Missing girl

70.

Her presence was a constant hum as Edward reached the edge of the forest. He narrowed his eyes through his tainted glasses and eased the car to a halt. Alice shifted in the passenger's seat. Her eyes have been closed through most of the trip.

"Why are we stopping?" asked Jasper from the backseat. Edward pushed the door open. A wave of nausea smacked him and he sagged against the car.

"Edward, get back inside. Are you crazy? You're going to blind someone with all that sparkling skin." Usually, Edward would laugh at that kind of joke. But right now, he just brushed it off. The early sun peeked through the top of the branches, and harsh rays filtered in patches toward him. Under his thin white T-shirt, his skin shimmered like a million diamonds. All of Edward's focus was geared towards Renesme. The memory of her, the sound of her voice, the essence of her being. All he could feel was a wall of black fog engulfing every sound and smell.

"She's blocking me," he said while glaring at the wall of vegetation cutting the civilized part of Forks from the deep ancient forest lost in the mountain range beyond. Edward peered through the heavy canopy on the left, a slope overlooking the spot where they had parked the car. Emmett pulled his jeep with an angry reeved of the engine next to Edward's car. It threw dust and pine cones before stopping. Rosalie glared in Edward's direction. He could feel her hatred from where he was standing. She wanted nothing to do with this search party. Maybe, he should have listened to her for once and cut her some slack. Emmett slammed the door of his vehicle pulling Edward from his dark thoughts.

"Now what?" said Emmett in his deep masculine voice. "We've been chasing ghosts all day. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but this is pointless. If she doesn't want to come home--"

"Shut up!" said Edward through gritted teeth. "I'm going to find her and bring her home." He turned towards the trees erected like fangs ready to take a bite at them. His stomach churned at the prospect of entering Jacob Black's domain without invitation. He was not the teenager Edward once knew, not anymore. Here, among the shadows of pine trees was a fierce alpha. One ready to defend his clan and his mate. "Come on, let's go." As they made their way toward the slope, bushes stirred and Edward took a defending stance, nails sharp and fangs bared.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," said a distorted voice from behind bushes. Jasper, Emmett, Alice, and Rosalie joined Edward as they faced the newcomer. And out of the shadow stepped a half-wolf half-man.

"Sam," whispered Edward. More wolves emerged from the gloom. Four tall brown wolves with intelligent eyes glared at the vampires.

"You are crossing my turf without my permission. What are you doing here, Cullens?" The wolf-man smirked at them, teeth ready to rip them to shreds. Edward hissed, his eyes bleeding red.

"We want no feud with you. I'm here to get my little girl." The wolves surrounding Sam growled at the show of hostility from the vampires. They were natural enemies. Every peace treaty between them was only an illusion. Sam smiled and peered toward the invisible barrier separating his domain and the menacing darkness beyond. Something stirred under the trees. He tensed and his wolves moved to stand in position. "It's here," he warned. The vampires felt it too and stood closer to face the new menace coming to meet them.