Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction

Wanted

By BetterInTexas

Chapter 08:

Embry POV

Between school, patrols and spending time at home I haven’t seen Bella in two days. Before that it was three days before visits. We constantly text and talk on the phone but it is driving me crazy not to touch her. Summer break is three days away and it should be better. Tonight I am patrolling with Sam and he knows I will be stopping at Bella’s to see her. It will be late but I know she will be up. She is still having trouble sleeping.

Sam and I were making the rounds when we split up. I would head to Forks and see Bella for twenty or so minutes. Not near long enough but at least I could hold her. I hadn’t told her I was coming. I wanted it to be a surprise. She was definitely surprised.

I saw her window was open and smoke coming out of it. From the smell she had been smoking much more lately, rather than trying to cut back. I also knew that she had begun talking to Esme Cullen on the phone at least once a day. She didn’t hide it from me. I wasn’t crazy about it, but she was a grown woman and could talk to who she pleased. Sam and Jake were pissed about it. Edward had disappeared and Carlisle Cullen had promised Sam that Edward understood he had no chance with Bella and had left to have time to think. Sam suggested Edward show up for his court date. Like that was going to happen. Jake still stood in the forest outside her house on nights he was supposed to be patrolling. He thought none of us knew but it’s hard to keep a secret in the Pack. He had been hinting to all of us more often that he was ready to become the Alpha of the Pack. None of us were excited about the possibility. Jake was just too damn immature to lead anyone.

I shifted human and threw on my cutoffs. Charlie’s cruiser wasn’t in the drive so I guess he was working. I whispered her name but she must not have heard me. I jumped up into the tree by her window and looked in. She was sitting in her rocking chair with her back to the window, staring off into space. I could smell the alcohol.

“Bella?”

She jumped and stood up.

“Jesus Embry, I wasn’t expecting you tonight. I’m so glad to see you.” She smiled. She took a step towards me and nearly fell. I caught her. I noticed she had a cigarette in one hand and a bottle of tequila in the other.

“Bella, are you okay?”

“Of course lover. I just haven’t seen you in a while. It’s been two days.” She was not happy. The combination of alcohol and cigarette smoke was masking her natural strawberry scent. It was quite irritating. I felt her hands fumbling for my zipper. Not easy to do when you have a cigarette in one hand and a bottle in the other. She finally stopped.

“Let me put this out and I can take care of you baby.”

“No Bella.”

“No? What the fuck Embry? You don’t want me?”

When Bella is drunk there are two possible people present. Fun Bella who doesn’t take anything seriously and pissed Bella who goes off at the slightest perceived criticism. Guess which one I got to deal with tonight?

“You know I always want you but you can hardly stand.”

“Never stopped you before.”

“Bella, I thought you were going to cut back on the drinking?”

“So come around more and maybe I will.”

“I’m sorry Bella. You know things have been crazy. But it’s not like we aren’t talking constantly. Why do you feel the need to do this to yourself? I thought therapy was helping.”

“Fuck you Embry. You’re my imprint. Not my boss.”

“I thought I was your boyfriend.”

“Yeah you are, so start acting like it.”

“How do you want me to act?” Damn I loved her but this behavior was annoying the shit out of me.

“If I wanted a man to tell me what to do I would have stuck with Edward, when he begged me to take him back yesterday. You don’t tell me what to do.”

Wait.

“When did you talk to Edward yesterday Bella?”

“He called the house while Charlie wasn’t home. Freaked me out a little. Begged me to meet him after graduation and run off with him. I told him no of course. Fucker wants to turn me into a vampire Embry. Can you believe that shit?”

“Why the hell didn’t you tell me?!”

“I handled it! What were you going to do? Growl at him over the phone?”

“It looks like you handled it! You handle it by getting blitzed! Hell you have to be at school in 8 hours and you can hardly stand!”

“So? I graduate in three days. It’s not like I am going to learn anything new. Besides that is what breath mints are for. And I am so ready to get out of school. I can’t stand seeing Paul at school. You know he super glued every item in my locker except my books? And he left a condom hanging half out of my locker. I’ve changed locks twice and he keeps getting in.”

“Yeah, about that. Did you know Lauren and Paul got called in to speak to the principal last week because of an anonymous tip that they were having an affair? And two weeks ago somebody overflowed a toilet by stuffing tampons from the machine into it?”

“Really? Fascinating.”

“This little prank war you and Paul have going is going to have to stop before somebody winds up getting hurt.”

“Okay Dad. Tell him to back off and I will too. I never wanted his ass around anyways.”

“He is keeping the Cullens from bothering you.”

