A/N: I only read through once, so I apologize for any errors. I wanted to get another one out to y'all, hot off the press. Er- keyboard.
/ * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \
The Dragon landed where Laurent's sat phone had mysterious stopped transmitting signal from and found the ashen remains of the last of her companions. Though it was days old, the familiar scent of wolf hung heavy in the clearing.
Between the Cullen coven and the wolves, this is shaping up to be more difficult than we anticipated.
She took flight once more and let the wind guide her path, basking the in moonlight that soaked deep into her iridescent black scales. Rejuvenated and more centered than she had been in a long time, The Dragon considered her options carefully and realized she would need to communicate with the girl.
Her ties to shifters, her own people, has to be stronger than her ties to the Cullen coven. If she won't join me, if she won't allow me to change her, we have no chance of making things right. There will be no justice for us.
Perhaps it's time for a peace offering.
Glancing below, she realized she had been spotted by a lone wolf. The mongrel was dancing in circles, yipping his head off excitedly. Groaning to herself in annoyance, The Dragon swooped down upon him.
/ * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \
Her mate's cold fingers wrapped around her from behind and slid slowly up her sides, easing Bella gently into the waking world. Unable to resist the temptation, she rolled her hips against him, her warm flesh exploding in goosebumps against his.
Jasper leaned into her neck and pressed his lips against her ear. "Not now," he breathed.
Bella heaved a put-upon sigh and twisted in her bed to face him. "Why'd you wake me?"
Why wake me if not for fun?
Jasper could guess the words she hadn't spoken and grinned teasingly at her. "Well, we can't always get what we want, my Deer," he answered simply.
"Again, with the deer jokes; how dare you try to insinuate I'm 'horn-y'! Must you ruffle me so?"
"Absolutely, but I'm sure you'll learn to live with disappointment."
"Major Whitlock!" Bella gasped dramatically. "You're not a disappointment, don't speak of yourself like that!"
It took him a moment before he realized what he had said and rubbed his face in mock frustration. "Once again, you are impossible, woman."
"And again, I was under the impression you like a good challenge," Bella shot back cheekily, and ran her hand down the rippling muscles of his abdomen.
He hissed quietly in response and had her pinned by her wrists less than a second later.
"We seem to keep finding ourselves in this…predicament," she observed teasingly.
"Yes, well, we will have to go over the consequences later–."
"At length," she cut in with a wink and leaned forward to run her tongue along his jaw.
"This morning, however," Jasper grunted with the effort to ignore her advance and inuendo. He tilted his head toward her bedroom door, "we have some things to go over with Pete and Char."
Of course, they heard me. Lovely.
Bella gulped, her anxiety evident.
"Why don't you go hop in the shower," Jasper suggested. "That way I can go down–."
Bella eyes widened, "are you trying to kill me?" she snarled as quietly as she could, hoping neither of the vampires below heard her.
"Stairs to make you breakfast," Jasper continued, working desperately to keep a straight face.
Bella huffed in frustration, face achieving shades of red previously unknown to her skin with her mortification.
"You did that on purpose," she mouthed, scrunching her face in exasperation at her own arousal. She listened carefully to determine where exactly her house guests were. Unwilling to risk even a single innuendo-filled moment more with her mate, she dashed naked, to the bathroom.
"Game on, darling," she whispered quietly against her bedroom wall, knowing only he could hear her.
Jasper's answering chuckle echoed down the hall, serving only to incite the war brewing between them.
Don't say I didn't warn you.
/ * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \
Bella flounced into a seat at the table and was promptly served by her aunt who joined her.
"Well, don't you look–," Charlotte searched for the words to sum up Bella's clothing choice.
"Like I'm punishing my mate?" the shifter asked wickedly. Bella examined the sweetheart neckline on the deep ruby top she was wearing over her tightest pair of leggings. "Yes, yes I do," she concluded as she started on her breakfast.
Charlotte burst into a fit of giggles, then caught herself. "I think it's about time you and I had 'The Talk'," Charlotte began sternly.
Bella choked on a bite of pancake and swallowed it down with some orange juice.
"Yeah, things are maybe a little awkward," Bella allowed before clearing her throat. "I'm your mated niece, and you know what that's like; but my mate happens to be your–," she struggled for a moment. "War Boss?"
Charlotte laughed and slapped her hand on her knee. "War Boss? Oh, dear, Iz, no."
"It just seemed–."
"He's so much more than our Boss, Sweetpea. Yes, he's our Major, but he's our best friend. I mean, he saved us. We'd follow his orders to the gates of Hell; through it, too."
