"Leave?" Montana asked with wide eyes. "Why do we need to leave?"
"We need to get to safe grounds," I told her. Wyatt and Nate both knocked twice on the door. As I crossed to open the door, I said, "If the Volturi know that we're here, they will do anything to stop whatever they think is going on. Including potentially burning Meridian to the ground again."
"Oh no…" Montana said quietly.
The boys came through the door, serious as stone. "The perimeter is clear," Wyatt said.
"Great, we need to get a move on then. I want all of us out the door within the hour," I ordered. Montana looked worried so I tried my best to take a step back and comfort her as much as I could. "I know this is scary. But we can keep you safe. Nate will go with you to grab your things; pack for at least a week. How does that sound?"
"I'll go gather up the rest of the shifters," Travis sighed.
"I'll help you," Wyatt nodded. They left out of the front door swiftly.
Montana was frozen to her spot. I went to her side and rubbed her arm sympathetically. "One step at a time, ok?" I reassured her. "I promise no one's going to get hurt."
"Are we in danger?" she asked me.
"No," I lied. "But we need to start moving so that we can stay out of danger."
She nodded, pursing her lips. Nate led her out the front door by the small of her back so then it was just me and Reese. She was quiet, pensive. Her arms were crossed over her chest and she was tapping her fingers as she took it all in. I was ready for her to give me a hard time. So imagine my shock when she asked, "Where do you need me?"
"You need to pack a bag too," I told her, "and to bring the car around. You and Montana are going to drive back to La Push."
"Jesus…" she shook her head. "3,000 miles? 2 days? You sure about that?"
"It'll take us a couple of days to get back on foot anyway. And we may need to make an additional stop or two. Montana will be most safe with you and then she'll be protected with the rest of the imprints and our families when you guys get to the reservation."
She was unsure. "I burned a lot of bridges with your people, Hadley…"
"We vowed to protect you all those years ago," I told her. "I'm keeping that promise. This isn't petty drama anymore, Reese; it's life or death. We need your help now more than ever."
Reese studied my face for a long time. After a long minute, she held out her hand to me to shake. I looked down at it before clasping it and just holding it. "Alright, I'm in," she said. She walked around me to pack a bag and I went upstairs to gather up what little things we had.
As I was shoving the rest of my clothes and Wyatt's into a bag, an envelope fell out of my shorts pocket. It was the envelope my dad gave me before we left. Emergency currency is what he called it. I bent at the knees to pick it up, weighing if it was time to open or not. It couldn't hurt…
The envelope contained a single piece of paper with an address and a name.
Carlisle Cullen
505 West 72nd Street, Apt 22A
New York, NY 10023
"Oh shit…" I said out loud.
The Cullens left Forks when I was 7. I remember Dr. Cullen very clearly. He used to scare the shit out of me, but after a few hundred tests with gentle hands, a soft voice, and my favorite blue raspberry lollipops, I grew to understand him better. I didn't necessarily like him; he used to set off all of my bells and whistles in my head. But I knew what he was trying to accomplish by studying the procreations of super beings.
What I didn't understand was why my father would give me the address to someone that we had cut all ties to.
Closing my eyes, I focused on pulling up the projection of a map again as I had earlier. It's emergency currency, he'd said. Like if I felt like we didn't have enough shifters, we should call on the Cullens for help. The room's light dimmed as everything shifted around.
I marked every single pack that said yes with a check and every pack that said no with an x. We already knew that we were at about 170 shifters; it would have been 255 if we would have gotten Broken Bow and New Orleans. Between here and La Push, it would be possible to visit more packs, but there was no guarantee that they would say yes. Maybe it would help to have some extra bloodsucker hands…
On the other hand, would involving the Cullens piss off the Volturi more…?
I decided it was worth the gamble, but I'd need to talk to the boys first. If Wyatt and I could get to Dr. Cullen and have him round up his others, we were guaranteed strength and leverage. I saw the route start to map itself out on my projected image, the best route to take.
