part 9

I heard the mind reader's voice "Can one of 你 显示 her how to phase back?" and the boy who seemed to be in charge asked warily "She isn't one of those children of the moon is she?" I didn't know and the only sounds I could make were growls, snarls and whines. The she-vampire who had kidnapped me answered "The moon isn't out yet dog." Suddenly the human girl took charge "First of all I want everyone to stop staring at her. Is she hostile leech?" she asked the mind reader "I don't think so." he replied. "He doesn't think so. Great." She muttered to herself.

The girl, so aggressive before, was now rather gentle toward me. She knelt on the ground with her hands up in a peaceful gesture. "Don't worry. As soon as 你 relax you'll be able to take human form again. 或者 whatever form 你 were in- Stop staring at her! Now!- just relax" I also heard the others talking about me. One of the 吸血鬼 was assuring the boys that I hadn't killed any humans. My eyes had only been red because Bella had been closest to me when I left. Someone else 说 I had a tendency to take on the characteristics of those round me. I realized I was a wolf.

I had obtained some semblance of relaxed. Turning back into a human felt like every bone in my body disappeared. The intense pain turned to a dull soreness and I felt stiff. I was just a human girl huddled on the ground. "I'm so sorry" I 说 when I found my voice. A few voices told me I had nothing to apologize for. Someone asked if I was all right. I ignored the question. Not practical to lie. Not practical to tell the truth. I looked at the three boys and the girl and remembered how they had dealt with me becoming a 狼 "Mostly human friends?" I wondered. The mind reader nodded.

My head was drooping. I just didn't have the energy to hold it up. The human girl looked concerned "Did it hurt 你 to phase?" she asked "Phase?" I felt stupid. "Turn into a wolf." She clarified "It doesn't hurt us but it looked like it hurt you. Did it?" I nodded "You do that often?" I asked. She laughed "Yeah. When we're angry sometimes we can't help it and then we can, with practice, do it whenever we need to. But it's genetic. Only a few people in our tribe can do it. We're a lot bigger than you. We 分裂, 拆分 our clothes completely." I looked and saw several large rips in my outfit. I was glad I wasn't big enough to shred it. " We can hear the thoughts of our pack- there are two packs- and the leasers can hear only the thoughts the other wants to share. This concludes werewolf 101" she finished dryly.

I tuned into the last bit of another conversation "So she writhes in pain and 你 don't and she's smaller. Anything else?" One of the 吸血鬼 asked the 狼 "I don't know. She takes longer and her 毛皮 shoots in and out a few times instead of staying out" He walked over to me "I'm Jacob. That's Leah, Quil, and Embry. Leah's brother is also in our pack and then there's another pack. Our allies. We don't know whether 你 fall into either group." One of the boys asked me if I had ever phased before. I shook my head and he 说 that for a first time I probably had it easy even though it hurt. Usually the first time was a three 日 ordeal. The vampire leader and the mind reader explained what I did as tears of fear welled up in my eyes, "Phasing exhausted her." I heard the mind reader say. The 狼 girl (werewolf?) supported me as we walked back to the house full of vampires. My 心 sank. I would never get away. My one chance was blown. Leah seemed to dislike the vampire house too so we walked slowly.

The little girl vampire ran into the 狼 leader's arms as soon as we got inside. He looked at her like a sister 或者 even daughter. His little vampire princess to be happy at all costs. It would have been sweet if it wasn't so scary.

One of the boys- Quil?- 说 something about "telling Sam" about me and Jacob promised to do it tonight. Leah informed me that Sam led the other pack. Esme brought out a huge 大盘子, 拼盘 of 食物 for the boys. I realized that I had begun to think of a few of them 由 their names and that made be feel stupid for thinking in titles.

"Where's Seth?" Esme asked, looking slightly concerned. "He broke a couple of 识骨寻踪 horsing around with Colin" Jacob said, apparently not upset. "Being an idiot" Leah added. Embry laughed "He'll be around tomorrow if we come. No one saw him so he won't have to wear a cast." Now Jacob laughed "Good thing too. They were playing a game where they not only jumped from a roof into a pool but tried to push each other so they would land on the cement." I was still leaning on Leah but she didn't seem to mind much. Rather than keeping me awake, my pain was making me feel dull and sluggish. Phasing felt like running ten marathons. The last thing I heard before I fell asleep was the mind reader telling everyone I would be asleep soon and the tiny she-vampire saying something about how horrible it was to have someone else making predictions.

I probably slept about an 小时 and a half. Jacob was on the vampire's telephone "Yeah I know Sam. just tell everyone not to attack a "vampire" with sandy blond hair. If 你 listen closely 你 can hear a heartbeat but it's so faint I didn't realize it was there until I'd been around her for a quarter of an hour... look I know but wouldn't 你 rather be inconvenienced than attack an innocent for lack of a better word human?... Thanks.... not tonight... Is Sue mad at Seth.. ok... Let me know if there's a problem. I'll run patrol most the night.. sure sure... bye" He hung up.

Leah had left and I was laying on a sofa with a blanket. I had a sudden hope. 吸血鬼 were one thing but werewolves? I pinched myself hard hoping it had all been a dream. It hurt. My 心 sank as I sat up tentatively to face reality. "Feeling better?" Embry asked. I nodded. "While 你 were asleep Carlisle found out that 你 pick up some of our traits when you're around us. You're gonna feel kinda warm just like 你 feel cold when you're near the bloodsuckers" he informed me. Bloodsuckers was not 说 harshly and no one seemed offended.

Quil was talking on a cellphone getting frantic "Is she alright. Where is she? Tell me now!" I shook. I writhed. I phased. Oh joy. This time Jacob turned into a 狼 too. He was huge. A whine of fear escaped as I tried to run. "Hello? Can 你 hear me?" came Jacob's voice in my head. "Not the time for experiments Jake" The mind reader said. "I hear" I thought feeling stupid. I caught 随意 half-thoughts and repeated them back. Then Jacob ran out of the room. Quil and Embry were talking. Jacob reappeared in a pair of cut-off sweat pants. He turned to me "Just give me one sec" and then asked Quil to fill him in. "Claire's hurt" he lamented "In the hospital. Emily's gonna call me back and tell me which hospital." He looked like he was going crazy. "It's just a cut. She'll get stitches then she'll be fine." Embry said. Quil's phone rang and he listened impatiently to whoever it was- Emily? I saw Esme walk in with a pair of folded jeans and a strip of leather. The mind reader nodded to her and took them. Quil phased and the mind reader tied the jeans to his 狼 leg as he ran out the door like his 狼 depended on it.