Chapter 2

Three days. Three days passed as Zach impatiently waited to be able to see his mate again. Carlisle warned him about the severity of the situation, but was sympathetic toward his grandson. He could not imagine having to stay away from his mate, neither could the rest of the family, but they took heed to Sam's warning. However, each day that passed made Zach more irritable. He tried hunting, but to no avail. He tried going for long runs, but his thoughts never strayed from Allie. In a last ditch effort to focus on anything but the girl that consumed his thoughts, he tried to focus on his school work.

It was Friday, which meant Zach's critique of Romeo and Juliet was due and he paced back and forth in his room as he read the play once again. The morning rain trickled down the windows in his bedroom as he managed to finish the last of the play for the tenth time.

"Vampire memory ensures that you do not need to go over the story again," teased Rosalie as she entered his room. He gave a small smile and began to pack his bag for school.

"I just want to be prepared. I don't know why, but I am nervous about my presentation," he admitted.

"You are going to do great. Your presentation is perfect, just like you," she assured as she stroked his hair. Zach dodged her hand, but sighed when he noticed the hurt flash across her face.

"I am sorry, mom. It isn't you. I am just….." He couldn't get the rest of the words out as the pain shot through him again and she pulled him in for a comforting hug.

"I know, sweetheart. I am so sorry you are going through this, but it will get better. We are going to figure this out."

"What is there to figure out? Sam doesn't want us together and is willing to use the pack to keep it that way. He even took away her phone, so I can't communicate with her anymore. Sam sent me a text this morning saying to stop talking to her."

"I want to go over there and give that alpha a piece of mind right now," growled Rosalie, which made Zach smile.

"I know you do, mom. I love you for that and hopefully you are right. We are going to figure this out soon. I just don't know how much more of this I can take. It has only been three days, but it feels like eternity."

"You are in love with her. She is your mate and you shouldn't have to be apart. I am going to speak with your grandfather again. We will come up with something. We always do." He kissed her cheek.

"I better get going. I told Josh just to meet me at school. I could use the run. See you later," he said before hugging her again. She kissed his forehead and winked at him.

"Good luck on your presentation."

"Thanks, love you."

"Love you too, baby boy. See you later," called Rosalie as he raced out of the house.

By the time he arrived at school, Josh was already waiting in the parking lot for him and sitting in the back of his truck. He hopped out with a bright grin when he saw Zach, who rolled his eyes.

"Do you always have to be so chipper?"

"It is Friday, Z!"

"Which marks the day of our presentations and three days since I have seen….."

"Look, I get it, okay? You are sulking, but the difference between you and me is that I would do something about it," said Josh as they headed into the school. Zach grabbed his arm and pulled him back to him.

"What is that supposed to mean," asked Zach and Josh winced as he glanced down at the vice grip Zach had on his arm.

"Dude, kind of losing circulation," warned Josh and Zach immediately let go.

"Sorry," he said with a sheepish smile as Josh rubbed his arm.

"I get it. You have every reason to be pissed. All I am saying is that instead of letting those jerks dictate what I do, I would take a stand. Who do they even think they are? There are what, eight of them? There are twenty four of us and yet everyone is acting like we don't want to anger them. Who cares? They would be in for a rude awakening if they tried to start something."

"It isn't that simple, J."

"Says who," challenged Josh and Zach sighed.

"Says my grandpa."

"You know I love Carlisle, but he is giving them way too much credit."

"This isn't the time or place to talk about this."

"Okay, you got me there. Just ask yourself one thing. How much longer are you going to let Sam keep you away from your mate? What he is doing is illegal. Allie is an adult. He can't really keep her there against her…."

"Enough, I need to focus on my presentation and so do you. Class is about to start anyways," whispered Zach as they entered Mrs. Elliott's classroom. The bell rang and Josh rolled his eyes as they took their seats. Mrs. Elliott smiled as she addressed the class.

