Purple Sky by A. Teller (unputdownable books .TXT) 📕

“Come on, let’s go inside,” I said, kissing his cheek. We got out, rushing to the door. He grinned his signature and opened the front door. The house was unusually empty.

“Where…?”

“Seth’s at his mom’s trying to fix things. Meaning, he’s gonna come home feeling crappy. Leah’s at her mom’s place too, and Nate is back down at La Push.”

“What’s he…?”

“Nate met some girl. He thinks she’s the one. I’ve been telling my dad, there is no way that imprinting is rare.” Jake smiled, as though he already knew he was right.

“So, who’s the girl?” I asked, kicking off my shoes.

“Gemma. Gemma Crayson. She’s a boogie boarder he met down at La Push.”

“I didn’t know he was the surfer type,” I said sarcastically. I really didn’t know much about Nate. All I knew was that he was like Leah…but louder and more talkative.

“Neither did he. He’s bringing Gemma to the next bonfire. Knowing his taste, she’s probably just as quiet and depressing as he is.”

“You haven’t met her yet though. Opposites attract,” I informed. He hadn’t met this girl yet and he was already making assumptions. Jake sat on the end of his bed while I put the presents off to the side. “After all, our relationship is proof of that.”

He looked at me funny, and one of his black brows furrowed.

“What?”

“Nothing. Just…the ‘R’ word kind of…surprised me.”

“The R word? You mean…relationship?”

“It’s more complicated than that Ness, isn’t it?”

“I guess…” I paused. The silence of the room laughed in my face. “Oh! Wait, stay here,” I said. I didn’t want to feel the thick blanket of awkward that saturated the air. Alice’s gift was on my mind. But this conversation will surface again, I swore secretly.

We brushed our teeth and changed for bed. It felt very...routine. In a good way. I hopped into bed next to Jake, who was already drifting out of consciousness.

“Goodnight Jake,” I said. His eyes met mine as I pulled away. Jake grinned slightly, then went to sleep, holding me in his arms. It was the first time I truly believed we were in love. Seeing it in the movies ad on TV wasn’t the same. Vampires and werewolves weren’t real to the world, but even though I knew the truth, I was jealous that the world knew about love. They knew about this kind of happiness when I didn’t. I suddenly wished that I could have traded secrets. To know love, before vampires and werewolves. But now I knew all the secrets. I thought…

I woke up listening to birds. I could hear little flakes of snow hit the glass of the windows. My eyes blinked open to Jake’s left arm, pulsing with heat, wrapped around my stomach. I pushed his arm off, letting his hand slide onto his chest. He stirred, but kept his eyes closed. I grabbed my phone to check the time. 6:39 am. Perfect. I crawled out of bed, taking a quick, quiet shower to wash away the sweat I’d emitted while asleep. After I got out and dressed in my black jeans, blue long sleeve shirt, and grey sweatshirt, I fed Pilly. She scarfed the food down. Her manners almost as bad as Jake’s. My phone rang, as if on cue. I pulled it to my ear, already knowing the caller.

“You ready Quil?” I asked.

“Are you sure? I mean, what if he wakes up early, or…” I could hear Quil’s stammering excuses, but I tuned it out. I slipped my phone to the other ear while I washed my hand in the sink, slipping off my ring. I’d slept with it on. My heart hurt when I slid the silver band off, and placed it gently on the windowsill. After touching the smooth, sparkly pink stone one more time, I finally listened to Quil’s continual excuses.

“He’s knocked out,” I interrupted, glancing down the hall to Jake’s room. I could hear him still snoring. “Come on Quil, please?” My voice mimicked a child begging for a toy. I slid on my black mountain boots, tucking the phone between my ear and shoulder.

“Fine,” he said, defeated. “Meet us at Sam’s. And cover your tracks,” he said. The phone clicked and I pressed the red button, sealing the deal. I walked out the front door, and covered the bottom of my shoes in a thick, clear liquid. It was a special chemical agent that masked scents. It made my sour at its smell. The fact that it smelled like…blankness, made me uncomfortable, even with me pouring it. It made you question your sense of smell. Jake used it when he needed to stay hidden from vampires. He didn’t want to bring his work home with him.

I decided to go on foot, since I could have a better chance at getting a start on things. But the fish wouldn’t bite, so I ended up at Sam’s empty-handed. I guess going over a plan would be better. Quil, Embry, Jarrod and Brady were outside waiting.

“Where’s the fire?” Brady asked, grinning. Collin and Brady were closer to my age. Collin was seventeen, Brady was eighteen, but Brady was only two months ahead. I didn’t understand Brady’s question until I realized how fast I was running, and how fast I was breathing. I sucked up the air, stopping my pant. Brady chuckled.