Jasper chose that moment to enter the home once more. "Now, who might this rakishly handsome gentleman you're referring to be?"
"Oh, shit, you weren't supposed to know about my other boyfriend," Bella teased him with a wink. "But don't worry, he isn't half so handsome as yourself."
Her response gathered Jasper's full attention. His eyes trailed up her long, lithe legs, along the curves of her hips, to her soft, rounded breasts, oh so subtly on display, with tendrils of her hair snaking between them.
Establishing and maintaining eye contact with her mate, she gently gathered a lock of her hair and pulled it away from her neck, sliding it out and away from where it had been nestled.
Remembering that they had company that considered Bella family, Jasper gulped and cleared his throat awkwardly, much to his mate's delight.
"I didn't know vampires could clear their throat."
"We certainly don't need to–, is something the matter, Major?" Charlotte teased deviously.
Jasper rolled his eyes and sat next to his mate. "So, awkwardness abounds."
"Well," Charlotte started slowly. "Yes and no?" she turned to face Bella. "All Pete and I want to do is keep you safe, Iz." She turned her attention to Jasper. "The rest of it–, well, we know who you are, Jasper."
"You know I will do everything in my power to keep my mate safe," Jasper whispered solemnly.
"Pete and I both do," Charlotte answered with a smile. "The fact you two are mates is probably the only reason your head is still attached to your body," she continued in a mostly joking tone. "I mean, obviously you get a say in who you're with, Iz," she shot to Bella. "But if any vampire that wasn't your mate tried to draw you into this world of bullshit, we'd have no trouble ending them."
Somehow, I don't doubt it.
"So, we're?" Bella asked, trailing off for her aunt to fill in the rest.
"Good," Charlotte responded with a nod.
Before another topic could be found, Bella's phone vibrated with an incoming text, freezing the trio.
Guess we're a little edgy.
Heart sinking, Bella reached for her phone and flipped it open. Even though she knew it was coming, she read the words over and over, willing them to change.
"What is it?" Jasper asked, forehead wrinkled with worry.
"Jake."
/ * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \
Bella woke on Sunday to find her mate rubbing her extremely tense body gently.
"Fuck," she whispered with pleasure. "Thank you."
"Of course, darlin'," he breathed into her ear and placed a kiss along the mark on her neck. "Your muscles have been rigid for the last couple of minutes and I thought it might help. Bad dream?"
"Yeah," she muttered quietly.
"You don't have to tell me what they were about but I'm here if you do."
Bella nibbled on her lip before nestling herself more closely against his back. "It's probably because Jess' funeral will be coming up; I dreamed about my mom. Well, her funeral. Or, I guess her service."
"No funeral?"
"She was pretty bad–, I don't think having a viewing before the service would have been a good idea."
"I'm sorry," Jasper murmured quietly and soothingly ran his hands through her hair.
"I had to ID her body," Bella's voice shook with the pain she had worked so hard to recover from.
"Why?" he asked, truly shocked. "Surely Pete or Char could have–."
"They weren't in the country," Bella whispered and licked her dry lips. "She was out on a shift and had been gone for over a day, which wasn't abnormal. So, we weren't worried. They called and I was old enough to do it.
"The cops told me about the accident. They were freaked out that she was naked when they found her but told me nothing had been done to her. She had been hit while she was shifted, so it's likely the other person didn't even stop."
Bella was crying now, her tears landing audibly on her pillow case. Jasper gave her the silence she needed and simply wrapped her more tightly in his arms.
"One detective let me stay on a couch in her office while we waited for Charlie to come down. I was–, I was a nothing person. They could have told me they were going to light me on fire, and I wouldn't have done anything. Shock, right?
"When Charlie got there, it was like everything shattered. I went with him to see her. I couldn't look at my mom, so I looked at his face instead and it just–, it broke whatever was keeping me together. I ran."
"Where did you go?" Jasper asked quietly, concern radiating through his touch.
"I ran home. I didn't have my keys, so I broke a window. I crawled into her bed and I just waited. It hurt so much that I think I was waiting to die. Charlie found me and tried to talk to me about going home with him and I fucking lost it.
"I screamed at him that he couldn't take me away. I said horrible things, and honestly, I was ready to fight him. So, he stayed for a few nights, trying to work on me, but by the time Pete and Lottie got back and came to see me, he was prepared to let me stay with them if it meant keeping me sane, I think.
