Bathed In Black Contest
Title: Black and White
Penname: anglflip
Rating: R for language and violence
Pairing: Jacob and Leah
Disclaimer: All things Twilight and part of the Twilight universe belong solely to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended and I will not earn any cash for my efforts.
A/N: This is my entry for the Bathed in Black contest hosted by The Reluctant Reader Blog. It is a spinoff of my original fic, Chromosphere, which is in the process of being uploaded here and is completed on Twilighted. For further explanation of Jacob's past, and what happened to Bella and Edward, please consider giving it a read. This story is about what happened afterward. The most important thing that you need to know for this story is that when Jacob took over being Alpha, his appearance changed. He now looks like an Arctic Wolf, and has the golden eyes that go with that species – which stay that color in his human form as well (check out Ch. 14 for details). The rest of the pertinent info, I have tried to include, though minimally. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy my version of Jacob. Please note there is a fair amount of violence and harsh language. ***SPOILER ALERT to those of you following Chromosphere on here, but not too much. Just warning you!***
Mood music: My Own Prison (Creed)
Silence now the sound
My breath the only motion around
Demons cluttering around
My face showing no emotion
Shackled by my sentence
Expecting no return
Here there is no penance
My skin begins to burn
Should have been dead
On a Sunday morning
Banging my head
No time for mourning
Ain't got no time
(And I said oh) So I held my head up high
Hiding hate that burns inside
Which only fuels their selfish pride
(And I said oh) We're all held captive
Out from the sun
A sun that shines on only some
We the meek are all in one
Volterra, Italy
"Jacob? It was you?"
"Yes, Aro. Now, it's your turn."
I stood at the entrance to the opulent throne room, occupied only by the lone vampire with the paper-thin skin and flowing dark hair. He turned his head toward the window, a sad expression on his face as he stared at the smoke. I descended the steps slowly, and as I approached the king of all leeches, I couldn't help but think about how far I had come…
Forks, WA
Bella's wedding changed my life. At the beginning of the day, even while I was standing up there as part of the wedding party, I still wished she were marrying me, instead of Edward. Then she had her little mental slide show about them (which everyone in attendance also saw) and I realized I was doing the right thing. They were meant for each other. The thought saddened me because, vampire or not, if Bella wasn't meant to be mine, then who the hell was? Surprisingly, I answered my own question in the middle of my toast to the newlyweds when I imprinted on Leah.
The rest of the evening was rather eye-opening. I discovered Leah imprinted on me very soon after she first started phasing. For the life of me, I couldn't figure out how or why she hid it from me.
Leah said quietly, "You never saw anyone but Bella. I didn't stand a chance, and you obviously hadn't imprinted on me, so..."
At that moment, I felt like such a dumbass. It explained so much - why she joined "my tribe", why she was always so mad at me when I thought or talked about Bella, why she ran away. The only thing it didn't explain was how none of us knew this was in her head when we were all connected as wolves. I asked her about it, unable to come up with an explanation on my own.
Leah smiled sadly and said, "Well, I didn't want any of you to know about it, duh. I just focused all my anger on Sam so that you guys wouldn't know about it. Sam and Emily stopped bothering me as soon as I imprinted on you, but I figured it gave me the best excuse to be in a bitchy mood all the time."
"I just don't see how you hid it for so long. I feel terrible about it," I replied.
"Oh, lighten up, Jake. For one thing, girls are way better at keeping secrets than guys. I am sorry about all the shit I gave you about Bella though. I don't really have any reason not to like her, I was just jealous."
"Well, that doesn't change the fact that I feel bad you had to put up with me when you felt that way. I'm so sorry," I said as I pulled her closer to me.
Somehow, Leah even convinced me to dance with her. I was never much of a dancer, but I didn't really care at this point anymore. It was my Leah. I would have pulled a Fred Astaire in a heartbeat, if it were possible. We swayed gently from side to side, dancing to a John Mayer song, Gravity. I laughed at the irony.
We spent the rest of the evening falling in love at a breakneck pace, the only interruption being the near vampire-pack war that quietly unfolded at the edge of the Cullen's yard. I wish I had been a wise enough person to realize the consequences of our confrontation.
