Bella's POV
I had been prepared for James' attack, but not for his speed. It seemed like my creator had gotten faster in the months we'd been apart. James had changed too, he was less human (not that he'd been remotely human in the first place) more feral and wild. His outward appearance now reflected the wilderness inside of him.
He'd become more deadly too.
With his speed James neatly caught me by the throat and in one smooth move, thrown me away from him. I went sailing to the other side of the street and landed with a thump on the tarmac so hard a crack appeared in the road. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Victoria take an eager step towards me but a curt growl from James stopped her in her tracks.
"No!" James snarled. "Bella is mine! Get back! Both of you!"
Victoria shrunk back with a disappointed pout and Laurent stood uncomfortably next to her. I noted Laurent had not yet made a threatening move towards me unlike Victoria. I was grateful for that at least.
In my distraction I didn't notice James sneak up behind me and in one quick move he had me by the throat again, squeezing hard. Of course, a vampire cannot choke to death as we technically don't need to breathe, but a strong vampire (if they can squeeze hard enough) can detach the head from the body and then, after some burning, no more vampire.
No more me.
James had become stronger and more aggressive in the time we'd spent apart but I was still a newborn and if I was stronger than Emmett I was definitely stronger than James. I tensed my back and then with all my strength I swung my arm up and socked James in the face.
It had a pleasurable effect.
James, with a momentarily stunned look on his face, was propelled backwards a good couple of feet with the mere force of my punch. I looked at my hand in surprise. It had felt good, very good, to punch my creator.
Unfortunately, it didn't down James for long. He was up on his feet in a second, shrieking at Victoria who had made yet another move towards me. "You'll have to do better than Bella." James taunts. "I have been become quite adept at using my gift in our time apart. Unfortunately for you, you do not know what my gift is."
I smile easily at him. "Oh, I'd already figured out you had a gift, James." I say sweetly.
He looks surprised but hastily feigns nonchalance. "And what gift would that be Bella?" He asks curiously.
"You have a gift for being the biggest arsehole I have ever met." I say innocently.
"You insolent little…" James seems lost for words at my bluntness.
"And an utter bastard for leaving me whilst I was unconscious, you lying bit of scum!" I yell at him.
"So," he says evenly, hastily composing himself, "you know about that."
"Yes. I know about that." My tone matches his.
"Well it saves me some time." He shrugs, before blurring to me and twisting my arms behind my back. "And if you must know Bella, I'm a hunter. I have the gift of tracking, the uncanny instinct to know where my prey is and predict their moves. Unfortunately for you, you are my prey."
"I know someone who can predict people's moves a lot better than you." I tell him as I twist my arms out of his grip.
He smiles in satisfaction as I put myself in the perfect position for him to grab my head instead. "Victoria." He calls and she blurs over and grabs my arms. She kicks the back of my legs callously and I sink to the ground, James still holding me in a tight headlock.
I don't dare move my head. "And now you're a cheating bastard." I growl at James. "Two against one. Very brave." I twist my leg around and kick at Victoria. I somehow manage to hit her squarely in her stomach and she momentarily releases my arms as she instinctively dodges my next kick.
I push upwards with my arms, shoving James away from me and preparing to run but before I can move Victoria is on top of me again. I attempt to push her off me but James attacks me again, forcing me to the ground and capturing my head in a headlock once more.
"This has gone on for long enough." He growls.
I was unable to move, for I moved even an inch then I would decapitate myself with the strength James was holding my head. I was alone and had no back up. I was going to die.
All alone.
And then James' hands tense and twist my head sharply to the side.