A/N: I wasn't planning on updating this soon but I finished this chapter sooner than expected. To clear up some confusion Sophia is Jacob's imprint, she's not so important, but may appear in later chapters. Remember this is seven years after New Moon and he was never friends with Bella. Thanks to all of you who have been reviewing and I hope you like this chapter!

Kaylee1038

Chapter Twenty-Four

Disgusting.

The word flew at me from every direction as my family and I were gathered around the window, glaring outside at the overgrown Mutt currently sitting a good twenty feet from the house. His posture was stiff and his eyes never left where we were standing, his thoughts suspicious of our intent. I didn't have to look at their faces to know that they were scrunched up in revulsion. The scent of werewolf permeated the air.

Rosalie's disgust quickly changed to anger and she turned away from the window to face me, her eyes alight with fury.

"Why the hell would you bring that thing here?" She hissed, pointing an accusatory finger out the window and towards Jacob, who was currently scratching his ear with his hind leg. He stopped when he heard Rosalie's insult and a low growl echoed through the clearing.

Emmett stiffened and made a step towards the door, but Carlisle's hand on his shoulder restrained him.

"No."

Emmett's stance didn't relax but he nodded his head in acknowledgment of Carlisle's command. Carlisle turned his attention to me. "What does he need?"

"He wouldn't reveal anything other than that he needed to speak to you. I think they need our help." He looked pensive for a moment before turning to Alice.

"Can you see anything?"

Alice reluctantly tore her eyes away from the window, the grim set of her mouth and her frustrated eyes told him all he needed to know, but she shook her head anyways and resumed glaring at Jacob. As if her visions would become clearer if she stared at him long enough.

"I don't know what's wrong with me." She sighed.

"Have you ever been able to see the wolves?" Esme asked.

Alice shook her head. "But I've never really looked."

There was a momentary silence as everyone stared out the window; their minds racing as they attempted to come up with any reason that the wolves would be here. The only one who seemed calm was Jasper and he had his thoughts blocked from me.

"Jasper?" I didn't bother to hide the frustration in my voice. He had been blocking me for a while now and it was starting to become annoying.

Stay out of my head, Edward.

I felt an irrational wave of calm and my shoulders slumped involuntarily. I glared at him making it clear that we would talk later and he nodded stiffly as his mind began reciting the generals of the Civil War.

Our exchange didn't go unnoticed by the others, but before anyone else could comment, Carlisle suggested that we not keep our guest waiting any longer. Taking a step outside, the rest of us fell into rank behind him as we slowly made our way towards our unwanted visitor.

Jacob straightened up at our appearance and shifted his stance, ready to defend himself in case we attacked. I mentally scoffed knowing that a lone werewolf was no match for seven vampires.

"Jacob Black?" Carlisle's voice was as collected as his thoughts a stark contrast to the rest of us who were either holding our breath because of the stench or in Rosalie's case, yelling profanities in their head.

Jacob nodded stiffly.

"I assume you are the coven leader." I stated in a monotone, repeating Jacob's thoughts. He refused to change to his human form not trusting us enough to leave himself so vulnerable. "I have a message from Sam. We need you to come back to Forks."

Carlisle's thoughts revealed his surprise, but his face remained the same. "I'm afraid that we will not be able to return to Forks for quite some time. As you can see we have not aged at all since we have left and it wouldn't be prudent for us to return until there is no one left who will be able to recognize us."

"We do not want you to return. There is a matter of upmost importance and we require your assistance." Jacob flinched at the last word. His disgust to be asking for anything from a vampire was obvious.

Emmett's eyebrows rose. "The Pack needs our help?" The disbelief in his tone matched with the smug grin that was slowly spreading over my brother's face didn't sit well with the dog.

"Vampires are coming to Forks and there aren't enough of us to take them out." I translated, purposefully leaving out the insults Jacob was currently hurling at Emmett. "We have reason to believe that they are linked with the murders in Seattle."

"How can you be so sure that the vampires are coming to Forks?" Carlisle inquired. I can't think of any reason they would go there.

An image flashed through Jacob's mind of a raven-haired vampire running through La Push followed closely by three wolves.

"We found one of the bloodsuckers on our territory."

"There have always been vampires passing through; the weather attracts our kind." Carlisle explained, but Jacob persisted.

"This has been the fifth one this month." I relayed. "Our Pack has almost doubled in size meaning that there are more vampires in the area than there should be."

I noticed Jasper flinching from the corner of my eye, frustrating me once more that he was blocking his mind. "Did you catch them?" He asked his voice sounding forced. "The vampires, I mean."

"All but one. She was too quick and managed to escape us near the mountains." Another image flitted through his mind, one that brought my lips back into a snarl causing both my family and Jacob to jump in surprise.

"No." I growled as I remembered the last time I had seen her. She was somewhere in Texas and heading south out of the country I had been planning on following her when Rosalie had called, telling me of Bella's "death". I had almost forgotten about her in my search for Bella, but now she was back and in Forks. "Not her."

