Drama llama, shit goes down. A few more notes at the end. Read the chapter first. Lee-Lee
Jake and Quil and Embry stood, in identical positions, spread out across the lot, staring into the woods like we were. Hands trembling. Seth and Sandy wandered to our car, then froze with us, looking in.
"Alice?" Jake called, worriedly. She was at his side in a second. She took a breath, then hissed.
"Of course," she hissed, "I couldn't see because I was here!" She cursed in a few different languages for a minute, then there was a phone at her ear.
"Carlisle," she hissed, "Jane and Alec and Felix...and Demitri are back. With one more," she said, "I don't recognize the scent." She closed her eyes and focused hard for a moment.
"The field," she said drowsily, "They'll be at the field in twenty minutes."
"They're checking on Renesemee again," Bella despaired softly. "She's grown. They won't find anything against us. They can't!"
I turned to Nathan and kissed him furiously for one long minute.
"I love you," I whispered as we darted into the trees to phase. "Wait!" I said, eyes widening. I took my anklet off, then ran back to the car, putting it in the glovebox. Tears sprung to my eyes as the glittery little wolf disappeared into the blackness.
I stripped off my dress, folding the voluminous fabric into a small square. I left my underwear in the bush, regretting it all the way, and tied my dress to my ankle loosely. I looked at Nathan, already a wolf and standing beside me, taller than me. I kissed his nose, then burst out of my skin.
To the field, Jake ordered. I sped off, fastest, Nathan hot on my heels.
I'll scout, I offered. Nathan growled his anxious disapproval.
Then come with me, I added. We bolted off, faster, while Jake howled, sending out the call to the wolves who'd already gone home. Minutes later, we were almost at the clearing, and Paul, Jared, Colin, Brady, and Lyle, one of the newbies, were galloping after us. We were grim. Jake was pushing harder, flying towards Nessie with frantic speed.
Nathan and I arrived in the clearing first. We honed in on the nine pale figures standing there. Jacob flew past us a moment later, skidding to a stop next to the family. Nessie climbed onto his back at Bella's insistence. He was visibly and mentally less tense with Ness safe with him.
We stood.
And waited.
...And waited.
Alice frowned and rubbed her temples.
"Could all of the werewolves please move to one side? I need a minute to see."
The pack circled around Jake and Nessie. Ness reached out and touched my nose.
Hi, Lee-Lee, she said. I barked a laugh, and licked her boiling palm. She giggled.
"CRAP," Alice said loudly. We looked toward her. "They crossed your scent," she hissed towards us, "And they're gone. I can't see them. Which means they're not coming here, but they're meeting up with you at some point." I frowned. Nathan echoed through my mind in worry.
We'll be okay. But dread colored every mind.
We'll need to run patrols, Jake thought, looking at Edward.
"Of course," he replied. "But don't run in anything smaller than groups of pairs."
Jake shook his head. We wouldn't be so stupid.
Or careless, Nathan added, looking at me.
Never. He put his head on my shoulder, and I curled to him.
Nathan and I ran first, always together, our minds parallel. Jake and Embry were behind us, Seth and Sandy further around the circuit. The Clearwaters and Rowans were holding down the basic perimeter while the two boys searched along the trail they'd found. Everyone else had gone home to explain, to take care of their imprints, to prepare.
A sharper than normal scent burned through our minds from Embry and Jake. We all stopped, hair raising. Embry walked forward inexplicably, in contrast with our caution.
Embry what the hell? Seth hissed. He shook his head.
Not sure. The scent is...weird.
It smelled perfectly foul to me, but as I glanced at his mind, I caught his contrasting view. It smelled neutral to him...not exactly vamp, but still cold. We started running towards them, so we could follow up on the trail. Safety in numbers.
Embry kept walking forward, despite Jacob's protestations. We were about a quarter mile away from them when Embry finally dragged away and saw them.
They were watching. Five: the twins, the tracker, the muscle, and another. You could tell by her eyes that she was only a few months old. She and the muscle grinned at the wolves.
Our mind was suddenly and collectively whited out by the roar that filled Embry's ears. He stared at the young vampire. Stared stared.
Imprint.
Jake snarled at him. Get back, now!
Wh...why? Embry stuttered, his gaze locked on her.
I sprung into a higher gear, leaping through the woods toward them. This was bad shit. This was incredibly bad shit. Nathan ran as fast as he could behind me.
I'm not leaving you unprotected, he snarled under his breath, the vampire smell flooding his senses.
Embry was trying to phase, but Jacob grabbed his tail in his mouth and started dragging him away. Embry slashed at Jacob's face.
"Aw, how cute," the female purred, "The puppies are fighting." She giggled as the big one looped his arm around her waist.
