Seven Days – Tuesday

Leah

By the time the sun came up, I was finally dragging myself in the front door of the little house I lived in with my mother and Seth. Mom looked up from her newspaper and I gave her a quick nod before making my way to my bedroom and collapsing onto my bed. I'd been running around with Jared all night trying to keep the perimeter safe. Sam was convinced there were more vamps coming to look for the one that we'd killed the week before.

He wasn't the first one I'd seen, but he'd been the strongest. He was tall and muscular with a strange accent. His bright red eyes let us know that our fears had come true: he'd killed a human. We later found out it was the young librarian from the library in Forks.

The vampire had made threats. He said there'd be others coming, that they traveled together. Then we ripped his head off and lit him up. Everyone had gone to the beach to celebrate after that, and I went home alone.

Like always.

"I'm going to work, honey," Mom called through my door. I uttered a muffled goodbye and closed my eyes, trying to find sleep.

I hadn't been getting much of it lately. And now, with Edward lurking around doing his vampire-desperado thing and the entire pack on high alert, it didn't seem like I would be catching up on it any time soon.

"Leah?"

"What?" I yelled as my brother peeked into my bedroom.

"Um…" Seth trailed off.

"Spit it out, kid!"

"Oh, Mom just wanted me to check on you and make sure you ate something before you went to sleep. I, um, put some pancakes in the fridge for you."

My heart squeezed at his clumsy kindness. My poor little brother. He tried to take care of our family in whatever way he could. "Later," I grumbled and turned away from him, "but thank you," ultimately ending our conversation. My bedroom door closed, then the front door, and I was alone again.

When I finally fell asleep it was plagued with nightmares. Or, more specifically, nightmares about Edward.

Edward surrounded by the pack about to die.

Edward standing over Jess' dead body in the empty diner.

Edward with blood red eyes.

I sat up and rubbed my eyes before glancing at the clock. I had only been asleep for an hour, but was suddenly wide awake.

I needed to see Edward.

Edward

"Alice, I really need you to calm down," I sighed and ran a hand over my face. She'd been calling nonstop since I'd been in Forks. It was quite annoying.

"I just worry about you, Edward," she replied, then gasped. "Wait! Are you there?"

"Yes?" I asked, confused.

"It's so weird, Edward. You disappeared again," Alice explained.

I frowned and glanced around, once again hearing Leah before I saw her. She was just off the back steps, closer than she had come before.

I need to talk to you.

"I think I've just discovered why," I muttered and hung up abruptly. "Good morning, starshine," I greeted Leah with a grin. "The world says hello."

If looks could kill, I'd be a pile of dust. Leah looked as if anger, exhaustion, worry, and sheer orneriness were fighting for control of her features before she clipped out a "Hi."

"What can I help you with?" I inquired politely, wondering why I wasn't just dipping into her head to find out as I would've with anyone else. Something besides her prickly nature made me refrain. Maybe it was the feeling that she already had enough people listening in on her already.

"I was just wondering if you… needed any help. You know, tracking your vamp," she asked half-heartedly and shuffled her feet.

"Well, technically he's not mine," I told her. Leah frowned and bounded up the steps. "And I'm not really sure how you can help."

I turned away and made my way back inside. She followed.

"You aren't afraid of much, are you?" I asked when she closed the door behind her.

Definitely not afraid of you, leech.

"Not very polite either," I muttered, and stalked upstairs.

Leah laughed from a few steps behind. "You know what they say about eavesdroppers."

"It isn't something I can actually help, you know."

"Really?"

"Well, if I try hard enough I can, but most of the time it's useful." I shrugged and stepped into my bedroom. Leah froze in the doorway.

I turned to her, grinning. "You can come in. I won't bite."

She rolled her eyes. "Funny."

"I mean it, Leah. You don't smell like other humans." I turned away from her and began rifling through a stack of journals I'd kept over the years until I found the one I was looking for.

