Lips of an Angel

Chapter 32-Arrival

No calming waves from Jasper could help me as I dropped to the floor and curled against the wall of the building, dry-sobbing into my arms. I wasn't under control enough to be able to think about lifting off my shield. Let alone actually do it. I was beginning to attract some looks from the humans around us, but Jasper's presence warded them off before they could ask too many questions.

I felt an arm across my back and under my knees, and suddenly felt myself being lifted into a pair of strong, warm arms. And they stunk to high heaven. I peered up, not surprised to see Jacob's frowning face above me.

"Bella, don't you think you should talk to Edward?" he asked. Clearly, Jasper had told him about what happened.

"No," I snapped. "He betrayed me. There is no freaking excuse he can give me."

"He's your soul mate. Your other half. It's going to kill you to be away from him, and you know it."

"I'll live," I mumbled. "Can you put me down, please?"

Jacob did as I asked, and sighed. "I'm sorry, Bella. But I really think that something deeper is going on here. While I won't pretend I know Edward better than you do, I have known him for longer. And he's not the kind of person to betray his girlfriend. You must know that."

"Then how else can you explain what he did?"

"I don't know. Only he can do that."

"Fine," I said with a sigh. "Whatever you think. I'm not having anything to do with him."

And I stuck to my word. The moment we walked through the front door, Edward's hand wrapped around my lower arm. He looked at me with pleading eyes, but I snatched my arm away from him, and stalked upstairs, trying to ignore Tanya's smug look. I couldn't even begin to explain how much I hated that woman.

***

We spent the following forty-eight hours tracking various members of Paul's pack, using both modern technology and good old-fashioned stalking. At exactly the same time, every single one of us realised that the pack was on the move towards us.

We began to move. I tried to avoid Edward and Tanya as best I could, and instead planted myself firmly between Rosalie and Alice. Carlisle, looking down at his mobile, told us that the pack had stopped in the forest. I had a sudden sense of déjà vu, remembering how we had used similar methods to find James when protecting Edward. I'd had to kill one man that day, but this day it was probable that I'd have to kill many.

"Keep your gift hidden for the moment, Edward," Carlisle said. "It give us an advantage. And if you talk quietly enough, I'll be able to hear you but the wolves won't. At least, to begin with. Try not to fight in close combat too much, but if you do, your gift will give you an advantage."

I felt my heart clench in my chest. I wanted to throw myself in front of Edward, and protect him as I had for the majority of the time I'd known him. Or at least, try to. But I couldn't. I couldn't go near him. I'd go mad. So instead, I looked resolutely away from him, and followed the rest of my family out.

A sudden thought struck me as we crossed the deserted night streets. I darted towards Carlisle.

"The Volturi," I said, looking at him with a raised eyebrow. "They're not coming? I would I have thought they'd revel in something like this."

"So did I. Aro had agreed to send down some of his guard by now, and to accompany them himself. But he's not here."

"I noticed. Rather typical, don't you think?"

"Very."

I said nothing else until we reached the clearing in the forest. Ahead of us, I could just make out the silhouettes of the wolves. All but Paul and a wolf I believed to be called Jared were in their animal form, and all were snarling and glaring. We stopped about fifteen paces away from them, and stood perfectly still.