CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO
(JPOV)
Sam's lethal roar shook the forest around us as he stepped forward, his fur standing on end and his glare menacing to Rana. I snarled in warning to him, stepping over Rana's weakened form as she lay on the forest ground beneath me. Her pleas coming out in a whisper now.
"Stop this." She begged, looking up at me with tired eyes. "Don't fight each other, Jacob. It's. Not. Worth. It. Please- Let it be."
Sam growled, charging forward so fast that I nearly missed his reflex response. My attention being drawn to Rana for a second too long. I roared furiously at him, bowing my head low over her in a defensive move. My thoughts loud and enraged.
"Don't touch her, Sam!"
"Get away from her, Jacob! Or I'll separate you from the problem myself before finishing her off. She is not yours to protect! You do not have a duty to her like you do to the rest of us!"
"What the fuck Sam! So-... what...- your meeting was all a farce then? A fucking trick?" I snarled back, edging myself closer. "You had no real intention of working this out with me at dawn like you said? You lied! Lured me out this way under false pretenses!"
"I did what was needed! I had to get you to trust me enough to come alone. This isn't personal, Jacob. It's simply what is best for the pack and our land! I would think you would know this. Am I the only one who follows what we're created to do? Or have you conveniently forgotten just what that is? What the hell is the matter with you? Huh? Where have your loyalties gone?"
"This isn't about loyalty! My pack does come first! So does protecting La' Push! It always will! What this is about is you and your arrogance! For shits sake! Stop pretending you're the hero here! Rana is not a threat! She would harm no one! Look at her! Is she trying to hurt you? Attack you? Is she even trying to fight back?"
"She's in no position to do so or she would be!" He angrily retorted. "You're trying to excuse the inexcusable! Trying to find the good in what she is when you can't. I've seen how blinded you are to her! I heard everything she said to you, Jacob. You would be smart to listen to her and step aside now. Even she knows where your true loyalty should be and that the two of you are enemies. Have you even thought about Bella in all this? You really want some blood thirsty cold one dwelling so close to her?"
"Rana would never-"
"Wake up, Jacob! That's what she is and I want her nowhere near Emily or any other member of my family. You shouldn't either! This is not up for debate. My word is final!"
"Your word is not law, Sam! Not to me! I am the grandson of a chief! I don't bow to you or anyone else!" I seethed. "I am the true alpha of this pack and it's about time you learned that!"
"What pack?" He roared to me in return. "Your betrayal has divided us all, Jacob. There is no united pack anymore and there won't be until you come to your damn senses!"
He lunged for her then, forcing me to spring into action and charge him. We collided mid air, sending us both tumbling to the forest floor from the impact, snarls ripping from each of us as we fought.
Our abilities and skills were matched but my strength dominated his as I pinned him, hearing his roar of fury when he challenged me back.
"You won't win this fight." He warned.
"You're wrong! If you would just listen-"
"I don't want to hear anymore about her! She is a cold one. Frozen in time for eternity and she does not deserve to be walking among the living on our land." He callously replied, biting down on my right front leg, the shooting pain causing me to release the hold I had on him. He was quick to gain the upper hand then, knocking me off of him and tackling me from behind. His teeth sinking into my back as I tried to rid him. I rolled us, ripping him off me with a loud huff.
"ENOUGH SAM!"
Fire spread through me as he tried to make another mad run for Rana then, getting a mere few feet from her before I could intercept him, our forms smashing together with such force that I felt two of my ribs break upon impact with him.
"This is not what I want, Jacob! Give her over to me and I will leave you be. We can move on from this. Rejoin the pack the way it should be. She is not worth the fight."
"NO. I will not let you destroy her!"
"You don't get a choice with this!" He roared in reply, his head ducking and his gaze lit with a hunger for the kill as Rana tried to pull herself up. Her gaze full of resolve as Sams rage tore through him. He was relentless with no signs of retreat. I pushed past the pain in my ribs and darted out in front of him, my roar deafening now.
