Trials of an Army
Cullen Residence
The next morning, Edie and the other wolves woke up to clothes waiting for them on a side desk. The allure of pancakes leads them to the kitchen. Instinctively, Edie gave her Grandma a kiss on the cheek. This pleased Esme as she continued to cook copious amounts of bacon, sausage, pancakes, and eggs. Jacob came down a few minutes after the rest of the wolves arrived at the Cullen home.
"Where's Edie?"
"She told us to meet Bree outside," Sam replied to the Alpha. Once everyone finished eating, they went outside where Bree stood alone near their border.
"Hey, guys! So, Edie's gonna come by in a bit. We're gonna meditate for now. I don't know anything about being a wolf, but I do know about having a Gift. Edie taught me that we are our power and we need to accept that it's always been part of us. Simple, I know, but it's difficult to apply in real life. Close your eyes, concentrate and bring your inner wolf to the surface."
The pack sat in a circle. At the peak of their focus, they were face to face with their wolf forms. They each shook hands with their inner wolf. Jacob took longer than them because he was faced with three wolf forms.
The inside of Jacob's mind was orange, like when the sun is halfway out of the sky. He recognized two of them. The large chocolate brown wolf that sat on its hind-legs was his shifter form. A barn-red cub was pressing itself behind the larger wolf's front legs; he recognized it from his childhood dreams. The other form looked more aggressive than the others, more humanlike, yet it had an otherworldly beastly aura around it.
Jacob knelt before his shifter form and tried to lock eyes with the cub. Gently, he said, "Hi." The elder wolf gave permission to the cub to move. As soon as that happened, four little legs moved as fast as they could and jumped on Jacob's chest where they were caught. The little cub started scenting Jacob. Suddenly, Jacob realized, "You're my baby." He closed his arms more tightly around the small body. When he looked up, he observed his shifted form more closely, and he found extra nipples on its underbelly. "You're a girl?"
He could've imagined his wolf giving him an exasperated snort. "Alright. No need for your attitude, this is all new to me. Who's the other guy?" The "other guy" growled loudly, but it didn't scare the little cub in Jacob's arms. In fact, the little cub broke free from Jacob and rubbed herself against the wolf-beast. The beast was careful not to cut the cub's flesh. The wolf-beast was intimidating, but Jacob felt he was familiar to him as if he could trust the beast. Collectively, Jacob, his shifted wolf form, and the beast stretched out their hands to the center. When the hands intersected, a bright light shone, and Jacob was back in Forks with the pack shoving their faces too close to his.
"Ever heard of personal space?" The teenagers backed off, but only slightly. "Something on my face?" He grazed his cheek with his fingertips; it felt hollow. He took out his phone and turned on the camera. His cheeks were missing their usual baby fat, making his cheekbones more pronounced. His eyebrows a bit thicker and his ears were slightly pointed. Small marks, like chains, connected the creases of his nose to his eyebrows. Overall, he looked like, like a dog! No, a wolf. "The hell?"
'Beautiful,'he heard from Edie's mind. The thought made him warm in his heart, well, warmer. Then, he noticed, she was different too. Her ears were slightly pointier and on her forehead was a crescent moon with the thin ends of the moon nearly touching and small lines, like sunrays, coming out of the thickest part of the moon. She must've seen it in someone's mind, Jacob surmised because the next thing she did was take out her phone and look at the camera.
All the same, the markings on both Black heirs absorbed into their skin. "I'm glad you guys connected to your inner wolves, now the real work begins." The pack worked their human bodies until midday, and after lunch, they trained until three hours after sunset. The pack insisted they could work through the night, but in a comical turn of events, Bree knocked them down with a single touch to the forehead.
Edward and Jacob's Cabin
Edward was in the kitchen cooking Jacob's dinner while the latter showered off the grime of the long day. Jacob sore muscles relaxed under the scalding water. He thought over the entire day; even though it was physically grueling, the part that stuck with him most was at the beginning when he met his inner wolves. The alpha wiped the condensation from his bathroom mirror and concentrated. He focused on the memory of his two wolves and him joining hands.
When Jacob felt his nails scrape against the granite sink, he knew he had succeeded. Then, he heard an angry growl coming from the door. He turned around and saw his handsome stone husband snarl at him. Instinctively, Jacob responded with his own snarl before beseeching, "Ed! Ed, baby, it's me. It's Jake!"
Edward straightened himself from his crouching position and wiped away his drooling venom. "Jake? I could've killed you!"
"Well, that's our life's story. So, uh, what do you think? I think this is my werewolf form. You know, like 'real' werewolf." He used air quotes.
"It's certainly different," the vampire responded carefully. His fingers traced the newly defined bone structure. "If I can be honest, I don't know whether to kill you or fuck you."
"Thank you?" Jacob leaned against the shower wall and his canine features and tattoos dissolved. He palmed his abdomen.
Edward had figured out that this was one of his husband's new nervous ticks some time ago. "What's wrong?"
"I can't feel her. When we were on the island, there were like these worm-like movements in my stomach, but since the other night, it's like she won't move. I think she's asleep. At least, I hope she is because I know she isn't dead." The couple embraced through the night as Jacob slept.
