44
The sun hung low in the sky, coloring the clouds a mixture of pinks and purples.
Most of the wolves had left to get ready for their shifts. A lot of the guests were gone too.
Jacob had taken Eden home since he needed to meet Edward and Jasper to check the status on Mark, the werewolf.
Rosalie and Esme had left because they both needed to hunt before they began their guard duties for the night.
Paul and Jared stayed behind to help take down decorations. Niko, John, and Mickey from Matt's pack were also present.
Emily was still there, but she had been pretty quiet since the incident in the kitchen earlier. Aside from general conversations with those who stopped by for food, she didn't really talk.
She did speak with Kim briefly, and Janice was near her, feeding her tidbits of encouragements.
The pack, however, seemed torn. In the past, they often sided with Emily, but things were different, and Emily didn't quite sound like the nice girl they once knew. While they didn't exactly ignore her, they didn't go out of their way to talk to her either. And it took a lot to keep the pack away from food.
One shifter that never seemed to leave her side was Mickey from Matt's pack. Renesmee didn't know a lot about him, but it was obvious that something was brewing there. And she wasn't sure it was one sided.
"Ness," Emily said, approaching as if she might get bitten. "We're all packed. There is extra food in to-go containers on the kitchen counter, and we cleaned everything up. Is there anything else you need from me before I go?"
Renesmee bit her lip to keep from telling her where she could really go. "No. I think we're all set."
Emily fiddled with her fingers. "I'm sorry for any trouble that I caused earlier. I know you worked hard putting this together at the last minute. It wasn't my intention to make things harder."
"I appreciate that, but it's not me who needs the apology." Renesmee narrowed her eyes. "Leah went with Matt to the store. If might be better if you leave before she gets back."
Emily was shocked, but there wasn't much she could say.
"Of course. We'll go now." Emily made a hasty retreat, running past Mickey on the way out.
Mickey glared at Renesmee and made his way over to her, his face in a grimace. "Was that necessary?"
"I think I was being kind, considering." Renesmee gave Mickey a defiant look.
"You didn't have to say that," Mickey countered. "She feels bad enough."
Renesmee craned her neck upward so she could look Mickey in the eye. She didn't blink, and she didn't back down.
"As she should. Emily said some mean things that can't be ignored, and I didn't hear an apology addressed to Leah. This is our house. So, in the best interest of my roommate and best friend, I asked Emily to leave. If you have a problem with that, I suggest talking to Matt about it. I'm sure he would love to hear your reasoning why Emily deserves to be coddled after the way she spoke to the woman he loves."
Mickey's nostrils flared a bit, his face scrunched, and Renesmee couldn't be sure, but she thought he might have growled.
Renesmee held her stance. Eventually, he backed off and followed Emily's path out the door, which Renesmee was glad about. Aside from sparring with the pack, she'd never fought a shifter before, and she had a feeling she would lose.
Mrs. Littlesea and her husband were the next leave, but not before offering some advice.
"If I may make a suggestion." She held her finger up. "At the next party, you really should have a sheet cake. It would give everyone more options besides pound cake." She made a face.
"You didn't like the pound cake?" Renesmee couldn't help her smile. Bella had told her how much she loved it until she found out that a vampire made it. "Everyone else seemed to like it. I heard that you even had a piece."
She cleared her throat nervously but continued as if Renesmee hadn't said anything.
"Also, the chairs could have been a little more comfortable, and there should be more tents. It's a good thing it didn't rain."
"Yes, we were fortunate." Renesmee pasted on a smile. "Anyway, drive safe and have a good night." Renesmee hoped that she wasn't being too obvious about wanting her to leave.
As Collin's parents left, Renesmee let out a huge exhale.
Bella appeared next to her. "Wow, you okay?"
Renesmee shrugged. "As well as can be expected."
Bella tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Believe it or not, I think in all that criticism, there was a compliment."
"What?" Renesmee raised an eyebrow.
"Well, she did recommend some options for the next party. To me, that sounds like she trusts you enough to plan it again."
"Maybe. I've decided to stop worrying about her approval. If she can't see that I care about her son, then that's her loss."
"Ness." Rebecca and John walked toward Renesmee. "We're going to go. Thanks so much for everything." She hugged Renesmee.
"No, thank you for coming." Renesmee rubbed her back. "I know that you'll be a great addition to the council."
"I hope so. I'm still getting used to the fact that all of those stories that my grandfather told me were actually true." Rebecca smiled.
"And she's not freaked out." John smiled adoringly at Rebecca.
"No, not in the slightest." She gave John a shy smile, then looked at Renesmee. "The food was great, and it was nice to get a chance to talk to everyone."
