Chapter 25
At the last minute, Bella and Edward decided to leave Renesmee behind with Emily and Lacey, not wanting their daughter in the crossfire. Renesmee argued, not wanting to leave Seth's side, but he assured her he would be back. To assure his return, Seth gave her a necklace, which had a saber tooth dangling from it. It was real and had been passed down in the Clearwater family for centuries. It was also Seth's most prized possession, besides Renesmee, so parting with it was extremely difficult, even if it was for a few days.
Morning arrived, the sun barely mounting over the horizon, and Jared was already up with Lacey, both of them standing on the porch. His arms wrapped around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder, knowing Lacey was hiding her fears from him. Jared sighed, inhaling her scent, wishing she wouldn't hide her feelings from him because he could smell the fear radiating off of her.
"Lace…"
"Don't forget to eat something before you leave." She murmured, covering his hand with hers, giving it a gentle squeeze.
Slowly turning her around, Jared stared down into Lacey's worried blue eyes and kissed her lips softly. "Don't hide from me." He said in a raspy voice, seeing the tears already building, and kissed a few of them away that slid down her cheeks.
Lacey hadn't meant to start crying, but couldn't help it. Jared was going on what seemed like a suicide mission and she was scared to death. Burying her face in his chest, Lacey locked her arms around his waist, feeling his fingers run through her raven hair, trying his best to comfort her.
"Just come back safely. I don't know what I'd do if…" She trailed off, shaking her head, not able to even think about the possibility of Jared not coming back.
Jared lifted her chin with his strong hand, forcing her eyes to meet his. "Nothing will keep me from coming back to you." He vowed, pressing his forehead to hers, rolling it gently from side to side. "I'll do what it takes."
"How can you say that though?"
"Because the plan is flawless." Jared was confident, trusting Sam's judgment, and knew the Cullens wouldn't betray them.
"How can you be so positive about this?" Lacey wondered briefly if Carlisle had slipped something into his sleeping draught because Jared was SMILING on this day of reckoning.
Jared simply smiled, kissing her lips softly. "Because I have you in my life and that's all I need to know everything's going to be fine." He winked just as Sam walked out, a supportive Emily following suit.
Sam noticed the tear streaks on Lacey's cheeks, sighing gently, knowing Emily would have to comfort and help her through this. He already thought of Lacey as a sister and walked over, placing a hand on her shoulder. He remembered the first time he went on a dangerous mission and how distraught Emily was.
"I'll protect him the best I can." Sam refused to promise her he'd be safe because nobody could predict the future.
"When do we leave?" Jacob was up before all of them, having gotten a few hours of sleep. The draught hadn't been as strong as Carlisle would've liked, which pleased Jacob to no end.
"In a few minutes." Sam sighed, turning to face Emily and ran a finger down her cheek, pressing his forehead to hers. "I will come back."
"You better." She whispered, kissing him with everything she had inside of her, knowing it might be the last time they were together. Emily was always prepared for that possibility and knew Lacey would have to adapt to it if she was going to be with Jared for the rest of her life.
Bella and Edward came from the shadows; the dark circles under their eyes temporarily subsided. While the wolves rested for the journey ahead, the Cullens hunted as much as they possibly could. They needed every ounce of strength they could muster up. Carlisle had even stolen some blood from the hospital because human blood lasted far longer than animals.
"Are we ready?" Bella asked somewhat anxiously, glancing at a pacing Jacob, swallowing hard when he nodded. "Okay Jake, come here." She already had the binds in her hands, feeling her dead heart aching somehow, not wanting to do this. "Please don't make me do this…" She whispered, staring into his dark eyes, turmoil in her topaz orbs.
"Bella love…" Edward was at her side instantly, taking the binds from her hands, staring back at Jacob as they both simultaneously nodded. "Take care of Seth. I'll handle Jacob."
"You'll handle me?" Jacob snorted, his arrogance taking over briefly. "Don't forget I can still take you down if I want, bloodsucker."
Edward merely rolled his eyes, sighing gently. "The more time you waste trying to act superior to myself, the closer the Denali becomes dangerous to Desiree." He nodded when Jacob instantly held his hands out, hating to do this, but it was really for the best. "I know you do not trust me, Jacob and I do not blame you for it, but I'm asking you to trust me now."
