Target
In the morning, I watched Bella eating cereal while Alice regaled her with stories about her Porsche. She and Jasper had taken turns driving it last night. They'd ended up almost to Alaska before turning back. Bella looked disapproving when Alice had spoken of the car, but hadn't commented.
"So when do I get to take it out for a test drive? I know Bella's just itching to go for a ride," I winked at Bella, laughing at her aghast expression. I saw her shudder and laughed harder. Bella didn't share my family's obsession with all things fast.
"Rose and Emmett are taking their turn now," Alice laughed. "From the look on her face, I have a feeling Rosalie might be replacing her M3 soon." We all laughed at that.
Carlisle joined us in the kitchen. "Good morning, kids. What's the plan for today?"
"I don't know. Alice never did get to take Bella on her shopping trip. Feel like taking a ride to Portland?" I asked her.
"That depends. Whose car are we taking?"
"Mine, of course," Alice trilled.
"Thanks, but I think I'll pass," Bella said, sourly.
"Oh, come on," Alice pleaded. "You need a new dress for graduation, and we didn't get to go to Olympia yesterday."
"Another time," Bella said, firmly.
"You should probably be getting Bella home soon, then" I prompted Alice.
"Can I take the Porsche?"
Bella glared at her.
"Fine. I'll get you in it one of these days. Kidnapping you was fun, Bella! Let's do it again."
After I watched Alice drive away – using my Volvo, not the Porsche – I turned around and the red motorcycle caught my eye. Cocking my head, I stared at it for a few minutes, trying to picture Bella on it. The only image I could come up with was from Jacob's memory. Bella, flying down a dirt road with her hair blowing out behind her, seeing her spill over the side, smashing her head against a rock, ending up with blood streaming down her face. I shuddered in horror.
How did she manage to not kill herself on this thing? She didn't even wear a helmet!
It made me upset that she found pleasure in doing something so dangerous with Jacob, but she wouldn't even ride in the Porsche with Alice or myself driving. We'd never let her be hurt! She wasn't afraid to run with me anymore. I wondered if the motorcycle was for her like running was for me. I turned and went to my computer to do some research. I wanted a bike.
Grinning, I imagined riding down the road on a bike of my own, a powerful engine beneath me, the road flying away behind me, my angel flying beside me. If she enjoyed riding with Jacob, I saw no reason why she shouldn't enjoy riding with me, too, and that would give her one less reason to go see him. They'd fought and, although I had little doubt she'd be able to forgive him, I wasn't sure he'd be willing to stay friends with her knowing that she was to become a vampire in a few weeks. If he didn't, she'd need a new riding partner, and who better than me?
Knowing it would be less suspicious for me to wait a while longer before going to Bella's house, I spent my time choosing a motorcycle. After researching various brands, I finally decided on a sleek silver Ducati Superbike that was available in a dealership in Tacoma. With the trouble Seattle was currently having with the rogue vampire, I didn't want to go there, but Tacoma was south of Seattle and far enough away that I didn't think there should be any problems.
I took off running. If I bought the bike I was planning on, I had no need for my car; I'd just ride the bike back home. It was only about a hundred miles between the two towns as the crow flies – or the vampire runs – and I'd be able to make it in well under an hour. The dealership opened at nine and I strolled onto the showroom floor just after they opened.
A couple of large guys were lounging by the counter, flirting with the girl at the register.
Whoa, he is not real, no way…
…this kid want?…
Probably doesn't even have his driver's license…
I sighed, annoyed with the humans.
Vampires had a certain beauty, like a carnivorous flower, and our prey was attracted to us. Usually the humans' initial attraction to us would change into fear, once they became aware of the menace that surrounded us, but I'd lost a lot of my menace when I'd fallen in love with Bella. In trying to be more human for her, the predator in me was no longer as evident. Human women were attracted to me without any fear and the men no longer saw me as threatening. It was very annoying. Apparently I looked far too happy after spending the night with my love asleep in my arms.
Spying a wall full of riding gear, I changed my direction, and inspected the helmets. The memory of Bella's bloody face was vivid in my mind.
"Need help finding anything?" Like the way to my house, perhaps?
"Yes, thank you." Annoyed, I smiled at her, showing my teeth in an attempt to convey some sense of the danger she was in. "First, I need your best helmet."
She completely missed my attempted warning. The blood rushed to her face and her heart began to race. What I wouldn't give to be the motorcycle he rides…
I looked away from her, frustrated and embarrassed. "Well, I don't think you'd want that one," she gestured to the one in my hands. "This is the women's section."
"The helmet's not for me." I nearly laughed at her disappointment when I explained, "It's for my girlfriend."
Of course he's taken. Why do some girls get all the luck? I bet she's a whore! Her thoughts turned vicious and my expression was instantly furious. I finally saw fear on her face, and tried to control myself.