"As I am sure you are aware of, we have spent a lot of time lately on Romeo and Juliet and for good reason. Romeo and Juliet is one of Shakespeare's most classic plays. It has been depicted throughout history in music, paintings, books, and films. It is one of Shakespeare's most popular works and your assignment was to critique it and find out why. Let's start with Courtney and work our way around the room for the presentations. If we do not get to everyone, we will finish up on Monday. Courtney, the floor is yours," announced Mrs. Elliott. Courtney stood from her desk and walked to the front of the room to address the class, but Zach had already zoned out. He was not interested in what anyone had to say about the play and spent his time thinking about his best friend's words.

The pack was outnumbered and it infuriated Zach that they were still able to make demands even though they had no real leverage. In his mind, it would be different if Allie wanted to be there, but she did not. She wanted to be with him. Josh's words started to make more and more sense as he replayed them in his mind. Allie was his mate. He loved her and she loved him. Even if her father could not understand that, she was old enough to make her own choices. Zach was abruptly snapped out of his thoughts by Josh shaking his shoulder.

"Dude, it is your turn. Have you even been listening," whispered Josh and Zach's eyes widened as he noticed the whole class looking at him.

"How long did I zone out," whispered Zach and Josh chuckled.

"Long enough to miss my awesome presentation. I nailed it," informed Josh.

"Zachary, are you ready," called Mrs. Elliott and Zach nodded as he stood up. He cleared his mind and focused on the task at hand, already wishing his presentation was over. All eyes were on him as he began.

"When William Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet, I doubt he did so in hopes of it becoming this popular. In fact, there is evidence that it was not even Shakespeare's favorite play. He wrote it to entertain the masses, but never imagined it would become one of his most accomplished works. It is believed that Shakespeare wrote the tragic romance after being pressured by the queen and her court, so it is no surprise that the story is so forced. Romeo and Juliet is a poor attempt at portraying true love. Romeo and Juliet do not have the epic love that most audiences assume they have. They are not destined or truly star-crossed lovers.

The very notion of such things is cheapened by Shakespeare in the play. What is assumed to be a romance between the two is actually trivialized by Shakespeare himself. When you take a step back and look at the story objectively, it is about two teenagers that are going to ridiculous lengths to rebel against their families. At first, Romeo is obsessed with Rosaline, who does not love him back, and then he suddenly sets his eyes on Juliet and he no longer cares about Rosaline. He is in love with the idea of love and so is Juliet," explained Zach and Courtney raised her hand. Mrs. Elliott giggled at the girl's eagerness to speak.

"I see you have sparked a debate, Zach. Do you have a question, Courtney," asked Mrs. Elliott.

"Yes, so Zach, are you saying you don't believe in Romeo's love for Juliet?"

"I think the two of them are infatuated with each other, but do not have true love," answered Zach.

"But they died for each other," argued Courtney.

"They died because of their miscommunications. Neither intended on dying and that is what makes it so tragic and almost comical. For two people that loved each other, they sure did not know how to communicate," defended Zach. Before Courtney could give her rebuttal, the bell rang and Mrs. Elliott clapped.

"We will pick this back up on Monday. Everyone did wonderful today and I am pleased with how this is going. Have a good weekend everyone," announced Mrs. Elliott and Zach sighed in relief as he grabbed his bag. He headed out the door with Josh, but Mrs. Elliott called him back.

"You know Zach I am surprised by your perspective. I always assumed you were a romantic at heart," said Mrs. Elliott and he nodded.

"I am, but only when it comes to true romance. I apologize if I have offended you."

"Oh no, you didn't. I am happy that your presentation sparked a debate and we can have a discussion. So many students simply read the play and agree with it. It took great courage to go against it. Wonderful job, as usual," commended Mrs. Elliott.

"Thank you, see you next week," said Zach before leaving. Josh rolled his eyes as they walked down the hallway.

"Leave it to you to want to be different and actually get praised because of it. You are such a teacher's pet," teased Josh and Zach smiled smugly.

"I do try," chuckled Zach.

The rest of the school day went by faster than Zach expected it to. He was able to focus for the most part on his school work, but his mind still managed to wander back to Allie from time to time. He could hear the discussion going on in the study between his family when he and Josh arrived at home. It surprised him that they were not focused on the treaty or the pack. Instead, the focus was on Alice.

