Leah's POV:
If vampires could succumb to shock, Garrett looked like he was in a trance, a stone-like statue. He stood motionless as his eyes glazed over me, as if he didn't see me at all. He stared at the commotion unfolding before him but no apparent reaction was coming from him. Sam spoke to him but he didn't respond nor did he twitch a single muscle to show any recognition to the spoken words directed at him.
He didn't blink an eye when I wrapped my arms around his waist nor did he acknowledge my presence at all. He was rigid and still as a marble statue. I tightened my grip around him hoping to elicit some sort of response, maybe, just maybe, get him to hug me back. Nothing came and no movement was made.
I glanced around me to see if anyone could help but no one was paying attention to us, to Garrett. I wondered if he was handed the guilty verdict before proven innocent. Given the little knowledge of what transpired between Garrett and Paul, I was at a loss for words. I could just feel it in my bones that Garrett wasn't guilty of the accusations Paul had leveled upon him.
"G?" I whispered softly in his ears, trying to keep my voice even despite the hysteria bubbling within me. "G?" I repeated again, a little louder this time as I gently shook him, my arms still wrapped around his waist.
After several tries, he shook his head as if snapping from a trance. He eyes swept his surroundings before they stopped where the Cullens and Jacob busied themselves aiding the transport of the Quileute teen to the nearest hospital.
"Is he going to make it?" Garrett asked no one in particular, his voice barely rising above a whisper.
"It seems like, but nothing's definite until we have a good look at all his injuries," Carlisle answered as they turned to leave.
Edward looked at Garrett, reading his thoughts if I would bet on it, before he spoke. "Do what you must. I know you are innocent. Time, will attest to it. Be well my friend." Edward placed his palm over his dead heart before running after his family and Jacob.
I watched Edward's blurring form disappeared from view before I returned my gaze to Garrett who shifted his weight, his first major movement after the long sedentary stretch. He looked me in the eyes but I had nagging doubts that he was truly seeing me.
"Garrett? Please talk to me, please say something," I begged him, my eyes pleading as I searched his face for a little reassurance that he was okay.
"Leah…" he murmured my name and he fixed his eyes on me, finally meeting my gaze.
I held my breath. "Garrett, are you okay?" I hugged him tight as the tears I had been fighting so hard to hold back spilled without mercy.
"Leah…" he whispered my name again. He returned my embrace as fiercely as we clung to each other. Nothing mattered at that moment but us, together.
"I have to go….." he stopped again, words seemed to evade him. He cupped my face with his hands and his mouth came crashing into mine. He kissed me roughly and urgently. Something was terribly wrong. It felt wrong before I realized what he just said. I pulled away to look him in the eyes.
"Go? Where are you going? Why?"
"I have to leave… I have to go… I'm so sorry Leah." His mouth descended on my lips again, he tasted every bit of me. His mouth was hard but I couldn't help myself from kissing back. I missed him so much but my confusion refused to go away. My lips were bruised when he finally released me.
"Forgive me Leah. I love you. Please don't look for me." With these words, he turned around without looking at me and sped away. He blurred before my eyes before I could react. My feet were glued to the ground; unable to comprehend the why's in my head.
Garrett asked me not to follow him. Did he plan on coming back to me? My emotions had gone haywire, the strength of my imprint sucking me from within. He left me! What now? Anger and hopelessness found its way deep inside me as tears came rushing out of my unwilling eyes. The more I willed them to stop, the harder they flowed. My body crumpled down on the ground, my legs unable to support the weight of my despair and I succumbed to the madness and finally bawled my pain out.
I glanced around my surroundings blindly after a while, my tears continuing to brim relentlessly. I was alone and the thought of my life without Garrett scared the shit out of me. I pushed my body up from the ground, feeling the weight of the incident on my shoulders.
Edward!
He could give me some insights on what transpired but mostly, he could tell me what Garrett was thinking before they left. I sprang on my feet, feeling a tinge of hope, a release from the walls that seemed to have crumbled around me. I headed to the direction of the Cullen house with a renewed sense of purpose.
I ran as fast as my legs could take me and shifted in mid-air as I sprinted to the Cullen's Mansion, intent on getting some information from Edward. The blurring of greens and browns helped cleared my muddled brain a little, the tightness in my heart eased up a bit. I knew that Garrett will be back right away. Just a few hours to clear his head and he'd be waltzing back to me anytime soon.
I felt my steps lightened a bit at the thought of seeing him again.
