Chapter 7 Claiming the Prize

Victor POV

I went to contact the convention to leave a message for Carlisle as to what had happened. I left to meet up with him and bring him back to the manor. Esme was at the manor where I insisted she stay under the protection of my coven. Percy would watch over her for me.

"How do you do sir? I need to leave a message for Dr. Cullen concerning his wife." I said to the woman at the information and message center, where messages could be left for conventioneers to check.

"Are how talking about Dr. Carlisle Cullen?" she asked surprised. Then I saw something register on her face. "Oh dear, you haven't heard. Let me get someone for you; hold on a minute sir. I'll be right back," she said as she scurried off with a pained expression on her face.

What was going on? That's when I started to pay attention to the humans around me. I heard whisperings refer to the tragic accident… the earthquake…heroic doctor…his sacrifice made…the poor American widow… who's going to tell her? By the time some one returned to me, I had listened enough to understand what had happened. It may also explain the apparent anxiety attack my Esme suffered as it was more than likely some kind of severing of a bond of some sort. She would survive this. I would make sure of it.

Professor Peter Johnson and Dr. Penelope Brock came over to explain what they witnessed in the second car that was following the other one as the tragic accident occurred involving the five doctors from the convention. "Thanks to Dr. Cullen's heroics," she was explaining, "all the other doctors in that car were saved. He never had a chance when the car exploded," Dr. Brock explained. "We are all in deep mourning for our friend."

"Will you offer our deepest condolences to his wife and let her know if there is anything we can do for her, to please get in contact with me, personally," said Professor Johnson as he handed me his business card.

I knew the place they were referring to. It was close to some old caverns I used to hide in as a child when I wanted to get away or hide out from my folks. I immediately went to see if things were as dire as reported by these unobservant humans.

Sure enough, I found the sink hole with the remainder of the burned out vehicle still in it as the road was too difficult to traverse with the area so torn up by the quake. I decided to dig a little deeper. I saw evidence of finger marks as one would make when digging a hole furiously. If he were fast enough, he may have made it out, but the drop would have seriously incapacitated him unless the flames followed him down to the cavern floor. Percy and I had discovered a material encased in the centuries old rock formations that are actually strong enough to cause harm to even our impenetrable vampire skin. That and the approximate hundred feet drop would be enough to render a vampire some serious injuries. We had decided not to pursue studying the stone in case someone else got a hold of their properties and then our secret was out.

I carefully followed the pattern of the digging just to see what I would find. I was able to open up enough of a hole to see the poorly lit cavern below. I shined a penlight into the hole to find what I expected: a broken, unmoving vampire lying motionless on the floor of the cave. I closed the opening I had so carefully dug. I decided to help out my human neighbors by removing the vehicle from the hole and repairing the road somewhat. I repaired just enough to make it impossible to discern where the grave of our heroic doctor could be found. I dismantled the car into scrap metal on the side of the road. Salvagers would pick it up and all evidence of the accident would be lost. The humans would blame nature and aftershocks for the mystery. No one would know.

Finally, after I had taken care of everything, showered, changed and destroyed any evidence of being anywhere near the site, I returned to my Esme around 7:30 PM; Carlisle would not be with me; nor had I intended to return with him once I found out what had happened. It was better than I could have planned myself. It seems nature had helped me out. Who was I to argue with nature?

She was mine. I would help her through this horrible loss. I would win her over and make her my mate. I put on my pained expression and went to relay the horrible news to my future mate. Her reaction had been expected. That is why I asked Andrew to stay close by. His powers for subduing emotions from a person, human or vampire were necessary. If I could keep her unattached and unfeeling long enough, then I could make this plan work. "Andrew!" I yelled, "We need you! Get in here now!" I snapped at my coven member as my poor Esme received the horrible news.

"CARLISLE!" She screamed his name again. She reminded me of the way humans behave when they would go insane during periods of grief and loss.

"Victor, what is going on?" asked the vampire who suddenly appeared at the doorway. He was always reluctant to use his powers on others. It was too good a power for a vampire with a conscience. Andrew was a kind, gentle soul with a weapon of mass destruction that could serve as an excellent primary attack should we ever need it.

"CARLISLE!" Her breath started hitching and sawing rapidly. She was in a lot of pain I could tell as her knees buckled as I held her. I wanted him to put a stop to it. I had to get him to comply immediately so I appealed with his kinder nature of wanting to help others. "Put her under, now. She is going into hysterics. Her husband was killed today, Andrew. She needs your help. She needs to feel nothing for a while. Put her under, Please!" I screamed at him. He complied.

"CARLISLE!" she howled once more and then she stopped.

