Jacob's POV
"Morning, boys." Leah greeted us.
"You think you guys got another hour in you?" I asked them both. I wanted to stick to my original plan and see if the pack had been adventurous and come closer to the Cullen land again.
"Sure thing." Jesse said, shaking out his fur and stretching before trotting round the eastern side of the perimeter line to join me.
"Definitely." Leah agreed.
"Let's make the deep run," I said directing it at Jesse and Leah, letting my mind run over the plan so that they could see. "Seth, take the perimeter." I tried not to think about it as it would offend Seth, but I needed the fastest members to help me just in case we ran into anything. Plus one of us needed to stay back to inform the Cullens if anything went wrong.
"Gotcha." Seth broke into an easy jog.
"Off on another vampire errand," Leah grumbled.
"You got a problem with that?" Jesse said with an edge to his tone, Leah had been making remarks about the Cullens throughout their shift. He'd had enough.
"Of course not. I just love to coddle those darling leeches."
"Good. Let's see how fast we can run." I ignored her last comment, not wanting to rise to her.
"Okay, I'm definitely up for that." That shut her up.
Leah was on the far western rim of the perimeter. Rather than cut close to the Cullens' house, she stuck to the circle as she raced around to meet Jesse and I. We sprinted off straight east, knowing that even with the head start, she'd be passing us soon enough.
"Nose to the ground, Leah. This isn't a race, it's a reconnaissance mission."
"I can do both and still kick your butts." She said sassily.
I gave her that one. "I know."
She laughed.
We took a winding path through the eastern mountains. It was a familiar route. We'd run these mountains when the vampires had left a year ago, making it part of our patrol route to better protect the people here. Then we'd pulled back the lines when the Cullens returned. This was their treaty land after all.
But that fact would probably mean nothing to Sam now. The treaty was dead. The question today was how thin he was willing to spread his force. Was he looking for stray Cullens to poach on their land or not? Had Paul spoken the truth or taken advantage of the silence between us?
We got deeper and deeper into the mountains without finding any trace of the pack. Fading vampire trails were everywhere, but the scents were familiar now. I was breathing them in all day long.
I found a heavy, somewhat recent concentration on one particular trail - all of them coming and going here except for Edward. Some reason for gathering that must have been forgotten when Edward brought his dying pregnant wife home. I gritted my teeth. Whatever it was, it had nothing to do with me.
Leah didn't push herself past Jesse and I, though she could have now. We were paying more attention to each new scent than we were to the speed contest. She kept to my left side, running with us rather than racing against us.
"We're getting pretty far out here," she commented.
"Yeah. If Sam was hunting strays, we should have crossed his trail by now." I acknowledged.
"Makes more sense right now for him to bunker down in La Push," Jesse thought. "He knows we're giving the Cullens four extra sets of eyes and ears. He's not going to be able to surprise them."
"This was just a precaution, really." I explained.
"Wouldn't want our precious parasites taking unnecessary chances." Leah said sarcastically and Jesse and I rolled our eyes.
"Nope," I agreed, ignoring the sarcasm.
"You've changed so much, Jacob. Talk about one-eighties." A light growl left my chest along with another eye roll. I let Aria flicker through my mind showing her exactly why I had changed. Jesse's reasoning was the same... family.
"You're not exactly the same Leah I've always known and loved, either." I added annoyed.
"True. Am I less annoying than Paul now?"
"Amazingly... yes." I had to give that to her. He was getting on my last nerves eating all the food in my house... they were my god damn chips.
"Ah, sweet success."
"Congrats." Jesse chimed in, unbothered. He thought she was still as annoying as Paul.
We ran in silence again then. It was probably time to turn around, but none of us wanted to. It felt nice to run like this. We'd been staring at the same small circle of a trail for too long. It felt good to stretch our muscles and take the rugged terrain. We weren't in a huge hurry, so I thought maybe we should hunt on the way back. Leah was pretty hungry.
"Yum, yum," she thought sourly.
"It's all in your head," I told her. "That's the way wolves eat. It's natural. It tastes fine. If you didn't think about it from a human perspective—"
"Forget the pep talk, Jacob. I'll hunt I don't have to like it." She grimaced, going over how disgusted she was by it inside her head.
"Sure, sure," I agreed easily. It wasn't my business if she wanted to make things harder for herself.
