Breathe In Union
by Laura Spudzmom
Chapter 19
Paul looked over at his cousin—correction, brother—and could easily see the immense pain and turmoil he was in. He knew, somewhere deep down, Rudy was about to bolt so he stood, pulled his shaking form into a tight hug and began speaking quietly. "It's okay man, it's all gonna be okay. I know you're shocked and hurt but you need to know there's a good side to this." Rudy tensed and tried to pull away but Paul held on even tighter. "No, I'm not lettin' go. You're my brother man. You're my brother. I've always loved you like one and I've always wished you were and now we know it's true and no matter how that came about, I need you to know I love you." Rudy choked and clutched at fistfuls of his shirt, so he kept talking. "That's all that matters. Don't think about the rest of the shit. You can't change any of it, so let it go. I have. I learned long ago to ignore the memories of the fucker that sired me." He drew back to look in Rudy's teary eyes. "What matters is we're brothers and I'll always be here for you. I hope you'll still be here for me."
They embraced again and Rudy choked on a sob. "Fuck this hurts…" he hissed against Paul's shoulder.
"I know man. Believe me, if there's anyone who knows, it's me. That fucker caused me so much pain when I was a kid…"
Rudy growled through his tears. "I was always glad you killed him, but now…fuck man, I've never been more satisfied by that knowledge." He sobbed again and croaked, "The fucker! I'm glad he's dead Paulie. So glad, 'cause if he wasn't I'd kill him."
"I know bro," Paul soothed. "I'm glad he's dead too. He'll never hurt anyone again, just remember that."
Rudy took a deep breath and stepped back and Bella took the opportunity to hug him. "We're here for you," was all she said and he nodded.
"I know," he said as he stepped away with his head down. "Aunt Lisa," he murmured, "I need to get out for a bit, but I'll be back."
She nodded, feeling helpless. She longed to wrap him up and not let go, but she could see he needed space. "I know baby," she said softly. "We'll be here for you when you get back."
Paul kissed Bella quickly as Rudy walked to the door. "I'm gonna go with him B. I don't want him to be alone."
"Good," she murmured as she stroked his cheek. "Make sure he knows we love him and bring him home when he's ready."
He nodded and left and Bella sagged onto the couch. She looked over at her dad and Lisa. "How could she be so callous?"
Lisa shook her head sadly while wiping a stray tear. "I don't know Bella, but it's obvious she's had all that pain and anger bottled up all these years. I knew she treated Rudy differently than her other kids, but it was never anything you could call abuse, ya know? She was just always warmer with the others and I thought the difference was because Rudy was so much older than her other kids." She choked on a sob and Charlie pulled her close while she cried. "There was just so much pain in his eyes." She looked at Charlie and Bella. "Did you see? God, my heart's broken for him."
"I'm surprised she let Paul stay there every summer," Bella mused aloud as she stared at the phone on the table.
Lisa smiled sadly. "Rudy's always loved Paul and always wanted him there. I have pictures of him holding Paul just after he was born. He was just a tiny thing himself, but he looked so proud holding his baby cousin…" She shook her head from the memories. "I suppose Linda felt she couldn't say no without having to give an explanation."
She looked over at Bella. "My sister's not a bad person Bella. She always did the best she could for her whole family, Rudy included. Like I said, she was never abusive to him, just not as warm. He always had everything he needed and many things he wanted while growing up and one of these things was time with Paul during the summers. I know for a fact she wasn't abusive or hostile toward Paul. With the way Jimmy was, I was very sensitive about that sort of thing. I mean, Jimmy didn't start being abusive until Paul was maybe eight or nine and even then it was just a few slaps now and then. He mostly saved the physical abuse for me but as the years went by and he drank more and more, things got worse until…" she trailed off, looking haunted and Charlie pulled her close.
"Shh, Lis, don't think on it anymore," he murmured while running his fingers through her hair and she nodded.
"I'm so tired Charlie," she said as she sat up. "Let's go to bed?"
They stood and Bella smiled sadly. "I think I'll call it a night too. I'll see you guys in the morning?" She gave her dad and Lisa a hug.
"Goodnight kiddo," he said and they headed up the stairs.
