Lost and Found
Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.
A/N-thank you for the awesome reviews!
Part Thirty Eight-Taking Control
Bella was cocooned in heat. It pooled in her veins and seeped out the pores of her skin. It was like her body was in flames. It wasn't burning her though, in fact it was soothing. Her panic began to recede and she could almost convince herself that what had transpired was a dream. She was still sitting next to Sarah in the car; she had just fallen asleep on the long journey to Port Angeles. She had always had a vivid imagination; this was her mind playing tricks on her. Bella was good at fooling herself, she had often done it in the past, but there was no hiding the truth when her eyes finally fluttered open. In a rush of noise reality once again socked her in the stomach. Her face was pressed against a hot chest; someone was rocking her back and forth, whispering her name. At first she thought it was Jacob, but the voice wasn't the same. Her name didn't have the same inflection as the way Jacob spoke it.
"It's alright, you're gonna be fine. I've got you."
A soft moan escaped Bella's lips as she lifted her heavy head upright so she could see who was holding her. She exhaled in shock when her eyes met Sam's. "What?" She choked out. She tried to wriggle away from him but he was holding her too tightly.
"Hush, it's alright, Bella. It's okay." Sam rushed to reassure her. He sat upright and pulled Bella with him so she was draped across his knees.
Bella's head was spinning. Her memories were hazy and she couldn't think straight. She felt Sam press his lips into her hair as he kept telling her everything was okay. She was so disorientated and confused that she sat limply in his arms trying to sift through the chaos rattling around inside her mind. Bella felt her eyes closing again as exhaustion consumed her. She tried to keep them open but the lids were so heavy it was a losing battle. She had so many questions but no energy to ask them.
"You're safe now." Sam whispered as he rocked her again like she was a small child. "I won't let anyone hurt you again."
Bella was startled out of her stupor by a loud cry. The sound reverberated around her skull and tore at her heart. Her eyes flared open and she jerked her head around, trying to find the source of the sound. The cry ended in a violent sob. Bella pulled herself out of Sam's suffocating arms and staggered to her feet. She knew that voice. It was Jacob, it was Jacob in distress. Sam reached out for her again but she shot him such a dark glare that his arms dropped to his sides. Instead he followed slowly after Bella as she ran in the direction of the sound. Now she was away from Sam's warmth the cold began to infect her body again. It was still raining. Even though she was under the protective covering of the trees, the rain was so forceful it dripped through the thick foliage and began to wet her hair.
"Bella, you need to wait." Sam had caught up with her again. He put a strong hand on her shoulder and drew her to a halt. "You have to stay back. There is a reason I took you away."
Bella spun around and stared up at Sam. It was only then she saw the tears glistening on his handsome face. He looked devastated. Her breath caught in her throat as her eyes roamed his face, seeking some kind of explanation. But deep down inside she already knew. "Sarah. It's Sarah isn't it?" Her face crumpled as tears pooled in her eyes and began to spill down her cheeks.
Sam quickly pulled her into his arms again and hugged her tight. "I'm sorry. I am so sorry." He murmured against her hair as he tried to comfort her.
Bella heard Jacob sobbing again and she was forced to pull herself together. Jacob needed her. She had to go to him. She pulled herself out of Sam's embrace and quickly wiped her face with her hands. "Take me to him, please." She begged Sam.
"Bella, you don't understand….." Sam swallowed thickly when she glared at him again. "I don't want you to have to see this."
"I've already seen things I can't explain. I've been trying to convince myself that this is some kind of surreal nightmare. But it isn't. I see you standing here wearing nothing but cut off sweats. You've got no shoes on. I've seen you plenty of times in the past dressed that way sneaking out of the house at all hours. I don't know where you go. But you're here right now…I can't explain why. You, Jake, and all the others have been hiding things from me, that is abundantly clear. But I can't be pissed about that right now." Bella felt more tears gush out of her eyes. She knew she sounded hysterical but the pull to get to Jacob was overwhelming and Sam was in her way. She needed to persuade him that she was strong enough to face what was ahead. "Jake needs me. I'm his best friend. He needs me. I know you think you're protecting me, but really you're just making things a whole lot worse."
Sam stared at her for a long moment as if he was mulling over what she had said. Finally he seemed to come to the conclusion that she was going to go to Jacob whatever he tried to do to keep her out of harm's way. Bella heard him sigh heavily before he put his hands on her shoulders and steered her toward the clearing.
Bella would never forget when she first laid eyes on the wolf pack. Of course she had been interacting with her black wolf for years and was used to the size and strength of him. But she had always assumed he was an anomaly, that he was the only one of his kind. But she was wrong. Dead wrong! As soon as she stepped between the trees her eyes were immediately drawn to the huge wolves surrounding Esme Cullen in a circle. There were four of them, and they were all as huge as her black wolf. Her eyes nearly bugged out of her head as she stared at them all. They were like silent sentry's as they kept their fierce gazes trained on Esme Cullen, whom to Bella's surprise, sat calmly in the midst of them as if this was something she did every day. What the hell was happening?
