Dear readers!

Sorry that I did not post the chapter yesterday. But I'm in the middle of moving and just had no time and in the evening I fell exhausted into bed.

Here is the next chapter!

Verena

Chapter 45

Siblings or Wolves?

Leah

By now Becky had helped me get dressed, but I still had a headache when Emmett entered the room.

He grinned, and I wondered if one ever saw this face also without a grin or a laugh. He was like a good-humored teddy bear.

"Well, Princess. How's the thick skull?" he asked, amused, and leaned relaxed next to me at the stretcher where I was still sitting.

"She's tough!" Carlisle replied for me, who had come in with Emmett and was checking my blood pressure and temperature.

It sounded somehow as if he was proud of me. I had not been mistaken earlier - before Jake's outburst - however. We knew these four vampires, whom Edward referred to as siblings, from school and had been quite casual with each other the last two days of school. We were enemies and neither they nor we had forgotten that. We had talked to each other, even joked with each other now and then, but had been careful. But earlier, when Mom presented us as her children, it was as if something had changed. As if a switch had been flipped in the minds of these bloodsuckers. All caution and all concerns had fallen away from them.

Jake's freak-out. I could still whack him. I couldn't understand at all how he hadn't thought about Mom becoming a vampire, too. She had also told us last week, that she had wanted it in the past. Why didn't he think that it would be like that again today? Well, last week we had been shocked by this and had thought Mom was stupid. But now we had gotten to know Edward. There was just no mistaking that Mom had been a little happier every day since Wednesday. Plus, yesterday morning while we were running, we had agreed that we liked Edward. Mom could have chosen a worse boyfriend. Anyway. Jake had probably cleared it up with Edward.

But I was also unsettled by all of this in a completely different way.

Hadn't we established on Friday that I was the alpha here? Didn't Jake then have to obey my 'orders'? I had told him in no uncertain terms - okay, I had yelled it - to keep his goddamn paws off Edward. And his muzzle. But he wasn't interested in that at all. When I get a chance, maybe I should call Seth and ask him how that worked with the command voice. Seth had let us feel it last week, just so we could have heard it once. But it was not only hearing. Not just the dual sound of a commanding voice of thought that echoed downright painfully in my head, completely overlapping my own thinking. It was also an agonizing burning in the joints that pressed me submissively to the ground. One was at the mercy of the alpha leader. A subject. A slave ...

I swallowed.

Did I want to see my own brother like that in front of me? What generally took precedence with us? Counted among wolves yet that we were siblings. Twins even. We had spent our whole life together, had the same friends, did things together. We were pretty close to each other. Not like many other siblings. One loved each other, but otherwise one tended to stay out of each other's way. Everyone led their own life. It had never been like that with us. And since we were wolves, this connection had somehow even strengthened. At least that's how it seemed to us. Maybe it was just the fact that we had to keep a secret together. But did that matter once we phased? I had no idea. It was definitely not a subject to mull over with a headache.

"Here. See if this fits you," Emmett handed Jake a bundle of clothes.

I laughed inwardly gloatingly.

Jake had shredded the only pair of jeans that still fit him properly since our recent growth spurt. Served him right. Emmett was similar in height and just as muscular as Jake. Too bad, it would probably fit him. They seemed absolutely new.

"You can keep it," he said to Jake yet. "You want another piece?" Emmett then asked me, taking the empty plate from my hand.

"No, thanks. I want to see Mom first," I explained, and Emmett reached out a hand for me to climb off the high stretcher.

Carlisle also helped me.

Jumping was not something I wanted to do to my head yet, but the pain was already subsiding.

In the hallway I was immediately marveled at by all the vampires. They couldn't believe it that I didn't have the smallest scar and was already back on my feet.

It seemed that they were really worried about me. I would probably ask when I had the chance how badly I had really been hit. And then I would take Jake to task yet again. Hmmm ... I could also secretly cut off his beloved long hair at night!

One of them pointed to the door across the hall when I asked for Mom.

My breath caught as I gently nudged the door, exposing them to the gaze of the others.

