Sam's POV
A week later, I was in my bedroom watching as Bella was yet again examined by the leech doctor. A lot had changed in that week. Bella was looking much better now that she'd begun drinking human blood. She no longer looked like she was half dead. She had a lot better color and wasn't even half as weak. She was still angry as hell at me. That wasn't something I expected to change though.
Once Carlisle was finished examining Bella, he looked to me and motioned to the door. I immediately nodded and started for the door.
"Whatever you're gonna talk about, say it here. It's about me, so I think I have a right to know!" Bella said angrily.
I glanced at her for a minute and then walked out the door. Both Jacob and Seth were there waiting. I waited for Carlisle to close the bedroom door before speaking. "What?"
"After examining her today, I'd estimate that Bella is roughly eight to eight and a half months pregnant. I think I should operate today. I don't feel comfortable waiting any longer," Carlisle said.
I nodded. "Okay, let's do it."
"Sam, don't," Seth pleaded.
I ignored him and contined to speak with the leech. "You plan to do this now?"
"No, I need to get some things from the hospital and inform my family. We can do it this afternoon."
"Fine," I said. That would give me time to get the rest of the pack in place. I would take no chances for this. God only knew what that thing was gonna be like when it was born.
Carlisle nodded and walked away.
"Jacob, go inform the rest of the pack and get them here," I ordered.
"Right," he said before he too headed out.
Now it was just me and Seth. Seth opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off. "I don't wanna hear it, Seth." I felt bad enough about what I was about to do to Bella without Seth telling me how wrong I was.
"Too bad!" Seth said in a hard tone.
I looked at him surprised. I had never heard such harshness from the lightest and calmest member of the pack. Seth had never had a bad thing to say to anyone. I'd never heard him raise his voice like this with anyone, let alone me. It had me so caught off guard that I didn't even know what to say.
"Unless you Alpha command me, you're gonna hear what I have to say. Bella's like a sister to me. I hate what you're doing to her. It's wrong. You're playing God, Sam, and it's wrong! You do this and you're nothing but a murderer! You're just as bad as the blood suckers that feed off of humans!" Seth yelled.
I barely managed to stop from flinching. The kid's words cut. He compared me to a leech. Worse, it wasn't the Cullens he compared me to, it was the rest of them. It was the ones who killed people. He saw me as a monster, just like Bella did.
Apparently Seth wasn't done ripping me apart with words. "I can't stop you. We both know I can't. You Alpha commanded me to make sure of it. You know I would try to stop you if you didn't. So, yeah, you know I can't stop you. I can't leave either if you do this. But I won't have any respect for you anymore. I won't consider you my brother anymore. You'll be nothing but my boss the second Bella's baby takes his last breath."
Again, the kid's words were like knife or a piece of glass through my chest. They hurt deeply. I knew Seth meant what he was saying. There was no coming back for him if I did this. Just like there wasn't for Bella. I hated that, but I didn't have a choice. I had to think about the world. "That's your choice, Seth. You get the choice. Be glad for that. You'll never have to do what I do. You'll never have to decide between losing a friend and a brother or unleashing a deadly creature onto the world. You think I want this? You think I'm enjoying watching Bella suffer?!" I was yelling at the end. The guilt and the stress of the last couple of weeks was getting to me.
"You're the reason she's suffering! You and the Cullens are doing this to her! You could stop it, but you won't! I thought you were a good guy, Sam, but good guys don't kill babies," Seth said angrily before walking away.
Xxxxxxxxxxx
A few hours later, I was in the living room with the rest of the Pack planning how everything would go down. "Alright, so two of you will be in here with me and the doc. The rest of you will be phased and guarding the perimeter."
"Sam, let me be outside. I can't watch. I know it has to happen. Hell, it was my idea, but I can't watch as something Bella loves is taken away," Jacob said.
"Right, because she'll hate you less if you're not actually there," Leah said sarcastically.
