AN: S. Meyer owns twilight
CHAPTER 7
BPOV
We neared First Beach. There was a group of people I hadn't thought I'd see again. I growled and stopped. Leah and Demitri looked ahead. Leah growled lowly when she saw the group of adults sitting on the sand. They were smoking bongs and drinking beer. I recognized Jake, he was taller than the others and walking around, picking up their trash. Lauren, Mike, Tyler and Jessica were talking and laughing while they bossed him around. "Fuck." Leah whispered. I wanted so badly to go over there and beat the shit out of my old friends, but I couldn't. I was supposed to be dead and Demitri would stand out with his golden eyes. We grabbed Leah and started running back to the Clearwater's, the human authorities needed to get involved with this shit, not us.
Leah's anger turned to dread as she realized where we were headed. "It'll be fine, Leah I promise." I said as confidently as I could. I saw J hang up the phone. We reached Sue and Harry "we need to get the police, there are a bunch of morons on the beach smoking weed. Jake's with them, but they're treating him like crap." I said. Harry's face turned red, I was worried for him, but his heart never changed its beat. He stormed inside and grabbed the phone. "Mark, get down here now, that group's back again and this time they're smoking up on our land."
J quickly explained what was going on. I felt horrible for Jake. Lauren was the worst of the worst, clearly the others had sunk to her level. I was pissed off. Hopefully, Em and Rose would be able to send something quickly. "How long has this been going on?" I asked Sue. "Six months." She gritted out. "Jake went to Port Angeles to see a movie with a few of the guys. Lauren was in the back of the theatre making out with Mike and laughing loudly. When he turned to tell her to shut up he imprinted on her."
"We should call Theresa." I said. "She might have encountered similar problems given their tribe imprints as well."
"I hadn't thought of that." J said in surprise. "I'll call her now." I said.
I took the satellite phone and made the call. Theresa was happy to hear from me, I quickly updated her on our mission and the problem Jake faced with the imprint. Theresa sighed "unfortunately, it happens occasionally. The imprint is supposed to bring suitable mates together, but sometimes it fails. We've only encountered the problem twice in the past, it's a difficult process to break."
"But not impossible?" I asked hopefully. "I can help, Bella. The process is uncomfortable, and the result, while better than the imprint, can be difficult to recover from."
"We'll do anything, Theresa. Jake's a good kid, he's being used. I know this girl from my human days, she's bad news. She's disrespecting Jake, the tribe and the land."
"I'll come as soon as I can, is it safe to travel?" She asked. "We have allies in your area, I'll get them to accompany you to the airport, I'll text you the information. Thank you so much for this Theresa."
"No problem, Bells. I'll see you soon. It'll be good to meet the Quileutes."
The others were smiling when I hung up. "I'll call Eliza and handle the travel arrangements." Demitri said. Pete was telling Harry and Sue what was going on. I looked to Leah "will you come with me to talk to Billy?" I asked her, she smiled in relief and nodded. We turned and ran.
It didn't take long to get to Billy's house. I could hear the TV in the lounge room, but only one heartbeat. Jake still hadn't come home, but maybe that was for the best. We could talk to Billy first and he could speak to Jake.
Leah knocked, we entered when we heard Billy shout 'come in.' He was surprised to see me with Leah "I was going to wait for you to settle in before coming to see you, Bells." He smiled. "We just arrived, I heard about Jake." I said sadly, Billy's face dropped. "It's a shitty situation Bells, but there's nothing we can do about it. Jake isn't coping."
I walked up to him and sat next to him on the couch. "We might be able to help." I said, Billy's head snapped towards me, his eyes widened and there was a spark of hope in them. "What do you mean?" He asked. I told him about Theresa and the spirit walkers, passing on her warning that it was a difficult procedure. "We'll do anything, Bells. Lauren's awful."
"I know Billy, I went to school with her. Leah and I saw her on the beach, Harry called the police, she's gotten worse by the looks of it."
