JAMES' POV
It was a couple of months since Lar was back. I was so happy to have my friend back. I felt bad that now he was the only member of the family without a mate, but I was happy that he was no longer with that vile Victoria. She was certainly a piece of work.
Jasper and I had already discussed the possibility that she would plan something to get back at us. Particularly get back at me and Bella. She always hated me, and though I never liked her, I tolerated her for the sake of Laurent.
Jasper, the always ready strategist, thought we should all train for a fight, especially Edward. He wasn't too sure Lar should be involved in this fight. He thought that once Lar saw Vicky, his love for her would outweigh the need to keep our family safe. In a way, I had the same concern, but I had faith in my friend, that if it came down to her and us, he would choose us.
It was coming up on Christmas break, and we decided to pay a visit to our relatives in Alaska. Of course, technically we were not related, however, Carlisle considered them family since he met Eleazar when they were both still with the Volturi. Once Eleazar left, he looked up Carlisle, they spent many decades together, and Eleazar adopted Carlisle's 'vegetarian lifestyle'. Which interestingly enough, so had Laurent, since he'd been back. And I'd have to say, the gold eyes against his African skin-tone was a good look on him.
Carlisle was with Eleazar when Eleazar finally met his mate, Carmen while traveling around Eleazar native country Spain. Once Carlisle assisted Eleazar in changing and training a newborn Carmen to their unique lifestyle. Carlisle, not being interested in joining a coven, decided to part with them and, start out for, what was then known as the new world, to attend Medical school in America.
After Eleazar and Carmen traveled around for a while, the ran across a trio of sisters. Kathryn, or Kate as she likes to be called, Irina and Tanya. They were older of course than either Eleazar or Carmen. They were the actual succubae, the original succubae, the legends were centered around. The two of them decided to join the sisters to form a coven, after Eleazar teaching them the 'vegetarian lifestyle'. Once they all migrated to America, Eleazar still kept in touch with Carlisle. Carlisle was happy with his medical training, was still not ready to settle down with a coven, continued to also keep in touch with them, and considered them family, not without the effort of the sisters and their 'unique' persuasion.
Edward and I had Carlisle to convince Charlie to let Bella travel with us for the Christmas holiday. We all needed the break, yet, we did not want to be apart from Bella.
Alice took Bella shopping for snow gear, so she wouldn't freeze to death. Tanya, was the head of the Denali coven, as they were known for the part of Alaska they lived. The had a permanent residence near the Denali National Forest. It was very isolated from humans, so they were able to maintain that residence without having to move around as we did.
It was a couple of days before we were supposed to leave when Alice got a vision that a thunderstorm was approaching. Our favorite. This would be the first time Bella would experience our favorite past-time. Baseball.
"Why do you play baseball during a thunderstorm?" Bella asked. Edward and I just gave each other knowing smirks.
"We kind of have too, you'll see," is all Edward said, as I strapped Bella into my Chevy Silverado 3500 4X4. I loved that truck, however, I didn't use it much. Today it worked better than Edward's Volvo because the clearing where we played was well hidden in the forest, and required an off-road vehicle. Edward, Bella, and Laurent traveled with me. Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, and Alice went in Emmett's Jeep Wrangler 4X4 and Esme and Carlisle in their Range Rover.
Once we arrived, everyone else already there, had the gear already unpacked.
"Bella, you and I will umpire," Esme told Bella. "However Bella and I call it, that's the call," Esme said.
"She thinks we cheat," Emmett boomed.
"I know you cheat," Esme scoffed
"The usual teams?" I asked.
"Yes, Alice, Jasper, Carlisle, and Lar, against me, you, Emmett, and Rosalie," Edward said.
Alice took her place at the pitcher's mound then went into her vision, as Emmett walked up to the plate. When the first crack of thunder sounded, Alice announced, "It's time."
Alice threw the first pitch; Emmett swung and connected his bat to the ball, the loud crack of the bat nearly drowning out the loud crash of thunder. I looked back at Bella and gave her a wink.
"No wonder you need the thunder," she said with a look of amazement on her face. Jasper took off through the forest like a bat out of hell, as Emmett rounded the bases. He crossed home plate just as the ball barrelled into Carlisle's glove. Bella and Esme called it safe.
Next up to bat was my babe, Edward. The next crack of thunder and Edward hit a pop up. As he rounded the bases. Lar scaled a tree for the ball, but as he jumped down, he collided with Jasper for another loud crack that sounded like boulders crashing together. Unfortunately, Edward being so fast had already rounded third when Bella called it an out.
I was next up to bat, I got a good luck kiss from both Bella and Edward. I pointed the bat to where I intended to hit the ball. I gave a sly wink to Edward, as I knew he saw in my mind I had no intention of sending it there. The rest of the family did too, as this was not the first time I'd employed that trick. Jasper took the far right field as Lar took far left, I saw Alice slip into a vision.
"NO FAIR ALICE!" I called out. It was cheating to use her gift, Edward was not allowed to use his either. When she came out of her vision, there was a look of fright on her face, as she shook her head violently.
