Chapter 6
Cat's eyes flashed from one threat to the next. If it weren't for her heightened senses, everything would be just a blur of colors. It shouldn't have, but Cat found the thrill of a fight invigorating. She glanced over as Emmett laughed and tore apart another newborn vampire. Cat grinned as they made eye contact. The two made an amazing team on the battlefield. However, it was Jasper who truly made them a force to be reconned with. Jasper and Cat stuck close to each other and became a fluid tornado of defense.
Without the fear of fatigue, the Cullens, Cat, and Ana were strong and fresh. Wolves were also fighting with their whole spirit. Cat wished she could sit back and watch them fight, because the way they moved as a unit, a pack, was mesmerizing. Sam led his wolves and somehow simultaneously protected them. They all had each other's backs.
"Watch it!" A shout warned. Cat had barely enough time to react and dive out of the way of a dismembered body. She cringed and sent Emmett a scathing look. He just grinned in response. The fight went on and on… only pausing when Alice froze and the rest of the Cullens took defensive positions around her while still fighting.
"She knows!" Alice exclaimed, coming out of her vision. "Victoria knows Edward is hiding Bella somewhere. She picked up her scent and is following it!"
"What about Nicole?" Cat asked from several feet away, decapitating a vampire at the same time.
"I don't know, she is invisible to me right now!" Alice called back.
"Someone needs to go tell them, give them backup." Carlisle stated. He was fighting side by side with Esme, far from them. "Catherine, go. You would be their best hope if Nicole shows up."
Cat nodded and exchanged a quick look with Jasper, before speeding out of the field. Emmett and Rosalie followed for a few minutes, just to clear the path behind her, but soon she was on her own.
Catherine raced through the woods, over the snow without a mark, and used the trees to propel her higher. She could smell Jacob's scent and started following that more. Eventually, she heard Bella's heartbeat and knew she was close. She reached out her thoughts in case Edward was listening, just to let him know she was coming. But as soon as the campsite was in sight, a large, hairy force knocked Cat out of the trees.
Both figures landed roughly in the snow and tumbled. Cat brought herself up into a defensive crouch, hissing at the figure in front of her. The other creature stood up. On all fours of its feet. It was a wolf! But… not one of Sam's… This wolf was massive. Smaller than Jacob, but larger than the smallest. Its fur was longer, fluffier, than the Uley Pack wolves and was a chalky grey with white patches on the paws. Cat did not know this wolf.
Cat took a step to her left, towards the camp with Bella. The wolf followed her movement with a snarl. Catherine noticed there was a bloody gash under the wolf's right eye. But she hadn't seen it on the battlefield.
"Who are you?" Cat asked. The wolf snarled again and took a threatening step closer, causing Cat to back up a few paces.
"This, is my pet." Nicole's cool voice said from behind the wolf, somewhere in the woods. Cat heard rustling and the next time Nicole spoke, it was from a different place—somewhere to her right. "She protects me from nosey seers."
"What do you want, Nicole?" Cat demanded, keeping her eyes on the wolf and the woods. The wolf stood at attention and kept her golden-brown eyes trained on the young vampire.
Nicole laughed cruelly. "What do I want?" she asked breathlessly. "I want you. I want you to pay for what you did."
Cat scoffed. "So you want to kill me? Go ahead. See what that accomplishes." She threatened.
"You think I'm going to kill you?" Nicole finally stepped into Cat's line of sight. She was much closer than expected. "No, I said I wanted you to pay for what you did. You can't do that if you're dead. Death will come later. Avery."
The wolf, Avery, started growling and walked towards Cat. She squatted in a defensive position and snarled at Avery. The two circled each other briefly. Nicole huffed impatiently to the side, waiting for her goal to be accomplished. Finally, Avery tired and pounced. The battle was so evenly matched, neither quite got the upper hand. Avery would come close to tearing Cat's arm, but Cat was too fast and would aim her own attack—usually a kick. Catherine had the advantage, though. She was prepared to fight newborns and she was the fastest vampire in the vicinity. Avery was still partly human and would get tired soon. As the two supernatural beings fought, it was easy to tell Avery's humanity was her disadvantage. One well aimed strike was enough to knock Avery to the side and into a tree. She struggled to get up for a moment, but that moment was all it took for Cat to strike once more and knocked her out.
