〖 chapter xliv: SEEING RED〗
It was happening again. Wysteria was having another dream of herself flying over Forks, Washington. Except this time, things were a little different. Instead of seeing the wolves in her vision, she was hovering near Alice and Edward Cullen.
"Edward!" Wysteria shouted, wondering if he could hear her but Edward didn't turn her way. His eyes were firmly fixed on Bella Swans house over a mile away through the tree-line. Wysteria thought it was a little odd that Alice and Edward weren't closer but maybe they figured that Victoria or someone might go after Bella if they assumed no one was around to protect her. Besides, a mile to a vampire was like two feet.
"No, she hasn't said anything yet." Edward said suddenly. Alice sighed.
"I don't understand." Alice murmured. "She loves you. That's evident enough. I don't know why she wouldn't want to marry you." Edward shrugged.
"She thinks she's too young." Alice giggled.
"Thats funny. She's always complaining about how old she is." Alice said with a small smile to her brother. Edward smirked. Wysteria floated closer to Edward, wondering if she could touch him. Before she got the chance too though, she felt a tug in her gut and Wysteria immediately looked towards Bella's house where she somehow saw a flash of movement. Edward growled and in an instant, Edward, Alice and Wysteria were outside of Bella's house. There in the Swan's open backyard was a boy that Wysteria recognized from all the missing persons fliers. It was Riley Biers. He was holding something in his hand and Wysteria swore her blood was boiling. That was one of Bella's shirts.
Thunder rumbled loudly and lightning struck the ground violently. "What do you want!" Wysteria demanded at the same instant that Edward and Alice gasped in surprise.
"Wysteria?" Alice whispered but Wysteria was glaring at Riley who was eyeing her with a mixture of awe and confusion. His bright red eyes seemed to pierce right through her soul. It unnerved Wysteria. It reminded her of their encounter with Laurent. Wysteria reached out with her hand and lightning rained down on Riley but he was always just slightly faster than Wysteria's lightning. Riley smirked and before anyone else could do anything, he shot off into the forest.
"Bella." Edward said in dismay before disappearing from Wysteria's side.
"Let's go after him." Wysteria said, ready to take off running, even though she was in no way as fast as a vampire. Alice grabbed Wysteria's arm before she could do anything though.
"Whoa, whoa there Redbird." Alice said softly. "You're not wearing any shoes, it's the middle of the night and it's cold as hell out here."
"How can you tell?" Wysteria asked. "You're a vampire. You're always cold."
"You're shivering Wysteria Redbird. Now come on. Let me take you inside." Wysteria sighed, shivered and let Alice pull her into a tight hug before she jumped up to Bella's open window, grabbing onto the ledge and helped Wysteria climb through the sill. Edward was sitting on Bella's bed who was staring at them through bleary eyes. Edward came to the window and helped Wysteria in before holding his hand out to his sister who smiled at him and took his hand, pulling herself into Bella's room.
"What's... Happening?" Bella asked with a yawn.
"Riley was here." Wysteria said, taking Bella's woven quilt off her desk chair and wrapping it around herself. Bella's eyes widened and she suddenly became more awake.
"Wh-what?"
"Are you okay?" Edward asked, going back to sit on Bella's bed and taking her hand.
"I... Yeah... I didn't even know he was in here." Bella said softly.
"I don't think he was here to hurt you." Alice said lightly, leaning against the wall of Bella's room. "He took one of your shirts. He might have just stolen it to help the other newborns track you when it was time." Bella was speechless.
"O-okay." She said softly, glancing over at Wysteria who was still shivering. "What are you doing here Ria?" Wysteria shrugged.
"It was weird. You know how I usually follow the wolves around in my dreams sometimes? Like some floating apparition?" Everyone in the room nodded. "Well this time I was watching Alice and Edward." Alice's eyebrows shot up and Edward pursed his lips.
"For how long."
"I seem to only come around when danger strikes so I was only with you both for like a minute or two before Riley showed up." Edward nodded slowly.
"That's... That's weird though. Why would you come... Follow us?" Alice asked.
"Maybe it wasn't you maybe I just... Literally follow danger." Wysteria said with a shrug. "I follow the wolves a lot sure but I'm also always there for like... Major vampire events in the area. I think this counts as major seeing as Riley came out of nowhere." Wysteria huffed and sat down at Bella's desk. "Is your phone on Bella? I need to call my boyfriend to come get me." Bella nodded and reached for it on her dresser. When she looked at the screen she frowned.
