one week later
…
Bella
…
After my phone calls with Dad at the station and Billy, who was only a three-minute drive away, I decided to take this into my own hand. I drove around the reservation before going to the Black's house, maybe we would catch sight of her, or Jacob, or Embry. I seen a tall boy with a baseball cap walking along the left side of the road.
My breath caught for just a moment in my throat, hopeful that luck was with me for once, and I'd stumbled across Naomi without hardly trying to. But this boy was too wide, and the hair was short under the hat. Even from behind, I knew it was Quil. He was a lot bigger than the last time I seen him.
I crossed over onto left side and stopped next to him. Quil looked up when the roar of my truck approached. His facial expression frightened more than it surprised me. His face was bleak, brooding, his forehead creased with worry.
"Oh, hey, Bella," He greeted dully.
"Hi, Quil… Are you okay?"
He looked at me morosely, "Fine."
"Can I give you a ride somewhere?" I offered.
"Sure, I guess," he mumbled.
Quil shuffled around the front of the truck, he opened the passenger door and climbed into the cab.
"Where to?" I asked.
"My house is on the north side, back behind the store," Quil answered.
"Have you seen Naomi today?" The question burst from me almost before he'd finished speaking.
We looked at Quil eagerly, waiting for his answer. He stared out the windshield for a second before he spoke. "From a distance," he said finally.
"A distance?" I echoed.
"I tried to follow them – she was with Paul." His voice was low, hard to hear over the engine, I leaned closer. "I know they saw me. But they turned and just disappeared into the trees. I don't think they were alone – I think Sam and the others might have been with them.
"I don't understand, Naomi and Paul were at each others throats all the time… they were all… I've been stumbling around in the forest for an hour, yelling for them. I just barely found the road again when you drove up."
"So Sam did get to her," I gritted my teeth together with the tone of my voice distorted.
Quil stared at us, "You know about that?"
I nodded without looking at him, "Nao told me… before."
"Before," Quil repeated after me, and sighed.
"Naomi's just as bad as the others now?"
"Never leaves Sam side," Quil turned and spit out of the open window.
"And before that – did she avoid everyone? Was she acting upset?"
His voice was low and rough. "Not as long as the others. Maybe one day. Then Sam caught up to her."
"What do you think is it? Drugs or something?"
He snickered, "Naomi smoked weed, but this is different. I can't imagine the Twins or Naomi getting into anything like that… but what do I know? What else could it be? Paul? Hanging around Paul again… I'll kill that mother—Why aren't the old people worried? Her father out of all people, why would he let her to be around Paul again?" He shook his head, and the fear showing in his eyes now. "Naomi didn't want to apart of this… cult. I don't understand what could change her." Quill looked over at me, his face frightened, "I don't want to be next."
I shivered, "Are your parents any help?"
He grimaced, "Right. My grandfather's on the council with Naomi's dad. Sam Uley is the best thing that ever happened to this place, as far as he's concerned… He won't make that known unless he insults Naomi."
We stared at each other for a prolonged moment. My truck was barely crawling along the empty road. I could see the village's only store not too far ahead.
"I'll get out now," Quil said, "My house is right over there," he gestured to a small wooden rectangular house behind the store. I pulled over onto the shoulder of the road, and Quil jumped out.
"I'm going to wait for Naomi," I told him in a hard voice.
"Good luck," He slammed the door and forward along the road, his head bent forward, his shoulder's slumped.
Quil's face haunted me as I made a wide u-turn and headed back towards the Blacks'. He was terrified of being next. What is happening here?
I parked in front of the red faded house, and propped my feet up on the dashboard and settled in to wait. I spotted Billy in the curtain in the front window, I smiled a tightly and waved once as well. His eyes narrowed; he let the curtain fall across the glass. I was prepared to stay as long as it took, but I wished I had something to do with myself. I dug up a pen out of the bottom of my backpack, and an old test. I started to doodle on the back of the scrap paper. I only had time to scrawl one row of diamonds when a sharp tap against the glass of my door.
I jumped, looking up, expecting Billy.
"What are you doing here?" Naomi growled.
I stared at her in blank astonishment.
