Damn you, ever-nagging plot bunnies ... I just can't get this one out of my head. I am focusing on one story, but I wanted to get a foundation on this new one. So, here we go ... This will be similar to Buying Love, Friends with Benefits, Mafia Princess and The One That Got Away, with shorter chapters and weekly updates: I'm planning on keeping the update schedule with this one ... Sunday updates, Wednesday teasers.
Still with me?
Chapter Thirty-Two
EPOV
"This ends today, Jacob. Tonight. Now."
"For you, maybe," Jacob smirked, his body growing and fur poking through his skin. "I'm not going down without a fight."
"You lost everything, Jacob," I said, my hands clenching into tight fists. "Your leader is dead. Your pack is gone and I can feel the darkness already begin to recede from the world. Vampires are turning to ash. The dark elves are fading away and werewolves are losing their ability to shapeshift." I cocked my head, looking at him. "Except for you, but you're struggling, Jacob."
"I'm an alpha," Jacob said. "I will fight you until my dying breath. You took my mate from me."
"No, you did that to yourself, monster," I sneered. "With your inability to control yourself. You raped your wife. I smelled you on Rose. You raped her."
"I took what was rightfully mine," he said, smiling sadistically. "Just as your death is mine." His grin spread, making him look even more evil, more animalistic. "I'm going to enjoy killing you, Cullen." He allowed his body to fully transform and a massive black wolf stood in front of me, a low growl emanating from him.
"Bring it, fucker," I sneered, transforming into a bright white wolf and enchanting my talons, my teeth with my magic. This ended tonight. One of us was not going to survive this battle.
I prayed it wasn't going to be me. I had too much to live for.
BPOV
I helped Carmen remove Marcus from the wall. His body was heavy and I could smell the decay from his death permeate the room. Once he was down, I tugged down a curtain, covering his body. "I'm sorry, Marcus," I whispered, saying a prayer for him. "So sorry."
"Can you still feel Edward?" Carmen asked, her neck wrapped in bandage, but it was still bleeding. "Hear his thoughts."
"His mind is closed to me, but I can feel him. He's angry, with a touch of fear," I whispered. "But, he's beyond angry. I can feel his rage and contempt for everything that happened here." I was weary, sore and drained from using so much power. I heard an angry screech and Liam flew into the throne room as a thunderbird. In his talons, he held something. He hovered as he put that something down. I recognized her immediately. "Rose!" I gasped, falling to my knees, taking her broken human body into my arms.
Liam transformed and he crouched next to me. "I was flying to follow Lord Edward and I saw her running back to the castle. Or rather, stumbling. I smelled the blood on her and she collapsed. I picked her up and carried her here," Liam said. "She needs medical attention."
"Get Emmett," I said, cradling Rose's human form in my lap. She was beat to hell and I could smell Jacob all over her. Inside her. He'd done to her what he did to me, but it was far more brutal because I could smell blood, too. Emmett came barreling into the throne room. His face was haunted and torn, anger flashing in his eyes. He made his way toward me. He picked up his mate's tiny hand.
"Was she ...?" he trailed off. He inhaled and I heard him growl lowly. "Oh, Rosie ..." He blinked to me and his eyes were filled with sorrow. "How?"
"Patience, Emmett," I said, squeezing his massive shoulder. As I did so, I felt a terrible pain rip through me. I gasped and clutched my stomach. "Edward ..."
"What is it, sweetheart?" Carmen asked, crouching next to me.
"He's fighting Jacob," I choked out, the pain deepening and I groaned. I closed my eyes, forcing myself into his mind. I saw him angrily swipe at Jacob, causing my ex-husband and monster to bleed profusely, but he was still strong, fighting back. His powerful jaws latched on to Edward's neck. I gasped, clutching my own neck. I focused my energy, my power on my connection with Edward. With a growl, I found myself out of the throne room and at a cliff face. Jacob, in his wolf form, black and menacing, was fighting a snow-white wolf. I could see both of their coats were covered with blood, but Edward's coat was more apparent with his white fur. But, I couldn't tell if it was his blood or cast-offs from Jacob.
They tumbled and Edward landed on his back, a tortured whelp coming from his throat. I held up my hands, ready to destroy my ex-husband, but Edward hopped back up, limping a bit before attacking Jacob again. He swiped his front paws. His claws were glittering with frozen magic, causing immediate frost bite on Jacob's chest.
