Forever Young

Chapter 3

I waited by the river until it got dark. It was the second day that Renesmee had not come to meet me. I told myself that I was being silly. That I shouldn't be upset over not seeing a girl I had only met twice before.

But that was two times more than I had ever met anybody else.

As the last glimmer of light faded from the sky, I sighed and lowered myself out of the tree.  I couldn't just sit in place anymore. I considered swimming, but the air in Washington got cold as the sun went down. Half vampire or not, if I stepped into that river now, I would come out shaking. Already, I could see my breath in the air, escaping in misty white puffs.

I would have to go and steal a jacket soon. Maybe the Washington forests, so vast and far from civilization, weren't as ideal as I had once thought.

My mind wandered to the wolves. I had promised myself that, for Renesmee's sake, I wouldn't mess with them again. But that didn't mean I couldn't observe them... From a distance. Aside from Renesmee, they were the most interesting thing I had come across so far.

I easily found the trail that led back in the direction I had originally come from. The frequent rain had washed away any footprints- or pawprints- but both my own scent and the wolves' scents still hung lightly in the mud and surrounding leaves. Once I got close enough to find the most recent trail left by the wolves, I masked myself with my power and took to the trees. 

They were gathered in a big group next to the water. Some sat, looking around at the different pack members, while others paced around.  It almost looked like a meeting, but no words were being spoken. The only sounds coming from them were occasional low grumbles.

Before, I had been running from them, and hadn't bothered to count how many there were. Now I realized that there were a lot- I counted fifteen, and at least two were missing, because I had noticed them during our first encounter. The wolf called Jacob wasn't there, either. 

With a pack that large, I was lucky that I hadn't been cornered the other night. From what Renesmee had said, these animals actually posed a real threat to vampires. Of course, she had told Jacob not to hurt me if he saw me. She had promised me that as we sat in our treehouse and talked. But her promise had been followed by an annoyed sigh and a pointed look as she told me that her entire family thought I was her imaginary friend.

I knew her look meant she wanted me to introduce myself to her family. To be a real friend and defend her. But I had just looked away from her eyes, suddenly finding my dirty and tattered dress interesting. There was no way I was approaching her family.

But there was also no way I was going to admit to being afraid. So I simply didn't answer. Eventually she had changed the subject.

I was glad they thought I was fake anyway. It made me much safer. 

In the distance, there was a howl, and the large black wolf responded back with a howl of his own. I listened as the distanced howls got nearer, until suddenly Jacob ran up with two other wolves. 

Eighteen. That made eighteen wolves in total. Maybe more.

Maybe coming here hadn't been such a great idea.

I tried to push myself lower on the branch, though I was already laying flat on my tummy. Giant wolves who eat vampires. Of course those were a thing. And just my luck, that my entire life I was the strongest thing I had ever come across, and then in the course of three days I discover both vampires and werewolves who could kill me. And for the very first time in my life I actually had a friend, so I didn't want to leave the danger zone.

Smart. Real smart.

I watched as Jacob approached the pack confidently. He was bigger than most of the wolves. Only the pure black wolf seemed like it may be big enough to rival him. There seemed to be no animosity though, and Jacob nodded to the black wolf as he approached and the black wolf nodded back.