Mark of the White Wolf
by Wizardtho
Chapter 03:
My dreams were filled with the sights and sounds of the forest, but it was different from what I would have seen through my human eyes. I could feel the earth beneath my paws, see the slightest details of my surroundings, and smell everything. The feelings coursing through me... Dear God, they were intense... the freedom of running wild through the dense trees, the pounding of my paws on the forest floor, the power coursing through my muscles, and the undeniable urges.
There was a scent near. A scent so inviting and warm, that it made my insides flood with arousal… with an insanely deep longing. I couldn't put my finger on where exactly it was coming from, but I knew it was near, causing my wolf to practically claw to be released. She was solely focused on emerging, wanting to find that scent.
When I woke, it was with a gasp, my breathing rapid. Charlie came rushing into the room, then pushed my damp hair from my face as I tried to catch my breath. He looked at me tenderly, asking in a whisper, “You okay, Sweetheart?”
I nodded, saying breathlessly, “Uh-huh. Dreams. Scent. I think my mate is near. I could smell him... in my dreams, I mean. I could feel my wolf clawing to be released so that she could hunt for him.”
Charlie's eyes twinkled, but he kept a straight face as he said, “That's a good thing, Bells. Let's get your breathing slowed, then we should take your temp again.”
I nodded, then sat up, rubbing my hands over my face to try to wake a bit more. Charlie chuckled, then said, “As soon as your temp is done, I have coffee for you, unless you feel like sleeping some more.”
I groaned, “No more sleep. Need a gallon of caffeine, along with extreme amounts of food. I'm famished.”
I quickly got my temperature done with, once my breathing was steady. 106.4. Charlie commented, “Shouldn't be long now, Bells. Do you want me to call one of the other wolves, for when it's time?”
I shook my head as I stood from the bed, forgetting about my state of dress, “Nope. You'll take care of me. Wait... I won't hurt you, will I? If so, then yes, call one of the others.”
He shook his head, “No. You won't hurt me. I'll call them if you want, but you won't hurt me or any other human.”
I shook my head again, “Then I'd rather it just be you, if you don't mind.”
He gave me a winning smile, “I like that idea. I'm glad you like your things, by the way.”
I looked down, not understanding, then blushed furiously. “Oh, shit. Sorry. I forgot what I was wearing.”
He gave me a tender look, then said, “I've had a lot of time to get used to the fact that you'll need to be naked when you shift, Bells. I always hoped I would be there to help you through your first shift, so I've had a long time to come to terms with it.”
I climbed back under the covers, pulling the sheet over my chest while feeling like I was missing something, “What do you mean?”
He furrowed his eyebrows, then said, “Oh, God. I forgot to mention that last night. The inner wolf exploding out of the human body... when I explained that, I forgot to tell you that your clothes would be shredded. If you're wearing clothes when you shift, they don't shift with you, Bells. They end up in shreds, so you'll need to shift nude, or risk ruining every piece of clothing you own. The boys said to expect to lose a bunch of clothes for the first while, since you'll need to learn how to tame your anger. If you get angry enough, you'll shift without being able to strip in time, ruining your clothes in the process.”
With this new knowledge, I asked in a whisper, “Are you sure you still want to do this? I mean... won't it make you uncomfortable to see me like that?”
He smiled, shaking his head, “As I said. I've had a lot of time to come to terms with seeing you that way, Bells, and I really do want to be the one to help you through this. I guess my frame of mind has shifted in the past while, to be able to see you as a woman in her own right, instead of as someone I thought of as my daughter. I guess the question should be, will you be alright still?”
I thought for a long minute, but my inner self kept coming to the same conclusion. “Yeah. I promise to let you know if it gets weird, though. I keep feeling like it should be you, instead of one of the other wolves, to help me through this... no matter what that means.”
Charlie gave me a blinding smile, then kissed my forehead, “Go get your shower so you can eat, before your stomach tries clawing its way out to get to the food.”
After about a pot of coffee and four plates piled high with breakfast, I felt like I needed to be outside. Charlie suggested taking me out and trying to help me hone my senses. I agreed that it would be a good idea, so that led to us going out back.
