Red Moon ~ Chapter 23 ~ Held Captive - Jacob's POV

Chapter 23: Held Captive

~Jacob’s Point Of View~

I felt her. She was looking for me. I knew my imprint was fine from the very first moment; she was safe and sound. But she was away from me. They had held us separated to cause us unease. That’s what they wanted, they knew that split we were weaker and more vulnerable. She was trying to tell me something, I wanted to respond so badly and I focused all my thoughts on how much I loved her hoping she would feel it. We had to find a way to communicate. Where was she?

When I came around I was in a big room with cold stone walls and a gloomy, faint, bluish lighting. Somewhere near me water drops were falling from the ceiling making a soft splashing sound every so and then. Phillip and Cole were also here. Since Cole realized his arms were tied with chains he was struggling to break them and the ringing sound of the chains was echoing in the creepy dungeon. I heard Phillip chuckling silently murmuring it was no use doing it accompanied by one of his very dramatic sighs. His attitude always reminding me Jasper a little, silent and distant but knowing a lot. He didn’t share much except if it was necessary and right now according to his judgment it wasn’t one of these necessary moments.

I focused again on Renesmee. Our bond had grown during all this adventure. I had seen her grow every day and had been torturing myself on how I should explain her about the imprint thing without getting a bad reaction from her. She couldn’t stand being bossed around most times -just like her mother- let alone being told that her fate is to be with me, that she was my soulmate. She’d never accept it like that. That was my little Nessie. I chuckled to myself. Yet this time that I feared but wanted so much to come never came the way I thought. I was wasting so much time planning how to do it the right way, find the perfect time and place to tell her and instead it came here, so easily, so naturally, so unpredictably! How she fell in my arms, her desperate need to make sure I was fine, almost as strong as mine for her was! Then it all came easily, she knew about the imprint stuff, god knows how, and she just accepted it, she had feelings for me and I knew they were real, not forced because of the imprint magic. Even in Volterra, inside the leeches’ lair it was the happiest day of my life. We had this talk with Bella and Edward a year ago and they had asked me to wait for her feelings to show before I’d tell her anything. I knew they hoped that it would take years for Renesmee to find out. I was patient though. I waited like they asked me to. But it proved that she had figured out already. When we were in Volterra I struggled with the want to tell her, but still I’d keep my word to Bella and Edward. Mostly because I promised Bella… I knew Edward would react badly no matter if I kept my word or not. He let me be close because I could take care of her and keep her safe but if there was a choice he wouldn’t want me as his baby girl’s boyfriend. Just like he didn’t want me for Bella (for obvious reasons). I would keep my mouth shut, but she came and told me. I was shocked she knew at first but learned not to be surprised by my little Nessie. Ever. She was the cleverest girl I knew. Maybe it was the imprint talking but that’s how I saw it.

“Oh, will you stop it already? You’re giving me a headache, Cole!” Phillip groaned in frustration placing his hands on each side of his head.

“Seriously? We need to break these chains, we need to escape, Phillip!” There was more passion in his voice than I had heard him have before and it seemed odd. I didn’t know him too well but he was always the cool guy who would chill out and say that everything would be alright with his way to sneak into the past and reveal what others did in his place before. I was hoping for something like that again.

“So what’s the plan? How do we break the chains?” I asked coming back to the surface after this long dive into a sea of thoughts.

The fire in his eyes disappeared. I hadn’t seen his face have such an expression again. Not even when he had that fight with Eshe. He looked bad then but he had a smug look on his face at the same time, his usual, be cool, ‘it’s gonna be fine’ expression. Call it a feeling, call it knowing more? No matter what, he knew then that things were going to get back to normal. As normal as they could at least.

I laughed mentally with how ordinary my life seemed for the last six years compared to the last month. This was even bigger than what had happened a little after Renesmee’s first Christmas… I was almost driven nuts by all these leeches being at the Cullen’s place! But I ignored them and they ignored me, so everyone was happy. Sort of. I was glad they came though. I don’t think that the Volturi would think twice if the witnesses were less. We were big in numbers then. Even for the Volturi. I thought about my pack. Sam’s pack. All the new wolves. The fact that the Cullens were so close for the next year after Renesmee’s birth had caused many young Quileutes to phase and our packs to increase their numbers. We could outnumber the Volturi on our own right now. Or that’s what I thought. The Volturi seem to have resurrected new members also. Some really gifted vampires too. I was observing them when I was “patrolling” for the leeches. Obviously they didn’t let me phase in danger of trying to escape, they just had me as a decorative guard in a hall. I would have never done this for any reason but Nessie. Her life was hanging from that.

I stopped the internal monologue I was having and looked at Cole’s look. His face looked tired and confused, something was too complicated even for him.

“I don’t know,” he admitted trying to keep any emotion from his voice.

“What do you mean you don’t know? Hasn’t anyone tried it?” Phillip asked impatiently having lost his sarcastic tone.

“Yes. Many actually; vampires. But didn’t make it. Some joined the Volturi; the rest died.” He flinched as if he was seeing the scene this very moment. “The Volturi have the keys. That’s the only way out.”

“So what? We’re stuck?!” Phillip was beginning to lose his patience. He used to see everything as if it was pointless but when we escaped he had changed the way he was looking at things.

