A/N: Just want to say sorry for how long it took to get this one up. I am just no good when it comes to fight scenes and this one really kicked my butt. But I'm back and this is a pretty long chapter, I've got 18 pages in this one, so I hope you all enjoy!
Chapter 23
Cole was aggravated today. Emily knew it, Aidan knew it, and as soon as Sam pulled up the gravel drive, he knew it too. Making his way toward the house he could hear his oldest son pacing back and forth in his room, and if he kept it up he would probably wear a hole in the hardwood floor and land on top of Emily's table. It had been a long time since Sam had to fix that table and he didn't want to start back up again. Before he even made it half way up the walk he called out for Cole. As soon as he did he heard the pacing stop, and then his son muttered something under his breath that even Sam couldn't hear. Not long after, he heard a door slam, Emily scold him, his not so apologetic reply and a chuckle from Aidan.
Letting the screen door slam on the front door, Cole stomped down the steps toward his father. When he got there he stood near Sam, his eyes angry. "Are you going to be able to control yourself tonight Cole?"
Cole snorted at him while looking to the left at the forest, "Sure thing, Dad why wouldn't I, you know catching up with the leeches sounds like a blast."
"Cole," although Sam wasn't Alpha anymore-hadn't been for years-there was still enough timbre in his voice for his son's wolf to cower, enough to know that Sam meant business.
Cole's eyes snapped to Sam's as his arms dropped from his chest, "I just want to get this over with; I don't want the bloodsuckers around here anymore."
Sam nodded his head at his son, he knew he was telling the truth, but Sam also had this feeling there was more to it than just wanting the leeches gone.
"We're meeting with the Cullens at six, lets go in and eat then we'll meet the rest of the pack at Jake's and head to the clearing."
Sam could see Cole's eyes begin to squint before his fist clinched, "I'm not hungry I think I'll just head down to the beach and meet you at Jake's in a while."
Sam studied his son's face, his hands and body language, he was hiding something he was sure of it. It made him wish Cole would talk to him, but when he got like this, got upset about something, he would have to work it through on his own or at least attempt it before he came to anyone about it. Thing was, Cole always talked to Emily first about what was going on with him, and when Sam got home last night to his son doing the same thing as he was today, he had asked Emily if she knew what was going on with him. Sadly, she shook her head no.
Aidan, on the other hand, knew what was going on. Once Jake had allowed them to phase back, all of them did, all of the wolves were angry, all of them cussing and trying to work out a plan of attack, but Cole was quiet, too quiet for Aidan's liking and when he asked him about it, his brother tackled him and held him in the dirt while snarling over him. Apparently he didn't want attention brought to him. Once Aidan nipped at his front leg, Cole let him up but phased back human, punched a tree and took off running toward La Push. All the wolves had stopped and watched the exchanged, but when Aidan tried his best to shrug his lupine shoulders, they were off again.
When he got home that night, he asked Cole what his problem was and all he said was Ali. Then it clicked, the way Cole was acting, the snarl that almost startled Aidan when Ali imprinted, that came form his brother. Cole had a crush on Ali. Aidan being the good younger brother that he was wouldn't say anything; one because Cole probably would beat his ass for real if he did and two because Cole was a big boy; if he wanted to tell someone he would.
Sam took stock of his son once more before taking a breath, "You know Cole, if you need to talk to us about something-anything-we're here."
Cole nodded his head curtly while looking at the path that led down to the beach.
"You can go, but don't go far from the rez. We don't want any of you kids far from town. Six o'clock at Jakes." Before Sam was finished Cole was plowing across the yard toward the beach. Sam shook his head turned on his heel and began walking back across the yard following the smell of Emily's fried chicken.
Cole was half way down to the beach when the scent hit his nostrils. Fists clenched, he stopped dead in his tracks, stuck his nose further into the air and took a long pull; lemon and lavender. The thought instantly pissed him off and he punched the tree that was nearest to him, not even wincing when he felt his knuckles push back from the force.
Cole tuned on his heel and began crashing through the trees following the scent. When it got further away from the reservation then he knew it was supposed to be, he snarled out of frustration and took off at an even faster clip. When he got to a patrol line he stopped and smelled again, Embry was patrolling today and so was Quil, but their scent wasn't heavy, they hadn't been on this side of the reservation in a while, the lemon lavender scent wasn't strong either.
Cole crossed over the patrol line. As he did so, he let his eyes scan either side of him and out in front, he didn't see anything, so he hesitantly began following the scent. He was on their territory now so he couldn't phase which left his skin crawling and his wolf growling under the surface. He had never been on Cullen territory, other than Forks on his own, but this was different. This was the woods and the Cullens were actually back. He could smell them.
Taking in his surroundings, Cole figured out where Ali was headed, what he couldn't figure out was why; more so why wasn't anyone here with her?
It was then that he heard Ali yelling. His feet began running before his mind caught up and as he crashed through the trees he saw the bronze-headed leech bending his head toward Ali, and then their lips connected. His wolf snarled and took off at a run that left Cole shocked. Just as Ali's hand began to lift Cole reached the pair and jerked her from the leech's hold.
He was shaking, trying to keep himself from phasing. His skin was hotter than it normally was, covered in dirt and grit from the forest. His eyes never left the leech, even as Ali was squirming and fighting behind him. He could feel her punching his shoulder blades, but it didn't hurt, his wolf was snarling at him, he couldn't make out the words that were coming out of his mouth, all he was worried about was Ali. It was then that his body lurched forward, taking Ali with him. She wasn't fighting anymore and the moment her hand splayed across his abs and her soft hand slapped over his mouth his heart skipped a beat. She had never touched him like this. His mind shifted gears and began working through what he had just seen. Ali was kissing the leech. That was supposed to be his kiss, not the bloodsuckers. Was she ok? He had to make sure she was ok, Ali was his, he loved Ali not the leech, and he didn't deserve her anyway. Cole was pissed when Ali imprinted, he was surprised Edward hadn't heard his thoughts screaming no, or the pack for that matter. He had been snarling like a rabid beast as he stood back and watched her imprint.
He could feel the vampire in front of him shifting through his thoughts and then a gleam sparked in his eye. When Ali's name flowed out of the leech's mouth, Cole couldn't contain the snarl that ripped through his throat. Then the bastard did it, every thing Cole had been thinking was ousted by the vampire. It pissed Cole off that his feelings and thoughts about Ali were out now, there for her to know, and he wasn't the one to tell her. He took yet another step forward.
When he felt her grip on his arm tighten, and then her breath fanned across his back, it was all that he could do to keep his heart in check, and his body from turning around and pining her to the closest solid surface and giving her the kiss that she really deserved.
As the threat slipped from Cole's lips, the vampire with the cocky look on his face turned and darted into the forest leaving he and a now panting Ali in his wake.
