Chapter 24:The Reason

Brady

I decided I didn't give a flying fuck what this bloodsucker wanted - I just wanted him torn to pieces and turned into a pile of ash.

His concrete fist connected with my jaw, sending me flying back through the air and into a pine tree. The air was suddenly filled with the smell of pine and mud as I went careening through the branches and landed on the damp forest floor with a crash. I heard his laughter mocking me as I rose up and tore after him.

Brady! Jake commanded through our mind link. Wait for help!

I got this, I growled back at him. Jake hadn't Alpha ordered me to stop anything; I kept going. I needed to catch this motherfucker to keep Lexi safe.

After dropping Lexi back at her house in wolf form, I'd silently promised her I'd be back before tearing off into the darkness. I could smell the salt of her tears in the fall air as I charged away, my name falling from her lips as she watched me go. My heart clenched as I ran to catch up with my pack brothers as they honed in on the location of the nomadic vampire. The desire to fucking kill this leech had driven me to chase him with a frenzy I'd only imagined before. In no time, I caught up to the rest of them and was leading the chase like a man possessed. I could hear my pack brothers chasing after me, their thoughts all centered around the leech we'd caught watching us. All of them were wondering why he was back and what he wanted, but I was done asking questions. This vamp clearly didn't want to sit down to tea and chat; he wanted to fight. Well, if anyone in the pack was volatile enough to engage him, it was me.

You need help, Brady. Slow down and let us come in for backup! Jake pleaded. I could tell from the flavor of his thoughts that he was worried I'd bitten off more than I could chew with this one, but I didn't care. The stony bloodsucker had gotten too close to my imprint for my liking, and I wasn't having anything to do with that. A nomadic vampire was dangerous and had nothing to lose; I wasn't about to take a chance and let him walk away.

He could be peaceful, Seth reminded us.

Fuck that, Embry answered as they ran. That's the same vamp that kicked his ass this spring! The one that attacked Brady and Sean. This fucker wants a fight.

We should at least give him a chance to explain, Seth bargained.

If he talks, we'll listen. Maybe he knows Carlisle, Jake answered. I could feel him getting closer, but my angered legs churned twice as fast as anyone else right now. My rage spurred me further as my bones remembered the ache this leech had given them so many months ago. He'd kicked my ass then, and it was time I returned the favor.

What he wants is a fight, I argued. And he's gonna get it.

I spied him in my vision; he was flying through the ferns, the night doing little to hide his pale, marbled skin. He streaked through the green around us like a shot, pausing only occasionally to look over his shoulder. My eyes saw the red irises gleaming in the moonlight.

It's on, I thought.

I watched him clip a corner and try to flee up the mountainside, but he was momentarily too slow. My teeth caught his ankle, yanking him off the rock face with as much force as I could manage. I heard him hiss in pain, the noise sending a chill down my spine. I was made to fight them, but they still creeped me out every time I sunk my teeth into their stony flesh. We landed against the rocky cliffside in a tangle of fur and stone, both of us snarling and growling as we got our bearings. I cornered him against the rocks, lashing out as he scurried up the rocky ledge to stand a good thirty feet above me. My paws dug into the rock as I snapped my jaws and taunted him to just come closer.

I'll rip your throat out, I thought.

The rest of the pack slid into the small clearing by the mountainside, hackles raised and teeth bared.

What does he want? Jacob ordered.

I lashed forward again, snapping my teeth and clawing at the rock. If I knew Jake, I wouldn't be doing this.

Stop, he commanded. My feet stopped moving, and I felt myself slide down to the flat earth as my alpha turned to the rest of the pack. Embry, Seth, Quil… cover me, he asked. He looked over at me. You – behave yourself until we find out more, he warned.

I stood back as he locked eyes with the red eyed blood sucker above us, calmly shifting back into human form. Embry, Seth, and Quil closed in around his body, lips raised over their teeth in warning. If the vamp tried to attack Jake in human form, they wouldn't hesitate to rip him to shreds.

I watched as the vampire's face turned from mock indignance to delight as Jake stood up on two legs.

"What business do you have here?" he asked firmly, his firm voice ringing out over the mountainside.

The vampire crouched in interest, his red eyes glowing. "It speaks!"

