8. Turning Points

On the way back to the reservation, Leland and I talked more about shape-shifting and the changes I had gone through before and after my first phase. We were both of the opinion that he might well be on the cusp of phasing for the first time…

…we just didn't know into what.

I remembered the debate Seth, Embry and Cailin had engaged in the day before, about whether being a dragon was better than being a wolf. Now I was wondering whether or not my bondmate was going to become a wolf or a raven, and mentioning this to Leland, we discussed the pros and cons of both. We wondered if raven shape-shifters-if they were as real as the Quileute wolves-experienced imprinting in any form, and would it be possible for him to imprint on me even though I had already imprinted on him. The more we discussed the possibility, the more determined he became to find out if the Haida legend was more than just an old campfire story, and declared he would be calling his cousin Meiko as soon as he got back to his grandfather's house.

I noticed a change as we talked. Both of us were completely relaxed with one another, feeling free to discuss whatever was on our minds. He steered the classic car with one hand and held my left in his right, as if he never wanted to let me go again. I was thrilled to have that contact as well, and was one again filled with contentment. There were no more barriers between us, no more secrets. He knew everything there was to know about me-I even told him all about my former relationship with Sam-and still he wanted me. I couldn't have asked for anything better.

Of course, having concluded that he was seeing the attention other men paid to me as competition didn't stop it from happening. When we were leaving the restaurant, a couple of men walking by on the sidewalk had looked at me appreciatively, and I watched Leland's expression darken. When we got to my house at last, Charlie Swan's Forks Police cruiser was in the drive behind my car, and he and Mom were getting out of it.

"Hello, Leah," Charlie said to me.

I watched Leland out of the corner of my eye. It was happening again-he was getting that look on his face that bespoke of a desire to defend his claim on me. I quickly made the introductions, adding that Charlie was my mother's boyfriend. The last bit of information helped Leland to relax.

I then turned to my mother. "Mom, where's your car?"

"Blasted thing got a flat tire, and I don't have a spare," she said. "I need a whole new set anyway, but the tire shop didn't have any in the size I need, though they checked and there's some coming in a shipment they're getting tomorrow. The car's staying in town at the police station until I can get the new tires."

"I figured it was the least I could do to drive your mother home," Charlie added.

"Well, thank you, Chief, but you know you could have called me, Mom," I said.

She nodded. "I know, honey, but I knew you were with Leland and looking for Sierra, and I just didn't think it was that big a deal to drag you away from that. How did it go?"

I described our trip to Port Angeles, leaving out the parts about Leland possibly being a shape-shifter due to Charlie standing there. Leland filled in some of the gaps, mentioning that we'd also managed to get some copies of the picture we'd gotten from Jacob posted around the city and at the community college.

Charlie nodded. "I've spoken with the La Push police. They're posting flyers and canvassing the area around the boardwalk. I've also got some of my officers posting pictures of Sierra Bivens all around Forks," he told us.

"Have you heard from Jacob or Sam, or any of the others?" I asked my mother.

Mom shook her head. "I heard from Mrs. Wakefield and I've spoken to Mrs. Bivens. No one has any news on Sierra."

She turned to Charlie. "I'll be seeing you later?"

Charlie smiled. "If you still plan to save me from having to cook for myself, you bet. I'll come back around six to pick you up."

Mom smiled, blushing a little, which she had a tendency to do around Charlie, I'd noticed. She stood up on her toes and kissed his cheek, then said, "I'd better get inside and clean up the mess we left from breakfast before it draws ants. I'll see you later, Charlie."

As Mom turned and headed into the house, Leland turned to me, saying, "I'd better go, too. Got that phone call to make."

I nodded. "You're coming back over to let me know what he says, right?"

"Of course," he replied, leaning forward to kiss me. I didn't even care that we had an audience for our first true kiss-I only cared that Leland was finally touching his lips to mine. It was brief, but soft and sweet. It was perfect.

I was, however, a little surprised that Charlie was still standing there after Leland drove away. "Was there something you needed, Chief?" I asked.

Charlie put his hands on his hips, looking at the ground and clearing his throat. My eyebrows went up, my curiosity piqued as he looked at me, clearly nervous.

"Actually, yeah," he said slowly. "I'm glad I got this opportunity to talk to you-your mom says you're not home often."

