Alpha Beta Imprint: Chapter Twenty-One

Disclaimer: I am not Stephanie Meyer. I do not own Twilight.

Chapter Twenty-One

Leah’s POV

I was ready to fucking tear the bitch apart. I wasn’t even thinking about which bitch it was going to be, any of them would do.

Jake was trying to restrain Sam while talking to the leeches about Bella. The leeches were having a little family meltdown. And the pack was getting antsy behind me, eager to find the missing part of our pack and bring her back.

“Somebody start talking right the fuck now,” I demanded, my body trembling in my anger.

Emmett and Rosalie seemed to be trying to explain something about the fucker that had taken Bella, but their coven wasn’t letting them speak. I growled when they all started talking at once.

“Shut up!” I roared, quickly losing patience.

Sam was vibrating, his lips pulled over his teeth in his anger at losing his imprint and Jake wasn’t looking too good either. Too much longer and the thin control they had would snap.

“Edward took Bella to keep her safe,” Rosalie finally said.

The entire yard got quiet as those words sank in.

“How the hell does that work?” Jake asked, tremors working through his body.

“These four have been planning this for a long time. Carlisle-“

Rosalie was cut off by Alice’s scream. I watched in shock as the little vampire fell to her knees, hands gripping her hair as she sobbed.

“No, no, no! He can’t do this! He can’t!” Alice cried, her eyes wide as she shook her head.

“Alice, darlin’, what is it?” Jasper questioned, kneeling beside her.

“He killed her. Oh, God, Jazz, he killed her,” Alice sobbed, clutching her mate.

There was an awful ripping sound behind me and a shiver worked its way down my spine.

“No. No, you’re wrong. She’s not dead,” Jake insisted, his voice thick with emotion.

“He killed her,” Alice repeated, rocking back and forth quickly.

“NO! She’s not… She can’t be! No!” Jake shouted.

I turned around, surprised that Sam wasn’t throwing a fit, to see him kneeling, head on the ground as he cried. I hurried over to him, knowing I couldn’t help, but needing to comfort him in some way.

The pack let out a howl behind us, mourning the loss of our Alphas’ mate.

“Bella,” Sam wailed, his fists clenching the ground as I held him.

“No. She’s can’t be gone. She can’t be,” Jake whispered thickly.

“Can you feel her?” Emmett asked, speaking for the first time.

“What?” Jake blinked, unseeing as he turned to the large vampire.

“Can you feel her? Can you feel the bond you share?” Emmett repeated.

Jake stared at him for a long time before closing his eyes and breathing deep. I waited, hoping he would be able to feel her, that there was still a small chance. Sam continued crying beneath me, his entire body shaking under the force of his grief.

Jake opened his eyes, spinning suddenly to look north.

“Bella,” Jake gasped.

“We need to get to her quickly. We may be able to stop it,” Rosalie insisted fervently.

“Sam! Get up! We need to get Bella,” Jake snapped.

I shivered as the Alpha order rolled over my skin, surprised when Sam obeyed immediately. I felt the shock of the pack as Jake and Sam phased as one before taking off in the direction of their imprint. I was a step behind them, the pack behind me, the Cullens behind them.

“We won’t make it in time,” Alice said blankly from behind us.

Yes, we will, Jake argued.

We have to, Sam agreed.

Every bone in my body stretched to push me forward faster, eager to reach Bella and kill the leech threatening her life. My thoughts were echoed in those of the pack, each and every one of them willing to do whatever it took to take down the monster we were running at.

Edward’s POV

I could hear them coming, their thoughts a violent turmoil of Bella, me, and death. Alice had seen my intentions, but it was too late.

They burst through the trees as a single wave of fur. I was instantly surrounded on all sides as they growled at me.

Jacob and Sam’s thoughts revolved solely around Bella. They knew she had been here, they could still feel her in the air.

Where is she? Jake growled at me.

“You’re too late. She’s gone,” I informed them.

What did you do with her? Sam snarled.

