Her New Moon

33

"Driana!" Embry and Jacob shouted variously.

Victoria had caught hold of Driana, dragging her by an arm and leg. Driana struggled, grabbing onto anything her hand could find. But her vampire strength and the force of being pulled by Victoria caused the anchors to break easily. She clasped her hand around an enormous root of a tree, which lifted as Victoria yanked her.

Sam howled as he ran, letting Embry and Jacob shift. The plan failed. The idea was for Jacob and Embry to stay human in hopes Victoria would fall for the bait, thinking she'd have an easy fight. The pair surrounded Driana, quietly waiting while playing along. Like a bird, Victoria swooped in, snatching Driana undetected.

"Victoria!" Driana hissed, twisting the female's arm. She broke free, quickly getting on her feet. Breaking a small tree, she wasted no time batting Victoria, who flew into the ground. The tree snapped in half, and Driana wielded them as weapons. "What's wrong, Victoria? We're finally playing that baseball game."

Victoria growled, speeding toward her. "You little-"

Driana swung at Victoria's head, making her land on a dead tree. "Come on, Victoria!" She shifted the tree in her hands. "Give me a homerun, doll."

"Oh, I will!" Victoria roared, dodging Driana's hits and tossing her in the air. She leaped up and held Driana by the throat, ramming her head into the trees purposefully as she ran. "Let's go for a swim!" She threw the girl over the cliff where water resided below.

Driana, despite knowing she's part of the undead, panicked. She didn't like being on a boat surrounded by deep water, let alone under it. Looking around, the girl tried jumping back up to reach the surface. However, Victoria pulled her back down.

"What's wrong, Driana?" The vampire mocked. "Afraid of a little water?"

Driana whipped her head around, not seeing Victoria. If Driana could have an escape ability like Victoria, now would be the perfect time to use it. She ran, using speed to fight against the ocean's density. Glimpses of Victoria's notorious hair color set the girl on edge. All Driana wanted was to be back on land. The sense of smell rendered her useless.

"Where do you think you're going?" Victoria spat, slamming the girl into the walls of the cliff.

Driana chuckled, punching Victoria in the chest, forming cracks. "Still cheating, are we? You choose the ocean to help enhance your ability. I reckon you know you're weak."

Victoria healed, groaning in annoyance. "How dare you insult me?"

"You are the one running away like a coward."

Victoria screeched, grappling Driana as she ripped off her arm. Indescribable pain consumed Driana, and she screamed in agony. She backed herself against the cliff walls, clutching the arm socket. The girl continued to cry, growling at Victoria. The red-haired vampire smirked, a malicious glint in her eyes. Driana's throat vibrated when she yelped, another arm torn off.

"Driana!"

A punch was thrown at Victoria's face, knocking her to the ocean floor. Victoria hissed angrily. She swam away, disappearing. Embry's face filled with horror at Driana's state. He hurriedly found her limbs and brought her back to shore. Driana continued to bawl in discomfort.

"What happened?" Paul asked, kneeling beside the girl. He cradled her, mimicking Embry's expression.

The rest of the pack came in their human forms. Their jog came to a halt at the sight of two limbs Embry held. The boy shook in fear at the arms in his hands. Sam gripped his hair in frustration, blaming himself for the plan being a failure.

"What do we do?" Jacob asked, staring over Driana's body.

"Put it back," Jared suggested. "Fire destroys a vampire's body, remember?"

"You're right," Sam said. He took an arm, examining it. "Okay, this one's your right arm."

Paul carefully held Driana's arm, placing it back in her arm socket. While holding onto the right arm, he took the left limb. Keeping them steady, it took some time for Driana to heal. She sat up straight, flexing her fingers.

"Thank you," She whispered, traumatized.

"It's no problem," Jared softly smiled.

"You don't see that every day," Embry commented, earning a scolding look from Jacob.

"We're underestimating her," Driana sighed, wrapping her arms around her body. "Laurent told the Cullens never to do that."

"If Quil shifted, there'd be more of us to protect the land," Embry murmured.

Jacob shook his head. "We don't want that for him."

"It's bound to happen," Driana stated. "A matter of time before the bomb inside him explodes."

Sam stared into the water, watching the calm waves, opposite to how they felt. "No matter how hard we try, that vampire never stops." He turned to the pack and Driana. "I don't want to push anything beyond our limits."

"You're going to make us, anyway," Jacob scoffed, crossing his arms. "What is it?"

"Get some rest," He ordered the pack. "In a few hours, we'll search for that vampire instead. We're no longer playing defense."

The pack and Driana made their way back to Emily's. The smell of food entered their noses, causing their stomachs to grumble. Sam kissed Emily's forehead, hugging her for comfort. Driana sat on the stairs, her hands brushing over her shoulders. Sam couldn't help but stare at his dear friend, guilt consuming him.

"Hey, Sam?" Jared called, scarfing down roasted chicken. "How long are we searching for the redhead?"

"Until we capture her," Sam answered, tearing his gaze away from Driana, face evident with anger. "Until our bodies give out."