Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight and its characters. No copyright infringement is intended.

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Chapter Twenty-Five

Edward and I remained unmoving in the park until Jacob's figure disappeared back down the street, towards the main part of town.

"Edward..." I whispered, more uneasy now than before. "I don't... are you sure about this?"

He shook his head. "Honestly love, the only thing I'm sure about is that Jacob isn't lying. In fact, he's furious about this deal. He doesn't agree with Sam on it at all."

"What was he thinking?"

Edward studied my face for a moment before replying. "His feelings for me are unchanged. For you, though... he's feeling much more conflicted. He doesn't want to see you hurt. He wants me and the rest of our family dead, but he... he wants to see you get away."

I thought that over. "This isn't a trap, though?"

"No, his orders from Sam were fairly explicit. He's to keep an eye on us until we leave town, the rest of them will keep their distance, and then they're all returning to La Push."

"Should we have called Carlisle before we agreed to this?" The gnawing anxiety inside of me was only slightly lessened by his words.

"It wouldn't have made a difference; this was a non-negotiable offer on their part. And if even unreasonable demands like the ones they've made will keep you and the rest of the family safe, then Carlisle will agree. Believe me."

I bit my lip. "I don't trust them. Do you?"

"Trust the wolves? Of course not... they were trying to kill us all less than twenty-four hours ago. We won't drop any of our precautions, of course, and we'll remain on guard until we are far away from them." He reached down and clasped my hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Come on, let's go let the others know."

"Alice hasn't seen it yet?"

We began walking slowly back towards the hotel, both of us still training all our instincts to take in the sounds and smells around us, wary for any sign of Jacob, Sam, or the others.

"Alice's visions are so clouded and uncertain now, with the wolves' constant presence, she's not sure what's real and what isn't. If vampires could get headaches, she would have one."

Downtown Wasilla buzzed around us, normal humans going about their normal business, blissfully oblivious to the life-or-death concerns that swirled around us at the moment. It was a foreign land to me now; one that I couldn't relate to in any form, but I envied them their ignorance. If only life were as simple for my family now.

We arrived back at the hotel without catching any sign of the wolves, and Edward stopped at the front desk just long enough to reserve two more rooms. He caught the curious look I shot him and grinned. "I think that we're all in need of some one-on-one time with our significant others, wouldn't you say?"

I could feel the first genuine smile since the previous morning blooming over my face, and approval flared in Edward's eyes. "I think that's a wonderful idea."

He smiled down at me and then tucked me under his arm, keeping me pressed solidly to his side as we took the elevator upstairs. Alice yanked the hotel room door open before Edward even had a chance to reach for the knob, and neatly snatched one of the new room keys from his hand. "Thank you, brother dear!" she sang, with more cheer than I'd seen from her in hours.

"Did we miss anything?"

"Carlisle is on the phone with Eleazar now," Alice responded, before darting back across the room to where Jasper still stood by the window. "Things aren't sounding good."

"In what way?"

Alice sighed. "I'll let him explain."

Carlisle was sitting at the desk, his head propped against one fist, a troubled look on his face as he listened intently. He looked up and, at a quick gesture from Edward, finally spoke into the phone. "Bella and Edward have just arrived back, and I believe they may have some news for us. Please, Eleazar, don't take any action yet. I'll call you back within the hour." He ended the call and dropped the phone on the desk, then turned all his attention to us.

"Bad news?" Edward queried.

"Possibly. But tell us everything that went on for you two first."

Edward quickly filled everyone in on all the events of the day, concluding with Sam's offer through Jacob and our acceptance. "What do you think?"

Carlisle sat back slowly. "I trust your judgment, Edward. You have just as much experience with them as I, in addition to the ability to read their group mind. You truly feel that this offer is genuine?"

"I don't believe it," Jasper interrupted from the window.

"I know, I completely understand," Edward replied. "But the wolves don't know I can read their minds, so they have no reason to try and mask their thoughts. Sam's instructions to Jacob were clear and explicit. Jacob is to stay in human form to monitor us until we leave the area."

"But why Jacob?" Carlisle mused. "Why not Sam himself?"

"Jacob seems to be Sam's second-in-command, but honestly, I think they're hoping to exploit Bella's feelings for him. They know how close they were before, and even Jacob recognizes that he's the least likely one that she would kill, or allow to be killed. It's one of the reasons he's resentful about this order he's been given."

"And what are Jacob's feelings for Bella?"

Edward didn't hesitate. "If it were up to him, he would turn a blind eye and let her go. The rest of us could be torn to pieces for all he cares; his resentment towards me is especially strong. He's slowly starting to believe her, though."

"That's it, then," I exclaimed. "Edward, if Jacob will listen to me, especially if he's staying in human form, then he can convince…"

Edward was already shaking his head. "I don't want to take the time to even try, love. This offer they've presented us with is more than fair, in their minds, even if we know otherwise. And for your safety, for the safety of everyone in this family, I suggest we take it for now. With no vampires left in Forks, the wolves will stop phasing and live out their normal human lifetime."

"Wait, what?" I gave him a puzzled glance.

"It was part of their tribal legend, Bella," Carlisle explained. "That the Quileutes would phase only when a threat from the Cold Ones was nearby. After we left Forks the last time, they eventually stopped shifting altogether, and it was only when we returned again years later that it began again, with a new generation."

"So if we stay away from Washington… this particular pack will stop phasing?"

"As far as we understand, yes. However…" Here Carlisle took a deep breath. "We have a complicating factor."

Edward had already read the news in his mind, I could tell by his immediate frown, but he allowed Carlisle to explain it to the rest of us aloud.

"Eleazar and the rest of the Denali family… they now know what happened to Irina, and they're set on revenge. The only thing that is keeping them from traveling here now and hunting down each and every wolf is their recognition of the danger it could pose to us. But they're asking for our help."

"For exterminating the pack?" I guessed.

"Yes… I told Eleazar that we would discuss it as a family and let him know our decision."

"Why is it a decision?" Jasper snapped. "Call Rosalie and Emmett in, with them it'll be twelve of us against the wolves. We could easily take them with those numbers."

Carlisle gave him a long look. "I understand your point of view, Jasper, but I refused to make a decision on behalf of this family without every member's input. We've been given a choice… to leave peacefully and stay away, guaranteeing our safety, or to go on the offensive and deal with an uncertain outcome. If any of us disagrees with what our family as a whole decides upon, of course no one will be forced to act one way or another."

