The Right Way To Turn
by wizardtho
Chapter 01:
What started so small magnified tenfold... a seemingly unimportant tingle at the site of the bite mark.
Edward and Carlisle had both thought that Edward removed all of the venom-tainted blood from when James bit me, but I don't think they accounted for Edward's own venom, which was more than plentiful with me being his singer. I, on the other hand, knew it couldn't just be that simple.
After I woke up in the hospital, the bite mark always tingled... prickled... like when you'd try to stand on your foot after it had fallen asleep. Sometimes I would even get a deep ache up my arm, but I managed to hide it from Edward and Alice, who I was around the most.
Then the battle with Victoria and the newborns happened. The back of my shoulder got scraped deeply against the rock wall during Edward’s fight with the dreaded witch. Victoria just had to go and leak a shitload of venom onto me before Edward could rip her back off of me.
We ended up winning that battle and killing Victoria, but I knew they didn't get my scrape cleaned out before at least a drop of Victoria's venom had worked its poison into the cut. I knew... because I got the same tingling/prickling sensation in my shoulder an hour after the cut was cleaned and bandaged.
It was days later that the first shooting pain happened. It stole my breath away, because it felt like the bite mark and scrape were trying to connect by way of the shooting pain. Jasper was the only one in the house, since everyone was hunting and he seemed to suddenly be allowed near me.
He looked at me worriedly, so I tried to shake my head as I caught my suddenly stolen breath. “I'm... fine. Just a kink in my shoulder that shot down my arm from sitting in the same position too long.”
He didn't seem to want to let it go, so I rolled my shoulder as I twisted my arm, “See? No pain. I'm fine, Jazz, really.”
He reluctantly nodded, then thankfully let the subject drop.
The pain seemed to be coming at a slightly heightened frequency, which was about once every 2 weeks, but I managed to avoid further questioning. I was able to lock myself down, not react to the pain... until about 2 months later, when Jasper was Bella sitting again.
I hadn't had an episode in front of him for the last couple of times he had stayed with me, but right in the middle of our Scattegories game, it happened again. This time it was excruciating, and though I had locked myself down, a small whimper still made itself known. Jasper immediately tossed his board and pen, then was kneeling in front of me with his hands on the pain sites.
His eyes went from one to the other as he drew the pain away from me, then it was like a light bulb flashed in his eyes before they shot to mine in horror. It was barely audible to my ears, but he choked out a whispered, “It didn't work, did it? You're ch-”
I slapped my good hand over his mouth with a whispered, “Not a word, Jazz. He would just try to remove what was left of it. We both know it would only torture me, because nothing can get rid of all of it.”
He looked deep into my eyes, then nodded seriously. “I tried to tell him... the first time. He was so sure it would work, but I'd never seen it do anything but drive the victim mad. When you didn't show any negative signs after a few days, I was hopeful it had worked... for your sake.”
I shook my head sadly. “I always have a prickling sensation in both spots. When my shoulder was scratched by the rock wall, Carlisle didn't get the wound cleaned in time. At least a drop worked its way into the wound before it was cleaned. I knew it didn't work like he thought, when the prickling started in my shoulder an hour later. My only shot to make this any quicker, would be for someone to flood me with enough to drown 3 or 4 people, because my body is used to it. I am doing what you think, but it's at a cell-by-cell progression. I think the episodes, like what you just felt, are when it happens to a bunch of cells at the same time... but even that isn't enough. It’s been two months since Victoria's venom, Jazz… almost 2 years since Phoenix.... yet it's all still in my arm. Nothing outside of that... not my head or spine, not my side, not even deeper in my shoulder.”
He gave me a horrified look, then begged, “We need to tell them, Bella. Christ, you'll die before it's finished if you have to live with that kind of pain for much longer.”
I shook my head, “They won't believe me, Jazz. They think they got it all, especially since I've been able to hide the pain from everyone but you. Do me a favor? It'll prove my point.”
He nodded stiffly, so I said, “Tomorrow when they get back, do the same thing you did tonight. Send me something so I know when, I'll flash a brief look of pain and gasp, then you can put your hands like you have them now. Watch all of their reactions. Carlisle won't want to run tests; Edward will say I just need to get up and moving around. They won't even contemplate that they could have been wrong in what they did.”
