Chapter 30

Jasper POV

When I ran from the clearing and away from our family all I was focused on was keeping Bella safe. The woman in my arms was terrified. So much so she could barely speak. She huddled into my arms as I ran and hid her face in my chest. Her breath penetrating through the shirt I wore in jagged, loud puffs.

When I found the clearing I thought it was far enough, that there was no way they would find us. Especially not with the young wolf running so close to me the entire time. His scent was almost strong enough to cover Bella's while she was firmly in my arms. Well not quite but Edward and I had spoken about the possibility of using a wolf to mask Bella's scent in the event of needing to run with her in an emergency like this. Unfortunately we hadn't had the chance to test our theory yet.

But then I heard the snarls of the newborns hitting the clearing and the howls of the wolves.

We were too close.

I fucked up.

I sat Bella down so she wasn't walking around and making more noise that could possibly attract any unwanted attention, but I tried to keep her calm with my actions. I was pumping out the calming feelings towards her but her heart was racing and I could smell the adrenaline in her bloodstream, she wasn't far off of another episode and her gift was already working into overdrive.

My powerful woman.

There was no way she should be able to do this as a human.

And I worried for the effect it had on her, how much it drained her.

But after today she would never need to feel fear for her life again. I would make sure of it.

I would end Victoria for good today.

I focused on Bella's heartbeat. I tried to ground myself. Anchor myself to Bella and my reason for living. Her heartbeat filled the clearing with its frantic tattoo, and I tried yet again to calm her emotions.

Then the breeze carried a sickly-sweet peachy scent into the clearing. She was coming. Another of Bella's heartbeats. I could hear her. She was running with someone. Another heartbeat. I looked to Seth and saw his moment of recognition that it was all coming to us, to a head.

Once I was reassured Bella was safe enough and out of the way enough to allow me to end the red headed bitch, I crouched low and waited.

Seth had run off into the forest around us.

He was smaller than the other wolves and not so powerful out in the open. He would need the split second extra that an ambush would provide him.

In a strange way this boy-wolf's fighting style reminded me of Alice. And I let my thoughts briefly wander to my ex-wife and though I was far from a religious man, I said a quick, quick prayer for her safety, and for ours.

And then I was focused.

She was fast. From the time I smelled her to the moment she entered the clearing and charged straight at me it was barely a minute.

Her speed was not unexpected though. I knew she was fast, I'd tracked and traced her more times than I cared to count.

I felt like I knew everything about her.

Even though we knew nothing.

We collided with the force of a couple of semis crashing head on and in the first hit I came out on top, throwing Victoria about fifty feet away while snarling viciously.

I looked to Seth who had pounced from behind the boy and was ripping at his arm. I was proud of Seth for remembering my lessons. He was young but smart. I trusted him to keep himself out of their reach, otherwise we both knew he'd be crushed in seconds.

I spun around to meet Victoria head on. I was still positioned between her and Bella, and there was nothing that could move me from this position.

We collided again but this time she went low and I couldn't get enough of a movement to throw her away again. With a growl I used my legs to flip myself up and over her and landed on top of her with a cloud of dust as she grunted.

Her neck was open and she knew it. I could have laughed as I went in to bite her and end this so quickly.

But as I leant down to make that final move the bitches side kick slammed into my side and threw me off of her. But as soon as he made contact with me I managed to throw him back in the direction he came from. And I saw Seth ponce back on him though I could tell he was favouring one of his back legs and must have taken a big blow.

In that spit second I was away from the red head, she was running to Bella.

My world nearly stopped.

I had failed her again.

The blond haired boy screamed as I heard he grinding granite sound of his body being ripped apart.

I caught Victoria well before she reached Bella but it was still too close. I made eye contact with Bella very briefly and there was no colour left in her face. Her heart was racing a mile a minute.

But I couldn't feel the fear that I would have bet my left hand was dripping off of her.

Her gift was taking over.

I threw Victoria again and she landed with a shriek about halfway up a tree. The force began to topple the tree away from the clearing.

A pale and twitching, dismembered arm landed in front of Bella.

She began to scream as the arm tried to crawl back to the body it belonged to. She kept screaming and I still couldn't feel any of the terror she was so clearly displaying. It was going to be too much for her.

But I couldn't help her.

I needed to kill Victoria.

Pain began to build in my chest. All I wanted was to help Bella. She was in so much pain and rapidly losing any of the feeble control she had over her gift.

But I had to leave her to deal with it.

I had to get Victoria.

I planted my feet into the ground and launched myself with all of my strength straight into the path of Victoria who was trying to make her way around the clearing rather than through it.

We tumbled to the ground grappling at each other and trying to get the upper hand.

Bella's screaming stopped.

Seth howled in pain as the other one landed a kick to his ribs. The bones snapping echoed around me.

I bit a chunk of Victoria's neck and spat it away but miss timed it and it wasn't a fatal move.

She jumped away from me.

She was closer to Bella.

I looked at Bella as I realised my mistake once again.

All I had done today was endanger her.

