"You're a werewolf!" I stated in a whisper. Rachel smiled again before she nodded.

"Yup, yup. Our little girl here is a warm-blooded, howlin' at the moon, pup." Eliza snickered as she stretched up on her toes to put an arm around Rachel's shoulders. The action shocked me, not to mention Edward.

Here was a vampire, practically embracing a werewolf! From my experience with both, this action wasn't something I was expecting at all. I was more expecting the two to go to blows rather than act like close chums. I couldn't help staring at them. My expression must have alarmed them because Rachel fidgeted out of the embrace and Eliza looked towards Edward with a what-did-I-do kind of look in her eyes. Before anyone could answer, Alice skipped towards us, her eyes darker than necessary. All her anger aimed at Rachel. Rachel's eyes returned the glare, but kept a neutral control over her features that must have been killing her. Edward stepped between Alice and Rachel and introduced them. An awkward silence followed as sparks flew from Rachel's and Alice's eyes.

"Well, isn't this peachy." Eliza said with false enthusiasm. Alice peeled her eyes away from Rachel to Eliza. She looked towards Edward to ask a question that couldn't be heard. Eliza's face developed a wicked smile that belonged to a child who knew a secret that no one knew she did. Edward smiled as well.

"I appreciate the complement, but I'm not a Grotesque Dog Lover, Alice Hale. I am Eliza Turnheart." she said as she stuck out her tongue. Alice forced a smile onto her face but her eyes were colder than ever. "A mind reader. How quaint."

My eyes turned to Eliza. She could read minds too? "Yup. You got it Alice. Only I'm not like Edward. He's like me. Seniority does have it's perks." Eliza said with an angelic giggle. "Seniority?" I asked. Her eyes met mine. "Yes, I'm older than Edward by quite a margin. Not only that, but I was there when he was changed. Such a cute new born vampire" she said the other half in a baby tone and stood on her toes to pinch his cheek. "Now look at him. A century later and he's finally settling down. Oh, how the decades seemed to have flown by."

I couldn't help my lower jaw from falling. Eliza looked so young. How could she honestly be an older vampire than Edward?

"Enough about me," Edward said uncomfortably. "Where's Jack? I can't imagine that he let you come down here by yourself." Eliza sighed. "No, you're right. He's always so worried about me being left alone with a pack of werewolves so close by. I don't see why he's such a nervous wreck. Rachel would protect me from those vagabonds if anything did happen." I caught a twitch in Rachel's face at that statement, but nothing more showed on her face than the calm demeanor she had plastered to her expression before.

"He's hunting right now actually with our new family member."

"Oh?" Edward fell silent as he stared at Eliza. She did not defer her eyes from him and I wished more than anything I could hear what they were saying to one another through their telepathic minds.

Edward's face became alarmed after finding a point while Eliza's became saddened. "So young?" Edward gasped. Eliza, for whatever reason, could only nod her head. Rachel's expression, somehow understanding the conversation, darkened and she touched Eliza's shoulder with the lightest pressure. Alice squirmed in her skin at the contact. Rachel noticed. "Sorry to have ruined your party Mr. and Mrs. Cullen." she said with a bow. "And sorry for making the rest of your family nervous." she added, her eyes glancing towards the other Cullens who had joined together in a group and were starting to cross the yard at a human pace. "I will not be staying here very much longer. I'm just waiting for Jacob really." "Jacob will be coming here?" I gasped. Rachel nodded. "He's very eager to see you again. He's been talking nonstop about you since we met." Her eyes became distant as she said this. "Well, anyways, I'll be right back." With that, Rachel walked away.

Eliza's eyes watched her leave before turning back towards us. She sighed deeply before smiling sadly. "Sorry to have crashed your party." "Not at all." Edward said with a low bow. "It was a pleasure to see you again." Alice cleared her throat. "Oh, sorry Alice. This is Eliza-" "I know who she is. I'd just like to know how you know her." Eliza turned her steely glare towards Alice. "Well, you would know that if Edward would visit once every 80 years. Honestly Edward, I almost thought you had forgotten me." Eliza stated, the hurt in her voice not hidden. I wanted to reach out and hold her, to wipe away the pain from her eyes. A face like hers should never be sad. Edward laughed. "Sorry, but I have been busy." "yeah, that's what you always say." she said sticking her bottom lip out. I looked up into Edward's eyes. He was smiling sincerely as he rolled his eyes.

