Selcouth • J. Hale ✓

xlvii.

chapter forty-seven.

Karina walked beside Huilen as they were shopping for things in town.

"Why do you hide within the tribes of Ticuna in Brazil?" Karina asked her as they grabbed things for her and Nahuel to eat.

"My people would have never allowed us to stay and while I miss my homeland, there is a part of me that cannot return because I know that my sister is not there." Huilen explained softly while adjusting her top for the third time.

Karina laughed and helped Huilen, she adjusted the shirt and Huilen sighed in relief. "It takes a while but soon we will go home." Karina promised her and Huilen nodded her head.

Karina grabbed a couple more things before checking out and paying for everything via cash. Karina knew that Jasper could possibly look at her bank account and so she didn't want to risk him seeing her transactions, so she withdrew a certain amount of money to get by.

As Karina and Huilen were heading back to the car, Karina felt a sharp kick causing her to gasp. Huilen looked at her worriedly before Karina then started to vomit up blood on the side of someone's car.

"Karina." Huilen gasped before wrapping an arm around Karina and helping her to the car.

Huilen placed the groceries into the trunk before climbing into the driver's side. Huilen never liked driving, in fact she rarely ever did but with Karina wincing in pain, she knew that she had to get the girl back home fast.

Karina then started coughing and Huilen knew that something was direly wrong.

∞

Jasper gasped out in pain, his stomach felt like it was being punched repeatedly and he didn't understand.

"Jasper? What is wrong?" Rosalie asked her brother with concern written all over her face. "Carlisle!" She shouted out as Jasper continued to be in pain.

Carlisle ran over and knelt down in front of Jasper, he lifted his son's shirt and his eyes widened at the black veins that covered his entire chest.

"When did these start appearing?" Carlisle asked and everyone then appeared into the room.

Esme gasped as she rushed forward to Carlisle's side. "What's this?"

"It happened a week after Karina left." He gasped out as he suddenly felt like his ribs were being crushed.

"We all knew that the bond can't be strained for long, but you and Karina were apart for longer than this and it makes me wonder if it's your soulmate bond trying to reach out." Carlisle explained as he chest over Jasper. "It's Karina, she's in pain."

"It's like my ribs are being crushed and my stomach is being punched repeatedly." He explained before suddenly the pain passed. He sat upright and took a deep breath, "It stopped."

"I think because Karina is pregnant, the bond is trying to reach out and connect you on a deeper level. Especially since she's gone again." Carlisle told him as Jasper placed a hand over his heart.

"So, this pain that I felt," Jasper spoke, "That's what she's feeling?"

Carlisle nodded softly, "I believe so son."

Jasper felt something inside of him go into a frenzy as the need to find Karina got so much stronger. "What do I do? I don't know where she's at or how to find her!" He stressed and they all looked at him sadly.

"What about the places that her father left her?" Bella suddenly spoke up and everyone looked at her. "When her dad died, she told me that her dad left her and her mom a bunch of properties. They sold most of them but kept a good handful." She explained.

"And you didn't mention this sooner?" Rosalie snapped at her, and Edward glared at his sister.

"I didn't think about it until now. I'm sorry." She apologized and Jasper shook his head at her softly.

"No, it's not your fault." He reassured her, "We've all been stressed, and I didn't even remember this."

"Where would she go?" Carlisle asked, looking between both Bella and Jasper.

"Siargo." A new voice spoke up and everyone's head snapped towards the living room entrance to see Alice and Javier. "She said that her dad gave it to her mom because it was Aurora's fondest place to go."

"Javi, it's good to have you back." Carlisle smiled at him while Esme approached the couple to give him a hug.

"It's good to be back." He replied after hugging Esme back. "Alice helped me a lot but I'm better. In control more." He explained and they all were relieved to hear this.

"Where in Siargo, would she go?" Jasper asked him after the greetings had been completed.

Javier walked over and sat on the couch, pulling Alice to sit on his lap. "They have a vacation home there. It's beach front, I can probably find the address if I go back home." He explained.

"Would you even be able too?" Bella asked him. "I mean, I know you're a hybrid and all that, but would Sam still let you on their side?"

Javier shrugged his shoulder, "To find Karina, it's worth a shot."