A dark rage was simmering just under the surface. It forced an inexplicable energy pulsing through his bloodless veins and made his insides heat. Inexplicable, yes, but not at all unfamiliar. The ungodly creature that lived in him had risen and the only thing keeping it in check was a gory mess in his arms. Emmett smoothed his hand over damp black hair, concern swirling in his gut. It was like being in a bad slasher flick and a couple of inexperienced effect-lackeys went overboard with the fake blood. Only it was not simply corn syrup and red dye and this was definitely not a movie. It made him feel better however, as long as she was in his arms Emmett knew he had a solid control over his demon. It demanded penance. Guilty blood needed to be spilt and he was not in disagreement with it. The creature was enraged and ready and hungry for it. However his mate was injured, and not even his bloodlust would be enough to draw him away. Emmett inhaled lightly and swallowed the venom that pooled in his mouth. Anala's blood was whispering seductively to him. It beckoned, the entrancing scent threatening to fog his head and caused his gums to ache. What a twisted thing to be. Even now Emmett took notice of it, uneven able to help himself. Carlisle was examining her side as he carefully lifted the bloody gauze. "This wound is deep. Already the tissue is repairing itself. It looks to be taking longer than usual but still, it's quite amazing." he looked confused however, staring at it pensively. The strange sliver lines were still there but at least they were no longer making their way over her body. Anala began to push up and he tightened his hold on her.

"Stay still, Angel." he murmured into her ear. "You lost a lot of blood."

"I'm healing." Carlisle's hands were pushed away and Anala was rising to her feet. Emmett stood with her, keeping his eyes on her as she swayed a bit. Blood trailed down her leg, collecting with what was on the wall and floor. She looked unbothered by both the blood and her nakedness.

"Give me your shirt." Emmett did so. Anala pulled on the oversized garment and the white material clung to her skin were the blood touched it, red silhouettes staining the immaculate fabric. She moved towards the door and he grabbed her arm.

"Where the hell are you going?"

"I have to stop him."

"You shouldn't even be moving." let alone going after her brother. Nolan was out for blood.

Anala's lips pulled down. "Nolan's going to kill her."

"Let him."

She actually looked surprised he said that. "I'm not going to let him kill her."

"It doesn't matter." whatever liking Emmett had for the girl was gone.

Anala's eyes flared with a fire he was all too familiar with, and it made his hackles rise. "It does—!"

Emmett's temper spiked hotly. "Look what she did to you!" he snapped.

Her voice was tense. "That's not important right now." Emmett was actually lost for words in that moment. Notimportant?! He was going to have to educate her to the very real fact that this in fact was top priority.

"Let go."

"No."

"I'm not just going to let Nolan kill her if I can stop it."

Emmett was having a hard time giving a shit. "She tried to kill you. She isn't your responsibility!"

Anala was glaring at him, eyes locked on him willfully. "I won't have a girl's death on my conscious!"

"You didn't do anything!" if she let Bella die Emmett wouldn't hold it against her. He really wouldn't. "You nearly bled out on the floor and you're already planning on risking yourself on this shit!"

"I won't let someone die knowing I could've stopped it."

"Why stop it?!"

She pulled irritably against his hold. "Emmett!"

He didn't budge, just became angrier. "Quit being so fucking difficult!"

"I don't have time to fight with you!"

"Then stop!"

"Nolan will kill her and it won't exactly be merciful or even subtle. The police will get involved. Her Chief of Police father will investigate. Do you really think that's necessary on top of everything else going on? Who do you think he will go to first? Knowing him do you really think he won't pop up and snoop around? How long do you think we can hold him off of his own daughter's murder until he stumbles upon something he's better off not knowing? He's done no harm and I won't take his only child from him. I don't want that on my shoulders! And who the hell are you to decide whether she dies or not? Now let go of me!"

Emmett growled angrily, clenching his jaw tightly for fear he'd say something he shouldn't. Anala was right. Not only was she right but he knewit. It was infuriating. Emmett wanted to strangle her. Even now as the vampire stewed in the hot rise of anger he found himself thinking of how beautiful she was. her was cheeks were colorless and Anala was covered in blood but her full lips were in a determined pout that he could so easily kiss and deep emerald eyes captivated him, stubborn look and all. His frustration bubbled over in a hot explosion of fury.

"Goddamn it!" Emmett bellowed. He released her with a disgusted sound and glared at her. "If you die I will kill you woman!"

"I told you I'm healing!"

Why did it suddenly feel like they were yelling at each other for the sake of it?

