Sue had laid out the trap as carefully as she could. According to her mother, Emily knew of the supposed reconciliation between Leah and Sam. She had mentioned their camping trip as well. So on a drizzly Saturday morning in July, Leah kissed Paul for a temporary goodbye. She looked calm, too calm, while he was on the verge of a panic attack. It was bad enough that they were luring Emily toward Leah. Making Sam her guard seemed just as foolish.
He kissed her, deeply and long, knowing full well that Sam was staring at them from his truck. But by the time she finally needed to pull away to breathe, both of them had forgotten they had an audience.
Leah felt a little guilty when she climbed into Sam's passenger seat and saw the tense set of his jaw. Although she had been perfectly clear with him about her relationship with Paul, she realized that his feelings for her would not disappear overnight. She remembered just how painful it was to witness his displays of affection with Emily, and she didn't want to hurt him. As they pulled away from the reservation, heading east toward the Olympic National Park, she turned to him. "Thank you for doing this. You didn't have to."
For some reason, her words bothered him. Carefully, he said, "No, you shouldn't thank me. It's my fault we're in this mess."
At one point, she would have agreed with him. But now that she had moved beyond her pain and anger, she knew that the blame rested squarely on Emily's shoulders. "That's not true. Emily's a big girl. She made her own decisions."
"But I went along with it. It was like she said. She said jump, I didn't even ask how high, I just jumped. No matter how wrong, no matter how awful, I did whatever she wanted. I can't believe I turned into that. I did so many horrible... I just regret so much."
She still felt strange comforting him, but she knew what he needed to hear. "It wasn't your fault. You weren't in your right mind."
"I don't even know who I was, Lee Lee. I was a stranger that I hate. I want to erase all of it."
If she had the power, would she erase everything? Would she turn back time if she could? Their betrayal had nearly destroyed her, but she emerged from it a stronger person, and she didn't believe in regret. "I know. But there's nothing we can do to change the past. We can only go forward. And the fact is, you didn't have to help me when she came after me, and you don't have to be here now, so thank you." She picked up her hand, meaning to place it on his knee and a comforting gesture, but set it down again in her lap. She didn't want him to get the wrong idea.
He saw the movement out of the corner of his eye, and it hurt immensely that she wouldn't touch him. "Lee Lee, you have to know that I would do absolutely anything for you. Anything." Did that included letting her go? Now wasn't the right time to ask. When she said nothing, he whispered, "I've missed you so much."
She knew exactly how he felt. His loss left a void that, at first, she had no idea how to fill. He had been such a big part of her life for so long, and she had loved him completely. Losing him was the worst experience of her life until Harry died. After the imprint broke, and he had such a drastic change of heart, she couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to take him back. Such questions hung in the air between them. Could they pick up where they left off? Might they build something new altogether? Were it not for Paul, she suspected she might have tried.
But he could never return to the person he once was, not after everything that passed between them, not unless he found a way to turn back time and erase everything. Still, she knew what he had done for her when Emily returned. Any lingering doubts she had about his loyalty vanished in those moments. He hoped that his actions would change her feelings toward him, that she would return to his open arms when he proved that she was more important to him then Emily. Unfortunately for him, her feelings for Paul were too strong. And there was no way to regain the carefree innocence that had once characterized their love. Leah felt bad for him, because he had made it clear that he would do anything in his power to get her back. But her heart was no longer hers to give.
She could, however, give him something else. Her trust. "It means a lot to me that you're here now," Leah said gently. "We'll end this together."
"Together," he agreed.
The rest of the drive was amicable, if awkward. Leah couldn't see any of her brothers through the trees, but she knew that Paul and Seth were flanking them. Jacob had taken Embry and Collin to the National Park, where they surrounded the campsite with a wide berth, and Quil, Brady, and Jared took up the rear. Rosalie kept watch at the eastern border of the reservation.
An hour and a half later, they arrived at their destination. They chose an unmarked campsite, not wanting to risk the lives of any innocent campers or hikers. The first thing they did was to check in with the rest of the pack. No one had found any signs of Emily or Riley, so after a quick sweep of the remote campground, they set up their tent.
