I'M FOR ANOTHER CHAPTER. IT HAS BEEN A WHILE AND I HAVE BEEN MULLING OVER HOW TO GET THIS CHAPTER FINISHED AND SMOOTHLY TRANSITION INTO THE ACTION.
DxGRAYxMAN-I want to include some fighting that gets the blood pumping and I will be making some of the antagonists stronger.
Guest-it is rude but I understand why you did it. I have not abandoned The Brother of Wallenstein I am just confused. Should I continue with my plan of finish the first season sticking close to canon then go off on my own or should I stick close to canon for the entire story.
AGAIN, I DON'T OWN THE TWILIGHT FRANCHISE. I ONLY OWN MY IDEAS AND CHANGES. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW THIS STORY. SO WITH THAT OUT OF THE WAY, STORY START.
Chapter 13: Returning to Forks
Adam POV
The return trip to Forks was mostly uneventful, except for when the truck ran out of gas and I pulled into the gas station forgetting that I had no money to pay for the diesel. Lady Luck must have finally decided that I was overdue for good fortune because the gas station that I stopped in was currently in the process of getting robbed.
The would-be robber held a small revolver that had trembled when he was pointing it at the person behind the counter. When I walked in, he swung his gun around at me. He screamed at me to get on the ground and not look at his face. Seeing his scared eyes, I walked forward calmly. He screamed at me with his annoyingly shrill voice to stay back. I ignored him again and stopped about an arm's length from him. He tried to take a step back, but I punched him in the face and grabbed the fallen gun.
The manager was so happy that when the police came for the unconscious idiot and I mentioned that I didn't have enough money to pay for some gas, he happily waved the fee and let me get a full tank before thanking me again.
The rest of the drive after that was peaceful and slightly boring. I pulled into Julie's long gravel driveway around nightfall. The tires created a loud, crunching sound that got Billy's attention from the front porch. He saw me and waved slightly. When I stopped and got out, he greeted me with a smile.
"Hello you ugly bastard," he said looking me up and down, "I liked you better with hair."
After I gave him a glare, he turned serious, "Did you find any answers that could help?"
"Yeah, I'll explain tomorrow to the elders. I have driven all day and I want to sleep," he let me in and I collapsed on the ratty old couch.
"Don't screw with the stuff in the bed of the truck, or I'll be chopping off limbs," Billy shook his head and left me alone.
My eyes weren't even shut for what seemed like a few minutes before I felt a finger poking my cheek. I heard a soft giggle when I tried swat the hand away from trying to wake me up. When the soft finger poked my face again, I cracked a single eye. Standing over my drowsy form was Julie. She had a smirk on her face and her eyebrows were cocked in amusement. She was wearing shorts and a tank top that showed her gorgeous tanned skin and dark tribal tattoo.
"What took you so long," she said peering down.
"Traffic was a bitch, and your truck is a piece of scrap" I mumbled.
"What happened to your hair? I liked it the way it was," I gave her a look of, I'll explain later.
"Anyway, get up. It's time for breakfast and some of the boys are over, so you better hurry," her words made me grumble and swung my legs over the edge of the lumpy couch.
After standing and getting the sleep out of my eyes, I stumbled onto the porch were about five other people were eating fried hash browns. Sam, Embry, Sam Clearwater, Billy, and Julie looked over at my exhausted form. Seeing that the plate of food was empty, I sighed and shook my head, ready to wait until after my meeting with the elders to get some food. Julie caught my eyes and passed a still warm hash brown over to me.
I thanked her and took a bite from it savoring the taste of food after so long. I noticed that Embry chuckled and looked pointedly at Julie probably saying something mentally. Her eyes narrowed and her jaw clenched before she slugged him in the shoulder. He laughed and rugged the bruised skin. After finishing the small meal, I got into Julie's truck. Julie moved the box with the tomes to the back of the truck before hopping next to me in the truck.
She took a deep breath before smiling brightly at me. I felt my heart flutter and turned my head to drive off. We made small talk about how I had been and what had happened while I was gone. Apparently, a pair of vampires had been chased all the way to the canadian border. One was a man with tanned skin and dreads and the other was a woman with fiery red hair.