A warm hand touched my shoulder, making me jump a little. Nate was looking at the projection in front of me. "Sorry about that," he chuckled.
"No, it's alright. I just got distracted." I turned to face him. "Is Montana ready to go?"
He nodded. "She's downstairs with Reese right now. What are you looking at?"
"I'm just trying to see…something," I mumbled. "God, I wish we could have gotten New Orleans."
"We can hit New Orleans on the way back, if we need to," he reasoned.
I picked up the paper and handed it to him. "Or we have a plan B."
"Carlisle…" Nate read out loud then paused. "Cullen. Oh shit."
"That's what I said," I sighed. New York was about 800 miles from here; we could make that by daybreak and then go straight to La Push from there. It was possible. We wouldn't have time to eat, sleep, or breathe. But it was possible.
"We might as well throw this away. There's no way in hell we're bringing the Cullens back to Washington," Nate shook his head as he gave me the address back. I didn't say anything; I just pursed my lips at his words. His eyebrows drew together. "You're not seriously thinking about bringing the Cullens into this, are you?!"
"We may have to," I told him. "We need ammo. They know how to fight vampires in a different way than we do because that's their own kind."
The look on Nate's face…I'd seen it countless times before. The 'what the hell are you talking about' face. The 'this can only end in disaster' face. Every single time I did something that he didn't think was a good idea, he gave me that face. And I can't lie—it kind of stung to see that look. Because I hadn't seen it since…before Matthew kidnapped me. "Are you out of your mind?" Nate asked, his tone gravely serious.
I crossed my arms over my chest. "This isn't just something I pulled out of thin air. My dad gave me this address and said to use it at my discretion."
"Your discretion," Nate scoffed.
"Our discretion," I corrected. "Why are you giving me grief about this?"
"They're vampires, Hadley. They can't be trusted."
"The Cullens aren't just vampires. They were our allies for years; Dr. Cullen was my doctor until I was 7. The old pack helped them with that newborn war. I'm not enlisting help from random vampires; this is different."
"It's not." He was standing firm.
"Nathaniel," I rolled my eyes. "Please don't do this right now."
"Did you even think to ask us about this?" Nate snapped at me.
"I just found it!" I exclaimed. "He told me not to open it unless I felt like I needed to. I wouldn't hide that from you and Wyatt. Is that what you think of me? You think I'd just make a decision like this without talking to you guys first?"
"It looks like you already have," he said. "Isn't that what you're doing? Mapping your way to New York?"
Nate motioned to the projection, to the blue line marking our location and the Cullen's new address. My jaw clenched as waves of frustration ran through me. From him and from me. I waved the projection away and glared at him. "You know what," I said lowly. "I am sick of having to justify myself to you."
I bumped his shoulder as I left the loft, going downstairs. There was a lump in my throat that was threatening to aid in the tears that were stinging in my eyes. But I swallowed it down and put my game face back on. Reese and Montana were in the living room; even without super hearing, I'm sure they could hear everything. I gave a tight smile, "Are you guys all packed up?" I asked.
"Y'all alright?" Montana asked, sympathy all over her face.
I shrugged. "It's fine," I said. I heard Nate come down behind me, but I didn't look at him. "Let's get you guys on the road."
We loaded them up with snacks and caffeine for the drive. I handed Reese about $300 of the extra extra money my parents had been hiding in all of my belongings. "This should be enough to get you there," I said to her as she climbed into the driver's seat. "Call me if you need anything. I'll come find you."
"I think I can handle it," she smirked. Reese looked at me and her expression softened. "I'll see you out there?"
I nodded, closing her car door. "Be safe."
