Despite any reservations that Jacob had originally had about Alice planning their wedding, he should have known that she would make it perfect.

When the day of the wedding came, he had no idea what to expect, and was surprised when Sam, Quil, and Embry came over in the afternoon to bring him to the mysterious venue location. He was even more surprised when that location turned out to be the beach.

"Are the rest of the Cullens not coming?" he asked Sam, only getting a brief glance at the chairs set up in the distance before he was ushered over to a rather large white tent where he was to get ready and wait until the ceremony started. Sam smiled.

"Oh they're coming alright. I managed to convince the council elders that your Imprint's 'family' should be here for this. The treaty has been temporarily suspended for the day." Jacob was impressed. The elders couldn't be very happy about that.

"What about the army?" he asked. He couldn't imagine that Bella's guests would very much enjoy sitting around and waiting for them to get back from a wedding that they were very pointedly not invited to.

"They went to hunt," Sam grimaced, he clearly did not approve of the vampires being allowed to hunt humans. Jacob could understand, and he tried not to think about the people who would be drained dry and dead by morning. This was supposed to be a happy day. "They've all been invited to the reception, though." Jacob tried not to think about that as well. He was not too fond of parties.

Jacob had no idea where Edward was. He had last seen him the night before when Edward had taken off to go for a hunt with his brothers. Jacob thought it was an apt "bachelor party" for a vampire. He had the full intention of staying in for the night and getting some sleep, until Paul had barged into his room and bodily carried him out the house.

"No way you're getting out of having a bachelor party, dude," Paul had said when Jacob protested.

The sight that had greeted him outside made Jacob groan. The entire pack, sans Seth and the other younger kids, was there, and Sam had a cardboard box clutched in his arms that clinked whenever he moved. Jacob had a pretty good idea what was inside it.

"We're seriously going to get drunk for my bachelor party?" he teased.

"Cliff diving too," Embry piped up. Jacob turned disbelieving eyes on Sam, the so-called adult of the group.

"We're drinking…and going cliff-diving…at night?" he couldn't believe Sam had approved this idea.

"Gotta have one more night of being young and stupid before you settle down, Jakey!" Sam crowed, gently shaking the box for emphasis.

"Fine," Jacob sighed, feigning disdain when really he was looking forward to shucking responsibility for one night. "Lead the way then."

Luckily Jacob had woken up not hung-over, and he thanked his wolfy ancestors for the gift of a fast metabolism. He had been told to wait at his house for further instruction. Jacob thought it was kind of funny that he was about to attend his own wedding and had no idea what to expect. The only thing he could discern was that it would be a night wedding, considering how late in the day it had been when he was finally collected from his house.

Embry ambled into the tent where Jacob was waiting, carrying a bundle of clothes.

"Alice's orders," he chuckled, dutifully handing over the clothing. Jacob took the time to appreciate Alice's forethought, and was relieved to see that he wouldn't be stuffed into a tux or suit. Multiple layers of clothing just did not fly when one was a Quileute wolf. Instead, Alice had picked out a pair of light tan linen pants and a white linen button up shirt.

"She says you're allowed to roll the sleeves, but you have to actually button up the front," Embry grinned as Jacob changed into the clothes, obviously amused that someone as tiny as Alice was bossing around the big bad alpha of La Push's wolf pack. Jacob made a face and left the top two buttons of the shirt open out of spite.

"No shoes?" Jacob asked, eyebrow cocked. Embry gave him an incredulous look.

"It's a beach wedding, dude. Get with the program." Jacob huffed in annoyance, though he was grateful that he was allowed to go barefoot.

"Where's Edward?" he asked the one question that had been rolling around in his head since he had woken up this morning.

"Ah ah ah," Embry wagged a finger at him, "That would be telling. Which I am under strict instructions not to do." Jacob stared at him.

"You're having way too much fun with this," he said. Embry just laughed.

