Outtake from Chapter 37
Carlisle's POV
4:17 PM.
Exactly when Alice had predicted the disappearance of our futures.
We were under attack, and we knew our enemy.
But although our species were created as deadly enemies, thus far our interactions with the Quileutes had been tense but ended without violence.
I hoped that this confrontation would end in the same manner.
However, I had a bad feeling about this situation, one I couldn't dismiss lightly.
The fact that our home was apparently surrounded by shape-shifters strong enough to harm us was serious business. Members of our family could be torn apart or destroyed...not to mention the extremely dangerous position of our fragile human daughter.
I looked at Isabella, concerned, as the faint color leached from her face. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to catch her breath. I was concerned how she would handle this new situation...and the repercussions that were likely forthcoming.
I felt a grave sense of unease as I turned to my quietest son, the strategic one.
“Jasper?” I questioned solemnly as he straightened out of the crouch that we had all assumed at Alice's cry.
My concern was reflected in the alert and tense faces of my family, and I noted the frequent glances in Isabella's direction (from everyone except Rosalie) as we considered the very real danger to her in particular.
Above all else, we had to keep Isabella safe...and preferably calm. She has been through so much, and severe stress could send her delicate body into a downward spiral.
“I think it's the wolf pack,” Edward murmured too low for Isabella's human hearing as his thoughts agreed with mine regarding the reason for the disappearance of Alice's vision. He continued bitterly, “It would make sense, with Jacob's obvious desire for revenge and Sam's apparent inability to control the pack.”
“I think you're right,” agreed Alice quietly. “My visions seem to vanish when they're involved...which will be a major hindrance in dealing with them. We'll be going in blind.”
Emmett huffed. “True, but at least we're not going in deaf,” he nodded toward Edward. “No matter what, we can totally take those mutts.”
I shook my head at my confident son. “I don't want this meeting to devolve into violence,” I warned.
Rosalie and Emmett began to object, but I held up my hand, silencing them. “If this situation becomes a battle, it's going to be difficult to protect Isabella; she could get hurt all too easily.”
Edward and Alice quickly nodded their agreement, and I couldn't help but notice Edward's expression.
I had never seen my son show fear. Ever.
Always the epitome of confidence, Edward.
But he was truly afraid now...afraid for Isabella's health and safety...and survival.
As was I.
I glanced over my shoulder; Isabella was watching us intently, her brows puckered into a frown. We shouldn't shut her out of our plans; after all, this situation centered around her.
Jasper was staring at Edward, obviously picking up his fear, and with a glance at me, also noted my guilt at keeping Isabella out of the conversation.
“How many voices are you picking up?” Jasper asked Edward, speaking loudly enough that Isabella could hear. She was now sitting up in bed, her eyes flitting to each member of our family as they spoke. I saw very little fear in her expression; instead, a fierce determination sparkled in her eyes.
Despite her human status, Isabella truly was one of us in spirit, if not in body.
She was a Cullen, through and through.
Most human girls would have been a fearful, crying, clinging mess in knowing that they were a target of a wolf pack. But Isabella sat quietly, absorbing the conversation, taking everything in.
And I was proud of her.
Edward frowned as he replied to Jasper's question. “It's difficult to tell how many there are; it seems that the Quileute shape shifters communicate telepathically while in their wolf forms. Their minds are not truly independent in that form; their thoughts almost meld into a single collective thinking process. It's almost impossible to separate the thoughts of individuals from the group as a whole.” He paused, listening to the pack, then added, “But I'd say at least eight of them, perhaps more.”
Rosalie cursed under her breath, then addressed Jasper, demanding, “What's the best plan?”
As always, Emmett's first thoughts were of violence. “Kill 'em! We can totally take these furry-assed dogs!” Unlike the rest of the family who had straightened out of their crouches, Emmett had retained his defensive position, his eyes ever on the alert.
“Wait,” I said, addressing our three fighters especially. “We need to plan our approach to this situation with the utmost care. We must keep this confrontation from becoming violent, or lives could be lost on both sides.”
Isabella's quiet gasp drew the immediate attention of every family member. Her eyes were wide with panic as they flickered to each member of my family as if she were thinking of how much she valued and feared losing each one.
