Chapter Eleven
"Gone?" This was news to Alice, which bothered me.
"Gone." Bella replied, "Gone. As in, somebody took her. Somebody that obviously looked like me, smelled like me, but wasn't me."
"That couldn't have been Eli." I muttered, "He'd never do that."
"Maybe he did it as a joke?" Emmett offered.
"Even he has limits to what he finds funny." I shook my head a little.
"Who ever it was won't be in a single piece for long." Bella growled.
"Jack had nothing to do with this." Alice said for certain, "I was watching his every decision closely."
"Then who could it have been?" Edward asked, "We don't have many enemies."
"I'm going to go talk to Eli." Mikah growled, striding from around me.
"I'll go with you." Emmett offered, leaving Rose's side. Wordlessly, Edward volunteered as well, by stepping forward.
"All of you, be careful." Esme told them, "If you spot Cole, let them know that the situation has changed."
Jasper obviously couldn't leave. Not with Bella just beginning to calm down. The second he left, she might have exploded. I wouldn't have blamed her one bit.
"Well, if it's not Eli, what do we do?" I felt numb with worry.
"I'll look out for her." Alice offered, "As soon as someone makes a decision with her, I'll see the change."
"There was no scent trail to follow." Carlisle sighed, "We looked."
"They just disappeared?" I asked, finally stepping off the bottom stair, heading into the room.
"Completely vanished." Carlisle replied, and I sighed, "There wasn't even a direction to start looking."
"They could be anywhere." I murmured, shaking my head. With an even heavier sigh, Bella sat down. I couldn't imagine how she must be feeling.
What was I supposed to say? Should I apologize? Should I tell her that Ness would be okay? None of us knew that. Alice said it wasn't Jack that took her. If Jack had been the one to take her, we could easily bet she wouldn't be fine, but we had no idea if whoever had her now would take care of her.
I honestly didn't know what to say. I was at a loss for words.
"Can't you see anything?" Bella asked, looking to Alice, "Anything at all?"
"I know she's inside somewhere." She replied, "That's what makes this so difficult. I don't recognize anything about where she is."
"Can you tell if she's okay?"
"Right now, I know she's okay." Alice nodded a little, "But I can't tell you how long that'll last." I winced. Too much information, Alice. She really should have just stopped at 'she's okay'.
Though anyone with half a brain cell could put together how dangerous this situation was.
I reached out and grabbed Alice's arm, tugging her from the room.
"Ow." She muttered, "Ease up."
"Sorry." I replied, turning to face her, "You know more than you're letting on."
"She's alone." She shook her head, "I don't know who I'm looking for. It's obvious that it's not Jack, but I don't know who made the decision."
"What's it look like around her?"
"Dark." She replied, "She's inside a building. Warehouse maybe? That could be anywhere. That could be Port Angeles, anywhere in California, Oregon?"
"Shit." I sighed, "We can't search every warehouse in the country."
"That's even if she's still in the country." Alice murmured, "I don't know where she is."
A thought suddenly crossed my mind, and I jumped a little, excited, "Darren."
"What about him?"
"If it's not Eli, look for Darren." I said, and her eyes brightened a little in understanding, "He can copy anyone's ability, remember?"
"Can he keep their ability?" She asked, "Because I'm pretty sure Eli would have told us if Darren had been around him."
"Worth a try." I replied, "It makes sense. Darren has always been on Jack's side, and the disappearing scent? Jack has someone in his coven that can do that. Eli can't mask someone else's scent. Only his own, but someone else can. They can make a fresh trail seem days old. I remember that part. Maybe they've gotten good enough to cover it completely?"
"Good job, Leandra." Alice nodded, agreeing completely, "I'll keep Darren in mind, too."
Before we could even fully get back into the living room, she was seeing something. Given the way she stopped walking, looking downward, and the way Jasper moved to her side. I turned, looking to her, waiting as impatiently as Bella was beside me.
"Well?" Bella asked before Alice had even looked up for a second.
"Jack just found out about her." Alice murmured, "He's not happy."
"Who took her?" Bella asked.
"It wasn't Eli." Alice replied, looking to me, "It was Darren."
"Fuck." I growled, turning. Darren. The leader of the coven of followers we told to leave after Jasper had to kill one of those members for tormenting me.
"He must have some sort of.. Memory? When it comes to gifts?" Alice murmured, shaking her head, "The point is, Ness is fine. Jack has absolutely no intentions of hurting her yet."
"Yet?" I gasped.
"Did you see anything about where she is?" Bella asked anxiously, "We could go get her."
"No." Alice sighed, shaking her head, "She's still in the same place."
"What did Darren want?" I asked, "Why did he take her at all?"
"He saw an opportunity to get on Jack's good side." Alice replied, "And he took it, but Jack's more pissed at him than pleased." She sighed, "He's.. Right now, Jack is undecided about what to do about her. Killing her, or dropping her somewhere are the two options he's considering."
That was too much for Bella. She rounded, leaving the house. I watched after her. This couldn't have been easy on her. Jasper immediately followed her.
"Keep her around." Carlisle instructed him as he passed by, "Don't let her leave the area. We're going to get her back." He sighed, "I'm going to find Edward and the others. Hopefully they haven't done any permanent harm to Eli."
Esme moved to my side, and I hugged her. I knew she was probably worried sick. For once, it wasn't me I had to worry about. It wasn't me in trouble.
"Jack was headed west." I brought up, "Any chance she could be over there?"
"It's a possibility." Alice shrugged, "But I don't trust going over there right now. Not during the day, and definitely not all of us. The problem is, Jack isn't anywhere near her with no plans on going to her soon. That's both a good thing, and a bad thing. Bad, because without him deciding to go to her, I can't follow."
"And Darren?"
"He's already with her. Just in another room." She sighed, shaking her head.
"I hate this." I growled, "If I had my ability, I'd know everything there was to know."
"So work on it." Alice replied firmly, "I know you can."
"What?" I asked, "Now?"
"Now." She confirmed, "Just focus. That's all you really have to do."
"I'm not that good at-"
"Stop giving excuses." She replied, "You wouldn't still have it if you weren't meant to work on it. So work on it. Focus everything you have on Jack or Darren. Every thought, every sense."
I sighed, and turned, sitting down. The room fell silent as I forced my thoughts in one single direction. I hated thinking this direction, as I usually avoided thinking about Jack, but I needed to help Alice find Ness.
I tried for several silent minutes, but nothing happened.
"It's not working." I finally sighed, shaking my head.
"Stop doubting yourself." She countered, "Come on. Focus."
"I'm trying." I muttered, "Maybe I don't have it anymore."
"Stop doubting yourself." She repeated.
"I'm not doubting myself." I replied, "I'm being realistic."
"It's there." She told me, "I know it's there."
I shook my head again, standing up. She was about to continue speaking, but our attention was taken by someone outside. No one I recognized, so I tensed in response.
This new visitor was a smaller female. About my size, but clearly a year or two physically older. She stood there, smiling a little. As far as I could tell, she was alone. Very stupid move.
