Twilight in Babylon The Vampire Saga by Julien Gregg
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Chapter Eight Wolf-Man
To say that Edward and the entire Maxwell family leaving left me slightly unbalanced would be an understatement. I had molded my life around Edward. I always had unfettered access to him when the sun went down. Now I was left to myself when before I met Edward that would have been fine. Now it wasn't.
If Charlie noticed that the house was utterly clean he didn't mention it. Kale didn't either. I didn't get uptight about Charlie coming home muddy from fishing or Kale dropping things as he came through the door. I just picked up and cleaned up after them all of the time.
I had also taken to sleeping quite a lot and talking to the Gods. The talk in my dreams wasn't exactly reassuring but it helped a bit. I was only working every other day at the flower shop which I thought was stupid. I spent the other days in bed, talking to the Gods. They seemed to know when I needed to wake up and do things for the family. I thought it was working out fine.
But I rarely had anything to say. I didn't say more then two words to Charlie at the table or to Kale at work. I talked to the customers but that was just my job. I wasn't much in the mood for chat so I was pretty quiet. One day about a week after the Maxwells had left, Charlie called me on it.
"You're not talking to us much at all," he said. "Kale says you talk to your customers when you're at work but you barely say anything to us at home."
"I have nothing to say that would contribute to a conversation," I said, congratulating me for saying eleven words.
"Beau," he said and then sighed. "I know you're hurting, Son. I wish I could help you with it."
"I'll be fine," I said. "My heart is broken but it's not the first to be broken."
"That is true," Charlie said. "Mine was broken by your mother."
"Why didn't you ever remarry?" I asked, drawn into this topic more than any other.
"Never met the right woman," he said. "I dated a bit for a while but they all just wanted to be the sheriff's girlfriend. I want a woman who loves me for me."
"That makes sense," I said.
Then it was back to silence as we ate. I really had nothing more to say that day and didn't. He looked at me from time to time but he never said anything. I made it a point to stay out of my room when he was awake and home. I didn't want to run the risk of being asleep and getting caught.
Depression is an ugly thing, and I was getting to know that particularly well after Edward and his family left Babylon. I still had hatred in my heart for Billy Black and I wasn't sure what to do with it. I'd known the day he saw me in the diner that he'd pull some kind of stunt.
When I was finally able to go to bed at a decent hour for Charlie I surrendered to the Gods again. This time it was only Ren, Darias, Elle, and Poseidon. I didn't know where Isis and Ra were.
"You're back," said Poseidon as he watched me walk up the stone steps.
"I keep coming here when I sleep," I said.
"You're drawn to us because of your pain," said Elle. "You are most welcome among us, Beau. Usually we only see the dead who come to Mount Atlantis."
"Who comes to Mount Atlantis when they die?" I asked.
"Witches, vampires, drones, Super Drones, Forsaken, hybrids," she said. "They're all our children. It is only right that they return to us when they die. There is a place not far from the throne room for them. They live here in peace and tranquility."
"Will I come here when I die?" I asked.
"If you die," said Darias. "You are to become a powerful vampire."
"I still don't understand that one," I said. "Edward and his family left Babylon. I am alone."
"You're not alone," Ren said. "There are other vampires of our line out there, Beau."
"I don't want another vampire," I said. "I want Edward."
"And Edward wants you," said Darias. "When there is a will there is always a way."
I woke up. It was still dark in my room so I didn't know what had woken me up. I sat up and looked around just as I heard my door click shut. So they were checking on me huh? I wasn't having nightmares or calling out to them. What were they looking for?
When I went back to sleep it was to a dreamless sleep that I succumbed to. In the morning I was up before Charlie and Kale. I made breakfast again. This time I made biscuits and gravy. Charlie was amazed when he sat down for breakfast. Kale just smiled and made his plate. I made mine as Charlie stared at the Country Gravy.
"You used a mix?" he asked.
"No," I laughed. "I made it from scratch."
"God, Beau," he said as he started to make his plate. "What can't you cook?"
"I don't know," I said. "I'll find out one day."
"I hope it isn't soon," Kale said with a big smile as he ate.
The days went on and I was lost in the tide of all that happened. I decided that I wanted to find the meadow that Edward had taken me to one day. I packed a bag, made a lunch and drove to where I thought it was. I was wrong. After hiking and falling through the forest I gave up and headed straight back to my truck.
