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CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
Eleanora Hadley sped through the forest alongside the rest of the newborn army, appreciating the chance to use her full speed for such an extended period of time. The newborns around her snarled, Bella's scent driving them insane as they shot forward through the trees, running into the clearing straight towards where the Cullen family were already waiting for them.
Ellie watched with a slight smile as her second family easily fought off the newborns, the wolves that suddenly appeared on the scene giving them a welcomed advantage. It appeared that in times of need even the largest enemies could still find a way to get along. It didn't take much for her to realise that both Edward and Bella weren't on the field although it made sense. It was clear that the redhead that ran past the newborn paying little attention to her, had realised that too, before darting off once more into the trees.
Her eyes' scanned the field once more, recognising Jacob as he appeared into the clearing in his wolf form. His eyes meeting hers from where she stood, his mouth briefly dropping open as Ellie sent him a wink before darting away following the path Victoria had taken.
It lead her up a mountainous cliff face, the ground beneath her feet slowly morphing into soft, fluffy snow, as she continued following the scent of Victoria, Riley's eventually intermingling in. It was only when she spotted a small tent still set up as she reached a clearing of trees, that she knew that she was close. She continued forward before the figures of Bella, Edward, Victoria and Riley fell into her sight, Riley slowly advancing on where Edward held Bella behind him. Ellie quickly hiding out of sight, close enough that she could easily intervene if necessary but not close enough that any of the vampires present would take notice of her presence.
"I can read her mind. So, I know what she thinks of you." Edward started.
"He's lying," Victoria claimed.
"She only created you and this army to avenge her true mate, James. That's the only thing she cares about. Not you." Edward continued, Riley, pausing for a moment to glance over at Victoria.
"There's only you. You know that." Victoria reassured, Riley immediately looking relieved as he continued forward, Ellie rolling her eyes at how gullible he was.
"Think about it. You're from Forks, you know the area. That's the only reason she chose you. She doesn't love you." Edward added.
"Riley," Victoria called. "Don't let him do this to us. You know I love you."
"You're dead," Riley remarked, starting forward as Seth in his wolf form met his halfway. The vampire and wolf rolling across the ground before Seth ripped half of Riley's arm off.
Victoria immediately sensed that she was going to lose especially with Seth now in play, running away from where Edward and Bella still stood.
"You won't get a chance like this again! You want her. You want me to feel the pain you felt when I killed James. When I tore him to pieces when I turned him into ash when I turned him into nothing." Edward taunted, Victoria pausing at his words before charging at him.
Victoria and Edward rolled through the snow, Victoria lunging for Bella and Edward knocked her away into a nearby tree. Bella and Edward started forward, Edward soon pushing the tree down, sending Victoria crashing back down to the ground. Riley eventually overpowered Seth, kicking him into a nearby rock before hurrying over to help Victoria in her fight. The two of them soon overpowering Edward forcing him to his knees as Victoria put him into a tight chokehold.
Ellie froze as she watched Bella and Edward's eyes meet, Edward moments away from losing the fight, as Victoria prepared to take his head straight off her body. Bella watched everything playing out of her in shock, knowing that she was seconds away from losing Edward and there wasn't anything she could do to help except one. She darted forward, grabbing a sharp piece of stone from the snowy ground, pulling it up to her arm.
She pushed the shard of stone downward harshly, a river of blood running down her exposed arm. Riley and Victoria immediately jerked their heads toward her, Ellie swaying slightly in her spot as the scent of the fresh blood reached her. Taking advantage of their momentary distraction, Edward pushed himself up, kicking Victoria away from him into a tree that split with the force applied.
Seth soon recovered, tackled Riley away from Edward, his sharp canines digging into his right shoulder. Dragging the vampire further into the woods, as Ellie followed, Riley's screams for Victoria mapping the way for her.
Ellie dropped gracefully down next to where Seth was growling at Riley whose eyes immediately snapped to the newborn's presence.
"What do you think you are doing?" Riley screamed at her. "Help me!"
Ellie darted forward, holding the thrashing vampire in place as Seth tackled the vampire. She smiled down at the vampire with a sarcastic smile on her face. "You really shouldn't have fucked with my family."
She nodded at Seth who returned the nod, admittingly a little shocked to see the girl who had last time he had checked, been a human. Her ears' immediately picked up Bella's panicked shriek, the newborn hurrying back to the clearing only to notice that Victoria had somehow overpowered Edward, pinning the telepath down, her hands enclosing around her head once more before she was suddenly thrown back, with the complete lack of her muscles, her hands drooped away from Edward's neck.
Everyone's eyes snapped to the newcomer that had joined the scene. Bella grinning broadly at her best friend, Edward also smiling at the saviour, glad to see that the brunette was relatively unharmed and okay despite being in a considerable different condition to when they had last seen her.
Victoria attempted to open her mouth to say something, desperate for a muscle to move but with the complete lack of mobility or control over her muscles, it merely slacked open awkwardly.
"Oh, my bad." Ellie apologised with a smirk, attempting to remedy her wordless command, not realising that she had done it. "Did you want to say something?"
"What are you doing?" Victoria questioned, her mouth still awkwardly hanging open but able to form words.
"You really should have done your background checks before allowing me to join your little army."
Victoria's eyes narrowed slightly at her words. "You." She hissed the realisation coming to her. "You're Eleanora aren't you. The blonde's mate."
"One point for the redhead!" Ellie exclaimed. "Took you long enough. But now I'm going to let Eddie finish you off so we can be done with this once and for all." Ellie continued, Edward immediately darting forward, ripping Victoria's head from her body easily with Victoria having no defense to stop him, soon falling to the ground with a thud.
Edward exhaled heavily before meeting eyes with Ellie and walking over to Bella where he ripped a piece of her flannel and tied it around Bella's still steadily bleeding arm, having picked up Ellie's still lingering thirst.
"Thanks." She muttered as Seth joined them snarling a message.
"Something's wrong." Bella realised.
"Alice needs us to go now." Edward returned, stepping forward and setting Victoria's body alight, before turning back to the newborn. "Are you alright, Ellie?"
