Red Moon ~ Chapter 8 ~ Reconciliation

Chapter 8: Reconciliation

‘Me trouble?’

I looked around to see who spoke. No one was in sight. Jacob was still around, I could smell him, but he smelled more doggish, he must be in wolf form.

He couldn’t have been the one who spoke. Wait. How did he know I thought Jake will get in trouble? ‘Edward? Is it you?’ I asked inside my head confused.

‘No. who are you? Your voice sounds familiar…Eshe?’

Oh, hell. Where does he know me from? ‘Who are you?’

‘Jacob.’

Whaaaat?! How is he talking to me? He is NO mind reader! Is he?

‘Eshe, where are you?’

The little voice in my head spoke again: Let him come. He’s the only one around and he can kind of talk to you. And he came to help.

‘I am kinda talking to you; I think… How is that happening I wonder?’ he continued.

‘Huh, what do you mean that you are talking to me? Anyway, I am by the lake. Hey, don’t freak out but don’t look for a human but for a fox.’

‘Did you just say fox or am I hearing things... Haha…I made a joke…hearing things!? Well, that would explain us hearing each other!’

‘Yes, a fox. Will you come or what?’ I thought as I rolled my eyes. What a nerd!

‘Okay, I’m coming, and I am NOT a nerd!’ he whined.

I shook my body to get the snow off of my fur and moved to the open so he could spot me. He materialized from the darkness of forest where the tree line ended. He was just staring. I reacted instinctively. I dashed toward him to attack, before even I could realize what I was doing.

‘Hey, hey! Don’t start again! I flew on you by mistake! And I wasn’t going to eat you! What can’t you understand? Now, please, take your paws off of me because there is no use in trying to hit me. I don’t want to hurt you; your parents sent me out to look for you.’ He gave me a toothy, what… grin… as he pinned me with one paw… yes, one paw. He was huge compared to my little fox body.

He was right. It was no use in trying to hit him. I looked into his brown eyes and waited for him to go on.

‘Okay, can you promise me you won’t rush at me again while I take you home? You know, kiddo, I had a long flight from Forks and I’m tired.’

‘YOU are tired? During the last two days, I have been running from Buffalo to Sherrill and then you jumped on me in the woods and then I turned into a fox! THAT is tired! Not a long flight!’ I spat at him in my head.

‘I didn’t say you are not tired, I just said I am tired too!’ He chuckled.  He apparently was not fazed by my apparent whining and rambling… like he was used to it or something.

Ah, what a childish discussion.

‘At least can you explain some things?’

‘It’s none of my business. I just have to get you back.’

‘Oh, so now you are the silent guy in black? You just came to get me home and then you will go? And why should I trust you?’

A low growl came from his chest, I knew I was annoying him, but I really wasn’t in the mood for all this at the moment. ‘’Kay…What do you want to know?’

‘What happened to me?’

‘You’re asking me? I just went out to find a girl with red hair and blue eyes that was hissing at me a couple of hours ago and I met a fox! Next question.’

‘What are you, exactly?’ I whispered, even in my head.

‘Werewolf. Not an actual one per say, I’m a shape shifter who can turn into a wolf. It’s a gene that has been passed over from generation to generation of Quileute descendants in LaPush reservation. We are the protectors of the human.’ He chuckled again, and I saw Nessie flash in his head.

Funny. The first thing that I had thought was actually true… I should give more credit to my theories next time…

‘Why were you in the woods? You said you came from Forks or something like that.’

‘Yes, I went to see my dad in LaPush. I came back earlier than I had planned and I wanted to give Nessie a surprise.’ The scene of him jumping on me flashed in his head.

‘By jumping on her?!’ I asked incredulously.

‘It wouldn’t be the first time.’ I think he grinned, but I’m not sure if wolves –real or not– can grin.

‘Well, there is something that really confused me. What are you doing with a vampire coven?’

‘We have known each other for a while now. Bella is my best friend. So is Nessie. I’m like her big brother; I’ve been around the family since she was born.’ This sounds weird… ‘We’re pretty attached to the Cullen’s and we moved out with them.  I have a house here, in town.’

‘You said we?’

A flash of 8-packed, dark skinned and very hot boys flashed in his head in respond. 

I chuckled, as I am sure he did not think they were hot. 

‘My pack. Not all of them are here. Just two more. Quil stayed at the Rez and Leah has gone to Uni. Not that if she wasn’t there, she would come to live around a bunch of vampires. And No! I don’t think they are hot! Ewwww….’

This last comment annoyed me. Not the ‘ewwww hot guys’ but the vampire comment.

‘What’s the problem with living around vampires?’ I asked sternly.

