Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Suggested listening: Timeless Art by Matthew Mayfield, I Will Follow You Into The Dark by Death Cab For Cutie, Winter by Joshua Radin, Track You Down by Matthew Mayfield (those three are for Paul), Lover's Eyes by Mumford & Sons, Leave by Glen Hansard, Can't Change My Mind by Matthew Mayfield
Chapter Thirty-Three: The Timeless Art of Men
Embry POV
"You should let me take you out some time, Tiff. Remind you what a real man's like," Quil called over his shoulder, prompting a rough shove down the steps. I swear, half the time he just made it easy for us to beat on him.
"Sure thing, Quil," my mom laughed. "I'll let you know when I'm comfortable with being one of those leopards." She waved her hands by her face like this was a term she used every single day.
Quil frowned, and all I could do was sigh. "It's cougars, Mom. A cougar dates guys half her age, and you're never gonna be one."
She was at the door now, reaching up to ruffle my hair like I was still nine. "Whatever. It's just hard for my baby to admit his old momma's still got appetites..." she crooned, about a second away from pinching my cheek. I winced back.
"Nah, he's just worried 'cause you're a complete hottie, Tiff. He knows I - and countless others - would be happy to be your toy-boy," he cut in, folding his arms and jerking his chin at her in what was known as the patented Quil Ateara Leer. To my stomach-lurching shock, she winked - winked - back at him, offering a smile I swear to God I've never seen before.
I gaped between them, realising much too late that they were fucking with me, and that Quil was managing to outsmart me when he teamed up with my mother. Bella was really throwing me off my game.
"You guys are assholes," I grumbled, moving down the remaining steps and bypassing Quil with a shove. I could hear the laughter ring out behind me.
"Language, Buddy!" she called, but I didn't want to turn to see the grin on her face, instead stalking onward and waiting for the tell-tale scamper of Quil's oversized feet as he caught up.
"So she still doesn't know anything?" he asked, glancing back like my mom had developed super-hearing. I shook my head.
"She suspects something. This morning she asked if I was sneaking out all the time to see a girl..." I winced. His face cracked into a smug grin.
"Well, well.. looks like Tiff's finally hit the nail on the head.. sort of."
I raised a brow back at him as we walked. "Yeah... sort of. I just about choked on my tongue. All this time it's been 'Is it drugs? If you're in a gang, you need to tell me now!'" I mocked, raising my voice in an impression of her. "And today she takes one look at me and says, 'If I didn't know better, I'd say you were seeing someone... but my only son would tell me if there was another woman in his life..'" I cringed, shutting my eyes at the mixture of guilt and embarrassment that particular conversation had caused.
He chuckled, shaking his head. "My my, Tiff's got your number."
"Will you stop calling her that?"
"Not when she loves it so much. Your mom wants me, dude."
"My momhelped potty-train you. Shut the fuck up."
He sniffed, turning away like he knew better, but it was below him to even argue. I changed the subject before he ended up scarring me for life.
"So Bella's party..."
He turned back. "Yeah, Operation Don't-Tell-Anyone-You're-Porkin'-The-Birthday-Girl. Fun times." His voice was bitter, and once again the bile-tinged swell of guilt rose up my throat.
"We're telling everyone tomorrow."
He looked at me, eyes wide, and snapped his jaw shut. "Well, jeez. Maybe I shoulda booked a vacation."
I scoffed. "Come on... once it's all out in the open it won't be that bad." I hope.
"Yeah, and maybe one day you and Bella and Jake and Mel can have a double wedding, And your kids can date and you'll all live together in one big house with a gay next door neighbour and a dog who can talk," he sneered, head cocked condescendingly to the side. "Life is not a sitcom, dude. This isn't gonna be pretty."
I hung my head, watching my steps as the road turned to grass once again, and we were almost in Jake's yard. "I know... but at least if I don't go into this feeling like it's a death sentence I'll be able to be a man about it."
Quil snorted. "Or a wolf."
I narrowed my eyes, snorting softly. "Yeah, a wolf with three paws and teethmarks in his flank if Jake finds out before I get a chance to explain."
He opened his mouth to reply, but whatever it was died in his throat, and he looked towards the garage. We both stiffened.
"You feel that?" he asked, voice barely more than a whisper. I did. Raw, complete and absolute. Rage, power and feral instinct radiated from the small building, and our proximity meant that it was so tangible that I felt the first shudders snaking down my spine. It was then that I saw it - old, red and beat up, completely unmistakable. Bella's truck was parked in the drive... and Jacob felt like that.
Oh... no.
"Fuck."
Quil's eyebrows shot to his hairline. "What do we do?"
I shook my head. "I..." My eyes clenched shut and without decision, I felt my feet closing the distance. She was here... with him... and I couldn't let her do this alone. The walk to the entrance seemed too long and too short at the same time, and I couldn't seem to tell my body what to do anymore. The door swung open loosely as my eyes scanned the interior, seeking her out with worry and fear of the unknown. He was slouched in the corner, legs stretched out before him and broken car parts littering the scene, but there was no Bella.
Cold fear rose in my chest. "Where is she?!"
His eyes snapped up, like he wasn't aware I'd been there, but that was impossible. The golden hue ringing his irises welded my steps to the ground, and he rose to his feet.
"Where's-" I gulped, knowing the question wasn't needed but the icy grip was clawing at my ribs. "Where's Bella?" It came out like a demand.
"Not. Here."
I could smell her. In my panic, it'd been overlooked, but now all that existed was the scent of her tears and the fading trail that led past me and outside. My brain tried to catch up as my vision scanned the room. Mentally cataloguing the places she'd been. I glared at him again. "What did you do?"
He snorted, and it was like everything his face was saying was seeping into me. "Me?" he said, pressing his fingers into his chest. His hand was shaking. "What the fuck did you do?" He took a step closer. "What the fuck have you been doing? With her? Huh, Em?"
My stupid body betrayed me, and my head dropped to the side, baring my neck submissively in the face of my own pissed-off Alpha. But I couldn't give into that. Bella deserved someone who wouldn't give up the fight; someone who believed in us as much as she believed in me. Muscles tensing, I rolled my neck, defiantly reaching up with my eyes to meet his.
