Chapter 10 – What Happened?
"Alice, what do you see?" Edward asked. His normally soothing voice raised in anxiety over the thumping club music. His furrowed eyebrows concerned his sister, but her lack of vision scared him more. "I don't understand. Why can't you see?"
"I get snapshots." Alice paused to allow a drunk couple to tumble by her and Edward. She and Edward were stationed near the rear of the club behind the largest group of dancing party-goers, acting elusive to remain hidden. From their guarded location, Edward's eyes sliced through the crowd to find Amy. Still with Jacob, he thought.
He can look after her, Edward. He's fully capable. Plus the pack's here—
"Absolutely not," he spat, his words meshing with the growl that escaped his throat. As his eyes darted back to Alice, he immediately regretted snapping at his sister. She and his family were only here because they cared for him. Because they respected his infatuation with a human. "I'm sorry Alice."
"It's okay, Edward." Alice gave him a smile – Edward's favorite smile. Just the corners of her mouth effortlessly lifted up in genuine sweetness.
"I can't leave her. Not when you've—"
"Seen what I've seen. I understand. But I can't tell you much more. Like I said, I see snapshots. Some are inside here, some are not. I just can't tell if it's all happening soon. Tonight is very uncertain for her—" Alice stopped speaking when Edward flinched, his head whipping to the left. Almost simultaneously, Alice turned her head in the same direction. She smelled it, too.
Two of them, Edward thought.
Both male, Alice added.
Edward sensed Alice's thoughts shift to Jasper. In turn, Jasper's mind was focused on Alice. As they moved into the crowd, Edward tried to ignore the twitch of jealousy sitting in the depths of his stomach. In a moment of tension, with the scent of danger wafting through the air, Jasper and Alice thought only of each other.
"Where's Carlisle?" Alice asked.
"Near the bar. He's spotted one of them," Edward answered, his eyes on Amy as his mind quickly deciphered Carlisle's location. She was dancing with Jacob, clearly inebriated. Edward loathed the sight of Jacob's hands running along her body. With the music filling each patron's ear to capacity, no one heard the growl escape his lips. He imagined what the denim of her jeans would feel like under his cold fingertips, how warm the skin of her stomach would feel, the scent of her hair teasing his nostrils as her head bobbed to the music …
But a new scent lingered in the moist air like a sinful delicacy.
Blood.
In a flash, Alice grabbed Edward's arm, the force of her sudden lunge shaking his concentration. Edward dove into her thoughts to find a vision of Jasper fighting with several men in the club. The image was playing on a loop in Alice's head, Jasper's bloodlust turning him into the monster he didn't want to be.
"Find Carlisle. Go!" Edward shouted at Alice's already dashing figure. Perhaps she moved too quickly for a human through the people nearby, but no one noticed. As her petite frame disappeared, Edward slipped through the crowd in the opposite direction in search of the unknowns. He wanted to be closer to Amy, too, the need for her protection pulling at his conscience even more with two hungry, nomad vampires scouring the club for a fresh meal. He tried to ignore the thoughts of the aroused clubbers as he passed them, many of the women yearning for his body.
Emmett would have been useful in this setting, his taller stature more apt for finding the unknown. But, to avoid conflict with his wife, he had taken Rosalie's side in their argument. Rose believed a human was not worth risking their lives and did not belong in their world.
Guilt washed over him with the fresh whiff of blood as he invaded Jasper's thoughts. He avoided intruding upon his sibling's minds out of respect for their privacy, but if Jasper lost control, it meant the destruction of his family's secrecy.
It happened before he could find his brother. Jasper grabbed a young woman's hand, a white bandage around her thumb seeping with fresh blood from a tiny cut. The woman's boyfriend pushed Jasper, causing a domino effect of colliding bodies. Seeking human sustenance, Jasper grabbed the woman's hand a second time, causing an even harsher reaction from the boyfriend. It took a mere second for the brawl to explode, any male within the vicinity joining in like a pack of territorial animals.
Edward heard it before he saw it, his swift legs guiding him through the club toward the agitated shouts and swears as he continued to peer into his brother's mind. Jasper was drifting further and further from his vegetarian self, so much so that any available limb would satisfy his craving. Amidst the thrashing, violent collection of males, the venom began to collect into Jasper's mouth . . . Edward was only feet away . . .
"Edward, stop." A hand pressed into his chest preventing him from diving into the fight. Carlisle's imploring gaze was fixed on Edward. "Jacob is too close. I don't want the wolves knowing how many of us are here. He's already seen Alice." Carlisle sensed the reluctance in Edward's eyes. "Alice has your brother under control."
