Back to the Start

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Chaos

Jacob didn't want to leave her. It was the last thing he wanted to do. He wanted to stay by her side, wrap his arms around her, and keep her safe from harm. But, like everything in his life lately, he had no choice. He was the Alpha of a pack of shapeshifting werewolves, committed to keeping La Push and Forks safe from supernatural predators. He had to go.

Even as Jacob was thinking all of this, Bella was trying to reason with herself, to stay calm. She knew Jacob could read her like a book, and knew she was worried. He would guess that she was worried about him more than herself. She wouldn't panic. She couldn't. Whether she was calm or freaking out, this was happening, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. But what she could do was hold herself together for Jacob's sake. He had enough to deal with, without her sobbing all over him like a maiden in distress.

Charlie had already left. His cell had been ringing non-stop ever since the fires were started. He raced off in his cruiser, leaving to join his deputies, and begin the arduous duty of supervising the emergency services, already knowing that they would have to call upon others from outside of the area. He had given Bella a quick hug before he left, promising to keep in contact, making her swear to stay close to Billy while he was gone.

"Bella?" Jacob's dark eyes glistened in the dull light from the front porch.

Bella looked at him, grabbing his hand tightly as he led her into the house. Billy nodded wordlessly as they passed, but his eyes never left the tree line at the edge of the yard, his keen gaze fixated on the orange glow in the sky.

"Bells?" Jacob said again when they stepped inside.

"Yes?" Bella stared up at him, trying her best to hide her fear. It was pointless. He knew. He grabbed her into a bone-crushing hug, which stole her breath, but she didn't protest, she needed to feel him close more than she needed air to breathe.

"It'll be okay." Jacob whispered huskily. "Stay with Dad."

Bella nodded against his shoulder. Her tenuous grip on control slipping slightly as she clutched at him like a woman drowning. Jacob loosened his grip on her just a little, realizing in his anguish he was holding her too tightly. Bella breathed in deeply, her nose and mouth filled with the earthy scent of musk and woods. Jacob's scent. She had so many questions, so much to say, but in the end only one thing mattered.

"Stay safe out there and come back to me."

"Always." Jacob promised solemnly.

Jacob's mind was a whirl of activity as he ran off to join his brothers in the fight. Instinct told him who was behind the spontaneous fires. No arsonist would attack so many buildings all at once. No, the fires were a ruse to draw attention away from the real perpetrators: vampires. Keep the humans occupied, while they quietly wreaked havoc, the burning buildings a perfect cover to conceal their mischief.

Jacob had hated leaving Bella, he had tried to say as much as he could to console her, to reassure her that he knew what he was doing. He didn't. She knew he didn't. But he said the words anyway. He should have been the one to stay behind and protect her, but instead had to leave her safety in the hands of the newest wolf, Quil. The same Quil who never took anything seriously. Who was chomping at the bit to get involved in the action, but who was still too green. He hadn't been tested yet. Jacob couldn't take the risk that Quil wouldn't freeze when confronted with the enemy for the first time. No, it was better he stayed behind and kept guard over the others. Jacob would be able to see through his eyes that Bella and his father were safe.

The clouds rolled in the dark sky above as Jacob raced toward Forks. The wind was keening wildly between the branches of the trees, and stinging his eyes. It was carrying in a storm, and it was coming in fast and hard. A blessing in disguise, Jacob thought fleetingly, the rain would help to douse the fires.

Five minutes later Jacob reached Forks and it was more hellish than he could ever have imagined. The air was heated and thick with lung-choking smoke. He could hear sirens wailing and cars speeding down the streets. People were milling about, calling out to each other. Women were crying, men were yelling, children were staring wide-eyed around them in fear. Most were on their cell phones, talking in panicked voices, saying things like this didn't happen in small, sleepy towns like Forks.

Jacob's mind was bombarded with the racing thoughts of his pack. Everywhere he focused there were fires. He sifted through the frantic thoughts of his brothers, focusing on Sam in particular. His beta was looking out upon a burning building. Jacob recognized it at once. It was Forks High School. The school gym was ablaze, the hot flames licking at the brick building like a greedy monster, eager to devour. It was the same gym where he and Bella had attended prom. From the intensity of the fire, it looked like it would just be an empty shell by morning.

Sam growled menacingly, crouching down, ready to spring. A male vampire, big and burly, leapt out of the shadows, heading straight for him. Sam flung himself into the air to meet him head on.

