DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material are copyrighted to Stephenie Meyer. Original creations, including but not limited to plot and characters, are copyrighted to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended.

CHAPTER 1

BELLA

"CHARLIE!"

"Jesus Christ, Bells, what is it? I swear hanging around those kids in high school has made you forget you're a vampire. I'm right here, there's no need to shout."

"Oh yeah? Well, guess what? There's an entire coven of vampires that moved to town, and they are going to my high school. My high school! You get what this means right?"

"Bells, calm down. Don't get all teenage spastic on me. Do what you normally do. Since the human kids already saw you, tone down your complexion a bit. You can tell them you wanted to experiment with a tanning salon, but you didn't want to overdo it so you only got a little color at first to see if you'd like it."

"But that's not the point, Charlie!" I whined and stomped around like a two-year-old, literally having a temper tantrum. "I don't want to work. I want to act normal. Vampire normal that is."

"Well, kiddo, we can never really act vampire normal except at home or at the clubs." Instead of my dad going back to being a cop, he decided to set up vampire nightclubs to give vampires an outlet, instead of going around causing havoc. "It'll be okay, honey. Try to keep your distance and keep your human aura up." I rolled my eyes.

"Easy for you to say. You hang out with vampires all the time. You don't have to keep up your human aura." Charlie chuckles. He comes out of the kitchen in his suit looking all dapper and dashing as always. I swear if he weren't my dad, I'd have the hots for him. I wish he would find his mate already.

"Well, I'm headed to the club. Will I see you there tonight?"

"Nah, I've got homework. Besides, I've got the grand opening at the club in Portland coming up this weekend." Charlie lets out a long unneeded breath and shakes his head.

"Bells, you are a grown woman, but you'll always be my little girl. I still don't like the idea of you opening a strip club. No dad wants their little girl shaking their ass for money. I still worry about you."

"Dad, it's not just a strip club, it's Burlesque. Not all of us strip. Ever since I took pole dancing as a fitness class, I find it exhilarating. I've told you, I'm not taking off my clothes and shaking my ass for money. It's something I'm fantastic at, and I want a way to earn my own money, not just the money you pull in from your business ventures. Besides, James and Laurent are excellent bodyguards, and Vicky will be right there on stage with me. I also hired Riley as a bartender." I say to Charlie as I walk up to him, straighten his tie and brush off the shoulders of his suit jacket.

We met James, Laurent, and Victoria during our travels. James and Victoria were mates, but Vicky was a newborn that her coven mates were having trouble containing. With our help, she calmed down. We learned James was the best tracker on this side of the pond, so we recruited the trio as part of our police force.

I later met Riley, who happens to be the most fantastic human tattoo artist. I thought with my ability to look human, I could get a tattoo…much to Charlie's chagrin. Little did he know, Riley finally invented a machine that primarily works as a chisel on vampire skin. Once etched into the skin, he's able to add color; kind of like you would silkscreen a t-shirt. He's currently working on mine for the grand opening. It's a cobra that wraps around my leg. The head comes up to my lower pelvis and stops with its mouth open as if it will bite my va-jay-jay. I wanted it to cover an angry scar that went from my hip to mid-thigh.

When Paul, one shifter, first phased he had anger issues and didn't know how to control his phasing. He got up in my face one day, and I slapped the shit out of him. Well, that was a wrong move, because he phased, and his paw caught me right at my hip. I hadn't jumped back fast enough. Afterward, Paul felt awful. Although the wound healed slowly, it left a scar I've been self-conscious about ever since.

"I understand honey, you need to find your own independence. I get it, still doesn't mean I like it. Anyway, I've gotta get going. Are you going hunting or do you want me to bring blood back from the club for breakfast?"

"Actually, I think we should be fine. There was some O neg when I left this morning."

"Sorry honey, I finished that off a little while ago. I'll bring some home tonight," Charlie says before giving me a kiss on the forehead and heading out the door.

Another one of Charlie's business ventures is a bio-hazard disposal company. He collects all the unusable blood from blood banks and hospitals that don't meet human standards and supplies his club with blood.

After Charlie leaves, I go upstairs to do my homework quickly. I actually like going to high school. I never got to graduate before we were turned, so now I get to experience it for the first time. Not to mention, we've been working so much, it gives me a chance to be a typical high school student and relax. It's much more fun as a vampire. Especially, since I'm the most popular girl in school.

