Chapter Four: The Rose Reveals Itself
Alice felt her body thrumming with excitement when she felt Rosalie's body pressing against her. She could feel the blonde's chest digging in, and Alice wished the pillow wasn't there now, it preventing her from feeling the others wonderful assets against her own. Rosalie's eyes were slowly closing as her thumb softly circled Alice's cheek. Alice's own eyes started to close too, her body ready for this moment, having waited what felt like centuries for it. She could feel the blonde's unsteady but delicious breath on her face and she drank it in greedily, her mouth opening in anticipation. Her body felt wired, aware of the weight of the blonde's body on her, aware of her smell, the softness of her curls as they brushed against Alice's cheeks, aware of everything that was Rosalie. It was like her body was attuned to her, focusing all its super senses on the blonde. Her lips were getting dangerously close, her nose brushing Alice's. Alice sat stone still, her mind telling her to run, that this was just another game, but her body and her vampire urging her to go for it, to close the gap between them. Alice curled her fingers into the pillow to try and ground herself. And then she had a vision.
Groaning loudly at this turn of events she wanted to pull her hair out in frustration and scream and kick. Was her gift being fucking serious right now? Like for real? For real? Ugh, fucking, motherfucking, shit, hell, bitch, ughhh! Alice cursed in English before she uttered out more colorful words in five different languages. What a great way to ruin a first kiss.
In the vision there was a group of three vampires. Alice recognized them from what Edward had told her about them. They had been the ones to attack Bella. Two of them were male, the taller one being Laurent and the shorter one being James. The only female of the group was a redhead who looked more dangerous than the other two put together, a wildness in her eyes that was disturbing even among vampires. The three of them were prowling through the woods and Alice recognized the forest as the one behind Forks High. They crouched down low in the underbrush, motionless as they waited. They were watching and waiting. Predator hunting for prey.
They had a good view of the parking lot, cars covered in a sheen of rain from the early afternoon shower. There was a loud bell shrill that cut the silence and that signaled the end of the school day. A few moments later students began to leave the school chatting excitedly about finishing for the weekend. Bella hobbled out with the crowd, one arm using the crutch to support herself as she wobbled down the stairs, one leg wrapped in a cast. Edward was behind her in a moments notice, holding onto her non crutch holding arm. He helped her over to her red truck easing her into the passenger side. He slammed the door shut and went to go get something from his Volvo which was next to Bella's car. The time it took could not have been more than thirty seconds but it was all the vampires needed.
Victoria lunged out of the bushes, ripped the car door open, snatched Bella out and was back in the woods with her, James and Laurent by her side as they ran, all this done in vampiric speed. Edward ducked his head out of the Volvo to the sound of ripping metal and noticed the vampires. Letting lose a snarl he ran after them, crushing the plant life in his way in a mad bid to rescue her. But that was foolish to do, the two male vampires dropping back and turning on him. Edward was fast and skilled but he was not match for two equally as strong vampires. He kept trying to push them out of the way and run after Bella but each time he knocked them down they would just get back up and knock him around.
"Bella! Bella!" His hoarse cries rang out through the forest as he watched Victoria's disappearing back. His mind was on his love, making him sloppy. He was on his knees now, hands forced behind his back, James and Laurent on either side of him, holding him there.
"Bella!" Edward cried out, "Bella, I love you! I-" but his proclamations were cut off as James let go of his arm and wrapped his hands around Edward's neck. With a resounding crack the boys head rolled to the ground, eyes rolling upwards.
And somewhere, far ahead, Bella sobbed fearfully into her captors chest, uncertain of her and her loved ones future.
Alice wanted to scream. Her beloved brother had been killed by these scum vampires! She could feel her eyes wet with tears she could not shed. Letting out a half scream half sob she came out of her vision, only to meet Rosalie's confused look. The blonde had sat back on her haunches from Alice, her hand still on the other girls cheek.
"What did you see?" the blonde demanded, her eyes worried. "Was it...about us?" she asked, looking so vulnerable that Alice knew her departure the first time had hurt the blonde deeply, more than she cared to admit. She clearly thought that Alice had seen something about them in a vision but she didn't know what and that scared her.
"No, it's not about us. It's Bella. She's in danger." Alice said shakenly, pushing her way with great reluctance from Rosalie. She tried not to be too pissed off at Bella's timing for falling into danger and for Edward's stupidity into rushing after her, causing his untimely death. Her friend and brother needed her right now, they were more important than kissing Rosalie now, even though Alice really wanted to, had waited for this moment for so long...
Alice shook her head to clear her lust away. She had to get the Cullen's and they needed to get together and find these evil vampires before her vision came true.
"Of course, trust Bella to ruin something even when she's not physically here," Rosalie said, voice full of bitter venom.