Jacob's mouth clamped onto Edward's shoulder and he flipped Edward onto his back. He changed back into his fae form. He looked broken, weak and tired. He muttered something and, in his hands, a thick sword of enchanted ice sword appeared. Jacob reared back, not seeing the sword. He jumped onto Edward, but he was impaled by the sword. Jacob howled in agony, falling off to the side with the sword poking out through his shoulder blades. Edward sat up, his pale skin littered with bite marks and his face was drawn. "Edward," I called out. He blinked up, a relieved smile spreading over his face. I screamed when Jacob latched down on Edward's neck, tearing away nastily as Edward threw him off the cliff. Half of Edward's neck was gone and I raced toward him. He was bleeding, soaking his black t-shirt. "No, no, no. You can't die." I bit down my wrist and pressed it to his lips. "Drink, Edward. Please, drink."
I'm sorry, sihrena, he thought to me, his mental voice exhausted. I wanted forever.
"We'll still have forever," I breathed. "Drink, baby. Please!" I sobbed. He closed his eyes and suckled on my wrist, pulling from my vein. My blood, its healing properties, had stopped his bleeding, but his neck was still open and raw, looking like destroyed meat. He stared at me, not seeing, but he was still breathing. "I love you, Edward. I'll always love you."
I loved you from the moment I saw you, he whispered to me. I'm tired, Bella. Let me go.
"No, Edward. Forever," I sobbed, pressing my forehead to his. I heard the rustle of leaves and I hissed, shooting up a wall of fire.
"Bella, it's Peter. Let us through, sweetheart. We're here to help," Peter said. "You can't save him on your own."
"Is it over?" I asked, cradling Edward's body in my arms, kissing his forehead and smoothing his messy curls from his face.
"It is, Lady Bella," Garrett whispered. He called on the rain to douse my flames. I lowered my hand and they came over to me. They all surrounded me, even Emmett, who was still broken, but worried about my mate. "Let us help you. He needs a healer, a doctor." He blinked to Peter, who looked worried.
"Will he die?" I asked. "I gave him my blood. He drank from me."
"He won't," Peter replied, crouching down. Nodding, a few other fae came out and gently picked up my mate. He moaned. Emmett helped me up, taking my hand, his eyes holding the same sadness I felt. Our mates were broken and nearly destroyed by this darkness. He hugged me, and we walked back to the castle. Inside, Edward's wounds were tended by Irina, who had some healing abilities. She'd also helped Rose, making her as comfortable as possible. As we were preparing to leave, a black Mercedes came roaring down the gravel driveway. Two humans fell out of the car. I recognized them immediately as Edward's adoptive parents. They came bursting into the castle. His mother was crying and his father seemed upset, but I knew they did not care about Edward or Alice.
"Edward," Esme Cullen sobbed. "Can I see my son?"
"You disowned him," I spat angrily, standing protectively in front of my mate. "You stole his money, sided with the enemy and you betrayed him. You have no rights asking to see him." I lit a fireball, glaring at them. They'd colluded with Aro and were well-aware of the magic in the world. "You have ten seconds to leave before we lock you into this castle and I ignite it."
"Please?" Esme cried. "I don't know what happened, but an hour ago, something happened. Our minds cleared. We remembered Edward, Alice ... I'm so confused."
Peter whispered, lowly so the humans couldn't hear us, "Their minds were infected with darkness. It would make sense that their minds became suddenly clear."
I was tempted to let them see Edward, but his adoptive father spoke up. "I wanted to see if my son was as weak as I remembered," he muttered coldly. Esme sobbed, falling to her knees and he just glowered at Edward's prone form.
I bristled, nodding at the fae who were loading up our injured and dead. "I see that you are still an insufferable bastard, Mr. Cullen," I snapped. I muttered an incantation, enchanting their minds. It impacted Carlisle Cullen immediately, but Esme Cullen was too emotionally distraught to be affected. Our friends and family picked up Edward, loading him up into a waiting SUV. Edward's parents were rooted in the castle, thanks to my magical interference. Alice stood next to me, holding a file folder. "What's this?"
"Proof that my father was accepted bribes and illegal money for his campaign," Alice answered. "This will put him jail for a long time." She looked at me, her eyes teared up. "I hate them, Bella, but you can't kill my parents."
"Singe them a little?" I growled, my hands in rigid claws.
"That's doable," she nodded, handing me the file folder. "I'll stay back with Jasper to ensure that they do get out." She blinked to the black castle, filled with the bodies of dark creatures and their human minions. She wrinkled her nose. "Torch the place."
I raised my hand, shooting a stream of fire from my palms. Garrett fanned the flames with winds and soon the entire structure was engulfed in flames. I clambered into the car and we pulled away. I sat down next to Edward, holding his hand. His eyes were closed and his chest was barely moving. His skin was clammy, frigidly cold and he looked dead with dark circles under his eyes and blue lips. Rose was the only one who could heal him. She was, however, too broken herself, to do anything. Her magic had been drained by that collar and from Carmen's description, it would take a great deal of time for her to recuperate.
