Disclaimer: This story is rated T/ M (Mature). Content may be suitable for persons ages 17 and older. Will most likely contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content, and strong language.
Layla's Pov
When we finally came up for air, I felt like I had been scorched by the sun. I blinked, opening my eyes, half expecting sunlight to blind me when I was met with the night.
Jacob's face was full of elation and wonder; he pressed his forehead lightly to mine with a soft laugh of giddy relief.
I wanted to bask in this bliss, but when the heat faded, and the cold wind tore through my damp clothes, the reality of the line I crossed sent me into a near panic attack.
What was I doing? I was going to ruin everything. Tears pricked my eyes.
"I'm so sorry, Jake." I shook my head, jerking back.
"What's wrong?" Jacob's arms kept me in place. "Did I hurt you? I was trying to be careful."
"No, Jake. Please let go." Confused, he gradually released me.
Jacob's Pov
"I-I can't do this." Layla ran into the house.
In one moment, my heart was so full it was about to explode with joy; the next, it was yanked out of my chest and running away from me.
I was surprised I didn't shift right then and there, destroying my bike in the process.
That was the most perfect kiss in all of mankind; what the hell happened? What did I do?
I chucked my skull cap helmet at the ground, shattering it by the sound. I wasn't stable enough to go after her to find out why.
Running towards the woods, I shifted, ripping into my wolf form.
Layla's Pov
I didn't sleep a wink. I didn't know what was worse. That I had upset Jacob by getting caught up in the moment or that I made things more complicated than they needed to be.
Slamming my locker door, I turned around to see half the pack of boys usually loitering in the hall. They were close together, speaking in hushed voices.
I didn't bother to see if Jacob was there. If he were with them, he would've been the tallest one, sticking out like a sore thumb.
But he wasn't, and I was grateful not to see him. Not yet. I still had to decide how to explain things so that he would understand why we couldn't do this.
I sat in my history seat next to the empty one Jake was supposed to take. Embry greeted me on the way to his while Daniel stole the vacancy I was intently staring at.
"No Black today?" He asked in a friendly tone. "Guess not," I muttered, turning to face forward. Class began cutting off whatever else he was about to say, or maybe he did say something but I wasnt paying attention.
Amongst scribbling in between the lines of my notes, lost in thought, I began to understand why I wasn't being honest with Jacob or any of my new friends.
In my short time here, I didn't want to be excluded. After all, who would invest in someone who was bound to leave?
I frowned, and my pen tore into the paper, scratching my previous notes underneath.
Guilt stained me like the ink melting into the corner of my spiral-bound notebook.
Lunch rolled around, and I hoped some idea would fall out of the sky to evade the inevitable truth I had to expel to redeem myself.
I grabbed a red plastic lunch tray and blindly gathered items off the line; when I returned to Tiffany's table, which quickly became the drama club's station, I noticed the new addition to the group next to it.
Keeping my head down, I sat as far from Jacob as possible, irritating Paige by separating her from Tiffany. I listened to the conversation poking at my food. Of course, everything on the menu today wasn't conducive to my eating habits. Here and there, I could feel Jacob's gaze glide over me. When I felt brave enough, I glanced his way when I thought he wasn't looking.
Our eyes met, and a lump instantly jumped in my throat. His eyes held every emotion I didn't wish to see.
That's when Daniel saved me, sitting in front of me, blocking Jacob's view. He was my co-star for the upcoming play. The big bad wolf. I wasn't sure why Mr. Thompson chose him. Sure, he had a friendly face and decent acting skills but if he were a canine I couldn't place him as a wolf.
I smirked to myself when I imagined Daniel's personality to be more like a labrador retriever.
"I can't wait to start act two. We've gone over the first half of the script endlessly these past couple weeks." Daniel interjected.
"That will be a nice change." I breathed."Have you gone over page 67? We're practicing our scene today." His face lit up.
Tiffany spit out the milk she was drinking. I eyed him suspiciously. "What scene?" The dubiousness in my voice dimmed Daniel's reaction.
Paige snorted a laugh at him. "The kissing scene." Daniel cleared his throat, trying to play it cool now. "Kissing scene?!" My voice raised an octave.
Tiffany continued to cough, so she got up for some water in a hurry. I felt like running with her.
"You can't be serious." Both Jacob and I spoke at the same time standing up.
"Look, I'm just reiterating the play script. If you have a problem with it, speak to Mr. Thompson." Daniel raised his hands defensively at Jacob's malevolent glare.
He stalked out of the cafeteria towards the outside eating area. It was raining, but I didn't question his decision.
"I think I will speak with him, and I'll check on Tiff." I wandered off in the opposite direction.
Mr. Thompson was having lunch at his desk when I confronted him about the script.
"I understand your discomfort, Ms. Moon, but this is show biz." He poked at his salad, making a loud crunching sound.
"Maybe in the real world, but this is a school play..." I interrogated him about the scene and how many times this scene would have to happen.
I think Mr. Thompson became worried that I would pull out of the play when he spoke up.
"To think of it, there is something else we could do. Instead of a real kiss, we'll have a stage kiss. Daniel will hold your face opposite the stage and wrap his thumb over your lips. You might have to suck yours in a bit- but that way, he'll be kissing the back of his hand unbeknownst to the audience." Mr. Thompson smiled, pleased with himself.
The bell rang, and I sighed heavily. If that was the best I could get, I'd stick out the play.
Daniel was startled when I entered the hall. The suppressed smile on his face told me he was eavesdropping.
"Don't press your luck," I muttered, striding by him.
Jacob wasn't in the next class or any others for the rest of the day.
My stomach sank with an uncomfortable knowing that I most likely had something to do with it.
I stayed in the study hall longer than necessary to complete homework and to delay the inevitable script reading.
