Kuro Furasshu: Yeah, in this, Beau is a lot more calm of a person, because at the time that he'd changed, he was a depressed zombie still. Quiet, and heartbroken. So, that's enhanced a little since he turned.
Archie didn't see anything because when Lauren made the decision to eat him, the wolves were already close enough to block any vision he might've had.
In the few short weeks since I'd last seen her, Jules had completely changed. Just like Charlie had said, pretty much all of her long hair had been sheared off, so it hung in uneven lengths from her head. It was like someone took a knife to it. I also couldn't help but notice that she was a lot more defined - she had muscles before, but now…
None of that really bothered me. No, what was freaking me out was the fact that she was staring at the ground, not letting me see her face while she stood there… vibrating? She was shaking so bad I thought she might collapse.
"Jules?" I said stunned, my new voice full of concern.
I could see her tense up, her fists clenched. Bonnie was behind her by a couple of feet, looking between the two of us with fear. I tried to send her a smile, my stupid, excited one melting into one of trepidation. It didn't help a thing, she scooted back a couple more feet.
"What do you want?" she demanded quietly, her voice full of held back rage. She still wouldn't look at me, her eyes were locked onto the porch.
I wanted to reach out to her, to hug her, to let her know everything would be ok. To help her - just like how she's been helping me "I… wanted to talk to you," I said softly.
"So talk," She hissed. "No one's stopping you." Her knuckles were white as she kept them at her sides.
I didn't respond at first. I'd never seen Jules act like this before. Not with anyone, and certainly not to me. She was always carefree, happy and joking. Seeing her, looking like she wanted to - to run me off. It hurt.
"Alone, if you don't mind," I said more quietly still, and I was surprised how steady my voice was.
Julie turned to Bonnie, and gave her a little nod. Bonnie looked between the two of us even faster, like she wanted to say something - as though she didn't want us to be alone, but after a second, she gave a little nod back. Jules stepped out, slamming the door closed behind her. I took a step away from her, worried that being this close would upset her even more.
"All right," said Jules after a second, I saw the tension and hostility in her frame relax a little, not by much, but a little - and then finally, she looked up at me.
She let out a little gasp, finally actually seeing what I looked like now… I could see it in her eyes… the heart broken, dead inside kinda look. The same one I'd given in the mirror every day.
My eyes widened a fraction, and I tensed up as I felt myself break a little inside. This wasn't a look she was meant to have - she was never meant to be… broken. Not like I was.
She shook that off and instead stared with ferocity in her look again; that dead, agonized sadness still there, but she stared at me with eyes that were almost dead black, blank, and uncaring.
I flinched, taking another step back. I carefully leaned on the railing, not wanting to break it, but I needed something to keep me steady. I blinked, forcing myself to focus. Forcing myself out of my memories when another person I loved gave me that same look.
"Well?" Jules said harshly. "Let's get this over with."
I didn't say anything for a second.
"Sam?" I questioned softly. I got a deep scowl in return. After another second though, she shook her head, giving a frustrated sigh.
Some of the fight seemed to drain out of her, but only by a hair. "It wasn't what I thought it was… I was wrong." She said, struggling for what to say it looked like. Like she was unsure of what she could say.
My eyes never moved from hers. "You mean Samatha hasn't been forcing people into this cult against their will?"
"It's not a cult!" She snapped defensively, shaking again. Quickly though she calmed herself down. "No. She's… not who I thought. She's actually been helping me… a lot."
I looked Jules square in the eye, and I didn't believe her.
"Right," I said with a touch of sarcasm. "Sam is great. So, if that wasn't it, what's really going on? What's she helping you with?"
All I got was silence. Angry silence. My lip curled, even as pain pricked the back of my mind like hot needles.
Her face contorted suddenly. She clenched her fists again and another tremor coursed through her body. Her furious black eyes seemed to stare right through me, like she was seeing something I couldn't.
I forced myself to stay calm, hoping she would be calm too. I took a slow, deliberate step forward, stretching out a hand to her. "Come on, Jules," I said, my voice low and understanding. "You've got to tell me what's going on - what changed? You know I can't help you if I don't know what happened."
