School seemed pointless to me right now, I hadn't been in two weeks. Dad urged for me to go but I wouldn't be able to concentrate, he knew that. So he decided to help, ringing in saying I was ill so I didn't have to endure facing everyone. The school would mail me any vital work I'd missed.
I was physically and mentally drained, all I ever did now was stay in my room either crying or sleeping but that didn't stop me from being tired continuously. I only left my room for food when I could be bothered to eat, I knew I was losing weight but I couldn't be bothered to care.
Everyone was gone.
Tori couldn't handle the loss of Jesse so she stayed with Seth and Dad acted like everything was normal. I couldn't talk to him about anything. Bella had fallen back into her pit of depression leading us to hardly speak to each other again, Jake leaving had torn us apart.
She had found him in the his new state a few days ago and longed for an explanation though he turned her away. He told her off for lying to everyone for having knowledge about my kind. He even used the term filthy bloodsucker. I guess he knew what I was now.
She was alone too, yet we were alone in different and in the same ways. We had lost everyone close to us, the Cullens, I had lost my friends, my brother and our best friend who I loved so much more than he would ever know and probably won't now.
It only hit me that it was love I was feeling towards him when my heart was breaking. The stabbing pain inside of me knocked the air out of my lungs every time I thought about him. Maybe if I had spent more time with him, seen him separately from Bella I could have stopped him from being sucked into Sam's stupid cult.
I had missed my own 18th birthday in my sadness, shutting everyone out completely because the one person I wanted to spend it with was ordered to stay away from me. The day after Ryan came over to visit, bringing my presents from my friends whilst I remained in bed pretending to be sick but he could see right through my façade.
I winced when I saw the state of his face when he walked in. His eyes were puffy and swollen, blood shot and bruised due to his broken, slightly wonky nose. Jake must have had some force behind that punch.
"Hey." He stepped into my room farther, shutting the door behind himself before looking over me. "You look terrible." I sniffled as my dam of feelings gave way and the tears began to fall. "Hey, hey, hey."
He clambered onto my bed quickly, pulling me into his lap as I cried and he rocked me. He let me cry for as long as I needed as I gripped onto his shirt. He'd occasionally kiss my head and stroke my hair, his affection slowly numbing my pain.
"They all left me." I whispered when I found my voice again. "They don't want me in their lives anymore." Maybe I was saying too much, Ryan could never understand why.
"How could they not?" He looked down at me, brushing the hair off of my tear stained cheeks.
"It's complicated." I looked away from him, my hands fiddling with his shirt.
"It's pissing me off." He spat and I allowed my eyes to glance back at his face. "They're crazy to not want you in their lives." He held my face with his free hand, stroking the silent tears away.
"I can't do anything about it." I mumbled, closing my eyes at the sweet caresses he was giving me, I needed to be wanted. I wanted to be needed.
"You shouldn't have to. Aria, they weren't worth it in the first place if they didn't give a second thought about you." My heart sank further into my chest. "I hate seeing you like this."
"I know." I said quietly, resting my head back on his chest.
"I just wish you were mine again." He sighed, hugging me tighter.
"I can't do that right now Ryan." I began to protest but he still held me close to him.
"I know. Whenever you're ready. No rush." He stayed sweetly, kissing the top of my head again.
"I'm sorry for what Jake did to you. There was no excuse." I felt like I needed to say something about his face, it just looked too painful to ignore.
"It's okay, I could give him a taste of his own medicine if you wanted." I shook my head lightly against his chest.
"Ry, he's huge." I didn't want anymore confrontation concerning me.
"I know." He said with a laugh but I knew for a fact Ryan wouldn't miss the opportunity for a fight with Jake if it came about. I just hoped I'd be there to stop it if it did. No matter how much Jake hurt me, I didn't want him to be hurt either.
* * *
I felt brighter the next day. Ryan's comforting had helped distract me from my pain that had made a permanent home in my chest over the past few weeks, and I used that as motivation to get out the house and check on Bella. I found myself running to her house, I didn't know how to cope or to move on. I couldn't, not with Jesse being a reminder that everyone had left me.
I arrived at her house only to find her scent leading off into the woods. I panicked instantly, now that she had lost Jake, she had lost her help to move on, being reckless was her way of escaping. I took off following her scent, I didn't know how far she had gone but I knew I needed to get to her before anything else did.
I knew I was getting close to her when her scent got stronger but it was mixed with another's, she wasn't alone. I recognised the scent, it was the vampire that had been around the Cullen house. I didn't know what was going on but I needed to get there fast.