She jerked on his arm once more and Cole slowly turned to look at her. Her eyes were shining with unshed tears, which nearly broke his heart, and then he caught the scent of the vampire and his wolf was snarling again. His wolf didn't like that Ali was covered in the vampire's scent, but Cole was pissed that Ali had gone against Leah's orders and left La Push. Not only that, she had went into their territory looking for him.
Cole grabbed Ali's arms and slammed her body against his naked chest, his teeth bared, "What the fuck do you think you're doing Ali, coming here on their land looking for him? Why did you kiss him, what are you thinking?"
The wolf knew he wasn't hurting her, but Cole was losing control. He wanted answers, wanted to know why she did what she did, and when her normally wide innocent doe eyes turned angry and then into slits, Cole knew he was in for it.
"That is none of our damn business Cole Uley, who the hell do you think you are coming here and interrupting my conversation?"
"Are you serious? Your conversation, it didn't look like there was any talking going on to me. Why the fuck were you kissing him Sarah?"
Ali's eyes grew wide at Cole using her given name and then shoved him back from her. He went of course, but didn't let go of her arms so she was instantly crashing back into his chest. He was so warm and the smell of him when he was angry was something Ali's wolf couldn't ignore. The thought alone pissed Ali off.
"Don't you call me that, and get your hands off me right now or so help me Cole…, "her sentence was cut off then by Cole whipping around, a vicious growl coming from his throat as he crouched down in a protective stance in front of Ali.
Edward was running toward them, nothing but a white blur, she could smell him she knew it was him. He was telling Cole to phase and then yelling at her for her phone. She threw it to him not knowing what was going on, and then the words slipped from his lips and she froze.
They were coming.
Ali's hand shot out to Cole just as he phased and her hand threaded into the fur on his back. It was calming to her, she didn't want to let go. Cole let out the howl.
Edward snapped the phone shut and started toward her, but Cole jumped forward and snapped at him. The action had Ali stumbling into his wolf frame. Edward stared at Ali, trying to take her in his head, cocked from one side to the other, and then his eyes met Cole's.
If you've warned your pack you should change back now, she's is scared. There was a howl just then off in the distance, his pack was coming. Cole looked back at Edward before turning to Ali, looking into her eyes he could see the worry. He phased immediately. Her eyes went wide when she saw Cole's naked back, she wanted to take her eyes away but she couldn't. He slowly uncurled himself and before Ali could blink he was in front of her. He was close enough that she couldn't see anything, but far enough away that she wouldn't allow her eyes to wonder.
"What are we going to do Cole, we don't even know how to fight them yet or how many there are?"
"Hey shhh Sarah we're going to be fine, the pack is coming, the lee- Edward called his Coven, they're coming we'll be fine." Cole said while turning his head giving Edward a look, wanting him to help calm her fears.
"I've never… We've never been around more than three or four, what if there are more Cole?"
Cole couldn't take the look on her face any longer, the tears glistening in her eyes; he took a step toward her and reached out to her. As his fingers braided through her hair, her breath caught, his naked body was pressed against hers. She could feel his heat, all of his heat. He ran his thumbs down her hairline and over her temple making their way down to her jaw. Dropping his forehead to hers their eyes locked, "Sarah you need to keep safe ok, please." Then his lips were crashing down on hers. She gasped when his tongue made it's way into her mouth and she found her own pushing into his, wrestling with it. His grip on her neck got tighter as he drew her closer, the space between them was non-existent. When her hands slid around his lower back he stilled for a second and then his kiss grew into a frenzy. She couldn't breathe, didn't want to really, when his mouth disconnected from hers she whimpered. "Sarah," her insides clenched, no one ever called her that, "baby," that either. "Stay safe, we're doing that again." Cole took a step back from Ali, phased and ran to join the pack that had just made it out of the woods.
Ali's fingers pressed to her swollen, still tingling lips and smiled. That should have been her first kiss.
CJ leaned back in the kitchen chair and rubbed his aching stomach, he didn't think he had ever been this full, ever. It surprised him that when they had walked past on the way to the beach he didn't smell the roast cooking in the house; it shocked him when it was actually still there, what with Seth working just a few yards from the house out in the wood shop.
Bella had put two huge roasts on before she left for Charlie's house that morning and when they got in she quickly went about making the macaroni, peas and cornbread. It wasn't long after the clanking around in the kitchen had caught Seth's attention and then, ever so slowly, all the wolves made their way over to Jake's house, like her roast was a beacon for them. Every time the door to the house would open her heart rate would pick up thinking it was Jake, but once nearly every member of the pack was in the house she lost hope. Maybe he went ahead to the clearing.
Turning slowly around from the pack, most of which were sitting at the table that Bella didn't know could extend to fit nearly all of them, she began to slowly clean the dishes in the oversized sink. She was just getting ready to turn and grab one of the pots off the stove when two arms wrapped around her body and jerked her backward. She was yelping before her body slammed into his and then she felt him and smelled him. Her body melted into his and then his hot lips pressed into the back of her neck at the very top of her spine where her scar started and she couldn't help but sigh. Jake was home.
Jake's arms wrapped around her more, but he pushed her forward into the counter. Her hands smacked down on the top while he ground his hips into her, he was hard, Bella shuddered. Jake pushed his hips into her backside a few more times before she turned her head to catch a kiss. When their lips separated, Jake turned her and that's when she noticed they were alone in the kitchen.
Her hands slowly started to pop the buttons of his work shirt, she could hear the rumble low in his chest. His hands gripped her hips as he hauled her onto the counter. When Bella got down to his belt, her fingers slowly worked it open. Jake sucked in his breath enough for her fingers to dip down into his pants and then she popped the button. As she slowly began to tug his shirt up he helped her by ripping it off his shoulders. When the last two buttons of the shirt were opened it fell to the floor at his ankles.
Bella took him in, his burning eyes, that smile on his face. Who could witness that smile his pearly white teeth those pink full lips and not want to smile right back at him? She let her hands run up and along his shoulders before she pressed her chest into his. He wasn't moving but she could feel the muscles in his back bend and flex under the tips of her fingers. God she loved this man. As her flat hands curled in, her nails raked down his back and she felt him shudder when she pulled back just slightly. She took note that his nipples were hard. Was it weird of her to be turned on so much by a man's nipples? She really wasn't sure. Sticking a finger in her mouth, she twirled it around, looking at him innocently. His eyes were on fire now, his bottom lip caught between his teeth. She pulled her finger out with a pop and slowly circled his peak with a wet digit. Just as her mouth began to descend toward the peak she heard a grunt. Her head snapped up scanning the kitchen as Jake's shot around. There, sitting on a kitchen chair watching them, was Paul. That stupid smirk on his face and damn if he wasn't holding a bowl of… was that popcorn?