"I DO GET A CHOICE! We're equally matched here, Sam! Your authority does not trump mine!"
He huffed profusely then, stepping back as if something invisible had pushed into him. I stood to full height, glaring down at him as Rana curled herself into my side, her small hands clutching at my fur as she watched him closely. "You can't destroy her. I forbid it."
The command left me without further thought and I saw Sam visibly wince at it, his stature shrinking in on itself before me while he tried to regain his stance.
"You would use your grandfathers reign over me to save the likes of someone such as her? A cold one! Someone we're supposed to destroy! He would turn over in his grave if he could see this. What a disgrace!"
"You don't know anything about her. She is different."
"BULLSHIT." He seethed, his anger getting the better of him as he advanced on me then. "You don't deserve to be Alpha of this pack! The way you've handled this proves that!"
I took on his challenge, feeling his hit knock the wind out of me as we collided again. Pain ripped through me when his muzzle took hold of my back leg, tearing it open as I snarled and whipped myself around. Blood poured from the bite as he growled to me, licking his now blood stained muzzle. The fur on the back of my neck stood up straight as the realization of just what this was sunk into me with palpable weight.
"You're not taking Alpha from me. I will not allow you."
Foam dripped from his snapping jaws as he inched himself closer to me, his head bowing under the weight of my words and his snarls loud from his obvious fight against obeying me.
"Are you gonna take it from me, Jacob?" He menacingly questioned, making me roar in return.
"If I have to."
He began to circle me and I felt the sickening twist of my stomach as it churned from the uneasy sight of it. My gaze, locking on his massive form while he stalked me as if I had become his prey because of the choice I was making for Rana. The voice that cut in through my thoughts then made me temporarily halt where I was.
"Sam! Stop this! What the hell has gotten into you! Are you that much of a-"
Sam merely glanced her way, his look unreadable at the knowledge of her presence now. Leah whipped her head back to me, her look alarmed when she understood what was happening.
"He can't hear you like before, Leah. That link is broken now that you're with me." I clarified for her, watching while she cautiously approached him. He snapped at her and I moved closer, giving her a warning. "Leah! Don't push him- Go back with the others."
She did as she was told without any further hesitation, quickly retreating from us with a nervous glance my way. I saw her gaze briefly flicker to Rana, who stared at her as if she were a masterpiece of some kind.
Sam continued to circle me, his wolf gaze narrowed and his words harsh.
"Your disloyalty has broken us as a pack. Tell Leah to go home. I don't want her here."
"I won't." I bit back. "She no longer has to follow your commands. She is free to do as she sees fit."
Leah visibly shuddered from this, her form sinking down to the ground while she watched us.
"So- this is really how it's gonna be, Jacob? After everything-"
"You're the one making it this way! You refuse to see reason or compromise!"
His reaction was immediate as he lunged forward, sinking his teeth into my shoulder. I roared furiously and pushed into him, sending him to the ground. He was fast to jump up to his feet, snarling and coming at me again. I charged forward, ready for his next hit when the sound of Sams whining filled the forest. I watched as he suddenly stopped all advances on me, cowering down to the ground in agony. My head instantly filled with his screams, his pain enough to make him phase back to human form. He clutched his head in his hands, writhing there before me in torment.
My head snapped up to Rana, seeing her hands outstretched toward him and her eyes glowing bright amber. Leahs roar forced my attention away from her, hearing the ferocity behind it and knowing she was ready to attack her for the pain she had inflicted on Sam.
"Leah!" I warned, seeing her muzzle pulled back and her form coiled tight and ready for the strike.
"Make her stop!" She yelled, her thoughts full of despair for him.
Sam whimpered again and I lifted my head to see Rana lower her hands, her eyes rapidly returning to their former hue as she sunk down to the ground. Her words whispered and simple to us.
"You're Family. Brothers... Don't. fight. Enough."
Leah instantly settled down when she saw Rana retreat, her confused gaze coming to meet mine.
"What the hell is she doing? What was that?"