I was sitting on the lush grass in the center of the back yard, with Charlie whispering from next to me, “Clear your mind and concentrate on one sense at a time. Try your eyes. Try to block out what you feel, hear, taste and smell, just concentrating on your sight. Tell me what you see.”
It took several minutes for me to open my eyes, but when I did, my senses all overwhelmed me, causing me to clamp my eyes shut again. “Too much. I can't.”
I felt Charlie slowly sitting down behind me, placing his legs on the outside of mine, then rubbing my back with a light touch. It calmed me quickly, and I was able to distinguish easily how to separate my senses.
When I opened my eyes again, I slowly looked around, saying in awe. “Christ... this is amazing. I can see so much... all of the little details, sharp and clear. It's as if I was blocking everything outside of the most basic before now, but if I focus on something specific, it's like my vision hones in... almost like the scope on the gun you taught me to shoot with.”
Charlie chuckled softly, then said, “Try looking at the trees straight in front of you, searching the bark of the trees just behind them, then the ones behind them. When you get to the fifth row in, tell me what you see.”
I did as Charlie asked, then gasped at what I saw when I reached the fifth row.
On the tree two to my left, on the fifth row into the forest, I saw an image with writing carved and burned into the tree, where there was a bald spot in the bark. It said Isabella Marie and had a beautiful carving of a wolf in profile under it. Tears filled my eyes as I saw Charlie's initials near the left front paw of the wolf, causing me to choke out, “It's so beautiful. When did you carve that? It looks new.”
He placed his chin on my shoulder, then said softly, “While you were in the hospital. When the changes first started happening, the two days I told you I had to fly home to settle it with the station for my leave? I got my vacation settled by calling in, but I came out here to get everything prepared. All of the perishables, I mean, along with your clothing. I knew you would need to be here soon, and I kept thinking about what your wolf would look like. All of the males have been huge... as in large like massive horses... but the females have been a bit smaller. Old Quil says it relates to the height of the person. If they are 6'-2” in human form, their wolf will be the same size at the shoulders. Anyway, I kept wondering what you would look like as a wolf, what color your fur would be, and if you would like being in your wolf form. I decided to carve that, then finished the last details of it the day before your release from the hospital, right before I flew back down.”
Charlie wiped the tear that was sliding down my cheek, letting me lean my head into his soft touch, then I said hoarsely, “It's beautiful, truly. I know you haven't asked, but I want to tell you what happened... if you’ll listen.”
He let out a sigh, then wrapped his arms around me, saying, “I'm always listening, Bells... even if you don't think so. I know you didn't mean what you said when you left. I could see how it was tearing you up to say those things to me, and knew whatever was going on was big. That's why I didn't fight to keep you with me.”
I nodded, then whispered, “I had to, to keep you safe. A group of nomads heard the Cullens playing baseball that night, but they didn't have time to get me out before the nomads showed up.”
Charlie's breathing hitched as I said, “It was so bad. They were human drinkers, unlike the Cullens… the leader called me a snack when he scented me. He was really creepy, causing Edward and the rest of the Cullens to get defensive. Edward could hear the leader's thoughts; he found out he was a tracker... a sick and twisted one, that liked to play games with his victims before draining and killing them. When the nomads changed course, asking if they could join the game, Carlisle told him that some of us were getting ready to leave, and they were more than welcome to fill in. They were trying to get me out, but Edward knew we didn't have much time since he could read it in the minds of the nomads. James -the leader- had targeted me as his most exciting game yet, the moment that the Cullens protected me.”
“Edward was going to get me away right then -run with me- but I was worried about James tracking my scent to your house… hurting you to try to get to me. I had to do something to keep you safe. I just kept thinking that I couldn't risk losing you. I had to do something. I demanded that Edward take me home, so I could make it look like I was breaking up with him... that I couldn't stand it in Forks. I knew how happy you were to have me home. You'd never let me leave like that unless I tried to make it look like I'd end up just like Renee. That's why I said those things. It shredded me with every word, but I had to make sure the tracker didn't hurt you. He was outside listening to the whole thing, so we were making it look like I was running.”