The next day I was at work and Jacob came in. He smiled at me and I smiled back to let him know that I didn't blame him for what his father did. He talked to me a bit and asked about Charlie.
"He doesn't talk to my dad anymore," he said.
"Your dad stuck his nose where it didn't belong," I said with a heat that surprised even me.
"Yeah," he said. "He went around me and got a vote that was marginally on his side. It's all fixed now. He did that just to get rid of the Maxwells. They can come back any time they want because I don't feel the way my father does about them. If you want to be with them that's your business."
"I have no way to contact them to let them know that they can come back," I said. "Your father made sure of that. They were to leave Babylon and get out of my life."
"I don't know where he gets off telling them to get out of your life," Jacob said. "Like I said it's your business not his."
He left after that but I was still thinking about what he said about the Maxwells being allowed to come back. First I didn't think they needed anyone's permission to come back. Second he didn't feel the way his father did about them being in Babylon well that was great. If I had a way to contact them I'd let them know that. But Edward had been thorough. None of the email addresses worked, the phones had all been shut off, and there really was no contact.
I spent my days either working or looking for the meadow. I was getting nowhere without Edward to guide me. It was looking more and more bleak but I didn't give up. I was also making sure I was home in time to cook dinner and be with Charlie and Kale. It was a tight thing and I was getting exhausted from doing it all of the time.
Then it happened but I had got lost in the woods and stumbled to it by accident. The sun was down by the time I made it to the meadow. I knew that I was in trouble with Charlie for not calling and staying out this long but I was finally here. Then Laurent stepped out of the trees. He looked strange in the moonlight. His dark skin seemed to glimmer in the light. He walked straight toward me and I was scared.
"Beau," he said. "I was coming to the Maxwells to warn them that James has decided to kill you. He's angry about what happened with Victoria and wants your head for killing her."
"She tried to kill me," I said in protest but it was pointless.
"I know," he said. "I wish I hadn't come across you at this point because I'm so thirsty. I'm sorry."
"You can't kill me," I said. "You know that I could burn you to a cinder."
"But can you do it at will?" he asked, smiling at me and showing his fangs.
Then the unthinkable happened. Four huge regimented wolves came out of the trees. Laurent looked scared now. They came for him and he twisted and turned faster than I could see him but they took him down. They pulled his limbs from his body and then his head. It was sickening to watch but I was rooted to my place.
Then I remembered a story that Edward had told me about wolves. Was Jacob among them? I hoped he was because if he wasn't I would be dead in no time. I couldn't burn a wolf. Instead I held out hope.
"Jacob!" I cried and a russet colored wolf stopped and looked at me. "I knew you'd be among them. I'm lost and can't find my truck."
The wolf huffed at me and then took off in a completely new direction. He stopped and looked back to make sure I followed him. I did just that. He led me through the woods to the road where my truck was parked. Then he licked my face. It was gross but I stood and let it happen. I thanked him and got behind the wheel. He howled so loud as I started the truck.
He took off into the woods and I put the truck into gear and drove back down the road to the highway and back to Babylon. When I got home Charlie was waiting for me. I walked in and he just looked at me.
"I got lost in the woods," I said.
He took a look at the scuff marks on my jeans and sighed. Then he just shook his head. I waited for him to blow up but he never did. He just looked at me for a long moment and then sighed again.
"What were you doing in the woods?" he asked.
"Hiking," I replied. "I thought I would be back in time to make dinner for you but I got so lost. I finally found my way back to my truck out of sheer luck."
It had been luck after all. That Jacob was one of the wolves and had led me to the truck was pure luck. I just wasn't telling Charlie about the wolves. He knew that the tribe was full of shapeshifters but it was another thing to tell him that the boy he'd known for his entire life was a wolf.
"Well I hope you've got hiking out of your system," he said.
"I do," I replied.
"Good," he said. "We had fish and chips for dinner. There's some in the kitchen for you."
"Thank you, Dad," I said. "I'll wash up and eat."
"You have to work tomorrow?" he asked.
"Yes," I said. "Kale hasn't told you my schedule?"
"That was always between you and him," he said. "I just wondered what you would be doing tomorrow. I'll be fishing with Harry Clearwater for most of the day."
"Oh," I said. "Well I work from nine to four and then I'll be home. I might go to the reservation though."