"Who, Edward?" Esme asked, concerned with my sudden anger.

"Victoria." I hissed. "Why would she be in Forks?"

"What? Are you sure?" I nodded. I would recognize her anywhere. She had been part of James' coven- his mate. She had been one of those who had tried to kill Bella, who had tried to kill the only one whom I could ever love. At the moment it didn't matter that Bella no longer loved me, if it would make her safer, I would kill Victoria. I turned away from my family to face Jacob.

"I'll help." Anything for Bella.

Edward, this isn't your decision! Rosalie had no intention of helping out the wolves. I ignored her and turned to face Carlisle.

"I'll help even if you do not wish to." He remained silent for a moment, debating whether or not it would be wise. He sighed.

"We all will go." Carlisle spoke and inclining his head towards Jacob, continued. "We will leave for Forks tomorrow."

Jacob nodded his head before taking off into the woods his thoughts focused on reaching his home and his wife.

I stared angrily at my wall of CDs and than down at the one bag Carlisle said that we could bring to Forks. I had already placed a few clothes in the bag not needing much because I had left most of my old clothes in Forks. Now it was just a matter of which CDs I would be bringing. At the moment I was deciding between Muse and Linkin Park, when Alice's screech filled the house.

"How on earth am I supposed to fit all of my clothes in this?" Through Jasper's mind, I could see Alice holding up the duffle bag between her thumb and forefinger staring at it with a look of disgust.

"You're not supposed to, Alice. That's the point. Besides don't you have clothes already at the house?" Jasper's voice was soft and persuasive as he tried to talk his wife into leaving her wardrobe here.

There was silence in which I imagined Alice was giving her husband a look that said, 'You expect me to wear those old rags?' before I heard a sigh.

"You can use my bag if you like dear." Alice squealed and I blocked out her thoughts as she began debating which outfits she would most likely need. I knew that somewhere downstairs Rosalie and Emmett had just shared the same conversation. Women.

I glanced back down at the CDs in my hand and decided to bring them both. Its not like I didn't have the room. I heard the door shut behind Jasper as he ducked out of the room, leaving Alice to her packing and retreated to his study, his mental block was once again up. Seizing the opportunity, I quickly zipped up my bag and threw it on the couch before heading towards his study. I raised my hand to knock on the door but Jasper bade me entrance before I had made contact with the wood. I entered, closing the door behind me and turning to face him.

He was seated in his brown leather chair beside a small fireplace that served no other purpose than that Esme thought it made the room seem cozy. In his lap lay a thick book, much like the ones that lined all four walls of the room. Jasper didn't look up at me but continued to read. I glided past him and took the seat nearby, directly across from his own. We sat there in silence as I waited for him to begin, but after five minutes of silence I let out a sigh of frustration.

What do you want, Edward? He still hadn't looked up from his book.

"What are you hiding?" I demanded, not bothering to beat around the bush.

I'm not hiding anything. I just don't want you in my head for the time being.

"Why?"

Because I'm not sure you will like what you hear.

"You know something about this." It wasn't a question.

I might.

"You aren't sure?"

Jasper sighed and laid his book aside. How much do you know about my past, Edward?

I shrugged. "Probably more than I should. You thought about it quite often when you first came here." He nodded.

I figured as much. Do you know of the Southern Wars?

"I have heard Carlisle speak of them. Why?"

Have you heard of Benito?

"I believe so, didn't he attempt to take over Mexico City?"

Yes. The first anyone heard of him, he came down from somewhere north of Dallas and massacred two small covens that shared the area near Houston. Two nights later, he took on the much clan of allies that claimed Monterrey in northern Mexico. Again he won.

"But what does that have to do with Victoria?" Jasper didn't answer, but looked at me as if the answer was obvious. "What?"

He sighed. Do you know why Benito won?

"He created an army of newborn vampires..." My eyes widened and my eyes locked with his. "You don't think that Victoria..." I trailed off in disbelief and Jasper jumped abruptly from his seat and began pacing around the room.

"I don't know what to think! It's exactly how things were in the South. Edward, the disappearances, the increase in the wolves population- it has to mean something!" He growled in frustration. I had never seen him so aggravated; he usually had a tight grip on his emotions- being an empath. I knew that if he was worried than we had a problem.

"But why Forks?" There had to be a reason Victoria was doing this and I doubted it was for territory. Jasper shrugged.

My guess is as good as yours.

"Could you all come in here please?" Carlisle's distressed voice called from the living room. Jasper and I exchanged glances and were in the living room a moment later, joining the others as we gathered around him.

"What is it dear?" Esme asked, but Carlisle shook his head and pointed towards the television.

"...Forty-seven year old Charlie Swan was found dead late this afternoon- his body completely drained of blood and the words 'Isabella – V' carved into his chest. Mr. Swan was the Chief of Police in Forks, Washington and wasn't responding to the CBC call. He was found by one of his fellow officers near the La Push Reservation about twenty feet away from his cruiser..."

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