Charlie tenderly kissed the back of my head before I continued. “When we got to the Cullen house, Alice had a vision of her and Jasper driving me south, while decoys would be planted to make James think I was still here running on foot. He wouldn't think that Edward was going to leave my side, so he was one of the ones who were staying to take James down. Anyway, James ended up catching onto the decoys before they could trap him, then he tracked me down to Phoenix. We were staying at a hotel near the airport when he called my cell from Renee's old house, since she hasn't sold it yet.”
Charlie tightened his embrace as he held me to him, then shakily said, “Oh, God.”
I nodded, “Yeah. She still hadn't moved a bunch of the old videotapes and things. He used one where she was frantically calling out to me, to make me think he had her. He told me he'd let her go if I turned myself over in trade… to find a way to lose Alice and Jasper, then meet him at my old ballet studio. I was freaking out, but the opportunity came when we were waiting at the airport to meet the rest of the Cullens. They had lost James, so they were flying in to give me extra protection. In a split-second decision, I told Jasper I needed the restroom. He walked with me, standing guard outside the door, but I knew there was another exit at the other end. It was hell keeping my emotions in check since he's an empath, but it worked. I scrambled into the first cab I saw outside of the entrance.”
Charlie picked me up under my ribs, then turned me, placing me sideways on his lap. I snuggled my head into his neck and could feel him tenderly rubbing my back. “You don't have to tell me any more, if it's too hard. All I need to know is that you're safe now.”
I nodded, “I want to. It is hard, but I want you to know. I don't want there to be any more secrets.”
He consented, then I continued to tell him about meeting James at the ballet studio, realizing that he never had Renee. He heard every bit of James torturing me... taunting me, breaking my leg, slamming me into the glass mirror, then biting me right before Edward showed up, along with how he videotaped my torture. By the time I got to the point of telling him about Carlisle working on my leg to stop the bleeding, Edward sucking the venom-tainted blood from my wrist, along with Alice and Jasper ripping James apart, Charlie had silent tears running down his face as he shakily tried to keep his breathing calm.
He finally choked out, “He's ash, right? They burned him after tearing him apart?”
I nodded as I looked intently at his tear-stained face. “Yeah. They burned down the whole studio, with him as the starting point. They couldn't risk evidence of me or them being in that studio, so when he was mostly purple smoke, they made the fire spread to the rest of the building. Alice took Rosalie back to the hotel, then they set up the cover story, making it all look believable.”
Charlie shook his head, then said shakily, “Even I didn't think you could be that clumsy, Bells. I mean, two flights of stairs and a plate glass window?”
I gave a watery chuckle, then said, “I know, but the fact was that everyone else needed to believe it, which they did. Hell, even Renee believed it. Between the cut to my femoral artery and Edward sucking out the venom-tainted blood, I had lost too much. Carlisle knew I needed mass amounts of blood to stay alive, but since he didn't have any on standby for me in Arizona, the hospital was the only choice.”
Charlie was silent for a long while after that, just holding me while rocking us. It felt slightly intimate, but I couldn't help that I was soaking up the comfort of his embrace. He finally broke the silence when he asked softly, “You know that you can't continue with him, right Bells?”
I sighed, then said sadly, “I know. I don't think things were right with us, anyway. He was dead-set against me changing but claimed I was his mate. If I truly was his mate, he would want me forever, not just while I was human. He would have added more venom to James', to make the change take place, instead of sucking it out like he did. As sad as it is to say, I think he twisted up his lust for my blood with his feelings for me, making himself think I was his mate, so that he didn't kill me.”
Charlie gave me a confused look, so I kissed his cheek before saying, “I'm starving again, so why don't we go in to eat, and I'll explain all about it.”
While we ate, I explained to Charlie all about vampires and singers. He seemed so shocked that he couldn't speak. I think he tried on more than one occasion, but he ended up just closing his mouth again with a shake of his head.
Finally, while we were washing up our lunch dishes, Charlie kissed my temple, saying, “I think I know why your changes started. That James creep biting you... well, I think it broke the protection the elders placed on you. Vampire venom is lethal for wolves, Sweetheart. When a vampire bites a wolf, if the venom is left to spread, it kills the wolf in a slow and horribly painful way. We didn't know it could be sucked back out. I think since the venom wasn't left to spread in you, it wasn't enough to kill you, but it was enough to break the protections… to force your wolf to wake.”
I nodded, “That makes a lot of sense, really. Nothing would break the spell like that would, when you think about it.”
