A/N Hey everyone, okay first of all I'd just like to wish you guys all a merry Christmas or happy holidays, and I'd like to think of this chapter to all of you as a early present. It's taken a hell of a lot of work going into this chapter from myself and RDoster2012. Originally I considered breaking up this chapter but thought that instead I'd just give you the full thing in one huge update, but I warn you all. The M rating is at its complete use here, proceed with caution and I hope it was worth the wait, it's here guys the battle you've all been crying out for.

I likely won't be able to update now until after Christmas but I shouldn't leave you guys waiting too long until I'm back, so enjoy chapter 27 in all its bloody glory and heartbreak. It's going to be a real treat to see what you all think ;)

As Always massive thank you to my Beta, RDoster2012.

BETA READER: RDoster2012

Enjoy :)

RED DAWN

SUMMARY: Edward had always warned Bella that the pack was dangerous. They are hostile, volatile, and aggressive by nature. She ignored him, testing even Edward's vampire instinct, by staying friends with his enemy, Jacob. One event will change them all. Bella never truly understood the supernatural world; she didn't understand the aggression that lay dormant even in her controlled mate until it was too late. WARNING: Violence and Character Death.

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight and all the Characters.


Chapter Twenty-Seven

Edward had barely seen the moment that Charlotte felt the strange contraption beneath her foot, she'd still been running at her full capable speed but had known the exact moment that she'd set off a trap.

She had barely seen the spark of the ignition before she'd flung herself towards Peter; he'd saved her life countless times over the centuries they had shared together. He had even helped to save her when her time had been up when they'd both been nothing more than soldiers in Maria's army. She loved him; she adored the man to her last breath. She refused to let her own actions be the thing that placed him in harm's way, so when she'd seen the spark of the explosion begin in the very corner of her eye she'd leapt powerfully back.

Driving her shoulder into Peter's gut, as he'd been mid stride, she sent him barrelling backwards. Unsteady on his feet and unable to find any purchase in the slick waterlogged ground, he'd hit the ground and slipped without any control a distance away from her. Before Peter had even been able to look up and ask what the hell his mate was doing, he'd seen that look, the pitiful pained look that said so much. It said she loved him, that she was sorry, and it said she'd see him again soon as the bright white hot flames seemed to leap up from the very ground she stood on.

Peter could do nothing but watch with sickening horror as his mate's once beautiful face was surrounded by the flames, that were rising up so powerfully and fast, and then as it became too bright for him to do anything but look away as the impact of the explosion hit him, just as hard as his mate had to save his life. There was nothing peaceful about the death of Charlotte, there was nothing that gave her any peace or that saved her mate from her agony, as amongst the explosion that sounded with the violent chain reaction was her screams were heard. Peter found himself kneeling a distance away from her body as the flames licked over every inch of her.

His enhanced sight gave him every single minute detail of his mate's end. The way the flames clung to her skin like molten lava, trailing bright red cracks along her once smooth skin, the way the mist of purple smoke wrapped around her body, as she burned alive. Peter watched as her pale skin slowly charred, turning black. He watched as welts of black-tarred blisters formed over her skin until they bubbled over and burst. The open venom only igniting the flames around her even more, Peter could do nothing but look at his once beautiful mate, as she slowly became nothing more but a mess of molten pieces. Even when her face no longer resembled anything that he knew, even as her mouth seemed to fall away from her jaw, the wails continued, they screamed in every pore of his body as she cried out while Peter's hands gorged themselves into the ground beneath him. His mind telling him to lunge into the flames to save her and yet the ever present instinct keeping him locked in place, he knew he couldn't save her. To even attempt it would cost him his own life.

The blaze intensified around him still, and yet he remained positioned where he'd landed, hunched over like a wounded animal sobbing between snarls and tears that would never flow. The scent of his mate becoming distorted and foreign to him amongst the burning of her body, finally her screams had grown silent and he knew already what that meant.

This was not the first time Peter had witnessed one of his own kind die by fire. It was seen by many, even the most yearning of death to be the cruellest and painful ways to die. The moment that Charlotte fell silent amongst the flames, Peter lunged towards her still charring remains, distorted in shape now but the inferno still scorching what remained. She'd be nothing but ashes soon enough. As his body moved upright in a swift movement, he was airborne before his mind completely registered what he was doing. There was only one sight in the back of his mind; that of his mate's face the first evening they'd escaped Maria's army.

He swore to her a life of peace, he had tried to give her a lifetime of happiness and safety since their violent beginnings; and now he had suffered, watching her end more violently then even Maria would have ordered. Peter knew who had set the trap for his mate, knew the enemy that lay behind the flames. He knew the pack had created this for them all, and he would end them all. He would bathe in the blood of every man, woman and child before this night was over. He would drown the lands of their tribe in blood; there could never be enough blood to quench his need now. So Peter lunged, not caring for the flames that acted like a wall of protection between himself and those he wished to kill most, he had nothing to fear and nothing to live for after this one last battle, the solider had been awoken again and he was ready to kill.

He would kill them all, only then...only then could he allow himself to die.

Xavier had caught Peter off guard when he leapt towards the flames, seeing it very much as what he believed was an attempt to destroy himself. Xavier had reacted as his mind had told him to. Even while knowing he'd never truly be able to save Peter from the demise that he would eventually seek, he couldn't help the need to try.

He crashed into Peter roughly whilst still airborne; the clash sounding like a clap of thunder around the sound of burning forest. Xavier did his best to wrap his arms and legs around Peter, essentially tying the other immortal up with his limbs. Peter was stronger, but had been caught off guard enough and seemed almost too wild and feral to fight back with any skill. Xavier knew that his training, the small amount he had with Jasper, had already improved him, he could only begin to imagine the skill of Peter, who had spent his new born years under Jasper's teaching.

Xavier knew that he only had so much time before he would no longer be able to hold Peter down; the plan that they had formed was completely obliterated, it had been completely destroyed in a planned strike that lay in wait for them. Now they were on enemy territory, already losing members of their group and he couldn't even begin to try and think about the others, he had to hope that the rest of them were okay.

He and Rochelle had been able to shield themselves from the initial blow, they'd seen the strange way Charlotte had tackled Peter and Xavier had known to react. He had grabbed his own mate, and moved in the opposite direction, barely avoiding the blaze as it had ripped both ways, erecting around the forest before them like a wall that would prevent them from getting through. Though after the first explosion and its movement he'd seen that there were gaps, but the flames were doing their best now to grow and spread in size.

Xavier had to admit; these wolves were smart. Not in all his years of life would he have ever thought to set a trap of such, he knew it came from an archaic mind set that was created because of what he was. The world shifted and changed, weapons became stronger with each passing decade, and yet vampires still fought as they had done from the beginning.

Xavier and Peter hit the ground roughly as their bodies tangled, Rochelle was moving closer to try and help her own mate as Peter seemed to only grow more feral the more they tried to stop him. His eyes black in colour, the look upon his face a twisted mess of rage and madness. She feared for her mate, she'd seen just how capable Peter had been during the training.

Xavier released one of his hands as he gritted down on his teeth tightly, his face hardened as he was determined to at least save Peter now, to stop him from whatever his grief demanded of him now. They needed to find the others, regroup and figure out what they would do now.

If Xavier could hold on just long enough, perhaps until either Emmet arrived, who would physically be able to pin Peter, or even Jasper and Edward. Xavier knowing either talent would and could prevent Peter from doing whatever he wished, and while he didn't wish to send Rochelle away, he also wanted her away from these open growing flames.

The trees even slick in the rain didn't seem to hinder in the spreading of the fire, there was a type of accelerant of that Xavier was sure, some kind of bomb had been placed within the tree's very roots, and Xavier couldn't be sure there wasn't another trap within the ground around them. While the one explosion had seemed to send off a chain reaction of explosions in either direction, he couldn't bear the thought of having to witness what Peter had of his own mate. Now wasn't the time to just leave her standing around though, he needed to keep Peter pinned and he needed to find the others. He knew the general direction of where the other's had gone, Emmet and Rosalie would be closest, then the three Denali members.

"Stay back Rochelle" Xavier called to his mate's while struggling against Peter's thrashing body, though she still continued to closed the distance between them.

"Let me help you" Rochelle said, she wanted to run and yet she knew that wasn't her, even with a life spent hiding and then finally being brought away from her isolation from her mate. She knew she could never leave, not even in this catastrophic situation.

"No, Rochelle I have him. You need to find the rest of them, we need to know how many..." Xavier struggled under Peter's snarled resistance, he didn't finish his thought; that more could be destroyed, and that they did not have any warning. The explosion had started here, he couldn't know if they'd been ahead of the flames or had been directly in their path, they wouldn't have had the same warning that Charlotte had to stop Peter. The same warning he'd had to get himself and his own mate away from what had been ignited.

"But Xavier..." Rochelle said, her eyes fearful, he'd seen that fear once before, when he'd first found her secluded to a little cabin in the mountains where she'd hid herself for most of her existence.

Once upon a time she'd been so scared of everything, she'd used her ability to help her hunt and then she would flee back into her isolation. When she'd first met him she had only known to fear him, all while he'd seen in her exactly what he'd been unknowingly searching for. He hated that decades together and working on her fear brought her full circle facing untold danger, she had to be strong though now. Their friends needed them to be strong.

"Please Rochelle. I can't hold him for long; we need them. Not only for Peter but also for ourselves, we're in danger Rochelle. The wolves will be coming, we don't have enough time." Xavier said, knowing all too well that this would have alerted the wolves, it would have most likely alerted anyone for miles. The growing flames only making a larger scene for them to have to find a way to cover up, not only would the pack be coming to this scene now, but humans too, to try and prevent the flames from spreading. Time was now, they needed to defend themselves, needed to destroy this threat finally, and do it all before the humans would find themselves knowing too much. Xavier saw the moment in Rochelle's eyes when her resolve strengthened but even then she hesitated as she moved to turn in the direction of the other's.

"I'll come back, be safe Xavier. Please be safe." Rochelle said, her eyes looking over her determined mate, his muscles tense over his entire body and she could see Peter's fingers gouging into his arms trying to free himself. She knew he was right, she ran from them both then, still the forest around her seemed to be raining fire down around her, it seemed endless now.

-RD-

"Jesus Christ!"

Emmet cried out, his eyes wide at the sight before him, Rosalie had pulled him to a stop when she'd taken in the peculiar scent. So used to working with cars, taking apart the family engines and tinkering with them had for a long time been a private type of meditation for her. Many of the family had hobbies, but hers had always been working on the cars. The smell of gasoline wasn't something she would easily miss, even with the added stench of multiple mutts mixed in over the top.

The rain had done its job in that respect though, washing out some of the wolf stench to reveal the thicker, bitter smell of gasoline. Rose hadn't needed much to pull her own mate back once she'd started to understand what may be waiting for them. Now though, watching her own fearful mate as he stood before the blaze that seemed to stretch even further then their enhanced vision allowed them to see in both directions, she could only think of getting herself and Emmet far from this.

