2

On the beach

I slowly bring my head above water so I can see if there are any people around and found none. Heading for shore as I shift my fin for legs as my body breaks through the surface of the water I am shocked by the abrupt arrival of a very large wolf growling at me the second my foot hits the soft sand of the beach. I start to panic even though I know it's just a Quilute boy but that doesn't make the situation any less terrifying not to mention I am naked as can be. My hair is helping with my modesty but only slightly. I open my mouth to speak but realize I haven't used my voice in 18 years. So I use the only other form of communication that I can. I reached out to his mind like I would any member of my pod and find him. Carefully I spoke to him "I mean no harm. I am here to flee from the warring waters as I would like a new beginning." 

The growling stopped but two more wolves and a human man showed up with just shorts on and a t-shirt in his hands. He walked over and handed me the shirt while saying, "I'm Sam and this is our tribe so what can we do for you? Also who and what are you?"

I quickly put the shirt on, it came to mid thigh. It is short but it will do better than just hair for cover I guess. Still unable to speak I reached out again through my mind and said, "My name is Cordelia I am mer-folk you land dwellers have called us mermaids in the past. I have come because the fighting for territory under the waters surface is getting to be to much for me, so I thought to flee to land for sanctuary. I mean you and your kin no harm. I just want to live freely and in peace."

Sam looked thoughtful for a few moments but said, "sorry about that it's been rough lately we have a vampire on the lose that is causing us some trouble. We can allow you passage through our land but I would like you to meet with our tribe elders before you move on. Follow me, I'll take you home with me first. My fiancé can help get you some clothes before we go anywhere else."

I nodded and followed Sam to a car where he led me to the backseat. I was a little uncomfortable I have always disliked cars, plus it's been 18 years since my last car ride so I'm a bit on edge.

I think the guys mistook my nerves for fear of the car because Sam looked at me and said, "It's ok we won't hurt you. This is what we call a car it allows us to carry multiple people at the same time at. Get in, it will be fine I promise"

Not feeling the need to correct his assumption about my knowledge base I simply nod and got in the car. On the drive it hit me that I'm in a car with Shapeshifting werewolves in the Twilight world. Under the waters surface it wasn't real that I was in Twilight but above the water on land my new reality was sinking in.

We pulled into Sam's yard and got out. Walking inside I notice how cozy the interior is and the smell of muffins. Sam walks over to a women and kisses all over her face. Once done with his barrage of affection he says, "This is my lovely fiancé Emily, Emily this is Cordelia we found her on the beach coming out of the water. She says she is a mermaid."

Emily looks at me with a brow raised. I don't know if it's my attire or my origins that have her questioning who or what I am, but she smiles kindly and says, "It's nice to meet you Cordelia. Would you like to come with me so I can get you some clothes to put on?"

Feeling embarrassed by my scantily clad self I nod and follow her to the back of the house. She then pulls out a bag of clothes I'm assuming where marked for give away. Turning to me she says, "I was planning on donating these, but I think you could use them more at the moment." Nodding I mouth thank you to let her know I am grateful as she turned to leave the room so I could get dressed. once dressed I went back into the living room where everyone was gathered Sam saw me and the said, "This is my pack Jared, Paul, Embry, Quill, Jacob, Seth and Leah. Everyone this is Cordelia she showed up on the beach today she says she is a mermaid so we brought her here."

Paul looked me up and down and said, "She doesn't look like a fish why don't you prove it."

I looked at there faces to see that all of them except Sam, Jared and Embry didn't believe that I was who I said I was so I walked over to Emily, noticing a glass of water on the table I pull the liquid from it I chant the healing song of my people. It's not words more sounds and melodies I can speak that out loud because I have been doing that regularly but not English. Mer-folk speak in a more natural way through sounds, clicks and feeling than words so I'm a little rusty with spoken language. The ball of water starts to glow a soft blue almost white, I control it to just over Emily's face. Most of the men start to growl at me but Sam holds them back with a deep growl. I then place the glowing orb over the scar on Emily's face and meld it to cover the whole side of her face. The light glows and you can see the raised skin fall off and melt into the water as the scars begin to stitch themselves closed. By the time I am finished her face while not fully healed has improved tremendously. The once garish scars are now light pink lines across her face, she could easily cover them up with makeup now that they aren't raised and jagged. 

After a moment of shock Emily reached for her face to feel the difference and began to cry. She looked at Sam and smiled and said, "now you don't have to feel pain every time you look at me." as she ran into his arms and kissed him. Sam just held onto her as she cried in his arms. After a minute Emily calmed down and Sam looked at me and said "Thank you, you have no idea what this means to me, to us." 

Emily just came over and hugged me while the rest of the pack just smiled at me. Jacob just looked at me then at Sam and said, "this is great and all but we need to get back out there. The bloodsucker is still trying to get to Bella and with the Cullen's back we can't protect her like we should be able to."

Sam nodded but looked to me as said, "I would like to stay and talk more but we should get back out to patrol." The pack was about to leave when Jacobs phone rang, the caller ID read Bella so he answered and from the other end I heard "Hey Jake, can you come to the treaty line I need you to pick me up so that Edward and his family can hunt." Jacob just huffed and Sam nodded that he could so he answered "Yeah sure Bella I'll meet you there." With that he hung up the phone. 

I looked to Sam questioningly and he just sighed told the pack to patrol and that he would join them then said "We are neighbors with a coven of vampires but they are different than others of their kind they only drink from animals. This however doesn't stop us from being on guard of them so we have a treaty that prevents them from coming on our land." 

I knew this from my new memories but I played as if this was new information. Because if these memories have taught me anything it's that transmigrators keep quiet about their past lives. So I just nodded my head in acceptance of this answer. Sam raised his eyebrow looking confused and asked "Why aren't you asking what a vampire is?" 

This I can answer without lying so I reach out with my mind again and say, "Vampires do not require air to breath so they often traveled below the oceans surface. Although they have stopped this form of travel for a few hundred years now what with boats and all. Not that they knew we were there to begin with we mer-folk tend to live in very deep waters and didn't allow them to see us and if they did the were killed for coming to close to the pods."

Sam's eyes shot open wider than I could have imagined possible with this information and said, "Mer-folk hate vampires as well? This is news, How did you kill them? From what we know you have to burn them to truly kill them."

I take a second to ponder then reach out and say, "We do not hate vampires they are a minor threat to us under the water. We do not like any predator near our young so we dispose of all threats. While I do hate fighting with other mer-folk and have fled the warring waters I have no problems defending my territory or my young. As for how we kill them we rip them apart and throw the pieces into one of the many underwater volcanos, they melt quite easily."

Sam smiles almost gleefully as I said the last bit, but quickly recovered and said "I am going to patrol now. Jacob is bringing Bella here for safety reasons I would advise you not let her know what you are in case you don't want the Cullen's to know what you are. That girl has a big mouth when it comes to them. I will also tell Jake to keep his mouth shut."

Nodding in affirmation at him he turns and leaves the house to go join the pack on patrol.