AN: I apologize for not responding to my reviews like I usually do. Thank you so much to each and every one of you and to my most awesome beta, you guys uplifted me when I really needed it this week.
DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN TWILIGHT
Old Quil reluctantly moved forward to face the infuriated vampire before him. As much as he may have wanted to support Sam in his bid to exterminate the bloodsucker with extreme prejudice, they were dealing with the most sacred belief of their people as well as the reason why the bond was so revered and why it was forbidden to harm an Imprint for any reason.
"It would be in your best interest, as well as that of your Imprint and child to allow me to finish, vampire."
Demetri was torn. Every fiber in his being screamed for him to spirit Leah as far away from her so called people as he could possibly take her... But that was not logical thinking, only instinct. She had to be near Carlisle in case there were any more complications during the pregnancy and birth. She might not say anything, but it would hurt her if he took her away from what was left of her family and she would most definitely be upset, prompting their child to release more poison into her bloodstream. He turned to face Leah and had to struggle with the urge to drag her into his arms. She looked worn out. He dropped a kiss on the shell of her ear as he bent to whisper in her ear.
"You look exhausted mio cuore. We do not have to stay for this. I have heard enough if you want..."
Leah smiled up at him and shook her head.
"No Demetri, we finish this. If only out of respect for that poor girl and her Imprint. We owe them that much at least."
He scowled, wondering when he had gotten to the point that he could deny her nothing and why did they owe anything to some long dead couple, before turning back to face Old Quil with a low, menacing growl.
"My mate needs her rest. End this quickly or I will be forced to end you, Old Man."
The Eldest of the council took a cautious step backward and away from the angry vampire. If there had been any doubt in his mind that there had in fact been an Imprint between a Wolf and a Cold One, the vampire's rabid, violent devotion had rapidly erased it. He took a deep breath.
"Following the destruction of his Imprint the Wolf was... catatonic. It was almost as if his soul had been lost along with his Imprint. He had to be carried back to the village where he lay as if dead for a week. He did not eat, did not drink, nor did he speak to anyone, only slept like the dead. The elders and the wolf pack hoped that when or if he regained his senses, he would realize that his brothers had merely acted in his best interests as well as the best interests of the tribe. They were so wrong."
As Quil paused for breath and la lupa's pack drew closer to the she wolf, her brother laying a protective hand on her shoulder, the Volturi Guard scoffed.
"Had I been in his situation, they would all welcome death as a blessed release from the torture I would visit upon them as well as their loved ones."
Old Quil and Sue both gave the European an odd look at his words. Sam looked apoplectic with rage at the coldly stated threat but thankfully managed to remain silent allowing Old Quil to continue.
"After laying catatonic for a week the heartbroken wolf finally did wake but he spoke to no one for another week, barely ate, and closeted himself in the home he had shared with his Imprint, shunning all who tried to approach him.
"When he did finally emerge he was... changed. By all accounts he had been an easygoing, affectionate man, much like our young Seth. However, now he was... cold, contemplative. The stories say he came out only under the cover of night and had little interaction with some of the Imprints. He never spoke to his brothers or came near them. Nevertheless, the tribe hoped he was slowly getting over his loss."
Demetri's voice was certain when he interrupted.
"They were mistaken. There is no way he would allow the slaughter of his mate to go unpunished."
Sam glared at him and scoffed.
"I suppose you think you know the mind of a wolf just because you knocked one up?"
The tall vampire's hands clenched into fists at his sides but he refused to look at the alpha as he addressed him, instead looking straight ahead.
"I would prefer that you not speak of or to my mate. She is no longer any concern of yours. However, if you persist in addressing her with a disrespectful tongue, I will remove it from your mouth with my bare hands. I will not warn you again, Dog, and do trust me on this; I am very adept at such procedures. As to your ridiculous question, I don't purport to know the mind of a wolf, I speak as a man and I know what I will do if anyone attempts to harm what is mine."
Jacob had endured enough of Sam's pointless interruptions and attempts at petty one-upmanship with Demetri. He brought nothing to the table and served only to prolong the meeting. Like Demetri, Jacob could see that Leah, despite her brave front, was exhausted. She looked dead on her feet, and ready to pass out. He moved to stand beside the vampire and glared at both Sam and Old Quil.