"Looks like he's already tried to call me but I always keep my phone on silent." Bella said, handing her phone to Edward who reached over to give it to Wysteria.
"Shit." Wysteria mumbled before unlocking Bella's phone with her password and clicking on the notification for two missed calls from Jacob. The phone only rang twice before Jacob picked up.
"Thank god, Bella have you seen Wysteria around? Is she with you or those vamps? Because we all heard her scream in our heads and..."
"Babe hey, calm down." Wysteria interrupted. There was a beat of silence and then Jacob was shouting at her.
"Oh my god! Wysteria what the hell! Where are you? What happened? Your mom and everyone is freaking the fuck out right now and..." Wysteria sighed as she let Jacob continue to yell at her. Edward, Alice and Bella all snickered. They could all hear him since he was being so loud.
"Jaybird calm down." Wysteria reiterated.
"Why did you scream? Are you okay?" Jacob demanded.
"Jacob, I'm fine. I swear and... What did I scream exactly in your head?" Jacob let out a shaky breath.
"It... It was just a scream. I woke up it was so loud and I raced over to your house and you weren't in your room and I was freaking out and it woke everyone else up if they hadn't already been awake or were jolted up from your scream and... God I've been so stressed out."
"Jacob I'm okay. Everything's okay. I'm with Bella, Edward and Alice at Bella's house."
"What happened? What are you doing there?"
"Come pick me up and I'll tell you."
"Way ahead of you babe. I'm already in my car." Wysteria laughed a little.
"Okay so chill out. I don't want you to get into an accident on the road or something."
"There's nobody out here. I'll be fine. You're the one I'm worried about."
"Well I'm fine too and I'll see you soon okay?"
"Can't we stay on the phone?" Jacob begged.
"I have to talk to these three first, okay?" Jacob huffed. "I can call you right back when I'm done. Alright?" Wysteria heard her boyfriend sigh. "I love you."
"Yeah, I love you too little red. I'll see you soon. Call me right back please."
"I will."
"Okay." Wysteria smiled, shook her head and the two of them said goodbye. Wysteria handed the phone back to Edward who turned around to give it back to his girlfriend.
"They heard you scream?" Alice asked. "You didn't even scream out there."
"Maybe I did in my head." Wysteria said with a shrug. "I was... So pissed when I saw him and I think I might have screamed inwardly in... Rage. That might have been what they all heard." Wysteria shrugged.
"So.. What are we going to do about Riley?" Bella asked lightly.
"We would have gone after him but Edward was worried about you and I had to make sure Wysteria was okay but..." Alice sighed. "I think their plan has escalated. By the end of the week they should be here." Bella took Edward's hand and squeezed it lightly as his jaw tensed.
"At least they have the decency to attack on a weekend." Wysteria murmured. "So what are we going to do?"
"Bella and I have been talking about hiding her up in the mountains and..."
"In this November cold?" Wysteria asked. "I know it's not that bad down here but it's killer up in those mountains with the snow and the sleet. A tent is not really going to protect you from that."
"I know." Edward said, rubbing his temple. "But I want her as far away from this fight as possible."
"Well it can't just be the two of you up there. I'll ask Jacob or Seth to keep you two company. The wolves are like furnaces and if it starts to snow at least Bella won't freeze to death."
"That's... That's actually a really good idea." Edward said with a small smile.
"I'm full of good ideas." Wysteria said with a grin.
"I have to talk to my dad about him going away for the weekend." Bella murmured. "I don't want Victoria to use him against me." Wysteria nodded.
"I'll ask Billy to get him to go with him on a fishing trip. They'd love that." Bella smiled.
"Yeah if you could that would be great."
"When Jacob gets here, tell him and the rest that we should all meet up tomorrow to talk." Alice said, touching Wysteria's shoulder lightly. "I need to show them the sight of the attack. It's on our side of the border." Wysteria nodded.
"I'll tell them." Wysteria runs one hand through her hair and sighs. "I wish I had more time to figure this all out. I still don't understand how I do my whole flying act." Wysteria said.
"Everything will be fine Wysteria." Edward said with a small smile. Bella looked down at her phone which was buzzing in her hands. The caller ID showed a dopey picture of Jacob.
"I think he got too anxious." Wysteria rolled her eyes as she was handed Bella's phone again.
