Chapter 2

Saying it was a long flight from Vancouver to Concepcion was a vast understatement. By the time they arrived in Concepcion, it was almost eight in the evening Tuesday night. The city bustled with people and nightlife. Since it was January, it was summer in South America and still warm from the day. It was a drastic change from the cold climate of the northern hemisphere. Carlisle checked in with Rosalie to announce their arrival before everyone headed toward Laguna del Laja. Kaya and Nahuel led the way into the region covered in mountains, rivers, and forests. They passed through sharp ridges, deep valleys, and areas of lush vegetation until finally reaching the bottom of Sierra Velluda, one of the tallest mountains in the area. Three huts made of wood and mud stood in a semicircle in a small clearing and Huilen, Senna, and Kachiri emerged from one of them. Senna and Kachiri smiled and hugged Zafrina.

"We knew you would come with help. Cullens, welcome," said Kachiri and Carlisle shook her hand.

"We wish we were meeting again under better circumstances," he informed and Huilen crossed her arms. Her eyes were still burgundy, the color that comes from drinking both the blood of animals and humans, her hair was black and in a long braid as she scanned over the group. Her eyes landed on Nahuel and she gave him a small smile as he walked over to hug her.

"We arrived as soon as we could," he said and she scoffed.

"Yes well, this was what I was afraid of when you ventured out. The danger lurking in this world is not one I ever wanted to encounter and yet while you have been with these Cullens, you have been immersed in it. Now they bring it to our home where we want nothing but peace." He shook his head.

"Huilen, they came to help us. They are a powerful coven and Jasper knows of the evil that is coming," he explained and Jasper took a step toward her as he exuded a small wave of calm. Her rigid stance relaxed a bit.

"While I am sure you find this difficult to believe, we have nothing to do with what is happening, but we came here to help you. The vampire causing the issues is one I know from long ago, Maria. Her greed and hunger for power brought her to South America, nothing else. It was bound to happen at some point," added Jasper and Huilen gave a small nod.

"We do not have much here. Mapuche means people of the earth. We do not have electricity or the luxuries that you Cullens do. You can stay here in our rukas. I kept Nahuel's and Kaya's in good condition in case they ever decided to return home." Esme smiled warmly at her.

"Thank you, we hoped to hunt in the forest while we were here. Marcus is sending guards and they will arrive tomorrow," explained Esme and Huilen gasped.

"The Volturi, are you mad? They are no better than….." Nahuel placed his hands in hers to get her attention.

"Huilen, much has changed since we saw you last. Aro and Caius are dead along with their evil guards. A new, a better Volturi reigns and they are on our side. They have helped us before and they will help put a stop to Maria and her plans," soothed Nahuel and Senna nodded.

"We heard of the new power, but thought it was too good to be true," added Senna and Huilen pulled Kaya over to her, looking her over in the process.

"Have you been treated well since we last spoke," she asked as she glanced at Seth and he sighed. It was no secret she was not fond of him or his kind. Kaya nodded with a smile.

"Of course and I am happy Huilen. We will stay for as long as we are needed."

"Hopefully that is not long. All I want is peace and if Senna and Kachiri are right, then the threat is bringing anything but that. Cullens, I will show you where you can hunt. By your eyes, I assume only animals will be needed," she asked and Carlisle bowed his head gratefully.

"Yes, thank you," he agreed and followed her toward the forest along with everyone except Seth, Kaya, Nahuel, and Renesmee. Kaya slipped her hand into Seth's and led him to her hut.

"Huilen is right. It is not much, but I know you are tired. We should sleep," she suggested and he looked around the small space. A pallet full of blankets and a pillow was made in the corner of the hut and he carefully sat on it. It was soft, but nothing like their massive and comfortable bed at home. She sat in his lap and stroked his hair.

"This is where you slept? Where you lived?" She nodded.

"I did not sleep very often, but yes, when I slept, I slept here."

"Wow, I thought La Push was bare but this is…wow."

"Nahuel and I did not stay here very often. It was home base in a lot of ways. Sometimes I would travel into the cities, roaming." He lay back onto the blankets as his eyes drooped and she pulled the blankets over them before resting on his chest.

