CHAPTER NINETEEN
(JPOV)
Chelsea's head eerily turned, her red eyes focused on mine as my tremors returned and I processed her former statement.
You, Jacob Black, changed the very course of everything for her...
"You don't believe me." She hissed then.
"Your kind aren't exactly known for their upright citizen behavior or morals." I sharply countered.
"You're not wrong there, but even you have to admit that I am your best shot at defeating Aro and the others."
"What's in it for you? Has to be a payout there...-"
"Freedom from him once and for all." Chelsea replied. "I have spent years being a prisoner of him and the entire Volturi. Sulpicia desires the same. Her tactics are just a bit more bloody than my own. Forming a temporary alliance with the two of us would ensure Bella's safety. The things Aro plans to do with her are-"
"STOP!" I yelled, the word coming out as more of a snarl than human now.
"It's true."
"You could be luring me into another trap." I angrily hedged.
"Why would I waste my time with that?"
"I don't know, you tell me!" I bitterly countered.
Chelsea shook her head in irritation as she narrowed her deadly gaze.
"Tell me Jacob, have you ever wondered about your mothers tragic accident?"
My head whipped up in her direction at this, her words hitting me with concrete weight.
"Don't speak of her!"
"I would think you would want to know the truth after all this time. After all, it's my understanding she was the glue that held your family together. I can only imagine that you would want to know the reasoning behind her senseless death."
"If you're screwing with me- I swear to God-" I warned her. She continued anyway.
"Sarah knew of the fate that was coming for you. The bloodline you were thrusted into. She knew of the Cullens, too. Your mother had her own hidden gifts. She had the ability to see into the future. It perplexed and scared her most of the time, but she embraced it when her visions revealed things about you and Bella's future. It's every mothers natural born instinct to protect her child."
"What would you know about that?!"
"More than you think."
"My mother was human. Entirely human."
"But her visions were of the supernatural. A gift her mother gave her. Your grandmother carried with her the same ability."
"How the hell do you know all this!?"
"Like I told you, I've been part of the volturi for a very long time and Aro's interest in the Cullens span so much of that time. His tie with Carlisle fueled his obsession. When Carlisle separated from us and built his own coven, Aro was enraged with his choice. He viewed it as a betrayal and kept a very close eye on his whereabouts, his newfound locations. When they finally stumbled upon La'Push grounds here in Washington the first time, your ancestors didn't take too kindly to the intrusion. You know of that tale all too well I assume."
"Yes, it's when the treaty was established."
"All a farce on the Cullens part." Chelsea countered.
I narrowed my gaze at her in confusion, my brow furrowing while she explained.
"Carlisle agreed because he had to. By that time, Alice had joined their coven. She'd seen into the future decades down the line, all the way to Isabella's arrival here in Washington at Charlies. The only thing she couldn't see was you, Jacob. Even then, you left large holes in her vision. You and the wolves were never factored into their detailed plan for Bella."
"...but my mother saw it all...-"
"Every part."
"-and my grandmother."
"Yes."
"My mothers accident wasn't an accident, was it?" I forced out, my head spinning with the painful memories that surrounded her death when I was just a boy. The mangled vehicle that the police couldn't make sense of, given the road she had been on and her estimated speed at the time of the crash. Charlie had looked ashen when he delivered the news to us, his eyes wide and red rimmed with emotion when I answered the door before my father could. Our world forever changed that nite.
"You're catching on." Chelsea confirmed. "Carlisle had several run ins with your father and mother over the years leading up to her death. He knew of her visions. Eventually Alice confirmed his many suspicions and Aro paid them all an untimely visit. He saw it all from her. He knew your mother was a threat because of her gift of visions. Carlisle tried to suggest they would all relocate again, leave Forks once and for all, but Edward and Alice didn't agree with this plan. Bella was already spending summers in Washington with her father, and it would only be a few short years before they would meet for the first time at Forks High School. There was no dragging Edward away at that point and Alice stayed glued to his side in agreement."
"Aro took matters into his own hands." I guessed, as my stomach churned violently with the realization of just how my mother had died.
"Precisely. While it's true he was unaware of the wolves, he knew your mother was onto their secret. She knew about the Cullens and the Volturi because of her visions. Sarah was a casualty to something much larger already in the works. Say the word and I'll show you her last moments."
The air left my lungs with her offer then.
"Another one of your talents...-" I implored.
"I have the ability to project what's been shared with me through Aro's mind to someone else."
I thought of my father, of all the times he'd suspected that her death hadn't been an accident, but something far worse, and I nodded once to Chelsea.
She raised her hands up in front of her, and motioned me forward.
I took two long strides forward and paused there.
"This is as close as I'm getting." I told her.
"That's fine. It's close enough. Close your eyes, let me into your mind, and I'll display the memory into the stars above us. Look there when I tell you."