She should never be this close.

And then I registered that sweet, sweet smelling blood of hers.

Bella looked grey, her eyes were unfocused and there was blood steadily pouring out of her nose. It was all over her face, her chin, and flowing down her neck. Staining her shirt a brilliant crimson. The scent hit me like a truck. The thirst flared in my throat and I had to remind myself it wasn't my thirst, it was theirs.

I growled. I snarled. And I launched myself at that red headed bitch once again.

And then it hit me like a tsunami.

The most powerful and intense shockwave I've ever felt slammed into my chest, and then Victoria slammed into me as we were thrown from our feet.

As we flew I grabbed her shoulder and head.

And I pulled. I ripped. And she stopped moving beneath me.

I slammed into the ground, gouging a large crater into the mountain beneath me.

I threw the lifeless body and head away and jumped back to my feet in time to see Seth rip the other arm off of the boy.

I jumped on his back and ripped again.

His head rolled away and settled with his eyes staring lifelessly to the grey sky above us.

Seth sunk to the ground with a heavy grunt as I took off towards Bella.

"Bella! Bella!" I yelled as I gently pulled her from where she had slumped forward in amongst the rocks.

My heart would have stopped if it were still able to beat.

"Bella, can you hear me?" I cradled her in my arms and tried to observe what was happening. Had I not been able to hear her heartbeat as loud as a drum in my ears, I would have thought she was dead. Had I not seen the rapid rise and fall of her shallow breathing. Had I not been able to feel the blood rushing around her body at an alarming pace.

"Bella, please." I pleaded as I gently brushed the hair off of her face, leaving bloody streaks across her cheeks.

I carefully placed her on the patch of dry pine needled once again and tried to take stock of any injuries she could have. I was sure Victoria never touched her, how did this happen? Was it her gift? Had Bella finally manifested a physical shield? Was that the strange wave of energy that threw us all across the clearing? How was that even possible?

"Seth?" I pleaded at the quietly whining wolf. "Is everyone okay? Is there any help coming?" I had no idea how to help Bella. I didn't know what was wrong with her and I didn't even know where to begin other than to keep her warm and dry and wait for more experienced help.

He whined and nodded from where he sat.

"Seth, are you injured?" I asked, recognising the pain in his whine.

Another nodding motion, and I realised he seemed to be struggling to breathe.

This was more serious than I could have imagined.

And I had no way to help either of them.

I stroked Bella's cheek trying to sooth and calm the two of us and tried to listen for the sounds of help approaching.

It felt like an eternity later when I heard our help coming.

And in that moment, I could have cried tears of relief.

Bella POV

At first all I felt was cold. The kind of cold that sits in your bones and takes all the other feeling from your body. The cold from being on the frozen ground for too long. Exposed.

But then I could taste. It was horrible, sickening. A thick, metallic taste. Copper and iron.

It was blood.

My body heaved to reject the offensive liquid and I felt myself be turned over by cold arms. Someone held my hair with freezing fingers. And a warm sense of calm wrapped around me like a blanket. Safety. Jasper.

I let the calm envelope me and become all I consciously felt and fluttered my eyes open to the bright late winter light.

And then I saw the bloody mess I'd just created and began to gag again. And again.

"Shh, Bella it's alright, let it happen." Jasper's warm voice whispered in my ear from where he held me, lying along the ground on my side.

Once my stomach had once again finished evacuating I kept my eyes clamped shut and weakly tried to roll away from the awful mess.

"Do you want me to move you?" Jasper asked. His voice sounded odd. So gentle, but there was some unfamiliar edge buried in it.

I sort of grunted in response.

"Carlisle?" He called out. "Is it safe for me to move her?" He asked.

"Yes, she doesn't appear injured." He answered from a small distance away. I heard a loud crack and a whimpering sound. "Just move her slowly and listen to her reactions."

"Bella, I'm going to move you, and help you sit up, let me know if anything hurts." Jasper said in that strange voice again.

And then he ever so carefully moved a little back from me, and placed his cold hands beneath me and began to lift.

I unconsciously held my breath, waiting for something to hurt.

But nothing did.

He kept lifting me, and then I could feel the breeze as he shifted me away from where I had been laying and to a cold but dry, and crunchy patch of ground.

I took a deep breath through my nose. And realised it was all stuffy and difficult.

I let the breath out through my mouth.

And then I gagged.

This time there was nothing to come up.

"I can taste blood." I nearly sobbed to Jasper through the gagging.

"I know, I know you hate it." He soothingly said as he stroked my hair. "How can I help?"

I didn't know though. All I know was I could taste blood and I didn't have any water with me.

I continued to sob and gag in Jasper's arms, and I continued to hear that awful cracking and whimpering.

Slowly I forced myself to open my eyes again and try to take in the scene.

Our beautiful clearing had transformed from our refuge to a warzone in mere minutes. Jasper and I were sitting right where we had been before this all started. One of the giant pine trees that had stood tall beside us was smashed about eight feet up the trunk and fallen away from us.

