A/N: A lot of this chapter is EXACTLY the way it is in the book, but with my own little twist to it. I'm sorry if you all don't like that, but it just helped with putting this chapter together. As always, thank you all who are reading my story. Leave me your thoughts!

A Leaf In a Storm

Chapter 14

[Alice]

I had to think quickly. The three vampires from the woods were approaching faster and faster. I could feel everyone's eyes on me, waiting for me to make a decision on what I wanted to do. It was too late to take Bella and leave with her. Esme had called Carlisle and it wouldn't take him too long to arrive. Finally, I stopped pacing and faced the girl I was irrevocably in love with.

"I'm so sorry Bella. I didn't expect this to happen…" I'm sure my face was full of sorrow and looking into her eyes, only made me feel worse. She was scared. She was scared and honestly, I was too. I found my way to her and wrapped her up in my arms, rushing her up the stairs. "Jacob, go out the front. Now." I demanded. Once in my room, I gently placed her on my bed.

"Ali, what's going on?!" She demanded, seemingly aggravated with my behavior.

Shortening it as little as possible I explained, "there are unknown vampires approaching the house. I can hear them and I don't know why their coming. But for your safety, I need you to stay up here. And please be quiet. I have to get back downstairs before they arrive. I love you, Bella. I'll be back." Her brown eyes were pleading me to stay with her, but I just couldn't. I had to go see who our visitors were and hope that everything turns out just fine. I kissed Bella hard on her lips, and then found my way downstairs to stand with my family. She would stay quiet and safe. I hoped… We all gathered around the back door, staring at the edge of the woods as snow was still falling lazily around.

They emerged one by one, ranging a dozen meters apart. The first male into the clearing fell back immediately, allowing the other male to take the front, orienting himself around the tall, dark haired man. The third was a woman; from the distance, all I could see of her was that her hair was a startling shade of red. They closed ranks before they continued cautiously toward the house. As they approached, I knew instantly they weren't like us. They craved on humans and I hoped with everything in me that they couldn't pick up on Bella's scent, but I knew they could. It lingered everywhere and that was probably what attracted their attention in the first place. They dressed in frayed clothes and were barefoot. Both men had cropped hair, but the woman's was filled with leaves and debris from the woods.

The man in front was easily the most beautiful, his skin olive-toned beneath the typical pallor, his hair a glossy black. He smiled an easy smile, exposing a flash of gleaming white teeth.

The woman was wilder, her eyes shifting uncontrollably between everyone, her chaotic hair quivering in the breeze. Her posture was distinctly feline. The second male hovered behind them, slighter than the leader, his brown hair and regular features both nondescript. His eyes, though completely still, seemed the most vigilant. Just as I suspected, their eyes weren't gold or black, but a deep burgundy color that was disturbing and sinister. The dark haired man, still smiling, stepped towards us.

"We were in the woods and thought we heard people. I didn't expect more of our kind." he said in a relaxed voice with the slightest of French accents. "I'm Laurent, these are Victoria and James." He gestured to the vampires beside him.

"I'm Esme. This is my family, Edward and Alice, Rosalie, Emmett, and Nerine and Jasper. My husband Carlisle will be arriving any moment." Esme pointed out.

"Do you maybe want to play a game of ball?" Laurent asked sociably.

Esme matched Laurent's friendly tone. "Actually, we were just finishing up outside. But we'd certainly be interested another time. Are you planning on staying in the area for long?" Esme was being smart. She was being friendly, but also working to get us information.

"Were headed north, in fact, but we were curious to see who was in the neighborhood. We haven't run into company in a long time."

"No, this region is usually empty except for us and the occasional visitor, like yourselves."

The tense atmosphere had slowly subsided to into a casual conversation; Jasper was using his peculiar gift to control the situation.

"What's your hunting range?" Laurent casually inquired. About this time Carlisle showed up offering his hand getting familiarized with our visitors.

"To answer your question, we keep to the Olympic range here, up and down the Coast Ranges on occasion, but this is our permanent settlement. There's another permanent settlement like ours up near Denali."

Laurent rocked back on his heels slightly and I couldn't help but get anxious.

"Permanent? How do you manage that?" There was honest curiosity in his voice. "Oh, do you mind if we come in, we've been on the hunt all the way down from Ontario, and we haven't had the chance to clean up in awhile." His eyes moved appreciatively over Carlisle's refined appearance.

"I don't mind and please don't take offense, but we'd appreciate it if you'd refrain from hunting in this immediate area. We have to stay inconspicuous, you understand," Carlisle explained.

We all casually walked into the living room, as Laurent nodded. "Of course. We certainly won't encroach on your territory. We just ate outside of Seattle, anyway," he laughed. A shiver ran up my spine at the thought.

Three things seemed to happen simultaneously while Carlisle began to reply. A door creaking upstairs was heard, I stiffened, and all too soon, the familiar scent of my mate entered my nose. The second male, James, suddenly whipped his head around, scrutinizing the stairs leading to the delicious scent, his nostrils flaring. A swift rigidity fell on them as James lurched one step forward into a crouch. I bared my teeth, and crouched in defense, a feral snarl ripping from my throat.