From the other side of the car, I watched as Nate and Montana hugged and she rose to her tip toes to finally kiss him on the lips with her hands on either side of his face. He melted into it, gingerly placing his hands on her hips and pulling her closer. Nate may have been acting like a dick, but I did recognize how this new love was good for him, of course. Montana was picked for him and you could see why. Whatever issues we were having, we would figure out. I think…
There was a small group of people forming outside as Travis and Wyatt went door to door around the commune. I hit the top of the car as Reese shifted the gear to drive. The car took off down the road with Montana looking behind her at Nate with a longing look. He rubbed the back of his neck with a heavy sigh as he watched the car disappear around the corner.
When Wyatt and Travis approached, the people followed closely behind them. And even more people were pouring out of their homes. At least 30 of them. 30 shifters. Incredible. Travis held out his arms to motion behind him. "Is this enough?" he grinned.
I felt a smile spread across my face. "This is amazing," I breathed. My mind was blowing for many reasons. Mostly because I knew that these people were somehow part of me—part of us. They were our counterparts. We existed for the same reason they did.
Travis and Wyatt came to stand on their side of me while the sea of people stood before us. "Do you want to say a few words of encouragement?" Travis asked me.
I looked up at him. "I think you should actually," I encouraged him. These were his people, his family. Travis was one with this community; he'd worked so hard to get back. He deserved to lead them into this, not me.
Wyatt and I stepped back to give him some room. And although he looked unsure, he tried it anyway. "Y'all," he called out to the whole group. "We got a hell of a situation on our hands…"
I strong armed Nate back into the house with Wyatt trailing behind us. Nate jerked his arm out of my grip and crossed it with his other tight across his chest. I shrugged, fed up with the attitude. "Let it out," I told him.
"Let what out?" Nate rolled his eyes.
"Whatever it is that has you pissed off at me. Because I know it's not just about the Cullens. What is this actually about?"
"The Cullens?" Wyatt asked. "What the hell did I miss? I was gone for like 10 minutes."
"Dad gave me the new address for the Cullens in case we need it," I explained.
"Right and, as per usual, she's already decided to involve them without talking to either of us first," Nate said.
I glared at him before looking at Wyatt. "I just found the address. I mapped out the route so that I could talk to you guys. Now Nate's pissed at me for nothing." I turned back to Nate. "So you can either tell me what's really triggering you or we can come up with a game plan like adults."
"Have you ever thought that maybe I'm tired of just going along with whatever you think is a good idea?" Nate asked. His face was like a stone; I'd never seen him this serious before. "Maybe I'm tired of saving your ass, Hadley."
"Whoa, chill out, man. That's not cool," Wyatt said, his eyebrows drawing together as he realized how serious this was. "We're a team; we make all decisions together. That's the way it's always been."
"No, what it's been is Hadley deciding what she thinks is best and then we go with it and have to bail her out whenever she can't get herself out of her own shit."
"Be fucking serious right now," I snapped. "When's the last time you actually had to come to my rescue? I hold my goddamn own around here."
"That's not the point."
"Then what is your point, Nathaniel?" Wyatt asked. He was puffing his chest, ready to defend me.
"The point is that the second you open up the Cullen can of worms, you're setting off a chain of events that will affect all of us, not just you," Nate said directly to me.
"Oh so we should go into battle without everything we've got," I remarked sarcastically. "Got it. You're right, Nathaniel. You're always right and I'm always wrong. Good talk."
I stormed away out of the house and dropped into one of the chairs on the porch. What the hell was happening? All I could do was sit and listen to Nate and Wyatt—my boys—argue with each other.
"What the fuck is your problem, man?" Wyatt asked, sternly.
Nate huffed. "You wouldn't understand."
"I can try. But I won't allow you to keep speaking to Hadley that way. So tell me what's really going on before this becomes a bigger problem." Wyatt was always so reasonable. He led with his heart, even as a kid. "And by that, I mean you and me will have a damn problem," he finished firmly. Then there's that. The protector. That came later.
I could practically hear Nate's eyes rolling. "What are you going to do? Alpha order it out of me?"
"Do you want me to?" Wyatt threatened.