Jake's hands came around Bella and he pulled her near. He was snarling at Paul now who was only chuckling at Jake like was loosing his mind. When Jake took a step toward Paul Bella felt a buzz across her skin and the hair on her arms was standing on end. Paul must have felt it too, because the smirk dropped from his face, his eyes lowered to the floor and before she knew it he was standing and then walking out of the kitchen without looking back.
She looked at Jake who still had his teeth bared; he was staring out the front door where Paul had just disappeared. Bella's hands cupped his cheeks and slowly pulled his face around to meet her. His lips dropped and, although the smile wasn't there, he didn't look quite as mincing this way, "You didn't have to do that, Jake." He snorted and rolled his eyes. "Really Jake, he is just being stupid, it's no big deal, he didn't see anything."
"He's my damn brother-in-law Bella, he's married to my sister, and he keeps perving on us. He needs to stop, it's pissing me off."
"It's only been twice."
"Three times," Jake grit out.
"What?" Bella nearly squeaked.
"The first night Bells, he was there the first night too."
Bella's eyes grew wide, her heart started hammering in her chest. Jake could see the flush slowly start making its way up her chest. She pushed at him and launched herself off the counter, screaming Paul's name. They both could hear the howls of laughter outside.
Jake grabbed onto Bella's wrist before she could march out the door, and pulled her back toward him. He dropped a searing kiss to her forehead and smiled, "I need to get ready honey. Go out and wait by CJ and I'll be down in a few."
He could see her face drop as he said the words, "Bells, if you go upstairs with me, we won't come back down and we have to meet with the Cullens."
Bella nodded her head again, stood on her toes and kissed Jake. Her kiss was heated enough that he allowed his arms to wrap around her, his palms digging into her hips and then she pulled back, shot him a wink, and walked out the door to the now-hooting pack.
Jake walked down the steps in his cutoffs and scanned the pack meeting, each member was either leaning against trees or cars, "Where are Ali and Cole?"
"She went to the beach."
"He went to the beach."
Both Sam and CJ said in unison.
"I didn't see her at the beach when we were down there, CJ, did you?" Bella said as she took a step toward her son. It was then that CJ realized that he hadn't seen his sister, "No, I haven't seen her either."
"How long ago did Cole go down there, Sam?" Jake said pulling his cell phone out of the pocket of his jeans.
"It wasn't long after school. I had just gotten home from work. He was pretty worked up about last night still, I think."
"What happened last night?" Jake asked, handing his phone over to Bella. "Call her, see if you can get her on the phone. She's number two."
Jake could see a grin slowly spread across each of his pack members faces, minus Sam, Bella and CJ. "Well what is it?" Jake asked in irritation.
Paul of course was the one to step forward with a smirk growing on his face. He shot a look toward Aidan and Sam before his face turned back toward Jake, "Well, it seems that my niece has an admirer and he didn't like that she imprinted on a leech last night. Had him worked up pretty good on the run home from the clearing."
"What?" Jake Sam and CJ nearly screamed in unison while Bella shook her head.
"Yep," Aidan said popping the P, "we were running home and everyone was going on about what we should do about the Cullens and I noticed Cole wasn't saying anything, so I asked him what was up. He freaking attacked me, phased back human and ran home. He was pissed. Didn't you guys hear him when Ali imprinted?"
All heads snapped toward him in question, "He freaked out when she imprinted, I guess I'm not surprised anyone heard that. Pretty much everyone, including the vamps, were freaking out. Yeah, he's got a thing for Ali."
Bella's soft voice interrupted the bunch, "I can't get a hold of her, it keeps going to voicemail." Bella tucked the phone back into her pocket.
"Aidan, since you know what's going on, go down to the beach and look for Ali and Cole. Brady, go with him, we need to get to the clearing. I want to be there before the Cullens."
Bella looked on as the pack split. The girls walked to one side of the house to phase and the guys stripped right there. With a squeak, Bella's hands slapped over her eyes. She didn't want to see all of that. She could hear Jake's chuckle and then the buzz in the air as the wolves phased. When a wet nose met her neck she squealed and jumped away, it was Jake of course. Standing there Jake had that dopey look on his face and Bella couldn't help but run her hand between his ears and scratch. His head pushed into her hand as her scratching got harder and his chest began to rumble as well, "If you roll over on your belly and I scratch, will you kick your leg Jake?" She could see his wolfy eyes squint and the, he snorted, spraying her face with his snot. Before she could even get her sleeve to her face, he licked up along entire right side of her cheek.
Bella rocked back on the heels of her feet, her hands began to flap in the air and then she hit a wall of fur, looking over her shoulder she could tell that it was CJ, she pushed off of him nervous as of to what he was going to do, after all the last time she saw his wolf he was hovering over her with his jaws clamped around her throat.
CJ lowered himself to the ground, his belly dragging, and made his way to where Bella was standing clutching Jake's side. He made a little yip sound that had Bella looking at Jake in question. Jake pushed her forward with his massive head. When Bella got closer CJ slowly rose to meet her hand and almost made a purring sound when she scratched him between the ears, just like she had done Jake.
With a swing of his head CJ caught Bella's attention once more, "What is it boy?" she could hear the wolfy snorts behind her. Jake pushed her toward CJ once more, while his head swung backward and he lowered himself to the ground again.
"Oh, the wolf taxi." Bella could have sworn she saw him roll his eyes at that but he was lying on the ground now and Jake was nudging her with his nose again. CJ wasn't nearly as big as Jake was but when she climbed on she realized that he was big enough to feel like she was riding a small pony. When she took a deep breath and grabbed on to his fur, he shot up jostling her, and then he shook out, nearly knocking Bella off. She could feel the skin on his back move as he got comfortable with someone being back there.
It was then the other wolves came around the side of the house, Jake walked out front, CJ on one side of him Leah's wolf on the other, and the pack began to move, dipping into the forest. Once they were far enough into the trees, they began a steady pace toward the clearing. Bella lowered her body against CJ so she wouldn't get whacked with a limb.
They were more than halfway across the reservation when Brady and Aidan caught up with them and just over the treaty line when they heard the warning howl. CJ's body jerked to a stop, Jake's head swung toward CJ his eyes darted from his sons to Bella's and then they were running, crashing through the trees toward the clearing. Jake kept looking in their direction. Bella could hear his growls and CJ's in response. When they got close enough to smell Ali's scent on the breeze, Jake let out a howl and took off like a shot. It was only seconds before he was crashing through the trees of the clearing. What he saw in front of him though, had him skidding to a stop. His paws digging into the dirt, he was stunned. His daughter was kissing a very naked Cole in the clearing as Edward looked into the trees in the direction of Forks. When the rest of the pack sidled up beside him, he realized that they were all phased and Bella was walking was between CJ and Sam.
