Chapter 9
Sacrifice
We drove for hours, switching shifts of four hours each, and sleeping in between. 36 hours later we were in Forks city limits. I stopped at a phone booth and called my father.
"Dad we're in Forks. What's going on?"
"The pack is ready. We'll meet you at the border of LaPush. Don't veer from your path. Demetrie isn't far behind."
We pulled up to the road just outside LaPush. My father, mother, Alice and Jasper were there, as well as, Seth Clearwater. I parked the car and jumped out, running to my family and we hugged in a circle. Leo followed behind me. They all shook Leo's hand, except for my mother, who hugged him.
"Thank you for keeping my daughter safe." She whispered to him.
"You're welcome." He replied surprised at her hug.
"Nessie." My father started. "Seth is going to be my ears to communicate with the pack. They are all at First Beach now. They have set up a campfire for you both. When Demetrie tracks you there, the pack will take him out. I'm sorry to say Emmett and Rose will miss this. They are still in Switzerland. Carlisle and Esme will be joining us shortly."
I turned to Seth. "Where's Jacob?" I asked curiously.
"He went out of town." Seth's answer was cryptic.
"He left town because I was coming, didn't he?"
"Yes." Seth was talking short.
"How is he Seth?"
"Fine. Excuse me." Seth seemed distracted.
I looked at him puzzled. Seth ran several feet away from us, and ducked behind a tree, and then he phased into werewolf and stood next to my father. Just then a dark grey wolf emerged from the woods. Leo was astonished by their size.
"Okay, Jared, Thanks." My Dad spoke to the dark grey wolf. "They're ready for you. Jared will escort you both to First Beach."
I gave my Dad a hug. "I'm scared, Dad."
Dad rubbed my back and hugged me back. "The pack won't let anything happen to you. I promise. Keep your mind open so I can communicate to you."
"Okay."
I almost started to cry but I held it together. Leo took me by the hand and we followed the dark grey wolf, Jared into the woods and to First Beach.
When we arrived at the beach, there was a roaring bonfire, and there were 7 of the wolf pack waiting. I guessed it was Sam, the black wolf, Paul, Quil, Embry, Collin, Brady, and Leah. They gathered around the fire waiting. I nodded and greeted each one with a pat on their heads. I introduced them to Leo, and they all acknowledged with a nod. Leo and I sat on a large piece of driftwood and waited.
"Nessie! He's coming! He found your car, and by-passed us. He's coming now!" My father yelled in my head. I leapt up from the driftwood and stared to the woods. Leo stood too, and looked at me. "What is it?"
"He's coming."
The pack quickly dispersed and stood in the shadows waiting. Leo and I looked to the woods to watch Demetrie coming. I saw his dark blur streak towards us. Leo quickly stepped in front of me. Demetrie stopped 10 feet from us, snarling and hissing through his teeth.
"At last, I've got you two. My mission will be complete. It's too bad actually, you are a lovely couple."
"You don't have to do this Demetrie." Leo spoke to him.
He hissed at Leo's words. "You dare speak to me boy? We have not even been properly introduced."
Leo stood tall in front of him. "I am Leonidis Nicolas Xanthos."
"You are Cretan, aren't you."
"Yes."
"Are you ready to die, Cretan?"
"No. Are you?" Leo took a defensive crouch in front of me. I crouched behind him. Leo's teeth were bared. Demetrie crouched, and suddenly they lunged at each other. They were tousling and I was wondering why the werewolves hadn't intervened yet. Demetrie and Leo stopped fighting and stood apart, glaring at each other. Leo was breathing heavily.
"You are quite strong for a half-ling. I have to say, I am quite may be stronger than the large one of the Cullens. Maybe I should kill the girl first." He lunged toward me, but Leo guarded me and counteracted his moves.
"You are fast too. Surprising, maybe faster than Edward. But not faster than me." He lunged again, teeth bared, and Leo pushed me out of the way and put himself in front of Demetrie's attack. Demetrie's teeth sunk into Leo's shoulder, and he yelled in pain. It was almost the same spot I had bitten him in the cave. I shrieked in horror as Leo fell to the ground, clutching his shoulder in agony. Demetrie stood over him, leering a wide grin. "You cannot defeat me, boy. Now, on to your girlfriend." He started toward me, and I fell back and guarded myself with my arms.
"No!" I screamed.
Suddenly a streak of brown fur passed over me and knocked Demetrie away. I sat up and watched a russet wolf pounce on Demetrie and inflict a killing bite to his neck. Demetrie gurgled a loud moan, and then the russet wolf howled and the whole pack came circling Demetrie's limp body. There were sounds of flesh tearing and teeth gnashing as they tore him to pieces. They placed every piece into the bonfire, and a huge purple flame shot up into the cloudy night sky. The wolf pack dispersed, and the russet wolf turned to look at me. I looked in his eyes. I was still in shock.
"Jacob?" My eyes widened as I knew it was true. He half-grinned his "wolfy" smile and nodded. Then he turned and ran into the woods. I got up looking toward the woods, not believing my eyes. I snapped out of my daze and went to Leo who was still clutching his shoulder and writhing in pain. I touched his arm and he looked at me. He gave me a half-smile in-between moaning in pain. My eyes started to well-up. He was coughing and trying to breath.
"Leo?" I was sobbing, not knowing what to do. "He got you, didn't he?" Leo nodded sadly. "Does it hurt really bad?" I sniffled.
"It burns."
