A/N My sincere apologies for letting you hang there last chapter … with two evil cliffhangers. I can't promise you that it won't happen again ;-), but I'll try not to let you wait too long for an update.

It was really interesting to read all of your reviews (Thanks by the way!) and your suspicions about the two visitors. Many of you believed that it is one and the same person, but you will see that's not the case.

I don't want to say anything else, just read and

Enjoy!!!

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Previously …

I took in a deep breath. The scent was faint, but still strong enough to identify its owner. A low, but menacing growl escaped my chest.

Chapter 14 The secret is out Part 1

Jasper POV

Even though I only met him once all those many months ago, I could still remember the person this scent belonged to. Laurent.

What the fuck is he doing here?

"I take it then you know who it was." Peter surmised correctly.

"Yes." I seethed, pushing past Peter. I went straight into the house to see if Laurent had been in the there too. Thankfully, the only scents I could detect in here were those of us three vampires and of course Bella's. Charlotte sat on the couch. Her eyes opened wide in alert, as she took in my demeanor.

"You both haven't seen him though?" I demanded to know.

"No, we just came back, ten minutes ago." Char answered, sounding very anxious almost frightened. "And Peter informed you right away." She reassured me, her body slightly shaking now.

Peter appeared at Charlotte's side out of nowhere. "Mind if you rein it in for the moment. You are projecting your anger on my mate." His voice was persistent at best. He was concerned, I could feel and see that, but I was too wrapped up tight, to really care.

"Sorry." I apologized curtly, while I frantically paced the room. I knew I needed to pull myself together and focus, but my mind was just reeling. What did Laurent's sudden reappearance mean? A weird feeling in my gut told me whatever the reason was it couldn't be a good one. The last time I'd seen him, was right here in this room, only shortly after James had decided to go against the entire Cullen coven in order to get to Bella. Sick fucker! I was so glad that he was already dead, thanks to me and Emmett. Ripping him apart had made me feel so good, almost alive at that moment. I had done it with pure pleasure especially after what that son of a bitch had done to my precious Bella, even though at the point in time she wasn't mine.

Thinking about that day, brought back all the bad memories and feelings to the front of my mind. Right at this moment I realized how close I had come to lose my angel, and I hadn't even known it back then, how much it would have hurt me if we had been too late to save her. The realization of this truth hit me like a ton of bricks.

"Bella." I moaned, sinking to the ground. Losing or leaving her wasn't an option for me anymore that much I knew. Maybe it never has been a reasonable choice for me … not really anyway. Even back then I'd felt something bubbling underneath the surface, some kind of connection between us, but I'd decided to ignore it rather than to explore it further. I came to realize that it has always been more than only the obligation to keep her safe, because someone else has asked me to. I had done so because it had seemed important to me. And now Bella's safety and happiness had become a necessity to assure my own survival. Funny how things turn out …

Charlotte was at my side in an instant, patting my back in comfort, but it was Peter who tried to soothe me with words. "You don't have to worry about her. She is safe at her home." His voice was calm and steady.

I could feel the confidence behind his words, but I still had to ask. "How do you know that?"

"I just do. And we've checked the trail he'd left behind. He was going south not west. But why don't you tell us who this guy is, maybe we can figure out together what he's up to." He said, formulating his proposition carefully. Peter knew perfectly well how to act and behave when I was like this, wounded up, stressed, and angry. The worst thing would be to challenge me. I could snap so easily. He put himself at his former position, as my second in command, awaiting my orders, and always ready to comply. His submissive behavior was convenient in such situation. It helped me to calm down some, and thus made it possible for me to focus on the matter at hand.

"You are right." I conceded. I trusted his judgment completely. When he said Bella was safe at the moment, I would believe him, although my entire being practically screamed to go and check on her immediately. I moved myself in a more comfortable position, leaning my back against the couch. Charlotte stayed on the floor as well, a few feet away, while Peter took a seat on a chair. Then I began sharing my thoughts.