"Wait, your telling me that you had two seperate incidents where those leeches were in your territory and both times you lost them," I asked in disbelief.
"Shut up," she growled at me.
"Some tribe of vampire hunters. All that fur must be for being a fluffy puppy," I teased her.
She huffed loudly and turned to look out the window right as we pulled into the lodge area. We got out and I grabbed a few things from the back. I slid my personal Burning Axe into a leather loop that was built into the jeans I was wearing. I lifted the Great Axe that I had modified and rested it on my left shoulder. The durable oak chest was tightly held under my right arm. I got some strange looks but I ignored them and walked into the building where my hunt for the answers I now hold had started.
"Welcome back, outsider," one of the elders greeted as he looked at me with disgust.
"I will not tolerate disrespect," I spat back before stopping and swinging the large axe off my shoulder and thumping it against the ground.
When the elder flinched from both the axe and my flinty gaze, I turned to the assembled Quileutes. They stared at me with differing gazes, some were of anger, other respect, and a few were just curious about what I had learned. When someone broke the silence, all eyes were focused on Sam, the person who spoke.
"What did you learn from your trip."
I gazed slowly around the room before answering, "I have learned about the fate of the three clans. I have also learned of my own heritage."
This got them interested because they beckoned for me to sit down. I didn't and continued my story.
"The Boar clan was wiped out completely. They had been corrupted by their power and grew arrogant. The vampires began to recruit disgruntled people to hunt down the berserkers. The Wolf clan was too honorable to harm the humans until it was too late and they were on the brink of extinction. A single ship escaped and landed in the Americas before they migrated to Forks and you know the story from there."
After my voice trailed off after I said this and one of the elders noticed what I had left out, "What about the last clan, the Bear clan."
"They were isolated in the mountains and they didn't notice the coming danger until it was too late. Raid after raid, they were slowly picked off until only one fortress remained. When the vampires attacked, they slaughtered every man, woman, and child. There was only a single survivor, he fled to Canada and started a family," after I said that, several people were hit by the realization of what was coming.
"Some of you have already realized what is coming. My father was the last chief of the Bear clan. I returned home and learned of the mantle that I would have to take up. During my time at home, I underwent the ceremony of becoming the chief." Their eyes showed their disbelief, and I smirked slightly.
"I am Adam Orthro Bjørnir, the last of the Bear clan of Berserkers. I am the twenty-first chief in my line and I will not bow to any authority except my own," I bellowed, gripping the axe handle tightly.
For a moment there was only silence, then the elders broke out of their stupor and began yelling. I heard a loud complaint that I was a fraud and that I was only a coward who was aiding the vampires. I saw Julie shot to her feet and start defending me but I felt my temper explode.
"SHUT UP," my voice silenced all other voice before I continued talking.
"Any who claim me to be a fraud can step forward and test my claims. I will warn you though, my honor and pride has been stained, and I will show no mercy to any who question my claim."
I activated my berserker side and felt the power coarse through my veins. Everyone was silent and no one spoke until Julie broke the silence.
"I will stand by Adam, he has shown himself to be honest and trustworthy. I know that he would never claim something so serious without being completely honest."
Her words made my body warm and my power pulsed under my skin slightly, responding to her words. After a few tense minutes, I stopped the flow of my power. I relaxed and placed a hand on my defender's shoulder. She turned to me with a glint in her eyes that I hadn't seen before. I felt my chest tighten as her gaze settled on me.
"You want to drive with me back to Isabella's, I would like to unload the things I brought here," I lowered my voice so that only she could hear.
Her body was shaking slightly, but she accepted my offer and walked outside with me, leaving the elders who were still in a state of shock from what they had learned. I was pushed to the passenger side and Julie ran to the driver's side and hopped in and started the engine. I chuckled and got in the truck.
I was staring at her as she drove and her eyes would flutter our and when she noticed that I was looking, she quickly turned her head. This went on for about five minutes before Julie finally said something.
"Why do you keep staring at me," she stuttered slightly.
I shook my head slightly, "I don't know, I feel...odd."
