Chapter Seventy Three

Emmett

As we approached the house I got a whiff of wolf, so Carlisle had been correct, there were survivors and they were close to the house. I thought the girls should be OK in my room, it was pretty much everything proof but then Rose gasped and grabbed my arm,

"Emmett look"

I followed her shaking hand to see Esme standing outside confronting three wolves, the last survivors, then one broke away and ran into the house while the other two slunk forward pushing Esme closer to the house and making sure she couldn't escape. I opened my door and leapt out leaving Rose to climb into the driver's seat as I ran full tilt at them. One turned snarling, his fur standing out in rage and he flew at me snarling loudly. As we fell to the ground I heard a female scream, the other wolf had attacked Esme. The sound of the truck's engine got louder and I heard Rose rev the engine before letting off the brake and the engine screamed as the vehicle smashed into the wolf I had thrown away from me and pinned it to the ground a few feet away but its claws were still scrabbling to pull it free so I ran up and ripped its head off, throwing it into the undergrowth without a seconds hesitation then turned to the fight going on between Esme and the other wolf.

"Alice, make sure Alice is safe."

I nodded running inside the house leaving Rose to help her.

The third wolf was throwing itself at the door of the attic, foam flicking in all directions in its wrath. It turned hearing me and I could see the door was beginning to buckle under its onslaught but there was no way it was going to get Alice, not while I still stood! I ran into it and grabbing it round its chest I squeezed tightly and threw myself backwards down the steep stairs away from Alice and Emily. As we hit the bottom I heard a loud crack and the wolf stopped fighting, its neck hanging at a strange angle, its eyes glazing in death. Throwing it aside I shouted up to Alice that she was safe but to stay where she was until I told her otherwise then ran outside to see Rose, deep gouges in her arms, throwing the only remaining wolf to the floor its back broken. Nodding that she was OK I went to Esme who sat against one of the enormous trees hugging her left arm to her chest, the right dangled uselessly at her side, mauled ragged by the wolf's claws.

She was badly injured, a huge gaping wound in her ribs and I looked round for the chunk so we could fuse it back on but she shook her head,

"I think he swallowed it."

"Then I'll cut him open and get it out of his stomach"

I grabbed the dead carcass and threw it over a huge flat rock in the grass, ripping its belly open with my hands and delving inside looking for the chunk of vampire flesh. I found it and pulled it out running to the stream at the bottom of the yard to wash off the wolf's blood before bringing it to her and holding it in place as it started the long slow painful process of fusing. Cuts were easier, they healed almost immediately but parts that had been removed took much longer and sapped our strength, still she would be whole again.

"Rose, ring Carlisle then go tell Alice its OK to come out."

She nodded and took out her phone as she walked into the house kicking the wolf I had thrown aside as she passed.

Bella

Carlisle's phone went off in flight and he answered it very cautiously,

"Rose? Is everything OK?"

Sitting so close to him I couldn't help but hear the conversation,

"We killed the remaining wolves, they were attacking the house when we arrived. Esme came out to slow them down."

"Is she OK?"

"Yes, she's going to be fine Emmett's helping her to heal now. Alice and Emily are both safe too. Shall we dispose of the bodies?"

"Yes do, they need to disappear. Thank you Rose."

I glanced at Jasper who had turned slightly on hearing the conversation then stood up and walked over looking very upset.

"Carlisle you told us the Quileutes were all dead, all except Emily Uley. You lied."

Carlisle looked up slightly shamefaced,

"I didn't mean to mislead you but I didn't think they would be any problem to you, They were watching our house. If anyone was in danger it was my family not you. They are dead now anyway."

"And you thought keeping that little item to yourself was a good idea did you Carlisle? I don't like liars so stay away from me in the future."

I hadn't noticed Darius approach but it was obvious that he was furious like Jasper. He looked round at the others then turned back to Carlisle,

"I think it might be a good idea if you stay with the plane Cullen. We'll have enough to worry about without having to watch our backs."

"I second that. Keep away from us Cullen."

Peter glowered at Carlisle who looking from one to another nodded his agreement,

"I will but I would never have done anything to harm your chances of a peace agreement."

"Yeah sure"

Peter sneered before walking back to his seat, Carlisle, by that one lie, had lost the confidence of everyone on the plane, me included because it seemed such a stupid thing to lie about.

Eleazer was the only one who hadn't yet spoken, he waited until the others had settled back down and came over sitting the other side of the aisle but leaning across.

"Carlisle why did you do that? Why lie about the wolves that survived if you knew about them?"

Carlisle lowered his head and rubbed his face before raising it again to answer,

"I guess I hoped they might not attack but get away. I didn't want to think the tribe was gone, the wolves extinct."

"Did you really think they would just pack up and leave after watching the rest of their tribe murdered by your son?"

"Edward wasn't alone Eleazer, Stuart was as guilty as Edward."

"Does that really matter Carlisle? The point is they knew we'd killed their pack, they would keep coming until they killed you or died themselves. You are a fool Carlisle, a fool I'm ashamed to know."

Eleazer got up and walked off in disgust, Carlisle had lost his last remaining ally.

Jasper

As the plane descended into Anchorage I put aside all thoughts of my life and Bella as best I could and pulled on the mantle of The Major, the only one with any chance of making this right before it descended into carnage. Waiting for us was a minibus and we piled in as Eleazer drove out to the meeting place in the wilds of the tundra, the guardians home territory. Peter and Garrett were both already in the zone, their eyes hard and their faces set while Darius was still tapping away on his laptop then he shut the lid with a snap,

"Right Major, there's ten of them and they're already waiting for us. I couldn't detect any others close by but you never know."

"Any idea who's there?"

"I don't know the guardian elders so no. Will you recognise any of them?"

"I hope so because I'm pretty sure if I get it wrong we're lost."