Luna

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Aurora

Paul threw Carter into to the ground, sinking his teeth into his shoulder. Carter was attempting to regain his bearings from the assault while Paul bit into Riley's leg and pulled his body out from underneath him. 

The snow began to burn at my skin. My body was alerting me to the likely possibility of frost bite, but I couldn't move. The overwhelming fear of what my parents had suffered at the hands of Carter paralyzed me. 

 He hurt them, he made that clear, but how bad? Were they dead? 

They couldn't be; but when has Carter ever showed mercy?

Bella ran towards me and hooked her hands underneath my arms, "Luna, you got to get up." 

My legs managed to hold my weight as she guided me back against the rocks. "I have to go." I spoke, staring out towards the distant forest line. "Bella, I need to leave." 

"What are you talking about?" 

"He hurt them. I have to check. I-" Tears began falling from my eyes as I choked over my words. My brain wanted to deny the truth so bad, but facing the reality that they might be dead was crippling. 

I had just take a step towards the dense forest when Bella gripped my arm and yanked me back. "You can't! It's not safe."

"What if it was Charlie?" I shot back harshly. My words had a slight affect as she tensed. Yet despite lashing out at Bella, I knew she was right. There would be no point to wandering in this unfamiliar woods alongside a mountain, but my heart yearned to be with my parents. 

I couldn't risk it; I needed to do everything I could right now to make sure no one else got hurt. Specifically, I looked back to Paul.  He was skillfully holding his own against the two vampires, alternating attacks and leaving very little time for them to recuperate. 

Suddenly, Bella's grip on my arm tightened to the point I was sure I'd have bruises. "Bella, what-?" I followed her terrified gaze to Edward; Victoria had him in a chokehold. 

Blood rushed back into my arm as Bella let go and dropped to the ground. She began digging through the thick blanket of snow until she found a thin rock and gripped it in her hand. 

I didn't move to aid her, but watched her wearily, "what are you doing?"

She didn't respond with words, yet her actions gave me the whole answer I need. With the jagged rock, she forcefully dug it across her arm. Blood began pooling up from the puckering cut and the legend of the Third Wife flashed into my mind. 

"No!" I yelled and pushed down at her arm, yet I knew it would be futile. All three vampires immediately looked over to us, their blood red eyes darkening. We had practically been forgotten by our enemies, but Bella brought us freshly back into their minds.

With her scent enticing them, a sequence of events occurred all within the same second.

Edward slipped from Victoria's grip and ripped at her neck, beheading her. 

Carter had discarded the idea of overtaking Paul and began to run towards me. 

In that same moment, Paul used his back legs to kick Riley and knock him off balance. As the vampire crashed into a boulder, Edward flashed in front of him, ripping his head off in one fluid motion. 

Paul began racing after Carter, trying to beat him before he got to me-

-but Paul didn't make it. 

Carter's hand wrapped around my arm and we flashed further away from Bella. The sheer speed that we moved at left me disorientated as I stumbled back against Carter's chest. Using this to his advantage, Carter wrapped his arm around my torso while the other hand was gripping my throat.