I was coming up to a clearing and I could now hear the voices. Still being able to hear Bella's relieved me. "Edward would know who did it, and he'd come after you." She said frantically as I pushed myself harder.
"I don't think he will, after all how much could you mean to him if he left you here unprotected." Unprotected my ass but it seemed the closer I got the distance didn't decrease. "Victoria won't be happy about my killing you. But I can't help myself you're so mouth-watering"
I broke through the trees, both of them becoming visible. I ran forward just as he moved closer to her but I acted faster. I grabbed Bella's backpack pulling her back and out of his reach, bringing my foot up at the same time to kick the other vampire away from the both of us. He landed on his back on the opposite side of the field.
I hissed in warning as he began to stand. "You stay away from her." I glared at him as he watched me, fascinated by me.
"And who are you?" He chuckled making a shiver run up my spine.
"The protection you thought she didn't have. Who are you?" Bella seemed to know him considering he had mentioned the Cullens and Victoria.
"My name is Laurent. Victoria didn't mention you and I don't remember you being here a few months ago." He began to walk closer but I snarled this time and he stopped.
"Well that's odd considering she's the one that changed me." I explained, I didn't care sharing that; he would only report back to Victoria.
"But you're not a vampire, well you still look human and smell human. What are you?" He was intrigued his red eyes piercing through me as he stared.
"Aria..." Bella spoke quietly from behind me, her hand gripping my arm as I watched him.
"Aria... What a beautiful name." He made me feel sick, my name sounded wrong coming from his mouth. "I can smell the venom running through your veins Aria, you have the strength and the speed but you're human... Your heart still beats, you still breathe. Tell me, how are you so different?" He got closer with each step, though, he was the least of our worries when snarls and growls began to sound from the right hand side of the meadow.
The snapping of twigs and low rumbling growls echoed across the field, the same growls I heard on the night I saw Victoria. "I don't believe it..." Laurent's voice whispered just as two piercing eyes emerged from the darkness of the forest. Pure black, taller than any person at least ten feet long, was a wolf bearing it's teeth.
"Bella step back." I said quietly, taking steps back with her towards the trees. "Stay behind me." I whispered as it silently moved through the grass towards Laurent, only a few metres away from us. It growled again, the thunderous noise causing Bella and I to shrink away as we clung to each other's hands.
I cast a glance at Laurent who was moving slowly towards the trees on the other side of the meadow. Why was he so scared? He could surely beat an animal?
My thoughts were interrupted as more growls and snarls filled the air as more wolves stepped out of the trees, just as tall as the first one. Two stood on either side of the first beast, one a deep grey, the other brown, neither one quite as tall as the first but still monstrous in size. Four more then followed, lined up in a V, like geese flying south. Which meant that the rusty brown monster that shrugged through the brush last was close enough for us to touch.
"Aria?" Bella gasped as we watched them and I stood in front of her shielding her from the wolves and Laurent.
At the sound of my name leaving Bella's lips, the huge russet wold turned it's massive head to look at us. I felt myself shaking in fear as my eyes locked with the beast. It's eyes were dark, almost black and seemed to hold too much intelligence for a animal. As I stared into the wolf's eyes I couldn't help but compare the colouring to Jacob's dark, beautiful eyes. Maybe it was the crazy coming out of me after my weeks of pain, but I found myself reaching forward for the creature, until the large black one let out a low growl, taking the reddish brown wolf's attention away from Bella and I.
I followed the wolves' gaze as it remained trained on Laurent, his own eyes filled with shock and fear. I didn't understand the fear that surrounded him, surely a full vampire could tear apart a pack of wolves, no matter how big they may be. I gasped when Laurent suddenly turned, his body retreating to the trees in a flash.
The wolves were on him in seconds and we watched frozen in place as Laurent fought back the black wolf, the leader, it's powerful strike sending it back to me and Bella. It rose from it's feet quickly running after Laurent, all of them disappearing through the trees.
I didn't hesitate to grab Bella, lifting her up allowing for a faster get away in case the wolves came back. We got back to her house quickly, she felt the need to tell her father what has just happened, Harry was at the house too, though I stayed on the other side of the room from him.
"Where have you been?" He seemed furious.
"Dad we saw them!" She said as soon as we burst into the kitchen alarming Harry and Uncle Charlie.
"What's the matter?" He asked unsure of what she was on about.
"In the woods! They're not bears!" She told him urgently.
"What do you mean in the woods? Bella, what the hell are you's doing in the woods? I told you to stay out of the woods." Charlie demanded as he fully turned his chair towards her.
