Immortal Beloved

Chapter 22

Rain returned to Forks that Sunday morning, freeing me to walk about the town as I pleased. I didn't often walk around in town; normally when I wanted to get out and think, I would take to the woods. But the presence of the werewolves in those woods, and the fact that I couldn't trust their ilk, made me hesitant to go to my normal running spots.

I bundled up like a human would for a walk in the chilly spring rain and held a black umbrella over my head even though the rain on my head and face didn't bother me. I walked through my small neighborhood, glancing at the houses as I passed by. I thought about the people that lived within: most of them I didn't know. I may have shared classes with their children. They had probably never seen my face before, yet partially because of Ana and me, they were all in mortal danger.

I had never before been so concerned about the safety of humans. They were always my prey. For over 150 years, I had no problems with draining a human of their blood to continue my horrid existence. I couldn't say exactly when the change had happened, when that human part of me had reawakened. It may have been as far back as when I joined Ana. I wished more than anything that I could bury that human Bella again. Things were so much simpler.

I found myself walking down the street which would lead to the high school. I hadn't been paying attention to where I was going, and I had apparently traveled my routine path. The white building shown in the distance, exposed by a completely empty parking lot. I could see the orange double doors of the school, locked until the following morning when students and faculty would return to a new week of public education, entirely unaware of the supernatural struggle happening around them.

I became aware of two sets of footsteps behind me, followed by the scent of werewolves. The rain had dampened their scent, and they had hidden their presence from me until this moment.

Turning around, I met Paul and a young black teen girl. Paul had grown a couple of inches since our meeting just a couple of weeks ago. The young woman was quite tall herself, her muscles well-built and strong. She gazed at me coldly, her nose turned up.

"Am I not allowed to walk in my own neighborhood?" I asked.

"We got this," the girl said, her gaze turning into a glare.

"Get out of here, blood sucker," Paul spat. "Get out of town, while you're at it."

"We're not going anywhere," I shot back. "This is my home. I made a deal with Peter that we would leave, but you guys have reneged on the deal. So we're staying."

Paul scoffed. "Peter shouldn't have made that deal."

"Isn't he your alpha or whatever?" I asked. "Don't you have to listen to what he says?"

"It doesn't work like that," the girl said. She shifted, her muscles tensing. "Peter's weak. Jacob know what's what. We don't tolerate you."

"Jacob," I breathed. I should have known he would be the driving force behind all of this.

A deep, unnerving growl left Paul's throat. "You better run," he snarled, "or Magdalena and I'll tear you in half."

My instincts threatened to take over, and I only wanted to run. I glanced around myself, however, trying to hold onto my rational self. I had been trapped by these werewolves before, and I couldn't help but wonder if Paul and Magdalena wanted me to run, to shepherd me into another ambush.

I tossed my umbrella aside and braced myself, bearing my own fangs. "I'm not afraid of you," I spat, balling my hands into fists. "You can't hurt me like that, and you won't dare transform out in the open." I nodded to the houses along the street and hoped someone was watching.