DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. My skin is pink and all I wear is floral print shorts. I live under a rock next to an Easter Island head and a pineapple under the sea. I am Patrick Star.
I hope y'all are feelin' angsty, because here it is: the precursor to the action (in more ways than one, wink wink.) A lot of you have probably already guessed where we're headed here. All will be revealed, my seedlings, when you emerge from the ground into the warm embrace of the sun.
I have a few people I need to thank, first and foremost Miss NeedMoreZzz's, who deserves a medal for reading through these and fixing my excessive use of semi-colons. If you've checked out her writing and liked it, that's great! If you haven't, you should. Either way, you should follow her, because she just posted two chapters of On the Run, originally a sweet lil one shot that has blossomed into a beautiful story in the works, which she has graciously let me edit. I hope you'll all read and review for her as you have for me, because I'd love to hear your input on her story!
To all the people who have read and reviewed so far: where do you get the strength? You must have some sorta courage to have dived so deep into my own head canon. Thank you all so much for sharing your thoughts, it inspires me to see your persistence with this story, and encourages me to keep going, even when I have nightmares of smeyer burying me in a lawsuit.
On a more serious note, unless you actually live under a rock at the bottom of the sea (in which case this doesn't apply to you, just keep doin' you bb,) I hope all of you are staying safely inside, enjoying your quarantinis (martinis, but in quarantine,) and washing your fucking hands. If there's one thing we can all learn from Edgeward, it's not to die of the flu.
XXVII
My prediction proved true when we found out about the vampire infestation next door.
We knew they were hiding in the Hoh Rainforest, however many there were, but the constant rain made it impossible to seek out their hiding spot. We had traversed the area countless times, listening for their unnatural footsteps, but monsoon season was upon us, and the constant torrent drowned out most of the noise, like the thick sheets of rain were sound-proof walls.
Sam had given me the afternoon off to go to Bella's graduation ceremony. Sam tagged along with Emily, and Kim insisted on going with Jared, leaving Paul in charge. That should have been the first red flag.
I didn't regret going; in fact, I enjoyed the bright flush of Bella's cheeks when her name was called and we started cheering. No one else had werewolves whooping for them, and we were no doubt the loudest group in the crowd.
"That's my girl!" I yelled, cupping my hands around my mouth like a megaphone.
"Good for you, Bella!" Emily congratulated her once she stumbled over to us, looking dazed.
"Thanks," she replied breathlessly, looking up to meet my eyes.
"I guess you think this will add a few more years to your total," I joked, resting my elbows on her shoulders.
She grinned up at me, eyes all bright and lit up like a warm fire, and the breath blew out of my lungs in a whoosh.
"Thank you, Jake," she said, wrapping her arms around my torso in a hug.
I laughed breathlessly. "For what?"
"Everything," she mumbled into my chest. "For being my own personal sun."
I didn't regret going. Even if while I stood there holding her the hammer was dropping.
Quil and Embry were sleeping as wolves in a pile, while Leah dreamed a few feet away. They were recovering from a long night of running around in the torrential downpour, slogging through ankle-deep mud beside the flooded river. Paul hopped on top of them and immediately started snoring, leaving Seth, Brady, and Collin to their own devices. An oversight, probably, but an egregiously stupid one.
They went into the deluge, sloshing through puddles as deep as their knees, until they caught a flurry of movement on the riverbed accompanied by a whiff of leeches. They ran after it immediately, and followed it deep into the heart of the rainforest, over to the side of the river, where a clearing had been carved out of the trees for an ancient Quileute long house with a rain-washed barn behind it. The scent was staggering, like getting razor blades stuck up their noses, and it sent them reeling backwards.
Seth had the best sense of smell, and he thought it had to be more than twenty, which meant they were greatly outnumbered. They turned on their heels quickly, howling and yipping in pain once they crossed the boundary into La Push. Their noses burned so badly tears welled up and poured down their fur.
