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UNLIKELY ALLIANCES
TRAINING TO FIGHT AN ARMY OF NEWBORNS WASN'T HOW AUGUSTINE WANTED TO SPEND HER FIRST DAY OF SUMMER BREAK.
Especially as she was stood off to the side, watching as Jasper had thrown Emmett, the sturdiest one of them all, about a dozen feet away like it was practically nothing.
Augustine may have been a fighter in a figurative sense, but the minute she sniffed out danger headed in her direction, she took on a more flighty approach. Especially considering that when she had been human, she had learnt that sometimes fleeing the scene could be the difference between a surface wound and a stab to the chest.
But Emmett was all brawn, eagerly jumping back onto his feet and shouting in Jasper's direction, "again!"
"Maybe August wants a try?" Rosalie offered, a joking smirk on her face as she watched the younger girl look on in anxiousness.
She practically stiffened when Jasper looked her way, pretending to stretch her arms. "I'm still warming up but, you guys go for it, though!"
The sight of the familiar jeep rolled into the small clearing in the woods, Edward and Bella instantly popping out. Augustine watched the two from her peripheral, noticing how Edward finally saw the bracelet Jacob had gifted Bella fastened securely on her wrist. She didn't have to be a mind reader to tell that he was pissed, but rather than make a stink about it, he offered her his arm which she took readily.
The family gathered closely, Augustine stood just in front of Emmett and Rosalie when the patter of paws against the forest floor rang out. Suddenly, from a top an elevated cliff, the wolves appeared with the Alpha, Sam, guiding them towards the coven while making sure enough space was left between them. She felt like she hadn't seen the black wolf in ages, for he had stopped making his appearances to the creek when Paul started showing up.
The low timber of growls made it evident that they were anything but comfortable about the arrangement, but if it meant Bella would be protected, at least they showed up. Augustine's eyes instinctually searched for the one she knew most, but found that when she spotted the silver wolf amidst the pack of others, it's eyes were already focused on her own.
She gave a timid wave, receiving what she could only assume was a nod in return.
"They don't trust us enough to be in their human forms," Edward supplied on behalf of the wolves. His mind reading would be an important asset for communication it seemed.
"They came, that's what matters," Carlisle stated, always looking on the bright side. The blond patriarch stepped forward, approaching the looming black wolf that took a step forward. "Welcome. Jasper has experience with newborns, he'll be teaching us how to defeat them."
A beat of silence before Edward spoke up. "They wanna know how newborns differ from us."
"They're a great deal stronger than us, because their own human blood still lingers in their tissues," Carlisle explained. "Our kind is never more physically powerful than in our first several months of this life."
Though she'd made a huge amount of progress since, Augustine's own newborn phase felt like it happened just yesterday. The events of what occurred during those few months in Alaska, with the Denalis, was always fresh in her mind. Haunting.
Carlisle stepped back beside Esme so Jasper could begin addressing the wolves, his hands clasped behind his back. "A newborn army doesn't need thousands like a human army, but no human army could stand against them," the bronze haired vampire elaborated. "The two most important things to remember are first, never let them get their arms around you because they will crush you instantly."
"The second? Never go for the obvious kill. They'll be expecting that, and you will lose."
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It was like a talent show in Augustine's eyes, her family sparring against one another in duos while the wolves, and Bella, watched from the sidelines.
After both Hales had their go, Rosalie being able to successfully out-maneuver Jasper, Augustine heard her name being called. Any anxiousness that settled while she was merely a spectator instantly came back to life, though she felt it subside when she stepped forward thanks to the empath across from her.
"Remember what we practiced?" he asked, referring to the days they used to spar when she first came to live with their family.
It was a way of channeling all of her still fairly newborn energy, and she found herself crouching into a predatory stance from memory. With a huff she addressed him, "game on, cowboy."
Jasper instantly charged at her, the ravenette ducking out of the way while trying to go for his knees. Her leg spun out, trying to knock him off balance, but all it did was send him flying over her shoulder as though he was fucking airborne.