A long silence followed his statement, before Esme finally spoke. "I choose the peaceful route. I'm not willing to take a chance on losing any one of you over revenge."

"I'm sure you all know my choice, but I agree with Esme," Carlisle said. "I would never forgive myself if we wasted a chance to leave safely and live peacefully. Even if it does cause a rift between us and our extended family." His eyes swung to Edward and I. "Bella?"

"I'm with you and Esme," I said automatically. There was nothing I wanted more than to put the width of a continent between the wolves and my family.

"And I agree with Bella," Edward immediately echoed. All our eyes then moved to Jasper and Alice, standing by the window. Alice's face was troubled but resolute, and I suddenly realized exactly what her answer would be even before she voiced it aloud.

"I… I'll do whatever Jasper is doing. If he wants to stay and fight with the Denalis, I'm staying with him. Because if anything happened to him, I wouldn't want to…" Her voice broke off painfully, and Jasper pulled her tightly to him, then lifted hard topaz eyes to meet Carlisle's questioning gaze.

"I'm a soldier, Carlisle, you know that."

"Yes," he acknowledged quietly.

"Running from the enemy… accepting their unreasonable terms… it goes against every instinct in my body. I would be willing to stay and help the Denalis, but…" He took a deep breath and stiffened. "You all are my family, and I go where my family goes."

"Then it's settled," Carlisle said with a heavy finality. "I'll contact Eleazar and let him know of our decision… and our reasons behind it. We grieve Irina's loss, but the Denalis' actions will put everyone's lives in jeopardy. It's a risk with an uncertain outcome, and we don't want violence enough to throw away a chance we've been given… even if we have good reason for wanting vengeance." He looked for a moment at Esme and she nodded slightly. "I'll also arrange for the shipping company to meet us at the house at first light tomorrow morning. We won't stay the entire time, though, only pack up what's immediately necessary to each of us. We'll go to the house in Prince Edward Island for now, until we settle on a more permanent residence."

He then turned to Edward with a small smile. "Since it's been so conveniently arranged for us all to have some time alone, I suggest we make the most of it. But we mustn't let our guard completely down. Until we're thousands of miles from Alaska, we'll still have to be on the alert, in case the wolves change their minds."

Alice was already tugging Jasper towards the door, and I looked up at Edward expectantly. His gaze was locked with Carlisle's, and I could tell immediately that they were having a silent conversation. Edward finally frowned and shook his head, then reached down to take my hand. "Shall we, Mrs. Cullen?"

Our new room was down the hall, and after Edward and I slipped inside, I took a deep breath. "What was Carlisle saying?"

Edward didn't reply immediately, lifting his hand to gently brush it over my cheek. "He's concerned about your thirst. How are you feeling? Be honest with me."

The sore throat feeling had been growing all day, and now that Edward had called my attention to it again, I felt the burn intensify. "It's… getting worse."

"Is it manageable?" His beautiful eyes met mine squarely, and I knew I wouldn't be helping the situation by trying to minimize how I felt.

"It's manageable now, yes. But what does it matter if there's nothing we can do about it?"

"There's always something, love… even if I have to go track down a stray cat or dog."

"No," I said immediately, surprising even myself. Draining someone's pet would be an absolute last resort, aside from attacking an unsuspecting human. "What's my other option?"

Edward smiled and pulled me closer to him, bending down to run his lips gently over my ear. "Or I can try to keep you distracted… all night."

"I choose that option," I replied breathlessly, and turned my face to meet his kiss. He moaned softly against me and I felt all my senses prickle, responding to him automatically as they always did.

My hands came up and I pushed my fingers through his hair, luxuriating in his scent, his touch, the drag of his tongue against my own. I knew that neither one of us would be able to completely abandon ourselves and tune out the world until the threat of the wolves was much further away, but I closed my eyes and let myself be surrounded by him, let him make the burn go away as desire replaced it.

He growled softly in approval and had me laid out flat on the bed before I could blink an eye, hovering above me long enough pull his shirt over his head. I sat up, my lips seeking his again while my urgent hands unfastened and pulled his jeans down. He held still and let me undress him, watching me through half-lidded eyes, until his completely nude body was exposed to me. I moaned softly as my arousal bloomed hotter, the sight of his beautiful body making me ache. No matter how many times I'd seen him naked, I always had the same response: need.

He grinned slightly as he sensed my reaction, and then pushed me back down to the bed. "I'd love to tear the clothes off your body," he whispered, punctuating his words with a long swipe of his tongue over my throat, "But I don't have any to replace them with. And I don't want anyone else to see what is mine."

"Yours." I arched against him impatiently as he pulled off all my clothes with over-exaggerated carefulness, making a great show of tossing them into a semi-neat pile on a nearby chair. When he finally had me undressed, he pulled back for a moment, looking over my body, and then let one finger trail down my skin, between my breasts, over my navel, then to where I was already wet and desperate for his touch. I gasped and squirmed more insistently as he began to slowly stroke me there.

No part of his body moved except for his hand as he hovered over me, watching me with single-minded intensity. He knew me so exquisitely well, knew exactly how to tease the most delicious of sensations from every nerve ending I possessed, and too soon I could feel my body reaching for climax. "Edward…" I moaned, desperate for him.

"I want to watch you come," he replied simply.

I clenched my teeth and let out a long groan as one, and then two fingers, slipped into me, moving lazily enough to keep me still just teetering on the brink. He seemed to sense when the brush of his thumb was just about to push me over, and would pull it back. The fingers inside me twisted and stroked, occasionally pumping in and out of me, intensifying the burn that was foremost on my mind at the moment.

Finally Edward smiled a little and, without ceasing the motion of his hand, whispered to me even as he slid down my body. "I want to watch you come because I'm the only one who gets to see it. I'm the only one who makes it happen. And I know exactly how to do it."

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

There was approximately an hour left before dawn, when I knew that we would be rendezvousing with the rest of the family for the return to the house. I rolled onto my stomach and rested my head on Edward's chest, letting the rise and fall of his chest soothe me. "Is the Denali family going to be angry that we aren't staying?"

Edward stroked his hand gently down over my hair. "Yes. I heard in Carlisle's thoughts that they're already upset that we didn't immediately agree to help them. This may mean the end of our relationship with them."

