She led me silently through the dark labyrinth below the city, a cavalcade toward freedom. The dark candle-lit hallways stretched like an endless night. This was the very image of the underworld that I once envisioned leading Bella, my Persephone, all those months ago, as I lay thinking of her under the cherry moon. How ironic, that it should be her that led me into the darkness now.
How could one have so much to say, yet completely fail to find the words when they were most needed?
How does one thank another for an act so selfless that it renders you entirely without speech?
Climbing out of hell, Bella swayed on her feet as her body made purchase with the ground above. Instantly, Alice and Tanya were at her side, lifting her up over the last steps, supporting her and walking beside her in sisterhood. Something had changed between Bella and I in the catacombs of Voterra. A dynamic had shifted, once and for all. I felt wholly unworthy of her and yet I knew that she and I were perfectly matched, in body and in mind. I wanted to kiss the ground she walked on and sweep her into my arms, and yet I almost felt afraid to be in her presence.
I contemplated this as my coven, my family, drove silently to the Pisa International Airport, where Esme had chartered a private Jet. She had picked up piloting as a hobby in the 1940's, shortly after the disappearance of Amelia Earhart, and had even set out on a voyage to finish the flight in Amelia's stead. The memory made me smile. I made a note to myself to tell Bella that particular story one day.
One day... there it was. Possibility. We had a "one day" to look forward to. Bella's brilliance had bought us this most precious commodity, entirely underestimated by the ancients who had long ago forgotten the concept. Only a human could truly understand the importance, the vitality, of time.
Where there was time, there was hope.
Sleep found Bella as soon as she strapped into the leather seat of the aircraft. She had been nearly silent the whole way here, only answering Carlisle's questions as he assessed her mental and physical state during our car ride.
Physically, Bella exemplified the word survivor. She was bruised all over and her bandages needed changing. She was sweaty and fatigued, yet stubbornly refusing to rest. I had twice offered to carry her, and was disheartened when she declined. We could all smell the blood beneath her wound, the warning signs of infection. I hated that her human body showed evidence of the damage she had endured, yet my body had already healed from the war with the newborn vampires, the battle with Victoria, and the assault of the Volturi guard. If my outer appearance matched the emotional toll I felt inside, I would surely have already collapsed long ago.
We flew away from Italy at 450 knots, leaving the nightmare behind us. Carlisle, Alice, Kate and Tanya spoke in hushed tones about the interaction with the kings; their minds filled with questions about how and why things transpired as they did. We needed a plan, needed some cover up for Bella and Olly's disappearance from the school. I knew I owed them answers, but I simply couldn't tear myself away from Bella just yet.
I sat beside her in the leather seat, and outstretched my hand, cupping her cheek. Her eyes fluttered beneath my touch and she instinctively curled toward me, like a flower turning toward the sun. The words bloomed from deep within my chest, and I spoke them aloud.
"You are extraordinary, Bella." I ran my thumb across her pouty lower lip. "So extraordinary that you frighten me. How I am scared that you will regret this immortal life you're choosing. How I worry that you will choose to live that life without me. How I fear that I don't deserve you, despite the unwavering, eternal, all consuming love that I have for you."
She sighed, and in her exhale, her lips touched my fingertips. Her eyes fluttered open for a moment, and she pressed her hand over mine, holding my hand to her cheek. She looked into my eyes, her long eyelashes casting shadows onto her porcelain cheek.
"Don't be afraid. We belong together." she said simply. She turned and pressed a kiss into my open palm. "I love you," she sighed, as if she told me so a million times, before gently falling back asleep.
Those words, just as they did the first time I heard her say them to me in her sleep, left me soaring high, 32,000 feet above the clouds.
...
Hours later, as we began our descent, I gently unstrapped Bella and lifted her into my arms. The exhaustion had overtaken her, and I would not have dared to wake her from the momentary peace she had found through slumber. I wished I could allow her that peace for several more days, but unfortunately circumstances would not allow for it.
Bella had been missing for three days. News coverage of the Florida school shooting and the missing children had made national headlines. Alice saw that Bella's father had come to Florida in unadulterated panic. She saw the search parties forming to find her and Olly; the girls presumed to be the target of Riley's attack. Jane and Alec had disposed of Riley's body and the mangled gun, and left no trace of Olly in the radio studio that they set ablaze. Rumors spread that either Riley had kidnapped both girls in desperation after failing to destroy the school building. Explosives had been found in his gym locker. Bella would now have a role to play to explain her absence, and it would not be a pleasant one.
