3 (27) Cramping My Style A New Rhythm

Sam drove Bella into Forks to see Charlie Swan. Bella knocked on Charlie's door. Sam stood right behind her.

"Bells! You're… Oh my God! Bella!" Charlie pulled her into a hug. His voice was quaking with emotion. "You have a fever." He says, moving his hands from her warm arms to her warm face. "Let's get you to a hospital."

"No, Dad, I'm not here for that. I'm fine. I just need you to know that I'm alive and well. I'm staying on the rez."

Charlie looked at Sam sternly. "You said you hadn't seen her."

"At that time, I hadn't seen her face. I wasn't lying."

Bella pulled out of Charlie's arms. "Dad, Sam's been helping me. Come out back and I can show you."

Bella ran around the house, leaving Sam and Charlie on the porch, staring at each other. "You should come see this, sir," Sam said respectfully.

Charlie followed reluctantly.

Bella stood naked in the backyard, waiting for the two men.

"Jeez, Bells, put some clothes on!" Charlie scolded.

She leaned forward. A wolf stood in front of Charlie, wagging her tail happily.

"She turns into a wolf, sir," Sam said, watching the off-white wolf to make sure she stayed in control.

"I did see that," Charlie says with a hint of sarcasm.

"We can help her on the rez," Sam continued. "There are several of us that do the same thing. We have a support system for people with this, uh, condition. Maybe you've heard of our legends."

Charlie sounded exhausted. "I've heard of the legends. Where is she living?"

"With my family," Sam answered.

Charlie got right into Sam's face. "I don't care if you turn into a brontosaurus. If you hurt my daughter, you'll get a bullet in your rump, hear me?"

"I understand. I'm not dating your daughter, sir. I'm not her type."

Bella walked up in wolf form and licked Charlie's face.

"Oh jeez, Bella, fine. You can stay on the rez where they're equipped for your… condition." He was gesturing at her wolf form.

Bella phased back to human and gave her dad a big hug, still totally naked.

"The clothes don't transition with her, sir," Sam said, picking up Emily's dress that Bella had been wearing. "She's still getting the hang of it all."

Charlie patted Bella's naked back. "I see."

Bella stepped back. She threw the dress over her head, a little embarrassed that she had forgotten it.

"What am I supposed to tell your mother?" Charlie asked.

"Tell her that I ran away but that I'm ok. And we'll start removing the missing person posters. They're really cramping my style."

Charlie looked furious. "I thought you were dead! And they were cramping your style!"

"Sir, she only recently gained control and I couldn't tell you because of tribal law. She's not under tribal law. But we had to wait until it was safe for her to see you. The wolf can hurt someone if the person is not in control."

"Hmph. Fine. I'll help take down the posters too. I think the runaway story will be adequate. And it's not too humiliating since it's more like you were running from your mother and I was just a pit stop."

Bella looked a little ashamed now. "I'm sorry, dad. You didn't deserve this." Then she took the conversation in a direction that Sam did not expect. "Did you ever wonder who your real dad was?"

Charlie was shocked at the question. No one had ever asked him that. "No, kid, I knew who my dad was. The man that raised me was my dad. He was a great dad. I have suspicions about my biological father but it was never important for me to know. He never came forward and claimed me, so it clearly wasn't important to him either."

"The wolf thing, Dad, it's a Quileute gene."

"Yeah, I've heard the legends. When am I going to see you again, Bells? Maybe you could stop by sometimes? Or we could go out for dinner?"

"Absolutely."

"And what about school?"

Sam answered, "I'm working with the council to get that sorted, but it's still not safe for her to be in the classroom."

"Your education is important, Bells." Charlie wanted to guide her in the right direction.

"I know," Bella said, "but there's not much I can do about it now, so no point in fretting. Can I pack a few things before I go back to the rez?" Bella asked.

"Go ahead."

