Midnight Moon (2)

Chapter 14 - Breaking point

"...I'm not freaking out! You're freaking out!"

"Leah, you're the only one who's yelling." replied Mom

"Shut up! Shut up! God, this family is fucking unbelievable." Leah stormed out of the kitchen. "What are you looking at?" she spat towards me. She walked out the front door, slamming it shut.

Confused, I walked into the kitchen. My back had mostly healed now, but it was still sore and needed rest before I could join the pack again. Carlisle's threat about revealing my secret to Mom was still hanging over me. I didn't want to push it. If she ever found out, my time in the pack was over for ever. I'd be forced to give up my wolf form.

She was standing by the counter when I walked in, wearing Charlie's arms as a jacket over her shoulders and tightened against her chest. They both started when they saw me.

"Seth!" exclaimed Mom, pulling away from Charlie. 

I walked straight out of the room, up the stairs and into my bedroom. The lock clicked behind me.

I could hear Mom sighing downstairs and Charlie chuckling a little.

God, when would the secrets end?

I buried my face into my arms, groaning loudly. The sweet scent of Neveah's knitted jumper enveloped me in a soft cushiony hug. God, I missed her. The warmth of her skin, the way her cheeks flushed red under her caramel cheeks when we kissed, her soft whispers as she tucked tendrils of my hair behind my ears and when her fingertips traced the grooves of my back...

No. That wasn't Neveah anymore. That was human her. Her skin was colder now. Blood flowed through her but not enough for the flush in her cheeks. Her voice was melodic and scarily perfect.  She no longer had those bits of peeled skin in the nooks of her fingers, they were smooth and perfect, not a single flaw to be seen.

But no matter how many times I tried to correct myself, I still could not get old Neveah, human Neveah out of my head. She had been so imperfectly perfect. I loved her—love her... Did I still love her?

A boom startled me out of my stream of thought. My windows rattled. I ran over to look outside just in time to see a flash of white run by closely followed at the heels by Leah and Jake. He was back!

I quickly assessed myself. My back was healed, though Carlisle had cautioned me against it. But here was our chance, finally, to get Tristan back. Without thinking too thoroughly, I heaved open the window and jumped out, phasing before reaching the ground. I started running.

You really have a death wish, Seth. said Leah

Seth? Does Mrs Clearwater know? asked Jake

I didn't reply, communicating about my focus on catching Tristan. They both continued to ask questions which I ignored. I was gaining now, if I could go around fast enough, I could cut off Tristan before he exited Quileute land. I pushed myself faster and harder, bounding off the land with so much force it was as if I was hitting the earth.

Just then, I saw a flash in the trees. I leaped up and caught him in my mouth, throwing him against the river bank between Quileute land and vampire land. He was strong. Much stronger than I had anticipated.

Tristan's hands pushed against my jaw so hard, I thought it would snap backwards. I resisted as much as I could, but I couldn't help my shackles from raising in fright of his sudden strength. He snarled menacingly, no doubt smelling the fear that was oozing straight out of me. From the corner of my vision, I could see him opening his mouth. Sound buzzed straight into it, and for a moment, the forest was deathly silent.

I had never heard such absence of sound before. It was as if I was dead. Not even the ring of silence occupied the space. He could absorb it!

I started to panick.

Seth? Seth? Stay right there... we're getting... they...be....Esme...

Holy shit, even Leah's voice in my head was getting cut off. A loud buzzing distracted me. I turned around to see Tristan, his mouth was unnaturally wide open, something was accumulating deep in his throat. It struck me suddenly that he was collecting sound.

Recollection of my last encounter with his powers traumatised me. The pain, the fear, the threat of death hung low over me and I felt horror like never before. I fought against the instinct to morph back, pressing harder against his arms. The sound waves in his mouth had accumulated so much that they now reverbrated through his throat, on the brink of exploding. Panic hijacked my ability to move and I suddenly morphed back into human form.

Tristan quickly flipped me over, locking his hands around my neck. I stared fearfully at his face, grasping at his fingers with the little strength I had left. My heart pounded so hard it was almost humming. I thrashed and tried to turn but it was no use, his hands would not move.

I could hardly recognise him anymore, the way he snarled, his blood red eyes, the perfectly smooth caramel skin that made him seem more alien than human.

"Tristan," I whimpered, scared speechless. I thought he wouldn't hear me over the humming buzz emitting from his throat. I closed my eyes, waiting for the release of his power that would force the breath out of my lungs once last time.

My only regret, is that I never got to see you again. I thought to myself squeezing my eyes tighter.

It occurred to me that the noise was gone.

Had death really been this quick and merciless?

I peeked my eyes open, expecting to see a shining white light and golden gates... Tristan was staring at me perplexedly, his red eyes seemed to glow bright.

"Se....e...eth?" he formed painstakingly in his mouth. I tried to respond. That was when Jasper rammed straight into Tristan.