[BamaFan121s]

I saw the shift in Demetri's posture and watched as his sinuous muscles tensed in his preparation to launch himself at me. The smallest fraction of a second later, the tension released as he hurled himself through the air. I readjusted my defensive stance in front of a now trembling Renesmee, squeezed my eyes shut and braced myself for the inevitable moment of impact. But the impact would never come.

Instead, my ears were met only by the sound of a crash so deafening that even the most violent thunder could not compare. My eyes shot open just in time to see Demetri's massive form as it was sent flying through the air by a mass of familiar, silvery gray fur - Leah. Of course it was Leah. She had always prided herself on being the fastest of the wolves.

I watched in shock as Demetri twisted agilely in the air, landing 20 yards away in a perfect hunting crouch. The hackles on Leah's neck bristled and her lips pulled back to reveal rows of razor sharp teeth as she and Demetri began to circle one another. All the while, ferocious snarls ripped their way through her throat. Demetri repeatedly swiped lethally at Leah, her speed evening the playing field slightly and enabling her to just dodge each blow just before it could connect. But Demetri was no newborn - Leah would be no match for his decades of experience.

A mere millisecond had passed allowing my mind just enough time to process the shock of this unexpected turn of events. Then my mind caught up with my body. I tore my eyes away from their deadly dance and trained them on Gavrill who now glared back at me, all traces of entertainment having been erased from his chiseled features. It was evident he was committed to carrying out what Demetri had started with me.

Careful to keep my body protectively positioned in front of Renesmee, I slowly began backing her closer towards the tree line. From my position, I saw Demetri land a swift kick into Leah's side. She yelped in pain, but swiftly regained her footing and began circling again, visibly shaking her head as she did so in an effort to shake off the resulting pain. Her luck was running out and I was powerless to help her.

Gavrill had closed the gap between us significantly. I knew that his gift would be useless on me and he would have to rely on his sheer physical ability alone. I was sure he was more than capable, but I welcomed the challenge, determined as bloodlust ignited within me. He briefly attempted to shift his gaze past me towards Renesmee, who I remained positioned in front of, only to return it to me. His bright, crimson eyes bored into mine as I felt fury building inside threatening to cause my frozen blood to boil in my veins. Suddenly, he froze in place and his face seemed to drain of all color.

Already knowing the reason behind his reaction, I felt a devious smile creep to my lips of its own accord. It grew increasingly as a chorus of growls erupted from just inches behind me. The rest of the pack had arrived. The battle between Demetri and Leah had stopped and Demetri now attempted to slowly inch backwards in retreat in the face of Leah who merely continued to stalk him, while barring her teeth and growling menacingly.

Four enormous, deadly wolves came up to flank me as a smaller, sandy colored one took up my strategic position in front of Renesmee. I kept my eyes locked on Gavrill's face as his desire to end my life warred with his instinct for survival. The indecision played out on his features just as it had so long ago with Victoria. Just as Edward had done that day with Victoria, I would take away his freedom to make that decision. Acting upon some unseen signal, Demetri and Gavrill simultaneously turned to flee.

Gavrill made it to the moonlit shadows of the trees before I collided with his back with such force that I not only knocked him to the ground, but sent myself flying several yards into the cover of the trees as well. As I quickly rolled to my feet and turned back towards the clearing, the unmistakable sound of tearing metal drifted to me. By the time I reentered the clearing a fraction of a second later, it was all over. Quil and Embry had finished off Gavrill, ripping the last of his limbs from his torso. The sickening, screeching sound coming from several yards away told me that Demetri was no match for Leah's speed and he had met the same fate as Sam and Jared had easily caught up with them.

The wolves were already in motion constructing a pile of what remained of the two defeated Volturi guards as my mind began to process the enormity of what had just happened. Demetri was dead. He would never track anyone I cared for again. Oh sure the Volturi could dispatch someone to Forks, but they would could never be led to Jacksonville in pursuit of Charlie or Billy and they would never be able to follow Renesmee or Sam to Denali. Demetri's death would ultimately ensure their safety.

I was pulled from my musings as Leah trotted forward and glared meaningfully into my eyes. I gasped in realization. Leah had just saved my life. She had flung herself at Demetri, willing to sacrifice her own life for mine and Renesmee's. "Leah..." I reached forward to stroke the side of her neck now within my reach, but she snorted in disgust and turned away from me, trotting off into the cover of the trees.

I stared at the spot where she'd disappeared until I was pulled from my musings by Seth's gentle nudge. Renesmee easily slid from his back, landing on her feet before me. I pulled her into a tight hug before allowing her to place her palm to my cheek as I worried about what horrors she'd just been witness to, but discovered quickly that my worries were completely unnecessary. I watched her abbreviated recollection of the events that had just unfolded up until the pack joined my side and her view was suddenly obscured by a wall of sandy fur and all sound was drowned out by a steady reassuring growl. What stood out more than anything was that her recollection was not colored by fear, as I had suspected, but by the overwhelming sense of pride and being protected.

At that moment, Leah strode back into the clearing, having phased. She quickly pulled a lighter from her pocket and lit the pile on fire. A thick plume of heavily scented purple smoke rose into the air. Then, she walked forward to face me, standing a mere foot away. Her striking features were smudged with dirt as a result of her battle with Demetri. An abrasion across her cheek was already fading to a pale pink.

My gratefulness for her unselfish actions rushed back to me. I took a deep breath with the intent of conveying my appreciation to her, but she was quicker with her words.

"Thank you," she said quickly, rushing thought the two words.