AN: So peoples I am here to pimp my story. I have been nominated over at theindietwificawards (dot)com for best alternate universe (work in progress). Please vote :) Thanks to my beta - ACEMCKEAN for her hard work, once again! Her story, THE PROTECTORS (AWESOME STORY BTW!!!) has made it to the final round of voting in The Epic T-Rated Story Contest. Go to her profile for the link to vote!!!
http://www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/u/1774023/acemckean
AN2: Thanks to all who have been reviewing. All your wonderful reviews have me typing like a mad woman and as I post this I find myself almost finished the next chapter!!! It should be ready to post by Monday!!!
BPOV
It was difficult to concentrate on hunting when I could feel five other people watching my every move. I was just about ready to tell them all, not so nicely mind you, to go about their own business and leave me to mine, when I picked up the scent of a carnivore.
Bear, I was certain.
I took an off shoot from my original path, heading towards the delicious scent.
I felt and heard the others slow down. I knew they were still watching, but at least they kept their distance.
'Don't screw this up, Isabella,' I thought to myself.
Great, maybe I'll be the only vampire in history to screw up, and then not only that I'll have five vampires, with perfect recollection, remembering this for eternity.
Damn it! Focus, Bella!!
I let the scent pull me along until I came to a small stream, then I saw him, my prey. The bear in question was leaning over the stream, and was completely unaware of my presence. I moved towards him, silently until I was ten feet away. I intentionally made a noise at that point, causing the bear to turn in my direction. As soon as he saw me, he stood on his hind legs and roared. It was the last move he'd ever make.
I launched myself at his throat, sinking my teeth through his fur and into the veins in the depth of his neck. He didn't make another sound as I drank from him. I allowed his carcass to fall gently to the ground, with my guidance, as I drank my fill. Once I was done, I stood up and straightened my clothing, brushing any trace of dirt or fur from my clothes. Then, I licked my lips and ran my fingers over the corner of my mouth to remove any trace of my meal. Then, since I couldn't put it off any longer, I turned to face my audience.
All five vampires were staring at me, four with their jaws hanging open, and one with a smug smile on his perfect lips.
I suddenly felt even more self conscious, I opened my mouth to speak, but promptly closed it again as I felt my tell tale blush creep up my cheeks, made worse by the fact that I had just fed.
I went to turn away, maybe to run, but Edward was at my side instantly, his arms encircling my waist.
"That was incredible, Bella. I've never seen anything like it," he said to me, turning us sideways so we could acknowledge the others.
The others were still staring, jaws dropped.
"What?" I finally asked.
Carlisle snapped out of it first.
"Isabella, if I didn't see that with my own eyes, I'd never have believed it," he said, the shock evident in his voice.
Believe what? I just hunted and ate. These people had serious issues! Damn it! I felt the blush creeping up my cheeks again! I buried my face in Edward's shoulder, trying unsuccessfully to hide it.
"That was so ..." Esme added.
Helpful! Thanks, Mom!!
"I agree, totally!" Eleazar exclaimed.
"Definitely," Carmen added.
Cryptic much?
"Okay, can someone just tell me what I did wrong here? I mean seriously! I just....." I started, my temper getting a little fierce.
"Wrong, Isabella?" Carlisle asked. "My dear girl, you did everything right!"
Huh???
"Love, the way you took down the bear... Emmett still can't do that. It took me years to learn. It was perfect!" he exclaimed, squeezing me a little tighter..
"Oh," was my brilliant response.
"Bella, it was beautiful and graceful. I've never seen anything like it. You didn't go wild, you didn't lose control, you set yourself up at a perfect spot, let your prey line himself up perfectly and then you lunged," Carlisle explained.
"It couldn't have been better if you had choreographed it," Carmen added.
"You were so fast too! And Alice will be so pleased that you managed to keep clean while doing it," Esme added with a little laugh.
"Okay, now that we're finished with Bella's dinner and a show, do you want to get yourselves going to hunt, so I can get back to my babies?" I asked, causing everyone to laugh.
Damn! Here goes my blush again.
They all nodded their agreement quickly before dashing off, leaving Edward and I standing next to the stream.
"You too!" I exclaimed looking up at him.
"After that display, you expect me to leave you and hunt?" he asked.
"That was why we came isn't it?" I asked in response.
"Originally, yes. But now I can't wait a minute longer to have my wicked way with you!' he said, reaching down and pulling my shirt up in one fluid movement.
Okay, so I liked his idea better!