The plan had fallen apart before it had even started, the wolves would surely know they were coming if any of them had survived the initial blast, fire was a deadly beast all into itself when it came to immortals. There were reasons why many of their kind would avoid any type of open flames at all cost, most nomads never even having need to be around a fire unless disposing of another vampire. The only important thing now to Rose, was to get as far away not only from the inferno that would draw all eyes towards them but the potential threat of the wolves, she and Emmet wouldn't be able to fight them. Not alone and she wasn't even sure, that even if they had everyone still capable of fighting to beat them, she'd been lacking any faith in Edward and Jasper's planning since they'd tried to hijack Esme's mind.

"Emmet we need to go!" Rose said, pulling on his arm as he looked fearfully at the burning flames that separated them from possibly the rest of the family.

"We need to leave Emmet! They'll know we're coming, we can't beat them without the advantage of surprise, especially if the others are gone." Rose said more urgently, tugging on his arm.

"We need to find them Rose!" Emmet turned to his own mate surprised that she wanted to run, surprised that she'd simply accept that they were already gone and not wish to at least find proof. He understood the threat, he'd seen Carlisle's remains, known that they'd killed Irina, and even the actions that lead to Esme, underestimating the wolves had cost them dearly. He could never imagine running from them though, not even now when things looked so terribly stacked against them.

"Emmet we can't, we don't have enough time. The entire tribe will know that we're on their land, they have open flames all around to throw our remains into once they tear us limb from limb. We need to run, or we won't survive Emmet!" Rose said, angrily shoving his arm, but then reaching towards him and pulling his arm back towards her body, fear all too clear in her face but Emmet found himself looking at his mate confused. Unable to understand where his true mate had gone, she'd been so supportive of not only Edward but the entire fight in the beginning, then with the deaths she'd slowly became less supportive with each loss her resentment had only grown.

Of course, the deaths had been taken hard by all, but her reaction to not only Edward but many of the family because of Esme's death had even bordered on cruel. The things she'd said to Edward, then even to Jasper and he'd remained silent and Emmet found himself tethering on the end of his patience. Images of wolves ripping into his siblings and friends, terrible thoughts of burning flesh and a heartbroken human sister left alone when her world was taken from her with no chance of defending her own mate. He couldn't understand how his own mate could desire to leave them without aid, that she'd abandon them all when they needed her.

"Enough Rosalie!" Emmet shouted, silencing his mate, her entire body stiffening at his raised voice, and her hand stopping abruptly on his very skin as she looked at him.

"Our family. All that we have left in this world is out there, they could be hurt, they could need us and I won't... I won't let you turn your back on them. I won't allow you to convince me to turn away from them. When you saved me, I left behind a human family that I loved. Sisters and a mother who needed me, and yet I accepted the loss without question; because I knew the woman before me would mean everything to me, and that she was hurt. I knew that you needed me more than my mother and sisters did. I chose you, even when I didn't know what I was, I know what I am now Rosie, and I know that you aren't broken like you believed you were. I love you in spite of your flaws as you do mine, but this one… this selfishness you've shown recently. It ends now; if you wish to walk away, know that you do it alone, because I will not abandon my family this time. So make your choice Rosalie. Is it our family or is it yourself? I can't make this choice for you." Emmet said, as he looked deeply into his mate's wide eyes, firm and unyielding.

Emmet had once told Edward it was okay to be angry with the woman you loved. He'd told him just because you loved them, didn't mean you had to become a push over for them, that being angry wasn't wrong. He'd been ready to give out the advice and yet he'd not followed his own words, now he would though. He loved Rosalie, he had since the moment he'd opened his new eyes to this world, and had adored her and tried to show her that this life they had wasn't a curse like she viewed it. He wouldn't leave his family now when they would most need him. Not even for his mate, because Emmet knew that without them any progress he had made with Rosalie may be lost forever in this moment had he given her what she wanted.

So with one final glance, Emmet leant down pressing his lips to his mate's forehead, before releasing her from his grip and then turning from her and walking towards the flames before him. The choice he'd left had been for her to decide upon, part of him even knew that he wanted her to run simply so she'd be safe but he had to believe she truly loved him and cared for her family.

He'd seen moments of her true affection for members many times, she held tightly onto her affection for them though as a means not to be too close. He knew losing Esme had broken his mates heart, but in only releasing her own pain she'd tried to hurt the other's around her to make her own lessen. That couldn't be allowed to happen any longer, he'd been guilty of not saying anything in the past where it really was his place. She was his mate; he should have always been the one to step in when he knew she took something too far.

Emmet moved away, hearing the sound of someone approaching, a vampire in his direction he could only hope that it was good news that his family were okay and regrouping. He could only hope they would all be okay and that Rose would find her rightful place with them all, for now he was ready to take direction. This fight wasn't over; it hasn't even begun.

-RD-

Edward knew it was coming, only if given the briefest of warnings from seeing into the vision Alice had been allowed around her blackness; it still wouldn't be enough. As the echoing blast ripped through the forest of La Push, he knew that now was one of those all too rare moments where his mortality was truly questioned. He'd seen his death in Alice's vision, seen the death of his entire family, and then endured the horrific attempt on her own life from his mate because he'd not been prepared for such an assault.

His body felt every nerve ending still fatigued by the constant forced enduring of Kate's touch, he'd suffered through it and yet he knew his mind and body would have been better fed before facing his enemy. That would have been more time then he had though, he'd made his choices and now he was in the thick of a battle he was not prepared for.

A strategy that he was sure not only he, but Jasper too would be enraged over not seeing; their way of thinking was old and ancient, much like their species. They may have considered themselves more adapt to the modern world, but modern warfare, even Jasper had last seen a battlefield some seventy years ago. The wolves had again caught them by surprise, used methods that Edward wouldn't have thought of, simply because he was used to a fighting style that did not involve not traps nor weapons, just simple fighting with hand to hand combat. He'd need to survive this fight to ensure that Sam didn't see the end of this time. Edward knew more than ever he would need to kill Sam for the growing threat he became with more time in charge of the pack.

"Get down!" Edward roared out towards a still dazed Alice and Jasper, who looked completely confused. Jasper knew the signs of his mate enduring a vision, and he knew that Edward was likely sharing that vision alongside his mate. The two had used their joined gifts throughout the shared time in the family to communicate, and Jasper had watched countless times as Edward had shared in the visions Alice saw, often being the first to vocalise any warnings when they'd been needed.

Edward could see how impressive the inferno was as it travelled towards them with blinding speed. The fire was obliterating smaller plants in its path of destruction. Some of the thicker trees were being blown to pieces under what Edward assumed were triggered explosives, that he could only assume were buried deeply into the roots of the trees as the ground beneath his feet trembled and groaned.

Shrapnel of burning splintered wood showering everywhere, much like Alice's vision, as it appeared that fire was truly raining down upon them. Edward felt his entire body hunch down, his feet digging into the soft mud beneath him and then his powerful legs pushed forward into a sprint. He didn't direct himself forward more towards La Push, or even backwards towards home, fearing either side would leave him in the path of the burning blaze, instead he tried to outrun the chasing fire.

He could feel the heat lick at him, felt the brunt of the power behind him as he whistled through the forest at a speed even he wasn't sure he'd forced himself to before. Right now all he could think of was his Bella, sitting in her home completely unaware that their lives were in the balance if was he not fast enough. Edward couldn't even allow himself to hesitate to turn and see if either Jasper or Alice had made it away from the explosion that was on a crash course for them. When he finally saw the sight of a road before his eyes, Edward pushed up, leaping a short distance using the tree within his sight to step up onto and push his entire body skyward, sending him clear across the space of road between the two forests and then finally he was able to turn and see.

He'd narrowly avoided the flames, the pack had been thorough to trail so much gasoline and explosives such a way and do so without being caught. Edward knew however, that they more than likely had the numbers now that would allow such a deeply set trap to be put in place, this would not be easily explained away though now. Edward couldn't imagine any lie or story that could be put into action that could cover what Sam and his pack had done to try and defend the lands or even simply destroy Edward and his own without even needing a fight.

Edward could see as the cloud of smoke and fire billowed out from the tree line bursting over the slick street, rain still pouring down overhead but it did little to slow the fire that raged now. He couldn't see either Alice or Jasper but winced under the mental sounds of agony, not of his brother and sisters, but Charlotte; seeing the torment in Peter as he watched his mate sacrifice herself. So much was already happening, and he was trying to reformulate a plan, because now the element of surprise was gone, then he heard Jasper's cries. Time for thinking was pushed aside as Edward leapt down from the trees that he stood in watching the burning scene before him, and then he rushed back towards his family. Edward ran right into the fire as he could see his brother burning.

-RD-

Jasper had heard Edward's warning but hadn't had the speed, he couldn't possibly hope to outrun the flames that were chasing them, and when he'd seen his Alice still very much dazed and confused he'd done the one thing he could. The fire was too close, and the explosion that had been set off near to them both in the chain reaction of bombs. Alice was far too close for her to avoid the brunt of the explosions force, even with her knowing it was coming, so he'd lunged forward to throw his body over her smaller one. Jasper had felt the heat, and then the agonizing burn of the flames as it had almost felt like it had sprayed over his back and shoulders igniting him instantly.

Alice screamed beneath him as he forced her down into the wet ground using his own body to shield her from the fire, Jasper knew that he could do nothing but hold her in place. The last of his energy spent on pinning his little mate in place as a means to protect her from the fire that would surely end him. He'd been a fool not to think of such a plan to be put against them, and now he would accept defeat. But he wouldn't allow his mate to suffer such an end, not because of his lack of foresight. He could only hope that Edward managed to outrun the chasing fire and would return to help Alice to safety. He could only hold for so long as the forest around them seemed to be collapsing in on them, an inferno of blazing walls closing in on them with no hope of escape.

Not even his strength, nor his stubbornness to save Alice from physical and emotional pain could stop him from his cries being heard all around, as he could feel the scorching burn of his flesh under the attack of the liquid accelerant and flames. He could only hold onto the mantra in his mind to hold on long enough to completely block all the flames from Alice.

The scene that found Edward when he returned to his siblings was heartbreakingly terrifying, not only to him as any being, but understanding the true acceptance of Jasper's choice through his mind. Edward, knowing that even if he himself was placed here and Bella at his side, that there would have been no change. The flames surrounded them completely, large tree bases had been knocked down and blown savagely from the soil that had once held them for even longer then Edward had been on this earth. The trees around Jasper and Alice were like a burning prison, blocking Edward at all angles from trying to move into the small space, where Jasper was using his very own body as a shield to protect Alice against the flames.

Alice's screams were loud, pleading for Jasper to stop, wishing for him to not give his own life; she'd already witnessed his burned remains once in the vision, and was almost feral in her fear of it becoming a reality before her very eyes once again. Only this time there would be no fading of a vision to escape that horror.