Jake nodded. "I wanted to talk to you. This is the second time we've seen you here. What business do you have in the area?" he repeated.

The nomadic blood sucker was obviously delighted. "The dog makes demanding requests," he sneered. "I do not have to tell you anything, shape shifter."

I'd had enough. I didn't fight the phase, shifting back into human form to stand beside Jake. "Answer him, leech. Before we rip you to shreds and make a brightly colored bonfire out of your ass."

"Brady," Jake warned, his arm jerking out across my chest. "Stop. Think. Don't make it worse."

I heard the vampire chuckle in answer, cocking his head to the side as his blood red eyes stared down into mine from his perch.

"You," he sneered, "you are the one I fought with the last time. Tell me dog, does it anger you to have been bested twice in a row?"

I growled low in my chest, the noise a warning sound. Jake sighed, shaking his head.

"Enough. What brings you here? What do you want? Are you looking for someone?"

I wasn't sure why Jake bothered conversing with the stony monster. As much as I loved Renesmee, I couldn't deny that I had no sympathy for their kind. Most of them were content to be murderers their entire existences; taking one soul after another to feed an endless hunger that would never stop burning. While I respected the Cullen's for abstaining, I could never forgive the rest of them for the countless lives they'd destroyed just to feed their thirst.

The vampire watched Jake speak, his cold eyes calculating as he peered over the edge at us. I met his gaze and watched him smile wickedly down at me. What on earth did he want with us?

He spoke slowly, in a tongue I didn't recognize in my limited experience. The noise of his strange words made the hair on my arms stand on end as I listened.

"Il suo sangue canta ai miei sensi," he replied, his voice menacing and low.

I opened my mouth to protest and demand more answers, but he turned before we could speak again and scuttled up the rock face. My jaw dropped open slightly as I took in the speed of his climb, his limbs turning to a blur as he disappeared up the mountainside and out of our range. We were left with nothing but the fall breeze whipping around our faces as we stood at the base of the mountainside. I looked at Jake in question. What did that mean?

"What was that? Portuguese? Italian?" I asked.

Beside me, Seth phased back into human form and stared up at the rock face. "I don't think we've seen the last of him."

Embry joined us, standing up on two feet again. "Way to go Fuller. If he wasn't pissed off he sure as hell is now. Why did you goad him like that?"

I growled and inhaled the cold air, memorizing the scent. "Because. He was messing with me, that's why. Fucking leeches," I snarled.

"Hey," Jake hissed. "Take it easy."

I exhaled sharply, shaking my head. "Calm down, I'm not talking about your precious Cullens. I'm talking about low-life nomads like that. Couldn't you smell his last meal on his breath Jake? He could have just been in Forks or La Push draining someone we know."

My Alpha lowered his eyes in answer, shifting on his feet. "I could. He'd fed recently…"

"So that should be reason enough to rip him to fucking pieces."

"He was fast, Brady. We didn't catch him, so what do you want us to do?" Embry chimed in. "It wasn't like we weren't trying. He's obviously old and knows how to run. We'll get him."

I felt a strange feeling settle over my bones, washing over me. It was like dread, but worse. His red eyes had been unusually haunting; every time I blinked, I could see them staring back at me. I'd never been so unsettled by a vampire before, and I couldn't shake it.

"Fine. But next time, we have a bonfire with his ass," I muttered. Quil and Embry nodded in agreement, while Seth looked at Jake.

"What?" I asked, annoyed at their seemingly silent conversation.

Seth broke Jake's gaze, looking over at me. "Maybe… do you think we should call one of the Cullens?"

"What good would that do?"

Seth shrugged. "Maybe… maybe one of them might know him. Talk some sense into him, get him to go away. Maybe Carlisle could name drop the Volturi and scare him, or -"

"Seth, I'm not calling the fucking Cullens because we can't take care of business, alright? Why do you have to run to them every time there's the slightest sign of a fight?"

Seth shook his head and gave me a dirty look. "Edward is my friend, Brady. He's helped us out a lot, it never helps to have someone around who can hear their thoughts. Or see what their next move is. Or control their mood. Those are some handy gifts to have around when you're dealing with the unknown," he reminded me.