"I will tell you that Bella is part of the group getting Edward ready. She's expanding her Shield so Edward can't read everyone's thoughts and figure out what the plan is. He's just as in the dark about it as you." Jacob huffed.

"Do I at least get to know how long I have to sit here and wait?"

"Shouldn't be more than an hour," Embry said. "Alice started setting up at the crack of dawn." With that, Embry ducked out of the tent, leaving Jacob to twiddle his thumbs in anticipation.

He had to admit he was feeling rather anxious. It's not like he was nervous that Edward wouldn't show. He knew that Edward was just as devoted to Jacob as Jacob was to him. Edward had been the one to propose, after all. But to be so publicly…vulnerable. It made him feel a little uneasy.

"It's going to be okay, pup," a familiar voice murmured from outside the tent. Jacob froze.

"Edward?" he jumped up to open the tent flap but Edward's voice stopped him.

"Don't leave the tent," he said. "I managed to convince Alice to let me come by to talk to you, but I'm not allowed to see you yet." Edward chuckled. Jacob zeroed in on where Edward's voice was coming from and moved his hands up against the canvas of the tent. He hummed in contentment when he felt cold hands pressing against his own through the fabric.

"I miss you," Jacob said softly.

"It hasn't even been twenty four hours, love," Edward laughed. "But I miss you too."

"I thought that handing over the planning to Alice would make things easier but the not knowing is killing me." Jacob looked down at his clothes, reassuring himself that Alice knew what he and Edward wanted from their wedding and would give it to them.

"Only a little longer," Edward said. Jacob felt Edward's thumb stroking against his palm through the canvas of the tent.

"Alright, Edward," Emmett's voice called from nearby. "Time's up. I have been sent to collect you." Edward sighed in resignation.

"I love you, Jake," he murmured.

"I love you, Edward. See you out there."


Jacob had absolutely no means for comparison, but he truly believed that Alice had outdone herself.

She had timed it so that the ceremony would start right at the beginning of sunset. Small lights illuminated the path Jacob was to take towards the altar and he heard what sounded like a piano playing one of Edward's compositions. How the hell had she gotten a piano on the beach?

Jacob was able to make out more details as he drew closer. Like the fact that Edward was coming down a similarly lit path from a tent identical to his own on the other side of the beach. Jacob's heart thudded in his chest as they drew closer to one another. Edward was absolutely stunning. He was in an outfit similar to Jacob's, and Jacob was pleased to note that he too had left his top few buttons undone. Take that, Alice.

As they drew closer to each other and met at the start of the aisle, Jacob felt like the luckiest bastard alive. Edward's smile was positively radiant, and Jacob could feel his own face reflecting the smile back at him. Edward reached out to take his hand and Jacob eagerly accepted it.

The walk down the lighted aisle didn't feel nearly as cheesy as Jacob had feared it would. The music being played on the piano seamlessly transitioned into the happy and playful piece that Edward had written for him all those months ago. As they walked, he took in the smiling faces of pack mates, their Imprints, family, friends, and vampires. Jacob still couldn't believe there were vampires on La Push beach. As they approached the altar, Jacob turned his attention from the people around him to look forward. The altar was blessedly simple. An arch that seemed to have been constructed from driftwood, with intricate carvings up and down the sides. On either side of the arch were lit torches, and judging from the blue color of the flames Jacob was pretty sure the torches were burning driftwood.

Jacob looked back at the altar and noticed that there didn't appear to be an officiant waiting for them.

"We're going to marry ourselves," Edward explained in a whisper that only Jacob could here. Jacob was thankful. He hadn't requested much from Alice, but he had voiced his preference that Edward and Jacob be the ones to perform the actual ceremony themselves.

After what felt like both and eternity and a single millisecond, Edward and Jacob arrived at the altar just as Edward's composition reached its last few notes on the piano. They kept their fingers intertwined as they turned to face each other. Jacob chose to completely ignore any person on the beach that wasn't Edward. His fiancé seemed to be employing the same tactic with him. With a warm smile lighting up his face, Edward started to speak softly.