Fuck, we hissed as one. Embry gave a more violent shudder and yanked his tail out of Jake's mouth. Jake lunged, teeth digging into his hamstring. Embry howled, but Jake was able to drag him away. I arrived, and jumped in front of the struggling pair, growling at the vampires. Their red eyes sent tremors that wracked my frame.
"They're rather savage," the girl twin said softly, "They'd be the shape-shifters." She grinned at me, and I saw her eyes sharpen before---
Lightning and agony exploded in my brain. Nathan was gone, my life didn't mean anything except pain; I saw her kill him behind my flickering eyelids, saw him expire on the moss, and I howled.
The evil girl took a step back, and she seemed almost shocked for a moment.
"I've never done that on a mortal before," she said, sounding pleased, "That worked spectacularly. He looks as though he's disintegrating."
My body wasn't listening. The hurt was gone, but the wrenching horror still stayed. I tried to focus, but the vampires swam before my eyes, and I felt the pack mind slipping away...
And I was shakily standing before the group of five, naked and terrified and in pain.
The boy twin raised his eyebrows a fraction. Demitri smiled in a sort of way that terrified me.
"Holy shit," Felix whistled, "It's a girl!"
Nathan hurtled in, planting himself in front of me, snarling and barking.
"Jane," Demitri said carelessly, "Muzzle the mutt."
A smirk twisted her face.
"Stop!" I shrieked, pushing past Nathan as her smile turned on me once again. I writhed on the dirt, but it was much more bearable, because I felt Nathan's wet nose pressing against me, heard his howl, over the roar of his death in my brain. It cut off much faster this time.
The twins wore identical puzzled looks. They didn't know how to love anything. They couldn't fathom what powerful motivation lay behind us.
Felix laughed.
Demitri was still looking at me.
The girl looked bored.
"Can't we just kill them?" she whined. Nathan stiffened, and nudged me, trying to get my to lie over his shoulder so he could run. I couldn't move. My mind was in torture, my body exhausted.
Alec rolled his eyes.
"You want to put that in your mouth?" he said, looking mildly disgusted. "Just the smell of it." He shook his head.
Demitri leered at me with a grin that said he disagreed with Alec.
A shuddering growl ripped through me. I felt the silent shimmer as someone phased to human. I didn't look; taking my eyes off of the enemy was a bad idea right now.
Embry walked forward carefully, almost in a trance.
"Hi," he breathed softly, looking at the girl. She paused, blinking crimson eyes, pursing her deathly white lips. "My name is Embry," he said, seeing her hesitation and confusion as a good sign. I walked slowly up to him, tugging his hand.
"Em," I said softly, my eyes narrowed on Demitri, "Let's go." He turned to me, heedless of the hostile vampires I watched.
"Why?" he said incredulously, "And I can't."
"You know why," I said, "And you'll see her again," I murmured, "But when we've got reinforcements so we don't get killed."
"She wouldn't," he said, star struck. His face clenched painfully for a second. "Name," he muttered. "What's your name?" he said, taking another step closer while I tried to tug him back. He was stronger, and I dragged along like a dead weight, stumbling forward to my knees.
"My name?" the girl said, dazed. The hell? Why does she look so confused? "Gianna."
"Gianna," he breathed. She smiled nervously, then glanced at Felix's sour face. Her own face fell. "Uh," she said, flustered, "What do you want...dog?" she said, hesitantly.
"She's mine, you little fucker," Felix hissed. Embry stared him down, straightening and clenching his fists. He was taller than the vampire, and he had better motivation. Embry finally took a miniscule step back. I glanced at him, wary of his mood swings.
I blushed as I glanced back at the vampires. Alec was looking at me, mildly perturbed. Demitri's eyes never left me. I blushed as I realized I was at basic cock-sucking level on Embry, and I quickly stood, grimacing. The tracker grinned again, and I snarled and phased. I stood beside Nathan, an unbroken stream of wolf-cursing sounding through my growl. Nate was a ball of rage and nerves, and I knew that if I hadn't phased within a minute, he would have torn Demitri's face off.
Embry backed away so that he was level with us. He looked at Gianna one more time.
"I'll be back," he said to her, "I promise." And he burst into a ball of fur.
We backed away, slowly, cautiously.
I'm going to kill Demitri, Nathan growled.
We're. WE'RE going to kill Demitri, I corrected him with a louder snarl. He licked my cheek.
Are you okay?
I think so. For now. I shuddered.
Jacob circled around in front of us. After we were sure they couldn't see us, we turned tail and galloped away.