Nate was quiet for a second. I imagine he was stewing in whatever he was feeling. "I can't afford to keep making these rash decisions based on Hadley's whims, alright? I have an imprint now. If we bring the Cullens back, they might stay. And then what? We keep fighting the fight forever? When does it end?"
"We're trying to end the fight, bro. What are you talking about?" Wyatt said. "You've known this girl for three days! You've known Hadley for almost 23 years."
"See, I knew you wouldn't understand."
"So you're going to turn your back on the good fight over this? We're supposed to be a team."
"The team's weight is uneven. It always has been."
"That's bullshit."
"Is it?" Nate asked. "Hadley's always had so much more say so than either of us."
"No, Hadley has always made sure that she includes the two of us in everything and you know that. But if she thinks bringing the Cullens will be better for us to have a fighting chance to put the guard down, then we have to trust her." Wyatt paused, letting out a sigh. "Look, now is not the time for the team to fall apart. We're too close. We're too fucking close, man."
I put my face in my hands and tuned them out for just a minute to think. I never wanted to be the reason why Nate and Wyatt were fighting…and I definitely did not want to be the reason why Nate was upset. That's my brother. My guardian angel since god knows when. If this was 5 years ago, if we were still teenagers, and I was still pulling those reckless antics that got me chained up underground, then I would get it. I would understand. Hadley's being careless yet again and Nathaniel has to go save her.
But this is so far left field, I'm dizzy. I'd grown up since that scared little girl in the bunker. I needed them—both of them. The team's weight is uneven? Did he really think that was true? I'd been trying to make sure that that wasn't true. I wouldn't have asked them to Bond with me if I thought that was true. Sometimes I don't even pick between chunky or smooth peanut butter at the grocery store without talking to them first!
I understood his concern a lot more than he realized. My involving the Cullens could bring them back to Forks and we would have to deal with more of our boys phasing, including his potential children. The stakes were high for him and the imprint was brand new. And I'm sure Dad thought of that possibility too. Which is why I have to go get them…
Standing up, I went back in the house, in the middle of the back and forth, and put my foot down. "Alright!" I yelled to get the boys to stop arguing. They both quieted down, reluctantly. Turning to Nathan, I tried to temper my words as best as I could. "Look, I understand. It's a gamble. Our history with the Cullens has always been complicated and will probably always be complicated. But it's too much of a risk to not cover all of our bases.
"And I get that it's hard to have equal footing all the time. I…" I stopped, clenching my jaw, "Sometimes I don't know if something is the right decision until I talk to you. You've always been my guiding light. And if you don't want to be that anymore, then fine. But you will have to hold it together until after this shit is over. I'm not going to Alpha order you, I'm not going to convince you to go with me, I won't even say don't be mad at me. Feel what you feel, Nathaniel, but understand that I will always be doing what I think is best for our families. With or without you."
I didn't wait for him to respond. I just turned to Wyatt. He looked concerned. "What do you need?" he asked.
"You two can lead Travis and the other shifters back home. I'll be right behind you."
"Ace…" he started.
"I'll be alright. Lightning fast, I promise."
We were all nearing that time when just agreeing was better than fighting it.
So, with nothing but an address and my gut guiding me, I left to find the Cullens in New York. It wasn't hard to find them; there were vampires all over the city, you could smell it. They hide behind black cars with insanely tinted windows and skyscraper buildings. But vegetarian vampires smell different. So, once I figured out how to get to the Upper West Side (as identified by this very nice lady in the subway station), it only took about 10 minutes to find the building I was looking for.
I knocked twice on the door before messing with my hair to make sure I looked at least a little presentable. Light footsteps came closer and then the door swung open. A girl about the same age as me appeared. She had this curly, chestnut brown hair and pale skin, but she had a heartbeat. She smiled. "Can I help you?" she asked.
"Hi," I smiled. "I'm looking for Carlisle Cullen. Is he here?"
