Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction

Intensity

By Mama4Dukes

Chapter 49:

Carlisle’s POV

Paul Lahote’s house in Paradise Valley was an architectural wonder. He initially built the house using plans from area architects that crossed his desk, and customized them to suit his needs while he was still single. Then, after Bella was injured when she was shot by that bastard Vandenberger, they rebuilt a good chunk of the house to satisfy both their demands and suit the needs of his position as pack alpha. This time, he hired an architect to plan his outdoor entertainment area. He had done so without Bella’s input, which even I know is a terrible idea.

It was amazing how a boy who came from extremely limited means, to own the truth-from nothing- independently achieved such personal and financial success. Paul had done so with diligence and hard work, and above all, with integrity.

I was attending an official pack meeting. Only the coyotes and wolves were in attendance, plus me. Apparently, I was now a pack member due to my friendship with Taha Aki. Bella kindly took my shift for me at the clinic so I could attend the meeting. Crispy’s wife, Babs, was with her, too, so she wouldn’t be alone.

Currently, our attention was focused on Paul.

“At approximately three am last night, a human-feeding vampire breeched La Push and brutally murdered Marcus Cedro’s family-his wife, a son, the son’s girlfriend, and a toddler were all found drained of their blood. As you know, Cedro is currently in jail but has been cooperating with police, hoping for a plea bargain.

“The pack in La Push made a preliminary check of the perimeter but could only scent the vampire for about a mile, leading from the woods behind Cedro’s house to the parking lot between Second and Third Beach. For those of you who are unaware, the parking lot is just off Highway 101.

“After the first check, the wolves requested the assistance of Jeff, who immediately assisted, but he, too, could only track the vampire on the same trail. It is highly concerning that the vampire targeted one specific family. Furthermore, he knew exactly where to park and which house to visit. The fact that the vampire has access to a vehicle means he is not without means.

“Last night, I discussed the situation with my wife, and she brought up some very valid points.” Paul, this time, turned his attention towards me. “Bella believes it’s impossible that this was the act of a single vampire. According to her, one vampire could not possibly consume the blood of four humans. Is she correct, Carlisle?”

Leave it to Bella to come up with a reasonable, scientific-based observation. If there was one thing about her, she had a sharp mind. I realized that long ago when she was still a teenager, and now more than ever as she’s matured into a wonderful woman. While I don’t see her often at work, I sign off on her notes as her supervising physician. She is a very insightful nurse practitioner. So it was no wonder many physicians wanted her to work in their practice. I was just lucky enough to be able to persuade Roy to snatch her up before someone else did.

“I believe Bella is correct,” I informed them. “Looking at it from a scientific point of view, unless the vampire was extremely thirsty or injured, he would not have been able to consume the blood of more than one and a quarter of human bodies. On average, human-feeding vampires require the blood of one adult body. Therefore, even if the vampire was extremely thirsty or injured, he or she could only consume a maximum of sixteen or seventeen pints of blood. Considering that the average human body contains ten pints of blood, and there were three adults and one toddler at the crime scene, I would guess that there were at least two, most likely three, vampires at the scene. What say you, Dr. Kayani?”

“Call me Randy, please,” he requested kindly. I nodded my head in acknowledgment. “I think Bella is right. From what I can gather, a vampire only needs as much blood as his body can handle at once. If too much blood is consumed, it will result in a circulatory overload, causing all sorts of problems; therefore, a vampire would only be able to take in a set amount proportional to his body mass.”

“Very good. Now, back to the unfortunate murders in La Push, were the wolves unable to detect more than one vampire?” I asked.

“Just the one,” Paul replied. “It didn’t occur to me that there was more than one vampire until Bella brought it up. She also believes the murders were a distraction; otherwise, why wouldn’t the vampire drive to Cedro’s home?”

“A good point,” Barry agreed. “Consider this theory, though. I’m assuming that Jeff and the wolves only scented the vampire from the point where they could be phased near Cedro’s house. You mentioned the pack detected the scent at the back of the house leading to the parking lot. Is it possible the other vampires drove directly to the house and entered from the front door?”

“It’s certainly a possibility. But, from a law enforcement point of view, what do you think the motive is?”