"This is getting ridiculous. I have no intention of keeping my Pack, especially Leah, here all night for story time. We came here for a purpose. I think your story has proven that there is no reason to doubt the validity of Leah's Imprint. Why are we still here?"
Quil sighed. Ah, the impatience of youth.
"Although our history may give credence to Leah's Imprint, it also serves as a warning. One all of us must heed."
He looked around the silent crowd for a few seconds before he continued in a hushed tone.
"The Cold One is correct. It has been speculated that the murder of his Imprint broke the wolf warrior's mind as well as his heart. One night the entire pack was at home. There had not been a vampire sighting for several weeks and everyone was relaxed. That is when he struck.
The warrior sat staring into the flames as the rest of his tribe enjoyed themselves. As he watched his brothers laugh with their Imprints he could barely conceal the hatred that now coursed through him like a poison, consuming him. How could the men who he had grown up with, played with, fought with and once loved as brothers ever be so oblivious to the pain that seemed to be ripping him apart? Every time he closed his eyes he saw his wife, her beautiful lips curled up into that one smile which had never ceased to thrill him and set his heart to racing.
After his first phase no one had been surprised that she had been his Imprint. They had already been inseparable and had already started planning their lives together before his change. The Imprint took that bond to a mystical level. They had become more than friends, more than lovers. They had truly been one mind, one heart and one soul... until she had been destroyed, murdered because his brothers had been too arrogant to listen. Too steeped in hate and prejudice to let him show them his sweet girl was still the same, even with the red eyes.
Now they all sat around the fire happy, unaware of the evil that they had created and now had grown among them. It was almost funny that his brothers had believed they were destroying evil when they killed his sweet girl. In reality when they took her from him, they took everything that was good in him as well. The only thing left now was a beast, one that had been changed as his beautiful girl had been changed. A beast that, upon her death, became something that now only harbored an unquenchable thirst, not for blood, but for vengeance. He stood slowly and all eyes fastened on him as conversation quieted.
"You should never have harmed her. She was... my everything."
He felt wetness on his cheeks but didn't bother to wipe the tears away.
"You were right. She had been changed. We had been changed. But she had tried so hard to control the need for blood, and when I started to share that need... We fought it together and we won!"
He looked down for a second and when he looked back up his eyes were crimson.
"You killed an innocent, one of those we are supposed to protect. Through the Imprint I felt every wound, every burn... I felt when her precious life was taken!
I will make sure tonight that you never hurt another wolf in this way."
"In one night, he slaughtered all but one member of the Pack. Before the eyes of their Imprints, their parents, their siblings and their children, he killed them all. With his bare hands."
The shocked silence lasted for a full minute before Jacob found his voice.
"How... How did one wolf stand against ... what? Five, six others?"
Old Quil shook his head.
"He wasn't in his wolf form and he fought against eight of his brothers in their wolf forms as well as other members of the tribe. They were no match for him because his... connection to his vampire Imprint had ... changed him. He was stronger, faster, more lethal than any Cold One they had ever encountered. The story suggests that he allowed only one of his pack brothers to live... after he had killed that wolf's Imprint so he could know the depth of such loss."
In the silence of the beach, Demetri's voice, barely above a whisper, was like an alarm.
"He had achieved his vengeance and he did not want to live without his mate. He also made sure that no one would ever harm another Imprint again. Very effective, until now..."
Leah couldn't be silent any more.
"So what are you saying? You think I'm going to run amok and kill you all if you make a move on him?"
Old Quil shrugged.
"Unfortunately, based on past events, that is actually a distinct possibility. However, there are other things to consider. While we have witnessed the Imprint phenomenon over the years, it has never been as powerful as in the time of our ancestors. The fact that you seem to be breaking all the rules: a female wolf who has imprinted on a vampire and now carries his child, is cause for concern. An Imprint such as yours has not been seen since the time when the bond was more than just the joining of a man and a woman; it was the joining of two souls into one. Consequently, you need to be concerned that, if your Imprint is that deep, there will be many changes that both of you may undergo."
Demetri's eyes narrowed as he thought back to the changes that Leah's body had already undergone. Increased strength, heightened senses, changes in eye color, loss of appetite for human food, blood cravings, lowered body temperature, blackouts. Could all these changes be as a result of her body adjusting to carry their son? Or was it a result of her body changing because of her connection with him?