"They didn't get to say goodbye to her," she continued in a whisper. "They coroner's office actually fucked up and sent her body to be cremated. Caught their mistake though, and it's a damn good thing or her ashes would have been given to the wrong family." She thought for a few seconds. "Not that it matters, I guess. I mean, she was gone already, right? But at the time, I was ready to kill people, Jasper."
Her mate continued to offer her support, rubbing her arms and kissing up and along her shoulders. He gently rolled her over to face him and wiped the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs before pressing a kiss to her forehead. His arms tightened around her, clutching her body to his as thought he were afraid she'd float away.
The sensation had a very grounding effect, and after a few moments, she reached to hold him back. Aside from the sound of Bella's breathing and heart beat levelling back out, her room was silent. And for the first time since her mother had passed, she felt a sort of closure, that maybe sharing the knowledge with her mate had somehow shifted the baggage, allowing her the space to breathe again.
The sound of Charlie placing a pan on the stovetop drew her back into alertness and she met her mate's eyes. "Thank you."
"Anytime; I'm always here," he reassured her and pressed a gentle kiss to her waiting lips. "Go eat some breakfast, darlin'. I need to go hunting with Em, anyway."
"Prepping for the big day," Bella tried to joke.
"It isn't that I don't trust your opinion of the wolves, but I'd rather be safe than sorry," he answered honestly.
"I appreciate that," she murmured against his cheek as she nuzzled against it. She placed a final kiss on his lips then pressed a hand against his chest. "Go. Have fun. I'll be fine."
Bella took a few minutes to clean up her face and relieve herself, then headed down the stairs to meet Charlie in the kitchen. It had been days since the two had a chance to catch up, and wasn't pleased with what she saw.
The dark circles under his eyes finally seemed to be relenting, largely thanks to Jasper's influence. Still, the look of tired clung to him, as though every muscle in his body was being weighed down.
"Morning, Dad," Bella chirped quietly, hoping to not startle him.
Charlie looked down at the plate he was scooping eggs onto, only now realizing he was dished up. Bella wondered how long he had been standing there.
"Hey, Bells," he answered, managing a smile for his daughter. "Coffee in the pot, eggs and sausage in the pan."
"Thanks!" Bella said enthusiastically, grateful she didn't need to cook this morning.
She slipped a piece of bread into the toaster and set to work fixing up her coffee. Once her breakfast was prepared, Bella joined her father at the table and tried to think of ways she might be able to help him.
She swallowed a mouthful of her toast and prompted him. "Have you seen Billy lately?"
"Been a while," he replied with a frown, setting down the section of the Sunday paper he was reading.
"Maybe you should take some time to go visit the guys today?" she suggested.
"What about you?"
"Well, Uncle Pete and Aunt Lottie will be back soon if I decide to stay home, but Rose wanted me to go over to her house," she explained with a smile and forked some eggs onto her toast. "I thought it might be important for you to have some down-time, you know?" Bella.
"That's thoughtful of you Bells. It would be nice, but I wouldn't mind spending the day with you if you'd rather stay here. Are you sure?"
"I'm positive. Rose was thinking of making a memory book for Jess' mom."
Charlie's eyes closed, and Bella realized the weariness she had been picking up on him was actually grief.
He swallowed and sighed. "I think that's a very nice idea. In that case, why don't I drop you off on the way?"
"That would be great! I just need to get ready," she answered happily before finishing her toast and eggs. "Why don't you call Billy up and figure out when you'd want to head out?"
Charlie agreed with the plan and Bella worked on getting herself ready. If she had learned anything over the last few weeks, it was the necessity of being prepared for anything. The backpack slung over her shoulder was filled with the usual change of clothes, books, a flashlight, and protein bars, just in case.
Just in case things go sideways with the wolves. Please don't let this go badly.
She was just about to leave her room when Bella heard the hushed voice of her father, clearly speaking on the phone to someone.
"I can't help you and the boys if you don't tell me what's going on, Billy!"
Whatever was said on Billy's end of the line wasn't what he wished to hear, however.
"I'm well aware that things are a little–."
Charlie went silent, evidently cut off by his friend.
"You can't tell me things have gotten hairy down there. You know I know better."
He paused, listening to the response.
"Yeah, I know it's against your laws, but it isn't my fault your chatty mom practically adopted me nana died."
There was one more reply before Charlie sighed and shifted against the wall.
"I believe you, and I appreciate that. I'll see you in a bit."
Bella bought herself some time to freak out by walking from her bedroom to the bathroom, closing the door and waiting a few moments to flush the toilet and run the sink faucet.