I smiled, my teeth gleaming in the moonlight as my family walked into the clearing to stand behind the wolves. I looked right at Carlisle, my glee at defying him evident in my entire being.

“I killed her.”

I expected an instant attack, but the wolves simply stood there, continuing to growl at me. It was clear Jacob and Sam didn’t believe me, their bond with Bella making them believe she was still alive.

“You were too late. I’ve killed her and a wolf came and took her body. She’s gone,” I informed them, trying to goad them into an attack.

“Edward! Stop it!” Rosalie shouted, flitting into the circle of wolves with me.

Of course, with Rosalie in the line of fire, Emmett was quick to join us. He glared at the wolves, baring his teeth in warning as the pack shifted around us.

“Tell them the truth. All of it,” Rosalie demanded, her golden eyes flashing.

“I have. Bella Swan is dead,” I insisted.

Jacob and Sam howled, their anger nearly doubling as they struggled against killing me. They wanted to hear what Rosalie had to say.

“How could you, Edward? She was your mate,” Esme sobbed, curling into Carlisle’s chest.

“No. She belonged to the mutts,” I smirked.

“No. I saw it. The two of you were together, happy,” Alice sniffed, shaking her head at me.

“You were wrong. I feel… felt nothing for her,” I amended, my smirk widening.

“You didn’t kill her, Edward. You were trying to keep her safe,” Rosalie frowned.

“And the only way to do that was to kill her,” I nodded.

“Just come out with it, dude. What did you do?” Emmett gritted, his body tensed for a fight.

“I drained her. Her blood was the sweetest I’ve ever tasted. I can understand why Jasper has so much trouble denying his bloodlust. She was delicious,” I hummed, my eyes closing in remembrance.

A silver wolf, Leah, snapped at me, her body jerking back at the last second. I searched the minds around me, discovering they were under some form of control that kept them from attacking.

“But all your plans. You wasted all your hard work,” Rosalie complained.

“It was worth it,” I grinned.

“Why couldn’t you just accept facts, Edward? Bella was your mate! If you had just listened to me in the first place, none of this would have happened,” Alice cried, stomping her foot in anger.

There was a shift in the air and I glanced over to see Jacob and Sam were human, their faces wearing identical scowls as they stared each member of my family down.

“Someone needs to start explaining,” Jake said.

“Now!” Sam demanded.

I snorted when everyone looked to Carlisle, expecting him to come clean of the whole story. When it became obvious he wasn’t going to talk, Rosalie huffed and began telling the wolves everything.

“A few years ago, we were living in New York. Carlisle was doing research on trauma victims, some of which were traumatized by something other than humans. He worked with people who had come in contact with the supernatural world. When he was about a year into the program, a new patient showed up claiming to have been attacked by her boyfriend. When Carlisle looked at her, he discovered she had the marks of a werewolf on her: three long, jagged lines on the right side of her face. It was Emily Young, ex-girlfriend of Sam Uley,” Rosalie began.

Recognition flared up among the pack and they all began to worry about where this story was going to go.

“At the same time, Alice began having visions of the family moving back west. She said Edward would finally meet his mate and the family would be complete. We stayed in New York for a little while longer to keep noisy people from digging into our family life, but eventually we started packing up to move. When Emily heard her doctor was moving out west, she decided to follow him. The treatment for her face was going poorly, but her therapy was going well and she was starting to realize she could live with the scars. She thought moving back home with her doctor close by would help her face the last of her demons, but when Bella arrived, things turned bad,” Rosalie continued, frowning.

Carlisle hissed at Rosalie, a warning for her not to continue. Emmett growled back, his hands clenching as he stared the older vampire down.

“Anyway, we suddenly realized that Bella would be imprinted on by the two of you. That meant she couldn’t be with Edward. While I was thrilled she wouldn’t be changed, Alice refused to let it go and convinced Carlisle and Esme that Edward would spend the rest of his life miserable and alone if he wasn’t with Bella. When Carlisle realized Sam was Emily’s ex and would be one of the wolves to imprint on Bella, he began dazzling Emily, confusing her into thinking she was Bella,” Rosalie sighed, her shoulders slumping.