Edward, cursed otherwise, spent the night stroking his love's midnight hair. At first, he recalled how long it was when he first met Jacob; his long locks reached to the middle of his back. Edie's hair was longer, covering her whole back. He imagined her cutting her hair short, first in a bob-style that was sweeping the youth of his late human life and then in the pixie-cut of the current century. This plus first impressions from his family made him ask himself: does she really look like me?
Vampire Site (Cullen Residence)
Of course, even if he wanted some sort of confirmation on the fact, he restrained himself from getting to close to her. Ergo, the next morning when she decided to focus her attention on the vampiric group. She had the two offensive powers, Benjamin and Kate, work on expanding and contracting their field of attack. He kept tabs on them while sparring with Huilen.
Benjamin and Kate were skeptical of what Edie could teach them and how much attention they would draw from the humans with the demonstration of their powers. "Kate, have you ever hurt anyone with your Gift without touching them? Benjamin, have you ever hurt an opponent with your Gift while touching them?" Their response was negative. "You will now. It's the same concept as spreading your electrical charge through your body by using its natural circuitry to conduct it. As for you, Benjamin, such raw power needs to be contained to be able to channel it to a direct opponent."
"What do you want us to do?"
She directed their sight to the organisms behind her. "These trees are sick. Your job is to either put them out of their misery or bring them back to life. Kate, you will create a weapon. Picture it in your mind, its shape, its length, its weight. Then, throw it at the tree. Benjamin, you will use water to help or harm this tree, and you must be touching it. You must find it from within the tree or the ground. Or even from the sky." Both vampires got to work immediately.
"I imagine you to be able to do this by midday. I expect nothing less."
Riley saw Edie approaching his group which now included Zafrina. "They're better, but Emmett is still too rough," Riley told Edie.
"There's nothing wrong with brute strength. This just means his talents are suited elsewhere."
"Yeah, but it could cause problems if it leaves us with a weak link."
"What do you want to do?"
He jaggedly sifted through his blond hair. "The smart thing to do is to sic 'im on the lackeys with Jasper and the Irish dude."
"Liam won't leave Siobhan. Emmett and Jasper are a promising idea. We'll pair them up with Paul and Jared."
"I guess, but maybe he should be with Zafrina. You know, like a bodyguard."
Edie scrunched her nose. "Zafrina won't like that, but we're on the right track."
Each vampire was sparring within their coven. The ones that did fight outside this norm weren't accomplishing anything other than getting their partner hurt. Edie counted them off in her head and saw that they were missing vampires. "Excuse me, where are Irina and Laurent?"
"We haven't seen them for hours."
"They left before dawn, and they haven't returned," Tanya confirmed.
"I see. Thanks for telling me." Edie pointed her palm Northwest of them. Through the trees, a translucent light pink orb came to them. Inside, were Laurent and Irina. "Lucky for me that I caught you before you passed the barrier."
"What is this," Laurent banged his fists against the translucent cage.
"It's a simple containment orb. I learned how to do it a few months ago when I met Riley and Bree. Now, Irina, where were you and Laurent planning on going?"
"We were going home. We can't fight with you. I'm sorry," Irina pleaded.
"You don't need to tell me, Maggie. I know when Irina is lying. It's not her motive I question." Edie turned to the ebony vampire with a toothy smile that didn't reach her eyes. Maliciously she commanded, "Tell me the truth, Laurent." Her voice wasn't guttural like it was when she previously used this power. Though that may have been because she wasn't transformed like before. Their audience watched with morbid fascination. "What were your plans?"
Laurent felt true fear for the first time. The polite and strong girl was gone, and a demon remained. Embarrassingly, he stumbled upon his answer, "We– we were," he cleared his throat unnecessarily.
"SPEAK!"
"We were going to the Volturi! Irina didn't know. I just needed to convince her that you were too dangerous to live." The traitorous words spilled. "And if I didn't, I would leave her or kill her if it became too troublesome. I would do anything for power."
With his innermost thoughts exposed, the rest of the Denali coven along with Garrett purposely moved to attack the French vampire. Edie released Irina from their bubble while Laurent stayed inside. "It's up to you, Irina."
"Can you take him out of there," her voice was soft. In another context, one might assume it was sexual. Edie did as Irina said. "Is he able to move," she asked as he ungraciously fell to the forest floor. Edie told her no. Irina caressed Laurent's cheekbones, and with no further thought, his body was divided from his neck up. With a snap of Edie's fingers, it was drenched in flames. Irina was caught by Edie as she let her tearless sobs flow.
"There, there," Edie brushed her platinum hair like Esme used to do for her. Irina slumped in her grasp. Edie transported Irina's body to her Alaskan home.
"What did you do to her," asked Tanya.
"I put her to sleep. She won't remember these last few days, and when she wakes up, she'll be recovered from her 'break-up' with Laurent."
"Why would you do that?"
"I owe Irina my life. Do any of you want to go back with her?" When they said nothing, she announced. "Tomorrow, the pack will join us. The Olympic Coven already know how to work with them. As for the rest of you…I don't want to hear your bitching, sorry Esme, your complaints because of their scent or whatever ill will you have. I want to see what you've learned." The hybrid tapped her foot on the browning grass. Everyone except for Riley and Edie fell to the floor. "That's disappointing. Riley, I expect better by midday."
