July 17, 2012

Dear readers,

It's such an amazing feeling, watching this story morph and evolve into something that I can be truly proud of. I'm grateful for betas who are really sharpening my skills, because I have high hopes for future stories in this universe. Thanks to all of you for reading. :)

Please leave wonderful reviews!

evelyn-shaye

Special thanks to my betas from PTB, ChloeCougar and Linnfromia. You ladies see all and know all, in my opinion.

Chapter Twenty-Two: Pivotal

Nessie's POV

My eyes widened with a rush of clarity. I took in every detail of my surroundings: the orderly nature of the room, moonlight filtering through a far window, three vampires tensed to spring, and a lone trail of blood making its way down Tamara's neck from two perfect punctures. My feet shifted smoothly and without sound; I unconsciously crouched into a hunting stance.

I was a vampire. This coven needed to back away from the innocent human.

But were those a vampire's normal thoughts? I took four seconds to ponder the conundrum. Shouldn't I have been after the human myself, ready to defend my prey? I inhaled deeply. Her blood smelled delicious, but her pained face and mouth open in a soundless scream jolted me back to reality. They were the vampires. I was her half-human friend.

In that miniscule amount of time, at least by human standards, I felt my family crowd behind me, keeping their distance but poised for action. Only Jacob stood by my side. His body convulsed violently with the urge to shift, but he wrapped his arm around me, trying to keep a grip on his form. I understood his struggle; hadn't I nearly attacked them, too?

Braden hovered protectively over his victim. "Leave," he hissed. "She is no longer your concern."

"She sure as hell is my concern!" I yelled, my voice much sharper than usual.

Daddy edged forward cautiously. "The Volturi will hear about this," he stated quietly. "They have no qualms about feeding on the innocent, but bringing them into our world is unacceptable. You know the rules as well as we do."

"Suck the venom out, Edward," Momma whispered. "You're strong enough – we have to save her."

Braden's calm façade twitched infinitesimally. "Tamara wants to join my coven," he countered. "I didn't coerce her into anything."

"You used your gift!" I argued. I was torn between rage toward him and fear and guilt for my friend. Tamara's shaking looked so pitiful, her eyes so vacant, her skin so pale. Daddy took a step toward her.

Something inside of Braden snapped when Daddy moved. He leapt in front of Tamara and shielded her with his body. "No! She is mine!" His voice was filled with fury, but his face betrayed panic for the first time. He narrowed the distance between his body and hers and kept wary eyes trained on my father's face.

Momma gasped behind me. "Oh. Oh, oh!" she moaned. In a very human motion, her face fell to her hands, and she nearly crumpled to the ground. Daddy instinctively wrapped his arms around her, his expression concerned.

Braden still seemed fearful, but there was a touch of triumph in his eyes. "You understand, don't you, Bella? Why don't you clue your family in? What happened right as I bit Tamara?"

Venom welled in my mouth at his question, but I forced myself to listen to Momma's response.

"I have enhanced my shield to wrap around individual bodies and not simply form a dome," she began. Daddy hissed; presumably, he didn't like her giving away a strategy. "It also stretches on its own. It takes relatively no effort to keep my shield in place once it has taken hold of someone's form."

Her face showed remorse. "I wasn't paying close attention to the girls. I knew they were safe, and I wanted to enjoy the dance. So even when they went to the restroom, I didn't feel anything change…" She trailed off, her eyes dropping to the floor.

Braden had relaxed next to Tamara. Now he grinned. "Please, continue, Bella," he requested. "The next part is the most fascinating."

My mother glared at him. "The shield snapped," she said defiantly, as if trying to defend a weakness in her gift.

Daddy growled. "That's not possible. Her shield does not have holes—"

"Oh, but doesn't it?" Braden interjected. "I believe that your precious daughter is one hole in what truly is quite an extraordinary gift." Daddy frowned at the reminder. I felt a twinge of guilt, even though I hadn't asked for exclusive access to her mind – my gift was designed to penetrate shields. "But perhaps, Bella, you might explain why Tamara broke from your shield? Or at least how you could tell?"

"I cannot attest to the first reason," Momma admitted. "As to the second…like I said before, I never noticed a change in distance. The shield expanded on its own. But when Tamara was freed from it, it fell back into place like a snapped rubber band. The recoil was almost painful." She grimaced.

"I assume that's how you were able to find us," Braden inferred.

"Yes. Nessie's scent helped, as well. She found you first."

Braden nodded thoughtfully. "I suppose it's up to me, then, to explain why Tamara was released from your shield in the first place?" When no one answered, he continued. "I will admit that, when I first chose to sit with Tamara in the lunchroom that day, it was merely to gain closer access to Nessie. Your cooperation and alliance is valuable to me, and after that fiasco behind the movie theater, I wished to smooth things over and regain your trust."

Regain, I scoffed internally. As if you had our trust in the first place. Jacob shuddered beside me as he read my thoughts.

"Winning Tamara over was child's play, a simple task for any vampire, even one without certain…talents." He toyed with the word on his tongue. His voice became more subdued. "What I didn't expect was to fall for Tamara as easily as she fell for me."