Naomi had changed radically in the last weeks since I've seen her. The first thing I noticed the planes of her face seemed to have hardened subtly, tightened… aged. Her neck looked longer, slim, her shoulders and collarbones were femininely defined. Her body slimed down, all of her childhood weight on her body gone and resulting in a stunningly toned curves, her arms are toned. Her hands, where they gripped the window frame, her hands were slim and feminine but they were different too, strong looking. But these physical changes were insignificant.
It was her expression that made her almost completely unrecognizable. The open, friendly smile was gone like the warmth in her dark eyes altered to a burning resentment that was instantly disturbing. There was a darkness in Naomi now. Like my sun had imploded.
"Naomi?" I whispered.
She just stared at me, her eyes tense and angry.
I realized we weren't alone. Behind her stood five others; all tall and russet-skinned, black hair cropped short unlike Naomi's. They could have been her brothers – I couldn't even pick Embry or Jacob out of the group. The resemblance was only intensified by the striking similar hostile in every pair of eyes. Every pair but two, I didn't see one of the boys from behind Naomi's frame. But there was one I did see. The oldest by several years, Sam stood in the very back, his face serene and sure. I had to swallow the bile back in my throat.
"What do you want?" Naomi demanded, her expression growing more resentful.
"I want to talk to you." I answered.
"Go ahead," she says uninterested, shifting weight onto a hip.
"Alone… please," I pleaded quietly.
Naomi looked back at the group; Sam's head tilted as he stared right back at her. She spoke in in an unfamiliar, liquid language—I could only be positive that it wasn't Spanish or French, but I guessed it was Quileute. Sam nodded as he glanced over at me and then back to Naomi, and replied back in Quileute, I looked back at the group of boys and met the eyes of the one I didn't see before. I jolted in the seat after a moment watching the boy's expression in his eyes change—from here, I noticed the change before his expression from before returned. The one boy who didn't deter his eyes from me, spoke in the language too and everyone looked at him and then to me.
Sam went to respond again when the boys face grew hard along with his eyes, I didn't understand it but his anger towards me ripped the hole open in my chest.
"No! No! I don't want you! I don't want a leech-lover!" His voice was full of hatred, and it hurt me so much and I didn't know why.
"Paul!" Naomi shouted standing in view of me, that's Paul?
"What?! It's the fucking truth, Nao! I'm sure the leech-lover will be thrilled to help us out!"
"Don't talk about her like that!" Naomi shouted back, I watched as they seemed to shift towards each other.
A shudder rippled through Paul, along his shoulders and down his spine.
"Paul! Relax!" Sam ordered.
Paul shook his head back and forth, not in defiance, but as though he was trying to concentrate.
"Jeez, Paul," One of the other boys – probably Jared – muttered. "Get a grip."
Paul twisted his head towards Jared, his lips curling back in irritation. Then he shifted his glare in my direction. Naomi took one step to put herself in front of me.
That did it.
"Oh right! Protect her!" Paul roared in outrage.
Another shudder, a convulsion, heaved through his body. He threw his head back, a real growl tearing through his teeth.
"Paul!" Sam and Naomi shouted in unison.
Paul seemed to fall forward, vibrating, violently. Halfway to the ground, there was a loud ripping noise, and the boy exploded. Dark silver fur flew from the boy, coalescing into a shape more than five-times his size – a massive, crouched shape, ready to spring. The wolf's muzzle wrinkled back over his teeth, and another growl rolled through his colossal chest. His dark, enraged eyes focused on me.
In the same second, Naomi was running across the road straight for Paul. Panic raked through my chest, panic for Naomi going straight for the wolf, and panic for Paul waiting for Naomi's approach.
"Naomi!" I screamed.
Mid-stride, a long tremor rolled down Naomi's spine. She leaped forward, diving headfirst into the empty air.
With another sharp tearing sound, Naomi exploded, too. She burst out of her skin – shreds of black cloth of her clothes blasted up into the air. If I blinked, I would've missed the whole transformation, it happened so quickly. One second Naomi had been diving through the air, and then it was a gigantic, beige copper female wolf – so enormous that I couldn't make sense of the mass that somehow managed to fit inside of Naomi—charging at Paul.
Naomi met the other wolf head on. Their angry snarls echoed like thunder off the trees. The black cloth straps fluttered to the ground where she'd disappeared.
"Naomi!" I screamed, staggering forward.
