A/N: Thank you all so much for the comments after the last chapter! Now, buckle up because things are about to get intense!
Disclaimer: I own nothing!
"Sign of the Times" by Harry Styles
Just stop your crying
It's a sign of the times
Welcome to the final show
Hope you're wearing your best clothes
You can't bribe the door on your way to the sky
You look pretty good down here
But you ain't really good
JPOV
HEY! EDWARD! You better be able to hear me screaming through Collin's head, bloodsucker! Some reinforcements would be nice as well as your weird-ass mind reading voodoo! I yell, hoping Edward can hear me through Collin's thoughts since we're both in our wolf form.
Collin's the one stationed near the Cullens' house tonight. Leah assigned him as the messenger in case information needed to be communicated to the vamps about the nomad leeches. Leah howled like a motherfucking banshee a few minutes ago, waking up those of us not on nighttime patrol – Seth, Paul, Embry, and me.
Generally, Embry's the one on nightshift with Leah, while Brady's usually on dayshift with me. But since Leah's order for Quil and Embry to babysit me 24/7, they've been on opposite watches.
I think I'm still slightly drunk if I'm being honest.
It's three in the morning now, but earlier I told Embry I was going to pick something up from the cabin and that I would be meet him back at my dad's place. But, instead, I went to a gas station and downed a shit ton of shooters.
Goddamn it, Jacob, Leah reprimands.
Sorry, Lee, Embry thinks guiltily. He feels responsible for my fuck-up, but he wanted to give me the benefit of the doubt. I hate that he feels at fault for my actions.
Lecture me later, okay? We all need to focus, I retort.
Earlier, Brady caught on to the nomads' stench, and now he's on their tail while Leah, Jared, and Quil trail further behind. Leah's ahead of Jared and Quil since she's so quick, but she's still a good distance away from Brady. Seth, Paul, Embry, and I are all racing to get caught up with everyone. Leah gave orders to drive the nomads deeper into the forest to avoid them from leaping into the water to escape again.
Collin's pouting because Leah ordered him to stay near the Cullens' until we're sure they know what's going on. We need Edward to get close enough to hear the nomads' thoughts to give us more information on who they are and why they're searching for that parasite dagger here.
Brady's still pretty far ahead of the other nightshift wolves, and he's gaining on the nomads. Shit, there's three of them this time. The smell of the third one is different – not quite vampire… It's a hybrid! The scent is similar to Nessie's. The same two vampires as before, but now a hybrid is with them?
Guess it's not the Volturi like the Cullens were theorizing? Seth muses.
Who knows, I answer. At least now we know the hybrid's involvement is why Alice's visions haven't been working. I hope Edward gets close enough to hear what they're thinking before Leah rips into them. It would be nice to understand what the fuck is going on.
Not likely, Leah responds confidently.
My money's on Leah tearing into them first, Quil thinks.
Hey, what about me? Brady whines. I'm the one that found their trail, you jerk-offs.
My money's on you, too, I tell him. Leah's just more viscous than you are.
I take that as a compliment. Thank you, Leah says smugly.
Collin yelps in relief when he sees the Cullens race out of the house. All of them except Edward take off into the trees. Edward stops briefly to talk to Collin. "Collin, please ask Jacob to command the other wolves to stand down from attacking, unless provoked, until we get there. We want the opportunity to talk to the nomads, especially since one of them appears to be a hybrid."
Fuck no! Jared and Paul yell in unison.
Absolutely not! Brady growls.
No, if we get there first, we are striking! Leah says with conviction. We need these bloodsuckers off our land. We have to keep our people safe!
We aren't chancing them getting away! Embry agrees.
Seth chimes in, We should at least give them a chance to explain. Maybe they don't have to die.
Ugh, I hate making these decisions because I see both perspectives. Why would a hybrid be with them? There aren't many hybrids in the world, from my understanding, so what if them being here is related to Nessie in some way? But, on the other hand, what if it's not correlated and we miss an opportunity to strike, letting them get away again?
Shit. I don't know.
We also don't even know how to kill a hybrid. Is it the same as a regular vampire? They have an actual heart with blood running through their veins. It feels wrong to kill something so human…
Fuck. My head is pounding from the looming hangover, but I'm the one that has to call the shots.
If they weren't a threat, they would've come peacefully. If Leah and the others get in range to safely attack, they will regardless of if you're all there yet or not. We can't risk losing them again, that will only mean more human lives lost when they decide to feed, I decide.
Finally, you aren't taking their side for once, Paul snickers.
Shut it, Paul! I snap.
Jake, you do a great job as Alpha. You doubt yourself too much, Seth gently says.
Sure, sure, I respond awkwardly to Seth.