Hours passed with no sign of Emily, and Leah found herself reminiscing out loud. It was hard not to, especially when Sam prodded her to remember events from their shared past. Now she could remember them with a detached fondness. The memories were much fresher and more painful for him, because he feared he had lost the chance to make new ones with her. She steered the conversation to easier topics. When the moon rose, instead of zipping their sleeping bags together and climbing in, he took first watch, and she lay alone in the tent listening to the peaceful sounds of the night.
When the howl finally came, Leah had just fallen asleep. She bolted upright and flung herself out of the tent, but she saw only Sam pacing back and forth at the edge of the trees. She scented the air for any signs of a Cold One and stripped out of her clothes, but there was nothing.
What is it?
In her mind's eye, she saw one wolf racing through the woods, but everyone else was standing still. Emily and Riley were nowhere to be seen. But panic flashed through the pack mind. Voices overlapped each other in a cacophony until Jacob demanded, Stop! I can't hear him over all the noise. Paul, tell us what's going on!
They could feel his confusion. I don't know! I don't know, but we have to get back! Something's wrong!
Jacob asked, What are you talking about? How do you know?
I can feel it! Paul insisted. I'm absolutely sure. Something bad is happening to Rachel right now!
What? Don't just tell me my sister's in trouble. Tell me what you mean!
Paul snapped, Don't you think I'd tell you if I knew? I can feel it, okay? She's scared out of her mind, and we have to help her!
Leah didn't wait for Jacob's instruction. She trusted Paul implicitly, and he said that her best friend was in danger. She started to run. Where is she? Is she home for the weekend?
She's supposed to be, Jacob answered. Brady, phase out for a second. Call Rosalie and have her check my house. She's the only one anywhere near there.
Rosalie agreed to look, but minutes passed, and she didn't call them back. A heavy sense of dread filled Leah's stomach, but it only fueled her speed. She quickly caught up with the wolves farthest to the west, and then she overtook them, passing Brady, then Jared, then Quil. Seth urged her to wait for the rest of the pack, but she wouldn't listen. Only an Alpha order could hold her back, and as concerned as he was for Leah's safety, Jacob was more worried about his sister. He pushed himself as hard as he could to keep up with Leah, but even he was unable. Soon Leah was far ahead of everyone else, with Jacob and Sam behind her.
Though he was not naturally one of the fastest runners, Paul kept up with them. His imprint pulled him toward Rachel at his very top speed. Looking into his mind was frightening. He saw only black, and he felt only fear. They asked where he was going, but he couldn't explain. It was only when he started to veer instinctively south that Leah realized she needed to slow down. She had assumed Rachel was on the reservation, but Paul had shifted course. Getting so far ahead of him was no use, because she had no idea where to go. The entire pack turned to follow him.
Rosalie finally called, forcing Brady to phase out to speak with her. A minute later, he reported that she had found two vampire scents at Jacob's cabin, but by the time she got there, the place was empty. Even Billy wasn't home. She tried to track them, but the trail ended abruptly, and she had no idea where they were.
It was deep in the southwestern quadrant of the forest that Jacob first caught the scent of death on the air. Along with Paul, Leah, and Sam, he had pulled away from the slower members of the pack, who were several minutes behind them. Now they didn't need Paul's sixth sense to guide them. They followed the scent to where it was strongest, and a dilapidated cabin appeared before them. It was well over one hundred years old, and was so small that it could only contain one room. There were no windows to reveal what was going on inside, but they knew they had found Rachel and Billy. Emily's voice reverberated through the walls as she berated the chief. Beneath the sound, they could faintly hear two sets of rapid heartbeats.
The four wolves carefully surround the building. Paul wanted to break the door down, but Jacob was afraid that Emily would kill his father or sister before they could reach her. Surely she would hear them coming. They were actually shocked that she hadn't noticed the sounds of their approach yet, but she was too occupied with her tirade. She was gloating about her transformation, her newfound power, and the fact that she had outsmarted them all.