Where that had come from I didn't know. I did need to tell the wolves about James coming for me. I just hoped they were in the mood to hear from me. I wasn't sure just how secret they were supposed to be.
"Well if you do just make sure you're home by curfew," he said. "People keep talking about bears of all things."
"I'll be home by curfew unless I spend the night at the reservation," I said.
"You could do that, though I don't want you near Billy Black," he said.
"There are other places to stay there," I said, but I didn't know that for sure.
I washed up thanking my lucky stars that Charlie was so understanding. I warmed up my fish and chips and ate that. Then I went upstairs and took a shower, putting my scuffed clothing in the hamper. I went to my room and tidied it up. Then I just collapsed in the bed and went to sleep.
"You've returned," said Darias. "What have you learned today?"
"That the tribal wolves are helpful," I said.
"The tribal wolves are protectors of the human race," he said. "They are not ours or in any way under our protection. You should be careful among them. Accidents happen."
"Jacob said that Edward and the Maxwells can return the Babylon any time they want," I said. "I just have no way of letting them know that."
"They'll know when it is time for them to know," he said. "Now let us speak about the Child of Apollo who is hunting you."
"James," I said.
"Yes," he said. "We came to your aid once before."
"I remember, though I thought I was dreaming," I said.
"You were not dreaming," he said with a smile. "You are so special to us, Beau. It is why you are allowed to come to us when you sleep."
"What do I do about James?" I asked.
"It is not your destiny to be killed by James," he said. "However other forces are at play. If we come to your aid this time a war of the Gods could happen. You must deal with him on your own."
"I'm going to tell the wolves about him," I said. "They killed Laurent pretty quickly."
"Yes," he said. "One Child of Apollo is no match for four shapeshifter wolves."
"I saw that last night when they killed Laurent," I said. "I hope they can kill James."
"You can kill James with your gift," he said.
"Yes but I'm always afraid that when I start using my gift I'll never be able to stop myself," I said.
"Just make sure that you don't grow to like your gift too much," he said. "It was given to you because you needed it. Free will has to be at play though. That means that you can get to rely on that gift too much and grow to like what it does."
"As it stands now I'm terrified of it," I said truthfully.
"It came in handy with Victoria," he said. "Though I fear that you might have a new gift that we did not intend."
"What gift could that be?" I asked, startled.
"I cannot say," he said. "It hasn't come to pass yet and I don't want to influence it. Just know that the new gift has its disadvantages."
"Should I be on the lookout for this gift?" I asked.
"You'll know it when it happens," he said. "So far it's only come close to happening once."
"You're being quite frank with me," I said. "I expected that Gods would speak in riddles."
"What good would that do?" he asked with a smile. "Riddles would just tie you up and make you try to puzzle out the meaning. What we tell you is truth that you need to know."
"Thank you for that," I said.
"You must wake now," he said.
And wake up I did. I got up and got dressed for work. Then I went downstairs to make breakfast. It wasn't anything special I just made eggs, bacon, toast, and hash browns. Charlie and Kale came down and ate but no one said a word to me. I liked that because I had nothing to say to them that morning. I was still trying to figure out what the new gift could be. Darias had said that it had come close to happening once.
I thought about it while I cleaned up after breakfast and at work, too. I was expecting Jacob to come to the store to talk to me about what had happened yesterday but he didn't come in. I spent the day thinking and answering questions and taking orders.
When I got off work I drove straight to La Push. I saw that Jacob was in the clearing with three other guys. I got out of the truck and walked up to them. Jacob looked at me and sighed.
"Beau, what are you doing here?" he asked.
"I came to tell you something," I said. But one of the guys looked pissed off.
"What did Jacob tell you?" he demanded. He was huffing breath as he talked.
"Beau, get back," said the tallest one. I stepped back.
"Paul, get it together," he said, looking at the shaking young man. "You know he's human."
"He knows too much," Paul said and then he exploded into a large wolf.
I took offense to this and before I knew what was happening I was bent over by the hook in my stomach that pulled me along. My fingernails grew as I watched them. They became claws. Hair started to grow all over me, and my face hurt. My nose extended, my ears grew. Then I knew what the new gift was. I was a wolf-man. I howled at Paul as I stood back up.