"You didn't!" I shrieked, my voice piercing in the stillness.

Braden glared menacingly at me, but softness was evident in his voice. "Tamara is my mate," he avowed quietly. "I would've waited as long as I needed to before changing her. But we were both ready tonight. At the pivotal moment that she relinquished her life to my hands, Bella's shield collapsed, and I took Tamara for my own."

His mouth twisted into a grin. "I suppose you could say that love conquers all," he concluded lightly.

I tried to make some angry sound of defiance but found myself incapable. This was no act on Braden's part. Tamara truly was his mate, and such a bond could not be countered by any outside party. Having chosen to submit to Braden's power, she was within his realm of influence. Apparently, Momma's shield was ineffective if one chose not to be protected.

Daddy's hands balled into fists. "I see that you are in earnest and that nothing can stop you from claiming Tamara as your soul mate," he said grudgingly. "But mate or not, the Volturi will do everything in their power to protect the exposure of our kind. I sincerely hope that you considered the repercussions of transforming this girl as a freshman in high school!" His voice rang with such authority; for a moment, I forgot that he was my father. He could've been the leader of the Italian coven.

Braden frowned. "I plan to discuss the matter with Tamara when she awakens," he responded. "If she is amenable, I will remove her from the human world by staging a funeral. Her parents will have closure, and Tamara will be free."

A tear slid down my cheek. A human life ended so young, when life wasn't even that long in the first place. And she would undoubtedly follow in Braden's footsteps as a traditional vampire. She could never maintain her original friendships, not while she thirsted for their blood and would forget all former connections in the heat of bloodlust. Tamara was bound to her fate forever.

Daddy nodded, even though his face displayed disapproval. "Do as you see fit, but do not end another human life for the sake of allying yourselves with us," he warned.

"Never." Braden lifted a struggling Tamara into his arms. "I must ask, though, that you create some sort of diversion for us. Would you tell her mother that Tamara is spending the night with Nessie?"

"We will not be held responsible for her human death," I countered darkly. I faced Leanna. "Tell her that Tamara is staying with you."

Leanna lowered her head; were she human, she would have blushed. "It's no less than I deserve," she murmured. "Brother?"

Braden frowned. "Very well. Please pass the message along to Garet for us."

"That we can do."

In a quick motion, Leanna wrenched open the window and the three vampires leapt outside with the soon-to-be immortal, disappearing in a blur. As soon as they were out of sight, I crumpled to the ground.

"Tamara," I moaned.

Jacob kneeled beside me, and I buried my head in his shoulder. "We failed her!" I cried. "I failed her."

Daddy laid a hand on my shoulder. "It wasn't your fault," he consoled. "None of us saw him coming. He controls what thoughts are accessible to us, even when under Bella's shield."

"But it was my job to look after her," I wept.

Jacob cupped my face in his hand. "Actually, it was my job," he argued. His words were bitter. "Some protector I am."

I met his eyes with horror. "Oh no, Jake, you can't think like that!" I protested. I couldn't let him shoulder the blame for what had happened. His pain was my pain.

He forced a smile. "I'll live," he assured me. "I guess the only good thing that comes from this is that we don't have to pretend anymore."

Given the gravity of the situation, it was difficult for me to appreciate any silver lining. But Jacob's words resounded deeper within me, so I leaned into him gratefully. His arms wrapped around me and his lips lightly touched my forehead.

We finally emerged from the dark room and returned to the dance floor, where the deejay was wrapping up the last song. I was glad for it to be over. Homecoming hadn't quite measured up to my expectations.

Garet ran up to our group, dragging Jonathan behind her. "Where have you been?" she asked furiously. "Where's Tamara?" Jonathan, for the first time, eyed my family suspiciously. Jacob met his gaze steadily but surreptitiously squeezed my hand; I had to protect my family from exposure, starting with my human friends.

I lowered my head. "She's spending the night at Leanna's," I mumbled. "She wanted us to tell you." I hoped that Garet couldn't see through the obviousness of my lie.

Garet frowned. "I thought we were all going to your place afterwards."

"I guess she changed her plans."

Garet considered this. "Weird," she finally concluded. "I'm surprised that she left you, too, Jacob. You two have been joined at the hip lately."

Now it was Jacob's turn to lie. "Actually, Tamara broke up with me tonight," he answered. He let his face fall. "I guess going to the dance together made her realize that she wasn't really interested in me." It wasn't exactly a lie, in that Tamara was now bonded to Braden, but there never had been a formal break-up process. The news was bound to be startling.

Garet gasped. "Well, that didn't last long!" Jonathan shook his head. Both of their faces were downcast, even though Garet hadn't been convinced about Tamara and Jacob. I didn't resent what seemed like preference for Tamara – Jonathan and Garet had been together since middle school and hated to see their friends break up while they continued to enjoy a healthy and happy relationship.

"It's okay, though," Jacob said, smiling. He sidled closer to me and took my hand. We met each other's gazes; his eyes were shining. "I think my short time with her opened my eyes to who I wanted all along."