"Oh, okay, well a lot of our women like the Scorpion. It comes in pink and black or purple and white with a rose design. It's only a hundred – "
"I need your best helmet," I said coldly, "not your prettiest. Helmets are for safety, not show."
"Okay… Here," she handed me a black one. "The Bell is a premium helmet. Very sporty. It's got a Velocity ventilation system, polycarbonate shell and a drop-down sun visor. It's lightweight and comfortable." I moved the face shield up and inspected the inside while she spoke. For the price, you can't beat it.
"And if price wasn't an issue?"
Good looking and rich besides? Groan!
"Then you'll want the Schuberth." She took the black one back and handed me a red one. "You said you want the best, well, this is it. They've developed an anti-roll-off system so that, as long as the helmet is strapped on correctly, it can't be dislodged. The tilt angle prevents the helmet from coming into contact with the chin or throat in case of a crash. It's aerodynamic, so it has zero upward lift, giving her much more stability. The resin shell is low weight and exceptionally sturdy."
I nodded, "Perfect. What about other safety gear?"
"Well, nobody likes road rash. I'd suggest a riding jacket." Seeing the image of torn skin with gravel ground into the wound, I flinched. The jackets Bella wore would not provide any protection to her soft skin.
Not bothering with showing me the cheaper options this time, she pointed out a sleek black leather jacket. "The Camaris is a three layer jacket. The outer layer is coated so that it can be worn inside another jacket, too. Highly ventilated, with a full-length back protector, shoulder and elbow protectors, it's soft, breathable, and durable."
I nodded, smiling. I couldn't wait to see Bella dressed in the snug leather jacket. "Good. Now, let's talk bikes."
Her jaw dropped and her eyes grew wide. He's buying her a bike, too?
"I'm interested in the Ducati Superbike."
"That one's got more power than most women like, but – "
"No," I stopped her, unable to hold back my grin of excitement. "The bike's for me."
Walking toward the rows of gleaming motorcycles, she said, "Ah, well, then I think you'll be pleased with the performance ratings. We've got the 848 and 1098 models. I'd go with the 848, personally. The 1098 may be faster in a straight line, but how many of those do we have around here? The 848 is more maneuverable and agile, and lighter weight, besides."
"I've done my research and was planning on the 848 already."
"Good! Okay, well, we have red, black or – "
"Silver."
"I assume you'd like a test ride?"
I was feeling anxious to get back to Forks. "No. Just draw up whatever paperwork you need. I'd like to be on the road as soon as possible."
"I'll need your driver's license and insurance, and we'll need to check your credit, of course. We've got financing available – "
"That's not necessary. I'll be paying in full, today. Here," I handed her my license and insurance information.
She hesitated. Is this kid for real, or what?
"I'm in a bit of a hurry," I prompted.
"You'll probably need a helmet for yourself, as well…" I laughed and shook my head.
A very annoying thirty minutes later – the girl's mind was unpleasant to listen to - I sped off the lot on my new bike, the jacket and helmet in a bag, slung over my shoulder. The bike promised a top speed of 166 mph and I coaxed it close to the promised maximum. Not bothering to obey any traffic laws, I kept my mind open for any police who might care. Blowing by cars, swerving in and out of traffic, and taking the hairpin turns at speeds that made the cars around me blow their horns – though I was long gone by the time they hit their horns - I could feel the incredulous fury of the drivers, and their certainty that they'd be seeing me at the bottom of a ravine on the next turn. Less than three hours after I'd left, I turned onto my driveway.
When I parked my new bike beside Bella's red Honda, Jasper and Emmett were in the garage, gaping at me. I was laughing with delight as I climbed off the new addition. That had been fun!
"What is with you, Edward? First a Porsche, now a Ducati? Are you planning on buying everyone a new vehicle, cause there's this Hummer I was looking at – "
"The bike's for me, Em. I owed Alice the Porsche for saving Bella's life." I shoved him, playfully. "You've got your own money, bro. You want a new truck, go get one."
Jasper didn't comment, too busy staring wistfully at the sleek machine.
"I'm going to Bella's," I said, to no one's surprise, and stowed the helmet and jacket between the bikes before climbing into the Volvo and taking off, still grinning from the fast ride on my new bike. I understood why Bella liked it so much and couldn't wait to go riding with her.
My happy grin evaporated the moment I opened my door at Charlie's house. There was an unfamiliar scent surrounding the house. A very distinct scent. A vampire had visited. I felt a wave of horror flow over me and sprinted to the door. I breathed a huge sigh of relief when I heard Bella's distinct heartbeat. Making sure to knock lightly in order to avoid tearing the door from it's frame, I heard Charlie tell Bella that I was at the door.
At any other time, the happy spring in her step as she hurried to greet me would have delighted me, as would the wide smile that was on her lovely face when she pulled the door open. Her smile faltered as she took in my anxious expression.
