Chapter Eighty Seven
Charlotte
I told Peter that I was worried that they were suspicious, they didn't answer me about Charlie so I would have to go with them and try to get a message to him as soon as I found out. He wasn't happy about it but as I pointed out to him I was in no danger, I hadn't done anything and he wouldn't be far away.
"Listen, I can't be too close or the vampire fucking eagle will see me and I don't want to be away from you. What if something happens?"
"Like what Peter? I'm a Cullen, they aren't going to hurt me. Why can't you just tell the truth for once."
"The truth?"
"Yes, we've been together a few days now alone and you still won't say it."
"Say what? Girl you are fucking confusing me talking in riddles why don't you just come out and say what the fuck you mean."
"OK, I will. You are in love with me. You recognize me as your mate, that's why you insisted I stay with you and not leave with the rest, why you stopped your friend from taking me."
He looked at me as if I were mad for a minute and opened his mouth for some smart answer but then he stopped and grabbed my arms pulling me close.
"If this is what love feels like then I have to say I'm fucking confused but OK say you're right. I don't want you to go with them. I want you to stay with me and to hell with Bella Swan. Let her find out if her dad is OK herself."
"You know she and The Major are mates too don't you?"
He laughed out loud hearing that,
"Girl you are loco, The Major and the human? Have you any idea how stupid that sounds?"
"Oh? Why? He's a man, she's a woman."
"No you're wrong, he's a monster, she's a human and trust me, the two don't mix. You have no idea what he's capable of. I know at the moment he seems calm and cool but let me tell you, if anything upsets him that girl is as good as dead. The Major's mate might be a kick ass vampire but she is NOT a human weakling."
Peter
I had to admit if not out loud that Charlotte was right, I was in love with her and I hated the idea of her with the Cullens or anyone else for that matter but she had made her mind up and I understood loyalty and plain orneriness, I had enough of both myself to know nothing would change her mind. I didn't like what she was saying about The Major and Bella, sure he was acting way out of character…...for now. But I knew he could change in an instant and any human close by was likely to be killed without a thought. He couldn't have found his mate in Bella surely?
What were the odds of us both finding mates at the same time? Girls that were even known to each other? It just beggared belief. Then a thought struck me,
"Hey, how do I know you'll come back? You could decide it's safer to stay with the Cullens, after all The Major and I are in deep shit with the Volturi right now."
She smiled and pulled me close kissing me long and passionately and almost blowing my boots off!
"I love you, of course I'll be back, just be patient and keep in touch with the others. I'll contact you as soon as I can. Now go before they get too close."
I had to drag myself away and it hurt so I could only hope she was right because suddenly she was the most important thing in my world, more important even than The Major and that thought shocked me.
Charlotte
I watched as Peter faded away feeling the pain of separation that I knew he would be experiencing too. I had spoken the truth about going back to him, even if it meant dying at his side at the hands of the Volturi. Better that than the lingering death that would result from the Volturi killing my mate. I ran alone as fast as I could away from Spanish Forks and Peter, I didn't want Darius finding me and spotting him so I didn't stop until I was a good fifty miles south and then I slowed a little and prayed Darius hadn't picked me up too soon, if he had been at his computer when I rang then we were in big trouble.
I stopped moving after a few hours and sat down by a river to wait after bathing myself and my clothes so as to lose Bella's scent., Darius would know where I was, he was sure to have eyes on me by now and it was stupid to keep running, besides which it hurt too much, every mile between Peter and myself was like another red hot needle being pushed into my chest.
When I heard them coming I stood up to wait and was astonished when I saw not only Darius and Carlisle but Charlie too and not only that but a vampire Charlie! So he wasn't human any more but he was alive and I knew immediately that he was now out for venom, The Major's, which was going to present quite a problem down the line because Bella would be protecting her slayer!
"Charlie! I didn't expect to see you but I'm glad you're…..OK."
"Not OK Charlotte, nowhere near OK but I will be when I find that bastard The Major and rip him to pieces. You saw Bella's body? Did you see what he did with it?"
I shook my head quite truthfully, after all I hadn't seen what he had done with Bella's lifeless body but I felt like a heel never the less for allowing him to continue believing he had killed his own daughter. The trouble was I couldn't tell him the truth, it was too dangerous for all of us.
Darius
There was still something that didn't ring true here but I didn't know what it could be.
"How did you get away from The Major?"
She looked at me startled a little by my tone,
"I didn't, not from The Major anyway. He left the Captain with me and went off, I have no idea where. I managed to fool the Captain into believing I was happy to stay with him, his ego is even bigger than Aro's and he believed me. We went to hunt and I managed to slip away while he was feeding. I jumped off a cliff into a river and started to swim and that's about it."
"Right. I guess the feeding frenzy helped you did it?"
She thought for a second,
"I'm not sure frenzy would be the right word but he was engrossed and he didn't expect me to run. I'm quite a good actress when my life depends on it."
"Oh I'm sure you are. Well lets get going shall we?"
"Where are we going?"
"Well that depends what Edward is doing to a large degree but I'm sure there will be time to drop you off with the girls. You'll be safe there."
I cut across Carlisle,
"I don't think that's a good idea, she might lead The Major and his friend to them. No Charlotte should stay with us, we're more than a match for The Major and we're mobile so harder to track."
She looked at me as if she wanted to protest but thought better of it. I wanted this young lady where I could keep an eye on her. I didn't for one moment think she was likely to betray us but she was holding something back and until I knew what is was I intended keeping her close, very fucking close.