THE SHAPESHIFTER
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The sun's rays hit the soil, making Bree's marble skin sparkle. The light folded from it, falling to the ground like a disco ball.
The horse-sized wolf stared at her. Its dark grey nose sniffed the air suspiciously as she laid on the ground, too scared to stand up. She was worried it was about to attack. She wasn't ready to go yet. Her memories of the dangerous wolves killing her former coven mates made her icy skin crawl. She wanted to run but didn't dare to do so. She knew that if she were to, she would end up dead.
The Cullens had fought alongside the wolves. Perhaps she could try to reason with the lone wolf before its pack members came to see what was going on. It had to be possible to talk to them. They had seemed to understand the yellow eyes in the clearing. She wondered if they were in some type of union together. It would explain why they had fought together. There weren't really any other reasons why the Cullens and wolves would have come together like that.
The young teen eyed the wolf. It stared at her calmly, like it was assessing her and figuring out if she was about to attack. It didn't seem to trust her, that was for sure. Behind its brown eyes, there was nothing else except wariness. It was almost daggering her with its gaze.
She didn't feel safe. She needed to find a way to calm the situation. Make the wolf leave her alone. But how she was going to do so was a question she did not know the answer to. Nevertheless, the sooner she was able to do so, the better. She didn't want to risk dying. Where were her capturers when they were needed? Why had they abandoned her when she needed them to come rescue her?
The sixteen-year-old girl let out a hiss. It was not her smartest move, but she wanted to assert dominance. Show that she was not scared of the intruder. Her hands dug themselves to the ground as she folded them tightly, feeling the dirt cluster inside her palms. She was ready to throw the wolf away if need arose.
The wolf responded to her sudden hiss by crouching down. Its eyes narrowed dangerously as it took support from the soil as well. The ground gave in under its paws, crumbling like the old ruins she had read about in geography.
The animal growled, taking her by surprise. The girl sprung upward, letting out another hiss. She had to flee. But where exactly, she thought frantically? Her senses searched the different directions discreetly, wishing the animal before her wouldn't notice. She fluttered her gaze quickly around, finding her previous trail of scent.
This interaction was not going well. Soon, her only option would be to run. She could try to follow her trail back to Carlisle and Esme. Surely they had started to wonder where she was and why she was taking so long to hunt a bear. They had to be searching for her, fearing that she had escaped.
Or at least that's what her logic said. She didn't know how great her logic was, but she hoped it wasn't the worst. If it were, she would be toast.
Her shimmering form started running. Her feet made dirt fly as she speeded through the plants. They brushed against her, making her wonder were the green plant's against her? Did they want to help the wolf? She needed to know which side they were on. The way they brushed against her clothes was slightly terrifying. She was scared the bushes were going to strip her of her garments.
She felt the wolf's paws hitting the ground behind her. They felt like giant's steps, shaking the whole ground with their enormous feet. Her anxiety kicked in. What if she would genuinely die before reaching the two Cullens she had come to hunt with? It was a very real possibility.
Her run in the bushes looked like it had been a good call. She had managed to slow down the sleek grey wolf after her. She felt relief wash over her, even if it had slowed down the animal for only a few seconds. That was still something.
She desperately attempted to turn invisible. She closed her eyes while running, concentrating on her body. But there was nothing. She stayed visible. Frustration grew in her. Why didn't her gift work? This was already the second time it refused to turn on. It was beyond frustrating that the power didn't cooperate with her.
Bree was sure she was going to explode from the different emotions she was feeling. It was a miracle that she was still running. They whisked inside of her painfully as she flew on the forest floor, her steps taking her closer to the place she had last seen Esme and Carlisle.
She could hear the two yellow eyes. Their words came from in front of her. Hope bloomed in her chest. She was close. Only a little bit anymore.
"Bree?"
Her trembling feet sprung faster onwards. She flew between the trees, dodging them like a rabid dog.
Her body came to a stop as she reached the two other vampires. Their eyes were glued behind her, wide from horror. Their gazes must have registered the wolf's movement and heard its footsteps.
"Bree, what have you done?" Esme gasped. She grabbed the girl, leaving her stunned by the action.
The teen let the woman pull her against her. She had an inkling that she should just let her do so. She wasn't sure if it was her survival instincts or something else, but she definitely wanted to follow them, instincts or not.
"Embry." Carlisle spoke calmly. His voice resonated in the thickening air.
The girl heard how the thrumming of the ground came to an end. The wolf's paws had stopped moving. She didn't dare to look at what was happening behind her. She was scared to face the horse-sized animal. What if it attacked her when she turned around? She was childish. She thought that if she didn't look at the creature, it wouldn't see her.
Carlisle's brisk steps moved in front of Bree and Esme. "I assume Bree surpassed the border?"
