Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
CHAPTER FORTY
"No, there's no way in hell that you are going."
Ellie Hadley sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose in irritation. It was all too easy to forget at times that Jasper was once a Major in a completely different time, and had seen things that Ellie couldn't even imagine. But the second Ellie had brought up her upcoming trip to Seattle, something had snapped. Jasper's pace now stiff and quick, his tone sharp and authoritative as he dismissed Ellie's reasoning.
"It's just a trip to Seattle, Jazz." Ellie continued, adding his nickname in an attempt to defuse the tension slightly. "A quick look around the colleges' there, although I'm already so late to admissions so it will properly be next semester but I still want to give it a shot. Plus it's my last chance to see Elijah before I graduate."
"Do you even want to see him or is that just another excuse?" Jasper asked.
"It's not an excuse!" Ellie exclaimed hotly. "Of course I want to see him. We've had differences in the past but at the end of the day, we are still brother and sister. Besides, it's practically the same as the trip that Bella took last weekend to go see her Mom. I'm just doing the same but with my brother."
"That's different." Jasper returned with his arms crossed.
"How so?"
"Edward encouraged Bella to take that trip to keep her away from the threat of Victoria. But you are running straight into the threat with little regard for yourself."
"It's Seattle!" Ellie exclaimed. "I've been there multiple times and nothing's happened, killings and disappearance aside. I'm staying with my brother anyway and he isn't going to let anything happen to me either."
"In case you forgot Eleanora, you are still vulnerable everywhere you go." Jasper started, Ellie flinching at the use of her full name. "You could fall asleep, anywhere, anytime. You have no control over it! The incident with the Volturi is just another example of that."
"You can't seriously be holding that against me now!" Ellie shouted, before turning her back on the blonde vampire. "You're unbelievable."
"Ellie?" Jasper asked softly, his undead heart plummeting when he felt the waves of sadness and anger from Ellie hit him immediately. "I'm sorry, okay? I just don't want to see you hurt, and I can't protect you in Seattle."
"Well, maybe I don't need protection," Ellie muttered bitterly before her own face softened. "I'm sorry too. If it matters so much to you, I'll think about not going, okay?"
"Okay," Jasper repeated, his eyebrows furrowed as he watched Ellie sit back down on her bed, briefly wiping under her eyes. "I probably should go but I'll see you soon, Ellie." Jasper continued, waiting for a response only to receive silence. He sighed before pressing a kiss to the crown of her head before leaving out of the window.
"Are you sure this is okay?" Bella started as looking over to where Ellie and Jacob walked beside her. "I really hate being a party crasher."
Ellie had quickly pulled herself together after her and Jasper's fight real fight in their still-new relationship, calling Bella who was spending the day with Jacob, soon after to explain. Bella quickly deciding that Ellie needed the distraction even if it was only for a night, had invited her to whatever 'party' Jacob had teased earlier in the day.
"I second that," Ellie chimed in. "I'm not even supposed to be here."
"Technically you're both council meeting crashers. Besides Ellie, everyone is still happy to have you here, even if it wasn't planned." Jacob started, before gesturing to the group gathered around a fire in front of them. "See, the council leaders. Dad, Quil's grandpa and Sue Clearwater. She took over for Harry when he died."
"Okay, I should not be here." Bella continued, Ellie quickly nodding in agreement.
"It's okay. I thought. . .I mean they thought it would be good for you both to hear the histories." Jacob answered. "I was about to invite Ellie as well but you bet me to it."
"The histories? The tribe's histories? Aren't they secret?" Bella asked.
"We've all got a role to play, you're both apart of this." Jacob continued, looking over to the two brunettes. "I mean it's the first time that Seth, Leah and Quil will hear them too, but you two are the first outsiders, ever."
"If I had known that, I would've. . . I don't know dressed better?" Bella trailed off awkwardly.
"Jake!" A voice called as Ellie looked up to see a young teenager walking up to them. "It's about time you got here. Paul's been hovering the grub but I saved you some burgers."
"Bella, Ellie, this is Seth Clearwater, Leah's brother. The newest member of the pack." Jacob introduced.
"Hey, nice to meet you," Ellie added, offering her hand for him to shake.
"Newest, bestest, brightest." Seth boasted with a wide grin.
"And slowest." Jacob joked, pulling Seth into a headlock, Ellie watching with a grin.
"Come on!" Seth exclaimed eventually pulling free from the headlock. "Your Dad's about to start."
Ellie soon settled around the fire with Bella on one side and Jacob on the other, turning to Billy Black as he begun the story of the tribe's histories.
"The Quileute have been a small tribe from the beginning. And we've always had magic in our blood. We were great spirit warriors, shape-shifters that transformed to the powerful wolf. This enabled us to scare off our enemies and protect our tribe. One day our warriors came across a creature that looked like man but was hard like stone and cold as ice. Our warriors' sharp teeth finally tore it apart, but only fire would completely destroy it. They lived in fear the cold man was not alone. They were right." Billy began, Ellie watching him carefully, drinking in every word. Any type of history always fasincanted her. But similar with her initial curiosities around vampires, any other history that was completely out of the norm seemed to fascinate her even more.
"She took her vengeance out on the village. Our elder chief, Taha Aki, was the only spirit warrior left to save the tribe after his son was killed. Taha Aki's third wife would see that he would lose. The third wife was no magical being, no special powers but one. Courage. Third wife's sacrifice distracted the cold woman long enough for Taha Aki to destroy her. She saved the tribe. Over time our enemies have disappeared but one remains. The cold ones. Our magic awakens when they're near and we sense it now, we feel the threat in our blood. Something terrible is coming and we must all be ready. All of us."
