A/N: Hiya. Been a while. Sorry. Been super busy but I got this out before the movie comes. Yay! Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far. Keep it up! You guys rock. We have Alexa's POV here and some vital scenes. I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter so let me know if it's bad or not. I hope you all enjoy and I hope all of you are ready for New Moon! Midnight showing, here I come!
Disclaimer: I own no twilight characters. Stephenie Meyer does. I do, however, own all the OC's in this story.
Even though I'm the sacrifice,
I know you won't try for me, not now.
Though I'd die to know you love me,
I'm all alone.
Isn't someone missing me?"Missing" ~ Evanescence
Luna's POV
Shooting up in bed, I put a hand to my chest and gasped for air. Another dream. Stupid nightmares had been plaguing me for the past four days, since Alexa's call. Pesky and often painful memories tend to bite you in the butt during a bad dream. There had been no action whatsoever and the entire pack was on edge, waiting for something to happen. I was tempted to call Alexa back but if there was a chance of Rafael finding out, I feared for Alexa's life.
Swinging my legs over the edge of the bed, my bare feet met cold hardwood floors. After slipping on my favorite froggy slippers, I headed downstairs to find something to calm myself. Food did that fairly well and so, I went straight for the kitchen that was dimly lit by a corner nightlight. I began digging through the cupboards for something that seemed appealing. Given how the guys were complete and total pigs, all the good stuff was gone, leaving only the second-rate snacks. I swear, I needed to keep my own hidden stash in my room. However, given how good noses were in these parts, they would quickly be discovered and devoured.
"What are you doing?" a voice asked and I jumped, hitting my head on the corner of the cupboard door.
"Ow, ow, ow," I hissed and rubbed my head ruefully, turning to stare at the man I dubbed Tutumenish. His longish black hair was tousled and his face was full of sleep, signaling that he had just woken up. Of course, he was shirtless as well. No modesty whatsoever. "What am I doing? What do you mean 'what am I doing'? Why are you even here, you loser?"
"It was late," he explained, ignoring my irritation. "Leah said I could crash on the couch and by that time, you were out for the count."
Figures. It wouldn't be the first time one of the guys slept on the couch. We tended to share living spaces along with the food. My home is your home, type of thing. It could get pretty annoying at times but you deal with it. Let me tell you, I have found the toilet seat up on a number of occasions. Men are disgusting.
"Well, go back to bed," I told Jacob. "I'm on a quest for sustenance and don't need you snooping around in my business."
I kept digging, hoping he would go away. He tended to be distracting and easily got under my skin with just a few words or actions. I peeked over at him and saw him still standing there tiredly. He wasn't looking at me, in fact, his eyes were closed as if he were deep in thought or still attempting to wake up a bit. His strong arms were folded over a firmly-muscled chest and there was no part of him that wasn't in shape. Shit. There was no denying that Jacob Black was God's Gift to Women. He knew it, too, and sometimes, I think he goes shirtless just to torment me.
I needed to stop thoughts like these. I couldn't fall for Jacob no matter what. He had an imprint and if I was stupid enough to get a crush on him, I'd be setting myself up for a broken heart. Besides, he was rude, obnoxious and a lot of other things which I don't know how to say civilly. Then again, he could also be kind, honest and friendly. Since when did I even look at guys anyways? I'd been just fine with being single so far and perfectly okay with taking my time and having fun. Jacob was going to be the end of me.
"What are you staring at?" Jacob's voice pulled me out of my thoughts.
"Your arms," I replied truthfully but then saved myself. "I was thinking about what they'd look like hanging over my door as a warning to all." Or how they would feel wrapped around me. Bad Luna! Don't think those thoughts!
"Assuming you could even take them from me, brat," Jacob rolled his eyes.
"I'm pretty fast, you know?" I told him. "I could take you out in five seconds flat." His eyes narrowed and his lips pursed. "What?"
"I'm sorry but I can't take you seriously while you're wearing frogs on your feet," he pointed and I looked down at my slippers, their heads moving as I wiggled my toes. I frowned at him and huffed.
