Chapter 12: Only
(Alaska, with the Denali and Olympic coven)
It was a typical day in Alaska with the Denali coven.
The coven spent their afternoon in the living room with their "cousins," the Olympic coven. The Cullens had arrived about five months ago, after leaving Forks, where they had lived on and off for several years. The Denali coven didn't know the exact reason for the Cullens' abrupt departure, but they didn't mind. They enjoyed their company whenever they visited.
In the spacious living room of the Denali home, Carlisle and Esme sat together, engaged in light conversation about trivial matters—like what new recipe Esme might attempt next. Beside them, on the same sofa, Eleazar was absorbed in a book about Viking history, while his mate Carmen read over his shoulder.
Across the room on an L-shaped couch, the Denali sisters—Tanya, Kate, and Irina—chatted with Rosalie and Emmett, discussing the time Emmett and Rosalie had visited the ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru.
Alice and Jasper were seated on a smaller sofa by the piano, where Edythe idly pressed random keys. The two were having a quiet conversation about how Emmett seemed to be suffocating under the barrage of questions from the sisters about his trip.
Everyone seemed content—except for those whose minds kept drifting to their missing brother, Edward, and the girl they had left behind in Forks.
One of those was Edythe, who deeply missed her friend and brother.
Eleazar, struggling to focus on his book amidst the chatter, got up to turn on the radio, hoping some background music would drown out the noise. As he sat back down, a melancholic tune filled the room.
I can't be the only one who's lonely tonight
I can't be the only—
The first to react was Edythe, who bolted upright, her hands slamming down on the piano keys, causing a jarring clatter of notes.
"Edythe, is everything alright?" Carlisle asked, standing up, concerned by her sudden reaction. Edythe, still in shock, couldn't find the words to answer.
As Carlisle moved toward her, Jasper called his name. Turning, Carlisle saw Jasper kneeling in front of Alice, who sat with a vacant expression, deep in a vision. Realizing Alice needed him more at the moment, Carlisle went to her instead.
No, I can't be the only one who's lonely tonight
No, I can't be the only—
The room grew still as confusion settled over the others. Emmett, always direct, broke the silence.
"Edythe, isn't that the song you made for Bella?" he asked, his brow furrowed. Edythe, now standing near the radio, nodded wordlessly.
"Wait, what?" Tanya asked, looking at Edythe in surprise. "That's you singing?"
Edythe nodded again, bewildered as to how someone had gotten hold of her unfinished song.
"Does anyone know... who this is?" she asked hesitantly, listening carefully to the voice rapping, while the rest of the room—except Carlisle, Alice, and Jasper—gathered around the radio.
"No, I don't think so," Tanya said, glancing around at the others, all of whom shook their heads.
Yeah, if you made a list of people that you trusted
Would you put your name down? Do you know who you are?
When you look at life and you talk about yours, do you feel proud?
Are you leaving a mark, or scared to make a bad impression?
"I know," Alice suddenly said, breaking out of her trance. All eyes turned to her, waiting for an explanation.
Alice slowly crossed the room, with Carlisle and Jasper following close behind. Everyone was curious about what she had seen and what she knew.
She stopped in front of Edythe, gently taking her hands.
"The person singing on the radio..." Alice began, her voice soft but clear. "That's your mate, Edythe."
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Inside the cabin with the pack, the guys were lounging around, swapping stories about the weirdest things they'd seen on patrol. The mood was light, filled with laughter, except for Paul, who sat brooding in the corner, clearly upset about something.
The rest of the pack knew exactly what was bothering him, but no one said anything. They left Paul to his thoughts, not wanting to provoke him.
Sam, who was perched on the kitchen counter, watched as his imprint, Emily, cooked. He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around, already bracing for what was coming when he saw Paul standing there.
"Why?" Paul asked suddenly, his annoyance written all over his face.
"Why what?" Sam replied, knowing full well what Paul was getting at.
Jared and Embry, who were sitting at a circular table across the room, tried to pretend they weren't eavesdropping, but everyone knew wolves had excellent hearing. There was no missing this conversation.
"Why would you let that bloodsucker live? Let alone form an alliance with him? Aren't they supposed to be the enemy, or am I missing something?" Paul said, his voice rising in frustration. He couldn't understand why Sam, their Alpha, would make such a decision.
"Why don't you sit down first," Sam said calmly, gripping Paul's shoulder and guiding him to a seat with more force than necessary. Paul didn't resist, too focused on getting answers to care about being manhandled.
"Listen, Paul," Sam began, once Paul was seated. "Our job isn't to hunt down and kill vampires. It's to protect the people of the rez and Forks." He glanced at Emily, who had paused her cooking to quietly listen in.
"Yes, but—" Paul started, but Sam cut him off, his tone more firm.
"You don't get it, Paul. The reason I suggested an alliance with him—believe it or not—is to keep an eye on him," Sam explained, catching curious glances from Jared and Embry. "Nate showed restraint when you attacked him, remember? He didn't fight back. And he trusted us with information he didn't have to share. That shows he's willing to be reasonable."
Paul clenched his jaw, his anger simmering, but Sam wasn't finished.
"You're so quick to anger that you forget to think things through," Sam admonished, staring Paul down. Paul looked like he wanted to argue but stayed silent for now.
