Renesmee POV

"Come on, Nessie! You can do better than…yaagh!"

I knew I hadn't done it for real, that she was letting me win. Still, there was something oddly satisfying about tackling Aunt Rosalie and sending us both tumbling down a low slope. She hugged me close to her as we fell, protecting me from the rough underbrush. When we came to a stop, I had her pinned underneath me. I let out a giggle of delight.

"You got me," she said with a theatric sigh. "There's nothing in this world that can beat you, Nessie."

"Except Uncle Emmett," I replied, giggling again.

"I can teach you how to deal with Uncle Emmett." Aunt Rosalie rolled upright and leapt to her feet, me still secure in her arms. She shifted me to one side while she brushed the leaves and dirt off of us. "I know the secrets through his defenses."

"You can always get a pack of wolves to flatten him," Mama called. "I'm sure Jake would be more than happy to oblige."

"But it's not as fun that way," I protested. Aunt Rosalie laughed.

I laughed along with her. I was in very good spirits today. It had been a long while since I had been able to run and play so freely in the woods. Concern over Bane's presence had kept family hunts along time-constraint routines. Hunting along the same paths with little variation for months had grown a little boring. I was overjoyed for the freedom I was being allowed today.

It was an all-girls hunt this morning. Through the thick fog, I could hear Gramma Esme and Aunt Alice racing each other. Momma had descended the slope to join me and Aunt Rosalie. In the distance, I could hear the low waves breaking out in the sound.

"Race you to the shore!" I cried to Mama and Aunt Rosalie.

I wiggled out of Aunt Rosalie's grip and started off as fast as I could go. I could hear them right behind me, but they were letting me pull ahead. After a moment, Gramma Esme and Aunt Alice fell into stride with us.

Despite my exultant mood, I could not deny that it still felt a little strange, after so many weeks of being absolutely careful and cautious, and many extended "camping" trips out of state. Our family knew much, much more about Children of the Moon now, possibly more than had ever been discovered by vampire kind before. More than enough for Daddy and my Jacob to insist we stay alert. But today Jared had assured Daddy that Brady and Colin were keeping Bane entertained, apparently with the same sort of stalk-and-pounce game that I had just played with Aunt Rosalie, and so we were clear to run the sound's coastline and stretch our legs a little.

Although her presence had inconvenienced us a little, Grampa Carlisle had taken full advantage of it. He had not tried to hide his eagerness at the opportunity to learn all about true werewolves. He had been an attentive listener to all of Sam's reports about her progress, drawing up notes and timelines, sketches and endless calculations. With Daddy, he had made it sort of a project of putting together clues to try to determine things like Bane's actual age, and where she had come from.

"There has never been any evidence of Children of the Moon actively living in the western hemisphere," he had said. "We must assume Bane was taken somewhere in Europe."

"But Sam has never mentioned her having any sort of an accent," Daddy had pointed out. "English seems to be the only language she knows. She may have been a tourist."

Having Sam ask Bane about her human life had not brought any results, as far as I knew. She seemed unable to remember anything specific about being a normal little girl. But as time passed, she was starting to slowly revert to what Grampa Carlisle liked to call "puppy behavior."

Still, there was no denying that the last few months had been taxing, particularly to Uncle Emmett. He had been the first to become bored with the precautions we had been taking.

"The werewolf's a kid," he had complained. "What's the problem? Do we honestly think an eight-year-old can do any kind of damage?"

"That eight-year-old came willingly to Sam for help, and she has been heavily traumatized by our kind in the past," Grampa Carlisle had replied firmly. "We will not ruin the relationship Sam is working to build with her."

"And plus, that eight-year-old turns into an eight-foot-tall monster that literally drools venom. There's even a good chance there's venom tainting her saliva as a human," Daddy had added. "One nip from her, as a human or as a wolf, could kill any of us."

"We are not being so inconvenienced right now, Emmett," Mama had said. She had put her arms around me. "Best to be safe."

Uncle Emmett had not tried to argue against Mama's reply. Mostly because Aunt Rosalie had shot him a deadly look.

Despite Uncle Emmett's gusto and impatience, I knew for a fact that the prospect of facing a true Child of the Moon in combat was not something anyone was eager for. That first full moon night had been one of the worst I had ever known. I had felt her presence, the aura of absolute danger, vibrating in my very bones from the moment the moon had breached the treetops. Outside, Jacob and his pack had stood in a loose line facing the north, their hackles standing on end. And Daddy, standing at the back door, had cracked the siding with the strength of his grip as he listened to my Jake's thoughts.

"She can't hear them," he had murmured, his face grim. "They can't communicate with her."

