All characters from Twilight belong to Stephanie Meyer. I own nothing except my version of events.
Chapter 2
Hey. We're meeting up at Jared's house. Quil said he'd run over to help you carry your stuff.
Don't forget blankets and extra jackets. It'll be cold.
Oh and the guys are yelling at me to remind you to bring the cookies.
I snort at the thread of text messages from Jacob.
Jared had called me yesterday morning begging me to bake a barrel sized amount of cookies for the trip. He was lucky I had nothing better else to do or I would've told him to shove that request up his ass. But I loved to spoil my wolves whenever I could and so I'd spent all of Sunday grocery shopping for the ingredients as well as bags on top bags of snacks to munch on.
"Bellsy!" Quil exclaims from downstairs to announce his arrival.
I sling my bag over my shoulder and jog down the stairs.
"Why wasn't the door locked, Missy?" He asks with a fake frown. Waiting for me at the bottom of the steps, hands on his waist as he pretends to berate me.
"Because I knew you were coming." I inform him, skipping the last few steps and throwing myself at him.
He catches me easily in his arms and playfully spins me around.
"I missed you, Quilly." I whisper into his ear.
He pulls away looking at me with a bright smile. "Me too. And just for being so damned sweet I won't tell the guys the door was unlocked."
"Whatever. As if I'd care if you did."
"I don't know, Bellsy." He sing-songs playfully. "Do you really wanna sit down for a whole hour while the guys lecture you on the dangers of unlocked front doors, and how many serial killers could just walk in and murder you in your sleep?"
I can't help it, I laugh remembering exactly what he was talking about. Jacob and Embry weren't the only ones who overprotected me. The rest of the wolves did too… well except for Quil who was the only one who trusted me to protect myself without them.
I loved him so much for that.
"You got everything?"
"Yeah, take my gear so we can start packing up the bags of food."
"Cookies?!" He asks in excitement like a little kid who's been promised just that, a cookie.
I nod with a smile, watching him barreling past me and into the kitchen. He spots the container filled with cookies and takes a couple out, fitting two whole cookies into his mouth as he throws his head back on a moan.
"Why was that so strangely erotic?" I playfully ask.
He chokes on a mouthful of cookies and I giggle watching him struggle to breathe again.
"Not nice." He grumbles, picking up the bags of food to take them out to the truck.
After a few trips we're all done and I lock the front door, heading back to the truck where Quil is already sitting in the passenger seat waiting for me to come back.
"So how's it going, Quilly?" I ask once we're on the road heading for the reservation.
"Same old, same old. Nothing new happens in La Push." He says in a bored tone, fiddling with the radio.
"That's not true. Paul is back… You seen him around?"
I find myself supremely interested in what he has to say. Ever since Jacob's told me of his arrival I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. Wondering if he was the same asshole he'd been as a child. I wasn't being hopeful or anything, just curious. Jacob and Embry had sounded thrilled with having him back and I wanted to know if the rest of the guys felt the same way.
It also felt a bit strange to welcome someone new into our family. Someone who knew nothing of their secret. I wasn't exactly sure how we'd be able to hide it from him in the long run, it didn't seem plausable. We had no other choice, however. Sam would never allow us to tell him the truth. I'm also pretty sure he's already alpha-ordered the wolves to prevent just that.
"A couple of times. Fun guy."
My friend was a very descriptive man.
His short answer only leaves me with the same questions as before. I use what I have to pry some sort of answer out of him. "I don't remember him being much fun back when we were kids."
"That's because you were such a jerk to him."
"I was not!" I defend. "Plus he started it."
He surprises me when he suddenly cackles like a hyena, so loud it continues to ring in my ears even after he's done. "Because he had like a giant crush on you."
I scoff at the ridiculousness of that statement.
He rolls his eyes, looking incredulous. "He really did. You were just too oblivious to notice."
There was no way that was true. From the very little I remember of Paul he was always a jerk. He was a couple of years older than I was and much taller than I was too. An easy avenue for attack, obviously my size.
"Whatever. You're just making shit up. I don't believe you."
He rolls his eyes again adding a shake of his head but doesn't continue on.
I'm not sure if I'm grateful or annoyed by his silence.
The rest of the drive we pass in casual conversation resorting back to our usual playful nature. Minutes later I pull into Jared's driveway, a simple one-story home just on the outskirts of La Push. The back of his home facing the forest for obvious reasons.
As soon as we park, the front door bursts open with four very familiar looking figures shoving each other as they run towards us. I barely have a chance to open the truck door before I'm being hauled right out of it.
"Bells!" Jared yells in my face as if I don't already know my own name. He holds me up in the air like he just picked up a toddler. No visible effort in his expression as he holds me up in the air in front of him. "Did you bring my cookies?!" He asks excitedly.
"Your cookies?!" Embry bellows next to him, shoving Jared's shoulders, shifting his arms to the side and taking me with them.
"Put her down, you fuck! She's not a fucking doll!" Jacob growls, rapidly moving towards us and pulling me out of Jared's arms.
Easily dismissing us, Jared moves to the back of the truck to dig through the bags of food until he finds them, hollering "Jackpot!" Jacob and Embry flanking his sides.
"Don't eat them all!" I yell, turning to look at Kim who'd been standing just behind him. "Control your husband, Kim."
But all she does is chuckle, taking her turn to hug me next. "You know that's practically impossible when your cookies are involved." She says with a laugh, watching her husband, Jake, and Embry now fighting over one of the bins of cookies.
I'm surprised they didn't smell the other two.
"What's so great about your cookies?" A deep semi-familiar voice rumbles out.
My eyes shift and instantly widen at the man standing before me looking just as ruggedly handsome as he did the other night at the bar… beanie still on.
There's clear surprise in his expression too but there's a much more prominent smirk plastered onto his face as he watches me trying to catch on.
I'm so surprised to see him here that I just freeze in place for a second, until my brain begins to thaw out and I start putting two and two together realizing…
"Paul?!"
"The one and only." He says easily, his eyes scanning me from head to toe. He doesn't mention anything about us meeting at the bar the other night and so neither do I.
Just then Jared reappears, throwing his arm over Paul's shoulders and shaking him a little. "I know, can you believe my BFF is finally back?!" He exclaims in excitement.
Just to mess with him I pout unhappily, looking down at my feet. "I thought I was your bff?"
"You are, but you're my female bff." Jared comforts, tugging on my arm to pull me to his other side.
I chuckle and roll my eyes, flicking him on his forehead. "Whatever. You just keep me around for the cookies."
"That too."
"Hey! What about me?!" Kim playfully screeches out, coming out from behind us again.
I swear she was like a ghost sometimes.
All at once Jared releases Paul and I, practically shoving us away from him in his haste to get to his wife.
I stumble away and almost fall.
A strong hand reaches forward at the last second, grasping onto me before my face has the chance to kiss the pavement. He tugs me up and I fall into his chest instead.
