Hello everyone! I need to apologize for not being able to reply to your reviews. I'm extremely grateful for your support and your encouraging words. The sharp decline in views and reviews is disappointing and saddening. Your opinions mean a lot to me and knowing what you think helps my vision of how I want the story to go. The conclusion is approaching and many things could go one way or the other. You have been wonderful to me and I'll try my best to give you the ending you deserve.
Blue Anchor, I forgot to thank you for making me laugh with your review of chapter 34, it was just what I needed.
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight
Chapter 34
"What do we need to discuss?" Asked Jacob still wary of the visitor and even more guarded; he was afraid that all of this was a ruse to get him to lower his defenses and before he could react, his little submissive would be gone.
Jake asked Carlisle to enter the cabin before them and once the doctor was situated on a chair he walked in with Seth in tow. The master sat on the small sofa with the submissive by his side. Out of habit the slave tried to sit on the floor by his feet but all it took was one look from his master to help him decide he didn't need to do that. After all it was more than obvious that Carlisle not only had been made aware of the details of their relationship, he saw it with his own eyes.
"I just thought you may have some questions; after all, not so long ago I wouldn't have hesitated to kill the slave. I couldn't hurt you of course; I love you like you were my own." Carlisle's voice had a fatherly warmth to it.
"Since when do you know?" Asked the alpha.
"Several months after you got it…" the doctor couldn't continue when a low level growl emerged from Jake's throat.
"He has a name." Stated Jake through clenched teeth, his whole body tensing in anger.
"I apologize, I meant no disrespect. I guess old habits die hard." He chuckled awkwardly. "As I was saying, several months after Seth came to live with you Billy and I started to notice small changes in you. At first we thought it was wishful thinking but as the weeks passed and Seth was still alive we began to think that maybe it was more than just a coincidence. Jake, your dad and I watched your descent into hell and thought you would never escape from it. To be totally honest I had lost all hope years ago but your dad never gave up on you." Jacob's arm squeezed the slave's slim waist as Carlisle's words hit him like a ton of bricks. Since the moment fate took his mother's life he felt like a failure, what was worse he felt like his father wished it would've been him and not Sarah who had died that tragic day.
"I wish he would've told me. I was certain he hated me." Whispered the master sadly. Responding to his lover's distress Seth rounded him with his thin arms to comfort him. Forgetting for a moment that they were not alone Jacob placed a kiss on the submissive's lips lingering on them and enjoying the softness of the lips he would never get tired of kissing.
Carlisle cleared his throat to get the lovers' attention before continuing. "So when your dad found out about the relationship he was ecstatic. He was too excited, couldn't contain himself and blurted out everything. Please don't judge him for this, it's like thinking your child is dead and all the sudden finding out he is alive and happy."
Even with the doctor's words still ringing in his ears the master couldn't help but be upset. "He was not supposed to tell anyone, my baby's life is on the line." Growled Jacob, extremely annoyed by his father's indiscretion.
"I'm his best friend and confidant Jake, of course he would tell me. Do you honestly think your dad could've lasted all these years sane without somebody to help him carry his burden? "
"But you have always been very strict about following the rules. You hated the slaves and even shared Carlos'." At the last sentence Seth's eyebrows rose in his forehead before he furrowed them in anger and frustration. Seth looked from Carlisle to his master feeling his heart constrict inside his chest and with a whirlwind of conflicting feelings making his head spin.
The master on the other hand demanded an explanation. He couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that somebody as dangerous as Carlisle knew their secret. They both looked devastated and confused; somebody had taken the rug from under them. Bringing his small hand up Seth ran a thin copper finger over his master's quivering bottom lip. He needed to provide comfort and feel comforted in return. Taking care of his master was something he cherished and enjoyed. Jacob took the slave's hand and kissed it tenderly, knowing all too well that the news had to be affecting him too.
"And I still am very strict; I firmly believe that the laws have been established to maintain order. The laws are good; men on the other hand are not, many twist and turn the rules for their own benefit. I'm ashamed to admit that I've been known to take a slave to my bed. That's something that will haunt me for as long as I live. It's not an excuse but you have no idea how much I hated the submissives; to me they were vile creatures that deserved every single bad thing that happened to them. This hatred made me consider them to be subhuman. If those two bastards wouldn't have lured you and your mom to that trap Sarah would still be here." Carlisle rubbed his hand over his eyes as the memories of so long ago became a raw bleeding wound once more. He sat quietly, lost in thought, his gaze focused on an undetermined spot as he relieved one of the most painful moments of his life. "I loved your mom."