"Yes, Teacher. Hey! You sons of bitches! Have you learned nothing from yesterday? Agility, precision, and balance! You just failed the biggest test, which was fucking balance! You're not even doing half the stuff I had to do with her, so this should be easy. Pair up! If I see any of you sons of bitches messing up or fighting your own coven, you get a body part chopped off. I don't care which."
"I suggest you keep track of whatever parts you might lose," Edie smirked. Neither the wolves or the vampires heard from her until near midday.
When there were enough body parts on the field to make a small hill, Riley decided it was time for them to take a break to retrieve their limbs. "Hey! Avatar and Static Shock! You can take a break, too." Benjamin and Kate nearly sagged in relief.
"Hey, Ed! We got you guys something." Jacob and the rest of the pack showed up with mammals on their shoulders.
"Jake! You shouldn't be carrying that."
"Who says? Come on, Ed. I got your favorite," Jacob enticed him with the unconscious puma on his shoulders.
"How were you able to carry them in your human form?"
"It's Bree," Seth answered excitedly. "She's been kicking our asses for two days."
"We've been human nearly the whole time," Sam explained.
"We brought enough for the Denali guys too," said Paul.
"Thank you, we appreciate it," The Denali leader received their bounty.
"How nice! Have you brought anything for us?" Stefan crooned. "A nice blonde perhaps?"
"As if, Creepo!" Jacob shoved the puma onto Edward. "You're on our land. Drinking from humans will get you killed here." The alpha's malicious smile didn't reach his eyes, much like his daughter.
"Try it, puppy," the Romanian taunted.
Riley's katana grazed his throat at once. "My teacher doesn't want you here. Nobody does, really," his voice went down an octave. "Imagine what she would do when she finds out you threatened her alpha."
"Riley, we can't keep changing the plan. This should be enough to keep–"
"Bree! Don't waste your powers on him."
"Why don't you join us, Edie? The pack brought us…"
"I already ate, but thanks, Rose. I have my own training to get to. Give them some blood bags." Edie gave them a cooler with Carlisle's secret blood bank. "It's better than nothing. You can hunt four days from now outside our lands." A cool breeze was left as she walked away.
"She is an odd one, your teacher," Kebi suggested. "Or rather she is a rare combination of ruthless and kind." She and the rest of the red-eyed vampires tolerated their meals. They weren't what they were used to.
"She has a past that not many of us have had a privilege to have," Jasper noted.
"What's worse is that no matter how much she wants to, she can never forget," Alice continued.
"But we're just guessing," Rosalie admitted. "She doesn't trust anyone enough to tell them more than necessary."
"Except Charlie, maybe," Seth put in his two cents.
"Who is this Charlie?" Nahuel eyed them curiously.
"He's the police chief for Forks. Edie lives with him." Seth was oblivious of the jealousy coursing through the male hybrid and the Denali leader. He was occupied with carefully choosing his words for Edward.
"How many powers does she have?" It was Amun that asked this time.
"So far, we only know of four," Edward answered. "At least those are the only ones that we definitively know of. She keeps surprising us too."
"I believe I know why; it could explain her many talents."
"I'm fascinated with what you may have come up with, Carlisle," Eleazar spoke eagerly.
"If Edie were human, they would describe her as a polymath. Except that since she's immortal, her ability is amplified like with all of ours."
"What's a polymath," Jacob asked his father-in-law.
However, Edward responded. "A polymath is a person who can learn anything. Da Vinci was one; usually, that ability is limited outside of athletics, but since she's a vampire she's able to do so much more."
"She's like an all-around genius." Jacob was astonished to be carrying such a person inside of him.
"So, what you're saying is that theoretically, she can learn any of our powers if she wished to," Eleazar queried.
"That's what they're saying," Jacob smirked.
"I'm curious if somehow her original genetics have some application to that. Like with her eyes."
"Yes, I was curious about that as well as what Riley meant by calling Jacob her... alpha? Was it," Siobhan entered the conversation.
Jacob took silent permission from the coven pack. "When Cullens first came to our lands, they met my great-grandfather and struck a deal. To make sure that they could follow through on it, my great-grandpa and his two friends shifted into wolves, and they passed the ability through the bloodlines to maintain the treaty. If Edie hadn't become a vampire, she would've been one of us."
"Is she from your bloodline?"
"She's from mine," Quil spoke up.
Satisfied, the Irish leader continued, "May I ask, how did you fall in love? Surely your natures would've done the opposite?"
"He showed up on his motorcycle, and it was love at first sight." Edward's overly fond tone caused Jacob to blush.
"Don't make it sound like freakin' chick flick!" Jacob shoved him playfully. Laughter covered their circle.
Midday came with Edie in tow. Kate and Benjamin demonstrated the fruit of their labor. "You first, Benjamin."
He put his hand on the diseased trunk of the tree. Within a minute, it was dried-up up and devoid of any liquid. A minute after that, the tree was healthy as the rest of them. "Good, but it's too slow. Work on that during any spare time. Alright, Kate, you're next."
Kate's electro-kinetic powers formed a staff with a long-serrated blade that had a crescent base. She threw the weapon at her assigned tree. It fell immediately, burned to a crisp. "Very nice. That was a Partizan, right?"