Edward nods once to my reasoning then takes off quickly to catch up to the others. Stay close enough to the Cullens so we know where they are and so Edward can hear what's going on with us, I order Collin. He whines, not wanting to. And do it without the grumbling, please, I add. Collin shuts up.
We are all racing toward the scent as quickly as we can, but Brady is still a great distance ahead of Leah. He can see the bloodsuckers clearly now. His thoughts are steady, strategizing on when to leap toward them to attack.
My stomach drops in anxiety and guilt. If I wasn't such a fuck-up with the drinking, Embry would be in Brady's place. Brady's grown a lot and is an excellent fighter, but Embry's more experienced. I wouldn't worry if it were Embry on the nomads' tail, but Brady? He's just not as seasoned.
Gee thanks, Brady thinks scornfully.
Sorry, I respond, feeling somewhat sheepish. I have full confidence in you, Brady. I'm just worried since you haven't actually been in a fight with a vampire before.
Brady's annoyed with me, so he stays quiet. As he inches closer, I notice the nomads seem to be running slower than normal vampires which is why Brady is gaining on them so quickly. Are they going slower because of the hybrid, or are they trying to trick us somehow? Are they slowing down to turn around and strike? Leah's still too far behind for that...
Brady, back off! I yell hurriedly. Wait until Leah and the others catch up to you.
Brady whines. No way. We aren't losing these parasites again. You're just thinking of me as ignorant!
He's right, Brady. I'm almost caught up to you, so slow the fuck down until I get there, Leah agrees.
Ugh, we are going to lose them again if he lets up, Embry argues.
Yeah, we need to end this, Jared voices.
He's fine, Paul thinks. We can't let them get away again. Stop being a pussy and worrying so goddamn much, Jacob.
Fuck off, Paul, Leah says scathingly, taking offense to his pussy comment. If your pathetic, hardheaded ass came out of a pussy, it must be pretty fucking strong.
God, Leah, Paul responds. You take offense to everything. You're such a damn drama queen.
Everyone shut up! I'm not willing to risk Brady's safety even if that means we lose the nomads again, I explain. And Paul, stop with the degrading comments. Leah's not being dramatic, you're just being an asshole.
Brady continues to race forward as fast as he can, taking advantage of our conversation that created a momentary distraction. It's something I've never been good at – being confident in my Alpha commands. I hate demanding my sister and brothers to do anything; that's why I rarely use my Alpha inflection. I try to listen to their input to ensure I am making the right decisions, but when it comes to safety, I never mess around.
You will follow my order, Brady! My Alpha voice echoes. Back off, but don't lose the trail. Wait for Leah to –
I'm cut off by Brady leaping forward, ignoring my half-said command. I can see through his thoughts now that he was planning this the entire time – ignoring my direction since it wasn't an official Alpha command. That's why he lunged before I said the entire order; he was dodging the unwavering submission that would have inevitably followed.
Damnit, Brady! I yell as he topples over one of the vampires. Leah, this is your chance to prove how fast you are! Get to him, now!
I'm almost there, she responds, as she pushes herself to her limits and races forward at lightning speed. She tries to hide it, but she's anxious for her brother, too. Three against one is not good odds for any of us, but especially not Brady since he's never really been in a fight with a vampire before.
We're right behind her, Quil thinks, referring to Jared and himself.
The Cullens are about as close as Embry, Paul, Seth, and me, judging by Collin's location in the forest.
Brady's on top of the vampire he knocked down. Once Brady has him pinned down, he leans down and sinks his teeth into the bloodsucker's upper arm and rips it off. He throws it as far away from the parasite as possible with a flick of his head. That gives the leech time to wrap his other arm around Brady's leg and squeeze. We all hear the snap of his bone and gasp as Brady whines then scraps his claws across the bloodsucker's face. The other vampire and hybrid have turned around now and are making their way toward Brady.
We're all racing there as fast as we can, but none of us are quick enough. The other vampire hovers over Brady, grabs him, and tosses him across the small clearing. Brady flips in the air and lands on his legs – the three that aren't broken. He prowls back toward them just as Leah breaks through the trees to join him.
Go after the injured one. I'll work on the female parasite and hybrid, Leah orders Brady.
I feel like I finally take a breath now that Leah's there. Quil and Jared are close too.
The hybrid looks scared shitless of Leah. I can tell she's a hybrid because her eyes are dark brown, and her tan skin doesn't look quite as powdery; she appears more human. She backs up slowly with her hands raised.
The other parasite, conversely, looks lethal. Her glossy black hair and beady red eyes are sizing Leah up as they begin a dance of wits. The male leech, also with menacingly bright red eyes and dark black hair, is on his feet and begins a circling game with Brady; his arm is still tossed somewhere in the trees.
