Author's Note: I am 50 Shades of Sorry right now! (And no, I am not reading that shit book, just felt like saying that… LOL) I know it has been forever since I updated and I feel HORRIBLE. Since I've last updated I had a school play and my end of the year finals and I was taking an additional class every evening. I can't apologize enough for this long wait, I can only hope that this chapter was worth it :) So, that being said, ENJOY! Also be sure to review!
Claire
I felt sick the rest of the afternoon. So sick that my father actually believed I was coming down with the flu and asked what was wrong. I didn't want to talk to him, and he would never understand anyway, so I said it was "that time of the month" and he didn't pester me about it again.
Plus side of being a girl, cramps is an excuse for everything, I thought dryly.
Eliza knew the truth, though, in that little way she always does. The smirk she flashes at you when she meets your eyes at the dinner table, the way she speaks to you when encountering you in the hall. The glint in her eyes.
Sometimes I think she really does know everything. That the secrets of the universe are all locked up in her brain, hidden under those pale blonde curls.
However, as fascinating as they were, the all-knowing powers of my sister was the last thing on my mind. Truthfully, everything that wasn't Quil was the last thing on my mind.
Quil and I were actually fighting. Us. Fighting.
Funny how when one thing goes downhill, everything else comes tumbling after it. My father takes over my life, my time with Quil is cut down to approximately zero hours a day, I am forced to go back to school, and now the cherry on top of the cake. Quil was mad at me. And perhaps even scarier, I was mad at him, too.
My stomach was in knots. It was nearly eleven o'clock. What time exactly did Quil plan on coming?
Leave your window open tonight, we'll talk then, okay? He had said. Like that was specific. The second the muted light of the cloudy day shifted into dusk, I had thrown my windows open as wide as they could go and essentially paced in circles. Around eight I tired of pacing and retreated to my bed, sitting on top of the comforter and cradling my knees against my chest, trying not to freak out.
But by ten-fifty, the strain of the long day was beginning to catch up with me, and my eyes yearned for sleep. My mind wouldn't allow it though. They stayed glued to the windows cornering my room. As the clock ticked, and eleven turned to twelve, I swallowed a painful lump of tears in my throat and faced the fact that Quil wasn't going to come. He clearly didn't want to see me. Without even getting up to brush my teeth or close my windows, I kicked off my jeans and curled up miserably into bed.
Quil
The run lasted a little longer than I expected.
Okay, a lot longer.
Somehow, my short run to clear my head had turned into an eleven hour trip to the eastern border of the state and back. It was nearly three o'clock in the morning by the time I returned.
I cursed myself mentally for taking so long. Claire was probably asleep by now, and she probably felt pretty hurt that I never talked to her like I promised. I jogged up to her house in wolf form and spied at her windows from my hiding place in the trees. Claire's room was situated ideally on the very corner of the house, with windows on two out of the four walls of her room. The light of a single lamp shone through the four open windows of her bedroom. I'd already hurt her enough, the least I could do was close her windows and turn off her lamp. I didn't want my poor baby getting sick.
The nearest thick branch to her window was a good fifteen feet away, but I was able to make the jump, only causing a light thud as my body made impact with the house. Silently, I crawled in through the window. She was in her bed, asleep, just like I had assumed, but she didn't wear the serene expression that she usually had while she slept. She looked stressed, jaw tight, corners of her mouth angled down. I worried briefly that she was having a nightmare.
The sad truth was, I was actually relieved that Claire was asleep. I didn't know if I could face her quite yet. What was I supposed to say? Sorry that I choked the douche bag I told you not to talk to? Too bad I wasn't sorry, not one bit.
No, it was more like, I'm sorry you had to see . . .
A sick feeling came over me suddenly as I watched my love's fitful sleep. What if her nightmare was about me?
Don't think like that, Quil. I scolded. Don't torture yourself like that.
