Aria's POV
I wandered through the forest, brushing the large, overgrown ferns out of the way. It was eerily silent, the sunlight struggled to filter down through the trees as I trudged along. Why was I here?
A loud animal-like shriek shuddered through the undergrowth, making it's pain known to the world, that it's life was ending. My curiosity got the better of me, using my heightened senses to take me to the scene of the crime, the macabre situation not affecting me like it would have done six months ago.
I approached silently, the pungent smell of blood filling my nose as I neared massacre. God, there was so much blood.
Violent snarls and hisses filled the air around me, the closer I got the more menacing they sounded. I broke through the trees and the oxygen escaped my lungs as I gasped at the sight before me.
The Cullens, minus Alice and Jasper, were crowded in hunched positions around their three kills of deer. Their eyes were bright and golden, the vibrant colour due to their freshly made feed.
Hisses left their mouths as the blood dripped from their lips, why were they acting like this towards me? They straightened up, their eyes suddenly wide with fear as Carlisle stepped forward, his arms out ushering the family behind him.
"Carlisle what's..." I began to ask but the low, thunderous snarl that I wouldn't forget after yesterday's events rang out from behind me. My eyes widened in horror as Carlisle eyes shot from me to the monster that I was sure was standing behind me.
"Aria." Carlisle whispered authoritatively, trying to usher me over but the fear inside of me was telling me to look at the creature behind me.
I slowly began to turn, my whole body shaking in fear as I felt the breath of the monster hitting my back. I held in my scream but didn't stop my feet when they had me stumbling back. I watched as the saliva dripped off of its canines and onto the floor between us.
The huge russet wolf that had stared at Bella and I yesterday was currently staring me down. The low rumble in his throat causing a whimper to escape my own. Three more of the massive wolves then appeared, a pure black one, not as large as the first or the one seen yesterday, appeared on its right. Then followed a brown one and a grey one with odd brown patches on its coat.
The need to bow to them overwhelmed me and I did so, dropping to the ground quickly, my eyes trained to the floor. I felt the muzzle of the first wolf hit the back of my neck as it checked my scent, my silent tears were rolling down my face.
Suddenly the contact was lost and replaced with what felt like a hand. I glanced forward confused by the sight of four pairs of human legs. I looked up further and stumbled back at the sight before me, I was definitely dreaming. Ghosts weren't real.
"Grandpa?" The sob got stuck in my throat as I saw my Great Grandpa Benjamin standing before me beside Ephraim Black.
"Be calm sweet one." He helped me to my feet, the men's huge height making me feel small. He looked so much like Jesse.
"How is this possible?" I asked, my nervousness still obvious as I looked at the four men.
"You needed a little help." He smiled softly at me, his warm eyes being something I missed dearly. He died when I was five.
I suddenly remembered that the Cullens were present too, but when I turned round to look at them, they were gone. "Grandpa I don't understand."
"What have you seen here?" He asked, gesturing to the clearing where the four wolves once stood. "What do you see now?" He said, now gesturing to the four men, the other two I had now realised where Levi Uley and Quil Ateara II. The tribal council from years ago.
"Child, listen to my grandson and take note of this." Ephraim came forward, resting his hands on my shoulders. "Remember what you have been shown."
It couldn't be possible.
There were seven wolves yesterday, seven boys were in Sam's gang.
"Now you know." The voice of Jacob's great grandfather repeated those three words over and over again. The bodies of the four men beginning to blur as did the colours of the forest, until their was nothing but darkness and Ephraim's words.
* * *
I shot out of bed, my heart racing as I clutched at my chest. That wasn't real! It wasn't possible! Did my grandfather's spirit actually help me?
I needed answers.
I scrambled out of my room, rushing down the hallway to Jesse's room only to find it empty. Dad's room was empty too, he must've already left for work... Jacob was my next option. I rushed to get ready and was out the door in under ten minutes, my feet carrying me through the forest as fast as I could go.
I thought that I had dreamed the whole thing last night but when I smelt him on my pillows I knew the whole conversation was real, that he came back to talk to me despite Sam's orders.
He was a wolf, a spirit warrior, so was Jesse and Paul and everyone else. The Cullens and myself had done this to them. No wonder the wolf reminded me of Jake, it was him all along. The spirit warrior blood saved me from becoming a full vampire and that was because of Quileute genes.
I got to his house quickly, knocking on his door urgently wanting him to explain to me what the hell was going on. I mentally groaned when Billy came to the door. "Aria. You shouldn't be here." He spoke sternly as he glared at me. I hated being everyone's enemy, what don't they get that I couldn't help becoming what I am, I was attacked I didn't choose this new life.
"I know but I need to see him. He spoke to me-" I began but he cut me off.