This was my opportunity. I held her close to me. Her body was flush with mine, sobs still momentarily escaping her. I whispered in her ear as I held her body close to mine. "It's okay baby. Victor has you now. You are safe. I will protect you. I will take care of you. Don't worry about anything." Then I thought about it. She would want…no, need more than just a protector as a lover. I said the words I had never said to anyone to solidify my place in her heart. "I love you, my Esme. I am yours forever. It may be hard now but you will come to see how good this can be." I felt her body move against mine and I reacted. At least my body reacted as I felt my desire immediately displaying itself in reaction to her.

I needed to be careful because the way things were going, I did not want to give her news of her husband's death and take her in the same evening. Besides, Percy and I needed to travel back to the caverns and do some damage control to eliminate any possibility of the good doctor's return. It had to be done. Nothing would interfere with my plans. She was mine, maybe more than I was aware. I lifted her up and carried her to a guest room.

Although vampires don't sleep, Andrew's ability can put you in a coma like state so that you are not reacting to anything. It is the closest thing to sleep, I have ever felt. It was almost dreamlike when I had him put me under once about a month ago. I dreamed of my conquest of the coven and pulling in some others to serve under me. I even had a list of humans to join my coven once I became leader. It was a pleasant enough experience. I hoped she would dream of me after my declarations of love, I had just given her. Surely that has given her something to think about.

"Percy! We need to go. Where is my father? I asked to be certain there would be no interference in my plans.

"He and Karyn are helping out some of the local farmers that were affected by the quake while you and Mrs. Cullen were away. Would you like me to locate him for you?" he answers snidely.

Percy was a loyal friend and confidant. He would help me in what I needed to do. When I initially shared with him what had happened to us, he insisted on joining me. He was no fool. He wanted to share in the power and wealth that was pending. We later found out about the other drawbacks; no sleep, no love, no ties other than our own, but we learned to live with it. "We have a little disposal job to complete and a small purple bonfire to hold to celebrate my upcoming mating." I said. "No one will take from me, what I have claimed as my own."

"Noooo," my friend chided, "not like you just did to someone else."

Carlisle POV

**flashback**

Even with my vampire strength and seemingly unbreakable body. I received lots of damage. I surmised this was due to my skin's resiliency being weakened from exposure to the flames as the car exploded in front of me. I was several hundred feet underground, one of my arms was twisted and torn nearly off. I had cracked ribs and my knee joint felt ripped out of place. I was feeling actual physical pain for the first time in decades. My mind did a sort of escape manuever. I was aware but shut down in a manner; some sort of self perseveration aspect, I assumed.

I was suddenly roused into wakefulness, not that I was asleep, just lacking any energy or strength. I had to assess my injuries and work to repair what I could before any permanent damage might occur. My arm and my knee seemed to be the worst injuries; both incapacitating me. I saw a pinpoint of light and smelled vampire, the scent belonged to Victor. He was here. He found me; but no help came. He did not even acknowledge that I was here by calling down to me or letting me know he was getting help. It's like he was just checking to make sure I was here but not rescued.

I had a very grave feeling I was in mortal danger in the state I was in now and I needed to pull myself together literally. I now understood that Victor would be back to finish what nature had started. I knew that scent of evilness and deception. I had spent too much time with the Volturi to not recognize the betrayal and deceit I smelled.

Esme; her scent was still on him. I could smell his intentions toward her. He was bolder now, not hiding it anymore. At that moment I realized she was in trouble from this corrupt soul. This realization spurred my soul into action. That bastard would never harm her; not if I could help it and until I was in a burning pyre of purple smoke, nothing would stop me from saving her.

I willed myself up and grabbed and readjusted my knee with my good hand. "Ahhhhhhhhhhh God!" That was painful! My breath was sawing but I kept going. I dragged myself to a nearby underground river. I worked furiously to clean up my nearly severed arm. It was broken completely below the elbow, with the bone protruding out the side. I tore the sleeve away and braced myself to realign the bones. This was going to hurt also. I had to get it done quickly. If I didn't succeed the first time, I may not have the strength to try again.

I removed my shirt by tearing the remaining side down the seam; I braced my upper arm next to my already healing ribs using my belt and applied a tourniquet to tighten it. I had to stop and count to 20 slowly as the pain subsided from the hastily made brace. After I calmed myself enough, I grabbed the lower arm and yanked it back into place as hard and as quickly and as I could. "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" I screamed and trembled with the excruciating pain. There was no point trying to mask the scream. It also helped to let out some of my frustration.

For the first time in my life, I was filled with a murderous intent and bore no apologies for it. Messing with me was one thing, but this man was going to try something with my wife and I would kill him for that. No one harms Esme. I promised her I would never allow any harm to come to her again. He was not about to make me break that promise.

I caught my reflection in the underground river. I was far from the Carlisle everyone knew. I was now the monster I had always tried to avoid. I licked the wounds around the arm sealing it with my venom. I wrapped it up in the remnants of the shirt. I needed to feed. This type of trauma to my body could make even me dangerous to humans. I needed to hunt, prepare for a confrontation, and save my wife with probably less than a couple of hours to work with. I sniffed the air and moved toward my prey.