My dreams were filled with the sights and sounds of the forest, but it was different from what I would have seen through my human eyes. I could feel the earth beneath my paws, see the slightest details of my surroundings, and smell everything. The feelings coursing through me... Dear God, they were intense... the freedom of running wild through the dense trees, the pounding of my paws on the forest floor, the power coursing through my muscles, and the undeniable urges.
There was a scent near. A scent so inviting and warm, that it made my insides flood with arousal… with an insanely deep longing. I couldn't put my finger on where exactly it was coming from, but I knew it was near, causing my wolf to practically claw to be released. She was solely focused on emerging, wanting to find that scent.
When I woke, it was with a gasp, my breathing rapid. Charlie came rushing into the room, then pushed my damp hair from my face as I tried to catch my breath. He looked at me tenderly, asking in a whisper, “You okay, Sweetheart?”
I nodded, saying breathlessly, “Uh-huh. Dreams. Scent. I think my mate is near. I could smell him... in my dreams, I mean. I could feel my wolf clawing to be released so that she could hunt for him.”
Charlie's eyes twinkled, but he kept a straight face as he said, “That's a good thing, Bells. Let's get your breathing slowed, then we should take your temp again.”
I nodded, then sat up, rubbing my hands over my face to try to wake a bit more. Charlie chuckled, then said, “As soon as your temp is done, I have coffee for you, unless you feel like sleeping some more.”
I groaned, “No more sleep. Need a gallon of caffeine, along with extreme amounts of food. I'm famished.”
I quickly got my temperature done with, once my breathing was steady. 106.4. Charlie commented, “Shouldn't be long now, Bells. Do you want me to call one of the other wolves, for when it's time?”
I shook my head as I stood from the bed, forgetting about my state of dress, “Nope. You'll take care of me. Wait... I won't hurt you, will I? If so, then yes, call one of the others.”
He shook his head, “No. You won't hurt me. I'll call them if you want, but you won't hurt me or any other human.”
I shook my head again, “Then I'd rather it just be you, if you don't mind.”
He gave me a winning smile, “I like that idea. I'm glad you like your things, by the way.”
I looked down, not understanding, then blushed furiously. “Oh, shit. Sorry. I forgot what I was wearing.”
He gave me a tender look, then said, “I've had a lot of time to get used to the fact that you'll need to be naked when you shift, Bells. I always hoped I would be there to help you through your first shift, so I've had a long time to come to terms with it.”
I climbed back under the covers, pulling the sheet over my chest while feeling like I was missing something, “What do you mean?”
He furrowed his eyebrows, then said, “Oh, God. I forgot to mention that last night. The inner wolf exploding out of the human body... when I explained that, I forgot to tell you that your clothes would be shredded. If you're wearing clothes when you shift, they don't shift with you, Bells. They end up in shreds, so you'll need to shift nude, or risk ruining every piece of clothing you own. The boys said to expect to lose a bunch of clothes for the first while, since you'll need to learn how to tame your anger. If you get angry enough, you'll shift without being able to strip in time, ruining your clothes in the process.”
With this new knowledge, I asked in a whisper, “Are you sure you still want to do this? I mean... won't it make you uncomfortable to see me like that?”
He smiled, shaking his head, “As I said. I've had a lot of time to come to terms with seeing you that way, Bells, and I really do want to be the one to help you through this. I guess my frame of mind has shifted in the past while, to be able to see you as a woman in her own right, instead of as someone I thought of as my daughter. I guess the question should be, will you be alright still?”
I thought for a long minute, but my inner self kept coming to the same conclusion. “Yeah. I promise to let you know if it gets weird, though. I keep feeling like it should be you, instead of one of the other wolves, to help me through this... no matter what that means.”
Charlie gave me a blinding smile, then kissed my forehead, “Go get your shower so you can eat, before your stomach tries clawing its way out to get to the food.”
After about a pot of coffee and four plates piled high with breakfast, I felt like I needed to be outside. Charlie suggested taking me out and trying to help me hone my senses. I agreed that it would be a good idea, so that led to us going out back.
I was sitting on the lush grass in the center of the back yard, with Charlie whispering from next to me, “Clear your mind and concentrate on one sense at a time. Try your eyes. Try to block out what you feel, hear, taste and smell, just concentrating on your sight. Tell me what you see.”