Edward and Mom were kissing. We had already seen this yesterday morning before we drove to the lake, and it didn't really surprise me. It was the way they kissed. It was so ... soulful and tender, as I had never seen it before. Neither in any movies and certainly not in real life. And absolutely nothing seemed to be able to distract the two of them from that.

Astonished but pleased murmurs could be heard softly behind me.

I let my head hang sadly.

Ben. We had also always forgotten everything around us.

I pulled the door shut a bit again and turned away from them.

I felt a little bit like an intruder, showing this affection of the two to the others. Something that the vampires had only been waiting for.

"Leah!" I then heard Mom's excited voice after a while.

I lifted my head again and forced myself to smile.

Mom is fine, I'm fine, everything is fine. I just had to talk myself into it long enough.

I knelt down on the floor next to Mom. She took my face in her hands and gave me a kiss on the forehead.

"I'm fine, Mom," I said. I really was. Physically.

Jake walked past us and knelt on the other side. With his head bowed, he awaited his punishment.

"I'm sorry, Mom!" he whispered ruefully.

Mom lifted his head, looked at him for a long time, also gave him a kiss on the forehead, but raised an index finger.

"We'll talk about that later!" she threatened.

Jake nodded.

Mom postponed giving him his punishment until later, when we were home. I suspected that she would have to think about it. Grounding or anything like that was not Mom's style. She always picked out exactly what hurt us the most. Figuratively speaking.

With Edward's helping hands, Mom finally stood up and rejoined the other vampires, some of whom were in the hallway and others already standing in the doorway.

We went back to the living room.

Mom got herself for the last slice of pizza and we chatted. Mom had to dish all kinds of things and asked a lot about what the vampires had done in the last few years.

And no one asked Jake what had gotten into him or accused him in any way? I seemed to have missed a lot.

In case anyone didn't catch or understand their kiss earlier, there was no doubt now.

Edward and Mom were together! Edward didn't let go of her the whole time, took her hands, put his arms around her, kissed her. They were really cute together.

Alice was suddenly offended, which I only understood at the second attempt.

Edwards's siblings had spent the last few days discussing many possibilities as to what was going on with him. Time and again, Alice had tried to get behind his secret with her weird gift, but never saw anything. I thought it was funny. She less so.

And contrary to her threat not to talk to us, however, she did.

So far, I had only gotten to know Alice a little bit at school. Maybe it was also because of Mom, but I thought Alice was really amusing. She made an awfully sweet impression on me - apart from that squeaky and never ceasing voice. Also, my previous idea about the others changed somewhat in the course of the afternoon. That they were not ice-cold monsters, I had already noticed by myself. But this here went far beyond my opinion.

Emmett was a 'good mood' bear. He couldn't get the cheerful grin off of his face the whole day. The family's braggart. I thought he was quite cool, and I was sure that he had a damn soft core hidden under his challenging manner.

Rosalie was preternaturally pretty - even for a vampire - but the cocky demeanor of the last few days was blown away. She talked a lot with me and Becky. About boys, clothes, and cars, but also about our childhood and how it was for me to grow up with only a mom.

Jasper was relatively quiet overall, but very attentive. The fitting counterpart to Alice. He played with our feelings a bit after we asked him to. I ended up believing I had an undying crush on Becky, and she on me and my brother noted it with absolute equanimity.

After Jazz finished his manipulation, Jake promptly yanked Becky back into his arms.

Everyone laughed but Jake didn't.

We already knew Carlisle, and he knew that we were Mom's children. In this respect, his behavior to Thursday had not changed. A kind and thoughtful man who held this family together. A man who could be trusted. But the treasure of the family for me was Esmé. She was such a gentle and loving person that you could just love.

We were given a tour of the house, which we all joined. We went through the individual rooms like a procession.

