Chapter 8

"Alice, we're in a bit of a serious situation." I said. I looked down to the base of the tree and saw all the wolves jumping at us, trying to catch us in the tree. Some of them rammed their shoulders to the trunk, and the tree swayed from side to side. It wouldn't last for much longer. "Alice I need you to put Edward on the phone."

As I waited for Edward, I pulled the phone from my ear and faced Renesmee. "Ness you've got to start climbing. Get as high as you can. If the tree falls jump onto another ok." She hesitated.

"What are you going to do mum?" I looked at her, not knowing exactly what I was going to do, but a plan had formed in my head. I ignored her question and helped her onto the branch above. "Climb." I said sternly. I heard a low voice and I placed the phone back to my ear.

"Bella what's the matter?" His voice was soothing, but his worry for us was unmistakable.

"Ness and I are stuck in a tree." I heard him laugh at the other end of the line.

"Why are you stuck in a tree?" His laughing continued, probably finding it amusing that two vampires can get stuck in a tree.

"We're trapped Edward. The La Push pack won't believe it's us, they're trying to kill us right now." The laughing stopped immediately, and I heard a low growl. "Edward, we need Jacob to come back to Forks, it's the only way they'll believe us."

I listened as I heard Edward running towards somewhere. He was heading to Jacob. "I'm coming to get you. Is Ness ok?"

"We're both fine, just hurry up please, both of you, the trees about to fall." I looked down to the base of the tree, one was still hitting it with his shoulder, and two of them were now jumping up to see if they can reach. I looked up and saw Ness past halfway. I started to climb when I heard the cracking of wood beneath me. "Ness get ready to jump!" I looked back down to the floor and watched as pieces of the bark started splitting away, the tree started to tilt.

"Wait till you're close to one then jump." I shouted to Renesmee, I would hate it if she fell to the ravaging wolves below. The trunk finally snapped, and the tree fell rapidly towards the floor. We both jumped to the same tree, as the previous one crashed into the floor, the noise echoing around the forest.

We grabbed branches at different levels of the tree. It swayed under our strength, but stabilised after one sway. Surely the wolves wouldn't continue with knocking down each tree until we would fall to the ground. But I spoke too soon.

Another wolf appeared from behind some of the trees, a large branch in his mouth, a cloud of smoke rising from one end. I remembered the phone was still connected and I held it up to my ear. "Edward, I've got to go. Please hurry, I love you." I put the phone down before he said anything more.

The branch in its mouth was burning. It went to the tree to the left, and set it alight. It continued setting each tree alight that was next to us, cutting off our escape. The smell of the burning trees set off my instincts to run, to move away from the fire. The smoke was rising up, black, rising into the sky above. How long before someone would notice? Report a fire.

"Mum!" Nessie shouted. I looked up to see her covering her nose and mouth. She looked to the smoke then started coughing. It was choking her, and I couldn't do anything.

The flames licked the air either side of me, reaching to burn anything in its path. The tree suddenly shuddered. The wolves were ramming it again. Each time they hit, a small piece of wood snapped from within the trunk of the tree. We we're vulnerable and helpless. This would be it.

The tree snapped, and plummeted to the ground.

* * * * * * *

The trees besides us were unavoidable, the chance this tree would hit it was likely. To their misfortune it missed, and fell between two of the burning trees. The landing wouldn't affect me, it would be like landing on a safety mat, but Nessie was still human, still fragile.

The ground approached us faster and faster, closer to the awaiting wolves beneath. I jumped from the branch and landed crouched on the ground, facing the six wolves, teeth bared, growling. The trees behind them were creating a wall of fire, the scene looked like hell, and hells own dogs to take us to where we should belong.

The crackling of the flames was drowned out by the scream of Renesmee. She had landed, but not perfectly. Something cracked. A bone. I hoped it wasn't serious, her leg at the very worse. She was more vulnerable than ever, unable to move. I turned to face the enclosing wolves. Just a few minutes I thought. A few minutes and Jake would be here to stop it. I wouldn't kill them, but I had to waste time. I had to fight.

The wolves moved into formation, slowly closing in on me. What were my chances? Six against one. Not very supportive on my behalf. The wolves snapped at me, and another growl rose from my throat. They charged.

I waited as each one bounded towards me, teeth flashing. A small, brown wolf ran too eagerly and reached me first. It lunged at my throat and I ducked, pushing my fist into the wolf as it passed over me, cracking a couple of ribs, and affecting it's breathing. It wailed and crashed into a tree. The other five were running closer. I focused on the one I had hurt before. The end one, perfect. I pounced towards the wolf and it pounced towards me. A thunderous roar erupted from the collision, and I tackled it to the ground. It lay on its back whimpering, but still snapping at me. I grabbed one of its legs in my hand and snapped it. I stood up and threw it at the other injured wolf. Surprising at how heavy they actually were. Two-more or less down- four more to go.

