Yo yo yo new chapta right in time for Krampus! Lol enjoy guys and happy holidays!
All I see is darkness. Not even a speck of light to seen a single detail. My eyes strained to see but only darkness is there. I try to scream but the warm black substance I was in seemed to evaporate all sound. I feel nothing as I float through the empty space.
"Hello" I call out but my voice doesn't even reach my ears.
Alec's gift. No wonder he commands such fear in everyone who knows him. To feel this helpless and exposed was nerve racking. For all I knew I was laying in pieces about to be burned to ash. All senses completely gone… it was death.
I don't understand why he would do this to me. How could I ever think I could trust someone as ancient and sadistic as him? He must be working with Brooke and the Volturi so the Aro can have his new toy. I am so stupid.
Then, as suddenly as the darkness came, it disappeared.
I stared up at the full green canopy from the cool moss of the forest floor. I stayed that way till the trees overhead were replaced with Alec's concerned face.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
I moved to sit up but my body was still numb from Alec's suffocating fog.
"I apologize for the ambush." He started. "And for not getting there sooner. He didn't hurt you did he?"
"He?" I sat up then and Alec helped me to my feet. "There was no he-"
I spun around searching. The green around me spun and wobbled in and out of focus, trying to orient itself correctly in my vision. But I was Alec and green.
"Where's Brooke?" I asked.
Alec gave a heavy sigh and looked up to the sky, asking God for an answer.
"Gwen." He seemed as though he lost his words and they were slowly seeping back into his mouth. "I-"
There was silence as he looked at me then. Judging for my reaction.
"That was not Brooke." His voice was monotone, careful. "That was a vampire whose gift was taking on shapes of others."
"No." I shook my head. Refusing to believe. "No."
I started backing away from him. This can't be happening again. I couldn't lose her twice.
"Gwen."
Alec reached out for me and I flinched away by instinct.
"She knew things only Brooke would know!" I challenged.
"He got into your head. That's what he does. He takes memories from you to fill in the gaps."
"You're lying!" My voice was unstable as it threatened to climb a few octaves higher.
Alec sighed then and took an impatient stance.
"He was an assassin sent to kill you before you could interfere with the battle."
The head still sloshed with the fog. I could see he was telling me the truth, but that was Brooke. It had to be. She had to be alive. The fog was preventing me from thinking past that single truth.
"Was?" It suddenly clicked.
He looked at me like I was absolutely insane. Probably wondering if he somehow didn't turn my brain back on after his fog.
"What?"
"You said she was… is she dead?" My voice cracked and I had to lean on a tree for support.
"Gwen, please. You've already been away too long. You need to get back before-"
"What did you do?" I shirked.
"Gwen." He tried again but I lunged at his throat, only seeing red.
The world spun around for a few confusing moments before I was once again looking up into Alec's concern face.
"Stop." He commanded.
My body stopped struggling and suddenly all the fog was gone from my head. I could think now. He was telling the truth.
"Alec?" I was dazed.
"Are you ok now?"
I nodded awkwardly trying to glance everywhere but his mouth, inches from mine. He must've noticed too because his body quickly left mine before helping me up again.
"Now understand." His hands firmly held my head and he came to eye-level. "That person you saw in the house, was not Brooke. He was an assassin, probably sent by Victoria, to take you. He was about to quite literally fry your brain of every memory you possess." He paused for a moment. "I killed him, to save you." Another pause.
He chuckled for a moment, amused.
"Nod if you understand."
I nod.
"Fantastic."
Alec pulls me into a hug as I process the new information.
"But wait." I step back from his arms. "How long was I out?" Panicked. "Are the newborns here?"
"Well-"
There were howls in the distance now. I waited for the single howl I knew would come from Seth somewhere in the mountain face. Silence. Something was wrong.
I turn to look directly at Alec.
"How long have I been gone?" I ask quickly.
"It took longer than I intended to dispose of your killer." He wasn't looking me in the eyes now. "And then I had to get you back here, so you'd be safe." Stalling.
"Alec."
"A few hours."
My heart shrank out of my chest and shattered somewhere near my feet.
Thoughts started flying through my head. How could I have been gone for so long? Everything could be falling apart. People could be dead. Riley! I turned to run to Seth and Edward's aid but Alec's hands quickly gripped my arm.
"Wait!"
Now I looked at him like he was crazy.
"Excuse me?"
"Stay." He blurted out. "With me. Just stay." His voice was desperate.
"Alec… I can't. That's my family out there."
"I could be your family." He moves to grip both my arms and bends down to look me in the eyes. "I could be everything you need."
"Alec." I sigh.