Bella stood there for a moment just looking at Rudy's phone before she shook her head and climbed the stairs. She really was tired, and worrying about everything wouldn't solve a thing. With that thought, she took care of her nightly routine in the bathroom, changed into sleepwear, climbed into bed and fell asleep with Paul's pillow clutched tightly in her arms.
~o0o~
The cool night air exhilarated the Alpha as he loped through the forest that had belonged to his people for generations. These lands were in his blood; such a vital part of him that he couldn't imagine living anywhere else. Here, his heart resided. Here, his soul was anchored and here he would remain.
As he reveled in the run and the sights and scents around him, he knew, without doubt, he would die to protect this sacred place and the people who lived here. It was what he was born to do after all and he took up the mantle with the pride that only an alpha possessed. Someday, as expected, he would pass on the legacy to his children, but for now, it was his duty and he would fulfill it willingly and with honor.
It was peaceful so far this night and he savored the solitude. At the moment, he was the only one phased, his mind entirely his own which was becoming more rare with the rapidly expanding pack.
He thought back to the last meeting of the elders he'd attended and their apparent unease at the growth of the pack. It was unprecedented and it had them worried. Even he, as Alpha was a bit concerned for it could only mean one thing; the numbers would be needed, and that was a daunting prospect.
His wolf chuffed at his thoughts, chastising himself at his own disbelief of the prophecy, especially now since all evidence pointed to it being true and not just an old, scary story. No, it was time to get serious. He felt that somewhere deep within himself to such a degree there was just no way to ignore it or pass it off as fantasy.
The unexpected presence of another warrior in his mind startled him from his thoughts and he skidded to a stop to 'listen' as he didn't immediately recognize the 'voice'. It was stressed and pained, the wolf's thoughts disjointed and chaotic…
'Ah,' he thought. 'This is Paul's cousin, Rudy.' Sadness and pity filled him when he realized the source of the wolf's distress. He must have discovered the truth of his parentage. Flashes of conversation filtered through and he realized he was right, with a bit of shock and surprise at hearing the truth of just who had sired his newest pack member, but more than that, how. Rape.
The Alpha growled. He'd known from rumors that Paul's father had been the worst sort of man, but this… At that moment, he was proud of his fellow Alpha, Paul. Proud that he'd done what needed to be done even at the tender age of fourteen.
With a shake of his head, he trotted out to continue his patrol. They'd yet to catch any leech scents this side of the treaty line and he really wanted to keep it that way because the thought of those things anywhere near his people—his imprint—his wolf snarled and took off at a run from the rage that filled him at the thought.
He was just edging toward the cliffs when a howl rent the air; one he recognized as Paul just a moment before the other Alpha's voice filled his mind. "Sam, we're close to our northern border and we're on the trail of three leeches. These aren't your domesticated leeches either."
Sam took a sharp turn in their direction and poured on the speed. "Stay on them. I'm on my way."
"Shit!" he heard Paul say. "They're looping back toward Forks! I can just see them now. There's definitely three. Fuck, they're almost to the treaty line…"
Sam was running as fast as he could, his massive, sleek form barely visible in the darkness of the forest, the only sounds of his passage the falls of his paws and the occasional snarl. He needed to get there; was driven to get there and end these things. Still, there were obligations he couldn't ignore, so with that in mind, he warned his fellow protectors. "Mind the treaty line! If we don't get them tonight, they'll probably be back but we can't afford to start shit with the Cullens."
He heard Paul and Rudy snarl in his mind and could feel that Paul had stopped. "They crossed! Fuck!"
Still, the Alpha ran. He needed to get the scents at least for next time, if there was a next time. Just as he thought this, he spotted the pacing form of the enraged silver wolf as he snarled and snapped next to a darker grey wolf who growled lowly and continuously as he too prowled and paced. Just as he neared them, Paul's voice sounded in his head once again. "Fuck this. I'm going after them and if the Cullens—his voice sneered—don't like it, they can kiss my ass."
That said, he took off in a streak of silver and his brother followed him.
Sam growled loudly and cursed in his mind as he too flew past the treaty line just moments later. He couldn't let them down due to an ancient, imaginary line, now could he?
"Christ!" he heard Paul say. "They're heading for a neighborhood that backs up to the trees! Rudy, you circle around from my left, Sam, you take the right flank, maybe we can head them off that way."
