Chapter 4

Leah and the Cullen's were running at a blurring speed while leaving a trail of dust in their wake, dead set on reaching La Push as fast as their feet and paws could take them. Edward was on the phone with Jacob to grant them a temporary permission to cross the treaty line.

As they made a mad dash to toward the tribal town, Leah had one thing in mind, she had to get to Garrett as soon as she possibly could. Her mind was searching for possible reasons why Garrett would end up in La Push, of all the places. She came up empty, unable to grasp the fear that silently gripped her. Garrett's note mentioned that he'd gone hunting. Could it be that he went to La Push to hunt? NO! She shook her head hard at the notion. It was utterly absurd to even be considering it. He had been adhering to the strict vegetarian diet with no difficulty at all. Garrett hadn't shown any aversion to his chosen lifestyle.

Edward momentarily looked at Leah as he heard her raging inner conflict. He shook his head as he ran next to her. "No Leah, I don't believe for one minute that Garrett would do such a thing. There has to be a good explanation why he ended up in La Push."

I hope you are right Edward, Leah answered as she dug her paws deeper into the ground to gain more speed, scraping the muddy ground with deliberate urgency.

"I know I am right, Leah. Don't worry!" Edward's statement came with heartfelt conviction as he gave Leah a reassuring look.

Leah couldn't answer anymore. All she could think of was Garrett and Paul ripping each other's throats out. The picture wasn't pretty. The reality of losing either one, her mate or her pack brother, scared the living daylights out of her.

This is not good, this is not good. A loud and unintentional chanting kept going inside her head. They were getting closer, she could imagine by the sounds of the ear splitting growls and snarls coming from the two warring beings that a big fight was at hand, disturbing the slumber of the once quiet forest.

"Leah, get a hold of yourself! Please don't worry, not yet….." The pause in Edward's words got to her.

She could feel her muscles constrict, yielding more adrenaline throughout her taut form as fear and worry began to flow through her veins. The short run to La Push seemed like a cross country hurdle with each passing second.

Don't worry? Honestly Cullen, how could you even ask me not to worry? Leah bristled inside as she pushed harder, trying to get ahead of the vampires with her. They all had the same thing in mind; get to Garrett as fast as they could before it was too late.

A blanket of calm enveloped Leah within seconds. Jasper didn't waste any more time as he knew that Leah needed it at that very moment. An inaudible thanks dangled from her lips as they broke out from the trees and the sight of Paul and Garrett came to full view. Mortal enemies inspired by one thing alone - eliminate the other.

Garrett's POV:

I snapped the phone shut without waiting for any further remark from Leah. I threw the little silver device across our bed and let out a groan. I considered myself a reasonable and easy going guy but Leah had the knack of testing my patience every single day. I tried to keep myself calm as I paced our room. Work would have to wait. I was calling it a day. My concentration was all but gone and the numbers flicking across the computer monitor weren't making any sense at all.

Curse at Leah's effect on me. Sliding the window open, I took in the gust of rushing wind and tried to clear my head. She had me on puppet strings ever since I laid eyes on her. My daily existence was solely clamoring for her, to inhale her scent no matter how her stench affected me. It was a silent reminder that she was around, with me. I loved to feel her hair with my fingers, to touch her face and to be around her. I was inexplicably beguiled with her beauty and her inner strength.

But days like these were a party killer. She must be in one of her moods, the very emotion that constantly put those tug-o-war feelings between us. She had enlightened me once that it had something to do with her period and I readily accepted her explanation and booked that information to memory, hoping to steer clear from her when the certain period was upon us.

Somehow, I couldn't grasp how she could easily succumb to her emotions, risking the chance to alienate me. Did she really want to be with me? Did our relationship matter to her like it held power over me? At times, I could see it in her eyes, that she wanted me as much I as desired her. Today, proved to be the opposite. It left a bitter taste in my mouth but I tried to push my doubts aside.

It's safe to say that Leah wouldn't be back in the next hour giving me time to compose myself. I hated feeling like a lovesick school boy crushing over a girl. It's probably best for me to get out of the house and get some fresh air. Hunting would be a good idea too. Leah's regular monthly menstrual cycle stung the most in our relationship. Her human blood in any way it came left me guilt stricken and blood hungry. This was a deal breaker I supposed, if she found out how I felt. I had made a mental note to keep her at arm's length at this particular time of the month, avoiding her like the plague.