"Remember, I told you about that incident with the three nomads from last year. The scent out there belongs to one of them. His name is Laurent. Actually the last time I saw him, he'd said that he was going to Denali. He seemed to be intrigued with our lifestyle, and wanted to try it out. And as far as I know he is still with them, apparently he'd hit it off with Irina." I snorted. I clearly remembered that Irina and her sisters had always been more interested in human males, which was why I was a little surprised when I'd heard about their blooming relationship. But at the time I hadn't given it much thought because I was never very fond of any of them, even though Carlisle thought of them as extended family. Eleazar and Carmen, the two other vampires of the Denali coven were a different story. Since we've shared a similar background, I had gotten along with them better than with some members of my own coven.

"But you don't believe he is truly committed to stick by your lifestyle." Peter stated, not asked.

"Well, I can't be sure of that of course. At the time I hadn't gotten a pretty good read on Laurent. All I can remember is that he was afraid to go up against all of us … he wasn't as overconfident as James. Maybe he'd meant it … or maybe he just wanted an easy way out. I have no idea. But why would he come back, now? Especially when the rest of the family is up there as we speak."

Peter and Charlotte looked at me, completely taken aback by this little piece of news. "How do you know that?" Peter asked, frowning.

"Oh right," I chuckled, taking too much pleasure in the fact that for once Peter seemed lost. "I haven't had the chance to tell you guys yet … Rose had left me a letter." I pulled it out of my back pocket, handing it to Charlotte. She looked at me, silently asking for my permission. I nodded. "Go on, read it." I encouraged her. After she finished reading, she gave the letter to Peter.

A small smile appeared on his face. "I've always loved that girl."

I was stunned. Was this all that he had to say? No sneaky comment on the part about Alice and Edward? "Well, you should definitely call your twin sister … maybe she has some information that could be of some help to us concerning the matter of Laurent." He suggested.

"Yeah, that probably would be a good idea." I approved. "I just want to talk about it with Bella first."

"That's good. And you mean all of it though, right?" Peter clarified, adding, "You shouldn't keep any secrets from her at this point."

"I didn't plan to." I countered, a little miffed. I wasn't Edward, after all. I knew she was strong enough to handle pretty much anything. Keeping her in the dark would only make things complicated between us, and I didn't want that. "And what do mean by 'at this point'?" I stared at him pointedly.

It was Charlotte who answered my question. "We know … about you and Bella."

I openly gaped at her. She just smiled sweetly. "Maybe it's time to let you in on some secret I've been hiding from you. You know that I can see auras. But that's not all." She stopped for a moment, taking in an unnecessary breath. I could sense her hesitation, but it was quickly replaced by determination, like she was making the final decision to let in on her secret. I just looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to continue, barely noticing that Peter supported of her decision. "Well, there is actually more to my gift than you already know. On top of my ability to see auras of both humans and vampires, I've been able to see certain connections between people."

Her explanation didn't make much sense to me so far, but I was intrigued. "Like what?"

"I can see if people are right for each other." She said, still being evasive.

I was getting impatient. "In plain English!"

"You and Bella are soul mates." She said, letting out a huff. She seemed a little relieved all of the sudden.

But I on the other hand felt like she'd just slapped me. Maybe I didn't hear her correctly. But I knew that couldn't be. I had perfect hearing. I was a vampire after all. Soul mates? Of course I knew what the term meant. Being around other mated vampires for decades, being able to sense their undying (no pun intended) devotion for each other, the true depths of their feelings was prove enough for me to understand the term in theory and practice. But I couldn't wrap my head around Charlotte's assessment. She wasn't playing with me, she was telling the truth that much I knew.

Bella and I are soul mates? Really? Well it explains the sudden intense feelings I have for her. Doesn't it? And I can feel that I am hers for life. But I guess knowing something and understanding it are two different things … But doesn't that also mean …

An idea began to blossom in my mind, a thought that I really didn't like … at all. I'd always thought that Alice had been my mate, although I had just begun to doubt it myself in the last twenty four hours. If what Charlotte had said, was true, then she had always known that Alice and I were never meant for each other … and so had Peter. Was this the reason why they both didn't like her from the start? Because Alice wasn't the one for me? Deep down I knew that was not the only reason, but still a vital one. But why would they keep something important like this from me?