It felt strange for me too. Every time before when we seemed to be stuck we found a way out. There was a little window. Just like we escaped from Alice’s vision –at least the part about the Cullens’ death-, just like we run away from Volterra. There should be a chance again!

“Yeah, we are.”

“Sounds good,” I said letting irony and anger fill my voice. I was close to losing my temper and my hands were shaking. Renesmee’s picture came to my mind, her big, brown eyes, her bronze curls, her angelic face… I seemed to calm down a little. “We need to talk to the girls,” I continued “Any idea where they are?”

“What do you think I am? Mister-Know-All?” He glared at me annoyed and shook my head in order to cover myself chuckling silently at the thought that I had heard Eshe calling him that before.

“Renesmee’s looking for me. I can feel it.” I said and focused again on her, trying to find a way inside her head. I closed my eyes and imagined that I was holding her warm, petite body close to me.

“What do you mean? Can she get inside your head?” Cole’s interest sparked again while Phillip was back at looking at us with an amused expression on his face and his mouth shaped into a ghostly smile.

“Kind of. She’s calling me,” I tried explaining.

“Then we found a way to talk to them!”

“I don’t know if she can feel me. I’m the one who imprinted on her after all, not the other way round.” I said disappointed but felt a spark of annoyance that felt not being mine. Maybe Nessie was feeling things from me after all.

“Can you try?”

I nodded though I wasn’t sure about it. We’ve only had exchanged feelings. And the link between us felt really thin and fragile. We had just found out about it. Then an idea sneaked inside my head. There was someone I had a closest bond with! In another way, but still! Eshe! I could get into her head if I phased. But…

“I need Eshe to phase,” I said aloud and felt Cole’s eyes on me.

“Why?”

I thought for a while trying to find the right words to explain but he figured it out on his own soon enough.

“Is it this thing that lets you talk when you’ve phased?” he asked in a weird tone. Was it jealousy in his voice? Seriously?

“Yeah, that’s how I thought about it.” I agreed waiting for him to look like his calm, relaxed self again but his face didn’t seem to change expression. “Dude, relax, I’m not going to steal your girl! What we have is a wolf thing. Well, animal thing. Whatever. Do you think I could ever look at anyone but Nessie this way? Seriously?”

His look turned almost apologetic. “I don’t know what’s gotten into me, Jacob, sorry.”

“A little green demon called Jealousy, my friend,” said Phillip stoically.

I raised an eyebrow at him but then let it go. I had to make Nessie tell Eshe to phase. Alright, time to focus. I wasn’t sure I could show her directly my thoughts but I had to try.

‘Nessie, honey? Can you hear me?’ I concentrated as hard as I could on her, trying to make sure she’d get the message if that was possible.

In respond I felt curiosity from her. Did that mean that she heard my thought? I felt excited from the possibilities, a way to communicate other than mind reading or the way I could talk with my pack and Eshe. Nessie’s feelings made me turn my full attention back on her.

‘Could you ask Eshe to phase?’ I could just hope she did really get the message.

I opened my eyes and saw the curious look on Cole’s and Phillip’s faces.

“Did it work?”

“Maybe.” I felt Nessie’s excitement. Was it because she figured out why I asked her to tell Eshe to phase? Was she just happy I could feel her? I wasn’t sure but I hoped my plan was working.

“Shouldn’t you phase to see if it really worked?” Phillip asked.

“Oh, yeah, I should.” I nodded and both of them turned the other side. I was glad for that because even if I’d been used to be naked in front of other people, they were my pack, Cole and Phillip were not.

I let my jeans on the floor but because of the chains around my wrists I couldn’t take off the shirt. It wouldn’t make it… Poor shirt. I thought I was over the clothes-ripping period of my life. I let the heat take over me and I felt my body shifting. Soon enough four paws were touching the stone floor. It hadn’t been too long since I had phased again but I liked the feeling. It just felt so normal in this entirely insane situation we’ve been into. Except the pressure on my two front legs. The chains felt too tight on my wolf legs, they obviously weren’t planned for something like that. I would have bruises on my wrists but I could worry about it later.

Usually I’d feel overwhelmed from the thoughts of another member of my pack. It always used to bother me how I couldn’t find peace inside my head and run in wolf form at the same time most times but I had to feel this eerie silence to value the buzz of my pack’s thoughts. I wasn’t sure if Eshe was here or not, I couldn’t hear everything going on inside her head. When it first happened I was so shocked, it was the very last thing I was expecting. Yet, I had to face a blue eyed fox, which was really capable of talking to me in some way. I sighed and did the only thing I could to check if Eshe had truly phased.

‘Eshe? Can you hear me?’

I was waiting for the response but it didn’t come. I looked at Cole and saw him shifting uneasily in his place. Like something in my eyes startled him. It was just as weird as seeing him losing his controlled expression; it was simply looking out of place.

“How is it going?” he asked anxiously trying to hide the weak look he had before.

I shook my head disappointed.

