"I don't understand what Sam needs with me." I quietly said, "I don't have any information he can use against the Cullens, if that's what he wants."

Jacob sighed as he parked my truck in Emily's gravel driveway. He said, "Sam wants to work with them, Bells. You shouldn't play dumb. You're too smart for that."

"Alright. Fine. I don't like him." I muttered.

Jacob smiled and replied, "He isn't the bad guy, Bells."

We stayed silent for a moment before Jacob murmured, "Sam isn't the reason I've become a wolf. You know that. We were both wrong about him from the start."

Biting my lip, I nodded and silently hopped out of the truck. Jacob slammed the driver's door shut and came around to grip my elbow as I trudged through mud and rocks. Glancing up, I could see three broad men lounging on the porch. As we walked up a well-worn path, I could smell spices and sugar. Just faintly, I could hear a soft tune playing from a radio inside. Embry was slumped over in a rocking chair. His head was tilted back, chin jutting out, eyes at half-mast. His feet were caked in mud and it seemed as if the heel of his right foot was bleeding. Still, Embry chunked a red apple toward Jacob quite happily. He grinned and greeted, "Hey, Bells."

Jacob caught the fruit with one hand and took a crunching bite as he nodded to Sam and Jared. Both of them were wearing sweatpants in dark gray without shoes or shirts. Jared had a large cup in his hand and was guzzling from its contents. Sam had his thick arms crossed over his naked chest. His stern face looked even more severe, if it were possible. He greeted shortly, "Jake. Bella."

Jacob nodded and tucked me into his side. With one hand he tossed the apple core to the ground. He asked, "Anything new?"
Sam curtly replied, "Yes. For your benefit, Bella, I will repeat that I've arranged a meeting with the Cullens. I'm sure Jake has told you by this point."

Jacob dryly replied, "You assumed correctly."

Jared snorted, but said nothing. After a moment, he wandered back into the house and returned with a muffin in one hand and a refilled cup to drink from. Sam sighed heavily and said, "There is additional conditions that were not presented to me yesterday afternoon. I got a call from the coven's leader, Carlisle, again early this morning. It seems the rest of their coven has arrived in Forks."

My heart began to hammer and my palms grew sweaty. Jacob swore under his breath before demanding, "And? What did he have to say? What did he want?"

"The leeches requested one thing." Sam explained stoutly, "They want Bella to be at the meeting to make sure that we haven't harmed her."

I felt Jacob's body tense from beside me. Glancing at him, I saw that Jacob was trembling and grinding his teeth. He let out a bitter, barking laugh that reminded me of rocks tumbling about. "Harmed her? They want to make sure we haven't harmed her? Jesus Christ, what planet do these fuckers live on? Why in the hell are you playing by their rules, Sam?"
Sam firmly said, "I know what I'm doing, Jake. Regardless of circumstance, the Cullens are here. I find it best to try working with them. Fighting against them will only lead to death. Our pack can't battle seven Cullens and the nomad leech without losing a brother. That is my choice as Alpha."

Jacob's sneering expression faded. Frowning deeply, he sighed and looked up at the sky. He murmured, "Yeah. Yeah, Sam, I hear you."

"I don't want a human near them anymore than you do, Jake." Sam replied somberly. "At the end of the day, we have to make tough decisions. The Cullens are leeches, yes, and we can't ever forget that. They are the enemy, but the redheaded bloodsucker has killed one of our own. She's killed out-of-towners in the mountains for weeks. She's the current threat, the realest threat at the moment. We use the Cullens to aid our cause."

I said, "You speak of them as if they're objects or weapons."

"They are." Sam evenly stated, "They are nothing more than that to me."

"They're people." I replied, angry and stunned. I stepped away when Jacob quietly said my name. Glancing at him, I shook my head. "No, Jake. It's wrong. The way you talk about them and what you're saying right now is wrong."

"No, Bella. The one who is wrong is you." Sam responded harshly. "You're too clouded by emotions to see them clearly. They aren't human, Bella. They are predators designed to draw you in and kill you. They survive off of what allows you and I to live. We call them leeches because they're parasites, feeding on blood, within our world."