"Sleep my Seth, we can talk in the morning," she whispered and he slowly nodded as he fell asleep.

Nahuel placed more blankets on his bed made of a wooden frame he built decades ago and Renesmee giggled at the concerned look on his face as she crawled onto it.

"This is fine Nahuel. Stop worrying about me."

"Never my love, it is not in my nature," he teased as he got in bed with her and looked around his old hut. "I have become accustomed to our bed, our home…..the luxuries as Huilen called them."

"Do you miss this place?" He shook his head as he looked up at the ceiling. His arms wrapped around her and he rested his cheek against the top of her soft hair.

"No, my existence before you was a dark time. I understand Jasper in that way. Before we met our mates, we were not living, simply trying to find our way."

"I never imagined it would look like this when you mentioned the tribe."

"This was our comfort zone. There are large villages of Mapuche and also the cities nearby that we would go into. Plus, like I mentioned before, I traveled, searching for meaning."

"Just like Uncle Jasper, searching until you found a reason to stop. I worry about him. How do you think he will react if he sees Maria again?"

"If he feels like I do, then seeing her again will just bring back memories that once haunted him. It will not be a welcomed visit by any means, but he is prepared. Coming back here reminds me of everything I didn't have before you, but I was prepared for the feelings." She looked deeply into his eyes and smiled.

"But you both have something this time that you didn't before, your mates to help you through it." He ran his hand through her silky tresses and sighed happily. His teak eyes conveyed the infinite amount of love and devotion he had for his wife.

"How I managed to survive without you, I will never know." He placed a sweet kiss to her lips and she trailed kisses down his jaw before resting on his chest once more.

"And you will never have to know that feeling again," she whispered and fell asleep with her mate in her arms.

Alice was gracefully perched on a tree branch watching her mate take down a cougar before it even realized it was his prey. He sucked the life out of it before hiding its body in the brush and looking up at his wife. She smiled down at him and he chuckled.

"You can't fool me darling. I am on high alert and I feel what you try so hard to hide from me. You are worried."

"Of course I am worried Jazzy. We are about to enter a battle for territory, certainly not my cup of tea."

"Good, you aren't calling me Jasper. You usually only call me that when you are feeling a bit high strung."

"I will keep that in mind," she teased as she hopped down from the tree to stand in front of him. He smiled and gently cupped her cheek as their eyes connected. She leaned into his touch and the sleeve of his black button up shirt slid up his arm, exposing one of his scars. Alice tenderly kissed it and he closed his eyes as she traced the outline of the bite mark.

"I hold her personally responsible for every mark that was left on your body," she whispered and he sensed her anger boiling inside her as she thought of the woman that turned him.

"Alice, promise me something. If….if you come across Maria, you will not…."

"I will not make that promise Jasper." He sighed.

"I am back to Jasper," he asked with the charming drawl he knew she loved and she tried to hide her smile.

"Jazzy, I know what you are asking me to do and I won't. If, more like when I see Maria, the two of us will decide how we proceed, not you."

"She is not….."

"Jasper, listen to your mate, the future seer remember? I am well aware of the damage Maria can cause. Unfortunately for her, she is not aware of what I can do."

"You should not make this personal. It will cloud your judgment and she will approach it like a war." She raised an eyebrow with a sly smile as she stroked his blond locks.

"Will she," she challenged and he chuckled as he shook his head.

"I know better than to bet against you." She hugged him and nodded.

"Good," she whispered in his ear before kissing him with all the passion she felt for him in that moment.

Bella scaled up the side of the mountain with Edward right behind her. She smiled slyly at him as she put down her shield.

Race you to the top.

He smirked and nodded as she continued to speak to him through her mind.

On your mark, get set, go!

They scaled up the mountain as fast as they could. Grabbing at edges and pushing away the small pieces of crumbled rock they left in their tracks. He picked up speed halfway up the mountain and gave her one last wink before going full throttle. Before he could pass her, however, she used the pieces of debris to her advantage and swept them into his path. Even at vampire speed, it made him lose his bearings just enough to push her ahead and she leaped to the top with a triumphant smile. She danced around him and he tried to look upset.

