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Chapter Twenty
Unexpected
SPOV
The blood flowing through my veins nearly froze. I had been running throughout the forest all evening. I was trying to get the events of the earlier part of the day out of my mind. It had taken me by surprise when I saw that Sam had shown up at the Cullens' home. He, like many of my pack brothers, still didn't want to be near them even though they didn't really consider them a threat anymore. Or at least that is what Sam and the others had wanted everyone to think. I had known better as I had shared my mind and Sam had shared his since I began to phase those many, many years ago.
When Sam began to get angry, I could hear his thoughts. This time had been different than the first time I had left Sam's pack. All those years ago, when Bella was fighting to save herself and Renesmee while she was still pregnant, I had left Sam's pack and joined Jacob's. I couldn't stand behind Sam and all the others that were agreeing with him. Not even my sister, Leah. I had disagreed with him and I agreed with Jacob and I left to join Jacob. The decision to leave had been easy. It had been the moment of that decision that my mind was no longer connected to Sam's anymore. Nor had been Jacob's. Or Leah's as she wouldn't let her little brother leave without her. After Jacob left to go with the Cullens, Leah began to work on not phasing anymore, she wanted to live a normal life. As normal for someone who had been running through the forest on four legs anyway. I had went back to Sam's pack and joined back into the brotherhood I had been born into. Quil and Embry had went with me. Sam and I was all that remained besides Jacob of the original pack. Well, Sam didn't any longer.
I had been running for hours and had thought I had my head cleared. I could hear the commotion near the cliffs, I could smell the mixture of humans and wolves, but not wolves in their phased form. I started running harder, trying to get to where the gathering was. I could hear the distant thoughts. Sam…Sam…Sam…His name was being repeated over and over. I couldn't understand. I phased shortly before reaching the cliffs that overlooked the Pacific. I saw Brady, one of the newer wolves, in his human form, looking over the edge. A couple other wolves were standing nearby, they too, in their human form. Colin and Travis. I walked over to Brady, who was on his knees, kneeling over, looking from side to side. I could see his nostrils flaring. He was shaking, but it wasn't a shaking that was of a wolf kind. It was a shaking of human nature. Of grief. "Brady," I called. "What's going on man?"
Brady took a few moments before turning to look at me. His eyes were dark, tears swelling in the corners. I watched his hands move against the ground, pounding with his fist. "Its Sam, man. Its Sam."
The words that I had been hearing echoed throughout my thoughts had been Brady's words, but I had heard them through the thoughts of the others as well. "I'm not following, man," I admitted. I wasn't grasping what was occurring. "What's going on, Brady?"
Brady's eyes darkened as he stood. He looked into my eyes, a discerning stare. "Sam is gone," he finally declared.
My thoughts wondered back to the time that Jacob had ran away when Bella had chosen Edward. I had always loved my brother, but his mood during that time had made it impossible for all of us. Leah especially. I had remembered how when he hadn't been chosen he had to get out of here. He ran. Maybe that's what Brady was getting at. Maybe it had to do with Emma. Emma. I had imprinted on Emma. I had kept it a secret for as long as I could because I wasn't for sure how Jake or any of the Cullens would react. I had remembered how Bella had tried to attack Jake when she found out he had imprinted on Nessie. I was afraid that Ness would in turn do the same to me. "Gone where?" I asked.
I saw the tears began to flow down the sides of Brady's face. "Nah, man, he's not gone like that. He wont be back. Sam is dead."
The words shot through my veins like pure ice. My body went rigid and I had to ease myself onto the forest floor. I looked over the edge as Brady had been doing. I could see the black tarp covering an object on the rocks below. It was below these rocks that Sam had met his end. I had known that Sam imprinted on Emma within days after I had. I had already spoken to him and he was aware that I had imprinted on her. He came to me, as he should have, as a brother, to tell me that he too had imprinted on Emma. Our words had gotten strong and we had gotten into a verbal battle. I had felt it wrong that he would pursue anything of any sorts to be around Emma. Whether to be a friend or just a protector. His wife, Emily, was still living, and she was his first imprint. The words got heated and I had told him he should stop phasing and die with Emily. I had never meant it. The grief of losing my brother began to overflow my senses. "This cant be, Brady. It cant be. I've been with Sam longer than anyone could imagine. He was all I have left from my old life."
Brady brought his hand up and put it around my shoulders, trying his best to over some solace in the situation. Everyone had known about Sam and my disagreement over Emma. It was impossible to keep secrets amongst the pack. Impossible because of the telepathy we share. It was only Brady that seemed to come near me. Then I began to hear the thoughts of the others, Colin and Travis. He probably did it himself, Colin said. I doubt that. He probably got one of his bloodsuckers to do it, or maybe Jacob. You know Jacob was jealous that when he came back he didn't have a pack and then Sam imprinted on his kid. Seth is our brother. We would know if he did it, Travis said back. Brady is over there with him, crying. He probably thinks Seth will be the new Alpha so he's trying to get his paws into being the Beta, Colin mumbled back.
