AN: UGH! I seriously hated this week. Its not spring break for me when I'm taking care of EVERYTHING. BUT I finally managed to sit down and get this all out, so enjoy. I should be updating next week on time, since it will be back to normal. The next chapter will have a hint of the Cullen's in it, but thats it. Enjoy!
Chapter Sixteen
The Fight For Everything
I hated letting go of Anna but when I saw Sam run into the woods, I knew I had to. Leah and my mom had taken Anna and crammed her in the car with the other imprints and they drove off. I ran after Sam and didn't even bother taking my clothes off. It didn't matter, I had to get to the vamp and get it away from La Push and Anna.
Where is it?! I snarled to Collin. We were all running with a mile between us to make a net to catch the bloodsucker.
I dunno, she ran off after I tried to fight her. Collin answered lamely.
What? Sam asked confused.
I don't get it either. Collin muttered. We were all ten times more worried now.
We'll split in half, no one try to fight it alone. Sam ordered in his Alpha voice. Embry, Quil and Seth didn't have to listen, but they weren't going to challenge him.
We were pounding ground, trying to pick up the vampire's scent when we sensed Leah phase with us. She was leaving her house, but it was only to throw the vampire off so it couldn't smell where she had been.
They're all at your mom's house. I put them in the basement. I doubt any bloodsucker could smell them over the leaking pipes. She told as she started running with all her speed. She'd be with us in less than a minute. I could sense Quil worrying about Claire, but she was visiting the Makah Rez again and we would stop it before it left our land.
That would be thoroughly disgusting if it wasn't protecting them right now. Jared muttered.
Embry, take Collin and Jeremy to watch Celia's place. Sam ordered.
No, Embry said firmly.
We all almost stopped at what he had just said. What? Leah managed to say before the rest of us.
My smell isn't very strong near her apartment, no more than the rest of you, they won't think anything of it. She'll be safer that way. Embry answered surely.
I had to give it to him, he had a point. Are you sure? Sam asked carefully.
We could all feel the decision tearing Embry to shreds. He was about to leave his imprint completely unprotected, because even two ex-Marines couldn't take on a vampire. Yes, he answered, shaking like a leaf.
Okay, I told Emily to call Jake as soon as she was safe. Sam told all of us.
We don't need the Cullen's, we can finish this ourselves. I growled.
I want the Cullen's on standby just in case this turns ugly. Unless you want your mom and Anna to fend for themselves. Sam snapped.
I growled lowly.
That's what I thought. Sam hissed. I seriously hate when he is right. It doesn't matter how many times he's right, I still hate it.
We were all still grumbling about leaving our imprints when Seth, who was two miles from me, far to close to our homes screamed in all of our heads, I got her scent!
Paul, Quil, Embry, Jared follow Seth with me, the rest of you protect La Push! Sam yelled, just as we started running toward Seth anyway.
What?! Leah shrieked. She wanted to take down the leech as much we did, but someone had to look out for our land.
Don't argue Leah! Sam snapped. She growled to herself but ran off with the younger members of the pack who were grumbling with her.
We caught up to Seth faster than we normally did. It wasn't a game today, it was life and death today.
The damn vampire had us running everywhere for over an hour. We couldn't catch up to her because somehow, she had rigged everything to make sure she was three steps ahead. We never had our eyes on her for more than a few seconds before she was hurling trees at us. Since Sam didn't want us separated, we would have to stop and dig out whoever was hit.
The time it took to catch this damn blood-sucker was killing us. Leah and the other guys were stretched pretty thin trying to protect all of the Quileute land, and still not flat out let her know where the house was that held the most important people of our lives. I suppose that's how she got through…
It happened in a split second. We were all running away from La Push because we caught her scent moving away, again, and I could feel something was wrong. There was a part of me that needed to see Anna because I felt a cold grip suddenly clench my lungs.
Collin was screaming at us, because he could smell the fucking vamp running between him and Leah. She had a straight shot at my house.
My ears were ringing and I started to shake. I bolted. Screw Sam's orders, I needed to make sure my mother and Anna were okay. We were a few miles out, but I covered the ground faster than I ever had in all my time as a shape-shifter. The house didn't even have to be in my sight when I heard my mother screaming.
"ANNA!" There was a fear in my mother's voice that made everything a million times worse.
She's at the cliffs! Quil screamed at us. He could smell Anna with the leech and I snapped.