Nicole snarled in outrage and ran from behind Catherine. Cat was preparing her own attack on the downed dog, so she didn't know Nicole was on the offensive until it was almost too late. Nicole grabbed Cat's head and yanked hard, throwing her into a tree many yards away. Cat was "winded" and had to pause as her skin groaned from impact. Nicole was already there, though. As Nicole walked forward, she smirked.
"You are so ungrateful. Everything we did, we did for you. So you'd have a family! Your own mother didn't want you. You should have been thankful—indebted to us!" Nicole spat.
"My own mother didn't know I was alive!" Cat shouted. "My mother was lied to! Lied to by the same people who lied to me! You took me from my mother. You took away the one chance I had at a normal childhood full of real love."
The two advanced on each other and struggled for a moment. Nicole was trying to grab anything that would give her an advantage. The two threw each other back a few feet. Catherine went on the offensive for a moment and rushed Nicole. She was able to get a hold of Nicole's arm and threw her across the forest. She followed quickly to keep on top of her. Nicole was on her feet already and threw Cat into a tree.
Nicole stood in front of Catherine as she stood. "What good would that have done? We prepared you to protect yourself. To survive!"
"But where was the love?! You took away my humanity and the choice you promised me." The females were now circling each other, both spitting mad.
"Well it doesn't matter now."
"It does matter now! I found my mother!" Nicole's eyes grew wide. She wasn't prepared for that.
"That doesn't matter. I will still make you pay for what you did!" Nicole sprinted at Cat and aimed the perfect killing strike. But she would never make it. Two forces knocked into Nicole a the same time, from two sides. It was a blur as Cat watched the woman who she had been running from for so long… be torn apart. Glass limbs flew into a pile and Cat finally saw who came to her aide. Seth's small wolf form and Jasper's golden hair blurred together as they worked in tandem to save her. Soon, they stopped and Jasper sped to his mate.
"Are you alright?" He asked. Cat looked from Nicole's remains to Jasper's dark eyes.
"I'm fine." She muttered.
Jasper could feel her shock and numbness. "What is it?"
"She's gone. The woman I've been running from this whole time…" Cat started to laugh in disbelief. "She's gone, Jasper!"
Jasper grinned at her and wrapped an arm around her as she turned to face Seth who was patiently standing, catching his breath.
"Thank you, Seth. I appreciate your—oh! Both of you should come with me!" Cat sped off to the clearing a few yards away where the downed wolf was still laying. Though it was clear the wolf was starting to gain consciousness. "She was with Nicole. They intercepted me before I could get to Bella and Edward."
"They are fine. Victoria has been taken care of. Where is she from?" Jasper asked. Seth walked carefully closer to the grey wolf, sniffing her.
"I don't know. Seth, would you please keep an eye on her? Maybe signal someone else to watch her with you. I would like to know more about the threat she poses." Cat requested. Seth nodded and raised his head to howl. An answering howl was heard a little ways off, which seemed to alert the grey wolf who jumped up weakly. Seth growled in warning and Jasper stepped closer. Paul's wolf stepped through the trees and stood as a united force with Seth, keeping Avery still. They ushered her to follow them, the three leaving.
The two vampires left the clearing to dispose of Nicole with the others. Cat noticed the wolves were gone and briefly wondered if none survived. The notion was ridiculous, though. She also saw that a small figure was hiding by Esme and Carlisle. It was obvious she was a newborn, but why she was there remained to be seen. The Cullens and Cat worked together to clean up the field.
"Alice saw the Volturi approaching." Edward offered Cat in explanation for the missing wolves. Cat nodded in response.
"Should I leave? They don't know I've been with you, do they?" Cat wondered. Jasper took a step closer to her.
"I think it would be best if both you and Ana waited at the house. We don't want them to have any reason to suspect us raising an army against them. They already doubt us." Carlisle stated.
"Alright, we'll meet you all at the house. Be safe." Cat ordered Jasper in parting.
"Yes, ma'am." Jasper cocked a grin at her.
Cat rolled her eyes with a fond smile, before she and Ana sped off to the Cullens' house.
When they were inside and in clean clothes, Ana and Catherine sat in the living room, relaxing from the fight.
"Nicole is gone." Cat repeated.
Ana smiled at the young vampire. "She is. You don't have to run anymore."
"I don't have to run." Cat's voice was breathless as she fully understood the implications of finally being free.
A wicked smile covered her face. "I'm going to ruin Emmett's life."