"Yes," Kate answered smugly. She formed it again when Edie asked. She was taken by surprise when Edie grabbed it from her hand.
"It's not sturdy enough." Edie twisted the weapon into a pretzel. "At this point, it's like throwing a rope. You and Benjamin have the same homework."
"Is it because you're a shield, right? That's why you can hold my weapon."
"Or your voltage has been exaggerated," Garrett suggested. He, like others, approached their area some time ago.
"Maybe it only works on the weak," she teased. She held her palm up and enticed him to touch.
"Garrett, I wouldn't," Carlisle weakly warned him.
The voltage from Kate's hand brought Garrett to his knees. "You," he sighed reverently "are an amazing woman."
Edie's smile was bright at their obvious chemistry. "Alright, you two. I'll be back for you and Benjamin later, Kate. I'm gonna go see how the other groups are doing."
Wolf Site (Cullen Residence)
Half of the pack was shifted and were sparring with those that were not shifted. Everyone had at least some blood or claw marks on them; everyone except for Jacob. It wasn't that he was too fast, he was, but he would still get hit. Each injury that he took went away or was deflected as if they never happened while when the other wolves got hit; the injuries went away, but not as quickly.
"Alright, guys, show me where you're at." Edie's nose was longer and canine-like; she bared her sharpened teeth and claws and crouched on her hind legs. The newly-shifted hybrid ran to them at full speed. Her neon eyes zeroed in on Leah first. The she-wolf deflected but did not do it without injury. Collin grabbed her by the waist while Embry tried to trip her up; it took an effort to shake off Collin and once she did, she punched Embry in his snout.
Edie went after Jared next. She knew he was baiting her, but she still went for it because she wanted to see what their plan was. It was a standard ambush from Seth and Paul coming in from her left and right sides while Jared and now Brady went at her from her front and back. She thought it would end there; she was surprised with Quil and Sam's combination attack from above. The hybrid had nowhere to go. The force from Quil and Sam's attack buried her a few feet below the surface.
It looked like a victory for the pack, and they celebrated too soon. Edie launched out of her hole and attacked each wolf, leaving Jacob for last. She hit the alpha with an aerial kick. He blocked each move as best he could and hoped that she would eventually stop, but she was relentless.
Finally, his wolf had enough. Jacob transformed into the same creature that Edie did. He was a canine-like beast with defined muscles, sharp teeth, and claws, and most noticeably, ruby red eyes. "You will submit, pup!" The beast growled.
"Make me," Edie's guttural voice responded. She tried to strike, but she couldn't. Edie froze and dropped to her knees; her hands pulled at the grass. For the first time, maybe ever, Edie was completely helpless. Her face was planted in the dirt. She whimpered, "Alpha." She reverted to her usual form.
Likewise, so did Jacob; when he did that, the command broke, and Edie was able to move. In what felt like a long time, Edie stared at her mother directly, dumbfounded. Dark green to deep brown. She broke contact first and cleared her throat. "Good job guys. If you really wanted to, then you could've killed me. You'll kick their asses. I'm gonna go to the vampire camp if you wanna watch."
Jacob lagged the rest of the pack. As he followed his daughter to his husband, Jacob felt like he stood taller, his shoulders were broader, and his chest puffed out like Superman. Only one word crossed his mind: Alpha. Sam similarly, walked behind the others. He recalled the number of times he tried imposing order on Edie, with no result and compared them to a moment ago. 'Maybe it's because he's the rightful Alpha that she had obeyed him, or maybe it's because Jake is her mom.'
Vampire Site (Cullen Residence)
There was buzzing when they arrived at the vampire practice site. It looked like a battle royale; all of them against each other. They stopped when a whistle escaped Riley's lips. He signaled for Benjamin and Kate to join them as well. "Bree, Riley, you'll join them too. No handicaps."
The hybrid placed herself in the middle of the group of vampires; most of them thought she was arrogant. They would be correct to an extent, yet she could back-up her confidence. "You have your work cut out for you. The wolves went beyond what they were training to do. If you can take me down or incapacitate me, then you pass automatically. If you don't give it your best effort, then I'll make you."
Edie expression was almost sinister. Amun tried to land the first punch. A sweeping leg brought him down. By the time he got back up, Edie had taken down his wife, and more than half of the vampires, though the Amazons were resisting. Moments later, they were also defeated. The only intact coven was Siobhan's. More than likely because Siobhan's Gift made it so. Maggie took the risk and struck first. She was protected by her leader's will, but not enough it seemed because in less than two minutes she no longer had a torso. Stefan and Vladimir decided to borrow Garrett's strategy and ambushed Edie. Each grabbed her armed twisted, or rather, turned them to tear her in half. However, Edie was stronger, and she used the momentum to spin the Romanians in the air and threw them like debris in a hurricane. The Egyptian leader saw an opening and swept her legs. Edie dodged and landed on his back; she buried him four feet below the surface.
As Edie dug herself out, Tia grabbed her neck and threw her across the field. "I was wondering when you'd make your move." The two women charged each other. Tia tried to hit her in vital areas of her body, and she was blocked every single time until she eventually pinned Edie's arms down. When Tia thought she had the upper hand, Benjamin descended from the sky and used his new knowledge to extract the liquid from Edie's body. Edie was shriveling. "This is great! You two really impressed me."