"If only you could put your hatred for the Cullens aside." Jesse teased. "You could be stuffing your face with a perfectly cooked meal and sleeping in a nice warm bed."
She snarled at him but didn't say anything. He laughed to himself, happy he had got to her. She didn't add anything for a few minutes; I started thinking about turning back.
"Thank you," Leah suddenly told me in a much different tone. It put a damper on Jesse's mood.
"For?" I asked.
"For letting me be. For letting me stay. You've been nicer than I had any right to expect, Jacob." She said and Jesse almost tripped over his own paws, who knew that Leah had this side to her?
"Er, no problem. Actually, I mean that. I don't mind having you here like I thought I would." I said sincerely.
She snorted, but it was a playful sound. "What a glowing commendation!"
"Don't let it go to your head." I added quickly.
"Okay - if you don't let this go to yours." She paused for a second, catching Jesse and I's full attention. "I think you make a good Alpha. Not in the same way Sam does, but in your own way. You're worth following, Jacob."
Jesse side glanced me in shock and my mind went blank with surprise. It took me a second to recover enough to respond. "Er, thanks. Not totally sure I'll be able to stop that one from going to my head, though. Where did that come from?"
She didn't answer right away, and I followed the wordless direction of her thoughts. She was thinking about the future - about what I'd said to Paul the other morning. About how the time would be up soon, about how I'd promised that she, Jesse and Seth would return to the pack when the Cullens were gone...
"I want to stay with you," she told me.
The shock shot through my legs, locking my joints. Jesse and Leah blew past me and then put on the brakes. Slowly, they walked back to where I was frozen in place.
"I won't be a pain, I swear. I won't follow you around. You can go wherever you want, and I'll go where I want. You'll only have to put up with me when we're both wolves." She paced back and forth in front of me, swishing her long grey tail nervously. Jesse was waiting in silence but I couldn't concentrate on what he was thinking right now. "And, as I'm planning on quitting as soon as I can manage it... maybe that won't be so often."
I didn't know what to say.
"I'm happier now, as a part of your pack, than I have been in years." She continued delicately.
"I want to stay, too," Seth thought quietly. I hadn't realised he'd been paying much attention to us as he ran the perimeter.
"Alright, if I'm being totally honest, it is a lot easier on the mind not hearing as many voices. Leah's tolerable, but I can't stand Jared and Brady. Jake you're a much better leader than Sam—" Jesse began but my shock stopped him short.
"Hey, now! Guys, this isn't going to be a pack much longer." I tried to put my thoughts together so they would convince them. "We've got a purpose now, but when... after that's over, I'm just going to carry on by myself... with Aria. Jess, you have family back there, Paul is your best friend, you can't leave that. Seth, you need a purpose. You're a good kid. You're the kind of person who always has a crusade. And there's no way you're leaving La Push now. You're going to graduate from high school and do something with your life. You're going to take care of Sue... My issues and plans are not going to mess up your future guys."
"But--" Seth tried.
"Jacob is right." Leah seconded.
"You're agreeing with me?" I asked, surprised.
"Of course. But none of that applies to me." She claimed proudly.
"Of course it doesn't." Jesse commented with irritation but Leah ignored him and continued.
"I was on my way out anyway. I'll get a job somewhere away from La Push. Maybe take some courses at a community college. Get into yoga and meditation to work on my temper issues.... And stay a part of this pack for the sake of my mental well-being. Jacob - you can see how that makes sense, right? I won't bother you, you won't bother me, everyone is happy." She concluded happily.
I turned back and started loping slowly toward the west. "This is a bit much to deal with, guys. Let me think about it, 'kay?"
"Sure." Jesse agreed.
"Take your time." Leah acknowledged.
It took us longer to make the run back. I wasn't trying for speed. I was just trying to concentrate enough that I wouldn't plow headfirst into a tree. Seth and Jesse were grumbling a little bit in the back of my head, but I was able to ignore them. They knew I was right. They weren't going to abandon their families. They would go back to La Push and protect the tribe like they should.
But I couldn't see Leah doing that. And that was just plain scary.
A pack of the two of us? No matter the physical distance, I couldn't imagine the... the intimacy of that situation. I wondered if she'd really thought it through, or if she was just desperate to stay free.
Leah didn't say anything as I chewed it over. It was like she was trying to prove how easy it would be if it was just us.