"Why should I?" Jacob asked through gritted teeth, his dark eyes meeting Edward's, knowing they never really saw eye to eye.
"Because all I want is for Desiree to come home safely to you." Edward replied in that low, quiet voice full of kindness. It was unnerving because rarely did Edward become angry unless Bella was involved. "You feel for her the way I do Bella. You would die for her without a second thought."
"Damn right I would." Jacob squared his shoulders, a slow snarl forming on his lips at the mere thought of Desiree dying. "Just do what you have to, bl-"
Edward closed his eyes briefly, waiting for that dreadful nickname to sound from Jacob's lips.
"Ed." Jacob smirked when he cringed, raising an eyebrow. He didn't mind being called a bloodsucker, but the nickname Ed bothered Edward?
Storing that information away for later, Jacob was all business as he watched Embry, Quil, Sam, Seth and Leah being tied up like he was.
Edward finished the binding before stepping back. "Test them." He ordered, hoping they acquired strong enough binds to hold the wolves in place, nodding when it seemed to work.
Paul and Jared were on instant alert, hating that over half of the pack was bound, eyes narrowed. Jared looked down at Lacey, cupping her face in his hand, and kissed her forehead. Paul simply stood there, having become alpha since Sam was out of commission for the time being. Bound or not, the Cullens weren't running the show.
"Enough." Edward said in a dangerous, quiet voice, shaking his head at Paul. "If we do not trust each other, then Desiree will die. Do you want that?"
Paul sighed heavily, shaking his head, along with Jared.
"Good." Edward glanced toward his sister, staring into Alice's eyes, swallowing hard. "We have to hurry."
Nobody liked hearing that as they said their final goodbyes, Seth staring into Renesmee's eyes as she touched his cheek. He leaned into her touch, nodding, not caring if she was still a little girl. "I love you too." He whispered, kissing her forehead and felt Bella gently pull him back.
"I'll bring him back safely." Bella promised her daughter, who merely nodded, Edward walking over as they held Renesmee close. "I love you so much, Renesmee."
With one last goodbye, eight shape shifters and eight vampires ventured into the woods toward Denali, Alaska.
'I'm on my way Des.' Jacob thought, allowing Edward to guide him, knowing the Denali could have spies hundreds of miles prior to actually arriving at their destination.
Desiree stumbled into her room, after being served disgusting deer meat that wasn't even halfway cooked. She refused to eat it, tossing it in Katrina's face, and was whipped three times with a belt right across her back. Three mean red strap marks marred her beautiful skin as Desiree collapsed in bed, tears streaking her already scorched cheeks.
"Jake…" She whispered, gripping the bedding, trying to make her way up fully.
She missed Jacob like crazy, wondering if he was coming to rescue her, slowly feeling the hope deteriorate. She loved him with everything she had, but also didn't want him putting his life on the line for her. Maybe for once in his life, Jacob would run in the opposite direction and save himself.
At the very least, Desiree knew he wasn't hurt in the woods the night she was taken by this clan of bloodsuckers. Jacob had been right about them all along. She flat out refused to call them anything else.
Knowing she was putting the baby in jeopardy by not eating, that's what Desiree wanted. She refused to allow her baby to be tested on for experiments and then killed savagely by these bloodsuckers. She would rather put her baby out of its misery than allow the pain and desecration to occur once it was born.
"I'm so sorry little one." She managed to say before falling into unconscious, praying this misery ended soon.
Exactly twelve hours later, Tanya flew through the door, having been out hunting, blinking rapidly. "Katrina!" She called frantically, not believing this was happening, trembling slightly.
Katrina rushed out her room, wearing a deep blood red robe, having been in the middle of something with Garrett. "This better be important." She snapped, tossing hair over her shoulder, folding her arms impatiently over her chest. "Well?"
"Carmen and Eleazar left." Tanya watched Katrina's face fall, both of them looking very apprehensive.
"W-What?" Katrina had a hard time talking, knowing she didn't have to breathe to live, even though it felt as though every tendon in her body had gone numb. "What do you mean they LEFT?"
"I mean LEFT as in they are GONE and NOT coming back EVER!" Tanya shouted, covering her mouth with her hand, still not believing the shocking conversation she'd had with them. "Carmen basically told me what we were doing is savage to an innocent human being who had no part in Irina's death and they wanted no part of it."
