Holding On
AN: Whoohoo! Told you this update would be quick! For me, that is. Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed!!!!! You guys are super-stars, and you're most definitely the reason this story is still being written!! PLEASE keep it up- I appreciate it SO much!
Do I need a disclaimer? It's pretty obvious that I'm not Stephanie Meyer. She didn't have this much interest in Leah's character. A pity, really.
The sun was bright in the sky when I awoke to the sound of clanging pans and the smell of something burning. A glance at my clock told me it was only mid-morning, which was way too early to get up after a sleepless night. Sighing, I shoved back my covers and wandered down the hallway to the kitchen, following the smoke.
Seth stood at the stove, happily burning bacon to an unrecognizable crisp while an acrid smell told me he'd forgotten the eggs frying away in the other pan. Swiftly, I swatted him away from the food to try to salvage what I could.
"Good grief, Seth. Do you want a little food with your charcoal this morning?"
He grinned at me. "Thanks, Leah. I was trying to keep it edible, but, well..."
"You'd better hope you imprint on someone who can cook," I told him severely as I dumped the contents of both pans into the garbage. He just shrugged sheepishly and handed me a new carton of eggs.
Once breakfast was on the table, Seth shoveled his in like usual, but I merely picked at mine listlessly. I knew there was nothing in my stomach- I'd taken care of that last night- but I just couldn't muster any sort of an appetite. For one thing, I was too damn tired.
"So, um, you gonna stick around the rez today?" Seth questioned me quietly once most of the food had been demolished.
"Dunno. Probably," I muttered non-committally. I wasn't working, so there was no real reason for me to leave. Besides which, my worried, guilty conscience was niggling at me to go apologize to Embry.
"Oh. Well, that's good," he replied, and shrugged at my quizzical look. "We're not supposed to be alone outside the rez, remember? Jake figures it's safe enough inside the border, with Sam's Pack patrolling, but we've got to at least be in pairs if we're heading to the Cullen's or anything."
"Whatever," I muttered disinterestedly, and he blew a heavy breath out of his mouth and ran a hand over his buzzed hair.
"Right. Well, Jake and I are heading over to the Cullen's, then..."
"What about Embry?" I asked, a little more quickly than I needed to. Seth shrugged casually.
"Said he was gonna stay behind and work on your Molly today," he replied, then waved before the door slammed behind him on his way out.
I banged my head on the table with a groan. Jeez. I yell at the guy, act like a total bitch, and he still does nice things for me. I guess I really did deserve all the awful crap Fate kept chucking at me.
The house felt oppressively empty after Seth had left, and it made me twitchy. I kept glancing nervously over my shoulder into the hallway as I washed the dishes, unable to shake the sensation that someone was watching me.
"Lord, get a grip, Leah," I mumbled angrily to myself when the refrigerator kicking in made me dent the pan I was washing.
It didn't take me long to finish cleaning the kitchen, but by then I was thoroughly creeped out and annoyed at myself for being so childish. But that didn't change the fact that I was desperate to find someone to hang out with and ease my fear.
The problem was, Embry was pretty much my only option within the rez, and I wasn't too sure how thrilled he'd be to see me after my bitchy behavior last night. Heaving a heavy sigh, I headed towards Jake's house. I needed to apologize to my Tank, anyway, and the sooner the better. With any luck, he'd give me another chance.
I could hear the radio playing in the garage as I walked slowly up the driveway, and I rehearsed my apology speeches over and over in my head. I wasn't very good at that kind of thing, and that made me nervous. What if I made things even worse by messing up the apology? Worse yet, what if he didn't want to listen to me? Not that I could blame him...
Embry had his nose buried deep into the intricate workings under Molly's hood when I came quietly through the doorway, and I just stopped for a moment to watch him. All those new, beefy muscles really did look good on him, and...
He stood up suddenly, and his dark chocolate eyes caught mine. Neither of us said anything right away, and I shifted uncomfortably and grabbed a fistful of my old, ratty sweatpants in my nervous hands.
"Uh, hey," I finally said lamely, all my speeches unfortunately forgotten when he just stood there and looked at me.
"Hey," he replied as he picked up a rag and started to wipe some of the grease off his hands with it. I could feel my cheeks starting to burn with embarrassment, and I scuffed my bare toe into the dirt of the floor.
"Um, I'm sorry about last night. Really. I was a real bitch when you were just trying to help, and... I shouldn't have been. I'm so sorry."
"It's okay. No worries. I... shouldn't have pushed you," Embry replied earnestly. "I just... have a really hard time seeing you hurting."
I looked at him then, wishing I knew how to tell him how much that meant to me, wishing I could hug him and... I didn't know what. That part was a little confusing. The tips of his ears turned red, and he abruptly turned back to the car and gestured at the engine.
"She's almost ready. Just a few more tweaks and she'll be road-worthy."
