A/N: Thank you all for the reviews and follows. *virtual hugs* Sorry I forgot to insert an author's note for Chapter 3, I was in a rush to share it with y'all. ;)
The story is heating up, and it'll only get better from here, and I'm glad y'all like it so far. I hate it when people beg for reviews, so this is (maybe) the last time I ask, but in all honesty they really help me out. I enjoy constructive criticism, and it will only assist the effort I put in to make the story, so if you would be so kind as to leave one, I'd be really grateful.
I have so many wonderful friends, and a lot of them are FF authors as well. I'm dedicating this chapter to the lovely GoldenPheasant, whose absolutely adorable and cute stories serve as a reminder to me that love is about nurture and care as well as passion and spontaneity. Go check her out. ;)
So without further adieu, here's Chapter Four. Enjoy!
Chapter 4
Edward scowled to himself. Things were about to get really interesting.
He was standing in the living room, with the rest of his family seated around the coffee table. Alice, Esme, and Rosalie were perched on the living room sofa; Emmett sat atop an ottoman, which he had dragged near the couch; Jasper rested on the other ottoman; and Carlisle reclined on the nearby armchair. It was dawn, and the morning sun was just beginning to peek out above the tree line. It shone small rays of light through the east bay windows, and gave warmth to the otherwise chilly house.
"What is it, Edward? Rose and I have a plane to catch." Emmett had a sour facial expression. He was eager to take Rosalie to Africa on a romantic exotic hunting trip for their anniversary. He'd never tasted rhinoceros, and Edward's late-night powwow was going to make them late.
Edward sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I apologize to everyone. I know this is an inconvenience, but something has come up..."
Alice rolled her eyes. "Edward, will you skip the drama and just tell us? I know it has something to do with the wolves because I can't see your future. Either that or you're dying of vampire cancer, so spit it out!" She was mostly joking, but she had been in the middle of a delightful make-out session with Jasper, and was quite eager to return to their room.
Carlisle shot her a reproachful look. "Alice, patience. You'll see why this is difficult for Edward to expound on in just a moment. I was the one who decided to call the meeting, because this is extremely important, and I knew that you'd all want to learn about it in person. Go on, Edward."
Edward inhaled deeply. He was truly at a loss for words. "In case you didn't know, which you probably don't unless you're Alice or Carlisle, during these new emergency patrol exercises, I befriended Jacob Black, one of the Quileute shape-shifters. He was Bella Swan's best friend in Forks, and we bonded over her loss. He and I are now very good friends, and we meet at our patrol station often." God damn it, he felt like he was in some sort of awful soap opera.
Emmett snickered. "This is gonna be good. What, do you play fetch? Are you gonna rename him Fido? Scruffy, perhaps?"
"Shut up, Emmett! Don't make me do what I did last week," Jasper threatened. He was referring to an incident in which Emmett had poked fun of Alice's new purple hair dye, and Jasper had used his powers as an empath to consume Emmett in unbridled laughter. He had giggled for several hours until Jasper made him promise never to make fun of Alice's hair again. Emmett wiped the smirk off his face, and Jasper bowed his head in sarcastic gratitude. "Please, continue, Edward." His South Texas drawl curved the words in the air, adding a thick twang to his genteel tone.
Edward was shaking his head. "Thank you, Jasper. As I was saying, we had really hit it off as friends, and things were going swimmingly. Until tonight, that is."
"What happened?" Esme's voice was filled with grave concern. Any form of violence would be considered a violation of the treaty, and she hoped that Edward hadn't done anything to jeopardize their home in Forks.
Edward saw her train of thought, and waved his hand. "No, no, nothing violent. The treaty wasn't broken, or at least I don't think it was. Apparently, the wolves have a genetic trait that is activated when they find their soul mate. It's called imprinting, and tonight Jacob imprinted on me when he saw me."
Emmett couldn't control himself any longer. He roared with laughter. "Are you kidding me? The dog fell in love with you?"
"He didn't fall in love. It's much more severe than that. Because of this imprinting, his only goal in life now is to make me happy. All else comes second to his imprinted one. It happened when we made eye contact, and it was so quick that I barely had time to register what had occurred before he ran away. The intensity of his thoughts was pretty overwhelming. Obviously it's something he has no control over, and I wanted everyone to understand the situation before Carlisle and I move forward with our plan."