"Stay where you are, Bella," Sam ordered, it was hard to hear him over the roar of the fighting wolves. They were snapping and tearing at each other, their sharp teeth flashing toward each other's throats. The Naomi-wolf seemed to have the upper hand—she was visibly bigger than Paul-wolf, and it looked she was stronger, too. She rammed her shoulder against the grey wolf again and again, knocking him back toward the trees.
"Take her to Emily's," Sam shouted toward the trio of other boys, who were watching the conflict with rapt expressions. Naomi had successfully shoved Paul off the road, and they disappeared into the forest, though the sound of their snarls were till loud. Sam ran after them, kicking off his shoes on the way. As he darted into the trees, he was quivering head to toe.
The growling and snapping was fading into the distance. Suddenly, then a howl ripped through the air, the trio perked up.
"Oh shit." Jacob nudged Embry's arm, they were unmistakably identical twins, both looked like Naomi more than others. I knew it was them from the distinct expressions in their eyes. I picked that up subconsciously when I first met them.
"She challenged him." Jared said.
Another howl ripped through the air before I could even question.
"Uh oh, better let Billy know," Jacob says before sprinting to the front door.
"He accepted." And then one of the boys started laughing, I turned to stare at him—my wide eyes felt frozen, like I couldn't even blink them.
It was Embry, snickering at my expression, "Well, there's something you don't see everyday," His face is thinner than the others.
"I do," the other boy, Jared, grumbled. "Every single day."
"Aw, Paul doesn't lose his temper every day," Embry disagreed, still grinning. "Maybe two out of three."
Jared stopped to pick something black up off the ground. He held it towards Embry; it dangled in limp strips from his hand.
"Totally shredded," Jared said. "Billy said this was the last pair he could afford—guess Naomi's going barefoot now."
"This one survived," Embry said, holding up a black Vans sneaker. "Nao can hop," he added with a laugh. "Naomi is the one that loses her temper every day."
"You know she hates Sam being in charge." Jared started collecting various pieces of fabric from the dirt. "Get Sam's shoes, will you? All the rest of this is headed for the trash."
Jacob came back from the house, he glanced at me as he passed grabbing Sam's shoes, and then jogged into the trees where Sam disappeared. He was back in a few seconds with a pair of cut-off jeans draped over his arm. Jared and Embry gathered the torn remnants of Naomi's and Paul's clothes and wadded them into a ball. Suddenly, they seemed to remember me.
Jared looked at me carefully, assessing.
"Hey, you aren't going to faint or puke or anything?" He demanded.
"I don't think so," I gasped.
"Maybe you should sit down, you don't look so good."
"Okay," I mumbled.
For the first time today, I put my head between my knees.
"Suits Naomi and Paul to both lose their temper at the same time." Embry complained.
"Yeah, both over Swan. What did she expect?"
"Well, the wolfs out of the bag now." Embry sighed. "Way to go, Nao."
I raised my head to glare at the three boys who seemed to be taking this all so lightly. "Aren't you worried about them at all?"
Jacob blinked once in surprise. "Worried? Why?"
"They could hurt each other!"
The trio guffawed.
"I hope Paul gets a mouthful of her," Jared said. "Teach her a lesson."
I blanched.
"Yeah, right!" Jacob and Embry disagreed.
"Did you see Nao? Even Sam couldn't have phased on the fly like that." Embry said.
"She saw Paul losing it, and it took her, what half a second to attack? The girl's got a gift." Jacob finished.
"Paul's been fighting longer. I'll bet you twenty bucks he leaves a mark."
"You're on. Naomi's a natural." Jacob grinned widely.
"Paul doesn't have a prayer." Embry said, the twins shook hands with Jared, grinning.
I tried to comfort myself with their lack of concern, but I couldn't drive the brutal image of the fighting werewolves from my head. My stomach churned, sore and empty, my head ached with worry.
"Let's see Emily. You know she'll have food waiting." Embry looked down at me. "Mind giving us a ride?"
"No problem." I choked.
Jacob raised an eyebrow, "Maybe you'd better drive, Embry. She still looks like she might hurl."
"Good idea. Where are the keys?" Embry asked.
"Ignition."
Embry opened the driver-side door, "In you go." He says, cheerfully, hauling me up from the ground with one hand and stuffing me into the middle seat. He appraised the available space. "You'll have to ride in the back, guys," He told Jared and Jacob.