“The Cullens don’t bother me. He bothers me. And you don’t do anything about it. Are you scared of him? You don’t want the Cullens talking to me because you are afraid I will run off with them. You don’t trust me.”

“I do trust you Bella. But you said it yourself that Edward wants you as a vampire. What if he decides to take you?”

“You should worry about your own Pack more than Edward.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Jake. You know he sent me flowers at school? Paul thought they were from you so I guess nothing was said. But the card let me know exactly who they were from.”

“And you are just now telling me this?”

“What are you going to do about it? Nothing. You have done nothing. I’m an imprint and he won’t leave me alone. And you sit there with your smile and your laid back attitude and do nothing.”

“I thought you like that I am laid back.”

“Showing a little backbone every now and again wouldn’t kill you.”

Backbone?

“Fuck, showing a little self-control and emotional stability and not getting blitzed all the time wouldn’t kill you.” I loved Bella. But I’ll be damned if I was going to take anymore of her shit.

“I have Cullens calling all the time. I have Edward wanting to turn me. Jake stalking me. Paul pulling shit every day. And where the hell is my boyfriend? My motherfucking soul mate? Good damn question!”

I took a deep breath. I needed to calm down. She is just drunk. She has been like this before.

“Bella, I realize you are drunk right now. Maybe I should go before we say anything that we can’t take back okay?”

“Say whatever the hell you want. See if I fucking care. You don’t want to fuck me then get the hell out.” Her head was swaying a little and her speech was slurred. She was quickly getting to the passed out point.

I kissed her on her forehead and took her cigarette from her fingers before she dropped it and burned herself up along with her bedroom. Her eyes were closing. I bent over to pick her up and lay her in her bed when her eyes snapped open.

“Leave me the hell alone. I’m not ready to go to sleep yet.”

“I love you Bella.”

“I love you to Embry. Come back when you can actually spend time with me.”

I jumped out the window and started running towards the forest. I turned back before I took my shorts off. I had a bad feeling about leaving her like this. But she was in no condition to talk right now. At least not reasonably.

My heart was inside that room and it was breaking itself apart.

BPOV

I watched Embry go and broke down in tears. I shouldn’t have acted like that. My problems are not his fault. I don’t know why I try to kill every good thing I have in life and welcome all the bad ones in. Esme thinks I need a family. She says I don’t have the support I need and that a therapist who only sees me for an hour once a week couldn’t possibly know me well enough to help me. Maybe she is right. I haven’t seen her but she calls me every day at 5. At first I was uncomfortable but then I remembered the talks we used to have. The way I felt when she hugged me. When she told me she loved me. My mother never made me feel that way. She was more interested in her next fad. Art, crystals, men. I missed Esme. I missed her bad. She hasn’t mentioned Edward. She hasn’t said anything about giving him or the family a second chance. She just talks to me and asks how I am doing. How am I doing? Not worth a shit judging by how I just treated the best thing to ever happen to me.

I know I should stop drinking.

But I can’t seem to do it.

I don’t know when this happened.

But the only time I don’t want to drink is when I am with Embry.

And he isn’t always here. That’s not his fault.

I hurt him tonight. I am a horrible fucking person. I really don’t know why anybody would want to waste their time with me. Sam had Emily. Sweet Emily who was the perfect homemaker. And Jarrod had fun, cute, bubbly Kim. And Embry got stuck with me. The pale faced alcoholic vampire magnet.

I needed to go for a walk. It was midnight. Nobody should be around to bother me.

I stumbled down the drive and paused. It’s a miracle I just made it down the stairs. I felt my legs get more secure under me. I am getting much better at walking drunk. I lit a cigarette and started off. Now where to go? Maybe I should take the path Edward led me on when he told me how worthless I really was. The only person to tell me the truth was a vampire. And now… he is lying to me again. I really do hate him. If there is one thing I am certain of besides how much I love Embry is how much I hate Edward Cullen. And how much I am quickly realizing that I hate myself. If I wasn’t around, Embry could maybe get over the imprint. Meet someone the old fashioned way. Someone who isn’t a goddamn train wreck like I am. He could do a lot better than me. All I am is an alcoholic slut who throws herself at him and gets pissed when he won’t fuck me. He deserves a lot better. I wish I could be that person but I can’t seem to make myself be better.

I found myself walking in the woods. At least it is warm. If I get lost I won’t have to worry about hypothermia. Mountain lions maybe. But not hypothermia. It seems like there is something else I should be worried about. But it is slipping my mind.

“Hello Bella.”

Oh yeah. Fucking vampires.

I turned around and who should I see but my favorite undead Bob Marley impersonator.

“Hello Laurent. Who is this you have with you?”

