"Alice said snow, and none of us thinks 'Hey, it might get cold up there and Bella will need a heater?'." I was perched on a boulder near the tent where Bella was curled up in a sleeping bag with my boyfriend. Edward was lying on his back in the snow listening to Bella's sleepy time mumbling and Adam's quiet snores. Lucky for Bella the wolves' bodies were like mini-suns. Lucky for Adam he wasn't capable of having less than virtuous thoughts about Bella. No doubt my brother would be growling and spitting venom if he was. Instead, Edward was just feeling dejected, both because we hadn't foreseen Bella needing something more than a sleeping bag to keep her warm and because he couldn't be the one to help her.
"Too many wolves around. Alice didn't see this." Edward's words were forlorn. I rolled my eyes.
"Just because Alice is the designated planner in the family doesn't mean we can't think for ourselves." I was just as annoyed at myself as everyone else. But really, who expects as freak snowstorm in the middle of May? Well, Alice did see the storm, but none of us considered just how cold it would get up here on the mountain. Sorry Edward. I really should have considered it.
"No sense in blaming yourself or anyone. It was an oversight and we're lucky Adam was willing to play space heater for her tonight. I'm really grateful to both of you," Edward said softly. I tilted my head down towards him.
"Both of us?" I asked curiously.
"Him for helping her and you for keeping me company. I'm sure I would just sit around brooding if you hadn't come with him tonight." Edward said with a hint of wry amusement. I giggled.
"No doubt." Something on your mind you want to talk about? Not that the whole popsicle Bella fiasco isn't enough to get you started, but you know I'm always here if you need to chat.
"Thanks, Lei, but I'm actually doing okay. Once we get Victoria taken care of, my only concern will be Bella's change. I am rapidly coming to terms with that reality, selfish though it may be." I could tell from the way his voice carried that he had turned his face towards the tent again. "I want her to have her human experiences, I do, but she's so fragile. Every day she's human is another chance for fate to tear her away from me forever."
Is she still refusing to budge on the semester at Dartmouth? I thought the question hesitantly. Edward sighed.
"Of course she is. She's Bella," he said, managing to somehow make his words both an accusation and a commendation all at once. Edward had told Bella that he wanted to prove he was willing to try sex on their honeymoon without the need for compromising something in exchange. If he'd been hoping she wouldn't jump on the chance to say no to the semester of college she'd previously agreed to, he'd been mistaken. She had tried to mollify Edward by saying she was willing to have an extra long honeymoon.
Cheer up, Edward. You have until the end of August to change her mind. You're already accepted and the house isn't going anywhere. Edward already had a house purchased for the two of them, a beautiful cottage on Cullen land near the Dartmouth campus. It was a few miles from the house my family had stayed in a few decades ago. They would be a newlywed couple, so naturally they would need somewhere they could escape from the rest of the family. I tried to keep my mind from wandering in more risqué directions when I considered this, I don't think I was completely successful because Edward groaned.
"Sorry," I said aloud, before letting my thoughts turn to the battle tomorrow. For the next few hours, I went over different scenarios in my head with Edward adding sarcastic commentary or helpful suggestions depending on the scenario. I wasn't nervous about the fight, not in the way Bella was. I was optimistic about the odds and didn't think we'd have any trouble routing the newborns. There were only two things that bothered me. The first was Victoria, since Alice hadn't seen her coming with her army. The second was the Volturi, who had sent a handful of the guard to investigate the slaughter in Seattle. I wasn't going to worry about either problem tonight, though. I didn't want to add to Edward's stress level. Or my own.
As dawn approached, Edward moved back into the tent as we both recognized the change in Bella's breathing. A few minutes later, Bella was awake and complaining about being too hot. Adam yawned and gave her a big, smacking kiss on the forehead before he slipped out of the sleeping bag.
"Seth's on his way up. At least I think its Seth," I offered from outside, hearing the wolf howl down the trail we'd left last night. When I pushed my hearing, I heard him running. He wasn't in a hurry, but he would be here in a few minutes.