We just found out what to call Bella's superpower, when some of the red-eyed vamps showed up. There was some discussion about Bella and the Volturi, and somehow it ended with Edward getting paralyzed, or ripped to shreds, or something. Then Bella retaliated. If anyone was born to be a leech, it was Bella – she was not someone to mess with anymore. She leveled the little blond bitch, but then Leah jumped in and grabbed Jane by the throat, demanding the Volturi leave the reception. I was shocked she stood up for Bella that way, but I was more concerned by the threat imposed on her.
Before the Volturi left, Jane turned to face Leah and said, "Mark my words. This isn't over, bitch."
I tried to chock it up to the little vamp just being pissed off about not getting her way, but somehow, I knew we should probably take her seriously. There wasn't much I could do about it though. Alpha or not, my job was to protect our people and our territory, not to go headhunting. I promised the pack I wouldn't leave again, once I returned after running away. We also didn't need all the bloodsuckers in Volterra gunning for us.
Bella and Edward left for a few years following their wedding. They traveled and honeymooned for almost a year alone, but we kept in touch intermittently. I finished my senior year of high school, though my grades weren't as good as when I was with Bella. Leah wasn't quite the good influence that Bella was when it came to school. Leah usually distracted me, but she was my beautiful distraction.
Leah and I got engaged while I was still in school, and were married the following August on top of the cliff where we used to cliff dive as kids. Bella and Edward even came to the wedding since it was just before they started their first semester at Cambridge. I hated that Bella was going to go to college in England, but I also knew it would be perfect for her. Being a vamp, she finished her undergraduate training in three years and continued working for the Cambridge University Press for a while longer.
The rest of the Cullens relocated to Oregon, so they would still be near Bella's dad. Therefore, I did get to see her on most of the major holidays. I kept tabs on Charlie for her. I originally planned to go to college with Bella when I graduated high school, but now I was tied to La Push, in more ways than one. I wasn't going anywhere. Instead, I took some classes at South Puget Sound Community College in Port Angeles and opened up my own auto shop. Seth helped me out a lot, but I wanted him to finish school and go to college.
My life was unfolding in such a satisfying way, one I never even thought possible. Before Leah, I hated when I started phasing, I pined for Bella (and almost killed her), I took over being the Alpha from Sam (and turned all yellow-eyed, freaky Arctic wolf), and I estranged some of my pack. I was on decent terms with Sam again, which I'm sure was due to Emily's influence and his being a dad. His main concern now was that his daughter, Kira, would phase like Leah.
We both hoped since the Cullens had moved on, kids would stop phasing left and right, but no one really knew how our freaky DNA worked. Dr. Cullen politely asked me to study my blood, but I declined his offer. Part of me wanted to know, but as the chief, I knew it was my responsibility to maintain as much secrecy about our tribe as possible. I did trust the doc, but I felt like I would be betraying my people.
After Leah, it seemed I had everything I ever wanted. I had never been so happy. Even my mechanic skills were better than I realized and my business took off. I gave old Dowling a run for his money, since most of the people in Forks started coming to me instead.
The best day of my life came the following spring, when Leah gave birth to our son. She was concerned she would never be able to have kids, since we didn't age, but she stopped phasing once we got engaged and her lady-time picked up wherever she left off. It made sense, since (supposedly) imprinting worked to preserve the bloodline and create more powerful shape-shifters. Since Leah was the first female werewolf, you would think she would mate with another werewolf. Survival of the fittest, and all that I guess.
I could tell when I first met him that Masen Ephraim Black was going to be a handful. I was surprised when Leah suggested Masen – Edward's human last name – as his name, but it turned out it was Seth's idea. Go figure. Seth took his role of godfather a little too seriously by thinking he could help pick our baby's name. He looked up to Edward, and they were good friends, so that's what he came up with. I had to reluctantly admit that it had a nice ring to it. Plus, in some ways, I felt I owed Edward.
The drama started when we noticed some differences in Masen from the other kids. It seemed like he was learning and growing a bit faster than normal. He learned to walk when he was just six months old. Leah and I were so worried that we drove down to Portland and asked Dr. Cullen to check him out. Doc wasn't much help though. He said that since there was magic in our blood, there wasn't much we could do other than monitor and document his progress. Dr. Cullen assured us that Masen was perfectly healthy and sent us on our way.
