Chapter 4:
It had been a relief when Esme arrived a few days into my stay, she brought out the manners and kindness in her family, she was my fiercest protector and advocate about my right to keep my baby, she knew what it felt like to live without your child. Jasper brought calm with him when he arrived, I'd waited for Rosalie and Emmet, but they didn't show.
Life at the Cullen house 2.0 had fallen into a monotonous rhythm. I woke up with a stiff neck every morning from Edward deciding I 'slept better' in his arms, Esme would cook Micheline star worthy meals for me, I'd feel too sick to eat them, Edward would buy me a chocolate frosty and fries, Carlisle would tell me I'm not getting adequate nutrition again, I'd sit on the swinging bench in the conservatory reading wuthering heights, again, while Edward hung by my side like an attention seeking cat, pawing at me periodically. Jasper and Alice would take walks with me and Edward around the grounds, it was the only fresh air I got, I figured having Alice watch me and Jasper to control me made them less anxious about the thought of me running away. It wasn't anything like I'd imagined 'life with the Cullens' to be like back when I dreamed about it longingly.
"You look a million miles away," Jasper nodded to me from across the far end of the corner sofa I perched on. I found myself thinking about Paul often, Jasper always looked confused when I did, I'd probably just tell him if Edward wasn't around to make a scene about it, but for now I just shrugged at his raised eyebrow. I didn't mean to indulge in these thoughts, they just refused to be ignored. How fucked up is it that while Paul was just going on business as usual, I was hopelessly devoted, hopeless being the operative word.
"I think that's the longest sentence you've ever said to me," I remarked, dodging the obvious unspoken question. He got a similar frustrated look on his face as Edward did when he wished he could hear my thoughts. Good. I was frustrated too.
"I apologize if I've been too unforthcoming, I do enjoy your company. Bella, you have a... puzzling presence" He drawled out carefully, choosing each word with intention. His eyes narrowed and widened subtly with some kind of meaning and I found myself fixated on them.
"What do you mean?"
"I... feel what you feel" he shrugged, "I can't help but wonder what's going on in your head, since I'm experiencing it with you."
"Jasper, it doesn't matter how nice everyone is to me, I'm here against my will. I have feelings about it, and I don't owe you the intimate details." I sighed, it wouldn't mean anything to a Cullen, they don't care for autonomy, they have a God like assumption that they know better than any mortal.
"You're here because we care..." He trailed off.
"I don't want to hear it!" I shouted, a little louder than I'd meant to, the family immediately assembled in front of me, Alice flocking to Jasper's side, Edward coming to mine, which I wasn't having. I stood, he caught my arm.
"Let go." I stared him down.
"Bella..." He pleaded, not moving, I don't know what came over me but I grabbed the nearby lamp and shamed it over his marble face. He was unmoved but I didn't have much else to throw at him in reach.
"Bella, you need to calm down, it's not good for your..." Carlisle tried to interject.
"I DON'T NEED YOU TO TELL ME SHIT." I turned my anger to him, I could feel Jasper tried to smooth my emotions over but it wasn't touching it, I was shaking like a leaf but I held strong in my defiance. Just then my mind started racing a mile a minute, contemplating my prospects of escape, my eyes darted to Alice who looked completely oblivious, none of the tell-tale signs of her sight being triggered, no looks exchanged between her and Edward...
"I understand you're experiencing mood swings, and" Carlisle tried again but I wasn't backing down.
"I don't think you can rebrand being held captive as mood swings; I had my own life going on. You have no right to keep me like this."
"I agree." I turned to my left surprised to see Rosalie and Emmet, Rosalie glaring daggers at Edward "Take your hands off of her, or I will. Did you forget how to treat a woman?" He hissed in response.
I looked behind her and saw an open front door, I wouldn't reach it before any of the others, would Rosalie hold them back? Would Emmet help her? They'd be out numbered... I looked again at Alice who still didn't seem to be seeing anything, then it hit me... She couldn't see my future. She said as much, but she'd acted like she could see my escape attempts in the car... it was a bluff. Edward reluctantly removed his hand, I fled to Rosalie's side, Emmet stood protectively behind me, arms crossed against his chest.
"Rosalie, you need the facts before you jump to conclusions here." Edward tried to smooth her over.
"I've made myself clear, Bella was an idiot to get involved with you." Rosalie snarled.
