Chapter Two
Chapter Two
There are now eight of us in the pack; eight members whose lives are forever ruined. Seven females and poor Seth who thinks it’s the coolest thing ever. Our numbers are growing and others are showing signs of turning. I pray every night for this madness to end - let it be enough - but it doesn’t look like anyone is listening.
At the meeting tonight we learned why this is happening. Filthy bloodsucking demons have come back to Forks - to land that is rightfully theirs under a treaty formed by the elders in our tribe many years ago. It makes me physically sick to even think of those unnatural, dangerous predators living and working so closely with humans. It would be so easy for one of them to lose control and take a human life.
It worries me to no end that five members of the coven are attending Forks High School, masquerading as teenagers. I’ve found myself restlessly running through the woods toward Forks time and again, heading toward Jacob’s house before I’m called back by Samantha. Her orders are binding as she is Alpha amongst us. But I have a burning need to protect Jacob. I’ve got to find a way around the decree - to at least warn him. But she won’t let me get near him because they haven’t broken the treaty.
My desperation grows day by day - to the point that I needle my dad into visiting the Swan’s so I can at least make sure that everything is okay. It would give me some peace of mind to know that Jacob isn’t associating with them. Samantha can’t keep me home - my dad needs me to do the driving.
I drive faster than I should through the pouring rain. My heart is beating erratically and even though I’m trying to keep myself calm, I don’t know that I’m managing very well. We pull up to their small house and I notice that next to Jacob’s truck is a shiny silver Volvo.
I jump out of the Rabbit and am assaulted by the foulest, sickly sweet stench I’ve ever smelled. My stomach roils and it takes a massive effort for me to hold the vomit down. My hair is standing up on end, and goosebumps break out over my flesh. I know, intrinsically, that this scent means enemy.
I don’t pause to consider my actions, and I barely hear my dad’s panicked voice in the background as I charge up the steps to the house.
The door opens before I reach for the handle and I take three stumbling steps backward as I’m face to face with it. She’s a near perfect copy of the thing that haunts my nightmares, pale as graveyard stone, unnaturally still, perfect bronze colored hair artfully arranged around her head. Her eyes are an unnatural topaz color, soulless as I suspected. She’s shorter than I am, I notice absently, and has curves in places I’ve only dreamt about. But no matter how physically perfect she looks, I know what she is.
Vampire.
“Bella Black,” she says in an almost musical voice, “I know why you’re here. You have nothing to fear from myself or my family. We do not hurt humans.”
“You were built to kill,” I hiss quietly. “You’re a filthy bloodsucking demon.”
She sighs tolerantly, a small smile on her lips and I want to strangle her.
“Where’s Jacob?” I demand “What are you doing here?”
“Upstairs, taking a shower after our hike. I’m taking him to dinner.”
I bark out a laugh. “You’re going out to eat? How fun. I know Jake just loves O negative.”
She flinches. “You know what I mean. I want to get to know him better. He’s the only one I can’t hear…”
I have no idea what she means but it doesn’t matter anyway. “Over my dead body,” I snap.
“There really is no need for this hostility. What do you care anyway? You’ve been ignoring him for weeks now. He was incredibly lonely. It’s fortunate that my family moved back here when we did,” she smiles, “I had no idea that anyone like him even existed in this world.”
I bite back a snarl. “I was ignoring him for his own safety. Being around me is a little hazardous - much like being around a soulless bloodsucker. If your coven hadn’t come back - this would have never happened to me, or to the members of the pack. Your so called coven ruined whatever chances we had at having a normal life. For that alone I should kill you right now.”
She narrows her eyes at me. “You can’t possibly believe that, can you? It happens whether we’re in the area or not. I suggest you head back to La Push where you belong, behind the treaty line.”
“I’m not breaking the treaty if I’m not phased. And I’m warning you, right here, right now that if you don’t leave Jacob alone we are going to have a big problem - and so will the rest of your coven.”