I shook my head briefly before going to the lamp on the dresser across from her bed and clicking it off. The only light in the room now was the glowing red numbers of her alarm clock, but I could still see every detail of the room with absolute clarity. I was prepared to just climb right back out of her window with a promise to myself to call her tomorrow, but I couldn't let myself go. Not without touching her once. I went back to her bed, kneeling beside it quietly. Then, oh so softly, I brushed a few strands of hair off of my Claire's face and tucked them behind her ears.
I thought the touch would be too soft for her to feel, but her eyes practically shot open. "Quil?" She asked in a sleepy daze, momentarily puzzled by my presence. Then, her eyes flickered to the alarm clock by her bed and she spoke again, clearer this time. "Quil, it's three o'clock in the morning."
"Sorry I woke you, go back to sleep. I'll talk to you tomorrow."
"No," Claire protested, not a hint of grogginess in her voice. "Stay." Her eyes were open and alert.
I sighed, unable to deny her.
Here goes nothing . . .
Claire
The intense tugging in my gut caused me to shoot awake. It was the familiar pull that I always felt when Quil was near. And this time wasn't an exception. He was just inches away from me, kneeling beside my bed with his fingers dancing lightly across my temple.
"Quil?" I asked, not quite sure if I was awake or dreaming. After a second, when he didn't evaporate, I assumed the latter was false, and he was really in my room. Quil looked startled for a brief second and then brought his hand back to his side.
My eyes were drawn to the only light in the room, the alarm clock beside the bed. As I glanced at it, the number switched to three o'clock am on the dot. "Quil, it's three o'clock in the morning," I informed him, as if by some chance he wasn't aware.
"Sorry I woke you, go back to sleep. I'll talk to you tomorrow."
"No," I practically shouted, my eyes opening widely. Any drowsiness in my system disappeared. Quil was not leaving before we talked. I couldn't sleep soundly until we did. "Stay," I told him.
He considered it briefly, and then sighed, shoulders slumping in defeat. "Okay," he relented, "I'll stay."
I sat up, but he stayed crouched. Looking down on him, he seemed nervous, and maybe a little annoyed.
"Unless you want to leave?" The words hurt coming out of my mouth, but I stared at him blankly, masking the pain.
He shook his head and extended to full kneeling height, rather than crouching. This made him nearly the same height as me. "I want to stay."
"When you said 'leave your window open' maybe you should have added 'don't wait up, because I won't be showing up until an ungodly hour,'" I said irritably.
"I didn't mean to come this late, were you waiting up for me?"
I nodded, not trusting myself to not cry. The day was too much of a rollercoaster and the earlier sadness of waiting for Quil still lingered in my bones. What I really needed was for him to hold me, but right when I was about to ask, I remembered what else he'd done with his hands earlier, and got mad at him all over again.
"I didn't mean to be so late, baby. I was just running and I lost track of time," he shared, placing a hand on my thigh through the blanket. Without thinking, the muscle contracted briefly in surprise and Quil jerked his hand away, looking as if I'd hit him.
"Quil?" I asked concernedly.
"I, uh—didn't mean to scare you. Sorry. I shouldn't have touched you."
"You touched my leg, Quil. How would that scare me? I was just surprised, nothing earth-shattering."
"Never mind," he shook his head. His face betrayed his words.
"What's going on, Quil?" I swung my legs out of the bed and let them dangle over the side, bare and partially tangled in the sheets. When he didn't answer, I put a hand on his shoulder gently. "What's wrong?"
"You shouldn't touch me," he stated blankly.
"What?" His words were like a stab to the gut, I ripped my hand away as the tears tightened in my throat. Damn it. Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry.
"You don't need to try and be brave, Claire. It's natural to fear a monster."
"A monster?" That wasn't at all what I'd expected him to say. "Why are you suddenly a monster?"
Quil stood up, walking towards the windows and looking out of them, his back to me. "Don't you see?" He asked rhetorically, "I've always been one. I kill, I fight, I attack."
"You're a werewolf, it's part of your job."
"I don't just hurt vampires, though. I hurt people, too. You saw me choke Mason today, Claire. And I'm a monster because I'm not even sorry. If you weren't there, I wouldn't have stopped."
My breathing caught slightly. No, I told myself, he would have. He just thinks he has to be the bad guy right now.