Sam and Bella went up to her room. Sam was astonished as Bella packed a few short dresses and pumps. They looked slutty, and he didn't like to think of Bella that way. From the bathroom, she grabbed makeup.

"Don't you want normal clothes?" Sam asked. "Is this what you're going to wear around the rez?"

"No! You're the one who says I need to get laid. I have to get my stuff for that."

Sam started packing her normal clothes for life around the rez. He was tired of sharing his wardrobe with her. They packed everything in Bella's truck and each drove their vehicles home.

Since Bella joined the wolf pack, her absence wasn't missed at school. Sure, there was a lot of talk while she was a missing person. The talk died down long before the posters came down.

When she sat next to Edward Cullen on that first day of school, he could smell exactly what she was. To him, she smelled like a wet dog who had been rolling around in her own filth, or at least that's how he described it to his siblings.

The Cullens had nicknamed Bella the Swan-dog. She was a constant curiosity for the family, even though they had only seen her that one day.

"I don't know why I couldn't read her mind, though," Edward was complaining again. "I could read Ephraim's no problem."

"And I couldn't see her future," Alice added. "I couldn't see anything that whole day she was at school. It was terrifying."

"I rather enjoyed it," Jasper quipped.

"I wish we had been here to meet the last pack," Alice continued. "The new generation doesn't seem nearly as friendly."

"That she-wolf was checking out Rose, though," Emmett said, checking out Rosalie himself. "Maybe that could be a way in with them."

"Like I want to hang out with a bunch of dogs, Emmett. Leave me out of your plans." Rosalie went outside for a walk.

Paul was waiting for Bella when they got back from talking to Charlie. Bella went right up to him and gave him a big hug. "I was so worried. Is everything ok?"

He chuckled. "Yeah, I'm fine, Swan. My pride was just a little bruised. I should have paid more attention." He looked embarrassed. "I just thought you were being nice to Emily and Kim. It makes a lot of sense and I was blind to it."

"I thought I was pretty obvious. Sam, you and Jared knew, right?"

"Because you flirt with Emily and Kim all the fucking time. It's getting old, Bella."

"Emily doesn't think so."

Sam rolled his eyes.

Paul shared an idea. "Bella, since we're the only single ones in the pack, how about we head to the club and try to get some action?"

"What club?" Bella asked excitedly. "I lived here two days before I turned into a furry."

"There's one in Port Angeles. It's decent. It's gay friendly, but a lot of straight girls dance together, just so you're warned."

Bella looked at Sam while saying, "straight girls are just bi girls who haven't found themselves yet."

Sam was pretty sure that Bella didn't really believe that. To not believe in straight people was just as crazy as not believing in gay people. Sam was pretty sure she just said stuff like that to get a rise out of him. So he didn't respond.

Paul asked, "Sam, have you not explained imprinting to her?"

Sam sighed. "I've explained it over a dozen times, which is why I feel secure about her hitting on Emily."

"Paul, can we drive?" Bella asked. "Then I can get all dolled up."

"Mhmm. I can be ready in half an hour."

"Great! I'll be ready in an hour."

Bella brought her bags into the guest room where she slept, then took over the bathroom.

Sam held Emily on the couch. "We might get the night to ourselves, finally."

"Don't be mean to her, Sam. She needs us."

"I'm not being mean. I just want to fuck you all over the house once in a while. Is that so wrong?"

"No," Emily said, kissing down Sam's neck.

When Bella came out of the bathroom, she looked amazing. She was wearing a black tube dress and 4" strappy heels. The high heels didn't fit her great due to the growth spurt, but she would make do until she could pick up something new. She had adjusted all the straps, so they should be fine for one night. Her hair fell in loose curls around her face and shoulders. Her makeup was minimal but transformative.

"Whoot woo!" Emily whistled at her.

"Thank you, Emily!" Bella twirled.

Paul was waiting for her by the door. "Let's go, Bella, before they close the doors."

"They'll still let me in," Bella said confidently.

