-𝗔𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗟𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗬𝗮𝗿𝗱-
Riley led the army of newborns across this ghostly yard. They move at a trot, leaping over pyramids of rotting logs. As they headed for the water, Bree followed, doubt on her face.
-𝗪𝗼𝗼𝗱𝘀-
Jacob ran with Bella, maintaining a steady jog, effortlessly carrying her weight. She held onto him, his mind heavy with concerns. On the other trail, Seth carried Audrey as he concentrated on the memory of the trail.
-𝗣𝘂𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵-
Eerily, Riley rose from the water. Muddy and drenched but unfazed by the frigid water. They don't break stride as they simply head for the woods. One by one the rest of the army appears behind them. They followed Riley, picking up speed. First walking, then running; an unstoppable force. At the rear was Bree.
-𝗪𝗼𝗼𝗱𝘀-
Jacob and Seth carried the girls, climbing the mountainside, going up and up as they reached the campsite.
-𝗠𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻-
Jacob, Seth, Bella, and Audrey reached the peak where Edward and Jasper waited near the tents. Snow falls in earnest now, glacial winds blow, and Jacob and Seth set Audrey and Bella down. They hurry to the left side of the peak to find a campsite, erected against the sheltering face of the peak. Jasper and Edward stood by the tent pacing, waiting. They're acutely relieved to see their mates. They hugged them and turns to Jacob and Seth.
"Thank you," Edward thanked them as Jacob nodded. Audrey turned to them as well. Mostly Seth. "You should get back before the storm hits," she asked. "No, I'm staying. You'll need our connection to the pack, to keep tabs on what's going on," Seth replied. "Jake will be here as well." Edward looks down, none-too-happy but knowing they were right. "You're not going to fight?" Bella asked.
"I'll go down. Seth is staying here. He's not happy about missing the action, but it'll keep him out of trouble," Jacob added. Edward noted her disappointment. But he covered, guiding her toward one of the tents. "Let's get you inside," he asked as Jasper led his mate to the other tent.
-𝗢𝘂𝘁𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁-
Snow blew sideways as the wind battered the tents. A light glowed from inside.
-𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲-
A lantern burns. Audrey's wrapped in her down sleeping bag, fully dressed. But her teeth still rattled. It's that cold. "I should have chosen a site lower down," Jasper apologized. "No, It's fine. I'm okay," she told him, knowing that he hated seeing her so sad. "What can I do?" He asked, to which she can only shake her head. Suddenly the front zipper opened to reveal Seth. "Are you okay?" He asked. "I can't sleep with all that teeth chattering going on."
He started to climb into the tent. Jasper can tell what he was feeling as he nodded. "She's freezing," he asked. "I can help her if you want." Seth crawled to Audrey's side but Jasper stopped him. "Thank you," Jasper asked. "You're welcome," Seth agreed. He climbed into the sleeping bag next to Audrey. Jasper looked at her as she cuddled into Seth. "Why? you're freezing, Aud," Seth stated.
"Relax, You'll warm up soon. Faster if you took your clothes off." "Seth, Ya Nasty" Audrey scolded him. "Sorry. Survival one oh one," Seth told her as she smacked his chest. Jasper laughed as he quickly saw that Audrey's shivering begins to lessen, and the relief of warmth swept over her. He felt envious of the young wolf. After a while, Audrey is no longer shaking.
Her eyelids are losing the fight against sleep. Seth was spooned behind her, resting on one elbow, facing Jasper across the tent. "She cares for you," Jasper spoke up. "She's like another sister to me," Seth revealed. "Same with Leah. I know we only met once. But we love her" Seth told him. Jasper nods. "I hope everything goes well," Seth tells jasper as Audrey pulls Jasper into her.
"Seth. You're too hot. I need both of you" Audrey said. Falling asleep. They lightly laugh at her.
-𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴-
The sun outside illuminated the tent as Audrey woke up. She was alone. The wind has died. The ground is white with snow, the campsite eerily quiet. She unzipped the tent as she climbs out. She saw that Bella was outside as well. Seth-wolf was sitting on his haunches. "Hi, Seth," Bella said as Seth-wolf painted a little; it passed for "hello". "Where's Jacob? Did he already... " "Not yet,"
Edward spoke as they turned as Edward and Jasper rounded the peak, going to them. "He's checking to see if the woods are clear before he goes," Jasper added as he wrapped his arms around her. Seth-wolf jogged off. "I'm sorry about last night. I couldn't have been easy on you," Audrey turned to her fiancé. "It definitely won't make my list of top ten favorite evenings," Jasper told her. "You have a list?" She asked.
"We both do," Edward spoke up as he looked at Bella. "All ten I spent with you. Number one is when you said you'd marry me. Mrs. Cullen." "This is the twenty-first century, I always wanna hyphenate my name," Bella told him. "You're marrying him?" Jacob spoke up. She spun to find Jacob has reappeared. His face was devastated, fighting tears of rage, and betrayal. Audrey gasped at the sight. "Jake... You knew he was listening?" Bella asked her fiancé.
"He deserves to know," Edward told her, which confirmed for Jacob that it was true. He turned and walked toward the woods. Bella started to run after him. "Jake, stop," Bella called out. "Bella, let him..," Edward started to say, but she turned to him. "Don't," Bella told her as he saw her desperation. He sinks, resignedly, and heads into the woods, disappearing. Bella raced to Jacob. Jasper pulled Audrey off to the side to give her friend some space.