Sam's eyes were wide and CJ was snarling. Both Jake and CJ started to step forward before Bella's hand grabbed Jake's fur and her arm slapped down onto CJ's forearm. Jake stilled his movements, but kept his eyes glued to the scene before him. CJ looked down at Bella, his eyes angry. It was then that Cole's head snapped to the side. Meeting Jake's eyes, he took a step back from Ali, phased, and darted over to stand by his father's side. The pack watched as Ali smiled and ran the pad of her finger across her lips. Then she turned toward them, a flush to her cheeks, and slowly, head held high, walked toward them.
Once the pack was complete, Jake darted into the woods and phased back. He was running to the middle of the clearing to meet Edward when the Cullens came running to the woods. The pack quickly moved forward, an invisible line was drawn between the two.
"They should have been here by now; I was only a mile or two into the forest when I heard them. All of them were thinking one thing and that was to kill, that's all they were thinking. They were coming up the creek, and fast." Edward's eyes never left Jake's as he spoke.
Jake held his hand up to silence the growls from his pack, they could hear screaming in the distance and water being splashed about, the vamps were close, but what was the screaming? Jasper was only able to tell the pack not let the newborns get their arms around them and not to go for the obvious kill before the rabid vampires were crashing through the trees.
Bella's hand clasped on to Jake's before he shook it away, phasing as he leapt toward the center of the clearing. The Cullens were running in the direction of the newborns, it was mayhem. Wolves were phasing left and right, the forest floor was slowly being covered by scraps of clothing. It almost looked like confetti falling from the sky. Her body was jerked into CJ's grasp and he was running away from the fight. It was then that she saw Jake take down a vamp that very well could have been twice Jake's human size, and that was saying something. Bella watched on as Jake bit into the tattooed neck of the newborn and with a shake of his massive head, and the vampire's head fell to the ground.
Just as Jake's wolf went for another vampire, CJ was jerking to a halt. It was then that Bella realized there was a reason for it. Her head whipped around and there, standing in front of her, was Riley. Her breath caught. She could have passed out. The flashes of his sinister smile made their way to the forefront of her mind and she felt CJ stiffen even more. She looked down and saw that her hand was gripping his forearm and she knew that she had just accidentally shown CJ more of her memories.
His teeth were bared, his grip on Bella was so tight that it hurt. She didn't dare ask him to let her go though, she was just to scared, "I won't," CJ grit out through clenched teeth. Bella balled her hand into a fist not wanting CJ to witness any more.
It was then that Riley slowly began to circle them both; Bella felt CJ match Riley's circle, never losing sight of him. Turning her head, she was able to take Riley in for the first. His eyes couldn't possibly be more red, his white skin was covered with dry blood and dirt, his clothes were worn and tattered. It was then Bella recognized his coat. One arm was flat, the arm he was missing should have been there, but that coat was one Bella would never forget. It was Victoria's. How he got it out of the house Bella didn't know, she really didn't care. Just the sight of it made her blood run cold.
Riley stopped mid-stride and sneer, Bella gasped at the sight. Blood was covering his teeth, she could see it now in the corner of his mouth, "Oh Bella, it's been a long time since I've seen you."
CJ took a step, "Don't you dare speak to her." Bella could feel the buzz on her skin almost like the feeling she got when Jake was about to place an order. She could see the spit fly from CJ's mouth as he spoke to Riley.
"If that's how you want it then, mutt," Riley's arm shot out and sliced into CJ's rib right beside where Bella was being held. She wasn't sure if the cut was meant for her or CJ, but it had him snarling while dropping Bella's hand. His hand was splayed over the cut on his ribs, and the other was pushing Bella behind his back.
Riley lunged at CJ once more, but this time CJ's bloody hand shot out and connected with his jaw. Riley stumbled back just a bit before he shot forward again, tackling CJ to the ground. Bella's body was thrown backward where she landed on her back. The air was knocked from her lungs. Peeling her eyes open she saw Riley and CJ wrestling on the ground, CJ was still in human form.
"CJ, phase!" Bella screamed as she tried to scramble toward the two. CJ was lying on his back holding Riley's arm with one hand and his chest with the other, keeping Riley above him. His elbows were locked, but the force Riley was using had his arms quivering.
"Damn it, phase CJ!" Bella was trying to make her way toward him, clutching at the dirt. As she crawled toward him, a force slammed into her back causing her face to hit the ground, and for the first time Bella was thankful that it rained so much in Forks. The side of her face only sunk into the mud.
Lifting her head, Bella looked up through her lashes in time to see CJ's arms violently shaking and she prayed that he was going to phase. It was when his arm snapped at the elbow she realize she was wrong, "CJ!" Bella wailed toward her son as Riley's fist connected with CJ's nose. Blood was spurting out before he turned his head to miss another blow.
"Please, phase!"
"Have to protect you," he grit out, still fighting Riley.
"Phase now!" Bella screeched as she finally got to her feet and began running toward him, her hand outstretched.
Rolling over into the fetal position, CJ's body began to convulse and then he was a wolf. His left leg hung limp, he was trying to dart away from Riley as best he could on three legs, but it wasn't working. Riley kicked CJ's good front leg out from under him and the wolf fell. Then he was on him, Riley's arm was pulling clumps of fur from CJ's pelt while his legs locked around his back. Then, his face lowered, his teeth bared, he prepared to go in for the kill.
Bella reached and, without even thinking, slapped her hand down onto Riley's cold shoulder.
Cole had already beheaded one vampire, but his mind was elsewhere. He hadn't seen Ali since he bound away from her. He didn't know if she was safe or hurt, but he had to find out. Jumping away from his latest kill so that one of the younger pups could completely dismember it, Cole scanned the clearing. He saw his father's wolf fighting with the pixie taking on newborns from the left and right. She was practically pressed into his side, but they were working like a well-oiled machine, their only thoughts on the task at hand. He could see the rage in Jake's eyes. He was in a zone of sorts snapping heads off shoulders in the blink of an eye. He wasn't even waiting for the bodies to hit the ground before he was charging at the next. The panic slowly began to build as he kept scanning the clearing for Ali. Each of his brothers were finishing off the vamps as the older wolves fought along side the Cullens. Their fighting style was different, the wolves would go in with full force jaws snapping, claws shredding into the marble skin of the newborns. Watching the Cullens, Cole saw the blonde practically dancing around her opponent, while the big one played it like a wrestling match. The smile on his face only got wider each time his newborn would lunge at him and miss. He saw Ali's wolf form then, lying in the dirt, Edward Cullen standing over her fighting off a very young looking female vampire.
