Transcendence

by TwilightMomofTwo

Edward realized in NM that he couldn't live without Bella. Forces previously unleashed are again threatening Bella's life. He must do everything he can to keep her safe - from the menace lurking in the shadows, and himself. This is Eclipse expanded. EPOV. On Hiatus, will not be finished.

20. Edifications

Author's Note: As before, due to the nature of this fan fiction, conversations and dialogue from 'Eclipse' for which both Edward and Bella are present together, or for which Edward is eavesdropping, have been faithfully incorporated into this story. All other dialogue, conversations and events are made up. Edward's thoughts are my own, though they are naturally based on the Twilight Saga.

This 20th chapter is called "Edifications". It depicts the first training session with the vampires and werewolves.

I had originally outlined this chapter, but then my muse (Edward) started to run away with it. In the end, it became mammooth - over 20 pages, which explains the unusual length between updates.

A HUGE THANK YOU to all who have read and reviewed the fruits of my labor of love.

Please remember that this story is rated M for a reason. If you have sensitive eyes that don't deal well with the occasional cuss word, this story is not for you.

Disclaimer: This is Fan Fiction, people! The fabulous Stephenie Meyer owns everything Twilight, and I am not she. I'm just living her stories, vicariously through Edward's eyes. All the time. Day and night.

20. Edifications

Evening.

I met up with Bella in the darkened hallway on the second floor. She stared at me wide-eyed, shaking. I pulled her into my arms immediately, taking a deep breath to inhale her scent. I buried my nose in her locks, relishing the dry flames in my throat. As long as I burned, she was alive.

"Bella, love – are you okay?"

Bella molded herself against me, burying her face in my chest and burst into tears.

"Shh, sweetheart, don't cry, please don't cry. It's all right, please don't worry."

My family and I felt euphoric, relieved and confident. The vicious harpy of fate had once more been derailed. With the help of the wolves, we would beat and obliterate any immortal who'd ever threatened to rip Bella from my side.

"I'm still picking up guilt-tinged fear. Why is she feeling guilty?" Jasper thought, puzzled by the emotions he was picking up. "You may want to take her to your room and try to calm her down. She's in no shape to go back downstairs."

I'd already planned on just that, and I was fairly certain as to why Bella was feeling guilty. Her outburst downstairs, and her pleas to her friend were a clear indication that she feared he and his pack might get hurt. It was a little disconcerting, admittedly, to see that she didn't seem as worried about us, but my relief at the proposed alliance overrode whatever dark feelings I had previously harbored for the wolf.

For now.

I quickly nodded to Jasper over Bella's head, and he took Alice's hand to move to the staircase.

"We'll see you – don't take too long. I'd rather not she be missed. People are bound to notice." Alice gave me a quick smile, before she and Jasper disappeared to keep up appearances at the party. A quick sweep of the human minds showed no one was really missing Bella yet. Those few that had noticed her absence had also noticed mine, and they assumed we were having some alone time, and had promptly forgotten about us. Esme had already resupplied the buffet and the music was loud and infectious.

So far, so good.

I pulled Bella tightly against me and kissed her hair. "Shh, my love, please calm down. Everything will be well. Do you want to go to my room for a moment to collect yourself?"

She shook her head. "No," she sniffled into my shirt. "I'm okay. Can we talk about it later? After the party?"

"Yes, of course," I answered quickly although the thought made me cringe inside. "Did you perhaps want to go to the bathroom to freshen up?"

"Yes, thank you."

I lead her to my room, and to the adjoining bathroom, handing her two small towels from the linen closet. "Here you go, my love. I'll wait in here."

I stood by the window, listening to the water running in the sink. Glancing down at my shirt, I realized that it was stained from her tears and I quickly pulled another in the same color from my dresser to change.

Bella returned shortly thereafter, her face free of tears, but her eyes still sad and worried. I walked up to her and took her into my arms.

"Bella, I promise, everything will be all right. Please don't worry. We have to get back downstairs before anyone notices our absence. Can you manage for a little longer?"

"Yes," she nodded, lifting her face to me. "Let's go back."

I leaned down to kiss her, taking her face into my hands. "I love you, Bella. I won't let anything happen to you."

"I know, Edward," she grumbled. "That's not what I'm worried about."

Of course not. A small growl escaped my lips and Bella rolled her eyes. "Come on," she said as she grabbed my hand and tugged. "Let's go and mingle again."

Lauren Mallory noticed our descent and spewed petty vitriol in her mind. "Just look at them. He's so fucking hot. Stupid Bella. She's so plain - what does he see in her? She's not pretty at all with her mousy hair and boring brown eyes. No tits to speak of. Clumsy as shit. Why'd they go upstairs? Huh. Wonder if they're fucking... yeah, probably. Is that where they went – to fuck? Shit, he coulda had that with me any time... she's probably no good anyway... "

Listening to any of Lauren's vicious internal musings usually made me want to rip out various parts of her body, with painful slowness, and while grinning savagely. My fingertips began to itch. As it was, she was saved from this fate by Tyler Crowley, of all people, as he danced too close to Lauren and slipped his hand between her thighs. That put an end to my torture fantasies as her thoughts wandered to the plans she had for Tyler after the party.

It was my cue to instantly skip out of her mind, as I shook my head to clear the sordid images from my brain. What a despicable harlot that girl was.

Bella was all unsettled energy, her eyes darting around the room, her teeth constantly worrying her lower lip. We resumed our chatting, stopping here and there to talk to the guests about nothing important. I could tell that Bella's mind was far away – likely worrying about her friend and his fellow wolves, about the solution that he had presented us with – fear that they would get hurt in the process. It irked me in a rather petulant way that she was so concerned, but I brushed it off with the thought that Bella just didn't understand quite yet that the wolves were made to fight vampires. It was the reason for their existence.

"Good grief, how much longer will they stay? The food is almost gone, and as far as I'm concerned, they are overstaying their welcome now. I wonder if Jasper would send out some fear vibes... that might make things interesting, send them running for the door. No, not a good idea – Carlisle and Esme won't like that much, and it would be rather rude. Funny, though... " Rosalie was getting a little antsy, ready for the humans to leave the premises. She wasn't the only one. Jasper was also thinking that the party was rather tiresome, and he wanted them all gone so we could begin our training. In his mind, he was already considering the various ways of successfully dispatching the newborns, and how to teach those methods to the wolves.

I could emphasize completely - I was also getting terribly anxious for this party to be over – we still had to prepare for the meeting with the wolves, and there were some things Jasper wanted to go over before we started. It seemed that Bella was feeling the same way, a few sighs escaping her every now and then.

"There's six of them, right? Six wolves?" Jasper asked me silently, and I nodded in confirmation. That information had come from Bella after the bonfire she attended. Six horse-size wolves and seven experienced immortals – it was more than enough.

Of course, if the wolves were going to fight with us, I needed a new plan for where I was going to leave Bella during the fight. I needed to hide her, perhaps take her out of town, but I was terrified to leave her to her own devices – Victoria was still out there, likely plotting Bella's demise. Perhaps I needed to hide Bella in a location where she would not be found, could not be found – not even by the redheaded harpy. Somewhere she had not been before, and get her there without leaving a scent trail. But where? And how?

Bella tugged on my sleeve and I leaned down to her. "How much longer?" she whispered in my ear.

I shrugged. "I don't know – hopefully soon," I whispered back and kissed her right below her earlobe. She shivered in response and pressed herself against my side. I wrapped my arm around her.

"Hey, Bella, Edward – great party," Angela smiled at us as we passed her and Ben, who just gave us a thumbs-up from where his hands were located around Angela's waist. The music had slowed quite a bit, and couples were forming on the dance floor, bodies close together, swaying.

Bella's face was drawn, and her eyes were worried.

"Are you okay, Bella?" Angela asked with concern. "She looks worried. I hope everything's all right."

I nudged Bella, and she gave a small start before she looked at her friend. "Oh, sure... Yes, I'm fine."

It seemed a diversion was needed – hopefully, it would also provide some distraction for Bella. I wanted her to enjoy the remainder of this party, knowing there would likely never be another one like it for her. The obstinacy with which she clung to her choice would make sure of that.

"May I have this dance?" I smiled down at Bella, as I pulled her towards me and blew a breath over her face. I knew I was being unfair, as her eyes became unfocused and her face went blank, but I was certain she'd decline otherwise. "Please? I promise – we'll move slowly."

Bella put her arms around my neck and leaned her head against my chest. "Okay," she answered with a sigh, "but only one."

I smiled and raised up her face to quickly kiss her. "Thank you."

I put my arms around her tiny waist and starting to slowly move us in small circles, gently swaying to the slow beats of the music. I shut down my mind to the thoughts and noises around me, and breathed in her heavenly scent, concentrating only on feeling her in my arms. My love. My life. My Bella. We had been granted a new hope, with an unlikely alliance, and for that, I was utterly grateful.