He looked at me skeptically, then nodded. “I'll go along with your plan, just this once, Sug. If you're right, though... I won't let you suffer. I'll change you myself somehow. I'll find a way.”
I shook my head, “Don't make promises you can't keep, Jazz. Alice is your mate, and she'll take their side. She had to have seen me researching. A lot of my decisions lately have been based around this.”
He shook his head, “No, Bella... she's not. She was my companion until we moved to Forks. That's it. We haven't even had sex in over 30 years.”
I growled suddenly, a growl that was almost vampire worthy, which caused Jasper to raise an eyebrow at me. “Very nice, Sug, but would you care to tell me what the cute little growl was for?”
I bolted up from my seat, pacing the room. After a minute, I said heatedly, “She told me... flat-out told me... that you were mates, Jazz. Why would she tell me something like that, if it wasn't true?”
He carefully stopped my pacing, then lifted my chin to look deep into my eyes, “She said those exact words? That she and I were mates?”
I nodded, “Yes. She said specifically that you were mates. She stressed that point by saying that mates were forever, like Edward and I... only I don't think we are.”
He smiled, “You're perceptive, Sug, and you're right. You aren't mates. I believe he does care about you, but I know for a fact that a vampire can't have a singer for his or her mate. Think about it. If you were his mate, he would do anything to have you by his side forever, not just with you being human... yet, he did the opposite when the perfect opportunity was right in his lap. He wouldn't let the venom change you, when you were lying broken and bleeding on the ballet studio floor.”
I nodded sadly. I had thought about that more and more lately. That was one of the reasons I told Jasper not to say anything about me definitely changing slowly.
Our night went on like any other night Jasper stayed with me, but I could tell he was ready to spring at a moment's notice if I had another episode. I fell asleep as I would any other night, the next morning dawning cloudy as any other dreary day in Forks.
The family came home while I was fixing my lunch, and they all gathered to tell me about their hunts like they normally did. I loved hearing their stories. I was laughing at Emmett's newest grizzly conquest when an actual shot of pain went through my arm again. It made me gasp as I clutched my arm, dropping the glass in my hand. Jasper was immediately in front of me, a look of true worry in his eyes.
He placed his hands at both sites and started drawing the pain away as Edward frantically asked me if I was alright. I gritted my teeth, saying through them as the pain flared, “I'm... fine. Just a... a cramp.”
Edward nodded while rubbing my back, but Jasper growled, “Stop, Bella. I've felt you get cramps before, when you laid on your arm too long. This was pain... and a whole lot of it.”
Edward scowled at Jasper, then kissed the top of my head, ignoring what Jasper said. Carlisle came around in front of me then, to offer, “You should probably try to rotate your arm to work out the cramp, Bella. You wouldn't want it to get worse.”
Jasper sent the feeling of being disgusted, so I knew he was finally getting the picture. No one here was going to help me. Next he sent me a mix of determination and finality. I tried to send him back my thanks in response.
It took a minute before the pain was gone, by which time Alice had all the glass cleaned up, saying, “Better stretch that arm out, Bella. Carlisle's right about not wanting it to get worse, plus I know Edward was looking forward to your date.”
I don't think I was supposed to feel the small wave of shock from Jasper, but he was still touching me, so it must have passed through him at Alice's words. I just shook my head, “All better. I'll stretch it out when I shower in a bit... let the heat relax the muscle.”
Edward smiled as he kissed my temple, then said he had a few things to do before our date. I nodded up at him, then said, “I do, too. I'm going to head back to Charlie's after I’m done eating. I need to do a load of clothes before I get ready. See you at 7?”
With a peck to my lips he agreed, then he was gone in a blur.
I didn't find anything out from Jasper after the room was cleared. He leaned in enough to breathe against my ear almost inaudibly, “Trust me, Sug. Don't think. Just trust me.”
I silently told him I did through my emotions, then he dashed out the back door. The date went the same as all the others, and thankfully I didn't have another pain episode.
In fact, it was another two weeks before the pain hit again. I was blissfully alone when it happened. I gritted my way through it, focusing on anything but the tormenting pain, while hoping to every deity that Jasper would come through for me.