Paul, we do this together! Sam tried to order me.
I wasn't listening, it didn't matter what voice he used now because Anna was apart of this and she beat any of his orders.
He ordered Leah and the younger ones to stay, and Embry to do the same, focusing on protecting the people of La Push and Forks. But I didn't have it in me to care about anyone else. My life was in the hands of stinking-sparkling-vampire.
Skidding to a halt we all saw Anna, tiny and delicate Anna, being held by her throat by a pale-faced leech. The five of us closed around her and I watched as Anna's eyes got bigger. She stared at us in shock but stayed completely still in the bloodsuckers grasp. I could tell that she already knew she was being held hostage by something that wasn't human and that could kill her in a fraction of a second. She was trying her hardest to survive and I was going to get her out of this. Because I'll die without her…
"Finally," the blonde vampire sighed, rolling her eyes. She looked like a deadly version of a spoiled white-girl from suburbia, a few inches taller than Anna and with deep red eyes. It didn't matter though, because I was taking her jaw off as soon as I could. "Everyone said you would kill me in an hour. I've been here for three and yet I'm still here," she said proudly.
This was all a big fucking game to her.
I snarled and tensed my whole body, preparing to take that bitch down. "Watch it, your little girlfriend's neck could snap at any minute," she said, tightening her hold on Anna's neck and lifting her off the ground.
I froze and so did the others. We didn't even breathe.
That bitch smirked. "That's what I thought," she said knowingly.
Anna locked her eyes with mine and instead of paralyzing fear filling her eyes, it was determination. She glanced at the vamps shoulder, which was missing a chunk thanks to Collin, and then to a tree two feet away.
She wanted us to distract the vamp so she could run for cover.
God, she's even brilliant in life or death situations.
You two take her bad side. Sam ordered me and Quil.
"You are no fun," she said rolling her eyes and it gave us the split second to attack.
I lunged at her, sinking my teeth into her shoulder and yanking her to the ground. Quil attacked her side, tearing into her while Seth ran up and got the leg that threatened to kick Quil away. Anna was still being held by her throat, but I couldn't let go of the leech to help her because if I released my hold she'd just run off with Anna again. Sam attacked her other shoulder from behind to get Anna away from her while Jared, with all care, pulled Anna away by her leg.
The little bitch was screaming like a two-year-old and tried to get out from under us. I yanked off her arm, but she didn't even flinch, she was only whining because we were winning and she didn't like that.
Anna let Jared pull her away and as soon as he dropped her foot from his mouth she scampered behind the nearest tree. She watched us wrestling with the vampire with wide eyes, holding her bruised throat with both hands.
Watch her! I yelled to Jared when he tried to join us. The four of us could handle the whining bitch. Jared begrudgingly moved back so he was directly between Anna and the fight.
Sam tried to get her leg off, but she spun under us, the slippery leech and threw her elbows back but I was the only one that got hit.
Her marble elbow connected with my shoulder and sent me flying back a couple of yards. We all felt my shoulder pop out of place with the sickening crack that radiated down and I'm damn sure bruised a few of my ribs. I hit the ground and pain radiated through my body. It hurt. A lot. But I had to move, I had to get up. I needed to finish that bitch, to make sure nothing would happen to Anna.
I tried to roll onto my feet, ignoring all the pain that screamed at me, but I was stopped. I forced my eyes to focus on what was blocking me and I was nose to nose with my imprint.
"Don't move, you'll only hurt yourself more," she whispered hoarsely, trying to roll me onto my non-injured side.
Sam was panicking, I could hear it and feel it but it had nothing to do with the vamp. Jared had taken my place and they were half-way done ripping her into pieces that would never be put together again. She had stopped screaming because Seth took her jaw off and they were just putting the icing on the cake now.
Get away from her Paul. Sam tried to order while ripping up the biggest chunk of her that was left.
That wasn't an order I would be forced to follow, but I knew I had to do it. It was too dangerous to be around Anna as a wolf. I tried to get on my feet but Anna only pushed me back down. "Stop moving," she ordered, sounding stronger than I had ever heard her. It didn't matter. I still had to get away from her but when I moved again she grabbed my muzzle and looked directly into my eyes. "I know you understand me," she said slowly. I would have started stammering if I could.
Sam ordered Quil to start separating the pieces of the vamp and bury them as deep as he could when all of the chunks stopped twitching and they all, slowly, walked over to where I was laying, with my little imprint forcing me into the ground.
