III.

Challenge

Jacob and Seth were in their human forms when they saw me so I couldn't read their mind but seeing their faces, I knew I was in trouble, big time. They were shaking so badly that I knew it wasn't long before they both phase back to their wolf forms. They couldn't control their anger and making a wolf angry was a very very dangerous thing to do. I was just hoping that they weren't thinking of tearing me to smithereens. I think I still want every part of my body together. My brain jammed as they waited in my window-waiting for an explanation of my failed attempt to run away. Jacob's face was filled with wrath, he could not hide his anger behind that cool poker face of his from me for I know every bit of his expressions. Seeing Seth's face was excruciating. He was filled with rage that I could see but behind that scourging scowl, his eyes were burning with hurt that was torturing every bit of his soul. Tears swelled in his eyes that was too painful to watch dropping.

I sighed. I guess I had no more choice but to face them. I knew I could not run away from them. I was good at running away from the world but the thing is, you can't really outrun the world for sooner or later it will catch up on you. I couldn't do what Jacob did when Bella hurt him. I could not go far away from this place, only hide in the depths of my mind, for I keep on thinking of my family that I would leave behind. I also promised myself that I would never give up on the pack. I turned the engine of the car off and took the car keys from the ignition. Maybe it was a bad decision of leaving the car in the middle of the road but no one was coming anyways. I got out of the car and faced them. For the second time this day, my legs began to wobble again. I sighed once more to keep them steady and faced Jacob squarely in the face.

He pounced and I was sent back, hitting the car badly which made its alarm go off. Pain erupted from my back and I fell to my knees. Seth shouted somewhere from the back but Jacob quited him with a fierce, angry growl.

"Oh come on, Jake, couldn't you do better?" I asked, finding the strength to stand up after being thrown backed in my car and turned off the alarm. Before I could fully stand up, Jacob was pushing me back to my dented car, his hands held firmly on my neck, preventing me to speak or breathe.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR LEAH?! WHY ARE YOU GOING TO RUN AND LEAVE YOUR PACK BEHIND?!" he hissed dangerously in my ear.

"Let go of her Jacob!" Seth warned, now beside Jacob and me. Jake snapped his death in my brother's direction while tightening the grip on my throat until I felt as if a few more pressure could crush it. I started flailing around like a fish caught from the ocean, trying to get back to the water. No air was going in my lungs. I was getting dizzy and light-headed. I knew I was going to pass out if he didn't lift his large hands from my throat. Seth was trying to loosen his grip by pulling his hands from me though his efforts was barely making an improvement.

"Jacob, please," I begged, my voice barely audible and the words causing me to lose the final air in my lungs. He blinked and looked shocked at what he was doing. He immediately let go of my throat and air came rushing in so fast it hurt. I dropped down once more while coughing out blood. Seth swooped down on me and helped me up while Jacob backed away, horrified at what he was about to do. I spat a mouthful of iron-tasting blood at my side as I looked at him. He was still shaking but I knew he was calming down. Before I could say anything else, he sped off towards the forest, throwing his shirt off and finally phasing back to a wolf when he was out of sight.

"Seth, take my car home," I commanded as I started going after Jake but Seth grabbed my arm and wouldn't let go.

"I'm not going to let you go after him, Leah, not after what he almost did to you," Seth said firmly.

"Don't be an idiot, Seth. He's our Alpha and I need to apologize at the very least!" I retorted, but my words caused him greater pain.

"Why can't you start apologizing to your brother?" he asked, anguish in his voice.

"Seth, I promise I'll explain everything to you. I won't hide anything, I swear. I just need to talk to our Alpha because I have a responsibility to him. I'll be fine, I swear," I said as I brushed off his arm and went after Jake without a backward glance. I hated hurting Seth through my secrecy. It's not that I did not trust him, it's just, I don't want him to see how much he should hate me.

Where are you Jake? I thought once I phased to a wolf.

Leave me alone.

Stop it Jake.

I almost killed you.

Well, maybe I deserved to die.

But not in my hands. Why did you do that, Leah? Why?

You don't want to know the truth.

From the past few years, you have kept the truth from us for so long.

Oh stop Jake. I'm not getting mad at you for almost killing me but you're hear getting choked up on me keeping things from you.

I'm giving you a choice, Leah, go and never come back to La Push nor Forks or stay and promise never to keep anything from us.

So you're sending me away?!

It's up to you.

Why are you doing this, Jake?

I can't trust you, Leah.

What do you mean 'you can't trust me'? Of course you can!

Anyone who's keeping things from the pack can't be trusted to me.