"She is gifted." I replied, slowly advancing on Sam as he rolled, digging his hands into the dirt while trying to regain his bearings. His eyes were wide in alarm when he saw me next to him. The fear in them was evident and I cringed at the thought of us finishing this.
I knew we were at odds and both of us angry as hell, but that didn't change the devout respect I had for him as a man and as a leader. He had taught me everything I knew, had been the one to take on this change first, without anyone there to help him through it like the rest of us had been fortunate enough to have. He had been there when my phase first set in, pulling me up from the ground when my body felt as if it was being shredded from the inside out. He had stayed with me through the first night, explaining to me what was happening and assuring me that I would be ok.
I took a step back from him, calming myself down enough to phase back to human form and approach him. He sat up with a groan, his glare to Rana still heated when I reached out a hand to him.
"Sam..."
He reluctantly took it with a huff of agitation.
"What did she do to me? And how the hell did she do it?" He soon demanded to know.
"I've been trying to tell you, Sam. Rana is gifted. She isn't just a vampire. She turns back to human form. I've seen it and she has abilities."
Sam went mute, looking past me to Rana, who stared back at him with a leery expression.
"Hurt like hell."
"I'm sorry." I admitted. "She only wanted to intervene. She doesn't want us to fight."
His expression changed as he took a step out around me, his body tensing again from her mere presence.
"Has she ever killed a human?"
"No."
"Why does she look that way. And why is she bleeding?" He asked, his words causing me to turn my head and see the blood now running from Rana's nose as she tried to stand again.
"She weakens every time she changes back or uses her abilities. She saved me Sam and it nearly killed her to do it, but she freed me."
I saw the bitterness slowly leave Sams face as a cry left Rana. The sound of it enough to make him stop and see for the first time just how human she really was.
"Vampires don't bleed... or cry. Did she know it would weaken her again if she did that to me?"
"Yes... But she did it anyway." I replied, seeing him flinch at the sound of her gasping for air.
I went to her, swiftly hauling her up into my arms as she tried to fight me off.
"Don't- Please let me be. Reconcile with Sam... He is your family, Jacob."
"So are you." I replied, tightening my hold on her.
"I'm so sorry!" She gasped.
"You have nothing to be sorry for."
"I should have stayed away."
"No- You're right where you belong, Rana. I'm gonna get you the help you need. You're coming back home with me. You're not alone anymore... and you never will be again. I promise."
I stood with her, seeing Sam halt his approach when he noticed my hold on her, his eyes still full of confusion but more understanding than before.
He stood firmly planted where he was while I slowly approached him. His shock becoming more evident when I got closer.
"I can't smell her anymore. There's no trace of vamp. Only human."
"She's not your ordinary Vampire. She's changing back. I need to get her to Billy. He will alert the elders. I think they can help her, Sam. They might be her last chance. She barely made it last time. We might not be as lucky this time."
Sam's gaze was suddenly adverted to Leah who was observing us all now from a far off distance, her wolf still visibly uncomfortable with Rana. She didn't know how to react to her and I expected no less from any of them. It would be entirely naïve of me to think that they wouldn't receive her this way.
"I'll have to phase back and alert the others with Leah so they know you're bringing her on our lands. If you cross the border into La'push with her before I can notify them-"
"I know-... I'll have to go on foot with her. So you'll have time to alert them before I reach Billy's."
"No- don't take me there." Rana breathed. "He won't want-"
"You're wrong. My father would want to help you. I know he would. It's okay, Rana. You're safe with me. I won't let anything happen to you."
She closed her eyes, her body too weak to put up any kind of fight any longer.
"You sure about this?" Sam asked, his eyes roaming over her face as she laid her head against my chest. "Your father hasn't been warned. What if he's angry or not ready to see her?"
"He won't be." I replied confidently, taking off on foot with her pressed tightly to me.
She would finally be back where she belonged.
A/N: Time for another update everyone! I hope you enjoy this chapter and please feel free to review and tell me your thoughts! ;-) HAPPY READING! Till next time...