Title: Fallen
Genre: Angst (yeah, I was surprised, too)
Rating: T
Pairings: Jacob/Bella, pack
Word Count: 558
Prompt: "You are enough. You are so enough. It is unbelievable how enough you are."
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
A/N: So...imma just apologize in advance.
~~~~~oOo~~~~~
He sat on a tree stump, head hung low and palms pressed against his face. Massaging tiny circles onto his forehead with calloused fingertips, he was oblivious to the battlefield, to the wispy remnants of purplish smoke rising from the charred earth, to the ear-shattering howls mourning the fallen.
His fallen.
His pack.
He'd sat there for the last hour—unmoving, unwilling to face reality—because he wasn't sure he could bear what reality had to offer. His surviving brothers and sister gave him space, slowly phasing and tending to each other, setting bones and wrapping wounded flesh in strips of torn cloth. In hushed murmurs and with numb voices they discussed the logistics of moving the broken bodies of their comrades.
This wasn't supposed to happen. The Cullens had insisted the Volturi could be reasoned with, that the pack was there only for show.
It was an ambush.
Within minutes of the confrontation, the Cullens switched their allegiance, offering up the wolves in exchange for clemency. No one could have seen it coming.
But as alpha, Jake believed that he should have.
Caught off guard, he led the pack into battle, relying on his wolves' telepathy and sheer brute force to break the Volturi's defenses and destroy its trio of leaders. The remaining coven turned on the Cullens in anger, annihilating each other in the process. Technically, it was a victory.
But victory came with sacrifices. Heart-breaking, gut-wrenching sacrifices.
Allowing his hands to slide down his face, Jake watched his pack, insides weighed down with lead. What am I gonna to say to Emily and Kim? How will I tell Sue?
As if on cue, Leah's wail echoed across the barren field, sorrow reverberating against the surrounding treetops. Paul's arms clamped around her, pulling her into his side before they both collapsed in grief. Brady and Colin looked on, huddled together in stony silence. Only Quil remained focused, taking on the somber task of wiping his fallen brothers' brows and gently sweeping their eyes closed.
A vibration in the air and soft chuff from behind brought Jake out of his stupor. He twisted his head and started. Embry was there, solemn and stoic in his wolf form—but the alpha's eyes were locked on the woman sliding down his steely flank.
Somehow, his best friend knew exactly what he needed.
Bella.
He ran, snapping her into his arms and squeezing tightly. "Bells … I … they're gone. I fucking failed them, Bells. The pack, their imprints, their families—I didn't do enough."
His voice broke and he began to shake, dry, heaving sobs that wracked his body and weakened his knees. The weight of the world had finally become too much for his mighty shoulders.
Bella was silent, gently pulling him to the ground, coaxing his head in her lap while she stroked his back with a soothing caress. "Listen to me, Jacob Black. You are enough. You are so enough. It is unbelievable how enough you are."
Swallowing hard, his eyes welled with fresh tears that spilled onto his smudged cheeks. He lost himself in her touch, lying there for what felt like hours, until his breath returned to a normal pace. Slowly, he turned and met her gaze, offering a grave nod before rising to his feet and squaring his shoulders.
It was time to face the battlefield once again.