Liplocked Lullabies

"Where are you going?"

Five heads turned to look at me. Embry, Quil, Jacob, Paul and Jared were all staying at our house for the day. Something about business.

"Out," I replied to my brother's rude question, reaching out to get the doorknob.

"And where is out?"

"I'm going to a movie with a friend." Lie.

"Oh really?" Embry looked surprised, clearly not expecting that answer. "And who is this friend?"

"Her name is Olivia." I lied once again.

He didn't need to know the truth. Embry nodded in approval before they all turned their eyes back to the television.

Once I was safely in the car, I let out a breath.

The truth was, Andrei and I had been talking for the past week. It had started off with a couple of phone calls on my cell, and turned into a whirlwind romance. I had promised Andrei that I would meet him on the beach, in hope that we could take a late night stroll.

Embry had all the guys over, which meant that they would be occupied. I still hadn't told any of them about my new boyfriend, but I figured that when the time was right, I would tell them.

I had taken my mother's new car, a reward for the hard work she had put into her office. It didn't matter that I was underage though. I knew how to drive and the police never actually snooped around in La Push. I looked sixteen anyway.

The car was dark, the interior immaculate. The car still held the new car smell, though it seemed as though it was sprayed with perfume rather than bought.

I started the ignition and began driving. I reached First Beach in a matter of minutes. I could have walked, but I was already late as it is, and I didn’t want to keep Andrei waiting.

I parked the car and found Andrei standing casually in the sand. He spotted me almost instantly.

"Hey!" he smiled widely, showing a perfect row of pearly whites. "You made it!"

He wrapped his arms around me in a hug. And this was why I lied to my brother. Andrei was cold, and felt like marble under me.

"You're freezing," I said, trying not to offend him. "Do you want my jacket?"

"It's fine. It's my natural body temperature." I shrugged it off, before we continued walking.

"Wait." I glanced up at his eyes, and noticed they were now a blood red. "Did you get contacts?"

Andrei froze for a minute, before a small smile came upon his lips.

"Yeah, I did. Like them?"

"Yeah, they're cool."

"Thanks."

"So what do you like to do?" I asked, attempting to break the silence.

I hated the silence.

"I like hiking." He said. He was scrawny, but he seemed built at the same time. He was still insanely beautiful. "And hunting."

"Really." I raised my eyebrows. "That's cool."

"What about you?"

"I like…" What did I like? "I don't like much."

"Really." It was his turn to look at me with raised eyebrows.

"Well, I like stuff…but you know, I'm not that passionate about much."

"Not many people are these days." He mused, smiling slightly.

"I guess…" It was silent as we walked.

Andrei grabbed my hand and smiled.

"What's that smell?" he asked suddenly, his eyebrows furrowing slightly. "Oh my god! What a stench!"

He looked around wildly, and I ever-so-subtly checked my armpits. No, I had put deodorant and perfume on before I had arrived. I didn't smell anything.

"I don't smell anything." I declared, and Andrei just stared.

"Seriously, you don't smell that?"

"No…" I looked at him, with wide eyes. "Are you okay, Andrei?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

He calmed down for a minute. We continued walking, talking about random things before I realized something was wrong. I heard it.

"I really don't know, Bella." The voice was deep, familiar. "I mean, I know something's wrong, but I can't figure out what."

"You still haven't told her, huh?" what I assumed to be Bella's voice said. "Don't you think she should know?"

He laughed, though it was forced.

"This isn't a fairytale, Bella. She won't react like you will. She'll probably freak out. It's a lot to take in."

"Why are you underestimating her?"

"I'm not. I'm just worried."

I looked around, finally putting a name to the voice and saw Jacob and Bella walking a few yards away. Jacob was shirtless, while Bella had on jeans and a t-shirt.

Jacob wasn't shirtless before. I could tell you that. I would have noticed. Jacob scrunched up his nose suddenly, a sour look coming onto his face.

"What the hell is that smell?"

"Jake, you're crazy." Bella laughed.

"Crap." I hissed, ducking my head slightly.

"What?" Andrei whispered, his hand still gripping mine.

"Nothing, just keep walking."