And directly across from where we sat, Esme was assisting Carlisle while he tended to one of Seth's rear legs. That was where the strange noises were coming from.

As I looked up, I made eye contact with Esme, and she and Carlisle had a brief exchange before she appeared in front of me.

"Oh Bella, sweetie," She said with that motherly, caring tone she did so well, "you look miserable. I think we need to get you something to wash out your mouth and try and clean up a bit." She kindly smiled at me, concern plain in her eyes.

All I could do was weakly nod.

"Jasper, go and get a few handfuls of clean snow, please." She asked.

She gently held on to the tops of my arms and supported me where I sat as she continued to kneel in front of me.

"I think this shirt is ruined," She said with a little half smile, "Do you mind if I rip a little off?"

"Not at all." I barely whispered back. My throat felt hoarse.

She gently ripped the bottom third off of my shirt, and then very quickly had it into manageable, wipe sized pieces.

Jasper arrived back with the snow.

"I'm sorry, this will be cold, but you'll feel all the better." And she used the snow to wet one of the pieces of fabric and began to wipe at my face.

It was freezing, but it was refreshing.

I felt freezing but also inexplicably warm. Clammy, maybe?

"Much better," She softly spoke with that mom-like smile, "How about you try and rinse your mouth out with some of the snow?"

And so I did. And I tried not to pay attention to the bright red water I was spitting out, and I especially tried not to pay attention to the fact I was very ungracefully spitting in front of Esme. It just felt incredibly wrong for some reason.

"Better?" She asked.

I nodded once again.

Now the metallic taste in my mouth was all but gone. My face no longer felt crusty. All I had was a throbbing headache.

Jasper was then back at my side.

"I think you need a new shirt, darling." He said with the barest hint of his half smile I loved so much.

I looked down at myself and saw I was still pretty well covered in dark red, drying blood.

Everything began to spin a little again.

"Hold on, you're alright." He said as he held my arms to stop me swaying. "Stop looking at it, and focus on me. Focus on breathing."

It took me another moment, but finally everything had stopped spinning again.

"You definitely need a new shirt, I can't have you falling over everywhere like that." He said with a little more humour.

"Here, slowly walk with me, we'll just step behind this tree so you can take that off in privacy."

"I haven't got anything though." I very weakly rebutted.

"I'll give you mine, and we'll get you Esme's jacket as well." He said as he helped me from the ground and to the tree right beside us.

I just stood there, more than a little useless as he carefully ripped my blood stained and wrecked shirt off of me as well as my bra that was just as bad, before he removed his own shirt and helped me into it.

"You gave me quite a scare there, darling." He said as I was once again dressed. We slowly made our way back to the clearing where I could see Seth was once again on his feet, though he held one rear leg off of the ground.

Carlisle was collecting the pieces of Vampire that were scattered around us, and Esme was waiting with her jacket, ready to help me into it.

The black down jacket had a slash along the back, and the left sleeve was missing from about elbow length, but it fit well enough, and I still had the plaster cast on that arm anyway.

I looked back at Jasper, "How did I scare you?" I asked. "Go over all the specifics later, my head is killing me, but tell me what happened." I finished.

"Okay, well, I think you're gift manifested physically, and it knocked us all of our feet, including you. Your nose was bleeding like mad, and luckily the fight down the hill was winding down and they were able to send Carlisle up here for some first aid."

"Right." I answered, mostly in disbelief. "That's a new one."

"You sure do like to keep us on our toes, my love." He answered, gently tucking some more hair behind my ear. "Now, I think it's time for us to get back to everyone else?" Jasper suggested to everyone.

"Normally," Carlisle began, "I would agree, but with the amount of blood on Bella still, the clearing might not be the safest place for her. I think you should run her back home, and we will get everything cleaned up and get back home in an hour or so." He finished.

"If Edward has a problem with some of Bella's dried blood on her clothes then he has even less control that I though." Jasper counteracted.

"It's not just Edward, Jasper," Carlisle answered, "Remember we have more traditional vampires, and I believe we may be having someone join us." He finished cryptically.

Jasper and I looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

"It appears a young newborn has caught the attentions of Alice."

I couldn't believe it. Alice had found her mate. We knew she was involved, but to know Alice had found her, and if I couldn't be around them all while I was still bloody, it meant she was alive and mostly un-hurt in the fight! I couldn't believe the chances.

"Well," I said with a small smile, there was something to be happy about after all, "I guess we will meet you back at home."

…

A.N

Dun dun duuuuunnnnn. And they all lived happily ever after, right?

Well maybe.

I have a few more chapters planned, but knowing my speed of updating, at least this is some kind of closure should it take me another nine months to update… which I will try very, very hard to not do. I want to get this story finished and finished soon!

Updates on me, well a lot has changed once again. Still in a relationship with the same partner, still not yet a homeowner, but I have had a very large career change, and I am now officially a quarter of a century old. Which makes this my tenth-year writing, and still I am yet to finish a story. Oops.

Well, enjoy, and I promise to be back again soon

xx