Oh no no don't leave me alone lonely now
If you loved me how'd you never learn
Oh coloured crimson in my eyes
One or two could free my mind
This is how it ends I feel the chemicals burn in my bloodstream
Fading out again I feel the chemicals burn in my bloodstream
So tell me when it kicks it

I saw scars upon her
Tell me when it kicks in
Broken hearted

Ed Sheeran - Bloodstream

Chapter 31: The Undead

Brady

My sobs and tearful pleas fell on Lexi's lifeless form with no response. I gripped her limp hand in mine as I crouched on the muddy ground next to her, naked and feeling so void of hope it felt like my heart would cease and my chest would cave in.

Lexi was gone.

I wove her lifeless fingers with mine, trying to glean whatever last shreds of warmth and life was lingering there. I had tuned out the pack. Their hunting calls and fearless snarls as they searched for the ruthless creature that had committed this horrible act fell on deaf ears.

I felt inconsolable.

Lexi was still crumpled on the ground in front of me, surely swimming in a sea of pain and confusion as she clung to the last bits of her life. I knew it would be over soon, but I selfishly didn't want it to be. Of course I didn't want her to hurt or suffer, but I was unwilling to let her go. Her face was unreadable as she lay crumped on the ground, unmoving. How had I let this happen to the thing that was most precious to me in this world?

"We lost him."

I wiped my eyes and tried to wake from the horrendous reality that was suddenly my life. The tiny shreds of bliss I'd felt by knowing Lexi and loving her felt like they were over before they'd begun. And for what? For a vampire's game?

"I'm sorry Brady. We lost him," Astin murmured again.

Quil growled. "Find him," he snapped.

Gone. The fucking bloodsucker who had killed Lexi was just gone. I wouldn't get to find him, sink my teeth into him, or rip him to pieces. I wouldn't get to pile his steely limbs into a pile and burn it to ash, the sickly sweet smell filling the air.

A noise I didn't realize I could make fell from my lips as another wave of agony washed over me. My heart wasn't just breaking – it was imploding in a fiery heap of useless tissue inside my chest.

Tears. And screams. Lots of screams. They all poured from me without any semblance of a filter as my pack brothers phased back into human form and gathered around the clearing. Jake, Embry, Zeke, Quil… I could smell their familiar scents around me as my world collapsed.

Silence fell on the clearing. The only noise was the sound of the raindrops hitting the frail fern leaves. I heard Astin whimper as Seth came sliding into the clearing. I stared down at Lexi's body as I tried to collect myself.

I heard growls of disgust and a few paws stamped the ground in answer to whatever wolfy question Seth was apparently asking. I didn't know, and I didn't care. I felt the air shimmer a few seconds later, signaling a phase nearby.

I glanced up with a protective snarl as Seth knelt on Lexi's other side. Embry followed suit, lowering himself to my eye level. They were both looking at me like I might snap.

They weren't wrong. My grief was substantial, but so was my rage. That heartless fucking leech was out there somewhere, and I knew once I could see past Lexi's death… I would avenge her.

Embry's dark eyes scanned Lexi's body, his eyes focusing on the gaping wound in her neck. Her heart beat had slowed, signaling that she was almost to the end.

"She'll wake up," he said, so quietly I almost didn't hear him.

He had to be joking. Her injuries were extensive. Her arm was broken, she'd lost a lot of blood, and I couldn't even fathom the injuries to her neck and back from her fall from the tree. What on earth was he talking about?

I followed his gaze back to the wound on her neck. He couldn't mean…

"She… she what?" I forced out.

He nodded to her neck, then glanced at Seth for confirmation.

Seth shifted his weight as he crouched on her other side. "She's been bitten, Brady. She's not dead. She'll wake up," he explained.

I stared at the bite on her neck as blood still slowly seeped from the wound. The venom had probably slowed the trickle of blood – vampire venom must have healing qualities I didn't know about. I thought people either died or… were changed. My pain was magnified as I realized what my pack brothers were telling me. They thought the bite she'd received was enough to change her – that she would survive this gruesome mess and wake up as a vampire.