Cole found himself racing toward Ali, the smell of burning vampire making his wolf snort and gag. His paws hit the ground and just when he was ready to launch over one of his pack brothers finishing off a leech, he felt a weight slam into his side and attach it's self to his neck. With a twist and a yelp, Cole rolled over the vampire, causing it's head to crack into a boulder. The force didn't hurt the vampire, but it stunned it long enough that Cole was able to wiggle his neck out from it's grasp and then his head shot to the side and his teeth sunk into the left side of the vampires face. His teeth clenched together and, with a jerk of his head, half of the vampires face was gone.
Back on his feet, Cole raced toward Ali. Edward was trying to hold off the vampire as best as he could. When Cole got close enough, he clamped down onto Ali's tail. Jerking back, her body slid between Edward's legs and came to a stop under Cole's chest. Gently, Cole bit down onto Ali's scruff and slowly stood at full height. Although Cole was big, Ali was too and still half of her body was dragging the ground between his front paws. As Cole made his way closer to the forest, he tripped on her hind legs and fell on her more than once before he was able to get the hang of it. He carried her like this until they were under the cover of the forest, and near the creek the leeches had used as their cover. Bending his head forward, he placed Ali's body on the ground, her muzzle near the water. Phasing back human, Cole began scooping water from the creek and let it trickle over her muzzle. After the fourth time, he saw her nose twitch and relief flooded through him.
Gathering water in his hands again, Cole let it trickle down her nose and into the flap of her lip that was open. With a snort, Ali's head shot up, her feet trying to grab traction against the rocks under her. Her quick, jerky movements had Cole falling backward into the water. When he quickly began to right himself Ali pulled her lips back into a snarl, her teeth gleaming in the light. Cole lowered himself back down to her height and locked eyes with her. He could see her eyes try to dart from side to side, to take in her surroundings. When hers finally settled on his, the movement ceased. Ali shuddered and whined and then was laying naked in front of Cole, rolled into a ball.
Cole shot out of the water and to her side; before she could comprehend what he was doing, he had hauled her into his naked lap. Her eyes grew wide at the thought of being naked in front of a man, in front of Cole of all people, and then she buried her face in his chest. She could feel his shudder and his arms wrap around her tighter. The feel of his body against hers had her self conscious, she knew that Cole wasn't looking at her nakedness, nor was he excited, she could feel him pressed up against her hip. She had never seen a man naked and no one had seen her this way either, it was just uncomfortable all around. His hand was smoothing down the back of her hair as he whispered more to himself that she was ok.
Pulling her head back, she looked into his eyes. Tears were pooling at the lids, some sitting on the tips of his eye lashes, others rolling slowly down his face. "Sarah," her heart clenched, "I thought I told you to be safe. Are you ok? Talk to me please, tell me you're ok."
She didn't have words, the look on his face nearly broke her heart. She nodded her head and then pressed her face back into his chest.
He squeezed her tighter, then lowering his mouth to the top of her head, "Please just say it, one word, let me know."
"Cole," his grip increased, "I'm… I'm ok, what happened?"
He didn't answer her though, the knot in his throat was much to large to swallow so he kissed her head once more, pulled her closer to his body and thanked the spirits that he had gotten her to safety.
Jake scanned the clearing as he slung the vampire out of his jaws. The torso landed at one of the pup's paws and he made quick work of finishing off the vampire. There were stone body parts littering the clearing as far as he could see. Both Paul and Sam were fighting with a newborn of their own as were some of the Cullens. The ones that weren't busy in the middle of battle were picking up the pieces that littered the forest floor and throwing them into the huge bonfires dotted all around the clearing. Jake's eyes met the bronze head that he knew was Edward's. The last time that he had seen Ali she was fighting a newborn that had come charging up behind him. He couldn't see his daughter in the melee and he started to panic. His eyes scanned each and every wolf. Three were missing: his daughter, his son, Cole and then there was Bella, she was missing too.
Jake was praying that CJ had taken Bella and run back with her to the rez like he had told him to do if things got too bad. He wanted Bella protected and with CJ on the reservation, the other imprints would be protected too. It was a plan that he had come up with the second they heard Cole's warning howl. Jake wanted CJ to turn tail and run with Bella, but they didn't know what was going on, or if the newborns were splitting up to find her. The other wolves were in a panic about their mates and imprints, but from what Cole said, the newborns were coming and Ali was in the clearing with them. He had to get to his daughter.
Jake's eyes continued to scan the forest when he saw it, the bright purple hoodie that Bella was wearing was just within the tree line, clear across the battlefield. With a roar, Jake took off running, leaping through plumes of smoke as he tried to make his way to his mate. His eyes never left the back of her coat. She was shuffling around trying to get away from something. He wished desperately that his wolf would allow him to see the bigger picture but he couldn't. His body slammed into something strong and solid on his trek to get to Bella, but he didn't pay it any mind. His mate was in trouble, his son was in trouble, and he had to get to them.
Jake was more than halfway across the clearing when he heard Bella scream and saw her body fly through the trees and fall limply into the soft ground. Jake didn't realize at the time, but he roared so loud that everyone in the clearing froze for the slightest beat before they started to fight again. His legs were burning, he had to get there. It felt like he was in slow motion. He didn't know why it was taking him so long to get to her.
He saw her scramble to her stomach and start to army crawl toward CJ as she yelled at him to phase and then a wolf, a young black one-Aidan- stepped right onto her back as he fought a vampire that was trying to get to her. He didn't know weather he wanted to thank him or kill him. As Bella continued to yell at CJ, his eyes shot to his son who was now holding the one-armed vampire at bay. He could see his arms shaking and then one of them snap.
Bella wailed his name, scrambled to her feet and ran at him. He rolled over, doing like she had demanded and phased, but his front leg was contorted in a way that Jake almost winced at. When the vampire attacked Jake picked up speed. He made it to the group just as Bella had slapped a hand onto Riley's shoulder. The thought of his mate touching one of those things had Jake seeing red. He leapt over Bella, fitting his jaws around the vampire's head just as he began to wail and shudder. Her hand never left Riley's shoulder and even though his head was detached from his body, it was still wailing and screeching. Jake spat the head from his mouth, phased and ran at Bella, but stood frozen when he saw her eyes. They were wide and swarming black and what Jake could have sworn was red, her teeth were clenched together, her hand fisting the dirty jacket. She wasn't letting go. Her chest was heaving, her body started to shake. Taking a step toward her, Bella's head snapped in his direction and she hissed at him, the sound made his skin crawl. It sounded so much like them.
Her eyes were still on Jake, her tiny white teeth bared. He could see the sheen of sweat across what little skin that he could see, tears were leaking from her eyes, but still she wouldn't let go. Someone came up behind her and touched her shoulder. When a loud curse brought his attention to the hand, he noticed that Emmett was holding on to her, trying to get her away from Riley, but he was stuck too. It reminded Jake of someone being electrocuted and he knew then that she was warning him not to touch her. Emmett hadn't fared as well.
