Hey guys! I read the reviews and it sounded like some of you thought that the 'stalker' was in the bedroom with Leah and Jake. So let me clear that up and say no, he was actually outside the window and happened to reach in and turn out the lamp. Creepy, no? ~shivers~
But the reviews are so awesome and I can't thank you guys enough. I aspire to be a writer one day and everyone's honest opinion helps a bunch. Yeah, I need a little more practice, but I'm trying.
Hope you enjoy!
Allies Ch.7
Leah woke up, stirred by Jacob's movement as he climbed out of bed. He was still naked, as was she, and she admired his strong physique as he searched the floor for his jeans. The sun was barely peeking through the windows, indicating the early dawn, and the light cast a shimmering glow upon his copper skin. Why hadn't she realized before how stunning he was?
Last night, after they'd gotten over the shock of being spied upon in such a private moment, she and Jake climbed back into bed and awkwardly clung to one another, both frightened, both too proud to admit it. Neither spoke for the rest of the night, but again communicated their feelings physically. Except the second time they weren't trying to feel valuable or wanted, but alive and safe in each others' company. No matter what the purpose, it was just as earth shattering in its intensity.
"Where are you going?" she mumbled now, voice thick from sleep. Her body ached from their lovemaking and she stretched, enjoying the sensation.
"To find Sa- I mean, the other pack." He said. "You mind if I wear this?" He held up an old t-shirt of her father's, a ratty BassPro Shop tee with a giant fish on the back. It was burgundy colored, just like her father's old john boat.
"Go ahead, but…bring it back in one piece." She said, wishing he'd rather go bare-chested.
He knew it was Harry's. "I'll take care of it." He promised. "Anyway, I need to discuss patrols. They aren't working hard enough if they can't sniff the creep out and after last night…"
She nodded, feeling the awkwardness of 'the morning after' settle in heavily. "Maybe they think that since you're here, Mr. Stalker wouldn't try anything, you know?"
He shook his head and pulled the shirt on. "Still… Will you be alright while I'm gone?" he inquired. "You can come with me if-"
"No, I'll be fine." She lied hastily. No way was she going to face Sam. Not after what she and Jake had last night.
"Suit yourself." He walked over to her, planted a soft, awkward kiss on her forehead. Their eyes met briefly, but they both looked away quickly. Not before Leah caught that now familiar fire in his eyes, though. "I won't be gone an hour. See ya."
She waited until he'd gone before she got up to barricade herself inside the cabin, and then she hopped into the shower and reluctantly washed Jacob's scent from her skin. All the while, she wondered what on earth she and Jake were going to do now that they'd crossed that fine line between friends and lovers. She'd never had to deal with this kind of dilemma, and she was lost and so very confused. Confused because she now realized that her feelings toward Jake had become a little too fond. But fond was an understatement. Had she really fallen for him? So soon, just a couple of weeks together? Did he feel the same way?
He couldn't, though. He still had some sort of obligation toward Renesmee. One that didn't include sleeping with his pack mate.
"I'm so stupid." She said aloud, her voice echoing off the tiled walls of the shower. He probably didn't care about her, not the way Leah had grown to care about him. She felt foolish, falling in love – if that's what this new feeling was – with a man who'd imprinted. He'd more than likely leave her just like Sam had, just as soon as Renesmee had grown bored with Nahuel and came crawling back. What had she expected? Him to completely forget about the one person he was, supposedly, perfect for?
Leah forced back the tears that stung her eyes and, having finished her shower, turned the knobs to cut the water off. The old pipes groaned, muffling the uncontrollable sob that unexpectedly escaped her throat. She stepped out and dried herself, her teary face.
As she reached for a bottle of body lotion, unscented of course, Leah heard the unmistakable and alarming sound of shattering glass. Her heart instantly plummeted into her stomach and she immediately knew what, or rather, who had caused it.
Frantically, she searched the bathroom for some type of weapon, anything that could cause the intruder enough harm for her to get away. But she stopped herself as soon as her head was clear enough to remember what she was: a nearly invincible wolf. What if he had a gun though, she fretted. Would silver bullets really kill her, or was that just a myth?