"That's fine. I got a weak stomach. I don't want to be in there when she blows."
"I bet she's tougher than that. She runs with vampires."
"Five bucks?" Jared asked.
"Done. I feel guilty taking your money like this," Embry says.
"I don't," Jacob cackled, hopping into the bed of the truck.
Embry got in and started the engine while Jared leapt agilely into the bed with Jacob. As soon as his door was closed, Embry muttered to me, "Don't throw up, okay? I've only got a ten, Jake only has 2 dollars. And if Paul got his teeth into Naomi…"
"Okay," I whispered.
Embry drove us back toward the village.
"You said she challenged him, who?" I asked.
"Sam, Naomi challenged Sam for the alpha title. Finally."
"Alpha?"
"Yeah, you know like a real wolf pack. Sam's in charge and the council want him in charge. Naomi hates it, hence losing her temper every day." I didn't like the way that sounded.
"Why do they want him in charge?" I asked, my eyebrows pulling together.
Embry hesitated, "Uh…" He exhaled sharply, "It has to do with Naomi being a girl and fifteen. They believe that she phased mistakenly and are not taking seriously whatsoever."
"They're sexiest?"
"I wouldn't say that—"
"Then what else would explain the reason for being a girl? And?" My voice was tight and defensive.
"Try telling them that. Old Quil won't budge."
"Naomi's awesome, is he jealous?" I asked.
Embry chortled, "I don't know maybe. The guy is ancient. Should've seen his face when he first seen her after she phased. Think that was the first I ever seen the man have a reaction over than grouchiness. He thought she was hooker."
"Are you fucking serious?" I snapped.
Embry chortled again, "I wouldn't worry about it. I have a feeling Naomi will kick Sam's ass. She's fast."
"Where are we going?" I asked.
"Emily's house. She's Sam's girlfriend… no, fiancée, now, I guess. They'll meet us back there after they finish what's going on. And after Paul and Naomi scrounge up some new clothes, if they have any left."
"Does Emily know about…?"
"Yeah. And, hey, don't stare at her. That bugs Sam."
I frowned at him, "Why would we stare?"
Embry looked uncomfortable. "Like you saw just now, hanging around werewolves has its risks." He changed the subject quickly. "Hey, are you okay about the whole thing with the black-haired bloodsucker in the meadow?"
"It didn't look like he was a friend of yours, but…" Embry shrugged.
"No, he wasn't a friend of mine."
"That's good. We didn't want to start anything, break the treaty, you know."
"Oh, yeah, Naomi told me about the treaty once, a long time ago. Why would killing Laurent break the treaty?"
"If they bite a human. Jake wasn't so keen on the idea of letting it go that far."
"Oh. Um, thanks. I'm glad you didn't wait." Jake? Then I remembered that our of all three of the boys of Naomi's friends she was closest to Jacob, but I never seen Naomi in the meadow.
"Our pleasure." He sounded like he meant that in a literal sense.
Embry drove past the easternmost house on the highway before turning off onto a narrow dirt road.
"Was…" I hesitated, her color and her shape I don't remember her in the meadow, "Was Naomi not there in… the meadow?"
Embry shifted slightly, he shook his head, "No. Sam ordered her to stay home. She's been ordered to stay home most of the days out of the week."
"So today he decided to unground her today?" I asked sarcastically.
"Yeah. For the council meeting today. Your truck is slow." Embry noted.
"Sorry."
"Then who was his red head mate?"
Red head mate. Wait. I'm so naïve, how did I miss that? How could I forget that it wasn't over.
"Red head?"
"Yeah. There were two of them. We thought his mate would fight us – in our stories, they usually get pretty pissed if you kill their mate – but she kept running away and then coming back again. Naomi caught her yesterday, caught her off guard before she killed her. It seemed too easy, she kept dancing around the edges and testing us, but Naomi took care of her while she was distracted with a civilian."
"What do you mean distracted?" I asked slowly, afraid of the answer feeling green again.
"You know, getting her fill of blood."
"Wait," I was staring at Embry stunned, "She killed Victoria?"
"Victoria?"
"Yeah, red hair, catlike vampire. Victoria."
"Oh," he was amused by them having names again, "Yeah she killed Victoria."
