-You sure about this?- Billy questioned glancing at Sam, what he was saying...
-Of course I am. I saw it myself, Emily saw it too, he has the Labonair mark.- Sam stated. He hadn't been able to just drop the issue, this wasn't something he could just ignore and much less forget about. A vampire with the Labonair mark.
-But he's a vampire. How is that even possible?- Jacob asked. He had learnt enough about werewolves and wolf spirits to know that a vampire just couldn't turn either of those.
-It's not impossible. Werewolves much like wolf spirits are human for most part of their lives. But unlike us they do have an specific development process, their bodies only start changing partially when puberty arrives, they are considered to have reached adulthood only after their first transformation, which can happen between the ages of 17 to 18. Of course there are cases where they do it earlier, or later. My guess is that he never transformed, hence, why his body couldn't fight off the venom.
-So, what is he? Bella said he was from the civil war period, so that makes him like really old, why is he changing now?- Jacob asked. He didn't like the idea of a potential threat being so close to Renesmee nor Bella.
-It could have been the high exposure to wolves. Or vampires. The stress of the situation. The imminent fight. Any of those could have been the trigger. Didn't he bite Leah? Her blood could have been the catalyst his body needed.
-The catalyst his body needed?- Leah repeated. Was this her fault? But he had been acting weird before he even bit her. She had nothing to do with what was happening.
-If he's a werewolf it was just a matter of time before this happened.
-This isn't new is it?- Sam questioned. Billy's face left it clear that this wasn't the first time the man had heard of such a thing.
And for the looks of it was not good.
-No. I have never personally come across one, but there are stories about the white wolves, it's said to be the result of a cursed inbreeding between a vampire and a werewolf. A creature with unmatched strength and speed. It's said that the beast will emerge if exposed to the right triggers at the right time. A red mantle will cover the world as it wakes. Its hair will turn as white as the moon as a sign of its unnatural nature. It will wield the best from both sides and as it develops completely its bite will become lethal enough to be able to kill vampires and werewolves alike within minutes. Some refer to these beasts as vaewolves. The ultimate predator who cannot be stopped once it develops completely.
-What is that suppose to mean?- Quil questioned uneasily.
-It's said that their minds cannot take the unnatural change. It's against nature for a werewolf to be also a vampire. Their minds will collapse as madness overtakes the wolf inside them. And they will become bloodthirsty mindless creatures.
Sam felt his fingers curl into fists as he heard Billy's words, there was no doubt what had to be done, regardless of their relationship with the Cullens this was a matter of life and death, they couldn't just sit back and let the vaewolf develop completely.
But what was he suppose to do? Kill him? He couldn't kill him when Leah had imprinted on him. If he did that he would just as well be killing her. There was a reason imprintee were never touched. Killing one... that would rip to pieces the wolf. It was a pain too deafening. Too loud. No one could survive that pain.
But he couldn't not kill him either. A lot of lives were at risk here. The humans. Them. Renesmee And by extension Jacob. And that particular vampire wasn't even harmless. He was the most dangerous one among the Cullens. His skills alone made him quite the formidable opponent.
If he were to acquire the kind of strength Billy said... Sam feared that not even the two packs put together would be able to take him down.
-Isn't there something that can be done to stop the change?- Jacob's voice caught his attention.
Billy stayed silent for a while, he seemed to be deep in thought.
-I once heard rumors of a pack of white wolves somewhere in Canada. Vaewolves who survived the change. But as I said, that's just rumors. No one has ever actually found traces of there being a pack in Canada, much less of that kind. But if it's true I would say that they could be his only chance at surviving.
-Then I will find it.- Leah said firmly.
-Didn't you hear what he just said? Those are rumors. If no one has ever found traces of it it's because that's just it. Rumors.- Paul stated as a matter of fact. Leah threw him a glare.
-Or maybe they don't want to be found.- Brady suggested.
-Exactly, even if they do exist what makes you believe you will manage to find them before the change starts reaching its peak?- Sam questioned. Leah bit her tongue. She knew Sam was right but what else could she do? She had to save him.
Because even if their relationship wasn't even on friendship terms she still didn't want to see him die. She had seen the kind of bond he had with the Cullens. With the pixie. And regardless of it all she knew that deep down he was a good person who didn't deserve to end up as a mindless beast because of other people's bad choices.
-I will go with her.- Seth interjected.- I'm not asking for permission.- He told as he saw his sister was about to protest.- I like the Cullens and I don't think that it's fair for one of them to die because of something he has no control over.
-Even if you go looking for them what makes you think he won't transform tomorrow? Tonight?
-There's still two weeks before the next full moon. It should be fine.- Billy said. Sam sighed.
Should he allow this? But he couldn't let Leah die. He didn't think he would be able to bear the idea of having been the one to cause such harm upon her. Not after all the pain he had brought to her already.