Leah noticed the sorry state of the roof as she took her place around the rear of the small structure, and she acted quickly. She phased into her human body before anyone realized what she was doing, and she silently scaled the nearest tree. Paul spotted her from the ground below and glared at her. She knew he didn't want her to remain in her vulnerable form, but she ignored him and slid out onto a strong branch. Soon she was rewarded with a glimpse into the cabin. In one corner, the roof had caved in, and a small opening had formed. Through it she could see the back of someone's head. He had short brown hair and a fit build. This must be Riley. Rachel knelt on the floor at his feet, his hands pinning down her shoulders.
She backed up to the trunk where the branch was widest, and she phased.
Paul demanded, What the fuck are you doing? You promised me you'd be careful!
I am being careful! And I saw Rachel.
She showed them what she had seen, and she and Jacob had the same thought simultaneously. There was no time to waste. They had to take advantage of Emily's distraction before she realized what was going on. Everyone pictured the plan unfolding in the pack mind, and without further instruction, they simultaneously leapt.
Leah flung herself at the roof at the same moment that Paul and Sam launched themselves at opposite walls of the rickety structure. The rusty hinges of the door in the north wall snapped under Jacob's shoulder. They landed in the room.
Jacob aimed straight for Riley as Leah crashed through the ceiling. Paul threw himself over a screaming Rachel as Jacob barreled into the unprepared vampire. They rolled through the hole Paul made in the east wall, landing outside. Leah tried to grab Billy as Sam slammed into Emily, but Emily had the older man firmly in her grasp and would not let him go. Sam snapped his jaws at the arm wrapped around Billy's neck, but before he could rip it away, the remnants of the splintered roof came raining down, and the west wall caved in. A heavy support beam struck Sam in the head. It wasn't enough to significantly injure him, but it freed Emily's arm, allowing her to pull away. Leah moved just in time to protect Billy from the collapsing wood, placing her body in between him and the debris. Emily dashed through the open door, dragging Billy with her.
Next to them, Paul held still as the old cabin fell apart. He shielded Rachel beneath him, watching Jacob attack Riley. The russet wolf snarled as he shoved the vampire to the ground. Riley kicked Jacob squarely in the abdomen, pushing him off, but Jacob managed to slash claw marks into Riley's chest as he fell back. Riley and Jacob righted themselves as Sam and Leah shook free of the splintered wood that had fallen all around them. They took off after Emily.
She hadn't gotten far, and she didn't even try to outrun them with her hostage weighing her down. She immediately turned to face them, holding Billy in front of her like a shield, just as she had done with Leah. "Stop right there, unless you want to watch him die right now!"
Sam and Leah froze in place, snarling at her.
Emily suddenly realized who stood before her. She stared at Leah incredulously, shaking her head. "Leah? I heard you were still alive, and at first, I didn't believe it. How do you fucking do it? Why won't you just die?"
Leah glanced over at Jacob. He dove at Riley's legs, trying to knock him off balance, but the vampire landed on his back and grabbed him around the neck. Paul had to leave Rachel in order to leap at Riley, shoving him aside before he could strangle Jacob. Emily looked back at Sam, who stepped to the side, trying to flank her. She reacted by grabbing his skull, yanking it to the side, and baring her fangs against his neck. "One more step and I rip him open with my teeth! Go ahead, do it! Just give me the excuse!" Sam froze in place.
Billy hissed in pain, but yelled, "Don't give in to her! Don't do anything she says. She's a liar and a traitor!"
Several feet away, Jacob and Paul were getting the better of Riley. The vampire managed to roll away from Paul without losing any limbs, but Jacob jumped over Paul, tearing another gash in Riley's torso and up his neck.
Emily hissed, "Don't test me, old man! I don't bluff!" And with a flick of her wrist, she snapped the bones in his forearm. He screamed in pain.
Leah acted without thinking. She had to get Billy away from Emily. Before anyone could stop her, she transformed into her human body, hearing Paul call out to her for a moment before all the voices in her mind went quiet. She put her hands in the air. "Let him go, Emily! It's me you're angry with, not him!"
