Sorry for the wait. I did mean to try to post sooner than this, but real life is kicking my ass at the minute. This chapter is a bit tense, but don't panic.
Three vampires appeared out of the trees, clearly nomads as their clothes were dirty and torn. The vampire in the middle was almost as large as Emmett with short dark hair and deep red eyes that were currently watching Bella with interest. I growled, as his mind filled with the vile things he wanted to do with her. The other two vampires, a girl and a boy, were young, probably only 13 or 14 when they were changed. They looked very alike making me think they were biological siblings, possibly even twins considering they looked the same age. Their minds were focused on their leader, Felix. They would do anything he asked.
"What have we got here?" Felix said, still leering at Bella, leaning to the side to get a better look. I moved defensively, trying to keep Bella out of his line of sight. I wanted to attack but we were outnumbered and I couldn't do anything that might put Bella at risk.
"Aren't you gonna let me have a good look at the pretty lady?" he leered, "Didn't you mother ever teach you that it's nice to share?"
"Never," I growled, my mind quickly thinking through everything we could do to get ourselves out of this situation. We were outnumbered and Bella had no idea how to fight, I'd never even told her how to kill a vampire, never thinking she'd need to know.
"I've tried asking nicely," Felix sneered, "I always get what I want. Now, I'm just going to take it. Jane." He looked towards the small girl on his right and before I knew what was happening, I was writhing around on the ground in immense pain. I couldn't fight the pain and I could barely think through it, but I could hear Bella screaming, sounding like she was miles away rather than beside me.
"Stop, please!" I heard her scream, as I felt both of my arms being grabbed from either side of me, "Don't hurt him, I'll do anything!"
"I'll let him be, if you come with me," I heard Felix say to her.
No, Bella, I thought, but I couldn't speak through the pain.
"Anything, just don't hurt him, please!" she whimpered.
"Alec, stop him from being able to follow us," Felix ordered.
And with that everything went black.
I had no idea how long it had been when my senses finally came back to me. I jumped up quickly, taking off instantly following Bella's scent, frantically searching for any sign of her or the vampires that had taken her. Pain was piercing through my heart, but I ignored it best I could. I had to find her.
I raced on, pushing myself faster than I'd ever gone before, still following Bella's scent, winding in and out of trees until it stopped at a large river. I leaped across the river and ran up and down the bank trying to find where her scent picked up again, but there was nothing.
I sank to my knees, giving into the pain in my chest, screaming up to the sky. I stayed there for a few minutes, sobbing, I didn't know what to do. I couldn't just sit here, I had to do something.
Alice! I thought. Maybe Bella will think to drop her shield long enough for Alice to see her. I turned and raced back towards the house, bursting through the trees lining the back garden, calling for everyone to come out.
Jasper was the first out the door, his mind taking in my emotions and realising that something was really wrong. I collapsed onto the ground, my head in my hands as the pain in my chest took over me.
"What happened?" Jasper asked as he helped me to my feet. Everyone else was surrounding us, worried looks on their faces.
"They took her," I sobbed, "I couldn't stop them."
"Who took her?" Carlisle asked, concern lacing his voice.
"Three vampires," I whimpered, "The big one wanted Bella. The other two had talents. One made me feel indescribable pain, another took away all my senses. They threatened to hurt me, so Bella let them take her to save me. I tried to follow them, but their trail disappeared at a river."
"Alice!" I cried, fisting her shirt in my hands, "Can you see her? Please tell me you can see her!"
"Sorry, Edward," she sobbed, "She must be shielding at the minute. I'm not getting anything from her. I didn't see any of this!"
Esme gently tugged me away from Alice, pulling me into a hug. I gripped onto her as if my life depended on it, sobbing loudly.
"I need her, mom," I wailed into her shoulder, "I can't live without her."
"We're going to find her," she promised, looking pleadingly at Carlisle, her mind hoping that he had some sort of plan to try to find her.
"Take us to where her trail ended, Edward," Carlisle commanded, taking control of the situation, though his mind showed his stress and worry about both Bella and me.
I ran back in the direction I had come, slightly more content now that I had something to focus on apart from the aching pain in my chest, though the pain didn't lessen at all. I ran at my top speed, not waiting to allow the others to keep up with me. They wouldn't have any trouble following me anyway and the speed helped me feel like I was doing something, anything.
When we reached the point where Bella and the other vampire's trails ended, we all split up, searching both banks of the river for a sign of any of their scents, anything that might give us a clue as to where they may have gone.