She examined me for a second before saying, "Sure, I'll grab him." The girl waved me inside before leaving me in the foyer. I knew they were rich, but this rich? The chandelier in the foyer alone cost more than the entire reservation probably. All I could do is twiddle my thumbs as I resisted the urge to touch everything. I'm sure they wouldn't want wolf stink all over their stuff. "…oh, I didn't get her name, but she's right over here," I heard.
Carlisle looked exactly like I remembered him. His white blond hair was still slicked back and his skin was sparkling through the massive windows. He took one look at me with those bright gold eyes and smiled softly. "Hadley Black," he said as he came closer. "Wow, you've grown up."
I returned his kind smile. "Hi Dr. Cullen," I said.
"I've gotta say, you are the last person I'd expected in New York City," he chuckled. Then he looked at the girl behind him. "Oh, Nessie, this is Hadley. Hadley, I don't think you ever actually met Renesmee. She and her aunt and uncle had already left Forks by the time you were born."
I'd always heard of Renesmee, but it was one of those things that I think was overinflated kind of like with me. Everyone has been saying that they were expecting this monster when they met me; I was expecting like this fierce huntress who was even more graceful than graceful. Renesmee, like me, was a normal girl, standing in her Columbia t shirt and chipping the paint off of her nails. Normal. "It's nice to meet you," I told her. "I've heard so much about you."
"None of it is true, I bet," she giggled. "I've heard a lot about you too. Nice to finally put a face to the legend."
I winced. "I don't know about legend, but thank you."
Dr. Cullen waved me inside. "Well, come in! Please have a seat."
"I'm afraid I can't stay long, actually," I said. Dr. Cullen's brow furrowed for a second before his whole face settled into a knowing, fearful state. "We need your help, Dr. Cullen…"
XXXXXXXXX
I didn't like running by myself. It was lonely. I missed the boys and I missed my parents. Knowing that I would be home soon kept me going as I ran for 5 hours, then 10, then 15. By hour 20, I was tired and frustrated. Somewhere in the Rocky Mountains in Idaho.
I phased human and slipped into a lake to feel the cool water on my skin. I closed my eyes as I floated on my back in the water. Less than 8 hours away was the start of the rest of my life. Less than 8 hours away, nothing would be the same.
"It'll be even better," I heard a familiar voice from above.
"How long have you been watching me?" I asked without opening my eyes.
"Oh, I never take my eyes off of you, little wolf," she said. Her voice always sounded like little fairies handcrafted it; you could hear the twinkle in every word. When I looked up, wading in the water, I saw an illuminated Kaya sitting delicately on a tree stump. She winked at me. "It's a beautiful day, isn't it?"
"What are you doing here, Kaya?" I asked softly.
Her shoulders bounced up before falling. "Checking on my favorite littlest wolf, of course." She stood up and came closer. "He's going to be fine."
"Who?" I asked as if I didn't already know.
"Nathaniel," she answered. "I saw things got a little heated between you three. That's pretty outside of the norm for you guys, I know. But he's going to be alright."
I had been shoving my feelings about fighting with Nate way down. If I thought about it for a second too long, my stomach would turn in the worst way. "I thought I was better…" I told her. "I thought I was doing better."
"It's not you, little wolf," she said. "Adjusting to the imprint is a hard transition; everything is heightened in a way that you or I will never understand. He's seen an entire future with this girl whose middle name he only just found out. That's intense. And especially since he knows how imprinting affected his dad's life. Give him some grace, little one."
I wiped the water from my face. "He was just so angry," I shook my head. "I want him to be happy. And I love Montana for him—"
"Thank you," Kaya grinned. "I picked her out myself."
"—but I'm worried that he won't be part of the team anymore because of the imprint." I paused. "What if he's right? What if…what if I haven't been totally fair?"
Kaya shrugged. "Then that's something the three of you will have to figure out later. But right now, the most important thing is getting back to work. You did amazing with the Cullens; the boys grabbed a couple more packs on their way back. You're ready for this. Don't let this small argument derail you."