Squeezing her eyes shut, he could tell Bella was fighting it now, trying to get her hand off of Riley. Her eyes shot wide open, they were back to the beautiful chocolate brown he loved. She mouthed "help" to Jake just before her eyes rolled back into her head and all three of them fell to the forest floor.
As soon as she hit, Jake lunged forward and scooped her off the ground. Her limbs were locked tight, she was still shaking it was as if her entire body was having a muscle spasm, and then she just went limp with a whimper. Jake fought to adjust her in his arms, but her body was splayed out. As he cradled her to his chest, he looked down at his now whining son who was nudging Bella's limp hand. He continued to nudge and lick her palm until she whimpered again. This time she was able to fling her arm over his shoulder before her body went limp again.
Not sure of what to do, Jake wheeled himself around in search of the one person he knew could help, "Carlisle!" he bellowed toward the doctor who was now kneeling in front of Rose reattaching a hand that she had lost. He took in the sight, the fight was over all of the wolves that weren't badly injured were scrambling to get the pieces picked up and thrown into the fire. The Cullens were attending to the injured.
Carlisle's head shot up, the rest of his body followed and he was standing in front of a now shaking Jake looking over Bella. When his paper white fingers went to reach her pulse point, Jake bared his teeth and snapped at him. "I have to touch her to make sure that she's alright."
Jake felt his grip tighten on Bella's rib cage, he grit his teeth and nodded his head. Carlisle's hand found her pulse point and he hummed to himself. "She's warm, we have to get her back to the house and give her her medicine. I'm not sure what happened, you need to tell me everything that happened, to the both of you." He said while looking down at CJ. "If you phase back I can set that arm of yours as well, you don't want it to heal too much or we'll have to re-break the bones." CJ looked at Jake who nodded his head again.
Phasing back hurt like hell for CJ. So much, that he landed on his side with a loud curse. He was clutching his ribs and his arm. He didn't want to move, the moment he felt ice cold hands on his arm, his head snapped toward Carlisle with every intent of taking off the limbs, but his head was jerked back toward the sky. His eyes met honey gold ones and an idiotic smile.
"Right here kid, you don't want to see this." CJ's eyes went into slits as the Cullen held his head straight, "Better get this done, Carlisle the kid isn't going to let me hold him here all day."
"I have to find sticks to immobilize the wound, Emmett." Carlisle hissed back at him.
Emmett, being Emmett, winked at CJ before a smirk appeared on his face, "He's kind of touchy, eh kid. You're not doing so bad. Rosie was pitching a fit when he was putting her hand back on," and then there was a loud crack as Emmett's head jerked sideways. He let out a curse before looking back down at CJ, "Ready kid? This is gonna hurt," and then pain something like CJ had never known, shot down his body as his bone was pushed back through his skin and his arm was set.
As soon as Carlisle was done, Emmett shot backwards waiting for CJ to leap up and attempt an attack, but he just laid there, his broken but healing arm off to the side, his other hand fisting the dirt beside him. When Rose made a step toward him, Emmett jerked her back by the shoulder only to be hissed at. "Ok, ok, but if he bites your hand off again it's on you, Rose."
She walked over to CJ, hovering over his body. Peeling his eyes open, he could see her face through the curtain of blonde hair. "Here, you might need this." It was a scrap of something that she laid over his lower half while quirking her eyebrow at him. "While that is something to look at, your mother is here and your sister is around here somewhere, too." CJ growled at her the same time he felt a blush creep into his cheeks. Had she really just said that to him?
Closing his eyes, he relaxed at the feeling of the cool dirt on his overly heated and aching back. The battle was over, his mother was in his father's arms and Ali was somewhere just like the leech had said, they were fine.
Edward was sitting, his back pressed up against a tree, trying his hardest to listen for Ali's voice. He knew that Cole had taken her somewhere to safety, but he wasn't sure where. Those who were uninjured in the pack and most of his family were gathering what parts were left and throwing them into the plumes of smoke, actually laughing and joking with one another when he heard it: a wail off in the distance. He shot to his feet, hissed a warning to them to shut up when he heard the wail again. It was a high pitched feminine wail that he had never heard before. All was silent, all eyes shot in the same direction, the creek. The one that the newborns had made their way up so as not to be recognized, and again he heard it. The wolves started to growl low and deep. His own family hissed and crouched down.
Edward couldn't hear over the thoughts of the wolves and his family, the wolves were thinking it was Ali; his family was thinking that another newborn was trying to escape. The wail could have possibly been from her limbs burning in the fire.
Edward took off through the forest darting over trees and boulders toward the sound. When the wind shifted he stopped dead in his tracks, blood. He could smell it, the venom pooled in his mouth. Although it had been years since he last tasted human blood, he was finding it harder than it had ever been to not bend down and taste it. His body lurched forward before he stopped himself gripping into a tree so hard that it cracked under the pressure. The blood smelled so good to him.
The wail that broke the silence had him moving toward her at a slower pace, just as he had come upon the scene, he heard movement behind him. The pack was behind him in wolf form. His family was behind him as well. He heard a gasp he knew had come from Alice and then he saw it, a vision: Edward was holding this girl in his arms, his naked chest to hers, and then the vision stopped.
"She's turning," Edward hissed through gritted teeth. Looking down at the girl, she was beautiful, she had on short khaki shorts, a pack with a tent attached to it was lying in the dirt to her right, one of her hiking boots was caught in a tree limb and she was laying on her stomach, her strawberry blonde hair was splayed all around her, but there in the dip of her neck was a bite that was oozing blood.
He looked behind him to the wolves, seeing a trail of blood that ran up the creek bed, "She wasn't alone she was with a friend, he's dead down the creek, he was drained and thrown in the water by a newborn. They were too close to finish her off. I can't make out much more than that, she's in too much pain."
A wolf growled and stepped slowly toward the girl that was wailing and squirming in the dirt. Save her save her like you did Bella.
"I can't do that," Edward said turning his body toward the wolf he knew was Embry.
You can't or you won't leech?
"Not all of them can be saved, mutt. It's been too long, there's only a short period of time before the venom actually makes its way so far into her organs that it can't be sucked out. Even if I could do it, I couldn't stop myself from feeding off of her." His last words were cut off by a snarl as Embry stood protectively now over the quivering girl.
What are we supposed to do then, just sit and watch as she becomes one of you, yet another leech we need to worry about? This one isn't going to have control like the rest of you.
"That or you could kill her right now," the rest of the wolves snarled at him, while Alice whispered "no" in a voice so broken it tugged at him. She pushed her vision of him and this girl at him once more.
"It's going to take three days for her to finish the change, do you want to wait that long before she turns into one of us and you have to fight yet another newborn?"