Peter, as a physician, would care for her wounds, along with Edward's but we needed a true healer. We also needed to care for our dead – Marcus, Maggie and Tanya – as they'd been killed during the attack. All in all, it was a time for grieving, but there was an excitement that darkness had been driven from the world.
For the time being.
xx TMW xx
We wanted to drive back to the protected castle in Seattle, but something in me wanted to be in my mother's home near Forks. We set up Rose and Emmett in one of the rooms while I stayed with Edward in the master bedroom. I'd carefully cleaned his wounds, washing his body and crying as I saw the damage to his body.
Obviously, the most terrifying injury was the savagely, brutalized neck wound – nearly tearing his head clean off his body. He also had a litany of other injuries as well ...
Torn shoulder.
Ripped and shredded thighs.
Bite marks all over his torso.
Shattered ribs.
Broken legs.
Mangled hands.
Peter stitched up the open wounds on Edward's body, but a healer would have to completely fix them. Someone from South Dakota was coming, as was another healer from Florida and Vermont. From what Peter told me, they were not as strong as Rosalie, but they'd be able to start the work on my mate, as well as heal Rose, removing the magical poison from her mind and body. The healer from Vermont was a siphon, perfect for removing toxins from fae's bodies. It wouldn't remove what was physically done to Rose, but the residual poison from that collar would be gone and Rose would be able to use her powers again as well as morph into her fae form.
The healers arrived a day after the battle. The three of them focused their attention on Edward's serious wounds and it was shocking to see the skin knit together, leaving pale perfection in its wake. However, the gaping wound at his neck was still untouched. None of the healers could even begin to close that. Peter kept it clean and dry, wrapping it in gauze and protecting it from the air. The siphon emptied Rose's body of the toxin and she was able to recuperate quickly. A week after the battle, she came into the master bedroom. The light in her eyes was gone, but she was determined. "Rose," I cried. I got up and hugged her. "Are you okay?"
"Physically, I'm fine," she answered. "Nahuel, the siphon, sucked the poison from me and I felt my strength return." She looked down at Edward, her brow furrowing. "I'm not quite there yet. Part of it is my trying to deal with what Jacob did to me. How he ..."
"Trust me. I know," I growled. "He's an animal."
"Agreed," Rose sneered. "I'm speaking with Charlotte and Emmett is being so patient with me, treating me so carefully and with such love." She looked back at Edward, seeing how much he was struggling. She pressed her hand to his chest and he sighed, his eyes opening briefly. They were milky white and that terrified me. In fact, I could barely feel him; his emotions were registering as pain and hollowness and definitely not his thoughts. His mind was completely shut to me. Our mating bond was weakening with his injuries.
I was losing him.
I couldn't lose him. I needed him. He needed me.
"His eyes," I gasped, tears welling in my own eyes.
Rose pulled her hand back, panting heavily. "I can't do anymore today, Bella," she said. "He's not blind. His body is protecting itself." She looked at me, her own eyes milky. "I love you, Bella, but I need to rest. I need my own mate. He may not be able to ... heal me in the way that I need, but his arms and his strength are needed." She hugged me again, stumbling out of the room.
By late afternoon, Alice came into the room and kissed Edward's bruised knuckles. She sat down next to me, holding my hand. "You need to rest, Bella. You look like hell."
"Thanks, Alice," I deadpanned, kissing Edward's temple. "I'll rest when he wakes up." I blinked to her, praying that her gift of precognition would tell us when.
"I see him awake, but I don't have a timeline," she answered. "I do have information for you, though." I raised my brows. "Carlisle and Esme barely made out of the castle." I wrinkled my nose, unhappy that they'd survived, but I'd promised Alice they would not die in the blaze, even though they deserved it. "I also passed along the information about Carlisle accepting bribes. He's been arrested and is in a federal lock up. The house has been seized and their bank accounts frozen. Esme ... she's ..."
"She's homeless," I finished. Alice nodded. "What are you going to do?"
"I don't know. Both of them were awful to me and Edward. But, I think a lot of it was my dad. My mom was good to me. I may help her. I don't know," she shrugged. She blinked over to Edward and she sighed. "Any change?"
"He's still asleep. Rose did try to heal him. She helped a little. His eyes opened and they're milky," I frowned. "I miss his green eyes."