Jules shook her head, and her face was suddenly a mask of pain. "You… you can't help me," She whispered, heart broken.
"Just tell me what she did to you," I pleaded, reaching for her. I needed to put my arms around her like I used too, to help ease her pain and worry.
However, she backed away fast, shaking her head vigorously, anger quickly rearing back onto her face. "No," She said with hopeless desperation. "No, don't touch me." She whispered with disgust, looking at the porch.
I couldn't take it. I let out a little growl. Her eyes shot to my face. "She told you not to touch anyone?" I said, with barely restrained anger.
Keep calm Beau… you'll scare her… my angel whispered. Instantly, I took a breath. I grunted and tried my best to let the urge of ripping Sam's head off go.
Jules watched me carefully, studying me as if she was trying to see how I'd react. "Look," She said coldly. "This isn't Sam's fault. If it's anyone's fault, it's-"
She broke off and looked away, and her dark eyes were again filled with resentment, a bitterness I couldn't understand.
"Who?" I demanded, my own anger coming back fast. "Who's to blame?"
Her mouth suddenly curled, and she gave a harsh, derisive laugh, devoid of humor. "I don't think you wanna know."
"Tell me," I said, my voice rising. Someone was hurting my friend, and it was unacceptable. "Tell me."
She looked up into my eyes, her mouth twisting into that half smile that didn't hold a trace of amusement. "You." She said softly. "You, and the rest of those blood sucking beasts."
I froze. My mind going blank.
No. No no no, these were two separate worlds. My world, my magical but terrifying world, and my old one, my human one. The one where I lost love, and the one where I was finally able to heal… just a little. Jules was a part of my human world, the one I'm trying to keep safe. So why - why would she say that as though - like she knew - as if she was -
"I told you, you didn't want to know," she said cruelly, sneering, but her eyes were still full of hatred. I could also see the tiniest bit of pity, and regret.
"What… what are you talking about?" I asked slowly.
"You know exactly what I mean," She said. "I'll say the name… if you make me."
"I don't… understand."
"The Cullens," she breathed, and she watched my face as the pain struck me deep in the chest. She added a little more softly, "You and them Beau… I'm sorry, I know you don't like hearing that… I noticed a long time ago," She said with wistfulness, like she was remembering an old friend.
I shook my head, trying to somehow make sense of this, of what she was saying. The Quileutes had legends about the blood-drinkers. Jules had never believed it, but maybe Samantha's whole gig was to convince the younger girls that the vampires did exist, and then… then what? Fight them? Even if that wasn't such a hopeless objective, what was the point, when the only vampire in Forks was… me?
I scrambled, trying to figure out what I might have said a year ago, as I walked with Jules along the beach - what a normal human, someone that didn't know any of the bizarre or supernatural world that we lived in had.
"This is about the legends you told me," I said slowly. "Back on the beach. The superstitions." I shook my head. "Come on, Jules… you don't really believe that stuff, do you?"
Her expression didn't change, and she only stared at me coldly. Colder than I've ever been looked at. I was going to try and keep my lie going, to convince her that none of it was real… but something stopped me. I heard something - pounding feet running this way. Fast… really fast - and there were a lot of them.
Jules tensed up at the same time I did, probably seeing how worried I suddenly was. I quickly turned around, looking into the tree line where the sound was coming from. It was like drum beats getting louder and louder the closer they got.
There. A couple hundred yards away. I felt my breath catch. The wolves, the mutant, monster wolves were running straight for us, moving just as fast as when they chased off Lauren. We had roughly a minute before they'd reach the yard. What are they doing this close to civilization?!
My eyes were wide, and I tried not to panic, I took one quick breath, letting the chilly air fill me, and ignoring the smell of wet dog. I don't know how or why they were here, but I made a quick decision. I don't care what Jules may say, I don't care if she thinks I'm a monster. I will keep her safe.
Even if I have to show her what I was.
My lips pressed together in a firm line. I turned back to Jules, ready to grab her and shove her back into her house - but I paused. She looked conflicted? Like she was trying to decide something. I shook my head, it's not important right now, we'll talk after the wolves pass us by.
