To The Stars Through Difficulties (Carlisle Cullen x Reader)

ᶜᴴ. 1 Finding Forks

Howls of fear, rage, and pain mixed with the roaring of the wind and the pops of bullets from the guns. One by one they were overcome by the humans whose voices sounded like the deep banging of drums as they yelled. The pack was weak due to starvation which led to a quicker extinction. I managed to escape the violence on steady and strong paws, But the guilt I carried would never leave.

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My paws had carried me miles from my home. I didn't know where I was going except for the fact that I was going far away. Snow no longer covered the ground in a soft yet chilly blanket. The wind had died down as soon as I was surrounded by large trees that reached for the sky. Birds flew from tree to tree as they sang their songs. I was overcome by the comforting scent of the forest.

I had been running for two days now and not once did I shift back into being a human. I was faster as a wolf and I needed to escape. It was only until now that I decided I needed a break. My muscles ached which caused a wince to escape from me along with a sigh as I sat down. The wind ruffled my thick black fur as I took in deep breaths. My lungs heaved, desperate for air.

The peace I was so desperate for hardly began before it ended. I could hear the crunching of leaves and twigs under heavy feet. I quickly stood up which brought stars to my vision. I swayed slightly but I kept on my paws. Suddenly a group of three large wolves surrounded me. Their growls came from deep within as they approached me. They looked much bigger than the average wolf. 'Are
they-' before I could finish my thought, darkness wrapped me in its embrace.

As I awoke, black dots slowly faded one by one. My vision became clearer and soon my hearing came back as well. I was quick to notice that I was no longer a wolf, but a girl. I was without clothes but there was a blanket covering my bare body. I quickly pulled it tighter around my frame. As I looked up to take in my surroundings, I saw a man in cargo shorts with short, messy black hair. He had a stern gaze upon his face and he seemed to be frowning. I'm sure he sensed and noticed my uneasiness because he began to speak. "You don't need to worry." He said. "You're safe here. We're one of you, and you are one of us." I looked at him confused. "I'll explain more once you're ready. A fresh pair of clothes is right next to you on that stool," he pointed to a wooden stool to the right of me. "Come out when you are ready."

"Wait, before you go." I said quickly.

"Yes?"

"Did anyone see me?" I asked while glancing down.

"No, you shifted after we left you to grab some clothes."

"Okay, cool." I nodded while pressing my lips together. The man then left and shut the door behind him. I quickly got up and reached for the clothes. He had given me cargo shorts, a pale yellow shirt that was too big, and a pair of undergarments. I slipped into the clothes as fast as my hands could work. Once I was dressed, I ran my hands through my hair in an attempt to comb it out.

The sun greeted me warmly as soon as I stepped out of the shed. I had to shield my eyes until I was used to how bright it was. There were a few boys scattered around the large yard talking amongst each other. Then there was a house. It was simple and small but is looked cozy. I noticed the man from before standing outside the front door. He was watching me as I walked over to him, but so were the other boys outside. They had stopped their conversations to give a curious glance in my direction. "Hey, uhm... thanks for the clothes." I said with a forced smile.

"Thank Jacob, they're his clothes." He said as he crossed his arms over his exposed chest.

"Okay.." I said while nodding my head. "So what's your name?"

"Sam Uley, the leader of this pack." He said with a bit of pride in his voice.

"I'm Y/n Rhodes," I said before hesitating. "You said 'leader of this pack,' right? So all of you are shifters?" I asked while turning to eye the other boys with my own curiosity.

"Not everyone, Billy Black, Jacob's father, isn't a shifter. It skipped his generation due to the lack of vampires in the area. But then the Cullen's came along and I was the first in the pack to shift." He said.

"Hold on, who are the Cullen's?" I questioned while crossing my arms over my chest.

"They're a family of vampires that recently moved to Forks, Washington."

"Vampires... Forks, Washington... Is that where I am?"

"Yes, vampires." He said before taking a deep breath. It seemed as though talking to me was such a chore for him. "You're currently in La Push, the reservation our people, the Quileute, live on. Forks is twelve miles out from here."

"Oh, okay-" Before I could finish my sentence, a voice from inside the house called out to Sam and I. "Sam, bring her in before the soup gets cold." Sam huffed before motioning for me to step inside.

'What a gentleman.' I thought to myself as I opened the door. A delicious smell greeted me as soon as I stepped in. It was comforting. Sam entered after me and directed me towards the kitchen before leaving quickly. I heard him calling out to the boys and then their voices had died out.

"Take a seat." An older man in a wheelchair and long black hair said while motioning to the seat in front of him. "As soon as I saw them bring you in I knew you were in need of some food and water." The older man pushed a steaming bowl of soup towards me along with a glass of water. "I'm Billy Black." He said with a kind smile.

"Y/n Rhodes." I said as I picked up the spoon and began eating. The warmth of the soup didn't bother me. I was too focused on shoveling the food into my mouth to care about possibly burning my tongue. I heard Billy chuckle to himself and took that as a sign to eat slower. "Sorry." I muttered.

"No, don't apologize." He laughed once more. "I bet you've traveled a long ways haven't you? Where are you from?"

I nodded before setting the spoon down in the bowl that was now empty. "I am from farther North." I said as I reached for the water glass to take a drink. "Specifically in the Southern portion of Alaska."

Billy nodded with furrowed brows. "And you ran from there to here in only two days?"

"Yes, there were enough emotions, thoughts, and adrenaline to keep me going for longer periods of time. I also ran at night whenever I couldn't fall asleep." I said while finishing off the glass of water.

"Well, you can rest now and stay with us for awhile if you'd like." Billy smiled.

I thought for a moment before I answered. "I guess so." I shrugged with a small smile. 'I'm safe. I'm far from home. I'm okay.' I repeated these words as I tried to convince myself that I was truly out of harms way, for now at least.

"Alright, I'll figure out where you'll stay. You can do whatever you'd like now that you've got some food and water in your system."

"Thank you." I said as I stood up and walked towards the door.
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That's the end of the first chapter! I hope you enjoyed it and continue reading! The next chapter will have the first Carlisle interaction.
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