Delilah felt so sick to her stomach she thought she might have to use Bella's puke bucket.
She sat folded up in the armchair of the family room, shivering slightly as Jacob walked stiffly into the room. Carlisle had tried to stop him from coming in, but Bella insisted on seeing him. Delilah cringed, not for the first time since Bella and Edward had gotten home, at the girl's appearance. She was curled up in the corner of the sofa, trying to be cheerful, but her body looked like a corpse's. She had lost so much weight already that her bones jutted out, stretching her pale, grayish skin. Her wrists were so thin it looked like even Delilah could snap them if she wasn't careful, and though it was currently hidden from view by her blanket, Bella's stomach was the worst thing of all. Delilah had seen it earlier when she and Rosalie had been helping Bella into a new shirt after a particularly messy vomiting session. She had tried to contain her gasp, but she didn't think Bella blamed her for being scared, because it was truly terrifying.
It was huge, that she already knew, but what she had been shocked to see were the blackish bruises covering it; this was not what her idea of a pregnant woman's body looked like. Instead of making her glow, the baby was taking her life force completely. If there was a moment when Delilah realized that something was terribly, dreadfully wrong about the pregnancy, that was it. But it was obvious that Bella cared very much for the baby inside her, even if Edward wanted it killed.
Delilah's phone rang in her pocket, and she left the room swiftly, not wanting to attract a lot of attention.
"Hello?" she answered once she was in her room.
"Finally! I've called you, like, five thousand times and you haven't answered! What's up with you?" Basil's voice filtered through the phone.
Delilah frowned. The reason she hadn't been answering the phone was because Bella's pregnancy had to be kept secret, which meant that as much as Delilah wished her friend was there with her, Basil could not come over for a long time. They still saw each other at school everyday, but it wasn't the same. "Things have just been really busy," she said lamely.
Basil scoffed. "Okay, I know there's something you're not telling me, but I'm going to be a good friend and not push it. But we have to spend some time together, outside of school! What about this weekend?"
"Whose house?" Delilah asked her.
"Does it matter?"
"Actually, yeah. We're sort of… having family issues right now. Carlisle and Esme don't want anybody over."
"Alright, then come over to my house. We have to get in some quality best friend time or I'm gonna die!"
Delilah forced a laugh.
Sam paced back and forth, thinking of ways to eliminate the Cullens. Jacob had come to them and let them see what was growing inside of Bella, and there was no doubt in Sam's mind that the creature would be a threat to everyone.
What about Delilah? Paul thought angrily, picturing her frightened face.
Yeah, Seth piped up. We can't hurt a brother's imprint. Besides, you know Delilah- she wouldn't hurt a fly.
We won't touch her, Sam assured them. Delilah Cullen is not a threat to us. She doesn't have to be hurt.
You don't think killing her family would hurt her? Paul bristled, his fur standing on end as he growled threateningly.
But Sam was already planning strategies, trying to determine a plan that would allow as many of them to make it out alive as possible.
This is wrong! Jacob's mind said as he paced. I was wrong about killing them.
You were wrong about your motives this morning, Sam corrected him. But the creature is a threat. We must protect our families.
But how will the rest of the pack deal with it? Jacob demanded. Even if they manage to survive, they will always have murder on their hands!
Sam growled at him. You will not defy your duties to your pack. They could all hear the command in his voice, and Paul and Seth immediately crouched low to the ground, unable to resist their Alpha. Jacob, however, was fighting it for all he was worth. Finally he straightened up, staring Sam in the eyes.
Ephraim Black's son was not born to follow Levi Uley's.
Jacob glared at Leah. It's bad enough Seth's here, he thought in disgust. Go home.
Why should I? He's here. She gestured to Paul.
I'm protecting my imprint, he snarled at her.
I'm protecting my brother!
I don't need protecting, Seth grunted. Go home, Leah.
No one wants you here.
Leah snorted. Tell me who does want me around and I'm out of here.
So this isn't about Seth after all?
I don't exactly have a lot of choices, Jacob, she grunted. I don't want to be in your pack any more than you want me to be.
They were interrupted by Seth's thoughts. From the woods near the Cullens' house, he had seen Delilah standing in front of the huge windows on the second floor. Her face was pale and worried as she looked at Seth, hugging herself. Seeing her through Seth's mind, Paul whined, pawing the ground anxiously.
Edward came up behind Delilah, placing a hand on her shoulder. He said something to her, and she walked away from the window reluctantly. Edward glanced at Seth, and the tan wolf thought to him, Nothing new, Edward.
Leah's disgust was obvious in her thoughts as she eyed Paul. Trust me, I'm making the best of the situation.
Whatever, you're not staying, Jacob grunted.
Actually, I am, Mr. Alpha. Then she looked at Paul. Don't you want to know what they decided about that Cullen girl?
Paul's head snapped up. Delilah?
Yeah, whatever her name is. Leah ignored Paul's warning growl.
Ignore her. Jacob rolled his eyes. Sam said they wouldn't touch her.
