If you didn't already know, all the characters in this story that seem familiar belong to Stephenie Meyer. I appreciate them joining this story and inspiring some new characters as well.
PS: If you've been here before, I'm still trying to figure out how to use fanfic, so the look may change, but the story is the same!
Finding Edyn
Chapter One
I was tired, emotionally, physically, and mentally. I had spent the last several weeks trying to accept the fact that the girl I loved, loved another. Not only did she love another, she was going to become one of them. I wondered if she was already married, a vampire, and living her "dream" life. I could only hope that she would wake up and realize it was a nightmare, but I wouldn't be there to save her. Not this time…not ever again. I kept running, but even that wasn't enough any more. I was ready to stop fighting the feelings and face them head on. My feelings had changed, I no longer felt angry, now I felt betrayed. I could not understand what appeal Edward held for her. Sure he was good-looking and rich, but he was also a bloodsucker, something that shouldn't even exist! He couldn't give her anything that I could. She would never be able to have children with him, but she had seen our children. He couldn't be that great of a kisser given the way she had responded to my kiss. I let my mind wander back to that morning on the mountain. Her lips were warm and gentle; her breath was sweet as her tongue intertwined with mine. I could feel her strength as she pulled herself closer to me, crushing her body to mine… I shook my head to stop the thought process I could only stand so much reminiscing. Edward had told me in the tent that he hadn't even had the pleasure of making love to Bella! I could. I could give her every experience that he couldn't. She loved me…she told me she loved me, and yet here I sat lonely and miserable. I had promised her no more games and I intended to keep that promise. I could have fought, I could have tried again, but I wouldn't. I had to stop myself more than once from returning to Forks and dragging her away with me forcing her to give me a chance. I knew she wouldn't want that, and I knew that consequences would follow. I wasn't ready to start a war, or to have my heart ripped from my chest for a second time. So I kept running.
Now here I was sitting against a tall aspen tree listening to the wind blow through its leaves. It was a comforting sound, like little voices whispering a lullaby. I found myself fighting off the sleep that had been eluding me. I didn't want to sleep…sleep brought dreams…dreams about her. I yawned and tried unsuccessfully to keep my eyes open.
The next thing I was aware of was not the wind in the trees but a voice, a beautiful voice. I knew it was close by but I didn't know where it was coming from. It was growing louder. It was singing, but I didn't recognize the tune. I tried to open my eyes, but they were so heavy they weren't cooperating. Then the singing stopped. Dreaming I guess. I sighed and then something touched me.
My eyes flew open as I jumped from the damp ground, fighting with every ounce of energy I had to stay in control. Quivers ran up and down my body so fast I wasn't sure that I could gain control, and not knowing what had touched me I couldn't phase!
I closed my eyes tight and focused on breathing in and out, slowly the quivers stopped.
"Geesh!" The voice spoke quietly. "I was just making sure you were breathing! From the distance you looked dead! You didn't have to go all crazy on me!"
"What?" My eyes finally opened and focused on the voice. I don't know what I expected to see when I opened my eyes…but it wasn't her! She was tall because I was staring almost directly into her eyes and what deep blue eyes they were! At that moment everything just…stopped! The wind in the trees, singing birds, the flowing creek, it all just…stopped! The only thing that I saw was her! There were no words to describe this beautiful creature standing in front of me. I knew in that instant that I would do anything for this amazing girl! I felt a tightening in my chest, a strange sensation that I had never experienced before. I wondered if I was having a heart attack or something like it. I gasped as I clutched at my heart.
"Seriously," she eyed me cautiously. "Are you okay?"
That question caught me off guard. Was I okay? Physically I was fine, a little tired but fine. Mentally I was still trying to cope with the fact that I had lost out to a bloodsucker, a filthy leech! Emotionally I was hanging on…but barely. I looked up to see her staring at me curiously and was again struck by her. I knew that she was someone I wanted to get to know better, a lot better. That thought surprised me. Hadn't I told Bella that I would never see anyone but her, that because of her I would never imprint? I didn't know if I wanted to see anyone but Bella, not yet anyway. My head was spinning with thoughts coming from all directions and I couldn't make sense of any of them.
"Sure, sure," I replied as I tried to stop staring at her. "You just scared me!"
