A/N: Sorry for taking so long...y'all know RL kicks my a$$!
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Editing/beta work was done by the wonderful Mist...
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Chapter Thirty-One:
Hurry...
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Tanya was still in the shower when Edward stepped out into the balcony to admire the multicolored sky that seemed to be waning, the night never quite making its grand day-view.
Blankets of white covering the scenery and crystalline icicles decorating the branches like natural ornaments typical of the season, with no other thoughts but Tanya's to invade him, he felt some peace.
Edward closed his eyes and allowed himself a moment. He permitted himself not to mourn, but remember the one whom with he had allowed himself to be taught what love was...Bella.
He took in an unnecessary breath and exhaled, relishing in memories of his first love...letting go.
He sighed as he heard in Tanya's thoughts how wonderful it would be for him to join her and turned to please her request when the thoughts of another invaded his mind.
These thoughts were focused on task, tracking a scent...his scent [Edward's]. It was a male...who was thankful for not needing more to cover himself with since he could tell the frosty temperature was well below zero, hoping he was not wrong in going on this kamikaze mission halfcocked and that those back home won't be as angry when he returned with the unwanted guest.
Edward returned to his perch on the balcony now searching for the culprit of these thoughts, while still listening to him mention that nothing matter as long as...
"No..." he breathed out in anguish. Jacob and Bella...something had happened and Carlisle needed his help.
"Seth..." He said noticing that he would be the only one crazy enough to go on a solo mission overturning his alpha's ruling to help his brother...and Bella...
With that thought alone, he ran into the room and grabbed a pair of pants then flitted just as quickly towards the balcony - without stopping - he jumped off the rail and kept running as his feet barely touched the snow.
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A flash of white with a sickly sweet stench invaded him making react quickly without a second thought, his body shaking with the coming transformation.
"Seth...its Edward." he said before walking out into view through the trees.
"SHIT!" Seth said with the left over tense irritation from the fear of having to face a leech on his own, "You ARE an ass!" thinking about the many times Jacob had told everyone the same thing, then breathing heavily and deep to allow his body to calm.
With no time for pleasantries, Edward got to the point, "What happened to Bella, Seth."
Seth couldn't help the images that flooded his mind...
The discovery of a new threat...learning that the pack and the imprints seemed to be the only ones attacked...discovering who the creatures were...the plan of capture...the execution of the plan...the ritual...their new forms...how they seem to...feed...
Edward had always demonstrated this...unnatural control, and an all too irritating state of calm.
That facade was not present at this time.
The vampire had crumbled before the wolf's eyes...dry sobbing on his knees, leaning forward on his fists, trembling with his shaking whispered whimpers, "no...Why her...she doesn't deserve this..."
Seth stifled his mind reel as much as he could, moving from one foot to the other uncomfortably.
This was not how he had planned to deliver the news...and now he needed to ask for his help?
How long should he wait till he should voice the need for his aid?
He tried to count up the minutes, but Edward had saved him the trouble.
"I will go with you, Seth." He said as he pushed himself up and seemed to get a hold of himself, "I need to get something's together and..."
Seth looked back at Edward intrigued by his abrupt interruption.
"What? What is it?" Seth pushed, noticing Edward's uncharacteristic nervous display.
"I have to...alert someone about my sudden departure." Edward hesitantly admitted.
"Wh-?" Seth began to ask, confused, but then understanding dawned as his eyebrows raised to his hairline, "-ooooh-uhhm..."
"I will just...err...wait here." He offered, when Edward made no attempt to explain further.
Edward looked at the direction he had come from then back at Seth, "um...it may be a little bit."
Seth dismissed him with a nonchalant wave of his hand, "It's no problem, man." But then thinking about it better, he pressed his urgency, "just...don't take too long, okay?"
Edward gave him a curt nod and - with a whirl of snow and a gush of wind - he was gone.
Seth ran his fingers through his head hair in relief that it had been rather easy to convince Edward to return, frowning in realization that the vampire may have also read in his mind that he will not be welcome with open arms.
Not by a long shot.
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He laid awake holding on to his mate with one arm tightly to his side, thinking about how to approach the proposition of Edward's return. Sam knew that Carlisle, though capable, had asked the aid of someone he trusted. However, Edward had demonstrated little on his part to earn the trust of others...
He had contacted Billy, asking to meet today to discuss something important. He felt awful having to deny spilling knowledge to the elder and chief of his tribe of the situation he needed to discuss, especially when Sam asked for Charlie to attend the same meeting.
The Chief was suspicious and understandably upset about it, but agreed none the less.
He just hoped to be able to make his points urgent enough to enforce a quick decision.
The right decision.
He rubbed his face with his free hand, thinking, this is going to be so fucking hard.
A sudden banging on the door jolted him upright and his mate to wake.
"Sam..." Emily whimpered, scared, clutching to the bed sheet that barely covered the mocha expanse of her smooth skin from his eyes.
He could smell it on her...tainting her delicious scent...fear.
He didn't like it.
"Stay here." Sam muttered the order to her, kissed her head and ripped the sheet off his lower body. He grabbed his shorts of the floor as he walked without pause, yanking them up his legs before he open the door with such force he nearly ripped it off its hinges, "WHAT?" he roared impatiently.
Jared flinched at his alpha's angry tone, but there was no time for that, so explained quickly, "Sam! They are fucking feeding on them! They have them like in a fucked up kind of trance again!"
Sam went from angry to alpha mode immediately, running for the cover of the trees with Jared after him as he asked, "Who?"
"Embry...and Leah..."
A/N:
good? bad? be honest...(take it easy on me though, Honora :-})