"Why didn't you tell me?" I verbalized my last thought out loud, trying very hard to keep my emotions under control, looking at both of my friends.

Again, Charlotte was the one who answered. "I thought it might be too soon … that you wouldn't believe me, since it has been just yesterday that …"

She apparently misunderstood my question, so I interrupted her. "I'm not talking about Bella and me." I sounded harsh to say the least.

"Calm down, Jasper." Peter said, matching my tone of voice. "I know you are upset with us, but be honest. Would you have listened to us, believed us back then? You both had been so into each other. For the first time we've seen you happy and we were relieved to see you like that. You needed her, and apparently she needed you … sort of.

"You know we both don't give a shit about our so-called special abilities, we don't nurture them and we certainly don't rely on them to guide us through our lives. And you have to keep in mind that Charlotte's gift is not a science after all. Things could have been changed with time for all we knew. Okay, now we know that they haven't, but in defense of my mate I have to tell you also that it had been my decision not to tell you in the first place. Char wanted to tell you, because she could see that you weren't as happy as you should have been … But who you are we to make that kind of decision, you needed to discover the truth on your own."

I contemplated his arguments. Although I was still angry, I could see his point. But he wasn't quite finished yet with his explanation. "Be it as it may … I get that you are angry with both of us, and I guess you have every right to be. But even though, we cannot change the past, can we? What's done is done. We both are sorry that you had to find out what a true bitch your wife is the way you did, but maybe this was how it was supposed to happen all along, like fate." He grinned at the end, but I could still sense his sincerity underneath.

I didn't say anything in return. To be honest right this moment I was kind of lost for words. Charlotte and Peter remained silent as well, clearly needing their own time to come to terms with the new reality.

Bella and I are soul mates … Alice never was the one for me … they've always known …

I knew it would take some time to digest all this, but deep down I couldn't blame neither one of them for what they've done or neglected to do. They felt truly sorry for how things had turned out. But I knew thinking about the 'what ifs' wouldn't do any good, and it certainly wouldn't change anything. Peter was right, what's done is done, and we all had to deal with the consequences the best way we could.

The sudden sound of Peter's cell phone ringing snapped us all out of our thoughts. My brother pulled it out, looking at the caller ID, and frowned. He flipped it open, and answered in a detached voice. "Whitlock."

Bella POV

I finally opened the door, and was more than surprised, when I recognized the person standing on our porch.

"Sam?" I sounded as surprised as I was. The last time he had been here at our house was the night, the one I would rather like to erase from my memory. I'd been lying in the woods for hours exposed to the elements, after I'd unsuccessfully tried to follow Edward. What a foolish idea it has been … as I would be able to catch up with a vampire. Seeing Sam Uley again, brought back those memories full force, and I struggled to keep my emotions under control.

No panicking … everything is all right … I chanted to myself. Good thing that Jasper is not here to experience this along with me … The mere thought of my blonde vampire helped me to calm down.

Sam was the one who'd found me that night, carrying me back to the house. I was still wondering how he'd managed to find me, when the others had searched the woods in vain for hours. But I discarded this thought, because in the end I was just happy to be alive and well. After that incident we had seen each other on occasion, mostly when I'd visited Jake in the past few months, but we'd never had any real contact, which was why I wouldn't count him among my friends. So what reason could he have to come here? Despite my qualms I offered Sam a small, but polite smile.

"Bella." He nodded curtly. His voice was cold, almost detached, and my smile turned into a slight frown. He was shifting his weight from one foot to the other, like he was nervous about something. Before I could ask what he was doing here, my father appeared at the door. Apparently his curiosity had gotten the better of him after all.

"Sam Uley. This is a surprise." Charlie greeted the man enthusiastically. I could detect a slight change in Sam's attitude. "Is something wrong?" My father requested. He was just as confused as I was about this surprise visit of his.

