He thinks that you're a threat to the master race he's creating."

"Master race—?" I repeated, confused.

"Vampire-human hybrids," said Bella. "Like Renesmee. He's been creating them in South America."

"But it sounds like he's trying to diversify up here, too," said Edward, a look of disgust on his face.

"Well, that definitely sounds like something we'd stop," said Jacob. "He sounds like a maniac."

I thought about the women who gave birth to these half-vampires and shuddered.

"You'll have no choice," said Jasper. "He's coming for you. He's going to kill you and every teenage boy in the tribe."