It seemed like everything was moving along nicely between John and Rebecca. They'd been joined at the hip the entire party. The question was, did Jacob realize it yet.
He certainly wasn't happy to find out that Rachel was seeing Paul. What would he say when he found out that his other sister was getting close to their own resident werewolf?
"I'm glad." Renesmee looked up at John, his silver eyes centering on her. "Did you have a good time?"
"Yes, ma'am. I had a great time." He briefly touched the back of Rebecca's neck, which made her blush.
"John's going to give me a ride home." She subtly leaned toward him. "He'll be patrolling near the beach tonight, so it's on the way."
"You're patrolling on La Push?" Bella asked, her tone sudden and incredulous.
John blinked at her curtness. "Yes, that's my station for this week."
"That's a surprise." Bella pursed her lips. "The council is very particular with who they allow on Quileute land. I guess it's okay for werewolves, just not vampires." The condescending tone wasn't lost on anyone.
John's silver eyes flashed at Bella. "Maybe that's something you should bring up with the council. I'm just here to help." He was clearly upset, but he kept his calm.
Renesmee, on the other hand, wondered if it was a good idea to pick a fight with a supernatural creature who was more than capable of holding his own against a vampire.
"So am I," Bella countered. "We're all here to help. I just think it's strange that in the council's eyes, werewolves are less dangerous than vampires."
"Who said that werewolves are less dangerous?" John crinkled his brow as he crossed his strong arms over his chest. "I would argue that werewolves and vampires are both dangerous equally."
"Yet, the council doesn't consider you a threat." Bella pointed at John. "Maybe they should. Your bite is venomous too."
"True, but my bite can't turn someone automatically. There's an ugly process involved." John glared at Bella; his expression serious. "But your bite can. It only takes one drop to change someone's life forever. I don't know the particulars around your change, but I don't think it involved mutilation."
"No, it just involved liquid fire coursing merciless through my veins."
John chortled. "When your body is torn to pieces by a monster from your worst nightmare while said liquid fire is moving through what's left of your veins, then we can talk about pain." John stepped closer to Bella, which caught her by surprise. "At least you had a choice."
Rebecca obviously sensing the tension moved in between them and said, "Okay, we should go." She gently grabbed John's arm. "I don't want you to be late." She turned to Bella and Renesmee. "You all have a great night."
John reluctantly let Rebecca lead him away, but it was clear that he was rattled. That car ride home would be interesting. Hopefully whatever fire had started wasn't extinguished.
Renesmee threw her hands up, and said, "What was that?"
Bella waved her hand toward the departing couple. "The council is okay with him walking on Quileute land." She said the word "him" like it was dangerous.
"Yeah, so?"
"So? He can turn into a huge wolf, bigger than any member of the pack. If he's allowed on Quileute land, then I should be allowed also. I'm going to talk to Jake about this."
Renesmee rubbed her forehead. "Mom, don't. Matt's pack is helping with patrols since Jake's down five wolves. That's why John is patrolling on the reservation."
"What about us?" Bella put her hand to her chest. "He's allowed to roam on their land, but we're still forbidden. It's ridiculous. Has he ever changed into his wolf form while patrolling?"
"Not that I know of. I mean, he'll have to during the full moon, and I think he goes to the woods far away from people to do that. Calling his wolf is different for him. It's not instant like it is with the shifters, so I don't think he does it unless he has to. He's pretty strong in his human form anyway."
"It's not fair if you ask me," Bella said. "And it's not safe."
"It's not just about safety. Too many vampires around will activate the wolf gene in others."
"Yeah, how come no one else has phased?" Bella crossed her arms.
"Because there are two packs of wolves around, which outnumber the vampires in the area."
"I'm still going to talk to Jake." Bella held her chin high.
"Mom, don't take this the wrong way," Renesmee started gently. "But there's only so many times you can use the best friend card."
Bella started to speak, but Renesmee held up her hand.
"Maybe once everything settles down, we can revisit the issue, but the council has two new members who are both game changers. While Rebecca seems like she'd make fair choices, Wendy is already trying to change the rules." Renesmee looked away. "If she has her way, I might not be allowed on Quileute land anymore either."
"Did she say something?" Bella touched her shoulder to get her attention.
"Not outright, but it's obvious that she really likes Collin, and it would be a lot easier for her if I wasn't around." Renesmee shook her head. "That's why she invited him to that bonfire tomorrow night."
"What bonfire?"
They started walking back toward the house. "Apparently, some of Wendy's friends are celebrating her return." Renesmee rolled her eyes. "It's on First Beach. She invited Collin, and I'm hoping that he'll ask me to go with him."