"And besides, he's the sheriff's nephew. We owe it to him—and the town—to give him a chance before we play judge, jury, and executioner," Sam concluded, his gaze locking with Paul's. The tension in the room was thick, the silence growing more intense by the second.
Jared and Embry, sensing the rising pressure, decided it was time to lighten the mood. Embry reached for the radio and turned it on, hoping music would help diffuse the situation.
I can't be the only one who's lonely tonight
I can't be the only—
Yeah, does anybody feel like me?
Show of hands, I don't need a lot, I just wanna find my peace
Yeah, why you throwin' rocks, oh, you wanna kill my dreams?
Okay, tell me everything I'm not
You think I didn't know those things?
Always been a little lost and I still might be...
Emily, who had been trying to act like she wasn't paying attention, suddenly perked up. Her eyes went wide as she heard the familiar voice rapping through the speakers. She nearly tripped over herself as she rushed across the room to where Jared and Embry were sitting with the radio.
"Emily, you good?" Jared asked, moving aside as she grabbed the radio.
"NFS," she whispered, eyes wide with shock.
"Emily?" Sam asked, getting up from his seat and following her. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.
"This… this is Leah's and my favorite artist," she said, her voice almost reverent as the music continued to play. Everyone else remained oblivious to the fact that the very same artist had been sitting in the room with them just an hour ago.
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Jacob and Bella had finally finished working on the bikes. Both were thrilled, joking about how they would form a two-person bike gang.
"What should our logo be, then?" Jacob asked as they turned the corner onto Bella's street.
Bella, pretending to think deeply, replied, "How about your face on a rainbow? That'd be menacing—especially the face part," she said with a smirk, her tone playful but awkward.
"Oh, you went there," Jacob responded, laughing as Bella joined in. The music on the radio suddenly cut off, catching them both off guard.
"I'll have you know, I'm the pretty one between us," Jacob said, flipping his long hair dramatically as he parked in front of Bella's house. Bella laughed harder at his proclamation, but then a new song started playing on the radio, causing her laughter to falter.
She recognized the song, but something about it was… different.
I can't be the only one who's lonely tonight
I can't be the only—
"What the…?" Bella muttered, turning up the volume. She recognized the voice immediately—NF's distinct tone—but something felt off.
"Isn't this the guy we listened to a while back?" Jacob asked, excited, glancing at Bella. But instead of sharing his excitement, he noticed her expression had changed. She looked… focused.
"Bella?" he asked, concerned.
Travel in my brain, woo, might find damage and no grace
Things that I hold on to, but I won't say...
Bella turned to Jacob, her brow furrowed. "The song he's using… the one with the girl singing… that's mine," she said, her voice low, confusing Jacob even more. "It was given to me by… a friend," she added, hesitating on the last word before returning her attention to the song, her head unconsciously bobbing along to the beat.
Jacob, still trying to wrap his head around what Bella had just said, heard a faint vibration that sounded eerily similar to the song playing on the radio. To test his theory, he opened the car door and listened intently, then closed it again to compare. Sure enough, the song seemed to be coming from inside Bella's house too.
"Bella… I think the song's playing in your house," Jacob said, now fully intrigued. Bella snapped her head toward him, her eyes widening in realization. Without another word, she jumped out of the car and bolted toward the house, with Jacob scrambling to follow her.
"Bella, wait up!" he called, surprised at how fast she moved.
They rounded the house, heading toward the backyard. When Jacob finally caught up, he found Bella standing in front of an unusually large shed, which looked like a separate building. She was peeking through the window, completely still. Jacob, curious and out of breath, joined her, not realizing the music was louder here until he was right next to her.
Turning his gaze toward the window, Jacob's breath caught as he saw the figure inside. It was Bella's cousin—the same guy who had brought her to his house earlier. But now, he was standing in front of a microphone, rapping his heart out.
"Nate… is… NFS?" Bella whispered, her voice filled with disbelief.
Jacob didn't take his eyes off Nate, who was lost in his performance, oblivious to his audience outside.
Is my music dated?
Would I be the same if I was medicated?
Even therapists say I need medication
I avoid it, though, because I'm scared to take it...
The lyrics continued to flow, raw and emotional, as Bella and Jacob stood frozen, watching. Jacob's mind spun, trying to process what was happening.
There's gotta be somebody out there
There's gotta be somebody somewhere
That needs company, and it's comforting to know...
The song swelled, reaching its emotional peak, as Bella and Jacob remained glued to the spot, stunned by the realization of who Nate truly was.
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Hey everyone!
Here's the second chapter of the week—I hope you enjoy it. This one was pretty challenging to write due to the different points of view and the number of characters I had to juggle.
I'll admit, it's not my best work, but sometimes you need to write mediocre or cringy things to get better. I just hope you enjoy it enough to stick around for the rest of the story!
Also, I've decided to stick to two chapters a week for now, as I'm working on another, much larger book on the side. That said, there might be times when I drop three or even four chapters in a week, depending on how productive I am and how well I plan and script each one.
As always, constructive criticism is welcome, and feel free to share how you'd like to see the story develop.
Thanks, and see you next time!
Also if you have any pennies to spare for little Olle me, PayPal me on.
DONATE:paypal.me/Helpauthor03
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