Chapter 39

Bella's POV:

Sam and I had been preparing to go to James Island, both of us had our small bags packed and all that was left to do now was for Sam to meet with the pack to discuss how the next seven days would go with him gone. He'd said he was just going to talk with Jared and Jake since they would be running the show in his absence.

In the meantime, I was headed to have some breakfast with Charlie, Rose, Emmet, and Jasper. Of course, my vampiric friends wouldn't actually eat anything, but I needed to let them know I was going away for a week. Plus, I missed my friends and my dad, it felt like it'd been forever since I'd seen them.

When I made it to The Diner Charlie was the only one there yet, which was good because I wanted to warn him that the others were coming anyways. I parked next to the cruiser and made my way in. There was a certain hop in my step that gave away my excitement for the coming week.

"Hey Dad!" I slid into the worn booth next to him and smiled. Charlie was mid-sip with his coffee, so he didn't say anything but I could see his mustache twitch with a smile back. "Some of the Cullens are coming too, but I wanted to meet you a bit earlier. Don't worry it's the good ones!" I laughed a little at the irritated look that crossed his face at the mention of the Cullen name. He also let out an audible sigh when I assured him it wouldn't be Edward or Alice coming.

"As long as it's the good ones." He chuckled, then gave me a warm look, "and I'm glad to see you in such a good mood, Bells."

I blushed, having been found out, but just shrugged. I didn't get the chance to say much because the waitress took that moment to drop off some more coffee and take our orders.

"How have you been? I haven't heard from you enough lately," I took the time to really get a good look at him, and it was clear to see that my father was stressed and tired. I felt guilty for not spending enough time with him since I'd left the hospital. The only time we had tried to meet up had been postponed because of his work.

"I'm doing ok. Work has been rough lately, and you know I can't just leave it there when I go home. It's all I can seem to think about." His voice was gruff, and betrayed just how stressed he truly was.

"Is it anything you're allowed to share? Two brains might be better than one?" I knew it was a long shot since police business usually stayed between officers, but I wanted to help in any way that I could. Charlie was a good man and I hated seeing him so worn down.

"I can't say much, just that people are disappearing left and right in Seattle, that's why I've been so busy with work, they needed support from nearby officials. Now, it has begun to affect Port Angeles, which only makes us busier since they're so much closer." Charlie took a moment before speaking, I could tell he had chosen his words carefully. "Please, just avoid any trips to Port A. or Seattle for now, ok?"

"Of course, but about that, I am going camping for a few days." I was going to say more but was cut off by the ex-Cullen clan. They needed a new name now that they weren't really associated with the Cullens… maybe Hale or Whitlock? I tucked that line of thought away as Charlie stood to shake hands with Emmet and Jasper. Rose gave him a gentle hug in greeting too.

"Woah, you are just chilled to the bone, darlin'. It must have really cooled off out there, huh?" Charlie asked upon feeling her icy skin. I froze, but Rose handled the comment easily.

"Hm, a little, but I've always just run a little cold, I should have brought my sweater! How have you been Chief Swan?" Rosalie sat down and swept her hair to the side. She leaned in and rested her chin on her delicate hand, showing her interest in whatever Charlie had to say. I was struck, not for the first time, by my friend's beauty and grace.

"Ah, well my pancakes are here, so I can't complain," Charlie blushed at the attention. The waitress set our plates in front of us and Emmet let her know that they had already eaten and didn't need to order.

"What kind of trouble have you been up to since we saw ya last Belly Bean?" Emmett asked, and Charlie chuckled at the nickname Emmett had given me long ago.

"That's what I wanted to tell you all about! Sam and I are going camping, and so I won't have cell reception for a few days." Jasper smiled warmly at me as I told them this. I knew that he could feel the waves of love and excitement coming off of me.

"Where about?" Charlie asked, with a serious look in his brown eyes.

"Just on the Res, nowhere too crazy." I avoided saying James Island. Charlie had been best friends with Billy for a long time, and I was sure he would know that the island had some very real significance. I just wasn't willing to have that conversation without Sam here with me for it.

"Just be careful kid, I mean it." Charlie said sternly. It was rare that he was so serious, so I just nodded.

"I am sure Sam can handle any trouble that could come along." Jasper finally spoke up.

"Heck yeah, have you seen that guy? I bet he could take down a bear!" Emmett added, making my dad laugh and the rest of us snicker at the true meaning.

"Yeah, I guess he is a pretty big guy, huh? Now that I think of it, a lot of those La Push guys you hang around are huge aren't they?" Charlie's brow creased in thought.

"It must be the water there or something." Rose shook her head and filled the dead space between us with her tinkling laugh.

We spent the rest of breakfast over light, easy conversation and more coffee for Charlie and I. My phone buzzed, letting me know that Sam had texted. He was ready to go, and so I decided to start wrapping things up here too.