Our lips met in a crash and I wrapped my arms and legs around him, only slightly mindful of my strength. His tuxedo jacket was thrown from his shoulders and the shirt was going to follow soon.
I pulled back and started on the buttons when I heard a horrific howl, followed by many more. I pulled away and looked at Edward, who seemed frozen in place.
"The wolves?" I asked.
"So it seems, Love," he responded. "Get your shirt on. We need to get back, NOW."
My shirt was on and we were running full speed back to the house. We caught up to and passed Carlisle, Esme, Eleazar and Carmen who must have started back the instant they heard the howl.
Within minutes we burst into the yard, behind Charlie's house to see Alice standing there, alone. The look of horror washed over her face and her eyes were clouded over in a vision.
Wait. She couldn't see the wolves. What is going on?
Then I knew.
"Charlie," I gasped, looking at Alice.
She still stood there, not moving. Her face frozen in a mask of horror, so I turned to Edward, knowing he would see it too. His face was a mirror image to hers.
"Will someone please tell me what is going on?" I asked.
Both vampires will still frozen in horror. I felt the other four vampires from our hunt join us from behind and I saw those that had remained at the house exit the back door.
Everyone knew that something had happened, but they all seemed more than content to wait for Alice or Edward to tell them. Myself, not so much.
I dashed to Rosalie's side and grabbed my babies from her arms. They were both awake and greeted me with their angelic smiles.
"Hi, My Loves," I said to them, rejoicing in the fact they were safe in my arms. "Can you show me? Please?"
Arriel reached her little hand to my neck and I was transported into a vision.
Charlie's cruiser stopped by the side of the road. Charlie getting out and walking away. I recognized the road. They were just a mile or two from the village. Why had Charlie stopped there? I knew it was over the border of the treaty line. I didn't understand. Then I saw it, and gasped. Two cold white arms reached for Charlie. I knew those arms. I watched as the cruiser exploded, Paul's wolf form bursting forth and running full speed towards Charlie. No!! Look out! There are others. He doesn't see them. NO!!
I gasped. I momentarily pulled myself from the vision to look at the others in the yard. Everyone was seeing this.
Arriel pulled me back in and I watched as two young teens launched themselves at Paul, one, a young girl, sank her teeth into his shoulder. He howled in pain before falling limp to the ground. She had killed the giant wolf. Next thing I knew they were ready to attack Charlie, when Victoria interceded. They were heading for the clearing. Victoria still had my father in her arms and I heard her smug comments before I saw her hit him. I watched him fall limply to the ground before the vision ended.
Before I could react, Edward had me in his arms.
I gasped, "Where are Emmett and Jasper?"
"They were already past the treaty line. Jasper and Emmett were probably already heading back," Edward said, quietly. "It isn't their fault."
"I realize that. I just need to know that they are safe," I said. "We need everybody!"
"They're probably either at the site or near it. They would have gone back hearing the commotion," Carlisle exclaimed.
"Then we all go," I commanded. "Now!"
Nobody argued. Edward reached over and took Jace in one arm as I tucked Arriel securely into one of mine. We linked our free hands and ran towards LaPush. We would figure out what to do when we reached the treaty line. Everyone was running full speed through the trees. I pushed my legs as fast as they would go and felt Edward do the same.
I knew that Paul was dead. But Charlie! What was that masochistic vampire going to do to my very human father?
I took a deep breath and pushed my legs with everything I had. I needed to get to that site, whether I crossed the line or not!
JakePOV
We left Chief Swan's house about five minutes before he did(,) so the four of us could get a good scout of the land. Other than the vampires we knew of, including the two dead ones, there was no trace of any other leech.
Good!
As we crossed the treaty line my brothers, who had remained on the reserve throughout the night, patrolling for any unusual activity, greeted us. We all hurriedly switched into human form and went to meet the elders; my dad,Billy, Harry and Sue Clearwater, and Sarah Uley, Sam's mother.
They were waiting for us at my house as I expected. We ran in and started filling them all in on the goings on. We expected Charlie and Paul to come at any moment.
"So Charlie will be here for the day?" Billy asked.
"Yeah! Do you think you could keep him busy?" I asked.
"But of course!" Billy answered with a laugh.
Keeping those two busy was never a problem. They were always together and enjoyed it.
"I'll be here," Harry said, happy to join in and help any way he could.
"I'll keep them all fed," Sue added.
The elders laughed slightly and we sat back to wait for Paul and Charlie.
"So what is with you and the leech baby?" Quil asked.
Before I could answer, a howl sounded loudly.
Paul, Crap!