"She wasn't his mate. They were just old friends…"
"Hey, don't puke!" Embry glanced at me and the road swiftly, using the lever to crack the window down.
"I'm not going to puke. I'm just… shocked."
"You look sick."
I shook my head, I ran my hands through my hair, "No, I'm okay." I was more shocked than anything, "She killed her?" it was outspoken thought.
"Uh," Embry glanced at me, "How do you know about the red head."
I stared at the empty cavity in the dashboard where my stereo should've been, "Edward killed James." Not a single once of pain raking my chest leaving me breathless and holding myself together with my arms wrapped around my torso. "She did get pissed off… But Laurent said she thought it was fairer to kill me than Edward. Mate for mate… not that things aren't like that, anymore."
"She wanted you?" Embry asked looking at me with open mouth surprise.
"Not anymore," I say, "Naomi killed her, remember?"
"Yeah but still," Embry says and then he focuses on the road again.
At the end of the lane was a tiny house that had once been grey. There was only one narrow window beside the weathered blue door, but the window box under it was filled with bright orange and pink marigolds. It was a cute little cabin.
Embry opened the truck door and inhaled, "Mmm, Emily's cooking."
Jared and Jacob jumped out of the bed of the truck and headed towards the door, Embry stopped Jared with one hand outstretched towards his chest. He looked at me meaningfully, and cleared his throat.
"I don't have my wallet on me," Jared said.
"That's okay. I won't forget."
They climbed up the one step and entered the house without knocking. I followed after them inside. A front room, like Billy's house, was mostly kitchen. A young woman with satin copper skin and long pin-straight, crow-black hair was standing at the counter by the sink, taking out sheets of braised meat out of the oven. For one second, I thought the reason Embry had told me not to stare was because the woman was beautiful.
And the she asked "You guys hungry?" in a melodic voice, and she turned to face us full on, a smile half of her face.
The right side of her face was scarred from hairline to chin by three thick, red lines. Livid in color though they were long healed. One line pulled down the corner of her dark, almond-shaped right eye, another twisted the right side her mouth into a permanent grimace. I was thankful for Embry's warning, I quickly turned my eyes to the meat on the counter. It smelled wonderful, the spices and herbs with the sense of a savory and hearty.
"Oh," Emily said, surprised. "Who's this?"
I looked up, trying to focus on the left half of her face.
"Bella Swan," Jared replied, shrugging. Apparently, I've been a topic of conversation before. "Who else?"
"Leave it to Naomi to find a way around," Emily muttered. She stared at me, and neither half of her once-beautiful face was friendly. "So you're the vampire girl."
I stiffened, "You're the wolf girl."
"I guess I am," She turned to Jared, "Where's Sam?"
"Bella, err, surprised Paul this afternoon."
Emily rolled her good eye. "Ah, Paul," she sighed. "Do you think they'll be long? I was just about to set the table."
"Naomi challenged Sam," Jacob says.
Emily stops what she was doing, the air around her changed, that didn't go unnoticed by Jake and I. "What?" Her voice angry and then she masked it and turned back to the stove.
"Don't worry," Embry told her. "If they're late, we won't let anything go to waste."
Emily chuckled after an abbreviated moment and then stirred something in a pot, "No doubt." She agreed, her voice still edgy.
Emily set the table with the meat, a massive bowl of mashed potatoes and gravy with a salad.
"Bella, are you hungry? Help yourself to a plate."
The boys at the table were already helping themselves and I walked over getting the same sense that it was one-for-all-all-for-one. Embry shoved a whole thick slice of braised beef into his mouth, his third one already.
Emily hit him with a wooden spoon, "Save some for your brothers, and your sister," She chastised him.
The words surprised me, but the others thought nothing of it.
"Pig," Jacob tormented Embry.
I leaned against the counter and watched the four of them banter like a family. Emily's kitchen was a friendly place, but the aura wasn't, bright with white cupboards and pale wooden flooring. On the round table, a cracked-blue-and-white China pitcher was overflowing with wildflowers. Jacob, Embry, and Jared seemed perfectly content here.
The front door opened, and Sam steeped through the threshold.
"Emily," He says with so much love that I felt intrusive as I watched him cross the room in one stride and take her face in his wide hands. He had a long jagged, healing scar on his chest to the middle of his abdomen. He leaned down and kissed the dark scars on her right cheek before he kissed her lips.