Emily spat, "Of course I'm angry with him! He threw me out! He tossed me away like trash!"
"You betrayed us! You tried to get his son killed! What did you expect? You're lucky he didn't have you arrested!"
She twisted Billy's arm behind his back, causing pain to shoot through his shoulder. "You should have done it when you had the chance!"
Billy ignored Emily's outburst and told her, "And you should run while you still have a chance. You're going to die here, permanently this time, if you don't run."
She bent down to growl in his ear, "Not without taking you, and everyone you love, with me."
Billy pointed across the clearing. "Are you sure about that?" She turned just in time to see Paul pin Riley's legs to the ground with his rear paws. He tore off his left arm with a single, fierce bite as Riley screamed.
"Let him go!" Riley yelled to Emily, thrashing desperately as Jacob stalked toward him. He knew he was about to die. "Do what they say!"
Leah offered, "Let Billy go, and Riley walks! You both just walk away."
Emily laughed while Riley struggled helplessly below Paul. "We all know that will never happen. It wouldn't matter if I gave him back gift wrapped with a bow. You're not just letting us leave. Do you really think I'm so stupid?"
"Just do it!" Riley screamed as Jacob's jaws closed around his head. "Do it!"
Emily rolled her eyes. "Just get it over with, Jake. Put him out of his misery."
Jacob eagerly obliged, crushing Riley's skull into bitter fragments. Paul tore the body to bits while Jacob slowly approached Emily. "Not one step closer!" She stabilized Billy's head again, ready to snap his neck. "Not unless you want your father to die!"
From a safe distance behind Paul, Rachel begged, "Please, let him go!"
"What are you doing, Emily?" Leah truly didn't understand. She must know there was no escape. They could hear the approach of the rest of the pack through the trees.
Emily smirked. "Maybe I'm offering to do Billy here a favor. Did you ever think about that?"
"What are you talking about?" Leah asked, trying to stall until everyone else arrived. Then Emily would be completely surrounded.
"Maybe I'm offering to give him the same gift I was given. Look at him. He's a pathetic excuse for a man. Can't even hold himself up." She stopped supporting him for just one second, and he began to slip to the ground, his legs long paralyzed. Emily yanked him up by his wrist alone, dislocating his shoulder with a sharp snap. "He's soft. Weak. Pitiful. But he doesn't have to be."
The chief's eyes widened as he realized what she was threatening. "I'd rather die than become a monster like you."
"Oh, don't worry," she purred. "That can be arranged."
Leah saw from the insane glint in her eye that Emily was ready to do it. She knew she had no chance of escape. All she wanted to do was hurt them as much as possible before she died. Leah shifted her hands so that they rested on top of her head. "Don't! You don't care what happens to him one way or another, and we both know it. It's not him you really want to kill, it's me." She dropped to her knees in a posture of surrender.
Billy immediately realized that she was preparing to sacrifice herself again. "Don't do this, Leah! Get up!" Behind her, Paul barked loudly in protest.
She ignored them both. "Let him go, and take me as your hostage."
"You're just going to phase the moment I let him go! I'm not an idiot!" Emily snapped.
"It won't matter if I do," Leah pointed out. "I'll turn around. That way I can't get at you. You keep Billy until you've got me in the same position you've got him now, just like you did to me before. Even if I phase, you'll be able to break my neck. The pack will get out of your way, and you and I will leave."
Emily didn't believe her for a second. "You and I both know that will never happen! They're not letting me drag you away. I can see it in Sam's eyes. He's never letting you go. Neither will Paul. Fuck! Why? What's so fucking special about you? I can't believe this. You ruin everything! Sam is supposed to be mine, and you're supposed to be dead! I killed you! This is impossible!"
Leah refused to get in an argument with her. She focused on trying to free Billy. "So finish the job! Take me instead of taking Billy. I'm the one you really want to hurt!"
"I'm not falling for your tricks, so shut your mouth!" Emily insisted. "No, I think I'll take my chances and see how many of you I can take down with me, and I'll start with him!"