“It could be any number of things. One thing is certain: the killer wanted to stop Cedro from talking. Second, it’s possible the vampire was searching for something that could be used as evidence against Fuller. This is, of course, assuming the vampire is working for Fuller. If he’s searching for evidence, then the person most in danger would be Chief Swan and his family. Not to mention that Fuller seems to have an unreasonable vendetta against Paul. After all, he did try to have his wife murdered,” Barry concluded.

“It seems the key is to get to the bottom of Fuller’s discord with Paul,” I mumbled.

“All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them.” Paul quoted Galileo eloquently. It was apropos to the moment.

Barry turned to Brady Fuller. “When you were growing up, did you ever hear your father mention Paul any time?”

He shook his head. “No, not really, but then again, my father was rarely home. I think he worked on the reservation Mondays thru Thursdays. He would leave La Push on Thursday night and wouldn’t return home until after bedtime on Sunday night or early Monday morning before school. I don’t know where he went. I never really questioned him.”

“Tell me what it was like in your house? What was Tony Fuller like? Did he have any quirks? Any obsessions?”

Brady rubbed his chin with a contemplative expression. He looked as if he was doing his best to recall his childhood. From what I’d heard from Bella, he was the youngest of the wolves, phasing at only thirteen years old.

“When he was at home, he was unreasonably strict. We tried to avoid him because we never knew when his temper would flare up. When that happened, he’d completely lose it, often becoming violent. He was demanding, too. There was no room for failure in our family. I remember getting a B on a social studies test, and my father flipped out and beat me. He went on and on about how, as the oldest Fuller child, I needed to set an example. He couldn’t have a B student living in the house. Afterward, he would rage and start yelling about how the Fullers were better than the Blacks, that the Fullers were meant to be leaders, and that he would be chief one day. And then he started hitting me, and my mom tried to stop him. He beat her, too.” Brady shook his head, unable to continue. Paul went to him and gave his shoulder a firm squeeze. The young man looked up and stated unequivocally, “You asked me if Tony Fuller had an obsession. He did. No matter what, he wanted to prove that the Fullers were better than the Blacks.” After a pause, he also noted, “I was so afraid of my father, I never got lower than a B after that one social studies test, even after he threw me out of the house.”

“What could the Blacks have that Fuller could want?” Crispy asked.

“The Chiefdom. Tony Fuller wants control of the tribe,” I replied. “I’ve seen his type throughout the centuries-arrogant, power-hungry, and willing to go to any means to achieve complete control.”

“So, protecting the Black Family is the first priority,” Barry stated. I noticed he had been taking thorough notes, most likely to pass on to Charlie Swan. “What about the imprints and children on the reservation?”

The doorbell suddenly rang, stopping us mid-conversation. Paul went to answer the door, and recognizing Jasper, let the visitors inside.

“Jasper and Peter have been searching for Malcolm Blackcrow. I’m assuming they’re here because they’ve located his whereabouts. Am I correct? And how did you know I was here?” I asked.

“Oh, we went to the clinic on the WaYa Reservation and were told you were here,” Jasper informed us.

“Carlisle, those women working at the tribal clinic are gorgeous. There was the pregnant lady with the beautiful eyes and the sweet smile that can melt a guy’s heart, and then there was the girl with the wavy, chocolate hair. I mean, she is va-va-voom. God damn! I saw her, and I was pretty sure I saw stars in my eyes. I’ve never seen such pretty gals in my life. They would be good competition for the Succubi Sisters up in Alaska.”

Every single one of the wolves and coyotes stared at Peter as if he had a death wish.

Crispy couldn’t speak. His ears were bright red, and he looked as if he was ready to explode.

“Excuse me, who are you?” Paul looked nonplussed and ready to clobber Peter.

I intervened before Peter blurted something stupid again. “Now might be a good time for me to introduce everyone to Jasper and Peter. As I mentioned earlier, they’ve been helping us locate Malcolm Blackcrow.” I performed the introductions, which took a while, considering the number of members in the pack, and then added. “Peter has no oral filter. He has a mate to whom he is devoted, named Charlotte, who is very beautiful herself.”

“Oh, my Char reminds me of a sunflower blooming in the sun on a hot summer day.” He got a dreamy expression on his face.

“Despite the fact that he’s been lovestruck for almost a century, he is one of the deadliest vampires to walk the earth,” I added. “Now, what have you men found?”

