Chapter Twenty Eight

Carlisle

Bella was eager to begin, she hated being away from Jasper and the children and wanted to get the bad stuff over as quickly as possible. While at home she had put on a brave face but now it was about to happen it was clear that poor Bella was terrified.

"I hate the thought of not being in control. What if I hurt you or Esme? What if I kill someone? Promise me you won't let me hurt anyone, Carlisle."

I smiled and tried to allay her fears as best I could.

"Bella, I've done this before and never lost a newborn yet. No one will be killed on my watch if I can possibly avoid it. As for losing control, I'm afraid becoming a vampire means handing over control of your senses and your actions at least in the short term. You'll learn to control your urges, it will just take time. I wish I could tell you that it's easy, that it won't hurt but I would be lying. There will be times when all you want to do is to taste blood to rip something apart, scream, and lose yourself in thirst. Just remember that we've all been there and we all succeeded in the end."

She smiled wanly and settled herself on the bed trying not to tremble as I filled a hypodermic with Jasper's venom.

"I bet you've never done it like that before."

I smiled, "No, this is novel. Now try to relax, Take a few deep breaths and close your eyes."

Esme hovered in the background, as nervous as Bella, as I injected the venom into Bella's jugular vein.

At first, there was no reaction, just a tightening of the skin around her eyes but then the burning sensation hit her and she gasped arching her back and crying out in fear and pain. It was always the same, the agony of the transformation, a pain that would never truly leave as the burn of the thirst for blood was a small reminder of all that had been suffered.

Then suddenly everything changed. Instead of writhing in agony and screaming out, things I was ready for instead, Bella went quiet. It was as if she had fainted and I frowned moving closer to check her vitals.

"Carlisle? What's happening? Why has she gone quiet? Is there something wrong?"

I shook my head, "I don't think so. Her heart is still beating so the venom is being pumped around her body. Bella never acts as you expect her to so maybe the transformation will be different for her."

"You mean she won't feel any pain? That would be wonderful. I still haven't forgotten the torment I went through."

I put a comforting arm around my wife. Like her, I was concerned but hopeful that nothing would go wrong. I'd never heard of a human rejecting vampire venom or it killing them rather than turning them. Please God don't let this be the first time. I didn't think I could cope with having to tell Jasper that it had all gone horribly wrong.

I checked Bella's blood pressure again and clipped on some wires to monitor her heartbeats. The sharp spikes told their own story. Bella might appear outwardly calm but her body was reacting strongly to the pain of the venom. I hoped that she was unable to feel what was happening, that she was unconscious and protected but I feared that she was trapped in her body and experiencing everything.

Over the centuries I had experimented with the latest science and medical breakthroughs to see if I could make the change painless. It hurt me to see my own family tortured when I transformed them. Unfortunately, I failed every time. Aro thought I was wasting my time as the pain was relatively short-lived but even an hour can seem a lifetime when you are in agony.

I was also trying to find a way of lessening the agony of the thirst for blood. The one thing that made vampires so dangerous. Again I had failed thus far. The only success I had was in training the body to ignore the thirst and that didn't always work although Jasper was living proof that it could if the will was strong enough.

Wondering how Chief Swan was doing I called the Whitlock ranch only to discover that Peter was as confused and uneasy as we were. It appeared that whatever was affecting Bella's reaction to the venom had been passed down to her by her father.

"It's fucking eerie, Doc. He just lays there like a corpse. I was ready with restraints to hog-tie him if he got too unruly but nothing. You say Bella's the same? Do you think something's gone wrong? What should we do?"

"There's nothing we can do but wait. Let's just hope this isn't the lull before the storm or we could be in for some problems."

"I'm not feeling anything. I don't think there's any danger ahead but if he tries anything...Well, I think I'm a match for anything he could throw at me. You should be careful though, Doc. I know you've seen your fair share of newborns but don't get complacent and let me know as soon as Bella wakes up, I'd like to know what to expect when the Chief here opens his eyes."

I promised that I would although I didn't think there would be too much of a gap between their waking. We'd started the process at more or less the same time so they should wake up close together.

"I'm going to call Jasper. I promised I would once it was underway."

