A/N: It's not mine.
I have no beta.
BPOV
I rolled my eyes as Sam lunged at me. I really didn't feel like dealing with him at the moment or ever. So I just used my telekinetic ability and froze him mid-air. I saw the eyes of the elders and the pack open wide in shock. They are all about to understand that I am not a pushover.
Bella, you must stay in control of the situation. Give the alpha a chance to make the correct choice. If he chooses the path of violence, you must then remove his shifting ability.
I acknowledged Isis's telepathic message. This would be Sam's last chance. "Sam Ulley, I have been advised to give you one final chance. Will you back down and listen to what your elders and I have to say? This is not the time to fight amongst ourselves."
Without releasing him entirely, I released my control on his head so that he may answer.
He responded with a deep, angry snarl, showing all his teeth. "You have nothing to say that I wish to hear, leech lover. Once I break free, I am going to rip your heart out with my teeth."
I sighed in disappointment. I just knew it would come to this. I wish I had been incorrect in my assessment. Sam Ulley is about to feel a world of pain. "Then you have left me with no choice. The High Immortal Sorceress, Isis, has demanded that I remove your shifting ability from you."
I closed my eyes and raised both arms in the air. I began to chant in the ancient language of the immortal sorceresses. The room darkened quickly and the ground shook. Soon a bright glow surrounded Sam, blinding everyone who watched him. Sam moaned and whimpered in pain as the magic responsible for giving him his shifting ability was forcefully stripped from him. He screamed in agony for at least a minute before collapsing the moment I released him. He lay there trembling with tears running down his copper cheeks.
I lowered my arms and turned to the elders. "It is finished. His shifting ability has been removed. You must choose a new alpha for the tribe. Be sure to pick one that is both mature and responsible, one that will not be easily tempted by the position of power," I urged them gently.
I watched as the tribal elders each shed tears of sorrow for the poor choice the former pack elder made. Billy wiped his tears and cleared his throat. "Now is not the time for blind prejudice to take a hold of our hearts. We must unite together to face this adversity," he said earnestly.
"Sam allowed the power of his position to poison his heart. His influence on the pack has been negative in all aspects. We elders will now confer to decide on the new Alpha," Old Quil said quietly.
I stood off to the side in order to give the elder's an illusion of privacy. My hearing was even better than vampires, so there really were no more secrets with me around. I just felt it would work best if I showed a little deference to the elders.
Their debate did not last very long which was a good thing. We really didn't have the time to waste. The sooner the new alpha was chosen the better.
Billy pushed his wheelchair forward a bit to gain the attention of the pack. "We have come to a unanimous decision. During this unprecedented time, we feel that it would be in the pack's interest to choose an alpha that is not bogged down with hate and bigotry. We as a people are facing the very real possibility of all our deaths. The pack needs proper guidance from an alpha that truly cares for others. We have decided that for now, Embry Call shows the most maturity to be an alpha."
The pack muttered with some of them disagreeing with the decision. For the most part, they remained controlled and respectful. At least Sam's hate didn't infect the other members of the pack.
"What about Jake? Isn't it his birth rite to be alpha?" Quil asked, looking confused.
"While it is Jacob's birthright to be alpha, the elders and I do not feel he has the level of maturity that is required to lead the pack," Billy answered.
Jacob threw his hands up in surrender. "I don't want to be alpha. It is a huge responsibility, and I know for a fact that I am not ready to handle that type of responsibility."
"That is why you have been made the pack beta until the time comes when you are ready to step up and take on the mantle of your birthright," Quil Sr informed him.
"Now that it has been decided, we must speak of unpleasant things. Bella is here in her position as an immortal sorceress. She has brought us a dire warning. Bella, if you would," Billy gestured for me to step forward and take over.
I spent nearly two hours down at the reservation explaining to them about Cronos's threat. They were fearful but willing to fight. Once Sam's negative influence had been removed from the pack, the wolves were back to normal. Plus, Embry was already jumping head first into his new position and doing a good job of it.
It was a good thing that all that hate that Sam embodied hadn't managed to infect the other members of the pack. It's just a shame that I had to remove his shifting abilities. We really need as many on our side as possible.
