Chapter 35: A much needed return
A/N: Warning character death! character death!
Brown eyes opened as an unimaginable pain struck them. One word escaping their parched lips.
"Bella."
Immediately the person arose, the snow melting on their skin. For the first time in a long time, this man had peace. He could finally see clearly. His head was on straight. And his wolf? He and his wolf were on the same page. They were no longer two but one.
And right now, only one person mattered, the omega of their pack, the one who would never dare try or test their dominance or try to move up in there pack.
Bella. His imprint. His sister imprint. His duty was to protect her. To love her. To support her. To always see her happy. And right now, she was not. Right now, she was in pain and was not awake.
Without having to think, his two legs turned into four and before he knew it, he was running at top speed.
It was time to take back his pack.
…
Paul awoke from sleep drenched in sweat. Grabbing his chest, he clenched his teeth in pain.
"our mate! Our mate is hurt!" fox yelped.
"Yes, she is! And the alpha is coming!" wolf growled.
Paul let out a feral growl.
Sam.
Not caring what he looked like, Paul practically flew down his stairs and ran straight for his back door.
As soon he got it opened, his two legs turned into four.
And then, there he stood.
Sam Uley, black fur contrasting against the white snow.
Paul allowed his mind to open. Not showing everything but staying in the moment.
Samuel Uley? Have you come to take back your pack?
I have.
Then bow before me! Paul knew exactly what his wolf was doing. His wolf needed to see. He needed to know that Sam was in his right mind.
Bow brother! His wolf urged.
Sam's wolf didn't put up a fight. He was quick to bow before the bigger wolf. However, as soon as Sam hit the ground, Paul did too.
"we are brothers sam. There is no competition." Paul said as her phased back to human.
"but there can only be one alpha…" Sam said as he phased back as well.
Both men laying on their stomachs.
"yes, and that Alpha is you." Paul urged. His previous pain slowly starting to fade.
"but you're an alpha too. Hey, did you feel that? Could you feel Bella?" he asked?
Paul nodded.
"yes, wolf and fox woke me up. She was in pain. Sam... we need her."
For once in his life, Paul allowed himself to be open to someone other than his mate.
Sam reached out and placed a hand on Paul's head.
"we understand brother. Go to your mate. And don't come back until your ready. Just tell us everything we need to know before you go."
It was then Paul's phone began to ring. A Country song that signaled a familiar caller.
"it's jasper."
….
Three days later:
Bella was in darkness. See couldn't see, and she couldn't hear but she could feel.
And right now, she felt pain. Almost as if she were on fire, it reminded her of the time Edward bit her.
It hurt.
How do I get out this pain? She thought. It almost reminds me of when Victoria was clawing me half to death.
A small chuckle resounded in her mind, nothing could compare to Victoria, not even now.
I need a distraction. Something that will help me not focus on the burn. But what? Oh! I know the wedding. I can focus on the wedding. Oh, if I could see the emotion on Paul's face again…
Flashback:
Bella played with her veil, as she and her father waited for the doors to open. Her dress was white and covered in diamonds. Real diamonds. It wasn't her taste, but Paul promised her that as soon as they got to the Renard estate, she would get to wear whatever dress she wanted. This dress was tradition. Pass down from bride to bride of all the family's leaders.
Two men dressed in black tuxedos stood in front of the door. Ready to open it at a moment's notice.
The ceremony would small and intimate. Only a few members of the pack and a few members of Paul's family.
A small tug from her father, reminded Bella that it was time.
Immediately French music began to play and the doors opened.
Bella gasped at how beautiful the room was. It was covered in candles and intricate paintings.
And standing at the altar was Paul.
Her Paul.
Her Mate.
Her Man.
He wore an all-white suit and a black tie. His blue eyes glistening with excitement, love, and peace.
Her father stopped just a few feet in front of Paul and his aunt. His hand squeezing hers just a little harder than normal.
From here on out, she would no longer be his responsibility. Yes, she would still be his baby girl, but she would also be Paul's wife.
With a deep breath, Bella Squeezed her fathers hand and locked her eyes on Paul.
He was her future now.
End of flashback
Bella gasp as she felt something cold touch her skin. The coldness made the pain die down immensely and it was then she could open her eyes. Which felt like led was sitting on them by the way.
It took forever, but when she finally got her sore eyes opened, she was met with a room full of people.
But one face stuck out to her. A face, that had been with her in her darkest moments. A face that was missing an extremely important detail.
"E…Emily?" she croaked.
At the sound of her voice, Bella was overwhelmed by voices and hands all over her.
However, a sharp whistle sounded from someone next to her. Turning, she was surprised to see Carlisle. His normally perfect hair, disheveled and his clothes, rumbled as if someone had shaken him.
"everyone, needs to back up and be quiet. I understand you are all concerned but we can not overwhelm her."
Bella blinked once and then blinked again. Questions finally catching up with her mind. Why was Carlisle here? Why was she in this bed? What the heck had happened?