The younger vampire kept dodging his attacks while trying to land some of her own, acutely aware of the multitude of eyes watching their duel.
She sensed his hand go to reach for her neck, so she grabbed it and yanked as hard as she could, flipping Jasper back over her shoulder. When he was just below her, she went to deliver the final yet fake blow when the bronze-haired boy gave his own final attack.
The agile vampire that he was, he barely had to swipe at her own legs before Augustine felt herself topple to the ground.
The only other sound besides her uncomfortable groan was a low snarl that erupted from somewhere across the clearing, and it made her pause from her task at rising back up to her feet.
Jasper's hand appeared in her vision, helping her get back up as Alice stepped up to the plate. "Even when you think you have the upper hand, never second guess them," he told her, the advice filing itself away in her brain as she nodded. He clapped a hand on her shoulder before she walked off. "Nice job."
Augustine walked back to a nearby tree, idly watching as Alice and Jasper began their duel, when she felt a presence creep up behind her.
The silver wolf, with its snarls kept to a surprising minimum, had stopped to stand right beside her. Subconsciously, her hand drifted to its head, ruffling the fur gently. "Happy graduation, Paul," she whispered with a small grin. She'd been meaning to tell him in person, but they hadn't had a study session in almost a week.
The wolf made some sort of huffing sound, but leaned into her colder touch— something neither of them commented on.
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The following night, Augustine's phone began to ring as she drew at her desk. She put her pencil down (a pencil that used to be an eraser until she focused hard enough), and turned to pick up her phone. She paused when she saw that the call was coming from an unknown number, but hesitantly clicked the answer button.
Pressing it up to her ear she called out. "Hello?"
"You're a shit fighter, Auggie."
Her eyes narrowed at the drawing in front of her, disbelieving. "How the hell did you get my number?" she asked. Last time she checked, she had never given the boy her number, nor her address, nor anything substantial that he could use to try and contact her.
"Got it from Bella," he answered.
Was Bella, meddling? "Oh right, cause you two talk. Loosely."
"You jealous?" She could practically hear the smirk in his tone and it successfully riled her up.
She scoffed out her response. "Quite the opposite," she jeered, but it only garnered a small chuckle from the other side of the call. "And as for me being a shit fighter, I used to play volleyball; not a whole lot of brawls going on, much less armies to fight."
Paul hummed in acknowledgement. "I always thought you'd be more of a soccer girl."
"My brother was really into soccer," she said, mindlessly tracing the granite pencil markings before her with her hand. "Best midfielder I ever knew."
It was quiet for a beat. "Do you miss him?" Paul asked quietly, almost hesitantly as if he was afraid he was overstepping.
But Augustine found she didn't mind, and responded honestly. "All the time," she breathed out, "sometimes I wonder what he's up to— wonder if he made it pro after college like he wanted."
"Would you ever go try and visit him?" came his follow up question.
She scoffed, trying to stop herself from lashing out entirely because it wasn't his fault that he didn't know the whole story. "The entire county thinks I was murdered," she murmured, pressing her blunt nail into the desk to make a harsh divot, "I don't think showing up would go over well."
Another beat of silence, and if Paul had anymore questions (which he did, based on the way his entire body was tuned into the word murdered on the other end of the line), he didn't ask. Instead, he tried switching the topic. "I don't think I like the idea of you fighting these newborns."
"I was a newborn not that long ago, Paul," she reminded him. "If anyone can handle that type of vicious, aside from Jasper, it'll be me— fighting skills be damned."
"What if I said I just don't want to see you get hurt?"
Augustine bit back a smile. "I'd say that's cute," she told him, again, honestly, "but I'd never let my family handle this alone."
Paul sighed on the other end.
"Well I'll be watching your six out there regardless, whether you like it or not."
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[ wyn's note ]
second half of the update!! the parallels between sam trying to persuade talullah to stay out of the fight and paul trying to persuade augustine to do the same?? they're softies at heart, your honour.
big moves for our babies!! but the dreaded battle is looming (aka, it's the next chapter). caution, i really cannot write fight scenes for the life of me but i'll deliver something nonetheless!
all love! xx