Jacob's face shot up and his forlorn expression changed to one that reflected confusion with an undertone of anger and unbelief. "You mean to tell me you were in love with the wife of your best friend?" The master's pronounced each syllable clearly, his voice more like a vicious growl than a human voice.
"Oh God, how can you even suggest something like that? Of course I loved your mom; we became friends the moment we came out of the womb. At least that's what my mom used to say." A faint smile appeared on the doctor's face as the memory of better and happier times made him change his demeanor. After a few minutes he was able to continue. "My love for Sarah was only surpassed by my hate toward the submissives and even though I never killed any, I did hurt them in different ways. Now I see the error of my ways and little by little I'm trying to make up for everything I did. Hopefully karma will not repay me the way I deserve."
Both dominants perked up when the timid voice of the submissive filled the room. "Sir if I may ask, did anything happen that made you change your mind about my kind?"
"You remember last year when Carlos's slave killed himself during Billy's birthday party?" How could anyone forget such a horrible incident? "Seeing that man in such a state of hopelessness and desperation that made him take his own life opened my eyes to the reality of these men. Over the years I've been learning details of the council's involvement in everything related to the submissives. The things I've heard and witnessed are revolting. Aron and his gang are vile and disgusting creatures as well as a total waste of human flesh. Thank goodness that very soon none of this will be true. I don't know if you're aware of your father's efforts to sever all ties to the central government and the council. That will make us completely independent. That way the council wouldn't have any say in the way we handle our affairs."
Hope shone in Seth's eyes at the possibility that one day he could be free. His arms tightened around his master and his heart sped up. Still he had to hold back and not get his hopes up. He didn't want to dream or even think about it. He had been heartbroken the last time he saw freedom within his reach and it slipped through his fingers. Jacob on the other hand seemed to ignore the meaning of the word restraint. "You hear that puppy? You'll be free sooner than we thought. Any dominant that even looks at you funny will fucking regret it. Nobody messes with my husband." Carlisle's heart skipped a beat when he heard the alpha call Seth his husband. That was one wedding he would be proud to attend.
Jacob remembered something extremely important that with the nerves and the excitement slipped his mind for a little while. "Carlisle can you check Seth? I don't know how much dad told you. We had to come here because Seth's scent changed; it became more alluring that it already is. Even Quil couldn't resist him, thank goodness he didn't lay a finger on Seth but he came very close." Jacob leaned so he was closer to the slave, like his subconscious was ordering him to protect his pup. In the past two weeks he found himself more than once thinking how different the whole situation would've been if instead of Quil it had been a different wolf that entered his room that day.
Carlisle changed into doctor mode as he listened to Jake. "Does he have any other symptoms?" He asked.
"Most symptoms are gone by now. By the peak of it his skin was very hot, one day we went for a swim in the lake and steam was coming off him. Also…" He stopped to look at his lover, he needed to assess how comfortable was Seth sharing some very personal information. The submissive nodded authorizing his lover to inform Carlisle. "…there was the sex; we were controlled by our lust. We couldn't have enough of each other. Our days were determined by the number of times we made love. The way he described it was that he felt like fire was eating him alive, like he would die if I wasn't inside him."
The doctor stood up and carefully approached the lovers. Jake went on alert, placing his body protectively before Seth's. "Carlisle that's far enough, I don't want you to touch him."
"How the hell am I supposed to check him from all the way here? All I want to do is examine him; make sure there are no signs of infection. That would explain the fever but not the other symptom. That's something I've never heard before." The doctor was being totally honest.
All the symptoms would point to Seth being in heat but Carlisle discarded that idea since any submissive that could carry pups would have his first cycle immediately after phasing. Unfortunately that hadn't happened in over twenty years. Of those lucky ones only three had carried pups, tragically one died during the delivery. The fact that they were not reproducing had more than one wolf worried. Their females were only capable of having one or two babies. If this trend continued they feared that one they would become extinct. It was true that as long as they phased they wouldn't age but he didn't know of any wolf that wanted to live forever.