Embry's head moved from side to side scanning the wolves asking them through their mind link the question that would seal the girl's fate. What should we do with her? I can't kill her she's still human, at least now.
Edward heard it all then through their thoughts, none of them wanted to kill her, they still saw her as a human girl even though they knew that she was changing into a vampire. None of them knew what to do.
We can't make this decision; it's for Jake to make. Leah's thought broke in.
Edward nodded his head at her while he bent down closer to the girl, placing his cool hand on her forehead her wails lessened, only a little bit, and her convulsing body stilled. "I'll stay with her until your Alpha makes his decision."
The wolves looked at Embry and Leah, then back at Edward, "I won't drain her, I have enough control." Edward said with a roll of his eyes. He wasn't so sure even as he answered their question.
The wolves darted off into the trees toward the Cullens' house as the rest of them stayed near him. Alice's eyes were lit up as she walked up to Edward and rubbed his shoulder, "He's not going to make them kill her, Edward. I've seen it remember, she's for you."
When he looked at her, Alice saw the hope and sadness in his eyes, "I'd like to think that's true, Alice."
"We need to go and find her friend, see if there is any possibility that we can make it out like it was an animal attack or if we're going to have to bury him here in the woods." Jasper said to the rest of them.
He looked at Edward, "I know you can do this Edward, I can tell it's hard for you, but you won't drain her, I know you won't." Edward nodded toward Jasper and then his family left him alone with the burning girl.
When Edward knew that his family was gone, he walked slowly over to the girl and untwined her leg from the branch. He threw the branch up against the tree with a resounding crack with a snarl; this shouldn't have to happen to anyone, not like this.
Walking over to the creek, he ripped at what was left of the bottom hem of his shirt and dipped it in the creek. As he waited for the news from Jacob he cleaned the mud and dirt that was caked on her body, slowly revealing just how beautiful the girl really was. Her eyes, what little he saw of them, were green, much like his were when he was human. Her hair was long, reaching to her lower back. As he continued to clean the girl, his cool hands would touch her slowly heating skin and she would still, he wondered if his touch helped her. Once she was as clean as he could get her, he sat at her side holding her hand waiting and hoping.
The backyard of the Cullens' mansion looked like a MASH unit. While no one was screaming, there were wolves lying in the backyard waiting for Carlisle to help. CJ was amongst them. On his trek over here they had come across Cole and Ali, both of whom were naked, and Ali was in Cole's arms. It did not go over well. CJ, being as he was already injured from the battle, had lost that fight, but as Jake watched Cole attack CJ, he knew there was more to it than CJ being weak, Cole was protecting Ali, from them.
Walking back to the Cullens' was interesting, while Jake had left more than half of his pack back at the clearing, CJ, River, Dakota, Sam, Cole and Ali had made the trek in human form. Dakota and River, being imprinted kept the rest of them fairly entertained. She wouldn't stop stealing glances and giggling and he wouldn't stop strutting around to give her the opportunity. Just as Jake was about to order both of them to phase back, Sam slapped them both on the back of the head, immediately ending their game. CJ was slung over one of Sam's arms, which made their pace slow. As they walked Jake watched Cole. Ali's head was buried in his neck, her cheeks as red as Jake had ever seen them, but she didn't dare look anywhere. Jake had to give it to Cole, knowing what he knew now, he had to give the boy credit. His eyes never wondered, he kept them locked in front of him.
Jake had refused to take Bella back into the house, so Esme had drug a couch outside to lay her on and ripped a moving blanket in half to cover the wolves as they waited. Jake didn't want to leave Bella's side as Carlisle checked her over; with each hum and nod Jake's body would tense, fearing the worst.
"She's warm," was all Carlisle said when he looked up at Jake.
"She's sick, what's wrong with her?" Carlisle could hear the panic in Jake's voice when he spoke.
"She's not sick, Bella hasn't been sick since she has been with us. What little venom is left in her system at this point basically attacks and kills germs before they can even have an effect on her, much like your pack."
"What do you mean she's warm, then?"
"I can feel it on her skin; her body temperature is much higher than it was when she left us just a few days ago."
"So what does that mean, if she's not sick why is she warm, what is warm?"
"When Bella left us her body temperature was borderline hypothermic and it has been on a slow decline since. She's almost at normal range at this point for a human."
"Could it be," Jake stood to his full height looking down at Bella now with wonder in his eyes, "could she be warm because of the imprint, because she's close to me?"
Carlisle looked at Jake watching his moves, "Is it something that is common with your imprints do they warm, does their makeup change?"
"We don't know, nothing physically changes with them. Emily got sick a couple of years ago, but if our imprints are gone from us for too long we start to get twitchy and I've heard the imprints tell their wolves that they don't feel right if they are away from them for more than a day."
"Jacob, it could be a possibility that this could be the case, if what you are telling me is true. She's been gone from you for sixteen years. Her body temperature never raised, we just assumed it was due to the venom. You know that it has an effect on her aging."
Jake's head whipped to Carlisle's, his teeth were bared, "She's never going to get older than this?" he said while flinging his hand toward her body.
Carlisle took a step toward Jake, "She's aging Jacob, just at a slower pace than a normal human. The venom is still in her system. I've tried everything I can possibly think of to get rid of all of it, but I can't. The medicine I've made her is slowly breaking what's in her organs down. Although it is out of her actual blood stream, it's still within the tissue."
"She hasn't been taking her medicine, I know she didn't take it the first night or last night for that matter, is that what's wrong with her, why she's not waking up?"
"She's exhausted. What she did with Riley, I've never seen that happen before when she was using her gift. I think she put too much into it and completely drained herself. She's exhausted, but the minute she wakes up we need to try to get her to take the medicine. In the mean time, I'm going to test this," he said, showing Jake the vial of her blood. At the sight Jake felt his skin crawl and his fists tighten. He took a menacing step toward Carlisle, he hadn't even realized that he drew his mate's blood.
"Jacob, " Carlisle said, holding his hands out in front of him in a placating gesture, "I need to test this to make sure the venom hasn't begun to regenerate from the lack of medicine. I need to know if I need to make it stronger or dilute it since her body temperature is rising."
Jake stopped, sucked in a deep breath, and just as he was about to tell Carlisle off, Embry and the rest of the wolves came crashing through the back yard, skidding to a stop before immediately phasing. Their eyes were wide with panic, the pups wouldn't even look at him.
"What is it, were there more?" Jake snarled as Esme darted out of the house to Carlisle's side.
"Not yet there's not, but soon," Embry panted out.
"What do you mean not yet; it's not time for games Embry what the hell is going on?" Jake nearly roared at his friend.
"She's… when… damn it Jake this is so fucked and I didn't know what to tell him so I told him we had to ask you."