"What can I do for you?"

He cleared his throat again. "Well, Leah, I… There's something I've been thinking about, for a while now. You know I care about your mom-a lot. Didn't think I was ever going to feel this way about anyone again, but I do. I love her." He smiled sheepishly under his mustache.

I was a little confused, not entirely certain where he was going with this. "Uh, I know you care about Mom, Charlie. I've gotten used to the idea of the two of you dating, and Seth doesn't really care either," I said.

"Well, it's more than that," Charlie went on. "See, what I've been thinking about is something more permanent. A lot more-I want to ask your mom to marry me, and I'd like to know how you feel about that."

Okay, that I was not prepared for. Oh, I'd thought about the possibility a time or two over the last couple of years, but for him to actually talk to me about it never crossed my mind.

"You're not … asking my permission, are you?" I asked, a bubble of laughter escaping with my voice.

Charlie's face turned a little red. "Uh, well, no, not exactly," he fumbled. "I mean, of course I know I don't need it, your ma's a grown woman. But…"

His hands fell to his sides and he looked at me straight, his expression serious. "I would like your blessing, Leah. And Seth's. I just don't want you or your brother to think I'm disrespecting your dad's memory. I would never do that, 'cause Harry was the closest thing I had to a brother. One of 'em, anyway."

I looked as deep into Charlie Swan's eyes as I could, and I saw only sincerity there-not that I expected to find anything else. No matter how I'd ever felt toward his daughter, even I had to admit that he was one of the most decent and honest men I'd ever met. And heck, he was a cop, after all-the chief of police. Not many bad seeds got that far, or were perhaps one of the most beloved and respected men in his community. Charlie was a good man, and he made my mother happy. That was all that mattered, right?

So what if I'd end up in-lawed to a bunch of bloodsucking leeches?

I resigned myself quickly to that fact, and to the fact that Seth would be over the moon when he heard the news. He'd always been rather fond of the Cullens, and Edward in particular.

To Charlie, I said, "You know… There was a time in our tribe when the unmarried brother of a fallen warrior would wed the widow of that man, so that she and their children would continue to be protected and provided for. At least you don't have to worry about the kids, what with Seth and I being already grown."

I stepped closer, and realized that I was smiling. "Look, I'll admit that it took some getting used to, just thinking of my mom with someone other than my dad. But even I have to admit that you've made her happy, Charlie. You make her smile, and I think she loves you, too. So as long as you're sure you want to do this, you go right ahead."

The hands returned to his hips, and Charlie chuckled a little as he visibly relaxed. "Thank you, Leah. I appreciate your candor. And your approval. I'm gonna do right by your mom, you have my word on that."

I nodded, and with a quick nod of his own, Charlie got into his cruiser and left. I sighed and shook my head, thinking about the newest mess I'd just gotten myself into. He was going to ask Mom to marry him, possibly tonight. Definitely soon, I imagined. And Seth and I were going to be sister- and brother-in-law to Bella and Edward, at the very least. It would make us related, by marriage, to the rest of the family, as well. And Jacob, once he and Renesmee married. When wolves were imprinting on and in-lawing with their mortal enemies, one had to wonder what the supernatural world was coming to.

I shook my head again as I headed into the house, finding Mom running the disposal in the kitchen. "Sorry about breakfast," I told her.

"No need to apologize, we all pretty much forgot about it," she replied. "Besides, there were more important things to worry about."

I brought her the last of the dishes from the table, and together we set the sink up to wash them. "You have a point," I said as the water started foaming.

"What did Charlie want?" Mom asked. "I saw you two talking out there."

I wondered how to answer her without giving it away, because certainly Charlie didn't want me talking about it with Mom before he had a chance to ask her. "Uh, he just wanted to get my opinion on something," I said with a shrug, trying to keep my face neutral so that she wouldn't be inclined to press for more information. I could feel her studying me, but she didn't push-thank goodness.

"I'm glad you two are getting along," she said. "I know you don't like Bella all that much, sweetheart, or the Cullens because of what they are, but-"

"Mom," I said, turning to face her. "It's cool. Really. I might still have some issues with them, but I'm okay with Seth being pals with them or you dating the leech-girl's father. And to be honest, even my opinion might be changing."