"Probably," Paul muttered.

They listened to music for part of the drive, then Paul turned it down for real talk.

"You're a lot stronger now, Bella."

"I know. It's pretty hot."

"Uh huh, but you're going to need to be careful with girls," Paul said in a kind but warning tone. "It's easy to hold too tight, to push too hard. It's easy to hurt them. And I know you don't want to do that."

"What do I do?" Bella was panicking a little. This possibility hasn't occurred to her. "I really do need to get laid. It's been ages!"

"You can do it safely, you just have to be aware. Always think of their pleasure. Don't get carried away with your own, that's really important."

"Have you hurt girls, Paul?"

"Not badly and never on purpose. It was all in line with rough sex that got out of hand, but I don't feel good about it. I don't want you to go through that regret too."

"How long since it happened?"

"A while. Hey, how long have you known that you were a lesbian?"

"I think forever. Girls were always just prettier, fun to watch, more desirable. How long have you known you were straight?"

"I don't know. I've just never thought about men like that."

"Me neither."

"I feel like I fucked up our friendship and I feel kind of stupid about it."

Bella didn't want to make anything awkward between them. She knew the best way forward was to put it all behind them. "Paul, you're not the first guy that noticed how hot I am and you won't be the last. And if I were straight, you might be my type."

"Thanks, I guess." He wasn't sure that was a compliment at all.

"So is there a hotel near the club?" Bella asked.

"There is, but there are also private rooms in the club, $25 per hour for the cheapest ones. It's a nice setup. They're technically for private parties, but everyone uses them for hookups. That's what I usually do."

"How much is the hotel?"

"$100 per night."

"Ok, so the private rooms are the better deal unless I can land five or more girls." Bella said, mostly joking.

"Probably. Sometimes the hotel is nice, though."

"When we get in, show me where the private rooms are, ok, then we'll go our separate ways."

"What's the exit plan?" Paul asked.

"Whoever runs out of girls first can wait in the car?"

"Ok," Paul agreed. "I'd like to leave by 3:00 am."

"Sure thing, old man," Bella teased.

They both got into the club no problem.

Paul went to the bar to scope out the room. Bella went right to a tall blond, easily the hottest girl there besides Bella herself. Bella had her against the wall, lips locked, before Paul even picked out his first target.

Bella took the girl, Helene, to the only available private room. She gently pushed the girl onto the sectional sofa that filled the small room. She ran her hand up the girl's inner thigh, sucking on her neck lavishly.

Bella's hand caressed the girl's tit, and she slid her panties aside. Bella kept their mouths occupied while she rubbed the girl's clit with her thumb, two fingers inside Helene's cunt. The blond girl was wriggling on Bella's fingers, then riding her hand.

Bella pinched the nipple a gently, bringing the girl right over the edge. Helene squealed into Bella's mouth.

Bella pulled her hand out of the girl's panties. She licked her fingers clean, then aggressively kissed Helene, letting her taste herself.

Timidly, Helene asked, "Can I try on you? I've never done this with a girl before."

"You can do whatever you want with me." Bella looked the girl up and down, then licked up her neck. "Whatever you want," she repeated, then pulled Helene's dress over her head.

Helene pulled Bella's dress over her head, too. She cupped Bella's breast, then pulled it up out of her bra. She sucked it into her mouth.

Bella hissed in pleasure. "So good," she encouraged.

Helene kept licking that tit while slipping her hand into Bella's panties. Bella moaned loudly anytime the girl did anything remotely pleasurable.

"Fuck, so good." She was rubbing the sweet ass that Helene carried with her everywhere. She wanted to bury her face in that ass.

"C'mere," she said as she lay back down on the sofa. She kicked off her panties, then pulled Helene's off of her.

She moved Helene so she was sitting on Bella's face, pointing toward her own cunt. The girl leaned down and continued playing with Bella's pussy.