"That doesn't make you a monster, Quil. It makes you a territorial, over-protective, jackass who doesn't trust his girlfriend," I said it as calmly as I could manage, but even to my own ear I sounded pretty pissed. And didn't I have a right to be? Yes, Quil was my soul mate and I loved him to death no matter what, but what I said was the truth.
"I may not be sorry for what I did, but I am sorry for why. I know I should have more faith in you, Claire, but I'm kind of in a tough situation here. You want me to trust you that you can handle yourself, and I want you to trust me that he's dirt and you shouldn't speak to him at all."
"Well, as an American citizen, I have a right to remain stubborn."
Quil turned back to me, a smirk on his face. In an attempt to look grown up and serious, I stood up and crossed my arms. This caused Quil to smirk a little more.
"Nice panties," he inclined his head at my dark pink silky underwear. I blushed, remembering my lack of pants. It's not like Quil hadn't seen me a lot more exposed, but this felt like a different situation.
"Don't change the subject," I snapped.
"Sorry," he smiled, scratching his head and sliding his eyes up and down my legs one last quick time before meeting my eyes. He looked tired, but I'm sure I looked just as bad.
"Look I love you, you must know that. But Quil, I'm practically a woman, I should be able to make some choices on my own. If I want to talk to Mason it should be up to me. You and I both know the main reason you don't want him around me is because you can't handle the fact that he maybe likes me. But Quil, in order for us to work, you need to believe that I'm not going anywhere."
"Baby, you don't know what he could be capable of and—"
"Either do you!" I snapped, walking right up to him and trying to get in his face. "You can't keep me in a cage for the rest of my life and growl at every boy who passes by in fear that they may look at me twice!"
Quil huffed. "But baby, this isn't any guy. This is a teenage werewolf who can barely control himself, he could phase around you and you could get hurt."
"I saw you today, Quil. His temper isn't the only one that's out of whack."
"I would never hurt you baby!" Quil said quickly. "I couldn't. It's not possible."
"You've called me baby like eight times in a row, Quil. Forget my name?"
"No, Claire, I just… I don't know. I guess it's my way of saying that no matter what, you're still my baby and I love you."
"But I'm not a baby," I protested.
"I know," Quil breathed. "If you were, this—" he ran his hand from the small of my back, across my butt, and down my bare leg "would be highly inappropriate."
I shivered slightly, and then glared at him in defiance. "What? You think you can touch me once and all of my angriness will just melt away?" The part I wasn't able to admit was that, yes, he kind of could.
"No, of course not," Quil breathed, leaning in even closer to me so I could feel his hot breath on my face. "But maybe twice," he added with a mischievous smirk, bringing his lips to my jaw and sliding them down my neck to my collarbone.
"Stop that," I ordered in a shaky voice. "You can't just do that to get your way. I'm still pissed at you. Majorly."
"I'm sorry," he mumbled into my skin. I forced his head away from the crook of my neck and made him look me in the eyes. "I'm tired of fighting."
"Mean it this time."
"I'm sorry," he repeated sincerely.
"For?"
"Upsetting you and not trusting you."
"And?"
"I'm not apologizing for Mason, I told you that. I'm just sorry I did it in front of you."
I frowned at him. "Well I'm sorry for being unwilling to compromise. I'm not going to treat Mason like a piece of furniture and ignore him completely. That's pretty hard considering we have two classes together. I don't need to be nice, but I'm going to be civil."
"No," Quil protested. "Are you sure you don't just want to switch schools? Please," he begged.
I shook my head. "I don't want to fight with you either, Quil. I really don't. I love you and I miss being with you, so please don't let this come between us."
Quil didn't say anything, just stroked my hair gently. "I promise I'll let you know if he ever makes me feel uncomfortable, and then you have permission to kick his ass. But don't make someone do time for a crime that hasn't even been committed yet."
"Yet."
