WARNING: You are about to embark on a emotional and some-what violent roller-coaster ride for the next few chapters. Crappy things are about take place. I just thought I should warn you all.
P.S.
Please don't hate me!
Chapter Twenty-one
Point of View: Jacob
Time itself crumbled and broke as Edward's ruby red eyes collided with mine. My heart instantly took off in a gallop and my wolf bulldozed his way to my surface howling madly to be set free, yet I was stuck firmly on two feet feeling like a blindfold had just been ripped from around my eyes. Edward, I saw Edward and I felt him so deep it made my bones tingle.
"Edward…" I murmured. The feel of his name on my lips and the sound of it in my ears caused me to smile. My feet moved forward on their own accord, and as soon as I was at arms length to the vampire I reached out and pulled him to me. I squeezed my arms around him holding onto tight fistfuls of his shirt.
Edward's arms came to rest around my waist and I can honestly say I have never felt so fucking sated in my life. I breathed in his sent, closing my eyes and resting my cheek in his silky hair.
After a few moments I pulled back, my hands sliding up to cup his face. His eyes looking up and meeting mine, every little bit of me softened, maybe even melted entirely. He had me. Edward fucking had me.
"…The fuck?" Jared bafflingly huffed.
I dropped my hands from Edward and turned to my pack, my brows pinched. "Guys, I just…" I paused, my mind working over what had just happened and realizing who I hadn't listened to. "Collin." I looked back at Edward, I didn't want to leave, but, fuck, Collin!
Without a second thought I rushed from the room and took off running down the hall. I made it to the staircase in no time, grabbing the black banister I flew up the stairs taking three at a time. I took a sharp right, my boots echoing with each step down the empty hall and I nearly flung myself into Collin's door. I put my hand to the doorknob and twisted. Locked.
I knocked. "Collin, it's me. Open up!" I shouted. No Answer. I knocked harder. "Collin!" Silence.
I banged my fist against the door. Come on. "Open the fucking door!" I commanded. I stood there for a few seconds straining my ears to hear any sort of noise from inside, but nothing was heard. "I'm coming in!"
I took a step back then threw my body forward and slammed my shoulder into the wooden door, successfully breaking the flimsy lock and swinging the door open. Taking in the sight before me I nearly choked and my heart instantaneously stilled while I felt all the blood drain from my face.
Only a few feet ahead foggy brown eyes stared mercilessly through me while parted blue-tinted lips screamed silently at me. I blinked lowering my eyes to the tipped chair lying sideways beneath his dangling bare feet. I couldn't breath. I couldn't think. I just stood there not knowing how to react.
It was only when I heard the thunderous footsteps of my pack and their laughter did I realize that tears had slicked my cheeks. I brought my shaking hands up, scrubbing them away. I stepped back and turned to face them as they entered the hall, Edward trailing along behind them all.
"Stop." My voice only coming out a little more than a whisper, yet they all listened and halted, except Edward who pushed through them his eyes glued to mine. "Collin's gone." I mumbled. Brows furrowed and confused faces looked to me for answers.
"What do you mean Collin's gone?" Jared questioned for them all.
I swallowed. "He's dead." I forced through wavering lips.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Paul growled.
I glanced to each wolf, flicking my eyes between them and coming to rest my eyes on Edward's. "He killed himself." I replied thickly. The vampire rushed himself to me and pressed his hands into mine that hung limply at my sides. Edward's head turned to view Collin's room and as soon as he caught sight of the scene he snapped his sight back to me with a horrified expression.
"What?" Brady gasped, tears emerging full force and his hands came to cover his face. "What did you see, Edward?" He took a step forward.
"Don't!" I shouted. "Stay there."
A distressed Embry quickly went to Brady, wrapping an arm around the pup. "Come on, let's go." He tapped Seth's arm. "Come with us." Seth nodded in response.
"Go with them Quil." I grumbled, my hands squeezing Edward's.
"But…" He sighed woefully.
"Fucking go!" I yelled. Hot angry tears sprung from my eyes, yet were never to be seen. As quickly as they came my vampire pulled his hands from mine to sweep them away.
The four wolves left and Jared and Paul made their way closer. Together they peered into the room. "Oh my god." Jared choked out. Paul remained silent except for the rustling of his clothing as he shoved his hands into the front pockets of his pants as he turned away.
