By the Light of the Moon I Will Always Love You

It soon became clear to Jacob that Ariel simply couldn’t or wouldn’t fit into the La Push lifestyle. She was so different; you could spot her dazzling white hair and moon pallor skin from amidst a crowd of a hundred Quileutes.

Ariel loved LaPush, the people, the nature and most of all Jacob but she couldn’t allow herself to hope anymore. To hope that she would be accepted, that she would finally be in a place she could call home. All her life she had been hunted and she had been running for what she was. For what she had been made into…

Quil, Embry and Seth had immediately taken a huge shine to the strange white wolf and Jacob had often caught them staring at her in awe of her magical beauty. Jacob didn’t blame them; he still had awful trouble trying to figure out how such a beautiful creature could want to be with him.

Sam however, did not like Ariel. Alarm bells had erupted as soon as he set eyes on her. He simply did not trust the strange differences in her appearance that the others seemed to find mesmerising, even, much to his annoyance, Emily. He was unable to place the eyes, her pale skin or fast reflexes She was so different to the Cullens, it didn’t occur to him to add two and two together.

Emily as always was kind and had immediately set a place on the already crowded kitchen table. Ariel was forced to smile and force the tasteless food down her throat, making appreciative noises to both the pack and Jacob. Her secret could not be discovered. And every night she tried not to break down under Sam’s endless stare.

Jacob often snuck into Ariel’s room at night, which had previously been his sister’s empty bedroom, to simply watch her sleep. He could sit and stare for hours, watching her slow breaths, her hands curled softly on the pillow and long shining tendrils of hair hanging over her shoulder…

Other times, she would be waiting for him and allow him to slip in beside her, to just hold her and want her. She loved how his hot breath felt on the back of her neck and would snuggle closer to him as he wrapped his muscular arms around her waist, pulling her tighter to his strong, protecting body.

She would dream beside him, of a world where they could be together. Without fear or restrictions. Without secrets and where their love was the only thing that mattered.

As two, they were perfect. In their world, all they saw, all they needed to see were each other. All they needed was to touch, to hold, to kiss and to love.

Open the door to the outside and everything changed. Ariel’s’ hands constantly shook for fear of discovery. Her nightmares consisted of Jacob turning away from her in disgust of what she really was.

“Where did you find her?” Seth asked Jacob one day.

Jacob watched Ariel, who was seated on an old log staring at Claire as she walked towards her, hands outstretched, as if she were a dangerous animal near to attacking and smiled,

“On the cliff.”

“The cliff?” Seth questioned

Jacob nodded, “Yeah…she was just…there…and everything changed.”

Seth snorted at Jacob’s dreamy gaze and voice, “Man, you’ve turned to mush.”

Jacob snapped back to Seth, “No I haven’t.”

“Yeah you have!”

“Whatever man, I can still beat you in anything.”

Jacob promptly tackled Seth and the two wrestled on the ground until Emily broke them up with the distracting smell of fried chicken.
~

Again, Ariel sat threw a frightening meal, nibbling at the unappetising meat, silent unless spoken to and only able to stay calm by Jacob’s warm glances every few minutes.

She knew it would happen. Of course it would happen…

Sam leaned against the doorframe to the kitchen, watching Emily as she washed the dishes, handing them to Ariel to dry and stack away.

It happened in an instant. Ariel turned and her long hair swished over her shoulder, glittering like a thousand diamonds, her mouth was slightly open and Sam started as he saw the glinting proof of a fang at the corner of her lip.

He stood straight and stiffened noticeably. The pack spotted their alphas change in a moment and stopped what they were doing.

“What is it Sam?” Jacob asked, as Emily and Ariel turned.

Sam gritted his teeth and pointed a still finger at Ariel

“You’re a vampire,” he whispered
The whole room froze into a deathlike silence, only broken by a loud smash from the plate Ariel had been holding.

Jacob moved to Ariel’s side,

“You’re losing it Sam…what the hell are you talking about.”

“Everything fits,” he whispered like in a trance “The eyes, your skin…damn even your voice! You’re a leech!”

Jacob felt his angry grow and took a deep breath to control himself ,

“Sam…get a grip man! You’re losing it…how can she be a vampire!”

Sam leapt forward and Jacob felt the shock as an unnatural strong arm pulled him back and he found himself protected behind Ariel’s small body. One hand was enclosed around his wrist in a vice like grip, and her whole body was bent in a panther like crouch.

Ariel couldn’t help as her natural instinct to protect Jacob took over. Her lips curled back to flash her sharp teeth as she hissed loudly and dangerously, causing Quil to phase on the spot.

Sam held his control as he watched the different emotions pass over Jacobs face. Shock, anger, sorrow and fear. Jacob pulled away from Ariel and gazed at her…and slowly placed a large, tanned hand upon her chest waiting, pleading to hear a beat…

Minutes passed in the silent kitchen and Jacob backed away, softly pulling Emily, who was frozen by the sink, away from the vampire.

“Jacob…” Ariel whispered.

“Don’t talk to me…”he growled “You’re a vampire…a vampire!”

She nodded, “Yes.”

“You didn’t tell me…God I’m such a fool…you completely blinded me!”

Ariel started forward to reach out for Jacob but he stepped away, unable to look at the girl he loved,

“Get away from me,” he hissed

A burning pain seared in Ariel’s chest and she suddenly understood the meaning of “heartbroken”.

One small tear trickled from her silver eye, down her pale face and she backed away. Jacob blinked and she was gone.