A/N: the first day I post the last chapter I get two reviews, how cool is that? Thanks pureangeleyes and shadowcub, you two are awesome. It's like I have my own cheerleader and advisor in the two of them. I've worked round the clock to try and get this chapter out. Half the time it's like Bracken's alive in my head, and right now she's not happy that I'm dragging my heels.
Chapter sixteen: I have a proposition
Bella waited at the house as everyone raced off, no one was willing to risk Bella's safety. Bracken led the group, as the only one who knew where the manor was. Edward and Emmett followed close behind, Carlisle, Esme and Rosalie spread out to the sides with Alice and Jasper bringing up the rear. The run through the woods was one filled with caution; everyone was on high alert knowing that there could be more of the pack in the area. No one had been watching them and so Callum could have anything planned and none of them would know. Finally after a long run, they arrived at the edge of the grounds surrounding the manor. The semi dilapidated manor house stood in a clearing, surrounded by dead trees and creepy looking willows. As bracken looked at her old home, she realised she was actually waiting for the old organ music to start playing and lightning to start striking. Bracken held back a little giggle, Emmett looked at her with a frown "oh right, you can find this funny but I can't?" he whispered. Bracken smiled and played her image into everyone's minds, 7 vampires quietly giggled next to her. Bracken stood up and confidently started walking to the manor; the Cullen's followed behind, spread out in a v shape behind her. As they neared the front door, Callum appeared in the doorway, flanked by Sandy, Romulus and Remus. "Your dead" Callum said in disbelief, Bracken shrugged "Sandy left me for dead, I was found just in time". Callum cast an angry glare at Sandy "you said she was dead, I believed she was", Sandy froze in shock "she… there was…no one could have saved her".
"Look, I'm offering you a chance to finish what you started" Bracken said, drawing attention back to her. Callum laughed "so you come here with some vampires and expect what? For us to just bow to you? Your nothing but a pack whore, a little runt who's good for nothing", Bracken looked into the eyes of the man who was once her father and realised… she felt nothing. No fear, sadness, anger…. Nothing but pity. "No Callum, I don't expect anything from you. I come here only to offer you a challenge" Bracken said, "enough of this father, let's just kill them all" Sandy cut in. Callum held up his hand in front of Sandy "quiet, you failed at your task. What is this challenge?", Bracken nodded "I offer Sandy the chance to finish what he started, the chance to kill me. A fight to the death". The idea intrigued Callum "What if we lose?"
"You leave Forks forever, my new family is safe from harm and none from the pack shall return" Bracken said
Callum nodded "If we win?"
Bracken stared her father in the eyes "you kill me, but my family is safe either way"
Callum thought for a minute, finally he nodded "you have my word, in exchange for a fight to the death, no harm will come to your new family".
Callum walked into the house, followed by his sons, leaving Bracken and the Cullen's on the doorstep. Bracken nodded to everyone and they all walked in, ready to meet their fate. As they walked down into the cellar, wolves surrounded them, it looked like the entire pack was there but Bracken knew it was only the tip of the iceberg. The cellar had been opened up from one side of the foundations to the other, the large expanse was dimly lit with candelabras stood all around the edges. Three thrones stood on a platform against one wall, the middle one was the largest while the ones on either side were slightly smaller. Bracken knew exactly who those were for and she wasn't happy they would be here to see this. Bracken walked to the middle of the floor while the rest of the Cullens stood around the edges, Sandy joined Bracken in the middle of the room with Romulus and Remus stood on the edge opposite. Bracken stood still, watching her ex brother pace back and forth. Suddenly, the atmosphere changed and everyone went silent. Callum walked into the room, followed silently by Anastasia and Cubby. Bracken watched in shock as the three of them sat on the thrones, Callum looked at everyone once before speaking out in a loud commanding voice "Sandy will fight Bracken in a fight to the death. No one will intervene and only one will be victorious". He nodded to Romulus who closed his eyes for a moment, the Cullens wondered what the hell was going on.
Bracken cast one quick glance at Alice and smiled at her as Sandy started circling Bracken, attempting to intimidate the younger wolf. Alice looked around and gasped as she saw more wolves walk down the steps and fill the room, watching from the shadows. She looked up at Carlisle who looked around and nodded, a sense of worry fell down over the Cullen's. This situation seemed to be getting worse by the second. Sandy continued to pace in front of Bracken, his lips pulling back into a snarl. His razor sharp canines shining menacingly in the dim light, he dropped to a feral crouch and roared loudly. Bracken brought one leg behind her and dropped into her own crouch, her mind going straight into survival mode. Sandy leapt forward and phased into wolf form mid jump, landing 2 feet away from Bracken. Bracken leapt back and gaining enough distance from Sandy; phased herself. The wolves all gasped as they saw the size difference between the two wolves, Bracken had now grown a full 2 foot taller than Sandy in wolf form. The two wolves snarled and snapped at each other and Sandy leapt forward, knocking Bracken onto her side. Everyone watched as the two wolves bit and tore at each other, hitting each other with giant paws. Emmett growled as Bracken stumbled around the floor, bloodied and beaten. Before Rose had a chance to stop him, he charged towards the two fighters. Just as he reached the edge of the floor he suddenly stopped like he had ran into a brick wall and was thrown backwards, hitting the floor with a loud thud. He sat up and looked around in a daze as he rubbed the back of his head, "what the hell happened?" Emmett moaned as he looked around in a daze. Edward looked over to Romulus "It's him, he has intense mental powers. He's put up a mental block around the whole area, no one can get in or out". Rosalie looked in shock "so Bracken can't get out?", Edward nodded grimly "there's only one way out of it".
