Belonging
by Momma2fan
Chapter 9
Sam pulled Bella out the back of the diner and toward the forest. “Bella, I need you to trust me. Can you do that?”
Nodding, Bella gasped when Sam transformed into a black, horse sized wolf. The wolf whined and lowered himself to the ground so she could climb on. No sooner was she astride his back and gripping his fur, did she hear a growl and turned to see the three people from the diner standing behind them. “Go, Sam!”
Sam took off with a howl and was soon flanked by Paul and Embry as the three of them escorted Bella back to LaPush and across the treaty line. Bella looked back and could see the three strange people chasing after them.
Once they were across the treaty line, Sam and the other two skidded to a halt and growled at the vampires on the other side.
“Give her to us and we’ll let you live.”
Embry phased back and pulled on his shorts, grabbing Bella off of Sam’s back so his Alpha could phase. Bella hid behind Embry’s back, her face pressed to his spine as she shook in fear. Embry had his hand behind him, pressing her closer.
Sam growled at the three on the other side of the field. “You’ll never get my sister, leech.”
Paul, who was joined by another wolf, this one brown like cocoa, stalked back and forth in front of the three Uley’s.
“She will be mine, Alpha.” The one with the bronze hair growled, “One way or another.”
“Embry, get Bella home.” Sam looked at his brother. “Now!”
The alpha timbre radiated over his body, causing Embry to pick Bella up in his arms and run her home. He ran through the back door and stopped, breathing heavy as Josh and Alison rushed into the room.
“What happened?” Josh took Bella, who was in obvious shock, in his arms and placed her on the couch. Kneeling before her, he stared into her eyes while his hands checked for any injuries. He was unprepared for the blood curdling scream which left her lungs, before he was catching her as she pitched forward in a dead faint.
***B***
Alison looked up when she heard a groan coming from the bed. She was immediately up and sitting beside Bella as she rolled her head and opened her eyes.
“How are you feeling, sweetheart.”
Bella blinked and looked at her mother. “It was real wasn’t it? My brothers are giant wolves?”
“Yeah, baby, it’s real.” She leaned forward and helped Bella sit up before picking up a glass of water. “Here, take slow sips.”
“There were four of them. Who are the other two?”
“One of them is Paul and the other one is a young man named Jared Cameron. He, Paul and Sam grew up together, although Sam was a year ahead of the two of them in high school. Sam was in his senior year when they moved back to town. I never noticed anything, but your dad saw the signs. Sam grew several inches, his temper was extremely short, he was eating more and his temperature kept rising. I wanted to take him to a doctor, but your dad took him to the elders instead. Sam was beginning to show signs of phasing.”
Bella looked at her confused. “Who moved to town that caused him to change?”
“The Cullens.” Josh said from the doorway.
“Who’s that? Why were those three people chasing us?”
Josh walked further into the room. “Why don’t you come downstairs and we can explain it all.”
Bella nodded, “Let me wash my face.”
Five minutes later, Bella walked down the steps and joined her two brothers, Emily and her parents. She curled up on the couch and clutched a pillow to her chest. She listened quietly while Josh outlined the tribal legends and explained who and what the Cullens were. When he was done, they sat in silence, letting her absorb everything.
Finally, Bella looked up at Sam. “This is why you’ve been avoiding me, isn’t it?”
Sam hung his head, “Yes.”
“Oh, Sam. Why?”
Emily stepped forward then and sat beside Bella, taking her hand. “Young wolves are extremely volatile, the slightest things can set them off. Sam was afraid to be around you because of what happened to me.”
Bella looked at her for a moment, “Your scars?” Emily nodded. “Wait...you mean?”
“Yes, Bella. Sam phased and I was too close.”
Bella stared at Emily. Despite the jagged scars that ran down her face, she was absolutely beautiful. Making a decision, Bella stood from the couch and walked over to her brother, stopping when she was standing in front of him.
“Look at me, Sammy.” When Sam met her eyes, she smiled up at him. “You’re my big brother, I’m not afraid of you. I know you would never hurt me, just like I know you didn’t mean to hurt Emily. It was a horrible accident. Please don’t avoid me anymore.”
Sam finally smiled down at her, “I promise.”
Nodding, Bella turned back to the couch. “Now, why were those people chasing us?”
Embry looked up at Sam, both of them feeling at ease now that Bella knew the truth. Sam stared at Embry for a minute, before he nodded. “We don’t know, Bells,” Sam said, looking at her. “But we’re going to find out.”
***B***
“Hey, Mom?” Bella hollered as she walked down the stairs.
Alison walked around the kitchen and smiled at her. “Yes?”
“I want to get a job. Is there anyone on the res hiring?”
Alison thought for a minute and then nodded at Bella. “Actually, I think Joy is looking for some help at the store.”
“Really?” Bella smiled. “I think I’ll walk up there and ask her.”
“Okay, honey. Be careful.”
Bella grabbed her jacket and walked out into the cool afternoon. She thought over the last year and a half of her life as she walked. When Renee was diagnosed with cancer, she was devastated. When she learned the truth of her kidnapping, she was angry, but didn’t want Renee’s last days to be more painful than they already were. Finding out about her family, her heritage, she’d tried not to be angrier still, but she had missed out on so much. She wished things had been different, but wishes like that were pointless.
She was so lost in her thoughts she wasn’t paying attention to where she was going until she plowed into a hard body and fell backward onto the ground. She looked up and scowled at the amused face gazing down at her.
