Disclaimer: The Twilight Series and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. Any other characters, settings etc. are property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.


Last time:

Felix shrugged. "My job is to make sure you don't expose yourself for what you now are. Keeping the secrecy of our existence is our first priority."

I took that as a yes. He wouldn't let me kill someone in the open because I would be exposing their —our—existence. He was not doing me a favor but just meeting his responsibilities and I was happy about that. "When can we go outside?"

"I'll come by tonight," he said, and left.

I closed my eyes and sighed.

Tonight, my willpower would be put to test. I prayed I wouldn't fail.

Chapter 7:

The time to venture outside couldn't come fast enough. It was past midnight when Felix came to my room to collect me for our little outing.

He stood by the door. "Are you ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," I said and rose from the bed where I'd been impatiently waiting for his arrival.

As I took the first steps out of the room that had been my self-imposed prison, I felt hesitant, but I needed to be close to Felix so he could seize me, in case I lost control, so I hurried my pace.

We exited the building through the back door.

The night was pleasant, the sky was clear. After scouting the area for the presence of humans, and finding their absence a blessing, I cautiously inhaled the fresh air —I had stopped breathing as soon as I left the room— and was amazed at the different scents that overloaded my new senses.

Standing in the middle of the garden, I simply breathed.

Felix showed no sign of impatience. He just stood there, studying me curiously.

"There," I told him when I was done breathing fresh air. "I needed that. Thank you."

"I know a place, outside the city, where humans like to hike. It's a known site where hikers disappear from time to time." Felix mentioned the latter fact with a malicious smile that was disgusting. I knew exactly how those hikers 'disappear'.

I glared at him.

He didn't care.

"Let's go," he said and turned to leave.

"Wait just a second," I said.

Felix halted and turned to look at me.

If we went to the forest and encountered a lost human, I was sure Felix wouldn't do anything to stop me if my bloodlust were still uncontrollable. His mission was to avoid exposure —there wasn't any risk of it deep in the forest. "I rather go to the city," I informed him.

"No. The city is too risky. You might be overcome by thirst and expose us."

That was exactly my point. I needed to know if the thirst still controlled me and the safer place was where Felix was forced to stop me if I succumbed to it. "You wouldn't let that happen, would you?" When he didn't answer I added. "It was my understanding you were one of the strongest vampires in here."

"I am the strongest," he said with no hint of modesty. He really believed it.

Maybe it was the truth.

"Then, there is no danger at all. You will easily stop me if required."

"Very well," Felix said. "But we will stay on the outskirts of the city. And out of sight."

I was lucky that picking on his ego worked.

"Of course," I said and joined him as he headed toward the dark forest.

A few minutes later, as we neared the buildings lightened with electricity and…life, I hesitated.

I was terrified this important experiment would go bad.

Felix kept walking toward the buildings and I had no choice but to walk along. I needed to be close to him.

Suddenly he stopped and breathed in deeply. I took a short sniff and a tremor ran through my body as the sweet, warm, maddening scent of human blood, wafted through my nose.

The baking thirst, semi-dormant until now, burnt my throat with a vengeance.

I immediately cut off my respiration and started to run —to the opposite way the smell of blood was coming from, but a few feet into the forest I stopped myself.

No!

I would not run away.

I turned around and slowly walked back toward Felix. He was staring at me. Expectantly.

I stood next to him, closed my eyes, opened my sense of smell and let the scent hit my nostrils.

It was more delicious than I remembered.

Through my close lids, imagines of my mom and dad ran as a feature film; my past life filled with love and happiness.

For them, my parents, I would be strong.

I slowly opened my eyes and finally looked straight at the source of the maddening scent. It was a couple, sitting on a bench, engaged in a heated session of making out.

Every instinct in me ordered me to go and take what was needed to quench the fire in my throat, but as scenarios of how to strategically approach my intended preys began to form in my mind, I quickly blocked them and thought of my parents again.

Their proud smiles brought a smile of my own.

I looked up and saw Felix's astonished expression. My smile became a full grin.

I was now sure I could control the monster in me.

"You are strong, indeed," Felix murmured.

"I am thirsty. Would you please show me the closest place where to find wild animals?"

