Moonlight in Forks
Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to SM.
Aro
Jacob ordered the two younger wolves away as soon as they came across the blood-spattered corpses on a hiking trail near the Hoh river. He could feel their urge to retch, their limbs shaking at the smell wafting toward their sensitive noses. There was nothing they could do for these poor unfortunate victims now, only find the perpetrators who had killed them.
"Go find the others." He ordered Collin and Brady. "And tell them to meet me here. I'm going to scout around the area to see what I can find."
"Yes, Jake." Collin and Brady said together, glad to be given something proactive to do. They took off at a fast lope back down the trail and were soon out of sight.
Jacob felt a good deal of sympathy for them. He knew they would be marked forever by what they had seen. It wasn't fair. It wasn't right. They were so young. They shouldn't have to deal with this kind of horror show. It was a mark of their bravery that they hadn't run away as soon as they stumbled across the bloated corpses.
With nose to the ground, Jacob ran slowly down the trail, his eyes and ears twitching, looking for some sign of the killer or killers. It was hard to tell how many there were. The dead bodies emitted a pungent, overpowering odour that he could only compare to rotting meat, rotten eggs, or sewage. The smell was caused by the release of chemical compounds during decomposition, such as Skatole, putrescine, cadaverine, and hydrogen sulphide. It was so overwhelming it overrode every other scent, making it difficult for him to track the killers. Also, it had rained during the night, washing away any visible clues, just making his job even more difficult.
Three people dead. It was supposed to be a routine patrol. There hadn't been this kind of carnage since the newborn battle. It was like the Olympic Peninsula was bloodsucker central suddenly.
The bodies had been broken and completely mangled. This proved that this group of vampires had a vicious streak. They weren't killing just to satiate their bloodlust, they actually enjoyed it, inflicting pain. It was a scary proposition. Well, he would enjoy killing them when he caught up with them. He hoped it would be soon before the killers came across any other potential victims.
Days passed with no further signs or any clues in which direction the killers might have gone. To cover more ground, Jacob was now liaising with Sam and his pack. They worked together fluidly, making sure to always keep in close communication with one another. The wolves barely took time to eat or sleep. Any rest was done in short bursts. They missed their loved ones and families. School and work were neglected. They all knew this was too important, they couldn't be found slacking, not when it meant that some other innocents could fall victim to the rabid vampires.
Then by the end of the second week, Jared came across two more blood splattered corpses along the Quileute boundary line. They were younger this time, two kids barely out of their teens. Seeing the bodies had a profound effect on all of them, for this time it was personal. They knew them. Sam ordered Jared to take some time away, he had been completely shattered when he came across them alone in the dark. The memory would haunt him forever.
"How did they manage to slip through the net?" Sam asked Jacob in frustration. His fists were clenched. He had witnessed the horror show in Jared's mind. The two teens were the son and daughter of a local woman, a close friend of Sue Clearwater's. They were in some of the same classes as Collin and Brady. It was devastating.
Jacob was thinking of the Cullens and their special gifts. "They must have some power of evasion. Or some way to shield themselves from detection. These killers aren't mere nomads."
"God!" Sam, usually so calm, was completely agitated. "How do we even begin to track them to take them down? It was hard enough with that red headed creature when she was stalking Bella."
"Even the red head eventually made a mistake. These will too. And when they do, we'll be ready." Jacob's voice was like steel, his eyes blazing with fury. He would get a special enjoyment out of ripping these particular leeches apart.
"How's Bella holding up?" Sam asked suddenly.
"She's scared and worried. Not for herself as usual. For all of us."
Jacob smiled wryly, picturing Bella's reaction in his mind when he first told her about the horrific discovery of the first set of victims. She had pleaded with him to be careful, concerned that he was wearing himself out too much with the round the clock patrols. He had reassured her that he was doing everything possible to stay safe. She had no choice but to believe him.
So worried was Bella about his and the other wolves physical and mental wellbeing, that she took on Emily's former role as the den mother. Over the intervening weeks she spent a lot of her free time on the reservation, turning the Black's tiny house into wolf pack central. She organized a food kitchen, so there was always something available at any time of day or night for the resting pack members to eat and drink.
This empowered the wolves, knowing that they had somewhere to go to rest and recuperate after all the horrors. She was a friendly face at the end of a long, exhausting patrol shift, providing comfort and sage advice, especially to the younger members of the pack who were struggling with what they had seen. She was soon beloved so much by Collin and Brady that they even began to jokingly call her mom, much to her disgust.
"Yeah, she's much stronger than I ever gave her credit for." Sam admitted. "The way she managed to get things organized so quickly. And the way she cares for everyone, especially the youngsters." He shook his head, thinking of Emily and how she would have struggled to do the same thing that Bella was doing now.
"She's amazing." A tender light lit up Jacob's eyes as he spoke.
Sam fell into a brooding silence as he mulled over his former life with Emily, it felt like a half-remembered dream, like it had never really happened. He hadn't heard from her again since she had sent him the Dear John letter.
"Hey, have you spoken to Leah yet?" Jacob asked, capturing his attention again.
"Lee did ask to meet up and talk." Sam revealed. "But then all this happened and she changed her mind and said it could wait." He had been looking forward to clearing the air between them. Now it was going to be delayed. Again. He sighed heavily, uncurling his fist as he tried to relax. "I just want to make things right. I miss her."
"It will get better, Sam." Jacob answered carefully.
The she-wolf had been uncommunicative when he had asked her whether she had told Sam about the imprinting theory that he and Bella had come up with. It seemed she was putting if off for her own reasons. It wasn't just because they were all so busy. Maybe she feared Sam's reaction. He could never tell with Leah. She had become like a closed book. Even when they were phased, she kept her inner thoughts to herself, just concentrating on the task at hand and nothing else.