"I was." I agreed, Emmet snickered offering me a fist bump in his typical 'nothing is sacred' humour, Edward sat with his head in his hands looking down at the ground.
"We left so she could have a human life, let her."
"She's going to die..." Alice countered, Jasper rubbing her shoulders.
"You don't know that..." Rosalie's voice softened unexpectedly, her body relaxing. I looked over at Jasper, I knew he was using his control to sway her.
"Jasper cut it out!" I screeched, fearing I'd lose my only protectors.
"EVERYONE STOP!" Esme screamed at volumes that made my ears ring, the room fell silent and still, all eyes on her. "I think we can all agree this is not a long-term solution, Charlie's been looking for Bella..."
"He's been looking for me?! You didn't even give him a cover story?" The room started to spin as the horror gripped me, realizing the panic and torture he must have been going through. This was it; they had finally ruined my life. Charlie would never forgive me for "running away" and I'd never be able to tell him that vampires held me captive. Were my prenatals left on the counter? Did he know? Did he think I'd been murdered? I'd assumed Alice would have at least done me the courtesy of leaving my life intact for me to return to, but then I realized, she had no intention of me returning to my life, this was a set up for my death, my transition to their kind. Edward came towards me, Rosalie hissed, Emmet put a steadying hand on my back. Furious tears streamed down my face as I shook my head.
"I will never forgive any of you for doing this to me. It's not just my life you've torn apart it's Charlie! He might never speak to me again," I seethed.
"Bella, you wouldn't see him ever again if you died." Alice snorted derisively. "At least now we might be able to save you if the worst happens."
"Save me? You mean turn me, so you can keep me like a Goddamn pet!"
"So I can keep you as my wife." Edward asserted. I gawked at him wide eyed. "Think about it, don't you remember how it used to be? It'd be like that for eternity. Can't you see? I need you, Bella, you need me." I was dumb stuck, lost for words, so was the rest of the room.
Charlie's POV
Watching Bella deteriorate after we found her in the forest was maybe the most agonizing torture I'd experienced as a father, it'd been downhill ever since but seemed to be levelling out, or at least that's what I'd thought. I was glad when Bella announced she would be going shopping, I was on the verge of getting professionals involved, being at a loss for what to do as I was, I was happy to see any sign of improvement.
"Charlie, we're here to kidnap you." Billy shouted from outside, head hanging out of Harry's car like a dog.
"Get in Chief," Harry nodded towards the back seat. I thought about staying, not sure how long Bella would be gone and wanting to be home when she got back, but she'd be driving an hour there and back, and she'd be there at least an hour or two right? I could be back first.
"What's the word boys?" I nodded in greeting. "I'll need to keep it short n sweet." I added.
"Everything okay at home?" Harry locked eyes with me through his rear-view window searching for some expression he wouldn't find.
"Bella left in a hurry last time she was at my place, Jake wouldn't tell me why." Billy stirred the pot clearly having noticed Bella's little outburst.
"Everything's OK. Bella is having a hard time; I like to keep a close watch." I shrugged, not one to talk too openly about this kind of thing. Did Harry snort? Or was his nose blocked? I stared him down a little and he avoided all eye contact in the mirror.
"If you have something to say Harry, say it." I sighed, knowing he would be ready with another outlandish story about Bella's exploits and how I'd failed to keep her in check.
"Nothing, I don't know anything." He was clearly holding onto something but I let it go, there's just some things you don't want to know.
"Jacob said he isn't apologizing, but I don't see Bella reaching out first either, I'm thinking we interfere and maybe that'll help." Billy offered up as support.
"That always back fires, I say we let it play out. Maybe put in our two cents and then hope for the best." I dismissed him, running my hand through my facial hair back and forth. The rest of the ride was mostly silent and before long we arrived at the local bar where we came to play pool on the occasional Friday early evening. Harry was our designated driver ever since he got put on a heart healthy diet and lifestyle plan by Sue. We got to the bar and played a good few games of Pool, and by our 4th round we were getting ready to get home. We were unusually quiet on the way home, there'd been an atmosphere the whole night, small looks exchanged between Billy and Harry, I couldn't help but feel there was something I wasn't party to going on.
"Say, how has Bella been the past few days? Just a bug going round the kids at the moment, has she been sick recently?" Harry asked as we pulled up in the drive, I could see Bella's trucked parked up and the downstairs lights on, so I was anxious to get inside.