"'To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.' Jake, before you, existing was the best I could do. But now, as I stand here with you, I can feel myself living. Every time I see you, my heart races and my breath catches. You make me feel more human than I have felt in eighty-eight years. And I cannot imagine eternity without you."

Jacob let Edward's voice and words take hold in his memory. He wanted to remember this moment for the rest of forever. Then he took a deep breath, and it was his turn to speak.

"When you see him, everything changes. All of a sudden it's not gravity holding you to the planet—it's him. Nothing else matters. You would do anything, be anything for him. Edward, Imprinting on you has turned my world inside out in the most glorious way possible. I look forward to and treasure every day we spend together. And I cannot imagine eternity without you."

They had both agreed to end their vows with the same line, as they preferred it to the more traditional "I do." Jacob was lost in this moment, and now he understood why Edward had wanted to get married.

Jacob was shaken from his thoughts as one of the council elders approached them at the altar. Sam had explained a few days earlier the ritual that was specifically used for the marriage of an Imprinted couple. It was a blessing of sorts, bestowed upon them by the council.

Grateful that the ritual had been explained to him, Jacob dutifully began unbuttoning the top few buttons of Edward's shirt until his chest was exposed while Edward did the same for him. The council elder held a small bowl of ashes in his hands, a mixture of the burned remains of driftwood, yarrow, and cleavers. The elder first presented the bowl to Jacob, who pressed his index and middle fingers into the ashes and then brought his fingers to Edward's chest. He smudged the ashes over Edward's heart, three spots to form an inverted triangle. The bowl was then presented to Edward, who repeated the process on Jacob's chest. The triangle was meant to symbolize strength, trust, and peace.

Once the elder returned to their seat, it was just Edward and Jacob again. Jacob decided he would take the reigns for the end of the ceremony. He kept it short and simple.

"Forever," he said softly. Edward smiled.

"Forever," he agreed.

They came together in a kiss, sweet and gentle. Around them they heard the sound of applause and cheers but they were so wrapped up in each other that it sounded far away and muted to them. They remained under the altar for several long minutes, holding each other close. Jacob was vaguely aware of everyone else getting up to leave, but he didn't want to move from this spot.

"We can stay a little longer," Edward promised. "We're supposed to meet back at the house for the reception…eventually." Jacob smiled; he seemed to be doing that a lot today. The sun had already set and the glow of the aisle lights and torches in the darkness cast an ethereal glow upon Edward's skin. Jacob couldn't look away from him.

"This all feels so unreal," he said. "It's like a dream." Edward hummed in agreement.

"Alice knew what she was doing," Edward replied.

"I know," Jacob agreed. "It was perfect."

They basked in the silence for a while, absorbing the events of the evening and the new connection that seemed to have formed between them. Once the torches started dying down though, Edward spoke up.

"We should probably head back to the house," he said. Jacob whined.

"Do we have to?"

"Afraid so, pup. Alice would throw quite the tantrum if we played hooky from our own wedding reception." Edward chuckled. Jacob sighed in resignation.

"Alright, alright," he grumbled. Jacob savored one last moment standing under the arch with Edward before releasing him.

"Don't worry," Edward reassured him as they walked to Edward's car. "It'll be fun."


Jacob wasn't sure if "fun" was the word he would have chosen to describe the scene that awaited them outside the Cullens' house.

It seemed that any restraint Alice had exercised for the ceremony was shucked aside for the reception. There were giant flowers everywhere, sheer white fabrics wrapped around tree trunks and hanging from branches. Jacob spotted a tower of champagne glasses and an ice sculpture in the shape of a wolf. There was even a dance floor. Ugh, Jacob hated dancing.

"I have a feeling this is more for Alice than it is for us," Edward chuckled as he saw the look of sheer terror on Jacob's face.

"We should have played hooky," Jacob replied.

