Chapter Twenty Six

Bella

There was a moment of anticipation then she blinked and literally jumped from the bed to stand in the corner, crouching defensively, while looking around at us wildly.

Emmett put his hand out to her hoping to calm her,

"Kerri?"

Jasper motioned him backward but he ignored the warning and took a step forward instead. There was a feral snarl and she was on him, snapping at his neck and ripping the clothes from his back, then suddenly she calmed and I looked at Jasper and saw him concentrating on her, he was helping to calm her rage and confusion.

Emmett

I saw her open her eyes, she was so beautiful, and I just wanted to go to her. I didn't think she would attack me, surely she would recognize me, her mate. In the event she didn't, she leaped at me, teeth snapping and nails clawing at my clothes. Then I felt her relax against me and glanced over at Jasper who was watching her intently.

She put a hand up to stroke my face,

"Emmett, you are so beautiful"

She kissed me, pushing me back to lie beneath her on the floor and I admit I was nervous because those previously snapping teeth were now nuzzling my neck.

"I love you"

She whispered endearments between kisses, then suddenly she stiffened again and sat up so fast I didn't see the transition.

"My baby? What happened to my baby?"

She looked wildly around the room, touching her flat stomach as she did so and I touched her face tenderly but she slapped my hand away.

"Where is my baby?"

She asked through gritted teeth becoming enraged again.

Bella

I moved forward, into her line of sight, hoping the sight of an old friend and a mother might help.

"Kerri, it's Bella"

Her red eyes swiveled to lock on my face.

"Please tell me my baby didn't die."

Her voice was an agonized plea.

I shook my head and smiled encouragingly.

"No Kerri, your baby survived. You and Emmett have a little girl, a daughter."

She smiled and turned back to Emmett her face alight with wonder,

"We have a daughter?"

He nodded, that goofy smile back on his face again and she turned back to me.

"You came back? Are you safe? Is Adam safe from the Volturi"

I nodded,

"Yes. We're all safe."

Her face stilled for a second and I could tell she was listening hard.

"I can hear heartbeats, two of them."

Then she sniffed the air.

"I smell something delicious too"

She made a run for the door shocking us all except Jazz who, faster than the rest of us, tackled her at the top and they fell in an untidy heap. I heard him hiss and saw she had sunk her teeth into his shoulder.

At that point I don't know what happened, I just saw red and grabbed her by the hair ripping her from my husband and throwing her across the room. Emmett shouted in anger and caught her as she fell against the brick wall cracking the plaster which fell like snow around her.

"You hurt my husband you bitch"

I fell to my knees at Jasper's side to see she'd taken a mouthful of his shoulder with her as I tore her away from him and I held him close touching his face to ensure in my own mind that he was OK but he turned to Carlisle.

"Carlisle, I think you should take Bella downstairs."

I looked at him shocked by his words,

"I'm not leaving you"

Just then Kerri landed on my back scratching at my face and spitting in rage and as Emmett dragged her off I heard Peter's voice.

"Oh great, a catfight! I'd have brought a chair if I'd realized there was going to be entertainment".

Jasper snarled as Char giggled and Kerri screamed in rage as she tried to claw my eyes out.

Kerri

I don't know what I expected but when I opened my eyes everything was so different, I could see so much more but all I wanted to do was quench this terrible burning in my throat. I attacked the closest enemy before my brain shouted for me to stop, it was a face I recognised, my husband Emmett, but more handsome than I remembered, and I went from wanting to attack him to wanting him close but as I kissed him I suddenly remembered my baby and touched my stomach, it was flat, where was my baby? What had happened?

A woman approached then, speaking to me, trying to tell me something, but she was too close to my man, the bitch! I was about to attack when I smelled something that I knew would stop the fire in my throat and I went to find it, venom flooding my mouth as I smelled human blood. Another vampire tried to stop me but I was too strong for him, I sank my teeth into his shoulder injecting as much venom as I could to incapacitate him, but then I was grabbed from behind and thrown across the room. The woman, Bella, crouched over him in a protective stance. So she had a man yet she wanted mine too. Not gonna happen bitch, I flew at her again.

Bella

Peter was being his usual helpful self and I snarled at him but he just grinned back at me.

"Very impressive Bells, but your enemy is behind you and ready to chomp down again".

Emmett had her now but he wouldn't hold her for long, she was just too strong at the moment. Jasper got up flexing his numbed arm back to life and grabbed her legs as she kicked and snapped at Emmett once more. Once she was under control Jasper motioned for me to hold her down with Emmett then he moved to crouch over her, concentrating on her face.

"Kerri, stop, calm down and listen to me."

She snarled again but stopped struggling and I knew Jasper was working his magic so I took his hand in mine for support as he sagged slightly, taking her rage for his own.

"That smell, it's your daughter's blood. Do you really want to hurt her? Your baby, Emmett's baby."