Listening to the thoughts of the brothers in my pack, the brothers I had run with, the brothers I taught…my heart sank even further. I hadn't only lost Sam but I was losing the support of my pack. I had been no where near here when Sam went over the cliffs. I wasn't even sure what had happened. Why were they so quick to want to blame me? I had been with Sam and had known Sam much longer than them. It took loyalty to stay around as long as I had. My gaze moved from the figure under the tarp at the bottom of the cliffs to Colin and Travis. If I had still been a young wolf, I would have phased by now and been on top of them. But instead, I let a growl out of my throat and moved past them.
I began to run, human form, and as I got out of the sight of the human eyes I phased. I could hear my clothes ripping apart. I didn't care or bother to remove any of them. I could move a lot faster on four legs versus two. I had no idea where I was going, what to do. I just had to get away from there. My legs were moving quickly beneath me, I could see all around. The tears were still coming, shedding faster than I had shed any tears in a long time. I hadn't been so upset since I had lost Leah. Sam was all the family I had left. The only family I had of my La Push family. I still had my Cullen family. Other than Jacob, I had been the only other wolf to see them in such light. I had actually felt that way for the Cullens before Jake had. I knew where I had to go, and to whom.
On my way to the Cullen house, I tried to think of happier thoughts. I could picture Emma. Someday, I would become her best friend, her protector, maybe more as Jake had become to Nessie. Imprinting didn't guarantee a love connection, but it did guarantee a soul connection. Emma looked much like her father, dark hair, dark skin. She was a beautiful child. I knew that Jacob was upset with me, not as much as Sam, but he was upset with me. He would understand eventually, I knew. I was counting on it. Jacob should know better than anyone what it is like to imprint on the forbidden. He had imprinting on Renesmee, angering Bella and Edward more than words could explain or dare to describe.
I tried to hold myself up, keep myself strong. I didn't want to show any signs of weakness but I couldn't help myself. I could hear the Cullens speaking with one another. I had been to the house earlier in the day, enjoying time with Emma as well as the rest of the family. They all had taken to my imprinting on Emma better than I had expected. I had felt guilty earlier, felt as if it was my fault that Masen had almost ended Sam's life. If I had not come there earlier, would Sam? I had felt as if I was to blame for Sam showing up so unexpectedly. I opened the door without bothering to ring the doorbell. I looked into the face of my dear friend, Edward, and without being able to stop, I stammered blindly to him, reaching out for an embrace. Edward was in so many ways a father figure to me, the father I had lost as a young boy.
I knew that there was no need for me to speak to let Edward know what was going on. His family began to ask him questions about my condition silently I was sure. Carlisle, the doctor as the wolf pack had always referred to him, the kind one, put his hand on my shoulder, offering me even more support. Carlisle had always been incredibly gracious and kind to me. He had become the La Push doctor unofficial when our families were finally able to put aside our natural differences. It was Carlisle who had bandaged us, taken care of our healthcare needs any time we needed it, making house calls as necessary. Edward stepped forward and began to speak, explaining to the room what he knew from my thoughts and from his sister, Alice's visions. The room grew eerily silent. I looked around at all the faces I could see. They all seemed nervous, scared. Would they be blamed? I was sure that was the thought that had to be going on in all their heads. I looked to each one of them. If I had to guess, I would say that of the Cullens, Emmett would be the one who would become the suspect. Or could it have been Masen? He was quite angry with Sam earlier in the day.
My thoughts were everywhere, trying to figure out what could have happened to Sam. I heard my brother as he walked into the room, joining the rest of us. Jacob had not heard the conversation that had just taken place. He wasn't aware that Sam was dead. I stepped toward my pack brother, my Alpha. "Jacob, I think we need to talk," I said.
Jacob had already noticed the demeanor of everyone in the room. "What's up, kid?" he asked.
His voice wasn't faltering, he actually sounded relieved, happy. His mood was relaxed. "Sam is dead," I said.
I watched as Jacob's brow came together and relaxed into the natural position. "Really, this isn't a joke?" he questioned.
I shook my head to affirm that this wasn't a joke. "No, Jacob, it isn't a joke. Sam is dead. He fell from the cliff. He landed below on the rocks. He is gone."
I waited just as the rest of his family did for Jacob's response. He grew quiet. "I guess that's one less worry," he said.
I heard the gasps all around as Jacob's words sunk in. I was shocked at how cold Jacob was being toward Sam. It was so unexpected, his reaction that is. Jacob shrugged his shoulders and headed for the staircase. Nobody said a word. The shock of Jacob's words, the coldness, had left the room still as the night.