Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all.
Rated M for a reason. More violence.
Chpt 33 Eye of the Storm
BPOV
Suddenly a disembodied head slams into Jonathan's attacker taking his head clean off, the two of them bouncing away across the gravel like a couple of dodge balls. I trace the trajectory back to source where Pete spares me a cheery wave before plunging back into the melee.
Jonathan bounds forwards diving in after Pete leaving me struggling with my guy. Gritting my mental teeth I sink my real ones into his buttock cleaving away his right leg. While he howls in pain an' tries to flip himself over I clamber up his body, spitting out venom an' bits of butt cheek. Snarling I take his head in both my hands, regrettably able to stare into his eyes as I twist it from his shoulders. Nasty.
Mentally shaking myself I regain my feet an' look around, the giant bodyguard is now a limbless torso, The Major using one of his legs to swat attackers away from the fight between Gus an' Vladimir.
Harry an' Char are dismembering vampires with the speed an' skill of a farmer's wife plucking a chicken while Jonathan, Matthew an' Pete charge in to take out the remainder trying to get past The Major to Gus.
"Fire!" The Major roars, using his newly acquired giant leg to swipe the vampire approaching him clean off his feet and into Pete's non-loving embrace.
I hesitate.
"Now!" He roars directly at me.
Rolling my eyes I scale the quarry wall easily an' hastily start lobbing timber down into it. As I turn to leap down after it a pair of massive arms close around me an' start squeezing for all they are worth.
Pain shoots through me as my ribs crack under the pressure. Gasping I throw up my shield. The vampire screams an' topples backwards over the edge plunging down onto the road below. Kicking his severed arms after him I jump down to finish him off but another vampire grabs my hand as I leap an' with a terrible screech my arm lets go at the shoulder.
The rest of me falls gracelessly after the first vampire. I land on him just as he's trying to struggle to his feet, flattening him but before I can jump up he clamps his tree trunk like legs around me.
Desperately I try to wriggle out of his grasp as I see the vampire with my arm prepare to jump after me. I flick my shield on again as he sails through the air, neatly severing the legs holding me. I shove them off me but am still trying to roll over when the other vampire lands on my back sinking his teeth into my neck.
The pain is indescribable an' I scream as I throw up my shield for the third time.
His weight falls away from me but the pain doesn't stop, reaching my remaining hand up I can feel his teeth still embedded in my flesh. Oh fuck, that's just gross. What do I do pick 'em out? Deciding I can't bleed to death I carefully do just that, wincing with each extraction. Jeez this is the worst fuckin' thing yet. Finished I glance across at my attacker, my shield has sliced away the front of his face. No, that, is the worse thing yet.
The din below reminds me that a fight is still in progress. Quickly I find my missing arm an' begin shoving vampire parts over the edge of the road with my feet, listening to them rain down on the crater below.
"Where's the fire?" The Major bellows. "Fucker's are puttin' 'emselves back together down here!"
I jump down onto the quarry floor again an' start dragging the timber into a pile with one hand. Within moments Harry joins me, when we've enough wood she puts a couple of random limbs onto the pyre an' drops a lit match onto it. It catches with a whump. Immediately we start working in tandem, me sniffing the body parts to see if they are ours an' Harry flinging the rejects into the fire.
I long to watch The Major as he an' the others finish off the last few of Vladimir's guards, or Gus's titanic struggle with Vladimir but I'm mindful of the fate of Pete's ass cheek an' so I concentrate on the task at hand.
The others start arriving with armfuls to throw on the fire an' soon a thick column of purple smoke is curling into the night sky, veering south an' obscuring the stars.
Satisfied at progress I leave the fire an' flit over to Harry's side, wedging my arm between my legs I take her hand as we watch Gus an' Vladimir fight.
They are quite evenly matched although owing to his general lankiness the Romanian has a much longer reach. Both are covered in bites an' shiny with spilt venom, but still intact.
The Major has tossed his giant leg into the fire an' is also watching silently, his arms folded over his chest. In ones an' twos the others drift over to join us, Pete an' Matthew holding re-attaching limbs.
I don't really understand why we don't just step in an' take Vladimir out, I thought war was all about being emotionless an' practical. An' yet here we all are watching the two of them duke it out like spectators at a prize fight, must be a man thing. With his vampire brain the Romanian must be aware that the battle is over an' he has lost, surely he can't imagine that even if he wins this fight we'd just walk away an' leave him to toss Gus on the fire? He must know he's done for.
Almost imperceptibly they are both slowing down. Vladimir lunges forwards going for a choke hold, Gus squirms away losing his tattered shirt in the process. Immediately Vladimir whirls back but this time instead of moving away Gus steps forward surprising the Romanian and fastening his hands around his throat. He pushes Vladimir down to the rocky ground trapping his arms beneath him an' kneeling on his chest.
"Colligari!" [Join us, Latin] Gus exhorts him, tightening his grip around Vladimir's neck an' shaking his body slightly.
"Sero." [Too late, Latin] Vladimir gasps.