She let out a small, nervous laugh. "I can transform into a giant wolf and you can ignore life threatening injuries."
At my questioning gaze, she clarified. "Bella told me. Anyway, we live in a world where monsters and strange things happen. Feeling odd is a pretty normal."
"I don't feel odd about my situation or the world. I feel more odd when I'm around you," I confessed to her, and I saw that she tensed up.
The conversation lulled and we continued the rest of the ride in silence. I saw that her hands were digging into the steering wheel with her modified strength. The driveway was empty when we pulled in. Charlie was obviously at the station working, but even Julie didn't know where Isabella was. It took about ten minutes to unload the eighteen weapons of the past chiefs and bring them into the shed and wrapped them in a paint splattered tarp.
"If you see Isabella, don't tell her I'm back," I asked as Julie was leaving.
"Yeah, I'll see what I can do," her voice was distant, just like she had been since our conversation.
"I missed you," I said bringing her into a soft hug.
I don't know what possessed me to do that, but it was worth seeing her blushing face. She stuttered out a goodbye and bolted to her truck. I felt puzzled over my actions and a voice that I hadn't heard in a day speak up.
"It is only natural to want to hold your mates in your arms."
"I thought that you were gone, why are you still bothering me," I mentally asked feeling shock.
"You have defeated me and can freely use my power, but I wanted to stay. Consider me your conscious now," his rough voice held mirth that made me feel nervous.
"I don't need a voice in my head," I complained to him.
"How do I know you won't try to take control," I said cautiously.
"You don't, however, I swore an oath to serve you faithfully and without question," his voice was soft and subservient.
I dragged my feet up the stairs and entered the small closet like room that I was lent by Charlie after a few months of sleeping on his couch. I rarely used the room except for storage of some of my personal effects. I flopped down on the cot that squeaked under my weight. I placed the box with the tomes in it next to me then trudged down to the slightly more comfortable recliner that Charlie had claimed.
"I just want to take a nap, and be left alone," I cut the conversation and drifted into a mellow sleep.
Bella POV
I shivered from the cold. My clothes were soaked from my jump into La Push and my entire body ached. Maybe it wasn't the best idea to jump off of a forty foot cliff, but it was the only way that I knew that I could see him again. When I hit the water, I was knocked out for a brief second, and after I regained clarity, I could feel my body being tossed around like a ball. I couldn't even see which way was up.
A pair of slender, strong arms had circled around me and hoisted me out of the water. It was Julie and she was still currently glaring at me. Her clothes were wet but she wasn't shivering like I was.
"What the hell, Bella!" she shouted, glaring at me with her intense eyes.
"I just wanted to see what it was like," I stuttered due to the cold.
She sighed and looked at me with disappointment before lifting my jacket off my shoulders. I was led to her truck that was precariously parked on the edge of the beach. The dirt and grass had been scraped away when she had skid to a stop to jump out and get me out of the water.
"Here," Julie handed me a bundle of clothes, "These should be around your size."
I thanked her meekly and began to peel my water logged clothes off. It was awkward to change clothes while crouched behind an open door, but luckily Julie gave me my privacy. After I had put on her loose shorts, well loose on me, and a shirt, I climbed into the truck and turned the heat up. Julie just smirked at me as she sat in her wet clothes but wasn't shivering like me.
"It is so unfair that you have your high body temperature," I said shivering, even with the heater on, my long hair was plastered against my back.
"It is just one of the benefits of being me," she said not taking her eyes off the road.
"Can we stop by your house," I asked timidly.
"Sure, I think you still have an outfit there for when you stay over," she took a turn and we continued towards her house.
"I'll go back to get your truck and bring it here," she said and then fell silent.
"So," I began, "have you talked with Adam recently? It's been nearly a week."
"Yeah, I talked with him this morning. He sounded exhausted but he never said anything about when he would return," her voice wavered slightly and I felt bad for her.
I knew that she had a crush on Adam. Whenever he was around, her eyes followed his muscular arms as he lifted heavy parts. Her entire mood had been subdued and and gloomy since he had left unexpectedly. I understood what she was feeling on a certain level. When he left, I had shattered completely and I was just starting to feel better. Adam and Julie had been the pillars that helped me.
