Chapter 26
Escape.
I now understood why Edward had said Jacob's scent would never be appealing to me. His blood tasted like wet earth, soggy dead grass, and garbage—dirty, moldy, garbage. The moment his essence touched my lips, I found myself sputtering to rid my mouth of the morbid taste, even going so far as to wipe my tongue on my sleeve. The smell of these wolves was atrocious enough when the blood was inside their bodies.
I waited with suspenseful awe for the venom to trace its way through Jacob's body. His arms and legs curled inward, like a dying butterfly, and his screams echoed throughout the forest. His chest heaved violently, proof that his immune system was fighting a losing battle, while sweat poured down his face. Finally, after a guttural outcry, Jacob's breathing stopped and his heart ceased any sign of life.
Jacob Black was dead.
A good distance away, I could hear the howling of the remaining wolves, mourning the loss of one of their companions. I briefly wondered how many losses our sides had sustained and, after remembering why I was still alive, spun around in horror. Now that my attention was no longer focused on my enemy, I became aware of the commotion behind me.
Rosalie and Emmett were dancing around a massive grey wolf, which I recognized as Leah, making every attempt to subdue the animal. My jaw tightened as I surveyed the carnage surrounding them; Maria and Paulo had been torn to shreds, and were now scattered across the ground. Maria had been destroyed while trying to protect me, and Paulo had done everything he could to avenge his maker's death.
"Bella!" Rose called back to me as she and Emmett finally restrained Leah. "You need to get out of here!"
"No!" I replied and shook my head defiantly. All I needed was a few minutes to put Maria and Paulo back together, and then I could head out. Maria had saved my life; now, I was planning on saving hers.
"Bella, what are you thinking? Go!" Emmett thundered as Leah bit his arm and head butted him. He flew a few feet and crashed to the ground before charging back toward the animal. "Now!"
I was just about to connect Maria's head to her shoulders when both Rose and Emmett cried out. Glancing up, I was horrified to discover that Leah had slipped from their grasp and was making her way in my direction. Her voracious eyes were fixed on me, and she was about two seconds away from ripping me apart.
From the treetops, moving at the speed of a bullet, came the lithe, slender body of Esme. She connected with Leah, thrusting her shoulder into the wolf's ribs, sending the giant beast tumbling to the side. While Leah tried to find her footing, Esme fell into a protective crouch before me, snarling viciously.
Rosalie and Emmett rushed to her side, each one mimicking her defensive posture when Leah climbed up and snapped in our direction. A series of howls filled the air, and I realized that the remaining wolves were coming to aid their sister. How many had survived? Had they overpowered the others?
"Esme, take Bella and go," Rosalie said without tearing her eyes from the massive beast before her. "We'll rendezvous later."
"Are you sure?" Esme glanced back and forth between Rosalie and me.
"Yes," Rosalie hissed before she and Emmett charged back in Leah's direction.
Esme wrapped her hand around my upper arm, forming a vice-like grip, and tugged me in the opposite direction. I resisted, wanting more than anything to help Maria; I owed her so very much. As I moved forward, my newborn strength winning against Esme, something else gripped my other bicep. I turned and met Kate's stern eyes.
"Bella," Kate commanded, glaring at me. "Move!"
The two vampires lifted me off the ground and dashed through the forest, leaving Rosalie and Emmett behind. I watched in horror as Rosalie and Emmett jumped on Leah simultaneously, right as a few wolves appeared through the trees. I looked away, not having the strength to watch my siblings get torn to shreds. Their deaths were my fault, and I would live with them the rest of my days—however many there were.
After what seemed like only a few seconds, Esme and Kate set me down on my feet and staggered in opposing directions. Even though vampires have unyielding strength and energy, they both looked worn thin. Esme sank to her knees and let her head rest in her open palms, a light sob cutting from her lips. Kate leaned her head against a nearby tree, crying the same way.
"What's wrong?" I didn't understand why they were acting this way.
"Bella, the battle was very costly," Kate said without turning away from the tree, her voice laced with sadness. "My sisters are dead."
"What? No," I whispered, feeling a sharp tug where my heart once beat. "Tanya, Irina."
"Gone," Kate muttered and sobbed.
"Who else?" I asked as Esme turned to me. "Who else died?"
"The Amazons," she answered morosely, hanging her head and sighing.
The shock was overwhelming, and I found it difficult to form rational sentences or thoughts. The wolves were powerful, but vampires were still supposed to have the higher ground. What had gone wrong? Anger flowed through me as I glanced back in the direction from which we came.
"We can go back," I said firmly, thinking about Maria and Paulo's appendages lying on the forest floor. "We could put them back together."
"No, it's impossible," Kate said, shifting to face us.
"It's not impossible," I insisted, glancing hopefully at Esme and Kate, and shook my head. "Please, help me do this."
"Help you get yourself killed?" Kate said, anger flashing in her topaz eyes. "I think I'll pass. Two dead relatives are enough for one day."
"Esme?" She turned and looked at me. "We can't leave Rose and Emmett out there; the wolves will kill them."
