Disclaimer: I don't own the characters.

Thanks to roswell1828 for looking out for my mistakes.

And since it's been a while since I posted, a recap: Girl has never seen her neighbor. He sees he spying one night. He woos her with flowers and notes. They meet. They fall in love. He reveals his secret through a journal entry. He leaves to prepare a place for them. Meanwhile, his 'bosses' send someone to do The Girl harm. She has a plan to escape. She is rescued and turned. They live a life on the run. They are cornered. She finds out that things aren't what they seem and they escape again.

X

"What have you done?" As soon as the flames expired, we left the crawlspace. I turned on my mate, my love, feeling I did not know him. After all these months, the man I had come to know would never willing take someone's life. I was angry, confused.

"I did what I would have wanted done to me had I lost a mate." He took in a long breath, exhaling slowly. "Marcus lost a mate countless years ago. She was murdered and he never was able to avenge her death. I did not know him at the time of her death. From what I've heard, he's just a shell of what he used to be. I've only known him to be disinterested and cold."

"Didyme? The name he called out with his last breath?"

"Yes, that was her name. She was his soul. I suspect the only reason Marcus survived this long was Aro's influence. I never saw what interest Aro had in him. Surely, if Aro was any sort of friend he would have let Marcus go and put an end to his suffering."

"From what you've told me, Aro is a friend to no one."

"No, he's not. I'm just beginning to see what sort of creature he truly is. Aro has always been obsessed with power and control, some of the most dangerous things in this world. He will go to lengths to protect what he thinks is his."

He extended his hand into the empty space between us. "I'm sorry if I've frightened you with my actions but we must leave. I don't know if Demetri will be any danger to us."

Though I was still horrified by my mate's actions, even if he had been following through with Marcus' wishes, I took his hand in mine. I still loved him beyond reason and I would follow him anywhere.

We set off at a blistering run, trees blurring as we raced passed. We hadn't gone very far before Carlisle stopped abruptly.

"I can still smell his scent." Seeing the recently disturbed earth beneath a nearby tree, he examined the spot. Pushing aside the decaying leaf litter, he uncovered a plastic baggie containing an envelope. I went to Carlisle's side as he opened the contents. The lingering perfume of lemon, rosemary and parchment filled the air. In a matter of seconds, the letter was read and reduced to ashes.

"What did he say?"

"We don't have to worry about Demetri. Apparently, he isn't returning to Volterra and only passed witness in case he should ever meet Aro again."

"How would Aro know what did or didn't happen? Can't Demetri lie?"

A sad smile crossed my love's lips. "No, he can't. Aro can read your thoughts through a single touch. That's why Marcus sent Demetri away. I suspect Demetri will re-visit the cabin to confirm our deaths. He saw enough for Aro to believe him. Marcus seems certain they won't be crossing paths any time soon."

I recalled Demetri's behavior and it didn't match up with what Carlisle was telling me. "So that was all just an act to fool Aro? I don't think it's enough. Nothing will ever be enough to escape from him. The same trick isn't going to fool him twice."

Carlisle cupped the side of my face in his hand, soothingly stroking my cheekbone. The sensation calmed my fears and made my body hum with unexpected contentment. "Marcus thought it was enough."

"And you trust the word of a dead man?"

"Not entirely, but in this instance he has his reasons."

"Such as?"

"Demetri was not lying when he said you were gifted. Both he and Marcus seemed to think you might be a shield."

"A shield? What good can that be?"

"I'm not certain myself. I know Aro employs his own personal shield, but beyond that I'm not sure how it works. Marcus has left us the last known whereabouts of a coven that can help us and keep us out of the war."

"There's a war too?"

Carlisle nodded. "Marcus' letter makes me think the Volturi will not be victorious and it's best if we stay out of the way for awhile. The best place to do this is with the coven he left directions for us to find."

I was silent for awhile and stepped away from my mate's touch. I had never met others of my kind who hadn't been trying to kill me or, at least, had given that impression. I wasn't exactly thrilled but I was more than a little curious. Disappearing from the Volturi into another coven sounded counter-intuitive. What was so special about them anyway?

"What do you know about this coven?"

