Hi hi, it's me again. Be warned, there's something going on here that's called Real Life. Beware, it might be contagious...

It kept me from writing, and I'm sorry for a) delaying this chapter, b) my feeling that this chapter might be somewhat flat (I think the end is better than the rest and c) my momentary laziness and creative low... I have to force myself to keep writing though I'd rather do something else. But I am determined to get this story going until I find a satisfying end. :)

Have fun with this chapter now. Italic are thoughts - you know the rules. The wolfs can hear them, the dog's can't, but sometimes she's directly thinking her answer anyway though they can't hear...

I'm not sure about whether the title is that good... but anyway. ;)

Chapter 12 – Tongue-tied

"Leah?", Mano's voice called over to me. He ran about five yards away from me. Makani had taken my other flank. We'd been running the coastline for the last two hours, approaching the northern head land. I cocked my head in Mano's direction, trying to convey that I was listening to him.

"There's something in the air. Do you smell it?"

I sniffed intently. There was a faint smell, faint enough that it didn't make the hair on my neck rise in disgust. But still, it was clearly the abominable, sweet scent of leeches.

I nodded in approval of Mano's senses. Very good.

"Follow it?", he asked back. I was reminded of Seth's enthusiasm, though Mano was a few years older and more mature than Seth in his youthful presumption. With Mano, it was more dignity, if only slightly.

I hesitated. I still hated to be limited to Yes or No answers, being tongue-tied. I'd rather work with the two of them as equal partners instead of being regarded as the Alpha, sort of. They looked to me for commands, decisions, not for suggestions. If we leave the trail, we might miss something. Otherwise, we're almost at the coast. There won't be much we couldn't have smelled from here.

We should follow the trail while trying to stay close to our original path. Which won't work. Oh, never mind. Follow the trail, that's what we're after.

I nodded and we made a slight turn, noses up in the air. We hadn't found the real vampire track yet, only the faint stink in the air. So we would be following that scent until we would come across the trail.

Makani, running at my flank, was quiet. She hadn't said a word yet. I wondered if this was her usual behaviour or if it had to do with me or this patrol or the mission altogether. Are you okay?

Mano was taking the lead now, maybe it was unconsciously, because he was so caught up and ambitioned, or simply because he was used to being second-in-command. It was, sort of, relieving to just follow him while we ran. The scent got stronger, finally triggering the natural reaction my wolf being was providing. My nose wrinkled, the fur on my neck stood on end. I repressed a growl.

Mano looked back at me. "Is this alright?" I nodded. We're getting closer.

I could feel Embry in my head right now. He was intently watching and listening to my thoughts, tensing with me.

Want me to come over?, he offered.

Wait for Seth, please. Don't want him to go alone..., I replied, a little worried about my brother. He knew no risk, he just took it.

Don't worry., Embry laughed.

Mano beckoned me to come over. His nose was on the ground, he had found the track. The pale brown dog – Makani – followed me, sniffing the trail, too. It led south, but probably somewhat away from our planned patrol route.

Now that we were on the track, I could distinguish the smell – there were two different scents in here. So it were at least two. But I didn't think it would be only two. There had to be some more of them. We ran in unison, following the trail south. The double-scented track never parted, so it had to be a leech pair. That was bad enough. They really got pissed if you killed their mates... not that they would have too much time for lamenting or revenge, anyway...

"Leah, we're near Hilo again. Abandon the track and meet with the others? Running our assigned shift? Following the trail further?

Three options. Great. I let out one short baying noise. We do not need to find them now. Maybe the others know more. Let's go check in with them.

"Oh, sorry. Meet the others?", he repeated. I gave him a nod. We left the trail and headed back to Hilo.

Leah!

Hi, Seth. What's up?, I greeted my brother.

I'm about to go, but Mum wouldn't let me swim over. She says I can't., he grumbled.

I laughed. I had to admit I was a bit relieved.

I'll take a plane, then. Embry is coming with me.

Good. Let me know when you arrive. I'll come for you., I offered, hoping that Mikala and Rebecca wouldn't mind to have two other guests in their house.

What about Jacob and Quil?, I asked him.

They're waiting for feedback. Ready to go if necessary. I told Jake if there are only two or three, we can take care of it alone, but he wouldn't hear of it.

Jake's responsible, unlike you., I stated in response to his grumbling.

Mano and Makani were running at my sides again. At least, the dogs were really fast.

I began to smell the now-familiar scent of the forest not far from the Hookano's place. We ran in silence, hearing some of the other's footfalls as they, too, approached. It seemed perfectly timed and I wondered why that was. Maybe coincidence, maybe good organisation, or maybe even something more magical.

When we arrived at the meeting place, we were expected already. I slowed to a jog, but didn't stop. Mano looked at me, confused. I shook my head at him. I needed to go for clothing, otherwise I'd go crazy for still being tongue-tied. I hoped anyone would grasp that so I wouldn't cause a panic. Once I would have managed, I would explain that to them...