In two years, Masen seemed to be on the same level as Kira, who was now four. However, his rapid aging seemed to slow down once he hit this point. That is until his third (or fifth?) birthday.
He was having a blast, jumping around with a few other kids in the bounce house we rented for his birthday party, when he shouted to Leah, "Mommy, my head hurts."
Leah was on her way over to him when there was a loud pop, followed by the hiss of the bounce-house deflating.
"Jake, get over here! We need to get the kids out!" she yelled.
Several other adults ran over and we dug out Kira and a couple other kids, but we hadn't found Masen. Kira was crying.
"Kira, honey, what's wrong?" Sam asked his daughter, while wiping her tears.
"Masen went away!" she wailed.
"What do you mean?" he asked, totally confused.
Kira sniffled, "He fell down and popped the bouncy house, and then I didn't see him anymore."
Sam assured his daughter we'd find her friend, but I went into straight panic mode. I finally thought I heard some noise coming from the far corner where the thing had become totally deflated. All I could make out were quiet whimpers. I dug my way through the thick plastic and found my son.
"Holy shit… LEAH!"
Leah clambered her way into all the plastic and found me looking at a small white wolf cub. "Oh my God! Jake, how is this possible?"
"I have no idea, but can you go out there and tell anyone that isn't in the pack to leave. Just tell them Masen's embarrassed because he had an accident or something."
"Okay, good idea. Just give me a minute." Then Leah disappeared from view. The plastic was stifling and I hoped everyone would leave quickly. I was having a hard time breathing, and I had to hold the plastic away from Masen so he could breathe normally. I was trying to sooth him while we waited for it to be safe.
"Don't worry, son, it's okay. I know this is scary, but I do it too. We just have to wait for mommy to get some people to leave, then we can go outside and I'll tell you all about it. Don't be scared."
Finally, Leah shouted that the coast was clear and I pulled Masen into my arms and made my way out of the layers and layers of plastic that collapsed on top of us.
"No fucking way…" Quil said when he saw us. Leah smacked him on the head for dropping an F-bomb in front of Masen.
I started to strip off my clothes and phased so I could talk with my son. I wasn't sure if he'd be able to phase back, being so young. I called to him in my mind, hoping he would be able to put two and two together.
Daddy, what happened? How did you do that? Are you magic?
I lumbered over to my son, so tiny compared to me, and laid down so we were on the same level. Yes, Masen, daddy's magic. I'm glad you know I'm still me. But you know what? You're magic too! Do you feel okay?
Yeah, I'm okay. Sorry I broke the bouncy house…
It's not your fault, little man. Why don't you follow me? We're just going to go over to the pond.
I led my son over to the nearest pond, so he could see himself, like I did the first time I realized my own appearance changed.
Now what, dad? he asked.
Now, I want you to know that you look a lot like me now, so I want you to look at yourself in the water. Can you do that for me?
I guess so… WHOA! I'mma wuff!
You sure are. Now let's try to get you back to your normal self, okay? I want you to think about being a boy again. Try to make yourself into a little ball and pretend you are pulling all your fur back in. Okay, Masen?
Sure, sure, dad. I'll try.
Thankfully after a few minutes of watching him struggle, he was able to phase back to his human form. I did the same, and pulled on my shorts. I brought him back to Leah, who had a change of clothes ready for him. We packed up everything and went home to talk about what happened. He took it surprisingly well, and the next day we introduced him to the other pack members. He always got along well with "Uncle Quil" and "Uncle Embry", so they played games with him, and later I taught him to hunt. We had a council meeting that night so my dad could tell him all the old legends, and so we could discuss any problems that might arise from such a young wolf.
The following week, Sam came by to see if things were going well for us. He left his wolf long ago, but I did tell him about what happened since he was the Alpha before me, and I still respected his opinion. He brought Kira to play with Masen, as long as they were within our sights. He didn't say it out loud, but he was worried that Masen would phase on accident and hurt his daughter. Since both Sam and I hurt someone we loved by phasing uncontrollably, I was just as concerned as he was.
It turned out we had no reason to worry. As soon as Kira bounded up the steps to our little house, Masen got all starry-eyed and imprinted on her before she had the chance to say, "Hi, Mase." He became extremely polite and calm around her, and they rarely argued, even over toys or the rules to the games they created.