I thought for a moment. "I can't help but feel guilty about it… the wolves killed one of their family, and not only are we refusing to help avenge her death, we made a last-minute deal to save ourselves."

"Yes," Edward replied quietly, "In black-and-white, that is certainly how it appears."

"It's just hard to wrap my mind around, I suppose."

Edward kept up the gentle motion of his hand over my head. "I understand. If anything had happened to you, nothing on this planet would have kept me from destroying those responsible, even if it meant my own destruction as well. But I'm not willing to participate in a proactively aggressive campaign which might put you at risk. Vampires are very selfish creatures, even those of us who live in families and who are more peaceful than our more traditional counterparts. Right now, our safety, the safety of our family, is more important to us than anything else, even if it means the loss of friends we've had for decades."

"But where is that line drawn?"

He lifted his hand from my hair and gently trailed his fingers over my cheek to my lips. "If I ever found myself in the position of avenging any wrong done to you, I would never expect anyone else to help me. If the others wanted to assist, I wouldn't refuse them, but I would never use friendship as a bargaining tool to gain assistance. The Denalis have done just that."

"I see."

"And although I have plenty of reasons to want to tear the pack apart, one at a time, your safety will always be my primary concern. I'm willing to put aside my desire to kill them all to ensure that they'll be far away from you."

"From us," I corrected him. "What about Carlisle and Esme, then?"

Edward smiled a little. "Believe me, Carlisle did some very serious damage to the wolf that injured Esme. If he hadn't been concerned about getting her to safety, and making sure that the rest of us were all right, he probably would have stayed to finish the job."

"Oh," I said, surprised at this bit of new information. Even understanding vampire instinct as I did now, it was still hard to imagine Carlisle willfully injuring any living creature. "What if it had been me, and they'd killed me instead of Irina?"

"My reaction would be automatic," he said simply. "Although the rest of our family would probably have joined me, just as all the Denalis are planning to attack the wolves."

"What's going to happen to them?"

"The odds aren't in their favor," was his short reply.

We were quiet for a long while again before I spoke. "Did you hear any of the wolves, overnight?"

Edward scowled slightly. "Yes, Jacob was outside the hotel all night."

"What?" I rose up slightly to stare at him, astonished. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't see the point in worrying you since he couldn't hear us, and you seemed to be having fun with what we were doing." I smacked his bare chest and he grinned. "He wasn't doing anything except what he was ordered… keeping an eye on us."

"So he's going to follow us back to the house?"

"Probably, yes."

This time I was the one who scowled. "So nothing has changed?"

"Not that I'm aware of. Although…" He turned to look at the first weak glow of daybreak that was beginning to leak around the closed curtains. "We should probably get up and dressed. Carlisle and Esme already left to rent a car to get back to the house, and the movers will be meeting us there."

"The specialty movers?"

"Yes." He sat up, kissed my cheek and then reached over to grab my clothes. "Carlisle called and made all the arrangements right after we left the room yesterday."

"And they'll be there already? With such short notice?"

Edward chuckled and began pulling on his own clothing. "Anything can be bought for the right price, Bella. It's something you'll get used to."

"What should I plan on packing?"

"Just a few changes of clothing, anything you think you might need. Your journal, definitely, and maybe your family pictures. We stored Charlie's belongings in the basement of the main house without unpacking them, so his things will just be packed in with ours again. We'll take as many of our cars as we need to the airport in Anchorage, then arrange to have them freighted to wherever we end up for a while."

"We'll be flying?"

"There are far too many stretches of lonely highway between here and Prince Edward Island, love, and we're not going to hand the wolves any chances to ambush us. Just because we're taking the offer they've grudgingly offered doesn't mean we're letting our guard down."

Finished dressing, we left our room and found Jasper and Alice waiting in the hallway. "Carlisle and Esme will be back in nine minutes with the car," Alice informed us.

"Can you see anything else that's going to happen today?" Edward ran his hand down my back and I unconsciously leaned into the comfort of his touch, as I always did.

"Not with that stupid mutt sitting outside, like a fox watching the henhouse." Irritation colored Alice's normally cheerful voice.

"Look on the bright side," Jasper offered. "As long as he's out there, and as long as Edward can read his mind, the wolves won't be able to get the jump on us."

She rolled her eyes. "Okay, fine, which makes him about as useful as a CB radio. One that reeks of wet dirty dog."

I couldn't help it, I laughed, and Alice stuck out her tongue at me. "Laugh all you want, Bella, it's your former friend that's stinking up the joint."

Even Edward laughed a little at that, and we went downstairs to wait for Carlisle and Esme. The smell of the humans who were beginning to trickle into the lobby for the continental breakfast caused a strong burning stab directly into my throat, and Edward casually pulled me against him again, wrapping his arm tightly around my waist. I shut my eyes, took one painfully exquisite breath, and then stopped breathing.

"Sunlight?" Edward inquired, nodding towards the light that was growing brighter just outside the lobby doors.

"Intermittent," Alice replied promptly. "As long as we stay inside the house after we get there, until we're ready to leave, we should be okay."

After what seemed like an eternity, an SUV with dark-tinted windows pulled up under the hotel's drop-off canopy, and we all moved as one to climb in after Alice warned that the sun would be peeking out in less than thirty seconds. Edward tucked me into the center row of seats and then came after me, Jasper and Alice followed suit and sat down behind us. Once the doors were safely shut I took in a long deep breath.

Esme smiled sympathetically at me from the front passenger seat. "How are you holding up, Bella?"

Even the smell of the last humans who had been in this rented car was making me thirsty. "It's getting a lot worse."

"She needs to hunt," Edward said flatly. "When we get to the house, as long as the wolves aren't around, she and I will go into the woods just far enough for her to be able to find something."

"By yourself? Not a good idea," came Jasper's automatic dispute from the backseat.

"She and I are safer than any of the rest of you, since she can shield us from the wolves. They were no more than twenty feet below us when we were up in the tree, and not a one of them caught our scent. As long as we're careful, we should be fine."

"But splitting up…" Jasper started again, but this time Edward cut him off.

"Consider the alternative, then."