Bracken limped around Sandy as he watched with a smug smile, she feebly dodged every attack from him. Callum sat on his throne and watched with a satisfied smile as his eldest son attempted to kill his daughter, he looked down at Cubby who sat still as a statue, trying not to show any emotion. Bracken pulled back and kept a distance between her and Sandy, as Sandy stalked towards her with a smug victorious smile plastered onto his face, Bracken smiled back. Sandy's look changed to one of confusion as Bracken danced around him, suddenly looking more alive than she did a few minutes ago. She dodged the attacks with greater ease and even got a few hits in herself. With a great roar, Bracken bit into Sandy's left shoulder and took out a chunk of flesh. As Sandy howled in pain she quickly attacked, biting his legs and any other part she could get. Pulling him onto the ground she leant over him and opening her mouth wider to expose her razor sharp canines, bit into his chest and tore out his heart. Bracken chewed it and swallowed what was left. Callum stood and roared with anger, running at his daughter he changed mid jump, landing as a full sized wolf. Bracken straightened herself and faced her ex father, the two circled slowly, watching for each weakness. Callum charged and Bracken rolled onto her back, flipping him over her as well. The two with everything they had him them, for very different reasons. Callum was fighting for revenge and Bracken was fighting to free the ones she loved from the beast that tormented her life or 180 years.
After the fight went on for a while with both of them getting their fair share of injuries, Callum took one final leap at Bracken. Bracken twisted her body at the last second and as Callum landed on his feet next to her, ripped his head off with one bite. Bracken threw the head as she tore it off and it slid across the floor, leaving a trail of blood behind it. All the wolves stood still in silence as Bracken changed back to human form and limped over towards the thrones. Romulus lowered the barrier and both he and Remus moved to stand next to the platform. Bracken stood in front of Cubby and knelt, lowering her head at the same time. Everyone gasped as the new alpha was picked, a wolf cub of only 100 had never been picked to lead a pack before. Remus smiled and nodded as Bracken stood up, as Remus moved Cubby to his new rightful place on the largest centre throne. "We will stand by our word and leave forks, first thing in the morning we will leave and return to Russia" Remus said, Romulus nodded "we will also assist Cubby in his duties and teach him to be a leader". Bracken shook her head "no, Cubby is the new generation. He will teach you to be better wolves, he will make changes to the pack and alter the course of everything". Cubby smiled and jumped into Bracken's arms "thank you, I''ll make you proud" he whispered, Bracken nodded and lowered her brother back into his seat. With one final smile and nod she and the Cullens left the manor and started on their trip home.
As everyone relived the series of events to Bella who listened intently to every word, Bracken stood looking out of the window into the back garden. Emmett moved to stand next to his sister "that was some fight", Bracken nodded "It was". Emmett smiled "I thought you were going to lose at one point, I tried to get in there to help you", Bracken turned her head and looked at him in mock surprise "you doubted me?". Emmett laughed and nodded "you looked messed up, you kinda still do", Bracken nodded and went back to looking out of the window. "So it's all over now? Nothing else is Gonna try to kill me?" Bella asked, Carlisle nodded "but we still have the LaPush wolves to deal with, that could be a dangerous situation". Everyone nodded as they realised that their problems were still a long way from over, there was still more threats to deal with. Even thought she had to kill the man who was once her father and the man who was once her brother, she felt a sense of peace, of closure. Now she could finally feel like she belongs somewhere without any worrying in the back of her mind. The days of dealing with things on her own, of taking on everyone's responsibilities were over. They would deal with the LaPush wolves as a family, they would deal with every new problem as a family. As Bracken listened to the family talking about what to do with the wolves, she smiled. She knew that together they could all handle anything.
A/N2: Well that took longer than I thought to do that. The end isn't as good as I was hoping to make it and I had to cut it shorter than I wanted because I was up all night and exhausted. I hope everyone likes it and I promise to make the next chapter longer, I just need to try and think of what's going to happen. Any suggestions? Let me know please….and reviews