My clothing was ripped as I was now at least seven feet tall. Paul lunged for me and I swiped his face with my clawed hand. He yelped and fell back. Smoke appeared where I had scratched him. He came for me again. I roared at him and swiped him again. He backed off. Then before I knew what happened the tallest man was in front of me.
I looked behind me to see Billy Black wheeling himself out the back door of his house. I roared at him and wanted to kill him. Someone said no to me and I turned back to the tallest man.
"Beau, can you hear me?" he asked.
I whined like a dog. His look softened at that and I was thankful for that. I didn't want to fight with the wolves. I hadn't wanted to hurt Paul. I just wanted to tell them about James coming for me.
"Take him to Emily's," the tall man said. "She'll know what to do for him. Jacob help me with Paul."
Two other dark haired native boys drove my truck while I sat in the back. They drove me to a house surrounded by trees of every sort. The roof was green and extended over the patio. A woman came out of the house at the sound of the truck pulling up. She had a horrible scar on the left side of her face.
I jumped down out of the back of the truck and went to her. I whined and went to touch her face. She didn't back away and I gingerly touched the scar on her face. She smiled and told me it was all right.
"Who is this?" she asked.
"Beau Swan," said one of the boys.
"Not so fragile huh?" she asked with a laugh. "Interesting things happen around here all of the time."
"You find this interesting?" one of the boys said like he thought she was crazy.
"Well, first you all tell me that you had to rescue Beau from a vampire that wasn't like the Maxwells," she said. "Then he shows up here seven feet tall and all morphed out like a wolf-man. So yeah, it's interesting."
I whined at her again. She held my hand and asked me what was wrong. What was wrong was that I couldn't change back to my normal form. I just couldn't make words to say it. I tried and tried but only whining and a low growl came out of my mouth. Then I could make one word.
"Change," I said in a gruff voice that she seemed to understand.
"You can't change back, can you?" she asked.
I shook my head and whined again. She looked perplexed for a moment and then her eyes lit up. She led me to a bedroom and had me lie on the bed. Then she turned on a CD player that was just sounds of the forest. She told me to lie there and try to relax. Maybe it would help.
It helped me fall asleep is what it did. I had really terrible dreams while I slept but woke up to a sucking feeling from my stomach. I was human again which I was thankful for, but I was also starving. Standing up I lost my ripped pants and realized that I was back to a skin and bones physique. I sighed as I pulled them up and adjusted the belt to the last notch. It held them up but poorly.
I came around the corner to find Emily coming to check on me. She smiled when she saw me but then her eyes popped. She reached out and helped me to the kitchen. It was a long room with light green walls and beams on the ceiling. An island was covered with blueberry muffins which I could smell from the doorway. The table was off to the left and two very big people were sitting down. They all stood up when they saw me.
"Man," Jared said as he looked at me. "You're skinny as hell. I didn't see you like that before you transformed into wolf-man."
"This is what it does to me," I said as I sat at the table.
"Then you shouldn't do it," said another boy that I didn't know.
"This is Quil," said Jared, looking at me with wide eyes.
"Hello, Quil," I said, just reaching my waistband to keep my ripped pants on me. The belt needed another notch to keep them up.
I reached out to the beam that was from the floor to the ceiling to steady myself. My entire body shuddered. Emily came to my right side and Jared went to my left. They held me up as I shuddered again.
"What's wrong, Beau?" Emily asked me in a tone that told me she was worried about me.
"I'm hungry," I said. "The last time this happened I had to eat a lot to keep my body from eating itself. I need a big meal, and I mean a big one."
"Sit down," she said. "Jared, help him. I'll start cooking. Anything you want?"
"Something with protein," I said.
Jacob, Paul, and who I had now learned was Sam came through the door after that. Paul had white marks on his face where my claws had touched him. I felt horrible about that but he'd been prepared to attack me.
"Sorry," he said to me with a smirk.
"You came out worse for wear," I said, smirking back at him.
"Man, you look sick," he said. "This is what Billy was going on and on about before you went to Florida. We thought your vampire was draining you."
"Edward never bit me," I said, feeling pain in my chest at the mention of his name. "It was always this."
"You turned into super wolf and now your body is eating itself?" he asked. He was very astute.
"Something like that," I said. "I wasn't meant to morph into any kind of wolf. Gabriel used vampire blood to heal me after Victoria attacked me a few months ago. It turned the tables in my system. Now I can morph but it has a nasty side effect."
