Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns it all.

Rated M for several reasons.

Chpt 43 Critical Mass

BPOV

Shit. Now there's a wolf on the same side as me.

Closing my eyes in resignation I give up my losing battle to cling onto the cliff edge.

But as I drop a strong hand clamps around my wrist an' I am hauled unceremoniously over the edge an' into the arms of The Major.

Briskly he pats me down, inspecting me for damage, an' then he turns me against his chest so we can both watch the wolves.

"You found me." I murmur, resting my head back against him.

"Not hard." He drawls. "You leave a trail an idiot could follow. It looks like you've bulldozed half the forest."

"I was in a hurry." I shrug.

"Yes." He says darkly an' our attention goes to the other side of the gorge where seven wolves are already pacing an' howling in agitation with more arriving all the time.

"Should we try an' talk to them?" I ask quietly. "Find out why they're after us?"

"We are vampires." He growls.

I snort fixing my eyes on Jake's. We are vampires an' wolves kill vampires, even if some of us used to be friends. Does it have to be that simple?

While I'm searching for something meaningful by way of a dialogue starter the wolves stop their incessant howling an' start moving away.

Jake is the last to leave, locking eyes with The Major an' snarling viciously.

The answering roar is so ferocious Jake flinches back involuntarily before whirling away.

"Do you have to do that right by my ear?" I snark.

"They will have found somewhere else to cross." The Major says ignoring me an' calmly scenting the air. "It is time to run."

"Where are we goin?" I gasp as he grabs my hand an' tugs me along.

"Forks." He answers curtly. "We have been out of contact for at least 48 hours now. The others will go there first."

PPOV

"My brother an' sister, Jasper an' Bella Whitlock, came here to Forks lookin' for a girl. A young human girl." I begin carefully.

"I know." He answers shortly, dark eyes fixed unwaveringly on mine.

"Have you spoken to them?" I ask.

"No." He snaps as if the very idea is ridiculous.

"So, how do you know why they came here?"

"Why did you kidnap and torture her?" He demands.

"Who?" I ask in genuine surprise.

"Bella Swan."

"What?"

He watches me impassively.

"Why would he torture Bella?" Blondie asks, voice drippin' with sarcasm. "They're family, she actually likes him."

"Why are you here?" Sam asks, turning his dark gaze to her.

"I've already told your little doggie friends." She huffs. "My father has gone insane and abducted an innocent human. We are here to rescue her."

He frowns an' then turns back to me.

"You are a human drinker." He states.

Aw shit. I was hopin' to avoid discussin' that particular lifestyle choice.

"Yes." I answer, almost cringin'.

"And your brother and Bella?"

"Strict vegetarians." Char answers promptly.

"Why?"

"They don't want to take a human life in order to sustain 'emselves." I explain, ain't no need to tell him J's main reasonin' is the discomfort it makes him feel. "An' despite all the shit that's happened to Bella since she was changed she ain't never been a human drinker."

"Well she did slip up once." Blondie chips in, stupid fuckin' bitch. "Which is why we're all in this mess."

I sigh, tippin' my hat back on my head an' runnin' my fingers through my hair. I ain't a liar exactly but experience has taught me that sometimes it pays to be economical with the truth. While I dither around lookin' for the right words my mate comes to the rescue.

"J, Jasper, my brother, an' Pete my mate were kidnapped by an evil vampire. They ripped Bella to pieces an' left her. She'd lost a lot of venom, she was weak an' J, her mate, was in danger. She needed to heal, she was only a few weeks old. She killed a human.

When we got our men back we traced him, traced his family. He had a sister, Lisa. Bella was real cut up about it but she couldn't take back what she'd done so she's looked out for her ever since. She set up a scholarship, pays all her bills for school an' stuff. Keeps an eye on her from afar.

She's the human Carlisle's taken. He blames J an' Bella for Edward's death an' we assumed he'd taken her for our enemies, as bait to lure us, them, into a trap. Bella was pissed an' came straight here.

I know you guys are pre-programmed to believe that all vampires are vicious killers but it's not true. My little sister, she killed an innocent man, but she did it to save J, the man she loves an' despite it bein' real hard for newborns to resist human blood she always has. Ever since, every day. My little sister is a good person."

I squeeze Char's waist, fate sent me the best mate a vampire could have. With the best pair of . . . .

The head Potential Pete Murderer is havin' a moment. He looks pissed.

"She killed an inn . . . ."

"Yes she fuckin' did." Char almost shouts. "She made a mistake, one terrible mistake. Ain't you ever made one? One you wished you could take back with every fibre of your bein'. Nobody's perfect, no human, no vampire, no wolf."

Oh my beautiful wife, nicely played, you are so gonna get it later. Assumin' there is a later.

A long tense silence stretches out.

"Well I've never made that type of mistake." Blondie grouches.

If I didn't think it would damage negotiations at this delicate stage I'd rip her fuckin' face off.

Even Sam regards her with barely concealed disgust an' over the top of her head Em rolls his eyes apologetically.

"You implied that this is a dangerous situation and that you have enemies." Sam says finally. "We are many and quite used to defending our own against vampires. You will explain."

"Have you heard of The Volturi?" I ask.

He shakes his head.

"Vampires have leaders." I explain, settlin' back in the booth to do a little lecturin'. "The Volturi were our leaders. Cruel, vicious Italian fuckers. To cut a long story short there was a battle for control goin' on behind the scenes, which for reasons I won't bore you with, we got dragged into. The Volturi were gonna kill us, includin' the Cullens but J an' sweet thing, sorry Bella, saved us. They killed the leaders which makes them the new leaders. Are you followin' me?"

