Paul was out of the van and at the leech's throat before I even had time to grasp what had happened. He phased and howled, signaling our pack brothers to help us. Mom had lost consciousness and I didn't hear Leah's screams anymore.

We were far off the road, too far for anyone passing by to see us and call for help. I pulled my phone from my pocket and called Charlie Swan. He was quite literally 911, there was no sense in calling the dispatch center when I knew he'd get here faster. These leeches would be long dead before Charlie got here.

There were three of them, but Paul was holding his own. We had thankfully landed right side up, but I couldn't tell the full extent of Mom's injuries from inside the car. I got out without turning around to look at Leah. I had to deal with one problem at a time.

The third leech came to the side of the car just as I was getting out. "Victoria," he hissed. "We have three snacks here. This one's pregnant."

My blood boiled. I couldn't focus on helping Mom or getting Leah out, all I could feel was a blinding white-hot rage. I hadn't phased out of anger since the day my dad died, but I exploded into my wolf and pounced on the soon-to-be-dead leech.

This one had greasy, dirty blonde hair pulled into a low ponytail. He wore a leather jacket without a shirt and pants that hung low on his hips. I could tell how arrogant he was by the way he moved. His arrogance would do little to help him in this scenario. It was only a few moments before the rest of the pack got there.

I needed to phase and help my family but I couldn't. I had to be the one to kill the monster that had looked at my niece or nephew like a snack. He had clearly underestimated me, and I needed to be the one to turn him to ash. Jake was one of the strongest of the pack, and he hunted him alongside me. It wasn't long before I ripped his head from his neck while Jake held him down. Victoria screamed in anguish as the man's head rolled across the ground. He must have been her mate.

Quil had already started a fire and thrown the one with the dreads into it. I threw the other leech in the fire on top of his friend. Sam had left in pursuit of Victoria and everyone else had phased back while we waited for an ambulance to arrive for Mom and Leah.

Paul had gotten both of them out of the car. Mom was unresponsive, but she had a pulse. Leah was responsive, but she was bleeding. This was good. This was a good outcome. Dad had told me to keep my optimism in the worst of times. Like when Charlie was shot, for example. I was convinced he'd die, but it was only a flesh wound. Mom and Leah would survive this.

Charlie wasn't as optimistic when he got to the scene. I could see the tears in his eyes as he held Mom's limp body.

She will wake up. I told myself over and over that she would be okay.

"How far out is the ambulance?" Jake asked.

"Be here any second." Charlie replied.

The seconds felt like hours until they arrived. They tended to Leah first, strapping on a fetal monitor. I could hear the baby's strong heartbeat and I felt relieved. They loaded Leah into the first ambulance and Paul went in with her.

"Paul," Leah choked out. "My baby.." Her hand went to her round stomach protectively.

I felt sad for her and Sam. I hated that he couldn't be here with her. I hated the leeches for taking this moment from them.

Paul leaned down to her with his hand in her hair. It was coated with blood.

"Your baby is okay, LeeLee," he whispered to her. "You're both going to be fine."

She shook her head and tears streamed down her face. "Promise me you'll look after my baby, Paul. Look after Seth, too."

"I promise." He told her. "I love you, Leah."

"I lov-" Leah suddenly stopped speaking and her eyes rolled back.

Monitors started blaring and the paramedics pushed Paul aside to tend to her.

"There's no time," the lady told me. "She's coding. We have to move."

I didn't have a chance to say goodbye, but I didn't need to. I knew I would see Leah and her baby again. Paul rode with her, he'd keep her safe.

Leah had always been a pessimist. Dad had told me never to let her get me down. He tried to get through to her the way he had with me, but she wasn't as receptive. I wondered if it was a female thing. Maybe they just processed their emotions a little differently.

Charlie had stayed with Mom. They loaded her in a second ambulance. She was still unconscious, but her vitals were okay. I climbed in and sat at her side, holding her hand in mine.