Edward could see through the growing fire and between the gaps of the fallen trees, he could see the sight of Jasper's back, the way the flames clung to him, the sight of his shirt all but falling away, his pants fraying under each snapping thread from the burning, his skin charring already, black blisters that promised only further pain and death for his brother. Only as Alice turned her eyes to Edward, seeing him through the flames, seeing him only made her struggle more as she tried to reach out towards his shadowed silhouette amongst the flames and smoke, the purple smoke mixing in with everything before her vision, the smoke seeming to leak away from Jasper's body as if his very soul was leaving him now. Jasper didn't have enough time for Edward to try and make a plan to save them both, not one that would be without risk, Edward knew that he would have to suffer for them, there was no time to think, there was no time to wait and his family needed him.

Edward reached forward, forcing his hands into the thick tree before him, the flames that were creeping up the tree were so large in size that the flames caught upon his skin, instantly heating him, as his eyes blazed black against the pain. Edward forced his hands deeper into the bark as the flames caught upon his sleeves, and trailed up his arms, the trees were like a house of cards. He was about to pull the tree out by its roots, he had to be fast enough, and god above him would need to watch over him now. Carlisle and Esme would need to watch over him now, as he could possibly bring about the end of himself and his brother and sister.

Edward roared against the pain of his burning arms and heaved powerfully, back lifting the large piece of tree above his head. Fire raining down over him as he shoved the tree upwards and releasing it, he knew he had barely seconds to get to them. Edward sprinted into the small space, all but having to tackle Jasper's burning and bubbling back as he held Alice captive beneath his body, so intent was he of enduring his pain and saving Alice from the fire he'd not even noticed the change around him. Not noticed the scent of his own brother over the distorted and sickly scent of his own burning skin, Jasper ignored even the cries of Alice pleading for Edward to help them both. Edward collided into Jasper roughly and didn't stop as he felt the tremble in the ground around them, all of the trees collapsing under the brittle parts of the stumps and the large base Edward had removed.

Fortunately the collision of Edward and Jasper meeting, all but ended the burning flames from still crawling along Jasper's back but also burst the blisters as venom seeped over the front of Edward's shirt and Jasper's injured back. Edward knew he still couldn't stop though, even as he caused harm to both Alice and Jasper under his attempts to save them both. He drove them both, still entwined together, pinned under Jasper's arms through the other side, breaking through burning branches until he felt the cooler temperature as they broke free from the burning prison.

Alice sobbed hysterically as Edward all but flung her and Jasper apart, forcing Jasper onto his stomach and pulling away any remains of the shirt that had once been on his back. Twisted charred flesh still warm to the touch, almost painfully so to Edward's own battered and charred hands from holding the burning tree in his grasp. Edward cupped the wet cold mud beneath them smearing it over Jasper's open blisters that seeped venom at a quick rate. Trying to both cool Jasper's flesh from the heat and cover the open venom as to prevent it from catching ablaze from any burning debris or open flames around them, Jasper struggled and hissed beneath Edward, wild and scared in his pain being parted from Alice.

"It's okay Jasper, don't fight please. I'm okay. Let Edward help you. God, thank you Edward. Thank you..." Alice cried as she crawled to Jasper, caressing his tense and pained face, Edward stopping Alice's hand from moving to run her fingers through his hair. The flames had caught some of his hair and it was weak and brittle, any rough touching would remove it and Jasper would lose more than what he'd already lost from the fire. The only way to strengthen his weakened body now was time and feeding, both things they didn't have. Alice could see the state of Edward's hands though as he stopped her own advancements to touch Jasper and gasped at the sight of them.

"They're fine Alice" Edward said, refusing to allow his mind to look down at the almost skeletal looking fingers; long and black, with red cracks along his palms and knuckles. They were grotesque but he'd had no time to think about the best way to get to them both, and so he'd placed his hands willingly into the flames, his arms were slightly burned and they would leave scars he was sure, but Jasper was the one in more need of help. Edward's scars would be faint, if not barely noticeable even to the vampire's keen eyesight. Jasper would not be so fortunate, a man already so viciously scarred from his time in the south would now hold the scars of being burned alive, he'd heal with time but his skin would never be smooth again.

"How bad is it brother?" Jasper whispered, his voice hoarse and gravelly he sounded like a man dying of thirst and Edward knew that he likely was; he'd need blood. They'd have to be sure to keep Jasper far from humans until he could truly satiate his thirst on animal blood, there would be no stopping him now if he crossed a human's path.

"It's fine. I got to you in time..." Edward stopped as Jasper shook his head.

"Not my wounds. Our family Edward, did they make it? Did any of them survive?" Edward struggled around knowing that this would hurt Jasper, knowing he would accept the blame and fault for this. Edward removed himself from Jasper, and then moved around the front of him, to help him back to his feet. Alice, a constant support to Jasper as she clung to him, they needed to move, the fire was still growing and Edward knew from the echo of minds that they were needed elsewhere. That there were things more serious and deadly waiting now then even the fires around them.

"Charlotte... she didn't know, triggered a trap that the pack must have set. She knew enough to push Peter back but couldn't save herself. Xavier has him pinned with Emmet for now but he's wild, feral, he wants to kill the pack. They're doing their best, but I fear you're our only way of trying to reach him. Though we both know that won't be of much use. The Denali's are on the other side of the blaze, they're okay but worried.

Eleazar is trying to find a way back to us but this has been planned well, if anyone's getting through it's us. Are you strong enough to continue Jasper, do we still continue on?" Edward asked, placing his hand on Jasper's shoulder, Jasper's eyes as black as Edward's his eyes moving to see the burned charred image of his piano playing brother and realising he'd done that to save him and Alice. He'd lost a friend, and Jasper knew he would lose another. Peter wouldn't wish to live on, but they could give Peter blood, and Jasper wanted it too. He'd been ready to accept death; he'd never once felt ready to accept defeat ever before in this life and the pack had done that to him.

"We need to regroup. Those dogs are fucking dead!" Jasper snarled darkly, turning to his mate, gauging her reaction but finding her steady and ready to fight. She had been scared, believed that they were going to be all killed by the flames and now they would have to change the future she had seen, she'd already seen them defeated but that hadn't come.

"We need to move quickly." Edward said, his eyes turned away from Jasper and Alice, looking towards the fire with a distant look of concern and anger on his face, turning back to Jasper urgently.

"The wolves are approaching. The Denali's are alone; they won't last long without us. We need to move now!" Edward said, his body twisting as he looked around him quickly, and then began to run, Jasper and Alice following tightly behind him as Edward weaved amongst the flames and the forest, closing in on the rest of his family.

-RD-

"It's no use Eleazar, we aren't finding a way through." Tanya hissed as she moved in closer to the flames, and almost as if the inferno was alive, it seemed to awaken stronger at her proximity to the burning mass.

"We need to find the others. They might have been caught in the blaze, god forbid anyone was directly in the path of the blaze, it moved faster than any fire I've seen in my existence." Eleazar said, deeply worried for his allies now, the deep concern that they had even with the planning and training still rushed into this a little unprepared. He didn't like the idea of being out manoeuvred by these creatures a second time either. He knew all too well not only were his allies potentially hurt, or worse, he was once again possibly faced with the coming wolves and having no numbers to help defend against the numbers of the pack.

"It must have been a weapon of some type we heard the multiple explosions, perhaps a type of bomb. We've been gone far too long from the human world, if they have such weapons even these basic tribe men, what could that of the government posses within their arsenal should they learn of us?" Kate said angrily, they were no better than the archaic and foolish immortals that claimed to rule over them, still confident in all of their strengths, and willing to be ignorant to their own weaknesses. These children had brought a weapon to a fight they'd only been expecting to use their abilities and powers for, not even Jasper had thought to think of such a trap being put in place. Once again they'd all underestimated their enemy.

"Do you hear that?" Tanya said, her attention being drawn away from the fire and instead in the opposite direction, towards the echoing sound of howls, multiple howls closing in and overlapping each other. The pack were coming and they were only three, no true hope of turning back and fleeing now, and not knowing of the fate of their friends.

"We'll be slaughtered." Kate said, turning to stand close to Tanya, her remaining sister in this world, they'd spent centuries together; had lived longer then so many of their own kind.

"Then so be it. We shall not run from them. Pray that our family comes to aid us; we aren't defeated yet my daughters. This will not be a repeat of our last meeting." Eleazar said confidently, stepping past both Tanya and Kate readying to face the beasts head on that had taken friends and family from him. Both Tanya and Kate moving to flank either side of Eleazar. While younger in years, both of them were still wise, and considered an ancient by many standards. He'd led them since his and Carmen's joining them, both were ready to fight.

They had waited angrily, ever since the harsh defeat they had all taken at their arrival to defend their friends, and they had watched their sister die. Had endured Carlisle's refusal in accepting what was, and then mourned his death when his trust in the pack had turned upon him. Then watched the heart breaking reality of Esme deciding to have her life ended by her own son, none of them believed Edward defeated. Not one of the Denali's believed that Edward wasn't alive behind that fire and preparing to bring the rest of their family to help them fight this enemy. They just had to fight long enough.

Eleazar stood ready before the tree line as he watched and listened to the sound of heavy galloping, it echoed around the forest along with the sound of the crackling fire. He'd never faced such odds, not even upon missions he'd been expected to carry out while a guard within the Volturi; this enemy was a stranger to him. He knew of their beliefs, knew of the crimes they had committed against those he cared for, and where he'd once left behind the life of helping judge and rule over his own kind he felt no mercy in judging these men.

Blood had been spilt on both sides, and yet Eleazar couldn't find the concern and pity he'd felt in those early days, couldn't find the concern he'd had when he'd seen that dark change in Edward. Now he found that with each obstacle he'd watched the young leader endure and over come, each trial he'd faced even against all odds had somewhat changed his own view. The wolves did not deserve his pity, nor his sympathy for what was to come, they would offer him none, they viewed him and his kind as a parasite, and yet he saw before him nothing but monsters. True monsters, because they knew the beliefs they followed were failed by even their own kind, while he and the others around him were able to fight against that which they thirsted for endlessly. So Eleazar stood strong and ready as he watched them break through the tree line.

Too many for all three of the Denali's to even count at first as they broke forward in pods of four, they broke through the tree line in perfect sync. Not one of them out of place, they'd practiced this, the movement seemed too robotic, but even to all the Denali's eyes they could see that something was not completely right.

A formation was set, but there were many holes where they could see the flaws in the formation. Even with the holes in their formation it was clear that the four pods stood strongly, none of them appearing to even be fearful of the three remaining vampires. Had any of the Denali's known the wolves from sight, or even scent, as some of the Cullen's did, they would have known some were missing, that many were missing.