"The Cullens are different." I insisted quickly, "You don't know them. None of you know them like I do. The Cullens aren't a coven. They're a family. They're like us. They want happy, peaceful lives. They don't set out to kill or terrorize anyone."

"And yet suffering and death follows wherever they go." Sam said. "Look at what has happened to you since you met them, Bella. Your life has been threatened constantly. That scar on your wrist came from the teeth of a vampire. One who was attempting to torture you. You were nearly turned into a Cold One, yet you still stayed at their side faithfully. Then, suddenly, you were left in a forest with temperature drops that would have killed you had we not shown up. The Cullens skipped town and there was nothing to be found except a depressed girl who looked as if she had seen ghosts. It doesn't take a genius to know that a deadly situation occurred and they left in order to avoid consequences. Even now, you remain obsessively loyal to them. The first chance you get, you call them back to Forks. You're brainwashed, Bella Swan. It's what they do. You're their prey and you fell right into their hands."

I blinked. Once. Twice. I tried not to notice Jacob's tense body or conflicted expression. Sam said, "It isn't just you, Bella. The Cullens have threatened and destroyed others as well. Half of the boys are high-school dropouts. We can't hold regular jobs due to the demand of patrolling and the danger of Phasing in anger. The Clearwaters have lost the head of their family. Charlie and Billy have lost a friend and brother. We lost a good man, a leader. That is only a small portion of the domino-effect the Cullens have had on my people. They are a plague to me and mine. It's time you realize it."

There was a hefty silence. Sam nodded to Jacob before saying, "We meet them at six o'clock. Be there. Bring her. I plan to set up patrolling schedules and discuss strategy for hunting. I need you, Jacob."
"Yeah, Sam." Jacob sighed, "I know."

He reached out hesitantly, but I ducked out of his reach. Jacob froze, hovering for a moment, before he let his hand drop to his side. Sam was staring at me with a deep disgust that likely mirrored my own. I swallowed heavily.

"Maybe I shouldn't have called the Cullens, but I did. I can't change that now. I don't know much, but I do know one thing. They're not the unfeeling killers you think they are. They try to be good and decent. They don't intentionally harm anyone. They aren't mindless, heartless beings like Victoria. If that were the case, they all would have killed me a thousand times over by now."

"Wrong again, Bella." Sam spoke deeply as he stared at me. I watched as his eyes flickered to Jacob's before settling on mine once more.

"All leeches are heartless creatures. They have no heartbeat. Nature dictates that their punishment for cheating the natural balance is a cursed existence filled with violence, death, and never-ending thirst."

We stared at one another for another moment before I finally broke my gaze and looked at my feet. Sam repeated, "Six o'clock."

"Yeah." Jacob quietly said, "Come on, Bells. I'll drive you back home."

"No." I whispered as I turned and walked down the porch steps. He followed me and asked, "What do you mean?"

"I'm not an invalid." I vaguely replied as I climbed into the driver's seat. I tried not to notice the uneven tremble in Jacob's voice as he said, "I know that. I'll just follow you home. I'll patrol outside and give you time to yourself."

I nodded and slammed the truck door. Purposely, I didn't look at him as I reversed and drove away. Once home, I sat in my bedroom, staring out of the window and watching the dim light of the sun fall out of the sky. Charlie still wasn't home and after a quick call, I found out he was with Sue Clearwater. Relieved, I assured him I was fine and would be heading out with Jacob for a few hours. By the time I dressed in fresh clothes, Jacob quietly knocked on the front door and walked in.

For a moment, we stared at each other. Wordlessly, I handed him the truck keys and walked outside. The ride was silent and ominous. I was completely unsure of where we were going, but I didn't dare ask. I watched intently as we drove. Jacob didn't bother speeding like he normally would. He stopped at a location far south from his little, red house by pulling off of the dirt road. He drove deeper into La Push territory. Several yards into the forest, Jacob brought the truck to a halt and shut the noisy engine off. "You'll have to walk from here, Bella…unless you want to ride on the back of my wolf."