"They're wolves. I mean they're like huge wolves." She spoke quickly trying to get the information out as fast as she can.
Harry then turned hostile. Wary of what he should say next. "Are you sure about that Bella?" He knew I was in the room but he paid no attention to me whatsoever.
"Yeah we just saw them. They were after... Something." She paused trying not to give away anything to her father or Harry - though he probably figured out what they were after.
"Wolves? You saw them? Both of you?" Charlie asked making sure Bella and I were being clear and we nodded in response. "Alright, well, Harry feel like going hunting? Get some of your guys together?"
Harry seemed sceptical and unsure of how to handle the situation and my curiosity began to get the better of me but I would not read his mind. He left the room with Charlie following soon after leaving me and Bella alone.
"By now those wolves would be dead and Laurent would have told her I'm no longer under the Cullens' protection." Bella whispered shaking slightly.
"You have me still remember. What the hell were you thinking going out into the woods alone?" I decided not to tell her about Victoria being here again, I didn't want to scare her further.
"I... I don't know." She stuttered, though I knew there was something else behind it though I wouldn't be able to find out anyway, if Edward couldn't read her mind then I wouldn't be able to either.
"Just please stay in the house and don't go into the woods alone again. Imagine if me or those wolves didn't show up. Just please be careful." I warned giving her a tight hug.
"I will. And you too, I don't want you fighting them if they come back." She said against my shoulder and I sighed.
"Bella, it's my job to protect you now, I promised..." His name was on the tip of my tongue but I knew mentioning him would upset her. "...I promised to keep you safe." She noticed my hesitation at saying his name. Her breathing faltered for a moment before pulling away.
"I know but I can't lose you too-"
"You won't." I cut her off quickly. "I'm half vampire remember." I smiled at her for a brief moment trying to lighten the mood.
"Thank you for finding me." She said quietly and I nodded.
"Like I said, it's my job to keep an eye on you. I'm going to leave now, just try and stay out of trouble." She nodded half heartedly as if she knew her promise wasn't going to be kept for long.
I left soon after, running through the forest as quick as I could in hope that I wouldn't run into those wolves again. I'm not sure if I would be able to take them but I know that if I didn't stop running and kept my speed up they wouldn't be able to catch me.
As soon as I arrived home I shot straight up to my bedroom, shutting myself out from the world, allowing the emotions to take over my body once again. As the tears slipped down my face I began to strip down. In just my underwear I walked over to the chest of draws I had in my room and opened the bottom one that held all of Jake's clothes he had left here from staying round previously.
I grabbed a pair of his sweats and one of his t shirts and put them on, the smell of his cologne still lingering on them. The sobs began to rake over my body when I realised I would never be able to talk to him again. To be able to touch him, to hug him. My heart was completely broken and he would be the only one able to fix it even if it is just with his friendship.
Jacob's POV
Her sobs echoed through the door and I felt my heart breaking, knowing that this is what I've been putting her through. I had watched it replay is Jesse's mind every night we went on patrol together. How he would walk past her room and her sobs would sound through the door. All of us had done that to her and it hurt knowing that I had promised I wouldn't hurt her.
I knew I shouldn't be doing this but I couldn't hide from her for any longer. I missed her. We had all been forbidden to speak with her or spend anytime with her, the only exception being Jesse because he lives with her.
I had found out what she truly was as soon as she had left after seeing me two weeks ago. I phased immediately running towards the pack only for them to see what had already just occurred due to our wolf telepathy.
"What haven't you told me?" I burst out quickly and then images of her fighting with the red head became visible to me due to the guys replaying them in their own minds.
I watched as she fought back with ease, being as fast as lightening with her movements and hitting her back with such force. It then dawned on me that she was one of them.
"No! She can't be! She's human, she was breathing." The anger began to flood over me and there was no stopping it.
"She's half leech, half human. Our genes are more powerful than we thought. They saved her." Jesse spoke angrily, spitting out the word saved as if it were some cruel joke.
"Who did this to her?" I felt my claws digging into the ground beneath me.
"The red head. We don't know why but she has the abilities, she's only allowed on our land due to her being part of the tribe." Embry spoke, guilt lacing his words as I watched him telling her to leave, using the word leech as a way to hurt her.
"I need to talk to her..." I began but Sam cut me off.
"No! You will not speak with her. You know the rules." Sam spoke harshly though he didn't use his alpha voice.