"There are others here. Alice and I—"
"I know. That is your focus now. Leave Jasper to Alice."
Edward nodded his head in understanding.
"I suggest you try to read the minds of the unknowns. Perhaps we can lure them out of here before the pack finds out. Amy may need you, too."
At mention of her name, Edward inhaled a faint whiff of her scent. It could find him so easily. For a moment, the scent intoxicated him as much as the alcohol-induced patrons. His head turned in the direction of the scent, his eyes finding her instantly. Fury ignited him at the sight of Amy at the bar, sandwiched between Wesley and one of the unknown vampires.
Carlisle followed Edward's line of sight to the bar, then immediately pressed his hands into his son's chest as he practically flew forward toward Amy. "No, Edward. Stay calm. There's nothing you can do right now except look after her. If you go after Wes or the unknowns, you'll just scare her and no doubt enrage the pack."
"I don't trust him. I can't just stand here—"
"Try." Carlisle squeezed his son's shoulder, his gaze imploring his son to trust him. "The two other vampires don't seem to be threatening, but be wary. They're nomads." Edward nodded again. "I need to check on your brother. I can't stop you from doing what you think is right, but there are so many humans here. Try not to take action unless it's necessary. Please."
Looking from Carlisle to Amy, Edward's eyes narrowed at Wesley, a vision of himself drinking the blood from Wesley's severed corpse flashing through his mind. Edward imagined how he would kill him, how the venom would seep into his mouth as he stalked him, how he would creep up behind him, his fingers reaching for his neck, how the blood would be sweet with revulsion.
"Edward." Carlisle's voice snapped him back to reality. "Get closer if you have to, but stay out of sight."
Edward's eyes now focused on the vampire behind Amy. Carlisle squeezed his shoulder once again before disappearing into the crowd to find Alice and Jasper.
The vampire stood upright, his red eyes blazing into Wesley. Edward took several slow, deliberate steps toward the bar, Wesley's petrified expression causing Edward's body to tremble in resistance to fulfilling his fantasy. They know each other.
Jacob was back, his furious expression matching Edward's. Jacob's presence caused Edward to pause, and jealousy quickly replaced his rage as Jacob led her onto the dance floor. Edward didn't know what would cause him to be more vicious: the sight of Wesley and the vampire so close to his Amy, or watching Jacob's hands resume to their far-too-comfortable position on Amy's waist.
Conflicted, Edward remained frozen. He wanted to track Wes, to ensure no harm would cross Amy's path. But how could he ensure Amy was protected if he left her? His eyes flicked back and forth between the empty space where Wes had been and the infuriating sight of Jacob's arms smothering Amy.
Cursing, Edward moved toward Wes's ghost as his eyes burned into Jacob. The jealousy only agitated him more, his keen senses attempting to ignore the close proximity of Jacob's lips to Amy's sweet, pale skin.
Dodging more bodies, he greedily inhaled the air for a whiff of Wes's scent. He continuously had difficulty tracking it. Wes smelled surprisingly plain, with only a delicate hint of tree … was it spruce or fir? With his senses of smell and sight dominating his actions, he was determined to find Wes. He was certain the man was dangerous.
As he rounded the same group of females he had passed minutes earlier, he froze. Amy's scent now invaded his nostrils, the unmistakable and irresistible combination of fresh fig, clean cotton, a sensual flora, and the dreamy, crisp aroma that could only be found in the fog from the Olympic mountain range. But her scent wasn't what made him pause.
Who the fuck are you? What do I do-what do I do?! They're going to kill me!
The nomads. They had her. She was trapped within their grasp as they closed in on her delicious flesh, her warm blood just inches away from their venom-soaked teeth.
There's no way I'm going to escape this. I'm going to die. I'm going to die …
His panic was holding him captive. Could he fight the two vampires on his own?
He wouldn't have to. Alice was hurrying toward him with Jasper and Carlisle close behind. Her concerned gaze clearly conveyed she had seen the disgusting scene play in her head. What else had she seen? Was Amy going to die? Would she be raped? Drained of her blood and left to perish?
Edward grabbed Alice's arm, and the foursome immediately marched in the direction of Alice's vision. But Edward didn't need directions. He could follow Amy's scent, her terrified thoughts … for the first time, he could see the world through her eyes. Alice was the first to speak as they neared the deserted hallway.
"They intend to kill her Edward—"
"That's not happening," he spat.
