Ash loved the feeling of the wind rushing through his hair as he rode his bike along the winding roads surrounding Forks. There was a kind of peacefulness in the solitude, the quiet hum of his engine blending into the rustling trees. The highways here were perfect—scenic, empty enough to let his mind wander. The occasional logging truck wasn't enough to rattle him. If anything, he trusted the drivers of those massive rigs more than the teenagers who had barely earned their licenses. Those were the real dangers on the road.
The ride to First Beach was tranquil, the cool breeze mixing with the scent of damp earth. He kept pace with the minivan ahead, where Amy was driving the rest of the group. They were all excited, eager to swim in the ocean now that the weather had finally turned warm enough. The van pulled into a small parking lot at the edge of the beach, nearly swallowed by sand, and Ash parked beside them. He removed his helmet, inhaling the crisp, salty air. Perfect. The day was partly cloudy, but compared to the gloom of Forks, it was the best weather he'd seen since arriving.
"I am so ready to get in the water," Miranda cheered as she hopped out of the van.
"Same," Ash agreed, stretching his arms above his head.
The rest of the group followed—Amy, Thalia, Jessica (one of Bella's friends, he remembered), and two guys, Nathan and Adam. While everyone laid out their towels, Ash followed their lead, using a few heavy rocks to hold his in place against the relentless wind.
Stepping into the ocean, he made it about calf-deep before the freezing temperature hit him. "Geez," he muttered under his breath.
Thalia, already waist-deep, laughed. "Don't tell me you're backing out now."
"Of course not," Ash scoffed, feigning offense.
Thalia smirked, wiggling her eyebrows mischievously. "Then I'm sure you won't mind this!" She sent a powerful splash his way, soaking his shoulders and drenching the muscle shirt he'd worn for swimming.
"Oh, it's on," he declared, wading toward her.
Her shriek rang out when he retaliated with a splash of his own. The others burst into laughter—until an errant splash hit Nathan square in the chest. That was all it took for the war to begin. Water flew in all directions as everyone joined in, shrieking and laughing like little kids.
When Miranda tried to push Ash over in the deeper water, he raised a brow at her. "How well can you swim?"
"I'm on the swim team," she answered proudly.
"Good," he said with a smirk. Then, with barely any effort, he lifted her and tossed her into the air. She hit the water with a splash, resurfacing with wide eyes.
"How the hell are you so strong?" Adam asked, genuinely curious.
Ash shrugged. "I work out a lot," he said smoothly. It wasn't exactly a lie—just not the whole truth.
Eventually, the splash war settled, and they turned to simply enjoying the ocean. Ash was used to swimming in lakes, so he was fascinated when a flat, strange-looking fish swam past.
"You guys saw that, right?" he asked excitedly.
The others exchanged amused looks. "It's totally normal," Amy assured him.
"Man, Forks just keeps getting cooler," Ash mused, grinning.
Amy snorted. "You're way too happy to be here."
"Seriously, dude," Adam agreed. "I've never seen someone this excited about Forks. We're, like, the middle of nowhere."
Ash thought about it for a second. "You've just got so many fun things here. Besides, my old town wasn't that interesting either."
"What could be more boring than this place?"
"You guys ever heard of Temagami?" he asked. Their blank expressions answered for them. "Small area in northern Ontario. Population: 802. Beautiful place, though—just ridiculously quiet."
"Wait, Ontario? You're Canadian?" Amy asked, surprised.
Ash nodded.
That little revelation made them even more interested. They bombarded him with questions—what was Canada like? Were things really that different in the U.S.? Did they celebrate the same holidays?
The group absolutely lost it when he told them Canadian Thanksgiving was on a completely different day.
Ash had moved around a lot—living everywhere from the Rocky Mountains to Vancouver, and even a brief, chaotic year in New York City. His parents weren't in the picture, and his grandparents' business had kept them constantly on the move before they started thinking about retirement. But those details weren't for anyone to know. They didn't need to hear about how young his parents had been when he was born, or why he was really living with his uncle now. Those were his problems.
As they sat there, chatting and shivering under their towels, Ash's sharp senses caught movement further down the beach. A group of boys was walking toward them—not close enough to be part of their conversation, but close enough for him to pick up on something... off.
