Chapter 11

"I can't find Kim and Milly," Brady said over the phone.

"What do you mean?" Sam asked. He had just called Emily and made sure she was home, and Katie had been there with her. Claire was on her way, and Seth had called Sam and told him Johana had just left home to go to their place. Paul hadn't said anything about Denise, Colin's imprint. But she lived in Los Angeles with her parents and would be safe there. She was a new imprint and didn't even know about Colin's dual nature yet.

"Kim isn't at home, and either is Milly. Kim's car isn't at her place. I tried to call them, but their phones are switched off."

Cold dread washed over Sam. Could those two be helping the bloodsuckers? Sam could not believe it. Yes, they both seemed to hate Bella, especially Kim, but surely, they wouldn't put the whole tribe at risk, themselves at risk. They couldn't be that stupid to think they would survive if they had dealings with leeches.

And how would they even know how to get in contact with them. Katie was the only imprint who had heard more about the bloodsuckers after Bella, and Paul had asked her to keep the things she knew to herself. Others didn't know. Or did they?

"Try to find them. I'll go home and make sure everybody gets there and stays there."

He jogged to his car and drove home. His mind was reeling. How would he be able to make sure Emily was safe if the whole tribe was in danger? Emily was in her second trimester now, and Sam was fucking scared something terrible could happen to her and the baby. If those two were behind this, Paul would not have time to end them; Sam would. Fuck the consequences; Jared and Jacob would never phase again because their wolves would die with their imprints, but those bitches didn't deserve to live if they were the ones helping the bloodsuckers.

When Sam was parking the car, Seth drove behind him, and Billy, Rachel, Sue, and Harry came out with him.

"You brought Rachel?"

"Billy wanted to take her with him. She's not feeling well, and all things considered, it is probably for the best that she is here with the rest of us."

"What is this all about?" Harry asked.

"Paul asked us to wait for him before we tell anything. Please let's go in and wait for him," Sam said.

Harry nodded and led Sue inside. Rachel looked like she was having one of her fits; her eyes were darting nervously, and her breathing was shallow. Sam would feel sorry for her if she had shown any remorse about her actions, but she hadn't.

"I couldn't leave her home alone," Billy said.

"That's okay," Sam patted Billy on the shoulder.

"I didn't find Old Quil," Seth said after everyone else had gone inside.

"He wasn't at home?"

"No."

Could it be Old Quil? But if it was him, where were Kim and Milly? All three working together?

"I'm going to phase and tell the situation to the rest," Sam said. "Seth, you need to go and look for Old Quil but wait here until I've talked to Paul."

He jogged to the woods and phased.

Everybody else but Milly, Kim, and Old Quil are at our place now. Billy wanted to bring Rachel. Sam let the others know.

Milly should be back home already. She was with Kim this afternoon. Jacob said.

Where the fuck are they? Jared asked.

Brady is trying to find them, but Kim's car is missing, and their phones are dead. Seth couldn't find Old Quil. He's not at home or anywhere where he usually spends his time.

Everybody waited for Paul to say something through their mind link, but he was silent.

The silence dragged on for a few moments. Then their alpha's mind returned to them.

You all carry on as I asked. Colin, stay in Forks. Jacob, come to run with Jared. Embry, stay close to our house. Sam, keep people at your place. Don't tell them anything. I'll go home and call the doc, and then I'll come to talk to the elders and imprints.

And he phased out.

Paul returned home. He was standing trembling behind the wood line for a while, looking at his home. He could sense Bella inside, her worry and anxiety over him and their babies.

He needed Bella to calm down. But he felt he didn't deserve her. He had failed her and their family and had let this happen. La Push was supposed to be their safe place.

He couldn't know for sure yet, who was behind all this, but it was obvious it had to be one or all of the ones missing. He had fucking known that Old Quil was not to be trusted, but he had let him stay in La Push and continue to hurt the tribe. He'd been a moron. Too kind and forgiving and look where it took them. He still couldn't think Kim and Milly could be behind this, but where were they? Wolves always knew where their imprints were. Now Jacob and Jared didn't have a clue.

Paul pulled shorts on and went to look for his scattered phone. Luckily he found the sim card intact. He went inside, and Bella ran at him.

"Paul, oh Paul! I've been so worried about you."

"Shh, baby, you don't need to worry about me." Paul wrapped his arms around her and lifted her legs around his hips. He inhaled her scent and felt instantly calmer.

Bella kissed him and hugged him tightly.

Quil came from the kitchen to see what was going on. He had Lumi propped against his shoulder.

"All good?" he asked.

"No leeches yet," Paul told him. "Baby, do you remember where your old phone is? I broke mine, and I need to call the doc."

"I think it's in the kitchen; I'll get it." He kissed Bella once more and let her go to get the phone.

"So, are everybody at Sam's?" Quil asked.

"No. Kim, Milly, and Old Quil are missing."

A growl rumbled in Quil's chest, and Paul was at him in a second to take his daughter from him.

"Let me have her. Call Brady and ask whether he has found Kim and Milly. Seth is trying to find Old Quil."