"Yeah." Sam said wearily. He glanced up at the darkening sky. The wind ran as if it had been restrained for time out of mind and it was determined to outrun any chaser. A sure indicator that a storm was brewing. "Well, I'm gonna head out again. I'll check in with you later."
Jacob bumped fists with Sam as he watched the older guy's form already beginning to shimmer. Soon the man was gone, a hulking, black ferocious looking wolf taking his place. The black wolf bowed his head in quiet acknowledgement to Jacob, before turning quickly, his huge paws taking great chunks out of the earth as he sprinted toward the distant trees.
Carlisle and Edward hardly had time to prepare for Aro's unexpected arrival in Denali. They had no idea what had prompted this sudden visit. Not until Edward read Irina's mind.
After Laurent came to live with the Denali coven, Irina had become incredibly drawn to him, and Laurent enjoyed her affection. But before they could move on to the next level, their relationship ended following his death at the hands of the Quileute shape-shifters when he attempted to kill Bella for her blood.
When he and Carlisle had first arrived in Denali, Irina had greeted them rather coolly. She was still upset with them over their part in Laurent's demise. When the Cullens had asked for the Denali coven's aid against Victoria's newborn army, she wanted revenge on the wolves in exchange for their help, but the Cullens disagreed and so the Denalis turned down their alliance temporarily.
As time passed Irina became more and more vengeful toward the Cullens. She nursed these feelings in secret, hiding her bitterness from her sisters and the rest of the coven. She was upset because the shapeshifters had killed Laurent and the Cullens refused to let her avenge him.
So, Irina decided to get her revenge another way and began to plan. Once she heard about Edward's near breakdown in Forks and the dissolution of his relationship with the despicable human girl he was so obsessed with, she decided it was the perfect time to put that plan into operation. She contacted the Volturi anonymously, informing them of the Cullens intention to back out of the promise they had made to them to turn Bella Swan. She also revealed the existence of the wolf pack in La Push, explaining that they were allies of the Cullens and had been present during the newborn battle, and that the Cullens had then colluded with the wolves to keep their existence a secret from Jane and the others.
When this news reached the ears of the Volturi leaders, Aro immediately sent out a small entourage to spy on the Cullens and keep a close watch on the surrounding areas of La Push and Forks, determined to have his own eyes and ears on the ground to confirm what the source had said was true.
When these spies reported back and informed him of what they had heard and seen Aro felt utterly betrayed. Everything the anonymous source had told them was true and he was infuriated. He sent the spies back out, demanding that they keep an even closer watch on the mysterious group of shapeshifters in La Push, while he would personally pay Carlisle a visit in Denali to demand answers.
So, while the Volturi spies wreaked havoc in La Push with their reckless hunting activities, Aro called his personal entourage together-which included Jane, Alex, Felix and Renata-and headed directly for Denali.
And that's where Carlisle and Edward found themselves now, outranked and outnumbered, and facing the wrath of one of the Volturi leaders. Alice had little time to warn them, Irina's intentions had not been on her radar, she had been focusing her attention elsewhere.
"Should I speak?" Carlisle whispered to Edward.
Edward hesitated, trying his best to read everyone's mind, but there was so much information flooding him all at once it was becoming hard to sift through the noise. "Yes. I think this is the only chance you'll get."
Carlisle squared his shoulders and paced several steps ahead of Edward. He spread his arms, holding his palms up as if in greeting. "Aro, my old friend. It's been centuries."
The white clearing where they had decided to meet was dead silent for a long moment. The tension rolling off Edward as he listened to Aro's assessment of Carlisle's words was palpable. The strain mounted as seconds ticked by.
And then Aro stepped forward out of the centre of his entourage. His shield, Renata, moved with him as if the tips of her fingers were glued to his flamboyant red robe. For the first time the other members of the entourage reacted. A muttered grumble rolled through the line, eyebrows lowered into scowls, lips curled back from teeth. Jane's reddened eyes widened, her doll like face implacable.
Aro held up his hand for silence. "Peace." He ordered.
He walked just a few paces more, then cocked his head to one side. His milky eyes glistening with curiosity.
"Fair words, Carlisle." He breathed in his thin, wispy voice. "They seem out of place, considering the lies you have been spinning since we last laid eyes on each other."
Carlisle shook his head and stretched his right hand forward as if there were still not a hundred yards between them. "You only have to touch my hand to know that was never my intent."
Aro's shrewd eyes narrowed. "But how can your intent possibly matter, dear Carlisle, in the face of what you and yours have done?" He frowned, and a shadow of sadness crossed his face-whether it was genuine or not it was hard to tell. "You lied to me, Carlisle. I cannot condone that."
"A lie of omission is not a crime. You cannot punish me or my family for that."
Aro's thin lips quirked into a smile. "Ah, then you would be happy to step aside and let us punish those responsible for the broken promise and for the lies." His greedy eyes landed on Edward. "Truly, Carlisle, nothing would please me more than to preserve your life today."
"No one has broken the law, Aro. Let me explain." Carlisle offered his hand again, stepping in front of Edward to shield him.
Aro's smile faded, his eyes darkened. "It is too late for pointless explanations now, my dear friend. I have already set things in motion."
"What do you mean?" Carlisle demanded wildly when he heard Edward's strangulated cry coming from behind him. "What have you done?"
"Merely what you promised to do yourself, Carlisle." Aro said severely. "To change the girl and destroy those who get in our way."
A/N-thanks for reading!