Mr. Thompson was kind enough to ease my discomfort for delaying that part of the scene until dress rehearsal. Although he said whatever we do in our spare time was our business, I narrowed my eyes and crossed my arms at the culprit.
By the time practice was over, Daniel looked deflated, and Tiffany was by my side.
"Any chance you want my part?" I asked her. "Not a chance. Being a little old lady is starting to look good." Tiffany snickered.
"I'll catch you later." I dumped my bookbag in the back of my car and detoured home.
It wasn't ready to hide in my room yet, so I took to the beach.
The breeze was calm, and the sound of waves slapping the shore came and went in a slow, rhythmic motion, which helped ease my mind.
I followed the trail of pebbles through the misty sea air until I entered a flat, sturdy area of sand rock formations and cliffs.
When I had wandered too far in the effort of keeping my mind silent and spirit still, I found a narrow passage up a hill through tall grass to the point that looked over the sea and into the swells of rushing water.
Seth's Pov
"Please be careful." I stepped out of the woods to check on Layla.
She stepped away from the ledge she was peering over. "Hey, Seth." She glanced around to make sure I was alone.
"It's just me." Jacob was having a hard time shifting. Right when we thought he was in the clear, his emotions got the best of him.
"Oh," She looked back over the water one more time. "Let me walk you back." I insisted. She allowed it.
"So, it's none of my business, but you and Jake seemed to get along last night. What happened?" I questioned. I honestly didn't know since I hadn't shifted for my watch on the wolf radar yet.
Layla was silent. "That bad or what?" I asked. "Good, bad, maybe both. I'm sure you'll find out later, so there is no use in telling you. Just know, I'll understand if you don't want to hang out with me anymore."
I was about to ask why when Layla checked her phone. Her eyes widened, and she clambered into her car.
"I'm sorry, Seth, I have to go."
Layla's Pov
I sped home to pack my things. I'd left my phone on silent the past few days because my friends were harassing me about Jacob, or so I thought.
That was until I opened the most recent messages. Logan King had finally snapped.
The menace to our old friend group that we once had to tip-toe around because he came from a powerful family. The monster who mistreated and used people until they were bent and broken. Who had no bounds regarding consent or permission to do anything or anyone.
My blood boiled. I would have to see if I could get on the next flight to LAX and have Ashely or her parents pick me up.
I especially hated Logan for being one of the reasons I was sent up here and silenced after my sweet sixteen in July. He had slipped something into my drink that night, and I'd almost fallen victim if it weren't for my friends. But I didn't escape unscathed. A pink scar lined my inner upper thigh from where his knife had been that night and would always remind me of what someone like him was capable of.
I whipped my car through the gravel.
He had been on house arrest for pulling more dumb shit like that abroad on business with his father's colleague's daughter. His parents were forcing Logan to get clean and took away his car, amongst other things. He's been punished before, but not as long or as harshly. I knew it was only a matter of time before he did something, but this was going too far.
I marched in the door, dialing Ashely's cell. "I'm so sorry, Ash. I just got your text. Is B okay?" I ran upstairs to my bedroom and dug out a carry-on suitcase.
"We tried getting her to the hospital, but their parents are preventing her from going there for legal issues." Ashely informed me.
"You can't be serious. At the minimum, Logan deserves to be locked up, and they still want him loose?" I began throwing clothes in the case, not caring if anything matched as long as I had one or two of everything.
"Yeah, she's in the ambulance now. They're not letting it leave, but I think they can help her in there." Ashely sounded shaken, but she kept her cool for me. I could hear the commotion of people and sirens behind her.
"I'm going to get on the next flight," I informed her. "I'll get Bethany to pick me up if you can't leave Brianna."
"No. Don't. They still haven't caught Logan. You should wait until he's trapped in the house again before coming down, and if you do, don't tell anyone but me that you're here." Ashely spoke in a hushed rush.
"What? Why? I don't care. I'll kick his ass for hurting B." I was still seeing red and didn't know how I'd manage that.
"He was saying some pretty crazy stuff to Brianna before he beat the shit out of her and stabbed her." Ashely continued in a low whisper.
"Like that matters." I quickened my pace in packing, pulling things from the bathroom now.
"Listen, Layla. You need to be careful. Logan is on the loose. He blames us, and mostly you, for the Sweet Sixteen incident. He believes that was one of the last straws to his ultimate punishment." Ashely spoke quicker.
"Can he never take ownership of his actions? He's so stupid." I hissed; completing my packing, I dragged my bag downstairs.
"He's stupidly dangerous and crazy. Brianna found all the meds he'd supposed to be taking for weeks when... I got to go. Promise me you'll stay in Forks." Ashely's phone cut out.
I stared at the phone in my palm. The picture of Brianna beaten on the floor and bleeding disturbed me. Worry wrenched my gut as I stood by the door.
"Where do you think you're going?" Syd addressed me. I shoved my phone into my pocket.
"I have to go to LA. There's an emergency." I explained. I wasn't sure if a sixteen-year-old could book a flight alone, but I'd try.
"What's the news?" He asked, crossing his arms. I couldn't tell Syd the truth. If he knew, he wouldn't let me go either.
"I need to see mom. Something's not right, and I have to go now." Although my delivery was calm, he saw the frantic look in my eyes.
"What happened? Why can't you wait for the weekend to sort things out?" Syd questioned. My vision glassed over in frustration and anger.
I felt helpless. There wasn't anything I could do to magically make Brianna better, and I didn't know where Logan was or what I would do if I found him.
I glared down at the floor, gripping my suitcase handle. Tears welled up and dripped over. "Please, Grandpa. Let me go."
"No." "It's a four-hour flight. If I leave now, I can make it-" I tried to reason with him.