"Who the hell is that?" I asked, looking to Esme as she moved forward. She stepped outside, followed by all of us left here. I had no idea where Jasper and Bella were, so it was just us three.
"May I help you?" Esme asked the smaller female across from us.
"I hear someone's gone missing." She murmured, "I'm sure you've noticed by now?" She wasn't here to help. I knew that immediately, moving closer to Esme's side.
"We have." Esme replied, "I don't suppose there's any way for you to help us find her?"
"Sorry." She smiled, "I'm only here to confirm. Where are the rest of you? Darren said there were more."
"Where the hell is she?" I demanded, and she looked to me.
"That's not very nice." She frowned a little, "You'll never find her with that attitude."
"Leandra." Esme attempted to ease me.
"This is my family you're fucking with, and I really don't appreciate it." I snapped in the female's direction, "Now where the fuck is my niece?"
"Well, I'm sorry, but I can't tell you that." She replied, "And from what I can tell, you'd better start looking." Her laugh was really what sealed it. I flew at her before I could think, and before anyone could stop me.
I grabbed her by the hair, pinning her back against a tree. She scrambled viciously, trying to get loose. Esme and Alice, shocked, stood back. I gripped her hair tighter, and spun her around to face the tree. Slamming her face against it.
"Whoa." Jasper had returned, "What the hell?"
I ignored him, holding her tighter, but she managed to slip free and turn back around to face me. She reached out to grab me, but I dodged it, barely managing another grip on her hair. Squeaks, squeals, growls and grunts left both of us, so I could see why they were reluctant to step in.
"Should we stop them?" Esme asked.
"Do you want to lose a limb?" Jasper asked in return.
She grabbed my hair as well, but I shook her off, and pinned her again. Slamming my fist into her face. She was doing nothing with the slaps she did manage, until she did get a good hold of my hair, pulling me forward. Throwing me off, and slipping free. I was on my back before I could even realize what was happening, but I'd held on. Pulling her down with me.
Wrestling with her, yanking her violently to the side, and breaking her grip at the same time. She tried to scramble up, to run, but I held on. She wasn't stronger than me, and that gave me confidence. Both on our knees now, both trying to get the other back to the ground. Dirt was kicked up, flying everywhere.
I wasn't giving up. She attempted to bite me, but I managed to escape that. She wanted to bite? She changed the rules.
I leaned down, and bit her arm above the elbow. She howled in pain, but I was only biting to cause pain. Not tear her arm off. Not yet.
"Get off of me, you crazy bitch!" She screeched, but I paid no attention to that. Whipping her around, and wrestling her back to the ground. I rolled her onto her stomach, perching on her back and twisting her arm behind her. Threatening to tear it off with each struggle she gave.
"If you want to walk away with four limbs, bitch, you better start talking!" I pinned her roughly, "Where is she?"
"Fuck you!" She snarled back at me, but I only twisted harder. Right as I began to hear the sound of stone beginning to tear, she spoke up, "Warehouse! Portland!"
"Where?" I growled down at her, jerking her head back by her hair. She quickly gave an address. I held her there for a moment longer, "Are you prepared to beg for your life?"
"Yes." That sounded an awful lot like a sob.
I looked up at Alice.
"Kill her, or let her go?" I demanded. She seemed lost when I suddenly put her on the spot like that, "Alice?" When she still didn't answer, I growled, half a second from ripping her arm off anyway.
"Stop." Alice told me, and I looked up.
"I can't keep her pinned forever, Alice." I replied sharply, "What do I do?"
"If you kill her, that'll just make things a whole lot worse for Ness." She spoke quickly.
"Well, I can't just let her go." I countered, "For all we know, she'll run off to tell Jack."
"He already knows." Alice sighed, "He's already moving her."
"Where would he take her?" I demanded, shaking the bitch under me again.
"I don't know." She replied, "I swear, I don't know."
"You better start thinking really hard!" I snapped, "I'm done playing around!"
"Leandra." I looked back up at Carlisle's voice. He'd returned with Edward and Mikah in tow.
"Get her off of me!" She cried under me, "Please-"
"Shut up!" I slammed her face against the ground, "You don't talk to them. Time's almost up, bitch. Where is she being taken?"
"I don't know!" She squealed.
"Bullshit!"
"She doesn't know." Edward stepped forward.
"Then she's pretty fucking useless, isn't she?" I snapped his direction, "I know I won't miss her!"
"Leandra, stop." Mikah's voice had me looking to him, "Stop it. Come on. This isn't like you."
"I'm not just letting her go." I growled, glaring heatedly at him, "She's our best chance."
"Let her go." Carlisle stepped forward, standing beside Edward, "She doesn't know."
"I don't buy it." I replied, "If she wants to keep her head, she needs to start thinking really hard about where-"
"I don't know!" She repeated, "I told you everything I know!"
"Shut up!" I repeated as well, "I swear to God if you lie to me one more time, bitch, I will shut you up permanently." She gave a desperate struggle, but I just held her tighter.
"Do you really think Jack would tell me everything?" She demanded, "Think about it!"
"Leandra, let her go." Edward took another step toward me, "She doesn't-"
"I think I know Jack better than you do." I muttered down at her through clenched teeth, "He wouldn't send you here to rub it in if you didn't know where to meet up with him afterwards." She didn't say anything to that. Her sudden increased tension told me I was on the right track.
"Leandra." Edward repeated firmly.
"Shut up!" I snapped at him, "I can't believe you're arguing for this stupid fucking bitch! Do you even want to find your daughter?"
"She doesn't know."
"Well then. Let's see if I can jog her memory." I growled, taking hold of her pinky finger. Promptly ripping it from her hand. She gave a violent twist, her howls of pain increasing. Kicking and scratching with her free arm, but she couldn't get a good hold of me. I held on, growling with the effort to keep her down.
"Leandra." Jasper barked, and I glared up at him next, "Stop it. Now."
"You're too damn soft." I replied sharply. I took another finger, but before I could rip that off too, I was startled.
"She doesn't have any more information!" Edward's tone startled me. I was startled enough for her to slip free, and buck me off her back. I hit the ground, and she was already up. She didn't even try to stick around to get even with me. She was just gone.
"Goddammit!" I pushed myself up. I attempted to follow her, but I was held back. Firmly gripped by both Jasper and Edward. No amount of fighting would get me loose.
"Now look what you did!" I snarled, rounding on them.
"Torturing someone isn't the answer." Edward told me as I pushed passed them, and strode back toward the house.
"You obviously don't want to find your daughter very badly." I snapped bitterly, "I can guarantee that she has more information than she was letting on. Being a mind-reader does not make you fool-proof."
Edward countered, "And being raised and trained by Jack does not mean you know him better than any one of us."
"Excuse me?" I spun on the spot.
"Guys.." Alice murmured, trying to calm us down.
"Don't pretend to understand a goddamn thing about what I went through!"