‘Eshe? Please, if you’re there just tell, I don’t think we have time for jokes,’ I thought in the most serious tone I could, feeling tempted to use my Alpha voice although I wasn’t sure that it would have an effect on her. I pictured the dungeon inside my head, Phillip, Cole –especially Cole; if she was joking I am sure that he’d draw her attention– wishing she’d just answer.

I felt frustrated and thought about trying to ask Nessie again. But it wouldn’t do any more good than the first time right? Let alone that the bond might be weaker in my wolf form. I mean, alright, because of being able to shift to a wolf I have the imprint but since being a wolf can help me distance myself from everything human doesn’t it mean that it makes me distance a little away from Renesmee? The thought made my body ache but when I brought her image to my memory I was sure I was wrong. It was nothing like that.

‘Nessie, love? Please, try understanding me. Please… Tell Eshe to phase,’ I pleaded again inside my head, wishing it would work this time.

‘No need, Jacob, I’m here,’ Eshe mused.

‘Are you kidding me?’

‘No, I really am here,’ she repeated.

‘Were you here all along?’

‘No, I just phased. I was trying to figure out with Dawn and Nessie why you might want me to phase, silly.’  

How can she be so light mooded in such a situation? I thought shocked. She was the first person I’d expect to be freaked out!

‘Trust me I’m not light mooded. I’m freaking out. Badly. You don’t want to see everything inside my head.’

‘Hey, how did you see that inside my head? You weren’t supposed to see that!’

‘You’re losing your temper, Jacob. You show me things you didn’t really want to show.’ She giggled and I just widened my eyes in surprise. SERIOUSLY? Eshe giggling right now?!

‘Oh, seriously, Jacob, that’s how my mind goes, I have to think of something positive. It’s a need. Now, what are we supposed to be talking about?’

I was thinking about Nessie again. I had showed her Cole. Shouldn’t she show me Nessie as a payback? I didn’t know if it was right to ask her something like that, it was kind of selfish, considering that I showed her Cole only for my personal gain anyway. Surprisingly she sighed and smiled and then it was as if I could see through her eyes.

She was in gloomy dungeon, like the one I found myself into, and it looked cold and big, my eyes couldn’t find the wall on the other side of the room. Dawn was observing Eshe with curious eyes, trying to find out what she was telling me. Then I saw her. She was sitting on the floor, legs crossed in front of her chest, a sea of red ringlets falling in waist length. If she was anywhere else I’d say she was daydreaming, I’d recognize that expression everywhere. Unexpectedly she turned around and I felt as if she was looking at me. Like she could pierce her way through Eshe’s eyes to reach mine. I felt as if I was drowning in them. A wave of happiness overwhelmed me but it wasn’t my own emotion. Not only at least. It was something I was sharing with her at the moment. I sighed content to see her safe but then Eshe’s voice reached me.

‘Hey? Focus? I’d never imagine I’d say this to you! Most times it happens the other way round,’ she joked. ‘C’mon, Cole figured out a way to get out of these things already?’ she asked moving her paw in such a way that caused the chains to ring in the dungeon, the echo coming back over and over again.

‘No. That was something we hoped you’d have figured out somehow. Where are you?’

‘He… he did not?’ she didn’t bother to cover the shock in her thoughts. ‘In Dracula’s lair, I suppose.’

‘Do you believe it’s really the time for jokes?’ I really didn’t believe that the comedian inside her picked the right time to come out and play.

‘No way! Who talked about jokes? I just am trying to prepare myself for whatever’s gonna happen in a cheerful way. I don’t want to die scared, Jake!’ This time she sounded really upset. She’d burst into tears.

‘Eshe, you’re not dying. We… we’ll find a way,’ I tried to assure her. ‘The Cullens-’

‘The Cullens are coming for war. And bring company with them too. Your pack and a bunch of vampires.’

I remained silent trying to process what she was saying me. How did I miss all this?

‘What do you mean?’

‘Didn’t Cole explain you already? Gosh, Jake, do you think they’re coming to try and ask politely the Volturi to give us back? That happens only when a five year old steals another five year old’s doll! They’re coming to kill the Volturi. That’s why Cole had been training me the other day. I had zero fighting experience. I’m gonna die for sure in the fight, but please don’t tell Cole. I don’t want him to know.’

I felt so overwhelmed by all this. Her panic was flooding right into me. And what did she mean? I mean she wasn’t experienced but she was skilled. She had chances. And I bet the fight would be halfway finished before managed to get there. We’d probably not take part in the fight at all. I mean we were stuck down here. Chain locked.

‘Eshe, you’re not going to die. None of us is going to.’

‘Yeah, right,’ she thought.

‘I mean it. Can you think about it for a second? Do you remember the way you punched Alec? And when you were fighting with Victor?’

‘Did you see? I thought you were fighting with Demetri.’

‘I was. But I was also keeping tags on all of you. You were awesome.’

‘Jane knocked me out in a matter of seconds when I dared to lay a finger on Alec. And I ended up losing to Victor again,’ she sounded really disappointed. I wasn’t doing a good job cheering her up. She shifted her weight from the one side to the other and an ‘OUCH!’ echoed loud and clear inside her head when she leaned on her right side.

‘Eshe, are you hurt?’

“Eshe? What’s wrong?” Nessie and Dawn asked together.

She gave them a pained look and shook her head.

