Howl / Black [book 1]

seven

"Hey Jake. Just checking to see how you're doing. And to say hey, since we... ya know and... hope the flu passes fast. Call me." Mason left yet another voicemail.

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"Hi Jake. Your dad said you have mono. He won't let me visit but... would you call me?"

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"Me again. I just... need to hear your voice..."

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It had been the same for two weeks; Mason would call Jacob, Jacob wouldn't answer, and Mason would leave a voicemail.

"Jacob. Please. Call me." Her voice was desperate.

"It's mono, honey." Natasha told her daughter, noticing her dull expression after she hung up. 

"He's too sick to even call?" Mason stared at her phone, the home screen being a picture of her and Jacob during Christmas.

"You just gotta wait it out." Was all her mom replied.

"Yeah." Mason reasoned.

"There's my favorite patient." Natasha's new doctor entered. Mason took that as her cue to leave. 

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Back at her house, Mason couldn't stand being alone. With her step-dad being gone for business, she decided to hike to her and Natasha's favorite place. It was a fifteen minute walk to where she was going. 

Mason tries to navigate her way to the meadow. She refers to a map and a compass. Even though she went once a month, she could never remember how to get there by heart. She tries a trail; it doesn't look familiar, so she backtracks and tries another.

After thirty minutes, she finally sees a clearing ahead. Mason steps into the clearing, hopeful, but her face falls. In contrast to the warmth of her memories with her mother, the meadow that was once covered in yellow and purple flowers, is cold, gloomy, and cloudy.  She closes her eyes as tears threaten to spill.  Mason sinks to her knees, letting a few tears travel down her face, she then hears a rustling noise. She turns toward it, and peers into the woods. Another rustling noise comes from another part of the woods. She spins toward it, but finds nothing. Then she turns and jumps when she finds someone standing just ten yards away with dreadlocks and a chiseled face.

"Mason?" His voice is calm.

"Do I know you?" She answers with a question.

"I must admit, I didn't expect to find you here." He laughs, avoiding the question.

"I live here, but i think you knew that. Why were you looking for me?" Mason narrows her eyes.

"I'm a friend of Bella and Edward, it's a mutual type of relationship." Laurent begins to stroll in a slow arc around her, his eyes assessing her as he continues. "I went to visit the Cullens, but their house is empty. I'm surprised they left you and Bella behind. She was sort of a pet of theirs?" He chuckles.

"Um... something like that." Her nervousness practically spilling out.

"Do the Cullens visit often?" He asked, trying to buy his friend some time.

"I-I don't know, and honestly i could care less. If you want to know about the Cullens go ask Bella, please i'm trying to enjoy my time here." Mason explained.

"Feisty. Victoria did say you had an attitude." He licked his lips in concentration.

"Victoria?" Mason asked.

"So you don't know about the Cullens an their, um, situation?" Laurent was intrigued. 

"If by situation you mean strange and secluded, yes." Mason scoffed.

"Then this is going to be very poetic." He smiled at her, now standing closer; she noticed his eyes were an unnatural color, red.

"What's poetic?" She was aggravated at this point.

"My killing you." He answers nonchalantly.

Mason's eyes widen." W-What?"

"I'm here as a favor for my friend." He told her.

"Your friend, Victoria?" Mason asked.

"You sure do catch on fast." He smiled.  "Victoria sent me here for information. She won't be happy about my killing you." 

"Then don't." Mason pleaded, tears started to cloud her vision.

"No, no, no. Don't be upset." He was in front of her, caressing her cheek in a matter of seconds. "I'm doing you a kindness. Victoria plans on killing you slowly, painfully; whereas I'll make it very quick."

He backed up and prepared his attack. "I promise. You will feel nothing." He bared his fangs and hissed.

Mason squeezed her eyes shut. Laurent is milliseconds from biting, then abruptly, his expression changes. He sees something in the forest behind Mason, and it terrifies him.

"I... don't believe it." He sounded nervous.

Mason opened her eyes to see him taking a few steps back. Mason's confused as she realizes he's no longer focused on her; she follows his eyes, slowly turning to find behind her an enormous black wolf skulking out of the darkness of the woods. It stalks towards them, a low disturbing growl in its throat, sharp teeth gleaming.  

Mason is trapped between the two killers. The wolf slinks closer to her, a mere twenty feet from where she stands. Then, four more wolves soundlessly emerge from the trees, flanking the black wolf. They're the size of small horses, all of different hues: dark silver, chocolate, ash and russet-brown. Their hackles are up, lips curling, bodies crouched, ready to spring. 

Mason is frozen with fear as they come towards her. The russet-brown wolf is the closest and looks directly at her. When the wolf looks at her, Mason's body shudders. She suddenly looks at Laurent and backs away as flashes of the red-headed women from her nightmare walks into a hospital room, with her fangs bearing and hisses violent. 

"You're a Q'wati." Laurent hisses as he watches her eyes flash green, he then continues to retreat; then suddenly, almost simultaneously, Laurent bolts across the meadow.

Mason watches as the wolves spring into pursuit of Laurent. Their thunderous snarls and snaps shake her as the pack chase after the man. Mason uses this time to run away, darting through the tress she takes ten minutes to return home. 

Getting into her car she starts it up and heads toward the hospital. She parks her car and runs through the parking lot, passing cop cars and nurses crying. She turns the corner to the hall that leads to her mom's room and pauses. Cops are everywhere, talking to doctors and writing on notepads. Everything seems to be in slow motion as she walks towards her mothers room. 

As she makes it close enough a deputy grabs her arm. "You can't go in there."

"That's my mom's room the hell i can't!" She yells while pulling her arm away and running  towards the door before getting caught again.

Blood. Blood is everywhere. On the hospital bed and floor, where the body of Natasha Connors lays. 

"No." Mason sobbed.

"Mason." Sheriff Swan spoke after hearing her voice.

"No! No! No!" She continues to say while walking towards her mom.

Charlie grabs a hold of her as she continues to scream. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he pulls her back as she thrashes in his hold. Her blood-curdling scream echos throughout the hospital. Dropping to her knees, Mason grabs Charlie's arm and cries.

The alpha of the Quileute pack howls into the sky as he hears her screams, signaling to the pack that their Q'wati was in pain.

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plz don't kill me bc i am already drinking bleach from my special wine glass that says Party Girl 

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