Julie became my best friend and had became my source of advice. Adam was the one, however, that gave me the strength to continue on. He let me vent all my frustrations, insecurities, and yearnings for Edward to return. He showed me that a person had to stand up even though they were tired and in pain.
When we got to the small house of my friend, her dad was in the living room watching a Mariners game from a week ago. He must have missed it and needed to catch up on how they did. He greeted us with a small wave and only tilted his head at my wearing his daughter's clothes.
"Looks like you two had a party," his wrinkles moved as he smiled with impish teasing.
"Yeah, Bella here decided to test the old saying of if you jump off a cliff," his showed his shock as his eyes scanned my aching and slightly hunched form.
"Well, I hope that you are getting her something better than your old shorts."
"Don't worry old man, you must be going senile to think I would let my best friend catch a cold," her voice was dismissive as though what she was saying was obvious.
"Your best friend, what about that Adam guy," at his teasing, her cheeks got a tinge of pink.
"That's different," she murmured softly.
Billy laughed loudly and nearly wet himself. I gave a small smile at her embarrassment and followed her into her disorganized room. I spotted my clothes in the corner and rushed to put them on. Now dressed in a pair of worn jeans and a faded Rush shirt, I sat of Julie's bed. I hung my wet clothes on the back of a chair and waited about ten minutes before Julie came in. She plopped down next to me and then released a deep sigh.
"So what do you want to do," she said laying back with her eyes closed.
"I think that we could talk about how your growing affection for Adam," I said waiting for her reaction.
She reacted just like I thought she would, explosively. She jumped off the bed and looked down on me. She yelled out that she wasn't in love with Adam and other similar denials. Her face was red and her arms were making wide arcs to try and explain her point. When we both heard her father laughing, she shut her mouth and sat down, cupping her face in her hands.
"It's fine," I said rubbing slow circles on her back, "I know that you love him. You are an open book when you're around him."
"Why is it so hard to admit," her voice was muffled, but I winced at the timidness of it.
"I think that the only person who doesn't know is Adam," I admitted and was pleased that she lifted her head.
"Really," she said slowly, "was I that obvious?"
I nodded my head, and she groaned before she straightened her back and squared her shoulders. I decided to spare her the awkward conversation, so we started talking about how I felt while in mid air. We chatted for a couple hours about our lives and what was new. apparently , her packmates were avoiding her lately and it was beginning to grate on her nerves.
"Hey Bella," Billy called from the living room.
"Yeah."
"It's getting pretty later and Charlie has been worried about you staying out after dark," he said, causing me to look out.
The sun was setting and dusk was coloring the sky with golden clouds. When I said bye to Billy, Julie said that she would take me home so that I was sure to get there. We got into my truck and rumbled our way to my house. The cool evening air made my damp hair feel like ice. I leaned into Julie's shoulder and then unbuckled and scooted across to be next to her.
"If you're going to brag about your heat, I'm going to take advantage of it," I noticed her chuckle softly.
Her body brought warmth to my cold bones and I relaxed fully. I felt myself become drowsy and before my eyes could close fully, I felt the truck lurch to a halt. I opened my eyes blearily and saw that we had reached my house. A light was on in the front room and I didn't see Charlie's cruiser.
"See you tomorrow. Maybe we can get you riding around in the woods with us," she grinned and took a deep breath through her nose.
She got a dreamy look on her face that she held as I left. She walked down the street and into the woods leaving my truck on the curb. Opening the door, I was greeted by a deep snoring. I found the source and was happy to see Adam was stretched out on the recliner. This must have been why Julie was in such a strange mood all day. It wasn't sadness, she had been trying to keep the surprise for when I got home. After I closed the door, I turned to walk to the kitchen to make some food, but I was startled by the worried visage of Alice that appeared in front of me. Her hair was slightly messy and her eyes had deep shadows under them.
"A-Alice," I stuttered shocked that she was here.
"Bella," she said, throwing her arms around me in a tight embrace.
"I'm sorry, it's just that I can't, I can't believe your here. Are the others back," her face was now angry.