I worried this would cause problems between Sam and me again, but it actually brought our families closer together. Kira ended up following in Masen's footsteps and phased a couple of months later. She imprinted on him the first time she saw him afterward. It worked out nicely for them because they reached maturity together, but it was sad for us as parents since they reached their teens so early. Masen looked more like my brother than my son, but I was planning to stop phasing soon so I could grow old with Leah.
My dearest Leah… gone in an instant because of the little blond vamp, her bad temper, and her penchant for pain.
"Leah, NO!" I had shouted. Jane's wicked smile, twist, snap, slump. The red-eyed bitch dropped to the ground as Leah's lifeless form released her chokehold, and I dropped with her. I pictured that old Indiana Jones movie where the crazy shaman rips the beating heart from the sacrificial man's chest. That was how I felt. I thought I was dead, but although I was paralyzed, I found I could still hear. Shaking, shouting, growling – none of it mattered. I wanted to die. Quickly. Maybe I could convince Bella to do it… she might understand. Better yet, I could just go after the bitch that ruined my life and hope to die in the process, taking as many filthy fucking bloodsuckers with me as I could. I owed it to my wife to at least attempt to avenge her.
My Leah…
In transit
The blurred images flooded my mind causing tears to sting my eyes. I had to hold it together. Vampires didn't cry, and that's what I was pretending to be at the moment. So close…
It turned out I didn't need much of the Cullen's intel with which I armed myself. All I needed to know was Volterra. Edward's sketches of the castle had proven to be both accurate and helpful, and the Doc's explanations of the Volturi hierarchy were all I needed to start picking them off.
I first entered Volterra just after the New Year. It took longer than expected for me to travel across America. I ventured all the way across the country the last time I ran away, but even that time, my thoughts distracted me and slowed me down. This was far worse. Hurting Bella was one thing, but losing Leah – sometimes I just sat under a tree and blacked out for hours. My grief was constricting, limiting me in ways I hadn't expected, but I eventually made it to New York City so I could hop a transatlantic flight and begin the second phase. Bella and Edward were kind enough to front me the money for the airfare. I promised I would pay them back, but if I were being honest – it was an empty promise. I doubted I would ever return home. Sometimes, I hoped that I wouldn't.
Once I landed in Paris, I went wolf and started the second half of my journey. At least Europe provided plenty of uninhabited terrain so I could go wolf most of the time. Now that I was "across the pond" as they say, I was driven towards Volterra. I quickly traversed the Alps, hardly stopping to rest or eat. I was ready to get this over with. Leah's image was always there, urging me forward. I almost hoped I would fail, just so I could be with her again.
I finally stopped to finalize my plans in Livorno, a port city an hour's drive from Volterra. In some ways, it inspired me. Even though the Mediterranean was far different than the northern Pacific, the ocean elicited fond memories of my life at La Push. The life that was stolen from me.
I only had a vague idea of what I was going to do. I knew I wanted to use my appearance as an advantage and infiltrate the vampire city. The Cullens convinced me I looked the part, and the little pixie helped figure out how to mask my "wolf odor" with various oils and Bay Rum. I thought I smelled like a creepy old man, but she told me it would have to do. The only problem was if Jane or Demitri suspected I was also a wolf. They had never seen me phase, and I worried about what exactly they told Aro they found in Forks last fall. For all I knew, I may have passed vampire hit-teams that were being sent to kill all the wolves in Washington. I hoped not.
I studied the plans of Volterra and the castle that Edward had drawn, and my notes on the various members of the Volturi guard that Carlisle described. I decided I would start with the peripheral, less important members and work my way up the ladder. The hardest part would be avoiding Aro and his knowing touch. Bella gave me some tips on how to do that, but she also cautioned me that if Aro wanted to read my mind, he would find a way. I had to try to remain inconspicuous to him for as long as possible.
Volterra, Italy
Finally, I made my way into the city. I couldn't shake the feeling of dread that overtook me, but I heard Leah's whispered "I love yous" in my mind and drove myself forward. When I finally saw the castle, each step toward it filled me with fear, thinking they probably knew everything about me and I would be dead as soon as I entered. I tried to get into the mind-set of superiority I associated with most bloodsuckers. Humans were merely cattle, and I was invincible. Yeah fucking right. I entered the visitor's entrance and was greeted by Gianna, who I was honestly surprised was still alive and human. Bella made it sound like she'd be vamp-chow by now. I pretended not to know her, and announced I was a nomad and wanted to partake of the famous Volturi hospitality I heard so much about.
