Chapter Fourteen

As Edward drove, his teeth were clenched tightly and his hands gripped the steering wheel to the point they were turning white. He wasn't the only one, I kept my eyes trained on the surroundings..

Bella didn't know exactly what was going on but she knew it was bad.

The tires of the jeep eventually broke free of the forest and turned onto the asphalt of the Cullen's drive. That made Edward push faster.

"Why did this happen? Why us?" Bella asked. "I did this."

"It's no one's fault." I told her looking at her frowning. "I should have been keeping a better eye on you, if it's anyone's fault it's mine."

"No it's mine, I never should have exposed you like that." Edward muttered.

"Why is it just me?" Bella asked glancing between us. "We're cousins, shouldn't you have the same."

"I'm protected by magic Bella." I told her reaching up to grip my valerian necklace. "Athena gave it to me, it wards off certain creatures only witches can wear them."

"Okay so why me? Just because of what you and Edward did?"

Edward and I shared a look for a moment, mentally thinking about what to say. I sighed in defeat.

"James would have killed you right there." I told her making her look at me worried.  "It wasn't my magic that set him off, completely. It was Edward's actions, all of us stood against him and his target."

Edward frowned deeply, Bella looked at him and took in a sharp breath intake.

----

Once we got to the Cullen's house. The lights were all on, I threw open the door as Emmett jumped from the bed of the truck and Alice was by our side in a blink of an eye. The four of us surrounded my cousin and ushered her from the truck to the house.

We had just stepped in side meeting Carlisle at the door, appearing beside him was Laurent.

I froze, gripping onto Bella's hand tightly while Edward, Emmett and Alice took defensive postions.

"Wait." Carlisle said holding his hands up stopping us. ""He came to warn us about James."

We backed down slightly, sharing looks.

"I've grown tired of his games." Laurent told us annoyed. "This isn't my fight, but you should know he has unparalleled senses and is absolutely lethal, I've never seen anything like him in my three hundred years....and the woman, Victoria will back him. Don't underestimate her." He glanced at me for a second. "You have enormous power, don't hold back."

I stared at him for a long time before nodding.

He looked at Edward.

"I'm truly sorry for what's been unleashed here." He told him before he moved off, disappearing into the woods.

"Elena." I heard and looked over seeing Quinn and Jazz and moved over to their sides. They pulled me into a group hug.

"Thank the goddess you're safe." Quinn told me, we pulled back.

"Not safe yet." I told them knowingly.

We turned to Carlisle who nodded at us, we headed into the car garage.

The lights flipped on to reveal every car the Cullen's owned.

Everyone was springing into action, opening cupboards for supplies.  Jazz handed me a duffle bag she brought with her that had more magic stuff.

"We grabbed all we could, Grams even added in a few." She told me making me nod.

"Thanks Jazz." I told her gently.

"I've had to fight our kind before." Jasper said digging through stuff and grabbing what he could. "We're hard to kill."

"But not impossible." Edward retorted. "We'll tear him up.'

"We'll rip him apart with our hands." Emmett said full of bloodlust. "And have Elena set him on fire."

I nodded in agreement.

"I don't relish killing another creature." Carlisle told us. "Even a sadistic one like James."

"If he doesn't get to one of us first." Rosalie snapped; she was sitting on top of the counters.

"He can't take on all of us." I added. "We got magic on our side."

"This is insane." Bella said looking at me horrified. "Lena, you can't put yourselves in danger like this.... for me."

"Too late." Rosalie told her.

Edward shot her a look but grabbed two sets of keys off a hook and threw one lighting fast to Carlisle who caught it.

"Lena and I will run Bella south." Edward said. "While you lead the tracker away."

"No." Carlisle told him shaking his head. "The tracker knows you would never leave Bella, He'll follow you."

"He's right." I told him. "The girls and I can only do so much with magic."

"I'll take them." She said pushing her way over to us. "Jasper and I will drive them south."

Edward opened his mouth to protest but Alice beat him to it.

"I'll keep her safe Edward." She told him knowingly.

Edward looked pained.

"Can you keep your thoughts to yourself?" He asked.

"Yes... well from Bella anyway." Alice responded quietly giving me quick sneak look and led us over to a sleek car with dark tinted windows. Bella looked back at Edward; I wrapped my arm around her and opened the door helping her in.