"It's between us," I said, and I really fucking hated how my voice sounded.
He leaned back, giving me a cold smirk. "Funny, she said the same thing. I asked her if she loved you and she couldn't even answer."
Don't let him get into your head. It's what he does when he's pissed off. He's trying to hurt you.
I set my jaw, brows furrowing resolutely in the face of his mocking sneer as the mantra looped in my head.. "Stop trying to fuck with me, Jacob. Tell me where she is!"
He raised an eyebrow. "Oh, I'm not fucking with you. If anyone's fucking with you, we both know who it is."
I saw red - and pushed. I pushed at his chest and he reeled back, a low growl threatening from the base of his throat. My fists flexed and clenched with energy, and each breath felt like a lifeline, sucking calm into my body when all I wanted to do was destroy.
"Oh, you're really gonna try that? With me? Don't forget who you're dealing with here..."
"Alright, come on, guys... enough!"
I don't know when Quil had appeared beside me, but he was there, arms outstretched warily between us as his head jerked to Jacob and then myself. I could hear his heart racing against his ribs.
"We're all friends here... let's not forget that."
Jacob tore his gaze away from me to regard him, a realisation dawning over his features before it settled in an icy glare.
"Are we? Really? 'Cause I'm thinkin' that maybe a friend would have told me what the fuck was going on, instead of siding with one over the other."
Quil gaped at him, shaking his head apologetically. "I'm sorry, man. It wasn't my place..."
"How long?" Jacob ground out, teeth audibly scraping over one another.
"Just a week or so, I swear-"
"A week? You've known about this for a fucking week?"
"Jake, man... please... it doesn't have to be like this. We were trying to figure out the best way to-"
"You guys are something else, you know that? You're supposed to be my friends. My pack... and you're running around keeping secrets for some tramp who's using you both."
The red in my vision turned white, and burned. "Shut the fuck up!" Another push. "You don't get to talk that way about her! Just shut your fucking mouth for once and stop playing the 'Poor, Forgotten Jake' card!"
"I'm playing the victim?" He pushed back. Quil flailed to intervene. "Please... You've got issues a mile long, Embry, and somehow you managed to kid yourself into thinking that she actually wants you? It's pathetic."
He was not getting into my head. I lunged forward, only to meet Quil's chest as he blocked my advance.
"Guys! Come on! Everybody calm down!" he yelled over the din of growls and the shudder of impending phase. He turned to me, trying to appeal to my nature over the white-hot rage of a pissed-off alpha.
"You need to find her, now." He turned to Jacob again and enunciated clearly. "Where. Is. Bella."
He threw an arm up in the direction of the doorway. "She's gone! Maybe she fucking saw sense. It's about time one of you did." He looked me up and down, like he couldn't quite fathom my existence. "How stupid can you be? Fuck!"
I took a breath, letting my eyes drop to the ground finally as I pulled a lip between my teeth. Fighting with him - and probably getting my ass kicked in the process due to the skewed balance of power - wasn't going to solve anything, but fuck meif he wasn't making it hard to be the bigger man.
"You don't get it," I growled harshly to my feet.
"Oh, I fucking get it alright. I didn't know she was so damaged."
My eyes snapped up to his. "You're fucking damaged. You're so fucked that up you don't even see the truth. You're jealous. How messed up is that?"
He lunged towards me, eyes alight with fury that I'd never seen in him before and I tensed my body for the impact.
Which never came.
A howl pierced into the tension, so broken and mournful that it stilled my heart in my chest. Instincts spoke to us all as three heads turned towards it, eyes snapping around the interior of the garage like we could see the source. It wasn't a call of emergency - it was resigned. Grieving.
"Paul," Jacob said to no-one, immediately spurring into action. He pushed past both of us towards the dimming daylight, a singular quest on his mind as we fell into deliberate step behind him, flanking him.
"It's coming from the forest. Was he patrolling?" I asked, feeling a new chill tense in my shoulders. Jacob shook his head.
"He's been mostly wolf all week. Running the perimeter just so he doesn't sit at home wondering about Leah." he turned back to us, assessing me for a moment before he spoke to Quil. "Phase in and go meet him. It's best if I-" he let out a breath, eyes snapping to me once more. "Just keep me updated. I'm gonna gather the Pack."
Quil nodded, moving already to unbutton his pants as he ran for the tree-line.
Jacob's head turned in an arc, sniffing the air as his body followed. "Where's Mel?" He focused on me intently. "Did you see her?"
I shook my head, the urge to run off and find Bella and bring her some place safe itching in my feet. "No... she wasn't here when I arrived." We both knew from the scent trail leading off towards the road - matching Bella's - that she had been, and not long ago.
He cursed under his breath. "I shouldn't have let-" he growled, berating himself as he pulled out his cell, "Fuck, we gotta find..."
"Jake!"
Melanie's voice shut his words off, and we both whirled to see those we most needed to protect running towards us, led by an ashen-looking Jared.
Bella reached me shortly after Melanie passed in a worried blur, her hands reaching out to grasp at my face as they shook. "Are you alright? He didn't...?" She looked at the two of us, Jacob watching stonily over Melanie's shoulder as Bella's breath left her lungs in relief. "I tried calling... but you didn't... and then I... but the howl..." The words were a fragmented explanation, but all I could comprehend was that she was here and and I could hear the beat of her heart and smell the salt of tears of her cheek.
"Leah's in trouble!" Jared cut in, no time for relieved conversation. "I was phased... Paul was off at the other end of the Rez and there was a crash," he said, eyes wide as saucers and struggling to coherently string the story together. "She was in her car, and she went off the side of the road... but she's sick, man... there's something wrong with her."
Bella turned to look at me, needing an explanation I couldn't give.
