A/N: I'm sorry I'm so late I forgot it was Wednesday. Also, hate to tell you this, but this will be my last Wednesday update. In order to stay ahead of my updates and not have to stress out trying to keep up, I've decided to switch to a Sunday only schedule so I can have some breathing room. Sorry you guys, but also thanks for understanding. I'm hoping this will give me the extra time I need to focus on other stories and relax some more.

Chapter 16

"I really don't think you should have handled things with the Cullens in such a way, Tanya," Eleazar murmured the moment Tanya hung up the phone. "They really sound like they could use the extra help. Regardless of what happened, we should have at least told Carlisle to give us more time to discuss everything."

Carmen took Eleazar's hand before speaking. "Don't be too hard on her, my love. Carlisle was being rather pushy, although I don't blame him given the situation. You know a coven leader can't show hesitancy or indecisiveness in the face of such a potentially dangerous situation. Not to mention..." Carmen glanced over at Irina, not daring to say it out loud with the still grieving vampire so close.

"No, Eleazar is right. I shouldn't have allowed us to have such a short discussion among ourselves with Carlisle able to listen in. We were all too high on emotion and came to a very stupid conclusion." Tanya hated what she had said to Carlisle, giving such an alternative to their old friends. Whether or not Laurent had been Irina's mate-and Tanya still had serious doubts-Laurent's actions before his death didn't make sense. Even if they did, from what she understood, Carlisle had a potentially deadly situation on his hands. The situation might turn out to be nothing, or it could lead to the death of one of, if not multiple, cousins. For her to say "either let us kill the wolves or we aren't going to help" was simply cruel. Words born out of emotion at her sister's pain. Tanya sighed. "Forget about potentially showing weakness to other vampires. I was talking to Carlisle, to a man we see as family. I should have demanded more time to speak at the very least. Instead, I got caught up in the heat of the moment and made the wrong choice."

"The wrong choice? Tanya, they killed my Laurent!" Irina's voice cracked with emotion, and her eyes filled with unshedabble tears. "My mate is dead, and the Cullens are working with his killers!" So long. She had waited so long to find her mate. Had spent one thousand years alone. Yes, she had her sisters, and later had Eleazar and Carmen, but she had always been a romantic. Had always wanted to find her mate and spend eternity with them, to have her own version of happily ever after.

Instead, her mate was killed only months after she found him. She didn't have any happily ever after, but a tragedy.

Irina knew it was wrong to put partial blame on the Cullens. She should have at least demanded to know what had happened. But ever since Eleazar had told them that Laurent had never shown up at the meeting spot and that he had followed Laurent's trail to find her mate had died, she had been overwhelmed with grief.

"I finally had him…"

"Oh, bullshit!" Kate's sudden exclamation from where she had been leaning against the wall startled everyone. "You fell in love with Laurent, but he was never your mate."

"Kate, now isn't the time," Tanya warned, but Irina had already reacted.

"Yes he was! How dare you act like you know what we had?" Irina snarled, yet even she realized she wasn't getting angry for the right reasons. She was getting defensive, because something in Kate's words triggered something in Irina.

"Oh, come on, Irina, open your eyes! He had to spend a month wooing you, and then even when you started fucking, you never let him mark you! If I finally found my mate, I'd fuck and claim them as soon as possible, and you can bet your ass I'd not only let them claim me too, but I'd wear their mark proudly. You never let him claim you and you never wanted to claim him because deep down, you knew he wasn't really your mate!"

Irina shook her head in denial at Kate's words. "You know mate bonds manifest in different ways. The mating process is different for every vampire. We were getting there!" Even as she said it, Irina started to feel the truth deep down. Why now? What had changed her strong conviction about Laurent being her mate? Ever since that phone call, it was like something Carlisle said had triggered something in Irina.

No, not something Carlisle had said. It had been something else that had caused her beliefs to be shaken. It was just something about the phone call that had triggered it.

"Doesn't matter how the mate bond manifests. If you two were really mates, you still would've felt it when he died. But you didn't. Eleazar had to come back and give us the news. You just need to accept that you let loneliness and hope cloud your brain. He was being a sneaky bastard that day, and he manipulated you into not coming with him. He probably manipulated you into thinking you were his mate, too!" Electricity crackled along Kate's hands as she bared her teeth in anger. Not at Irina, but at the suffering Irina was going through for a man she had always seen as a disgusting snake. "Even now, his manipulations are screwing all of us over!"