The downside to that day, was that the family was leery about letting Jasper 'Bella sit' while they went hunting after that. I felt like saying that Jasper was the only one I trusted anymore out of all of them, but was able to hold my tongue at their insinuations that he could hurt me.
As the pain got worse, my talking gradually became less. Instead of the prickling sensation only being in the marks themselves, it spread as the pain did. I was constantly afraid that if I opened my mouth, the pain would hit, and I would scream bloody murder.
So with that in mind, I refused to go shopping anymore with Alice, stopped my cooking time with Esme in the kitchen, didn't read in the study with Carlisle, refused the Xbox matches with Emmett, and practically ignored Edward as much as I could... for 3 whole months.
The pain had radiated, finally connecting the two spots near my elbow in an exploding pain, at the three-month mark. There was no way I could hold that scream, so tears poured down my face as I lay curled on the floor in the Cullen living room. It was right as Rosalie made a remark about how at least I wasn't wasting her Emmett's time anymore.
She actually sat there, uncaring and leisurely flipping through a magazine, while I collapsed with a scream in agonizing pain. When I was able to get a hold of myself, I stood, locking my hateful gaze on her, “Not everything is about you, Rosalie. Not everything is about this coven. Maybe if you actually open your eyes to something other than yourself, you might realise that. At least you got off easy with three days.”
I didn't even wait for a response. I carefully made my way up to the spare bedroom, curled up in a ball in the corner, and cried. I didn't care anymore, so I finally let all of the pain have voice.
That's how I was found when the family returned. They all still refused to see what was happening right in front of them, even when Jasper choked out that it was progressing, that the pain wasn't going away. All I could do was try to hold back another scream as I nodded to him.
Suddenly Edward roared that it was impossible, that he made sure to suck all the venom out. There was no way I was changing. Of course, Carlisle and Alice agreed with him, but I could see the doubt creeping into Emmett's eyes before Rosalie dragged him away while rolling her eyes.
The only thing I could do was whimper as more tears streamed down my face, then choke out, “Just let me go. I want to go home.”
I sent Jasper my want for him to stay close, hoping he'd understand, then finished in a pained whisper, “I don't want to be near any of you. Don't come to my house, and don't even think about calling.”
I saw the shock written on all of their faces. Edward tried to protest, but then he just stopped and inhaled. I used that time to grab my things from the top of the dresser, then slip by them. With my changing arm cradled to my ribs, I slowly made my way out of the house to my truck.
It took me an hour and a half to make it close to Charlie's, which was only 20 minutes away, with having to stop on the side of the road every so often. On my last stop about a five-minute normal drive from home, I was too in pain to notice a red-eyed vampire coming close to me until he was opening the passenger door. Fear gripped me, but his features were soft as he said tenderly, “Trust me, Sug. Don't think. Just trust me.”
I instantly let out a relieved breath, since those were Jasper's exact words to me, then he continued, “Name's Peter, Kitten, and you know who sent me. I don't have a scent, plus the Pixie Bitch can't see anything to do with me, so you're safe now. He couldn't tell you or know when I'd come, because there was a chance they'd find out. Do you understand?”
I instantly recognised his name, so I nodded stiffly before choking out, “You've come to take me away, so they can't stop someone from changing me the right way.”
Peter smiled, then agreed. “Yeah, Kitten. I'm here to help. Now, I'm gonna be gentle and carry you for about a ten-minute run, okay? I need to get you to Char, so that I can come back to make your truck look like it had a big exploding accident. Do you need anything from your purse?”
I shook my head, “Just the pictures of Charlie, Renee, and Phil, please. You can do that when you stage everything, though, if you want.”
He nodded, then carefully came to my side of the truck, opened the door, and cradled me to him. “Alright, Kitten. Let's get you to Char and safety. I'll text Major the all clear code once the accident is staged. He'll find a way to come to you as soon as it’s safe.”
I nodded as I laid my head on his shoulder, the tears still falling from my eyes rapidly. The pain was now radiating deeper in my shoulder and hand.
When Peter stopped running, he gently handed me over to a petite blonde female, saying softly, “It's worse than we thought, Char. It's taken over from the middle of her shoulder blade to her fingertips, now. Try to keep her as comfortable as possible, and I'll be back as soon as I can.”