"Don't diss the frogs," I told him. He chuckled but stopped instantly at a familiar sound. A howl from outside. I could easily recognize it as my adopted brother's. "That's Noah."
When one of your pack howls in the middle of the night, it's a message, either an SOS or a warning. Either way, it means you're under attack and my gut tightened up instantly with that thought. Had Rafael come? Would we be facing him tonight? This was bad.
"Get Leah," Jacob ordered. "Then phase." He was out the door quickly and I scrambled up the stairs to Leah's room. She was already awake and slipping on some shorts.
We ran outside into the rain and as soon as we got to the tree line, we phased, instantly joined by Quil and Seth. Once in wolf form, our minds connected with that of our brothers. Embry and Noah had been on a late patrol and had run into a vampire on the boarder of La Push and the Cullens' Territory and were in pursuit. I could feel the relief flow through the rest of the pack with the knowledge that Rafael wasn't our enemy tonight but still, this was a fight. I could see the face of the vampire in Embry's mind and didn't recognize him. It was weird to have one idiot vampire pass through the Olympic Peninsula.
'Leah, Luna,' Jacob thought to us. 'You're fastest. Don't lose him.'
'On it,' Leah answered and we streaked forward, leaving Jake, Quil and Seth behind and catching up to Embry and Noah.
'Dammit! The rain is washing out the scent too fast!' Noah snarled.
'Keep on him!' Leah called. 'Luna and I are almost there. We can get him.'
Embry and Noah pushed themselves as best they could but they were much larger than Leah...or myself for that matter. They were built for strength and power while we were built for speed and agility. We soon passed them and put our noses to work. Human drinkers hold a stronger scent than the Cullens, so it was easier to spot but as Noah said, the rain was washing it out too quickly.
'Dammit, I lost him!' Leah cursed. 'Luna? Do you still have him?'
'Naw. He's gone,' I said, slowing down with her. I started sniffing around, hoping to find the scent and catch a break. No such luck.
'Lu! Watch out!' Leah yelled but before I could react, something slammed me from the side. I yelped as I crashed into a tree and saw a vampire leaning over me, catching Leah mid-attack and throwing her into the forest nearby. Shit!
'Leah!' I would have gone to her aid but four russet legs were suddenly over me and the vampire froze, looking a little...surprised.
Both Leah and I are significantly smaller than than the guys and our alpha, tends to look a lot scarier than I do. Jake stood over me, hair bristled with razor sharp teeth, body of pure muscle and claws that could cut steel. First thing that comes to my mind when I see him, is Barguest, the demon dog.
'Somebody's in trouble...' I sang tauntingly at the vampire in my head. The vampire stopped and then looked at me with ruby-red eyes, his lips tilting upward grimly. Slowly, his hand came up and he pointed at me, ignoring Jacob's gnashing teeth. A sense of dread fell on me, as if this one gesture was a threat of the worst kind. The vampire bolted in the opposite direction and Jacob's powerful legs shot him forward to give chase with the rest of the guys.
'Lulu, you okay?' Leah limped up to me, shaking off the rest of her hit.
'Yeah,' I confirmed. 'Did you see that?' She gave a nod of her head. I stood sorely and listened patiently, feeling relieved as Embry caught the vampire's leg and the group began the usual dismemberment.
So much for that vampire.
Once we got home, Leah and Noah vanished into Leah's bedroom and I sat on the couch, drying my hair furiously with a towel. What kind of vampire points at you and smiles? Damned vamp left me a giant bruise on my shoulder as well. I snorted and looked up as Jake walked through the front door. As far as I knew, he went to go tell Sam what happened and he probably called the Cullens as well. He looked at me and of course, his eyes locked on my shoulder's purplish blue bruise that was healing steadily.
"You want some ice for that?" he asked with concern.
"No," I shook my head. "It'll be gone within the hour anyways. I'm going back to bed. Too much excitement for me in one night." I threw him the towel. "Dry your hair. You smell like wet dog." I went up the stairs slowly, still trying to understand why the vampire pointed at me and not Jacob. It didn't matter tonight. Might as well sleep on it and worry about it tomorrow.
