Bella's Point of View
The forest was buzzing with activity. I could detect every inconsequential noise throughout the entire area. From the quiet flapping of wings of an owl, to the snarling of beasts that stood right in front of us. Everything was so loud; it was hard to remain focused. But the response these wolves caused within Edward had me incredibly nervous. The way he kept his shoulders tense and how he positioned his body to barricade me from these animals, suggested we were imminent danger.
"Sam, please, allow us to explain this situation." Edward said, holding his hands up in a symbol of peace. The look on his face was hard to read.
The biggest of the wolves hunkered down into an aggressive crouch, a loud snarl piercing past its clenched teeth. Eyes and fur as black as night. His creature was terrifying. But what damage could it possibly do? I thought vampires were basically indestructible. If that wasn't the case, what else did I not know? There hasn't been enough time for me to learn everything there is to know about this life.
Without warning all three of the wolves lunged forward, beginning a full-frontal attack against us. Just as fast, Edward had me in his arms and jumped into a close-by tree. He carried me to the very top, while the wolves circled beneath us.
"Please tell me what's going on? Are these wolves… actually dangerous to our kind?"
"When we are outnumbered like this, yes, quite dangerous," Edward replied with a tight frown on his face. "Carlisle isn't going to be happy about this."
"What do you mean?"
"We were hoping to leave Forks before the wolf pack heard about Jasper's attack. We have broken the treaty. Which means, they are here to take justice."
Treaty? Vampires and werewolves. What kind of supernatural world was I actually living in? I struggled to keep up with this new information. If these beasts were here to kill us, what choices did we have? We had to fight back, right?
"What are we going to do?"
Edward paused, sighing a bit as he looked down at the wolves growling and clawing at the tree. The desperation to reach us was clear. They wanted to rip us to shreds. Talking with them wasn't even an option. If they could understand.
"They don't plan on allowing us out of this forest in one piece," He responded with a hard look on his face. "We most likely will have to fight."
As he said that, I heard running in our direction. I caught the scent of the rest of the Cullen family approaching from all sides. They had the wolves surrounded in a matter of seconds. Relief washed over me as everyone was in attendance, circling the wolves with equal amounts of aggression.
Carlisle took a seat forward, the only one approaching peacefully. "Please, we don't want bloodshed, or any lives lost here. Allow us to explain ourselves. Or at the very least, allow us to leave this area. We planned on leaving Forks by the end of this week."
The two smaller wolves whipped their heads around, growling fiercely as they attempted to look for an escape route. The bigger wolve remained still, staring defiantly up the tree, before turning its massive head towards Carlisle. His ears pressed back against his head.
"He wants confirmation, that this is Charlie's daughter." Edward spoke up, narrowing his eyes to the wolf.
"Yes, this is Isabella Swan. One of our own made a mistake. He lost control of himself. And she paid the price." Carlisle said with a remorseful glance at me as well. "But now, she is under our care. We are taking responsibility for her."
The wolf snarled, appearing even more angry.
"He wants to know who is responsible." Edward said, his eyes moving to Jasper.
Alice quickly moved from her place, over to Jasper's side. She clung to him tightly, a glare on her face. I've never seen her in this state. She truly looked scared and prepared to fight for the sake of her mate. There was uneasiness amongst the group at the forest floor. Everyone looked at Jasper, not commenting, allowing him to take a step forward, away from Alice. He faced the wolves with a serious look on his face.
"It was me. I was the one that attacked her. I was also the one that killed that hiker. I've been trying to do better; it was never my intention to hurt anyone. I didn't want this. I'm sorry." He announced, looking mostly at me.
I looked away, unable to meet his gaze. Even the sound of his voice made my skin crawl. All I could see was how much pain he had put me through. How he had ruined my life. It was because of him. I lost my father and my future. Now, because of his actions, his family was at risk of these wolves attacking us.
Out of nowhere, all three wolves charged Jasper, making contact with him, before anyone even realized what had happened.