Leah's eyes had widened and her eyes sought out her imprint. Not only was his personality changing, he seemed to be developing decidedly un-vampire like behaviors like sleeping and drinking very little blood. Suddenly she felt faint. Her hand tightened on his arm and he immediately looked down at her.
"I want to go home Demetri... now."
He didn't need to be asked twice. He swept her into his arms and took off into the forest at top speed, instinctively trusting Jacob and his Pack to deal with any repercussions. As he ran towards the Cullen mansion, Demetri's mind was racing at the speed of light. On the one hand, he found the old Quileute's rather long winded tale to be rather positive. If the tribe accepted that he was Leah's Imprint that meant he wouldn't have to look over his shoulder, anticipating an attack at any moment, perhaps taking a preemptive strike and slaughtering them all, thereby upsetting her. Les worries meant he could focus one hundred percent on his mate, his son and their needs.
On the other hand, Demetri wasn't sure how he felt about his body changing. He had noticed that he had not felt the thirst since he had indulged shortly after his arrival in Forks. At the time, he had chalked his lack of appetite up to concern over Leah but now... now he wasn't so sure. He had also been concerned about his sleeping habits. What had been a phenomenon that occurred only once or twice in Volterra had become an activity that was linked to Leah. When she slept, so did he. As far as he was concerned, his ability to protect her twenty four hours a day was now compromised and that he didn't like at all.
Leah snuggled closer to Demetri, finding comfort in his cool arms. She smiled as the baby kicked and patted her belly affectionately. She decided to focus on the positive outcome of the meeting rather than the possibility of a negative one. He was safe. None of her brothers or her former Packmates would dare to hurt him now and she had to smile at the thought of them fearing that she would flip out and kill them all if they harmed even one hair on her inprint's head. Considering the way she had acted in the past, it probably wasn't a huge stretch for them, especially since their wolf ancestor had been easygoing which she decidedly was not. Not to mention the fact that she probably would destroy anybody who attempted to harm her Imprint and her child.
Within minutes of their departure from the beach, Demetri was back in their room and placing Leah gently on the bed. He stood anxiously at her side, ready to race downstairs and call Carlisle at the slightest sign of distress.
"Are you okay? Do I need to..?"
Leah held out a hand which Demetri immediately took and allowed her to pull him down to lay by pher side. He held her close, one hand cupping her belly, rubbing lightly and smiling at the movement within. Leah covered his hand with hers.
"Have you been thinking of names? We'll probably be meeting Mini Fangs sooner rather than later."
Demetri actually grimaced.
"I really must request that you do not encourage your brother to continue using that ridiculous..."
Leah interrupted him with a laugh.
"It's just a nickname, Demetri. Seth doesn't mean any harm."
Her Imprint was clearly not amused.
"You know if he was not your brother I would kill him for that ridiculous moniker."
Leah's laugh once again filled the room because, as crazy as it sounded, she knew Demetri was absolutely serious.
"And I thank you for that mercy. I have become fond of the little whippersnapper. But don't try to change the subject. Any ideas? I..."
She paused and looked down.
"If you don't mind, I would like his last name to be Clearwater, for my father."
Demetri nodded, he much preferred her name to Volturi. For some reason he did not want the bloody history of the coven attached to his innocent son.
"Clearwater is a strong name. I have no problem with that. What do you think of Leandros?"
"Leandros..."
Leah smiled as she said it, testing the sounds.
"It's beautiful. Is it Italian?"
Demetri shook his head.
"Greek. It means "lion man" and since he might very well be a shifter I thought it would be apt. Also, he should have something of his mother in his name."
"Leandros Clearwater. I like it. What do you think Mini Fangs? Do you like it? Think you can live with it for the rest of your long life?"
The baby kicked vibrantly eliciting a gasp and another laugh from his mother.
"I think we have a winner Demetri, but it seems a little incomplete. Leandros needs a middle name."
He shrugged.
"As long as it is not Mini Fangs I'll be fine with it."
AN: I would like to dedicate this chapter to my fiancé who I lost yesterday. Big D was the best thing that ever happened to me. He didn't imprint on me but he loved me with everything within him, every moment of every day and never got tired telling me and showing me how he felt. I miss you Big D and I will love you until the end of time. MUAH!