While she was their pack member's imprint, Leah corrected. Guess who's not part of their pack anymore? She looked pointedly at Paul.
I'll kill them if they come near her, he snarled.
But I don't understand, Seth's thoughts joined them again. I thought he said she wasn't a threat. Why would they hurt her?
Sam said that since she's not a danger to anyone, they wouldn't try to kill her. On the other hand, do you really think they're going to go out of their way not to if she jumps into the fight?
She won't, Paul thought, but they all knew he was only trying to reassure himself.
I don't know, Seth told them, worried. Would you sit around and do nothing if it was your family?
You're right, Jacob grunted, beginning to run the perimeter. Let's just keep an eye out for now.
"Delilah," Esme called out from another room. "Do you want to help me?"
Delilah practically ran from the room where Bella was, sick to her stomach. She found Esme in the kitchen, making several sandwiches. "They must be starving by now," she murmured, wrapping the sandwiches in paper towels and handing some to Delilah. Delilah nodded in agreement, following Esme out the door.
Jacob, Seth, Leah, and Paul had made a meeting spot out of a small clearing in the woods not far away from the house, and they were all four there when she and Esme reached the spot. She could tell by Seth and Leah's tired faces that they had just returned from a shift, and she tried to smile sympathetically at them. Esme handed out sandwiches to Jacob and Seth, giving them both a motherly smile. Delilah approached Leah, who was sitting down not far from her, eyes turned on the surrounding forest, and tentatively held out a sandwich.
Leah glanced up at her, gave her a dirty look, and turned back to the forest once more, leaving Delilah to stand there awkwardly. Paul growled deep in his throat, stepping over to Delilah and accepting his sandwich.
"Don't worry about her," Jacob said, taking Leah's sandwich from Delilah. "If she's hungry, she'll get over herself and eat it." Leah glared at him hatefully, but he took no notice.
Esme started back to the house, but Delilah lingered there. "Go on, Esme. I'll head back in a minute or two."
Leah snorted. "Great. Do I have to watch these two lovebirds make googly eyes at each other?" Delilah immediately flushed, too embarrassed to say a word, but Paul outright growled at her, his muscled body trembling.
"Leave them alone, Leah," Jacob sighed. "We need to be on patrol, Paul."
Paul's shaking lessened, and he nodded. Delilah's face still felt hot when he went up to her and gave her a hug, grinning when her face only turned a darker shade. "I'll be back in a while," he told her before running after Jacob, who had gotten a head start. A moment later, the sound of heavy footfalls filled the clearing as the two boys transformed. Once the sound had faded, Delilah awkwardly began to edge away, planning on going back to the house.
"Don't leave now," Seth whined, standing up. "You should stay for a while and keep me company."
"I don't know," Delilah said slowly, glancing at Leah.
"Don't let me stop you," the girl said sarcastically. "Far be it for me to boss around the Cullens' human."
"Leah," Seth said angrily. "She's not their human, she's their family. Don't let her bother you," he told Delilah. "Nobody wanted her to join the pack anyway."
Leah only growled at him, getting up and storming off. Seth shrugged, only looking a little guilty as he sank to the ground and made himself comfortable.
"What did I do to make her hate me?" Delilah asked him, sitting down next to him.
"Oh, it's nothing you did," Seth told her. "She's just bitter about imprinting in general."
"What?" Delilah asked dumbly.
"Impri- wait. didn't Paul tell you about that?" Seth's eyes widened when she shook her head. "Oh no, I should not have said that. Paul's going to murder me."
"Why?" Delilah questioned. "What is it?"
"It's a wolf thing," Seth said after a few moments. "I guess it's like true love. Not that I would know firsthand- it hasn't happened to me," he admitted sheepishly.
"It doesn't sound that bad," Delilah said, her brow furrowed. "Why would Leah be bitter over that?"
"Well, you know how Sam and Emily are completely head over heels for each other?"
"They have the imprint?"
"Yeah," Seth said cautiously. "Only, when Sam imprinted on Emily, he was dating Leah."
Delilah gaped at him, and he hurriedly continued. "Of course, it's not something you can help, and Sam broke up with Leah as soon as it happened, so it wasn't technically like cheating."
"But-but what about her? Leah, I mean."
Seth shrugged. "Like I said, we can't help who we imprint on."
Delilah wrapped her arms around her legs, feeling a little sick. "But, if they already have someone, why would they imprint?"
"I don't really know for sure how it works," Seth told her, peering at her pale face. "Are you okay? You look a little green."
"Fine," Delilah said shortly. "I just- how does Paul fit into all this?"
"Oh," Seth said, his own face paling a little. "He should probably be the one to tell you. He's going to kill me as it is."
Delilah nodded numbly, standing up. "It's a little cold out here. I think I'll go back inside."
"Alright," Seth said warily, watching her shoulders slump down a little as she made her way back to the house. He had a feeling he'd just created a bigger problem than he'd thought.
