A/N Sorry this has taken me so long to post, it's been mental at school and I started my first ever job ever the other day in a library and I have to do all this training and it takes up a lot of time. I was going to type this up yesterday, but I had to do some IT work otherwise I'm goint to fail. And then it took me about 8 years to figure out how the hell I got new chapters up on here and how to edit it because its all changed. Anyway thats all my excuses.
"Leah, wake up."
But I was having such a good dream. I don't want to wake up.
"Leah!"
Go away.
"Leah!"
Just two more minutes...
"Leah, if you don't get up right now I'm going to get the garden hose and spray you with it. And don't imagine for a second that I'm bluffing."
I open my eyes the tiniest little bit and wave my hand vaguely to show that I'm awake.
"Ok, ok, I'm up, I'm awake." I mutter, although my words are kind of slurred. But I mean jeez, where's the fire?
It all rushes back to me. The beach. The vampires. The battle. Joel...
I sit bolt upright to see Seth and Jacob standing over me. The sky is a pale grey, the stars have gone, although a misty moon is still there, however faint. Oh crap.
"What time is it?" I ask frantically.
"It's about five in the morning." answers Seth. "Mom sent us to come and get you two."
I stand. "Ew, it's all wet." I moan. Stupid dew. Joel is stirring now too.
"Wuzzgoinon?" he mumbles through a yawn. "Oh." He peers up at Seth and Jacob. "Hello."
"Hey." says Jacob, a grin emerging.
"Sleep well?" asks Seth innocently.
"Ok-time for breakfast." I interrupt loudly. "How's the battle plan going?"
"It's alright." says Jacob seriously. "Course we're not as prepared as we've been before but..."
"Its all part of the fun." finishes Seth. Joel looks shocked that Seth thinks that a fight- a brutal battle to the death might I add- is fun, but to be honest I actually agree with him. The adrenaline, the speed, the deadliness of the whole thing- it's kill or be killed.
And god it's invigorating. At times a good deadly fight is the only thing that's made me feel alive.
I eat quickly then pull on some clean, dry clothes. I pick up one of the numerous dresses in my collection and my cell phone and go back downstairs.
In the sitting room Embry and Lizzie are talking in the corner- Lizzie looking extremely worried- and Seth is jabbering away to Joel. Jacob is on the phone in the hall. I sit down and pull my sneakers on. Right. I'm ready to go.
When Jake walks in, it all goes silent. Me, Seth and Embry are waiting for instructions, Joel and Lizzie just look nervous.
"Sam wants us to meet at Emily's to go over the final plan." Jacob says quietly. "Then we'll go to the beach."
We all nod at the same time. We're already thinking as one, even in human form. Well, we're gonna need it.
"Let's go then. Joel, Lizzie, you have to stay here with Sue and Charlie." says Jacob. "We're sending over protection in a bit too, so you'll be safe."
Embry is staring deep into Lizzie's eyes. He mouths goodbye and kisses her softly on the lips, then mumbles something into her ear.
I'm suddenly aware of Joel looking at me. I could try to out-do Embry, like I do with everyone, and everything but I don't really fancy being all sappy with Joel. I'm not really cut out for mush. And it would be so weird to be like with Joel anyway. He's still my best friend. I can't believe I fell in love with my best friend. How cliché. It happens all the time in books and films.
"Right" says Jake tersely. "Time to go guys." I hope he didn't say anything important just then because I completely zoned out there.
Everyone trails out. I go to follow, but Joel grabs my hand and pulls me into a kiss, the best kiss I've ever had.
"Whoa." I say as he slowly pulls his lips away from mine as we come up for air. I try to take a step backwards, but stumble and bash my leg on the coffee table. Ouch. "That was...wow...I mean....mmm."
"I know." says Joel smugly, smirking at me. Then it fades. "You will be careful won't you?" he demands anxiously.
I smile slightly and nod. "I'll be fine." I reassure him.
He frowns. "Are you sure?"
"Joel, quit being overprotective- I have done this before you, you know." I remind him. He grins sheepishly.
"Yeah, I know" he says, wrapping his arms around me and giving me a huge squeeze.
"Leah! Stop making out and get your sorry ass in the car!" he lets me go at the sound of Jacob's irritated calls.
"See you soon." I say softly.
"Laters."
I give Mom a hug and a kiss before I squeeze into the car next to Seth. It's pretty cramped but I'm next to the window so I'm ok. Poor old Seth is squidged up in the middle. I don't even know how we all fit in.
We pull up at Emily's yet again and Embry and I both tumble out of the back as quick as we can.
I'm getting sick of Emily's house. Although I must admit, she makes the best muffins I've ever tasted. Including the ones Joel makes, and that's saying something.
Jake and Sam are dividing up the coven.
"So if Bella pairs up with Jasper, they can deal with that Ezra guy..." Sam mumbles, Jake frantically scribbling it all down. Sam glances at Jacob, and then me.
"Leah, do you want to go for...er..." he checks the list of leech names that the Cullens gave him. "Veronica. With Seth. Or would you prefer Simon?"
"Neither." I reply. "I want Edgar."
"Well...actually we thought that maybe one of the Cullens could...perhaps Emmett..."
"No." I say flatly. "That bloodsucking bastard is mine."
Sam looks doubtful. "Leah, I don't think..."
"Edgar's mine." I snarl at him. Why can't he get that into his head?
"Sam, I think we should let Leah go for Edgar." says Jacob clearly. "I think she can do it and they'll be loads of us to help if not."
"Why are you planning so much anyway Sam?" says Quil, strolling over with his hands in his pockets. "We normally just make it up as we go along."
"And the bloodsuckers are hopelessly outnumbered." adds Jared.
"They haven't got a prayer." I chip in.
Sam shrugs. "This isn't as...planned as the other fights...and I don't know...I just have a bad feeling about this."
I feel guilty for bringing this on everyone. It's my fault.
"Oh God." groans Paul. "The leeches are here. The Cullens I mean, not the others that we're going to kill."
They pile into the lounge: the blonde one, the big one, the midget one, the feelings one, the mumsey one, the doctor one, the mindreading one and the worst one- Bella Swan. They all look pretty unconcerned about being in the middle of a giant pack of wolves,even though those wolves are psyching themselves up for a massive fight, but that could just be because they're made of stone, and find it hard to show any emotion.
I go upstairs and change into my dress. I don't like it much, which is why I chose it- I don't care about wrecking it when I phase.
When I go downstairs its six o clock. We're going down to the beach to check it out, make sure its all clear.
The packs go down first, to make sure the coast is clear. It's empty except for a couple sitting there holding hands, looking like a Norman Rockwell painting. Sam marches down to them and says something-not sure what but it certainly gets rid of them.
The excitement is in the air now. I'm pretty keyed up myself. We make our way down the beach in human form, down to the more deserted part of the beach.
"Ok everyone!" calls Sam loudly. "It's nearly half six- phase!"
I close my eyes and focus. I feel my hands, then my arms, then my whole body vibrate, shivers travelling through my bones and veins, then I give a great shudder and explode into a huge furry dog, linked mentally with my pack brothers.
The Cullens walk down to us. I bet people on the rez were surprised when they saw them cruising down here in their stupidly expensive flashy cars.
We stand in four lines. The Alphas stand at the front. The older eight wolves, including me, are next. The Cullens are just behind us and then after them, the younger seven wolves. One of them, probably Alex, is bouncing around like a hyper child.
Bella Swan seems to be concentrating. I suppose she must be doing that weird shield thing with her mind. What a freak.
My attention snaps to the front as nine vampires appear on the horizon. They walk towards us at human pace, closer and closer and closer...