"Victoria was the red head, right?" Jacob asked.
"Yeah, I burned her until she was ash," I said.
"I remember," he said. "We came to help you but you didn't need our help."
"You helped me with Laurent," I said.
"Only because you didn't burn him," he said. "Why didn't you?"
"Too stunned by his appearance to burn him," I said. "But I came here to tell you about James. He's a blonde haired vampire like Laurent and Victoria. He's coming to kill me."
"You could just morph into wolf-man and tear him apart," said Paul.
"I shouldn't morph at all," I said. "It's why I'm so thin and sick."
"Yeah, you look like death," said Sam. "Does it do this to you every time?"
"I've only come close to morphing one other time," I said. "That's when Billy saw me at the diner. I had to eat a lot of really big meals to get back on track. This time it feels even worse than it did that time."
"Well I'm cooking as fast as I can but we don't have the food to keep you going," Emily said from the stove.
"I have money in my checking account," I said. "There isn't much but it should finance my diet for a few days. Last time it took days of eating really big meals to get back on track. I don't know what it will take this time."
Then I thought about something. "I need to call Charlie."
"He's fishing with Harry Clearwater," Sam said.
"Well when they get back can you bring him here to see me?" I asked. "He needs to know what happened and why this is happening. I'm going to have to be off work at the shop for a few days, too."
"You tell your dad everything?" Sam asked.
"We're witches, Sam," I said. "We don't keep secrets. If you don't want him to know about the tribal wolves I'll keep that a secret."
"I suppose it's all right for him to know about us," he said. "Something had to have been said to him about it at the meeting we had with the Maxwells about the Children of Apollo."
"I don't remember if anything was said to him then or not," I said. "My mind was on other things."
"Yeah," he said.
Emily put a plate with two steaks, eggs, hash browns, and toast in front of me. I made that disappear rather quickly. The wolves watched me with awed expressions on their human faces. Emily put another plate of the same thing in front of me and watched as I made it disappear.
I sat back and wiped my mouth with the napkin she'd provided. She looked at me with wide eyes as I sat there. My stomach had stopped that sucking feeling and I felt almost human now that I had some food in me.
"That's all I had for steak," she said. "Someone has to get some money from his account and go shopping."
"We can do that," Sam said. "Beau, do you feel all right now?"
"For now," I said. "It'll be a struggle all day for several days."
"Well then can I have your card to get food?" he asked. I handed it over after retrieving it from my wallet. I was thankful that my wallet was still in my pocket after becoming the wolf-man.
"All right," he said. "Jared, you keep an eye out for Charlie and Harry. Paul and Quil just stay here with Beau. Emily and I will go shopping."
They all left and I was alone with Paul and Quil. They just stared at me at first and made me feel uncomfortable. I was starting to get hungry again which surprised me. Last time I was able to make it hours between meals. But this time I'd actually morphed and it was taking a bigger toll on my body.
"I need more food," I said suddenly.
Paul was up and going through the fridge to look for something to cook. He came back with cold fried chicken and a bunch of tacos. I ate all of that and sat back. Then I yawned again. I got up and went back to the room I'd slept in and went to bed.
When I woke up Sam and Emily were back and a rack of ribs was waiting for me. I ate that and then the four rotisserie chickens they had with them. I ate those until they were just bones in plastic tubs. Then I sat back. I didn't feel hungry anymore which was good.
Charlie and Harry came in and Charlie took one look at me and sighed. He asked a million questions but shut up abruptly when I started to speak. He looked stunned when I told him that I had morphed into a wolf-man and kicked Paul's ass as a wolf. Then he told me that he would tell Kale that I would be out of work for a few days and that I should get better.
"Sam and Emily have that in hand," I said.
"So you're going to stay here for a few days?" he asked.
"Beau can stay as long as he needs to, Charlie," said Emily. "He paid for a bunch of food and I have it here. I'll cook him huge meals to get him back on track. Hopefully it won't take long."
Charlie and Harry left and I sat at the table looking at the top of it. Jacob came in and sat beside me. He handed me a bag from the diner and I opened it to find a cheeseburger and fries. I ate that slowly and thanked him for it.
"I can't believe you're here," he said after a little bit.
"Well I'm here," I said. "I just wish I hadn't morphed into Wolf-Man and messed up my body again."