And it's like he sucks the breath right out of my lungs. Our warm bodies pressing tightly together, leaving me with no chance of ignoring how hard his chest feels against my softer one. No doubt, a large amount of muscles hiding underneath his numerous layers of clothing.
"Thanks." I mumble. Thankful my mouth has been able to function while I'm still internally catching my bearings.
His jaw is tight at first, but it's like he forcibly wills his body to relax again, moving to shift me away from him and settling me back on my feet. He swallows hard before he says, "Anytime." Repeating the same word from the other night.
Just then another car screeches to a halt just on the other side of us.
I break out into a smile watching Leah and Seth jumping out of their own truck.
"Hey bitch." Leah greets as soon as she's within hearing range of my human ears.
"Such a lovely greeting." I sarcastically reply.
"Bella!" Her brother Seth bellows from behind her, pulling me into a tight hug. So different from Leah's warm greeting. "I missed you on your last visit home." He grumbles unhappily into my ear.
I smile tenderly at him, ruffling his hair in a loving manner.
At the age of seventeen Little Seth had been the last one to shift, much to our astonishment. A couple of years ago, multiple vampires appeared on reservation lands in succession within a span of a month, triggering Seth's unwarranted shift. We'd all been upset that yet another one of our unsuspecting youth had been cursed with the shapeshifting gene. No matter how helpful it was to have more bodies joining the pack, no one reveled at the addition…
Except for Seth himself. He, on the other hand, had been so excited to be welcomed into the gang. Happy to finally be included in on our secret. Unlike everyone else, he was the only one who viewed shapeshifting as a blessing, not a curse.
It helped lessen the blow.
"I missed you too, Kiddo."
"Ugh, you and that 'Kiddo'." He grumbles in annoyance.
I open my mouth to respond when his eyes suddenly shift to the guys still huddled at the back of the truck and yells, "Oooo, Bella's cookies!" pulling away from me to fight them off for some of the grub.
"You put crack in those things or what?" Paul asks this time, still standing nearby.
"Either that or she puts her pussy juice in there because those dudes are absolutely addicted to those things."
"Ew, Lee!" I exclaim, smacking Leah on the side of her arm.
She throws her head back, her laughter echoing deep into the woods. "I mean it would explain why they're all so obsessed with you."
"Or maybe it's because I'm actually nice to them, you spoiled brat."
"Yeah, Bella's actually nice. She doesn't bully us like you do!" Seth mutters around a mouth full of cookies.
Leah glares, and not at the accusation, but at the fact that with her heightened vision she could probably see exactly how many cookies the guys have already polished off. "Save some of those for the fucking trip!" Leah practically screeches, moving to pry the container of cookies out of Jared's vicious hold, looking like Gollum hoarding his precious close to his chest. Leah might act like she didn't have a sweet tooth but we all knew she did.
I roll my eyes, turning my attention to Kim and taking in her thin jacket. Nowhere near thick enough to brave the unrelenting cold in the woods, even during Spring time. In the background I can still hear Leah screeching, directing most of her anger on Jacob and Embry.
"You actually live with Bella, you dicks. Leave the cookies to us!"
"It doesn't mean she makes them all the time!" Jacob bellows back.
Turning away from them completely to avoid the distraction I ask, "You're not going?"
"No." Kim answers humorously, as if even the idea of it were laughable. "You know I hate it. I'm surprised you agreed to go." She adds. Then tilts her head at me cheekily, a small devious smile taking residence. "Should I assume Jacob found a way to artfully convince you to come?"
I roll my eyes and purse my lips. We were so not going there, especially with Paul right next to me. "Did you all wake up with sex on the brain this morning?"
"We always wake up with sex on our brains." Jared replies instead, lowering his hand to squeeze Kim's ass and making her giggle in response.
I hadn't even noticed when he'd reappeared. He was acting like an excited puppy, not knowing where to go or where to place his full attention. He still had cookie crumbs on his chin and along the top of his t-shirt.
"Aw come on, guys." Little Seth whines, scrunching his nose adorably. Even through his brown skin there is still a detectable pinking of his cheeks.
I giggle, watching him struggle.
"Alright, dickheads!" Leah announces suddenly, pushing her way through the crowd to sidle up next to me, right in between Paul and I. "Jared say goodbye to your wife and everyone else get your asses in the cars. I don't want to leave at nightfall. Seth ride with the guys, it's Bella and I's time to catch up." She orders, hooking her arm in mine and practically dragging me alongside her and into her car.
I don't even argue, having missed our one-on-one chats with my best girl in the whole wide world.
Once inside, Leah patiently waits for everyone to get in their own trucks, taking the rear position behind Jared's truck and leaving a distance between our vehicles before she starts talking.
"Spill."
I arch a brow at her in slight confusion. "Spill what?"
She turns to look at me, completely ignoring the road ahead of us. "Bitch, please. I could almost smell the sexual tension between you and Paul as soon as I parked."
"What sexual tension?! I don't even know the guy."
"Spill." She orders again, more firmly this time.
Sensing she won't give up, I acquiesce. "Okay, Okay, but it's nothing too crazy and there is definitely no sexual tension to speak of. I went to the bar to meet up with Mike and Jess last Friday and Paul happened to be there. Of course, I didn't know it was actually Paul at the time. Anyway we flirted a little but not enough to even exchange names. Literally we only traded a few words and then Mike and Jess appeared and I didn't speak to him again after that."
"Flirted how?" She asks, looking very much interested now.
I resist the urge to snort at her eager expression. She was like a vulture with these things. "Like he threw me a pick-up line which he said he hadn't meant as one, though I feel like we both knew it was. And that's it." I try to convince.
I know I've failed when that mischievous spark in her eye shines brighter than before.
Oh great.
"Shit, Lee. Please don't make it into a big deal. I literally just re-met him and we haven't even had a decent conversation between us. You also know I don't fuck around with any guys from the reservation either."
Her eyes shift to mine, throwing me a pointed look.
"Except for Jacob, obviously."
She remains silent for a moment and then speaks up. "So I'm good to hit him up then?" She taunts.
Not going to work, Bitch.
"Sure if you want."
After all these years, I've long since learned how to read Leah. She's only testing me to see if I'm actually interested in Paul. Thankful I'm not, but even if I were my answer would still be the same. It's not like Leah would ever go there anyway. She just loved pretending to be a bitch when she really wasn't. We all knew to take her harsh comments and sometimes cold demeanor with a grain of salt. Leah liked to bug and tease but she was never outwardly mean, nothing that would actually hurt anyone's feelings.
And though I know I probably haven't convinced her of my disinterest, Leah gives in and moves on to more general conversation. Mostly centering around her own sexcapades.
I enjoy the rest of the ride as we fall back to our usual rhythm, feeling like I'm back home while being surrounded by the forest.