I drew in a deep breath and reluctantly did as she instructed, my mind going dark, empty of all current thoughts for a few fleeting seconds until I felt her cold hand brush over my lids with the faintest touch. I fought the urge to phase back, the pain of resisting enough to make me curse aloud as I refocused myself.
"Hurry...-"
"Open your eyes, Jacob. Set your sights on the stars."
I clenched my fists together and hesitantly followed her direction, my head tilting upward as my gaze settled on the movie like screen there above me.
A dark and winding road covered in the heavy fog of the dewy night showed there and I felt my insides twist painfully when my mothers car came into view. Her eyes were heavy with sleep and exhaustion while she drove home from her long shift, her face just as beautiful as I remembered it to be back then. The road was wet as the rain started to fall and I cringed as her car sped up to take the sharp corner that led into La'Push.
I wanted to yell for her to slow down, but kept silent as the memory played out above me.
My mother rounded the corner and reached for her cup of coffee, her hand never making it to grip the styrofoam cup as she slammed into the shadowy figure that appeared in the bend of the road without warning. Her scream ripped through me like razors as the car spun out of control, rolling three times before it came to a jolting halt on it's side there in the dark of the night. The windshield was smashed in around her from the forceful impact with the stone figure she'd nearly ran headfirst into. She was thrown back into her seat, her head connecting with the steering wheel as the car slammed to a rolling stop. My mother came to in the brief moments that followed the impact, her hands frantically clawing at her seatbelt as she tried to free herself from its tight confines. Once she was able to move, she kicked at the driver side door until it opened and pulled herself out of the mangled vehicle. Fire quickly claimed the remains of it, as she desperately tried to get to the ditch and away from the flames. The voice that called her name then made my blood run ice cold. Aro showed himself, coming out of the trees and heading for my mother with a sinister smile in place. She screamed again and told him she knew who he was, as he hauled her up and held her by the throat. She met his gaze with no fear, her eyes locked on his with a silent message that even I could read now. My mother was a fighter, it was in her nature, part of who she was, right to the very end.
The scene suddenly vanished from the sky then, leaving us doused in the darkness.
"He. Killed. Her."
Chelsea nodded, her eyes downcast now as if she somehow had a way of feeling remorse, or feeling anything at all.
"I wasn't always a monster, you know." She informed me. "I too, once was a mother. I had children of my own. They are long gone now."
"You want us to work together? To end Aro once and for all?"
"That is why I came here and showed you this. You needed to know the truth. How it's all connected, and now that you do-"
"I want you to leave Aro to me." I ground out. "Don't you think you owe me that much?"
"That can be arranged."
The loud howling echoed out to us then, one wolfs call after the other.
"You're running out of time. If I don't stop them, they'll destroy you when they get here."
"I've done what you asked of me!"
"And I want your word that this alliance of ours is solid and that I get Aro for myself, or the deal is off!"
"You have my word, Jacob." She agreed, her red stare darting toward the left of us as more howling rang out.
"I don't want you or your partner anywhere near Bella or Charlie. If I catch your scent at her house again, I promise, you won't like how this all ends."
"Agreed." She conceded.
"Our arrangement is to be kept secret. I want Aro to think he still has the upper hand in this. Lead him right to me."
"Understood."
"If you cross me...-" I menacingly warned her, bringing us nearly nose to nose.
"I won't."
I backed away from her then, letting the tremors take hold as I phased back to wolf form and waited for the others to arrive.
The pack mind was as frantic as ever.
"I'm gonna tear her apart for what she did to me!" Paul half shouted, his strength now returned from the prior attack.
"Where's her friend! Can we destroy them both!?" Seth insisted.
"I'm betting she shows to save the other one!" Embry shouted.
"STOP!"
The command left me with an authority that rumbled the forest floor beneath us then, and one by one, they all skidded to a stop in front of me, each of them looking to the other in confusion as the weight of the command settled over us.
"Jake, what the hell are we waiting for! Let's rip her apart!" Paul questioned.
"She came here with a warning. With an offer to help end Aro and the Volturi. And like it or not, she is our only chance at coming out of this all in tact."
"And you trust her!?" He countered, with a huff my way.
"We don't have another choice." I sternly reminded him.
"Yeah, we do! Destroy her and her friend!"
"Paul!"
He looked at me with disdain but settled himself down next to Seth, his wolf gaze not leaving Chelsea as she tucked herself further into the cover of the nearby trees.
"We have the same goal." She timidly told them all. "To end Aro and his reign. To end the Volturi once and for all. We have to work together to make that happen. If not, he will leave your lands in ruins and take what matters most to you all. Bella included."
"Tell us what we need to do! Sam is on his way back with the elders. Prepared for a battle of all battles." Seth huffed my way urgently.
"I need you to go to him, intercept his path here, and fill him in. Tell him we'll meet him and the elders at the lumber yard at Dawn. That's only a few short minutes from now."
Seth didn't question this, he tore off in the direction of home, leaving Paul, Embry, Jared, and myself there with Chelsea.