Esme landed the plane beautifully on the private tarmac. I held Bella close to my body and ran with her as soon as the doors opened. We could not afford to be caught by TSA or on camera with the missing girl from the news sleeping soundly in my arms. I jumped with Bella over a fence and landed softly on the bottoms of my feet, sprinting through the woods until we were out of sight. Bella stirred. I slowed to a walk, cradling her to me.
Bella's eyes opened wide. She gasped.
"Shh, you're safe," I said to her. "I've got you."
"Edward?"
"I'm here, love." I held her closer. "We're safe."
Bella buried her face in my shoulder. She was silent for a beat.
"I watched Jane torture you…" the words seemed to get stuck in her throat.
"I know," I hushed her. "I'm okay. We're okay. Thanks to you."
"Where are we?" Bella blinked rapidly, clutching my arms.
"I didn't want to wake you. You and I had to take a brief detour through the woods while the rest of the family went through airport security. I hoped you wouldn't mind. Those lines are terrible and I figured the scenery would be a pleasant and familiar change."
Bella frowned for a moment before finally relaxing against me. "I do love the woods," she said. She smiled my favorite smile, and reached up to cup the side of my neck. Her fingers were silk against stone. She touched me like she couldn't believe that I was here with her, alive. I knew the feeling. The tension was too much. I tried to lighten the moment.
"If I recall correctly, that is not all you love."
Bella grinned. "I thought you had perfect recall."
I lifted her higher, breathing in the scent of her, from my favorite spot behind her ear. "Tell me again."
She reached up and ran her fingers through the hair at the nape of my neck.
"I love you, Edward."
"I will never tire of you telling me so."
"Then I will have to tell you every chance that I get," Bella replied simply.
I walked another few minutes simply relishing the warmth of her words and her body. But Bella was too quick. I knew she knew more was going on. I knew her next question before she asked it.
"So, why are we really avoiding the airport security?"
I huffed. "The events at the school have been on the news, and you and your friend have been missing for several days."
Bella nodded gravely. "My parents must be petrified."
"They are." I agreed. I could not imagine believing Bella was kidnapped or worse. I would go to great lengths to spare anyone that pain. Alas, I could not put their mind to ease quite yet. Once again, Bella was one step ahead.
"Where exactly are you taking me? Where will I say I have been all this time?"
I stopped, lowering Bella to the ground gently. She seemed grateful to be on her feet again, but reluctant to let me go, so she held onto my hand. This suited me just fine. I led Bella to a tree stump and gestured for her to sit.
"I'm taking you to the cabin where we hid Bree. Alice will plant evidence of plans to go to Amelia Island in Riley's trailer."
"His trailer?"
I nodded. "Riley's parents were found dead last spring in Seattle, so he's been living here alone. I suspect Victoria had something to do with their deaths."
I gave Bella a moment to process this. She hugged her knees, facing away from me. The boy had been her friend for months, there for her when I could not be. Despite his final actions, Bella grieved for him.
"We will join the search party to find you, keep up appearances and such," I continued. "It won't be more than a day before you will be home with your mother again, I promise."
"What am I supposed to say happened?" Bella's eyes were wide. She always hated lying, but we had no choice now. This was part of being a Cullen. Bella would have to accept this as part of her life if she chose to have a life with me.
"You don't have to remember much. Trauma can impact memory."
Bella nodded. "I am familiar with that." She stood, crossing her arms and pacing as she thought. I felt the familiar pang, unable to speak for a moment.
She turned back to me suddenly. "What should I say happened at the school?"
I cleared my throat. "You could say Riley attacked both of you, knocked you out, and that you woke up in the cabin, bandaged and confused, fearful that Riley would come back at any moment. You don't have to know what happened to Olly. The less detail you can provide, the better."
Bella winced.
"I am so sorry, love."
"I want to say that it's okay... but it's not." Her eyes hardened. "I will come back for her."
I walked over to her and wrapped her in my arms again. I was done with the distance. "We will come back for her."
...
Chief Charlie Swan no longer resembled the taciturn man I had known many months ago. The man I saw before me tonight spoke rapidly, almost desperately with anyone who would listen. His eyes, the same chocolate brown as Bella's, darted from here to there, as if Bella would appear in his periphery at any moment, carried out of the woods by some unknown rescuer. His sheriff's jacket was wrinkled and he looked like he had aged ten years, likely the result of not sleeping for several days.
I watched Carlisle and Esme quietly chat with Charlie outside of the local church where volunteers gathered to help find the missing teens. As Esme gently explained our recent trip out of the country, hearing the news about Bella, and offering our assistance, I tuned in to Charlie's thoughts, gathering information that we could use to help steer him in the right direction.
By now, Alice had planted the evidence; she saw that the lead detective would find the map of the park within the next few hours. It would take another several hours for the search party to gather and organize, to get approval from the local county sheriff to search the area, and yet another hour before the park staff would organize well enough to lead volunteers and police through the trails. It would be long after dark by the time Bella would be found. I hated parting from her now, after everything we went through in the last few days.
"Chief Swan," I greeted Bella's father.
Charlie furrowed his dark eyebrows. He eyed me warily, his mind conjuring memories of my relationship with his daughter - moments he regarded with disdain. Charlie didn't trust me. Although his thoughts were too murky to read clearly, I got the sense that he'd been given some kind of warning to be suspicious of me specifically by his close friend Billy Black. We were right to return and participate in the search party efforts. I had not been eliminated as a suspect in the sheriff's mind.
"Hello Edward," he said. "Thanks for offering to help, son."
"I care very much for Bella, sir." I spoke more fervently than I had meant to. I needed him to know I loved his daughter, even if he would never approve of our coupling.
Charlie mumbled under his breath, looking anywhere but at me. He began to return to his task of coordinating radios when I stepped closer to him, speaking low.
"We will find her." I promise him. "Bella is alright. I am sure of it."
Charlie softened somewhat, dragging his hand over his tired face. "She had better be."
Right on schedule, the radios dispatched the news. A map of Amelia island had been found in Riley's trash, a clue that might point to the boy's plans. We stayed with Charlie, watched hope spark in his brown eyes, listened to him call Renee with the update on the search. Carlisle was doing a great job keeping Charlie calm and spreading a sense of optimism. I was grateful that my adopted vampire parents had spent time speaking with Olly's parents as well, I was not sure I would have been able to face them alone.
"Let's go bring our girls home," Esme said, holding the hand of Olly's mother as tears welled in her hazel eyes. Olly's father said nothing, standing as if shell shocked next to his wife, still dressed in scrubs from days ago.
The search party began at sunset. Every group was provided with huge flashlights, radios tuned to channel Bravo 6, and at least one police officer and park employee accompanying each group. Riley was still considered armed and dangerous. I wished I could tell them that the extra precaution was unnecessary and speed up the process, but I could not. Alice, Carlisle and I joined the search party with Charlie and a group of other people, some of whom seemed to know Charlie personally.
As we began our trek through the national park, I sensed a presence following us in the woods.
That's strange. The smell.
Alice had noticed it too. I tried not to appear tense, aware that Charlie continued to watch my every move. An hour passed, and the presence continued to follow us. Alice began searching the future looking for a clue that revealed our stranger's identity, and finding none. In fact, every thread she followed involving the stranger led her to a mental block, like a wall she could not see around.
I don't understand, Alice thought. She rubbed her temples, experiencing a headache from the effort. I slowed our pace some, hoping that the presence would catch up to the group. Minutes later, a young man appeared, lingering in the back of the search party. He was a russet skinned boy that I vaguely recognized from Forks, though I couldn't quite make out his face, as if it had been distorted in some way.
Poor Charlie. Three days. Fuck, the boy thought at one point. Three fucking days.
"Jacob," Charlie sighed in relief. "You came."
Alice and I exchanged a look.
Jacob. Jacob Black. The son of Billy Black. The alpha of the Quileute werewolf pack.
"Hey Charlie," Jacob said softly. "Of course. I hope we find Bella soon."
Unless it's already too late, He thought. His eyes flickered to me for a moment, and quickly drew away in disgust.
We continued to walk, less than a mile now from Bella's location. We were too far east of her. If we continued on our path, Charlie would miss her. As I contemplated a way to change the search party's course, Jacob suddenly stopped in his tracks. He inhaled deeply, and without a second thought, turned and sprinted away. He ran directly east.
Jacob Black had caught Bella's scent.
Edward, Alice thought at me with alarm, It's gone. I can't see her. Bella's future just went completely blank.
She quickly walked over to me, providing me with a much needed excuse to disappear.
"Edward I think I dropped my cellphone while we were walking," she said loudly enough for Charlie to hear.
I tried to keep the panic out of my voice. I gritted my teeth and replied. "I'll go look for it."
I turned on my heel and walked away at a human pace until I was out of sight. Then, with every last ounce of my speed, I ran. I sailed through the air like an arrow escaping the kiss of a bow. Harder and faster, my legs barely touched the ground as I sprinted toward the cabin.
The werewolf stench was nauseating. Bits of flannel and denim were scattered on the ground as I approached the wooden lodging. Jacob had phased. Bella was alone with a werewolf. It was as if God himself was hellbent on ensuring that Bella would be taken from me.
I was only a few yards away now. I prepared to tear the door off of the hinges when a pair of strong vampire arms suddenly encircled me and pulled me backwards into the woods.
I turned preparing to attack only to find Carlisle pinning my arms in place.
"Release me. She's in there, alone with that thing!" I cursed at my father, struggling against his grasp. I would have to hurt him to get him off of me. I was not beyond tearing off Carlisle's arms in that moment.
"Edward, son, listen to me," he said gently, though his grasp was anything but. "The werewolf is not going to harm her. He only phased because he caught our scent on Bella. When Charlie heard Bella was missing for three days…"
Of course. The Quileute pack had jumped to conclusions. Billy Black had tried to warn Charlie about me last year in Forks, so he must have concluded that I was the reason for Bella's disappearance. If I was in a rational state of mind, I would almost laugh. If only Bella's disappearance had been so simple. If I had been in a rational state of mind I would have been surprised that the tribe knew so much about how creatures like us were created. But I was not in a rational state. Bella was alone in a room with a young werewolf and Carlisle was standing in my way.
"I need to go in there."
"If you engage him now there will surely be a fight. I don't want Bella caught in the crosshairs of that. Do you?" Carlisle tried to reason with me. "Listen harder son. She's alright. He's phasing back. He's human again."
I shook my head.
"Listen, Edward."
I stared into the eyes of my father. Carlisle spoke to me in the same soothing voice he used during my transition into this life. Imploring me to listen to his words, to stay with him. To hold on just a little while longer.
I closed my eyes and focused on the sound of Bella's startled breathing. Two bodies breathed in the room. Two heartbeats drummed, one significantly faster than the other. I caught the flavor of the boy's mind - Jacob's mind. He was returning to his human form, his bones and skin shifting, shedding the russet fur monster that he wore. The boy was suddenly embarrassed, covering his naked skin. I could see Bella through the boy's eyes.
She sat on the ground, clearly having clattered to the ground when a wolf the size of a horse came barreling through the doorway. Her pupils were dark, but she was otherwise unharmed.
"Bells?" Jacob said. He retrieved a pair of shorts that he carried in his teeth as a wolf and pulled them on quickly, covering any indecency. He stood before Bella, his upper half bare, his muscular abdomen covered in sweat and dirt.
"J-Jacob?" Bella attempted to sit up. The boy stepped forward and lifted her by her arms, planting her before him like a child. He crushed her body to his in a tight hug, before quickly releasing her. He left his hands on her shoulders, as if feeling the warmth of her skin.
"You're human," he said, a little bit in awe.
Bella swallowed, glancing back at the place where Jacob had transformed. "You're not."
This seemed to sober Jacob. He released Bella's arms and stepped back.
"No. I'm something else." His voice was tinged with self disgust.
A quiet moment passed between them then. A minute later, Bella exclaimed a hysterical sound.
"Is everyone but me secretly supernatural?" Bella ran her fingers through her hair. "Is Jessica from my Trig class actually a witch?"
Jacob grinned, a light returning to his eyes. "I remember you telling me about her. She's a witch all right, just not in the cool way."
"Cool." Bella repeated the word in disbelief. "You turn into a monster Jake. You think that's cool?"
Jacob crossed his arms and pouted, hurt by her choice of words. "What, am I not the right kind of monster for you?"
Bella narrowed her eyes. "I don't know what you mean."
"Oh but you do. I can smell that bloodsucker all over you. It's disgusting." He scrunched up his nose as he spoke to her.
Bella turned her face. Jacob wasn't finished.
"You reek of vampire. Multiple vampires. It's the strongest scent I've ever come across." His tone was suddenly concerned. "What happened to you?"
"It's none of your business." Bella turned away again. Jacob grasped her shoulder and forced her to look at him. I growled under my breath. Carlisle held me back.
Trust her, my father begged.
"Vampires are our business." Jacob's voice suddenly switched into the alpha plural. I wondered how many other wolves were in these woods now, waiting for his command.
Bella shook off his hand, fearless as always. "What do you mean, our?"
Jacob crossed his arms defensively. This was not a secret he was willing to share. Not when Bella refused to give him any answers in return. The boy was petulant and stubborn. I disliked him immensely.
"What are you even doing here Jake?"
"I came for you. Charlie said you disappeared for three days. We knew the Cullen guy was with you. We knew what that meant."
Bella's face went pale.
"You came here to kill me," she whispered.
"I wanted to save Charlie from finding his daughter as a bloodthirsty animated corpse and put you out of your misery, yeah," Jacob spit. "But I also came for the bloodsucker."
"For Edward? Why?" Bella went paler still.
"Because if he bit a human, then that means I get to rip his pretty little ginger head off."
"The treaty." Bella sagged against the wall behind her. Jacob stared at her with surprise. His mind pondered how much I had told her about our uncomfortable alliance with the wolves. "Oh my god." Her breath escaped her like a shudder. Then, much to Jacob's distress, Bella began to sob. The boy immediately became disarmed. He dropped his bravado act and once again resembled a sixteen year old boy.
"Whoa. Hey. Bells. I'm sorry. I know you … care about the guy."
Bella wiped her eyes with the back of her sleeve. "I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't Jake."
"I don't know what you mean," he replied. Jacob seemed unsure, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides.
Bella didn't reply.
"You're alone here. The human boy they're all searching for - he's not here, is he? I would have caught his scent."
Bella shook her head. "He's dead," she said. She clutched her chest, holding herself together.
Jacob seemed to think about reaching out and touching her, but changed his mind at the last moment. He watched Bella's shoulders shake, finally taking in her appearance. Bella's green shirt was stained with blood and tears. It had clearly been a trying few days, regardless of the fake kidnapping.
"You look like hell," he said.
She laughed once, without humor. "Gee, thanks."
Jacob thought about his words and tried again. I had to give him credit - he was intuitive. "What I mean is, there's something going on here."
Bella's brown eyes met Jacob's.
"You're in some kind of trouble."
She nodded.
"And it has to do with vampires. Other than the Cullens right? I can smell them on you. Something more. Something worse."
Bella nodded again.
"These other vampires. They are more powerful right? More evil? Like the alpha vampires or something?"
"How do you know this, Jake?" Bella wiped her eyes again.
He shook his head, his long black hair swaying against his shoulders. "I just know. It's what made me phase before I even saw you. I can smell the evil. It feels like whoever they are, it is the big bad that I was made to hunt. I know it doesn't make sense."
"I just saw a boy I used to make mud pies with, transform into a werewolf." Bella sighed. "Nothing makes sense anymore."
From behind the south side of the cabin, voices began shouting through the trees. Flashes of Flashlights appeared in the woods. Dogs barked, clearly having caught Bella's scent. She would be safe any minute now. Carlisle told me so repeatedly.
"Bella when this is over, you and I need to talk. You need to tell me what's going on. We can help protect you. Whatever this is, it's our fight now too." Jacob watched her process his words.
Carlisle and I exchanged a look. Just like that, Bella had secured us an unlikely ally.
"Promise me."
Rather than reply, she gave him a small nod.
Jacob Black nodded back and turned toward the door. He walked a few steps, cupped his hands around his mouth, and shouted from the doorway.
"She's here! Bella Swan is here! She's alive!"
...
TO BE CONTINUED...
Only an epilogue left to go...
All characters belong to Stephanie Meyer, the Twilight Series.
No copyright infringement intended. Plot is mine :)
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Today's chapter was brought to you by Time After Time covered by Iron and Wine.
Special thanks to my Beta Eleanora84! Thanks to her, this story will continue in a part two!
Here's the link to the soundtrack on Spotify! https/open./playlist/0kgyLShDmJwdza3uAqXi3q?si=YQuXxXruROSt35Pmwi28qQ