I know I've said I hated Washignton's almost unending cold and rainy weather but it's the only place I've ever considered home. Arizona with my mom wasn't my home. I never felt like I could just be myself there. I was always there for my mom when she emotionally needed me but other than that I'd been distant, pretending to be okay most of the time when I really wasn't.
Here in La Push though, with Leah and the rest of the guys, this was my home. The place where I could be my true authentic self and never be judged for it. The guys were all my family, loved me for who I was and accepted me even while I looked physically different from them with my overtly pale skin.
I loved them all the more for it.
Almost an hour later we deviate from the paved road, heading into an unmarked dirt path allowing us deeper access into the woods.
Before I know it, we arrive at a very familiar looking clearing. We've come here many times through the years. It's the place the guys liked to come to for training. I haven't been here as much as they have. Their fear I would get hurt by accident while they trained in wolf form, preventing that. The clearing is huge, more than enough space to fit all trucks on one side, an area to set up camp and still have a massive amount of space in between each of the tents we will eventually set up to sleep in. On the left side there's a large group of logs surrounding a large fire pit built specifically for a campfire that Sam and Jared built years ago.
I open my door and jump out of the car. The other guys exiting their trucks in a much smoother fashion than I.
"You guys come here often?" Paul asks, his eyes taking in the well-used space in front of us.
"All the time." Embry answers, reaching to the back of Jake's truck to get the necessary stuff out to start setting up.
"We love camping." Quil adds almost with a sarcastic tone, appearing beside Embry.
"Except for me." I clarify. "Most of the time they kidnap me and drag me into the woods just to torture me."
Embry snorts out a laugh. "Remember that time we told her we were going on a road trip to see the largest ball of yarn in the country, just to get her here?"
The guys roar with laughter, remembering the event.
Jacob throws his arms over my shoulder, squeezing my bicep. "I honestly couldn't believe you actually bought that."
"Well you promised we'd stop by for pie on the way there." I grumble, crossing my arms over my chest indignantly. "Though that had been a lie too."
Jared walks by Paul, lugging his own tent. "It took us a full day to get her to talk to us again."
"And she forced me to drive back to La Push just to get her a pie." Quil adds.
"And you're lucky I forgave you assholes that easily."
Jacob laughs again, kissing me on my temple before releasing me to go set up our tent. "You can't resist us, babe. No matter how hard you try, you will never be rid of us."
I roll my eyes, looking at Paul who had watched the entire interaction with analytical eyes.
I whisper to him in pretend secrecy. "One day it'll happen. I'm just waiting for them to drop their guard. And if you want to escape with me too at any time, just blink twice." I joke, moving away from him to unload the groceries while the guys unpack the heavy stuff. Leah helps too, trying to act as weak as I am so Paul doesn't get suspicious.
She's the only one that's trying...
As I take a look around, spotting the camping gear the guys brought along I can see the price tags still fully attached. Which would undoubtedly give Paul the impression that we didn't actually camp as often as we've claimed.
I mean technically we did, but the guys never bothered with camping gear when it was easier to sleep in their wolf forms. On the off-chance I would tag along, I had the honor of using proper sleeping gear and so Jacob's equipment was the only ones that looked thoroughly used.
"Seriously, guys?" I whisper under my breath knowing they would all hear me. "You couldn't have bothered to take the price tags off?" I question incredulously.
I can tell from their body language they had not once thought of that little detail.
"Fuck." Embry curses under his breath.
Lee and I trade looks. Leave it to the numbskulls to not think about something like that.
From then on I watch them discreetly removing tags before Paul has a chance to notice. I don't know if he does or doesn't. Too busy helping Jared set up their own tent. He doesn't comment on it either.
I set up a few tables for the food and once done I take a seat on one of the logs, while Leah starts a fire.
"It's beautiful out here." I say, leaning back and looking up at the sky.
Leah looks up too, trying to see what I see. "It kind of is, isn't it? I spend a lot of time in the woods and never bother to notice."
Embry drops down next to me and I lean my head onto his shoulder. "It'll look even better after nightfall. The stars come out and you can actually see them without the city lights in the way."
"I think I might actually make it the next two days."
Both Embry and Leah chuckle at my declaration.
"Let's hope so." Leah comments. "There's no electricity out here."
"I was thinking my major concern was not being able to pee and shit in a flushing toilet, but sure… no electricity beats it all." I deadpan sarcastically. "How will I ever survive without charging my phone that gets no reception out in the wilderness anyway?"
They both outright laugh at my sarcasm this time.
"Thank you for coming." Embry whispers above me.
I swing my arm to snake it around his waist, twisting my body to face him better. "Don't thank me yet. I only made a prediction. Let's see what happens by the end of this trip." I add with a self-deprecating smile.
One by one the guys slowly join us until we're all sitting by the fire joking around, eating and drinking the night away. By the end of the night, feeling more relaxed than I have felt in a long while. I excuse myself to my tent. It's lights out for me as soon as I land on the pile of blankets, barely registering Jacob's exceedingly warm body wrapping itself around me.
The next morning I wake up groggy but thankfully not hungover. Jacob is no longer lying next to me and I shiver from the lack of warmth he provided during the night. No sooner are my eyes open that my safe haven is disrupted.
Leah throws herself onto the sheets next to me along with Seth, while Quil and Jared pop their heads into the doorway of my tent.
"Finally you're awake!" Seth shouts from his position at the bottom of my feet.
Not sure why he's shouting when I'm more than within hearing distance.
"Yeah, took you fucking forever, Bitch. Get the fuck up!" Leah shouts too, trying to tug the sheets away from me.
I struggle against her, trying to keep the warmth I've got trapped underneath my covers. I was not at all ready to wake up yet.
"I barely opened my eyes, you dicks." I grumble unhappily still trying to keep the covers over me. Though it's useless because Leah is much stronger than I am and if I tug any harder I know we'll both end up tearing the sheets and I will have nothing left to cover myself with tonight.
"Come on, Bellaaaaa." Jared whines from the doorway, looking very much like an excited puppy. "It's breakfast time and we're hungry."
"You're always hungry!"
Quil chuckles at my exclamation. "That's true. But we're still hungry. So get up!"
"You could've eaten without me."
"We did." Jared says with a pleased smile. "This is our second breakfast. Our first breakfast was a few hours ago before you normal humans woke up." He says the next part conspiratorially.
I sigh in defeat knowing this was already a losing battle. "Fine! Now can I at least have some privacy to change?!"
They all laugh at my annoyed expression but do as I say. Leah shoving Seth out of the tent so she can follow after them.
"Don't take too long!" She throws out right before she zips the tent door closed behind her.
I sigh in exhaustion but I can't help the smile that appears on my face from the wake up call. Reminding me of back when we were kids. Even before they turned into wolves with internal early wake up calls, I was always the last one up. Depending on where I was sleeping on any given day they'd either jump on my bed, bang pots and pans near my head, or throw water at me to startle me awake. So I guess I should be thankful they did it as gently as they did now, though only probably because we had a guest present and they were actually trying to act civilized.
