Breaking Away Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Suggested soundtrack for this chapter: Alibi -by 30 Seconds to Mars

Renesmee’s POV

“Jake, stop!” I laughed and threw a snowball aimed for his head. He growled playfully and tackled me into the snow, careful not to jostle me. Then Jacob grabbed a handful of snow and dangled it above my face, teasing me into the attack. I pushed him off me, and bent over to powerfully crush some snow into my hand, turning it into a deadly block of ice.

“Whoa, there!” Jake told me in mock horror, “Please, not ice! Anything but that!” He waved his hands up in defeat and smiled, showing me a full set of gleaming teeth. I sighed and dropped the ice-ball, sensing our snow fight was over with. Unbelievably, Jake rushed up behind me and pressed a handful down my coat, then ran away snickering like a teenaged boy. I squealed and jumped around the valley, shaking the chilly matter out of my cotton plaid shirt. “You dog!” I yelled, a hundred yards away.

“Gotcha.” Jake said and lay down in the blanketed grass. I could hear his retort from that distance, and was by his side instantly. I watched him stare at me as I sat beside him, pretending to be mad. My cheeks flushed from the cold and he wrapped his arm around my shoulders instantly. It wasn’t romantic at all, just response to the cold. Jacob was my primary source of heat when we were in bitter climates. I couldn’t wait until we reached the eastern seashore again.

“You hungry?” I asked, and unfolded from the ground anyway, already knowing what his response would be. Jake was always hungry. I unzipped my backpack and pulled out some dried meat for him to eat. It was quicker than having him shift to a werewolf to hunt. Having some meat on-hand was easy, but we always ran low. Fast. At least I knew we could always hunt together when need be, even though I didn’t grow fond of murdering animals. As I matured out of my younger age, I started to prefer human food to blood. The thirst inside my throat was extremely dull compared to my father and mother’s. I could easily resist killing an innocent animal.

“Thanks.” Jake took the meat and ate the 5-pounder in about thirty seconds. He burped noisily, the sound echoed across the mountain side, and I giggled. Jacob was gross in a very cute way. Wait, cute? Did I just think that? I glanced at Jacob’s boyish face out of the corner of my eye, constructing an examination. His eyes were closed in contentment, his full lips slightly open. I watched his muscled arm, draped over his wide chest; lift up and down from the breaths he took deeply. His russet skin was entirely fascinating to look at. Jacob released an eyelid and gazed up at me. Yah, I never thought of him that way before, but I was attracted to him. “What are you looking at?” He asked of me, and leaned on his elbows, his eyebrows furrowed.

“You know you’re sort of beautiful.” I told him, blushing and forcing my head down to cover it. After a few minutes of silence, I dared to look up to see his reaction. Jacob was gaping at me, utter confusion plain on every slope of his face. Never realizing my feelings for him had been unacceptable. I just hope he thought of me the same way. Not just Bella Cullen’s daughter he needed to shield from the Volturi. My bravery took hold as I thought of my mother, and I touched his forearm, reveling in the warmth of it. He still had no answer for me and I didn’t mind. I laid closely next to him, more for the urge to be near him instead for heat.

“You don’t know how long I’ve waited for you to say that.” Jacob turned his head to face mine, and I saw the happiness in his eyes. I leapt with pleasure in my mind. So he had been waiting all this time. Jake wasn’t my best friend anymore. He was so much more than that. His hand tangled into my hair and he pulled my face gently close to him. My heart beat sped up, and I knew he could hear it. It was plain to see all over his handsome features. I heard his heartbeat also, and I smiled as it picked up pace, racing over as if it would burst out of his chest. It was the loveliest sound. Jacob’s warm hands touched my back as our lips connected; mine hot and his even hotter. They scorched together as I put my hands on his chest.

The kiss didn’t last long, which suited me just fine. It was a very sweet kiss, one that told me the truth about Jacob’s feelings but it wasn’t a kiss that pressured me in any way. I knew that he was much older than I was, especially in physical time. Technically, I was four years old. Mentally as well as physically, I was pushing sixteen.

“We need to go, Nessie.” Jake interrupted my thoughts as he thrust himself from the snow-swathed ground and held a hand out to me. I took it and he lifted me up fully, my feet dangling in the air.

“Hey!” He was swinging me around, and I laughed. “Put me down! We really should go.” Jake set me down immediately at my request. I brushed some snow and dirt from my backside and turned to face the trees to give him privacy. I heard the pull and tug of cloth as he took his clothes off and blushed deeply. Then I distinctly heard the strange vibrating hum as he rapidly changed into a shape-shifter.

He barked the “all clear” signal. I rotated and put his clothes in my pack. Jacob bowed down to make it simple for me to climb onto his back. I held on to his fur for dear life as he dashed through the forest. Running with Jacob was the most breathtaking feeling. His speed was incredible, his bliss when in wolf form made me glad. I didn’t care if we would have to travel evermore. Being with Jacob was my happy place. I hugged Jake tighter and we flew across the valley.

After a few short hours his paws pounded against the terrain unsteadily and his ragged breathing frightened me. I patted his fur and bent down from my place on his back so he could see my worried face. My question he had to answer and I knew it. He rolled an eye and stuck out a tongue in an almost comical facial expression. My eyebrows furrowed together to into a V and I didn’t believe his passive response. Patting his head as a signal to stop, he slowed and then came to a complete halt. I slipped to ground and turned. Jacob instantly shifted back to human form and approached me.

“What’s wrong?” I asked him and he rubbed his hand through his short black hair. He shrugged his shoulders and stared at the soil.

“I’ve just been sorta tired, lately.” He glanced up at me, a glimmer of failure in his eyes. I sighed and enfolded my arms around his waist. “It’s because of me, isn’t it? My weight is too much for you to carry.” I pouted a little. Running got strenuous after a few hours and I wasn’t as fast as Jacob, even when I was on his back. I would slow our never-ending travel, and it would take longer to reach the coast.

“No, no. It’s not that.” Jacob replied, and pushed away from me, pacing. “I don’t know what it is, but I’m thinking it’s everything. The messed up world, the pack and their mental burdens, constantly running… I miss Bella.” He said this reluctantly, and I recoiled. Jacob missed my mother?

“Why.” All I could manage to state to him. My lip jutted out and I knew I looked pouty. I bit back on my lip.

“It’s not that I like her like that anymore, Nessie!” he told me, and I instantly felt relieved. “It’s just… you miss her so much. Edward too. It pains me, because you want them so badly.” I felt my eyes tear up in my lids as I imagined my mother and father draped in black cloaks, their eyes red and brooding with blood lust. The tears spilled over, and Jake wrapped me in a hug. “I’m so sorry, Nessie. They’ll come back, I swear they will.” He rubbed my back soothingly and I believed his words.

“I know.”


Edward’s POV

We can do it. I know we can save Renesmee and Jake from Marcus’s clutches. I feel it in my entire being. I had to. If I didn’t believe this, it would be an impossible feat. The love I had for my daughter was overpowering. I knew that if I could resist Bella’s lovely blood the first day I met her, then I surely could rescue my daughter now, with my wife by my side. I gawked down at my beloved, and thought selfishly. At least she was here with me, now. If Marcus had only claimed me, or Bella, and we had been apart, I would have lost control.

“What are you thinking?” Bella stated in her mind as the wind whipped her beautiful hair around her face as I cradled her in my arms. I wasn’t going to set her down until we were out of Europe, and she wouldn’t detract her shield either. It was too risky to let go of her if we came across a member of the Volturi, out to hunt.

“I was thinking about our daughter, and how stunning you both are,” Bella nestled closer to my chest, and I hugged her tighter. “We’ll find her, I know it.”

I felt her head nod against me and she thought about our life after we saved Renesmee and Jake. “It will be perfect, like we imagined.” I assured her, “We’ll go back to the cottage and live our lives with Nessie, Jake, and the rest of our family.”

“What if we can’t f-“ Bella started, but I silenced her with a glare.

“If you don’t believe it, it won’t happen. And it has to happen.” I closed my eyes, feeling the wind slide through my hair and the sweet caress of leaves against my skin. I used my sense of touch, smell, and sound to navigate through the underbrush, in the general direction of Forks, Washington. We had to talk to Seth first, to pinpoint Jake’s location. The only difficult part was if we could reach them before Demetri. Or decide if they should keep moving to avoid Demetri, or if they should stop and wait for us.

“You’re right, Edward,” Bella grinned, “Always right.”

I chuckled and gave her a crooked smile I knew she found irresistible.


Alice’s POV

Marcus’s fury was entertaining. His usually reserved manner had disintegrated and he was glaring at me with his ruby red eyes, mouth in a tight line as it had been for over an hour. The fire burned inside him as he fought with himself over a decision. His future went from him watching Felix ripping me limb from limb, to forgiving me and keeping his coveted gift of mine. It was just too funny!

He crossed his arms over his antique chest and huffed. Palm to face, he sighed and murmured something unintelligible to Jane. I smiled up at him as Jane nodded her head in approval of his decision. I would live, as I had foreseen. Silly men and their wants. And Jane couldn’t resist her future. Although, I never had to be accurate for them…

“I’m going to forgive you and let you live.” Marcus told me this as if he was acting on a great kindness. Uh huh. Now that I know Edward and Bella have escaped, nothing could spoil my chipper mood. Still, I had to keep up with my pretense. I bowed to Marcus – a little mockingly, and gave him a dazzling smile. “Thank you, Marcus, I much appreciate it.”

He glared down at me, taken aback by my insult. Marcus was inwardly fuming, and I felt it. I swiveled around and made my way toward the ridiculously massive wooden door. My cloaked swirled delicately and I hated it. Cloaks were so seventeenth century. At least they let me wear my stilettos… I smirked.

“Alice.” Marcus’s demanded startled me, and I came to an abrupt halt. What? What more could he say? He probably just wanted me to seek his future for him… it was always the same, burning, ash, and death. But perhaps he was just trying to amuse himself. I turned to face him again, a question clearly in my eyes.

“Are you with us, Alice? Fully, unquestionably?” he cocked his head to the side, and raised an eyebrow. I gasped inwardly. Fully with the Volturi? What did that mean?

Marcus could see my uneasiness and cackled. “Are you surprised I would want your full gratitude, your full commitment?” He stepped down from his throne to stand a few feet away from me. Marcus was even more menacing up close, and I automatically took a half-step back towards the door. “Surely, this question should not be surprising after that stunt you pulled with Edward and Bella today. I’m not quite happy about that.”

Marcus pulled a hand out of his cloak to stroke it across my cheek. “I’m not happy, Alice. You did the wrong thing.”

I instantly sought out his future, begging for an answer to this outcome. I gasped as I saw it. Me, with blood red eyes, standing behind Marcus every so loyal. My eyes were no longer gold, the sign of my endeavor for life, and peace. They were cold rubies, showing my weakness for draining a human of its blood. Or worse, by Marcus’s force.

“Alice, you can no longer leave the Volturi castle under any circumstances. You are to live here, speak here, and hunt here.” The weight of his words crushed my hope to ever leave this god-forsaken place. I knew that no vampire would bring back an animal for me, the Guard only brought back humans for the high-ranking Volturi who were too lazy or proud to hunt themselves. I would be forced to drink human blood, and then Marcus would take my every single will, molding me to his purpose.

The only thing I could do was nod. And Jane screamed.

“What?” she shouted, obviously outraged with Marcus’s decision. “Does that mean Alice is second in command? Not me!?” Her body flew up from the throne. She faced Marcus, defiant.

“Yes, Jane. Is that not obvious enough for you? Before, Alice refused to drink the blood of humans. Now that she complied, and I know she will respect me, she is allowed to be my second.” He waved Jane off, and she ambled back wards towards her seat, fuming. Just before she sat down, Marcus called to her.

“Jane. You don’t sit there anymore. Alice?” He gestured to me to sit at the right-side throne, and I obeyed. What else could I do but to obey? Jane gave me the most deathly look before I seated myself. Her future held the most hateful feelings for me now.

“Of course, Marcus.” Jane complied, and stood behind his throne, glaring daggers at me as he sat in front of her. Then, too low for Marcus, Alec, or Renata to hear, she spoke.

“I’ll kill you Alice Cullen. I vow, I’ll rip you apart myself and start the fire.”