She pushed them from her body, and they landed yards away from her. Suddenly she needed to breathe. Her body rehydrated, and she targeted Siobhan and Liam. Through Siobhan's gift of Outcome Manipulation, Liam managed to land blows and get back up quickly when Edie struck him. It was proving difficult for Edie; the defeated vampires were hopeful that she might lose. The hybrid took a moment to breathe and relied on instinct to guide her to Siobhan. Edie looked for holes in Siobhan's power and took advantage when she did. The Irish leader was brought down by a suplex. Likewise, Liam was defeated by a piledriver. "Charlie showed me that. We saw it on something called WrestleMania."
Abruptly, Edie no longer had a left leg. "You always said we shouldn't gloat," Riley taunted with his two katana.
"But I never said we shouldn't have fun," she shot him her wolfy smile. The hybrid took in a sharp breath. She somersaulted in the air above Riley and unexpectedly chopped him on his side. His leg shattered.
"A leg for a leg?"
"If you want to look at it that way, yes."
Bree took hold of her teacher and caused her vision to fog; they saw familiar images. Bree felt her hold slip. This only happened in the early days of her training, but now it seems like the fears and hopes that she thought she knew about her teacher had little effect on Edie.
Bree felt herself being thrown like a boomerang around the field and onto Riley. The students saw their teacher approach with her previously severed leg reattaching to her pelvis. Their teacher glanced at the group of defeated vampires. With a snap of her fingers, they were put together, and the Romanians flew back from where they were thrown. She motioned them to join the rest of the audience.
Edward was the last vampire standing on the field. "Let's call it Edie's win," he suggested. As he made his way to Jacob, he was nearly knocked down by a kick to the face. The hits kept coming, and Edward evaded them constantly. At one point, Edward had been thrown onto the copse of trees.
"Stop it!" Jacob pleaded. "He conceded."
The hybrid was expressionless, she crouched to the tampered grass, and her voice was monotonous, "He isn't hurt." She pushed her palms facing out over the tainted field.
Jasper limped to her crouching form. "What're you doin'?"
"Cleaning my blood-venom," she spoke low enough so the others wouldn't hear. She stood and faced the crowd. "Mend." Their physical ailments were healed. "I learned that from watching Jane."
Edward Cullen tottered to the field in Jacob's direction but was stopped by an invisible force. "Everyone gets a turn."
"What's the point–"
"Jake, she's right. If she's even half as strong as any of the Volturi, then I have to fight her." At top speed, the vampire threw himself at the hybrid. They rolled in the grass for seconds before she broke free. They were blurs to everyone, even the vampires.
Throughout their fight, Jasper couldn't help contemplating why Edie had to clean up her blood-venom. He decided to test out a theory and grab a clump of dirt. He put it under his nose. The Texan stood straight at his realization. 'Please Brother, hear me. Whatever you do, try not to cut her.'
"Why?" He asked, not because he intended to, but for curiosity. He was two yards away from Edie.
"Because I can smell the grass."
"So, what? We can, too." Paul countered. When he was ignored, he tried getting Jasper's attention again.
"Paul!" Jacob whispered. The pack gathered around him. "Remember what Edie smells like? Imagine that for them." The alpha nodded to the vampires.
There was constant chatter in the supernatural audience. Exasperated, "Forget this," Edie strutted towards town. "I was surprised and unsurprised today. Tomorrow, I'll be assigning teams. Do what you want tonight. Though I gotta say, I'm disappointed in your Ice Prince."
When Edie left, Maggie voiced lowly, "Lie."
Cullen Residence
The next morning, the entire party sat in the Cullen living room on the second floor. "Ladies and gentlemen, this is not a democracy. And yadda, yadda, yadda." The hybrid sauntered gently, "Look, I didn't pick the first two team names, yet frankly, they're very cool." The last comment earned her a high-five from both her students.
Amused, yet impatient, the supernatural creatures were eager for her announcement. Garrett especially urged good-naturedly, "Get on with it. I haven't been this anxious since Concord."
"Yeah, yeah. Okay, we divided our strong arms into two teams. The first team, Team Hulk, consists of–"
"Please, Edie," Riley exclaimed. Edie rolled her eyes playfully. "The members of Team Hulk are: Emmett, Paul, Jared, Jasper, Embry, Leah, Vladimir, and Tanya." The group were smug with pride for being the first chosen. "Team Th–"
Bree snatched the list from him. "Team Thor, also known as Team Awesome, will have Kachiri, Senna, Huilen, Zafrina, Collin, Brady, Stefan, and Garrett."
Stefan's snide thoughts cut through the cheer, 'Why not exchange me and Garrett with the lady wolf and Tanya. This way, the team will be completely full of quims.'
"Now, now, dear sir." The party watched Edie step with the grace and strength of a ballerina. Her words flowed like the winter winds. She grabbed his chin to force him to face her. It was difficult for the vampire to keep his eyes open, but he feared what would happen if he looked away. "One must never doubt the might of a woman nor the ambition of the young." Her wide grin held no depth. "Now, please, dear Stefan, have a seat and do us the honor of silence so that we may continue. Of course, the same goes for you, Vladimir."