‘I’m fine, Jacob,’ she said inside her head but even this way it sounded as if she was gritting her teeth.

‘Yeah, sure. I’m not buying that. Where are you hurt?’

‘Shoulder,’ she finally admitted, ‘I think it got out of its place.’

‘Does it hurt a lot?’

‘What? Did you become a doctor all of a sudden?’ she snapped at me.

‘Will you tell me?’ This girl had the remarkable talent to get me out of my clothes in record time!

‘Only when I put pressure on it.’

‘Did you ask Nessie or Dawn to push it back in place?’

‘What? Are you serious? Of course not!’

‘They have to. Or it won’t heal right.’

‘And you know that because…?’

‘I had some severe injuries some years ago when I took part in a fight with newborns and remember what Carlisle did.’ I made my voice serious because that was what she should think right now. That it was serious. She could have severe problems if she didn’t fix that shoulder soon.

‘But it’s gonna hurt!’

‘I know Eshe, but it needs to get fixed! Phase back before it gets worse!’

‘And how are we going to communicate?’

‘We’ll find a way. For the time being tell Ness and Dawn about the shoulder and ask them to help. I will ask Cole about the fight thing. Did you tell the girls?’

‘Not yet-’

‘Tell them,’ I cut her. ‘It’s important that they know right now. Phase back as soon as you can, I promise I will be here.’

‘Please, don’t tell Cole.’

‘I won’t.’

‘Do you promise?’

‘Yes.’

I gave a last glance at my Nessie before her image faded away. I stood a little there, motionless, thinking about Eshe’s shoulder. I could have told her how to put it back but I was afraid to give her instructions. What if I told her something wrong? I would cause her to hurt herself worse. Nessie knew more, Carlisle had showed the basics. And they had also this first aid lesson at school. Yes, she was the safest choice.

“Jacob? What is she saying? Is everything alright?” Cole asked, having lost all of his patience. He still avoided my look; with a first glance I thought he was staring directly in my eyes but then I realized he focused on the wall behind me instead. I really wondered what was wrong with him.

I wanted to stay in my wolf form for longer but the chains had begun bothering me and my front paws had started numbing from the pressure. I phased back and quickly pulled up my shorts and rubbed my wrists.

“Ah… Much better.” I sighed in relief.

My wrists had turned a little purplish like I expected but it faded quickly… I loved how quickly my body healed. I chuckled remembering me showing Bella… She was still human and we were in Charlie’s kitchen when I run the knife over my palm making a deep cut. She almost killed me for doing that.

“So… how did it go? Was she there?”

“Yes, she was.” I assured Cole.

“She was…” I hesitated, feeling tempted to tell him about her shoulder or her fears about the fight but I promised I wouldn’t so I kept my mouth shut. “…fine. She’s with Nessie and Dawn.”

“Figures.” Phillip said.

‘Guys, can you hear me?’ the most angelic voice reached my head. Renesmee! She was using her gift! How hadn’t I thought about it before?

I thought ‘yes’ inside my head and just hoped she understood it.

“Was this Nessie?” Phillip asked.

“Yes,” I agreed.

“She must be close. Her power wouldn’t reach us if she was too far, right?”

“I think Phillip’s right, Jacob,” Cole chimed in.

I nodded thinking about it. She was not only safe but close too! That made me smile. I wanted to ask about Eshe, what happened with her shoulder but I promised no word would reach Cole. Hopefully he wouldn’t get a flash of it with this psycho-whatever power of his.

‘Jake, baby, I think that only you are listening now,’ she was whispering even if she was inside my head. ‘Eshe told us about… The shoulder. I helped her fix it. Although I don’t think she’s going to thank neither me nor you until she starts forgetting how painful it is it put it back.’ I heard her mentally chuckle and then showed me Eshe groaning from the pain and ironically murmuring, “Thanks, Jake, really thanks!”

I felt sorry for her. I knew what she was going through, that newborn had crashed almost every bone to the tiniest one in me that day. It was the worst pain I’d ever been physically through.

‘And she also told us about what my family’s planning. Did Cole explain to you already?’ She stopped and I turned to look at Cole.

“I think there’s something you gotta explain, Cole. Will you tell me about the war my pack and the Cullens are planning?”  

He took a deep sigh and begun.

* * * * *

After three days being here became a torture. The Volturi didn’t bother with feeding us which gave me a really hard time. Phillip and the girls seemed to be fine since they had fed on blood recently but Cole and I were having a hard time with this. My stomach was constantly protesting and being held captive by the Volturi didn’t seem like a good enough excuse for it.

“I bet that if they go on for a little longer I will start chewing the walls!” I murmured and rubbed my wrists.

I had just phased back again and my wrists felt numb just like every time I phased. I was talking with Eshe, whose shoulder was getting better. It was almost fully healed. She was still very upset about the fight and I couldn’t make her believe in herself but she felt better when I showed her Cole although they never spoke. I knew how it felt like needing someone by your side and not being able to have them, it was happening to me and Nessie too.

“Mind if I join you?” Cole asked trying to lighten the mood.

“Not at all.”

