A/N: Sorry for the delay in updating...my muse apparently didn't want this story to end, because she went off on a little vacation.
Disclaimer: No money being made off of SM's characters here.
The wolves raced through the forest in formation, trailing behind Duncan and the Cullens. Embry tried to focus, to erase Liz from his thoughts, but his efforts were, as usual, in vain. When it came to his imprint, his mind was an open book—one that his pack mates took great pleasure in flipping through.
Well, I'll be damned. Paul chuckled. Our young boy Embry is all grown up!
Knock it off. Embry snarled, trying to think of something, ANYTHING but Liz.
For a born-again virgin, you sure seem to know how to make her howl. Paul flashed a particularly lewd replay of Embry's thoughts, then barked a laugh.
Cutting through the pack, Embry caught up to Paul, pouncing on him and burying his teeth in his neck.
What the fuck are you doing? Jake roared, whirling around in full alpha mode, canines bared. The wolves submitted in unison, looking away as they ducked their heads. No more thoughts about Liz 'til this is over, Call. That's an order. I'm not gonna have everyone distracted and off their game 'cause you finally got laid.
With a curt nod, Embry broke away from Paul, and the two jumped back into formation.
So, how're we gonna do this? Jared asked as they raced to catch up with the vampires. You really think those blood suckers are just gonna leave, no questions asked?
Quil huffed. If they know what's good for them, they will.
Why wouldn't they? Brady cocked his head in confusion. We outnumber them five to one.
All of you should know better by now than to make assumptions about those leeches. Jake's voice flooded their thoughts. We go into this in battle mode. End of story.
Yeah, Bray, Colin said. You know they say. When you assume, it makes an—
—an ass out of you and me. Right. Brady rolled his eyes and moved along the outside of the pack. Still. We'd better be home by lunchtime. I missed breakfast.
In the distance, Duncan came to a short stop. "It's just up ahead," he said. "Through the clearing."
"We should strategize." Carlisle surveyed the pack. "Jacob. Why don't we let Duncan take the lead? We'll fall in behind him, while you and pack spread out around us in the distance. I don't want them to think that we came here for a fight, but I do want to get our point across. Does that sound amenable to you?"
Fuck them. Paul growled. Let's take them all out.
Not gonna tell you again to keep your goddamned mouth shut, Lahote. Jake shot Paul a final glare, then turned to Carlisle and nodded. You heard him. Fall back. Spread out. Wait for my orders.
The pack obeyed, spacing themselves behind the vampires as they entered the wide clearing. Duncan led the way, approaching a large rock formation. "Aileesh?"
What, are they living in some kind of rock cave?
Shhh, Jake hushed.
But no one answered Duncan's call. The woods were silent, except for the distant chirp of birds. He tried again. "Aileesh! Evan! Jonathan! We need to talk. Please show yourselves."
I don't like thi—
Before Embry could finish his thought, a whooshing noise burned his ears with a violent prickle. He looked up to see a ring of fire curling its way around the wolves, while another encircled Duncan and the Cullens.
A female vampire with a mane of untamed golden hair leapt onto the top of the rocks, flanked by two large males. She sized up the group, then sent Duncan an icy stare. "You fool. You made a big mistake in coming here. Huge."
"Hey, girl. Drink this. You'll feel better."
Liz looked up to see Kim pushing a steaming mug of tea towards her. With a weak smile, she accepted it, taking a small sip, then set it back down on the large wooden table. She looked out the window, where Seth's sandy brown form paced back and forth in the yard. The other imprints were scattered around the house—some in the kitchen, cooking themselves to distraction, while the others paced around the living room, mindlessly watching television.
"How can you stand this?" Liz asked.
"I wish I could tell you it gets easier, but it doesn't. The good news is that this kind of thing is a pretty rare occurrence these days."
"What do you mean?"
"Back when the guys and Leah first phased, when the Cullens still lived in Forks, there was a lot of … drama. I barely saw Jared—he was always running extra patrols or heading off to some kind of fight." Kim shuddered. "It was awful. But once the Cullens finally moved away, it got better."
Liz frowned. "Leah mentioned something today about the Cullens … well, about Bella and one of the Cullens, actually. Edward?"
With a deep sigh, Kim sat down. "I wondered how long it would take for you to hear about that. The guys don't like talking about it, for obvious reasons—not the least of which is Jake kicking their ass."
"Did Bella really date a … a vampire?"
"I think you'd better hear the story from Bella herself." Kim stuck her head through the kitchen door. "Bells? Can you come here for a sec?"
"Kim, if it's some big secret, I don't need to—"
"No, it's not a secret. You should know. And it's best you hear the story while Jake's not around."
Bella entered the dining room, wiping her hands on a towel. "What's up?"
"Liz found out about Edward."