“What we found is a problem. One big, huge problem.” After seeing he had everyone’s attention, he proceeded with, “Malcolm Blackcrow is a vampire.”

“I wasn’t expecting that at all.” Paul rubbed his temples with one hand before sighing. “I’m assuming he is a human-feeding vampire?” He raised his eyebrow at Peter, whose bright crimson eyes stood out amongst the others.

“Yeah, but the bad kind,” Peter replied. “Not like me. My mate and I feed from child abusers, murderers, rapists, wife batterers, and the like. He’ll drain whomever he likes, whenever he likes.”

“Damn it!” I snapped. “Has the Volturi taken notice?”

“We don’t think so, Carlisle. He’s been under the radar-no mass killings, but he does travel in a pair with another vampire,” Jasper replied.

“Who is the other vampire?”

“That’s the thing. I recognized the vampire right away. It’s a guy from Forks named Riley Biers.”

“Isn’t he the kid who went missing when we were in high school?” Embry asked. “His father is the fire chief in Forks, right?”

“There was another tragedy involving his kid sister, too. If I’m not mistaken, she committed suicide a year or two after Riley went missing,” Brady added.

“Oh, yeah, I forgot about that,” Embry said.

“Riley Biers was in my class during high school. He went missing during his freshman year of college at the University of Washington and was never seen or heard from again,” Sam offered.

“That’s right, you went to Forks High. I remember you,” Jasper stated. “You were the star football player. Emmett used to talk about you all the time.”

“It was a long time ago,” Sam whispered as if he didn’t look back at the time with fond memories.

Having spoken to Paul, I knew what the issue was. Not only was Sam Uley, a star football player, but he was an A-student. He dreamed of becoming a school teacher, but our presence in Forks forced him to become a shape-shifter, preventing him from fulfilling his dreams. I felt guilty for moving to the town, but I followed Alice’s visions and moved there at her insistence. At the time, she claimed Edward would meet his mate there, but the image began to change once we met Bella. Regardless, it was vital that I be in Forks during that period, and now I know it was so I could meet Bella.

“This is an issue. “Malcolm Blackcrow and Riley Biers know the topography of Forks and La Push well,” I pointed out.

“Which means that they were probably responsible for the murder of the Cedro Family,” Paul concluded.

“When did this murder happen?” Jasper asked.

“Early this morning, at around three am. Four people in one family were found dead and drained, including a toddler.”

“That’s terrible. It’s likely Biers and Blackfoot were responsible. We were unable to cross into La Push because of the treaty, so we had to stop at the border. They were in a black Volvo SUV and a black BMW SUV. They have money, I can tell you that much. Anyway, Emmett and Garrett are keeping an eye on them now. Pete and I left my truck with them and ran down here.”

“It sounds like the treaty prevented the good guys from helping, Paul. Something has to be done before they start coming after our families in La Push,” Sam stated. “I, for one, vote to dissolve the treaty, especially considering Carlisle’s relationship with Taha Aki.”

“And remember, according to the prophecy, we’re the last pack to phase, so there will be no danger of any kids phasing,” Jared added.

“I agree, and I’ll place a call to Billy Black and tell him to expect some friendly vampires on the reservation.” Paul turned to me. “I’m out of my depth here. What do you suggest we do, Carlisle? I am inclined to return to La Push to provide added protection. The thing is, Bella will want to tag along, but she won’t be safe there. Not to mention that I have a company to run.”

Paul had a point. The pack had to earn a living-provide for and protect their families. They didn’t have unlimited time to take off from work and chase after errant evil vampires. I was trying to figure out how best to protect La Push when Peter, of all people, came up with a feasible idea.

“Listen, Carlisle, this Malcolm Blackcrow is bad news. We followed him from California all the way to Washington. He has a whole bunch of human lackeys, mostly young, impoverished guys with families. When one didn’t have the money to pay him, he simply snapped his neck and killed him. What we have working to our advantage is that both Blackcrow and Biers are relatively inexperienced vampires. I don’t know how they were changed, but their maker didn’t train them. They couldn’t even detect that there were four other vampires following them. If we can enter La Push, we can follow them and stop whatever murder they plan on committing next.”

