The image of the man in the book has only the slightest differences from the man in my memory. His curly blonde hair, blue eyes, and athletic build fits him perfectly but the facial structure is slightly off. If my father is the God Apollo, then whoever made the image in the book didn't get to meet him in real life but went off on rumors on how he appeared.
"Apollo is the God of the sun, of archery, healing, diseases, and much more. Most notably the twin brother of Artemis," Carlisle reads. Everyone's eyes in the room are on me as Carlisle continues. "He is also the son of Zeus and is seen as one of the most handsome of the Gods."
My father was very handsome and was very young looking in my memories, proving that immortally blessed him - up until he was killed. I bite back the feeling of guilt and sadness that clogs my throat.
"Why would vampires be killing Gods?" Bella asks what I am thinking.
Carlisle closes the book and sighs. "The Volturi, as much as I hate to say this, like their power. They'll probably kill anyone who may seem superior to them. That includes demi-gods."
With my back now facing Jacob, he wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me into his chest. The waft of forest and fire takes over my senses. I drop my hands on top of his arms and I feel him rest his chin on top of my head. Luckily, he's not trembling anymore.
"You're telling me, she's in danger from power-hungry royal vampires?" I can hear in his voice that Jacob is holding back from snapping.
"Sadly, from the sounds of it," Carlisle sighs and places the book down on the table next to us. On the cover of the book is Zeus holding a lightning bolt with 'Greek Mythology,' written in neat scriptures above.
So much for the Gods being myths.
"If my father died….What about the other Gods and Goddesses?"
"We have no idea, Furiae. They could be alive or gone," Carlisle frowns.
"Both my parents are dead…" I mumble, bowing my head and trying to take deep and steady breaths.
"Everything is going to be okay," Jacob whispers in my ear. "You have me and the Cullens."
"Going against the Volturi is a death sentence," Edward says solemnly.
I snap my head up to look at Edward his expression screams he's sorry and I already know why. I can see it on all their faces, the sadness and the regret. This is a hard decision for them because this is more strictly their world that can fall apart too if connected to me.
Jacob trembles, now realizing the magnitude of what Edward is saying.
"What do you mean?" Jacob starts. "We need to protect her."
Pain crosses their faces. They don't want to risk their family and I understand why. They hardly know me. I am no one special to them.
"I helped protect Bella from your enemies, why…" Jacob snaps.
I lift a hand up to gently touch his cheek, earning his attention.
"We have to leave," I fight to say, through the closing of my throat. "We can't ask them to risk themselves for someone they hardly know."
Jacob freezes and I look up at him to see his eyes are wide with fury.
"You're kidding me, right?" He asks, dumbfounded. He glares at each individual in the room except for me. "You find a creature you probably have never seen before, help her figure out her identity, and then learn she's too much of a risk, so you shut the door on her?"
"It's not an easy choice, Jacob," Carlisle doesn't look us straight in the eyes, his gold orbs wander down to the ground as he speaks.
"We must be able to do something?" Esme asks. Her beautiful, motherly face is scrunched in defeat.
"I'm deciding that it is okay," I say, tugging out of Jacob's arms. "I owe you guys everything for helping me figure out who I am and for bringing me back to Jacob. I know this is asking a lot, but can I have the bow? I'd like to be able to defend myself."
"Of course," Carlisle tries to smile but I can see it's a struggle.
"Jacob, can you get the bow for me?" I ask.
He nods, his eyes narrowed in frustration and his fists at his sides trembling softly. He goes out the back door from which we came in from earlier.
I watch him leave before turning back to the Cullens. "Thank you again," I mutter, nodding to them all. I don't want to approach any of them; not a hug or shaking their hands, just in case it leaves an imprint of them for the Volturi to use. I walk out of the living room and out the front door to Jacob's motorbike, thankful that it is no longer raining currently.
We arrive at Billy's house just in time to see a crowd of tall, muscular men with similar hair cuts to Jacob. These men are dressed in short sleeves and shorts, showing off their wolf tattoos on their arms. This must be his pack.
I clutch at Jacob's leather sleeves just as he comes to stop the motorbike by the makeshift garage and climb off when it's safe. I stay beside the bike, watching the group of men who watch us all the same. Jacob climbs off, his eyes still slightly narrowed from earlier.
"Is this normal? Having your pack around the house?" I ask, curiously.
