I think we've made 600 follows on this story! Can we make 500 reviews? More because I love hearing what you want to see and what you enjoyed than making a milestone.
"Ah," Alice moaned as she dropped the body of the deer to the floor. "That, has to be the most delicious thing I've ever tasted."
Carlisle chuckled, lowering his own to the ground as well.
"I'm sure you've tasted better," he argued, smiling at her. "But I will agree that this does taste delicious." Carlisle wiped a drop of blood from the corner of his mouth before turning to the vampire he considered a daughter. "Are you full or do you fancy one more?"
"I'm satisfied," she replied. "What about you?"
"I've been tided over," he told her. "Hermione makes things easier. If we get hungry and things are still not good, we can just ask her to take us here."
"She'll get tired eventually," Alice warned. "We shouldn't take advantage of her."
"I'm not saying that we make use of her ability every day for all of us, I'm just saying that we have her there if we need her." Alice nodded, satisfied with his response though she still looked wary. She knew that too much magic usage would tire her out quicker and make her useful in a coming battle; she didn't want that too happen.
"Let's go home," Alice suggested.
"Better?" Esme asked once her husband had returned home and she'd cradled him in her arms so tightly that showed how much she'd worried and missed them. "You both look better."
"We feel better," Carlisle confessed. "You and Jasper should go for the next trip. Emmett, you and Rosalie should go after them when Hermione gets a chance to take you."
"Emmett, you should go with Esme next," Hermione corrected. "I need to speak with Jasper about what I've learnt." Emmett stared at Hermione before exchanging a quick glance with Jasper and nodding his agreement.
"Sure," he agreed, shrugging as if he didn't care. The blackness of his eyes and the stiffness of his body indicated how hungry he truly was. Hermione didn't feel threatened now that she'd turned into a wolf, though she hadn't felt threatened in the first place.
"Let's go now?" Hermione checked, wiping her hands on her trousers. "I know where I'm going, it won't take me long and it will definitely help you two."
Esme and Emmett appeared at her sides instantly. She grinned at them.
"Hold on to my arm," she told them. "And don't grip too tightly." And then she apparated them away to the clearing that Alice and Cullen had shown her.
"Oh my fucking god!" Emmett groaned, falling to his knees as soon as they arrived. "That was horrendous! I never want to do that again."
Esme looked like she was in just as much discomfort though she'd managed to control her language.
"Bloody hell, Emmett," Hermione chuckled. "You're acting like you aren't a manly vampire." He glared at her from his position on the ground but she merely laughed at him. "Call me when you're done and ready to come home." And then she apparated away.
The wind blew and Emmett's attention was immediately transferred from his complaining body to the scent that filled his nose.
"Damn," he mumbled. "That smells good." He exchanged a glance with Esme and they both nodded before taking off.
"Brady and Collin were on patrol," Hermione told Jasper as she sat down and picked at her food, chewing on a couple of fries before taking a drink. "They didn't howl out when they caught a whiff of Carlisle and Alice which tells me that they were alone and either had orders not to alert anyone or they'd just been having an interesting conversation which was too good to share."
Jasper raised an eyebrow in interest, passing her the ketchup bottle when she motioned for it.
"You think they were talking about leaving the Pack?"
"I have no idea what they could have been talking about," she confessed. "They could've been talking about someone's sister, insulting Sam, musing about leaving them or discussing the weather but either way, they didn't request back-up."
"Is that unusual?" he checked, steepling his fingers as he watched her eat.
"To put the two least qualified members of the Pack on patrol? Yes. To put two members who don't have as deep links to this Pack as the others do? No. Sam's sensing some hesitancy in his Pack and that means he's trying to keep them away from us to where they have less chance of contact and switching sides but also keeping them close to their imprints and families where he's showing them why they have to stay."
"So you think we'll be getting new recruits some time soon?"
"No," she denied. "I'm just telling you that he's got newbies out there and only two of them whilst the others are wallowing in pity and grief at home."
"We could work with that," he pointed out, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
"We can," she agreed, taking a bite out of her burger which Alice had cooked to perfection. "It would involve more wolves around here if we succeeded but it'd be worth it when Sam waltzes in with his tail between his legs."