The real reason I didn't want to go with Charlie tonight, is Riley's coming over to finish my tattoo. As soon as I'm done with homework, I call Riley and tell him I'm ready. I go into the bathroom and change into my string bikini bottoms that tie on the sides.

When I come back into my room, Jacob Black is sitting in my desk chair.

"Hey, leech. WHOA BELLS! WHAT THE FUCK?"

"JACOB BLACK! YOU STINKY ASS MUTT! WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU ABOUT SNEAKING INTO MY ROOM?" I yell at him as I scramble to get my robe off the back of my bedroom door.

"Wow, Bells, that's a really neat tattoo. Leeches can get tattoos? Can I see?" I finish tying up my robe and walk over to him and expose my leg from under the robe. Jacob then tries to sneak a peak to where the head will be. I quickly smack his hand away and slap him across the face so hard his head hits the wall and leaves a crack. You'd think I've learned my lesson on beating up the wolves, but this is Jake after all. I consider him a harmless puppy.

"Fucking behave, mutt. It's not finished. My friend Riley's coming over to finish it before this weekend." I tell Jake.

"How come he gets to see your cho-cha, and I don't?" Jake asks with a frown.

"First, I'm not even going to dignify that with an answer. Second, what's going on? What are you doing here?"

"Oh, nothing much. Thought I'd let you know about the new leeches that have moved to town?" I look at him and shake my head. What is he, fucking eyewitness news?

I flick my hand at him so he can vacate my chair. Jacob jumps up to sit on my desk so I can have my chair back. We have a pretty sizeable house on the outskirts of town, right outside the La Push border. The wolves are constant visitors. So much so, we don't even notice the smell of each other anymore.

"Yeah, tell me about it. Have you met them?"

"No, not yet. But my dad said Ephraim made a treaty with them. They claim not to drink from humans."

"Okay, so. A lot of vampires don't, so what's the big deal? They can now feed from blood bags or…" I'm cut off that train of thought by Jake.

"Not back then Bella. And the big deal is they don't drink human blood. Ever. They only hunt animals. The Leader is a human doctor. It was one reason Ephraim made the treaty. Until you guys, they banned leeches from rez, period. So Ephriam told them they could live in the area as long as they stayed off rez land. That and they didn't bite or drink from a human."

"What were the other reasons?" I asked

"They outnumbered the pack. There was only my great-grandfather, Levi, Uley, and Old Quil Ateara. I believe there were five leeches together at the time."

"Does my dad know about this?"

"Well, from what Dad said, it happened about forty years before you guys were even turned. So I doubt Charlie knew anything about leeches back then. Dad didn't until Dr. Cullen contacted him, asking to reinstate the treaty. Billy had to go to Old Quil to get the original copy of the treaty."

"Hmm, interesting. Well, thanks for the history lesson, now get the fuck out."

"Why?"

"Because, Riley will be here soon, and I don't want your smelly ass stinking up my room before he gets here."

"What if I sit outside in the tree, can I watch?"

"No," I said as I pushed him to my window.

"Please," he begged, giving me the puppy dog eyes, pun intended.

"NO! Now get, bad puppy," I said as I picked up a folder from my desk and smacked him on the head.

"Geez, Bells! Between you and Dad, I never get to have any fun. Well, can I at least come to the club with ya for opening night?"

"Jacob. Maybe when you grow up and know what to do with that thing between your legs you call a dick, I will have you as my special guest," I say as I finally push him out the window and slam it shut.

"Aww, Bells, stop treating me like a kid," Jake says through the closed window. I close my blackout drapes in his face.

Riley finally shows up with his equipment, and we get to work. Riley is nothing but a professional. I'm basically naked, lying on my bed and he does his work as if it's another canvas. Even with his head so close to my va-jay-jay, he never falters.

"So, you ready for this weekend?" he finally asks as he blots the venom that seeps through the etching.

"I hope so. I plan to stay over in Portland tomorrow night to finish up last-minute details, you wanna come?"

"Sure, it's not like I got anything better to do. I sure wanna thank you for giving me the bartending job. People still don't know vampires can get tattoos so business hasn't been all that great."