"Absolutely not. If it's that important, Wren or your mother will call me," He took away my suitcase.
I had no words. I marched myself back upstairs, refusing to make or eat dinner.
Jacob's Pov
It took me a while to get a grip on my form.
Right when I was about to shift back and speak to Layla, we caught another blood-sucker stench. This time, it was the same one as the jacket.
He was fast, red-eyed, and fierce. By how he moved, he seemed to be a new vampire, but he was less twitchy and feral.
The leech skidded out into the road when I took a snap at him. Quil and Embry were on my flanks, ready to pounce, when an eighteen-wheeler plowed between us.
When it passed, he was gone outside our territory into the Cullen's portion of the forest.
'Do you think we should call them?' Seth's thoughts chimed in the back of my mind. He saw everything we were doing. "No, we'll patrol the borders." I sounded back.
"What are you doing out here? It's not your turn." Quil asked him.
"Um, Layla seemed upset at the beach. Then she rushed to get home; something seemed off, so I followed her like this." Seth explained.
"About what?" I asked, encroaching on the line that divided the territories. I thought about infringing on the treaty just this once to kill the bloodsucker.
"Not sure." Seth sounded. "We'll watch the line." Embry offered.
I rewound, preparing to thrust myself into the woods. "Stay where you are, Seth, and keep watch on her."
"Sure thing, boss." Seth mentally saluted.
Layla's Pov
I stayed up most of the evening staring out my window.
Syd had stopped by to dump out the contents of my things on the floor, and later, he returned with a snack as a wordless apology.
I didn't bother to clean up after my whirlwind packing. I ignored him, staring out the darkened window in my dimly lit room.
Now more than ever, I wished I had an outlet other than my journal. In LA, I used to camp out in the studio or move the living room furniture around for space to practice dance when stressed. Without movement to release my anxiety, I could feel the build-up of my emotions bounce around inside my body.
Why couldn't my stupid ankle be fully healed? Sure, most of the pain was gone, but I still had a few short weeks left to treat it tenderly. I shifted in my bed, assessing it.
If I hadn't messed things up with Jacob, having someone to talk to would have been nice.
Instead of the reddish brown wolf tonight, a smaller sandy colored wolf paced the property.
When counting the rounds he made, I nodded off, leaning against the cold glass.
The slam of the door shook the frame of the house and rattled my window, waking me.
My eye was dry from sleeping in my contact, so I went to the bathroom to fix that.
I fumbled with the packaging of my lens under the sink, only to discover I was out of colored lenses.
"One thing after another." I sighed, skipping that part for now. I'd have to shower and get ready early before I could call around for contact lenses.
I doubted Forks would have what I needed, so I would have to try Port Angeles or Seattle if I got desperate. Either way, I couldn't go anywhere like this.
I startled myself in the mirror again when I fixed my hair. I was so used to avoiding this mercury monstrosity that it threw me off when I did see it.
Taking to my car, I left Syd a message on his phone about being tardy to class. I didn't want him to think I was skipping off after our fight last night.
But maybe I should. I gripped the steering wheel, passing the school to which I gave a spare glance. The staff was beginning to fill the lot.
I continued, not stopping for kids approaching the crosswalk by the convenience store. I cursed, looking into my rearview to see a few members of Jacob's crew recognize my car.
Fleeing the village and feeling unnecessarily more paranoid than before, I hit the gas as if they could follow.
Minutes later, I was on the phone with Ashely for an update on Brianna. She was alive, medicated, and covered in ice packs at her house.
"She could always stay at my place. It might be safer, but it's empty." I offered. "B just needs to rest. No update on the felon." Ashely sounded exhausted.
"How are you and the parents?" I asked. "They're freaked. If it weren't for the dance team or my modeling gig, they'd be thinking about sending me off to an all-girls school." She laughed humourlessly.
Her parents were more strict than others, and there had been a few reasonable things to set them off lately. "Tell them to send you here if they're afraid." I half-joked.
"You don't have a mall, do you? So, another form of purgatory. They might go for it." Ash's laugh stretched into a yawn.
I had a ring on the other line.
"Talk to yah later. I need to crash." Ash hung up, and my other line came through.
I expected it to be Syd returning my call from this morning.
"Listen, Syd, I'm almost to Port Angeles; you can't stop me-" "Layla." It was Jake. His voice eased me despite the circumstances between us.
"Jacob?" I questioned. "Why are you going to Port Angeles? School is about to start."
What was he the class hall monitor? He ditched yesterday, and no one kept tabs on him. So why did it matter I was gone for the morning?
"Port Angeles or Seattle. Whichever has my contacts. Then I'll be right back." I gave him an answer anyway.
"I'll come meet you." He spoke with finality. "No. Jake, we can talk later. Really."
I couldn't risk anyone seeing me like this, and I wasn't sure what to say to Jake when I would meet with him.
But he didn't listen, hanging up on me too. Groaning, I pushed past the speed limit.
Port Angeles
The manager tried to get me to reconsider my purchase after seeing the heterochromia. I didn't like running out of colored lenses for this very reason. The excessive attention was unnecessary, and having this condition somehow became your defining feature and personality trait.
Fortunately, I was the only one besides the employees in the shop to gawk at.
Unfortunately, this pack of lenses would only last me a month, and the ones that nearly matched my brown eye were discontinued at this location. Meaning I would have to go through this gruesome process again elsewhere.
Relief washed over me when I covered the glaring abnormality.
I waded through the damp downtown area. The boardwalk was covered in fog; the mist was thick enough to block out the sea. I walked through the cloud. Water was collecting on me as my heart rate increased and my senses were blocked. Seagulls dropped in and out to pick at a knocked-over trash bin a cycler hit. Although the walkways were sparse, I felt like someone was watching me. I brushed off the feeling, attributing it to my unpleasant experience.