Rosalie spoke up. "Wait, plan? What exactly are we planning to do? It's not like we can just walk over there and apologize." She had never cared much for the hassle that came with having a giant group of vampire-hunting shifters around. She'd much prefer to move somewhere closer to her old home down south, somewhere tropical, but everyone else insisted that Forks was lovely. She rolled her eyes. Perhaps this was an answer to her prayers...
Carlisle answered curtly. "Actually we can, and we will. Since we know next to nothing about imprinting, we are going to meet with the Quileutes, tell them what happened, and ask them how we should proceed. I respect their customs, just as they respect ours. If we did nothing, it would be like if they had found a way to share all our special gifts, like telepathy and clairvoyance, and not told us about it or asked us how to use them." Rosalie, resigned to her fate, gave a small huff of displeasure and sat back in her chair.
Alice frowned. "What about Jacob? Wouldn't he have told them by now?"
Edward shook his head. "He's too confused and embarrassed. He was so distressed that, as soon as it happened, he shifted and took off into the forest. As of an hour ago, when I was on my way back, he's still out there somewhere. He's mortified; it seems that no wolf has ever imprinted on another man before, and the fact that I'm a vampire certainly does not help the matter."
The Cullens were still for a moment, immersed in their thoughts. Then, Emmett stood. "Well, I don't have any other plan, and it looks like I can't be of any assistance, so Rose and I are going to take off. Good luck with your new pet, and let me know if you need to get him fixed."
Rosalie pulled him down forcefully, making one of the legs on the ottoman crack as she pushed him back into a sitting position. "Em, we're going to stay here until this is over. They might need help later on, and we won't be able to get here fast enough if we're in Kenya. Besides, I think we all should be there when they meet the tribal elders. They'll get suspicious if some of us aren't there." Emmett made a move to protest, but she glared at him so strongly that he shut his mouth and sighed. She shot him the look he feared most: the "no sex later if you make this difficult" look. She was just as irritated as he was about not being able to leave, but if they were going to pursue this, they might as well go about it the right way.
"Rosalie's right. It will look best if we all attend. But the question remains: what's going to happen between you and Jacob?" Alice asked out of care for her adopted brother.
Unfortunately, Edward had no answer to her question. "I have no idea. I'll cross that bridge when I come to it, but I need more information first. I need to know how imprinting works, and the conference with the Quileute elders will answer any questions I have."
Carlisle stepped in. "Alright then. It appears as if we're all going. I don't want seem disrespectful by arranging this over the phone, so I'll make my way to La Push now, and seek an audience with the council. I will text everyone with further instructions as soon as I learn more. I think it's best if you all wait here until then."
They all nodded in assent, so Carlisle took off out the front door without another word. Emmett took his spot on the recliner, and Esme decided to change clothes, so Jasper snagged her seat and cuddled up next to Alice.
"I'm going to step outside for a moment. I'll be right back." Edward motioned to the back door.
Alice nodded. "Be back soon, okay? If Carlisle calls, and you're not here, we're leaving without you," she warned him, only half kidding.
He smirked. "I won't be out too long."
She raised her eyebrow. "Are you sure you don't want me to come with?" She pushed Jasper away; he was kissing her neck and trying to evoke a response from his mate.
Edward thought for a moment, then shrugged his shoulders. "Alright, come on." She beamed at him, hopped off the couch, and followed him out the sliding glass door, knocking Jasper on his face in the process.
"Hey!" Jasper made a pouty face, and tried to subtly flood the room with lust and a hint of slothfulness, in the hopes that Alice would decide to stay indoors instead of taking that walk.
Alice turned around and shouted, "I'll be back soon, love!" She rolled her eyes, and followed Edward off the expansive porch. He laughed out loud when she sighed in sarcastic confusion. "Why am I in love with such a horny bastard?"
They walked out onto one of the many trails that led from their back porch into the forest. She punched him on the shoulder, and he playfully shoved her off the path. They both laughed as they slowly ambled down the hiking route, their steps making soft patter noises as their feet treaded on the moist, well-worn soil.
Alice wound her arms around Edward's elbow and leaned against him. "What are you gonna do, Eddie?" She used the term of endearment over which she had exclusive rights to use.
He grinned. "You really hate not knowing the outcome of all this, don't you?"
She waved him off. "You wish. I'm simply worried, that's all. You know I've been wanting to see you settle down for a long time now..."
He put his hand up for her to stop talking, and glanced at her curiously. "Are you seriously telling me to settle down with him? A werewolf? A sworn enemy, regardless of the treaty?"