"What do you mean, 'sick'? We don't get sick," Jacob demanded, stepping away from Melanie and towards him. Jared's head shook furiously as his shoulders met his ears. "I don't know. Paul phased out as soon as he saw her. I couldn't get a good look, but she wasn't forced off the road-"
"Leah?!" another voice joined, and we turned to take in Seth, face gaunt with shock and worry approaching. he was flanked by Collin and Brady, who were giving new meaning to the deer-caught-in-headlights expression. "What happened to her... is she here? Where is she?!"
Jacob's hand snaked out haltingly. "We don't know... but she's back." He dipped his head, meeting eyes with their frantic counterpart. "Seth, I need you to keep your head on this. Go get your mom. I don't care what she's doing, tell her it's urgent. Do not tell her it's your sister, okay? She's our only shot and we need her on her game as long as we can. She needs to bring any medical supplies she has, alright? Go!"
No trace of Seth's now-usual defiance could be seen as he turned on the spot, phasing seamlessly on the fly and darting towards his house. Jacob turned to Jared then. "Is Kim at Sam's? With Emily?"
He nodded.
"Good. Take the girls there now... don't stop for anything. Tell Sam to stay put until I send word otherwise. Then I need you to run a perimeter further out from the house. Do you understand?"
"But shouldn't Sam be-" Jared began, only to be interrupted by a shake of Jacob's head.
"If Leah's hurt, Paul won't be doing so good. I can't have all of that going on too. Just go!"
"Em..." Bella began. I placed my hands on her shoulders and stooped to look in her eyes.
"It's gonna be okay. Please.. go with Jare'... You gotta keep yourself safe, okay?"
Eyes fell to my chest, her lip quivering as her head inclined in agreement. I leaned forward to press a reassuring kiss on her forehead, no care for the audience, but she turned from my grasp, averting her gaze guiltily to the ground and caught up with Melanie, who was throwing worried looks over her shoulder at Jake. What the hell did he say to Bella?
"Alright, you pups need to keep running the perimeter in case this is an attack," he began to Brady and Colin. I could do nothing but watch on as Bella stiffly walked off behind Jared, not once turning back to look at me. The sinking feeling in my gut was only snuffed out by the call of duty at hand. I turned my attention back to Jacob, trying to block out everything I felt, because if one of our own was hurt, now was not the time for grudging confrontations or the demand for answers.
"...We can't let the guard down. You have to stay-"
"Jake!"
All heads whipped to the tree-line where Quil was struggling with his pants, barely buttoning them before he broke into a run.
"It's Leah. Paul found her at the side of the road and-"
"Yes, we know. Where is she now?"
The rustle of foliage signalled Paul's entrance. He was on two feet, no clothes on his body, and cradling an unconscious Leah to his chest. His heart hammered as loud as each step, but hers was eerily silent. It was only after straining that I picked it up - weak, but there.
"She stinks! Of fucking... fucking leech!" he balked breathlessly, voice barely straining above the whisper of her heart, like drowning it out was some crime. Shudders shook his chest, and each step became less deliberate and sure and more stumbling and erratic. "I gotta...Wegotta..."
"Take her into the house. Put her down in there... Sue's on the way," Jacob ordered, knowing what we all knew from a glance - Lahote was crumbling to pieces, and the only thing holding him up right now was the fact that the girl he loved was in his arms. Paul stared back at him wordlessly, a barely-there spark of comprehension in his glassy, unseeing eyes. He stopped moving, looking down at her, like the thought of not having her in his grip was the most horrifying thing imaginable. Jacob stepped forward, brow crinkling intensely at his brother. "She's breathing, Paul. Listen."
Paul nodded, eyes not yet torn away from the girl in his arms. That's what she looked like - just a girl. Her skin was pale and lackluster, the flimsy dress she'd hastily pulled on bunching around her thighs and torn in places. There was a large, dark-red stain of blood colouring the light cotton beneath Paul's grip – a life-threatening amount. She had no shoes. Her hair was plastered to her forehead in a cold sweat, and for the first time in months, Leah looked helpless. She looked breakable, and all I wanted was for her to open her eyes and yell at us to stop staring like a 'bunch of pervs'.
But Leah was silent, and the way her head lolled lifelessly over the crook of Paul's arm as he finally forced himself to move told me she wasn't going to be yelling at us any time soon. And the thought chilled me to the bone.
Jacob paused as Paul passed him, turning to flash an authoritative glare at the two pups gaping helplessly at what was happening before them. I didn't think Quil and I were doing much better.
"What did I just say? Go!"
I think in the end, they welcomed the chance to be somewhere else.
"What the hell happened?" I croaked after they left, not directing the question to anyone, but Quil shook his head.
"I have no idea, man.. best guess? She got into it with a bunch of leeches wherever she was... and lost."
"Why the fuck would she take them on alone?" I growled, angry at her, angry at myself for not looking for her properly, angry at this whole mess.
Quil's brow furrowed, and we watched as Paul disappeared inside the house, Jacob not far behind. "Why would she run off alone in the first place?"
I didn't have an answer for that.
The sound of an engine barrelling up the street dragged our attention away from futile questions, and my eyes met the worried, dark-circled ones of Sue Clearwater, almost falling out of her car still wearing scrubs from work, and searching Quil's and my faces for a clue as to what was going on.
"It's her, isn't it? Seth couldn't tell me... but I knew... where is she?!" her voice quaked, and she clasped at her shirt with the hand not carrying a large, leather bag, like her heart was aching so much she had to grasp it.
"The house, Sue," I said, my arm lifting to direct her pointlessly. Everythingfelt pointless and I'd never felt so helpless in my life. She said no more as she made for the door, the urgency in her steps contrasting with the calm, collected person I'd always known her to be.
I heard the sharp intake of breath, and the muffled sob from where we stood, and I was confident in my decision to stay outside. I couldn't watch that - watch the moment when Sue had to face the mortality of her own daughter, when her husband's memory was still so fresh and painful. A snarl, and raised voices followed, and soon the door was being torn open as Paul stormed out, ordered away by Jacob to give Sue room to work.
He paced the grass at the foot of the porch, chest heaving with each laboured breath, each exhale sounding more like a growl than a sigh.