I couldn't do this right now. The Cullen's need me.
"You don't owe those people anything!" He growled. "All your suffering has been their fault!"
I was silent.
"You could stay with me. I'd take care of you. Protect you."
"I don't need anyone to protect me, Alec!"
"Gwen, there are so many people out there who already know what you can do. They won't stop till you're theirs or dead."
"Like the Volturi." I defy.
He hesitates.
"Yes, however-"
"There is no 'however' Alec! The Cullen's have been the only people who have treated me as a person and not some weapon to wield. They've helped me control it. And now it's my turn to help them."
"If you go out there, you're going to die."
"I promise I won't." I say. "I promise I'll come back."
I try to move away from Alec but his hold is far too strong for me to break.
"Alec let me go. Please."
There's another pause and Alec's eyes trail down to my lips. He leans in so close I feel his blood tainted breathe fan across me. It feels like an eternity, waiting for him to close that last inch. But he doesn't. We stay like that, frozen. A small growl escapes me and I push up from my toes to reach him. Simultaneously his hands tangled in my hair and pulled me close by the small of my back. Alec begins to deepen the kiss but I pull away.
He stands there, stunned for the moment.
"I'll be back." I promise.
Then before he can give me another reason to stay, I run.
The mountain top where Edward and Seth were supposed to be was ransacked. Everything torn apart. The tent was in shreds, exposing the laptop set up Bella was calling on. The laptop itself was smashed. There was blood smeared on several spots on the ground as well as broken pieces of rubble from the surrounding rocks. They fight here must have been horrific. Now where were the victors?
"Edward." I call.
There was no answer.
"Seth?" I call with more concern.
There was a moan coming from the other side of a rock nearby. Just like the others, this rock is cracked in several places and crumbling. There was a large slash of blood on its side.
As I move towards it, the shape of a large wolf comes into view. The blood of the rock trickled down into a pool surrounding Seth. Please be alive.
"Seth?" Whisper.
There was another whine in response. Suddenly the huge paws peeking from the rock became human feet. I quickly grabbed a blanket from the ruined tent and threw it over him.
"Seth what happened?" I asked simple relieved he was alive.
A million outcomes started running through my head again and I winced.
"Victoria." Seth groans as he struggles to sit up.
There are visible bruises and deep cuts covering every other inch of his skin. They were healing, slowly, but they still looked gruesome against his smooth tan surface.
"She figured out Bella wasn't actually here and newborns started flooding from the trees." He makes another sound of pain when he stand to lean against the rock. "We got most of them." He nods his head toward the soldering pile I overlooked.
"But there were a lot you know?"
Seth stands up straight then and arches his back. He lets out a howl of pain as his spine seemed to snap back into place.
"God!" He exclaims.
I reach out to catch him before he has a change to double over. His muscles tense at my touch by he shows no sign my cold hands bother him. He soon stands up on his own.
"Are you ok?" I asked concern.
"Yeah, yeah. Of course I am." He gives me a dazzling white smile and smirks. "Can't cut down something this good."
We laugh, but even that sounds strained and anxious.
"Where's Edward?"
Seth is silent as he thinks.
"He followed Victoria down the mountain right after she cracked my back on this rock." He growls. "Ah, I was so stupid."
"Stupid's fine as long as it's not dead." I mutter.
He laughs.
"Words to live by."
We were quiet for a while.
"We should get down there." I mutter.
"Yeah."
But neither of us made a move.
"Well." I say.
"I'll race you down." He smiles but it doesn't reach his eyes.
He turned away from me and tip toed over the sharp rock to be concealed by the rock. I hear the blanket hit the floor and I spin around in embarrassment. There's a sound of tearing flesh that is quickly replaced with the snarl of a wolf.
A large wet nose nudges me in the back and I turn to pet Seth before we both plunged down the mountain in a dead sprint.
The battle was still in full force when we finally reached the field. Newborns, wolves, and Cullen's all swarmed over the grass. There were several piles of fire, holding the remains of the losers. There was no clear winner, but it was clear that everyone was growing tired.
Everything was moving so fast it was almost impossible to distinguish the vampires I knew from the newborns. Occasionally a face I recognized as a Cullen or a member of the warehouse would come into light before vanishing back into the melee.
Seth and I stood there bewildered. Seth noticed a member of his pack in trouble and bounded off to their aid. He was clearly limping. A newborn appeared at his side and tackled him. They both hit the ground so hard I swore I could feel the earth rattle.
"Seth!"
I move to run to his aid but I'm sideswiped. I managed to flip and right myself before I touch the ground. My attacker tries to charge me again, but I'm read. His head comes off too easy in my hands and I drop it in horror and I scream.