"Rosalie..." Alice chided, arching a brow at the blonde.
The blonde scowled but didn't say anything more about the brunette. "Let's just get the others and get this over with. I'll meet you down in a couple of minutes."
Alice nodded her head and watched the blonde streak out the door, not realizing she had been holding in her breath ever since the vision. She let it out and drew in another breath, getting a mouthful of Rosalie's arousal. Shit, Alice closed her eyes as she felt her own spike up again. The blonde had been really turned on. Alice tried to swallow the venom that had pooled in her mouth. She had to calm down. No use in thinking what could have been if she hadn't had the vision. She had already wasted enough time as it was. She needed to tell the others or else it could be too late.
Five minutes later and all the Cullen's were around the dining room table, anxious expressions on their faces.
"What did you see in your vision?" Carlisle asked, taking off his glasses to clean them. "Go over every detail."
"I saw the three of them, Laurent, James and Victoria, hiding in the woods behind Fork's High. They were waiting for the end of the school day so that the students would come out. Once they did, Bella was among them. She was in a leg cast and Edward was helping her get to her truck. He put her in the truck and then he went to his Volvo to just fetch something. When he had his back turned Victoria came out of the woods and ripped Bella out of the car. She ran back into the woods with Edward on her trail, but James and Laurent were expecting this, they, they attacked Edward." Alice had to pause at this, her voice not strong enough to continue. She tried to distract herself with a question.
"Why are they even coming after her? How did this happen?"
"They just want to hunt her down for sport Alice. Please we need you to continue. We have to know what happens next." Carlisle said, putting his glasses back on. Alice looked at her grim faced family and nodded her head.
"Well, Edward fought, valiantly." Alice closed her eyes briefly as she recalled the desperation in Edward's voice as he tried to free himself, as he knew he wouldn't make it. "Edward died." She hissed out at last.
The room was quiet, tension thick in the air and she could feel Jasper using his gift in order to lessen it. Alice opened her eyes and saw that Edward had dipped out of the room. Rosalie was standing, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed over and eyes dark, Esme had a hand over her mouth, Carlisle was rubbing his forehead and Jasper stood deliberating to stay or go after Edward.
"Go after him," Carlisle told Jasper and the blonde nodded his head, rushing off. "We don't need Edward doing something stupid." Then he turned to Alice. "When did this take place?"
"It was still warm, it had just rained too. And she had a crutch and leg cast." Alice offered and Carlisle considered the information he had been given. "A months time, I would estimate. So that means we have to get them before we know this event can happen for certain. In the meantime I want you to keep watching them."
Alice nodded her head. "Are we going to make any plans right now?"
Carlisle shook his head. "Not yet. We still don't even know where they are, but we have to find them as soon as possible. It's a bit irritating that we are helpless at this moment." He approached Alice and patted her on the head. "It'll be okay. Your vision can always be changed."
At that moment Jasper rushed back into the room holding an injured Edward up. The blonde was breathless, his eyes panicked.
"What happened?" Esme asked rushing over to her injured son. Edward rolled up his head to her, clothes ripped and revealing black lines down his chest.
"Wolves," Jasper managed to whisper out before a huge projectile smashed through the big window of the dining room. Glass was flung out everywhere, and the Cullen's jumped to the other side of the room to avoid getting hit. A huge brown wolf landed on the wooden floor of their house, teeth bared, saliva dripping from it's mouth, fur raised. Two more jumped in behind it, the combined growls reverberating in the house and making the Cullen's raise their hackles. Alice could feel her hands clench into fists, mouth snapping open to reveal her fangs. Her family around her took up defensive positions, eyes evaluating how much danger the wolves possessed. All but Carlisle were ready to jump and attack, but the head vampire put up his hand in a wait gesture.
"What is the meaning of this?" Carlisle addressed the biggest of the wolves just as a tinkling noise of more breaking glass came from the patio where two more wolves broke into the house from the sliding glass door. They lumbered through the kitchen, knocking over pots and pans. Esme snarled at that, dragging Edward closer to her. His wounds had already healed and he was looking better, his eyes burning with injustice and anger at the unprovoked attack.
Alice turned her head to the right and saw that three more wolves had smashed down their front door and blocked their exit on the right. The Cullen's were completely surrounded.
"Explain yourself," Carlisle demanded, perfectly calm under the stress of being trapped.
The biggest wolf, growled and started to twitch in what Alice recognized as the wolf shifting back into a human. In seconds, his fur and mass had melted away into the shape of a human body. A naked adult male stood in front of them, hands held over his private parts.
"The Cullen's have broken the pact," the man snarled, his expression still so wolfish despite his humanity. "And it's our job to punish you accordingly for your transgressions. Your going to die, leeches!" He howled and then transformed back into his wolf form, launched right at Carlisle.
.
