Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns it all.
Rated M for several reasons.
Chpt 44 Explosion
BPOV
"What if it doesn't work?" I fret. "The wolves have my shields on the fritz, I think."
"Then we're no worse off than we are now." He says easily with a little shrug of his broad shoulders.
His eyes narrow as he gazes down the canyon.
"Get ready." He orders.
In one of Elise's novels now would be a poignant moment when hero an' heroine stare meaningfully into each other's eyes an' speak of their tender an' abiding love, possibly sharing a chaste kiss. But this is me an' he is The Famed Major of the Southern Wars. So instead I get a pat on the shoulder an' he steals my hat. Cheeky bastard.
In my mind I summon up the 'settings'' that were in my head when I successfully tossed the two wolves an' using them I form a physical shield around The Major an' I. I know it's working because I deliberately dead-headed the enormous triffid like plant growing in the ground beside us. Satisfied I nod.
We watch anxiously as a phalanx of wolves charge down the canyon towards us.
The Major waits until the front rank are almost on us an' then very quietly orders "Now."
Immediately I throw my shield up towards the sky.
At first nothing seems to happen an' the first wolf leaps for The Major's throat but then with a huge rumbling crash the whole edifice, which I have lifted with my shield, collapses on top of us. The roar of tumbling rock drowns out every other sound as The Major curves his body protectively over mine.
My vampire mind knows to the millisecond how long the cliff takes to come down but a part of me will always recall it as having taken forever.
PPOV
"Well?" I ask when I can't stand the silence any longer.
"I believe you." Sam hedges. "But vampires are our enemies."
I take my hat off an' set in on the table.
"Look, Sam." I sigh. "I understand where you're comin' from but you were quite happy to work with Carlisle before you realised he's the devil in a Sunday suit. Now you know, why not work with us to avoid senseless deaths?"
"Our forefathers made a treaty with Dr Cullen." He insists stubbornly
"So make one with us." I offer.
"I cannot. A treaty can only be made by all the Elders of the tribe."
"We're runnin' outta time here Sam." I warn him, my own fear for J an' sweet thing forcin' me to push him. "Can't we just sort the mess out an' file the fuckin' paperwork later?"
Surprisingly he smiles slightly.
"One of us will need to phase to speak to the others." He says, rising to his full an' impressive height. "We must go outside."
"We'll come with you." I offer.
He nods an' the four of us follow them out into the night. I'll admit I'm mincin' a bit, butt clenched tight against the possibility we'll be attacked as soon as we're away from the bar.
BPOV
As soon as the noise peters away to a few bouncing rocks The Major rears up an' starts fighting his way out of the debris, dragging me up behind him.
Yuk! Rock dust tastes worse than human food an' for the first time since my change I actually crave a glass of water, it'll be worth chucking it up afterwards to get rid of the horrible gritty feeling in my nose an' mouth.
"Fuck." The Major growls an' I sigh. He's not much of a one for sugar coating things.
My head clears the last of the rock an' soil and I look around.
The devastation is total an' around us, buried, I can hear whimpering which indicates that at least some wolves weren't quick enough to dodge the landslide. However across the jumbled rocks, muzzles pointing towards us like arrows, sixteen wolves are snarling, their haunches bunching as they prepare to attack while we are vulnerable.
Gritting my teeth in concentration I throw my physical shield out again, blasting rock, dust an' vegetation in all directions.
An' while they're reeling an' howling from that shock The Major an' I attack.
Despite their speed an' strength fighting wolves is very different to fighting vampires. I can't describe it, it just feels wrong. They're hot flesh an' blood an' they should be easy to break but they just keep coming, descending on us in waves an' overwhelming us with numbers. Biting, clawing, tearing an' retreating to start again.
The techniques I've learnt just don't help, they bend an' twist in a way that vampires don't, even The Major is struggling against the onslaught. An' they work in pairs, one attacking an' one defending. It's all we can do to bat them away, breaking the occasional bone, which barely seems to slow them down an' there simply isn't time for me to concentrate on doing anything with my faulty physical shield. As soon as one pairing is knocked back another takes its place.
Catching The Major's grim eye I realise that we are going to have to disengage an' make another run for it soon. On some instinctive level we both recognise that this is a fight we won't win, not against these numbers.
Tooth an' claw have already left several wounds on me which are slowly leaking venom an' catching another glimpse of The Major I realise that despite his superior speed even he is starting to suffer.
Defending myself on autopilot I start rummaging around in my head. I just need everything to stop long enough for us to give it legs.
As if sensing my disconnect two sets of wolves attack me at once an' despite my reflexes I go down, my left arm ripping away with a metallic screech. Instantly The Major flies over me bearing two of the wolves to the ground with his long arms.
The other two leap after him, teeth bared an' claws fully extended.