"WHAT?" he roared causing all the wolves to cower.
"A couple of humans were camping or hiking or some shit and the newborns got to them before the fight. They killed one, drained him and threw him in the creek, but man, they bit a girl. She's young, maybe nineteen or so, she's…. they didn't kill her, she's… Edward says she's changing and it's too late to suck the venom out like he did with Bella. We need to know what to do, man."
Jake's eyes were wide, he cast a look to Carlisle to make sure that Edward was telling the truth. His head dropped just slightly as he spoke, "It's true, there is a small amount of time to be able to reverse the change, the fight with the newborns lasted entirely to long for her to be saved. She's in the process of changing."
Jake opened his mouth to speak, but Esme darted toward him, almost to close for his liking. His lips lifted in warning before she spoke, "This wasn't her fault, and you can't kill her when she hasn't even had a chance to choose."
Jake's eyes scanned his pack, and then locked with Esme's, "You want me to let her choose, what if she wakes up changed and chooses to kill half the town of Forks or come onto our land and kill my people? I can't let that happen, she has to be killed."
There was a collective gasp among the pack, but the one that stuck out the most sent a wave of calm through his bones, "Jake you're really going to kill her."
His eyes shot to Bella. He could see the tears glistening in her eyes as she fought to prop herself up on the couch, "I can't let it near you Bella, even the possibility of one of them being that close to you, it's impossible."
"But they could, they could take her to Denali like they did with Edward, they could help her, teach her."
"What if she doesn't choose to live like them Bella? Then what? People could die because we let her go when there was still a chance to stop another one of them from being in this world, and that would be on us. We're here to get rid of them, not let them be changed to become something we may end up fighting one day anyway."
"It wouldn't be on you, it would be on us, and we won't come back, here to Forks ever again."
His head snapped toward Esme's so fast he fought a wince, "You're serious," she could feel the deep bass in his voice as he took a step toward her, stooping down to her height, his eyes locked with hers, "you'd never ever come back her for the rest of your existence, you'd stay away?"
Esme took a step forward and held out her hand, "I swear it, unless you call us, need us for something, we'd never come back."
Jake's eyes flicked down to her outstretched had, and then to Carlisle's eyes. He was looking at his wife lovingly, she was so strong. Carlisle knew how much this was hurting Esme to say. Of all the places they had lived, houses they had stayed, Forks she told him was the only one that felt like home. He nodded at Jake.
Jake's hand shot out, grabbing Esme's and she gasped from the pure heat of it. Her eyes widened that he had actually taken her hand. "You'll never come back, ever for the rest of your existence, never come back to Forks or near La Push?" his grip tightened around her hand.
"Unless," her eyes shot to the couch, to Bella, "Unless you call us for anything, we will never come back."
"Unless I call you, or an Alpha calls you, you will never come back." He knew that he was repeating himself but he wanted it clear that they were never coming back here, the one thing that Jake had hoped for since he phased was for the vampires to leave them alone, that's what they all wanted. Every single member of the pack hoped that another wouldn't change, this way it could very well possibly become a reality.
Esme's eyes narrowed, "Never."
His hand jerked her body forward with the force of his shake, "We're agreed, and we need a new treaty."
"It seems as though we do." Her hand squeezed his in a more friendly way and then she pulled her hand from his grip as she made her way back into the house.
"We're not killing her, but what is going to happen with her?"
"The change will be complete in three days; we'll leave as soon as the transformation is complete."
"Why not leave now, you're going to let her wake up a starving-for-blood newborn?"
"I have to treat the rest of your wolves, and honestly Jacob, there are seven of us. We can handle her once she wakes, it will make it much easier on her if we don't move her during the transformation. We'll have blood on hand as soon as she wakes to sate her while we leave."
He saw Jake's eyes go into slits, his fists bunch at his sides.
"Animal blood of course, as long as we start them on animal blood the transition is much easier. Rose has never drunk from a human. She's only ingested animal blood, and her transition went as smooth as I have ever seen one."
Jake's eye shot to Leah who was now sitting on the couch near Bella. She shrugged at him, "There are seven of them, and you should have heard her screaming when Embry barely touched her with his nose, Jake."
"Fine," he grit out through his teeth, "but she can't come here until we leave and take Bella back to the reservation. Embry and Leah, since you two are so set on this thing becoming one of them, you can patrol the Cullens until they leave." Jake didn't care that the treaty stated they weren't to be in wolf form anywhere but the reservation, if he was actually going to agree to this, agree to let a human be changed into a vampire, someone was going to be on leech watch. It might as be the ones that seemed the most ok with it.
Embry and Leah both growled in unison but rolled their eyes at Jake, "Fine but you're watching over Angela and the kids."
Jake's face lifted into a smile, "You don't mind your daughter sleeping in the same house as my son Emb, I'm sure Bella and Angela wouldn't mind a sleep over?"
Embry's growl intensified at the thought of Sage and CJ sleeping in the same house together. "Relax, CJ can stay over at Leah's, keep River and Ryder in check, poor Tala though, there with all the guys."
It was Leah's turn to growl in Jake's direction, "I think Tala can handle herself amongst the boys, Alpha."
"Good then Doc, get that blood tested so we can get the hell out of here. Jared, Quil, go tell them we're going to let her change, tell him everything; make sure he knows just exactly what happened here. I'll let you know when we leave here." They nodded in his direction before jumping off into the woods.
Edward sat his back pressed against a tree, his hand rubbing slow, soothing circles over the back of her knuckles. With each stroke his ice cold fingers made on her skin, her whimpers lessened the jerky movements of her body, while still there, lessened as well. His brothers and sisters stood in a circle around him, watching and awaiting the news of her fate.
He heard them even before he could smell them, their thoughts weren't on the girl that he was trying to comfort though, and he almost found himself aggravated by it. When they slipped between the trees they phased at the same time standing off the side of the circle of the Cullens, their bodies pressed tight against each other. They were outnumbered, it was instinct.
"Jake says she doesn't have to die, but the treaty's been changed. Once she's turned you're never coming back here, ever."
The words that came out of his mouth were curt and forced, they were, after all, letting their enemy live, but the thoughts from his family took him off guard. Every single one of them was relived that she was being saved if you could call it that. Amongst Emmett's mental hooting, Rose's mental berating of her husbands jumping up and down at the thought of a new sister, and Jasper's worry weather her transition would be an easy one, Alice's stood out the most because she was speaking to him, I told you Edward, that he would save her, she's yours I know it. She's going to love you, you're not alone anymore.
Edward nodded his head just slightly as the tightness of his lips slackened. Alice saw it and squealed mentally, Jasper locked eyes with him at the waves of two emotions that came from his brother, something that he hadn't felt since before Bella's eighteenth birthday party.
Happiness and Hope.