We’ve been spending the biggest part of the day saying such jokes; there was nothing else to do in this depressing and dark dungeon. Of course we had also the upcoming battle to think about. When I was phasing to talk to Eshe, I was also looking for my pack, or Sam, but I couldn’t sense neither of them. I wish I had some contact with the outside world, anything. I had a lot of time to think, because of the silence but also to distract myself from my always growing hunger. I was wondering how everyone was doing, where they were right now, how did they react when they found out that the Volturi were there before them, what happened with Melanie… How was this baby girl doing? I get it for us, but kidnap a baby?! How dare the Volturi do that! I was worried about her. I suppose we’d know if they had found her…

The sound of voices startled me; it was a surprise to hear anyone but us talk down here. I didn’t even know if there were guards. I stretched forward trying to listen to the conversation, but only caught words or phrases of it.

“For crying out loud! I am… Don’t care about the crisis! Let… pass! You are going to get in… trouble… disobey me!” The voice was a woman’s, someone who recently was removed from my black list. Sulpicia.

Her vampire scent burned my nose but I felt relief we had some allies in here. Except if she wasn’t here to help.

Before the guard’s protests could start again I heard keys turning into a lock and a door opened. How had I missed a whole door? And it wasn’t any tiny, Rabbit’s-In-Wonderland-House’s door! It was a huge, wooden door! I suppose it never attracted my attention since there was no sound coming from it ever before.

The corridor outside was almost as dark as the inside of the dungeon letting only very little light come in; barely enough to make out the outline of her body. She closed the door behind her and I realized why I hadn’t heard anything before from outside. The walls were too thick, almost soundproof. She must haven shouting in order to hear her. She placed a finger in front of her mouth asking us to keep silent and she came closer.

My gut was telling me it was alright although the wolf inside me would happily tear her apart and throw her into a blazing bonfire. I knew she was a friend though.

“Athenodora is freeing the girls as we speak so be quiet and make everything easier for me. The castle is being attacked… by vampires as well as others of your kind, son of the wolf.” That was a shock. So there was a fight and we didn’t even know!

She reached for the chains on my wrists and unlocked them with an old, silver, rusty key and then did the same for Cole and Phillip.

“Thank you,” Phillip said and I was sure it was the first and last time he would be nice to someone from the Volturi.

She nodded and begun talking again, “After you exit the room I cannot help you any further. I need to hide my part in this until the right time comes. For the final distraction. Until then nobody should know that I helped you. Am I clear?” she asked and we nodded. “Now take this…” she handed Cole an old fashioned, gold clock with a golden chain, “…and wait until the clock points exactly at eleven. I suppose you have lost the sense of time in here, so you should know that it is night outside.”

Cole flipped the clock’s cover open and looked at the time. Ten to eleven. Just enough time for Sulpicia and Athenodora to disappear and remove any kind of suspicions about them being accused for freeing us.

“Athenodora will tell the same things to the girls so you must pay attention to the time. There used to be five guards before your room and five more in front of the girls’ room but now there are only three left in each. You will probably not meet other vampires on your way out but the outside is a real battlefield. Be careful. There are no vampires with gifts from the guard left inside because all of them are outside. This works perfectly for you. When you exit, the guards will be surprised but remember that our kind can’t be surprised for too long.” She stopped for a second to let all the instructions sink in. “You need to fight too; your people will need as much help as they can get.”

“Of course we will,” I assured her.

“What is going to be your part in the fight?” Phillip asked suspiciously.

“Nothing that would be against you. I will try not to participate until the final distraction. If I am forced to, I suppose I am going to die by someone of you. If everything works as I have planned I will be killed by someone from our guard.”

“By ‘our’ you mean the Volturi?” Cole asked.

“Yes.”

“What is this whole ‘big distraction’ thing about?” The piece of me that made me Alpha was reeling, trying to figure out as many details as possible about the battle. I had to do it for the safety of the pack.

“It will be your big chance to take down most of them. That’s all you need to know at the moment.”

I frowned obviously expecting more.

“Don’t worry, young Alpha, you know all that you need to for the moment. Knowing more will not help you anymore when the time comes,” she said mysteriously and the thought of being tricked crossed my mind.

“Are you trying to fool us?” I eyed her carefully but her milky, red eyes didn’t move an inch away.

“Do I look like I am?” she asked back in her most honest voice.

I pushed my lips together and shook my head hoping I wasn’t putting us in more danger than we already were.

“Young vampire, do you think you can figure the way out of here or do you need further explanations to get out?” This time she was talking to Cole.

“I can do it.” He looked sure and confident about it and I hoped he really knew what to do.

“Oh, and Gianna gave me these.” She threw at us some small packages wrapped in a white napkins that smelled like sandwiches. I unwrapped mine. Yep. Sandwiches.

“Hope they taste… good,” she said with a smirk on her face and Phillip shared with her an understanding look. “Good luck. I will see you outside.”

I nodded and after she got outside I begun eating my sandwich. I had gone insane all these days without food!

“You can have mine too,” Phillip offered with a disgusted look on his face. I cannot believe that he can eat food and he picks blood instead! Cole took it and cut it in two, a piece for me and a piece for him and mine had vanished before I realized.

“We have three minutes,” Cole informed us.

“I’d better phase,” I announced.

“Yes, you should.”