What's done is done, and the pack as well as the tribe are better for it. Sam is now just a regular tribal member with no more influence on the young shifters. He has also been sworn to secrecy since he was privy to information that is usually kept from the tribe.
I was planning on heading back to the Cullen house when I felt the familiar shiver up my spine. This was usually a sign that Isis wished to communicate with me. Since she wishes for me to join her in my meditative state, I quickly found a secluded spot high up on a mountain's rocky ledge far away from any of the hiking trails.
I settled myself down into a lotus position and began to inhale and exhale deeply. I was quickly pulled into my mind-cape and was greeted by not only Isis but the other immortal sorceresses as well.
"Greetings, Bella, you have done well," Isis said as she walked forward to greet me with a hug. "Come, my dear, I wish to introduce you to your fellow sorceresses," she said as she guided me forwards. "To your right, we have Callista."
The tall strawberry blonde stepped forward. "I am happy to meet our new sister," she said as she gave me a gentle hug.
"Thank you," I said sincerely.
"Next, we have Cassandra," Isis gestured toward a beautiful brunette of medium height.
"It's nice to meet you," she replied shyly.
"Cassandra tends to be shy with new people. She'll be up and blabbering to you in no time," Callista informed me with a grin.
"I look forward to it," I said as I smiled at Cassandra. "Besides introducing me to these ladies, why have I been called forth?" I asked Isis as the other two replied the same way.
"I wish this had been strictly a social gathering, but I am afraid that I have some very bad news. I have recently learned that Cronus has taken control of all the demons of the underworld, and they all now follow him," she said while shaking her head.
"When you say 'all the demons', exactly what is the number of demons you are referring to?" I asked in shock.
"The precise number of demons in the underworld is unknown. Since Hades left this universe, we have had no direct contact with the underworld for several millennia. Unfortunately, the only being that has been there since Hades left is Cronos," Isis informed us.
"So the odds of this working out to our advantage have pretty much just shrunk," I replied in annoyance. Things were already so bleak. We were fighting for something that seemed so far out of reach for us. Now, it didn't even feel like we had a glimmer of hope.
"Please, my sisters, do not lose all hope. We have the entire supernatural world that is willing and able to fight alongside us," Isis reminded us. We each looked at one another and nodded in agreement.
"We face a daunting task, and one that will no doubt cost us all a great deal," Callista added.
"True," Cassandra interrupted. "But we are not alone in this fight."
"We must stay focused. Bella, when you go back to the Cullens, you will find that the number of beings that have shown up has increased a great deal. Many are natural-born enemies. You must help the Cullen coven maintain a sense of civility. It will be trying at times. Some supernatural species tend to be very set in their ways. You have the authority to do what must be done to keep things civil," Isis advised me. I frowned but made no reply.
"I do not envy you that job," Callista said with a shudder. "You are new to this, so you haven't even met many other supernatural species. My advice would be to never let any of them see weakness in you. Werewolves, for instance, would pounce on you immediately and then proceed to tear you to shreds. They won't succeed, but it's still uncomfortable."
"Thanks, I think," I said with a groan.
"Bella, you will be fine. I chose you for that job because you tend to unconsciously draw the supernatural to you. They will listen for no other reason than the fact that you are an immortal sorceress. Many of the supernatural species, like vampires, understand what that means," Isis assured me with a pat on my arm.
"Yea, that didn't help much. Do you still wish or me to learn of Cronos's weakness?" I asked.
"Yes, but your primary job is gathering together the supernaturals. I will also require you to relay messages to them from me. When the time is right and the humans have been protected, we shall all gather together."
"Any idea of what the time scale looks like?" I inquired.
"We have nothing specific other than the battle will occur soon, which means we are running out of time," Cassandra said.
"With that said, Bella, you will need to cast a shield of protection over the entire Cullen property, the town of Forks, and the Olympic forest. We need to protect everyone and blocking them from Crosnos is a start," Isis informed me.
"Okay, but what do we do if the number of supernatural beings grows too big to be contained at the Cullen property? Is there someplace else we could go to?" I asked Isis since I was sure the sheer numbers back at the Cullen house were already staggering.
"It's best if we don't move them too much. It's harder to cast shields and maintain them when they are on the move. Fortunately, the Cullens own a hundred acres of land. That should be enough room for now," Isis informed me.