"Edward? What – " her voice was sharp, but I stopped her by placing a finger on her lips.
"Give me two seconds. Don't move," I told her firmly, hoping that she would listen for once. Moving faster than either Bella or Charlie's eyes could follow, I sprinted inside the house, following the scent upstairs to my love's room. The odor permeated the room. They'd been through her things! I could smell their scent on her bedding, her hamper, her dresser. It was strong, very recent. Only a few hours old.
I left Bella's room and followed the scent across the hall. They'd gone into Charlie's room, and had stood by the bed while he'd lay there sleeping!
Terror flooding me, I sprinted back downstairs, afraid to have even left her for the brief second it had taken me to survey their rooms. I pulled her slight body against mine, holding her firmly, afraid that she might somehow be stolen right from my arms by the intruder. Glancing all around the house, breathing deeply, I dragged her into the kitchen, ignoring Charlie as thoroughly as he was ignoring me. I couldn't ignore the scent, though. They had been in the living room, too.
I pulled Bella to the back of the kitchen by the laundry room, knowing the sounds of the running machine would mask my soft words. Charlie wouldn't even be able to tell I was talking, much less what I was saying. I heard his mind debating between giving us privacy and joining us to discuss Jacob. The wolf had called, begging Charlie to apologize for him for his insensitive remarks to Bella the previous day. Charlie was upset because Bella had refused to call him back. I was too stressed to even feel pleasure at her rejection of the dog.
Holding Bella close against my body, my eyes continuing to rake over the room, I put my mouth close to her ear and explained, "Someone's been here."
Misunderstanding my meaning, she protested, "I swear that no werewolves – "
"Not one of them," I shook my head, knowing my fear made my expression fierce. "One of us."
Bella paled, her eyes widening as she took in my meaning.
"Victoria?"
"It's not a scent I recognize."
"One of the Volturi."
"Probably." There were guard members I had not met, though I had touched most of their minds… those who had been home at the time.
"When?"
"That's why I think it must have been them – it wasn't long ago, early this morning while Charlie was sleeping. And whoever it was didn't touch him, so there must have been another purpose."
"Looking for me," she stated.
I couldn't move. I wanted to grab her in my arms and run away with her, but where could we run to? And even if I did, what good would that do unless I planned on just going ahead and turning her or keeping her hostage in my house until she agreed to marry me? I wanted to find whoever had dared to intrude into her room and rip them to shreds so thoroughly we wouldn't be able to find enough pieces large enough to bother burning them.
"What are you two hissing about in here?" Charlie asked. In our distress, our volume had risen from the low whisper I'd started with. He could hear the stress in our conversation, whether he could make out the words or not. Looking at my face, he could see I was obviously upset, and then he saw the expression on Bella's face.
He grinned, thinking we were fighting over Jacob. "If you two are having a fight… well, don't let me interrupt." Far too cheerful, he placed the empty bowl he'd been bringing into the kitchen in the sink and strolled back to the living room. I couldn't control my fear. Being in this house, where an unknown monster had been only hours ago made me feel vulnerable, exposed. Bella was not safe here, and that was unacceptable.
"Let's go," I said, my voice fierce.
"But Charlie!" Her eyes were wide and scared. I knew that she'd never be okay with any plan that left her father exposed to danger, though I thought he was probably safe. If the vampire had intended to harm him, they would have done so last night. No, it was Bella who was in danger – as usual. To keep her safe, though, I'd need to protect her father, too. And if the vampire came back, there really was no guarantee that they wouldn't kill him then.
I had my phone out and to my ear within seconds. "Emmett, we've got a problem."
He laughed, "When don't you have a problem, bro?"
"Listen! A vampire broke into Bella's house last night."
Suddenly serious, he asked tensely, "Charlie?"
"He's fine. The intruder – I don't know who it was. It wasn't Victoria or anyone else I recognized. I'm not sure what they were after, but their scent was all over Bella's room. And they went into Charlie's while he was there sleeping! I'm bringing her home with me, but I can't leave Charlie here unprotected. What if they come back? Bella would never forgive me if he got hurt."
"Damn! You weren't kidding when you called her a danger magnet. Don't worry, Jazz and I are on our way. We'll keep him safe and see if we can't catch this intruder besides. It's been too long since I've had a good fight," he finished in a harsh growl. Emmett may love to joke, but I could always count on him. Nobody would get away with threatening his family.
"Thanks, Em." I hung up and grabbed Bella's hand. We'd spoken so fast I doubted she'd caught a word I'd said, but I needed to get her to safety now. Hauling her behind me I explained in a low whisper, "Emmett and Jasper are on their way. They'll sweep the woods. Charlie is fine."