"Leah," I said in a warning tone before turning back to my beta. "It's fine, Jacob. I'd already anticipated you being unable to be here when it happens. Jared and Paul will be inside. The rest of you will guard the house."
"Who, is gonna… well, you know?" Quil asked.
"I will," I told them. I wouldn't put that task on anyone else. When it was all done, Bella would hate me for it and me alone.
Just then there was a knock at the door.
"That's gotta be the leech," Paul said.
I immediately went to the door and answered it. It was Carlisle and he had a large bad in his hands. "Come in."
Carlisle walked inside. "I trust you're all ready."
I nodded and turned to the Pack. "All of you but Jared and Paul, go."
They all got up and filed out the door. Jacob was the last out and closed the door behind him.
"Have you told Bella yet?" Carlisle asked.
"Of course not. I wasn't going to make her wait and dread what's about to happen. It's kinder to just surprise her with it," I said.
"Nothing about this is kind," Carlisle said before heading for my bedroom.
I followed him and motioned for the others to do the same.
Once we walked inside, Bella turned to us. "Why are you back, Carlisle? I thought you were done for the day.
Carlisle placed his bag on the side of the bed and started rummaging through it. He pulled out a syringe and a vile. "Bella, you're almost full term. It would be unsafe to wait any longer.
Bella jolted up within moments after realizing what was happening and tried to get off the bed. Unfortunately for her, I was quick and pushed her back down and held her there. She immediately began to struggle. "Let go of me, Sam!"
"I can't do that, Bella. I'm sorry," I said genuinely. I was sorry. I was sorry for all the pain I knew I was causing her.
Bella continued to struggle, causing me to hold her tighter. It wasn't enough to hurt her, but it was enough to keep her from moving much. She glared daggers at me. "If you do this, I will kill you! I will find someone to turn me and then I will tear you apart! I will kill everyone that agreed to kill my child!"
Carlisle came forward with the filled syringe. "Bella, I am very sorry."
Bella's eyes filled with tears and she looked at Carlisle pleadingly. "No, don't, Carlisle. Please don't help him hurt my baby. Sam, please, let me prove to you that he's not dangerous."
Rather than answer her, Carlisle simply injected her with the drug. It took mere seconds before her body started to relax and her eyes closed. "You can let go now, Sam. She's asleep."
I released my hold and stood up. How long will she stay that way?"
"It should be at least long enough for me to complete the procedure and get her home," he said.
I cringed. I didn't like the idea of sending her back with the leeches, but after what I was about to do, the least I could do for Bella was let her go home with the people she loved, even if I didn't understand why she did love them. "Alright, do it."
Xxxxxxxxxxx
The whole procedure took about two and a half hours. Before I knew it, Carlisle was wrapping a crying baby in a towel. "It's a girl."
I stepped forward and held my arms out. "Give it to me."
Carlisle looked hesitant for a minute, but realizing he had no choice, placed the baby in my arms.
I had to say, I was unprepared for what would happen when I held that baby in my arms. She wasn't anything like what I was expecting. For one, she was warm. I was expecting her to be cold, like every other leech. She was also pink, like any other baby would be. Then she opened her eyes and looked up at me. That was what really threw me. Her eyes were brown, like Bella's. She looked like Bella.
"What are you waiting for, Sam?" Paul asked.
Before I could answer, the baby reached her hand up and touched me. What happened shocked me so much I gasped. Suddenly there was a picture of Bella in my head without me thinking about it and a thought entered my brain immediately afterwards.
'Is she okay?'
It took me a few moments to realize that the picture and the thought came from the baby. She was worried about her mother. She loved her. She loved Bella just as much as Bella loved her.
"Sam, are you okay? What did it do to you?" Paul asked.
I ignored him and just kept staring at the child in my arms. I could no longer see this child as a monster. I looked down at the baby with Bella's eyes and the goodness in her thoughts and I knew Bella had been right. This baby was innocent. I couldn't do it, not any more than I could with Bella. I couldn't and wouldn't harm this baby.
