Love Bite

Chapter 36

I DO NOT OWN CHARACTER OR TWILIGHT

Bella's reaction was pure instinct. She felt fight or flight kick in, and with her family behind her, she swung inevitably towards fight.

She lunged but Alice's arms hooked around her waist and hauled her back.

"No, Bella!" she hissed as Bella jolted in surprise.

Yes! Bella's brain roared. It's the Volturi! They're here to kill us! Fight them!

She was stopped dead by Leah exploding upwards into her wolf form where she landed on four massive paws, hackles up and teeth bared.

"Jane!" Jasper barked as the tiny vampire watched Leah with hateful red eyes, unimpressed by her display of hostility or the sight of a werewolf coming to life in front of her.

She turned to Jasper, slowly, expressionless.

"What are you doing here?" Emmett demanded, his muscles bulging with tension, his face dark and stormy. They had closed around Bella like buffalos close around their young when the lions come out to hunt.

Bella didn't struggle in Alice's arms but she did shake with fury, with fear. She remembered easily how much pain she'd felt at Jane's hands, was terrified of experiencing it again, or worse, having it happen to the Cullens.

I can't let that happen. I won't let that happen!

"Breathe baby," Alice whispered to her ear, clutching her arm, her lovely eyes black on black, her fangs curving out past her pretty pink upper lip. "You've got to calm down Bella. Remember what we practiced. Control it. We don't know what she's doing here or if the rest of the Volturi are coming."

Alice was right, but that did nothing to stop the rhythmic pounding of Bella's heart from speeding up. It, in fact, only made it worse.

At Emmett's question, however, Jane gave a slight, humorless scoff.

"I'm defecting, of course," she drawled.

"Don't play games with us!" Emmett snarled like a furious bear and Bella hissed along with the rest of them in agreement.

Defected, yeah right. Nobody defected from the Volturi unless they wanted to die. And like Jane, one of the most trusted Volturi, would ever leave them like that.

"Are you here to attack us?" Jasper inquired. His voice was calm but bubbling beneath the surface. His control was only barely above Bella's. In one day Bella had almost caught up with him, actually.

"The Volturi can't possibly be that foolish, and they've never been inclined towards surprise assaults... They're too proud for such cowardice. So why are you here, Jane?"

Why, indeed. Bella's hand clutched at Alice's wrist tightly, too tightly. Her anxiety was pooling around her the longer Jane just stood there, watching them with those malicious eyes. Bella took in the sight of her standing there, and noticed something nobody else seemed to be pointing out.

"You aren't wearing the cloak," Bella spat, her voice rough. She had to swallow the growls begging to come out.

Jane's gaze jerked to hers and Bella's nose wrinkled defensively. Those eyes were what held Jane's gift, had pushed Bella so deeply into agony that she almost lost her mind. She practically flinched, but Alice shifted protectively in front of her and she held it back.

"You're not wearing the Volturi robes," Bella said again, her heart slamming against her ribcage. The Cullens all shifted in acknowledgement of this fact. Leah didn't move from where she crouched, hindquarters quivering, ready to explode into motion in a split second.