I throw the covers off of me and start changing before they decide to burst into my tent again, putting yesterday's boots back on. As soon as I exit I am immediately assaulted by a strong cold breeze to the face from the mountains nearby. I shiver from the cold and trudge my way over to Jacob who is cooking on the grill they brought along for the trip.
"Hey sleepy head." Jake greets with a vibrant smile, throwing his free arm over my shoulders and affectionately placing a soft kiss at the top of my head. "For a second there we thought you'd frozen to death."
I roll my eyes, burrowing deeper into his body to absorb his warmth. "I almost did. At what time did you leave?"
"I was up by dawn. Most of us were."
"Ew" I say, wrinkling my nose in distaste. "That's way too early."
He chuckles at me shaking his head. "We wanted to do a perimeter check before you and Paul woke up." There's a visible frown on his face when he finishes, making me frown too.
"What is it?"
His eyes shift away from the food he's almost done cooking to look down at me. Looking almost hesitant to tell me but undeniably giving in. "We caught a vamp scent."
My eyes widen at his pronouncement.
"It's nothing to worry about." Jacob quickly assures before I have a chance to worry more than I already am. "It was faint. Probably a couple of weeks old, about twenty-five miles away and outside of our reservation's territory. Whoever it was must have smelled our scents and turned back the other way."
I'm tempted to ask if he's really sure but his expression is relaxed now and no longer appearing to be concerned.
"If you're sure..."
"We're good." He says again for good measure, "Now go get yourself some coffee." He orders me now, tilting his head towards the pot of coffee on the table.
I grunt in disapproval of the command but follow the order anyway.
It was too early to be thinking about vampires and I really did need some coffee now. I couldn't think clearly without a hot caffeinated beverage, preferably black, in my system.
I serve myself a fresh cup of coffee and stand there for a minute, just inhaling the scent and letting the aroma engulf me as it infuses energy into my body with just its aroma. I wrap both hands around the mug to warm my already freezing fingers, moving over to sit on the set up logs. I take a careful sip and sigh in contentment when I find it the perfect temperature.
Coffee in the mornings were absolute heaven.
"Black coffee?"
I slowly turn my head. Paul happily sitting beside me with one side of his lips turned up slightly as if he'd known I'd been unaware of his presence.
I really hadn't, too engrossed in my coffee to notice at the time. He also seemed to blend in pretty seamlessly with the rest of the guys. He was a bit smaller than the wolves but not by much. He looked strong and well-built, like he normally spent a lot of hours in the gym every day.
He was hot, I couldn't deny that. And I was a bit startled by that fact while I was still trying to wake up.
The smile slowly slips away, his head tilting slightly at me in question making me realize it's taken me longer than appropriate to respond.
I shake my head to get rid of the cobwebs in my mind. "Sorry. I think I'm still trying to wake up. I'm not really coherent until I finish my first cup of coffee."
Paul chuckles in response, opens his mouth to say something else when Quil interjects.
"You're not really aware even then."
I pierce him with a glare and he lifts his hand up defensively, communicating he's not looking for a fight. Though if he's trying to be witty this early in the morning he should have expected that kind of response from the get go. I wasn't exactly a morning person and they all knew that very well.
As if hearing my thoughts, Jacob approaches handing me a plate of food.
"Don't mind her. She's not exactly a morning person. I suggest you wait until she's finished her coffee and breakfast before you try to start a conversation with her."
My narrowed gaze slides to Jacob's despite the fact he's feeding me right now. "I would trip you if that weren't actually true." I grumble, earning laughs from everyone around.
"Noted." Paul says with an easy smile.
Honestly, I think I was also thrown off by his seemingly laid-back personality. So different from when we were kids.
I mentally smack myself.
Of course he's changed, Bella. He is an actual grown-up now… so are you.
It's not like we could continue to treat each other the same way we used to. I couldn't even be sure if he remembered we were sworn enemies as children. It had been so long ago.
Everyone gets their own plates of food and Jacob sits at my other side happily chatting with the gang while I sit in silence. My grumpy mood dissipating with every bite I take.
While we eat I can't help but notice Paul's expression as he watches everyone eating their weight in food. I mutely shake my head. He doesn't once comment on it but he for sure notices and probably thinks how strange it is.
The wolves really had no idea how weird it was to watch them eat that much food. There was no way to hide it though. The guys couldn't starve themselves just to maintain pretenses and with Paul now living in La Push again and no doubt spending a large amount of time with them anyway, there was no way to hide it. Might as well get him used to it now. The sooner, the better.
"So what's on the agenda?"
"She's alive!" Quil announces loudly, a bright smile on his face now that after breakfast I'm awake and closer to my normal self.
I roll my eyes. "You say that as though you don't already know how cranky I get in the mornings."
"Seriously." Embry says, rolling his eyes at Quil too.
In their defense Jake and Emb knew me a lot better than the rest of the guys. They've lived with me for a long time now and grown more than just accustomed to my daily quirks. If anything they helped to manage me better. Somewhere deep down, I worried over how I was supposed to function successfully without them once I moved away.
So not the time to worry about that, Bella.
"So plans?" I question again, more so to distract my mind now.
"We were thinking of a hike." Embry answers for everyone.
I'm baffled by the suggestion. Jacob had just said they'd caught a vampire scent this morning and now they were planning to go on a hike?
"Is that such a good idea?" I ask, turning my attention to Jake this time.
He stares me down, wordlessly communicating it really is nothing to worry about.
From my other side, Paul asks, "Why wouldn't it be a good idea?"
Leah interjects then to cover my faux-paus. "Uh, Bella isn't known for her balance… even on flat surfaces. Tough terrain means it's a guarantee her face will meet with the ground multiple times on this hike." She ends with a laugh.
"Very funny." I grumble.
"But true," Embry agrees "most of us tend to walk beside her to catch her when she stumbles."
"Which is often." Seth adds unhelpfully.
"Et tu Brute?" I deadpan, unamused by his betrayal.
He throws a repentant smile my way but ends up laughing it away.
"You'll be fine." Jacob finally soothes, grabbing my chin in his fingers and smiling softly at me. "I'll catch you before you fall."
"Kiss– ass." Quil accuses through a poorly pretended cough.
"Fuck off." Jacob curses.
They start to bicker back and forth and I get up from my seat, moving over to my pack in the tent to get a roll of toilet paper. Seeing my intent Leah catches up.
We keep walking for a long while, not really open to letting them hear me pee. After throwing Leah a questioning look she mutely nods, letting me know we're out of hearing range from the guys.
I find a fallen long and hide behind it. It's uncomfortable and I take the time to verbally curse to the high heavens about the misfortunes of being a female in the woods all the while Leah chuckles at my stupidity.
This was why I hated camping. Emptying out my bodily fluids in the wilderness without the comfort of a toilet absolutely sucked. Luckily I'd only have to brave one more night before we headed home sometime after breakfast tomorrow.
