Chapter Seventy Four

Emmett

I went after Bella afraid of what she might do, including jump out the window and head off in search of Jazz. She turned at the top of the stairs and snarled showing her teeth.

"Back off now before I hurt you."

I smiled and shook my head coming upstairs slowly,

"Can't do that Bella. We promised Jazz we'd look after you."

"Where is he Emmett? I have to find him."

"He'll find you when it's safe to do so."

"NO! why do none of you understand? I have to find him and you aren't going to stop me, any of you!"

I was almost close enough to grab her but as I stretched out I found myself flying through the air to the sound of her scream.

"No, leave me alone. I want Jasper!"

Her face was clear in my mind, red eyes glowing with rage and her teeth clenched. I felt a crunch and felt a pain as she appeared on my chest her teeth snapping at my neck and her nails digging into my chest as my shirt ripped. I bucked trying to throw her off pulling her away from my neck with difficulty as she took a chunk of my flesh with her and I felt venom spurting from the wound.

I staggered to my feet to defend myself as she launched herself at me again but this time I dodged and she missed me crashing into a wall and punching a hole in it. She turned and I saw something in her expression that made me flinch. Her hair whipped around her face and her eyes had changed from deep red to darkest black. I put my hands up to my face instinctively and heard a terrible roar before being thrown backwards again. This time I flew for at least a hundred yards before being stopped by one of the old trees that bordered the grounds. It creaked and groaned then uprooted and hit the ground beneath me.

Carlisle

The explosion we heard was followed seconds later by another one and this time the house seemed to shudder before the windows shattered and Emmett came flying out as if shot from a cannon and disappeared through the grounds. I grabbed Esme and Rose and pulled them down as wood, brick, glass and plasterboard shot from the windows and front door and crashed to the ground. There was the sound of groaning rafters and falling debris for a another minute or two and then silence as the dust cloud began to sink to the ground. We waited a few seconds more then stood again all covered in plaster dust and bits of shattered glass and fragments of wood.

"What happened?"

I shook my head, I had no idea but I hadn't seen Bella appear yet so was she still in the ruins of the house or had she made a run for it under cover of the confusion.

"Go find Emmett, I'll see if Bella's still there and find out what happened."

The girls disappeared down the garden and I stepped gingerly inside the remains of the hall to find Bella sitting, face in hands, on the bottom step surrounded by debris.

"Bella?"

She ignored me so I picked my way over to her and sat down beside her still wondering exactly what had happened here.

"Bella? What happened? Are you OK?"

Still she didn't answer and I saw venom on her hands and jeans, was she injured? If so she would need to hunt again, whatever happened had used a lot of energy and I suspected it was Bella herself who was responsible but I couldn't get any response from her and when the girls got back with a very shaky Emmett they had no more luck.

I was beginning to think that maybe she had retreated into herself when Alice and Jay appeared both shocked at the devastation wrought on the house. I tried to keep Jay away from Bella fearing another outburst but Alice sensed something although she swore later she hadn't actually seen anything.

"I don't see Bella Carlisle and only her actions if they impact directly on one of us but I felt it was right."

She nodded and pushed him gently forward taking my hand and pulling me back outside.

"Are you sure about this Alice? I have no idea what she did but Emmett's injured and it takes a lot to hurt him."

"I know Carlisle but I think Jay might just be able to reach her. There's a part of him that Bella recognizes instinctively, its what upset her in the first place."

I went to check on Emmett who was in Esme's capable hands while Rose stood beside him her eyes flashing angrily.

"Rose calm down, Emmett will be fine and Bella's hurting."

"So she should be, have you seen what she did to him? Emmett who was like a big brother to her."

"Rosie I'm fine, Bella didn't mean it, she's just mixed up like I was when I woke up. I tried to attack Carlisle remember?"

It was true he had and in fact he'd severed two fingers with a single snap of his teeth before we controlled him and it took three of us to do it! I squatted down beside him but there was little I could do. His venom would soon heal the wounds but he would have a scar where Bella bit him on the neck and that was what hurt Rose I think most of all. Emmett was so kind and gentle and Bella had hurt him when he was only trying to help her.

"Well I think the house will need a little work to make it fully habitable again but apart from debris and broken glass most of the upstairs looks useable. Alice perhaps you could get Bella a change of clothes and just see what's happening in there. The rest of you….I think perhaps you should make yourselves scarce for a few hours, take Emmett to hunt, I'll wait here and make sure Jay is managing."

"Are you sure Carlisle? I could stay with you."

"Its alright Esme, I'm sure Bella's rage has calmed now and I'll be fine with Jay and Alice now go on. By the time you get back things will be easier all round."

They left reluctantly but Emmett would need some help until he healed. Not only had she bitten him pretty badly but she'd also clawed a good deal of flesh off his chest and ribs, our Bella was a real hell cat when riled! As they left Alice came running out and threw Emmett a clean shirt and was thanked by a relieved Rose. They weren't likely to run into any humans this time of the night in the forest but it was better to be safe than sorry all the same.

Alice and I sat together waiting and listening, Jay seemed to have everything under control and I didn't envisage any more trouble but with a newborn you could never be too careful.

"She made quite a mess didn't she? You always said there was something strange about Bella. Is this what you meant?"

I looked at the house a little ruefully,

"Not exactly no. I was thinking about her ability to stop Edward from reading her thoughts actually."

"You mean you thought she did it deliberately?"

"No, quite unconsciously. I think it was a gift that lay mostly dormant while she was human but when she became a vampire I thought she might be a shield of some kind a little like Renata."

"That would be useful, so she could stop anyone affecting her mind? It might explain why I couldn't see her in my visions, if her shield was blanketing her but Jasper was able to calm her we know that."

"Yes but it turns out Jasper was her mate so maybe she recognized him subconsciously and knew he was no threat to her."

"But this wasn't caused by a shield surely?"

I looked around and shook my head,

"Not by any shield I ever imagined no, which means she is something else entirely. The question is…. what?"