I retrieved a piece of paper from my desk drawer and scribbled a note for Leah and placed it on top of the pillow on her side of the bed. I pulled a baseball cap from the rack inside the closet, in my favorite low cut ripped jeans and black shirt, I tore off the house in a hurry. I didn't bother informing anyone that I was stepping out, from the sounds that were making, they were deep in discussion on something about Renesmee.

Air! The breeze that wrapped me brought comfort to my tight nerves. The instant relief freed my clouded mood. I could feel every single particle in my body relaxing, the tight knot in my stomach was easing off.

I ran towards the northern part of the Cullen land aimlessly, letting my impulse guide me. The northern part of their land was closest to La Push, with that being said, I would like to purchase a piece of the land from Carlisle and hopefully build a house there in the future. It would be close enough to her family and well within the treaty land. This was my plan; secure a place where Leah and I could call our own, our own home.

I smiled at the thought of Leah. She was a remarkable person, a good human being. Pig headed and stubborn, that's what makes my Leah a special woman. In spite of the tough exterior, I've had a glimpse of her soft and tender side, the part of her that beguiled and seduced me.

My musing was brought to an abrupt halt when I heard an ear piercing cry about a mile away. The screaming was a mixture of pain and fear and it was coming from a human. I was in the deep part of the forest and I didn't expect any human to stray this far. I hurried and followed where the wailing sound had originated, as fast as I could. The sound started to fade just before I got there.

What greeted me was a sight of a bloodied body of a teenage boy. If my estimate was correct, he might be about 13 to 15 years old. He looked at me with horror in his eyes which were covered by dripping blood gushing from his head. His body was sprawled on the ground with both his arms broken by the way they were positioned on the ground. A white and long part of his arm which resembled a bone jutted out from the elbow region. He looked at me helplessly, yelping in a little voice, begging me for help. I froze on the spot as the scent of his blood captured my entire being. I hadn't had any human blood for over six months now and the inviting aroma of his blood was tempting me. I swallowed the rush of venom that suddenly pooled in my throat, pushing its way to my mouth. I gulped the recesses of the venom that refused to settle as I stood in front of him, unmoving, utterly still.

Blood continued to relentlessly ooze from his head and neck wounds as his whimpering was slowly dying, his voice and heartbeat barely audible.

"Your name? What happened to you and where do you live?" My questions came in rapid succession. I was nervous around him; his blood was teasing me, making me want to taste it.

"Mik…La Push….."

His labored breathing wavered infinitesimally; I literally had seconds to decide what must be done. A big chunk of my nature wanted to devour his blood, he looked dead anyway but I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I let my thirst dictate my actions. A small amount of pity gripped me at that particular moment. He was young and a bright future awaited him, not the way I wanted to end it.

I couldn't bring myself to come near him to check if he was still alive, breathing. I wanted to check his pulse but the scent of his blood prevented me from moving from my spot.

But he was going to die! The thought bulldozed its way to my guilt spot. I shouldn't let him die, he belonged to Leah's tribe and he had a family waiting for him. The least I could do was return his body to La Push if he was dying anyway. He should get a proper burial and be laid to rest by his loved ones.

I braced myself at the impact his blood would do to my weakened resolve, I picked up his mangled and torn body carefully off the ground with his head resting on my arms and chest, his arm dangled limply at his side. I stopped myself from breathing, not taking any air, refusing to let the delectable fresh blood from tease me.

Turning to the direction of La Push, I darted towards the town in a fast run. I glanced at my human cargo and felt a faint heartbeat. My inner sense told me that if left untreated much longer, death's claw would claim him.

I crossed the treaty line while trying to figure out where to take the boy. I vaguely remembered from my conversation with Leah that Sam's house was somewhere near the heart of their town. The tall trees were still dense in that part of the forest. I suppose the houses were still several miles away. I slowed down my running while I listened to my instinct. A stench that I was too familiar with assaulted me from the inner left side of the trees. I knew that a shape shifter was looming somewhere close by.