Screaming I jump to my feet but a tidal wave of furry bodies knock me down again, biting, clawing an' rending.
In desperation I flick out my physical shield, but feel it stutter an' die. Attempting to work around the wolves must have drained me much quicker than normal.
I'm still screaming as jaws clamp down around my jugular choking off the sound.
I close my eyes an' mentally cut off the rest of my senses. Despite the fear an' pain the only thing I care about now is projecting all my love at Jasper. Love, happiness an' gratitude. I wouldn't have missed this for the world.
An' now it's time to pay.
PPOV
To my intense relief as soon as we've crossed the road into the trees Sam strips out of his clothes an' turns into a giant ass black wolf.
PPMO an' PPMT regard us nervously while we wait, watchin' Sam starin' vacantly into the distance.
Suddenly Sam takes off south like someone's lit his plumy tail on fire.
"Fuck!" I shout, rammin' my hat back on my head an' takin' off after him with the others hot on my heels. "What the fuck's goin' on?"
But there's no answer. PPMO an' PPMT have shredded their clothes an' exploded into their own wolf forms to join the chase.
Somethin' is very badly wrong.
It's frustrating to go at the wolves pace but we've no other choice. I have no idea where this apparent disaster is unfoldin' an' am totally reliant on Sam an' the PPMs. I've also got no idea where Big D is, I just hope he's fuckin' close because my BFF says we're gonna need him. Sam's right. I don't give a flyin' fuck who gets killed as long as it ain't J an' my little sister.
For an instant my nose picks out Cullen's scent, he's passed across here recently, but that devious fucker will have to wait a bit longer to get his just desserts. My family are my priority now. But after that, oh baby, I can recall some stuff from my time with Maria an' J that'll make his perfectly coiffed blonde hair curl.
BPOV
The jaws at my neck suddenly go limp an' the warm but suddenly floppy body is flung away from me an' a concerned face is thrust into mine.
"Simon." I rasp out, wondering if 'crush Bella's larynx' is a new national sport I haven't been told about.
He hauls me into a sitting position an' then stands over me in full bodyguard mode while I press my gaping flesh back together an' dart my eyes around the canyon floor desperately trying to catch up with the action. My injuries are multiple but thankfully minor, which is not to say they don't sting like a bitch so I give up trying to close all but the worst an' focus on reconnecting my poor foot. I've never thought of myself as vain but I'm mightily glad to discover than none of me has disappeared down the gullet of a wolf, I don't fancy waiting for it to reappear later.
Locating The Major my eyes follow him automatically an' I pick up on the rest of the fight by osmosis.
The Cowboy Coven are everywhere whirling, kicking punching an' biting at the suddenly outnumbered wolves.
Oh shit.
"No bitin'!" I attempt to shout but my abused throat can't manage any serious volume. "Simon, tell them no bitin' the wolves, our venom will kill them."
He turns to look at me briefly before nodding.
"NO BITING." He yells forcefully an' the wonder that is the former Volturi Guard obey without question.
Seeing The Major up an' fighting, with only a line of rapidly healing claw marks down his back to denote his recent brush with death, I let myself flop down to lie on the ground. A bizarre thing to do on a battlefield I know, but for the first time in my new life there's actually plenty of other people here to help an' the third strongest vampire on the planet to protect me.
I can't help but wince, my reattaching foot is seriously painful although the rest of my wounds are almost painless, missing the extra sting of foreign venom for once, I guess.
My little oasis of calm is rapidly eroded. Those damn wolves are as tough as old boots even though their active numbers are dwindling an' the sounds of whimpering an' whining are starting to rival the continued sounds of battle. Above me Simon is swatting them away from us like annoying flies an' casting looks back at me to see if I'll be ready to get up anytime soon.
Behind me I can smell an' feel the fire one of the fuckers must have phased back an' started in anticipation of tearin' my mate an' I limb from limb. The surge of anger that brings finally gets me back on my feet, clinging to Simon for support on my still wobbly ankle.
I don't want a pile of dead wolves, I want answers.
"Stop!" I croak.
"Mistress?" Simon questions.
"Stop them." I plead.
"How?" He enquires gesturing towards the maelstrom of violence around us before twisting me roughly behind him an' out of the path of an' oncoming wolf.
"Where's Demetri?" I ask finally realising that he an' half the coven are missing.
"He circled around with the others, we were following two different scent trails coming in, he'll be here soon the noise will guide him."
My head snaps up as Nicholas hurtles past me with murder in his eyes an' what looks like Jared firmly in his sights.
Jake sails past, upside down, a victim of one of The Major's powerful uppercuts. Twisting in mid-air he lands on all fours an' leaps for the nearest vampire, me.
With a bellow of rage The Major is on him even as Simon jerks me out of the way, pummelling Jake to the ground an' going for a fatal headlock.