“You forget one thing, Pete. Emmett and I can’t be seen by any of the townsfolk. We’d be recognized. And Carlisle can’t leave. He has his job at the clinic,” Jasper reminded Peter.

“Well, you guys will have to not be seen, and Carlisle will have the most important job of them all.”

“And what’s that?” I asked Peter.

“Babysitting the beauty queen in Arizona.”

I shook my head. “I can tell you one hundred percent that Bella will not appreciate being babysat. It has ever been thus since she was in high school.”

“Yeah, that’s not going to go over well with my wife,” Paul agreed.

Peter turned to Paul. “She doesn’t have a choice. Be a man. Put your foot down.”

Jasper guffawed at Peter. “Dude, you don’t know Bella at all. She does not like being told what to do.”

“Well, she’s going to have to listen. It’s dangerous in La Push with inexperienced vampires running around.”

“She dated Edward at one point.”

“Jesus Christ! Did she have a death wish or something?” Peter tapped the side of his head. “Maybe she’s not all there. She might be too pretty for her own good if you know what I mean.”

“Alright, alright! That’s enough discussing my wife! I am going to La Push, and that’s that! She can stay at Crispy or Randy’s house.”

“Hold on a second, Paul. You aren’t going to La Push alone-no way, no how! You’re our alpha, and it’s our job to support you,” Crispy declared.

“I agree. Besides, you need me. I’m the only one besides you who has taken out a vampire before,” Sam pointed out.

“You can’t all go. You have wives and kids to protect,” Paul argued.

“You have Bella.”

“Yeah, but she’s used to dealing with psychotic vampires. It’s like a walk in the park for her.”

“Nice try, buddy, but you aren’t going without us,” Sam declared. “We’re a pack, and for us Quileutes, our home and families are under threat.”

Every single member of the pack stood with Crispy and Sam to give their support to Paul.

“Alright, then. Here’s how it’s going to be. In two days, those of you who work for me are coming to Forks with me. You will be paid your salaries during this time.

We will be providing protection for the reservation. The rest of you-Barry and Randy-are in the unfortunate position of looking after the wives and imprints. I figure, together with the older coyotes, you will have enough assistance.” And then he turned to me. “Carlisle, you have Bella duty.”

“I don’t mind. Should I stay here, or should Bella come to the reservation?”

“I think the reservation would be the safest place.”

“I’ll throw Babs in, too, because I have a generous heart.” Crispy winked at me. “You’ll have a ton of assistance at the clinic with those two.

“Oh, thank God,” Randy sighed. “I was afraid I would have to look after Babs and Bella. You realize, they’ll pitch fits when they find out they don’t get to tag along, don’t you?”

“See, I told you the pretty ones are cuckoo-ka choo.” Peter nodded.

With the logistics of the pack settled, we settled in to relax for a bit. Paul was grilling steaks for his pack, and apparently, Bella had left two large thermoses filled with blood for me. Jared handed them to me.

“This is from a mountain lion. It was a bitch trying to catch him. They’re fast.”

“I can hunt on my own. You are aware of that, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, but Bella and I figured it’s not fun for you to be the only one not eating.”

“Well, thank you, Jared. I appreciate the gesture.” I patted him on the back.

“Ah, it wasn’t a problem.” Jared shrugged his shoulders and pointed to the kitchen. “There are mugs in the second cabinet from the right. You can share it with your buddies.”

“I will certainly do so.” I looked outside to Paul’s magnificent outdoor entertainment area to see everyone doing their best to make Jasper and Peter welcome. In fact, Jasper was getting very comfortable. He had just dived into the swimming pool in his birthday suit. Oh, well, I guess he needed to let loose a little.

The pack, indeed, was a friendly lot. They made sure no one ever felt left out, and they never judged people. They were a wonderful group of friends. I planned on getting to know each and every one of them. I decided to start with the wolf who most resembled Taha Aki.

“So, tell me, Jared. I heard you’re quite the expert on Quileute history. What can you share with me?”

The man’s eyes lit up as he turned to me-just like Taha Aki’s. “I can share a lot. What can you tell me about Taha Aki?”

I knew instantly that Jared Cameron would become a great friend. Tonight, just for a few hours, we would forget about the troubles we faced and enjoy ourselves because we had no idea what the ensuing days would bring.