AN: Hey everyone! So here's another chapter update, different story. I had a hard time continuing this story because I wanted to do it justice since I did adopt it from another writer. I hope y'all like the newest chapter and suggestions are welcome
Now in this, I'm not immediately mating Bella and Garrett together. I think she needs to get a thicker skin and spine before she gets to be a vampire. I can't wait to hear what y'all think of the newest chapter of Embrace
So here we go...
AN 1/09/2018: No notes...just edited and song list added
Song List: Don't Let Me Down by The Chainsmokers
All I Need by Within Temptation
Bring Me to Life by Evanesence
Broken by Seether feat. Amy Lee
Ch.3: Choices Made
For the first time since he had been turned, Garrett was in shock. The cigarette in his mouth fell out as his jaw dropped in shock as the girl fell to the ground, blood practically pouring from her wrists. He couldn't believe she had actually done it. She had seemed so spineless until he had taunted her.
Another thing that was confusing the hell out of him was the fact that he didn't immediately attack her after the first cut was made. Her blood smelled intoxicating to him, yet he felt no urge to drink. Even when he was full, if he smelled blood he went after it. He climbed down from the tree and walked closer to the girl. The blood was still coming out pretty steadily and he could hear her heart, surprisingly strong despite the blood pooling around her.
His eyes drifted to her and that's when he felt it. It was weak, due to her being human and her current condition, but it was there and getting stronger as the urge to turn her became more dominant. This girl was his Mate and unless he did something quickly, he would lose her. As he looked into her eyes, the broken spirit within shined through. His instinct to turn her ebbed as he realized that if he turned her now, that broken spirit would linger and drive her mad. That left him with only one option: seal her wounds enough to get her to a hospital and keep her human until she was ready to be turned. He gently took the wrist closest to him and gave it a light swipe with his tongue, sealing it enough to slow the bleeding before doing the same to the other wrist. When a doctor saw them, the wounds would merely look less ragged.
He saw the question in her eyes as he ripped a section of her sweatshirt into two pieces to wrap around her wrists. He said, "You'll get answers when I'm ready to give them to you Little One. Glad that he had managed to remember his contacts, he slipped a pair in before picking the girl up and carrying her out of the woods. He quickly debated between taking her in her truck or running to the hospital and decided that the truck was the better option.
Sliding her inside, he took the keys and drove towards the hospital. Her bleeding was picking up again, so he pushed her truck to go even faster. Halfway there, Garrett realized that he didn't know his Mate's name and would need it for the hospital. Turning to her he asked, "What is your name Little One?" A little over barely conscious, the girl turned towards him and said, "Bella Swan...they have me on file...klutz. Just don't let them commit me please." Knowing what she meant, Garrett swore under his breath before saying, "Don't tell them anything, I will come up with a believable story for your injuries. Do you understand me?"
She was barely able to nod and Garrett could see that she was barely hanging on. He pushed the truck even further and soon reached the hospital. Grateful that he had recently fed, Garrett carried her inside and shouted in a normal, human tone, "Someone please help! This girl was attacked!" Two nurses came forward and as they helped him place Bella on a stretcher, they asked, "What happened Sir?" Quickly remembering the story he had made up, Garrett said, "I found her in the woods. I saw a strange man come out, folding up a knife as he walked to a car. I got a bad feeling and went up the trail he had come from and found her. She was bleeding out, so I wrapped her up the best I could and got here as fast as I could in her truck." One of the nurses took a brief glance at one of his girl's wrists and Garrett was relieved to see that his small attempt at healing made them look like defensive wounds and not self-inflicted.
The other nurse saw his girl's face and said, "I'll call Chief Swan and let him know she's here. Sir, can you stay and explain what happened? We need to get her into surgery." Garrett nodded and took a seat where she pointed as he watched them take his Mate into the ER. He didn't know exactly what he would say to his girl's father, but he knew that if he didn't make it good, keeping an eye on her and making her strong enough to survive the change would be hard to do. As he continued to wait, he paced around the waiting room, making sure he had all the details he had to give her father in order to prevent a true investigation.
