Chapter 21

The dark forest flashed by Claire's window at blinding speeds as Louis flew around hair-pin turns, heading toward Nessie and Jake's house. Claire's agitation had not dissipated on the way over like she'd hoped it would. When they arrived, Renesmee was waiting for them outside, her bronze curls bobbing up and down in excitement as she bounded the length of the porch in one leap.

"Finally! I was starting to get worried," Renesmee called out, waiting at the top of the stairs. "Is everything all right?"

"Yes Renesmee, we're okay," Louis answered as he helped Claire out of the car.

"Where's Quil?" Nessie asked, her eyes flashing back and forth between Claire and Louis.

"He said he'd be along shortly," Louis replied, guiding a silent Claire up the stairs onto the porch.

"Claire, are you okay?" Renesmee inquired as the three of them entered the house. Louis immediately set Claire down on one of the sofas in the room. Claire still could not speak, her mind spinning as she thought about Quil and the feeling that had descended over her as they left him behind. Something's not right; something's wrong, Claire kept repeating to herself. What is Quil planning on doing by himself? That's not the way the pack is supposed to work. The others would help if only he'd let him.

"Claire!" Renesmee's normally gentle voice broke through her thoughts loudly, bringing Claire back to herself. "Claire, what is it? What's wrong?"

"I'm just worried about Quil," Claire said finally, looking around the room for the first time. Louis was kneeling in front of her, his icy hands grasping hers; Jacob and Renesmee stood a few feet away, Nessie's face focused on hers, her eyes full of concern; and for the first time in many years, Claire laid eyes on Renesmee's parents, Edward and Bella. They look exactly the same as they did the last time I saw them, Claire thought to herself.

"Our kind doesn't change much," Edward replied light-heartedly, responding to her thoughts. Edward chuckled quietly as both he and Bella gracefully strolled closer and sat on one of the sofas across the room. Claire tried to join in on his laughter but couldn't, worried thoughts of Quil still racing through her mind.

"Why are you so afraid for Quil?" Edward asked, forming his question in regards to her thoughts.

"Louis' maker, Lestat, is on his way," Claire began to explain.

"Yes, we know," Bella answered. "Alice called to tell us about it. That's one of the reasons that we're here."

"Okay, but what are you going to do?" Claire inquired.

"We're here to protect you," Edward replied.

"Why me?" Claire asked aloud with a sigh. "I wish that we could just run for it, but Louis already told me that wouldn't work."

"And he was right, especially if Lestat is anything like James was," Bella commented. "Once he set his mind to something, there was no stopping him."

"That's Lestat all right," Louis insisted, moving to sit next to Claire, on of his marble hands still enveloping hers.

Jacob and Renesmee continued to stand in the middle of the room, Nessie silently conversing with Jake, her ivory hand gently touching his russet face.

"What do you want me to do?" Jake implored quietly. Claire looked over again to see Nessie lower her hand and close her eyes. Jacob threw his arms around her, kissed her forehead lightly, releasing her as he turned to leave.

"Do you need help, son?" Edward asked, apparently in response to Jacob's or Renesmee's thoughts. Jacob simply shook his head and gazed at Edward for a moment, who responded with a slight nod, and then Jake turned and ran out the door.

"Where's he going?" Claire inquired, trying to make sense of their silent exchange.

"Jacob is going to phase and attempt to contact Quil," Edward explained, his voice honest and sincere. "Depending on Quil's intentions, Jacob may let him go or attempt to stop him."

"What's Quil planning to do?" Claire questioned, gripping Louis' icy fingers tightly.

"We're not exactly sure at the moment," Edward answered, his eyes flickering to Renesmee's face. "He knows about Lestat coming here, but we are still unclear as to his intent."

"How would he know about Lestat?" Claire demanded, her face frozen in a mask of horror. "I never said anything to him about it, so how did he find out?"

"Well, when the pack is in their wolf forms, they can hear each other's thoughts," Renesmee explained slowly, her eyes cautiously darting back and forth between Claire's face and the window, hunting for some sign of Jacob. "Their thoughts are as one, and so what one mind knows, the others know also. When one feels pain or anger or any emotions, the rest feel it as well."

"Wow," Claire gasped, trying to wrap her already congested mind around this new information. "So how is Jake going to stop Quil? He won't hurt him, will he?" Claire inquired hesitantly, unsure whether or not she really wanted to know the answer.