"They were just traveling through until they heard us. It's Victoria," Alice whispered her name.
Yeah, just passing through my ass! I thought, Edward slightly nodded his head in agreement. I looked pointedly at Lar. He looked pretty sad with the knowledge that Victoria was coming. Then I began to smell them. There were so many, how the hell did she make so many newborns in the few months she was away.
"EDWARD, GET BELLA OUT OF HERE!" Jasper commanded. He's already morphed into The Major. Major Jasper Whitlock was the youngest Major in the Confederate Army when he became missing and declared dead. Only, in reality, he had been changed into a vampire, by the infamous Maria of the South, for her Southern Vampire Wars. He had changed, trained, and culled numerous newborn vampires for Maria's army, fighting for feeding territory. If anyone knew how to handle this it was the Major.
"It's too late, they've already smelled her," Alice said.
"No, it's fine lil' pixie, looks like we showed up just in time for all the fun," a very familiar southern drawl called out from the trees behind us. Suddenly out walked Peter, Charlotte, and Garrett. Peter, Jasper's brother from the Southern wars, was also The Major's second in command, and known as The Lieutenant, and his mate Charlotte, The Captain. Peter had an annoying little gift, unlike Alice's gift of premonition, that was based on decisions, as Peter always put it, he just knew shit. No one knew how or why not even Peter. He just always showed up out of the blue, when shit went down.
"Hey Bella, I'm Charlotte. We can make better introductions later, but I'm gonna take good care of you while your mates take care of those fuckers. Now come on, let's get you outta herr," Charlotte told Bella. Bella looked more terrified, as she didn't know if they were friends or foes.
I gave her a quick kiss as did Edward. "It's fine Bella, go with Charlotte, they're friends. She'll take care of you, and we'll come find you, sweetheart." I told her with a tight smile, as she climbed on Charlotte's back and they hightailed it out of there. Luckily from the time Laurent had rejoined us, Jasper and I had been training the family how to fight.
We quickly broke off into pairs, ready for the fight, however, Carlisle, Jasper, and I took up the front representing the leadership of the Coven. Emmett and Rosalie paired off, as did Alice and Laurant. Peter and Garrett paired off, and Edward and Esme paired off. Edward and Esme were at the rear, not just because they were the least experienced fighters, but because they were the fastest runners. If any of the newborns, broke off from the rest, they were to run to help Charlotte protect Bella.
Then we finally heard them. Approximately 20 newborns, yet I didn't smell Victoria among them. I looked back at Edward and Alice. Alice was now in a vision.
"SHE WENT TO THE SWAN PLACE! THE NEWBORNS ARE JUST A DISTRACTION!" Alice said.
Go! Edward and Esme! I thought to Edward. He heard me loud and clear. He grabbed Esme by the arm and they took off through the woods like the wind.
Just then, the newborns broke through the forest in front of us. It didn't take long before all of the newborns were slumped on the forest floor and confused, because The Major used his gift to subdue them and Laurent used his gift to make them forget why they were even there. Though they tried to break through the lethargy, it didn't take long for us to dispatch all of them.
"CHAR!" Peter screamed as he fell to his knees, grasping his chest.
"GO!" Jasper ordered his brother,
"Laurent, you stay here and help them burn the pieces, Garrett you come with me," I ordered. I didn't want Laurent anywhere near Victoria.
"NO, Jay, I want to make sure that bitch is destroyed," Laurent demanded. I nodded to him and we took off through the forest, following the scent of Charlotte and Bella.
We followed the scent all the way to just inside the wooded area of the Swan place. We saw Charlotte propped up next to a tree. She had fresh wounds that were healing, as she was reattaching a leg.
"Why would you bring Bella back to her house?" Peter asked
"I'm sorry Pete, but Bella insisted. She said she had a feelin' Victoria was gonna come after her father. She was right. As soon as we got close she smelled the blood, just like I did. Just as I turned to run, we were ambushed by three of them." Charlotte said weakly. She needed to feed to get her strength.
"What do ya mean she smelled the blood, humans can't smell blood, Peter asked her.
"Bella can," I told them. "The smell actually makes her sick. So where is Bella now?" I said as I lifted my head to scent the air. She wasn't in the area, neither was Victoria. Their scents were still fresh, but they were gone. I also smelled two others with them. I also smelled Edward and Esme. I followed their scent to the Swan house. They were taking a now dead Chief Swan, with his throat ripped out, to his police cruiser.
"Esme and I are going to make it look like a vehicle accident, then somehow he was attacked by an animal," Edward said. I understood, there was no other way to explain his throat being torn up.
"She took Bella," I said to Edward. He then began to shake uncontrollably.
"Pull it together baby, we have to go get her, Garrett, please help Esme. Peter, you get Charlotte healed and fed and then help out where you're needed. Laurent Edward and I are going after Bella. Let the other's know. We'll keep you informed once I've tracked them," I told them before we took off to find Victoria and whoever else had our Bella.