The Denali's only saw twenty wolves before them, and they knew already the odds were against them, much like they had been before. These wolves were larger than the ones they had faced before, it was not the Denali's though that hesitated or flinched when the wolves and they faced each other. The wolves' hesitated, clear disbelief that any of the vampires had made it through the traps.

Eleazar hadn't waited for them to reorganise, whatever fault had happened in the wolves' plans was something they would need to take advantage of. It would give them just the smallest of chances of living through this unbelievable scenario; he had a mate protecting a human far from here that he was determined to return to. A new coven leader he did not plan on failing by falling in this fight. Eleazar crouched down in a hiss, the wolves matching the stance almost as both sides sprung forward, closing the distance so impressively fast.

Both sides coiled and sprung forward, the distance between them vanishing in moments, the wide-open space giving the wolves that much more room to close in. They had bragged often of their speed and how they were created to hunt vampires, and while fast, they'd been shown up in the past against those such as Edward. This time the wolves were upon the Denali's before even they had expected, before the fight had been enclosed in thick tree cover and foliage. The ambush the pack had set had worked well, this fight was in the open, and with a burning fire behind the Denali's should they fail, where the pack would discard of them if they fell here. Eleazar broke forward into the fight first; ahead of both Tanya and Kate.

He collided savagely into the pod directly in front of him; with a powerful leap he jumped, using one of the wolves as leverage to leap higher, as he grabbed onto one of their muzzles. He pushed down as he propelled himself higher, driving the mutt face first into the wet mud. Eleazar raised his augmented arm then, bringing it down and sinking deeply into the wolf's spine, feeling muscle tissue rip beneath his arm, the blood splattered against him as he landed upon the balls of his feet. The second wolf was quick to come to its pack mate's aid as Eleazar tried to remove his arm from deep in the wolf's body, it howled under the shifting of the limb. Eleazar could do nothing as he found himself joined to the wolf's body struggling to remove his arm from deep within the mutt, he felt the moment the teeth sank into the side of his shoulder and chest.

Kate weaved through the mass of large wolf bodies, seeing Eleazar in the mouth of one of the wolves snarling viciously. The rage at being beaten by these dogs once before, she extended the charge over her skin, Kate didn't strike them, didn't fight like she should have then, she needed to close the distance between herself and Eleazar.

Jasper had explained often how effective hitting and moving could be, it was easy to be drawn into the thrill of a fight and look to end it when you had an enemy on the back foot. With numbers so large it wasn't an option, he'd believed smart though; strike and move had been his strategy, allow those coming behind you to deliver the killer blow. Kate felt the first heated touch of wolf under her charge, and listened to the whimpering yelp as it scurried back and crashed into another of its pack mates, opening a space between the bodies, as she dived through and grabbed hold of the wolf that had claimed purchase of her mentor and friend in its beastly mouth. The dark russet wolf buckled under the agonising shocking touch, crumpling and releasing the vice like grip its jaw had locked on Eleazar's shoulder and body.

Kate shoved the wolf away then, placing a well-placed kick into the wolf's side, sending it a short distance away, while Eleazar finally ripped his arm free from the deeply injured wolf. A spray of blood splashing against his body and face as he struck a vital artery and the wolf staggered to the ground shifting back to a male instantly; the naked native man was clawing at the large wound on his body now, and trying to move back, backing away from the vampire that had impaled him with his arm. Eleazar all but ignoring the wounded man turning to Kate urgently, the wolves had them closed in and already Kate was using her touch to defend Eleazar as he'd dealt with his own wolf.

"Where's Tanya, Kate?" Eleazar yelled, moving beside her and parrying down the bite of a wolf and then backhanding it. The wolves were so many that against these few enemies they were failing to work together, and instead the pods were hindering each other, trying to get their own claim on the kill. Eleazar couldn't understand where the driving force had gone. These seemed less organised then before they didn't fight nearly as effectively, he feared they'd soon figure out their own error. They needed to find Tanya and fight closer; being separated wouldn't give any of them an advantage now.

"I don't know. Eleazar more are coming!" Kate screamed, as she pulled a wolf closer towards her body, closing her arms around it and sinking her teeth into the side of its large fur covered throat. This time Eleazar was moving to cover Kate as she delivered what they'd often considered the kiss of death to these creatures, as she delivered venom into their bodies poisoning them.

Kate had been right though as Eleazar could just about make out that more wolves were arriving, another pod of five wolves, and still Eleazar knew he wasn't seeing some of those he'd faced once before, the black wolf; the large Alpha was still not present. The smaller wolves were not here, he still couldn't see Tanya around the bodies of wolves moving at them swiping and slashing to try and bring them down. The sound of metal ripping brought a cold shiver over Eleazar's body, he could see the instant that Kate hesitated just as she had before.

"No Kate. Keep fighting!" Eleazar roared, the destructible claws of a wolf dragging down his back tearing into his usually impenetrable marble skin.

Tanya had tried, she'd fought with every part of her being, every moment of experience she'd had during this life, but numbers were something even she could not overcome. She'd decided to fight alone, a mistake or even arrogance on her own part, she'd delivered fatally life ending strikes on these beasts but they healed fast, faster then she'd known and they'd come back; wilder and more aggressive. She'd been backed towards the flames having to move further from both Kate and Eleazar, who she couldn't even see amongst the packs force now. She'd been backed into a corner, the flames burning harshly behind her and the wolves in front of her.

Tanya had not seen the addition to the pack's numbers closing in and when they had crashed forward into her, it had swept her from her feet, once on the ground she'd been completely vulnerable. No amount of clawing, scratching and even pathetic attempts at biting had helped her, as she'd felt the tearing of her limbs beneath the wolves that pawed and shredded at her body. She saw the moment a leg was removed by a wolf and discarded aside from its mouth as she shrieked beneath, feeling her nails sink into the face of a mutt, almost pleading for something to save her but her pleading had been ended when teeth had closed in around her head. She'd felt every painful moment, the crush of her skull under its jaw, the twisting of her head and then the savage pop of her head from her neck before everything around her had faded from her sight.

Kate, even though fighting, couldn't help but try to work her way towards the sound of tearing vampire flesh; towards the fire they had tried to distance themselves from. She knew Eleazar was right, she couldn't become distracted, last time she had allowed herself to become distracted and it had almost cost her. Now her sister who had saved her from near death before against these monsters was likely harmed and vulnerable to being destroyed and she couldn't stomach the thought of not returning the favour.

Kate turned to see Eleazar, his usually pristine and almost aristocratic appearance was looking bloody and disturbing now, his face coated in the sticky blood of wolves, clothing stained and stuck to him from the rainfall. He continued fighting, a gathering of thick slashes covering his chest from a wolf's claws, there were large cracks over his shoulder, and the shirt had all but been chewed off his body.

Kate knew if she went to Tanya now Eleazar wouldn't make it, she'd barely been touched in the fight, whenever one even got close enough she was able to turn her touch upon them and it sent them whimpering back. Still they tried to get her, tried to find a way to end her life. The wolves knew they'd almost killed her before, and she could almost taste their determination in the air as it felt like more numbers came towards her now instead of Eleazar. She felt like she was in a sea of these mutts, a never ending army, that no matter how many she shocked or knocked away or even attempted to deliver the killing blow never stopped coming.

Kate saw it then, a wolf with Tanya's headless torso in its mouth dragging it towards the flames, the inferno that still burned; she was losing hope. How could they still not be here if they'd survived, and now she was going to witness her sister die again at the hands of these mongrels. Kate turned to Eleazar again so unsure of what to do, and then felt as her left arm was ripped from her body, she buckled under the pain.

Eleazar turning to her and sprinting to her without thought, driving his very body into the wolf that had taken advantage of her distracted mind, which had seen the opening. A wolf smart enough to see that as long as he did not touch skin he was safe, the wolf had latched onto the top of Kate's shoulder, covered by material and latched on, the second he'd broke through skin and fabric he'd felt the shock again but he'd not been without restraint against the pain and as he'd jerked away, pulling the arm with it.

Eleazar had broken his own line to protect her, as she'd somewhat been ready to leave him for dead against so many wolves to save her sister. Kate snarled, ripping her shirt from her body and lunging towards the wolves. Her skin was what caused pain, Edward had used her clothing in their fighting to harm her, now she'd remove that advantage. She was a succubus after all, what modesty did she even have right to claim now.

Purple smoke hissed out from the burning wall of fire before the wolves, as they backed away once disposing of the pieces, the scent of the sickly sweet smell repelling them. Arrogantly they yelped and barked between them, so sure that their pack mates would soon enough be ending the two remaining, it had been easier then they'd been warned of. Only three had survived the trap that was set days ago now, they could see that the female and male now both were crippled and had no chance of fighting the numbers, even if the naked appearance of the female leeches chest had distracted some of the younger males. Not that any would be distracted for long, she was a filthy bloodsucking parasite, the wolves in the pod that had destroyed Tanya stood watching the limbs slowly char and turn to nothing amongst the blaze.

It was the strange hiss that made their hair stand on end, like the fire itself was hissing at them. Only as they looked closer could they see the bright red eyes beyond the flame. Then an almighty wind was brought forward and a crash was felt over the ground beneath their paws, as two large trees crashed violently before them, sending billowing smoke and washing the flames forward, catching the wolves slightly but only slightly singing their furred muzzles. The wolves were unable to react; the second the two large trees crashed down upon the ground, sending a groaning explosion into the surroundings, two figures broke through the billowing smoke of the smothered flames. A break in the inferno had been made, and then the wolf that had once before been so arrogantly yelping amongst his brothers of the kill they had claimed found himself face to face with the one the alpha wanted most.

-RD-

The moment that both Xavier and Emmet were able to bring the two large oaks down upon the wall of flames, Edward knew that he would end as many wolves as he could. He'd been helpless to do anything but hold onto Peter and continue to tell the rest of his family what was happening. He'd been completely useless to stop Tanya from being overwhelmed by the sheer numbers, and tenacity of the wolves before she'd been destroyed. All he'd been able to do was listen into the minds, as they arrogantly believed themselves already victors, so sure that the trap had killed them all. Edward kept Peter pinned to his chest, holding him in his vice like grip, Peter's fingers clawing at Edward's battered hands and burned forearms as Peter shrieked and snarled. All while Edward relayed each blow of the fight, Eleazar and Kate would not last much longer alone.

Especially with them now knowing that Tanya was gone, that pain he knew all too well, knew how it would only make them more feral and less likely to think, less likely to defend themselves while fighting simply to cause as much damage as they could without thinking to defend. Edward had released Peter the moment the flames had been smothered, they knew the fire would catch soon enough but smothering the flames for a short moment would give them the opening.

It was what the wolves who had only moments ago celebrated, would find when the smoke rose and made Edward virtually hidden to their sight as he and Peter broke through the smoke first, with his family trailing behind.