Once done I clean up and stand.
"He keeps staring at you."
I turn to find Leah leaning on a tree facing away from me about twenty feet away.
She turns at my approach.
"Who?" I ask stupidly, though already knowing who she's speaking of.
"Paul."
"Really?"
"You haven't noticed?" She asks incredulously, her lips twisted up into a cheeky smile.
"Not really."
She hums in thought as though not believing me.
"I mean, I don't blame him." I start to tease instead, passing by her to continue walking on. "I'm pretty adorable."
"Right. Adorable." She repeats rather sarcastically, catching up to me in an instant. "Just the word I was thinking of."
I uselessly bump my shoulder into her arm. She playfully moves as if I'd actually made an impact. "Whatever."
"He's very much interested, just so you know."
I roll my eyes.
Leah tended to be one of those people who saw things she wanted to see just to stir the pot. I was sure she was doing that now.
"We've barely even spoken to each other."
"That's only because those idiots keep butting in every time he tries to."
"Seriously? Now you're just making shit up."
"Yeah, call me a liar all you want but that doesn't make it any less true."
I ignore her this time, ending the conversation before she prattles on and on until the guys end up overhearing us as we get closer. It would be complete hell of they ever found out, I really did not need the guys to join in along with Leah. I would never live it down.
"So Jacob said you guys caught a vampire scent on your morning jog?"
"Barely." She replies quickly, ripping off a twig from a branch that would have otherwise hit her in the face.
"Should we really be going hiking then? It doesn't sound like a good idea."
"We'll be fine." She repeats automatically, sounding very much like Jacob right now. "It was a long ways away and very faint, we barely even caught it. Most of us didn't. But you know little Sethy has a better nose than the rest of us. I highly doubt we'd be unlucky enough to bump into one now, and for the record, we haven't seen a vampire in months. It's gotten so boring out here. No thrill of the hunt to keep us remotely entertained."
"I just love how confident you sound." I mutter, so used to hearing her cockiness through the years. Because Leah has always been confident. It's one of her most prominent characteristics that's remained true since we were kids.
Any other girl would have rather gone unnoticed by being the only woman in the pack. Not Leah. She never let them push her around. She knew who she was, held her ground when she needed to, and kept those boys in line when rationality was no longer in sight. She was one of the best, refusing to be the weakest link of the pack just because she was the only girl. She worked the hardest and it sure showed. Words could not express how proud of her I was for it.
"Really, Bells?" Jacob suddenly questions from the end of the crop of trees, looking annoyed that I hadn't solely trust in his word.
"Just had to make sure." I try to pacify. Still I hear him mumbling something under his breath, too low for me to hear.
Jerk.
"I packed your stuff already." Jacob notifies me, louder this time as we make it out of the trees. "Including a first aid kit." He cheekily adds at the end.
Paul is the nearest to us and he chuckles at Jacob's announcement.
I throw him an annoyed look but don't make a comment.
The first aid kit was obviously true. Wherever we went, the guys carried at least one at all times. They mostly kept them in their cars just in case I tripped and scraped my hands, knees, or both. I would have found it offensive but they've proven to be useful more than just a few times.
When it's time to hike we all get up, Jacob maneuvering himself to walk next to me. Jared and Paul take the front, leading us all along an unmarked path with Quil and Embry behind them. Then it's me with Jacob, who holds onto me every time I stumble. He doesn't say anything but he does snicker, every once in a while whispering a number to let me know he's keeping count. Then there's Leah and little Seth taking the rear and adding to the conversation whenever they have something to say. We all become quite annoyed when Quil and Embry continue to playfully shove each other as we go.
We're climbing up a steep hill now, the cut-off to a big drop a mere foot away from me to my left. I grumble my displeasure, pretty exhausted now after more than two hours of hiking to continue on happily. I wanted to head back more than an hour ago but the guys swore we were getting closer to the end, promising the hike would be more than worth it once we reached the top.
I, of course, believed them.
So when Jacob offers to carry me, I indignantly refuse. I might be tired but I could totally finish this… at least I hoped so.
But just as we're soon to be reaching the top of the hill, Quil and Embry start to playfully shove each other again. Jacob curses, yelling at them to stop being idiots. During one of those playful shoves, however, Quil stumbles back too far and his foot catches on an overgrown tree root sticking out of the soil. Before he can catch himself he nicks me in the shoulder.
I stumble back as if hit by a boulder and yelp, completely losing the ground underneath my feet and tilting precariously over the edge where there's a flat out drop to the bottom of the hill. Jacob throws himself to reach for me but he's too late.
I close my eyes, accepting the fall that will most likely end with at least one, if not, several broken bones, when suddenly another hand wraps itself around my wrist tugging me back. The momentum makes the rest of my body snap back, my rear hand swinging back and smacking against a branch nearby. I feel the painful scrape but ignore it, feeling relief more than anything now that I'm no longer airborne.
I mutter out a thanks to Leah, my heart beating wildly against my chest.
She opens her mouth to reply when her eyes suddenly snap up. A growl releasing from deep in her throat, joined by a chorus of equally ferocious growls to accompany her own.
Before I know what's happened Leah has twirled me behind her, growling Seth's name in warning. I feel Seth's warm body behind me as he holds onto me, sandwiching me in between him and Leah to keep me protected as best he can.
It's like I can almost sense the presence of vampires. I don't really know exactly how, but I do. Somehow also aware it's more than one even without being able to see while I'm hidden behind Leah. On instinct I turn towards Paul up at the front.
Since Jared had been the only one next to him, he'd protectively pushed Paul behind him. Paul looks confused as hell, his eyes darting left, right, and all around trying to spot what they're all staring at.
Embry is the only one who breaks the tension filled silence. "They probably don't know about the treaty."
Jacob nods, straightens slightly from his once crouched position, but remaining in a defensive position. "Leave now." He warns coldly.
So cold I shiver runs down my spine as I take in the never-before-heard tone of his voice.
"Your kind are not welcome here."
I expect to hear a response but nothing comes. I do hear the rustle of leaves up in the trees and a barely noticeable sway of branches but nothing more.
"If you do not heed my warning, we will be forced to defend our lands by any means necessary."
His warning only results in a quiet hiss, a noise I'm barely able to hear. My eyes automatically shift in Paul's direction to see if he's heard it too. By the look on his face I know he has. Except he doesn't react as I expect him to.
Paul's once confused expression shifts suddenly, transforming into a pure, unadulterated fury. His body literally vibrating out of skin, his chest heaving hard and fast.
There's no fucking way…but just in case I should probably say something.
"Uh, guys–"
Seth instinctively covers my mouth with his hand, whispering the quietest shushing noise right into my ear.
Angered, I lift my hands up to pry his fingers off of my mouth. His other hand whips up grasping onto my hands to pull them away. At the physical contact to my injured hand a painful whimper leaves my throat.