I pressed her closer to me, and became nearly instantly aroused at the sensation of her warm body flush against mine, her hip rubbing against my groin, and a low moan escaped my lips. God, how I wanted her, how I needed her. To make love to her, to claim her as mine, and mine alone.

Deviant.

Selfish monster.

Not now. Not now. Not now.

I gently broke away from her as the music transitioned into another song. "Thank you for this dance," I smiled as I carefully pulled her hands from my neck, grasping one in my own.

Bella smiled a little. "It wasn't so bad," she said huskily, looking at me from beneath her long eyelashes, and I wondered for a long moment if she had noticed my budding erection. If I could have blushed, I probably would have.

"Er...," I fumbled, embarrassed at having no control over my bodily reaction, quickly scanning the room as a diversion and seeing some of the children grab their jackets and move to the door. "I believe people are starting to leave. Shall we go to the door? Wish them a good night?"

"Sure," she said eagerly and let me lead the way. As our guests filed out of the house, with shouts of thanks and goodbyes, Bella and I stood by the front door, surrounded by Alice and Carlisle.

"Thank you for coming," Alice must have repeated a hundred times, while Bella mumbled her goodbyes as well. Eventually, after the last car left, the house was finally ours again.

"Ugh – finally," Bella said when the final taillights disappeared through the trees. "That took forever."

I suppressed a grimace at her comment and wondered if she really understood the meaning of forever, of eternity. It didn't seem that way, and it worried me. Forever would be a long time to regret her choice. And it would kill me if it came to that. I banished the morose thought.

We all let out a great big sigh, when I closed the front door and turned around. The whole family was grinning; Emmett's the widest of them all. The stress, the despondency on our faces had been replaced with confidence. The newborns didn't stand a chance.

"Can we talk about this?" Bella asked, looking from one smiling face to another, and chewed on her bottom lip. "I mean, you seem so relieved, and I... well, I don't understand why you're not worried anymore."

"Well," I began, "it's like Alice said earlier. Separately we could all get killed. There are too many of them, and the fight would be too even. With the help of the wolves, it won't be a problem at all."

"Are you trying to tell us that you're the only one who's allowed to fight with werewolves?" Emmett laughed boisterously. "That wouldn't be fair, now would it?"

Rosalie rolled her eyes but refrained from her usual method of keeping Emmett in line. "Dumbass – take it seriously, will you?"

"Come on, Bella, really – this will be almost too easy now," Alice tried to reassure her.

Esme came forward to embrace Bella. "Sweetheart, please don't worry – everything is all right now." She kissed Bella's forehead before stepping back and returning to Carlisle.

"Believe us," Alice said again, with a confident smile, "it really will be fine. We won't have a problem now. "

Bella groaned in response. I went to get her jacket for her, as Alice was eyeing Jasper meaningfully, and he sent out a swirl of calm towards Bella. It had the desired effect, and the worry lines on her forehead ceased.

"Please don't worry, dear," Carlisle injected, "as much as I abhor violence, this is something we have to take care of, and we will train the wolves properly so they won't have any trouble at all. Please believe us. I would not consider letting them assist us if I wasn't sure that they could handle it."

There was a beat of silence before she spoke again.

"What time is it?" Bella asked, turning to me. Her face suddenly looked resolved. I wondered what she had decided now and promised myself to find out on the way home.

"It's shortly after midnight," I answered. "Do you want me to take you home now? You must be tired. Don't worry about the clean-up, we'll take care of that." I held her jacket out to her, and she slipped it on.

"Yes, please," she said, "if you're sure I can't help you clean."

"Nah," Emmett drawled with a dismissive wave of his hand, "don't worry about it. Won't take long at all... we move fast." And then he laughed at his own joke.

I shot him a glance. "All right, let's go," I said to Bella. She was worrying her lip again. Alice walked up and patted her on the head.

"It'll be all right, Bella. Quit worrying. Let Edward take you home, and get some sleep."

Bella groaned again as I pulled her towards the garage and the Volvo.

After I had buckled her in and gotten in my own seat, I started down the driveway. Bella turned to me as we reached the highway.

"That had to be the longest party in the history of the world," she complained.

I rubbed her arm soothingly. "It's over now," I reminded her gently. She was silent for a while as I drove through the night towards her house.

"You're taking me with you tonight," she suddenly whispered, fiercely determined, her voice like velvety steel.

What? No! Much too dangerous.

We didn't know yet if the wolves would be able to restrain themselves, or if one of us might lose their temper. I didn't want Bella to see any violence if it was avoidable.

"Bella, you're worn out," I tried although I didn't have much hope. I realized that this was what she had resolved earlier at home, while we all had tried to reassure her.

"You think I could sleep?" she accused.

I frowned, what little hope I had of convincing her dashed. She would be obstinate, stubborn as usual. Perhaps I should explain why I didn't want her to come with me tonight. Perhaps that would make her see reason.

"This is an experiment. I'm not sure if it will be possible for us all to... cooperate. I don't want you in the middle of that."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "If you won't take me, then I'll call Jacob."

I felt like she had punched me in the stomach, and I had to swallow a snarl at the veiled threat she uttered. My eyes narrowed. Throwing down the gauntlet like she just had was utterly unfair, and she knew it, too, judging by the fleeting expression of instant chagrin I saw on her face before she collected herself.

Before I could answer, we had arrived at her house and I stopped the car. "See you upstairs," she muttered, as she got out of the car and walked to the front door, not giving me a chance to say anything in rebuttal.

Damn!

As soon as the door closed behind her, I gunned the engine and flew home through the deserted streets. I pulled my cellphone out and called Alice. "She has decided that she wants to come with me tonight. Can you see if I can persuade her not to?"

It took only a moment before Alice answered. "Doesn't look like it. Her future is just as dark as ours right now."

"Fantastic," I groaned. "Well, I'm going to try anyway. I'm heading home to drop off the car, and then I'll run back to her house. Maybe I can get her to sleep. I'll see you later tonight. Thanks."

I didn't wait for her to answer and ended the call, screeching into the garage.

Damn! Damn! Damn!

A few minutes later, I climbed through Bella's window. She had put Charlie to bed, and he was snoring peacefully, dreaming about baseball scores and new fishing rods.

I waited, sitting in her old rocking chair, while Bella went to the bathroom to freshen up. When she came back, she had changed into jeans and a simple flannel shirt, a clear indicator that she was going to fight me on this all the way. By now I knew when I couldn't win, and I knew when to give up. Knowing didn't mean that I had to be happy about it.

My eyes stayed on Bella as she hung up the lovely blue sweater and skirt ensemble, and I silently begged that she would wear it again for me one day. My body betrayed me yet again when I took in her body clad in blue jeans that enhanced the curves of her buttocks, the flannel shirt gaping open at the top, hinting at the creaminess of her skin, flowing over the gentle swell of her bosom. My own pants were getting tight and uncomfortable, and I knew my face gave away my dismay with my uncontrollable manhood as Bella glanced at me.

"Come here," she said as she took my hand and pulled me over to her bed. I followed her eagerly, letting her push me down and curl up against my chest, gladly offering her the comfort she seemed to crave. I tucked the quilt around her so she wouldn't shiver against my cold skin, and pulled her close against me, inhaling deeply, as my throat blazed from her incomparable scent.

Bella's face was still a mixture of steely resolve, and nervous worry, her heart beating faster than usual.

"Please relax," I tried for lack of a better idea.

"Sure," she said, somewhat condescendingly.

"This is going to work, Bella. I can feel it."

Her teeth snapped at my words and her heart sped up further. She began to slightly tremble in my arms, and I was desperate to make her feel better. Even if she was only worried about the wolves.

My silent heart constricted with ancient pain, but I swallowed the venom down and smothered the anguish with the love I felt for her, and my need to calm her down. I chose my words carefully, trying to make her see what had us all so relieved tonight.

"Listen to me, Bella. This is going to be easy. The newborns will be completely taken by surprise. They'll have no more idea that werewolves even exist than you did. I've seen how they act in a group, the way Jasper remembers. I truly believe that the wolves' hunting technique will work flawlessly against them. And with them divided and confused, there won't be enough for the rest of us to do. Someone may have to sit out," I ended my explanation on a teasing note.

"Piece of cake," she muttered in a monotonous voice, muffled by my shirt.

"Shh," I whispered, and raised my hand to gently stroke her face. "You'll see. Don't worry now."

As my last resort, I started to hum the lullaby that she had inspired shortly after we met, after I had allowed myself to see the feelings I had for what they were – desperate, undying love for the fragile girl beside me. Her trembling stopped, her breaths became more even, and her hear, so erratic before, returned to its regular beat. Her body remained tense in my arms.

