Transmute | Emmett Cullen

1. Free

The move to Forks, Washington was mostly a good thing. For one, Jack and I learned that due to the nearby national park, we didn't have to go through long stretches of time without shifting. We could shift more than a couple times a month without going anywhere far. It was much less of a hassle. On top of it, there was a lot less speculation. I didn't always have to miss school and people were going to be a lot less suspicious.

It was obvious we were going to stay a lot longer than we did in New Hampshire. This brought on a whole lot more options for Jack and I. Instead of staying to myself, I could actually have the option of having a life. School clubs, sports, friends I could hang out with... a boyfriend, maybe...

It was all there. Well, maybe not the boyfriend. Jack would never allow that to happen when our secret could be leaked. That was the last thing we needed.

The drive to the other side of the country was long and uneventful, but we made it in four days. It was a lot of hours in the car that I did not want to go through ever again. I preferred getting stuck with needles for two days straight.

But eventually Jack drove his truck through the roads of Forks, passing it all until there was a gravel road hidden by trees and foliage. It winded through the trees until finally there was a log cabin in the midst of all the forest. It was one-story and beautifully built. There was a chimney and by the side of the cabin, a large pile of logs.

Honestly it looked homey. Someplace that Jack and I could fit right into. Out of all the places we've lived in before, this one looked the best. It was a tad small, maybe, but there was only two of us and small was good.

Jack didn't have the truck stopped away before I had myself unbuckled and running towards the cabin. I heard his laughter behind me but I didn't look back. The silver key in hand, I unlocked the cabin door and pushed it open.

There was a bad smell to the air in the cabin and dust motes swirling around. I coughed, turning away from the cabin and stepping outside where the air was a lot fresher. There was the sound of a truck door slamming and the crunch of gravel beneath a pair of boots. Looking up, I glared at Jack.

"Jack, what the hell? How long has this cabin been abandoned?" I demanded to know.

He gave me a sheepish grin. "Uh, a while."

I groaned, rolling my eyes. Of course there had to be a con to this perfect little cabin in the woods, away from society. The thing had been abandoned for God knows how long and Jack was no doubt going to fix it up. He would try to rope me into helping him but I wouldn't. I didn't sign up for fixing up old houses and cabins.

"I'm not helping you with that cabin," I said, pointing at him.

He chuckled as he walked past me into the cabin. "Don't know what you're talking about, Liv."

Uh-huh. Sure, Jack, sure.

I walked in behind him, more aware of the stale air, and began opening all the windows I could. It was a bare cabin with nothing inside but cobwebs and dust. Enough that we had to clean out the cabin before we could think about moving anything inside.

Jack was forced to be in charge of spiders (because even now, they still freaked me out) and I was sweeping and dusting things off. Just a few minutes into cleaning, I had to use part of my shirt to cover up my mouth. I sent a glare in Jack's direction.

Muffled by my shirt, I told him, "You're going to get it, Jack. Once this place is clean, you'll have to watch your back."

By the time we'd finished cleaning out the cabin so it was move-in ready, the sun was high in the sky and it was hot. Typical for August. I'd ended up losing my shirt and wearing the tank top underneath. Fortunately I was already wearing one of the few pair of shorts I owned.