Edward quickly had us running away from the scene before I could see what was happening. But I could hear the screaming, the frenzied growls. It sounded like an all-out war was beginning.
I clutched myself to Edward. "We need to go back. We should help Jasper. Those wolves might kill him." I couldn't believe I was even concerned for his safety. I just couldn't help it. This was who I was. Even for those that hurt me, I didn't want to see anyone get hurt. Or worse. I may not have forgiven him, but I wanted to have the chance to in the future.
"The others can handle it. I need to get you somewhere safe." Edward answered with a stern look. We didn't stop running until we made it back to the Cullen house. The moment we were behind closed doors, I took note of the look of sorrow on Edward's face.
"What is it? What is happening?" I urged him.
"The battle will be over shortly. We need to start packing." He said shortly, before he left my side to run up the stairs. I stood there, frozen in the foyer. I couldn't imagine what was happening right now. Was someone hurt? Or worse?
In a matter of a few minutes, I watched as one by one, Cullens returned to the house. They each moved past me without a look, their heads down, grief stricken. The only ones not to return were Alice and Jasper. I was afraid to ask.
Carlisle and Esme held each other tightly as they walked past. Esme's tiny shoulders were quivering, it appeared that she was sobbing, but without any tears present. Emmett stomped along behind him, tense and angry. His hands were balled into fists. There was bloodlust in his eyes. Emmett loved to fight and once he got into that mindset, it took him a while to cool down.
Rosalie was the last to walk through the door, she paused to place a single hand on my shoulder. "I'm glad you're not hurt. Listen, we need to get out of Forks. Once those mutts are found… well… it will be easier on everyone, if we leave before it causes suspicion." Her voice was gentle. But I could see the strain on her face. She was sad and worried. Did this mean those wolves were dead?
"Where is Alice and Jasper?" I asked quietly.
Rosalie winced, before answering. "She couldn't predict their movements, but she did everything she could to keep him safe. But she couldn't. None of us could. They attacked so fast and so aggressively. Jasper was lost tonight. It looked like he didn't even try to defend himself," She shook her head slightly, taking a deep breath. "But we killed each and every one of them."
Jasper was killed. It was a bit of a blow to my chest. I didn't particularly like Jasper. In fact, I had wished that he wasn't around, but I would have never wished for this. Did he think dying would make up for hurting me? Or taking the life of that hiker? That was truly heart-breaking. Why did this happen? Was this my fault.
I lowered my head, my soul crushed by this news. "And Alice…?"
"She needs some time alone. She left shortly after we finished the wolves off. I'm not sure she is going to come back. We are assuming tonight might be the last we see her as well. It's hard to say."
"I can't believe this happened… Is this… my fault?"
Rose frowned, pulling me into a one-armed hug as she began pulling me up the stairs. "No, this isn't your fault at all. Jasper is the one that broke the treaty in the first place. And he paid the price for it. It might sound heartless to say, but this is justice. He didn't deserve getting away with hurting you like this, without punishment."
As comforting as Rosalie could be at times, I just couldn't agree with her. I don't think Jasper deserved this fate. He had made a mistake. He deserved a chance at redemption.
At the top of the stairs, Edward stood with a look of disapproval as he made eye contact with Rosalie. He had suitcases in his hands. It appeared that he was already finished packing. I didn't have anything to take with me. I had nothing. Just a few pieces of clothing that Alice had picked up for me.
There was some kind of tension between Edward and Rose at the moment. Neither one of them spoke, but I sensed there was a silent conversation going on between them.
"Well, I'm going to go pack. Carlisle wants us out of here tonight. Before the rest of La Push finds out about what happened here." Rosalie said with a snort, before turning on her heel and heading in the direction of her and Emmett's room.
Edward offered me a strained smile. "Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you." He was still trying to comfort me. After the events of tonight, I was left feeling a little uncertain and a little anxious. There was still a lot I didn't know about. But I trusted Edward without any bit of hesitation. I would follow him anywhere. He truly was the only one left in my life to live for. As long as he wanted me around, I would remain. I just hoped that things would start looking up for this family.