Edward leapt through the smoke, his target set. The arrogant male before him, the father of the boy he'd crippled on the first day this all began, when he'd all but started this war. He pushed away the thought of a disabled child and a crying mother who lingered in this man's mind, he wanted revenge too, but Edward's thirst for revenge was also for justice.

In war, sides took causalities, and yet Edward still didn't find pity or remorse, he would take them all from this world, he'd become everything that he'd once believed himself. An omen, a bringer of death, a cursed parasite upon this world that brought death all where he went, the people of the reservation had wanted the monster. The cold one and he was here now with his own army, the pack had destroyed many of his family and now it was time to end this.

Tanya would be mourned, Charlotte and the savage feral Peter would be too when he found his end, but later. Edward landed as the wolf rose to meet him, mouth parted and ready to take a large bite of Edward. Edward knew this was coming, still the wolf was surprised, and not able to move to the speed that Edward was furiously driving into each movement. Edward's palm striking under the chin of the mutt snapping his head upwards and then climbing upon the wolf's back, pushing his ruined hands into the mouth of the dog. Taking hold of its dangerous jaws in his blackened healing hands, the other pack members could do nothing as they watched Edward atop Christopher Call, pulling the mutts mouth open and then forcing the jaws open beyond even the dogs' limit. The sickening snap and ripping of muscle as the jaw was broken brutally, Edward all but detaching its jaw from the head while the mutt shifted and slumped beneath him dead. The once vengeful and enraged wolf was nothing more now than a disfigured and mangled mortal corpse, at the ground of this cold one that would hunt and destroy them all.

Peter's kill was no less savage; every word that Edward had whispered into his ear, the touch of the immortal upon his skin as he'd held him in place had been his only mantra. He couldn't think of what he'd lost but he could imagine all the death that Edward promised him. He could thrill in being unleashed, as he became the caged animal that these creatures believed them anyway.

Peter had collided into an unsuspecting wolf that was distracted by the fighting behind him, and the flames that were blown out of a portion of the forest. He did not see the grieving cold one that had slammed him to the ground. He had not been able to even brace himself for the bite that Peter had delivered, and yet he'd not just bitten into this creature.

Peter had chewed; he'd deeply torn into the thick fur and muscle of the wolf's throat, all but removing the head with his teeth as blood sprayed over Peter's face. The rest of the pod would find themselves the ones on the back foot trying to reorganise, completely surprised by the attack, and the brutality of it. Before them were two feral creatures they weren't prepared for, the promise of an easy fight had been fuelling all of their confidence, they'd been so confident the trap would destroy them all; and they'd believed it had.

The gathering of wolves that had been close to the fire were completely massacred as the remaining family broke through the smoke. As the fires started to lick and catch over the new trees that had now been added to fuel the blaze. They'd stopped thinking of the potential threat and then been met by vengeful immortals, that had been forced to endure watching loved ones die. Jasper snapped the neck of the wolf he'd caught before it had ran towards the rest of the numbers that were still surrounding Kate and Eleazar from what he could see, Jasper turning to Edward.

"This isn't all of them!" Jasper said urgently, worried that perhaps Sam had held off some of the pack, these were all larger wolves, some he recognised but most of them he didn't. These were mainly the adult males that had only recently taken the shift after the first attack that had happened on Quileute soil.

"No it isn't." Edward said darkly, wiping the blood from his hands down the front of his stained and singed shirt. Turning to look at Jasper as he pressed his foot down into the muzzle of the wolf beneath him. The sound of a wet squelch as the head cracked and imploded under his bare foot, his family had completely annihilated this small pod that had destroyed Tanya, now they needed to help get Kate and Eleazar out from the surrounding numbers, more were coming towards them now to kill them. They didn't have much time and Edward needed to explain to Jasper what was happening.

"Joshua tried to stop Sam. He didn't want the children involved, Sam was ready to use his alpha command to force them. They're disorganised because the whole pack aren't here, because Sam and Joshua are fighting for right to lead the pack. I need to get to First Beach Jasper. If Sam wins, there will be too many, even for us. I need to end this Jasper, I need to destroy Sam Uley!" Edward growled, he'd not been able to pick up much from the minds but that shared link was like an echoed message, it gave him insight even now to what was happening on first beach. Some had stayed because they were part of Sam's direct pack; Joshua had refused to fight and refused to allow the young boys in the pack to go. Sam had accepted that as a challenge, and Joshua had simply had no choice but to try and protect the children that he believed had no place in a war with the Cullen family. A war he wasn't even sure should have ever been allowed to happen, Joshua Uley was starting to see a change in his son and had seen how the council's lies had distorted the pack. He knew it was too late to save those lost, but Joshua was hoping to at least save the children.

"We'll find you an opening." Emmet said seriously, as he stepped past Edward nodding towards Jasper, as Peter was already running straight into the numbers of the wolves.

"Yes, don't worry, we know your target was Sam all along. We'll handle these, or do our best. You need to get to First Beach; Sam can't be allowed to use his alpha command on those unwilling. We cut this off at the head of the beast, kill the Alpha Edward, we won't be far behind you, be safe brother." Jasper reached forward as they both grasped hands, nodding in reassurance to one another, and then the three ran towards the coming wolves. Emmet and Jasper ahead as they broke into the line of wolves loudly.

The sound of immortal flesh devastatingly crunching into the softer bodies of powerful wolves even while dulled against the sound of pouring rain and burning forest, still echoed amongst them. The sound of the claws cutting deeply into the marble like skin, the metallic shriek that somehow resembled thunder and then the returning blows of wet snapping as the wolves were hit with ferocious precision.

The fight was gruesome, even with the added numbers to the Cullen force still they would struggle against the numbers of the pack, but it was clearly beginning to lean towards the direction of the enraged immortals. Once again the packs vast vulnerabilities being shown, their large size and still very much mortal bodies took damage quickly and plentiful.

The only thing that even saved them from the quick defeat was that the pack that had destroyed Tanya had the numbers and time to heal, the healing factor somehow seemed even more potent now then Edward could remember, as he dodged the coming attack of two wolves that had targeted him amongst the confrontation. As Edward ducked and weaved beneath the two pursuing wolves, with the deathly agility and speed that made him a demon to best by any foe. He seemed almost untouchable to these dogged wolves that were determined to be the one to return to the reservation with his head for Sam.

-RD-

Emmet was laying in wait, so large and yet completely disregarded by these wolves for the more desired enemy in Edward. The unsuspecting wolf had been caught impressively out from the air. Emmet gripping tightly onto the scruff of the mutts thick fur coat at the back of his neck, jerking it back instantly and then flinging it towards another grouping of wolves as they crashed together. Edward and Emmet sharing a glance between each other, the wolves were all around them and yet the entire family were trying in vain to break through to help aid Eleazar and Kate. Edward knew his family were being spread thin; Alice and Rose were fighting together alongside Rochelle deeper left, closer to the flames but seemed to be holding them off better then Eleazar and Kate.

Rochelle's supposed subtle gift in this battle was a lethal injection of destruction, the wolves could smell her but following her scent in battle was useless now. Blind to her, she was cleaning up every wolf that even dared to get to close to either Alice or Rose. Rochelle had already destroyed more wolves then both Edward and Emmet combined, she didn't need technique and skill when her opponent couldn't see her, but Edward could see the wolves becoming more aware of the ghost on this battlefield.

He could read in the minds of the shared link that there had been a warning spread, it was another struggle for Edward as he found his mind bombarded with so many different battles within his own thoughts. The one he was most interested in, the one far from this battle and on the secluded forest area around first beach where a father and son fought one another for right to rule the pack. Edward didn't have all the answers but he knew, he knew without any doubt that when Sam bested his father another force of wolves would be heading towards them. It would be far too large for even his family to beat now; even now he could see the fatigue even with their endless stamina. In their minds he could see the pain and grief beginning to hinder them.

Edward drove his feet into the body of a wolf, kicking its feet from Emmett, then reaching out his arm as Emmett locked his own hand around Edward's forearm tossing him over his head. The two were fighting together perfectly; Emmett's brute strength and Edward's speed were effective on battering back the pack.

Emmett and Edward both ensuring not to allow numbers to overwhelm them completely, the small pod of Alice and Rose sweeping behind the two groups of males, while Jasper and Xavier tried relentlessly to guide the feral Peter who attacked blindly and without thought. Both Xavier and Jasper receiving blows from Peter for simply finding themselves in his path of destruction. Peter's mind was gone and while he inspired fear amongst the wolves with his insanity, he was becoming dangerous to even those he fought alongside. It was then Edward could see the pain and panic in Eleazar's mind as two wolves pinned him to the ground.

Kate was moving towards him, using her exposed body to shock and bat away wolves. It wouldn't be enough time; she had been separated amongst the fray and carnage of both forces clashing. There was no one that could reach Eleazar and with his handicap of only having one hand he wasn't finding any way to escape beneath the two wolves that were sinking into his torso and legs beginning to pull.

Edward knew if they were to pull apart Eleazar now that he'd be destroyed, the pack would find a way to burn him, his family was far too stretched, and if Eleazar was torn apart now it would be a death sentence. Something Edward couldn't allow, selfish reasons hidden behind his desire to save the man that he'd need in hopes of learning more of his gift. The man who had given his own mate to protect Edward's while they fought, Edward turned to Emmett, he could see clearly something was wrong on Edward's face.

"Throw me!" Edward demanded and began charging towards Emmett without giving his larger brother any time to think, Emmett reacting quickly as he braced himself.

Edward used Emmett's thigh as a support as he leaped up, feeling both of Emmett's large hands grip the back of his right leg and shirt, adding force behind Edward's leap. Edward felt the wind whistle against his face, his shirt all but left behind as it ripped from his body from Emmett's grip, it was forgotten though as he was sent towards Eleazar's prone body. Edward crashed into the darker toned wolf that had kept hold of Eleazar's torso, the impact so powerful with Emmett's aid it instantly killed the wolf he slammed into. Eleazar already fighting back against the canine's mouth that had purchase of his legs when his upper body had been freed, driving his augmented arm into the side of the wolf's throat and then violently slamming through as the head of the wolf fell to the ground as blood sprayed over both Edward and Eleazar in water hydrant like fashion drenching them in the potent scent of wolf.

-RD-

"It's no use Jasper!" Xavier growled, as he found himself nursing more wounds from Peter then even the wolves. The untamed grief stricken immortal was uncontrollable. A blood covered, salivating monster that made the hairs on Xavier's neck stand on edge, he'd purposely made sure Rochelle was fighting alongside Rose and Alice so she'd not be in this man's path. He understood, he'd witnessed the devastating scene of what this man had endured and he didn't envy what this man was going through, but Peter wasn't doing well. Already he'd lost a large section of his arm and stomach, he had not even slowed down under the pain. Feral and enraged he'd kept going while Jasper and Xavier had tried to defend the removed parts of his body.