"I've heard of a few of the members, but only in passing. Eleazar was once a member of the Volturi. He was graciously excused from service by Aro shortly before I first left them. He had some talent for picking up other vampire's gifts."

There was a sort of hesitation in his voice as he answered me and I realized he was waiting, waiting for me to make a decision to join this new coven or stay on our own. If I chose not to join this coven, he would respect it and not force me.

"So where is this coven then?" I walked toward him. It still seemed to me like we were walking into the bear's den, especially since one of the coven members was a former Volturi. I was new to this world and I hadn't learned to judge a vampire's intent. My mate had all the experience. His hand linked with mine. The choice was made.

"Denali."

"I've never been to Alaska. It's rather convenient since we are on the West Coast. I wonder if they've been pushing us toward them all along."

My love smiled at me. "I doubt it. Certain things are meant to have a particular outcome."

"I suppose they do." I pulled him closer and drew his lips to mine.

Moments later, he reluctantly withdrew from my tangling arms and lips and took the first step of our journey north.

We traveled under the cover of the clouds and the trees, the human population spreading thinner and thinner the further north we went, seldom needing to move in the dark of night. I had a faint desire to slow our progression and enjoy the land around us, but the need for the, purported, safety of the coven kept me moving forward. There would be time later to do more serious travels.

As we came closer to Denali, I could detect no less than seven vampire scents. Two scent trails were very faint; indicating a considerable amount of time had passed since those particular trails were made. It did nothing to calm the panic building within me. I hadn't expected the coven to be so large. Carlisle had said large covens were very unusual.

"It's all right. It's just their hunting trails. We'll stop and make our presence known so we can meet them outside their home. You'll feel more at ease that way." My mate gave my hand a gentle squeeze before we resumed our journey.

We were walking now, following a well-formed trail through the trees. The ground was hard, already frozen. It should be cold but I didn't feel it. Our pace slowed with each step. Carlisle was as hesitant as me or maybe his pace was for me, I didn't know. The space between the trees increased and soon we approached the inevitable clearing.

I had expected the clearing. I had even somewhat expected the rambling log house near the center of the clearing. I hadn't expected the coven waiting for us at the edge of the clearing, downwind so their scents didn't carry. An attractive female vampire approached cautiously as I slipped behind Carlisle.

"Welcome. We've been expecting you." Her voice was friendly and gentle but I was still wary. How could they know we were coming?

"Marcus sent us. We seek your help and guidance."

"We know." The hint of amusement in her voice made me step away from my mate to get a better look at her. Sensing my scrutiny, she stepped closer. A placid smile spread across her pale lips. The smile drew my attention upward toward her eyes. Her golden eyes.

Two more steps closer and she extended her hand in greeting. I took her hand without hesitation, returning her greeting. We were safe here.

The rest of the coven moved closer and were introduced. From the opposite side of the clearing, near the house, I saw two figures rapidly approaching. Instinctively, I tensed. One was short with dark hair, while the other one was tall with fairer hair, complementary opposites. The coven leader, Tanya, also sensed this couples' approach and turned to meet them.

"This is how we knew you were coming today. Alice, Jasper, this is Carlisle Cullen and his mate."

They stopped a short distance from me, obviously giving me space to familiarize myself with them. The short one, Alice, cocked her head to the side, observing me. Her mate stood by her side, their hands linked, adopting a frozen stance. He was also watching me but with less inquisitiveness than his little shadow.

"Oh yes, you're absolutely perfect. With a little help, even I won't be able to find you without some help."

I must have had a strange look on my face because Tanya laughed lightly. "You'll have to forgive Alice. She can see the future and apparently yours looks wonderful. That's why you came, to wait out this storm and understand your gift."

"The war with the Volturi, who started it and why did Marcus think they wouldn't survive?" My mate's question drew my attention away from the odd couple for the time being.

"That's quite a long story. Let's go inside." She led the way with us and the rest of her coven following.

The interior of the cabin was spacious, equipped with large windows and a fireplace on opposite sides of the main room. It would be unfair to compare it to the small, barely furnished dwellings we had called home on our journey cross country. We settled together on a plush loveseat nearest the fire. The others spread across the room, trying to give me space, acting disinterested but failing. I wondered if I was normal. If this happened to every new vampire, this hesitancy to be amongst a large group, or if it was just me. I knew I was safe but I was reluctant to let my guard down.