"Are you her son?" The paramedic asked. I nodded. "She's got some serious injuries. We've called Dr. Cullen in, there's a good chance she'll be sent to surgery when she gets there. He'll do a thorough examination once she's at the hospital."

I didn't respond. They could examine all they wanted, but I knew she'd be okay. Even if she needed surgery, she would be fine.

"I'll ride with her." Jake volunteered. "Charlie can drive you, Seth."

The paramedics asked Jake if he was family and he said he was. It didn't really matter. I kissed Mom's forehead before I got out of the ambulance to let Jake take my place.

Jared, Embry, and Quil all stood around Charlie's cruiser with tears in their eyes. Jared told Charlie they were going to help Sam, and that he'd make sure Sam was at the hospital soon.

Charlie knew about the pack. He was Billy Black's best friend, and hiding it from him proved to be difficult given Paul's frequent temper tantrums.

It surprised me that Charlie was crying when I got in the cruiser with him. I was eager to get to the hospital, but I didn't feel like anything had happened that warranted crying yet.

"Charlie, it's going to be okay," I said. "They're going to be fine."

He shook his head. "Oh, Seth. I love you, but you're being delusional, son."

I was being delusional? I was being delusional?

"I resent that," I said softly. "I'm optimistic. My optimism is something you and my dad taught me."

He wiped the tears from his eyes and put his hand on my shoulder. "I love you like you're my own, boy. But this isn't optimism. Leah coded. Her damn heart stopped!" He was yelling now. "I'm sorry. But, Seth, you need to understand the magnitude of this situation. We could lose both of them."

I didn't let Charlie get me down. I didn't even respond. He took a few more minutes to compose himself before he started to drive to the hospital. I tried to talk to him about Bella a few times, but he wasn't up for a conversation. He told me she was with the Cullen's and left it at that.

I knew Charlie didn't like them. He wouldn't tell Bella, but he knew exactly what they were. He respected Carlisle and didn't mind Edward, but he'd eventually tell her to break things off with him. I was sure of it. He knew I'd imprinted on her, but respected my decision not to tell her yet.

The drive to the hospital took a lot longer than I anticipated it would. Maybe part of it was that I was eager to see Leah and Mom. I knew they'd be okay, but it could take some time to get there. Charlie drove with his sirens on and dropped me at the front door of the hospital. I took a deep breath and got out of the car. I had to admit I was afraid, even if I knew things would be okay. I was scared of seeing them hurt like that.

Before I could walk into the hospital, Paul ran outside with tears streaming down his face. He ran straight to me and pulled me into his arms as he sobbed. Paul wasn't affectionate, and he didn't like me, so this couldn't be good.

"Paul?" I whispered. "You're scaring me."

He didn't stop sobbing. I hugged him back for a long time. Charlie put his hand on my shoulder and I looked up at him to see tears in his eyes, too

"Paul," I said in a harsher tone. "What is going on?"

He pulled away from me and sank to his knees. He kept shaking his head when he looked at me and then hiding it in his hands again.

I had to know what had happened. I walked past him and started to go inside and he called for me.

"She's gone, Seth." Paul choked out. "Leah's gone."

My heart shattered as the words left his mouth. She couldn't be gone. She had just talked to him in the ambulance. My big sister couldn't be gone.

"That's not possible-"

"Seth!" He screamed. "She's gone! She's dead! Sam isn't even here, they're trying to save the baby, but Leah is gone."

I ran inside the hospital and I heard Paul cry out again. There was nobody at the reception desk, so I ran straight into the emergency room. I didn't know where I was going, I'd never been in this hospital before, but I kept going. I ran until I saw a familiar face.

Rosalie Hale was Edward's older sister and she worked as a nurse at the hospital. She wasn't much older than her siblings, but she'd gotten a nursing degree while she was in high school through the dual credit program. I knew she worked at the hospital, but I didn't know she worked in the emergency room. I'd only met her once, but she recognized me when she saw me.

"Seth," she said. "Come with me, I know why you're here."