"Probably need to get going then," Adam said quietly. I heard Bella whimper softly. Either she was rethinking her complaint about the heat or she didn't appreciate being reminded why we were up here in the middle of snowstorm. I climbed down from my boulder and slipped into the tent. Edward had anticipated my entrance and zipped the flap open and shut for me so that very little of the precious warmth inside the tent escaped. I found myself immediately folded up in Adam's arms.
"Good morning, Lei-love," he murmured against my hair, still groggy from sleep. I pressed a kiss against his collar bone and he jumped a little from the chill. I would have pulled away but he squeezed me tighter for a moment, until Edward cleared his throat. Adam grinned sleepily as he pulled away and leaned down to press his warm hands against Bella's face.
"Get a little more sleep if you can, Bells. It will be over before you know it and you can stop worrying so much," he said gently. Bella looked up at him with sad, guilty eyes.
"If anyone gets hurt..." She trailed off when Adam put a finger over her mouth. He glanced up at me and I sighed. I had listened to him trying to tell her last night that it wasn't her fault, so no doubt he was frustrated and didn't know what else to say. I doubted there was anything else we could say to make her feel better about the situation, but I repeated what I'd been saying over and over for the last week.
"This is not your fault. You aren't responsible for Victoria's decisions," I said firmly. Then I crouched down and put my hand on top of the sleeping bag, unwilling to touch her with my icy skin. She had other ideas, however. She reached out of her warm cocoon and grabbed my hand in both of hers, eyes panicked.
"Please, Leia, don't go. Stay here with us," she begged, looking at Edward as if to beg him to add his persuasion to hers. Edward looked as if he might say something but I thought at him quickly. Not a chance, brother mine. I go where Adam goes.
"We've been over this a dozen and one times, Bella. Trust us. Thirteen wolves and seven well trained vampires will make quick work of eighteen newborns. This fight will be over before you know it," I said softly.
"Just...be careful," she pleaded, defeat evident in her deep, chocolate brown eyes. She turned to Adam then. "Please, both of you."
"If he gets hurt, I won't speak to him for days. That oughta be motivation enough for him," I teased gently. Adam clutched his chest and moaned dramatically.
"Anything but that. I cannot live without the sound of your voice." I heard Edward sigh softly and giggled, dragging Adam to the tent flap. Edward let us out. We moved a ways from the tent and I stopped, a wave of dread sweeping over me as I tilted my head towards Adam's face. His reflection in my glasses showed a solemn frown. I put both hands on his face.
"I was serious you know. Don't get hurt, Adam, for the sake of my sanity," I said softly. Adam wrapped his arms around me and held me close, placing his soft lips against mine.
"The feeling is more than mutual and you know it," he murmured. "Don't leave my side, Leia. Not for a second once the fighting starts."
"Not unless the fight demands it, my love." It was the whole reason behind the fighting style we had adapted with Jasper's help. Adam could be my eyes and I could be his arms. As a pair, we had even beat Edward once during sparring. Jasper had won a hefty sum of money off Emmett that night, much to my amusement. Now, if we could just do as well against the newborns.
"Aww, you two are so sweet you're giving me a sugar rush." Adam's head came up as Seth Clearwater stepped into the clearing. I gave the young wolf a cheeky grin and stepped away from my mate, who immediately leapt at Seth, grabbing the smaller boy in a headlock. It was nice to see Adam playing with another boy from the pack. How Seth and Leah Clearwater could have such different personalities, I failed to understand.
"Uncle! Let go, you furry oaf!" Seth called, laughing all the time. Adam let him go and ruffled his hair.
"How's that for a sugar rush?" Adam said smugly and then jumped nearly a foot when Seth goosed him. I chuckled at their play. I heard Edward explain to Bella what was going on outside and she giggled. I was glad to hear amusement from her at this juncture.
"Do you really think they'll be okay?" she asked softly of Edward inside the tent.
"They'll take care of each other, Bella. It will be alright," he answered her gently and I was warmed by Edward's confidence. My visuals dimmed for a moment as Adam phased. I waved at Seth and then followed Adam as he sprinted down the mountain to the snow covered field where everyone else was gathered.