I searched for the cafe I parked beside on my walk up here for some much-needed breakfast.
After picking up my order, I went to sit down at a row of booths in the back. I paused, catching sight of someone familiar.
Caleb, the musical artist I ran into in Seattle, was sitting in the middle booth, looking in my direction.
I looked around before then pointed to myself. I wasn't sure if he would remember me. Someone like him probably meets tons of people at his shows.
He waved me over, a friendly, strained smile spread on his face. "Hey, Long time no see." I sat across from him.
The smile remained, and something flickered in his eyes. He wore tinted gradient shades, so I could hardly distinguish the distorted color.
"Layla, how's it going?" He questioned. "Good. Are you meeting someone or waiting on an order?" I noted the cleared table before him.
"I already ate." He answered awkwardly. "I see. What brings you to Port Angeles? Do you have another gig I haven't heard about?" I questioned, taking a sip of my tea.
"No, just checking in on family." His smile dropped, and he leaned in closer. "Listen, Layla, to be honest, I saw you on the street and wanted to talk to you."
"Oh?" I coughed. The hot liquid hit the back of my throat wrong. "How do I put this without sounding weird?" Caleb cracked his knuckles and adjusted his rings.
"It's kinda weird that you didn't just say hello in line," I mumbled. He glanced up through his glasses. I caught a glimpse of his crimson eyes.
"I noticed you this past weekend in Seattle with my employer, Niccolo Foscari," Caleb spoke just above a whisper.
My brows twisted in confusion. He gauged my reaction as if reconsidering what he would say.
"What I'm about to say might be outlandish, and it already might be too late, but please take my warning seriously."
I blinked at him, confused, then narrowed my eyes at his strange introduction. "Get out of here if you can. Pack up and go. Don't tell anyone; keep moving."
"What, why?" I asked, leaning towards him. "He's a dangerous man. Once you...do business with him; there is no stopping it." Caleb left before me abruptly.
Stopping what? I thought, watching him move fast without sparing me another glance.
"Wait!" I hurried after him. He didn't slow down until we were outside the cafe.
"I still have your jacket. Do you want it back? I could drop you off somewhere with my car." I offered politely.
Maybe he was in trouble, and if I couldn't help him, maybe my dad could.
"Keep it. I don't need it." Caleb tugged the collar of his new denim hybrid hoodie.
A group of people moved between us to enter the cafe. When they passed, and I looked back, he was already gone, taken by the mist.
Jacob's Pov
Embry was already on watch when we sprinted together, becoming a blur in the woods. He'd since caught the scent from last night on the backside of a neighborhood in Forks.
The smell made the fur on my neck stand straight on end almost painfully. The trail was directly headed for Port Angeles.
"Layla's there." I thought, sprinting harder. "Go shift; I'll circle the town where I can." Embry planned our move.
"We're backing you two. Go with him, Embry." Sam's voice joined us in the pack's mind.
After mounting clothes from my stash, we sprinted down the maze of alleys and onto the docks cloaked in a thick fog.
Embry followed while I checked the surrounding stores. "Jake! We're supposed to stick together!" Embry called after me.
On the second try, I found the correct shop where I caught her scent. "Have you seen a girl? This tall, dark hair and eyes, looking for contacts?" I panted.
"Does she have a name, Sir?" The employee asked, bewildered. "Layla Moon."
"The girl with the..." He pointed to one eye and then the other. I shook my head, not getting the gesture.
"Yes, she was here. Took off down the dock not too long ago."
"Which way?" "East towards the food district." I was out the door before they could finish explaining. Embry caught up with me on the docks.
I followed her scent in the next breath; to my relief, the fog retained the trail well, but the blood-sucker stench was converging.
It seemed like she stopped by a cafe and exited it again.
Our heads were on a swivel. It was difficult to see even with our heightened senses in this weather..
The scents split, and I hurried to find Layla.
I wasn't paying attention to the building I entered until someone started yelling at us.
"Jake." Embry grabbed my arm to stop me. "Hello! You need to have a ticket." The sales lady called to us.
I looked more distinctly at the walls to see the movie posters in the hall. "Right." Embry patted his pockets as I did the same.
A couple of fives I stashed were enough for us to get into the box office.
We checked that theater first, then waited for the lady to return for the popcorn stand before we dipped into the theaters.
I finally found her in the back of the latest Rom-Com, looking semi-interested at the screen.
Layla was eating something smuggled in from the cafe when we approached the steps four at a time.
"Jake? Embry?" She hissed in a whisper.
I took the seat next to her.
"Hi, Layla. We heard you were having a ditch day." Embry waved from the other side of me. Layla shook her head i. disbelief and sank in her seat.
"What are you doing here?" I questioned her.
"We're going to get caught if you keep talking." Layla pointed to the associate with the flashlight, making a round.
"You're right. Ugh, I'll be right back." Embry took out the theater side door. Most likely to tell Sam we found her safe.
Layla had finished her food and was now sitting upright focusing on the movie.
I reached over to take her hand to calm myself down fully.
Layla didn't notice the gesture until the main characters started kissing on screen.
"Seriously, Jake." She pulled back to glare at me. It wasn't a harsh expression and seemed forced from embarrassment.
"What?" I asked.
Layla stood up to leave but tripped over my feet, exiting the row. I caught her top half to keep her from falling.
"Jake!" She hissed a whisper again, scolding me for what I accidentally grabbed.
"Whoops, sorry," I mumbled. That wasn't intentional.
Irritated and flustered, she marched with me hot on her heels for the car. I kept a lookout for the bloodsucker
"Where are you going now?" "Back home," Layla answered.
"What were you doing at the movie theater anyways?" I continued to bombard her with questions.
