Chapter 20 - Questions
Matt and Leah walked around the empty space, observing all the work that had already been completed in just a few short days. Drywall had been stripped away, exposing the original red brick walls. Beams of wood salvaged from an old barn sat on the floor, oiled and ready to be placed. Boxes of new light fixtures and warm copper shades sat in the corners, protected by paint spattered drop cloths, waiting to be hung.
"Looks good, real good." Matt was impressed. "We might be able to open on schedule."
Leah looked up from her clipboard where she was making note after note of things for the construction crew to do. "No, we will open on schedule," she corrected. "I already ordered the invitations."
Matt rolled his eyes. No doubt the workers would double their speed in fear. With Leah barking out orders, there was no way they wouldn't open in time. Although her propensity for putting herself through the ringer in the process baffled him. "I don't know why you put that kind of pressure on yourself. What are you gonna do if everyone shows up and the place is still in pieces?"
Over the top of her clipboard she looked at him with sheer exasperation. "First of all, that's not going to happen. Look at how much they did in just a few days." Leah waved her hands around gesturing to the half-completed space. "Second, Bella will make sure the place is filled with art. Third, I thrive on this shit. Fourth, how dare you question me? You know I am the master who makes all this work," she stated, pinching his cheek. "You're just the pretty face with the money."
Pulling a solemn look over his face, Matt got down on his knees before her, pleading for forgiveness. "Sorry oh wise and mighty Leah. I will never question your authority again."
With a wry smile, she completely ignored the fact that he was making fun of her. It was one of the things she loved about him. Matt never let her take herself too seriously, lest she should, he always did something to remind her of it all too quickly. Over time they had created a relationship that went beyond just that of employer/employee, becoming the best of friends in the process. More than once she found herself lamenting the fact that he was gay and therefore unavailable. It was the story of her life. The best ones were always gay... or imprinted. "That's better. Now, we need to call the plumber and have him install..."
Suddenly, the clipboard slipped from her hands. Leah's body began to shake, blurring wildly around the edges.
Something was wrong. Danger. A threat to the pack.
A threat to Bella.
The force of the intensity with which it hit her came on suddenly, nearly knocking her off her feet. This wasn't just an urge, but a demand to phase. The warrior needed to join her brothers and fight. The threat looming miles away rang out like a warning siren. The reaches of her mind flickering, teetering on the brink of sanity. The call to protect the land, her people, nearly caused Leah to bolt out of the door and into the street, begging her feet to pound hard against the concrete pavement, scattering frightened drivers from their paths.
The brick walls closed in, her eyes darting to the only passable exit. The front door. Without warning, she started to move, edging her way closer to open air and inches closer to the forest. Only there would she find relief. There she would join her pack to destroy whatever threat they faced.
Matt saw her pupils begin to dilate, then contract into slits, the iris surrounding them tinging the color of liquid amber. The magic of her people pulsated through the air and Leah began to grow before his eyes. The spine of her back curved, bones cracking viciously as they rearranged themselves, heavy muscle elongating while painfully twisting over arms and legs as she tried desperately to stave off the shift.
Undressed windows surrounded them, the space inside brightly lit with wide shaded silver work lamps. The smudged, dirty glass provided no screen to the outside world or those lingering on the streets. In an instant, it became clear. Leah Clearwater was about to shift in full view of the curious onlookers passing by.
"Leah, No!" he shouted. "Not here!" Matt shoved her backward, behind a partition, both of their bodies falling into the cramped, tiny space. She appeared not hear him, caught mid-shift, mind and spirit battling each other hard for dominance.
Before her eyes, raw power seemed to emanate from his palms, producing an outward display of force in a golden glow that enveloped him in otherworldly light. When his fingers touched her body, the heat licking her spine eased, its flames ebbing into cooling ocean waves. Leah's breathing returned to normal, but the wild urgency in her eyes told another story.
"What are you?" she demanded.
ooo000ooo
Paul paced wildly outside of his house while the imprints huddled inside. The moment he'd gotten them to safety he'd bolted out to the yard. Heedless of the clothes on his back, he'd blown out of his skin, sending bits of fabric arcing through the air like party confetti.
Through the eyes of the pack he watched while they gave chase, tracking an elusive scent, the smell of a cold-blooded killer, a monster that masqueraded as human, feasting off life of innocent flesh.