"Uh, no, not really. Just been in bed a bit more than usual." I brushed over it.
"Right. Okay, good." He nodded.
"I'll be getting in boys, till next time." I waved them off. I went to unlock the front door, but when I got to it, it was already unlocked... Huh. Bella always locked the door behind her, we both did.
"Bella?" I called as I stepped inside. It was far too quiet. I knew before I looked that there was no one in the house. Bella's keys were in the bowl, her phone was on the sideboard by the door, I could see the scene in my mind's eye, she'd have put them down as she was coming in, then turned to lock the door... What stopped her? I walked into the kitchen seeing the light was on in there, this must have been her next stop. The tap was running ever so slightly like someone had tried to turn it off and then been interrupted. I switched it off and looked on the counter next to it, there was a glass of water and a bottle of... Prenatal Vitamins.
My blood ran cold.
Few understand that the number one cause of death to pregnant women is homicide like a Cop does, fella gets angry, doesn't want the kid, does away with the mother, it's a tale as old as time. Panic set in and I tore the house apart searching ever possible hiding spot, calling out begging her to respond to me, telling her I'm here and I promise not to be mad. I find nothing.
I must have re-examined the scene downstairs a million times and the only solid version of events I could imagine is, Bella goes to buy these vitamins, gets home, answers the door in the middle of taking a pill, then leaves the house and doesn't return. I would be worried if she had taken her keys, phone, wallet, but leaving every possession? This was Panic. She either had no intention of leaving, or thought she would only be gone for a brief moment.
I hung around, searching the house for signs, waiting hoping that she would come back any moment now and it was all just a misunderstanding, but I knew deep down something happened to her.
If I'd been here, I would have stopped it.
Whatever happened, I could have done something, I should be with her right now, helping her figure out her situation. It occurred to me that I could report her missing immediately, courtesy of Washington state law, but I might have a better chance going straight to the source. Jacob was sure to know something of what Bella had been up to, right? I called Billy and Harry, asked them to turn around and pick me up, which they did, saving their questions for when they saw me.
"Didn't think we'd be back so soon, what's up? Everything okay?" Billy asked as I climbed in the car sombrely.
"I think Bella is missing." I saw the panic hit their eyes immediately, Billy pulled out his phone and started ringing Jacob, Harry got a little loose with the speed limit which I wasn't complaining about.
"Be ready meet us out front we'll be there soon." Billy instructed Jacob over the phone.
"Get a hold of Leah too, don't speak to anyone else yet." I added on.
"I don't want to underplay this, but are you sure she's missing? Could she just be out, being a teenager?" Harry asked cautiously.
"Her keys and phone were left inside; the front door was open and there was an undrunk glass of water on the counter." I reeled off robotically. I didn't mention the pills or possible pregnancy, at this point no one was above suspicion and I wasn't about to give away anything more than I needed to. It's nearly always someone you know, I would know. We pulled up in Billy's driveway, Jacob and Leah stood out front in pj's looking confused and bored.
"What's up?" Leah asked, scratching her head.
"I need to talk to you two separately." I said as soberly as I could, pulling Jacob around to the garage.
"I need you to be more honest with me than you ever have been Jacob, I gripped his arm a little tight letting him know I was serious and desperate. "Even if you're scared of getting Bella in trouble, I need you to know none of that matters right now, this is about Bella being safe, okay? I think she's missing."
"Missing? What do you mean missing?" He shook his head in confusion. "Like ran away? Or was taken?"
"Taken, I think." I scrubbed my beard in my hand anxiously, a sinking feeling that Jake wouldn't know enough came over me. My gut said he wasn't involved, but I was praying he had a lead for me. "Jacob... Was Bella seeing someone?" I fixed him with an x-ray stare.
"Seeing someone? Not really... Wait... She..." He trailed deliriously.
"What is it?" I pressed.
"She made me swear on pain of death, we fell out but I swore... I don't know if it's anything..." He rambled.
"JACOB." I shouted, a little too loud scaring him and snapping him out of it.
"She hooked up with someone." He confessed. I nodded, putting a hand on his shoulder to steady his trembling shoulders.
"Who...?"
"Paul. Paul Lahote? He lives a few minutes from Harry's place." He had watery eyes and a sniffle on as he spoke. "Did he hurt her?" He growled through gritted teeth.
