Falling for Autumn | Jacob Black

Chapter 21 [edited]

KARMA IS COMING. YOUR WOLF WON'T BE ABLE TO PROTECT YOU THIS TIME.

A dark figure slowly makes its way toward Autumn; she's screaming, her lungs burning in her chest. Her throat, raw and scratchy, becoming more raspy by the second... A russet brown wolf lunges from the shadows, at the figure. A blur, followed by a snap. Jacob's lifeless body crumples to the ground, a pool of blood around him... The figure turns back to Autumn, red eyes staring hungrily at her. Fear washes through her body, turning her blood cold... the sound of footsteps grows closer, almost like a loud drumbeat...

KARMAISCOMINGKARMAISCOMINGKARMAISCOMINGKARMAISCOMING

WOLFCAN'TPROTECTYOUWOLFCAN'TPROTECTYOUWOLFCAN'TPROTECTYOUWOLFCAN'TPROTECTYOU

Can't protect you...

The sound of thunder boomed through the house, jolting me awake. My heart hammered in my chest as I sat up, panting as I tried to regain my breath. The temperature in my bedroom dropped as the cold rain splattered across the windowpane. As another burst of thunder roared outside, a shadow at the end of my bed moved, slowly toward me. Panicking, I reached over and turned the nightstand lamp on. The bright light engulfed the room in yellow; I turned back to face an empty room.

You're just paranoid, I told myself. Just breathe. In your nose, out your mouth.

Even as I told myself that, the sinking feeling in my gut didn't go away. Something was wrong; as I got out of bed and made my way to the vanity where the shadow appeared, I couldn't shake the feeling that something - or someone - had been there just seconds ago. Not immediately noticing anything out of the ordinary, I grabbed my fuzzy robe off the back of the door and headed downstairs, tying the sash around my waist.

The house was eerily quiet and dark as I made my way to the kitchen. Turning the light on, a piece of paper on the counter caught my eye.

Autumn,

If I'm not home by the time you see this, I'm at the bakery. Mrs. Johnson ordered pies for her book club party and needs them by this afternoon. I thought I'd get an early start. See you later.

Love, Mom

Setting the paper back down, my stomach growled and I debated on what to make for breakfast. Lightening cracked as I turned toward the fridge and I shrieked as an outline of a person standing at the back door caught my eye.

"Autumn, are you okay?" I heard Jacob yell from the other side of the door. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, placing my hand over my heart to steady myself before I opened the door.

"What are you doing here? You scared me half to death!" I said as I let him in, rain clinging to his hair.

"I was outside when I saw the light come on upstairs," Jacob replied.

"Wait, you were outside... what about the treaty? The Cullens are back," I looked at him in confusion.

"You're my mate, Autumn. Treaty doesn't change that." He smiled as he leaned down to kiss my forehead. Suddenly his body went rigid as he sniffed the air.

"Jake? What's wrong?" I stared at him, my own body frozen as the paranoid feeling washed back over me like a wave.

"Stay here." He said in a low voice before heading toward the stairs.

The floor above me squeaked as Jacob walked around the upstairs. A few minutes later, he appeared in the kitchen, a backpack full of clothes and my purse in his hands.

"Go to Bella's. Now." He ordered as his eyes scanned the backyard. "I'm right behind you."

He handed me the bags and gently pushed me out the door. Without another word, I darted through the yards toward the Swans' back door, pounding my fist as hard as I could as my body shook. Bella met my eyes through the window and bolted across the kitchen, unlocking the door and letting me in. Worry settled onto her face.