She gazed up at the canopy of leaves, and then nodded. "Yes. Even with all those things, I still think that anyone who's completely devoted to someone deserves that person's love and respect. Based on what it sounds like, I'd say there's no chance he'd ever leave you, betray you, or even hurt you. So what's there to lose? Even if he's a guy, he'll still treat you right, and stand by you." She smiled; a wicked smile that implied something sinister. "Besides, I know you like him too. I knew you were gay since we first met."
Edward did a double-take. "Are you serious? How could you know that?" Of course, it was true. Edward had always been taken by men, and found them much more appealing than women. Despite his many attempts at heterosexuality, he knew deep down the truth about his preferences, and had never done anything of any sexual significance with a woman to prove otherwise. Even his relationship with Bella had been teetering on the brink of collapse. She had continued to insist on more, and he had been so hesitant to give anything that she had started having her doubts. Sure, the kisses were great, and the groping was damn fantastic, but he'd always been subconsciously thinking of men. His stall tactics had been wearing thin, and he suspected that, in the end, Bella had asked him to kill her because she knew that it was the only way she'd ever really fulfill his desires. He didn't want to entertain that thought, if only because it was too hurtful. He'd always suspected that Alice had a hunch about it, but there was no way even she could have known way back then.
Alice winked. "Woman's intuition." She paused. "Of course, I also happened to look down the rabbit hole, and saw what the future would have held had you changed Bella instead of helping her end it all." She stopped walking, and looked him in the eye. "It was... less than stellar. I can tell you what I saw. Only if you want me to, of course..." Her tone was grave, and the look in her eyes was foreboding and gloomy.
He wrinkled his brow and thought about it for a moment. He did want to know what would have happened, but at the same time it felt wrong to dive into something he could never change. Hindsight is always twenty-twenty, and there was no point in dwelling on the past. However, it was his curiosity that won out. He chalked it up as a step toward closure, and motioned for Alice to continue.
"Alright. After you changed Bella, she became more distraught at your refusals of her sexual advances. Finally, she left the coven after realizing that you'd never feel the same way. She joined the Denali coven, but still felt unhappy. She knew she'd never be satisfied without you, so she decided to join the Volturi, using a special gift she possessed as a vampire: she would have been a Shield, a blocking mechanism that keeps the powers of others from having any effect on those she was protecting. Using her to his advantage, Aro came to Forks, wiped out our entire coven, killed the Quileute shape-shifters for good measure, and destroyed Bella for siding with the wolves during that battle." She swallowed air. "It was a horrifying vision, that's why I encouraged her to take the other path."
"You told her this?" His voice was strong, almost threatening. If Alice had coerced Bella into killing herself, he'd never forgive her.
She held up her hand. "No, I didn't tell her anything, except that I strongly recommended that she not choose to become like us. But you're dodging the question again."
They walked onward. "I know. I suppose you're right, as always. He would never go against the imprint; it's too powerful to overcome. I just... I don't know. The emotions that were behind the thoughts he had when he imprinted... They were so powerful that I could actually feel them. Jasper would have been pushed into a coma if he had been there. It was frightening to know that anyone could feel so strongly about anything."
She stopped him and grabbed his shoulders, forcing him to face her. She groaned in aggravation. "Edward Anthony Masen, don't you get it? That's what love feels like! It's so strong that you can't help but obey it. When you truly love someone, you get butterflies in your stomach, you want to rob a bank, you get so shy that you can hardly speak the King's English, you want to grab the moon and give it to your beloved. Love makes you feel invincible, yet vulnerable. Powerful, yet helpless. You're afraid because you've never been in love before, and it scares you." She looked at him like he was some sort of dim-witted kindergarten student. "Why does it scare you?"
He stared deeply into her pleading eyes, trying to decipher the complex puzzle. He spoke the answer before he actually thought it. "I'm scared of love because I'm even more scared of rejection." His voice was low, and mirrored his inner insecurity.
She gave her own crooked smile, a cocky grin that perplexed him. "I completely believe you, Edward. So let me state this clearly, so that there's no room for a single slice of doubt in your thick skull: Jacob. Black. Will. Never. Reject. You." She poked her finger into his cold iron chest at each word, enunciating each word slowly.
He could only continue to stare into her eyes, eyes almost identical to his except her flecks were a darker shade of amber. Then he hugged her. He embraced his adopted sister so tightly that he thought he'd never let go. He was reduced to wracking dry sobs as he held Alice firmly in his grasp. He nuzzled his face into her tiny shoulder. "God, I hope that's true. I hope that's true."
