Chapter Seventy Four

Charlotte

We all heard Bella's erratic heartbeat and knew her struggle was nearly over, she would be waking to her new life soon, so we gathered in the bedroom to wait. I stayed furthest from her because as a female I posed the greatest threat in her eyes. She would recognise Jasper, we all accepted that, but what she'd make of Peter was open to conjecture. There was a flurry of light beats and then silence, the old Bella was gone and the new one would be opening her eyes soon. I looked at Peter who was busy watching for Bella to move, hoping she might attack Jasper on his behalf but secretly knowing that was unrealistic. Jasper still sat beside her, vulnerable if she decided to attack but unwilling to protect himself, believing he deserved punishment for his action.

Jasper

I knew my time with Bella was over, I had done the unthinkable to her and now I must pay the price by leaving. I stood up and moved to the window

"Tell her I'm sorry and that I love her and always will"

Then I jumped, landing lightly on the balls of my feet and ran, headed anywhere away from the scene of my crime, taking my guilt with me like a millstone around my chest. Perhaps one day I could speak to her, explain that I lost control and tell her how sorry I was, if she was going to kill me I wanted it to be for the right reason. If she attacked and killed me now it would be a cowards way out. It would be in her newborn rage not as revenge.

Peter

I was glad he'd finally seen the light, he had no right here with the girl who trusted him and who he betrayed at the very moment she should have felt the ultimate love between two beings. Charlotte moved to the window to watch him go,

"Leave it Charlotte. Bella is our concern now, he bit her and now he's abandoned her. Let him run, perhaps one day she'll catch up with the fucker and I hope I'm there to see it when she tears him into chunks and sets fire to them."

"Peter, have a little compassion"

"Well Char Sorry but I'm right out of that, pity for Bella I have in spades but that bastard deserves all he gets."

I stopped as Bella moved slowly and her eyes flickered open.

Bella

I knew the people standing in the room, Peter and Charlotte, but the most important person wasn't there. I'd known that before I looked, there was a terrible aching in my chest that only he could stop. I remembered voices just before I woke up but they were indistinct, muffled as if my new heightened senses had been trying to tune themselves in to this changing body. I sat up slowly and my body moved smoothly as if all the muscles were so attuned they worked without any conscious effort. I thought about standing up and I was doing it, no time lag at all. Peter stood between Charlotte and myself protectively and I smiled to think that Jasper would do the same for me, but where was he? Had he abandoned me now I was like him?I felt my throat where his teeth had sunk in but there wasn't even a trace of his teeth bite. The only sign I had that he had been here was the ache deep inside me and the dim memories of our first time together.

Charlotte

Something was very wrong here, Bella should have tried to attack us on sight as a newborn. Her eyes glowed a beautiful deep shade of red but there was no rage on her perfect face, just a confused and hurt expression. I pushed Peter to one side and walked towards her and he followed me nervously,

"Bella, do you know who we are?"

She nodded,

"Peter and Charlotte. But where's Jasper?"

"He left"

Peter said it so flatly I could have hit him.

"Left? Why? Was I not good enough for him? Was he disappointed when he saw me? He was here, I remember his touch and his voice"

"Yeah well the fucker couldn't face you, so he ran. Good riddance if you ask me"

"Well nobody did" I said pushing him aside and taking Bella's hand.

"How do you feel Bella?"

She looked at me with a frown

"Unhappy, angry and I have a burning sensation in my throat"

"Right well we can solve the third problem by taking you hunting."

"But where's Jazz? I must speak to him"

Peter

After what he'd done she still wanted to see him! Nothing made sense with this girl.

"We don't know where he is. As soon as he knew you were waking he took off. Fucking coward"

She turned her eyes to me and they were blazing with such anger I took a step backwards,

"Don't you dare judge him, Peter Whitlock. What he did was instinct, he had no control over it. I have to find him and tell him I don't blame him. I need him and I know he's still around somewhere."

Yeah that sounded about right. He wouldn't leave altogether until he'd seen her and knew she was fine., Even then I didn't think he'd be able to travel far from his mate. It would have been a fitting punishment for him, to be able to see her but not touch her for the rest of his sorry existence.

"Yeah he'll be hanging around I guess. You want me to go find him?"

I could give him chapter and verse before hauling him back but she shook her head.

"NO. I'll find him."

"We'll go with you" Char offered but she shook her head,

"If he sees me with you he's going to think everything is OK and he'll leave. I need him now, I don't want to have to chase him around the globe".

"I don't think he'd run from you Bella. He'd stand and take anything you decided to throw at him"

"Well I might just throw you if you don't shut up Peter. You have no right to judge him."

She was crazy as a loon, she wouldn't take it out on his hide, she still loved him. I guess that should tell me that they really were mates. They needed each other so I sighed,

"I think you'll find him down by the creek, there a tall tree he likes to sit in and think when he's brooding".

"You think he's brooding?"

"No, I think he's tearing himself to pieces over what he did. Be careful Bella, you have no idea how he'll react if you come up on him. After all he's probably thinking you want to rip his head off. I would."

"Yes well, you aren't me are you Peter? Which way is the creek?"

"Go out the window you'll hear it."

She looked at me suspiciously then looked out of the window unsure of herself,

"Just let instinct take over. You'll be fine"

"So instinct is OK sometimes?"

She shot back at me as she jumped and I watched her stand and get her bearings before taking off like a missile in the direction of the creek.