Bella squeezed both butt cheeks, then pulled them apart, sticking her nose right on Helene's anus. She inhaled deeply. Why did her wolf love that?

Fuck. She needed to stop being weird.

She started to lick Helene's clit like a normal person. Bella kept moaning in pleasure, trying to teach the girl what to do with her through positive reinforcement.

When Bella was close to her climax, she growled. "Right there, do not stop, do not stop."

Helene obeyed, bringing Bella right over the precipice. This was exactly what Bella needed, someone else to give her an orgasm. She gave the blond her second orgasm through the clit, then she started getting dressed.

Helene wrote down her number and passed it to Bella. "If you're ever in town again, I wouldn't mind a repeat. You can come to my place."

"Thank you," she said, kissing the girl one last time. Helene tasted like licorice, just a little bit.

She shoved the number in her purse. She wasn't sure she wanted a repeat. She wanted someone with a little more experience next time.

She went out into the club. First, she scanned the room for Paul. To her chagrin, he had a girl pinned against the wall. She was hoping that he had gotten someone into a room, unless he was working on girl number two, in which case, she'd need to catch up. Bella couldn't shake the desire to compete with him even now.

She scanned the room for a lesbian now, or at least someone bi.

There was an adorable brunette at the bar watching her, licking her lips. She might be a good candidate. Bella started toward her when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Bella?"

She turned to see the familiar face of Rachel Black. Paul was standing behind her, wrapped around her body completely.

"Can we talk to you on the balcony?"

"Sure, Rachel!" Bella shouted over the blaring music.

Bella followed them out. Paul leaned toward her on the way and said, "I imprinted."

Fuck. That was a buzz kill.

"Do you guys want to go home or something?" Bella asked.

"Can we?" Rachel pleaded.

"Where do you live?" Bella asked Rachel.

"Four streets over."

"Is that where you want to go?"

"I want to take her to La Push," Paul stated.

"What do you want, Rachel?" Bella asked.

"I don't want to ruin your night, Bella, but I want to go home. To La Push. I just feel pulled there, you know?"

"Fine. I got laid once. That will have to do. But I'm going to want to borrow your car next time I want to go out, Paul. It's way faster than mine."

"Deal." Paul handed her the car keys. "Can you drive us home tonight? I was thinking of sitting in the backseat with Rachel."

"Fucker," Bella muttered.

"That's my goal," Paul whispered to her with a smirk.

Bella drove home while the Paul did everything but fuck her in the backseat.

Bella pulled into Sam Uley's driveway and put the car in park. She left it running with Paul and Rachel in the backseat. They could get themselves home.

When Bella walked in, Emily was naked, bent over the kitchen table. Sam was balls deep, coming in from behind. Bella walked through the kitchen toward the bathroom.

"Carry on," Bella instructed.

She heard giggles in her wake.

Bella kind of wanted one of those imprint things. She washed the makeup off her face. Bella went to her bed and masturbated, thinking of that brunette at the bar. At least she had some fresh faces for her fantasies.

A few days later, Bella had her first one-on-one visit with her dad. She asked him about doing a DNA test to figure out who his dad was.

"What would it accomplish?"

"If I could find a match, I could get tribal membership. Then I could get the same benefits and considerations as the rest of the pack. It would also make finishing my education easier if it is handled through the council."

"Who do you want to test me against?"

"Do you know Old Quil?"

"Of course. I'm pretty sure it wasn't him. He had a strong and loving marriage to my aunt."

"Right, he's not a suspect. He suggested it could be Sam's grandfather or great uncle or Billy's dad."

Bella saw rage cross Charlie's face at these suggestions. "Dad, it wouldn't have to change anything for you, but it would change a lot for me if you did this."

"Do you need three swabs?" Charlie asked.

"No, we're going to try Billy first. The tests are kind of expensive. He'll be the easiest. If it's not him, Sam will have to work to get a sample out of his dad. And we don't know how to test for his uncle because he didn't have any known kids, so I'm kind of hoping it's Billy."

