Chapter 16: Wolf

Bella

I knew that I should leave before they found me. Yet I still felt that strong overwhelming urge to watch over my daughter as I had for her entire life. I couldn't shake the feeling that she and my grandbabies still needed protecting. It was dangerous though because I knew the longer I stayed behind the more likely it would be that I would get caught. I was dead. It was better that Nessie and the rest of the Cullens continued to believe that I was dead.

Maybe I was just punishing myself by staying behind. Nessie would mourn my death and then she would get on with her life. Maybe, just maybe, if I left I would be able to get on with my life as well. But, although my head knew the truth, my heart told me differently. My heart didn't want to listen to what my head was telling me to do.

So I stayed in the woods away from the city. Away from humans. My thirst was ever present and I was afraid that if I got too close to someone then I would lose control of myself and kill some poor innocent human. I had pledged to myself that I would live like the Cullens lived and that I would only sustain myself on the blood of animals. That I would never take a human life if I could avoid it.

The thirst though was ever present on my mind. Sometimes it seemed that no matter what I did, no matter how much blood I drank, it was never enough to fully satiate the thirst. I caught the scent of a herd of deer in the wind. It was just east of where I was standing. If I had to guess they were down by the river getting a drink of water. I could smell the water. The water held no appeal to me. At least not anymore.

My feet reacted even faster than my mind did. In less than a fraction of a second I could see the unsuspecting herd. I attacked the largest one first. I bit into his neck and drank. The blood tasted good as it soothed my throat. My body wasn't satisfied with one though. It was not until I had killed and drained five of them that the fire in my throat began to feel better. It would not last though. The rest of the herd fled.

I looked down at the river and gazed at the reflection that stared back at me. The red eyes looking back at me still startled me. I wondered how long it would be before they turned gold like the Cullens' eyes. Other than that I still looked like me at least. Aside from the pale skin anyway. I sighed. It was no use worrying about things that I had no control over.

Oh how I missed my old life. I missed my daughter, my husband, I missed everything. A thought occurred in my head. Without even giving it much thought I was off running. I was running as fast as I could. A trip that would normally have taken hours only took maybe around 45 minutes if I had to guess. I stood just far enough away from the mansion that I used to call home to avoid detection.

There were police officers inside of the house asking questions. I listened carefully. Through the window I saw Anna, the nanny I had hired to look after Nessie so many years ago, crying. The distraught on her face was very clear. She loved my daughter as if she were her daughter as well. Nessie thought of her as a second mother.

I listened as the police told her that they hadn't been able to locate Nessie or her babies. That they were doing all they could to find her. My sister and brother in law were there along with their kids also. I was shocked that they didn't appear to be upset at all by my daughter's supposed disappearance.

The police officers left and Anna returned to her bedroom. I was about to turn back when I heard my sister in law say "It's just too bad Renesmee didn't die in that car accident. Not even tampering with her break line was enough to kill that little bitch and her spawn,"

I froze.

"We have to find them before the police do and kill them once and for all. It's the only way that we will ever get our hands on the inheritance," her husband agreed.

"I can't believe that my brother was stupid enough to leave everything to that dumb girl and her descendants. Everything should be ours,"

"It's just too bad that killing your brother and sister in law wasn't enough," he said. "We got rid of them and now we have to get rid of that stupid girl and her babies as well. We need to find out where they are now and deal with this once and for all,"

I was tempted to kill them right then and there. Instead I ran back. My mother's instinct driving me to be as close as I physically could be to my daughter. The overwhelming urge to protect her even if it was from afar. I didn't know what I was going to to protect my family and also make sure they were never aware of my existence.

It came out of nowhere and before I could react I crashed into a massive and warm furry creature. The stunned animal got to his feet and stared at me with intense eyes filled with shock. I recognized this wolf. He wasn't just any wolf. He was my wolf. My best friend. My Jacob who had suddenly vanished from my life the day after Renesmee was born so many years ago. The pain I felt when Jacob had left was immense. He was my best friend and just like that he disappeared without even so much as an explanation as to why.

"Jacob?" I asked him, shocked.

He walked over to me slowly and sniffed me. He was more shocked to see me than I was to see him. Maybe it was because unlike him I had aged. Jacob took a step back, shook his head, and then ran away in a hurry. I realized he was running toward the Cullen's house. I wondered why. I wondered why he was heading over to a house full of vampires, his natural enemy, in such a hurry. I stayed behind and remained hidden in the shadows.