Anala stepped towards the door and he caught her hand, temper diminishing as quickly as it flared. "Wait!" she looked at him warily and he frowned lightly as his eyes moved over her face. The worry was back, no longer completely drowned out by the surfacing of his heated displeasure. ". . . are you sure you're okay?"

Her eyes softened a bit and her fingers squeezed around his own. "I will be."

Anala pointed to the shard of metal still on the floor. "No one touch that."

His mate was running out the door and Emmett followed, not convinced she would stay on her feet long enough to even make it back to the house. Carlisle was on his tail along with his brothers and Rose. Despite his worries Emmett could tell Anala was mending. The blood flow had slowed significantly, evidence that she was healing enough to not be at risk of falling over dead but she was still hurt, and it wasn't as fast as it should've been; and she was going after Nolan of all things. There was a reason Nolan was leader of his race. And there was a damn sure reason nobody wanted the guy angry. His sister had been attacked, and Nolan was out for blood. The air was upsettingly still. Calm before a storm was putting it mildly. He couldn't even hear any animals in the immediate area.

Even they knew to stay away.

Personally, Emmett saw no problem here. He wasn't disturbed by his complete and sudden lack of empathy for Isabella Swan. She had somehow managed to nearly kill his mate. That was unpardonable. As far as he was concerned, if Nolan hadn't beat him to it he would be crushing her heart in his fist. The little bitch deserved whatever was coming to her. Anala ghosted through the trees, advanced senses the only reason any of them were able to follow her. The blood was a pretty distinct marker above all else, making it hundreds of times easier for the vampires to follow. They were nearing the house, Emmett could see it in the farther distance through the trees and hear the distant heartbeats. One calm and steady. The other quick and panicked.

At first glance, the scene was almost deific. Nolan hovered high in the air. Large beautiful wings extended from his back. The long feathers, a faint powder blue, looked to glow white in the dark. His black hair was tousled, falling into his eyes softly and he looked truly celestial, like the very beings he descended from. In his arms was Bella. He embraced her body against his almost lovingly, arms wrapped around her torso. Her hands were rested on his arms. Nolan looked like an Angel of Mercy, benevolent and comforting. But Emmett knew that it wasn't as it appeared. He could tell in the way Nolan's blank expression showed nothing but his eyes spoke volumes. The pale blue orbs looked nearly silver against his warm complexion. They were unsympathetic, icy and distant yet stunning like fine crystal, speckled in gold. The embrace was deceiving. Nolan's hold was loosening and Bella's fingers were clinging to his shirt, grasping at him desperately to preserve herself from the inevitable. Her arms remained outstretched to him, even as she lost her grip and began to fall.

Emmett registered the sound of a soft series of clicks.

A flash of black suddenly plucked her mid-air as Anala breached the tree line and Bella was reappearing on the grass, wide-eyed and pallid. Javan was standing on the roof, camera in hand. He was slowly pulling his eyes from Nolan as he lowered it. He didn't seem upset or angry, just . . . expecting. Waiting. Anala shot at the brunette, pushing her out of the way just as a large frozen mass whizzed past. Bella screamed and tripped over her feet, barely managing to keep upright. It was a stalactite, around four feet long and completely frozen. It impacted with a tree, piercing the bark like butter. It was embedded in the wood, piercing all the way through to the other side of the trunk. Emmett stared at it. The speed and force that had to have been put behind that . . . it spoke of single-minded intent. Had Bella not been moved it would have lanced right through her skull. The scent of fresh blood had Emmett's eyes zeroing in on Anala's arm. His shirt was torn at her upper arm, blood blooming on the material where she'd been grazed by the mass of ice.

The anger simmered and churned hotly and his eyes moved to the frightened brunette. Anala was shedding more blood because of a girl who very nearly succeeded in killing her. in the very next instant Anala was being shoved away roughly and Nolan had Bella by the throat, lifting her right off the ground as her breath cut off sharply. She kicked uselessly, grabbing his arm and his eyes were filled with unadulterated murder. Emmett was almost excited in that moment. He wanted to hear her neck snap. To hear the empty, depraved lungs give and for the rapid heart silence. A dark force sent Nolan flying back. His body careened across the grass and into the forest, landing with a harsh-sounding thud several meters in. Anala made her way to Bella who was gasping, tears in her eyes.

"Where did you get it?"

She was trembling, too shocked to move. "I . . . I was going to die! He was going to kill me."

Anala's voice was impatient. "Bella!"