"Hey, none of that," Jared complained, "I'm eating."
Jacob dramatically dry heaving.
"Whatever," Sam replied before kissing Emily's ruined mouth again.
"Ugh," Embry groaned.
This was worse than any romantic movie; this wasn't like watching Seth and Naomi together, this hurt me in ways I couldn't understand. I was grateful for the distraction of Paul and Naomi coming in through the front door, and then I was shocked when I saw that they were laughing. They both appeared to be in one piece. Naomi scanned the room, her eyes stopping on me leaning awkwardly against the counter, out of place.
"Hey, Bells," she greeted us with that signature sunny smile. She picked up a plate from the table and made up a quick plate and came to stand with us. She went to speak when Jared groaned in disappointment as Embry and Jacob snickered.
"Oh, man!" He wailed, interrupting.
I looked up, Jacob, Embry and Jared were examining a fading pink line on Paul's forearm. Embry and Jacob grinning, exultant. I couldn't understand the concern I had for Paul, I looked away when he looked up at me, I felt blood rush to my cheeks at the thought of being caught by him of me staring.
"Twenty five bucks," Embry crowed.
"Did you do that?" I whispered to Naomi.
"I barely touched him. He'll be fine by sundown."
"By sundown?" I looked at the line on Paul's arm. Odd, but it looked weeks old.
"Wolf thing." Naomi whispered.
"You okay?" I asked quietly.
She smirked smugly, "Not a scratch." She looked over at Emily smacking Embry with the wooden spoon again when he swallowed another slice of meat whole. Naomi flickered the back of his neck, "Yo, python. Can you eat civilized and chew your food," It wasn't a question, her voice leaked with stern authority that spread around to the other boys including Sam.
Paul started cackling at Jared face after a long moment of calm and silent eating and then all the boys turned towards Naomi, expect Paul and Jared.
"You won?" Jacob asked after a flash of realization crossing his facial features.
Naomi grinned, "Of course."
Embry and Jacob whooped, I stepped back as they slides descended on Naomi, Jacob picked her up right off her feet and over his shoulder. Jacob smacked her butt once.
"Jake!" Naomi exclaimed as he turned and she reached for the counter, he turned again and she looked down at us, "Jake, put me down you loaf."
Jacob set her back down her feet before Embry put her in a headlock and gave the top of her head a nuggie, "How does it feel to be alpha now, Mi?"
Naomi pinched the back of his thigh in a pressure point and he let her go with a cry, I giggled at Naomi putting her hands up dramatically to Embry like she was about to do some karate moves.
"How does it feel to be in the running for Beta, Bry."
"I hate that name."
"Does it look like I care?"
Emily groaned aggravated as Sam and Paul gave her a look, she glared at Naomi with her good eye, "If you have no ties here, then please take your leave."
Embry let go of Naomi as the twins looked down at her, Paul stood up from the table leaving his plate there, Jared also stood up from the table too. They were the first ones out of the front door.
"Emily," Sam chastises.
"Save it, Sam. Patrol at midnight until 6 tonight, you and Jared are on tonight. Jacob and Paul will relieve you in the morning." Naomi says, "Bella, come on."
With a final look over to Sam and Emily, Sam looked away from me and followed Emily further into the house, I followed after the others out of the house to the sun setting behind the clouds.
"Well, that was fun," Jared grumbled crossing his arms as they gathered near my truck.
"So much for hot food," Embry shrugged.
Naomi rolled her eyes, "Oh relax, let's head over to Dad's. I had him order pizzas just in case."
"How did you know that was going to happen?" Jacob asked and then I noticed someone was missing from the group, Embry, Jacob, Jared and Naomi.
But no Paul.
"Hey."
I nearly jumped out of my skin and looked over at Paul, holding up his hand, "Jeez, you scared me."
"I'm sorry, I thought you seen me." Paul's eyes flickered over my face and he smiled softly, "I didn't mean to startle you."
"It's okay," I said. I looked down at his injured forearm, "Are you okay?"
Paul choked surprised and looked down at his forearm and back at me, "Yeah, I'm okay. Are you okay? I'm sorry about before I-uh." He seemed to be at a lost for words.
Naomi bumped her hips with his, and she spoke in Quileute to him. Paul glared over at the three others snickering. Paul nodded when she was done speaking and he relaxed.