Carlisle had made the decision to move to a remote location in Alaska. Apparently, there is family there. Ready with open arms to support us during these trying times. They welcomed me with open arms, mostly. The one woman, Tanya, only leered at me from a distance. Displeased with my existence. Although I wasn't sure why. Rosalie assured me, Tanya was just melodramatic. Whatever that meant. I steered clear of her and her salty disposition. The others in her family seemed friendly enough and went out of their way to help me feel welcomed.
Alaska was truly a beautiful sight. Now that I was a vampire, the cold no longer bothered me. I spent a majority of my time exploring the wildlife of this vast area, hand in hand with Edward. We hunted together, took long strolls out in the frozen tundra and spent every second of every day wrapped up in our own little world. Nothing else mattered. I was perfectly content. Life was beginning to return to some form of normality. Things began making sense again, as my old human memories began to fade.
Months passed before any noteworthy changes occurred. Time meant nothing for the longest time, yet today, the beginning of the winter solstice, Alice appeared. Looking disheveled and eyes of blazing red.
I was in Edward's lap, seated on the porch as we spotted her, nearly a mile away. She was walking uncharacteristically slow and solemn. I stood immediately, Edward took my hand, keeping me from approaching her. A frown was on his face as he watched her slowly. "She isn't herself. Keep your distance." He directed me gently.
A few of the others arrived, coming out to the porch, keeping their eyes firmly on Alice's figure in the distance. Kate took a few steps forward, her hands firmly on her hips. "Alice. What are you doing here? Do you need help dear?"
Alice didn't respond, she just continued walking, dejectedly in our direction. Her clothing was ripped up and filthy. Her hair, in a complete mess at the top of her head. It looked like she had been in a fight with a wild animal. Blood stained her lips, shirt and spilled down over her arms.
"Get Carlisle," Edward muttered quietly, not taking his eyes off her.
Emmett gave a sharp nod as he turned and went stalking back inside the house. At the same moment, Rosalie came out with a look of confusion on her face. "What's that she is holding?"
I moved slightly, taking a closer look. There indeed was something in Alice's arms. Wrapped in a blood-soaked shirt. Something small. I could hear the sound of a tiny heartbeat. The smell of blood permeated the air as Alice got closer. My throat went ablaze. As much as I tried to ignore that agony clawing at my throat, I knew that it would be for the best if I put some distance between me and Alice.
I stepped backwards, until I felt my back hit against the side of the house. Edward watched me with concern, moving to my side to gently stroke my face. "Do you want to leave? I can go with you."
I shook my head stubbornly. "No, I'd like to see what's happening here. I think… I think that's a baby that she has in her arms."
At the mention of a baby, Rosalie quickly launched herself down off the porch. She went straight to Alice and ripped something from her arms. In seconds, she returned to us, revealing a small infant. No more than a month old. There were some cuts and bruises on it's fair skin. It whimpered. There is no doubt the baby was cold, it was trembling in Rosalie's arms.
Wordlessly, she walked the baby inside of the house, moving to the fireplace as she began tending to it. I wanted to follow her inside and make sure the baby would be alright, but the smell of it's blood was too much for me. I didn't want to get to close and risk its safety.
"What happened Alice, where did you get that child?" Edward asked with a deep frown coming to his face.
The moment that the baby had left Alice's hands, she crumbled to the ground, her body trembling in silent sobs. She was a complete mess. She couldn't even speak. Inside, Carlisle took over the care of the baby and Rosalie marched back outside.
"Carlisle says the baby will survive, it's cold and hungry, but looks like it will be okay." Rosalie moved from the porch to where Alice sunk to the ground. Roughly, she lifted Alice up by her collar with a low growl. "What the hell happened. Explain yourself."
"Rose," Edward said with a hint of warning on his tone. "Take it easy. Can't you see she isn't herself?"