"Well, that's why I wanted it. Maybe this will be a good advertisement for you. Make sure you bring plenty of business cards. You're leaving them discreetly with Dad's bartenders, too, right?"

"Yep, tell your dad I said thanks. I've gotten some good business from it."

"Well, Charlie doesn't exactly know I'm getting a tattoo. He's already shitting venom bricks I'm opening a strip club, as he keeps calling it." Riley only laughs.

"Well, Bella. It's not like this bad boy will be easy to hide," Riley says with a smirk.

"But once it's done, it's not like it can be removed." Riley moves his head nonchalantly from side to side while slightly turning his lips downward.

"That's true." He then pulls back and looks at his work. A bright smile then appears on his face.

"All done," he says as he looks up at me. I smile back at him. I then grab the ends for the front and back of the string bikini and jump off the bed to go look at it in the mirror. I turn my leg back and forth to get a good look. After securing the bikini, I skip to him and wrap my arms around his neck. He returns the hug with one arm wrapped around my waist. I've never seen Riley in that way before, being I'm so scantily dressed, I can't help feeling a little aroused.

"Riley, can I ask you something?" I ask as I bite the corner of my bottom lip.

"You can ask me anything, Bella," he says as he unwraps himself from around my waist and puts his equipment away.

"Well, I've been laying in front of you half naked for weeks, and you've never come on to me. Not that I'm saying you should. I…" I trail off, and I see a little smirk play on his face.

"Bella, trust me, you are an exquisite girl, and any guy would be an ass not to take a second or third look at you. You're still young as far as vampire age goes. I've been around for a long time. I've seen how disastrous it can be when you start a companionship with someone, and then you finally meet your mate." It's then I see the sadness in his eyes as he makes that statement.

"Oh, Riley! It's happened to you before, hasn't it? I'm so sorry," I tell him as I hug him again.

"It's okay, Bella. Yeah, I really thought I loved her and that she loved me. Then she found her mate, and that was it for me. I was about your age then. So, I've gotten over it. Though, it's getting harder to resist, with the sexual revolution. Women wear way fewer clothes and are way more forward than they were at the beginning of the century," he said giving me a wink.

I go over to my desk and take out an envelope of cash and hand it to him. He peeks in it quickly before putting it in his bag.

He then pulls out his phone to take a picture of his work so he can display it on his website.

"Only the tattoo, right? You won't see my face?"

"Bella, you know me better than that," he says as he points his phone.

"I am making sure before I did this…" I say as I go over to a blank wall in my room. I then quickly untie my bikini bottoms and cup my hand over my mound. A growl escapes from Riley's chest.

"Bella, you will be the death of me. I mean that literally. When your dad finds out about this tattoo, I'm a dead man," he says as he clicks the picture while shaking his head.

"Well, looks like you're all set. I may come and hang out with you guys tomorrow in case you need some help."

"That would be great, Rye. Is there anything I need to do?" I say turning my leg back and forth before slipping on my robe again.

"Nah, the venom will seal it, and it will last an eternity. Well gotta run, I'm meeting friends over at your dad's club. Thanks again for the business. Have a good night."

"You too, bye," I say as I close the door.

~~TGWTCT~~

Today, I grab my travel mug of blood, and I'm out the door to school before Charlie comes out of his room. I'm sure he's with some little hottie he's picked up from the club. The one thing we did when we had this house built was to soundproof each room. No way did I want to hear my dad getting it on with some random THOT.

I pull over before I pull into the schools parking lot. I rub a little lavender essential oil on my pulse points and spritz breath freshener into my mouth, so my breath doesn't smell of blood before I continue on to school. I look in the sun visor's vanity mirror to make sure my human aura is in place. I still look like me to the other students. a little darker but still pale enough that unless you've got super vampire vision, you'd never tell. Basically, more human. My hair has always been deep mahogany, but with vampiric enhancements, it has gold and burgundy highlights. The students have already seen my brown eyes. The only thing they would never notice with their human vision is the specks of green and gold I put in them, for dramatic effect.

As I pull up to the school, I see a silver Volvo, a red BMW, and a Jeep Wrangler pulling in ahead of me. Wow, my car isn't the nicest one in the parking lot anymore. I pull my custom restored 1968 Mustang convertible into a parking space. I park on the other side of the parking lot so that my back is facing them as they get out of their cars. My car is the actual birthday present from my parents that fateful night all those years ago.

