Twilight is the property of Stephenie Meyer. Thanks Stephenie for letting us take your creations out to play…
WARNING: This story is rated NC-17 for more than lemons. This chapter contains graphic depictions of violence, so if this is not for you, PLEASE DO NOT READ.
Many thanks to my beta, A Little Distracted, for being a great beta and even greater friend, and hugs to FangMom for pre-reading. Love ya both!
Playlist for Chapter 14 – "Evil Angel" by Breaking Benjamin, "Death and Destruction" by All Ties Severed, "Tear It Up" by Andrew W.K., and "Clumsy Card House" by Blue October
Chapter Fourteen – Death and Destruction
~Edward~
The menacing laughter echoing through the meadow sent a chill down my spine, and I held Bella closer to me. I had been so caught up in our kiss that I hadn't been aware of anyone approaching us.
"Look James, isn't that just the cutest thing you've ever seen?" a woman's voice carried across the space.
The nomads from Alice's visions.
Victoria.
James and Victoria are here.
Bella!
I have to protect her.
"Bella, get in the treehouse now!" I growled through bared teeth.
Bella turned to run, but only made it a few steps when James grabbed her and spun around to face me. My heart had dropped to my feet. Every muscle was tensed as I crouched, prepared to spring at the evil vampire who held my very reason for being in his grip. One false move on my part and Bella would be dead.
"She smells so delicious. Aren't you going to be a gracious host and share your little snack with us?" James taunted. "What do you think, Victoria? Ladies first? I can be a gentleman."
"NO! LET HER GO!" I roared.
James tightened his grasp on Bella, and took one step closer toward me, pulling her along. The fear in her wide brown eyes pierced my chest. I tried to communicate to her with my eyes. I love you, Bella.
I shook my head slightly, and mouthed the words, "Don't move," so she would know not to try to fight him. It's what he wants.
"No, I don't think I will. She's much more fun right where she is." He skimmed his nose down along the length of her neck, inhaling deeply. "Can you smell her fear? It's luscious. Simply mouthwatering. And her taste, mmmmmm…" he said darkly with an evil glint in his feral red eyes, as he slid his tongue from her collar bone to just under her ear.
Bella shuddered and cringed in his arms, squeezing her eyes tightly shut. I couldn't stand to see his filthy hands touching her. Rage greater than any I had ever experienced in my own thoughts or other's coursed through me. I wanted to strangle him with his own hands, to rip his limbs from their sockets and use them to pulverize his body. A constant growl was rumbling through me as I contemplated my options to save Bella. It didn't matter what they did to me, but I had to ensure that Bella left this meadow alive.
"Let. Her. Go. If you don't, I will end you," I snarled.
Good luck with that, he thought derisively. Take your best shot – there's no fun if there's no fight.
"In case you hadn't noticed, you're a little outnumbered here. I don't think you have a say in the matter, don't you agree, Victoria?"
The deranged redhead appeared at James' side while he held Bella firmly, and ran a dirty fingernail slowly across Bella's cheek, not breaking the surface, but still leaving a thin red line behind it. Bella remained silent; her eyes still clenched as a fat tear rolled down her face.
A growl rumbled through my chest involuntarily.
"No, baby, I don't think there is anything he can do about it when I've got your back. Poor Edward, it's time to say goodbye to your pretty little pet. We'll be taking her with us," she mocked, curling her lip up into the most vicious sneer I had ever seen, and then she licked the trail of Bella's tear. "Mmmm… You're right, James, she does taste sublime."
Terrifying images of their violent intentions for Bella flooded my head. James' twisted mind was swimming with the sickening ways he planned to use Bella before he and Victoria finally drained her. Victoria's thoughts were filled with details of their "adventures" with previous victims. The sightless glassy eyes of poor girls frozen in terror, their bodies mangled beyond recognition from James and Victoria "playing" with them as they died in the most horrific manner possible, were burned forever into my brain. The knowledge of the heinous things these evil vampires had done in the past, and wanted to do now to my Bella, made me want to vomit. I was shaking with anger and disgust, but I struggled to maintain a calm façade to keep them from killing her instantly. I would find a way to stop them from harming her if it was the last thing I ever did.