Alice lifted her head, barely looking Rosealie in the eye. "There was a car accident a few miles away. I… followed the smell of the blood. There were minor injuries to the adults. But it's been so long since I've fed… I couldn't stop myself. I killed everyone in that car… but when I got to the backseat… and saw the baby… I realized what I had done… I brought it here. I didn't know what else to do."
Rose hissed, giving her a disapproving look before tossing Alice back to the ground. "I can't believe you would do something like this… you just…" She stopped herself, attempting to collect her emotions before she lost control. "Do yourself a favor and go inside, wash up and get yourself together. You smell." She snapped, before walking completely away from her. She marched back towards the house and instantly went back to Carlisle side to help take care of the tiny infant.
Alice didn't move. She just sat in the snow, looking tormented and full of guilt. She wouldn't look at anyone. Edward shifted uncomfortably at my side. I could see the concern on his face. With a gentle touch of his lips, he planted a tender kiss to my lips, before walking off the porch and towards Alice.
I remained behind, waiting and watching closely. If anyone could help Alice, it would be Edward. They had been close in the past, maybe she would respond better to his attempts at coaxing her inside. Kate and her sister Irena now came out to stand with me. They watched Alice with untrusting eyes.
"I can't believe she would show up here, like this. It's not like her. What in the hell happened to her? I mean… I knew she lost her mate. Jasper was a wonderful guy… a little on the strange side… but she loved him. If this is what happens when you lose a mate, I'm not sure I ever would like to find one." Kate muttered quietly.
Irena gave her a disapproving look. "Don't be so insensitive. She is barely holding herself together. I'm surprised she isn't in Italy, asking to be put out of her misery."
"What's in Italy?" I asked, turning to them.
"The Volturi, you can think of them as the kings of our people. In a way. They make the rules. And punish those who disobey." Kate explained with a serious look. "If you want to die… they would be the ones to go to."
"So, you would just have to do something… to cause them to get angry… or break a rule. And they will come… to kill us?" I said with a frown.
There was another new piece of information. Edward and the others never mentioned the Volturi. For some reason, I felt a bit uneasy. The idea of a group of other vampires, out there ready to kill anyone and has the ability to do so… was startling. I wasn't even sure of what all the rules are.
"That's about it. Believe me. You don't want the Volturi's involvement in anything. We have learned that lesson the hard way." Kate said tension taking over her expression.
She and Irena exchanged gloomy looks to one another. Which made me pause in asking for any further details. It seems like a subject they would rather not talk about. Instead, I turned my attention back to Edward. He was still talking quietly to Alice, who didn't appear to even be listening to him. She didn't make eye contact. She only bobbed her head to answer, 'yes' or 'no' questions.
"It looks like she has gone almost completely feral." Kate sighed, running a hand through her beautiful blonde locks. "I don't think Tanya will allow her to stay if she is in this state."
Before anyone could respond, a shrill cry sounded from inside the house. I turned, looking to the infant, now in Rosalie's arms. She held the baby close, offering a warm bottle of milk, which the baby quickly latched on and began to drink. The sight made my chest tighten. I had never given thought to having a baby. But the thought of never being able to have one… was painful. There was longing inside of me. But I pushed those feelings away. There is no point on dwelling on something that can never happen.
Now that Carlisle was finished getting the baby stabilized, he made his way out to where Edward and Alice were. Maybe Carlisle would be able to defuse the situation. I wanted Alice to come inside and get some help. She clearly needed it. Snow was beginning to fall and the sun had begun the descent from the sky.
Alice curled herself into a ball, allowing the snow to fall freely against her. She closed her eyes. Unwilling to listen anymore. She wouldn't even acknowledge Carlisle was there. Instead, Edward and Carlisle just picked her up from the ground and walked her towards the house. She didn't fight them. She had all but given up.
Thank you for reading! Leave a review if you are interested in me continuing this story. I'll try to make more updates as often as possible.