With a vicious growl Gus rends Vladimir's head from his body, dropping it immediately an' falling to his knees. Harry rushes to his side an' wraps her arms around him.
To my surprise The Major moves to stand over them his face totally devoid of any animation.
"He called you Child." He practically growls at Gus. "Would you care to explain?"
"It's not what you think Jasper." Gus's voice is muffled by Harry's body. "Vladimir was Aro's sire. I have known him all my vampire life. He was once mentor to me."
"Fuck a duck." Pete whistles. "I thought my family was a steamin' pile a shite."
Char slaps him lightly on his uninjured arm.
The Major steps forwards, briefly touching his hand to Gus's shoulder before turning to face me. Immediately he looks angry an' I flinch.
In three swift strides he is in front of me, retrieving my almost forgotten arm an' holding it against my shoulder. His hard eyes rake over my body, it's generally dilapidated condition doing nothing to improve his temper. I gasp reflexively as my flesh begins to knit an' his eyes narrow, leaning down with surprising tenderness he laps his tongue gently around the join to seal it.
"You should always re-fuse limbs as quickly as possible." He growls, his eyes now fixed on the teeth marks on my throat. "Venom loss makes you weak an' vulnerable."
Which is Major speak for 'Oh my god what happened to you, let me help.' I think.
He leans in again moving his lips an' tongue gently over the column of my throat, the wounds throb an' sting a little an' then immediately start to feel better as my body recognises his venom.
Over the top of his dusty hat I watch Char an' Harry performing the same ritual on their mates, it's a surprisingly intimate thing an' I can sense some couples time in our immediate futures.
Jonathan an' Matthew have made themselves scarce, dumping Vladimir's body into the flames an' then searching the rim of the quarry for anything or anyone we might have missed.
The movement of lips against my neck becomes less gentle care an' more lovers' kiss. With a sigh I close my eyes an' reach my good hand up to run through Jasper's hair which is gritty from the rock dust our vampire scuffle has created.
"Bella." He murmurs, working his lips up the column of my throat to nibble on my ear lobe.
He pulls back an' I open my eyes to find him staring at me intently.
I swallow, a surge of heat coursing through my body.
His mouth descends towards mine, drawn by an invisible pull, iron filings to a magnet.
"Ahem!"
This time it's me that growls at Pete.
"Whoa." He holds his hands up in mock horror. "Little sister there will be time for 'fuck me, we survived' sex later. Trust me."
Laughing Jasper pulls me into his arms, turning me so that my back rests against his chest an' resting his chin on the top of my head.
Jonathan an' Matthew drop back down from the quarry walls and the eight of us gather around watching the fire slowly die.
"We've made a terrible mess." I comment eventually, taking in the huge gouges our battle has made in the quarry walls an' floors.
"We'll trash the explosives store on the way out sweet thing." Pete says. "Cops will probably think the local troublemakers broke in an' had themselves a little fun."
"We should get back to the hotel." Gus suggests. "Get packed up and get out of this area again before anyone can track us."
"Our next location is all arranged, as discussed." Pete informs him.
I huff, not too happy about it but understanding the logic.
"We'll meet you there." Jasper pipes up suddenly. "Bella an' I both need to hunt."
The others nod an' turn to leave.
"Don't be too long Jasper." Gus urges. "We have little time left."
He nods taking my hand leading me into the darkness and away from the quarry.
We run in silence for a long time, keeping north of the I-90 before veering into the Adirondack Mountains to hunt just as dawn breaks the horizon.
In the dense tree cover we hunt for several hours, working in tandem to flush out game without the need to speak.
Finally satiated I sink down onto a springy carpet of moss an' grass waiting for Jasper to join me. When he's done cleaning up dinner he drops down behind me, stretching his long legs around mine an' pulling me to his chest. He buries his nose in my hair sighing with contentment as I collapse back against him. Our quiet purring scaring away the remaining wildlife.
"When all this is over." He begins, breaking the comfortable silence.
I can't help it, I laugh. He does too, the rumble in his chest sending vibrations through my body.
"When all this is over." He tries again. "An' you are finally my wife I'm gonna take you on the longest, most relaxin' honeymoon in the history of the world."
"I like the sound of that." I murmur.
Effortlessly he turns me around to face him, arms an' legs wrapped around each other, bodies fitting together perfectly, my lips on his heart scar, his buried in my ratty hair.
"I'm sorry." He whispers. "For gettin' you into all this."
"You didn't." I assure him looking up an' meeting his golden eyes, preparing to lose myself. "These assholes started all this crap before we were even born. Even you can't try an' take the blame for that."
He smiles, which crinkles the skin around his eyes an' just magnifies his beauty.
Time ticks by until I can bear the tension an' anticipation no longer, I roll my hips against him whispering, "Is it time for the 'fuck me, we survived' sex yet?"
"Oh darlin'." He drawls, pressing me backwards his hands sliding up my body to support my weight by the shoulders. "I thought you'd never ask."