Wrath
(Carlisle's POV)
"Jasper, Emmett, I take it your feeding trip went well?" I questioned as the boys made their way into the yard from the forest beyond. It was unusual to see them feed together without their respective mates but with both Rose and Alice recovering from wounds they received during a battle with a rogue who had ventured onto Quileute lands to feed, the boys had been doing much without them of late.
"Forest was overly quiet this evening," Emmett answered picking up a large branch that had been downed in last evening's storm and easily pitching it to the side of the yard out of the way of Reneseme and Serrissa's rope swing and the staircase that led up into the canopy where their house in the trees was located.
Jasper shook his head, "The River was swollen at least a two or three feet over its banks and full of snares. Even the pack would find crossing it difficult." He studied the dangerous grey of the overcast sky. Even the colors of dusk were being blotted out by the wind driven blanket of deep, rain laden clouds. "There is rain in the air, Mother Nature is aggravated but for what reason I am not certain."
"Full moon tonight, "I revealed helping Emmett and Jasper remove the rest of the downed branches from what was our yard. I watched Emmett as he scaled the rope ladder up into the kids' tree house to be sure that its roof had not taken damage. "All okay?"
"Yeah, there's some minor damage to the shutters over the windows but nothing major." He answered easily sliding down to the ground once more. We all turned as the sound of the second floor veranda doors opening caught our attention.
"Nessie," My expression turned concerned as I noticed the flush of her cheeks and the tears that were welled up in her eyes. She hesitated briefly before rushing down the stairs into my arms. "What's wrong?"
"Grandpa, a tree fell last night during the storm and landed on mom and dad's bedroom and some of mine too. Mom hasn't been feeling well since. Dad says part of the limb hit her in the hip and part of her tummy. He says it might have injured my baby sister." She embraced me then, hugging me tight. Tears began to slip from her eyes to stain her already flushed cheeks with a dirty film. "Where is Serrissa?
"Serrissa and Kailin are most likely in the kitchen with your grandma. Last I checked they were helping Grandma bake some cookies."
Nessie gave a nod, "Grandpa, will you make sure Mom and my baby sister are going to be okay?"
"Of course," I answered hugging her to me and masking my own rising concern, "Now go find your Grandma and tell your Dad to be sure the extra rooms are set up for you guys to stay over here until we can get the cottage repaired." She gave a nod, giving me one last hug before going back up the stairs to the veranda and back into the house.
"Might as well wait until this weather clears before we try to repair the cottage, as the way it's looking we're in for more storms," Emmett admitted studying the ever blackening sky. It was already beginning to rain as they finished the chores in the yard and headed for the house. Lightning began crackling overhead as the storms tracked directly over the top of them.
"Now you shall both perish," There was scraping of metal on metal as Kale drew his dagger and moved to finish them both.
"No!" She struggled to get to her feet in time to defend herself and her companion against further injury or worse death. Her head swam and her vision tunneled as standing sent a barrage of shooting pain rocketing across her forehead and into her temples.
His hand entangled in her hair and there was sharp pain in her shoulder and then her ribcage. She collapsed, unable to move to help her companion as the dagger's blood-covered blade entered his thigh and then his side just below his ribs.
"Your daughter is now mine." The words faded as the deafness of unconsciousness overwhelmed her and she sank into never ending, paralyzing blackness…
(Carlisle's POV)
"Serrissa, Kailin," Jasper called as he entered the kitchen with Nessie in tow.
"Daddy," The twins called climbing down from their places at the bar and rushing to embrace him, slathering his khaki pants with chocolate cookie dough.
"You two look like you've been eating more than you've been making," He muttered hugging them both. "Serrissa, Nessie was looking for you." He took the damp dishrag from the bar and wiped the worst of the fingerprints from his pants receiving a soft giggle from his daughter in response to the brown ringed wet spots that remained.
"Oh," She smiled as her gaze met with Nessie's, "Hi-ya Ness, what's wrong?"
"Hey-ya Ness," Kailin greeted, his words coming almost on top of his sister's.
"My Mom and my baby sister were hurt in the storm last night."
"Oh, sorry about that but don't worry, Grandpa is the greatest, he'll make them all better." Kailin assured as he and his sister took her hand and led her over to the bar, "Want to help? We're making chocolate cookies with Grandma."
"Okay," She took a spoon from Esme and reluctantly tried to put her fears aside and help Kailin and Serrissa make cookies, even though in the back of her mind she was worried about the well-being of her mom and her unborn baby sister.
There was a crack of lightning close in to the house causing the lights to flicker. The resulting thunderclap was enough to rattle the windows. "The weather is really getting nasty out there," Edward remarked as he entered the kitchen to check on his daughter.
"Sounds like it's beginning to hail," Esme agreed turning briefly to look out the window at the sheets of rain now pounding against the glass. "Edward, how are Bella and the baby?"
"Carlisle managed to get the contractions stopped. The baby as far he can tell seems to be fine for now. Bella's sore but her condition is stable at least for the time being."
"See Nessie, I told you Grandpa is the greatest," Kailin interrupted the conversation, a smile spread across his expression. He reached into his bowl of dough, took a dab on the end of his finger, and put his finger to Nessie's nose.
"You guys," Esme insisted reaching for a dishtowel. She watched the smile spread across Nessie's face as she blotted the chocolate from her nose and licked it from her fingers.
"Yummy," She giggled then, the fun of playing with the cookie dough drowning out all of her previous concerns.
Another crack of lightning ensued and all three kids let off terrified screams.
"It's okay it's just noise," Edward soothed moving to help Esme and the kids finish the cookies. Hopefully they would be cooked before the storm knocked out the power.
"You, Bella and Nessie are welcome to stay as long as you need. We still have extra rooms even with the addition of the twins." Esme's concern for her son and his family was very obvious in her tone as she put the last sheet of cookies in the oven.
Edward nodded, "Hopefully the weather will clear tomorrow and I can begin the process of rebuilding the cottage. I've considered just starting over in a different location on the opposite side of the yard as there is more shelter from forest canopy and less dead or damaged trees to worry with."
"It's your choice," She agreed her gaze focusing upon him then, "Just be sure to enlist the help of your brothers, that's a big a job to do alone." Esme insisted as Emmett entered the kitchen. "Emmett, you and Jasper be sure to help Edward rebuild the cottage please."
"No problem," Emmett agreed nodding in greeting. He immediately noticed the gauntness of Edward's features, a sure sign that he had not been able to feed properly or possibly at all before the storms. "If you don't feed soon, you're going to waste away."
"As soon as this weather lets up, I plan to feed," He insisted watching his daughter and Jasper's twins as they finished eating the leftover dough from the mixing bowls and the beaters.
"There is always stored supply if you need it before the storms subside," I reminded entering the kitchen to observe the storm that was now raging outside from the windows above the sink. "This doesn't look to be letting up any time soon." I studied Mother Nature's wrath as hail the size of golf balls began striking the windows. "Come, let's move away from these windows," I motioned everyone from the kitchen into the living room where there would be less chance of someone, especially the kids, being injured should a window be shattered by the hail.