We ran into a herd of black-tailed deer just as the sun was reaching its peak in the sky. Leah sighed internally but didn't hesitate. Her lunge was clean and efficient - graceful, even. She took down the largest one, the buck, before the startled animal fully understood the danger.
Not to be outdone, Jesse and I swooped down on the next largest pair of deer, snapping their necks between our jaws quickly, so they wouldn't feel unnecessary pain. I could feel Leah's disgust warring with her hunger, and I tried to make it easier for her by letting the wolf in me have my head. I'd lived all-wolf for long enough that I knew how to be the animal completely, to see his way and think his way. I let the practical instincts take over, letting her feel that, too. She hesitated for a second, but then, tentatively, she seemed to reach out with her mind and try to see my way. It felt very strange - our minds were more closely linked than they had ever been before, because we both were trying to think together.
Strange, but it helped her. Her teeth cut through the fur and skin of her kill's shoulder, tearing away a thick slab of steaming flesh. Rather than wince away as her human thoughts wanted to, she let her wolf-self react instinctively. It was kind of a numbing thing, a thoughtless thing. It let her eat in peace.
It was easy for me to do the same and Jesse took to it quickly as well, he was hungry so he didn't care what he ate. He would most likely eat again when he got to the house.
We ate together until we were all full.
"Thanks guys." She told us later as she was cleaning her muzzle and paws against the wet grass. I didn't bother; it had just started to drizzle and we had to swim the river again on our way back. I'd get clean enough. Jesse agreed with me. "That wasn't so bad, thinking your way."
"You're welcome."
As we made our way back to the perimeter boundary, Leah saw the funny side of the daily irritations that came from hanging out around vampires. She liked my ragging on Rosalie, chuckling internally and even running through a few blonde jokes in her mind that I might be able to work in. But then her thoughts turned serious, lingering on Rosalie's face in a way that confused me.
"You know what's crazy?" She asked.
"Well, almost everything is crazy right now. But what do you mean?" Jesse asked curiously.
"That blonde vampire you two hate so much - totally get her perspective."
For a second I thought she was making a joke that was in very poor taste. And then, when I realised she was serious, the fury that ripped through me was hard to control. Jesse skidded to a halt and looked at her like she had completely lost her mind.
"Hold up! Let me explain!" She said urgently.
"Don't want to hear it. Get outta here." I wanted to phase back to human so I didn't have to hear her ridiculous thoughts.
"Wait! Wait!" She pleaded as she ran to catch up with me. "C'mon, Jake!"
"Leah, this isn't really the best way to convince me that I want to spend more time with you in the future." How could she side with baby stealing Blondie?
"Yeesh! What an overreaction. You don't even know what I'm talking about. Aria would get me!"
"So what are you talking about?" I asked as I let my mind run over last night with Aria. Jesse winced at her emotional pain and I found myself holding my breath as I remembered holding her so tightly until she fell asleep.
After watching Leah was suddenly the pain-hardened Leah from before. "I'm talking about being a genetic dead end, Jacob."
The vicious edge to her words left me furious. Even though she was referring to herself mostly she was still adding Aria to the equation.
"I don't understand." Jesse said looking between us with his head cocked to the side.
"You would, if you weren't just like the rest of them. If my female stuff—" she thought the words with a hard, sarcastic tone "—didn't send you running for cover just like any stupid male, so you could actually pay attention to what it all means."
"Oh."
Yeah, so none of us like to think about that stuff with her. Who would? Of course I remembered Leah's panic that first month after she joined the pack - and I remembered cringing away from it just like everyone else. Because she couldn't be pregnant - not unless there was some really freaky religious immaculate crap going on. She hadn't been with anyone since Sam. And then, when the weeks dragged on and nothing turned into more nothing, she'd realised that her body wasn't following the normal patterns anymore. The horror - what was she now? Had her body changed because she'd become a werewolf? Or had she become a werewolf because her body was wrong? The only female werewolf in the history of forever... well, there was meant to be two....
None of us had wanted to deal with that breakdown. Obviously, it wasn't like we could empathise then. I could now...
"You know why Sam thinks we imprint," she thought, calmer now.
I had forgotten about that until now. If it was true, then realistically Leah would be able to have children. I had imprinted on Aria and she was meant to be a wolf so technically kids were inevitable for Leah, now that Aria was part vampire, who knew? "Sure. To carry on the line."