I didn't argue. I should've wanted to rip her apart. If what Paul was saying was true, my sister had been killed because of a leech. Not that it was Rosalie's fault, but there hadn't been any of them here for decades before the Cullen's showed up.

I stopped myself. I sounded like Paul. I didn't blame them. I couldn't. None of this was their fault.

Rosalie led me down an empty hallway and I followed her blindly. The further we got from the emergency room the more empty I felt. It was like I was moving further and further from my sister, my Mom, and my niece or nephew. I didn't turn around, though. I kept going until we got to a door with Carlisle Cullen's name on it. She walked into the cold room and turned the light on. She shut the door behind me.

Carlisle's office was large with a spacious desk on one side and a couch and chair on the other. Rosalie was in her scrubs, and she ripped the surgical mask from her face as she led me to the couch and sat down.

"I can't imagine the pain you're in, Seth. I just want you to know I'm here for you. Not many people knew this, but your sister was a good friend of mine." She told me.

She was right, I hadn't known that. Leah had never mentioned Rosalie to me, and none of the pack had ever given her grief about it the way I knew they would have if they'd known.

Rosalie must have noticed the change in my facial expression. "I am studying to become an obstetrician. I work alongside her doctor here at the hospital. I have done many of her exams." She explained.

I didn't know that many doctors called patients their friends, but Leah was the type of girl who could make friends with anyone.

"Can you tell me what's going on?" I asked. "Paul didn't tell me anything."

She nodded. "He's understandably inconsolable. Leah's gone, Seth. Paul stayed with her until the end. They're delivering the baby now."

I didn't know Rosalie well, but I knew she was a no-nonsense kind of person.

There are no words to describe the pain I felt at that moment. My mind was racing, running through memories of me and my sister. Leah had been my best friend. We protected each other and cared for each other. But when we wrecked today, I couldn't protect her. I was the one driving.

"The baby?" I choked out. "Is the baby ok?"

Rosalie nodded and I sighed with relief. "I wasn't allowed to stay for the operation because of my friendship with Leah, but the baby had a strong heartbeat and Leah was far enough along that the baby should be fine."

I let the tears flow freely now. I felt safe with Rosalie in a way I couldn't explain.

"How will I tell Sam?" There was no way I could do it. I couldn't bear to utter the words. Paul may have already told him, but if he hadn't I wanted Sam to be the one to do it.

She put her hand on my back. "Don't worry about that. Charlie is waiting outside for Sam."

"He would've been here," I told her. "If he thought Leah wouldn't make it, he would've sent the guys after the leech."

My comment seemed to hit a nerve. She looked sad, but almost annoyed. "I told my family we should have taken care of those nomads when we first heard of them being in the area. Carlisle isn't a very violent person; it's one of his only downfalls as a leader."

Her comment should have infuriated me. The Cullen's knew about the leeches and did nothing to stop them, or even tell us they were around. Our guard was down. We were so consumed by the festival, we'd barely been patrolling at all. I couldn't wrap my head around it enough to feel anger in the moment, though. Too much was happening too quickly.

I didn't think about any of this being a possibility or I would've made Sam come with me to the hospital. I would've asked Jake to go. Jake was a more strategic fighter than Sam was. He'd have a better chance of catching her.

I hoped Sam had caught Victoria and killed her. I hoped she burned for what she did to Leah. I hoped he killed her more slowly than we had her two friends. I couldn't bring myself to think of what would happen if he didn't. Leeches were vengeful creatures and I killed Victoria's mate. What if she wanted Bella?

I could feel my world getting darker and darker by the second. How could I love a life without my sister in it? How would I protect Bella if I couldn't protect Leah?

I'd cling to Mom. She would need me even more now. We'd have to be strong for each other and Leah's baby. I felt relief when I remembered I had Mom. I could face anything with her at my side. We could get through anything as long as we had each other.

"Rosalie, my mom. She's okay, right?"

She grabbed both of my hands and held them tightly in hers. "I'm so, so sorry, Seth."