I watch in the rearview mirror as a tall blonde girl that looks like a supermodel and a little short girl with jet black, spiky hair and elfin features, get out of the BMW. A big buff muscle-bound guy and a hottie with blonde hair to his shoulders get out of the Jeep, while a tall lanky, but still muscular guy gets out of the Volvo. He's not someone I would usually look at but the odd color of his hair, almost like a shiny penny bronze, and the way it's all messy, like sex hair, doesn't make him look half bad. But of course, they all have that vampiric allure, so humans think they're all beautiful but fear them at the same time. It's the only thing I really tone down when I encounter humans.

I gather my backpack and purse and get out of the car. I can feel all of their eyes on me, and I can feel them pulling a little from me as I pass.

Oh, that's right, I forgot to tell you about my other gift. I'm able to give a little enhancement to people's lives, to be able to fulfill their deepest desires. The pull is usually not as strong coming from humans, which is one reason I like coming to school. For vampires though, if I'm not careful, they can drain me of all my energy. So I quickly shut that part of my gift off.

As I pass them, I give them a quick glance and a soft smile. What I notice first is that bed head is standing there with a frown on his face while the hot guy with the blonde hair looks like he's frozen in a trance with his mouth open.

As soon as I am in the school, I hear them chatter away at vampire speed and level.

"Who the fuck is that?" I hear a girl's voice. Then I hear a little bell-like laughter coming from another female. It's gotta be the little pixie girl.

"No clue, but I can tell, we will be best friends, almost like sisters," she giggles again. Jesus, just what I need, the sister I never wanted.

"Well, I think she's hot! What about you, Jazz? Jazz?" Then I hear an audible roar of a laugh. It's gotta be Mr. Muscles. "Snap out of it, Jazz. Man, that chick's got you in a trance. You've got it, bad bro."

"Naw, I'm fine," I hear a deep voice with a sexy southern twang. "Ed, what the hell's got you so perplexed?"

"I couldn't hear her?" I hear a guy say. It's gotta be bedhead. It's silent for a few beats.

"Come again," I hear the southern hottie say.

"She was silent. Not a peep, like she isn't even there."

"That's a first for you, isn't it, Eddie boy?" Mr. Muscles says.

"Yeah and stop calling me Eddie. Something's not right. Were you able to sense her emotions, Jasper?" I hear the big guy laugh again. I could get used to that. His laughter is so infectious. It seems like he's always happy and nothing gets him down.

"Jazz was so entranced by her, I bet everything shut down for him," He continues to laugh.

"Well, you guys can stand out here all day debating on little Miss Prissy Britches all you want. I'm going to class. Alice, you coming?" A very bossy bitch female voice says. Well, fuck you too, Miss Bitch.

"Well, I don't know about you, Rose, but I'm gonna see if she wants to go shopping with me this weekend," the little pixie says. Then I hear all of their feet move as they walk towards the door. I make my way to my locker to get my books for my first two periods.

Once I'm behind my locker door, I can sense the little pixie standing on the other side. I take a deep, unneeded breath and decide I may as well get this over with.

"Hi, Alice Cullen, right?" I say as I close the locker door and look right into the face of the smiling little pixie.

"Yeah," she giggles again. "But how did you know?"

"Oh, you guys are the talk of the whole school. I'm Isabella Swan, but everybody calls me Bella. Nice to meet you, Alice," I say to her as I stick out my hand. As soon as she touches my hand, she gasps and goes into a trance-like state. Her eyes roll back. I wave my free hand in front of her face. She then drops my hand like it's a poisonous snake, and stares at me.

"Alice, are you okay?" I ask her, concerned.

"Um yeah," she seems worried but recovers.

"I wanted to ask if you would like to come to Seattle with me this weekend. I'm going shopping, and I thought you would like to join me."

"Um, I'm sorry, Alice I can't. I mean, I will be in Seattle, but I work in my Dad's club on the weekends. Maybe we could do something next week after school?" I ask her. I didn't want to tell her where I was really going. That was a conversation I wasn't ready to start. Everyone in school already knew my dad owned a private club, and it was something they could verify if asked.

