Creatures of the Night | Jasper Hale ✓

Unlimited 2.12

[4 months later]

I can't be sure how much time has passed. I could tell the seasons had changed, I died during the end of Spring, Summer quickly passed, and now the subtle changes in the forest indicated Fall's arrival which made me wonder if I had already missed Bella's birthday. 

I couldn't risk seeing my family. I still felt the immense guilt from my first human victim, and since then did not leave the area where I first woke up. 

I couldn't imagine another person seeing me; in the same hospital clothes from my human life, scuffed with forest debris and blood. Again, I would not dare go near any humans even for clothes.  

Without the reprieve of sleep I had unlimited time to worry about Bella, Charlie and the Cullens. Surely someone was still looking for me? Even if the humans had decided I was dead, surely Alice would see me and they would be looking for me. Despite my fear to go near human civilization again, I worried that if I didn't try to find my way back to Forks that no one would ever find me. 

Currently I am running south, far from any roads or hiking trails, hoping that I will find my way. 

~ ~ ~ 

I see a city in the distance. The tall buildings, light pollution, and distant smell of humans. I could feel the venom pooling in my mouth and needed to make a decision. How could I get past the city without getting near the humans? 

The city was along the water, if this was the Pacific coast perhaps I could swim... 

I turn my back on the city and decide to go hunting one more time before making my attempt to use the ocean to get back to Washington. 

~ ~ ~ 

Despite my ridiculous situation, I could still acknowledge the benefits of being a vampire such as having unwavering stamina, the ability to survive without oxygen, and the inability to get hypothermia. I could not recall swimming much during my human life, but much like my other skills, vampirism had made it effortless. The smell of humans was also muffled by the salt water - another discovery I had come to appreciate. 

I had been in the water over the course of 3 nights. I didn't stray too far from the coast, and each night once I had reached an area desert of humans I would go hunt and try to gauge my location. 

My hospital gown had been soaked through. I kept the dilapidated garment on since I couldn't freeze to death anyway, and I had hoped I would be reunited with the Cullens and dry clothes soon enough. 

By the third night, I caught an awful smell on the coast. I had been hunting when the smell, resembling the stench of a wet dog, got closer. I could hear the drumming of a heart, and the crunch of leaves on the forest bed. "Hello?" My bell voice rang out. 

My greeting was met with a growl. 

My eyes darted to the source of the noise, a huge black wolf was bearing it's teeth at me, ears pressed down against it's head. 

"What in the..." 

Before my eyes, the wolf transformed into a naked man. I knew him, well, I knew of him. Sam Uley. He lived on the reservation.

"Don't move, bloodsucker," 

"Sam?" 

"How do you know my name?" His glare deepened and he maintained his distance.

"You don't recognize me? I'm Marianne Swan, I-" 

"Marianne Swan died in May. Her family held a funeral for her before summer." 

"I am Marianne Swan. This is what I know: some red headed woman - a vampire - came into my hospital room and turned me. She dumped my body in a remote location in Canada." 

"The red head? We've been tracking her down, are you friends with her?" 

"Sam, I literally just told you, she bit me! I have no idea who she is or what she wanted with me." 

Sam nodded, whatever I said seemed to sink in, "Alright, well what are you doing here? We have a treaty with the bloodsuckers, they can live and hunt on their land; and are not permitted to step foot on ours." 

I realize now why he was so defensive, "Sorry, I didn't realize it was protected land. I came for the Cullens." 

Sam barks out in a fit of laughter, "Those bloodsuckers? They skipped town a few days ago. The one left your sister in the woods, I rescued her." 

What... "What?"

"Yeah, glad to have them gone. But now we have a problem with that red head coming through our territory; more Quileutes have been turning ever since."

"Turning... Sam what are you and why do you smell like a wet dog?" 

"Isn't it obvious, I'm a werewolf," He rolled his eyes. "I'm the leader of the pack on the reservation. We have a few ground rules to set if you're going to be lurking here..."

"Such as?" 

"Do you feed on humans?" 

I frown, "No, I try to hunt animals like the Cullens." 

"If you were to kill a human or try to turn one in this territory we have the right to kill you instantly, is that clear?" All humor and sarcasm is devoid from his tone. 

I nod, "Got it."

"Okay, let's take a walk and I'll show you the border. You stay on our side and away from humans, we'll stay out of your hair."