Leah couldn't let it happen. "Jacob will order it! Jacob will order them to all stay away! You have his father, Emily. He will order everyone away to save his father! Isn't that why you took him and Rachel? To get back at Jacob? To get back at me?"
"You were the ones stupid enough to leave them unprotected," Emily declared. "So everything that happens is on you!"
Leah insisted, "But Billy's not the one you're really mad at. It's me you want, not him! And if you kill him, you'll be dead before you can touch me again. So put him down, and take me!"
"Don't listen to either of them!" Billy yelled to his son. "No matter what you do, don't let her escape!"
But Jacob couldn't do it. He couldn't watch his father die, not now, not at Emily's hand. He hated to risk Leah, but she stood a chance against Emily. His father did not. With a reluctant growl, he slowly crouched down, tucking his tail between his legs.
Leah recognized the gesture immediately. She pointed at him. "See! He'll do it! He'll give the order!"
"How the hell do I know what he's saying?" Emily countered. "You're just stalling. He's probably telling the entire pack exactly how to kill me."
"No, he's not," Leah insisted, praying this would work. "Jacob, phase out and tell her! Give the order out loud so she can hear you!"
Jacob stared at her, wishing that their telepathic connection had not been broken. He knew what to do, but he had no way to tell Leah. He nodded once, ignoring the protests of his brothers in his brain, and then he began to back away, ducking behind a nearby bush to phase and put on his shorts. Seconds later, he emerged with his hands in the air.
"Stop right there!" Emily yelled, peering around her to see the rest of the pack lining up behind her. "None of you move! If anybody so much as breathes the wrong way, I'm snapping his neck! I want to hear it, Jacob. I want to hear you give the order! Make them back off!"
Jacob cautiously agreed, ignoring Paul, who had risen up, fur bristling, teeth bared, and was snarling threateningly at Jacob. "Okay. You let my dad go, and you take Leah." In a distinct and deeper tone, one that Emily recognized well, he turned to Paul and told him, "No. You aren't to hurt Emily." He glanced around. "None of you are allowed to hurt Emily." To Leah, he ordered, "Don't phase, and don't fight her. Let her take you. Everybody else, clear a path!" Leah knew this was no trick. She felt the power of the Alpha order in her bones, and she had to obey.
Seth growled at Jacob, but he had no choice. Paul's eyes flashed with fury, and he began to bark desperately. But Jacob would not change his mind. The newly arrived wolves crossed over to line up behind Jacob, leaving a wide space for Emily to make her escape.
Emily stared at them one by one, letting seconds tick slowly by, while she tried to figure out if this was a trick. For a moment, she considered dropping Billy and fleeing without Leah. She was no longer surrounded, and she had a real chance to get away. But then her eyes settled on Sam. His eyes were fixated on Leah, who kneeled submissively in the dirt. Emily could hardly believe it. She had given him everything. She had given up her human life so they could be together for eternity, yet he treated her like she was a monster. Fate dictated that he love her forever, but somehow, he loved Leah instead. Jealous bile rose in Emily's throat as she watched them. Even now, she couldn't tear his attention away from his precious Leah.
Emily made her decision. She wasn't convinced of Jacob's honesty, but her hatred got the better of her. She wanted to kill Leah even more than she wanted to punish Billy, even more than she wanted to survive, and this might be the only chance she ever got. "Tell them they can't take a single step until I'm at least five miles away!"
Jacob blanched visibly, but he carefully repeated her, word for word. She smiled slowly, and then she dumped Billy unceremoniously on the ground and started toward Leah.
But before she could finish a single step, Sam leapt with an outraged roar, aiming for Emily's head. She twisted just quickly enough to absorb his blow into her shoulder, but not a second later, Jacob sprinted forward, phasing mid-stride. He plowed into her legs, and she toppled over between the two wolves.
Even without proper balance, though, she had the strength of a newborn. Human blood still flowed in her veins, left over from her own transformation, and she had murdered a vagrant only one day before. She managed to get her arm around one of Jacob's legs, and she snapped it as she fell. She kicked at him as soon as she hit the ground, pushing his jaw just out of reach of her limbs, and she flipped away.
