Breathe

Before I could utter a single word of protest, Jacob took my hand and led me into the house. "You have to get out of here," he whispered, closing the back door behind him. My mind immediately went to Billy.

"Your dad -" I pointed to the door.

"He'll be fine. Sam is out there." He cupped my face, and stared at me straight on. "Sarah, there is something in those woods, and I didn't realize how dangerous it was. It's nothing that we can't handle, but you have to promise me that you won't do anything stupid."

I gaped, and let out a short, sharp breath. "What's out there, Jake?"

He looked at me, his worried eyes flickering from side to side. "Vampires, I know that for sure. But there is something else, and I can't quite figure out what it is. No one of us can. It's very seclusive."

My throat closed, and as I tried to step forward, my knees buckled and I wobbled slightly. "I want you to go over to Emily's," he whispered, pulling me up against him. "I will meet you there." He kissed the top of my head, and helped me regain my balance before slipping through the back door.

A thousand different things were clashing together in my head. It was a jumbled mess, and I felt like I was going to cry. On the drive over to Emily and Sam's, I tried hard not to think about what was going to happen, but it seemed as though it was the only thing that I could do.

"Oh, sweetie. You're so pale." Emily greeted me at the front door. She must've heard the gravel crunching. "Come inside. Are you hungry?"

I got out of the car slowly, as to not fall over. Pushing the car door closed with my hip, I dragged myself inside, where Quil and Jared were both sitting at the table, shoving toast and eggs into their mouths. I received smiles from both of them.

"What's wrong?" Jared asked.

Before I could answer, Jacob, Paul, Sam, and Embry came in. It must've only been ten minutes since I left. Jared and Quil rose to their feet, and the six of them went into the other room to discuss the situation. Emily took a seat beside me and rested her hand on mine, which was lying idly on the tabletop. "Don't worry, honey," she said. "Everything is going to be ok."

I didn't respond. I wanted to know what was going on, and what the hell was out there.

*

When the elders began to arrive, I knew this was too important. All of them gave me a nod of acknowledgement towards Emily and I as they walked by, into the other room where the boys had gone to. Emily and I exchanged many glances over the next two hours, until they all came out into the kitchen.

Sam looked at both of Emily and I, and sat down at the kitchen table. Jacob walked around him and kneeled down beside me, squeezing my shoulder. "We've never seen this before," Quil Ateara Sr. said. "I don't even know what region it came from."

Billy, who I hadn't noticed come in, sighed, and rubbed his forehead, obviously worried. "They're not very well known. We do, however, know that it's not as strong as it wants us to think."

"What? What is it?" I asked, my voice cracking.

"A were-cat." Jared's voice came from across the room, and I looked at him. His arms were crossed. "They are the same type of shifter as we are, except.. obviously, they shift into a giant pussy."

"Jared," Quil Sr. said, "the proper term is bastet."

"Oh, please, Mr. Ateara. It's a giant cat."

"And it could do some damage. Albeit, minor."

I looked at Jacob, and felt my throat close. My stomach tied in knots. He kept his gaze on the table. "So," Emily wondered, "what's going to happen?"

"We'll do whatever it takes to get it out of here." It was Sam who spoke this time. "It's on our territory. If we can't get it to move, then we'll kill it. Embry, Jacob, Paul, and I have already had a confrontation with it. It's already killed a few humans."

"And what about the vampires?" Embry asked.

Sam looked at him. "What do we always do?"

It was all beginning to become too much for me, and I quietly excused myself from the room. Stepping onto the front porch, I took a deep, lingering breath and let it out slowly. I tried not to think of what was happening, but it was just too hard.

"Sarah," a soft voice said from behind me. I looked over my shoulder, and was met with Jacob's long arms wrapping around my waist. "Are you alright?"

I shivered. It had gotten considerably cooler outside in the last few days, the clouds stretching for miles and blocking out the sun. "I just don't know how to deal with this."

"What if I told you that there is absolutely nothing to be afraid of?" He pressed his face into the nape of my neck, kissing the skin gently.

"It wouldn't do anything, no."

Jacob turned me so that I faced him. I rested my hands on his bulky chest. "Nothing is going to happen. To you, or to Emily, or to any of us. We can take care of it."

"I know you can." I sighed, pushing my hair out of my eyes. "I just.. this is really strange, and I can't understand any of it. But I'm a human, so what do I know?"

Jacob kissed me gently, taking me by surprise. I closed my eyes, and cupped his face. We carried on for another moment, only stopping because everyone else had started coming outside. "It's going to storm," Quil Sr. said, peering up at the clouded sky. "This is just perfect."

I couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or not. I hadn't been around the Elders enough to know what they were like. They all walked over to the treeline that followed alongside the driveway. Once they were out of earshot, Jacob turned to me, and hugged me tightly. "Sarah," he whispered, pressing a series of kisses on my face, "don't worry about me."

My knees trembled underneath me. "You're leaving now?"

"I have to. As long as you stay here with Emily, you'll be fine. Kim'll be here, and I'm sure my dad, as well."

I took a handful of his shirt and let my head fall onto his chest. "I hate this."

"I know." He rubbed my shoulder gently, his thumb moving in circles. I could hear the faint yells of Sam and the other boys calling his name. I could hear Jacob's strong heartbeat. I could hear the heavy rain that was now coming down, turning the driveway into a lake. Jacob took a deep breath, and whispered, "I love you. I won't let anything happen to you."