For first time in my memory, the lullaby didn't work. She did not fall asleep – to my dismay. The minutes ticked by, and her posture against me never relaxed completely, her breathing never became deeper. Her eyes stayed wide open and I could feel her eyelashes brush against my shirt every so often.

Such a stubborn girl. Such obstinacy.

Magnificent.

All mine.

At two-thirty that morning, I raised us both up and tried once more to dissuade her. "Are you sure you don't want to stay and sleep?"

The irritated look she threw at me as a silent reply would have made a human man tremble. I sighed and gathered her in my arms to jump from her windowsill. Down below, I carefully slung her on my back, and made sure that her legs were securely wrapped around my waist. Bella put her head into the crook of my neck and kissed my cold skin, as I took off running, slowly increasing my speed until we were nearly flying towards the clearing.

Exhilarated, my feet barely touching the ground, I allowed myself to just relish this run, the wind blowing through my hair, my face split wide with a grin of enjoyment. I ran for myself, and for Bella, not thinking of impending fights, of threats to our lives, of bloodthirsty newborns or an overgrown mutt who had thrust himself between Bella and me.

The love of my life was clinging to me, her hot mouth pressing kisses on my neck, and for that moment, while I ran with her through the nighttime forest – life was simply wonderful.

About three miles out, I picked up the thoughts of my family who had already arrived at the large open space where we had played baseball just about a year ago. I reflected on the sadistic vampire who had threatened Bella, hunted her in a sick and twisted game of cat and mouse and nearly killed her, and who had in the end received the death penalty for his wickedness instead.

I had nearly lost her then.

I had almost left her then.

While she lay recuperating in a hospital in Phoenix, Bella had made me promise to stay with her, and I did promise - as long as I thought that was best for her. She had begged me to stay. And I had stayed, through the summer break into the new school year, spending as much time with her as possible.

The doubts had stayed, encapsulated in an attempt to distance myself.

But when Jasper lost control at her birthday party, it had been the final catalyst to convince me to leave, thinking that my leaving would be best for her.

I had never been so wrong. It was clear to me now that Bella thought I was what was best for her, inexplicable as it may be, undeserving and unworthy as I was. Every passing day inched me closer to the point where I would surrender to her and make her mine forever.

Another kiss from Bella shook me from my morbid train of thought. "Thank you," I whispered. "I needed that."

I felt her smile against my skin. We were about a mile away now, and I could hear my family laughing and talking.

"Better take a few more breaths before their nasty stench fouls up the air," Rosalie sneered. Emmett laughed boisterously, dancing back and forth like a boxing champ, punching his fists towards an unseen opponent. "When are they s'posed to get here? Are we gonna mock-fight them tonight?"

"Probably not, Emmett," Jasper tried to suppress a grimace, shaking his head at his brother's enthusiasm. "Honestly, I don't know that we or they could handle that. I told them three a.m."

His mind focused on the upcoming training, and to my surprise, a plan to demonstrate why Bella shouldn't worry about Alice. He'd noticed her concern. The war-weary soldier who was my brother, who had taken up this life of sacrifice out of love for his own mate and only lived with us because of Alice, truly saw Bella as a member of the family now, and his gratitude to have received her forgiveness was nearly as great as my own. He would gladly fight any number of newborns if it meant saving her life.

We all would. Even Rosalie. I knew that now.

"Edward and Bella will arrive in twenty seconds," Alice piped up, laughing as she twirled around Jasper, trying to distract him.

Carlisle was deep in thought, concerned about various tempers flaring tonight, and hoping that the meeting would go well, still somewhat disbelieving that they would actually show up.

"I want to remind you all to stay calm tonight," he said gently, looking at no one in particular on purpose, not wanting to offend Rosalie or Emmett with any insinuation. "This will likely be very difficult for them and for us, and I need us all to stay collected. We cannot afford to get into any altercations, or offend them in any way. Please, follow Jasper's lead."

He was certain that I could hear them so he included me in his admonition.

"Can you hear us yet, dear boy?" Esme thought, her maternal instincts at the surface. "I brought a blanket for Bella in case she gets cold; some water and snacks for her, too."

I broke through the last of the trees, and gently set Bella on her feet. With her hand firmly in mine, we walked towards our family.

Both Carlisle and Esme smiled at us, and Rosalie tried for a smile as well. Emmett was still air-punching, warming up. Alice was still dancing circles around Jasper, exuberant and yet subdued, worried about not being able to see the outcome of this meeting because we had all allowed ourselves to be dependent on the wolves.

"You know what I think?" Bella said next to me, looking at my face. The ridiculous irony of her question made me laugh out loud. Her mind, the only one I could not hear, was one of the very few I wanted to hear.

"No," I answered, still chuckling. "What do you think?"

How many times had I asked her that question, wishing that I could hear the thought processes in her head? I understood now that this disconnect was one of the reason I hadn't believed she loved me as deeply as I loved her. I had needed that confirmation, doubting her because I couldn't hear her thoughts, knowing that the deplorable monster in me was not worthy of her affection.

I didn't believe then, but that all changed after Italy. Though on occasion, the self-loathing monster inside me overpowered my trust and made me doubt her again. It was a daily battle but I was slower getting better at keeping the feeling of unworthiness subdued.

"I think it's all connected. Not just the two, but all three."

I had absolutely no idea what she was talking about. "You've lost me," I admitted and stopped walking to pull her around to face me, waiting for her explanation.

"Three bad things have happened since you came back." She raised her free yet brace-clad hand and used her fingers to tick off each one. "The newborns in Seattle. The stranger in my room. And – first of all – Victoria came to look for me."

My eyes turned to slits at the name of the hated immortal, and as the possible truth of Bella's words sank into my brain, it settled as a lump of ice in my stomach. My muscles tensed as I fought off the sudden panic, needing more verification. Could she be right? Could the vengeful vampire I had chased all over the continent not too long ago really be behind all this? She'd led me on a wild goose chase, and I had found out that my tracking ability was utterly dismal. She'd always stayed just a step ahead of me, wreaking havoc in her path, and left it for me to clean up as I followed her. It was almost as if she had a special gift for evasion, for creating a diversion that threw a pursuer off her track.

Jasper was listening intently when he heard Victoria's name. "Edward – Bella may be right. It makes a lot more sense than to think the Volturi are behind this. But where would the bitch have gotten that idea?"

"Why do you think so?" I asked Bella, staring at her, trying in vain yet again to break the mental barrier of her mute mind.

"Because I agree with Jasper," Bella said, and I could see Jasper's small smile from the corner of my eye, and an emotion similar to pride flitting through his mind.

"The Volturi love their rules," Bella continued, "they would probably do a better job anyway."

She had a good point there, but I wasn't fully satisfied with her explanation. It still didn't explain why the redheaded bitch would be behind the mess we were facing.

"Remember when you were tracking Victoria last year?" Bella asked. Her face was smooth at this point as if she was trying to hide the anguish at the memory of our time apart – pain I could still see in the deep chocolate brown of her expressive eyes. Her heart skipped a beat.

Bella's pain was my pain. "Yes," I said, frowning to hide the guilt of my incompetence but compelled to admit my failure freely. "I wasn't very good at it."

"You said you were in Texas. Did you follow her there?" Bella pressed on, ignoring my admission, still looking at me intently.

I felt my eyebrows pull together as I returned her gaze. "Yes. Hmm... "

The few vampires I had spoken to in Texas, always at night, while searching for Victoria had not been able to give me much information on her whereabouts, but their thoughts were hostile, defensive, and full of memories of the vampires wars they had survived. If Victoria had spoken to any of them, they may have mentioned their history to her – perhaps she had even asked questions. Nearly all southern vampires knew the stories of what had happened in the South, but very few had seen in with their own eyes and lived to tell the tale.

"See – she could have gotten the idea there," Bella said, becoming more animated with every word. "But she doesn't know what she's doing, so the newborns are all out of control."

That, too, made a lot of sense. I knew from Jasper's memories that it was violent and dirty work to control newborns, and not everyone was capable of it. The neophytes in Seattle had just been set loose, it seemed, and that also worked with Bella's theory. But it didn't explain how their creator kept his or her thoughts and plans hidden from Alice.

I wondered if Bella had a thought on that discrepancy, too, as I shook my head in answer. "Only Aro knows exactly how Alice's visions work."

"Aro would know best," Bella immediately answered my unspoken question. "But wouldn't Tanya and Irina and the rest of your friends in Denali know enough? Laurent lived with them for so long. And if he was still friendly enough with Victoria to be doing favors for her, why wouldn't he also tell her everything he knew?"

Jesus Christ.

Again, she made perfect sense and the lump of ice in my stomach began to melt from the fury that was starting to blaze inside me. I frowned at Bella, still trying to find holes in her arguments. I didn't know why, but the urge was overwhelming. The fire began to rage to infernal proportions before another dispelling thought hit my mind. I knew Victoria's scent.