"Jake!" Paul called out, ambling towards them with Willow in tow. "It's about time, man!" Well, it seemed Paul had already gotten into the champagne. His eyes were a little glazed, his hair was ruffled, and his shirt was unbuttoned halfway down. And that's when Jacob saw it. His eyes widened.

"Paul…did Willow…bite you?" Jacob asked, shocked. Paul brought his fingers up to the very obvious bite mark at the junction of his neck and shoulder.

"She sure did." Paul grinned as he looked over to Willow, who simply winked in reply.

"What the hell, dude!?" Jacob was absolutely dumbfounded.

"Dude," Paul mocked, rolling his eyes, "Don't knock it 'till you try it. Hands down the best orgasm of my life." Leaving that horrifying image in Jacob's brain, Paul and Willow danced off together to where the music was blaring from two giant speakers over a pretty crowded dance floor.

Jacob turned to Edward with wide eyes.

"How is he not dead?" he asked in a whisper. Edward considered the couple in question, whose dancing was starting to get downright indecent.

"Well, if Willow drank from him, she would have sucked out any venom that could have been harmful to his system." Edward looked a little disgusted. Jacob's mind, however, was racing. He was curious. Paul had said it was the best orgasm of his life.

"Edward—"

"No, Jake," Edward cut him off sternly, having already heard the thought in Jacob's mind.

"But—"

"I said no."

"Why not?"

Edward turned furious eyes on him.

"You seriously want me to bite you, Jake? Do you have any idea how painful a vampire bite is?"

"Obviously not," Jacob grumbled sullenly.

"You're unbelievable."

"Don't knock it 'till you try it," Jacob quoted. Edward just stared.

"Are you seriously taking advice from Paul right now?"

Jacob crossed his arms over his chest. "The more vehemently you object to it, the more I'll want to try it."

Edward looked at him closely, and Jacob could tell he was reading his thoughts intently. More than happy to oblige, Jacob let the image of Edward pressing him up against a tree and biting down on his neck flicker through his mind. Edward's eyes widened. He was silent for a few moments.

"Maybe," he finally conceded. Jacob grinned, deciding to count that as a win.

"Edward! Jacob!" Alice's voice called out to them and they both turned to see her weaving between people to reach them. "What do you think?" she asked, grinning widely.

"The ceremony was beautiful, Alice. Thank you." Jacob very pointedly did not comment on the reception. Alice threw her head back and laughed.

"Luckily for you, I anticipated your unwillingness to partake in the celebration so—" she pulled a brass key out of her pocket and held it out to Jacob, who accepted it with mild confusion, "Here. Happy nuptials!" Without another word, she turned and headed straight towards the dance floor where Bella and Jasper were starting to follow Paul and Willow's example.

"What is this?" Jacob asked, holding up the key to examine it.

"A key," Edward deadpanned.

"Ha ha ha," Jacob said sarcastically. "I meant what is it for?"

"From what I gathered from Alice's thoughts, she wants me to show you rather than tell you."

"I'm not a big fan of surprises, Edward," Jacob grumbled.

"Indulge me," Edward requested sweetly. The wolf scowled at his husband for a few moments before letting out a sigh of defeat.

"Fine. Anything to get out of here." He gestured towards where Lucas and Seth—who had gotten his hands on a bottle of champagne—were standing on a table with their arms slung over each other's shoulders, singing along to the music.

Edward chuckled at the display, before taking Jacob's hand and tugging him towards the dense forest that surrounded the party.

"Follow me."


Alice watched smugly from the dance floor as the newlyweds disappeared into the trees.

"Think they'll like it?" Bella's voice murmured in her ear from behind as she wrapped Alice up in her arms.

"I know they will," Alice replied confidently, leaning back into Bella's embrace and tugging Jasper closer to her front. She could recognize that the way the three of them were dancing wasn't necessarily in good taste, but she needed to feel their closeness, to revel in their touches and melt against their lips. Tonight was important.

