Chapter 7: Priorities
"She didn't understand how you could have been bitten and stayed alive. She jumped to the only conclusion she could think of... that you were like her – immune to bites." He continued. "She thought that she wasn't alone anymore. That made her happy."
"Oh." Was all I could say. I turned my attention to Danielle, who had made her way to Carlisle, suddenly feeling immense pity for this girl. She was alone.
"Why didn't you tell me that you were in danger from those newborns?" She asked, almost angry.
"Danielle, we didn't want you to be put at any unnecessary risk." Carlisle replied with a hand on her shoulder.
"It's my job, Carlisle! And it's personal if any of you are involved!" She almost shouted.
"If it's your job then why did you leave?" Rosalie said, speaking for the first time since Dani's arrival.
Danielle appeared really upset by this. She turned to face Rosalie, but Carlilse spoke before anything could happen. "It's was my doing Rose, I spoke to Dani when she was in Seattle. She wanted to warn us that there were so many so close and that she would try to stop them before they got anywhere near us. At that time we didn't know that they were after Bella," he said turning back to Danielle, "or that Victoria was involved. We were still planning to go there ourselves to sort it out so I told Danielle not to worry. It was dangerous for her to take on an army by herself."
Priorities, I thought to myself. I remembered what Edward had told me about Carlisle's theory about the female hunters. "Carlisle thinks that if the gift was given to a male then the instinct to fight would be prominent leading to rash decisions, but a female is more likely to have her priorities right." A male hunter would have probably gone to the fight head on – and would have probably died in the process.
"I understood what Carlisle was saying, but I stayed close anyway." Danielle contined the story. "When I sensed the new borns leaving I panicked and followed them, and my worst fear was realised when they started to head in this direction. I stopped my car to phone Alice, but then I sensed something much worse."
"The Volturi." I said, knowing all too well what the only thing worse than that army was.
Dani nodded, "I couldn't let myself be that close to them. I drove half way across the country, where I wouldn't cross their path. I called Alice as soon as I could to tell them that they were coming, just incase she hadn't seen. They have ways of getting around you once they know your gift. Alice had informed me that you had easily seen to new borns, and that she was even annoyed that she didn't get a look in." She added as she looked at Jasper and smiled. "But if I had known that they were actually created to attack you... I would have stayed... I should have stayed."
"And gotten yourself killed?" Esme added, looking truely worried. "Demitri was there love, if he had picked up your tenor then you know that they wouldn't have stopped until they found you." Esme looked as though she would have been crying if she could have.
"Rosalie is right though, I should have done my job."
"It's over now, Danielle, none of us were lost. We had help." Carlisle said, comforting her.
"Oh did Tanya's family come down?" Danielle asked, looking a bit better knowing that the Cullen's were not alone.
"No, something a lot more... hairier, and smellier." Emmett said.
"What are you talking about Emmett?" Dani asked, confused. "Who helped you Carlisle?"
"Oh, er, just the local werewolves." He joked.
"Werewolves?" She shook her head and laughed. "Well, you guys just love hanging about with people designed to kill you, don't you!" She said as she nudged his arm.
"You can say that again!" Emmett laughed, "Of course, ten werewolves are no match for one of you..." Emmett said sarcastically winking at Danielle. Prevoking her again.
"Hmm, that sounds about right to me Emmett, how about we test your theory?"
"Hehe, game on!" He squealed like a schoolgirl.
This should be fun.