"Ok, come on, let's go talk inside, it'll be more comfortable." I said fast reaching out to grab her arm, but she backed away even faster, glaring at me hard.
"Get out of here, Beau." She said nodding at my truck, her glare shifting to an uncomfortable grimace. I let out a frustrated huff.
"We don't have time for this… listen… please, we need to go inside." I say, taking another deliberate step towards her. The wolves were seconds away. I wanted to just grab her, but… but she - she was looking at me like an enemy - and a friend…. I don't know what she was thinking. It was driving me up the wall, but now was not the time to figure it out.
"Please." I begged desperately, but she just took another step back, her hands clenching hard at her sides.
I should've just done it. Before either one of us could say anything else, the beasts were here, growling, getting into a V formation as they glared at us with murderous intent. I turned completely, quickly putting myself between them and Jules, my arm behind me to make a solid barrier between her and the monsters.
I could hear a little huff of what sounded like surprise coming from Jules. The wolves all slowly stepped closer, their heads low to the ground, like they were all gonna dogpile us.
Run Beau! Please! Grab her if you want, but just go! My angel begged me. I seriously considered it… but if this came down to a fight, it'd be better to have Jules in her house with the doors locked, instead of me dropping her in some field miles away from help.
"Jules, slowly… move back." I whispered, backing up so that she was right behind me, almost touching. I could feel her tense. "Maybe they're just… curious… we just have to wait for them to move on." I said, knowing for a fact that wasn't a possibility. These things were intelligent - like last time, I could see it in their eyes. They were thinking, trying to figure out how to kill me, and then Jules. I wasn't going to let that happen.
"Slowly… open the door." I whispered to her, keeping my voice calm. The wolves all snapped at us, their growls reverberating through my chest, even from this distance. The black one in the center took a menacing step forward, its body tensing up, like it was going to pounce. "Now Jules," I whispered, letting my instincts guide me just a little, letting me move into my own tense stance, getting ready to meet it halfway if I had too.
She didn't move a muscle. I could feel her shaking against me. She must be terrified.
"Jules," I said quickly, trying to sound calm as I turned my head just a fraction to see what the hold up was, but the black one saw my weakness. It jumped. I could hear my angel scream as I leaned forward, ready for it.
What I wasn't ready for though was the hands that grabbed the back of my hoodie and threw me to the ground. My surprise at someone else being able to grab me and actually move me quickly passed though as I watched her step over me.
I yelled with horror, as Jules jumped over me like a pole-vaulter. I watched in shock as her slender, lanky form exploded outward in a mass of russet fur, and her now huge body slammed into the black one.
She… She turned into a wolf.
My Jules…. my best friend was a giant, man eating, monster mutant wolf.
She knocked the black one back and snarled at it, barking at all of them. The other three wolves snapped back, threateningly inching closer. The black one got back on its feet quickly, growling at the others behind it. They all stilled, quieting down - then the black wolf snarled at Jules. Wolf Jules. I shook my head, slowly standing back up as she stepped forward, her body tense, and her head turning to look at each of her… pack?
I looked between all of them… if this is what Jules has been… dealing with, then that probably meant that the others were going through the same thing. They could all be weird, shape shifter things.
I took a hard look at all of them - making sure to keep an eye on Jules, but I took the opportunity to eye each one. The cult… Sam's cult. These were them. I think. It's the best guess I could give. The black one in the front, leading, and barking orders was probably Sam herself.
I wasn't sure though, of course. I could be wrong on every level, but… I don't know. I don't have a clue what's going on. All I do know was that Jules was the red wolf, the others were probably in the same boat as her.
Whatever the hell this was - my friend was outnumbered, and her… friends - they might not wanna be playful today. They could hurt her.
She wasn't gonna go into a fight alone. I tensed up again, ready to jump into the fray with her if… if whatever she was doing didn't work.
It was tense, and quiet for a long couple of minutes. They were all just looking at one another, occasionally growling, and snarling, of course all of which was aimed at me… but eventually, the black one gave a low growl, and the four of them turned and walked away, back into the trees with eerie silence.
