A/N's: Merry Christmas and a happy new year to you all. I hope you had a fantastic time whichever way you celebrated. I missed you, did you miss me?
More A/N's at the end, because I know you just want to read on.....
Ch27 Versus
I watched as James made his way to the centre of the clearing, he stopped next to the fire and grinned at me, his hands clasped together in front of his chest. The glow of the embers turned the pallid grey of his face, a burnished umber colour, and I'm sure the heat felt divine next to his cool skin.
"Lycans?" I whispered, "You have the protection of Lycans?" All around the clearing, the animals growled; I couldn't be sure if it was in agreement with my statement or defiance. "But Lycans are the sworn enemy of Vampires, James. How can this be?"
He grinned at me and then ducked his head, as if in bashful amusement.
"Where are your guards?" I whispered.
He raised only his eyes to look back up at me and shrugged. "My guards will join us soon enough, Isabella. They need time to – change."
I stared at him in horror. "You've – changed them?"
"Well, I am new to this, so one or two may have succumbed to my – bloodlust, shall we say. But yes, after my initial – hiccup – I can honestly say the rest are coming along rather nicely."
With his words, I noticed the crimson ring highlighting the iris of his eyes. He seemed to widen them just for my benefit, as if to confirm his words and my realisation.
He wasn't here to sate his thirst, for he was not thirsty.
"What are you doing here? What more could there possibly be?" I knew his answer before he spoke it; I feared it even. He wanted me. "You're not thirsty, James. You don't need us, any of us. Your creation of an army has finally begun, and it's all you ever wanted."
"Not true," he murmured. "You forget I also want you, Isabella."
I was right but I did not feel triumphant.
He was here to claim what he deemed his property. He had always been under the illusion I was his for the taking but I had given him enough already. What was left belonged to another. I had already been too generous with James. If he wanted more, I would rather die first than let him take me again. Even the powerful hypnotic state of mind Mary Alice's drugs could produce would not be enough to see me through another sexual encounter with him.
From the corner of my eye, I noticed Edward take a step towards me. He had approached Hale and Carlisle when we had first reached the clearing so now we were separated by metres of grass and the shaking forms of the prisoners and guards. Groups of women were huddled together, crying and trembling as the Lycan's stood close by, salivating whilst deep growls rumbled through their chests. The men looked terrified but stood facing their threat, for to act cowardly in front of the others was not an option. But with each wide-eyed stare, their faces held a trembling lip and shaking hands. I could sense the trepidation, the fear, the intense uncertainty of how painful their deaths would be, for it was a guarantee that a human would not – could not – defeat these beings.
I thought of the massacre, and wondered, if these abominations bit, would the prisoner's change?
The sliver of horror at the many bloody and agonizing deaths that could be inflicted on these innocent people crept down my back. But what was more awful than any death they could endure, was the possibility that they would become just like their killers.
There were so many to save, and so few who were capable to do it. I could see no escape and I had to resolve that there would be fatalities. There was only Edward and I who stood a chance at fighting. But it was likely we would all perish for we were outnumbered.
"How did you do this?" I referred to the monsters that stood waiting.
"I made a deal," James replied. Behind him, one Lycan stepped forward. His fur was so black it looked blue by the light of the fire. He edged nearer to James and finally stopped at his side. James glanced sideways at him, and frowning, he took one step forward so the Lycan was watching over his shoulder instead of next to him.
"Lycan's and Vampires have fought against each other for decades, Isabella, but sadly, Lycan's haven't habited this area for many years. They have finally returned only to find a new threat exists here, which makes it one too many supernatural beings for their liking." James drummed his fingers together and smiled at me. "As you know, I have ways of making my case heard. I simply agreed to give them something in return for their assistance."
"What could you possibly promise them? What do you have that they could want?" Edward asked from behind James. I watched him narrow his eyes and listen to the answer before the reply was spoken out loud.
James turned his head and finally acknowledged Edward's presence and question. "It's simple, Edward. I promised them you and your comrade, Jacob. I may have also thrown in the weak and feeble that you now associate with, as an extra bonus." James gestured with his hand to those who cowered around us. "Let's call them an entree." He laughed and scanned the prisoners once more. As his eyes fell upon some, they hid their faces and sobbed in terror.