"I've got this, Jake. Don't worry."

It was a well-coordinated, planned ambush. It was only too obvious now. As Jacob checked on the rest of his pack, he saw the same scenario over and over. Each of them was being stalked by one or more vampires, the fires having been set deliberately to draw the wolves out of hiding. Jacob searched the pack mind again, trying to see a sign of any vampire that he might recognize. This was a revenge attack. But who by? And why?

All around him the chaos continued to rage. Jacob kept under tree cover, but didn't worry too much about being seen. Forks' residents were too preoccupied on trying to save their property. No one noticed a huge, gigantic, russet toned wolf slipping through the shadows from one side of the street to another.

Jacob's muscles strained tirelessly under his skin, his every instinct on constant alert for a sign of vampires as he pelted on into the gathering night. He suddenly found himself near the Swan house. He scanned the front yard quickly for any sign of vampire activity. There was nothing at the front of the building, so he loped around to the back, and immediately his nostrils were assaulted by the stench of rotting sugar. Disgust washed over Jacob, following by a simmering rage. The sickening stench dirtied the air, it was so strong it overpowered everything else. But, worse than all of that, was the horrifying realization that this particular vamp was lying in wait at Bella's house, which meant only one thing, this attack was personal.

Jacob turned his nose to the wind, his every muscle quivering, as he slowly followed the bloodsucker's trail. The stench was so strong that it even managed to overpower the acrid smell of smoke. Nose to the ground, Jacob hurried along the trail, which now led away from the house. The smell was so fresh, so recent, that he was sure that he would happen upon the leech at any moment, but still, he could see nothing.

Jacob didn't slow down until the trail led him to the center of town. He had to be careful now. There were lots of people milling about, two fire trucks aimed their hoses at the local store, trying to douse the rapidly spreading flames. Firefighters were doing their best to hold the townsfolk back, some of whom were filming the blazing store on their cell phones. Jacob wondered briefly where Charlie was. He was probably close by, being forced to deal with these reckless idiots who were putting themselves at risk just so they could get the best shot.

Doing a quick detour, Jacob kept to the shadows, his mind and chest burning with a deep fury, as all he could think about was chasing the miserable leech down and tearing it to pieces. And yet, the cord that tied him to Bella, pulled and pulled, interrupting his focus, making his steps falter as a burning desire to retrace his steps to La Push overwhelmed him.

"She's fine, Jake. See."

Quil's reassuring voice in his head made Jacob able to focus again. He could see Bella through his eyes, standing next to Billy on the front porch, her hand on his shoulder, gazing out toward the forest.

"Thanks, Quil."

"I'll keep her safe, Jake. I promise."

Then suddenly Jacob slammed into something impossibly hard, and his senses were assaulted by the fetid odor of vampire.

Time was ticking by so slowly. Bella kept vigil beside Billy, trying to keep her breathing even in an effort to quell her rising panic. The night was quiet, too quiet. Even the normal animal sounds appeared muted. The only sound was the occasional rustle of leaves on the wind, and the rapid beating of Bella's heart.

"They'll be alright, won't they?" Bella asked Billy quietly, as she looked to him for reassurance.

Billy nodded. "This is what they're made for, Bella. Jake and his pack are strong."

Even though, deep down inside, Bella knew that, it didn't soothe her growing anxiety. She had every faith that Jacob and the others could protect themselves, it was the endless waiting that was doing her head in, making her doubt.

"What if something happens?"

"There are many of them, Bella. They know what they are doing. You must not let your fears take hold of you." Billy reached up and patted her hand which still rested on his shoulder.

Bella knew that Billy wasn't one of the wolves, but maybe he would have been if vampires had shown up during his youth. Even tied to his wheelchair, he still had a mystical air about him. He carried the same wolf gene as his son. Maybe in times of crisis like this, that gene was activated, not in the usual way, but enough to enhance his human senses, powering up his natural instincts, making him able to see and hear beyond what a normal human was capable of. To see things that she could not see.

Bella's internal deliberations were cut off by a strange keening sound. It was far off in the distance, but growing closer. Within minutes the branches of the trees were snapping, the keening sound turning into a high-pitched scream, followed seconds later by a loud warning howl.

Out of the corner of her eyes Bella glimpsed a flash of fiery red and her heart immediately leapt into her throat as two vampires edged slowly into the clearing, eyes intent, missing nothing. And one of them was a female with bright orange hair.

A/N-thanks for reading!