This Love Is Wildfire

Learning The Truth

It's been a few days since I've seen the boys, and now Jared isn't even returning my calls. Being the impatient person I am, I'm heading down to La Push to see what's going on. I know it's childish, but I don't like being ignored.

I stop at Jared's house seeing as his is the first house I hit while coming into town. Seeing his car sitting in the drive, I know he's home and not busy like my brain was trying to rationalize. I get out of my car and make my way to the front door, knocking twice but to no avail. I knock a third time, this one louder and more obnoxious than the others, making him finally open the door slightly.

"What the hell man?" I ask as he peeks out behind the wooden frame, looking very nervous as his eyes quickly flit behind me.

"Ara, I can't talk I'm sorry." He attempts to shut the door in my face, only for me to place my foot in between.

"Bull. You were fine the other day, and now neither you nor Paul have returned any of my calls." He simply sighs and backs up as I push my way into his house, noticing the difference in his hair, but that comment can wait.

"Ara it's hard to explain—"

"A simple, "I don't want to talk to you" would suffice."

I place my hands on my hips, putting on a strong front as my mind spirals with all the possibilities as to why they both weren't talking to me. I notice the inner struggle going on in his eyes and I realize this is something else entirely, and not necessarily his own choice.

"No, it isn't...that's not it. Arabelle, you know what's going on. You're the only outsider ever to know what's happening." He sits in his chair, pulling at the ends of his now short hair and I stare at him in confusion. What the hell is he talking about?

"You know our stories Ara, our legends."

Suddenly my mind kicks into gear, flashing back to all the council meetings I got to sit in on, and I remember the legends. About the Cold Ones and the Protectors. When I was little, I got to go and sit in on the stories at the bonfires, I was the only one off the rez privy to these secrets.

"You mean the stories of the Protectors? Of the wolves?" He just looks at me painfully and everything clicks into place, making me gasp in surprise.

"No way. The legends are real? I mean, I kinda guessed because of my weird powers and whatnot..but that's so cool! Paul too?" He breaths a sigh of relief and it seems a big weight is lifted off his shoulders, when he nods.

"Why didn't you guys just tell me?" As I sit next to him, I'm unable to hide the hurt in my voice.

"Sam's orders.. He's the alpha, so whatever he says goes. We weren't allowed to tell anyone."

"That sucks. Have you talked to Paul then?" I say standing up and he looks at me confused.

"Only kinda—"

"Cool. Why don't we go bug him." I say with a grin to which Jared finally smiles back, and we head out the front door.

"I like the new hair cut by the way." I say as we begin the short walk to Paul's place, and Jared grins, running a hand through his new short hair.

"Thanks. We all had to seeing as it affects the length of our hair when we shift. Also." He spins around showing me a new tribal tattoo on his right arm.

"Dude! You guys got matching tattoos too?!" I trace the intricate design of twin wolves, loving the look of it.

"It's so cool." I didn't want to say pretty, because it's Jared and he'd give me shit for it.

We make it Paul's house, and Jared doesn't knock and walks right in..apparently shifting fixed things between them. Paul comes around the corner, wondering who came into his house, and I have to avert my eyes from his bare chest. This must be a wolf thing...I don't know if I'll ever get used to it..

"Of course you'd be the one to tell her." Paul states looking between the two of us, and glares at Jared.

"What? She figured it out." Jared shrugs nonchalantly making me laugh slightly as he falls comfortably onto Paul's beat up couch.

"With help from your hints."

"Dude. She's my best friend, I couldn't keep this from her." Jared defends, throwing his hands up in the air while I just watch as they go back and forth.

"And she's still here." I say crossing my arms and raising a brow looking between the boys, not believing they're arguing about this.

"Right. Sorry Ara. She knew the stories, she was bound to find out sooner or later."

"Does anyone else know?" I ask as we sit in Paul's living room, feeling like old times.

"Just Sam. And now you, but we can't say anything. This is one of the tribe's best kept secrets."

Paul says jokingly looking directly at me, no doubt making an outsider joke. And as I come up with a snarky reply, I make eye contact with Paul and watch as his features slacken slightly, and his body tense.

"That's because I'm special, and you guys love me." I say, giving the boys a coy smile, making Jared laugh.

"True." He shrugs, throwing himself into a standing position to raid Paul's small movie collection.

"You guys wanna watch a movie? Since we don't have patrol today?" Jared asks and I look to Paul for his answer to see him still staring at me.

"What?" I feel the need to ask quietly, not sure what he's so transfixed on.

"Um. It's nothing. Yeah let's watch a movie."

He quickly shakes himself out of whatever daze he was in, and even though Jared puts in a favorite movie of mine, I find it hard to pay attention, still trying to figure out Paul's strange attitude...