"Paul," I said, and his path never broke. He couldn't hear me, I realised. He'd tuned everything out but Leah's heartbeats and the sound of her laboured breaths.
"Paul," I tried again. He was going to snap if this continued, and who knew what the result would be? "You need to calm down. She's tough... whatever it is, she'll be okay."
A sharp gasp was heard from inside, followed by a string of no no no no's which told me that what I'd just said was soon to be obsolete.
"Is that-?" Sue choked. I heard her get up, like she needed to distance herself from what was happening.
"Sue, I don't..."
Jacob didn't have the words either.
There was a slight laugh of disbelief. "No, it's not. It can't be." More steps around the room. "She should be dead already! Right? How am I supposed to-?" The question died, and it was replaced by a single, heartfelt sob. "Oh, sweetheart, what were you doing?"
I couldn't stand it anymore, and found myself marching towards the steps. That couldn't be right...Leah wouldn't... no.
I reached the door, peering through the screen with Quil right behind me. I couldn't deal with being far away anymore - and Paul was barely coping, Since Sue had lost her composure, he had shut down. He'd checked out, because Paul wasn't equipped to deal with something like this unless there was something in front of him to kill.
Sue fell to her knees by the couch, hand shakily moving up to smooth Leah's hair gently back from her face. My heart lurched.
"What do I do, Sweetie?" Her voice lifted then, like she'd redirected her question. Jacob sat at the end of the couch, perched on the arm of another chair, hands clasped before his mouth. Sue turned to him, eyes wild with protective fury. "What do I do? It's not in any of our mighty histories...They don't tell you what to do when your only girl's been attacked by- by- By one of those things. "
Jacob regarded her silently, letting her vent what she needed on him. "You're supposed to be protecting her! You're her brothers! How can you let this happen!" She tore open the bag by her knees, pulling out more bottles and bandages than she would need. I could smell the wound from here - iron of blood, the foul tinge of infection... and the stench of venom.
The tension was getting too much, and Quil's hand weaved past me to open the door.
"Is she... was it a bite?" he asked tentatively. Sue didn't reply, instead setting her brow in a determined mask as she got to to work, cleaning the wound. Leah's body jerked at the contact of cloth on the broken skin, but her eyes didn't open, and she made no sound but a dreamlike whimper. I think I would have preferred a scream.
Jacob tore his eyes away at last and looked at Quil.
"I don't think so... but the smell. The venom. If it was a normal wound she would be healed by now.. or at least healing."
We both stepped in, careful not to infringe on Sue's space as she worked, and then I saw it.
Angry and red, about six inches across. On Leah's thigh was a gash I'd never seen the like of before. The skin puckered around it., like her body was attempting to heal but each time it had been torn open. The edges were jagged, not exactly like a bite, but a hasty cut with a knife by someone who had no idea - or concern for - what they were doing. The muscle had rotted away until I was pretty sure I was looking at bone, and it seemed to be deepening right before my eyes. I covered my nose and mouth, squeezing my eyes shut against the whoosh of blood to my ears and the fading sounds of the room, but I was sure I'd never forget the smell - or the sight of it - for as long as I lived. Trying not to heave, I noticed it wept and oozed, like an infection - but we didn't get those anymore. Whatever it was, her body was trying to fight it off and failing miserably.
Now that I was closer, I could make out tiny pink scars on her exposed skin, over her shoulders and arms. Yellowing bruises faded as I noticed them, and a swelling in her right arm looked like an injury she'd sustained about a month ago - probably actually last night, if I were to guess. The only thing on this earth that could have done such damage to one of us needed no introduction. Quil was right; Leah had been attacked by a vampire, and lost.
"Fuck."
Quil always had a talent for saying exactly what everyone was thinking.
"Do we have hope of finding a trail?" I asked the room.
Jacob shook his head. "Not if she drove.. she must have been too weak to phase... or couldn't walk."
"We need to find out where she was," I mused.
"Bella doesn't know?" His eyes averted uncomfortably at the mention of her name, and the need to ask me – of all people – something about her that he didn't know. I shook my head.
"I don't think so. They were in contact, but Leah knew Bella wouldn't keep something so important to herself." Jacob let out a soft snort at that, and I ground my teeth together in irritation. It seemed like even with the crisis, he still couldn't keep his feelings to himself. "You know what I mean."
"Sure, sure."
"Guys, seriously not the time," Quil interjected, raising his brows and jerking his head in Sue's direction. She'd began humming softly as she tended to her daughter's injuries, something familiar I couldn't place, but I guessed would have brought Leah comfort if she could hear.
We both nodded guiltily, thoroughly reprimanded that Quil was the most considerate person in the room. A thought occurred to me then, and I looked out towards the lone figure of Paul, once again pacing the area in front of Jacob's porch as his figure shimmered with the last vestiges of control.
"Maybe we could search the car? If she was staying in the same place, there could be some clues," I suggested. Jacob's brow furrowed as he watched through the screen door. He nodded.
"Yeah, could be worth a shot. Take Paul – give him some purpose."
"What can I do?" Quil queried, his own nervous energy manifesting in the stuttered jerk of his knee as he leaned on the only other free chair. Jacob pursed his lips, looking around the room at the clock above the fireplace.
"My dad's still off fishing with Charlie. Can you go find him? Tell him Leah's back and she's sick or something? I'd rather not leave the Rez while, uh..." The explanation died off as his eyes fell on Leah once again, and he swallowed thickly.
"Sure, Dude. Sue, do you need anything else?" he asked, directing his attention back to her. Her body stiffened at the mention of her name, but she shook her head. Quil looked back to Jacob. "I'll bring my Grandpa by too... maybe he has some ideas."
"Sure," Jacob said. "Swing by Sam's if you have time... let him and Jare' and the girls know what's happening." He turned to me then, not quite looking at my face. "Em, don't come back until you've found something."
I nodded curtly, satisfied that despite how bad things were between us, he was still listening to reason. I turned for the door, moving to unbutton my pants and seriously not looking forward to being inside Paul's head.