Eleazar was so enraptured by her demeanor and the rawness of her power, that he nearly missed his name being called for the sniper team. His team included Riley, Alice, Nahuel, Kate, Sam, Benjamin, and Quil.
Edie cleared her throat, "Next up is the Mother group."
"Mother group," Siobhan questioned.
"Yes. We need this group to go and help those that need it on the field."
"Why would we need this group? We could spend our time more favorably being fighters," Liam argued.
"We don't have the Volturi's numbers and honestly, this group wouldn't be very helpful as fighters. Each person in this group will have a connection to either the fighters or the strategic team. I also call this group the Medic Team. We will help whoever needs it and facilitate a favorable outcome in the field."
"We?"
"I'll be joining you. The members will be Liam, Siobhan, Esme, Carlisle, Amun, Kebi, and Carmen."
"Isn't it a liability to have most of our coven leaders on one team?"
Alistair waited for her answer. "Maybe, but the Volturi won't be after them. We will work closely with the snipers while the strategic team works with our strong arms. They'll be Rosalie, Maggie, Tia, Edward, Jacob, Bree, Seth, and you, Alistair."
"I never agreed to join your fight."
"And you won't, but you are our best Tracker. I won't put you in the fight. You will be far enough away that you can escape whenever you wish."
"How will I be able to help you if I'm all the way in the…Himalayas, so to speak."
She tossed him a walkie-talkie and an earpiece. "It's called technology, my friend; something the Volturi often forgets about. You might want to think about that for any future problems."
Eventually, everyone was dismissed for training. Alistair lingered closer to Edie. "I could leave right now and tell the Volturi."
"You won't. You've spent most of your life running from them. Plus, I've taken the necessary precautions to make sure you don't tell anyone about knowing me."
"Then why give me advice that I will forget?"
"The spell doesn't take away muscle memory or feelings. When you leave here, alive, you will have this sensation of wanting to protect yourself using technology. Your fingers, your hands, any muscle you use while handling the tech, will respond when you handle something familiar."
"Why do this? You must have heard that question many times during your stay here. I'm not asking for your mission's purpose. I'm trying to understand your purpose for me. I am, by accounts of many others, a coward, so why help me?"
She turned her body to him and huffed. "The best Tracker in our world is Demitri. An American nomad named James comes at a close second. Last year, the Volturi wanted to recruit him, but by the time Demitri found him, the Cullens had killed James. From there, a chain of events unfolded, and James' entire nomad coven was dead."
"If they have Demitri, why did they need this James? How does this connect to me?"
"After the Volturi began their experiments, they theorized that a strain of venom can cause enhancement in other immortals. Aro would never risk one of their best, so they wanted to use James."
"But he was dead, so they couldn't," he finished her statement.
"They captured you and exposed you to that strain of venom. They were able to catch you and you became the first of those monsters you saw in the vision." She grabbed him by the shoulders. "Alistair, I don't hold it against you to be cautious. I'm simply introducing you to other methods you can use to hide and possibly be able to live another version of this existence." She walked off in a different direction from the group.
"Aren't you coming with us? To create unity and all that."
"I have my own training that I need to do. Good luck."
Vampire Site (Cullen Residence)
'How am I gonna get these guys to get along? How in the hell did Teacher do it?'
"She didn't," Edward responded to Riley's thoughts. "She was more like a connection between our two groups."
"Edie didn't actually do anything except be there," Jacob finished for his husband. "But, I know how we can help." The others that weren't part of the conversation, were lost. "Alright, everyone needs to get in their groups." They did. "Now, yeah, yeah, quit your complaining King Tut. Hey, Dracula Two, get in your own group before I bite your head off. And calling me a bitch won't help you at all. I'm all man, unlike you with your dried-up twig," the alpha scoffed.
"Jacob," Edward whispered harshly. 'You're reading their minds!'
'So, what? I could always do that.'
'Yes, but they didn't know that.'
Jacob's eyes widened slightly when he realized it. "Anyway, Carlisle's group doesn't have any wolves, so Embry and Leah will join them for today."
After the change was made, Edward announced, "Alright ladies and gentlemen–"
'Why do you always make the announcement?'
'Do you want to do it?'
'No, I just want to be asked,' Jacob half-whimpered.
"Wolves and vampires," Edward continued, a bit baffled. "We'll be running the second ever Grand Supernatural Race. We'll be running from," he waited until he read the prediction in Alice's mind "here, through the hot springs, and onwards until we hit Whiskey Bend. From there, we will go over Mt. Carrie and end up at the house."
"We'll be traveling in groups," Huilen guessed. "Are they not uh…the word is…balanced, unbalanced?"
"In terms of numbers, yes, but each group now has two wolves minimum."
"The last time we played, I carried two wolves by myself," Emmett bragged. "It was awesome."
"Yeah, well this time it'll be different," said Jacob. "Each team is gonna carry two shifters, and we'll alternate between who carries whom. Did I say that right?"
"Yeah, you did," Edward chuckled and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips. "The catch is that each shifter will be in their wolf form. Which means, the stink will be more noticeable. Ow!" He rubbed his forearm.
"The point is to get you guys used to the smell and for us not to want to rip you guys limb from limb in the battlefield." The pack made their way inside the forest and came out as wolves. However, Edward noticed that his wolf was walking awkwardly.