She resisted my pull on her hand only until she heard my reassuring words. Thankfully, she didn't fight me as I dragged her out of her house and into my car. Charlie's good mood evaporated seeing the fear on Bella's face and my fierce expression. "Hey - !" he shouted, afraid for his daughter, but I couldn't explain to him and wasn't willing to take the time to come up with a story. I had to get Bella to my house where she'd be safe. As I sped home, I wondered if I would ever let her leave again. She did say I could hold her hostage.
"Where are we going?" she asked, her voice still a fear-filled whisper.
"We're going to talk to Alice."
"You think maybe she saw something?"
No, I didn't. I'd have known if she'd seen anything, because she would have said something last night or this morning. If she knew Charlie was in danger, she wouldn't have gone cruising in her new car; she would have done everything in her power to protect him. I was sure she hadn't seen anything, but I needed to find out why.
"Maybe," I lied, not wanting her more frightened than she was already.
When we got back to my house, I parked and was at Bella's side instantly, pulling her into the protection of my embrace briefly before hurrying her into the house. My family was waiting in the livingroom, unmoving, their thoughts a mixture of fear, outrage, confusion, and fury. Rose was outraged that Bella had brought danger into her family again and I wanted to shout at her, but I had bigger things to worry about than her petty concerns. Esme was furious that anyone dared threaten any member of her family – and she thought of Bella as her daughter already. Carlisle was confused. He couldn't understand why a vampire would visit Bella's house at all, and to leave Charlie alive was inexplicable.
Alice was afraid. She had hated not being able to see the wolves, but had accepted it. But this was a vampire who had threatened someone she was watching. Why hadn't she seen and what more was she missing?
"What happened?" I flung at Alice, furiously. Reminding myself of my resolve not to give in to my temper again, I balled my hands into fists to avoid throwing more furniture around.
"I have no idea. I didn't see anything," her voice was flat, angry at my tone.
"How is that possible?"
"Edward," Bella rebuked me.
"It's not an exact science, Edward," Carlisle chided. You can't blame her for the way her talent works.
"He was in her room, Alice. He could have still been there – waiting for her." I could see it all too clearly. The red eyes, glowing in the dim light of her room. The brief second of fear she'd feel at seeing an intruder. The soft scream she'd manage before he took her life. Me, on the other side of the state, unable to do anything about it, not even aware it had happened!
"I would have seen that," she asserted.
"Really? You're sure?" I flung my hands up, needing some kind of outlet for my fear and anger.
"You've already got me watching the Volturi's decisions, watching for Victoria's return, watching Bella's every step. You want to add another? Do I have to watch Charlie, or Bella's room, or the house, or the whole street, too? Edward, if I try to do too much, things are going to start slipping through the cracks." She was defensive, upset that she was missing things, and angry that I was accusing her for something that wasn't really her fault.
"It looks like they already are," I snapped at her.
"She was never in any danger. There was nothing to see." You aren't being fair, and you aren't thinking clearly. Bella wasn't there! What did you expect me to see? Nothing happened!
"If you're watching Italy, why didn't you see them send – "
"I don't think it's them," Alice cut me off. "I would have seen that."
I looked at her with surprise. I'd been certain it was the Volturi.
"Who else would leave Charlie alive?" I insisted. I regretted my words instantly when Bella shuddered against me.
"I don't know," Alice admitted.
"Helpful," I said, scornfully.
"Stop it, Edward," Bella's voice was low, disapproving.
I turned to glare at her, saw my own expression reflected in her large, chocolate eyes. One step away from being completely out of control with fear and anger, I was dangerous, furious at my family for something that wasn't their fault. I stared at the girl I loved for a moment and remembered that I was supposed to be controlling my anger. Collecting myself, I took a deep breath and smoothed the muscles in my face.
"You're right, Bella. I'm sorry," I said in a calm voice. Turning to Alice, I begged her forgiveness, too. "Forgive me, Alice. I shouldn't be taking this out on you. That was inexcusable."
"I understand. I'm not happy about it either." You're scared, Edward. We all know that. None of us want Bella or her father harmed, but that's the point. They weren't. There was nothing to see.
I agreed with her assessment. "Okay, let's look at this logically. What are the possibilities?"
I saw the effect my words and tone had on my family immediately. We were all vampires, but I was the monster, yet again. I'd called the wolves volatile, but I was the one with the temper, who broke furniture, who slaughtered helpless animals out of anger. They were right to be wary of me. Needing the strength of my fragile human girl, I pulled Bella to the couch with me, holding her hand in both of mine. Esme sat beside us and put her arm around Bella.
"Victoria?" Carlisle asked me. We all know she will come back for Bella, if it's not the Volturi, who else would it be?
"No. I didn't know the scent. He might have been from the Volturi, someone I've never met…"
Alice shook her head, certain that, though she didn't know who it was, she knew who it wasn't. "Aro hasn't asked anyone to look for her yet. I will see that. I'm waiting for it."
