Chapter Twenty Eight

Jasper

I'd been in a meeting when I had this sudden feeling of dread and left abruptly without even making any apologies. Something was warning me Bella was in trouble and I needed to get to her as quickly as I could. I left my car, I could run back more quickly and concentrated on the feeling that was guiding me, becoming stronger the closer to Forks I got. I tried ringing Charlie's but Bella wasn't there so I tried her cell phone but that went unanswered too. Praying she had it on vibrate because she was out with her friends I left a message but even as I did so I could tell I was too late. The feeling which had been stronger the closer I got to Forks now began to weaken and I feared the worst.

I thought I would be pulled in the direction of her house or even mine but instead, I found myself heading towards the far edge of town, to the forest, what on earth would have made Bella come here to this isolated spot? As I reached the picnic area parking lot I saw Bella's car, so she was here somewhere. Then looking over I recognized Charlie's cruiser parked close by. What was he doing here? It gave me a second or two of relief to think he might be with Bella, protecting her from whatever had happened. I opened my mouth to shout her name but then shut it abruptly as the scent of human blood assailed my senses, a lot of human blood. Rushing through the trees I allowed the scent to draw me on and then I could see her up ahead crumpled on the ground in a widening blood of blood that was seeping into the wet ground and covered the fallen leaves.

Close by was another figure also covered in blood but my only concern was for my mate. I could hear her heart beat fluttering and knew I had only seconds to act. Without a second thought I fell to my knees beside her, lifting her gently into my arms uncaring of the blood that covered my hands and clothes. I brushed her hair thick with blood from her neck, the skin was torn as if by an animal and a fang protruded from the deepest gash. By some miracle the tooth had saved her life, stopping the blood pouring from a nicked jugular by sealing most of the damage but it wouldn't be long. I closed my eyes and bit into the ravaged flesh ignoring the taste of warm thick blood as I pumped my venom into her body. When I had done all I could I held her close, my cheek against the top of her head praying I had been in time, that her heart would continue to beat long enough to pump my venom around her poor ravaged body.

The smell of wolf was all around me but something told me this wasn't a simple animal attack as it seemed. Why had Bella come to this isolated spot? To meet someone surely, but who? Jake seemed the obvious answer but beneath the wolf scents, none of which seemed fresh I could detect another scent and one that I recognized only too well. A snarl built up in my chest, somehow Edward had persuaded Bella to drive out here and then had attacked her. But who was the other body? It was an empty husk now, dead and beyond all help.

Once I was sure Bella's body was reacting to my venom although she was still silent, her larynx crushed by the attack, I laid her down and went to check on the corpse. The lack of uniform had fooled me at first but as I turned him over I recognized Bella's father, he may have discovered Bella was in danger and come to help his daughter but he'd been too late, Edward had obviously killed him first.

Looking down on his body devoid of life and so terribly mangled I knew the pain Bella would feel once she heard the news. She would be a newborn by that time so the pain and sorrow would be magnified and even with my help she would suffer greatly. I'd liked Charlie and understood he would be a great loss to the whole town, a man of integrity and honesty.

I knew she had come to terms with the idea that very soon she would be forced to leave him behind permanently but not like this. He deserved better, so did she. There was nothing I could do for him now so I went back to Bella and picked her struggling body up. There was the sound of another car pulling up in the parking lot and I was glad I'd run. My car parked here too would only confuse things. I melted into the cover of the trees as one of Charlie's deputies burst into the clearing, gun in hand.

I ran as fast as I could towards the house dialling Carlisle's number on Bella's phone as I did so.

"Bella? Is something wrong?"

"It's me, Carlisle, Edward attacked Bella, she was almost dead when I reached her. I'm taking her to the house and I need you to come home. Charlie's dead too but that bastard tried to make it look like it was an animal attack."

"I'm on my way son. Take her straight to the basement, the police might come looking for her and we can't have her found. Destroy her phone too, they can trace it."

I was at the house moments later and went through the garage to the basement, to the secret room beyond where Carlisle kept some of his most treasured possessions and which had been fitted out as a protective area in case the wolves decided to attack when Carlisle and the others first moved here decades ago. The house had been torn down and rebuilt but the basement had been left.

Carlisle joined me about twenty minutes later and after taking a quick look at Bella turned to me.

"The news about Charlie is already out, the deputy who found him reported it as an animal attack but he said there was someone else injured and they are combing the forest in case the injured person tried to escape. For now, they aren't sure if it's the convict Charlie was searching for or Bella. Her car was found but no sign of her of course. They are going to be looking for you to speak to soon son, You should get cleaned up and tell me exactly what happened. Bella will be safe enough here alone for now."

"I need to find Edward, that bastard is dead."

"Not now, there are more important concerns if you are going to keep us all safe, Bella too. Now, what happened?"

He stood listening to my story as I stripped off and showered making sure to erase every spot of blood from my skin and while he burned my clothes in the furnace I dressed in another set of identical clothes, My boss was sure to tell the cops what I had been wearing when I left so abruptly without any reason.

"Right, let's get your story straight. You felt ill, too ill to drive so your brother picked you up. I rang Emmett while I disposing of your clothes, he'll be back soon. You came straight home and went to bed. Bella rang me to ask if I'd heard from you and I told her you were here but she never arrived. I came home to check on you and see if she had turned up. Worried we went looking for her."

"They won't stop looking until they find a body Carlisle."

"I know but I think I might be able to help there. If one of us were the ones to find her, quickly, I can issue a death certificate and put it down to an animal attack. She looks dead to all intents and purposes provided we act before your venom does too much healing. I'll pump her full of morphine so even if her larynx heals she will still appear to be dead."

All I could think of was vengeance, the need to hunt Edward down and tear him to pieces for what he had done. For what he had forced me to do, take Bella's humanity before she chose to do so. A red mist hovered at the edge of my vision but Carlisle's calm rational voice kept it at bay for now.

"He's a murderer Carlisle."

He looked at me gravely then nodded,

"It would appear so Jasper. Are you sure you recognized his scent? These wounds are made by an animal or at least superficially they look like it. Closer examination might show something different but I'm not sure the medical examiner would see the need for an in-depth analysis under the circumstances, especially if I can give my educated opinion. You need to keep your head in the game Jasper. There will be time for action against the killer later. For now, Bella needs you to be strong and focused."