The Imperfect Imprint {Jakeward}

Chapter 40: Her revenge

Pain.

I felt it, every snap of every bone.

I was too distracted by Edward's enraged roar, I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings. All that mattered was getting to him. A bloodsucker got behind me because I lost focus. It was my own fault. They did exactly as Jasper said they would. Got their arms around me and squeezed.

I flailed desperately, trying to get out of their arms with everything I had. If they kept going they would squeeze the life out of me.

I vaguely registered another one of Edward's roars- and Victoria's scent. Ahh- so she's the one that's killing me. Finally getting her revenge. Maybe she would leave my family alone now, just fade away to another part of the planet, wreaking havoc on someone else.

My thoughts grew foggy as the pain became too much- my vision spotting with black because oxygen was unable to enter my lungs. I knew I could hear the thoughts of my pack mates, but I couldn't understand them through the haze that had settled over my brain. All I could think was Edward over and over again. I blocked the pain out with thoughts of Edward. Thoughts of his face, his lips, his cheek bones, his beautiful eyes that could change into so many different shades of breathtaking gold. Because if I was going to die, I wanted it to be with thoughts of the love of my life filling my mind.

And then, just when I thought the pain couldn't get any worse... it did. Victoria released her hold, allowing air to fill my lungs and blood to rush to my extremities- and my body to shift back to human. The sensation was nearly intolerable, making my eye lids droop as if I might pass out. My broken body crashed to the ground beneath us, and I could hear myself screaming. Nothing could be worse than this. My body was screaming, but my mind was disconnected somehow. As if the pain was too much for my conscious mind to bear.

I could hear voices around me, but the one that stuck out the most was Edward's- and it was full of panic. I wanted to reach for him, to reassure him. Most of all, I wish I could understand what he was saying.

Reluctantly, I snapped myself out of it by twitching a limb. I came back to myself, recoiling back into the reality of excruciating pain and loud noises.

"Shh- shh, you're okay baby. You're safe, she's dead. Shh, oh Jake I'm so sorry," Edward's beautiful, tortured voice was saying.

"Edward- you have to get him out of here," Alice's voice said urgently.

My eye lids were clamped tightly shut, my face contorted in pain as groans of agony escaped my mouth without my permission.

"The Volturi," Edward whispered in anger. An internal shiver went through me at the name.

"Who are the Volturi? How can we help?" I heard Stiles' voice.

"We've got him," came Sam's voice- obviously directed at Edward, I could hear the worry buried beneath the seriousness.

"Edward and I will be along shortly," Carlisle spoke gravely. "His accelerated healing is going to be a problem. Stiles- you all must leave as quickly as possible, we will explain later."

Oh shit, I thought wearily. My bones aren't going to heal in the right place. I tried very hard not to think about what that would mean for later.

I felt it as Edward placed his cool lips against my forehead, kissing me as light as a feather so as to not cause me any extra pain. As if I could ever feel any pain at all when his lips were on me.

"I'm so sorry my love," he whispered against my burning skin. "I'll be there as soon as I can." And then he was gone.

Somehow I knew my brothers were gathering around me, and I braced myself for what was coming.