"And what do you get in return?" I asked my voice barely audible.
"I get you, Isabella," he laughed and turned back round to face me.
"You get nothing!" Edward roared. "You're a fool, James." He started laughing, a high, hysterical shrill that rang around the trees and echoed in our ears. I stared at him, dumbfounded, but he was watching the black Lycan stood at James' shoulder. "You fool," Edward repeated over and over. "You fool. He has you right where he wants you! You get nothing."
James' smile dropped. Edward's laughter had gotten to him too, it was maniacal. Edward continued to watch the Lycan as he mocked James. It was enough to convince him. Tilting his head, James looked from the corner of his eye at the Lycan.
"Do you deceive me, Aro?" Turning, he faced the creature and held his hands out with his palms up, his question still awaiting a response.
The Lycan grumbled deep from within his chest. He stretched his arms out and threw his head back, howling at the night sky. His torso twisted and heaved as he breathed deeper. It was intriguing to watch, like something inside reached out from within him, pushing against the flesh and muscle in a bid to break free. His legs began to tremble, and with a mighty roar that sounded like an animal trapped in hellish agony, he morphed from Lycan to man. His cries followed his transformation from feral beast to tortured soul, as his body shook with the sheer force of the change. His bones cracked and his spine popped, causing him to straighten then fall to his knees as his frame readjusted to his human form. It was not an easy conversion, not at all like the shape shifters who seemed to almost meld into their chosen appearance as easily as stripping ones clothes. The Lycan's suffered for their curse but I felt no pity as I watched him kneel and tremble, taking time to adjust before standing to face James, breathing deep and uneven.
Aro was tall. His hair, as black as his fur had been, was loose and long, hanging in pin straight lines around his face. It shone in the moonlight, as if its texture was sleek and soft. His face was mature but not old. His eyes were wide but his lips small. He stood naked and pale; a light smattering of hair adorned his chest and trailed down his stomach to his groin. I glanced away. He was handsome in humanity but there was something so completely sinister about him. If I had met him as a man and not known of the monster within, I had no doubt my fear would still be as strong.
"I asked you a question, Aro." James was worried, his voice was high, and despite the current situation we were in, his concern made me happy.
"I gave you my word," Aro replied. His voice was low and he spoke well, his accent telling me he was an Englishman. "Do you doubt that?" he asked James.
"All I know, Aro, is that he can tell me more about your thoughts than even you can."
"Really?" Aro stepped closer to James. "That is fascinating, but I asked you a question. Do you doubt my word?"
"Of course I do," James spat.
Aro started to chuckle, he reached out and tugged on a dirty blonde tendril of James' hair. "Of course you do. But let me assure you," Aro turned to face me, his fingers still holding James' hair, "she will belong to one of us by the end of this night."
Before the final words were spoken, Edward roared, and in a blur, launched himself across the space separating us. As his body left the ground, four Lycan's also pounced, grabbing his torso and legs in mid flight.
People screamed and sobbed as all five of them tumbled to the ground. The thud of their dense, impenetrable bodies hitting the frozen soil echoed round the trees, causing birds to take flight and the floor beneath our feet to shake.
Edward was strong, he had strength like no other I had ever seen or known, but four Lycan's held him down and all he could do was struggle within their grasp. Lycan's matched vampires in strength; they were the only known method of killing a vampire aside from other vampires, for their teeth could bite through his skin like a knife cutting butter.
The feral roars ripping from Edward's chest terrified me. He sounded like a trapped animal. He lifted his head from the floor and snow and soil adhered to his cheek. His frantic eyes found mine.
He looked desperate; each deadened vein in his neck stood out from under his marble skin, pronounced as he valiantly fought to free himself from their claws. The strain of his brute strength battling with theirs was evident, but fruitless.
He was trapped.
James started laughing, throwing his head back as he clapped his hands together; jovial despite the animalistic confrontation, jovial because of it.
"Edward!" I screamed then turned my pleas to them. "Don't hurt him, please don't hurt him!" I cried out to the animals holding him, rushing towards them with my arms outstretched.