Jacob grabs my hand, lifts it up, and kisses my fingers. "Yeah. It can get claustrophobic. Everything will be fine though."
I lean into Jacob's side as I shudder when I sigh. We walk up to the group and I can see a few women in the crowd mixed in with mostly males but even the female's watch us carefully. I feel alone. Even with Jacob at my side. He is the only one who has accepted me on the reservation and now, without the Cullen's, I have no where to stay.
The sky is getting dark, the sun resting beyond the horizon. Soon it'd be time to go to sleep and I have nowhere to lay my head.
"Wherever you go, I am going too," Jacob says, squeezing my hand, as if he's reading my mind.
"Hey, Jake!" Out of the crowd of burly men and the few women, comes out a gangly built boy with a youthful face and short black hair similar to Jacob's. He's wearing a no sleeve shirt, pridefully showing off the tattoo on his bicep. Unlike Jacob, who looks older now that he's transitioned, this boy still looks very young. He waves with a bright smile on his face as he comes up to us. "Oh, this must be your imprint! Nice to meet you, my name is Seth Clearwater."
Seth offers his hand to me and I hesitantly take it. His grasp is warm and tight, welcoming compared to the judgemental eyes watching us at the moment.
"Don't worry, Seth is one of the good ones," Jacob whispers in my ear. Seth hears him and his smile grows, the young boy scratches at the back of his head timidly.
"Awe, thanks, Jake."
"I need to talk to Sam, is Emily here?" Jacob asks.
"Yeah, she's with Sam, my mom, and your dad by the fire."
Jacob doesn't say anything else. His grip on my hand tightens as he leads the way through the crowd that splits before us as we walk through. The fire Seth mentioned is on the other side of the house where it seems least wet from the earlier rain. As we approach, Sam and Billy give us uncertain glances but the two women smile warmly. One woman stands behind Billy, she's the one I saw earlier today who gave Billy and me time to speak. She's a little older than the woman beside Sam. The woman beside Sam is beautiful with long black hair that shimmers from the fire light and dark, black eyes. There is a distortion on the right side of her face. A trio of scars run along from her hairline to her chin, giving her an almost permanent scowl but the other side is uplifted into a brilliant smile. I try not to stare but the scars are not what captures me. She's very beautiful even with the disfigurement.
"Sam, dad," Jacob nods to them. "We need to talk."
Jacob releases my hand but immediately drapes it around my waist. For a split second there I felt distraught, a sense of panic filled me thinking Jacob would leave me alone with the pack but he squeezes me close to him. "We figured out her parentage. She's not a threat to our tribe."
Billy's thick eyebrows knot close together. "That was quick, and how do you know this?"
"Carlisle helped her try to retrieve her memories back. Only one returned and it didn't turn out well. We have a problem. The good news is we know who her father is. He's the Greek God Apollo, making her a demi-goddess after all, the bad news is…." He pauses, taking a deep breath. "He was killed by a vampire."
"Apollo?" Sam questions.
"The sun God, right? I read about him in school," Seth says at my side. "That's pretty cool, sorry to hear the rest though."
"If a vampire killed her father, then," Billy pauses, a thoughtful expression on his olden face.
""They are after her as well," Jacob mutters. "The whole royal side of the vampire world is after her. She needs our protection - and the Cullens won't be of any help either."
"Why?" Sam asks, crossing his thick arms.
"They don't want to risk their family getting hurt by this royal family," Jacob rolls his eyes subtly, shaking his head.
"She's your imprint, so she's part of our family," the woman next to Sam says. Her black eyes are warm as she watches me.
"Emily," Sam mumbles, uncrossing his arms and resting one arm around her shoulders.
"It's the truth, Sam. She's part of this family now," Emily pulls from his arm and walks to me with an elegant stride. "My name is Emily, I am Sam's fiancee. If you need anything, feel free to ask."
"Thank you, my name is Furiae," I shake her hand gingerly, afraid that if I squeeze too hard, she may break.
"Where is she staying?" Billy asks, not at all deterred by Emily's kindness.
The air quickly gets tense around us and I see Jacob's jaws tighten.
"She can stay with us," Emily looks over her shoulder at Sam with a pleasant smile.