"All right," Sam responded. "Just do your best to keep them away from the homes."
"The homes are spread out here." Paul responded. "A couple of acres between each and they've passed a few already. It's like they're…oh fuck, hang on…yeah, they're following another leech scent…one of the Cullen's…the one I tore the shit out of is the strongest scent and it's going straight to a house. Gonna stop talking now 'cause I'm about to grab a leech. They're taking to the trees…"
Sam could just make out the form of Paul as he lunged and took down a leech with long dread-locks just as the leech had made a leap for the trees.
"No you don't fucker…" he heard Paul growl through his mind as he tore the leech apart in a horrific display of speed and strength. The leech never had a chance. He was right though, the other two had taken to the trees and were steadily moving toward the back of the house the Cullen trail led to.
It was then that Sam noticed a black-eyed, feral face staring from an upper floor window of the house. As he watched, the window slid open and the penny-haired leech jumped down with a quiet snarl as he stared into the trees.
"Fuck! I got her!" Rudy's voice echoed through Sam's mind next and he took off in his direction.
"No shit bro?!" Paul responded. "Hang on to the bitch! I'm done with this one and I'll be right there!"
Sam heard a mighty feminine scream of rage and the sounds of rending vampire flesh. "What's going on?!" he questioned as he skidded to a stop where Rudy lay stunned with a twitching arm next to him.
The grey wolf looked up blearily and got to his feet. "I had her," his voice intoned as he pawed at the arm. "But the rest of her got away. Sorry."
Just then, Paul skidded up next to them and paced around his brother. "You all right bro?" he questioned and Rudy shook his massive head to clear it.
"Yeah, I'll be okay. It's just the blond male kicked the shit outta my head to rescue the red-headed bitch."
The silver wolf bared his teeth as Paul's cold laughter sounded through their minds. "At least you got a piece of her bro. She'll be a one-armed leech from now until we kill her for good." He nodded toward the arm. "Pick that up and we'll go burn it with the pile of leech I left not far from here. It should be far enough to not bother the humans when it burns."
Rudy picked up the arm while making gagging sounds through their minds. "Jesus, I'm gonna need some heavy duty mouth wash after this. Fuck. It's a cruel fate that we have to use our mouths on something that stinks so fuckin' bad."
Paul's wolf chuffed in something like laughter. "I agree with ya there bro. It's no wonder this job isn't voluntary. No one would sign up."
They made it back to where Paul had left his kill and gathered the pieces into a pile before phasing back to light the fire with a lighter Sam had. He looked at the two naked males and snorted. "You guys really need to learn to carry shorts with you. That, and a lighter."
Paul smirked. "What? You don't like my bare ass?"
Sam's brow quirked. "Not particularly. I much prefer the feminine variety, thanks anyway."
Paul grinned. "That's good to hear. I'd hate to have to be all shy and shit."
Rudy threw a stick at him. "Paul Lahote? Shy? That'll be the day…"
Paul's sudden phasing and snarling at the trees had them on alert and seconds later the Cullen leech walked into their little clearing with his hands raised. "I'm not here to fight," he said as he watched the three warily. "Please, I just want to talk."
Sam crossed his arms and nodded. "Talk then."
Cullen nodded and glanced between them. "You crossed the treaty line," he said and Paul snarled and snapped while standing his ground.
"We did," Sam agreed bluntly. "I believed it was for a good reason," he nodded toward the smoldering pile. "As you can plainly see."
The Cullen nodded. "I simply wanted to thank you."
Paul growled and the Cullen responded to his thoughts. "I know you didn't do it for me, but they were tracking my scent to my mate's house and you stopped them, so for that, I am grateful." He looked down and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "They are long gone now, but I fear they will be back." He looked up. "You see, I heard their thoughts."
Sam raised a brow at that. "Heard their thoughts?" he questioned.
The Cullen nodded. "Yes, I'm a mind reader. I hear everyone's thoughts," he glanced at Paul. "With the exception of Bella's; for some reason, she is silent to me."
"Interesting," Sam murmured then gestured with a hand. "Continue."
The Cullen nodded.