She gushed for a few minutes about their accommodations, and explained to me that there were essentially two wings to the castle: one for guests and one for members of the guard and their "friends". I said I would be more than happy to partake of a guest room. We made the arrangements, and I was invited to stay for two weeks. Who knew leeches could be so hospitable?
I spent the first couple of days wandering around the castle and nearby grounds, memorizing each little alcove and alley I could find, cataloguing escape routes and hiding places. I have to admit, I felt kind of badass pulling this James Bond kind of thing, especially since it seemed to be working. I hunted in the nearby woods that Bella and Edward told me they used when they stayed here. It was sufficient, and I always made it a point to go hunting anytime I heard the proverbial "dinner bell" (when Heidi returned with a bunch of tourists). It pained me to know so many humans were dying each day to feed these assholes, but it wouldn't be for much longer if I had anything to do about it. Collateral damage, I tried to convince myself.
The first vamp I targeted was Santiago. As far as anyone knew, he had no powers, so I figured he would be the least missed. He was easy. He was also gay and had a thing for American "hunks". I figured I would do. After I felt comfortable in my surroundings, I made it a point to bump into him. He smiled at me in a creepy, "I want to eat you" or "I want to fuck you" way. I wasn't sure which. Maybe both. Vampire sex freaked me the hell out, that's all I knew. Despite my internal alarms, I introduced myself, as friendly as possible.
"Hi there, I'm Jake," I said, extending my gloved hand. I made it a habit to wear gloves around the castle in case I ran into Aro. It was Bella's suggestion, but it also kept anyone I met from noticing I was a toasty 108 degrees, rather than a block of ice like they were.
"Jake… You are American?" he asked in a stilted Antonio Banderas style accent. I almost laughed when Interview With a Vampire started playing in my head.
"Yep, born and raised," I replied. I figured I would just feed into his stereotypes. "I'm from originally Washington. I've been traveling for years, but it's kinda lonely being so far from home sometimes," I added with a sad smile.
Santiago shifted his weight toward me slightly and said sweetly, "Well that is a terrible shame. You don't look like someone who should have to feel that way." He paused for a moment. "Do you not have a mate?" he asked hopefully.
I had to turn away quickly before my mask broke to pieces. Not anymore, I seethed in my mind. I made my face blank and turned back to him. "No, I am unattached these days."
"Well then, perhaps we should get to know each other. Being a part of the guard can get so tiresome. It's always the same people. I would love to meet someone new."
Ugh, this guy was so obvious. I replied, "Sure, sure. That'd be cool. What is there to do around here anyway?"
Santiago's face lit up like I just gave him a present. "Oh, well… there are many sights here and in the nearby countryside. We are in Tuscany after all. It's considered one of the most beautiful and romantic regions in the world. Perhaps… well we could visit a vineyard. A friend of mine owns one and there are many tourists available if you have a taste for something more… exotic?"
I couldn't tell if he meant I might want to eat a foreigner or if he meant him. Why am I doing this again? I wondered to myself. I didn't know if I'd be able to play these games much longer. I would have preferred to just run into one of their "dinner" parties, phase, and go on a murderous rampage until they managed to kill me. I finally decided I had done too much planning to go on a killing spree now, and I owed it to Masen, Seth, Billy, and Bella to at least try to get out of Volterra alive. My son did not deserve to be an orphan.
Finally after my internal debate, I looked back at Santiago and said, "Well, that sounds rather nice. How about tomorrow?"
"That would be lovely!" he nearly cheered. He clasped my hand again in both of his and added, "It has been a pleasure to meet you, Jake. Let us meet in the lobby tomorrow at dusk. That way we won't have to worry about the sun."
Sun? What is he talking about? Oh right, I'm supposed to be all sparkly now. I almost laughed at the thought. Sparkly vampires… "Sure, Santiago, that sounds great. See you then."
I met him as requested and we walked to the vineyard. He chatted me up the whole time, and I did my best to keep him talking about his past just so I could nod and smile and figure out exactly how I was going to rip him to shreds. It was easier than I thought.