Hopefully they won't notice us. Hopefully they won't notice us. Hopefully they wouldn't—

"Wait—" Bella said, stopping completely. "Isn't that her over there?"

I felt both their eyes on me, and I could practically here the wheels turning in Jacob's head.

"Journey?" he asked, jogging to catch up to Andrei and I. Bella had no choice but to follow. Andrei and I had no choice but to stop.

"Hi." I waved with my free hand.

Jacob's eyes traveled to my other hand, which was still wrapped in Andrei's. His eyes then traveled to Andrei before he started to frown.

"Andrei?" Bella asked, her eyebrows rising in surprise.

"You know him?" both Jake and I chorused in unison.

"He was one of Jasper's old coven mates." Bella paused, noticing how Jacob began to shake. When he was with Maria."

This made Jacob shake a bit more.

"What. The. Hell." He looked at Andrei with hatred in his eyes. Bella backed up slightly.

"Jake…" she muttered, "Calm down."

"You're with the leech?!"

"What?" I mumbled, not comprehending the reason behind Jacob's fury.

"Hello, dog." Andrei spoke for the first time. His voice was as smooth as velvet, and he had a smirk the size of Texas on his face.

"Don't call me a dog, you leech."

"Why so upset, pooch?" Andrei smiled, wickedly. "Is it because you're little girlfriend is mine?"

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Jacob scowled.

I had never seen him act like this before.

"Face it. I've got your girl." Andrei grinned maliciously, and I began to get scared. Something in his red eyes told me to be afraid. "I've hugged her. I've held hands with her. I've talked on the phone all night with her. She doesn't even like you."

"Wha—?"

"Shut up!" Jacob cut me off, pointing at Andrei. "She doesn't even like you."

"Hello, I'm right here!"

I shot Bella a what-the-hell look, but she just stared at me amused.

"Of course she does." Andrei blinked. "Then why did she make me her boyfriend?"

The word rolled off his tongue like a bomb waiting to be dropped. Bella raised her eyebrows in shock. Nobody had been expecting that. Pure silence filled the air.

I looked in Jacob's eyes. His brown orbs were filled with mixed emotions.

Betrayal. Hurt. Anger.

"That's what I thought." Andrei laughed maniacally. I attempted to break free from his grasp, but he held on to my hand, the veins on his arms flexing slightly. I winced in pain. "Face it dog, you lost."

And with that, Andrei let go of my hand, and I exhaled a sigh of relief.

But then he grabbed my cheeks and brought me towards him, covering my lips in his. I felt confused, worried and a bit dazzled.

For a moment, I kissed back. And then I realized what was happening and I stopped.

I started kicking and attempting to escape, but Andrei was too strong.

And then he let go of me. We all turned to look at Jacob, in complete shock.

He stood, frozen like a statue. His eyes were wide. His mouth was hanging open and pulled back into a frown, so he showed his teeth. He looked like a predator ready to destroy his prey.

"Jacob, wait! I—"

I stepped forward, about to tell him that we could talk this out. That this was all a big misunderstanding. That I was stupid.

But I never got to finish my sentence, as my eyes bugged out and my mouth proceeded to fall open. Clothes flew and Jacob had pounced.

But it wasn't Jacob anymore.

In his place stood a large, russet wolf. He was my wolf. He was my wolf from the forest. Everything began to click together.

It all happened so fast.

Jacob was stalking forward while Andrei began to run away. He had changed.

"Journey, move!" I heard Bella shout, but I couldn't process what was happening.

There was a flash of brown. And the next thing I know, Andrei is gone.

My wolf is staring at me with big sad eyes. Bella is looking at me shocked. She's cringing, and looks as though she's about to throw up.

The skin on my face was stinging. I tentatively touched my cheek and felt the outline of a gash. Two gashes. Three.

I retracted my hand to see a sticky substance coating my fingers. It was a deep maroon color, and covered most of my hand. It took my a moment to realize it was blood. And then I screamed. And the wolf howled, and I'm pretty sure Bella was about to pass out.

My eyes began to flutter shut, as I drifted in and out of consciousness.

"Jake, we got to get her to the hospital."

And the next thing I know, I'm being hoisted onto the wolf's back, and a single howl is piercing the air.

And then everything went black.