"Though I must say," Eliza started stealing a glance towards the other Cullens. "-your family has grown quite a bit since the last time I saw you. I remember Rosalie and Esme. But who are those two?" she asked pointing at Jasper and Emmett. "Well the blond is Jasper," "MY mate." Alice chimed. "And the other is Emmett." "MY mate." I turned to see that Rosalie was suddenly behind us. Eliza laughed. "Rosalie, just as beautiful as ever."

"Eliza Turnheart. You haven't changed at all. Though-" Rosalie sniffed the air around Eliza. Her beautiful face scrunched in disgust. "-I do recall you smelling a lot better the last time I saw you." Eliza shrugged her shoulders as the remaining Cullens came to us. Emmett was introduced and Eliza smiled a greeting to Esme. "Quite a family you've got now Carlisle." she stated very impressed. "How is Jack doing?" Carlisle asked. "Oh, he's fine. Just got his Master's degree at Harvard for the second time. This time it's in Business." she said calmly. "Other than that, not much has been going on." "Except for the new addition to your family?" Edward reminded. "Oh yea. Sorry. I'll bring the family over so you can meet them soon." "That would be wonderful." Carlisle answered.

Alice dance walked over to Eliza. "Enough about that. How did you bare touching that one?" she asked, a grimace on her gorgeous face. Eliza looked like she had been slapped only for a second. I blinked and a smile had masked her previous expression. "I'm immune to the smell. Well, mostly. Rachel in the very least. Jacob still smells like a wet dog to me. It happens when you live with a werewolf for 2 years." "You lived with her?" I found myself asking. Eliza laughed at my outburst. "Yeah. Rachel is a sweetheart, though I never want to get on her bad side. We found her when she was…..running. She had been in her wolf form for a very long time. She almost didn't know how to become human again."

That last statement shocked me like lightning. They could forget how to phase back? "It was really shocking to me when she spoke to me. Mentally of course. She asked for help, we did the best we could and, the next thing we knew, we were living together. Don't look at me like that Edward, we aren't like you." I looked up at Edward.. Whatever she had seen in his face was gone, replaced by an empty stare.

"She stayed with us, only a few feuds here and there, but then she became a part of the clan." Alice made a gagging noise. Eliza glared at her before turning her eyes to me. "What do you think about it Mrs. Cullen. Do you think that it's disgusting that a werewolf and some vampires would put away their diffrence and live in harmony?"

I was dumbfounded. I couldn't find my voice. The truth was that that was my dream. That when I became a vampire, I could still be in contact with my best friend and real contact to the werewolf world.

Eliza suddenly smiled softly and turned. "I really should get back to Jack. I'm ruining your party. Oh, and Jack wants to know if we can come over to your house in the next few days. He wants to see your new wife and give you his gift." "That would be great!" Edward exclaimed. "It's been forever since I've seen Jack!" "Kay, then I'll bring them over sometime tomorrow. Oh, and one more thing." Eliza's smile disappeared, the liquid gold of her eyes freezing over as she stared at Alice. My pulse was beating too quickly in my chest and my eyes stared unblinking at her devilish demeanor. "Be nice to Rachel. I'm going to leave now in the belief that she will leave this party without having to show her fangs!" Eliza's face did a 180, waved good bye to me and disappeared.

"Well, that was weird." Alice said as she crossed her arms across her chest. "You could have been nicer to Rachel." Edward accused. "She didn't come to make trouble." I had to do a double take, leaving me staring up at Edward. Had he really just scolded Alice for being rude to a werewolf? It was a very strange day.

Alice mumbled something inaudible under her breath that made Edward's smile take on a slightly wicked twist. "If anything, she came to keep the peace." When he said this, his eyes flickered with something that I couldn't understand. A confident, almost sure look that I hadn't seen in a long time. That made me a bit nervous to say the least. What had him looking like a battle had just been won? "What do you know that you're not telling me?" I asked him, feeling the frustration on my face. His face snapped to mine, suddenly wary. I gave him the tell-me-or-you're-in-trouble look. He wrapped his arms around me, holding me desperately as though I may fall apart in his grip. "She's here because of Jacob." he said in a barely audible voice. "I ascertained that when she first got here." I grumbled as I pushed away from him. I wanted to see his face. I could read his face, but he could always lie with his voice.