"Quil—" My next argument was silenced by the enthusiastic, almost violent collision of Quil's lips and mine. Every possible thing I had to say was washed away by the tide of Quil. It wasn't a kiss of lust or passion, but rather a kiss of pure need. Desperate lips mashing together, tongues tasting as if they never would again, hands knotted in each other's hair as if holding on for dear life. It was not a kiss like sex, but a kiss like breathing, a basic need, not a desire. The power of the imprint had stepped in and taken control, and who were we to deny it?
When Quil pulled away, I pulled him right back in, ignoring the fact that I could barely breathe. Being angry with Quil was too stressful. Why would I ever be angry with him when my time could be better spent kissing him? Why would I ever push him away when him holding me was the best feeling in the entire world?
The second time, I pulled away, solely because I was starting to see spots from lack of oxygen. "No more fighting," Quil said, his breathing returning to normal much faster than mine. "I trust you. I trust you. I can't handle you being mad at me. I trust you, Claire."
"I can't handle being mad at you either," I told him, hugging him as tightly as I could. He wrapped his arms around me, hugging back, and I finally felt at home.
Lilly
I didn't hate school. I didn't really hate anything or anyone, for that matter.
Except vampires… and maybe Camille Glover.
I mean, how annoying can one girl be? If Bitchism were a religion Camille would be its spiritual leader. And Gaby would be her loyal follower. (As if she isn't already).
Day two of lunch was no better than day one. More shallow gossip, more idiot boys talking about swagger and saying random crap like "YOLO" and "Cool Story, Bro" (Who was even telling a story?) but much to Eliza's relief, less talk about Brady. Why she continued to deny she liked him was a mystery to me. About ninety percent of things Eliza did were a mystery to me. Like why she wanted to sit by a stupid bitch like Camille Glover at lunch.
"Second day and I already had a guy ask me to homecoming…" she boasted with a small flip of her hair. Gaby spit bits of her apple across the table.
"Oh my God! Who?" she squealed.
"This Sophomore guy named Josh Sinclair," Camille smiled, nodding her head in the direction of the lunch line where a group of guys were standing.
"Which one?" Eliza asked, looking up from her sandwich with what looked like little interest.
"Striped shirt, sandy hair," Camille said.
"Did you say yes?" Gaby asked.
"I told him I'd consider."
"He looks kind of… gay," I commented, noticing his coordinated outfit and expensive looking messenger bag. Travis snorted. Camille's nostrils flared.
"He's not gay, he's rich. Not everyone can tell the difference, don't feel bad. You just need to have a good eye."
"He's pretty," Marco smirked. "But I'm prettier."
"Did you just refer to yourself as pretty?" Jasmine rolled her eyes.
"What? You don't agree?" He raised an eyebrow. She looked down and continued eating as if she had not heard him.
"Anyway, Lil, there's no need to be jealous. The dance is still three weeks away, I'm sure you have plenty of time to find someone to take you."
"Maybe closer than you think," Travis said quietly.
"Well, anyway, there are more important things. I certainly don't care about a silly dance."
Camille rolled her eyes.
Jesus, I really can't stand her.
Mason
I couldn't resist. Tuesday afternoon, after spending glorious time with Claire at school, I had to rub it in Quil's face. Immature? Very. Did I care? Not really.
I knew I should have just been thankful that Quil had a total whipped moment and gave Claire permission to speak to me—like I wouldn't have gotten her to talk anyway—but I just couldn't help myself.
"Well hello there, Chester," I greeted as he walked through the front door at around five o'clock. "Nice day at your new job?"
"Shut up," he growled.
"Anyway, I was thinking… Chester may not be a suitable name anymore. You're still a pedophile, but I think you need a name that also represents what a pussy bitch you are, don't you?"
"Claire isn't here to protect you anymore, Mason. I'd watch myself if I were you."
I smirked, pulling out my cell phone and typing in her number (which I am only slightly embarrassed to admit I had committed to memory) and showing the screen to Quil. "I can always call her up and let her know you're bullying me."
"Very macho of you," Quil commented. "Threatening to call my girlfriend."
"Chester, I'm more of a man than you on my worst day than you are on your best."