She sighs, and glances behind me. “Your father is getting increasingly anxious. Go back to him and go back home. I’ll ignore the threat you just made. You’re not thinking clearly. You don’t want to go to war with us - nor do we wish for any conflict. Besides - I won’t be in the picture for very long. I don’t normally make a habit of associating with humans. It would be best for Jacob to not form a friendship with me.”
Then why are you here with Jacob? I open my mouth to ask but she answers my question.
“Honestly? I don’t know. Other than I find him completely intriguing. He’s the least predictable person I’ve ever encountered. He never says or does anything that I’m expecting. And before I leave him alone for good I want to know why.”
“You’re putting him in danger because you’re curious?” I ask, flabbergasted. I would never do something so selfish!
“You’re right. It is incredibly selfish. But when you’re afforded the luxury of immortality - there aren’t many things that are interesting after awhile.”
Suddenly, something clicks in my head. I put two and two together.
“Yes,” she admits. “I can read the minds of those around me. I’d thought your elders would have informed you.”
My mind is a giant fucking blank. I have no response to this bombshell.
“Jacob is getting out of the shower now,” she says unnecessarily.
“Yeah, I know,” I snap. My hearing is ridiculous - I can hear my dad cussing me out in the car and the shower knobs being turned off, and fucking conversations going on in all the houses around us.
She bows her head slightly. “So you realize this conversation is over.”
I grab the front of her expensive looking blouse, pulling her close and stare into her eyes with all the intensity in my body. “This is far from over. And I swear - if you hurt him in any way I will end you.”
I feel tremors running up and down my skin. If she doesn’t agree I am going to lose it.
“I won’t hurt him,” she says firmly.
I stare at her a few seconds longer. And then I see it - a tiny hint of uncertainty.
But before I can question her further I hear footsteps on the stairs. And then she’s stepped aside and I see Jacob.
He stops short as he sees me. His eyes flicker to the leech and I know him well enough to know when he’s uncomfortable.
He stares at me with sad eyes before straightening up and walking forward. “What do you want, Bells?”
I don’t have a response prepared. I stare at him like an idiot.
The bloodsucker excuses herself, leaving us standing on the threshold of the door like strangers.
I reach out to take his hand but he crosses his arms and frowns.
“I thought you never wanted to see me again,” he says in a detached voice. “So there must be some reason you’re here, unless it’s to stomp all over my heart again.”
“Jacob…”
“Don’t worry. I’ll leave you alone. I won’t call you and I won’t come back down to La Push. So you can rest assured - it will be like I never existed.”
I can’t help it, tears slide down my face.
He takes a step forward and then stops himself. “Don’t cry. You have no reason to cry.”
“Yes I do,” I manage to blubber, “I have every reason to cry. I’ve lost the only thing I fucking care about.”
He looks unsure. “What did you lose?”
“You!” I wail in despair.
He shakes his head and steps forward, wrapping his arms around me. “I don’t understand, Bells. You don’t want me around and… now you do?”
I look at him through my tears. “I’ve always wanted you, Jacob. But I can’t have you. And it’s killing me.”
“Why? Why can’t you? Bella - you know how I feel about you. You know how much I care…”
“You only want to be around me because I take your mind off things, and I’m just not that carefree anymore. I have responsibilities now and I’m different…”
“You’ll always be Bella. And I’ll always want to be around you - as much as you let me.”
“Why?”
“Because, you silly, complicated girl - I love you, or hadn’t you noticed?”
That stops my tears in their tracks. I stare at him. “You love me?”
He nods, looking more afraid than I’ve ever seen him. “Of course I do. And whatever is going on in your life - you can talk to me about it. I’m willing to listen, no matter how hard it is. You just have to trust me the way that I trust you. We’ll figure it out together.”
And though I know that I’m completely doomed - and my father is threatening to disown me - and there is a bloodsucker in the house behind him - and Samantha is going to kill me - I don’t care. Because I love him, too. And at least for this one second - I’m going to be happy.
“Fuck it,” I say, and lean forward, crushing my lips to his. I pull back and look into his stunned and happy eyes. “I love you too, Jacob. I always have.”
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