"Well, I think it's time for me to get going, Sam has the truck all loaded up." I told them all as I stood. The bill had already been paid, so we all filed out of The Diner. I gave my father a tight hug and told him to get some rest. He reminded me to be careful once again, then took off in his police cruiser.

"I'm assuming your camping trip has something to do with the mating?" Rose asked me once Charlie wasn't there to overhear. My cheeks lit up in their signature blush and I nodded happily.

"Bella. I love you. But I think I speak for all three of us when I say this… holy hell you stink!" Emmett exclaimed in his booming voice. His smile let me know he was only teasing, but I hadn't thought about it, since the mating mark makes me smell more like Sam, then I probably did stink to them now. Come to think of it, they kind of stink to me now too.

"Back at ya!" I laughed, they all looked shocked for a second but then joined in my laughter.

"Well you two lovebirds have fun!" Emmett yelled as he started to walk away towards his Hummer. Rose hugged me, then followed after him, while Jasper hung back for a second.

"Have fun, Bella. I have a feeling you will come back different, but I am happy for you." He gave me a gentle hug. I hugged him back, and did what I could to send as much positivity towards him as possible. I knew he had to be hurting from his separation with Alice, and we really hadn't had any time to talk about it. "When you guys get back, we should have a meeting to discuss what you learn." He said as he pulled away with a knowing look in his eyes.

"I will let Sam know, thanks Jas." I told him, then waved as I got in my car and pulled off onto 110, the road to La Push.

The drive felt like it lasted forever, even though it only took the normal twenty minutes it always was from Forks to La Push, likely due to my nerves and excitement. When I finally pulled up to Sam's house I practically lept from my car and into his safe arms. I breathed him in deeply, having missed him already.

"I missed you too," He laughed in response as he placed a kiss on the top of my head. "I've got the truck packed with all the things you left out, anything else we need?"

"No, I don't think so… I'm ready when you are!" I answered him, unable to contain my smile.

I grabbed his oversized hand in my tiny one and he allowed me to pull him to his truck. Once there, he picked me up and set me down on the passenger seat. He came to stand between my legs and gently pulled me into a soft but passionate kiss. When he pulled away he didn't say anything, he didn't need to, he just left me to walk around to the driver's side.

The very short drive to the pier by First Beach was quiet, Sam was absent mindedly drawing circles on my thigh as he drove and I allowed myself to get lost in my own thoughts.

After parking I noticed that someone had left a canoe for us to use and I thought that it was nice of them. It was a long wooden boat. It looked to have been made traditionally and larger than modern metal canoes I sometimes saw people use. There were three wide bars that served as seats and an anchor attached to the side near the front of the boat.

My stomach churned with nerves as I stared out at the choppy water. The weather here could turn quickly, and with it the tides changed as well. I knew that Sam wouldn't let anything happen to me, but I had never canoed before.

We quickly unloaded the back of the truck and put everything in the middle of the large canoe. Sam strapped everything down with black bungee cords, double checking to make sure our things weren't going anywhere. Then he started the truck back up to park it further up in the lot.

"Don't complain, just wear it." Sam commanded when he got back. He handed me a bright orange life vest. It was puffy and annoying and I huffed as I put it on. Sam knew me too well. He smirked as he helped me fasten it properly. He pulled the straps tightly, causing me to let out a puff of air unintentionally.

"Too tight?" He asked. I nodded, trying to wiggle the vest around in an attempt to get comfortable. "Good." He responded and laughed at my expense. I just rolled my eyes and got in the little boat. Sam just watched me with interest as I made a show of grabbing an ore and plopping down in the back.

"What?" I asked as Sam continued to watch me with one brow raised and an amused look on his face. "Are we gonna get there tonight? Or are you just going to stand there staring at me?"

"As much as I would like to spend the night standing here looking at you, we are going to get there tonight. Well, if you get your pretty little ass out of my spot, that is." He laughed. At the moment I was a little annoyed with him, but at the same time, it was fun to have some of this easy banter with him, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

"Well excuse me! I didn't know you had a spot Mr." I mumbled as I stood back up, my ore still in hand. I was thankful that the canoe was still on the sand and wood covered beach, because it rocked a bit with my movement. "What if this is the spot I want?"

"Too bad. The person with experience goes in the back. The back steers the canoe," He explained. I blushed in embarrassment as I imagined a frustrated Sam sitting in the front of the canoe as I clumsily steered us around in circles. Instead of responding I just sighed and moved to sit back down, now in the front.

"I just can't have anything happen to you, you know that," he whispered in my ear, then kissed me soundly on the lips. I closed my eyes and sighed in contentment despite my brief irritation with him.