Quil doubled over in laughter. "Yeah fucking right," he guffawed, heading into the kitchen. The hole in the wall was still there, glaring evidence of last week's argument. Quil fixed himself a wolf-sized bowl of cereal and sat down at the table. I pulled the chair across from him out noisily—really letting it screech across the linoleum—before plopping down and smirking wickedly.
"You know, I was talking to Claire today during fourth hour, and I noticed just how sexy her smile is. And her eyes. And her arms. And legs. I don't think she realizes it, but that girl is a fucking bombshell."
If looks could kill, Quil would have sent me six feet under. The spoon he had been holding bent like rubber in his hand as he crushed it with his fist. "Mine."
"What I find interesting is that I can name at least seven guys in school I've seen ogling her in the last two days I've been there, but you're not worried about them at all. Why me, then? Do I make you feel threatened, Quil?"
"No, but you successfully annoy the crap out of me. Look, you clearly know I talked to Claire last night and I agreed to trust her, but I don't trust you for a second and I never will. And I swear to God if you hurt her at all—"
"Hurt her?" I exclaimed, baffled. Before I could stop myself I said "I would never hurt her, I love her, too ya know!" Both of us were silent as the words I said sunk in. Yes, my feelings were about as clear as day, but I had never out loud, plainly stated the fact that I was in love with Claire Young. Until right now, I guess. Though Quil isn't the person I imagined telling.
"Is that supposed to reassure me?" Quil finally asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I know you find this hard to believe Chester, but I'm actually a human being with feelings, and unlike you, I choose not to hurt the things I love." And with that I abruptly got up and exited the kitchen without giving him a chance to respond.
I hadn't gone eight steps from the kitchen when there was a knock at the front door. "I'll get it," I muttered, hoping to both heaven and hell that it wasn't Embry who had somehow lost his key. Dealing with Embry and Quil in small doses was one thing, together they were unbearable. I unlocked the door and flung it open, preparing to slam the door at a moment's notice if I didn't like the person on the other side.
But it was Claire, of course, looking just as gorgeous as she had earlier at school. How does she have the ability to make jeans and a light orange V-neck look like the sexiest thing in the world? Why is she with Quil when she can get do so much better?
"Hey," I smiled a real smile, not the arrogant smirk I usually flashed. I couldn't help it, Claire just put me in a good mood. She smiled back, making my heart literally stutter in my chest. The fuck?
"Hey Mason, Quil home yet?"
Good mood over.
Quil
"Hey Mason, Quil home yet?" I heard the voice of my angel float from the front door. I was there in an instant, practically knocking Mason out of the way to get to her.
"Just got home," I told her, placing a chaste kiss on her perfect lips, "You have excellent timing, baby."
"Good, because I'd hate to think you were just sitting here bored when I could have been here keeping you entertained," she whispered in my ear. I felt the sudden urge to shove Mason out of the door and lock it behind him, and instead settled for flipping him off behind Claire's back while I kissed her. He left down the hall without a word, looking somewhat sick to his stomach. Good. That was what he deserved for talking about my Claire. I pulled Claire into me, deepening the kiss and shutting the front door.
"So how did you get here? I thought you couldn't come over because Anthony knows that Em doesn't work Tuesday and Thursday afternoons so you couldn't lie about babysitting."
"I snuck out while he was in the bathroom," she smiled mischievously. "And rode my bike. He thinks I'm in my room, catching up on the summer reading I was supposed to do."
"Aren't you a naughty girl," I teased.
"You would know," she breathed against my lips before kissing me seductively. Claire's sexiness is going to be the death of me.
"I missed these lips today," I shared before sliding my tongue across her smooth bottom lip.
"Just the lips?" She mused, pulling away.
"No, I missed their owner too," I smiled, brushing my hand lightly from her temple to her chin. I was filled with a very satisfied feeling when she shuddered in response.
No one else can get that reaction out of her, only me, I thought smugly.
"Well I missed you too," she shared before getting on her tippy toes and bringing me down to her level so she could kiss me playfully on the cheek.
"How long do you have before you have to go back?" I asked her.
