Chapter Thirteen

Billy had them release me an hour late because he wanted them to run extra tests. Rebecca and Clyde drove me to the Cullen's house. Edward had called me and told me that everyone wanted to make sure I was ok but there was a worrying tone in his voice that told me he was hiding something.

The trees looked different at might, like there was something in the shadows waiting for my weakest monument. The dirt road was completely contrasted the white head light, and the lights of the house only reached to the first layers of brush. I tried not to think of the things that could be hiding in the darkness that was so close to me I shivered as the car lights turned off. I was expected to get out of the car but I was busy looking at the house. All of downstairs was filled with light, but only one room upstairs had the lights on. Inside Carlisle's study he was talking with a man whom I did not recognize. His long dread locks kept me from getting a good look at him, he was pacing while Carlisle was sitting on his desk. One of his sons was sitting in the chair behind him but it was too far to see.

I walked up to the door and knocked on it. It flew open with an unkempt Alice standing on the other side of it. I was surprised to see Alice in such a state, her short hair was tied and pines in to pig tails, she had on a sweat out fit that look lie she had slept in it. She tugged me in to the house and waved quickly before shutting the door. "Oh gods, Bella. Are you okay?" Before I could answer she did for me. "Of course you are they wouldn't have let you out. EDWARD! He is upstairs, we have a guest."

He walked down; his eyes were red with bags under them. He tried to smile but it looked like he hadn't slept in a day or so. Without a word he walked up too me and wrapped his arms around me. My head was on his chest and I could hear his heart pumping. "What's wrong?" I whispered not moving my head from its rightful spot. There was a small little chuckle. "What?" I looked up at him and glared, repeating myself, "What?"

"You got attacked by a robber and you're asking me if I'm okay?" His eyes sparkled as he bent down to kiss my forehead.

"I'm fine ask Alice, she checked." He hugged me tighter and pulled me on to the couch with him.

"Okay Bella. We have a guest, he is here on family matters and Carlisle-"

"Carlisle is down from his study with our guest. I need to talk to Bella, Alice would you come too?" I stood up and straightened my self out, and she nodded at her father in laws request. "Edward stays here."

"Why do I have to stay here?" He stood up and pressed himself against my back I felt his muscles tight protective about my safety. "She is my girlfriend I think I have the right to know what is going on Carlisle." Jasper walked around the corner with Emmet in tow, both of them laughing. "Why are you laughing?" Edward shot him a glare from above my head.

"You're not going up there because you're going to over react-"

"I will not-"

"You are now." Rosalie was standing at the gauge door. "I checked the blacks house its safe there now, and I secured Rebecca and Clyde's house. Rachel is staying with them. It looks like we are all staying here for a while; there are guards outside of all of our places."

"Guards?" I didn't understand what anyone would want from their houses. I looked at Esme and Alice to make things clearer.

Esme grabbed my arm. "Why don't you and Alice go up stairs? We have got things straightened out." I nodded and she gave me hug. "I'll stay down here with Rose and the boys."

Once we were inside Carlisle's office I felt the tension hit. Alice sat on the arm of the loveseat I had settled in. the man was looking out the window at the trees. Carlisle shut the door and turned to us. "Bella we were lucky you got out so early, it means you weren't hurt very badly. But you were safer at the hospital. This is Laurent, the god of family feuds. His companions, Victoria and James, are out to get you; James is the god of thieves. They can track you here, almost anywhere, but they won't come here."

Alice's small hands were holding mine, petting them. "When you killed the robber in The Blacks house you provoked James. He is looking for revenge, either by making you his slave by stealing for him, or killing you while you suffer the same fate he did. He has never let some on go he will hunt them for years if he has to. Over the last two thousand years he has killed millions. Most of them seemed to prefer death over spending the rest of their life under an unbreakable contract." Laurent paced slowly back and forth, looking at his feet. My heart was trying to rip it self out of my chest.

"You are lucky Miss. Isabella. The Cullen's are the most powerful, and liked gods of any. Even the titans prefer their company to any others, because they hold so strongly to the rules."

I didn't know what to say, I felt cornered. He didn't now the whole story. My life was collapsing around me. "What's wrong Bella?" Carlisle looked at me. I know I wasn't physically distressed but I was never good at hiding my facial expressions.

"Why did he growl?" Alice's eyes narrowed at me.

"He growled?" She looked up at Laurent for the answer.

"He must have been one of his powerful slaves. How did he growl?" I felt like I was in the police interrogation all over again. This time I knew I could tell them everything; I wouldn't get put in a mental hospital.

"It sure as hell wasn't human. It was more like a wild pig, and a lion and the bark of a really really big dog." I was shaking thinking of it.

"Yes, it was one of his slaves."

"What do we do?" I turned to look at Alice but she had moved faster then I had anticipated. She was at her Father in laws side. He nodded and looked from me, to Alice, to Laurent.

"Bella is an important part of our lives. We are willing to do anything we have too to keep her safe."

"Either you fight him till he dies, or you run your whole life. There is no way to escape him, as I said earlier he can hunt you down from half way around the world.

"Well then we now what we have to do." We all looked to see Edward standing at the door. I got up and walked over to him.