The two sat in silence, both with their thoughts, whilst Hermione finished her dinner and leant back with an exhale, rubbing her stomach with a groan.
A loud howl broke the silence and Hermione sat up, alert and wide eyed.
"I need to check what's going on," she told Jasper, making a move to leave the kitchen and then the house when her phone buzzed in her pocket. "Shit," she cursed, glaring at the small device. "Why now?" she complained.
"Pick them up," Jasper ordered. "We need to stick together so that we're all safe. It will also take you only two minutes to get from A to B, if that."
She nodded, disappearing with a crack and reappearing seconds later with a disgruntled Emmett and a worried Esme who sensed Hermione's unease.
"Now we're all together, I need to leave." She saluted the vampires before running out of the room and building and transforming into her wolf. She didn't say anything, just let the conversations carry on so she didn't interrupt anybody.
"What the fuck are you doing here?" Paul snarled. "You're not wanted."
"Don't be like that." Jared? Hermione's eyes widened in shock and she quickly threw up her occlumency shields, praying that it worked and she hadn't been noticed.
"I've been thinking about things since you left and I feel shit about it. Kim was the one who sent me."
"So you're not even here on your own accord," Seth muttered. "You had to have your girlfriend kick you over here."
"Would you all just cut it out?" Embry asked, exasperated with them. Embry? Hermione's legs wobbled with shock. Had it been only fifteen minutes ago that she told Jasper nobody would join them without their prompting. She'd misjudged the imprints greatly.
"We're family," Jared said. "I can't hurt you guys and I've already done enough of that by being a gigantic arse. I had to get out before Sam gave the order."
"Order?" Jacob questioned. "Order for what?"
"An attack," Embry answered. "But he had no problems with hurting you guys."
"Bastard," Leah snarled. "I'm going to fucking rip his balls off."
"You two better get your stuff to the Cullen's house. We have a huge discussion ahead of us."
Hermione scampered back to the house, changing back to human and waving a hand at her ripped clothes before pulling them back on. Damn, she needed to get a spell for this because she was getting annoyed.
"Where's your pup, Leah?" Jared asked once they were all human and he'd got his ripped jean shorts on and his duffel bag slung over his shoulder. "Shouldn't he be here protecting you against a possible threat?"
"Are you a threat?" Leah asked, eyebrow raised as she looked him over. He rolled his eyes.
"Of course not, it was hypothetical anyway. I wouldn't have joined your Pack if I had an ulterior motive now, would I?"
"Who knows what goes on in that thick skull of yours," she murmured before exchanging an amused glance with Paul. "My pup, as you call him, is somewhere around here. You'll meet soon enough."
"Is it weird?" he asked curiously. Embry merely stared at him, praying to God that he'd shut up some time soon. "Having an imprint so young? I mean, Claire is young but it's different because she isn't a wolf and hasn't imprinted on Quil back."
Leah stared at him with a blank mask and Jared nodded.
"Okay," he said more to himself than anyone. "We're not at that level yet, that's cool."
They walked in comfortable silence as they drew nearer to the Cullen's house and when they saw it, Jared let out a low whistle. "Well, shit," he murmured. "I'd be as arrogant as them if I had a place like this."
"Why did you join if you're just going to be an arse?" Seth questioned, jogging ahead and entering the house before Jared could reply.
"Ready to meet your maker?" Leah asked, cackling. Jared stared at her, confused, before he heard the door open and he turned to see who it was. His eyes widened with shock when he saw the familiar witch.
"Hermione!" he gasped, a grin spreading across his face. "Am I surprised to see you or what?"
She stalked towards them and it wasn't until she got closer that he saw a gleam in her eyes that had him nervous.
"Cameron, I owe you this," she growled before pulling her arm back and then letting it surge forward, connecting with his nose and causing an extremely satisfying crunch. He cried out in pain, dropped his back and cradled his nose.
"Fuck!" he exclaimed, pinching the bone back in place before it set wrong and cursing even more at the sudden burst of pain. "What the bloody hell was that for?"
"Oh darling," she murmured. "You're in so much shit."
Angry Hermione makes me happy.