In the shadows (Caius Volturi)

The wolves

Shado didn't answer. Stranger danger and all.

"Oh wait...are you Shado?" She nodded. The rusty coloured wolf came back a few seconds later, also as a human.

"Sorry about that. We thought you were a bloodsucker. What are you doing on our side? Not that you aren't allowed to be here, but you've never been on this side before?"

Shado shrugged, slowly getting up. She wiped the dirt of her leather jacket and trousers before looking at the two half-naked males in front of her.

"Oh wait, you don't talk, right?" Seth said, hitting his palm against his forehead as if he forgot something stupid. Shado nodded and even gave him a tiny, almost not visible smile. "Hey, Alpha said we can bring you to the house. Emily made food. Do you wanna come?"

She tilted her head and looked at the boys with a calculating look. Then she nodded and followed the boys through the woods. Shado didn't despise the werewolves. Seth was a kind kid and he kept making jokes, even if he knew that Shado wouldn't answer verbally. She had heard about Jacob from Edward. He hated the 'mutt' as he called him. They both pinned after Bella, who Shado still thought was an absolute brat, so she was the reason they hated each other. And of course, them being mortal enemies didn't help either.

They walked for about twenty minutes before the three reached the edge of a small village. The houses were all made of wood and had this homey look and were very far away from each other. All in all, it was amazing. The boys went straight towards a house that was almost still in the woods, not on the clearing like the others.

In front of the house were two shirt-less guys, who were just sitting there. A third wolf was cutting firewood wood beside them. As soon they noticed Seth, Jacob and Shado they jumped up and went to meet them.

To be honest, Shado was jealous. These guys looked like well chiselled statues. They all were incredibly well trained and had six-packs. She had to work ages for hers and if he and Olli knew, this was genetic. They would go batshit crazy. Well, vampires had the same privileges.

The boys led her into the house and Shado was immediately surrounded by a cloud of the smell of Muffins. There was a dainty woman standing by the stove. When she noticed the boys, she turned around and Shado noticed the bi scars that ran down her face. She ignored them and gave Emily a smile. Even with them she looked beautiful.

"Hello, my name is Emily. It's lovely to meet you. We've only heard stories about you. The boys were starting to believe you didn't exist." She had a warm voice and gave off the aura of a motherly figure. Remarkably similar to Esme.

Shado gave her a rare smile and Emily held out a plate with huge Muffins. A guy, who's name Shado didn't know, reached past her and tried to grab one, only to be hit by Emily who glared at him.

"Jared let the poor girl have some first. She looks to thin anyway. You won't starve to death I spent my entire life making food for you lot."

Jared looked like a kicked puppy and rubbed his hands soothingly. Shado carefully took a Muffin and took a bite out of it. Emily was an amazing baker and Shado enjoyed it very much. By now the other guys had also helped themselves and the oldest-looking guy had an arm wrapped around Emily. Just then a girl with short hair came in and glared at Shado. She looked like she hated everyone and everything.

"Why does it smell of leach in here?" She snapped, her eyes not leaving Shado.

"This is Shado, she lives with the Cullen's. Remember they told us about her. Her scent is very weak so the one of leach is overpowering. Are you wearing one of their clothes?"

Shado nodded. She gestured to the jumper, silently asking if she should take it off.

"Uhm...I mean if that's okay with you. The smell is really unpleasant" Seth said, scratching his head.

Without a word Shado took off the jumper, got up and dumped it outside. She was wearing a tank top underneath, so she wasn't naked.

"Would you like a jumper from me? Not that you get cold" Emily asked with a worried look on her face. Shado shook her head. She had spent years on an island in the north Chins sea, the cold breeze of Forks was nothing.

Emily looked conflicted but reluctantly agreed.

"So what? Are you their pet or blood bag?" Leah hissed.

"LEAH" Sam shouted angrily. Leah only glared at him and stormed out of the house.

"Sorry about her" Sam said with a sigh. He knew Leah would leave the pack as soon as she could, and she was already saving up her money so she could leave completely. He didn't want her to leave but she just wouldn't forgive him or Emily. Ever.

Shado shrugged it off. Being a blood bag was better than being an experiment. And having a name was by far better than having a number. X23. That's what they called her. She was number 23 who was injected with the serum and the first one to survive it. And the X. She assumed it just sounded cool.

"So...lunch is ready. Can someone get Leah please?" Emily asked. The boys all groaned and Shado got up.

"You really don't have to- "but Shado just waved him off and went out. Leah was sitting a few hundred feet further, at the edge of the wood. She was glaring at the trees, her back turned to Shado.

"They betrayed you" Shado stated. Leah almost fell of the tree-trunk she was sitting on. She hadn't heard Shado come and she certainly didn't expect her to talk to her.

"Jesus, you gave me a heart attack. I didn't know you can talk."

"If I want to, but I found out, people wouldn't really listen if I did. So why waste my and their time?"

"That's a sad way to live."

"A good way not to die though."

"Yes, I do feel betrayed, but it's not completely Sam's fault. He imprinted on her- "

"I'm sorry if I am wrong but if you imprint you feel close to that person. It makes you want to be a friend, a brother or a lover. The bond wants you to be near this person, but Sam's decision to be in a relationship with Emily is not because of the bond. It is because he wanted to. Sure, it influenced him but if he had really loved you...he would not have left you. Him blaming the bond only means he is a coward. If I may say this...Forgive yourself for not knowing what you didn't know, before you even learned it. Sam doesn't deserve you tears; no man does or ever will."

Leah held out her hand, for Shado to shake it but she just stared at it. After a while she carefully out her hand in Leah's much warmer one. Leah smiled until her eyes fell on the long scar that begun on her shoulder and ran to the back of her neck and under the top. Slowly, the wolf-girl raised her hand and tried to trace it, but Shado caught her hand before she could.

"Don't...please"

"What happened to you?"