“This is my mate Irina. She is from the Denali coven in Alaska.”

Okay. I remember that they were vegetarians. This may not be so bad. Damn she is hot.

“Nice to meet you.”

“Bella the reason we have come this way to find you is my good friend Victoria. She is missing. I haven’t heard from her in weeks. Do you have any idea where she might be?” Uh oh.

“Why the hell would I know where she might be?”

“She came looking for you. She said you were her mate and she was going to claim you. Don’t play games with me Bella. Victoria and I have been friends for over two hundred years. She is like a sister to me. I want to know where she is.”

Well this is certainly a development. Should I tell him the truth? Have him go after my man and his brothers? Doesn’t seem like a smart thing to do. Embry needs to be safe. He is too important not to be alive. I couldn’t imagine a world where he didn’t exist. And nobody needed a war with vampires. Not after we dodged the one with Victoria. I wonder if I could pin this on Paul? No, this vampire crap is my fault. I need to be the one to put an end to it.

“I killed her.”

The two stood there staring at me. Not moving. Not breathing. Finally Laurent opened his mouth.

“Bella this is serious.”

“I am serious.”

“And would you explain how you a human killed her, a vampire?”

“Sure. I lit her on fire.”

“That wouldn’t kill her Bella. She would just put out the flames. You know enough about vampires to know this. And I doubt you tore her apart. Are you protecting the Cullens? Did they kill her?”

“Nope, I killed her.”

“Okay. Let’s say you killed her. Why would you do that? She only wanted to claim you as her mate. Not kill you.”

“I’m not gay. She didn’t seem to understand this.”

“Hah.”

“Something to say Blondie?” I asked glaring at her.

“You undressed me with your eyes not a second after seeing me. I have it done to me often enough to recognize it.” She said smiling at me.

“I do that. My therapist says it’s because I have a bi sexual attraction to women but that I prefer relationships with men.”

“Your therapist? Bella enough games. Where is Victoria? Answer me now!”

“I TOLD YOU I KILLED THE BITCH!”

“Laurent don’t. The Cullens…” Blondie reached for him and he shrugged her off.

“Victoria hasn’t been calling. She is not with Bella. I don’t believe for one second that she killed Victoria but I also know she had something to do with it. Stay back Irina. If you can’t handle this leave. I am going to take care of this bitch. And then I am going to find out what really happened.”

“Just don’t drink her okay? Kill her if you have too but don’t drink her. You have been doing so well.”

Blondie looked concerned. Guess I really am the only one who isn’t on the wagon.

“Last chance Bella. Tell me the truth or you are dead.”

He placed his cold hand on my throat and I looked him in the eye.

“Then I guess I am fucking dead.”

I expected to feel my neck snapping or a bite but instead I felt myself hit the ground. And then the blessed darkness closed in.

Embry POV

I arrived back at La Push and headed straight to Jakes. Sam was behind me trying to talk me out of this. But he couldn’t. It involved my imprint so he couldn’t alpha order me either. I didn’t bother knocking. It was 4 AM and nobody was awake. I didn’t feel like waiting for the door to be opened.

I kicked the door in. Sam didn’t follow me inside. I heard him on the phone. I guess he was calling the guys. Good. They all needed to see this. I couldn’t do anything about Edward. But I could handle the Jake situation. He was going to leave Bella alone after tonight. Or he was going to fucking get beat to death. And no one had better stand in my way.

I heard Billy wake with a start. I walked into Jakes room. He was starting to rise. I grabbed his hair and threw him through the wall into the living room. He was standing up and I hit him again. He flew out the door. I followed him outside. I saw Sam, Quil, Jarrod and Paul standing there.

“Back up. Don’t interfere or I will kill you.” I was beyond pissed off. I was beyond angry. This stupid son of a bitch.

“Embry what the fuck?” I heard Jake say. I hit him in the mouth and felt his teeth crack. I hit him again and felt his nose give way. He bent down and I kneed him in his jaw. I think he hit me but I couldn’t tell. All I saw was red. His face covered in red. He finally got to his feet by pushing me back with his leg and jumping up. He jumped back and phased.

Pussy. I figured he wouldn’t do this as a man.

I phased as well.

He was bigger than me but not by much.

The other’s phased in as well.

“Embry Call! I am your alpha and you will stop this now!” I heard Jake say in my head. The others heard it as well.

“You are not my alpha. Sam is!”

“Sam, you are no longer Alpha. I am the heir of Ephraim Black. The right is mine. And now I am taking it. You will all submit to me. And you Embry. You fucked up big time tonight. Now kneel!”