I glanced at Edward, unsurprised to see his eyes resting on Isabella with love, longing, and pride. She looked back at him, her eyes agonized with fear...fear for us. Her heart quickened, the beat irregular, and I ghosted to her side as her eyes brimmed with tears.
I needed to calm her; this kind of stress was exactly what we needed to avoid. Despite her strength of mind, Isabella's body was extremely delicate as she recovered slowly from the damage Jacob had inflicted.
Taking her wrist in my fingers, more to quiet her panic than to measure her pulse which was unnecessary, my eyes met hers, and I kept my voice level, hoping to relieve some of her distress.
“Isabella, calm down,” I advised quietly. “Take slow breaths, my dear. Slow breaths,” I emphasized.
She started to calm down, but I knew that only one person in the room could bring her true peace of mind.
After a glance from Jasper, Edward nodded, then approached and knelt beside her bed, taking her free hand in his.
“It would not be your fault, Isabella, if something happens today. You cannot blame yourself for their decisions,” Edward spoke gently but firmly.
Isabella began calming almost immediately. Whether Edward's words or his touch (or a combination of the two) was responsible, I was thankful to see her relax into her pillows. I released her hand, unsurprised when Edward reached for it, grasping both of her fragile hands in his strong ones.
I also had the feeling that Jasper was assisting Isabella's calm through his gift. When I glanced at him quickly, his sly wink confirmed my suspicions.
But then Isabella's pulse quickened again, and her brows knit into a frown; I think all of us sensed her fear. “Can you tell me if...he...is here?” she stuttered in a low whisper to Edward.
Frowning, Edward glanced at me quickly as if warning me of Isabella's probable reaction to his response, then reluctantly nodded at her.
But Isabella surprised us yet again. She seemed to have fully expected Edward's affirmation of Jacob Black's presence; she stared unblinkingly back at Edward as if measuring his emotions.
Then Edward tensed even further, his eyes not leaving Isabella's.
“What are you hearing, Edward?” I asked calmly for Isabella's sake, but my shoulders tensed as I prepared myself for his report.
Edward tilted his head slightly, listening to the minds outside. His frown deepened, and I knew that he would not deliver good news.
Edward responded in a low, deceptively quiet voice, “They want to speak with us...the leader does, anyway. He's in his human form and is waiting in the clearing facing the front of the house...with,” Edward stopped, his eyes moving back to Isabella, and I knew what was coming. “With him,” he added.
The varied curses emitted by my family, with the exception of Esme and myself, were colorful, to say the least, especially those of Emmett and Rosalie.
Rosalie was definitely concerned by this development as she asked, “Can they hear us?”
Edward answered with a shake of his head, “They aren't approaching the house too closely because our scent bothers them, so as long as we keep out voices low, they can only make out murmurs, but not words.”
Alice nearly smiled, “Good.”
Esme, however, looked puzzled. “What do you mean, 'our scent bothers them'?”
Edward responded, his voice low, “Our scent burns their noses...like concentrated bleach.”
Pleased smiles circulated among our family; this information was good news for us.
I approached Jasper and asked my tactical son, “What approach do you recommend? We need to minimize the chances of violence--”
Edward interrupted me, worried. “That's going to be difficult. The majority of the Quileutes are spoiling for a fight; the leader is already struggling to keep control of the pack, especially...him.”
We all noticed Isabella's reaction to Edward's words. His eyes were worried as they focused on her pale face, his thumbs massaging her hands soothingly.
Jasper took a step forward, capturing our attention. “Here's the plan. Esme needs to stay with Bella.” Turning to Esme, his voice as compelling as any general in heading into battle, Jasper directed my wife, “If any one of them enters this room without one of us, protect Bella at all costs...even if it means finishing him.”
Esme nodded resolutely, her golden eyes tiger-like as she slipped into her protective mode. Our family meant everything to my wife, and I knew that she would stop at nothing to defend us, especially Isabella, whom she loved as a daughter.
Leaning toward our beloved girl, Esme stated emphatically, “We won't let anything happen to you, sweetie.” At Isabella's feeble smile, Esme leaned forward to kiss her forehead, a further assurance to the trembling girl of our love and protection.
Jasper efficiently directed the rest of us into position, with Edward, Jasper and myself selected to meet the Quileutes on the front porch. I was obviously the one to negotiate any kind of agreement, and Edward was present to listen to their minds and uncover any possible machinations the wolves may be plotting against us as Jasper measured their emotions.