She nodded, then whispered, “Hey, Sweets. It's nice to finally meet you, even though it's under shitty circumstances. Maybe we can have a little payback after we get you vamp'd up and trained.”
I chuckled as I snuggled into her, “Peter, I like her. She's not like those nose-stuck-in-the-air Cullens.”
Peter kissed my temple, then said, “Gotta go, before someone sees your truck just sitting there, Kitten. You two have a good chat. I'll be back soon.”
Char tried to keep my mind off the pain while Peter was gone, by telling me about herself and Peter. Jasper had told me about his history around the time that we were preparing to fight Victoria and the newborns, so I knew a bit, but Char was filling me in completely.
It was good to know, plus it kept my attention focused on something other than the excruciating pain. She always seemed to have her eyes peeled on the forest around us while she cradled me in her arms, but her voice was soft as she spoke, so it helped to keep me calm.
Char got a text from Peter as she was telling me about how he had taken her under his wing, and tried to protect her as much as he could, since she didn't have a useful power. Apparently they weren't mates, but they were lovers for a time way back when. She had found her mate in Aaron, when he had escaped Maria's army almost 20 years after she and Peter helped Major get out. I couldn't help but smile at that, then whispered, “Thank you... for helping him. He's the only one that tried to help me, out of all of them.”
She smiled down at me, saying, “That's what real families do, Sweets. There was no doubt about it. When Major called and asked us to find a way to get you out, because he couldn't do it himself without putting you both at risk, we automatically started planning… working it out to get you out safely.”
I was quiet for a second, then said, “Either way, you helped me, even though you didn't know me.”
She smiled down at me. Just then I felt another kiss to my temple. “Time to go, Kitten. Would you like me or Char to hold you on the drive?”
I thought about it, then asked, “You, please? It's just that Char is smaller, and the cooler my arm is, the less it hurts. You can cover it better than she would be able to.”
She smiled, then gently handed me back over to Peter. As soon as I was in his arms, she opened the back truck door, then Peter got me laid out on the seat with him. She shut the door for us as we got settled, then zipped around to the driver door. We were on our way in no time, with my changing arm following the length of his side, between his own arm and his body.
What started so small magnified tenfold... a seemingly unimportant tingle at the site of the bite mark.
Edward and Carlisle had both thought that Edward removed all of the venom-tainted blood from when James bit me, but I don't think they accounted for Edward's own venom, which was more than plentiful with me being his singer. I, on the other hand, knew it couldn't just be that simple.
After I woke up in the hospital, the bite mark always tingled... prickled... like when you'd try to stand on your foot after it had fallen asleep. Sometimes I would even get a deep ache up my arm, but I managed to hide it from Edward and Alice, who I was around the most.
Then the battle with Victoria and the newborns happened. The back of my shoulder got scraped deeply against the rock wall during Edward’s fight with the dreaded witch. Victoria just had to go and leak a shitload of venom onto me before Edward could rip her back off of me.
We ended up winning that battle and killing Victoria, but I knew they didn't get my scrape cleaned out before at least a drop of Victoria's venom had worked its poison into the cut. I knew... because I got the same tingling/prickling sensation in my shoulder an hour after the cut was cleaned and bandaged.
It was days later that the first shooting pain happened. It stole my breath away, because it felt like the bite mark and scrape were trying to connect by way of the shooting pain. Jasper was the only one in the house, since everyone was hunting and he seemed to suddenly be allowed near me.
He looked at me worriedly, so I tried to shake my head as I caught my suddenly stolen breath. “I'm... fine. Just a kink in my shoulder that shot down my arm from sitting in the same position too long.”
He didn't seem to want to let it go, so I rolled my shoulder as I twisted my arm, “See? No pain. I'm fine, Jazz, really.”
He reluctantly nodded, then thankfully let the subject drop.
The pain seemed to be coming at a slightly heightened frequency, which was about once every 2 weeks, but I managed to avoid further questioning. I was able to lock myself down, not react to the pain... until about 2 months later, when Jasper was Bella sitting again.
I hadn't had an episode in front of him for the last couple of times he had stayed with me, but right in the middle of our Scattegories game, it happened again. This time it was excruciating, and though I had locked myself down, a small whimper still made itself known. Jasper immediately tossed his board and pen, then was kneeling in front of me with his hands on the pain sites.