"The Romanians are behind it." Tanya started the tale abruptly and soon I was not the center of attention. I relaxed into Carlisle's side.

"During their travels, they discovered an interesting vampire in South America. This vampire traveled on the fringe of settlements surrounding the rainforest and other remote areas, seducing the local women." Here, she smirked slightly.

"And you would know about seducing locals, sister dear." Kate, the striking blonde introduced to me earlier, commented from her spot on the fur rug somewhere behind our loveseat.

"As would you, sister. This vampire, Joham, is capable of siring children. They met one of his offspring in Brazil. Stefan and Vladimir were struck by the girl's resemblance to a human. Had Joham not told them what she was, they would never have guessed."

"What is she exactly?" Carlisle leaned forward in his seat, very interested in Tanya's story.

"A mix of vampire and human. A blend the Romanians saw useful to them. You see, Joham acted as some sort of mad scientist, using himself and his offspring in his experiments. By the time he had encountered the Romanians, Joham had already perfected his breeding abilities and had moved onto human/hybrid and vampire/hybrid interactions."

"You mean he was conducting breeding experiments on his children?" I felt slightly sick when my mate asked the question. Was it possible for a vampire to vomit?

"That and more. His 'research' yielded favorable results for the Romanians. Joham's children were mainly girls, girls with beating hearts and a heady bouquet to their blood. A siren's song to a vampire. The girls' blood proved toxic to any vampire seeking to feed and an idea was born."

There room was silent. I concentrated my attention on the flickering fire. I had a vague memory from my human years of elections and trials and senate hearings. Power warped human intent and I could see power exerted even more force over a vampire mind as well. Even though I knew little of the Romanians, they were but distant players on a faraway stage to me, I got the sense they were no better than the Volturi. Vladimir and Stefan, the Romanians, I gathered, must have been an age old rival to the Volturi.

"When did this happen?" My mate broke the temporary silence.

"I'm not sure when this little plan was hatched but it was implemented shortly after you disappeared. The girls were invited by Heidi and she unwittingly served them to the Volturi thinking they were just a group of college tourists. Aro was able to save himself at the last minute, along with Alec, Felix and Demetri. Marcus was not in the feeding room nor were a few of the lesser members. Aro sent the survivors from the city. It was no longer safe for them there."

"Then why was he so intent to find us?"

Tanya shrugged. "I suppose he wanted to build his empire again. Why was he after you anyway?" She looked pointedly at Carlisle.

"I used to put out feelers, if you will, for those that brought vampires out of folklore and into reality. I blend in well with humanity."

"You're one of the ones he's reluctant to let go. I expect he's even less so inclined to let you go now. You see, he's still after the 'special' ones."

"But I'm not special."

"That maybe true but Aro's a desperate man and anyone will do. I'll bet he's wishing he had more vampires that intermingled with humans. Another reason we like to keep to ourselves."

"How can you stay off Aro's radar?"

"We haven't always. But," Tanya smiled slyly, "we've had a recent addition to the coven that helps us avoid Aro's attention."

"Temporary addition." The shadow sitting by one of the window interjected forcefully. Her mate, sitting by her side, wrapped his arms around her and pressed his face into her black hair. Looking at the pair, I sensed she was also uneasy around the others. I could understand. While I was quite sure the obviously unattached blonde bombshells making up this coven wouldn't steal a mate, there was no comfort in their beauty.

"Temporary, yes. I suspect the only reason Firefly and Scarecrow are here is because of you."

I tensed as she focused her gaze in my direction. "Me?"

"Eleazar, I think it's time to explain how her shield works."

A/N: I had planned on this being the last chapter, but I apparently have a fixation on the number eleven. So one more chapter and a tiny epilogue are left. Which I have to finish before all of Chaos breaks forth into my RL. Mr. Grayskies and I are moving and I really hate like hell to put this story on hiatus when it's so close to being finished. I've learned long ago never to promise anything, but I will make a valiant attempt to wrap this up before my life is consumed by phone calls, e-mail tag, and boxes. Hope to see you all soon.