"Boy, you sure know how to flatter a girl, Edward," she said dryly. I chuckled and sat down, flipping through the pages of the book I'd picked up.

"Sorry."

"Hmm," she hummed and picked up one of the frames I'd been looking at the night before.

"What's that?" I asked.

"I didn't know vampires showed up in photos," Leah replied.

"Oh, yes. I have a reflection, too."

"Clearly," she said. You always look picture perfect.

I pretended not to hear that particular thought and moved quickly before she could find the rest of the pictures. The ones of Katherine that I'd kept for so long. I stood and gestured for her to follow me downstairs.

"So, you want to help?"

"If I can, yeah." Leah shrugged.

"Why would you want to help me?"

"You're going to save a life, right? That's what I'm here for, too," she explained.

"Is it tough? To not have a choice?" I asked quietly as we made our way back to the dining room. I turned to Leah and watched her face harden, as if she thought I expected her to have some "sunshine and rainbows" answer.

"I do what I have to do," she muttered and pushed past me. "So, what are we looking for?"

"Well, you were right last night: he doesn't have a type. Race, religion, age – none of that matters to him. It's always a woman, though. He finds them alone, drains them and leaves them. Nothing more, nothing less."

Leah watched me for a long moment before speaking. "If you know so much about him, why haven't you found him yet?"

"I have been looking for him for a long time…but I've also been finding others. Killing others."

"When you find others, do you do it…in time?" she whispered the last part.

"What do you mean?" I asked, though her mind told me all I needed to know. Flashes of nameless faces moved through her mind at an alarmingly fast rate.

"You know…"

"Sometimes." I nodded and tossed the journal down on the table. Loose bits of paper fluttered around it.

"And if you don't make it? What happens then?" I met her eyes once more, her irises almost the same shade of ebony as her hair. They were full of something I hadn't seen in so long: humanity. It was the need for reassurance that the women I'd found didn't suffer, that they didn't die in vain.

I couldn't give that to her.

I smiled sadly. "You don't want to know."

She turned away. "We've been casing the perimeter, but we haven't found anything." Leah changed the subject abruptly and I was grateful; I didn't want to have to introduce that kind of pain to her. I was sure she'd seen enough already.

"It will be soon, and probably won't be in the immediate area. He prefers cities, so your Alpha may want to try Port Angeles, too."

"Oh, yes. I can see it now. Six giant wolves trolling the quiet streets of P.A.," Leah said with a delicate snort. I tried not to roll my eyes.

"You know what I mean."

"I'll let him know." She gave a nod of finality and squared her shoulders before turning back to me.

"I'll see you there, then?"

"Maybe." Leah winked before slipping out of my house and quickly making her way into the woods. I couldn't help but watch and admire the soft curves of her body as she walked away.

She was beautiful, that was a given. Leah was different than the women I usually kept company with. Well, not that I actually had a lot of time to pursue a relationship, or that I even wanted one. Pursuing a deadly vampire murderer kind of put a damper on that. Besides, most times I was content with the friendships and familial bonds that had been created with Alice, Esme, and even Rosalie.

But Leah… being around her the past couple of days made me feel lighter, freer. She was easy to be around, and she didn't ask or expect any more than I could offer. She certainly didn't try to change my mind about what I was doing. Maybe it took a killer to understand one.

It was strange, and I wasn't quite sure if I liked it.

Leah

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Seth eyed me as I quickly packed my duffle bag, throwing in a pair of jeans and some clean tank tops.

"I'll be fine, kid," I told him before leaving him standing alone in my bedroom. He followed anxiously at my heels until we were both at the door.

"But Leah, I –"

"Seth! It's fine. Jared will be there. The rest of the pack is just a call away," I explained as I threw my bag in the back of Jared's truck. I wasn't too excited about going with Jared, but Sam's word was the law and he'd decided to send the two of us, end of story.