Billy sighed "she's a bitch. I've seen her and her friends. They're entitled arseholes who don't give a shit about Jake or the tribe."
"Does she know about his wolf?" I asked. He shook his head, "no, Sam usually lets the imprints and their families in on our secret, but when he heard about the imprint from young Quil and Embry he forced Jake to keep it secret until he'd veted the girl. Needless to say he didn't approve, neither did the rest of us."
"Didn't Jake talk about her?" I asked. Leah answered, "No, when he imprinted he tried to keep it secret. He was ashamed, he feels the connection to her, but he hates her. He's powerless; because of the imprint he must be around her as much as possible. It could seriously damage him if they're separated."
Billy cleared his throat, he was struggling to talk about this. "It's bad. Embry tried to talk to him a few times. One time he found Jake in the garage-" His voice broke and he paused to control himself. Leah picked up the explanation "he tried to kill himself, Bella." I gasped, rage and sadness filled me. I saw in the reflection of the TV screen that my eyes had turned black. "We won't let him be hurt by her or the imprint, Billy. We have resources and we'll help him." I growled.
Billy remained quiet. I calmed myself and told him what we could do. "Billy, we're all part of the Supernatural world, the kings of our kind want to unite the species. They will help us, they've offered their services should you need it. The Volturi have a guard who can manipulate bonds, between her, Theresa and dad we'll make sure Jake gets through this."
"How is Charlie doing?" He asked, I smiled "he's well. He found a mate, she's a werewolf and he's working with the wolves to keep them connected to their humanity around the full moon."
"They're real?" Leah gasped. I nodded and told them a quick rundown of Aro and Marcus' history.
"Is that why these kings want to unite our species? They actually give a damn about the humans and supernatural?" He asked. "Yes, they're even working with Emmett and Rose to make synthetic blood so no humans or animals have to die when we feed. They're great men and I trust them with my life and the life of my mate." I vowed.
Billy smiled "I heard you'd found a mate. Are you happy?" He asked. I smiled "extremely. Although, we haven't had much time to ourselves. There have been a few rebel vampires that have caused trouble." I sighed "I've killed so many leeches, Billy. It's been really hard, I'm only seven months old. Vamps like me are supposed to be out of control maniacs. I've had to push past all that and fight."
Leah touched my shoulder, I looked towards her. Her eyes were concerned. "What happened?" She asked. I explained the extent of the vampire wars and the Cullens' trial. Billy shook his head "you're strong, Bells. These kings seem to have sent you here to relax a little, let me and the other elders work with Theresa. You, J, Pete and Char should rest."
"We need to discuss the creation of a Spirit wolf and walker government." I argued. "Let us handle it." Leah said. She braced herself and said "my mate is supposed to be your spokesperson, let he and I work through the Volturi information with the Elders. You need to rest."
Billy's eyes widened in shock "you imprinted?" He asked Leah. She grimaced and nodded. I cut in "he's a good man, Billy. I promise, he's helped us and protected us."
"He's a vampire?" Billy asked, frowning. Leah nodded, her eyes had started to water. Billy stopped frowning "calm down Leah. If Bells says he's a good man then I'll take her word. It'll work out in the end. It may be hard for a few to accept, but with what Bella's told us we have a reason to trust their kind. It'll take some getting used to, but we'll make it work. Now, when do I get to meet him?" He smiled at her. Tears ran down Leah's cheeks and she smiled slightly. "Anytime you want. He's with my parents now. I don't know how they've taken it. We kind of ran away and let Pete handle it."
"That's probably for the best. Harry and Sue trust Pete implicitly, he understands imprinting as much as we do. It'll be okay kiddo."
We heard the heavy steps of someone approach. "Jake's home." Leah sighed. We left Billy and greeted Jake outside briefly before running back to Leah's house.
PPOV Meanwhile at the Clearwater's...
We sat around the tiny dining room. Harry and Sue were interrogating Demitri. J was smiling and watching, we could see they approved of him despite their scare tactics. Given Jake's imprint I think they were thankful Leah had found someone who wouldn't use her like Jake was being used.