Sam doesn't move, his eyes remain on me as he thinks over Emily's offer but then it sinks in. It wasn't an offer. It wasn't a suggestion. It was an order. Sam slumps having been beaten by his fiancee. "At least we'll be able to monitor you then, make sure you're not a threat. We'll have two or three wolves protecting the house just in case."
"Are you sure? She's not a threat to us," Emily says.
"The vampires are the threat," Sam reminds.
"If she's staying there, so am I," Jacob demands.
"No you're not," Billy cuts in. He uses his hands on the wheels of his wheelchair to pull between the group. "She might not be a threat but I still don't want grandkids yet."
"I'm the best one to protect her and I can't protect her if I'm gone throughout the night when vampires are more likely to attack," Jacob frowns. "Besides, having little godly babies isn't so bad." My eyes widen as I look up at him, he has a grin on his face and he tugs me closer. "I am just playing."
Sam rolls his eyes and steps up behind Emily. He rests his hand on the midsection of her back and she smiles warmly at him. "She'll be fine with us."
Jacob presses his lips to my left temple and then rests his chin on top of my head.
"I do need you to monitor a party that's going on on the beach. It's mostly teenagers and college students hanging around bonfires drinking but I'd like to still have some order while we know there are vampires afoot. You won't be the only one there, I'll be sending others from the pack as well," Sam orders.
Party? I vaguely remember Mike at the sports store mentioning a party at La Push but after we left I forgot about it. Many things happened after that conversation from triggering a bad memory, learning my parentage, and leaving the Cullens with almost no place to go, so I am wondering if I should go with them. I can't remember ever going to a party before jumping off the cliff or if I've ever indulged in drinking but at the same time it sounds like it might be a great distraction from what happened today.
"Sounds like fun," I look at Jacob who pulls from my temple when I move. He frowns slightly but I know he won't argue with me going along. Like he said, he wants to protect me and the best way to do that is by letting me go along on the demands that I can go with. "I could use the distraction."
"If you think it'd help," Jacob says.
"Just act natural and keep order," Sam lists.
Jacob barely glances at Sam, the aura around him makes me feel a little constricted. He must be still angry with Sam, I know I am, but his fiancee is offering me a place to stay so I can't let it get to me.
"Let's go then," Jacob takes my right hand and leads me through the pack again. I try not to look into any of their eyes, not wanting to know what they think of me, but as we depart I hear Seth say goodbye.
Jacob takes us down a path through the forest, coming out along a dirt street which we cross to reach the beach. The sound of people chatting and music playing fills the void of the night. The beach, which I was found on, is littered with bonfire and people who glow a gray aura scatter around the fires with solo red cups or beer bottles in hand.
Sam was right; most of the crowd appear to be in high school or college and are a mixture of forks students and La Push. When we approach, some of the men with haircuts like Jacobs, short sleeved T-shirts and jean shorts wave at Jacob. He nods in return and I continue to glance around at the residents. I catch notice right away many of the girls are eyeing Jacob. I can't blame them. He's very handsome with his dark short hair and attentive eyes. He doesn't look his age now that he's turned and I wonder what they see in me, someone who is possibly seventeen herself. With the little memories I've been getting, I still don't know my age and having been found without an ID doesn't help either. Jacob doesn't seem to notice the looks he's getting but instead scans the crowds before looking down at me on occasion.
He stops near the biggest fire, his hand tightly holding mine, and he turns to me. "Do you want a drink? All they probably have is alcohol."
"I am not sure if I've ever drank before," I admit but as I glance around at those who are drinking, most appear to be having fun. "I wouldn't mind trying it, just a little."
He smiles. "Are you sure?"
I nod. "Like I said, just a little."
"Alright. I'll keep an eye on you, stay here until I get back," Jacob presses a kiss to the top of my head and disappears beyond the crowd.
I intertwine my fingers in front of me and watch the fire, highly aware of the men who are watching me as they pass by whispering to each other. I try not to look away, my eyes catching different colors from staring too long at the light and the warmth of the heat washes over my slightly chilled form from the ocean breeze.
"Furiae, right?" Someone asks. I pull my gaze from the fire to someone approaching me but the light has distorted what they look like. The voice is familiar, male, and a little sloppy. Whoever it is, is a tad bit drunk.
When the colors return to normal the spiky blonde hair and darkened blue eyes from the fire, is a quick reminder of earlier today.
"Mike?" I ask in return.