"Right. To make a bunch of new little werewolves. Survival of the species, genetic override. You're drawn to the person who gives you the best chance to pass on the wolf gene."
I waited for her to tell me where she was going with this, because she knew for a fact that it was practically impossible for Aria and I now.
"If I was any good for that, Sam would have been drawn to me." Her pain was enough that I broke stride under it.
"Leah, Aria was meant to be a wolf, Jake would have still imprinted." Jesse attempted, in order to comfort her.
"It's still stopped.There's something wrong with me. I don't have the ability to pass on the gene, apparently, despite my stellar bloodlines. So I become a freak - the girlie-wolf - good for nothing else. I'm a genetic dead end and we all know it. And you may not like to hear this Jake but Aria's the same."
"We do not," I argued with her. "That's just Sam's theory. Imprinting happens, but we don't know why. Billy thinks it's something else."
"I know, I know. He thinks you're imprinting to make stronger wolves. Because you and Sam are such humongous monsters - bigger than our grandfathers. But either way, I'm still not a candidate. I'm... I'm menopausal. I'm twenty years old and I'm menopausal."
"You don't know that, Leah. It's probably just the whole frozen-in-time thing. When you quit your wolf and start getting older again, I'm sure things will... er... pick right back up." Jesse offered. "I guess that Aria won't have that option." He said warily, I had to admit this was hurting me too. I really hoped that Aria couldn't hear us.
"I might think that - except that no one's imprinting on me, not withstanding my impressive pedigree. You know," she added thoughtfully, "if you two weren't around, Seth would probably have the best claim to being Alpha - through his blood, at least. Of course, no one would ever consider me... But back to my original point, guys. I understand why your blonde vampire is so cold - in the figurative sense. She's focused. She's got her eyes on the prize, right? Because you always want the very most what you can never, ever have. You won't like to hear this but Aria's the same. She's just being more subtle about it."
I growled then. "She cares for Bella more than anything. She's not like Rosalie! You would act like Rosalie, though? You would murder someone - because that's what she's doing, making sure no one interferes with Bella's death - you would do that to have a baby? Since when are you a breeder?"
"I just want the options I don't have, Jacob. Maybe, if there was nothing wrong with me, I would never give it a thought." She explained.
"You would kill for that?" I demanded, not letting her escape my question.
"That's not what she's doing. I think it's more like she's living vicariously. And... if Bella asked me to help her with this..." She paused, considering. "Even though I don't think too much of her, I'd probably do the same as the bloodsuckers."
A loud snarl ripped through my teeth.
"Because, if it was turned around, I'd want Bella to do that for me. And so would Rosalie and Aria. We'd all do it her way." She continued and I felt torn. In my mind I knew that Rosalie just wanted the baby no matter what, Aria wasn't like that. She wanted to save Bella most of all... but, Leah was making sense. Bella had asked Aria to protect the baby. "That's the funny thing about knowing you can't have something. It makes you desperate."
I was desperately trying to hide the fact that this was painful for me too because of Aria. "And... that's my limit right there. This conversation is over."
"Fine." She huffed.
Jesse had absentmindedly drifted away from us and toward the house. He was going to talk to Aria, he wanted to know if she was okay. I was positive him asking was only going to make her feel worse but she needed the support. He phased out a few moments later.
"Get some rest Leah." I ordered, wanting to be left alone with my thoughts. She complied, only now giving into her tiredness. I knew Seth wouldn't bug me. Over the last few days he had mastered being able to stay out of my head.
I let my mind drift towards Aria as I ran the perimeter. My sweet, sweet girl didn't deserve this. If Sam's theory was right then that meant that Aria would have been able to have children when she stopped phasing, but that filthy redhead took that chance from her. Another growl ripped through my chest and I pushed myself harder trying to remain in control of my anger.
She was still part human, I had to remember that. Maybe Doc could take a look at her?
Aria's POV
Jesse's jumbled thoughts let me know when he was close. I didn't like them and I didn't like the plan he had forming in his head about speaking to me due to my lack of fertility issue. Jacob and I had gone through all of that last night, I didn't need a pep talk from my older brother on the topic of babies.
Despite all this, I decided I would greet him at the door. I needed to get away from the whirring of the X-Ray machine. Edward thought that he heard Bella's pelvis crack under the pressure of the baby's turning inside the womb. The rest of us heard nothing but Bella was in pain so Carlisle wanted to check.
