Another two days went by with no sign of Victoria returning. According to the Cullens and her friends the woman had made her way to the area numerous times before each time barely evading their efforts to track her down. She saw it as part of a game, a hindrance to her mission, a barrier she needed to get past in order to accomplish her final goal. While Emrby and the others continued to run near constant patrols through the area Jake was her escort to school. Honestly she enjoyed the time spent with Jake especially now that everything was out in the open but having someone watch her every step was rather off putting. No matter how much she loved Jake, Scarlett felt uncomfortable catching herself sometimes thinking of him as her jail warden.
Scarlett loved snuggling into his warmth at night after he crawled into the room from her bedroom window to share her bed. There were moments when both thought that things could've gone further than they had on those nights but they stopped themselves before they went too far. In reality both she and Jake felt ready to make that move in their relationship but yet they thought it would be best to wait for when the danger concerning Victoria and her vendetta her taken care of. Instead they had contented themselves with snuggling Jake's warmth helping her feel safe.
During the times that Jake wasn't with her Embry, Leah or one of the others were with her. It was when the person following her every move was anyone other than Jake that Scarlett felt her annoyance rise to dangerous levels. The only times that she found herself without someone watching her was during her classes that none of her friends were in. As soon as the class ended Jake was waiting for her right outside the door. Unable to help the smile curling her lips Scarlett took his offered hand as he lead her toward their shared lunch period.
Scarlett had to admit if there was one thing she enjoyed was the fact that she was now recieiving numerous hateful glares from her female classmates. It wasn't all that surprising, after all Jake was without a doubt one of the most popular guys in school. From the moment they had walked into the school hand in hand word had traveled faster than usual in a school as small as theirs. It didn't take long before the entire school knew that they were a couple.
Taking only a few steps toward the cafeteria Scarlett's cell phone rang. Pausing mid step Scarlett pulled her phone from her pocket to answer it. Looking at the display screen to see who was calling she never even bothered answering it herself but instead passed it knowingly to Jake. Jake said little more than a quick hello before his face became serious. Scarlett needed no more to know what the subject of the phone call was. Her thoughts were confirmed moments later when Jake hung up the cell phone and handed it back to her.
"You're leaving?" she asked despite already knowing the answer.
"They found her trail circling around the borders," he informed her as he began to make his way back down the hall toward the exit.
Scarlett followed close behind. Before reaching the exit Jake came to a sudden stop. Turning he looked down into Scarlett's eyes. As he looked into her eyes Jake could see the worry behind them.
"I'll be fine," he told her reassuringly. "Will you be alright by yourself?"
"Don't worry Jake," she replied with a tremulous smile unable to completely hide her worry for him. "I'll stay out of trouble. Don't I always?"
"No," he answered simply his voice serious. "Not really."
"I'll see you at the house later," she said with assurance.
Working up her best smile Scarlett lifted herself to her tip toes to place a quick peck on the cheek. Before she could step away Jake turned his head catching her lips with his in a gentle kiss. The gentle kiss quickly became filled with passion but it ended quickly as Jake forced himself to pull away. Standing there Scarlett watched with faked happiness as Jake walked out of the school toward the forest. For the rest of the day Scarlett suffered in silence as she worried for Jake's safety. Even knowing that in many ways Jake was 'somewhat' indestructible as wolf didn't help ease the worry. She knew that Victoria was not an opponent to be under estimated even for the pack.
The moment that the final bell rang Scarlett nearly bolted from the school intent on getting home in hopes that Jake would soon be there as well. However, as she walked a feeling of dread crept over her. The road she walked was empty and enclosed with high reaching trees on either side. The wind blew lifting the leaves from their branches as it whistled by. It was then that Scarlett realized that something was wrong. There was no sound, no birds or other animal, no sound at all. There was nothing but the wind. As the fear crept in Scarlett's pace quickened. Then she heard it the snapping of a branch from somewhere nearby.
Moving only on instinct Scarlett jumped from the tree line hiding herself in the abundant foliage. Keeping the fear in check Scarlett waited not knowing what would happen. If nothing did happen she would continue on her way but over the past few days she'd learned the need for causation especially when alone. With each moment that passed nothing happened yet the fear did not fade. Instead the fear only grew more intense with each passing moment telling her that something was far from right. Suddenly all her fears were answered.
"Oh little human!" the woman's familiar voice called out.
At the sound of the voice Scarlett felt her heart jump with fear.
"I know you're here," the voice called again. "I can smell you."
Scarlett knew there was little use in hiding. It was pointless to even try with something that had such lethal senses as she did. Knowing that didn't mean she wasn't going to try. Taking a deep breath Scarlett took off into the woods as fast as her feet could carry her weaving her way through the dense trees with ease. As she ran she heard the wicked laugh echo behind her followed by the quick easy steps that followed her.
Scarlett felt intense pain shooting up her side from the activity but she continued to push herself the fear giving her the extra adrenaline that she needed. All that was in her mind was getting through the woods to the house where Jake or one of the others would be waiting for her to return. With any luck she would get close enough that they would be able to smell Victoria--- hopefully before she was caught herself.
Suddenly, Scarlett's luck ran out as she tripped over a tree root that had been hidden. She went down hard barely catching herself on her hands and knees before she fell completely.
"Damn," Scarlett muttered in pain.
The pain from the fall was quickly forgotten when the memory of Victoria's chase consumed her. Looking behind her Scarlett found herself cornered as she sat on the ground cornered against a tree and Victoria with her wild rioting hair. Victoria's face was curled in a laughing sneer that sent chills running down Scarlett's back.