"What do you mean he spoke to you?" He seemed angered by his son's actions, and I held back from smirking knowing that Jake went against his father to see me.
I was about to respond when I smelt the boys meaning they were close, their earthy smell filling my nose. I know this sounds weird but Jake's was different it made me feel calm and protected much like his body heat.
"You should leave." Billy said sternly as he locked eyes with Sam and the rest of the group. I turned on my heel and looked at them all having stopped at the tree line once they saw me.
"Excuse me, Billy." I said quickly before speeding off towards the guys, stopping suddenly in front of Sam. "Explain it to me!" I spat glaring up at him. When he didn't answer I shoved him back slightly. "I know the truth! I've figured it out, so tell me, why have you turned everyone I love against me? I didn't want this, but you've still made everyone turn against me like it's my fault!" I looked at the rest of the guys seeing them all looking guilty and pained by my words. All of them except for Jared who wore a smirk across his face.
Sam still didn't answer me so I then turned to Jesse who looked completely and utterly broken. "Jesse, I know the truth now, why didn't you tell me?" I fought back the tears that wanted to escape my eyes as I stared at him.
He opened his mouth to respond but unfortunately Jared beat him to it. "You're not a part of this tribe anymore, you didn't deserve to know. You shouldn't even be on our land." He spat his eyes piercing through me. I returned the scowl before speeding over so I was standing in front of him, only a few inches between us.
"Excuse me?" I squinted my eyes up at him, my hands curling into fists at my sides.
"You're a leech, a bloodsucker, you don't belong here." He spoke harshly and I bit my tongue to stop myself from hissing.
"You know..." I began, shoving him back a little harder than I did with Sam. I smirked when anger spread across his face, his body beginning to shake. "...it's not your choice. This is my home. I'm a part of the tribe, I belong here."
"No you don't. You belong with the Cullens away from our land. You should be dead right now, we should have let the red head kill you." He spat as his body shook violently, they scared Victoria away that night... to save me...
"Watch your mouth." Jesse warned him, his eyes black as he began to shake himself.
"If you are so sure of what I am you should know what I'm capable of." I snapped back at him, ignoring Jesse's input for the moment. I would thank him later.
"You shouldn't be so sure of yourself leech. We killed your little friend pretty easily yesterday." He sneered, a smirk spreading across his features and I finally hit boiling point.
"Don't call me that!" I yelled letting my anger get the better of me. I pushed him back with all of the strength in me causing his body to fly back through the air.
I froze realising what I had just done, the boys were still watching me in shock as growls filled the air. Fear encased my body as my gaze shot back to Jared for him only to be replaced by a huge dark brown wolf. He growled menacingly at me as he began to stalk forward from across the field.
They killed Laurent... he was going to kill me too.
"Jared calm down." Sam attempted as he continued towards me. Jesse moved forward but Sam stopped him. "None of you move." His voice was deeper and authoritative and in response the boys froze in their places. He was going to let Jared kill me?
"Jesse." I whimpered and he turned to look at me guilt in his eyes. It was then I realised I was on my own.
My eyes shot back to Jared as he began to quicken his pace, charging for me as I realised that my feet wouldn't let me move. I was stuck, frozen in fear as he got closer and closer.
Jesse watched on beginning to get nervous as Jared got closer to me and he saw I still wasn't running. "Sam please. She doesn't know how to fight." He begged and Sam refused just shaking his head as Jared reached at least ten metres away from me.
Why weren't my feet moving? The boys began to call for me to run but I couldn't. I was scared and I just didn't know what to do. I squeezed my eyes shut hoping it was all a dream and a horse sized wolf wasn't charging at me ready to kill me.
With my eyes still shut all I could do was feel. The pain hit my stomach first as I felt the air rushing around my body before I hit the ground hard. The air being knocked out of my lungs. I gasped for breath as I finally opened my eyes to see Jared heading for me again.
I couldn't just let him kill me.
Taking a deep breath in I stood to my feet quickly, pulled my fist back and crashed it into Jared's face as soon as he reached me. Weirdly I felt no pain shoot up my arm like I was expecting it to. I hissed at him harshly as his huge body toppled over due to the strength of my punch. He wanted a fight I was going to give him a fight... even if I didn't exactly know how to.
Scrambling to his feet, another viscous roar filled the air as he ran for me again. I dodged to the side, using my speed as I circled around him, stopping once I reached the back of him. He seemed disorientated for a moment as I looked back to my brother who watched on in amazement.
Jared shot around to face me just as I heard my name being called. "Aria!" Jake called from the house and I turned to look, my focus now taken off of Jared for a split second. I watched as Jake jumped over the side of his porch, his face showing horror and panic.