But did that explain why her heart was still beating, I wondered? I was perplexed that she was still living, but of course I didn't want to question that. Could it be that the venom from that one bite be enough to change her? I didn't know much about vampire transformations. Didn't care to. I didn't know what the difference was between biting, feeding, or changing someone with a purpose. The Swan girl had been changed with her husband's venom in a syringe and about a dozen bites, but he certainly hadn't been feeding off his dying wife.

I was suddenly angry with myself and frustrated that I didn't know more on the subject.

"She'll… she'll be a fucking leech! She'll be one of them!" I snarled, silently praying I was wrong. My mind instantly conjured a picture of my sweet, beautiful imprint – but I couldn't imagine her with pale, icy skin and blood red eyes like the newborns I'd killed over the years.

It didn't make any sense. She couldn't be that – she wouldn't.

But what would you do? The voice asked. Would you be able to kill her? Put her out of her misery, and not live the life of a murdering leech? Would you be able to rip her to pieces and burn her body?

No, another voice entered my mind. Sanity, probably. I could never kill Lexi. Or any form of her.

Seth's voice cut through my thoughts again. "Brady…she'll still be Lexi. She'll still be…" he swallowed, shaking his head, "she'll still be her."

I fought the ripple of rage that shot through my spine at his words. I spoke through gritted teeth, "Let's see Regan get bitten by a fucking vampire in front of your face… and then you let me know how you think I should act."

He didn't respond. I think he realized it was pointless. I held Lexi's cold hand and tried not to picture her baby blue eyes with a shade of blood-laced red.

We were quiet for a long time before he spoke again. "We need to call the Cullens."

"And what will your precious Cullens do? Hmm?" I snapped. I broke then, another sob burning its way up my chest and out of my throat. I hadn't felt pain like this before. It just kept bubbling and brimming in the hole inside my chest where it felt like my heart used to be, demanding to surface. It was too much for one person to possibly feel. I should care that I was sobbing like a little baby in front of my brothers, my pack…but I didn't. This pain was too much to hide, to even think of hiding. I didn't stand a chance against it.

"They might help us," he argued, "They'll know what to do when…"

I winced as he trailed off. His unspoken words seemed to hang in the chilly air. They honestly expected her to survive this and wake up?

But she wouldn't, I remembered. If she did by some miraculous reason transform into a vampire, she wouldn't wake up alive.

Lexi would be the undead.

I shuddered at the thought of what they actually were. Parasites, I thought. Deceivingly beautiful, icy monsters that lived off of blood. Neither living nor dead.

Embry picked up one of Lexi's arms, glancing at Seth as he did so. He gently held it to his nose, running it across her skin. He placed it down by her side as if she were a china doll and glanced at the ground.

"Well?" I snapped.

He looked surprised. "I thought you didn't care," he sniped back. Seth gave an irritated growl in the back of his throat, clearly warning Embry to tread lightly with me. Seth - always the peacemaker, I thought with an annoyed growl of my own.

"I care about her, okay? I care about her so fucking much, and…I wasn't able to save her. And now…"

Seth shook his head again, giving me a pleading look. He could tell I was ready to break again.

"She'll wake up, Brady. She'll be better again. She's going to be… different, but… she'll be alive."

I fought back another slew of tears and laughed bitterly. "Alive? You call what they are alive?"

He nodded, looking away. I knew how Seth felt about the precious Cullens. Edward was still one of his best friends. After years of resistance, I'd accepted our peaceful treaty with the vegetarian family for what it was. A safety net if we needed it and a strange alliance that had worked in the favor of both sides more than once. But how did he honestly expect me to feel about my imprint becoming one of them? While his was at home with warm skin and a perfectly beating heart?

I suddenly smelled what Embry was talking about. I could still smell Lexi, but the scent of her blood was slowly changing, intermixing with something else. It wasn't as cloying as the scent of vampire, but I could tell something other than her own blood was racing through her veins.

"So that's it then? She's turning?" I asked, glancing over at him. I gripped her lifeless hand in my own and tried to blink back tears. I saw him nod, and I broke again.

X0x0x0x0x0x0x

I kept vigil over her body for hours – the wintery light was fading as the already short day turned to night. More and more of my pack brothers appeared in the clearing, signifying that the hunt for Lexi's killer had ended. They showed up looking listless, tired, and beaten. It didn't matter though – my vow to find him and kill him was fresh in my mind.

