CHAPTER FIFTEEN
control
Under the stress of the situation, Bella's scent seemed to become even more noticeable. It clung to Rosalie's skin, staining her underclothes as they scraped against her jacket and trousers. The other girl's clothes clung to her tightly. Bella was smaller than her, her body straighter and without Rosalie's curves. The denim on her legs threatened to rip as she ran through the forest, stopping periodically to brush against a tree or touch her knees to the mossy floor.
She tried to suppress her nerves. James, being a tracker, would be able to sense her stress if it became too overwhelming and her trail needed to be as believable as possible if she was going to lead him astray.
Rosalie met up with Emmett and Edward halfway between the house and the wolves' territory. Even then, with a blood-lusting vampire on their heels, they would not be able to cross the boundary, so they ran parallel to it, heading toward the Jeep that waited. At the front of their small group, Edward ran fast enough to keep a distance, to create the illusion of panic, but slow enough to act as if Bella was wrapped against his chest, hidden from the force of the air they ran against.
She was not supposed to be with them. It was Carlisle they were supposed to be escaping with but she had left the patriarch with Esme, leaving them to stalk the red-headed woman while watching out for Charlie. Alice and Jasper would get Bella far enough so that the three of them could hunt.
An itch was building. A craving- a deep want that filled her very bones. Rosalie saw the face of the tracker that stalked them and burned with a tricky rage.
It took seconds for them to hop into the Jeep and start the engine. Rosalie sat in the back, her arms letting her lean across to peer into the front. The scent of Bella still lathered her and Edward reeled backwards when she got too close, eyes flashing with something indiscernible as he glanced back for a moment.
They drove as straight as possible, acting as if their destination was in mind. They'd considered going to Alaska and seeking the help of the Denali coven but the idea had quickly been dismissed. While Rosalie hated the idea of bringing more vampires into the situation, only Edward had the correct idea. Leading the tracker to Tanya and the family meant taking him near the water- something they couldn't risk. It would take a single second for him to switch pathways and hide his tracks within the ocean. He could appear in front of them or in another continent, and they wouldn't know. It was impossible to track while submerged and they couldn't afford to go back to square one again.
Instead, they made their way toward the national parks, near Calgary, far enough from the water that he would not be able to hide when their ambush finally came to life. They would have 600 miles to catch him.
"Ask Alice if she sees him quitting before we're ready."
They only spoke when Edward deemed it safe enough to do so. Rosalie fumbled with the phone, seeing the eventual reply of a letter n to her questions. In the front mirror, she found Edward's eyes and shook her head. He's committed, she thought. He's enjoying the chase? Edward's nod gave confirmation to her suspicion.
As they came closer to the target, the sun was dipping lower. The small freeway was almost empty as the night grew closer, the road glowing deep orange. They turned into a small side road that lead to a Southern part of Banff National Park- a move that had Rosalie straightening in her seat, fingers gripping the leather as she moved to watch Edward's anxious movements rather than the rougher road ahead. The Jeep jolted as he took them off-road.
She could sense Emmett's elation and almost scolded him. But Rosalie found she could not fault his excitement. With the knowledge of the ambush growing closer, she found her own feelings of thrill began to settle in as the truck began to climb upwards.