"Yeah!" He replies excitedly, a big smile on his face. I see his eyes move along my body, up and down and then up again and I cross my arms self-consciously. There is no counter blocking his view from my full image. "Hey, where is your boyfriend?"
"He's getting me a drink," I point off in the direction Jacob left in.
"Don't tell me, you're drinking! You don't seem the type."
"I am not sure if I am," I shrug.
"Oh yeah, because of the amnesia," Mike lifts his cup. "Well, here's to you getting your memory back soon!" He chugs the contents of his cup back and I watch his Adam's apple move up and down in his throat. When the cup is empty he drops it onto the ground and grins.
I step back a little with a half smile on my face. How do I handle a drunk?
"I bet you're a fun drunk," he chuckles. He leans closer, his breath hot and smells of strong, sweet liquid. I step back again but this time I bump into someone behind me.
"Oh sor…" I look over my shoulder to see it's Jacob. He glares at Mike with two cups in his hands. Not a drop slips from the cups when I bump into him or from the sudden shaking I see he's undergoing.
"Wow, man. It's okay, I am just saying hi," Mike quickly retorts before Jacob can say anything.
Jacob wraps his right arm around my shoulder, dropping his hand enough to allow me to take the cup. The liquid inside is a golden brown and smells familiar like I've smelt it before. He's not shaking now that he's resting on me slightly but his eyes still glare at Mike, waiting for the drunk to retreat but Mike stands still.
I take a sip of the drink, it is cold and bitter tasting, going down my throat slowly with a rough kick. I glance away from Mike who is also now looking around, his legs wobble a little. So little that it's hardly noticeable but for some reason, I do notice.
"Hey, Mike," a girl says as she comes from behind us. She's about my height, her hair the shade of chocolate and her blue eyes wandering over Jacob's physique as she rounds us to reach Mike. Mike's smile dissolves and he slumps a little.
"Hey Jessica," Mike mutters, barely audible above the sounds of the party.
She smiles widely, showing off perfectly white and straight teeth. "Who are your friends?"
"We're not friends," Jacob grumbles, his eyes still plastered angrily on Mike, but at least he's not shaking. No threats of a wolf popping out of his clothes will happen during this moment.
Jessica and Mike both look a little bothered by the sharpness of Jacob's words but it doesn't deter her. She offers her hand to Jacob a bigger smile on her face than before.
"My name is Jessica Stanley. You look familiar, have we met?"
"No," Jacob replies. Both his hands are occupied. One is holding a cup, which he sips from occasionally and the other is wrapped around my shoulders which he doesn't budge.
Her smile twitches a little and then she notices me. "And who are you? I've never seen you around, new to town?"
"My name is Furiae," I take her offered hand and feel the coldness of her touch. "And I am. This is Jacob." I gently pull my hand free and brush my fingers along the top of Jacob's hand that drapes over my shoulder.
"How do you know Mike?" She stands straight at Mike's side, glancing at all of us with curious eyes.
"We met him at the movie theater several months back. We went to watch a movie with Bella and him," I try to smile but I am a little out of my element. I think.
"You know Bella?" A thin chocolate brow lifts over her right blue eye. "That means you know Edward. New to town and already know the famous couple."
"Famous couple?" I look up at Jacob for an answer, half expecting him to look uncomfortable but he simply shrugs and takes another sip.
I follow suit and take a sip of my drink, holding back the cringe I feel trying to scrunch my face from the taste.
"Well, we're going to go….Somewhere else," Jacob says, tugging me along as we turn and leave the two to bicker to themselves as we leave. Apparently Jessica isn't happy with Mike for not introducing her and Mike isn't happy that she showed up.
But as we leave, I catch an unfamiliar feeling in the pit of my stomach. I take a glimpse around the party and notice out of all the gray there is a vibrant glow of gold coming from one of the bystanders. She's tall and beautiful, long brown hair waves down her back and almond shaped green eyes observe me from a distance. She's surrounded by other beautiful girls, all drinking from red cups but keeping to themselves regardless of the men who try to talk to them. The woman's eyes narrow slightly as she watches us move through the crowd.
Her stare is strong and dominating, making me feel like I need to squirm in my boots but at the same time I am capable of keeping myself walking straight but I can't help but look away. My eyes observe the liquid in my cup and I take another gulp, this time more than before. When I look back, she's gone, and so are the girls that surrounded her.