She returned his embrace, patting his back and mussing his perpetually disheveled copper-bronze hair. "I hope so too, Ed. I really do."
They stood there for awhile, before regaining their composure and heading back to the house.
They reached the back door just as their phones collectively buzzed and chimed with a text from Carlisle, which read:
The elders have agreed to talk. Meet on the county road, where you all will be escorted to the council chamber by the pack. Please be polite, and keep in mind that this is the first time they've ever allowed "cold ones" onto Quileute land.
A separate text read:
Edward, don't go out and look yet, but if you know where Jacob is, tell Sam so that he can find him. They've been looking, but his thoughts are so muddled that they can't pinpoint his location. I know you've had the same trouble, but perhaps you could narrow the search field a bit.
Emmett looked up from his phone. "So do you know where he is?"
Edward shook his head. "Carlisle's right. I can hear him within a certain radius, but I couldn't be clear enough to be of any assistance without actually going in a search party."
Jasper nodded. "Alright then. Shall we take the Lexus?"
Esme shook her head. "No way. We'll take my car." She grinned and glanced at Emmett. "As long as I drive. Is that okay?"
Emmett raised his eyebrows in excitement. "Fine by me!"
They all jogged to the garage and headed to Esme's ride: it was a beautiful obsidian Infiniti QX56, with an engine that Emmett and Edward had tinkered and altered until it could produce quite a kick when shifted into full throttle. Fully aware of this fact, Esme gave it all it could handle as they zoomed down the deserted road in the early morning mist. The drive was uneventful, and Edward gazed out the window in the hopes that he might see Jacob running to catch up. Yet he saw no wolves until they reached the border that crossed the old county road that led to the reservation.
There, the coven was met by a veritable entourage of seven wolves, each a different color and size. Esme brought the car to a slow stop and rolled the windows down to avoid suspicion. The large black wolf growled, and Edward nodded. He turned to his fellow vampires. "The black one is Sam. He said that we are to drive slowly, and they will accompany us." He waved to the wolves, and Esme pushed the gas pedal slowly until the speed of the SUV leveled off at around 20 miles an hour. The pack cantered alongside the automobile, and before too long they had entered La Push proper. The small village was unassuming, with little except for a marina, some small residences, and the tribal council building, which they reached in no time.
The structure fit in with the rest of the town: it was a single story, plain brick building, with a few large windows and an unassuming sign in front of the door. Esme pulled into one of the few parking spaces, next to Carlisle's sedan, and they slowly got out. The wolves shifted and, after changing into clothes, subtly encompassed the outsiders. Sam approached the Cullens. "I am Sam Uley, Alpha of the Quileute warriors. This is my pack: Seth and Leah Clearwater, Jared Cameron, Paul Lahote, Embry Call, and Quil Ateara V."
Esme nodded in gratitude. "We are honored to make your acquaintance. You might know a bit about us, but formal introductions are always a good start. This is my family. Carlisle is my husband, and I'm sure you've met him already. My name is Esme, and this is Emmett, his wife Rosalie, Jasper, his wife Alice, and Edward." She pointed to each one as she said their name, and each stepped forward as their name was called. The eyes of the shifters were wary, and the eyes of the vampires were equally distant. At the same time, there was no ominous feeling in the air as the two factions introduced themselves.
After the formalities were concluded, with each Quileute and vampire cautiously shaking hands with each other, Sam motioned towards the entryway with his hand. "Please, right this way. The elders wish to speak to us."
They complied, and, with Edward leading the way, the large group entered the Quileute meeting hall. Matching with the decor of the whole reservation, the room in which the meeting was to take place left little to the imagination, yet did not come across as ugly. On one wall hung a hand-woven tapestry that seemed to intertwine several animals important to the Quileute culture into a single geometric pattern resembling the profile of a wolf. The other walls consisted of large wooden planks, and were completely barren. In the middle of the room resided a huge conference table that appeared to be made of cedar, around which sat seven elders and Carlisle. There were plenty of chairs left for the rest of the group, but of the wolves, only Sam took a seat, choosing one on the far left of the elders. The Quileutes were positioned on the west side of the table, their backs toward the sea, while the east side was occupied by Carlisle and his coven.