"Yes," Edward snapped in return, "What you went through. Went through. That's a joke. You're still going through it."
"Fuck you." I growled.
"Guys." Mikah tried now, his tone calm, "Cool it, okay? Come on. This isn't helping anyone."
Edward continued, "Until you face it, there's no way you're moving passed it."
"I have faced it." I replied, my voice trembling in my anger, "You wouldn't know a fucking thing about it, Edward. What kind of life did you have growing up?"
"What does that have to do-"
"It has everything to do with it!" I snarled, my voice echoing around me, "You're the one that decided to poke at how I was brought up. You're the one that turned to this subject. You're such an expert at horrible human lives, right? Tell me, oh fucking wise one. What should I be doing differently, that I haven't already tried? Why don't you stick to what you're good at? And please, for fuck's sake, spare me the arrogant, hypocritical bullshit!"
"How is pointing out the obvious hypocritical?" Edward asked, crossing his arms.
"Because believe it or not, you don't know everything about every single person that ever walked the face of the goddamn planet." I replied, "Giving advice where no advice was wanted, and implying relentlessly that just because some of us have had a little bit of a rougher start than you, we're automatically troubled. Just because you can hear what goes through my head, without even stopping to look at yourself. Would you prefer I use a different word, or does 'hypocrisy' cover it?"
"Do you even realize what you were doing just now?" He demanded now, increasing my own tension, "Do you?"
"I was trying to get some fucking answers." I answered, "Because it seems to me that I'm the only one willing to do whatever it takes to get Ness back home. Which is pretty damn sad, considering you're her father. You're supposed to be going that extra mile. It shouldn't matter to you what has to be done to get her back.
"Instead, you just let our only lead go because you're too fucking scared to watch someone else get their hands dirty with the job you should be doing! It's no fucking wonder nobody found me in that basement sooner! Because nobody, not one person here was willing to do what had to be done to get the answer they needed!"
"Leandra." Esme's firm tone had me taking a breath in.
"Don't worry." I snapped, my eyes still on Edward, "I'm about done. You want to play it safe? Let's see how long that keeps your daughter alive. If what I went through is any indication, she's going to need all the strength she has. You might be too scared, but I'm not giving up. I'll get her back for you."
I rounded on the spot, heading for the house.
"Leandra?" Edward called after me, "May I finish what I was saying?"
"Go fuck yourself, Edward." I growled over my shoulder. He didn't try again.
I made it upstairs into my room. The best chance I had at calming down was in my room. Anywhere else wouldn't have worked. Before I could slam the door behind myself, Mikah caught it and pushed his way in.
"Are you going to start in on me too?" I snapped, rounding to face him, "Let me know how horrible of a person I am? Well, excuse me for trying to do what was needed!"
"Easy." He murmured, shaking his head, "Come here." I took a breath, shaking my head as well but accepting his hug nonetheless.
"Tension is high." Mikah told me, "Everyone is on edge, but I don't think you realize what you were doing. You would have kept going. Do you remember Candace?"
"The name rings a bell." I muttered bitterly, stepping back.
"She was the member of Cole's coven Jack chose as an example." Mikah explained, "He pulled her apart. Little pieces at a time, just like what you would have done."
I was silent for a moment in surprise.
"What I was doing was completely different." I murmured.
"I know." He said, "You had a reason, but the others aren't seeing it that way."
I looked down in thought, sighing heavily.
"Can you go talk to them?" I asked, "Please? I need to stay up here. Out of trouble."
"Of course." He sighed, kissing my forehead. He left, and I sat down on the bed with a sigh. I didn't know why I bothered to sit down. It didn't bring any sort of relief to me. It was just the same as standing. Old habit, probably.
I was still tense, wound up. What could I be doing to find Ness? What more could I be doing to keep her from knowing what kind of person Jack could be? I knew where she had been just moments ago. The only thing I could think of was tracking her from there.
I stood back up, suddenly wondering. Would Alice see any of my decisions if she was watching so close for Jack and Darren's?
If they didn't want to go, I'd go. I'd go, and I'd bring her back. None of this passive-aggressive bullshit. I wasn't going to just sit back and hope an answer fell from the sky. It didn't matter to me that I had actually no idea what I was doing when it came to tracking somebody. I turned for the window, sliding it open effortlessly. Down in the backyard, there was nobody waiting for me.
I'd go, and I'd bring her back.
I dropped from the window, landing perfectly silently. Before I was even fully settled on the ground, I started my run. I didn't know what I would do when I reached Portland, considering I had no idea where that address was, but I would try.
West, then south. It took me longer than needed, because I had to skip the large cities, but I knew I couldn't allow myself to breathe anywhere near the populated areas. I needed to breathe, to smell for my family. No doubt they knew by now I was gone.
Getting to Portland without being seen, or killing someone was going to be difficult. Considering the area was very populated. Even with holding my breath, it was getting to me. Even holding my breath, I could still almost smell the scents so close. So close.
Cars, houses, buildings. Places, all places where humans were. So many humans. One or two wouldn't be missed, would they? I shoved that thought from my mind. I had a goal in mind. I couldn't fuck it up, or let myself get distracted.
However, how was I supposed to find her if I couldn't smell for her scent? How was I supposed to find her if I couldn't concentrate?
I stopped in the closest almost unpoplated area near Portland. Hiding in some trees and foliage from the spotty sunlight. Was I really strong enough to resist? Should I wait here until tonight? That was too much time. Hours between now and nightfall.
I'd have to go now. I'd have to be careful, and quick. How was that even possible? I'd just have to do it.
I took one more breath of clean air, and started forward. Quickly, as quickly as I could, I crossed the major highway outside Portland, headed straight for the city center. Over streets, intersections, dodging cars and people. Nobody even seemed to notice me. I was moving too quickly for them to really see me. All the while searching street signs, and building numbers.
Shit, shit, shit. The heartbeats all around me were driving me insane. Even without breathing. This had to be one of the hardest things I'd ever done as a vampire. There was no way I was going to make it out of here without killing at least one person.
I stopped in the darkest part of an alley, just to look around myself for a moment. I'd never really been in Portland before, so I had no idea which way was which. Warehouse. I needed warehouses. I needed to see.
I pulled myself up the side of a building, I crossed the rooftop. Carefully making sure nobody could see me where I was. Hidden in the shadow between two rooftop air conditioning units, I crouched. Looking around for anything that might have resembled a warehouse.
Five streets up, I caught the sight of a street sign that looked awfully familiar. I immediately took off. Across the top of the building I was on, leaping easily to the next.
Quickly, I told myself. Hurry up, hurry up! Faster.
Luckily, there was only one warehouse on the entire block. It was huge. Boarded up windows, easily identifiable as run-down. Dusty, more mold than I'd ever encountered in my life. I slammed through one of the windows on the upper floor, and darted across the dusty, barren floor. Down the six flights of stairs to the ground level. No human had set foot in this place in a good long while.
I could easily smell that this was the place. She'd been here, but she definitely wasn't here now.