She had known that Jacob would not be too enthusiastic about the wedding reception. He preferred simplicity over extravagance. However, Alice was not about to let an opportunity for celebration pass when there seemed to be too few of them these days. Alice couldn't tell what was going to happen when it came time to face the Volturi, but having tonight was critical. For all of them. So rather than wait for the newly married couple to inevitably ditch the party in search of some privacy, she had sent them away herself. Edward and Jacob deserved to have as much of a honeymoon as they could right now, for there was no way of knowing if they would have the chance to go on a proper one after the Volturi arrived.

"You did a great job, Al." Bella's voice brought Alice back out of her thoughts. She turned to look over her shoulder and stole a quick kiss, reaching up to stroke at Bella's hair. Alice let the intensity of being in love wash over her, basking in it.

"It looks like the 'adults' are leaving," Jasper observed. The 'adults' he was referring to were Carlisle, Esme, and Billy. Jasper knew that Carlisle and Esme weren't strictly "parents" nor were they themselves "kids" in the traditional sense. But it would be easier to let loose without the gaze of older vampires upon them.

The group of three startled when someone bumped into them. Of course. Paul.

"This party is so great," he told Alice emphatically. "You're like, the best wedding planner ever." Willow giggled from where she was helping him stay upright.

"Thank you, Paul," Alice replied, trying to stifle her laughter. He wasn't paying her any more attention though, as he sauntered off to join Lucas and Seth, who were on one of the tables and singing loudly. It appeared that Paul was a friendly drunk.

Suddenly Alice's vision went blurry, and she was thrown into the familiar trance she went into whenever she would See into the future. Sunrise. Tomorrow morning. Aro. Jane. Alec. Marcus. Caius. Felix. More. Over a hundred more. No no no. This couldn't be happening now. Not for a few more days. They were supposed to have more time.

"No!" Alice cried out. Quite loudly apparently, as everyone in attendance turned to look at her.

"Alice? What is it?" Jasper gently reached up to cup Alice's face with his hands, something he often did whenever she had a particularly distressing vision.

"The Volturi. They're going to be here by morning." She spoke quietly but knew that everyone present could hear her. There was dead silence for half a second, and then everyone was a flurry of activity. Covens regrouped, Imprinted couples huddled close, and Alice heard the distinct sound of a wolf howling.

"Well, then," an accented voice spoke up. "The time for revenge is upon us." And no. Not them too. This couldn't be happening. Not tonight. Not here.

Vladimir and Stefan had returned.


"It's incredible," Jacob breathed as he took in the beautiful cottage before them. It had a catslide roof and ivy creeping up the front, and Jacob half-expected for Snow White to emerge from inside.

"It's ours," Edward smiled. "Want to go inside?" Jacob nodded.

"It's right on the border," the wolf observed as he went to unlock the front door.

"It is," Edward agreed.

"Brilliant." Jacob marveled at Alice's planning. The click of the lock sounded so loud in the middle of the forest. Jacob glanced towards Edward, who gave him an encouraging smile. With a deep breath, Jacob turned the knob and pushed the door open.

He was stunned speechless. It was small and simple and cozy and so so perfect. There was a fire already lit in the grate, with more logs waiting on a rack. The floor plan was open, and from where Jacob stood in the doorway he could see the kitchen where a black kettle was sitting on the stove.

"You can step fully inside, you know," Edward said from behind him, sounding amused. Jacob followed the suggestion and entered the cottage—their cottage. Off to the right he saw two doors, which presumably led to the bathroom and the bedroom. Bedroom. Jacob hurried over to open the doors. The first one he opened was to the bathroom and Jacob's jaw dropped at the large glass shower and claw-foot tub. Almost instantly, he pictured the two of them inside the tub together, and felt his cock twitch in his pants.

Strong arms wrapped around his waist and the familiar cold touch of Edward's lips pressed against his neck.