-Fine, Paul and Jacob should go too, in case anything goes wrong. But if you don't find them before the next full moon we will take action, I'm sorry Leah but there's a lot of lives at risk here and I can't allow him to keep on living if I know he will put so many people in danger.- Sam told as a statement of fact.
Leah bit back the urge to glare. She knew Sam was right. If he couldn't be saved... God why did she had to go and imprint on that damn leech? Of all possible options...
-I know.
-I think we should also speak with the Cullens, I believe that they should be made aware of what exactly is happening to that boy.- Billy said, because regardless of it all he knew that the doctor considered that boy his son, and he knew that the man had to be feeling terrible over not knowing what was happening and not being able to help his own son.
-I will tell them.- Jacob offered. Billy nodded.
~~~~~~~~~~~
-Jasper!
Alice's call fell on deaf ears as she watched her mate disappear into the woods. She could still hear Esme's insesant sobs and Rosalie's curses.
When Jacob first appeared earlier a lot of things had been expected from his serious face.
But she could have never expected to hear the horrors he had spoken.
What was happening to Jasper... It wasn't new nor it would stop. It would keep on and get worse the closer to the next full moon it got. The mark on his back was clear proof that he belonged to a bloodline of werewolves. But he never transformed.
Hence.
His body as a human hadn't been strong enough to fight off the venom, reason he could be turned into a vampire. It was a rare situation but not unheard of. Those who were changed would eventually be put under the right triggers at the right time.
And these triggers would make their bodies start changing as their werewolf's blood awakened. The triggers could be a lot of things. High exposure to vampires. To other wolves. Stress. One particular full moon.
The fact that it all began after the near fight with the Volturi left clear that it had been that what had triggered this whole mess.
Jacob had told them what Billy had told them, he would grow stronger, faster, and his bite would become lethal enough to be able to kill vampires and werewolves alike.
An hybrid.
Vaewolves.
He would change. But there was a high chance that his mind wouldn't be able to take it. It was not natural for a werewolf to also be a vampire. His mind would collapse and he would become a bloodthirsty mindless creature.
There were rumors of a pack of vaewolves in Canada but no one had ever found traces of one. No evidence. Nothing.
Sam had set in stone that if the pack of vaewolves wasn't found before the next full moon...
They were going to kill him.
Nothing could stop this transformation. Even if the wolves didn't kill him he may not even survive the change. There was nothing at all she could do to save him.
Nothing none of them could do. He was going to die.
She dropped on the stairs. Her hand clutching her chest. Jasper was going to die. Esme's cries became a background noise along with the curses and shouts.
All this time all she had ever worried about was that people would find out who he was and take him from her. That the Volturi would figure out who he was and come for him.
Now.
Now something none of them had ever known about was what was going to take him from her.
She should have never brought him here. If she hadn't brought him here he wouldn't have been exposed to the Volturi. To the wolves. Tasted the blood of a wolf. None of this would be happening.
He was gonna die. And she couldn't stop it. She couldn't even attempt to find that pack because her visions didn't work on their kind. Canada was huge and with no clues whatsoever how was she even suppose to find them? And what if it was just a rumor? What if they didn't exist? What if she left to look for something that didn't exist and wasted her last days with Jasper?
But what if they did exist and she did nothing? Leah, Paul, Jacob and Seth couldn't search all Canada on their own. She couldn't just sit back and do nothing. If there was the slightest chance that he could survive what was coming she wanted to find it. She didn't want to lose him. What was she suppose to do without him? She wouldn't be able to survive without him.
But she also had no idea what was she even looking for. How would she find those damn wolves? Four wolves and a vampire looking for a pack that had never been found but that had to be found within two weeks? There was no way in hell they would succeed.
-You won't go alone.- Edward's voice caught her attention and she looked up at him.- We will all go. If there are chances that that pack does exist I think that taking Jasper with us would give us a better chance at finding them. If we can't find them... If there's nothing we can do about it... I don't want the wolves to be the ones doing it. He deserves better.
Alice bit her tongue at his last words. But she also had to admit that Edward was right. If at the end nothing could be done... She didn't want the wolves to be the ones killing Jasper. The wolves were nothing to him. He deserved better than a bunch of wolves tearing him to pieces. She refused to allow that to be his end.
-But you can't all leave.
-Why not? Renesmee can stay with Charlie, right now Jasper is the one who needs us, he was there for us and now it's time for us to be there for him.- Bella stated as a matter of fact as she appeared behind Edward. She refused to let Jasper die, there were still a lot of things she wanted to learn from him, she still wanted to be closer to him, and she knew that if he died, it would destroy Alice.
She couldn't let him die.
~~~~~~~~~
Jasper sat on a log staring at the flowing river.
He was doomed.
He had thought that this would pass. That things would go back to normal.
But after he heard Jacob's words on what he would become...
What if the Volturi found out before the next full moon even arrived? Would the Cullens get killed? Alice? No. Alice, Bella and Edward would be taken and the rest killed off. They would- they would die because of him. His fingers gripped his hair. A sound stuck at the back of his throat. They would die. Die. Because of him. He couldn't allow that. Couldn't allow them to pay for his actions.