‘Relax. I didn’t mean to offend you. Just our accentors first phased to protect LaPush from vampires, so we’re natural enemies with them. Or at least that’s what we thought. We get along fine with them, at least most of us; except the scent. And Rose. We may be natural enemies just with her.’

‘Rosalie? Why? And what’s with the scent? It smells just fine to me.’

‘Rose just doesn’t like me. If you continue hissing every time you see me, better join ‘Jake haters Club’, Rosalie is in charge and she would love a new member.’

I chuckled.

‘Now what else did you ask? Oh, the scent. Do I smell good to you?’

‘Mostly. You kind of smell like wet dog but I don’t mind that much.’

‘Complete vamps do. Our scent is too strong for them and theirs is too strong for us. It feels like my nose is burning. But after a while, I just got used to it. I think it’s like that with the vampires too.’

‘Don’t look at me! I have no idea! And no thank you, I will not join Rose’s club. I don’t hate you anymore. I did. You really scared me. But now you simply seem to be a nice guy. But if you want me to keep having this opinion of you DON’T. EVER. JUMP. OUT. OF. NOWHERE. WHILE. I’M. RUNNING!’

‘I think I learned my lesson. Enough with your questions now. It’s my turn. You looked like Nessie. Or was it my imagination? When I looked at you again you had changed.’

‘I can change how I look. Not everything, just some things… Renesmee had asked me to look like her and then I forgot to change back. And I hadn’t been warned about wolves flying from the trees on whoever looks like Renesmee. You really caught me by surprise. I have to admit that this can be one of the top ten ways to give someone the biggest scare of their life.’

‘Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.’ He winked at me. ‘And why did you say you are a fox?’

‘I didn’t. After the Cullen’s came, I kind of calmed, numbed is a better to put it-’

‘It was Jasper.’

‘Anyway. And when he stopped doing whatever he had been doing, the trembling started again and I was about to get up. Suddenly, I just had four feet. Hairy ones.’

‘I see. So, what is the problem, isn’t it one of your gifts or something?’

‘Of course. I’m one of the many fox-shifters in the area.’ I thought sarcastically.

‘Not funny. We’re home. I will let the Cullen’s try and explain the rest to you.’ He sounded upset.

‘Can I ask you something more before you go?’ I pleaded once more.

‘Sure, sure.’ He caved.

‘Why do you have clothes tied on your leg?’

‘I need to wear something when I phase back to human, you know. And now that you mentioned it, I’ll ask Alice to give me some clothes for you and let’s see if I can help you phase back.’ He chuckled again as he turned and started walking toward the forest.

He disappeared behind some trees and then ran in human form to the house. He didn’t knock, just opened the door and rushed upstairs. From the huge window on the side of the house, I could see a small figure going up and down in the room giving clothes to someone. It didn’t last more than a couple minutes and Jake was back with a pile of clothes.

‘Jake what the hell is all that?! A shirt and a pair of jeans would be enough!’ I exclaimed in frustration.

No response. He couldn’t hear me.

“Wait, Eshe, I’m going to phase back,” he said, realizing I was probably trying to talk to him.

He left the clothes in front of my front paws and went somewhere further in the woods.

‘I’m back!’ I heard him say.

‘Good. What did you bring all these clothes for? Are we going to play dress up?’

‘Alice wanted to give you several choices.’ He laughed.

I snorted. I’m a fox! Why should I care in what I would change into if I somehow managed to phase back?!

‘You will get used to her. Now follow my instructions,’ he said, sounding all serious and dominant.

‘Can you come here? It gets disorientating not seeing who I’m talking to.’

‘You don’t want me standing there if you change back to a human, you know.’

‘Oh. I hadn’t thought of that. So what do I have to do?’ If I was human, I would have blushed.

‘Take deep breaths. Close your eyes and think of your human form.’

‘Hello! I’m not human!’

‘You know what I mean. Are you going to do as I say or are you going to keep correcting me?’ he half barked at me.

I closed my eyes and thought of me. Wow, it sounds weird thinking that…

‘I don’t feel any different. Are you sure it-’

Jake had left again.

Did he phase back? Dang it, how am I supposed to phase back if he doesn’t stay and help me?

 I whined and wallowed in my own thoughts for a moment then I opened my eyes. Hairy toes were gone and my hands were in their place.

Yay! I’m normal again!

I changed out of my ripped, dirty sweater and into a red V-neck shirt with short sleeves and a pair of dark jeans.

“You are good.” I heard Jake’s voice. Not in my head, but for real this time.

“Mom says I’m a quick study.” I laughed, my voice cracking a little from not using it for such a long time. 

“Okay, are you ready to get back? Everyone is very worried about you,” he said as he turned and motioned for me to follow him.

“Yes. And I really need to lie down soon.” I said and yawned, realizing for the first time today how tired I really was.

“Come on, fox girl.” We both laughed as we walked up the front steps.

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