Aware of how specific she'd been, I looked sharply at Alice saying, "You're watching for an official command."
"You think someone's acting on their own? Why?"
Remembering his threat to me, I suggested, "Caius's idea." In Volterra, before we left, Caius had told me that they would check to make certain I'd changed her. And if they found that I had not, he had told me silently that I would watch while they tortured Bella, killing her eventually, but not me. No, me they would keep alive for a very long time. I felt icy fear shoot through me.
Unaware of Caius's silent threat to me, Alice suggested, "Or Jane's… They both have the resources to send an unfamiliar face…"
I scowled, remembering Jane's fury at being unable to hurt my angel, though she had tried over and over again. Her mind had stabbed furiously at the girl who was somehow able to block all of our minds.
"And the motivation," I agreed.
Esme disagreed. "It doesn't make sense, though. If whoever it was meant to wait for Bella, Alice would have seen that. He – or she – had no intention of hurting Bella. Or Charlie, for that matter." I felt Bella flinch at the mention of harm to her father. But not herself, no. Bella never feared for her own life, just for those she loved.
Esme stroked Bella's hair, saying softly, "It's going to be fine, Bella."
"What was the point, then?" Carlisle questioned Esme.
"Checking to see if I'm still human?"
Carlisle agreed, "Possible."
I didn't trust myself to speak, feeling a growl in my chest. I was afraid that Bella was about to argue once more for the immediate change of her human status.
Rosalie hadn't joined in the conversation, her attention focused on listening for the return of Emmett. I could feel her worry at losing her mate. Knowing how eager he was for a fight, she was terrified that he and Jasper would be successful in tracking down the intruder. If the vampire had not been acting alone, or had a dangerous unknown ability, Emmett could be killed.
Alice was focused on the members of the Volturi she had not been watching before. Demetri was not going to be looking for me. I couldn't be sure if this was because they already knew where I was though. She skipped to Alec, whose only plans for the immediate future included a human he was intending to have replace Gianna – the human woman who had wanted to join the Volturi. Apparently Felix had finally killed her. Jane was… I winced, feeling the memory of her burning thoughts. She was planning on using her talent to cause pain, but I was unable to see who she was hurting. Caius's plans didn't involve us, but that was all I could be sure of.
Rose breathed out a sigh of relief and I turned from focusing on Alice's visions to listening for my brothers. Emmett and Jasper had returned home. Their thoughts were unhappy at their lack of success.
Emmett charged into the room, Jasper a step behind him.
"Long gone, hours ago. The trail went east, then south, and disappeared on a side road. Had a car waiting."
I grimaced. "That's bad luck. If he'd gone west… well, it would be nice for those dogs to make themselves useful," I grumbled.
"Neither of us recognized him," Jasper said to Carlisle. "But here, maybe you know the scent." He had broken off a piece of a fern that the intruder had brushed against, leaving his scent. Carlisle examined the frond, smelling the faint odor, committing it to memory.
"No. Not familiar. No one I've ever met." I was disappointed. As the oldest member of our family – by several centuries – Carlisle had met many more vampires than we had.
"Perhaps we're looking at this the wrong way," Esme speculated. "Maybe it's a coincidence…" She broke off at our incredulous glares. "I don't mean a coincidence that a stranger happened to pick Bella's house to visit at random. I meant that maybe someone was just curious. Our scent is all around her. Was he wondering what draws us there?"
I considered that possibility. My scent was a well-worn path between my house and Charlie's. Every night I would drop my car off and run back to spend the night in her arms. Her own scent permeated the house, unique and compelling. It was possible, I conceded, but it didn't feel right.
"Why wouldn't he just come here then? If he was curious?" Emmett demanded. ...James's coven had been curious about us, but they came directly to see us. Why visit a human? And why leave Charlie alive? That part just doesn't make sense at all.
"You would," Esme smiled at Emmett, proud of her forthright son. "The rest of us aren't always so direct. Our family is very large – he or she might be frightened. But Charlie wasn't harmed. This doesn't have to be an enemy."
My family thought over Esme's suggestion.
Laurent had been curious of us in the beginning, Edward, Carlisle reminded me. If James had not caught Bella's scent, we could have made friends with them. Laurent went to Denali with just that intention.
Yes. And then decided he preferred human blood to animal and nearly killed Bella at Victoria's request. I had to hold back my growl.
Why would a passerby have had a car waiting to drive him away? Jasper thought. They would not have smelled us from a moving vehicle. Why go into town just to visit a human's house? They weren't hunting. Not for food at any rate.
Alice's thoughts were along the same lines as Jasper's. "I don't think so. The timing of it was too perfect… This visitor was so careful to make no contact. Almost like he or she knew that I would see…"
"He could have other reasons for not making contact," Esme suggested.
I agreed with Alice. There was something deliberate and menacing about this. Taunting. They would have smelled me, just as I smelled them.
