Chapter Seventy Two

Carlisle

Bella was showing every sign of waking soon, the venom had infused all her tissues and the heart was struggling its last few beats. We all stood watching and waiting each wondering what Bella would be like as a newborn. The fact she was separated from her mate would be one factor determining her behavior because her first impulse would be to find her way to him and explaining she couldn't wasn't going to be easy. Her reaction to Jay would also be interesting, his resemblance to Jasper being so marked.

Alice stood beside Jay holding his arm as if to stake her claim while Rose and Emmett stood together in the doorway and Esme and myself tried to appear non threatening against the wall. I had suggested Bella might be better with fewer people around but everyone was eager to see her awake to her new life. The last two ragged beats came and then…...silence. Bella was now one of us and soon she would open her eyes and see us in a new light but how would she react?

Bella

I had been a kind of halfway world, knowing what was happening to my human body but almost detached from it. I felt some of the pain but nothing like I had expected from listening to Edward and the others and certainly nowhere as much as I had felt when James bit me so something had changed. I felt as if I had hidden out somewhere from the worst of the transformation thinking about Jasper, my mate. I missed him and the first thing I was going to do when I woke up was go find him, then I knew I would feel complete.

I remembered the crash but not what caused it, I remembered….no I was confused, I had to be because I remembered Jasper saving me, biting me to save my life. Yet, in some strange way it wasn't him, only a pale imitation which confused me. All I knew was that I needed my mate and no one was going to stop me getting to him.

I could tell the venom had done its job when my heart stopped beating. Everything was strange because the noises I had ignored since birth, the sounds of my human body working its magic had suddenly stopped yet there wasn't silence, in its place just more and different sounds that I couldn't quite name at first.

Sensing others close by, strangers, I opened my eyes and prepared to run only to find myself crouched in a corner of a vaguely familiar room with faces I recognized all watching me. I struggled and then the names came to me, Carlisle and Esme, Rose and Emmett, and in one corner Alice and….the bitch was holding Jasper's arm as if he belonged to her!

I lunged to attack her, a loud snarl escaping from my chest and found myself held back by Carlisle and Emmett.

"Let me go, get her away from Jasper!"

But as I said it I saw I had been mistaken, the man beside her might look superficially like Jasper but it wasn't him, this was the imposter and I relaxed.

"You can let me go. I recognize him…..it's Jay."

"Good Bella. now everything is going to be very strange and confusing for a while until you get used to your new heightened senses. Just take your time."

I felt a burn in my throat that annoyed and distracted me.

"What's wrong with my throat?"

"You're thirsty Bella, once you feed you'll feel much more comfortable and things will be easier to assimilate. Why don't you let Emmett and Jay take you to hunt?"

I eyed Jay suspiciously, Emmett I could remember and trust but this other man with my mates face, he scared me.

"No, I want Jasper here with me, to teach me."

"He can't Bella but he knows you are safe. He'd be happy for you to hunt with Emmett.

"I want Jasper."

I knew I sounded like a spoiled brat but it was true, I could feel the need like a live creature inside me gnawing away at my vitals.

"Bella do you remember why Jay was bringing you here before you had the accident?"

I looked at Carlisle struggling with confused thoughts but then it came to me and I couldn't help my outburst of anger.

"Yes, my mate is suffering, he's drinking blood and fighting for his life and all because of you."

I took a step towards Jasper's double before Emmett grabbed me again and tried to calm me down.

"Bella, Jazz is fine, he knows what he's doing."

I struggled and Carlisle joined him holding me back as Jay tried to explain.

I could feel my rage growing but at the same time my thirst was becoming almost unbearable, stopping me from thinking straight so I stopped struggling.

"I need to feed, to stop this burning in my throat."

"Emmett and I will go with you Bella. Once you quench your thirst you'll be able to think more clearly."

I nodded and allowed them to guide me outside,

"Now, you ready to try out your new vampire speed? See if you can catch me Bella."

Emmett was gone, a blur in the distance and suddenly catching him up and passing him was the most important thing and I set off exhilarated as I understood that I had not only the speed but the confidence that I wouldn't make any slips, it was just too easy and I soon found myself catching Emmett but instead of overtaking him I threw myself on his back and knocked him to the ground.

Once I realized what I'd done I let out a whoop of delight. I could knock a vampire like Emmett from his feet? What else could I do with this fantastic new body of mine?

Carlisle

I caught up with the other two to find Emmett getting to his feet and Bella smiling broadly. Well at least she had forgotten about her need for her mate at least in the short term.

"Ready to hunt now Bella?"

She nodded and rubbed her throat so I put a finger to my lips and beckoned for her to follow me. We headed towards a river where I knew deer came to drink and once close enough to hear them I stopped her. She looked at me a little puzzled but then I saw her react to the sound of their hearts beating and the scent of their blood.

Seconds later she was gone and Emmett and I followed her more interested in her hunting skills than feeding ourselves. She had her teeth fixed in one deer's throat while she held another smaller bone by its neck as it struggled uselessly. She drained both before throwing the carcasses down and wiping her mouth.

"Feeling better now?"

She thought about it then nodded,

"Yes much Carlisle. Sorry Emmett."

Emmett grinned,

"Just luck Bella, right I'll race you back."

I watched as they ran out of view and picked up the carcasses throwing them into dense vegetation the other side of the river, they would make some wild animal a free lunch. Then I took out my cell phone and rang Darius with an update on Bella hoping somehow they might be able to get the information to Jasper.

I didn't think for one minute we had seen the last of Bella's temper. Her mind was occupied at present with the idea of beating Emmett but once they got home I was sure we were in for trouble. Bella had come through all this way too easily, there had to be a string in the tail and I was sure we were going to get stung, either us or poor Jay.