The man was buried far enough away that a search would be pointless. Garrett would give a description of the car, but it too would never be found. Since the man had been a scum rapist, Garrett had made sure he paid for his sins in full. Still, he had to make sure the Chief believed his story of his girl being attacked by his last meal. He also hoped that when she woke up, she wouldn't blow his story by saying something. He did have high hopes since she was fearful of being committed.
Garrett remembered the boy's cruel words and realized his girl would be watched closely for some time due to that coven's sudden departure and with how the boy had dumped her. Her father would have no doubt heard about the Cullen's departure by now, so he'd have to keep him calm around two things now. He was almost starting to regret having dared his girl to kill herself.
Yes, he would refer to Bella as His girl or Little One until she was turned. He needed to be strong, capable of defending herself once she was turned. In her current state, she wouldn't survive a month as a newborn. Yet, she didn't even flinch when she sliced her wrists open and he had noticed her nostrils flare as the blood spilt, which made him curious as to if she could smell blood. If she could, that would make her first hunt even more easier. Garrett would watch over her, make her strong and, once he felt she was ready, turn her.
As it was, it would be some time, since her father was the Chief of Police. Just disappearing with her would be a pain in the ass.
As far as the Cullen coven went, he would deal with them soon enough. Carlisle knew better than to leave a human knowledgable about their world and not kill or turn said human. The man had grown weak as his coven had grown. From what he remembered of his last visit, control of the coven had seemingly been taken over by the Mind Reader and the Seer. Carlisle seemed not to care, preferring to spend more time with his patients than controlling those in his care.
The Seer irritated him the most, controlling her husband as she did. Garrett remembered hearing stories about the Major of the Southern Wars and he had been disappointed upon meeting the man and what he'd become. Carlisle's diet was a joke and the coven he 'led' was suffering for it. He did understand Whitlock's need for a change, his gift tormenting him while on the human diet. Still, if he and other members of the coven persisted in drinking animal blood, the Volturi would end them soon enough. Garrett wasn't completely without connections and had heard of Aro's increasing distaste for vampires that didn't follow their natural diet.
Garrett decided then and there that his girl would only consume human blood once she was turned. Animal blood would do in a pinch if they traveled in an unpopulated area, but she would mainly consume human. They would hunt the dregs of society only. As he thought about what he and his girl would do as immortals, he noticed a middle-aged man walk through the sliding doors into the ER waiting room and go to the front desk. Garrett didn't need his superior hearing to hear the man ask, "Where is my daughter, where is Bella?"
Garrett walked up to him and said, "Chief Swan? I'm Garrett Williams, I am the one that found Bella and brought her to the hospital." Chief Swan shook his hand as he asked, "Where is she?" "Currently in surgery. She was badly injured and needed immediate care." "How bad?" "I'm no doctor sir, but she was bad cut on her arms and by the time I found her, she had lost quite a bit of blood. They took her back as soon as I got her here. They haven't come out yet." Chief Swan nodded and asked, "Do you know what happened to her?"
"Chief Swan, I'll tell you everything I know. I had just arrived in your town when I saw a strange man exit the woods near what I believe was your home. He was moving very quickly and was putting a folded knife into his back pocket. I couldn't really tell much about him, but his behavior was very odd. Once he had driven off, I followed the trail he seemed to have taken and that's when I found her. It looked like had come upon her and for some reason attacked her. Maybe she startled him or something. I did my best to stop the bleeding and drove her straight here. I hope you don't mind that I used her truck." Chief Swan shook his head and said, "I don't care about that, all I care about is her. Did you get a good look at the guy or his vehicle?"