"Alright kid, give me the swab kit. I'll do it before you leave so it's fresh."

At the same time, Sam and Rachel were meeting with Billy.

"If Charlie is my brother, he might try to contest my position as chief."

"Daddy," Rachel said, "Charlie has no interest in being chief and you know that. This is about Bella."

Billy continued to protest. "We often butt heads about tribal sovereignty. He is a law man above all else."

"He has no claim, Billy," Sam said. "You are older, you know tribal laws and traditions. The tribe would revolt if he tried to take the position of chief."

"That's kind of you to say, Sam," Billy responded sincerely.

Sam put a thick envelope on the table. "Here's the swab test. No eating or drinking half an hour before the swab."

"So that's it? I just have to do what the alpha says?" Billy challenged him.

Sam gave him a genuine smile. "If it's not your father, Billy, we'll have to check my father to see if he's Charlie's brother. Wanna know how we'll get his swab?"

"No," Billy said, shaking his head slowly.

"The whole pack is going to break into his apartment. The guys will hold him down. Bella will give him a glass of water-"

"I said no."

Sam continued, "The water is to rinse out any food or drink that might be in his mouth. We'll wait 30 minutes, then have Bella take the swab. I imagine he'll be a little turned on, having Bella dominate the situation like that. She's a beautiful girl, as I'm sure you've noticed. So as we leave, we'll tell him that she's his niece."

"I said no. I didn't want to know."

"Billy, you're in a wheelchair. Bella could do the whole thing herself. That's what she's doing with Charlie right now."

Billy laughed. "Charlie will agree to do the test for her and we all know it."

"Probably," Sam agreed. "But she brought Paul and Jared just in case. They're waiting in the bushes."

Rachel smiled at the visual, knowing that Paul was at home and Jared was on patrol. Sam was just taunting Billy a little. Everyone humored Billy about being chief of the tribe, but it was well known that the authority had been passed to Sam when he became alpha of the pack.

"Sure, sure," Billy agreed. "I'll do the swab. Rachel, can you grab me some water to rinse the beer out, then we'll wait 30 minutes."

Sam and Rachel waited the full 30 minutes to make sure it was done correctly.

Test results were expected in 4-6 weeks. Six weeks felt like an eternity to Bella.

While the pack waited for test results, a strong thunderstorm rolled in off the coast. The Cullens gathered their equipment and headed to their favorite clearing for a baseball game, as was their tradition.

James, Victoria and Laurant were traveling from Olympia. They were planning to go around the Olympic National Park, then cross over to Vancouver Island. Then they heard the crack of a baseball bat.

They changed course. They were in no hurry. Vampires are naturally curious creatures.

"Do you have room for a few more players?" Laurent asked after all the introductions were made.

"Esme, can you play in-fielder?" Carlisle asked his wife.

Esme nodded and took her position. She liked baseball because it included the whole family. She didn't care what position she played or even if she played at all. These new players intrigued her. The girl was clearly shy, similar to Esme. Maybe they'd be good friends.

After the game, Carlisle invited their new friends back to their home. They all returned to the Cullen house and got comfortable.

"Animals? All the time?" James asked incredulously.

"Carlisle and I have never drunk a human." Rosalie said smugly. "The same can't be said for the rest."

"We make mistakes," Esme said with grace. "We've gotten better though. They are few and far between at this point."

"Magnificent!" Laurent said enthusiastically.

"It allows us a lot more freedom in life," Edward explained. "We have homes all over and we can stay in one place for years at a time, living a relatively normal life."

"As high school students?" Victoria scoffed.

"Sometimes," Edward answered. "It depends on where we want to go. Forks is great because of the rain during the school year. It's worth it to go back to high school to live here."

Victoria was intrigued. This seemed like a life where they weren't on the run. It felt secure, even safe.

Laurent was fascinated. The thing he loved the most about being a vampire was the characters he met. He had never met anyone like the Cullens.