Her eyebrows shot up. "Oh really? And what, may I ask, brought this on?"

"Well, when I went over there this morning with Sam's request for help, they didn't hesitate. Okay, the blonde did, but she's someone else with issues. Even Renesmee wanted to help, though they made her stay home with Rosalie. Emmett made a suggestion about using Sierra's scent to help track her down, which Jacob said was a good idea, and Dr. Cullen even said the packs were like extended family, through Jacob. He said that any time we needed them all we had to do was call. And I gotta admit, that all said something to me."

I shrugged. "I dunno, I guess it finally made me see that they're not so bad after all. The Cullens, anyway. Maybe even those friends of theirs in Alaska that don't hunt humans for food. I may never like them as much as Seth does, but they're not bad. They're good people." Plus, I added silently, Charlie wants to marry you. Haven't got much choice but to be cool with them, do I?

Mom put her hand to my cheek and smiled at me. "Oh, honey. How much you've grown these last few years. I'm so proud of you, and your dad would be too."

"Even though he despised vampires?" I queried.

"Your father didn't know them like we do. I think if he'd taken the time to really get to know them, he'd have come around eventually, like you have," Mom said.

I scoffed. "Like Billy Black has?"

She conceded my point with a nod, but said, "I have to believe that Billy will also come around at some point. If he doesn't, he's going to lose Jacob long before he dies of old age."

As we washed the breakfast dishes, thinking of Jacob and his relationship with Renesmee-and what that relationship might well become one day-reminded me yet again that Charlie wanted to marry my mother. I knew that Jake had shown Charlie once that he could turn into a wolf, so that Charlie would know something otherworldly was going on with Bella. He knew all he needed to know, without actually knowing everything, because the vampires had a law about secrecy that said if a human found out, they either had to join up or die. The wolves had a similar edict, as I'd explained to Leland earlier that day, that the truth about what we were had to be kept between the wolves, their parents, and their bondmates. And the tribal Elders, of course.

But I knew my mother. While she was merely dating him, she didn't have a problem with keeping certain things from Charlie, such as why it was so vital that Sierra Bivens be found, for instance. Or that Seth and I could also turn into giant wolves. Or that his daughter had married a vampire before becoming one herself. Being married to Charlie, however, would be an entirely different matter. A wife wasn't supposed to keep secrets from her husband and vice-versa, otherwise it wasn't a true partnership-that's the way my mother had been raised. It was the way she had raised my brother and me, and had been a large part of the influence of what had led me to tell Leland the truth so soon. Mom would not want to continue keeping these secrets from Charlie if he was going to be her husband. She'd want to tell him the truth-all of it. Which meant I was going to have to visit the leeches again, and prepare them for this turn of events.

Sheesh, I thought. I really had become a spokesperson.

"Leah, are you listening to me?"

I was snapped from my reverie by my mother's voice. "Sorry, Mom, what did you say?"

"I asked you how things are going with Leland. Where were you just now?" she said.

I shook my head. "I was just thinking. And Leland ... he knows the truth. About me, about vampires." I turned to her. "There's something else. He told me that he's going through something that's eerily similar to imprinting. He said he knew from the moment he saw me that he had to have me, that he doesn't like being away from me, and we discovered today that any time a man pays attention to me, he feels an overwhelming surge of possessiveness, like he has to defend what's his."

Mom's eyes widened as she put the last of the dishes in the drainer to dry and pulled the plugs to empty both sides of the sink. "Oh my," she said. "That does sound a lot like imprinting, but it doesn't seem possible. He's got the wolf gene, I'm fairly certain, but he hasn't phased even once."

I nodded. "There is that, but we also considered that the Haida tribe his mother came from may also have shape-shifters. Last night he told us a story about a raven who became a man to be with a human woman, and how their children could become ravens as well in times of danger."

"And you and I were talking just yesterday about that," Mom recalled. "We were wondering if they had such legends, remember?"

I inclined my head again. "He went to his grandfather's to call his cousin up in Alaska, who's the headman of the tribe now. He said he's going to ask him if the legends are true, because we can't think of any other reason for him to be feeling the things he has unless he's about to phase. But into what is the question."