Felix turned to look at the couple, as saying we needn't look farther. He looked back at me and my early delight was suddenly gone. He was the one now smiling and my glare became more pronounced.

Felix gallantly swept his arm on the air, toward the forest. "After you," he said.

I walked toward the direction he indicated without looking back at the young couple that was happily enjoying the act of love, oblivious to the danger that had lurked in the dark.

This time, the warm blood of the elk I captured minutes later tasted sweeter than ever.

x~x

Finding my friend engaged in a confrontation with two dangerous monsters was an awful feeling.

Immediately, I moved to stand between Seth and the two angry vampires. Thankfully, they seemed to relax, a little, as soon as they saw Edward emerge behind me.

Jacob took his place next to Seth and his presence made Seth's tremors ease, a tiny bit. I placed the back of my hand on Seth's chest and the other hand on Jacob's arm without taking my eyes off the vampires.

Edward, who was now standing right in front of me, looked shocked and angry as he fixed his eyes on my hand touching my shaken friend.

In a low voice I talked to Edward. "Tell your friends to back off."

"Jasper, Emmett. Go back to Alice," Edward ordered. He never took his eyes off me.

Emmett and Jasper hesitantly complied, and slowly made their way toward the bar. Edward didn't move.

"Would you please join your friends? I need to have a word with mine," I told Edward. Jake and Seth were silent behind me. But the tremors in them were very much obvious under my touch.

"No," Edward said firmly.

Was he out of his mind? "What do you mean 'no'?" I needed to calm down two very upset Wolves and Edward wanted to be close by? Unbelievable!

Edward's eyes moved from my hand to my eyes. "Your friend said he can control the animal in him. Well, now it's his chance to prove it."

"I have nothing to prove to you, bloodsucker," Jacob hissed.

"Oh, but you do," Edward replied. His face was a calm mask but I could sense his anger. "You are insistent on staying close to Bella. And so am I. If you can't control yourself this is not going to work."

I noticed the people gathering around us, hoping for a fight and groaned. Humans couldn't hear the words exchanged between Jake and Edward, but they knew the conversation was not pleasant. "Edward, you have to agree that now—" I pointedly looked toward the humans. "—is not the best time to find out if they posses self-control or not."

Edward looked around us and reluctantly had to agree. "What do you suggest? A little gathering at their house or ours?" The sarcasm in his voice was annoying.

"Tell your friends to meet us by the lake after we close the bar," I said.

"If we leave, they have to leave, too," Edward said.

"We don't have to do shit," Jake hissed.

"Jasper will not leave his wife unprotected with two werewolves in the premises," Edward informed us matter-of-factly.

As much as I wanted to disagree with him, and tell him my friends were always welcome where ever I was, he was right. I turned to look at Seth and Jake. "Guys, would you mind meeting with me outside the bar as soon as my shift is over?"

Jacob opened his mouth, surely to protest. I cut him off. "He has a point, Jake. We don't trust them, and they have the right not to trust us. Alice works here now; her mate has the right to protect her if he feels she is in danger."

Jake muttered a curse. "What time do you want us here?"

Alice was likely to leave in company of his mate at two in the morning. "Two-thirty," I said. I didn't want any encounters outside the bar.

Jake turned to look at Edward who wore a smugly expression. "You better leave right after we do, bloodsucker." He turned to Seth "Let's go."

"Take care," Seth told me before following Jake.

I looked at Edward. "Wait five minutes and then leave with your friends. We'll meet by the lake at three." I moved closer and looked straight into his eyes. "If my friends get hurt in any way, shape, or form during this…meeting, you will regret it for the rest of your life, Edward Cullen."

With that, I walked directly to the bar.

I joined Alice tending the bar, filling orders, and beside the apologetic look she gave me as I entered the bar, we didn't say anything to each other.

At two o'clock her mate came to pick her up. "See you," she said and left with Jasper.

I finished cleaning up and left thirty minutes later. Jake and Seth were waiting for me by my truck.

"Let's drop off the truck at my house and we'll leave from there by foot," I said, and got behind the wheel. Jake sat in the passenger seat and Seth climbed in the truck's bed.

Once my truck was parked in my driveway, we got off, and I talked to Seth. "What happened? Exactly."