"Fuck!" I shouted, kicking a fallen brick through the remnants of a window. A breeze blew through the window, kicking up the dust on the floor.
I suddenly knew then. They were coming to find me. I had to move, and move quickly. I dove out the window, thinking the entire time. I hated how Alice could spy on me with each decision I made. Though it didn't take a genius to figure out where I'd go, it still bugged me.
I scooted up the side of the building next door, perching on the roof. Thinking hard, focusing all I had on where Jack might take her. It only then occurred to me.
Alice said they were moving her. That meant she already knew where Ness was. She could see the decision, so she knew where she was being taken. Why didn't she say that? The only reason she wouldn't bring that up was if she was trying to keep it from me. That wouldn't make any sense, unless she was trying to keep from upsetting me.
Seattle.
Fuck!
I rounded, heading back across the city. Straight shot north. Not caring anymore if anyone saw me. Pushing, tearing forward as fast as I could. Over buildings, from one to the next. If Ness was hurt when I got there, I was going to go ballistic.
I had to have made it in record time. This was even more dangerous, however. Coming from the south, there were many other places I had to get through to get to where I needed to be. Many large cities surrounded Seattle. So closely packed, it was pretty much like one alarmingly huge city.
Could I remember where exactly the house was? Did I even want to go there?
Before I could even get close to Seattle, or even the furthest city from it, I was tackled inside the woods. Pounced on from the side by someone very heavy. Another helping the one on me to haul me to my feet.
"Dammit, Emmett!" I shouted, pissed beyond belief. Glaring over at him to my right.
"The others will be here in a minute." I growled at Edward's voice to my left, "You're lucky Alice saw you coming this way."
"You're lucky Emmett caught me off guard." I snapped, "What the hell are you even doing here?"
"Leandra, that place is packed." He replied, "I'm not letting you just run in there like a raging bull."
"Why not?" I muttered, yanking my arm from Emmett's grip. Shoving Edward away from me. I wasn't going to run, but I definitely hated being restrained.
"Because that would be unspeakably idiotic." Edward replied. I heard the others approaching. They really weren't that far behind me.
"I could distract them." I told him, "While the rest of you go in."
"You wouldn't last five seconds."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence."
"I'm being realistic." He snapped, "Charging in there would be pretty much suicide." I rolled my eyes and looked off in the direction of Seattle. Still wondering how I was going to make it. Edward spoke up again, "And a few more things. Don't you ever question what I'm willing to do for my daughter, and don't you ever question what this family is willing to do for you. You clearly have no idea what you're talking about when it comes to either one."
"Yeah, well-"
"Just because I never resorted to torturing someone who clearly had no answers to what you were asking her, knowing we'd eventually get the answer we were looking for if we were only a little patient, does not mean I won't go to the ends of the Earth for her.
"Brute strength and torturing someone when it's very obviously not needed will not solve all your problems, Leandra. The sooner you learn that, the better off you will be."
"Back off." I snapped.
He took the warning, turning and pacing a few steps away. It didn't take more than a few seconds longer before the others reached us. Jasper immediately strode forward, taking my chin in his hand and turning my head up. Studying my eyes.
"How many?" He demanded.
"How many what?" I asked.
"Humans." He clarified, "How many did you have?"
"None." I muttered, jerking my head back.
"Not one." Edward actually stuck up for me, "She was entirely focused on Ness the whole time. We caught her right here, before she could get to Seattle."
I turned to Alice, "Why didn't you say anything before?"
"Leandra, I don't want you going there." She replied firmly, "There's a reason I didn't tell you where she was being taken. I don't want you there."
"Well, I gathered that part." I snapped sarcastically, "You still could have told me, and saved me from having to go almost two hundred miles the wrong direction."
"None of us asked you to leave." Alice reminded me, "Not only was that dangerous, it was reckless. Do you know what kind of trouble you could have been in if Emmett hadn't been here?"
"I don't care." I countered sharply, "I'm not just sitting back-"
"Do you care," Edward shut me up momentarily, "That we'd probably have to figure out a way to rescue you as well? Had you gone in like that, the only result would be you being captured along with Ness. Or killed immediately because you are a threat."
"You know what?" I growled, "I'm not talking to you, so shut the fuck up."
"Watch your language." Esme briefly took my attention.
"You're only proving my point, Leandra." Edward continued.
"Yeah?" I asked, "And what point is that?"
"Do not answer that." Alice told him firmly.
"Both of you, stop it." Carlisle put an end to the arguing. I shut up, and Edward shut up, "If you want to sort this out, do it later. Right now, I need everyone focused on one goal, and the bickering between you two is not helping. Am I clear?"
"Crystal." I muttered, looking down. I took a breath, attempting to calm down.
"Mikah," Carlisle spoke up again, "Take her home."
"What?" I immediately looked back up at him, "No way-"
"Leandra." Carlisle murmured, "Please. Don't argue with me."
"Why?" I asked, "Why can't I help?"
"Because you don't help." He replied, the stress in his voice making his tone seem sharp. I fell quiet, "You don't follow. You want to lead. You want to go off on your own. Until you can learn to follow our rules and our guidance, you're only a liability. You're a risk to the personal safety of everyone here. A risk that I'm not willing to take.
"Further more, your thirst will only make this exceptionally harder. We cannot afford the supervision you'd require. Not if we're going to do our very best to remain undetected and unharmed. I'm afraid that right now, you'd only get in the way. I'd prefer having the peace of mind, knowing you were back home and safe."
I stayed quiet, giving a look around. Everyone seemed to agree with him. Nobody saying a word in argument.
"But.." I murmured, "I can help. I know I can help. I wouldn't get in the way. I promise."
"Just do this one thing." Carlisle sighed, "Go home, Leandra, and stay there. Wait for us. Please."
Slowly, Mikah moved forward and took my arm lightly in his hand.
"Don't bother." I muttered, yanking my arm from his hand, "You stay, Mikah. They'll need you." I turned. Walking back toward home.
"Leandra." Mikah called after me.
"I'm going straight home." I snapped over my shoulder, "Ask them." I knew he knew who I was talking about, "I made it this far on my own, didn't I? I'm not a damn baby." He sighed, but let it drop.
I did make a pit stop, however. The house in Forks.
Alice couldn't complain. I was safer here than I would be in Denali, with the wolves probably pacing this area. I could understand why Jacob wasn't there helping everyone else. People would probably panic if they suddenly saw giant wolves roaming downtown Seattle. They couldn't protect themselves while phased human.
I knew I was watched the second I stopped in the yard, but given my scent, they knew I belonged here.
I had to admit. I missed this place. This was my home, and I hated having to leave it. From the moment I first saw it again as a nine-year-old, it always had been.
To my surprise, the front door was unlocked. I stepped inside, letting the door close behind me. I looked up and around, sighing. I so suddenly ached for the way things used to be. When there really wasn't so much to think about. When there really wasn't so much to learn. This constant struggle, the constant need to know everything about myself, and never knowing the right way to react to things was getting to me.