“Alice and Jasper snuck into Charlie Swan’s house and set up cameras that were hidden to the human eye. We were able to watch everything that happened in the house. When we realized Bella would be spending a lot of time in La Push, Carlisle paid a co-worker of Sam’s to set up cameras while Sam was at work. That gave us access to practically every aspect of Bella’s life. Carlisle worked with Emily on a daily basis, having her watch the videos of Bella’s life with Sam and Jake, convincing her it was her life.

“Edward found out what was happening and tried to warn Bella away from Alice and Jasper without alerting the family to what he was doing. He knew that if Carlisle and Alice caught on, they would do something drastic. When that didn’t work, he tried to take her away to keep her safe. Of course, you stopped him and he had to come up with another plan. His goal this whole time has been keeping Bella safe and away from those four,” Rosalie accused, glaring at her former family.

The shock that surrounded us was almost palpable in its intensity. The roar of stunned silence filled each and every mind of the pack, creating a jumble of scattered thoughts that gradually grew louder and louder.

“Where is she?” Sam croaked, his body wavering.

“I don’t know,” I told him.

“Why?” Jake persisted.

“A wolf came, similar to your pack. He took her away. As far as I know, it was too late. Her heartbeat was practically gone when he arrived,” I explained sadly.

“You killed her,” Jake stated emotionlessly.

“I saved her from becoming like us,” I argued.

“Either way, she’s gone from us,” Sam said, his own voice devoid of emotion.

“The wolf that took her knew who she was. He was going to try and save her. His thoughts of her were… paternal almost,” I informed them.

“Maybe we can track him,” Jake suggested, his brows furrowed as he went back into strategy mode.

Sam nodded in agreement, his body already shaking as he began to take on his wolf form. Jake followed suit, his brown eyes calculating as they scanned my former family. I heard the thought in his head as he gave the order to his pack.

As the two Alphas slipped off in search of their mate, I watched dispassionately as the wolves ripped apart my sire, his mate, and the two vampires who were still aligned with them.

Finally, I would be free to be with my true mate.

Jake’s POV

The power of the Alpha flowed through me as Sam and I followed the trail of our imprint’s scent. It was an odd sensation, one that felt uncomfortable and familiar at the same time. I knew Sam hadn’t relinquished his hold on the role of Alpha, but there was no going back from this. I could not give up my birth right after taking it. If he didn’t back down, our pack would be split. I worried about what this would mean for the imprint, whether Sam would still be bonded with Bella or not.

All this was going on in the back of my mind, though. Most of my being was focused on finding Bella and making sure she lived. I’d give her all of my own blood before I let her die. I just prayed that was still an option.

The scent trail led us back to La Push, to a house buried deep in the woods with no trail indicating someone lived there. I could smell the other wolf and the fur along my spine rose in warning. I wouldn’t hesitate to fuck this bastard up if he tried to get between us and our imprint.

Sam had already phased, hurrying towards the house, and I followed, yanking on my shorts and I did. Sam paused in the doorway, his shoulders heaving with each breath he took. Looking over his shoulder, I saw what was causing his reaction.

Bella.

Sam’s POV

She was here.

That was the first thought the entered my head when I opened the door to the shack in the middle of the woods. Her scent hung in the air, filling my lung and clearing my mind. I was able to focus and realized another important fact.

Her heart was beating.

I nearly fell to my knees in thanks as I walked into the room on shaking legs. Jake followed behind, his steps hesitant.

She was laid out on a cot of some kind, furs thrown over her too pale body. Machines were hooked up to her arms, all of them beeping in sync with each other. My eyes focused on the machine timing her heartbeat, finding it to be stronger than I had anticipated. The bag hanging at her head was dripping blood, transfusing it back into her body where it belonged.

“Bella,” I moaned, grasping her hand in both of mine.