Alice sighed and I heard her begin murmuring quietly to Jasper, probably pointing out the truth in Edward's words. I appreciated Jasper's concern for us, but Edward was right… if I put off hunting any longer I'd be a danger to any humans we came close to. I didn't even want to think about what the airplane ride was going to be like.

We'd been on the road no more than five minutes when I noticed Carlisle looking repeatedly in the rear-view mirror. Edward growled softly, and I looked up at him. "What is it?"

"Our escort, of course," he muttered, gesturing behind us. I twisted in the seat and peered out the dark-tinted back window, only to see a motorcycle some distance back, occasionally out of view as we wove around curves and moved deeper into the forest.

"Is that… Jacob?"

"Naturally."

"Where in the world did he get a motorcycle?"

"Who the hell knows?" he grumbled softly, before meeting Carlisle's eyes in the rearview mirror.

"I wonder why he didn't just phase back into wolf form for this trip," Esme mused. "He seems to be going to a lot of trouble to keep tabs on us this way."

"Alpha's orders," Edward answered her. "It was extremely clear in Jacob's mind; he was to remain in human form to keep us within sight at all times. And probably to serve as a reminder that they're watching us."

"Watching us do what?" I asked, my own irritation breaking through. "He's going to watch us pack?"

"If he insists upon it, he can remain outside, within view of the house," Carlisle interrupted smoothly. "We want to impress upon them that we're doing exactly what we said we would do. Let's not give any reason to provoke a fight."

The rest of the drive was made in silence, all of us now aware of the faint roar of the motorcycle engine that was never far behind us. When Carlisle slowed and made the turn into the long drive to our home, Jacob followed closely, only lagging back when Carlisle pulled up and parked in front of the house. Not far away were several burly men waiting next to a large unmarked white moving truck.

"We have about four minutes until the sun comes out again," Alice piped up, and Carlisle nodded.

"All of you, go ahead and pack up only what you need, you know what to do. I'll have them start with the basement and the downstairs, so that we can move at our normal speed while packing our own things. We need to be on the road to Anchorage no later than two o'clock. Bella, Edward, you'll be most vulnerable since you're apart from the main house…"

"Bella will keep shielding us both," Edward assured him. "I don't like that it means Alice won't be able to see my future, if she's able to, but the benefit of being shielded outweighs the risk."

Carlisle nodded. "Are you going to hunt first?"

"Yes." I answered him before Edward could. "Then we'll pack and come back up here, and stay at the main house."

"Good idea. Everyone… please be careful." The unspoken meaning behind his simple words spoke volumes.

As we climbed out of the car, I held my breath and walked quickly away from the movers and the red mist that swirled tantalizingly around them, Edward close by my side. "Let's just go down the drive a bit, and into the woods from there," he said quietly.

I nodded, and then groaned when I saw Jacob leaning against his motorcycle outside our cottage. "This is ridiculous."

"I couldn't agree more," Edward muttered, giving Jacob a dark look and then ignoring him completely as we walked past the cottage, further down the drive.

"Hey… where are you going?" Jacob called out.

"Hunting," Edward snapped back. "Your actions have prevented Bella from hunting for several days now. Ironically, because of your interference, more humans have been at risk."

"What the hell are you going to hunt? Hey…"

Our pace didn't slow, but then Edward wrapped his hand around my upper arm. "Keep walking, love," he murmured, too low for Jacob to hear.

"Get back here! Where in the hell do you think you're…" I could hear the pounding of Jacob's feet now as he ran up behind us, and my protective instincts immediately took over.

I twisted against Edward's hand and snarled, trying to put my body between Edward and the threat behind us. It was an automatic action, and I'd moved into a defensive crouch before I even realized it. "Back off, Jacob," I ground out through clenched teeth.

He froze in surprise, probably shocked at the sudden ferocious change in my demeanor. "What the hell, Bella? Where are you going?"

"He told you. I have to fucking hunt before I go back up there and drain those humans because you and your friends have kept me from what I need to stay sane. That wasn't part of your brilliant plan, was it?"

Jacob hesitated and cast a quick look back over his shoulder, obviously nervous over the fact that the vampires he was tailing were splitting up. "You're going to hunt what, deer or something?"

"Anything that doesn't walk on two legs," Edward replied coldly. "Beat it, mutt." With that, he applied gentle pressure on my arm and we began moving forward again, this time cutting off at an angle and plunging into the forest. After a moment, the crunching snow and whipping of branches told me that Jacob had decided to follow us, and I groaned again.

"Just ignore him," Edward advised. "There are some deer not too far in this direction, come on. Jacob," he called back over his shoulder, "Unless you want to find out the hard way that a vampire's hunting frenzy means she might ignore your stench to get at your blood, I strongly suggest you keep your distance."

I heard Jacob grumble something under his breath, but by then I'd caught the scent of the deer that Edward had pointed out. Immediately my body and mind snapped to the hunt, my entire focus on the weak creatures that didn't even have a chance to run before we were on them. I caught and drained one, then chased another a short distance into the forest, sighing as my teeth sank deeply into the vein that pulsed madly under my lips. When I'd finished that one, I reluctantly let the body drop to the forest floor. The rest of the deer had scattered by then, and I was too wary to go any deeper into the forest after them.

Edward stood not too far away, watching me. "Better now, love?"

"Yes. What about you?"

"I didn't bother… I was keeping an eye on him and making sure none of his friends were lurking around."

"Aren't you thirsty?"

"I hunted with you a few days ago, and I can go much longer without needing to. I wanted to make sure you weren't interrupted."

"What now?" Jacob called sarcastically to us. "No fuzzy little bunnies for dessert or anything?"

I stopped a few yards away from him, my temper finally snapping. "What the hell is your problem, Jacob? I hunt animals so that I won't hunt humans, but that's not good enough for you either?"

"You're not hunting, you're sucking their blood just like the leech they turned you into."

"And how exactly is that different from hunting with guns and eating the meat from the animals you kill?"

He glared at me for a long moment, obviously realizing he couldn't win with this particular brand of logic. "I want to talk to you."

"Talking isn't part of the agreement we have with you," Edward objected immediately. "We're packing our things and then we're leaving, just as you've all insisted."

"I didn't say I wanted to talk to you," sneered Jacob. "I would rather kill you. I want to talk to Bella, if you allow her to speak for herself, that is."

Edward's jaw clenched and a dangerous look flashed over his face. "I will kill you if you don't back off."