"What's wrong?"
'It's embarrassing…My uh, my nip…nipples are…sore.'
"Oh! Do you need me to help with that?"
'I don't think you can. It might make it worse or create a bigger problem…If you know what I mean.'
"Do you still want to do this?"
'Yeah! But I might need a rub-down after.'
"I'll help you with that." Edward turned to the other vampires. "They're ready. Everyone needs to be at the starting line," he commanded. "The rule is that every member of your group must arrive at the finish line to secure a place." The shifters laid on the grass and were then lifted by the vampires at shoulder-height. "Are you ready? Set. Go!"
For a human, this route would be beyond impossible, but for a vampire, it was simply difficult. Though, for this party, it was intermediate at best. Each vampire noted the difference their training had made for their ability to navigate through the forest. It wasn't that they were faster or had better stamina. The race tested their balance, agility, and precision; these were the lessons that Riley, Bree, and Edie had drilled into them.
'How's everyone doing so far,'Jacob sent out the call.
'Brady and I are great! We're almost at the hot springs. These Brazilian chicks are awesome.'
'That's cool. Anyone else?'
'Benjamin is making a smooth path for us, Riley is getting rid of the branches in our way, Alice is telling us where to go, and everyone else is pulling their weight,'Sam reported.
'Well,'Quil cut in. 'Technically, they're pulling our weight.'
'It's totally not fair! You guys get the guys with all the special powers. Meanwhile, Paul and I hafta suffer the bumpy ride. I lost count of how many branches have snapped in my face.'
'Jared's bitching aside, how's your ride, Leah?'
'We're okay. I didn't think we'd be as far as we are now, but somehow we're keeping a really good pace.'
'I mean, I thought we were gonna trip a few times,'Embry commented,'but that never happened.'
'How about you guys?'
'Well,'Seth replied to his sister. 'We're okay.'
'No, we're not,' Jacob protested. 'We'd be better if some people picked up the pace!'
"We're not going any faster than this as long as I'm carrying you," Edward admonished.
'He's such a damn worrywart. I'm the pregnant one and I say that we can go faster.'
'No!' 'Edie!' 'The baby!' 'It could be dangerous!'"No." The alpha heard all sorts of protests from his husband and his pack.
'Fine,'he pouted.
At this point, everyone had passed by the hot springs. Team Thor and the snipers got to Whiskey Bend first. Their wolves stretched their legs and distributed the vampires equally on their backs. As the rest arrived at the bend, they each did the same thing.
The sniper team was on their way to victory when Eleazar prompted Quil to turn a different direction. Naturally, Sam and his cargo (Alice, Nahuel, and Benjamin), followed them.
"What are you sensing Eleazar," Kate asked her coven brother.
"I'm not sure." Quil protested this action. "Yes, I suppose you're right," Eleazar guessed the shifter's intentions. "We better –Ah!" He fell off Quil's back.
"Eleazar!"
Riley climbed down after Kate. "Hey, man. Are you okay?"
The burning sensation surged through him. "We need to get him out of here," Kate urged.
Riley picked him up and the four of them strode out with the rest beside them. Despite their detour, the snipers were in front of Team Hulk. The Mother Group was ahead of them and further across the forest was Team Thor with Team Diplomat in the lead.
Training Site (Cullen Residence)
They arrived at the house in that order. The vampires got off their wolves and cheered. Jacob and Seth wrestled in the ground and then went to the trees to get their clothes back.
"Whoo! Two-time winner, baby!" Seth hollered as they went back to the house.
"Yeah, yeah. Come here Speedy Gonzales," Jacob messed up Seth's hair further. Edward then grabbed him by his shirt and pulled Jacob into a kiss that literally had steam coming off it.
The snipers finally arrived at the house. "Carlisle, we need your help," Kate pleaded. "It's Eleazar."
Carmen and Carlisle immediately went to attend to him. "Was there an accident?"
"I'm fine my friend."
"You don't look it," Carmen countered.
"Mi Vida, I'm fine." He saw that there was no convincing her of that, so he admitted, "I felt a disturbance in the forest."
"The Volturi?"
"No. I've never felt this before. It was as if I was a bird being pulled to the equator for the season of migration. The power didn't feel strong, just overwhelming. I sought to get closer, but the once I did, I was repelled."
"They hurt you," Carlisle questioned.
"No, it felt more like a warning. Leave before you get hurt, it said. At least, that's what it felt like."
There was a rustle in the canopy of trees. "What is that," Kachiri wondered.
"It could be what attacked Eleazar," Rosalie speculated.
"Whatever it is, it smells divine," Stefan exclaimed, but as soon as he did, the scent was gone. "Where did it go?"
Riley got a text: Going Home –Edie.
Eleazar stood. "Carlisle, would you be so kind as to lend me your books?"
"You are welcomed to anything, my friend. Is there anything specific that you're looking for?"
"At this point, I'm not entirely sure, but I will share my findings with you as I discover them."
Bree cleared her throat, "Edie just sent me a text. She says that our guests can go hunting if they want to. As long as Alice gives the all-clear."
"They should be fine," Alice assured. "We should go hunting, too."
"Where can we go," Kebi asked. "If we stray too far, then all this work would be for naught."
