The rain has stopped and the air is chilly even given the fact it is summer. With Emily resting and the Furie dead, Jacob and I head to Billy's to let him know what has happened with Asclepius and the Furie. Even with Jacob at my side, I still strapped a kitchen knife to the base of my calf in fear that another would arrive. Jacob doesn't understand that there is not much he can do against one of those monsters. His teeth may be sharp for tearing apart vampires but the only way to kill a Furie is either by being a God or having Godly powers. Jacob lacks both.
Sam ordered half the pack to meet us at Billy's while the other remains at Emily's just in case another Furie shows up. I can't say I recall much memory on Furies but I know there will be more than one and if one knew where I was, I am sure others aren't too far behind. I can only hope that a Furie doesn't show up at Emily's while I am gone.
While the pack went ahead of us, Jacob and I take the roads. Jacob's confidence in protecting me is much stronger than my confidence I'll be safe anywhere with anyone. I scan the forest on either side of us constantly. I know the feeling now when a Furie will attack but I am not sure how I'll respond to a vampire. Nervousness has me all jittery. Paranoid. Something has to be watching - even with Jacob not noticing, or is it all in my head?
Once on Billy's property we see a man with a blue flannel shirt helping Billy put some fishing poles in the back of the truck. The man has short brown hair with a matching mustache and he seems to be laughing at something Billy said. The closer we get, the more I recognize this man. He's Bella's father. I've met him before.
Jacob squeezes my hand and I see he's smiling weakly.
"Jacob," the man, who I believe is named Charlie, waves. "Bella's inside."
Jacob halts all movement. The tiniest bit of a squeeze of his hand alerts me that he's not pleased in hearing this. I frown and look up at him, his eyes are narrowed and he's frowning.
I turn to him and whisper. "Why is she here if Edward doesn't feel comfortable with her passing the territory border?" I ask. "Would he be more protective of her now knowing that the Volturi could show up at any moment to come get me?"
Jacob turns his eyes to me and expression changes to one of softness. "She came last night, remember? He obviously doesn't feel concerned enough. Besides," he tightens his grip around my hand. "I am not going to let them get you."
I don't know what the Volturi are capable of. If they are royalty of the vampire world they must be strong to withhold that title. I worry that nothing is going to stop them from killing me that includes taking out all the wolves of the tribe. I bow my head and stare at my dirty shoes.
I hear Billy and Charlie making conversation, having not heard our small conversation as we approach to meet them at the truck. As if being called, Bella comes out from the little red house and waves at us. I lift my free hand and wave my fingers. I felt like I was excluded the night before when I was drunk, just being in Bella's presence with Jacob around but now…I don't have any feelings. Bella's presence those months back was dark and full of depression - I didn't like being around her because I felt heavy and depressed myself. There isn't a darkness around her now but I can tell she's here for her own reasons that don't involve me but involve Jacob.
Jacob keeps his eyes on the two men before us, ignoring his once crush's presence. "Charlie, this is Furiae, my girlfriend. Furiae, this is Charlie, Bella's dad."
"We've met once before," I assure but I smile none-the-less and lift my hand to shake Charlie's.
"Girlfriend? Didn't think you were interested in anyone," Charlie takes my hand and shakes gently but glances back at Bella. "Besides, aren't you the one with amnesia? How's that going?"
"Memories are coming back slowly," I reply.
"Can any help you find your family?"
I want to look up at Jacob and Billy for an answer I am unsure how to give but I don't want to seem suspicious. Billy clears his throat earning Charlie's attention.
"We need to get going before the weather changes," Billy says.
I glance around at the wet scenery and then up at the sky. There are light gray clouds overcasting the sky but I am not sure if it'd rain.
"I'll be stealing your dad to go fishing," Charlie says.
"That's alright, have fun you two," Jacob nods to the both of them and lets go of my hand to help Billy get in the truck. Once his father is in, he easily folds up Billy's chair and picks it up to put it in the back of the truck. His muscles barely flex as he folds and lifts, showing me that the weight of the chair is hardly a problem for him.
They drive off down the muddy trail to the main road and disappear past the tree line leaving Bella, Jacob, and I alone. I wonder where the pack is, knowing for sure that Sam ordered half of them to remain here but when I look around, I don't see them.
"Looking for the pack?" Jacob asks.
"Yeah."
"They are in the forest, easier to track down baddies when we are in our wolf form," Jacob informs.
"Jacob," Bella walks up to us, hands digging into her jacket pockets. "Do you mind if we talk for a second?"
"Anything you need to say to me you can say in front of Furiae."
Bella's frown is suffocating, I pull my hand from Jacob's and force a smile up at him. "It's okay, I am going to go to the bathroom. You two talk."
"Are you sure?" Jacob drops his head to the side slightly, looking me over as I stumble away slowly. I nod and head for the white front door up the ramp and once inside, I close the door and quickly put my ear against it. Whatever it is she wanted to talk to Jacob about, she clearly didn't want me to hear, and that leaves me more curious than ever.
"This whole imprinting thing - did you really imprint onto her?"
"Yes and I love her."
"It is like you were forced to be in love with her," Bella says.
"It's not like that, we're basically blind to our soulmates until we phase," Jacob sighs. "She felt the same way too, about it being forced, but I had feelings for her beforehand."
"But you were different with me. You were attached to me. You weren't like this with her when she was around."
"I had dreams of her almost every night and sometimes, even nightmares, of her disappearance. I didn't know why I was having them until I saw her again."
"She never told us why she disappeared, why'd she leave you?" Bella asks.