I glanced at him, surprised. There was a sad smile on his lips, but Jacob didn't look at me at all as he jumped out the truck. Slowly, I did the same. I took a moment to look around as I bundled myself in my favored jacket. The trees towered over us, caging us in the darkening forest. The ground was soggy and my shoes sunk into the mud as we started walking. The darkness was swallowing the both of us. Glancing behind me, the truck's massive form was nothing but a blurry dark blob.

Jacob stayed right behind me with his palm spread across my lower back. I couldn't hear his footsteps, but I knew he could hear mine. Every animal, human, and supernatural creature within a one-hundred-mile radius probably heard the crunching of leaves and sloshing of muddy water from underneath my clumsy feet.

Soon I was hearing the hoot of owls and an odd chuffing, which I eventually realized were growls and snorts coming from canines. Wolves. I stopped walking so abruptly that Jacob knocked into me. I pitched forward, but big palms caught me. Jacob whispered, "You okay, Bells?"

"Yeah. Sorry…" I muttered as I felt my cheeks heat up. I struggled on and only tripped once more. Jacob caught me before I fully comprehended that I was falling again. I up-righted myself and muttered, "I swear that stick appeared out of nowhere."

His deep chuckled echoed throughout the dark forest. I couldn't help smiling. "You know, this would've been twenty times quicker if I wasn't with you. Then you could have, I don't know, went poof, and ran around on four legs to this meeting. Wolf-y abilities and all."

Jacob laughed, "Should have taken me up on my offer for a ride. We're here anyways, Bells."

"Here?" I repeated in confusion, "If this is really where we're meant to meet, I'm going to slap you. This looks exactly like the same spot where we stopped the truck."

He wondered curiously, "Would you really slap me?"

"Do you think I would?" I asked in turn.

He paused before saying, "Yeah, actually, if you were mad enough."

I snorted, "Wow. Jeez. Thanks, Jake."

"Well, you do have a temper." He teased me.

I rolled my eyes and huffed, "That's the pot calling the kettle black."

"Black, huh? Touché, honey." He chuckled.

I groaned, "Are we really here?"

He gestured easily and said, "Just through this thicket."

Jacob stepped forward, keeping his long arm stretched out enough to touch my elbow. He used his other arm to swipe branches out of the way. Tugging on my elbow, I stepped forward and out from behind the dark curtain of trees. The moon shone down brilliantly into a clearing. I squinted for a second and muttered, "Damn. You were right. How can you see anything?"

"I know you hate it when I'm right, honey." Jake replied mockingly, "But I can't help it. Comes with the package."

I turned and narrowed my eyes at him. He smiled and my stern look faltered. He raised an eyebrow and innocently stated, "What?"

I stated clearly, "I do not hate it when you're right."

He hummed under his breath and took my palm between both of his hands to begin warming my trembling fingers. He stood in front of me and leaned down low enough to touch his forehead to mine. My feet shifted and I nearly pulled away, but his hands were warm on mine. Jacob murmured, "I want you to stay close to me during this meeting, Bella…"

I stared at the fabric of his shirt. The thin material he was wearing wouldn't have been enough to keep a normal person warm in the freezing, wet air. Jacob touched my cold cheek with his palm and murmured, "It isn't because I think you can't take care of yourself, honey. It's them I'm worried about."

I sighed, "Jacob. I've told you before that they won't hurt me."

"Maybe they won't." He whispered, "If you're close to my side, though, I can protect you from anything. The redhead. She's trying to kill you, if you haven't noticed and I've kept her away from you."

I dryly replied, "Yeah. I've noticed."

We stared at each other a moment longer and it seemed as if he would lean down and press his lips to mine. Dread and anticipation grew inside of me. My heart beat faster. The sudden cocky smirk growing on his full mouth let me know Jacob knew what he was doing to me. I rolled my eyes and pulled my hands from his. I sharply said, "Don't."

Jacob pressed his lips together, dark eyes roaming over my figure from the top of my head to the tips of my sneaker-covered toes. He whispered, "You're angry."