The newborn stayed silent. She didn't even dare to breathe. Partly because she was scared, but also because the scent made her sick. It was the most vile smell she had ever smelled. She couldn't understand how the yellow eyes were so calm. It was like she was smelling wet mould. If she were human, she would have puked out of disgust.
"I'm utterly apologetic. We haven't had time to explain the treaty to her."
A pawstep started to recede, causing the young teen to turn her head slightly in the caramel-haired woman's arms. Her eyes flashed with curiosity as they met Carlisle's. The man was looking at her, his face plastered with relief. The same emotion she had felt for a couple of minutes now, along with fear.
The blond man smiled at her encouragingly, trying to calm her down.
Someone was changing clothes. Bree heard the action as clearly as day. Fabrics rubbed against someone's body. It confused her profoundly. She couldn't wrap her head around the sound. What could have made a noise like that?
Soon it stopped and was replaced with footsteps. A boy came into view. His short black hair and brown eyes shone in the sun as he approached the trio.
Where had the wolf gone, and why did the brown-haired girl still smell the disgusting scent so strongly? It was disturbing.
"Carlisle." The stranger nodded, his daggering irises locked to the newborn.
There was something familiar about the irises. She couldn't place what, but she was sure she had seen them somewhere. She tried to jog her vampire memory, but was astounded that it wasn't working. Her memory was supposed to be enchanted, supernatural. Why couldn't she recognise the boy? It was odd.
"Embry." Carlisle greeted the stranger again. He looked at him politely. "May we talk with Sam?"
The boy called Embry nodded sharply, causing a small grin to form on the blond man's lips. "Thank you."
"Follow me. Sam wants to meet back at the border, or can I say the crime scene." The smelly human, Embry, said. His emotions were hidden by his blank face, not revealing themselves to the trio.
It did not help the newborn's turmoil. She was confused and sure that something bad was about to happen. Her body was starting to stiffen more, ready to bolt from her place. She had to keep all of her concentration on it so she would not run and exacerbate the situation.
Esme's hands stroked her back gently, nudging her to take a step back towards the direction she had almost lost her life in. Fear gripped her heart. She did not want to move.
"Bree." Carlisle commanded. He stood a metre away from her, waiting for her to walk to him. "We need to go."
The girl blinked. Her throat had formed a lump while she had ruminated in her thoughts.
"Let's go, sweetie. Everything is going to be okay. We will talk to Sam, explain what happened from your point of view, and sort everything out, alright?" the caramel-haired woman comforted behind. The vampire's hand's contact with her marble skin hardened.
She didn't have a choice. The young teen had to follow the others. They were going to hurt her if she disobeyed them. Before her brain had time to continue her thought, she took an unnecessarily long step towards the blond leader. Her sneakers squeaked, making her shudder backward.
Her humiliating movement did not, sadly, go unnoticed. Embry frowned, looking quite confused by her sudden movement. He had clearly never seen a vampire trembling the way she had.
The two yellow eyes gave the boy an awkward smile. Their eyes now pleading with the young teen to walk, they turned their focus on her.
Bree hurried forward, rigid from embarrassment. Not wanting to risk delaying them with her idiotic blunders, her steps fastened.
She was becoming more convinced she was supposed to become a clown rather than a vampire. No normal immortal bounced like a ball from slight sounds, nor was the world against them either. There had to be something wrong with her. Maybe she should seriously think about a career switch. Being a vampire was clearly not for her at this point. She was on edge all the time, but she couldn't help it. It was in her nature. Or very least, caused by her human life.
The others followed her. Their steps echoed behind her, haunting her with their sounds. She realised it had not been the best idea to lead the group. Or was she leading it? The two Cullen's and the black-haired boy all stared at her back. Did they think she was going to bolt? Run for her life? And then decide to guard her from behind? It was a possibility. She had to admit that she was still considering fleeing away. Her nervous system would have loved the escape, but she doubted she would get far; therefore, it was useless to attempt.
Her senses located a heartbeat. It was coming from the border. Its delicious pumps brought the taste of blood to her tongue. The sweet taste of human she had missed. To her bewilderment, her nose filled with the revolting smell again. She gagged, frowning at the scent. When it had left her nostrils as she left the two vampire's and the human behind, she had thought it would not come back. The wolf was, after all, gone, but she had been obviously wrong.
The wind played with her dark hair, moving it backwards towards the others. She stopped. Her crimson gaze had caught a person. She snarled.
"Bree! Stop it," Esme commanded, distraught. Her hands found their way to her shoulders as she walked up to her. "Please calm down. It's just Sam. It seems he arrived before us."
Carlisle's steps quickened, and he took hold of the newborn's right hand. "You have to behave. We cannot leave the wolves any reason to break the treaty." He lowered his voice so that only the girl heard his words.
She gulped nervously, looking into his golden eyes.
"Come on, let's go." The blond man's voice softened from the distress in her pupils. He and Esme nudged her onward, keeping their hands on her firmly. They had not appreciated her sudden snarl.