"Edward," I said quickly, hating to disagree with him, but more afraid of what might happen if I didn't. His eyes were darkening rapidly even as he looked down at me, but he knew in an instant what I was going to say before I spoke. "Let him say whatever he has to get off his chest. Then we'll never have to see him again. Please, trust me?"

His lips tightened before he took a long deep breath, obviously fighting to calm himself. "I trust you."

I turned to Jacob. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Not while he's standing right there," he objected immediately, and I put my hand on Edward's arm before he could say anything.

"You don't really think he's going to let me go off with you, do you?"

Jacob gritted his teeth. "We don't have to go far. I just… I can't stand to look at him, Bella. I can't talk to you and be rational and remember what I have to say to you when he's standing right there. The fucking bloodsucker that murdered you."

I shook my head. "That is one thing we'll have to discuss and get clear. But he's not going anywhere."

Jacob turned and then pointed at a fallen log about fifteen yards away. "That's close enough. You and I can sit, he can stay right where he is."

"Are you planning on an hour-long cozy chat?" Edward asked sarcastically. "Keep in mind, mutt, either she or I could kill you in a heartbeat, before you even had a chance to phase."

"Whatever," Jacob muttered, before turning his back to me and stomping over to the fallen log. I gave Edward a long look, asking him silently if I would be safe. After a moment, he gave me a tiny nod, but anxiety and disapproval were tight around his mouth.

"Thank you for trusting me," I whispered to him, before standing on my tip-toes to kiss his rigid lips. Then I turned and, in a few lightning-fast strides, stood next to Jacob.

"Jesus, Bella," he gasped. "Warn a guy next time."

"You've been given ample warning. I'm not going to hide what I am from you."

"This is not what you are, it's what they've turned you into."

"Semantics," I sighed, before sitting down on the log. I could see Edward glowering at us through the trees, and I knew that he was fixating on Jacob's mind, making sure that he didn't pose any threat to me at any moment. "Sit down, you're the one who wanted to talk."

He hesitated for a brief moment, and then dropped down to sit as well, making sure to keep a couple of feet between us. "Why don't you stink like the rest of them do?"

"It's a really long story that we don't have time for right now."

Jacob rolled his eyes. "Fine. Listen… I'm not going soft on you. I meant what I said yesterday, in the park."

"The part about me being dead to you?" He nodded, and I shrugged. "I wish you didn't feel that way, Jacob."

He shifted uneasily, and I could tell he was struggling for words. "You are dead, Bella."

"Yes, technically."

"I just… I owe it to my dad, and you owe it to me… to just… tell me the truth, okay?"

"I'll tell you the truth," I promised.

Jacob squeezed his eyes tightly shut for a moment. "Did you choose this?"

"Yes."

"How did… was it for him?" He jerked his chin towards where Edward still stood motionless, watching us.

"I guess when it comes down to the bare basics, yes."

"Why?"

"Because I love him," was my quiet reply, but Jacob flinched as if he'd been shot. Edward moved too, his muscles tightening as he leaned towards us, and I quickly shook my head at him.

"How can you… what do you mean you love him? Bella, he's a fucking vampire!"

"And you're a werewolf, evidently," I responded, willing my newborn temper down. "What makes one more acceptable than another?"

"We don't kill humans, for one," he said sourly.

"Neither do they… we, I mean. You know that."

"They killed you."

"No," I said immediately, hoping to drive this point home to Jacob so that he could carry the truth of it back to the rest of the pack, and to Billy at La Push. "Jacob… the car accident was just that, an accident. I was dying out in the woods; I was literally a few minutes from death when Edward and Carlisle found me."

"They… did this to you while you were in no position to think about it, to understand the consequences of their actions?"

"Actually, we'd been… discussing it for some time."

Jacob lifted his eyes and for the first time I saw raw hurt in them. "What?"

"Edward and I… we fell in love. He knew I wanted to be with him forever."

"How long have you been in love?" He practically spat the word out, and I thought for a moment before smiling a little.

"It depends on which one of us you ask."

He turned away from me then, and rubbed his knuckles roughly across his face. "So you and the bloodsucker fell in love, and you were planning on having him turn you into one of them?"

"Yes… it wasn't supposed to happen as soon as it did, never mind how it did, but I would have died that night if he hadn't acted right away."

"You should have died… really died, Bella."

"You'd rather I be dead than to know I'm just in a different form, and happy? Deep down inside I'm still Bella, Jake. I'm still that same person at heart; still the person you said was your best friend. My body being different now doesn't change that any more than the fact that you're still Jacob even when you're in wolf-form, right?"

He was already shaking his head. "No… it's different."

"How?"

"They're bad… evil. They bring death everywhere they go."

"Don't all living creatures? Didn't other living things have to die for me to live, before this? I can understand your concern about other vampires, but you know we pose no threat to any humans… or we try our very best not to. Your great-grandfather understood that."

Jacob's head swiveled sharply back to face me. "What?"

"Your great-grandfather was the one who formed the original truce with the Cullen family. You knew that. Edward was there. He said that Ephraim Black was a lot like Carlisle… only wanting the best for his family, but able to see past preconceived notions to decide what was best for them."

"Preconceived notions is a bit of an understatement, Bella," Jake said harshly. "This is bred into our very being, into the depths of our flesh and bone. We're designed to kill vampires. We only begin phasing when they're around."

I shrugged. "And we're designed to kill humans, but we don't. There's an exception to every rule, obviously."

He looked at me incredulously. "How can you be so… so casual about all this?"

"Jake…" I lifted my eyes to meet his squarely. "If, when we all leave here, you decide to believe that your best friend died out on Highway 101 back in November, and that you're going to mourn me and move on, you can. Or you can choose to believe me when I tell you that I'm happy. Isn't that what you would have wanted for me, regardless?"

"Not like this." His voice was hoarse.

"You'd rather let Sam tear me to pieces and light them on fire?"

Jacob started to reply and then hesitated, looking through the trees to where Edward still stood silently. "Not you, no. This isn't what I would have ever wanted for you, but I would never hurt you. Him, on the other hand…"

"If anything happened to him, it would destroy me," I said quietly. "It's one of those things I can't explain to you, but the absence of him would be the end of me. If you're planning on killing Edward, go ahead and take me out too. Or try to, rather."

His dark eyes were incredulous when they met mine again. "You'd pick him over me?"

