Chapter Forty Four
Garrett
My cell phone rang and I answered seeing Alice's number,
"Garrett they'll be with you soon, from the South. Be careful, I see death, more than one, but I don't know who, guard Bella and Jasper. They deserve their chance at happiness. Good luck."
I told the others and we waited facing the South, ready to meet the enemy paired off, because it was a better way to fight with someone watching your back. Annora knew the way the wolves tended to fight, as a pack, concentrating on one or two members of the opposing side, usually the weakest which would have meant Bella at least but she was the one they were supposed to be saving so maybe they would go for the best fighters first. Cut off the head and the rest dies, that would mean Peter, The Major and myself. Bella stood behind The Major pale but determined and I just hoped her gift would protect her again. We saw them in the distance, the pack surrounding a lone figure on a snowmobile, Charlie I guessed, and as he got closer I saw he was armed,
"What the fuck is that?"
"That my friend, looks very much like a semi automatic rifle."
"Hasn't he learned he can't kill us with bullets yet?"
"No because with that he could cut us in half, it may not kill but it's fucking inconvenient to find you legs yards away from your arms, it makes fighting a tad difficult too."
Peter smiled at me,
"Garrett you're beginning to sound like me, I'm proud of you"
"Well you know what they say, lay down with dogs and get up with fleas!"
Charlie
I saw the line of vampires and Bella's slight figure behind them, the wolves started to snarl and growl as they ran on and I knew the fight would start before there was any chance for words. Sam had warned me that there wouldn't be a nice civilized chat before the fight. The wolves wanted to get in, kill as many vampires as possible and get out again with Bella. It suited me, I had nothing to say to them anyway so I stopped my snowmobile about 100m yards from the fight and lifted my rifle. I wanted Jasper or one of his two friends, Garrett or Peter, to me they were the most dangerous. The wolves launched their attack and soon the vampires and wolves were a mass of arms, legs, and sharp fangs, making it difficult to find a stationary target but I was patient, my shot would come. There were chunks of vampire and wolf bodies flying into the air but no fighting too close to Bella. I saw Jake manoeuvring to get close enough to Bella to snatch her. If he did I would lay down covering fire to help him escape.
Bella
I noticed Garrett and Jasper never moved far from my side which was hindering them so I tried to move free. Seeing one huge wolf leap at Charlotte I closed my eyes and visualized him and when I opened them he was tumbling over and over a good fifty feet from the melee. Nodding at my action Peter moved away, well at least he thought I could protect myself as well as others. Hearing a growl close by I turned to see a huge wolf slinking towards me through the tangle of fighting bodies. I shoved him away violently with my gift but he crashed into two others and came to a halt close to Jasper and Garrett who were both struggling to avoid slashing claws and snapping teeth. I saw the huge wolf crouch ready to spring on Jasper but he was grabbed by Garrett as I heard a shout from one if the others, Dallas I think,
"Major watch out"
I turned to see Charlie raise the rifle to his eye and jumped, pushing Jasper aside and feeling a terrible punch and burning sensation in my shoulder.
Charlie
Jake had almost put Jasper in my sights and then he was grabbed by the one called Garrett and there it was, the shot I'd been waiting for. I raised my rifle and fired only to see Bella leap in front of him. I shouted her name but it was far too late. I saw her body jerk and could only thank whatever made me leave it on single shot or she would have been cut in half. I saw her body fall and the fighting ceased as if a switch had been thrown. Gunning the snowmobile engine I went to her as quickly as I could. When I climbed off she was ringed by wolves with the vampire's standing close by and I pushed my way through to see her on the ground in a pool of blood with Jasper holding her close. He looked up at me,
"If she dies, you're next."
What could I say? I knelt down beside my daughter and she opened her eyes but looked only at him. Her lips moved and we all heard her words,
"Change me Jasper, please. I can't leave you."
He looked at me then at the wolves who had moved back but started snarling again. I shouldered my rifle after switching to automatic and looked at Sam.
"You keep the wolves away."
Then I nodded to Jasper who picked her up and carried her through the snarling pack as if they didn't exist and into the cabin.
Bella
I saw Charlie lift the rifle and instead of using my gift I panicked and jumped, pushing Jasper out of the way but as I did so I felt a huge punch in my shoulder followed by a terrible burning pain and looked at my shoulder. The bullet hole wasn't very big but it felt like a crater and as Jasper lifted me up I felt the blood flowing down my arm. I was so scared, not for myself, I didn't matter, but for Jasper, he couldn't cope on his own and I wouldn't leave him to fall apart and die too, so I did the only thing I could, I asked him to change me. As faces went in and out of focus I saw Charlie kneeling beside me but I wasn't interested in him. The wolves started to snarl and I knew they wouldn't let Jasper bite me but then I heard the sound of Charlie's weapon readied for use and heard his warning. I felt myself lifted up and watched as the sky moved, no it was me moving, Jasper was carrying me into the cabin. He set me down on the bed and I saw his shirt was wet with my blood, his eyes dark with thirst but I knew he would never hurt me.
"Please Jasper, before it's too late."
He nodded and bent over me and I felt another pain, sharper this time as he bit into my neck. There was a strange sensation as if a local anesthetic had been injected into my flesh and I wished he'd bitten my wound and stopped that from hurting but the numbness was short-lived and I gasped as a much deeper and more agonizing feeling started to spread from my neck down my arm and into my chest. Jasper's venom was beginning its work of transforming my weak human flesh into vampire flesh. I struggled to speak just once more.
"I love you Jasper."
Then my whole body started to fill with pain and I bit my lip to stop from screaming.