The Life We Live
Chapter 10
Pairing: Bella / Leah
Rating: T for Language and Content - Subject to Change
"Edward, what are you doing here," I asked. He wasn't what I wanted to deal with at the current moment. But it looked like I was going to have to.
"I haven't seen you in days, love. I came to see if you're okay." I sighed. I knew that I wasn't going to be able to keep up this 'dating' pretense with him anymore. Not that I had found my mate.
"Yeah, I'm okay." He sat down on the porch step next to me, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. I wanted to push it off, having anyone, but my mate draped around me feel wrong. But I didn't. I didn't want to make this any harder than it was going to be.
"You sure? You seem a little out of it." He asked, concerned. I sighed again.
"Look, Edward, I've been thinking. This isn't working out." I started before he cut me off.
"You're not saying what I think you are, are you Bella?" His hand around my shoulder was gripping it very tightly. Not enough to hurt, but enough to be noticeable.
"We're just not right for each other. I'm sorry." It was a crummy break up speech, but I wanted to avoid as many details as possible.
"How can you say that! You're my mate!" I just shook my head without thinking. His brow furrowed, before he took a deeper whiff of my scent, exactly what I wanted to avoid. "There's a mutt's scent all over you." He growled. I finally pushed his arm off of me.
"Look Edward. Don't make his harder than it has to be.." I trailed off. But this just made him angrier.
"Which dog was it? Jacob?" I shook her head as if I would ever be mated to that pathetic waste of space. He took another deep breath, trying to figure out the scent. I prayed that he wouldn't. But I suppose that he did if his facial expression was any indication. "Her?" He hissed. "My mate is not a dyke." I just rolled my eyes.
"Well, one I'm not your mate. And two, obviously I am." Edward's eyes were turning black. I hadn't meant to provoke him, but sometimes it was hard not to. I just hoped that he had enough control to not attempt to hurt me.
"There's no way that the female mutt can steal you from me. You're mine." Edward hissed again through his teeth. I slowly got up off the porch step and backed up to the front door.
"I'm not yours anymore Edward. I'm sorry." I apologized again, not that it made him feel any better. But it was the only thing I could offer the poor vampire. He shot up off the step as well coming face to face with me. I didn't back down, not afraid of the immature vampire.
"I will get you back Bella. If I have to go through all those mutts. You will be mine." I almost growled at the mention of the pack. But he just backed up and stormed off to his car. I slumped back against the front door, running my hands through my hair.
That was not what I had in mind for today. I shouldn't have led him on as long as I did. But he's a decade old vampire, he'll get over it. Eventually.
I decided to make myself some food while I waited for Leah to return to tell me about the pack meeting. I had hoped that I didn't cause them any problems. As much as I didn't care for shifters, my mate was one and this pack was her family.
It was a few hours after my encounter with Edward that I heard a knock on my door. I immediately got up off the couch and beelined to open the door. I was met with the smiling face of my mate. I grinned at the sight, pulling the shifter through the door. She yelped at the sudden movement and I just laughed.
Leah glared at me, but I just innocently stared back before beckoning her to follow me into the kitchen. I grabbed her a bottle of water from the fridge before we both sat down at the island. "So, did it go okay?" Might as well get right to the point. Leah opened the bottle I had given her and took a sip before answering.
"It went as well as can be expected, maybe a little better." I waited for her to continue. She launched into the story.
"We can't let her kill Jake!" Quil protested and by the looks of it, the rest of the boys agreed.
"He's a pack brother," Jared spoke up. "And we never leave on behind." Leah stayed silent for most of the conversation, allowing Sam to handle convincing the rest of the pack.
"Enough. Jake is no longer a part of this pack. He made that choice when he broke off from us." Quil and Embry, Jacob's best friends were about to start arguing. "He's a danger to us and the reservation. We have a responsibility to protect the humans."
"But Jake would never kill humans. All he wants is Bella. Why don't we just convince her to go with him?" Leah growled at that suggestion.
"There's no way in hell my mate is going to be with that bonehead." Sam held up a hand to stop her from saying anything else before turning to the pack again.
"Leah has imprinted on Bella. There's nothing we can do about that. And Leah is part of this pack. We must respect that bond. How would you feel if Claire or Kim were forced to be with someone else." Quil and Jared both blanched before relenting in their argument.
"Good, I see we are finally understanding this. Now, I'm not asking you to fight Jake. I just want to make quite clear that he is no longer welcome here." The boys all nodded curtly. "This meeting is over with then. Emily made lunch if you guys want to stay." And just like that it was like the conversation was forgotten as all the boys beelined to the kitchen for food.
Leah looked over to Sam. "Hey." She laid a hand on his forearm. "Look, I don't want to cause unnecessary stress here. I know you're just trying to protect me, I can leave and stay with Bella if it'll make things easier on everyone." Sam covered Leah's hand with his.