The last wolf… Jules turned to stare at me. She gave me a look that I couldn't decipher, sadness, anger - I wasn't sure. Then she walked around the side of the house, disappearing from view for a second. I stood there, still trying to process the fact that my best friend was… something.
I didn't have long to think through before I heard her quiet steps walk back around from where she came. Luckily not looking like a giant man eating wolf.
She looked at me quietly, neither one saying anything as she stopped in front of the porch. We stood there for a solid minute.
Eventually, I found my voice. "So… not a cult?" I asked with a croak, nodding my head along with my words, my lips pursed.
"Not a cult." Jules said, shrugging her shoulders as she looked at me with a blank expression. We just stared at each other for another minute… before I eventually let out a small single laugh. I can't believe it… everything we had was a lie. I never had a separate world.
I had accepted the existence of vampires at the beginning so easily. But that was different. Because I'd always known there was something different about… about my angel. Something above and beyond the ordinary and mundane. I would have been more surprised to find out she was a regular human.
But Jules - Jules was my best friend. She was supposed to be a part of… been a part of my human half. The anchor, the spot of light in what was otherwise a grim, dull world of no color… and all along - she had never been a part of it at all.
In my head, I felt everything suddenly change, shifting around and rearranging itself to fit with this new reality, everything that had meant one thing before, transforming itself to mean something else entirely. There was no cult, no secret society of Amazon warriors. They were mythical creatures of the same ilk as vampires. As me - werewolves.
I let out another laugh, longer, almost desperate.
"What's the joke?" She asked, a little heat in her voice, but it sounded defeated. I stepped off the porch, putting my hands in the pockets of my hoodie.
"We really are freaks of nature huh." I said quietly. I saw her lips quirk up a little, but she didn't say anything.
"So… werewolves?" I asked softly, making sure to keep a couple feet between us.
"Werewolves," Jules muttered back.
"So, all that time you were sick and - and avoiding me, that was because you were changing?" I asked quietly, kicking a little pebble, accidentally sending it flying. She watched, her look getting sadder.
"Kinda, yeah, Sam wouldn't let me… and I didn't wanna hurt you." She muttered, looking away. Before the wolves burst onto the scene, she was a confusing mess of anger. Now though, she just looked tired - heart broken, but tired. We stood there in silence again.
After another minute, she let out a shuddering breath. "And… and when you went missing… that's when you…" She choked out, her body shaking.
"Yeah." I whispered. I could hear her breathing harder, her arms quickly wrapping around herself as she shook her head.
"I… I thought we got her before… I thought you…"
"She bit me before you guys got there." I said softly. She let out a single little sob. I couldn't stand it anymore, I walked over to her fast, and I wrapped her up in a hug. Her whole body shaking as she let out another choked cry. I could feel her tears hitting my hoodie.
"Beau," She whimpered, not hugging me back. "I'm… I'm so sorry."
"No Jules, it's not your fault - it's no one's but Lauren… the one from the meadow" I said, squeezing her a little tighter. I let a small scowl onto my face thinking of her. "And when she shows her face again…" I said, fading off with an unsaid promise.
After a second, Jules took one more shaky breath, and then pulled back. I didn't want to, but I let her go. She took barely a step back, and she gave me a shaky smile, shrugging her shoulders.
"No need, we got her. We tore her to shreds, limb from limb. It was so fast, she didn't even have time to scream. I regret that, after what she did… I wish I had made it longer." Her watery look turned vindictive and unsatisfied. "Five against one, she didn't stand a chance."
I stared at her, dumbfounded. "You - You what? You killed her? She's dead?"
She nodded, still having that small grin, but it quickly turned to a frown again as she took in the stunned look on my face and the faintness of my voice.
"Hold it," she said. "You two were not friends right? Like I know your uh… your this now, but she was coming at you. I was certain… I just… Sam was worried it was a… one of your friends." Her face looked a little worried now, and turned sad. Probably hung up on being too late to actually save me - that was something I was gonna have to fix later.
