A/N:
First, I apologize for not updating sooner, but RL is priority, as much as it pains me. Also, I would like to thank all of you special people that review and let me know this is worth continuing as well as the people that are following and listing the story in their favorites. Wow, guys! I do wish there were more of you!
Negative words and all (yeah, you know who you are. Just as I know you are reading my story as a guest, you still reviewed...so, ha!).
...without further ado...
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LEVERAGE
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Chapter One
Forced Slavery
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Part 3
Deal with the devil
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Self edited...will repost after beta edits (got impatient)
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Last chapter:
I should have burned his ass.
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Jacob's POV
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That's the last we heard of him - we thought - until a year later, when the strong putrid scent of concentrated leech settled upon the surrounding land, and we all joined those in patrol who desperately howled for assistance.
When we got there, we braced ourselves for the end.
We all thought that we would die fighting that that day. Protecting till our last breath.
There were so many of them.
It had been 4 days and they kept coming at us.
We were beginning to feel the exertion of the fight wearing.
Quil was taken down first, caught by surprise as soon as he re-entered the clearing from going off to finish off a runner, minding that it was probably going to hunt the hikers nearby.
Four goddamned leeches grabbed onto him, first his rear legs, then the front, as he tried snapping at them, pulling till his joints were dislocated and the limbs almost pulled off his body.
He passed out, howling from the pain.
Jared and Embry had just been taken down by 10 leeches each. They had broken bones virtually all over their bodies. While Jared was K.O.'ed, Embry was barely holding on to his conscious thoughts helping us see from where he was, any surprise attacks coming our way.
Then, as he watched perimeter , he started to notice something strange. Quil was being dragged, then Jared.
I noticed that as we went down, we were being placed in...
...bear cages?
They were capturing us...not killing us!
An odd sensation sank to my empty stomach.
The last ones standing were Sam, Paul...and me.
Twenty-five or more leeches were surrounding us...vultures circling on their dying meal...jumping in and out of our reach, and more were adding to the mix.
They were pacing themselves...tiring us out.
Agh...as if they actually got tired.
We were left with two choices. To give up or die trying.
We made our choice.
This was to be the last stand.
"Its been an honor serving to fight beside you. Speed and fury, brothers." I thought panting. I felt myself grow tired as I resigned myself to my fate with rage still simmering hot through my veins.
"Likewise." Paul thought in a short and emotionless parting, his brain already going through strategies on taking as many down as possible before going down himself. A fast reel of those he felt love for once in his harsh life even prior to becoming a protector, showed him no mercy, he was gathering all that hate and using it to fuel him...and us.
"The honor is all mine...speed and fury." Sam. His mind, set on protecting more than just the tribe, suffered. His thought would momentarily fog with worry as it wandered to his imprint Emily...and her news.
She's pregnant.
The slight moment of unimaginable joy at the news...
Her glowing eyes staring back at him with so much adoration, only to turn in to dread as the howl shattered their happiness with dread.
He'd found out moments before we heard the alarm.
Fuck.
"SHIT, Sam!" Paul said sadness taking over, allowing himself to feel sympathy for his brother, unable to stop the thoughts of his own upbringing without a father.
"I just...hope they live." Sam thought gravely.
"Sorry Sam..." I started to apologize since had to get our minds back in the game, when I was interrupted.
"STOP THIS MASSACRE!" A voice came from behind the wall of sparkles under creepy, waving, somber colored robes.
They parted in front of us, allowing passage to someone covered in a dark cloak, who was surrounded by a group of others with red cloaks.
"Who speaks in their behalf?!" One of the covered ones spoke.
"who the fuck is THAT?" Paul asked a bit irritated that his rush of adrenaline had to be squelched momentarily.
"My guess?" I thought, zeroing on the figure with narrowing eyes, "-the head of the leech army we're fighting."
"Would you grant audience to an old friend?" The familiar voice that had screamed before pleaded.
"Carlisle?!" The unbelieving voice of the cloaked speaker cut through like a knife silencing every vamp with in a ten mile radius, the only sound now being heard were the the crushing snowy steps from whoever was slowly approaching and the menacing growls from my pack, as we stood tense and muscles coiled ready to spring, still awaiting their first move.