I got faster again, meaning to hurry. Suddenly, I heard someone chasing after me. Instinctively, the fur on my neck rose and I spun around to defend myself. I stopped short when I saw it was Mano.

"Sorry.", he said, sort of puzzled and even ashamed. "I wasn't about to upset you... just worried. What's going on?"

I need my fuckin' clothes so I can explain it to you in my own words without being nude. That's all.

I ignored him and kept walking, following my own scent until I found my pile of clothes. I stopped and gave him an annoyed look that said Could you please back off while I change?

He looked from my face to the clothes, then he looked away. "Oh."

I nodded and watched until he had left.

When I felt sure no man of any kind was watching me, I phased back to my human form. It felt both odd and good to walk on two legs again.

"See. It's great to have my voice back!", I triumphed, aloud. When I realized that their ears were good enough to hear me, too, I sobered down a bit from my momentary high.

I walked back to the assembled dog pack, where Keli'i sat across from the rest of them again.

I went to stand next to Mano, feeling a bit self-conscious to be the only human here.

"Good. Everyone is here again.", Keli'i began. "What have you found? Leah?"

I cleared my throat. "We... came across the scent of two of them. We didn't find them, but they seem to be mates. This is difficult, because they'll act more enraged when you kill their partners.", I reported, adding another piece of background information.

Keli'i nodded and gestured toward a bronze colored dog. "Ikaika, what can you report?"

Ikaika stood and answered in a strong, sure voice. "We found two different tracks. They crossed each other a few times, but seldom traveled together. When we followed one of them, it got stronger – we found one of the bloodsuckers, but it didn't notice us. We abandoned this track after that, not wanting to put the group in unnecessary danger."

"Yes. That was the right choice.", Keli'i approved. "What about the other trail?"

This time, the copper dog, Luana, replied. "We traced it toward the ocean, but it dissolved at the coast. Like the creature took off across the water..."

I nodded. "They can do that. We could follow, maybe, but we've not tested long-distance swimming, so we assume they would have the upper hand there."

Keli'i motioned toward the next group to speak. They hadn't found any trace of vampire stink anywhere in the south-western quarter of the Island.

At last, Mikala's group was in turn to speak. "We have crossed a very strange track...", he began, looking at me for an explanation. I returned his gaze, waiting for him to resume.

"There was a kind of... meeting place, where at least seven different tracks crossed. Sometimes, the scent was faint, but sometimes it was stronger, like one was more recent than the other."

I nodded in encouragement. "Go on."

"The tracks sort of... circled around a clearing. From there, they lead in different directions, back and forth..."

"Oh.", I exclaimed. I contemplated this for a second. "I assume it's kind of... not a meeting place. More a... battle field. Of course, we know now that these bloodsuckers are linked. Seven are quite many." We would have to ask for the help of the other pack, I thought with chagrin.

"There are... vampire armies.", I began to explain, meeting the shocked stares of eleven human expressions beneath a dog's features. "Power is very important to them. They would create new leeches and train them for battle, so they would fight others of their own kind to gain possession of a... hunting region." A slight shivering rolled down my spine. "This could be the case here. But we don't know for sure. It will probably still be a kind of blind mission, but I am calling in for help from my pack and the other Quileute pack."

Keli'i nodded, worry creasing his black dog face.

"My friends will be here as soon as they can. I would propose that for now, we should all go home and get some rest – if I might give my opinion."

"Yes. Your opinion is highly valued here.", he replied. There was the Alpha's authority in his voice that I wouldn't dream to negotiate, but he still made me take responsibility for this mission.

"Brothers and Sisters, we will go to our homes now. As soon as there is something new to consider, we will call you together again."

All of them rose at that, murmuring good byes.

I went over towards Mikala for the way home.

"Well done, Leah.", he complimented me after we had walked in silence for a while. "Thank you again for being here. It's a greater blessing than I could guess when Rebecca first invited you."

I cleared my throat, feeling self-conscious. "It's a matter of course."

"I'm not so sure about that. Risking your life for some natives in a foreign country isn't to be taken for granted."

"It should be, if the people I'm doing it for are friends."

Mikala thought about that. "I wasn't much of a good friend in the beginning."

"Well... that's true. But I'm not holding grudges."

"Leeeaah!"

Before I could react, someone flung himself at me. Someone small and smelling of chocolate and jam. "Hey, Pili!", I laughed and shoved him away on armlength before I hugged him in a bear hug again. "Mommy let me watch TV for two hours in the afternoon. And she let me eat two chocolate bars and two slices of bread with jam for dinner!", he exclaimed. "Cool.", I replied, wondering if this generosity about sweets and TV resulted from Rebecca's attempts to keep her son busy with something else besides noticing that I had been gone so long. I wondered what she had told him, and I worried again about having to lie to him. I felt guilty for being busy with fulfilling my tribe protector duty while I should have been a nanny.

