The Jaguar Versus the Wolf
Chapter 29 - No Answers, Yet
Orbiting Satellites Book Two, Chapter 29 - Jake's 22nd Birthday companion
"As far as I can tell Aro was being truthful when he told me that the Volturi had nothing to do with the bodies showing up at Nahuel's former residences," Carlisle explained.
He and Esme had returned less than an hour ago, yet everyone (minus Alice and Jasper, who had not yet returned) were already gathered around their living room coffee table, for other family meeting, to discuss what they had just discovered, or apparently, not discovered.
"They're not going to be coming after me now that they know about all of the bodies are they?" There little stunt, going to the Volturi in the first place, didn't seem to have served any purpose other than to put me back on their radar. I'd managed to live a century and a half without every coming in contact with any of them, and now in under a decade my name was at the center of one nefarious thing or another.
"No, you cleaned everything up," Carlisle assured me. "And you kept moving around enough that no connection was made by the humans and it didn't get picked up on the news cycles."
Did they not hear about the fire I started at one of the hotels? One of my aliases was broadcast all over the news.
"We heard about it," Edward told me. "But there were no pictures, videos, or witnesses."
"I believe it is a non issue, as far as the Volturi are concerned," Carlisle added, seemingly understanding what Edward and I were talking about even though I hadn't voiced it out loud.
"I should have been the one to go to Italy," Edward spoke up. "That way we could be one hundred percent certain… about everything."
"No way. They would have just found some excuse to keep us there." Everyone could see the concern in Bella's eyes as she spoke.
"I wouldn't have let them do anything to you," her husband tried to reassure her. "It would have been just Carlisle and I to go. You would have been safe here with Esme."
"Same difference," Bella replied. "They'd probably just send Carlisle back to deliver a message of some trumped up reason to keep you, which would force me to go there too. Aro desires your gift too much, he'll never let you out of his grasp again."
"He has before."
"Oh I can't believe that Aro would do anything like that. What happened in Forks with Renesmee was only brought about under extreme circumstances," Esme gasped. "Now that some time has passed I'm sure they've seen what a mistake it was."
The dog snorted in disgust.
"Well now that it's settled that they're not behind this, did they at least know anything about whether or not the bodies are being left my father... like I believe?" Let's get this meeting over with. I want to get back to my plants.
"They seemed as unaware of who is behind the bodies as they are the cause of them," Carlisle informed us.
"Well then I guess it's up to Alice and Jasper then," Emmett spoke for the first time.
"When are they supposed to be back?"
Edward was the one to answer his daughter, "They called yesterday to let us know that they were only coming up with dead ends, but there are a few more areas they wanted to try. It'll be at least another week or two."
"Oh no," Renesmee sighed. "They're going to miss your birthday next week Jake."
Boo, hoo. Who cares, I chuckled to myself.
Without another word I got up and walked the length of the house to my greenhouse.
The Volturi wouldn't be coming after me. The Cullens were protecting me against anything my father had planned. I was safe. There were only two things that I cared about now. My plants and getting my revenge on the dog.
The dog's days were numbered, but I had to bide my time, work around certain obstacles (Edward's mindreading). In the meantime, I'd come up with a new plant food mixture that I wanted to try. Most of them had recovered from Alice's murder attempt, but i think they could still look a little better.
All I needed was a little luck, just a little bit. All I needed was for the dog not to be in the garage for once. I knew that's where he normally was, when he wasn't at school, or in the house. It was Saturday so he wasn't in school right now. I needed to take a chance, even though I didn't want to go to their house. I needed to make sure he wasn't there. I couldn't risk him walking in on me; not in the middle of my plan.
I finally figured out a way to get back at him for my Christmas present. Edward had already heard some of my previous ideas and vetoed them before I even got started. Apparently he was keeping a closer eye on me after my unfinished fight with the dog. My plan wouldn't kill him; hopefully just drive him a little insane. I was just going to move some of the tools around in the garage. And then the next day I would move them again. And then again the next day. And the day after that. Not a lot, just enough so that they would never be in the same spot he left them. My plan was subtle, but I hoped the mental anguish that it would put him through... he put me through my own, so it seemed fitting.