"Well, I really don't know. But for now let's just say I better have my ass back in my room before dinner. And then there is the issue of sneaking back into the house. You know I don't think things through," she giggled.
"Don't worry. I'll get you back through your window, problem solved. Hopefully."
She flashed her gorgeous smile and then led me to the living room. "Dinner is in about an hour."
"I can work with that," I smirked as she laid on the couch.
"Slow down there, Mr. Horny Teenage Boy. We aren't fucking on the couch."
"Damn it," I cursed, causing her to laugh brilliantly.
"I barely get to talk to you anymore," she complained while she beckoned me over. I scooped her off of the sofa and then laid her down on top of me. A small part of me hoped that the scent of Claire and I would still be there tonight when Mason was trying to fall asleep.
"Can we at least talk like this?" I asked, drawing circles with my fingers across her back. She gave a slight shudder again and I kissed her lightly on the forehead.
"Fine," she sighed, as if she wasn't into it.
"So what do you want to talk about?"
"I don't care. Tell me about how your job hunt went yesterday, any luck?"
"Yeah, Nolan and I got really lucky actually. There's this construction company in Port Angeles that builds new buildings in town and repairs old ones. When two huge native guys showed up asking about getting a job, the construction manager hired us on the spot."
"That's awesome baby!" Claire enthused, rewarding me with a long, deep, kiss.
"Yeah, we got lucky. Some of the other guys looked around today and yesterday, but it's hard to find work without a college degree nowadays, ya know?"
She nodded. "When do you start?"
"Today actually," I told her. "Nolan and I had an… orientation of sorts. We officially start Thursday."
"What do you even know about construction?" She asked.
"Close to nothing," I chuckled. "The innocent residents of Port Angeles should be warned."
Claire laughed again. "Don't kill anyone, Quil… well, anyone human," she added as an afterthought. "That would probably get you fired."
"Probably," I shrugged, "I hate the hours though. Monday through Thursday and I don't get home till five or six every day. That's going to severely cut into my Claire time."
"Well, I'm here now," she smiled, kissing me once more. I heard pacing coming from Embry's room and almost laughed. Oh yeah, Mason's still here. Fucker.
"Yes you are," I murmured against her mouth. I flipped us so Claire was under me and shifted my weight to my arms and legs, which rested on either side of her. Claire sighed softly against my lips as I began kissing her again, with more vigor this time.
And just as fast as the moment became perfect, it turned into a nightmare. Two howls rang through the air, coming from the forest not far beyond the house. I shot up instantly.
"Fuck!" I hissed. Claire looked up at me anxiously, her hair slightly messed up from where my hands had just been tangled in it.
Mason was there in an instant, his face all business. "Did you hear that?" He asked.
"I'm not fucking deaf," I snapped in response.
"Well are we going or not?" He asked, looking unaffected by my remark.
My eyes went back to Claire, then Mason, then the door, then back to Claire. Two howls didn't just mean vampires. It meant a vampire emergency. The last time there were two howls in a row was when the hybrids attacked, and anything else considered worthy of that distress call unsettled me. My responsibility to the pack said go, but how could I just leave Claire here? Vampires were in the area! I couldn't leave her helpless and alone!
I rushed to the table by the door and snatched up my truck keys. "Go to Emily's. Now. Don't leave until I call you." I ordered, placing the keys in Claire's hand and closing her fingers around them.
"Vampires?" Claire asked softly. I replied by kissing her quickly but desperately on the lips.
"You're fine, Claire. Nothing is going to hurt you. Go to Emily's." It was the best I could do.
"Let's go," I spoke in Mason's direction, speeding through the back door and towards the trees.
"Bye Claire," I heard Mason say before he followed after me.
What's wrong? I inquired the second I shifted.
It's only one, but she's a hybrid, Grayson thought. I saw the forest from his perspective briefly. He and Embry and Seth were flying after the vampire, who was currently out of sight, but left a strong smell.
A hybrid? Mason entered the though train. But all of the hybrids are dead. We killed them.
That's what concerns me, Seth's thoughts weren't optimistic.
But there's only one, should be easy, right? Collin asked, speaking up. He, too, was chasing after Grayson, Seth, and Embry, who were on the vampire's trail.