She fumbled her car keys, dropping them in the process. I picked them up, about to return them to her, when I lifted them out of reach so she would talk to me.
"I was going to drive back to La Push when the fog was too thick. I'm not used to driving in any sort of weather, so I thought I'd wait it out, maybe catch a double feature." She shrugged, a bit embarrassed to admit this.
"Let me drive then." I offered. "Didn't you ride with Embry?" She eyed me suspiciously.
"He'll be fine with me riding with you." I had to make sure she got back to our lands safely. "I don't think that's a good idea."
"Why not? My eyesight is better than yours, and I'm used to the roads." "Jake, the conversation I want to have with you isn't suitable for a car ride."
"I agree. We don't have to talk about that right now." I climbed in the driver side, adjusting the seat to my height. Layla sighed heavily and slid into the passenger.
The drive back to La Push was mostly silent. The only sounds were from the low hum of the radio and the windshield wipers.
Layla nodded off in the first fifteen minutes. It seemed like she hadn't slept much.
I laughed to myself when Layla's head tilted back with her mouth hung open.
On a sharp turn, Layla woke up, and her box of lenses tumbled out of her purse onto the dash. I picked it up before it could fall.
"Sorry," Layla reached for it groggily. The lettering in bright green stood out to me. "What are you doing with colored lenses?"
This seemed to grab her attention because she snatched it back quickly, stuffing it in her purse.
I eyed her, waiting for an explanation after her odd reaction. Layla bit her lip, not wanting to answer.
"Lense. I only need the one because one of them is messed up." She whispered, looking out the window, and evading my curious gaze.
"What happened?" "I was just born with it wrong." Her voice was barely audible, trembling in the explanation, so I didn't press.
"Wait, where are you going? School is that way." She pointed at the next turn I was supposed to take. "We need to talk, right?" I turned for the first beach instead.
The sun was peeking out over the water dissipated the fog. It rolled off the waves hauntingly, stretching like a hand onto the coast.
She was nervous being alone with me. I could tell by her pulse thrumming faster.
"It's okay," I assured her gently before getting out to open her door.
I was silent for a while, letting the sound of the shore and the movement of the rocks under our feet envelope us.
The swells of the waves always seemed to help me think clearly when I needed it. I thought it might help her too.
Layla trudged alongside me wordlessly. When she started to watch the waves more than me, I knew we had both calmed down enough to speak.
I sat at a familiar twisted, sunbleached white tree wedged into the rock. She hesitantly followed my lead, leaving a space between us.
"I'm sorry about the other night. It was cheesy and stupid to make a move." I began. "And I got caught up in the moment." She shook her head apologetically.
"Don't get me wrong, I don't regret the kiss. Layla, I like you," I confessed, leaning forward to view her face hidden from her hair. I almost said love, but I didn't want to scare her with the intensity of the imprinting bond.
She jerked her head up as if astonished. As if that was a surprise after the way we kissed.
"I want to do things right, though..." As I was about to ask her out, discomfort flooded her dominor.
The dejection hurt, so I gripped the wood under me to keep from shaking out of my skin.
"Did I do something wrong?" My words poured out slowly. "No, Jake. It's not you." She tried to console me.
"Then why?" I pleaded. "I can't start something that's doomed to fail." Layla got up, pacing down the beach again.
"That doesn't make sense." I got up to stop her. We were perfect for each other, made for one another.
"Does it have to?" She crossed her arms as if holding herself together. "Yes. It does." I pressed, stopping her in her tracks.
She scowled at the sea and then looked up at me. "You won't want to hang out with me anymore if I tell you."
I scoffed at the idea of anything separating me from her. "Try me."
"I'm not staying here, Jacob. My real home is in Los Angeles. I'm only here until the end of the semester."
When I didn't respond right away, she wove around me.
"I thought you moved here because of your dad? He lives in Seattle. You can't leave the state." "The custody revision isn't over, and I prefer living with my mother." I pulled Layla back to the fallen sunbleached tree.
"So let me get this straight. You won't pursue things with me because you think you'll end up leaving?" She heard the hope in my voice and frowned.
"I will, and what makes you think I feel the same way?" Layla mumbled. The blush lifting to her cheeks exposed the deglective lie.
"If it comes to that, I'll go with you." "No, Jake. You won't, not for me. La Push is your home. You have your auto shop internship; your family and friends are here..."
"I can find an internship anywhere to train me. Everyone will understand." I shrugged.
"That doesn't matter." Layla stood up again. I pulled her back down.
"Why not?" I waited for a better answer than that. "I-I don't trust myself." Layla stammered out a truth she didn't expect to share.
"With what?" I pressed. "Look, I have a lot going on that I don't want to concern you with. On top of that, I haven't made many good decisions this year." Layla slid her hand over her inner thigh—the one with the scar she didn't know I knew about from when I had to check her for a vampire bite.
"You don't think being with me would be a good decision," I stated, trying not to be hurt by the assumption. She was silent in her uncertainty.
"Then I'll have to change your mind. I'm not letting you go, Layla." I smiled to reassure her.
"Jake, please don't make this harder than it needs to be." She pleaded quietly.
Layla would neither confirm nor deny her feelings for me on our walk back from the beach. The fact that it would be hard to leave if we dated meant Layla had to have some feelings for me
Layla's Pov
Jacob encouraged me to drive home alone while he would walk home. I appreciated the time to think everything over.
After the difficult conversation, a piece of the tension bothering me most lifted. A portion of clarity was generously given in its place.
A soft smile spread on my face. He liked me. I tried to control the giddy warmth in my chest before I latched onto the emotion.
As I pulled the keys from the ignition, I wondered if it would be so bad. To let Jacob pursue me. To believe in his promises and choose for myself to be happy.