"When I get him… I'm going to rip his dead heart out…" I growled. I reached over to run my fingertips down Lexi's cold cheek. Where was she, I wondered? Was she unconscious, or swimming in a sea of pain right now? What was the venom from his bite making her feel besides pain? Anger, regret, fear? So many unknowns made it all feel so hopeless.

Jake padded up, still in wolf form. I knew he was trying his best to be a leader and stay alert and in command, but how could he look so calm in a time like this? He exchanged a look with the rest of the pack that was still phased, and I knew it would be soon – he'd called the Cullens several hours before, and it wouldn't take them long to get to where we were.

I stared at Lexi. If the venom was indeed working, there was no sign of it. Her heart had slowed to only a few soft thumps every few seconds and was nowhere near as strong as it should be. I thought of how many times the sound of her steady heartbeat had been my center; I'd listened to it and it of all things helped me stay calm. It helped me guide my mind back to a place where I could make sense of everything and remember what was important. It was one of the things I would miss the most about being around her.

What would the Cullens do, I wondered? Would they know some magical way that we didn't to fix her? Or stop the venom and somehow heal her? I held onto that hope as the rain started to fall steadily around us. The icy leaves provided somewhat of a barrier from most of it, but the cold droplets kept me present in the horror that was in front of me.

Dusk turned to dark as the rain continued to fall. Every time I thought I was out of tears, new ones seemed to find a way to fill my eyes. All I could do was stare at her and think, I failed you.

She'd been still for a long time – too long. I didn't understand what was happening.

"She'll really wake up?" I asked Jake finally, breaking my silence.

He was still in human form, pacing around the clearing. He nodded. "It might take a few days, but-"

He paused mid-sentence, his eyes flashing to Lexi. I glanced down quickly, my breath catching in my throat. Her fingers moved. I stared down at them in disbelief, willing it to happen again.

"Lex?" I gasped, my voice hoarse.

Her fingers twitched again, making me reach out and grasp her hand. She yanked it away with surprising force and they were suddenly both balled into fists. A short, struggling gasp came from her mouth, followed by a sharp intake of breath. A panicked whimper came next, followed by a jolting shudder down her back. Her heart began to speed up. I glanced up, meeting Jake's eyes, then Embry's, then Seth's.

"What's happening?" I pleaded. "Lexi? Lex, can you hear me?" I leaned over her, my hands going to her arms. She twitched again as I waited for her to respond.

Her eyes flew open into a lifeless stare. I felt the breath leave my chest with a loud whoosh as I stared down at her once-innocent gaze. Instead of a sea of blue, her ocean-like irises were now streaked with red. The whites of her eyes were stained a terrible pink, like she'd burst ever blood vessel she had. Her eyes were trained above her to the trees as her mouth fell open.

I jumped at the sound that came out. The most terrible, blood-curdling scream I'd ever heard came ripping from her throat, cutting through the silence. It echoed through the trees and bounced off of every surface a thousand times. Or maybe that was just me. My hands flew to my ears as I felt myself crumpled to the ground.

The noise was like a dagger to the heart. It was filled with more agony and pain than I could have ever imagined was possible. My questions were answered – the venom was working, probably tearing through her system and causing excruciating pain with every passing second.

She screamed again, the noise sounding dry and desperate like it was the last possible noise she could stand to make. But she continued. I felt myself crack miserably as another sob wracked my body. Lexi howled in pain, the noise of her cries more than I could bear.

"Lex," I heard myself whimper. My head in my hands, I heard my pack brothers around me as the noise took effect on them.

"Lexi baby… I'm so sorry," I managed to choke.

I jumped when she cried out again, her mouth snapping closed as she began to clench her teeth. The air hissed in and out of her jaws as she began to breathe. The noise sounded strained and painful as she balled her fists tighter and tighter. Just when I thought I couldn't take any more, she stilled. Her heart sped up in her chest. I could only hope that whatever pain she was experiencing had made her black out.

I heard Zeke growl. Jake stamped his foot, shaking his head. They heard it before I did – vampires. I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up as I prepared to defend Lexi against whatever else was out there in the black woods.

