Chapter Eighty One

Bella

Once Jasper returned to my side I felt calm and safe, glad that Charlotte had filled me in on what happened while I was burning but pleased to be back with my mate.|As we wandered the trees looking for prey I wanted to ask him about Irina and Aro but the scent of his body, the scents in the woods and the strange thudding sounds I could hear all served to confuse me and make thinking almost impossible.

"We'll talk later. For now you concentrate on hunting."

"But I don't know what to do Jazz."

"Yes you do. Stop trying to think about it and let your instincts take over, its as natural as running for a vampire."

I did as he suggested and felt a pull to the north, towards the sound of the thumping and I found myself running silently through the trees, not tripping or even swerving consciously and smiled broadly, I was no longer clumsy and awkward. I stopped and crouched moving very slowly and parted the bushes just enough to see into the clearing ahead leading to the river bank. Drinking in the river were a small herd of deer and I was just about to spring when something made me hesitate, there was something else about to attack my prey. Looking into the bushes to the side of me I saw a whiskered face, it was a large cat, a lynx and he was stalking the same prey as I was. We sprang simultaneously but with different targets. I snatched him from the air and sank my teeth into his neck feeling relief as the hot blood ran down my throat quenching the burning sensation. When I finished draining the lynx I threw its body aside and looked round for more prey but the deer were long gone so I set off once more then stopped, the thirst was gone why was I still hunting prey when there was something else I should be looking for. My mate, where was he? I lifted my head and sniffed the air turning my face from side to side until I caught the scent I was looking for. He was only a few yards from me in the trees. Why didn't he come out? Was he hiding from me? Was he scared I might attack him? Or was he hiding because he had a kill of his own he wasn't willing to share? I moved silently over until I could see him. He was squatting down watching a small rodent scurrying through the leaf mould beneath the trees. Sensing me watching him he turned and smiled but kept his position and I suddenly got it. He was sitting like this because it was non threatening, he was worried I might see him as an adversary.

I held my arms open to him and waited as he got up slowly and walked to me allowing me to fold them around him and lay my head on his shoulder.

"I love you Jasper, thank you for taking me to hunt but I think we need to get back to the others. I'm very disappointed in Eleazer and the other Denali's. Don't they realize what we are trying to do?"

"They are all scared of the Volturi Bella."

"I know and Charlotte explained why but that's no excuse to spy for Aro. What are we going to do? Do you think you can avoid a war?"

"If Johnny H gets what he wants then yes, he's a man of honour but the Volturi, especially Caius can't be trusted, if he sees a way of getting rid of the guardians he'll jump at it. Then war will be inevitable."

"Maybe I can stop anyone taking action with my shield."

"Remember Aro will want to collect you if he sees you have a gift Bella."

"He can try but it won't get him very far if he can't control it. Can we try using it?"

"Let's get to the others first, then we'll try some experiments."

Peter

Garrett and I found transport easily enough. It hadn't taken us long to run into the nearest town and hot wire a truck left outside a sleazy looking bar.

"So, Irina eh?"

"Yes, oh and by the way thank you Peter."

"For what?"

"Backing me, trusting me. It means a lot."

"How did you know?"

"Because suddenly Darius was looking at the others not me all the time. I knew there was a spy as well as anyone but I also knew he would find out about my sister. He did didn't he?"

"Yeah he did. What did you tell Aro?"

"I told him to go to hell, I didn't know my sister and I wasn't going to become a traitor for him or anyone else."

"Didn't he threaten her?"

"Yes. He rang me more than once but he didn't get anywhere. I'm not the only one with ties inside Volterra."

"You mean among the Denali's?"

"Yes, Tanya had three sisters, Irina, Kate, and Mary Anne. One is working with my sister in Volterra."

"How do you know that?"

"I found a way to get a message to my sister when Aro told me about her, I still have a few friends there. They wouldn't act against the Volturi brothers but they don't mind passing a few messages back and forth."

"So Irina was spying to keep her sister safe? How did she find out about her sister though? Did you tell her?"

"No, what good would it have done to upset her or Kate after they lost Tanya. I think it was Carlisle. I think Irina spoke to Aro and possibly her sister at least once."

"The bitch, she's even more devious than I thought."

Darius

I watched from the trees as Carmen came out to make sure we'd left along with Irina who looked shamefaced but determined. Eleazer appeared a little later also to look round, was he scared we might camp out on his doorstep? I sat down cranking up my lap top to see if I'd got anywhere with finding a way into the guardians, see what they were planning.

"You wont get in Darius."

I looked up startled, I hadn't heard anyone,"

"What the fuck are you doing here?"

"I have a score to settle with the guardians and the Volturi. I just haven't decided who bears most of the responsibility. The guardians killed him but Aro sent him to kill the Quileutes, who would you kill Darius? Johnny H or Aro?"

"I'm not sure Alice, why don't you tell me, you must have seen the outcome."

She slid down until she was sitting beside me and rested her head on my shoulder,

"You know Darius I really thought I'd got my chance at happiness with Stuart. I knew he wasn't perfect but then who is? I was too scared of what I might find to look into our future, if I had I could have kept him alive so I guess I'm the one responsible for his death really. What do you think?"

"I think you're upset and confused. You can't bring him back, just get yourself killed and is that really what you want?"

"To join Stuart in the way Charlie joined Tanya? Is it really such a bad way to end your life Darius? I don't think so, I've been tired of my life for a long time, Jazz was good for me, he gave me a purpose, I felt I was doing something worthwhile but now I don't have a purpose, how do you live without a goal, something to strive for?"

"Alice you're asking the wrong person. I live to gather information and find ways of using it for the good of my friends. As far as relationships are concerned I'm the original lone ranger."

She smiled at me and wrapped her arm around mine,

"Do you mind if we sit like this for a while, I feel more peaceful with you."

"Sure if you like, its good to be useful, even if only for a few minutes."