Naomi looked over at me smiling, "What's up, Sandy?"
"Grease references now?" I asked.
"Of course," She grinned, "Lets go get some pizza."
If only the truck had started, Naomi looked over at me as the ripping engine sputtered and died, silence from the truck when she kept turning the ignition. It sounded like my truck just died, I looked at her hopefully after she checked under the hood. She dropped her hands on the steering with a sad sigh after trying the silent ignition again.
"Uh oh, Christine died."
"Huh?" I stared at her wide eyed.
"Sorry, wrong reference. Old Yeller has finally croaked. Shit, he was supposed to last until the end of the school year."
"No!" I wailed.
Naomi put a hand on my thigh, patting it lightly, "It's alright. Time for a different type of transportation." She grinned with pure mischief.
I squeaked, "I don't like that smile."
Naomi just grinned wider before running into the trees, we got out and slammed the doors closed just as a massive animal jumped out of the trees. At first, I jumped and then I realized it was only Naomi was a werewolf, standing tall and sleek, her fur glistening under the pale light from the dark grey clouds. She shook out her fur, stretching her legs with a wolf noise rumbling in her chest and she shook her head, her tongue lolled out of her mouth with a wag of her tail. She lowered down onto her belly, jerking her head to her back this is what she meant by other transportation, I mounted Naomi like a horse, and she made another noise as she stood up.
"Hold on," I said to myself with a sense of déjà vu.
Naomi made a agreeing noise and began to trot into the tree line, massive wolves began to come out of hiding spots as she trotted into the dark forest, Naomi was the second tallest wolf here. I wasn't sure if I was right about the fur colors of the boys but I had a sense that russet brown and tan wolf was Jacob by the look of intelligence in his eyes, a look in his eyes that reminded me of Naomi. A multi-colored spotted wolf knocked his head into the russet brown wolf and then loud growls that were pure playfully with fast whipping of the massive thick tails between the wolves. Naomi made another noise and then grey wolves fell into step with her as she began to pick up pace, the playful growls cut off and then the world was flying past.
Cold wind whipping across my face, my fists full of Naomi's fur, I closed my eyes after my eyes started tearing up uncontrollably and the wind was too harsh to face head on. I soaked in the wind blowing against me, my mind silencing as I soaked in this moment. Everything that I have been worrying about was gone in a blink of a air, everything felt like my lungs were breathing in air for the first time. Barking from underneath me and around us, I opened my eyes just in time to see Naomi launching her off a short cliff to the other side on a small forestry canyon, I looked around us to the other wolves in mid-air and an uncontrollable squeal left my throat of amazement.
Naomi made noise from below which sounded like animal laugh as she landed on the other side gracefully before launching forward again and weaving between trees and overgrowth. For the first time since January, adrenaline rushed through my veins without his velvety voice yelling at me, for the first time since January, I wasn't worried about my impending nightmares or the hole in my chest.
…
"Nao," I called as I stopped in the treeline across from the road and her driveway.
They all turned to us but Jared, Embry, and Jacob continued walking, Paul continued after a brief moment and Naomi approached me.
"What's up?" She asks putting her hands on her waist.
Laurent in the meadow talking about Victoria and Naomi's stories on the beach what seemed like years ago now, replayed in my mind and made me pick at the skin around my nails out of anxiety. But then Embry telling us that she killed Victoria made me relax, as terrifying as Victoria was and how certain I was that I would dead when Victoria came around again. But here I was, with Naomi, standing here, breathing and unharmed, and there she was standing there waiting for me to speak with the sun already set and I could barely see her in the dark.
Immense gratitude filled my chest, my lips started pulling into a smile and I threw my arms around her.
"Thank you," I stuffed my face into her shoulder with a soft chinrest from her chest, "Thank you for killing Victoria."
Naomi wrapped her arms around me, she squeezed me lightly, "You're welcome. I told you I'm always here for you, no matter what."
Then I pulled away, "Did you… break up with Seth because of all this?"
She nodded.
"So you still love him."
She nodded, "Bad. Like cancer."
"He left two weeks ago on Saturday… to Jacksonville."
Her face expressed her heartbreak, "What?"
"He didn't want to be here anymore. He didn't want to believe you didn't want to be with him. So he left."
She bowed her head in despair.