What. The. Fuck.
She reached into her bag for her phone to see Jasper had already sent her a text.
So, I guess that's one less secret – J
Bella turned off the water and tried to calm her nerves before shooting off a response.
Yeah, but does it mean he knows about me? - B
/ * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \
The car ride had been mostly silent, though, Charlie probably assumed it was due to the loss of her friend and the upcoming project. Esme was waiting at the door of the Cullen home and took a few minutes to talk to him about the arrangements for getting her back home while Bella went inside.
The project Bella and Rosalie were planning hadn't been a lie, and so, she spent the next handful of hours gluing photos of her newborn vampire friend from over the years onto pieces of construction paper. Rosalie beautifully composed captions of each captured moment, hoping the words gave Mrs. Stanley comfort to know her daughter was so loved.
Jasper, Emmett, Peter, and Charlotte, however, were busy going over the possible scenarios that could play out during their meeting with the wolves; already stressed to the max, Bella couldn't bring herself to listen.
"I know she isn't really gone," Bella spoke quietly before she set down the photo of Jessica, Angela, Rosalie, and herself joking around in a hallway at school. "But this is really hard."
Rosalie hummed in acknowledgement and finished a header with a flourish of her calligraphy pen. "It definitely hurts to know how much other people will miss her. Especially her mom."
"Exactly," Bella agreed. "The funeral is going to be rough."
"I know," the vampire whispered and set the pen down to push her hair out of her face as she straightened up from her seat. "It's been a long time since I've been to one."
Bella was silent for a moment before deciding that changing the topic would be a better move for now. She looked at the clock and said, "we should probably leave here in an hour or so."
"Agreed," the vampire answered with a grimace.
"Have you all worked out who is and isn't going with? It was four of you, right?"
"Yes, just four. Jasper, Pete, Em, and I will be going with you. Char is going to trade off with Carlisle to watch your home." Rosalie paused for a moment. "Do you really think he'll only bring four of his?"
Bella barked a laugh. "Not a chance."
/ * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \
Penelope glanced down to see she was nearly finished, the thread attached to her spools beginning to reveal the texture of the magically etched, rune-covered wood beneath it. With a smile of satisfaction, she worked with renewed fervor estimating a week or two at most.
Only a select few spots in the tapestry concerned her; choices to be made, alliances yet to be forged.
It's all up to fates at this point.
/ * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \
Bella had been correct: the wolves spread out on the tribe's side of the territory line numbered at least ten upon their arrival.
"Liar." Bella spoke first.
"Good to see you too, traitor," Jacob answered, anger coloring his tone.
"And just what the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Bella snapped, suddenly furious for his judgement.
Jacob laughed in annoyance. "Just that you clearly don't give a shit about human lives, hanging with a gaggle of leeches."
"Did he just say 'gaggle'?" Emmett asked Rosalie with a snort from slightly behind Bella.
"Perhaps he thinks we're geese," Rosalie remarked with a grin. "Silly mutts."
Growling broke out among the wolves and deciding not to let things get out of hand, Bella stepped toward the alpha.
"You wanted to talk, so talk, Jake. Don't stand there and be a fucking dick."
The smallest of the wolves snickered to himself, much to the dismay of his pack.
"Hey, Seth," Bella called out to him with a grin and a wink. "Glad you're not an asshole."
Jacob rolled his eyes and was the first to give in. He took a seat on a rock and waited for Bella to do so on her side of the line as well.
"First," Jacob's tone indicated he was no longer speaking as a friend, or anyone that had any apparent connection to her at all. He was simply the alpha. "What the hell happened to Jessica Stanley?"
Bella sighed and felt Jasper's hand against her back, offering support.
"Jess came over that morning; she was in a really bad place." One of the wolves whined uncomfortably.
Embry.
"Obviously. I'm sure you can understand why. I made us breakfast, and we talked a little. She was doing better, so we decided to go for a run, clear her head a bit."
Jacob nodded once coolly, knowing where the story led.
"We were on the trail when–," Bella faltered, her eyes filling with tears. She didn't realize how traumatic the event had been until now. All of the adrenaline the shifter had been running on was finally gone, allowing her to give in to the hurt and fear.
"Everything went silent; there was just this tiny shift in the air. It sounded like what a shimmer looks like?" she described as best she could. "Jess fell, screaming that something was trying to get into her head.
"We think something was trying to keep her from seeing or being aware of what was happening, but it didn't work. We think there's a vampire that can cloak, Jake."