"You cheated," he grumbled, but the more she danced, the more his defenses faltered. He let out a chuckle and pulled her into his arms.

"You know, love, if I did not know any better, I would think you were enjoying yourself on this trip." She giggled and shrugged.

"Am I worried about our family, sure, but I think we have proven that we can handle whatever comes our way. Plus, I will admit that I enjoy getting to kick some butt as Seth and Emmett would say, so sue me." He gave a crooked smile.

"Kick some butt huh, how very Emmett-esque."

"Yes well I always wanted to be a vampire and fight my own battles. It is nice to know that if there is an army or new power or whatever we have to face, we can fight it together. I think I have proven that I am capable of defending myself."

"Oh trust me, you have. I see the way you look when you fight. You might not be laughing like Emmett, but you definitely have a gleam in your eye and a smirk on your face."

"Do not," she defended as she slapped his arm and he nodded.

"Yes you do and you love to win. That happy dance you just did proves it."

"No, my sweet husband, I love to beat you. There is a difference."

"Oh really," he challenged and she nodded as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Really, because there was a time in our relationship when I never felt like I would ever be enough to be your equal." He shook his head and sighed.

"You absurd woman, you have never been my equal. You are far above me," he whispered against her lips. She gave him a quick peck before pushing away from him.

"Stop dazzling me Edward Cullen. We are here on a mission," she said as she looked out across the forest and he did as well. The top of the mountain held a picturesque view of the forest and surrounding land. The lush environment full of nature and life was even more beautiful from their view at the highest peak.

"It is not really a mission. You are the one who assigned it," he assured.

"Oh come on, we have to do recon," she explained and he tried not to laugh as she scanned the area with trained eyes.

"What….Bella, love, what are you talking about and where did you hear that term?"

"It is strategy. Everyone knows that before war, you have to do recon."

"Do I have to start regulating your talks with Jasper?" He dodged her hand with a laugh as she swiped at him.

"I didn't hear it from Jasper….I heard it from Emmett," she confessed and he could not contain his laughter any longer. She rolled her eyes at her mate as he tried to find his voice.

"Where…where did….when did Emmett talk about recon?"

"I'm not telling. You'll just laugh," she said refusing to look at him and he cleared his throat to regain composure. He engulfed her in his arms from behind and nuzzled her neck as she snuggled into his embrace.

"Love, I am sorry for laughing. Please tell me what Emmett knows about…..recon."

"No"

"Please"

"Nope," she said with a shake of her head and he picked up her hand, kissing it sweetly with a dazzling smile. She bit her lip as he trailed kisses up her arm.

"I promise not to laugh," he bargained and she slowly nodded as she became lost in his trance.

"I heard him talking about it when he was playing Halo with Seth and Nahuel," she confessed and Edward bit his tongue to stop from laughing. He knew how intense Emmett became when playing against Nahuel or Seth and the very thought was amusing. She raised an eyebrow at him and he cleared his throat before looking out at the forest.

"Recon, from a video game, that somehow pertains to this situation…."

"See, I knew I shouldn't have told you."

"I am not laughing," he defended and she scrutinized his face, searching for a single smile, laugh, or smirk. He was still as could be with his eyes trained on the forest and she turned to inspect it as well. They were silent for a moment before he could not help but to speak.

"I did not realize there were vampire turf wars in Halo," he said with a serious expression, but his façade soon cracked. A small smile appeared on his face and she smiled smugly.

"Just for that, I am telling everyone that I beat you at scaling the mountain." They glanced at one another before laughing at their topic of conversation.

"Speaking of Emmett, I wonder what he is doing right now. I am sure he is upset about missing out," said Edward and Bella nodded in agreement.

Leah and Rosalie watched with smiles on their faces while Emmett and Zach played around with Jacob in the front yard of their La Push home. It was the biggest home Jacob and Leah ever owned and they used the money the Volturi bestowed upon them with care. The house sat on top of a cliff overlooking the ocean and was farther down the beach on the outskirts of the reservation.