"But what if it's not fine?" His voice was quiet, and I softened a bit. I pulled my kid brother into a hug and kissed the top of his messy head. The way he was growing it wouldn't be long before he was the one bending down to kiss me.

"It will be. Trust me," I said before releasing him and climbing into Jared's truck.

I didn't want to tell my brother the reason I thought it would all be okay was because I trusted Edward. Truth was, I was still trying to figure out why I trusted Edward.

"You okay?" Jared's voice broke through my thoughts as we got on the highway.

"Fine."

"Nervous?" he asked.

"No. You?" I countered.

"A bit," Jared said with a small shrug.

"Why?"

"I don't know… we've never done anything like this," he explained.

"Like what?"

"On our own, you know?" I nodded and looked out the window.

We've never put our trust in a vampire either, I thought.

"And with the help of a vamp, no less," Jared added.

"Sam seems okay with it," I replied, trying to be nonchalant, though my insides were screaming at me. I was the one who told Sam that Edward was trustworthy. If this went up in flames, it would all be my fault.

"He trusts you."

"Edward or Sam?" I asked, giving him a sideways glance.

"Both," he said. I rolled his words around in my head for the remainder of the drive, too wrapped up in my own thoughts to bother with conversation. Besides, we weren't there to bond. We were there to work.

xXx

Later that night, while we were sitting around Jared's girlfriend Kim's apartment, Edward sent me a text to let me know where he was.

"It's weird, right? A vampire texting?" Kim asked, sipping the cheap beer in her hand. "Shouldn't he be like, writing letters in calligraphy or something?" she asked, giggling.

I watched Jared resist rolling his eyes and I shook my own head.

"You watch too many Brad Pitt movies," Jared teased her. She made a face then stood up, stretching like a cat, before traipsing off to the kitchen.

"He's at The Flying Monkey, he said his sister saw him there."

"Saw him saw him?" Jared's eyebrows threatened to disappear into his hair and I nodded. "Crazy stuff. I don't know if I'd want to be able to see my future. Or have anyone else be able to see it either."

I couldn't help it, I burst out laughing.

"Did I miss the joke?" Jared asked with a hint of a smile.

"Are you kidding me? Your entire life has been planned already!"

"What? No it hasn't," he argued and cast a glance toward the kitchen.

"Seriously, J? You didn't even get to pick who you fell in love with! And me? I won't ever get that. The only person I ever loved fell in love with my cousin, like some huge cosmic joke. And when I complain all I get is the imprinting bullshit that everyone else gets to experience."

"You'll get it, Leah. One day."

"I don't want it! I want to be able to choose." I stood up, my hands clenched into fists at my side. "And besides, I've got nothing to offer anyone," I said with a quiet sob before excusing myself.

I slammed the bathroom door behind me and leaned against the counter, embarrassed. I hadn't meant to yell at Jared, he was just trying to help. But I was telling the truth. I didn't want to imprint, to feel like I didn't have a choice in who I loved. Of course, I couldn't really fault any of the others for imprinting. It wasn't up to them. It was in their blood, our blood. Maybe.

A few moments later, my phone vibrated in my pocket with another message from Edward.

I can do this alone if I have to.

I frowned. He wouldn't have to do it alone.

"Are you ready?" Jared was already at the door helping Kim into her jacket.

"She can't go with us! It's too dangerous!" I cried with my hands on my hips.

Kim scoffed, glaring at me and Jared shrugged. I pushed past them and out the door, not interested in protecting both of them.

"Leah! Wait!"

"Jared, if I have to go alone I will." I spun around and met his worried eyes. It occurred to me that I sounded exactly like Edward, but I tried not to think about how alike we were.

"I told Sam we'd do this together." He frowned.

"Look, you're going to be worried about Kim and that'll make you distracted. I can't have that. We'll all suffer."

He thought for a moment, his eyes darting between Kim and me. "You'll call me if anything goes wrong?"