"That's a possibility," Esme said, her bottom lip quivering. "However, they're doing so with a purpose. This is about you, Bella; it's always been about you. You need to finish what you've started—we both do."
Kate and Esme shared a dark look, and I was about to question it when a chorus of howls echoed in the distance. All three of us glanced at one another, knowing the wolves would be heading our way soon. The way it stood, there wouldn't be enough time to find Carlisle and Edward.
"Climb the tree," Kate ordered and started to move in the direction of the yowling. "As soon as they disappear, then head out."
"No," Esme cried, grabbing Kate's shoulders. "You can't leave. I…we need you."
"I will find you," Kate growled, and Esme nodded reluctantly. "Bella, do what you can here to do; do not allow my sisters to have died in vain."
With that she darted back in the direction we came from, right back toward the wolves. Esme and I did as we were told, scaling the tree in half a second, and remained completely motionless. A few seconds passed before four wolves came loping to the base of the tree. They circled the bottom a few times, sometimes coming dangerously close to looking up, but after a few minutes, they shifted and darted after Kate.
Esme and I idled in the branches for a few minutes, just in case they decided to circle back, but as the time slipped by, we realized they weren't coming back. We both dropped from the tree, landing on the balls of our feet, and glanced around. When we both felt safe, we stood up straight and darted through the forest.
"Do you know where we're going?" I called, realizing my knowledge of the woods wasn't the greatest. Even with my inhuman abilities, all I could smell right now was wolf stink.
"Yes," Esme said and promptly ran ahead. "Follow me."
We dashed across the terrain, Esme leading me through the endless maze of wolf odor and trees, until she finally came to a stop in the brush beside the highway. She pushed me into a shallow ditch, insisting that I lie flat on the ground until she returned, and I complied without a fight.
When Esme disappeared, I briefly wondered why Kate had run off; had she gone back to try and save her sisters, or had she gone back to help Rosalie and Emmett? A pang of anguish ricocheted through my spirit as I thought of Rose and Emmett. They'd done so much to help me, and what had I done? In the last couple of days, I had shunned them completely, opting to spend more time with Maria.
I cursed myself for allowing all the negativity I had inside me to be directed at my family. They'd done nothing but try to protect me, even from the beginning. When I had first called Rosalie and told her about the pregnancy, she was on my side. She even recruited Emmett and Esme to become my personal bodyguards. Now, they had paid the ultimate price for assisting me. I would not let their deaths be in vain.
The same could be said for the two fallen Denali sisters; Irina helped me sway the rest of the Denalis into fighting beside me, and Tanya had helped me as well. Her main purpose for wanting to rush the beach with me was so she could protect me. Now they were gone.
This had quickly become a nightmare.
A couple of twigs snapped, and I was relieved to see it was Esme, looking slightly relieved. "They aren't following us."
"How can you be sure?" I asked, peeking over the top of the ditch into the forest before us.
"I heard them baying a few miles north," she answered without moving from her place. "Kate led them away from us."
I nodded and allowed myself to settle in next to Esme. "Now what?"
"Now," Esme said and reached into her pocket, "you call Edward."
My stomach tightened as she produced a cell phone and offered it to me. Where had she gotten it? Was it stolen? My mind told me that where she had acquired the phone was inconsequential. After the initial shock of her words subsided, the wheels in my head began to turn and formulate a plan of attack.
I pushed myself up and seized the phone, turning it over in my hands like it was some foreign object. As I looked up at Esme, I happened to glance at the trees and the highway close by. Where were we?
"Where are we?" I cocked my head as I glanced at the road. We had been sitting here for a decent amount of time, and no cars had come down the stretch.
"Out of Edward's hearing range," Esme sneered and laughed. "Trust me."
I nodded, understanding what she meant; if Edward was familiar with someone's mind, he could hear them at greater distances. Apparently, Esme had learned what areas were considered Edward-free in Forks—if that's where we were.
"I think the best idea," I said, glancing back at the cell phone anxiously, "is to separate Carlisle and Edward. We each plan on facing them alone, right?"
"Right." Esme dropped her head a little.
"So," I continued, finding her slight change in demeanor a little off. "I'll call and tell Edward to meet me somewhere, and then you can go to the house to find Carlisle."
"How do you know that's where he'll be?" She seemed a little hesitant, and was that fear in her eyes?
"If he's not, then call him," I answered and she nodded.
"All right, are you ready?" Esme asked, her eyes tightening and narrowing as she appraised my appearance.
I was a bundle of nerves; although I knew what I had to do—what I came here to do—I wasn't sure how I would react to hearing Edward after all this time. What if that old spark flickered within me and I found myself too weakened by him to act? If that's the case, then I'll leave and come up with another plan.
I opened the phone and suddenly laughed hysterically, grabbing my side and rolling on the ground. When Esme questioned me, I looked at her and, between my fit, said, "I don't remember his phone number."
Esme sighed and shook her head, exasperated, before grasping the phone and dialing a number. She put the phone back in my palm but quickly seized my hand. "No going back, Bella."
"No going back," I assured her and hit the send button.
The line rang twice before the most luxurious, familiar voice answered on the opposite side. "Hello?"