"Absolutely not," Bella said adamantly.
Renesmee stopped walking. "Why not?"
"You can't go to the beach!" Bella exclaimed, then lowered her voice. "There are werewolves after you! First Beach is too open."
"It will be late afternoon, so the sun won't be completely down."
"It doesn't matter. Rachel and Leah were attacked during the day." Bella shook her head. "You can't go."
Renesmee gave her a weak smile. "Um, mom, it isn't your decision. I'm an adult, remember?"
Bella snorted. "Yeah, you're only ten."
Renesmee laughed. "According to the state of Washington, I'm twenty-two."
Bella ran her hands through her hair. "Can't you trust me on this? I know what it's like to have a group of supernatural creatures hunting you. Let's not make it easy for them."
Renesmee held up her hand. "No offense, mom, but I'm not some clumsy teenager."
Bella's mouth opened slightly. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means that I am half vampire and can take care of myself. Besides, Collin will be with me. If it's a big deal, then I can ask Seth to go too. Plus, John said that is patrolling the beach this week. Who better to scent a werewolf than another werewolf?"
"Ness!" Bella stomped her foot, making a small hole in the ground. "I forbid you to go! It's too dangerous."
"You forbid me? Seriously?" Renesmee sighed heavily. "If Collin asks me, then I'm going. End of story. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have guests to attend to."
Sometimes, it felt like her mother still thought she was that helpless little girl that she was protecting from the Volturi. Maybe one day, Bella would let her make own decisions.
She walked around the house to the back yard to look for Collin and saw him with Wendy folding chairs. Renesmee wasn't sure how much she was helping. It seemed like she was flirting while carrying a chair or two.
Renesmee heard a whoosh and saw a white flash appear next to her. "We're not done talking."
"Mom!" Renesmee exclaimed as she looked around. "Not everyone knows about the supernatural world. You can't be speeding around like that!"
Bella looked around closely. "There aren't that many people left, and no one saw me."
"Yeah, well if the Volturi comes back because you've exposed our secret, that's on you."
A big crash pulled their attention toward the backyard.
Wendy was on the ground looking dazed and confused and surrounded by broken glass.
One moment, she was watching Wendy flirt with Collin like he was the last man on earth, the next she was on the ground, taking out five mugs and a table in the process.
Collin ran to her side instantly assessing the problem.
She couldn't fault him for that. Collin liked to help people. That was one of the many reasons she loved him so much. Although, she tried not to growl when he picked Wendy up and carried her inside.
Renesmee moved closer, keeping her eye on Collin. A crowd of people surrounded them hindering Renesmee's view, but she could see enough. There was a stream of blood oozing slowly down Wendy's head, when Kim handed Collin a towel to place over the wound.
The smell of blood hit her hard, awakening all her instincts to hunt and feed.
Alice sped toward them, her hand over her mouth and nose. "I need to go. It's too much blood. I need to hunt. I'll be back later." Then she was gone.
"Ness!" Bella's voice was muffled from her hand covering face. "We have to get out of here!"
"Yes, you should go," Renesmee said, looking back at the crowd.
"No, we have to go." Bella grabbed Renesmee's arm. "Whatever she did, she's bleeding badly."
Renesmee carefully pulled her arm away. "I'm fine, mom. This is my house and my party. Someone that lives here should be here to help, and Leah's still at the store with Matt."
"Renesmee Carlie Cullen!" Bella said. "Now is not the time to be stubborn."
"You don't think I could handle it?" Renesmee put her hand over her chest. "I've been doing this my entire life. I know what I can handle. I'm half human, remember?"
Bella's amber eyes were turning darker and darker by the moment. "Ness! I need to go."
"Then go! But I'm not leaving!" Renesmee walked closer to the backyard.
Bella flashed in front of her, blocking her way. "I will carry you out of here if I have to," Bella said, her expression stern.
"Yeah?" Renesmee stepped around her closer to the house. "Then come try it, but if you attack, which it looks like you're ready to do, then you'll be in violation of the treaty. So, walking on Quileute land will definitely be off the table. You don't want that, do you?" Renesmee crossed her arms defiantly.
Bella seemed to debate this for a moment, then decided against it. "We'll talk about this later." Bella sped off into the woods.
"Can't wait," Renesmee muttered to the trees.
As Renesmee walked closer and closer to the house, the scent of blood wafted under her nose. She had to stop for a moment to collect herself.
A small crowd had formed toward the back of the room. Wendy was sitting on the loveseat holding a towel over her head. There was a small amount of blood staining it.