Edward paused, indicating the wall of Isabella's room which had a window facing the porch and front yard and stating quietly, “I'm worried about this.”
Jasper sighed, clearly concerned as well. “I don't like it either, but Bella can't really be moved from this room, can she?” he queried, glancing at me.
No. Definitely not. She was far too fragile, especially with her newly re-injured ribs which could result in puncturing one of her lungs. Moving her could be quite dangerous, indeed.
I spoke up firmly, “It's not a good idea...unless it is unavoidable.” A quick glance at Esme was all I needed to alert her to the danger of moving Isabella, and she nodded in comprehension as Edward sighed, clearly worried.
Then Edward's eyes swiveled away from us as he listened. “They're getting restless, and it's becoming more and more difficult for the leader to keep them focused.” He looked back at Isabella, reluctant to leave her.
But Jasper gave us no choice. “All right then, let's get moving. Stations, everyone,” he ordered.
I turned to Isabella, pressing a kiss to her forehead, murmuring, “We'll take care of this, Isabella. Don't worry about a thing.” Each of our family members except Rosalie made Isabella similar promises, but her expression, instead of clearing, became more despondent with each farewell.
For Isabella knew all too well how this confrontation could end: with her injury or death, or with the destruction of one or more of our family...the latter of which clearly upset her more than the thought of her own danger.
Isabella was family now; there was simply no doubt about that fact. Only Rosalie seemed fight the inevitable, but that was typical for Rosalie; change made her very uncomfortable. And I understood that.
Edward leaned forward, Isabella's hands still clasped in his as he spoke passionately, “We will protect you, Isabella. We will!”
And we all knew at that point that Edward was completely and irrevocably in love with his Isabella.
But, as Emmett would say, “Their timing sucked, big time.”
Isabella understood Edward's vow immediately; her large eyes swam with tears as she cupped his face in her hand, whispering just as passionately, “Be safe.” Their eyes spoke volumes, and Isabella blushed adorably; however, I noticed Jasper backing away from her, toward the door, in an attempt to reign in his bloodlust.
Everyone but Edward followed Jasper to the doorway, stopping to watch the young couple lost in their own wordless conversation, speaking only with their eyes.
Finally, Jasper called Edward back to our task, and he and Isabella slowly came back to earth. He kissed her hand gallantly as she blushed shyly, then he clasped her hands one last time, agony clear on his face. Isabella's other hand continued to trace his face, but Edward reluctantly lowered her hands, placing them atop her quilt.
Their eyes spoke silent farewells via loving glances, then Edward left the room abruptly, tearing himself from her side and leading the rest of the family from the room and down the hallway, Esme remaining behind to comfort and protect Isabella.
Esme may not be our family's strongest fighter, but I knew how ferocious she could be when one of her own was threatened, and Isabella was exactly that: one of our own, a full-fledged member of the family. I almost smiled at the thought, but with the tension in the house so palpable, we had to focus now on protecting Isabella from the enemy.
Praying silently for the safety of our family, I walked beside Edward through the house toward the front door, with the rest of the family fanning out across the house and around its perimeter. I detected soft, worried growls as each of us realized that the house was completely and effectively surrounded.
“Ready?” I asked Edward, my voice low.
“Ready,” he answered, his expression a mask of calm despite the emotions I knew must be roiling just below the surface. Edward, usually our mainstay, our dependable one in any confrontation, was a wild card this time. He had just met his mate, and the fact that the wolf pack was threatening his beloved would drive him to his limits.
So we didn't know how volatile Edward would be with Isabella's welfare so uncertain. I had seen the worried glances in his direction from Emmett and Jasper, plus Alice and Rosalie had appeared concerned as well.
I had to be wily...and I was forced to bank on Edward's mind being so filled with deep concern for Isabella that Jasper could answer me. Turning away from Edward, I caught Jasper's eye as he met us in the foyer and asked him a silent question as I glanced meaningfully toward Edward, then back at Jasper.
Jasper frowned, then murmured, “He's barely holding on; his fury and his guilt are so intertwined that I don't know if self-control is possible.” He paused, then continued, “Think how we would react if our mates were endangered as Bella is now...then imagine them as fragile humans thrust into the middle of a war between powerful nonhuman beings.”