The sound of several footfalls alerted me that I would have company soon. I saw Jacob and Seth at the clearing just as I passed the thicker vegetation of the forest. I slowed my run to allow them to catch up with me.
Leah, wait up! my brother's voice called out to me as I made a complete stop as I waited for them in the middle of the clearing. A billow of dust rose as I raked my hind legs on the ground, eager to be on my way.
What's up guys? I asked distractedly as I gazed at the Cullen's house, aching to hear the whole story from Edward.
Sam wants to talk to you. Jacob answered this time; the tone of his voice was rather serious, a slight edge lacing his usually laid back tone.
Did he say why? I want to talk to Edward right now, tell him I will come as soon as I am done with my business. I was about to kick my paws to the ground when Jacob's alpha tone rang out.
Stop Leah! You have to talk to Sam first before you conduct your own personal business. Let's go there together. We need to see Mika in the hospital too! Let's not waste any time and get this thing over with.
There was no going against an Alpha's order no matter how much I wanted to ignore Jacob at that moment. I grudgingly followed him and Seth to the hospital. I huffed in protest but followed the orders. Jacob threw me a don't mess with me look and I defiantly bared my fangs at him.
Seth stuck his tongue out in a loopy grin that irritated me but that's how my brother was, always the peacemaker. A clown was a more apt description but I kept it to myself.
Within a mile from Forks Hospital, we alternately shifted into our human form and entered the hospital and located Mika's whereabouts.
We saw Sam and the parents of Mika talking in one corner. His mother, an elderly Quileute woman, was sobbing as she was being comforted by her husband. Sam beckoned us to approach him as soon as he saw us.
"Hey Jacob, Seth, Leah," Sam greeted with a grim expression on his face. He gave me a long hard look and I pushed my shoulders back and returned a hard gaze his way too.
"What's going on here Sam? How are Paul and Mika?" Jacob's face was laced with worry as far as I could tell. The muscles in his jaw flexed as he spoke.
"Paul was taken to his home and I am waiting to take Carlisle there as soon as he is done with Mika's surgery. I have no idea what happened to him and I am hoping that Garrett would be able to shed some light to the situation." Sam looked around and gave me a questioning look when he noticed that Garrett wasn't with me. "Where the hell is your Imprint Leah?" Sam barked at me and I resented his tone. He wasn't my Alpha and I refused to let him talk to me in such a manner.
"If you don't see him here, then he isn't here!" I retorted angrily.
Sam glared at me lengthily before shifting his attention to Jacob, obviously asking Jake to keep me in line.
"Leah, why don't you answer the question?" Jake said in an exasperated tone.
"Garrett left. He didn't say where he was going." My voice dropped after I mentioned Garrett's name, I suddenly felt empty and alone.
"What do you mean left? He still had to give me some answers on how he found Mika and what happened between him and Paul." Sam's voice was low but his tone was deadly serious.
"I don't know where he went, he just left," I answered with increasing apprehension. What if he didn't come back?
"Well he better get back here soon or we'll have to look for him, this ain't over yet," Sam threatened. I bit my lips to keep my emotions in check before I lashed out at him.
"Why don't you ask Paul, the hothead? I am sure he'll be able to give you some answers that you seek."
"How can you talk about your pack brother like he instigated the conflict?" Sam hissed at my face as Jacob and Seth shuffled their feet uncomfortably next to us.
"What made you think Garrett started it?" I spat the words out as I squared my rigid shoulders angrily.
"Leah, Sam, guys take it easy," Jacob chastised as he patted Sam's shoulders and mine in an effort to calm us both down.
"I will have Garrett see you once he gets back, but you better make sure that you treat him fairly. Hear what he has to say before you pass judgment." I turned to leave but a teenage boy that I recognized from La Push came rushing in and I stopped to listen what he was there for.
He ran directly to Jacob and Sam. He had a petrified look in his face; his body shook as he tried to catch his breath.
"Jacob? Sam? My name is Anemy, a friend of Mika. My father said that he heard that he was taken here. Is he alive?" The boy started crying in apparent distress.
"Yes Anemy, he is here and in surgery at the moment. We have no idea how bad his injuries were. We are waiting to hear from Dr. Cullen," Jacob answered quietly as he placed an arm around the boy's shoulder to comfort him.
"Anemy, tell me. Do you have any idea what happened to Mika in the forest?" Sam asked, his curiosity instantly piqued. Maybe this boy would be able to shed some light on what happened to Mika in the forest.