God, please, if you never listen to another thing I have to say, please help me get Bella out of here safely, I prayed with everything I had.
Alice, I need you … if you can see this, get here soon, before it's too late.
Think, Edward, think. What can I do to distract them?
~Bella~
It had all happened so fast that I didn't get a good look at my captor. One moment I was safely encircled in Edward's arms, lost in our first kiss. In the next moment, the most ominous sound I had ever heard seeped into my awareness. Evil laughter filled the space around us, making the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. A woman's voice joined his, but I couldn't make sense of the words over my heartbeat pounding in my ears. I was paralyzed with fear.
Please, dear God, don't let anything happen to Edward.
"Bella, get in the treehouse now!" Edward's voice broke through my panic-induced confusion.
Even if I were on the verge of death, my body would do as Edward told it to. My feet moved of their own accord, and I turned to run to the safety of the treehouse, but before I could even blink I was immobilized in a stone vise grip.
I could hear his voice next to my ear. "She smells so delicious. Aren't you going to be a gracious host and share your little snack with us? What do you think, Victoria? Ladies first? I can be a gentleman."
"NO! LET HER GO!" Edward screamed furiously.
While the stranger held me firmly in place with my back against his chest, I had a clear view of Edward. I was terrified, my heart racing, but I could see the love shining in Edward's eyes, as well as his fear for me. He mouthed "Don't move," and I willed myself to be still as a statue. There wasn't anything I wouldn't do for him.
James refused Edward's command to release me, tightening his grip instead. The fetid odor of his breath washed across my face as he licked the skin along my neck. I wanted to scrub the skin he had violated until no trace of him remained, if it meant rubbing it raw, I would. I involuntarily recoiled from his touch; it made my skin crawl, and I closed my eyes to block out the sight of him.
"Let. Her. Go. If you don't, I will end you," Edward threatened.
James chuckled darkly. "In case you hadn't noticed, you're a little outnumbered here. I don't think you have a say in the matter, don't you agree, Victoria?"
In my panic over being immobilized and assaulted by James, I had forgotten his female companion.
"No, baby, I don't think there is anything he can do about it when I've got your back. Poor Edward, it's time to say goodbye to your pretty little pet. We'll be taking her with us," she cooed.
God knows I didn't want them taking me anywhere. I knew there was absolutely no way that scenario could end well. I bit my lip to keep from screaming when Victoria scratched her sharp fingernail across my cheek. I winced as I felt her cold tongue trace the tear that made its way down my cheek.
"Mmmm… You're right, James, she does taste sublime."
Of the two of them, my intuition warned me that she was the more sadistic one.
I could hear the sound of Edward's low growls steadily increasing in volume.
"No! It can't be…" Victoria gasped.
"What the hell?" James yelled incredulously.
I opened my eyes, and to my astonishment saw Victoria starting to back away from where James and I were standing. James' iron grip on me had loosened somewhat, and I turned to see what could possibly incite the look of pure terror on Victoria's face.
Making its way from the underbrush, growling violently and crouched to spring, was the biggest wolf I had ever seen. In my wildest dreams I would never have dreamed of a wolf the size of a horse, like the reddish-brown one currently standing across the meadow from me.
I glanced at Edward to gauge his reaction to the massive beast and saw that the corner of his mouth was lifted slightly, as if he were suppressing that crooked grin I loved so much. He did not seem in any way surprised or fearful like James and Victoria were. He looked… relieved. He locked his eyes with mine, raised a finger to his perfect lips and whispered "Shhhh…"
Edward turned to James and asked, "It would appear that I'm no longer outnumbered. Are you ready to die now, James? The world will be a much better place with the removal of filth like you."
Before I could understand what was happening, Edward had removed me from James' clutches and placed me on the balcony of the treehouse, where I could see everything that took place.
Edward was snarling viciously while holding James in a headlock, as the giant wolf slowly approached them, pausing for a moment and tilting its huge head to look at me quizzically, and then nodding at Edward. Something about the way the wolf eyed me brought to mind the memory of Jacob's story of the Quileutes transforming into wolves. Apparently, all the legends were true.