While I was thankful that Edward showed no reaction indicating that he heard Jasper's evaluation, I cringed at the thought of Esme being in such a tenuous position and shuddered. But this was no hypothetical situation; Isabella's life was truly endangered, and we were completely surrounded by wolves who could do some damage to us, but any one of them could kill our human daughter with a single swipe of a paw.
Isabella had truly become our daughter.
And she needed us now, more than ever.
Edward's voice brought me out of my thoughts. “Carlisle?” he asked, his voice low and seemingly calm, yet beneath his facade, he was nearly vibrating with anger. I had never seen Edward so furious, so determined.
Of course, I had never seen Edward in love before, either.
I placed a hand on his shoulder as I looked into his eyes. “We will keep her safe, Son,” I assured him. “We love her, too.”
Edward's eyes met mine, and his anguish was clear. “I can't live without her, Carlisle,” he whispered brokenly.
And there was my other great fear: if somehow the wolves plundered our defenses and kidnapped or killed Isabella, we would be losing two family members this evening, not one. The bond between vampire mates was so strong that losing a mate demanded retaliation at best, and at worst, the remaining mate begged for (and often received) death at the hands of a merciful friend or coven member.
While I knew that Edward's bond with Isabella was that of a mate, I wasn't certain if Isabella, as a human, would be capable of returning such a deep bond.
These thoughts flitted through my mind in less than a second. I squeezed Edward's shoulder to comfort him as I whispered back, “I know.”
Jasper cleared his voice quietly, our predetermined signal, and I opened the front door and stepped out onto the porch, taking a stance between my two sons. Flanked similarly by a wolf on either side of him, Sam stood at the far side of the meadow which our house overlooked. As one, the three of us Cullens stepped down the short flight of stairs and stood in the driveway, waiting to hear from Sam.
“Carlisle.” Sam's greeting was quiet, considering the distance between was nearly a tenth of a mile. Like us, the wolves possessed abilities far above those of humans; however, they seemed to retain some of their enhanced senses while in their human form as well.
“Sam,” I returned coolly, my voice wary.
Sam glanced at the large reddish wolf to his right, then leveled his eyes at me and spoke again, “We came here to retrieve Bella. She belongs with her family.”
“The Blacks surrendered the right to refer to Isabella as 'family' when they abused her, physically and psychologically,” I replied, reigning in my anger at their presumption.
The red wolf growled, and of course I recognized him immediately. He morphed back into his human form, quickly pulling on a pair of frayed denim shorts.
“Ha! Like Bella would ever be 'safe' with a bunch of bloodsuckers like you! I'm surprised that you all haven't drunk her down and crushed her body like a Coke can,” Jacob Black sneered.
I felt Edward tense beside me, and I touched his arm as a reminder to remain calm. He reigned in his temper admirably, but I wasn't sure how long his control would last; Jacob was definitely trying to push his buttons.
“Yeah, she is pretty sweet, my Bella,” Jacob continued. “I mean, I haven't tasted her blood — that's just sickening! – but the rest of her tastes sooooo sweet. I would know.” He grinned insolently, his hands digging into his pockets casually as if he expected no resistance from us, yet his eyes watched our every twitch.
“Jacob, that's enough,” Sam said shortly.
Beneath my restraining hand, I felt Edward's fury roiling just beneath the surface. If Jacob spoke once more, I doubted that Edward would be able to control himself. He would attack...which seemed to be Jacob's goal. If he forced us into making the first move, then he could blame us for “starting” the fight.
Yet referring to his pleasure during the attack on Isabella was a low blow, and I heard deep, angry growls emanating from our family members; I barely suppressed my reaction.
Although he seemed unwilling, Jacob backed off under Sam's direct rebuke.
“We want an assurance that Bella is unhurt and is here willingly,” Sam stated quietly.
This request was much more reasonable, and I had no problem with providing him with proof that Isabella was well; I understood Sam's need to be certain that he was doing the right thing in leaving her with his sworn enemies.
“I want to hear it from her own fucking mouth,” Jacob growled, his eyes tight. “I just hope that you haven't brainwashed her.” He rolled his eyes dramatically. “She'll believe fucking anything,” he smirked.
Jasper had to physically restrain Edward at this point, and if I didn't have the weight of leadership on my shoulders, I may just have joined him...anything to wipe that smirk off Jacob Black's face.