Garrett paused fora few seconds and then gave a brief, but slightly hesitant description of the man and his vehicle. He didn't think the Chief would have any luck finding either, but just incase, he didn't want to help too much. Once he was done, Garrett asked, "Do you mind if I stick around Chief? I just want to make sure that she's okay." The Chief nodded and said, "Of course Mr. Williams. I'm sure Bella would like to thank you herself for saving her life. Stick around for as long as you like. Do you have a place to stay?"
Garrett shook his head and said, "Please, call me Garrett. Actually, I don't. I was passing through when all of this happened and didn't have a chance to search for any lodgings." The Chief nodded and said, "Well, you can stay with Bella and I until you find something else. I added a guest room on a few months ago for a friend for when we drink too much after the game. Oh, and call me Charlie. Chief is too formal for the man that saved my daughter's life." Garrett thought his behavior was odd, especially how he looked around the room and raised his voice as he made his offer, but pushed it aside as Charlie narrowed his eyes at him and asked, "What's wrong with your eyes son?"
Realizing that his contacts were dissolving, Garrett quickly said, "Medical condition. I can't remember the name of it exactly, but my eyes have always been this color. I wear contacts to keep people from staring, but they tend to irritate my eyes a lot, so I don't wear them often." Charlie seemed to believe his story because he nodded and took a seat next to Garrett as they waited to hear something about Bella.
Not too long into their wait, Charlie said, "If I found out that Cullen kid had anything to do with this, I'll kill him." Wanting to hear another's opinion of the Mind Reader, Garrett played curious as he asked, "Cullen kid, Charlie?" "We had a family here by the name of Cullen. The youngest boy was dating Bella and frankly, the kid freaked me out. Too perfect and Bella kept getting hurt around him. Anyway, I heard this morning that they had all left town and I knew Bella would either be hurt by it or would have gone off with them. I tried to get home so I could either comfort her or start looking, but I had some trouble out on the Reservation and only got out of there because I got the phone call from the hospital. With that family gone, I can only assume that he broke up with her."
"Charlie, if I may say so, Bella seems like a strong girl. If this Cullen kid did dump her, it's his loss and maybe she can find someone better. Should this Cullen boy return, I might help you." Charlie laughed and said, "Good to know." As he said this, the doctor came out, his scrubs bloody but not badly enough for Garrett or Charlie to worry too much. The doctor went to Charlie and said, "Chief Swan, I was able to repair the damage and Bella will be just fine, physically anyway. She'll need to stay for at least a week. While the cold helped slow her blood flow, it did make her slightly ill. The only other concern I have is mental and emotional state.
Charlie asked, "What do you mean?" "While we were stitching up her wrists, and despite being put under, she kept muttering something about someone named Edward and begging him not to leave her in the woods. Her heart rate kept rising and dropping dangerously each time she talked. Chief, she was hurt badly before she was ever attacked. Also, while her wounds seem self-inflicted, they aren't. Whoever did this, knew what to do if she was found dead. Now, I'll let you see her, but try not to wake her. She needs her rest. Follow me." Charlie started to follow, motioning to Garrett to follow as he said, "You too Garrett." Garrett nodded, grateful to the doctor for mentioning what he did about her injuries. He followed Charlie and the doctor to his girl's room.
He was glad to hear that his girl would be okay, at least physically. Garrett did have the feeling that healing her mind and soul would be a whole different matter. Garrett made up his mind to call not only Carlisle, but Whitlock as well. While he was disgusted by how Whitlock was treated by his wife, he still respected the man and hoped to get his opinion on how to help his girl and to find out what had led to what he'd seen in the woods. Hopefully, Whitlock would be about to help him, and perhaps even himself.
The call to Carlisle would be a necessary one. First, Carlisle needed to know that the girl was his Mate and that he would be getting repayment for any injury done to her by the Mind Reader. Second, Carlisle needed to know just how much damage his protege had done to his girl and that he would be seeking justice on her behalf against him for not controlling his coven.