I just killed a vampire…
"Gwen!"
Jaspers voice comes from behind another charging newborn, both heading straight towards me. Once again my hands found a head and the momentum carried the body several feet from me while the head dropped to the ground. Why was killing so easy?
Arms circled around me and I tensed.
"No no no. It's me. It's ok. You're safe." Jasper cooed.
"Oh my god!" I gasp. "Holy crap!"
Jasper laughs before quickly releasing me and snapping a girl's neck in half who was unfortunate enough to come too close to us.
He looks back at me, apologizing.
"Here, help me." He commands.
Jasper starts hurling pieces of newborn into a nearby fire pit.
Another newborn rams into me and I find myself pinned to the ground. The boy on top of me was probably the same size as Emmett, if not larger. We wrestled on till his hands looped around my slender neck and he squeezed. In the next moment he was plucked off of me and sent flying into the fire.
Edward yanked me to my feet and literally disarmed another attacker before turning back to me.
"Your plan was very good, flawless even, but somehow Victoria knew about the trap and was ready to us." He quickly rattles off as both tear into the next wave of newborns. "I'm sorry it didn't work." A head comes free in his teeth. "But I'm glad you're here now."
"Me too."
I duck out the way of a girl who launched herself at me. A wolf appears over my head and catches her in its teeth before tearing her to bits like a chew toy.
"This is fun." my voice is breathless.
Edward just chuckles before diving into even my carnage.
The fight plays out like this for what seems like hours. The number of newborns was falling thankfully low. There was a faintly recognizable scream of fury and I turn just in time to see her fire red hair before I'm struck down to the ground. I right myself just as a manicured fits sends me into the ground. Another one brings me stumbling back. The next one has nails and I feel my check give away underneath them.
I scream in pain as Victoria sinks her teeth into my arm and yanks. I see my skin starting to shatter at the joint but thankfully something removes her from me before I lose my arm.
One growl resonates above the rest and Riley comes to stand behind me.
"Are you ok?" He asked, still glaring at Victoria.
"Fine." I mutter.
"Get ready then." He warns.
Victoria remerges into the small clearing the newborns were making for us. They all avoided the small break as if they would combust if they happened to fall in it. Victoria's hair moves wildly in the wind like it has a mind of its own. She's barefoot and her clothes are scattered with holes and dirt, looking like the devil itself.
"I have had enough of you!" She screeched.
Suddenly a wave of newborns caved in on Riley and I. The sun was snuffed out and all I could see where snapping teeth and clawed hands, all reaching and tearing. Riley moves to block most of the blows. The pain was still unimaginable as the newborns did everything but take our heads off. Riley struggled to hold them back from me and we both screamed as a newborn came far too close to taking Riley's head.
A surge of power swept through me then and I was seeing red again. The newborns seemed to melt away from us then and I was standing alone in the clearing with Victoria. She smiled at me.
"How cute." She started to circle me.
I noticed that most of the growls and snarls of battle had stopped. I could hear the Cullen's, all of them, screaming for me close by but there were too many newborns and they seemed to multiply by the second.
"Gwen." Riley muttered meekly.
I turned to where Victoria stood behind me. Riley was on his knees before her, her nails digging into the sides of his head. I move to remove her.
"Don't!" Riley commands. "Don't come closer Gwen, she'll just kill you too."
"He's right chicky. You have been playing a very dangerous game with an opponent way to advance for you."
"Victoria, please!" I move forward again but a pack of newborns restrain me. "Let him go! He didn't do anything."
"Jesus, Gwen!" Riley sighs. "Worry about yourself for just two seconds! I don't matter here, don't you understand that?" He shouted. "You're the only one that's ever mattered! Everything I have ever done, has been for you. So pleas-"
The sound filled every inch of the field and everything under it fell silent. I could hear ever bond break through Riley's neck. The pain that ripped through me formed a lump and sat in my throat. His body fell the rest of the way down to my feet. Victoria held his head up by his hair for me to see, then drops it.
"Oops." She smiles. "I win."
The newborns holding me let go and the fight is back in full swing. I slump to my knees and stare at Riley's expressionless face. Everything around me disappears. I feel numb. I can still hear what could only be Jasper screaming for me.
I start seeing red but it slowly smolders to darkness then blue is all I see. My scream shatters my soul and my body stands up without my command. Victoria's face appears before me and the fear I see in her eyes; I hope I never see again.
All I hear then is her gargled scream. The blue suddenly becomes blinding till I can't see and the world falls silent.
REVIEW!