"The barrier stretches far enough that you can go and come within two days. At least, that's what I saw in my visions. I don't have a definite measure of it."
"Splendid. We'll leave right now. Amun and I are famished."
"I don't understand why we must travel so far when there is a buffet, not ten miles from here," Amun questioned.
"Don't be difficult, Husband," Kebi chastised. "The shifters and the Cullens made is perfectly clear that hunting here is strictly off-limits. And I rather like you with your head attached to your body."
"You've been more lippy since we've been here."
"I rather like it. Let's be off."
"Actually, Kebi," Tia intervened. "Benjamin and I would like to stay here to feed."
"Did you not hear what–"
"We know, but we would like to try a new menu, if only for our stay here."
"Is this true Benjamin," asked the Egyptian sire.
"Yes," Benjamin was defiant. "I am allowed my freedom, aren't I?"
Defeated, Amun accused, "I swear Carlisle, my entire coven has become cheekier since we've been here. It is your daughter's fault."
"Perhaps," Carlisle admitted. "I assure you, your children will be fine in our care."
Though, not completely satisfied, Amun left with Kebi on their hunting trip. The rest left, too; except for the vegetarians and Garrett. They stayed out of the area, but they didn't go too far; unknowingly, they all had the consensus of wanting to know any other secrets the Olympic Coven had, so they went only just outside Washington state limits.
Olympic National Forest (Hoh Rainforest)
It used its front paws to pull forward and its back legs to push up. It was on a mission to get to where the information led. It will be victorious; it was destiny, it thought.
Edward & Jacob's Cabin
They returned from the hunt. Eleazar was reluctant to go, thinking that he was on the verge of a breakthrough and he was the first one to step inside the house. "Corazón, at least take a shower." The Spaniard reluctantly did as his wife said, but as soon as he was out and dressed, he hit the books again.
Carlisle tried not to get swept up in the research. In fact, he avoided his office and anywhere else that Eleazar was for the time being. However, that might have been a mistake on his part, he found out soon after.
He arrived at his son's cabin with his wife. Jacob opened the door before they knocked. "Hey, Doc. Where's the fire?"
"We have a problem."
Jacob invited them in. "We're all ears."
"Eleazar found the chart containing your genetic lines."
"Does he know the significance," Edward questioned.
"I don't think so."
"Alice didn't foresee it?"
"No. I think that may be Edie's doing. I had to leave before Eleazar asked me anything else. He thinks I acquired it from my own research."
"Research about what?"
Carlisle nervously addressed his wife. "Research on the Ulrika."
"You told me that was just a myth. The circumstances would be impossible."
"I believed that too; until Jacob got pregnant, that is."
"What is the Ulrika?" Jacob exaggerated the accent.
"It's an old vampire's tale. It talked about a ritual, a spell. It was said that the Ulrika must be created in a bed of blood when creatures of royal lineage come together, willingly. I thought it was unimaginable until you and Edward became a couple."
"You're thinking that if Jacob and I were possible, then there could be another couple out there that are willing to do the same."
"What's so bad about this Ulrika person?"
"Ulrika means prosperity and power. However, a religious order and ancient tribe, called the Teutons, believed it to mean ruler of the universe."
"That sounds like one of those Apocalypse things or like a prophecy like Jesus Christ."
"Aro believes it."
"Do you think he's after Edie because he thinks she's the Ulrika," Esme asked.
"Maybe, but it's more likely that he thinks she's the guardian."
"The guardian?"
Esme looked at her son, "The only remaining clue of the Ulrika is a rough translation that goes like this: Under the Blood Moon, the Ulrika comes as fruit of the Supplanter and the equal of their sire, the Wealthy Guardian."
"So," Jacob concluded. "You think that Edie could be the guardian?"
"It all makes sense," Edward realized. "This is why Aro wants her. In the visions that Edie showed us, none of the subjects were willing to become those creatures. I recognized most of them as people who stand against the Volturi."
"I don't understand," said Carlisle. He and Esme and Jacob were confounded.
"A supplanter is someone who usurps a person of power," Edward explained. "Ask yourself, why was Edie so reluctant to turn Bella Swan into a vampire using her own venom? It's because she knows her strain can do incredible things. Ever since Edie saved Charlie, he's been healthier, stronger, and faster; superhuman. Now, imagine if that happened to a vampire."
"Oh, damn! I get it. Aro needed people who were against him," Jacob grasped. "What if when he captured Edie, he took her blood and gave it to those guys? I mean, she's part wolf. Do any of you know how wolf blood affects you? It's such a turn off for you that you never tried it, right," he concluded.
After a breath, "But, wait. How would he control them? If he did turn them and they were still resisting, then how did they follow Aro's orders?"
"Chelsea. She uses her Gift to force loyalty to Aro. She would have had to do it after their transmutation."
"Son of a bitch! How does he find these guys?"
Carlisle interrupted, "He used Eleazar for that. But, who knows how his powers have expanded over time?"
"Edie said that Aro wanted her when she was younger," Edward continued. "He couldn't get to her until later in her life and…" It was too painful for him to finish his statement.
"Look," Jacob cracked. "We can't have anyone outside the family know about Edie other than what they already know. Do what you need to do to keep Eleazar in the dark," he ordered.