His frown tells me yes, an' he ain't likin' where this is goin'.

"J is a good man an' a very strong one. A worthy leader. The rest of the Italians swore loyalty to him. So now he, we, lead the vampire world. They are comin'. Comin' to look for him an' his mate. They are sworn to defend him to the death."

"How many?" He asks quietly.

"Many." I watch him carefully but the guy's got one hell of a poker face.

PPMO an' PPMT on the other hand are havin' a conniption.

"We don't want any trouble with you guys." I decide to press home my advantage. "An' so we are respectfully askin' permission to search your territory for my brother an' sister so that we can get them an' whatever vampires are tryin' to kill 'em out of here before there's any collateral damage."

"And the human." Rosalie adds.

"There is no need." Sam rumbles. "We know where they are."

My BFF goes off.

"Are you huntin' them?"

"Yes." He answers somewhat defiantly. "They are proving very difficult to catch."

"I bet they are." I snicker. "They ain't ordinary vampires by any stretch of the imagination."

"Dr Cullen told us about their gifts." He counters hotly.

Oops, I don't think he was quite ready to reveal that little nugget. Suddenly it all makes sense.

"I bet he did." I drawl with amusement. "But J an' Bella have been fightin' for their lives their whole existence. They don't need gifts to be formidable, they just are. An' if it makes you feel any better they've probably killed way more vamps than you have."

Sam sighs an' uncrosses his arms spillin' the whole story.

I'd like to crow in triumph that I never trusted that, not so pathetic fucker Cullen, but now isn't the time. J an' my little sister are out there somewhere bein' hunted by a pack of wolves and if I have to tear this town an' every fucker in it to shreds that's gonna stop.

I shift Char off my lap an' settle my hat down over my eyes, feelin' time slippin' away from me. The wolves are deadly an' despite my bravado J an' sweet thing are in immortal danger. It's time for Sam to meet the real Whitlocks.

"You've been played." I growl. "Just like the rest of us. An' now you have a simple choice. You can stick to this course an' lose everythin' or you can have an epiphany that not every vampire needs to be a finally dead one an' help us put this shit to rights.

Because less than an' hour from here a very large group of extremely pissed off vampires are comin' lookin' for their leader an' they're led by my other brother. A very old fashioned kinda vampire who will happily kill anythin' vampire, human or wolf who stands between him an' his Master.

Carlisle Cullen has pitched us against each other for his own twisted revenge an' he doesn't care how many innocent lives get lost in the process."

"Neither do you." Sam challenges, quite astutely.

"Touché!" I fire back. "You might think I'm a cold an' soulless bastard but J is my sire, my father, an' Bella is my beloved sister. They risked everythin' for me an' I'll do the fuckin' same for them.

So either help me get them back or get the fuck out of here an' start orderin' coffins.

Cullen is the real villain here!"

He narrows his eyes at me.

"I think . . . ." Rosalie begins.

"Shut Up!" Sam, Em an' I all roar together.

It's a beautiful moment of bondin' that I'll cherish forever.

BPOV

Wolves to the front. Wolves to the back. Wolves to the side for all I know.

An' running, running, running.

When will this end?

Only Jasper's presence is keeping me sane at this point. Everywhere we go, wolves, intent on killing us. Cosmic payback? Natural balance about to be restored? It's very circular. In a way my life, my existence, started in Forks an' now it feels like it's going to end there.

There must be something wrong with me. I know I've been through a lot but somehow the idea that it might end soon, here, where it started, with my eternal mate doesn't seem that frightening. How many kinds of wrong would Simon say that is?

I only want peace an' maybe there truly is only peace in death.

The Major is made of sterner stuff an' every time we change course to avoid our hunters he squeezes my hand reassuringly but I've just about had it. I'm tired. Mentally tired.

I'm finally gonna die an' I don't even know why or who for. How shit is that?

I cast a look at The Major as he runs beside me. I'll never get to hold him again, trace his muscles, feel his skin against mine or feel him inside me. I'll never see him laugh, or frown, or run his fingers through his hair as he tries to decide how much to tell me. No more borin' civil war lectures or inane action movies. No stupid hat.

Anger surges through me. Not fuckin' likely.

Beside me he laughs.

Stupid, empathic, over educated, vampire.

I can't even be over emotional in peace.

An' despite everything a smile breaks out on my face. Somehow this has turned out to be my life an' as long as Jasper's here too it all seems to make a weird kind of sense.

Yep. I've gone completely mad. Or completely Whitlock, depending on your point of view.

An' in the spirit of crap luck it finally dawns on us that we're running into a blind canyon.

"Shit." The Major pronounces as he slows us down.

Shit indeed, we can't be more than a few miles from the town although I'm not sure what salvation I expected there.

Reaching the end we huddle under the rock overhang as huge paws pound up the canyon after us.

"You smell nice." I mutter distractedly.

In response he buries his nose in my hair an' takes a deep satisfied breath.

After a moment he looks up at the rock wall meaningfully.

"You want us to climb that crumbly ass cliff?" I ask indignantly.

"No. I want you to knock it down." He drawls.

Oh.

He's so clever. An' sexy. An' mine.

Briefly I consider how many of my former friends might die as a result of being under the cliff when it comes down.

An' then I look at my mate.

An' isn't that why we're here?

Does that make me a monster?