“Are we doing this, or what?” Jarrod asked, excitement in his voice.

“Tell me what I need to do,” I asked Quil. He seemed hesitant at first, but eventually, he evened out. I understood why. Jake was his best friend. He didn’t want to put his best friend’s mate in danger. But I’d take the heat, so he shouldn’t worry, I assured him. He nodded and told me the plan, though his nod was like a “Riiiiight….” nod. Totally unbelieving.

“We need you to lure the leeches this way. We going to let you hunt on your own for a while and we’re not going to follow until you call,” he said. He held out a small, wooden carving. I took it, obvious. “It’s a ‘spirit call’. It’s like a dog whistle. Once you find them, don’t call us yet. Get them to follow you as close to La Push as possible. Blow it once you’ve hit the border. We’ll be there, waiting. Basically, do exactly what you did with that other bloodsucker, but now bring back two of them.”

“Now the party can start!” said a loud, booming voice. Paul, Seth and Collin approached, happily tugging along a reluctant Leah. Her scowl was lighter today. More excited. To see me get hurt, or to kill some vampires, I wasn’t sure.

“We’ve gone over the instructions,” Embry informed.

“No one really reads the Terms and Conditions, Quil,” Seth said. Everyone was lighter now, but I think my distress was a little more evident. It was strange, seeing everyone happy and together. Without Jacob…

“Ready Ness?” Collin asked. Collin was a closer friend to me then I think some people knew.

I nodded to his question, and went south toward my usual hunting ground. But I ran a little East, toward the trails this time. These vampires would definitely be closer to humans than animals. The wolves stayed on the border of La Push, circling and waiting. Paul was the most impatient of them.

I knew I was alone. The feeling was strong. The wolves smelled like smoke and cinnamon, like Jacob had. And since the smell was gone, it was more lonely than I’d imagined. The trees whispered to each other, and the birds gossiped in a language known only to them. Water trickled from streams, and clouds decorated the smoky blue sky. I watch the blurred, fuzzy images of trees pass me. The smells of fresh and stale animal tracks layered the ground. Nature was at its center. The calm before the storm.

I ran to a clearing on the east side of a mountain. There was human blood smeared on a few blades of grass. I stopped to smell, trying to get my hunting instinct to take over. I needed to be as fast and as rabid as possible if I was going to lure curious, dangerously ill-trained vampires.

I stood there in the silence. The wind kissed my cheek, and a sudden shudder rippled through me. The smells of death, two of them, entered my range. Two men, both looking of twenty years, walked causally into the clearing. The trees couldn’t hide their glowing red eyes. They looked hard as stone, and they were exceptionally muscular. Big. It might have felt better to have Emmett here. But I held my ground, knowing that I was tough. I could take them. Then I panicked on the inside. No, I couldn’t. I’d get killed. Then I finally calmed myself down. You don’t have to take them Renesmee. Just get them to Quil and the wolves and they’ll take care of it.

The two smiled at the same time, and I froze. I was intimidated, but I stood firm, covering myself in my mask. One of them bolted from where he stood, and a rush of panic tainted my bloodstream. The vampire stood at the opposite side of the field, staring at his accomplice. He was standing behind me, and I felt uneasy. I turned to face them both, standing sideways and facing an empty part of the field. A welcoming to run. But a voice broke my planning.

“Kila was right, Your pretty freaky-looking,” one of their voices hissed.

“I should say the same about you,” I snapped back.

He grinned evilly. His friend, the one standing to the left of my awkward stance, eyed me up and down. His grin grew, and I growled. The second I did, I ran forward. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t completely comprehend what I was doing, but I knew they’d follow me. Newborns were attracted to fear, even if I wasn’t really afraid. The appearance was all I needed.

I raced across the soft land. I could hear nature silence around me, watching and waiting for me to be ambushed. The birds flocked away, the sounds ceased, and it seemed that even the sun hid in fear of the scene that may unfold. I tried my best to ignore the lack of noise. I tried to imagine music in my head. But the only music that would come to mind would be edgy or action-movie-like. The trees that passed me swished in my path. I heard the faint huffs of the vampires that followed me. The trees cracked behind me, and I expected them to be jumping from tree to tree.

I ran through the woods until I saw in the distance, a brush of chocolate brown fur. Quil! Finally! It’s about time! I thought. I hadn’t realized how much my legs hurt until I saw Quil in the distance.

I stumbled over a log, and felt my leg tighten at the ankle. I was shaken into the air, finally starting to scream. Embry and Quil bit down on the other vampire who was fighting them off. Leah and Paul saved me, tearing the other vampire