"Dad!" Pili moved on to the next homecomer without asking weird questions about where we'd been. Mikala caught him in a hug and swung him in a circle. "Hey, my Tiger. Had a cool day?" Pili nodded, and Mikala smiled. "You've got to brush your teeth very well this evening."

I decided it was time to take up my job again and accompanied Pili to the bathroom. It took a good piece of motivation for him to go thoroughly about brushing his teeth, but finally, I had him clean and ready for bed.

"Do you tell me another story tonight?", he asked when I sat at his bedside. I yawned. "I would... but I'm terribly tired.", I excused. "Why?", he asked. "I've been on my legs all day."

"Me, too.", he replied and gave me a big yawn of his own. "So it will be better for you to sleep now. Tomorrow is a new day."

I tiptoed out of the room. This was amazing about Pili. He could change from one instant of being lively and very awake to being fast asleep the next instant.

My own room felt quiet and strangely lonely. I put on my pyjama, went to brush my teeth and finally crawled into bed. But before I could fall asleep, I realized why my room felt like there was heavy air in here, weighing me down.

It was like the exhaustion from a long day's strives – as long as you kept busy, you wouldn't feel it. But as soon as you took a moment to rest, it would come back to you.

The haunting thought of Sam kept coming back to me whenever I wasn't busy enough to distract me with indulgence of any kind.

Still – the physical exhaustion took its toll on me, too. After a few minutes of tossing from side to side unevenly, sleep took me, and with it came the nightmares.

Sam, Sam, always Sam, the lovely face he'd worn very long ago when he'd been my Sam. Then, in another flashing memory, the bitter face when he'd changed and wouldn't tell me anything. Soon after, the very worst moment, the moment when it all collapsed, when our end was sealed. This was not the first time I'd dreamed that situation, reliving it again and again.

Sam is standing next to me in my room. We've been cleaning it so my cousin Emily can stay here for a few days. This afternoon, she's arriving. Sam looks tired, as he always does, these days. He's always evading my questions, acting like he's tongue-tied, but I can't stop asking, anyway, because I want to figure it out.

"Sam? Are you okay?" I stretch on my toes to kiss him on the cheek – he's grown taller than he'd been before all of a sudden.

He avoids my eyes. "I'm tired.", he says. I get that answer everytime. I can see he is tired, but there must be a reason why he is, and I'm not buying that he doesn't know more than he tells me.

"Sam.", I try again. "I love you. And I'm worried about you."

He smiles at me, but it doesn't touch his eyes completely, not the way I'd known his smile, not the way he used to smile at me. "I love you, too."

I stretch again, wrapping my arms around his waist, reaching up to kiss him. He kisses me back, softly, but there is a bitter edge to it. Suddenly, he changes, his stiff arms become lively again, he embraces me, squeezes me close to his body. There is some of the old passion in his lips again as he kisses me now. I'm gasping for air, but the longing and desperation in his stance keeps me breathing raggedly while I'm responding to this kiss.

Finally, he lets go of me, turns to look at my face with the love he'd always had for me shining through.

"Leelee, I really love you."

For once, I feel hope again. Maybe he's going to be okay, going to be back to normal soon. My Sam.

There's a babbling of voices from the kitchen. Mum is greeting her sister Eliza, her husband and their daughter Emily, my cousin. She's three years older than me and a very good friend to me.

I squeeze Sam once again, then let him go. He follows me as I swiftly run down the stairs to meet Emily.

"Leah!" Delighted, she stretches out her arms toward me and we embrace like we haven't seen each other in years. Which is true, after all. "Emily. Wow, great you're here. I could tell you so much that happened the last years..." She laughs. "Yeah, me too."

I'm aware of Sam standing a few steps behind me, waiting to be introduced. He doesn't know my cousin yet.

"Emily? This is my boyfriend, Sam.", I say proudly. "Sam, this is Emily."

I freeze as I see Sam's face go blank for a moment, before he lifts his hand like a sleepwalker to shake Emily's. "Hi. I'm... Sam.", he stammers, more awkward and shy than I've ever seen him.

He's not letting go of Emily's hand for a long while. Finally, I poke his side to wake him from daydreaming, but he doesn't even notice. He just keeps staring into Emily's eyes like he's never seen anything more wonderful than her. He looks at her more intense than he's ever looked at me.

I cover my mouth to keep from screaming, to keep myself together, but I already feel I'm falling, falling.

The scream bursts free.

I woke up covered in sweat. I should have been so used to it, but everytime, it keeps scaring the hell out of me. I couldn't get used to that empty feeling as to where my heart was torn out and wrenched into an unrecognizable shape. I lay in bed, shivering and trembling so heavily I feared I might fall to pieces. Maybe that was what falling apart – or being ripped apart, would feel like.