Chapter 25

"What happened?" Edward urged as soon as he was inside the door. He strode over to Harry and folded the smaller body within his, feeling the moment when he released the tension that had been filling him after Tom's visit.

"You were right," Harry whispered. He snaked his arms around Edward's body and pulled him even closer. He held that embrace for another second before reluctantly stepping away.

"I was right?" Edward said stiffly. "Right about what?" He wanted to grab Harry and pull him back but he got the sense that Harry needed space to tell him.

"About the deputy -Tom," Edward stiffened at the name but Harry continued before the vampire could interrupt. "He came here. I thought it was you at the door so I opened it up. He's a vampire."

"He was here?" Edward growled again, voice torn between anger and something else Harry couldn't recognize. "What did he want? Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" Edward snagged a wrist and pulled Harry closer again, unable to resist at this new information. Harry went with him willingly, his body soft and pliant. The lack of fight soothed him somewhat, enough at least to carry on the conversation without loosing whatever self control remained.

Harry hesitated, not sure what to tell Edward. Tom had forced him into a corner. Meet him at 7pm or Edward's family would face the consequences. He wasn't sure if he was bluffing, but he really didn't want to find out.

"Harry?" Edward pressed. "What did he say?"

"I can't tell you," he finally said, fingers fidgeting at his sides. He could feel Edward tensing, a growl thundering at his chest. He gave a small wiggle and felt the hands tighten against his waist, holding him still.

"What do you mean 'I can't tell you,'" Edward asked, voice deceptively soft. Harry tried to squirm again but the hands were stopping all movements. Harry felt guilt rise in his chest as he avoided looking at Edward, knowing that whatever look Edward had on his face would make him crumble. He couldn't afford that, he had to be strong. Edward's family had been endlessly welcoming and he couldn't just throw all that away.

With that in mind, he squeezed Edward's wrist. "It as nothing, I promise," he just said, knowing he didn't have much time to waste. It was nearing 4pm, which left him just a few hours to gather himself together and make his way to the station. "Take me to your house? I need to be at the station tonight to check on my dad."

At the very least, Tom had given him a good meeting place. One that he had an excuse to be at, and one that admittedly made him feel marginally more safe.

Silence met his request and Harry permitted it for another few seconds, before trying to wiggle away again. "Edward…" he sighed again, when his movements were easily followed and allowed him no leeway. "You need to let go."

Edward huffed out a low growl but obligingly stepped back and exchanged his grip so he was holding one of Harry's hands instead. "I'm not letting you leave until you tell me exactly what happened."

It was times like this that Edward cursed his inability to read his mate's mind. He couldn't understand why his creature was keeping anything back from him, unless he was afraid. Of him or Tom. Either option made his teeth clench tight and venom rise in his throat.

"I can't," Harry fussed, but Edward just stared him down, mouth turned down in a stubborn frown.

"Why not? Are you afraid?" Edward's gaze softened at that and he again approached Harry, gathering him in a covetous embrace that was meant more to comfort than protect this time. "I won't hurt you. I'd do anything to keep you safe," he promised roughly. "Please? Tell me?"

Harry felt anxiety rising in chest at the feeling of entrapment. Not physical entrapment, but mental. If he lied to Edward he would hurt his mate, but if he didn't lie then he'd hurt his whole family. "I'll tell you tomorrow, okay? Just…just give me the night to process, alright?" Harry all but begged.

After a period of silence, Edward let out a sigh that brushed through Harry's hair. "Tonight only. Tomorrow you tell me everything, understand? Including your hesitance to tell me tonight."

"I promise," Harry said solemnly, closing his eyes and nuzzling into Edward's embrace and sighed when the arms tightened around him and a kiss was planted on his forehead. His decision was made and he savored the feeling, knowing that he might not get to feel it again if he didn't play his cards right.

A sharp ring made Harry startle and look up ruining their moment. Edward pulled back and yanked his phone out of his pocky so quickly that Harry barely got a glance of Alice's name flashing on the home screen.