Finally, he would issue a warning to Carlisle Cullen. He would make sure Carlisle knew and understood that if he or any of his coven even attempted to inform the Volturi about his girl, Garrett would turn around and inform the Volturi of their abandonment of the girl and not following the law in the first place. His train of thought was broken as he saw that they had reached his girl's room. As he entered, he immediately looked around for ways to sneak in and be well hidden should he have to do so.
He walked closer to the bed, keeping an eye on Charlie as he got a good look at his girl. She was pale, no doubt due to the blood loss and whatever else she had been through. She was hooked up to a few tubes and wires, the majority helping to counteract the blood loss. One of the nurses must have cleaned her up because her skin was clear of dirt, blood and her hair must have been washed and dried as well. She was in a deep sleep, which was good in Garrett's opinion as she needed her rest.
As he stepped closer, he saw Charlie yawn and shake his head, as if to shake off his impending exhaustion. Thinking quickly, though having doubts of success, Garrett said, "Chief, if you need to get some sleep, I could keep an eye on Bella. At least until you can come back. Frankly, I wouldn't be leaving her alone after an attack like this. The guy may come back." Charlie hesitated for mere seconds before he nodded and said, "I haven't slept in a couple of days. You saved her life. I'll be back in the morning." Garrett nodded and watched as Charlie gave his girl a quick kiss on the forehead and left just as quickly. Garrett was once again shocked.
What kind of father leaves his child with a complete stranger, even one that saved that child's life? Why not include police protection for your only child after such an attack?
After everyone had left his girl's room, Garrett sat in the chair closest to her bed and watched her sleep. She seemed more at peace, no doubt able to escape all her pain in such a state. The doctor had been correct in the fact that she had some major healing to do, both physically and emotionally. He remembered the words he had heard the Mind Reader speak and began to growl as they echoed in his mind. Carlisle had not done a great job parenting the 'boy' all these years and his girl had born the brunt of that neglect. No true gentleman would speak to a lady like the boy had, especially one that seemed to be willing to give up her entire existence to be with him. Garrett could only hope that the truth coupled with his presence as her true Mate would help his girl quickly.
His phone buzzing interrupted his thoughts and he quickly opened to find a text message. It was from his friend Peter, who merely informed him to stay strong, be firm and to call when he was ready to avenge his girl. He also swore to deal with the Major and his issues after Garrett called him.
Speaking of which, Garrett needed to make his calls while he and his girl were alone.
His first call was to Carlisle. The phone rang only twice before Carlisle answered, saying, "Garrett, my old friend, how are you?" Sneering, Garrett said, "Carlisle, you seem to have left quite a mess here in Forks." "You're in Forks?!" "Indeed, old friend. I came here to visit and imagine my shock when upon entering the forest to travel to your home, I came upon my Mate being savagely spoken to by your SON. I would have thought a gentleman such as yourself would have taught him better manners. I also would have thought that, as the leader of such a large coven, you would have remembered the rules as to humans knowing our secret."
Carlisle seemed to stutter as he asked, "Bella is...your Mate?" "Indeed, and thanks to your youngest son's actions, I will have to make her strong again in every way before I turn her. He shredded her self-confidence and self-worth so much, Doctor, that she tried to kill herself to escape the pain. Luckily, I was able to convince her father, the CHIEF of Police, that it wasn't a suicide attempt, but an attack on her person. If she had been committed, we would be having this conversation by a pyre." Carlisle began to utter some excuses for his pathetic excuse of a son when Garrett nearly snarled, "Enough! Now, I'm warning you. Don't come back to Forks unless I allow you and yours to come here. This is my territory now. Oh, and make sure that your little pack of dogs know that I am here until the time comes to change my Mate. I will not tolerate any interference on their part. Or yours."
Leaning back as much as he could, Garrett continued, "Second, your son will pay for harming my Mate in such a way and leaving her to possibly die in the forest. I know we're cold by nature, but surely your son knew how cold it was when he left her in the forest, far from her home. As it is, she is slightly ill so he will pay the price. Also, if you or any member of your 'family' decide to inform the Volturi that my Mate knows about our kind, be sure that I'll make my own phone call to Aro and let him know just who left her alive with that knowledge. Do I make myself clear, Dr. Cullen?"