I laughed though, and I would've fallen to my knees in relief, if I was a human. I put a hand on my head, laughing a little harder, the relief really hitting me like morphine. "She's dead," I repeated in wonder. "Oh yeah… kinda obvious with what she did." I say with a chuckle, gesturing to myself, making her flinch. "I was stressed beyond belief when I woke up, thinking that she'd come at me again, but finding Charlie instead while I was knocked out. I can't believe it. You got her."
Jules slowly let her shaky smile come back. "Thank you Jules… seriously." I said, putting a hand on her shoulder. Without her, Charlie could have been hurt. Very likely worse.
I paused, suddenly thinking, letting my vampire brain work.
Charlie. He said this morning…
He said that this morning that the wolves had been…
He was out there right now, with innocent people hunting them. The wolves who have been eating people for weeks, those hikers, picking them off like they were prey.
I felt like I was gonna be sick again. I know it's not possible, but this was wrong on just so many levels. Charlie was hunting my best friend - because she was going around and killing innocent people with her friends.
I felt the breath get knocked out of me. Was this what the wolves did? They hunted those on their territory? Could they not help it?
"Jules… you need to be careful," I said shakily. "In the forest, Charlie told me-"
"That they've rounded up a big mess of rangers and hunters to shoot us dead? Don't worry, we know all about that. Not much… not much goes on in the forest we don't know about." She said, tensing a little at the end, obviously thinking of the one big thing they missed.
"Don't shrug it off," I warned, my voice turning to stone. "You might be pretty tough, but they've got rifles and shotguns, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if there are traps and worse."
Jules waved a hand dismissively, giving a mischievous smile. "They're no danger to us. If anything, those poor idiots are the ones who need to watch out. They think going out in groups will protect them, but before long, some of them will end up just like those hikers."
I stared at her, shocked by the harshness in her voice. Maybe some part of me thought that she didn't know what was going on. That at least she hated what her pack was doing, but she was cold. So unconcerned - like they deserved what they got. It was too much.
"You," I breathed, shocked. I can feel her tensing beneath my grip. I quickly let go. "You - do you not care Jules that my dad is one of those idiots out there?"
Her face went ashen for a moment, then she came back even more ferocious.
"You think we don't know that?" She seethed. Her fists were clenched at her sides, her nose barely a centimeter from mine as she back in my face. All I could see was her eyes. "What else are we supposed to do? We're doing our best with what we have! We can't do anymore!" \
"Yeah?" I said, voice rising nearly to a shout. "Well maybe you could try and not be a werewolf. That would be something." I only realized the irony of that after I said it, but the point still stood.
"You don't get it!" she spat. "I don't have a freaking choice. You don't just hit a switch and turn it off and on whenever you want! You… You should know what that's like."
"I do know what it's like." I whispered back harshly.
She was breathing heavily, shaking her head like she couldn't even hear me. Her back was slightly bent, and she was glaring up at me with fury, but her next words came out as a whisper.
"You know what? You're a hypocrite Beau," she hissed. "You didn't care at all when you found out what she was, did you? What's wrong? I'm just not the right kind of monster for you? I'm not like one of you?" Her entire body was quivering, her eyes black with hatred.
I was startled a little at the way she said you… like I was a monster in her eyes.
Be careful Beau… don't say anything more to upset her… say something to calm her down. Her voice whispered to me, her hand rubbing my back… I could smell her perfume. I had to stop myself from getting sucked into thinking about her.
I don't know why I was even hearing her right now, again when there wasn't any danger. I wasn't going to hurt her… and I don't think she was gonna hurt me. No matter how angry she is with me. In any case, I had to ignore my angel this time.
I stretched to my full height, I took a breath, and I let an inhuman growl out of my mouth as I spat at her.
"You. Kill. People!"
Silence. Jule's fury vanished, and she stared at me with confusion… and just a little astonishment. "I… I what?" she asked blankly.
I was breathing hard, even as unnecessary as it was, it felt good. "Kill people," I repeated, glaring. "I don't care what you think of me, I don't care what you are, I don't care if you turn into a wolf or a dragon or a mother flipping cockroach, but how can I… how can I be around someone who's picking off hikers like it's nothing? I don't wanna lose you as a friend, Jules, I don't, but something has got to change, or I can't come back here again. Not when your next meal could be Charlie."