I came up to look at the mysterious lump of twisted metal, grateful for the topic change. Somehow the two of us were back to our normal relationship within minutes, as if nothing ever happened. If I stood a little bit closer to him and watched him a little bit more than normal, he didn't give any signs of noticing. By silent agreement, neither of us mentioned the previous night again.
Eventually, I curled up in the backseat of my Molly, feeling safe now that I was with Embry and too tired to keep my eyes open any longer. It felt like I'd barely fallen asleep when a large, hot hand gently stroked my cheek and shook my shoulder. I rolled onto my back and opened my eyes to see Embry's upside down face smiling at me.
"Sorry. What time is it?" I asked after a minute's disorientation.
"A little after two, and I'm starving," he replied cheerfully. I climbed out of the car and stretched, yawning.
"Right. My place- mom just got groceries yesterday."
We were halfway down the driveway before a sudden motion in the trees caught my eyes. I spun around defensively, ready to shift, and Embry caught my arm.
"Relax. It's just Colin. I think," he squinted into the trees in an attempt to get a better look at the shaggy figure mostly hidden in the shadows.
"Colin? What's he doing here?" I asked sharply.
"Keeping an eye on us would be my guess. Didn't you notice him following you this morning?"
That was why I'd felt like someone was watching me all morning! Okay, now I was pissed.
"What the hell? Why? It's not like we're gonna let that damn bloodsucker into the rez! Does Sam have somebody following Quil, too?" I snapped, glaring heatedly into the woods at Colin.
"Uh, no," Embry said uncomfortably. "Actually, I think you're the only one they're following. Sam thought you needed... extra protection. You can thank Jake for that."
"Oh my god," I groaned, turning a mortified scarlet. "I'm going to kill Jacob Black. And then I'm going to bring him back to life so I can kill him again." I turned to glare at Embry's sheepish face. "Let me guess. He told you to play bodyguard, too, right?"
"Uh, well, no... he didn't... um," he stuttered, the tips of his ears turning brilliant red again.
"Right." I rolled my eyes, then turned and stomped a few feet toward the trees. "Colin! You go tell Sam I don't need any damn 'protection'! Especially not from him! And if you keep following me, I swear to god I will personally kick your ass! Do you hear me?"
The shaggy Wolf merely looked at me with impassive brown eyes, and I knew all my threats would do absolutely no good against his Alpha's orders. Sam. After I was done killing Jacob- twice- I was going to murder him.
"C'mon, let's go," I snapped to Embry as I stomped past him up the driveway. He caught up with me, his expression hesistant.
"Uh, yeah. Where're we going?"
I gave him a glare that would've made Rosalie proud. "My house. Food, remember? And then I'm going to go find Jacob and kick his ass."
"Just try not to break your hand again, okay?" he replied, waggling his eyebrows at me with a grin. I stuck my tongue out at him.
My mom's car was parked in our driveway when we turned onto our street, and I frowned in confusion. Mom was never home at two in the afternoon, unless there was some kind of emergency or something. I jogged quickly to the house, Embry keeping pace at my side, and threw open the front door.
"Mom! Mom, what's-"
Mom poked her head out of the kitchen and frowned at me. "I'm right here, Leah. You don't need to shout. Oh, hi Embry."
Embry flashed his trademark grin at her. "Hey, Sue. How's it going?"
"What're you doing home, Mom?" I demanded, following her into the kitchen. "Aren't you supposed to be at work right now?"
Mom laughed bitterly and took a big swig from the tumbler on the table. My nose twitched as I caught the unmistakable scent of brandy in the air. My mom, drinking? At two in the afternoon? Embry and I exchanged a wary look as my mother sat herself down at the kitchen table with a thump.
"No. Obviously I'm not at work right now, and I won't be at work again in the future, either. The old bastards fired me."
"What?" Embry and I gasped together. I swiftly moved around the table to sit across from her, my mouth hanging open. "Mom, are you serious? Why?"
Mom laughed bitterly again. "Oh, they fed me some bullshit about cutting budgets, but it's pretty damn obvious they got rid of me because I'm marrying Charlie. Like I'm betraying the whole damn tribe!"
For a moment, I couldn't even say anything. I mean, my mom drinking brandy in the middle of the afternoon was one thing, but swearing, too? Not that she didn't have a perfectly good reason to be swearing...
"You've got to be kidding. That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!" Embry exclaimed loudly. "What did Billy have to say about it?"
"Doesn't matter what he thought. His word doesn't carry much weight anymore, now that Jacob's imprinted on Nessie," my mom answered, staring into her cup of brandy. My eyes stung with tears looking at her. Sue Clearwater, the indomitable woman, who had held herself together through all the tragedies she'd faced, actually looked defeated.