Kim was hard at work with tweezers in hand, pulling out glass shards from her hand and arm. Her leg was already wrapped up in bandages.
Collin was sitting next to her, talking to her as he watched Kim work.
Oh, and she was holding Collin's hand as she winced in pain at every move Kim made.
But Renesmee couldn't let that bother her. One of her guests were hurt, and she needed to help.
As she stepped toward the crowd, Janice Kohn blocked her.
"I don't think it's a good idea for you to go over there," she said, holding her hands up defensively.
"Why not?" Renesmee crinkled her brow. "Maybe I could help."
"Help?" Janice looked at her skeptically. "Help what? There's a lot of blood and as a member to the council, I don't feel comfortable with you being here. There could be an incident."
Renesmee rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. I wouldn't be here if I couldn't handle it."
"Until something happens." Janice held her hand up. "I know what happens when your kind starts feeding. It's impossible for you to stop until you've had your fill." Janice held her stance. "For this reason, I forbid you to go anywhere near them. In fact, I think you should leave."
Renesmee had had just about enough of people forbidding her to do things.
"You're asking me to leave my own house?" Renesmee looked at her like she sprouted arms out of her head. "What sense does that make?"
"It makes total sense. One of the rules that allows you to remain on or near our land is that you don't drink from a human. Why would you risk that?" Janice stepped in Rensmee's line of sight, blocking her view of the crowd. "Do you realize that if you violate the treaty, you'll be banned from walking on our land and Forks? You won't be able to see your family again, to see Jacob, Billy. Collin." Janice looked back at Collin as he sat next Wendy. "And with you gone, those two would get mighty close. They're actually getting closer as we speak."
"You can't intimidate me," Renesmee countered. "Just because Collin is helping Wendy doesn't mean anything is going on. I trust Collin."
It was Wendy that Renesmee had a problem trusting.
"Do you think Collin would forgive you if you hurt someone here, if you hurt Wendy?"
"I'm not going to hurt her!" Renesmee yelled. "I'm just going to see if Kim needs my help. Like I said, I wouldn't be here if I couldn't handle it. Now, please move!"
But Janice stood her ground, her feet planted firmly with her arms defiantly crossed. "Make me."
~*}{*~
The front door opened in a rush, and Leah came in with Matt following close behind her. They were both carrying grocery bags.
"Hey, what's going on?" Leah looked around the room. "I just saw Bella running away like a bat out of hell."
"Wendy hurt herself while helping clean up." Renesmee waved her hand toward the crowd of people. "And Janice is trying to kick me out of my own house."
"Um, excuse me." Janice held her hand up. "Wendy was helping the pack take down all of the decorations for this party when she hurt herself." Janice glared at Renesmee. "And I was merely suggesting that she leave since there is a large amount of blood over there. Wendy shouldn't have to worry about her safety because she was trying to help clean up. Maybe if you two had pitched in, none of this would have happened."
"Oh, don't start with me, lady," Leah said, pushing past her. "You're already on my shit list."
"Peaches, what's going on?" Matt asked.
"I'm going to find out." She handed him the groceries she was holding. "Can you put these on the kitchen counter for now?" She kissed him on the cheek.
"Sure."
While Matt headed toward the kitchen, Leah walked toward the crowd with Renesmee following closely behind her. The smell of blood was strong, but she knew Renesmee. There were only a handful of times when she had to leave because the smell of bloodlust was too strong to control, and Renesmee seemed to be holding her own.
"Excuse me," Leah said, pushing her way through the crowd.
Leah's eyes landed on Wendy lying on the couch, leaning against Collin, her eyes closing periodically as if in a lot of pain. She was holding a towel against her head. Every move Kim made, she squeezed Collin's hand a little tighter, she leaned a little closer, and she whimpered a little louder.
One thing for sure, accident or no, Wendy knew exactly what she was doing. This "damsel in distress" act probably worked on men before, but Leah couldn't tell if it was working on Collin.
Leah peeked over at Renesmee, and it wasn't sitting well with her.
"So, what's going on here?" Leah said, glaring at Collin.
She heard Renesmee's quick intake of breath next to her.
Collin noticed them and tried to free himself from Wendy's grip, but she was holding on tight.
Wendy looked up, her face still contorting in pain. "I'm a klutz. I tripped over the step on the deck and tried to catch myself. Unfortunately, it was on a table full of glass mugs."
"And she hit her head," Kim interjected.
"And I hit my head," Wendy said, adjusting the cloth.
"Hmm," Janice said, seeming to appear out of nowhere. "If you were here, maybe you could have helped by keeping these tables clear. But no, you were so concerned about some stupid pie."