"It won't. You won't let it. But something else is unclear—"
"Alice, go for the blonde. His back will be to us, and he won't have time to hear you coming. Jasper, Carlisle, the dark-haired one is bigger. He's the one holding her."
"How do you know that?" Carlisle asked?
"I can hear her."
Jasper and Carlisle exchanged a glance. Up until now, they were under the impression Edward couldn't hear Amy's thoughts. The new development was intriguing.
Edward growled as the latest vision invaded his mind. Amy whimpered as a pair of hands slid around her waist from behind, the icy fingers pressing into the warm flesh of her stomach. The blonde-haired vampire's chest pushed into her back, and judging by her pained expression, she could feel the smooth skin of his cheek pressing against her own. The blonde one inhaled deeply, his mouth inches from her neck …
"Go!" Edward screamed, his only thought of Amy, of saving her from the darkness of his world.
The four vampires charged into the hallway, creating an instant, chaotic war scene as the two nomads were ambushed. As instructed, Alice slammed her foot into the side of the blonde, the force of the blow like an explosion as he flew into the wall. The rest was a flurry of movement as Edward punched the dark-haired vampire in the face, his steel fist causing the nomad to soar across the hallway and hit the wall, pieces of concrete falling from the wall and landing beside him on the floor.
As the battle continued, however brief it would be with humans so close, Edward grabbed Amy's waist and rushed her through the nearby exit into the alley, selfishly happy to have her warm body underneath his fingertips. Gently resting her body against the wall of the club, he studied her for injuries. Her breaths were so rapid, her veins appetizingly pounding against her flesh.
To avoid the luscious temptation, Edward removed his quaking hands from her waist and placed them on the wall on either side of her head.
With her back resting against the brick wall, her eyes were focused on Edward. The tremor in his limbs urged him to kill the nomads on the other side of the wall, but not with Carlisle here. And he would not leave Amy.
"What the fuck just happened?" The air pumped in and out of her lungs at a rapid pace, her chest mimicking the movement to keep up with her body's need for more oxygen.
"Are you okay?" Edward asked, his eyebrows furrowed.
"What happened?" she repeated. "And what are you doing here?" Her voice was suddenly much more fierce.
Guilt struck him in the gut like a sucker punch. He had to tell her … he followed her, he craved her, he wanted her. And he was a vampire. What other story would she believe? "I needed to make sure you—"
"How did you know …" she paused, finally realizing what he had yet to say. "You followed me! You're always telling me to be safe, and then you follow me?" She paused, and Edward immediately tried to dive into her thoughts, but they had once again become silent. Her face expressed conflicting emotions, but he couldn't tell what they were. Did she hate him? Was she afraid of him? Worse of all, would she never want to see him again?
Edward felt a wrenching pain squeeze his lifeless heart as the tears formed in her brilliant, blue eyes. The salty tears were there because of him. He had succeeded in scaring her, in pushing away the only woman he couldn't have.
"What do you want, Edward? Do you want me?" The frustration in her voice caused the teardrops to fall from her eyes. Each drop caused an exponential ache in his heart. He wanted to kiss them, to kiss her, to remove all the pain. "Do you want me?!" she screamed, shoving her hands into his chest. Edward didn't budge. He was, for the first time in as long as he could remember, afraid.
"Yes." His voice was soft, his golden eyes attempting to convey his thoughts. He couldn't tell her everything. Not now. She was in shock. She couldn't understand …
His one-worded response made another set of teardrops fall, and she slowly moved away from the wall. Unable to resist her vulnerability, Edward reached his hand up to her face, his thumb tracing the moist streak running down her cheek.
"Don't. Please don't. Not right now." She stepped away from him, the sound of that single, retreating footstep killing his already dead soul. He needed her more than she could ever understand. The mere sight of her made him feel alive, even though he most obviously wasn't. The confusion overwhelmed her, and she turned around and jogged away from him.
Not wanting to upset her more, he could only watch her retreating form, her blonde hair shimmering in the moonlight. He would follow close behind until she was ready to talk.
A black streak of movement crossed her path, an arm raised in preparation to strike.
"NOOOO!" he screamed. The arm stabbed her with an unknown weapon, causing her knees to drop to the ground.
Her thoughts invaded his mind again, only this time he wished he couldn't hear them. Too stunned to think, the screams burst free in her mind. Pain had invaded her body.
Edward sprinted to her falling form, reaching her side as her fragile body hit the ground. An empty syringe was beside her, an invisible, microscopic army coursing through her veins from the injection site at her left arm.