"Of course," I agreed before turning on my heels and heading down the street to The Flying Monkey, feeling very much like Dorothy minus the shiny red shoes.

Edward

The music pulsed around me, but it wasn't as loud as the heartbeats I could hear or their thoughts that screamed at me.

Sex, drugs, alcohol. It was ingrained in their minds, written on their faces, and flowing from their pores. And it had been far too long since I'd hunted. Bad move, that, Edward. Venom filled my mouth and I steeled myself against the counter, my fingers leaving an imprint on the Formica. And then I heard her, loud and clear, like a lighthouse waiting for a lost ship.

Where the fuck are you?

I laughed and made my way through the crowd to find her, but stopped suddenly.

He was there. His scent bombarded me, bringing back the memories that I'd suppressed for almost a hundred years. I wanted to fall the ground and surrender to them, so vivid behind my eyes, but I didn't.

Because she was there, too.

"You okay?" Leah's was at my side quickly, her voice was calm but laced with worry.

"Fine." I gave her a swift nod and pulled myself together. "He's here."

She scanned the crowd, her nostrils flared.

"Does he know we're here?"

"He knows someone else is here. He's very focused though," I told her as I tried to listen to the hunter's thoughts. Like I had told her, he was focused. I hadn't mentioned that he was focused on a tiny brunette hovering in the corner by herself. I didn't think she really needed to know everything.

"What do we do?"

"Just… act natural." I shrugged. "We could dance?"

"My natural instinct is to kill you, Edward. Not dance with you," Leah said with a polite snort. I grinned and looked around, though no one seemed to be paying much attention to us, then settled my eyes back on Leah. Her body swayed to the music and I let my eyes travel down her frame, appraising her appearance silently. Dressed in a tight black tank top and jeans, her short hair fell sleekly just below her chin. Leah didn't seem to be wearing makeup, but it also didn't seem like she needed it. She was slim and toned, the body of a warrior, of a girl who had seen and dealt with too much.

She was beautiful.

Carefully, I slipped my arm around her waist and pulled her against my body, jumping a little at her inhuman heat. Leah fought me for a moment- I could hear a fleeting thought about cold running through her head- then she relaxed and wrapped her arms around my neck, avoiding my gaze. The music wasn't really music, just thumping bass and melody, but our bodies moved like everyone else's: slow and close.

"Can you still hear him?" she whispered, knowing I could hear her.

I nodded. "He's thinking. He doesn't want to draw attention to himself," I explained, my eyes scanning the crowd. "But he's getting impatient."

Leah swore under her breath and pulled herself tighter against me. I tried not to smile.

"You're very warm," I stated.

Leah looked up at me with curious eyes. "A constant one-oh-eight," she muttered.

"Hm," was all I said. Leah shook her head, but I could see the hint of a smile on her face, her mind blank again. "How do you do that?"

"Do what?" she asked with innocent doe-eyes.

"You know what I mean." I frowned.

"In the pack… there are no secrets. I learned quickly how to turn it off. It's easier that way," she said, letting her arms fall from around me and stepping away. "I need a drink."

I watched her walk to the bar and listened to her order as I rolled her words over in my head, wondering what she needed to turn off.

Checking my watch, I realized it was after midnight, and just as she received her order, I saw him: a tall, slim blond with a small brunette girl hanging onto his arm. She was laughing, her head thrown back in amusement, but his smile was deadly.

I pushed through the crowd and took Leah by the elbow, leading her away from the bar.

"Hey! That beer cost me ten dollars!" she yelled as I pulled her away.

"I'll compensate you. We need to move. Now."

Leah's eyes widened and she nodded, following me to a door that led to the stairwell.

"Where do you suppose this goes?" she asked as we climbed at a less than human pace.

"The roof," I replied, then threw open the door.

I was right. We were on the roof, but the hunter was nowhere in sight.

"Well, fuck," Leah muttered disgustedly, "are you gonna tell me this asshole can fly?"