"I am dreading what I'm going to be walking into when I get back to the house. I've already got a jealous vampire starting crap with me," I said with a sigh.
"Tanya Denali," the other three said in unison. I laughed at their individual sounds of disgust.
"She is nothing but trouble," Callista said with an eye roll.
"She has not changed. That is for sure," Cassandra said with a wry grin.
"Did you all have dealings with her in the past?" I inquired while looking at each of them and becoming alarmed at the facial expressions.
"We have," they all replied in unison again.
"Remember that Tanya Denali is well over two-thousand years old, two-thousand three hundred and fifty-three to be precise. She has caused a lot of problems in the past and continues to do so," Isis admitted.
"Indeed, and this is not the first time she tried to claim someone else's mate as her own. Why the Volturi haven't bothered to step in and handle her is beyond my comprehension. She should have been taken care of two Millenium ago," Callista added.
"So she has a habit of trying to steal already taken men? Why? Is she not able to find her own?" I asked in utter disgust that she would act so childishly as try to break up couples.
"We aren't sure. We do know that she likes sex and values that above anything else. Perhaps that is why she has been unable to create the type of connection necessary for a relationship," Cassandra said with a shrug.
"So what you are all telling me is that Tanya is a whore and has no consideration for others and will do whatever she wants to try to take someone else's mate. You are aware that if she continues to try her games with Edward, I am going to harm her, permanently?" I asked them all with a quirk of my brow. They needed to know that I was not looking for permission.
"We are aware. In this situation, you cannot show any hesitation or weakness. The moment she tries anything, you need to deal with it regardless of what her sisters and coven say. You must be sure to let everyone become aware that you will handle anyone who starts anything with you. You outrank them all," Isis said firmly while looking directly at me.
"Consider it done. I dealt with her already, and I know how stupid she is. She will try again in the near future," I said. "I will make sure her behavior improves, but it will be a painful lesson."
We continued to set several plans in place and spoke at great length about Cronos and his demons. Each of us left our small gathering with a renewed sense of urgency. Time was not on our side.
I slowly came out of my meditative state and opened my eyes to see that it was already dark out. I must have been in my mindscape for a few hours. Edward would be worried. He always worries about me.
I stood up and stretched my arms above my head as I rolled my shoulders trying to loosen them up a bit. I disappeared in a flash and immediately reappeared in the Cullen's spacious backyard. I was quickly surrounded by a cluster of small flying beings with iridescent wings that I had startled when I had abruptly shown up.
"Bella," Edward cried out while running up to me and pulling me into his arms. "You have been gone for so long. I was worried."
"I apologize. It couldn't be helped. After dealing with the wolves, Isis called a meeting with all of us."
"Is there something wrong besides the usual," he asked me as he held me closely to him. Laying my head on his shoulder, I let out a sigh. Edward's gentle comfort was what I needed at the moment.
"Yes, there is. We need to gather everyone in the backyard. I have grave news," I said as I looked into his beautiful topaz eyes.
"Carlisle heard. He's urging everyone to come out here," he told me as he placed a loving kiss on my forehead.
"How many more have arrived?"
"Many more came. There are now vampires, werewolves, faeries, dwarves, and naga here. Demetri sent word that they have found more supernatural beings and have sent them this way," he said.
"I guess it's a good thing that the Volturi are ancient. Their knowledge of the supernatural has been invaluable," I remarked as I kissed him softly and then pulled out of his arms.
"We are all here," Carlisle said as he walked over to me. "Hello, Bella, what has happened?"
I looked around at the sea of faces standing all around the backyard. The sheer number was staggering. To think that there were more beings I was unaware of before my transformation had me wondering how they have all managed to remain hidden from the human world.
"Greeting," I called out as I looked around me to find a spot to stand on that would allow everyone to see me as well as give me a good view of everyone here. "I have a pretty big update to share, and it is important that you all pay close attention." Since I was unable to find something to stand on, I chose to levitate off the ground a good ten feet. "Okay, that's better. I want everyone to be able to see me and vice versa."
"What's going on now?" one of the naga males asked slithering his way closer to the center of the gathering.