"The blond male is a tracker and instinctively driven to the hunt. The more difficult the prey, the more he loves it. He now knows there is a coven protecting a human female. He sees this as the ultimate challenge. The female simply wants revenge for her arm that you've destroyed, so none of us can be complacent; none of us are safe, here in Forks or on the reservation."
His words chilled the three wolves who immediately thought of their families, alone and asleep at this hour, but basically unprotected.
"We'll be going now," Sam said as he removed his shorts and tied them to his leg. "I'll call your leader for a meeting tomorrow." He phased and all three wolves took off for home.
"Paul, are you still linked with me?" he questioned.
"Yeah, I'm here," he answered. "As long as we're working together, I'll stay linked in," he promised.
"Good," Sam said. "Makes things a lot easier. I'm gonna wake Jared and Embry so they can patrol. Looks like we're gonna have to have a regular schedule from now on so a team is always on."
"I agree," Paul said as he glanced at his brother. "Rudy and I can take a shift too."
"Good," Sam said, sounding relieved. "I was hoping you would be willing…"
Paul snorted. "And miss out on destroying the things that caused me to turn into a big, hairy beast? The things that fucked up my life? Not hardly man. I'm gonna take out as many of the fuckers as possible."
Once back on the reservation, Sam veered off toward his home. "I'll call you tomorrow and let you know when the meeting will be with the elders and the Cullens. It might be as soon as tomorrow night."
"The sooner the better I say," Paul responded. "Who knows when the leeches will be back for another go-round. Another thing to consider is school starting up again next week. So much shit to consider and right now, there's just the four of us that don't have to worry about classes," he said in a bitter tone.
Sam snorted. "Yeah? Some of us have jobs… which reminds me…I wanted to see if you're interested in a construction job."
He heard a sigh filter through his mind before Paul answered. "I suppose I'm gonna need something to support myself on." He growled. "I don't mean to sound ungrateful…"
Sam cut him off. "I understand Lahote. You had a bright future ahead and now it's all on hold. I get it," he said as he skidded to a stop just behind his home. "Look, I'm home now and going to phase. I'll talk to you tomorrow."
"Yeah, all right, we're home too and all's clear scent-wise, so we'll see ya later."
Paul and Rudy phased back and sneaked in the back door since they were naked. Earlier, Rudy hadn't bothered undressing to phase. He'd been too upset and Paul had followed suit. He hadn't wanted to lose track of his…brother. "This way," Paul whispered as he led Rudy to the laundry room. He sighed in relief at the sight of a basket of folded clothes and grinned when he found a stack of boxers. He handed a pair to Rudy and slipped on a pair.
"Thank fuck," Rudy whispered. "Wasn't lookin' forward to sneaking my bare ass up stairs."
Paul shook his head. "Me either bro, not with Charlie in the house." He looked over at Rudy. "You okay now man?"
Rudy snorted. "Yeah, I'm good." He shoved Paul who was still giving him a look. "Dude, I'm not a fragile flower here, okay? So my real father was an abusive, rapist bastard…the fucker's dead and it's water under the bridge, ya know? Just because I know all this now doesn't change who I am and who I've always been. It doesn't change how I feel about you either." He pointed to his chest. "In here, you've always been my brother." He shrugged. "Now we know it's true."
Paul nodded and ducked when Rudy reached out to ruffle his hair. "Quit fuckin' with my hair asshole," he growled playfully.
"My hair, my hair!" Rudy mocked in a high voice as he slung an arm around Paul's shoulders. "Come on ya little shit. Let's call it a night. I'm beat."
"Little?" Paul questioned as they made their way upstairs.
Rudy smirked. "Yeah, haven't ya noticed? Since I went all wolfie, I got a good two inches on you again bro, just as it should be."
Paul shot him a dark look. "I can still kick your ass."
Rudy stopped at his door and put Paul in a headlock while messing his hair as Paul struggled. "No you can't," he sang in a mocking tone as he let him go. He stepped behind the relative safety of his door and blurted, "Bella won't let you!" before closing and locking his door with a cackle.
Paul glared at the door for a second before smiling and walking to his room. "Fucker," he grumbled as he slipped in and shut the door.
Down the hall, Lisa shut her door with teary eyes and a smile.
Her boys, for that's what they both were in her heart, were gonna be just fine.