Jonathan suddenly smiled widely, and Garet squealed. "Oh, you guys!" she exclaimed. She darted forward to hug me close, quickly whispering that I was required to spill all the details later. "It sure took you two long enough! We knew that you were made for each other."

Garet had no idea. "We're really happy," I said sincerely. Laughter threatened to burst free. Happy, amazed, ecstatic, wonderful…

She giggled. "Well, as long as Tamara isn't here tonight, how do you two feel about an official double-date?" she suggested.

Her words struck my heart with a double pang, one of hurt for Tamara's fate and one of startling desire to have a real date night with Jake. I wanted a public romance for us, but could I go so soon, knowing that Tamara was slowly dying out in the woods with a sadistic vampire?

Momma placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. "You should go," she encouraged. "Alice will drop the four of you off." Daddy nodded; I knew instinctively that he had shared my thoughts with Mom.

I nodded slowly. "I'd love to go. As long as that's okay with you, Jake." I met his eyes again and sent him a private message. We need this. It's a way to demonstrate that my family is normal and for us not think about what happened here tonight. Plus…I think it would be fun.

Jacob didn't spare two seconds to think about his decision. "We're in," he answered. He hesitated. "Just…do you think Tamara will mind, you know, my moving on so quickly?"

Interpretation: when Tamara turned up missing, would Jake be blamed?

Daddy shook his head, and so did Garet. "This is just four friends hanging out after Homecoming," she insisted. "And if you and Nessie come back to school Monday dating, well, Tamara was the one who ended the relationship, and the two of you were already pretty close."

Hearing the same thing from my supernatural father and best normal friend was all the reassurance I needed. "Let's go find Alice." I smiled.

There weren't too many places open that late at night, but Alice dropped us off at a small, out-of-the-way coffee shop. It was cute and charming, with a 60's Beatnik theme. We sat in a corner booth, each of us snuggled up with our significant other, and had a truly amazing time talking about nothing and everything and how great life was. Jacob didn't let go of my hand the whole time; every once in awhile, he glanced over at me with a smile of sheer delight and wonder. I understood completely. It felt good to be public with our relationship and not feel like we had to hide it. We already had enough to hide.

Alice picked up the four of us around three in the morning. By that time, we were so tired that we all crashed on the living room floor the moment we returned home. Jacob caught my hand as I was falling asleep. "Love you," he whispered.

Love you more, I answered. He kept hold of my hand, and I wondered if we would share dreams that night.

Tamara's POV

Pain seared through my whole body; fire lapped at my fingertips, the balls of my feet, the spot on my neck where Braden had sunk his teeth in. It was entirely impossible not to scream, but as my mouth widened in agony, no sound escaped. My back arched – its own form of shrieking.

Was I even conscious? I felt trapped inside my changing body. Opening my eyes revealed only darkness tinged with red, but was that merely because we hadn't left the dark office yet?

My question was answered when I heard Braden speak. He reassured me that the transformation wouldn't last forever, that we would live in a beautiful home where we could be safe and happy. He told me of enhanced senses – I would be faster, stronger, more beautiful, see the world in sharper detail, pick up on sounds indiscernible to human ears – and, of course, thirst for blood greater even than the love that was growing for my Braden. His voice sounded wrong, though, muffled and distant compared to the sensory overload that my limited education had led me to expect. Maybe my body had to be destroyed before it could be rebuilt.

Judging by the torture I was being forced to endure, my theory was likely correct.

Braden's voice was low, soothing; but the next voice was like a screech, stinging my ears. "She sure as hell is my concern!"

Nessie. Something that felt like saliva but tasted acidic welled in my mouth. What business did she have here? Why did she feel the constant need to intrude on a life that Braden promised would soon be picture-perfect? Nessie was the source of all my problems, and I despised her for it.

A form hovered over me, cold as snow compared to the forest fire. Instinctively, the substance that I had decided must be venom receded and my body relaxed slightly. Braden was here. Nessie was no match for him. I focused on the safety I felt with my new love, the pain dulling by a fraction.

After a short time, my body was lifted. Cool night air rushed past me, exacerbating the burning instead of neutralizing it. Even Braden's hands irritated my skin like lemon on a cut. I squeezed my eyes shut and concentrated on the effort of ignoring my pain, however miniscule. I could never allow myself to harbor bitter feelings toward Braden. He was taking me to a safe place; the pain was necessary and only temporary.

Braden slowed. We had reached a small forest; I could smell the pine. "We will be home soon, my Tamara," he murmured comfortingly. "We must walk the rest of the way. I wouldn't want the trees to scrape up your pretty face."

My already blazing body warmed further at his evident adoration.

When we reached our destination, Braden laid me gently on a plush queen-sized bed. He knelt down beside me and took my hand; my palm trembled with unbearable pain. "I'm sorry that I can't lessen the pain," he whispered, his voice laced with anguish. "The transition lasts for three days, perhaps fewer, since you're so small. When you awaken, I will teach you how to hunt, to ease the burning in your throat. After that…we have much to accomplish."

I barely paid attention to his last statement. This agony had to end!

Braden stood and walked toward the door. His footfalls stopped for a brief moment. "I know that you've been dying to scream."

An invisible force lifted, and I screamed for all I was worth.