"Shit!" Seth curses, looking down at his hand now smeared with red. "She's bleeding."
At the declaration two loud hisses leave the darkened tree tops in front of us. And suddenly it's like a bomb detonates right in front of my eyes, happening too fast for my human eyes to see.
Paul's clothes shred as he transforms into a silver blur. Seth throws me onto his back and runs just as everyone transforms into wolf form. Two other blurred figures, which I conclude are the vampires, appear out of thin air and attack my friends.
My arms instinctively tighten around Seth's neck, trying not to choke him but also trying to keep myself on him as he runs at an inhuman speed. The sight before me becomes a blur too as the scenery fades into a non-discernable mix of greens and browns.
I shut my eyes to stop the blurry images rushing past to not make my head spin, but it only works to terrify me more with the unrelenting growls and stampede of feet following after us.
I open them again. I don't see much but I do overhear the rustle of leaves falling like rain above our heads. I cringe when I hear the crashing of stones, now heaps of leaves and even large chunks of trees falling from above us.
Seth doesn't stop, continuing to move forward as he weaves around the trees standing in our path. His pace never wavers, moving as fast as he can while still in his semi-weaker human form.
I choose to ignore the blurs of multiple figures flying overhead and the continuous growls and hisses from the creatures currently chasing after us. I can't see clearly because of the speed they're moving in, but what I do recognize is the stark white of a human-like figure running parallel to us.
Seth jumps sideways just as a brown blur swipes it away from us. The two blurs disappear, followed by a light brown blur going deeper into the forest and further away from my view.
I can hear the number of stomping legs instantly minimized behind us, less bodies presently chasing after us.
Until suddenly Seth is abruptly pulled to a stop as if his legs had been swept out from under him.
"Bella!" He bellows. But the momentum keeps me flying forward, away from his flailing grasp.
A scream leaves my throat, ear splitting even to my own ears, only increasing in volume when I detect the trunk of a massive tree looming closer and closer to my face.
A chorus of roars sound from nearby and then suddenly another wolf appears, blocking my deadly path toward the tree just in time.
I don't know how he does it but the wolf suddenly twists, catching me in the cushion of its stomach and pivoting to the side to take me with it. We hit the ground and I tumble inside of it, somehow being cushioned at every hard tumble we take by the wolf as it protects me the entire way until we end up skidding to a stop on the dirt.
Before I have time to react the wolf springs back up, rolling me off of it and crashing me into the tree at much lower speed, much lighter than I would've if the wolf hadn't of caught me first. It takes a protective stance in front of me snarling at the almost demonic figure before us. A man with red eyes so abnormally bright in contrast to the paleness of his skin.
He has long brown hair, matted with leaves and dirt. Shirtless and practically naked, a barely there shredded pair of shorts… or more like a once upon a time pair of pants that have been destroyed over time. He wears no shoes, resembling the image of what I imagine Tarzan, the cartoon, would look like in real life. So ruggedly handsome with a full six pack and muscled arms to rival that of the wolves. Like a Michelangelo sculpture come to life, chiseled to utter perfection. The only thing marring his flawless features is the murderous, bloodthirsty expression on his perfect face and…
Oh my god, is he missing an arm?
And yet there's no blood trickling out.
I've never seen a wild vampire before. Compared to this guy, Edward and his family looked like any ordinary human. They resembled nothing to the vicious creature standing just fifty feet away from me.
I'm absolutely terrified, but I try to keep my composure and get back on my feet.
The wolf doesn't let me, continuing to snarl and backing up to me, forcing me to crawl backwards until my back is pressed up against the tree behind me.
Now that I have the opportunity I take notice of the fact that this wolf doesn't look like anyone I recognize. I've seen them all a thousand times over the years, I've become very familiar with each of their wolf forms. And so I have no other choice but to assume it's Paul.
His fur is a beautiful silver color, so shiny it emits a flare of light when the sun manages to slip through the dense roof of leaves. His lupine back dips forward, his hind legs stiffening as if he's readying himself.
The seemingly human thing in front of him poises to attack and just when it looks like it's about to spring, two other wolves appear out of the trees. One leaping towards the top part of its body while the other takes the bottom, their gaping muzzles poised to rip the creature apart.
A shrieking scream renders the air followed by what sounds like ice breaking as it's ripped in half, or what I find like the only relatively similar noise that can come close to expressing what I just heard. But really it's like nothing I ever have.
The noise continues as more wolves appear, tearing the creature with their claws and teeth into a thousand broken pieces until there's nothing left but broken shards of ice on the earth. All while the silver wolf remains in front of me, swaying from side to side as if following the movements of the other wolves but refusing to move away from me. Choosing to stay in place to protect me from harm.
Finally when it's all over, as one the wolves' heads swivel toward us. Jacob's chocolate brown wolf taking a cautious step forward, seeming to be communicating with the silver wolf.
After a minute the brown wolf blurs and in its place stands Jacob in his now naked human form.
"Bells." He calls cautiously, taking a step toward us.
When the silver wolf in front of me growls menacingly, Jacob pauses mid-step.
"Ya mind standing behind the tree, Sweetheart? We're trying to calm Paul down but it's not really working."
I mutely nod, taking a cautious step to the side, keeping in mind their wolves functioned more on instinct. I didn't want Paul to perceive my retreat as a sign for him to chase.
When I don't get a reaction from the silver wolf I move quicker, hiding behind the tree and continuing to move backwards getting further and further away just in case Paul manages to shift back to his human form.
The silver wolf then turns his head in my direction and releases a deep whine.
I stop where I stand. I'm a good distance away from him, relatively safe but still close enough to overhear while Jacob calmly talks him down.
"She's not scared of you. Bella knows what we are. She's known for a really long time." Jacob voices calmly. "It's just not safe for her to be that close to you right now. Just in case you manage to shift back suddenly, which you can, by the way. You just have to concentrate."
Paul makes a chuffing sound, his large head moving from side to side, his paws scratching the dirt underneath him causing a cloud of dirt to float up into the air.
Without warning Jacob shifts back into his wolf form, I'm assuming to hear Paul's thoughts and therefore communicate better.
I remain standing where I am, trying to remain as still as physically possible.
About five minutes later, the faint beige to gray spotted wolf moves away from the others. Seth reappearing in his human form. He starts walking sideways, taking a wide berth around Paul to get to me.
Paul's wolfy eyes cautiously watch him the entire way. His eyes and body seeming to be aware of everything around him. When Seth gets closer to standing behind him, Paul suddenly backs up to one side as though he's trying to keep his front facing Seth as well as the other wolves on his other side, refusing to show his back open and vulnerable to attack. In the animal world that's an easy way to get attacked. The pack would obviously never hurt him but Paul didn't know that yet.
He must be so confused and scared. He probably didn't even remember the Quileute legends, and even if he did, he most likely never thought they would actually be real.
None of us did.