I looked to my side and saw the others were standing before Jake with their head down. Sam was fighting it. But he was crumbling.

“I said kneel Call! Then we are going to have a long talk about Bella!”

“No.”

“What?”

It was suddenly as clear as day to me. He can’t tell me what to do. I knew now. Now I understood. I felt myself getting larger. I was growing in front of his eyes. Not much but we were now the same size wolves. I had no desire to do what he said. All I was feeling was anger. And he knew he was fucked.

“I was not meant to take orders from you Jacob. I am the Alpha of this Pack. The right is mine! Now everyone rise and phase human. Now!”

We were all standing in front of Billy’s house naked. He was on the porch. Old Quil had made his way over as well.

“What is the meaning of this Embry Call!” I hear Billy ask.

“Shut up old man before I roll your wheel chair off a fucking cliff.”

The looks on the other’s faces would have been funny if I hadn’t been so pissed.

I looked Jacob in the eye.

“I don’t understand what happened. I am the Alpha! Sam did you do this?” Jake was angry. And it didn’t look like phasing had completely healed his face. It was time to set things straight. Bella was right. It wouldn’t kill me to show a little backbone.

“Jacob Black, kneel before me now!”

“Fuck you Embry… What the hell?”

He seemed to be surprised to realize that despite his protest he was doing exactly what I told him. He fell to his knees in front of me. I looked down at him. I was still pissed but I didn’t hit him. I didn’t need too.

“Guess what Jake? I figured out who my daddy is, thanks to you and your claim. Now little brother, the two of us are going to come to an understanding concerning my imprint.”

“Dad is this true?”

I didn’t have to turn around to know Billy Black was not going to answer him.

“Dad?”

“Jake pay attention to me.”

Jakes head snapped up. I guess he really didn’t have a choice.

“You have two choices now “little brother.” You can swear to never speak to Bella again without my permission. Or I can kill you now. And if you think I won’t kill you because you are my brother you are as mistaken as your belief that you were Alpha. Those are your two choices and they are not up for debate.”

Jake was scared. I stared in his eyes. He needed to understand that I would kill him. He made my Bella upset. That was enough. I had enough. He was first. Edward Cullen was next. It was important that Jake understand. His life really did depend on his answer.

“I swear never to talk to her again without your permission.” He whispered looking at the ground.

“Good. I am not going to alpha order you not to speak to her. I am going to let you live up to your word that you won’t contact her. And if you break your word I will be justified in killing you. The Pack and two of our elders are witnesses to this. Now rise and get the fuck out of my sight.”

Jake rose and looked at the ground. Quil walked up to him and suggested he go inside. Sam, Paul and Jarrod were staring at me. I looked at Paul.

“Don’t fuck with Bella at school again.”

Paul threw up his hands.

“Hey no problem dude. Whatever you say.”

“Embry can we talk?” I heard Billy say.

I turned and looked at him.

“I am now Alpha of this Pack thanks to your “son”. You are chief of the tribe. I run this pack. You run the business affairs of the tribe. That’s the only thing we need to talk about. Ever. Now I’m going home to hug my mother. I am not going to tell her I know. You won’t say anything either if you know what is good for you.”

I walked off towards home. Something struck me and I stopped and turned.

“Sam can we get together tomorrow? Talk about some things? I want you to be Beta. And I need you to guide me with this.”

“Absolutely Embry… Embry? You did good tonight.”

I was about to smile and thank him when it hit me. I could feel it. Bella. She was in danger. Right now.

“Sam! Follow me! It’s Bella!”

Carlisle POV

Bella never realized, at least I hoped she never realized that, one of us was watching her every night. It’s not because she was necessarily in danger with Victoria gone. It was more that no one felt comfortable leaving her unprotected. And we were more than slightly concerned she may pass out drunk and have a lit cigarette in her hand, thereby burning down the house. After being without her for so long we were having a hard time staying away. Even Rosalie missed her. Bella didn’t know that I had made Edward leave either. When we were in the clearing and she told him that she didn’t love him, she meant it. We could all tell. I wanted Bella in our family. A part of our lives. Human or vampire, I didn’t care. Having to spend time with Edward after spending time with Bella soon showed us that if we had to choose, we made the wrong choice when we left. So I made Edward leave. I couldn’t have him screwing up our attempts to get Bella to forgive us. I saw her boyfriend enter her window. I guess thanks to the cigarette smoke and the wind direction he didn’t smell me. Esme was with me in the large tree and so was Rose and Emmett. Family time in the tree. Pathetic? Probably? Unnecessary? Most likely. But this was Bella. The biggest danger magnet I had ever met. We were talking about what to do about Edward, trying to respect Bella’s privacy by not listening in when Emmett finally looked up and saw that Bella had exited the house and was halfway in the forest. Drunk. Dammit.