"Hey, Mom, it's okay. You hated working for those crotchety old misers anyway," I said in a lame attempt to soothe her, reaching across the table to squeeze her arm. "Besides, after you and Charlie get married, won't it be more convenient if you're working at the hospital again, since you'll be living in Forks?"
"Yes, but this house..." Mom looked around the kitchen a little wildly. "Your father wanted to keep this house for one of you kids to have someday. I can't sell it..."
"So don't sell it," I replied. "Seth and I can keep living here. Charlie's house is too small for all of us, anyway."
"Yeah, Sue. You move in with Charlie and get your job back at the hospital. Billy and Jake and I will help Leah and Seth with the house if they need it," Embry put in encouragingly.
Mom looked at me seriously. "You and Seth may not be so welcome in La Push anymore, either."
"Ah, that doesn't worry me," I answered truthfully. "And if it's really a problem, we'll move to Forks with you or something. Really, Mom. Forget about those old bastards. You only worked for them to be closer to Seth and I, and now we spend more time in Forks than here."
"That's true," Mom conceded, brightening a little. "So, you think the hospital will take me back on?"
I rolled my eyes indulgently. "Oh, please. You know you were one of their best nurses. Tell you what, we're running over to the Cullen's today after we get some food, so I'll ask Carlisle if he knows of any openings, okay?"
"Thanks, Leah. I'd appreciate that." Mom looked down at her glass of brandy with a grimace, then got up and poured it in the sink. "I suppose I can start packing in the meantime," she added, not quite cheerfully, but at least she wasn't still swearing.
Embry and I exchanged a long look after she wandered down the hallway toward her bedroom. Inside, I was silently seething at the unbelievable arrogance of the elders.
"Guess things are worse than Jake knew," Embry finally said. He rubbed his face with a grease stained hand and sighed.
"Those dirty old bastards. I can't believe they'd stoop so low... just because she's marrying Charlie Swan!" I bit out harshly, keeping my voice down so Mom wouldn't overhear me. I threw open the fridge with a lot more force than was necessary, but luckily Embry caught the door before it was wrenched off it's hinges.
"Ugh, I'm too angry to eat anything," I groaned. "Let's just head over to the Cullen's. Oh- except that you're still starving."
"Naw, it's fine. Esme's always got something ready, anyway," Embry replied with a casual shrug.
I yelled that we were leaving to my mom, and the two of us headed into the woods to shift. I could smell Wolf strongly in the air once Embry and I split up, and I spun in a slow circle looking for any sign of company.
"Colin, if you watch me strip, Sam'll find out about it and beat you into a bloody, unrecognizable lump of fur," I said loudly. Satisfied that I didn't hear any movement, I quickly stripped down and shivered out of my human skin.
"What took you so long?" Embry's voice floated through my thoughts as I quickly caught up with him.
"Just making sure I didn't have any peepers," I replied, and laughed at his vivid mental picture of shredding Colin if he had.
"Hey, guys! Heading over here?" Seth's excited voice questioned. It seemed like he and Jake were taking turns running the perimeter today.
"Yep. Any signs of our leech?" Embry asked.
We could feel the relief in Seth's thoughts. "Nope. Alice has been seeing him heading north-east all day, too. She thinks he's still in Seattle, but he'll be leaving soon."
"Good. Then maybe Jake'll tell Sam to call off his damn bodyguards." I thought sarcastically and felt Seth wince.
"Yeah... I was going to tell you about that last night, but... Sam kinda went off the deep end."
Now it was my turn to wince with mortification at the little snippets of Jake and Sam's 'conversation' last night. It looked like a whole lot of telling off on Sam's part for 'putting us in danger with the leeches' in the first place. Jake didn't look like he took it very well, either.
"Seth..." Embry thought warningly, and abruptly those memories were replaced with thoughts of food.
"Sorry, sorry. I'm just gonna finish this pass and I'll meet you guys up at the house, alright?"
"Yeah, we've gotta talk," I replied, careful not to show him anything about our mom. "Oh, hey! Are Rose and Emmett still glaring at each other?"
"Naw, Esme said they disappeared into the woods sometime around dawn. She thinks they'll be back tomorrow," Seth told us with a laugh. "See you at the house!"
Alice came running out to meet us as soon as Embry and I walked out of the trees. "Leah, thank god!" she exclaimed, grabbing my arm. "You'll shop with me, won't you?"
"Uh... where? Newton's store?" I asked, dumbfounded. Like hell my Pack was going to let me go any farther than Forks.
"No, online. I'm not stupid enough to try to leave the house today," she replied, dragging me toward the front door. Embry ambled after us, an amused smile quirking up the sides of his mouth.
"Isn't online shopping something you kinda do alone?"
"Not today. Do you have any idea how awful it's been in there? Jazz went into full protective-mode last night, and now he's got the whole house tensed up like a spring. And every five minutes, he or Edward or Jacob is asking me where Cyrus is, if he's changed his plans, blah, blah, blah. It's driving me crazy!" she whispered in an undertone to us. "I'm in desperate need of retail therapy, and Leah's in even more desperate need of a new wardrobe."