"Yes?" Edward answered quickly, voice sounded remarkably more tense than it was seconds ago. "You saw what? Harry and I are heading over, we'll be there in a few minutes."

The call ended abruptly and Harry was suddenly leveled with a sharp glare from Edward that simultaneously made him want to snuggle in closer to Edward's unyielding body and run for the hills. He didn't have much time to reflect on it before Edward was grasping him along the waist and hauling him over his back in one smooth movement.

"Hey!" Harry squawked, his voice rising higher in pitch when Edward started for the door. "What happened to driving?"

Edward growled something illegible in response and that was all the warning Harry got before Edward was out the door and running so fast that Harry had to clench his eyes shut and bury his head in his neck to avoid puking.

True to his word, Edward' arrived in his front yard in less than five minutes. It only took him another minute to detach Harry's fingers from his shirt and plant the raven haired teen in front of him with another stern glare that warned Harry not to try running. Which Harry definitely wasn't thinking about doing…

"So Alice saw an interesting vision. It doesn't, by any chance, have anything to do with why you said you needed to be at the station tonight, does it?" Edward's silky voice interrupted Harry's mental escape planning.

"Uhh…no?" Harry tried for innocent, unable to conjure anything else up under this much pressure. Apparently it was he wrong thing to say though because Edward let out a long and low growl in response and gestured for him to enter the house ahead of him, with Harry did with only a small amount of trepidation.

He wasn't sure what he was expecting when he walked through the open elegant doors that lead to the Cullen's foyer, but Emmett's and Alice's fury filled expression definitely wasn't on his list.

"Harry Potter!" Alice all but shrieked. "What are you thinking? How could you do that to us? To Edward?"

"Uhh," Harry floundered again, eyes open wide and flittering between Alice and Emmett. "I…what did you see?" He finally settled on nervously.

"What did I see?" Alice's tone took on a cold quality and that scared Harry more than anything. He nervously looked back at Edward, half seeking his protection from his angry sister and half hoping he'd take over the conversation.

Edward wanted to stay stern and angry, but after one pleading look from Harry, he was stepping forward and moulding himself against his creatures back. "Lets take this into the living room," he suggested easily, both as a distraction for Alice and to bring Harry into closer proximity to Jasper, who would undoubtedly feel Harry's anxiety and lend a calming sense. He didn't want his mate fearful or anxious, not matter how much he wanted answers.

As soon as they walked through the door Jasper was standing from his spot at the couch and sending calming waves through the air. It worked, marginally, but Edward could still feel rage thrumming through his veins.

"Explain," He said shortly to his mate, who was still looking shellshocked.

"I can't," Harry begged, green eyes starting to fill with tears as he looked around the room and saw the stern gazes from the Cullen siblings.

"He doesn't need to. I saw everything anyways." Alice's voice was sharp and Harry was helpless to avoid her gaze.

"What did you see?" Harry asked again through his watering eyes, wanting to know how much they knew and what outcome was impending.

"You death," Alice hissed and Harry closed his eyes in acceptance. "Because you refused the bite and Tom correctly assumed the effect that it would have on our clan. You are more than just yourself now, Harry Potter."

"You don't understand everything," Harry pleaded. He turned away from Alice and met Edward's dark eyes pleadingly.

"Then explain. Now." Edward said sternly, his grip gentle but inescapable. "Do you not think me capable of protecting you?"

Harry was silent for a few seconds before he blurted out, "he threatened you. Your family. I have to go."

"What could he have possibly threatened that had you so worried? You must know that my family can defend ourselves aptly. This would not be the first challenge we've faced and risen against," Edward said lowly. His thoughts were in turmoil, anger that Harry was putting himself in danger and sorrow that he felt that his life was worth the sacrifice.

Harry sighed and tugged his wrist again, looking up at Edward with a guilty expression. "If I tell you, will you let me go tonight?"

"Absolutely not," Edward said immediately, then he used the wrist still in his grasp to pull Harry over to the empty couch. "You will tell us anyways and then we will decide what to do."