"Shall we?" he asked softly. Jacob could only nod in response. He turned towards the other door, unsure why he felt so nervous. And then he realized.

"A bed…"

"A bed." Edward agreed, and Jacob could hear the smile in his voice.

"We're probably going to destroy it," Jacob said, echoing Edward's comment from a few weeks ago.

"You haven't even seen it yet, Jake," Edward teased. Jacob sighed and moved to open the door.

The aforementioned bed was absolutely enormous. The wooden box frame looked sturdy enough but Jacob wouldn't be able to be sure about that until they tested it out for themselves.

"I like the way you think," Edward said, gently prodding at Jacob's back to push him towards the bed. Jacob grinned and let himself be guided. Edward's hands came up from behind and slowly started undoing the buttons of Jacob's shirt. The wolf whined impatiently.

"We have all night," Edward soothed, letting his fingers gently brush against an exposed nipple. Jacob's hips jerked forward at the stimulation.

"Edward," he moaned.

"What is it, pup?" Edward's lips moved against the skin of Jacob's neck, and Jacob shivered at the sensation.

"I need you…" Jacob breathed, and despite his shirt slipping off his shoulders to land on the floor, his skin felt even more heated. He turned in Edward's arms, reaching up to wind his arms around Edward's neck.

"I can't believe we're married," he said, leaning forward to press his forehead against Edward's. "It feels so surreal. This whole day has been surreal, honestly."

"Happiest day of my life," Edward replied, before leaning in and kissing Jacob sweetly. The gentleness and love behind it made Jacob want to cry.

"Please, Edward," he begged, pulling him close.

"Hey, shh. I've got you." Edward slowly lowered Jacob down onto the bed and Jacob groaned at the unbelievable softness.

"This is the best bed ever," he said.

"Is it really?" Edward asked fondly, amused at the slightly hazy state of his husband.

"Mhm. Now get naked and make it even better," he demanded. Edward chuckled and sat up, lifting his hands to start unbuttoning his shirt.

"Your wish is my command."

Both boys froze, however, at the sound of a wolf howling in the distance. Jacob slowly closed his eyes.

"Please tell me I imagined that," he mumbled, unwilling to believe that the perfection of today was about to be brought to an abrupt halt. Before Edward had a chance to respond, another howl sounded.

"Great. Just perfect," Jacob growled, watching in despair as Edward re-buttoned his shirt. "This better be important."


The mind link was a jumbled mess when Jacob phased, but the clearest voice was that of Mae, one of the younger wolves. That meant she was closer than the others.

'Finally!' she grumbled. 'I was worried I would have to come and get you.'
'What happened?' he asked, disregarding her comment. He was in quite a foul mood.

'It's the Volturi. They're going to be here by sunrise tomorrow morning.'

Jacob almost tripped over his own paws. No. They were supposed to have more time. The Volturi wasn't supposed to be here for another couple of days.

'Leah has us stationed in groups of two at various points along the border.' Thank god for his second-in-command. That was exactly what Jacob would have done.

'Jake!' Embry's voice rang out in his head as they drew closer. Embry must be paired up with Mae. 'How long should we stay stationed here?'

'I'm going to consult with the Cullens and we'll make our next move from there.'

'You got it.'

"Everything is going to be okay, Jake," Edward soothed from where he was running next to Jacob.

'No!' Jacob growled, unable to keep his anger down. 'You don't get to say that anymore. That phrase is officially forbidden from use until this is over.' Edward didn't say anything in response and Jacob was grateful.

When they arrived at the Cullens' house, Jacob noticed two things: one, despite all the covens being there, they were broken up into their respective groups—Jacob would have to ask Piero if he could initiate a stronger sense of unity among the entire army; two, Vladimir and Stefan were here, and the dread that had pooled in his stomach upon hearing the news of the Volturi's early arrival turned to boiling hot acid. He had hoped the two vampires would stay away.

'How long until sunrise?' Jacob asked Edward.