"Is this just me or is Jacob overreacting?" She asked. "Not you," Jasper sighed. "He is in love with her. But Bella only loves him as a friend. She might have feelings for him, but her heart belongs to Edward." "Holy fucking shit," she sighed. "There are things that we can't control," Jasper added as he wrapped his arm around her waist. "But we can control our future." Audrey nodded as she saw Jacob leaving, heading out to the fight, and Bella walking towards the tent.
Bella's eyes watered with guilt, confusion, and emotion as she hurried back to the tent. "Edward," she called out as he appeared from around the rock. He walked toward her. She saw his face and stopped. "You saw," she stated. "No. But Jacob's thoughts are very loud," Edward told her as Jasper and Maddie walked towards them. "I don't know what happened," Bella asked. "You love him," Edward informed her. "I love you more," Bella told him.
"I shouldn't have forced you to choose," Edward shot back. "Please don't be understanding. I don't deserve it," Bella sighed. "It's my fault. When I went away, I left you bleeding and he stitched you up. I can't blame you for something I made necessary," Edward explained.
"The same goes for me as well," Jasper agreed. "Don't you dare blame yourself," Audrey reminded him. "We just want you to be happy, no matter-," Edward started but he stopped abruptly and turned to see Seth-wolf loping out of the woods, growling. Edward read his thoughts. In Seth's mind, a pair of male feet stepped on the wet grass. It was a newborn. Hungry. Ready for a fight. "It's starting," Edward said as he looked at Jasper. "Take care of Audrey," Jasper asked as Dylan landed next to them. "I will," Dylan agreed as Jasper ran off.
-𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴-
The male newborn waited. A beat, then suddenly from behind him, the whole newborn army blitzes out of the woods and into the field. The frenzy in their eyes. Their rabid thirst as they follow the scent of Audrey's and Bella's blood. But the scent trail ended here. They're confused. Suddenly something bolted from the trees with lightning speed and tackled a newborn. The other newborns spun to find a lethal-looking Cameron in a crouch beside his victim's body.
They rush at him but... Bam! Bam! Bam! Three of them go down, tackled by Esme, Rosalie, Carlisle, Sora, Emmett, and Alice. Out of nowhere lunged Sam-Wolf, flanked by two wolves. Elizabeth and Ruth start chanting. Tearing some newborns apart. Setting them on fire. They tear a newborn to pieces. Four other wolves dove into the fray. Emmett sprinted full-bore into the fight, relishing the battle.
The wolves worked as a pack, coordinated, deadly. Sora controlled the field, strategy, and speed vs strength, using what he learned from Jasper. Rosalie fights with icy calm. Alice with precognition. Esme and Carlisle fight side by side. The newborns are brutal and strong as hell. Elizabeth and Ruth put a protective spell on Cullens. The vampires and wolves are taking some vicious hits. Jacob-wolf charged into the clearing, tackling a newborn, going for its neck.
-Campsite-
Edward read Seth-wolf's mind, translating for Bella, Audrey, and Dylan. "Jacob just got there. He's good," he informed them, seeing the action through Seth-wolf's mind.
-Battlefield-
Edward watched the fight in Seth's mind. Sam and Jacob charged a newborn. Each wolf grabbed an arm in the mouth and ripped the newborn apart. Paul is surrounded by three newborns as Emmett came to his aid. They shared a look, a battlefield rapprochement. Carlisle and Esme moved in on Bree but she backed up frightened. Esme and Carlisle shared a look. They relaxed their attack stance, and try to calm and talk to her.
Carlisle and Esme look at Elizabeth. Elizabeth puts a shield on her. Alice darted from newborn to newborn, not even looking at them, knowing their next move. She sweeps their feet, keeping them off balance, confusing them. Cameron is a step behind her, trying to give her cover. A newborn takes note of his protective actions. The newborn appears behind Sora and bit his shoulder. Alice saw the newborn biting her mate.
Jasper ran in and threw the newborn to Rosalie, Emmett, and Carlisle who killed him. "I can handle myself," Alice told him, to which he brushed her hair away. "I know," Sora told her. They didn't see Victoria at the edge of the clearing, stopping to see what is happening. She was confused and shocked at the scene. Wolves and vampires work together, attacking her army of newborn vampires. More shocked to see witches.
Then the wind blew, to which she smelt something. She glared in the direction of the scent and ran in the direction where it came from.
-Campsite-
"Is Sora alright?" Belle asked, but he didn't respond. Dylan tightened his fists. "Edward...," Audrey asked but he only saw Seth's thoughts and talked to himself. "Don't let them protect each other, good, go around...," he muttered to himself. Suddenly Dylan and Edward stopped. Edward blinked, briefly disoriented as his mind is cut off from the battlefield. He looked around and found Seth frozen as well. They shared a tense look.
"Someone's hurt?" Audrey asked. "Seth, go," Edward ordered as Seth bolted away from the campsite, fast. "Is it Jasper?" Audrey asked. Dylan and Edward whipped her and Bella behind them against a cliff wall and took a defensive stance in front of them. "She's close. I can hear her thoughts. She knew we weren't there, but she caught my scent," Edward told the two girls as they held their breaths.