"Bella!" When Esme caught sight of Bella she immediately rose daintily to her feet and gazed her at imploringly. The wolves made a rumbling noise in their chests and Esme was forced to sink down into her former submissive pose. But she still kept her golden eyes trained on Bella the whole time.
Bella was shocked, she was about to question Sam when she heard Jacob call her name. Immediately all thoughts of the wolves and Esme flew from her mind as she turned around and saw Jacob kneeling down on the wet ground, his tall frame crouched over his mother. Bella's heart sunk as she ran to Jacob's side and flung her thin arms around him. Her fingers dived into his hair as she pulled his head to her breast and tried to comfort him. He began to cry again, huge racking sobs made his body shake in her arms. All Bella could do was hold on and try to hold him together with the sheer force of her will alone. Next to him, with their own faces coated in tears, were Embry and Quil. They had been doing their best to help their friend, but there was nothing they could say or do to make things any better. They stepped back and gave Bella and Jacob some privacy as she literally wrapped herself around him. He hugged her tightly to his body as he held onto her as if she was the only solid thing left in his world.
Eventually Jacob's sobs quietened and he sagged in Bella's arms. His face was hidden in the crook of her neck while she gently ran her fingers through his silky hair in a soothing motion. She glanced over at Sarah, who was lying on her back with her arms flung out to the sides. Her long, black hair was partially covering her face. She looked as if she was asleep. Her long lashes cast shadows on her cheeks. Bella's gaze travelled down the older woman's body as she covertly looked for injuries, but all she could see were some type of puncture wounds on Sarah's neck just under her left ear. The blood oozed slowly from them, thick and dark red. Some had crusted around the wound. Bella felt nausea well in her throat but she battled the urge to be sick. Something else had caught her attention. Sarah was breathing.
"Jake…Jake…." Bella cried joyously as she pulled back and tried to get Jacob to raise his head. "Your mom's breathing, Jake. We have to get her to a hospital."
Bella expected Jacob to suddenly come to life and the others to spring into action but instead they all averted their eyes from her. Quil and Embry looked at their feet. Sam's face was stricken and when she looked at Jacob, his eyes were dull. Bella didn't understand why they were acting this way. Sarah was breathing, she was alive. Were they going to just sit here and let her die? Anger coursed through Bella as she shoved Jacob away from her and staggered onto her feet.
"What is wrong with you all?" She screamed at them. "Sarah is alive and you're all doing nothing." Her gaze travelled back to Jacob. "Get up and do something, Jake. DO SOMETHING!" She ducked down again and cupped his face in her hands. "Why aren't you fighting?"
"There's nothing that can be done, Bells." Jacob said lifelessly as he turned his head to look at his mother. His beautiful face was etched with grief. Bella felt her heart shatter into a million pieces. She didn't understand what was going on.
"This is why I didn't want you to see." Sam said hopelessly from behind her. Bella turned her head to look at him. He hunkered down beside her. "Sarah has been bitten by a vampire, Bella. Right now venom is running through her veins, poisoning her blood and turning her into one of them. We can't save her; there is nothing we can do to stop it. When she changes we…we…." He stopped speaking and hung his head, unable to continue.
Bella knew what he was going to say. They were going to have to end Sarah. They couldn't allow her to exist and live like the ones who had attacked her. Vampires? Bella knew she should be shocked but somehow she wasn't. It all made sense now. There was something strange about the red head and the dark skinned male with the dreadlocks that she couldn't put a name to. But it was all so obvious now. Bella's eyes flicked to the wolves surrounding Esme Cullen and her eyes narrowed. "Is she one of them? Is she a vampire too?"
Sam followed the direction of her gaze. "Yes, she is, although a different type to the others. She feeds on animal blood not human, that's why her eyes are that golden brown colour and not red."
"How do you know all this?" Bella asked softly. She glanced back at Jacob who was still staring in anguish at his mother.
"Because I fight them, Bella." Sam confessed softly. "So does Jake, Embry and Quil." He gestured toward the other boys before pointing toward the wolves surrounding Esme Cullen. "We are spirit wolves, Bella, or protectors for want of a better word. We keep our lands and the surrounding areas safe from the vampires."
Bella's lips trembled as she returned her attention to Sam. "You're werewolves."
Sam nodded.
"Who are the others?" Bella questioned.
"Paul Lahote, Jared Thail, and little Seth Clearwater." Sam replied as he pointed at each wolf.
Bella stared at the smallest wolf in the group. "That's Leah's brother?"
"Yes."
"Does Leah know?"
Sam shook his head.
"She was kept in the dark like me." Bella said bitterly as her eyes roamed the wolves again. "Did Sarah know?" She demanded.