Tears fell down my cheeks as I pressed my face into her wrist, breathing in her scent and feeling her heartbeat at the same time. Her touch reassured me, gave me strength, and I was finally able to come back to myself.

I looked across the bed to see Jake rubbing her hand across his cheek, tears streaming down his face as he looked at hers.

“Thank God. Oh, God,” Jake whispered, his voice cracking.

“She’s okay,” I murmured, reassuring myself and him.

“I know,” Jake nodded reverently.

We sat in silence, simply staring at our imprint, watching her breathe as the monitors kept beeping with the sound of her life.

“Wondered when the two of you would show up.”

Jake and I spun around, growls immediately forming as we prepared to defend our mate.

“Easy, sons. I mean her no harm,” Al chuckled, kicking off his boots.

“Al? What are you doing here?” Jake questioned, still suspicious.

“Taking care of that girl of yours,” Al answered, nodding in Bella’s direction.

“How did you find her?” I asked, watching him closely.

“Found that leech sucking her dry and brought her back here. Didn’t take much. Good thing I was prepared for it, too,” Al snorted, moving a kettle off the stove.

I frowned as I realized we hadn’t noticed anything else about where we were. The shack was one room, but nicely furnished. Bella was on the only bed, near the fireplace. The stove was a wood burning stove with a small table shoved up against the wall a few feet away. There was a couch on the opposite side with a bookshelf by it. The only decoration was a bear skin rug on the floor, spanning from the couch to the edge of a chair at the kitchen table.

“You live here,” Jake stated, seeing the same things I was.

“For the past year,” Al agreed.

“Same time the Cullens arrived,” I noticed.

“Followed ‘em out here from New York. Dreadful place, that. Been chasing that coven for nearly sixty years,” Al told us, pouring three cups of hot chocolate.

I swallowed thickly, remembering Bella drinking hot chocolate in our kitchen, her bare feet tapping away while she told us about her day. Al handed Jake and I each a mug before taking a seat in one of the chairs at the table. He turned it to face us, his eyes on Bella.

“She’s a brave one, I’ll tell you that. Didn’t so much as struggle while that leech tried to drain her,” Al smirked.

“How did you know to find her?” Jake asked.

“Emily Young told me the whole story after she attacked Bella in front of my store. Pure luck I just happened to be out when he ran by with your girl. I’ve been running for a long time, boys. Wasn’t too hard to keep up with him, but still out of sight,” Al shrugged.

“Emily told you what was happening to her?” I gaped.

“Poor girl. She was so confused. Couldn’t understand what was going on,” Al frowned, shaking his head sadly.

“Our pack killed the four responsible for it all,” I informed him.

“Good. Maybe now she can get better,” Al nodded.

“And Bella?” Jake croaked fearfully.

“Well, now, that’s up to her. I’ve done all I can do. Her body’s taking the blood. Tell you what, it’s a good thing that leech didn’t use his venom, otherwise your girl would be lost to you forever,” Al clicked sadly.

“She won’t change though, right?” I clarified.

“She’ll be fine just as soon as she decides to join the land of the living again,” Al assured us.

“How long with that be?” I asked, eager for her to get better.

“Like I said, entirely up to her. She’s had a traumatic experience, boys. Let her rest for now. Things don’t look better soon, we’ll see what else we can do for her,” Al explained.

“Come back to us, Bells. We need you,” Jake murmured, kissing the palm of her hand.

I turned to watch her, taking up her other hand and kissing each fingertip.

“We love you, Bella. Don’t make us live without you,” I begged tearfully.

As the tears began to fall, I burrowed my face into her palm, struggling to gain control and stay strong for my girl.

Bella’s POV

It was foggy where I was. My body was floating, looking down on the things happening below. I heard Rosalie explain about Emily and the Cullens, surprised at how it all came together. I watched as my wolves fought for control as they chased after me, their sole purpose on getting me back. I ached when they walked in, finding my body in Al’s home, the machines letting them know I was still alive.