"That wasn't Victoria in your room," I countered Bella's logic.

"She can't make new friends? Think about it, Edward. If it is Victoria doing this in Seattle, she's made a lot of new friends. She's created them."

Her theory was compelling, well thought out and each of my counter-arguments had been answered. I still didn't quite believe that Victoria had the brainpower to come up with this intricate scheme. Her false trails had been clever, but this was on a much grander scale. It didn't quite fit her previous pattern of feinting and retreating. Was it possible that Bella was right?

No. It had to be the Volturi. Not officially, perhaps. Without Aro's explicit command, possibly. What I had read in Caius' thoughts, while our fate was debated in that horrid circular hall, convinced me that he saw our family as a threat to their reign, and a double-cross such as this would give him and Aro both what they wanted – Alice and I enslaved as new members of the guard, and the rest of the Cullens destroyed.

Then again – Victoria had been in Texas; I knew that for a fact. I had followed yet another false trail there, and then went to Brazil, ending up in the attic of a rundown tenement building. The trail had ended there, and the redheaded bitch had returned to Forks, having successfully evaded my pursuit. The plot to create newborns and let them wreak havoc certainly suited her – she would be in no danger as long as she didn't accompany them. She had used similar evasion tactics when Esme and Rosalie followed her during James' hunt for Bella – they'd watched her while Carlisle, Emmett and I flew to Phoenix, but they had lost her trail once James was dead.

Could Victoria have broken out of her routine? If she had concocted this plan, I had seriously underestimated her.

Not that this was a new experience for me – I had proven to be a completely arrogant ass when I underestimated Bella's love for me.

Still – Bella couldn't be right – she couldn't – because that meant I had overlooked an important aspect in this whole scenario, and it was a brutal blow to my pride. I didn't see this coming – what good was I as her protector?

"Hmm," I said slowly, going through her theory in my mind again. "It's possible. I still think the Volturi are most likely... but your theory – there's something there. Victoria's personality. Your theory suits her personality perfectly. She's shown a remarkable gift for self-preservation from the start – maybe it's a talent of hers. In any case, this plot would put her in no danger at all from us, if she sits safely behind and lets the newborns wreak their havoc here. And maybe little danger from the Volturi, either. Perhaps she's counting on us to win, in the end, though certainly not without heavy casualties of our own. But no survivors from her little army to bear witness against her. In fact... ," I trailed off for a moment and thought about what I had so far learned about this hated vampire. If she had created this army of neophytes, she would likely have planned to kill any survivors herself, and that might put her close enough for us to catch her. Certainly, she wouldn't expect the wolves on our side, and that would definitely work in our favor.

"If there were survivors," I continued out loud my thoughts out loud, "I'd bet she'd be planning to destroy them herself... Hmm."

But this meant that Bella's visitor could not have been a newborn. How long had the vile immortal planned and plotted this? The unknown vampire that had stolen Bella's clothes would have had to be at least three or four months past the day of its creation, and very well fed before undertaking this excursion. It explained though why the trail had ended suddenly when Emmett and Jasper had pursued it. Perhaps it had been Victoria in that car.

Possible. Definitely possible.

"Still, she'd have to have at least one friend who was a bit more mature. No fresh-made newborn left your father alive... "

I hadn't meant to say that out loud and quickly glanced at Bella whose heart rate and breathing had suddenly increased. I silently begged forgiveness, frowning at my faux-pas.

I was suddenly immensely proud of Bella, so overwhelmingly proud that Jasper shot an questioning glance at me – not only had she made the connection between the newborns and the unknown vampire in her room, she also had thought of another angle to this whole mess, one that I hadn't even considered because I had relied on Alice's visions of Victoria. I understood now how the redheaded monster had been able to circumvent being seen.

"Bella sure is something, Edward," Jasper thought appreciatively. "We ought to look some more into that theory... "

Yes, we definitely should, but either way, it made no immediate difference. We still had to fight the newborns come Saturday.

Bella's perceptiveness put me in awe of her, and I simply had to tell her. I looked at her, capturing her eyes with mine, and smiled widely.

"Definitely possible. Regardless, we've got to be prepared for anything until we know for sure. You're very perceptive today," I told the glorious creature in front of me. "It's impressive."

Bella sighed. "Maybe I'm just reacting to this place. It makes me feel like she's close by... like she sees me now."

My jaw tightened at her words, and ferocious protectiveness shot through me from the pit of my stomach. The fire began to burn again. "She'll never touch you, Bella," I promised fiercely.

I let my eyes graze over the trees surrounding the clearing, extended my hearing to the very limits of my range. The inferno inside me raged nearly out of control – I wanted to wrap my hands around the neck of the redheaded devil incarnate and rip her head clean off. Destroy her, and everyone else who'd ever dared to threaten Bella's life.

Perhaps I would get the chance after all. If this was Victoria's doing she would be somewhere on the sidelines, and I would find her this time and rip her apart. The fire inside was stoked by wild, hopeful anticipation and I knew my eyes gleamed at the possibility of this chance, as I allowed the feral beast that was part of me to shine through.

Yes. I would kill her. And I would really enjoy it.

"Yet, what I wouldn't give to have her that close," I murmured longingly, not realizing I was speaking out loud. "Victoria, and anyone else who's ever thought of hurting you. To have the chance to end this myself. To finish it with my own hands this time."

Bella shuddered next to me, and I nearly gasped at my stupidity. I had scared her. I knew I had – her hand clenched tightly around my fingers, intertwined with her own.

"I can't see a darn thing – why, oh why can't I see those rotten dogs? I hate flying blind." Alice had begun to pout with frustration, stomping her feet at vampire speed while Jasper stretched next to her, trying to relax as he absorbed her anger.

Alice looked at Jasper. "God!" she exclaimed, too low for Bella to hear, "This is ridiculous. I feel so useless."

"I love you anyway." Jasper smiled and sent a wave of love to her, and the foot stomping stopped. The frustration did not.

"Is something wrong with Alice?" my ever observant beautiful girl asked me, her voice a soft whisper in the night.

I chuckled a little at Alice's antics. "The werewolves are on their way, so she can't see anything that will happen now. It makes her uncomfortable to be blind."

My little sister heard me, of course. Her eyes flew up to meet mine, and in typical Alice fashion, she thanked me by sticking her little tongue out at me.

"At least you can still hear them. I guess we'll just have to rely on you reading their thoughts. I really hate this. Are they close yet?"

I shook my head infinitesimally. They were still too far away for me to hear, but I was fairly certain they'd be close soon enough. I needed to prepare for the onslaught of six minds who all thought independently, and in sync, at the same time. I briefly wondered if they'd come as wolves or men.

"Hey, Edward, hey Bella," Emmett shouted as we arrived where my family was standing, scattered about, and looked appraisingly at Bella. "Is he going to let you practice, too?"

He laughed when I groaned at his little joke. "Please, Emmett, don't give her any ideas."

"When will our guests arrive?" Carlisle asked, walking over to us. "Can you hear them yet?"

I took a moment to let my hearing stretch outward. It was then that I heard the first thoughts of the wolf pack. Sam Uley was in the lead, with Jacob Black on his right flank, and the big gray wolf on his left. They were still a few miles away but running at nearly full speed. They'd be here soon.

Sam Uley's thoughts were cautious, untrusting, but I could see the argument Jacob had used on him, and it had been a good one. If the newborns came all this way, some of them might stray into Quileute land. Bella's scent trail went that route, too.

Unfortunately.

"Hey, bloodsucker, can you hear us yet?" That was Jacob Black. It was an odd phenomenon to hear his thought reverberate in the minds of the other wolves, like an echo.

I sighed. This would be extremely difficult, to listen to them, trying to keep straight who was thinking what. Human minds didn't work that way – their thoughts were not echoed in each other's minds, but the wolves had a strange connection. In wolf form, they could talk to each other in their thoughts.

"A minute and a half. But I'm going to have to translate. They don't trust us enough to use their human forms."

"I would imagine so," Carlisle nodded. "This is hard for them," he continued out loud, "I'm grateful they're coming at all."

"We'd be hard pressed to win without them." Jasper's thoughts were in line with Carlisle's.

"They're coming as wolves?" Bella gasped next to me, her eyes growing impossibly round, and swallowed hard.

I took careful stock of her expression. She seemed afraid, and I wondered if she had ever seen her friend in his wolf form.

I knew from Alice that when Laurent had stumbled upon Bella in the meadow, the wolves had saved her – so she must have seen some of them. Had Jacob already gone through his first transformation then?

As I listened to the thoughts of the approaching wolves and tried to separate them into different minds, I heard more than just six of them.

Holy shit!

There were ten wolves. Ten, not six, as Bella had told me. I wondered if she knew that the pack had become larger.