"Could it be someone that Allie knows or someone else in the area? Maybe the timing was just a coincidence and they arrived around the same time that Allie entered the picture," suggested Tanya as Eleazar and Carlisle sifted through various books.

"It is possible, but it couldn't be a human. Carlisle and I have always believed that our abilities were active inside of us even during our human lives. However, they were not nearly as developed. The amount of power it would take to completely block Alice could not come from a human. Even if it was a remarkable human, it would take too much concentration and brain power to tap into for a human mind," explained Eleazar.

"You know I hate to even think about this possibility, but what if something is wrong with Alice," asked Jasper, but Carlisle shook his head.

"We already thought about that. Eleazar would sense the change in her and so would Edward. Something mentally would have to evolve inside of her and Edward still knows her thought process," said Carlisle as Edward nodded.

"She is still able to see into Charlie and Sue's futures and even Renee's. It isn't the power itself," agreed Edward. Alice groaned as she rubbed her temples.

"They are right, Jazzy. I can see everyone else, but us, Allie, and the pack. I even see Connell and Tia."

"What if it is the location? Maybe something has happened to it. Is that possible," asked Garrett, but Eleazar shook his head.

"Not that I know of, I have never heard of someone being able to manipulate a location before," said Eleazar.

"Come on, haven't you heard of hexes and curses placed on certain lands," asked Keegan and Zafrina nodded in agreement.

"I have heard stories of such things," said Zafrina.

"Stories and myths, but never evidence that it has happened, we have checked every book and can find nothing," explained Carlisle. Bella wrapped an arm around her sister, sensing Alice's despair as she tried to see their futures again.

"We will figure this out, Alice. We always do," comforted Bella and Zach nodded as he hugged his aunts.

"We will figure all of it out," added Zach. Suddenly, his phone rang and he frowned in confusion as he glanced down at the number. He did not recognize it, but excused himself anyways.

"Hello," he answered as he walked out of the house and his eyes widened when he heard her voice.

"Zach," whispered Allie. He raced into the forest and out of hearing distance from his family as he spoke.

"Allie, I miss you so much. I am so happy to finally hear your voice again. Where are you? How did you get away from your dad?"

"He left to go God knows where and Mia smuggled her phone to me. It was a covert operation and much harder than it should have been, but she was able to sneak it in through the window. My mom isn't watching me like my dad is, but I still feel like a prisoner. Zach, he has lost it. He took the battery out of my car and dismantled my bike, so that I can't go anywhere. He has my phone. It is like I am a prisoner. You have to come get me."

"You know I want to, but the wolves aren't going to make that easy. They are patrolling and your dad isn't going to stop just like that."

"I saw what you did to Drew when he tried to get near me again. Can't you get past them?" Uneasiness fell over him as he mulled over his options. His grandfather would not want him to go and there was a part of him that was hesitant to go against his grandfather's wishes. On the other hand, he could hear the panic in Allie's voice. His mate was calling to him. She needed his help.

"I will come get you, but you have to understand that it will not be easy and you won't be able to go back and forth between my house and yours. This will be a huge deal if we do this. Your father will go ballistic."

"I can't be here anymore. I can't be in a house where I am not allowed to do anything or go anywhere. This isn't right, Zach. I am an adult. I can't believe he is even doing this to me or that my mom is allowing it, but she is obviously on his side. I can pack a bag and be ready to go in a few minutes. Please, come get me. We belong together and I don't want to be anywhere but with you."

"Are you sure about that? I don't want to make you have to choose sides."

"My dad did that the moment he decided to keep us apart. I love you. If he doesn't understand that, then I can't be here. He never wanted me to come back in the first place and now he will get his wish. I want to leave tonight and stay with you until I can get my own place….if that is okay." Zach chuckled.

"Allie, I want you with me forever. You and I are meant for each other. I know that. I just want to make sure you are sure about this. You can stay with me and my family as long as you want."

"Good because I want to be with you. Please come get me."

"I will. Pack a bag and I will be on my way soon. I just have to figure out what to say to my family. Don't worry. I will be there soon. I love you."

