Chapter Thirty Seven

Charlie

I wasn't entirely sure I was really even awake, everything I had seen and heard over the past few days seemed so incredible that it couldn't possibly be true but here I was driving back to Forks with the leader of the guardians after seeing a vampire ignore the shots from a riot gun and take down four huge wolves single handedly. I was being asked to believe that my daughter was with this vampire and it was only her influence stopping him from killing everyone on some hit list his bosses, the vampire world's very own kingly trio had handed him. Not only that but the ex-wife I hadn't seen in around seventeen years was a vampire hunter and all my friends were either shape shifters or knew all about them and the existence of vampires.

"It's a lot to take in Chief Swan, I don't blame you for being skeptical."

I turned to look at the young man at my side, hell he didn't look much older than Bella!

"Sceptical? I'd say that's an understatement but I'm hanging on to the thought that just maybe you are who you say you are and that telling me Bella is still alive isn't just bullshit to persuade me to go back to Forks."

"It's not, neither is the truth that so long as The Major lives we are all in terrible danger. By helping you and the hunters the Quileute pack has put the whole tribe in his firing line and he's a man who never forgets a target."

"That's why you refused to help when you were asked?"

"Yes, it's my responsibility to keep my people safe and that means using the guardians wisely. This was a fight between vampires and nothing to do with us until The Major made it my business by wiping out the command structure of the Quileute wolves. He won't stop there Chief Swan, The Major won't stop until he has wiped out the whole pack and as many of the hunters as still survive although I'm rather sad to say that seems to be only your ex-wife and another female still tracking The Major for her dead comrades."

"So what now? Are you still going to sit on your hands while more people die?"

"That would depend on the people Chief, if he threatens the Quileutes then we will try to save them as the pack should have done. If The Major merely threatens the hunters then so be it, they always refused my help in the past using us merely as a safe haven but that arrangement is now at an end."

2What does that mean?"

"It means that your ex-wife is no longer under our protection, she brought this danger to my people, she can lead it away."

"Why are you so afraid to fight this vampire?"

He studied me coldly then nodded,

"Afraid? I suppose you could see it that way chief although my concern is for millions not just myself. For centuries the vampires and guardians have lived in peace, or at least with an understanding. If the Volturi keep the vampires off our land we will not actively hunt them down. If they stray onto our lands, however, they are ours to kill."

"But surely there aren't millions of vampires? You have a numerical advantage at the very least."

"No, we do not. There are only a few guardian tribes with a full pack and these only spring into being where there are vampires close by for a protracted time and as you probably know from your ex, vampires rarely settle anywhere for long, the Cullens are an exception to that rule and have their own treaty with the Quileutes. If the Volturi were to declare war on my people they could wipe most out in a heartbeat."

"So, why don't they? Why keep a threat alive that could be eliminated?"

"Because ironically enough we serve a purpose. We are a free police force, killing rogue vampires who break the law and stray onto our land and because they know that should they start a war the guardians would head straight for Volterra and while you saw The Major take down four wolves alone he is the exception, not the rule. Most guardians can kill a vampire one on one and we are willing to die to make sure the Volturi go down with us."

There didn't seem to be much more to say after that, not about the guardians anyway, but he knew I wasn't going to give up on my little girl now I knew she was still alive.

"So, any idea where Bella and the vampire are now?"

"Not as yet but I have people working on it."

"Bella had a tracker in her, courtesy of my ex-wife so maybe..."

He pulled something from his pocket, something wrapped in a bloody cloth,

"You mean this? It would appear someone removed it."

I stared at it horrified, the vampire had cut the tracker from Bella's body?

He shook his head as if he'd read my thoughts,

"I doubt it was The Major, to open himself to such temptation would be almost impossible. No, I think your daughter cut it from herself."

"Did it herself? But why?"

"To save him, your daughter, unless I am very much mistaken, is the vampire's mate, it's the only explanation that fits the facts and if that is so then I suspect she will become a vampire herself very soon so she can protect him."

"Protect him from who? You? The Quileutes? The hunters?"

His eyes were full of compassion for me as he replied,

"No Chief, from himself and the Volturi who sent him on this killing spree."

"But if he turns her doesn't that mean killing her?"

"Yes, in a way, but she will be reborn as a vampire and then her gift will be even more powerful, powerful enough to not only protect him but perhaps even to turn his compulsion to kill against the Volturi themselves."

I narrowed my eyes in suspicion,

"And that would serve your cause now, wouldn't it? Destroy the Volturi without any loss of guardian lives, what about my daughter though? She's just a girl, a young girl."

"And The Major is just a young man and has been for well over a century, in that respect, they are well matched."