We had been counting on six to aid us. We now had ten wolves on our side. I wanted to rub my hands in glee, but one of them was still tightly clutched in Bella's own hand. Glee – because with ten wolves fighting with us, we might be able to lay a trap for whoever had created these newborns, and if it truly was Victoria, I would have a much better chance at ending her little game for good. Forever.

I turned to my family, who was standing off to the side.

"Prepare yourselves – they've been holding out on us." I couldn't quite suppress the gleeful tone in my voice.

"What do you mean?" Alice demanded. "Holding out how?"

"Shh," I said in response. I had to concentrate on catching their thoughts. I stared into the forest, trying to pinpoint where they would appear.

The thudding of paws was now loud enough for the rest of my family to hear, and they spread out from their informal circle into a wide line, with Jasper and Emmett at the spear point.

I didn't realize that I was leaning towards them, wanting to be part of the defensive line as I usually was, until Bella's hand tightened again on mine, and I knew I needed to stay by her side, to protect her and keep her safe.

By that time, we could all see the approaching wolves, dark eyes glinting through the trees, their massive bodies streaking silently through the forest, and the thoughts of my family was a mixture of fascination, appreciation and apprehension. Rosalie and Esme, neither of them a strong fighter, exchanged a glance and fear was foremost in their minds.

"Damn," Emmett muttered quietly under his breath, saying out loud what we were all thinking, "did you ever see anything like it?"

"It's still as shocking as the first time I saw them! Jeez - big as a horse!" Jasper exclaimed in his mind. "'Twas bad enough last time, and then it was only five of 'em."

"Now I really feel tiny," Alice thought and moved a few steps behind Jasper.

"What is it?" Bella whispered, "I can't see."

I leaned down to her ear. "The pack has grown," I murmured. She looked at me questioningly, but the wolves were too close now for me to say any more.

The combined stench coming off the wolves was atrocious. "God, they stink," Rosalie shuddered inwardly and I had to agree. Not that we smelled any better to them. Our scent burned their noses, especially when they were in wolf form.

At the command from Sam Uley, the wolves spread out into a single line opposite ours and halted their approach. Ten pairs of dark eyes glimmered through the trees. They were given silent orders to remain in the line and sit on the forest floor.

Their thoughts ranged from disgust at our scent to apprehension to barely controlled urge to attack. There was only one whose mind was not consumed by negative thoughts. One of their newest members – a young wolf named Seth. His thoughts were more of the curious variety. He was prepared to give us a chance, and override his fear. I instantly liked this young kid just for that, and hoped that he wouldn't change his mind over time. It would be nice to have at least one in their rank that didn't think of us as the deplorable monsters of their legends.

The collective minds took up most of my concentration, though I still felt Bella tensed next to me, her heart beating faster than usual, and her breathing shallow. There was so much information coming from the wolf pack, so much data to absorb – all I could to was try to soak it all up and store it, to dissect it later.

I found one mental voice that was – female? A girl named Leah, whose thoughts included a maternal concern towards her brother Seth, and who also was in love with Sam Uley, though he was no longer with her. His thoughts were full of a girl named Emily, and I could see her in his mind. Leah's thoughts were mostly hateful towards the other wolves, and she kept bringing up the question of paternity of one of them, in a rather petty way. She was the one most averse to being here, the least willing participant in this unlikely and unexpected alliance.

The other wolves were stymied and unhappy that a female had joined their ranks; it was not something their legends had mentioned ever happening, and the internal muttering was getting louder as she bitingly made comment after silent comment.

"Silence!" Sam Uley snapped in his mind, his timbre a little lower than his usual voice. The wolves' thoughts fell quiet.

Ah – that had to be the alpha voice I'd heard about in Jacob's mind.

"Fascinating," I heard myself murmur.

My father looked at me. "Should I... ?"

I nodded imperceptibly. Carlisle took a slow step forward, very deliberate in his movement, keeping his eyes on the wolves, his posture relaxed to reassure them, and himself. Jasper and Emmett stood their ground, unmoving but tension rolling off them in waves.

"Welcome," Carlisle spoke his greeting in the general direction of the line of wolves.

"You'll have to translate, leech, think you can manage?" Jacob snarled in his mind.

"Shut up, Jake," Sam Uley barked back silently before he turned his eyes to me. "Thank you."

I repeated his words in the same monotone voice I heard in his head.

"We will watch and listen, but no more. That is the most we can ask of our self-control."

So they would not be participating in the actual training, just as Jasper had predicted. Again, I repeated the words the pack leader had spoken.

"That is more than enough," Carlisle said in his most gentle voice as he gestured towards Jasper. "My son Jasper has experience in this area. He will teach us how they fight, how they are to be defeated. I'm sure you can apply this to your own hunting style."

The internal murmurs swelled at my father's words, questioning his assertion that there were different kinds of vampires, and wondering that he would call Jasper his son.

"They are different from you?" I repeated the thought in Sam's head.

Carlisle nodded. "They are all very new – only months old to this life. Children, in a way. They will have no skill or strategy, only brute strength. Tonight their numbers stand at twenty. Ten for us, ten for you – it shouldn't be difficult. The numbers may go down. The new ones fight amongst themselves."

Again, the internal mutterings increased in volume, and now were joined by a low rumbled growling. The tenor of their thoughts had changed. No longer were they apprehensive of us, they were now itching for a fight with the newborns, mentally rubbing their hands in anticipation, and complaining that ten weren't enough vampires to entertain them. It was utterly fascinating to watch and listen to them.

"We are willing to take more than our share, if necessary." Sam Uley nearly grinned, no longer so indifferent as before. Again, I repeated his thought out loud in the same tone of voice he was using.

"I'm sure you are." Carlisle thought indulgently and smiled at the large, black wolf. "I sure am glad they're on our side, Edward."

"We'll see how it plays out," he said in response to the wolf leader's offer.

"Do you know when and how they'll arrive?" Sam asked and I related the question.

"They'll come across the mountains in four days, in the late morning. As they approach, Alice will help us intercept their path."

They all knew what Alice could do, so there was no question in anyone's mind at Carlisle's words.

"Thank you for the information. We will watch." I relayed the thought in Sam's mind, as he gave the command to the pack to lie down. All ten wolves sank to the ground.

Jasper was nervous and wary as he stepped into the space between the wolves and our line. He threw a glance at me. "If I turn my back to them, will they jump me? Is it safe, Edward?"

"Damn, look at the scars on that one," a young boy named Brady muttered. "He looks scarier than all the others."

He was one of the most recent addition to their rank, still very immature and unable to control his thoughts. I suppressed a smile, nodding encouragingly at Jasper, and he turned to face us with a sigh, still very uncomfortable to expose himself.

"I trust you, man. Keep watch," he implored me before he began to speak.

"Carlisle's right. They'll fight like children. The most important things you'll need to remember are, first, don't let them get their arms around you, and second, don't go for the obvious kill. That's all they'll be prepared for. As long as you come at them from the side and keep moving, they'll be too confused to respond effectively. Emmett?"

"Yay," Emmett cheered silently, stepping forward, "let's give them a little show."

Jasper backed towards on end of the open space between our two lines, beckoning Emmett to follow him.

"Okay, Emmett first. He's the best example of a newborn attack."

"What are you trying to say, my brother?" Emmett muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowing. "Are you calling me confused? I'll try not to break anything."

I nearly laughed at the outrage on Emmett's face.

Jasper grinned. "What I meant is that Emmett relies on his strength. He's very straightforward about the attack. The newborns won't be trying anything subtle, either. Just go for the easy kill, Emmett."

Jasper backed up a few more paces and tensed, his body falling into a posture just short of a hunting crouch. The wolves eyes were glued to the two vampires in front of them.

"Okay, Emmett – try to catch me."

Immediately, Emmett charged straightforward, snarling, a wide grin splitting his face, arms outstretched. At the last moment, Jasper ducked to the side underneath Emmett's arm, and he whirled around, growling.

I leaned forward, watching them intently, trying to learn, absorb, prepare.

Jasper and Emmett continued – each time Emmett thought he had him, Jasper would once again whirl and Emmett's hands clutched only air. They were moving so fast, it had to be blur to Bella. I looked down at her for a moment but her eyes were locked on the scene in front of us.

After a few more moments, Jasper changed tactics. On Emmett's next charge, he used the momentum from his whirl to the side to jump onto Emmett's back and wrapped his arms around Emmett's neck. The burly vampire froze as Jasper's teeth ended up just an inch from his neck.

"Fuck!" Emmett cussed. "Goddamn it!"

Esme cringed and Rosalie grimaced. Carlisle's face was smooth, though he inwardly cringed as Esme had. Alice giggled quietly.

The reactions from the wolf pack were rumbled growls and thoughts of appreciation.

"Damn, did you see that? If the newborns fight like that big brawny one, they don't stand a chance."

"Jeez, he's huge, but the other one's so fast."

"Hey, Leah – think you could outrun that?"