"Cowards!" Katrina shrieked, gripping her hair in her hands, Garrett rushing out moments later.
"What the hell is going on?"
"Carmen and Eleazar are running away like cowards!" Katrina hurled the nearest item she could get her hands on against the wall, which was a vase, watching the glass shatter into a million pieces.
Garrett blinked, too shocked by the news to notice the vase. "They're gone?" When Katrina nodded through blackened eyes, Garrett started laughing.
Tanya blinked this time, wondering if Garrett had officially lost his mind. "I don't find this REMOTELY humorous, Garrett! Do you realize what this means?! We're done for! The Cullens will rip us apart along with those dogs!"
"So dramatic as always, Tanya dear." A seductive voice sounded from behind the three, causing a big grin to spread across Garrett's face.
Tanya froze along with Katrina, both of them quickly whipping around to face none other than Caius and he wasn't alone. Alec and Felix, along with unknown soldiers dressed head to toe in black cloaks, stepped inside. Alec's blood red eyes looked around, growling at the first scent of human blood in the room. He was over to the bloody strap in seconds swiping his finger down it and put it to his mouth, groaning.
"Caius, what are you doing here?" Tanya demanded, trying not to let him see how nervous she was, folding her arms in front of her chest. "I don't believe you're welcome here."
Caius chuckled wickedly, stepping forward and took a curl of her strawberry blonde hair, twirling it slowly around his finger. "And why is that?" He asked, a smirk tilting the corners of his lips, eyes flashing.
"Because you killed our sister." Katrina immediately pulled Tanya away from Caius, Garrett coming up behind her moments later.
"Thank you for coming."
Katrina gaped, looking up at her lover, confusion registering instantly. "You…INVITED them here?!" She was beside herself, feeling his hands on her shoulders, tensing instantly.
"You know as well as I do we need assistance when it comes to the Cullens and their filthy pets. They will not give up Desiree without a fight." Garrett said huskily in her ear, wishing she would calm down because he could tell Caius was becoming agitated.
Not about to fall into a trap, Tanya pulled away from her sister, walking right up to Caius. "What's in it for you?" She demanded, knowing the Volturi did not do favors without gaining some sort of benefit in the end. "What do you want from us in exchange for your services?"
"Hmm how prudent of you to assume I want something." Caius chuckled, though Alec was not laughing, his eyes still fixated on the bloody strap.
"I know the Volturi well enough to know that, when a favor is called, they've already been promised something." Tanya narrowed her gold eyes slightly, slowly turning her head when Caius merely gestured a hand toward Garrett.
Katrina slowly looked up at her lover, seeing the guilt in his eyes, and slowly stepped back. "What did you promise him?" She whispered, wondering if she was better left in the dark.
Garrett sighed heavily, running a hand though his hair. "You have to understand I did it for us, Kate…" He sounded strained and blinked when her hand collided with his face, the smack echoing throughout the house.
"WHAT DID YOU PROMISE HIM?"
Rubbing his reddened cheek, which was already healing, Garrett wrapped his strong hand around her arm, yanking her against him. "Your sister." He hissed, shoving her back so hard, she crashed into the wall, leaving a small dent in it. "I promised him Tanya."
Icicles felt as though they were piercing every part of Tanya's body as she slowly looked up into the hungry eyes of Caius, her mouth going dry. Feeling him snake an arm around her waist, Tanya knew she had no choice and could feel her senses paralyze. That was Alec's gift, which made him one of the most powerful members of the Volturi, instantly collapsing in Caius's waiting arms.
"Now that this is situated, show me our staying corridors." Caius ordered, lifting Tanya's numb body over his shoulder.
"How could you do this?" Katrina whispered with betrayal clear as day in her eyes, along with deep hatred. "I didn't WANT them involved, how many times did I have to say it?!"
"I did it for us…"
"NOW Garrett."
Garrett sighed, wanting to comfort his fiancée, having proposed to Katrina the previous night, though he somehow knew she wouldn't forgive him for this. Simply walking down the hallway, Garrett guided the Volturi army to the stairs, knowing they had a fighting chance against the Cullens and dogs now. He knew making Tanya the sacrificial lamb wasn't the brightest idea in the world, but at the moment, all he cared about was existing.