Her Voice ✿ Emmett Cullen

Chapter 18

It all happened so quickly, Lyra flicked her hair away from her neck as she flashed in front of Bella just as Edward pushed the brunette back. Lyra heard a vase shatter and she glanced back briefly to see blood pouring down Bella's arm. Although Lyra was worried about Bella's injury, she was more worried about stopping Jasper. She opened her mouth and the shrill sound of the Banshee's Wail filled the air, causing all of the vampires to curl in on themselves in pain and even Bella to wince from the volume of the sound. Jasper was sent flying back into the wall on the other side of the room only to be lifted up into the air by her telekinesis. Lyra flicked her wrist at the door, blasting it open before floating the feral vampire out of it.

She floats him into the woods, barely noticing that most of the other Cullens were following before setting him down against a tree. As he simmers, more control returns to him, and horror fills his eyes. "I'm so sorry." He mutters, gripping his hair tightly, "I didn't mean to..."

"Jaz, it's alright. We're okay, everyone's okay." Alice tells him, reaching to touch his arm, but he recoils in self disgust. The distress on his face breaks Lyra's heart to see as he curls in on himself. He presses his hands into his head as he brings his knees up, grinding his teeth so hard she can hear it.

Lyra made eye-contact with Alice, a subtle understanding agreement being made in that one look. "Jasper," Lyra says softly, kneeling beside him, "please, look at me." She could see the tendons in his hand pressing against his skin. She reached out and gently pried it from his hair. She held it gently in silent reassurance, not forcing him to talk or even look at her like she had asked. Just allowing him to slowly calm down from the intense emotions he was most definitely feeling.

After what seems like an eternity, he raises his head to look at her. If vampires could cry, she was certain he would be drowning in tears. "Is Bella okay?" He asked softly.

"She's fine. Carlisle is just tending to the cuts." Alice tells him, taking his other hand drawing small circles on the back with her finger.

Jasper nods, still refusing to meet anyone's gaze, "And, Edward?"

"He's just coming out." Emmett tells him as he approaches the trio.

On cue, Edward appears next to Emmett, blank faced and silent. "I'm sorry, Edward." Jasper says, clutching Lyra's hand tightly, "It all happened so quickly, I didn't realize what had happened before..." He trailed off, wincing at the thought of what he had tried to do.

"It's not your fault." He replied, his voice completely monotone, "It's mine for letting Bella get too close to us." Lyra stared at Edward incredulously as he continued, "We're leaving Forks. Bella can't be around us, it's too dangerous. She needs to live a normal human life, and she won't get that with me." Edward turned his gaze to Emmett as he added, "You'd be smart to do the same for Lyra."

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" Lyra exclaimed, standing up as fury coursed through her veins, "Seriously? This better be a fucking joke."

"It's not." Edward hissed at her.

"You better change that answer before you have my fucking fist connecting with your fucking jaw!"

"What don't you get about this, Lyra?" Edward sneered, "Bella will eventually get hurt, or killed, because of me. Because of her affiliation with this family. So will you if you're not careful."

"Then change her, like she's asked you to! Then you won't have to worry about losing her." She argued, ignoring his last words.

"No! I won't do that to her!"

"Jesus fucking Christ!" She swore, throwing her hands up in the air out of frustration, "Get your head out of your fucking ass and realize that the world doesn't revolve around you! I don't want her to be a vampire any more than you do, but we don't get to choose for her. It's Bella's life, not yours!"