The comments abounded and I had to suppress a grin. Or five.

"Again," Emmett insisted, no longer smiling. "We'll see who wins this time, my brother."

I wanted a chance to show off, conceited as the desire was. "It's my turn," I protested, and Bella tensed her fingers around mine.

"Not yet, Edward."

"In a minute," Jasper grinned at me, and now I saw why he wanted me to wait. "I want to show Bella something first." He waved Alice forward, and the little pixie lithely danced into the open space.

"I know you worry about her," Jasper addressed Bella directly, his thoughts warmly focused on her, protective as a big brother would feel. "I want to show you why that's not necessary."

Alice smiled as Jasper sank into a crouch, slowly shifting forward to where she stood motionless. She closed her eyes as he stalked her. I felt Bella tense up beside me, her heart beating erratically, her breaths coming in little gasps. I tightened my fingers around hers for a short moment to reassure her. I hoped she knew that Jasper would never harm Alice in any way.

As Jasper launched himself through the air to spring at Alice, I could watch the vision through her mind. At the very last moment, she stepped to the side, and he landed behind her, wheeling around.

Again, he sprang, again she took a small step at the last possible fraction of a second, and he landed without touching her. The next time, he tried for her waist, but the vision came and she stepped out of his grasp again, her eyes still closed, her mind still focused.

Jasper moved closer to begin each new attack, and the speed of movements increased. Alice was gracefully dancing around his advances, whirling, spiraling, twisting. Jasper didn't have a chance, and he knew it. Which was why he wanted Bella to see this.

Finally, Alice laughed and when he sprang at her again, she twisted to the side, whirled around and was perched on his back, planting a kiss on his neck.

"Gotcha," she grinned.

Jasper chuckled, shaking his head. "You truly are one frightening little monster."

"Holy shit – she's tiny, and she completely took him by surprise."

"That was scary – she's just a little bitty thing."

"The big one can't take him, but that tiny little bloodsucker can?"

"Damn... just... damn... "

"Pfft... they obviously planned that... she's the psychic, remember?"

The collective thoughts were wary, apprehensive again. It was almost funny to watch the growing disquiet Alice's performance had caused. Their cockiness was subdued – for the moment. I knew there was a small smile on my face when I turned to Bella to whisper my assessment.

"It's good for them to learn some respect."

I squeezed her hand to reassure her before letting go. "My turn," I said to Jasper, unable to keep the impatience out of my voice.

"Let's see what you've got, dear brother," Jasper sneered, though not without amusement. "Shall we give them a show?"

I smiled menacingly. "Sure, why not."

"I'll sit next to Bella, Edward," Alice thought, "so she won't be alone. I'll keep her busy while you pretend to fight against Jazz. Be nice, though, you hear?"

And all of a sudden she was blocking me from reading her thoughts.

What the hell?

Was she kidding?

So annoying.

I had no time to worry about her antics.

Even a mock-fight against Jasper was a tricky undertaking. He had a century of experience fighting with and against newborns, and the moves he used were completely unfamiliar to me. He tried to go on instinct as much as possible, but his mind gave him away, just a fraction of a second before he moved, and though it wasn't enough for me to take him, it also wasn't enough for him to win.

We came at each other, again and again, intensely focused, snarling instinctively, both of us wearing a leering smile. I tried to anticipate his moves and failed miserably; he outsmarted my own moves with his experience.

"Is that all you got, Edward? Come on, you can do better than that." Jasper began to mock me, and I doubled my efforts, but it wasn't enough. Again and again we approached, sprang, clashed, but neither of us was able to overpower the other. Eventually, Carlisle cleared his throat.

"Okay, boys, that's enough playtime."

"Nicely done," Jasper laughed as he stepped back. I straightened out of my crouch and grinned.

"Likewise."

"Back to work," he said out loud, "we'll call it a draw."

The wolves had watched cautiously, seeing that we were evenly matched. Of course, thanks to Jacob Black, they all knew of my talent, so in a way, they attributed my not losing against Jasper to my unfair advantage. I tried not to let that get to me. In a war, one must use every advantage possible – to not do so would be utter foolishness. And while I was certainly capable of being a great fool when it came to Bella, and I often let my arrogance get the better of me, I was not a fool in a fight.

Far from it.

The practice continued. I took my place at Bella's side again, wrapping her in my arms, and Alice danced back to the sideline to watch the rest of it. Carlisle hated every minute of his turn, but tried hard not to show it, knowing that he needed to learn this as much as any of us. We didn't have a choice – we could not stand by. Not when Bella's life was in danger.

Bella cringed next to me when it was Esme's turn. It was difficult watching Esme fight Jasper, even though I knew he would never hurt her. She just wasn't a fighter – I think even the wolves realized this, judging by their thoughts of aversion and disgust when they watch Jasper attack. They were raised to always protect the weak – and that was how Esme looked to them. Even though she was a vampire, a cold one of their legends.

Eventually, Jasper slowed down his movements to give direct instructions. He had Emmett charge forward, pretending to be a newborn, and we were taught how to use his strength against him.

"You see what I'm doing here?" Jasper asked when he showed us a particular motion, and waved Carlisle and Rosalie forward to repeat it. "Yes, just like that. Concentrate on the sides. Don't forget where their target will be. Keep moving."

We'd been here for nearly two hours, and I could feel Bella's body droop against me. She was getting tired, my stubborn girl, and I pulled her closer into my arms, holding her up.

"Almost done for tonight," Jasper thought with a longing look at Alice.

"We're about finished," I whispered as Bella's head fell against my shoulder. Jasper waved his hand.

"Okay, we're done for now," he said to us before turning towards the wolves, wary again as he faced them.

"We'll be doing this tomorrow. Please feel welcome to observe again."

I once more translated for the Sam Uley. "Yes, we'll be here."

"Sam - ask if we can sniff them. Not that I want to stick my nose that close to them, but it would be helpful... " Jacob thought.

"Would it be possible to familiarize ourselves with your individual scents?" the leader then asked silently. "We wouldn't want to make any mistakes during the fight." His voice held a tinge of a sneer, and distaste at the request, but he felt it was necessary. He was already giving orders to his pack not to do anything stupid. Apparently, the big gray, Paul, was especially difficult to control.

"Oh, and don't move while we do that... " Sam added as an afterthought.

I sighed, patted Bella's arm and stepped in front of my family. "The pack thinks it would be helpful to be familiar with each of our scents – so they don't make mistakes later. If we could hold very still, it would make it easier for them."

"Are you kidding me?" Jasper stiffened.

Esme whimpered. Rosalie snorted, and Emmett grinned. Alice – well, she was Alice. After having met Jacob, Quil and Embry at the party earlier, she was no longer afraid. I wondered though how Bella would react.

Carlisle's reaction was as I expected. "Certainly," he said directly to Sam Uley. "Whatever you need."

With a low grumble, all ten wolves got off the ground, and slowly stepped forward towards us, in a single line, led by the Alpha.

They were a force to be reckoned with, and I was grateful again that they were on our side. I carefully watched Bella's reaction. Dawn was approaching and I knew that she would be able to see them now, as they carefully stepped towards Carlisle to begin committing our scents to their olfactory memories.

Each of them winced slightly as their noses burned, but they fought to remain in control, Sam continuously checking for any straying thoughts.

Jasper was next, then Emmett, as the line of horse-sized beasts filed past them.

A light gray wolf, the only girl, was much smaller than the rest of them, and I could see that it irked her. Her thoughts were full of disgust, snide comments and misery. I caught a few pieces of her back story, and it gave me a new piece of information. The wolves found their mates by a mechanism they called imprinting – a compulsive event at meeting their soulmate. It was utterly fascinating. Apparently, Leah and Sam had been a couple when Sam underwent his first transformation, and then he had met her cousin, Emily, and imprinted on her.

The depth of his feelings for this Emily was nearly as strong as I felt about Bella. Truly enthralling. They had no control whatsoever when it happened, and Leah got left by the wayside. It had turned her into a bitter hag, and when she joined the pack, no one had been pleased.

This imprinting apparently had happened to the boy named Quil, though I was taken aback when I saw the girl in his mind. She was a small child still, only three years old, but oddly enough, though Sam and Emily were in love, Quil's feelings for Claire were not of the romantic kind – he felt like a big brother towards her.

Strange, indeed. I'd have to ask Bella about that later, after she had slept. Maybe she had some more information on that.

A sand-colored wolf, Brady, very young still, whined a bit when Sam's advance left him stranded between Carlisle and Jasper. He was still very afraid of us, but Sam reassured him. He didn't quite trust us yet, but he knew we would not attack them without provocation.

Jacob Black, of course, was all casual nonchalance, when he turned his gaze towards Bella. She had leaned forward a bit when the line of wolves began to move past us, and I watched her carefully from where I stood. Her eyes were wide, her breaths shallow gasps, and her heart was beating rapidly.

