I WOULDN'T MIND

eleven. jelly donut

▬▬ CORI FALTERED WHEN she reached the house – faster than any of the others – her eyes landing on Jacob as he sat on the ground, his knees pulled to his chest and his arms around himself. She moved to his side so fast that he jumped a little, his teary eyes moving up to meet hers. It felt like razors prickling the backs of her eyes, but her tears, the tears that so desperately wanted to fall wouldn't. She sank to her knees, wrapping her arms around him as she pressed her face against his shoulder.

"She's gone, Cori." He sniffled and she squeezed him tighter as she sobbed, her shoulders shaking with her dry heaves. He leaned his head against hers, sucking in a shaky breath. Cori's hands shook, unable to keep herself calm, so she let go of the wolf in fear of hurting him, then she made her way out into the woods. She pressed her back into a tree, taking deep shaky breaths as she squeezed her eyes closed.

She couldn't fathom that her sister was gone, that she was dead. It felt like her chest was constricting as her heart shattered, the pieces lodging themselves in her throat adding to the burn she felt, adding to the thirst that hadn't been satiated because she was too worried about Collin and Brady to care enough to take part in the deer they had found.

She slammed her head back into the tree, it shook on impact, a few branches falling to the ground around her, then her head snapped up when she heard them. Growling, snarling, howling. It was all she could hear and she knew then that she'd have to fight.

She made her way back to the house just as Edward – covered in blood – made his way down the stairs, Jasper and Alice behind him. Edward met her eyes from where she stood close to the treeline and he parted his lips.

"I know." She breathed out, her hands clenched into fists at her sides.

"We're outnumbered." Jasper stated as the wolves stalked towards them, but Cori stayed with her back to them, her glare on Edward.

"By a lot." Alice added, her eyes scanning the huge masses moving towards them before landing on Cori.

"I won't let them hurt my family." He shook his head, eyes focused only on the threat behind the small vampire before him.

"Cori?" Jasper's drawl didn't even register as she took a step back as the wolves came to a stop. The blond vampire didn't like the look in her eyes, she looked deadly, lethal and not at all like the Cori he had grown fond of as a darkness coated every emotion she felt.

Sam growled, his nose hanging just over Cori's shoulder, Paul towering over her on her left. "I told you what would happen." Her voice low, calm because she knew he could hear her even from a distance.

Sam was the first to move, jumping towards Edward, Jared going for Jasper as Embry jumped towards Alice. Paul pushed off the ground, but stopped when he felt a hand on his side, fingers slipping through his fur and he turned just as Cori's clothes ripped and four paws hit the ground.

He didn't have to ask because he could hear the murderous thoughts in her head, the heartbreaking cry she wanted to release, and the unbearable pain of losing her sister. With a simple nod, they jumped, Cori knocking Edward to the ground when he pushed Sam back, her paw pressed into his chest as she growled, saliva falling from her exposed canines as her lips curled back.

And I never break a promise. Her voice filled his head as he pushed, trying to throw her back but she pressed him harder into the ground. Before she could do anything she was pushed to the side, rolling across the ground with a whimper as she flailed her legs, trying to get them under her. And once she was up she saw Esme and Carlisle.

"Cori?" Esme looked for the wolf to her husband, but his eyes were trained on the wolf before them. Her bright blue eyes shone as she growled, but she didn't move. She didn't want to hurt them, just Edward. Paul jumped over her back, going for Jasper only to be tackled and Emmett pushed himself up as Embry and Quil circled Alice. The burly vampire jumped, his boot connecting with Embry's head and sending him to the ground, then he turned and threw his fist into Quil's nose and the wolf whined.

Cori waited, not moving, until Carlisle and Esme had to jump in, defending their home and their kids from the beasts before them. And only when they were occupied with Jared and Sam did she jump at Edward again, Paul had him pinned, but the vampire swiped his legs out, knocking him off balance but before he could get to his feet Cori was on him.

And just as she was about to tear into him, she was pushed, again. This time she looked up and her eyes met Emmett's, she stopped, her head hanging low as she flattened her ears and let out a series of quiet whines.

"Cori?" He was completely shocked, unmoving as he looked at her. His lips parted but no words came out, every thought in his head stilling. There was too much going on, too much to comprehend and he wasn't sure why she was in wolf form or why she had been seconds from tearing Edward's head off.

"Stop!" Jacob shouted, rushing out of the house and Cori looked over to see that the Cullens were backed against the house, all looking tired as the wolves growled, with every intention to kill. "It's over!" Sam charged only to have Jacob stand in his way. "If you kill her, you kill me."

Sam moved, using his snout to throw the boy backwards, but he just landed as a wolf and moved forwards as he growled. Standing eye to eye with Sam.

"Jacob imprinted." Edward filled the others in and Cori's ears shifted towards him, confusion focusing a snarl from her lips and Emmett moved closer to her, his hand raised slightly and she looked back at him as he pressed his palm into her forehead. She let out a small sigh and nuzzled into his side as her eyes fell closed. "They can't hurt her. Whoever a wolf imprints on can't be harmed. It's their most absolute law."

Sam reluctantly retreated, turning back towards the woods and the others followed, the silver wolf sparing a glance at Cori.

"You okay, Munchkin?"

Her head a muddled mess of anger, confusion, warmth and murderous intent, all of which he could see. "No."

Emmett looked between the two, every other vampires doing the same as a low rumble left Paul's throat, but it wasn't threatening. "Let's go for a run." He knew that if she was left there, despite the array of Cullens, she'd rip Edward in half. And even if the thought was appealing, he knew it would tear her apart once her anger had faded.

With a sound of agreement she pulled away from Emmett and took off into the trees, Paul at her side. Then she let out a heart wrenching howl that reverberated through Emmett like fire.

>>>>> • <<<<<

▬▬ EMMETT KNEW IT WAS the last place he should be but it had been almost two days and she hadn't been back home. He found her phone in the bed they shared, so he couldn't call her. It was eating him alive and he just kept replaying the moment she disappeared into the woods and her howl, a deafening sound of loss and heartache.

Emmett stopped in the driveway, a few steps in front of his jeep, when the door opened and Sam stepped out.

"Is she here?" He asked, his voice low, but he knew she was because he had already checked Charlie's – which then led to him explaining that they had to postpone their travels.

"Yeah." Sam nodded, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Can I see her?" He hated that he had to ask to see his girlfriend, even more that he had to ask Sam, who two days ago wanted to rip him and his entire family apart. Sam took a breath before nodding his head towards the door, his way of silently inviting the vampire in. Emmett let out a long sigh and made his way towards the porch, making sure to keep his speed at a human-level as not to start anything with the wolves.

Sam pushed the glass to the side and stepped in and all eyes turned towards him as Emmett followed him. Brady and Collin looked up from the books in front of them, Emily standing behind their chairs to help with their homework and she shifted on her feet a little. Embry sat up a little straighter in the arm chair, his eyes narrowed.

Paul and Jared rose from their spots on the couch, hands clenched and eyes narrowed but the alpha simply raised his hand and they relaxed a little as they settled back into the couch on either side of Cori, who had yet to move.

Emmett's eyes landed on her like a beacon, she was perched on the couch, her knees pulled up to her chest and her arms wrapped tightly around her shins. She wore a large hoodie and a pair of shorts – the hoodie was Paul's and the shorts were Emily's – and she had her hand curled around the fabric of the sleeve and the sleeve pressed to her nose and mouth. But he could tell that she wasn't breathing, her shoulders were still. Hell, her entire body was still, like she was nothing more than a statue.

"Shortcake." Her head snapped to the side, like she had just realized that he was there. "I-" He started but she slammed into his chest so hard that the words died in his throat and he took a couple steps back under the impact. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her face tucked into his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her as tightly as possible. His eyes fell closed as he breathed her in, even under the stench that clung to the clothes she wore she still smelt as he always had. Like strawberries.

"I-I'm sorry." She mumbled against him and everyone watched the two, mostly because they were all worried about the girl but partly because trusting a Cullen – especially after everything – was hard. "If I had stayed, I-" She couldn't bring herself to say it. Now that her anger had subsided she was scared of the part of her that wanted to rip Edward to pieces. The part of her that would've enjoyed it.

Paul stood up, his hands lazily shoved into his pockets, and Emmett looked up at him. "She wanted to kill the mind reader. She would have. That's why I asked her to come with me. I was saving her from herself. She's a vampire, but she's not a monster."

"It's okay, Shortcake." Emmett kissed her shoulder. "It's okay."

"It's not." She mumbled, her arms tightening around him. "My sister's dead."

"No, baby." He put her back on her feet, his hands on her cheeks and his eyes briefly meeting Sam's because he wasn't sure where they stood on that front, but Cori was more important. His eyes met hers again and she looked like a confused little kid, her brows creased and her black eyes wide.

"What?" Her hands grasped his wrists, a hopeful glimmer in her eyes.

"Edward... he did it." He nodded his head, but she still looked so confused. He brushed his thumb over her forehead, erasing the furrow in her brow. "Carlisle said that the morphine could be affecting it. But she's gonna wake up."

"Really?"

"Yeah." A smile tugged at his lips at the relief that washed over her, softening her features. She let out a relieved breath and leaned her forehead against his chest, finally letting herself relax.

"You should hunt." The couple pulled apart and looked over at Sam, who stood with Emily at his side, his arm around her protectively. "You said it had been days, your eyes are black."

"I'm fine." She shook her head, untangling herself from Emmett.

"I had a jelly donut and you tried to bite it." Embry added and she narrowed her eyes at him. "They literally had to hold you down." The guys chuckled, remembering the day before and then how upset she was when he finished off the donut.

And she was hungry, thirsty. Which is why she made it so she and Emily were never left alone. She never even got near the woman, refusing hugs even when she needed one.

"Yeah, Little Monster, go hunt. You need it." Jared told her and she chuckled, her eyes bouncing around the room. It filled her with a special kind of joy that they still treated her as they always had.

"I love you guys." She hummed before making her way over to Paul. "And thank you for not letting me lose myself."

"Always." He gave her a smile before pulling her into his chest, Emmett swallowed as his hands clenched but he didn't move. And once they pulled back she turned back to Emmett, who was still considerably tense.

"I'm thinking bear." She made her way towards him. "Or five." She breathed out, getting a chuckle from her boyfriend.

"Shortcake, we can't just eat all the bears. It's bad for the environment."

"Fine, mountain lion then."

⚘‎ nova speaks┆i just love how cori has taken it upon herself to avenge emmett and travis by diminishing the bear population.

anyways, i love this book so much and i'm super excited for the second half!!