"Thanks, Alice. I appreciate that," I muttered, and she gave me a sparkling grin.
"Don't be like Bella, Leah. This'll be fun!"
She dragged me into the living room, pushed me down onto the couch, and shoved a lime green laptop into my hands. The screen was already open to some high end store with clothes I could never dream of buying, but I figured there'd be no harm in looking. It wasn't like I was going to let Alice buy any of them for me.
Jacob barely looked up from the Barbie video game he was playing with Nessie. "Hey, Alice. Anything new with our leech friend?"
She sighed, concentrated for a second, then shook her head. "Still planning on heading north-east. Just like the last hundred times I've checked."
"That's what I like to hear. Ness- go into that building. I think we can get new pets in there..."
I looked over at Embry, smirking, and he rolled his eyes with amused exasperation before heading off to the kitchen. Jasper wandered in and sat down with a book close to Alice, but he didn't seem to be paying much attention to it. His eyes kept scanning the yard through the windows, like he was expecting Cyrus to jump through the trees at any moment. I could totally understand how that'd get people on edge, even without his mojo skills.
Alice had already picked out two outfits by the time Seth ambled into the house and flopped himself down at my feet.
"So, what's up, sis? You said we needed to talk," he asked casually, and I could feel everyone's attention instantly targeting me. I sighed and shut the laptop.
"Mom got fired today. Because she's marrying Charlie Swan."
"What? No way!" Jacob exploded, and the controller in his hand disintegrated into tiny pieces.
"Dude, put the electronics down before you freak out," said Embry, wandering back from the kitchen and patting his stomach in a satisfied way.
Seth looked shell-shocked. "But that's... why would they do that?"
"Because Charlie Swan is Bella's father. And Bella willingly chose to become one of us," Edward answered quietly from the door. Bella hid slightly behind him, and anyone could see she was piling heaps of guilt on herself again. That girl just loved to be a martyr.
"Those arrogant, pig-headed, close-minded-" Jacob ranted, rising to his feet like he was about to sprint to La Push and beat some sense into the elders.
"Oh, cut the hysterics, princess," I snorted, annoyed. "She's better off out of there, anyway. It'll work out better for her and Charlie, especially if she can work at the Forks hospital again."
"That won't be a problem. Your mother is an excellent nurse," Carlisle assured me quietly from the stairs.
Esme stood behind him, wringing her hands anxiously. "That poor woman. How did she take it?"
I glanced over at Embry, and we both grimaced to each other at the memory of my mother, drinking brandy and swearing. "Not so great at first," I admitted. "But she thinks it'll be better, too. I just wanted to let you all know about it now. You know, for her sake. And I'm supposed to find out what openings the hospital has."
"I'll go write up a list of anything she might be interested in," Carlisle promised swiftly, and I nodded my thanks. He and Esme disappeared back upstairs, and there was a long awkward silence.
"Uh, here's another controller, Jakie," Nessie finally said, timidly offering a new controller, still in the packaging, to him. He glanced down at her, sighed, and plopped down to rip open the plastic. Seth just leaned back against the couch, his eyes glued to the screen, but his brain obviously miles away. Poor Seth. He just wasn't capable of being cruel, so he couldn't fathom how anyone else could, either. I hoped he could stay that way his entire life.
Alice and I clicked away, and she seemed intensely thrilled that not only did I have decent taste in clothing, but that I actually enjoyed shopping almost as much as she did once I got started. Of course, that may have made the end result just that much more of a nasty surprise.
Before she could hit the 'check out' button, I quickly exited the screen, completely losing everything we'd spent the last hour or so picking out. Her sudden wail made everyone in the room jump.
"Leah! What did you just do? We lost everything- we're going to have to redo it all!"
"No, we're not," I told her calmly. "C'mon, Alice. I couldn't even afford a pair of socks from that place! And before you say anything, you're not buying them for me. I wouldn't wear them if you did. I'd burn them, rip holes in them, you name it."
She stared at me, wide eyed, and I was thankful she couldn't actually cry. "But... but... Leah!" she moaned, burying her face in her hands.
"Hey, shopping's the fun part, right?" I cajoled her, but she merely shook her head. "Look, you can come to the Thrift 'n More with me sometime, and I swear I'll actually buy something."
The horrified shudder she gave was so comically genuine that I had to laugh.
"Hey, Alice, what's Cyrus up to?" Jake asked casually, and she would've thrown the laptop at his head if I hadn't clung on to it. I kind of liked that shade of green.
She screwed up her face to concentrate, grumbling. "For goodness sake, I've been doing this all day, and nothing's ever cha- Oh, god!"
