Pup Among the Big Dogs

"How do you know where you're going?" I asked Ian as he ran as fast as his feet could carry the two of us.

"I know my child's scent, Bel. How could I not?"

But it had taken him so long to find me...So did he not know mine?

"Oh," I replied softly, dropping it altogether. He had no reason to love me as much as he loved his child anyway. I knew that.

It probably took us an hour or so to get to Zach's place. I suppose when Ian's little girl's life was on the line, he was more motivated to find her than when mine had been. But that was normal, too, right? So what if it wasn't. Either way, when we got there it didn't take long to find Zach. He was actually waiting to greet us. Ian dropped me carelessly, and I fell to the ground. He didn't look at me, but rather at Zach. I helped myself up.

"Give me my daughter!" Ian hissed, growling at Zach.

"You're in no position to be making demands, wolf-boy," he mocked, rocking my baby girl in his arms. He looked down at her, smiling. "But I'm willing to make a deal."

"What?" I asked, gripping Ian's hand. It was cold and clammy whereas he was usually warm and relaxed.

"Ian, think hard about this. You can either have your precious baby girl who has seen but a few days of the world," he started. "Or you can have Isabel: the girl who doesn't even know if she loves you! She tried to kill your baby, as you are surely aware. But did you know she was practically cheating on you?"

I expected to hear rage. I expected to feel myself thrown a mile away. I definitely didn't expect his answer.

"Yes, I did," he muttered coolly, no emotion coherent in his voice, nor was it visible in his expression.

"You did?" I breathed.

"Yes, I knew she wasn't faithful to me, but she did come back. If I had turned Ulrich away, she would have hated me more. I have patience, unlike you vampire scum."

"Temper, temper," Zach murmured to himself rather than anyone else. "Ian, do you want your baby, or Isabel? You and I both know the better choice, so I suppose I should be asking you 'Who deserves to live more?'"

I knew who deserved life. It was definitely my little unnamed child. Ian certainly knew that I had made more mistakes than she had. I had hurt more hearts than she had as well. She had done nothing wrong whereas I had done virtually everything wrong.

"Her fate is in your hands," he told Ian, grinning ear to ear, as if he already knew the answer.

Then again, he probably did. Ian was tense as he stared only at his pup. Well, to be technical she was a normal human since she had not phased, but that is beside the point. He never once looked at me, just kept his gaze in her calm little eyes. Even the baby knew that she would be the one to survive.

"It's okay," I whispered to him, eyes tearing up. "I would rather let an angel, an innocent soul, live than I: a devil; a tainted heart. I just want you to know that I forgive you. And, for what it's worth, I love you."

He looked at me for the first time in ever and his eyes seemed more confident. He swallowed hard, gripping my hand back. It was the first response I had gotten in a good while.

"Stop with the tears," Zach ordered, disgusted. "Who will it be, Ian? I will only accept the answer from you."

I wondered how painful Zach would make my death.