"Really?" she replied sarcastically. "I thought that maybe you greeted everyone that way!"
I tried to hide a small smile. Her sarcasm was pleasantly refreshing in a strange sort of way.
"I really am sorry I just sat down to rest and…wow!"
"My name is Jacob." I stuck out my hand in a friendly gesture, wondering how or if she would respond. She eyed me cautiously, an internal debate on whether or not I was dangerous going on in her head. Finally she stepped forward with confidence and took my hand.
"I'm Edyn." Her hand shake was firmer and stronger than I expected.
"Like the Garden?" I questioned.
"Yes," she huffed. "Exactly like 'The Garden'!"
"It's pretty," I smiled at her. "I like it."
"Umm, thanks." She answered. "So you're not from around here are you?"
"Why do say that?" It was my turn to be suspicious.
"Well, usually we wear more than cut off jeans and we generally do wear something on our feet." She smiled teasingly. "Tourists on the other hand…you never know what they'll do!"
I looked down at myself and grimaced! In my haste to leave I hadn't given much thought to what I would do when…if I actually stopped running! I was dressed in my cutoff jeans, no shirt, no shoes, nothing to change into either! As this information began to sink in I also realized that I had no money, no car, no identification, I had nothing but the clothes…er…shorts I was wearing. I was a mess! I was trying to figure out exactly what to do when another thought occurred to me, I had no idea where I was!
"Can I ask a strange question?"
"I'm beginning to think that everything you do is strange," she half muttered to herself. "What would you like to know?"
"Where exactly are we?" I looked at the ground in embarrassment.
"What? You don't know where you are?" She looked absolutely astounded by that fact.
"Well," I stammered as I looked at the ground. Explaining why was going to be complicated. I could hear it in my mind: Well you see the girl I loved is marrying a vampire…yes I said vampire, oh by the way did I mention that I am a werewolf? Anyway the girl I loved is marrying and becoming a vampire, so I turned into my wolf self…I did mention that I was a werewolf right?...and I just started running and I finally got tired and you found me right where I stopped. "I've been on the road for a while and I guess I lost track of time and where I was going!"
"Well, where do you think you are?" Her eyes were slits of suspicion.
"I think," I looked around at my surroundings for a moment. There were the tall aspens that had sung me to sleep, deep green fragrant pine trees, beautiful red rocks jutting into a limitless blue sky, and the sun blazing down without a cloud in sight. I honestly had no idea where I was. It was foreign to be where the sun was shining so brightly. I racked my brain trying to remember from geography the "sunny" areas of the country. Weren't the southern states the sunniest? "I think that we are somewhere in the south?"
"You have no idea do you?" Her eyes glimmered in the sunlight.
"Well," I tried to think of something intelligent to say but came up with nothing. "No, I have no idea!"
She laughed so loud it started the chorus of birds singing again. It was a cute girly laugh, not quite what I expected given the strength of her handshake. She was laughing so hard it looked like she was going to fall over! I was starting to get irritated! So what! I didn't know where I was. Not everyone was a geography wiz! I stood and watched her for a minute and then decided to let her have her fun. There were other ways to find out where I was! I walked away taking one small quick glance back at her…still laughing!
I hadn't gone very far when I heard her calling my name. Hmmm…go back for more ridicule or keep going? I was intrigued by Edyn, but my rocky emotional state wasn't improving under her ridicule. Fortunately, intrigue won over ridicule as I stopped to wait for her.
"Hey," she kicked at a rock. "I'm sorry that I laughed at you. It wasn't very nice of me." She tried to suppress a smile. "I wasn't really laughing at you, it's just that, you really…"
"No!" I almost shouted at her. "I really have no idea where we are okay! I am really glad that I provided you with some comic relief today, but I am going to find someone who will help me…without laughing!"
"Jacobs Lake." she whispered.
"What?!" I gasped.
"Jacobs Lake," she said it louder this time.
"Are you…" I started to laugh this time. "Well, I have definitely NEVER heard of that before!"
"Really?" she started sarcastically, but it soon melted. "Well…welcome! Can I take you to your car or something? It is the least I can do after being so rude before." She blushed lightly.
"Actually," I hesitated. "I really need to find a phone."
"Not a problem," she smiled a dimple showing in her right cheek. "There is a lodge just about two miles away."