Her eyes flew open, horrified, and immediately everyone's attention was riveted onto her frozen frame. Bella, Edward, Carlisle, and Esme crowded around the couch so quickly it seemed like they'd appeared out of thin air, and the three Wolf boys hovered, tensed and ready.
Jasper gripped Alice's shoulder tightly. "What is it? What do you see?"
Alice shook her head, concentrated hard, then shook her head again. "Nothing. I see nothing! Everything about his future has gone completely blank!"
"That's bad! That's really, really bad!" Bella moaned, clutching Edward's hand.
"Jakie? What's going on?" Nessie piped up in a trembling voice. Jake swung her quickly up into his massive arms.
"We don't know, Nessie-honey. How long since he changed his mind? When's the last time you checked on him?" he demanded Alice.
"Almost two hours ago... when Leah and Embry first came inside," she said in a quiet whisper.
"Meaning he could be here already," Jasper exclaimed, jumping up to peer out the windows worriedly. Jake, Seth, and Embry began to stride to the door, but I stood up and put out my hands to stop them.
"Wait, c'mon people. Let's not overreact. Just because Alice can't see him doesn't mean he's going to attack," I implored them. "He might just have decided to come back here and learn more about us, or... or who knows what! Besides, if he's planning to hunt, then he'd be heading to the rez, not here. Sam's Pack's on high alert. He's not going to get in or find one of them alone."
"Leah's right. Let's not assume anything here," Carlisle added. In answer, Jake whipped his cell phone out of his back pocket and swiftly dialed a number.
"Shit. Sam must be phased," he muttered after a tense moment, then redialed. "Emily. This is Jake. You need to let Sam know that Alice can't see Cyrus anymore. We don't know where he's at or what he's planning." All of us could hear Emily's voice, shrill with worry, before he spoke again. "My Pack's all here except Quil. Make sure he doesn't leave the rez. And don't let anyone near the border alone. I'll let you know when we know something more."
He hung up and shoved the phone back into his pocket with a grim expression, heading for the front door again. Automatically, the entire Pack followed him.
"Wait, Jacob," Carlisle called. "Won't it be safer if you don't shift? You should stay in the house..."
"No, we're heading back to the rez. Leah's right. If he is headed here for a hunt, he'll go to La Push. And we can't let Sam's Pack have all the fun," Jake answered harshly as he yanked open the door.
Instantly, a faint, icy smell wrinkled our noses, sharper and stronger than any of the vamps standing behind us. Older, and infinitely more intense. And we weren't the only ones to notice, either. Jasper jumped in front of Alice, pushing her back from the door towards the stairs with Esme. Bella swung Nessie into her arms protectively, and the little girl clung to her mother's neck with wide, confused eyes. Her senses were weaker than ours; she couldn't smell the intruder. Edward whispered hurried instructions to Bella in a low murmur that no one else could make out, and she nodded without taking her eyes off the empty lawn.
In front of me, Jake shuddered and heaved, and his russet skin rippled with the force of the monster within him fighting for release. I trembled wildly, recognizing the scent as if it was burned in my memory, and had to fight the urge to cower behind Embry's broad form standing protectively at my left shoulder.
Carlisle moved slowly to stand next to Jake at the doorway. "Don't shift, Jacob. Back up, into the house. Let's see what he wants first," he murmured quietly, always the peace maker. Personally, I wanted us to shift, to find the freaky creep and rip him into tiny little shreds. It certainly would've made me feel a lot better.
The look Jacob shot Carlisle made it evident that he felt the same way, but there was no arguing with the fact that Carlisle, in general, had better ideas than us. Slowly, with deep, shuddering breaths, we backed up into the living room in a tight group, shoulder to shoulder as one unit. I kept my position just behind Jake's right shoulder, with Embry tight against my left side. Seth stood just behind us, and predictably, he was the calmest of our Pack.
"He's coming to the house, Carlisle," Edward said quietly. "It seems like... he wants to talk to you."
Carlisle nodded in acknowledgment just as Cyrus' lean frame detached itself from the trees. He had his hands nonchalantly buried in the pockets of his black pants, whistling quietly, the perfect picture of casual indifference.
"Ah, Carlisle! Just the vampire I was hoping to see!" he said in a politely cheerful voice. "You are buried in the middle of nowhere, aren't you?"
"Is there something I can help you with, Cyrus?" Carlisle asked just as politely as Edward and Jasper moved up to flank him, effectively blocking the inside of the house, and therefore us, from his view.
"Yes, indeed. I'd like to talk to you, if it's not too much trouble," the blond vamp replied. "And there's no point in trying to hide the Wolves. I know there are three males standing in your living room, along with the female."
Embry snarled ferociously next to me, and Jake's entire frame vibrated with tremors. Bella inched up the stairs with Nessie, keeping a wary eye on us, and I couldn't blame her. Edward and Jasper stood shoulder to shoulder and continued to block the doorway as Cyrus strolled up the porch steps.