If there's one thing I learned, it's never underestimate a vampire. Especially not a hybrid.
Well, I'm hoping you're referring to an evil super-vampire and not my wife, Jacob thought upon phasing.
Hey, guys! I'm ahead of you, right along the tree line of the forest. You're running towards me, does that mean it's between us? Brady asked. I can get it! He sounded almost eager.
Dude! You can't face a vampire alone! Turn and take a wide circle around it. Collin ordered.
No, stay. I'll be there in a second, we can surround the fucker. Embry suggested.
I agree with Collin, seems risky. I added.
Pussy, Mason rolled his eyes. He was still running beside me, and I fought the urge to snap at him.
HOLY SHIT! Brady howled as he literally collided with the vampire, who appeared out of nowhere.
Brady
HOLY SHIT! I exclaimed as the weight of a mountain crashed into my side. Damn, vampires are hard. And fast. Where the hell had it come from?
I whipped my head around to find it already running. It had not even stopped to pay any attention to me, like I was a tree stump as far as it was concerned. The vampire continued along the forest boundary at full speed. It was already almost out of sight with all of the trees, but before it disappeared, I caught what was sure to be its most distinctive feature. The leech's hair was bright ass blue.
Where have I seen that before?
Better question, why didn't it finish you off? Grayson asked skeptically.
I'm fast enough, I can get it! Embry announced, increasing his speed and racing right past me.
We need to group up and hunt this thing properly, Jacob reasoned.
But we're so close! Seth whined as him and Grayson reached me. I got up from the ground and shook the dirt off. Nothing felt broken. I followed after Embry.
We can't let her get away! Embry hissed. She's running a little too close to home for my taste.
What I don't get… Mia—who had before been silent—thought, is why the leech is just circling around. She got past Brady no fucking problem, but then she didn't change directions. If she wants to exit the forest, then why didn't she?
I really don't like this, Seth huffed.
THE BLOODSUCKER IS GETTING AWAY! Embry howled loudly, causing most of the pack to quickly start to follow behind us in pursuit of the vampire.
What's the game plan? Quil asked as him, Mason, Jacob, and Collin caught up to Grayson and Seth, who were close behind me. Mia was just paces behind. There was no sign that the others had heard, or were in the area to begin with… but surely nine werewolves could take down a single little blue-haired vampire.
Wait, Brady, Collin's eyes widened. Its hair is blue? Is it just a little thing, like maybe five feet tall?
I don't know, I just caught a glimpse. I told him.
No, dumbass, you've seen much more than that. And then he brought the memory to the surface.
The hybrids. There had been six of them. The leader, Jonathan, who secreted venom through his skin. His bitch, Haley, who let herself get captured and spied on us while we made our plans and then faked her own death before actually dying. The mind-controller, Connor, who liked to fuck with other members of the pack, making them think of the exact things they didn't want to. The one that Collin and I fought that first night, Harry, who had shadowy skin and was able to paralyze his victims with only a look. The smaller boy, who I never learned the name of, that had the ability to dull the senses. All of the vampires on the field that day were slaughtered. All of them were dead.
Except one.
One who left before the fight ever began. The one who, for reasons no one knew, never returned to help the other members of her coven.
The girl the other vampires called Lilah. The girl who was meant to kill the imprint girls but never got there. The girl with electric blue hair.
Holy fuck, Jacob cursed.
I forgot all about her, when I left the fight to go to the girls I… I didn't even smell her. Embry shook his head, slowing without meaning to.
Why is she back? Does she really think she can kill us all? I asked. That sixth vampire couldn't have been more than like, fourteen or fifteen.
Well, if she's fourteen we're all fucked, Mason noted. Fourteen year old girls seem to control this pack as it is, a vampire that age will run us into the ground.
I snarled, Seth growled (Annie was bitten just shy of fifteen), and Embry didn't make a sound.
Well, I mean, he has a point… Grayson thought, but it doesn't really matter if she's young or not, she's a fucking psychotic mutant leech. I wouldn't put anything past her.