Edward opened a bag of clothes and handed them out to Esme and Rosalie.

"Esme, Rosalie, put these on so the tracker will pick up Bella's scent." Edward asked.

'Please'

I thought.

"Please." Edward added back tracking.

"Why should I?" Rosalie asked dropping the clothes. "Other than Elena, what is Bella to me? Just a danger you've inflicted on us."

I frowned at her.

"Rosalie, Bella is with Edward." Carlisle told her firmly. "Elena has been with us since she was a child, Esther and David would never forgive us if something happened to her."

"She's my cousin." I added quietly seeing her glare at Carlisle, she turned to me seeing the worry on my face and sighed hopping down from the counter.

"I'll do it for you only." She told me picking up the clothes she dropped and put them on.

She then stomped over to the jeep, Emmett who gave me an apologetic smile and followed.

I went to get in the car, Esme stopped me and pulled me into a motherly hug.

"Be safe Elena, okay?"

I smiled pulling back seeing her and Carlisle both staring at me.

"I'll be fine, I might not be as powerful as other Lovelace's, but I won't let anyone touch my cousin." I told her earning a small nod.

I glanced at Quinn and Jazz.

"Can one of you sit with Charlie?" I asked frowning. "I put a protection field over the house but rather be safe than sorry."

"We both will." Quinn said coming closer to me. "Don't worry."

"We'll keep the line open, you let us know if you need us." Jasmine added.

I nodded frowning.

I turned getting in the car, I glanced over at Bella seeing her talking to Edward and ignored what they were saying because it was none of my business, I just opened my duffle bag Jazz gave me and looked through what potions I was given.

Once the two finished talking, Jasper peeled out of the garage.

------

I looked over seeing Bella crying and reached for her hand.

"We're gonna be okay Bella." I told her.

"This is why you told me not to get involved, I should have listened." She told me sniffling. "This is my fault, I got all of you in danger."

"It's no one's fault." I told her quietly. "It's just fate and no one not even me can mess with that...all we can do is pray to the goddess we make it out of this."

She stared at me before laying her head on the shoulder for comfort. I patted her head quietly and pulled my grandmother's spell book out searching for something that would help.

Just then my phone rang, I pulled my phone out, Bella lifted her head and looked at me.

"Is it Dad?" She asked.

I glanced at the ID seeing a number... Jacob.

"No." I told her glancing at the ID. "It's Jacob or probably Billy."

She sighed in relief.

"Why is he calling you?"

I frowned, watching it ring and felt my heart drop pushing the ignore button.

"You're not going to answer it?" She asked.

I shared looks with Jasper and Alice who looked back at me before shaking my head.

"No, I'll talk to him after this." I told her putting my phone back in my bag. "Now isn't the time for emotions, I have to stay focused, my magic is controlled by my emotions."

"So if your upset you won't be able to use it?" She asked staring at me.

"Yeah." I muttered.

She nodded quietly and laid her head back down.

I went back to reading, knowing I needed to build my magic, before my phone buzzed and I pulled it out again seeing a text.

'Where are you? Charlie called crying to my dad saying Bella ran away and you went with her, this isn't like you?'

I sighed, I wanted to ignore him, but I just couldn't do it.

'Something happened and Bella needed to get out of town, she just needs to get her head straight and I knew she needed someone to lean on, so I went with'

'So you're okay and will be coming back home?'

I frowned at the text, I tried to stay confident because I had to be for Bella and because if I wasn't then my magic wouldn't work since it's connected to my emotions.

'I can't promise that Jake'

My phone buzzed again drawing me from my thoughts, glancing at the message.

'You have to come home, there's millions of people here who love you, and Charlie is heartbroken you're like a daughter to him and Bella is his daughter, I don't know what's going on but you have to come home, For Charlie... for your friends... for Paul I know you like him... look just come home!'

I sighed and put my phone on silent and put it back in my bag ignoring him, knowing my phone's going to be blowing up. I couldn't think about that now, leaving was the saftest thing to do. I couldn't lose my uncle or my cousin.

I turned seeing that Bella had cried herself to sleep and quietly turned back to my spell book.

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4/15/2024