Apogee - Earthshine Sequel (Twilight Fan Fiction)

Chapter Sixteen - Changing To Animal Blood

A scream rose in my throat, but I knew that it wouldn’t come out clearly. Without thinking, I ran at Jacob, placing myself between him and Benjamin. I saw a flash of surprise in Jacob’s golden eyes, just as he crashed into me.

His heavy weight pushed me against Benjamin, who was pushed into the tree. I heard it snap under the heavy weight, and I dug my feet into the forest floor to stop us from falling back further. I felt Jacob’s paw scratch across my cheek unintentionally, and pain shot up it.

Jacob, regaining his balance, pushed away from me, his teeth bared. Benjamin’s arms closed around me, and I fell against his chest. I felt his breath against my hair, and I looked towards Jacob.

“Jacob,” I whispered, only just regaining my balance.

He growled in response, looking at Benjamin.

“This is Benjamin,” I introduced him, stepping to the side. His arms left me, but one wrapped itself around my waist.

“It seems that every time I come here I get attacked,” Benjamin mumbled.

Jacob growled again.

Alice sighed from behind him, throwing up her arms. She marched up to Jacob. “Do you have clothes?” she demanded, and he inclined his head, looking down at his front right ankle. Wound around it was a dirty pair of three quarter length shorts. With a nod, she pushed him away from us. “Go change,” she told him firmly. “So we can explain properly. I don’t enjoy feeling like I’m talking to a dog who doesn’t understand a word I say.”

“Maybe you are,” Benjamin pointed out with a small smile.

Jacob growled at him before jumping out of the clearing, into the trees. As soon as he was gone, Benjamin turned me around in his grasp to face me. His grin left his face, his eyes full of regret. I looked away from him, not wanting to meet his gaze. “You promised that you wouldn’t leave me,” I whispered, staring at the ground.

Benjamin let go of me, dragging his hand through his short hair. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled. “You know I am.”

“But you don’t act like it,” I whispered, turning back to look at him. “The way you left, it was as if it was as easy as counting. You just… left.” I felt my eyes burn at the thought.

Benjamin took my wrists in his soft hands. “I know, and I’m so, so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you, and I didn’t mean to make it seem as if I didn’t care. It hurt to leave you, but I knew that if you saw me hurting, you’d want me to stay even more.”

“So why are you here? Why come back, to only go and destroy the wall I’ve just started to rebuild?”

“Because,” Benjamin said, leaning close to me, “you are safer with me than away from me.” I slipped my wrists out of his grasp, and he lowered his hands. I didn’t understand. Why would he go against everything he had said before? “El, I know you’re upset, and I know you don’t trust me now-”

“No, I don’t trust you now. You promised.” I raised one of my hands to my face, expecting it to be wet with tears, but it was completely dry. Instead, I felt a small crack, slowly healing from where Jacob had scratched me.

Benjamin raised his hand to my face, brushing away mine and stroking my hurt cheek with the edge of his thumb. “What will make you forgive me?” he whispered.

“Don’t leave me,” I whispered back. “Stay with me. And if you don’t want to live here, I’ll go to Egypt with you. Just don’t leave me.”

Benjamin smiled softly, leaning closer to me. The tip of his nose lightly touched mine before he brushed his lips softly across mine. He drew away, but my lips begged for him to kiss me again. I leaned close to him, closing up the space between us. Noticing my wanting, he pressed his lips to mine. My hands linked themselves around the back of his neck, and one of his hands slid up my back, the other cupping my chin.