A/N: Since my last author's note was so short, I've got a bit more to say this time around. As always, my lovely, super-speedy betas Munkeerajah and Evelyn-Shaye worked their magic on this chapter. I love them even more than a tall, iced peppermint mocha on a hot day! Season of the She Wolf has been nominated for a She Wolf award (thanks Camilla10 and Munkeerajah). These awards are a bonanza for Leah lovers, so check out the nominees at http: /shewolfawards (dot) blogspot (dot) .com/.
Everything Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyers.
Chapter 36 – Mass Production
Leah POV
Hearing my baby's heartbeat again was probably the only thing that could raise me above the shit storm whirling around me. As soon as that precious pulsation drummed – steady, strong and powerful – through the earbuds Carlisle had somehow rigged to his portable Doppler, the Volturi, Anjali, Joham, the mind-rapist Remy … they all fell away beneath me. That incredible, beautiful sound lifted me up into clear, bright atmosphere, until all my problems seemed tiny and insignificant and far below.
Tha-thump! Tha-thump! Tha-thump!
I cupped my left hand over the bud in that ear and used my right to scrub at my damp eyes. Freaking vampire thought of everything, and I could have kissed him for coming up with a way to let me hear that heartbeat while still protecting my secret – even though he disagreed with me about keeping it.
After leaving Jake, Carlisle had led me to one of the numerous rooms in the Denali mansion—a bedroom so luxurious that it made the one I'd stayed in while recuperating in the Cullen house look like an overused dorm room. Kneeling on the floor beside the bed where I reclined, Carlisle seemed totally unfazed by my runaway emotions. I silently mouthed "thank you" at him. He grinned, bobbed his head in acceptance and turned off the Doppler.
"Enough?" he murmured kindly, swabbing the gel off my stomach with a moist towelette. Honestly, what vampire carries towelettes? A Cullen, of course.
"Yeah," I grunted, sitting up and quickly reaching for our trusty pad and pen.
Even though Carlisle had said all the bedrooms in the Denali mansion were sound-proofed—and I so did not want to know why—I wasn't taking any chances on being overhead. Hearing the heartbeat again was awesome, but it reminded me of something I'd been meaning to ask him.
How come no one's caught on?
We were getting super-efficient at this form of communication. Carlisle had taken to reading my messages backwards and upside-down as I wrote, so the pen hadn't even finished moving when he raised his eyebrows at me questioningly. I clarified.
Why hasn't anyone heard the heartbeat? Why haven't YOU heard it? Why don't I smell different?
Carlisle slid gracefully from the floor onto the couch beside me, produced a second pen from his pocket and jotted his answer on the tablet still braced on my knees.
I don't know. I've noticed this, too, and I've been considering possible explanations.
When he paused, I waved my hand, palm up and fingers curled, in a "gimme" gesture.
It's possible the fetus is not yet large enough for its heartbeat to be audible, although this seems unlikely. Or perhaps the amniotic sack and uterine lining have vampiric qualities that shield the fetus, as was the case with Bella's pregnancy.
I nibbled my lower lip and considered this for a moment.
But I'm right? In theory, a vampire should be able to hear the heartbeat by now and smell the changes in my body.
Carlisle frowned slightly, his perfectly molded lips quirking down.
Yes. Additional tests may yield an explanation, but those will not be possible until we're back in Forks.
For now, the bun in my oven was hidden; my body wasn't betraying my secret. But how much longer would that last? Even if the heartbeat remained inaudible and my scent didn't change, my waistline was going to start growing – and probably sooner, rather than later. What did that give me? Weeks? Days?
There was no way to know.
Both Jasper's and Edward's gifts might provide some insight.
I shook my head vehemently. I understood what he was getting at. Maybe if they knew they were looking for something, Edward might pick up a stray thought or Jasper might tune in to some emotion – although I suspected the baby was still too little for its tiny brain to generate anything either vamp would be able to sense. But I just couldn't bring anyone else into this before I told Nahuel. I wasn't that much of a thoughtless bitch.
"Leah …" Carlisle breathed on a soft sigh. For him, it was the equivalent of all-out-exasperated, shouting, hair-pulling frustration.
"I know, I know." I grumbled.
I promise I will tell him soon, I scribbled hastily.