After taking their seats, the oldest-looking of the tribal leaders spoke. "Welcome, cold ones. We gather today to discuss a truly perplexing matter, a new chapter in our history. One of our own warriors, the direct descendant of the esteemed Ephraim Black, leader of our warriors when you, Carlisle, first arrived on Quileute soil, yes, the carrier of the Black name himself has imprinted on a man. Not only a man, but also a man dead without death, a cold one, a drinker of blood. A unique blood-drinker, a member of Carlisle Cullen's tribe, yes, but a cold one nonetheless."
She truly belonged to the ancients. Her words echoed of a time long since inscribed in history books and forgotten to the ages, and her speech slurred due to the lack of most of her teeth. She spoke of the vampires in a tentative, but not bitter tone, and her cloudy eyes scanned the ranks of her counterparts as an owl scans the dark night, looking for a lesson to be taught or a fool to be reprimanded. She confidently proceeded. "Which of you is the imprinted one?"
Edward slowly raised his hand, nervous but not shaky. She nodded understandingly. "I expected as such. Handsome, aloof, and cunning. Young Jacob has indeed found his match." A few of the elders chortled softly, breaking the icy seriousness of the proceedings (however slightly). "The other elders and I were reviewing the historical logs of the tribal council, in the hopes of uncovering any proof of such an instance where a warrior has imprinted on another man. As it stands, no such example exists. But our historical logs also hold no record of a female warrior, and as you can see, such a thing does in fact occur." She waved her hand at Leah, who nodded in acknowledgement. The tribal woman continued.
"In such cases, we must therefore turn to the original legend to determine why such an event took place. We examined the official transcription of the first mention of imprinting, and have concluded that imprinting takes place when a warrior finds himself in the presence of the one person that truly completes him, empowers him with hope and strength, endows him with selfless purpose and responsibility, and connects him with a mate that will reciprocate his love, affection, and loyalty. Apparently, gender holds no relevance to the Spirits when selecting a warrior's imprinted one."
She turned to face Edward directly. Her eyes were soft with age, but her words were hardened with assurance."Whatever the reasons, the Spirits have paired young Black with you, a man of stone flesh and a taste for blood, because you fit those criteria. The tribe has never had any reason to condemn or condone homosexuality, and we see no reason to condemn it now that an official mandate from the Spirit World seems to have done the opposite." She clucked at herself. "Ah, but I have caught myself rambling. As outsiders, I'm sure you seek answers about imprinting. Perhaps a current warrior could explain much better than I just how it works and what it entails? Perhaps the Alpha, Sam Uley?"
She turned to Sam, who bowed his head and obliged, presenting roughly the same monologue he had divulged to the pack the night before. After he had finished, Edward spoke for the first time. "So there is no undoing an imprint?"
One of the elders knitted his brow tightly. "Absolutely not. It is set in stone on the tablet of the heart. There is no process of unmaking that which is irreversible, and to attempt such an impossible disgrace would be of the highest offense in the eyes of the Spirits, and of the elders."
Edward held up his hands in defense. "I suggested no such thing. I was simply weighing all the possibilities. I have no desire to unmake the imprinting."
The old woman, who was the sole female elder at the table, smiled a nearly toothless grin, and spoke again. "You wish to fulfill the duties of the imprinted one?" Her eyes gleamed with curiosity, and, resting her elbows on the thick table, leaned towards the cold ones with anticipation.
The room had grown so still, that a pin drop became the equivalent of a sonic boom. All waited for Edward's answer. He turned to face Alice, who grabbed his hand and nodded her head in encouragement. He turned back to the Quileutes and said, "Yes I do. Jacob imprinted on me for a reason, and it would be foolish to deny even an initial relationship to explore just what those reasons are. I intend to confront this wholeheartedly, openly, and lovingly."
The ancient elder woman closed her eyes in contentment. "You speak with great wisdom, young cold one. The good Spirits watch over you, as they do young Jacob. I, along with the elders, trust you to treat him with the utmost respect and care, as he deals with one of the more troubling traditions in our peoples' heritage. With that, I dissolve this meeting, with the following commands from the elders: that our warriors assist the imprinted one in tracking his mate as soon as possible, and that, from this day forward, these seven cold ones are to travel to and from our reservation as they please, with the few conditions that they abide by the rules set forth in the original treaty in regards to the biting of a human, and that they explicitly gain permission from the Quileute warriors before entrance into the reservation. That is, with the exception of the imprinted one, who may come and go as he pleases with the permission of his mate. Now, we would like to speak to the imprinted one alone for a moment."