Looks like all that speech planning was for nothing. Seth cracked, laughing like a hyena.
Dude, she is too smart for you. Jared added.
Sam didn't think it was funny, at all. He was continually reliving what happened to Emily.
She continued to feel my wounded side and through my fur she found my dislocated shoulder. It took all my strength not to lash out at her from the pain. "Your shoulder is out of place, but I can fix it," she said surely.
Nice, you imprinted on a wanna-be veterinarian. Seth snickered. I wanted to hit him so bad, but Anna was too close. He'd pay for it later, when I wasn't in life-ending pain.
Sam, who was standing farthest away, sighed and inched his way closer. Jared and Quil, hold Paul secure, Seth, you're going to help her, she can't do this on her own. He said, defeated.
The three of them started pinning me down, carefully. They knew how much pain I was in and they didn't want me to kill them when I was healed from all this. Seth walked up next to Anna and plopped down, giving her his best puppy eyes. I wanted smacked him.
With both her hands she lifted up my limp arm. I hissed through my teeth. "Steady him, there," she said nodding toward my bruised ribs.
Just remember, Anna told me to do this. Seth said fearfully, very slowly raising his paws to put on my injured side.
Just do it! I snapped. The sooner this was over, the sooner I could get Anna back to my house.
Seth pushed his paws into my side, damn near making me scream.
As soon as Seth had all of his weight on me, Anna used all of her weight to throw my shoulder back into place with a deafening pop.
I was blinded with pain and my instincts took over, making my body hurl away and my limbs flail.
After that second of sheer pain passed I was on my other side and Anna was no where in sight. I was on my feet panicking the next second but when I turned and looked Anna was under Sam, who had the back of her shirt in his mouth.
She looked a little frazzled and was looking up at Sam, pushing her hair out of her face. Seeing her alive and unharmed I collapsed back down. My shoulder was where it belonged but it still hurt and my ribs were still screaming at me.
That could have been very bad. Sam said lowly, letting go of Anna's shirt. She tried to crawl back to me, but Sam put his paw down in front of her and she got the message. She sat on the ground and looked at me worryingly.
Thanks, I mumbled to him.
Carry him back to his place. Sam ordered Jared.
Jared wriggled me onto his back, so my head was resting on his shoulder, and started slowly carrying me the mile and a half back to my house. Normally my pride wouldn't let anyone carry me, but pride doesn't have a louder voice than a torso full of pain.
Anna watched the both of us in confusion and tried to follow but Sam stopped her again and turned his head to Seth.
Go run ahead of us and get everything ready for him. He ordered then used his muzzle and flipped her onto his back.
Her eyes were almost as big as they were when she was being held by the vampire. She didn't know what to do with her hands and was scared half to death. She can play vet with a wolf three times her size, but she can't ride one.
I'll admit, I was jealous to see her riding Sam, but after everything that had just gone down, I could just as easily be carrying her dead body out of this forest, so I wasn't going to be picky for the moment.
Sam stayed in line with Jared to make sure I didn't fall off. Or jump. He knew how stubborn I was at times. Anna would alternate between watching the path Sam took and me. She almost slipped off a few a times because she wouldn't hold onto his fur. It made me chuckle, which irritated my ribs and made me snarl in pain.
Half an hour later when we got to my backyard, my mom, Emily and a clothed, jittery Embry and Seth, where waiting for me.
"What happened?!" Mom shrieked at me.
"I really don't know," Anna answered shyly, stumbling off of Sam.
Mom instantly looked ashamed and rushed to her. "Oh, sweetie, are you okay?" she asked brushing Anna's hair, looking at the bruising on her neck.
"Its just sore," Anna said, touching the skin gingerly. I felt anger toss my stomach at the sight of it.
Seth started walking into the woods with an armful of shorts for all of us and I was carried back into the trees. We all phased and I managed to get my own shorts on with one hand. It hurt, but I did it. Sam and Jared helped me back to my backyard and my mom met us and started fussing instantly.
"Take him to his room, Dr. Cullen should be here soon. He met up with Quil to help dispense of the… thing," Mom said awkwardly, opening the back door. Anna didn't follow, Emily had her arm around her shoulders and was comforting her while I was carried away.
In my room, I was dropped on my bed and the last thing I heard was Kim yelling at Jared. Better than my mother…
AN: Review!