"When?" Carlisle challenged, eyebrows drawn into a skeptical scowl. I fought the urge to sock him right in his perfectly straight, aristocratic nose.
He's heelll-ping you, the wolf bitch reminded in a mocking sing-song.
Before we leave Denali, I promised recklessly. Before we head out to track Joham.
That is likely some time tomorrow morning.
Cold dread burst in my chest like the explosion of a snowball slamming into a brick wall. It dribbled down my arms and made my fingers spasm. The pen snapped.
Carlisle's hands flashed so quickly, I barely had time to register his movement. He snatched the leaking pen away and cleaned my fingers of all traces of ink before it had time to stain my skin. I stared in befuddlement for a few seconds at the fresh, unbroken pen that had magically appeared in my hand before scribbling an answer I hoped would satisfy him.
Okay. I'll tell him tonight. Can you ensure we have some privacy?
Relief bloomed in Carlisle's golden eyes and he didn't even attempt to hide it from me. "I'll do my best," he murmured. "I'm glad you've made this decision, Leah." He hesitated for a moment before holding his hand out for the pen.
For what it's worth, I wanted to thank you.
Puzzled, I shook my head and shrugged my shoulders, not sure what he meant. Was he thanking me for my piss-poor part in finding Jake and Renesmee?
Seeing my confusion, he continued writing.
As a vampire, my very nature is rooted in death. My existence springs from it. I've never blamed your tribe for distrusting us because of this. It means a great deal to me that you are allowing me to be a part of something so life-affirming. I am profoundly honored and grateful.
Once again, I was ashamed of myself that a vampire could be more thoughtful than a human. Thanks to Carlisle, I was healthy, my baby was healthy and I wasn't alone.
Jake and Renesmee had been kidnapped because of me. I'd failed to protect my brother from his viperous imprint. And I was on the verge of fucking up my relationship with Nahuel because I'd lied to him horrifically and repeatedly. My score of doing well by those I loved was pretty shitty right now, but here was one thing I knew I could do right.
It was as easy as opening my mouth.
Looking my vampire doctor in the eye, I spoke clearly and strongly. I wanted him to understand that I didn't care at all who might overhear.
"Carlisle, I'm grateful. Thank you for taking care of me, and for being my friend."
Surprise flitted over his handsome face for a heartbeat, before his perfect lips settled into a pleased smile.
The moment required no more words, and we both recognized it, so neither of us spoke.
Not bad, the wolf-bitch offered grudgingly. Maybe there's hope for you yet.
SSW/SSW/SSW
Could hate make your eyeballs melt?
I thought mine might sizzle and seep out of my head when I stepped into the main room of the Denali house where everyone had gathered to discuss strategy. The betraying little half-breed bitch was perched on my baby brother's lap like she had a right to be there. Like she hadn't ripped his guts out and pissed on the entrails—twice in the past two days.
I didn't know what they'd said to each other since I last saw them, but obviously Seth and Anjali had reached some kind of understanding. She was snuggled up against his broad chest, her face tilted up toward his. Her hazel eyes shimmered with the kind of worshipful devotion an earthquake victim might lavish on the man who pulled her from beneath a crumbled skyscraper.
Seth seemed peaceful, and I was at least grateful for that. He was rubbing one hand up and down her back absently while he listened to the conversation between Jasper, Emmett and Tanya. Still, he was letting Anjali off too easily if he'd forgiven her already, and that angry resentment must have been plastered all over my face. When Seth's eyes met mine, he blanched whiter than an Ivy League law prof. I immediately felt like shit for making him feel badly, and the pro-me warm fuzzies I'd been savoring since the scene with Carlisle evaporated in a big stinky puff.
The room was full of pulse-challenged people and my shirtless, shoeless pack brothers, although the hunting Volturi hadn't yet returned from murdering innocent humans. The low buzz of the vamps' sub-vocal conversations rumbled against my breastbone ominously. No one else noticed the silent exchange between my brother and me – except, of course, Nahuel.
My imprint rose gracefully from the couch where he'd been sitting beside Carmen and prowled smoothly across the room toward me. My breath caught, and a warm, liquid tingle—totally inappropriate, given the circumstances and current company—spread through my nether regions. I admired the powerful roll of his hips, and the stretch and flash of his long legs.