Santiago's friend was another vampire who owned a small vineyard that had been his family for centuries. It was in the middle of nowhere, and the leech lived a lone. No witnesses. Piece of cake. After we exchanged introductions and toured the grounds, they asked if I was thirsty. My dumbass almost said, "Sure, some wine sounds good," but I stopped myself when I realized they meant for blood. Apparently Santiago's friend saved a couple tourists for us. Honeymooners he kept there on the pretense of earning a special night at his B&B. I was disgusted.
"Sorry, boys, I can't say that I'm fucking thirsty."
Santiago started at my harsh words. "Well, Jake, how would you like to spend the evening then?" he asked wistfully.
"How 'bout by ripping you to shreds?" I snarled.
"Excuse me?" was all he had the chance to say before I phased and proceeded to decimate the two vamps I caught by surprise. This would be easier than I thought. They never saw it coming. Score one for the yellow-eyed freak of a werewolf. I quickly set them on fire in a nearby clearing, careful to gather all the pieces. I also found the two humans that were tricked into staying here and convinced them to leave. After that, I made my way to the wine cellar and drank myself into a stupor that lasted a few hours. It only took three cases of wine.
I made my way back to Volterra feeling triumphant. Gianna asked me briefly if Santiago returned with me and I convinced her he was still visiting his friend in the country. It surprised me that the guard members were allowed to come and go as they pleased, unless there was some pressing issue. The only ones who really stuck around all the time, besides the three leaders, were Jane and her brother, the wives, and Renata since Aro didn't like to be unprotected.
This little fact made it quite easy to take out Afton, Corin and Heidi in rapid succession. I also killed about a dozen vamps that pretended they were important members of the Volturi guard, but it was quite obvious they were not. None of them were missed. Chelsea and Felix were a bit harder to get alone, but I managed to get rid of them too. Felix was one strong leech, but my rage made his disposal surprisingly simple.
Despite my successes, my job was getting much harder. I managed to avoid Jane and Demitri up to this point because they were usually on some sort of mission, or I would duck into a hiding place once I got one whiff of them near me. I had also met the three leaders now, so my presence was known. They remained cordial, but I could tell they began to notice their minions were disappearing.
Demitri was dispatched soon after I killed Felix because someone actually saw the plume of purple smoke in the woods. Shit, I need to be more careful, I scolded myself. I turned Demitri's mission into an opportunity. I tracked him while he ironically tracked Felix's murderer. He found the place where I disposed of Felix and I could tell there were gears turning in his mind as he took in the scents around him. He hadn't met me, but he had surely run across my scent in the castle by now, so he knew it was an inside job. I had no options. I could not let him return to Aro.
"Demitri, you shit-head. You really are a good tracker," I called out mockingly to him.
"Who's there?"
I stepped from my spot upwind of him with a cocky smile on my face. I was going to enjoy this one. I knew by getting rid of this particular leech, I would be protecting the tribe in a huge way.
Recognition glinted in his eyes as he saw me approach. "You are the Cullen's friend, are you not?"
"Yeah, I guess you could say that. Is that all you remember about me?"
He looked thoughtful for a moment and I swear I saw the light bulb go on. "You are the dead bitch's mate!"
"That's right, fucker, except you better watch your mouth."
I egged him on further and he finally made a move to attack me. I dodged his first attack before I phased, causing a satisfying look of shock and horror on his face. I towered over him as he turned to run. He made it two steps before I ripped his legs off. Demitri actually begged me for his life, laying all the blame on Jane for what happened. I didn't disagree with him, but it didn't change anything so I tore off his head to shut him up. I lit his pyre on top of Felix's. One more down.
Almost there, Leah.
I took the next opportunity I had to kill Alec before Jane returned from her latest mission. This time I didn't hide the fact he was gone. I made it blatantly obvious and left his scraps right where I knew Jane would find them. Before she returned, I made one very daring move and killed the papery wives of Caius and Aro. I spied on the three leaders when they received the news from Renata. Caius didn't seem all that affected by the news, but Aro went to pieces. From what I could tell though, it sounded to me like Marcus actually got some satisfaction out of the whole thing. What a fucked up group.