"Oh. Ohhhhhhhhh." Bella nodded, making a face. "I wondered when that would happen."
"I'm sorry," Liz said. "It came up today at the Cullen's. I asked Kim about it, but I wasn't trying to gossip—"
"No, no, it's fine." Placing a reassuring hand on Liz's arm, Bella sat next to her at the table. "You should know. It'll give you a little more context."
Emily poked her head in the dining room. "Bella, I took your lasagna out of the oven." She surveyed her friends' serious expressions. "Everything okay?"
"It's fine. Just telling her about Edward. Come, have a seat," Bella said. She faced Liz once again. "Edward was Carlisle and Esme's other 'son,' as they liked to call him. I met him in school when I first moved to Forks, to be with my dad. I couldn't stay away from him. I don't know if you were around the Cullens long enough to notice, but there's something about vampires that—"
"That draws you in?" Liz nodded. "Yeah. I noticed."
"Well, I later learned that's normal—it's what makes them such good predators. And with Edward, it was multiplied tenfold, because he was inexplicably just as attracted to me. Something about my blood … he said it 'sang' to him."
"That's creepy." Liz shivered. "Didn't you notice something wasn't right?"
"I knew there was something different about him, but couldn't figure out what it was. We started dating, and eventually the truth came out."
"Were you scared?"
"Yes … but at that point, I needed him more than I was afraid of him."
Liz let out a stiff laugh. "Sounds like he was your own personal brand of heroin."
"You could say that." Crinkling her nose, Bella sighed. "Anyway, I talked myself into believing I was safe because they were 'vegetarians.' But that was never really true. I was never safe." She launched into the story of James and the bite mark on her wrist, how Jasper had tried to attack her, how Victoria had almost destroyed the town of Forks in her thirst for revenge, and how the Volturi had come to put an end to them all.
"What made them change their minds?" Liz asked, eyes wide.
"Alice—Edwards' sister—she could see the future. When their leader Aro found out he'd be destroyed in any kind of battle with the wolves, he called everything off. Left us with a warning."
"And what made you finally decide to choose Jake?"
Bella smiled. "In the end, it really wasn't that difficult. The imprint kept pulling me away from the Cullens … for my safety, I assume … and Jake was right there, waiting. He never gave up on me, even though I certainly gave him reason to."
"When did the Cullens finally move away?"
"Not too long after that." Wrinkling her nose, Bella let out a short laugh. "Jacob asked them to go. I think Carlisle finally realized what a mess they'd made, and it was too hard for Edward to see me with Jake. Really, their leaving was the best thing for everyone."
"So things calmed down after that?"
"For the most part," Kim interjected, playing with the salt and pepper shakers. "There are always stray vampires that are foolish enough to try crossing our land, but the pack tends to take care of them pretty quickly."
Liz shook her head. "Then this is all my fault. If I hadn't moved here—"
"Honey, that's not true." Emily's voice crooned as she covered Liz's hand with her own. "You said it yourself—that coven has been living here for a while. This would have happened regardless. And had you not moved here, you would've never met Embry. It was all meant to be."
"It really will be fine," Bella said. "If the pack managed to scare off the Volturi, I can't imagine what an ordinary coven thinks it could get away with. Especially when they're so outnumbered."
"Bella's right. The guys and Leah will be back before we know it." Emily squeezed her hand. "Come on. Let's go eat some lunch."
Nodding, Liz stood up from the table, pausing when she looked out the window. Seth had stopped pacing and stood still, tense, his nose sniffing the air. She saw Alex and Jason, just on the outskirts of the woods, in a similar position. "What's going—"
But before the words left her mouth, Seth reared his head back and released an ear-shattering howl. The two young wolves joined in, while the imprints crowded around the window.
"Sarah, go find out what's happening," Emily said to Seth's imprint, her voice quiet.
Nodding, Sarah ran out the front door towards her mate, her eyes wide with alarm. Seth chuffed in disapproval, firmly nudging her back to the house before he keeled over, howling in agony.
Kim clasped her hand over her mouth, watching in horror as the scene unfolded. "Oh, God. Something happened."
What in fucking hell? That bitch can make fire?
Was this just a trap?
That cocksucking leech fooled us!
QUIET! Jake appraised the scene with wary eyes. Impeded on all sides by a wall of fire, the pack stood still, cautious and alert.
"Aileesh! What is this?" Duncan spun in a circle as the flames climbed higher around him.
The blonde vampire tipped her head back and laughed, harsh, menacing tones that floated on the air. "You like my little trick? I've been practicing, waiting for the day when I'd finally need it. I knew it would come." She began to pace, as her counterparts stood guard beside her. "You just couldn't leave well enough alone, could you, Duncan? It was bad enough you almost got us killed to begin with, but then you had to keep pushing, trying to save that girl, when she was clearly aligned with those mutts—"
"Her aunt was my friend! I owed it to her—"
"NO. You owed US, Duncan. Your coven. Your own kind. And you betrayed us all."