After that he pushed us off the back and into the salty ocean. Hopped in, careful not to tip us and grabbed the other ore. I looked back and swallowed hard as I watched his biceps bunch with the effort of a few hard paddles to get us going. A chill went down my spine as my thoughts drifted far away from the task at hand.

"Paddle on the right babe," Sam directed and I did as I was told. It was harder than it looked as the undercurrent threatened to take us in the opposite direction of Akalat.

"The current is definitely stronger today than I thought it would be." Sam broke the quiet that had settled around as apart from his intermittent directions. I looked up at the sky and noticed that thick clouds had begun to form.

"Oh, yeah… I thought the weather was supposed to be nice all week." In Washington there was always a chance for rain, but these cumulonimbus clouds threatened much more than a bit of rain. Sam hummed in agreement, but didn't say anything more on the subject.

Things went alright for a while, but the water only seemed to get more angry and choppy the further out that we got and I was careful to follow Sam's directions as precisely as I could. Sweat formed on my brow in the effort, and my muscles were starting to tire out. I couldn't even imagine how disastrously this would have gone if Sam wasn't here with me.

Suddenly the heavy sky opened up in a downpour all around us. The gray that surrounded us was so thick and blurred by the rain that I couldn't see at all. I felt panic rise up in my chest and listened even more closely to hear Sam's instructions, totally dependent on his supernatural senses.

I knew because of our bond that Sam could feel my panic. I also knew that it wouldn't help him focus in the least, so I tried to tamper it down. My stress was entirely due to the vastness of the ocean and my being essentially useless, but I had endless faith in Sam to get us there safely. I focused on my trust in him to calm myself, so that I wouldn't be a distraction to him.

"We are almost there Bella, hang in there," he reassured me. He sounded completely controlled and calm, practiced from his duties as alpha of the pack, but our bond told me that he felt differently.

"I'm okay, I promise." I told him confidently in an attempt to ease his mind. I was positive that his worry had everything to do with me and my safety rather than his own.

After a few moments I had pulled myself all the way back together and adrenaline was pumping through my veins. I couldn't quite feel the sting of the cold rain or the protest in my sore muscles anymore. I simply focused on the sound of Sam's voice and the sight of James Island ahead of us.

From where we had been when the gnarly weather had started, it didn't take long for us to make it. James Island loomed over us now though, and we were presented with a new problem. Waves were crashing violently against the sharp rocks that surrounded the isolated stretch of land.

"I need to think," Sam said. I tore my eyes from the impending island and turned to look at him behind me. I watched his face as he tried to calculate the best course of action. "I need you to check to make sure the knot is secure, then drop the anchor. Can you do that for me baby?"

I nodded and tugged on the rope that attached the anchor to the boat. I double check the knots, which thankfully were tight and secure. I told Sam as much then dropped the anchor.

"Fuck!" Sam shouted angrily as the boat swung around, the back being pushed by the harsh waves. The movement happened in the blink of an eye. Before I could process exactly what had happened Sam had jumped out of the canoe. It swayed aggressively from his jerky movement, but still didn't tip.

"Sam!" I screamed. My heart dropped to my stomach and my throat constricted as my eyes desperately searched for him in the wildly churning water.

"Don't move, Bella." Sam shouted as he gasped for air. He pulled his torso up by the hand hold bar and shook his head, water spraying all around him. My body tensed as I fought back every instinct to run to him. I knew I had to listen and stay still so as to not rock anymore than we already were.

After a moment of eyeing him from where I sat to make sure he was safe I realized that the boat was not rocking as much as it had been or really moving at all anymore. I sighed in relief and came to understand what Sam had done. When the anchor dropped all the weight moved to the front and swung us around, it also hadn't been enough weight to still us. He'd jumped out to use his own body weight to hold down the other side.

"I need you to move to the center, as far as you can baby. All the way up to the cooler there. You will be the safest at the lowest, most center spot, do you understand?" I nodded and carefully crawled my way as close to the center of the canoe as I could with all the stuff there.

"What now?" I asked. I took notice that the storm and the rain was beginning to slow. Thankfully the waves would start to calm along with it.

"We wait it out." I wondered how long it was going to take for the ocean to calm enough for us to get closer to shore. I knew without a doubt that Sam was supernaturally strong, but I was afraid that he wouldn't be able to hold himself up for so long against the current. I decided to keep my worries to myself though because I didn't think that it would help him any. Instead, I just kept my eyes on him, body tense and ready to help in any way that I possibly could.

Time seemed to stretch on forever and I could feel as Sam began to tire. He didn't say a word though, just kept his eyes on the water near the rocks and waited ever patiently for the shore to clear up.

"Is it safe to move in now?" I tentatively asked once the rain had slowed to a drizzle and the wind was no longer whipping around us. The waves had appeared to return to normal for the most part, I just wanted to make sure the undertow wouldn't be too much.