"As soon as we entered the building we noticed you weren't at the bar. We realized you were down at the basement, but your scent was mingled with Edward's —Jake recognized it, I was not familiar with it. That meant he was down there with you. We decided to make sure you were all right."

They were protective of me. My heart swelled with gratitude. Seth kept explaining. "We kept an eye on the female behind the bar but stayed away from her. Just as Jacob went down, the two males —Blonde and Brawny—entered the bar. They exchanged words with the female and walked toward the basement's door. I knew Edward was no match for you and Jake, but two more vampires? I didn't like the odds. So I blocked the door."

I was glad there hadn't been a provocation on my friend's part. "So, they were being protective of Edward, as you were being protective of us."

"Pretty much," Seth said.

I couldn't really blame them. Jake and I could have killed Edward if we wanted to. "I'm really thankful of your protectiveness, guys, but we need to agree to a certain degree of trust as their proximity seems to be inevitable."

Jake snorted. I understood him —I really did. "I know Jake, I know." I looked at both of them. "Look, the reason I asked Edward and their coven to meet with us is because I need their official word that your safety will be guaranteed. We need to make a treaty where they and we will pledge an impasse. No violence, at all."

I waited a few seconds so they could absorb the importance of my words. "Before I even propose anything to them, you have to give me your word that you will be able to put up with their proximity without ending in a battle. Will you be able to do it?"

"I promise," Seth said without hesitation —as if it were the easiest thing in the world.

"Me too," Jacob agreed more reluctantly.

"Thank you," I told them. I was really grateful. They wouldn't be in this mess if it weren't for me. "Let's go see the Cullens."

"Wait up," Jake said. "We need to…change before we go."

Jake wanted to go in his wolf form. "Do you think that's a good idea? They might take it as a provocation if you meet them as wolves," I said.

"Until they agree with this…impasse, I'm not risking Seth's and your life."

"You're right." I gestured toward the forest. "Go right ahead."

The two very tall boys went into the forest and emerged two gigantic wolves. They were as big as horses, but wide with muscle and fur, and of course, sharp teeth. Jake's fur was reddish-brown beautifully matching his black eyes. Seth's was the color of desert sand.

"Let's go," I said and sprinted into the forest —my two impressive companions right on my heels.

When we arrived to the meeting place the Cullens were already there. As soon as they sensed our arrival they formed into a line with Edward, Emmett and Jasper at the spear point —a strategic formation. They trusted us as much as we trusted them. Surprise, surprise.

The wolves and I stopped by the edge of the clearing; Jacob on my right and Seth on my left.

Edward murmured a curse and took a slow, deliberate step forward. "Is it hard for you to understand how dangerous these creatures are, especially in their monster forms?" he asked me as if the creatures he was talking about were not standing right in front of him.

I ignored his question. "We need to make an agreement. I know we already talked about this, but I need your word, and your family's word. that there will be no violence toward my friends. We, on the other hand, promise to peacefully accept your presence in our lives and never attack —unless we are provoked." I looked straight into his eyes. "Do you agree?"

"We accept," Edward said without hesitation.

I looked at one by one as they nodded their agreement.

"Very well," I said. "We'll see you around."

That was all I wanted to hear. But as we bolted for the forest Edward's melodic voice stopped me. "Bella?"

I turned around and faced him.

"—A word with you?" He looked at my friends who had stopped as well. "In private?"

What did he want?

I turned to my friends. "Go to sleep, guys. I'll be fine."

Jacob opened his mouth, showing his sharp teeth —a very frightening expression for any vampire but me. I was going to ask him not to worry, but Edward spoke before I did. "We just promised a pact of tolerance. She is safe with me," he told Jacob.

Jacob growled.

"There is no need for threats. Besides, she is her own person; she can decide for herself if she wants to talk to me in private or not," Edward told Jacob in an angry tone. Whatever was going on through Jake's mind was not something nice.

Jacob growled again.

"Jake," I interceded before the pact went to hell. "We talked about this, remember? There must be certain degree of…trust on everyone's part. Go to sleep…please?"

A rumble deep in his chest was his answer. Edward rolled his eyes. "He wants me to tell you, you must call him as soon as you get home. No matter what time it is."

I didn't want to interrupt Jacob's sleeping time. It was cut short as it was. "I'll call you at seven; right before you go to work."