I looked on as he made his way over to me quickly, my eyes not leaving him. "Aria watch out!" Jesse called from behind me and I turned just as a new, unbearable pain shot up my left arm. His huge teeth pierced my skin and entered my arm so deep that I could feel the teeth scraping against the bone. His jaw flexed around me, trying to snap the bone but it didn't give. I felt the blood rushing through my body towards the wound as my eyes pooled with tears.
My legs gave way, giving Jared the advantage as he tossed his head to the side, sending my body flying like a rag doll. I hit the ground hard, winded once again. "Aria!" This time I heard Jake as his body fell beside mine, his comforting smell and heat evening my breath just for a second before he left me again, standing to his feet.
Jared growled harshly as I watched Jake's own body begin to shake fiercely. Despite the falling tears my eyes widened in shock as I watched him transform too, his already huge body now replaced by an even bigger russet wolf. The same one that stood beside Bella and I yesterday, making my theory correct. He looked exactly like Ephraim.
Jake's new body stood his ground in front of me blocking my body from Jared as he growled himself. The defending roar from Jake shaking through me.
"Sam!" Jesse urged and Sam nodded his head in acceptance, Jesse, Embry, Quil and Paul all rushed to my side falling down beside me. Jesse gently grabbed a hold of my arm as I kept my eyes locked on Jake's large body, he charged forward and Jared accepted the challenge, bearing his teeth as their huge bodies collided. Their long claws scraping down one another's bodies, biting at each other's necks.
Jesse quickly pulled my jacket off of me ignoring my cries as he took a hold of my arm to inspect it. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry Ari." He began to repeat himself over and over again as he hugged me into his side, his own tears forming.
I guess he was apologising for keeping this a secret from me, for lying to me, for not helping me just now, being told he couldn't talk to me... it was a long list.
Jesse gently pulled the blood soaked sleeve of my shirt up revealing the deep wound that still had blood gushing from it, the blood now trickling down my arm and hand and onto the grass. My arm was now numb and it frightened me to know that a wound as bad as this didn't even hurt anymore.
"Oh shit!" Embry breathed out as they all stared at my arm unsure of what to do. "We can't take her to the hospital and Cullen isn't here."
My eyes shot back to Jake and Jared as a loud yelping sound filled the air. Jake's mouth was clamped over the back of Jared's thick neck, the action forcing Jared to yield.
"Enough Jacob!" Sam's booming voice echoed around us, leading Jake to drop Jared's huge body to the ground. Jared stood slowly, his head bowed slightly towards Jake, before turning and running off into the woods, his tail literally between his legs.
Jake's huge form warily stepped towards us after, his large head coming closer to us, barely a few inches away from my arm. My body moved away from him subconsciously and he immediately pulled back noticing my discomfort. His eyes held sorrow and guilt as he stepped away making my heart skip a beat at the solemness within them.
I didn't have anything against Jake personally, except for the lying, but that was just the same as the others and my brother. Just seeing him in this wolf form was too much for me at the moment. All the stories were true.
He looked confused unsure of what to do or where to go. "Jacob, why don't you go phase back, we'll meet you at Emily's." Jesse offered and his big wolf head shook showing that he didn't want to leave.
I glanced back down at my arm the pain having stopped completely as well as the flowing blood. "What's going on?" Jesse asked turning my arm slowly.
"I heal. Faster than a human I guess." I answered quietly.
The wound then began to stitch itself back up, skin coming back together to hide the punctures, my perfect vampire skin taking its place once again, all of this happening in a matter of seconds. "Holy shit!" Quil breathed. "She's just like us." What the hell was that supposed to mean?
The blood on my arm began to dry off and Jake began to whine. Everyone seemed to understand but me. Thinking that now would be a good time to use it, I removed my barrier and read his mind.
"She needs to be cleaned up. I can't believe I let this happen, if I didn't distract her she wouldn't be hurt right now." His voice was like a whisper just like the other times I had read minds but I was surprised I could read his even when he was wolf.
"Jake it's not your fault, don't blame yourself." I looked up at him, his eyes showing surprise and confusion.
"What's going on?" Embry spoke looking between Jake and I.
"I didn't tell you Jesse, or any of the others when you interrogated me, I can read minds like Edward." I admitted and they nodded slowly still taking it in. "But I can't read them all the time, I have a barrier that stops me from reading them and others reading mine." I explained further.
"We'll continue this when we get to Emily's." Jesse said, helping me up and handing me my jacket that was covered in blood. "Jake we'll see you there." His big wolf head nodded before the guys began to lead me towards the trees.
Just as we reached the tree line I turned back to see Jake still standing there watching us leave. "Thank you Jake." I called to him before turning back around and following the guys.
He had protected me against Jared. He was willing to fight for me and for that I was grateful.