Entering my room, I grabbed my flashlight as usual, checking my closet and then under my bed. It was a habit of mine, however ridiculous it might seem.
"Hey, Lu, are you sure-" Jacob stopped abruptly and I froze. "Did you lose something?"
"Uh, no," I scratched the back of my head nervously. "Just checking..."
"Checking for what?" Jacob questioned, one eyebrow raised. I felt a bit embarrassed but hey, there's no time to beat around the bush. My alpha is going to have to deal with my little habits and my craziness.
"Don't you ever check under your bed?" I stood up and put my flashlight on my table.
"Not since I was six," he snorted and then started to take entertainment in this. "You still believe in the Boogeyman?"
"Anything is possible is what I believe," I replied. "Remember, we used to be happy little humans with everyday lives, believing every hand we shook belonged to another human being. Phasing into a wolf one day, kind of says it all." It really did. Sometimes, I wondered, if I had looked a little bit harder at every face while human, would I have seen the hint of red eyes, pale skin and bloodthirsty desires? You never know. Maybe I would have seen something else entirely.
"Says what exactly?" Jacob cocked his head, still looking amused.
"Think about it," I hopped into bed and gave him a look. "If I can shift into a vampire-hunting wolf, then what else is out there? Monsters are real, Jakers. I'll be damned if I'm gonna be caught by one of the classics, like Mr. Boogey. Fear my flashlight, dude."
Jacob snorted and stifled his laughter.
"Whatever. You sure, you're okay?"
"Yeah," I nodded. "Good night, Jakers."
"Night, Luna." Jacob left my door open and turned off my light for me. I could hear him getting comfortable on the downstairs couch again.
I never got to sleep. My mind was racing with theories as to why one vampire would come and only one. Vampires were solitary at times, sure, but they never wandered into an area like this. The Cullens scent was everywhere, despite the rain, as was ours. Coming here is a suicide trip. His death was guaranteed the moment he stepped into the territories. But I was beginning to have a theory that involves Alexa's called but I was having a difficult time believing that Rafael would go so far.
Single vampires had long since roamed into the territory of the Cupeno wolves. Only a few were caught and actually killed. I read all the stories and knew it was the Omega before me, Yuyushea, who had actually figured out why they had come and what they were doing.
This wasn't looking good at all.
Alexa's POV
Three Hours Before the Call
Death Valley
Rafael walked firmly towards the scent of vampire while Trevor and I followed him unhappily. No one dared to speak against him for fear of receiving the wrong end of his rage. Truth was, I was terrified of him now. I missed the Alpha who actually seemed slightly friendly, who who seemed to care about the tribe. I could have never imagined that all of that was an illusion hiding the man before me. He'd become aggressive, only being gentle with Bethany. No wolf harms his imprint but all of us could see Bethany was frightened of him.
Recently, he had scent out a couple of wolves to track down Jerome DeBarbarac. We found him in one of the most unlikely places. Death Valley, California. Rafael wasn't leaving until we found him, so, here we were, in the dead of night, wandering one of the hottest places ever.
"What kind of vampire hides in Death Valley?" I whispered to Trevor, who looked uneasy. "Once the sun comes out, they'll sparkle their way into human knowledge."
"I'm guessing they only come out at night, Al," Trevor responded sourly, moving stiffly. It was a 100 degrees, Fahrenheit, and seeing how we already ran at 108, this was getting difficult. I was sweating and wishing that Rafael would just let go of Luna and stay away from Jerome. I was tempted to even leave California and get away from all of it. I was scared of what Rafael would do if I tried to leave the pack though.
"Why couldn't vampires be like the ones in the movies?" I muttered. "And burn once the sun hits them?"
"Now that's not very nice," a voice said and I squeaked, holding onto Trevor's arm for dear life.
We all turned to see Jerome DeBarbarac standing a few yards away, his hands clasped behind his back like a polite and handsome businessman. This was the same man our ancestors dealt with so long ago. Thinking of it that way, made my head hurt. His crimson orbs examined the three of us and he cocked his head.
