Temper, Temper: Chapter Twenty Five: You Lose

That greeting didn't seem real. Alex instantly recognised the voice that made her blood freeze over and breath hitch in her mouth. What was he doing here?

Not showing any of her inner turmoil made Felix give a little chuckle, she had been exactly the same when in the Volturi's care, not showing any emotion. It made her a very formidable enemy; being a challenge to be read made her unpredictable, and dangerous.

Felix rolled his shoulder slightly and made to move towards her, but when Alex's stance crouched slightly into a defensive pose, he simply cocked his head with a smirk. Proceeding forward very slowly towards her, Felix's words danced around her and massaged her skin hypnotizing and lethal.

"What's the matter? Not pleased to see m-"

A slight breeze blew through the air and the vampire halted abruptly.

Alex lashed her head to see what it was that had caused Felix to change his focus from her, that was a very rare thing. Part of Alex's heart crumpled in her chest, as though an unseen fist was embracing it tightly. Claire was a few paces away from her, staring awestruck at Felix while holding the previously soil bound yellow flower that still had a bulbous bumblebee humming a dance around the petals.

Rigidly both Felix and Alex looked at each other simultaneously.

When black pools diluted the otherwise blood red of Felix's eye, Alex snapped into action and turned to Claire.

"Claire, you know where Uncle Paul works?" Alex's voice remained calm but the baritone behind the chords were strained and panicked. Slowly Alex watched Felix while speaking; as he moved like a frame by frame movie, so slow but calculating, she did the same, trying to get infront of the young child and keep her safe.

"I need you to go there, as fast as you can. Don't stop for anyone"

As soon as Alex's mouth formed the last letter of the word, Felix came to life. He darted, directly at Claire with the speed all of his species possessed making her subsequently scream out in terror. The pale attacker didn't get very far though, still human Alex launched at him and brought him to the floor.

As Alex pinned Felix to the floor she called back to Claire who hadn't made any motion to leave yet.

"It's okay Claire…I'm fine – Go!" She shouted as her arms and legs fought to restrain her superior opponent in vain.

Claire thankfully sped from sight after a moment, when she did, Felix broke free and turned on Alex who was panting heavily. Like a dance partner, he caught her wrist in a vice grip and spun her around dramatically till her back faced him and her body was encased by his strong arms.

"Maternal all of a sudden?"

Alex groaned from her prison and bit her lip harshly to stop any sound or conversation to be started up. All she wanted was to be left alone – even Paul had figured that out before her and thrown in the towel undoubtedly.

"I think I've broke through this little barrier of yours, I really do. Before we'd fight and fight and you wouldn't care about anything. Now-" Felix made a tutting sound and planted his face into the crook of her neck, smelling it loudly and using his free hand to pull the curtain of auburn tresses.

"All I have to do is hold you and you turn into a little puppy. Things not working out with lover boy? Ahh that's it! The wolf is the cause of it, no fear Pet, you can come back to Italy and we can catch up where we left off"

Illustrating his point, cold hands brought Alex's wrist upwards and with a gentle viciousness, Felix encased his mouth over the centre of her wrist and bit down.

A good façade faded when animal canines plunged into her skin.

A scream pierced the air and Alex cried out as the venom ran through her own veins, weakening the unsurpassed immune system a shape shifting gene had given her. Angrily she pushed Felix away from her and surged forward into her wolf, the silver fur of her left paw was tainted with a deep shade of crimson as the venom refused to allow her wrist to repair itself.

Alex's limp paw made her unable to attack offensively but as soon as Felix darted forward she got her chance and easily side stepped around his frame before enclosing her own mouth around his neck.

Flung away by an arm she continued to try and get the better of the vampire but with an injured leg, it was amazing she was able to retain the defence she had. As she went to dodge another attack, Felix caught her off guard. Suddenly, his arms encased around her torso and as though she was light as a feather, he picked her up and easily chucked her above his head. A harsh rumble shuddered through the ground as she landed heavily.

Alex remained still and didn't move. She couldn't move, even when her wolf alias whispered away and she was back in her human form, she remained lifeless. Felix came forward and circled round her, the vampire looked regretful as he came and inspected her face apprehensively. Like it was a shame he had inflicted that on her – 'Only shame he's thinking about is the fact I didn't break more bones' Alex commented mentally, staring her own green eyes into his crimson ones.

A strange thing happened when Felix opened his mouth, it wasn't his voice that filled the air, it was deep echoing howls. Wolf howls.

Smiling, Alex was able to separate the orchestra and pin point the wolves making the noise. Her enemy vampire looked stumbled a bit before looking back down at Alex who chuckled lightly,

"You lose…again"

As Felix pounded his fist into the ground and made his escape Alex nuzzled her head into the ground like a pillow and closed her eyes. Feeling the tremors in the ground as the wolves paws slammed into the soil and closed the distance between them.

"Socks? You've got to open your eyes Alex, do not fall asleep"

That wasn't a wolves voice, Alex wrinkled her nose in confusion but relaxed again when she remembered that this was Cullen territory and the voice that implored her to remain conscious was a friend. A dear friend who had been absent from her life as of late.

"Alex?" Emmett asked her, all she could do was mumble back; she was exhausted and wanted to sleep without all these voices and loud noises.

"Socks?"

"Is she okay?"

"Come on Princess, don't be such a drama-ow!" Alex was grateful for whoever worked up the courage to silence Leah and smiled as all the wolf's voices came into her head as usual.

A sterner voice silenced them as her demanded, "Alex, open your eyes, now"

With protest and difficulty, she did as she was told and found herself staring into Paul's eyes which were darting over every inch of her face with a pained expression that only made Alex close her eyes once more.

"She's ok, thank God"

A growl came from Paul that told Alex he was not happy, not happy at all.

"Her wrist needs stitching, venom is going to have an effect on her healing herself" Carlisle commented. Of course that's the reason Paul was upset, all these vampires around, his imprint getting attacked, his imprint naked in the meadow with everyone watching. No, he definitely would not be in a jolly mood.

Suddenly Alex felt herself being lifted off the ground and shielded from people's eyes against someone. The familiar heat and smell of them told her it was Paul and she worked up enough energy to put both her arms around his neck delicately.

"Anybody would swear a normal life is too much to ask for" Paul said to Jacob while thinking over practically everything he'd ever experienced as he carried Alex to the Cullen's house which was closest.

"Think about it, when you add werewolves, vampires, treaties, Alex, welsh people, imprinting and anger issues – things are never gonna be normal"

Paul nodded solemnly, 'Things were going so well' he thought mentally and for a brief moment he would have done anything to go back to how things were only a few days before.