That's unfair Jake. That's real unfair.

But then he phased back to his human form and I was left alone to the silence of my stunned thought. I can't believe he's asking me to choose between the escape that I was longing for yet I was going to leave every part of me behind and my loyalty and love to my pack. The silence of the forest and my thoughts were only broken by the pounding of my paws against the forest floor. Normally, I love the silence of the world yet today it seemed cold and piercing. It was unfair and before I knew it, tears streamed down from my eyes blinding me from where I was going. I stopped at a clearing-some kind of a meadow that was just breathtaking. The sun streamed through gaps of the leaves of trees that surrounded it and the grass here seemed greener than those outside this small piece of paradise. I approached it and phased back to my human form. After getting dressed I shrank down the grass and wept.

"Why are you crying, wolf?" a soft but firm voice asked from behind me, while the air was masked with a sickly sweetly smell that stung my nostrils. I turned and was shocked to see the marble white vampire standing in front of me.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I heard you crying and I was curious," he replied innocently as he sat down beside me. I could feel his skin emitting coolness. How dare he sit beside me! How dare he come to my life unwelcomed and unwanted! How dare he exist!

"Well, why don't you go and be curious somewhere else?" I retorted nastily.

"Why are you crying, wolf?" he asked once more. I can't believe this guy's persistence.

"Why do you keep on calling me wolf, blood-sucker!" I shouted, enraged and looking away.

"I do not know what to call you."

"Leah," I replied simply, not knowing why I gave him my name so easily. I did not gave people my name so easily.

"Leah," he repeated thoughtfully. "Why are you crying, Leah?"

"Because of you."

"Me? What did I do?"

"You existed. What do you want anyways? Why are you here in Forks?" I asked coolly yet I could not hide my curiosity.

"I wanted to be a part of the Cullens. Their methods of feeding are highly intriguing in my kind. I have never seen them and when I heard that the Volturi were coming here to confront them four years ago, I volunteered to be their witness. I was fascinated on how the Volturi reacted to them, threatened by their influence over other mythical creatures, they were afraid that they would lose their power over our kind. I tried their ways and found it...bland. But I did want to be a part of their family. I wanted to adapt their beliefs. I know that I want to be less like the Volturi and more like these humane vampires," he blinked as he explained, he was obviously confused and a bit disappointed in the abrupt change of subject. He looked directly at me and I avoided the piercing gaze.

"Why aren't you there, then? Why are you here with me?"

"I do not know either. I guess... I am fascinated by you," he said reaching for my face and forcing me to look at me. I met his eyes and I was lost. I could feel my identity slipping through my grasp. I tried to catch a small part but I could feel my efforts slip through the cracks of my hands. I thought the skin in my chin would split open but I would not even flinch in pain.

"Yeah, sure. That's likely. I didn't know that vampires can catch a cold," I said sarcastically, hiding my lose of control.

"What do you mean?"

"Are you not bothered by my smell?" I asked, brushing away his hand.

"No. Now would you tell me why I am the reason of your sadness?"

"I can't believe that you want to still know that."

"I don't want to see you that way."

Then I had an overwhelming desire to tell him everything. "I... imprinted on you," I said finally and I really expected him to run away screaming for help from this crazy mongrel.

"Imprint? How could you imprint on me?" he asked in wonder, I was afraid that I sensed a hint of delight. I did not want to expect anything.

"You tell me."

"Is that all? I mean that's not really that bad is it?" he teased. Gosh this vampire has a pretty high pride.

"You got to be kidding. No, it's not the real reason. My... pack should not know about me imprinting on you. I don't know what they would think and I know if they would accept me again. I justified that if I kept my imprinting far away from them, then everything would be all right. But now it's not. They don't trust me at all because of my secrecy. My Alpha made me choose between leaving or staying. I wasn't getting accepted so much earlier than I wanted. I don't know what to do."

He stood up and offered a hand for me to take. I looked at him and then at his hand and back again. What was he doing?

"What?" I asked.

"I want to fix this with the others. Please, let me help," he answered softly.

"Sure, like that will do something," I countered sarcastically.

He then lifted me up and carried me as he ran. He wasn't bothered by my smell at all though his smell really hurted my nose. It was extremely nice being carried by Ethan while he ran. For the first time I was speeding past trees without using my own legs. I found that very comfortable. The air blew in my ear, whispering words I can't understan. I closed my eyes and felt the wind brushing my face gently while it carried his smell. Then he stopped and the wonderful sensation halted.

"We're here," he whispered so ever softly and I opened my eyes. He was setting me down in front of the huge house that belonged to the Cullens.