"Just get some rest, Bells," Alice said, hugging me tightly. She pushed me onto the bed. I curled around Edward, surrounding the bed with a halo of protection. I heard her close the door and I snuggled closer to him. I opened my mind to him, reaching out to him, but his mind was silent.
xx TMW xx
I barely ate, barely slept and only left Edward when I needed to answer the call of nature. I knew I was losing weight and I could feel myself fading. Peter was concerned about both of us, but I wouldn't leave his side. It had been two weeks since the battle. Rose had done a lot of work to heal him, but his injuries were more serious than we anticipated. While Rose was healing him, she discovered that his spinal cord had been severed. The restorative properties of the fae would eventually heal his injuries. Rose could not fix that problem. It was all on him and his body. He needed time ...
That was the main reason why he was still asleep and not waking up.
Hearing that his neck had been broken made me sick. I cried hysterically and I could feel my own body begin to shut down. I was done. I was terrified that I'd never get him back. He promised me forever. He promised to protect me and he was unmoving and still sleeping. His skin was so cold. He looked like a corpse. If it weren't for the slight movement of his chest rising and falling, I would have thought he was dead.
A quiet knock filled the room. I blinked up and Carmen slid inside. She held a tray of food. I lowered my protective shield around the bed, sitting up and wiping my tears away. She put the tray over my legs, arching a brow. "Eat, Lady Bella."
"I'm not hungry."
"I can count your ribs through your shirt. Eat," she chided. "You need your strength. Especially if you're the one who needs to heal Lord Edward."
"Me?" I squeaked, tucking into my meal. "I thought time would heal his injuries."
"The love of his mate will ultimately heal him," Carmen said, pushing the plate closer to me. "Both of you are fading. You need skin-to-skin contact. He needs to feel your love." She took my hand and stared at me. "He saved us. Only you can save him, Lady Bella. Only you can save each other."
"How? How can I help him?" I asked.
"You know," she said, picking up the now empty tray.
She hugged me, leaving the room. I blinked over to Edward and stood up, removing my clothing. I saw how much my vigil had impacted me. I was too skinny and my skin was translucent. I pulled down the covers. Edward's body was bare, as well. He looked like a skeleton. I bit back a sob, crawling over his body and straddling his too-trim hips. I kissed his jaw and ignited my body in flames. Edward shuddered, his hands clenching into tight fists.
I'm here, beloved, I thought to him. I miss you. I need you. We need you. I love you so much, Edward. Please, come back to me. I felt his emotions and he registered my warmth, yearning for more of it. I heated up my body and he sighed. His mind was trying to push its way through, but there was still some sort of disconnect from his mind to mine. I know you can hear me, you can feel me. I want to do anything for you, Edward. Please?
Empty ... his broken voice filled my mind. Cold.
Do you want more heat? I asked.
Yes, please, he cried. I felt my skin become even hotter, making the room almost unbearable. I snuggled closer, pressing soft kisses on his neck. His pale skin had faint scars from Jacob's fangs from where he'd ripped out Edward's throat. He groaned, angling his head to give me more access. Mark. Me. Drink from me.
"Edward, you're weak," I whispered.
Completes the circle, he whimpered. I lengthened my fangs and buried my teeth into his neck, drawing his blood from his vein. He growled and his arms wrapped around my body. I pulled back, sealing the wounds with my tongue. I braced my hands on either side of his head, looking down at him. I could feel his cold hands on my hips. Hotter, sihrena.
I slid my arms around his neck, adjusting my body temperature as hot as it would go. He cried out and his arms tightened around me, holding me close to his body. His mind, which had been disjointed and confused, became clearer and he registered who I was, what had happened and his body finished healing. The nerves in his spinal cord fused together and he gasped, sitting up. I clung to him, repeating my never-ending love for him, both mentally and out loud. It seemed like forever, but Edward's arms loosened around me and he let out a slow, deep breath. I pulled back, brushing his messy curls away from his face. His eyes were still closed. I was petrified that when he opened them, they would still be milky white and he'd be blind. I caressed his face, tracing his tattoos. "Edward?" I whispered. "Please, open your eyes."
He leaned forward, pressing his forehead to mine. I snuggled closer, keeping us both warm. He blew out a breath, his brow furrowed. I stared at his handsome face as his eyelids fluttered. He kept them down, looking between us and he ran his fingers along my legs, up my ribcage and to my arms. He blinked again, this time, his lashes staying up. His eyes were no longer milky white. They were a crystalline green, with blue and gold mixed in. "Sihrena," he breathed, his voice deep and raspy. I nodded and his lips quirked up into a beautiful crooked grin. "My sihrena ..."
A/N: He's awake. Thank goodness for the fae's resiliency. If he had had that injury as a human, he'd be dead. Just saying ... We're going to be back with Edward for the next chapter. We're also winding down. No, there will not be a sequel. I'm thinking that there will be a grand total of thirty-five chapters? Some citrusy action next chapter and only citrusy action, the fallout from the battle and finally, the epilogue.
Leave me some!