My bare feet hit the went pavement and as they crunched against the gravel I kept running, if anything the soreness of my feet made me run faster. I stopped at the edge of the woods as the trees swayed around me from the wind that had picked up. My hair flew across my face and my body started to shiver mostly out of fear. The street lamps in the hotels driveway were dull and I squinted to see in to the forest shadows.
At this point I was looking for anything, a movement or shadow but I saw nothing. The blood pulsed through my veins and my heart accelerated. I whipped my head to the side as I heard a tree crackle like thunder and I was off again, dodging broken branches and rocks as I followed the sound in to the woods. I heard an owl somewhere off in the distance cooing as I ran deeper in to darkness.
Something caught my hand then and I sucked in a breath preparing to scream but another hand cupped over my mouth "shhh" the voice whispered in to my ear "it's Emmett" the now familiar voice said as he pulled me back letting his hand drop from my mouth. I spun around as he turned his back towards me and without question I wrapped my arms around his neck hosting myself on to his back and like that he was off. The chilled wind whipped my face like knifes as the forest became a blur "where is he?" I asked my voice a frantic shrill.
"A few miles ahead" Emmett yelled back to me. As Emmett slowed down I started to panic afraid what I might see next, whether it was the scruffy man dead or even worse Edward. I closed my eyes feeling the tears rush in to my eyes like a floodgate was just opened. The wind helped to keep them back but I knew sooner or later they would escape my traitorous eyes. Emmett was close to a stop but I jumped anyways landing on my knees my palms digging in to the dirt from the force.
Emmett didn't laugh though this time, his face was like stone as he turned around holding out his hand for me to grab on to and I did, I flung up landing on my feet lightly and Emmett let go of my hand. I kept up with his pace as he snapped every branch he walked in to clearing the path for me.
I heard another loud crash of thunder and I closed my eyes praying to God that Edward was okay, please let him be okay. We walked out to a clearing and my heart jumped as Edwards raged voice filled the air
"Why did she send you!" he yelled and I ran ahead at first sight.
Edward had the scruffy man pinned up against a tree which was teetering back and forth like it was about to snap back. His arm crushing his throat and the scruffy man gasped to get the words out. Edward pushed down on him harder and the scruffy man let out a pained yell but it was replaced by a growl as he refused to answer.
"Keep her back Emmett!" Edward yelled again keeping his eyes on the blood thirsty vampire in front of him. Emmett grabbed me by the elbow and I was behind him within a split second. I took in the scene before me checking every part of Edwards's body making sure nothing was scratched or ripped off, he was perfectly fine.
I blinked back the tears that were trying to escape as I watched with horror when the scruffy man looked my way "she smells so good" he said his attention fully on me until Edward pushed down harder "Don't look at her!" Edwards's voice was full of warning and rage. His eyes coal black like the first day I ever laid eyes on him.
"Where's Jasper" I whispered afraid my voice would send the scruffy man's eyes back towards me again.
"He went back to get the others" Emmett whispered back keeping his eyes on the scruffy man waiting for him to try and make a move.
"Why did she send you!" Edward yelled again this time louder and deeper scaring me now. "She feels she has potential" the scruffy man managed to get out as the pressure deepened "she wants her in the family and she has sworn that nothing will stop her from succeeding" I felt the wet mud start to seep through my jeans from my fall but I ignored it, the wind made the trees sway again, the way my hair flapped over my face sent the scruffy man over the edge and he pushed back at Edward making the large tree fall completely crashing against the ground.
He got loose from Edward's grip and before I could even hold my breath to scream I was being tackled to the ground by Edward his crushing force knocked the wind out of me and I looked above me in horror as Emmett ran in to the scruffy man taking him of course and back in to the woods.
Edward was crouched over me keeping his eyes on mine as I caught my breath and once well enough I wrapped my arms around his neck the tears coming out. "Are you okay?" he asked his voice soft again relaxing me as I nodded my head "I'm fine" I said over and over again between my quick kisses. I cried against his lips feeling the salt water run in to my mouth. He kissed back but stopped to lift my up in his arms "Emmett can only hold him back for so long" he said in to my ear as I cried in to his chest, the comforting feeling of his icy skin made the tears come out harder because I knew he was okay, but was I?
I kept my eyes closed as he ran through the woods while cradling me in his arms, I clutched on to his shirt feeling my fingers burning but I didn't care I needed him to stay with me, I couldn't let him go.
"Where are we going?" I asked after what seemed like a half hour of running
"Denali" Edward said without thinking twice about it "you'll be safer there; Alice's vision was late again"
"What did she see?" I asked afraid of what the answer might be "Jane's coming, she's coming for you" his voice was hard and his hold on me tightened like he didn't want to let go either.
"He was right, she won't stop" my voice was noticeably shaky even against the wind "It's going to be okay no one will touch you again" the image of that first night I met the scruffy man flashed through my head and then the image of me shoved up against the wall tonight, he could of done away with me right then but he didn't, he could of easily killed me that first night but he moved slowly like he knew Jacob would be coming. My brow furrowed maybe he was just putting on a show, maybe he was tricking us in to thinking Jane was actually coming. I mean he's fooled around with Alice's visions before he could be doing it again. These thoughts flooded my mind just like the tears flooded my eyes my mind was churning up all theses different ideas, different scenarios but I kept quiet sometimes my mind was even more confusing to me.
As we ran through the darkness I shut my eyes feeling more tired than I ever had before. My toes felt like icicles and I had a feeling that by tomorrow I would be down one. The drowsiness took hold of my thoughts and replaced them with nightmares as I drifted off to sleep.
