My thanks to my one reviewer. ;) Here's the second installment in Legends to Burn, hope you enjoy! I wrote all this before Breaking Dawn, so that's why there are so many differences between the finished Twilight storyline and this. Oh, boo, I forgot the disclaimer. I know our writing styles are similar....but I'm NOT Stephenie Meyer. Review if you want more. I'm not apologizing for the cliffie.
The rustle of the leaves in the thicket surrounded me as I entered. It was cooler here, under the trees, where the sun had not touched. I walked deeper, trailing my fingers over everything I passed, touching waxy leaves, dewdrops, rough bark, and feather soft petals.
The gentle moonlight bathed everything it touched under the canopy in silver streaks. It all looked like a fairyland. I breathed in, relishing the damp air in my lungs.
I reached up, shoving hair out of my face. I braced myself, then took off running. I was nowhere near as fast as a werewolf, but I could hold my own against the girls on my high school track team.
I loved to run. It felt so much like flying, and running through the woods offered better views than running on the track. It was more sheltered, allowing me to let myself go. I sprinted around fallen logs, across large stones, and through ferns.
The wind flew past my face, chilling and numbing it. I stopped when I tripped over something I didn't see and fell face first into the wet earth.
I lay on my stomach for several seconds, stunned and trying to catch my breath. Finally, I rolled into a sitting position to see what I'd tripped over.
The light was dim here, so I had to bend close. When I recognized what I was seeing, I pressed both hands to my mouth to muffle my horrified scream.
It was a body.
I backed up until I was leaning against a tree and shut my eyes. Willing it to be gone, I opened them. No go. It was still there.
Now that the initial shock had passed, all I felt was a morbid curiosity. I crept closer, peering at the body. It was a young man, probably no older than me. He looked as if he had just been dropped and left there. I knelt beside him, unexpected tears pooling in my eyes.
I reached out a trembling hand to check his pulse, just to make sure. My fingers met the cold, soft skin in awe. I didn't know a dead person could be so beautiful. I closed his still-open eyes, feeling morose.
But something wasn't right. There was no blood, no obvious wound. Wait, there was something on his neck. I bent closer, touching the spot. I leapt back, fear turning my blood to ice.
I had never seen a vampire bite before, never wanted to. But I was pretty sure that the two puncture wounds on his neck were from a vampire. His blood coated the fingers of my right hand, black in the dusk.
Shaking violently in terror, I turned to run. I hadn't taken two steps before I ran into a broad chest. A scream broke from my trembling lips, only to be muffled by a hot hand.
"Claire! Sh, sh, it's me." He enveloped me in a comforting embrace.
I was blubbering as I told him, "Quil! There's – there's a – a body! A body, Quil! It's got two marks on its neck, like something – vampire maybe – bit him!"
His tone was abrupt, and I just knew he was staring at – at it. "I know, Claire, I see the mark."
I was still shaking. "H-how did y-you f-f-find me?"
"I followed you." He said shortly.
As sudden as if he'd been in a trance and just now broken it, Quil's demeanor changed. He scooped me up into his arms and turned to run.
"We've got to get you out of here."
I clutched at his shoulder as he rushed through the woods, trees going by in a blur. Quil dropped me on my aunt's front porch, then turned me around.
"Don't look for a sec, okay?" he said, his usual 'I'm about to strip and go wolf' warning.
I shut my eyes, shuddering as the familiar ripping sound reached my ears. A cold nose at my jaw let me know it was safe to turn around. I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck.
The scent of his fur was comforting as I clung to him, shaking. "Quil," his name escaped in a whimper from my lips.
A strong hand dropped onto my shoulder; I whirled around, a shriek flying from my mouth. It was stupid, really, because if it had been something that would hurt me, Quil would've reacted. But he didn't – I did.
Sam stood there, mostly bare already, a spare pair of shorts over his shoulder. "Come into the house, Claire."
"But wouldn't I be safer out here? This is where the cavalry is; surely there's no safer place." I was feeling stubborn today.
"You mean in the middle of the action?" Jacob chimed in from behind me. "No way! I am not going to watch Quil kill himself because we were too busy to make sure no one offed you."
A fist gripped my heart. "But I can't just stand back and watch you guys fight a vampire! They're deadly, they have no emotions, and they don't care what they do to people!" I flung my hands out, emphasizing my point. I could feel enraged tears filling my eyes. They were not going to leave me behind, fretting over what might happen.
"You've never seen us all after we've transformed, have you?" Embry asked.
"There's never been any reason to!" But even as these words flew from my lips, I knew it wasn't true. When I was two, there was a family of vampires, the Cullens, who had lived here. They'd preyed on animals instead of humans, so they had been allowed to stay, on the condition that they didn't bite a human. They left fifteen years ago, after a close friend of Jacob's had married one of them with the intention of becoming a vampire. Of course, to do that here would mean the wolves attacked, no matter if it was of her own free will.
It was still a sore spot of Jacob's.
I felt Quil's arms around me; He'd resumed his human form. "Sh, Claire, trust me. We'll be fine. We're stronger than you think, and there are quite a few of us. It'll be boring, that's how easy it'll be. Besides, someone has to care for Emily. She's still weak."
I tripped over the guilt trap he'd set. Quil was right, if all the men left, Sam included, then Emily would be left helpless and distraught. Not a very serene combination.
"Actually, I will be caring for Emily." Sam said.
Quil's arms fell from my waist as he turned to face my uncle. "What? Who will lead the pack?"
"Jacob has finally decided to accept the role he was born into. So, in answer to your question, he will." Sam's answer surprised even me.
"So I can go?"