The car still sat where it had been left, driver's side door laying open out on to the asphalt as it tilted over the ridge at the side of the road, one wheel in the ditch.
"We're looking for anything that could tie her to one place – a receipt, take-out packaging... anything."
His mind had been such a chaos of flashbacks while phased that I wasn't even fully sure he was aware I'd been with him. I saw the moment he set eyes on her, and my own stomach had clenched and heaved at the sharp pain coming through the link. I didn't want to imagine how it actually felt for him, when I I felt like I was being crushed from the inside out - and she wasn't even mine.
He didn't reply, instead going straight to the driver's side and leaning in. I approached from the other side, opening the door and following suit. I watched him for a moment, his jaw clenching as his eyes zeroed in on the large stain of blood on the seat. He ran his fingers over it, shoulders jerking and face darkening at the sight of it.
"Come on, man. We're gonna figure this out."
He let out a growl at my interruption on his thoughts and he straightened up, fastened his hands on the door and pulled. There was a groan of tearing metal as the appendage came straight off the hinges, and he hurled it through the air, straight over my head and it slammed into a tree forcefully, glass shattering on impact.
"Paul! Calm the fuck down!" I yelled, my patience fraying at the near miss of the door hitting my head. "This isn't helping!"
"It's fucking making me feel better," he snarled, fist slamming down on the roof of the car and leaving a large dent.
"You gotta keep your focus. If we find out where she's been, maybe it'll give us somewhere to start looking. Save your energy for taking apart the piece of shit who did this."
He glared at me over the top of the car. "Easy for you to say. What if this was Bella, huh? What if she was the one laying on that couch, barely alive?"
My stomach roiled at the thought, and I clenched my eyes shut, shaking my head as the pale, sickly visage of Leah morphed by one I'd become used to seeing smile... at me. I could still hardly believe how lucky I was, and for that to be taken away - it was too much. Paul had a point.
"Look, man, I'm not saying you can't be upset, but just... Just try to keep it together, a little bit longer."
He huffed concededly, and leaned back into the car, levering the seat back as I got to work on the glove compartment. I couldn't find anything that looked like it would help; it was just a few insurance documents, a pair of gloves and an ice-scraper, and I slammed it shut. Without warning, Paul leaned across the seat, eyes zeroing in on something I'd missed. On the floor, the strap of Leah's purse peeked out from under the passenger seat. He yanked it free and set it down on the seat closer to him, tearing the zip open. Make-up, a pack of cigarettes, a lighter, her cellphone and her wallet were pulled out, and he pulled open the last item. Inside, a picture of Harry, Sue and Seth before his phase was tucked inside the clear plastic compartment in the same section that housed her ATM card, an ID and various other ticket stubs and receipts that meant nothing to me. Most of them were dated from months back, keepsakes that were important only to her. He pulled out a small, folded up piece of paper, face crumpling in recognition. When he opened it, his hand reached up to scrub at his mouth. The handwriting on it was his own.
Meet me on the beach at midnight.
-P
Paul sighed in frustration, shaking his head roughly as he crumpled the note in his hand.
"Fucking nothing."
I pressed my lips together not acknowledging what he'd found and studied the now empty purse and the rest of the items. The corner of something tucked in the inside pocket caught my eye, and I pointed. "What's that?"
Paul followed the direction of my finger and pulled out a small, card envelope with the words Seattle Pacific Hotel adorning the front – a room key. He looked up at me, the slightest traces of hope in his expression.
"This is where she was staying." He opened the envelope and the credit-card-sized key fell out. "Room 126."
"Seattle?"
He nodded. "Guess it figures – far enough away so she could be alone, not so far that she couldn't come back if she needed to." He clenched his jaw tightly. "I knew she wasn't leaving for good."
I nodded. "This is good, Paul. Maybe if we get this info back to the others, we can figure out our next step."
"Why wait? I could run there in two hours and-"
"No. What would she say if she knew you were going off after this thing alone, ready to die? Leah's not useless.. if this thing took a chunk out of her it must have been serious shit. Or several serious shits. We go back to Jake's and figure this out as a pack."
He debated my plea for a full minute before nodding gruffly. "Fine. But when the time comes, this bitch is mine."
The mood was still sombre as we walked in Jake's door. Like a wave of comfort, I took in Bella's scent, and my eyes immediately found hers, wide and tear-filled and kneeling by Leah, clasping her hand.
"I couldn't keep her away," Quil said apologetically by way of explanation. I gave him a weak smile as I passed him, Paul finally finding the strength to be inside without tearing the place apart. He stood stoically above the girls, watching the rise and fall of Leah's chest as he counted each heartbeat. I knew better than to approach. Bella rose to her feet to allow him access, watching him warily for a second before she threw her arms around his waist, letting out a deep sob into his chest.
"I'm so sorry, Paul... I should have tried harder to convince her... to find out where she was," she sniffled, as he barely acknowledged her presence. After a beat, he looked down at her, pushing her shoulders back gently.
"Don't beat yourself up, Princess. I know how she gets." The words were detached, like he was barely conscious of speaking them, but there was fondness in there. Paul really cared about Bella, and the thought surprised me. I guess she found her way into all of our lives.
She nodded in reply, hugging her arms to her own waist as she stepped away. I tried not to worry too much when she didn't come towards me.
"Did you find anything?" Jacob interrupted, looking between Paul and me. Paul sank to his knees and laid a gentle kiss on Leah's forehead, smoothing back her hair. Sue sat at the kitchen table with Billy, as his hand rested on her arm and he whispered comforting words. At Jacob's question, all heads turned towards me, knowing Paul was no longer focused on anyone else in the room, and I nodded.
"We think she was in Seattle. I'm guessing that's where she had the run-in with the vamp. Maybe more than one, if I'm to guess – she's tough, either it was a super-leech, or a whole group of them."
Bella's face visibly paled, and I watched her for a beat before Jacob probed further. "Alright, that's a start. We can send a party out that way to scope the place out, see if we can find any leads."