The pack trailed Sam out the door, and the Cullens followed suit, leaving Edward alone with the elders. After the door shut behind Carlisle, who patted his first-bitten on the shoulder while he walked out, one of the younger looking leaders cleared his throat and spoke. "Keeping with tradition, a ceremony in which only the imprinted couple participates is performed on Akalat, known to outsiders as James Island. They receive the official blessing of the tribe, and are officially recognized as spouses, to be reunited in the Spirit World when they pass over. Despite the unusual nature of the bonding, we would like to perform it with you as well." He stumbled over his words, and even in middle age, he seemed juvenile compared to the elder woman. "That is, unless the cold ones have their own initiation rites that disavow such a ceremony. We needed to know if such a ritual is allowed by your people."
Edward smiled cordially. "The only ritual our mates perform is their mere existence, and I would be honored to join Jacob in a Quileute imprinting ceremony. If we get to that point, of course."
The woman elder spoke again. "Very well. I had a feeling that we would not encounter trouble in this matter, contrary to some views held by my counterparts." She clearly was referring to the other elders, who looked away at their mention. She narrowed her eyes, and summarily ignored them as she continued. Her high, lofty voice also contained a gravelly element that only those who hold great wisdom possess. "My name is Beverly Dobson, and my father was a warrior under Ephraim Black. I would like to know your name as well. Your last name is Cullen, I assume?" She held out her thin, shrivelled hand across the expansive table.
"Yes ma'am. Well, I interchange my first surname with Cullen sometimes, so my original full name is Edward Anthony Masen. I was present when we first signed the treaty with the Quileute nation, and I am pleased to meet you." He took her hand and shook it firmly.
She chuckled softly. "This appears to be the beginning of a long peace between the cold ones and the warriors. It seems our ancestors are ensuring goodwill and prosperity for our people. Taha Aki would be proud to know that the Quileutes no longer need to worry about terrible evil, for how can we be afraid when our once greatest enemy now travels freely within our borders with no harm done to a single man, woman, or child?" It amazed Edward, the way she spoke. She could have been a great orator back in the days of Athens and Rome, if women had been allowed such a position.
With that, she stood, thanked Edward for attending, and disbanded the gathering. Each elder shook his hand as they departed, and Edward was the last to leave the room. He walked out to find the Cullens chatting with the wolfpack. Emmett was joking around with Sam and Embry, Carlisle, Esme, and Alice were chatting with Paul, Seth, and Leah, and Rosalie was listening intently to a story that was being woven by Jared and Quil about some recent pack hunt. Edward shook his head in disapproval when he noticed Jasper sitting apart from the group, eyes glazed over and forehead wrinkled in concentration. He made his way around the group until he was standing behind Jasper. Edward leaned over and tapped him on the shoulder. "Doing your part to help with the mending of fences, I see?"
Jasper leapt a foot in the air, and Edward felt the scene shift back to the edgy mood it had been before: everyone was acting the same, yet their feelings about it had morphed, returned to the benign wariness they had possessed when the Cullens had first arrived. Jasper glared at him. "I was only trying to maximize the benefit of our visit. Jesus, don't sneak up on a man like that, I about pissed myself!"
Edward rolled his eyes at the Southern grammatical inaccuracies. "Let them handle their own emotions, Jasper. It's going wonderfully, and there is no need for an empathetic intervention." He patted his friend on the back. "Normally I'd have no problem with you utilizing your talent, but I really think that we've got this covered."
Jasper scrunched his eyebrows, but smirked begrudgingly. "I know, I know. I just don't want anything to go wrong, you know?" His thick Texan accent made his vowels stretch out and his words hang in midair. Yes, Edward did know.
Jasper truly had little to fear. The tense string between the two rival clans had relaxed considerably, and a new age of amity was visible on the horizon. But as Edward gazed at the noonday sun, he knew that they had yet to emerge from the storm. He also believed deep down in the simple rule by which the universe overwhelmingly abides: things that can appear calm on the surface can be much more complicated and treacherous when looked at more closely. He prayed silently and fervently to whoever would listen that this was an exception. He arranged to meet Sam and his pack in three hours at the stretch of border that crossed the county road, and then relaxed in silence as Esme started the car and began their short trip home.
Oh I almost forgot: when this story is completed, check out my profile and vote in my poll. I'm interested to see which story y'all want to see next. Thanks a million, I love you all!
-MoMP