Leah woke up first. Her memories were clouded in panic until Seth was able to assure her they were not harmed. Once she had calmed down enough to hear their crowded explanation, she went dashing for Charlie's house, where Emily was handing out snacks for the little group assembled there.
"A wolf – " Charlie gasped when we heard her howling bloody murder outside. He jumped up from his chair and crossed over to the closet under the stairs where he kept his shotgun.
Sam and I shared a meaningful look, getting up with him.
"We'll check it out, Charlie," Sam assured him.
"Are you sure?" He asked incredulously.
"We'll scare it away," Sam responded, clapping Charlie's shoulder as he walked by.
The Chief's knees buckled like he was being pushed down into the floorboards.
I brushed past Bella, focused on the agonized howling coming from the woods outside. I was pre-occupied with the fire shaking my limbs and how it made my spine stand erect. I didn't notice her footsteps following me until she spoke.
"Jake!" She called, running out the door behind me.
"I have to go, Bells," I begged her to understand. This howling was a signal. Vampires were here.
"Be careful," she pleaded, taking one of my hands in both of hers and holding it to her heart.
"Always am," I responded, arms shaking in anticipation of a fight. "I gotta go now, Bells. I'll be back," I promised, flashing her a grin and sealing it with a kiss.
Sam and I shifted, and I knew immediately my sense of foreboding had been completely, terrifyingly, horrifically correct. The whole pack met in the clearing where we had caught Laurent, and we debated whether or not to go and kick some leech ass.
What are we waiting for? Paul snarled, too enraged at the idea of so many vampires close by to think things through.
You rush to your death so eagerly, Sam growled, silencing everyone's thoughts.
We have a duty to protect, Sam continued. We have to leave three behind, to guard La Push, he added, looking pointedly at Seth, Brady, and Collin.
If we hadn't gone you wouldn't know about it, Seth argued. In his mind, they were doing the pack a favor by scoping out the area, and now Sam was elbowing them out of a good fight. And I smelled Victoria, too. Now we know for sure what's going on. She's creating an army of vampires to come and fight us.
All of this is for Bella? Leah thought doubtfully.
What else would she be after? I asked rhetorically, my thoughts running a mile a minute. She wants Bella because she wants revenge for what the Cullens did to her mate. Why else would they take something with her scent on it? She must know she'll have to go through us, I thought, looking around at the people I considered closer than family. We were practically one entity. At that moment I was acutely aware that losing any one of them would be like tearing off a limb.
We can't let this go on! Embry shouted suddenly, propelled by the grim turn of events. We protect this land, and the people on it.
Voices started to come together; our separate trains of thought all converged into one, spiraling into a whirlwind of instinct.
Protect the tribe.
Protect our families.
We've let them multiply long enough, Quil announced, his words standing out in the swirling flurry of voices. If we do nothing, they only get stronger. We end this now, or risk being slaughtered later.
We'll be slaughtered NOW! Leah screeched, breaking through the jumble of voices as she jumped protectively in front of Seth, hearing her brother's approval of Quil's words. I won't let my brother die for this. Jacob, she looked at me, eyes pleading. Jacob, please, think of what it would do to Bella if you never came back.
I am thinking about Bella, I growled. I'm thinking about protecting her.
Don't be stupid, Jake, she retorted. This is a suicide mission! You know we can't take on that many at once. Be reasonable!
What do you suggest we do, then? I asked, teeth gnashing together.
We pick them off one by one, she answered quickly. They can't all hunt together, or at the same time. It would be chaos. Think about it – they would be fighting over food the whole time. They'd tear each other apart. So, we keep surveillance, and follow when one breaks off from the group. We knock them out until their numbers are manageable. Then, when they're weak, we attack the red-head. It'll be easier to take them out if they don't have anyone in charge. I assume she's the leader, if she made all of them. Unless she had help… Leah's thoughts became speculative.
How will we stop them from calling out for the others? Jared asked.
