Rising Waters//Book Two

Chapter 8:

With more and more "bear" sightings being heard about throughout town, alongside the boys are the reservation staying quiet, I've decided to go out and investigate for myself.

That is why I'm sneaking around, Charlie. More wolf sightings mean that Victoria is showing up more and more.

He would likely worry about me going into the woods right now, given the recent sightings, but I can't sit around doing nothing. 

It's not my fault the pack probably has no idea who they are dealing with. I figure, why not help out? 

Victoria is smart, fast, hell-bent on revenge, and she's going to take risks because she has nothing left to lose.

I've dealt with gods and titans with that mindset. I think I can take out a vampire without exposing myself. 

Besides, if I run into the pack, I'll use the mist to obscure my face... I've done it loads of times when pranking people.

I changed into loose pants, a long-sleeved shirt, grabbing a comfortable jacket, and good running boots before heading downstairs... only to stop as I realized Bella's door was wide open and she wasn't in her room.

Or in the bathroom.

Or downstairs.

And her truck was gone.

Where in Hades did she run off to? Since when does she even leave the house, let alone in the morning hours? 

I sighed as I put my jacket over my brown long sleeve, then started up my motorcycle, heading towards the woods up by the Cullen's old residence.

*******

By the gods, I really need to figure out my way around these woods.

I've been out here for hours and absolutely nothing. Other than almost running into a pack member once or twice, the only thing I've discovered is my innate desire to burn down every tree with a nymph in it. 

They never seem to shut up.

"OW!" I rubbed the back of my head. 

I guess that's what I get for kicking that dryad back there. 

She kept trying to kiss me! 

"If only you'd told me how good you are at throwing rocks." 

Instead, she'd gushed over how she had already planned out our wedding, what dresses we would wear, and what color our flower crowns were. 

Why was one of my best friends the Lord of the Wild?

Everyone knows him, and so they also know Percy, Annabeth, and I, as well as a number of the 7 purely by association. 

I wonder if this is how famous people feel.

After another 20 minutes, I came across Uncle Charlie's hunting party. So, I started following them. Every now and then, Henry Clearwater would stop and cover up something with dirt. I suspect wolf prints.

Suddenly, I got a chill down my spine.

We were being watched.

I looked around and up in the trees. Just as I located what looked like red hair, she moved and dropped down behind Charlie. 

I started running towards them as Henry pointed his gun at her, only for her to speed over and grab it, then his neck, lifting him off the ground. He struggled, and I could see the hatred in both their eyes just as I plowed into Victoria, ripping her away from him.

I let go of her as we rolled down a hill, propelling in front of her and onto my feet as I pulled out a dagger and obscured my face. 

As we were having a stare-off to see who would move first, I felt a sense of déjà vu. I realized this was what had happened in my dream. It also made me realize the pounding of wolf paws on the ground I heard coming towards us. Just like my dream, Victoria went to make the first move, only for Jacob to crash into her.

I ran towards them, putting my dagger back in its sheath on my thigh as she rolled away and ran, me following right behind as the pack followed on my tail.

Victoria turned around, and when she realized I was right behind her, she was just as surprised as I was and sped up. It registered in my head that I was running faster than I ever had before.

I jumped over a pile of logs just as a wolf crashed into me. 

Holy Poseidon's underpants! That actually hurt.

I whirled around to see a smaller wolf staring at me as if wondering what to do, and in his moment of confusion, I ran. Having lost track of the pack, I ran towards the only place I had a constant lock on: the sea. I made it to the cliffs and looked around me, using the water in the air to help me sense the pack's presence. They were far away.

Taking a moment to breathe, I marveled at the speed I had just run with. It was almost scary how fast I was moving.

Putting my hood down and tucking my beanie in my jacket, I let myself think seriously. No one ever told me I was that fast. Had I ever run that fast before?

As I looked toward the ocean and the beach, movement in the water caught my eye. Someone seemed to be trying to drag another person to shore. Vapor traveling down to the beach, I hid behind a rock and caught my breath as I finally realized who was in the water.

Quickly running out of my hiding place, making the mist disappear from my face and willing myself to be wet, I ran into the ocean, then swam towards Jacob. As I reached him, recognition flashed through his eyes. Reaching him, I stared in disbelief at who he held in his arms.

Grabbing her arm, I threw it around my shoulders and let Jacob readjust his hold on her so he was doing the same. Bella's face was now safely away from the water as we paddled to shore.  Dragging her body from the water, Jacob practically threw her body ashore, quickly starting CPR.

Begging her to wake up, Jacob stopped CPR, and I took over. While pushing against her chest, I forced the water out of her lungs, and she woke up coughing. I rolled her on her side so she wouldn't choke. Jacob rolled her back as I stood up, taking off my jacket and wrapping it around her shoulders as she sat up.

As I wiped my legs of sand, I treked after the two as Jake sat Bella down while he, I assumed, was getting her truck.

"What in had- hell did you think you were doing?!"