So I could only imagine how chaotic it must be inside his head right now. So many things happening all at once, the multiple voices in his head not making it any better. I only hoped the guys were considerate enough to try to keep their own thoughts to themselves. At least long enough for Paul to focus and eventually calm down.
Once Seth is within ten feet from me he starts talking to me. "Jacob wants me to take you back to camp while they get Paul to shift back. We don't know how long it'll take and we need to get you back before nightfall."
"Okay." I say softly, my eyes never leaving Paul's. "Will he be okay?" I ask in worry.
"Hopefully. He's just really confused right now and he's concerned for you."
I frown at what Seth just said. "Why?"
"He didn't know if he hurt you when he caught you."
"You didn't." I say quickly, still having kept my eyes on Paul the entire time. "Thanks for cushioning my fall by the way. It would've hurt a lot more if you hadn't."
Paul makes another chuffing sound followed by a whine, like he's trying to communicate with me.
Since I know he can't, I speak instead. "I'm gonna go with Seth now, okay?" I say in a soothing voice, hoping to settle him even further. "And listen to the guys" I advise, tilting my head towards the remaining wolves. "They know what they're doing and they'll help you turn back to your normal self."
Wolfy Paul moves his head as though he tried to nod but doesn't know how to in his inhuman form.
I turn back to Seth and nod, letting him know he can shift back into his wolf. I don't even flinch when Seth's wolf appears in his place. When he lays flat on his stomach I move towards him, grabbing his fur to climb up his side.
At the action I hear Paul's low growl. From my peripheral I see him taking a step closer to us.
"It's cool." I tell him, now settled on top of Seth's back. "I've done this a thousand times. Seth will take me slowly."
Paul pauses and silently watches Seth standing to his feet with me on top.
"See ya later!" I call as Seth turns away from everyone and begins a slow trot, I'm assuming in the direction of where our campsite is located.
"Thanks for not going too fast." I gratefully tell Seth while running a hand through his fur.
He whines lowly deep in his throat, enjoying my caress while we slowly jog through the forest.
I try not to think about Paul and of how hard it must be for him right now. His life was about to change and he didn't even know it. It was a lifelong commitment he would now be forced to take on and I grieved for him already. The only consolation I had was that unlike the other guys, Paul had lived far away from our lands for years and up until recently had chosen to come back on his own. Starting to plant new roots to the place he used to call home once upon a time. I only hoped those feelings wouldn't change now that he was technically forced to live here like the rest of the pack.
Finally we reach the campsite and Seth lies down on the ground again to allow me to climb off.
I move away from him and sit on a log to calm my still racing heart while Seth turns back into his human form, jogging over to the tent he was sharing with Leah. A few minutes later he reappears, moving to retrieve a first-aid kit from Leah's truck and kneeling in front of me, pulling out pre-packaged alcohol swabs out of the box and reaching for my injured hands.
After Paul caught me I gained a few more scrapes on my hands and even one on my left cheek. I felt the sting of them earlier but it had been the least of my worries at the time. With Seth paying them attention now I could feel the throbbing stings again.
"How's he doing?" I ask Seth, knowing he'd probably heard the pack while we'd made our journey back.
"They took him for a run. He was angry and really antsy after we left but they convinced him to go for a run. While they ran they tried to explain to him the legends of the tribe." Seth quietly chuckles while reaching for some band-aids.
"What?" I ask curiously, wondering what the hell was so funny when everything that's happened so far has been scary as hell.
"He tripped a couple of times, rolling on the dirt and crashing into trees whenever they told him news he couldn't believe. Like when they told him that vampires were real. For some reason he thought that was the craziest thing he's ever heard. Though I don't know why since he literally saw two of them just now with his own two eyes."
I bite my lip, my brows furrowing in discontentment. "Just because you see it with your own eyes it doesn't mean you completely understand it. I mean, this was the first time I've ever seen a real vampire and it was… I don't know. I guess because I remember the Cullen's being so human-like, I had expected to see something similar. But these vampires were vastly different… feral, almost animal-like. They looked like humans but not, at the same time."
They were like monsters.
I now understood why Jacob had been appalled by the thought of me being near a vampire, let alone actually dating one. Edward had never been anything but friendly, kind and understanding. Always attentive to my needs and ensuring I felt comfortable around him and his family. Initially I thought it had been because he had really cared about me but after finding out what he truly was, I understood on another level. Loved him even more for it, if I was being honest.
But after today, it took on a different meaning. Yes, he cared about me and so did his family. But the Cullen's weren't like me, not anymore. They weren't human, their basic needs so dissimilar to my own. They would never be human again, never see things the same way I did, would never experience the world the same way I would. It was unnerving to see them in this new light.
Seth stops what he's doing, turning to look at me with a concerned expression now. "Are you okay?"
I blink back to the present, now realizing I'd been lost in thought. "Yeah..." I say, shaking off the shock. "I still can't believe what just happened."
Assured by what I said, Seth goes back to what he's doing, this time reaching for my face to clean the cut on my cheek.
"I guess since I've seen them more than a few times, I've become used to it now. It's normal to me at this point."
"And that's crazy to me." I say, flinching at the sting on my cheek.
"That we kill them?" He asks curiously, throwing me an apologetic look from the unintended pain he'd inflicted.
"No… yes. I guess it's just crazy that any of this is real." I repeat again, not being able to find better words to express myself. "I mean I've seen your wolves a thousand times and overheard you guys talking about the vampires you've killed over the years, but it's totally different to see it."
He nods again but doesn't say more, not being able to understand where I'm coming from when everything that just happened is literally his everyday life.
Seth and the guys lived every second of the day on the lookout. Always aware and using their heightened senses, even in human form, to detect enemies nearby. It was their duty and probably a habit deeply ingrained within them by now.
"The cut on your face is really thin and won't need stitches. I'll leave it without a band-aid to heal faster." He informs me.
I quietly nod, and thank him, wrapping my arms around his neck.
Seth squishes me to him, rubbing soothing circles along my back as if knowing I needed the comfort.
I fall into his embrace and close my eyes, allowing my brother to settle my nerves for the first time today. I'm the first to pull away and I can't help but return the sympathetic smile he throws my way. But I'm unable to sit still for long and I get up, moving to the grill we'd brought to start making some food.
I stop myself from glancing at my watch every few minutes, concentrating on my work and willing time to move faster. Seth, bless his heart, tries to make conversation but I make it almost impossible with how stodgy I've become.
After the food's done, Seth eats while I wrap the rest up so it won't get cold. Sitting next to him on the log and starting a game of cards once he's done. When night falls Seth gets me a blanket, keeping his body close to mine to keep me warm.
I appreciate the effort.
He was doing as best he could. Jacob had ordered him to stay with me at all times until they all returned back and so Seth couldn't exactly move away to gather logs to start a fire.
By the time the guys slowly appear one by one out of the trees, I've long since lost track of time.
