New Rise - Book 4

Chapter 15

As we made our way to La Push I couldn't help but think about what Jake did to ensure my safety. None of it made sense, none of it at all. It took all my might to stay focused on my driving. Surprisingly I had never had a true lesson but I knew the basics from watching my father and reading drivers hand books.

To slow down and stop I needed to gently step on the left pedal and to accelerate I needed to apply pressure to the right pedal. As well I needed to remain on the right side of the road whether I'm coming or going. The other obvious laws were making sure the speedometer on the car matched the number on the speed limit signs as I passed by them. I could do this.

"So don't you think you should inform your parents about your whereabouts?" Nicholi asked me.

I shook my head. "That's not my priority. Jake's family and Sili's brother, they are my priority."

"Why?"

"Jake was just turned into a vampire and sent to live with the Volturi clan for eternity his father and sisters deserve to know. As for Paul, he needs to know his sister is still alive despite her blood status."

He silently nodded his head. "So 4 hour drive, got anything to read?"

I glanced over at him. "What?"

"Whenever my family and I go on long trips somewhere I usually bring a book to read. I'm not a big fan of scenery that I've seen a billion times before."

"Me either." I reached down at his feet and grabbed my day bag before I handed it to him. "I should have a book or two in there for light reading on occasions like this."

I heard him shuffling in my bag for a few seconds before he extracted a book.

"Imprinting History of the Quileutes." I saw him from the corner of my eyes turning the book over in his hands.

"I got it from my parents library but never got around to reading it."

He opened the book to the table of contents and glanced before turning to the first page.

"Upon the many recordered types of Imprinting the most common are between those Imprinters and their Soul Mates or the Imprinter and their Protectee's."

"What's a Protectee?"

He held up an index finger. "The reason for imprinting is unknown. Our ancestors believes that a shape-shifter imprints on the person with whom he has the best chance to reproduce, however, imprinting is designed to make the shape-shifter stronger." He paused. "Though in the case of Protectors and their Protectees the imprinting isn't for reproducing but in the case of protecting the tribes extinction."

"What, that doesn't make one bit of sense."

"Over the centuries our tribes have faced extinction not just once but severeal times. The first brought about the change in Imprinting to bring about the Protectors. All documented Protectors came from the direct blood line of Chief Ephraim Black."

"Ephraim Black, sounds familiar." I thought about the name for a few seconds before I realized where I had heard it once before. "I heard my mother and Jacob talking once before about how he turned down the spot as Chief Black because he didn't want it when he first phased. I think Ephraim is Jake's great great grandfather or something."

"So he's a protector?" Nicholi asked.

I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't know."

Nicholi closed the book and restored it back to my bag before he just stared out the window. "After we finish this we should go to your parents and let them know what has happened."

I shook my head. "I'd prefer not to. Anyways they probably alread seen it through Alice's visions."

Just like on cue my cell phone began to ring.

"Three guesses to who that could be, answer it for me."

Nicholi picked up my phone and clicked the talk button. "Hello?"

"Whose this?" I heard my fathers voice ask angrily. "Where is my daughter?"

"She's right here sir."

"Let me speak to her, why isn't she the one answering?"

"She's driving."

"DRIVING WHERE!" He was shouting now.

"Sir we are on our way to La Push to speak to the parent of Jacob Black something terrible has happened."

"What has happened to him, is he alright? Hows Renesmee?"

"Sir, Renesmee is perfectly okay."

"And Jake?"

I shook my head as if he was right here to see it. "Jake is gone. He was turned and taken. He is now part of the Volturi Clan."

"What? Why? Who?"

"The nomad that has been lurking turned out to be Sili. I guess she was Paul's sister and had disappeared one day without a trace. She was recently bribed into the Volturi with the threat of killing her family if she didn't. Now they foresaw Jake being a powerful vampire and wanted him too. He had an ultimatum. He could stay but his family would die, including Renesmee or he could join them and ensure they never needed to be bother again."

"He did it to protect my daughter."

"Yes sir and now Renesmee and I are on our way to La Push to tell his family and the pack."

"What is your name?"

"Nicholi Cromwell sir, I am your daughters friend and neighbor. I'm a half-mortal, my mother was a human."

"And your father a vampire."

"Yes sir."

"Well I would like to meet you when you both get back from your trip. Drive safe and take care of my daughter."

"Always." Nicholi hung up.

I sighed. "Thank you for making this trip with me."

We were now entering Forks. It looked the same, than again, Forks never did. I knew the way to get to the La Push Reservation after coming here with Jake and my mother on our way back from my grandfathers. That was the day my mom dropped Jake and I off at grampa Charlies so she could go and run errands.

It was just a twenty minute drive, in traffic before I entered onto the Res. From there it was just another five minutes to Billy's house.

When we pulled up outside the entire wolf pack, including Charlie and Sue were there sitting around a small bon fire in the field.

When Billy saw me I watched his eyes looking around and I knew he was searching for Jake.

"Hey Ness." Charlie greeted me.

I smiled and wrapped my arms around him.

"What brings you here and who is your friend kiddo?"

I cleared my throat as I took a few more steps to Billy's side. When his eyes met mine I couldn't help but begin to cry.

"Renesmee dear, where is Jacob?" Billy asked me. I could see the concern form stress lines along his forehead.

I took a deep breath and took a seat on the log beside Billy. After gaining control of the emotions that wanted to make me cry I looked up at him placed my hand on his arm.

"Before I explain what happened to Jake I want to start from the beginning."

"What about the beginning, just get to the point Cullen." Paul snapped. "What have you and your blood suckers done to him?"

I glared at him. "First of all it's not what my family has done but what your sister Sili did."

His mouth dropped and the bitter smug look on his face disappeared at once. "Sili?"

"Your sister told us what happened to her."

"What happened?"

"She was taken and turned by a vampire named Victoria."

"That red head that was killed during the fight with the new borns?" Paul asked.

I nodded my head. "The very same. A couple months ago the Volturi found her and they told her she either join them or they would kill everyone she loved. So she joined them to protect you all."

"Okay so why did they want her?" Paul snapped.

"She was powerful. The Volturi want nothing but power and she was a huge chunk."

"What's happened to my son?" Billy asked desperately.

I sighed. "Sili came to him at my home with a message from the Volturi. They saw his potential and told him the same thing they told Sili. He joined them."

"But he's not a vampire and he can't be changed because he's a werewolf." Billy argued.

I shook my head. "He was a vampire until the recent incident in Seattle. He was bit by a vampire but I managed to suck the venom out before it was able to do any damage to his human form. Unfortunately the wolf part of him died so he was able to be turned succesfully."

"No...." Billy shook his head franctically. "No.... no this is Jacob we are talking about he wouldn't want to become a vampire."

"I know it's hard to believe but he willingly took the bullet."

"For you!" Paul snapped. "You are his imprint and I bed the Volturi was after you."

"He was my imprint but not in the way you think. He was my Protector and I his protectee. This is bigger than me, its all of us."

Then it all made sense.

"A Protector imprints on the being that can lead him to his duty of preventing extinction." Sam said. "There hasn't been a Protector around for almost a hundred years."

"Until now. Just think about it. If Jake hadn't imprinted on me both my family and yours would've fought each other to their deaths. His imprinting on me saved not only myself but your pack."

"That's coincidental."

"What about the battle of the Volturi."

"That was because of you." Paul snapped.

"That's what the Volturi wanted everyone to think. Aro wanted my aunt Alice because of her gift and the fact that I happened to be their target for a justice that was invalid Jake fought with us and so did you." I took a deep breath. "Jacob's destiny was to protect the pack's extinction. I was the best person to lead him to it so he also need to protect me so he could get there."

"My sons life has been nothing but pain and confusion since he's been hanging around with Bella. Now look where it's gotten him." Bill said in a sadden voice.

"Woah, now come on Billy that's not fair." Grampa Charlie said.

"You can't pretend that its not true Charlie. I respect you because you are my best friend but your daughter and the Cullens have caused more trouble than they are worth."

I felt my tears begin to well up inside.

"Don't say that about my mother." I said gently.

"The apple doesn't fall far from the tree." Billy murmured.

I gasped.

"That's enough Billy. You may be my best friend but I will not stand here while you talk down about my daughter and my granddaughter. Yes I understand your son is a vampire," Charlie paused and I saw him shiver. "But he did it to protect you and everyone here."

"That doesn't change a thing. My only son is gone."

"He isn't dead Billy!" Charlie shouted.

"He might as well be."

"Renesmee, come on you don't need to hear this." Nicholi said.

"Cullen doesn't care about Jake's wellbeing anymore, see she's already got a new boyfriend." Paul snapped.

I turned around and slapped Paul across the face. "Don't you dare say I don't care about Jake. If it wasn't for him I'd be DEAD!"

Suddenly the air around me began to feel heavy. I looked at Paul and sure enough his face was screwed up in nothing but anger. His fists were clenched into fists as his body began to tremble.

"Renesmee back away." I heard Sam call to me.

I was frozen in shock as Paul's eyes were locked on mine. I couldn't break away from his gaze.

"Paul calm down." Embry said as he joined Paul's side.

Then it was too late. I watched in slow motion as Paul burst out of his clothes and formed into a large silver wolf. His paws came forward and scraped against my chest. I immeadiately felt pain as I fell to the ground.

"Renesmee!" I heard my grampa Charlie and Nicholi shout together. Their voices sounded miles away but I knew they were close.

I heard two more of the pack members phase and they quickly wrangled Paul away and into the woods to calm him down.

Then Charlie and Nicholi were at my side.

"Renesmee." His hands were cradling my face.

I coughed and spit up blood.

"Renesmee," My grandfather had tears in his eyes and panick spread across his face. "SOMEONE HELP!" He shouted.

I coughed again spewing more blood from my mouth. Everything around me felt disconnected and the pressure on my chest grew heavier and heavier.

"I'm dying aren't I?" I whispered.

A few tears dropped from Charlie's eyes and landed on my cheek bone.

"Grampa, I love-" Before I could finish my sentence I felt myself slip beneath a veil of some sorts.

It was like entered through a door that I couldn't return through. Somehow though I was able to see my surroundings only I was no longer looking through my eyes but down upon the scene. I could see myself like another person did. Was I dead?

I watched carefully as Nicholi placed his hands over the bloody wound Paul had caused on my body and then close his eyes. After a few seconds a green light began to glow around him. It grew bigger and bigger until it enveloped me.

The green aura radiated around my still body until it entered through the wounds on my chest. All the light continued to flow inside me until there was no more.

Once the light was gone Nicholi opened his eyes, removed his hands, and sat back on his heels.

"W-what was that?" Charlie stuttered as he kept looking from Nicholi to me and back.

"I've healed her." He said and he moved aside the shredded cloth of my shirt to reveal light pink scars where there once was a wound.

"So she's alive?"

Nicholi nodded and then rose to his feet before gathering me into his arms. "I should take her home to her parents." He said as he started back towards the car.

"We are coming too." Charlie said as he and Sue followed. "That's my granddaughter."

So I was alive because of Nicholi. If that was so then why was I still able to see myself. Shouldn't I be unconscious and inside my body? What was wrong?