It's not like Jacob hadn't proven himself. He's saved my life more than once.
I ran my fingers over my lips, remembering the scorching kiss that undeniably branded me.
Deep down, I knew that the taste of him would always be there, waiting, lingering, making me long for more. Could I live with that?
I sat there until Syd pulled up in his truck. He arrived at my window before I had a chance to get out.
"I let you out one night this week, and you think it's okay to ditch all your classes." Syd's stern gray eyes bore into mine.
I lifted the contact box as proof of my venture. "For a good reason." He was lucky Jake met me in Port Angeles; otherwise, I might've been on a plane.
"Don't do that again." He stomped off. Did that mean I was off the hook? "No late-night excursions this weekend." There was the repercussion.
"But you said I could go home this weekend." "It was a possibility with a call from your parents." Syd restated. That was bullshit.
I narrowed my eyes at him. That bothered me much more than possible weekend plans being revoked. I slammed my car door, marching inside the house.
I made dinner in silence and completed my studies.
"I'm going for a walk," I informed Syd. "Don't be too long. I want you back before dark." He answered from his armchair, tapping his cigar on the tray beside him.
I gave him a silent nod and tucked my notebook and journal under my arm. Writing down by the brook behind the house seemed more appealing than when I arrived.
Crystal-clear water bubbled by, and the color of the leaves was beginning to turn. The breeze shuttered the branches above.
I decided to write my older brother Zach instead. Aside from the signal postcard I sent when I arrived, I hadn't written him since. Not that he had the opportunity to write back often from his boarding school. Tapping on the lined notebook, I dragged the pen on the page. So much had happened in his absence. I wonder how much he knew from Mom, if she had contacted him at all. Before he was sent off abroad, their relationship was strained. She was always yelling at him for his behavior.
'Dear Zach, I hope you're doing well. I miss you. I've moved from LA to La Push to live with Grandpa. Surprising, right? Well, somethings happened on my birthday...with the police and the King family. Mom hasn't been the same since. I think she's hiding something. Dad's fighting for full custody, and Mom has disappeared. I wish you were here. Please write back to me if you can. Love, Layla.'
I wondered if he would receive my letter or if the school would screen it and pull it from his personal post. Zach's never been the most well-behaved, so if getting postage was a privilege, it would be a long time before he got it. I dated the letter just in case, folding the letter into the thirds. I plucked a buttercup flower from the ground, flatted it with a rock, and slid that inside the envelope with the note.
When I looked up, a familiar russet wolf was crossing the river, gulping the stream under him into his mouth.
The river was deep enough for me to swim in, but for this monumental wolf, the waters waded around his shoulders. I watched the grace of the wild wolf. The muscles under his fur flexed with an intimating strength. I shuttered involuntarily, remembering the times he'd nearly pounced on me. It was edging towards nightfall, and I knew Syd would send for me soon if I didn't head back, so I got up.
The sudden movement made me slip on a root. I fell down the bank, landing on the edge of the river. I hissed in pain as my hands and knees took the brunt of the force. Clattering pebbles fell around me.
As the water soaked my limbs and the ends of my hair that fell forward into the muddy water, my eyes met the wolf staring at me downstream.
A white envelope floating with the current caught my eye. "Shoot." Irrationally, I stood up again to run through the knee-deep waters for it.
When the riverbed dropped, the water rose to my waist, and I gave up. What was I doing? I could rewrite the stupid thing.
The wolf remained still, watching the parcel I lost drift towards him. With his large mouth, he nipped the edge of the wet paper, lifitng it carefully from the current.
I watched the wolf cautiously as he waded slowly towards me. I kept rigid in the water.
As he came closer, I accepted my fate. Whatever this wolf decided to do with me.
I turned my head, glancing backward to ensure my journal didn't fall in too. That would be the greater loss I'd risk swimming past a wolf downstream for.
It sat safely on the ledge with my toppled pen.
The large russet wolf towering in height stepped up on the bank behind me. I sighed with relief.
I waded back from where I came, using the roots from the tree I was under to climb back up.
Gathering the rest of my untainted things, I held them at length from my sopping clothes.
The great wolf stepped towards me. His form blacked out the golden glow of twilight where I stood staring.
The wolf was somehow less frightening up close like this.
Maybe it was the halo of light bouncing off his brownish fur, exposing the reddish sheen, his fluffy ears that pointed towards me, or the curious look in his intelligent dark eyes. As he lowered his head to my eye level, I was startled to discover how close he had become.
At any moment, he could drop the letter and snap at me. No doubt his jaw could break me in half if he desired it.
The wolf whined when I stepped backward slowly until my feet found the path I took to the brook.
Seattle, WA
Niccolo's Pov
I sat in my coveted red room in the company of those I trusted, mostly. Owning portions of this city has taken some work and much compelling to get where we were today.
The convention center downtown and the former bank next to it. A restaurant I converted to be my winery across the city—the warehouse on the water for specific imports. All mine and devisably placed for the important plans.
Tonight was a preemptive meeting before the chess board was set to play the most dangerous game a vampire could play.
"Oh, Nicco!" Greta's voice trilled. In the 1930's, she was cute to sound like Betty Boop, but now it grated on my nerves.
She hugged my shoulders in greeting and kissed me on the cheek. We hadn't fucked in over half a century, but she still clung to me obstinately.
I no longer desired her physically, but I did appreciate her worship and gift. The ability to numb and inhibit the senses, leaving the most prominent impulses and desires.
Because of this, I allowed her annoying behaviors. The obscure talent could do many things for me. The most important being taming newborn vampires. Two was torture. Three was revealing the true motives of those I trusted discretely from time to time.
Greta's large crimson orbs glided over to Vitaly entering the room, my right-hand Soviet. She tolerated him, more so because she was wary.
