Chapter Forty Two
Esme
As Rose followed me out she opened her mouth but I shook my head in warning, Carlisle would be listening closely to make sure he could count on us. She frowned then nodded and turned the tap on to fill a glass with water which she promptly dropped and cursed loudly hunting for paper towels to clear up the broken glass and spilled water. As she did so she wrote on the glossy kitchen tiles with the water.
"What's going on?"
As I waited for the kettle to boil I grabbed a sheet of the kitchen roll and wrote using the pencil I always kept in my pocket for notes.
"Carlisle holding them hostage. He told Aro about Bella. How can we help?"
She thought about this as she got another glass out apologising loudly for breaking one of my favourite sets,
"Stand against him?"
I shook my head,
"Distract him and help them out?"
"How?"
"Spill water on Billy?"
It was probably our best bet but I didn't like our chances, yet I just couldn't stand against my mate face to face.
Rose
I took the glass of water in to Billy but made sure it missed his hand and spilled down his front. He cursed with his mouth but his eyes looked at me in query and I nodded.
"God that waters cold, I'm soaked."
He spun his chair round as if trying to get up and drove it straight into Carlisle's legs. Not expecting it Carlisle fell backwards with a cry and Charlie shot to his feet running for the door while Jake grabbed Billy and ran too. Esme came in with the coffee and stepping in front of Carlisle tried to trip him but he was too fast and he grabbed Jake throwing him and Billy against the far wall with great force. The plaster showered from the wall as they fell to the ground. Jake was arching his back, obviously in great pain and I thought we had failed except in getting Charlie out when I saw something that amazed me. Billy's form rippled and shook before he transformed before our eyes into the most enormous and vicious looking wolf I had ever seen, standing guard over his sons writhing body. His mouth opened in a terrifying snarl that shook the house and his teeth snapped warningly.
Bella
We heard the commotion, breaking glass, and then Billy's raised voice and started towards the house. The door opened and Charlie came running out before stopping to look behind him shouting for Jake.
"Protect your dad"
Jasper shouted those words as he, Peter, and Charlotte ran past and up the porch steps disappearing into the house. I grabbed Charlie and wrapped my shield around him,
"What happened Dad?"
"I'm not sure. Rose dropped a glass of water on Billy and everything went crazy. I ran for the door and Jake grabbed Billy and followed me, then I heard a crunch and saw Jake and Billy hit the wall. I think Carlisle threw them."
I was torn but decided that Jasper was right I should look after Charlie and leave the rest to them, besides things had gone quiet in the house except for a low growl and a strange rumbling sound. I pulled Charlie to the car and shoved him inside.
"Go, get back to the house, no make it the station, and well find you later. You'll be safe there hopefully. Bye dad"
I watched as he drove the car out of sight then returned to the house where it sounded as if the hounds of hell had been loosed. The snarling and growling was deafening mixed with the shouts of Esme trying to get Emmett and Rose to leave. I stepped inside and stopped, hardly able to believe my eyes.
Billy
I knew what Rose was trying to do but I also knew there wouldn't be time for all of us to get out and as Jake slung me over his shoulder I saw Carlisle's arm whip out and snatch him by the neck, whipping his head back violently as he threw us against the far wall. I knew this was the time to use my final throw of the dice and as I started to shake Carlisle looked on in horror. My body transformed into a wolf for the final time and I knew I needed to protect Jake until Bella and the others came through the door but I also knew Raven might prove to be my undoing. If she too transformed then it would be a battle to the death, still it was an honourable way to die, protecting my only son. As I stood guard over Jake I saw Ravens form distort until in her place stood a huge black bear growling and showing her fangs but unsure who to attack. I was her biggest single threat but she wanted Jasper so badly that she would take the gamble I wouldn't leave Jake unprotected. As Jasper and his two friends ran through the open doorway they saw me and Raven,
"Leave the wolf. She's more dangerous to us and Carlisle."
Jasper nodded at me as Raven flew forward incredibly fast for her bulk straight at him while Esme shouted to her two children to get out of the house.
Jasper
I knew Raven would focus on me so I sent the other two to get Carlisle while Billy protected Jake who was writhing on the floor. The bear was very fast and very strong and I knew if she got her arms round me she would crush me while using her teeth to rip my head off so I avoided her, able to move just that split second faster but then disaster. I slipped on some water that had spilled on the highly polished wooden floor and losing my advantage she bore down on me, mouth open ready to bite. I threw an arm up to protect my throat and her teeth met through it, with a shake of her head she ripped it off at the shoulder and threw it across the room where it hit the wall close to Jake. I managed to avoid her next attack but I was now in real trouble and Charlotte and Peter were busy with Carlisle who was fighting like a man possessed.
Bella
I saw the bear rip Jaspers arm off and toss it across the room like a stick as I came in. I could see her next lunge could be fatal so I threw my shield out to wrap him just in time. Her teeth snapped together scant inches from his throat as he tried to stop the flow of venom from his shoulder. I ran across to his detached arm being careful to watch her but she was focused solely on him, frustrated and furious that she couldn't reach him through my shield. As I turned I saw Jake trying to sit up and Billy turned to look at him then leaped on Raven, his fangs biting deep into her neck. He shook her like a rag doll, before throwing her body across the room and straight out of the door, still holding her head in his jaws. He spat it out on the floor and turned back to Jake before his legs gave way and he collapsed a few paces from his son.