Marcus and Caius were the next go. Caius was an easy mark because the fact that he didn't even seem to care his mate was murdered really pissed me off. When I confronted him and he realized I was a werewolf, I swear he shrunk into a little boy. I had never seen anyone more terrified of me than that. He must have had some bad run-ins with werewolves in the past. Renata came in to help him, so I took care of her too.
I actually felt kind of bad about killing Marcus, but there was no way I could let any of these bloodsuckers survive. I was starting to believe I might actually make it out of this thing alive, and I refused to look over my shoulder the rest of my life. I would not bring any danger to my tribe. If I survived this, I would go home to La Push and to what was left of my family and be at peace. At least, I hoped so.
Finally, Jane returned to find her twin brother's ashes neatly swept into a pile on her favorite reading chair. Yeah, that was probably a dick move on my part, but she fucking deserved it as far as I was concerned. I was alerted to her return by her scream of rage and grief that pierced every wall of the castle. I thought bitterly about the day she killed Leah, and I smiled at her pain.
I stepped into the library and greeted her calmly. "Hello, Jane."
"YOU!" she screeched. "I'll kill you! I'll fucking kill you!"
And just like that I dropped like a sack of potatoes, just as I had seen Edward do at their wedding. Holy shit! I had never been in such fucking pain. Even when I watched Leah die right in front of me and my heart was ripped from my chest. I was writhing on the floor, each cell in my body felt like it was boiling and being pulled apart in every direction at once. I was burning alive, being ripped to pieces, and drowning all at the same time. I was never going to survive this. See you soon, Leah. I thought as I passed out.
I woke up to find that I was bound roughly and in some sort of dungeon. Jane was sitting on a stool across from me and when she saw I was awake, she used her power on me again.
"Just kill me already, you fucking bitch!" I screamed.
"Fuck you, mutt."
She released me from the pain and I stared at her wide-eyed. How did she know about me? It was probably stupid, but I figured since I would probably die soon, it couldn't hurt to have my curiosity satisfied first, so I asked her.
"I'm not an idiot, you piece of shit," she spat. "How else do you think I've become Aro's go-to person? I do my homework, and I can put things together. I'm also a malicious bitch, but you already knew that," she added with a grin and another round of pain. "By the way, you are dead, but not before you pay for what you've done; mostly for my brother, but for the others as well. Aro is still in a state after you killed Sulpicia. He's been catatonic on his throne for days. He is like a father to me, so you will be paying for that as well."
I resigned myself to enduring the pain that was sure to come. At least death would come eventually. I looked at the inevitable pain and torture as my penance for failing my wife and son so completely. As much as I accomplished in the forms of vengeance, I ultimately was a failure. I failed my family. I failed Leah. I deserved torture.
Jane left me there for a while. I was beginning to feel hunger pains, and I was fairly certain that she wouldn't be feeding me. One more form of torture I could count on. She returned after what seemed both an eternity and only a few minutes. I was lost in my thoughts and allowed my grief to return, so I completely lost track of time.
"Get up, you filthy, reeking mutt," she commanded. I glared at her and received her pain-stare in return. I was getting used to it. The pain. I didn't really care anymore. Jane led me outside, still tied up, and hosed me off with an arctic blast from a pressure washer. I guess she figured degrading me and making me understand the way she viewed my kind would break my spirit. I hated her too much to let it get to me. That was until she started talking.
"You're pathetic, you know that? You couldn't even protect your mate when she was right in front of you. And you're supposed to be the chief of that pathetic excuse for a tribe? No wonder your people are almost extinct. They will be soon, I promise you that," she concluded with a sweet smile.
I started shaking, feeling the urge to phase, but I was still tied up. I didn't think I could. The snarls were starting to rip through my chest and my skin was starting to prickle and catch fire. Maybe I could do it anyway.
"Oh, am I making you angry, dog?" Jane taunted me. She sent me another wave of pain and I fell to the ground again, shivering from the cold water and from the wolf inside me trying to burst out of my skin. "If you ask me, your bitch wife deserved it anyway. You people have no respect for those superior to you. I really enjoyed killing her you know. Especially since your little Bella was trying to stop me. I don't always need my power."
She walked up to me and pulled me to my feet roughly. I seethed with rage. I wanted the hatred I felt towards her to shoot out of my skin and engulf her. She smiled at me again, taking pleasure in my obvious anger and inability to act. Jane sent me another jolt of pain and feigned a sigh when I failed to react this time.