A Lycan advanced, hitting me full force in the chest with its shoulder, but instead of us both falling backwards to the ground as anticipated, a jolt of electricity threw him off me. I watched in shock as his wolf guise changed in mid air and the naked, smaller form of the man inside, landed with a thud on the ground at James' feet. He lay on the snowy grass, shaking and crying out in agony. His change had occurred quicker than Aro's had but was no less painful. I hadn't planned it, I hadn't even thought of it. It was almost as though my body's natural instinct for survival had surpassed my minds.
"You fucking bitch!" James stopped laughing and stared in disbelief at me and then at the naked man lying unconscious on the ground. "You fucking crafty little whore."
"You watch your mouth," Edward yelled and managed to shake off two Lycan's, his rush of venom-filled adrenalin energising him for one last attempt at freeing himself. But no sooner had he shook them off they were on him again.
I watched in horror as Edward managed to get off the ground, and kneeling, he thrashed as they struggled to contain him. Edward pushed at the Lycan to his left. Stumbling backwards, the Lycan advanced again, but this time he buried his teeth into Edward's bicep, making his hold on him unbreakable. As Edward continued to fight, the fangs of the Lycan went deeper into his usually impenetrable flesh until the limb was severed and the Lycan stood dazed and bloody, holding Edward's left arm in his mouth.
Shaking his head, the Lycan threw it carelessly towards the dying embers of the fire. It missed and landed with a dull thud on the other side of the flames. The Lycan had turned back to Edward and didn't notice his error.
I stared in shock at Edward's arm. For a moment it lay still, unmoving, but suddenly the fingers latched onto the ground then slowly and mindlessly it started to drag itself towards its owner again. I glanced around and knew that no one else had noticed this phenomenon. If a vampire was torn to pieces, it could never be reassembled if it was burnt. The Lycan had missed when tossing it to the fire. I had to make sure no one noticed so that Edward could be whole again.
I tried to edge nearer to the fire as Edward continued to writhe and scream. The Lycan's covered him completely and I screamed too as his cries became suffocated by their bulk.
In my distraction, James was upon me. His hand threaded into my hair and held my head so that I looked up at him. My hands clung to his shoulders and as I stared at him; his eyes were like the pits of hell and his nearness confused me. In that moment, all was forgotten.
Everything – my new life, my new abilities – vanished in this man's presence. In my befuddled mind, I was not a vampire too; I had no knowledge of my powers or strength. I was no longer immortal. I was simply Bella, weak and scared and held prisoner in the arms of the most evil person to ever walk this earth. Edward, my Edward, was hurt and unable to reach me and James' never wavering ability to petrify me was astounding.
His eyes held nothing, no life, no soul, no compassion. They were empty which was more terrifying than a murderous glare, for that at least held emotion.
His barren eyes made me forget everything. I felt an icy shiver caress me.
His breath fanned out across my face, his scent sweet like Edward's but his venom tinged with something different. I imagined it was the essence of malevolence that tainted him, making his venom less desirable and more toxic. A vampire's venom was their secret weapon. It was accountable for their attractive appearance and alluring scent. It uninhibited the human until its deadly heat wormed its way into their body and poisoned the blood till nothing remained except the lifeless shell of a human used for food. Or the lifeless shell of a vampire; seeking its first meal.
"I love to feel you in my arms," James purred.
In the far recesses of my mind, I vaguely recognised the agonised cries of a man in pain. It dawned on me a moment later that it was Edward who cried out. I glanced towards him and saw that the Lycan's had not moved, they hadn't hurt him, the infliction upon Edward was heartfelt. If it was physical pain, he could at least endure that.
"Don't you touch her!" he cried, "don't you dare fucking touch her!"
Edward's profanity only fuelled James' amusement. Without looking up from me, he replied, "I'll touch her whenever I like, my friend, whereas you won't have the ability to." His eyes quickly flickered over to Edward's frame. The Lycan's had him on his feet. One held his head, the others his remaining limbs. They stood ready and waiting for permission to tear him apart.