Deciding that she'd rather not hole up in the bathroom waiting for him to find her, Leah chose to take her chances and find him first.
After throwing on a night gown from the clothes hamper, she crept from the bathroom, curing the rusty hinges on the door for squeaking. The house was silent except for Lil Droop's pathetic whimpers. Where was he? Leah cursed him too and tiptoed down the hall to the living room, braced for an attack.
The living room was empty, and so was the kitchen. There was no sign of a break in either so she figured that, whoever was here, he was in the back of the house. Possibly even her room. She should have expected this, she scolded herself. She should have prepared for the worst, kept an arsenal of weapons hidden in her refrigerator or something. Too late now…
With trembling legs, Leah slowly made her way back down the hallway, peeking in the bathroom- just in case- and the spare bedroom on the way. That left her bedroom and she hesitated by the door, saying a little prayer before turning the knob and pushing it open. She stood just outside the room, not daring to enter just yet, and took in the sight of broken glass glistening on her bed, the broken window above it, and the seemingly empty room.
Leah sniffed. His smell, the stalker's, was strong in there, but there was no one in sight. Had he left? She nearly gagged with disgust at the stench after taking a particularly big whiff. It was once no bother to her but now, since she knew its dangerous owner, it reeked like rotting flesh to her. She took three tentative in and halted, heart hammering, because she suddenly felt his presence, another flow of energy behind her.
The door slammed shut, shaking the cabin walls with its force, and Leah spun around to finally see her torturer. Her body shook with unbridled rage when she looked upon his ugly face.
"You!" she accused, her words dripping with hate and disgust.
"Me." Greg said with a smile. He looked terrible. His hair, long like so many of their people, was greasy, matted and gross. Sweat dripped from his brow even though the day was still new and cool. He trembled. He acted as if her were… tripping out on something, maybe high.
"Get out of my house." Leah ordered through gritted teeth. "Or I'll take you out myself."
His eyes flashed with excitement. "No," he breathed, and pulled a knife –butcher style- from underneath his ratty jacket. Who wore a jacket in August? The light reflected off the metal weapon and Leah's confidence waned considerably. It was big and it would hurt terribly if he should attack her with it.
But she refused to show any sign of weakness, though. Now was not the time to ball up and cry, even if that's what she really wanted to do at the moment. "You don't scare me." She scoffed. "That doesn't scare me." She gestured to the knife with a nod of her head.
"Oh…" he said with lunatic grin. "Trust me, I believe you. Nothing can hurt you, Leah. Nothing."
He took a step toward her, she took one back. "What the hell are you talking about?" she demanded.
"I know you are invincible. I know all about you and your friends," he said, somewhat accusingly. "your abilities, your secret."
Leah swallowed, trying to understand why he thought that their secret was somehow in danger now that her knew about it. What was he going to go? Tell? No one would believe him. The whole town knew he was weird. "What secret?" she asked, playing dumb and biding time. Jacob was supposed to be home soon. He wouldn't be gone an hour…
"You are all wolves!" he said, now with a hint of excitement laced in his accusation. "Like the legends say. They're true… I knew it."
She frowned, confused. "And what if they are? What's it to you? Why does that give you the right to here, threatening me?" she spat.
His eyes, his face crumpled in anger and he moved closer to her. She backed away again, this time into the foot of the bed, trapped. "Because, damn it!" he roared, making Leah jump. "All my life I've been a nobody, an outcast. I can't play sports, can't sing. Hell, I'm not even smart enough to get into college!"
He began to shake with rage at Leah's still confused expression, like she should understand why his loser life had anything to do with her and the other wolves. "But still," he continued. "despite my pathetic lack of talent, of purpose, I had hope. My great grandfather was the brother of Ephraim Black…"
"So?!"
"So his blood runs through my veins!" he insisted, voice ringing. "I had hope that one day I would become a wolf like him, hope that the legends were true and I could have a purpose!"
"Greg-"
"Let me speak!" he screamed. She was trying to figure out the logistics of the family tree, but couldn't quite figure it out. "But look at me!" he roared. "La Push is swarming with wolves, some without even a fraction of the elders' blood in them. And yet here I am, a direct descendant, and still a nobody, a waste of space."