I muttered, "Didn't say that."

"You didn't have to. I can feel it." He sighed.

"Now isn't the time, Jacob." I said with exasperation.

"We've got time. You're angry with me because of Sam." He replied evenly.

"Drop it." I snapped while giving him my best glare.

He hotly said, "I don't want to go into this meeting with you pissed off at me."

"You're doing a fine job of making me pissed off right now." I muttered.

"Alright, so maybe I don't mind you being pissed off. It's the sadness."

"Jeez, Jake. What do you want me to say?" I grumbled while blushing.

"That you're angry with me and sad and confused about everything."

I huffed, "Fine. Yes, but if you keep pushing…"

He smirked. "Good. Feels better to let it out, doesn't it?"

I swallowed heavily, "Not really."

There was a slight pause before he said, "Well, you could vent to me."

I said nothing and looked at him in irritation. Jacob grinned brightly and said, "Sorry. Forgot that you're a loner. Why the hell would I imagine you might vent to me? It isn't like I'm your best friend or anything."

"When I figure out what to vent about, I'll let you know." I muttered.

"Looking forward to it." He quipped with a dramatic flourish that had me biting my lip to keep from smiling. Jacob looked up to the sky a moment later before slowly sighing. White clouds of breath puffed through the crisp air. The mood changed like honey leaking from a sieve.

"What?" I asked, "Are you worried about the meeting, too?"

"Yeah, but…" He trailed off before muttering, "Probably not for the same reason as you are. Looks, Bells, Sam says they demanded for you to be here tonight or else they'd be forced to break the treaty to get to you. He's going to kill me for telling you that, but Bella, I can't hide information from you. You're smart enough to make your own choices. The Cullens aren't concerned about anything else except you."

I sputtered, "They wouldn't…they aren't that…hostile."

Jacob glanced at me from the corner of his eyes. He said, "They aren't what you think, Bella. There's more to them than good guys with a bad rep. I don't know what else to do to convince you."

I shifted my weight from one foot to the other and wrapped my arms around my stomach, unsure of what to say or do. There was no doubt in Jacob's voice or in my mind. I believed that Sam told Jacob that the Cullens threatened to break the treaty, but was Sam telling the truth? I had little time to think further on my questions because, suddenly, the clearing was filled with menacing growls. Large beasts began slinking across the thick grass, dropping from the shadows like robust Viking warriors.

They didn't scare me. I watched as they moved in fascination. When Jacob's chest began to rumble and a haunting growl came out of his throat, I felt very curious. He eased both of us forward, farther away from the trees, until we were in the middle of the clearing. Jacob kept his arms banded around my waist and continued his deep rumbling. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I wondered if this was his animalistic way of showing possession over me. I wanted to be irritated with the thought, but found myself too full of anxiety and curiosity to care.

I turned my head and watched as three massive wolves slinked even closer until they were only a stone's throw from where Jake and I stood. They were impressive and terrifying. A large part of me was whispering to be afraid of these animals. And yet, I wasn't. I wasn't scared of them suddenly turning and attacking me. The only fear I felt in that moment was for the two opposing sides, not at all for myself.

It took my mind a moment to realize there was only three wolves in the clearing. The black wolf with the chilling, yellow eyes was Sam. I knew, even with the odd amber eyes that didn't match Sam's stony human glare, that this was him. He was much bigger than the other two wolves that flanked him. The one to his right was strikingly silver. Paul or Jared, maybe. The one on Sam's left was familiar with an iron-grey pelt and dark green eyes. Embry.

My gaze automatically searched the edges of the dark trees, but I only saw shadows. I knew none of them would leave La Push unprotected, but I had expected to see more than three, technically four, wolves present for such a potentially hostile meeting with the proclaimed enemy. As if he heard me speak my thoughts out loud, Jacob leaned closer to me and whispered softly.

"Jared is leading Quil, Leah, and Seth along the Rez. We could be there in about a minute or so if the redhead shows up. That's why Sam chose this spot."

"The silver one is Paul?" I asked quietly, my eyes scanning the wolves as they came to circle us. They weren't close enough to touch, but I could still feel the warmth radiating off of them like space heaters.

