Running.
That's all I had been doing. I even lost count of exactly how many days, all I know is as soon as I had woken up from healing, I was running. I had to find her, I had to get to her. I was trying to rely on the imprint pull, but there wasn't any one direction it was pulling, in fact, I felt like I was being pulled apart in all directions.
"She must be unconscious." Sam had offered at one point. "Since the pull is mental, they would need to be conscious in order to draw you to them."
This only served to frustrate me even more.
Over the course of about three weeks, we had combed over every rural part of Washington we could, and were starting to head up into Canada. Rosalie had separated from us saying she was going to try to reach out to other covens and see if they had seen or heard anything. Emmett continued searching with the rest of the pack.
I had refused to stop until we found her. Emmett was tireless, and the two of us were constantly running, constantly searching for something, anything. A scent, a rouge vampire, something that could give us some clue as to where they would have taken her. But there was nothing.
Leah had told me about Rachel of searching by air. That whole thing with her was just the cherry on the fucked up top of this psychotic life that we were all given.
'Jake, man, you gotta take a break.'
They had been on me for days, and I kept trying to ignore them. I couldn't stop.
'You're no good to her if you die of exhaustion.'
Dead or alive, I would be no good to her if I didn't find her.
'Damn, Jake, just a couple hours, the rest of us will keep looking, just sleep for a couple hours.'
How could I sleep when my reason for breathing was out there, who knows where, having who knows what being done to her. That thought just spurred me on.
I was passing through the outskirts of Vancouver when I first saw her. I froze in my tracks. She was standing there, in a clearing, just standing and smiling at me. She was absolutely beautiful, her long brown hair blowing in the light breeze, and I even heard her voice calling to me. I raced over to her, but she evaporated before I could get to her.
That happened a couple more times before Sam finally issued the Alpha order that I knew was eventually coming.
'Jacob Black, stop running and sleep.'
I growled loudly, but was forced to obey.
'Jake, you're hallucinating, you're losing your mind, you have to sleep before you go insane, then you're no good to anyone, especially Bella.'
I knew he was right, but I didn't deserve to sleep! Who knows what she was going through, meanwhile I was taking a nap. It wasn't fair. But exhaustion overtook me quickly before I could overthink it anymore.
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BPOV
I found myself in my perfect little world, lying on the grass in front of my cabin, and I could have been lying there for hours or weeks, I'm not really sure, but I also didn't seem to mind. I couldn't remember ever having such a peaceful feeling.
For the most part, I felt like everything was as it should be.
There were moments as I layed there, when for just a second,it felt like something was wrong, something just wasn't quite right, but it would leave me as quick as it came.
I honestly couldn't tell you how long I had been laying on that hill, staring into the clear blue sky, but I felt as if I was hypnotized, and I couldn't look away.
Until I heard my name.
It was a foreign sound, and I realized it felt like an eternity since I had heard it. I pushed myself up onto my elbows, and that feeling that something wasn't right returned, but didn't leave me as fast as it had before.
I glanced up into the perfect blue sky, and for maybe a half a second, it went completely dark, but it was so fast, I'm not sure that I didn't imagine it.
I moved to sit up and turn towards my cabin, and that's when I saw him standing on the front porch. I couldn't help the smile that broke out on my face.
My beautiful Jacob, standing there watching me. I stood to walk toward him, happy to have him here with me, but as I got closer, I started to notice details I didn't see at first. He wasn't standing tall and proud like I remembered him. His shoulders sagged, almost in defeat. His bright smile was nowhere to be found, and he didn't look like he'd shaved, or slept, in over a month. I would never had thought someone with dark skin could have circles under his eyes. As I walked closer, I noticed he shuddered, and a tear fell down his face. When I got up to him, I cupped his face with my hand, and he leaned into it, closing his eyes and whispering my name, holding my hand tightly against his cheek.
"Jake, baby, what's wrong?"
He opened his eyes slowly, and I could see how bloodshot they were, and they were holding so much pain and sorrow. I notice out of my peripheral vision the sky flashed dark again, a little longer this time, but my only concern was Jacob, and what could cause him to look so broken.
"Where are you?" He rasped out. The pain in his voice broke my heart, but I couldn't help but to look at him in confusion.