"Where's your mutt now little human?" Victoria hissed as she began to circle her prey.
Scarlett didn't answer instead she concentrated on attempting to find any possible escape from the dangerous woman. As Victoria continued to circle her Scarlett saw the slightest opening present itself, taking it she attempted to run but the attempt was in vain. The stinging pain from her fall combined with the stiffness of her legs hindered her progress. Before she could even make it a couple steps Scarlett found herself held tightly in Victoria's indestructible grasp one arm circling her next to hold her in place. All the while Victoria was laughing in wicked glee.
"Too bad," she laughed. "I had hoped for him to see you die but they keep such a closed circle around you this is unfortunately the only way."
Trapped in Victoria's grasp Scarlett did the only thing she could, she screamed. Her scream was cut short by the sudden pain that was coursing through her left shoulder. It was as if something fiery hot had been injected into her body to burn painfully. She felt the blood leaving her body as it dripped down her neck from the wound created from Victoria's bite. There was no doubt what had happened. Even through the pain filled haze clouding her mind Scarlett knew that she'd been bitten.
"Not bad," Victoria laughed releasing Scarlett.
In her weakened condition Scarlett dropped to the ground the shock of the landing sending an extra jolt of pain through her body. Crumpled on the forest floor Scarlett could only curl into herself from the pain that coursed through her. The pain seemed endless all she could do was wait for Victoria to finish what she had begun. With tightly closed eyes Scarlett heard Victoria move above her most likely to deal the final deadly blow.
In what she thought was that final moment Scarlett saw Jake with his warm gentle chocolate brown eyes and strong presence. She remembered how she felt when with him, how warm and safe she felt with him. She thought about how much she loved him. Holding on tightly to those feelings she readied herself for the final blow. Once again she heard Victoria move above her and just as she thought that the final blow was emanate something else came to her through the pain.
Scarlett heard the wolves howl from somewhere in her hazy mind. They seemed to be a mix of mournful cries and howls of anger. In that next moment she heard them even more clearly as the wolves burst on swift paws through the trees. The threatening growls that she heard next were unmistakable sounds of predators. Managing to blink open her eyes Scarlett could make out the familiar blurry forms of the wolves the now lined the area. Suddenly one wolf in particular was standing over her its long legs resting on either side of her body as it stood over her protectively its entire attention targeted on the threat before them.
"Jake---," she whispered recognizing the beautiful brown fur of the wolf standing over her. Her voice was painful and hoarse but she continued anyway fearing that they may be her last words. "I love you."
The moment that the words were uttered Scarlett felt her body give into the pain succumbing to blissful unconsciousness.
Jake glanced down at the battered body laying in a heap on the forest floor. It was too painful for him to see Scarlett in such pain. He'd felt that something was wrong, he'd felt it since the moment he left her at the school. His fear had only intensified when he's smelt Victoria's foul scent mixed with Scarlett's. Alerting the pack they had wasted no time in running to where they smelt them. With each step he had taken he'd worried whether or not he'd be too late to save her. Looking down at Scarlett now Jake saw how late he truly had been. When they had entered the area the smell of her blood had been unmistakable. For a moment he'd hoped he was wrong but to no avail. The wound marring her shoulder was dripping blood from where Victoria had bitten her injecting her venom into Scarlett's system.
She looked so delicate and pale beneath him now covered in blood from her wounded shoulder. He'd never seen her looking so--- so, he didn't know how to describe it. The sight nearly brought him to his knees. If not for the need to protect her pounding loudly in his mind and heart he would have fallen beside her in an instant. To see the person he held most dear to him--- the only person he'd ever loved as such made him feel as if someone was tightening vice like fist around his heart.
Cursing himself for leaving her alone, blaming himself for what had happened Jake snarled with barred teeth ready to destroy the leech for what she had done to Scarlett. However, just as he took a step to attack Sam stopped him with a demanding bark. Angered at being denied the pleasure of taking off Victoria's head Jake snapped his large lethal jaws, growling with raised fur. Through their mind connection Sam ordered him to leave, to take Scarlett away to safety while they handled Victoria. For a moment Jake wanted to refuse the demand as he knew he could but even then he knew that Sam was right. At his large paws Scarlett continued to wither in pain even while unconscious, it was a sight that he couldn't bear to witness much longer.
With a nod of his large head Jake leaned his large body down beside Scarlett's fallen body. Displaying great care he pulled her carefully atop his back with his large jaws. Without another moment's hesitation Jake disappeared into the woods leaving the rest of the pack to handle Victoria while he sought help for Scarlett. As he ran Jake's mind frantically searched for an answer of where to take Scarlett. He had to save her. He wasn't ready to not be without her. They'd only just rediscovered each other after ten years. She was bitten--- what could possibly be done to save her after that? In his frenzied thoughts only one solution came to mind. If anyone could save her now only one person came to mind.
Unable to think further than saving Scarlett, Jake made his decision in an instant. Moments later his strong legs were caring as fast as he could manage while carrying an unconscious Scarlett on his back toward the Cullen home. He only prayed that he hadn't been too late to save her completely.
No, he couldn't have been too late. Scarlett would live. He would make sure of that.
AN: Another chapter finished for all my readers! What a great weekend! I was so happy from getting to see the Beauty and the Beast Broadway musical that I zipped through his chapter so fast. Now that I've finally gotten to this point I doubt my next chapter will take long at all so keep on the lookout. In the mean time keep your REVIEWS coming.
REVIEW PLEASE!