Jacob held up a hand, requesting her to stop.
"This could be linked to the missing people, then?"
"We think so," Bella whispered. "There's more."
He nodded, ready to listen. Bella noticed the wolves had finally sat, realizing the Cullen coven likely wasn't the real threat at this point. They did, however, remain alert. Their focus was directed toward Jasper, and Peter, instinctively aware that while Emmett was large, those two were the ones to be afraid of.
"All of the sudden, I was attacked. Some asshole threw me against a fucking tree," she snarled, reliving the moment. "And he bit me."
The wolves jumped to their feet, jaws snapping and growling; at her, or the fact she had been harmed in such a way, Bella wasn't sure.
"But you're not a cold one," Jacob answered with shock and confusion.
"No, I'm not." Bella slid the arm of her sweater up beyond her elbow, allowing the scar to be seen. "Apparently, my healing genes worked quickly enough to either keep the venom there, just under my skin, or eradicated it entirely."
Or incorporated traits of vampirism into my DNA and will soon be part of each and every cell within my body. No big deal.
"Then what?"
"I was ripping him apart when Jess started screaming again. By the time I turned around, I–, there was just so much blood." This time, Bella began to hyperventilate and couldn't stop the tears from streaming down her face as violent sobs wracked her body. "There was–, there wasn't anything–."
"We understand, Bella," Jacob whispered, finally understanding how unnecessarily hard he had come down on her. "We smelled that one," he nodded toward Peter, "and another one where all the blood was found. We just assumed."
"Fair," Peter allowed with a grin. "Allow me to introduce myself: I'm Uncle Pete," he stepped forward and placed a hand on Bella's shoulder. "And if you ever speak so unkindly to Renee and Charlie's daughter again, you won't have kneecaps."
Jacob laughed unexpectedly among the fresh round of growls that rippled through his pack. "Just how fucking weird is your family, anyway?"
Rosalie handed Bella a tissue from the girl's backpack to give her a chance to clean herself up. When she finished, the shifter finally looked back up.
"How long has Charlie known?"
Jacob looked at the space between them, clearly uncomfortable. "Is that why you called me a liar?"
"Apparently just one of many reasons, if you don't know which instance I'm referring to."
"Look, Bells, there has obviously been a lot of secrecy between us, but–."
"Yeah, yeah, it was necessary," she cut him off. "But now we need to open up, at least as much as we can. We need to stop things from getting worse."
"I agree. I think we need to figure out why they're here."
"Oh, that's easy," Bella answered the alpha as an immense wave of guilt crashed into her. "They want me."
Growing snares bit through the air as some sort of argument was waged between the wolves.
Jacob sighed heavily and faced the vampires. "Gimme a sec."
He ran off for the tree line and a few moments later, the largest wolf Bella had ever seen roared at his pack. All but one responded immediately, falling into line. Some were pleased to comply with the order, others looked skeptical at the choice. The defiant wolf, covered in thick, dark fur, however, looked mutinous, and snapped back at the alpha.
Jacob stalked forward on his massive paws, his growls becoming so loud that Bella thought about covering her ears. Peter gripped her shoulder reassuringly while simultaneously holding it down.
Apparently moving is a bad idea.
The dark wolf stared into the face of his leader and jumped Jacob without warning. Apparently, someone had decided to challenge the alpha. The fight was over in seconds, however, ending when Jacob squeezed the other wolf's throat between his razor-sharp teeth: a warning. The other wolf went limp with submission and yipped quietly.
Jacob released them from his hold and barked a new order. Two of the more loyal wolves jumped forward to flank the opposer, who hunkered down into the grass.
The alpha trotted off for the trees, and soon, Jacob was walking back to the group, yanking his shirt back on as he went.
"Someone wasn't happy?"
"Someone wanted to hand you over," Jacob snarled angrily.
While Jasper had encouraged her to lead the meeting, Bella felt a shift in her mate's stature, and knew that remark had finally pushed The Major over the edge. His gift was unleashed almost immediately, and the dark wolf somehow managed to press himself more closely to the ground, crying in an uninterrupted howl of terror.
The wolves slunk away from the vampires, their own feelings mirroring that of the intended target.
Jacob caught on quickly. "Stop! We're linked!"
The Major turned his cold gaze to the alpha, waiting for a better reason to stop.
"He has been dealt with and will face punishment later," he snapped angrily. "The others don't need to be punished along with him!"
Bella nodded in agreement and looked up at her mate. The Major's eyes were swirling, inky pools that seemed to be sucking every pleasant feeling the wolves had ever felt into them, like two black holes.