Paul looked over at his cousin—correction, brother—and could easily see the immense pain and turmoil he was in. He knew, somewhere deep down, Rudy was about to bolt so he stood, pulled his shaking form into a tight hug and began speaking quietly. "It's okay man, it's all gonna be okay. I know you're shocked and hurt but you need to know there's a good side to this." Rudy tensed and tried to pull away but Paul held on even tighter. "No, I'm not lettin' go. You're my brother man. You're my brother. I've always loved you like one and I've always wished you were and now we know it's true and no matter how that came about, I need you to know I love you." Rudy choked and clutched at fistfuls of his shirt, so he kept talking. "That's all that matters. Don't think about the rest of the shit. You can't change any of it, so let it go. I have. I learned long ago to ignore the memories of the fucker that sired me." He drew back to look in Rudy's teary eyes. "What matters is we're brothers and I'll always be here for you. I hope you'll still be here for me."
They embraced again and Rudy choked on a sob. "Fuck this hurts…" he hissed against Paul's shoulder.
"I know man. Believe me, if there's anyone who knows, it's me. That fucker caused me so much pain when I was a kid…"
Rudy growled through his tears. "I was always glad you killed him, but now…fuck man, I've never been more satisfied by that knowledge." He sobbed again and croaked, "The fucker! I'm glad he's dead Paulie. So glad, 'cause if he wasn't I'd kill him."
"I know bro," Paul soothed. "I'm glad he's dead too. He'll never hurt anyone again, just remember that."
Rudy took a deep breath and stepped back and Bella took the opportunity to hug him. "We're here for you," was all she said and he nodded.
"I know," he said as he stepped away with his head down. "Aunt Lisa," he murmured, "I need to get out for a bit, but I'll be back."
She nodded, feeling helpless. She longed to wrap him up and not let go, but she could see he needed space. "I know baby," she said softly. "We'll be here for you when you get back."
Paul kissed Bella quickly as Rudy walked to the door. "I'm gonna go with him B. I don't want him to be alone."
"Good," she murmured as she stroked his cheek. "Make sure he knows we love him and bring him home when he's ready."
He nodded and left and Bella sagged onto the couch. She looked over at her dad and Lisa. "How could she be so callous?"
Lisa shook her head sadly while wiping a stray tear. "I don't know Bella, but it's obvious she's had all that pain and anger bottled up all these years. I knew she treated Rudy differently than her other kids, but it was never anything you could call abuse, ya know? She was just always warmer with the others and I thought the difference was because Rudy was so much older than her other kids." She choked on a sob and Charlie pulled her close while she cried. "There was just so much pain in his eyes." She looked at Charlie and Bella. "Did you see? God, my heart's broken for him."
"I'm surprised she let Paul stay there every summer," Bella mused aloud as she stared at the phone on the table.
Lisa smiled sadly. "Rudy's always loved Paul and always wanted him there. I have pictures of him holding Paul just after he was born. He was just a tiny thing himself, but he looked so proud holding his baby cousin…" She shook her head from the memories. "I suppose Linda felt she couldn't say no without having to give an explanation."
She looked over at Bella. "My sister's not a bad person Bella. She always did the best she could for her whole family, Rudy included. Like I said, she was never abusive to him, just not as warm. He always had everything he needed and many things he wanted while growing up and one of these things was time with Paul during the summers. I know for a fact she wasn't abusive or hostile toward Paul. With the way Jimmy was, I was very sensitive about that sort of thing. I mean, Jimmy didn't start being abusive until Paul was maybe eight or nine and even then it was just a few slaps now and then. He mostly saved the physical abuse for me but as the years went by and he drank more and more, things got worse until…" she trailed off, looking haunted and Charlie pulled her close.
"Shh, Lis, don't think on it anymore," he murmured while running his fingers through her hair and she nodded.
"I'm so tired Charlie," she said as she sat up. "Let's go to bed?"
They stood and Bella smiled sadly. "I think I'll call it a night too. I'll see you guys in the morning?" She gave her dad and Lisa a hug.
"Goodnight kiddo," he said and they headed up the stairs.