"Yes," my answer was immediate and resolute. "I'd pick him over everyone and everything, including myself."

Jacob shuddered slightly and stared at the footprints we'd left in the snow before us: his were heavy and deep, mine were small and spaced so far apart that they almost didn't even resemble a human's. "Bella…" he said after a few minutes, "Sam meant what he said. If any of you ever come near La Push or Washington again…"

"How do I know we can trust Sam's word? How do I know he's not out there somewhere waiting to ambush us?"

Jacob shook his head. "It's a wolf-thing… when we're in wolf-form we share something like a group mind. It's hard to explain, but he couldn't lie to me if he tried, I'd know. Besides, I'm his second-in-command… his right hand, so to speak."

"Or paw?" I don't know where my weak attempt at humor had come from, but Jacob looked at me strangely.

"That… that sounded a lot like something the old you would have said, actually."

I rolled my eyes. "You're starting to catch on, then."

He hunched forward, his shoulders rolling in as his head dropped down. "I'm saying goodbye to you now, Bella. This is… I'm never going to see you again. I'm going to tell myself that you believe you're happy but… I don't think I'll ever believe it."

I swallowed hard, the pain in his voice hitting me more viciously than I'd ever anticipated. "Jake… if that's what you want to believe, I can't say anything to convince you otherwise. But I want to tell you that you were… you are the best friend, best brother, I could have ever asked for. And I love you for it still. Tell Billy that too, okay?"

"Yeah, sure." His shoulders hunched together more tightly and I saw Edward shift uneasily out of the corner of my eye.

"Jake…what's wrong?"

Another shudder went through him. "It's nothing, I just… right now I'd give almost anything to be able to disobey an alpha's order."

"What do you mean?"

"Sam ordered me to stay in human form, to keep an eye on you." His voice was muffled as his head was still bent forward. "But right now, I just want to get the fuck out of here. I want to phase and just run, to get all this out of my head."

"So do it!"

Jacob's head snapped up, frustration creasing his face. "I can't Bella, and that's something that you don't get. I can't just do whatever I want as long as I'm forced to keep phasing, to be part of a pack, to obey an alpha's commands, because there are bloodsuckers around!"

I saw Edward tensing again and knew that he was only seconds away from crossing the yards between us as Jacob's anger visibly increased. "Should we just say goodbye, then?"

"That would probably be a good idea," he hissed.

I heard him, and immediately understood that those words were his goodbye. There wasn't going to be any kind of bittersweet reconciliation, or even a proper farewell. Jacob would keep watch over us all until we'd left the area, and that would be the last I'd see of him. It wasn't what I would have wished for, but it was better than I'd hoped. "Goodbye, Jake," I said softly, and then stood, my eyes going to where Edward stood a short distance away, waiting for me.

My gaze locked with his automatically, of course, but a flicker of movement behind him and off to the left caught my attention. Immediately I was tracking it, trying to focus on where it appeared that a piece of the forest had shifted. And then the same thing happened to the right. This time there was a break in the trees between me and the aberration, and understanding roared through me just as they realized they'd been spotted.

My mind was able to process even faster than my body could respond, and I saw everything in great clarity in the briefest fraction of a second: Edward swinging around and falling into a defensive crouch as his eyes narrowed and went to the deepest shade of midnight; and the enormous wolves abandoning their stealthy hunt and charging forward. Three of them… one on each side and one directly behind him.

Another fraction of a second later as my mind flicked through strategies and then settled on action as my body launched into defensive mode. I could feel the strength as it poured into my muscles, waiting for a command, a flicker of a thought that would send me spinning into movement.

Every instinct in my battle-ready mind and body screamed at me to get to Edward, to protect my mate with each ounce of physical strength I possessed, but some icy logical part of my brain calculated and then realized that even if I did, and reached him before the wolves, they would be on us and tearing us to pieces before we'd be able to start fighting back. This enemy depended on a frenzied pack approach, one that would tear us to pieces, not skillfully assess and attack our weakest points. If I went to Edward, they'd have both of us penned in, and it would be over in a matter of seconds. There wasn't enough time for me to stop them, but there might be enough time to catch their attention.

Even faster than thought now, without even looking, I reached behind me and my seeking hand found Jacob's shaggy hair… much shorter than when I'd seen him last at La Push, but still long enough for me to shove my fingers through and then fist in a vise-like grip that was virtually unbreakable. He was just gathering air into his lungs to yelp as I gave him a powerful yank, almost snapping his neck, dragging him so that his body was in front of mine. My mouth opened and my teeth settled against his neck, directly over where his carotid artery was just beginning a frenzied hammering.

Perhaps one second passed then, as the startled yell that had been accumulating in Jacob's chest finally erupted, echoing over the snow and between the barren trees. I pressed my teeth harder against him, not quite forcefully enough to break the skin, but enough so that he went completely rigid as I tightened my grip in his hair.

And all the while, my eyes never moved from Edward.

I could see every thought, every emotion that flickered over his face in those few seconds: shock, disbelief, and ultimately fury. As his body pivoted to face the enemy that thundered towards him, I saw a flash of his black eyes and suddenly realized that if that brief glance was the last time I would see them awake and aware of me, seeking reassurance that I was safe, then my own rage and grief would be enough to obliterate the entire forest around us.

It settled thickly on my mind as though I were Alice in one of her trances, seeing the future, living it for the moments that it took possession of all her senses. For that brief instant, seeing the reality of my world without Edward, was enough to cause my entire being, my body, emotions, love, hate, trust, fear, the instinct to protect, and the ability to kill, to compress and then explode from somewhere deep inside my mind.

I felt, rather than saw, the flex and the wave that trembled through my shield, as far as it reached to encompass both Edward and I. I felt the sudden impermeability of it, the strength: not so much a brick wall as a rubber band that would bend but then snap back with twice the force exerted against it. I felt it shudder even as my physical eyes saw the wolves sheer off at sudden sharp angles from where they would have fallen on my mate a brief second later, crashing against trees, stunned and disoriented long enough for me to shove Jacob a few more feet forward. The last vestiges of human-Bella were gone, the only thing I saw now was Edward, slowly uncurling from the crouch he'd dropped into as the wolves had descended on him.