My attack on the wolf had left me enclosed in the wall of flames, with my only exit cornered off by four large wolves. I was trapped. "MUM!" I heard Renesmee shout. She knew I was trapped, she knew that they would come after her once they were done with me. The wolf on the far right turned around in response to the shout, and headed in her direction. I flicked a nearby rock up with my feet, caught it in my hand, and then lashed it at the wolf, hitting it straight in the head. It staggered at the force of impact, "Come get me you dog! Just me." The wolf growled and turned it's attention back towards me.

I stood at the centre of the burning ring, and watched the pack close in. The two on either side lunged at me, and I moved quickly out of the way of both. The advantage of speed on my side. But my back was bare either way I faced.

I looked at each one in turn and waited for their next attack. I heard a growl from behind me, and I turned automatically. The wolf charged at me and pounced once more. I waited for the precise moment and leapt into the air. My legs lashed out infront of me, and released a powerful kick to the jaw of the wolf. I felt the bone crushing beneath my feet. The wolf cried out in pain then plummeted down to the other two injured wolves. What a shot, I thought. If I lasted I would definitely need to tell Emmett about that kick.

I landed on the ground, my head to the floor. These wolves hadn't had much training; they were dropping down like flies.

The three remaining wolves charged at me. I was definitely incapable of taking out three at the same time. I turned and started to run in the opposite direction, and felt relieved as one lone tree stood there untouched by the menacing flames.

I ran towards the tree, and jumped to start climbing. My hands barely gripped the bark; it was as if I was just gliding along the side. The sudden shake of the tree made me stop and turn around. One of the three wolves copied my idea of climbing, and was now running up the tree beneath me, it's claws digging into the trunk of the tree, giving it the advantage of speed. There was no other option left for me to choose but return back down to the ground.

Where were Edward and Jake? I was running out of time.

I looked back down to the wolf and decided to take another wolf out of the fight. I somersaulted backwards of the tree, and in one quick movement, landed forcefully on the climbing wolf. My strength pushed it into the tree and his claws loosened off the tree. I grabbed the fur off of his back and jumped off the tree once more, pulling the helpless wolf with me.

Mid-air and I was swirling the wolf around my body, spinning faster and faster. I resisted the urge to bite them, my instincts near overpowering me, but I couldn't throw away the treaty we had. I couldn't do that to Jake. As I was spinning, I released my grip and watched the wolf fly straight into a nearby rock. The ear-splitting crack was nearly as loud as the thunderous collision earlier.

As I landed on the floor once more, I looked over to the wolf who lay unconscious against the rock. Another one down.

Where were Edward and Jake…?

As I turned around, I faced the 'leader' of the group. His teeth bearing, his body in an attack stance. All I could guess was this wolf was going to be the most experienced, and therefore the hardest to defeat, well, knock out. I slowly bent down into a crouch again, the wolf's mouth turned into what seemed to be a grin.

Without realising, a sudden force knocked me from behind, and sent me crashing into the floor infront of the leader. The second wolf had attacked me from behind.

I lay on the floor, unaware of the two incoming wolves, and slowly pulled myself. But then came the pain.

I screamed in agony as I felt the daggered teeth of the wolf dig into my stone flesh. It gouged into my muscle, nearly chipping the bone. Forty years without any pain or injury. Now, this excruciating pain was second to a vampire's transformation, getting closer as the bite continued on my leg.

The wolf released my leg. I looked down to a site of blood; flesh was missing, teeth marks stuck around the edge of the skin. I jumped up to defend myself but it was too late. Another jaw clamped onto the area between my shoulder and neck. I screamed once again.

Without much warning, I felt myself being picked up from the ground. I lashed my legs infront of me, and I tried to wrap my arms around the neck of my attacker, but his head was shaking from side to side, as if he was ready to throw me.

"MUM NO!!!" Nessie shouted from beyond some of the trees, and from the way she screamed, I knew this was it. Hell or heaven? The wolf started running towards something, and it wasn't until I heard the crackling of the flames till I knew where about in the fighting ring I was. The burning trees.

The wolf took one final swing then released his jaw. I closed my eyes and thought of the face I would want with me at that moment. His face stood there in perfectness, his crooked mouth smiling at me, but the dream changed as his expression go worried, and finally turned angry, Bella no. I suddenly opened my eyes and watched as I hurtled towards the consuming flames…