"Is that you?! Come where I can see you, dear old friend..." The one before us said clapping with noticeable glee after taking down the hood that covered his features. Pale and stone. Skin that sparkles. Red eyed. Jagged, WIDE happy smile.
On our right the mob parted once again, allowing what is left of what used to be the local bloodsuking coven - Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, Emmett, Alice and Jasper - to walk up.
"Aro, old friend. Its been what...? Two? Three centuries?" Carlisle said as he stepped forth staying at a distance, bowing with a cautious smile.
So, Aro is the cloaked happy worm.
"At least...when will you come back home to us and leave that experiment of yours?" He said with his voice full of mocking in condescending dismay.
"You should know by now that is my preference, our choice, dear Aro." Carlisle said, bowing once more, trying to not sound insulting.
"Are they seriously talking while we are in the middle of the battle?!" Paul thought incredulously.
"Shut the hell up, flea bag. Maybe they'll forget about us and go 'visit' them for a while." Sam thought, full of hope.
"Fat chance." I said making him feel like someone pissed on his cheerios, "Don't lose concentration. Keep alert." I ordered while keeping an eye on all the bloodsuckers surrounding us.
"You are not doing that Carlisle!" Edward steps from around the cloaked group but staying behind the first one that spoke...Aro.
Paul growled at Edward...bringing their attention back to us.
"Paul! You're a dick!" Sam hissed at Paul in his thought, an aggravated growl escaping his wolf form.
"...as much as I would love to sit and chat for some time, you can see that I have a 'matter' to attend first. It won't take long. We will visit your home then." Aro said dismissively smirking smugly at us.
"I'm making it my mission to take him out before I'm down. How about you, fellas?" I asked while letting out a low menacing growl.
"I want a piece of that too." Sam growled seeing my thoughts.
"HELL YES! I'm in!" Paul agreed with his own growl.
"Wait, Aro! I wish to be heard before you do this!" Carlisle suddenly is standing between us and the coat wearing red eyed demons.
"What-ta fuck is he doing?" Paul reacted, shocked, the same thought we all had.
"We can't stop now, dear Carlisle...justice must be served for the death of one of your own...I thought you would agree." Aro asked confused as to Carlisle's defensive actions.
"They were not at fault. It was Marina's..." Carlisle explained, Edward hissed.
"She's dead...my mate...my Marina...and you..." he pointed at Carlisle, "-you just stood by and did nothing while that...disgusting deprivation," he pointed at me, "dismembered her unparalleled beauty to pieces! then burned her to ashes! I claim justice! A life for a life! Her death will be avenged!" He finished his little speech.
"May I be allowed to speak?" Carlisle asked, politely bowing his head in respect at Aro, ignoring his pseudo son.
"It won't make a difference," Aro said with a bored tone, "-but if placating your nonsense will allow me to continue, the sooner the better." He moved his hand as if to hurry, ending with an unsympathetic sneer,"-go on, you have my attention...and lack of curiosity."
"Edward has spoken half truths to you, dear Aro." Carlisle said, regaining Aro's attention, "According to the treaty agreement we all signed - which allows my clan to stay in Forks coexisting with their pack - clearly states that to live peacefully amongst the humans in this area, 'none of our coven is to bite or feed on a human'. A direct quote from the agreement that Marina broke point blank. Her life was forfeit by her own actions, much to Edward's disagreement, Marina's death was justified. He was disheartened when we all agreed this matter was handled, keeping the rest of us intact as agreed, and sought your help for a muted cause. Which brings me to my point. You have no quarrels with them-" Caslisle expressed to Aro, astonishing all of us with his defense, "-nor us."
The one that answered was not Aro though. It was the leech beside him, who before speaking pushed the hood of his cloak back, revealing his appearance.
"THAT is were you are wrong! Their mere existence is a threat to our kind. And like their counterparts in the old world, they will be studied first, and then...exterminated-" the blond leech leered at Carlisle, "-dear. old. friend."
"Caius..." Carlisle greeted, as he bowed slightly in obvious recognition of the other leech's higher rank, "forgive me, but I beg to differ...these creatures are not like the children of the moon. Notice the moon is in waning. Surely you can make note of that." Carlisle again pointed at another fact that he thought might save our lives.