"You've morphed into Wolf-Man before?" he asked, looking at me fully.
"No," I said. "I nearly morphed one night and then I was skinny and eating everything in the house and diner."
"Yeah, my dad saw you and that's why he went over my head and told the Maxwells to leave," he said.
"Yeah," I said. "He mistakenly thought my condition was Edward's fault."
"He did," he agreed.
"Well, Edward never bit me or anything like that," I said. "He and the Maxwells only drink evil blood."
"That's what Harry said to my dad," he said. "I didn't have a problem with the Maxwells. They don't bother me at all. The Children of Apollo do though."
"Yeah, James is after me," I said. "Laurent told me that James wants to kill me for killing Victoria."
"Well that's not going to happen with all of the wolves watching you," he said. "He won't come near us."
"Has he tried to come for me already?" I asked.
"Yes, twice," he said. "But we keep him away."
That was just great. James was hunting me, the wolves were hunting James, and I was sitting at Sam and Emily's eating everything in sight. The world was strange now that I'd come to Babylon to live with Charlie.
I went back to the bedroom and went to sleep after that. It seemed that all I was now was hungry and sleepy. I slept the night away and then I was up and tucking into a huge meal of pancakes and sausage. Emily had my diet in hand. I spent the day eating and wondering where the wolves were. Emily told me they were all asleep because they'd been out hunting James all night long.
That didn't sit well with me either. I didn't want the wolves getting hurt. That nearly made me laugh. I'd seen the way they'd taken Laurent but I was worried that James would hurt them. It was laughable I guess. I just ate my meal and kept my worries to myself. There was no reason to make Emily worry about Sam.
Jacob was my faithful sidekick as the sun went down. He stayed with me while Sam and the others were out hunting James. I didn't understand it at first but then I did. He was guarding me. That kind of made me feel special. I mean I wasn't interested in Jacob the way I was in Edward but it was nice that he felt that he should guard me.
I got to know the pack over the two weeks I spent with Emily. Paul was a hot head and that was evidenced by the day he'd tried to attack me. He told me he'd never make that mistake again. I laughed at that.
Quil was Jacob's best friend. They were waiting for Emory to join the pack but that would cause a scandal. Sure he was having high fevers and getting jumpy like Jacob and the others had before they first turned into wolves, but Emory wasn't a blood descendant of any of the tribal wolves of the past. Or so they thought.
His mother had come from another reservation pregnant with Emory. Now they were wondering which of them had a half brother. I found it fascinating but I kept that to myself. Jacob told me all kinds of things that he probably should have kept to himself while he sat with me.
When I was finally up to weight and ready to go home, the wolves went with me. Charlie was amazed as the guys came in an out of the house. He allowed it and even thought it was good for me to have so many friends. I had to wonder though. Were they my friends? Or was I just someone for them to protect?
I went back to work at Petals and Kale was happy. The wolves were morphed into wolves and patrolling the yard and the woods behind my house for James every night. They slept somewhere during the day.
This time my weight fluctuated if I didn't pay attention to it. Somehow morphing into the Wolf-Man had completely corrupted my system. Charlie noticed it and I began to make more food than necessary to keep myself flush with weight and health. I also began to spend most of my down time at the reservation.
Billy Black avoided me like the plague but that was to the good. I didn't have a good thing to say to him and he needed to stay away from me. Jacob didn't stay away. In fact, any excuse he could use to be near me he used. I didn't mind. He was the only one at the reservation that I really knew. I mean I was getting to know Emily and Sam really well having stayed with them through the worst of my weight problem. But Jacob was the one I'd known since childhood.
Then just as I had Edward in my room all night I now had Jacob in my room all night. It was a bit awkward at first but then I decided to let things let go. If he wanted me he could have me but he had to understand that I belong with Edward, and if I could find Edward to tell him that they could all come back then I would be with Edward and only Edward.
"Emily wonders when you're going to come back to the reservation," he said as he cuddled against me on my bed.
"I'll be there this weekend to help set up the forth," I said, trying to keep him from doing anything that would make me uncomfortable. Cuddling was one thing but the things I'm sure that he wants to do will go further and I wasn't ready for that.
"To tell you the truth I'm surprised you're in my arms like this," he said softly.
