Jasper and I entered the living room, I wanted to give Edythe a heads up on our plans before heading out.
"Jasper and I have decided to take the fight to them and pick off Victoria while she spies on us. Can you tell where she is by her thoughts?"
Edythe shook her head, "Not even a minute ago, she had a panic attack and ran away. She is no longer within range of my abilities. Her last thought I was able to hear was to regroup with Jessy and James."
"Damn, that's an opportunity lost. Wonder what scared her." I saw Jasper frown as well, it was a good idea wasted now.
About 20 minutes later, the sound of Bella's truck, followed by Emmett's Jeep, rumbled through the dark night. Once that noise stopped, Emmett came barging into the house carrying Bella protectively in his arms. When he saw Laurent, he growled in warning as he let her slip from his protective grasp. Rosalie appeared suddenly in the room from upstairs at the same time Edward and Alice came in from outside to stand at Emmett and Bella's side.
Rosalie was switching between inspecting Emmett for any harm done to him and looking furiously at Bella. I assumed she placed all the blame for the night's activities squarely on her shoulders.
Carlisle gestured to Emmett, trying to calm him as Edward spoke, "They are tracking us, Jessy and James, later joined by the woman. They are setting up in the area to monitor and plan for the night. Bella convinced..." He paused as he looked at Laurent, unwilling to reveal anything further to the vampire, unsure of his loyalties.
Laurent spoke to fill the silence, "I was afraid of that. Your defense of the girl set off his hunting instinct. He will be relentless until he succeeds. He is smart, patient, and will do anything to get what he wants. Jessy is more of the fighter type, he likes to rush in with a half-formed plan. And you cannot underestimate Victora, she is vindictive and has a cruel streak."
Emmett spoke with a smile, "Oh, we will stop them. You can be assured of that."
Alice walked to Jasper and whispered to him, and the pair quickly moved out of the room and upstairs. I had wanted to ask her some questions about the visions she had. The most curious thing was that she could suddenly see me in the visions, according to Edythe. I wanted to know if that was only while I was shifted, or if her familiarity with me had allowed her to see me fully now.
Laurent looked at Bella skeptically, "Are you sure she is worth it? Worth going against them for?"
My temper flared, and Edythe had to hold me back as Edward hissed at the question.
Carlisle spoke softly, yet firmly, "She is family, she is worth protecting, and more. You now have a decision to make, my friend."
Laurent, with doubt in his eyes, shook his head. "I will not fight them. Though I admire what you have built here, and want to learn more, I think I will be better served by heading to the Coven near Denali."
Edward looked at him for a time, I assumed to make sure he was telling the truth, "If you head due north from the corner of the house, you will be able to bypass a gap between Jessy and Victoria. If any of them catch you, they will try and delay you long enough for one of the others to join them and kill you. They are not a forgiving bunch, and failure to follow their lead immediately has placed you as a target in their eyes."
Laurent looked genuinely surprised at Edward, "Thank you. I wish you well." Then he slipped from the back door and headed out in the direction Edward pointed him. I had a brief moment of ruthlessness and wondered if it would have been better to send the vampire directly to them to tie up loose ends.
I shook the thought from my head, it would have been possible that they would have forced him to fight against us, seeing as we had the greater numbers instead of killing him right off. At least this way, he is off the board and no longer a concern.
Suddenly, Bella had one of those 'Oh Yeah!' looks on her face and stomped in my direction. "What the HELL, Thomas!!!" She hit my chest with an open hand, "Seriously, a Weretiger. You have known for how long, and I find out by you changing in front of me? Thanks for protecting me, but still. YOU DONT HIDE SHIT LIKE THIS FROM ME!!!"
I pulled her into a hug, "Sorry, sis. But there are rules in this world. I wanted to learn what was safe for you to know before doing something that would have repercussions neither you nor I understand. There is so much I don't understand."
In a muffled voice, Bella spoke while I was hugging her, "I am scared, Thomas. You guys could be hurt because of me."
I released her from my hug and took a half step back, then looked her dead in the eyes, and before she could react, I flicked her forehead with my middle finger. Hard! "Of all the stupid, idiotic things you could say, that takes the cake."
She staggered back and grabbed her forehead with tears in her eyes.
"You would race, well, stumble, into danger to save someone else, and moments later demand no one else place themselves in that same danger to help you. Despite what you may think, Bells, you are important to the people around you. I would trade my life to save yours without a thought. Just as you would for any of us. So, drop the martyr act and accept the help you are being offered freely." I glanced at Rosalie, "Well, mostly freely."
Alice and Jasper came down from upstairs, each with a bag in hand, shortly after that.
I looked at the group and asked, "So what's the plan?"
Esme went to the wall and typed in a code that saw the house go into lockdown with metal shutters and all. Then Edward began to speak, "It's Bella's plan actually. She shouted at Charlie that she was leaving Forks and returning to Phoenix. Jessy and James were there and overheard the discussion." He looked at Edythe for a moment, and her eyes widened and then turned sorrowful.
"The plan now is to set up distractions, multiple groups going different directions. Bella will hang back with Alice and Jasper, and once Alice sees an opening, they will go to Phoenix and lay low until we can hunt them down and end the threat."
I smiled, "That's smart, going where you said you were while they think it's just a smokescreen from the beginning."
Edward continued, "My thought is, me, Thomas, Emmet and Edythe run south. Edythe wearing some of Bella's clothes for the scent. Carlisle, Esme, and Rosalie, wearing Bella's clothes she has on now, drive to the airport in Port Angeles in the Jeep with the top down to spread Bella's scent. Then, once we have them looking at those two, Alice and Jasper take Carlisle's car and drive to Arizona. Jasper was able to hide from them, and they wouldn't think that we would leave Bella with just Alice for protection. They should think she is just running on her own if they even realize she is leaving at that point."
Emmett spoke from there, "And once Bella is clear, we start hunting them. While letting Charlie see that Edward is still in town, moping because his dear Bella ran from him like a frightened bride in the spring."
Bella, with a red mark still on her forehead, looked sadly at me, "You need to be there for Charlie, Thomas. I hurt him, he was trying to stop me, and I had to fight dirty. I used the same words mom used on him when she left him." A tear fell when she looked down in shame.
It made me mad that she went there, it would have been better to have Edythe compel him than to do that to him. Some wounds don't heal without major scarring. And she just took a chainsaw to his biggest scar. "You will have many fishing trips in your future to make up for that, sis. That was not fair, I can see why you thought it was necessary, but not fair.
Edward spoke to Rosalie, "Take her upstairs and trade clothes." His tone made it clear he wasn't asking.
She stared back at him with livid disbelief, "Why should I?" She hissed, "What is she to me? Except a danger. A menace you are choosing to inflict on this family, on all of us.
"Rose..." Emmett murmured, placing a hand on her shoulder that she immediately shrugged off.
My dislike just took a huge leap forward for this spoiled little princess. An angry growl escaped my throat.
Instead of replying, Edward turned his eyes away from Rosalie like she no longer existed or was no longer worth his consideration. "Esme, please?"
Esme quickly picked Bella up without warning and ran upstairs.
Rosalie no longer looked so sure of herself. She looked like she was ready for an argument, or even for Edward trying to convince her by begging. Instead, what she got was disregard. That clearly made her worry. Even Emmett's eyes showed disappointment in her words and actions.