As I raised my head up, as far as James' hand would allow, Edward's eyes found and held my own. His silent apology screamed at me.
The sands of time trickled fast and sure, drifting into a grainy heap at the bottom of the hourglass, and beneath its downpour sat every dream and every desire we had felt for the eternity we had promised one other. It was all quickly vanishing before our eyes.
What was I doing? I needed to fight.
James turned his face back round to mine, his nose brushed the tip of my own. I could taste him on my tongue. His very nearness made me want to vomit. The human act was still fresh in my memory but my new form did not permit me to purge.
For a brief moment, James watched me. The air I breathed was gently sucked up into his mouth, his lips were parted. His eyes narrowed and he ran his tongue across his lower lip, tasting me there. His nostrils flared. Straightening slowly, he pulled me with him, but didn't release me. He narrowed his eyes, and I watched as realisation dawned there.
"You, too, are a vampire?" his voice was hushed but it was enough to capture the attention of all around us.
The Lycan's hesitated, their struggle to hold onto Edward momentarily forgotten. The prisoners gasped and turned to look at me, including Hale, Mary Alice, and my Aunt Irina. But it was my father whom I sought out. His reaction meant everything to me. Would he forsake me?
I prayed he felt no sorrow or worse yet, disgust or fear.
He was stood slightly apart from the small group I had come to know and love like my extended family. His eyes were wide and his face was pale, but he held my gaze and I conveyed how much I loved him and I begged him to forgive me my choices, with a simple look.
Charlie seemed to hesitate and then he nodded, just once. "What are you waiting for?" he asked me quietly, and my vampiric hearing picking up his words as if he had spoken them directly into my ear.
I shook off the hazy mist of fear that blinded me and I knew I was more than a frightened young woman. I had power and nobility, I had strength and desire, I had immortality and I was no longer afraid. I readied myself, waiting for an opportunity.
"I can smell him on your breath," James whispered. "I can taste him on you. He changed you? He changed you!" Releasing me, he took a step back as he tried to make sense of this new development. "You," James lifted his hand and pointed at me, "you were mine. You were meant for me and me alone, and he will pay for this." His anger shook through him. His rage blinded him.
"Let him go," I answered. "Let him go and I will return the favour."
James laughed. He threw his head back and laughed loud and clear, the sound echoed round the trees, and for a moment, it sounded like a dozen James' were laughing in the darkness that surrounded us.
"What can you do, Isabella? Hmm? You fear me, remember? Besides, I have your lover and all it will take is the snap of my fingers and he will be nothing but a blue flame in that funeral pyre over there."
"You were right about me," I told him. He tilted his head to the side, absorbing my words, trying to get my point. "I am a witch," I said.
"A witch and a vampire," Aro murmured. "The more I hear about you, the more I like you." He smiled as he bent near a pile of clothing lying by a prisoners make shift bed. Picking through the bundle, he chose a deep green gown and put it on, tying the belt loosely round his waist. "Why don't you show us what you can do?" he prompted me.
I pointed to the naked man still lying on the ground where James had stood. "Is that not proof enough?" I asked.
Aro and James glanced at each other then shaking their heads, they both laughed. "Amuse us," Aro invited, sweeping his arms out as if giving me centre stage.
I looked up at Edward again, my eyes constantly drawn to him. The Lycan's watched me too, their attention distracted from their captive.
I hesitated too long. Aro sighed. "I'm bored with this, kill him." He flicked his hand, dismissing Edward's life.
"NO!" I cried out rushing forward, my hands held high. I needed to protect him. I needed him to be free of their claws and teeth. If they tore him limb from limb, this time they would make certain he burned in the fire. I had to protect him. It was all I could think about.
The Lycan's turned to Edward and fastened their grips tighter. They tugged, the effort pulling his body upright. Edward grimaced as their strength weakened him. I heard a snap, and without thought, I propelled a flash of blue light from my hand. It hit them all, Edward included. The light shimmered as it enveloped them all in a blaze of azure, forming a ball which pulsed as it consumed them. The Lycan's let go of Edward to touch the strange balloon surrounding them, and seeing my opportunity, I flung out my other hand. The blue light exploded. The prisoners flinched and those who stood fell to the ground. They all covered their eyes as the illumination burst brighter than the sun.