Would she now run away screaming? I doubted it. After all, she was brave enough to spend time in a houseful of vampires, again and again.

"There's my girl," Jacob thought and let his muzzle fall open, revealing gleaming teeth, and his tongue flopped out to one side.

He was grinning at her.

Bella giggled.

Damn!

Irrationally, I was disappointed by her reaction. I would have very much liked her to be disgusted and in fear.

I knew it was stupid to expect that reaction. I stood motionless, rooted to the spot, fighting down the green-eyed monster who again reared its ugly head.

Damn it, she was mine. Mine.

The rotten dog broke from the line and trotted towards her, stopping a few feet in front of where she was standing. I gritted my teeth.

The mongrel crouched down on his front legs so that his face was closer to the ground, staring at her, wondering if she was scared of him, hoping that she wasn't. I saw now that this was only the third time Bella had seen him in his wolf form, as he flipped through those memories.

Another thing she hadn't told me. What else had she kept from me? The vicious hag of jealousy clawed at my frozen heart.

"Jacob?" Bella whispered, and it sounded like awe. A deep rumble broke from his chest; a doggy chuckle.

My fingers started to itch and my toes curled in my shoes; the urge to take her and run with her nearly overwhelming me. I just wanted to get her away from him, away from the temptation and the memories he possessed.

Bella didn't look scared. Her hand reached out, trembling just a little, as if she couldn't quite believe that her friend was hiding under all this fur.

And then she touched him on the side of his face, and the rotten fleabag leaned his head into her small hand, and actually started to purr. Or whatever it was that dogs did when they felt pleasure.

"Feels so good, Bella."

Bella leaned closer, running her hands through the fur on his neck. And then the dirty dog licked her face with his nasty tongue.

"Tastes good, too."

The hell?

Fuck that!

A snarl built in my chest cavity, and if it hadn't been for Alice's hand on my arm, restraining me, I would have leaped towards them and knocked him on his back. Jasper took a small step towards me as a precaution, though he felt just as disgusted.

"Don't antagonize them, Edward. Don't forget we need them."

"Ew! Gross, Jake," Bella complained, jumping back and trying to hit him. He dodged her hand, and barked a laugh.

"Did you like that, bloodsucker?"

How juvenile.

My rage was barely contained, and I was truly disappointed that Bella was so relaxed around him.

I would have appreciated the running and screaming for once.

My family was flummoxed and nearly speechless at this disrespectful display, and the wolves were not happy about it either, muttering silently.

"Did he just lick her?" Rosalie raged in her mind. "Are just going to stand there, Edward? What is wrong with you? Go over there already. Could you be more of an idiot? Didn't we talk about this? Come on, move, damn it!"

He-who-must-be-neutered barked another laugh.

"That is enough, Jacob." Sam's mental command sounded final. The wolves retreated, still watchful of our every move, still rather distrustful of us. I suppressed a sigh. We had made a little progress tonight, but apparently not enough.

Jacob did not move with the pack, instead keeping his spot close to Bella, mentally challenging me to make a move. I was rather tired of his impertinence at that point, and with a sigh, I walked over to her and took her hand.

"Ready to go?" I asked her, searching her face once more. She looked so tired.

"What's your plan for her?" I heard him ask.

"I've not quite figured out all the details yet," I answered honestly. Not that it was any of his business anyway. I would make sure Bella was safe. Perhaps Jasper and Alice had some ideas how to accomplish that.

"What's taking so long, bloodsucker? You do want her safe, right? Can't be that hard now, can it? Just hide her somewhere."

He obviously did not get the point. "It's more complicated than that," I explained, "don't concern yourself; I'll make sure it's safe."

"What are you talking about?" Bella demanded hotly.

"Just discussing strategy," I evaded a direct answer.

"What the hell, leech? Just tell her. Fine, I'll do it myself." He bolted for the forest to phase, his two wingmen following him into the trees.

"Wait," Bella called out after him, stretching one hand in his direction as if to stop him, and the jealous hag inside me smarted at that.

"Why did he leave?" she asked me, a hurt expression crossing her lovely features.

"He's coming back," I answered with a sigh. Damn him. "He wants to be able to talk for himself."

Bella's eyes stayed on the edge of the forest where the dog had slunk into the woods. I heard him phase, then put on some pants – at least he had enough decency to cover his lower body. Soon, enough he was loping towards us again, but the other two wolves, the same that had come to the party with him, stayed inside the treeline, watching.

"Okay, bloodsucker," he said when he had nearly reached us, "what's so complicated about it?"

I patiently explained my reasoning. "I have to consider every possibility. What if someone gets by you?"

"As if that could happen," he snorted. "But fine, let's consider it."

"Okay, so leave her on the reservation. We're making Colin and Brady stay behind anyway. She'll be safe there."

Not good enough. The two boys he mentioned did not have more than two weeks under their belt – there was no way I would leave Bella with two immature werewolves who had no fighting experience.

"Are you talking about me?" Bella nearly growled next to me. I was amused by her kitten-tiger outrage, but didn't let her see it.

"I just want to know what he plans to do with your during the fight," Jacob said quickly, with the intention to appease her and make me look bad. I swallowed the surplus venom in my mouth.

"Do with me?"

"You can't stay in Forks, Bella," I explained the reason, my voice pacifying because I could see she was about to snap. "They know where to look for you there. What if someone slipped by us?"

Bella blanched and gasped. "Charlie?"

"I'll take care of her father, leech – nothing to worry yourself about."

"He'll be with Billy," Jacob said, "if my dad has to commit a murder to get him there, he'll do it. Probably it won't take that much. It's this Saturday, right? There's a game."

I thought his words had been rather crude, but I kept quiet because Bella gasped again.

"This Saturday?" she asked, then frowned at me. "Well, crap! There goes your graduation present."

I laughed. It was so like Bella to worry about something so trivial, even when her safety was at stake. She was exasperating in her reasoning, but I loved her too much to care. "It's the thought that counts," I told her, smiling. "You can give the tickets to someone else."

"Angela and Ben," she said swiftly. "At least that will get them out of town."

Again, her selflessness and concern for the safety of her friends was evident. I gently touched her cheek and smiled again.

"You can't evacuate everyone," I reminded her gently though it pained me to do so. "Hiding you is just a precaution. I told you – we have no problem now. There's won't be enough of them to keep us entertained."

"Yeah, yeah. Let's get back to what I said earlier, bloodsucker." The dog was getting impatient.

"But what about keeping her in La Push?"

I tried to give him a diplomatic answer, one that he would understand and one that was also honest. "She's been back and forth too much," I told him and saw the understanding form in his mind. "She's left trails all over the place. Alice only sees very young vampires coming on the hunt, but obviously someone created them. There is someone more experienced behind this. Whoever he," I paused to look at Bella, to give her credit for her theory, "or she is, this could all be a distraction. Alice will see if he decides to look himself, but we could be very busy at the time that decision is made. Maybe someone is counting on that. I can't leave her somewhere she's been frequently. She has to be hard to find, just in case. It's a very long shot, but I'm not taking any chances."

Bella's heartbeat had increased again as she listened to my reasoning, and I gently patted her arm to reassure her.

"Just being overcautious," I smiled.

"Okay, I see your point. But..., " the dog gestured towards the mountain range to the east of us. "So hide her here," he suggested eagerly. "There's a million possibilities – places either one of us could be in just a few minutes if there's a need."

I had considered that, but she would leave a scent trail, and that was just not advisable. I shook my head. "Her scent is too strong and, combined with mine, especially distinct. Even if I carried her, it would leave a trail. Our trace is all over the range, but in conjunction with Bella's scent, it would catch their attention. We're not sure exactly which path they'll take, because they don't know yet. If they crossed her scent before they found us... "

I trailed off then because I saw the sheer horror in his mind. We both grimaced at the image of Bella, broken and lifeless.

"Well, shit – I didn't think of that."

That's because you don't have a century of experience, young one.

"You see the difficulties," I said matter-of-factly. He nodded once.

"Yes, damn it."

"There has to be a way to make it work," he muttered, looking towards the forest and flipping through various scenarios in his head, searching for a solution.

Bella swayed next to me, and I pulled her close to steady her. "I need to get you home – you're exhausted. And Charlie will be waking soon... "

"What if I carried her... I wonder if that would mask..." The thought didn't completely form before he wheeled around to face us.

Wait a sec," he said excitedly, "my scent disgusts you, right?"

"Hmm, not bad," I said, thinking about that for a moment. "It's possible. Jasper?"

"Yes? What do you need? I overheard but I don't understand."

"Thanks a lot, Edward. Her future is all dark again, and it's my brother doing that to me." Alice was not happy with my latest decision, and I couldn't blame her. I wasn't happy about it myself, but for once the wolf made perfect sense. His vomitous stench would likely overpower Bella's delicate scent – not for me, but for anyone else, certainly.