"Would you like to explain to me how you are alive," her voice was upset and my confusion grew.
"What?"
"I had a vision of you. You jumped off a cliff for God's sake. What in the hell were you thinking, trying to kill yourself, how do you think Charlie would react, or even Adam?"
"I didn't try," I blurted out stopping her rant.
"I was...cliff diving, for fun. A real rush," her face was in shock but she quieted down and led me into the living room.
She looked at Adam fondly before going over to the couch and tucked her legs underneath her facing me on the couch. I mimicked her and wrung my hands nervously. She looked like she wanted to join Adam in his chair but held herself back.
"You are the second most frustrating person I have ever known," she began softly, so as to restrain herself from joining Adam.
"Does, uh, he? Did you, tell," I stuttered out.
She shook her head softly, "No, he only calls in every few weeks. He said that he wants to be alone."
When she said that, I felt my rising hope dim a little. She looked at me sympathetically, then tried to turn the conversation to how things had been since they left. "Has Adam been doing ok? I would understand if was furious with me."
"He has been good, he takes on small jobs around town and is getting along alright," I said seeing her face so glum.
She smiled her thanks but then frown as she sniffed the air, "Bella, what is that God awful wet-dog smell?"
"Um, well, that's either me or Adam," seeing her confused face, I continued, "Julie, she's a…"
"Julie who," she asked suspicion creeping into her voice.
"Julie, she kinda a werewolf," I finished lamely.
"Uh," she said in disgust, "werewolves are not good company to keep, and Adam has been around her as well?" She got off the couch and walked over to Adam's snoring form.
She gently placed a hand on the heavily sleeping man, and several things happened at once. Adam's eyes shot open, he grabbed his small axe that I didn't even know was leaned against the side of his makeshift bed, and lunged forward pushing Alice into the wall. At the same time, Julie pushed through the front door and raked her gaze over the room. Her eyes widened when she saw Adam forcing Alice against the wall.
"What are you doing here," Adam roared angrily in her face.
"I-I-I," she stuttered under the thunderous force of his anger.
"I want an answer, now!" he barked.
"I saw Bella jump off a cliff," she murmured, looking crestfallen.
His eyes turned to me with the question being asked silently. I nodded and he shook his head in disbelief. He backed away from Alice and he sat with a loud humph before looking at the people in the room. His eyes stayed flinty before he looked over at Julie still in her tense form. He took a deep breath before saying in a deep tone that betrayed nothing of his mood.
"I am going to try to stay calm, but I want explanations," he looked at Julie to start, which she did.
"I had to see if the two of you were safe," her eyes lowered to the floor.
"Well I'm not going to hurt them, especially not Adam," Alice was sincere and Adam's face remained stoic.
"Too late," Julie mumbled under her breath then spoke a little louder and sarcastically, "Of course not, your just a harmless Cullen. I was referring to the leech that has been trying to kill Bella because of you."
"Victoria," Alice asked in bewilderment.
"Yeah, she's been coming around according to the pack," I confirmed.
"I didn't see," she looked at me, "I didn't see you get pulled out of the water either."
She turned to Julie and hissed, "I can't see past you and your pack of mutts."
"You blood sucking bitch," Julie shrieked at her and was stopped from lunging at her by Adam, who stood up between them.
"I think the title of bitch suits you better," Alice snarled back.
"Enough! I will not be forced to mediate between the two of you," Adam said standing in between them and moving his gaze from one to the other.
Alice avoided his gaze but lifted her head and walked past Julie, to the front door. I felt panic well inside me, so I reached out to her timidly.
"Wait, you're not going anywhere. You're going to come back, right," I was desperate for her not to leave me again, my heart was crying out.
"As soon as you put the dog out," she sniffed disdainfully at Julie but smiled gently towards me.
"If you are going to fight, do it outside. I am not going to be the one that has to explain to Charlie about why two girls destroyed his house," Adam said sternly before he sat back down in the recliner.
