Clarity // p.l

031

A thunderstorm had rolled in, filling the still dark sky with thick grey clouds and fast bolts of bright lightning, cold drops of rain poured from the sky like bullets. The whole pack was gathered in Sam and Emily's kitchen, all half naked with steam coming off them, their warm bodies simmering under the water. "There's more of them, we all can feel them rattling our core, awakening the animals inside of us. Vampires are here, dozens of people reported missing and dead. We have no choice but to get to the bottom of this problem, we have a duty to protect those people."

"How are there so many of them? There's got to be another vampire clan, no way a single leech could cause this kind of damage so quickly?" Quil asked, the newest member of the pack nervous of what was to come but excited to be included in all of the action.

"Most of the killings are taking place down in Seattle by the pier."

"I've been looking at that too," Sam admits, he too having been watching the news and keeping tabs on the lives lost without a clear explanation of their deaths. "—they're outside our bounds so we can't really do anything until they cross our lands."

"We can't just sit here and do nothing either."

Sam sighed, her words true but their hands were tied, it was Cullen territory where the killings were taking place and without permission to cross the boarders they couldn't leave. Even if they were allowed to cross, their presence could cause more harm than good if the Volturi were involved in the equation. "For now, we do nothing until they cross our lands."

Mouths opened from many pack members but the glare their alpha sent their way was plenty to keep them silent regardless of their opinion. "All of this over some stupid human girl who couldn't fall in love with a normal boring human boy."

"You didn't fall in love with a normal human boy."

"Yeah, because I'm not a normal human girl."

Paul seemed to like her answer, one of his large hands resting over her own, the other hands used to shovel the food Emily cooked into their mouths. "Where's Jake?"

At the mention of the name the other pack members groaned, his two closest friends growing uncomfortable and sheepish. "He's out with Bella."

"On the rez? No wonder my spidey senses are tingling." Elise picked at her food until most of it was gone, her boyfriend gladly eating the rest and still complaining about wanting more. "Paul," Her hand slapped over his, the action so sudden it caught the others off guard.

It was only a matter of moments before he had to wrap an arm around her for warmth while her eyes shown a brighter blue than the cerulean she possessed. Her lips moved a mile a minute, words intangible while she saw what the wolves couldn't. Sam waited with baited breath, in fear of what she'd see, after all she wouldn't be able to share much.

Coming back with a gasp, palms holding against the wooden table for support when she was finally given control over her own body. "Riley Biers."

"He went missing last year, his parents were on the news the other day still trying to find him."

"They won't find him alive because he's a vampire, I saw him."

Low growls came from the pack, their blood boiling as the mention of the species they hated the most taking a life to become a killer. Elise was still trapped in her own world, her mind latching onto the vivid sights she'd seen, lips tainted with blood the same shade as his eyes.

"Is there anything else you can tell us? Is he the one making new vampires?"

"He's not turning them himself, he's only recruiting. He finds people he thinks are strong enough, he doesn't turn them but he watches them through the process."

Jared leaned in closer, shirtless and fingers cleaning themselves in paper towel. "Who's doing the biting then?"

"Take a guess."

"The red-headed leech? She's doing all of this for Bella? Because of what?"

Elise leaned into Paul, his warmth bringing back her own, his arms wrapping around her to pull her into his lap. The affection was overlooked, everyone either used to it or too focused on the more important matters at hand. "The vampire they killed two years ago was her mate and while she originally just wanted to kill Bella in turn, she wants all of the Cullen's dead too for helping."

"How is that bad for us?" Leah projected. "Shouldn't we just wait for the Cullen's to be gone before we come in and kill her."

"It wouldn't work," Elise corrects, knowing full well that the Cullen's would need the wolf pack to help them kill the impending vampire army in the first place. Being deducted of the manpower that the Cullen's would provide would be catastrophic to the pack and to the town. "The Cullen's know more about newborn vampires than you do, if anything you'll need their help to even stand a chance."

There was a brief silence, Elise barely realizing what she'd said until someone commented on it. "Are you saying we're going to be taking How-To-Kill-A-Vampire class?"

Gritting her teeth at how much she'd already revealed, a little confirmation didn't seem too bad an if she was getting too close to revealing a future the others weren't allowed to know yet, the fates would be sure to stop her from speaking. "Possibly."

Little groans and mumbles came from the boys, mostly them complaining about having to take orders on how to kill a vampire from vampires. "Are you going to be helping us fight when the time comes?"

Seth had said it so innocently, so gently that even when Paul's body went rigid at the thought of his imprint being put into the line of fire but Elise had responded before the werewolf had come back from the dangerous thoughts in his mind. "I'm not allowed to answer that the way you want me to. We all have our parts to play and we're going to do what we do best and that's protect people."

"I trust you, we'll be okay."

His words were supposed to be comforting but Elise knew that even if they would be okay this time, they wouldn't be in the future.