"She can't roam freely on our lands, Jake." Jared hedged.
"She won't be. She has her own mission. Right, Chelsea?"
"I will find Sulpicia and we will go back to Voltera. Keep Aro on the right track to come here as planned for Bella."
"How much time do we have before you return?" I questioned.
"A week at best. Maybe less. Be ready. Be on guard. This has to be executed correctly for it to work. I'll be in touch, Jake."
With that, she turned with blinding speed and vanished as fast as she'd arrived.
"Tell me we just did the right thing by letting her go and not destroying her when we had the chance!" Paul fretted.
"She knows what will happen if she goes back on her word or betrays us. We need her insight and her skill. Leah and the others still guarding Billy's house on the Res?"
"Yeah, they've been there for hours. Haven't moved. Bella and Charlie are good as far as we know."
"I'm gonna sprint back to the Reservation. Check on things myself before we all meet at the Lumber Yard."
"We'll meet you there." Jared huffed, while we all parted ways.
"Stay on guard. Just in case. We have to until we meet with Sam and the elders." I told them before running back toward the house.
The lingering acidic vampire stench from before made my stomach churn worse as I went, my mind now full of the memory Chelsea had shown me about my mother.
She had died at the hands of that crimson eyed monster and I wanted his granite head for it.
When I reached Billy's, I could hear the pacing soft footfalls from inside.
Charlie's cruiser was still in the yard and the rest of the house was silent.
I waited there by the front porch until Leah and Quil caught sight of me. I mouthed a 'thank you' to them before they turned to go, and hurriedly grabbed a spare pair of denim cut offs from under the front steps. I pulled them on and took another second to collect myself.
My hand was lingering on the metal door knob when the house door was sharply pulled open and Bella's tired and glossy gaze met mine.
"You came back-" She tearfully sighed as she ran into my arms. "You came back."
"Yeah, honey. I came back. I'll always come back." I whispered to her, my hand coming to cradle the back of her head as I held her tightly there.
"When I didn't hear anything- I...-I started thinking-" She admitted. "-the worst...-"
"I'm okay, Bells. We're all okay."
She pulled back slightly, her trembling hands soon lifting to trace my jaw line before looking me over for herself to see that I was fully in tact.
"I was so afraid that-"
"I'm alright." I told her again, taking her hands in mine and kissing them. "The others are waiting for me at the lumber yard. Sam got ahold of the elders. We're having a meeting there at dawn."
Bella nodded and peered out toward the back yard, where the sun was barely rising there.
"You don't have much time." She noted.
"I know, but I had to see for myself that you were safe before I went."
"Leah and Quil stayed close by. I saw them lingering by the forest edge a few times." She stated. "They never left."
"Good."
The sound of Billy stirring in the other room caused our conversation to pause as she carefully closed the door behind her and looked toward my garage.
Once we were far enough away from the house, she turned and asked me the question I'd seen in her gaze the moment she'd opened the house door.
"How much time before they come for me? I mean-... is this- here-...is this all there is- b- before they- before I'm-... I need to know-"
Tears welled up and spilled down her ivory cheeks with this.
I closed the gap between us and pulled her into my arms with my answer then.
"Bella-..."
"Cause if this is it...-if this is the few hours I get to have left-... I just wanna be with you."
"No-"
"Jake, I- I knew- we knew- they would come- that my time was limited. I knew it the moment I chose not to marry Edward and go through with the change."
"We get so much more time than this, honey. So much more." I interjected, my lips capturing hers before she could speak another word.
The suns rays peered in through the cracks of the garage door, signaling the dawn hour, as she pressed her lips desperately to mine. The trembling in her tiny frame now rooting me in place there with her as the panic tried to consume us both.
Fear and uncertainty had us reaching for the only solid thing we both had right now... each other.
She deepened the kiss with a tearful gasp and I hauled her up into my arms, placing her on my work bench where all this had started on that rainy night before her wedding.
My hands were everywhere, running up her sides, in her hair, pulling her thin shirt off her in one quick motion, followed by the oversized sweats she'd borrowed from me for the nite and her lace panties. I caressed her soft ivory skin, feeling her warm to me from the close contact and watching her mouth fall open and her head tilt back when my fingers slid between her parted thighs.
I worshipped every part of her until her body trembled and her lips breathed my name.
"Were gonna grow old together, Bells. Old and grey, honey. With kids and grandkids and everything that comes in between. I promise you. I promise. We're gonna be together, honey. Forever." I told her, as I lifted her off the bench and carried her over to the sofa I'd had enough thought to buy off Paul a few weeks back to keep in the garage for times just like this. It was large enough for the two of us and much better than the alternative.
"...Forever?" She sighed, her lips on mine as I laid her naked body down and slid slowly into her.
"Forever."
A/N: I really hope you guys are still sticking with me. I've been struggling lately to write. So sorry for the delay and please review.