"Where's Miss Dantes?" he asked. "I would think she'd accompany you on a trip like this to see me." I'm fairly sure she would have, too, had she been here and if it had been a hunting trip and not for a casual chat. If she'd been here, she'd already have been in wolf form and ready to kick butt. I wanted to phase so bad and carry out the natural order, but I'd be going against orders. Rafael forbade us from killing Jerome.
"That's what we came to see you about," Rafael said. He seemed perfectly comfortable within the vampire's presence. "Luna isn't with us anymore." I saw fury pass over Jerome's eyes quickly and gripped Trevor harder.
"She is dead?" his tone came out smooth and collected.
"No," Rafael shook his head. "She left the pack to go elsewhere. I thought you'd like to know where she is." Jerome regarded Rafael calmly and I wondered if he was thinking the same thing I was. Our pack had fallen far. Those before us must be rolling in their graves.
"Why?" was the question that left his lips. "I believe it was Nawishmal who told me that it was the Alpha's job to protect the pack, not hand them over to the enemy."
"Was that before or after you tried to kill her?" I spat and those eyes shot to me, making me stiffen. Jerome grinned at me.
"Before," he responded amusedly and turned back to Rafael.
"Luna is no longer pack," Rafael stated. "I see no reason to protect her."
"You want her dead," Jerome said. The guy wasn't stupid. The muscles in Rafael's jaw tightened and Trevor backed up a step with me.
"Does it matter?" Rafael's voice deepened, signaling the wolf was close to the surface.
"I suppose not," Jerome smirked, sitting down on a rock. "Where has Luna run off to?"
"La Push, Washington," Rafael answered confidently. "She's joined another pack there with Noah Montoya."
"A pack?" Jerome inquired, sounding completely bored.
"The Quileutes," Rafael nodded. "I don't know their numbers."
"Numbers are meaningless to me," Jerome said. "A simple scout will tell me of their strengths."
"And then you'll kill her?" Rafael pressed, looking like a desperate man without sanity.
"I shall kill the Omega in my own good time, Rafael Cortez," Jerome replied. "You needn't worry about that. I do thank you for giving me this information. Saves me the trouble of tracking her down." Rafael looked satisfied, and grinning to himself, he headed back the way we came. Trevor grabbed me and pulled me away from where Jerome sat.
The vampire watched us leave and within the blink of an eye, he vanished from his seat, going to who knows where.
"Trevor, this is bad," I hissed.
"Call Luna," he told me. "I'll distract Rafael." I didn't hesitate to dial the runt's number. I would never wish Jerome or Rafael on even my worst enemy. It rang twice before someone picked up.
"Uh, hello?" Luna's voice came confusedly. It was weird hearing her with that tone. Luna was rarely confused. Sometimes, it felt like she was a step ahead of everyone.
"Dantes," I said, watching Trevor speaking to Rafael ahead of me by a good distance.
"What do you want, Alexa?" she sounded wary and I didn't blame her. We were never on good terms with each other.
"Rafael's lost it," I informed her. "He's doing things that aren't natural for an Alpha."
"Yeah, so, what's your point?" she snorted, obviously not happy to hear from me.
"Look, I don't have much time, so just listen," I snapped.
"I'm listening."
"Watch your back because something bad is coming." I hung up after that and Rafael finally noticed me lagging behind.
"Alexa!" he barked. "Get your skinny ass moving!"
"O-okay," I jogged to catch up with the two and gave Trevor a thumbs up when Rafael wasn't looking.
Good luck, Luna. You're gonna need it.
A/N: So? Really long chapter...exhaustion...You wouldn't believe how many times I rewrote this. I do hope you liked it. So please review!
I don't know if any of you are Blackwater fans but if you are, I wanna know the song that reminds you of that the most. Tell me! It doesn't even have to be just Blackwater. Any couple with twilight, really. Just tell me!
Yuyushea~ Snowflower
Lots of love! Review!