The male bloodsucker lunges at Brady, and he's expecting the attack. Brady dodges to the left then sinks his teeth into the bloodsucker's other arm before ripping it off. Brady, again, spits it out by tossing it into the trees. The nomad vampire screams upon losing his second arm. With both arms gone, he's definitely less of a threat.
Leah and the female are still circling each other as Brady plunges forward and tries to sink his teeth into the male's jugular. Brady misses and, instead, the leech almost sinks his teeth into Brady's shoulder. We all collectively gasp, but Brady is able to expertly dodge the attack. If the bloodsucker's venomous teeth pierced Brady's skin, he would've died very quickly.
Quil and Jared are finally there too, thank the fucking heavens. Embry, Paul, Seth, and I are minutes away. Jared joins Brady's fight and Quil is with Leah. Jared and Brady have the male cornered. Jared swoops in and knocks the leech down, giving Brady the perfect chance to sink his teeth into his thigh, ripping his leg away from his body.
Leah and Quil also have the female surrounded, but she seems more strategic than the male. She's sizing them up like an experienced fighter. Her footing is calculated, her eyes are bright, and the smirk on her face is eerie. She waves her arm to the left and Leah goes flying across the small clearing, smacking into a tree.
Shit! What was that? Get up, Lee! Seth whines. Are you okay?
Leah stands up quickly, not seeming to have any substantial injury. I'm fine, Seth, Leah says annoyingly. She must have a weird parasite power.
Telekinesis, anyone? Collin chimes in. He and the Cullens are getting closer.
Leah, act injured, I command. Quil, see if you can back the female vamp closer toward Leah. Leah, attack her from behind when Quil gets her close enough.
Leah immediately falls back down onto the ground and whines, pretending she's in pain. Quil begins his circling dance with the female, inching closer to her so she backs up a little at a time toward Leah. The female waves her arm again and Quil goes flying this time before crashing down on the forest floor.
You good? Embry asks.
Yeah, fuck. Quil responds before standing up and shaking. This bloodsucker is an absolute delight, he comments sarcastically.
I know once the Cullens get there, Bella will be able to shield us, so, hopefully, the nomad's telekinesis juju won't work on us. And Alice or Edward will be able to help take her down quickly if Bella is shielding them. Hear that, Edward? Tell Bella to be ready! I yell, hoping Edward can still hear us through Collin's thoughts.
Jared and Brady are faring better than Quil and Leah. The male leech is now missing all his limbs. Jared sinks his teeth into the male's jugular and rips his head from his body. Jared then leaves Brady to finish ripping him apart while he joins Quil in surrounding the female leech. Leah's still pretending to be injured.
Just as Brady finishes tearing the male apart, he looks up, sensing movement. Coming completely out of nowhere, the hybrid lands on top of him. She must have dropped from a tree.
Shake her off, Brady! Leah, fuck pretending to be hurt. Get to him! I yell desperately. Jared! Quil! Help him!
Leah's on her feet as she races toward them. Jared turns back and lunges toward the hybrid. Quil tries to keep the female vamp distracted.
But it's too late.
The hybrid wraps her arms around Brady – one around his back and the other under and around his neck. She squeezes with all her might. We all hear the lethal cracking sounds of Brady's bones as he gasps then falls lifelessly onto the forest floor, completely unresponsive.
We're all momentarily stunned.
Everything is quiet.
Then the howling and internal screaming starts from my sister and brothers. The combined agony of everyone feels overwhelming.
No.
No.
No.
He's okay. He's going to be okay. He has to be okay.
If he's not okay, I will be completely at rock bottom.
If he's not okay… If he's not okay…
No.
My mind can't go there. The pack's mind can't go there right now. He's fine. He will be fine. Carlisle will tend to him as soon as he gets here.
Refocus, everyone, I order, my Alpha tone ringing; it's here to stay now. No more injuries. Watch each other's backs.
Hear that bloodsucker? I say to Edward, knowing he should be close enough to hear my own thoughts now. Make sure Carlisle takes care of Brady as soon as he gets here. Please. He has to be okay. Please.
Everything becomes a blur as Paul, Seth, Embry, and I all burst into the clearing. Leah already pounced on the hybrid, knocking her off Brady's body, but the half-parasite took off into the trees.
The female bloodsucker waves her arms again, and we all fly backward until each of us connects with a tree or the forest floor. We all land on our feet, no major injuries. In the same moment, I see Collin and the Cullens to my right. Carlisle is already kneeling by Brady, assessing his injuries. I give Bella a questioning glance, and she nods.
Bella's shielding. Finish this female leech off and light the entire place on fucking fire, I command everyone, my Alpha voice ringing. Then help Carlisle with Brady. Do whatever Carlisle says, no lip.
That leaves the hybrid for me.
Jake, I'm coming with you. You might need back up. Leah pipes in, but I can't have anyone else getting injured.