Irina fell silent at Kate's words, staring down helplessly at her hands. Her sister was right. She had been so desperate to finally find her mate, she let herself be convinced of the mate bond the second Laurent had said he felt the bond toward her. A part of her had always been telling her that something was off, and she had done everything she could to ignore it. Whether Laurent had actually believed he felt the mate bond with Irina or not, Irina was just as complicit in the farce. She might as well have brainwashed herself out of desperation.

"Irina, Kate's words are harsh, but you know she isn't trying to hurt you. She's been worried about you ever since you and Laurent started talking, and then when he died…" Tanya wrapped an arm around her youngest sister's waist, pulling the other blonde into her side. "We will always be on your side, Irina, no matter what you do. That doesn't mean we agree with what you do, or the reasons behind it. We were all scared for you."

God, had she really wanted to kill all of the shifters for a man who she knew wasn't her mate? Sure, she disliked the wolves; they reminded her too much of werewolves, and Irina had always been wary of their existence. But to condemn the Cullens like she had, to blindly believe that the first person who wanted to stay with her was her mate...she had been such a fool "I know," Irina whispered. She looked up at Kate, and her heart squeezed at what she saw. Her usually cheerful, laid back sister's eyes were now black, pain clear in their depths. Kate had been a warrior in her human life. Due to that, she was never the type to show what she viewed as weakness, which included all kinds of emotional pain and even physical pain unless she couldn't help herself. The fact that Irina could see the pain shining so obviously in Kate's eyes, even as her lips were still partially lifted in an aggressive smile, proved how much Irina had worried the warrior. Had worried all of them, really.

"I'm sorry, Kate. You're right," Irina admitted softly, and just like that, Kate was in front of her, throwing her arms around her two sisters in a group hug.

"I was worried you were losing your mind, Irina," Kate said. "Carmen, Eleazar, don't try to be polite. Get in here too! It's time for a group hug!"

"Of course!" Eleazar said, brightening now that everything had started to calm. Carmen let out an exasperated laugh at both Kate and her mate as Eleazar dragged Carmen over to the three blondes so they could join in.

"Kate, must we really do this?" Irina asked, although it was already too late. She was already effectively in the middle of a Denali Coven sandwich, featuring everyone.

"Yes. Think of it as your punishment for the sleepless nights you've given us all."

"For the last time, we don't sleep, and it's so stupid that you keep trying to use that line to guilt trip us!" Irina snapped back, trying to hide her smile at Kate's foolishness by burrowing her face in Tanya's neck.

"You don't know what I do in my spare time," Kate shot back.

"I know you don't sleep! We are physically unable to!" Irina heard Tanya chuckle, and looked up to find Tanya doing her best to suppress a smile. "Tanya, why are you encouraging her? Do you enjoy her torturing me?"

"Oh, you're always so dramatic. If I wanted to torture you, I would just do this," Kate grumbled, reaching out to zap Irina lightly on her ass.

"Kate!" Irina yelped. She tried to jump away, but as she still had four vampires hugging her, she didn't have anywhere to go.

"I'm enjoying both of you," Tanya replied fondly, gazing down at her sisters with love before focusing a scolding frown on Kate. "But what have I told you about electrocuting people when you're hugging them?"

"I was just proving a point!" Kate protested, and when Irina stuck her tongue out at her sister, Kate wiggled her fingers at Irina with a maniacal laugh. "It seems I might have to prove another one."

"As much as I'm enjoying this moment and I hate to interrupt it, what should we do about the Cullens?" Eleazar asked, and just like that, the mood turned somber. The group hug broke up, but not before Carmen gave Irina a loving kiss to her temple.

"I've been thinking about that while we were hugging," Tanya said with a frown. She ignored Kate's muttered complaint about how Tanya didn't know how to take a break, but Irina made sure to smack Kate upside the head for her comment. It lightened her heart to see Irina slowly going back to normal, despite how embarrassed, heartbroken, and confused Irina still was. After all, even though Laurent wasn't her mate and he was a conniving snake, Irina had still fallen in love with him, and he was still dead. "Honestly, I'm not quite sure how to fix things with them."

"Oh, just call them again and tell them we take it back and we'll help, what's the big deal?" Kate asked with a roll of her eyes.

"If someone had told us that they wouldn't help us unless we let them kill, say, Eleazar, and then after we denied them, called back in less than an hour and told us that they changed their mind and would now help us with no strings attached, what would you think?" Tanya gave Kate a pointed look.

Kate grimaced, knowing how she would have reacted. She would have sworn they were planning something, most likely to carry out Eleazar's death on their own terms. There was no doubt she would dare them to come so she could rip their heads from their bodies, using quite colorful language in the process. She certainly wouldn't believe them. Damn it.