With all my senses clicking on overdrive, I waited for the shape shifter to show himself. I expected some sort of confrontation because I had the audacity to cross the respected treaty line. I snorted at the thought. I was here on business, their business. I was doing them a favor.

A surprise blow came to me from the left side. I was thrown across the forest floor to the opposite side of the trees, splitting them in half. A loud thunderous crack reverberated throughout the vast space between us. The unexpected hit made me drop the boy from my clutches. I saw his unmoving body roll over the ground, covered with dirt and blood before hitting some heavy vegetation that halted the rolling motion.

Momentarily stunned, I sized up my opponent as I fixed my eyes filled with fury on the shape shifter that delivered the blow. Dark grey fur, calculating eyes; I had seen him before but no name came to mind. They all looked to same to me. DOGS!

I gathered my bearings, whatever I had to do would be done but I had to let him know what happened before I killed him. Mortal opponents didn't get second chances.

"Dog, before you get all huffed up, let me tell you that I found that boy in the forest, mangled and barely breathing. I brought him here so he wouldn't die there, alone." I despised myself with the way I said the words, did I really care what happened to the boy? Why should I?

The wolf's growl rumbled through the forests, thereby telling me that he either didn't believe me or screw me. He glanced briefly at the motionless body and returned his gaze on me, his glare unwavering, calculating and angry. The rumbling sounded like massive thunder, possibly alerting some other shape shifters in the area.

I was extremely aware that wolves worked best as a team, as a pack. I could sense that the wolf in front of me did not even stop to think, to assess the situation or ask the very important question, "What happened to the kid? Or why was I there?"

I glared back at him as my lips curled back from my teeth. An onslaught of venom surfaced in my mouth, ready for action. I beckoned him to come to me, to attack me. The wolf skittered sideways and I moved with him, timing my steps with his. I had to make sure that he wouldn't be able to lunge at my head.

He moved to the left and I skidded to the left, following suit. My eyes never left his; I tried to be one step ahead. Talking to him as movements echoed his, skirting with him. "Aren't you even going to get the kid some help first? Don't get me wrong, I want this fight just as much as you do, but that child is dying, he is losing so much blood and you are wasting his life away."

A big growl thundered from him and he bared his fangs, a silent order I bet for me to shut my hole. I saw a little twitch in his mouth as he briefly took a quick look at the motionless boy. With the absence of facial expression, there was no way of telling what the wolf was thinking. I steeled myself when I saw at the corner of my eye that he prepared to lunge at me.

Garrett was not surprised when Paul attacked, he was expecting it. The wolf leapt at him, its aim was dead set on his neck, the part of a vampire's body that had to be severed in order to incapacitate them.

Garrett was quick enough to rotate sideways, avoiding a potentially fatal blow. Paul's effort only sent him staggering several feet away, he turned once again and the two males stood glowering at each other. Smirking, Garrett chided Paul with his finger to come at him once again. Paul's gray eyes blazed as he raked his hind leg on the ground, sending swirls of dust flying around them.

Paul took another plunge at Garrett, his sharp claws grazing the vampire's face, creating a huge gash on his pale and hard skin. Garrett landed a hard kick on Paul's stomach that sent the wolf staggering back to catch its breath. The gash on Garrett's face quickly disappeared within a few seconds.

Impatience was etched on Garrett's face while Paul's wolf form was an apparent angered state; the snarls were much louder and violent. They had same thing in mind, kill the bastard and get this over with. This duel could last longer when both wished to eliminate the other as soon as they possibly could. Pure dread and tension were tangible, lacing the air around them with hostility and intent to reduce each other into a pile of ashes.

They both heard shouting along with several footsteps rushing from a distance. A strong and urgent howl could be discerned not too far away from them too but neither one stopped their onslaught. Garrett sprung at Paul this time but not before Paul bit the side of his torso that sent him into a frenzied pain momentarily. Grappling on the ground, the wolf and the vampire were rolling on the ground, demolishing any living vegetation in their wake. Battling to get the upper hand, Garrett grabbed the wolf's neck in a headlock and bit into its neck with so much force.

The cry that pierced the air was earth shattering as it was mind numbing. The entire forest echoed the howl that followed. The venom was coursing through Paul's body rapidly, painful shrieks and thrashing shook his body as Garrett stepped away, watching him with unmistakable shame.

