Snow On The Beach - Jasper Hale

Chapter Ten

Alice's startled gasp sent every vampire in the clearing on high alert, their attention immediately turning to her. Her eyes were wide and empty, Lorelei at her side to steady her as she lost herself in the vision. It was over too quickly for Roslyn's liking and she sped to Koda, beating Edward to the humans by half a second.

Koda's hand found hers as Esme spoke, calling out to Alice.

"I didn't see-" Alice started, shaking her head to clear her thoughts. "I couldn't tell."

Edward was watching Alice intently, no doubt reading the scene directly from her mind. Roslyn didn't like the look on his face as realization set in and she pressed herself against Koda's side, his hand immediately finding hers. 

"They were traveling so much quicker than I thought," Alice's head tilted to the side as she reviewed her vision. "I can see I had the perspective all wrong before. 

"What changed?" Jasper and Roslyn spoke at the same time, sharing a nervous look.

"They heard us playing." 

"Shit," Roslyn muttered, squeezing Koda's hand tight enough that she knew it was hurting him, but she couldn't force herself to stop.

"How soon?" Carlisle asked. He didn't appear worried, but Roslyn could pick up on the slight tension that appeared in his shoulders. She didn't miss the way his eyes flickered to Bella and Koda.

"They're running. Less than five minutes."

Carlisle turned to fully address Roslyn and Edward. "Can you make it?"

Edward shook his head frantically. "Not carrying them."

"Besides," Roslyn spoke up. "The last thing we need is them catching a scent and hunting."

"How many?" Emmett asked, sounding eager to get into a fight. 

"Three."

"Three? Let them come." He was definitely ready for a fight, his muscles flexing under his tight shirt.

The group was silent, eagerly watching Carlisle as he deliberated with himself. It was times like then that Roslyn wished she had Edward's ability to read thoughts. Finally, Carlisle nodded to himself.

"We keep playing. Alice said they're simply curious."

The vampires erupted into a flurry of movement, returning to their previous positions. Esme positioned Bella behind Edward and Roslyn turned to Koda, pulling off her flannel and handing it to him. 

"Wear this, my scent will hopefully be enough to distract them from you," she said, running her fingers through her hair to disrupt the scent there, too." I'm up to bat so stay directly beside Bella and don't move. I'll be back when they arrive."

Roslyn readied the bat, swinging as Rosalie pitched to her and the ball was deep within the forest in a blur. She was around the bases and back home before the other vampires arrived, baseball in hand.

They approached carefully, spread out and one at a time. Roslyn positioned herself by Koda's side, taking her short hair out of its ponytail as he pressed himself into her back. Their dark red eyes told Roslyn they were hungry and she forced herself not to react to the knowledge. It would only make them assume that there was something to protect. 

"We thought we heard a game." The vampire that spoke was in the center, a tall man with close cropped hair and dark skin beneath the ashen exterior. He introduced his companions, nodding when Carlisle did the same, making sure not to draw attention to anyone in particular.

Roslyn wasn't listening to a word of their conversation, focused fully on Laurent's companions. The female's hair was a brighter shade of red than Roslyn's, but it was the wild look in her eyes that drew her attention. Victoria's eyes never stayed in one place for too long, constantly finding a new subject and analyzing it before moving on to the next. The male, on the other hand, had his eyes glue to Roslyn and she could see the wheels turning in his mind.