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Chapter Twenty-Four
Admittance
BPOV
My body grew weak when I watched Seth move forward, trying to take the place of one of my family. He loved our family, our Emma, so much that he would sacrifice himself to his brothers. I pleaded with my love to do something. We couldn't allow Seth to die for us. He had already put himself out on death's door more times than it should be allowed. He had placed himself our ally so many times that it was nearly a miracle that he was still standing here with us. Seth had always went up against our enemy, other immortals who if their teeth and venom came too close to him could have killed him. Seth had always been willing to do whatever it took to help defend me, to defend us. I looked to Edward who was looking to our parents for encouragement, perhaps, on what we should do next. I heard the door of our home fly open, hitting the wall at the force of the push on the door.
I spun around, worrying that maybe another wolf was breaching our family's home. My Renesmee and Brandon along with my little Emma were in that house. I was prepared in my crouch to make a bound. I would not allow them to be hurt. My surprise came to see my young son walking, rather marching, across the yard to join us. Renesmee was following behind him, moving as fast as she could. Brandon, though much younger than Nessie, was much more fast. His vampire speed could not be held or met by her half vampire/half human legs. Brandon looked up to me just as he was to pass me and smiled at me. I could see that there was a meaning behind his smile that I couldn't recognized. I wasn't able to return the smile that my little boy had given me. My mouth turned upward in a slight grin that had to have shown my confusion.
I looked to my daughter, my eldest, for some sign of what was happening. She wouldn't return my stare. She was focused ahead on her youngest brother. I watched as my daughter joined her grandfather, placing her hand on his face. I knew that Carlisle was seeing whatever it was that had transpired to have my little boy racing out of that house. Edward's eyes was focused on Brandon but I could see that he was watching, listening through our father's thoughts at what Renesmee was sharing with him. I wanted to know. I took a step toward them but I stopped in my tracks as I heard my little boy's magical voice, a voice that sounded so much like Edward but yet still much too young. "Please, do not harm Seth. It is me you have came for. It is me that battled with Sam. It is I who caused his death." Brandon's voice was echoing in my head.
I dropped my shield immediately. Edward, what is this? Did you know he was thinking of doing this? Our little boy cannot take the blame for such. This would be an atrocity to let him attempt such an admittance. I watched as Edward's lower lip pulled tightly against his teeth. He didn't look at me for a split second. I could see he was debating with himself what to say. He didn't know what to say. "Love, let me listen to them, please, love," his voice pleaded with me. His voice was cracking, trying hard not to break. He didn't reassure me of what I had hoped. Our little boy couldn't, no he couldn't, wouldn't be capable of murder.
I watched as the wolves looked at my little boy. Brandon didn't look the little infant that he was. Nor did he speak with the cadence of one. Brandon was already a toddler in appearance. His growth was rapid, more rapid than Edward or I liked. His graceful steps, his hand gestures, the way he spoke made him seem as old as any of my other children. They were both well over a half a century old and Brandon's actions and personality was just as evolved. Please, my mind was begging them. I couldn't form any words. I just went to my son. I went to pick him, I wanted to cradle him in my arms, keep him safe. I knew that my family wouldn't allow anything to happen to him, neither would Jacob or Seth, but I wanted him in my own arms.
Brandon put his hand out as I approached him. His smile on his face wasn't a smile of happiness, but a smile that was trying to tell me everything would be okay. I knelt down to him. "Brandon, come," was all I could say.
His head moved from side to side telling me no. Brandon placed his hand to my face and I could hear his thoughts. Momma, don't worry about me. I need to talk so that everyone can hear. I will be okay, momma. I am stronger than any one here. Its okay, momma.
I couldn't help but shutter. My little baby didn't want me to hold him, to protect him. He had walked out of our family's home determined. Just as it had been from the time of any of my children's birth, I found myself not able to tell him no. My motherly instincts were telling me to be the parent, to stop him. I couldn't find the strength to do what I knew I should. I let my shield up. Edward, please, help me. What am I to do?
Edward joined my side next to our little boy. He had already been closer to Brandon than I had. He had progressed after telling me to allow him to talk. "Love, you have to let him. His mind is set and he is so very much like you. Stubborn little son of ours."