"I love you too. See you soon," whispered Allie and Zach sighed as she hung up.

"About time you stepped up," chuckled Josh as he jogged over to him. Zach rolled his eyes.

"Go back inside, this doesn't concern you."

"Oh, but it does because I am your best bro. Besides, if I go back in there, your Uncle Edward will be able to read my thoughts and the whole family will be on to you."

"I guess you have a point. I have to go get her. I just don't know what to do. I can't let her stay there. My grandpa isn't going to like this though."

"So don't give him a chance to say no. You know I respect his views, but enough is enough. Go get Allie and when she is here, Carlisle will have no choice but to say yes to her staying when he sees how unhappy she is with Sam. He is holding her against her will and your grandpa won't condone that."

"So what, just go right now?" Josh rolled his eyes.

"Man Z, what would you do without me? Yea, just go right now! I will call my mom and dad and tell them we decided to go hang out at our house since everyone else is too busy talking about Alice's power. While they are here, you go get Allie and I will go to my house. I will keep an ear out for the wolves and if they catch on, I will distract them while you bring Allie here. Once she is here, they have no leverage and I don't think even Sam is crazy enough to take the fight to us on Cullen turf. Grab Allie, use your power to get home, and we will deal with the angry parents when we get back, deal?" Zach eyed him cautiously.

"It scares me the way your mind works. How long have you been planning this?"

"Just since Sam went all big bad wolf on everyone and reinstated the treaty, no big deal," said Josh with a shrug.

"I don't know about this. Crossing the treaty line is kind of a big deal," mumbled Zach.

"So is holding someone hostage and being crazy enough to think you are protecting them. Sam has lost it. It has been three days. Go get Allie and let's put the pack in their place."

"Fine, make the call. I hate that you have to lie to your parents though, especially for me."

"Hey, it is a necessary evil. If I am grounded, you have to keep me company though."

"Deal," chuckled Zach and Josh pulled out his phone. He called his mother and Zach held his breath as Leah answered.

"Hey mom, Z and I want to go hang out and play some video games at the house. All the vampire talk is kind of boring. Plus, I am starving." Leah giggled.

"Fine, just be careful going home. Sam knows better than to mess with the two of you, but keep an eye on the pack."

"We will, love you, bye," said Josh quickly before hanging up his phone. He let out a sigh of relief and Zach pumped his fist.

"Alright, watch my back, J. See you soon," called Zach and Josh saluted him.

"Always," called Josh before phasing and following him toward La Push.

The smell of the pack was in the air as they got closer to La Push and Zach's senses were on high alert. He looked over his shoulder and winked at Josh before the wolf turned south and headed for home. Zach leapt into a tree at the edge of the treaty line. Even though he was determined, a part of him nagged at him not to cross it and he stayed put in the tree for a moment to survey the region. He could see the ocean in the distance and the houses scattered over the coastline. He frowned when he saw three wolves a few miles away, but smiled when he noticed them heading in the opposite direction of Sam's house. Without a second thought, he jumped to the next tree and looked back at the invisible line that he officially crossed.

He waited for a moment and listened for any type of sign that the wolves were aware of what he had just done, as if an alarm would resonate around him, but when silence filled his ears, he jumped to the next tree, and another, and another, until he was only less than a mile from Sam and Emily's home. His senses perked up and he grinned as he recognized Allie's scent. It amazed him how familiar it already was to him. He scanned the area to make sure he had not been spotted and smiled even more when he did not see Sam's truck in the driveway. He could not hear the alpha either and raced to the back of the house.

There was not a fence around the backyard, which made Allie's bedroom easily accessible to him, and he could hear Emily and Allie inside. Emily was in the kitchen humming a tune and cooking on the stove. Allie was rummaging around in her room and Zach smiled from ear to ear as he approached her window. She was inside, packing a bag, and he gently tapped on the window. She sighed in relief when she saw him and quietly slid open the window.

"Ready," he whispered and she quickly nodded as she tossed him the bag. He grabbed it and put the bag on his shoulder before helping her out of the window. His senses suddenly perked up and his eyes widened as he heard Sam's truck coming down the street.