Those questions, however, took a back seat when she glanced over at Emily again.
"Em?" she croaked.
Her Alpha female came rushing to her side.
"oh Bella, you had us all worried! I swear only you cause this much trouble." She joked.
Bella could only blink as she stared at Emily's face. With what effort she could she reached for Emily's face.
"Your scars…they're gone…"
Emily cupped Bella's hand as tears ran down her now scar free faced.
"oh Bella. I have never felt so free. So happy. But right now, is not about me. We need to talk about you. I-"
"Emily. I need to examine her." Carlisle interrupted.
The raven-haired women gave the doctor the dirtiest look she could muster but followed his instructions.
"I will need the room." Carlisle said without taking his eyes off her.
Immediately there were complaints and grumbles but most of everyone followed suit. The only people, who didn't leave were Jasper, Peter, Addi, Esme and Alice.
"Jasper? Peter, Addi? What happened?" Bella questioned as she tried to avoid the upcoming examination.
Not caring about the doctors instructions. The males immediately approached Bella's bedside.
"darlin? Do you remember anything? Anything that has happened?" Jasper asked.
From the corner of her eye, Bella noticed Alice flinch at the nickname.
"no, all I remember is pain. My body hurts like heck, and my throat…can I get some-"
Before her sentence was finished, peter had a glass of water at the ready.
"oh, thank you peter."
As Bella went to reach for the glass, she froze.
On her forearms, were small dots. Almost the shape of rain drops, and they were all over her arms.
Immediately, memories flashed into Bella's mind. She and Marcus. Their grief, and then their healing. The last thing she remembered was Marcus crying, Carlisle rushing into the room and then darkness.
"oh! Jasper? Where is Marcus? Is he ok?" she asked in a hurry as she tried to sit up.
However, it was Addi who gently pushed her back down.
"alright now cousin. You need to not move too much. The doctor here, isn't done applying the salve for your burns. And while he is doing that, we will explain everything. Besides, Paul will rip us a new one If he finds out we let you get up."
"you mean he will rip us a new again..." peter mumbled as he rubbed his arm.
"Paul's here? Like here in Italy?" she asked.
A sense of excitement and longing filling Bella.
Addi nodded as he helped her lay down.
"yeah, he's here alright. He in a meeting with the kings as we speak. Pray fully as soon as your better we can all leave this hell hole." He grumbled.
"oh, it's not that bad, Addi. Wait, so if Paul's here, who is with the pack? Is... Is Sam back?"
Again, another wave of excitement and longing filled Bella. She missed her older brother more than anyone knew.
"yeah, Sam's back. You've been asleep for three days darlin. You've missed a lot." Jasper told her.
"wait three days?!" Bella exclaimed. Winching as a small pain spread through her arm.
"Excuse me, but I really need to examine Bella." Carlisle intervened.
"Go ahead then. We ain't stoppin you..." jasper hissed.
"well we need-"
"We ain't going nowhere, golden what you need to do." Peter snarled. "we have strict orders from Mr. Renard, not to leave Bella alone, Especially with you three traitors."
"you shouldn't talk about things you don't know nor understand." Carlisle said firmly.
Bella however had heard enough.
"alright, enough!" She intervened. "Jasper, Addi, and peter, can you guys go unto the balcony. That way your still here and yet it's an illusion of privacy. Please? I need to speak with the Cullen's. I need closure..."
The three men stared at the women and then look back at the resident of the room.
"fine. But we will be listening." Jasper growled.
….
Bella sighed as Carlisle finished his exam and was now wrapping her arms. Everything had been done in complete silence …until now.
"…I am sorry about Edward and the others…" she said breaking the tension.
Immediately Carlisle stopped what he was doing to stare at her.
He then looked back at Esme and Alice.
"…. He made his choice and so did they…" the doctor simply whispered.
Bella's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"what does that mean? And…can one of you explain to me what happened? What happened with all of us? One minute, I was apart of your coven, a family member and then the next, I am laying on the cold wet ground. Then I find out that you all packed up and left? So, what happened Carlisle?"
In this moment Bella was no longer upset. Just by looking at what remained at the Cullen clan, she knew they were suffering. Not just with their choices, but with those they lost. However, an explanation was owed to her.
"it doesn't matter Bella. Let sleeping dogs lie."
"excuse me?" She asked in anger as she jerked back from him. "now I understand that you all are grieving. However, you are not the only ones doing so! I lost someone I once loved. And so did jasper. Rosalie may have been mean but at least she was honest and Emmett, he was the brother we all needed. Now it's obvious the kings are punishing you! And one thing I know for sure is that they don't punish for no reason! So, one of you better start talking!"
To her surprise it was Esme who broke first. The women she once viewed as a mother figure stood up. Weariness and despair flashed across her features. She wore a bland grey dress, that did nothing to show off her beauty.
