Chapter Twenty

Bella

Jasper jumped out and lifted Charlie from the back seat running through the swing doors and calling for help. Once Charlie was being treated the Police wanted the story from us. I let Jasper speak, telling how he and I had been walking close to the Res when a wolf attacked and Charlie driving to meet us got out to shoot it but was attacked before he could fire. What he said fitted with the doctors report so they were happy. I started to shake so one of the nurses found an empty room and brought us coffee while we waited for news. As soon as she shut the door I fell into Jaspers arms crying uncontrollably. He held me close stroking my back until I suddenly noticed the smell of blood that was almost overpowering and looked up to see his shirt front and hands covered in Charlie's blood. His eyes were black and shining and his jaw clenched with the effort of controlling his thirst.

"Go Jasper, hunt. I'll be OK for a while."

He shook his head but I smiled and kissed his cheek,

"Go I'll be fine."

He nodded and went out through the window. I could only imagine his torment being surrounded by fresh human blood, bathed in it and not drinking it. I owed him an enormous debt and I would make sure I paid it in full as soon as I could..

A nurse came in soon after, surprised to find me alone,

"Your father is stable. He's in his room now and having a blood transfusion but your quick thinking probably saved his life. He would have bled out otherwise."

"Can I see him?"

She nodded,

"Follow me."

I went into the room she pointed to, he lay looking pale and small in a hospital bed with a drip feeding fresh blood into his savaged body. He opened his eyes and managed a weak smile,

"Bells, you OK?"

"Better than you dad"

He smiled again,

"You can say that again. The wolf?"

"It's dead."

"Who was it?"

"I'm not sure, one of Jasper's friends."

"No, the wolf, who was it?"

"Oh, Paul I think. He was always a hot head according to Jake."

"Wolf boys eh? It seems there's a lot I didn't know about Forks. You sure you're OK?"

"I'm fine dad. Jasper will be back soon and we'll go back to the house. Do you need anything bringing in?"

"Yeah, something other than this gown that has my ass hanging out."

I smiled at his joke.

"OK, Playboy Bunny P. J's coming up. I'm sorry you had to find out dad."

"About the wolves? I guess I should know. Billy? Harry?"

"No just the young men as far as I know."

"I tried to marry you off to a giant wolf?"

"I guess so."

"There's more though isn't there? If Jasper and his pals killed the huge wolf then they aren't your average people."

"True but that's for later. You get well first."

"I guess it'll keep. How did I get here so fast?"

"Jasper playing super cop with the cruiser"

He nodded then closed his eyes so I leaned over and kissed him on the forehead.

"You sleep dad. I'll be back tomorrow. No chasing the nurses"

He smiled but didn't open his eyes and walking outside I stood in the cool evening air to wait for Jasper to get back.

Hearing a sound behind me I turned to see his friends standing there, both looking a little dishevelled but smiling

"You must be Bella. You sure know how to throw a party."

I smiled a little hesitantly and the woman smiled back and extended her hand,

"Hello yes I'm Bella"

"I'm Charlotte and the mouthpiece is my husband Peter. Isn't Jasper with you?"

"No, he was covered in blood so he went to clean up and hunt."

She nodded,

"You got a good covering too"

I looked down at the blood on my clothes, well pants and jacket, remembering my shirt was in bloody rags and then looked up again.

"Oh sorry, it must be terrible for you, but I don't have my case so I'm out of clothes."

She smiled,

"We'll cope but you're going to get cold. Why don't you let me take you home, Peter will wait for The Major and they'll join us soon."

"Oh that's great, you get to take the girl home while I get to wait for the ugly fucker out here in the cold"

"Shut up Peter. See you in a bit. Come on Bella."

Jasper

It was a huge struggle to stop from taking Jake on then and there for all he'd done to Bella but she needed me and Sam took him away, he'd wait but not for ever. He and I would have a reckoning very soon. As I drove the cruiser to the hospital in Port Angeles the smell of fresh blood became stronger and stronger despite my winding all the windows down and by the time they took him through into the trauma room I was hanging on by my finger tips. Bella's presence was all that prevented me from running into the streets and seizing the first unlucky human I saw. The urge to drink human blood had never been stronger and my reasons for stopping never seemed weaker. I couldn't escape from the blood, my clothes and my arms and hands were drenched with it, my mouth flooding with venom that almost choked me as I swallowed it down.

Holding on by pulling strength from Bella I explained to the cops what had happened and they seemed to believe the story, well it was almost true. As they left Bella suddenly tensed and I wondered if my almost ungovernable thirst had leaked through into her but I should have known better. All she cared about was that I was suffering. Much as I wanted to stay with her I knew if I did then I would crack under the pressure and become the monster again so I did as she ordered and left, looking around wildly for the first animal to come to notice. I was so crazed by thirst that I snatched a pair of raccoons from a tree and drained them in seconds, the burn in my throat not easing in the least. Then I smelled deer and tried to calm myself, to stalk them, and not make a blood crazed lunge. The first I almost lost in my haste but I caught it by the back leg and as my teeth sank into its warm flesh I felt the first cooling of my thirst as its warm blood pumped down my throat. By the time it was drained the crazed demon had been fed enough to let cool common sense prevail and I hunted down the second deer which had evaded me the first time round. This time my hunt was more intelligent and as I fed from its throat I felt the monster slink back into his cage, finally sated...for now.

I took my time washing the blood from my shirt and hands as best I could in the small stream the deer had been drinking at when I sensed them. My clothes were ruined but at least the smell of human blood had all but faded away. I took my time walking back to the hospital, calming myself but still furious with Jacob Black, he and I had a difference of opinion over Bella that talking would never solve. I thought back to the choice that Bella had made, running him over to save me. She had shown clearly her choice but he just wouldn't listen. Charlie and I had a certain topic to discuss too but would have to wait until he was out of the hospital. He needed to understand that laying his hand on Bella, daughter or not, was just not acceptable. As far as I was concerned it was listen and agree or die, simple!

I was so deep in thought that I didn't see the figure walking up to me until he spoke,

"Major, get your head out of your ass. I could have been a wolf boy"

"No, you smell better"

"OK I'll take that as a compliment."

He saw me look round,

"Charlotte took Bella home so I volunteered to wait for you"

"Bull Peter. Char ordered you to wait"

"Well it amounts to the same thing."

"How was Charlie when she left him?"

"Asleep I think. I don't understand why women do that"

"What?"

"Care about a scum bag who hits them"

"You saw that too?"

"It's difficult to miss and you didn't. Why didn't you kick his ass?"

"Don't worry Peter, he touches her again he's a dead man. I guess he hadn't done it before, she never showed signs of being frightened of him when she was with Edward. I think he kept his anger locked in until after Edward left her. He's a cop so I guess he gets to take his aggression out chasing villains usually. I have to speak to Bella about it before I see Charlie again."