"I'll kill him!" It was my voice, I could hear it even as my mind coldly assessed our three enemies, finally fixing on the largest, blackest wolf. I knew without a doubt that it was Sam Uley who had come at my husband from behind, intent on reducing his body to nothing but rubble and then to purple-black smoke. "I'll kill him, but I won't do it quickly… if I bite him my venom will kill him slowly and painfully, and it will be on you, Sam!"

Jacob whimpered slightly as my teeth scraped over his skin with every word I spoke. The three wolves we faced were slowly regrouping, shaking off the stunned effect of a moment before, pulling themselves together even as their movements were hesitant enough to show me that they weren't quite sure what had just happened. I could feel the thickened presence of my shield, though, still surrounding Edward and I. I couldn't see the difference in it, but I could feel it… the difference between a windbreaker and a parka on a frigid day, or the fragile skin of bare knuckles verses the protection of a boxing glove.

"Bella…" Jacob whispered, genuine terror evident in that one word. For the briefest moment I almost felt a flicker of regret, of sadness that another's actions would push me to this point, to hurting someone I still cared for.

But as long as the one I lived, loved, and breathed for was in danger, nothing else mattered. Nothing and no one.

The black wolf that I knew was Sam had recovered more quickly than his two cohorts, and trembling lips peeled back to reveal long white teeth and a furious snarl which was meant to intimidate. I snarled back at him, undeterred, quickly measuring how close they still were to Edward, and what our odds would be if they tried to regroup. I jerked Jacob's body against me again, the violent movement wrenching his body like a grotesque marionette show.

"I can and will bite him faster than you can attack, or he can phase," I said clearly, making sure my words carried across the snow. "You will watch him die in agony and share that in your group mind with the others. Let them decide if your lies and deceit were worth it."

Jacob choked against me in sudden realization. "He lied, he fucking lied to me… told me to stay in human form so I'd be separate from the group mind…"

Sam growled low and thick in his chest, but Jacob attempted another fruitless struggle against my strength and then spat out one final accusation at his pack leader. "You used me. You did this after you told me… you didn't decide until after we'd…"

There was another growl now, but this one came almost inaudibly from Edward, even as he still had his back to us, facing down the three wolves. "Yes, he lied to you, Jacob. He made this decision while you were both in human form, when you weren't sharing the group mind… that's why he ordered you not to phase back… I understand now…"

The black wolf crouched down almost to the ground, feral snarls shredding the air between us, and I could tell that he was readying himself for another spring at Edward. I hoped that my shield would protect him physically again, but I wasn't going to count on it: I shoved Jacob forward roughly another step, attracting the attention of the other two wolves.

"If any of you make one movement towards either one of us, I'll kill him, but you can only blame Sam. He's a disgrace to you all, lying and manipulating one of his own, someone who trusted him in order to attack a group that has always upheld a truce formed decades ago. Even if he manages to kill us, I will take Jacob with us. Do you want to wonder if you'll be the next one he lies to, the next one he uses?"

The caramel-colored wolf, smaller with deep streaks of brown in its fur, let out a low, indecisive whine, and I seized upon his obvious uncertainty. "I know what he's ordering you to do, but he's no alpha, not truly. He's an embarrassment to his people, with no right to call himself a leader. A true leader wouldn't have to take advantage of his second-in-command, offering him up as a sacrifice."

Sam growled and snapped in my direction, then swung around to face the third wolf, one almost his size with fur in varying shades of gray. He too stood hesitantly, enormous dark eyes flitting from Sam, to Edward, to where I still held Jacob with my teeth to his throat.

"Your pack is turning on you, Sam" Edward said suddenly. "I can read your minds, all of you. You didn't know that, but I can. I can hear their indecision just as well as you can hear the doubt that your treachery has created in their minds. They don't want to follow someone they can't trust."

Sam appeared to ignore Edward's words for the moment, concentrating on the smaller wolf again instead, indecipherable growls rumbling from his massive form until his subordinate was almost cowering against a tree. The cornered wolf let out a short yelp and then cringed away before falling forward into the snow, writhing in some kind of distress.

"They aren't obligated to follow anyone who isn't the true leader of the Quileutes," Edward hissed, taking a step forward towards Sam now. I fixed him firmly in my mind, making sure that my shield still surrounded him. "And you've lost their respect, along with the rest of the pack. You'll never gain that back, Sam, no matter what you do. You offered up one of your own without a second thought… and none of them want to be your next piece of bait."

With those last words, Sam let out a furious roar, springing towards Edward, and I felt a heart-wrenching snap when my shield slipped away from him as Edward leapt in the opposite direction. One hand still firmly in Jacob's hair and the other around his throat, I covered the distance between all of us in a split second, Jacob choking now in my grip. But it was too late to reestablish that physical shield, that impermeable protection, for Edward and Sam were fighting now, moving at speeds that made the forest around them shiver.

Sam had the advantage of size, teeth, and claws, but Edward had been right: one-on-one, they were no match for us. I saw Edward react a split-second ahead of each of Sam's moves, reading his mind, anticipating his every action as he ducked away from the lethal paws that swiped at him, the lunges in his direction. I quickly cast an uneasy eye at the other two wolves, but they were cringing back away from the fight now, casting hesitant glances between the four of us.

A duck and a lightning-fast twist on Edward's part, a sharp snap and then a high-pitched yelp, before Sam fell clumsily into the snow on his right shoulder, his broken leg useless beneath him, the other three flailing as he attempted to regain his footing. But Edward was already on him.

In a blur of motion, Edward leapt onto his back, carefully avoiding the snapping and slashing of Sam's jaws, his arms reaching out to wrap around the shaggy neck, forcing his mouth to close. Then one louder sickening crack as he twisted the enormous head in a quick violent movement, one last choked gurgle from the black wolf before his body sagged and then fell heavily into the snow.

Without pausing for a moment, Edward leapt away from the body and positioned himself between the other two wolves and where I still held Jacob. Both wolves were completely motionless, but there was no aggressiveness in their stance, only shock. He assessed them for a quick moment before flashing to my side. "You can let him go, Bella."

I immediately released my grip on Jacob and he staggered, choking and gasping before turning to face us. Edward fixed him with a steely gaze. "I'm sparing their lives and I'm saving yours. I suggest you phase, claim your birthright, and act in a manner your great-grandfather would have approved of. Call off the rest of the pack, now."