"I don't know," I answered sombrely. I marched around to Leah and brought her around to the garage.
"You know this Paul, don't you? I've picked him up a few times for public intoxication, and you've never been far from him any one of those times." I fixed her with a well-honed piercing stare.
"Mhmm. What's this about?" She looked at Jacob frantically.
"What do you know about Bella and Paul?" I skipped over the question, it's hard to get answers when someone thinks they need to protect their friend from something they'd 'never do' I'd learned less is more when you're trying to get facts from someone.
"Nothing much." She shrugged.
"This is serious Le, you gotta tell him everything." Jacob explained. She sighed.
"Him and Bella spent the night together once, he didn't want to see her again, she wouldn't take no for an answer, that's all I know." She held her hands up. "Now will you tell me what this is about?" She looked between me and Jacob.
"Bella's missing." I tried to say it but it caught in my throat on the way out as fresh wave of panic hit me. Jacob clarified as I walked away, going straight to Billy and Harry.
"Charlie are you gonna fill us in?" Billy looked almost as distraught as me, Harry looked panicked in a whole different way. My gut told me he knew more than he was letting on. I couldn't focus on Billy right now, Jacob would catch him up.
"I need you to drive me to your House Harry, I need to speak with Sue," I bluffed, having a haunch that he might turn me down if I told him to take me to Paul's. I remember the night I picked Bella up unconscious off the floor, she was by a footpath away from Harry's house when I got there, Harry was stood over her, she had leaves in her hair, there were no leaves on the ground, she must have been moved, possibly from his house?
Fuck. Why didn't I see it? Harry was covering for this shit.
Harry had to be in on something here, no wonder he'd been asking probing questions about if Bella was sick or sad, he must have known she was pregnant before I did. My blood very quickly went from cold to boiling, if I found out my little girl was hurt and he had any part in it, I'd be catching a charge. Harry nodded grimly, I hopped in the car, got out and immediately ran down the foot path where I'd found Bella down to where I knew Paul's house was, I could hear Harry pursuing, shouting me, but I had an edge on him in fitness and I'd make it to Paul's front door with time to spare.
"PAUL." I called out as I ran up his porch steps, noticing the leaves on the ground, same as in Bella's hair. "PAUL, YOU OPEN THIS DOOR OR I WILL!" I knocked hard enough to shake the door, Harry was still only just catching up when the door swung open and I laid eyes on the kid, who looked more like a man, and in my mind was starting to look like a dead man walking.
"What the fuck did you do to her you twisted shit?" I pushed into his house, locking the door behind me and leaning against it in case Harry had keys.
"I don't know what you're talking about..." He was shivering like he had hypothermia, but the heat radiating off of him was nuclear, if I wasn't crazy, it almost sounded like he was growling.
"I think you do." I insisted, pushing harder against the door as Harry tried to force his way in.
"CHARLIE! GET OUT OF THERE!" He screamed in horror, taking me by surprise. "IT'S NOT SAFE!" He exclaimed. I wasn't messing around; I was on a mission.
"I don't! Is she okay? Tell me nothing's happened to her..." He dropped to his knees, the shaking becoming more and more violent as if he was about to have a fit. I didn't know what to make of it.
"Sure she is, apart from the fact you got her pregnant, ditched her, and now she's gone missing." I growled out. I watched in horror, as in a matter of seconds of hearing me, Paul exploded into a mass of fur and teeth. A wolf. A silver, 6ft tall wolf, growling, barring its teeth at me, slowly stalking towards me. I slowly started to unlock the door behind me as Harry screamed for me to get the fuck out of there. The door flew open and I sprinted like an Olympic athlete off that porch and towards Harry's house, hoping I remembered the combination to his gun safe so I could bring the beast down, I didn't make it that far before I tripped over my shoelaces and landed in the dirt, I rolled onto my back. I watched from the ground in shock as the wolf, Paul, squeezed out of the front door, and sprinted right past me.
"What the... Am I dreaming?" I asked Harry frantically as he gave me a hand up.
"Nope, this is our tribe's biggest secret." He answered in a matter of fact stoic voice.
"Where is he going?" I asked, winded.
"Probably to your house, they have powerful senses, he might be able to sniff Bella out, wherever she is." He explained.
"Wait, I'm so confused..." I stuttered, lost for words.
"Me and Billy have some explaining to do." He steered me back to his.