Nolan was exiting the trees. He rolled his neck and shoulder, walking across the lawn. The joints cracked mutedly from under his flesh. Pale feathers trailed on the grass lightly with a quiet wisp of noise. There was no anger there. Simply deadly wrath. The Ahrahn's anger was unsettling enough but the glare he was directing at his sister was frightful. Anala moved forward, putting her small, injured frame between her brother and an attempted murderer. Energy crackled dangerously in the air. It created a pressure, a tension Emmett felt pressing down on him ever so slightly. It wasn't overwhelming, but it made it very clear to him this was nothing. This, what he was feeling right at that moment was a mere peek. A glance behind the curtain of powerful things unknown he had yet to learn of the two mysterious twins that had arrived in this place over two years ago. Nolan's stride was languid and fluid. He feinted slightly to the right and Anala mirrored him. Neither sibling spoke a word to the other, but as always, there was something there the rest of them could not pick up on. Some strange unspoken language known and understood only by them. The air around the blue-eyed man trembled and then he disappeared. Nolan reappeared several feet ahead before he was gone in the next step. Just there, then gone. Emmett couldn't quite figure out if Nolan was moving in a way his eyes could not pick up of if the man was somehow transporting himself from one spot to another. He was in front of Anala and his arm began to raise as she ducked around him, avoiding the fist that flew at her.

Emmett had watched Nolan fight before. He had seen the prowess in his form, the strength in his movements. Nolan was ruthless. His strike was purposeful and unhesitant and more dangerously, unpredictable. Even during amicable sparring, the fact was nothing less than adamantly clear. Nolan Cathari was a force all his own, and he was more than capable of cutting down much deadlier foe. It felt wrong seeing something so vicious aimed Anala, who of all people, the man was closest to. This wasn't about her. Emmett knew it before it began. This was about Bella, and Nolan was ready to go through her to get to his target. Anala evaporated into wisps of black. Nolan stopped and it was quiet. The atmosphere was soaking in something that made Emmett's skin itch and prickle and he found himself taking a few steps back, instincts not allowing him to ignore them. Javan's camera clicked once. Twice.

Nolan exhaled. He took a slow step back, and then another as his eyes shut briefly. He suddenly whirled just as Anala reappeared, grabbing her as he turned and slammed her to the ground. She managed to escape his hold, kicking him away and rolling to her feet so quickly it would have been shocking if they hadn't already known she could move like that. Emmett supposed to Bella they must have appeared to be moving very quickly, their forms more blurs than solid form due to her limited sight and reaction time. He however saw it, wondering how it was that Anala and Nolan seemed to move together, despite that they were clearly fighting against each other. Anala flitted back several steps as a loud tearing filled the air and sleek black wings were extending from Anala's back. She was in the air instantaneously and Nolan was hot on her heels. Emmett didn't know Layame could move this quickly. They soared high above the ground, colliding and weaving violently. A sudden flash of water accumulated, striking out at Anala. The dark-winged figure reared back, just barely averting her brother who had come within inches of her. Anala seemed to be just out of Nolan's grasp more often than not, which was only angering him further. He managed to get right in front of her, and they collided once more. Blood splattered on the grass. Emmett shifted nervously. This wasn't what he had wanted. He came to see Bella die. Not to watch his mate and her brother to fight in such an unleashing of . . . of what? Emmett didn't even know what the fuck this was. A fight? A battle? Two forces of nature waging war? Emmett wondered how long this would go on, if it could, no, would escalate. Nolan looked all too ready to tear Anala apart, and she was still hurt, still weakened by blood loss. She looked vulnerable, and his protective instincts had him on alert.

"I don't get it," he murmured. "Anala's the victim here, why is he so angry at her?"

"He isn't." Emmett looked to Jasper, not expecting to receive a reply. Jasper watched pensively, turning his eyes towards the other. "Not exactly."

"What do you mean?"

"He is angry, yes, but it isn't directed to Anala specifically. As Ahrahn, he's born with a certain set of instincts. He's the strongest of his kind, perfectly designed to lead, protect, and continue the race. Just as all the other's in his bloodline marked before him, he carries the trait, and with it the inherited wrath of his forefathers. There was an injustice done here, and Anala stopped it. The creature in him has taken it as a challenge against his power. If it were anyone else up there, Nolan would have killed them already. Except Anala of course, she's marked as he is. "

"How do you know this?"

"Zain told me some time ago. Nolan had just Transitioned and had nearly taken Kadaus's head off when he changed tactics at the last moment right before we were to kill a large gathering of demon's not too far from here. I got curious."

Emmett frowned, watching Nolan grab Anala. She twisted out of his grasp, diving away from him. "He's not . . . I mean he won't hurt her, will he?"

Jasper was quiet, uncertainty tinting his amber eyes.