I got to the front door before Jesse had made it up the steps. "Hey, Jess."
"Hey, Blue. What's going on?" Downstairs was empty apart from Emmett and Jasper silently researching in his study - all the murmurs were coming from upstairs.
"Maybe another break." I shrugged, unsure of whether it was or not.
We ascended the steps and entered the big room which was empty as well. Everyone else was with Bella. "Another rib?" He asked hoarsely.
"No. Pelvis this time."
Then we were listening to Rosalie's voice from a few doors away. "See, I told you I didn't hear a crack. You need your ears checked, Edward." Well, she wasn't wrong.
"Edward's going to end up ripping Rose into small pieces, I think. I've come close to it many times. I'm surprised she doesn't see that. Or maybe she thinks Emmett will be able to stop us." I explained with another shrug, I smirked to myself though, Emmett wouldn't stand a chance.
"I'll take Emmett," Jesse offered. "You can help Edward with the ripping part."
I half-smiled. "Alright that's enough." I rolled my eyes and turned my head to look down the hall.
Edward had Bella this time. She was gripping her cup of blood in both hands, and her face was white. I could see that, though he compensated for every tiny movement of his body to keep from jostling her, she was hurting.
"Jesse," she whispered, and she smiled through the pain.
"Hey, Bells. Still thirsty?" He asked her, he thought it was disgusting but wanted to lighten the mood.
"He is." She smiled again, running her palm over to stomach.
Edward placed Bella carefully on the couch and sat on the floor by her head. There was no sound for a minute, all of us silently watching her suck on the straw from her blood cup. I caught Rosalie glaring at Jesse and I rolled my eyes angrily which captured Jesse's attention. He smiled happily to himself and sauntered over to the armchair next to the one Rosalie had and settled in, sprawling out so that his head was tilted toward Bella and his left foot was near Rosalie's face.
"Ew. Someone put the dog out," she murmured, wrinkling her nose. I stifled my laugh.
"Have you heard this one, Psycho? How do a blonde's brain cells die?"
She didn't say anything.
"Well?" He asked. "Do you know the punch line or not?"
She looked pointedly at the TV and ignored him. I guess that Leah's new jokes about blondes had come in handy for Jesse.
"Has she heard it?" He asked me.
"No." I said with a smile playing at my lips.
"Awesome. So you'll enjoy this - a blonde's brain cells die alone."
Rosalie still didn't look at him. "I have killed a hundred times more often than you have, you disgusting beast. Don't forget that."
"Someday, Beauty Queen, you're going to get tired of just threatening us. I'm really looking forward to that."
"Enough, Jesse," Bella said with an eye roll that looked like it was too much effort for her.
He just slumped deeper into the chair, getting comfortable. His bare foot dangled closer to Rosalie, and she stiffened. After a few minutes Bella asked Rosalie for a refill. I felt the wind as Rosalie blew through the room to get her some more blood. Esme asked if anyone fancied lunch and all three and a half humans accepted the offer and then she disappeared into the kitchen as well.
And then Edward said, "Did you say something?" in a puzzled tone. Strange. Because no one had said anything since Esme left us.
But then I heard it too. "What is...?" My voice was a whisper as I tried to decipher it. It was coming from Bella but we had never heard her thoughts before.
Edward looked from me to Bella, and she was staring back at the both of us.
"Me?" she asked after a second. "I didn't say anything."
The voice was quiet, muffled. The thoughts didn't seem coherent but they had an emotion to them that was difficult to understand. It was like I was hearing and feeling it's emotions.
Edward moved onto his knees, leaning forward over her, his expression suddenly intense in a whole different way. His black eyes focused on her face. I moved forward too and sat on the arm of the couch beside them. Were we really hearing the baby's thoughts? Was that possible?
"What are you thinking about right now?" Edward asked her as tears welled in my eyes.
She stared at him blankly. "Nothing. What's going on?" The little voice erupted again with a burst of happiness. It liked Bella's voice... it knew Bella's voice! I was right!
"What were you thinking about a minute ago?" he asked.
"Just... Esme's island. And feathers." Edward's thoughts quickly brushed over what Bella had said and I cringed with disgust... that was too much information, too private.
"Say something else," he whispered and the voice fluttered again. It knew Edward as well.