"A century? Vampires don't age?"

"No, they are frozen at the point they turn from human to vampire and although I understand your suspicions I do not need anyone to fight my battles for me, I can take down a vampire as well, if not better, than any other guardian, but then I have centuries of experience."

I stared,

"So guardians don't age either?"

"We do but it stops when we phase and if you phase often enough over the years it stops altogether. I'm a lot more experienced than I look Chief, or didn't you wonder why a young man like myself was in control of the guardian tribes?"

"I guess I never really thought about it, so how old are you?"

"Let's just say I have seen the Spanish and the Russians call my land their own well before it was sold to the U.S in 1867."

"And you've been keeping your people safe all that time?"

"I have and sometimes that means making tough choices Chief, just remember that. My people come first every time, no matter what else is happening and who else gets hurt, I will protect my own."

"I understand but in return, you must understand that I'll do the same and the only one I care about right now is my daughter whether she be a vampire, a guardian, or still a human."

We reached the Quileute village soon after that to be met by Harry and Quil who must have been alerted to our coming, probably by what remained of the wolf pack. Johnny H and Quil Ateara disappeared into the community center they used sometimes for council meetings and I could see other elders already waiting inside along with a couple of young men I suspected were wolves.

Harry took my arm,

"Renee is at our house with Sue, the doctor had to sedate her, she's very sick Charlie. I have to go to the meeting but I thought you might like to see her."

I shrugged him off,

"She waited seventeen years, she can wait a bit longer, I want to know what's going on."

He frowned but I didn't wait for a response merely pushed past him and walked into the center joining the elders as they sat around the table, Quil and Johnny H at its head.

Most of what was said I already knew and when the elders got their asses handed to them by Johnny for allowing the wolves to leave the res I smiled to myself, let him take it out on these elders, as far as I was concerned Sam did exactly what he should have done.

"You have lost your protectors here and we know that The Major will come for the rest of the wolves in revenge."

My smile faded as I thought about that vampire ripping his way through the small village killing everything that moved.

"There is no way of protecting you here now, the villagers must move to Denali."

"Denali? Why not Makah?"

Johnny H turned slowly to look at Billy Black,

"The Makah have only a few guardians and it would be unthinkable to put innocents in danger because of your own pack's folly."

"We cannot leave our home, surely there is something you can do."

"If you insist on staying here very little, you are too isolated and The Major is already on his way. Your only chance is to leave now and accompany me back to Denali. If it becomes safe for you to return in time, then you may, of course, come back, but for now...I will not have others put in jeopardy and my own guardians are busy looking after your nearest neighbors in case of reprisals."

As the meeting broke up in a heated discussion between the elders I left to see Renee, not because I cared about her, that had died years ago but because I felt I should because she had been in shock and thought our daughter dead unless someone had told her otherwise. When I reached the Clearwater cabin I found Sue waiting for me.

"Hello Charlie, I was hoping you'd come. Renee is in a terrible state as I'm sure are you."

"Does she know?"

"That Bella is still alive? Yes, but it doesn't seem to have made any difference. The doctor gave her sedatives but she's very weak, it's her heart."

"Really? I didn't think she had one."

I couldn't find it in my heart to feel sorry for Renee, not after all she had done both to Bella and myself but I followed Sue inside to see her.

She did look bad, there was a sheen of sweat on her face and she was so pale as if all the blood had been drained from her body but when she saw me she lifted a shaking hand and took mine.

"Charlie, you made it, I thought you were dead for sure."

"Nope, it takes more than a vampire to kill me."

"Did...did you bring Richard's body back with you?"

I stared at her, shocked beyond words,

"Richard? Is that all you can think of? What about Bella? Or isn't she important?"

"Sue told me she's still alive but she chose the vampires over me...over you too Charlie. Richard didn't have a choice, he was trying to save you all from them."

"Renee, are you still intent on killing vampires? I only ask because your daughter is likely becoming one right now. Will you kill her too?"

Sue tried to usher me from the room tutting under her breath but I was staying put, I wanted an answer.

Renee looked at me with fever bright eyes, then spoke more strongly than she had since I walked in,

"If Isabella becomes a vampire then yes, Charlie, I will hunt her down and kill her along with every other of their kind. It's what I was born to do, what I've spent my life doing. It's what my father did until cancer took him from me and I guess it's taking you away too."

"No Renee, you took yourself away and if I find Bella first you'll have to kill me to get to her."

I turned and walked out not stopping to speak to Sue, I'd had a bellyful of the Quileutes and my ex, they could all rot in hell as far as I was concerned, I needed to find my daughter.