Julie moved over to stand by next to Adam and Alice's eyes narrowed before she went back to the couch with me. Her eyes were locked on Julie and glowered at the smug look that was sent her way. Adam looked between the two of them with a blank face that showed his confusion at their animosity. Even with my heightened emotional state, I could see what was going on. Julie was being territorial over her crush, and Alice was jealous about how close Julie was to him.
"So are you back for good," I asked Alice gaining the attention of Adam.
"To be honest, I don't know," her words caused him to become more stoic, if that were even more likely.
She looked down glumly at her clenched hands in her lap before she gasped and shoot to her feet. She began to pace at a blurring speed and was saying something too fast to be comprehended. When she finally calmed down, her eyes were terrified. She pulled out her phone and tried to dial someone but she was unsuccessful.
"What's wrong Alice," I asked getting worried.
"It's Edward," she started, "he read my thoughts about my vision of you jumping. I came here, but he, he's done something rash."
"What has he done" Adam's voice resonated in the space.
"He's going to ask the Volturi to kill him," Alice said getting a gasp from me.
My feelings for him reared their head and I immediately rushed up to my room to get some things. The rest of them followed me. I was frantic as I wrote a note for Charlie saying that I was going to Italy. Alice, already knowing what I was planning, went outside and started her car, which was parked a few houses down. Julie looked at me with dismay and anger at Alice. Adam walked downstairs and I heard the backdoor swing open and slam shut.
"Why are you doing this," Julie asked quietly
"I have to," I said simply.
"No you don't. You can ignore this and just stay here. You can go to sleep and wake up in the morning," she pleaded with me.
"Is that what you would do if this were Adam," I asked quietly.
She opened and closed her mouth trying to saying something to try and convince me one last time, but she knew from the look in my eyes that it was pointless to try and stop me. She wordlessly walked over to my nightstand and picked something up. When she turned around, I saw the small knife that Adam had given me for my birthday in her hand. She placed it in my hand and walked out of the room.
Right before she disappeared down the stairs, she said with unshaking conviction, "I would do anything to save him," and with that she left my line of sight.
Adam POV
I pocketed one of the many whetstones that I had collected, this particular one was about the size of my palm. I grabbed the refurbished 'Bone Crusher' mace and walked out of the poorly lit shed. I decided to leave the Great Axe behind because it was too large to be hidden in public. I knew that we were going to be taken to where Edward was via a private jet. I remember Alice speaking about the pilot owing her a favor.
"What are you doing," Julie asked in shock.
"I'm going with them," I said simply, sliding my small axe into its loop.
"You aren't going," she shouted grabbing me wrist.
"I don't want to go," I confessed to her surprise.
"Then why?"
"I made a promise to protect Isabella, also I think that it would relieve you of some stress if I went," she shook her head.
"She would be safe, but you would be in danger," I rested my other hand on top of her and gently massaged it.
"I can defend myself," I said as I got her to release me.
"Fine, but I need to speak with you when you get back," she meekly said.
Seeing her mood lower, I teased her. "I know the real reason that you don't want me to go."
At her startled look, I continued, "Your jealous that I'm going to smack around some bloodsuckers."
"Yeah that's it, I'll see you when you get back," she laughed and I knew that her mood had improved.
Isabella was startled by my appearance when I walked by her and got into the back seat of the new and expensive sports car. She followed me and slid into the seat in front of me. Alice forced the gas pedal down and we shot off to the airport. Isabella asked how we would be getting to Italy on such short notice. Alice asked, but I ignored her and calmed myself before starting a conversation with the voice in my head.
"Hey, are you there," I asked mentally.
"Always," it answered immediately.
"Why didn't you let me use the Rage when she woke me," I demanded savagely.
"You would have done something that would hurt you for life," his answer confused me.
"What would I have done? I wanted to scare her and show her the consequences of her actions," he growled at me with anger.
"She is our mate and I refuse to harm her."
"She left me, she deserves to pay," I snarled at him.
"Regardless, she is our mate. She made a mistake, and we will punish her, but I will not harm her," he cut off our conversation and I groaned in frustration.
Focusing back on reality, I found myself listening to Isabella telling Alice that going one hundred twenty miles an hour was illegal. At the speed that we were going, it would only take another ten or so minutes to get to the airport. When Isabella tried to ask my opinion on the subject, I just grunted and refused to talk. I was busy thinking about my jumbled mess of a love life.