Carlisle said, "Yes, of course Garrett. Bella Swan is your Mate. My coven will not come to Forks unless you allow it. I will make the call to the Alpha of the Pack myself and tell him of your arrival and of your connection to Bella. He won't like the fact that you are planning to turn her, but as long as you don't do it in Forks they have no legitimate reason to attack." Garrett nodded and said, "Good. Oh, and Carlisle? I will be informing Aro about my Mate since I'll be keeping her human until she's healed in every way. Goodbye." Garrett hung up and then called Whitlock.
Whitlock also answered quickly and from how he spoke, Garrett got the feeling that a few things had changed in the Cullen house. When Garrett finished telling him what he had see and what happened after, he asked, "Whitlock, what started this mess?" Whitlock growled slightly and said, "First of all, call me Jasper. If things go the way I think they are, we're going to be family. As for what happened, my idiot of a companion and Edward happened. Bella didn't want a party to celebrate her birthday, and despite the majority of us telling Alice to stop or even keep it simple, she and Edward insisted on throwing a big ridiculous affair. So, instead of hunting to keep myself topped off as I usually do, I ended up spending that time picking up a fuckin' cake and party supplies. So, when the party finally happened, I was thirsty and then she got a damn paper cut. Edward's thirst kicked in like no other and I feared he'd finally snap and drain her. But instead of supporting me, my 'family' thought I was going to attack and restrained me. She ended up getting thrown into a glass table and it all just went to hell."
Jasper sighed before saying, "I never would have hurt her. Her blood is intoxicating, but I've never felt any desire to drink it." Garrett took a moment to process all that Jasper had told him. So, in the end, it was the Seer's fault that this mess happened. If she had not insisted on a party, his girl would have been fine and perhaps still with the Mind Reader. At least until he visited the house and then his instincts would've kicked in and perhaps their Mating Bond would have gotten a better start. He was struggling with said instincts as it was. The urge to change her was strong, but his desire for an even stronger Mate tempered it. He would give her life, then kill her.
Remembering that Jasper was still on the phone, Garrett asked, "Can you come to Forks, alone? If I see your companion or that coven, I might destroy them." Jasper snorted and said, "I'll be there sometime tomorrow. I need to grab Peter and handle some stuff first. As for Alice, she's off shopping in Europe again and thankfully, not on my dime. After we left Forks, I ended our relationship, took her off my accounts and changed my name back to Whitlock. What happened that night was the last straw for me. I'll see you and Bella soon." "What of the others in the Cullen coven?" "Well, I know Emmett would like to go back since he never wanted to leave in the first place. Rosalie will merely follow to keep him out of trouble. Esme wants to go back too, but I think that would do Bella more harm than good right now, plus Carlisle won't let her. It's up to you Garrett."
Garrett nodded and said, "Perhaps once Bella and I get to know one another better, they can come. For now, only you and the rest of your original coven. The Cullens, to be honest, have been banished. I'm also planning on informing Aro about Bella for some added protection, but with the St. Marcus festival starting, I'll have to wait a few more days." Jasper said, "I'll pack and start heading your way. Let me know when it's safe and I'll meet you at the hospital unless something else comes up." They said their goodbyes and Garrett hung up. His girl was still asleep and Garrett knew she'd be out for sometime due to the medication they were giving her.
None of the nurses told him to leave, so Garrett assumed that her father had told someone he was staying. He settled the best he could in the chair and watched his girl sleep. He knew that after this, his task of making her strong would begin. She would hate him most of the time, Garrett had no doubts about that. But he hoped, sooner rather than later, she would realize that he was her reason to live and welcome whatever he had to give.
Garrett smirked as he recalled the brief spirit she had shown just before slitting her wrists. He hoped that he saw it again and if it came through after her change, he'd be in for the ride of his life.