"Like what? Guys, what's going on?" She began to worry and the baby could sense this, the happiness in it's thoughts was disappearing into sadness.
Edward's face changed again, and he did something that made my mouth fall open with a pop. I heard a gasp behind us, and I knew that Rosalie was back, and just as flabbergasted as I was. Edward's mind exploded with love and adoration for the little baby that Bella carried. After all this time he finally felt the same way Bella did about it. "Thank God." I breathed quietly as I leaned closer to the couple.
Edward, very lightly, put both of his hands against her huge, round stomach.
'The f - " He swallowed. "It... the baby likes the sound of your voice." He finally called it a baby. I felt like weeping, I gulped and laughed happily just as Esme swirled into the room to ask what was going on.
Edward and I could finally see that the baby wasn't a threat at all. He wasn't evil or demonic. He was just a little baby, pure and good and happy. Of course his mind was a lot more developed than a normal child but I guess that came with his growth rate.
"Holy cow, you can hear him!" Bella shouted. The baby jumped, scared by the sudden loudness. In the next second, she winced.
Edward's hand moved to the top peak of her belly and gently rubbed the spot where it must have kicked her. "Shh," he murmured. "You startled it... him." The baby's thoughts then seemed to register that Edward was colder than Bella but not as warm as some other people. I squealed quietly, yet excitedly, then. He knew me!
Her eyes got all wide and full of wonder. "Sorry, baby." She patted the side of her stomach. "What?" She asked me with just as much excitement in her voice.
"He remembers me. He remembers my warmth, just like I said he would!" I explained and Bella grasped my hand tightly then, a new found strength about her.
Edward was listening hard, his head tilted toward the bulge.
"What's he thinking now?" she demanded eagerly.
"It... he or she, is ..." He paused and looked up into her eyes. His eyes were filled with a similar awe - only his were more careful and grudging. "He's happy" Edward said in an incredulous voice.
Her breath caught, and it was impossible not to see the fanatical gleam in her eyes. The adoration and the devotion. Big, fat tears overflowed Bella and my own eyes, and ran silently down our faces and over our smiling lips.
As Edward stared at Bella, his face was not frightened or angry or burning or any of the other expressions he'd worn since their return. He was marvelling with her. With us.
"Of course you're happy, pretty baby, of course you are," she crooned, rubbing her stomach while the tears washed her cheeks. "How could you not be, all safe and warm and loved? I love you so much, little EJ, of course you're happy."
"What did you call him?" Edward asked curiously.
She blushed again. "I sort of named him. I didn't think you would want... well, you know."
"EJ?" He asked cluelessly, obviously not being able to see her thought process behind it.
"Your father's name was Edward, too."
"Yes, it was. What - ?" He paused and then said, "Hmm."
"What?"
"He likes my voice, too."
"Of course he does." Her tone was almost gloating now. "You have the most beautiful voice in the universe. Who wouldn't love it?"
"I told you didn't I, Edward." I beamed triumphantly. "It knows us." I placed my hand on Bella's stomach then a chuckled when the baby instantly thought of warmth and recognised my voice.
"Do you have a backup plan?" Rosalie asked then, leaning over the back of the sofa with the same wondering, gloating look on her face that was on Bella's. "What if he's a she?"
Bella wiped the back of her hand under her wet eyes. "I kicked a few things around. Playing with Renee and Esme. I was thinking... Ruh-nez-may."
"Ruhnezmay?" Rosalie asked just to be sure.
"R-e-n-e-s-m-e-e. Too weird?"
"No, I like it," Rosalie assured her. "It's beautiful. And one of a kind, so that fits."
"You know I think the voice, well thoughts, sound more girl-like." I commented, talking to Edward mostly. "Renesmee, its cute."
"I still think he's an Edward." Bella said, ignoring that I directed my words at Edward.
"Me too." Edward agreed softly, staring off into space, his face blank as he listened.
"Typical of you to disagree with me." I muttered and he smiled before going back to listening.
"What?" Bella asked, her face just glowing away. "What's he thinking now?"
At first he didn't answer, and then - shocking all the rest of us again, he laid his ear tenderly against her belly.
"He loves you," Edward whispered, sounding dazed. "He absolutely adores you."
Bella's breath faltered as she tried to hold in her sobs as Edward beamed up at her. "The baby loves you too Edward, don't forget that." I told him, glad to be apart of bringing Edward and Bella back together again.
