Seth lay still –sleeping–on Carlisle's make-shift bed pressed against the corner of Carlisle's office attached to an IV fluid. Carlisle had managed to bring Seth back to the living. He was close to being dead with. His gashes, deep wounds, bone fractures, and bruises did nothing to help his condition. But his wolf's rapid healing abilities did. Without it, Seth would have most likely died long before Bella and Jane could rescue him in Voltera. Only the deep wounds that Carlisle had just finished stitching were left to heal. And those wounds were already in a slow process of mending themselves. It was only matter of time now. Other signs of injury were now barely visible. Now, Carlisle only had to wait for the young wolf's healing ability to do its work, allowing Seth to at least have enough energy to open his eyes and wake up.
Sighing in relief, Carlisle removed the surgical gloves he was wearing, dropping them in a trash bin near his desk as he passed by it. Even though Carlisle was a trained doctor of all sorts, and been surrounded by the smell of blood in various scenarios his line of work provided him, it was still a strenuous job. He was still a vampire after all. And blood –werecreature's or not –was still blood that required a strong source of self-control. That was why he was genuinely impressed with Jane. She had been with Carlisle all throughout the operation, watching, though Carlisle could see from the edge of his eyes that Jane was holding her breath as much as she could. But given Jane's diet –human blood –her effort was remarkable.
Her diet. Carlisle remembered. He chided himself for the thought had not crossed his mind up until now. "Jane," Carlisle called calmly. He could see that Jane was really struggling with her control now. A frown was plastered on her face, mixed with confusion and worry at the same time. She must not have fed on her way here. Carlisle thought. "I have a pack of blood in store for emergencies like these. I commend your control against the blood, but I suggest you take at least a pack. You are nearing your limit."
Jane kept still, watching the boy on lying asleep on the make-shift bed. It was not that she had not fed; it was the doubts running inside her mind that was making her worry. Sure she had been reluctant at first knowing her mate was not of her own specie. But she got over that. That's why she was here in the first place, knowing that Aro, especially Caius given his experience with the dogs would get her killed with mere reason for talking to one of mutts. The moment she sensed the boy's scent she was she sure it; he was her mate. But why wasn't shesure now? Not long ago, she was ready to die for this boy. Now – now she felt nothing for him. Sure she felt sorry for him; he was still young to be involved in vampire wars even if it was a small one. But that was it. Jane could've left immediately, leaving the boy in Carlisle's hands once she felt something was in fact missing. But she stayed. She stayed and endured the smell of blood for hours. And that is something considering her reputation as the Merciless Demon Child. But she stayed. Is that saying something? Is the doubt part of the taboo inter-breed mate relationship? Too many questions ran and bounced in Jane's head.
"Seth," Jane finally answered. "Is that his name?"
"Yes." Carlisle replied a little shocked and confused with the question. Jane's voice had sounded so flat. Carlisle doubted if it even contained any emotion, regarding the current position Jane's mate was in. But Carlisle perfectly masked the shock in his voice, resuming his doctor position.
"Do you know him?"
"No. Not personally." Carlisle added, "But from what I've heard, he belongs to a Native tribe near Forks; La Push, the wolf tribe we have a treaty with. The Quiluetes. He shifted right after his sister, Leah, when he was fifteen. Seth is also the youngest shifter to have shifted."
"Leah," Jane repeated absentmindedly making Carlisle even more confused and intrigued at the same time. But the moment he opened his mouth, before he could or say anything else, a series of loud and violent barks came from the outside. This may not be good.
"You may stay here, Jane. I have business with our Quileute neighbors outside."
As Carlisle left, he felt Jane follow him. "Stay with your mate Jane," he said. Jane stopped for a moment, conflicted. She wanted to follow Carlisle partly to see the wolves in flesh and fur, and partly because her body pleaded her to do so. Why, she did not know. But the moment she heard mate, Jane hesitated. Having felt nothing for the boy, she now felt like she wanted to protect him. Begrudgingly, Jane nodded and stayed with Seth.
Jane's eyes swiveled towards the wall clock once Carlisle left. It was the moment when Jane had finally acknowledged time itself. And she was not too pleased about it either. It was too slow for her liking. It had only been barely five minutes since Carlisle dashed out of his office leaving Jane with Seth alone. But at that moment she couldn't care less about the sleeping dog. All her attention was drawn to the ticking clock. Screw this. Jane cursed. She had enough of this waiting. She wanted to go outside. Her body was screaming at her to do so. With one last glance at the sleeping boy, Jane darted out of Carlisle's office, her cloak hovering behind her.
Jane was barely out of the Cullen house and she could already here multiple growls from the outside. Only one is barking, she noted. Before she could step a foot outside the Cullen door, something hard grabbed her by the arm and everything fell eerily silent and still. She felt like a wet blanket was being draped over her. "About time," a voice said; the grip on her loosened slightly.
"Bella," Jane said. "What is this? Where are we?"
"In my shadow"
"Why can't I hear anything? I can't see anything either. I want to – "
"Shh!" Bella irritated by Jane's whining. "You will in a little while."