She held out a hand to me to help me out of the water. I let her and was immediately cloaked in her maternal adoration. I looked down at the ground; I felt very…vulnerable at that moment but wasn't sure why. "You're right…" I said.
"It's time to get to work, little one," Kaya said. I shook out my nerves and nodded. She beamed at me with a brilliant smile. "See you out there," she said with a wink.
"Wait, what does that mean?" I asked, but it was too late. She was already gone. "Always so cryptic…" I mumbled as I tied my clothes around my ankle before phasing. In the home stretch.
XXXXXXXXX
Home.
The familiar drizzle of the Pacific Northwest was almost like walking into confetti at your own party. These woods were my woods; I knew them like the back of my hand.
And then there was that beloved surge that you feel when you cross the treaty line. And the buzzing of new shifters on our land. I saw the intermingling of different packs together and it was exactly how I'd always thought it should be.
Travis waved to me as I looked for someone from my family. Sage from New Mexico gave me a wise and knowing smile as she spoke with someone that we picked up from Utah. So many shifters, so much mingling. It was incredible.
I spotted my Uncle Paul first as he waded through the crowds of people. More like he spotted me, actually, as I was coming out of the woods, phased human. "There she is!" he boomed with a grin. He held out his arms as I jumped into them with glee. "It's about time you made it back. My favorite niece."
"You better not let Cass or Luna hear you say that," I joked. He shrugged it off, brushing the imaginary dust off of his shoulder. "It's ok, you're my favorite uncle."
"It's been quiet without you, kid," he said as he draped an arm around my shoulders.
"Just taking care of business like you taught me."
He nodded as he looked around at all of the people. "You did good, little Lee," he complimented. We both spotted Eric, Nick, and the rest of their pack. I waved with a smile. Then Paul shook his head. "Maybe next time, give us a heads up that you're bringing back a man who looks exactly like the one who kidnapped you. We almost had a problem."
"Yikes. Sorry about that," I cringed. "Where's Mom and Dad?"
"They should be back by now."
"'Back?'"
"Yeah, we've all been trying to slow down the vamp spread. They've been turning them like crazy."
"I guess we need to get to work then…" I tracked my parents at Grandpa Billy's house, along with Wyatt and Nathaniel. Knocking twice, I announced myself as loudly as I could before walking in. "Is there room for one more?"
Before I even knew it, I was swept up in a big hug by my mother. "Oh my god, finally," she said as she squeezed me. "We were just wondering when you'd pop up."
"Sorry, I had to…" I trailed off when I caught Nathan's eye. "I had to make an extra stop; it slowed me down."
"You're just in time, bug," Grandpa said, rolling over to us. He took my hand and guided me to the couch, right in between the boys. Nathaniel didn't make it totally obvious that he scooted away from me just by the slightest bit, but I noticed it. Wyatt put a hand on my thigh, giving me a sweet smile. I leaned over to kiss him on the cheek while Grandpa started to speak, "I was just telling the boys and your parents how impressed I am with the work you guys put in these last two weeks. More and more shifters are showing up by the hour; it's unlike anything I've ever seen."
"Thanks, Grandpa," I beamed. "I mean, none of this would be possible without all of your trust in us—all three of us."
Wyatt nudged me, "Nate and I managed to grab New Orleans and Broken Bow on our way back."
"And I'm assuming your delay was…" Dad asked me directly, trailing off. I nodded and heard Nate sigh, discontentedly. Dad gave me an appreciative smile before turning back to Grandpa.
"There's one more thing we wanted to run by the three of you before this all comes to a head," Billy said. "The guard have been turning people left and right since you guys have been gone."
Mom sighed, "We think they have something close to 500 soldiers, at least 300 of them are newborns turned." My eyes widened. 500? "It would have been more but we've been working overtime to slow it down."
"Ok, so what can we do now? What's next steps?" Nate asked. At least he's still saying 'we.'
I always hated when my parents and grandfather would exchange that knowing look. Dad cleared his throat as he shifted a little uncomfortably. "We want to know what you guys think about performing the Blood Bond ritual tomorrow."