Minutes, that felt like hours, passed with nothing, until Alice suddenly gasped. I ran to her, watching the vision that was unfolding in her mind. Bella being dragged through the forest, Felix's large hand clamped around the top of her arm, her face twisted in the same pain I was feeling. Jane and Alec watching her closely, looking for any sign that they needed to use their talents on her to keep her in check. It was only a few seconds, then the vision disappeared.
"She's alive," Alice said aloud for the benefit of the rest of the family, "I can see Felix dragging her through the forest, but it's hard to see where they are, it all looks the same. I think she's keeping her shield around her to protect herself from the talented ones. She obviously lifted it for a few seconds so I would be able to see her."
I was barely listening to what she was saying. I was running the vision over and over in my mind, trying in vain to find something that would tell me where she was, but Alice was right. They were in the forest, it could be anywhere in the forest. I could only pray that Bella would drop her shield again when there was something around to help us find her.
"Keep searching for their scents. They had to leave the river at some point," Carlisle said, taking charge again, "Alice, keep watching for any sign of Bella. Edward, stay close to Alice so you can see if she has any more visions. We need both of you looking out to see if there are any distinguishable landmarks to help us narrow down where she might be. Emmett, run back to the house and get a pad and some pencils. Maybe if Alice or Edward can draw what she sees, the rest of us might be able to recognise it."
Emmett took off before Carlisle had even finished talking, his mind filled with anything he could do to help find his baby sister. Every mind around me was worried about Bella. They all loved her already. Esme was distraught at the thought of losing her after only just finding her newest daughter and she was terrified what would happen to me if we didn't find Bella.
Hours passed as we continued searching, still finding no sign of any of them. It felt as if someone had punched their hand into my chest and ripped my heart out. I wasn't quite sure how I was still functioning, but I just knew that I couldn't stop, I had to find her. My mind was filled with anger, remembering the things Felix had thought about doing to my Bella. I wanted nothing more than to rip his head from his body. I couldn't hold my anger and fear in any longer. I threw myself at a tree, punching and kicking, until it toppled over. I felt strong arms pull me back, stopping me from attacking another tree as I had planned.
"We will find her, bro," Emmett said, "And when we do, I'm gonna hold that fucker down, while you tear him limb from limb."
I calmed slightly, nodding to Emmett, as he let me go. I was just about to take off further up the river bank to keep searching, when I saw Bella appear again in Alice's mind.
They were coming up to a cottage, still deep in the forest somewhere. Felix still had his hand securely on Bella's arm. Jane was walking out of the cottage, her eyes shining bright red as she told Felix that the humans had been 'taken care of'. Bella sobbed, her pure heart breaking for the unfortunate humans that had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. The vision disappeared just as Felix dragged Bella towards the open door.
"A cottage in the forest," Alice said, "I don't recognise it. Edward?" I shook my head, unable to speak.
"Emmett, paper," Alice shouted, just as he appeared at her side, handing her the pad and pencils. The rest of the family had gathered around us, staring over Alice's shoulder as she began to draw. We all watched as the cottage from her vision appeared on the page, as she put as much detail into the picture as she could.
"Shit," Jasper exclaimed, just as Alice added a small shed just to the right of the cottage, "I know it! It's about 10 miles south of here."
"Go, Jasper, lead the way," Carlisle told him, "but stop a bit out where they won't sense us."
I growled, turning to take off in the direction Jasper had indicated, but Carlisle grabbed my arm.
"We need to do this right, Edward," Carlisle warned, "We can't just go rushing in. We need to see what we are dealing with and make a plan."
"Fine," I conceded, knowing that he was right. Alec and Jane were powerfully talented and could incapacitate us easily. "Let's go, though," I growled.
We all took off, following Jasper until he stopped, turning to face us all.
"It's not far from here, through those trees. Any closer and they'll hear us coming," Jasper informed us, "Edward, can you hear them from here?"
I closed my eyes, focusing on my talent, reaching out to find their minds. The better I knew someone the easier and further away I could hear their mind, but I hardly knew these vampires at all so I really had to concentrate. Bella was clearly shielded as I couldn't hear anything from her, though the pain in my chest eased a little at being closer to her. I wondered if she could feel my presence too.
Finally, I located the mind of the foul vampires that had taken Bella. Jane was thinking about her recent meal. Alec was bored, wondering how long Felix was going to take with this one.
Oh, she is a pretty one. I'm going to have a lot of fun with this one. I can't wait to get my cock inside her!
I growled upon hearing the vile thoughts going through his head. He continued picturing what he was going to do to her. It took Emmett, Jasper and Carlisle to hold me back from running towards him at full speed.
"He wants her," I growled, "His thoughts are vile!"