He's unexpectedly saved by the arrival of another group of vampires, led by a distinctly feral looking Demetri.
Turning The Major jerks to his feet, opting instead to kick Jake's prone form into the rock wall of the canyon, temporarily out of his way.
Demetri's cold dark eyes rake over the scene narrowing as he asses the various injuries to our party.
"Kill them all!" He orders an' suddenly the pitched battle threatens to become a blood bath as the new arrivals surge forwards.
"NO!" The Major, an' I both roar at once.
The well trained Cowboy Coven hesitate. The wolves don't.
Self-preservation is a powerful thing an' something you can't truly blame anyone for.
The noise is deafening an' amidst the cacophony of sound yet more vampires an' wolves pour into the ruined canyon.
Without thinking I leap forward with Simon to defend my family.
PPOV
The scene before me is reminiscent of one of Alfredo's low budget horror movies. Blurry movements an' shit lighting from the ragin' fire.
The canyon floor is a writhing mass of bodies, vampire an' wolf, locked in a deadly battle which only the vampires are gonna win.
I've never been a dog lover but fuckin' Cullen's gonna pay for this shit.
My relief at seeing J an' my little sister alive an' in the thick of things is tempered by the carnage about to take place before me.
"I thought you were gonna fuckin' stop them!" I scream at Sam who is hovering on the brink of attempting a suicidal defence of his pack brothers.
He hesitates turning his huge wolf head to look at me.
"I can stop the vampires but you have to stop your fuckin' wolves otherwise they're all gonna die."
He nods.
"Wait for my signal." I order before yelling out. "BELLA! You have to stop them."
She casts a startled glance at me an' then nods.
Droppin' down to her knees with The Major hoverin' over her she closes her eyes an' starts mutterin' to herself.
Around us bones are breaking an' living flesh is being torn.
She looks up at me again.
"Now." I urge Sam.
Abruptly wolves are pinging off shielded vampires like hail stones off a tin roof. But instead of attacking again they start to withdraw, back towards Sam an' away from the surprised an' immobile vampires. Those of 'em that can still move anyway, we're gonna need a fleet of fuckin' ambulances for the rest.
An eerie quiet descends, broken only by the whimperin' of injured wolves.
I let out the breath I didn't realise I'd been holdin' an' Char grabs my hand givin' it a little squeeze.
Spent my little sister collapses forward onto her face an' suddenly the vampires are all mobile again. As if we've been given an order every one of us takes up position around The Major an' his mate, facing out towards the wolves.
Sam phases back, his face strained an' even I manage to resist makin' a smart ass comment about his lack of clothes.
"Report." The Major demands.
It doesn't take long an' when I'm done the rest of the wolves start phasin' back an' tendin' to their wounded.
The Major pushes past me, holdin' his almost unconscious mate tightly in his arms.
"I am sorry that you were dragged into this." He tells Sam. "And I am sorry that so many of your brothers have been injured."
Sam nods curtly but doesn't speak.
"We will assist in gettin' the injured to hospital." The Major continues. "Demetri, see to it."
"Master." Whatever his feelings about wolves Big D is already doin' as he's been asked.
"Sam." I begin, wonderin' how this will go. "I know you have a lot to deal with right now but we would still like your permission to hunt Dr Cullen."
"Find him." Sam growls, eyes darkenin' in anger. "Find him and bring him to their house outside town, we will meet you there as soon as we are able."
"Thank you." I nod respectfully.
He turns away to help the Guard with movin' the casualties. There are surprisingly few, the less injured wolves have already started to heal. Resilient fuckers.
When Nicholas an' his men have left with the wolves The Major turns to Simon.
"Put that fuckin' fire out." He orders watching impassively as the last of the embers are stamped out.
"Can you stand?" He asks sweet thing.
"Yes." She says in her little sex kitten voice. "But I'm not goin' to, I'm happy where I am."
The Major raises his eyebrow but wisely decides not to comment. Instead he fixes his deep black eyes on Demetri.
"Where. Is. He."
No prizes for guessin' who he's talkin' about.
"West of here. In the town." Demetri answers.
"Fetch him. Bring him to the Cullen house. Pete an' Char will show you where it is. An' Demetri, make sure any damage you do is repaired before you arrive. I like to punish people whole."
"Yes Master." He responds breaking out into a piratical grin.
"We need to hunt."
Quickly Demetri divides the remainin' Guard, sendin' the bulk of 'em with The Major an' orderin' the rest with us.
Before we leave Char has to indulge in some huggin' an' squealin'. Over sentimental rubbish, I manage to restrain myself to a big sloppy kiss for sweet thing. I wanted to hug J but The Major would probably have ripped my head off so I settle for clappin' him carefully on the back.
It ain't until we start to walk away that I realise Blondie an' the Bear are AWOL.