Jacob grumbled.

"He said it's not acceptable," Edward translated and turned to Jake. "That's enough! She already told you she'd call you at seven," he snapped. I guessed he got tired of translating. "Listen to her and go home. I give you my word that she'll be fine."

There was a pause. "It was good enough when we made the treaty with your grandfather," Edward hissed. He definitely was losing his patience.

I reached my hand out and caressed Jake's soft fur. "Trust me," I told him.

He looked at me with those dark eyes and nodded. They departed into the forest.

I turned to Edward as he glanced briefly toward his family. They immediately left following Edward's silent request.

"What do you need to talk to me about?" I asked without preamble.

Edward smiled. "Always direct to the point. It's rather refreshing, you know?"

I rolled my eyes.

"First of all, Bella, I want to assure you once more, that I am not your enemy. I know I have…pressured you into this situation, but it was inevitable."

I somehow intuited his words had a stronger meaning, but didn't know what to make of them. Edward kept talking. "I want to make a pact with you."

"Didn't we just do that?"

"We made a pact with the wolves. I want to make a deal with you," he said.

I looked warily at him.

"I want you to trust me. I want you to get to know me without hostility. I want to be your friend."

I scoffed. "It's rather hypocritical on your part to ask for trust when the sole reason I've been put into this situation it's because you don't trust me."

"I've never said I was perfect," he retorted.

I wouldn't say that if we were talking about your physical attributes I internally shook myself; I didn't like the direction of my thoughts. "So, let me get this straight," I said —sarcasm dripping in every word. "You want me to trust you, but I don't get the same courtesy?"

"Let's say that your words to the wolf about 'some degree of trust on everyone's part' changed, slightly, my position on this issue."

"So, suddenly you trust me," I said, without dropping the sarcasm.

"Not completely, but... I want to trust you. In order for that to happen I need your trust in return."

"I don't know," I told him sincerely. I really didn't know what to think of this new proposal. What had made him change his campaign of let's-discover-Bella's-dark-motives-that-are-so-dangerous-to-my-family?

"Look," he said. "What do you have to lose? You said you have nothing to hide, so why it's so bad if we interacted without resentment and hostility. I give you my word I'll put my guard down. I only ask you do the same. Let me know the real Bella. The one who is unafraid of the huge monster who could shred her skin to pieces if he chose to do it. The one who in the name of friendship is willing to stand the presence of arrogant-pushy vampires just for the sake of not so weak boys."

He got that right. My boys were not weak. And I'll do anything for them. But, even befriend vampires in order to keep the peace?

Maybe.

At my lack of response Edward kept pursuing his argument. "The worst it could happen is you finding out we are not worth of your time. But you might also find out that we are different from the Volturi. We might end up creating a beautiful friendship. Alice already had a glimpse of it," he said.

I was already thinking they were not as vicious as the Volturi. But still, they were vampires. How could I trust them?

The peace this new proposal brought, guaranteed my friends' safety to a higher degree. It was appealing. "I cannot promise I will open up and welcome your presence with open arms. I have trust issues; that's probably why I don't really blame you for mistrusting me. But I would say I could try to control my temper. I could try to be less hostile —if unprovoked. But I would not say we could be friends, as if there weren't issues between us. Friendship is natural. You cannot force it upon someone."

Edward smiled widely. "I agree. Let's get to know each other and we'll let feelings run their natural course."

Friendship feelings, I wanted to clarify but decided against it, afraid I might be reading too much into his words.

Edward extended his arm, offering his hand to seal our pact. I looked at the long fingered hand and second-guessed myself. My hostility was my defense to keep Edward away from me —as much as he permitted it. His presence made me nervous. There was something about him that made the little hairs on the nape of my neck stir, and my body shiver —and it wasn't fear; I knew that now.

Oh well, like he said, what do I have to lose? I shook his hand and as expected, it made my body shiver with…pleasure?

Oh boy! What have I gotten myself into?


A/N:

Thanks to Marijee.

I wanted to apologize for taking long updating the story. Real life always finds a way to interfere with my fiction life.

Next chapter won't take this long; and as Edward would say it will be the beginning of a "beautiful friendship".

Let the game begin!

Thanks,

ncrl