Chapter 5: Missing

Edward's POV

How could this have happened?! How could Bella have just disappeared like this?! Where had she gone?! Why would she just disappear like this?! It was all my fault. I knew that we shouldn't have left her alone. If I'd known what she was going to do I certainly would never have left her alone not even for a second.

Anxiety had completely taken over now. With every passing moment that she continued to carry that thing inside of her her life was in more and more danger. I didn't understand why she insisted on carrying that little monster that was slowly killing her. It was the very reason that we Carlisle and I had planned on forcing her into an abortion yesterday. I didn't care if Bella hated us for what we did. She would be alive and that was all that mattered. I could live with her hatred of me. What I couldn't live with was her death.

Carlisle and I had planned on performing the procedure after we returned from a quick hunting trip. We never imagined that when we returned home Bella would no longer be there. A quick sweep of the house told us that she'd packed quickly and had found some of the stashes of money that we'd hidden all over the house.

We'd searched all of Forks and the surrounding area several times to no avail. We were going to expand our search to the rest of Washington, Canada, western United States, and Mexico. I was sure that Bella must have gone south. She'd probably gone back to Arizona because it was familiar to her.

"I don't understand why she would do this?!" I yelled angrily.

"Oh really Edward? Please tell me that you're not that stupid," Rosalie growled. "Because it's very obvious to me. You want her baby dead. She probably overheard you and Carlisle discussing plans to kill her baby. She's doing this to protect her child. If it weren't for you then she wouldn't have felt the need to do something so drastic,"

Of course. I should have seen it coming. Bella always loved all the wrong things and she worried about everything and everyone except herself. She was so selfless and that was one thing that I always loved about her. But right now it was maddening. Couldn't she see what she was doing to me? Couldn't she see what it was doing to her?

All I knew was that I needed to find her and I needed to find her right now. Every second away from her was just pure agony. She could be dead already and I would even know it! That thought made me sick.

"We have to find her," I said determinedly. I would find her.

"We will son," Carlisle spoke. "We'll find her,"

We spent the next half hour discussing plans and tactics. Carlisle and Esme Canada. Rosalie and Emmett would search the midwest. Alice and Jasper would stay here just in case she returned. I would search here all the way to Arizona. We didn't like the idea of splitting up but this was the fastest way to cover as much ground as possible.

Jacob was pacing outside the house anxiously in his wolf form. He hadn't been able to rest since we first gave him the news that Bella was gone. He hadn't left that spot all night. He was hoping that she would return. His anxiety matched my own.

"We're spreading out our search," I informed him. "We will find her,"

"How can I help? I can't stand being here another second longer while she's missing,"

I was never particularly fond of the wolf but right now I could use his help. If there was anybody who was just as desperate to find Bella it would be Jacob. Maybe the mutt could come with me. I knew it made Carlisle and Esme uneasy whenever one of us was on our own. None of us liked separating from each other lest we encounter any trouble with others of our kind. Maybe the dog's presence would give them peace of mind.

"I could use your help Jacob. If we find Bella there's a greater chance she'll listen to you then me," the wolf rolled his eyes. "If you like you can accompany me,"

I was surprised when Jacob actually agreed to it. We'd found a common ground. Right now there was one thing more important than our rivalry and that was Bella's safety. He wanted to get rid of that thing inside of her as much as I did. Leah and Seth chose to stay behind to continue to try and keep the peace with Sam's pack in our absence. Our relationship with the wolves had been very strenuous since Sam wanted to attack us. If it hadn't been for Jacob breaking away from his pack they would have.

The wolves were the least of my worries right now. All that mattered was finding Bella. We didn't bother with the cars. It was much easier to search on foot. Running also helped ease my anxiety a little. Jacob enjoyed running as much as I did. It was a relief. Albeit a small one as we searched for Bella.

We'd already reached Oregon and still there was no sign of Bella. Jacob and I were going to search the whole state before we headed into California. We would leave no stone unturned. We were on the outskirts of Portland when someone attacked me. If I had been paying better attention perhaps I would've sensed another presence but my mind was too preoccupied with finding Bella to pay attention to much else.

He came at me from the side and hit me with such force that we nearly toppled over a near by building. Jacob grabbed the red eyed male vampire and pulled him off of me. The mutt was about to finish him off when more vampires attacked him. Jacob was taken by surprise and didn't react quickly enough. He squealed in immense pain as I heard several of his bones breaking.

I quickly realized that we were surrounded. I had no idea that another coven had settled here in Portland. A large one at that. Had I known that the territory was claimed I wouldn't have trespassed on their land.

Jacob and I were outnumbered seven to two.

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