For someone who seemed so concerned about me, Edward's expression confused me. He was trying hard not to smile but his eyes were watching me as though at any moment something would click in my mind and I would burst into tears.

I was about to ask him what that expression meant but his eyes suddenly jumped beyond me. They were fixed on a single point, his jaw locked tight and set. I felt his arms tighten back around me as his expression cooled to a detached iceberg. I followed his gaze and felt my own jaw drop.

Jacob Black, bigger than ever with his hair pulled back in a ponytail at the nape of his neck, was standing before us a few yards away in a suit and tie. His face was the same as I had remembered. Broad and still sweet behind the iron mask of the werewolf control.

His dark eyes were staring at me, a gentle and managed smile gently showing off the dimples I had missed seeing in his smile. Something in that smile made me want to cry. There was pain and yet acceptance in it. It made his face look even older, more mature.

I pushed away from Edward and he let me go. I was numb and somehow my unresponsive mind had commanded my legs to walk towards Jacob. He didn't move right away. He just watched me, a conflict going on inside his mind that kept him from coming to me.

The inner battle disappeared from his face and his new smile warmed me to the core. It was my old smile. It was the smile he had shown me before he had changed into a werewolf and he fought vampires for fun. Whatever had him glued to that spot vanished from his mind and he closed the gap between us in two strides and wrapping me in one of his suffocating hugs. The warmth that filled me at the contact was nothing short of a sun. My heart felt like it was going to burst at the joy I felt at feeling his arms around me once again. I had missed him so much, and that realization hadn't hit me as hard as this. "Hi Bella." he sighed as he released me.

"Jake! Where have you been?" I asked with a hysteric edge to my voice. I had been worried sick that he had gone off and done something stupid, like challenging a group of blood thirty vampires or jumping off a mountain. But no, here he was, looking almost cocky with his smile spread across his face. He lowered his face to my level, an apologetic light hitting his dark eyes. "Sorry I didn't call you Bells, but I thought it would have been awkward. You getting married and me being across the border and all. I was up in Canada. Man it was cool up there." he answered my unspoken question as he fidgeted with his tie.

I couldn't help laughing after taking a better look at Jacob. It was obvious that he was uncomfortable in the suit and shoes from how he was shifting from one foot to the other and kept rolling his shoulders uncomfortably in the black jacket. He wasn't used to the layers compared to his usual shirtless, cut off jeans, and shoeless attire.

"Jake, you really didn't have to wear all that." I mumbled through another fit of laughter. He shrugged his shoulders stiffly. "Hey, I didn't want to be rude. Plus, it's only for a little while." My heart sank. Was he going to leave again? Was he going to vanish like he had before?

He must have seen the fear in my face because his hand was suddenly scorching my cheek with his warmth and an understanding look was embedded in his stern face. "I need to go talk to the pack and hope I don't get grounded." he rolled his eyes.

"Talk to the pack? Are they really that mad?" I asked, already knowing that if they had been as angry as I had been, Jacob may leave the meeting with a few scars. Jacob heaved a sigh that sounded like it belonged to a grizzly bear. "That's putting it lightly. But I kind of need to talk to them more about Rachel." His eyes jumped up and he proceeded to scan over the area. "Speaking of Rachel, have you seen her?" Whatever was on my face melted away as I saw a new emotion in Jacob's eyes. Eager anxiousness as he looked around for the werewolf. "Yeah. She's-" I looked to the other side of the yard where she had disappeared to. She wasn't there. "Maybe she went to the bathroom." I said to try to wipe away the worry that had simultaneously spread to his eyes. He nodded and looked over my head. I knew he was looking at Edward and my blood ran cold. I didn't want a fight between them so soon after Edward and I had gotten married.

Jacob, his face set and determined walked past me straight for Edward. My heart started beating as I rushed to keep with his strides. He stopped only a few feet away from Edward and Alice, both of which looked like they were about to spring on him if he took another step. I was surprised when Jacob suddenly smiled a tight grin at them. "Congratulations Edward." he said through tightly pressed lips, though I could hear the sincerity in his voice. I wasn't the only one taken off guard. Alice's eyes were bulging and Edward was speechless. Jacob laughed and then started looking around again for the werewolf missing in action.