This guy, Leah thought without humor, was in serious need of a straight jacket. "Greg, listen." She tried with a shuddering voice. "I understand that it upsets you that you aren't a part of – of us. But what I don't get is why you are in my house, pointing a butcher knife at me."
"I loved you, Leah." He whispered, his voice suddenly breaking with emotion. She could've sworn he was bipolar. "But you never gave me the time of day, not even when we were in school."
She sighed, irritated. "That was high school, Greg! You had a stupid crush, everybody goes through that. You're old enough to have gotten over it by now."
"That was no crush." He urged. "That was love, and when I discovered your secret I knew we were meant for each other. Me, with the chief's blood, and you, a shape-shifter… It was meant to be."
Unbelievable. "No, Greg." She said bitterly. She couldn't have children, rendering her no good for producing heirs. If that was his intention. She shuttered at the thought.
"Yes." He said, smiling again. "I've been watching you for years, Leah. But 'accidentally' running into you all over town wasn't enough for me anymore and so I got closer and found out your and your friends little secret."
"Get out!" she demanded, angry beyond any coherent thought. He'd spied on her, taken away her privacy and peace of mind for longer than she could have imagined and she was pissed. Royally.
"I knew the spirits of our forefathers, the first wolves, had planned this out, you and me." He continued as if she hadn't just spoken. "You've got to understand that, Leah. You love me too because we are meant to be. You just haven't realized it yet."
"Realize this, you freak!" Leah screamed, making his eyes grow wide with surprise. "We don't belong together. You are not a wolf because your genes aren't good enough to pass down and neither are mine! You're blood is worthless to the pack and your children will never be wolves either."
"Shut up."
"And I don't love you!" she added. "I love Jacob Black, the true heir of Ephraim, the stronger, better heir. The true alpha of La Push." Oh, how she enjoyed rubbing it in.
"Shut up! Damn you! You love me." He insisted. "I saw you last night, you know. Saw you give yourself to another man instead of me."
"You're sick."
"I stood by and let you fuck around with that Sam character." He said, voice so calm it was eerie. "But I won't be idle while you fuck Jacob Black too. You are mine, and if I can't have you, no one can have you."
He moved closer, knife raised, and she crouched where she stood, ready for the attack, when the door to her room burst open. She looked to see Jacob, tall and menacing, giving Greg the perfect opportunity to strike, and he did. With an anguished cry, he lunged at Leah and plunged the knife straight into her chest, barely missing her heart, but slicing through her rib cage to puncture her left lung. Blood began to pour from the wound and dripped grotesquely onto the wooden floor.
Leah was in shock. That was her blood pooling in the floor… From then on, everything seemed to play out in slow motion. Jacob, taken completely by surprise, had been seconds too late to prevent Greg from hurting her. But once he realized what was happening he dove for Greg, beating him in a flurry of punches and kicks. He shook, close to phasing as he pounded his victim into submission, but stopped suddenly when he remembered Leah, saw through his rage, that she was slumped on the floor, lying in a puddle of bright red blood.
Angered beyond words, Jake threw Greg out the door where he slammed, hard, into the hallway wall. Jacob, too engrossed with Leah and her immediate situation, never saw him stagger to his feet and shuffle out of the cabin to disappear into the surrounding forest.
"Leah!" Jacob said, worried to tears. "Oh, God! Can you breathe?"
She shook her head no, suddenly feeling very cold.
"Lord help…" Jake prayed as he jerked the t-shirt from his body and then scooped Leah into his arms. He bolted out of the cabin, slipping hazardously on her dripping blood. In the yard, he stripped completely and phased, leaving everything but Leah behind in the grass.
Jacob's POV
Jake ran faster than he ever had before, fueled by adrenaline and the determination to save the girl he'd come to care so much about. He ignored the briar patches, the mud, the rocks that would have normally slowed him, and barreled through the forest, destination: the Cullen house. There, he hoped to God Carlisle could save Leah.
To Jacob, there was no option. Leah would be saved. Or else.