"Oh my God, Amy. Baby, talk to me. What's happening?" Her thoughts were still only screams. Nothing was making any sense: no cohesive phrases, only sounds of indescribable torture.
She only shook violently in response, grabbing for Edward with her right arm. "Can't … move …" she finally said. Edward was helpless as she groped for his shirt for some kind of support. Finally gripping the material, she pulled on the cotton so roughly that it ripped at the base.
His hands caressed her forehead, hoping his touch could lull her quaking body. Glancing up, Edward saw his father running down the street, Alice frozen in horror behind him. Jasper was flying toward Edward's Volvo, parked only a block away from them.
"Carlisle!" Edward shouted, gabbing Amy's hand and holding it tightly within his own. She continued gasping for breath as whatever coursed through her veins took full control of her body. Her legs were limp beside him, only her upper torso and arms flinching violently for control from the injection. The tears uncontrollably fell from her eyes as Carlisle appeared, Jasper close behind with Carlisle's medical bag he had retrieved from the car.
Quickly pulling out another syringe, Carlisle injected Amy's right arm with a clear fluid. Just a sedative, Edward. It will take away her pain. Within seconds, her rapid, violent flinching slowed and stopped. With a disturbing serenity, her eyelids gave in to the sedative and closed.
"What the hell was that?" he asked with fury, his eyes not leaving her now calm face. Edward carefully slipped his arms under Amy's back and knees and effortlessly raised her. He instantly began to worry at the feel of the cool skin of her arms. Too cool for a human.
"Let's get her inside the car before anyone sees this." Carlisle answered, ignoring Edward's question. They were beyond lucky no one had seen them.
"Is she okay?" Alice asked, slipping her arm around Jasper's. She's supposed to be fine. This isn't supposed to happen. We're going to be friends … she's supposed to be my best friend …
Edward wanted to hug Alice for her concern, and he was glad when Jasper pulled her close to his body to comfort her.
"Everyone get to the cars. We're taking her to the hospital. I don't know what to expect right now." Carlisle carefully grabbed the empty syringe from the ground to examine it, then placed it in a plastic container, sealed it and put it inside his medical bag. Holding Amy close to his chest, Edward carried her to his Volvo while Alice and Jasper climbed inside of their Mustang.
"I'll drive," Carlisle said, reaching inside Edward's front pocket for the keys. Edward was thankful he didn't have to let go of Amy, but he could sense the abnormally panicked strain in Carlisle's voice. Carefully sitting down in the backseat, Edward slid into the car with Amy bundled in his arms. She let out a soft moan, but remained still.
"Heat, Dad," Edward requested as Carlisle started the Volvo. Carlisle immediately complied as he put the car into gear and pulled away from the club.
"Is she cold?" Carlisle asked, his eyes darting to Amy in the rearview mirror.
"Yes."
"Is she still shaking?"
"No."
"The sedative won't last long. I didn't have that much with me."
Worried what would happen when she awoke, Edward leaned forward to softly kiss her forehead. As his right arm cradled her head, his left hand caressed the denim of her jeans.
"You need to tell me what happened."
"I don't know if I can, son." Carlisle's fatherly tone had returned. "But I suspect it's the same substance I've been studying for the past two weeks. The numbing injection. We've had three females in the hospital in the past few days with traces of it inside of them. And you know about the murders."
If he weren't a vampire, Edward believed his pale face would have turned white. Yes, he knew about the murders. Seven in the past month: a record amount for the area. The toxicology report for each victim showed large traces of the injection in their bodies. Only the hospital and the local police were aware of this, afraid to share the evidence with the media without knowing all the details. The media were already speculating enough and scaring the town with stories about a potential serial killer.
Days ago, when Carlisle and Edward took Amy home after she sprained her ankle, Chief Swan had alerted Carlisle to the murders in the hopes of using Carlisle as a watchdog for any suspicious behavior or similar victims at the hospital. Charlie said the victims showed strange attack marks.
Only the Cullens and the wolves suspected vampires were the culprits. But they did not understand why. Really? Some numbing potion? Takes the fun out of hunting, don't you think? Emmett had said.
"But why would they kill her? Why in a public place?"
"I don't think they intended to kill her in the street," Carlisle replied. Edward almost asked Carlisle to turn the car around so he could return to the club to kill the nomads.
"Where did they go?" he asked angrily.
"They fled. Jasper and Alice are too good of fighters."
"What the hell are we supposed to tell her when she wakes up? How can we possibly explain all of this without telling her everything?"