After the third room, I thought I was slowly getting used to the luxury, but was surprised anew in each subsequent room. The floors, walls, and ceilings did not appear to be made of cheap materials. The furnishings themselves weren't bad either. And what wasn't here! A home cinema room, a billiard room, a swimming pool - inside and outside - with sauna and whirlpool, underground parking with in-house garage, bowling alley, tennis court, music room, library, basketball court - at Alice's house there was also be a volleyball court and at the edge of the property a baseball field -, a fireplace room, various guest rooms and yet other numerous rooms and on the top floor a panoramic view with even a partially glass roof, from which one could see three much smaller houses between the trees.

"The one on the right is Emmett and Rosalie's, the one on the left is Alice and Jasper's, and the one in the very back, right by the river, is mine," Edward explained to us.

"I'd like to see that," I heard myself say.

So, we strolled over at dusk, but only my family.

In my mind I shook my head at the term that came to mind without thinking. Family!

A cool arm wrapped around my shoulders.

"I like that thought," Edward spoke softly to me, smiling at me.

I smiled back.

Somewhat relieved that he didn't hold such thoughts against me.

His house was a lot smaller. The exterior was dark red, the roof black, and white wooden beams ran everywhere. Cozy.

Instead of a garage, there was only a carport here, but it was empty. His third-car - as I shook my head and thought - stood in the big house in the underground garage. Behind the front door, we immediately stood in a comfortable living room, smaller than ours at home. To our right, there were cabinets on the wall with an expensive-looking music and TV system, in front of it a comfortable appearing couch. Behind it shelves with countless books, then the stairway to the upper floor in front of us, next to it a passageway. To the left of us stood a desk that, unlike my own, was damn tidy, and at the back left, an expansive concert grand piano took up the entire space. In the middle of the room were two white thick wooden beams.

Had probably static reasons.

Edward nodded.

"Tell me, do you play too, or is that just decoration?" asked Becky at the sight of the grand piano.

"He doesn't just play, he also composes," Mom explained, looking dreamily into Edward's eyes.

The generally required recital was postponed until later and we went through the passageway.

On the left, the entrance to a pretty, cozy but modern kitchen.

A fully automatic coffee machine. Yeah ...!

The hall further on was a narrow room with a fireplace, stone floor and whirlpool, a view of the river, a stone terrace in front.

Romantic.

Then we went upstairs. Quite unspectacular ... after the small fireplace/whirlpool room. A bedroom with adjoining bathroom, but this had a large luxury bathtub. Next to it a guest room, somewhat smaller, but also with its own bathroom. In between a small storage room.

Then he finally sat at the grand piano.

For mom, however, he really went to get some tissues before he started playing.

I did not understand why. Mom was not so prone to tears that she started crying because of music. It took a little more than that. Not much more, but still.

"You'll see," he teased me still.

Mom sat next to him on the small bench, looking expectant. Jake had Becky in his arms and was leaning against the imposing instrument as tensely as I was. Then he played ...

Wow ...

The music filled the entire room. My knees went weak and I trembled. I had to brace myself on the grand piano so I wouldn't buckle. Becky was also no longer standing so firmly on her own two feet, but was being held by Jake.

And Mom?

She clung to Edward with a smile and cried. Like myself by now. And like Becky.

It took us a moment to calm down, but soon we headed home.

"Jake, go to your room, please!" Mom then demanded sternly.

Jake nodded sullenly and left after saying farewell to Becky. He knew that the time for his punishment had come.

Becky wanted to say goodbye then now, but Mom asked her to stay a little while. She also insisted on driving her home.

When Mom then said what she had thought of for a punishment, I almost felt sorry for Jake. Almost! So that's why she had asked Becky to stay yet.

"Becky. I'm sorry. I have to punish you too, even though you really can't help Jake's behavior. I like you and I'm very glad you found each other. I couldn't ask for a better girlfriend for Jake ... But there's only one thing I can really punish Jake with right now. Which really makes him realize how serious his outburst was today," she began and I saw that Becky herself was getting scared. "I'm going to forbid him to see you outside of school," she then said clearly.

"How long?" asked Becky - it was barely audible.

"I don't know yet."

She was probably sorry herself, that could be seen.

"Bella, Jake has already punished himself enough today," Edward tried to gently talk her out of it.