"Does it really matter who it was?" Bella demanded, as I knew she would, using the visit as an excuse to push for her immediate change. "Just the chance that someone was looking for me… isn't that reason enough? We shouldn't wait for graduation."
"No, Bella," I protested. "It's not that bad. If you're really in danger, we'll know."
Carlisle shot a look at me. Are you certain, son?
Low and fast, so that she wouldn't hear, I insisted, "I will not have her forced into it."
Looking at Bella, he persuaded her, "Think of Charlie. Think of how it would hurt him if you disappeared."
"I am thinking of Charlie!" she protested. "He's the one I'm worried about! What if my little guest had happened to be thirsty last night? As long as I'm around Charlie, he's a target, too. If anything happened to him, it would be all my fault!"
Not willing to let her take the blame, Esme said gently, "Hardly, Bella. And nothing will happen to Charlie. We're just going to have to be more careful," Esme stroked her hair again.
"More careful?" Bella protested, aghast.
"It's going to be fine, Bella," Alice insisted. She showed me with Bella sleeping in my arms, Charlie the next morning on a boat, fishing. They would be safe, this night, at least. Beyond that, she wouldn't look, knowing how easily things could change. I squeezed Bella's hand gently, trying to reassure her.
I could tell Bella was upset. She worried her lip and never stopped frowning. Nothing I said would convince her that she was safe, so I stopped trying, but she could see that we were not going to give in, so stopped insisting on her immediate change.
My family made plans to keep up a patrol of the forest and streets around Bella's house. Aside from the fact that they loved her, too, they knew – from experience – how it would kill me to lose her. They would risk their lives to protect me, and the girl I loved, just as I would risk mine for them if the need arose.
I tried to reassure her of her protected status on the way back to her house. "You won't be alone for a second. Someone will always be there. Emmett, Alice, Jasper…"
"This is ridiculous," she stopped me with a sigh. "They'll get so bored, they'll have to kill me themselves, just for something to do."
Not pleased, I glared at her, "Hilarious, Bella." Emmett was looking forward to catching the intruder single-handedly. He'd played his role as Designated Watch Vampire before, and took it up again with enthusiasm. I could hear him prowling the woods when we arrived. Unwilling to let us drive up to an ambush, he'd sprinted there as we left and had already canvassed the area.
All clear, kid. No new scents. I've been all over the forest in a ten-mile radius and the only one I found was from yesterday. Bella's safe… for now.
Bella was nervous and I couldn't stop my own anxiety when we got back. Charlie didn't help matters. Sensing the tension, he was certain we were still fighting and didn't bother to hide his smirk. It took all of my concentration not to growl at him.
While Bella cooked, I kept my senses open, watching out of the kitchen window, jumping at every sound I caught from the forest. I watched through Emmett's eyes as he patrolled the forest around the house. The rain was making me nervous, every movement catching my attention. It was a good thing I didn't sleep. I'd never be able to relax enough to surrender to unconsciousness.
Charlie was watching me out of the corner of his eye. He saw how jumpy I was and wondered briefly if I was doing drugs. I caught myself clenching and unclenching my fists and folded my arms across my chest, forcing myself to remain motionless. The last thing I needed was for Charlie to demand a drug test.
Calm down, Edward, Jasper thought at me. I can feel your tension out here. Bella needs you to be confident. Your fear is only making hers worse. Breathe, little brother. Em and I are not going to leave your side. Alice has been searching for every possible threat, but she says none of your known enemies are planning anything.
"Excuse me," I said quickly and bolted out of the kitchen. Finding Jasper by the front door, I confronted him, "What do you mean my known enemies?"
"Alice can't watch someone she doesn't know. Unless they affect her directly, or someone she is actively watching, she doesn't see specific people."
"No, of course not." I murmured, understanding all too well how Alice's visions worked. Until whoever it was decided to hurt Bella, she wouldn't be able to see them. She didn't know this vampire, so there was no connection for her to use. She had no way to watch an unplanned future of a vampire she didn't know.
"Who could it be, Jazz? This isn't like the south with territory disputes. Other than Victoria, I don't have any enemies. Not even the Volturi, really. Graduation is weeks away. I know Aro's mind and he's patient. Even though Caius wants her changed quickly, a few weeks won't make a difference to him. This feels… wrong. Deliberate. Someone is playing with the holes in Alice's visions. And if it's not Aro, who else could know enough of how her talent works?"
My thoughts were racing in a panicked circle. I was so frustrated! The answer seemed so obvious, I felt like it was staring me in the face, but I was blind to it. I felt Jasper using his talent on me. Slowly, my anxiety ebbed, my panicked thoughts calmed, and my sense of reason returned. As his ability restored my calm, I breathed deeply, felt my clenched muscles loosen. After a few minutes, I sighed.