* * *
As the candy floss clouds bled into the sunset; my eyes gazed over the tops of the trees that created the natural barrier around the house. It protected us yet kept our enemies hidden.
I wondered if they were out there, if they had a perimeter of their own, if they were still willing to attack despite the opposing arguments Dad and Billy gave. If only there was a way to let them know we could hear the baby now, that he/she wasn't a threat. That it could think for itself.
Jacob and Seth had yet to return, they decided to extend their shift due to the earlier trip they had taken. I watched through the glass on the first floor as Jesse paced up and down in wolf form ready for his shift through the first half of the night. When I felt Jacob and Seth phase out of their wolf form I decided to turn my attention back to the inside of the house — I didn't want to see Seth naked.
It was approaching eight o'clock, Bella had fallen asleep around an hour ago after having a very excitable afternoon. To be honest I think we all loved it. It gave us a kind of relief as to what to expect when the baby is born.
Jesse never got the chance to have his special conversation with me, I avoided it at all costs. Of course the revelation about the baby's thoughts helped keep everyone distracted but by the time food came around it was time for him to get some sleep.
The front door opened then and Jacob and Seth called out their arrival in hushed tones unsure as to whether Bella was asleep or not. Jacob appeared at the top of the stairs first and I blurred towards him, immediately taking his hands in my own. "How was your day?" I asked him, looking up into his beautiful, dark eyes.
"Interesting." He mused, letting his mind run over his conversation with Leah about Rosalie and myself, he also touched on the idea of him becoming a permanent alpha. "How about yours?"
"Interesting as well." Through our physical contact I showed him what we had learnt about the baby's temperament and that Edward and I could read it's thoughts.
He was stuck for a words for a brief moment. "Well, that helps, I guess." He wouldn't admit it out loud but he still hated it. It was still killing Bella... it still craved blood. He knew that I had heard his thoughts so he changed the topic quickly by placing a sweet kiss against my lips. "All better."
We entered the main part of the room, the whole family seated around the room in various corners. This was the third time since Edward and Bella's return that we had all been together.
"Carlisle," Jacob said. "We went halfway to Seattle. There's no sign of the pack. You're good to go."
"Thank you, Jacob. This is good timing. There's much that we need." His black eyes flickered to the cup that was on the coffee table beside Bella's head.
"Honestly, I think you're safe to take more than three. I'm pretty positive that Sam is concentrating on La Push." That was good news, I guessed.
Carlisle nodded in agreement. It surprised Jacob how willingly he took his advice. "If you think so. Alice, Esme, Jasper, and I will go. Then Alice can take Emmett and Rosa - "
"Not a chance," Rosalie hissed. "Emmett can go with you now."
"You should hunt," Carlisle said in a gentle voice.
His tone didn't soften hers. "I'll hunt when he does," she growled, jerking her head toward Edward and then flipping her hair back.
Carlisle sighed.
"I'd like to go as well." I offered, looking between Jacob and Carlisle. "Not to hunt." I clarified.
"Then why?" Jacob asked with a harshness behind his words. He didn't want me so far away.
"Well like you said, they can't hurt me, they aren't allowed to. If I can help get the family out of the immediate area then I feel like I need to go. Besides, some fresh air will be good for me." I explained, I needed some different scenery. To smell something other than the family and human blood. I wanted to be free and stretch my legs.
"Very well." Carlisle agreed, eyeing Jacob warily. I turned to look at him.
"I'll be fine." I promised him. "Get some rest. I'll be back before you know it."
Jasper, Emmett, Esme and Alice were by our sides in a flash, their black eyes looking back and forth between us. Carlisle put his hand on Jacob's arm. He held still, half in surprise, and half because he didn't want to hurt his feelings.
"Thank you," he said again, and then he darted out the door with the other four. My eyes followed them as they flew across the lawn, I pressed my lips against Jacob's cheek before I sped after them. Not even giving him another chance to protest.
I caught up to them within mere seconds, the woods accelerated the twilight, shrinking what would normally take an hour into just a few minutes. The smell of damp leaves, and the sound of the low rumbling of water from river brought all my senses back to life. I meant no offence to Bella but being out here, being able to run like this, made the house seem like a prison.
After my brief reintroduction with the forest I was on high alert for any familiar voices that could suddenly pop into my head. I stayed towards the back of the group so I had everyone in my sight just in case. "I'd rather not be babysat." Emmett called back to me as we crossed over the perimeter boundary Jake and his pack had made.