Bella stood there for a moment just looking at Rudy's phone before she shook her head and climbed the stairs. She really was tired, and worrying about everything wouldn't solve a thing. With that thought, she took care of her nightly routine in the bathroom, changed into sleepwear, climbed into bed and fell asleep with Paul's pillow clutched tightly in her arms.
~o0o~
The cool night air exhilarated the Alpha as he loped through the forest that had belonged to his people for generations. These lands were in his blood; such a vital part of him that he couldn't imagine living anywhere else. Here, his heart resided. Here, his soul was anchored and here he would remain.
As he reveled in the run and the sights and scents around him, he knew, without doubt, he would die to protect this sacred place and the people who lived here. It was what he was born to do after all and he took up the mantle with the pride that only an alpha possessed. Someday, as expected, he would pass on the legacy to his children, but for now, it was his duty and he would fulfill it willingly and with honor.
It was peaceful so far this night and he savored the solitude. At the moment, he was the only one phased, his mind entirely his own which was becoming more rare with the rapidly expanding pack.
He thought back to the last meeting of the elders he'd attended and their apparent unease at the growth of the pack. It was unprecedented and it had them worried. Even he, as Alpha was a bit concerned for it could only mean one thing; the numbers would be needed, and that was a daunting prospect.
His wolf chuffed at his thoughts, chastising himself at his own disbelief of the prophecy, especially now since all evidence pointed to it being true and not just an old, scary story. No, it was time to get serious. He felt that somewhere deep within himself to such a degree there was just no way to ignore it or pass it off as fantasy.
The unexpected presence of another warrior in his mind startled him from his thoughts and he skidded to a stop to 'listen' as he didn't immediately recognize the 'voice'. It was stressed and pained, the wolf's thoughts disjointed and chaotic…
'Ah,' he thought. 'This is Paul's cousin, Rudy.' Sadness and pity filled him when he realized the source of the wolf's distress. He must have discovered the truth of his parentage. Flashes of conversation filtered through and he realized he was right, with a bit of shock and surprise at hearing the truth of just who had sired his newest pack member, but more than that, how. Rape.
The Alpha growled. He'd known from rumors that Paul's father had been the worst sort of man, but this… At that moment, he was proud of his fellow Alpha, Paul. Proud that he'd done what needed to be done even at the tender age of fourteen.
With a shake of his head, he trotted out to continue his patrol. They'd yet to catch any leech scents this side of the treaty line and he really wanted to keep it that way because the thought of those things anywhere near his people—his imprint—his wolf snarled and took off at a run from the rage that filled him at the thought.
He was just edging toward the cliffs when a howl rent the air; one he recognized as Paul just a moment before the other Alpha's voice filled his mind. "Sam, we're close to our northern border and we're on the trail of three leeches. These aren't your domesticated leeches either."
Sam took a sharp turn in their direction and poured on the speed. "Stay on them. I'm on my way."
"Shit!" he heard Paul say. "They're looping back toward Forks! I can just see them now. There's definitely three. Fuck, they're almost to the treaty line…"
Sam was running as fast as he could, his massive, sleek form barely visible in the darkness of the forest, the only sounds of his passage the falls of his paws and the occasional snarl. He needed to get there; was driven to get there and end these things. Still, there were obligations he couldn't ignore, so with that in mind, he warned his fellow protectors. "Mind the treaty line! If we don't get them tonight, they'll probably be back but we can't afford to start shit with the Cullens."
He heard Paul and Rudy snarl in his mind and could feel that Paul had stopped. "They crossed! Fuck!"
Still, the Alpha ran. He needed to get the scents at least for next time, if there was a next time. Just as he thought this, he spotted the pacing form of the enraged silver wolf as he snarled and snapped next to a darker grey wolf who growled lowly and continuously as he too prowled and paced. Just as he neared them, Paul's voice sounded in his head once again. "Fuck this. I'm going after them and if the Cullens—his voice sneered—don't like it, they can kiss my ass."
That said, he took off in a streak of silver and his brother followed him.
Sam growled loudly and cursed in his mind as he too flew past the treaty line just moments later. He couldn't let them down due to an ancient, imaginary line, now could he?
"Christ!" he heard Paul say. "They're heading for a neighborhood that backs up to the trees! Rudy, you circle around from my left, Sam, you take the right flank, maybe we can head them off that way."