Paul's wolf form was writhing with pain as massive foam began oozing from his mouth as the thrashing became more violent as every second ticked by.

Jacob, Sam and Seth burst through the trees in time to see the potentially fatal bite that Garrett handed to Paul, but it was too late for them to stop it.

They were in their human form and none of them could help Paul. The vampire venom was poisonous for the wolves and massive amounts could kill them within minutes. Sam wasted no time and shifted swiftly to be able to communicate with Paul.

The shaking and jolting continued, Sam was nudging Paul with his nose, helpless with his inability to help his pack member. Shifting back to his human form, Sam momentarily shuddered with the bleak chances of survival that awaited Paul. "We need a non-shape shifter to suck the venom out, it's his only chance!" Sam's face held a horrified look as he glanced at Garrett with harsh calculation.

Jacob gave a grim look at Garrett but said nothing. Seth hurried over to the unconscious boy and began administering CPR.

"We need a doctor here, or we have to get him to the nearest hospital." Seth was screaming in between pumping and providing mouth to mouth resuscitation to the dying boy.

Garrett began walking backwards, intent on fleeing the premises but Jacob was fast enough to stop him.

"I need you Garrett to stay here and tell me what the hell happened!" Jacob growled as he moved to Seth's side and aided in the CPR administration.

"I called on Leah and the Cullen's already; they should be getting here any second," Seth said, breathless.

Garrett moved forward to the direction of the thrashing wolf. Conflicted and terribly confused, he had wanted to end the life of the wolf as badly as Paul wished it on him too, but somehow, he found no satisfaction with the outcome. Guilt and remorse engulfed him as he decided to do the unthinkable; he would have to suck his venom out.

Within seconds, Leah, together with the Cullens came into view. Garrett couldn't tell what Leah's reaction was for she was in her wolf form. He could hear her howling long before she reached him.

The Cullens reacted fast enough as Edward had been able to decipher more or less what happened between the two as he raked through Garrett and Paul's thoughts. He communicated the events to Carlisle who was already barking orders to Edward and Jasper. Carlisle rushed to the unconscious boy as he was ripping his shirt to be used as a tourniquet, racing against time to stop the bleeding as Seth continued his frantic CPR.

Edward ran to Paul and shoved Garrett out of the way. Jasper held the paws to keep Paul from hurting Edward. Edward ran his fingers through the wolf's fur searching for the bite mark, feeling the area where the venom was injected. He found the opening and lowered his mouth on the little mark and began to suck against the thick grey fur.

The laborious effort of sucking the deadly venom out of Paul's system was evident on Edward's face. Veins were popping on his temple and his neck at the exertion. Paul's thrashing began to subside as the venom was drawn out diminishing the excruciating pain that cloaked him.

As the last of the venom was sucked out, Paul lay immobile on the ground.

"Paul, Paul, can you hear me?" Edward asked as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

He shook his head after several tries and spoke with Sam in a hush tone, all the while stealing glances at the suddenly statue-like form of Garrett.

"He passed out Sam. It will be better for you guys to take him home now. Have him phase back as soon as he is able." Carlisle nodded in Edward's direction but hadn't stop working on the boy.

"Go on Sam, I will visit Paul later on, if you will give me the permission to cross the treaty line. For now, I need to get this boy to the hospital, he had a massive amount of blood loss and he needs blood transfusion right away and his bones have to be restored and put in a cast as soon as possible."

"Thanks Carlisle, Edward. I will expect to see you later Carlisle. You have nothing to worry about as far as crossing the treaty line for now." Sam looked at Garrett and searched his face.

"I have to talk to you Garrett so don't even think of going anywhere. You hear?" Sam's growl thundered across the land around them.

Words eluded Garrett who just stood there and didn't say a word. Leah was getting agitated in her wolf form, leaving for a couple of minutes to shift into her human form.

She came back and ran straight into Garrett's arms. Her eyes were cloudy with unshed tears as she gazed up his blank face, searching for answers.

A/N: I would really appreciate a comment or two. I like that many are enjoying this story and I like the fave story alert too, but a little comment won't hurt, let me know what you think about this chapter. Thanks.