petrichor [rosalie hale]

xxxi. on fire

The clearing was lightly dusted with the small drips of rain that dropped from the sky, the aftermath of the intense battle with the newborn vampires leaving the ground stained with traces of their fierce confrontation. The smell of burning vampire flesh turned Kiara and the rest of the pack's noses up, causing an uneasy feeling in their stomach as the Cullen family began to prepare themselves for the impending arrival of the Volturi.

'Kiara,' Sam's gruff voice spoke through their mindlink as Bella continued to search across the field for the large russet wolf that definitely did not want to see her after her engagement revelation. 'Leah's left a spare set of clothes just past the jagged rock, if you want to phase back.'

Kiara thanked them both, slinking away from Rosalie and Bella as Edward explained where she was going. Bella didn't pay the girl much attention, still trying to pinpoint Jacob amongst the other wolves.

"Hey," Kiara breathed, having gotten changed and jogging back over to where Bella, Edward and Rosalie were still standing. Bella's attitude barely changed as the girl returned in her human form, her eyes faintly flickering to her as she and Rosalie shared a quick kiss. 

Then, Bella finally spotted Jacob in the fray of wolves.

Leah had wandered a little too far from the group, lost in her own thoughts as she had continued to help with moving pieces of newborn vampires, when she suddenly found herself cornered by a vampire - feral and relentless. 

"LEAH, DON'T!" Edward yelled, startling Kiara as she spun around and watched as the vampire took off towards where the grey wolf was now struggling against the arms of one of the newborn vampires that had managed to slip away from the battle.

Just as the vampire lunged towards the Clearwater girl, ready to crush her, Jacob, without hesitation, leaped in front of her, protecting her with his own body. The vampire's strength was overwhelming, and Jacob's ribs took the brunt of the attack.

Kiara's scream pierced through the air, the urgency and despair so heartbreaking that everyone in the clearing was sure that they would remember it for the rest of their lives. She didn't even register that Paul and Jared had lunged for the rogue vampire, ripping it into shreds as the rest of the pack phased back and pulled their shorts back on.

"Jacob!" Kiara screamed, her heart pounding wildly in her chest. She rushed to his side, feeling a surge of panic and concern. The sight of her twin brother writhing in pain was gut-wrenching.

"I've got you, Jake, it's okay, I'm here," Kiara whispered, trying to be the pillar of strength her brother had often been for her. She gently cradled his head in her lap as he thrashed in pain, the feeling of his ribs being crushed against his organs having caused him to instantly shift back into his human form. Kiara's hands trembling as she assessed his injuries, her hands shaking so much as .

Meanwhile, Rosalie was by her side in an instant, her cold, marble-like hands hovering over Kiara's body as she gently pulled her back, holding her tightly so that Carlisle could get closer to Jacob and look at his injuries with his professional eye. 

"Kie, he needs help. You have to let Carlisle look," she soothed the wolf-girl, her voice unwavering despite the distress that she could almost feel seeping from Kiara. Kiara seemed to relax a little at Rosalie's voice, but she was still leaning against her arms as she tried to reach out to Jacob.

"The bones on the right half of his body are shattered," Carlisle announced, his cold hands doing little to numb the fire of Jacob's pain. "I need to set the bones before his accelerated healing kicks in. It's already starting."

The pack members, now in human form, gathered around Jacob, their eyes filled with worry and remorse as they watched their pack brother scream and roll on the ground in extreme pain. Leah, who had recovered from the shock of the attack, felt a wave of gratitude and guilt wash over her. She knew that Jacob had saved her life, and she couldn't bear to see him suffer - and she couldn't help but let her anger at him being the one in pain fall from her lips instead.