Sam pulled Bella out the back of the diner and toward the forest. “Bella, I need you to trust me. Can you do that?”
Nodding, Bella gasped when Sam transformed into a black, horse sized wolf. The wolf whined and lowered himself to the ground so she could climb on. No sooner was she astride his back and gripping his fur, did she hear a growl and turned to see the three people from the diner standing behind them. “Go, Sam!”
Sam took off with a howl and was soon flanked by Paul and Embry as the three of them escorted Bella back to LaPush and across the treaty line. Bella looked back and could see the three strange people chasing after them.
Once they were across the treaty line, Sam and the other two skidded to a halt and growled at the vampires on the other side.
“Give her to us and we’ll let you live.”
Embry phased back and pulled on his shorts, grabbing Bella off of Sam’s back so his Alpha could phase. Bella hid behind Embry’s back, her face pressed to his spine as she shook in fear. Embry had his hand behind him, pressing her closer.
Sam growled at the three on the other side of the field. “You’ll never get my sister, leech.”
Paul, who was joined by another wolf, this one brown like cocoa, stalked back and forth in front of the three Uley’s.
“She will be mine, Alpha.” The one with the bronze hair growled, “One way or another.”
“Embry, get Bella home.” Sam looked at his brother. “Now!”
The alpha timbre radiated over his body, causing Embry to pick Bella up in his arms and run her home. He ran through the back door and stopped, breathing heavy as Josh and Alison rushed into the room.
“What happened?” Josh took Bella, who was in obvious shock, in his arms and placed her on the couch. Kneeling before her, he stared into her eyes while his hands checked for any injuries. He was unprepared for the blood curdling scream which left her lungs, before he was catching her as she pitched forward in a dead faint.
***B***
Alison looked up when she heard a groan coming from the bed. She was immediately up and sitting beside Bella as she rolled her head and opened her eyes.
“How are you feeling, sweetheart.”
Bella blinked and looked at her mother. “It was real wasn’t it? My brothers are giant wolves?”
“Yeah, baby, it’s real.” She leaned forward and helped Bella sit up before picking up a glass of water. “Here, take slow sips.”
“There were four of them. Who are the other two?”
“One of them is Paul and the other one is a young man named Jared Cameron. He, Paul and Sam grew up together, although Sam was a year ahead of the two of them in high school. Sam was in his senior year when they moved back to town. I never noticed anything, but your dad saw the signs. Sam grew several inches, his temper was extremely short, he was eating more and his temperature kept rising. I wanted to take him to a doctor, but your dad took him to the elders instead. Sam was beginning to show signs of phasing.”
Bella looked at her confused. “Who moved to town that caused him to change?”
“The Cullens.” Josh said from the doorway.
“Who’s that? Why were those three people chasing us?”
Josh walked further into the room. “Why don’t you come downstairs and we can explain it all.”
Bella nodded, “Let me wash my face.”
Five minutes later, Bella walked down the steps and joined her two brothers, Emily and her parents. She curled up on the couch and clutched a pillow to her chest. She listened quietly while Josh outlined the tribal legends and explained who and what the Cullens were. When he was done, they sat in silence, letting her absorb everything.
Finally, Bella looked up at Sam. “This is why you’ve been avoiding me, isn’t it?”
Sam hung his head, “Yes.”
“Oh, Sam. Why?”
Emily stepped forward then and sat beside Bella, taking her hand. “Young wolves are extremely volatile, the slightest things can set them off. Sam was afraid to be around you because of what happened to me.”
Bella looked at her for a moment, “Your scars?” Emily nodded. “Wait...you mean?”
“Yes, Bella. Sam phased and I was too close.”
Bella stared at Emily. Despite the jagged scars that ran down her face, she was absolutely beautiful. Making a decision, Bella stood from the couch and walked over to her brother, stopping when she was standing in front of him.
“Look at me, Sammy.” When Sam met her eyes, she smiled up at him. “You’re my big brother, I’m not afraid of you. I know you would never hurt me, just like I know you didn’t mean to hurt Emily. It was a horrible accident. Please don’t avoid me anymore.”
Sam finally smiled down at her, “I promise.”
Nodding, Bella turned back to the couch. “Now, why were those people chasing us?”
Embry looked up at Sam, both of them feeling at ease now that Bella knew the truth. Sam stared at Embry for a minute, before he nodded. “We don’t know, Bells,” Sam said, looking at her. “But we’re going to find out.”
***B***
“Hey, Mom?” Bella hollered as she walked down the stairs.
Alison walked around the kitchen and smiled at her. “Yes?”
“I want to get a job. Is there anyone on the res hiring?”
Alison thought for a minute and then nodded at Bella. “Actually, I think Joy is looking for some help at the store.”
“Really?” Bella smiled. “I think I’ll walk up there and ask her.”
“Okay, honey. Be careful.”
Bella grabbed her jacket and walked out into the cool afternoon. She thought over the last year and a half of her life as she walked. When Renee was diagnosed with cancer, she was devastated. When she learned the truth of her kidnapping, she was angry, but didn’t want Renee’s last days to be more painful than they already were. Finding out about her family, her heritage, she’d tried not to be angrier still, but she had missed out on so much. She wished things had been different, but wishes like that were pointless.
She was so lost in her thoughts she wasn’t paying attention to where she was going until she plowed into a hard body and fell backward onto the ground. She looked up and scowled at the amused face gazing down at her.