And then the howl had sounded. It hadn't been loud, but for the effect the strange vibrating tone had, Bane might as well have been clawing at our front door. Everyone had jumped to their feet, Mama pushing me into a corner and crouching in front of me instinctively while everyone else gathered at both the front and back doors. Uncle Jasper had been shaking with the tension.

When the howling stopped, we tried to relax. Mama let me out of the corner, and I ran to Daddy and clambered into his arms. But then my Jacob had started howling, and Daddy had snarled in my ear.

"Idiot," he had snapped, carrying me back inside. "Paul just got bit."

Everyone had fallen silent and still. I had gazed at each one of my family's expressions, seeing varying shades of horror and shock. Then, I had glanced over his shoulder, just in time to see Jacob and Seth disappear into the forest at a dead run. I had pressed my hand to Daddy's face, picturing my Jacob fighting the werewolf.

"No," he had murmured back, sounding confused. "No, something's wrong."

"Wrong?" Mama had asked. "Why?"

"Paul's throwing a fit."

I hadn't understood at first why this fact was confusing everyone. From what Daddy was saying, Paul was bleeding badly, and Seth and Jacob were running as fast as they could to reach him halfway. Sam was sending him to Grampa Carlisle to get help.

Daddy made me, Mama, Aunt Alice, and Gramma Esme stay inside when Paul stumbled into view. His neck and chest were completely coated in blood, and the smell of the werewolf venom burned in my nostrils like acid. Even Grampa Carlisle flinched as he went out the back door.

Mama didn't let me watch when Paul phased back and Grampa Carlisle started treating him. But I could hear the conversation.

"Paul, do you feel stiff or weak at all?" Grampa had asked.

"What do you think?" he had shouted back. "I just got my goddamn throat ripped out!"

"Paul, I need to know exactly how you are feeling right now."

"Dizzy. And pissed off."

"But do your limbs feel like they're locking up? Any sense of paralysis?"

"No. What are you getting at, doc?"

It had not taken Grampa Carlisle long to clean Paul's wounds. And then he and Daddy had discussed the possible reason for Paul not showing any evidence of paralysis. Grampa Carlisle had not been willing to admit to the possibility that our wolves had immunity to werewolf venom until morning, when the smell of the werewolf finally faded from Paul, and his health returned to near normal. That had been a relief to everyone, myself included. I no longer needed to worry about my Jacob being hurt.

The break from the forest to the shores of the sound came out of nowhere. I laughed aloud as I leapt into the open, taking a deep breath of the salty air. The fog swirled out over the water, spiraling along with the movement of the low waves as they lapped at the rocky shore. Somewhere in the unseen distance, I could hear the engine of a passing ship, a deep resonating hum in the air. I came to a stop and looked back with a grin. The others were close behind me, but I knew I had made it to the shore first. I knew they had let me win, but it felt good all the same.

"Good job, Nessie," Gramma Esme said, approaching first and bending over to kiss me.

"You'll be as fast as Edward soon," Aunt Alice declared firmly.

My smile widened as I considered the possibility of actually being able to match, and maybe even beat Daddy in a race. The thought made me laugh out loud.

We started walking leisurely along the shoreline, Gramma Esme and Aunt Alice tossing rocks out into the water while I, Mama, and Aunt Rosalie stayed closer to the trees, scenting the air. So far, all I could smell was water and damp earth and metal.

The breeze had shifted now, blowing at us from the water and sending a mist of salty spray into the air. I ignored the dampness, more curious to find the source of the metal smell.

"It's about time someone cleared out the ground along the power lines," Aunt Rosalie said suddenly. "Last time I was here it was completely overgrown all the way to the mountains."

"That must have been an effort," Mama commented.

Ah, right. I had forgotten the main power lines cut through this area. I could see the barest outline of the tall metal structures now, and hear the faint hum of electricity in the thick black wires.

"Mama," I called. "How do wires carry electricity? I…"

But I couldn't finish. At that moment, Aunt Alice gave a cry of surprise. She was standing frozen at the shoreline, her eyes practically bulging. Her mouth was hanging wide open.

"Oh no…" she breathed. "It's gone….it's all gone! Everything just disappeared!"

Before anyone could respond, I heard something that made my own heart stutter. Distant, frantic howling. I had been around the La Push pack often enough to recognize Paul in the racket. Even further off, other howls sounded. Aunt Rosalie suddenly snarled, making me jump.

"What is it?" I protested. "What's wrong?"