"Your father is home. We have to get out of here," he whispered, but Allie shook her head.

"I left my mom a note, but not him. Can I say goodbye to him first? I just want to explain why I am leaving."

"Allie, are you crazy? He is going to freak out."

"You can protect me though, just like you did with Drew."

"This is getting dangerous. We have to go," he whispered.

"Zach, I may never see him again and a part of me is so angry right now that I am okay with that, but he is still my father. All I want is a goodbye and then he can disown me for all I care." Zach groaned, but followed her to the front yard as Sam pulled into the driveway. Allie slipped her hand into Zach's as her father hopped out of the truck and let out a warning growl.

"You have a lot of nerve, kid. I will give you that. Get off my property," warned Sam in a menacing voice. Allie shook her head.

"Don't worry, dad. We aren't staying long," she informed and Sam frowned at the comment as Emily jogged outside to see what was taking Sam so long to come inside. She gasped when she saw Zach and Allie standing side by side.

"Allie, what are you doing? This isn't the way," scolded her mother.

"It is the only way, mom. I am leaving. I am an adult and I am sorry, dad, but this is what I want. I love you both, but if I can't be with the person that I love and stay here, then I will just not stay here at all. I am going with Zach."

"You aren't going anywhere! Zachary Cullen, you are in violation of the treaty. You have ten seconds to get off my land," warned Sam and Zach nodded.

"That's fine, but she doesn't want to stay here any longer," said Zach.

"I am going with him, dad. I wish it could be different. Goodbye, I love you both," said Allie as she wrapped her arms around Zach. He picked her up into his arms, but before Zach could leave, Emily's heartbroken cry made him hesitate. The rest seemed to happen all at once.

Sam used the distraction to phase in midair and lunge at Zach. Zach sensed the danger, but was only able to turn halfway around as the alpha pounced. He used his force field to hurl Sam away from them, but the wolf had already taken a swipe at him with his sharp claws. However, instead of hitting Zach square in the jaw like Sam anticipated, the force field pushed him back just enough for the swipe to land on Allie's shoulder. The blow made her let go of Zach and his eyes widened as she fell from his arms. He tried to grab her with his force field, but the sequence of events stunned him and he reacted a split second slower than usual. The back of Allie's head and neck cracked against the edge of the porch and dread filled Zach as her body went limp. He raced over to her as Sam crashed through the side of the garage. The overwhelming grief set in immediately as Zach heard Allie's heart beat slowly fade away and Emily's screams.

"Allie, Allie wake up," demanded Zach as he shook her shoulders, but the girl did not respond. A rage filled him just as quickly as the grief and he roared in despair as he held her lifeless body in his arms. Emily ran over and tried to push Zach away from her daughter's body.

"You get away from her," she cried and Zach gently placed Allie onto the ground. Emily wailed over her daughter's body as Zach's eyes became trained on the garage. He glanced down at the blood on his hands before stalking toward the alpha. Sam let out a howl as he made it to his feet and saw his wife grieving over their daughter. Emily gasped as the two of them circled each other and she glared at Zach before running inside. Zach let out a low growl.

"This is your fault," roared Zach. Sam lunged for the boy as his rage completely blinded him to all else and Zach gathered every ounce of energy inside of him before shooting it at the wolf. A thunderous boom echoed through the air as Zach concentrated his force field on Sam's heart. The wolf yelped once it surged into him and Zach was shocked when he realized Sam was dead by the time he hit the ground. Zach stared at his shaking hands in stunned silence, the power radiating through them, the blood of his mate covering them. He suddenly felt heavy and looked over at the dead alpha one last time before crumbling down beside Allie's body in a daze. He let out a shriek and cried into her hair as he held her close, not caring anymore about his surroundings.