“One of you two should get the torch from there,” I said pointing at the faint light that was on the other side of the room, “Trust me, it’s going to be really useful.”

Phillip reached for it carefully and returned with it in his hand. The flame wasn’t weak as I thought it was; the room was just too big and the wall too far away for the light to reach us.

“When it is exactly eleven you’re going to tell us and I will go for the door, Cole, okay?” I asked quickly wanting to clear everything and finally phased.

“Alright. We have one minute,” he said.

I dumped my shorts on the floor, not wanting anything to slow me down during the battle and felt my body stretching and warming up quickly and soon enough I had phased. The pain that phasing caused me was almost unnoticeable after all these years. Cole was silently counting seconds while Phillip was leaning against the wall waiting for Cole’s signal.

“… Two, one, go!”

I didn’t need to wait for him to say the words, I had begun the countdown on my own. I leaped forward and took the whole door down, leaving only some wooden boards hanging from the hinges.

I didn’t hesitate when I saw the two big, shocked, bloody red eyes, I ripped his arms off of his body and threw them aside. With the corner of my eye I saw Phillip who was not actively taking part in the fight approaching the detached limps and setting them on fire. The vampire tried kicking me but I bit his leg and threw him against the wall and then Phillip burned the rest of him.

“Phillip! Over here!” Cole motioned at him to throw the torch and after some graceful spins in the air it landed in Cole’s palm.

He was trying to take down the second guard and he was doing fine on his own so I didn’t interfere. Instead I turned against the last guard. I flew on her, definitely not in the playful way I used to do to Nessie and prepared myself to rip her head off.

“Please! Please! Don’t!” the vampire pleaded and I was sure I had seen her before. She was new and not really trusted; she was one of Aro’s decorative guards, just to make the coven look bigger. No wonder if they killed her soon anyway. “Please, I didn’t want any of this! Don’t kill me!” she pleaded again.

As I stopped to think about actually letting her live I realized that I was not alone. My pack’s so familiar thoughts filled my head, as if they were surrounding me. Seth, Leah, Quil, Embry and the newest member, Jolie, were all there, fighting. I caught glimpses of the Volturi guards being torn apart and thrown into big fires, the night sky filling with smoke.

The vampire found a chance to shove me off of her chest and threw me against the wall with the strength only a newborn could have. As I suspected she was brand new. I hit hard but my body healed quickly; before I had to make another attack Phillip ripped her head off and grabbing another lit torch that was hanging from the side of the tunnel he burned her. She screamed in agony before her body was turned to ashes and that odd, sweet smell of burned vampire spread around the corridors. Cole’s vampire had also ended up to be ashes on the floor and after a small nod we continued from the side we heard more snarls and growls.

Dawn was going in circles with a vampire, Corin, both trying to attack. Eshe –in her fox form– leaped on Corin’s back, knocking him down and giving Dawn the time to rip arms off. Phillip run towards them helping them get rid of him.

‘Got it, Jake, help Nessie,’ Eshe told me, mentally winking as she was busy finishing Corin off.

I turned to look at my Nessie. At the moment my eyes fell on her she was throwing Heidi a strong punch in the face causing her to fly against the wall. Heidi glared at her furiously as she got up in vampire speed. Before she could reach her I jumped in front of Nessie, crouching protectively before my mate. I growled at Heidi whose eyes were flickering quickly from me to Nessie and from Nessie to me over and over again. A small smile played on her lips but I knew it wouldn’t last long. Without bothering with her arms I reached for her head throwing it on the floor. I exchanged a quick look with Nessie and she took a torch, lighting Heidi up. The flames were soon replaced by thin smoke that was floating in the air.

I should have known she’d come for Nessie. She wanted payback more than anything. I thought to myself shaking my head. Heidi got what she deserved.

Sure she did, bro, Quil agreed inside my head.

Yeah, we watched the whole thing, Embry thought and the image of him struggling with Felix flashed inside my mind. 

How are things over there? I asked although I had a pretty clear image of the battlefield from my pack’s heads.

We’re doing great! I haven’t had such fun since the fight with the newborns! This time it was Leah who thought that. I still couldn’t believe she did come for us. I thought she loved her normal life with the university and the real, human interaction. Of course I love my normal life! But sometimes I need to let my wild side get out, she exclaimed.

Seth whistled inside his head while he threw in the fire another vampire.

What are you whistling at? Leah asked annoyed.

You had to let your wild side out? Why, when was it in to let it out?

Even in the battle the typical pack talk was taking place and I was glad to see that. I felt good, as if it was something ordinary. Almost.

I let my pack and their fight to return to my own fight that was over.

“We need to follow the path straight from this side and then there’s a wooden staircase on your left.” Cole had begun giving instructions. “It’s half hidden so be careful or we’re going to miss it.”

Eshe was thinking about Cole and how much she liked it when he had that leader like expression on his face…

‘Eshe, can you stop it? I’m hearing everything!’ I shouted inside her head.

‘Really? Sorry, Jacob, I had no idea!’ she said embarrassed and looked the other way.

‘It’s okay.’

Jacob? Did you speak with Sam? It was Jolie. I hadn’t talked to her for over a month, we weren’t really close, she had just chosen my pack over Sam’s only because Leah was in it.