"Jaybird, I'm fine." Wysteria said when she answered the phone.
"You didn't call back." He complained.
"We were still talking Jay." Wysteria said trying not to laugh.
"Well you're worrying me and I won't be happy until I see you so...." Wysteria rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, okay." Wysteria looked back up at her friends. "You said everyone's awake right?"
"Yup and they're all wondering what the fuck is going on." Wysteria sighed.
"The timetable has moved up. Victoria and her newborns will be here by the end of the week." Jacob was quiet. "Jay?"
"I.. yeah I heard just... Fuck. Okay I'm like ten minutes away. Explain more then."
"Okay, just let everyone know the Cullen's want to meet up tomorrow where the attack is going to take place. It's on their side of the border."
"Got it. Leah says she hates you for scaring everyone by the way. Our combined anxiety is almost... Crippling honestly."
"Sorry." Wysteria said, biting her bottom lip
"It's okay I just... We're all glad you're okay."
‧͙⁺˚*･༓☽ »⍟« ☾༓･* ˚⁺‧͙
Wysteria was waiting outside with Alice, Edward and Bella when Jacob pulled up. Wysteria had told Bella to stay inside, go back to sleep but she had snorted, pushed her covers off her body and said, "You think I can sleep now? After a vampire just rifled through my room?" Bella had a point there. Jacob threw his car into park, phone still in hand as he shot out of his car and immediately gathered Wysteria up in a hug. She still had Bella's quilt around her shoulders and so the added warmth from Jacob made her feel so much better.
Jacob kissed her forehead, and her cheek before kissing her full on the mouth and completely embarrassing her in front of her friends. "Jacob!" Wysteria said pulling away with a blush, trying not to laugh nervously. "I'm fine."
"Yeah, I see that." Jacob said with a sigh before looking up at Edward, Alice and Bella. "Everything good here?" He asked, voice full of concern as he wrapped on arm around Wysteria's shoulders.
"Yeah, we're good for now. Alice and I will continue to watch Bella tonight and... I guess we'll see you tomorrow." Edward said. Jacob nodded.
"Well, goodnight then. I should take her home." Jacob said, rubbing Wysteria's arm lightly. Wysteria pulled the blanket off her shoulders and handed it to Bella who put it on on top of the blanket she had put around her own shoulders. Wysteria said goodnight to her friends before Jacob pulled her to his car and opened the door for her. "Alright, so tell me what's up." Jacob said as Wysteria waved goodbye to their friends as Jacob backed his car out of the driveway.
"I was doing my usual ghost thing except I was hovering near Edward and Alice by Bella's house." Wysteria began. Jacob arched an eyebrow at her.
"You've never done that before."
"I know... Yeah but I don't think I was just there for them. I was there because... Riley was here. He went into Bella's room. He took one of her shirts so him and the other newborns can track her scent when they get here."
"Holy shit." Jacob whispered. Wysteria nodded.
"Bella was fine and Alice would've gone after Riley but she was surprised to see me and it was cold so she took me inside." Wysteria pursed her lips. "I tried to kill Riley but I kept... Missing. My lightning never struck him." Jacob grabbed her hand.
"Hey, it's not your fault."
"I know but I just don't... I don't feel ready. Plates and straw dummies are one thing but this is the first time I actually tried to hit a vampire and I failed."
"So don't..." Jacob paused and licked his lips. "Please don't come with us then."
"Jacob I already made up my mind. I'm going."
"But Wysteria..."
"Jacob." Wysteria pulled her hand back. Jacob huffed and the two of them were quiet.
"God, okay I'll ask." Jacob muttered under his breath about five minutes later. "Sam wants to know how the Cullen's plan on hiding Bella. They have to have some sort of plan if they're going to track her right." Wysteria shrugged.
"Edward mentioned something but honestly let's just all talk about it tomorrow." Wysteria said. Jacob nodded.
"Okay." Jacob said with a sigh.
When the two of them got back to the Reservation, Jacob walked Wysteria up to her door and she quickly kissed him goodnight. "I may not feel ready Jacob." Wysteria said lightly as she pulled away. "But I can do this. I want to do this." Jacob nodded.
"I know. I should know better by now than to try to talk you out of something."
"I'll see you tomorrow." Wysteria said softly.
"See you tomorrow Little Red."
A/N: One of my favorite chapters is coming up soon!!! Can't wait for you all to read it.