"I know, son," Carlisle said, "But we must do this calmly. It's the only way to ensure we keep her safe."
I collapsed in their arms, giving in as I knew they were right and I had to make sure Bella was safe.
"Alec and Jane are downstairs in the living room. Felix has Bella upstairs," I said through gritted teeth. Esme wrapped her arms around me, comforting me.
"We need to surround the cottage," Jasper said, his military training and strategy coming to the forefront of his mind, "We know Jane and Alec can cause pain and take away your senses. We need to focus on taking those two out first. I know you want to go straight for the big one, Edward, but we're no good to Bella if they incapacitate us." I nodded, knowing he was right.
"I'll try to send them some lethargy," Jasper continued, "That might just give us time to get to them before they try to use their talents on us. Spread out, keep your eyes on me, when I give the signal, we all go straight in. Edward, you find Bella, take out the big one if you can or at least hold him off and make sure he doesn't leave with her until the rest of us can take out the other two. Carlisle, Esme and Emmett, take the boy. Alice, Rose and I will take the girl."
We spread out around the house. Carlisle, Esme and Emmett staying close together, and Jasper, Alice and Rosalie doing the same. I went in the middle, still listening to the despicable thoughts coming from upstairs. Jasper started sending lethargy towards the cottage, the minds of the vampires inside beginning to relax. They still had no idea we were here.
We all watched Jasper and as soon as he waved his arm, we stormed the cottage. The minds inside the cottage registered our arrival, but the lethargy Jasper had sent them meant that they were slow to act. I sprinted past everyone else, straight to the stairs.
I heard the minds of my family as they attacked the two vampires downstairs. Alec tried to use his power, but it wasn't instant, a black fog seeping from his fingers towards Jasper, Alice and Rose. Before the fog had time to reach them, Jasper had ripped his arms from his body.
Emmett screamed in pain as Jane finally used her power, but it seemed that she was only able to focus on one person at a time and soon Esme was holding her down as Carlisle ripped her head from her body.
I reached the room that Felix had Bella in, the lethargy that Jasper had sent out, had worn off as he was otherwise engaged. Felix had Bella trapped against the wall, his large body covering hers, his strength too much for Bella to escape.
"She's mine now," he hissed at me, as I surveyed the room looking for the best course of action to ensure Bella didn't get hurt.
"Never," Bella hissed from behind him, "I'll never be yours."
Then she lifted her leg, kicking between his legs with as much force as she could muster. It didn't stop him for long, but distracted him just long enough for me to close the gap between us. He lunged for me, leaving Bella unguarded, but I easily dodged him, his mind giving him away.
"Go, Bella," I shouted, lunging towards the large vampire, all my anger towards him fuelling me as my teeth sank into his wrist, ripping his hand off his arm. Just then, another set of large arms appeared, grabbing Felix and holding him in place.
"I told you I would hold him down for you," Emmett smirked, "Make him pay for taking my baby sister."
I took pleasure in ripping each limb from his body as he screamed in pain. I wanted him to pay for what he had done. His vile thoughts had shown exactly what he was going to do to my Bella, what he had done to many other vampires and humans, with the help of the witch twins. For all of his victims, I reached down towards his groin, swiftly ripping his appendage off, his screams getting louder.
"Didn't your mother ever teach you not to take what's not yours," I hissed into his ear, right before I sunk my teeth into his neck and ripping his head from his body.
"Go to her," Emmett said, "They're all taken care of downstairs too. I'll sort out this piece of shit."
I didn't need telling twice. I ran downstairs as fast as I could and pulled Bella out of Esme's arms, swinging her around in my arms and burying my face in her hair.
"Oh, God, I love you, Bella," I crooned in her ear, "Are you okay?" I pulled back to look at her. "Did he hurt you?"
"I'm fine, Edward," she assured me, "Nothing happened." She lifted her shield to show me that she really was fine and how happy she was to see me. She pulled me back to her, capturing my lips with hers and kissing me deeply and passionately. If we hadn't been with my family, I would have taken her there and then. Our connection was begging me to claim my mate, to make sure that she really was here and still mine.
"Go, Edward," Alice urged, her mind showing me what would happen if I didn't get Bella out of here and alone somewhere, "The house is yours tonight. We'll see you in the morning." I opened my mouth to thank her, but she beat me to it. "Yeah, yeah, you're welcome. Just take care of my sister."
With one quick look back at the rest of the family, whose minds were all agreeing with Alice and assuring me that they would take care of everything, I lifted Bella into my arms and ran towards the house. I could smell the plume of smoke, without even looking around and I knew the I didn't need to worry about those wretched vampires ever again.
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