"Okay, Jacob," I nodded towards him and he turned to Bella with his arms held out. He was a little wary that I had called Jasper over, but I would explain that to him in just a moment.

I took a deep breath but Jacob cut in before I could speak the words. "We're going to see if I can confuse the scent enough to hide your trail."

Bella stared at Jacob Black, clearly suspicious of his motives.

"You're going to have to let him carry you, Bella," I encouraged her, pained by having to do so, and I couldn't quite hide the distaste in my voice.

Bella frowned and I could taste her reluctance in the air, but Jacob Black took the decision from her hands as he simply scooped her up without waiting for permission, rolling his eyes in the process.

"Don't be such a baby," he muttered, but glanced at me quickly to gauge my reaction.

My frozen heart screamed in pain at seeing her in his arms, but I couldn't afford to be angry – I needed him to make this work, to keep Bella safe. I hated having to depend on him, hated it with a vengeance.

I looked at Jasper, who had followed this exchange with wariness. "Bella's scent is so much more potent to me – I thought it would be a fairer test if someone else tried."

The dog turned away from us and paced towards the woods, Bella clutched tightly – too tightly – in his arms, and I flinched in pain. Jasper gasped quietly next to me as he absorb my emotions, and Alice put a calming hand on my arm.

"Shh, I know. Remember why you're doing this."

I took a deep breath, as I followed the dog with my eyes and my mind. They were not speaking, but in his thoughts I saw that he was trying very hard to suppress his joy at feeling Bella's warm body in his arms.

I hissed under my breath – outraged. Alice tightened her grasp. "Edward," she said warningly before she and Jasper followed the scent trail the fleabag had laid.

The mongrel made a wide arc, and broke out of the trees about halfway from where I was standing and headed back towards me.

"You can put me down now," Bella muttered.

"I don't want to take a chance of messing up the experiment," he teased her. "God, you feel so good. Oops, sorry, bloodsucker."

My teeth clenched, I forced a smooth expression on my face.

"You are so annoying," Bella said angrily.

"Thanks."

I had about enough of that, and was glad when Jasper and Alice appeared next to me.

If this had worked, I would take her up to a high area, a sheer cliff of solid rock, accessible only from the bottom through the forest. She'd be safe there. I'd give her the second cell phone and tell her to call me if she needed help. It wasn't that far away, only about nine miles, and I could cross that distance in minutes.

With her trail obscured, she wouldn't be found. I wasn't quite sure yet, if I'd be able to leave her there alone, and I would certainly need some supplies for her to take with me. I needed to think a bit more on that.

The mongrel put Bella down about six feet away from us, and she walked straight to me and took my hand. I relaxed at her willing touch.

"Well?" she asked simply.

Jasper grimaced. "As long as you don't touch anything, Bella, I can't imagine someone sticking their nose close enough to that trail to catch your scent. I was almost completely obscured."

"A definite success," Alice added, wrinkling her little button nose. "Gross..."

"Hmm... if that dog carried her, some place safe, I don't think the newborns could find her. And we could lay a false trail to the clearing – we can lure them here and finish them off."

"And it gave me an idea," Jasper said out loud.

The vision instantly flashed through Alice's mind.

Brilliant!

"Which will work," she said with confidence.

"Clever," I agreed with a gleeful smile.

"What the hell... " The mongrel did not like what had just transpired and felt left out.

"How do you stand that?" he muttered.

I ignored the comment and looked at Bella whose face was a picture of utter confusion.

"We're – well, you're – going to leave a false trail to the clearing, Bella. The newborns are hunting, your scent will excite them, and they'll come exactly the way we want them to without being careful about it. Alice can already see that this will work. When they catch our scent, they'll split up and try to come at us from two sides. Half will go through the forest, where her vision suddenly disappears... "

"Yes," Jacob hissed, knowing exactly what that meant. I actually smiled at him for a moment, feeling for once a true connection to him. We were fighting on the same side, with the same goal – keeping Bella safe.

"You know, if Bella were here in the clearing..." Jasper thought, "they'd be in a total frenzy. That would make it even easier... "

"Not a chance," I hissed at him, enraged that he would even think of endangering her in that way.

"I know, I know," he said quickly, "I didn't even consider it not, really."

"Consider what?" Alice stepped on his toe.

"Ouch!"

"If Bella was actually there in the clearing," Jasper reluctantly told her, "it would drive them insane. They wouldn't be able to concentrate on anything but her. It would make picking them off truly easy... "

My ferocious glare stopped him from further elaborating, and he quickly backtracked. "Of course it's too dangerous for her. It was just an errand thought."

"But a good one, you have to admit that, Edward. I would never risk her life, but we could keep her safe. We could surround her, the wolves and us, and no one would get through."

"No," I said forcefully, with a murderous glare in his direction. Over my pile of ashes would that ever happen. And now he had likely given Bella an idea I would have to work very hard to persuade her from.

"You're right," Jasper said. "Sorry I mentioned it."

You should be. Damn it.

He took Alice's hand. "Best two out of three?" he asked her as they went back to the rest of the family who were still practicing.

"Did you really think Edward would agree to that?" Alice asked him, shaking her head. "Have you lost your mind?"

He shrugged. "Yeah, I guess that was a little out there. Come on, let's practice some more. Let's see if you can catch me again. I bet you can't... "

Alice giggled.

Jacob stared after them. "How stupid is that? He would risk her like that? What kind of monster is he? Damn, I'm glad Edward didn't agree to it. Jeez, with those scars – I wonder why Bella isn't scared of him. Freak."

I felt the need to defend my brother. "Jasper looks at things from a military perspective," I explained gently. "He looks at all the options – it's thoroughness, not callousness."

The mongrel snorted. "Whatever, leech. I still think it's disgusting he would even think that."

Unconsciously, the dog had inched closer to Bella, and I glared at him for a moment, before reining in my anger.

"I'll bring her here Friday afternoon to lay the false trail. You can meet us afterward, and carry her to a place I know. Completely out of the way, and easily defensible, not that it will come to that. I'll take another route there."

"And then what?" he sneered. "Leave her with a cellphone?"

Apparently, he wasn't too happy with my plan. "You have a better idea?"

To my chagrin, he did. My dismay was short-lived however, because I realized that this was actually a much better idea. This way Bella would not be alone. And she knew this boy.

Jacob turned to Bella whose eyes were flashing from one of us to the other and back, her expression more and more upset. Somehow, I got the impression she didn't like being left out of the conversation.

The dog thought so, too, and he took the opportunity to present himself as the good guy. I decided to let him.

"We tried to talk Seth into staying behind with the younger two. He's still too young, but he's stubborn and he's resisting. So I thought of a new assignment for him – cell phone."

Bella tried very hard to get us to think that she understood – but failed miserably. I suppressed a chuckle and explained.

"As long as Seth Clearwater is in his wolf form, he'll be connected to the pack," I told her and saw the flash of comprehension light up her eyes. I thought of another issue. Bella would be at least nine miles away from the fight – did their telepathic connection reach that far?

"Distance isn't a problem?" I turned back to Jacob Black.

"Nope." He was grinning on the inside.

"Three hundred miles?" I was astounded. "That's impressive."

"That's the farthest we've ever gone to experiment," he told us, but his eyes were on Bella. "Still clear as a bell."

She nodded absentmindedly, and I could tell that her thoughts had drifted on to something else. Not that I would know – unless she told me.

And I had to quickly come to terms with the fact that Jacob Black, my natural enemy, my rival for Bella's love and affection, my nemesis – trying to steal her away from me, had come up with a plan so ingenious and so effective, it left me reeling.

I didn't want to owe him any more than I already did – but what choice did I have? Bella's life was at stake, and I needed to trust her, and trust her love. She was my mate – she was mine. I needed that to be true because the alternative was simply too terrifying.

"It's a good idea," I said, still reeling a little, "I'll feel better with Seth there, even without the instantaneous connection. I don't know if I'd be able to leave Bella there alone. To think it's come to this, though! Trusting werewolves!"

I tried to make a joke there at the end, but he could hear the disgust in my voice, and it echoed in his own as he commented on the situation himself.

"Fighting with vampires instead of against them!"

"Well," I said, with a crooked grin. "You still get to fight some of them."

"Hell yeah, bloodsucker, and we'll enjoy it, too."

He smiled. "That's the reason we're here."

For the very first time in my very long life, ever since we had first met Ephraim Black, I was glad that the Quileutes had this strange gene, this odd mutation, that allowed them to change into horse-size wolves.

Because without them, to quote Emmett, we'd be 'shit up the creek'. I could only agree.

A/N: This chapter was a woozy. If you liked it, won't you click on that green button and sent my muse some love? If you didn't like, I would appreciate some constructive criticism.

Thanks for reading. Till next time...