Wings || Carlisle Cullen

Chapter 19; Flightless

Yelling.

Movement.

Growling.

That's all Phoenix could pick up at the moment. The growling she heard was extremely close. She tried her damndest to open her eyes; God, she was so exhausted. Everything was blurry. A large outline stood about 10 feet from her. An animal. Wolf? Phoenix focused more.

It was Leah, crouched low and snarling in a way Phoenix had never heard before. She narrowed her eyes, hoping to gain more sight. Under Leah's giant body, was Angel's mangled body. Phoenix could smell the blood; there was so much of it.

"Angel," Phoenix croaked.

Leah twitched her ears in Phoenix's direction, but still did not take her eyes off of the pack. The entire pack was now in wolf form, trying like hell to calm Leah down. Phoenix scooted her fatigued body across the grass.

"Angel," Phoenix groaned again.

"Carlisle," Sam's voice sounded.

Phoenix looked towards the voice. She saw Carlisle with his hands up, showing he meant no harm.

"Leah. I need to look at her, please," Carlisle tried appeasing the furious wolf.

Leah nodded her large head, but did not move. Carlisle flitted to Angel's mangled body. His eyes roamed over the poor child in horror. There was so much blood, almost too much for him. Carlisle looked back at the pack, anger clear on his beautiful features.

Phoenix finally gained enough strength to sit up and make her way to her daughter. Carlisle helped her sit up properly.

"We have to get her back to the house," he ordered.

Carlisle lifted a limp Angel in his arms and sped over to his car, place her in the back seat. He then lifted Phoenix, as she was still fairly weak, and placed her in the back seat.

As Carlisle punched the gas, the car squealed around the bend, disappearing into the night. Phoenix was jostled around, grunting in pain. She steadied herself, looking down at her daughter. Phoenix's eyes widened in horror when she saw the state of her daughter's back.

Angel's back had been ripped to shreds. Flesh hanging off precariously, blood dripping and running into a pool beneath her. Then her perfect, white wings were stained red and completely shredded. Phoenix immediately knew that there was absolutely no way to save her wings...

-

Phoenix sat alone in the Cullen's kitchen. She made it clear that she did not want to speak to anyone. She felt so utterly horrible. She was bandaged up in a few places, covered in a couple bruises. Carlisle was upstairs still working on Angel. It'd been 7 hours.

Leah had followed them home last night, she now stood watch near the vampire home. She circled the home, listening to the weak heartbeat of her imprint.

Phoenix's emotions would take a dark turn every once in a while, and Jasper would be near by to calm them. Phoenix stood stiff by the island in the middle of the kitchen, resting her palms on the cool, polished granite. She couldn't believe she had caused this. Her anger and over overprotectiveness had harmed her daughter.

Phoenix felt another wave of peace and calmness wash over her. She sighed. She pushed a feeling of appreciation towards Jasper.

"Phoenix," Carlisle's voice whispered.

Phoenix didn't move from her position; only cutting her eyes toward him, then back down to the counter.

"She'll live," he said after a moment of silence. "I... I had to cut off her wings."

Phoenix's heart dropped as she squeezed her eyes closed. Her wings are gone. She felt the tears fall from her eyes, splashing gently again the granite countertop. Carlisle appeared by his mate's side, placing a cool hand on hers.

"I can't believe this," Phoenix managed to choke out. "I did this to her."

"No, Phoenix," Carlisle said, lifting her chin up to look at him. "This isn't your fault. You were protecting your child. You did what any mother would have done."

Phoenix scoffed, pulling away. "A human mother would have spoken to Jacob's father. I attacked him and tried to kill him." Phoenix's eyes widened in horror. "Oh my god! I assaulted a minor!"

Carlisle smiled slightly. "Jacob is hardly a minor."

"Still," Phoenix sighed. She looked up almost shyly. "Can I see her?"

Carlisle's face fell in an instant, making Phoenix's stomach lurch. For some reason, Carlisle avoided her eyes.

"Carlisle?" Phoenix voice trembled.

"She says that she wants to be alone. She told me to leave," his eyebrows furrowed together.

Phoenix blinked. Oh God, my daughter hates me, she thought to herself.

"She won't even let Rose see her," Carlisle said with sorrow.

Phoenix fell back against the counter in shock. Her head fell into her hands and she started sobbing. Carlisle wrapped his arms around her, wishing that he could spill his tears that formed.

"She doesn't hate you," Jasper commented suddenly.

Phoenix snapped her head towards him. "What?"

"She doesn't hate you, either of you. I can feel what she's feeling, remember? She's devastated, yes. Depressed, scared. But there is no hate in her heart," Jasper explained, hoping to soothe the distraught mother.

"Thank you, Jasper," Carlisle smiled, still filled with sorrow.

Jasper nodded, then disappeared.

Carlisle looked back down to his mate, rubbing a soothing thumb across her cheek. Phoenix closed her eyes, leaning into his hand as he cupped her cheek.

"We'll give her some time," Carlisle confirmed.

Phoenix nodded.

Yeah, time...

Author's Note: Yes, I know, it's been forever. If you'd all like to know what's been going on, I got into a car accident *shrugs* also a bunch of other stuff has been going on. I'm hoping to get another chapter out very soon!