New Rise - Book 4

A Green Aura

As we made our way to La Push I couldn't help but think about what Jake did to ensure my safety. None of it made sense, none of it at all. It took all my might to stay focused on my driving. Surprisingly I had never had a true lesson but I knew the basics from watching my father and reading drivers hand books.

To slow down and stop I needed to gently step on the left pedal and to accelerate I needed to apply pressure to the right pedal. As well I needed to remain on the right side of the road whether I'm coming or going. The other obvious laws were making sure the spedometer on the car matched the number on the speed limit signs as I passed by them. I could do this.

"So don't you think you should inform your parents about your whereabouts?" Nicholi asked me.

I shook my head. "That's not my priority. Jake's family and Sili's brother, they are my priority."

"Why?"

"Jake was just turned into a vampire and sent to live with the Volturi clan for eternity his father and sisters deserve to know. As for Paul, he needs to know his sister is still alive despite her blood status."

He silently nodded his head. "So 4 hour drive, got anything to read?"

I glanced over at him. "What?"

"Whenever my family and I go on long trips somewhere I usually bring a book to read. I'm not a big fan of scenery that I've seen a billion times before."

"Me either." I reached down at his feet and grabbed my day bag before I handed it to him. "I should have a book or two in there for light reading on occasions like this."

I heard him shuffling in my bag for a few seconds before he extracted a book.

"Imprinting History of the Quileutes." I saw him from the corner of my eyes turning the book over in his hands.

"I got it from my parents library but never got around to reading it."

He opened the book to the table of contents and glanced before turning to the first page.

"Upon the many recordered types of Imprinting the most common are between those Imprinters and their Soul Mates or the Imprinter and their Protectee's."

"What's a Protectee?"

He held up an index finger. "The reason for imprinting is unknown. Our ancestors believes that a shape-shifter imprints on the person with whom he has the best chance to reproduce, however, imprinting is designed to make the shape-shifter stronger." He paused. "Though in the case of Protectors and their Protectees the imprinting isn't for reproducing but in the case of protecting the tribes extinction."

"What, that doesn't make one bit of sense."

"Over the centuries our tribes have faced extinction not just once but severeal times. The first brought about the change in Imprinting to bring about the Protectors. All documented Protectors came from the direct blood line of Chief Ephraim Black."

"Ephraim Black, sounds familiar." I thought about the name for a few seconds before I realized where I had heard it once before. "I heard my mother and Jacob talking once before about how he turned down the spot as Chief Black because he didn't want it when he first phased. I think Ephraim is Jake's great great grandfather or something."

"So he's a protector?" Nicholi asked.

I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't know."

Nicholi closed the book and restored it back to my bag before he just stared out the window. "After we finish this we should go to your parents and let them know what has happened."