As I was staring up at him, his eyes suddenly glistened with the purest form of joy I had ever seen. It was like all the world around him had suddenly disappeared. Nothing could draw his eyes away from what he had sighted. Without so much as a goodbye, he sprinted away almost too quickly. I followed him with my eyes and finally saw what had caught his attention. Rachel was walking to meet Jacob, her eyes locked on his as his were on hers. That look stopped my heart. The same endless joy that had been so evident in Jacob's face was there, gleaming into Jacob's eyes. They stared at each other with such passion between them that I felt like I was intruding and had to look away. Before even a second had passed my eyes were already back on them. Rachel was now inches from Jacob, her incredible height barely bringing her to his shoulder, forcing her to look up to meet his eyes. Her eyes faltered to the ground shyly and a bashful smile brightened her face. Jacob wrapped his arms around her waist and put his forehead to hers. Her arms enclosed around his neck and they embraced as though it had been forever since they had last met. They looked at one another, their lips moving too quickly for me to even guess what they were saying. Rachel's face took on a concerned look and Jacob's a protecting edge. He murmured something to her that made her smile weakly before returning her coy expression to the ground. Jacob lifted his hands to hold her face delicately before he pressed his lips gently and lovingly to hers.

I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. I could only stare as Jacob pulled away unwillingly and replaced his forehead to Rachel's. He released her face, wrapped an arm around her waist, and started pulling her back towards us.

Something cold and gentle pressed itself lightly into my hand. Edward's fingers wrapped themselves tenderly and comfortingly around mine. His eyes were open to me, no longer mixed emotion playing on his face. So this is what he had meant by keep the peace.

Another hand touched my shoulder. It was Alice, her eyes defensive and confused, with Jasper at her side. Rosalie and Emmett had also taken their defensive positions to Jasper's left, their expressions dangerous towards the oncoming werewolves. I looked back at Edward and saw that Esme and Carlisle were looking at me with loving looks, but unable to hide their tightened jaws as their eyes flew to Jacob and Rachel. My eyes flew around the yard, worrying about the other guests and what they may subconsciously sense from this little gathering. Luckily and unfortunately, no one was around. Lucky in a sense that no one would learn of the feud between Jacob's family and my new one. Unfortunately because now nothing would be holding them back from going to blows.

Jacob and Rachel kept their distance at a good 2 yards, Jacob somewhat relaxed with Rachel's stance defensive and anxious under a relaxed façade. I could see that standing so close to so many vampires was making her ready to jump out of her human skin and into a furrier one. I doubted whether she had been so close to so many vampires without hostile reasons. Her expression proved that. Though she had been able to fake a smile with just Edward and Alice near, her face was set in stone in a full out grimace.

"Everyone, this is Rachel." Jacob stated with so much love in the name that it stopped my breathing. "I met her up in Canada while I was…..away." "I've already met Bella, Edward, and Alice." Rachel said tightly, trying so hard to hide her discomfort. She took a deep breath and a warm smile suddenly whipped onto her face, showing off deep dimples and perfectly straight rose of white teeth. "I am pleased to meet everyone else." She slowly raised her hand towards them, her controlled expression betrayed by the shaking in her arm. I had no doubt that this gesture of being polite was going against her self-control in every meaning of the word.

Jasper and Alice took steps back, Emmett flinched and Rosalie glared bitterly at the extended hand. I held my breath as Rachel's controlled expression started to stagger and the corner of her mouth twitch in effort. Thankfully, Carlisle took human-slow strides to close the distance between them and gradually raised his hand to take hers.

"It's a pleasure for us as well. I am Carlisle Cullen. And this it my family." Carlisle introduced everyone. Esme was the next to step forward, careful not to move too quickly. She put a gentle hand on Rachel's shoulder lovingly and smiled affectionately that smiled that had warmed many hearts. To my relief, Rachel seemed to relax a little, but she kept her hands laced behind her back to keep I could only guess from reacting on instinct.