"All right," Sam responded. "Just do your best to keep them away from the homes."
"The homes are spread out here." Paul responded. "A couple of acres between each and they've passed a few already. It's like they're…oh fuck, hang on…yeah, they're following another leech scent…one of the Cullen's…the one I tore the shit out of is the strongest scent and it's going straight to a house. Gonna stop talking now 'cause I'm about to grab a leech. They're taking to the trees…"
Sam could just make out the form of Paul as he lunged and took down a leech with long dread-locks just as the leech had made a leap for the trees.
"No you don't fucker…" he heard Paul growl through his mind as he tore the leech apart in a horrific display of speed and strength. The leech never had a chance. He was right though, the other two had taken to the trees and were steadily moving toward the back of the house the Cullen trail led to.
It was then that Sam noticed a black-eyed, feral face staring from an upper floor window of the house. As he watched, the window slid open and the penny-haired leech jumped down with a quiet snarl as he stared into the trees.
"Fuck! I got her!" Rudy's voice echoed through Sam's mind next and he took off in his direction.
"No shit bro?!" Paul responded. "Hang on to the bitch! I'm done with this one and I'll be right there!"
Sam heard a mighty feminine scream of rage and the sounds of rending vampire flesh. "What's going on?!" he questioned as he skidded to a stop where Rudy lay stunned with a twitching arm next to him.
The grey wolf looked up blearily and got to his feet. "I had her," his voice intoned as he pawed at the arm. "But the rest of her got away. Sorry."
Just then, Paul skidded up next to them and paced around his brother. "You all right bro?" he questioned and Rudy shook his massive head to clear it.
"Yeah, I'll be okay. It's just the blond male kicked the shit outta my head to rescue the red-headed bitch."
The silver wolf bared his teeth as Paul's cold laughter sounded through their minds. "At least you got a piece of her bro. She'll be a one-armed leech from now until we kill her for good." He nodded toward the arm. "Pick that up and we'll go burn it with the pile of leech I left not far from here. It should be far enough to not bother the humans when it burns."
Rudy picked up the arm while making gagging sounds through their minds. "Jesus, I'm gonna need some heavy duty mouth wash after this. Fuck. It's a cruel fate that we have to use our mouths on something that stinks so fuckin' bad."
Paul's wolf chuffed in something like laughter. "I agree with ya there bro. It's no wonder this job isn't voluntary. No one would sign up."
They made it back to where Paul had left his kill and gathered the pieces into a pile before phasing back to light the fire with a lighter Sam had. He looked at the two naked males and snorted. "You guys really need to learn to carry shorts with you. That, and a lighter."
Paul smirked. "What? You don't like my bare ass?"
Sam's brow quirked. "Not particularly. I much prefer the feminine variety, thanks anyway."
Paul grinned. "That's good to hear. I'd hate to have to be all shy and shit."
Rudy threw a stick at him. "Paul Lahote? Shy? That'll be the day…"
Paul's sudden phasing and snarling at the trees had them on alert and seconds later the Cullen leech walked into their little clearing with his hands raised. "I'm not here to fight," he said as he watched the three warily. "Please, I just want to talk."
Sam crossed his arms and nodded. "Talk then."
Cullen nodded and glanced between them. "You crossed the treaty line," he said and Paul snarled and snapped while standing his ground.
"We did," Sam agreed bluntly. "I believed it was for a good reason," he nodded toward the smoldering pile. "As you can plainly see."
The Cullen nodded. "I simply wanted to thank you."
Paul growled and the Cullen responded to his thoughts. "I know you didn't do it for me, but they were tracking my scent to my mate's house and you stopped them, so for that, I am grateful." He looked down and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "They are long gone now, but I fear they will be back." He looked up. "You see, I heard their thoughts."
Sam raised a brow at that. "Heard their thoughts?" he questioned.
The Cullen nodded. "Yes, I'm a mind reader. I hear everyone's thoughts," he glanced at Paul. "With the exception of Bella's; for some reason, she is silent to me."
"Interesting," Sam murmured then gestured with a hand. "Continue."
The Cullen nodded.
