CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
(BPOV)
Jacobs desperate embrace was short lived as a loud howl cut in through the house and forced us apart.
He looked truly torn in half as he glanced back toward Clarissa with clear hesitation.
"I have to go." He dreadfully sighed. "Please, Bella- stay here till I get back."
There was an edge to his strained voice I caught and I didn't like the sound of it when he placed a kiss to my forehead and backed away.
Every muscle in his form was rigid and his stature looked locked in place while he briefly lingered there by the door.
"What haven't you told me?" I asked with real urgency then as another howl reached us.
"Sam doesn't trust the Cullens, Bella." Jake tensely stated. "He thinks that they've been playing us and after what they just pulled, I think he's right."
"What happened?"
"Edward and the others blocked us from getting Clarissa home. They were on our lands again and this time they were less than a mile from the Reservation. I wanted to destroy them for it- but she needed me and I couldn't put that fight in front of Clarissa's well being."
A chill ran up my spine from his words and I couldn't make my heart stop pounding when he met my gaze again.
"You think he's tricking you? All of you? Why would he-" I began.
"Yeah, I do. The more I weigh it out, the more Sam's assessment makes sense. Edward's after something, Bella. He's trying to maneuver things to work out in his favor. Cover his own tracks. I just can't figure out his angle. He knew not to come back on our lands again and yet he did, without warning of their arrival. Carlisle seems genuine to me, but if it's at the cost of saving Edward and Alice from Demtri's control, I can't buy his keep the peace act. I should've sniffed it out better- seen it for what it was. A damn fools play!"
Jacob was nearly yelling now, his eyes wild with an anger I barely ever saw from him while he tried to reign in his temper in the hopes not to disturb Clarissa in the other room.
"What angle could they be working from?"
"I don't know. I can't decide if Alice's visions that Edward relayed to us are what he claims they are- a warning for you- or a planned distraction, and with Clarissa now, she's been my whole focus the last two days."
"Jake, be careful." I breathed to him in concern.
"Promise me you'll stay here in the house with Clarissa and the twins? No matter how long I'm gone? I need to know you're all safe."
I felt my anxiety peak at this, his fierceness making me shake as I found my voice and offered him the single word, barely audible response to his plea.
"Promise."
He crossed the room, closing the distance between us with three long strides, his warm lips hurriedly claiming my own with his final request to me then.
"Don't come looking for me. Wait until I come back. If I can't or this all takes longer than I expect it to, I'll send word through Gentry or Seth, okay?"
"You think this will turn ugly with the Cullens? You're already geared up for a fight, Jake."
"Sam always told me to trust my gut with leadership...-" He admitted.
"-and what is your gut telling you right now?"
He swallowed thickly as his darkened gaze roamed over my face with his answer.
"It tells me that we've been played, Bella. That this was a diversion tactic. I've got Leah and Quil staying here on the Reservation and keeping guard just in case. You and the kids safety- it's everything to me."
"Jake...-"
"I'd do anything for you- for them-... I love you." He ground out.
A third frantic howl tore him from me before I was ready then, his running steps out of the house quick as he left me there with more unanswered questions than I knew what to do with.
I ran after him, already knowing before I even made it out front that he would be nearly out of sight.
I tightly gripped the metal handle of our house door, peering out toward the darkened woods as he reached the tree line and phased. I could barely make out the russet fur of his coat, as he took off toward the warning that had ripped him away so quickly.
I didn't bother with trying to sleep. There was no point, and as the hours dragged on, my panic grew all the more.
The Cullens were Jacobs only tangible link to Demetri and the New Volturi, and I shuddered at the possible betrayal that set him up for if his suspicions were not unfounded after all.
When the clock neared midnight, the nausea churned my stomach with worry and I tried to keep my mind from going there- but it did anyway.
What if Edward's only reason for that letter was to give us all a false sense of security in their temporary alliance? What if that was his plan all long- to separate Jacob from us?
My head spun at this and I had to sit down, my tearful gaze wandering over to see Clarissa still fast asleep on the couch. I hovered close to her in the next hour that followed, keeping an eye on her as I ran my fingers through her beautiful hair. Memories of her as just a toddler resurfaced while I silently studied her peaceful expression despite everything she'd been through today and I wanted nothing more than to stop the hands of time for her.
One of my many favorite times with her had been when she helped me plant the small vegetable garden out in the yard just last year, her tiny hands all too eager as she took handfuls of dirt and seed while peering over at me for guidance on where to place them.
"Mama, do you think this is enough for the cucumbers?"
"Yeah, looks good to me. Good job with digging!" I told her as she carefully dropped the seeds into the dirt and covered them.
"We've been digging for a long time now. Good thing the twins are still napping." Clarissa light heartedly chuckled, her grin wide as she helped me with the rest of the seeds.
"Good thing!" I agreed. "You know, you look awful cute in your gardening gloves and hat!"
"Thanks, mama. Mimi Renee has good fashion sense, doesn't she?!"
I grinned at this with a simple shake of my head at the thought of my mothers more wild and slightly eccentric taste in clothing coming off as good fashion sense.
"Yeah, baby. She's got a great eye for fashion." I replied, kissing her warm cheek from the suns glow on her sweet face.
"Can we go see her in Florida someday when I'm older?"
"Sure we can. Mimi Renee would love that." I told her.
"I've always wanted to see the beaches there!? Is it different than you and daddy's beach here?"
I paused my digging at her innocent question.
