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

“Paul does tattoos! I know where he is. We could go in the morning and—”

“No no no,” I cut him off. “I want to get it done. Now.”

“You want to sneak out? Hmm…Guess you’re really older now,” he smiled.

He jumped out of the window and landed safely. I’d never jumped from a window before. My dad said my human side might allow me to get hurt, and Rose said it was “uncivilized” and “unladylike”. But now that I’m older, rules had to be broken.

Jake looked up at me, watching me pathetically put my foot out, and pull it back.

“Come on, I got you,” Jake said, holding his arms out.

I jumped out the window like Jake. It felt like the ground was just below my feet, and it didn’t take much. Why would my family not want me to jump out of a window? They did all the time! And besides, it’s not hard, I thought. Jake’s arms supported me as I scrambled to my feet.

We ran east, with Jake in wolf form and me trailing him. We reached Sam’s place in time to see everyone eating dinner, laughing, and of course, acting like animals.

“Where’s the party?” Paul called to us.

Jake huffed quietly. I gave him his shorts and shoes back, and he took them delicately from my hands. He was careful not to cut me with his teeth. He went back behind the house as I greeted everyone. Seth came out to give me a hug.

“You look…different,” he said happily surprised. Then he frowned.

“What?”

“You’re taller than me,” he said, standing next to me, still frowning and comparing with his eyes.

“I’d blame it on the growth spurt, but maybe you’re just naturally short,” I said, patting his head. He shook away from my hand smiling, and his eyes widened.

“Hang on. I’ll be back. There’s chicken wings.” I heard him say as he ran like crazy back through the house.

“What are you guys doing here anyway?” Paul asked obnoxiously as Jake came to my side, human again.

“Guess who wants a tattoo?” he said, pointing to me. I nodded sheepishly as Jake put his arm around my shoulders. For comfort.

Paul laughed, but Quil jabbed him in the arm, in my defense.

“So, you broke free of your chain?” Paul snickered.

Jake and Quil glared at him. Quil went back in the house, elbowing Paul in the shoulder. I glared too. He was really setting himself up for a “dog on a chain” joke, but I held myself back. “Can she get one, or what?” Jake asked, impatient.

“Fine, fine. Come one, I got a station in the garage.”

We followed Paul to the garage. Behind all of Jake’s bike equipment, which he sometimes kept here, there was a bench with a little tattoo station.

“So, what are we getting? A flower? A butterfly?” Paul mocked. Jake growled, but Paul simply laughed.

“Like this,” I said, pointing to Paul’s arm. My finger poked his skin, and it felt like putting the tip of your finger into a candle’s line of fire. I’m sure my stony, cold finger was just as harsh to him. Paul’s temper made him one of the most heated wolves in the pack, Jake was second, Sam third. Somehow Paul being Jake's brother-in-law didn't end in a massacre. “But I want mine to be small, and on my ankle.”

“Why ankle?” Paul grunted. Jake was standing behind Paul, watching protectively.

“It’s less…” I trailed off.

“Noticeable?” he asked. He got it right, I assured with a nod. He chuckled quietly.

Paul put the tattoo needle on the machine and dipped it in black dye. The needle was much bigger than werewolf needles since my skin was a lot harder. I became a little nervous, but Jake came to my side and held my hand.

“It won’t hurt for long,” he assured me. I nervously smiled, and I looked back at my ankle. Paul made a quiet scoff, which didn’t help.

The needle hit my skin like a jackhammer. It hurt at first, like a grinding feeling. But it wasn’t so bad. It took a while, but the tattoo finally set. It was perfect! The small, ping pong sized circle looked perfect on my ankle. The black ink was perfect against my pale, slightly sparkly skin.

“I love it,” I said, staring at it.

“I know. I’m the best,” Paul said.

“For once, your right,” I agreed. He smiled, and I sensed Paul’s friendly side.

“And brightest, and hottest,” Paul added. I rolled my eyes.

“And slowest,” Jake added, tackling him. I laughed aloud as Emily poked her head around the corner.

“How’s it look?” she asked in a sing-song voice. Her good eye was wide and happy. Her slightly sad-looking eye was actually twinkling a little from the happiness.

“Perfect!” I said, standing up. I felt so empowered. My skin formed a hardened layer over the tattoo after it was finished, so now it was like a print trapped in marble. It sparkled a little as the sunlight that glowed against it was slowly sinking away from the sky. My parents had no power over what I had just done, and it felt good knowing I had control this time.

Suddenly, Sam ran in the garage. His expression sucked away my smile. “The Cullens are here,” he said, turning to me. He didn‘t look happy. “Looking for you."

We ran outside and saw my parents, Alice, and Carlisle waiting. Jacob insisted on carrying me since my ankle still hurt. I told him I could walk just fine, but he wouldn’t take the chance.