"No!" Bella screeched, and suddenly I wasn't the only one looking at her. She shook her head, eyes wide as she looked back at Jacob. "You can't go there... if this-" she gulped thickly, "I think I know what's happening... and if you go, you're going to walk into a slaughter!"
His head jerked back in confusion. "What are you talking about?" he asked, looking around the rest of us for help, but all I could do was watch Bella.
"I've seen this before... Seattle, vampires, newborns... It's Victoria. She's building an army."
"How the hell do you figure that?" he said, his brow cocking with a baffled stare.
"Because...'cause I've lived it."
And with that, Bella told them everything. About her powers, about how she ended up here, about the newborns, seeing the alternate ways it could have ended – Charlie's death, a glimpse of Jacob's, the dreams...all of it.
My breath stilled as she spoke, and each person in the room listened to her with rapt attention. Though I'd heard it before, my blood still chilled as she described seeing her own father's body, cold and lifeless on the ground and the decision that she made to change everything forever. Silence descended on the room, no-one daring to speak for a long moment as the avalanche of information settled. I felt another swell of pride that my girl – my Bella had done something so extraordinary, when everyone thought of her as normal and human and just 'good with weird'. Jacob's eyes rested unseeingly on the floor, and Bella's chest heaved in the silence, barely daring to say more as she waited for a reaction.
Finally, Jacob spoke. "You expect us to just believe that?"
Bella shook her head, eyes closing with the hope that she'd somehow sound convincing. "It's the truth... I'm just asking... begging...you to consider it. I'm not crazy, and I'm not making this up. Edward could read minds. Alice could see the future. Jasper could sense emotions – is it so crazy to consider that I can revisit my own memories?"
"From a vampire bite..." he said disbelievingly.
Bella's eyes focused on him again, and she rolled up her sleeve, turning her wrist in his direction. The scar seemed to shimmer in the low light, and the sight of it still unsettled me to my core. I knew that body so well, now, and I'd worshipped every part of it – but the thought that she'd come so close to not being here – so close that the evidence was still seared onto her skin – made my wolf's hackles rise. Increasingly, a world without Bella was too horrible for either of us to bear thinking about.
"I almost died. But I didn't. How many survivors of a vampire bite do you know?"
His lips pressed together in a thin line and he looked away, reluctant to admit that she had a point.
"Just please, think I want to sound like a wack-job right now? I'm just terrified. Terrified that if any of you go to Seattle, you're not gonna come back."
Jacob's jaw clenched, and he began to revisit the facts. "So, let me get this straight... your leech came back for you. You welcomed him back with open arms, and the red-head built an army because she was so freaked by your precious Cullens... and we just allied with them?"
She pressed her lips together defiantly, and stared him down. "You did it for me."
"I really must have been love-sick," he spat. Anger bubbled up in my chest and I stepped forward, glaring at him. Bella took a step back in shock, and I heard the sharp gasp as she saw the anger written on my face.
"It's true, you immature fuck! She told me all of this before, every single detail; whole weeks ago because the effects of knowing two lives were tearing her apart. Pretty elaborate lie to make up for no reason, huh? Stop trying to smear her character because you're butthurt about her choices."
Jacob scowled back at me. "I'm not saying she did it to fuck with us, but I mean... come on. It's batshit insane. Who the fuck would actually believe this?"
"More insane than guys who change into werewolves?" Quil said, his face puckered in concentration. Jacob turned to him with a sneer.
"You're buying this?"
He shrugged. "I'm just saying, if someone had told you a year ago that the legends were true, you'd have said the exact same thing."
"This is not the same," Jacob ground out. Quil shrank back slightly, playing off the reprimand with a shrug.
"Hey, I'm just trying to stay neutral here."
Jacob sat back and rolled his eyes. "God damn."
Then, another voice broke into the conversation.
"That's how you knew.." Paul murmured. He was sitting on the couch now, Leah's head resting on a cushion on his lap while he stroked her hair. He was watching Bella with a new-found realisation in his eyes. "It wasn't a dream.. you literally saw it."
Jacob frowned at him. "What are you talking about?"
"Bella saw Paul imprint on somebody in the other life... and she warned him," I supplied.
Jacob rolled his eyes. "Of course she did... and tell me, did it happen?"
Bella's eyes fell to the floor. "No... but neither did Quil's."
Quil's eyebrows shot to his hairline. "My... what?!"
Bella turned to him, awkwardly offering him a soft smile. "You'd imprinted before I went back.. when I got here, it just... hadn't happened?"
The smile he gave her in return was rueful, and he puffed out his chest.
"You can't tie all this-" he said, gesturing to himself, "- down to one lucky lady. Even if she's hot. I bet she was crazy-hot, right?"
"Oh yeah, the hottest girl in her kindergarten class...when she wore her jacket indoors, that is," I snickered, and he frowned at me. I cleared my throat against the shake of laughter in my shoulders. "Little Claire Young? She was your imprint."
His face clenched in alarm and he looked at Bella who was actually fighting off a laugh. She pressed a hand to her chest and tried to be serious. "It was sweet – you were like her big brother, always playing with her and reading her stories.."
"Jesus Christ," Jacob groaned, massaging his temple. "This is fucking ridiculous, am I the only one who sees that this is ridiculous? I mean, a wolf imprinting on a kid?"
"It's not so crazy, son," Billy interjected, and Jacob gave him a look of betrayal. "Many of the old chiefs married women much younger than themselves... if little Claire was Quil's soulmate, then she'd have a life-long protector until the time came when she was ready to see him as something more."
"Not you too, Dad," he sighed, and Billy gave an innocent shake of his head.
"I'm just tellin' the truth, kid. And that," he said, gesturing to Bella, "doesn't look like a young girl who's spinning a tale. She gets it from her old man. Swans aren't liars."
Bella's face softened at her dad's friend, and he offered her a short nod. It was overwhelming to see them take a leap of faith on what Bella had to say – sure, I'd believed her... but I'd seen what it all had been doing to her, and I knew deep down that if Bella was crazy, we all were.
Quil was still slowly turning positively green. "This is fucked up."