"That's not necessary Leah. You're family, whether the guys always see that or not. We all know that you belong here. And we protect family." Leah smiled at Sam, nodding gratefully.
"That means a lot, Sam. Thank you. You know, Emily is lucky to have you." Sam laughed.
"Nah, I think I'm the lucky one. Speaking of mates, shouldn't you be getting back to yours?" Leah nodded, remembering that she had promised to tell Bella about what had happened at the pack meeting.
"Yeah, tell Emily that I'm sorry I couldn't stay." Sam waved her off.
"Don't worry about it, she understands." Leah smiled before scampering out the door.
"Sounds like it went decently. Sam is a really good guy." I said after hearing Leah's story. My mate nodded.
"Yeah, he's the best. He's like the older brother I never had now." Bella nodded, before sighing sadly.
"I wish it didn't have to be this way. I really did like Jacob before he went bat-shit crazy." Leah just shrugged.
"I never really liked the kid, but I guess I don't want to see him die either. Which, by the way, why is that?" I gulped. I had expected that question, just not so soon. But I'd have to tell her sooner or later.
"I've never told you about the Council of Aequitas Equitas have I?" My mate shook her head. "It's a long and involved story about how it came to be, but basically we're the governing body of the supernatural world. Although, we see ourselves as more protectors of the supernatural."
"What do you mean by we?" She asked.
"There are a number of different jobs and ranks within the organization. There's the Elders who are basically the oldest and wisest of us. Then there's the Dux Ducis' which is what Jaymen and I are. We're kind of like enforcers of our law. Although, it's very rare that we have to act. Most supernatural creatures have their own ruling bodies to keep them in check, an example being the Volturi for the Vampires." Leah cocked her head to the side in confusion.
"Volturi?" I often forgot that my mate wasn't as versed in the realm of the supernatural as I thought.
"They're basically the kings of the vampire world. They can be harsh and cruel, but they need to be to keep the vampires in check." Leah wrinkled her nose at the mention of vampires. I couldn't help but laugh. "They enforce the law of not exposing themselves to humans. As well as keeping their numbers in check."
"I had no idea that leeches had a government." I just shrugged.
"Yeah, the fear that they create makes it so there are very few problems with the vampires."
"What about us?" Leah questioned me.
"Shifters or Quileutes?"
"Both I guess."
"In most shifter groups, their Alpha is approached by one of us and trained by us to uphold the law and keep their groups in line," I said.
"What about Sam? I know he never got that treatment." I grimaced.
"Admittedly that was an oversight on my part. I was supposed to be the one to do so, but with the Quileutes, you already had those ideals in your history, so I didn't see fit to inform him. I probably should have, but didn't see the point in it." I said, shrugging.
"I guess this Jacob thing wasn't part of the plan then." I sighed and shook my head.
"No, it wasn't. And I regret whatever I'm going to have to do with him, but I have a job to do." Leah looked me in the eye.
"And what job is that, exactly?" I bit my lip.
"Part of our code is that no being should see themselves or attempt to ascend to godhood. That it, not something mortals should ever be capable of. Jake, whether he was aware of this law or not, broke it. I cannot allow him to gallivant around, destroying things in the name of whatever the fuck he's about." Leah nodded sadly.
"I just… We never got along, but I don't want to see him die." I sighed, thinking to myself and what I knew of Jacob. This whole thing was sparked from my mating with Leah. Before then, Jake, maybe a little pushy with his flirting, wasn't a bad guy. Something changed him, radically. And I had a feeling that my mating was just the catalyst.
"I did have a thought that there is something more… sinister in play here. Jacob doesn't have the power or skill with magic to disappear in black smoke. Someone else must have been helping him and Paul."
"Is there any way to find out for certain?" I nodded, there was. But it would require some travel.
"There is. Our order has a very extensive library. Although, it would require me to travel to Greece, where our government is housed. Think of it, kind of like the Library of Congress, except much older and directed at the supernatural."
"And you think the answer is there?" Leah asked. I just shrugged.
"If there is an answer out there, it would be there. Hey, you said you wanted to get off the reservation and see the world right? Come with me." I asked my mate. I could tell that she was conflicted.
"I… Can I think about it? It's not that I don't want to go. But I don't know if I can leave the pack and my family right now." I nodded. These things were important to Leah, I would respect that.
"Of course, but I do need an answer soon, so I can make arrangements." Leah nodded.
"Thank you, Bella." She said genuinely before placing a kiss on my cheek. I smiled, really wanting to capture my mate's lips, but I refrained, for now.
"Anytime. But enough of this heavy stuff. You know, I really don't know that much about you." My mate furrowed her brow but nodded.
"You're right, and I've only scratched the surface of the enigma that is you." I laughed. I grabbed my mate's hand, getting up and dragging her into my living room, flopping both of us onto the couch. She giggled as I pulled her around my house. I lazily put and elbow on the back of the couch, facing her.