Carmen frowned thoughtfully as she leaned against Eleazar. "So, what are our options? We still don't know what the potential threat is going to be; do we still want to offer up our help without knowing what we are getting into?"

"Carmen, this is the Cullens we're talking about. Why wouldn't we want to help them?" Eleazar asked his mate. He wasn't upset, only trying to figure out what angle Carmen was coming from.

"Yes, I know, and I love them. However, I love the people in this coven more. We are going into a situation involving a vengeful vampire and at least one other accomplice. In numbers, we are much stronger, but that's only if we take what we know at face value. None of us have any idea what's going on behind the scenes."

"They would do the same for us," Irina admitted, wincing with her own guilt at what she had insisted. She had been so stupid. She didn't care how many years it took, she would do everything she could to make it up to them. "If they are willing to accept our help, we should help. Not just so I can try to make things right with them, either."

"Whatever it is, I sure hope it'll be at least a bit entertaining. It's been a long time since I've had a good battle." Kate grinned in excitement as she thought about what kind of fight she might be facing. It really had been too long since she had been able to rip someone to pieces, and damn was she ready for it.

Tanya had been silent, taking in the feelings and thoughts of her coven as she worked through her own. She agreed they should be cautious, it would be stupid not to be. However, she still wanted to help. Just like Irina, she now wanted to make things right with the Cullens, as she had been the one to give the ultimatum. Most of all, she just wanted to do what was right. Family helped family. No matter how stupid Tanya found the Cullens' actions that led the other coven to the current situation, she wanted to be there to help them. Help them, and also make sure they wouldn't put themselves in further danger with that human of theirs. The only question was how would they accept the Denalis' help without suspicion, and potentially hostility?

"I want to help them too. All in favor of trying to help the Cullens?" All hands were immediately raised-it seemed Carmen just wanted to voice her worries. "Then we help them, if they allow it. We still have the problem of trying to convince them we mean no harm to the wolves. So, any ideas?"

Before anyone could suggest anything, Tanya's phone started to ring. The coven leader looked at it in surprise to find that Carlisle was calling her again. Well, wasn't this an interesting turn of events?

Tanya put the phone on the desk and answered the call, putting it on speaker. Alice's voice came from the other side of the phone, already mid sentence.

"-I know it's crazy and you probably don't believe me, but I'm telling the truth! You don't even-"

Tanya knew she had to interrupt. "Alice, how nice to hear from you. It seems you started talking before we answered the call again, do you mind starting from the beginning?"

"Okay, right. Totally." Alice took a deep breath, and had it been possible for a vampire to get a sugar rush, Tanya would have been certain Alice was on one, she sounded so excited. "Okay, I know this is like the worst timing, and it probably sounds like I'm lying or manipulating you all into fighting for us, but I swear I'm not! You don't have to fight or protect us at all, in fact you don't have to do anything but show up! I swear!"

Kate snickered when Tanya rolled her eyes, trying to hide how fond of the seer she was, even when Alice wasn't making sense. Tanya shot Kate a warning look, telling her to behave with her eyes. Clearly, Kate wasn't actually repetent. While she held up her hands in surrender, the smirk on her face didn't disappear.

"Show up where, Alice? And why do we need to?" Tanya asked.

"Sorry, right, I need to explain better. Sorry, I'm just a little…" Alice trailed off, and in the background, Tanya heard some warm, happy laughter. Laughter that was certainly human, and it was more than one human too. Strangely enough, she found herself staring at the phone, a warm heat curling in her stomach. She was so bewildered by the sudden feeling, she looked up to the rest of her coven to see if they felt something too. Carmen and Eleazar appeared puzzled, but not at the laugh or a potential reaction to that laughter. Instead, the puzzlement was focused on the other two blonde Denalis. Tanya hadn't shown much of an outward reaction, but both Kate and Irina had stepped closer, eyes filled with confusion, yet also something else that Tanya couldn't quite place. The playful smirk Kate had and the worry and guilt Irina had all but been vibrating with had melted away, replaced by a single minded focus. They didn't seem to realize how they all gravitated to the phone, like they were all drawn to the source of that laughter. Or maybe something else behind that laughter? Surely they weren't all drawn to a random human's laugh. There had to be something else that caused a reaction in the three of them.

Tanya was the first to shake herself out of it. "Alice? Are you still there?" she asked when the silence on the other end continued.