Only I was not affected.
The Lycan's squealed as the piercing glare stabbed at their eyes, even the ones stood around the clearing. They clutched at their faces, momentarily blinded by my spell.
In a blur, I raced forward and grabbed Edward. His sight was also hindered, but as I felt him, he relaxed, recognising my scent and my touch immediately. I pushed him back, away from the Lycan's who had held him. I turned back to the fire where his arm continued to pull itself across the ground.
"Edward," I called and picking it up I flung at him. He caught it, and held on to it.
I looked towards my father, trying to establish how I was going to get everyone away from here, but he was not cowering on the ground as the others did. Aro was already there.
I gasped, moving towards him to help.
"Don't!" Aro snapped. His hand was wrapped around Charlie's throat, raising him off the floor so his feet dangled, desperately trying to find purchase on the ground; the strain of Aro's grip was choking him. Aro had covered his head with the robe; his sight had not been affected. He smirked at me as he dropped the gown then squeezed the hand holding Charlie a little tighter.
Charlie was blind, like the others. His hands found the one strangling him and clawing at it, Charlie struggled to free himself. "Let him go," I begged.
"Let him go, let that one go. You can't have it all your own way, Isabella." James spoke from behind me. He rubbed at his eyes as did the others. My spell had been strong but it didn't affect them for long.
"What do you want from me?" I cried.
"Simply you," he murmured suddenly appearing at my side, blinking as his eyes adjusted.
"If I agree to go with you –"
"Bella, no!" Edward pleaded with me, his broken limb still lying in his hand.
I ignored his pleas. "If I agree to go with you, will you let them go?" I asked.
"No," James replied.
"No?"
"No, that wouldn't be much fun now, would it?"
"James, please." It was my turn to plead. "I know you have something close to compassion in your stone cold heart. You must, you've said yourself that you loved once. It can't be all gone, there has to be something left in you that resembles humanity."
James paused as if listening to my words, contemplating them even. He reached out and stroked my cheek with his finger, trailing down to my jaw and along it till he rested beneath my mouth. Without removing his finger, he pressed his thumb to my lips, tugging on the bottom one, forcing them apart.
"As a woman, you captivated me," he whispered. "I felt stirrings I had thought long dead in me, Isabella. I have tried to make you see – me – but you fight me, all the time you fight me."
"What do you want from me?" I asked him again but this time my voice was soft.
"Do I not deserve love too?" he almost whimpered. "I had no one, my mother shunned me. Even Victoria left me. What do I have to do?"
"Careful, Bella," Edward hissed, hearing thoughts James couldn't hide from him.
"You treat people horribly. You can't believe that inspires love?"
He stiffened and dropped his hand. "I'm tired of this. Make your choice!"
"My choice?"
"Your father," he indicted to Aro and Charlie, "or Edward. You can't have both."
I looked around the clearing. The Lycan's had found their sight again and stood growling, their chests heaving, waiting for the command to strike. The prisoners huddled together in a group, near the fire. Aro still held Charlie and Edward stood waiting, watching me.
"And when I've made my choice, what then?" My voice trembled.
"One dies, the other lives, and we leave."
"You have it all planned out in your devious little mind, don't you?"
"Careful Isabella, you're already trying my patience."
"It's not that simple for me," I cried.
"Make your choice!" he snapped.
I didn't know what to do. What should I do? I looked at Edward, beseeching with him to give me a sign, an answer. To tell me in some way that there was a way out of this; that some miracle would happen and we would all live to see another day.
How could I choose? My father was my world and Edward was my life. How could I choose?
Edward could fight, he at least stood a chance to battle with these animals, but Charlie would be snapped in two with a click of Aro's hand.
At least then Charlie's suffering would be over, no long drawn out torture, no pain. He would know only the bliss of everlasting sleep, whereas Edward would fight and he'd be hurt. His suffering would be monumental compared to Charlie's quick death. Could I watch an outnumbered battle between Edward and the Lycans? He had already been incapacitated and I didn't know how long it would be for his arm to heal.