His eyes went from one to the other as he drew the pain away from me, then it was like a light bulb flashed in his eyes before they shot to mine in horror. It was barely audible to my ears, but he choked out a whispered, “It didn't work, did it? You're ch-”
I slapped my good hand over his mouth with a whispered, “Not a word, Jazz. He would just try to remove what was left of it. We both know it would only torture me, because nothing can get rid of all of it.”
He looked deep into my eyes, then nodded seriously. “I tried to tell him... the first time. He was so sure it would work, but I'd never seen it do anything but drive the victim mad. When you didn't show any negative signs after a few days, I was hopeful it had worked... for your sake.”
I shook my head sadly. “I always have a prickling sensation in both spots. When my shoulder was scratched by the rock wall, Carlisle didn't get the wound cleaned in time. At least a drop worked its way into the wound before it was cleaned. I knew it didn't work like he thought, when the prickling started in my shoulder an hour later. My only shot to make this any quicker, would be for someone to flood me with enough to drown 3 or 4 people, because my body is used to it. I am doing what you think, but it's at a cell-by-cell progression. I think the episodes, like what you just felt, are when it happens to a bunch of cells at the same time... but even that isn't enough. It’s been two months since Victoria's venom, Jazz… almost 2 years since Phoenix.... yet it's all still in my arm. Nothing outside of that... not my head or spine, not my side, not even deeper in my shoulder.”
He gave me a horrified look, then begged, “We need to tell them, Bella. Christ, you'll die before it's finished if you have to live with that kind of pain for much longer.”
I shook my head, “They won't believe me, Jazz. They think they got it all, especially since I've been able to hide the pain from everyone but you. Do me a favor? It'll prove my point.”
He nodded stiffly, so I said, “Tomorrow when they get back, do the same thing you did tonight. Send me something so I know when, I'll flash a brief look of pain and gasp, then you can put your hands like you have them now. Watch all of their reactions. Carlisle won't want to run tests; Edward will say I just need to get up and moving around. They won't even contemplate that they could have been wrong in what they did.”
He looked at me skeptically, then nodded. “I'll go along with your plan, just this once, Sug. If you're right, though... I won't let you suffer. I'll change you myself somehow. I'll find a way.”
I shook my head, “Don't make promises you can't keep, Jazz. Alice is your mate, and she'll take their side. She had to have seen me researching. A lot of my decisions lately have been based around this.”
He shook his head, “No, Bella... she's not. She was my companion until we moved to Forks. That's it. We haven't even had sex in over 30 years.”
I growled suddenly, a growl that was almost vampire worthy, which caused Jasper to raise an eyebrow at me. “Very nice, Sug, but would you care to tell me what the cute little growl was for?”
I bolted up from my seat, pacing the room. After a minute, I said heatedly, “She told me... flat-out told me... that you were mates, Jazz. Why would she tell me something like that, if it wasn't true?”
He carefully stopped my pacing, then lifted my chin to look deep into my eyes, “She said those exact words? That she and I were mates?”
I nodded, “Yes. She said specifically that you were mates. She stressed that point by saying that mates were forever, like Edward and I... only I don't think we are.”
He smiled, “You're perceptive, Sug, and you're right. You aren't mates. I believe he does care about you, but I know for a fact that a vampire can't have a singer for his or her mate. Think about it. If you were his mate, he would do anything to have you by his side forever, not just with you being human... yet, he did the opposite when the perfect opportunity was right in his lap. He wouldn't let the venom change you, when you were lying broken and bleeding on the ballet studio floor.”
I nodded sadly. I had thought about that more and more lately. That was one of the reasons I told Jasper not to say anything about me definitely changing slowly.
Our night went on like any other night Jasper stayed with me, but I could tell he was ready to spring at a moment's notice if I had another episode. I fell asleep as I would any other night, the next morning dawning cloudy as any other dreary day in Forks.
The family came home while I was fixing my lunch, and they all gathered to tell me about their hunts like they normally did. I loved hearing their stories. I was laughing at Emmett's newest grizzly conquest when an actual shot of pain went through my arm again. It made me gasp as I clutched my arm, dropping the glass in my hand. Jasper was immediately in front of me, a look of true worry in his eyes.