Paul pressed Lumi gently against his chest and nuzzled her head. He loved the baby smell. It helped him to settle down almost as much as Bella's scent did.

Bella came back with her old phone. "Give me the sim card," she said. Bella put it in the phone and turned it on. "The battery seems to be fully loaded," she said and gave the phone to him.

"Come to mommy, you little nugget," she said and took Lumi from him.

Paul moved outside to call Carlisle. He answered after the first ring.

"Hello, Paul. Are you ready for some action?" Carlisle asked.

"Can't wait to get this shit over with." And as much as he hated that Bella and the babies were in danger, he really wanted to get their life back to normal, and to kill the leeches and the people helping them was what he needed to do.

"How are Bella and the babies?"

Paul's heart jumped at the question. "They are doing well."

"I would very much like to see them after all this is over."

"I think about that," Paul said. He wouldn't bring his daughters anywhere near leeches, even the Cullens. But he didn't want to be rude, not now.

"Tell me all you know," he said.

"It's not much, I'm afraid. Alice can only see that they arrive in Seattle, nothing more. That she cannot see anything from the point they land means they can enter the shielded area. Four Volturi guards are coming, the most powerful: Demetri, Felix, Jane, and Alec. Demetri is the tracker, Felix is the strength, Jane can inflict illusory crippling pain, and Alec takes all the senses away. Normally this combo is indestructible; no force can fight against them, but Bella's shield can change everything."

"Yes, she can block mental powers, so Jane and Alec's powers are useless against her. But they probably know about this since they have someone helping them." Paul had to breathe through the nose to settle his trembling. The person who betrayed him would suffer the most horrible death. He had to shake his head to keep his mind focused on the discussion.

"Yes, I would think they do. But it depends how much the person who is helping them knows."

"Who it is, knows enough," Paul said through gritted teeth. He used all his control not to break the phone in his hand.

Everyone who was at the bonfire when Kal-lape reviled Old Quil's and Billy Black's betrayal against the pack knew about Bella's shield. And now, three of those people were missing.

"How can we get there?" Carlisle asked. "It is unbelievable how we have lost all the sense of the place. We know it is there, but we cannot find our way there; it is like it didn't exist. We've tried and tested it but can't get past the shield. It's the strangest thing I've ever encountered."

Paul was fucking glad to hear that. No one understood how the shield worked, and so far, it had been enough that it did. But not even the shield could help when someone inside was willing to betray them. Paul felt his rage rippling through him, but he pressed it down. He needed his head in the game now. The time to lose himself to the wolf and the revenge would come soon.

"I'll send one wolf to get you," Paul said. He was thinking about sending Embry. "Where are you, and how many of you are coming?"

"We're at Seattle. We can meet your man at the gas station by the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. It's the furthest we can get from Seattle before everything towards the west coast disappears. There are five of us. Esme stays, but Alice wants to come even though Demetri tortured her, and her mate is unhappy about her coming. She wants to test if she can see anything inside the shield."

Paul was pretty sure she wouldn't, but it didn't hurt to have her with them. "All right. Embry leaves after we finish."

"Thank you. And Paul. I must tell you that we're not doing this only to help you and Bella. We want the rulers in Italy gone, Aro especially, and when the guard is demolished, they are powerless against us. Jasper will be the new leader for our kind."

Paul thought about what Carlisle had just said. They shared an interest: to get rid of leeches who wanted his mate. If it was something that benefited the Cullens, maybe it was good. They would work harder to kill them.

"Thanks for telling me. Of course, I only care about Bella, my family, and the tribe."

"I expect nothing else."

Bella was making tea. She had just put Lumi and Luna down for their second nap for the day and was exhausted. She should try to sleep a little too. But she couldn't settle down. She missed Paul and needed him to sleep.

Paul had been running as a wolf for two nights now. His wolf demanded to be in charge; he needed to keep his mate and pups safe. Human Paul had come home for little naps, to hold her tight while he slept, and to eat, but other than that, Bella had hardly seen him in the last two days.

All the wolves were more or less agitated. They were waiting for something to happen; they graved blood. Bella knew. He could feel it through Paul. It scared her more than she was willing to admit, and she needed Paul to feel safe.

Bella's phone buzzed. It was a message from an unknown number. She opened it and gasped in horror.

It was a photo of her mother and brother. They both looked terrified. The text said: We got them. Call me when you can speak without any of the wolves listening. Do it fast if you want to see them alive. The wolf guarding your mother and brother will soon bleed to death. ACT. FAST. Don't tell anybody!

Bella lost feeling in her legs, and she dropped to her knees. Not again. Her family was in danger again, and it was all because of her. Was this never going to end?

Bella glanced around. Quil hadn't heard the message; he was taking a nap on the sofa. He'd been helping her with the twins while Paul had been away and was exhausted.

Bella knew what she had to do; she could not let her brother and mother die. She could not let the wolf keeping an eye on her family die. There was nothing else for her to do than to call the number. She grabbed her phone firmly, got up from the floor, and went to see that her babies were alright. They both were sleeping soundly in their cots.

She knew that one of the wolves was close to the house, so she couldn't go outside to talk. She went to the bathroom. She opened the faucet and hoped the running water would conceal her voice.