"Did you not see how easily they destroyed some of our gifted guard? If they make more of their kind soon they will be knocking at our door steps!" Caius retorted, dead set on eliminating us.
"That one too." I pointed.
"Deal!" Sam and Paul replied angrily.
"They defend their home. They never travel away from the area. And their existence is genetically activated by presence of our kind to their home. A mutation, sort of a defense mechanism to protect their own. They are no more threat to you than the hunters." Carlisle explained.
Silence ensued.
"You can't be serious!" Edward sneered at the two cloaked ones.
"Ohh! Fartward is getting his panties in a bunch...things must not be going his way." Paul taunted.
"Quiet mutt!" He hissed at us, "-they are planning on taking you both down before they are put down! They are a threat to our kind! Abominations!" He tried to convince the two others to see his way.
"Perhaps a deal that they stay in the Americas and out of Volturi territory?" Carlisle offered an alternative while bowing.
"Unacceptable! Mariana's death shall be avenged! Black must die!" Edward said outraged.
My hackles raised with rage at his threat. Another menacing growl rattled my chest.
"That one is definitely mine before I go." I thought determined.
"You wish..." He leered back at me, taking a step forward towards us.
My brothers and I salivated with anticipation of the fight.
"Bring it!" I taunted raising my growl to thunder off the trees, my paws gripping and releasing the soil beneath them repeatedly in anticipation.
"Edward, are you communicating with these beasts?" Aro asked displaying curiosity for the whining leech's behavior.
"Yes, Your Majesty." Edward admitted.
"That definitely changes things, wouldn't you agree, Master Aro? Master Caius?" Carlisle pushed, seeing the other two blink, as if unsure as to how to proceed due to this new information.
"No..." Edward denied like a petulant child, "..NO! Aro! You promised!"
A slight sliver of hope began to make its way into warming our chests when...
"I think I have an idea that will serve to punish, avenge and leave these creatures alive..." one still cloaked spoke.
He moved his hand reaching for the others and held hands for a while then.
"A rather gay display if you ask me." Paul grumbled, the small sliver of hope escaping us once again and replaced with dawning dread.
Edward stood straighter and stepped back, a smile slowly drawing on all of their faces as time passed...including fuckward's.
This didn't sit well with any of us.
"What's going on?" Paul asked, slight panic cinching at the edges.
"What are they doing?" Sam asked rhetorically...since he saw in our minds we didn't know either,but his panic doubled that of Paul's
"Something doesn't smell right..." I said a knot forming in the pit of my stomach., as I tried to push back my own reaction.
My thoughts were interrupted by Edward's cackle, which didn't make me feel any better.
"Oh! that would be priceless!...and completely satisfying...they wouldn't refuse...not at an offer like that." He replied to the whatever thought he was reading.
"I really don't like what's going on..." Sam thought nervously.
"Corina, Athara, Vanticia..." Aro called forth...three women dressed in antiquated puffy French gowns stepped forward as the sea of crowding leeches parted.
"Yes, my lord..." one said as they all bowed to him.
"Please, rise,..take my hand all of you." He said to them.
They obliged.
"Of course, my lord." One of the female leeches said.
Her expression turned to shock then a smirk.
She turned to our direction which didn't fly well with me.
I growled.
Her smile grew larger.
"May we see the difference you pointed out to us? If they are in fact, not children of the moon, they are able to shift into human form upon command...correct?" She asked Carlisle coyly, but her eyes were on us.
"I cannot allow for them to take a weaker form knowing that just minutes ago you spoke of exterminating them in good conscience, Aro. I am sure you understand." Carlisle defended us once again.
I will have to offer him special gratitude for his advocate services.
...ugh...
"I give you my word. Not a hair out of place...it will solidify our thoughts for the offer we wish to make. Also give them tongue to speak on their own behalf." Caius pointed out.
"Don't do it!" Sam thought already seeing in my mind what I thought.
"If it buys us time, a chance, or our way out...I will do anything short of becoming a leech myself. You are the next in charge if something should happen to me." I said as I phased out. Paul put his body crouched sideways to hide my modesty as well as readying to counter attack should it be necessary.
My voice was strong, after phasing into my human skin swiftly, "My name is Jacob Black. Now that you can see I am not a child of the moon. What is your offer?"