I refused to let myself think of the long-term damage he had heaped upon a very young and innocent girl, or I would lose my own temper.
With every word, this confrontation strode toward violence rather than non-violence.
While Sam turned on Jacob and told him to shut his mouth in no uncertain terms, I calmed myself enough to communicate with my mate and Isabella. Perhaps the wolves would accept her words at face-value; Sam might, anyway. If only he could maintain control over the rest of the pack, Jacob especially....
“Esme?” I called, the calm of my voice masking my anger at Jacob Black. “Please ask Bella to answer Sam's question about her well-being,” I asked, keeping my eyes on the Alpha and praying that Sam would be able to fully control his pack before someone, on one side or the other, lashed out violently.
After a pause while Esme explained Sam's request to Isabella, we heard Isabella's voice, a little hoarse and trembling, call out, “Sam? I'm fine, okay?”
Sam took a step forward, and in response, Edward, Jasper, and I also took a step toward the two men and one wolf.
“He's not being confrontational,” Edward murmured, nodding his head to indicate Sam. “He's just relieved to hear her voice.” Jasper nodded his agreement to Sam's response. “Jacob is also relieved, despite his words to the contrary.”
“You sure, Bella?” Sam called, his voice echoing slightly through the meadow.
“Yes, I'm getting better. The Cullens are taking great care of me,” she replied, her voice shaking with the effort of raising her voice. I heard Isabella lay back into her pillows, then Esme murmured comforting words to her as my wife held our precious daughter, consoling her.
“Why is her voice like that?” Jacob asked, and I noticed Jasper's interest. “He's truly concerned about her,” he whispered to me.
There was hope for this boy after all, I thought.
But that hope was unfortunately short-lived.
Edward answered, his voice sarcastic. “She was nearly killed after all; you have to give her time to fully heal.”
Jacob straightened up, his face hard. “That wasn't my fault!” he spat.
“Then whose fault was it?” Edward hissed.
“Hers. She wouldn't celebrate my birthday properly,” Jacob smirked again as he emphasized his last word, and even I, opposed to violence generally, wanted to slap that smug grin off his face.
Jasper had to physically restrain Edward once again, and I turned to assist Jasper as Edward thrashed against us, calling out, “How the fuck can you blame her! You were the one who attacked her, the one who tried to rape her, the one who nearly killed her? How in the fuck is that Isabella's fault?”
Jacob continued to smirk as he watched Jasper and I struggle to hold Edward back. “I get it,” he said slowly, his eyes glued to Edward as Jacob batted away Sam's restraining hand. “You like her, don't you, bloodsucker? You've let her get her claws into you? You poor fucker,” he laughed with derisive amusement. “She'll do to you what she did to me; she'll make you fall in love with her, then she'll fucking leave you for some richer dude....”
Jasper whispered his opinion of Jacob's emotions, too low for the wolves to hear. “Jacob has been vacillating between the two extremes of love and hatred. He blamed Bella for rejecting him at the beach, and his hurt morphed into violence. And Jacob now sees our adoption of Isabella into our family as yet another rejection, yet another betrayal, at her hands. Now that he recognizes Edward's regard for her, he's angry, and....” Jasper cringed before continuing, “His thoughts are murderous.”
Whether from Jacob's thoughts or Jasper's words, Edward hissed under his breath, and we again restrained him from attacking the young Quileute who looked on us with such superior loathing. “He despises what we are,” Edward reported, his eyes snapping with anger. “And the fact that Isabella has chosen us over him is angering him, perhaps beyond his own sense of control. He is dangerous. Very dangerous.”
Both Jasper's and Edward's assessments appeared frighteningly accurate as Jacob's voice hardened from real hurt to the deadly venom of injured pride as he continued, “You know, I loved her for years, but then, after she ran away from me that night, I realized that it so wasn't worth it. She wasn't worth it. I could get a piece of ass anywhere I want on the Res, and I was being a stupid fucker trying to make it with such a sorry, damaged bitch as Bella Swan. She's nothing, man, nothing. Just a friendly warning, you know, one guy to another.” Jacob grinned again, shaking his head in mock comradeship. “She's just not worth it,” he repeated, clearly, a derisive smile plastered across his face.
That was it.
