Chapter Thirty Six
Jasper
I leaped across the rocks and up the hillside as fast as my legs would take me but I didn't know if I would be quick enough. I heard a scream and smelled blood, human blood. My mouth filled with venom as the sweet scent of that precious liquid flooded my senses. When I jumped a boulder I saw Bella hurling rocks at the huge mountain lion attacking her. One side of her blouse was soaked with blood where it had caught her with its claws as it attacked. I landed on its back and sank my teeth into its jugular as I snapped its neck. I needed this blood if Bella were to be safe. I had to dull the thirst, the craving for my natural food source.
She sat back against the rocks watching me wide-eyed, holding her arm to her side and sobbing. I finished my meal and threw the carcass aside stretching out my arms to her. She hesitated and I wondered if I'd finally disgusted her, then she ran into my arms crying my name. I ripped my shirt off to bandage her arm and ribs where the lion had caught her flesh.
"Are you OK Jazz? I can do that if you need to get away"
I shook my head teeth clenched against my natural urge. She had lost a good deal of blood and I was worried about her going into shock so I picked her up against my chest kissing her hair and ran for the house.
Bella
I was fascinated to see Jasper hunting, it was so quiet and focused. As he crept into position the moose never even moved, it just stood at the water's edge drinking and looking around cautiously every few seconds. When he pounced it was like a big cat knocking its prey to the ground. As he fixed his teeth in the animal's neck and started to feed I knew that whatever happened I would always love him, nothing could ever change my feelings.
Suddenly the hairs on my arms stood up as I heard a low breathing to my right. I turned and screamed on seeing a huge mountain lion, tail swishing from side to side as it crouched. I jumped to one side but not quickly enough, its body twisted in the air as it lashed out with its claws. I felt a terrible pain down my right side as I fell to the ground among the rocks. Picking one up I threw it, knowing I couldn't stop the attack but hoping to slow it, praying that Jasper had heard my scream... and there he was launching himself on the lions back and rolling it over in a tangle of claws, teeth, and white limbs.
"Please God let Jasper be OK" I whispered trying to stop the blood flowing down my arm. I heard a snap and saw the lions head loll unnaturally. Jasper looked at me eyes still black and I knew he was struggling with his thirst at the smell of my blood. He drained the lions body very fast then came to me.
"I'm sorry Bella but I'll look after you. He ripped strips from his shirt to bind up my arm and I hissed in agony. As he carried me back I knew it was bad, I was feeling very cold and I was still bleeding. It was trickling down my arm and onto his jeans steadily. I thought of Carlisle's words as I sent him away, 'you might need my help again', it was as if he knew.
Jasper
Peter met me part way.
"What the fuck happened?"he said "I just knew you needed help".
"Mountain lion" I said not stopping.
"Shit, shit, shit" he cursed as he ran beside me.
"She's bleeding pretty heavily you might want to get Char and leave", he growled.
"Hey she might be your mate but she's our friend too and well cope Major".
"Ring Carlisle" I shouted to Char as we crashed through the door. Peter cursed but nodded,
"Yeah Char get the fucking doc here if he'll come. I hate that fucker".
He helped me lay her on the couch and ran out to fetch warm water and antiseptic plus strips torn from clean new tea towels. Between us we stripped her coat, shirt, and bra off, all were soaked with blood and torn to ribbons by the vicious claws. We stemmed the bleeding but she'd passed out and we weren't sure what else to do. Char shouted instructions,
"Keep her warm, stop the bleeding, try to talk to her, see if she'll take any liquids. If you can't stop the bleeding or she's looking bad bite her".
"What?" I shouted angrily.
"Hey I'm just relaying the message Major" Peter pulled the phone from her hands,
"Hey Carlisle, let's try to keep the fucking girl alive shall we. Enough with the fucking fang jokes ass hole" Then he gave it back to her,
"I knew there was a reason I hated that fucker".
I wasn't listening, I'd laid beside her on the couch holding a compress over the deepest of the claw marks and talking quietly to her.
"Bella you stay with me. Darlin' you hear me. I won't lose you now. You stay with me".
She opened her eyes and smiled weakly,
"Hey cowboy. Your dinner nearly eat me".
Peter heard her and grinned,
"Bleeding to death and she's still got a smart mouth, way to go Bella. You better hang around or I'll never hear the last of it from this fucker". She looked at him,
"It's your fault".
"Hey, I told you to watch, not try your hand at fucking lion taming. Damn stupid thing to do you ask me. Neither of you are safe to let out, Jeez".
She managed a weak one finger salute before closing her eyes again.
"Shit she's got spunk" he said with a smile.
She put her good hand to my face.
"I love you Cowboy. If Carlisle doesn't get here in time, you change me. I won't lose you". I nodded,
"OK but we give him time".
The compress was wet with blood now and Char swapped it for a clean one. Holding her breath she threw the old one on the fire to join the others burning there. The phone rang and she picked it up,
"He wants pulse and heart rate".
"Fuck, were doing his job for him" Peter grumbled holding her wrist and counting while I listened to her heart beat.
"Does he want us to operate too? Fucking doctors".
When Charlotte told him there was short burst of instructions and she turned to me,
"If her pulse rate gets any lower you have to change her or lose her. He'll be here in about an hour but she can't keep losing blood Major".
"No this isn't the way I wanted it to happen".
Peter looked at me,
"Give it ten minutes then we'll check again".