I looked at the faces of all my family. Confusion, shock was all that I could see. I looked at Jasper and he was sensing my heartache. His face was torn, his appearance was almost disheveled. This was shaking Jasper to the core. I felt him trying to ease my mood and I had never been more thankful for my brother. Emmett was grinning at the wolves. He knew that whatever they tried with Brandon, he would end. Rosalie's expression had to be the same as mine. I knew that looking at her at this moment would have been like looking in a mirror. Her face was reflecting every emotion that I was feeling. I looked at Alice. She was smiling. She tried to let me know what she foresaw as being okay, but I knew that whatever Brandon could say, would say, could easily change the course. I knew that Alice's visions were capable of changing. Edward had told me that in the early days of our relationship. I had never forgotten that. I didn't want to look at Carlisle, but it was his face that was more relaxed. He was leaning forward toward us, his face full of concern, yet he was interested. He wanted to hear what Brandon had to say. It was my sweet mother's face that had been the hardest for me to look at. Esme had her hands over her face but brought them down as I gazed at her. She didn't return my gaze. Esme turned her head. I knew that the situation in front of us had to be more than she could stand. Our mother hated to even think of anything happening to any of her family.
Brandon stepped out in front. Jacob and Seth inched closer to him until they were next to him. I knew they would protect them. Seth turned to look at me. His large wolf form was now bigger than ever. He had had several growth spurts after we had left Forks. He was nearly as large as Jacob, none of the wolves I had ever seen had gotten to be as large as Jacob. I had conceived that the reason being was that he was the rightful Alpha. Sam had never been as large as Jake.
The wolves were growling at my son. I could hear the snarl rising in Edward and I heard another just to my side. Jasper had moved forward. I knew that he was sensing whatever it was that the wolves were feeling and he wasn't liking it. Edward of course would be reading Jasper's as well as the wolves and I knew his snarl wasn't something I would like. Brandon put out his hand. His little voice overpowering our surroundings. "I wish to explain myself. Would you please hear me out?"
Jacob barked loudly at the other wolves. Edward moved forward and translated. "Jacob is commanding that the wolves listen. As rightful Alpha, they cannot deny him. They can still act on their own, but this is his command and they must obey."
The wolves seemed to relax slightly, not enough to make me relax, but they began to calm. Their growling was nearly halted and I could sense their anger toward Jacob. I was certain that they felt he had become a traitor, abandoning them for the enemy. But Jacob was their Alpha. "Your alpha's death was not an act of premeditation," Brandon spoke. Hearing those words sent a chill over my body. I knew that my son did not kill Sam. I knew he didn't. "I was in the woods, hunting, when Sam came upon me. He was upset with my sister and Jacob because they were trying to keep him from seeing my niece earlier. They were only trying to do what was right for her. With Seth and Sam both imprinting on her, they wanted to keep her from becoming confused or attached to both of them until she is old enough to understand. Emma is not like the rest of us, not entirely. She grows slower, her mental capacity is already extraordinary but she isn't as developed as I or her mother or our brother was at that age."
Edward interrupted our son, "They understand that part, Brandon. They have heard Jacob's thoughts."
I couldn't hold my thoughts any longer. Brandon should have never been out of the house alone. I hadn't realized he had gone out, but yet I hadn't been home. "Brandon, why were you out hunting alone! Your father and I specifically said you were not to go out until we had been with you and taught you!" As soon as I reprimanded my son, I wanted to take those words back. "Never mind, we will speak of it later."
"I'm sorry," Brandon apologized to me. Then he turned to the wolves. "And I apologize to you as well." My son shouldn't be apologizing to those dogs! He had done nothing to apologize for. "I am not fully aware of the workings of your pack. Let me continue then. Sam came to me, growling, upset. I'm sure since you know his mind, you would know that. He was upset, yelling to me. He was in his human form. I have not been around your kind enough to understand how things work, I have only lived a few short weeks. I began to move on, to leave, but he continued. He followed me. I know of our treaty, I know of our treaty line. I know that my grandfather has even crossed that treaty line once upon a time to take care of Jacob, but I do know that even though our clans have grown 'friendly', we still abide by the treaty. This was what Sam had wanted. But he crossed it. He began to follow. I am not as versed on the treaty line as I should be as in my haste to get away from him, I crossed back over it. I went into your territory."
"This is our fault," Carlisle spoke to the wolves. "We hadn't told him of the line. I can assure you that we will accurately make him aware for the future."
"No grandfather," Brandon said. "This isn't anyone's fault. Let me finish." He turned back to the pack. "Sam began to get angry with me. I wouldn't answer his questions regarding Emma. I continued to move faster. It was almost then as if Sam was pushing me, leading me. The next thing I knew, we were at the cliff's edge. I told Sam to leave me be, that it was not my doing and I would not speak on his behalf to my sister as he had requested. Sam became angry and he phased. He came at me. I had no choice. I defended myself. I am a newborn and my strength is grand. My defensive punch caused Sam to fall. It was self defense and nothing more."
Our families stood quiet, nobody was moving. The grey wolf, the angriest that I could see, lurched forward. It was then that I saw what shocked me more than anything.