After spending the day inside playing with Joshua, Zach was ready for a bit of time outdoors. Joshua was asleep, so Jacob decided to play with Emmett and Zach in his wolf form. Emmett smiled as his son wrestled with Jacob. Zach was used to wrestling with Seth and Jacob was a bit slower at reacting.

"Getting rusty in your old age huh Jake," teased Emmett and Jacob growled at him before continuing to play with Zach who jumped on his back. Jacob shook him off and nudged him with his nose as Zach laughed. Emmett was so focused on Zach that he did not notice Jacob's hind leg thrust out to kick him. It hit him square in the chest and knocked him onto his butt causing the ground to shake momentarily. Jacob snickered, but Zach was not as amused. Before Rosalie could stop him, he pointed at Jacob and the wolf flew backward until he landed on his butt with a thump. He rolled over and shook out his fur coat as Emmett erupted with laughter. Leah covered her mouth to stop from laughing and Rosalie smiled from ear to ear.

"Don't mess with his daddy Jacob. He is very protective," she advised and Zach frowned at Jacob.

"That's right Jake. My boy will kick your butt," taunted Emmett and Zach gave a curt nod that made him resemble Rosalie. Leah nudged Rosalie.

"He has your temper. Zach, Jacob was just messing with your daddy. They are buddies just like you and Joshua are," she explained and Emmett, Jacob, and Rosalie looked at her like she grew a second head.

"What, they are," defended Leah and even Jacob had to smirk at that.

"No, they aren't, but I agree that they were just teasing each other. Zach, he wasn't trying to hurt your daddy, so no more using your power on him," informed Rosalie and Emmett winked at his son who hugged him. Emmett scooped him up and placed him on his shoulders.

"That's my baby boy, always looking out for daddy, but mommy is right. Jake was just playing. If you really want to make daddy proud, get Jake," he announced and tossed Zach back at Jacob who dodged him. Zach laughed and jumped on Jacob's back. They wrestled around the yard some more, but bright headlights pulling up to the side of the house made everyone look up. Sam got out of his truck and chuckled as he shook his head. He walked over to Leah and sighed with a smile as she looked at him curiously.

"What are you doing here," she asked and he had to gain composure before speaking.

"It seems these three are causing a bit of a panic on the reservation. One of the elders was walking along the beach when he looked up at your place and saw quite a scene. He called me because apparently there was a ruckus going on at the Black place and some cold ones were involved," he informed and Leah tried not to laugh. Jacob jogged into the forest to change and came back out wearing a pair of cargo shorts as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Sorry Sam, we didn't know anyone was watching us," he said as Sam cleared his throat.

"I figured as much. You two have a nice place here, great view of the water. Just remember that people can see your house since it is on the cliff and not everyone is used to seeing a wolf playing around with a couple of vampires. Oh and um…..he told me to get over here quick. The little one was really handing it to you," he said with a smile and Emmett busted out laughing as Jacob sighed. Sam glanced at Zach and then back at Jacob who slumped his shoulders in defeat.

"I'm never going to live this one down am I," he asked and Sam shrugged as he headed back to his truck with a grin.

"I don't know. I think it could be a good lesson for the tribe you know? Everyone sitting around at the bonfire telling the legends of our tribe and I mention Jacob Black, descendant of fierce alpha Ephraim Black, getting beaten by a cold one that just so happens to be two." Zach smiled proudly and Jacob glared at Sam.

"That isn't funny," he grumbled and Sam nodded.

"Oh yea, you're right I'll make sure they know he looked eight though, you know, soften the blow," he teased with a bright smile and Jacob shook his head as Sam got into his car to leave. Leah and Rosalie were leaning against each other they were laughing so hard and Emmett hugged his son tightly.

"My baby boy makes me so proud, sticking it to Jacob at the young age of two. Daddy is so happy." Rosalie smiled at her son knowing that he made his father extremely proud in that moment. Emmett would have a new story to tell when everyone returned.