When I tell you that you could have heard a pin drop, it got so quiet. Nate stopped fidgeting, Wyatt's hand was frozen on my leg, and I'm sure all of the color had drained out of my face. Tomorrow? As in less than 12 hours from now? "The Bond will ensure that you three have full access to your powers and to each other," Mom explained. "Your grandpa has figured out how we can do a three way Blood Bond. So, if you guys feel up for it, we think we need to get this done as soon as possible."
How do I tell my parents that Nathaniel has been radiating annoyance since I walked in the room? Just annoyance, you ask? No. There's this small hint of remorse thrown into the mix. Mostly annoyance though. I know…
"What about fasting and everything?" Wyatt asked. "I mean, I haven't eaten since we got in yesterday, but…" He was trying to give one of us an out.
"I haven't either," Nate mumbled. They both looked at me. And then it was all eyes on me.
It's now or never. "I'm definitely over 24 hours since the last time I've eaten," I declared. "We should do it."
"Excellent," Grandpa smiled. "Of course, the three of you will need to be separated until the ritual to give yourselves clarity and peace of mind without outside forces. But since Hadley bug just got here, we'll give you all an hour or so to catch up."
The boys, Mom and Dad, and I stood up to leave. "Thanks, Grandpa," I said, leaning down to kiss him on the cheek.
It took maybe a half a second of us being outside before my dad asked, "What's going on with you guys?"
Nate sighed, Wyatt shifted his weight from one foot to another, and I just felt my jaw clench instinctively. "What do you mean?" I managed to ask.
Mom put her hands on her hips as her hazel eyes studied each of us. She shook her head. "Yeah, something's off. You three aren't as…" she searched for a word, "put together as you usually are."
"Everything's fine," I insisted. Nate snorted and I caught it right as he rolled his eyes. I threw my hands up in defeat. "We just had a small disagreement…that's all."
Mom and Dad looked worried. "You guys have 12 hours to work it out or else this isn't going to work," Dad warned. "If even one of you is unsure—,"
"We know, Dad," I assured. "We'll figure it out."
You can't lead the masses with a broken team, Mom projected to all three of us with a warning gaze. "We'll meet you at home, bug," she said to me before they made their way through the crowds.
Then it was just the three of us. I couldn't stop looking at Nate, who was staring right over my head. "What do I have to do?" I asked him. "Come on, let me fix it."
"It's already done," he shrugged. "The Cullens are coming, aren't they?"
"I didn't have a choice," I snapped at him.
"Ok, the two of you need to cool off," Wyatt intercepted. His energy was full of frustration. "God, I thought a run and some time apart would make this better. Nate, you need to get a damn grip. Lee's doing her best. Look around us right now! We did this. We brought all of these people together. Don't you see how incredible that is?"
"I just need some more time," Nate shook his head. "I'll be ready for the Bond at dawn. I'll see you guys at the cliffs."
He started to walk off without another word. "Nathan," I tried to call him back. He went straight to his house, not a glance back. "He's really that mad at me?" I asked Wyatt, my heart starting to pound in my chest.
"I don't think he's mad at you, Ace. He loves you," Wyatt said. He reached out to rub my arms up and down in an attempt to comfort me. "He's just messed up in the head right now. Reese and Montana will be here soon and he'll get it together. It'll be fine, baby." Wyatt pulled me into him and placed a chaste kiss on my lips. I looked up at him with sad but loving eyes. "You trust me?" he asked.
"More than anything."
"Then everything will be fine, my love, I promise. And then after all of this is over, we'll ride off into the sunset and start a life the way we want to."
I loved his optimism; it was one of the many, many, many things I loved about Wyatt. "I love you, Wyatt Cameron."
"And I love you, Hadley Black."
"Forever."
He kissed me on the forehead. "Come on, I'll walk you home."
