Chapter Forty Three
Bella
I watched as Jake struggled painfully to sit up and lifted the wolfs head into his lap as it transformed back to Billy. His eyes were closed and it was obvious that he was dead. Jake cradled his father in his arms weeping silently while the struggle between Peter, Char, and Carlisle continued. I ran to Jasper's side then and helped him fuse his arm back in place, still throwing glances Jake's way.
"Right Bella, what do you want to do with this scum bag?"
I turned to see Carlisle held firmly by them, one arm each. Helping Jasper back to his feet I walked slowly over to where he still struggled.
"All these deaths are down to you Carlisle. All the human lives lost to the change, its all down to you and your insane love of your idiotic son Edward, and do you think you'll get any thanks from him? Do you really think he'll love you any more when he finds out what you've been up to? Aro's dead, Billy dead, my mother changed, Charlie under threat and all so you could get some revenge for your son, revenge he doesn't warrant. You are sick and twisted and too dangerous to live. I'm sorry for Esme but I don't think you loved her as much as you did Edward anyway. Would you have done the same to avenge her? I doubt it."
Esme walked back in then with Rose and Emmett.
"You're right Bella. If Carlisle could imagine you handing Jasper over to save yourself and your father what would he do to me to ensure his own safety? Carlisle how could you? How could you betray Bella so completely after we accepted her into the family? And how could you blame it all on Edward? Keep up this charade of helping to find her? What did you achieve at the end of the day? You've lost everything, your family, your friends, and your self respect. Bella's right, you are too dangerous to live, too corrupt and crazy to continue existing."
I wasn't ready for her next action, she took a few slow steps towards him then her arm came out like a rattlesnake strike and grasped his head twisting and pulling as she did so. It came off with a terrible crunching noise and her eyes pooled with venom as she handed it to me.
"I'm so sorry Bella. If I'd known what was happening I would have tried to stop him. This is the only way I can make things right. Rose, Emmett"
They came, shocked, to stand with her.
"You have a choice, you can leave unable to forgive me for what I just did or we can carry on as a family, away from here, Denali perhaps."
Something occurred to her then and she looked at me,
"Is Edward safe? Or do you want him too?"
I looked at Jasper then shook my head,
"Edward is safe as long as he stays away from my family Esme. After all, he did nothing but break my heart and now I'm over that pain, I have my mate. Just tell him to think long and hard before he acts again, make sure he's not hurting any other human girl like he hurt me."
She nodded her thanks and the three of them ran up the stairs together but Emmett stopped at the top and looked back down,
"Thank you Bella, for not thinking we were involved in this."
I smiled at him,
"That's OK Em, I know you wouldn't hurt Rose and being involved in something that would hurt Jasper would do that. Rose loves him as a brother."
Peter and Charlotte took Carlisles broken body outside to burn it and I turned to Jake,
"I'm really sorry about Billy is there anything we can do?"
He shook his head and sniffed back the tears,
"No Bella, its over for him. I never knew he still had the ability. After the Cullens came back I waited for him to transform but when he didn't I guess I thought he was just too old."
"What happened?"
"The transformation isn't easy on our bodies which is why its usually only young men who do it. All men in the tribe have the gene although its dormant in most. I think Billy knew it would be too much for him but he did it anyway, to protect me."
"He loved you Jake"
"Yeah, although sometimes I didn't deserve it. I gave him a really hard time as I grew up."
Jasper
I stood to one side giving Bella and Jake at least an illusion of privacy, then Peter and Charlotte came back in.
"You OK Jake? Your dad was a really brave man."
That was praise indeed from Peter who hated the wolves on principle. Jake looked up at him and nodded,
"Yes he was."
Then he turned to me,
"I'm sorry about what happened with Raven. I wouldn't have put Charlie in danger knowingly and I guess hearing what he said in your defense I was wrong to back her in any case."
"Will the others in her tribe come looking for vengeance?"
"No, she was more or less an outcast because of her hatred for you. The tribe just wants to live peacefully, if the leec... vampires leave them alone they are happy to do the same. I'm not sure the same is true of her sons though, I'll talk to them, get Sam and Harry to explain its over."
I nodded,
"As long as they stay with your tribe they're safe as far as I'm concerned but if they leave then they become enemies and I will treat them as such."
"Fair enough. I'll ring Harry and tell him whats happened.
"We'll drive you and your dad back to the Res if you like"
Jake looked at Peter and nodded,
"Thanks I appreciate it"
I watched as Peter picked Billy's body up, cradling it gently, and walked out followed by Jake who was helped along by Charlotte.
Bella
"So its over?"
"Not quite"
Jasper sounded angry and I couldn't imagine why,
"You're not going after Edward after what I said to Esme are you?"
"No, you were right about him, hes not really malicious and losing his father figure will be punishment enough for him."
"Then who?"
"Alice."
"Why Alice?"
"Because she knew what was going to happen and she didn't warn you. She knew we were mates yet she waited until it was too late to save you, before telling me."
"But wont she have seen you coming?"
"Probably but it wont stop me from finding her."
"And when you do?"
He smiled at me,
"Then Alice is going to have a face to face with The Major."