The Other Bella Swan
"Fine, use an excuse. I know what you were really thinking." I snorted in annoyance. Boys and their crazy harmones.
Once Jacob was finished putting on his shirt, pants, and sneakers we walked down a woddy path till an opening cleared ahead.
"We are meeting them there?" I asked as I flicked a looseleaf from my hair.
"Yeah, except they are already here," he commented as he pulled a low branch away from our pathway. Opening up, we both stepped out into a clearing that was unusuallu large. The grass was short and gray by the dark clouds above and I eyed it with caution.
"No worry," said Jacob as he joined me, "Your bloodsucker said it shouldn't rain till tonight." I frowned when he called Alice bloodsucker. Using that same term with Victoria and Alice made it really pathatic.
Of course, the scenery wasn't what first caught my attention. Up ahead in the center of the clearing, a group of unlikey people stood.
Alice and Jasper were standing together in each other's arms with Brissa leaning on one leg with her arms crossed. Willard stood a little to the back, playing with (grossly) a dead rabbit. They all stood close on my left and then on the right was the werewolves. Sam and Seth were inches apart, stuck in conversation. Unlike Jacob they both only wore shorts. Circled around them was three large wolves. The first was closest I recognized was Embry with his gray pelt and darker spots. His eyes flicked to us approaching and quickly back to the vampires. Further away was a dark chocolate wolf that was pawing the grass impatiently. I figured this was Quil by his wolfy expression. Behind Sam and Seth was another gray wolf, but smaller and paler with a different build. It's eyes were focused on Seth, who was speaking at Sam.
"Who is the small wolf? Leah?" I asked in a whisper. Jake nodded his head.
"We figure that as a female she would be smaller because she is smaller then us in person too." I didn't want him to say it out freely to be embarrased, but I knew there was no point in whispering. They all probably could have heard us back at the stream anyway.
"Hey, Bella," chirped up Alice. She swiftly sprinted to us, which cause Jacob to lean back in disgust. Alice ignored his reaction. "We waited for you, since this is really all about you."
"Great," I sighed, "my biggest fear. Having every vampire and werewolf's attention on me." She laughed lightly at that, and again I was overwhelmed that she was here. I missed her so much. As much as I missed Edward. As in, when I did miss Edward.
"Can we start now?" whinned Brissa. "that deer I had didn't please my stomache so I want this to be over with." I couldn't help but notice how Leah growled.
"Ok," said Alice as she stepped back over to Jasper. Jake and I followed, except Jake switched from my left to my right so that he was on the side of his pack. I roled my eyes by his childish behavior. "Listen, I had a vision of a vampire with a large group of others." As she spoke, I noticed the wolves lean slightly forward, hungry for information. "it wasn't one I recognized nor one that has been around long. But the group of others were defiantly newborns."
"Newborns?" asked Seth, "As in, freshly made?"
"Exactly," said Jasper, " and they are much more powerful then us. Their suuden change makes them wild and unpredictable."
"But they aren't controlling," said Sam as he turned his gaze to the wolves. Seth smiled at this.
However, Alice didn't seem happy. "I know being out of focus should be a good thing, but it isn't. this just makes it harder for me to see when they will come."
"Come? You mean here?" asked Jacob. " What the hell, I thought you said the redhead was coming."
"She is, I think." Said Alice rather confused. "I only saw the vision once."
"Explain," I demanded. Alice gave me a look, but described it.
"I saw glimpse of water. And then Victoria pouncing at Bella. She had her hand around her waist…it was sudden death."
I shivered. I could see the vision as she told it. The end of my life, the victory for Victoria. "Water?" I asked without thinking. I didn't understand that part.
"I am guessing a river. There was splashing against rocks. And it wasn't large waves like the ocean."
"But that wouldn't happen," spoke Jacob. His eyes were darkening. "We will protect her. That's our job."
"But also to protect others," said Sam as he placed a hand on Jake's shoulder. He turned his attention to the vampires. "What about the others? The newborns?"
"My guess," answered Jasper, "is that it is a army. This vampire wants to attack. I have seen it. I have lived through it." I stared at Jasper in confusion. I have never learned of his past or how he became a vampire. Is there a story I haven't heard of the Cullens?
"What do mean?" questioned Jacob.
Jasper sighed before stepping closer and lifting his sleeve up. If I wasn't so close to him and the lighting was not bright, I wouldn't have made out the identical crest scars up his arm.
"Jasper, what happened?" I asked. I slid my own sleeve up to show my own scar from Jame's teeth.
"I was a general during the Civil War. I had met these three women and was soon turned into a vampire. They wanted me to help them make an army. To destroy other covens for territory for blood." I spotted the wolves from the corner of my eye tense. "That is what this new threat is doing. But it still bothers me. He is so young."
"He wouldn't know of the armies," added Alice.
