Siren of The Twilight

Chapter 27


Bella

I tried not to think as we drove out of the Cullens' garage. Leaving Aro was like having a chunk of my heart ripped out.

My only consolation was that my dad would be safe.

I sighed heavily when I saw the black Jeep and the red Mercedes speed off in different directions, as we took the central road.

I stared at my hands, as the car pulled onto the freeway.

Suddenly I was aware of my cell vibrating in my jean pocket. I could have groaned when I pulled it out and checked the caller ID.

Charlie.

I glanced at the two vampires in front, before I flipped it open.

"Who is it, Bella?" Jasper asked from the front, glancing over his shoulder. The light from the dashboard gleamed off his and Demetri's inhumanly beautiful faces.

"It's my dad. I have to take this," I murmured, half expecting some resistance.

"It might be better for you to speak to him now, so he doesn't get too worried," Demetri nodded, looking ahead at the road, as we pulled into a deserted side-road, weaving through the forest, towards Seattle.

Taking a deep breath, dreading the phone call I was about to take, I pressed the answer button.

"Bella?" Charlie's voice was panicked and worried, and I hated myself for what I had done. But it had to be done, if it kept him safe.

"Dad, it's me-" I started, but the relieved sigh in my ear turned in a flash to anger before I could explain.

"You come home right now, young lady! Wherever you are, you are coming home!" he almost yelled into my ear. I cringed, feeling his words cut into my heart.

"Dad, I can't. I'm going home, I-I just need to get away!" I replied, closing my eyes and tipping my head back against the headrest. I wished I wasn't sitting in a car with two vampires, but there was no way to hide the conversation from them.

"You're rushing into this, Bells. I know I'm not much fun, but I can change that. Come home, sleep on it and if you still want to go to Phoenix, I'll take you to the airport tomorrow morning," he cajoled in my ear, and I shuddered.

"I'm driving. It'll give me time to think, and if I get tired I'll put into a motel, I promise-" I was cut off again, this time Charlie's words really hitting me hard.

"Bells, I just got you back-"

My self-loathing went up a notch, as I realised how much I would have to hurt him to make him let me go.

"And if I don't get out, then I'll be stuck here like Mom," I spat back, even as the tears I'd been fighting for some time broke free, trickling down my face. I could feel Jasper's pitying glance in the rearview mirror, as my eyes rose.

And felt the image of the face about to be crushed against the windscreen scorched into my brain, just before the world went topsy-turvy, and my vision went black.

Damon.


The blackness receded, my mind fuzzy as I groaned. I ached all over, and my head was pounding. I was lying against something cold and hard, sticking into my skin.

I was vaguely aware of an odd growling sound, as heat burned into my side.

Then memory shot back in a flash.

My eyes snapped open, to discover I was lying on the road, the Mercedes totalled beside me, on fire.

The hungry flames ate at the metal, and my horrified eyes rose to the golden ones of Jasper, as he strained at the tortured bodywork that had been crushed around his body.

My vision was abruptly filled with red eyes and pale skin, and I just managed to recognise Demetri.

"Bella, are you ok?" he asked urgently, and I nodded blankly. He flitted to Jasper, and started pulling the bodywork apart, but it was so twisted it was hard work, even for a vampire.

Then that odd growling got nearer.

My head snapped around, and I shouted a warning as black blur hit Demetri in the midriff, propelling him away from the car.

The werewolf. No, now I had a name to put to the monster.

Damon.

I scrambled backwards, but for now Damon wasn't interested in me. Demetri and he fought in an intense fight, Damon's speed making up for his lack of strength.

Meanwhile the fire was travelling ever closer to Jasper, and I met his horrified gold eyes. He fought to get free, and he was slowly winning, but I saw it wouldn't be enough.

The fire was spreading too quick, if it got to the petrol tank…

Jasper would be toast.

My every muscle shaking, my head whirling I stood shakily, stumbling towards the car, just as a terrifying keening sound filled the air, and Demetri's pain filled yells filled the air.

I turned to see the werewolf-…Damon rip off Demetri's left arm, leaving a gaping hole. To my horror, I realised he'd pulled off the other as well, so the vampire fell to his knees, agony etched in every line of his handsome face.

My heart beat faster, as I watched the werewolf prowl closer and closer, going in for the kill.

I would not lose anyone I loved. No one.

Around us glass from the windows had scattered, mostly tiny specks showering the tarmac, but there were a few jagged pieces. I picked one up, ignoring Jasper's frantic shaking head, to move closer to Demetri and Damon.

"Hey!" I called, fighting to keep my voice steady. The werewolf's head snapped around, and I looked into its feral yellow eyes.

There was no humanity in those eyes, no mercy just animalistic hunger and death. Swallowing my fear, I pulled up the ripped sleeve of my jacket.

"Bella, no!" Jasper screeched, fighting more than ever to get free.

"Pick on someone your own size!" I shouted tauntingly, taking the glass shard in my hand and digging it into my arm, trying not to cry out at the fiery slice of pain across my skin.

Not stopping to look, I turned and bolted into the forest, the trees slapping me as I ran, praying I wouldn't trip up.

I could only hope I would buy enough time for Jasper to get free, and Demetri to get help.

Or I was toast.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" I cursed myself under my breath, my sides burning as I ran. I didn't stop, even when I heard the howl of the wolf behind me and the sounds of an explosion rent the air.

I hoped Jasper had got out in time.


I passed into a wide clearing, a rocky tor puncturing the ground, rearing its pointed head towards the grey sky, as I frantically tried to decide what to do next.

My blood was now running freely down my arm, and my entire body ached and cried out from the crash. How had I even been thrown free of the car anyway?

Charlie!

Still not stopping, I pulled my phone from my pocket to discover a mangled mess instead.

I was so busy looking down at my useless cellphone to see the tree root waiting for me.

I tripped up, and went sprawling in the mud.

Above me the sky split with lightning, the rain began to pour, as the ground turned to mud and I pulled myself up. My ankle now burned, and I cried out.

A sudden growl behind me made me freeze with terror, my heart pounding in my ears as I turned.

The wolf stood on all fours behind me, panting, its red tongue lolling out in a primal grin.

It was playing with me.

I scrambled up futilely, trying to run on a sprained ankle, just as I felt a hand catch me by the hair, and throw me into the rock face.

I felt only cold pain as my head hit the hard rock and I collapsed to the floor, the friendly blackness rushing up to greet me once more.


Alice

We were sprinting through the forest, having ditched the Jeep in a small corpse, when my gasp of horror stopped all of us. We'd only been going a few hours, but we had picked up traces of the werewolf following us.

But something had changed.

Carlisle stopped, striding to me and taking my arms in his hands.

"What is it, Alice? What do you see?" he asked gently, as I raised horrified eyes to his.

"I saw the werewolf…Jasper and Demetri are in trouble. He's found them," I gasped, shaking with pain. Our plan had failed.

"And Bella?" Carlisle asked urgently, Rosalie and Esme clustering close around us now.

I searched frantically for Bella, but only a black spot remained over the forest where the Mercedes was now in smoking ruins and Demetri lay in pieces, beside the figure of my husband fighting to be free of the wreckage.

"I can't see anything," I shook my head, desperately. Carlisle's face turned serious, as he turned to the others.

"Call Aro, now!" he barked, all gentleness gone from his voice. Gone was our father, here was the leader now.

I silently prayed that we would be able to get to Bella in time.