We all threw ourselves out the doors and phased instantly. I let out a loud piercing howl, calling all wolves to check in. Sam, Quil, Brady, Colin, Embry, Seth, Leah, Jared, and Nathan all answered quickly. Nothing from Paul. I searched through the visions in my head from the other wolves. Nothing from Paul.
Either he wasn't phased or... Dear God! I couldn't even think of the or!
"Come on," I called to the others internally. "Let's search the road."
We hit the road quickly and ran towards town. We were bound to run into Charlie and his cruiser soon. We'd see Paul and Charlie making their way to the reserve.
But the question was, why hadn't Paul answered our call?
We all pushed ourselves as hard as we could.
I heard all the others thoughts, hoping Paul was just sulking and that nothing was wrong. I hoped the same thing... but that howl...
We'd drawn straws to decide who rode with Charlie and who got to run. He had gotten the short straw, and he was anything but impressed.
"Crap!" Sam called in his head. "This isn't good! I just know it!"
"Sam, we need to remain positive until we know something," I told him.
"Jacob! You heard that! He was in pain! So then why the hell can't we see him?" Leah asked in her head.
"I am not going to go off when I don't know anything," I growled at them in my head.
"Paul wouldn't jerk us around after a yelp like that. Hell, even he's not that much of an ass," Jared said.
"Let's just get there, Guys," I said, pushing my legs faster.
Suddenly I stopped short, the smell was intense.
"Vampire!" we all noted together.
Crap!
We got into formation. Two 'V's. I took the point on one side with Quil, Embry slightly behind me then, Seth and Leah filling out our V. Sam took the lead of the other, followed by Jared and a blank spot in the next row, then Nathan, Colin and Brady.
"God damn it! Sam, pull up one of the boys into Paul's spot. We need to be tight right now," I told them.
"Brady," Sam said, ordering Brady to fill Paul's spot
"No way, Man," Brady yelled. "We are waiting for him."
"Brady, I am not asking.. I'm ordering. You are not replacing him, just filling in until he gets here," Sam said.
Brady knew he didn't have a choice. He moved into position with his head bowed slightly.
"We aren't giving up," I told them. "We just need to protect ourselves in the meantime."
We split at that point, with my pack leading the way on the right. Sam's was slightly behind and on the left.
"I smell more than one leech," Leah called. Her nose was better than anyone else's.
"Quil switch with Leah for now, we need her nose," I called. They did as commanded quickly. Leah was feeling pretty proud of herself and I reminded her to focus.
"Three," she called. "Oh shit! I smell blood! I think it's Paul." She broke formation at that point, dashing forward with reckless abandon.
"No!" I roared, picking up pace and following her. I tried commanding her back. It didn't work. The only thing more powerful than an alpha's command was your imprint. And Paul was Leah's imprint, just as little Arriel was mine.
We rounded the next bend and the first thing that caught my eye was the destroyed cruiser on the side of the road. The stench of leech was heavy in the air, yet there was no sign of anyone, not even Charlie.
"SHIT!" I roared.
I smelled the female leech that had held my girl. She would die. Then I heard Leah.
"Paul.... NO!!!!!!" I dashed to her side.
Paul laid at the side of the road in human form. His neck had a huge chunk gouged from it, his body was broken.
Leah, forced only by her grief, phased back to human. She threw her naked body onto Paul's lifeless form.
Paul was dead.
The wolves all stood around Paul, dazed by what they were seeing. One of our brothers was gone. I looked at my brothers and realized that none of us had anything to cover Leah. She was currently naked and on display in all her grief for all to see. For her sake, and ours later, I commanded the others to hunt for clues. It wasn't long before the information started to come in, and it came in fast and furious.
The cruiser skidded to a stop. No apparent reason.
Charlie had walked off towards the village. His footprints were not rushed.
Paul had phased in the vehicle, effectively tearing it apart.
The leeches attacked Charlie, but there was no body or blood to be found... Maybe they kept him alive.
Paul was attacked by two vampires, he seemed to be trying to get to Charlie.
Why the hell were they separated?
How had the leeches gotten anywhere near here?
We had been here not even ten minutes ago.... not a sign of a leech.
"SHIT," I roared which came out as a howl.
The voice I heard behind me was unexpected.
"Jacob," she called, dashing onto the scene. She looked around at the wolves who were still scattered about. She looked at the destroyed car and finally at the two naked forms at the side of the road. "What happened? What happened to Paul? Where is Charlie, Jake?"
I turned to see Bella and Edward cradling the babies. They crossed the line. They broke the treaty.
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