"You bet you do, if I find out you know anything and you haven't shared it with me we'll have problems Harry." I let the threat hang in the air before following him.
Paul's POV
"I don't! Is she okay? Tell me nothing's happened to her..." I dropped to my knees, feeling like there was no air left in the world, this couldn't be happening, no way fate could be cruel enough to take Bella from me any further than it already had. I could feel my control slipping, my body shaking violently as I tried desperately to keep my wolf contained but he was never far from the surface when Bella was mentioned.
"Sure she is, apart from the fact you got her pregnant, ditched her, and now she's gone missing." There was no holding it back anymore, as soon as the word pregnant came out of his mouth my wolf fought with no contest for control and when my wolf heard 'missing' in the same sentence, we were gone with the wind.
My mind was racing a mile a minute as I pounded the forest floor taking the quickest route to Forks, I could smell her faintly, lingering in the air as I approached the Swan house, but there was something way more overpowering and alarming. The stench of Vampires. It wasn't the first Vampire I'd smelt; she was a red head that came and went from our borders from time to time, this wasn't her though... This was something else. I quickly assessed that no one and nothing was still in the area, from what I could tell Bella and the leech's scent had cut off on the side of the road where there were tire marks in the mud. I had nothing, no clue, they had my whole world and my unborn child. I howled as my chest twanged with pain I couldn't describe. The need to get to Bella was impossible to ignore, I needed her the way I needed each breath.
I'd felt a duller constant of this pain ever since I'd phased, Sam had ordered me to cut all contact with anyone who didn't know the tribes secret, and to specifically stay far away from Bella Swan, the only reason Leah was still around was because she was there the first time I phased, so she had to be told. I'd never been able to disobey the order, but I hadn't exactly been able to keep it either, I'd found myself night after night laying in the woods near her house which had been labelled as expressly off limits to me but still, I couldn't manage to knock on her door. That is until now. I phased back and let myself in the door, breaking off the locks from the wood by a sharp shoulder slam, and tearing the place apart frantically looking for clues, I came across the prenatal Vitamins... She was keeping it, looking after our baby? My heart fell to pieces imagining what she thought of me after that night we shared together, to ghosting her the next day. She must have felt so abandoned, taking that test all alone, not having anyone to talk to, before long I was shaking again with rage at Sam and Harry for keeping me from her, she was mine, I knew it, my wolf knew it, she knew it, until they tore us apart. They couldn't refuse her now that she was carrying my pup, I just needed to get to her, bring her home for good. I looked around one last time, before Charlie and Harry showed up.
"Leeches," I addressed Harry, not sure if Charlie still suspected me. "There's one scent other than Bella and Charlie in the house, and it's a Leech. Not the redhead. Sorry about your door by the way." I awkwardly apologized to Charlie.
"The door is the least of my concerns." He shrugged. "You said the Cullens were... Vampires? Bella must have opened the door to someone, there was no signs of forced entry until Paul got here, and there's no way she'd turn one of them away, not the way she was hung up on Edward." Charlie theorized, just hearing the words pierced a new hole in my heart.
"Are you saying... She ran away with them?" I couldn't hide the anxiety or pain in my voice.
"We don't know that." Harry asserted. "They may well have taken her against her will. Let's look at the facts, there's no goodbye note, she's left her phone and keys, these are all signs that someone had no intention of leaving." Harry mused.
"What now then? Do I need wooden stakes to get my daughter back?" Charlie asked, half facetious and half feral with worry.
"No, you need Paul. We only have Sam and Paul at the minute, and we'll need Sam here in case any cold ones come to our back yard, Paul can go with you to retrieve Bella, though I'd let him go ahead and hang back, cold ones are lethal to humans in a matter of milliseconds, you'd be defenceless."
"My little girl is in that position right now; do you really think I care about my own life?" Charlie seethed.
"I know." Harry nodded glumly. "But Paul is her best chance."
"Charlie, I promise you; I will find Bella or die trying." I clenched my fist, psyching myself up to potentially face off against a whole coven. I bet I could buy her time if nothing else. I'm coming Bella, I'm on my way...I begged any deity that would listen to pass the message along, I just hoped she'd want to come away with me. If she was there by choice, I think a part of me would die inside.
AN: Sorry for the wait it was a hard chapter to write and I've had my hands full, hopefully you like the chapter 😊 I appreciate all the positive feedback.