"She's going to be too panicked when she wakes up. Even if we wanted to, I wouldn't tell her anything until we've talked about this. As a family."
"I don't want this happening again. I don't want her unprotected—"
"I want her examined first." Carlisle was firm with his stance on not telling Amy their secret without the Cullen family discussing tonight's events.
Edward had a plethora of more questions, but Amy began to stir in his arms. "Dad, I think she's waking up."
"Can't … move …" she mumbled, her eyebrows furrowing. Her eyes were still closed, but the pain was evident.
"I'm here, baby. You're safe," he replied softly, his left hand reaching over her torso to touch her face. "How long does the numbness last?" Edward quickly asked Carlisle.
"Not long, I don't think. Our kind doesn't need much time to … " Carlisle trailed off, but Edward understood. Vampires needed only seconds to kill.
In a violent fury not unlike her wild jerking from minutes ago, Amy awoke from her foggy slumber. Recalling her previous terror, her body overcompensated for its battle with the injection, and her flailing limbs filled the backseat of the car.
"Amy! Amy, you're okay. Calm down." Edward grabbed one of her hands and forced her to settle back into the empty seat beside him. Wide-eyed and shaking, she stared at Edward, his golden eyes attempting to calm her.
"What the fuck happened? What happened to me?!" The tears came in a sudden burst, the warm liquid seeping from her eyes in the only response her body could conjure. Beyond confused, she squeezed Edward's hand for comfort, her vision blurring as Carlisle slowed the car and pulled over on the side of the road. Alice and Jasper pulled over not far behind.
"You were attacked," Edward said softly, gliding closer to her and pulling her hand into his lap.
"I don't understand. I was … someone came at me … " The tears wouldn't allow her to finish her sentence, but she raised her left arm in reference to the attacker's injection.
How could Edward explain the truth without telling the Cullens's secret?.Instead he said what he hoped she longed to hear. "I'll never let that happen again. I promise."
Amy instantly climbed back into her protective place in Edward's lap, her arms wrapping around his neck as a fresh outburst of tears poured from her eyes. As she buried her head into Edward's neck, he closed his eyes at the feel of the warm wetness of her tears against his skin.
He had to be so cold – how could she feel comfortable so close to him? Yet, she elicited the sweetest pleasure to coarse through his body as her fingers gripped the base of his hairline. His arms were around her instantly, pulling her quivering body into his own.
"You're safe. You're safe now," he murmured.
In an unexpected show of affection, Amy's warm, soft lips planted two soft kisses on Edward's neck. The ends of Edward's mouth curved upward into a smile, for in the brief moments her lips had been on his skin, life and death had united as one.
After several minutes of cradling her in his arms, Amy pulled away from Edward, wiping her tear-stained face. "I think … I just need some air for a second." Edward nodded in compliance and reached behind her to open the door for her. Expressionless, she stepped out of the car, her congested head welcoming the fresh air.
Glancing at his father, Edward received several messages from his gaze, even though he could easily read his thoughts. Amy would be okay, and Carlisle was filled with joy to see his son so happy.
Returning his attention to the sound of Amy's feet crunching on the gravel of the road's shoulder, he stepped out of the car to join her.
"Are you cold?" he asked quietly, only a few steps behind her. She shook her head, but she was hugging her arms close to her body. Coming up behind her, Edward placed a hand on the small of her back. "Is there anything I can do?" She shook her head again, but turned to face him and rested her head on his chest, her hands still secured around her own arms. Deeply inhaling her scent, Edward ignored the burn in his throat and instead tasted the fig, air, water and fauna that he had grown to love. His lips grazed her hair, then softly kissed her forehead.
Rapid footsteps caused his head to whip to the right. Nothing was visible in the darkness, but the footsteps were human, charging with hatred. Before the night gave away the person's identity, Edward heard the growl.
Jacob raced through the beams of Alice and Jasper's headlights, his limbs quivering with fury.
"Get the hell away from her!" he shouted.
Preparing for battle, Edward pushed Amy out of Jacob's striking range, nothing but shock plastered across her face. Amy skidded backward at the sudden force of Edward's push, but her eyes were focused on Jacob as he lunged through the air, his arms outstretched, his muscles bulging with fury.
"Jake, no!" she shouted, fear for Edward taking over her emotions.
But as his body lunged in midair, Jacob's figure began to morph. His skin seemed to explode around him, his clothes shredding to pieces. A lush, russet color took over the dark hair and smooth skin she had learned to recognize. Edward crouched in preparation for the attack.
And a wolf tackled Edward to the ground.