We heard the sound of yelling in the distance. I peered out the window and saw a bleach blond struggling in handcuffs and being guided by a man in a police uniform. This must be the infamous Lauren. There were two other's behind her; males, one blond and the other dark haired. They were hurling abuse at the cop. I shook my head in disgust.
I peeked at Lauren's path of fate. I couldn't work out why Jake had imprinted on her. I saw a deviation in her path. Something had happened to her to turn her rotten, her path had torn in part, leaving an angry red scar on her soul. I didn't know or care what had happened, this had to be rectified. There was no pull directing me to end her life, it seemed like there'd be another outcome for her.
"I need to see Jacob Black." I said. Sue looked at me "are you sure?" I nodded "I can see his fate and help guide him. Between Theresa, Chelsea and Charlie we should be able to break the imprint, I need to see for myself what his destiny is." Harry stood up. "I'll drive you over to his father's place." He offered. He turned to Demitri "it was nice to meet you. You take care of Leah or we'll have a problem." He said sternly. We headed to his truck.
A few miles away from the house we saw Leah and Bella, they were returning. Bella saw us and smiled. That was a good sign. Harry parked outside a small red, weatherboard house. I stood next to him as he opened the door and called out. "Jake, Billy?" We heard Billy call us in, he was on the couch. "You must be Bella's uncle, Pete." He said. A young man sat on the other side of the room, he was bent over and had his arms wrapped around himself. I walked over to him at human pace and crouched down in front of him. "You must be Jake." I said softly. His eyes snapped up to mine, they were almost black. He was in pain. I was careful not to touch him.
"My human name was Peter Crow. I have tribal blood too." I introduced myself to the young wolf. He nodded, his jaw clenched. "I can see the paths of fate, may I see yours?" I asked as gently as I could. He stared at me. I heard Billy from his seat on the couch "do it, Pete." I nodded and tapped into my gift. His path had a scar from the imprint, but it stopped short. We would be able to break the connection. I looked further. Jake had leadership in his blood and a long life. I looked further still, there was the image of a girl, but I couldn't make out her face. He'd find a mate in the distant future. He was destined to remain immortal. I nodded to myself and backed away.
"It'll work." I said to Billy, he knew I meant that the imprint would break and his son would survive. Billy slumped in relief. "What's he talking about, dad?" Jake's rough voice asked behind me. Billy turned to his son, Harry joined him on the couch. "Our guests will be able to break the imprint between you and Lauren." Harry explained. Jake recoiled "how?" His voice hardened.
I answered him. "The leader of the Spirit Walkers, the one who trained Charlie in Texas. She's encountered this problem among her people and she can help. Charlie and a vampire called Chelsea could help ensure the break doesn't cause damage." Jake slumped. "I'll be free?" He asked. I nodded "you will, I have seen the path you'll travel. You live a long life and be instrumental in guiding and protecting your species."
"I don't want that much responsibility. I don't want to be Alpha. Sam's better at it."
"It's not a bad fate, Jake. You'll lead your kind and you won't be alone, there will be others who will rule with you." I said. He stayed silent, he needed to think.
I thanked Billy for allowing us on his land and headed back to the Clearwater's house with Harry. "You did a good thing there, Pete." He said as we drove. "Jake's been tormented by the imprint for the last six months." He added, I turned to him and asked "is this the first time an Imprint has been so poorly matched?"
"No. I've heard the histories, there was one other wolf who suffered the same fate at Jake. It was centuries ago. The tribe banded together and killed the wolf and his imprint. Our wolf suffered badly, his mate was a traitor to him and the tribe. It was the last option left. Jake's a good kid, none of us could do what our ancestors did. He's suffered, but with your help he can live again." Harry said.
We parked and headed inside. Leah was standing next to Demitri, they were smiling widely. I saw Harry smile, but he quickly turned his expression neutral. I whispered to him "give them a break, Harry. They're good together."