Multiple trails disappeared, cut off without a trace. Miles of nothing before the rotting stench of death permeated the arid forest air again. This vamp was toying with them, playing some sick and twisted game, all the while laughing in their faces when they chased their tails.
The pack moved in unison, violent and deadly under Jacob Black's rule. The power they wielded was immense. This was their land, their home, their people. Defeat was not an option. They would settle for no less than ash and smoke. Brady and Collin paced around the Swan home, keeping vigilant watch. Paul's mind flashed briefly to their spite ridden words on the beach. The anger in Jacob doubled, causing the two to shake with fear. Tonight they needed to kill, to redeem some small part of themselves in the eyes of the alpha or surely their hides were destined to become soft rugs covering his floors.
Bella might not be Jacob's imprint, but it was clear to all that she was the chosen mate of the wolf, the alpha at that. Both boys would count themselves lucky to survive his wrath.
The wolves honed in on a scent, following as it twisted towards Forks. Jacob ordered the pups to patrol the reservation borders, moving the rest of the pack in formation towards the source. Then suddenly, the sound of chaos broke through the distance, shouts of panic echoing off the trees. The police station was lit up like a christmas tree.
Then out of the darkness, a flash of white streaked past, bounding up the nearest pine with a supernatural leap, only to slip through their fingers before the wolves could give chase. Brady and Collin lunged as it dove past them, teasing in between the trees surrounding Chief Swan's home. Jacob growled, Seth falling in line beside him, paws racing fast toward Charlie's. Within seconds, just as before, it was gone without a trace.
This creature enjoyed toying with them.
The pack howled with rage, redoubling their efforts and speed. They would search all night to no avail. The vampire was long gone leaving one thing clear. It was old and gifted. More than any they had ever come across before. The question remained. Why was it here?
While the hunt was all falling apart, Rachel dashed outside, Paul's cell phone in hand. "Something's happened. You need to take this."
Heat licked through his spine as his body melted like a candle back to human form, extinguishing the mental flames of his brothers with it.
ooo000ooo
Thick and murky, blood pooled around the body of this John Doe, lifeless and strange. The smell of drugs lingered with the stench of decay that was already beginning to overtake him. Paul examined the scene, carefully documenting everything before the county coroner could take the body away.
Bits of skin, torn from the victim's wrists stuck in grotesque ribbons to the sharp metal edge of the cot in which he had slept. A trail of blood led from inside of the bed, over the scratchy wool blanket and onto the floor where he had finally collapsed, bleeding out on the cold, unforgiving concrete.
For all intents and purposes it seemed to be nothing more than a random suicide. A drug addict whose brain was completely addled from abuse, unable to even state his name for the record. Paul knew it was something more. Something sinister.
"Probably couldn't face the idea of living behind bars. Detox was too much for him. You see it all the time in the news," commented one of the deputies, scratching his head thoughtfully. "It's gonna cause tons of paperwork though."
"Don't worry about it, Steve. I got this one." Paul stepped out of the cell, waving the medical examiner in. "Go ahead and go home. Any questions I've got I'll ask in the morning."
"You want I should stop by Charlie's place and let him know what's going on?"
"No. He's sound asleep. The hospital sent him home with some heavy painkillers and from what I hear he's got a bit of an infection going. All this can wait until tomorrow."
The deputy looked at him a little doubtfully, but then shrugged. "You're the boss. See you in the morning." Then he headed out the door without so much as a backward glance.
Paul breathed a sigh of relief. What he had to do needed to be private, away from prying eyes. Quietly he slipped inside of Charlie's office, under the guise of needing a quiet place to do paperwork. The dispatcher bought it, not thinking much of it considering all the chaos going on around them.
It took no more than five minutes for Paul to do what he set out to. The electric hum of the printer buzzed, rendering the black and white images of what he found in all their glossy glory. He'd smelled it as soon as he walked in the door. The surveillance tapes proved it. To the naked eye, they revealed nothing except maybe a breeze blowing in through an open door. The photographs didn't lie.
Vampire.
Without hesitation, Paul quietly erased the tapes, then snuck out the back door.
Anyone up for an additional chapter? 1st review gets the next chapter today and enough of your thoughts will make me feel the need to post another tomorrow.