Despite Edward's words the pack was waiting for us when we got to Carlisle's, their huge frames draped on, in or under every available surface in the Cullens' living room. The giant room seemed tiny by comparison, the air stiflingly hot as we slipped along the back wall to where the other Cullen siblings sat as far away from the hot-blooded wolves as they could get. The chilly hand on my spine nudged me forward and I entered the room on autopilot, my eyes instinctively searching for the face I knew had to be there, somewhere.
There…sitting with his knees tucked up on the floor at Quil's feet, his flat, predatory gaze pinning me in place like a butterfly beating its wings desperately against the glass walls that hold him down. For a moment I couldn't move, couldn't even breathe. It was as if I was swallowed whole by the intensity of that stare. In that moment I understood how the rabbit feels when it's face to face with the wolf, desperate to escape, knowing there's nowhere to hide that it won't be found. Then a noise from the other side of the room caused his eyes to flicker, just for a second, and the moment was gone. Shaken, I turned my head and followed Edward to the stairs.
Alice gave me a quick, flickering smile, but it was obvious her attention was held by the two men standing in front of the picture window. Carlisle, strikingly blonde, trapped forever in the prime of his youth, and Sam, who could only be described as tall, dark and deadly, heads bowed together like schoolboys exchanging secrets.
"They killed one of our own, on our land," snarled the alpha wolf, standing back to give Carlisle a condescending glare. "This insult is an outrage and will not be tolerated."
"I agree that it's unlikely that Billy's death was an accident, but a direct attack against the Volturi at this juncture is highly precipitous and unlikely to end well."
Trust Carlisle to be the voice of reason. Paul, who was seated on the couch between Jared and Seth, laughed snidely.
"That's a pretty big word for an old guy. Now I've got a word for you-kick their collective asses. That's exactly what we're going to do when we get our hands on those bloodsuckers, just like we did their little newborn army the last time they came to town."
"Don't let the fact that they chose to attack the weakest of you lull you into a false sense of security," warned Carlisle.
It happened so quickly I would have missed it if I hadn't been watching. One moment Carlisle was frowning at Paul like a displeased father, the next he was against the wall with Jacob's shaking hand at his throat.
"Billy wasn't weak."
Rage had dilated his pupils until they swallowed the iris, glittering pools of black that promised madness and mayhem. Edward tensed beside me, Emmett leaned forward with a hiss, and the wolves braced themselves on the edge of their seats for the brawl that was sure to follow. Sam reached out and caught Jake by the shoulder, but before anyone could move any farther Carlisle stilled them all with a wave of his hand.
"Billy Black was one of the finest men I have ever had the privilege to know," he said gently, lowering his hand to lightly squeeze the shoulder Sam held. "I am sorry for your loss. But the simple truth is, his disability made him a victim. The Volturi are, first and foremost, predators, and they are nothing if not practical. To them, he would have been an easy kill."
Jake's eyes flashed, and for a moment I was afraid his wolf would leap out and tear Carlisle to pieces. Sam must have been thinking the same thing, because he cautiously let go and took a couple of steps back. Looking around, from the eager wolves that all but trembled in anticipation to the vampires that were poised to strike, I realized all of the occupants of this room were primed for a fight. The tension of the morning, combined with the furor over Billy's death and the age-old rivalry that stood between them, had created an unstable situation that was going to combust at any moment.
I couldn't stand it anymore. Shaking my hand free of Edward's grip I rose, stepping down off the stair I had perched on to slip like a shadow through the enraged wolves. I saw Edward stand to stop me, only to halt when Quil growled threateningly.
"Bella love, come back here."
The urgency in his voice slipped past me as I continued, dodging around arms, legs and feet with unusual grace, so focused on the angry wolf in front of me that each step took on a surreal, dreamlike quality. As if from far away I saw myself reach up, sliding my hand along Jacob's arm to the thick wrist that held Carlisle captive. A gentle squeeze and those fingers relaxed slightly before letting go completely, convulsively squeezing my fingers as he brought our hands down to his side. A slight tug and he backed away from where Carlisle stood still, watching him with an unwavering calm that said he never for a moment believed Jacob would carry through with his threat.
From the collective whoosh of air that echoed through the room behind us, I suspected he was the only one.
Without saying a word Jacob walked back to his spot on the floor, tugging me down and holding me to him with a desperation that testified to just how superficial his control really was. My arm wrapped involuntarily around his waist and my head found his shoulder of its own volition, never for a moment considering the propriety of cuddling my best friend in my fiancé's home. Jacob needed me, and however unfortunate the circumstances I had been given the unexpected gift of time to be there for him. In that moment, that was all that really mattered.
"There is another matter to be considered," Carlisle continued, as smoothly as if the interruption had never taken place. "We have no way to be certain that the Volturi were responsible for Billy's death."
The silence in the room exploded into shouts of outrage, and Carlisle held up his hands placatingly.
"I admit they are the most probable suspects, but unless we can prove their guilt any retaliatory action will be viewed as a direct and unprovoked attack. The Volturi will undoubtedly use that to declare war against the pack."
"Those sneaky sons of bitches. That's what they had planned all along, isn't it?"