Fuck, I had it bad, and I promised myself then and there to have my way with Nahuel one more time, upstairs in one of those decadently luxurious bedrooms, before I told him my secret. I was dreading his freak-out, and the sexual drought I was pretty sure would follow. Knowing Nahuel, he would probably be so angry that I'd lied to him, and so utterly terrified for my safety, that he'd refuse to touch me for months—regardless of the fact that the "damage" was already done.
By the time he reached me, my vamp-boy was totally bewildered by the rapid shift of emotions he saw on my face: anger to remorse to lust to resolve. He stood so close that his luscious warmth caressed the entire length of my body. Tentatively, he took my hand in his.
"What is wrong?" he murmured, his teak eyes full of confusion and concern. "What did Carlisle say? Are you unwell?"
I chuckled. "I'm fine, baby," I reassured him. "Really great."
I drew a lusty breath of his intoxicating scent, feeling unaccountably brave all of a sudden.
I can do this, I thought. I can tell him and make everything alright. Maybe I could lay the groundwork with a few simple words right now.
"I'll tell you all about the exam later when we're alone. It's all good. Really good."
He smiled at me sweetly, trustingly, and my heart did a double-inverted backflip. Not because that tender curl of his lips reminded me how much I loved him, but because it said again that he loved me. It still amazed me. Likely it always would.
It was probably inconsiderate of me to be so overt about my happiness when my own brother was dealing with a wildly unsettled love-life, but I couldn't help myself. Totally not giving a shit that we had a significant audience, I used the hand Nahuel still held to pull him against me and pressed a lingering kiss to his full, irresistible lips.
My display startled him for a second, but my imprint was never one to pass up an opportunity, and he recovered quickly. He released my hand and curled his fingers over my hip. Sliding the other hand up the column of my neck, his long, warm fingers cradled my cheek, and he returned my kiss enthusiastically.
Of course, there was no way we were getting away with this performance without someone in the room having something to say about it.
"Get a room, why don't you?" Paul hooted. His obnoxious laughter separated my imprint and me as effectively as a bucket of cold water.
To my amazement, Emmett thumped him upside the head. "Why don't you get some new lines, dude, and leave Nahuel and Leah alone?"
Paul continued to snicker, as if his vampire counter-part hadn't just slugged him hard enough to make his skull pop.
"I hate to break up the party, but could we get down to serious business before the Volturi get back?"
Jake's deep voice carried over my shoulder, and I twisted in Nahuel's arms to peer at my Alpha standing in the doorway behind us. He was pale – for him – and his hands were still bandaged, but he was moving under his own power. Renesmee stood beside him, with Edward and Bella slightly behind, but none of them were supporting him.
Except for Seth and me, none of the pack had seen Jake since we'd arrived in Denali. They descended on him like starved hounds spotting a discarded doughnut. Embry and Quil locked him in a four-armed bear hug while Paul pounded Jake's back relentlessly. I didn't need the pack link to know what they were thinking and feeling.
After a few seconds of awkward man-hugging, the quartet seemed to realize they had an audience and broke apart. All four looked as if they'd just been caught in an embrace more passionate than the one Nahuel and I had just shared.
"Uh … thanks, guys," Jake fumbled. "I can't phase just yet …" he held up his bandaged hands. "… so I'm gonna need a verbal report."
"Right, right, right," Paul hastily agreed. "Yeah, I called Billy and Rach to let them know you were okay." His eyes narrowed and shot to me, and disapproval edged into his voice. "Called Sue, too, since Billy said she hadn't heard from Leah or Seth."
"Crap," Seth muttered, shifting uneasily in his seat. His gaze slid guiltily away from Anjali before lifting to meet Paul's. "Thanks, Paul. I didn't even think—"
"S'okay, buddy," Paul interrupted, turning an accusing glare on me while still addressing Seth. "You've had a lot on your mind."
Oh, and I didn't?
Apparently, Paul thought I should have called my mom and filled her in on how her baby boy was getting his heart shredded by the woman he loved. I wouldn't have wanted to have that conversation with her, even if I'd thought of calling her. It was Seth's place to tell her what was going on with him and his imprint—not mine. And that thought made me wonder just what Paul had told Mom, since it wasn't his place to comment on Seth's love life, either.