The berserker had referred to both Julie and Alice as my mates, and from what I remember of glancing through the ritual tome, mates were the only person that could calm the berserker and couldn't be harmed intentionally by the berserker. Sure I felt connected to the both of them, but it wasn't right to be in a relationship with both of them at the same time, it wouldn't be fair to them. I also wasn't sure about how I felt about the situation.
As I was lost in my thoughts, Alice parked the car in a hanger that had a streamline jet that had extra fuel on its wings. We got out and the pilot greeted us with a smile. He was a mild mannered man with a dusting of gray in his hair. He gave me an odd look for carrying weapons onto a plane, but shrugged when Alice assured him that I wouldn't damage his jet.
"It'll take about half a day of flying with a short stop in New York to refill before we head to Italy," Hank, the pilot, said over the intercom.
As the plane rolled onto the runway, my hands were tightly clenching the arms of my seat. Seeing my white knuckles, Alice reached over and placed a hand on top of my right hand. Because of the nerves that were filling me, I didn't even jerk my hand away in anger. I forgot my anger momentarily and allowed the comfort she was giving me to relax me body. I went rigid as the airplane lifted off the ground, and Alice began to stroke my hand with her thumb.
"Swallow some of your spit, it'll help with depressurization," Alice gently coached as I did what she instructed.
After we reach our maximum altitude, I relaxed fully. I nodded my head over at Alice in thanks for what she did for me. I pulled a curtain around my seat and leaned my head back into the plush headrest. I heard my neighbor sigh, then she got up and walked over to the loud Isabella. She had been tossing and turning, clearly filled with nervous energy, and wouldn't calm down. I heard them start talking, and I knew this was going to be a long flight.
~Time Skip: Fifteen Hours~
The plane was behind me, and I was glad to be off that steel deathtrap. I hadn't spoken the entire flight and was polishing my weapons with an oiled rag. Walking into the morning sun, I saw that Alice had put on a neck scarf and a pair of sunglasses. Isabella looked slightly rested and glanced around looking for our way into the city.
Alice strode to a bright yellow italian sports car and opened the door to hop in. Following the person who seemed at ease in the car, I fold the seat forward and hunched forward to squeeze into the cramped backseat. Alice chuckled at my discomfort, and when our final passenger got in we sped away.
"How did you get this car here," Isabella asked the question that was on my mind.
"Well," Alice grinned impishly, "we just borrowed it for an unknown amount of time."
"What!" Isabella and my voices overlapped in shock.
"Don't worry, we should be done with it by this evening," I was not happy, but if it was going to be returned, then I had no major complaints.
"I get front seat next time," I grumbled, feeling very constricted.
Alice just giggled but kept checking on me in the mirror, when suddenly she had another vision, "They turned him down."
Isabella sighed in relief, but I could see that something was still bothering Alice, so I asked, "There is something else, isn't there."
"Yeah, he plans to reveal himself to humans, so that the Volturi have no choice but to kill him."
"When?" I asked feeling the pressure of time.
"At noon, when the sun is at its highest. In the main square," her answer made me chuckle.
Seeing both of the occupants in the car glaring at me, I supplied the truth I had realised "Your lucky that your man is so very symbolic and dramatic. It gives us more time. If he really wanted to, he could have just walked right into any crowded, sun filled square."
They nodded their understanding, but they became quieter than they had been before. They talked about whether Alice could show Edward that Isabella was still alive, but he would only dismiss it as a trick. To pass the time, I got my whetstone out and began to slide the rough rock over the slightly dulled edge.
shrrrrrk
The sound was the only thing in the car besides mine and Isabella's breath. It made their eyes flick back to see what I was doing. I finished a single stroke then I went for another.
shrrrrrk
I studied the edge with a critical eye then flipped the axe over to get to its other side. I had to make sure that I flipped it every few strokes to make sure that my edge didn't become skewed to a certain side.
shrrrrrk shrrrrrk
"Do you have to do that while we are in a car," Alice asked.