"Probably another five hours or so," Edward replied. Jacob groaned. Their odds of survival were rapidly dwindling even lower.

'How is Bella's shield?' Jacob asked, looking over to where Bella was once again practicing with Kate, Tanya, Carmen, and Eleazer.

"Strong," Edward said confidently. "Bella!" he called out. She turned towards him as they approached. "Could you try expanding your shield over everyone else?" Bella's eyes widened in disbelief as she turned to look at the thirty-or-so vampires gathered in the yard. Jasper raised a hand to her shoulder in encouragement and Bella took an unnecessary breath—old habits die hard—before closing her eyes. A look of intense concentration came across her face as she pushed and stretched her Gift farther than anything she had tried so far. Edward watched her, and then his attention flitted over those around her. His eyes stopped at where Peter and Charlotte were standing. Jacob inwardly groaned. Bella's shield was only enclosing about a third of those present. Edward turned towards Jacob.

"I'm going to keep practicing with her," he said. "We can't afford to weaken anyone by letting Kate use her psychic pulses." Jacob nodded.

'I'm going to go check on the rest of the pack,' Jacob replied but didn't move. Parting from Edward with the Volturi's arrival so close made Jacob nervous.

"Don't worry pup," Edward said softly, coming close to stroke a hand down Jacob's muzzle. Jacob's wolf whined at the contact.

'I love you.'

"I love you, too. Be safe."

Before Jacob could change his mind, he darted off into the woods in search of his pack.


Jasper tried to keep an optimistic outlook. But the longer he watched Bella struggle to spread her shield enough, the more worried he became. She and Edward had been at it for a little over two hours, and she had barely made any progress. He didn't let his anxiety show, though. Instead, he sent regular pulses of calm across the large gathering of vampires present. Bella was having a hard time remaining calm, though. Every time she failed to stretch her shield far enough, she would let out a frustrated shout and start to shake in anger. It was clear she was straining herself.

"Bella maybe you should take a break," he suggested softly. She whirled on him, fury in her eyes.

"Maybe you should take a break," she snarled, before turning back towards Edward and pushing her shield out once more. Well then.

Luckily a distraction came in the form of Jacob returning with Sam and Piero in tow. Jasper sensed high levels of excitement coming off of Jacob in waves. Edward turned from Bella as his wolf approached, and the excitement transferred to him as well when he read Jacob's mind.

"Yes!" he cheered. Jasper was glad that there appeared to be good news.

"It will not work for everyone," Piero spoke up. "I can certainly manage it for the Imprinted couples and maybe for the individual covens but the best I can do for the group as a whole is instill a sense of harmony and accord."

"We'll take what we can get!" Edward said. He turned towards Bella, Jasper, and Alice. "Piero is going to initiate mind links between the Imprints," he explained. That was certainly a point in their favor. Being able to read each other's minds and not needing to communicate verbally was quite an advantage over the Volturi.

Jasper watched in fascination as Piero had Edward and Jacob's wolf turn to face one another. "Yours will be the easiest since you can already read minds, Edward. And it's best that Jacob is in wolf form since he already has a certain level of mind reading power like this." Piero explained as he circled the couple slowly; observing, examining, considering. Each time he circled around them, he moved closer and closer. It was like he was wrapping them in an invisible string, and soon he was standing right beside them. Jasper saw the tension that Jacob and Edward seemed to be holding in their muscles, like they were trying to hold onto a particularly heavy weight. Piero lifted his hands and pressed two fingers against each of their temples. Piero's eyes closed and his brow furrowed in concentration. Slowly, he started moving the fingers that were pressed against Edward's temple closer to the ones pressed against Jacob's. Jasper could almost see the transfer of energy that was occurring, it was that strong.

He felt Jacob's mounting sense of excitement and he laughed when he saw that he had even started wagging his tail. There was silence for quite a while as Edward and Jacob stared at each other intently. Edward's smile slowly widened.

"Amazing," he said. Piero nodded in satisfaction.