"We ...deserve this punishment, Bella. We immersed you into our world, knowing the law. We should have turned you or killed you. End of story. Especially since Carlisle was once a member of the volturi. We put our people in danger by being reckless. And it was no fair to you. You've been attacked by vampires multiple times and we still didn't change you. Even after someone knew it was coming."
From then on Alice took over. Not, once glancing up at Bella, only looking at her shoes.
"..I..I"
"Speak up girl!"
Bella looked up to see jasper leaning in the balcony doorway. His eyes black as night.
Alice jumped at jasper presence but stumbled her way through her excuse.
"I...I... knew you were going to be apart of our family! I just knew it and I saw you changed…so ...I didn't worry about how. I just knew it would happen… So… so...when we were playing baseball…I...I already knew James coven was coming… I knew he was going to chase you and capture you…I thought it would be good since Edward didn't want it… but then... then, things changed. So that plan was out of the window…and then..."
"and then you already foresaw jasper attacking me. Which led you to believe that he would somehow change me or that me being hurt that night would lead to my change. But it didn't, didn't it Alice? And instead, in your one last stretch of desperation you thought bringing me, to the volturi would end with Edward being desperate to change me because of the threat looming over him. And yet that plan didn't work out either did it? No there were complications in your visions weren't there Alice. First the wolves, they made it difficult for you to see me didn't it. Oh Alice…how could you? How could you lie like this? Lie to me? To jasper? You made Rosalie and jasper seem like the bad guys for wanting me changed. Alice, you were so caught up in your visions and your desperation to have a complete family that you didn't care who got hurt along the way. And Carlisle, Esme? How could just let Edward walk out? How could you guys just walk out? Was I not important? Was I not apart of the family? Or was I just there because I made your son happy?"
Silence.
"ANSWER ME!" Bella screamed.
"… YOU WANT AN ANSWER! I WILL GIVE YOU ANSWER YOU PATHETIC HUMAN GIRL! YOU CAUSED ME MY SON! MY SON! ALL BECAUSE OF YOUR STUNBBORNESS! HE TOLD YOU HE WAS DANGEROUS AND YET YOU FOLLOWED! YOU WERE WARNED BELLA! and yet you still clung to us." Carlisle screamed his voice finally dropping to a whisper.
"you clung to us, you wanted us, and it cost us all. Edward made his own decision, and we are not responsible for that. We thought he was doing what was right. We thought we would finally be free and yet it cost us Edward. And even then, until the very end he chose you. No more explanation needed."
A hand clap sounded causing all eyes to look at the four men now entering the room.
Immediately, Carlisle, Esme and Alice bowed lowly.
"masters" They greeted.
Bella, however, was greeted by the sight of her lover standing amongst the kings. His hair in a low ponytail wearing the most expensive Italian suit. Cowering behind her husband was Emily, she looked to be extremely uncomfortable.
"Paul!" she called happily.
Her husband's yellow eyes focused on her for a few seconds. A smile appearing on his face as he looked at her. He then gently whispered something to Emily, who in turn rushed right over to Bella's side.
Then his attention was quickly drawn upon the three Cullen's bowed to the floor.
"what do you plan on doing with them Aro?" He practically growled.
"well, in all truth we haven't quite figured it out. I mean we have decimated most of their coven; they have been starved and ribbed apart and yet put back together again. Now they simple servants. Maybe after a few centuries, Carlisle and Esme could be let go but they have been forbidden from turning anyone. They are too irresponsible for that privilege. And it doesn't make it any better, that our doctor was making such harsh and jealous filled comments towards our Isabella. You see my dear." Aro began as he glided towards her.
"Doctor Cullen is just upset that his firstborn, his first companion, the very first vampire he sired and helped build chose a human girl over him. It all comes down to jealousy. As I recall in he and Edward thoughts so long ago, Carlisle stated he would do anything to keep his son even if that meant breaking the law and not changing you. So, when his firstborn said they were leaving, he followed right along. Make me wonder who the real leader of the Cullen coven was...hmm?"
At the insult Carlisle sprung up and was ready to attack , a scream leaving his lips.
"IT WAS HER FAULT!" he roared as he aimed for Bella but not before Paul stopped him. Within seconds, her husband had the doctors head detached and thrown into the nearby fire.
Esme of course let out a wail like no other and before anyone could stop him, Paul had her by the neck as well, pulling her head from her body and throwing it into the fire as well.
Bella covered her mouth and leaned into her Emily.
"well, that seemed to take care of our dilemma, why didn't we just do that before brother?" Caius grouched as he gently motioned for Emily to back up.
Aro shook his head.
"you know I wanted to give them a second chance."
"You cannot give second chances to a man who wont lead." Paul roared.
Not caring about the situation or her injuries. Bella transformed, ran past peter, and Addi and jumped out the window.
However, something caught her just before she touched the ground.
Holding her by her middle was Paul.
"...we had to do it honey…"
And once again, exhaustion filled Bella's body and she blacked out.