"Uh, yeah. We should be able to dock now. I can't touch the bottom here, so I can't get in the boat now. Just pull the anchor up and I'll swim us the rest of the way." His voice was thick with exhaustion and our bond told me that my mate needed me now. I knew he would never say so, too determined to take care of me. But I knew how to swim, it was my turn to take care of him.

I quietly crawled back to where the anchor was hanging down and I pulled it up with great effort. I gathered all the rope and was careful not to drop the weight inside the boat. When I finished that, I dove into the water before Sam could tell me not to.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Sam yelled at me as I surfaced and grabbed onto the front hand bar.

"You're exhausted Sam. I know how to swim, let me pull the canoe in." I demanded. I felt the power and authority in my voice that had been there when I'd accidently alpha ordered the pack. Sam's mouth opened to fight back with me, but then snapped shut in acceptance. I knew he really had to be worn out to allow me to order him around like that, I also knew I'd pay for it later.

I swam forward, pulling the canoe along with me as Sam continued to hold onto the back. I knew he had to have been kicking at least to help me along, but he listened and didn't try to pull it or overexert himself, and I was thankful.

The water was cold and we made it around the large rocks and to the shore just in time for the feeling in my extremities to almost disappear completely. I stood up as soon as it was shallow enough and pulled up on the canoe to get it completely on the shore. Sam had stood too and helped me to tie it to the wooden post that was stuck deep in the sand.

The beach was small and was surrounded by the cliff face of the island. There was a staircase that led all the way to the top. It loomed over us and neither of us were looking forward to the climb after everything that we'd just been through.

It was still fairly cloudy and it was getting late. The sky was beginning to darken with the evening, so we didn't have the time to rest before our trek. Sam and I each grabbed a backpack and decided to come back for the rest in the morning. No one else would be here, so we didn't really need to worry about it going anywhere. I started up the steep stairs and Sam followed closely behind me, his hand on my hip to steady me.

When we'd finally made it to the top it was dark. I could barely see in front of me, if it weren't for the bright stars and the small flashlight I'd brought in my bag I would have been entirely blind by now.

"I will get some wood together, don't wander off," Sam stated quietly then made his way to do just that.

I found a fallen tree and set my things down. I pulled out some dry clothes and stripped out of the wet ones, hanging them over the tree. I sat down as I dug in my backpack again for something to eat. Most of our food was in the cooler, which was still in the boat, but I had some protein bars and water bottles with me. I pulled them out and slowly savored one, setting the rest aside for when Sam returned with the firewood.

Once he'd come back and the fire was started, he wolfed down his protein bars and downed a bottle of water. Then, he pulled me into his comforting lap and I snuggled into him, thankful that he was safe.

I closed my eyes as he trailed soft kisses along the expanse of my neck. Goosebumps broke out on my sensitive skin and I hummed in contentment. Sam gave extra attention to my mating mark, then sighed heavily.

"I was so scared today. I can't believe I put you in danger like that." His tone was serious and regretful.

"Oh, Sam, you didn't know. Neither of us did, there's no chance in Hell you would have taken me out there if you'd had any idea the weather would turn like that. It's okay. We are okay." I reassured him and grabbed his face in my hands so that I could look him in the eyes as I spoke. "I love you Sam Uley, I don't know what I would do without you."

He leaned in the rest off the way and kissed me fiercely on the lips. A shiver went through me at the chill in the air and Sam pulled back. He rubbed his warm hands up and down my arms, trying to warm me up.

"We need to get you warm and get some rest," Sam said quietly, then stood, taking a few steps back to make sure he wasn't too close to me. He stripped and phased quickly, then laid down in wolf form curled around me.

I was warm almost instantly and snuggled into his side. I ran my fingers through his beautiful black fur until I fell asleep.

Author's Note:

First off, I am SO sorry for how long this update took! I didn't mean to leave you hanging but I wrote it and rewrote it and struggled with it, and now it's out for better or worse. It was a BEAST of a chapter and I hope that ya'll enjoyed it!

Secondly, THANK YOU to everyone who reached out either through reviews or PMs, I appreciate your well wishes and feedback, and I hope that you are all well and staying safe out there too!

I wanted to acknowledge that I took a bit of creative license with Washington's geography here... First beach and James Island are not very far apart at all, but I live for the drama, so it had to be further away for the story.

I took inspiration from my roots, I am from STL, MO. There are a bunch of rivers around in MO and I grew up on one that has a name for being pretty wicked. I learned to canoe and swim there, and things go wrong sometimes and you've just got to learn how to navigate the water. That said, there are parts of this that were totally unrealistic, please don't purposely go out in a canoe during bad weather lol

Anyways, I look forward to hearing from you all and can't wait to get on to the next chapter!

Happy reading!

~Dahlia