Realizing she should be terrified and wasn't, the shifter stood in front of him, breaking his connection with his target.
She heard Jacob breathe a sigh of relief and knew the worst was over.
"Hello," she breathed quietly and raised a warm hand to his neck.
The Major shivered reflexively and closed his eyes as he retreated ever so slightly from the front of Jasper's mind, his instinctual nature somewhat tampered.
Bella slid her hand up and around to tangle her fingers into the hair at the nape of his neck, further grounding him with the sensation.
Jasper finally opened his eyes, The Major lingering just under the surface, which was probably more dangerous; no one knew just how close he was.
Why is that so hot?
She stepped closer, her nipples hardening at the physical proximity, something he didn't miss. Bella wrapped her arms around him then, allowing their bodies to press against each other and breathed "later" into his ear, unsure even he would hear.
His cool fingers raked gently down the fabric covering her back, setting her insides ablaze with heat. With a final smirk, she turned away and resumed her seat.
Jacob had one eyebrow raised in question, clearly surprised by just how close the shifter was with the vampires.
"Mates," Bella announced proudly. "The equivalent of imprinting."
The wolves grumbled quietly among the themselves, much to the enjoyment of the dark wolf that remained in the dirt. Apparently, this wasn't good news.
"It changes nothing," Jacob snarled at his pack.
His statement was followed up with a yip from Seth, who was clearly in agreement.
Bella smiled at the small grey wolf and mouthed a "thank you" to him.
"Well, maybe it changes things in that you can trust I'm not in danger, and we are working on the same side," Bella spoke clearly.
The majority of the wolves continued to appear dubious, however.
"As you can see," Peter asked, stepping forward and sitting on the ground so they wouldn't feel threatened. "None of us feed from humans," he tapped the side of his head near one eye.
"And, I mean, Pete has only been my uncle since I was born, and I haven't been drained yet."
Seth snickered in agreement, excited that his fellows were finally following his line of thinking. He couldn't stop himself and danced forward excitedly.
A tawny brown wolf stalked after him, growling a command.
Leah.
"It's okay, ma'am," Peter grinned at her. "Your bro is safe with me."
Unwilling to take his word, she followed him closely and even after Seth sat and raised his paw to tap the vampire, Leah remained standing, on guard.
Jacob groaned and rolled his eyes. "You aren't a puppy, Seth!"
"Yes, he is!" Emmett exclaimed excitedly and dropped to the ground near Peter. "You're stinky, but so darn cute!"
"You don't exactly smell fantastic, either," Jacob said, and muttered something about pine breeze bleach under his breath.
Soon, everyone was seated, the tension finally eased, and the group was able to continue more civilly, much to the relief of both Bella, and her mate. Unfortunately, neither side could come up with any sort of solution, and was only complicated further when the wolves learned of the Volturi's looming involvement.
"Well, isn't this a bit of a–."
"Clusterfuck?" Rosalie suggested to the alpha.
"Yes," Jacob agreed with a frown.
"We don't think the vampire trying to get to me is connected to the Volturi's impending arrival, and yet, everything is coming together all at once; we just have no idea what that's going to look like," Bella summarized for everyone.
"Fun," Jacob answered sarcastically. "Well, then, I think our involvement is going to revolve around keep the tribe and town of Forks safe. We may be able to spare some but–."
"Don't," Bella cut him off quickly. "Absolutely not. If they don't know about you, there's no reason to clue them in."
"I agree," Peter added.
"And why does your agreement matter?" Jake asked archly.
Peter shrugged.
"Uncle Pete is–," Bella struggled. "His hunches are trustworthy."
Jacob nodded his understanding. "Gifted. Got it. Anything else?"
Bella looked at the faces of her family, wondering if there was anything they left out.
Other than Jess, because that isn't going to go over well.
"Does Charlie know about me?" she asked finally.
"I don't know," Jacob answered quietly. "He can't even really talk about this stuff, you know? It's like we all just skirt around these things, you know?"
"I do know."
The conversation over, the groups began to prepare for their departures. They were interrupted, however, when Seth began to yip and dashed over to Bella, nudging her legs shyly.
"Oh, yeah," Jacob addressed her with a laugh. "Seth wants to know if you'll come play as a dragon again."
/ * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \ / * \
Remember to review on the way out!
I love getting feedback and hearing your guesses as to what happens next! It's SO HARD not to confirm or deny things but I promise, everything will be out in the open soooooooooooon (soonish)!