But Sam was right behind her. He reared up and slashed at her face with his deadly claws, and she went reeling back. Jacob, still on the ground, used his hind legs to propel her back toward Sam, who threw her to the ground at Leah's motionless feet. Both wolves set upon her before she could push herself up and kill the frozen Leah. Jacob bit off her left foot moments before Sam tore her right arm away from her shoulder. But with her remaining arm, Emily grabbed Leah's ankle, and she bit down. She didn't bother to drink any blood. She had one purpose, and one purpose only: to inject as much venom as she could.
Only a moment later, Jacob crushed her left forearm in his mouth, and Sam took her right leg. But she wouldn't release Leah form her deadly bite until she felt Jacob's teeth in the back of her skull. She screamed as he forcefully yanked her back and threw her face-first into the wet soil.
Emily screamed curses at the pack, at Leah, at the Blacks, but the sounds were muffled by mud in her mouth, and she was blinded by the dirt in her eyes. She heard frantic scrambling. Using his human voice, Jacob released the pack from his orders. Then she felt a hand grab her hair and yank her unceremoniously off the ground, but she still couldn't see. There was still too much dirt in her eyes, and she had no way to brush it out. But she recognized Sam's voice, felt his hot breath in her face as he held her limbless body swinging in the air in front of him. "Was it worth it, Emily? Was it worth it, you worthless piece of trash? Fuck. This is the real you, isn't it? You were always a vampire, even when you were human, leeching everything good around you, and destroying it all. You disgust me, you monstrous bitch."
She roughly spat mud in his face and blinked the dirt out of her eyes, and she saw his face red with anger and disgust. "It was worth it, because I've won. I may die, but so will she. My venom is headed straight for her heart. I'm happy to die, as long as she dies along with me." Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Paul gathering Leah into his arms. "And as long as you all know you failed her, your precious, perfect Leah. She thinks she can have everything? Have it all? Not anymore. It's over. She's as good as dead."
She felt herself moving backward, swinging back and forth as Sam walked. A disgusting, pungent scent filled her nose, and she heard a sizzling, crackling sound behind her. Sam grinned at her when he stopped walking, and then she realized why. She felt heat behind her, and a tendril of black smoke blew past her face. "You cunt, she's not going anywhere with you. Leah's going to live a long, long time." Sam taunted her as the heat rose to lick at her legless torso. Riley's remains burned on the ground right behind her.
"She won't," Emily insisted. "I don't care if Paul tries to suck the venom from her. I pumped her full of it. I nearly drained myself to guarantee it."
But from behind Sam, Leah herself appeared. Her hair was in disarray, and dirt smeared her lovely features, but she was walking on her own, and she was smiling. "Let her see," Leah told Sam.
"She's up too high," Sam smirked. "Maybe I should put her down right here."
"Yeah," Leah laughed. "This is a good spot."
Sam carefully set her down, just far enough away from the fire that she didn't ignite. "What are you doing?" Emily asked. "Just get it over with!"
"Don't worry," Jacob answered. He picked her arm off the ground and tossed it into the flaming pile behind her. "You'll be ashes soon enough."
Leah bent down to look her directly in the eye. "You could have had it all, did you know that? You wanted everything, and you had it all, right it in the palm of your hand. You wanted Sam? You already had him! He was already yours! But you had to get greedy, didn't you? And look at what it's gotten you? Nothing and no one. You haven't just lost everything. You threw it away."
"I wouldn't change a thing," Emily insisted with false bravado. "Even if I die, it was worth it. It was worth it to make you suffer. I may die, but you will too."
Paul told her, "No, she won't."
"Of course she will. It's just a matter of time until the venom makes it to her heart."
Leah straightened up. "That doesn't matter. It's already there." She held her fist to her chest. "But look," she flexed her hip and knee, showing Emily the wound. "It's already closing. It'll be gone by tomorrow."
Emily's jaw dropped open. It couldn't be. She hadn't bitten Leah for long, but she had pumped nearly all the venom in her fangs into Leah's bloodstream. She shouldn't still be standing, let alone beginning to heal. "That's just some kind of a trick!"