They won't have time to scream, Leah replied fiercely, pulling her lips back from the monstrous incisors guarding her tongue. I'm fast.
How do we know they won't just attack when they smell the boys? Paul wondered on top of Leah.
Paul was hoping our smell was just as atrocious to them as theirs was to us, and would trigger the same bloodlust he now felt. He was intent on a fight. His thoughts were fogged by rage, sights set on the enemy. Paul was a warrior in his prime, and he feared nothing. He was by far the most experienced fighter – though he was smaller than most of us, and less bulky – and I didn't doubt he would last until the end if it came down to battle.
When it came down to battle, as far as Paul was concerned.
No one followed us, Collin interjected. We would have smelled them. His nose curled up in disgust, as if faced with a plate of steamed brussel sprouts.
Maybe they'll catch a trail or something, Jared hoped, tension growing in his limbs. And get curious. Maybe a couple will wander away and we'll see if Leah's plan works…
Jared was just as much a warrior as Paul was, though his fight was out of duty, not a craving for vengeance. He decided a long time ago to embrace being a protector of the tribe, and was willing to lay down his life in defense of it. Of course, his thoughts strayed to Kim, and he winced at the prospect of never seeing her again.
And then the memory of the last words I said to Bella flashed through my mind like lightning cracking against my skull.
"Be careful," she pleaded, taking one of my hands in both of hers and holding it to her heart.
"Always am," I responded, arms shaking in anticipation of a fight. "I gotta go now, Bells. I'll be back," I promised, flashing her a grin and sealing it with a kiss.
Was I about to break another promise?
I looked around me then, sizing up where the general consensus was. Paul and Jared were ready for a fight, that was clear, but Quil and Embry were right there along with them. Quil was eager to prove himself a good fighter and 'finally see some action;' while Embry was seething, practically frothing at the mouth with the idea of so many vampires being allowed to 'breed right under our noses;' as he put it.
The younger boys were debating whether or not they should be allowed to go while Leah batted each of their arguments down, with Sam backing her up. Leah was averse to anything that would put her brother in danger, but when I paid more attention to her thoughts, I realized the face she saw was mine, then Jared – now Paul – Embry – Quil – Brady – Collin – Seth – even Sam. The faces flashed by interchangeably. We were all her brothers now, despite how averse she was to the idea.
Sam was guarded. I could sense waves of an idea brushing the coast of his consciousness, but he was carefully ignoring it. He was hiding something.
As soon as he heard me thinking about it, his grip loosened, and I caught a glimpse of his thoughts. It was enough to make my blood run cold.
No.
The fur on the back of my neck stood bolt upright. There was a ringing in my ears, but I couldn't place where it came from. My vision blurred with a red haze, and rational thought was thrown out the window.
If we lure them away from the group with bait…
NO! I barked, surprising even myself with the amount of force the words had. Sam's knees were buckling under the pressure, fighting against the weight of my vehement protest.
Bella is not bait, I growled.
There was a new edge to my voice, something I'd never noticed. I wasn't sure I liked it, but there was no way I was backing down on this one. Sam would have to kill me, or I would have to kill him. Those were the only two options rolling around like marbles in my head, ricocheting off of each other.
Calm down, Jacob, Sam ordered.
I took a deep breath in, lungs moving mechanically. It calmed me down some when I confirmed there were no vampires in the immediate area. I was still shaking, though, scared of how close I came to taking a snap at Sam.
It was just a thought, Sam continued. Of course, we would never put Bella in danger. As an imprint of our brother – it was the first time he had declared it officially, I realized – we will protect her, as we do our own family.
His thoughts were louder now, talking over everyone else's internal monologue. I only had to hear their thoughts to realize why his words sounded like an order.
It could work, Paul admitted.
Bella would be happy to help, Embry noted.
I thought of it first, Jared said.
Not on my life, Leah snarled.
