A/N: First, a big shout out to akaMrsEdwardCullen for helping me work through my thoughts, and to realize I made the right decision to cut out a scene from the last chapter. With her help, all the confusion will be straightened out. Please just keep reading, and hopefully you'll see the light! Thanks for the reviews, and I'm so sorry for all the confusion!

Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight, if I did, no one would be quite this confused.

Chapter 14

Salvation

Alice was shouting at Jasper to help her pin Paul's struggling body to the ground, but he was focused on me. The murderous rage Paul was feeling intensified with every second and Jasper had been sucked into the waves of raw emotion. He looked at me with angry, wild eyes. Both their thoughts were dark and deranged, and I could only sense hate directed at me.

Alice was struggling to remain on top of the wily werewolf flailing beneath her tiny frame as Carlisle stepped through the trees.

What's happened? He looked around at the scene in front of him. His eyes flicked to the vampire heap twenty yards from him.

Oh, I see.

"Carlisle, help!" Alice cried out as Paul nearly dumped her from his chest. He made it just as one of Paul's wrists slipped from her grasp. He reached up and swiped at her face. The razor sharp claws left a ragged slice under her collarbone.

"Umph," she exhaled and started to slip from the beast. Jasper was by her side in an instant, steadying her with one hand, while pushing hard against Paul's offending appendage.

Shiny wetness shown in Alice's eyes. "What is it, pick on Alice day?" She shouted exasperatedly. Carlisle chuckled as he placed his knee on Paul's other arm, allowing Alice to safely roll away.

"That's my wife, you filthy mutt!" Jasper hissed in the canine's ear.

"Jasper," Carlisle said in a softly threatening way.

Jasper sat back with an ashamed look on his face. He shook his head once before looking at me. I'm sorry, Edward...

"Now's not the time," I cut him off. "I have to get to Bella."

"I thought you made sure she was safe," Carlisle wondered aloud.

What are you going to do about Paul? Sam interrupted.

Just then, Leah stepped in human form onto the beach. Her black waist-length hair shone like satin in the bright setting sun. She gave Sam a condescending pat between his ears as she passed. "Leave it to the men, and nothing would ever get done," she murmured, and kneeled beside me at Paul's head. He growled a low menacing rumble.

"Oh, shut up." Leah reached back with a clenched fist and hit him right in the nose.

Paul yelped once in pain and shock, and the other wolves chuckled appreciatively. Leah took her round dark eyes from Paul and directed them at me. She smiled broadly.

"You just need to know how to deal with him." She shrugged.

Sure enough, Paul's thoughts returned from the abyss of anger that had swallowed him only a few moments before.

You got knocked out by a girl! Jared mocked.

She'd knock you out, too, Paul tried to snarl but was already seeing the image replayed by his brothers, and couldn't help but see the amusement.

He made as if to stand, but Carlisle, Jasper, and I remained firm with our hold on him.

"You're right," Leah said finally. " We should tie him up, just to make sure." With that, she threw a thick nylon cord roughly and expertly around Paul's front paws. She managed to work in one of the hind ones in true cowboy style.

Jasper nodded appreciatively at her.

With a blush staining her cheeks, she smiled again. "Six years of 4-H at play."

Alice voice joined with Jasper in harmonized laughter.

You don't need to do this! Paul whined. I'm ok now!

Sam's dry laughs sounded in his mind. That's something I've been wanting to do for months.

Jasper, Carlisle and I stepped slowly away from Paul, who had given up his struggle and laid panting on the ground.

Through the pack's consciousness, I smelt it as Seth crossed paths with vampire tracks. My concentration locked into theirs. Seth had already managed to cover an impressive distance. Mount Rainier still loomed far off in the distance.

Careful, now. Sam said softly, looking around as Seth took in his surroundings a hundred miles away. He was in a flat field, full of long green weeds. Delicately, he sniffed the air, and five snouts wrinkled in disgust.

This is a fresh trail. They passed through here no more than an hour ago. Seth assessed.

One hour? I thought wildly. Maybe it isn't too late!

"Go, Seth," I said through Sam's black ear.

Seth was running again. I looked toward Carlisle. His face mirrored Alice and Jasper's in utter confusion. I kept it short and simple.

"Jane knows where Bella is. I'm going to get her."

As I turned to leave, Carlisle's arm shot out and grabbed my elbow. Please be careful, son. As always, he managed to convey the deepest sense of sincerity. I'll clean things up here and help Kate any way I can. I'll meet you when I'm done.

I nodded slightly, as he reached in his pocket for his phone to call Esme.

"I'll come with you," said Leah's soft voice.

"So will we," Alice chimed in.