Leah crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Not a trick," she explained simply. "Just basic biology. I'm immune." She thought of saying more, but she realized she had nothing left to say. She was done with Emily once and for all. "Why am I even talking to you? It's not worth it. Nothing about you is worth it." She started to turn away.
As the pack closed in around her, Emily screamed, realizing how close she was to the end. "You bitch! Don't turn your back on me!" But Leah ignored her, and she began to realize the gravity of her situation. Emily looked up at Sam. He was her imprint. He had to help her. "Sam! Sam! My love, you can't do this to me. I'm your imprint!"
"You're my worst nightmare," Sam spat. "You're a monster, and you always were. I see that now. I wish I never laid eyes on you."
Emily screeched, "I'm a monster? I'm your imprint! Besides, look at yourself, you hypocrite! All of you! You're filthy animals, nothing more!"
Seth shook his head. "An animal is better than you. God. What happened to you, Emily?"
Her eyes flashed. "What happened to me? I found my destiny! I became who I was always meant to be! I became a god!"
"Shut her up!" Paul yelled, sick of listening to her. He reached for Leah's hand. "What are you waiting for? Just get rid of her."
"No!" Emily screamed. "You can't! You can't do this to me!"
They ignored her pleas. Jacob asked Leah, "Do you want to do the honors?"
Leah just shook her head. "I don't even want to look at her. I just want her gone."
Jacob nodded, signalling Sam, who took one more look at the creature that had ruined his life. "Goodbye, Emily." With a single push of his foot, he toppled her back, and the blaze rose to surround her as she screamed.
Leah turned around, embracing a horrified Rachel. "Is it over?"
Leah examined her carefully, finding her to be stunned, but otherwise uninjured. Paul gathered Leah into his arms and tucked her cheek against his chest. She closed her eyes and let him hold her up while she wondered what had happened to the kind girl she knew. She had been gone for a long time, or maybe she had never existed. When Emily's cries finally faded, Leah whispered, "It's over."
Paul picked Leah gently off the ground and started walking away. Quil and Rachel helped Billy up, and Jacob leaned on Embry's shoulder for support. Rachel asked her brother, "I don't get it. What just happened? How did Sam move after you ordered him not to?"
Jacob explained, "While we were still phased, I kicked him out of the pack. That way he didn't have to follow my orders. And I don't have to follow anybody's orders, not even my own, so..."
"You tricked her!" Leah was amazed. She knew she had taken another big risk when she approached Emily as a human, and telling her that Jacob would order the pack to let her get away was even riskier. She was incredibly lucky that Jacob had come up with a solution. "That's brilliant."
Paul shook his head and squeezed her to his chest. "None of this was brilliant. It was all completely stupid, and you could have died! I can't believe you got bitten again!"
Leah stuck her leg out to show him. "It's basically a mosquito bite. Invincible, remember?"
"Stop saying that!"
Leah kissed his cheek. "Just be happy for a little bit, and yell at me later. Emily's dead. Doesn't that make you happy?"
Reluctantly, he smiled. The disgusting scent of burning vampire never smelled so good. "Yeah. Yeah, it does."
Jacob glanced back. "Sam, you coming?"
Sam was still staring at the flames. He didn't turn around. "In a bit. You guys go ahead."
Sam was the last to leave. He couldn't take his eyes off the charred face in the flames. He watched as it turned from ashy grey to flinty black, as the features melted grotesquely together. He stayed until it was completely unrecognizable, and he didn't move. Slowly, slowly the fire died down.
When nothing was left but ash, he was finally free.
X-x-x-x-X
A/N: Thanks again to Babs81410. As you can tell, this one is wrapping up quickly. I've got a few ideas for the next story, but don't have my heart set on anything specific. Whenever I give Sam such a hard time in a story, I'm tempted to do a Sam/Leah, but I can be swayed, and am soliciting prompts/requests. More Sam? Would you like to see Embry/Leah? Or should I finally dive into Blackwater?