Alice came back, sounding guilty herself, sheepish, and even a bit upset. "Yeah, sorry about that. I'm kinda dealing with some stuff over here and I'm not in top form. So, what I need you to do is come to Forks, as soon as possible. I know it sounds absolutely crazy, and the timing might seem way too perfect to not be suspicious, but I had this vision involving you, Irina, and Kate. I was trying to think of a way to help someone, and then the vision just happened. I didn't see much in it, but all I know is that you'll see something here and it'll make you three really, really happy!"

What are the odds that Alice would have a vision while all three blonde Denalis reacted to something, or someone, in Alice's house? "You have no idea what it could be?"

At that, Alice got nervous. "Well, I have an idea...but I don't know for certain. I want to be sure and not make assumptions. I might have already done that once, and…" Alice trailed off, her guilt possibly getting to be too much to bear. "So, what do you guys say? Will you come down? Oh, but you still can't hurt the wolves, okay? They're really important to some of us here, and they didn't do anything wrong."

Irina grimaced at that, but kept her mouth shut. She'd work on forgiveness and make sure that they know she won't hurt anyone, but she still wanted to know why they killed Laurent. She still needed closure.

"We won't hurt them unless they try to hurt us, I promise you," Tanya told the seer.

Alice appeared to get even more nervous. "You won't goad them into fighting you as a reason to kill them, will you? They have a really bad temper and they really don't like vampires, but they're still good people."

"None of us want to do that. We realize that we have overreacted." Knowing others were listening in, she went out of her way to assure Alice that they really had no plan of attacking the wolves. "If it makes you feel better, we will do everything we can to avoid them. We'll be there to help, not cause problems."

There was an excited gasp from the pixie, followed by excited squealing and clapping. "So you're really coming down? How soon can you get here? Oh my god, this is great! I can't believe you're actually coming! I'm finally going to help someone with my visions, and you three are going to be happy, and we're going to be happy-right, sorry, I'm not giving you a chance to answer my questions. Have you decided on the plans yet?"

Tanya made eye contact with all of her coven. She looked for any hesitancy, any anger, any emotion that could mean it might not be best to go to Forks as soon as possible. "Yes, we're coming down, Alice. As for time...give me one moment." She didn't put it on mute as she didn't care who heard Tanya making a group decision about their timetable. Things had gone almost too well, and she didn't want to rush them into this despite her own desire to find what, or who, Alice was talking about. "Does anyone have any business they need to attend to here, or should we try to head to Forks as soon as possible?"

Carmen was the first to speak. She sighed, only a sliver of worry in her expression. "I already said my piece. Whenever you want to go to Forks is good for me."

"The more time we spend in Forks, the more time we have to gather knowledge about the current situation. I'm ready to go whenever you are, Tanya," Eleazar added, draping his arm over his mate's shoulders and hugging her close.

Kate was all but bouncing with excitement. "I say the sooner the better! You know I'm aching for a fight, and it's been a while since I got to wrestle with Emmett." Her eyes shone with curiosity, but it was clear to Tanya that the warrior hadn't realized how she had reacted to that laugh from the other side of the phone. "And I want to see what the big deal with Alice's vision is. It's been so long since I've been surprised."

Tanya noticed that Irina stayed silent, fidgeting nervously. "Irina?" Tanya asked softly, giving her the push she needed to speak.

"The sooner the better, yes," Irina said with a jerky nod of her head, all but vibrating with anxiety and guilt and embarrassment. Her next words were spoken softly, the youngest blonde having forgotten that the Cullens could still hear her. "I want to make things right." She wanted to make things right, yes, but having the timetable suddenly sped up to such a degree had definitely shaken her. Tanya knew how nervous Irina was to see the Cullens again. Irina was probably going through everything she could do to make things better, while also fearing everything she might say to make things worse. She was likely terrified of how she would be received by the Cullens and that she might mess things up permanently.

"We'll be there tomorrow night," Tanya decided. This way, she would be able to give Irina some time to calm herself, and potentially prepare for what they might be facing. "Does that work for you, Alice?"

"Yes, that's perfect. Thanks guys, I love you!" Alice hung up before Tanya could reply, too excited to share the news.

With a sigh, Tanya picked up her phone and pocketed it before turning to her coven. "It seems we're in for more surprises than we originally planned. We should start getting ready for whatever might happen."

Everyone nodded seriously, agreeing with Tanya. Everyone except for Kate, that is, who chuckled and rubbed her hands together.

"This is going to be great."

Tanya had a feeling Kate was more right than she realized. All they had to do was meet the owner of that laugh, and she'd know for sure. All three of them would. Now Tanya just had to survive the wait.