I pushed past them and made my way into the room and righted the fallen chair. "One of you help me get him down." I bitterly ground out. Paul glanced back, but only to immediately look away again and shook his head no. "Jared?" I pleaded.
His face fell and he wrapped his arms around himself. "I can't."
"Guys, this is your fucking brother!" I loudly and miserably stated.
"I'm sorry." Jared muttered, leaving the room and tugging Paul along with him.
"What the fuck?" I shrieked. My hands clenched at my sides and goosebumps rose on my skin as I became hyperaware that Collin's body was hanging behind me.
My heart sank as I watched an apprehensive Edward enter the room. He cautiously went to a plain wooden desk, taking the chair that was tucked into it and bringing it over to us. "I'll help." His lips pressed into a thin line and I nodded my thanks.
We each stepped onto a chair and Edward wrapped an arm around Collin's ribs to lift him up and as he did so I removed the rope from around the pup's bruised neck. I swiftly took Collin's limp body in my arms, bringing my feet to the ground and Collin to his unwrinkled bed to lay him down.
I kneeled on the floor and Edward came to sit with me. I reached across the pup pressing a finger gently to each eyelid to close them. My vampire turned to me, his hand coming to rest on my forearm. "Did love do this?" He asked.
"Yeah." I sighed. "Love did this." I stood, shaking my arm free and walking away from them both. I couldn't look at Collin, not like that, and I really couldn't deal with Edward's inner conflicts, not right now. I left the room with my vampire quietly following.
Paul and Jared were sitting along side the wall by the door as I exited the room. "Paul." I hissed and his eyes darted to mine. "I thought you said saw him this morning."
"I did." He nervously fiddled with the sleeve of his shirt "He was upset about that leech, but he seemed okay."
"He wasn't fucking okay!" I screeched, my temperature rising and my wolf yowling.
"I thought he was!" The wolf shouted back.
I lunged forward, grabbing Paul by his shirt and yanking him to his feet. "You're a fucking liar. You never saw him and I knew it too. You detest leeches, they fucking disgust you, and that little Bree Tanner leech gave you enough reason to hate Collin as well."
Paul's eyes widened. "What? No way!"
"You never fucking saw him and you didn't want him at the meeting this morning and that is why you stopped me!" My hands slipped from his shirt to his neck, wrapping around it and pressing him to wall behind him. "This is your fault!" I yelled and my fingers squeezed.
Jared shot to his feet. "Jesus, your highness, fuck! He wouldn't do that!"
Ignoring Jared my teeth gritted as my fingers pressed further into Paul's neck. "This is your fucking fault!" I snarled, particles of my saliva dotting his face. His Jaw flapped as he tried to speak and he struggled as he tried to shake his head no.
"Oh god, stop, please stop!" Jared begged.
"Shut the fuck up!" I hollered, briefly glancing my angry eyes to the wolf – he had no choice but to listen. I turned my attention back to Paul. "I knew your were a mistake! I fucking knew it!" His face reddened as the pressure grew and his body flailed in my tight grasp, his hands pushing, pulling and hitting me. I didn't care, not one bit.
Jared moved forward, his hands about to touch me. "Get the fuck away from me!" I demanded, and he took a few forced steps back. I bore my eyes into Paul's watery ones. "I hope you suffer every little bit Collin did. Go to hell Paul, and fucking burn!" I hatefully spat while getting ready to squeeze my hands one last bit to break the wolf's feeble human neck.
Catching me off guard a strong and cold hand grabbed at my shoulder from behind, tugging me back. Reflexively my hands dropped from around Paul's neck and my elbow lifted and shot rearward. A loud crack was heard as my elbow came into contact with someone's face. I twisted in time to see Edward stumble back, his red eyes squinted and his cheek looking like cracked porcelain.
"Edward!" I gasped, hurrying toward him.
He raised his arms to keep me at a distance. "I'm fine." He stated, rubbing his hand across his cheek. Once he pulled it away the cracks were already healed and gone.
"God, I'm sorry." I tried to reach for him again, but he pulled away.
"It's fine." Edward said in a rushed tone. His eyes flicked to the side and I followed his gaze. Paul was crouched on the floor grasping at his throat and sputtering, Jared at his side.
"Guards!" I hollered. "Guards!" Within seconds I heard the sound of bustling footsteps and not too much long after a handful of wolves came into view.
"Your highness?" A plain looking wolf questioned.
I pointed to Paul. "Take him to purgatory." I growled.