Drew pulsed with rage as he galloped toward Zach in wolf form. The image of the boy killing the alpha was ingrained in his brain and he leapt over Sam's truck to exact his revenge. Zach was too distracted by his grief over Allie to care, but Josh intercepted the beta before he could pounce on his best friend. Drew swiped at Josh, but Josh was stronger and faster and dodged the action. Drew's jaws clamped down on Josh's shoulder and Josh let out a yelp as he was bitten. He bit into the back of Drew's neck and hurled him off, effectively snapping his neck in the process. Josh looked down in shame as Drew lifelessly crashed into the ground, but Josh did not have time to be saddened by what took place. A piercing pain jolted through him as the sound of a shotgun resounded through the trees. Zach's eyes widened as his best friend fell to the ground and he managed to snap out of his grief long enough to run over to him. Josh phased back into human force and gripped his shoulder as blood spewed from it.

"She shot me," gasped Josh in pain and Zach ripped off his jacket to apply pressure to the wound.

"You are going to be okay. My grandpa will make it better just like he did for Seth," assured Zach as Josh smiled weakly back at him. Zach could hear Emily pump the gun to shoot it again. He turned to face her, but before he could react, Leah did. She and Jacob were on their way back home to check on the boys when they heard the commotion. The wolf grabbed the shotgun with her mouth and tried to hurl it away from Emily, but Emily held on. The force sent her crashing into the side of the house, knocking her unconscious in the process. Edward was the first of the vampires to arrive and knelt beside Josh and Zach. The others could see the carnage as they raced into the yard. Rosalie applied pressure to Josh's wound as Leah and Jacob phased back into human form.

"What happened," cried Rosalie, but Zach was too stunned to speak. Edward spoke for him as the boy replayed the events in his mind.

"Josh lied. They never planned on going home. Allie wanted Zach to come get her, so he did," said Edward and Rosalie glanced back at Allie's lifeless body as Carlisle hurriedly checked pulses.

"Emily is the only one still alive over here," called Carlisle and Edward glanced down at Josh.

"We have to get him to the hospital. Carlisle, he is losing too much blood. He won't be able to heal from this quickly enough," warned Edward. Leah and Jacob ran over to their son and Emmett shook his son by the shoulders.

"Zach, snap out of it, tell us what happened," demanded Emmett, but Zach could barely think, let alone speak. The howling of wolves echoed around them and Jasper ran over to them as the others fanned out to protect their family.

"They are all coming, all eleven of them," informed Jasper, which made Rosalie frown in confusion.

"Eleven," she questioned and Garrett gave a nod as his eyes stayed trained on the forest.

"Looks like the old pack doesn't take kindly to what happened here," called Garrett.

"Quil, Embry, Brady, Jared, and Collin have phased again. Their sons alerted them to what happened. We are going to have to fight them off this time," warned Edward, but Bella shook her head.

"It will be a massacre for them," said Bella.

"We have to get Josh to the hospital," cried Leah and Josh cried out in pain as Carlisle picked him up into his arms. Esme ran over to her mate and looked at the boy in his arms, worry was etched onto her face and Carlisle nodded in agreement at her silent request.

"We have to at least save Josh," he agreed and Tanya gave him a curt nod.

"Go, we will handle this. Get him out of here," instructed Tanya. Carlisle tried to protest, but Jacob and Leah had already phased and were ready to run. Carlisle sighed in sadness, but nodded.

"Jasper, Alice, and Esme, clear a straight path for Forks hospital with Jacob and Leah. The hospital here is closer, but this land is no longer safe for us. Let's go," instructed Carlisle and they sped ahead of him as they headed toward the hospital with Josh in Carlisle's arms. Zach could see the rest of his family waiting on the wolves to attack and strategizing, but he was numb to it. He crawled back over to Allie and placed her head gently into his lap as he heard the wolves attack.

"I'm sorry," he whispered as the fighting began in the background, but suddenly everything was silent. He frowned in confusion when he looked up and saw wolves and vampires frozen in place. It was as if time stood still around him and he lay Allie back down on the ground before making it to his feet. He tried to walk over to his family, but stumbled backward as if he ran into an invisible wall. He tried again, but with the same result. Giggling made him spin around and crouch defensively beside his fallen mate as a woman appeared. She wore a dark gray cloak that barely contrasted with the gray of her hair and eyes.

"Hello, Zachary, I think it is time we had a talk," said the woman and Zach gulped.