Chapter 3: On the Road

[Damon's POV]

I park a half a mile from the cabin. Bella looks at me sideways, "What's going on?"

"Charlie said you could be in danger. I am going to go check out the cabin and make sure it's safe."

I shift into my raven form and fly around the cabin. There is a very strong doggie scent around the cabin. No one is here. There is a large wolf hanging out in the woods watching the cabin. He doesn't smell like a werewolf; shapeshifter maybe. I fly back to the car and resume my normal form.

"Bella, you have shapeshifters in the neighborhood."

"Shit. Is the cabin being watched?"

I nod. She pulls out her cell. "Dad one of the wolves is watching the cabin."

"Bella you need to drive his car to the cabin and get his stuff. Use the mini cooler to pack and the blood bags in the fridge. Damon will need them today. You are going straight through to Portland. There is a transport and a plane ready there to take you both to Texas, along with the car."

"Thanks Dad."

"I'll see you soon. Just get to Texas."

[Bella's POV]

I drive up to the Cabin. I get out of the car. I look up. Jacob is standing in the drive. I am not going to put up with his bullshit today. "What do you want?"

"Bella a vampire has been in the cabin. You need to turn around and leave for your safety."

I sigh. "I need to get some stuff out of the cabin first."

He lets me walk past him into the cabin. I grab the mini cooler and stuff the blood bags in the bottom. I pull some frozen Brussels sprouts out and a package of broccoli. That will disguise the scent of the blood bags and place them on top. I close the cooler. Thank god Damon is traveling light. I put his backpack in one of Charlie/s old duffel bags. I put one of dad's handkerchiefs sprayed with a couple of spritzes of my old perfume that makes Jake sneeze in the duffel. That should do it.

I grab the duffel bag and the cooler and head out the door. Jake can lock up. I'm not dealing with him today.

"Bella what are you doing? Whose car is that?"

"Jake, now is not the time. I have things I need to do. A friend loaned me his car for today."

"Why are you taking a cooler and Charlie's old duffel bag? What's going on?"

"I needed some of my old things from the cabin. I need to replace some of the stuff in the freezer. I'm taking some of it home to cook."

He gets a good whiff of the sprouts and my old perfume. "God, Bella I thought you threw that old stinky cologne out years ago."

"I thought I'd wear it again for nostalgia. See ya Jake." I put the duffel and cooler in on the passenger side. I reach to open the driver's door of the car. Jake grabs my arm. "Jake, what the hell: let go of me." I swing a punch hitting him hard in the nose. He releases my arm to cup his now bleeding nose. "Jake, I don't know what's wrong with you but you need to step back." I get into the car, crank it and drive as swiftly as I can out onto the road. A few miles away, I pull to the side of the road. A raven lands nearby. Damon opens the passenger door and gets in. "Are you ok? I can take off a wolf paw or two."

"I took care of it. The others saw that Jake grabbed me first. He will get a few more blows from the pack and then he has to face Charlie for grabbing me." I put the car in gear and speed down the road. I need to make it to the entrance ramp to the highway.

[Damon's POV]

What the hell? "The others saw?"

"The wolves share a pack mind; what one of them knows the others do too."

I file that tidbit away for future reference.

"When you get closer to Seattle, pull over at a gas station. I'll swap seats with you."

Bella's cell chimes. I hold up her phone for her. She presses a button, "Dad?"

"I'm fine. Yeah, it will bruise some. We are on the highway now. I'll call you back when we get to Portland."

It's taking a great deal of my control not to go back and string the mutt up by his intestines. Half way to Portland, I motion for Bella to take the exit. It will be faster if I drive. She pulls into a stop and shop to fill up. I walk over to the gas pump.

She takes the vegetables out of the cooler and dumps them in a trash bin, while I fill up the tank. She also grabs my bag out of the duffel and then tosses the duffel into the trash too. "Thanks for that."

"I only meant to torture Jake, not you. I'll be back in a sec." She walks into the store and comes out with a couple of bottles of water and a bag of ice. She puts the cool bottles of water in the small cooler. She pops the trunk and puts the ice in the cooler there.

"When did that get there?" She grins at me. "Charlie wanted us to be prepared; he swiped your keys while you slept." She shows me the inside of the cooler. Food and drinks for her and a bottle of good bourbon for me. "Charlie is good folks."

She grins at me. "Yeah he's a great dad. There are two duffels packed, one for each of us."

Her phone beeps. "Yeah dad we are leaving." She tosses me the keys and one of the blood bags. I notice she has pulled out one of the wrapped sandwiches and a bottle of water for herself. Traffic flow is decent we can make up for our delays. After her mini meal she pulls out a rolled up beach towel for a pillow, adjusts her seat and gets comfortable for a nap. I wonder what else Charlie left in the trunk. I guess I'll find out when we get to Portland.

I don't understand how the walking disco ball could leave a woman like her. If she were mine, I wouldn't let her go. I would do my damnedest to keep her happy and with me. I would kill to keep her happy. That thought startles me. How far would I go to keep Bella happy? Shit. I haven't really thought about Elena or Katherine since I have been in Forks. All of my focus has been on this extraordinary girl; that I just met.