"What's this?" Laurent exclaimed in open surprise. Neither James nor I relaxed our aggressive poses. James feinted slightly to the side, and I shifted in response.

"She's with us." Carlisle's firm rebuff was directed towards James. Laurent seemed to catch Bella's scent less powerfully than James, but awareness now dawned on his face.

"Oh... So you brought a snack?" He asked his expression incredulous as he took an involuntary step forward.

I snarled even more ferociously, harshly, my lip curling high above my glistening, bared teeth. Laurent stepped back again.

"I said she's with us," Carlisle corrected in a hard voice.

"But she's human." Laurent protested. The words were not at all aggressive, merely astounded.

"Yes." Rosalie was very much in evidence at Carlisle's side, her eyes on James. James slowly straightened out of his crouch, but his eyes never left the stairs, his nostrils still wide. I still continued to stay tensed like a lion blocking James's way.

When Laurent spoke, his tone was soothing - trying to defuse the sudden hostility. "It appears we have a lot to learn about each other."

"Indeed." Carlisle's voice was still cool.

His eyes flickered toward me and back to Carlisle. "We will not harm the human girl and we won't hunt in your range."

James glanced in disbelief and aggravation at Laurent and exchanged another brief look with Victoria, whose eyes still flickered edgily from face to face.

Carlisle measured Laurent's open expression for a moment before he spoke. "You may clean up, but some of us will be leaving." Without hearing the rest, I found my way upstairs.

"I'm so sorry Alice. I didn't mean for the door to open." Bella started apologizing over and over.

"Let's go, Bella." My voice was low and bleak. She just nodded her head and followed after me. I got her out to Rose's BMW without as much as a glance in the others direction. Rosalie and Edward met us at the car and I hopped in the driver's seat, speeding off. Edward was murmuring things that were only upsetting me more and more and I was glad Bella couldn't make out the words he was saying. We hit the main road, and I increased our speed, heading away from Forks.

"Where are we going?" Bella questioned. No one answered. No one even looked at her.

"Dammit, Alice! Where are you taking me?" She demanded.

"Relax, Bella. I'm just taking you to a hotel tonight. To get you away from James." I stated staring straight ahead.

"What's the big deal?" She asked.

"He's a tracker," I seethed through gritted teeth.

"A tracker? Alice, aren't all vampires trackers?!" She didn't understand and I was trying my hardest not to lash out at her just because I was so afraid that something was going to happen to her. Luckily Edward stepped in and did some explaining.

"Listen to me, Bella... I saw his mind. Tracking is his passion, his obsession - and he wants you. He won't begin the hunt tonight and doesn't know when he will, but he does want you." Bella gasped and turned her eyes toward me.

"Take me back. NOW!" She yelled. I shook my head and gripped the staring wheel.

"My scent will lead him to Charlie! You can't leave him there! You can't leave him!" Tears were beginning to fall from her chocolate brown eyes and I pulled the car over to the side of the road stopping us. Rosalie and Edward didn't say a word; they just sat silently in the backseat letting me gather my thoughts. The only sound was the breeze outside and the quiet sobs coming from Bella.

"Edward, call Jacob please. Have him and some shifters stay at Bella's watching over Charlie. Rose, please call Charlie and tell him a convincing lie for the reason as to why his daughter won't be coming home tonight." The two both pulled out there phones and started doing as asked. I took my cold hand and intertwined with Bella's warm one. Her sobs slowly subsided until they came to a complete stop. My golden orbs turned to be confronted with hers.

"I'm not letting anything happen to you, Bella. I will do anything and everything to make sure of it." With that, I started the car back up and continued on my way to Seattle.

It didn't take us all that long to settle into a hotel room. After some arguing, I talked Bella into jumping into the shower, to maybe relief some stress.

"Jacob, Rachel, Paul, and Seth are all running perimeter around Charlie's." Edward mumbled sitting on the couch.

"Thank you, Edward." He smiled in return, but it didn't last long.

"What are we going to do about James?" Rosalie asked venom in her voice. It still astounded me of how protective she became over Bella, but now wasn't the time to think about that.

"They are leaving Forks tonight, but I don't know where their headed. They don't even know. I just didn't want Bella still in Forks, afraid it would be too tempting and risky. However, we will have to be on alert for when he shows up in the future. I will be keeping an eye on his decisions and once he chooses to return, we will have no other choice but to eliminate him." They nodded their heads in agreement, both understanding that we would kill him if he tried hurting the human that we were all so crazy for. The water shut off in the bathroom and I could hear as my clumsy human slipped and almost fell. I growled under my breath and shook my head. Rosalie smiled and stood, saying her goodbyes to go to her room. Edward shortly followed suit and I climbed onto the bed, waiting for Bella to join me. The door to the bathroom opened up revealing Bella, wearing some clothes Rose ran out and got her real quick. It was just some sweat pants and a tee shirt, but she still was the most beautiful creature in the world. With her cast and all. She slowly found her way into my arms and snuggled up to me as close as she could get.

"I'm sorry that I wasn't quiet today…" She trailed off, her lips moving against my neck.

"It's okay, love. Everything will turn out okay." I murmured not sure who I was trying to convince more.

"I love you, Alice." She stated before capturing my lips.

"I love you, Isabella."