"So, ask me something. Anything." I wanted to be as truthful as I could. The mating pull was strong, but I didn't want to freak her out either. She looked thoughtful for a minute before asking.
"What were your parents like?" This question actually caught me off guard. I hadn't expected for her to ask about my family, but I answered her willingly.
"They were… great parents for the time. You have to understand, I'm centuries old. Life was a lot different when I was a child than it is now. My parents were both supernatural creatures, my father a seer and my mother an angel. Don't ask me how that relationship worked, because I have no idea, even to this day." Leah chuckled. "I was born and lived in Greece. My family was fairly well off, so I didn't worry too much about anything. But when I turned 16, the order took an interest in me."
"How so? Like, what did they do?" I remembered the day they approached me like it was yesterday.
"I had come home one day, to see my parents waiting for me, along with a hooded figure. I couldn't make out his face. My parents told me that this man was here to see me and left me alone with a stranger. Even at a young age, I had my mental shield, the same power that blocks Edward from reading my mind, so I wasn't overly worried. My parents wouldn't leave me with someone they didn't trust. He told me that he was part of a secret, supernatural council and that they were interested in making me a member." Leah raised an eyebrow.
"At 16? It's that a little young?" I shook my head.
"At the time I thought so too. But as he explained further, I wouldn't actually be responsible for anything except my own training for a couple hundred years." I could tell Leah wanted to ask another question, so I gestured for her to ask. "What is it?"
"I… if you were the child of an angel and a seer, how did you become a Lycan? I remember you telling me you were bitten." I nodded.
"That was part of the gift the hooded man gave me. He gifted me with my wolf. I was bitten, but it had been a gift, to augment my powers." My mate nodded though I could tell she didn't fully understand. I didn't expect her to, our laws and customs were a little odd to most.
"So what happened after that?"
"I traveled, and learned. The man, who I learned was Thanatos, wanted me to get experience in the real world. He basically gave me my powers and told me to come back when I felt I was ready for more."
"Thanatos, like the god of Death?" I laughed, I could see how someone would make that connection.
"No, though, his name did come from the Greek God. He is a reaper, one of the oldest supernatural creatures. He is the head of the order." Leah nodded in understanding. "Can I ask you something?" My mate nodded. "Well, it's less a question, more like a request. Tell me about you. Your likes, dislikes, anything." Leah smiled before thinking and answering.
"I… growing up on the reservation was good. My family loves me and I love them. I think I told you, but I dated Sam in high school. But of course, that wasn't meant to be. Which now, I don't think I mind that much." She said to me. I smiled, telling her I felt the same. "But when we started shifting, everything changed. I was, still am I suppose, the only female wolf. My father died because I shifted, heart attack. I still feel guilty." I could tell Leah was trying not to cry, so I pulled her into a hug.
"There was nothing you could've done. I'm sure he'd be proud of the woman you are." I felt a few tears drop down my mate's face as she rested her head on my shoulder.
"Life in the pack was… hard." She continued with her story. "Sam and Seth were the only ones that actually liked me. All the other guys either hated me or simply tolerated me. It was just a never ending cycle until you came into my life." I rubbed her back.
"Well, I've been waiting for you for centuries. I'm never going to let you go now." My mate sniffled a little bit before pulling back to look me in the eyes. I saw her lean forwards slightly, as her eyes flicked down to my lips and back up. There was no hesitation in my mind about what to do. I surged forward to capture Leah's lips with mine. If I hadn't been certain that I was bound to Leah for the rest of my life, I sure was now.
I felt a warm, tingling sensation overtaking my body, but not in an aroused way. More like contentment. I reached up to grasp the back of Leah's neck, pulling her closer to me. I felt her soft lips move against mine before pulling back, both of us needing air. I rested my forehead against hers.
"Wow," I said. Leah laughed.
"Wow indeed."
A/N: Woah. It's an update. It's been what, a year and a half? Yeah, something like that. I'm not going to apologize or come up with an excuse. Because there really isn't one. I haven't been feeling Twilight FanFictions. Long story short. If you follow me as an author, you'll know I've been deep into the world of Pitch Perfect.
But I've received a number of PMs and reviews over the last year and a half to continue this. When I was feeling inspired, I outlined the rest of the story, so there is finally an actual direction. I've learned over time the advantage of outlines.
Now it's just up to me to put that outline into words.
As I said, I'm still not feeling Twilight stories right now. And I don't know if I ever will. But, this was my first baby of a story, and I feel extremely guilty for leaving it for so long, and I do want to finish this.
This is kind of a side project at this point. My focus is still on my Pitch Perfect stories. But, I will update this. I'm thinking maybe once a week or every two weeks. I hope that where I've decided to take this story is going to be satisfactory for everyone.
As usual, mistakes are my own and leave a review if you wish. Thank you for everyone that is still sticking around for this story, and please accept my updates as an apology.
A Charmed Vampire