I growled loudly before turning and charging my way through the trees. I just couldn't wrap my mind around it. My Aria had been transformed into one of them, a being I'm supposed to hate, to kill. She's supposed to be seen as the enemy now but I can't do it.
I still didn't understand why she hadn't been told about us, it would make everything so much easier. The Cullens knew so why couldn't she?
I shouldn't be here I knew that but I couldn't stay away for any longer, I'll face the consequences I'm given I just need to see her. To stop her crying. To stop her pain.
I knocked lightly before opening the door cautiously. I saw her laying in her bed, her back facing me as her body became still, as if she knew it was me. I was surprised to not be hit with the usual sickly sweet smell vampires carried but I only smelt her usual perfume, maybe a hint sweeter but it was nice. I guess I was too caught up in my emotions two weeks ago to notice.
"Get out Jacob." She whispered still not turning her body around to look at me, her voice shaking trying to hold in her sobs.
"Ari..." I began but I watched in pain as she shook her head.
"Don't call me that, you're not allowed to remember. Why are you even here, I thought you were forbidden from talking to me?" She still whispered a loud sob shaking through her.
"I couldn't stay away any longer." This was a moment of weakness, I knew I'd be alpha commanded by Sam when I got back. I would try to make this better for the short time we had together.
When she didn't answer I chose that as my moment to step into the room closing the door behind me. I made my way over to her bed, sliding my shoes off before climbing in behind her, immediately wrapping my arms around her dainty waist. She's lost weight.
She relaxed into my touch, turning around burying her face into my bare chest. It was only then I realised that she was wearing my clothes and that her skin wasn't ice cold like the others. She was hot, not as hot as me but more than a human. The sobs took over her body again as I stroked her hair and place my lips to her head.
"Please, please stop crying." I whispered into her hair, pulling her tighter against me.
"I miss you so much. You promised you wouldn't leave me." I felt her tears against my chest and I held my breath as her crying struck straight through my heart.
"I miss you too, Blue." I sighed heavily.
"Why? Why do this if you knew what would happen?"
"I didn't have a choice. I wish I could tell you what's happening but I can't, the others know and I don't understand why you can't." I spoke softly.
"What others?"
"The Cullens. Ari, I know what you are." She froze in my arms unsure of how to react.
"You know? You're not scared?" She questioned and I let out a small chuckle.
"No. I know you're still you, just different."
"You're different." She said quietly her sobbing turned to silent tears.
"I know. I wish I could tell you why but I literally can't. It's complicated." I longed to tell her but this part was under alpha commands. "Aria, you already know, kind of." Maybe I could bend the rules a bit.
"Huh?"
"You already know, you know what's happened to all of us, you've seen it. Its in our histories. It's a part of you as well, it even saved you from becoming a full lee-" I stopped myself immediately but she had already clocked on. She shuffled away from me only for me to pull her back, her back now against my chest. "I'm sorry." She nodded slowly. "Just think about it please, you will remember. If you found out on your own it would be so much easier." She nodded again as her breathing evened out.
"I'll try." She whispered as she turned back into me her eyes closed as she got closer to sleep.
"I'm gonna go, you need to sleep." I began to pull away from her only for her to respond by wrapping her arms around my torso tightly.
"Please, please don't leave me again." She begged quietly and I nodded.
"I won't." I knew that I couldn't promise her that I wouldn't leave her because I had to, I couldn't stay here, I was forbidden but she needed me right now so I settled with that.
She breathed out heavily and I knew that sleep had overtaken her. I laid there in silence, stroking her hair, hoping that when she woke she would catch onto what I was trying to explain. I looked down at her sleeping form, running my hand over her cheek. She had to remember.
Slowly but quietly the door to her bedroom opened and Jesse appeared. He looked from me to her and smiled softly. "Thank you." He said quietly.
"No problem." I said stiffly knowing that he hadn't done anything about her state recently.
"She's not been eating, she hardly ever sleeps and whenever she's in her room she cries. I know you're angry at me for not doing anything but I'm under the same rules as you. I don't care that she's different and I know that I can no longer protect her. I just don't know what to do with her." I nodded at his words agreeing with where he was coming from. "Sam wants to see you, he knows you're here." He said quietly and I groaned knowing what was to come.
I slid out from the bed, Aria shifting once I left her and something inside me told me to join her again but I knew that I couldn't. Ignoring the pull, I slipped my shoes back on and stood to my feet. Jesse watched as I leant over and placed a kiss to her temple before walking out of the room.
I stood for a second, holding onto the moment until I had to enter to the real world again. "Please Blue, please remember."