Jacob blinked a few times before turning to me. "Bella…"

I took a step closer to Edward. "Please, Jake, remember what I told you. I'm sorry."

He shook his head, wincing painfully as he did so. "You said… you said you would put him before me."

"And I did." I moved until my body was pressed alongside Edward's, seeking comfort in his closeness although neither of us relaxed our defensive poses. "I'm just sorry that Sam forced us all into that position."

Shock slowly began to wear off and Jacob's eyes hardened. "I have to… I have to go now, to communicate with the rest of the pack. But meet us in ten minutes in the front of your main house."

Edward gave him a short nod, and in the blink of an eye, there was a shivering of the air around us as Jacob's body again seemed to explode from the inside out, and a giant russet wolf stood in his place. He gave me one last long look from his endless black eyes, before he turned and ran away, further into the forest. The other two wolves were immediately behind him, leaving the lifeless body of their former alpha behind.

"Come on," Edward said tersely, pulling out his cell phone even as we began sprinting back in the direction of the main house. "Carlisle, get rid of the movers now. Yes, we're okay, but they need to be gone in less than ten minutes." He snapped the phone shut and slid it back into his pocket without missing a stride.

Neither of us spoke, and as we drew close to the main house we heard the rumble of an engine and then the crunching of tires in the snow as the movers drove slowly down the driveway. A few seconds more and we emerged from the forest to find the rest of the family awaiting us on the steps.

"Edward… what is it?" Carlisle demanded immediately.

"I killed Sam Uley. Jacob has phased back into wolf form, and he's gathering the rest of the pack here now."

"For a fight?" All of them tensed as Edward and I joined them on the steps and then turned out to face the forest surrounding us.

"No… not this time. There's too much to explain it all now, but Sam was using Jacob all along. I didn't know that they aren't able to access the wolf group mind when they're in human form. When Sam and Jacob saw us in town, that was when Sam made the decision to attack us, using Jacob as the unknowing distraction to lull us into a false sense of security. Jacob had no idea that Sam and the rest of the pack would be ambushing us. And I… I was so fixated on Jacob's thoughts… he was so close to Bella… I didn't hear Sam or the others until it was too late."

"How did you get away?" Esme gasped, but Edward shook his head.

"No time to explain now, they'll be here any moment."

"What are their intentions now? Should we leave?"

"I don't think so… Jacob and the other two wolves Sam brought with him were shocked that he had resorted to such an act. Even when fighting their enemies, the Quileutes have always valued honor, and his actions were reprehensible. They would have forgiven him for ambushing us, but using Jacob in such a manner, knowing that it could have ended in his death… it was unforgivable. Even if I hadn't killed him, I think they would have revolted against him."

"So who's leading them now?" Jasper demanded.

"Jacob," Edward said simply, and then turned to face the driveway, just as the smell of the wolves preceded them.

They came as a pack, grouped closely together, clustered behind Jacob who was still in wolf-form. Tension and distrust ran thick through them at the sight of us… there was more than one quiet snarl or faint flash of white fangs… but they remained obediently behind Jacob, coming steadily forward until they were only a dozen or so feet away from us.

Jacob stared intently at Edward, who reached down to take my hand and then took a step forward. "Yes, I understand you." A moment of silent communication, and then Edward looked over to Carlisle. "They still don't trust us enough to phase back into their human forms."

"I understand," Carlisle replied quietly, directing his words towards the wolf pack.

Another long silence, and then Edward took a deep breath. "They will not be seeking retaliation for the death of their alpha… they recognize that his actions weren't honorable and were not befitting a true Quileute leader. Jacob, as great-grandson of Ephraim Black, is now the alpha of the pack. They are all in agreement over this."

More silence as Edward listened intently to Jacob. "They want to know if there are any other golden-eyes that they should be aware of."

"Yes," Carlisle replied quickly, speaking to Jacob. "Our extended family lives as we do and pose no threat whatsoever to humans. But you have killed one of them, and they are seeking vengeance for that. We will not aid them in it, since you were acting under Sam's orders, but neither will we assist you in evading them. All I can suggest is that you leave this area immediately, and don't seek out any of us again. Because although we have abided by the truce for decades, they are not bound by any such agreement."

There were scattered growls throughout the pack at his words. "Jacob wants you to know that the truce between us is still void," Edward continued in a monotone, but without any trace of fear. "But they will no longer follow us. As long as we stay out of Washington, they won't pursue us. Any vampires who knowingly or unknowingly cross that boundary line do so at their own peril."

"I regret that you consider the truce between us dissolved," Carlisle replied, "But these terms are acceptable to us as long as you acknowledge that any attacks on us outside of that state will be met in kind as self-defense."

"They agree," Edward said immediately.

"Go back to La Push, then, we pose no further threat to you."

Jacob growled softly, and Edward's hand tightened around my own. "They will leave immediately after this, but first... Bella… Jacob wants you to know he understands your actions earlier, and forgives you for them. The connection that you and I share, there is something similar in Quileute legend, although…" Here Edward's brow creased. "It's different, but comparable enough that he recognizes your need to protect me above all others."

"Thank you," I whispered.

"And he says goodbye," Edward finished slowly. "Just to you, Bella."

I looked the russet wolf squarely in the eyes and saw my best friend, my brother, looking back at me. "Goodbye, Jake."

Jake held my gaze for a split-second more before turning. The rest of the pack, his pack, split around him as he trotted down the driveway before they all pivoted to follow him and then…

They were gone.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

A/N:

No, this is not THE END, but we're quite close. Close enough to make me teary-eyed, so I'll just move on...

KUDOS to the one or two of you (between here and Twilighted) that figured out that Jacob only knew what Sam wanted him to know. I know many of you wanted to see every last wolf wiped out...but Bella certainly wouldn't want that, and evidently Jacob didn't either. Our last few loose ends will be tied up in the next chapter...and we'll have an epilogue...anyone for lemonade (with vodka)?

Thoughts? Anyone still agreeing with Jasper that they should have joined the Denalis if it hadn't posed a risk to their own family? Were they right or wrong to ask/expect the Cullens to help them?

THANK YOU to The Usual Suspects, those of you that support me unconditionally, and those of you who leave me reviews that make me want to quit my job and move to an island in the South Pacific (with PFach, Rpatz, and wifi, naturally) so I can just write for you all day long!