I was surprised again by how fiercely she tried to shield Bella. She saw her as a sister, someone who understood the pain she felt. Not because she still believed I hadn't really imprinted; she'd given that up after seeing us grow closer to one another over the last few weeks. She remarked on it later, saying she'd never seen two people so in sync, like watching planets rotate in orbit around each other. I saw it through her memories; I shifted ever so slightly with every move Bella made, and she adjusted to my presence as unconsciously as blinking.
But Leah knew Bella had also been dumped with no explanation, no calls, no letters, nothing. They were both left to pick up the pieces, meanwhile mythical forces outside of their control were plotting to take their lives away. There was a feeling of camaraderie in Leah's thoughts.
We don't need bait, Quil interjected. We need to get rid of those bloodsuckers. Does no one here realize that their numbers will only continue to grow? The longer they take up space the more people keep dying. There's no time to waste. It's do or die.
My plan could still work, Leah argued. It's a good plan!
It's the best we've got, I suppose… Sam trailed off. He was thinking about how much easier it would be if they were distracted.
No, I repeated. It wouldn't be easier.
I'm not considering it, Jacob.
You're lying.
Sam sighed, shoulders slumping. I'm looking at it from all angles. You're not being objective, Jacob.
That doesn't matter, I insisted. Leah's plan is still possible. We shouldn't put ANYONE in danger unless absolutely necessary.
I agree. We should learn more about them before planning our attack. We need to arrange surveillance. Sam was planning, his thoughts headed in another direction. I would have to make sure no one mentioned this idea to Bella, since Embry was right. She would be more than willing to sacrifice herself.
Leah, since you think you're the fastest – the challenge in Sam's voice was evident as he began appointing our roles – Go scope it out. Embry, Paul, Quil – go with her. Run the perimeter of the park and move in until you catch their scent, then hang back. You're there to observe ONLY. If one breaks away, follow, and alert the rest of us. Try and keep an eye on them, but it might be difficult from a distance. Try the ridge, he instructed, thinking of where the valley rolls down into the Sol Duc river. It's up wind, and high ground. They won't be able to smell you if they're on the other side.
Boys, he continued, turning to face the younger trio. You guard the reservation. Brady, you're on cellphone duty. Stick close to Emily's house. If anything happens, tell her. She'll spread the word.
They all ran off, leaving me confused. Why wasn't I going with them?
Jake, Jared – shift back. We need to talk.
And just like that, Sam was back to his naked, human self. Leah rolled her eyes and urged her group to run faster.
I was surprised, but complied without hesitation, eager to have my thoughts to myself.
The others were itching for a fight. They didn't remember a time the wolves hadn't won. But the legends – told to me by Billy until they felt like my own memories – had us dying more than killing. Ripping apart vampires was easy when you outnumbered them five to one, but when they outnumbered us it was a completely different story. I didn't want to scare them with my bleak thoughts, so I had been holding back. Now that I was finally alone, I could let the fear flood my stomach.
We were going to die.
Maybe not tonight. Maybe not tomorrow. But soon.
Bella and I had been friends for six months. We had been together for three of them. I was still a virgin. It wasn't fair that I had to die now. But I would. I was going to die. And so were my brothers, my sister, and – if I wasn't there to protect her from the red-head – my Bella.
Crazy, freaky Bella. My best friend. She would die, too, once Victoria made it through the wolves on the reservation. Maybe Charlie. Billy. Sue. Emily. Everyone I loved, wiped out in a river of blood flowing down the throat of a bloodsucker.
Jared shifted shortly after me, and the wolves peeled away. We waited until we could no longer hear their paws thudding against the forest floor. Sam crossed his arms and gave us a knowing look.
"We have other responsibilities," he said gravely. "Go to them. We relieve the others at midnight."
Sam bowed his head, and I realized he knew the legends even better than I did, being a member of the tribal council. His hands were shaking with rage, but his eyes were full of resigned sadness.
"Brady will alert if they need us sooner."