He placed his hands at both sites and started drawing the pain away as Edward frantically asked me if I was alright. I gritted my teeth, saying through them as the pain flared, “I'm... fine. Just a... a cramp.”
Edward nodded while rubbing my back, but Jasper growled, “Stop, Bella. I've felt you get cramps before, when you laid on your arm too long. This was pain... and a whole lot of it.”
Edward scowled at Jasper, then kissed the top of my head, ignoring what Jasper said. Carlisle came around in front of me then, to offer, “You should probably try to rotate your arm to work out the cramp, Bella. You wouldn't want it to get worse.”
Jasper sent the feeling of being disgusted, so I knew he was finally getting the picture. No one here was going to help me. Next he sent me a mix of determination and finality. I tried to send him back my thanks in response.
It took a minute before the pain was gone, by which time Alice had all the glass cleaned up, saying, “Better stretch that arm out, Bella. Carlisle's right about not wanting it to get worse, plus I know Edward was looking forward to your date.”
I don't think I was supposed to feel the small wave of shock from Jasper, but he was still touching me, so it must have passed through him at Alice's words. I just shook my head, “All better. I'll stretch it out when I shower in a bit... let the heat relax the muscle.”
Edward smiled as he kissed my temple, then said he had a few things to do before our date. I nodded up at him, then said, “I do, too. I'm going to head back to Charlie's after I’m done eating. I need to do a load of clothes before I get ready. See you at 7?”
With a peck to my lips he agreed, then he was gone in a blur.
I didn't find anything out from Jasper after the room was cleared. He leaned in enough to breathe against my ear almost inaudibly, “Trust me, Sug. Don't think. Just trust me.”
I silently told him I did through my emotions, then he dashed out the back door. The date went the same as all the others, and thankfully I didn't have another pain episode.
In fact, it was another two weeks before the pain hit again. I was blissfully alone when it happened. I gritted my way through it, focusing on anything but the tormenting pain, while hoping to every deity that Jasper would come through for me.
The downside to that day, was that the family was leery about letting Jasper 'Bella sit' while they went hunting after that. I felt like saying that Jasper was the only one I trusted anymore out of all of them, but was able to hold my tongue at their insinuations that he could hurt me.
As the pain got worse, my talking gradually became less. Instead of the prickling sensation only being in the marks themselves, it spread as the pain did. I was constantly afraid that if I opened my mouth, the pain would hit, and I would scream bloody murder.
So with that in mind, I refused to go shopping anymore with Alice, stopped my cooking time with Esme in the kitchen, didn't read in the study with Carlisle, refused the Xbox matches with Emmett, and practically ignored Edward as much as I could... for 3 whole months.
The pain had radiated, finally connecting the two spots near my elbow in an exploding pain, at the three-month mark. There was no way I could hold that scream, so tears poured down my face as I lay curled on the floor in the Cullen living room. It was right as Rosalie made a remark about how at least I wasn't wasting her Emmett's time anymore.
She actually sat there, uncaring and leisurely flipping through a magazine, while I collapsed with a scream in agonizing pain. When I was able to get a hold of myself, I stood, locking my hateful gaze on her, “Not everything is about you, Rosalie. Not everything is about this coven. Maybe if you actually open your eyes to something other than yourself, you might realise that. At least you got off easy with three days.”
I didn't even wait for a response. I carefully made my way up to the spare bedroom, curled up in a ball in the corner, and cried. I didn't care anymore, so I finally let all of the pain have voice.
That's how I was found when the family returned. They all still refused to see what was happening right in front of them, even when Jasper choked out that it was progressing, that the pain wasn't going away. All I could do was try to hold back another scream as I nodded to him.
Suddenly Edward roared that it was impossible, that he made sure to suck all the venom out. There was no way I was changing. Of course, Carlisle and Alice agreed with him, but I could see the doubt creeping into Emmett's eyes before Rosalie dragged him away while rolling her eyes.
The only thing I could do was whimper as more tears streamed down my face, then choke out, “Just let me go. I want to go home.”
I sent Jasper my want for him to stay close, hoping he'd understand, then finished in a pained whisper, “I don't want to be near any of you. Don't come to my house, and don't even think about calling.”