"How is Bella?" Carlisle asked, coming over to stand next to us while Jasper gave the wolves a final pep talk.
"She's still blaming herself for everything. I really hope we can get out of this without any major injuries or she'll be inconsolable," I said with a sigh. "She's even feeling guilty about keeping Edward out of the fight, worried we'll be at a distinct disadvantage without him."
"She's right to think we would have it easier with him down here, but I don't think we have anything to worry about either way," Carlisle said confidently. Jasper was done talking to the wolves so he made his way over to us.
"They're coming like we'd hoped, following Bella's trail. Alice says they'll split up before they come into the clearing. The pack is going to circle around behind us to get the second group."
"The Volturi?" I asked hesitantly. When Alice had announced three days ago that members of the Volturi guard were in Seattle, it had put all of us on alert. Jasper was sure they were only in the area to check into the obvious vampire activity in Seattle. I had no doubt they would be checking in on Bella. Carlisle didn't seem concerned about it, so I was willing to have faith in his ability to handle the situation.
"Alice doesn't see them approaching them yet. They are following from a distance," Jasper said, a hint of anger in his voice.
"Why aren't they taking care of them? I thought you said they wipe out this kind of blatant vampirism without mercy." I asked in confusion, wondering why they would have allowed the newborns to continue their rampage in Seattle as long as they had. Jasper sighed.
"They will wait to see the outcome of this battle. Why sully their hands when they can let us do their dirty work? I doubt they would be terribly concerned if the newborns wiped us out either. Edward says they are worried that our coven is too powerful. They wouldn't dare attack us without provocation, so why not let us face an army of angry newborns?"
When Jasper put it that way, I could see that being the reasoning behind the Volturi's actions. Or lack of them, as it were. My family was peaceful, but in the eyes of the Volturi we wielded tremendous power due to our size and the powerful gifts we possessed. If they couldn't have Edward and Alice in their ranks, they would feel safer if they were eliminated all together. I now understood Jasper's anger. Beside me, Adam growled, obviously echoing Jasper's ire.
"We will deal with the guard when the time comes. We have enough to handle with the newborns. Get to your places," Carlisle said sharply. I buried my hand in Adam's fur and we walked to our place in the center of the field. I listened as the newborns crashed through the undergrowth. Graceful as our kind could be, these were not concerned with stealth. I heard a familiar voice, Riley, tell them to split up into two groups. One would come at us directly and the others would circle around to ambush us if we tried to retreat. It was the ambush party that the wolves were after.
"Riley, where are you going?" One of the other newborns hissed quietly, too quietly to be heard by anyone else in our party. It was the only thing I had to report of interest.
"Why is he leaving the group? Maybe to meet up with Victoria? He seems to be a little older than the rest. Maybe her lieutenant of sorts." Jasper speculated. "They'll let the newborns do their worst and sit out the battle. Ah, no time to worry about that. Here they come."
The newborns came out of the woods snarling, their blood red eyes bright with bloodlust. My father stepped forward and offered them on out.
"There is no need to fight. Any who wish to talk without violence, please stand down and we will spare your lives." His voice was low and mesmerizing. How anyone could listen to him and not be swayed was beyond me. But the newborns were obviously twisted, because they didn't heed his warning.
"Don't listen to him. Riley told us not to trust the strange yellow eyed ones!" one of them snarled.
"Yes, don't trust them. I smell the human. I want it!" another one screamed. They had come for Bella, and her scent was heavy here, especially centered on Adam, who had spent the night curled up with their prey. They cried about the odd, pungent smell nearly cloaking the enticing scent, but pushed forward regardless.
"Find her. Kill them. Seattle will be ours!"
"They killed Mark and Amanda. Make them pay."
Those were a few of the comments I heard as they rushed at us. My father's sigh of disappointment carried to me as he stepped back and my heart ached for him. He, more than any of us, hated that we had been forced to this, but he knew we had little choice. It was kill or be killed in this case and even Carlisle agreed that we had the right to defend ourselves. My family was in a loose semi-circle, but as the newborns came closer Jasper and Emmett rushed forward, followed closely by their mates. Adam and I took the left and Carlisle and Esme darted right. Behind us, to the west, I heard the wolves howl as they attacked the second group of newborns.