Jacob nodded curtly. Glancing at him, I could just make out the taut set of his jaw and the deep furrow of his brows. His shoulders stiffened and his spine straightened. I followed his gaze and squinted, but saw nothing. My heart began to hammer once I felt Jacob's sharp intake of breath. My heart skipped a beat at the sound. Carefully, I watched as the Cullens appeared. One blink of the eye showed nothing more than a dark, blank slate. With the next blink, pale ghosts dripped from the treetops and landed lightly upon the ground.

My first thought was of how stunning they all were. Other-worldly. Graceful beyond imagination. Moonlight seemed to caress their porcelain skin as each danced lithely across the cold, hard forest floor. Jasper and Carlisle were the first to emerge from the clutches of poorly lit treetops. Jasper's face was harshly attractive with his hollowed cheeks and slashing bone structure. Honeycomb curls were lush and yet did nothing to dampen his masculine beauty. Carlisle, handsome as always, seemed calm and collected. He moved slower than the others and remained a polite expression. His pale skin and hair matched with warm golden eyes that made the man look like an angel crafted by God himself.

Emmett and Rosalie, shortly followed by Esme and Alice, came forward. Alice was petite and made of all dark or light angles. She had the body of a supermodel with a face to match. The hair was extremely short and dark, casting a striking contrast between hair, eyes, and skin. Esme was much taller than Alice, yet shorter than Rosalie. Her unique shade of auburn hair was braided flawlessly and her heart-shape faced remained heartbreakingly lovely even in her obvious worry.

Rosalie, in all her glory, seemed fiercely beautiful. Her full lips were pulled back, showing off pearly-white teeth in a sneer. Impeccably thick golden-blonde hair fell like a waterfall down her slender back. Beside her, nearly as big as Jacob, stood Emmett. His chiseled jaw, glossy black curls, broad nose, and satisfied smirk gave him a classic handsomeness that was only increased by hypnotic golden eyes and an exquisite physique. Of them all, only Emmett was grinning as if he was amused.

My next thought was that it was so very Emmett for him to be happy and looking forward to a fight. My third thought jolted me. Where was Edward? A long, drawn out moment passed and then Carlisle spoke. His voice rang across the clearing clearly.

"My friends, I am so glad that you have all graciously agreed to meet with us. I hope this hasn't been a dilemma for anyone involved. If it has, I apologize on behalf of my family. However, we feel this matter is of the utmost importance."

Another moment passed and then Jacob spoke up. His voice was strong and deep. "Get to the point, bloodsucker."

I flinched at the harsh words and flinched again as Rosalie growled in a high-pitched way. Emmett grabbed hold of Rosalie's arms and I watched as he silently murmured in her ear. Carlisle kept a smile on his handsome face as he replied, "As you wish, Jacob. This meeting is meant for us all to calmly discuss the matter of Victoria, the nomad vampire that has been hunting Bella and killing humans close to your region."

There was a pause and a small growl from Sam echoed. He was now within touching distance from me. Jacob abruptly said, "The red-headed leech is being taken care of. If that is all, then this meeting is just about over."

"You disrespectful, ignorant dog!" Rosalie snarled. Emmett had his hand on his wife's shoulders, thick fingers wrapping around her arm to hold her in place. Esme fearfully hissed, "Rosalie! Stay quiet!"

All of the wolves snarled in unison. My heart skipped several beats. I felt panic crawl up my throat. Swallowing convulsively, I almost missed Jacob's warmth as he rumbled threateningly in his chest. He was standing so closely to my side now that I could feel the vibration. My breath hitched when, quite suddenly, Edward came out zooming out of the forest. His walk slowed as he neared his family. The expression on his face had old memories tearing through my chest. It was as if I heard his outraged voice from underneath water. I watched, unable to look away, even as my eyes blurred with unshed tears.

Edward snarled, "Could you be any more unaware, Rosalie? They will attack in the span of a millisecond, do you understand?" He sped forward so quickly that my eyes couldn't follow properly. He came nose to nose with the woman and hissed loudly, "Shut your mouth. Allow Carlisle to speak."