Bella nodded, attention drawn back to him. "It was weird, but you were completely taken with her, Quil. It was innocent and sweet... and you always said that if she never saw you as more than that, then you were fine with it. It was her choice."
He shook his head, nose wrinkling. "That still doesn't stop it being weird."
"So how come these imprints didn't happen, huh?" Jacob asked the room. "If Bella's story's true, then imprints should have carried over. What, do the wolves not need them now?"
Her lips quirked on one side, and she pondered the question, mouth opening and closing while she debated how best to try to explain it.
"We have a theory about that," I cut in, giving her a look of encouragement which she barely acknowledged. Instead, her thumb disappeared between her teeth and she chewed on the nail, her eyes darting around the room to gauge everyone's reactions. I snapped out of watching her, and frowned to the floor, trying to chose the words carefully, and not get distracted by the distance I felt widening between us. Something was wrong.
"In the other reality, you hadn't imprinted... and you weren't alpha. If the theory about imprints making more stable, better wolves is right, then we didn't need it here – because Mel gave you stability, and you stepped up to take charge." I chewed on my lip as I mulled the idea over. Then, I looked up tentatively, wondering if this was making any sense outside my head.
"A more stable alpha means a more stable pack... so Paul doesn't need someone to reign in his temper because he can do it himself. And Mr. ADHD over here-" I jerked my thumb at Quil, " -doesn't need the added maturity that taking care of a child and thinking of someone else constantly would give him."
"Hey..." Quil whined.
"Sorry, dude."
"I haven't taken my Adderall in months," he grumbled defensively.
"Exactly."
Jacob shook his head. "Still not buying it." Bella stepped towards him and held out her hands pleadingly.
"Then don't. Just please, don't send anyone to Seattle... if this is Victoria, she's headed right back here anyway. Take the home advantage. Fight her on your turf... just don't send anyone off to die."
"The Cullens aren't even here," he replied, throwing an arm out towards the exterior to illustrate. "What makes you think it's all going exactly like 'last time'?"
"It isn't. Before... this all happened months ago. Maybe Victoria underestimated you. Maybe she's just now getting desperate, I don't know. Maybe she thought she could get to me much easier than this. Maybe..." Something seemed to occur to her then, and she reached into her pocket, retrieving her phone. She scrolled through the contacts, a determined look on her face.
We exchanged clueless looks as the the tone rang out before Charlie's voice answered.
"Dad? You're working on some missing person's cases, right?"
"What's this about, Bells? Leah made it home safe, right?"
"No... I mean yes...But that's not what I'm calling about. Is there anyone missing from around here?"
His voice on the other end was wary. "Um... there is, but Bells, it's not an official case right now. The kid's over eighteen, been in contact a few weeks back and made it clear that they don't want to be found. Don't stop their poor mom worryin' though..."
"It's a guy, right?" she pressed, looking round at the confused faces staring intently.
"Um, yeah... Bells, do you know something?"
She shook her head. "No... I'm just... I noticed you've been working on some cases and I thought I'd take an interest." Her bottom lip dipped on one side as she gave us a wide-eyed, awkward shrug. Billy was right – Swans weren't liars.
There was a pause. "I see. Been spending time at the Clearwaters, huh?" He let out a sigh, fanning over the mouthpiece. "Listen Bells, Harry was sicker than he made out to be. I take care of myself. Doc says I'm healthy as a horse. Nothin's gonna happen to me."
Bella's eyes closed guiltily, and a small smile graced her features. "I know, Dad. I'm taking care of you too, remember?"
"Damn right. Now I don't want no more of this panic about me bein' old and at death's door. I got a teenage daughter, sure, but I'm not even 50 yet, for chrissake. "
Bella smiled. "Sure. Complete ladies' man, I remember," she teased, and there was a laugh on the other end of the line. "Thanks for my present, by the way... but do you mind if we postpone tonight? I wanna... uh... celebrate when Leah's a little more up to it. She's not well."
"Hmm... well, it's your birthday, but if your friend's sick I understand. Will I expect you home tonight at all?"
"We'll have dinner tomorrow instead, okay? Thanks, Dad." Her eyes flitted around the room while we waited for her to get to the point. "Just one question... the guy's name. Was it Riley?"
"Bella Marie Swan... I swear, if I find out you know where this kid is and you kept it to yourself, you can kiss hanging out with Leah and that Call kid who's always around these days for no reason goodbye." She rolled her eyes, tilting her chin to the ceiling, waiting for Charlie's blood pressure to reach normal proportions. "But yeah... Riley Biers. Ring any bells?"
Bella's face darkened, and she licked her lips. "Nah, Dad... different Riley. Talk to you later. Love you."
Hanging up the phone, she blew out a breath, and silence descended as we waited for an explanation.
"It's happening."
"What does this Riley kid have to do with anything you just said?" Quil asked, nose wrinkling in what was beginning to become his default expression.
"Riley's from Forks. Before... I mean- the last time...he went missing, and Victoria turned him, because she needed someone who knew the area."
"So?" Jacob asked. "The kid's missing, doesn't mean he's a vamp."
"He...is."
All heads jerked around at the sound we hadn't expected to hear. Her voice was a weak rasp, and nothing like the strong, authoritative boom we associated with her.
"Oh my god!" Sue breathed, the first reaction out of any of us.
Paul watched in shock as she sat up slightly, desperately trying to manoeuvre her injured leg while Sue rushed from her place at the table. The pain proved too much, and she gave up, flopping back down on the cushion with a strangled cry.
"Leah... you're awake!" Bella exclaimed, taking a step towards her. Leah's face crinkled.
"Yeah... still... super hearing..."
In reprimand, Bella's hand shot to her mouth, covering it for a second before she pulled it away, whispering 'Sorry' before covering up again.
Leah's eyes shut again, and her body seemed to jerk and shake as she tried to deal with the pain. Sue was once again by her side.
"Shhh... it's okay, sweetheart. I'll get you something for the pain, just relax," she crooned, in that way only moms could.
"I had to... warn," Leah croaked, still struggling through gritted teeth. "Red-head... she's got vamps. Real strong. I couldn't-"
I didn't notice that I'd leaned forward, straining to hear her disjointed story.