A knock sounded at the door just then. I immediately sniffed the air, smiling as I recognized Leland's scent. Mom followed as I walked out of the kitchen and into the living room.

My smile faltered at the dark expression I saw through the screen door.

"Lee, what's wrong?" I asked, opening the door for him. "What did Meiko say?"

He glanced once at my mother, then turned to me. "It's true - all of it. Of course, the story is a little different to those 'in the know.'"

The last he said with a disgusted tone as he moved past me and dropped heavily onto our couch. I moved immediately to sit next to him, and Mom took the chair adjacent.

Leland sat with his head in his hands. "Meiko said that Thunder Spirits, as the Lakota call them, is an accurate description for the animal spirits which are so powerful they can influence mankind."

He reached blindly for my hand as his other rubbed his weary face. "In truth, the story about a raven who fell in love with a woman is only partially true. That's the version that is told publicly because it makes for a good, entertaining story. The real story is that there was once this guy named Kaigan, who had fallen deeply in love with the daughter of the headman. But he was low in status, and among the Haida, status is very important. So he prayed, begging the raven who had fathered his people to bless him so that he would be worthy of the young woman's affections. The raven came to him in a dream and said his time would come. The chance to prove himself came soon after, when the blood fiends began attacking the villagers and leaving their lifeless bodies for animals to scavenge. Kaigan, enraged when he witnessed his beloved being threatened, transformed into a massive raven, tearing apart the blood fiend with his beak and talons and scattering the parts of the creature far and wide. The people could see that he had been blessed by the raven, and so the chief, in his gratitude for Kaigan saving his daughter, gave the girl to him as a bride."

He looked between us again. "Just like with your wolves, anytime blood fiends - or vampires - move into the area near the village, the descendants of Kaigan become the embodiment of the Great Raven Spirit so that they may defend the people. Only sons, though."

"What about the way you've been feeling in the last day?" I asked. "Did Meiko have anything say about that?"

Leland nodded. "When I explained to him about the imprinting process the wolves go through, he said that ravens do experience a similar phenomenon, though usually right before their first change, not after. It is the pair-bonding which usually signals two things: that there are vampires nearby, and that the raven has found his mate. He was surprised, though, to hear about my condition. Meiko said that although I am a direct descendant of Kaigan through my mother, the females of the family almost never pass on the gene. Yet another similarity between the wolves and the ravens is that the gene is inherited through the father. So now he's theorizing that women in the family are carriers of the gene, but that in them it is always recessive." Then he laughed without humor. "Grandfather overheard my half of the conversation, and requested to speak with Meiko himself. Though he agrees that I'm on the verge of changing, he insists it is still possible the wolf spirit will defeat that of the raven."

"Naturally, he'd want you to be a wolf," my mother said. "His father was a wolf, but because you have the genes for both, they may be fighting for dominance."

Something else Leland had just said popped into my thoughts. "Didn't you just say that status is very important among the Haida?" I asked.

Leland looked at me. "Yes, and I think I know what you're getting at. It's about my mother and father, right?" I nodded. "I asked Meiko about that, as well. He confessed what my grandfather hadn't wanted to burden my father with - which was that the Whistlers did not have enough status among the Quileute for the daughter of the future chief to marry one."

"Your mother's father was going to be chief?" I wondered.

"Yes, and he did go on to become chief for a time," Leland replied. "But my father just didn't have enough social status within his own tribe to be worthy of my mother, the only child of the chief's son. Leadership of my mother's tribe is almost always inherited by sons, though my grandmother knew that with no sons, my mother would one day inherit the position, and she didn't want her to lose that by marrying below her status."

"That's so ridiculous!" I exclaimed. "Even after that man Kaigan became the husband of the chief's daughter all those years ago, she still felt that way?"

Leland scoffed. "Kaigan had been blessed by the Great Raven himself, Leah," he said.

"And your great-grandfather's cousin? She was allowed to marry Levi Uley because ... why?"

"Ellen had no chance of inheriting the leadership," my mother pointed out. "Hearing this, now I get it. It didn't have anything to do with the animal connection, though obviously Chester knew about ours or he never would have told Anita a raven couldn't marry a wolf. There was already a male heir, who is Leland's direct ancestor on his mother's side - Chester's father. Because Ellen was never going to inherit, it didn't matter who she married. But with Anita being an only child, who she married mattered a great deal."