"Please…" Carlisle whispered without turning to look at his family. His golden eyes, I finally realized, showed pain. My heart echoed that pain I saw. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath. My knees were trembling. The growls were rumbling on like the soundtrack to a film. Heated whispers, rushing so swiftly there was no understanding their meaning, broke out amongst the Cullens. My throat felt tight. My breath labored in and out of my lungs. Indecision welled up in my chest immediately. I murmured, "Jake…"

Jacob stepped to the side until our legs brushed. He took my sweaty palm in his and began to rub his thumb soothingly along my skin. He whispered, "I'm here."

I stared straight ahead, blankly taking in the scene of Carlisle turning away from his children and facing the clearing, facing us, once more. My fingers gripped Jacob's more tightly and my gaze dropped to the grass at my feet.

Carlisle said, "Bella is our concern and I plead you to listen in the matter of her safety. Victoria is hunting her. We wish only to rid of the threat. Loss of life is regrettable, but Victoria has allowed herself to go too far astray. My family and I feel that since Bella is the main target, she must remain under guard at all times. With the Alpha's permission, we would like to resume the previously discussed territory lines. Half of my family shall keep guard of Bella within Fork's limits while the other half shall work alongside you in matters of tracking and dispatching of Victoria. We shall not cross into La Push territory, but firmly remain on our side of the boarder as we have always done."

There was another rumble from beside me. I cut my eyes to the side and saw Sam's muzzle lift as if he was openly snarling at Carlisle. Fear for the Cullens gripped my heart, but the wolves didn't attack. Instead, Sam cut his yellow eyes at Jacob and he yipped loudly. I heard a grumbling snort from the silver wolf. Paul. Jacob sighed heavily and muttered in the poetic, flowing language of his people. The black wolf's great head shook from side to side. He growled, lip peeing back to expose pointy teeth. A pause happened and pieces finally clicked into place. Sam and Jacob were communicating.

Jacob called out abruptly, "The old territory lines won't work anymore, Cullen. If you want to help, it has to be on our terms. If not, then it would be best for you all to leave town fast."

"I will hear your terms, of course." Carlisle evenly replied.

Jacob explained tersely, "The previous territory is cut in half. You no longer touch the side of Forks closest to La Push."

Carlisle evenly stated, "That rather complicates the issue at hand, Jacob."

He retorted, "For you, maybe. You want to help so badly, then monitor everything on the opposite end of town. The far side where your house is. About three miles from your property, the redhead killed a man two weeks ago. It seems she zig-zags all over town as well as upstate and in Canada. Feel free to track her in all of those areas. We will keep the other half of Forks and our boarders safe."

There was a slight pause. Carlisle said, "I must point out that Bella's home is within the area you would be excluding us from having access to. Would it not be prudent to have additional guards at her house, job, and school?"

Jacob's heated voice rang out a moment later. "Bella Swan is nobody's business, but mine. The bloodsucker will get nowhere near her. My brothers and I can take care of a single leech without other leeches to aid us. This meeting was a pointless courtesy."

Jacob glanced at Sam, who was rumbling and grumbling. Paul twitched, rump and tail trembling. His sharp, thick claws dug into the ground, creating huge furrows in the earth. With a jolt, I glanced away and continued to stare at Carlisle's expressionless face. Jacob's hand was clutching tightly to mine despite the sweat and tremble I was producing. My lips were pressed into a tight line. I was afraid to look at him. Afraid of what he would see in my eyes.

Sam yipped. Jacob let out a harsh, foreign sound. I knew he had just angrily sworn at Sam despite the language barrier. Following that was a deafening silence. Then Edward spoke. His voice was smooth and sincere like an angel singing. "There are things you don't understand, Jacob. I ask you to see reason."

Jacob snarled so piercingly that I jolted with my pounding heart in my throat. After the animalistic snarl died away, he murmured, "Don't tell me what I do or don't understand. We want nothing to do with your kind. Leave and don't come back."