Seth held up his hand in caution – I stared at him as he listened carefully. He finally exhaled, nodding slightly.

"It's Edward… and…"

He trailed off, visibly confused. I stared into the darkness and waited for the mind-reading Cullen to appear. He appeared in the clearing like a pale bolt of lightning. Seconds later, the blonde female appeared next to him, her eyes already wild. She tossed her blonde hair over her shoulder and raised her nose into the air with a defiant gaze around the circle of wolves.

"Rose," he breathed. "Edward," he greeted urgently, striding forward. He grasped the vampire's hand before nodding at him. I watched him firmly grasp the pale white hand as if Edward was one of his own. But he wasn't, I reminded myself. He's a vampire, just like the one who turned her…

Edward's eyes flashed to mine. I forgot he could hear my thoughts – not that I cared. I had other things on my mind.

He wasted no time. In another flash he was kneeling at Lexi's opposite side, his strange golden eyes trained on the gash in her neck. His sister peered over his shoulder, her gaze suddenly unreadable.

I swallowed my pride and asked the question burning in my gut.

"Can you… stop it?" I asked, "The venom?"

Edward looked up at me, his gaze somber. He paused a moment before shaking his head of unruly bronzed hair. "The Venom is too far along to change it. She's already changing."

I shuddered, nodding in understanding. My tears fell again, this time too quickly for me to wipe away or try to stop. It didn't matter anymore really. Lexi was not only gone, she was going to be one of them. She was going to turn into one of the very monsters who had ripped her life from her. The moment he'd bitten her and tossed her from the tree tops replayed over and over in my mind as I fought to forget. I gripped her hand and held it to my face.

I'm so sorry I failed you, I thought.

"You shouldn't…touch her," he muttered softly, his eyes flicking up to meet mine. He glanced at his sister, who nodded in agreement.

I growled before I could think.

What's it to you? I thought.

I jolted when Lexi screamed gain. The noise was cut off with a gurgling sound that made us all wince. Whatever was happening to her had to be so excruciating it was difficult to even imagine.

"Don't tell me how to treat my imprint!" I snapped. I didn't want to snap and growl and sob over her body, but I felt so exhausted and broken with grief that I didn't know what to do anymore. I didn't know how to help her, or what to say or do that would make this living hell any better.

"You're hurting her," Edward explained gently – far nicer than I would have said it. He stood, walking over to Seth.

I stilled, my mind racing. "You… you can hear her, can't you?"

"Yes."

Edward could hear Lexi's mind.

"What… does she know? What happened to her?"

"She's drifting in and out. She doesn't realize what happened. There's not much we can do now but wait."

I hung my head. "Is she… is she in pain?"

I didn't miss the look exchanged between Edward and his sister – like they knew what was happening, and it was all too terribly horrible to even talk about. That wasn't what I needed to hear.

"Yes. The venom is traveling through her body right now, burning out all of her human cells. The process is…"

"Excruciating," Rosalie cut in. She stepped closer to Lexi, kneeling down next to her. I'd known of the blonde vampire now for over a decade, but my interaction with her had been close to nonexistent before tonight. She was one of the Cullens who made herself scarce when the pack was around, and it wasn't hard to tell why. She looked less than comfortable to be surrounded by a pack of us but strangely… she looked up to the challenge. Seth had always admitted to me that even with the different Cullens' talents and gifts, Rosalie was the one he was the most frightened of, and he could never put his finger on why. Now seeing her up close, I could understand.

Like the rest of her family, she was poised and flawless, her icy white skin void of any imperfections. Her features were perfectly symmetrical and aligned as if she'd been carved from marble. Her golden eyes held a sharp fierceness that made me afraid to hold her gaze for more than a few seconds.

Rosalie ran the tips of her fingers down Lexi's arm, her eyes suddenly mournful. Lexi whimpered softly at the touch, but remained otherwise still on the damp ground.

"I remember every detail," she said slowly, her melodic voice stoic and calm. "To burn like this is… something she'll never forget."

I felt rage for Lexi's pain bubble up in my chest again. What was her point? Was she only here so we could take a stroll down memory lane?

"So why are you here, Blondie? If I remember correctly, sensitivity isn't exactly your style."