"And tell him what, Esme? Do you think he needs more to worry about?"

Esme glared at me, "If it was you I would want to know and Jasper's not a fool, he'll understand if both of them are reacting the same way. At least he'll know that she's not suffering. That must be a comfort to him."

I opened my mouth to tell her that I wasn't sure if Bella was suffering or not, then decided better of it. Why should I cause her any more concern? Or Jasper for that matter.

Esme disappeared leaving me alone with a still and silent Bella.

"What's happening to you, Bella? Can you hear me?"

I studied her, looking for any sign that she heard my questions but she lay still and pale and unmoving.

"Bella? Can you hear me? If you're suffering I can try some pain meds although I don't know how effective they will be. Please try to communicate with me."

Whatever was happening Bella wasn't able or willing to let me know. Curiosity could be a curse at times, especially when I felt so helpless. I wanted to try experiments, see if I could get Bella to communicate with me, and discover what was happening behind those closed eyelids but I was afraid of doing anything that might disturb the process or cause her more pain.

When Esme returned I could tell she was worried and angry.

"What's the matter?"

She snorted, "You'd think that Aro could leave them alone while this is going on. Instead, he wants Jasper to go chasing Edward and stop him."

"Sorry? What's Aro got to do with this? Why would he send Jasper after Edward?"

"Apparently, Edward has gotten it into his head that he should kill Jake. Somehow, Aro found out and he's sending Jasper to stop him. Why he can't send his own guards after Edward is beyond me."

I frowned, "Why would Edward want to kill Jacob?"

Esme rolled her eyes, "He's decided to slip on his hero cloak and make Jake pay for what he did."

I sighed heavily as if we didn't have enough on our hands right now!

"But Jake didn't do anything to Maggie. If anyone should be interested in making Jake pay it's Jasper or Bella here."

I turned to see that Bella's eyes were now open and she was staring up at me.

"Bella? Can you hear me?"

She didn't speak but I could see the agony in her eyes. I'd never seen a human going through the change open their eyes but then everything was different with Bella. Had she heard and understood what we had been speaking about? Or was it just an unconscious action?

Edward

I was sick of listening to Angie's reasons why I shouldn't hunt down and kill Jacob Black. The boy was a danger to my daughter. He'd pulled a dangerous stunt which had resulted in chief Swan being forced to become a vampire. Who knew what his next move might be? He might decide to snatch Maggie next time. I would not allow that to happen. Bella and Jasper may be good with what Jacob Black had done but I was not. Besides, it would be good to wipe the knowing grin off the wolf boy's face. It amused him that Bella had stood between us. Well, I may not be her husband now but that didn't mean I couldn't take advantage of the situation to get my own back on him.

"Angie, for God's sake shut up. I'm sick of it. I made my decision, that's the end of it. If you don't like it then I suggest you take off until it's over. No one is expecting you to get involved."

"But what about Maggie? She liked Jake. She'll be heartbroken if she finds out you killed him. You'll never be able to explain it to her."

"ENOUGH!", She flinched as I roared at her. I had wanted to throw something but I knew she would only dodge out of the way.

"Here," I threw her the car keys, "Go out for the day. Buy yourself a new outfit, get your nails done. Anything but just stay out of my way."

She stared at me in anger and shock then turned and walked out without another word.

Smiling in relief I called down to the desk and asked them to arrange for a hire car for twenty-four hours. It wouldn't take that long but I didn't want to feel rushed.

An hour later I drove out of the city and headed for Seattle. I hadn't wanted to stay there in case I spooked him. I wanted to end this once and for all. I bet he was reveling in the thought that I'd lost Bella's love. Not that it helped him in any way. She was lost to him forever. He'd had his last throw of the dice and it had gone against him. Bella was even now transforming into the one thing he loathed, a vampire.

The drive was monotonous so I put the radio on and found a classic music channel. That would soothe my restless heart for a while.

My thoughts drifted from Jake to Angie. Had I made a mistake marrying her? Why couldn't she see things the way that I did? She had reminded me of Bella when I first met her. She was generous and had a loving nature for a vampire but those very things had caused our latest argument. She was thinking of Maggie and Jake, not me and my feelings. She just couldn't or wouldn't, see things from my point of view.