James found the prospect enticing. Being able to control his bloodlust would give him an edge as a tracker. He could have access to human spaces without a killing spree. It would add a new technique to his games.

The small coven stayed with the Cullens for a few weeks, then continued on their journey north. They were going to seek out the vegetarian coven in the Denali National Park.

"Stop by if you pass through here again," Carlisle said as he saw them off. "We should be here for a few more years."

"We might take you up on that," James said with a hand shake.

Alice could already see that he'd be back.

Finally, Sam got the test results they'd all been waiting for. There was a 98% probability that Charlie and Billy were half-siblings.

So now Bella couldn't flirt with Rachel anymore. They were first cousins.

"Do you want me to come with you when you tell Charlie?" Sam asked Bella.

Groan. "Ok, yes you should come. And I want Rachel to come."

"Let's get Rachel and tell Billy first," Sam suggested.

Bella, Rachel, Sam and Billy showed up at Charlie's house an hour later. Billy was grinning ear to ear. He was sure this was how he was going to get his friend back.

"Bells!" Charlie exclaimed when he opened the door. "And Rachel, long time no see." He was grinning, seeing the girls.

His mouth turned into a scowl as he watched Sam follow the girls into the house. Charlie hadn't invited Sam in. He was watching the three young people sit at the kitchen table. He didn't notice Billy wheel in until he hit Charlie's toe with his wheelchair.

"Christ, Billy! I didn't see you there. Is this a surprise party or something?" He asked, then muttered, "I hate surprises."

Sam was glad that they had brought Billy along. He knew that Charlie didn't really like him. Charlie liked Billy even less.

"Kind of!" Bella said excitedly. "We know who your biological father is now!"

Charlie glanced down at Billy, then looked back at Bella. He relaxed his shoulders. "Rachel!" Charlie ran to her and scooped her up in a hug. "You're my niece!" He looked at her face. He had loved Billy's kids their whole lives, but now that he knew they were his real family… it was all so different now.

"Yeah, Uncle Charlie." Rachel was smiling at him.

Charlie smiled back. "I guess I owe you a whole lot of birthday and Christmas money now."

Rachel chuckled. "I think we're square for all you've done for my dad."

Charlie sighed and looked down at Billy. "Want a beer?"

"Please, brother."

Charlie grabbed one for him, then turned on Sam. "What are you doing here?"

"Emotional support," Sam answered plainly.

"For?"

"Me, Dad," Bella answered. "I'm still living with him."

Charlie lowered his eyes at Sam. "I thought you said you weren't her type."

Sam tried not to smile. Bella said, "I'm living with him and his fiance, dad. He's not my type."

"Charlie," Sam said, "Bella is being given tribal membership because of her heritage. You have the same heritage. You are also welcome to apply for tribal membership."

"What for?" Charlie asked dismissively.

"There are a lot of resources that are available to tribal members that are not available to the population at large."

"I have a good job." Charlie said dismissively.

"It will tie you to your family, your heritage," Billy said. "Like it or not, you are one of us."

"I'm not. I have a family. I have a heritage. Billy, you were a brother to me before. Sarah and the kids, they were always family to me. This changes very little."

"It changes some, though." Billy said with some confidence.

"It does, yes," Charlie admitted.

Sam, Rachel and Bella climbed back into Sam's car. Billy had settled into his old routine of watching the game with Charlie. Billy talked Charlie's into giving him a lift home after.

"What about getting my GED?" Bella asked in the car. "I want to do it the way that Paul did."

"He said the tests weren't hard, and you're better at school than him, Bella," Rachel encouraged her.

"Oh, I'm not worried about passing. I'm worried about waiting another month or two before anything else gets done. I've already missed months of school so this is my only real choice."

"I'll call Harry Clearwater when we get home," Sam said. "He helped Paul with this process. He'll be able to help you too. It shouldn't take long."