I missed how easy it used to be. Sure, I had less to worry about like this, but did I really want to trade everything I had ahead of me for my strength? I had the option to grow up before I was turned. To get older, to keep moving forward. That was gone now, and what good was having this new strength if I had to give up my possibilities?
It felt like each step I took forward, every new thing I learned, I stayed right where I was before. Like there was no progress, no reason to keep trying. What good was having this new strength if my family couldn't rely on me?
I missed what I had before. I missed my family. I missed my past, strangely enough. I was closer to them now than I'd been before, but it surprised me to realize that I'd trade everything I had now to feel the safety and protection I'd felt with them before. The love, the sense of family, it was all gone now. It had changed. They said it was still the same, but I could see it. The difference. The way things had changed.
It didn't feel anything like a family anymore. It felt like a job. An obligation to those of the coven I belonged to. I missed the sense of protection, the sense of safety they gave to me when I was younger. I missed the way I knew they'd be there.
I missed my father, and my mother. The comfort I found in them. The calm, patient way Carlisle would explain something I just couldn't understand. I missed the way Esme would talk to me about anything that was bothering me. I missed allowing myself to talk about things. I missed the role they filled before, instead of just being my coven leaders now.
I missed my brothers, my sisters. I missed the way Emmett would pick on me, and me not lose my temper. I missed the simple times, the less complicated problems. My past was anything but easy, but it made it so much easier back when I knew I'd have their support, instead of just expected to be okay.
I missed the way it used to be. The trouble, the normal trouble I'd get into. I missed my room, I missed sleeping. I missed the normal things. I missed being raised, instead of being trained or taught. I missed the feeling I'd get when I'd finally understand something.
It wasn't like that anymore, and it was hurting me to lose that. Maybe that was why I turned on them earlier. Maybe that's why I fought this from the beginning. I knew I'd feel like this, like I lost something. Like I traded all I had for something of much lesser value, and that bothered me. I was doing better, but that wasn't my choice.
Most of all, I missed crying. I had always hated it when I had to cry, but it always told them how I felt. It told them how badly I was hurting. Now, I couldn't express anything without either going too far with it, or seeming like I'm overreacting.
It wasn't fair.
I ascended the stairs, headed right for my room. I stepped in, and crossed the room to my bed. I laid down, curling up on my bed, just like I used to. Squeezing my eyes shut, praying to wake up. Back before everything changed. Back before I turned into this.
"Please.." I whispered to the room, "Make this stop. Take it back."
I laid there for several minutes, just waiting to wake up, but I knew I couldn't sit still for long. Sitting here on my own, it wasn't how it should be. They weren't my family anymore, but they held every bit of my loyalty.
I suddenly sat back up, shaking my head. I had to go back to them. I shouldn't be here.
I left the house much faster than I had entered it, closing the door behind myself. Racing through the trees, ignoring the burn caused by the scent of humans so close, I pushed faster.
They'd probably already moved on, moved closer to the house. Six minutes from downtown Seattle. I somehow recalled the address perfectly, and I knew right where they were. I knew right where I was going.
Something had gone wrong. They'd been caught. While I was stuck in my self-pity, something had happened. Well, since when did I ever listen to what Carlisle told me? Stay there? He was dreaming.
I made it to the house without hardly a thought toward the humans around, which was a feat in itself, but coming here was a whole other story. Hiding between the side of the garage and the tall hedges against the chain-link fence, hesitating. I could easily smell how many were inside, and it intimidated me. It scared me. It made me want to run, but I couldn't. Not knowing who else was inside.
I couldn't tell, though, exactly where my family was inside the house. I knew they were inside, as I could smell their scent among all of the others, but I couldn't tell where.
Listening close, I could hear Jack's voice. He was speaking to someone, but I'd missed the beginning of his little speech. He sounded farther away. Muffled by distance, multiple rooms away from where I crouched.
"Because, you see," He was saying, "It's not you I'm looking for, but you know that."
Silence for several seconds.
"Where is she, Carlisle?" Jack seemed more patient now. He didn't know I was here? I must have been quieter than I thought. He was talking to Carlisle, but where were the others?
And dammit, where the hell was Cole? Eli? Weren't they supposed to be helping to prevent this damn outcome? Useless. The whole lot of them.
Given how many scents were coming from inside the house, though, they wouldn't have made a difference. I had to admit that. They would have just played fodder.
I looked around. There was no way into the basement from the outside. I remembered that much, but maybe there was a window unattended? How was I going to get inside?
"Would you really rather trade the life of your entire family than give her up?" Jack asked, catching my full attention.
Hell no. He was not going to force Carlisle into that sort of situation. I wasn't going to let him.
I rounded the house immediately, shoving through the front door. I'd obviously startled the five in the front room, given the way two of them immediately reacted, pouncing on me. I hit the floor hard, biting my lip in pain, but holding back the growl I felt trying to escape.
"Jack." I called from the floor. I could hear him move, and his chuckle made me mad.
Ahead of me, he arrived in the kitchen, and I knew he'd been in the basement. The basement where my life changed forever, where I nearly lost my life and who I was. This was cruel. Even for him.
"Oh, look who it is." Jack strode forward, "Just the newborn I was looking for." The two pinning me moved, and I immediately darted to my feet, but Jack caught me. His hand painfully twisted in my hair, my arm twisted behind my back. Pushing me forward, and steering me toward kitchen and the door I remembered so clearly, "We've been waiting for you. Come on."
The six in the kitchen parted, allowing Jack through.
I resisted briefly, my fear beginning to choke me. Despite my anger, I couldn't help remembering clearly the worst two weeks of my entire life. Every second spent in this basement worse than the last.
He forced me forward, and as much as I wanted to kill him, I couldn't. Not being held the way I was. He shoved me through the door, darkness making my eyes work harder to see.
"From the moment I started planning how to get back at you," Jack muttered conversationally as he forced me down the stairs, "I always knew this would be the perfect place to bring you. Lucky me, you came to me. You just made my whole day, you little bitch."
Giving a quick glance around, I noted that every single one of my family stood down here now. Carlisle, beside Esme and Mikah to Esme's right. They stood closest to the stairs. Emmett, Rose and Alice all stood off to the side near the sink. Jasper standing beside Alice. Edward and Bella against the opposite wall, Ness hidden behind them.
"It's a reunion." Jack chuckled, "I didn't change a thing. Can't you tell?" I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block out the overwhelming panic I recalled so clearly. He sighed, "I'll leave you here for a little while before we begin. Just like I told them. If you cause any damage to the structure of the basement, or attempt to open that door, the consequences will be severe. Use your imagination. Get it?"
Meaning, no knocking down any walls or tunneling out. I nodded as much as I could.
"Good." He sighed, shoving me forward. He retreated up the stairs before I even caught my balance. I was more tense than I ever remembered being, giving a look around. Even though I could see perfectly, the darkness made me feel claustrophobic again.