"So it is obvious, isn't it?" asked Willard. I had forgotten of him and Brissa, both having stayed frozen in position.
"What do you mean?" asked Sam. His face was harden by speaking to this tricky looking vampire.
"Victoria is recruitting this 'new threat' to distract us. So she can get to Isabella."
I turned to everyone else. Sam, Jacob, and the wolves glanced at each other, Seth looking surprised, and Alice along with Jasper eyes open in shock.
"So there is only one option," said Jacob. We all turned to him. "We fight."
"But at what cost?" asked Brissa rather darkly. "What cost will you dogs go to protect one girl? A chance where some would be killed?" she turned to Jasper. "Will your past experience be such an advantage? Will you be willing to risk your enteral mate?" with her head still facing Alice, her deep golden eyes pressed into mine. "And you," she stepped closer with ease, but still caused Jacob to press himself closer to me. "What will you say? Will you risk your friends and lover for your own average life?" I didn't answer, only returned her gaze. "What do you say? Fight…or surrender?"
all eyes turned to me. The golden vampires and the dark wolves. What do I choose? Am I that selfish? Would I risk loosing Seth, Alice, Jacob? I wanted to say forget it, let me go alone, let me end this battle. But a voice inside me spoke. Not Edward's, not me and Edward's and surprisenly, not me. A voice that was soft and heavenly but strong and determined.
All is fair in love and war. But love is what wins the battle.
"We fight." I say aloud. The wolves grin, Jacob smiling slightly. Willard grinned evily with Jasper and Alice nodding. And surprisenly, Brissa's cheeks rose high.
"That a girl," she whispered. I smiled back, and for an odd need to, I stretched my arm out, palm facing down.
"Will you all do it?" I asked, "If you don't want to, then don't. secretly, I rather you all wouldn't."
"Bella, I am always here," spoke Jacob as his hot hand covered mine.
"Silly, Bella, I thought you knew me?" asked Alice as her fingers lightly laid above Jake's. jasper sighed placing his hand as well.
"Hell, yeah!" cried Seth as he slapped his hand down. Sam walked over with the three other wolves close by.
"It is what we are created for," he spoke deeply.
"This should be exciting," commented Willard as he placed a hand in delicately. I turned to Brissa with a raised brow.
"Fine, what the hell. Not like I am on a schedule."
And that was that. The human, the werewolves, and the vampires. Fighting not against each other but with each other.
Man, life is twisted.
"Dad, hurry up! You're going to be late for work!" I yelled up the stairs impatiently. This was rather annoying, waiting for him to leave. Usually, I wouldn't care, but today was important.
Only yesterday did all my friends argee to fight against a army of vampires and the need to speak to Alice was demanding. I wanted to know what was happening, how we were going to defend against them. Even more so, I needed to speak to Alice without Charlie knowing. So, ergo, he had to leave.
"Calm down, Bells," he said as he walked down the steps. He was fumbling to put his belt on. "Why so eager to get rid of me? Is Jake coming over? Now, Bella—"
"No no no no," I ranted hastily as I pushed him to the front door. But his hand gripped the door frame halfway out.
"Bella, I know you two really love each other, but I don't want you kids to…well—"
"Nope, we aren't, full virgin here, no sex, total unbloom flower—"
"Ok, that's more then I need to hear for the rest of my life," he said loudly as he hurried from the house. I sighed, happy to know that Charlie has a weakness I could use against him for later.
"Did you have to be so rude?" asked a voice very close behind me. I jumped and nearly screamed till I turned on the spot to see Alice standing by the stairs. "Sorry," she admitted before walking over to the living room. She took a sit on the couch with her legs tucked under her.
"No, it's ok," I assured her, though I was still shaky. I wasn't use to being around vampires much anymore.
I strolled over to the couch and sat beside her, pulling my sweatshirt tighter around me. Rain began to fall outside.
"So, what's happening? What are we going to do?" I was eager to get some information. Alice sighed.
"We are going to fight them up in the mountains a good twenty miles from town and the reserve. You, on the other hand, we aren't sure to do with."
"Why? Can't I hide here? Or your place?"
she shook her head. "That would be crazy. You would only lead them here and even at the reserve. They could get past us. We do even out."
"How many?" I asked. She knew what I meant.
"Probably seventeen. It keeps changing because they fight or create new ones."
"Wait, there is only twelve of us. How does that even out?" I questioned.
Alice sighed again but smiled. "You are so simple minded with vampires, Bella. See, newborns are so…untrained. Plus, we are growing in numbers ourselves."
This confused me, but also made me shiver at a sudden thought. "Do you mean…the others are helping us?"
Her lips formed a thin line and her golden eyes were sadden. She looked as if she was about to take a knife at me. And regret it.
To be continued…
Next chapter will be titled: REVEALED
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