"Hey Bella," I said as she spotted me trying to covertly see where the dog was. I must have looked strange peeping thought their living room window. "You wouldn't happen to know where your daughter and..."
"She and Jacob have gone out for the night. They should be back tomorrow," she told me before I even finished my question.
"Oh right, I forgot." I heard her mention something about it being his birthday. Perfect! That meant I had plenty of time.
"Is there something I can help you with?"
"I think I should be fine," I told her, then quickly jogged out to the garage.
For the first move I didn't want to do anything too drastic. I didn't want to make it too obvious. Just enough to get him slightly rattled. Finding what I assumed to be his toolbox, I took a couple of them out, and randomly placed them around the garage. Then I saw a tire leaning against the northern wall and moved it to the opposite one.
The next day when they returned I watched and waited. He seems to be in an especially good mood for some reason. This would be great! Ruining his good mood would make my revenge that much sweeter. But it's not like I stuck around to watch, going into the garage now would be strange, since I didn't need to borrow a car for anything and with Joham still out there I really didn't leave the house for anything.
No matter.
Conveniently I could see the garage from my greenhouse so I knew when he left. He didn't look as upset as I thought he would; but that's alright, it was only the first day.
I waited a few hours after he and Renesmee had gone back into the house and the light went off in their bedroom. I assumed they'd gone to sleep and it would be safe for me to sneak back into the garage and move a few more items.
I kept it up for a couple weeks but, judging by his non-reaction, I don't think he even noticed.
Something very strange was going on. Renesmee and the dog were overly happy, even Rosalie seemed to be in a better mood, and Edward... I have no idea what was wrong with him, he seemed... annoyed. Halfheartedly I wondered what happened.
Perhaps I just wasn't being dramatic enough. Maybe the dog wasn't as neat as I thought he was and having a few things moved around here and there, and not put back exactly where they were supposed to be, was normal. I'd have to make a bigger mess.
That night I once again snuck out to the garage and started dumping tools and car parts out of containers, and just to make sure he got the message I flipped a few things over.
"Don't you think you're taking this a little too far?" Bosta! It was Edward. "I haven't said anything to Jacob. I let you have your fun, hoping you'd get it out of your system, but you're making a racket out here. It's not just his things you've damaged," Edward stopped and picked up something off of the ground. "This is now broken," he said holding up… I don't know what it was. It was metal, and shiny, and clearly broken, like he said.
"I'm not going to stop. Not until the dog feels like I did."
"Jacob is aware of what you've been doing out here."
"What?" How? I had been so careful.
"A wolf's sense of smell is just as good as our own."
He smelled me in the garage? My scent must have been on every tool I touched. He's known the entire time?
Edward nodded.
And what? He's just been humoring me.
"No," Edward no longer held my gaze but looked to the ground. He didn't want me to know something.
"He doesn't even care?" I guessed.
The slight wince Edward gave confirmed it. "You have to understand, Nahuel," he hesitantly told me, "Jacob's priorities don't exactly include you. His world revolves around Nessie."
"Yeah, I know all about his imprinting imperative."
"Then you know that the only way to truly upset him is through my daughter, and I trust you will NOT be doing that," he growled a threat. But he didn't need to.
Even after everything Renesmee had put me though I would never hurt her. I nodded, went back to my bedroom.
I needed to think.
No, I needed to make some changes.
A.N. There's a lot that is referred to in this chapter that happened in Orbiting Satellites BK2. I tried hinting at it, for those who have not read it, but didn't want to give too much away. When i wrote this i was trying to be conscious of the fact that not everyone will have read the companion book, and hopefully it's not too confusing. If it is let me know (or read the other story)
A. N. 2 I know, I know... Nahuels pathetic, but that's just how i see him. I love to hate him. How about you?
Please review and thanks for reading.