I remembered Jacob telling me that the wolves were the only creatures that could destroy a vampire, and prayed with all my might that it would not be a threat to Edward.
James was struggling to break free of Edward's hold, when the wolf suddenly darted toward him. I held my breath watching, unable to blink, as the wolf grabbed James' left foot in his mouth and with a simple shake of its head, detached James' foot from his leg and flung it across the meadow.
The wolf lunged again, and its razor sharp teeth tore through James' leg at the knee. The lower half of James' leg joined his foot across the field. James was screaming and thrashing, trying to escape even as the wolf ripped him apart, piece by piece. Edward stood firmly in place, not even flinching as the wolf dove repeatedly against James. It looked almost like they were performing a dance that had been choreographed and practiced until it was perfected.
Victoria had bolted as soon as she saw James being restrained by Edward, darting into the forest faster than my eyes could process. I heard vicious snarls and growls coming from the direction she had disappeared.
~Edward~
Fucking bloodsuckers... they have Bella!
The thought came from out of nowhere, but I never appreciated hearing another mind as much as I did now.
Dammit! Where is everyone when I need them? I picked a hell of a time to run patrol alone.
I felt a keen sensation of relief when I heard the wolf growling from the edge of the tree line. I knew there was no way I could take James and Victoria on by myself and keep Bella from being injured or killed in the process, but with the help of the wolf…
I had backed away from James and Bella, slowly making my way closer to the wolf. Neither James nor Victoria had been alerted to his presence yet. They were too wrapped up in taunting Bella and planning her demise to take notice of the giant reddish-brown creature hovering in the shadows.
That must be Edward, the vamp that Bella's got the hots for. Thank God he's here… he'll help me.
There was a first. I was on the same wavelength as a wolf. Fortunately for me, the aforementioned wolf just so happened to be one of Bella's best friends.
"Yes, Jacob, I will help you. I was thinking the exact same thing. Thank God you showed up," I told him quietly enough that James and Victoria wouldn't hear.
You can hear me?
"Yes, it's my talent. I can hear your thoughts as clearly as if you were speaking to me."
Damn! That's so cool! What am I thinking now?
I didn't have time for this. Bella didn't have time for this…
"Focus Jacob, we need to get Bella away from James."
Sorry, man. Watch this!
Jacob started growling menacingly as he moved slowly toward James and Victoria. Victoria's eyes grew wide with fear as she took in the sight of the giant wolf approaching her.
"No! It can't be…" She drew a sharp breath in panic as she realized what she was seeing.
James turned to follow Victoria's line of sight, loosening his grip on Bella. When he spotted Jacob's hulking form, he sputtered, "What the hell?"
That's right, fucking leech. Shake in your shoes now, you bloodsucking pussy. Apparently Jacob was feeling cocky, and while I didn't condone his colorful use of the English language, I agreed with the underlying sentiment.
Bella finally made eye contact with me, and I motioned for her to remain silent.
I continued moving closer to James and spoke up. "It would appear that I'm no longer outnumbered. Are you ready to die now, James? The world will be a much better place with the removal of filth like you."
James was too surprised by Jacob to pay much attention to the lack of distance between us. This was exactly the opportunity I needed, and immediately I took action. In the time it took for James to recognize what was happening, I had grabbed Bella, relocated her to the balcony of the treehouse, and returned to capture James in a headlock. He struggled futilely against my hold on him, but there was no way I was letting him go.
I can't believe I actually get to take down a vampire! Jacob was downright giddy in his thoughts.
"Yes, but I get credit for the assist," I told Jacob as I tightened my grip on James.
No problem… We can totally tag team him. Now let's get this party started!
Jacob lunged at James, while James wriggled frantically in my arms, and in no time Jacob had James' foot in his mouth, shaking it like a chew toy, then it was flying across the field. James screamed and writhed in pain.
This is fun!
"I'll have to agree in this instance," I answered dryly. I was more than happy to help destroy the evil creature that would harm Bella. It really was almost… fun.
Victoria had turned and fled when she realized that James was done for.