Carlisle had to return to the here and now but he made a mental note to do research on the subject. "Please trust me." The doctor was very intrigued for Seth's unusual symptoms. He had the innate scientific curiosity that characterized him but it was more than that. He had seen how Jake looked at the submissive and knew that he meant to him more than anybody could begin to guess. Jacob evaluated the situation and asked Seth to sit on his lap so Carlisle could examine him. He needed to be in direct contact with his pup, that way if there was any funny business he could yank him away in matter of seconds.
The doctor approached them slowly and carefully, he knew that Jacob was not somebody to mess with. Placing his hands on the slave's neck he proceeded to check for any swollen nodes but there was nothing. Seth's skin was as smooth as ever. "Seth your skin feels much cooler than ours. I know submissive's temperatures run a few degrees lower than ours but yours is closer to a human. Do you have any pain?"
"No sir, I just feel tired and sleepy but nothing hurts. My master worries too much, please tell him I'm fine." Seth indeed felt better than ever. After asking the slave to lie down on the small sofa with Jacob sitting by his chest as he faced the doctor, Carlisle palpated the slave's abdomen which aside from being harder than usual was completely normal.
"I think he is healthy, the tiredness could be a result of the activities of the last two weeks" Seth blushed, feeling self-conscious and embarrassed.
"Why was he so horny?" Asked the master making the slave blush an even deeper shade of red.
"I don't have an explanation for that Jake, I'm sorry." Carlisle decided not to share with the couple his theory about Seth being in heat. It was too farfetched and he didn't want to get the couple's hopes up. He would have the opportunity to observe the slave when they returned to the house. If Seth indeed had been in heat there was a possibility that he could be pregnant. If that happened it would revolutionize their whole way of living. A new hierarchy would have to be determined, it was not enough to give the pregnant subs an honorable place, all slaves would have to be protected to the point of being venerated. Not only there was hope for them, the slaves would go from being the last category to the second one, only surpassed by the Aleph and his son, but in reality they would be the most important caste, because only they will allow the species to survive.
"I'll keep an eye on him; you will need to inform me of any new symptoms. Damn it I came here to deliver a message and that's exactly what I haven't done. Jake your dad needs you to come home today. One of our informants notified him that he had some important information. The only problem is that he will only talk to you or your father. Billy can't go because he expects the visit of another pack with which he is seeking an alliance. Sam offered to go with you; he says the situation is very volatile and it's best to be careful."
"What's the name of the informant?" Asked Jacob
"It's Xavier." Jacob nodded in understanding; this was one of the oldest informants they had. He didn't trust anyone and would only talk to Jacob or Billy.
"I think we should get going, I have a few things to do before we leave. The most important one is that I have to make sure Seth is protected while I'm away. I'll ask Quil to stay with him; he is the only one of my pack that I trust to spend the night with my pup." The submissive turned on his master's lap to be face to face with him. Seth always worried when Jacob went away; he didn't worry for himself as much as he fretted for his master. "Babe please don't worry, I'll leave tomorrow at dawn and I'll be home the next morning. Since things are getting more dangerous we try to avoid travelling during the night."
"I'll check on him a few times if that's ok with you." Carlisle said trying to reassure Jacob.
"Please do, he is just too important to me. He is a force of nature unlike any other. He gave a savage like me a reason to live; I can't imagine what he can do for others. Since Quil found out about us his strength and hope returned, the only way for us to survive is to never lose hope." Jacob's admiration for his submissive was evident in every word that left his lips. He could see the slave's potential for greatness even if nobody else could.
As they got closer to the manor Jake became increasingly nervous. He wasn't entirely sure if the submissive's scent had tapered or if there was something off with Carlisle and he wasn't affected. They realized way too late that the lounge would be crawling with dominants, after all it was dinner time and no self-respecting wolf ever skipped a meal. When they entered the house all the dominants turned to look at them. The master went on high alert and was very tempted to grab his lover and high tail it out of there.
As they walked through the lounge they could smell the arousal of each wolf they passed, some being so disgustingly obvious as to start stroking themselves over their clothes. At least none of them had jumped Seth, if he had smelled as good as he was one week before the story might have been very different. None of this went unnoticed by Billy who was sitting by the piano having a drink. He noticed the barely disguised desperation of his son as he tried to usher his submissive through the wolves as fast as he could.
The moment they reached their bedroom master and slave melted in an embrace. Anger bubbled inside Jacob at the thought that Seth couldn't even walk by a group of men without risking physical and emotional harm. It was not fair; every man they passed only had one thing in his mind. All the cruel, vile and despicable things they wanted to do to his pup. Never before he felt that unbearable desire to leave and never look back. "Puppy for what is worth I'm sorry."