Vitaly can erase anyone's memories. It's saved him and our coven many times from evading the Voltori.
He's also my only match. Vi can undo my compulsions, given a short time frame. But he'd never betray me even if I hadn't used my gift on him first—the precaution I took with any vampire.
With my compulsion, I remove the right to use their ability on me, and if they have a gift worthy enough, they serve me, not without reproach or payment.
"Vi, what news do you have for me?" The quick pace in his step and the keen interest in his pale red eyes meant he had something for me.
"We found him," Vitaly answered. Justina locked the door after the last few of my inner circle entered.
Jean Augustine, Sergio Torres, Antonio Ricci, and Alessandra Klein.
"Oh?" The vampires gathered around the curved sofas so that we could face one another. Greta sat too close when Alessandra sat beside me, draping a crossed leg over mine.
"There is a lead. Rumors in Egypt say Amun is still alive." Vi opened the discussion.
"How do you know he survived? He was last presumed to have perished with the fall of the Romanian coven." Sergio would know; he was almost as old as I, but he became a newborn at the expense of the war where Voltori's supreme rule solidified by taking down the Romanian vampire empire.
"There has been a description similar to him in Cairo. One that can wield fire." Augustine answered. I nodded, and that would be useful.
It was rare to obtain elemental powers. I would send a search party alone for that one. But this power also complicated things. Dismemberment and the inferno were the only things that could destroy our kind.
"If he is alive. Who's to say he will join us?" Alessandra questioned.
"I doubt Amun wants to cower from the Voltori forever. He's lived many more lifetimes than I ever have, and I've grown weary with irritation wading in their shadows." I stood up and approached the obsidian table in the center of the room. I pressed a button beneath the counter, and the wall behind them moved to reveal a map.
Black pins record the known whereabouts and watch towers of the Voltori, and blue pins were of the known covens. The coven that supported them had a black ribbon attached. I had another map in my penthouse for my coven's whereabouts and Seattle's happenings.
"I'm more than willing to take a few expendable newborns to scout Cairo," Sergio stated. "If you wreak too much havoc, Amun will go into hiding," Antonio mentioned.
"Or provoke the Voltori," Vitaly concurred.
"Start with the Nile and work your way up. I'll pay and compel a translator for you. Make the most of the night and stay hidden during the day." I confirmed.
"Those pyramids hold a lot of secrets. Perhaps you should compel some archeologists to escort them as well." Alessandra stood to view the map more closely.
She would know, living in the pyramid of Aztec ruins herself. Her stay would be brief as she didn't like to be away from her coven long. Our takeover of North America wouldn't affect her precious lands. In fact, with my help, she could control the Southern Hemisphere. In exchange for my aid, Alessandra and her coven will kill anyone who tries to flee the border when our plans begin, especially if the Southerners resist.
"Excellent." Antonio Ricci's smirk grew into a full-blown grin; he was my best tracker. He could visualize scent trails and taste individuals when they were near. If anyone could find a vampire's trail, it would be Ricci.
"Justina will assign you the newborns you need." Ignorant, expendable newborns would do our dirty work. If they were captured and killed by the Voltori, it would be no loss. They would know nothing of us or our coven's plans when Vitaly wiped their minds for the mission.
"What about the Southerners?" Sergio questioned. "We've conquered the West coast, and Wes is scoping out the North East." He continued.
"Soon enough, they'll get curious once we start moving," I noted.
"We need an insider," Augustine demanded, drumming his fingertips on the table.
"Not exactly an easy bunch to infiltrate." Justina scribbled on her clipboard.
"Capture one." Greta chimed in, waving a hand in the air. "No. That would be too obvious, too messy." Vi crossed his arms, leaning back into the sofa.
"Who do we have that's an outsider? Someone on the fringe of things that can slip in anywhere they please?" I voiced my thoughts aloud.
"There's Maria." Ricci brought up the ambitious Mexican woman who failed in her attempt to reign the South. That power grab battle cost many vampires their immortality. It was also the first major move the Voltori made to establish a lasting impression on this side of the Atlantic.
"A little difficult to get to, but not impossible," Vitaly noted, considering it.
"Getting to her won't be easy." Alessandra Klein would know Maria's whereabouts best.
I suppose it wouldn't be too difficult to persuade the surviving vampires of the Texas massacre to rise against the powers that attempted to wipe them out.
"Didn't she have an underling or two gifted in training newborns?" Justina questioned as if recalling a memory from long ago.
"The blond male. Jasper Hale?" Klein answered. "Yes. The handsome one." The corners of Justina's mouth lifted in a flirty smirk.
Antonio groaned unhappily at their reactions. Before our Frenchman Augustine joined us, he had been the most fetching male they discretely fawned over.
That was before they found out Jean had a mate. I'd have to obtain this Jasper if only for Justina's sake. It's been too long since she's had a companion.
"Does he have an ability?" I questioned Klein. "I'm not sure." She shrugged.
"Hm. It seems we have work to do, and quickly." I looked to Augustine and Vi—my intel gatherers.
"What about the redhead passing through here in the spring? She was running all over the place. That stray might have some intel for you if we catch her." Greta recalled.
"We had to burn down our first warehouse full of newborns because of Victoria's insolence." Justina hissed, her glare icy at the recollection.
"She was ambitious. I kinda liked her." Greta shrugged. "She's the reason we moved operations underground," Justina argued.
"Not a bad adjustment, but her recklessness was just as neglectful as it was helpful." Greta's eyes lit up when I said this.
"I suppose it would be helpful to know if any stragglers are left. I doubt it since the Voltori passed through here."
Justina eyed me. I knew that look—any reason to get rid of Greta.
"If you investigate, Greta, tread carefully and make it fast." Her thin lips parted in a mischievous grin, and blood-red eyes bulged in excitement.