I was angry at my inability to be with them. I didn’t understand how I could witness all this and not be there. It was an out of body experience, one I thought only occurred in fiction. My heart broke as I listened to my wolves beg me to return to them, my anger increasing when I found it impossible to do so.

No matter how hard I tried, I could not return to my body.

My energy began to wane as I continued struggling with myself, trying to shape my celestial form back into my physical one. Fatigue plagued me, weighing my body down until my vision began to fade and everything went black.

I felt the change when I became aware a second time. I couldn’t see anything except the darkness pressing in on me, but I could hear everything. The quiet breathing of the other people in the room, the constant beep and whirl of the machines hooked to my body, and the whoosh of my own breath as my lungs expanded and contracted.

I could also feel. My hands were being held by my wolves, their heat traveling through our joined hands, up my arm, and throughout the rest of my body. I was cocooned in the safety and security of their love.

“Her heartbeat is changing,” Sam murmured from my right.

“She is gaining her strength,” Al replied from further away.

“So she’ll wake up soon?” Jake questioned, his voice soft in my left ear.

“When her body and mind are ready,” Al answered cryptically.

I’m fighting it, my wolves. I want to come back to you, I thought to them.

“We love you, Bella. We’ll be right here until you wake up,” Sam promised, his lips touching the back of my hand.

“Wake up soon, Bells. We miss your gorgeous smile and those beautiful eyes,” Jake pleaded, his hand running through my hair.

I felt tears welling as I listened to them talk, begging me to wake up. Their mutual gasps of surprise were followed quickly by exclamations.

“She’s crying,” Jake cried.

“Shh, sweetheart. We’re here. We love you so much,” Sam whispered, his fingers brushing away my tears.

“Her body still needs rest, but things are looking up,” Al encouraged them.

I fought to stay conscious, but my mind was quickly wearing down. The blackness took over quickly, forcing me to leave my wolves again.

I blinked at the ceiling, uncertain if I was actually awake, or if this was another out of body experience. My neck was itching like crazy, leading me to believe this was real, that I was actually awake.

“Well, now. Bout time you woke up.”

I looked towards the gruff voice, surprised when I noticed Al sitting at a small table, two chairs on either side. He had a mug in his hands and was dressed in jeans and a flannel shirt. His face was more relaxed than I’d ever seen it.

“Wh-wh-“ I struggled to talk, my throat dry.

“I wouldn’t try to talk just yet. Throat’s probably gonna hurt for a while,” Al informed me, getting up to come sit in the chair to my right.

I frowned, trying to come up with a way to ask what I wanted to ask.

“Those boys’ll be back soon. Haven’t so much as left your side for the past three days,” Al continued, reading my mind.

I glanced around the hut we were in, focusing on the door. Thankfully, Al seemed to understand what I was trying to do.

“They had to go into town. Some problems have come up while you’ve been out. Not to worry, everyone important is fine. Although, those ‘friends’ of yours, Alice and Jasper, are dead, along with Esme and Carlisle,” Al shrugged.

I nodded, trying to let him know I knew everything he was saying.

“How bout some water?” Al offered, smiling as he stood up.

I nodded eagerly, my throat practically aching at the thought of some water. Al chuckled while he went about pouring me a glass. I tried to lift my hand to take it from him when he walked back, but my arms refused to move. The only result I got was a twitch of my fingers.

“You lost a lot of blood, tsidá wil. You need time to regain your strength,” Al murmured, helping me sit up against the pillows.

I drank greedily, some of the water running down my chin as he helped me.

“You’re gonna make yourself sick,” Al scolded, removing the cup.

“Please,” I croaked.

His face softened and he went to get me another glass. I sighed, settling against the pillows as he walked back towards me.

“How much do you remember?” Al asked.

“Everything. And I know all about what really happened with the Cullens,” I answered when I’d finished drinking, frowning at the rough sound of my voice.

“Spirit go for a little walk, did it?” Al smirked.

“Guess you could say that,” I smiled.