"Oh, doggy, you are beginning to bore me. I think I'm done playing with you now. Say hi to your bitch for me," she added, standing me up again and leaving her hands grasping the sides of my head.
That was the last straw. The last time she would call my wife a bitch. The last time she would degrade me. I pushed the fire and anger out of me and phased, breaking through the thick ropes she used to restrain me. Jane's face blanched in shock, her mouth forming an "O" as she realized what I had done. In a moment, her expression was frozen on her face as I ripped her head from her body and reduced her to ashes.
It was over in an instant. The purple smoke and choking smell of incense assaulting my lungs and stinging my eyes. I collapsed and phased back, curled in a fetal position and bawled like a child. It was over. She was dead. I did it. I avenged my love. However, there was still one loose end.
"Jacob? It was you?"
"Yes, Aro. Now, it's your turn."
I stood at the entrance to the opulent throne room, occupied only by the lone vampire with the paper-thin skin and flowing dark hair. He turned his head toward the window, a sad expression on his face as he stared at the smoke.
"Jane?" he asked quietly.
"Yes," I replied softly. I wasn't sure how to proceed. She said he had been nearly catatonic since his wife died. Would he attack me? Did he care anymore? He was the only one left.
"May I?" he asked vaguely, extending his hands towards me.
I stepped towards him cautiously. For some reason, I wasn't afraid. I didn't even think he was planning to kill me. He seemed almost… curious… and… peaceful? I didn't know Aro at all, but I understood him to be one of the most manipulative vampires. It had to be a trick.
Aro looked at me, asking the question again with his eyes and motioning his hands towards me. "I do not mean you harm, Jacob. I don't have it in me to kill you. Actually, I would prefer to die at this point. I am the only one left… I am merely… intrigued by you. I want to understand," he nearly begged.
I removed my glove and reached toward him slowly. I pulled my hand back a moment, trying to talk myself out of this. Of course it's a fucking trap, you idiot! My subconscious screamed at me. I didn't really care. I had come this far. I accomplished my main goal. Jane was dead, and in a sick way, I wanted him to understand why I had done all this. The rest of them died ignorantly. I guess I could see some of why he was respected in his world, and I felt that giving him my story would be paying respect to him as I killed him. If that makes any sense at all.
He looked at me questioningly again, and I quickly shoved my hand into his before I changed my mind. He bent forward, almost reverently, lost in the images of my mind, his face expressionless.
"Fascinating," he simply said. "Utterly fascinating. You have experienced much for one so young. More than many of my acquaintances have experienced in several lifetimes. I am truly sorry for the loss of your mate. Jane did not share that bit of information with me, even though I have read her thoughts since then. I did not realize it was possible to block one's thoughts from me. Perhaps I am not as powerful as I believed," he added sadly.
"I assure you," he continued, "that I never sent her there to cause trouble. I have merely been interested in the Cullen clan for some time – they have many talents. I always hoped to… earn their trust. Carlisle was a dear friend. Oh dear, I'm rambling, aren't I? Let's get on with it then," he concluded, dropping my hand.
I looked at him, puzzled and unsure if I could go through with it. I grabbed his head in my hands, ready to pull, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Not with him so… okay with me killing him. I hesitated, staring at me feet, but not letting go of Aro.
"Please, Jacob. I am miserable without my wife. Surely you, of all people, can understand. I have no one left. I have lived over a thousand years, and she was by my side for all but the first century. Please, let me be at peace, as I hope you will be."
So I did it. I killed the last Volturi member and I cried like a baby when I did it. It felt wrong, but I did understand what he meant. The question was… now what? Was I at peace? Should I return home? My mind flitted to Masen and I picked myself up off the floor of the empty throne room. I walked out the lobby, into the sun and the Piazza dei Priori. I blinked as my eyes adjusted to the harsh light, took a deep breath, and began my journey home.
A/N: A review would be lovely. To my faithful Chromosphere readers, I hope you have some satisfaction. If you like this story, please vote for it in the Bathed in Black Contest hosted by shantytown005 on Twitter, owner of the blog: The Reluctant Reader. The link for the contest is on my author page. If you haven't read Chromosphere, I hope this entices you to do so. It's all about Bella, Edward, and Jake. Thanks so much for reading!