But she didn't have to answer me. Because I could smell what was wrong now. Sharp and strong, like animal and earth mixed in a way that made my nose wrinkle. Light footsteps raced closer and closer, echoed by sharp ragged breaths and strange inhuman growls.

"Damnit, she's smelled us!" Mama suddenly cried out. "Nessie, get out of the way!"


Bane POV

I could feel my feet pounding into the grassy soil as I ran, the sickening smell pungent in the wind whistling by my ears. But everything else was blackness. I could not hear the voices of my pack. Brady, Colin, Paul, Jared…their words were a muddled hum. I could only acknowledge that they were there. And I could sense that they were running towards me, following me. The presence of the vampires had startled them as much as it had done me.

I could feel the terror pounding in my heart, but my body was not responding to it as it had done before. For so long, the slightest scent of a vampire had sent me running for my life. No other creature, not even humans, commanded my terror as much as them.

So something deep within me knew full well what I was doing now was madness. But I couldn't stop. I was on the edge of blacking out, of succumbing to pure uncontrolled instinct. Everything inside me was screaming not to run, but to fight. The vampires were a threat, a threat to my pack. I had to help defend my pack.

My pack…how strange it felt to be able to say that. I wasn't alone. I wasn't going to fight alone. My bigger, stronger brothers would help me kill the vampires. And we would be safe again. My Brady, my Sam, my Paul…okay, maybe not my Paul. Paul didn't like me. Not that I could blame him.

But for my Brady, I would fight. I liked Brady. He was nice to me.

The smell was growing stronger. And I could see figures standing in the distant fog, framed by the steel gray water beyond them. I snarled and threw myself forward, increasing my pace. I was not a thin little creature anymore. The last months had done wonders for me. I was lean and muscled now, no longer skeletal. I had strength enough to fight.

There were five vampires standing on the rocky beach, all female, each one staring at me. I was not catching them by surprise. It did not matter. I could hear Paul and Brady right behind me.

The closest one had shining blonde hair, and was tensed in a predatory crouch, her teeth bared. The others were fading back, the smallest being one that couldn't be much older than I was. A caramel-haired one was speaking.

"Rose, don't hurt her! She's so young!"

"It's time to teach the pup a lesson," the blonde snarled back. "Emmett was right. We shouldn't have delayed this." She turned her fiery gold eyes fully on me. "Come on, you flea-bitten beast!"

The terrain changed abruptly from grass to rock. Instantly I was airborne. All caution failed me as I pounced, my mouth opening wide in a guttural shriek. The vampire hissed, raising her arms. My sense of caution returned a second too late to compensate.

I knew I had fought a vampire before. But I never had any memory of my nights as a werewolf. Only the broken bones and gaping wounds. So the blow was a completely new sensation. Something akin to running headlong into the broadside of a boulder. The vampire didn't budge as she literally snatched me out of the air, snarling into my ear as her marble hands clamped around my waist. I echoed her snarl, kicking and clawing and biting at every part of her I could reach. Pain flared up my hands and feet with every impact. But the vampire was unfazed, and easily threw me aside. I tumbled across the rocks, yelping as I finally stopped and scrambled upright once more. The blonde's shirt was torn, but that was the only evidence of my attack. My strikes had not even marred her stony skin.

"You need claws to hurt me, pup," the blonde taunted. "Full moon's only three weeks away. I've got all the time in the world until then." She curled her fingers at me, a clear invitation. "Try again. I dare you."

Her taunting was spurring me to a whole new level of fury. With a maddened snarl, I lunged at her again. But she brought up both hands to meet me, striking me square in the chest. I was thrown so far backward that I smacked into Brady as he bounded into view. I screamed as I hit the ground, gasping for breath. It felt as though every bone in my chest had been splintered.

Bane! Brady's frantic voice broke through the haze at last. Bane, no! Stop! Stop!

I hadn't realized I was already trying to regain my feet, ignoring the brutal stabbing pain in my chest. Paul and Brady stood on either side of me, and Brady had my left arm clamped in his mouth. His eyes were bulging in fear and worry.

Bane, it's okay! They're friends! Please, you must understand this.

Let me go! Let me go! I was struggling against Brady viciously, screeching intermittently between rage and agony.

Jared, where the hell is Sam? Get his furry butt phased now!

I'm running back to La Push as fast as I can. Give me two minutes!

I'm almost there. Just hold on to her, Brady. Colin sounded breathless.

Get the hell out of my way!

Had I been in any right mind, I would have realized that I did not recognize the last voice that echoed in my head. It was furious, and feminine, and by the sound of Colin's echoing protest its source had just barreled by him and knocked him off his feet.