What chance did he really have?
Vampire versus man; for all intents and purposes, he was equal to Charlie in stakes.
I couldn't believe I was considering the death of my father over the death of my lover. I felt confused and desperate and searched frantically for the answer.
How could I choose?
Time elapsed in slow motion for me, but in reality, it had been seconds that I had considered my options.
My choice; how could I?
I felt pressure behind my eyelids, and I squeezed them shut, longing for the sting of tears but my body was dry. I could not weep.
I had never been a religious person before and I wondered if that was why I was now paying for my sins. I had committed so many of them, and for some I felt no regret, but I needed help. I needed assistance and I had it all in the tips of my fingers, but knew not how to proceed. So I prayed. I silently prayed to the powers that be for a miracle.
And as I prayed, my eyes squeezed closed and my hands clasped tight, I felt the chilly November breeze shift direction, causing the smoke of the fire to waft across my path. The trees rustled and the gentle crunch of footsteps punching down onto freshly fallen snow sounded so loud in the silence it interrupted.
I breathed deeply. I was about to open my eyes and face whatever decision I spoke from instinct, when the musky scent of another animal mingled with the smoke. It was not Lycan I could detect, for they smelt of blood and sweat; such feral creatures even in human form. No, this scent was familiar and although not the most pleasant, it was the nicest smell I could've wished for at that moment.
"Jacob," I whispered and opened my eyes to seek out Edward. He mouthed the same name, his eyes looked – excited, and trying not to draw James' attention to our new visitors; I scanned the darkness of the trees.
The glimmer of yellow eyes shone back at me, reflecting the dancing flames of the fire, but it was not just one pair I found, two, three, six, seven – I continued to count and managed to circle the clearing before I reached their final numbers.
Thirty-six.
Thirty-six shape shifters had entered the forest and stood close by. Had Jacob brought his entire village with him? James had spotted them too. He smiled at me. "Do you think this will help?" he nodded in the general direction of the forest. "This changes nothing. Choose, Isabella, or I will do it for you!"
I shook my head. "I can't." My voice was barely audible.
"Choose!" He demanded.
"I can't," I cried. I looked at Charlie but his eyes were closed, his lips had changed from pink to white and I feared Aro's grip had been stronger than he'd anticipated.
"Then I choose!" James walked towards Edward. I glanced down at his hand and noticed his severed limb had vanished. Perusing his form I could see his left arm was fully healed, hanging where it should be.
"Edward," James smirked, and before I could speak, the Lycans pounced.
Jacob growled and ripped through the trees, howling and snapping at the Lycans near to Edward. Aro dropped Charlie and stumbled back before regaining his composure. Charlie lay in a heap on the floor.
"Carlisle, "I murmured but he was already there, by his side. I watched him check for a pulse and it wasn't until he nodded at me once, that I realised I had stopped breathing, eager for his confirmation.
Edward took advantage of the distraction and wrestled a Lycan to the ground. The movements were a blur but I was more capable of seeing them now I was a vampire than I would have as a human.
The Lycan kept snapping, his teeth sometimes finding their target but Edward was able to dodge or free himself. They rolled across the clearing towards the fire. Edward was beneath but his position was ideal for as they rolled once more, the Lycan was suddenly lying on the fire and Edward held him down as the flames licked at the fur and smouldering before catching light.
As soon as his fur began to burn, Edward leapt free of him and landed close to another Lycan. The one in the fire screamed and writhed, desperate to roll free of the heat, wanting to cool his burning flesh in the snow. But it was futile, his form changed as he struggled, and quickly, Lycan became man, and the man perished.
Edward continued to fight but one-on-one was not the way the Lycan's played and they advanced on him. Jacob ran at the group and hit one Lycan in the chest, causing them both of them to fall back and fight.
The Lycans who stood around gained control and ran at whomever they wanted; the prisoners mostly, but as they did, the other shape shifters tore through the trees and attacked. Amongst the screams of the prisoners, were the horrifying sounds of growls and roars, teeth tearing into flesh and bones cracking under pressure.