"Yes." Anemy breathed heavily as he tried to control his sobs, Jacob continued rubbing his back to soothe his fears. It took several minutes before Anemy was able to speak. "We were hiking in the forest, just walking along before we noticed that we were lost. We had no idea where we were and we both didn't have our cell phones with us so we kept walking, trying to retrace our path. But it seems like the more we walked, the deeper we got into the forest. Then out of nowhere this…"
Anemy's eyes grew larger before he started crying again. We all waited with bated breath as he collected himself enough to continue his story.
"This big black bear came out of nowhere! He was closer to Mika, we don't know what to do so we started running in different directions. I heard the bear caught up to him and all I could hear was his cries. I was scared! I knew I should have helped him out but I got so scared!" Anemy started weeping as he finished recalling the horrid incident to us. Seth took the task of consoling Anemy while Sam, Jacob and I walked away so we could talk about the piece of the puzzle that was just laid down for us to put together. I felt a sudden surge of elation from the news. A bear mangled the poor boy. I knew it! My Garrett didn't do it!
Jacob scratched his head as he looked at me and Sam. "So now we know the truth, we can safely say that Garrett is off the hook in that regard. He did not attack the boy. We just have to know what happened between him and Paul." Jacob said it more to me than Sam and I was grateful for it.
It was such a relief to finally hear it. Garrett was not at all involved. PERIOD. I completely tuned everyone out by then. All I could think of was Garrett. I wonder when he would come back. I knew he told me not to follow, not to look for him. Did he really mean that? How could he expect me not to look for my other half? I had to see him but I doubted that Jacob would let me considering the threat he felt the Cullens, most especially Renesmee, might be subjected to.
I would find a way to go before I go mad. I had to see him!
"Hey Leah! Leah!" Seth shook my shoulders repeatedly before I snapped out of my trance.
"What?" I swathed Seth's hands off my shoulders. I looked around me and saw Jacob and Sam eyeing me impatiently.
"We are ready to go Leah," Seth patiently said as the men turned around to leave. I followed them out of the hospital.
"Where are we going?" I tried to match their bigger stride as we trekked back to the forest, the faster route for us to take. I shifted back into my wolf form first and they followed suit.
"We are going to see Paul now, and we want you to be there on your Imprint's behalf." Sam answered my question with malice tinting his tone.
I snorted loud enough for him to hear as I ran as fast as I could, leaving a trail of dust behind me. I had enough of his snide comments about my Imprint and I was ready to blow my top. They followed close behind until we reached our little town. We all took turns shifting before we entered the little house where Paul resided. Quil, Embry and Jared were in Paul's room crowding the already cramped space.
Paul was lying down on a bed that seemed too little for his big form. His eyes were closed and his breathing seemed labored.
"Hey Paul, how's it going?" Sam greeted as he seated himself on a little chair next to Paul's bed while Jacob and Seth hovered close by. I stayed by the doorway, not feeling up to mixing it up with a room full of male wolves.
"Damn Sam, my head feels like it's going to explode and my whole body won't stop shaking," Paul complained as he took one look of all the newcomers now converged in his tiny room. "That stupid leech sure did a number on me." He grunted in my direction. My blood started boiling after that, if Paul wasn't in bed. I would've punched him in the face.
"Carlisle will be coming soon, he just finished with the surgery," Sam offered as he darted me a quick look. I kept my mouth shut and waited to hear what we were there for.
"How was the boy?" Paul asked, his body still shaking under the sheets.
"He was attacked by a bear Paul, did you know that?" Sam asked quietly as Jacob crossed his muscled arms across his chest.
Paul didn't answer right away but I could see that the revelation shook him as he looked around the room and settled his eyes on mine.
"No, I did not," he quietly answered.
"Well, what I want to know is how the fight between you and Garrett started?" Jacob spoke this time.
"I saw him with the bloodied boy and I jumped on him right away. I was so sure that he was draining that boy dry of his blood…." Paul stopped abruptly. "Oh shit, that's what that leech was trying to tell me…." Paul smacked his palm on his forehead.
"I heard what I needed to hear. I'm out of here." I gritted my teeth as my anger rose in dangerous proportion.
"Leah!" I head Jacob called out after me but I didn't stop to hear what he wanted to say. I jumped out of the porch and shifted midway before I hit the ground.
I knew what I wanted to do that very minute. I had to look for him. I had to see Garrett and tell him that we knew the truth.
A/N: So sorry this chapter took so long. Just had a little brush with WB but I'm back now. What do you think of this chapter? Please leave me your review or comment. Thanks.