"Me and daddy's beach?" I asked, as she ran over to me and gathered some more seeds in her hand.
"Yes, First Beach. Daddy always says that's where he fell in love with you, mama." Clarissa sighed in explanation while she wiped her glove across her brow.
"He told you about that, did he?" I hedged in surprise.
"Yep, he says he used to chase you along the shore with grandma Sarah?"
"He did." I sighed in return. "That seems like a lifetime ago now."
"Mama, have you always loved daddy?"
I stilled at this, placing my handheld shovel down in the dirt, before scooting an ever curious Clarissa over into my lap when she dropped her final few seeds into the ground below.
"I've loved your daddy a long time, Clarissa. Before I even knew what love was, I guess." I softly admitted.
"Was it love at first sight? Like in the movies?"
I chuckled at her comment and swept her hair out of her eyes when she leaned into me further while awaiting my answer.
"Well, that depends on what movie you're referring to."
Clarissa nodded and pondered this some more, her innocent face turning serious as she concentrated and tried to pick one movie out of her many favorite Disney classics to use as an example.
We simply sat there for minutes together, enjoying the contented silence under the blazing heat of the Summer sun and it wasn't long before she offered up her choice. "What about Beauty and the Beast?"
I couldn't stifle the laugh that left me and she grinned wide in response to my reaction.
"Oh, Clarissa. Of all the examples to choose." I laughed. "Why that one?"
"Well, I guess I've always seen you and daddy like that movie."
My gaze met hers with another smile at this.
"In what way do we remind you of Beauty and the Beast? Oh wait-... I know-...it's my name, isn't it? Belle and Bella?" I teased, as she shook her head in clear objection.
"No, it's not that. I know daddy calls you 'Bells' all the time, mama. I hear him."
"True...- you got me there. So if it's not that, then do tell." I softly encouraged.
Clarissa jumped up excitedly then, the animation and happiness on her face making me wish I had my cell phone to better capture the moment now.
"Well, Daddy is this big, tall and strong beast! And you mama have always reminded me of the beautiful Belle. Just like the story and the movie! You love books like she does and daddy even built you your own big book shelf like Belle had in the library at the scary castle the beast kept her in! Remember that part? Do you?"
I nodded enthusiastically to her.
"Yes, I do. I love that part of the movie."
"Me too!" Clarissa exclaimed with a clap of her hands. "But that's not the only reason why you and daddy remind me of Beauty and the Beast!"
"It's not? What else is there?"
She sat back down in my lap with a heavy sigh, as she explained the rest of her reasoning to me the best she could.
"Remember the end of the movie? Where the village people come for the beast at the castle and Gaston tried to kill him!?"
"I remember that part, too. Gaston tried to defeat the beast-"
"-but the beast didn't want to fight back at first because he'd lost his one true love, mama. But then when the beast see's Belle on her horse and he knows she came back to him, he got the courage he needed to fight Gaston."
"That's right, honey."
"-...and when Gaston stabs the beast, he nearly dies, but Belle's love saves him and breaks the spell!" She reminded. "That's the part that reminds me of you and daddy the most, because of your love for daddy and his love for you, it could break any spell and it could save daddy if he ever needed to be saved! You're the Belle to his beast, mama. Well, at least to me you are. He'd do anything for you and you'd do anything for him." She innocently giggled.
I was left in awe at her outlook on this, my eyes filling with tears when I kissed her cheeks and lifted her up to get some cold iced tea back in the house and escape the heat of the day.
"You're exactly right, Clarissa. We are like Beauty and the Beast."
I was harshly torn from the memory then as my cell phone rang on the table, startling me to answer it before the voicemail picked up.
Emily's number flashed brightly on the screen and I answered it, but was met with an eerie silence on the other end.
"Em? Hello? Can you hear me?"
I moved to see if it would help the weak connection but was still left with nothing. The call dropped and I realized then that I had no signal-none at all.
My skin started to crawl as I frantically tried to get at least one bar and call her back, but I had no luck in doing so and soon gave up. I tossed the cell down on the table in frustration and felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up straight as the silence in the house became louder. Within seconds, the house lights all went out, bathing the entirety of it in a pitch black darkness that was suffocating to stumble through.
We'd lost power or something had cut the power, either way, I couldn't see anything as I felt around for the flashlight we stashed in the top cupboard above the fridge. I carefully climbed up and blindly reached for it, but it wasn't there.
"Come on!" I shakily breathed, still looking for the next best thing.
I found the third drawer to the left of the sink and retrieved the book of matches there, my hands shaking as I lit one and took the only oil lamp we had in the house out from under the sink and lit it.
An amber glow radiated out from the dome, emanating the room with it's soft light and allowing me to see where I was going as I made my way back to Clarissa.
I rounded the corner in a rush and was halted in placed as an iron clad grip wrapped itself around my throat and held me there.
Dressed in a long black robe, and with eyes of terrifying crimson thirst that were striking against his translucent pale skin, a hiss left the stone vampire I'd only once had nightmares of. The lamp fell from my hands, shattering violently to the floor beneath my dangling feet. Shards of glass and hot oil scattered out onto the wood below and caught fire almost instantly there. Within just a few more seconds, the kitchen floor was set ablaze and thick black smoke was filling the house. I struggled against his grip, desperate for the air my lungs were being deprived of as he slammed me into the nearest wall. Pain shot through the back of my head and I heard the sheet rock give way against the force.
There was no scream I could make. There was no air for it. There was simply nothing.