"Keep them separated if you can." Jasper's hissed comment was really unnecessary as he'd driven that idea into all our heads over the last week. Adam managed to cut a larger male out of the larger group and while the lumbering newborn, nearly the size of Emmett, tried his best to get his arms around Adam's body, I leapt on his back. He was headless in a faction of a second. None too soon because another newborn managed to get an arm around my waist. Luckily they weren't smart enough to use their strength to squeeze. Instead they just flung me away from their fallen comrade. I crashed into the newborn that was fighting with Carlisle and Esme.
"Hi Mom, Dad," I said breathlessly. Carlisle grunted without comment as he beheaded the newborn quickly now that it was distracted and Esme helped me up. I kissed Esme's cheek and then leapt back across the clearing to help Adam finish off the female that had tossed me.
"Be more careful!" Esme called after me. I waved a hand in her direction before I spun around Adam and kicked the newborn's legs out from under them. We quickly turned her into a jigsaw puzzle. And as quickly as that, it was over. Or so I thought.
"Is that all of them? Adam, is the pack finished?" I asked as my family began to gather twitching body parts into a pile. As if to answer my question, the wolves started coming out of the woods with more fuel for our bonfire. I was distracted from the macabre procession when Adam whined beside me and then turned his eyes towards the east. Towards Edward and Bella.
"What's going on?" I demanded when some of the wolves set up howling. Sam came out of the woods then, in human form.
"Victoria and one of the newborns caught Edward's scent. Edward and Seth are taking care of things." He didn't sound distressed. In fact, once he'd delivered the news, he turned back into the forest to phase. I wasn't so calm. In fact, I was already moving across the field at a dead sprint, headed up the mountain. Jasper anticipated my move, flashing into my path and catching me around the waist.
"Let me go, Jazz. I can help them," I said desperately, unable to keep the fear out of my voice. Adam's vision blurred as he took human form in the middle of the field. Jasper sent waves of calm at me so strong that if I'd been human, I would have dozed off. I went limp in his arms and he passed me off to Adam.
"Edward can easily handle Victoria and one newborn with Seth's help. It's too late for us to be of any assistance anyway," Jasper said gently. I growled at him, or tried to. I didn't have the energy to do more than grumble as I hung in Adam's arms. I knew Jasper was right. It was too late to do anything. But no amount of borrowed calm could keep me from worrying.
"Seth and Edward had it well in hand, Leia. I promise. They've got a plan worked out. The bad guys won't get anywhere near Bella," Adam said quietly. I put my hands on his face and tilted my eyes towards his.
"You can't know that," I said sadly. Adam hugged me close.
"So little faith in your brother, my love?" he asked, a hint of teasing in his voice. I wrinkled my nose and he kissed it.
"I'm more worried about Bella's track record in these situations. She isn't going to be happy sitting back while Edward and Seth fight. She's liable to try something stupid if she thinks either of them are in serious danger. Like spilling her own blood," I said seriously. Adam sighed.
"Maybe we shouldn't have told her the story of the Third Wife. She would try something like that." He listened to the howling of the wolves for a moment and then grinned. It didn't sound like the wolves were angry or sad or shocked. "Things are going well, I think. No worries."
"There's still plenty to worry about. Put some clothes on, mutt, and help the rest of the pack so you can get out of here before the Volturi show up," Rosalie said with a snarl from across the field. Adam glanced over to see the sour expression on her face. I was suddenly aware of the fact that I was pressed against my mate's lean, muscled body from the chest down. His very bare body. I was glad for Jasper's lethargic calm at that precise moment, because it helped me battle the urge to run my hands over every inch of his skin in wicked curiosity. I felt a flare of heat as Adam blushed, releasing me quickly to run into the woods. I don't think he'd ever moved away from me so fast.
Chapter End Notes:
Nope, no Bree. Hope I didn't disappoint anyone, but the fight at the fairgrounds changed things.