"I can't wait for you..." I knew Alice and Jasper wouldn't be able to keep pace with me, and a she-wolf had little hope, but I did need to keep in contact with the pack for no other reason that to watch Bella. Saying nothing, I turned and began to run, knowing they'd follow.

As I raced into the forest I heard the pack laughing. Paul's voice was loudest among them. And you thought she could punch...

Leah definitely surprised me. She easily ran next to me, her small gray body effortlessly flying through the dense undergrowth. Her mind focused mainly on Sam as we ran, but she couldn't deny her thoughts for her brothers safety. Both of them. Leah almost seemed panicked, but she kept her breathing even, and flew with me to save our family.

After some time, I was immersed in my own analysis of why Jacob hadn't phased yet. "Where is he?" I muttered under my breath.

As soon as the breath of words left my lips his mind burst Leah's thoughts, screaming in pain. His body felt like every cell was being forcibly ripped apart atom by atom, at the most minuscule level. I had personal experience with that feeling. Realization dawned on me. We were going to be far too late. Jane was already there torturing them. I nearly gasped aloud, but Bella was no where in Jacob's line of sight. His eyes focused on four vampires standing a few feet from him laughing.

Jane's was the only exposed face. She looked like evil smiling. The large vampire on her left, sprung forward unexpectedly and Jacob leaped gracefully to meet him. Through his mind I felt a painful cold grasp on Jacob's legs, as the vampire grabbed him in midair. He swung Jacob around, dislocating his shoulder with a sickening pop. The aggressor slammed him into the rocky ground.

He let out a low whine, but stood up immediately. The feeling of his body mending itself, was a strange and uncomfortably warm sensation. I felt it as his muscles reattached themselves. I shuddered pushing myself forward.

Back on his feet again, Jacob ducked from swinging arms. Again and again, he blithely dodged just as the creature reached for him, almost like he was playing some twisted game or Russian Roulette. But it was blatantly obvious that the vampire had the upper hand on strength. A few times, Jacob was unable to move fast enough and was caught in the strong fury of the assailant who pummeled Jake's soft body. He howled miserably.

With one hind leg snapped in two, Jacob now limped outside of the vampire's reach, willing his bone to mend. He noticed the other three vampires had disappeared, so quickly twisted his head around looking for them. The huge vampire attempted a final lunge.

Watch out! Leah cried.

Spotting the attack, Jacob danced out of the way. In one swift movement, he twisted around one broad shoulder, lifted his jaw and tore into the stone neck with his teeth. The taste made the pack shudder in unison, but the vampire's head fell to the ground with a sickening thud. Only now did I recognize the face. Demetri.

Woo hoo! Quil yelped, cheering Jake's kill. The other wolves murmured their own praise, but Seth's thoughts interrupted them all.

Bella!

Jacob quickly rushed to the edge of the hill, where Bella had fled. Though she was far into the valley, I saw her clearly through Jacob's keen eyesight. And it horrified me to the very core of my existence.

Bella stood naked. A large black haired vampire held her wrists away from her body. I could almost feel the way his eyes were tracing every delicate curve and beautiful line of my Bella's beautiful body. Jacob growled fiercely in the same instant I did.

Then Seth growled too. He was much closer to the mountain now, and was chasing after a fresh trail. He was preparing himself for attack when he closed in on the vampires.

Easy now, Sam coached.

Seth crouched low, peering into a shadowed area fifty yards or so away. I saw a flash of bouncing golden hair.

"Stop!" I shouted to Seth as I continued my break-neck pace. "It's Rosalie!"

Without breaking stride, I reached for my phone and dialed my sister. I heard her voice as she answered on the phone, then echoing through the wolves' mind half a beat later.

I spoke as quick as I ran. "I don't know what you're doing there, but thank god! Bella is only a few miles from you."

"Why else do you think I came here?" Her tone was bitter.

"Rose, whatever torment you wish to inflict can be taken care of later. Right now I need you and Emmett to run." My voice was bordering on panic.

"Run? Run where?" She was confused.

I heard as Emmett struggled to take the phone from Rosalie. "Give it here," he was whining.

"Look Rose, I don't have time for games. Bella is in trouble now! You have to hurry." I urged.

I saw through Seth's eyes as he walked into Rose and Emmett's field of view. Rosalie's eyes widened, and she shook her head slowly in disbelief.

"Just follow him, and please get there before anything happens." Now I was pleading with her. I felt on the edge of hysterics, watching as the vampire in Jacob's mind slowly grazed his fingers across Bella's naked chest.

Bella's face was deathly pale, and I could see as she shuddered away from his venomous touch. Jacob howled in fury. We were close enough that I could hear a distant echo from my current position.