I stood up, and looked around frantically for help. The black wolf, Sam was standing at the edge of the woods. I saw his glowing eyes.
"I need Carlisle. Leo is hurt." I yelled to him. The black wolf took off and I knelt beside Leo, touching his face, and kissing his cheek. My tears were falling on his face. A few minutes later, Carlisle appeared on the beach. He rushed to Leo's side and peeled his shirt back from the bite mark on his shoulder. I hissed a sound as I saw the bite. It was deep and blood was oozing into the gash. I covered my mouth and fought back the nausea that crept up my throat. I looked at Carlisle with pleading eyes. He looked back at me and shook his head. I broke down and sobbed into Leo's chest. Carlisle stroked my hair. Leo's breathing was uneven.
"I'm sorry Nessie. Demetrie's poison is lethal to your kind. He doesn't have much time."
"Isn't there anything you can do?"
"It's too late to suck out the poison. The bite is too deep. If that would even help."
Just then my father's voice appeared. "Nessie. I'm so sorry." Dad was standing beside me followed by my Mom, Alice, Jasper and Esme. Alice touched my Dad's shoulder. "Carlisle we have to be on guard. The Volturi are here." My Dad stoically said.
Then a shrilling voice appeared from nowhere. "Carlisle, Edward, my good friends."
Carlisle approached Aros as he floated towards us. "Aros, Caius, Marcos. It is good to see you again. What brings you here?"
"We will get right to the point. We are here for our tracker, Demetrie. Has he been here?"
"I'm afraid, Demetrie has met his demise."
Aros hissed at Carlisle's answer.
"He didn't complete his mission. That is why we came to find him. How did the male half-ling become injured?"
"You should know. You sent Demetrie to kill him." Edward spoke up.
"Kill him? Edward, my orders were to collect the half-lings."
"Someone else ordered to kill all the half-vampires." My father looked to the white, haired cloaked vampire.
Aros looked to Caius. "Brother Caius, was that you who gave the order?"
Caius leered at Aros. "They were an abomination. They had to be destroyed, as well as their makers. The fathers of the half-lings were annihilated as well."
"Why? We've discussed this before. You know the half-lings were not dangerous. You had no right. You went behind my back and delivered the orders to Demetrie."
"I did what was best for our kind, brother, Aros."
"You were wrong. I'm sorry, but your betrayal is unforgiving. You must pay the consequences. Marcos do you agree?"
"Yes, Aros." Marcos was nonchalant.
Caius was angered. "What consequences?"
"You are banished from Volturi. You are no longer my brother."
"No!" Caius looked in disbelief pleading to Aros.
Aros ordered his guard to surround Caius, but he avoided them and leapt over the crowd, suddenly grabbing me and Leo and flew up to the tallest cliff over looking the beach. He dropped us on the hard rocky ledge.
"Now I will finish what I have started."
Caius lunged toward me, and I heard screams from my family below, as I thought my end had come. Leo was suddenly on his feet counter attacking Caius. Everytime Caius tried to leap at me, Leo would block him. Caius snarled and growled at him, gnashing his teeth at Leo. I thought I saw him bite Leo a few times, but wasn't sure, they were moving so fast. Leo staggered slightly with each block of Caius's attacks. My family scaled the cliff and were behind Caius. He looked back at them approaching and then looked to Leo, and he attacked. Leo and Caius were struggling close to the edge. I screamed, "No!" And I watched them falling, entangled down the face of the cliff down toward the choppy water below. I leapt and reached to grab Leo, but my father caught my legs before I went over the edge. I was looking for any sign of them in the water. There was nothing. They were gone. My Leo was gone. Dad pulled me to his chest as I cried hysterically.
"He's gone, Nessie."
"No." I replied in disbelief.
"He wouldn't survive the poison, if he did survive the fall and struggle with Caius." Carlisle re-iterated the fact. "I'm sorry."
"Why? Why did this have to happen?" I sobbed. Dad picked me up and carried me back to the beach. My family followed. I buried my face in my father's chest.
Aros, Marcos and their guard were still there as we approached. My father still held me in his arms.
"That was most unfortunate. Brother Caius will be missed. Little, dear Renesmee, I am sorry for your loss." Aros touched my arm, but I did not look at him. "I see there will be great sorrow for you. He was more to you than you led on. I apologize for my brother's actions, and for Demetrie's betrayal. I hope this does not damage our relationship, Carlisle."
"You are not at fault, Aros. It is a great loss to us both."
I looked up as I heard a wolf howl in the distance. Then they filed one by one out of the woods. They approached the group of vampires and encircled us. The Volturi group was clearly frightened at the pack.
"What do they want, Edward?" Aros asked.
"They say you are on Quiluete land which is forbidden to vampires. And they have every right to attack and kill every one of you."
"We did not know. The children of the moon have rules? How is that possible?"
"They are a strict run pack."
"But your family is here."
"We are allies with the Quiluete pack. We were invited. You were not." Dad confirmed. The Volturi grouped together.
"Then we go in peace. Peace to you my friends. Edward, Bella, always a pleasure. Renesmee may your heart heal from its wounds. You will find love again."
"Go in peace, Brother Aros." Carlisle spoke.
The Volturi seemed to float away like a black carpet through the woods. I looked around at all the wolves and they howled in a song. The russet wolf was missing. I looked toward the woods. There he stood staring at me. I kept looking in his eyes. He blinked and nodded his head. He howled once then was gone in the night.