"No Claire," Edward replied. "Jacob is the Alpha, or leader, of the pack. If Jacob gives Quil an order, he has no choice but to obey."

Claire looked at Louis, whose perfect features were creased with concern – his molten gold eyes fixed upon her face; Claire sighed and smiled slightly, gently squeezing Louis' icy hand. He returned the pressure softly, a slight grin melting the frozen features of his face, but it did not touch his eyes. Just then, a howl ripped through the quiet evening, every head snapped towards the sound, except Edward's, and then all was still once more. The room continued its silent vigil, awaiting any word or sign from Jacob. A short while later, Edward's head turned toward the porch, as if someone had called his name.

"Nessie?" Edward spoke softly, inclining his head towards the outside of the house. Renesmee was out of her seat in a flash, the screen door closing with a squeak being the only evidence of her movement.

"What's going on?" Claire demanded, following Renesmee's quick movements to the best of her ability. "Where is she going?"

"Jacob is outside in his wolf-form," Edward began explaining, his eyes wary and full of concern. "He didn't want to phase back to relay the story. Jacob has been unable to locate Quil. Jake cannot 'feel' his presence, therefore Quil is in his human form, somewhere. Nessie and Jake are going hunting for him."

Claire inhaled sharply, almost to the point of pain. What is he doing? Claire thought internally.

"We're not really sure; the only thing that we're sure of is that Quil doesn't wish anyone to know where he is, what he's doing or planning to do," Edward replied aloud. "That's why he won't phase to communicate with Jacob."

Claire lowered her head into her hands, one of Louis' icy palms coming to rest on the base of her neck, sending chills down her spine. "This is all my fault," Claire whispered solemnly, her eyes becoming wet.

"What makes you think that, Claire?" Bella inquired softly, a look of long-ago pain slowly creeping across her face.

Taking a deep breath, her eyes downcast and focused on the floor, Claire said, "Earlier today, I told Quil that I was in love with Louis. And he was upset that I had chosen a vampire over him." Claire glanced up to see Louis' face, a mask of serenity, his eyes the only traitors to his internal pain. "Quil's always been around, and I love him to death……just not that way. He's like a big brother to me, but he kept hoping that one day things would change. He kept saying that I was supposed to be with him; my Aunt Emily kept trying to tell him that since I was so young when he imprinted, that things may not turn out like he expected."

"I had wondered about that myself," Bella replied softly. "I vaguely remember it. Quil imprinted on you when you were only a baby, and my thinking, once they explained things to me, was 'How will this possibly work out?' and also 'Does she even have a choice in the matter?'"

Claire simply nodded her head, then laid it to rest on Louis' stone shoulder with a heavy sigh. "It will be all right, love," Louis whispered fervently, smoothing Claire's hair with his frigid hand, lightly pressing his icy lips to Claire's forehead.

"I hope you're right, Louis," Claire said quietly, burying her face in the cold crease between Louis' neck and shoulder. The clock moved lethargically, minutes dragging by as if a spell had been cast, slowing the progression of time itself. Claire would randomly lift her eyes from the dark protection of Louis' frame to glance at the clock, then at Bella and Edward – both of whom looked like living statues – and then returned her face to the sanctuary of darkness, nestled beside Louis' immaculate form.

A short while later, the rumbling of her stomach reminded Claire that she hadn't eaten anything since her breakfast that morning with Louis.

"Oh Claire, I'm so sorry," Bella said, breaking the silence. "I completely forgot. Nessie was supposed to cook dinner after you got here. Would you like me to make you something?"

Claire slowly lifted her head from Louis' shoulder, tilting it side to side to stretch the muscles of her neck. Inhaling slowly, she replied, "Yeah, that's really nice of you, Bella. Thanks. What was Renesmee going to make?"

"She was going to make enchiladas," Bella responded. "Would you like to give me a hand?"

"Sure, sounds like fun," Claire answered half-heartedly, her mind still lingering on Quil.

"Don't worry, Claire," Edward assured her. "We won't let anything happed to Quil, or to you." Edward smiled tentatively, hoping to ease Claire's mind, no doubt. Bella stood swiftly, yet gracefully, and began to make her way to the kitchen, gliding over the floor so smoothly, it almost looked as if she were floating. Claire sighed once again, leaned over to give Louis a gentle kiss on his frigid lips, then stood and followed Bella into the kitchen.