Chapter Thirty
Jasper
I was so torn I found it difficult to sit still, I wanted to hunt Edward down. Make him pay for what he had done, for taking the life of my mate's father and almost Bella herself. He had forced me to make a decision for her that should have been hers alone and for what? Was he so desperate for a woman and so deluded that he thought they all wanted him? I should have listened to her concerns and I wasn't the only one feeling guilty right now. I discovered she had approached Rosalie with these same concerns and even she had tried to put Bella's mind at rest, we had all underestimated Edward's evil intentions.
Carlisle was intrigued by Bella's explanation of Edward's actions after he broke into her bedroom, what had happened? Whatever it was it had saved Bella but only temporarily. Esme's theory was that he had suddenly understood what he was doing and guilt had driven him away but his later actions crushed that hypothesis. But something had happened, Bella had been sure of that, for now I could only hope whatever it was it continued to plague him until I could catch up and show him what real terror and pain felt like.
Bella's mother had been beside herself with grief at her loss and I was relieved she only visited the chapel of rest once before the lids were closed on the two corpses that lay so pale and still. Poor Charlie really was gone but Bella was under the influence of the drugs Carlisle had used to ensure Bella appeared dead to all who saw her. It upset me to see her like that but better as a corpse than a soul in torment undergoing the transformation to vampire. I couldn't help wondering at her attitude once she woke up and found out her father was dead at Edward's hand. As a newborn she would take some delicate handling even before she felt the surge of blind fury towards Edward. Maybe we should just let her have her rage and go hunt him down herself. I could keep her clear of any possible dangers but as Esme pointed out Bella would hate herself once she came to her senses, she was kind and gentle, naive even and I did not want to be the one responsible for changing that.
Carlisle and Emmett had managed the task of spiriting Bella's body from its casket while I was forced to maintain my act as the devastated boyfriend. They decided it would be better if she were taken to a hunting lodge we sometimes used far up in the mountains to wake up and while Emmett sat sentry Rose and Esme watched over me as if afraid I might break down and give myself over to the rage I was feeling.
Edward
I watched with a certain amount of amusement as they went through the drama of the joint funeral aware that Bella would be waking in a few short hours and that now was the best chance I would have of reaching her without too much danger. Certainly, Emmett was stronger but I was faster and more skilful although without my gift I was at something of a disadvantage. Chuckling to myself as I left Forks and headed into the mountains I realized I would finally be utilizing the skills Jasper himself had taught us, skills I had shown such disdain for at the time when my gift meant I had no need of them. Now, he would be enabling me to beat Emmett and snatch Bella and then I would force her to tell me what she had done and to put it right before killing her for sure this time.
Emmett
I was glad I had been spared the misery of the funeral. I had liked Charlie and he certainly hadn't deserved to die so brutally and senselessly. I couldn't imagine what had been going through Edwards sick mind when he had beaten Charlie to death with the jawbone. It hadn't even been a spur of the moment action, he had taken the weapon with him for the express purpose of killing, maybe not Charlie but certainly Bella and he knew she was Jasper's mate. Not only had he broken every rule of common decency he had also shattered one of our most fundamental laws. Every vampire knew how sacred the bond between mates was, he had not only tried to kill Bella but also to destroy Jasper, her mate, our brother.
There was also another worrying aspect to his actions. By choosing to use the jaw of a wolf to commit the murders he had brought friction between the Quileutes and ourselves. They had known a wolf was not responsible for the slaughter of Bella and her father, they weren't stupid and some had suspected us of trying to make things difficult for them by bringing a rogue wolf into the frame. Carlisle had spoken to Old Quil and assured him that none of the family was responsible for the murders and luckily the heavy rain, the thick scent of blood, and the fact the wolf pack used the picnic site as a rendezvous point in the winter had helped to mask Edward's scent. By the time the pack arrived Carlisle and I had both been on the scene and they hadn't been able to separate out his scent from ours.
We had discussed what his next move might be, surely he wouldn't hang around here? He must know if he did then he'd find himself in the same state as his victim. I wasn't a violent person, I had never been, but something about this turned my stomach and for once I was ready for violence.
Bella was so still, so silent, it was eerie. Admittedly I'd never seen a newborn but I remembered my own first few years. I had no control over my emotions, I'd grow angry for no reason and the damage I caused! Poor Esme spent thousands putting right what I had destroyed. Bella was such a sweet young thing I couldn't imagine her destroying things or fighting but both Carlisle and Jasper had warned me to be vigilant or I could find myself dead or chasing a brand new vampire driven only by a burning thirst.
It was quiet in the lodge, the only sound came from the wind whistling through the stunted pines on the slope outside. I had brought a couple of books, my iPod and a handheld games console with me for company but I missed Rosalie. Hell, I always missed her but this time, knowing Edward was out there somewhere I worried about her. Sure she was among friends but something told me that Edward would be feeling pretty desperate round about now, even if he thought he'd killed both Charlie and Bella. Hell, if I thought Jasper was looking for my hide I'd be fucking terrified! I guess I wouldn't hang around and make myself an easy target, though, so I didn't need to worry about Rosie's safety. Making myself comfortable in a chair by the window I picked up the book I had started, a history of the Civil War that Jasper had recommended, The American Civil War and the Origins of Modern Warfare and was soon engrossed in it.