"Well, why don't you come over and you can get introduced to the rest of my family. I'm sure they'd like to meet you." The warning bell rings, and we walk towards class. We reach bed head, and he's still frowning at me. But really, what the fuck is up with this guy? Alice stops where he's standing.

"Okay well, maybe I'll see you after school, and I can get your number," I tell her before I take off down the hall to my class before the bell rings again.

The day goes well. I have to hear Jessica and Lauren gush over the new guys all day.

"I saw you talking to the little dark-haired girl. What's she like?" Jessica asks.

"Okay, I guess. She asked me to go shopping with her this weekend, but I work with my Dad on weekends. So, I told her I could do something with her next week."

"She'd talk to you. All you pretty, stuck up, bitches stick together," Lauren sneers at me.

"I'm not stuck up, Lauren. I can't be if I talk to trailer trash like you," I say to her as I take my book bag and head out of the class. I can hear the other kids snickering and call 'ooooh BURRRRN!'

The next class I have is with Alice. She waves and smiles as soon as I walk in. I smile and wiggle my fingers at her before finding my seat. As soon as I do, I can feel her come and sit directly behind me. She then passes me a note with a phone number and a note scribbled underneath. 'Will you sit with us at lunch?' I turn around and face her.

"Sorry Alice, but I rarely eat lunch. I don't like processed food, and I like to read in peace. I sit in my car and read for lunch," I tell her. She narrows her eyes at me before she sits back. Don't tell me they go to the cafeteria and pretend to eat human food every day? Sure we can eat human food, we have to purge it later, but who the hell wants to do that every day? I sit in my car with my thermos of blood and read. She looks so defeated, I hate to tell her no.

"I'll tell you what, I'll come to sit with you today, but I won't eat. I'll wait until I get home, how's that?" She immediately cheers up and is clapping like a two-year-old told she could have a cookie. I smile at her and turn around to see Lauren sneering at me all stank face. I deadpan and give Lauren the finger.

After class is over, Sex Hair is standing outside the class waiting for Alice.

"Bella, this is my brother, Edward. Edward, this is Bella. She will sit with us for lunch." Alice tells him.

"Alice, I don't think it's a good idea. She's bound to notice we don't eat." I hear him say at vampiric level. "Have you figured out what she is yet?"

"Don't be rude Edward, she's standing right here," Alice says as she glares at Edward.

"Hey, why don't I catch up with you guys in the cafeteria. I need to go to my locker first," I tell them before I skip off.

If he's a mind reader, I wonder why he can't hear me? Maybe that's what he most desires, a silent mind. I'm sure it has to be hard, listening to the thoughts of everyone around him day in and day out. Well, if that's what he needs, that's what I'll give him. I'm still trying to figure out what the pixie needs. It can't be a friend, she has an entire coven of vampires. I contemplate this as I walk to my locker. Before I leave the locker, I turn on the illusion of a heartbeat. Sitting so close to them, they're bound to notice I don't have one. My heart won't actually beat, but the sound will give them the illusion it is.

I make my way into the cafeteria and find them sitting at the last table in the back. They all have trays of food they are 'playing' with. I shake my head.

The entire cafeteria goes quiet, and everyone turns to look at me. This is probably the first time I've ever entered. Jessica, Lauren, and even Angela Weber stare at me with their mouths agape as I make my way to the Cullens. Soon the usual cafeteria chatter continues. Though, there is still the occasional eye as I pass a table. Once I'm halfway there, Alice flits over like a bouncy ball.

"Thanks for coming Bella. Come on, let me introduce you to everyone," she says as she pulls me along.

"Everybody, this is Isabella Swan, but she prefers Bella. Bella, you've already met Edward. This is Rosalie…" Rosalie's eyes come up from her magazine to acknowledge I'm there before they float back to her magazine.

"Emmett…" The big muscle-bound guy gives me a huge smile, and his dimples are so adorable they give him a baby face.

"…and Jasper." Jasper stands up and reaches his hand out for mine. I place my hand in his, and he bows before brushing his lips across my hand. He then looks up at me through his incredibly long lashes, and his beautiful eyes look as though they can see into my soul.

"It's an absolute pleasure to meet you, Miss Bella," he says in his southern drawl, and for a flash, I can feel my human aura falter as a spark of electricity shoots through me. I quickly pull my hand back.