Which meant he had to leave...?
But he didn't want to leave. Much less leave Alice.
But he couldn't let them get killed either.
And if that killed the hikers instead of The Major it meant it was strong enough to take over his head.
Strong.
Conscious.
Alive.
If the Volturi didn't kill the Cullens it would.
He had to leave. It wasn't a want but a must.
It would break Alice. He knew that the pain he would cause to her would be worse than anything else she had ever felt.
And he hated himself for that.
But it was for the greater good. He had to protect them. Her.
But God he didn't want to leave. He cursed the moment he ever approached Maria that night. Cursed the moment he ran from his parents. If he hadn't done that none of this would be happening. Alice wouldn't have to suffer because of the loss of him. Wouldn't have met him at all.
Right when he started to feel like for the first time in his vampire life he belonged somewhere his bad luck came to strike. He would become more of a monster than he ever thought himself to be. A mindless beast who would kill and kill and kill.
He stood up and passed around. What was he suppose to do? He knew he had to leave but how was he even suppose to do that when the sole idea of leaving Alice made him feel claustrophobic and like his world was coming to an end? Damn Maria and damn werewolves. He gritted his teeth as the heat of anger began spreading across his chest.
That was another thing. His moods had been all over the place for a while now. Anger came easier than it ever did and it put him on edge.
The sudden presence behind him got him whirling around and snarling at the intruder.
But it didn't last long for soon he recognized the person infront of him.
Leah.
There wasn't particular fear in her emotions nor face. More like surprise.
-You got fangs.- Her words got him straightening back up and glaring at her.
-Need somethin'?- He questioned. His voice came out harsher than he intended but to be fair he wasn't in the greatest moods at the moment.
-I came to apologize.- Leah's words caught him off guard and he couldn't help but frown. The heat in his chest lowering.
-What for?- He couldn't remember a reason for her to come to apologize to him.
-In case I don't find the pack of vaewolves. I may not particularly like you or your kind, but it's not as if you deserve what's happening either.- Leah told as a statement of fact. He made a face at it.
-You don't have to look for 'em. Like you said, you don't particularly like me, in fact, we are barely acquaintances, you don't have to be a slave to your instincts, neither of us asked for that bond to happen in the first place.- Jasper said sitting back on the log as a swirl on nausea took hold of him. He hated this.
-I know, and I'm not letting it control me, but I don't really like the idea of letting you die either. I may not want anything to do with you, but there's a lot of other people who care about you, not because of some unnatural bond but because they are your family. And I guess, that if we had met on different circumstances, I would have liked to be your friend. You are not as hateful as I used to think. Most of your family isn't.
Jasper couldn't help but smirk at the last statement. She could be all cold and distant but no one could hide their true emotions from him. And he knew that regardless of her irritated growls and glares she did like when Alice dragged her shopping with her, Bella, Rosalie, Esme and Renesmee.
She did like spending time with them. He guessed that deep down she found pleasing that of having female friends to interact with who she didn't had to fake things infront of. She was the only woman among the packs after all, it had to be lonely to have no one who understood her.
Or at least in a sense. Vampires and wolves weren't exactly the same. But the point still stood.
-Can I ask for a favor?- He knew his relationship with her was near non-existent but if she did fail, which he was sure would happen considering it was impossible to find within two weeks a group of people that had never been seen, he wanted to make sure Alice would be safe.
That she wouldn't do anything stupid.
He felt Leah's curiosity flare despite the neutral look she gave him.
-A favor?
-If things go wrong and I die... would you make sure Alice doesn't do anythin' stupid? I know I don't have the right to ask anythin' of you, that we barely know each other and that you've no reason whatsoever to grant me anythin'. I also know the Cullens will protec' her but... I guess havin' someone who you can't see comin' watchin' your back is quite useful when you're prompt to makin' stupid decisions.
If he died he wanted to make sure Alice wouldn't do something stupid. He wanted her to be safe. And if that meant asking the wolves for help then so be it. Alice couldn't see the wolves coming which meant she wouldn't be able to stop a wolf from reaching her were she to do something stupid.
Leah for her side frowned. She hadn't been expecting such request. The look he was giving her... Leah would rather die than admit that part of her found fascinating the kind of love that existed between him and the little pixie. There was a bond between them that seemed stronger than the rest's. Than anything she had ever seen.
Part of her wondered if he had, unknowingly, imprinted on the pixie for that amount of loyalty and love to exist.
Watching over the little pixie if he died... She guessed she could do that. She didn't like the idea of losing him so soon but she also knew that there was a high chance for this all to be a failure. That his death could be imminent.
Protecting what he loved most in case things went wrong... She could do that. If she couldn't save him she would save what he loved most. Save a little bit of him at least.
-Fine, I will do it.
He smiled at that. Small and sad but still a smile. It almost made him look human.
-Thank you.