"I know, but he's more useful to us alive now then dead. We can't afford to lose anymore numbers!" Jasper yelled back, as he reached forward, yanking Peter from the corpse of one of the pack members. His human body sickeningly twisted and shredded under Peter's teeth and claws, the puss and white gunk seeping out from his eyes and ears into the grass beneath him, as if the body inside was turning to nothing but rotten organ matter as it leaked from the collapsing body. The swelling of the deadly venom they all carried inside of them had not been this pack member's killer but it still worked its own brand of evil over the dead body.

Both Xavier and Jasper froze up at the sound of female cries, turning towards the direction of both of their mates, knowing that they were possibly in danger now. Jasper hesitated, looking towards Peter, who now was moving towards the closing in wolves, without their guidance he'd likely be destroyed very quickly. Xavier and Jasper had been his only reason for lasting so long. Peter was completely gone, he fought on instinct, without any technique or defence, he completely disregarded any harm because the vampire no longer cared to survive, he only wished to destroy; then die. Jasper knew he'd regret this decision even though he knew the outcome was no different either way; Peter had been a brother to him once upon a time in a different life and part of a different army. He'd risked everything to help Peter and Charlotte escape from the south when Maria had decided to destroy them once they'd lived out their usefulness. He found it almost stomach churning ironic that now he'd abandon Peter. That he was of no use to him, he'd move past it one day; he needed to get to his mate. He couldn't leave her if she was in trouble and he couldn't demand Xavier to do the same, Jasper locked eyes with Xavier after a brief moment of watching Peter.

"Let's go. He'll handle himself." Jasper said, while knowing it was a lie. Xavier finding that he wouldn't argue, neither of them was blind to what they were doing. They were leaving the man to die; both would deal with this decision in their own way in the future if they managed to survive this battle. But for now, protecting their mates was more important than protecting the feral immortal that had already lost his mate in this fight. Both men leapt into action, closing in on the sounds of the females' pain.

-RD-

Peter was completely deranged and unaware of the deeply scarred and wounded wolves that closed in on him as he drained one of his victims to his rage. He had not delivered the killing blow to these enemies, and they'd found themselves unable to move around his defenders in the two males that had struggled to confine and guide Peter, much like a wrecking ball through the wolves' numbers. Now alone, the three wolves moved together, the largest of the three snapping his vice like canines around Peter's body and throwing him into the air towards his pack mates. Both wolves leaping up eagerly as they licked over their muzzles and sank their teeth into this leech. Tearing his legs and lower torso away from the still flailing monster that had been left for them to destroy.

Even then as his top half hit the ground, Peter snarled and swiped towards the wolves. Peter clawed at the ground dragging his body over the slick water logged ground, blood splattered over the once lush green meadow. The large wolf, a dark tanned colour, was moving in and then looming over Peter's remains. A large sinister smile crossing his face as he shoved his body, what remained of it off from the ground with his one arm that was still fully intact, clutching onto the underbelly of the wolf.

The wolf's struggles were futile as Peter sank his fingers deeper into its skin. Ripping into its stomach and chewing his way into the body and ripping through muscle and tissue as the body above him became human. Intestines falling from the human body as Peter still with his one hand, clawed into the man's stomach and torso. He didn't see the two wolves that had returned to aid their pack mate.

They'd disposed of his leg and not expected their brother to fall to this monster with only half a body; they made quick work of the distracted monster though without pause then. Teeth and claws ending the mentally unstable immortal, for the briefest of moments even then both men considered turning and leaving, disturbed beyond anything they could stomach at what they had already seen and been witness too. They could not however, to turn away now was their people's end, and this immortal was only more proof that the cold ones could not be allowed to live.

-RD-

Rose cried out as she felt the teeth sink deeper into the side of her face, neck and shoulder, the large bite closing around her while her fingers reached to claw at the face. The mutt jerked her around as he tried to rip her head clean from her body, Rose couldn't help but feel that somehow she'd brought this onto herself as she found herself clinging to hope that now her family would save her.

Alice and she had barely spoken since what she'd said to Jasper, and she'd almost abandoned her family when she'd wanted to run with Emmett. Of course she'd not left without him, how could she, how could she ever walk away when he was the love of her existence, the one true good thing that had come from the curse of the life that Carlisle had given her.

She'd been devastated by losing Carlisle and Esme, even more so Esme because what they'd once shared, they had been mother and daughter in ways that Esme had never had with Alice. Of course Rose had been jealous of the instant love Esme had shown Bella at first, already so filled with jealousy over the human girl for many reasons.

Even now as she saw and believed Bella her sister, she'd felt that shift when she'd seen Bella hurt on that table as she'd aided Carlisle in saving her the night all this had changed. She'd realised as she'd worked on Bella's wounded body and face that she would care if Bella were lost. That her life had come to mean something to her, now she knew she wouldn't beat this dog and her death was coming.

Alice couldn't get to her; they'd both convinced Rochelle to get to Kate, the only one to move with any skill around these wolves, so she knew the invisible assassin wouldn't be saving her. Rose found herself pleading for a god to save her, apologising for every terrible selfish thing she'd done and said. If only she could be given more time. The teeth sank deeper and her scream heightened as her legs kicked against the second wolf that closed his jaw around her struggling legs, and then they began to pull as her nails dug into the wolf's face that had her shoulder and neck locked in its mouth.

"Rosalie!" Alice cried out amongst the sounds of chaos around them, Rose could still hear it as her sister called out to her hysterically, even now Alice cared when all she'd done had tried to hurt the man she loved. She'd said terrible awful things to Jasper, even more so to Edward her brother, the man she'd focussed her hate towards for decades for no reason but her need to blame and hate someone. He'd been a victim to her hatred for so long and he'd still cared about her, had found the men who had hurt her had even pleaded with her when she'd wanted to kill them that he'd do it for her. She could still remember his soothing words when she'd believed him the most handsome man she'd ever seen, before she'd found her Emmett when she'd still been the vain young girl completely taken by only money and looks.

"We all make choices Rosalie. I've made many, this choice though; it doesn't need to be rushed. Allow me; I could carry this for you. It is a hat I have worn before; it is something I would do for you. As your brother, I would take the men who harmed you. Let me do this for you sister, let me take this burden."

She'd reacted harshly to him then, still stung by his rejection of her and by his constant seeming showings of perfection that had angered her more. She knew now that he'd have killed all those men that night, that Edward would have taken on those deaths even knowing how much he burdened himself with the lives he'd taken before, so that she didn't have to. It had taken her knowing her death was coming to see how wrong she'd been, that Emmett had been so completely right. Emmett, her beautiful joyful husband, who had deserved so much better then what he'd received in a mate than her, she'd been selfish, he had been correct. She prayed he'd survive somehow even in her destruction.

"I'm sorry Emmy." Rose whispered, as she felt the tearing of her body, her legs going numb beneath her, her fingers sinking into the eye of the wolf, pulling as her last ditch attempt to save her own life and the future of her mate. She knew now, knew that with her death she'd only seal Emmett's death too, all the mistakes she'd made because of her own pain and she knew. Just as she'd secretly known when they'd found Carlisle, there was no surviving the loss of a mate and now her husband would have to endure that pain because she hadn't been strong enough. Rosalie's vision began to spot before her as the light around her began to fade, the teeth breaking into her neck and through her shoulder, fractures and cracks forming over her throat and neck as she knew her head was being removed with her lower half.

"Not today asshole!" Jasper snarled.

Rosalie was only able to hear the sound of Jasper's voice, and then the snap of bone in her ears, as the jaw around her shoulder and neck loosened and dropped her body roughly to the ground. Her head still clouded and vision blurred around the scenario, the second mutt was ripped away from her lower half and all but flung clear across the battlefield, forty feet as she looked up from Jasper then to Emmett. She felt the sob form in the back of her throat, almost too exhausted to say or even move, not that she could afford such time.

Jasper reached down, helping her up and then tilting her head to the side as he looked over the large bite mark that spanned from her shoulder and neck to beneath her jaw and cheek. His once unscarred sister was going to carry a very deep reminder of this day, not only physically but mentally too. He'd endured in her regret and acceptance; he knew she'd been ready to die, much like he had when he'd believed the flames would be his end. Emmett moved closer to Rose as he looked from her saddened expression and wounded body, cupping her cheek only for a moment as he looked into her eyes.

"You're okay. We aren't finished though Rosie, so the sorry is just going to have to wait, okay sweet cheeks?" Emmett grinned, and Rose found herself smiling back at him, even despite everything that was happening. She only nodded, done with words, done with everything, she had a family to fight alongside and protect. She wasn't about to be a coward now, not when they'd come to her aid so readily. Even Jasper who she'd openly taunted with her cruel words only hours ago hadn't thought twice to leap to action for her.

"We've got to get Edward out of here, something is shifting in the wolves emotions, they're becoming ready to retreat. I can sense it in them, they've taken too many losses and with Sam still fighting his father they fear they may not get the backup they were promised." Jasper said as he spat into his hand, coating his fingers with venom and then reaching forward and pressing his venom over the large gash that was open over Rosalie's neck as she hissed and almost recoiled. Emmett snorting through his nose, shaking his head, slightly disturbed by the act that Jasper carried out to help heal the wound on his mate's neck.

"Fucking sick, man. Really… spitting on her?" Emmett shook his head, and then stopped himself, gathering his control, not wanting to make a joke of anything; he'd seen his mate almost torn apart. He knew Jasper was trying to help, and a time where he would have joked about it was gone now, they weren't finished, this fight wasn't over. As long as the wolves still had numbers for a pack, and Sam was still breathing, they all knew that Edward would not allow this to be over and neither would Sam. Both men would fight till one of them was dead.

Jasper could hear the sound of howling then in the background, and the distant wolves that were closing in, it seemed that the fight between Sam and his father was over and more wolves were coming. They needed to get to Edward, Jasper knew that now even more urgently then he had before, time for hesitation was over, they had no time to try and regroup.

-RD-

"Get down!" Eleazar roared, as he leapt over Edward latching onto the wolf that had almost caught Edward off guard, the numbers were still at the largest in the centre of the battle as he fought alongside both Eleazar and Kate now. Bodies were piling up now, and his family were closing in, the sound of more wolves promised that the final wave was in pursuit.

Edward had lost any insight of the fight between Sam and Joshua Uley when Sam had given those that remained in wolf form to join the fight. Joshua had then crumpled under the pain and shifted to human before Sam had also then changed. Edward had no clue what would happen between the father and son but it was clear Sam had won. The young men who had refused to shift and who followed Joshua's leadership over Sam were now in a precarious position. One Edward believed would fall to Sam's command soon enough.

He planned on ending Sam before he had a chance to use his alpha command on the wolves that were unwilling to fight his war, the children that were scared, and not ready to fight the cold ones that they feared. Even the handful of men who had been loyal to Joshua over Sam had remained with the young boys that had no right even being part of war. Barely older then children in age they were far from ready for this battle to the death, Edward cared not for the shifters only on ensuring Sam couldn't take advantage of the numbers that were rebelling against him.

