The Walkers: The Return

Chapter 16

*As I said previously, these chapters might go by a little fast."

Chapter 16

White Room – Cream

As a human, I could have never truly appreciated how strong vampires are. I'm not talking about newborns or those who could count their decades of existence on two hands. Leeches that had matured to at least 100 had a different quality about them. Their skin was just a bit firmer; their attack patterns were more finely tuned; their movements were quicker, and their venom was more developed, thicker, sweeter, and more filling. This made hunting them more exciting, more thrilling, and harder. This reality made my collision with Edward all the more rewarding and, for lack of a better term, fun.

His body was beyond steel, and as I expelled as much strength as possible, but his body only gave way mildly under my assault. His yellow eyes pleaded with me to stop, silently begged me to listen to reason, which made me laugh internally. While I still couldn't remember any history with him, I felt a wave of unmitigated anger laced with a potent familiarity which told me whatever this anger, this hatred was, it was justified.

Across the field, my brothers and sister were equally matched with their opponents. No one had the upper hand—except Dex who continued his attacks on Carlisle. With a glance, I could tell the coven leader was refusing to engage with Shiloh's second-in-command. Strange.

I redirected my full attention to the red-haired leech before me, determined to cut him down. Even if one of the other leeches killed me—I would rip this one's head from his shoulders. I circled him, looking for a weakness, a tell, something that revealed his fighting strategy. Everyone had one. Even the best human boxer had one (side note: human fighting styles were all inefficient, bumbling, and easily predictable). There's only one tome in the Walker library that details human fighting styles. Vampires have 12; werewolves have 7; the Walkers have 14, and the other species has 23, but we never speak of them. Sure enough, as Edward dodged a blow intended for his left shoulder, I spotted it: a blindspot. On his left side, just between his shoulder and hip, there was a blindspot. Not necessarily a physical one, but it was a window Edward failed to watch.

Without much effort, I wheeled around and found myself on his left side, and before, he could catch up, I lurched forward and drove my nails into his side and held on. My fingers formed a hook and gripped tight, finding traction within his inner tissue. He growled in pain as I pulled him tighter and jammed my knee into his crotch. It was such a human movement, and yet, it felt so good.

Emmett, in the meantime, had recovered from my attack, and seeing that I had wounded his brother, he started toward us. Unfortunately, I was too focused on inflicting as much damage as possible to Edward that I failed to realize it until it was too late. Emmett's shoulder hit me and sent me flying a few yards back. Thankfully, I grasped my situational awareness well enough to curl my body and land on my feet.

The giant leech squared his shoulders and waved me forward, saying, "Come on, Bells. Let's do this."

"No," Edward said, gripping his side where venom was pooling. "Emmett, stop! Don't hurt her."

"You need to sit this one out, Ed," Emmett said without looking at Edward. "She's not your girlfriend anymore. I'm pretty sure she wants to kill you."

I started moving toward them slowly, saying, "It's good someone can see the big picture."

Emmett shook his head. "Don't think this won't suck for me, Bella. But you're not giving me another choice."

"I don't care" was all I said before starting back toward him at top speed.