"What are you talking about? I'm right here."
He clenched his eyes shut and shook his head hard. I wrapped my arms around his torso, suddenly feeling scared. The sky flashed dark several times in succession, and I shuddered, clinging to him tightly as I felt a feeling of terror creep into me.
"Are you ok?" He whispered into my hair.
"You're scaring me, I don't understand what's going on." I answered him. He kept hold of me tight against him, like he was afraid to let go.
"We've been looking for you for weeks."
I pulled back, looking at him questioningly.
"What?"
The sky flashes dark several more times, this time with the distant sounds of growls and screams.
"Bella….do you not remember?" He gave me a worried look.
"Remember what? What are you talking about?" I started to feel desperation start to trickle through me, adding to my already growing fear, and I started to wonder if I even wanted to know what he was talking about. I could tell the sky was quickly fading to a bluish purple color, but I refused to turn away from the man standing in front of me.
"He took you Bella." He says as tears roll down his face. "He took you and there was nothing I could do. I'm so sorry." He shudders as a sob rips through his chest.
"Who? Who took me? No one took me Jake! I'm right here!"
I wanted to laugh, but there was nothing funny about any of this. I could hear loud sounds behind me, but Jake kept my attention on him.
"The Cullens, Bella. They…..he took you."
I finally turned to look at the dark sky around me. It was a mess of memories, good and bad. I closed my eyes tight, trying to clear my head, and opened them again to a blue sky of memories.
I saw the first time Jake and I ever really hung out. Our dad's had always been friends, but usually I just stayed at home with mom, but she was doing something else, so I tagged along to hang out with Billy's kids while they went fishing. Since I had no interest in fishing, and Jake and I were the same age, he decided to officially introduce me to video games. I remember him being appalled that I had never played before.
Four hours into it, I had become absolutely addicted to Ocarina of Time, despite that annoying little pixie in Link's ear, telling me to 'listen' every two minutes. So fishing trips for my dad, became video game rituals for Jake and me.
I watched as our friendship progressed through the years, and when I lost my father, it made me realize there was no one else in this world I could count on like I could Jake. I should have known then that I loved him.
Because I did.
I watched our first kiss. The first kiss that kinda didn't really count, but was just so sweet and meaningful. An anchor in all the chaos that would soon consume our lives. And then of course the next first kiss, the one after our first date that blew us both away.
We were a perfect love in an imperfect world, so apparently the fates decided to even things out by throwing vampires and wolves our way. And I had been prepared and willing to deal with it, all of it, as long as I had him by my side. But in one day, in one single moment, I lost everything.
And that's when the sky went dark.
Jake's wolf, lying there on the ground, injured, and that demon standing there with his foot on his throat. I heard myself begging for Jake's life, begging him to take me, to leave Jake alone. I was stupid to think he would listen.
The last thing I remember about that day, was the sound of bones cracking as he grabbed me and ran, and I knew then, he had killed my Jacob.
I fell to my knees screaming as the sky went completely black, pulling at my hair, everything around me dissolving into an empty abyss.
Alone.
I was all alone, my reason for living was gone. Why would he come back to haunt me like this? This had to have been my fault, but what could I have done different? I could still hear and feel him, and though it was torture, I wanted him to stay. He could haunt and torture me as long as he wanted, as long as I could still see, hear, or feel him, I would be satisfied.
"I'm sorry." I whispered into the dark. "I wish I could have done something." I could feel the hot tears pouring down my face now.
I felt his strong arms wrap around me.
"Baby, you have to wake up. What you're remembering, it isn't right. You have to remember. You have to wake up!"
"But it hurts." The words come out without me thinking.
"What? What hurts?" His words sounded frantic.
"Everything…..."
"Please Bella, think! Think about what happened. You have to remember what really happened."
I close my eyes in concentration, thinking back to that day.
Running.
Pain.
Blood.
Screaming.
Crying.
Growling.
Pain.
I gasp as I remember and I cling to Jake with everything I have. The bones I heard crunching, it wasn't him, it was me!
At this realization, I could just start to make out his face in the darkness that surrounded me. I pulled him to me tightly and buried my face in his chest.