“Your voice won’t go back to normal for a few days. Drink lots of tea and it’ll heal faster,” Al instructed.

“Yes, sir,” I sighed, my eyes closing in exhaustion.

“Sleep, tsidá wil. When you wake, your wolves will be back,” Al soothed, brushing my hair back.

I fell asleep quickly, my body forcing rest so I could recover faster and go home with my wolves.

Sam’s POV

I raced through the woods, my paws pounding against the forest floor as Jake and I hurried back to our imprint.

Three hours. It had been three hours since we’d left her and my body was practically vibrating with the need to know she was still safe, still alive.

The meeting with the Elders had taken longer than either one of us had anticipated. They had needed to know Jake had stepped up as Alpha, that the Cullen patriarch and his mate were dead, along with two of their coven, and that one of the remaining vampires was mated to Emily.

That still rattled my mind. Emily and Edward. The fact that Edward had “saved” Bella was still a sore spot among the pack and no one wanted them to stay around. Emily had been nearly inconsolable at the knowledge of what she had done under the influence of Dr. Cullen and his family. Edward’s quiet assurances were the only thing keeping her sane at this point.

They were both planning on leaving, along with Emmett and Rosalie. Their family would not be permitted back on Quileute land, which now included Forks. They had agreed after requesting to be allowed to stay until Bella awoke. They all had things to say to our girl.

I smelled our girl as we drew closer to the hut she was staying in. My wolf pushed me harder, anxious to return to her side. Jake and I phased simultaneously, not pausing as we walked up the front steps and into the ramshackle shack. Al was sitting at the table, a mug of hot chocolate and the newspaper in front of him.

“How is she?” Jake asked right away, already by her side.

“Fine. Woke up about an hour ago. Gave her some water, told her what had happened. She knew most of it,” Al informed us.

“How is that possible?” I frowned, looking her over.

“Her spirit went for a walk while she was unconscious. Many of our people have experienced similar things over the years,” Al shrugged, focused on his paper.

I walked over to where she slept, her breathing even in time with the heart monitor. The blood bag was gone, replaced with an IV drip that was keeping her alive.

“She’ll wake up soon. She already senses your presence,” Al huffed, shifting in his chair.

I smiled when I noticed how relaxed her face was, how deeply she breathed when Jake and I drew nearer.

“Sam,” Jake murmured, bringing my attention back into focus.

My breath caught in my throat as I saw her eyes fluttering. I joined Jake in leaning over her, anxious for her to wake up.

Her brown eyes finally opened to us for the first day in days and I nearly fell to my knees in relief.

“Bella,” I groaned, clutching her hand in mine.

“Thank God you’re okay,” Jake moaned, leaning forward to kiss her briefly.

“You’re back,” Bella whispered, her voice hoarse.

“We should’ve been here when you woke up. We’re sorry, sweetheart,” I apologized, nuzzling her palm.

“It’s okay. Al told me everything,” Bella said slowly.

“Are you hurting anywhere? Do you need anything?” Jake asked somewhat frantically.

“Just you,” Bella sighed happily.

“We’ll be here, honey. You just rest. We’ll take care of everything else. Soon we can go back home and you can sleep in our bed with me and Sam,” Jake promised.

“I love you both, so much,” Bella swallowed thickly.

“We love you, too,” I crooned, moving my hand to cradle her face.

“Always,” Jake added.

The word had barely left his mouth before she was asleep again. I looked over at Jake, smiling as the tension faded from his body, knowing my own tension was fading as well.

“She’s really okay,” Jake breathed.

“She really is,” I agreed happily.

For a long while, we simply sat there, staring at our imprint. The relief was heady after so many days of worry and anger.

“There are a few things we need to discuss,” I reminded him eventually.

“Once she’s well enough to go back home, we will. She needs to hear everything, too,” Jake nodded.

“Once she’s well,” I echoed.

And so we pushed the darker thoughts to the back of our minds in favor of watching the lightness that was our imprint.