"Where the fuck is my arm?" Kate snarled, as she kept the wolf beneath her pinned under her charged touch, Edward would have been amused at her appearance if the situation was not so disturbingly horrific with her arm missing and bear torso. The male shifters hadn't known whether to be disgusted or impressed by Kate's physical appearance. Most of them young men they'd been confused by the two separate parts of their nature. The hate had won out as it often did with their kind, and it hadn't taken them long to all but see past her nude body when it was her skin that caused such agonising pain to them while fighting.

Edward could see her arm a short distance away near to him; the wolves, usually quick to throw any pieces they were able to remove to the flames, had been forced to forgo sending away members. When the numbers were shifting so drastically with so many mutts dying, as they thought they couldn't afford to have a clean up party, as they had in the past to burn the remains of any they defeated.

Edward ran towards the arm, the coming wolf bearing down upon him as he dropped to his knees, sliding forward and ducking down at an almost painful angle as he snapped his arms out. Knocking the mutts front legs from under its body, the wolf whimpers brought an echo of joy to Edward, as the continuous fighting and aggression he unleashed brought a dark pleasure to him. Spinning with all the grace of a seasoned warrior, he sprang up from the ground, taking hold of Kate's arm by the wrist, and using it to bludgeon the wolf, as it tried to find its footing, and charge Edward down again. Edward was unable to suppress the almost maniacal chuckle that passed from his lips, the sight of this wolf being knocked clear away from him with his own cousins severed arm was disturbing to most, he was sure; but he couldn't help but think of the times he'd played baseball with his siblings.

"My arm is not a bat you asshole!" Kate snarled over his deep laughing. Eleazar moving beside Edward, while he too was completely submerged in the fight, he couldn't help but feel the need to judge and look over Edward's mental state. Something dark and dominating was in those onyx eyes now, and he knew that this was Edward, free of the restraints that he often held in place to hold himself humane and within control.

Eleazar took Kate's arm from Edward as he released it without argument turning in time to see the wolves break through the tree line; these members had been held back at Sam's orders, they were some of his best fighters. Sam had been so sure he'd held off sending his more experienced members simply because he'd expected his pack to walk over what would remain from his clever trap left in place. Edward didn't wait to meet the wolves as he launched himself towards them, feeling his siblings closing in with him; some of the wolves had retreated back but now were face to face with the reinforcements that Sam had sent them.

"We can't keep fighting waves of wolves. How many more do they have within the Alpha's command? We're all carrying injuries, some of us more so then other's. We can't keep fighting these god damn animals for long!" Eleazar snarled, as he moved beside Edward, Jasper and Emmett moved to flank both males, as they charged towards the wolves, as they turned and moved deeper into the forest. They wanted to be chased, they were hoping to use the closed in surroundings to catch the vampire's off guard.

"Be aware, they're hoping to ambush us. Take to the trees. High ground, they'll be left weaker to our attacks if we move above them and swoop down to take them out. They are well trained fighters, Sam held them back. A mistake on his own part, his arrogance has cost him dearly. We have to keep fighting, and I need to get to First Beach. I will kill Sam!" Edward commanded easily, as he pointed to Rochelle and Xavier, pointing in the direction he expected them to take, to the left area of the tree line as the two jumped up effortlessly, and Rochelle once again vanished from sight to all.

"You go Edward. I'll guide our family from here. As you said, use the trees. Once you're far enough out, go by foot. Kill Sam and his farther if he tries to protect his son. We end this now; you wanted the Alpha so now go claim him. We shall take care of the rest here brother, let us do our part so you can now do your own." Jasper said, as they broke into the tree line, Jasper turning to give Alice a launching station from off his thigh as he flung her up into the tree tops to continue her pursuit of the wolves, and he began to climb with Emmett and Rose close behind.

"Once you end all of them, throw the bodies into the fire. Help the fire spread over the battle scene, we may not be able to cover much but the growing fire may be just what we needed. We'll end this now, we've lost enough, and the pack has imploded under their own fault this day. Joshua has placed the entire pack at my feet to be slaughtered with his decision to fight his son on this night. The pack is at odds." Edward jumped up as he shared a look with his brother, before moving ahead, passing over some of the wolves as they took in the sight of him moving in the direction of La Push, realising too late what Edward was doing, they tried to chase after him, only then to find themselves under attack by his family.

Edward was closing the distance between himself and Sam Uley, and what would remain of the pack; he'd be vastly outnumbered if Sam used his command on those with him to attack Edward. Unlike Sam though, Edward knew he had a secret weapon if things were to turn out of his favour; the highly effective gift, he'd tried to suppress it, tried to control it even, but as he placed an even greater distance between himself and his own family he felt little care for his ability lashing out. He knew Sam would fight, and Edward couldn't wait for his opportunity to fight the alpha of the pack that had taken so much from him. They had believed themselves protectors, and the hunters of vampires, Edward would forever change the thought that they were ever the hunters in this battle of the species.

-RD-

"My own father, turning against me? You would rather take sides with our enemy then your brothers? They are nothing, a parasite... a plague on this world. They are death, and they feed on the living to continue on. Instead of helping me protect our people, you decided to try and take from me my right as Alpha." Sam snarled down at his father, looming over his beaten body, pulling back only to drive his foot into his father's stomach as he recoiled and coughed roughly.

Joshua was by no means a weaker wolf, similar in size and ability, it had simply come down to Joshua not having the rage or anger to deliver the killer blows his son had been willing to deliver during their fight. Countless times he'd had the opportunity to stop Sam, but Joshua hadn't had the heart to truly hurt his son, now he was seeing he may have been wrong to hold back.

Joshua had tried to take control only as a last resort, his son had changed before his eyes that day Leah had died, and at first Joshua had believed what he'd been told. About the unprovoked attack on the three boys the night this war had truly started, he'd learnt with each day and more sense of the shared mental link that he'd been lied to. Joshua was finally in on the secrets that men like Harry Clearwater, Billy Black and Old Quill had kept from him.

The constant concern he'd had for his son and yet he'd accepted the lack of information from the men of the council because that was how it was done. He'd been conditioned not to ask questions of those above him, and he'd allowed his son to be used and essentially brainwashed. When Joshua had finally tried to help Sam, he'd been too blind to it in his grief of losing the woman he loved. The woman he'd wanted to be with, who Billy had lied and tricked Sam into believing he could be with. Young teenagers, who had been nothing but pawns to a game played by an old bitter man who had never taken to the gene because he'd already been a crippled shell of his once former self after his own accident and wife's death.

Joshua Uley, while untrusting of the immortals that he'd found himself facing in battle now, without any real truth for the reasons one of them had attacked. He hadn't wanted to turn from his son; he'd tried his best to convince Sam not to attack their leader. Joshua had known that by doing so, by taking the only one trying to stop the violence would only bring more agony.

They'd not attacked straight away, and Sam had become overwhelmed with paranoia. Then he'd created the plan with Chris Call and Gavin Hang, former explosive expert who had taken the shift later then the rest. Sam had been ready then to send the young boys, children who had until recently been allowed to stay far from the vampires and any duties within the tribe to fight. They'd been scared, and then Joshua and the other men had decided to step forward.

Joshua, while he'd loved and failed his son, wouldn't allow his son to send children to fight this enemy. He'd seen into the eyes of Edward Cullen that day he'd killed Leah Clearwater, he'd seen the deranged rage that came from a man protecting not only his family, but also the woman he loved. Joshua knew that he was seeing the same insanity in his own son now, as he looked for revenge against the Cullen family. Joshua was trying to save his son because Joshua didn't believe that Sam could beat Edward, because Joshua knew when he was looking at a man with greater power then his son, and he saw that in Edward. He could see the destructive power in that cold ones very eyes and he would do anything to try and save his son from it. Joshua had failed though.

"Answer me!" Sam screamed down at his father, who was on the floor looking up at him with swollen eyes, and a broken nose, the bruising already starting to lighten in areas from his healing. They had always healed faster once in their human form, it took longer in wolf shape; though they could endure more pain as wolves then they could human.

"Our pack mates are dying because you betrayed me, because you'd rather side with a leech then your blood. Now tell me why?" Sam demanded hysterically, as he moved to reach down, one of the young boys stepping forward then throwing a blanket over Joshua's body. Trying to give the man some modesty as the child no older then eleven years in age looked up at Sam boldly, one of the other men trying to stop the child from placing himself in harm.

"You all think I'm the monster, but I'm trying to protect you from the monster!" Sam said desperately, seeing then that these men and children didn't see him as the Alpha, even when he'd beaten the challenge and if they refused to shift he couldn't force the alpha command upon them to fight.

"You couldn't protect them from me Sam Uley. You couldn't even protect yourself Alpha." The hissed sound of the velvety tones of a vampire rung around the small area of woods near First Beach as Sam turned around frantically towards the trees but feeling as if the voice was all around him in every direction.

"You couldn't protect the true Alpha, you couldn't protect your friends, and you couldn't even protect the woman you claimed to love. Pray tell, why they would ever believe you capable of protecting them from me..." Edward stepped forward then, from out of the shadows of the tree line into the light. Some of the children gasping in fear, hearts stuttering in their chests, as they looked at the first cold one some of them had ever seen in their short lives.

All eyes watched Edward as he walked with an air of death around him, his entire image everything they had feared from the tales that had been woven to them at bonfires since they were children. The rain did little to wash away the marring of blood that coated over his face and chest, the clothes on his very back all but torn and shredded away. Thick gatherings of cracks and slashes from those who had been able to harm him didn't seem to hinder him at all. His usually untamed hair was darker in tone, slicked back against his forehead from the constant pouring of rain. His injured hands while fuller and not so skeletal were still blackened and ruined, and the burns that had once licked up his arms looked like a lightly swirling pattern of lines.

Joshua couldn't look away, even as his eyes felt like they were still swollen beyond being able to open, he looked at the young man before him, and he could have so easily swapped him with his own son's position. Both seemed uncontrollable now, both seeking a vengeance against the other, and Joshua knew that it had been his own people who had allowed for this to come. It had been his people who had created the catalyst to unlocking this once animal drinking immortal to become this devastating machine of destruction. It had been Edward who had taken a life from the other side first, it had been he who broke the treaty that night, and Joshua knew it would either end with Edward's death or the death of the pack.

"We don't need to fight. We've both lost so much; please, we can end this before we all have nothing but regrets. Haven't we taken enough from one another, what more do we sacrifice for victory, our very souls, the men we once were, for revenge?" Joshua pleaded, as he tried to stand weakly, his body beaten but strong, healing with each moment he was allowed reprieve from the wounds that had been inflicted upon him by his son. Joshua would plead to his gods and his ancient descendants to somehow bring about an end to this bloodshed. He'd took part in this originally, but he'd been blind, he would no longer turn a blind eye to his own people's wrong doings.