"Thanks, Jazz." He nodded.
"I don't know who it is, Edward." He shook his head. "None of this makes sense. But until it's over, we'll keep Bella safe. Like you said, graduation is a couple of weeks away. Then Carlisle can change her and she'll be safe."
That didn't help my mood at all. I returned to the kitchen, needing to see Bella's face.
"Jacob called again," Charlie told Bella. She was serving them the meal she'd cooked. Her face betrayed no emotion at those words.
"Is that a fact?" she asked, her voice hard.
"Don't be petty, Bella. He sounded really low."
"Is Jacob paying you for all the P.R., or are you a volunteer?"
Grumbling low under his breath, Charlie continued, "Fine way to treat your friends. Maybe I can get Billy to drag him over here, force them to make up." Glancing at me, he thought, If he'd ever leave long enough…
Not likely.
Usually when they ate, I would pretend to watch the television, not hover in the kitchen, but I couldn't bring myself to leave. Even having her in my sight wasn't good enough; I wanted her safe in my arms.
When Charlie pointedly said to me, "So I guess we'll see you tomorrow, Edward. Goodnight." I knew I had to leave. I drove my car around the block, parking where Charlie wouldn't be able to see me when he left to go fishing the next morning and returned to stand guard with Jasper and Emmett. There was no way I was leaving. I climbed into Bella's room as soon as I heard her tell her father goodnight.
She was scared and worried. I could see it in her eyes, her face. Jasper remained close, standing just outside of her window, close enough to use his talent to help me calm Bella. We lay on her small bed, sharing a pillow – she seemed to be one short– and I wrapped her in my arms, feeling her relax into sleep while I sang to her softly. Wanting her dreams to be good ones, I kept singing to her all night, humming her lullaby.
While she slept, I listened to her talking. She murmured my name over and over. In a much better mood when she woke than I was in when she fell asleep, I was even able to smile calmly when she told me she was going to call Jacob.
"I knew you'd forgive him. Holding grudges is not one of your many talents," I teased her. She'd always been so quick to forgive me for my worst sins, I'd never doubted she would forgive the dog. She rolled her eyes at me, but rewarded my acceptance with a warm smile.
"Hello?"
I could hear the misery in his voice when he answered and actually felt bad for him… briefly.
"Jacob?"
"Bella!" His voice was relieved and he immediately began to apologize for telling her he would rather see her dead than like me. "Oh, Bella, I'm so sorry! I swear I didn't mean it. I was just being stupid. I was angry – but that's no excuse. It was the stupidest thing I've ever said in my life and I'm sorry. Don't be mad at me, please? Please. Lifetime of servitude up for grabs – all you have to do is forgive me," he begged her.
"I'm not mad. You're forgiven."
"Thank you," he said, relieved. "I can't believe I was such a jerk."
Well, that made one of us.
"Don't worry about that – I'm used to it," she said. Jacob laughed and I tried to hold back my smirk.
"Come down to see me," he pleaded with her and my smirk disappeared. "I want to make it up to you."
"How?"
"Anything you want. Cliff diving," he offered with a laugh. I watched her face carefully, not wanting to see the memory of her face when she'd thrown herself to her death. Grey, tight with grief, her eyes shadowed with sleeplessness, and her cheeks hollow, her face then had been the picture of misery. Her beautiful face now was nothing like it had been then. She was pink, her eyes were bright, and her lips curved in a smile. I kept this image firm in my mind.
"Oh, there's a brilliant idea."
"I'll keep you safe. No matter what you want to do." I gritted my teeth, but kept my face expressionless. It was my job to keep her safe, not his, but Bella was watching me and I didn't want her to see any anger.
"Not right now," she demurred, to my relief.
"He's not thrilled with me, is he?" he asked, his voice guilty.
"That's not the problem. There's… well, there's this other problem that's slightly more worrisome than a bratty werewolf…" Though she tried to hide her fear with her joke, it was as obvious to him as it was to me and he instantly responded.
"What's wrong?" His voice was sharp, worried.
"Um." She hesitated, glancing at me again. I remembered my wish the previous day that the intruder had traveled in the direction of the reservation so that the dogs could make themselves useful and had an idea. If I couldn't bring the vampire to the wolf, I might be able to bring the wolf to the vampire.
I held out my hand for the phone. She hesitated, eyeing me.
"Bella?" Jacob demanded. I sighed and held my hand closer to her, silently urging her to trust me.
"Do you mind speaking to Edward?" she offered. "He wants to talk to you."
He didn't respond right away. Finally he agreed. "Okay. This should be interesting."
Keeping my voice carefully calm, smooth, I greeted him, "Hello, Jacob."
"So what's this big problem that's worrying Bella?"
I ignored the sarcasm in his voice and answered him calmly. "Someone was here – not a scent I know. Has your pack come across anything new?"