Seth, Jake finally said as we neared the perimeter of La Push. Go. Get everyone. I don't care, just get them all. We have extreme hostiles who will hunt and are...difficult to overpower. Bella can shield us from the twins. If we could get Bella away from Nessie...His thought process clenched off. Leaving Nessie in any way vulnerable was impossible for him. We allowed that. Imprints came first. Rule Number Two of La Push Fight Club. (Rule One was If something is broken, a boy wolf did it.) (Ironically, Don't talk about Wolf Pack was Rule Three, as apposed to being the most important.)
I'll go with him, Embry said suddenly, I've got to ask my mom...the truth. He shuddered awkwardly. We knew what he meant. He needed some closure on the issue of who his father was. It wasn't a good time to keep secrets.
Jake nodded slowly. The two sped off. I whined worriedly. Sandy was trying not to freak out.
Run with Jake for a while, I said quietly, I need to run with Sandy. He growled.
No, he said stubbornly, Not while they're here.
Nathan, I snapped, Don't be stupid. Do you want Sandy to go to pieces? She weakly tried to protest, but I shushed her in a motherly way. I slowed as Jake sped up, and we traded places effortlessly. He blew past me. That one was a first.
Shut it, he said moodily.
I almost laughed.
Leah, Sandy, you guys have to be tired.
YOU THINK WE CAN SLEEP? we both screeched at Jacob.
Okay, so I'd ONLY be leaving Seth out here, Sandy started sarcastically.
And I'm ONLY be leaving Nathan to go home to my nice, non-safe, possibly vampire-stalked bed, I raged, shivering at the thought. Nathan gave an angry bark, and Jacob gritted his teeth.
Besides, Sandy added angrily, Leah and I are the fastest runners you have, besides you. And you need us. He couldn't argue with that one. We weren't sure if there were more Volturi guards lurking around, or only the five we'd seen. They appeared to have retreated for the time being, but it was impossible to tell if more were waiting in the wings. Embry hadn't come back from his talk with his mom yet. Seth had rallied the troops successfully, and sixteen wolves were roaming around La Push, Forks, and the Cullen property. Sandy and I were outside of Forks, Nathan and Seth (by their adamant insistence) were about a mile behind us on the circuit.
Jake was quiet, he did need us. Sandy and I were pretty much running on manic bitch energy. We hadn't slept or eaten, and we'd made too many circuits of the trail from Forks to La Push around to the mountains to around the Cullen's place and back to Forks. Our minds were in perfect synch, which is why we both froze at the same time when we smelled the vamp.
Demitri flew at us from behind a tree, Felix at his side. Seth and Nathan started burning towards us, howling and snarling madly. We turned to face them, and Felix batted Sandy aside. She whimpered as she crashed into a tree. Her ribs bent and sprung back to their normal shape, and her torn up side healed. Seth roared terrifyingly, jumping onto Felix and taking a chunk out of his arm. He hissed and swiped at Seth. I made a lunge for Felix, but Demitri grabbed me around the middle as I jumped.
His iron arms were so cold they burned, and I screamed, my claws kicking and tearing at his body, with no effect. Nathan was in the clearing but everything froze as Felix grabbed Sandy and held his teeth to her face.
"You," he snarled at me, "Turn human or it dies." Seth roared again, but the teeth just twitched closer to her throat and the roar choked off into a whimper. Nathan was growling at Demitri. I stared, wide eyed and panting.
Nathan, Nathan, I have to do it.
NO! He howled. The fangs twitched closer.
Seth couldn't form words. He was locked in place like Jacob was the night of Bella's wedding: too much heat, no way to hurt them. He looked at me, already in hell.
I did my best to calm the vibration, put a lid on the heat that frothed with the vampires so close.
Nathan, I love you.
I faded into human existence, and Demitri's arms locked across my bare stomach tighter.
"You have," Felix panted, "Four hours to get Gianna back to me. Otherwise, I kill the girl." He dropped Sandy, and we were gone. I barely heard Nathan's howl as they ran.
"NATHAN!" I screamed, before Demitri knocked me out.
Oh shit. Like seriously! Oh SHIT!
1. Gianna should sound mildly familiar. Yes, she was the receptionist for the Volturi when Bella was having her freaky meltdown in Volterra. Also, I know someone was like 'poor Embry' a few chapters ago, and I was like 'don't worry'. This is why. Even though it's not really going well for him right now.
2. YES DEMITRI IS A CREEPER. And if you say 'o m g wtf why didnt teh wulvz rip da vampz up yo?' I will say to you a.) wow, your chatspeak is utterly horrible, and b.) now what would that make the Volturi do? I'm sure they'd be pleased or something...or maybe not. Or maybe they'd just kill everyone.
So. Review.