I saw a lone tear run down Becky's cheek, walked over to her and put an arm around her shoulders. She had taken care of me so nicely this morning, I didn't want to see her cry. I also wanted to say something, but Mom was faster.

"He attacked Leah, his own sister!" she said with a relentless tone.

Edward just nodded and gave up.

And I drove my fingers through my hair and was then also silent. Blood was still stuck in it and now stuck to my fingers.

Becky also seemed to understand because of my gesture and nodded as well. But she was sad.

Then Edward drove Becky home. Mom drove along because she wanted to apologize to her father personally, that it had become so late.

When they got back, Mom immediately went to Jake.

Edward and I looked up a little worried.

Jake screamed wildly when he heard his punishment, but then instantly became quiet when Mom left the room.

"How is Jake going to endure this?" I wondered, and let myself fall into the armchair.

"At least they'll still see each other at school," Edward downplayed the punishment. "Did Carlisle tell you how badly you were hurt?" he then asked after a moment, crouching down by me.

I said no.

"If you were a normal person, you would have retained brain damage and we would have had to operate on you immediately so as not to worsen the damage yet. If you had survived at all," he explained to me emphatically.

Holy shit.

Involuntarily I felt the spot on my head, where nothing could be felt now. Except for the dried blood.

I went to bed early; the day was exhausting.

First Ben and then Jake. Ben. Tomorrow at school I would see him again. I wonder what that would be like. It had felt so final with Ben. So perfect. Just like Jake and Becky. But now it was over. Tears came up again and I tried to distract myself with memories of this afternoon. The visit with Edward's family had done me good. Apart from Jake's outburst.

Jake apparently heard my suppressed whimpering and soon joined me.

We sat down together on the floor, the bedcover over us, and talked quietly. Neither of us was feeling well. I missed Ben and Jake still felt guilty for me.

At some point we fell asleep.

I was only half asleep when I thought I heard Mom and Edward in my room. Maybe it was just a dream, too. I did not know.

"No matter what they do to each other, they love and they comfort," Mom said sentimentally.

"Don't you think your punishment was a bit harsh. After all, he imprinted on her," I heard Edward very close to me and realized how something soft and warm was taken away from me.

"Wait. Let me take the blanket ... That's why I haven't mentioned a time period yet. Maybe a day or two will be enough for him to realize the gravity of his guilt. It doesn't work that he just takes a pop at his sister. Sister in a double sense ... What he would have done to me if he had really caught you, I don't even want to think about that," Mom explained as I thought I was floating through a chillingly cold night.

"Why doubly so? They are twins. Can there be a stronger connection than that?"

"Not only are they related by blood as my children, but they are twins too. The wolves among themselves are connected by a strong bond that excludes even their parents or other siblings. Before there was a wolf who wasn't allowed to tell his parents what he was and why he was always gone."

I had landed. Somewhere. It was soft and warmth immediately covered me again.

"Is that why you reacted so heavily when she tried to tell Ben?"

"Yes. I'm also not supposed to know, even though I raised two wolves. Order from Sam. But I found out for myself because Jacob had told me the legends long before he was a wolf himself. The same legends by which I knew what you are ..." the voices became quieter and finally could no longer be heard as I fell into a troubled dream.

Dream

I fought in Sam's pack, alongside my father. No idea against whom.

We ran through a forest that was unknown to me, and there was no end to it.

We ran for ages, at least that's what it felt like.

At some point someone attacked me, but the attack came from the wrong direction. I saw no enemy. I turned around and found myself facing wolves baring their teeth and howling belligerently.

I was confused.

That was my pack. My siblings. Why were they growling at me?

But I was already defeated. The wound on my head was large, took away my strength, and very slowly also my senses. Blood dripped down from my fur. I slumped down and saw my father standing next to me. His lips were moving, but I heard nothing.

I saw Jake among the wolves.

Slowly he approached me and I heard his thoughts. Only his. He didn't know why I was hurt, but he was afraid for me. He would get Edward and disappeared from my sight.

Dream end

Thank you for reading!