"You are the one driving, if you want it to stop, drive faster," I said flipping the axe over again.
shrrrrrk
"We could kick you out," she said cocking an eyebrow at me in the mirror.
shrrrrrk
"I am being forced to suffer in the small space, so I will at least share my misery with you."
shrrrrrk
I tested the newly sharpened edge against the hairs on my forearm and was pleased to see that it shaved them smoother and cleaner than a razor. I place the axe down and when I saw their faces lighten with relief, I nearly smiled.
Shhhhnk
Their eyes glared at the mace, whose raised diamonds I was sharpening, and they forced their mouths to remain shut.
Shhhhnk
Luckily the mace had just been redone, so I didn't have to do too much with it. They didn't know this however and I slid the whetstone one final time.
Shhhhnk
"Alright, that's it I wi-"
"There's the city," I interrupted Alice.
Looking ahead, the city was very classic in structure. It had open windows, tiled roofs, and weathered stone roadways. We were forced to stop after about a kilometer into the city because there seemed to be a festival. The streets were crowded and crammed with people dressed in red robes and most of them were holding up statues of pigs, dogs, and some other shapeless blob that had been set on fire.
"It's five minutes to noon," Alice said, glancing at the clock tower that was clearly visible.
"We aren't going to make it," Isabella panicked and jumped out of the car and ran through the crowd.
"I'll follow her," and just like that, I was left alone in the car.
Muttering some unflattering words under my breath, I force the seat forward with a loud crack that told me it was now broken. I clambered out of the car. I was sure that I got some strange looks, but right now I was too angry to care. I had been forced to endure a lot of mental suffering because Lover Leech decided that a world without his love was unbearable, even though he had ended the relationship himself.
I let out an irritated growl that made the people who heard it to back away. As I started to follow the fleeing girls, the crowds parted around me. I ran down the street and hoped, that like all small towns, all roads lead to the town square. I ran, thumping my feet and then I broke free of the road and entered the large town square.
Quickly looking around, I saw that Alice was trapped in the waves of festival goers. It took me a moment to find Isabella, but when I did, I found her undead lover. He had no shirt on and was stepping into light. She wouldn't make it in time, I knew that as soon as I glanced at them.
Making a fast decision, I pulled off my glove and flicked a small lever that released all the tendon connectors. Yanking the prosthetic off and curling the fingers into a ball, I hurled the metal hand with the force of a cannon straight into Edward's chest. He slammed back into the shadows and I felt several eyes focus on me. Ignoring them, I pushed my way through the crowd and was greeted by the sight of Isabella hugging Edward for dear life.
"This is yours I believe," Alice handed me back my hand it took only a few seconds to reattach it fully.
"Thanks."
"Ahh, how nice of you to stay in the shadows," an accented voice droned out striding down the hall.
It was a boy who was wearing a dark grey cloak. He had dark brown hair and crimson red eyes. His face was soft and feminine. He was around five foot, so I towered over his, but I was still cautious of his cheerful smile.
"Alec," Edward breathed out, "I have decided not to die. The Kings will no longer be needed.
"It doesn't matter now," his soft voice sent shivers down my spine.
"The Kings want to meet your human. And this one," he said, glancing at me.
"They are interested in him as well," with that he turned on his heel and walked away expecting us to follow.
My inner berserker was ranting about tearing this blood sucker to pieces, but I calmed him down by promising him blood.
THAT IS A WRAP ON THIS CHAPTER. I KNOW THAT IT HAS BEEN A WHILE SINCE I HAVE POSTED AND I'M SORRY FOR THAT. ALL MY EXAMS ARE FINISHED FOR A WHILE AND I CAN UNWIND A LITTLE. THIS CHAPTER WAS ACTUALLY THE FIRST SCENE THAT I WROTE FOR THIS STORY, THE ONE WHERE HE TAKES OFF HIS HAND AND CHUCKS IT AT EDWARD. THAT IS ALL FOR NOW. I WISH EVERYONE A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS. STAY WARM AND HAPPY. UNTIL NEXT TIME, READ, REVIEW, AND ENJOY.
Ghost Operation Systems signing out.