I would have to speak to her when I got back. I couldn't have her preaching to me all the time. She made a great stepmom for Maggie but had several shortcomings when it came to being a wife. Why were things never simple for me?

It was dusk when I parked up in the city center, my favorite time of day, especially when it came to hunting. The anticipation of the upcoming hunt felt good. No one now to moan or nag, no disapproving shakes of the head or criticism. I was on my own and feeling good.

It didn't take long to find Jake's spoor. Even in a city, you could smell his stench. So my informant had been correct, he was here hiding out from his pack and his people. Jake the outcast, poor thing. Never mind, I'd soon resolve those terrible feelings for him.

I followed him out of the city center, into the poorer neighborhoods. He should feel right at home among the slums. Maybe he was thinking of settling here. No, I doubted even these people would welcome him once they sensed he was different.

He was headed towards Port Angeles but slowly. Maybe he knew his plan would be a failure. Even your wolf friends didn't want anything to do with you. Why didn't he stop running and face the inevitable?

As I moved closer the stench became almost overpowering and I slowed down searching my surroundings for his spoor.

The moon came out from behind a cloud, bathing the surrounding trees in a wan silvery light. It illuminated him standing at the far side of the small clearing. He was leaning against a tree and waiting for me.

"Edward? I thought it might be you."

"Really?"

I could read his thoughts. He knew he had failed. Knew that the love of his life would never be his. He was falling apart.

"I never touched your daughter. We just talked."

"It doesn't matter. You put her in danger and I'm here to ensure that you won't do so again."

He pushed away from the tree dropping into a crouch.

"Does Bella know you're hunting me? She wouldn't want you to kill me."

I laughed, "No one cares a fig for you, wolf boy. Not even your own people. You lost the toss, shot your bolt. You're not fit to live."

"So you say. Maybe I should have snatched your daughter. I could have taken her away so you'd never find her. Bring her up as a Native American. Teach her to hate vampires. It would have been fun to see you wrestle with that."

"But you didn't. Instead, you pushed Bella even further away. Now her Dad's becoming a vampire too. Guess who he'll be hunting down first. You got it, the man responsible for his transformation. I'll be doing you a favor, wolf boy."

I too crouched and as I read his thoughts I acted first and sprang at him catching him by the arm and biting down into his flesh even as he transformed.

Hearing his grunt of pain was music to my ears, "And that's just the beginning. You are going to feel pain like you never experienced. I'll teach you to target all those I love. Bella, Maggie, they aren't yours. You lost both of them."

He broke free and retreated a few steps, the fur on his shoulder wet with blood. My venom wouldn't work its magic on him but it would hurt a lot!

As we closed in again he was more wary leaping backward before I could get a grip on him but I moved fast and soon had a leg. As he pulled free I bit him again although the stench and taste made me retch. I enjoyed seeing him limp as he backed away, favoring the injured leg while the other bite wound was bleeding profusely.

"You endangered my daughter," I grabbed him again. He didn't stand a chance when I could read his every move before he made it, and punched him on the snout. I smiled at the crunch as bones broke. All the rage at Peter that I had bottled up since Christmas came out now and it felt good.

Standing over a battered and bleeding wolf boy made me feel powerful and I suddenly realized it was something I hadn't felt for too long. Not since Bella turned her back on me. I had felt powerless, indebted to her for my happiness, for access to my daughter, for everything. She had emasculated me, but no more. I was Edward Cullen, a genius and vampire and I had taken back control of my life and destiny. Once I'd finished here I would drive back to the farm and take Maggie. She was mine and I would bring her up as I felt right. Not the way her mother and my brother deemed correct. She was clever and bright and deserved only good things. The things that only I could give her.

I bent down and lifted Jake by the throat until I could see into his eyes. I wanted to watch as I crushed the life out of him. I squeezed hard and saw his eyes begin to glaze over.

"STOP. Or I swear you'll never see your daughter again, Edward."

I whirled around and stared, shocked to see Bella standing beside Jasper. How had they found me? But more than that, how had Bella gone through the transformation so fast? It just wasn't possible, was it?