One girl jumped to her feet, her eyes frantic as she raced towards to the trees. A Lycan spotted her and gave chase. His claws stretched out and his mouth dropped open as he swiped at her back. At first it seemed as though he had missed her but she suddenly stopped running, her back arched and her face froze in terror before her upper half gently slid away from her lower half and she lay in two at the Lycan's feet. Her blood ran warm and free, tainting the white of the snow in a frozen red pathway.
The Lycan paid her no more attention and turned to race back to the chaos that was starting to ensue.
Through the mass, I spotted Edward, he was fighting strong. Leaping onto the back of one Lycan, he bit down on his shoulder, then ripping his head back; he tore the flesh from the animal. Howling, it clutched at its wound, its warm blood pumping straight up into the air as the Lycan fell to its knees, and then face-first in the snow.
Jacob too, was as capable. His claws and teeth making light work of the Lycans as they attempted to attack more of the prisoners. It was easy to distinguish between the shape shifters and Lycans. One stood on its back legs, taller than a man, his nose abnormally long and its teeth hanging razor sharp and deadly from its mouth. The shape shifters looked exactly like wolves only larger. Their animalistic fury seemed born of natural instinct rather than the raw frenzy that the Lycans possessed.
I felt a hand grip my neck and yank my head back. James stood behind me.
"I'll fucking kill you!" he slurred. "You've ruined it all and now I will make you pay."
"You've lost," I mocked him. James was not amused, he dragged his nail across my cheek and I felt it slice. Before the blood could run, I felt my skin tighten and I knew the laceration had immediately healed.
"So have you!" he spat. Gripping my chin, he lifted my head and directed my gaze over to Edward who had stopped to search for me. Seeing James with his hands on me caused Edward to hesitate.
Behind him a Lycan leapt, his mouth open and teeth bared, aiming for Edward's head. Everything seemed to slow down for me as I reached out and stepped forward, calling his name, willing him to look away from me and see the danger behind.
My body moved faster than my mind worked for no sooner had I taken the first step, I was half way across the field. But it wasn't fast enough and the Lycan latched onto Edward only it didn't have time to bite down, Jacob was there, sinking his teeth into the Lycans flank.
As the Lycan yelped in pain, his teeth left Edward's neck and the Lycan and Jacob fell to the ground.
Edward flung himself around to watch his friend wrestle with the beast, but as he did, another Lycan attacked.
I couldn't take anymore. All around me a massacre occurred and the bloodshed was torture.
I covered my ears and screamed.
The sound was ear splitting, high and shrill. It pierced the ears of all the shape shifters and the Lycans. They rolled over onto the floor howling, only the pain was no longer from their battle but from my cries.
It reverberated around the forest and it seemed as though all the creatures were affected by the sound.
I sensed a movement behind me but before I could react, Edward flew across the space separating us and hit the figure behind me.
I stopped screaming and turned.
Edward was atop James and his hands were wrapped around his throat. Edward curled back his lips and bared his teeth, and then swooping his head, he tore into James neck and spat the flesh aside.
Before Edward could go for the death strike, Aro appeared at his side and kicked Edward hard in the ribs, sending him flying twenty feet.
Stretching his body and growling at me, Aro morphed in his Lycan form, and picking up James' body, he took his head into his mouth and decapitated him with one bite.
Throwing James' body and severed head to the ground, Aro stared at me for the longest moment before taking off into the trees.
Edward was beside me just as fast.
"We need to finish him," he said and started to tear the limbs from James' torso.
"What about the others?" I pointed behind me to the survivors and shape shifters and Lycans lying in the snow. "Why happened? What did I do? Why didn't it affect Aro? Edward, I'm so – confused,"
"Bella, we need to finish him, now!"
I nodded and bent to grab a leg. Edward nodded and I pulled. The bone crunched and the leg came away in my hands. I dropped it and wiped my hands on my skirts.
Edward picked up the remains, and walking over to the fire, he threw them in. The flesh ignited, popping and turning the flames blue. I stared transfixed as all that was left of James started to burn.
Edward rubbed his hands in the snow, cleansing whatever adhered to them away. He ran over to Jacob and checked him before coming back to me.