A cacophony of thoughts washed over me from the direction she ran. Several of Jacob's wolves had arrived on the scene, as well as Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, and Alice, and they had squared off to face each other warily, snarls and growls erupting sporadically.
We can take them all out now; we'll never get another chance like this, one of the wolves thought angrily at the rest of the group.
Stand down, Paul! Do NOT violate the treaty! The same goes for the rest of you. Only the redhead is a danger, the others are Cullens and they are our allies in this fight. You will work WITH them, Jacob commanded.
Yes sir! Paul and the other wolves thought sarcastically, but their thoughts revealed that they would not disobey their leader's orders.
Well that was certainly interesting. I discovered that the wolves could communicate through their thoughts in wolf form, and that the alpha's authority was absolute. Thank God that Jacob was the alpha and not that hothead, Paul.
Jasper was busy trying to calm everyone down, but the high level of emotion among the wolves, as well as Emmett and Rosalie, was taking its toll on his ability.
"Hey! While you're busy trying to figure out that we aren't the bad guys, the real bad guy – or girl as the case may be – is getting away!" Alice shouted, frustration evident in her tone. Idiots, we could have had her by now if they hadn't been in our way.
"Let's get this be-otch already!" Emmett shouted enthusiastically. Through Emmett's mind I could see Rosalie rolling her eyes in response, but from her thoughts I knew she was ready and willing to stand by her husband in any fight.
In a matter of seconds, the entire group turned and chased after Victoria at top speed.
Jacob's attention returned to tugging body parts off of James, and scattering them around the perimeter of the meadow. I enjoyed the carnage much more than I probably should have. Neither of us were worried about any trouble from Victoria, with the number of wolves and vampires chasing after her.
I held James in place while Jacob attempted to shred him into subatomic particles, but I had one request before we finished. When the only thing left to remove from his body was his head, I asked Jacob, "Please allow me the honor of ending this bastard. He threatened Bella, and for that he deserves no mercy."
Sure, sure. Be my guest. I can't blame you for wanting revenge for him wanting to hurt Bella.
"She is my whole life – I have no reason to exist without her," I told him.
You love her?
"With everything that I am," I answered.
Are you planning on changing her? You know that would violate the treaty. A shiver of disgust ran through Jacob as he contemplated Bella as a vampire.
"NO! NEVER! I could never doom her to this cursed existence. She is far too precious to me."
Okay, I'm glad to hear that, but it's going to suck for you to have to watch her grow old and wrinkly, and eventually die.
"I will always love her, no matter her age or physical appearance. I'll do everything in my power to help her have a long, happy and comfortable life, and when the time comes I'll find a way to end myself. If the wolves are still around then, I may ask them to do me the favor."
James' remains wriggled, reminding us of the task at hand. Jacob placed both massive front paws on James' chest to hold him securely as I grabbed his head between my hands. His eyes grew wide as the realization dawned on him that he had taken his final breath. He wasted it with a roar of defiance.
"Die then you worthless son of a bitch. You don't deserve to exist… I'm sending you to hell where you belong!" I snarled fiercely. All of my rage was focused on how he had wanted to hurt my Bella as I savagely wrenched his head from his body and threw it across the meadow.
Wow! Remind me never to piss you off, Jacob thought dryly.
I was worried that seeing my violent side unleashed would be the final straw to send Bella screaming and running for the hills. Fortunately Bella didn't see me remove James' worthless head from his torso; instead I noticed her watching with gruesome fascination as the pieces of James tried to rejoin themselves.
Jacob loped off into the woods and returned on two legs, clad in only cutoff shorts.
"You get the fire started, and I'll gather the pieces," I instructed Jacob.
"With pleasure," he answered, and turned to attend to the task at hand.
Jacob quickly had a fire blazing and I tossed James' head and torso into the fire and watched, smiling, as they were incinerated. I gathered the rest of the pieces and threw them into the fire. Thick, choking purple smoke rose into the air, and Jacob and I shared a knowing look. Bella was safe, and together we heaved a collective sigh of relief.
"Not bad, dog, not bad at all," I laughed as I congratulated Jacob for his efforts.