"Just remember that I'm in love with Edward Maxwell and only Edward Maxwell," I said.
"But he's not here," he said. "I am."
"That's not what this is about, Jacob," I said. "I do care for you."
"But it isn't now and is never going to be love," he said sadly.
"I'm sorry, Jacob," I said. "I'll give you what I can but that's the reality of the situation."
"Just think of it," he said softly. "You could move to the reservation and be my husband, one of the girls in the tribe will have babies for us. I'll be the Chief and you'll be my husband. We could be happy."
"I can see it, Jacob," I said. "I see it clearly when you hold me like this. The fact still remains that I want to be with Edward. I want to be a vampire."
"Yeah," he said like I'd gut punched him.
I felt bad but at least I wasn't leading him to go blindly over a cliff. I was being honest and honesty was key, right? It felt bad to make him hurt but I had to make myself clear. My destiny was to be a vampire and I wanted the vampire who made that happen to be Edward Maxwell.
We didn't say anything more that night. He just held me and made me very warm. I fell asleep in his arms and didn't dream a single thing. In the morning he was up before me and out of the house. I got dressed for work and headed out.
At work that day I tumbled it all over in my mind. Edward wasn't here. He'd left because Billy Black had made him leave. Jacob Black was probably in love with me. I could see the things that Jacob had talked about and it really did seem like quite a life. But it would end. I would die and my soul would go to Mount Atlantis with the other supernatural souls.
No, I wanted Edward. I just had to find a way to find him. It wasn't going to be easy. I started to research cardiologists and neurologists in major cities. I didn't find the Doctors Maxwell but I didn't give up. Of course I had to split the time I did this with making dinner and hanging out with Jacob, but I didn't give up.
The weekend finally came and I went to Emily and Sam's. It was there that I learned about imprinting. What I didn't know was that Sam had been as in love with Leah Clearwater as he could be. Then Leah's cousin Emily came down from another tribe and once Sam laid eyes on her she was it for him. He'd imprinted on her.
According to Sam imprinting made your world shift. Suddenly it wasn't the gods holding you to the earth it was the person you'd imprinted on. You became whatever they needed, a lover, a husband, a best friend, a babysitter, anything they needed. Emily was looking for love and found it in Sam. Sure it sucked that Leah was heartbroken but at least she understood imprinting.
I worried that Jacob had imprinted on me. Sam told me I'd know if he had and not to worry about it. If it was going to happen it would have happened by now. That made me feel a lot better. He explained that Fox the boy I'd yet to be introduced to had imprinted on a boy named Gage in his class. They were now best friends, thicker than thick. Jared had imprinted on a two year old girl named Claire. He'd be her steadfast companion and if she wanted her lover in the future. It didn't always turn out that way.
To me it seemed a lot like Bonding. You bonded who you wanted though. It didn't happen spontaneously. Yet sometimes the bond made you a lover or a best friend. It was like it in a way. Yet when I told Sam and Emily about the bond they didn't see that it was like imprinting at all. I just agreed to disagree.
Emily was baking pies, muffins, and cake for the Fourth of July. They were celebrating in the clearing in the center of the reservation. Sam and the other wolves were moving logs into place to give everyone a place to sit. I stayed with Emily as I couldn't even pull a log into place. She smiled at me and handed me an entire cherry pie. Then she got me a fork.
"You look like you've lost about ten pounds already," she said. "We'll fatten you back up while you're here. You have to do this at home, too."
"I know," I said as I took a bite of the pie. It was warm and delicious.
"Jacob is supposed to be making sure that you eat a lot to keep you weight up," she said. "I'll have a talk with him."
"You'll have a talk with the Chief of the Tribe?" I asked with a laugh.
"About this I will," she said.
I helped her put the boxes of treats in the back of her car. Then we headed down to the center of the reservation. I was amazed seeing Sam and Jacob carrying logs on their shoulders. I heard a hard "boom" when the logs were sat down. The place was transformed. It was usually just a clearing that the tribe used for tribal events. Now it looked like it was a festival ground.
They had a grill up with a roof over it. Someone was manning the grill with burgers, brats, steaks, and chicken on the grill. Next to it was a soda stand with a soda fountain. You could get beer there as well.
Emily and I transferred her treats to the third stall with a cotton candy machine and a kettle for corn. We lined the boxes up on the shelf behind the counter and she opened one box of each to put in the display case under the counter.