Heads turned toward the stairs at the sound of Jazmine's voice as Carlisle nodded unwillingly.
"It's very likely."
"We can't let them get away with it."
Oops. Had I actually said that? I must have, because now 23 pairs of eyes were glued on me. Oh well. In for a penny…
"I'm the only one in this room that doesn't have some kind of freaky, mystical powers. Couldn't you guys, like, do some kind of supernatural CSI thing or something?"
They were kind enough to give my stupid statement the moment of silence it deserved before they cracked up.
"Supernatural CSI, Bella? Really?"
Paul snickered, poking Seth in the ribs.
"Hold on while I go get my pretty blue jacket."
Rolling my eyes, I turned to see Jake smiling down at me. All right, so it had been a dumb idea, but laughing at me had shattered the tension in the room. That was worth a little humiliation. Glancing over at the stairs I met Jaz's laughing eyes, then Edward's serious gaze. He was looking from me to Jake with an expression on his face I'd never seen before. If it had been anyone other than Edward I would have said he was jealous, but that was ridiculous.
Wasn't it?
Only Sam and Carlisle had remained silent, allowing the merriment to roll around them.
"She's right."
Sam's voice caused them all to shut up quickly enough, heads snapping around to stare in disbelief. The pressure had obviously pushed him to the point where he'd finally flipped his lid. But no, that was Carlisle's head nodding in agreement as he looked out at the ragtag bunch gathered in his living room.
"The wolves should be able to track the scent and match it to the Volturi if one of them was responsible, and Edward, you should be able to tell if they were involved. Alice, do you see anything that might give us a place to start?"
Heads swiveled again to stare at the pixie on the stairs, who after a brief glare at Paul (who had been miming obnoxiously behind Sam's back) obligingly closed her eyes.
"I see…four of them standing under a tree," she murmured. "They're talking…Caius has a sword, the same one he used to fight the wolves in Europe. They're preparing for battle."
"They know we're coming."
"Edward is right. They're expecting us to come in force, and they'll be prepared for that."
Carlisle turned to Sam.
"If we can prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that one of the Volturi was responsible for Billy's murder, you are well within your rights to demand their death in return. The others will not act against you. It would be dishonorable."
Someone guffawed loudly.
"An honorable vampire? That's like a low-cal Slurpee; nice to think about, but you're never gonna find it."
The crack of a hand connecting with the back of a rock-hard skull echoed through the room. Sam stood glaring balefully at Paul, who was rubbing his head in disgust. Carlisle's lips twitched, but he didn't say a word. Neither did anyone else. Paul had had that coming for a long time.
Jacob gave my fingers a light squeeze before he stood up.
"Seth, Leah, Embry and I can go down to the beach and see if we can trail whatever killed Billy. Alice, do you think you can get us to the Volturi once we have their scent?"
Alice hesitated, then nodded.
"I think so. I recognize the place where I saw Caius. There's a small town nearby, that's likely to be where they are."
"And what about the rest of us, oh great one?" joked Quil, looking just a little miffed that Jake hadn't chosen to bring him along.
It wasn't often I got to see Jacob blush, and I laughed as a tinge of red crawled across his cheeks. He was obviously still adjusting to his new place in the pack.
It was Sam who answered.
"The rest of us will go back to La Push and wait to hear from Jacob."
There was some grumbling, but the room cleared out pretty quickly after that. The wolves who hadn't been included in the hunting party disappeared into the woods, probably to grab a nap and a bite before the evening's festivities. I was surprised to see that Jaz, after a quick word with Jacob (who had quietly apologized to Carlisle), had decided to join them.
"She packs a whammy," Jake said as I stared after her, completely baffled. "I asked her to come with us when we confront the Volturi."
"I'm coming too."
"Absolutely not."
Edward's voice carried across the room with such a wealth of disapproval that I flinched.
"Still trying to protect her, bloodsucker?"
"Better than getting her killed." He reached over, laying a possessive hand on my back. "Or have you forgotten that the Volturi have already come after her twice?"
I stepped out of his reach, instinctively curling into Jake as I glared at him impatiently.
"They don't want me dead, they want me vamped, remember? And you were the one who said it didn't matter anymore."
Edward opened his mouth to argue with me, but it was Jacob's hand that spun me around.
"Bella, what are you talking about?"
Fear raged with hope in his eyes as his gaze flicked desperately across my face, and guilt raised its ugly head when I realized that even with everything else that was going on, he'd still been worried about me.
"The only reason to change me today instead of waiting until after the wedding was to stop the Volturi. Now…it doesn't matter anymore."
I cringed, realizing how cold that sounded since it had been his father's murder that had made my immortality unimportant, but Jake just yanked me against him, one hand cradling the back of my head, holding me tightly against his chest as he laid his chin on my hair. A shudder ran through him as I lightly ran my hands up and down his back in an effort to reassure him that I was still here.
"So," he finally said, trying for levity as he stepped back, "you're staying more or less human, huh?"
"More or less," I agreed, amused.
Edward reached out, curling an arm around my waist.
"Bella love, Charlie is probably home by now. I should take you home."
Slowly I nodded, my eyes still glued to Jake's as Edward led me out the door.