Leah turned around to face Janice. "That's it. I want you out of here, now!"
Janice laughed nervously. "You can't kick me out."
"I sure the hell can. This is our house, and I will not have you disrespecting me or Red, especially after all the hoops that we had to jump through to make this party a success."
Janice narrowed her eyes at Leah. "Oh, I get it. Since you and the other Alpha have apparently made up, you don't care about our guidelines and policies. Well, you remember that when he leaves you too. We all know that you can't keep any man happy."
"I'm not going anywhere," Matt said, appearing next to her. He wrapped his arm across Leah's collarbone and pulled her closer. "But she asked you to leave, and I suggest you listen to her."
Janice taunted. "Or what?"
"Or I will help you." Matt's eyes flashed green, which got her attention. Then Niko flanked him, glaring at her menacingly.
"Are you threatening me?" Janice said with a slight shiver in her voice. Her eyes shifted between Matt and Niko.
"Not yet." Matt flashed his teeth, which earned him a gasp.
Janice cleared her throat nervously. When she looked at Leah, it was obvious that Matt had scared her. "I will be talking to the chief about this."
"Do what you need to do, just do it somewhere else." Leah pointed toward the door.
She scurried out of the house like she was being chased.
Leah turned around in Matt's arms, and said, "I love you so much right now." She kissed him. Then Leah addressed the crowd. "Okay, anyone that doesn't need to be here, go about your business and give Kim some space."
"Okay, Peaches. I'll be over here if you need me." His kissed her, then walked away. Niko followed him.
Leah glanced quickly at Renesmee who was currently twisting her fingers into knots. It seemed like she couldn't stop staring at Wendy and Collin, and her anxiety had nothing to do with Wendy bleeding. She was staring at thier joined hands and how close Wendy was leaning on Collin.
Collin looked slightly uncomfortable, looking at Renesmee with a resigned expression.
"I'll get some ice," Renesmee said suddenly and rushed off to the kitchen. Leah had a feeling she left so she could compose herself and possibly give herself a good pep talk.
After she left, Wendy sat up and said, "Is it a good idea for her to be here?"
"She lives here," Leah said, not even trying to hide the sarcasm in her tone.
"Yeah, but what if she attacks me?" Wendy looked around Collin as Renesmee was putting ice cubes in a plastic bag.
"She won't attack you," Collin said. "She wouldn't be here if she couldn't handle it."
Leah was happy to hear that Collin trusted and had faith in Renesmee's self-control.
"How do you know that?" Wendy sat up and the towel fell to the floor. "I don't want to turn into a vampire!"
"She's not venomous," Collin said, picking up the soiled towel and handed it back to her. "Just relax and let Kim work, okay?"
"So, she'll just drink all my blood. Great!"
"Wendy, hold still," Kim admonished as she held on to Wendy's other hand. "I can't get this glass out with you twitching."
"She wouldn't hurt you." Collin patted Wendy's hand. "Trust me."
"I don't want to take that chance. I need to go." Wendy pulled her hand away and attempted to stand up, but Collin held her down.
"Wendy, just let Kim finish working then we'll take you home."
"Here's the ice," Renesmee said, making her way over.
"No, she's too close!" Wendy said, her eyes wide with fear. "Either she leaves, or I will, but I'm not staying here so she can attack me."
"I'm not going to attack you," Renesmee said, holding up the bag of ice.
"Well, I don't know you and I don't trust you." She looked up at Collin with her most scared expression. "Please don't make me stay here with her!"
Collin looked helplessly at Renesmee who was heartbroken.
Kim slipped off her gloves then approached Renesmee. "Can we talk?"
Leah joined them as they walked to the kitchen.
"I'm sorry, Ness. I hate to do this to you, but would it be okay if you left the room?" Kim said gently.
"She's not going to hurt Wendy," Leah insisted.
"I know that, but Wendy needs to sit still while I finish getting those glass pieces out of her hand. She also has a slight concussion, so she needs to stay calm."
Leah looked at Renesmee who looked completely disheartened.
"She can't leave," Leah said, gently touching Renesmee's arm. "Werewolves are after her too."
"I'm not saying that she has to leave, just that she goes to another room." Kim looked at Renesmee. "I know this is hard for you, but I can't do my job if my patient is agitated."
"Okay." Renesmee wrapped her arms around herself. "I'll go to my room. Let me know when she leaves, then I'll help clean up."
Leah could see the tears pooling in her eyes.
She hugged her. "It will be okay, Red. I promise. I'll be right there watching everything."
"Okay." But it really wasn't.
A/N: Review it you like :)