"What was that?" Edward says as he stands up from the table angrily. Jasper, in a flash, pushes me behind him. I can tell, the cafeteria has gone quiet again as Edward is making a scene.

"What are you?" Edward whispers through gritted teeth. I hear a low growl come from Jasper, then he glares at Edward as if they are having a silent conversation.

"I'm sorry, this was a mistake. I have to go," I say before I try my best to run out of there at a human pace.

Once I'm out in the parking lot and see no one is around, I run at vampire speed to the forest. What's happening to me. My gift has never faltered before. Did Jasper do something? I sit on a fallen log and pull my knees up to my chest and think about what happened.

JASPER

I can think of nothing but the girl that passed us as we got out of the car in the school parking lot. I've listened as Alice speaks of nothing but Bella when we met in the hall and again since she's sat down in the cafeteria. I've heard the other boys mention her name, and I want to rip their fucking heads off, yet I don't know why. Then she enters the cafeteria.

I watch Bella as soon as I see her walk in. It's as if all noise falls away as she enters. Then I realize, it did. All the students stop talking and watch her as she sways those perfect hips towards us. I watch from the tip of her booted feet, every step. My eyes travel up her unbelievably long legs that look like they go on for miles, to where her skirt starts at the top of her knee-high boots. There is a slit in front of the skirt. As she walks, I glimpse her creamy thighs. And is that a fucking tattoo? FUCK ME!

I'm brought out of my Isabella-induced trance by a hard kick to the shin which makes me jump and growl. I look up to Edward's angry eyes glaring at me.

"Would you mind keeping your filthy thoughts to yourself?" he growls.

"If you don't like what you see, then stay out of my head," I growl back. Alice soon catches my eyes and turns back to see Bella walking towards us. The hyper little pixie flits from her seat and skips to Bella. She is soon pulling Bella alongside her to our table.

I vaguely hear Alice make the introductions, but not really. I can't keep my eyes off of her. My mind blanks out, and I only see her. Then I hear Alice say my name. I immediately stand up. I have this strange need to touch her. I reach my hand out for her's and pray she places her hand in mine. As soon as she does, it's as if she's brought all my hopes, dreams, and desires of being loved and cherished for the man I am, and pulling them to the forefront of my mind. She's taken away all of my fears and worries I'm not good enough, not worthy, and only seen as the monster I was created to be. I won't be so forward to kiss her lips, so I opt for the warm hand that's in mine.

I bow before I brush my lips across her hand. I feel an electric shock flow from her into me. I look up at her through my lashes.

"It's an absolute pleasure to meet you, Miss Bella." As the words leave my mouth, something happens extremely fast. If it weren't for my vampiric ability, I would have missed it. Her body flashed briefly as if she were a whole other person. As she did, she pulled her hand from mine and looked at me, as if I did something to her. Before I could register her emotions, I picked up a strong feeling of fear and hate coming from Edward.

"What was that?" Edward says as he stands up from the table angrily. In a flash, I push Bella behind me.

"What are you?" Edward grits through his teeth. A rogue growl rumbles in my chest that literally hurts as I try to hold it back. I look at Edward and speak to him in my thoughts, so only he can hear.

I don't give a fuck what she is. SHE'S MINE! I will end you if you lay a finger on her!

Suddenly, Bella flits from around me and backs away from our table.

"I'm sorry, this was a mistake. I have to go," and she's gone. I slam my fist down so hard on the table, it cracks.

"THIS IS NOT FINISHED!" I tell Edward before I try to keep a human pace as I go after Bella. I look down the hall and see her as she escapes through the door and into the parking lot. I weave through the students in the hall towards the door. But when I step outside, she's nowhere in sight. I look over and see her car still parked in the parking lot, but Bella has vanished into thin air. No way a human could disappear that fast. The parking lot is empty, except for the parked cars.

Alice soon makes her way out to where I am.

"Do you know where she went, Alice?" Alice shakes her head.

"I can't see her at all, Jasper."

"What do you mean, Alice?"

"I mean, when I touch her, it's as if she's not even there. I get a vision, but it's blank."

"Alice, your visions don't work by touch."

"I know, but I don't even get a vision when I search for her, so I tried to see if I touched her if I could get anything. When I did, I saw something, but it was blank."