My eyes found the dark stain in the cement floor, knowing exactly what that was caused by. The mattress against the wall across the room. Bare as the day I left it. The dark stains on it, my blood all over it. It was still there.
"Leandra." Alice spoke up.
"No," I muttered, "I can't be in here. I can't be in here." I backed up, feeling very cornered.
"Leandra," Alice tried again, "Why did you come back?"
No doubt she was trying to distract me. I couldn't answer her yet. I didn't know I could feel panic in this life, but I certainly could. With a memory as vivid as this, it was very difficult not to panic, and just like with every other emotion, it was ten times as intense as I ever remembered feeling before.
I was ready to start tearing down some walls, or start burrowing up through the floor. My fearful expression had to give away how I felt.
To my surprise, it was Esme that stepped forward. She was the only one brave enough to approach me, but I backed up. I didn't trust myself not to hurt anyone too close to me while I felt like this, and despite how I felt Jasper trying to help, I could feel myself resisting. I needed to get out of here. I couldn't be here.
"She's freaking out." Emmett spoke up, looking to Jasper, "Can't you do something?"
"I'm trying." He replied, "It might take some time."
"I can't blame her." Rosalie muttered, giving a glance around, "I really can't."
I backed up, my back hitting the wall at the foot of the stairs. My fingers digging into the brick behind me.
"Leandra, don't." Alice moved forward as well, but I couldn't retreat anymore, "Calm down. Answer me. Why did you come back?"
"I had to." I finally answered, "I knew something was wrong, so I came back. I knew where you were." I took a breath, forcing myself to speak again, "Is she okay?"
"Ness?" Alice asked and I nodded, "She's fine."
"I'm fine." She stepped forward, and I looked to her, "See?" I did see. Completely unscathed. She didn't have a scratch on her. Surprisingly, that helped calm me down a little more. To see she was fine eased me, but how long would that last?
"Alice," I muttered, unable to move from my tense position, "What's he going to do?" She looked down, unwilling to answer, "It's bad, isn't it?"
"She won't answer that." Mikah murmured, "She hasn't since we got down here. Were you really in here for two straight weeks?" He frowned, looking around.
I hesitated, before I looked down. I couldn't be here. I couldn't do it.
"Jack!" I shouted, attempting to scramble up the steps. Alice caught me. I was prepared to surrender. To beg, plead and do whatever he told me to do, just to get out of here. Alice was preventing that.
She locked her arms around me, pulling me away from the stairs. I resisted, but I didn't fight. Too afraid of potentially hurting her.
"Shut up down there." Jack called through the door, hitting it, "Get comfortable."
I whimpered, but did as he said. When I stopped resisting so much, Alice didn't hold me so tight. I moved away from her sharply, starting to pace. It completely sucked being in this position. I could physically do something about where I was, but I was restricted from doing so, and with how outnumbered we all were, it'd be stupid to go against a direct order like that.
"At least I can see around me now." I murmured, my tense voice hardly making a sound.
"That might not be such a good thing, shorty." Emmett replied gently.
"Thanks." I snapped. For smashing my one attempt at easing myself.
"Easy, Leandra." Jasper tried, "Breathe-"
"I can't breathe without smelling everything." I grumbled, "This is torture. I'm losing my damn mind already and it's been exactly seven minutes."
I wrung my hands together as I paced, barely holding on.
"When do human memories fade?" I asked, glancing at the dark stain on the floor, "Why couldn't it be instantly?"
"It takes a little while." Jasper sighed, "Longer for the more vivid ones. Just try not to think about it." I squeezed my eyes shut, turning away from the stain.
"I can't be in here." I whispered to myself, shaking my head, "I can't." I was having trouble. I couldn't deal with this. Across the room, Ness sighed, and slid down. Sitting down, leaning back against the wall.
"Options?" She asked.
"Where the fuck is Cole?" I asked, looking to Carlisle, "Isn't he supposed to help?"
"I told him and Dess to stick around Tanya's." He sighed, "Eli is with them."
"Why?" I frowned.
"This wasn't their fight." Carlisle replied, "And I wasn't about to ask him to lose more because of us."
"Well, call him or something." I whined, "Tell him you changed your mind."
"I can't do that." He murmured, "Even if I did have my phone on me, I couldn't."
"I can't be in here." I moved forward, "You don't know what it was like for me in here. I'm begging you."
"I could call Jake." Ness murmured, "I don't know how he and the guys are going to get to us in one piece, though."
"They can't phase." I grumbled, "I know."
"The humans would completely lose their minds." She found that a little funny. It'd be nice to have her calm nerves right about now. Mikah attempted to move forward, but I stepped back.
"I'm not looking for hugs." I warned him, "I might hurt someone."
"Fair enough." He murmured, "But it really bothers me to see you like this." He looked to Jasper, "Can't you do something?"
"I'm trying, but it's not working."
"Not working?" I asked, "What do you mean 'not working'? It always works. Try harder."
"Sometimes it's tricky." Jasper replied, "Especially when a newborn gets old enough to figure out how to resist it."
"I'm not resisting anything."
"You're heavily guarded right now." He countered, "You don't mean to, but you're resisting it. You need to calm down a little on your own if I'm going to help you."
"If I could calm down on my own, then I wouldn't need your help." I snapped.
"Try sitting still." He suggested, "Sit somewhere."
"I'm not sitting anywhere in this God forsaken basement." I shook my head, "I'm not sitting, I'm not touching anything, and I sure as shit am not going to breathe, so if that's your next suggestion, feel free to shove it right up your-"
"Leandra." Mikah sighed, "Please-"
"Jack!" I shouted again, "You unimaginable bastard! You fucking asshole! Couldn't think of any worse punishments, could you?"
Alice sighed, "Leandra-"
"Congratulations!" I called, "You picked a good one! What's next, huh? Tear off a limb? Light me on fire? Huh? Maybe stick a fork in my eye?" I clearly heard everyone above us start to laugh. I growled, "Glad I amuse you. Really. Really fucking glad I amuse you."
I started pacing again, waiting for their laughter to stop. It took awhile.
"The fork wouldn't work." Ness murmured, watching me. Know it all teenagers. They bugged the shit out of me, even if I was, and still partially was one. Physically, Ness was closer to my age now. Gaining almost a year in only a few months.
I paused across the room from the stairs, spotting the ashtray sitting on the workbench beside the mattress. I smacked it across the room, nearly accidentally taking out Emmett. The plastic ashtray almost hit him right in the face, but he ducked at the right time, and instead, it shattered into small shards against the wall, but that didn't help me feel any better.
"What was that for?" Ness wondered. I didn't answer. I didn't want to snap at her. That had been the ashtray Ken always used. I couldn't recall a time I didn't see a cigarette burning in it.
"I don't remember you being this bitchy." Jack called through the door, "Shut the fuck up. Last warning."
I paid attention now. Against the wall at the foot of the stairs, I crouched, squatted down. Irritated beyond belief, but fearful just as much.
"We could try to fight them?" Ness suggested.