The way she words her question twists at my heart. It's an accusation. She's trying to get Jacob to feel some way for me that isn't the attachment he has.
"It was when I had started to phase. Sam took her and sent her away out of fear for the tribe," I can audibly hear Jacob getting a little angry and I wonder if the tremors have started.
"I don't understand why your feelings for me just disappeared."
"Why does it matter? You're getting married and I am finally happy, leave it be."
If I don't stop this conversation now, Jacob might phase and who knows what will happen. I open the door, eyes on the ground and wiping my hands on my pants as if I had just washed them. When I look up I notice Bella is still staring at Jacob with a deep sense of sadness on her face and Jacob watches me. His hands are balled up at his sides and he is shaking.
"Something happen?" I ask, raising a brow, trying my best to see inconspicuous to their conversation.
Jacob glances back at Bella, "why'd you even come? Just to pick at me? To try to break an unbreakable bond that I am happy with? Why?"
I walk down the ramp and back over to Jacob's side, grabbing his hand but he pulls away from me, his fists still clenched. A feeling like a crack settles down my heart. He's never pulled away from me. Did he know I was listening and is upset with me?
"I came to try to convince you to come to my wedding," Bella says, her eyes watching the two of us intently.
"That's bullshit," Jacob seethes.
I would ask him to calm down but I am still in shock he's pulled from me. I step back feeling the crack swallow my heart completely. What's going on here? He finally breaks his look from Bella to me and whatever expression is on my face has his shatter.
"Furiae?" He asks. "What's wrong?"
If it was truly nothing - no reason for him to pull away except for maybe anger - I don't want to tell him that is why it upset me. It'd sound selfish of me, wouldn't it? You pulled away from me, now I feel heart broken? But why did it hurt so much?
He eliminates the step between us, taking both of his hands and cupping my face. "Everything is alright, nothing is too wrong. Bella is just…" He glances back at her with a cold glare. "I am not going to your wedding, especially not now. Go back to your leech and leave me alone."
"I have no way home, I came with Charlie."
"That sucks," Jacob snaps.
"Jacob…" I mumble. He looks down at me with the anger wiping from his face. "There are Furies and vampires out there right now."
"What's a Furie?" Bella asks.
Jacob looks deep into my eyes and finally lets out a pent up sigh. "Fine. Bella, use the phone inside to call whoever to come get you but I am not driving you."
"Do you mind taking me to a library?" I ask finally, after staring out the window for an hour and a half while Quil, Embry, Seth, and Jacob sit on the couch watching an action packed movie. Even with the four werewolves watching my back, I still feel eyes from the forest. I am not sure if they are the eyes of the rest of the half of the pack or if there are eyes of hunters out there.
My arms remain crossed against my chest as I turn to Jacob for an answer. He smirks and nods, getting off the couch and walking over to the kitchen counter.
"Should we come?" Seth asks, the other two werewolves also look confused as to what to do.
"The nearest library is in Forks. There should be enough people in town for no one to start shit - vampire or Furie," Jacob replies, grabbing his motorbike keys.
"Yeah but Sam did say we should stick around you two," Embry says, standing up.
"I'm not taking the rabbit," Jacob says. "You'll have to get your own car."
I glance between the boys, the other three werewolves are thinking of solutions while Jacob walks to the door. I don't think he wants to be bothered with anyone else and I can understand why. Being constantly surrounded by other people can be claustrophobic.
I walk around the coffee table and to Jacob, resting my hand on his bicep and earning another smirk. He opens the door for me and I exit, hesitating outside the front door as I glower at the forest. Jacob closes the door before any of the other boys can exit and leads the way to his motorbike in front of his house.
We drive on the black wet pavement to Forks, the trees on either side of us thick with moss on the trunks with even greener ferns decorating the ground surrounding them. Even the light filtering down through the canopies is green. I enjoy the color, it's lively and energetic but even as its energy fills me I'm succumbed by a deep and darker feeling.
I need answers. I need to know how many Furies are out there and how to prevent them from attacking the pack. I bury my face into Jacob's back, the smell of mint filling my lungs and settling down my nerves. I feel his hand rubbing the top of mine as he drives with a single hand on the handle. Even without saying it, I know he's telling me in his own way, everything will be okay. Once we reach Forks, it doesn't take long before Jacob pulls into a small parking lot with a sign passing us by that says 'Forks Library and Research.'
Stopping in a parking spot, I throw my leg off the side of the bike and wait for Jacob as he turns off the bike and climbs off himself.
"I am guessing we are here to do some research on the Furies," Jacob asks, looking up at the petit yellow building.
"I need to know how many are out there if I can even find that answer."
"They are part of Greek Mythology? It's possible," Jacob says thoughtfully.
Jacob grabs my hand gently and my fingers tighten around his. He takes the lead inside the yellow building, holding the doors open for me as I walk under his arm with each passing double door. A cold burst of air tickles my cheeks and I instantly regret entering. It's colder than it is outside and I left my jacket at Emily's. Pulling my hand from Jacob's, I wrap my arms around myself and head for the computers in the back, easily seen from the front.
The library is very small with two or three people inside. Most of them have the typical aura of a human, except for one. A goldish light emanates from the back corner, a big computer screen blocks my view from whoever it is. Last night comes to mind - of that beautiful woman with the goldish light and the other gorgeous women that surrounded her. I step around to the side as I approach to see if I can spot whoever it is before they can see me but as I do, a boy stands up from behind the computer and his blue eyes land on me.
"Furiae," he says with a hushed voice. "Is that you?"