I'm slightly surprised to see Sam at the front, the only clothed one out of the bunch. But by this point, they've all stopped caring whether I saw them naked or not.
Well except for Paul, who walked all the way at the back next to Jared, looking down at the ground with his hands covering his junk. Even from here I could see the changes in his body, his shoulder looking slightly wider, gaining maybe a couple inches in height too. Granted, I couldn't be quite sure having only seen him fully today, but there was a discernible change in his appearance from earlier, and not in a bad way…
Sam's eyes silently take in my form, ensuring I'm fully intact before he breaks formation and jogs towards me.
I stand up just in time to meet him, Sam taking my face in between his hands.
"Are you okay?" He asked seriously, his eyes scanning my face and zeroing in on my cut.
"Yeah. I'm good." I reassure quickly, grasping onto his wrist to communicate further.
Sometimes the wolves needed physical contact to settle them after a face-off with vampires. Right now I could see Sam had been incredibly worried. Most likely because he hadn't been there when the vampires attacked and Paul had burst into wolf.
He grasps my hands and turns them over to make sure Seth did good patching me up. Then he gives a swift nod as if reassuring himself and more gently releases me.
"Is he okay?" I question now, nodding my head toward the tent Paul had disappeared through.
"Seems like it." Sam says with an exhausted sigh. "He's still a bit rattled but I think he'll be okay."
"Bells!" Jacob hollers next, lifting me off the floor in a tight embrace. "I'm sorry." He mumbles into my ear, guilt-ridden over what happened.
He had more than enough reasons to feel that way. I'd questioned him before the hike as to whether it was a good idea to go in the first place after they'd found the scent of the vampire, and he'd repeatedly said yes. Even for mere safety reasons he should have steered clear from that area instead of moving closer.
Still I don't like him feeling guilty and I hug him back, running soothing hands along his back.
"It's okay. I'm perfectly fine and everything else turned out how it was supposed to."
He digs his face deeper into my neck, sniffing me to reassure himself I was completely okay. After almost a full minute he finally lets me go, setting me back down on my feet. "I guess we know exactly why I'm not ready to be the alpha, huh?" Lifting a hand to lightly cup my face, frowning deeply at the cut on my face.
"Guess so."
Jacob was supposed to have been alpha. His ancestors had gone on record as being alphas in the past. But because Sam was the oldest and first to shift, he'd been appointed by default. According to the elders, Jacob could still claim his rightful place whenever he wanted, but because he wasn't living on the reservation and because he'd explicitly expressed he did not want to take on that role, he'd remained as just one of the pack.
The rest of the guys then take their own turns hugging me. Along the way I notice that someone has gathered more wood and started a fire to keep me warm. Probably Seth.
"Glad you're okay, bitch." Leah says under her breath, pulling me for a side hug trying not to be emotional but also not being able to help it either. She'd been just as distressed by the appearance of those vampires so close to me, just like the other guys.
"Me too." I say, rubbing the top of her head and making a mess of it.
It produces a reluctant chuckle out of her as she lightly pushes me away.
I smile triumphantly, feeling better that Leah's feeling better too. I remain to the side as I watch the guys grabbing plates of food, immediately digging in and practically inhaling their food before they even take a seat. The only one not eating is Paul.
He sits, now fully dressed, at the edge of a log staring blankly at the fire in front of him, eerily unmoved by everything around him.
Taking the initiative I move over to the food and pile a plate sky-high with meat. I cautiously move to his side, and lightly call his name.
His eyes snap to mine and his once unseeing eyes slowly take me in, scanning me from head to toe as if it had been an automatic response. Finally his eyes land on the plate I've been holding in my hands through his perusal of my being.
"Here, you need to eat. You just shifted for the first time and you must be starving."
He blinks almost absently but reaches his hand out to take the plate. "Thank you." He says, his voice sounding a lot deeper than it did before, which is a surprise because it'd already been pretty deep pre-wolf.
I go back to the food and take a plate for myself, just eating the roasted potatoes we'd made. I wasn't really hungry anyway so I wasn't even sure I'd be able to finish this alone. I take the only empty seat next to Paul, who was now halfway done with his food.
I don't think he'd even noticed himself eating this whole time, but he does notice me as soon as I sit next to him. His eyes shifting to look at me for a single heartbeat before he focuses back on his food.
"You did good." I tell him, trying to find words to reassure him in any way I can.
"He wasn't just good. He was fucking amazing!" Quil cheers from across the fire. "Did you see how he tackled that vamp?!"
"Uh no, you forget I have regular human eyesight. I barely saw the moving blurs of color."
"Damn, too bad. It was epic!" Quil responds, polishing off his plate.
"Except for the part where Bella almost got eaten by vampires." Embry adds derisively, glaring at Quil in disapproval.
In response, Paul releases a deep rumble.
Before I know it someone's tugged me away from Paul, placing me more than ten feet away from where I used to be sitting.
I blink back and recognize Sam's body in front of mine.
"Sorry." Embry mumbles to Paul who had dropped his plate on the ground and was now vibrating inhumanly. His eyes closed and his fists clenched into tight fists at his sides.
"Relax, man." Jared soothes, the only one daring to come near him. "They were just joking. Bella is fine, remember? You helped us kill the vamps and now they're gone."
Paul's eye's shift to mine and I'm slightly stunned to find them an ardent green color.
I'd seen his wolf's eyes back in the forest before Seth had carried me back to camp, but I guess with the shock and adrenaline coursing through my body at the time I hadn't really noticed them completely. Now though I take them in, realizing they looked a lot different than the rest.
They mostly varied from yellow to hazel. Jacob's was the only one with vibrant orange colored eyes while Sam's were an electric purple. According to the elders it was his wolf's way of distinguishing him as the alpha of the pack.
In the background, Jared keeps repeating reassuring words until Paul finally calms down, blinking away the color as if it had never been there to begin with and settling back down on his seat.
"Alright." Sam speaks again when things settle down again. "It's no longer safe for Bella to stay here. I'm taking her back with me."
"What?!"
"Nooooo."
There is a chorus of complaints around us and I laugh at their responses. "You guys are so fucking dramatic. You act as though you'll never see me again."
They open their mouths to quip back but Sam doesn't let them.
"Go get your stuff, Bella." He orders me instead, nudging me with his elbow to get a move on.
I roll my eyes but do as he says.
Most of the time, Sam was the most kind, tender-hearted one of us all. He was like my sweet older brother, literally the oldest one out of everyone and not just by age. At twenty-five, Sam was already married with two kids. He had a full blown family already. It's why he was the most empathetic and understanding out of everyone. Well except when he was in what I liked to call 'alpha mode'.
"Enough fun for you, little one." Sam says a bit more sweetly when I return with my bag, quickly ushering me to Jacob's truck.
I giggle at him, throwing a playful "Sir, yes Sir" before I climb into the passenger side.
He grumbles something under his breath and pulls me to him, inhaling deeply to reassure himself I'm alive and well.