"What are you sorry for?" Seth was lost, as far as he knew Jake hadn't done anything for what he needed to apologize.
"For everything… for being a dominant, for abusing submissives, for being one of the council's drones. Until not so long ago I was worse than all those men combined. Baby you saved me; you rescued me from the very depths of hell itself." Jacob rant was cut short by Seth's small finger pressing against his lips to make him stop.
"Love what did I say about talking of our past? I know our future is uncertain and our past was horrible. Why don't we focus on living our present? I don't know about you but I really love the life I'm living right now. I have a mate who loves me, a safe home, friends, food and so many other things that I never aspired to have. I have a reason to wake up every morning; my love, you're that reason." With each one of Seth's words the alpha felt the past going back to where it belonged, to the part of his brain that stored all the regret and the sorrow. He needed to stop worshiping the past if he had any hope of having a happy future.
"I could think how wise your words are but I cannot get past how fucking sexy you look right now." This statement earned the alpha a roll of the eyes and a slap on the butt. Jacob rubbed his face against Seth's neck, groaning as his scent enveloped them. If he wanted to have any chance to make any arrangements before his trip he needed to leave the submissive's side. As it was he wouldn't accomplish anything. Well he could, but he doubted that having a mind blowing orgasm counted as work.
"I better go try to find Quil and get us some dinner. Before you ask, you will not go to the kitchen. You saw with your own eyes that the house is crawling with hormonal wolves. I really have no desire to rip anybody's head off you know. As soon as I leave lock the door, I'll be back as soon as I can. Get some rest, if I'm going to be away from you for twenty four hours I'll need some serious lovin' tonight." Jake wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. It warmed his heart to see his lover blushing like a school girl. The master loved everything about his submissive but one of his favorite characteristics was his innocence. Seth's behavior was not that of a person that had suffered every possible form of abuse. It was the complete opposite; he had a child-like charm to him that made him absolutely adorable.
After locking the door Seth removed the fluffy comforter and slid under it. If anybody saw him they would think he had lost his mind. There was no wolf that would ever use a blanket; it was just too uncomfortable and hot for them. The slave snuggled under the heavy cover and thanked his lucky star for that moment. Jacob's bed was as soft and comfortable as he thought it would be the first time he saw it. Enveloped by his master's scent and the comfort that surrounded him Seth drifted off to sleep.
Halfway through the night Seth woke up with his heart pounding and unable to even scream. He was frozen in terror as he looked around the room seeing dark shadows where there shouldn't be any. "Babe babe!" Jacob tried to wake up his submissive who had his eyes open but was unresponsive. "Seth, Seth wake up!" The alpha had enough common sense as to not scream at the terrified slave but his voice still boomed around their room.
The slave's wide eyes found those of his lover, his soft grey eyes replaced with those of a crazy person. "Jake… Jake" His lover's name was the only word Seth could conjure, he wrestled with the covers and tossed them aside before climbing on his master's lap. He sobbed inconsolably with his face hidden on the crook of his master's neck. No words were exchanged, Seth too distressed to speak and Jacob too worried to even try.
It was then that Jacob realized his slave was not really awake, his body was awake but he was still mostly asleep. He felt sorry for what the slave was going through, because he could relate. He had suffered from terrifying nightmares after his mother's death which until recently left him exhausted and afraid of falling asleep. These hellish dreams had diminished after Seth and he went away on a month long trip over a year before. The trip that changed his world forever as it changed his entire perspective about his existence. When he stopped pitying himself and allowed his spirit to soar again. The summer he fell undeniably in love with Seth.
"Baby I'm here for you. You don't have to be afraid." Jacob comforted Seth waiting patiently for his sobs to die down until they were nothing more than whimpers. Noticing that his breathing had almost returned to normal and his heart was not threatening to come out of his chest Jacob ventured to ask what the nightmare was about. But Seth couldn't recall it and only knew that it filled him with fear and a deep sadness like he never experienced before.
They spent the rest of the night in each other's arms; Seth clinging to his lover like his life depended on it. The next morning found them tired from the restless sleep and sore from the tension in their bodies. By the time the sun was peeking over the horizon Jacob was dressed and ready to go. It was his intention to cut the meeting short to be able to get home before bedtime but he knew it was close to impossible. Still he would try; he wanted to be there for Seth in case he was plagued with another nightmare.