"Hold it," Jules said, putting a hand up. I was a little shocked as I watched her pissed off look slowly melt into a tiny reserved grin, like she was hoping for something. "Are you saying… Are you saying you're mad - because I kill people?"
She took another breath, she seemed unsteady, but there was a gleam of hope in her eyes. Before I could answer her first question, she asked softly. "Beau… are you saying… are you saying that you haven't killed anyone?"
I stood there, just staring at her for a whole minute… which was maybe a little bit too long, because her expression slowly started becoming horrified.
"Wait, wait, wait," I said, shaking my head. "No. I haven't killed anyone," I said with an incredulous tone. "That's not the freaking point though! You're the one killing people." I said looking at her. She and her buddies go around slaughtering people, and she gets so upset when she thinks I did the same thing.
Of course - I wouldn't, and yeah, I kinda get it if she knows what I am, but it's a little hypocritical.
Either way, I was definitely irritated now. "Yes I am very upset that you're hurting people. No, I don't care you're a werewolf. Obviously. You know that because you know - well, you know what I was up to before this… and because of what I am. You won't stop needling me about it. But none of that helps with the issue, does it?"
She stared into my eyes for a solid minute. Looking to see if I was lying. It was hard to tell if she did or not, but after another moment, she let out a small relieved laugh, a pure, happy sound that was almost like her old self.
She suddenly threw her arms around me. She probably would've hurt a normal person with how tight she was crushing me. I had to hold my breath as the smell of wet dog hit me so hard.
Then she pulled away abruptly.
"You moron," She said, still smiling wide. "We haven't been killing anyone… and neither have you." She said excitedly, breathlessly, gesturing to me like I was some kind of prize that she won. "You haven't hurt anyone." She repeated with restrained excitement.
I stared back at her, and it was my turn to look blank. "You haven't?"
"No," She said, shaking her head fast. "Furthest thing from it." She swore.
I stared into her face, and as I looked into her dark eyes, I knew she was telling the truth, in the same way she did me. I felt a slow smile spread across my face… slowly though, I let it fall again. I reached out and took her hand.
"You think… you thought I was killing people?" I asked softly. "Is that why you were so mad at me? Because… because I'm a vampire?"
She gave a little nod. "But… I believe you Beau - I should've known you wouldn't… even if you are a foul smelling leech." She scrunched up her nose. I let out a little scoff, grinning.
"Speak for yourself." I said fast, playfully grinning back. She let out another relieved breathless laugh. I ran my thumb along her knuckles, and sighed.
"You… you really don't mind that I'm a…?" I asked suddenly nervously, not wanting to say the word again. I hadnt thought about it, but I didn't want her to be scared, or hate me because of this. I know she seemed happy, but I just have to be sure that she really didn't care.
She was quiet again, but she shrugged. "I… Beau, me and the pack… our prey aren't normal animals, like deer or big cats. We exist to protect people from one thing, and it's you." I give a little nod, understanding completely. Well, not really, but I could understand that vampires and wolves don't really get along.
She looked me square in the eye. "But… you… if you really haven't hurt anyone, then you - I think we can still be… ok" She said carefully, trying to think of the right words.
"A part of me hates what you are." She closed her eyes for a second, before looking at me with some strain, "but I know you didn't choose this. I saw it happen, we all did, you were attacked… and you - I don't even know how. All our legends say you can't resist it, but you haven't killed anyone, and you came by the house; my mom told me that you did, and the whole town was basically here. You didn't hurt anyone."
I had to resist the urge to cringe at that reminder.
"So… I might hate vampires Beau. But I don't hate you." She said, letting her smile come back and she squeezed my hand. "We'll be ok… even if you smell." She muttered, scrunching her nose again. I rolled my eyes, but I was just happy to finally have my friend back.
"Ok. So, we're ok." I said softly.
"Yeah, now we just need to go and convince everyone else that you don't need to be killed." She muttered, awkwardly stepping back.
"What?"
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