Leland nodded. "To my grandmother, at the very least, possibly more than it would have mattered to the tribe as a whole. Grandfather said that when my mother's parents presented their case, he was greatly offended, but that eventually he went along with it because he didn't want his son to know that they considered him beneath them. It's one of the reasons he never answered my father's letters to him. He was ashamed at having given in."

"But your mom ruined her mother's plans for her when she ran away with your dad," I said. "I'll bet your grandmother was really steamed about that."

"She was. Meiko said that even when my parents made overtures of peace, she refused to speak to them. It was only Granddad who forgave them, because he could see that they were clearly in love. My birth may also have had something to do with it. Meiko is the oldest of my mother's cousins and her aunt's oldest child, which is why he inherited leadership of the tribe when my grandfather died."

Silence fell for a moment, after which my mother said, "So my future son-in-law might be turning into a giant bird… Considering my children are both giant wolves, I think I can live with that."

The three of us talked for some time, during which we discussed the possibility that because of his connection to the Raven family, Leland's condition meant that Sam could still be a carrier of the raven shapeshifting gene, and that his and Emily's children might inherit it as well. Then Leland invited me to go for a walk. We wandered the reservation for a while, holding hands and not speaking. Eventually, a question that had been sitting in the back of my consciousness would be ignored no longer, and I blurted out, "Do you regret coming here?"

Leland stopped and looked at me. "No, I don't," he said finally.

"Are you sure?" I asked. "I mean, you left a good life in South Dakota, only to come here and find out that the monsters in your closet and under your bed aren't just figments of your imagination. You're more than likely going to turn into one yourself."

He gave my hand a squeeze. "I also found the perfect woman for me," he said quietly. "Admittedly, it's been a challenge to accept all of this stuff-I've had a lot of information thrown my way in the last ten or twelve hours. But how can I deny the truth when it's right in front of me? When the very thought of leaving you fills me with abject terror?"

My heartbeat increased, and a thread of hope filled me, though I tried hard to suppress it. "What does that mean?" I asked.

Leland smiled. "It means that I'm not going anywhere. I want to stay here with you. In fact, Grandfather's already invited me to stay with him, and says Shalayne is more than welcome as well."

"That's wonderful!" I exclaimed, throwing my arms around his neck. "I was so afraid of what would happen, if you were going to leave." I stood back, my hands resting on his shoulders. "I know I said I was okay with it, but I was still afraid of it. And I know I could have gone with you back to South Dakota, of course, if you'd asked me to-"

"And I would love to take you there, to introduce you to Branson and the rest of my friends and extended family," Leland said. "I will, one day, but … I know how important your home and family are to you. You didn't even have to tell me, I can see it plainly whenever you talk about them. I couldn't ask you to leave that."

"And I can't ask you to leave the only home you've ever known!"

He held my face in his hands. "Leah, you haven't asked. I'm offering. It's a small price to pay to be with you."

"What about your sister? I daresay she's not going to be too happy about it-aren't you her legal guardian?" I wondered.

He nodded. "I am. And I know it's a lot to ask of her when she has only a year left of school. If she wants to stay in South Dakota, I may consider asking Branson to let her stay with him, but we'll see. Shalayne and I will have to talk about it in a few weeks when the summer program is over. I do know that she was hoping Grandfather and I would get along, because she wants to meet him."

"Maybe coming here will change her mind too, eh?" I said with a laugh, hugging him again.

"You never know," he replied, wrapping his arms around me. "It certainly changed mine."


By the time we got back to my house, Seth had come home. Without even having to ask, I could see that he had no good news about Sierra.

"Where's Mom?" I asked.

"Getting ready for her dinner with Charlie," my little brother replied while rummaging through the refrigerator for something to eat.

I glanced toward the back of the house, where Mom's room was, listening and trying to judge how much time I had to tell my brother about what Charlie and I had discussed. I told him the news in a hurried whisper, lest Mom come out of her room before I was finished. Seth took the news about as well as I had expected he would.

"Seriously?" he exclaimed.

I made hushing noises. "Seth, keep your voice down!" I admonished.