It took several minutes for me to open my eyes, but when I did, my senses all overwhelmed me, causing me to clamp my eyes shut again. “Too much. I can't.”
I felt Charlie slowly sitting down behind me, placing his legs on the outside of mine, then rubbing my back with a light touch. It calmed me quickly, and I was able to distinguish easily how to separate my senses.
When I opened my eyes again, I slowly looked around, saying in awe. “Christ... this is amazing. I can see so much... all of the little details, sharp and clear. It's as if I was blocking everything outside of the most basic before now, but if I focus on something specific, it's like my vision hones in... almost like the scope on the gun you taught me to shoot with.”
Charlie chuckled softly, then said, “Try looking at the trees straight in front of you, searching the bark of the trees just behind them, then the ones behind them. When you get to the fifth row in, tell me what you see.”
I did as Charlie asked, then gasped at what I saw when I reached the fifth row.
On the tree two to my left, on the fifth row into the forest, I saw an image with writing carved and burned into the tree, where there was a bald spot in the bark. It said Isabella Marie and had a beautiful carving of a wolf in profile under it. Tears filled my eyes as I saw Charlie's initials near the left front paw of the wolf, causing me to choke out, “It's so beautiful. When did you carve that? It looks new.”
He placed his chin on my shoulder, then said softly, “While you were in the hospital. When the changes first started happening, the two days I told you I had to fly home to settle it with the station for my leave? I got my vacation settled by calling in, but I came out here to get everything prepared. All of the perishables, I mean, along with your clothing. I knew you would need to be here soon, and I kept thinking about what your wolf would look like. All of the males have been huge... as in large like massive horses... but the females have been a bit smaller. Old Quil says it relates to the height of the person. If they are 6'-2” in human form, their wolf will be the same size at the shoulders. Anyway, I kept wondering what you would look like as a wolf, what color your fur would be, and if you would like being in your wolf form. I decided to carve that, then finished the last details of it the day before your release from the hospital, right before I flew back down.”
Charlie wiped the tear that was sliding down my cheek, letting me lean my head into his soft touch, then I said hoarsely, “It's beautiful, truly. I know you haven't asked, but I want to tell you what happened... if you’ll listen.”
He let out a sigh, then wrapped his arms around me, saying, “I'm always listening, Bells... even if you don't think so. I know you didn't mean what you said when you left. I could see how it was tearing you up to say those things to me, and knew whatever was going on was big. That's why I didn't fight to keep you with me.”
I nodded, then whispered, “I had to, to keep you safe. A group of nomads heard the Cullens playing baseball that night, but they didn't have time to get me out before the nomads showed up.”
Charlie's breathing hitched as I said, “It was so bad. They were human drinkers, unlike the Cullens… the leader called me a snack when he scented me. He was really creepy, causing Edward and the rest of the Cullens to get defensive. Edward could hear the leader's thoughts; he found out he was a tracker... a sick and twisted one, that liked to play games with his victims before draining and killing them. When the nomads changed course, asking if they could join the game, Carlisle told him that some of us were getting ready to leave, and they were more than welcome to fill in. They were trying to get me out, but Edward knew we didn't have much time since he could read it in the minds of the nomads. James -the leader- had targeted me as his most exciting game yet, the moment that the Cullens protected me.”
“Edward was going to get me away right then -run with me- but I was worried about James tracking my scent to your house… hurting you to try to get to me. I had to do something to keep you safe. I just kept thinking that I couldn't risk losing you. I had to do something. I demanded that Edward take me home, so I could make it look like I was breaking up with him... that I couldn't stand it in Forks. I knew how happy you were to have me home. You'd never let me leave like that unless I tried to make it look like I'd end up just like Renee. That's why I said those things. It shredded me with every word, but I had to make sure the tracker didn't hurt you. He was outside listening to the whole thing, so we were making it look like I was running.”
Charlie tenderly kissed the back of my head before I continued. “When we got to the Cullen house, Alice had a vision of her and Jasper driving me south, while decoys would be planted to make James think I was still here running on foot. He wouldn't think that Edward was going to leave my side, so he was one of the ones who were staying to take James down. Anyway, James ended up catching onto the decoys before they could trap him, then he tracked me down to Phoenix. We were staying at a hotel near the airport when he called my cell from Renee's old house, since she hasn't sold it yet.”