"Please love be very careful, there is no shame in running. If there is something that causes you to be uneasy follow your instincts. Remember you have to come back to me, you are taking my heart with you and you must bring it back." Master and slave stood in front of each other. Seth's small hands threaded into the hair at the nape of his neck to pull him to his awaiting lips.
"I promise puppy. I love you so much, thank you for loving me. I'll cherish your heart like the most precious gem in the universe. Please you be careful too. Stay with Ed or with Quil. Don't venture anywhere on your own. I love you." Jacob ever so gently placed his hand on each side of Seth's face and kissed him tenderly repeating again and again how much he loved him. Their goodbyes were always hard but this one was even harder. Whether it was the new level of intimacy they achieved the two previous weeks or the fear of losing each other to the constant threats around them was something they didn't know, maybe it was a combination of both. Then again, maybe it was neither.
Jacob peeled himself from his lover who until the last minute clung to his neck, kissing him and repeating loving words. Seth felt his eyes sting as the tears threatened to fall but he had to keep it together. His master had a responsibility and he understood that perfectly. The second the alpha stepped out of the room he allowed the tears to pour down his face. His life seemed almost perfect at the moment, what would make it perfect was being a free man. But Seth knew that he would write a contract in blood stating he would remain a slave for the rest of his days if it guaranteed he would spend his eternity with his master.
He hugged his middle as he stood by the window to watch his master disappear at a distance. Jacob turned to search for the eyes of his lover; it had become their way of saying goodbye. They couldn't say it with words but in that instant when their eyes connected their souls screamed what their words couldn't. Seth sauntered to the bed where he grabbed his master's pillow and after sitting brought it to his face to inhale his familiar scent, warm, comforting and unique. For no reason at all he began to weep with his face on the pillow, muffling his pitiful cries. Lost in the emotions that were coursing through his veins until they spilled through his eyes he didn't hear the door open or the sound of the tray as it was placed on the table.
"Seth what's wrong?" Edward concerned voice reached the slave's ears at the same time he felt the bed dip beside him.
"He just left and I already miss him. This is so crazy; I always miss him but I never got this emotional before. Ed I love him so much…" Seth stopped his monologue when the cook's breath hitched as he gasped. He knew very well that the slave loved his master but never heard him proclaim his love openly like that. He worried because wolves have excellent hearing and if anybody heard him Jacob would come back to mourn a smoky pile of ash. "I know what you're thinking, I've never been this careless, it's like my head is filled with cotton."
"You're being ridiculous; first of all he is coming back tomorrow morning. Second, Billy wouldn't let him go without an entourage worthy of a king. He took Sam, Harry and Collin from his pack. Alec was supposed to go with them but he was replaced at the last minute by Peter who's being trained as a guard. Also three guards from Sam's estate accompanied them. The informer is very careful and rubs mint on his skin to mask his scent and covers his head and face. The guards can stay because they wouldn't be able to recognize him even if they tried. So mister, stop crying, Jake won't be very happy to know you got so upset after he left." Edward stood up and pulled the slave to his feet before guiding him to the table where his breakfast laid forgotten for a moment.
"Seth eat or I'll give Jake a really bad report, he might be tempted to take you across his knee."
"That doesn't sound bad at all." The cook's shocked expression elicited a giggle from the slave. He decided that having some food didn't sound so bad either and went to work on his breakfast.
The rest of the day Seth kept himself busy helping in the kitchen and giving Sophia some lessons. He had been away for two long weeks that in the mind of the five year old felt like a lifetime. She cried for him at night and demanded to be taken to where he was. She worried that he might have been sick or hurt. After learning a smidgen of the sad reality of the slaves she never trusted Jacob again. Even calling him uncle was a struggle and most of the time she got away with whispering a rushed uncle that most times was unintelligible.
The slave was grateful for the distraction. He was inexplicably worried for Jake and was dying to know if he arrived well and how everything was going. Of course nobody could give him that information. Since Quil was going to guard him during the night he had the day shift and had been patrolling since early in the morning. Every few minutes the submissive would turn to look at the wall clock which hands glided over the white face painfully slow.
At the end of the day a freshly showered Quil entered the kitchen. "Time to go upstairs slave." He ordered in his most authoritative voice. He felt like an idiot, like a kid wearing his father's shoes. It was not the ideal situation but at the moment the best way to protect Seth was to make others believe he was seen as less than dirt and nobody cared about him.