She dialed the number.

"You were fast," said the shrilling voice on the phone.

"Are my brother and mother okay?" she asked, her voice trembling.

"So far. Now, this is what we do. I've sent a car to the reservation. It is a green Toyota RAV. The driver is a normal human. She wears a red cap. You leave with her and tell no one. If you're not here with us by 1 pm, your mother will die first. I'll let your brother see when I drink her dry, and then it's his turn. Where do I send the driver to pick you up?"

Bella's whole body trembled with nausea. She couldn't think of any place where no one wouldn't see her. The wolf outside would spot her as soon as she opened the door. How was she able to get past him?

Think! She scolded herself. Think you, stupid human.

Trying to hide wasn't going to work. So, she shouldn't even try. They needed more diapers for the babies. She would tell Quil she needed to get out for a bit, and she would go to the store to get more diapers. The wolf outside would follow her, but she would think of something to get rid of him so she could escape.

"Send your car to the local shop, The general store. I'll think of a way to get into the car unnoticed."

"Good. One more thing: don't say anything to the driver. If you tell her anything, she'll die. See you soon, my dear. You have an hour and a half."

Bella closed the water and leaned against the sink. She tried to think if there was any other way, but she could not think of anything. She had to save her mother and brother. She hoped that the wolf guarding their house would make it.

Bella left the bathroom. She needed to see her girls one more time. Say goodbye to them. There was a possibility she would never see them again. Paul... It hurt to think about him. But she blocked her pain inside her. She had learned to block her emotions from Paul. She had never used it before, but now it was essential that he couldn't sense her distress and come to stop her. Although he was probably too consumed by his rage to notice her emotions, otherwise, he would already be here.

Paul would be grief-stricken after she had gone, but he would be there for their girls. He must survive for the girls. They would all be safer after she'd gone. She had caused enough trouble to them all already.

Bella's eyes blurred with tears. She quickly kissed each girl on the forehead and inhaled their scent. She kept her palm over their tummies for a few seconds. They both grunted in their sleep but didn't wake up.

"Mummy loves you both so much," she whispered through tears, then left the room, closing the door silently.

She leaned against the closed door to gather herself and wiped the tears away. She knew she looked like she'd been crying, but she was always so tired and red-eyed these days it didn't make much difference. She went to Quil and kneeled beside him. She took a shaky breath and touched his arm.

"Hey, Quil," she whispered.

Quil startled awake "What? Are the babies okay?" he asked groggily.

"Yes, Quil. They are okay and still sleeping. I'm going to pop up at the store to get more diapers."

"You can't leave. Paul's orders," Quil said, rubbing his eyes. "Ask someone to bring them to you."

"I need to get out a bit. I have whoever it is outside with me. You don't need to worry. Here is the monitor. I know you can hear them without but just in case."

She pressed down the urge to hug Quil and ask him to take good care of her babies. She got up and didn't stay to listen to Quil's objections but went to the kitchen and took her wallet and keys.

"See you in a minute," she said, trying to sound cheerful.

She stepped outside and said to whoever was guarding their house, "I'm going to the store. Are you coming with me?"

It took a minute or two before Brady showed up from the forest. Bella sighed in relief the younger wolf was easier to distract.

"You shouldn't leave the house," Brady said.

"I know. But we need diapers, and you are there with me."

Brady looked at her for a moment, not knowing what to do.

"Alright. Let's go, so we'll be back fast. Paul will lose his shit when he finds out."

Bella let out the breath she had been holding. Bella knew she was getting Brady in trouble, but she had to do everything to keep her mother and brother safe and get help for the wolf guarding her mother and brother. She hoped it wouldn't be too late. She didn't understand how the wolves hadn't already noticed one of them was missing in their mental link.

They rode to the store in silence, and when they arrived, the green Toyota Rav was already there, and inside the car was a woman with a red cap.

Bella and Brady got out of the car. Then she knew how to get Brady away from her.

"We also need a new gas tank. Could you be a darling and go and get it for me? I'll see you inside the shop," she asked Brady. He hesitated for a second but left. The gas tanks were kept behind the store.

As Brady disappeared behind the building, Bella ran to the car and hopped in.

"Go back and hide under the blankets and stay there the whole time," the woman said, and Bella did as she was told. The woman drove off.

Bella hoped she had done the right thing so that she could save her mother and brother. She wanted to know where they were going but didn't dare to speak. This woman was clearly unaware of what kind of monsters she was helping.

They drove past Forks. "Where are we going?" Bella asked.

"You'll see soon enough," the woman answered.

Bella lost track of time. When they stopped, it was already dark outside.

She got out of the car, and the woman drove off. Bella hoped it meant that she would survive this.

Bella was standing in front of two store cabin. The door opened, and a pale woman came out.

"Welcome, Isabella. We don't have a lot of time. We'll be leaving soon for Italy. But please come inside to meet your mother and brother. I assure you they are in good health and stay that way as long as you co-operate with us."

She entered the house. The hall was very poorly lit, and it was hard for her to see anything. When her eyes adjusted to the lighting, she screamed; on the floor, she saw a dead, shrunken body.

Old Quil.