Before my uncle could answer, Quil did. "No! Absolutely not!" He barked out, his rough tone startling me. "Don't get me wrong, Claire," he continued in a much softer voice I'd found he only used with me. "It's not that I don't want you there, it would be too dangerous! I love you too much to watch you get hurt."
"But I wouldn't, Quil, I'd stay out of the way." I was begging, and I knew it. "I can't just wait here!"
"I know you don't like it, Claire," Quil soothed, "But please, for me?" he cupped my face in his hands and stared into my eyes. I felt my pulse race as everything besides us faded away. "Nothing would matter to me anymore if something happened to you."
I nodded, hypnotized by his eyes. He searched my face for another moment before gently pressing his lips to mine. I clutched at him, fear heating the kiss. Quil broke away patiently, then pushed me toward the door.
I looked back over my shoulder at him. He offered an encouraging smile.
"I'll be fine, Claire – just go."
Fighting tears, I shut the door behind me. Rushing to my room, I threw myself on my bed. Overcome with loneliness, I began to cry from anxiety and loss.
The sounds of shifting forms blew in through my window on the breeze. Moonlight struck a mirror on the desk in front of the window, casting a pearly glow on the ceiling. After several moments, the quiet returned.
The house was stifling. Surely Quil hadn't meant for me to lock myself in? Or maybe he had . . . but if the wolves are chasing the vampire, then I should be safe outside. They know where the vamp is.
I slid off my bed and tiptoed quietly to the door. Pressing my ear against it, I could hear my uncle's heavy footsteps leading to his room, then the lock on his door sliding home.
Waiting another few moments to be sure he was safely out of the way, I slipped out of my room. I rushed, barefoot, out the back door, toward the woods. It was eerily quiet. I looked about as I stepped into the trees, shadow clothing me.
I jumped when I heard rustling behind me, and whirled about to see a fox. Okay, Claire, you're way too jumpy, I thought to myself. Yet, stubbornly, maybe foolishly, I kept going deeper into the bracken.
An agonized howl cut short much too quickly sounded from a short distance to right sent a shiver of fear coursing through me. I recognized that yowl – I'd know it out of a hundred others – Quil.
"Quil!" I ran toward the sound, fingers impatiently clawing away branches and thorns that threatened my skin, raking open my palms. A particularly obstinate branch barred my way – I threw my shoulder into it and fell through into a small cleared radius. Moonlight lit the bare ground like a spotlight, confirming my fears.
The most beautiful creature I'd ever seen – such pale, almost luminescent skin, dark and thick hair, and lean muscles on a lithe figure – was crouched over Quil's unmoving form, a feral smile in place. I gasped, and the noise caused him to turn around.
"Who's this?" His voice was satin across my ears, and his topaz gaze bored into my eyes unyieldingly.
Quil groaned, and I watched him struggle to rise. He settled back to the ground with a moan after a moment of effort. My only comfort was that he was still in his wolf morph – else I'd know he was dead.
My frantic gazed flickered back and forth from Quil to the vampire.
His eyes softened. "Scared, sweetheart? No need, I only fight to defend myself. He attacked first." He spread his arms. "I won't hurt you, dear, I swear it." I felt myself relaxing; then his face darkened, reigniting a thrill of fear. "Now, my brother, on the other hand-"
He broke off, looking behind him at another pale figure approaching.
Where the first vampire was beautiful, the second was horrendous. He wasn't ugly, really, just more frightening. His eyes were scarlet instead of the clear topaz of the first; his blond hair was shaggy and unkempt. But worse than all this was the homicidal, crazed looked on his face and in his eyes as he watched me.
"What are you waiting for, Landen? Finish the werewolf; I'll take the girl. She smells so alluring," he snarled, sending me a glance that made me shudder. He advanced slowly, giving me time to notice one more horrible detail.
Blood dripped from his long fingers and was spattered up his arms and across his shirt.
Horror froze me in place. Who had this monstrosity ripped to shreds? How much of my wolf family was dead? Fury rose in me, shaking me. It was idiotic, really; I couldn't fly off the handle and attack this monster – he'd kill me, too.
Landen shook his head. "We've done what we came for, brother. Let's just leave; this girl has done nothing to you."
"Your point? She's human, in the way, and smells of wolf. That's plenty of reason for me," He turned back to face me and put one foot forward, grinning.
"Caleb!" Landen cried out, fury in every decibel. "You touch her, I will personally shred you. Leave her be, now."
The other one, Caleb, bit out a reply so vulgar and violent that I almost choked on my air.
I was startled. The vampire – Landen – was protecting me? I thought vampires only cared about bloodshed.
Realizing the two vamps were absorbed in their dispute about my blood, I turned, and rushed to Quil's side.
"Quil? Quil!" I ran my hands down his furry back. "Wake up, it's me, Claire." I stroked his ears, "Come on, Quil, there's a couple of vampires who want me for dinner!"
He stirred, moaning, then lay still again.
A savage, bloodthirsty howl in my ears caused me to turn. Uncle Sam's familiar russet pelt burst through the trees, followed by Jacob's hulking bulk.
A raw chill rushed through my bones and blood. Where was Embry? My mind began to put two and two together at an alarming rate, leaving me winded; the blood on Caleb, Embry missing – Oh no.
Landen took up a defensive stance, but Caleb dove for me. Cold, iron arms latched around me and a long hand pulled my head back by the hair. I could feel icy breath caressing my neck as Caleb issued his threat:
"Any closer and I'll kill her," his tone taunted, knowing my pack was trapped. They would do nothing to endanger me, and the monster knew it.
The very air around us froze as the wolves held their breath, waiting.