Seth lowered his gaze and followed Quil out of the kitchen. With nightfall came the reality of Jake's absence. The slave wished that his lover would surprise him and when he least expected it that he would walk through the door and into his arms. As several hours passed he had to face the fact that he would have to wait until the morning to see his master. Trying to make the hours pass faster the submissive called it a night much earlier than usual. Quil used the quiet time in Jake's room to relax and catch up on some reading.
A noise nearby made Seth wake up with a start. He was troubled by what he dreamt, but unlike the previous night he woke up with one word in his mind, betrayal.
The slave was brought to his feet when an unrecognizable rumbling sound reached his ears. Under normal circumstances a wolf's transformation was a silent event that wouldn't be perceived unless you were actually witnessing it. But somehow the simultaneous phasing of so many traitors with evil in their hearts would be perceived by a sensitive wolf as the ever unconscious awareness of an approaching earthquake.
Seth ran to the window only to become petrified by what he saw. Quil stepped beside him feeling like his gut was twisting in knots. In the patio titans were battling to the death. The slave didn't recognize any of the wolves, but felt a frightening cold in the pit of his stomach, knowing that even though he didn't recognize them they were bound to be from the pack. At least he couldn't see Jacob's russet wolf.
"Quil what's happening?" Asked the slave with panic in his voice.
"I don't know, but Jake ordered me to protect you and that's what I'll do, you have nothing to fear."
"I'm not worried for me; I'm worried for my Jake. What if something happened to him?"
"He's fine buddy, you on the other hand need to hide in the bathroom and not come out until I tell you to. No matter what you hear you'll remain hidden."
"I'm not going to hide while only God knows what is happening downstairs. My Jake could be hurt, I have to go!" With those words Seth took off running to the door before Quil could grab him. The submissive ran down the hall as fast as his legs took him with Quil on his tail. The dominant was amazed when he saw the slave's hand move so fast that if he wasn't behind him he would've missed it. Faster than he could take a breath the submissive removed his collar and exploded into a small sandy wolf. Quil followed suit and summoned his wolf leaving only a trail of shredded pieces of cloth behind him.
The sounds of snarling, yelping and crushing bones increased as they got closer. It was worse than they could've imagined. The great room was a battlefield of the worst kind. Brother fighting brother, traitors battling heroes. They almost stumbled over the lifeless body of a wolf whose face had been ripped open from ear to mouth. To their right another wolf howled in agony, his front legs had been ripped from his body and blood escaped from his body faster than he could replace it. He would be dead in a few minutes.
A dark grey wolf jumped before the slave, it licked his lips before a sharp growl that emanated from his chest caused the submissive to take a step back. Quil moved quickly and stood between the submissive and the menacing wolf, his ears laid back and his intimidating snarl serving to make the wolf take a step back before motioning to start circling them. He inspired so much fear in the submissive; his eyes glimmered with a malignant cruelty that seemed to originate from hell itself. The wolf jumped but was unfortunate enough to crash into Quil's jaws that attached to his flank before ripping it open and causing blood and guts to spill through the wound. Seth was slightly stunned, but he knew Quil was protecting him and understood than if the roles were reversed he would've done the same.
Seth scanned the room for his master's wolf but it was nowhere to be seen. He didn't know whether to sigh relieved or panic because of his absence. He made multiple scenarios in his head as he ran to the great room. In all of them he saw his master's mangled body. His mouth open in a silent scream, one or more limbs severed and blood gushing from a multitude of wounds. The aftermath of each and every one of those macabre scenes had the slave cradling his lover's remains to his chest as he allowed his wolf to bring him to the afterlife to be with the man he loved. The warmth taking over his body as the shift started and then… silence.
Billy, behind you! The voice boomed inside the submissive's head. He didn't have time to recover from the deafening sound before he saw Eric's wolf jump before Billy snarling and baring his sharp canines at a wolf that had clawed Billy's flank before landing beside him. The Aleph had experience on his side and moved aside before the wolf could cause a fatal wound and this probably saved his life. Eric, seeing that Billy had the upper hand moved to assist another wolf. Billy charged forward, the other wolf didn't stand a chance and in the blink of an eye his howl died down to never be heard again.
