Running With Wolves

Chapter 10

Charlie could be bossy sometimes. The guys were used to Charlotte bossing them around, and usually ignore it or brush it off after a while. This time, however, it was welcomed with open arms.

"Sam, do patrols. Check on the Clearwaters too, I have a feeling something major is about to happen with them." Sam nodded stiffly, exiting the house as soon as the task was given to him.

"Paul, take this," Charlotte placed her sister's unconscious body gently in his arms, "to my room, stay here and keep an eye on her." Paul held Bella gingerly, kissing Charlie's forehead before walking out of the room. "Embry, help Quil figure this shit out. Quil, if you feel confident in your abilities, you and Em should join Sam on patrols." The boys nodded gravely and made their exit.

"Jake, take Dorothy, sit on the side of the road at the treaty line incase a Cullen shows up there." Jacob stared at her in shock. The only people who drove the truck, after Charlie and Leah had rebuilt the engine and added a lift kit to it, were Charlotte and Paul. "Jacob! I'm not playing around, now get your ass out of my house." She snapped, watching the boy jump in surprise. Finally he took his leave.

Slowly, she turned to the only wolf left in the room with her. "Jared," her tone softened under his affectionate gaze. "I need my brother to come with me to Dad's house." Jared laughed, slinging a russet arm across her pale shoulders. "Need me to make sure you don't kill her?" She laughed as they made their way into the garage. They each picked a motorcycle and sped off towards the house she grew up in.

Alice heard the thunderous roar way before the motorcycles arrived at the Swan household. The young adults hopped off the bikes as soon as they'd cut the engines; Jared and Charlie never bothered with helmets when leaving the house, knowing the devices would do nothing for them any longer.

Alice had been standing on the front porch awaiting their arrival. She had enough grace to respect that this wasn't her house, and to treat it thusly. Unlike Edward, she actually had class. Charlie walked past the vampire as though she wasn't even there, digging a key out of her pocket and strutting in with practiced ease. Jared stood at the entryway, holding the door open and motioning Alice forward, eyes glued to his feet as he waited for the small girl to sweep into the quaint home. He smelled strongly of wet dog, something Alice couldn't quite shake.

"Let's get this over with, shall we?" Ever the charmer, Charlotte Swan's tone was gruff, her stance showed that she was ready to fight at any second if it came down to it. If it weren't for the ghastly pale bite mark marring the girl's neck, she would never believe for an instant that she was anything other than human. Her eyes were the same as they'd always been, according to her brother, and she was up and walking around the same day she'd been bitten. No vampire had ever had such a quick change; she should've been in unbearable pain right now.

Yet here she was, in all her idiosyncratic glory. The creature before her was unlike any she'd ever encountered, and that was saying something. Alice had a theory, at least, about the boy accompanying Charlotte. Her family had run into the Quileute wolves once before, it was very possible they had resurfaced, if the young man holding Charlie to him was anything to go by. "Jared, this is Alice Cullen. Alice, this is my brother, for all intents and purposes, Jared Cameron." She'd her attempted formality was undercut by the unshakable severe note her voice had taken on.

"The sooner you tell us why you're here, the sooner we can send you back to wherever the fuck you came from." The masculine voice surprised Alice, she figured Charlotte would be the one to do all the talking, that this Jared had come merely for moral support. Turns out she was incorrect, he wanted her gone just as badly as Bella's sister. Alice sighed in exasperation. "It's Edward," she began to explain, seeing the now irate expressions on both faces, she quickly continued, "He thinks Bella is dead."

Charlie raised an eyebrow at the wisp of a girl in front of her, "And I know you don't like him, but he's my brother, I can't let him kill himself to be with a girl that isn't even dead herself." Alice's shoulders sagged, she'd finally said it aloud. Edward was planning to kill himself, and it was her fault. To be fair, Rose was the one who told him about Alice's vision- or lack thereof- but it was Alice and her abilities that had given them the false knowledge in the first place.

Before either one could say anything, Chief Swan shuffled, crestfallen, into his home. "Dad?" Charlotte called from her position in the kitchen. "Is everything alright?" She strode past the impish vampire, uncaring of the situation unfolding beforehand. Charlie senior shook his head, tears welling in his eyes. "Harry Clearwater, he's-" Her father swallowed, attempting to dislodge the lump forming in his throat, "He had a heart attack. He's dead." Charlotte wrapped herself in her father's arms in an instant. Charlotte couldn't explain how she knew something would happen to the Clearwater family today, but she was vastly unsettled by it. "Oh Dad, I'm so sorry to hear that." Jared rapidly approached the two, entangling himself in their embrace.

Alice could feel that this wasn't the time nor place to spring her return on the poor man. Alice liked Chief Swan, he was a kind man, and she didn't want to ruin his day anymore than it had been. As she backed out of the house, her mind was racing. She needed a new plan and she needed it now. Just like that, the search for Bella Swan was once again a go.