"They're coming for," she winced again, her face contorting as her muscles seemed to stiffen involuntarily. "For Bella."
I followed her outside when she left, desperate for the comfort of holding her after everything we'd seen and learned. I couldn't watch the seizures wracking Leah's body anymore – it had become too much to see someone we were all becoming so close to in that state; deathly ill, not in control of her own body and reduced to tortured cries of pain and the stiffening of muscles.
The little amount she'd been able to tell us, though it helped somewhat, had put us all in a tail-spin. The best we could tell, she'd picked up the red-head's scent and came across a group of three vamps... and that was the tip of the iceberg. They'd got into it, and Leah managed to take one out single-handedly before another skulked off, too young and frightened to deal with an aggravated wolf, Bella had surmised. That had left Riley, who she'd recognised from home, and Leah, one-on-one.
Somehow – the details weren't clear – he'd come close to taking a chunk out of her leg, but she'd managed to escape with a puncture wound. It was already too much, but before the venom had a chance to do its worst, he'd backed off; maybe the potent hormones in her wolf's blood hadn't agreed with his new nature. Leah managed to phase out and drag herself to shelter... and performed emergency surgery. On herself. I still felt sick at the thought of her hacking a chunk out of her own leg, but I knew why she did it. It wasn't about staying alive – not completely. She wanted to get back here – to warn us about what was happening – and I'd be forever in her debt that she'd been through so much and was still trying to protect Bella.
"Bella, wait up!" I called, but her steps barely faltered. Her hood was raised over her head, hands buried in pockets as she strode determinedly up the road. "Where are you going?"
I broke into a jog to catch up with her, my head dipping to get a glimpse of her face. I could scent her tears before I saw them.
"I'm going back to Emily's. Need to help out," she said detachedly. I put my arm out to curl around her shoulders, but she shrugged it off. It stung.
"Bella-"
"Leave me alone, Embry. Please."
My steps froze at that, and I watched her for a moment, my brow puckering slightly. I'd be lying if I said her pulling away didn't hurt – because it did. I'd thought we were past this; past her shutting down and blocking me out like I couldn't help or didn't matter.
I caught up again, this time not falling into step beside her, but trailing behind. She glanced over her shoulder, closing her eyes and shook her head.
"You shouldn't be alone right now. I'm walking with you, at least to Emily's. Not taking chances."
I heard a sigh at that, and the slight sniffle of her nose told me she was still crying. I couldn't take it, and rounded in front of her, halting her steps.
"Not even gonna look at me?" I teased in an attempt to break the tension, prompting her to lift her gaze, but I may as well have been transparent. I sighed. "Bella, what happened to Lee... it's what we do. And she made it home – that's better than any of us could have hoped."
She swallowed thickly and averted her eyes to the ground once more. After a moment, she started walking again, moving past me, but I couldn't let this go on. I clutched her arm and she stopped, whirling around to face me.
"You need to go, Embry. Your pack needs you – they need all the help they can get and you're stuck looking after me? It's ridiculous!"
"Making sure you're safe isn't ridiculous," I snapped back, shaken by the difference in her, contrasted to the girl who had spent the morning wrapped in my arms and ready to take on anyone who stood in our way. "I'm not going to relax until the red-head and her band of freaks are fucking dust. But I can't do that, because we're waiting for them to make a move. You did that - you saved all of us from walking into an ambush. So for now, I'm staying with you and I'm gonna protect you because it's my job."
Her eyes flashed, and she threw a hand out in the direction of Jacob's house. "And that's what you get in return? Almost dying? Because of me?" She shook her head, her tears falling freely now. "I should have known... I was so wrapped up in everything happening to me that I missed the clues all along. My dad's been working on that case for weeks, and I never bothered to even check the name on his reports.." she sobbed. "I could have prevented all of this, and I didn't, because once again, I'm thinking just of me, and my crap."
"Bella, you couldn't have known-"
She let out a bitter laugh. "Really? Because I was given enough chances. He's right – I'm not worth this. The sooner you figure it out, the better."
My head jerked back. "Who's right?" Then I realised. "Jacob? Did he tell you that? Bella-"
"He knew it all along – months ago. That's why I'm not your-" she pressed her lips together, swallowing the last word. I couldn't believe we were back to this.
"Bella, he's pissed. It's what he does. He lashes out and says whatever he can to hurt you. You know this."
"It doesn't make him wrong," she said, her voice coming out a croak. She squeezed her eyes shut and started to walk again. "I can't do this right now, Em. I'm tired. Just... just let me go, please?"
"No," I ground out. "Not until you see sense. You can't even look me in the eye anymore because you know that none of this is true."
"I am seeing sense... don't you get that?" she choked, shaking her head and still looking anywhere but at me. "We've been kidding ourselves – this whole time I've been thinking I belonged in this world, that somehow, I got to be with you and there weren't consequences. But there are. I'm not right for you, Em. I'm never gonna be."
"You can't believe that. Tell me you're not letting him inside your head like this," I pleaded, finding my composure crumbling. "I know who you are, and I chose you... don't tell me that everything we've been through hasn't proven that to you. Don't tell me to leave because you're scared. Guess what, Bella. It's fucking terrifying, how much I need you. But I do, and I'm not going to turn away because you don't think you're good enough. I know you are."
Her head dipped dejectedly, and a final sob choked free.
"Then you're a bigger fool than I am," she said, walking away.
A/N: Oh dear...
Thanks so much for the huge response to the last chapter. Every single review was a pleasure to read, and I loved hearing all the hate, new-found fondness, or unsure respect for Melanie. It's my job as a writer to make you draw your own conclusions and I'm glad that you did just that. It made all the emotional trauma worth it ;)
This one was a monster, because there's a lot of drama and action going on and I'm kind of out of practice writing that way! I was going to split it in half, because there's quite a bit more to come, (let's just say that conversation between Embry and Jake is not over) but I thought this was a good place to end it.
I hope it turned out alright, and let me know what you think!