"Relax, gentlemen. I'm not here to start a fight. That's not my style," he told them with a smile that showed all his glittering teeth. "I spoke the truth when I said I was here to talk, Carlisle. Shall we?"
Carlisle glanced over his shoulder at our group, quickly assessing our level of control, and Jake gave him a tight nod. Cyrus wasn't likely to start trouble; unless he was suicidal, he wouldn't make any attack in a house with a full Pack and six vampires. Edward and Jasper stepped slowly away from the doorway, allowing him to pass, but their eyes stayed trained on his lithe frame as he slid inside.
He moved with a sinewy grace, and it was easy to see just how deadly an oppenent he could make. His gaze was critical and appraising as it swept over the Pack, very much like a hunter assessing it's prey. The hair on the back of my neck stood straight up as his scarlet-rimmed eyes locked onto mine and his lips curved up into a frightening parody of a smile. Nose flaring, he breathed in deeply.
"Interesting. Two Packs. That certainly explains a lot," he said quietly, more to himself than anyone. We stood our ground as he glided over to one of the chairs and sat down calmly like he was a frequent visitor instead of a potential threat. Carlisle copied him, but Edward and Jasper drifted over to stand by the steps. Both of them kept their attention trained on the blond vamp, and I knew they were using their talents to read him.
Cyrus looked up at the steps with a genteel smile, so different from the one he gave me. "Such a pleasure to see you again, ladies," he said to Alice and Bella, as if our last meeting had been a pleasant one. They both scowled at him, but Carlisle spoke up before either could answer him.
"Yes, they told me all about your meeting last night," he said, with a note of accusation in his clear voice.
"Ah, yes. I fear I may have frightened the Lady Wolf," Cyrus replied casually, but his eyes locked onto me again, hard and predatory. "But can you blame me, Carlisle? Such an exquisite phenomenon! A female Wolf! I've never seen anything like it in all my years."
"Yes. Leah is certainly unique," Carlisle answered tightly, his fingers steepled under his chin as he watched Cyrus narrowly.
"Leah," he breathed quietly, and then gave a low laugh. "It seems you breed uniqueness here. You should be grateful Aro knows nothing about her. Rarest of the rare- what a pet she would make!"
Red rage blinded me. Pet, my ass!! My god, it was a miracle I didn't phase and go for the kill right there!
But perhaps the bigger miracle was that none of the rest of my Pack did, either. Jacob moved so all I could see was his heaving, rippling back, blocking me from the vamp's view with a guttural snarl. Even Seth growled and stepped up next to me. Embry seemed like he was struggling the hardest, though. Tremors rocked him as he crowded so close to me that I couldn't tell if I was shaking from his touch or my own need to shift. His breaths came out in ragged snarls, and his dark eyes locked onto the vamp with a frighteningly black fury. I wormed my fingers into his fist and squeezed, willing him to calm down before he exploded out of his skin.
I couldn't see what was going on anymore, thanks to being hedged in on all sides by the boys, but I could hear Carlisle attempting to diffuse the situation.
"The Wolves are not pets, or any other form of servants. They are our friends and family. Equals," he explained firmly. "You must understand that we will not tolerate anyone treating them as less than that, Cyrus."
"And you feel the same about the other Pack?"
"Most definitely. They stood with us at the risk of their lives. We would do nothing less for them," replied Carlisle calmly, and the implication in his voice left no room for doubt. I poked Jake in the back, wishing he'd move so I could see what was going on. He didn't even acknowledge my finger digging into his ribs, and I scowled in defeat.
"Ah, that was what I was afraid of," Cyrus sighed, and I could hear the swish of fabric as he stood up.
"You not going to hunt the Wolves?" Edward suddenly asked sharply, responding to an unspoken thought.
"No. As tempting as the thought is, I have no desire to make enemies of your entire Coven. A pity, really. I haven't had a decent hunt in over a hundred years, and your Wolves would have made glorious prey. Their scent alone... such an intoxicating mix of feral lethality."
"We appreciate your restraint," said Carlisle as they headed to the front door. "But it may be best if you leave the area immediately. It would be a pity if circumstances caused you to change your mind."
I could see them now, through the space between Seth and Jake's bodies, and Cyrus' narrowed eyes bored into mine. I shivered at the cold, possessively predatory look he swept over me.
"Indeed. A great pity," he murmured, that frightening smile pulling at the hard edges of his mouth again. He gave Carlisle a brief nod, then disappeared down the steps and into the trees in a blink of a second.
In the heavy silence that followed, I slowly began to notice the painful sensation of having the bones in my left fingers crushed in a vice. Or rather, Embry's hand. I tried to pull away uselessly and grimaced.
"Um, Tank? Ouch..."
He looked down, confused, and then quickly loosened his death grip. His ears turned red, and he mumbled an apology as I experimentally flexed my fingers.