"You can't see her future and Edward can't read her mind," I say to Alice as I think about what's going on with Bella.

"What was that all about, back there with Edward?" Alice asked me.

"After I kissed her hand, she flashed," I told Alice.

"I don't understand?" Alice said furrowing her brow.

"I can't really explain it either. For a moment, it was like she was somebody else. It happened so fast, I almost missed it. Edward had to be looking directly at her if he saw it." Suddenly Alice's eyes rolled back as if she's having one of her visions. She comes out of it with an audible gasp.

"What is it, Alice? What did you see?" I asked her holding her by her shoulders. She looks distraught.

"I can't see you anymore either, Jazzy," she says as venom tears form in her eyes.

"Like, I die?" She shakes her head no.

"When somebody dies, I can see it happen and then the scene goes black. With Bella, and now you, it's as if there is static on the television as if something is blocking it."

With Alice's back to the woods, I look over her shoulder, and I see Bella coming from out of the woods. She freezes when she sees Alice and me standing there before she turns and runs back in.

I take off across the parking lot and into the woods at vampire speed. I can smell her strawberry and freesia scent with a hint of lavender, so I follow that until I suddenly come to a meadow and the scent disappears. I turn around in circles trying to figure out where she could have vanished to that fast. I hear a rustling in the trees behind me. I turn around suddenly hoping it's her, but it's Alice. I don't know who this strange girl is, but I am certain she is my mate.

BELLA

I decide it's time to go back to class, so I get up from my perch in the forest and walk back towards the parking lot. As soon as I break from the trees, I see Alice and Jasper standing in the middle of the parking lot talking. I freeze, startled they are there before I turn around and take off at vampire speed through the forest again. I soon hear the footfalls behind me, so I take to the trees until I'm well away from the area.

I don't come back down to the forest until I'm almost home. Then I run through the woods until I reach our driveway. Thank God, Charlie's car is there.

I walk into the house and go straight to my room and pack for the weekend.

"Bella? What are you doing home from school?"

"I don't want to talk about it right now. Can I borrow your car for the weekend?" I asked

"Sure, but where's your car?"

"Still in the school parking lot. Can you pick it up for me? I also need you to call me out for the rest of the day and tomorrow. I'm not coming home until Sunday night," I tell him.

"Bells, what happened?" He says as he comes into my room.

"Charlie, I really don't want to talk about it right now. I need to get away to think things through. I'll tell you all about it when I come back on Sunday."

"Does it have anything to do with the Cullens?" I hang my head and let out a long sigh.

"So Billy told ya, huh?"

"Yep, I also called Aro and asked him about them. If they were someone we needed to look out for."

"And?"

"And, Aro had nothing but good things to say about them, Carlisle at least. He's met none of the others. But Aro says Carlisle spent a good amount of time in Volterra and even tried to convert them to his diet. Aro also confirmed what Billy and Sam said, their coven doesn't drink human blood. Billy doesn't believe it though since he's changed all but two of his coven members."

"Really, which two?"

"The two added to the treaty. One is a girl, a delightful little pixie, according to Sam."

"Alice, I met her, she's nice, but a little strange. And hyper I might add. And the other?"

"The other…" my dad trailed off. I stopped what I was doing and looked up at him. It was the first time I've ever seen my dad scared since becoming a vampire.

"Who is it, Charlie?"

"The Major," was all he said. I shrugged my shoulders and shook my head. The name didn't ring any bells for me.

"Major Jasper Whitlock, The God of War, from the Southern Vampire Wars." Suddenly it was like I was being pulled into a tunnel; everything around me fell away as if I would faint.

Apparently, I was still upright and standing because when I got a sense of my surroundings again, my dad was shaking me by the shoulders.

"BELLS? BELLS!" My dad's voice registered in my hearing. He then wrapped me up in his arms.

"Bella, baby girl. You scared me. Tell me please, tell me what's going on?" I hurriedly grabbed my bags and hauled ass down the stairs. I grabbed my dad's keys from off the console near the door and was throwing the bags in the back seat of his Infinity.

"Isabella, talk to me sweetheart," I put the key in the ignition and started the car.

"ISABELLA!"

"Daddy, the Major is my mate," was all I said before backing the car out of the driveway and headed to Portland.