𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐥 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠¹| 𝙏𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 ✓

I.XVIII

Lucine sat in a car with Rosalie, she looked more scared and nervous than Lucine did even though she was the one being hunted. She grabbed her hand, giving it a small squeeze to try to calm her down. Rosalie just held her hand, not letting go out of fear.

They reached the house soon, Laurent just leaving after warning Edward and Bella.

"I've had to fight our kind before. We're not easy to kill." Jasper says as they all walk into their car garage. "But not impossible," Emmett says with a smile on his face. He was excited to rip James apart. Lucine walked in with Rosalie still holding her hand. Lucine couldn't remember a time when she'd seen her so scared other than the moments before she became a vampire.

"I don't relish in killing another creature, even a sadistic one like James." Carlisle states as he grabs things around the garage.

"I'm gonna run Bella south. Can you lead the tracker away from here?" Edward held Bella close to him.

"He's not after Bella, we need to get Lucine as far away as possible," Jasper interjected. "I'll take Lucine somewhere far." Carlisle shook his head. "He knows you guys wouldn't leave them." Rosalie held Lucine's hand even tighter.

"I'll go with them, Jasper, and I will drive them south." Alice took Bella from Edward leading her to the car. Jasper pulled Rosalie and Lucine aside knowing that Rosalie didn't agree.

"You have to trust me, Rosalie. You know just as well as I do that I wouldn't let anything happen to her." Rosalie looked through Jasper's eyes, trying to find an ounce of a lie but found nothing. She looked at Lucine before pulling her into a hug. They pulled away a bit and Lucine smiled at her, as she tucked a stray piece of blonde hair behind her ear. "I'll be okay. I'll see you in a few hours." She nodded before pulling her into another hug. Jasper leads her to the car with Bella and Alice, not forgetting the odd emotions felt between the two friends.

Edward passed around Bella's clothes to Esme and Rosalie to lead the tracker in a different direction. "Why are you so scared, Edward?" Rosalie was mad now. "He's not even interested in hunting down your girlfriend." Edward stared at her with a deadly look. They held that eye contact for a while before Carlisle interjected.

"We can get him interested in a different scent to deter him from Lucine." Rosalie stood there contemplating for a second before taking the clothes and putting them on.

***

Bella called their mom on the phone but she wouldn't pick up. She looked over at her sister after hanging up, reaching for her hand. Lucine looked down at their hands before holding her hand back trying more to comfort herself than her sister at that point.

"Edward's going to be okay Bells." Lucine knew how worried she was about him but she also knew nothing would happen to him. "I hope you're right." She said as she let out a shaky breath.

They reached the hotel soon after. Lucine's only goal now was to answer the phone before Bella and meet James at the ballet studio before anyone else notices. This was her chance to do something.

They all sat quietly in the hotel room until Alice gasped from her vision. Lucine didn't move, already knowing what it was. "The tracker, he changed courses." Lucine closed her eyes as she let out a shaky breath. She was going to save Bella, she knew, either way, Bella would survive but she grew to care for her as a real sister, thinking of her going through that pain didn't settle well with her. So, she decided to switch places with her.

Bella explained to Alice and Jasper how she knew about the ballet studio, and how they used to take lessons there as a kid.

***