Carlisle shut the door and turned back to look at Edward. "What do you think? Can we trust him?"
"He seemed honest," Edward replied, frowning. "He wants to hunt them, there's no doubt about that, but he feels the risk to himself may be too great. He doesn't like the odds with us being on their side."
Jasper nodded in agreement. "He felt... resigned. Still, I don't trust him, not until he's a good distance away." His eyes slid over to me for a brief second, then back to Carlisle. "He wanted the hunt too badly to give it up easily."
"I can see him again," Alice suddenly announced as she bounded down the stairs to Jasper's side. "He's going to head north-east, just like he'd been planning before."
"Thank god," Esme breathed in a slightly shaky voice. All of us jumped and whipped around as the sliding glass doors leading to the backyard were opened with a thump.
Emmett and Rosalie strolled in, obliviously hand in hand, and stopped short at the sight of all of us.
"Now what did I miss?" Emmett demanded as we all sighed with relief.
"Our friend Cyrus just paid us a visit. You missed him by ten minutes," Edward told him with a little smirk. Emmett groaned and threw himself down on the couch.
"Man! I miss everything! I told you we should've come back earlier, Rose!"
She flipped her hair over her shoulder and quirked an eyebrow at him. "I didn't hear you complaining an hour ago. So what happened? He wasn't stupid enough to try anything, was he?"
"No. And at least for the moment, it seems like he's leaving the area," replied Carlisle, moving over to sink down into one of the chairs.
None of the Pack had moved yet, still taking deep breaths to calm the last of the tremors. I was silently grateful for the excuse to stay wedged up to Embry's rock-solid form as I tried to forget about the way Cyrus' scarlet rimmed eyes had pierced into me.
"Anybody hungry?" Esme suddenly asked brightly, in an obvious attempt to lighten the atmosphere. It worked partially, because Seth laughed.
"Do you even have to ask?" he demanded jokingly as he headed after her into the kitchen.
"Yeah. Food. Good idea," Jake agreed. Nessie reached out for him, and Bella handed her over as they followed Esme and Seth. I tried not to make it too obvious that I was staying as close to Embry as possible as we joined them, but if he noticed, he didn't mind. In fact, if I took a step away from him, he moved to follow me, like a shadow of a shadow.
We stayed latched to each other's side for the rest of the afternoon and into the evening, until Jake decided it was safe enough for us to head back to La Push. I'd never hated needing to walk away from the boys to strip and shift as much as I did that night. A panicky sense of being vulnerable attacked me the minute Embry was out of my sight, despite Alice's reassurances that Cyrus was already miles away heading north into Canada. I was disgusted at my pathetic weakness, but that didn't stop me from tearing off my clothes at breakneck speed.
The border was heavily guarded by Sam's Pack, but they hardly acknowledged us as we passed through. None of us wasted any time phasing back to our human forms, and Seth bounded inside our house with hardly a backwards glance. I hesitated on the front step, part of me longing to ask Embry not to leave, and the other part refusing to let myself look that pathetic. Still, I couldn't stop myself from glancing back at him as he stood half hidden in the trees, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his raggedy cut-offs.
"So... see you tomorrow?" I asked, attempting to sound indifferently casual. I was absurdly happy that I managed to keep the tremor out of my voice.
His grin flashed in the dim light of the moon. "Absolutely. 'Night, B."
I nodded to him, and half-opened the door while he melted away into the shadows. The sudden stab of emptiness and unease the moment he was out of sight unnerved me, and I quickly shut and locked the door.
A hot shower and a few endless hours later, I knew I was in for another night of sleepless pacing. It didn't matter that logically I knew I was perfectly safe, or how many lectures I gave myself about being weak and pathetic. I couldn't get those scarlet rimmed eyes out of my head, or the feel of those icy fingers on my skin, or, worst of all, the thought I had been helpless to save myself from my deadliest enemy. It sickened me, tortured me, until I couldn't stand being alone in my head anymore.
I couldn't stand being alone in my room anymore, either. I needed company. More specifically, I needed Embry. And I really wasn't interested in thinking too deeply about why that was. I just knew I felt better, stronger, safer, when he was with me, and I desperately needed that right now.
Quietly, I eased my way out of my window and sprinted the short distance to Embry's house. It stood still and silent in the darkness, and I slipped around to his open window. I could see him sprawled out on his back, his massive body taking up most of the small single bed, and I just watched him for a moment, unsure. He wouldn't be angry with me, would he? I needed him.
"Tank?" I whispered hesitantly through the screen to his snoring form.
In less than three seconds, he'd yanked the screen out and hauled me through the window onto his bed. I didn't even know it was possible for him to move that fast.
"Leah! What's wrong?" he exclaimed as I landed in a tumbled heap halfway across his lap. Mortified, I struggled to straighten myself out, and the big hands on my arms weren't helping my equilibrium any.