"You're ok! You were hurt! But….but he didn't kill you!"
I begin sobbing uncontrollably as I remember seeing his wolf lie there, struggling to breathe on the forest floor, as I was ripped away from him.
"No baby, they didn't quite kill me, although if I don't find you soon-"
"No." I interrupted him, pulling back to look at him. "You'll find me, I know you will." I said with conviction. He clenched his jaw.
"We've been looking for weeks. We've covered all the surrounding states. I don't know where else to look." He said softly, his voice breaking at the end.
I closed my eyes, concentrating on my memories that I had apparently buried, trying to remember anything that might help. The only thing I could remember…
"He did something, he knocked me out. I remember watching you, and then nothing." My tears started coming harder. He pulled me to him and held me tight. "I can't help you Jacob." I sobbed.
"Why are you still sleeping?"
"What?" I said, looking up at him.
"If you were awake, I would be able to feel you, I could find you, but I haven't felt you. I know you aren't…..gone. But for me to feel you, you have to wake up."
"I...I don't know how-"
"Before, you said it hurts. What did you mean?" He asked, a determined look in his eyes.
"I don't know why I said it, I wasn't thinking."
"Bella, I need you to concentrate baby, I need you to think for me, ok? Close your eyes and concentrate." I did as he instructed, trying to break through the fog. "Now, tell me what hurts."
"My body." I said softly. And it did, it ached, and I suddenly felt very heavy.
"Why does your body hurt baby." His voice sounded so strained.
"I'm...I'm weak. I think he's…...draining me." I opened my eyes with a gasp, and realized he was fading again.
"No! No! No! Jacob! Please! Please don't leave me!" I screamed grasping at his dissipating image.
"Bella, baby, I love you, and I will find you." He said just as he faded completely and I was consumed by darkness.
I opened my eyes, struggling to scream, but true to my dream, I had absolutely no strength.
I looked around the room, my vision was blurry and hazy, but I saw enough to realize where I was.
My Room.
I was here. I had officially arrived in hell. I went to sit up, but felt like I was tied down, or had something heavy sitting on top of me. I looked down at my arms, and they were completely free to move, aside from the needles and IV's stuck in them, but my body felt like it was being held down by stones.
I heard voices coming from down the hall, and felt pangs of fear ripple through my body.
"I do believe the morphine is wearing off, she sounds like she's awake, though I don't hear any movement."
"Do we have to continue with the morphine? Her blood is foul enough with that wolf venom running through it, the morphine just makes it worse."
"With as many transfusions as I've done, the tainted blood should be nearly gone, it should be very nearly pure by now."
My throat clenched as I realized the possible implications they were suggesting.
If they 'purified' the wolf out of my blood, would I lose my link to Jacob?
They came through the door about that time, and I didn't bother to close my eyes.
"Well, I just hope you do better with her than you did with the other ones."
"Yes son, I know. Trust me, I'm not going to kill this one. She's far too important." The blonde haired one looked down at me with a sinister smile.
Kill this one? They've killed someone? Oh God, no. Not Angela!
I could feel tears running down the sides of my temples from my eyes.
"Oh Carlisle, look, now you've upset her." Edward said condescendingly. He touched the side of my face with his cold hand, and I tried to flinch away, but only succeeded in shutting my eyes.
"Don't worry my pet, you don't have anything to fear." He said softly, his breath wafting over me, making me slightly dizzy and nauseous, and then I felt something cold and slick run up the side of my face.
What the fuck….did he just lick me?
I could feel the bile trying to rise up, but I willed it away, knowing I would only aspirate at this point instead of throwing up.
"Alright Edward, if you think she can behave without the morphine, I'll stop the drip. Maybe then we can concentrate on getting her blood straightened out. She'll need to stay on her nutrient diet though. Unless you plan on feeding her actual food." He laughed as if it were a joke.
I stared at the ceiling, trying to block out their voices. I had heard enough. Angela was gone, and maybe even Rachel too. All I had to cling to was Jake, and now I knew I had to stay awake for him to find me. I started screaming for him mentally. I had no idea if he could really hear me or not, but for right now, that's all I could do.
And no matter what, I knew he would find me.