No, where is he?

An image of a big, black, hairy mass, Sam, fighting with someone filled my vision.

I’d better not distract him, I said.

Are you serious? He said he wanted to talk to you as soon as you appeared! If you did. She didn’t mean to let me hear the last sentence but there wasn’t much she could do about it.

Oh… Are you sure? He looks pretty absorbed from the fight.

Just. Talk. To. Him! She gritted her teeth as she jumped out of another vampire’s way. She struggled for a long time picturing his raven black fur inside her head while she was fighting forcefully with a blond bloodsucker.

‘Sam?’ I asked hesitantly not wanting to disturb him while fighting, or even worse, be the reason he got distracted and injured.

‘Jacob! Finally you’re here! Are you alright?’ he asked with excitement that wasn’t quite reaching his voice. He was too absorbed from the fight.

‘Of course!’ I assured him and was ready to fill him in when Eshe’s voice interrupted. And not only inside my head.

‘This is Sam?’

‘You must be the fox girl,’ he stated. ‘I’ve heard a lot about you.’

‘Really?’ I don’t think she meant to show it but an image of her cheeks flushing pink crossed my mind.

‘I think that you two are going to have time to get to know each other better after the fight. Don’t you both agree?’ I chimed in, not wanting to ruin the moment but knowing I should.

‘Alright why don’t you fill me in quickly then?’ Sam asked.

Me and Eshe agreed and tried to show him all the things that happened during the time we were in the Volturi’s hands. We kept bombarding him with images and he would throw a comment here and there but was mostly taking in everything we had to show.

‘Okay, I see. Now I think I have the whole picture,’ he finally said. ‘Could you come outside? We could use some extra hands with the guard. Good thing that the new ones are not properly trained. Most of them haven’t been in a fight before.’

‘How could this be? The Volturi wouldn’t be this reckless,’ I exclaimed.

‘There hasn’t been an actual fight for a long time, Jacob. They haven’t had the chance to test them in the battlefield. If you think about it, they sent the gifted or older and more experienced to do all the ‘outside’ work.’

This could explain some things. In his talent hunt Aro had lost the real point. His lust for power had let his coven’s –this ‘ultimate coven’s’– vulnerabilities show. There was a huge gab in this brick wall, some that should have been sealed too long ago and couldn’t get fixed now. It was too late. It was falling apart already.

‘What worries me is not the gifts of their coven. Bella has us mostly protected from that. I don’t know if we can take down the ancients though. They know too much, they have had more fights than all of us put together.’

Little bits of panic flashed into my mind and I knew it was from Eshe. She had to be strong now though. I knew it was too much but she couldn’t buckle now. I promised not to tell Cole anything but this didn’t mean I’d let her like that.

‘Eshe? Listen to me!’ I shouted inside her and only her head, although my whole pack could hear anyway. ‘You need to focus. You’re a great fighter and just showed it yourself. We will let the ancients to the ones capable to kill them and if you’re lucky, the fight might be already over when we get there.’ I knew that this was a lie but if it would give her some hope I had to tell it.

‘You think so?’ Her voice trembled a bit but as I hoped she was feeling better in that thought.

‘I didn’t tell Cole anything. Now you should not let this fear take over you in exchange. You have to be strong because I know you can be that. You’ve shown it before.’

‘But it feels so much now. I don’t want anyone to help me, this means it would risk their lives. But I don’t know if I can make it all by myself either… It’s too much, do you understand what I mean?’ She could be sobbing now, if she was in her human form. I had to come up with something soon.

‘Do you know that you shouldn’t worry? Cole will be there. Just like I will be for Nessie. And for you. We’re all at the same side here, Eshe. We’re all capable of helping.’

‘I will try… Thanks.’ She didn’t sound completely convinced but that was all we could do for now.

‘Sam, please don’t tell anything that will freak her out in any way. Even if someone on our side dies, don’t tell her. She’s trying to handle with too much already,’ I whispered inside his head.

‘Alright,’ he half barked, fighting with Paul and Collin against two new vampires.

I took the lead, just wanting to show Cole we were ready to go and then backed a little to let him show us the way. The wooden staircase was where he had said it would be. His descriptions proved to be as accurate as someone’s could get; at a creepy rate even. As if he had been here before, when the truth is that he never had.

The old wooden stairs complained at my weight and the pressure I put on it, my wolf body was too heavy for their taste, unlike the feather light steps the vampires used to do to get down here. As we reached a higher level it became a little lighter, although the gloomy, dungeon like sensation this place was giving me hadn’t managed to leave yet. We walked up and up stairs, until we reached a really familiar chamber. Actually it was more like a hall. And the memories of us crossing it in the most careful way possible were still fresh on my mind. A breath away was Marcus’ chamber, as well as Nessie’s and the other half vampires’ ones on the other side of the corridor. The tunnel had a pipe-like shape, giving me the feeling that this could be part of the water pipes that were supposed to be used for the city’s needs in water. Little they could have known about this…

“We need to go to the garden. There’s a secret passage from there,” Cole explained.

“Why hadn’t you told us all along? It sounds safer than having to sneak to the wives’ tower from one of the ancients’ bedroom!” Dawn complained and gave him a glare.

