A/N: This is a story by Mrs. Jones. I find it very challenging to write from the pov of the pack but, my other half told me to push myself. Let me know what you think. I hope you enjoy.
Chapter 1
Edward
I lay in the snow, the cold and the darkness surrounding me like a blanket. It was a clear night, the sky filled with stars. So far, this was the safest place for us, out in the middle of the Siberian snow desert, except for maybe the middle of the ocean but, we both preferred to have solid ground under our feet. I looked over at the girl who had changed my life, Alice. She was a mere child of twelve when her soul was taken from her and we'd been together ever since. For almost five years we moved from one isolated location to the next, staying as far from civilization as possible.
"Stop moping, Eddy," she sat up from one of the thousands angels she created. They would be gone with the next storm, as if she'd never been here. That was how I was feeling at in that moment, as if I didn't exist. I had nothing to show for my so-called life, I made no contribution to the world except for Alice. I often questioned if it had all been worth losing my family over, to save a vampire child from sure death. Rosalie was the one who insisted it was. Over and over in her head she screamed at me saying that it wasn't her fault, none of us chose this life. That was moments before James tore her head from her body.
The small pixie-sized girl plopped down beside me. "Let's go see Jazzy," she said with a bit of a pout. "It's been months since he left."
"We can't go to him, Alice. You know that," I said sternly. We kept away from temptation. Not for me but, for her. Carlisle, my creator, taught me how to control my thirst and to drink the blood of animals instead of, humans. Alice was much younger than I was when Carlisle 'saved' me from a run in with the Spanish flu. I was a bit more stable and more patient than a twelve-year-old girl. She was frozen in her tween mind and body, not always aware of the consequences of her actions or ignored them as kids often did. Her emotions were all over the place, one minute happy and excited the next petulant and thoughtless. It was one thing to have a child who ignored rules such as cleaning their room or using their indoor voice, it was a whole other thing to hold back a thirsty vampire in a room filled with beating hearts. "I'll call him when we get to town," she fell backward with an exhausted sigh. She was frustrated living with only me for a companion and occasional visits from her favorite brother.
Jasper was probably my closest friend now with my family dead and gone. He was a god-send when I first acquired Alice. His ability to control newborns was the only thing that kept me sane and her alive. I called him weeks after Alice's transformation was complete. It had been a daunting task to even get close enough to tower where I could get reception. I couldn't leave her on her own for even a moment. When he arrived, her emotional state was calmed almost immediately. Not only from his empathic abilities but, also, he had a way with her. He sat and listened to her talk endlessly about nothing and everything and told her stories of his life. He stayed with us for the first two years of her new life and visited us regularly since.
"Yes!" she shouted. In her mind, I could see him coming to us baring gifts for her. They were never practical gifts, always a toy or fancy clothes. "Girls don't want things they need, they want things that are frilly and pretty" he told me once. My reply was that I was beginning to feel like a pack mule with endless bags to carry on our travels. "Its time to find a place to settle, Edward," he said. "She's ready."
I huffed and rolled my eyes not unlike Alice would do. I wasn't so easily convinced. In fact, we'd never really tested her to see what would happen. We hadn't been within twenty miles of a human in a few years except when I needed to move us near a town to make a few phone calls and even then it was for very short periods of time.
"You have the ability to read her mind and she has the ability to foresee the future. It will give you what you need to keep yourselves and others safe," he explained. "She needs to meet others both human and those like us. You can't keep her hidden away forever, what kind of life is that?" He was right, of course but, I wasn't sure if this was the right time. We had to keep the risk to a minimum so, someplace where is was less populated.
Our obvious danger to humans wasn't my only concern. Alice was a child and in the eyes of the vampire world, a danger. The only real law that anyone took seriously was to be inconspicuous. We didn't want to be found out by the human race at large. It meant that killings would happen in the cover of darkness and not in public, keeping our natural strength and agility hidden, and stay out of the sun where anyone could see our skin's reaction to it. Vampire children were more volatile and unaware of the reason for this. They were easily distracted, usually self-centered, and emotional. It was common belief that the children should be destroyed without hesitation or explanation.
"Alright, come on," I stood brushing the snow from my pants. "Let's pack up and head out," she jumped up and clapped her hands together smiling as she shoved the clothes she dressed her snow white angels in. With our bags strapped to our backs, we trudged through the snow almost sixty miles from where we were.
As we walked, I watched for our future in Alice's mind. I had been throwing an idea around in my head, one that could work but, I would have to handle delicately. It would be a way for us to live near others, without it being too overwhelming for Alice. It was a long shot and had the potential to get us killed. I was also going to need Jasper's help again.
When the bars on my phone filled, I dialed his number hoping I would get a hold of him the first time. He was a bit of a lone wolf and could be anywhere in the world.
"Edward!" he said. "How's my princess? I've been to Paris recently and found a few things she might like," I rolled my eyes as I let the bags fall from my back.
"She's missing you actually," I told him as I looked down at her smiling face. She was practically bouncing, hoping to talk to him when I finished. "She's part of why I'm calling."
"Okay, so what's going on?"
"I've been thinking a lot about what you said. It's time, Jasper," I said resigned.
"It'll be good for both of you to rejoin the human race," he chuckled. "You could use some other forms of distraction yourself. It isn't healthy to be alone, trust me."
"I know but, I'm going to need your help," I warned him.
"Of course, you don't even need to ask," he said.
"There is a small town outside of Seattle called Forks, ever heard of it?" I asked.
"No but, I can find it. When?"
"A week but, Jasper there's more," I interjected. "Outside of the small town is an indian reservation. Years ago, my family negotiated a treaty with the tribe. It still stands today, at least it should."
"Why would you need to make a treaty with them? What is it?" he asked with a voice full of confusion. "Are they vampires?"
"No, the opposite actually. Wolves," I said.
"Children of the moon? Are you insane?" I could almost feel the anxiety rolling off him through the phone.
"Not children of the moon and the treaty states that as long as we don't bite a human or enter their lands, they will leave us alone," I explained.
"If they aren't children of the moon then what are they?"
"They are a pack of wolf shape shifters," I replied.
"A shape shifter? Do you really think that's a good idea?"
"What better place to hide then with the enemy? As long as we abide by the treaty, they won't bother us. And, they would help keep other covens away, especially the Volturi. Plus, Alice won't find them appealing in the slightest," I pleaded my case. It was a shot in the dark at best.
"They aren't going to like Alice anymore than the Volturi. What makes you think they will uphold the treaty?"
"There are no guarantees. It's just a gut feeling I have about it. It's worth a try don't you think?" I heard his sigh. "I could really use your help not only with Alice but, to keep everyone else calm."
"I'll be there in a week," he said after a long pause. "But, any hint of trouble, I'm grabbing Alice and running."
"Thank you, Jasper," I handed the phone to Alice who talked excitedly about everything she just heard. Her mind was filled with meeting new friends and dressing up but, her thoughts weren't premonitions, just her imagination. Her mind went blank as soon as we met Jasper at the treaty line. There was nothing to tell me how this would work out. It could end with our demise.
True to his word, Jasper met up with us at one of the many properties I still owned from my time spent with my family. We'd hired someone to keep up with the house, cleaning it and keeping the grounds trim. The house was located a few miles out of town and Alice's strict instructions were to remain in the house unless Jasper or I were with her. She didn't seem to hear me as she ran around the house pulling off the sheets covering the furniture and declaring which room was hers. Jasper and I chuckled at her exuberance.
Two days after arriving, we made our way to the treaty line that separated our property from that of the tribes. I had no way of knowing if the shifters still existed. Alice still hadn't seen anything about our meeting and the only thing keeping me calm was Jasper. We didn't have to wait long next to the river that divided us from them as four wolves emerged from the forest. The only thing they were thinking was how to destroy us. They growled as they stepped closer with their teeth bared and hackles up. They were truly intimidating creatures. I listened closely hoping to get the information I needed.
"Jake, what the hell are you waiting for," the spotted grey wolf asked. I could feel the calming presence of Jasper's ability as he wrapped his arm around Alice's shoulders. He was already thinking, run.
"We have to find out if these are Cullens first," the largest wolf told his pack mate. I could deduce he was the alpha of the pack and I now knew that the treaty still held true. I held up both my hands in surrender and took a small step forward.
"Are you the descendant of Ephraim Black?" I asked him. He nodded. "You're great-grandfather made a treaty with my family many years ago. My name is Edward Cullen."
"Jake, how do you really know?" the small grey wolf asked.
"The only way to know Seth, is to look in their eyes," he replied. The small grey wolf stepped forward next to his alpha and they both looked to see that my eyes were golden in color, unlike most of my kind. It was a by-product of our 'vegetarian' lifestyle. It was the only way the tribe would ever have made the treaty in the first place. As the smaller grey wolf, I now knew to be Seth looked at me and a feeling of euphoria washed over me. His mind was clear except for my face and a small whimper escaped him.
"So, you are Jacob Black, kin to Ephraim?" I asked trying to ignore what I was not only seeing in the wolves heads but the overwhelming feelings coming from the grey wolf. The russet-colored wolf looked back at me and nodded again unaware that I could pluck the answer from his head. "And the treaty still stands?" He nodded again and then turned his eyes back to his pack brother who was now lying on his stomach with his head on his paws unlike the other three who remained in defensive stances.
"How is that even possible?" the alpha asked himself.