I saw the shock written on all of their faces. Edward tried to protest, but then he just stopped and inhaled. I used that time to grab my things from the top of the dresser, then slip by them. With my changing arm cradled to my ribs, I slowly made my way out of the house to my truck.
It took me an hour and a half to make it close to Charlie's, which was only 20 minutes away, with having to stop on the side of the road every so often. On my last stop about a five-minute normal drive from home, I was too in pain to notice a red-eyed vampire coming close to me until he was opening the passenger door. Fear gripped me, but his features were soft as he said tenderly, “Trust me, Sug. Don't think. Just trust me.”
I instantly let out a relieved breath, since those were Jasper's exact words to me, then he continued, “Name's Peter, Kitten, and you know who sent me. I don't have a scent, plus the Pixie Bitch can't see anything to do with me, so you're safe now. He couldn't tell you or know when I'd come, because there was a chance they'd find out. Do you understand?”
I instantly recognised his name, so I nodded stiffly before choking out, “You've come to take me away, so they can't stop someone from changing me the right way.”
Peter smiled, then agreed. “Yeah, Kitten. I'm here to help. Now, I'm gonna be gentle and carry you for about a ten-minute run, okay? I need to get you to Char, so that I can come back to make your truck look like it had a big exploding accident. Do you need anything from your purse?”
I shook my head, “Just the pictures of Charlie, Renee, and Phil, please. You can do that when you stage everything, though, if you want.”
He nodded, then carefully came to my side of the truck, opened the door, and cradled me to him. “Alright, Kitten. Let's get you to Char and safety. I'll text Major the all clear code once the accident is staged. He'll find a way to come to you as soon as it’s safe.”
I nodded as I laid my head on his shoulder, the tears still falling from my eyes rapidly. The pain was now radiating deeper in my shoulder and hand.
When Peter stopped running, he gently handed me over to a petite blonde female, saying softly, “It's worse than we thought, Char. It's taken over from the middle of her shoulder blade to her fingertips, now. Try to keep her as comfortable as possible, and I'll be back as soon as I can.”
She nodded, then whispered, “Hey, Sweets. It's nice to finally meet you, even though it's under shitty circumstances. Maybe we can have a little payback after we get you vamp'd up and trained.”
I chuckled as I snuggled into her, “Peter, I like her. She's not like those nose-stuck-in-the-air Cullens.”
Peter kissed my temple, then said, “Gotta go, before someone sees your truck just sitting there, Kitten. You two have a good chat. I'll be back soon.”
Char tried to keep my mind off the pain while Peter was gone, by telling me about herself and Peter. Jasper had told me about his history around the time that we were preparing to fight Victoria and the newborns, so I knew a bit, but Char was filling me in completely.
It was good to know, plus it kept my attention focused on something other than the excruciating pain. She always seemed to have her eyes peeled on the forest around us while she cradled me in her arms, but her voice was soft as she spoke, so it helped to keep me calm.
Char got a text from Peter as she was telling me about how he had taken her under his wing, and tried to protect her as much as he could, since she didn't have a useful power. Apparently they weren't mates, but they were lovers for a time way back when. She had found her mate in Aaron, when he had escaped Maria's army almost 20 years after she and Peter helped Major get out. I couldn't help but smile at that, then whispered, “Thank you... for helping him. He's the only one that tried to help me, out of all of them.”
She smiled down at me, saying, “That's what real families do, Sweets. There was no doubt about it. When Major called and asked us to find a way to get you out, because he couldn't do it himself without putting you both at risk, we automatically started planning… working it out to get you out safely.”
I was quiet for a second, then said, “Either way, you helped me, even though you didn't know me.”
She smiled down at me. Just then I felt another kiss to my temple. “Time to go, Kitten. Would you like me or Char to hold you on the drive?”
I thought about it, then asked, “You, please? It's just that Char is smaller, and the cooler my arm is, the less it hurts. You can cover it better than she would be able to.”
She smiled, then gently handed me back over to Peter. As soon as I was in his arms, she opened the back truck door, then Peter got me laid out on the seat with him. She shut the door for us as we got settled, then zipped around to the driver door. We were on our way in no time, with my changing arm following the length of his side, between his own arm and his body.