CHAPTER ONE

Dear Friend,

You don't know me, but you need to trust me. You must go to the address given below. It is the home of a peaceful coven led by Carlisle Cullen. He and his mate live there with five others. I ask that you please hunt before you leave your current location and refrain from hunting along the way. This is very important.

~A Friend~

A copy of this letter found its way into the hands of Eleazar, Carmen, Tanya, Kate, Irina, Zafrina, Senna, Kachiri, Siobhan, Liam, Maggie, Benjamin, Tia, Peter, Charlotte, and Garrett. Meanwhile, at the Cullen house, the following letter had just been delivered.

Dear Cullens,

You don't know me, but you need to trust me. I have instructed sixteen vampires to come to your home. I assure you that all of them can control themselves, and hostility and violence will not be an issue. Carlisle knows most of them, and you all know some of them. I have asked them to hunt before they come and refrain from hunting along the way. You should hunt before they arrive. The first person will arrive in exactly two days, and the last person will arrive in one week. Upon the arrival of the last person, further instructions will be delivered.

~A Friend~

The Cullens and the other vampires were wary of the letters. Who was this "friend"? What further instructions were there going to be? What was the purpose of this gathering? Still, something within them said to trust the letter writer. So, all the vampires hunted and set off towards their final destination. The Cullens, too, hunted and prepared for the arrival of their guests.

Two days later, the Denalis arrived at the Cullen residence.

"Hello," Carlisle greeted them at the door.

Tanya leaned in and hugged him. "It's so good to see you again, Carlisle."

"You too."

The rest of the Denalis and Cullens exchanged pleasantries.

"You aren't surprised at our unannounced arrival," Eleazar observed. "I suppose you received a letter as well?"

"Indeed, we did," Carlisle replied. "Though we are interested in what your letter said as I'm sure that it was different than ours."

Tanya showed her letter to Carlisle. "Yes, very different than ours."

"What did yours say?" Kate asked.

Carlisle told them. "Well, I suppose we just wait for the other eleven vampires to join us," Carmen commented. "Though, I don't suppose any of them are vegetarians."

The two families smiled. Emmett chuckled and rubbed his hands together. "This'll be fun." Rosalie rolled her eyes at her husband's words.

The next day, Peter and Charlotte arrived. Edward heard their minds before the rest of the family realized their appearance. "Jasper," Edward called.

Jasper looked up. What?

"Peter and Charlotte."

Jasper quickly stood up and went to the door to welcome his friends, but Edward could hear the shock in his mind. I didn't expect them to be here.

After Jasper introduced Peter and Charlotte to the Denalis, the fourteen vampires sat down to wait some more.

The day after that, Garrett arrived. And the next day, Siobhan, Liam, and Maggie. On the sixth day, the Amazonians, Zafrina, Senna, and Kachiri, arrived. Finally, Benjamin and Tia arrived at the end of the week.

Introductions were made each day, and each day the vampires gathered learned more about their companions.

Ten minutes after Benjamin's and Tia's arrival, the twenty-three vampires heard a thud that came from the Cullen's dining room.