"The blond male is a tracker and instinctively driven to the hunt. The more difficult the prey, the more he loves it. He now knows there is a coven protecting a human female. He sees this as the ultimate challenge. The female simply wants revenge for her arm that you've destroyed, so none of us can be complacent; none of us are safe, here in Forks or on the reservation."
His words chilled the three wolves who immediately thought of their families, alone and asleep at this hour, but basically unprotected.
"We'll be going now," Sam said as he removed his shorts and tied them to his leg. "I'll call your leader for a meeting tomorrow." He phased and all three wolves took off for home.
"Paul, are you still linked with me?" he questioned.
"Yeah, I'm here," he answered. "As long as we're working together, I'll stay linked in," he promised.
"Good," Sam said. "Makes things a lot easier. I'm gonna wake Jared and Embry so they can patrol. Looks like we're gonna have to have a regular schedule from now on so a team is always on."
"I agree," Paul said as he glanced at his brother. "Rudy and I can take a shift too."
"Good," Sam said, sounding relieved. "I was hoping you would be willing…"
Paul snorted. "And miss out on destroying the things that caused me to turn into a big, hairy beast? The things that fucked up my life? Not hardly man. I'm gonna take out as many of the fuckers as possible."
Once back on the reservation, Sam veered off toward his home. "I'll call you tomorrow and let you know when the meeting will be with the elders and the Cullens. It might be as soon as tomorrow night."
"The sooner the better I say," Paul responded. "Who knows when the leeches will be back for another go-round. Another thing to consider is school starting up again next week. So much shit to consider and right now, there's just the four of us that don't have to worry about classes," he said in a bitter tone.
Sam snorted. "Yeah? Some of us have jobs… which reminds me…I wanted to see if you're interested in a construction job."
He heard a sigh filter through his mind before Paul answered. "I suppose I'm gonna need something to support myself on." He growled. "I don't mean to sound ungrateful…"
Sam cut him off. "I understand Lahote. You had a bright future ahead and now it's all on hold. I get it," he said as he skidded to a stop just behind his home. "Look, I'm home now and going to phase. I'll talk to you tomorrow."
"Yeah, all right, we're home too and all's clear scent-wise, so we'll see ya later."
Paul and Rudy phased back and sneaked in the back door since they were naked. Earlier, Rudy hadn't bothered undressing to phase. He'd been too upset and Paul had followed suit. He hadn't wanted to lose track of his…brother. "This way," Paul whispered as he led Rudy to the laundry room. He sighed in relief at the sight of a basket of folded clothes and grinned when he found a stack of boxers. He handed a pair to Rudy and slipped on a pair.
"Thank fuck," Rudy whispered. "Wasn't lookin' forward to sneaking my bare ass up stairs."
Paul shook his head. "Me either bro, not with Charlie in the house." He looked over at Rudy. "You okay now man?"
Rudy snorted. "Yeah, I'm good." He shoved Paul who was still giving him a look. "Dude, I'm not a fragile flower here, okay? So my real father was an abusive, rapist bastard…the fucker's dead and it's water under the bridge, ya know? Just because I know all this now doesn't change who I am and who I've always been. It doesn't change how I feel about you either." He pointed to his chest. "In here, you've always been my brother." He shrugged. "Now we know it's true."
Paul nodded and ducked when Rudy reached out to ruffle his hair. "Quit fuckin' with my hair asshole," he growled playfully.
"My hair, my hair!" Rudy mocked in a high voice as he slung an arm around Paul's shoulders. "Come on ya little shit. Let's call it a night. I'm beat."
"Little?" Paul questioned as they made their way upstairs.
Rudy smirked. "Yeah, haven't ya noticed? Since I went all wolfie, I got a good two inches on you again bro, just as it should be."
Paul shot him a dark look. "I can still kick your ass."
Rudy stopped at his door and put Paul in a headlock while messing his hair as Paul struggled. "No you can't," he sang in a mocking tone as he let him go. He stepped behind the relative safety of his door and blurted, "Bella won't let you!" before closing and locking his door with a cackle.
Paul glared at the door for a second before smiling and walking to his room. "Fucker," he grumbled as he slipped in and shut the door.
Down the hall, Lisa shut her door with teary eyes and a smile.
Her boys, for that's what they both were in her heart, were gonna be just fine.
DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended.