Chapter 47 - Escaped
Arms seized her from behind before she could throw herself into the river. She pulled against them, thrashing against their grip, her instincts screaming at her to protect her family. The scent burned her nose, scorching her throat — everything within her screamed to attack.
Emmett and the grey wolf faced each other, Emmett's hand curled into fists, the wolf's paws scratching against the ground.
"Emmett." Carlisle's calm voice broke through the wilderness, calling to his son. He stepped forward, his steps light and steady, showing he meant no harm.
Jenny thrashed again as she watched him walk forward, fighting against Jasper's grip on her. Though she could feel his calming emotional waves, they did little to soothe her. It wasn't as strong as usual — as if she were a secondary thought.
Carlisle walked through the stream, his feet disturbing the water. He walked no quicker than the average human and had it not been for the colour of his skin and eyes, another human wouldn't have known otherwise. Though the wolves prowled in the distance, the grey one's eyes still pinned on Emmett, they made no move to attack.
Jenny watched, frozen, terrified. She watched as he walked into the territory of her enemy — toward the wolf who had hurt him. It was as if the rest of the world was frozen around her. All she could see was Carlisle. All she could think was Carlisle.
She thrashed again in Jasper's grip, unable to bear it any longer.
As Carlisle reached Emmett, he placed a hand on his shoulder, urging him back. Emmett remained locked in place, until something within him seemed to calm. He turned to Carlisle ever-so-slightly, one eye still on the wolf ahead of him. Carlisle nodded. She could see his calm eyes pleading with Emmett to retreat.
Emmett glanced to the grey wolf once more, his lip curling, a low purr escaping his lips, before he began to retreat backwards. The grey wolf returned the growl, but he seemed almost locked in place, as if he'd been ordered to stand still.
Carlisle moved to block Emmett's figure, his eyes scanning the wolves as he allowed his son to retreat to safety. Jenny thrashed harder at the sight of it — he was so vulnerable, so calm, so human-like. If one of the wolves attacked him…
Jasper's grip tightened and he directed more of his power towards her.
It seemed like an age before Emmett finally made it back to them. His eyes were instantly upon Rosalie, his arms curling around her, comforting her, before he spared a quick glance at Jenny, nodding towards her.
But Jenny's attention was elsewhere. Her eyes never left Carlisle.
"My son meant no harm. He had no intention of crossing the treaty-line, had Victoria not lured him into a trap. I hope you will forgive our breach, so that we can continue the peace between our kind," Carlisle said, looking directly to the large black wolf.
The wolf paused, his black eyes meeting Carlisle's. Jenny stilled, watching his movements like a hawk, listening for even the smallest sense of attack. Silence fell, the wind a strange hiss between the trees.
"We do not mean you any harm," Carlisle continued calmly. "Remember our common enemy."
There was silence for just a moment longer. Then the black wolf turned to the grey one, who remained in the water, within inches of Carlisle. He growled an order, taking the stance of an alpha.
Jenny felt the human part of her breath a sigh of relief as the grey wolf retreated from the water obediently, his head lowered slightly.
Carlisle nodded his head at the black wolf. "Thank you."
As Carlisle jumped back up to the river banking, the wolves turned to retreat. Jenny remained frozen in Jasper's arms, her senses alert. It was then that the grey wolf paused and turned, his eyes locking with hers. Jenny froze, the predator inside of her deathly still. His brown eyes searched hers, as if scanning for something he'd lost. Jasper's grip on her tightened, his calming aura flaring in warning.
The wolf's eyes turned resolute. He growled, low and threatening, his human anger seeping through his animal form. And Jenny growled right back, a low, predator purr. A warning. A promise that this fight had not ended here.
"Jennifer."
Suddenly Carlisle was in front of her, blocking her view. He placed a hand on her shoulder, searching her eyes, as if looking for the humanity inside of her. Their eyes locked. Part of her eased knowing he was safe — no danger could hurt him.
The wolves disappeared into the night air, leaving only a trail of their scent behind.
Jenny glanced over Carlisle once more, reassuring herself that he was alright. Before her mind returned to the hunt. At the thought of Victoria, she shook off Jasper's grip, barely able to keep still. There was no repressing the predator inside of her — it raged through her body, her instincts screaming at her to follow Victoria's lingering scent. She'd escaped. Again. She had to find her.
"She's gone." Jasper's voice cut through the silent air, taking on the voice of an army commander. "We could track her scent, but she's had too much of a head start."
Alice pressed her lips together, shaking her head, her eyes flickering open. "I can't see her," she said, her voice filled with frustration. "I can't see past those mutts."
Jenny paced back and forth, her legs needing to move. Though Jasper's calming aura attempted to soothe her, it did little against the battle raging inside of her. His attention was likely focused elsewhere, helping Alice and the others.
Carlisle looked to her worriedly, before he looked between his family. "No one was hurt. Forks is safe. We should return home and I'll call Edward to update him on the situation."
"The wolves?" Emmett asked, his frustration lingering in his voice.
"I'll contact Sam in the morning and pass along a further apology," Carlisle responded.
"This is the second time in a week the treaty has been breached," Jasper said, his eyes narrowing. "Can a fight truly be avoided for much longer?" He looked to Alice as he spoke, his worry for her clear.
"We have avoided one for this long," Carlisle answered calmly. "And we will continue to do so."
Jasper looked to Jenny, who continued pacing, her jaw clenched, her fists tightened. "Carlisle, the grey one—"
"I know."
"He'll stay out of our way if he knows what's best for him," Emmett said, a lethal smirk pulling across his lips. "He won't hurt Jenny."
Carlisle's lips upturned into a worried smile. He looked between his sons, a sense of pride radiating from him. Their confrontation with the wolves could have been so much worse — it was a credit to his family's control that they resolved it peacefully.
A silent word passed between each of them, an agreement to go home. Emmett and Rosalie launched through the trees, with Jasper and Alice following closely behind them.
But Jenny continued to pace. Back and forth. Back and forth. She'd barely heard the conversation around her, unable to snap her mind away from the hunt. Victoria couldn't escape. Not again. She had to do something, before she hurt someone else. She had to follow the remaining scent—
"Jennifer…" Carlisle calmly touched her shoulder, his voice filled with concern.
"I'm going after her," Jenny stated, barely suppressing a growl. "She can't just escape—"
Carlisle moved hesitantly towards her, closely gauging her reactions. "We should return home first. If you still wish to pursue her, we will make a plan, with Alice's help."
Jenny shook her head. "No. She can't escape again." Her voice was barely her own. Her eyes darted across her surroundings, her mind whirling with plans of revenge.
"Jenny." He moved his hand to cup her cheek. "Look at me." He forced her gaze to meet his. "I need you to calm down."
Jenny paused for a moment. Carlisle's touch sent a brief calm through her. But then something inside of her snapped. She threw herself backwards, moving away from Carlisle before she could do anything to hurt him. Her back collided with a tree. Carlisle stared at her, his eyes widened, shocked by her sudden movement.
"Carlisle, I can't. I just—" She shook her head, her hands gripping her hair. She'd already scarred him once. She couldn't let it happen again. "I can't." She was restless, enraged. Her head wouldn't stop spinning with thoughts and plans of how to capture her prey.
"Jenny—" He reached out for her.
"No," she growled.
Carlisle paused, his eyes wary.
Some part of her felt the guilt, but it was nothing compared to her predatory rage. "Please…Just go."
Carlisle remained silent, his golden eyes tortured. "I won't leave you. Not like this."
"I need to hunt her," Jenny said, forcing a sense of calmness into her voice, imploring him to see her side of things. "Go home. I'll be back by morning."
"I'll come—"
"No," Jenny interrupted harshly. "Please."
Carlisle remained frozen. He looked so lost, torn — as if he didn't know what to do.
"I don't want to hurt you again…" Jenny whispered breathlessly. "I couldn't live myself. So please—"
He looked at her as if all the light had faded from the world — as if he had nowhere to turn, no right decision to make.
And Jenny looked to him once more. The human part of her begged her to ease his pain. But she needed to hunt Victoria. She needed to release the adrenaline, before it consumed her. Otherwise she feared the actions she'd take. She could hurt someone…Or her instincts could lead her back to Paul.
Victoria.
Victoria was her enemy. She needed to be killed.
Jenny let her senses consume her — her mind set on one thing, and one thing only. She darted off through the trees without a backwards glance, leaving Carlisle alone in the forest. She didn't listen to see if he followed.
Her senses focused on Victoria's scent. Everything else was lost around her.
~ Solitary Soul ~
She raced through the trees, her mind lost in the wind, her body alive with power. Everything faded around her. It could have been night or day. She could have ran for miles and crossed the border, or barely even made it through the Olympic Penninsula. Time was lost — forgotten.
Victoria's scent was beginning to fade. And Jenny hadn't even caught a glimpse of her. It was as if the elusive vampire had faded into thin air. As if she'd never existed.
But Jenny kept running. She ran, harder and faster. She couldn't give up. Run—
Jenny stopped. Something within her told her to stop. Victoria's scent was gone. Gone as if it had never been there.
She looked around her. The tree's were thinner, smaller, as if they were beginning to disappear. The air was lighter, the moonlight beaming through the large gaps in the trees. If she looked up, she could see the stars in all their glory. She could see an aeroplane flying high in the sky, it's lights bright and yellow compared to the subtle glow of the stars. The engine noise ruined the silence — the silence she'd grown to love in Forks.
As she turned around, she realised there was noise everywhere — cars, dogs, drunken people in the night…She was near Seattle. A city filled with beating hearts. Millions of beating hearts.
Jenny froze. Everything around her stilled. And she realised then why the predator inside of her had told her to stop. It was hungry.
"Oli! You can stop hiding now you loser—" A voice called out into the night air. It was so close — too close. "I want to get back to the party!" The voice was high and girlish, but her words were slurred alcohol. The voice was young. Probably no older than Bella. She was out and alone in the night, her friend hiding somewhere in the woods.
Every part of her turned towards the voice. A young girl with such a strong heart beat. Bu-dum. Bu-dum. Bu-dum. Jenny's mouth watered. She could hear the girls pulse beating against her neck, the rush of blood being delivered to her heart.
Jenny stepped forward. Again—and again. Until—
"Holy crap!" The girl's heart rate spiked. She placed a hand over her chest, taking a deep and calming breath. She was small, barely above Jenny's height, with light blonde hair, her lipstick smudged across her lips. "Dude, you scared the crap out of me."
Jenny looked at the girl's hand covering her heart. She looked at the fear in the girls eyes — widened and afraid, worried about the strange woman standing in front of her with the predator eyes.
Ba-dum. Ba-dum. Ba-dum.
"Are you…" The girl trailed off as she caught sight of Jenny's eyes. "Are you okay?" Her voice was barely above a whisper.
Jenny couldn't speak. She couldn't breathe. The taste of the girls blood swirled in the air around her. Her heartbeat a steady thrum, a torment, like a pounding drum.
The girl stepped back. A tree branch crunched beneath her foot.
Jenny froze. She couldn't—she couldn't let herself do it. But the tase, the smell…Everything about it drew her in.
The girl began to move quicker. But her eyes never left Jenny. She watched as she ran backwards, waiting for Jenny to move — to do something.
But Jenny didn't. She stayed still. A frozen icicle. She closed her eyes — praying.
Until she ran.
But not in the direction of the girl. She ran away. Faster than when she was tracking Victoria — faster than she'd ever run before. She ran blindly. She didn't know where she going. She just knew she had to get away, before she hurt that poor girl. Before she ripped her to shreds, feeding on her blood as if she was nothing but an animal—
Jenny shook her head, forcing her mind away from the kill. She tried to focus on something else. On the sound of the trees, or the wildlife around her. But the smell of the bark and leaves, the smell of the forest around her, was nothing compared to the smell she wanted most.
She didn't know how she'd managed. But she was running. She hadn't killed that girl.
And she kept running. And running. And running.
Then there was a light in the distance. The sound of an old baseball game crackled through the TV. The strange scent of dough and cheese — leftover pizza — drifted from the house. It was already beginning to stale. The TV light flickered, the screen reflecting against the small window. And the sound of soft snores drifted from the house…
And Jenny breathed a sigh of relief.
Ba-dum. Ba-dum. Ba-dum.
The sound of Charlie's heart barely bothered her.
She sat down in the trees, far enough away for no one to see her. She breathed in the scent of her old home — such human scents that she'd taken for granted.
She was home. And she was safe. Charlie was safe — even with a predatory vampire watching his home. Jenny wouldn't hurt him. Just like she hadn't hurt that girl.
She was in control. And she was home.
~ Solitary Soul ~
Jenny didn't know how much time passed. Charlie's snores had grown louder in the night, a steady rhythm that blocked the sound of his heart. The air had lightened and warmed around her, a soft breeze rippling through the trees.
She heard the familiar set of footsteps before he appeared. But she didn't move. She remained sat on the floor, her knees curled to her chest, her eyes set on the house in front of her. Just watching. Maybe some part of her was trying to protect Charlie too. At this point, she didn't know why she was still here. She just knew that she had to be here — for her own sake.
She knew Carlisle would come for her eventually. She knew Alice was likely tracking her with her visions — she'd likely seen everything. The running. The girl. Charlie.
Jenny couldn't even look at him. She couldn't bring herself to speak. She'd failed him.
Carlisle stood watching her for a moment, his head tilted to the side, his eyes looking over her. Then he moved. She expected him to be careful — gentle. But he was sat by her side in an instant, his arm around her waist, pulling her closer towards him. It was as if he knew exactly what he needed. He knew that she no longer posed a danger to him.
Jenny released a breath, sighing deeply, as she leaned her head on his shoulder. She breathed in his scent and her body relaxed in response. She hadn't realised how tense she was — as if she could leap to her feet at any moment. And attack.
"I sat here too once…" Carlisle murmured, his eyes following hers, watching the house in front of them. "Just for a moment."
"When?" Jenny whispered.
Carlisle released a light sigh, his lips upturning slightly. "When you were human…Before you accepted me. I knew I shouldn't be here…But it comforted me, just for a moment, knowing you were there."
"Are you admitting to stalking me, Dr Cullen?" she asked teasingly. But she could hear it in her own voice — the strangeness, the tiredness. It was not the echo of her human voice, as she wanted it to be.
Carlisle chuckled lightly, his shoulders shaking beneath her head. "It was just for a moment. And then I was gone."
"How long have I been here?" she asked. She knew she shouldn't be here either. She knew the danger she posed to Charlie. She'd been here far too long — risked far too much.
"It's almost sunrise."
"I don't want to leave," Jenny said, her voice barely a whisper.
"I know."
"But I know I have to."
Silence fell for a moment. She heard a bird whistle a soft tune in the distance, a morning song, full of life and wonder.
"I'm sorry, Carlisle." Jenny lifted her head to look at him. "I'm so—"
"There is no need to—"
Jenny laughed sadly. "There is. I will always apologise for the last few months…They have been—"
"Difficult," Carlisle finished for her.
"Yes."
Carlisle's eyes locked with hers. He lifted his hand to brush a strand of hair behind her ear, his fingertips brushing against her cheek. He looked as if he wanted to take all her pain away. "You didn't feed," he murmured softly. "You didn't hurt anyone."
Jenny closed her eyes and looked away. She loathed hearing it — loathed even thinking of the memory.
"You should be proud of yourself." He softly turned her face back towards him. "Jasper is exceedingly proud of you."
Jenny shook her head. "I could have killed her."
"And you didn't," Carlisle reminded her gently.
"I could have killed Charlie."
"You wanted comfort. The scent of home brought you here," Carlisle said. "You were never here to hurt Charlie."
Jenny let the words settle — let them soothe the guilt burning inside of her. Carlisle always knew the right thing to say.
"She got away."
"I know."
"I was so close—" Jenny shook her head, forcing herself to remain calm. Carlisle's touch was a warm anchor by her side, grounding her to her humanity. "But I lost her scent near Seattle. She's probably at the other end of the world right now."
"Alice is watching her decisions. We'll know the next time she is close," Carlisle said.
"I can't—" Jenny sighed, knowing exactly what she needed to admit, without quite knowing how to tell him. "I don't think I can forget—I don't think I can enjoy this life until I know she is gone. Until I know those I love aren't in danger. Whilst she's alive, there'll always be some part of me craving the hunt."
"I understand the feeling." Carlisle's voice was laced with guilt.
"No, you don't. You're in control—"
"I'm glad you believe that." Carlisle smiled softly. "But when I saw her…I wanted nothing more than to hunt her too. I gave into that side of myself."
"How did you…bring yourself back?" Jenny asked quietly.
"By reminding myself that you were here. That neither Victoria or the wolves had taken you away from me," Carlisle explained. "You're my anchor."
Jenny smiled as he placed a soft kiss on her lips. She immersed herself in the feeling of it — delighted in the warmth of his lips.
"I'm proud of you," Carlisle said, when Jenny didn't speak. "Your strength is incredible — beyond what I could have expected from you. I hope one day you'll look back on this moment and be proud of yourself too."
Jenny looked back at her house. She breathed in the scent of it once more, memorising the smell of her old room, of the sofa which Charlie awkwardly slept on.
"Let's go home."
This time, Carlisle knew she didn't meant the house in front of her. She wanted to go home — to him. To the new life she found herself in. To her family.
A/N: So I'm sure a lot of you will be surprised by the sudden update. I surprised myself too! It has been a long 10 months since I updated this story, but I woke up one day and suddenly found the urge to not only update, but to rewrite the parts that I didn't like. Though I will never change the main plot points of this story, which I devised when I was much younger, I still want to update the beginning to suit my current writing style.
So if you go back to the very beginning, you will find that I have majorly revised the first two or three chapters. I don't know if it will show the story as been updated three times or not, but I just thought I'd tell you all in case it didn't notify you.
I really hope you enjoyed this new chapter! I can't promise anything more straight away. I'm very busy at the moment in my final year of university so I haven't been able to keep up a writing schedule in a long time. But I'm hoping that I will continue to revise the beginning of this story and post new chapter updates. If you want to keep up with any updates I make to this story then please followed my twitter handle - caitlinwrites1.
For now, thank you for reading. I can't believe this story has grown to over 900 followers in the 10 months I've been gone. Thank you for all the amazing reviews while I've been away and please let me know what you think of this new chapter!