"There are over thirty up there." I muttered, "That'd be suicide."
"Maybe he just wants to talk." She murmured.
"And maybe the sky is purple." I sighed, looking over.
"All I'm saying, is that I'm fine." She said, standing.
"You got lucky."
"Ease up a little." Emmett told me, "Come on."
I sighed, "Sorry, Ness." I murmured. Crouching here, I could definitely feel Jasper's efforts helping me.
"It's okay." She replied, coming over to crouch beside me, "This is hard on you, but you came back."
"I had no choice." I admitted, looking over at her. I sighed, looking around, "Now comes my favorite part. Sitting here, waiting for someone to come down those stairs. Welcome to the living hell part of this place."
"Was it always this dark?" Emmett frowned.
"Always." I muttered, "Unless someone was in here with me. I was here in March, though. It was a lot colder then."
"There's got to be something we can do." Ness mumbled beside me as Mikah slowly came over to join us. He squatted beside me, closest to the stairs.
"I'm not seeing a whole lot of options." I murmured bitterly, "I can definitely understand now why he always needs so many with him. I'd have torn his fucking head off three times over by now if it weren't for them."
"Outnumbering us forces us to stay manageable." Jasper told us, "Because we've seen the consequences of attempting something while being this outnumbered. He's learned that well by now. We'd have a little bit better of a chance if Cole and Eli were here, but even then, I would not recommend trying anything."
I didn't bother replying to that.
We sat there in silence for hours. Nobody said a word. Probably all lost in wondering what it was like for me in here, but the stains on the floor and fabric of the mattress painted a pretty vivid picture.
I glared at the mattress from across the room the whole time, hating the fact that it still existed. Right where it always had.
"Leandra," I looked up as Carlisle finally spoke up, "I'm so sorry."
"For what?" I asked, confused, "It's not your fault I'm here now. Since when do I ever do what you ask me to do?"
"Not that, though I am sorry you're here now." He replied, "I'm sorry you were ever in a place like this. It's appalling."
"I got used to it." I sighed, "The first week I was here, I got used to the dark, and only learned to hate it when I could see around me. When it was dark, that's when I knew I could rest, but that kind of flew out the window when Ken replaced Jack. I didn't rest at all then." I was fully aware of how quiet my voice had gotten during that explanation. I sighed, "Just being here now makes me feel tired. Not physically, but.. Run down. Hopeless."
"That's to be expected." Carlisle replied, "Try not to lose hope, Leandra. We'll figure out a way out of here."
"We always do." Emmett murmured, "We're good at it by now, shorty."
I forced a tiny, depressed smile. It was a good attempt, but not good enough.
I jumped as the door up the stairs came open, and we both froze. I shoved to my feet, pulling Ness up behind me. I looked up, watching as Jack started down, the sound of his footsteps on the wooden steps instilling more fear in me. The memory alive again of how many times I heard that sound, and how often that sound had resulted in pain.
I moved to the other side of the room, Mikah following as I got closer to everyone else. Jasper's gift ceased to work, and I was instantly overwhelmingly tense again.
I watched Jack closely as he casually descended the stairs. He wasn't stupid. He had several others with him, no doubt just in case. I crouched against the far wall now, behind everyone, but being careful not to touch the mattress beside me.
"Which one of you is responsible for Becky losing that finger?" Jack asked the room, giving a glance around. Figures he'd ask the one question that forced me to answer him.
"Me." I offered when no one else did, "I'm also the one that bit her."
He blinked in surprise, "Really?" I nodded, drawing more in on myself in defense.
"The others are the reason she's still alive." I admitted quietly, "I would have killed her if they hadn't stopped me."
"Good job." He told me, "She was unspeakably pissed when she got here. You can't even imagine. It was a good laugh." I glanced to Edward, knowing I'd been right.
Jack sighed.
"Alright." He spoke to the room again, "You, you, you and you.." He pointed to Emmett, Jasper, Mikah and Carlisle, "Over there. Back against that wall. You and you," He gestured to Esme and Alice, "Stand with them. You three.." He looked toward Edward, Bella and Ness behind them, "Move back a little. But you.." He pointed to me, "Come here."
I hesitated, tensing.
"It's okay, Leandra." Alice told me, "Go ahead." I glanced to her. Was she nuts?
"Go ahead." Edward told me now, and I glanced to him. Slowly, mostly to keep from startling Jack, I rose to my feet.
"Come here, you bitch." Jack didn't like how I hesitated, "I'm not getting anywhere near you while you're cornered like that. I'm not stupid. Get your ass over here now before I pick someone to start separating."
"She's scared." Jasper told him, "Give her a moment."
"You know what?" Jack snapped his direction, "Nobody asked you, so shut the fuck up."
I recognized those words. I'd said those exact same words earlier. The realization froze me to the spot for a moment longer. Was that what Edward had been getting at? Had I been acting more like Jack lately?
"What are you going to do?" I asked instead, taking Jack's attention back to me.
"Get over here." His voice raised, and I flinched. I hesitantly took one step forward. He watched, waiting for me to take the other steps. I took another, hesitated, but crossed the room to him without much more hesitation.
The second I got there, the backhand he gave me had me hitting the floor. He really put effort behind that, and despite the way I could handle it now, it still hurt like a bitch. The yelp from my family nearly took my attention, but I pushed myself up with my arms.
"That's for taking your time. Get up." Jack growled down at me. I hesitated again, receiving no other warning. He kicked me roughly in the face, and I fell back. I growled this time as I slowly pushed myself up with my arms.
"Get up." He repeated, and I immediately stood up, "Better." He sighed, looking me over, "You're sure not the scrawny little bitch I remember. You say you're fourteen?"
"Almost exactly." I muttered, watching him closely.
"Well, I can work with that." He chuckled a little. He sighed a little, "Look. I didn't volunteer to take her." He gestured to Ness, "That wasn't my idea. So all of this," He gestured around him at my family, "Was a pretty stupid move. When are they going to learn? Unless I'm actually planning to, there's a pretty damn good chance that I won't bother whoever I have. Chances are, I probably would have just let her go, but.."
He sighed, walking around me. Studying me. Like the time I saw him as an eleven year old, he studied me.
"You know, I have a real opportunity here." Jack murmured, "I have the opportunity to remove the entire Cullen coven. I have two choices. Do I? Or don't I?"
I looked to him.
"You want me to beg you?" I asked, "It doesn't matter whether or not I do, because you'll still do what you want."
"It took you this long to learn that?"
"No." I replied, "I've always known that."
"I failed with you." He moved on, continuing to circle me, "I failed, but see, that's not entirely my fault. It's not your fault, either." Frowning a little, I was confused, "It's theirs."
"Stop blaming everything on everyone else, Jack." I murmured, looking down, "You chose the wrong kid."
"Everything was going fine until that bitch showed up." He gestured to Alice, "And then Carlisle followed."
I closed my eyes, shaking my head, "Stop it."