He sat down and pulled Harry to sit next to him, angling his body and crowing Harry against the armrest so that his mate had no choice but to submit to his gaze. "Start at the beginning, when I dropped you off."

Harry sighed and looked mournfully at the door. He only had a few hours to spare, but he could tell Edward wasn't letting him out of the room until he related the events. Alice and Jasper took a seat on the other couch but Emmett and Rosalie stayed hovering near the door, eyes still leveled at Harry with demanded expressions.

"Alright," Harry breathed out, closing his eyes briefly and noting the brief wash of calm that overtook him, likely from Jasper.

"He showed up and I let him in, thinking it was you. He said he has powers like you all. He said he could do everything, even read minds. He…" Harry hesitated, not wanting to bring it up, "He said he read your family's minds and learned about Oliver through you all."

Edward growled lowly and Harry caught the barely perceptible glances the Cullen's show at each other.

"What did he want?" Emmett asked from the doorway. "What did he threaten you with?"

"He wants to change me. I don't know why. He said I'd be like a closed off wall as a vampire, because he can't read me, I think. Then he said that my dad was digging up a body and if I wanted, he could make it seem like Oliver had been the killer."

"Well what's the problem with that?" Emmett said. "I say the bastard deserved that and more. I'm all for that plan."

"No way," Harry glared at the larger vampire. "I'm not framing someone for murder he didn't commit."

"And you told Tom that too?" Alice prompted quietly.

"Yes," Harry admitted with a sigh. "And then he told me that if I didn't meet him tonight at the station he'd frame your family instead. See why I have to go?" Harry pleaded.

"Absolutely not," Edward and Emmett said at the same time.

"We'll figure something out, love," Edward added afterwards. "What time did he direct you to meet him?"

"7:00."

"Well then we'll meet him there instead," Emmett said with a sharp grin and cracking of the knuckles.

"There's more than just him though," Harry said immediately in response. "Please, Edward -"

"No, and if you keep asking I'm going to lose my temper," Edward growled out and Harry flinches at those words, feeling a coldness seep into his bones at the implication.

Edward noticed the tensing of his body and his eyes immediately soothed out. "I'm sorry," he begged. "I didn't mean it like that. But you can't expect me to let you put yourself in harms way. I won't accept it and I won't allow it. We can handle it."

"Why do you think there's more than just him?" Jasper interrupted with a thoughtful expression.

"He implied that if I tried to call someone while he was in my house, Edward would find more than mountain lions on his hunt. And he kept saying things that implied he had help, like saying he could 'arrange' for evidence to be planted, instead if saying that he would plant evidence."

"So he doesn't like to get his hands dirty then," Jasper nodded and shared a brief look with Edward that told Harry they were communicating mentally.

"So you see I have to go to the station, or he can plant evidence and implicate you all in the murders!"

"And his end game is to give you the bite," Edward said finally. "Would you accept the bite?"

"Uhh," Harry blanked, not expecting that question. "No? I don't know. I don't want to. I mean, eventually maybe, but not from him. Why?"

Harry was rambling, he knew, but Edward and Jaspers silent communication and thoughtful looks had him worried.

"And you said he seems to have multiple powers? He can read minds?"

"That's what he implied," Harry agreed. "Why? You're making me worried with your silent talking."

"Because I might have an idea that will keep you safe," Jasper continued.

"And your family?" Harry pressed.

"And our family too," Jasper agreed. "But for it to work, you'll need to trust us. Can you do that?"

"Yes?" Harry swallowed, then upon seeing Edward's furrowed eyebrows, he took another breath and forced his muscles to relax and his mind to settle. "Yes, I can. What's the plan?"

"Everyone else but Harry and Edward need to leave. Out of hearing distance, if you will," Jasper ordered.

"You can't be serious!" Rosalie demanded. "We're not leaving."

"For the plan to work, you all must leave. Alice, you too. Go. Now." Jasper demanded again, and this time, the rest of the family reluctantly trickled out.

Jasper and Edward stayed silent until they knew the rest of the family was out of hearing distance.