No, Lee. Everyone stays here. Get rid of the last parasite. No one else needs to get hurt. No one is allowed to follow me. Take care of Brady. My voice reverberates in absolute certainty; there's no wiggle room in this command.
Then I'm gone. I race after the hybrid's scent, anxiously following the trail south for god knows how long. Fifteen or so minutes later, the scent finally stops at the base of a tree. She must have climbed again. Shit. I look up, straining my eyes. She's smart, I'll give her that.
I hear a rustling behind me and whirl around to see the half-leech standing a few yards away.
"Sorry, I had to make sure to get you far enough away from the others. I can't have them overhearing my thoughts. Where would the fun be in that?" She smirks.
Okay, this hybrid knows about Edward's ability, apparently.
"I've heard about your little mutt pack," she continues. "I have to admit, I thought you all would be a little more resourceful. That grey and white wolf was easy enough to exterminate back there. I'm guessing the same is true for you."
I growl as emotional pain rips through me. Brady's not dead. Carlisle will save him. He'll be fine.
As if sensing my agony, she laughs. "His death was just the start if your pack keeps getting in the way." She pompously flips her straight, brown hair back behind her shoulder. "Maybe if I involve your sweet little girlfriend, you'll finally know I mean business? What's her name, again? I know it's something weird, poor girl – Renaissance or something like that? I know she's been in South America as of late."
All I see is red as innate, primal fury erupts out of me.
How does she know about Nessie?
How does she know where Nessie is?
Who the fuck is this hybrid!?
I growl then lunge at her, straight toward her throat. She jumps out of my reach and is back in the trees overhead in the blink of an eye. What the hell? How is she that fast?
She's too high for me to get to now. "Stay out of my way the next time I'm in town and we won't have any more problems." She gives me a shit-eating grin then winks. "I'm sure I'll be seeing you very soon, Jacob."
Then, I kid you not… She jumps into the motherfucking air and just disappears.
Fucking disappears.
I blink several times.
What the fuck? How did she just leave like that? I glance around me and make sure she's no where else in the trees. She's not. She's gone. I guess that explains how she appeared out of nowhere when she injured Brady. She must have a supernatural gift for teleporting or some shit. Great.
I need to head back to everyone else. I need to make sure the other parasites have been turned into ash. I need to see what information Edward was able to learn from their thoughts. I need to tell them about my bizarre interaction with this hybrid.
But most importantly, I need to check on Brady and call Ness to make sure she's okay.
Nessie has to come home now. She's not safe by herself after the hybrid's threats. I know she's going to be pissed at me, thinking I'm doubting her ability to care for herself, but I don't give a fuck. This hybrid seems lethal. I also don't want her traveling home alone. That would make her an easy target.
My stomach rolls with anxiety. I feel nauseous. I need to get to my phone at my dad's and call her. I just need to know she's okay. I'll check on everyone first, make sure the nomad vamps are taken care of, make sure Carlisle is tending to Brady, then I'll call Ness, and we'll figure out the safest way for her to get home.
Before I'm able to take off back toward everyone, I hear rustling in the trees behind me again and pick up another vampire stench.
I turn around hastily and immediately relax when I see it's only Bella. I look behind her, waiting to see who else is with her, but she's alone. Edward is close by, though, I'm sure; he wouldn't leave her by herself out here with all the chaos that just transpired.
When I focus on Bella, I start to panic. Her expression is… somber. She's here to tell me something bad; I feel it in my bones. I realize, now, how quiet my mind is. Did everyone shift back? Is everything over? What happened?
"Can you phase back, Jake?" Bella asks quietly.
I look around again, worried there might still be some kind of threat lingering.
Sensing my hesitation, Bella explains. "Both of the nomad vampires are taken care of. Jasper and Emmett did a sweep all around the area and didn't find anyone else."
I nod then run into the trees. I phase back into my human form and pull my shorts on before walking back to Bella. "Okay. What is it, Bells?" I ask her immediately. "What's wrong?"
She swallows, and her forehead crinkles in sorrow. "Esme and Carlisle asked the other wolves to phase back before Carlisle spoke to them so you wouldn't hear the news out here by yourself," she looks around. "Where is the hybrid, by the way?"
"It's a long story, but she got away," I respond quickly. "What's going on, Bella?"
My heart is pounding, my breathing is quick. Part of me already knows what she's about to say, but it can't be true.
It can't be.
Bella takes another step toward me and pauses. "Jake," she says quietly as she puts her hand on my shoulder. "Brady's gone. Carlisle said there was nothing he could do. I'm sorry," she chokes on a dry sob. "I'm so, so sorry, Jake."
No.
No.
NO!
This is all my fault…
This is the final straw.
I can't handle anything else.
This is the tip of my iceberg.
I fall.
And I have no fucking idea if I'll ever resurface.