I didn't want to spread our ranks too thin with the search in Egypt, and snooping around the Southerners might get difficult and deadly fast.
"We need to solidify a spy on the outskirts of the southerner's covens. I'm uncomfortable proceeding with any more plans until we have a member from each coven under my control."
"Why not take the East Coast and proceed to take over from both sides?" Sergio inquired. I used to admire the former Spaniard general for his bold moves, but recently, his tact has been lacking, perhaps from lack of action.
"It's the East that holds the most Voltori followers. They will most likely notify at any sign of suspicious activity," Augustine answered.
He had the most familiarity with the Voltori's movements as my spy. We refer to Jean as the chameleon.
Being a former actor and son of a politician in his past human life developed in him a unique talent. Aside from his intense charm, second to my own, he had the uncanny ability to blend in anywhere, just as the animal suggests. His ability to camouflage was second to none.
"We must continue to operate with swift efficiency and the utmost forms of deception." I pressed another button on the table, hiding away the map with many pins.
Sergio looked displeased. "Patience is key my friend." I locked eyes with him until he scoffed, leaving the room first.
Vitaly caught my gaze next, wondering if I wanted him to step in. I shook my head.
His gift was also necessary for some plans to work. Antonio could coax Sergio's bullheaded nature to keep the course on the way to Cairo.
Once the inner circle dispersed, Greta attempted to grapple for my attention.
"You look absolutely famished, Nicco." She rubbed my shoulder when I leaned forward, pinching the bridge of my nose.
"Some blood will do some good. Go get us some." Justina ordered her. Greta grunted and stood up.
I had generously gifted Justina with authority over most of my coven through compulsion since she had no gift of her own to leverage, and practically, it worked better for me this way.
"Bring my favorite bottle." I requested. Using my ability so much has great benefits, but I do require more blood than others.
"How do you think this will go? Anything you need me to do?" Justina questioned.
"No. I will be more certain once more chess pieces are solidified on the board." Greta was back in a minute, pushing a bar cart with several bottles of blood and glasses for us to drink from.
She generously poured for us while Justina played background music to disappate the meeting's atmosphere.
When I brought the glass to my lips, I hesitated. "This isn't my la tua en cante."
Justina froze mid-sip of her drink to glare at Greta as well, who basked on the couch next to us, seemingly unbothered.
"You must have drunk it all." That was highly probable. I needed Layla's blood like a drug. I've been trying to spread it out, savoring it.
"Don't you have more at our apartment?" Justina watched my hand tremble the glass I was holding. "I will check." Justina set her glass down.
"Yes," I threw back the vile of blood Greta poured. I didn't enjoy it. It's so bland compared to my intoxicating complex singer.
"Do we need to bring her back for a tap?" Greta tapped her forearm. "Perhaps. I do." I swallowed to ease the tightening of my throat.
Justina blurred back into the room and shook her head. I was tapped out. It was suspicious how Greta bit back a smile at my suffering.
"Maybe if you drink her dry, you'll be satisfied." She trailed behind Justina and me.
So it was jealousy. My fixation on a human girl she deemed a lesser being was problematic to her.
"You know he likes to make a fine meal last." Justina defended unnecessarily. I suppose Greta's presence was getting on her last nerve for today.
My tight smile made Greta step back nervously. "Go make yourself useful before I find something for you to do."
"Yes, Nicco." Greta's eager countenance fell, watching us depart.
Justina gave an exasperated sigh in the back of the SUV. "I wish you could find someone to take Greta's place."
"I would need three gifted vampires to replace her position." "I know." She glared out the opposite window.
"Are you going after her tonight?" Justina referred to my singer. "It would only be fair. The contract only stated for Layla to visit me in Seattle once a month."
"True." Justina's account of all my dealings kept track of all my compulsions and agreements.
"I think I'll wait until tomorrow evening. There is no sense in frightening the girl this late."
"You know she still has a human mind. It can only be wiped so many times before it disintegrates." Justina reminded me.
"Yes, I know." Vitaly and I once made a twisted bet. We'd each claim a human pet and see what would happen if we used our powers to the furthest extent daily for one year.
Vi's human displayed signs of dementia in the fourth month. Mine had their will chipped away to the point they were relieved to receive orders.
I suppose that made Vitaly more dangerous than me, but he was also more merciful and killed his pet within a year of irreversible madness.
My experiment killed itself after six months when I was bored of ordering him around.
Justina's disapproving look caught on along the lines of what I was thinking. "My apologies."
Her rigid morality is what our coven needed. Too many of us would go through great lengths to entertain our extended lives.
"What do you plan on doing with the girl then?" Justina questioned. Her record-keeping mentality weighed slightly heavier than her concern for the honorary new addition to our coven.
"You know how I am, and I'd like to make it last as long as possible for her." My mouth watered at the remembrance of her taste.
"For her?" Justina's head tilted to the side curiously, letting her bronde hair cascade to the side.
"I fully intend on turning Ms. Layla Moon myself. If I had turned a past singer, instead of devouring them in my youth, think about what abilities they might've had."
Justina nodded in agreement. Speaking of abilities made her feel ill-equipped to serve me, so I didn't do it often.
"Greta won't be happy to hear that." A smirk played on her lips. "You can tell her the next time she angers you." I chuckled.
"When?" Justina glanced at me, plotting.
"Unless Layla's life's in danger, I'll wait until she's twenty-five or twenty-six. All these premature vampires without their frontal lobes developed stay emotionally immature. Miserable, whiny, frozen in time of what could have been. With the possibility of age waning closer in her twenties, her perspective on life will change, and she'll practically beg for immortality without seeing it as a curse."
"How generous you are, Foscari." She mused. "What can I say? I take care of my own."