Her Voice ✿ Emmett Cullen

Chapter 14

Lyra and Bella basically had to run to keep up with them as they hurried back to the Jeep and piled in. Bella snapped at Edward as he tried to buckle her in, her nerves getting the best of her, but Lyra was too wrapped up in her thoughts to say anything. "So, what, he's coming after us?" Bella asked frantically as Edward began speeding out of there.

"Listen to me: James is a tracker, the hunt is his obsession." Edward told the three of them as he drove. His gaze shifted to the rear view mirror, where he made eye contact with Emmett as he continued, "I read his mind— our reactions at the field set him off. We just made this his most exciting game ever... He's never gonna stop." Bella's eyes widened, and Lyra reached over blindly for Emmett's hand. He slid closer to her, intertwining his fingers with hers. "Lyra," Edward said, "You're lucky."

"I know." She said, "He didn't notice me, which means I can help protect Bella. But, more importantly, how? What are we gonna do?"

"We have to kill him." Emmett spoke up, his tone matter-of-fact, but still full of anger, "Rip him apart and burn the pieces."

"Where are we going?" Bella asked.

"Away from Forks." Edward told her, "We'll get a ferry to Vancouver."

"No, we have to go home!" Lyra exclaimed, "If he's a tracker, he'll find her house."

"Exactly!" Edward snapped, "She can't go home!"

"But my dad is there!" Bella exclaimed.

"It doesn't matter!"

"Yes, it does!" Lyra yelled at him angrily, "Don't you dare tell me that he doesn't matter, because he's all she has! He could get killed because of us!"

"Kitten, calm down." Emmett spoke, "Just let us get her away first, and-"

"Fuck no, Em!" Lyra exclaimed, rage burning in her eyes, "This is Charlie we're talking about and he means just as much to me as he means to her. We have to do something!" Lyra took a deep breath before continuing, calmer than before, "Look, we'll figure out a way to lead the tracker away somehow, I don't know, but we have to do something."

Edward jerked the Jeep's wheel all the way to the left, causing the vehicle to make an abrupt U-turn as he headed for Forks with his jaw clenched and teeth gritting. Lyra leaned forward, grabbing Bella's shoulder and looking her in the eyes, whispering, "I won't let him hurt you." Bella nodded.

***

Bella and Edward got out of the Jeep and ran over to Bella's house from Lyra's driveway to make their big show as Emmett and Lyra ran into the banshee's house. Emmett ran up the stairs to pack Lyra a bag in case she ended up going with Bella as Jeremy and Michael walked out of the kitchen. "Sweetheart, what's going on?" Jeremy asked his daughter.

"It's a long story and I don't have much time." Lyra began, "Basically, stuff happened and now Bella is being hunted by a tracker."

Understanding fell over both of her dads' faces. Emmett came downstairs with a backpack, telling Lyra, "I'll be in the Jeep."

She nodded as Emmett left before turning to her dads and hugging them. "I'll protect your dad." Michael told her, "Go."

She nods and leaves the house. She climbs into the passenger seat of the Jeep before Emmett backs out of the driveway and begins the trip to his house. Lyra bites her lip nervously, and stays silent. So many thoughts were running through her head as the drive continued. She flinched when a loud thump was heard as something landed on the roof of the Jeep. "It's only Jasper." Emmett assured her, reaching over and slipping his hand into hers. She nodded and held Emmett's hand tightly.

***

Edward and Bella were arriving at the Cullen household at the same time they were. Lyra could see Alice jumping out of the back of Bella's truck. Emmett wrapped his arm around her shoulders as they entered the house, but almost as soon as they stepped into the threshold he was taking a defensive stance in front of her. A feral hiss escaped his throat as Lyra leaned over and plucked a leaf off of a nearby house plant to float behind her back, her eyes turning red as she peeked over his shoulder to see Laurent coming down the stars in front of them. Lyra glared at him, preparing to do what she can to protect Bella. Edward was ready to fight as well, but before they could attack, Carlisle was between them, "Wait! He came to warn us about James."

Edward and Emmett turned an accusing gaze to Laurent, and Lyra held Emmett's hand in hers, not taking her eyes off of Laurent. She had a feeling that Laurent simply knew when to pick his fights and when not to. "This isn't my fight." Laurent told the four of them, "And, I've grown tired of his games. But, he's got unparalleled senses, absolutely lethal... I've never seen anything like him in my three hundred years. And the woman, Victoria— don't underestimate her." Carlisle nodded his thanks to him when it appeared that Edward and Emmett weren't going to respond. Lyra also gave him a small nod of gratitude, though her suspicion of him was still evident in her body language. Laurent saw this, and added, "I'm truly sorry for what's been unleashed here."

Nobody responded to him. Seeing that he wasn't wanted there, Laurent moved to leave. His eyes met Lyra's as he walked past her. He seemed almost relieved to see ruby eyes amongst the topaz but she didn't return the feeling. She held his gaze until he left the room, her eyes continuing to follow him until he left the house, the leaf she had been floating drifting to the ground the moment he was gone. She didn't trust him. Something about him just didn't sit well with her. While James was more upfront about his hostility and intentions, Laurent hid them, tried to pretend they weren't there, causing warning sirens to go off in Lyra's head whenever he was around.

"I've had to fight our kind before." Jasper said as everyone migrated into the garage, "We're hard to kill."

"But not impossible." Edward told him.

"We'll tear him apart with our hands then burn the pieces." Emmett spoke up, his expression pulled tight with the adrenaline he felt at the prospect of a fight.

Carlisle on the other hand, did not share his bloodlust. He sent Emmett a reprimanding look, "I don't relish killing another creature. Even a sadistic one like James."

"What if he kills one of us first?" Rosalie pointed out as she sat on the counter and made herself comfortable, only to be ignored by everyone else.

"I will run Bella south while you lead the tracker away." Edward told Carlisle, only for the older vampire to shake his head immediately.

Lyra agreed with Carlisle, expressing this by speaking up, "No. James knows that you won't leave Bella. He'll follow you." Edward looked at her in protest, but Lyra shook her head, "You know I'm right." Edward growled under his breath.

"Jasper and I will go." Alice piped up, seeing the look of conflict on her brother's face, "We'll drive her south... We'll keep her safe." Jasper nodded in agreement with Alice's statement.

"Can you keep your thoughts to yourself?" Edward demanded, clearly not wanting Bella to know whatever Alice knew. Lyra raised a brow at Edward, wondering what was causing him to act this way.

Alice nodded, and with reluctance clear in his eyes Edward allowed her to take Bella. "Lyra, Rosalie, put these on so the tracker will pick up on Bella's scent." Edward spoke up. He tossed a shirt and jacket to Lyra, who put them on immediately, before tossing some to Rosalie.

Rosalie caught the jacket, asking, "Why? What is she to me?"

"Rosalie," Carlisle began to reprimand, "Bella's with Edward. She's part of this family now." He paused to pick up the jacket to hand to Rosalie, "And, we protect our family." Rosalie took the jacket, although begrudgingly.

As Edward said goodbye to Bella, Lyra helped Emmett put some things in his Jeep before pausing to watch Bella's car drive away. She flung a final bag into the Jeep and slammed the door, looking at Edward and asking, "Are you going to stand there and brood like an angsty teenager or are we going to get to work?"

Edward glared at her, moving around her to get into the Jeep, "I hate you."

"No, you don't."