XXXXXXXXX
Guess who was not feeling clarity and peace of mind when she woke up at 3 in the morning? If you guessed me, you would be correct.
As I sat on the floor between my mother's legs as she braided my hair back into two braids like she used to when I was 5, I was using every tool I could to calm my nerves. "You know, bug," Mama started. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to. You've done enough."
"I want to," I told her. Was I trying to convince her or myself? "I need to."
She made a little humming sound. It was so quiet in the house; Melody's breathing was so peaceful, so even. She'd been so excited to see me home, she exhausted all of her energy in telling me every single thing that happened since I left. Then we both fell asleep in my bed, her laying on my chest. Will is noticeably missing, and when I asked Mama, all she said was, "He'll be back soon. He just had to run some errands."
"Mama," I said, feeling her soft hands in my hair.
"Yes, baby?"
I swallowed a small lump in my throat. "Do you ever wish we were normal?"
Mama didn't say anything for a second. She just kept braiding. Then she secured the end with a hair tie and started on the other side. Eventually, she said, "Yeah, sometimes, I do."
I'd heard her think it before, but I'd never heard her say it out loud.
"But then I remember that our ancestors chose us for a reason. They gave us a purpose. And that purpose gave me you and Will and Melody. I'll fight for all three of you until I can't anymore; you're why I keep going."
"If you could do it all over again, would you change anything?" I asked.
"No," she said without hesitation. She tied off the end of my second braid and guided me until I was facing her. "Would you?" she asked.
I thought about it for a second. I wanted to say no, but I don't think I would have been telling the truth. With Nate mad at me and the doom of war looming over all of us, what I really wanted was to lock myself in a house with Wyatt and turn away the noise. But I also have always felt this sense of duty in myself. I owed it to so many people to fight, including my mom. "Ask me again tomorrow," I requested. She nodded. She understood.
So I hiked to the tallest cliff with my mother and father by my side. When we made it to the top, Wyatt was waiting with Uncle Jared and Nate was waiting with Sam. I let out a small exhale of relief that Nathan showed up. Our eyes met. Thank you for coming, Nathan, I projected to him.
The good of our future is more important than petty fights, he said back. His face was still gravely serious, but I'll take it.
Grandma Sue and Grandpa Billy were waiting patiently, dressed in Native garb, holding our sacred texts to their bodies. Without a spoken word, the three of us undressed completely and stood in a drawn circle in the dirt. Strip completely of worldly material and stand within the elements.
Wyatt took a deep breath as Grandma and Grandpa started to chant in native Quileute tongue. The language was dying; these chants were practically all we had left. Dad came into the circle with the dagger clenched in his left hand. I watched him carefully grab Nate's right hand and cut carefully down the middle of his palm. Nate winced at the pain and then stared shocked when it didn't heal right away. Dad did the same thing with my left hand, then my right into my scar, Wyatt's left in his scar, then right, then Nate's left hand. We all held our palms upward as they bled. Dad stepped out of the dirt circle. "Please join hands," Mama said. Her voice didn't hold authority, just maternal support.
As the sun peaked over the horizon, I glanced at Wyatt then Nate for certainty. They both just looked serious. Nothing was given away from their faces. My hands clasped each of the boys' hands with my eyes closed, listening to my grandparents chant, then hearing all of our parents join in.
But then my eyes popped open when I realized it was getting darker, not lighter as they continued to chant. The wind picked up, blowing through the trees so intensely, I thought we might fall over. "What's happening?" I heard Jared ask over the wind. Clouds rolled over in the sky as the ground began to shake violently.
"Oh no," Wyatt whispered.
"Keep chanting!" Dad shouted. The adults started chanting louder. It was almost like they were willing the bad weather to go away.
But it didn't stop the earth from quaking. Thunder cracked loudly over our heads. All three of our heads whipped to the sky, just as lightning, somehow, split in three separate ways. Straight toward us.
All I felt was the electric surge through my whole body as the blast jolted all of us backward away from each other. Then it was just dark.
