Vengeance

The Operation

The Operation

“Emmett put that down!” Rosalie hissed at her husband as he pranced around with a baby bonnet tied around his head. “You’ve already stretched it too much, it’s going to snap!” Emmett had taken one of the infant hats, purchased by Alice, and tied it atop his head. Bella laughed wholeheartedly as he rolled around on the ground and squealed like a newborn.

“Oh Emmett,” Bella said and clapped her hands on her chest to catch her breath. “Is that what you were like as a newborn?” After she asked the question, her face flushed and she immediately felt embarrassed.

“Yes, it is,” Rosalie sneered and seized the bonnet from his head. “We all had to take turns with feeding and making sure his clothes were proper.” Despite her attempt to make fun of him, Emmett beamed proudly next to Rosalie. “He was quite the baby.”

“I still am!” Emmett laughed and smacked Rosalie on the seat of her pants. Her face tightened and she narrowed her eyes at him. Emmett simply smiled, showing off his dimples, causing her to roll her eyes and stalk out of the room. “Victory,” he said and threw his arms in the air.

Edward crossed the room and sat beside Bella, who rested her head on his shoulder. “Bella, are you all right?” he asked curiously as he spied a small frown across her face.

She half smiled and looked at him. “I dunno,” she said with a shrug and rubbed her arms, as if a sudden chill had taken her.

“Are you cold?” Edward asked as he proceeded to grab the blanket from the other sofa.

“No,” she said shaking her head slowly. “It’s strange, but I have this feeling that something’s…wrong.”

Edward tensed subtly. “What do you mean, love?”

She chuckled and sighed. “It’s nothing—probably just me being nervous about the birth, is all.” However her eyes lost none of their wariness. Women’s intuition was instilled at birth and right now Bella’s was on full alert. Something was not right. Nothing’s wrong, I’m safe. She silently reassured herself and took a deep breath, letting the scent of her husband intoxicate and soothe her senses.

“So,” Emmett boomed as he sat down on the ground, “how about a movie?”

Bella entertained the thought but before she could say anything, Edward moved forward and shrouded her with his own body. She coughed as his massive weight shortened her breath as she tried to speak. Suddenly, a loud crash caught her attention, and glancing around Edward’s frame, she spied the figures of two wolves in the living room. Jake? Sam? What are they doing here?

Before she could think of anything else, two more wolves crashed into the living room, sending shards of glass raining down on the floor. It all suddenly made sense—that was why he was shielding her. The wolves growled and snarled ferociously at the vampires.

“EDWARD!” Rosalie yelled over the angry noise. “GET BELLA OUT OF HERE!” With that, the wolves lurched forward and attacked her family.

Bella screamed as Edward lifted her and glided up the stairs rapidly. As she turned back, she locked eyes with a familiar russet colored wolf and cried out. No Jake! Why?

Bella soon lost sight of Jacob as Edward ran her upstairs, down the hall, and to an empty room at the top of the house. The space was filled with medical instruments and machines—a small operating room. Since Carlisle was not sure what Bella was carrying, he thought it wise to have the birth at the house. There was no telling what the creature could or would do to humans.

Edward set Bella carefully on the table and moved to the entrance. He began blocking the door with all kinds of cabinets and tables, not wanting them to get in.