Her head flashed up, a warning growl filling the space between us. "I know what this is like, dog!" she growled at me. I heard her powerful teeth snap in response as she stared at me with her cold glare. I watched her turn back to Lexi, carefully reaching down to move a piece of hair from my imprint's face. Normally I would snap at Rosalie for touching her, but I was paralyzed, to be honest.

"I know what it's like to have your life ripped away from you," she whispered, her voice newly calm. "I know what it's like to have it tossed aside like a piece of trash for someone else's revenge."

She sighed, leaning back on her heels. She stared across Lexi's body at me, her eyes trained on mine. I couldn't look away.

"I know what this is like," she whispered again, her eyes flicking down to stare at Lexi.

I swallowed my pride.

"Can you help her? That's all I care about."

Rosalie glanced at Edward, the two of them seeming to have some sort of silent conversation.

Edward pinched the bridge of his nose and glanced at Lexi's body. "I can hear her mind. She's fighting the pain right now, but… we can help her in any way we can. To ease the change."

I stared at my lifeless imprint. All hope seemed lost. But now the question was, can I let the Cullens step in and help Lexi in ways I couldn't? Did I trust them with my imprint, even if she was going to be one of them?"

Rosalie shifted, rising to stand. "Will you let us help her?"

I stared at her. "You swear you'll help her get through this?"

The blonde vampire's eyes seemed to tear up, but I knew that had to be impossible. She nodded, smiling sadly. Her gaze shifted to Lexi.

"This girl… this girl was me… I know what it's like to have your life taken from you… at the very start of it. Before you've even lived. I know what it's like to wake up a…" she trailed off, shaking her head with emotion.

I could barely nod.

Rosalie knelt, carefully scooping up Lexi's body with the care of a loved one. I watched, powerless, as she cradled Lexi's head in her steely hands like a baby. Before I could blink, she had taken off.

Edward looked after her, his mouth opening in surprise at his sister's speed. "Can we set up at your house?"

Seth nodded. "Of course. You don't have to ask."

"Thank you," the vampire responded shortly.

"No," Seth sighed, "Thank you. We couldn't do this without you Edward. Rose too."

Things happened quickly then. The pack began to move, everyone antsy for the next step. I swallowed. My throat was raw. In a few days we would have a newborn vampire on our hands.

My hands shook. Lexi would be a vampire.

"We'll take her to the house, and get her cleaned up. Carlisle will be here in a few hours. He's done this many times Brady, with his own children. We can help her."

I glanced at him, trying to reign in the raw emotions fighting to bubble up. I wanted to lash out, to scream, to phase and go hunt down that miserable leech who did this to her and rip him to pieces. Edward stepped closer to me, giving me an understanding nod. He'd heard me.

"Thank you," I muttered. Edward turned in the direction of his house. Before he could disappear, I held out my arm.

"Wait!" I pleaded, my hand meeting the icy marble beneath his sweater. I blanched, pulling my hand back in surprise.

"Yes?"

"Can I…" I trailed off, unable to find the words. Can I be there with her? I want to be there when she wakes up. I need to see her make it through this… if I could just see her open her eyes one more time, I…

Edward stared at me, reading my mind whether I wanted him to or not. I felt raw as he picked through my brain and memories of the day.

"It would be a risk. You are… are all, human."

I snorted. "Fuck the risk. I want to be there. Will… will she know me?"

As the rest of the pack turned to head towards the Cullen house where Seth had been living, it was soon just the two of us. I hastily tied my shorts to my leg and waited for his answer.

"It's hard to tell what's leftover sometimes. But most likely, yes."

"Do you know… what will happen?"

Edward nodded, shrugging. "She'll wake up. Alice will be here soon, and she can tell us more. Come to the house with us and just… sit with her awhile," he seemed to say against his better judgment.

I glanced around the empty forest and tried to figure out what to do. Did I go and listen to her burn? Or did I start the hunt for revenge tonight?"

Edward reached out to touch my shoulder. "Come back with us. We'll get to that," he said calmly. "That's a promise."

I gave him a nod before phasing. I followed him through the woods, my long wolf legs struggling to keep up with his speed. We arrived at the Cullens house a short time later, and things were already in motion.