Jasper and I, shocked by Jacob Black's crass, callous words, loosened our grip on Edward for a millisecond, and that was all it took.
Edward was flying toward Jacob who saw the danger coming and morphed into his wolf form. Sam looked torn for a moment, but he decided to defend his pack, right or wrong.
It became an all-out battle at that point. Wolves appeared suddenly, racing toward us from the forest, and almost immediately I was battling two of the towering wolves, as was Jasper, while Edward fought Jacob and Sam. Vaguely I heard the echo of additional battles emanating from points behind us, so the wolves must have engaged all of our family.
A vampire could probably win a one-on-one battle with a shape-shifting wolf with a little time and patience, but a two-against-one fight was not easy to win. It took absolute concentration as I parried their charges, twisting out of their reach to avoid their sharp teeth. Hearing a cry of pain, I glanced over my shoulder to see that a third wolf had joined the fight against Edward, the wolf's teeth gaining purchase on Edward's shoulder while Jacob disappeared in the direction of the house.
No, no, no, no....I panicked at the possibility Jacob attacking Esme and Isabella.
But my two adversaries prevented me from following Jacob into the house. A horrendous crash came from the direction of Isabella's room, then came smaller crashes and additional sounds of fighting.
Esme was protecting our human daughter.
Whatever happened, I would be proud of Esme for the remainder of our existence, for the growls and yells and screams I was hearing from my various family members along with constant crashes and resounding felling of surrounding trees illustrated the serious danger we were all fighting.
The battle between my family and the wolf pack was getting uglier and uglier. Although we vampires couldn't tire, the wolves seemed absolutely determined to destroy each of us, and their strength seemed boundless.
A loud screeching sound came from in back of the house, following a hair-raising scream. Almost immediately came a loud crash from the front of the house, and Esme appeared, thrown backwards as if catapulted, landing flat on her back in the center of the front path.
That meant one thing.
Isabella was alone with that monster.
The most absolute fear empowered me, and I threw my entire strength into battling both of the wolves I was fighting. Grasping each one by the neck, I effectively knocked their heads together; they crumpled into a pile, unmoving. Then I was streaking across the meadow toward Esme.
“Are you all right?” I asked. Esme awkwardly got to her feet, and as she turned toward me, I saw why. Her right arm was missing.
Fury compounded my fear. “Jacob?” I asked, and she nodded, her expression panicked.
“Stay here!” I commanded, running toward the house.
I heard Isabella, nearly spitting in anger, hissing, “So do your worst, Jacob Black, you animal! At least your appearance finally matches the monster within!”
As I reached the porch, I saw that the wall separating Isabella's bedroom from the front porch was GONE. I jumped through the debris just as Jacob leaped toward Isabella who was standing shakily in the corner of what was left of her room, supporting herself against the wall, the other arm wrapped around her injured ribs.
But her triumphant smile at the wolf faded slightly as he leaped toward her.
I was a split-second behind Jacob, but I was still too late. His teeth sunk into her neck and shoulder, ripping her flesh as blood spurted from the her torn jugular. Isabella tried to scream but she couldn't; she breathed out a low gurgle as blood poured out her mouth, then her body, still gripped firmly in the wolf's massive jaws, went utterly limp....
***
A/N: Thank you so much for all of your kind comments for the last couple of chapters; I soooo enjoyed reading them!! I think I responded to all of the reviews for Chapter 38 at least.
I have family in town at the moment: my sister and her family are here for my brother's wedding Saturday, and my husband's sister and her family were here over the 4th of July. So I had only one day at home to write last week, then my new online fan fiction class started this Monday and I've been up working until 3-4:00 AM for the past several nights.
The next chapter will continue here as an outtake, either from Carlisle's or Edward's POV (still deciding). Hey, I'm willing to take votes for your preferred POV, LOL!!!
Because of the summer fan fiction class I'm teaching (which I am designing as we go), I won't be able to respond to many comments for the next month. So I apologize in advance. If I have time, I will respond, but between the class and my brother's wedding, I doubt I'll be able to respond much. But I do read (and save!) all of the comments; I wouldn't be able to continue writing without your amazing support, my friends!!
Thank you for reading my longest chapter yet (just topping 5,000 words!!), and have a wonderful week! I plan to post again next weekend, July 21-22.
Love to you all,
Cassandra :) xxxooo