Rosalie and Emmett were already running in the direction of Jacob's howl. "Is it Eleazar?" Rose asked softly.

I couldn't go into the details of the demise of our entire extended family right now. I hissed one word before slamming my phone shut. "Jane."

Jacob tried to race down the cliff, but his leg hadn't mended yet. The first step he took on it caused him another howl of agony, but he pushed himself forward slowly.

Bella's arms were now above her head, and she was sobbing under the monster. He was struggling to undo his belt buckle. Then, my anger erupted! He could not take that from my Bella! What a cruel existence that could rob someone as innocent as Bella in such a ghastly and demented way! I felt sick with rage, and wanted to fall to my knees and die rather than watch my love endure such a heinous act.

Keep going, bloodsucker! Leah urged, as I had started to slow my pace.

Running an unsteady hand through my hair, I caught her pace again, keeping our thoughts tuned together.

An insane scream sounded out. Jacob whipped his head around as did the two vampires who were not engaged in filthy acts with my only love. The source was not apparently obvious, but I recognized Rosalie immediately. She understood now why I pushed her to hurry. I knew she, of all my siblings, would not take the time to think through her actions. This would be like seeing her own worst nightmare replayed for her.

That night, under the street lamps, it had been Rosalie pressed beneath a monster of a human sort, but there really wasn't much difference in this case. Rosalie had everything stripped from her that night, and I knew the moment she saw Bella, she would see it happening again. I should have warned her, but what could I say? My guilt was already tearing through my chest.

I choked it back.

The other two vampires lost interest in Rose's scream quickly and continued their hushed conversation. Jacob's leg was mending, and he was able to bounce more quickly down the slope.

Bella clenched her eyes shut, and I felt like weeping.

How much pain was she enduring? Was he already inside her? Did he already have her virginity? How would I ever be able to live my life knowing it was all my fault?

Rosalie silently stalked behind the vampire laying on top of Bella. Without alerting the other two to her presence, she glared murderously down at the top of his head. In one fluid movement she grabbed him by his dark greasy hair and tore his head swiftly from his body. The tearing sound ripped through the silence. Jane and the other vampire turned swiftly and beheld Rosalie's tall figure holding up the head of their consort. She flashed a wicked smile at them.

The next instant, she was writhing on the ground as Jane turned her powers on Rosalie. Emmett roared in fury, and rammed hard into Jane. She collided with her partner, and they both flew to their backs. Jacob was on top of Jane in an instant, tearing at her throat with his long teeth.

Seth joined in the fray, and landed with a crash on the blond. Leah whined in worry. Side by side the wolves tore and clawed chunks from the screaming pair.

Emmett, rushed to Bella, who was sinking into the mud under the weight of the decapitated creature. He tossed the headless body to the side with little effort, and picked Bella's frail, naked body from the ground. Cradling her tightly to his chest, he sped toward the trees.

Suddenly Jacob yelped loudly, pain shooting cold and fierce through his chest. In a last ditch effort, Jane had thrust her fist upward and attempted to rip his beating heart from him. Rosalie strode over quickly and stomped hard on Jane's perfect cherub face, obliterating her skull.

Quickly, Rosalie gathered up the last of the stray pieces of stone flesh, and piled them quickly as Seth finished off the other vampire. Part of me felt genuine happiness knowing that Jane was no more, but most of me was disgusted that it hadn't been me to finish her off. If I had listened to Bella, I would have been there with her, no matter how angry with me she was. It wasn't right to expose her to my bloody existence, and leave her so vulnerable to attack. Not that I had ever, for even one second, expected an attack of this nature.

Rosalie quickly pulled out her own lighter. The stinking flesh caught fire immediately, and thick purple clouds puffed upward. She and Seth spent no time appreciating their victory.

"I'll get him," she shouted, bending down to pick up Jacob's motionless form.

She cradled him to her chest in the same way Emmett had to Bella. One of Jacob's brothers suggestively mumbled that he wasn't even awake to enjoy the view, but I paid no attention. I veered slightly north to intercept Bella's rescue party further into the forest.

I prayed silently that Bella could ever forgive me for my utter neglect of her safety. I prayed that she would understand why I did what I did. I prayed that she could still love such an imperfect and fallible creature like myself, when she was without flaw and completely perfect.

A/N: Ok, I know the big question hasn't been cleared up quite yet, but all in good time, please.

Remember, your reviews are what keep me going. Please let me know what you liked and what you didn't and what you think should happen next.

Oh, and once again, Thank you akaMrsEdwardCullen for your great thoughts and ideas. I'm not done using them yet! ;)