Then, a scent hit his nose. Ash stiffened for just a fraction of a second, wrinkling his nose before smoothing his expression back into a smile.
Unfortunately, Adam noticed. "Dude, you good?"
"I'm fine," Ash replied easily, flashing a blinding grin. His gaze flickered back toward the approaching boys—who should have been out of earshot. Should.
"I just thought I smelled wet dog all of a sudden."
The reaction was instant. The group of boys tensed, exchanging subtle, almost imperceptible looks. They were caught off guard—and maybe a little insulted.
Ash barely held back a chuckle, ignoring Adam's look of confusion.
That night, as Ash walked into the house, his uncle took one look at him and burst out laughing.
"Why the hell would you go swimming in saltwater with that many cuts?" Dan asked, shaking his head as he made his way to the hall closet. He pulled out a plastic tub filled with first aid supplies.
Ash dropped onto the couch and held out his hands obediently. "I wanted to have fun," he said, completely unapologetic.
Dan sighed heavily, settling onto the footstool across from him. One by one, he peeled off the ragged, useless bandages. No matter how much he tugged at Ash's skin, the kid didn't flinch—not once.
Dan frowned. "What the hell did they do to you?" he muttered, half-joking.
Ash blinked up at him, dark lashes framing his too-innocent eyes.
Dan was not amused. "They can be pretty harsh, huh?" He studied his nephew's face carefully. "What kind of shit did they put you through? 'Cause even with all the pain I've felt in my life, I still flinch when I take a bandage off."
He started dabbing polysporin on the worst of the wounds before wrapping them again. Some had already healed enough that they didn't need covering.
Dan couldn't help but think back to the old days—visits to Ash's family in Canada, back when the kid had been all scraped knees and bruised palms. Dan had patched him up back then too. But the bruises on Ash's face now… those weren't from clumsy childhood adventures. They were taking longer to fade, and Dan worried about what people would think.
He didn't want them assuming Ash was some kind of delinquent. Because the truth couldn't be further from that. Sure, the kid had probably had a drink or two by now, but who hadn't? And that wasn't the source of his wounds.
Ash broke the silence. "Did they ever figure out those wild animal attacks from last month?"
Dan's expression turned unreadable. "No."
"Got any inside info? I'm curious."
"No."
Ash smirked. "Are you gonna answer 'no' to all my questions?"
"Yes."
"Love the contradiction for comedic effect," Ash chuckled.
Dan didn't even crack a smile. "The answer is no, Ash."
Ash hadn't even asked the real question yet.
"People died, Uncle," he said, voice softer this time.
Dan met his eyes. "No." His tone left no room for argument.
But Ash wasn't convinced.
And he wasn't going to stop looking for answers.
------
Somehow, I'm Still Here
A medical miracle, truly.
You ever step away from writing for a bit, come back, and realize people are actually reading your nonsense? Yeah, that just happened to me. I disappeared into the void, fully expecting to return to radio silence, but nope. Some people were watching that first book of mine and some sweet potato (No spelling mistake🤣) even donated power stone (still don't know what they are used for??😓)
Honestly, writing Twilight fanfiction has been an experience. Who knew this would be the outlet I needed? Some people do yoga. Some meditate. I throw ridiculously attractive people into chaotic supernatural drama and call it self-care. It's all about balance.
Also, a round of applause for my good friend insomnia, who has once again decided sleep is for the weak. I would love to blame my late-night screen time or an overactive imagination, but no. This is the real deal. The "certified by a medical professional, comes with bonus eye bags and a caffeine addiction" kind of insomnia. We should start a club. Meetings at 3 AM. Bring snacks.
But okay, let's pretend I'm professional and actually talk about the chapter.
What exactly is Ash Nightsun up to? Why is his uncle acting shady? And how will the introduction of werewolves completely derail everything? I could answer these questions now, but where's the fun in that? You'll just have to wait and see.
Or don't. You do you. I respect your life choices.❤️❤️
I think this will be enough for this week as I am not in good enough state to write more chapters. (Catching up on sleep and there is also my studies )(#straight A student)