"Someone was there? In her house? A vampire? No," he said, his voice disgusted. "We haven't found anything. Bloodsucker, you'd better bring her here! If there's a rogue leech after her, the reservation is the safest place for her!"
I nodded, figuring he'd see himself as more qualified than us. The werewolves considered killing vampires as their duty.
"Here's the crux, Jacob. I won't be letting Bella out of my sight till I get this taken care of. It's nothing personal – "
"You may be able to control yourself, but you can't protect her and go looking for the leech at the same time! My pack can handle the intruder. Bring her here and he won't know where to find her. She'll be safer and you can look for them knowing she's safe, while my pack looks, too."
I was not okay with that idea. Even just driving my car around the block to park out of Charlie's sight had been agonizing, and Emmett had been standing guard over her at the time.
"You may be right – " I started, about to argue against the idea, but he heard my negation in my tone and interrupted me again.
"Listen, I know you don't like the idea. But my pack can do what you can't. There are… more than enough of us now. You made the treaty with my ancestors, but times have changed. Bella has changed things. When your family was chasing Victoria along our border, well, if we could have coordinated, we'd have killed her then. We should coordinate next time."
I remembered the big grey wolf stopping Emmett just as he was about to catch her. If he could have continued onto their territory, if the wolves had joined in the chase instead of gotten in the way…
"That's an interesting suggestion. We're quite willing to renegotiate. If Sam is amenable."
"Sam was furious that Victoria got away," he admitted quietly. "Bella and Charlie are like family to us. Their safety is at least as important to us as it is to you. Come and speak with Sam, see if you can… negotiate some new lines." He paused and said, "It's time to put old prejudices aside."
"Thank you," I said, surprised at his willingness.
"Why don't you bring Bella over now. Sam can come over here and you can bring along anyone you feel the need to and you can all talk to him, then." I was shocked. They wanted us to come onto their territory? I'd thought we would meet in a neutral location.
Trusting my family more than the dogs, I hesitated, "I'd planned to go alone, actually, and leave her with the others."
"Okay, I get it, you don't trust us. I suppose I can't blame you after the other weekend. But do you honestly think any vampire will get far enough onto our territory to get to her? We patrol regularly and we would rip them apart long before they could threaten her."
I still didn't like the idea, no matter how much sense is suggestion made. "I'll try to consider it objectively. As objectively as I'm capable of." Where Bella's safety was concerned, being objective wasn't easy and I didn't trust him not try to do something to take her from me.
"How about this, then. I'll come to you. I could come to Bella's and learn the intruder's scent. That way my pack will know exactly who we're watching for. I'll talk to Sam, see if I can get him to come to you, too."
Emmett and Jasper were still patrolling the forest. I had told Bella I'd trust her judgment and she trusted Jacob. One werewolf here, rather than the whole pack on their territory.
Deciding I could handle that, I agreed. "That's not a half-bad idea. When?"
"Now, unless you need to talk to the other bloodsuckers first?"
"No, that's fine. I'd like a chance to follow the trail personally, anyway."
"Cool. I can be there in ten minutes."
"Ten minutes," I agreed.
"Thanks, blo – Edward. Can I talk to Bella again?"
"Certainly," I allowed and held the phone back to Bella. She'd chewed her nails ragged watching me talk to him. She reached for the phone slowly, a look of annoyed confusion on her face. Why should she be annoyed? We had been polite to each other. Wasn't that what she wanted?
"What was that all about?" she asked him.
"A truce, I think. Hey, do me a favor. Try to convince your bloodsucker that the safest place for you to be – especially when he leaves – is on the reservation. We're well able to handle anything."
"Is that what you were trying to sell him?" she sounded surprised.
"Yes. It makes sense. Charlie's probably better off here, too. As much as possible."
"Get Billy on it. What else?"
"Just rearranging some boundaries, so we can catch anyone who gets too near Forks. I'm not sure if Sam will go for it, but until he comes around, I'll keep an eye on things."
"What do you mean, 'keep an eye on things'?" Her eyes narrowed.
"I mean that if you see a wolf running around your house, don't shoot at it." I had to hold back my laugh.
"Of course not. You really shouldn't do anything… risky, though." Typical Bella, worried about everyone's safety, when she's the only one in danger. I shook my head.
"Don't be stupid," he said with a snort. "I can take care of myself."
She sighed.
"I also tried to convince him to let you visit. He's prejudiced, so don't let him give you any crap about safety. He knows as well as I do that you'd be safe here."
"I'll keep that in mind," she promised. As if she hadn't been trying to convince me of that very thing for months now. I scowled.
"See you in a few," Jacob said.
"You're coming up?"
"Yeah. I'm going to get the scent of your visitor so we can track him if he comes back."
"Jake, I really don't like the idea of you tracking – "
"Oh, please, Bella," he cut her off with a laugh, and hung up.