The slave had never seen Billy's wolf up close and was terribly intimidated by its utter size. He was a primal beast that reeked dominance and strength. The fierce invaders fought with everything they had, they were on a mission and had nothing to lose. But the wolves under Billy's command had a much bigger motivation. They were defending their home and their family, which transformed them into the most dangerous beasts.
As fast as it started the fight died down but not before leaving in its wake a trail of death and devastation. Carlisle asked Eric, Seth and Quil to help him divide the wounded into categories. In war time a triage became a necessary evil since it basically determined who would receive medical care and who would be left to die. They had their hands full sorting through the casualties and deciding who would receive help.
Eric carried outside those whose injuries were too devastating and had no hope for recovery. Once there their pack brothers would stay with them until they exhaled their last breath. Most of them cradling the bloody bodies of their pack mates and rubbing their wolfish heads as they waited for their spirits to leave their bodies. Quil placed a letter X on the back of the hand of those who suffered broken bones and an S on those who needed stitches. Seth ripped pillowcases into strips and used them to bandage the wolves until Carlisle could get to them. Billy walked back inside after going around his property with several wolves, among them Edward. They all shared the same haunting expression, like they aged ten years in matter of minutes.
They all worked well into the morning. In a normal day they would be welcoming the new day with hope and peace. That grim and rainy morning there was nothing but despair, misery and desolation. The covered patio which in the past hosted celebrations and parties, contained two rows of bodies wrapped in bloody bed sheets, tablecloths and curtains. Billy walked around offering the injured wolves comfort the best he could. It was time to mourn those they had lost even if all he wanted to do was scream to the heavens and demand revenge. He knew who he wanted to avenge, what he didn't know was who was responsible for this atrocity.
Seth, Quil and the others looked exhausted and felt even worse. They had never seen such carnage in all their years. All but Edward, to him this provided a flashback into the worst day of his life. The hopelessness took over every person in the room, like a fire licking them and killing them slowly. The slave knew that it had to be mid-morning and with every passing minute his worry increased exponentially. He approached a tired looking Quil and asked him to inquire about Jake. He went outside to phase and contact Jacob but it was useless. He thought that the alpha was probably in human form. When he stepped back inside he caught sight of the hopeful look in the slave's face. Instead of going to him he walked to Billy's office. Quil peeked inside the door after knocking and asked the Aleph about his son's whereabouts. Billy waved for him to enter the office, closing the door behind him. "Billy have you heard from Jake? When is he getting home?"
Billy sighed deeply and ran his hand over his face in an effort to conceal several tears that were threatening to fall. "He was supposed to be here an hour ago. I know I shouldn't worry, after all he's traveling by foot and that's never a reliable way to travel. But the truth of the matter is that after last night I'm terrified that he ran into some trouble. I tried to contact him this morning to check if he was ok but it was like the line was dead. Actually none of them seemed to be in the talking mood. That's what seems strange since there is no way that all of them are standing around in human form. The protocol is that at least two wolves remain in wolf form to be the bridge between us and them. Also they need to remain in wolf form to guard the retinue."
"That's strange indeed, please let me know when you hear from him. By the way, Ed asked me an hour ago to tell you he was going to Sam's estate. He wanted to make sure everyone there is fine." Quil didn't need to explain, the Aleph knew that he was going there to check on Embry.
Quil tried to comfort the scared slave. Seth felt in his bones that there was something evil lurking around and his master might have been in the receiving end. Quil convinced him to start working on lunch and he would even help him. Nobody was particularly hungry but the submissive needed to keep busy. They peeled and chopped enough food for a small army. As they were filling the pot with water another commotion reached their ears. They heard Edward's voice calling for Billy and by the tone of his voice they knew that the news couldn't be good. Seth felt his legs falter at the thought of Embry having perished at the hands of any of the traitors. Quil ran out of the kitchen with the slave in tow at the same time Billy ran out of his office.
Forgetting who he was and what was expected of him the slave ran to Embry who was standing awkwardly by the front entrance. They melted in and embrace as Embry wept in Seth's shoulder. "I'm sorry Seth, I'm so sorry. I didn't know what he was planning to do until yesterday morning. I swear, please believe me." Embry's words were muddled and thick with tears. Seth was utterly confused; his friend was not making any sense.
Edward was breathless as he stood beside Embry with a solemn look on his face. "It was Sam, he planned everything." He struggled to continue as Billy stood before him and urged him to continue. "He is a traitor; he's been working with the West to take you down. Billy… they have Jacob."