I wouldn't put anything past Eliza either, Collin chuckled.
I rolled my eyes. After a million and one of them, the jokes about me being in love with Eliza were getting reaaaally old.
Focus people! Let's kill the leech now and make fun of Brady later, okay? Mia snapped.
Just because Leah isn't here, doesn't mean you can act like her, someone mumbled, but we all listened to her anyway, leaving the conversation behind as we bolted after the bloodsucker.
The strange thing was, no matter how fast we ran, we never got close enough to see her, and her scent was fading. We ended up splitting in to two groups and running the perimeter of the reservation in different directions, and even when we met again there was no sign of her. Her scent was slightly dusted over everything, but Lilah herself was gone.
We lost her! I told you guys we weren't running fast enough! Embry was the angriest of all.
She's around here somewhere, Embry. We'll search all night until we find her. Jacob assured him.
Yeah? Just like we found the other leeches before? Oh wait! We didn't! Because they were hiding under the fucking ground. Embry was shaking, and if he weren't already phased, he would have.
Embry—
What if she's only here to finish the job she was assigned? What if she came for the girls? What if we can't find her around here because she's in Forks! If you were about to tell me to calm down, don't. I'm going to go check on Lilly, and then I'm not going to stop hunting that leech down until she's ashes.
Jacob was much calmer. Embry, I was going to tell you that you can't blame yourself for this. It's not your fault Lilah is still alive.
I should have been thinking! While you guys were dying in a hole I was too busy worried about Lilly to even think of the vampire girl! Too preoccupied to wonder how the girls were alive, I was just happy that they were. God, I'm such an idiot!
Embry, none of this is your fault. We were all worried about our loved ones, we all forgot about Lilah, it isn't healthy to hold yourself respon—
Don't talk down to me, Jacob. Embry snapped harshly, storming away. Even though he wasn't in an "I could use some company mood" I followed after him anyways. I'd been gravitating more towards Embry lately. We were always friends, but more so recently. He understood me (and these days, Collin didn't). And we had the girls in common, since Eliza and Lilly were best friends. I followed Eliza, he followed Lilly, there was some mutual girl stalking going on. The rest of the pack let us be, grouping up and hunting around. Much to Quil's relief, no one forced him to team up with Mason and he instead went with Mia to make sure Lilah had not somehow snuck in to La Push. Collin went off with Jacob.
She doesn't even have Lilly's scent. Even if that is her motive, she can't find Lilly if she has no idea who Lilly is, I comforted.
She'll just pick out the girl who smells like she spends most of her time with a pack of wolves. There's only so many. He replied miserably.
Her scent doesn't even go this way.
I just have to check, okay? Besides, maybe if you're lucky Eliza will be over there.
Doubt it, it's probably getting close to six by now. And it's not like she'd acknowledge my existence anyways.
Embry didn't say anything, but mentally shrugged. We had not gotten a mile away from the edge of the forest when I came to a sudden halt.
Embry, I called urgently.
What? He asked, stopping and turning his head slightly to look at me.
Don't you smell that?
Nope. But you've got the best nose. Do you smell her?
I just shook my head—beyond words—and took off in the direction of the smell.
What is it?
And then came a scream, a very pained, very male, and very human scream. And the smell flourished. It was blood, human blood.
I reached the source of the smell (and noise) within a minute. Other members of the pack, having heard it too, filed in behind me.
No one spoke, no one moved. The only sound in the entire forest was the last ragged breath of the man lying dead at my feet. He looked like an outdoorsman, in strong boots and thick pants, with a backpack still strapped to his shoulders. Though why he was so far off any trails was puzzling. Blood oozed from the claw marks across his chest. Human claw marks, as if he had scratched himself. His entire body was covered in blood. It disturbed me that he had not been drained of blood. Wasn't that why vampires killed? For the blood? But even more disturbing was the note, stuck brutally to his forehead with a pocket knife. One simple word was scrawled on the torn scrap of paper. But I could read it clearly. My blood ran cold as I read the note once.. twice.. three times. But the message stayed the same.
Hello.