"Yes. Only a few people know, Bella. I wanted to tell you myself but I was told not to." Sam admitted. He looked at her with a pleading expression.
Bella didn't respond. Now was not the time to demand answers. Sarah's life was at stake. Bella knew if Jacob's mother died because he had been unable to save her he wouldn't be able to cope. There was no way she was going to let him be forced to end his own mother because she had turned into a monster. He had experienced enough pain in his life; she wouldn't let him suffer this. She stood up and brushed past Sam as he tried to stop her marching toward the group of wolves. She wanted to speak to Esme Cullen.
"Stay back, Bella." Sam warned her.
"NO." Bella snapped at him.
Her loud voice roused Jacob out of his grief and he quickly hurried to join Bella as she approached the rest of the pack guarding Esme. "What are you doing?" He asked.
"Saving Sarah." Bella halted and turned to gaze up at his beloved face. "I have an idea, but you have to trust in me. Can you do that? Can you?" She begged him.
"How can you save her?" Jacob said, stricken.
"Not me…her." Bella gestured toward Esme.
Immediately the phased wolves growled at this pronouncement and started to mill about agitatedly. Sam was about to command them to simmer down when Jacob got there first. "Calm down." He barked at them. Immediately his brothers relaxed and became still. Sam's brow furrowed as he scrutinised Jacob and Bella carefully. He could swear they were communicating silently with their eyes. After a long moment they broke eye contact as Jacob nodded at Bella and motioned for the phased wolves to part. Sam's frown deepened as he saw the pack retreat with this one simple gesture. This irked him. Jacob was trying to take charge when it wasn't his place, and he was angry at his brothers for following his unspoken orders.
"Hold on." Sam marched purposefully over to Jacob and Bella as they began to walk through the centre of the wolves and approach Esme Cullen. Esme had risen to her feet again and was looking at Bella curiously. "Stop." Sam caught them up and drew Bella protectively behind him. He glared at Jacob angrily. "What are you thinking letting Bella go near a cold one?" He demanded.
"Get out of the way, Sam." Jacob ordered him coldly.
"No." Sam's jaw clenched as he matched Jacob's glare.
"Stop it." Bella got between them and put her hands on their chests to keep them separate. "We don't have time for a pissing contest." She said sharply before resuming walking toward Esme. Jacob and Sam broke their staring contest and began to walk either side of Bella like two tall bodyguards.
Esme stood stock still as she watched them approach. She had never seen anything like it. This wasn't the timid and scared little child that she remembered. Bella had changed more than she could have expected and she found it intriguing. "Bella." She smiled as she greeted the young girl.
"Mrs, Cullen." Bella couldn't equate this beautiful woman with a monstrous vampire. It just didn't make any sense. Sam had explained that Esme was different, but she went against everything that Bella had read about vampires in horror stories. It was like everything she believed had been turned on its head. But the fact that Esme Cullen looked exactly as she had done when Bella first knew her was testament to the fact that there was something mysterious about her. "I need your help."
"Help?" Esme questioned softly. "There is little I can do, Bella."
"Yes there is. The red head bit Sarah and infected her with her venom."
A faint line marred Esme's smooth forehead as she tried to understand Bella's train of thought. "I am sorry for your friend, Bella. But as I said there is little anyone can do when the venom has infected a human host."
"You're a vampire, you can suck the venom back out." Bella replied bluntly.
Esme gasped and the wolves began to growl again at Bella's suggestion. Sam was about to order them to be quiet when Jacob once again got them to simmer down with a simple gesture from his hand. Sam was horrified at Bella's suggestion and expected Jacob to protest, but he didn't.
"She won't be able to do it, Bella." Sam tried to talk her out of her crazy idea. "It's impossible."
"Yes she can." Bella said with certainty. She reached out and clutched Jacob's hand. Once again they communicated with a single look. Sam felt a rush of jealousy consume him and he had to force himself not to wrench their hands apart. "Esme, you have to do it."
Esme looked haunted. She shook her head fiercely. "I cannot, Bella. I won't be able to stop once I start."
"You will." Jacob interjected coolly. "Your kind hurt my mother. Your mate made the treaty with my ancestor Ephraim Black. He allowed you to hunt in the lands near ours without doing you any harm. You owe us for our past leniency."
Bella looked at Jacob in confusion. She had no idea what he was talking about. It sounded like he knew who Esme Cullen was. Despite the fact that she was still smarting about being kept in the dark she remained mute while he spoke with Esme. "You can't hold me to that." Esme whispered brokenly.
"I can and I will. Either help us willingly or force us to make you." Jacob continued. Bella had never seen or heard this side to Jacob before. He seemed so different, older, and more mature. She couldn't find the words to explain it.
Esme put a hand to her throat as she looked around at all the wolves surrounding her. "On your heads be it." She said eventually before she swept past Jacob, Bella and Sam gracefully as she led the way over to Sarah's prone body.
A/N-thank you for reading! Let me know what you think, thanks.