But I was not. I was incensed, out of my mind. Why were they restraining me? The vampires were regrouping, gathering. Forming a protective line around the youngest one. I screamed and lashed out at Brady, my teeth ripping across his muzzle. He yelped and released me, and I bounded forward. Paul's swipe missed me by centimeters. I barreled towards the vampires, the blonde once more crouched and ready. But I wasn't aiming for her this time. I was aiming for the one with the caramel-colored hair. The one my instincts were telling me, by her physical stance, was the one least prepared to defend herself. She didn't get her arms up fast enough to stop me. My impact struck her square in the chest, and sent her sprawling onto the rocks. I screamed in her face, lashing forward to bring my teeth down across her throat.

And then, I felt myself being thrown into the air, and all of the wind had been knocked from my lungs. I had been broadsided by a lunging form I had not seen coming. Something massive, furry, and grey. Before I knew it I was flat upon the ground, and a massive form was sprawled on top of me. The weight of the wolf was so much that I couldn't move. I screamed and snapped my teeth, but my protests were met only by a ferocious growl in my ear.

You will calm down now.

The female that had me pinned sounded slightly familiar. But my pain and rage-fogged mind could not recall where I had heard her before. I tried to bite at her, but her massive snout suddenly pushed my face into the ground. I could no longer even turn my head.

For a long second, there was silence save for my frantic screams. Then, suddenly, the vampires spoke.

"Nessie, no! Get back!"

"Mama, she doesn't understand! She needs to understand. Leah, hold her still."

A chorus of growls sounded as light footsteps approached me. I shrieked and spat, my fury now being replaced by terror. My pack was betraying me. I could see Brady, Paul, and Colin standing by the trees, staring at me. None of them were trying to help me. And the one above me was not allowing me to fight as the smallest vampire came closer.

"No!" I screamed, my voice ripping itself free in a high pitched wail of panic. "No!"

The small vampire crouched down in front of me. She had a very strange scent, more a mix of vampire and human. And her eyes were a rich chocolate brown. I stared unblinkingly at her as she raised a delicate hand and pressed it against my forehead. I hissed in panic, waiting for the pain as she crushed my skull. But it never came.

I felt my body freeze as my mind was suddenly flooded with visions that had never been mine to recall. They flashed by in rapid succession, visions of smiling faces and happy families and wolves. All the wolves. They stood in their human forms, but I could still tell it was them. Sam, Jared, Brady, Colin, Paul, and all the others. Laughing as the child vampire wrestled with a man I had never seen before, and walked in and out of a house surrounded by massive cedar trees. The female vampires were there, and males. And there was calm. Sam stood relaxed as he spoke to a fair-haired vampire male. Brady fell over laughing as the blonde and the strange man argued with one another.

And punctuating through it all was a single word: friends.

My breathing was ragged when the visions stopped. The child, Nessie, had drawn her hand back and was looking down at me with a soft smile. Through her visions, I knew all of their names now.

"Do you understand now, Bane? We are friends with the wolf people."

Whether we like it or not. The female crushing me, Leah, had slackened her hold just a bit, allowing me to breathe more easily.

My eyes slowly turned back to my pack. Sam was standing there now, flanked by Jared and two wolves I had never seen before. One was a massive russet-colored male, Jacob. The other was a slightly smaller sandy-furred male, Seth. The number of vampires had doubled as well. The males from the visions were clustered around the females. One, a bronze-haired male, Edward, settled his hand on Nessie's shoulder and drew her back. A massive male, Emmett, had his arms around the blonde, Rosalie. The fair-haired male, Carlisle, was gently helping the caramel-haired female, Esme, to her feet.

I am sorry, Bane. We had no idea how to explain this to you. Sam's voice was gentle. He took a few steps closer to me. I need you to trust us now, Bane. Trust our judgment. These vampires are friends. They will not harm us, nor we them.

Leah, let Sam take her. Jacob's voice was as equally authoritative as Sam's.

Leah growled, but after a moment she raised herself off of me. A second later, Sam had his massive paw pressed against my back, being as gentle as he could while still restraining me. I didn't protest. I couldn't bring myself to move. The shock of having everything I had ever known collapse around me was keeping me frozen to the ground.

Do you still trust us, Bane? Sam asked.

What choice did I have? This was the only place I had ever felt safe. I didn't want to leave. Didn't want to let myself believe this was all a trick. I trembled, whimpering as I pushed against Sam's paw and heaved myself into a sitting position.

Bane?

Yes. My eyes were filled with tears as I turned and wrapped my arms around Sam's strong, warm forelegs, gritting my teeth against the pain in my chest. Yes, I trust you.