"Shall I go to the other Imprints?" he asked, eyes darting to Sam briefly. The movement was not lost on Jasper.

Edward and Jacob seemed to communicate something silently before Edward turned towards Piero.

"Yes. Thank you, Piero. This could be the difference between victory and defeat."

Piero gave a small gracious bow to the couple.

"Truly, it is the least I can do," he said. He turned towards Sam and the two stared at each other silently. Slowly, a smile started to form on Piero's lips and then he and Sam were turning towards the forest and taking off in search of the rest of the pack.


An hour before the Volturi's arrival, Jacob was looking around at the large group that had gathered in the clearing. Their head count came out to thirty-four vampires (although two of them were unwanted) and twelve wolves, four of which were on the reservation patrolling the border. Forty-six seemed like a high number, but Jacob was no fool. He had been listening closely when Piero was describing the Guard. The enemy would outnumber them three-fold.

'We are strong.' It was still a bit of a shock to hear Edward's voice in his head. But Jacob was extremely grateful. Even if it didn't end up being an advantage in the fight itself, being able to communicate with Edward in this way was certainly a comfort.

'The Volturi shall burn!' Luna crowed. It was even weirder hearing his pack mates' Imprints' voices in his head. Jacob was glad that he could only hear Luna's thoughts when both he and Leah were in wolf form.

'We'll take them down—' Seth started.

'—and tear them apart.' Lucas finished gleefully.

'Can you guys stop doing that?' Paul groaned. 'It's seriously starting to creep me out.'

'Oh let them have their fun, Paul,' Sam chuckled.

The formation that Jacob and Bella had chosen was a defensive one. The two of them stood at the front of their group so Bella had a spot that was the most conducive for using her shield. Jasper was standing next to her, and would be sending out very discreet pulses of calm and serenity to the enemy to prevent an attack. Edward stood on Jacob's other side, ready to convey any and all thoughts that he could pick up from Aro and the Guard. Kate, Emmett, and Luna were close to the front, but behind the defense. They were the offensive unit, meant to only come to the forefront if peaceful negotiations failed. Stefan and Vladimir were in the back, but not the very back. They stood in front of Carlisle, Petros, and Lucas, who were to keep a close eye on them in case they tried any action that was not approved by Bella or Jacob.

The rest of the group was shuffled throughout, purposefully breaking up the covens. They didn't want to appear divided, as that would make targeting individual groups easier. Most had been reluctant at first, but then Piero had initiated a relational shift that merged the entire group and allowed for trust to flow more freely throughout the unit. Piero had been unable to initiate mind links among the covens but he had been able to instill a higher level of intuition, allowing each coven member to better sense and anticipate the others' moods and behaviors.

Considering the fact that they hadn't been expecting the Volturi for another few days, Jacob believed that they were all as well prepared as they could be.

He watched the horizon intently, gaze unwavering. His alpha was starting to get riled at the knowledge that hostile vampires were so close to the Rez. Edward tried to soothe him by reaching up to stroke at the fur behind his ear.

'I'll be right beside you the whole time, pup,' he said. 'If we succeed, we succeed together. If we go down, we go down together.'

'Hear hear!' Embry crowed. There was a ripple of agreement throughout the other wolves and their Imprints.

Jacob stiffened as the sun started to peak out over the mountains. It was time.

Almost immediately, his nose was assaulted with the stench of leech. It permeated the air, almost menacingly. Like a warning to all nearby that danger and death were coming.

Growls started sounding out amongst the wolves as the smell grew stronger.

'Hush!' Jacob ordered, completely in alpha mode. 'We stand down unless provoked.'

The snarls immediately ceased, subject as the wolves were to the alpha's command.

'We can do this. We will protect our land and our people. We will protect our Imprints and their families.' Another chorus of agreement amongst the wolves and then it became eerily silent. Everyone was on high alert.

'They're here,' Jacob said.

And then, slowly, the Volturi came up over the horizon.