"Nothing. I, uh... I just couldn't sleep," I mumbled, unable to look up at his face.
"Oh," he breathed out with a gusty sigh of relief, but his hands didn't drop away from my arms. Maybe that was the reason my resolve cracked, crumbled, and fell away.
"Can I stay here with you?" I asked him, looking up at his deep chocolate eyes pleadingly. He just stared at me, dumbfounded, for a minute, and I had the sudden, intense urge to crawl under his bed and die.
Face burning, I made a move to climb back out his window. "Sorry. Nevermind. I'll just..."
"Whoa, wait, B. I thought you wanted to stay," he said quickly, and his strong hands pulled me back down to the bed again.
I bit my lip and refused to meet his eyes. "No, I just.... I had some temporary insanity, and I-"
But I was cut off when he suddenly pulled me forward as he laid back down and wrapped his arms around me. I would've protested more, but the way my head fitted perfectly into the hollow beneath his shoulder felt too good to ignore. Not to mention how calming his heart beating under my ear sounded, too.
"Couldn't sleep again?" he asked casually, and I frowned into the warm skin under my cheek.
"How'd you know I didn't sleep last night?"
"I, uh- you seemed really tired today. You know, sleeping in Molly this morning and all," he replied quickly. I shrugged, thinking that sounded plausible enough. It felt natural and right, and wonderfully sweet, when he ran a hand lightly through my hair and down my cheek.
"It's okay to talk to me. Open up- let me help," he whispered.
I swallowed hard against the lump that suddenly wedged itself in my throat. My first response was the need to pull away from him, insist that there was nothing wrong and I didn't- and would never- need his help. But really, considering I'd woken him up in the middle of the night because I couldn't sleep made that reaction kind of ludicrous.
Besides which, I was scared. And the smooth, hot skin under my cheek and the strong, gentle arms wrapped snuggly around me made me want to bury my face in his chest and cry until I'd let it all out.
I settled for snaking my arms around his waist in a death grip instead.
"He could've killed me, Tank," I finally whispered, so quietly I wasn't sure if he could even hear me. "He could've done whatever he wanted, and I wouldn't have been able to do a damn thing about it. I'm too weak, and too pathetic..."
Embry's hold on my tightened, and he bent his neck to rest his cheek on my hair. "You're not weak, Leah. You're not, don't think that. If you were weak, you would've shifted in that nightclub and hurt a lot of innocent people. But you didn't. And I don't know how you did that- I nearly lost control today. You're strong."
I shook my head, but I didn't answer him. I didn't want him to hear how close I was to crying from my voice. He sighed, his hands rubbing warm circles on my back.
"Look, Leah, any of the rest of us would've been just as bad off in a one on one fight with that guy, especially somewhere we couldn't phase. He's just flat-out tougher than us. Individually, anyway. I'd love to take him on as a Pack."
"Me, too," I mumbled in a small voice and felt, rather than saw, Embry smile.
"You aren't weak, B. And you're definitely not pathetic. You just got caught off-guard, and in a bad situation. You're not going to let that happen again, and neither are any of us. So can you stop beating yourself up about it now?"
"Probably not," I muttered into his chest. He sighed heavily in an unhappy way, and I found myself adding a hasty and unwilling, "But I'll try."
I felt him smile again in response, and that was good enough for me. I was supremely comfortable, lying there half on top of him while his hands rubbed my back in large circles, and the heat radiating off of him made me feel warm and drowsy. My sleepy brain was starting to make some serious plans for staying there forever.
I'd already slipped into a light doze when Embry nudged me carefully.
"Not that I want you to leave- 'cause I don't- but you do realize Sam's still having you followed, right?" he asked me quietly. "Meaning, they're all going to know if you stay here."
"Honestly, I couldn't care less," I replied sleepily. "Unless you do, I mean."
His chuckle vibrated under my ear. "Not a chance. Besides, getting the hottest chick in La Push to sleep in my room'll make me look even more awesome than I am. Which is saying something."
Lazily, I reached an arm up to smack him in the head, but he blocked my measly attempt easily. Suddenly, I remembered something that made me scowl heavily.
"Crap. I totally forgot to kick Jake's ass today," I muttered, annoyed. "Stupid Alice and her shopping distracted me!"
Embry burst out laughing, and I quickly slapped a pillow over his face to muffle it. I had no plans on clueing his mom in to the fact that I was in bed with her only son, no matter how innocent the whole thing really was.
Once he calmed down, I snuggled back into my comfortable position and promptly began to drift to sleep again. I felt so incredibly safe, like everything was okay in the world, when he wrapped his arms around me and held me close.
"You are the best person in the world, Embry," I mumbled just before I fell into a dreamless sleep.
PS: Happy Birthday, dress up romance xx!! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!