Chapter Thirty One

Jasper

As soon as the funeral was over I headed up the mountain, unable to stay away from Bella any longer. The closer I got the less tense I found myself, pretty soon I would be at her side. It would be my face she saw when she opened her eyes, I would be the one to show her the wonders and the pitfalls of life as a vampire and I would help her to track down her father's killer but that could wait.

I knew her overwhelming need when she woke up would be to hunt. I remembered my own thirst only too well. It was a living thing that drove every other concern from me and I was determined not to do as my own sire had and leave her to learn how to deal with it alone. I had killed too many humans over the years and I didn't want that for Bella. Up here in the mountains she would find hunting prey easy, there were plenty of deer and bears. Even some wild cats and if she never experienced the sensation of human blood she would find it easier to avoid the temptation altogether.

I found Bella still unconscious, looking like Sleeping Beauty with her porcelain skin and dark hair fanned out across the pillow. Emmett sat reading but put the book down as I came in and smiled.

"Jazz, glad you're here man. Are the others coming?"

"No, they felt it would be better if they acted as usual. The police are still out whenever they get a chance, hunting for the rogue wolf. The Quileutes offered to help but I guess they are busy making sure they find any evidence of what really happened first. They don't suspect any of us thankfully."

I checked out of the window but could sense nothing.

"You haven't seen or heard anything have you?"

"Nope, quiet as the grave if you'll excuse the pun. It's kinda spooky Bella being so quiet, you think she'll wake up soon?"

"Yes, she should. Carlisle did say the drugs he had to use would slow the transformation down but it's been a week now."

"He's not worried though?"

"No, he just didn't know how much slower it would be but he's confident she'll wake soon. I hate the thought of having to tell her the news about Charlie but she has a right to know."

"Yeah, I still find it hard to believe Edward would do that. When you go looking for him count me in, the bastard deserves to die slowly and painfully."

"Oh he will Emmett, I can promise you that."

I sat beside Bella stroking her forehead and hoping she would wake soon. I didn't like the idea that Edward might still be around while she was laying here so vulnerable. He would have to be crazy to come here with both Emmett and I on guard but I wondered just how crazy he actually was. He'd almost killed Bella because she refused him and had killed Charlie who it seemed had tried to save his daughter. Would Edward attack at random now? Would he realize the family was against him and attempt to kill any of them? I wouldn't put anything past him now, the first murder was hard but I knew it got easy with time unless you could feel the pain of your victims so if he held off it was because he was afraid of the thoughts he would hear as the life left innocent bodies. Of course, perhaps he was in trouble. Bella was sure he had been in pain when he had fled from her room and maybe whatever was torturing him had continued but that might just make him more dangerous and less predictable. He was acting like an animal and a wounded beast would take chances that an unharmed one might shy away from. We needed to know what was going on with him as quickly as possible. If he'd gone rogue he could be putting us all in mortal danger.

I was pulled from my reverie by a moan from the bed and as I looked down on Bella she opened her eyes, strangely crimson unfamiliar eyes that studied me carefully. I tensed ready for an attack but then she smiled and spoke my name.

"Jasper! What happened?"

Even as she asked the question I saw memories come flooding back to her and she leapt to her feet crouching as she saw Emmett standing between her and the lodge door.

He held his arms out as a gesture of peace but her eyes narrowed and then she struck. He went crashing to the floor with the momentum of the attack and her teeth snapped at his throat as he tried to hold her off. I came up behind her and threw my arms around her chest pinning her hands to her side and moving my head to avoid the snapping teeth as she turned to attack me.

I could feel her confusion as her memories fought free of the rage, she recognized me and I felt a relief as she stopped struggling and turned back to stare at Emmett.

"Oh! Oh Emmett, I'm sorry. Jasper, did I hurt you? Did I bite either of you? I am so sorry, I just didn't recognize you at first. Where am I? What happened?"

Her face became stony then as more memories came flooding back.

"Edward! He attacked me. He tricked me into meeting him and then he tried to kill me when I told him to get the hell away from me. Where is he?"

She struggled free of my grip but didn't make for the door. Instead she turned to look at me,

"What happened Jasper? Why do I feel so strange? Tell me."

I could see she wasn't going to be diverted, not even by the thirst that must be torturing her so I began to explain as gently as I was able knowing I was about to break her heart in the process.

When I finished speaking she just stared at me,

"Edward killed Charlie? Why? And everybody thinks he and I are both dead? Poor Renee! So, I'm a vampire now?"

"Yes, I'm sorry things didn't work out the way we planned but I couldn't let you die."

She cupped my face between her hands and I felt the love streaming from her.

"We were going to do this anyway. I love you Jasper and now we have eternity together."

As I began to smile, relaxing that she had taken all the terrible news so calmly I saw her eyes darken and set.

"You and I have eternity but Edward ensured my dad didn't even have the three score and ten he could have expected. Where is he?"

She pushed me aside and instead of fighting Emmett who stood between her and the door jumped through the window and took off into the trees. Without a word we both followed her, was she hoping to track him down somehow or had her thirst finally gotten the better of her? It was hard to tell with a newborn whose emotions were all over the place. All we could do was follow her and hope to catch up before she did anything she might regret later, after all there were always the odd hunters in these mountains. She was fast, very fast and we struggled to catch up with her breaking up so we could come at her from both sides if necessary.

Emmett

I saw Bella up ahead and she was still, facing another figure across the open ground ahead. At first I thought it was a human and tensed but then I noticed the soft sheen coming from his skin, it was another vampire and one I had never seen before. He looked as if he knew what he was about, in a fighter's stance.

Knowing Bella could be in serious danger I tensed further ready to intervene and then…..well, it all happened so fast. He lifted his arms, he must have a gift and was preparing to use it, Bella wouldn't stand a chance against that so I threw myself between them and then suddenly I couldn't move, I fell to the ground but Bella hadn't moved. Her eyes were almost glowing with rage and she was a blur as she attacked him while I struggled but I was paralysed.