Chapter Fifty Two
Bella
I waited tensely while Felix thought about my words then he nodded,
"Very well. I'll pass your message along."
I freed his two friends but not Renee, I wanted to speak to her first and after looking long and hard at her Felix and his two friends left, disappearing into the trees.
"Garrett please check they are really leaving while I speak to Renee."
He nodded and went after Felix as I walked over to where my mother lay, red eyes glaring at me,
"Do you remember me mum? Bella?"
She struggled to move still snarling and I saw that any hint of my poor mother was gone, burned away by the venom that had transformed her and I got up sadly.
"What are you going to do with her Bella?"
Jasper's voice was very low and it was obviously painful for him to speak.
I shook my head,
"I wont leave her like this, she wouldn't want to live in this condition but I can't kill her."
I was torn between duty and love but in the end I freed her from my shield to stand up,
"I won't kill you, I wish I could but I can't do it or ask anyone else to do the job for me."
As she snarled loudly and threw herself at me I lost concentration momentarily and the wolves rose as one and pulled her down among them. I turned away hearing the snarls and screams as they killed her knowing deep inside it was the best thing in the long run. Then they turned their attention to Jasper and myself and I pulled my shield back in place.
"No. I wont allow any more killing. Go back to the reservation and bury Harry."
I hadn't thought about Felix and the others that had left until the wolves sprang from the clearing into the trees and then it was too late. I ran after them but Jasper stopped me,
"Bella leave it. Garrett won't get caught by them, he knows they are around and if they capture Felix and his friends I'll be very surprised they've had time to get well away now."
As he spoke another vampire appeared holding a burning brand and threw it catching my pant leg. As I felt the heat of the flames Jasper threw me to the ground and rolled me over in the dirt to extinguish the flames. Luckily his reactions were fast enough that I suffered no more than a burn mark on the skin but he was beyond angry, I could feel it and he literally tore my attacker to pieces and burned them.
"Who was that?"
"One of Maria's people, I could smell her on him. I think he was sent to watch and report but seeing an opening he thought he'd chance his luck".
He took me in his arms and pulled me into an embrace, kissing me with such hunger that if we hadn't been waiting for Garrett to get back and Charlie to wake we might well have made love right there and then.
Garrett
I could smell scorched vampire flesh as I returned and speeded up but I was relieved when I saw both The Major and Bella standing and seemingly unhurt but then I saw Bella's leg and realised just how close she had come to losing her new life.
"Who was it? Felix went and the wolves didn't catch up so they're headed back to Forks. I think we can stop worrying about them now. All we need to do is get back to Peter and find somewhere so Charlie is safe when he wakes up."
"Garrett don't forget Carlisle and Esme, they're trapped in the Cullen house by the wolves."
He shook his head and groaned,
"Somehow I knew you were going to bring them up, well I guess Peter can cope on his own for a while longer. I take it you are suggesting we go save them? It's not going to be so easy with the wolf pack on their way back, they're going to beat us. Do you think Carlisle and Esme can hold them off?"
The Major shook his head doubtfully,
"There are just too many of them Garrett, all we can do is get back as quickly as possible and pray we're in time."
We started to run and it was exhilarating but the reason we were going so fast was at the front of my mind. I didn't want the wolves to kill Carlisle or Esme,
"What about Edward? Do we know where he is?"
Garrett looked at me disbelieving,
"You tell me we've got to save that ass hole too and I'm stopping now."
"I think Carlisle might want to have a few words with his son, don't you?"
Garrett looked thoughtful as he ran,
"OK but if Carlisle doesn't rip his head off then I will."
He meant it too so we needed to get there in time to save the elder Cullens and give Carlisle his chance of justice. The trees went pasty at a blur but I didn't really have time to enjoy the sensation of speed. My mind was too full of other thoughts.
Sam
We made our way back to Forks at a run, there was still the matter of the Cullens to be sorted out. The two wolves I left behind to keep them trapped in the house were still patrolling and could hear our enemies in the house although they didn't seem to be very concerned that they were trapped, according to Embry Carlisle was trying to find out where he'd gone so wrong with his wife. Well he wouldn't need to worry about it much longer, both he and his wife were about to die... wolf fashion!
Paul and Jared were keen to get this over with so we could give Harry a proper funeral but Jake was very quiet, his thoughts were jumbled and I knew he was hurting but we didn't have time to stop and talk, he could discuss things with Billy and myself once this matter was closed. I'd railed against the treaty ever since I phased for the first time, I just knew eventually the vampires would have to be dealt with, they were never going to keep to the treaty for ever. They were our natural enemies and we should have killed them the first time we found them on our territory not parley with them and offer a deal, what were our ancestors thinking? I had tried to persuade Old Quil and Harry to void the treaty but they wouldn't, it wasn't an honourable act according to them. Honour among the vampires? That was a crazy idea. Well now it would be going down the way I wanted and Billy and Quil could say what they liked, it would be too little too late, the Cullens would be dead.
Seth
I knew what Sam was planning but I didn't know how far behind the wolves Bella and the others were. I tried to think of a way to help slow the pack down but without putting myself in their path I was lost for an idea and if I tried to stand against Sam he would just use his Alpha status to put me to one side. Carlisle and Esme wouldn't make it against the pack, they were too many and too strong but then I got a whiff of Edward Cullens scent, so he was still around, presumably looking for Esme to take her back to Volterra. Well if he wanted her back he would have to stand between her and the pack. I set off to find him following his scent down to the river being careful not to cross the path of the other wolves watching the house. I could see him up ahead in the trees looking at the house, did he know Esme was in there with Carlisle? Did he think she had gone willingly or did he think she was Carlisle's prisoner? Well there was only one way to find out so I phased back to human and walked out so he could see me, keeping far enough away I could phase back if he attacked.