His expression changed. "Don't tell me-you hate the idea of being related to the Cullens," he said, glancing cautiously at Leland standing behind me.

I followed his gaze and shook my head. "No need to keep quiet about all that. Leland knows everything. In fact, it's quite possible he's going to become one of us very soon."

"Either that or a giant raven, don't forget," Leland pointed out.

Seth's gaze roamed back and forth between us, his expression incredulous. "Uh, exqueeze me, baking powder?"

He had recently discovered Wayne's World, a movie so ridiculous is was actually funny, and one of Wayne's favorite expressions had made its way into Seth's vocabulary. Leland and I were explaining that the story about the raven becoming a man was true (sort of) when my mother emerged from her bedroom.

She chuckled when she saw Seth's still disbelieving expression. "The world just keeps getting curiouser and curiouser, doesn't it, son?" she said with a grin.

I looked her over. Her shoulder-length hair had been brushed until it shone blue-black in the light. She wore simple silver and turquoise jewelry with a turquoise blouse and black slacks, with black flats on her feet.

I raised an eyebrow. "Mom, I thought you were just cooking dinner at Charlie's house?"

"I am, but for some reason, I just felt like dressing up a little more than usual," she said, a blush creeping up her cheeks.

"I think you look lovely, Mrs. Clearwater," Leland told her.

"He's right," I agreed. "Charlie will look positively dull compared to you."

As if on cue, a car pulled up in the drive, and Mom looked out the window. "It's Charlie. You kids going to be alright for dinner?"

I waved her words off as she picked up her purse. "Mom, we'll be fine, trust me. You go and cook and do whatever it is you do over at Charlie's house."

"Leah!" Seth said in a disgusted voice.

Leland, Mom and I laughed as Charlie was seen stepping onto the porch through the open door. Mom held open the screen door before he could knock on it and he came inside.

"Wow, Sue," he said, appraising her attire. "Now I feel underdressed."

I took in the white sweater and blue jeans he was wearing, and considered that he really didn't look half bad.

"Nonsense, Charlie, you look fine," my mom told him. "Why don't we get going?"

Charlie nodded and held the door for her this time, waving at us as he followed behind her. As soon as they were off the porch, Seth turned to me.

"Think he's gonna ask her tonight?" he asked.

I shrugged. "I have no idea, though with that outfit she's wearing, he just might. How do you feel about it, Seth? If Mom says yes, I mean."

"Charlie's an okay guy," he said. "And being related to the Cullens really won't be so bad, Leah, you'll see. I mean, they live all the way across the country now, so we won't even see them that much."

"Speaking of which, how would you like to take a trip with me?" I asked.

Seth frowned. "A trip to where?"

"The Cullen house," I said. "I think we need to prepare them for the possibility that Charlie is going to marry Mom."

My brother shrugged. "What for? They ain't gonna care about being related to us. They're already related to Jake, practically."

"I'm aware of that. I know how they feel," I said in return. "But I also know how Mom feels. Keeping this supernatural stuff from Charlie now is one thing. She won't want to keep lying to him when she's married to him."

Good grief, I was already acting like it was a done deal, when I didn't know for sure my mother would even say yes. But a part of me did know, I suppose. I knew my mother's heart and how much she cared about Charlie, and I knew she would want everything out in the open before she would be able to say yes to becoming his wife.

I watched as Seth processed my words. "I suppose you got a point," he said. "But what about the vampire secrecy thing?"

I smiled. "I have an idea about that, too. But why don't we talk to them first, see what they have to say?"

Then I turned to Leland. "You don't have to come along for this. Seth and I can do it alone."

"No, I want to go. I want to see what being near them will do to me," Leland said.

I studied him for a moment and then nodded. "Alright then, let's go."

Since Leland's Thunderbird only seated two people, we took my car over to the Cullens.' Seth used his cell to call and see who was home, and learned that everyone except Jasper, Alice and Emmett had returned. He told them only that we were coming over because we had some news, and that it wasn't about Sierra.

When we arrived and were admitted into the house, we were once again led into the living room by Jacob and Edward.

"Jacob tells us you have some news you'd like to share," said Carlisle.

I nodded, then looked at Bella. "It's about my mom and your dad."

Bella's golden eyes widened. "What about them?"