"You did alright yourself, bloodsucker," he panted, a huge grin spreading across his face, followed immediately by a frown. Oh crap, here comes Bella. The shit's about to hit the fan dude, she's gonna totally freak, and it won't be pretty.
~Bella~
The remnants of James lay scattered across the field, and I watched with utter revulsion as one of his hands dragged its way slowly across the space toward his forearm.
When I was finally able to focus on something other than the hideous behavior of disembodied vampire parts, I saw that Edward and a very tall, very muscular Quileute man with his back to me had started a fire at the opposite end of the meadow and were tossing the pieces of James into the flames. When the stranger turned around, I was astonished to see that it was Jacob. He was much taller and much more muscular than he had been the last time I had seen him. There was no way he could have grown that much in the week and a half that had passed since then.
I somehow made my way down the stairs without injury and ran across the meadow to Edward and Jacob.
"Jacob?" I managed to squeak.
"Hey Bells!" he grinned, like nothing out of the ordinary had happened, that turning into a giant wolf and tearing a vampire into tiny pieces was all in a typical day's work. "How's it going?"
"Are you freaking kidding me, Jake? That was you… you're a wolf?"
"Yeah, obviously. Pretty cool, huh?"
"Right, cool. So tell me, do you know any leprechauns or mermaids, too?" I was on complete mythological overload. Were there any fairy tales that weren't true?
"No, but I have a buddy who's a centaur," Jacob chided.
"Really?" I asked. I didn't think I could handle much more.
"Nah, I'm just pulling your leg. As far as I know there's no such thing as a centaur. It's only a myth, isn't it?" Jacob looked to Edward for confirmation.
Edward shrugged. "I can't say for sure, I've never met one."
"Great. You guys should take your act on the road," I laughed, the heaviness of the day finally lifting. I was grateful to be with the man I loved and my best friend, regardless of their mythical status.
"Hey Bells, I need to find out if my pack has caught up with that redheaded leech."
Edward cleared his throat and Jacob responded sheepishly, "Sorry, man. That redheaded bitch."
Edward rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically.
"Thank you, Jacob, from the bottom of my heart. Bella and I owe you. If there is anything I can do for you, all you have to do is ask," Edward told him earnestly.
"It was no problem. I'm happy that I got to take down a vampire. Let me know any time you need help destroying a bad guy."
"I will, Jacob."
"Just so you know, I consider you both my heroes," I told them. I really meant it, too.
"Aw, Bells, it's no big deal, it's just us. We're nothing special. But I really need to go now, so I'll just leave you two alone." Jacob winked as he turned to leave.
Jacob ran back into the forest and emerged again as a giant wolf. He ran off in the direction that Victoria had run and was gone, and I was alone with Edward.
"Would you like to get reacquainted with your treehouse?" Edward asked.
"I'd love to," I answered, grinning from ear to ear.
Edward took my hand in his and together we climbed the stairs to the treehouse. The inside was just like I remembered from my dreams, or my memories, as the case may be.
"There's one addition that wasn't here the last time you were here: the journals I kept while we were apart. It was my way of saving my thoughts and feelings for you. And I have always kept this with me…" Edward took out his wallet and removed a tattered, faded, tape-covered piece of paper and unfolded it.
"I remember giving you that picture," I sighed contentedly, remembering the day I sat with him by the stream, holding his hand. "I drew it for you so that you could always keep me with you, and I see that you have."
I squeezed his hand as tightly as I could, and pulled our entwined hands to hold them against my heart. "It belongs to you, you know. It always has, and it always will," I said quietly.
"And mine is yours. Forever," he said, tilting my chin with his finger, and pressing his lips to mine.
A/N: So sorry about the long delay between updates. Finishing up at my old job, and getting started on my new one has taken up all of my time, so my next few updates will probably not be weekly, but I promise to get them to you as soon as I can! For the same reason, I don't have any fic recs to make this time around. :(
The winning review for Chapter Thirteen was submitted by Vampiremom1221:
"The sparkles are what gave him away. Who'd a thunk it. It's not every day you see a gorgeous man that sparkles in the sun. Unless you attend a gay pride parade, there every man is bedazzled..."