Just as Bella said, little whispers started to form, then it gradually became louder until the voices sounded more normal and the darkness surrounding them slowly dulled. Eventually Jane and Bella could see the whole scene laid out in front of them –though the colors were not as bright as before; the colors were almost dull and faded, nearly in gray like the old black and white TVs back then without much color. The only colors shone were the colors oozing off of each living individual –wolves . Giant wolves growling and snarling at the Cullens.
"I think the Alpha," Bella said scanning each wolf. Her finger landed pointing at the only wolf not in line with the others. Its being there just screamed 'Alpha'. Not to mention its larger size compared to the others. "There, the russet one."
Jane nodded. She started to listen. Edward was translating everything the alpha was barking at the Cullens.
"Jacob demands to see Seth," Edward started translating not looking away at the Jacob, the alpha wolf, who was right in front, him barring its teeth. "He claims Leah caught his scent in the woods along with two other vampires."
Another wolf behind Jacob started barking at him but Jacob growled back, silencing it.
"Quil is accusing us of hiding two blood suckers," Edward translated.
Carlisle calmly stepped forward and said, "It is true. Seth is here inside my home. He is badly injured and I have tried my best to treat his wounds."
Another wolf, a smaller one, and leaner than the rest –A female, Bella decided –jumped out of the pack's line formation and started barking with a mix of whimpering.
"Leah wants to see Seth," Edward said.
Carlisle nodded. "I understand. She has the right to see her brother"
Leah stepped forward but as soon as she did Jacob lunged at her barking, making her whimper and lie down completely on the ground. Leah growled in protest. But Jacob wouldn't take any of that. Using his Alpha voice, Jacob barked at Leah silencing her. Leah whimpered.
Jane couldn't hold it anymore. She wanted to let that so-called Alpha feel all the pain in the world for doing that to the smaller wolf. She wanted him writhing on the ground until he shifted back to human form and die like that. And she was really about to. But Bella had a firm grip on her not allowing her to move an inch away from the shadow knowing that if Jane stepped outside of it, their scents would alarm the wolves of their presence. And the whole situation would turn from bad to worse.
"Jacob asks if we are hiding the two vampires"
"Really?" Rosalie mocked. "It sounded more like he was accusing us"
A wolf in the line formation started barking. "He says, because we are"
"Oh please," Rosalie scoffed. "Dogs have highly sensitive noses right? Well, try using them instead of sniffing each other's behinds for a change. Do you smell any other scents here aside from ours?"
A chorus of growls emanated from the pack.
"I'll take that as a no." Rosalie replied curtly.
While Jacob was busy growling at the Cullens, Leah was trying to pry herself away from under him. And nipping him at the paw exactly did the job. Jacob yelped in surprise pain and moved away. He didn't bother stopping Leah. He understood Leah's intentions. Seth was her only family aside from the pack. Her mother had died recently and Harry, Leah's adoptive father died soon after, leaving Seth and Leah in Jacob's care. Jacob followed Leah towards the Cullens. Jacob moved forward, but Carlisle was positioned right in front of him blocking his way.
Jacob growled, gesturing Carlisle to move.
"Carlisle," Esme said, her voice worried. It was the first time she had seen her husband stand against the Quiluete pack. Most of the time Carlisle was the one who was lenient with them regarding the treaty, saying that they were only kids and that they were only doing harmless check-ups on his family though it was useless since the Cullens' diet was animal blood; not human.
"No, Jacob Black." Carlisle nearly growled. "As the head of this family I have been very tolerant with your disobedience concerning your own treaty. As you should know, we are not a threat to your tribe or the people of Forks. We live on animal blood and not human blood –vegetarian in a way," One of the wolves snorted in disagreement but Carlisle ignored the distraction. "But I will not allow you to go passed this line. I will only allow Leah because Seth is in a very critical condition and Leah has the right to stand by him seeing she is his only remaining family. It is not that I do not see you and your pack as Seth's family; it's just that additional presence could cause much stress to Seth's condition. He needs to recover and he will need much rest for that."
Jacob huffed then growled. "He says they would leave if you would tell whether we are hiding the two vampires."
"As you know, my daughter Rosalie has the gift of knowing if someone tells a lie or the truth. And I'm telling you I do not know the nomads' current whereabouts."
Jacob looked at Rosalie menacingly. He knew her gift. They had asked Rosalie a favor to identify who was lying in their pack once when an incident happened: a tribe member was killed, and naturally they blamed the Cullens. But with Rosalie's gift, they found out a fellow tribe member was the murderer. Jacob trusted Rosalie, even though he didn't like the idea, ever since then. Rosalie raised an eyebrow which clearly meant: What do you think?
Jacob huffed in defeat and left along with his pack.
After the pack had gone, Leah bounded to the forest at once. The Cullens waited; even Rosalie, who was complaining endlessly about the horrid odor that hung heavily in the air. Moments later Leah arrived. She started sprinting hey way back to the Cullens in human form, wearing the clothes she had kept in the forest before she shifted.
"Take me to him," Leah said earnestly. "Take me to my brother."