"Fine." He smiled sheepishly. Leah looked at her father, she was anxious for his approval. She relaxed when she saw his smile.
Harry excused himself to gather the pack, minus Jacob. I waited for them to arrive before updating them on what I'd seen. Seth, Sam and the boys arrived first. Old Quill arrived with Emily in tow. We moved outside, the house was too crowded. Harry introduced us. Many of the wolves looked wary of us, they'd get over it. I told the group what I saw and our plan to free Jake of his imprint. A few of the wolves looked hopeful and less suspicious as Harry backed us up and explained our role in the tribe. Emily smiled widely at Bella and went to hug her, Bella stiffened and stopped breathing, but didn't break the hug. "Sorry Emily, I don't know how to control my strength around humans and I don't want to hurt you or the baby." Bella explained. Emily smiled and nodded, returning to her seat on the porch.
The wolves weren't happy about Leah imprinting on a vampire, but Sam gracefully gave his congratulations. "I have a gift" He announced to us, the wolves and humans didn't seem surprised, but Bella and the rest of us were. Sam continued "I can see intent. I can see that this Vampire is worthy of our Leah, he is protective and cares for her."
A few of the wolves relaxed at that, all signs of wariness gone. "What about the others?" An older wolf asked, his voice was hard. "They're safe, Paul." Sam confirmed. Paul relaxed his stance, but eyed us suspiciously. I had already met the kid before, he worked with Charlie's replacement at the Forks Police Station. The old animosity would take a while to break out of. The elder, Old Quil, kept his face blank, I couldn't tell how he felt about all this.
The meeting disbanded and a few more people joined us. We were introduced to them; they were here to help with the community dinner. Sue shooed Leah away and asked her to show us to our accommodation. We loaded the bus back up with our luggage and she drove us to Bella and Charlie's old house. "We left it furnished. We mostly use it when a young one turns into a wolf for the first time and needs privacy. I've moved into Sam and Emily's old house for a while, I'm helping the younger wolves become accustomed until Emily has the baby and Sam can return to active duty." She explained.
Demitri set up the kitchen and packed the fridge and freezer with blood. The coolers had kept the blood frozen. He left out a couple of bottles to de frost. Leah stayed by his side and watched him worked. She asked him questions about what each package of herbs did. Charlie had supplied him with a few mixes to add to the blood if we need to hunt for ourselves and a few mixes that the wolves could use, Emily had been unable to make the teas for the last month and supplies were getting low. Billy had asked Charlie to make some when they arranged for us to visit the Res. Emily was having a hard time with the pregnancy.
Leah's cellphone rang, Billy had called "can you let our guests know they're invited to the community dinner?" She nodded and hung up. J walked out, he'd showered and was wearing a short sleeve t-shirt and jeans. "We'll be there." He said to Leah. Her eyes bugged out, staring at his scars. She broke out of her haze and apologized. J waved her off "many of our kind have scars like this. You should see the Masters." I was glad he was comfortable in his own skin. Leah nodded "I'd probably have a few as well, but we heal before they can form." She started listing off injuries she'd suffered through training. J smiled at her. I saw Demitri relax, he had a few scars of his own.
Leah caught Demitri's reaction and moved to him. She cupped his cheek "show me, Dem. I promise not to think less of you." She said. He kept his eyes to the floor and unbuttoned his shit. He shrugged it off and let it drop to the floor. She searched his torso, running her fingers over each scar. He shuddered and smiled sheepishly at his mate. "The ones who did this to you, they're dead?" She asked, he nodded. "Good." She said firmly. Demitri picked up his shirt and covered himself up again. His mood lightened, although his eyes had darkened. They wouldn't wait long to consummate their mateship.
Bella walked out "how about you and Dem stay at your place, it's pretty crowded in here with all of us." She said to Leah. Dem smiled at Leah and she nodded. "Why don't you guys head out, explore the Res, we can handle everything else until dinner." Leah said, shooing us out of the house. I smirked at Demitri, I knew he wouldn't make a move yet, they'd only just met each other.