“I’ll follow her and make sure she doesn’t break any bones.” Rosalie said.

“Why don’t the rest of you head back?” she suggested.

“I think we will stay and make sure I don’t need to stitch up any broken bones. When she comes back and is in bed Esme and I will leave.”

I held Esme in my arms. She had been happier lately.

“I think I am getting close to her. I think she is letting me back in.” Emse said softly.

“I know you are darling. You are being what she needs.”

“Am I? She is drinking a lot Carlisle. Too much. Every day.”

“Yes it is a concern. But we can’t really help her until she lets us back into her life. We have to be patient and hope for the best.”

I was about to suggest the two of us asking her boyfriend and her for dinner, or some activity. I didn’t know if he would come but maybe if we could convince him that we weren’t necessarily bad for her then…

“Carlisle!”

Rosalie.

Esme and I ran to the path Emmett and Rose had just gone into. Emmett had Laurent by the neck and was growling. Rose had Irina pinned beneath her with her arms pinned backwards.

“What the hell is this?”

“Bella. Check on Bella! Emmett growled out. Laurent was desperately trying to get Emmett’s hand off his throat but it wasn’t going to happen. Emmett was too strong and too angry.

“Carlisle, get over here!” Esme screamed.

I turned and saw Esme next to Bella on the ground. Bella had a red mark around her neck. Laurent or Irina must have picked her up and thrown her to the ground when Emmett and Rose came along. She was out cold. I felt the back of her head. There was no fracture but there was blood. To Esme’s credit she didn’t flinch.

I looked at Laurent. Hanging in Emmett’s grasp.

“What happened?”

“She said she killed Irina.”

“And you believed her?”

“Carlisle he didn’t. But this is all a misunderstanding. Would you please tell Rose to get off of me?”

I glanced her way. “No. Now back to what you were saying Laurent?”

“It was you, wasn’t it. You and your coven? You killed Victoria didn’t you?”

“Yes. Yes we did.”

“You killed a vampire over a human? Who isn’t even your son’s mate? You killed James as well? What is wrong with you? She is a human! I swear Carlisle I will let the Volturi know of this! A coven allowing a human to not only know of us but to kill other vampires over her? You and your family and your human will die.”

“He doesn’t mean that Carlisle! I will calm him down. Please just let us go. We have been friends for hundreds of years. We can work this out!”

I looked at Esme. She was cradling Bella. She had a look of fury on her face. Emmett and Rose did as well.

“I don’t know Irina. He seems pretty certain. And I really can’t have the Volturi coming to check on us or putting Isabella in danger.”

“And what do you think you are going to do? I know you are a pacifist Carlisle Are you going to kill us because you broke the law? That doesn’t seem to be morally justifiable. Or is all that pacifist talk just a lie?”

“Laurent shut up!” Irina begged.

“You are right, Laurent. If I killed you because I broke the law, I would be in the wrong. But you see that is not the case.”

“Oh God Laurent, what have you done?” Irina moaned. She understood. She knew me. And she knew the number one rule I lived by.

“I am killing you Laurent because the two of you were about to kill my daughter. And Laurent? Forgive me for being crass but nobody fucks with my family.”

“Emmett, Rose? If you two along with Esme would take care of these two so I can take care of our Bella.”

“Gladly, Carlisle.” Emmett grinned.

I heard Irina’s arms being tore off. I saw Esme jump towards Laurent who was still in Emmett’s grip.

I picked up Bella in my arms and began the walk back to her house. I had to get ice on her head and make sure the bleeding stopped. Emmett was lighting a fire. It is a good thing he was. I would have hated for there to be any misunderstandings. The fire made his intentions clear. Clear to the two wolves that were standing directly in front of me while I held my adopted daughter. One phased human. I would have preferred both but I would take what I could get.

“What the fuck are you doing with my Mate?” He growled out.

“Embry right?”

“Let her go.”

“Embry she took a walk after you left and those two vampires who are currently burning attacked her. My family has killed them. But not before one could throw her down by her neck. I need to get Bella to her house so I can check the head wound and her neck area for any fractures. Will you allow me to do this? If not, I will give her to you so that you may take her to a hospital. But I doubt you want to explain to Charlie why you admitted his daughter at 2 Am in the ER with neck and head trauma.”

He seemed bigger than the last time I saw him. And Sam wasn’t speaking. Strange. Almost as if they had switched roles.

“Lead the way Doctor. I will be with you the entire time.”

“Of course. You are the love of Isabella’s life. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”