“What’s happening? Where is she?” Alice shrieked. She was the last to step out of the two cars. One was Carlisle’s Mercedes. The other, Edward’s Volvo. I could have sworn that Alice’s face was tinted a pale pink in rage.

“I’m right here, Alice. I’m fine,” I called back.

“Renesmee!” she screeched. The wolves cringed at her shrill voice. Jacob set me down and Alice came and hugged me, running through the werewolves to get to me. I hugged her back, but pulled away. She held me face to make sure I was okay.

“Why the hell would you run away like that?” she asked. The other werewolves just held their stare at the others. Carlisle, Bella and Edward stood there. Bella looked to Jake, disappointed. 'What have you done?' I imagined her saying. Carlisle just looked on, calmly, knowing that they’d take me home and everything would be okay. I suddenly felt the icy, familiar stare of my father. His cold eyes hit my ankle.

“You got a tattoo?” my father shouted. He turned to Jacob. I felt my hands ball into fists. My knees buckled, but I didn’t fall. “You brought her hear to get a tattoo?”

“You wouldn’t let her do anything. You think everything in unsafe for her. I’m just as concerned with her safety as you are! At least I brought her here to make her happy. It could be worse,” Jake defended. "She’s completely safe, so we don‘t really need you here to…”

Before Jake could finish, Edward grabbed him by the throat. Jacob threw Edward back and he fell on the grass with a thud, like a cinderblock was dropped. Edward stood up fuming, but the wolves stood in front of Jacob and me. They held Jake back from changing and protected me at the same time. My mother, Carlisle and Alice stood across from us, in a defensive line. I heard hisses from Alice and Edward, but Carlisle was more intent on leaving in peace.

“Renesmee, get in the car,” Edward mumbled. I obeyed, not wanting to cause any more trouble for anyone, and climbed into the car, Edward slamming the door behind me. Alice ran like lightning into the seat next to me, trying to comfort me. She tried to get me to talk as we pulled away from the scene, tried to get me to talk as we drove home, but I wouldn’t. I couldn’t. I ran at vampire speed to my room, trying to shake the embarassment. To leave it downstairs with the rest of my family. But I couldn’t. I drifted to sleep on my bed. My tears helped me fall asleep, I guess.

My nose was filled with the smell. Cinnamon and smoke. Jake! I ran to my door, worried he’d come in.

“Jake! Jake, I really don’t want to talk to you,” I called.

Silence. Dark silence. I was worried. I smelled him, but I couldn’t hear him. Or his heartbeat. I opened my door. The house was filled with fog. I sped down the flight of stairs, ignoring the fog. The front door was open. The smell was still overpowering, but I couldn’t shake my focus. And my slight sense of fear. Fear was never something I’d felt this heavy before. My lungs felt heavy, and pressurized. But I faced all of it, knowing Jake was there. I sped out of the door. The whole wolf pack stood there, motionless. Leah wasn’t glaring. She was staring in fascination. That wasn’t Leah. I stared at them, but they just stared back, even when I waved and tried to call to them. But I couldn’t even speak. Jake suddenly appeared, also unusually fascinated. Fog still controlled the scene.

“Jake, I’m scared,” I breathed, telling the truth.

“What? You don’t trust me with your safety?” he asked smugly and sarcastically. That wasn’t my Jake. Not my Jake.

I suddenly bent over in pain. It felt like someone had punched me after I ate. I suddenly threw up blood. All blood. I still sat where I was on the ground. Usually, blood would create hunger for me, but this blood was disgusting. Revolting. The pack had gone wolf, circling me and Jake, who now stood in front of me, looking down at me, smiling an evil smile. The wolves barked and snapped in anger. The blood pile turned into solid, dark-red marbles, and they all assembled themselves to the center of the puddle. They began grow and creating a mass. The mass got larger and larger. Soon, it was taller than me, even as I stood up, cowering in fear. Soon, the bloody mass went cold and white. It still moved like lifted water, hovering in the air. Fur began to grow. Long legs and five inch claws sprout from the mass, which stood up on all fours and no longer hovered. Jake disappeared, walking into the fog. I was alone. Soon, a large, menacing white wolf with blood red eyes stared down at me, baring its teeth as it lunged for my head.

I woke up in a burst of gasps. Jake was sitting next to me, and reached for my hand as I gasped in shock. He stroked my head, holding it close to his chest to make me stop panicking. I calmed down, but the calmness turned into quiet sobs of fear.

“Shhhh, Ness. I’m here. It’s okay, it was just a dream,” he whispered.

“I don’t know what happened, I…” I stuttered, trying to explain what I didn’t understand.. He hushed me and we rested there. Soon, I found myself lying on Jake’s chest, using it as