Alice had been right. Of course she was. The time had come, and no one could have predicted it. Except, she had. The enemy was fast approaching, and there was nowhere to go. Safina would be unprotected. Jasper flew into a rage, though his anger directed at his brother and sister soon became redirected.
"Who is it?" Jasper demanded, he had a right to know.
"Maria." Alice's voice was soft, fearful. From Jasper's stories, Maria was ruthless, unempathetic. She was, there was no denying it. Charlotte and Peter were terrified of the name alone.
"If y'all are gonna leave, do it now," Jasper ordered his friends.
They gave each other a look, then Peter stepped closer to the Major, "We fight with you." The blond nodded, looking back at Safina's tear filled eyes.
"I am so sorry I dragged you into this." He held her like it was the last time. It might be.
She shook her head, "Don't be." No argument. The treaty had been voided for the night and the pack took stances outside the house, securing the perimeter. A chorus of howls erupted from outside. She was here. There was no more time.
"Renesmee, take Safina upstairs. Esme and Rose will stay in the house as defense. Quickly!" Jasper barked, and she didn't take it personally.
Nessie gave Safina a hug, warning her to stay away from the windows. "If they spot you, you'll be the first to go." Die, she meant. She nodded and sat on the floor in the center of the room.
She covered her ears to stop the screaming. It was so loud and even her hands couldn't drown out the sounds. Safina hoped they were okay, they had to be. The Cullens and the packs were family. Jasper was her world. What would she do without him? There was no way she could go on.
The screams seemed to last for hours. Anguish filled the air and she could only hope no one had been hurt. Then the glass broke and she stood up, backing up to the wall. It couldn't end like this. She prayed Jasper could hear her pleas for help. The door broke in and a woman entered the room. Maria.
"Jasper has good taste," she sounded almost impressed. A kick landed on Safina's knee and she fell to the floor with a loud cry. Maria's hand wrapped around her arm and she dragged the teen out of the room. Safina kicked at the vampire with no luck, of course. Her grip was too strong. The trip down the stairs was worse, and Safina could practically smell the blood. Maria gave her a wicked smile, stopping to lick the red substance from the girl's arm. She saw Rosalie and Esme engaged in individual fights with two large vampires.
He was still alive. Jasper was fighting two vampires at once, and he even seemed to be winning. With Peter's aid, the two of them were down. He smelled it. The blood. A different man grabbed him, forcing him to his knees.
"Why torture yourself with this...lifestyle?" Maria taunted. She made her point by taking more blood from Safina's wounds on her finger and suckling it off.
"I love her!" Jasper was angry, he was holding back. He was holding back his Major persona for Safina.
She flipped through her options, looking out into the yard where the battles continued. Noticing the body of Brady, a newer pack member, lifeless on the grass and a red-eyed vampire tearing the arm off of Alice, Safina made up her mind.
With a yell of, "Jasper! Let it go!" He was gone. Someone else had taken over. The vampire restraining him was headless in a flash. He made his rounds, destroying anyone in his path. A soldier.
Gabriel and Quil were assisting him when two unseen men of Maria's got hold of them, and she heard a sickening crack. They returned to their human forms, screams filling the air. Safina yelled out and Jasper took care of the offending vampires. Maria was all that was left.
"See what you can do for me? What you used to do?" She was trying to seduce him, as she had done before.
However, when he saw Safina's weakened form, her body failing her once again, he spat out, "I did it for her. You won't ever have me back."
Her facade was gone, and she let out an angry yell before the searing pain began in Safina's arm. Maria bit her. Jasper was quick to use Maria's bloodlust as a distraction. By the time the fire had been lit, and the bodies of the wolves taken back to the rez, it was too late. Brady would have to be buried, but Gabe and Quil would be okay, eventually. Venom had already spread in Safina. Her transformation had begun.