Charlie tightened his embrace as he held me to him, then shakily said, “Oh, God.”
I nodded, “Yeah. She still hadn't moved a bunch of the old videotapes and things. He used one where she was frantically calling out to me, to make me think he had her. He told me he'd let her go if I turned myself over in trade… to find a way to lose Alice and Jasper, then meet him at my old ballet studio. I was freaking out, but the opportunity came when we were waiting at the airport to meet the rest of the Cullens. They had lost James, so they were flying in to give me extra protection. In a split-second decision, I told Jasper I needed the restroom. He walked with me, standing guard outside the door, but I knew there was another exit at the other end. It was hell keeping my emotions in check since he's an empath, but it worked. I scrambled into the first cab I saw outside of the entrance.”
Charlie picked me up under my ribs, then turned me, placing me sideways on his lap. I snuggled my head into his neck and could feel him tenderly rubbing my back. “You don't have to tell me any more, if it's too hard. All I need to know is that you're safe now.”
I nodded, “I want to. It is hard, but I want you to know. I don't want there to be any more secrets.”
He consented, then I continued to tell him about meeting James at the ballet studio, realizing that he never had Renee. He heard every bit of James torturing me... taunting me, breaking my leg, slamming me into the glass mirror, then biting me right before Edward showed up, along with how he videotaped my torture. By the time I got to the point of telling him about Carlisle working on my leg to stop the bleeding, Edward sucking the venom-tainted blood from my wrist, along with Alice and Jasper ripping James apart, Charlie had silent tears running down his face as he shakily tried to keep his breathing calm.
He finally choked out, “He's ash, right? They burned him after tearing him apart?”
I nodded as I looked intently at his tear-stained face. “Yeah. They burned down the whole studio, with him as the starting point. They couldn't risk evidence of me or them being in that studio, so when he was mostly purple smoke, they made the fire spread to the rest of the building. Alice took Rosalie back to the hotel, then they set up the cover story, making it all look believable.”
Charlie shook his head, then said shakily, “Even I didn't think you could be that clumsy, Bells. I mean, two flights of stairs and a plate glass window?”
I gave a watery chuckle, then said, “I know, but the fact was that everyone else needed to believe it, which they did. Hell, even Renee believed it. Between the cut to my femoral artery and Edward sucking out the venom-tainted blood, I had lost too much. Carlisle knew I needed mass amounts of blood to stay alive, but since he didn't have any on standby for me in Arizona, the hospital was the only choice.”
Charlie was silent for a long while after that, just holding me while rocking us. It felt slightly intimate, but I couldn't help that I was soaking up the comfort of his embrace. He finally broke the silence when he asked softly, “You know that you can't continue with him, right Bells?”
I sighed, then said sadly, “I know. I don't think things were right with us, anyway. He was dead-set against me changing but claimed I was his mate. If I truly was his mate, he would want me forever, not just while I was human. He would have added more venom to James', to make the change take place, instead of sucking it out like he did. As sad as it is to say, I think he twisted up his lust for my blood with his feelings for me, making himself think I was his mate, so that he didn't kill me.”
Charlie gave me a confused look, so I kissed his cheek before saying, “I'm starving again, so why don't we go in to eat, and I'll explain all about it.”
While we ate, I explained to Charlie all about vampires and singers. He seemed so shocked that he couldn't speak. I think he tried on more than one occasion, but he ended up just closing his mouth again with a shake of his head.
Finally, while we were washing up our lunch dishes, Charlie kissed my temple, saying, “I think I know why your changes started. That James creep biting you... well, I think it broke the protection the elders placed on you. Vampire venom is lethal for wolves, Sweetheart. When a vampire bites a wolf, if the venom is left to spread, it kills the wolf in a slow and horribly painful way. We didn't know it could be sucked back out. I think since the venom wasn't left to spread in you, it wasn't enough to kill you, but it was enough to break the protections… to force your wolf to wake.”
I nodded, “That makes a lot of sense, really. Nothing would break the spell like that would, when you think about it.”