Title: Better Than a Soap Opera
Chapter: Truce, But Not Really
Summary: Sam asked him to go with Jared instead of Embry. Because Collin was a safe bet. Collin was a kid. And Collin wouldn't up and leave the pack to go with Jacob... Unlike poor Embry.
Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with Twilight. That's all Stephenie Meyer. I just like the empty holes I can fill up with my imagination. :3 But, really, who doesn't find joy in fan fiction?
It was hard, dealing with all of this at once. You know, the whole dissention in the ranks kind of thing.
First, Jacob leaves us. I heard from Sam and Jared that is was an Alpha male thing; Jacob was the true Alpha among the pack, but he didn't want the responsibility. Until Sam ordered him to attack that human girl with the vampires. I guess love is strong enough to beat an Alpha's order... As long as you had Alpha blood inside of you. I couldn't imagine anybody leading our pack but Sam. He deserved his position. He was the first to change in this generation, and he had gone through so much, he just deserved it. He didn't deserve having Jacob break away from us. It felt wrong when I suddenly realized that his mind was no longer apart of mine.
Second, Seth runs off after Jacob almost immediately! He always liked those bloodsuckers. I guess it really shouldn't have surprised any of us when we all knew how Seth felt about that Edward. One minute he's going after Jacob, the next he's not even part of our pack.
Third, Leah runs off on us in the middle of the night! We all knew she was really pissed off about her brother leaving. Sam never expected her to actually join Jacob! She did. We were three down.
And finally, there was Embry and Quil. More so Embry than Quil. Claire was here for Quil. We counted on that. Even though Quil and Jacob were best friends, he couldn't abandon his imprint. Embry was a completely different story. What did he really have to hold him here in La Push? His mom? She didn't know the truth and couldn't tell him the truth. That was the end of that story right there. Embry would definitely leave our pack.
Our family was mangled enough as it is. Sam wasn't going to give anybody the opportunity to leave the pack again.
I felt as though my front paws were cut off. I was so used to all the voices in my head that...
"We have to meet with Jacob," Sam said to us. We were gathered at his and Emily's place for this meeting. "Get him to come back."
"How do we do that exactly?" Paul asks while shoving another hot dog in his throat.
"We tell him that we won't attack Bella. We can wait and see what happens. There's no need for two seperate packs. I want all three of them home," Sam told us, echoing all of our thoughts as though he could read them in human form as well.
"That doesn't sound simple," Embry muttered. "Not to me. And it won't to Jacob, either."
"It's not like we can't try," Jared answered, narrowing his eyes at the other boy.
We knew what Embry was thinking. He was mad at first, when Jacob ran off. Abandoning us. Warning the vampires of our plans. Then, he grew agitated, depressed. That was his friend, his brother. He could do what Leah and Seth did, run off to join Jacob's new pack. Sam was shocked by Embry's thoughts; we all were.
"I'm sorry you feel that way, Embry," Sam said to him, laying a hand on his shoulder. "I'm afraid that you won't be going to meet Jacob."
"What?!" Embry exclaimed angrily, jumping up from his seat. He glared at Sam, rage all over his face. Quil grabbed his arm immediately, pushing him back, away from Sam.
"You heard me," Sam warned dangerously, not the least bit threatened by Embry. "You will not go, Embry Call."
"And who would go in my place, exactly? Who are you going to send? Just Jared, Paul, and Quil?" Embry challenged.
Of course, Brady and I wouldn't be included in this damn scenerio. We were too young, they said. We weren't allowed in that fight against the newborns, either. We had to stay home like good little pups. Next to me, Brady sniffed, probably thinking the same thing I was. I snorted softly, too low for anybody but Brady to hear, really. I wanted him to now that we were in on this together.
Sam swung his eyes over to us, eyeing Brady for a moment, then watching me. He nodded to himself, as if coming to a decision none of us quite knew. "Collin will go in your stead."
"Me?!" I shouted at the same time both Quil and Embry exclaimed, "Collin?!"
"Collin, are you up for the task?"
I stared wide eyed at Sam, asking me to go along on this mission. Brady nudged me, grinning widely at the opportunity I was being presented. "Y-yes," I squeaked, grinning as well. "I'm so up for this!"
Sam settled his eyes on Embry, who just let his shoulders sag in defeat. "Good. Jared, you will speak for me, as my beta."
Jared nodded, understanding. We all knew Jared would be the beta. Paul was bigger, but Jared had a cooler head, and he was the second one of us to make the change. "Anything you want me to say, Sam?"
Sam closed his eyes, thinking about what he wanted to relay to our lost members. "Tell Seth his mother misses him. And... Jared, tell Leah I want her back. If you really have to, get on your knees and beg her to come back."
Embry snorted, turned away from the rest of us. I frowned as well, hearing that. Leah was stubborn; begging wouldn't quite do it for her, but it was worth a try if Sam thought so.
But that didn't matter at all. I was going to be allowed to go on this truce mission, even though everybody thought of me as a kid! Sam recognized my potential and was letting me out of La Push. He could have sent Brady. Brady was a stronger fighter compared to me, just in case it came down to that. Jacob could be hostile now. Sam was taking a chance that Jacob wouldn't be, and that I would have a cool head in all of this. And I would. I wasn't going to leave Sam now, not when the pack seemed to grow smaller everyday!
I wouldn't let him down. Sam was my hero.
--
Everybody was on edge as we approached the lands belonging to the leeches. It was exciting and a little bit scary.
Not going to wet yourself, are you kid? Paul joked, picking up my feelings instantly.
Not funny! I yelled back.
Why would Sam think I'm any better than Embry? Quil whined, his mind full of thoughts of Jacob and all the fun times they had together.
Hey, at least you don't have to be on your knees, begging for Leah to return. I think we all know why she truly ran off to Jacob and Seth. I'm going to have pull out something to convince her, Jared muttered, flicking his ears back.
Probably will rip your throat out the minute you call her Lee-Lee, Paul continued to joke, but somehow, this was a little more serious. The images conjured at Paul's words flitted through my head, and the others groaned with my imagination.
Thanks, there, Collin. Everybody, don't worry. Look, we are not here to fight. We are here to get our family back. If our persuasions don't work, that's it. We go home. Is that cool with everybody? Jared asked us, while at the same time howls filled through the woods. We all stopped moving, listening to them. We knew who it was; Seth and Leah, calling for Jacob.
I whined softly, uneasy. It's wrong, not being able to hear them when we just were able to.
I know what you mean... Quil mumbled, and I wondered if he was up to the task. I'm not going to split from the pack, if that's what you mean. He growled at me. I lowered my head and flattened my ears in apology.
Sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I just... I know what Jacob means to you and Embry. It must be hard.
Here we go. I'm going to phase back, approach them slowly. Hang behind me a little, Jared ordered before going ahead and making the phase.
Show time, Paul muttered, clearly unhappy.
Right. Show time... I didn't think any of them would come back with us today, but at least they would know we wouldn't attack the leeches. For now.
AN: Collin was a little harder to write because he never really had anytime in the books to make himself known as an individual. But once I started this chapter, I knew who he was. Just a kid among adults with a hero worship for his Alpha. I was thinking of including the whole time with Jacob and the Clearwaters, but I thought this was a better ending. Review, lovely readers!