I opened my mouth to call him on it, but before I could speak, Carlisle took command of the conversation.
"The past few days have been very difficult for everyone," Carlisle said soothingly, stepping into the room behind Edward and Bella. "We will all feel better once we have a firm plan of action. We should conclude our planning before the Volturi return."
Tanya stepped forward. "Agreed," she said. "Rather than allow the Volturi to decide how this campaign will proceed, we should present them with a completed plan that they only need follow."
"Jane's not particularly good at following someone else's lead, unless it's Aro's," Jasper interjected, pulling his cell phone from his pocket and hitting the speed dial. "Maybe Alice can see how she'll react to whatever plan we come up with."
He put the phone on speaker setting, and it rang only once before Alice's irritatingly cheerful, chiming voice filled the room. "Hi, Jazz."
He probably wasn't even aware of it, but at the sound of his wife's voice, Jasper's stance relaxed slightly. "Hi, darlin'. We're about to make a plan here, and we're hoping you'll be able to clue in on how Jane will react to it. Can you do that for us?"
"Plan away," she urged, eagerly. "Once the decision is made, I'll focus on Jane's reaction to it."
I didn't know Alice that well—any better than I knew Jasper, really—but Jake had told me how incredibly frustrated she'd been these past few months. She was used to helping guide and protect the Cullens with her visions, and not being able to see clearly around the hybrids and wolves had left her feeling helpless and useless. Now, because Jasper was asking her to focus on full vampires, she was apparently hoping she could be useful again.
"Hi, Alice," Bella called out. "How are Charlie and Sue?" She glanced at me shyly. Of course, it hadn't even occurred to me to ask how my mom and Bella's father were doing.
"They're fine, Bella. Esme and I are watching them closely, and Sam's pack is doing a great job patrolling Forks and the rez. Don't worry about things here."
Seth cleared his throat. "Well, I guess I …" his eyes flickered to Anjali before sliding away almost guiltily. "… I mean … we … should start by telling everyone what we want to do."
I bit my tongue to hold back the gagging sensation that was inching up the back of my throat. The thought of Seth and Anjali still being a "we" sickened me—as stupid as that was, since they had no more choice about being together than any other imprinted pair. Even though they held a renewed calm, Anjali's eyes were rimmed in red and cupped by dark half-moons beneath; she looked like she'd been crying for hours—maybe days.
She ought to cry. If she cries for a million years, it still won't be enough to make up for what she did to Seth.
When she spoke, Anjali's voice was low and whispery. "Tomorrow morning, I will leave the Denali compound. Once I have passed from Bella's shield, Demetri will follow."
Seth looked to Jacob. "Jake, I'd like the pack to go, too. Follow behind Demetri, if the Volturi will let us. I know I'm asking a lot—"
"You don't even need to ask," Jake interrupted mildly. "By tomorrow morning, I'll be back to a hundred percent." His gaze shifted between Carlisle and Tanya. "Are the Cullens and Denalis in this, too?"
Tanya spoke for them both. "Of course. We protect our family."
Gratitude shone in Seth's dark eyes. Jake strode across the room and dropped to his haunches beside Seth's chair.
"Carlisle and I will take point dealing with the Volturi," he said. "I know it's going to be tough, but I want you to hang back as much as possible, Seth. Let's not do anything to make them even more curious about the relationships between our pack and hybrid vamps."
Seth nodded, and his gaze slid away from Jake to settle on Anjali's hands, which were wrapped around one of his, where it rested on her lap. Something about the tiny lines that formed in the corner of Seth's eyes put me on edge. It wasn't like my brother to hold back his thoughts, especially not from Jake, but the feeling crept over me that there was something more Seth wasn't saying.
"I think we need to reassess our priorities," Rosalie spoke, surprising me. Usually her contribution to any discussion was limited to snide comments, eye rolls or stony silence.
Jake shifted slightly to peer at her over his shoulder. "Meaning?"
"Meaning there's more at stake now than just killing Joham." Rosalie bobbed her chin toward Anjali. "She …" and somehow Blondie infused the word with a galaxy of disdain, "… says there are five children involved. Getting them away from Joham should be our top priority now. Killing him is second."