"No, Charlie, nothing is wrong." Sam quickly assured my father. "I'm just here to talk to Bella, if that's alright?" He formulated his request very politely, a little too respectfully in my view, but it seemed to appease my dad. My father shot me a quick quizzical look, and I just shrugged in answer. I didn't know what Sam Uley could want from me, as we barely knew each other, but I got the distinct impression that whatever it was it seemed to be rather urgent, and that he wanted to talk to me in private. By now I was curious to say the least.

"That's fine with me. Take care, Sam." Charlie said, already retreating back to the couch, returning to watch the game.

"You want to come in?" I offered.

"No." He declined. Was it just my imagination, or did he actually wrinkled his nose in disgust? "Mind if we take a walk instead?"

I shrugged. "Fine with me." I grabbed my jacket and hollered to my father that we would be right outside. The only answer I got was a low grumble. For a second I imagined if he would be so nonchalant about Jasper as well.

Probably not … considering he used to be part of Edward's family … guilty by association …

Sam guided me to the tree line at the backside of the house. It was far away for not being overheard by my father, but close enough that we were still in sight. I hadn't noticed before but now I could see that there was no other vehicle parked in our driveway, except my dad's cruiser and my truck. How the hell did he get here?

On foot? From La Push? Doubtful. But I couldn't remember hearing a car … too many questions. I need answers!

I abruptly stopped, turning around and crossing my arms in front of my body. "So you wanted to talk, then talk!" I demanded relentlessly, glaring up at him. I already had enough of this ridiculous and weird situation. Sam stood a few feet away from me, and for the first time I noticed the resemblance he had with Emmett. He was just as tall and bulky, and to a stranger he would definitely appear a little threatening. Another thing he had in common with my former favorite brother. But I was neither impressed nor intimated by either one of them. I had always felt save with Emmett, and somehow I felt the same way about Sam. I couldn't think of a reason why I should feel differently. He was just a human after all. The only thing I found a little strange was that although he was only two years older than me, he looked way more mature.

Sam grinned at me, apparently he was a little amused by my challenging behavior. "Bella, I need to ask you a question, and I would appreciate it if you were totally honest with me. Are they back?"

I was more than stunned by his question, I was lost. "I don't know what you are talking about." I answered honestly.

"Don't play stupid. I can sme … I can tell that they are back." He replied icily, his features changing again. His entire body began to tremble slightly, and he was breathing heavy, like he was trying to control his emotions. To be honest his hostile behavior was beginning to worry me a little.

"I really don't know who you mean." I countered, standing my ground.

"The Cullens." He clarified, holding my gaze. The way he said the name, sounded familiar. Very familiar. It sounded just like he'd said 'The Cullens don't come here.' all those months ago. Suddenly something clicked in my mind. All those tiny pieces of information I had coaxed out of Jake at the time on the beach, trying to figure out the mystery about Edward and his family, finally came together, forming a whole picture.

He knows … he knows what they are … that means … that means he is one of the protectors Jake has talked about … a wolf … a werewolf …

I took a cautious, but deliberate step back. With this new reality of things I simply felt the necessity to put some distance between me and him. Good thing, he stayed put. I might have bolted if he'd made even one move. I clearly needed a moment.

What is it about this place? First vampires and now werewolves? I wouldn't be surprised when the next person I meet turns out to be a witch. This is crazy.

All this new information was making my head spin. I had barely enough time to come to terms with all I've found and experienced with Jasper, and now this. I simply couldn't take any more. Sam just watched me very closely though. I was not afraid of him and his true nature, but worried in general. I was pretty sure he could read the emotions on my face.

"I take it from your reaction that you know what I am. That's good. It will make things easier. And I can assure you that I am not going to hurt you, Bella." Sam said, like he was trying to appease me. There was no need for it, but I appreciated the sentiment. I believed that I was in no danger. But then again I could see that his demeanor hasn't changed much. He was still tense. "But they might."

But his last words just did it, pushing me over the edge. My anger spilled over. "You listen to me, Sam. I can tell that you don't like them, and that's your prerogative, I guess. But you don't know them like I do. I trust them, and they haven't done anything to deserve your hostility. They are good people." I snapped at him. "You've made this treaty, now you'll have to stick to it."