Charlie's nervous declaration flashed across my mind, and I knew from the way he shifted his position that Edward had heard it. The others noticed as well, looking at him, but he gave away nothing. By his silence, I began to develop a mild appreciation for him, understanding that at least he knew when to keep his mouth shut.

He heard that, too, and smiled. "Not my news to tell, Leah," he replied quietly.

I narrowed my eyes at him, but relaxed as Bella asked again, "What about my dad?"

I looked at her, and decided to come right out with it. "He's planning to ask my mother to marry him. He told me this afternoon because he wanted to be sure I was okay with it."

Carlisle, Esme, Edward and Jacob all smiled. Renesmee whooped with joy, declaring her happiness that her grandpa was getting married. Rosalie made no comment or change of expression at all.

"Why hasn't my dad said anything to me about this?" Bella asked. "I'd think he would have before he talked to you-no offense."

"Well, given Leah's previous history," Jacob said slowly, "I imagine Charlie wanted to be sure she wouldn't … what's the best way to say this?"

"Throw a hissy fit?" Seth suggested.

I punched him lightly in the arm. "Funny, though essentially correct, I'd wager. But to be honest with you, I don't care, because he makes my mom happy, and I know he'll be good to her. It's nice knowing that she won't have to spend the rest of her life alone."

"You're really okay with being in-lawed to a bunch of filthy bloodsuckers?" Rosalie said, speaking at last.

Esme admonished her in that soft, motherly voice of hers. I looked at the blonde vampire squarely, saying, "Not entirely. I can't help feeling that it goes against the grain, but that's the wolf speaking, that's not me. I've already told you how I feel. And if Jake can handle being related to vampires, so can I. It's not like the choice is mine, anyway."

"So why did you come here to tell us this for?" the blonde vampire asked pointedly.

"Because her mother has a certain moral fiber," Edward said, earning another narrow-eyed look from me. "I'm sorry, Leah. Please, continue."

I held his gaze for a moment longer, then looked at the rest of them. "He's right. My mother handles Charlie and the supernatural side of things okay right now because he's just a friend, in a sense. When he asks her to marry him, and I don't know when that will be, she's not going to want to keep the truth from him any longer. Lying to him now can be rationalized, but the way she was raised, a wife doesn't keep secrets from her husband."

"No!" Bella exclaimed, standing. "She can't tell him about vampires-that could cost him his life!"

"Not necessarily," said Jacob. "How are the Volturi gonna find out if none of us tell them?"

"Who are the Volturi?" Leland asked.

Carlisle turned to him. "The Volturi are the coven that rules vampire society. Long ago they enacted a law stating that we were to keep our kind a secret. Any human that learns the truth about us must be turned or killed."

"And telling my father the truth could be a death sentence for him," said Bella. "She can't tell him the truth. You can't let her."

I was reminded of one of the reasons I had never cared much for Bella-her stubborn refusal to let anyone else have their way. I turned to her once again, saying, "I don't think any of us here have much choice in the matter. My mother will do as she pleases, and I'm not about to stop her. I will not ask her to go against the way her parents raised her just to keep your precious little secret safe."

"Calm down, love," Edward said, placing a hand on her arm. "Leah's right. We cannot ask Sue to continue lying to your father if she believes she must tell him everything."

"But Edward-"

"He's right, Bella," added Carlisle. "It wouldn't be fair of us to ask it of her."

"Besides," said Jacob with a smile, "Charlie's got all the protection in the world."

She looked at him. "I seriously doubt the Forks police can do a whole hell of a lot against the entire Volturi guard. You know they're just waiting for another excuse to come after us."

"You don't get what I'm saying, Bells," Jacob replied with a shake of his head. "As Sue's husband, he would be protected by the packs. Essentially, he'd be one of us."

I nodded. "Precisely what I've been thinking," I said.

"And the Volturi are afraid of us!" Seth declared.

"Not to mention this family," said Esme. "We would protect him, as well."

"As would the Denali coven," added Carlisle. "You know they are family, too."

We all turned as Emmett, Alice and Jasper suddenly entered through the sliding glass doors from the back yard. By look on his face, Jasper had immediately sensed the tense mood, and from the feeling I was getting, he was trying to settle everyone's nerves.

Emmett took one look around and said, "What did I miss?"