“It used to be well guarded. That’s why. So, we might have company on the way, keep that in mind. Phillip, Dawn and Nessie keep the torches close. If we encounter anyone we’re going to need them,” he said holding his own torch a little higher to observe at the ceiling. And hell, good thing that he did!

I heard Eshe’s shocked growl escape her chest as she looked up. I could have never believed it but there they were, two more of them, stuck on the ceiling between too marble columns like spiders with their blood red eyes gleaming and sparkling at the flame’s light. Their looks lethal. They exchanged a quick look and after nodding at each other left the ceiling’s protection and jumped on the floor landing on their feet elegantly as if they’d been practicing for years. Maybe they had too. Both were female. The one had deep, black hair that was pulled into a ponytail but still reached her waist and the other was a redhead.

Their first reaction to us was shock, especially to my and Eshe’s unusual appearance. They must have heard about Aro’s ‘new toys’ –that’s how we were called even if I was in front of them and I really think they did enjoy that humiliating part of the situation too– but it was obvious that they had never seen us before. Obviously they did know what to do though.

The redhead bared her teeth at me and I growled back. I saw her pull herself into a protective crouch and then she leaped forward, but instead of going to me like I’d expected she jumped backwards, landing right in front of Phillip. He didn’t hesitate or flinch away though, a wry smile played on his face and then he tore her to pieces and burned her.

The sweet but nauseating scent of burning vampire flesh hit my nostrils again but it was almost welcomed by my nose after all this time. I had grown used to the awful scent of vampires anyway, but smelling them burn, although stinking, had its own charm. Especially when the burned ones weren’t these on our side.

The other one snarled furiously watching the wide eyed head of her vampire fellow turn into dust. I’d expect someone of the Volturi guard to be concentrated on us, but these two were either accidentally passing or really new and untrained. Aro had seriously lost the game many years ago. His backing down so eas…–well not really easily but his backing at all– at Renesmee’s trial was a shock according to Doctor Fangs and I don’t think that he was wrong. Something has been breaking this empire down and it was something internal; as we already knew no vampire dared to go against the Volturi from the outside.

She turned at the closest person to her; Nessie. Her upper lip curled to a hateful expression and exposing a row of sharp looking, white teeth.

I fought to keep a growl from escaping my chest and prepared to jump in front of her, to protect my imprint. As if an unseen force was there though, like an invisible hand held me back, I didn’t move. I didn’t have time to think about it because Eshe’s thoughts rang in my ears.

‘Let her do it. It’s her moment. She can handle it herself.’ She sounded certain about it and almost smiled as she watched the black haired vampire and Nessie moving in a tight circle until Nessie managed to make her move. The only move she needed to do.

The dark haired one joined her friend soon enough and we kept going. Nessie’s hand was buried in my thick fur all the while making both of us to feel better. And I knew. What had held me back was what she wanted. What she needed. Her desire to fight for herself. What my imprint bound was forcing me to do.

Cole had said already but seeing the passage, a wooden little door on the stone path half hidden by the roots of an ancient oak tree, but opening and leaving utter darkness reveal itself in its depths was a whole different thing. A cold current of air hit my face causing the fur on my muzzle to stir. It was like a huge gab with no bottom. And smelled so bad. Mould and I could see rust on the hinges of the door. This hadn’t been used for centuries. It was even worse than the passage in Marcus’ room! At least then my senses were weaker because I was in my human form. Now the stink hit me at full force. Yuck…

‘I know, right?’ Eshe sighed trying to keep her breath for as long as she could and then taking in a small amount of air.

I nodded and Nessie smiled realizing that an unspoken conversation that didn’t include her was taking place.

“And now what? Are we jumping right into the black hole and travel with our spaceship to a long lost universe?” The irony on Dawn’s voice covering almost perfectly her fear was obvious but still I couldn’t understand how a girl that had grown up in the wilderness of the Amazon rainforest under the protection of a local came up with a lost-in-space phrase. I guess I’d never know.

Images of someone in a round spaceship with glass all around it and view to blackness lit up with little shiny stars and planets here and there popped up inside my head and some aliens with red eyes and fangs greeted us and flew away in their own spaceship. I was sure that was Eshe’s doing… And then she called me a nerd! I swear this girl is either going insane at the fear of dying or she was simply always insane! I couldn’t decide which of them was because both matched perfectly. She might be insane but her fear making it worse. I smiled. Like I don’t have more important things to worry about than Eshe’s alien theories.

Of course you do, bro! How about finally helping us? Embry joked. I should have imagined my pack would be keeping an eye on me.

We’re coming. I assured them and could feel the anticipation in their thoughts.

Nessie looked at me worried and I rubbed my face against her leg to calm her.

“So, who’s jumping first?” Dawn asked her eyes saying there was no way she would be first.

We had no time to waste but for some moments everyone stayed there silent. Finally, to my surprise, Eshe’s tiny, fox legs moved closer to the opening and she looked down at it.

She looked at Cole and as if he could read her thoughts he nodded. “Yes, it’s the right one,” he assured her.

That was enough for her. She inhaled deeply the old air of the hole and fell in it.

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