"Like my father desired… To end this before your people were all killed, and see how your people honoured him? You left him... left his head as a sign of your respect for my mother to find. In him you killed any chance for my mercy, when I had to destroy my mother, you took from me any remorse I'd give you. There is no place for talk now, I want the Alpha and he has no desire for your words of peace either. Do you Alpha?" Edward taunted darkly, as Sam's very form trembled before him. Seeing that there was no chance for peace, Edward hadn't come here to stop the fighting through a truce; he'd come here to kill. Joshua Uley had waited too long to see the light, and now those he cared for including his son would suffer for every mistake they had made. For every choice they had made that had brought pain upon his family, it had started with a slip of control. Edward could see already Sam had none.

"Your father was a coward. He was a parasite that had rather help us stop you then fight with you!" Sam snarled, as his body lurched forward, and he shifted into the jet-black wolf that Edward had once believed worthy of some type of respect and pity. He felt nothing for this man now.

"He fought like a child"

Edward could see the memories then of Carlisle in Sam's mind, trying to harm him emotionally as he let him see the night Carlisle had come to meet with the pack. The night his father had betrayed him and decided to turn to his enemy in attempts to end the fighting before it truly was allowed to begin. He'd foolishly hoped to find a way to end this all and in turn only helped fuel the flames of this fight.

Edward could see his final message; he could see his father's acceptance of his death. Carlisle had realised just as Joshua had too late what was becoming of the leaders of both families, they had shown his father no mercy. They had tortured him, tried to pull from his broken battered body any information that they could under Sam's orders. They'd burned him, they'd made him witness his limbs being added to the flames until finally they had left his head for them all to find.

Edward was so enraged by what he saw in the taunting memories, and vitriol of Sam, being so smug about killing his father that he'd almost missed what had lingered there of the memory of that night. The phone call that had brought forth the meeting between the pack and his father, Carlisle had chosen to go to the pack to try and end this. As Sam had said, Carlisle had turned from him, the devastating reality that Edward underwent as he saw what Sam was so eagerly revealing to him now. Carlisle hadn't turned from him but once during the beginnings of this war between vampire and shifter, Carlisle had been the cause of the ambush that had taken Irina from the Denali clan. His father's blind hope in fixing the problems between them had fed information to Sam and the pack to lay that ambush in wait for the Denali's arrival.

"He begged for death… Will you?" Sam roared back through his mind, knowing completely how Edward's talent worked now, information gained from his own mentor and father.

Edward had been taken off guard, so completely stunned to what he'd seen and heard through the thoughts of his enemy. Truly enraged and yet devastatingly heartbroken by the lengths his father had betrayed not only him, but them all. For all his desire to protect the lives of the pack, Carlisle while may not have intended to, had brought about the death and harm of so many he'd believed family.

Irina had died, Kate had been beheaded and almost destroyed, Eleazar forever left without an arm due to that confrontation. If the scales against his own father had not slumped so dangerously to the other side already his own death and selfish choice to go to the pack that night had brought about Esme's end. His choice had left Edward the one to have to end Esme's life, his very own mother, the woman who had comforted him countless times through this existence he'd viewed as a curse. When the torment had been nearly maddening, her gentle embrace and tender words had been a soothing balm to Edward's broken mind and doubted soul. Edward had taken her from this world, helped her pass because he loved her.

It had been Carlisle's fault.

It hadn't been the pack who killed Esme.

It hadn't even been truly his own fault, even though it had been by his hand.

The only person to blame for his mother's death was Carlisle.

Edward roared savagely as he met Sam's coming attack, the both of them crashing into each other strongly. Sam latching his teeth around Edward's shoulder and throat. Edward hissing around the pain of the teeth breaking through his skin, Sam doing all he could to latch in, and not release Edward. But Sam with his new knowledge was trying his best not to think of what he would do next directly. Trying to attempt a skill that had once taken Carlisle decades to be able to do simply to keep the most basic of thoughts from Edward. Sam was failing.

His paw slashed out, trying to move Edward beneath him to pin him, where Sam would be able to gain better leverage to tear into Edward's stubborn throat. Sam would not be allowed an easy victory, Edward caught hold of the moving paw, gripping the harsh claws and snapping them from off his hand as Sam's bite released with a mental and audible cry of pain, scampering back as Edward was thrown aside by Sam. Edward looked down to his hand, seeing the claws he'd snapped off and broken from Sam, he didn't wait for a second time to be taken off guard though.

Edward threw the claws aside as he drove his body into Sam's side as he tried to twist and dodge his attack. For so long the pack had always believed themselves faster than any cold one, and yet now they were seeing themselves slower and weaker. Edward delivered powerful blows to Sam, feeling his open palmed strikes break bone with each moment of impact, the feel of snapping ribs as he struck against the black wolfs side.

Edward could hear Sam demanding the remaining wolves still fighting his family to retreat, demanding for them to come help him, yet it only made them weaker. The alpha command could not be denied once given, and now the wolves were trying to make their way back to First Beach, even through the shared link he could see the ferocious hunting that his family took to once the pack started fleeing. Edward didn't believe they'd make it, not to save Sam, Edward knew he'd be long finished with the pack's Alpha before his brothers ever made it back, if his family didn't destroy them before that.

Sam lunged again at Edward as he spun swiftly, then back flipping away, using the force of his moving legs to kick under Sam's chin sending him spiralling. Edward enjoyed every moment of the stunned confusion of Sam; Edward was playing with him, taunting him, breaking his bones and allowing them to heal so he could break them again.

Sam had enjoyed the thrill of killing Carlisle, and while Edward would always hold a dark hate for what had become of Carlisle, a man he believed so noble and good he was still his father. Edward loved Carlisle even though that love had become soured and caused them to turn on one another. Sam would die for killing Carlisle even if Carlisle didn't deserve Edward's loyalty to him. This fight wasn't for Carlisle's death, it was for all those who had been harmed in his family, it was for Irina and Tanya, Peter and Charlotte, and it was for Esme and his Bella. It was for himself, whom the pack may have changed more than anything else other then the love of his mate.

There was no hint of surrendering in Sam, his mind completely gone from any technique; he'd drummed into all the wolves never to fight a vampire alone. Especially after he'd seen the outcome of what had happened to Jake, Paul and Embry, he'd allowed his emotions to get the better of him now though, and Edward could see Sam would never be able to stop wanting to kill him. That the Sam he'd pitied and believed capable of leading his pack before all this had unfolded was not the same man, the death of Leah, the complications of learning that Emily didn't want him, had sent him over the edge. Sam was a man with nothing except his hatred, and Edward knew he'd been the one to create that with his own choices. Sam continued to swipe with his one decent paw, trying to slash at Edward's skin, but now weakening, exhaustion taking over, still so very mortal, the bones taking even longer to mend with each break it endured.

"You're finished… Already… I had hoped for better." Edward snarled, as he slowly moved to Sam, his body had finally slumped to the ground and shifted back to human. The large male was covered in welts and thick gruesome cuts that scattered his naked body, his hand twisted and mangled from it being crushed under Edward's strength. Edward moved to Sam, grasping the large man around his throat and lifting him clear into the air, holding him dangling there like he was nothing but a broken toy.

"Please show mercy." Joshua called out, his once swollen face all but healed now as he reached towards Edward, two men trying to hold Joshua back.

"You don't have to kill him Edward. You've won, this is over, please he's my son!" Joshua begged for his son's life, and yet Edward could see into Joshua's mind he already knew that Sam would never allow this to be over, and Edward felt no reason to give this man anything. Joshua had not helped aid in his father's destruction, but he'd stood silently, watching every torturous moment, and now he pleaded for mercy of his son.

"Did he show mercy to my father? You wish to save him all while you know if I released him he'd hunt me and my family, he has nothing but my death to live for. Make the choice for me Joshua, your son…" Edward growled lowly, presenting Sam to his father. Sam, even though he was broken and bloody struggled and spat against Edward's vice like grip around his throat dangling there like a savage animal.

"... or the pack." Edward pointed back to the children that had not wanted to fight and the few men who had refused to shift and help destroy his family. Edward had wanted to completely massacre every single wolf and make sure they were never to pass on this gene that lingered in the blood of the Quileute. They saw him as a monster, but even now Edward saw he had lines he would not cross. These little boys were not his enemy, as they stood scared but brave, not only against him but how they'd stood against Sam refusing to fight.

It would be Joshua's choice, he already knew which choice Joshua would make; his father had wanted to save the pack. He'd not been able to do so, but Joshua a man who hated what his people had become, was able to change the next generation. Edward hated that he knew he'd not be able to kill them. Even then as he looked at each of the children standing there and Joshua he wanted to end them all but he couldn't, he would not be able to live with the death of so many children on his hands. They were no more than human in his eyes; he could barely view them as the shifters that had caused him so much pain.

"He's my son..." Joshua said weakly, and all while Edward could see the choice that he knew Joshua would make, everything he'd learnt of Sam and the men he'd seen as friends and family. The people they'd all hurt, the people of the tribe that they'd killed and then hidden to not own the shame of what they had done. Sam started to laugh roughly in Edward's hold as Joshua turned away, unable to watch but casting his choice clearly to all around, as Edward turned the laughing once Alpha to look him in the eyes.

"A...alwa...ways have a... plan B-b-b." Sam laughed, and stuttered weakly through his lips as Edward looked at him disgusted with the mental state of this broken man. Edward jerked his hand with a quick flick of his ruined hand and snapped the neck of Sam, watching as blackness began to swallow around Sam's mind. Only the image of a human female filling Sam's mind, even in his last moment of life he felt no sense of defeat and Edward could feel the chill run down his very spine as the blurred image took on that of someone he knew. As Sam's last image in his dying mind was of his mate, Bella.

"Edward!" Alice screamed, Edward turning quickly from looking at the dead body at his feet of Sam, seeing his sister's hysterical frantic thoughts as she broke through into the clearing area of First Beach.

"Alice what is it?" Edward turned to her, moving to her as she tried to calm her own mind, but was finding herself unable to, she'd found the vision came to her the moment the fighting had ended. The second she'd killed the last wolf as the family had began to start placing the fallen into the flames under Jasper's orders she'd seen a vision. Blurred with blackness around the edges but she'd seen. Edward watched the vision now as he found Bella laying on the ground, the vision centred on her face slowly, moving out and away, her eyes glazed, red pooling all around her, blood seeping out from her body, she was dying, she was alone.

"Go Edward!" Alice cried as her brother moved, all but vanishing from sight, the sound of his echoing cry of anger ringing out much like a wolfs howl, as he sprinted towards his mate, Alice prayed he was fast enough, Bella didn't have much time. Edward ran like he'd never ran before, he'd won the war against his enemy but it would mean nothing if he was to lose her now. Forever had been within his grasp; he wasn't about to surrender it to whoever had dared try to take her from him.