"It's so nice to meet you dear. How are you liking your stay in Washington?" Esme asked warmly. Rachel smiled as though she were slightly embarrassed. She glanced up at Jacob before looking childishly back at Esme. "I only arrived this morning, but I have to say," she laughed lightly and, surprisingly, at ease. "-I do miss the snow as opposed to all this slushy rain." Emmett muttered something that sounded like, "Then go back to the snow." but I couldn't be sure. However, I wasn't the only who had heard it. Rachel's face and body stiffened, though she kept a smile on her face. Jacob on the other hand, wasn't pretending to hide anything. His eyes were squinted and buried beneath his thick eyebrows, his deadly glare aimed at Emmett. I could feel the chill of the defensive vampires from behind and the heat from the angered werewolf in front. It was a double whiplash.

Rachel jabbed Jacob lightly in ribs and the heat died away, as did the chill from behind. I could breathe again. At least, until the danger came back.

I found myself staring at the two werewolves. I couldn't help it. Even with their control tested and being so close to such a large coven of vampires, they looked like they were perfectly content as long as they were in touching distance of each other. I watched as Jacob fiddled with Rachel's hair, putting the long strands to his face and smelling them before he placed them to his lips. It was almost too much for me.

"Canada? You don't seem to have much of an accent." I started, trying to start a conversation. Rachel smiled genuinely at my question. "That's because I only live in Canada during the hot or hunting season. Plus, my pack doesn't spend enough time with humans to pick up their accents when we are up there." she answered. "So, are there other tribes of werewolves?" I asked, really curious about that one. According to Quileute legend only the skin walkers of their ancestry had been able to change into wolves. Now, here was a living contradiction to that rule. How many more packs could there be?

"Many actually. There are currently-" Rachel thought for a moment. "At least 6 other packs other than the main pack and the Masturi with at least 20 wolves in each. But that's without counting new packs like the Quileute pack here."

I felt my eyes widen. That many? There was no way. And what was that thing she mentioned? The Masturi? That name for some reason sent an alarming thrill down my spine. Something that burned my senses and made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end.

"How do you hide that many wolves?" I gaped. Her eyes darkened. "Well, not every wolf lives as long a life as you may think. We have our weaknesses too, along with our own hunters. Many of those wolves won't live to see their 100th birthday." she said sadly. "Hundredth?! How old can you get?" "Pretty old." she chuckled. All was quiet for a long minute, mostly because I didn't want to burden Rachel with more of the questions that were screaming to be released from my mind.

"Why are you here?" Rosalie asked bitterly. Thanks Rosalie, I thought to myself as she blurted out one of the main questions I had been dying to ask but not daring to utter.

I saw Jacob's expression darken and heard a low growl ripple and resonate through his chest. He was really ready to start a fight based on the electricity sparking from his eyes over to the vampire sidelines.

Rachel quickly took one of Jacob's hands into hers and he instantly calmed down. The threat in his eyes was gone, not even a tremor of the earthquake-like growl remained. He was once again completely relaxed.

"I plan on staying permanently actually. I hope to join the Quileute pack." Rachel answered, her face obviously more strained than before. "Why!" Emmett growled.

Jacob took a step in front of Rachel protectively and glare at Emmett, not as threatening as it had been but still a warning for him to back off. "Because, I asked her to." he answered. "Oh, and why would you do that? Don't we have enough of you dogs stinking up the place?" Jasper asked coolly.

That was the breaking point for the mask Rachel had been so good at wearing. Her blue eyes became so cold that they burned through me like fire. The power I saw in those eyes as they glared at Jasper turned my legs into jelly beneath me, Edward being the only reason I was still standing. A deep growl emanated from her chest and filled the air like thunder. Her once gentle face had nothing left of it that even looked remotely tender or heartwarming. It was cold, empty of all emotion except the purest form of rage I had ever felt. The atmosphere of bloodlust and death that surrounded her was nauseating and frightening beyond words. I wanted to run. I wanted to get away from this, this thing that Jacob had brought back from up north. I wanted to escape from the wildness in the stare that she gave to her offender, hide under anything that could get me away from the superiority and strength that resonated off of her now.

One look from Jacob was all it took for all of it to disappear. Rachel was as she had been moments before. Her eyes warm and collected but her face was not masked by a smile. I felt Jasper take a deep breath and stumble back a step before he collected himself. I couldn't help sighing mentally to myself. At least I hadn't been the only one so badly affected by that sudden change in Rachel's demeanor.

Even with Rachel calm and once again under control, danger still electrified the air. Jacob's body was shaking as a dark smile spread across his face. "Because I have every intention of taking care of my fiancée here since her pack doesn't want us to have a wedding there." All was quiet.