"Stop what?" Jack asked, "You know it's true. I know you know. Had they minded their own damn business, they wouldn't be here now, would they?"
"You know," I muttered, turning to face him, "For someone who thinks so little of me, you're sure going to a whole lot of trouble to get me back for something you did wrong. Your dad was right. You're pretty fucking pathetic."
He strode forward, attempting to grab me but I moved. I didn't try to hurt him, as not to provoke his friends. I only avoided his grip.
"Do you even realize that it was wrong?" I growled, rounding to face him, "Normal people don't beat their children! Normal people don't.. They don't.. Visit them in the middle of the night! Normal people don't starve them, constantly put them down, or yell at them! Normal people don't lock them in their room, or in a box outside for days at a time!"
"I raised your ungrateful ass!"
"You didn't raise me!" I snarled in return, "You trained me! I grew up tolerating your bullshit, because I didn't have another choice! It was your fault mom started drinking. You made sure she did, just to get her out of the way. Sure, you thought about killing her, but then where would that put me? In Idaho with my real father."
He stood there, stunned for a moment.
"What mom was like was entirely your fault, and you wouldn't have had it any other way." I continued, "It wasn't my fault mom drank, and passed out every day. That was your doing, and it worked, didn't it? I didn't have another choice, but the second I had another choice, I took it. What does that tell you? You turned out just like your father, but you failed with me.
"I'll never turn out like you, because I got to see what it meant to be loved. Cared about, supported, and not treated like garbage. I hate you, Jack, for everything you've ever done. I hate you for standing there, I hate you for breathing. I hate your face, your eyes, your fucking smile. I hate everything about you. I hate you more than I've ever hated anyone."
"Then I'm happy." He replied simply, "You're telling me that you'll never turn out like me, but in the same breath, you're expressing your hate. Hate is what fuels me, bitch. Or have you forgotten that? I taught you true hate. The kind you can never let go of. I won. I didn't fail. That hate is going to grow, and when it does, I'll be happy to show you how to embrace it. Otherwise, it'll tear you apart."
It was my turn to stand there stunned. He was right. Realizing that kept me still for too long. I couldn't move out of the way before he grabbed a hold of me.
He gripped my face in one hand, staring into my eyes, "You're turning into something I can finally say I'm proud of. You're starting to see. How satisfying it is to cause pain, and how gratifying it is to hurt those you care about. Tell me I'm wrong."
I didn't say anything. Glancing away from him. I really hated how close he was.
"You're more like me than you want to admit." He told me, "What? Nothing to say now? Thought you were being so smart earlier, didn't you and now.. Suddenly nothing?"
I jerked my head away, but didn't dare move to try to bite him. No matter how much I wanted to rip his face off, that was a guaranteed bad choice. He wasn't making it easy, however.
"Tell me." He said, suddenly enthusiastic. He reached up again, grabbing onto the back of my neck in a painful grip and dragging me forward, "Does this still smell like you?" He shoved me to my knees beside the mattress. He just kept pushing, no matter how much I resisted, "Home away from home, huh? Is my dad still right, you stupid slut?"
I twisted, trying to get from his grip, but he held tighter, hurting me while forcing me lower. Just the sight of all the stains of blood on it made me sick, knowing full well that it was me. It was pure torture.
I growled a squeak, which was an odd, desperate sound from me, trying my hardest to back away. He had the upper hand in position, however. Literally. I couldn't back away without backing right into his hand, and right against him.
"You stay there." One of Jack's group growled, and I knew who they were talking to.
Jack stopped pushing, but held me there, probably looking back at Mikah.
"Ah." He chuckled, standing up. Dragging me with him, thankfully. Turning me toward Mikah, and I looked up at him pleadingly, "You her boyfriend?" Mikah stayed silent, so Jack continued, "Trust me, kid. You don't want this piece of trash." Jack looked down at me, "Right?"
"Right." I whimpered, cringing a little as he held even tighter to my neck. I could feel my skin cracking slightly under his grip, but I knew he was being careful.
"You're wrong." I winced at Mikah's defiant mutter, "You don't know a damn thing about her."
"I know enough about her to know that she's not worth a damn thing." Jack replied calmly, "If I know my dad, he made sure she wasn't worth anything. You don't want her. Not to mention what I've done to her." He was trying to provoke a response from them, "You know she's not good for anything unless she's on her knees. I taught her that a long time ago. Didn't I, slut?"
I closed my eyes in humiliation.
"You're wrong." Mikah repeated, shaking his head.
"Aw," Jack chuckled, "Isn't that sweet? Wait, aren't you the one that was there with her that night? Wasn't she a little young for you?"
"It wasn't like that then." Mikah replied firmly.
"Really?" Jack smirked, "Then what was it like? A lovely little brother-sister relationship? Maybe the best friend." He leaned me back a little so he could look at me, "Isn't it weird fucking someone you consider your brother?"
"Stop it." Mikah spoke up before I could, "Leave her alone, Jack."
"I'm sorry." Jack chuckled sharply, "When did you become her keeper?"
"Leave her alone." Jasper spoke up for me as well, "Haven't you had enough?"
"Of course not." Jack replied, "She's my favorite thing to torture. Nothing satisfies me like knowing she's praying every day that I don't come back. Then I do."
"You're sick." Alice growled, "Very disturbed."
"Thank you." Jack smiled, "No, really. That.. That really means a lot to me."
"That wasn't a compliment." Alice replied.
"Well, I took it as one." He chuckled.
"It's okay." I muttered, "Please don't piss him off." I winced again, reaching back and attempting to loosen his grip just a little. He slapped my hand away.
"I'm in a pretty good mood." Jack told me, "Don't worry about them pissing me off. Now, shut up, would you? I'm talking."
"Unfortunately." I grumbled. Knee-jerk response. He glared at me, but didn't say anything about it. Instead, he sighed, looking around.
"Let's get down to business, shall we?" Jack muttered, "Which one of you turned her?"
Uh-oh.
I spoke up, "Jack-"
"I did." Carlisle murmured, glancing to me.
"Carlisle." Jack smiled a little, "You knew the rules. You know what I do to those that touch what's not theirs." I really didn't like where this was going. I didn't like the sudden squeezing panic in my stomach.
"You weren't there, Jack." I spoke quickly, "He had to."
"Was I talking to you?" Jack snapped, jerking me back again. He looked over at the hoard of friends he brought down with him.
"Bring him forward."
A/N: Sorry for the cliff-hanger. It was begging me to do it.
THANK YOU for the magnificent reviews I got for chapter ten! I'm over the moon. :D
I'm sorry this took so very long. I had a lot on my plate this last week. I really do apologize.
It's looking a lot like chapter twelve will be the last of this story. :( As much as I don't really like that news, it's got to be that way.
A little bit of info about the story following this one: It'll be in a whole new point of view. I haven't quite figured out all the tiny little details, and this is something I've not had a lot of practice with, but we'll see how it goes, shall we? :)
But I still have twelve to get you all through, so no worries about that yet.
Until twelve, my friends! :D