My stomach clenched, and I felt Nahuel stiffen beside me. He'd spent a hundred years believing himself unique—alone. Now, in just a few hours, he'd discovered he had a niece and two infant half-sisters. I had no idea how he was managing to hold up under the avalanche of shocks that kept crashing down on him. How would he handle the biggest one? The one that I'd promised the doc that I'd drop tonight?
"Rose is right," Carlisle said, interrupting my introspection. "We must have a plan in place for managing those children, as well. Or the Volturi will manage them for us."
Bella shuddered visibly and reached for Edward's hand.
"No way," she said, her voice determined. "We cannot let the Volturi have those children." Her eyes roamed the room, brushing over each member of her family before settling lovingly on Renesmee. "This family has raised a hybrid baby before. We can do it again."
She turned toward Jasper, who still held his cell phone with the line open to Alice listening in Forks.
"Alice, can you see anything about how the Volturi will react to the hybrid children?"
"No," Alice replied. "I can see Jane accepting the first part of the plan—to let Demetri track Anjali and have everyone follow them. But once the hybrids and wolves are involved, I just can't see beyond that. I'm sorry."
"It's alright, Alice," Carlisle said. "We appreciate that you're doing your best." He turned to Jasper. "What do you suggest our course of action should be once we've located Joham and his coven?"
Jasper studied Anjali and Seth for a moment, before answering Carlisle. "We should split into teams," he said. "One team will focus on securing and extracting the children, the other will go after Joham. Obviously, Anjali should be part of the retrieval team; the children will know her. The wolves may frighten them, so let's keep the pack on extermination duties."
Seth cringed. "I'd feel better if there could be at least one wolf with the retrieval team."
Jasper wavered, clearly wanting to do whatever he could to ease Seth's mind.
Jake jumped in. "Maybe one of the smaller pack members—"
Shit. That would be me.
Beau was the youngest, and hadn't yet reached full maturity, so he was smaller than the other guys. Even so, he was way bigger than me. I still thought that my smaller wolf form would likely scare the crap out of children who were almost certainly already traumatized. But one look in Seth's pleading, frightened eyes, and there was no way I could refuse.
"I'll go," I said, carefully avoiding a promise to phase. After all, I reasoned, if I stayed on two feet, I'd be no more exposed or at risk than Anjali was. And if push came to shove and I had to phase … well, I'd do whatever was necessary to protect those kids, as well as my own. None of them deserved to grow up under Joham's evil thumb.
Jasper mulled my agreement for a moment before nodding his acceptance. "That's settled. Who else?"
"I'm in," Rosalie said. Of course. I remembered Jake saying Blondie was all about the babies. Would she be less of a bitch to me when my pregnancy was finally public knowledge?
"Okay," Jasper agreed. "We need at least two more. Bella? Edward?"
They both nodded.
"I think I should also go with the retrieval team in case any of the children need medical attention," Carlisle added, managing not to look at me. We both knew my possible need for care was as much an incentive for Carlisle as the kids were.
"Agreed." Jasper scanned the room. "Anyone else?"
"I go where Leah goes," Nahuel announced in a tone that clearly said he wouldn't debate the matter.
Although I would have hated to be separated from him, I wasn't particularly thrilled at the idea of my imprint following me into his father's clutches. Of course, I should have realized that wherever I was, my vamp-boy would be close behind. The determination in Nahuel's quiet voice jolted me, reminding me uncomfortably just how utterly psychotic he was about the idea of me risking my life.
"Fair enough," Jasper agreed. "The rest of us will go after Joham. Now let's discuss how we'll handle the Volturi—"
My tired brain tuned out. As important as this conversation was, my mind kept zeroing in on another one—even more important—that Nahuel and I needed to have tonight. Preferably in private, and definitely before the Volturi returned.
End Note: So this chapter turned out to be a bit of a house-keeping chappie. It was originally going to be about 1,500 words longer, but that 1,500 turned into 2,500 turned into 3,500, so I had to split it into two. The downside of that was this chapter was a bit more sedate than I'd originally planned. The upside is that it means Chapter 37 is already done, and it's nice and citrusy. If you would like a preview of 37, review 36 or send me a PM if you're shy about speaking in public. Next chapter will be up early next week - if not sooner.