"Would you prefer if I offered you up to Sam as a sacrifice so we can get away?" I asked him as we neared the mountains and the smell of old hunting trails made by the family began to fill my nose.
"About damn time!" He laughed, he would never say no to a fight, not matter who with.
We ran along the river, the opposite direction from Quileute land. We would have to make the jump across at some point for the main hunting grounds but we just needed to find a safe place to do it. Once the family had fed, Jasper, Alice and I would head to the house and Carlisle, Esme and Emmett would continue forward to get supplies for Bella.
"This is Jacob's scent... and Leah and Jesse's." Jared. Shit.
"Do you hear that?" Fuck, not Sam as well.
"Sounds like running, I'm not sure how many." Paul... I couldn't hurt Paul.
It sounded like they were about fifteen miles behind us, their voices were fading due to the distance but they would be hot on our tails soon enough. "Sam, Paul and Jared are behind us, they haven't made the decision to follow yet but don't let up your speed!" I whispered not wanting to draw anymore attention to ourselves. The family members nodded but didn't speak, it was too risky.
A harsh howl ripped through the quiet of the night, two more followed straight after and then four more echoed off the rock from across the river. They'd found us.
"Aria's with them." Jared thought earnestly and I grimaced. Had Sam overruled the no killing of imprints law?
"Jared, you touch her, I'll kill you myself." Paul spat. At least I could still trust Paul.
The family were slower than usual, they hadn't fed in weeks and it was showing. I kept trying to urge to move faster but they couldn't do it. Esme was falling behind, and I ran with her to keep her safe. We just needed to get far enough away from them that they couldn't follow anymore. Sam wouldn't want to stray too far away from home. He was already miles out.
The familiar thunderous sound of their paws trampling the ground grew closer and closer as the panic began to set it. Could I really bring myself to kill one of them if I had to? To take down Kim and Emily's boyfriends?
They were right behind us now and just as I considered throwing Esme on my back she was suddenly knocked from beside me and tumbling down the mountainside towards the river. "Esme!" I screamed as I watched Jared charge after her, Sam and Paul not far behind.
The rage boiled inside me and in that moment I knew I would do whatever it took to save her. I propelled myself after them, flying over the loose rocks as I reached forward for Paul's tail, gripping it hard enough to yank him back and make him lose his footing, sending him to the floor.
I didn't want him involved in this.
I leapt forward, right over the top of Jared and Sam, and landed in front of Esme who was just getting to her feet. The two wolves immediately put the breaks on, stopping a few metres in front of us, their teeth bared as they snarled. I hissed back at them making sure Esme was behind me. "You know this is wrong Sam. Go home."
Sam and Jared snarled just as Paul skidded to a stop beside them. He did not look happy with me. I braced myself ready to take them on as I saw Jared prepare to launch himself at us. Just as he moved to take the leap, Emmett appeared out of nowhere. Acting like a bulldozer, he plowed the three of them down, pushing them a little further down the mountain towards the rapids.
"Let's go." Emmett ordered, taking Esme's hand as we ran back up the mountainside again. Concentrating on where we were stepping.
"Are you okay?" Carlisle asked Esme, taking her into his arms.
"I'm fine." She choked out as she glanced back down the mountain.
I could hear the cursing coming from the three of them as they gathered themselves ready to run back up to us. The other wolves had remained closer to home, not wanting to risk being so far from the tribe, we were clear to make the jump.
"We have to go." I urged, pushing Esme and Carlisle forward towards the edge. "Now!"
The wolves were scrambling up over the rock, edging closer toward us. My heart went into overdrive and all but shoved them to take the leap. One by one they jumped as I stayed until last to make sure they all got across safely. Sam and Jared's snapping jaws were only a few feet away from me when I lifted myself from the ground. The wind whooshed around me until I landed on the hard rock across on the other side of the ravine.
I turned back to look at the three of them, they growled harshly before throwing their heads back to let out three furious howls. More howls echoed from miles away down the river, signalling it was time to carry on moving.
"Come on, let's go." Carlisle placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder, turning me in the opposing direction. I nodded once before following the rest of the family back into the darkness of the forest.
If Sam and Jared were willing to hurt me the alliance between the packs was now over.
This was definitely war.