She looked at him, her eyes seeming a little less hostile.

"My baby? That smell is my baby's blood?"

Jasper nodded and Emmett took one hand from her shoulder to stroke her cheek,

"Kerri, it's our daughter down there. You don't want to hurt her do you?"

She leaned into his caress kissing his throat.

"No, take me away Emmett before I lose control, I can't stop thinking of blood, I need to feed."

Jasper glanced at Emmett then nodded and I let go of her legs as Emmett held her close and ran to the window jumping over the balcony.

Jasper

I knew Kerri would be easier to control once she'd fed but it was going to be dangerous for her daughter unless we could keep her calm and I knew from bitter experience that it was a hard and often painful job. Once they were clear of the house Carlisle came up with Adam,

"Rose has stayed with the baby for now. I didn't think it would be a good idea to have her too near Kerri."

"And what about Adam? Did you think he'd be safe?"

Carlisle looked at me steadily,

"I wouldn't have brought him up here if I didn't Jasper. He asked to speak to you and as Kerri was no longer here I thought that would be safe."

It was a reprimand and I knew I'd earned it.

"Sorry Carlisle"

He smiled

"Apology accepted. Now I'll leave you to talk. I'm going to keep an eye on Rose and the baby."

Adam came to me and held out his arms to be picked up and when I took him in my arms he put his hands on my face,

"I love you, daddy."

I smiled,

"I love you too Adam."

He turned then to look at Bella,

"I love you too mommy."

Bella ruffled his hair, "Love you too darling."

"Love you too darling."

Adam took a deep breath then he began to speak very quietly,

"Kerri isn't safe to see me yet is she?"

I shook my head,

"No, not yet, she's very angry and confused."

He nodded sagely,

"She'll be better if you let her see her baby, it will calm her down."

Bella looked at our wise little man,

"How do you know that Adam? If you are wrong she could hurt her baby."

He shook his head very determinedly,

"She won't Mummy, I just know."

When Bella looked at me I shrugged,

"It's Emmett's call when they get back."

She suddenly snapped out a question obviously annoyed by something.

"Why did you want me to go downstairs earlier?"

I was taken aback, I thought it was obvious,

"She saw you as a rival, as a threat to her mate."

She smiled, now she understood.

"Why did she attack you though?"

"She was frightened, I appear threatening to most vampires, especially when they see me for the first time."

I gestured to the scars on my arms the ones I knew she no longer even noticed.

"These mark me out as dangerous to other vampires, Bella."

She kissed me, pulling me so close Adam was sandwiched tightly between our bodies.

"Not to me. Never to me, my love"

Adam touched my face,

"Nor me Daddy. I'm not afraid of you, not like Caius was."

His words shocked me,

"What? Who Adam?"

He grinned then suddenly his little face went very serious.

"I heard from Lucky. He sent a message with his dream dog and he said Caius was afraid of you Daddy. He told me to tell you to be careful, he said Caius would try to find a way to hurt you, daddy. Who's Caius?"

To hear a Volturi name on Adams' lips was frightening and I put him down and knelt in front of him so we were face to face.

"You spoke to Lucky's dream dog while you were asleep?"

He nodded his little head and put it close to mine so he could whisper in my ear,

"I hear from Lucky all the time when I sleep, he tells me about his mate and where they've been. I was very sad when you told me he wouldn't be coming back and he found out, so he sends his dream dog to talk to me."

I took his little hands in mine,

"What exactly did Lucky tell you about Caius?"

"Who is Caius, daddy? Is he a bad man?"

I nodded,

"Yes, sometimes. What did Lucky tell you, Adam? It's very important that you tell me everything he said."

Bella

We waited nervously as Adam screwed up his eyes concentrating on what he had been told.

"Lucky told me that Caius was jealous of daddy because he was such a good fighter and very clever. He said daddy did something terrible a long time ago in Mexico and he said Caius has been waiting a very long time to get even with Daddy for something he did, but he wouldn't tell me what. He said it was something to do with a little village and a lady called...umm... Rosa."

I heard a hiss of breath from Peter,

"Shit. I knew that would come back to bite us in the fucking ass."

Jasper looked over shooting him a warning glare then turned his attention back to Adam.

"Was that all he said?"

"No daddy. He said Caius wouldn't tell Aro what he was going to do, it would be a …...secret operation. What does that mean daddy? Is Caius going to hurt you? Lucky said he would warn me if he found out anything else. I don't want you to get hurt, daddy."

He threw his arms around Jasper's neck and sobbed on his shoulder while Jasper stood rubbing his back to soothe him,

"Don't worry Adam, Caius won't hurt me."

I wanted to know who this Rosa was and what had happened but it obviously wasn't something Jasper would discuss in front of our young son so I held my tongue, there would be time to hear all the details once Adam was calm and the problem of Kerri's thirst and rage had been dealt with.