He snorted. "You seem to think you know better, but may I remind you how you've been after they've left." He stopped, when he saw my reaction. He quickly realized that was a low blow. "I am sorry, Bella. I didn't come here to make you feel bad. I am just concerned about you and Charlie, that's all. It is my duty to look out for you. But if you want to stay friends with them, I won't stop you, because there isn't anything I can do about that is there? For your sake I hope you know what you are doing. I just came here to get confirmation. With the Cullens back we can protect you here anymore."

"Thank you for your honesty and your sympathy." I said, and meaning it. He grimaced at my choice of words, but I ignored it. My patience was running thin as it was. I wanted this conversation to be over as soon as possible. "And I can assure you we are totally safe. They won't hurt anybody." I said, telling half the truth. Sure, I knew that Jasper didn't feed on humans at all, but Peter and Charlotte did. But from what Sam has told me, I knew that he didn't have all the details, otherwise he might have reacted more aggressive than he already had. And I certainly wasn't going to fill in the gaps for him.

"Well." Sam said, scratching his head nervously. "I guess that's all I needed to say."

"I guess it is." I agreed, already turning towards the house. "Please say hi for me to Jake." I said over my shoulder.

"I will." Sam promised. "Although I don't know how he will take your decision … probably not well." He laughed for the first time.

"It's not up to him." I replied. I didn't stick around any longer to see how Sam was getting home. My anxiety was overweighing my curiosity at the moment. I needed to tell Jasper and the others what I've just found out.

I closed the front door behind me, pulling off my jacket. Then I walked into the living room.

"Is everything okay, kiddo?" Charlie asked from his seat on the couch.

"Yes." I quickly replied, sounding not overly convincing even to myself. "I am tired. I think I'm going to bed now. Night, Dad."

"Okay, see you tomorrow after work. Night, Bella." He said, returning his attention back to the TV.

I raced upstairs, breathing hard. My heart was beating against my chest, and I felt like I was going to have a heart attack. I was glad that Charlie didn't come after me, to check on me. I was sure though that he knew something wasn't quite right. But he was never one for pushing me to talk, which I appreciated most about our relationship as father and daughter.

I closed the door to my room as quietly as I was able to under the circumstances. I switched on the light, and slumped down on the floor, leaning my back against the door. I closed my eyes. I was surprised how well the conversation between Sam and I had gone, given the stakes. I knew that vampires and werewolves were enemies by nature, from what I've read about them and from what Jake has told me. The Cullens weren't even allowed to go down to La Push. The treaty prevented that, but it also assured a certain tolerance between the two parties. And I was stuck in between. To me they all were just people.

I was overwhelmed. Outside I had been able to hold it together, to show strength instead of weakness. But now I really needed Jasper. His mere presence seemed to have a calming influence on me, not to mention his peculiar gift was a certain advantage. But I didn't know how to get in touch with him. How was it possible that we hadn't exchanged our numbers, but kissed like crazy? I shook my head, but grinned at the memory of his lips on mine.

Maybe I should take a shower … he will be back soon …

I pushed myself up, and my eyes fell on my bed. Not two hours ago I had been making out with Jasper on it. The bed was made again, and on its centre laid a folded piece of paper. I went over, and picked it up.

My sweet Darlin',

I know I've promised to stay, but something came up. Please don't worry, I'll tell you everything when I return.

Yours, JW

Just in case, this is Peter's cell phone number: 555-57894361!

I was so grateful in that moment that Jasper had thought about leaving me a contact number. I pulled out my cell from the bag I hadn't had the chance to unpack yet. I punched in the number, having to erase it twice, because my fingers kept trembling from nerves, and I repeatedly pressed the wrong numbers. On the third try finally I managed to dial the right number.

After the second ring, Peter answered. "Whitlock."

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A/N So, my lovelies. Still mad with me? I hope the end of this chapter is more to your liking … no real cliffhanger this time, and the mysteries are solved.

Laurent and Sam were the intruders. Who would have guessed? Hehe … apparently not many of you. Laurent was on some of your lists, but nobody has considered the involvement of a werewolf … even though I've hinted to their participation in this story a couple of chapters back.

As always reviews are appreciated, but not required!