"I don't have a step sister. I just so happen to have a sister that is not related by blood"
That's what Bella and Emi always referred to their relationship as, until Bella meets Edward Cullen and changes for the worst.
Emi's POV Edward, Emmett and Alice rush Bella and I from the truck to the house... but froze when the door opens and Laurent exited with Dr. Cullen behind him.
Edward and Alice immediately take defensive positions in front of Bella while Emmett shields me with his massive frame, but Dr. Cullen says "He came to warn us. About James" They back down slightly, but I can tell that Emmett is still on edge.
Laurent addresses Dr. Cullen "I've grown tired of his games. But he's got unparalleled senses. Absolutely lethal. I've never seen anything like him in three hundred years ... And the woman, Victoria, will back him. Don't underestimate her" Dr. Cullen nods thanks. Laurent looks at me, apologetically and says "I'm truly sorry for what's been unleashed here" and he moves off, disappearing into the woods.
The Cullens exchanged looks but Bella gives me a glare as if to say that this is all my fault. I merely shrink behind Emmett who scoops me up and bolts into the house.
The side door to the garage bursts open as Emmett (who's still carrying me) and the rest of the Cullens enter, followed by Bella. The lights flip on to reveal a pristine garage; the Volvo, the red BMW, a black Mercedes sedan, an SUV are all neatly lined up.
Everyone but Rosalie (who elects to stand off to the side with me wrapped in her arms like a teddy bear) springs into action, opening cupboards for supplies; cell phones, extra batteries, maps, portable GPS units, changes of clothes, cans of gasoline, etc. As they load up the vehicles.
"I've had to fight our kind before. We're hard to kill" Jasper says, but upon seeing my fearful look he smiles and kisses the top of my head "But not impossible" he adds with Emmett continuing bloodlust-fully "We'll tear him up! And we'll rip him apart with our hands, then burn the pieces!"
"I don't relish killing another creature. Even a sadistic one like James" Dr. Cullen says making me look at him 'Then why are you a doctor? Better yet, why a surgeon?! What about all those DNR patients? You're literally responsible for lives all the time! But when someone is attacking your family you suddenly have a problem with it?'
"If he doesn't get to one of us first" Rosalie says sassily making me look up at her in horror and say "This is insane. You can't put yourselves in danger like this not for us..." I immediately wonder if James is willing to bargain with me in exchange for the Cullens safety.
"Too late" Bella scoffs earning a look from Rose, Jasper, and Emmett. Edward grabs two sets of keys off a hook, throwing one set, lightning fast, to Dr. Cullen "I'll run Bella south, while you lead the tracker away-" he starts once again completely ignoring me, but Dr. Cullen says "No, Edward. The tracker thinks you won't leave Bella. He'll follow you."
Alice walks over and says "I'll go with Bella. I'll take Emi too" she then quickly adds upon seeing Emmett, Rose, and Jasper's disgruntled looks "Jasper and I will drive them south" they all exchanged looks " I'll keep them safe, Edward...guys?" This made them reluctantly agree. Edward agonizes a moment longer before asking "Can you keep your thoughts to yourself?" She nods. An unspoken agreement.
Edward finally surrenders his keys to Alice. Then he opens one of Bella's suitcases, pulling out clothes, tossing them to Esme and Rose and saying "Esme, Rosalie, put these on so the tracker will pick up Bella's scent" disgustedly Rose throws the clothes to the ground and snaps "Why should I? What is she to me? Just a danger you've inflicted on us!" Bella looks at her offended.
Dr. Cullen then says "Rosalie. Bella is with Edward. She's a part of this family now. And we protect our family" this makes Rose snarl out "Bullshit!" Tension rises up at that.
The Cullens divide. Edward, Alice, Carlisle, and Esme on one side with Bella and Rose, Jasper, Emmett on the other with me. The feeling that they know something about me and I'm not being told it fills my being.
I shrug it off however and immediately try to defuse the already tense situation by handing Rose some of my clothes and saying "Wear my clothes then. James is after both of us" She glowers at them for a moment longer before gently taking the clothes from me.
Dr. Cullen hits the door opener and the massive metal doors roll open. Dr. Cullen squeezes Edward's shoulder before he and Esme climb into the SUV. Everyone finishes loading up, climbing in cars amid this, Edward and Bella take a moment together. They whisper to each other, but I ignore them as Rose sets me in Edward's Volvo where Jasper and Alice are already in the front seats.
She tenderly wraps me in her old cardigan that she says used to be her favorite but she no longer wears because of Alice's whining.
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"Rosie-?" I start but she kisses my forehead and says "This gave me comfort when I was going through a dark time. Hopefully it will give you comfort until we see each other again" she smiles at me before buckling me up and leaving. Bella climbs in and buckled up. The SUV and the Volvo both peel out of the garage.
I must've fallen asleep because when I woke up we were still in the car and I was wrapped up tightly in Rose's cardigan. Jasper drives, Alice in the passenger seat. Bella and I are in the back, with me behind Jasper and her behind Alice. She's talking on her cell phone "Mom, it's me again. You must have let your phone die. Anyway, I'm not in Forks anymore but I'm okay. I'll explain when you call."
She hangs up, then faces back out the window, watching the green, misty Olympic Peninsula speed past. I too go to look out the window.
3rd POV The landscape as it changes from dark green forests to stretches of grassy hillsides, to drier, browner surroundings, until night falls and headlights lights flash by us.
Trees blow past at a blinding speed as Edward, Rosalie, and Emmett who dart in and out of the branches, blasting through the misty woods, Edward, the fastest, in the lead. Edward stops, trying to read his enemy's thoughts. Rosalie tears a tiny swatch of her shirt, leaves it on a flowering maple tree, and then they're gone.
Meanwhile, Esme and Dr. Cullen crouch atop a hill, looking down at the river. In the distance, below, they see Victoria as she jogs into view. She then looks in their direction. Once Dr. Cullen and Esme are assured she has their scent, they continue over the hill's crest.
With James, who blasts past the flowering maple then suddenly stops, backtracks to the tree, finds the tiny swatch of fabric. He starts off again but stops, smells the fabric. Something's not right. He runs back in the opposite direction.