Carlisle took a cautious step forward. "Aileesh. Please, just listen."
Giving Carlisle a long stare, she laughed again. "Well, well, well. If it isn't the infamous Carlisle Cullen, do-gooder extraordinaire, friend to all humans and, apparently, wolves. I should've known Duncan would go crawling to you for protection."
Emmett cracked his knuckles.
"He simply asked us for help in getting you to see reason," Carlisle said in a calm tone. "We didn't come here to threaten, but to ask you move on from this place and let the girl be. Let's all just walk away. There's no need to cause any more damage."
"Yes, the small army you've amassed today certainly convinces me of your peaceful intent, Carlisle."
"Our intent is to have a peaceful ending. But either way, you will be leaving today."
Aileesh smirked. "Is that so? And how do you propose to fight us, from behind a wall of fire?"
Paul let out a low growl. We're fucked.
"There's one thing you seem to be forgetting," Duncan said, hands twitching.
"Oh, yes? And what is that?"
"I've been practicing a little trick of my own." And with his fists clenched and eyes closed in concentration, the circle of flames began to dim, before finally extinguishing entirely.
What the—
Holy hell.
"He's a shield," Esme breathed.
"NOW!" Duncan screamed, leaping forward. The Cullens quickly followed suit, chasing after the coven as they split up and ran.
Circle the perimeter! Jake ordered. None of them gets away!
Breaking formation, the wolves fanned out, cutting off the exit routes.
"You fools!" Aileesh shouted, a stream of fire shooting from her palm. "You cannot defeat us!"
"Wanna bet?" Emmett taunted, dodging the flames as he grabbed hold of the vampire named Jonathan from behind. "Nice knowing ya, bro." And with that, he twisted off his head and set it ablaze. "Who's next?"
With an angry cry, Aileesh sent a retaliatory jet of fire towards Rosalie. Looking nonplussed, Rose gracefully cartwheeled out of the way, then leapt over to Emmett's side. "You'll have to do better than that."
A sickening crack made them all look up in surprise. The vampire named Evan—Aileesh's mate—had somehow managed to get the upper hand while tussling with Brady. With one sure squeeze, he crushed the wolf's ribs, smiling as Brady's wretched yelp pierced the air. The pack winced simultaneously, their minds flooded with excruciating pain. But before Evan could finish the job, Carlisle and Esme came running.
Hang in there, Bray. We'll get you out of here. Hang in there. Jacob tried to keep his voice calm. He watched as Brady slowly phased back to his human form, rolling on the ground in agony. Colin, Sam, Jared—phase and get him back to the house. Paul! Leah! Don't let that fucker get away!
Evan was fast, but not fast enough for Leah, who quickly caught up and snatched him in her jaws. Shaking him like a rag doll, she flung him to the side, where Paul was waiting to pounce. Together, they ripped him apart, tossing the pieces into a pile. Directing a wide smile at Aileesh, Rosalie flicked a lighter, then touched it to the remains. Purple smoke billowed upwards in a lazy haze.
Aileesh charged, shrieking with rage. But before she could reach them, Embry cut her off, toppling her over with a well-timed lunge.
Finish it, Embry! Rip her fucking head off!
He reared back for the blow, but Aileesh was much stronger and more agile than he gave her credit for. With a quick twist of her hips, she reversed their positions, flipping Embry onto his back. Her lips curled in a sickening smile as she stomped on his paw, shattering the bone into pieces. She raised her foot again, this time to smash it into his throat.
Embry squeezed his eyes shut. Tell Liz I love her.
"NO!" A streak of white appeared to his left, as Duncan ran forward and tackled Aileesh to the ground. "Enough!" he shouted, cracking his fist into her ribs. "You! Will! Stop!"
With a wicked grin, Aileesh raised her palm, shooting a stream of fire into his face. Duncan reeled backwards, collapsing on the ground, trying in vain to put out the flames. "Silly man," she clucked. "A good fighter never lets his shield down." She placed her hands around his throat, and with a quick twist, it was finished. Raising his head in the air like a championship trophy, she sprayed it with a jet of flames, her maniacal laughter flooding the stunned silence. She didn't notice the wolf creeping up slowly behind her—until Embry had clamped his jaws around her own head, ripping it off with one quick tug.
Emb! You did it! You did it! It's over.
Way to go, man!
Overcome with pain and unable to stand upright any longer, Embry collapsed on the ground, flinging the marble prize at Quil. Burn it.
The world spun in circles, before finally going black.
A/N: Eek! Only one more chapter left! Speak now or forever hold your peace!