"He's fine," he answered my unspoken question. "Unconscious, they're all unconscious from that noise you emitted, but they're fine."
"Why wasn't Aro affected?" I asked him.
"I can only guess, but it seems your screams incapacitated all the animals, wild and as well as these," he indicated the Lycans and shape shifters. "Aro was in his human form when you began."
I nodded accepting his explanation.
"Charlie?" I glanced around trying to find him, there were so many bodies, I couldn't decipher between the dead and the unconscious. I stumbled through the mass, surprised by my clumsiness.
"He's here," Edward called out. He knelt next to a form lying in the snow and I raced over. He was breathing but it was laboured. Bruises marked his throat and I whimpered at the sight of my broken father. "He's fine," Edward assured me.
I stood and searched for other familiar faces. Mary Alice tended to Hale who had lacerations and bruises all over his form. I could only imagine he had joined the fray and I was relieved he had survived. Hale was smiling as Mary Alice cleaned him, and she was weeping as the shock of the last hour dawned on her.
Carlisle and Esme working as a team, helping some prisoners, offering comfort and medical assistance to those hurt.
Aunt Irina walked over to Charlie and placed a blanket over him. She stood and came to me and I waited for her to speak. She brushed my hair across my shoulder and rested her hand there for a moment.
"You did well," she said quietly. "Your mother would be proud."
I wanted to cry but knew no tears would come. "But I didn't know what I was doing. I felt so helpless," I admitted.
"Time will teach you, Bella."
Charlie groaned and tried to lift his head. Irina went back to him and helped him by cradling him in her lap. She stroked his hair, and leaning down, she gently kissed his forehead.
"It's always been Charlie," she told me, and I was jealous of her tears. "Will you help me?" she asked.
I looked between them both. Charlie blinked and smiled up at Irina, he seemed happy to see her.
"He feels the same," Edward told me, his voice soft.
Irina looked back up at me. "Will you help me?" she asked again. I knew what she referred to. She was evoking her immortality. My father had claimed the hearts of two witches in his lifetime.
I looked up at Edward. He lifted his hand and held my face in his hands and I searched his eyes, needing to feel calm again. I wanted him to take away all of the horror of this night.
"It's over," he murmured. He tilted my head towards the fire where James burned then gently pressing his fingers into my skin he turned my attention back to him. "He's gone."
I watched as he lowered his face and his lips found mine. His breath tasted sweet and I consumed him, hungry for his touch. Edward buried his fingers in my hair and held my body close to his. I gripped his shoulders and kissed him with everything I had.
Eventually he pulled away and rested his forehead against mine.
"Say it," I urged him. "Say it again."
Edward smiled, and caressed my cheek with his thumb. His eyes were filled with so much emotion I felt breathless. "It's over, Isabella," he told me again. "He's gone."
End A/N's: So it's over. James is dead and Bella and Edward can live happily ever after. What was that? An epilogue you ask? Why yes, I think we all deserve an epilogue don't we? Besides, there are still some areas that need wrapping up and maybe, just maybe, I can't bear to let this story go just yet.
I have lots of notes from this story which I made before I started and as it developed, and I want to be able to successfully answer any questions you feel are still unanswered, so please, please, review and tell me what you need to know in the epilogue. I may have already put it in there anyway, but just in case I have left something out, tell me, while I still have time to edit it.
Tanya aka AcrossTheSkyInStars has been my lifeline online. She has become a very dear friend to me and kicks my ass every single time I misuse the words 'To' and 'Too' and that happens a lot more than I'd like to admit. Thank you, Tanya, for helping make this story readable. And for slapping my wrist when I got carried away and had massive, run on sentences. You will always be my beta, for everything I write whether you like it or not!
Thank you to all the gals over at FanFicAholics Anon for their effortless and unending support. We really are the best group on Facebook!
I have a hundred and one ideas for Twilight Fanfiction, so if you liked my story then please add me to your author alerts for any up and coming fics I attempt. I have been asked to write Spellbound in Edward's POV. Is this something people would like? I know I always adore his POV in everything I read and his story is just one of those ideas floating around my head. Let me know what you think 3