This was too much. My temper was still reeling from the failed chase, and now Jake and Seth wanted to bring even more leeches into the equation? I'd had enough.

"Whatever. If he comes back, call the fucking Cullens to swoop in and save the day. Perfect. Fucking perfect," I snarled, feeling my skin heat up. It took me less than a second to phase, my skin tearing away from my bones only to magically change into fur. The forest blurred past me as I ran back towards Forks.

I was unsettled.

I scanned the woods as I ran, checking to make sure nothing was following me. All seemed well, but that vampire had me completely spooked. Ditching the muddy forest floor, I took to the streams that led towards town, my feet splashing against water as I ran. The rocky stones felt good against my feet as I ran, calming me only slightly as Lexi's house got closer and closer.

Satisfied that I had covered my tracks, I loped through her backyard as I heard my other brothers phase back into wolf form to patrol some more. I felt like a pussy wussing out and throwing a hissy fit over this, but I couldn't control it. Or maybe I could, fuck it. I didn't know anything anymore. Well, I did know one thing.

I paced through the damp grass, my ears picking up the sound of the steady thrumming. It took a moment to pick up, but eventually my ears stopped humming with anger long enough for me to focus on the thump thump thump of Lexi's heart. There it is, I thought. Embarrassed that my pack brothers would catch me mooning over the simple sound of her heartbeat, I quickly phased back into human form on the damp grass.

"Shit," I muttered, realizing my sweats were nowhere to be found. I'd burst out of them when I'd phased, and I didn't have any nearby. I didn't exactly want to climb in her bedroom window to check on her naked, but I didn't want to just leave either. This really just wasn't my day. Glancing around, I realized it was late enough that the house was completely dark. The motion sensored lights were only in the front of the house, so I didn't need to worry about that. I needed to see my imprint to make sure she was safe and sound and where I knew she'd be alright. The steady beat of her heart was muffled by my not as talented human ears (compared to my wolf ones), and it seemed to beckon me. I heard it speed up slightly as if in response to being thought about.

"Fuck it."

Taking a few long strides, I gained enough speed to shoot up the dying rose trellis on the side of the house, the wood softly groaning under my weight. I probably looked ridiculous shimmying up the stupid thing naked, but I didn't care.

I just wanted to see Lexi.

Ever since the vampire had appeared behind in us in the woods, I'd felt like a failure. I'd been so focused on her and showing her that ridiculous house that I'd let my guard down and allowed a leech to get that close to the thing I now thought of as so important, it made it hard to breathe sometimes. The danger I'd put her in would never be justified, and I felt my feelings of self-loathing start to rise up in my chest as I gripped her windowsill.

I would need to do better.

I would need to do anything to protect her.

Even though the window was unlocked, I still tapped into the darkness. My eyes could make out her sleeping form in the bed across the room, and she stirred when I made the noise. Her eyes flashed open, and I knew she hadn't been in a very deep sleep.

Lexi had wedged her way into my cold, thoughtless heart and had somehow made me come alive.

She was the thing that was most precious to me.

I watched her frown with concern and pull the window quietly open, motioning for me to get inside. It was dark, so I climbed up and stepped through – the light in the room was too dim for her to be able to see much, not that it mattered a lot.

Her fresh scent washed over me, overpowering the reeking stench of vampire that seemed to linger in my nose. I expected to give her an explanation, but she surprised me again by throwing her arms around my torso and pressing herself to me in a tight hug.

"I was so worried," she whispered frantically. "Brady, I can't… I can't…"

She surprised me with her strength, pulling me closer and closer to her until we were completely flush against one another. I chuckled against the top of her head, lightly kissing her pale blonde hair as she hugged me closer.

"I'm fine… it's what we were made to do, Lex."

She pulled away, her bright eyes wide in the dim light of her bedroom. "I was so afraid you wouldn't come back and… Brady, I… I think I love you too."

I felt the breath leave my lungs as my mind suddenly struggled to comprehend her words. "You… you love me?"

She nodded, her eyes a little scared but honest. She meant it.

For anyone wondering what our vampy friend said, he said something along the lines of 'her blood sings to me' - however, I do not speak Italian so if what I have written is incorrect my apologies; but you get the idea.

Thanks for reading!