The girl behind the counter was my age with long dark hair that reached her shoulders. Her face was long and looked pinched with pain. I wanted to ask if she was all right but I didn't know who she was.
"Leah," Emily said. "This is Beau Swan."
"Nice to meet you, Beau," said Leah. She smiled when she looked at me but then went back to looking pained. I thought I understood what the pain was.
"It's nice to meet you, too," I said as I put down a stack of pie boxes and shook her hand.
After that Emily took me to eat. We went to the grill and I got two steaks. I ate them slowly while we walked around the clearing. There were toy stands, t-shirt stands, and a stand that sold hand-made items like dream catchers and shields. I looked at all of the items for sale and sighed. I had money I could buy whatever I wanted. I just wasn't sure what to buy.
"It's always awkward when I run into Leah," Emily said.
"I can imagine," I said. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be," she said. "It is what it is."
We went from the stalls to a log on the ground to sit while I ate. We talked about the party and the fireworks. I had to admit that I liked fireworks so tonight would be special. Jacob was somewhere in the thick of it. I hadn't seen him since I saw him carrying a lot literally on his shoulder.
"When does this thing start?" I asked.
"It has already," she said pointing to a group of people who were just arriving at the clearing. "Missing Jacob?"
"Something like that," I said. "He's been busy all day long."
"He's the chief," she said.
"That he is," I agreed.
"What exactly is going on between you and Jacob?" she asked. "If you don't mind my asking."
"Well, it was friendship," I said as I really thought about where we stood. "Now I don't know what's going on. That's my honest answer."
"Yeah," she said. "You went from a vampire to a werewolf."
"Something like that," I laughed. Jacob wasn't a werewolf. He was a shapeshifter there was a difference.
"What are the Forsaken like?" she asked. "I'd never seen one until Nathan started working at the hospital."
"They're all ruggedly good looking," I said honestly. "Tall and muscular, and they have this menacing aura or something like that. You can feel that they were bred for violence."
"So not like the wolves in the tribe at all," she said.
"They smell different, too," I said.
"What do you smell when you're around Forsaken?" she asked.
"It's a smell like the woods, a spent fire, and a lot of sandalwood," I said. "I'm not doing it justice but words can't describe the scent. It's many things all rolled up together."
"And the tribal wolves?" she asked.
"Those are easier to describe," I said. "There's a human scent to them mixed with a canine scent. I think of Fall when I smell them for some reason."
We didn't say much after that. The sun started to go down, music began to play, and there were people literally everywhere. I saw people I'd never seen before mixed in with people that were familiar. Charlie was there with Harry Clearwater and his wife. Billy was there with someone I didn't know but they kept their distance from me which was good.
Of course the wolves were there. Jacob came and went a lot before the fireworks started. Once they started he was on the ground between my knees. I had a good time at the fireworks display they were colorful and cool. When it was over people started to leave the clearing. The tore down the stands and the wolves moved the logs. It was like it never happened almost instantly.
Emily got a stack of pies that were still in the stand and we walked back to her house. We didn't say much. But we both knew that the guys would be there soon enough. I went to the bedroom that I was sleeping in and took off my clothes and changed into shorts and a t-shirt that I sleep in.
I came back and found a pie in front of the chair that I usually sit in. I smiled at Emily as she handed me a fork and sat down. It was my favorite cherry pie so I tucked in. She asked questions about the vampires while I ate my pie. I told her all I could. It wasn't a big secret between them because they aren't enemies.
I told her about Edward being able to read minds more than the others, Archie having the power to see the future and the past in flashes, and that Jasper could control emotions. That was all I knew about them but she was fascinated by what I told her.
She told me that the wolves when they were morphed they could read every thought in each other. That surprised me but at the same time seemed like it should be. That way they could run like a real pack. I didn't say it out loud but I thought it.
The guys came back and Emily gave them pie. They got large pieces but I got a whole pie that was now gone. Jacob smiled at me as he sat beside me. Sam kissed Emily in a way I wished I hadn't seen. The others dug into their pieces of pie.
I waited while they ate their pie to find out what they were doing tomorrow. Jared would be babysitting Claire, Fox would be off with Gage, Sam was staying home all day, and Jacob would be asleep. They were still hunting James every night so Sam staying home probably meant he was sleeping.