"First, I must ask, has everyone been brought up to date on the threat we are all facing?" I asked looking around. There were murmurs of 'yes' around the yard. "Good, then we can get right to the news. The first bit of news is that I was with the Quileute elders and pack to discuss the danger Cronos represents. The now former alpha of the pack dared to threaten me again. I was given direct orders from Isis to remove the magic that causes his shifting. He is now no longer a member of the pack. A new alpha was chosen by the tribal elders. The shifters will be arriving sometime in the morning," I told them.
"Good, there shouldn't be any problems with them now," Carlisle commented while nodding his head.
"This leads me to my other piece of news. We sorceresses had an impromptu meeting. Isis has gathered information regarding Cronos. It seems that he has an army of demons from the underworld under his command," I said as I looked around to gauge everyone's reactions.
There were gasps throughout and several cries. Many of them were in disbelief.
"Did she tell you the number of demons Cronos has control of?" Marcus Volturi asked as he stepped forward.
"Since Hades abandoned the underworld for another plane of existence, no one but Cronos has had direct contact with the underworld. Therefore, we do not know the numbers we will be dealing with," I said honestly.
"Oh, please," Tanya scoffed. "I can't believe any of you would believe anything this bitch has to say. She obviously lying," Tanya sauntered over toward my mate and tried to run her hand down his arm. Edward jumped out of the way refusing to allow her to touch him.
"Tanya, shut up," Irina ordered clearly fed up with her sister's behavior.
"Yea, shut the hell up, Tanya," Kate added. "This situation is bigger than your ego, and that's saying a lot."
I smirked. It was funny that Tanya's own sisters don't put up with her crap. "By all means, Tanya, you can leave at any time. No one is forcing you to stay here."
"At least I know a liar when I see one. You're no immortal sorceress. You're just a boring plain human who wants to feel important," she sneered. Everyone backed far away from her, including her own coven.
"Yes, Tanya, I'm just a mere human. You know the kind that can levitate ten feet off the ground," I mocked her with a laugh. Good, Moses, she was dumb. Everyone laughed at her stupidity which only seemed to fuel her anger.
"I challenge you to a battle. I'm going to prove once and for all that you are nothing," she yelled out.
This is exactly what Isis, Callista, and Cassandra were talking about. Everyone was watching very closely but none more closely than the werewolves. I refused to be dragged down to her level. I'm going to remind her just how far down the chain she really is.
"You are so pathetic," I laughed. "The other sorceresses told me all about you. You have no morals and try to break up mated pairs just so you can have sex with the males. Apparently, over two millennia, you still haven't learned. That's what this is about," I said with a shake of my head. "You want my mate. You had over fifty years to try to get into his pants, and he never wanted you. You continually throw yourself at him, making yourself look like a moron, and Edward continues to politely turn you down."
Tanya continued to fume and throw out accusations. "You aren't his mate. You just want to feel important, so you claimed to be his mate. I had eyes on him first. He's mine," she said while stopping her foot to emphasize her point.
I had already reached my Tanya limit for a lifetime. So I stretched out my hand and levitated her while bringing her closer to me. Tanya's attitude got old fast.
"If I may," Marcus Volturi interrupted. I nodded my head giving him permission. "I have the ability to see the lines or connections between individuals. I can say with complete certainty that not only is Tanya not mated to Edward but that Bella is."
Tanya didn't like her wrongs to be pointed out, and she began to struggle in my telekinetic grip. "No! You're lying. He's mine," she screamed.
"Tanya Denali, due to the dangerous times we find ourselves in, I hesitate to burn you to ashes. After all, we need all the help we can get for the upcoming battle. However, that does not mean you go unpunished," I said angrily. Without further warning, I tightly closed my first for a brief moment and then quickly opened it. The power I unleashed blew Tanya apart. Her body parts landed in every direction hitting many of our visitors.
"Yeah, I'm not pissing her off," Afton muttered and everyone laughed.
"Leave her," I ordered as I noticed her sisters stepping forward to pick up Tanya's appendages. "She will gather herself together in no time. Let this be a warning. I may look human. I assure you I am far from it. I don't want to dole out punishments all the time, so learn from this fool's mistake and never talk to me like she did," I said laying down the law. My gut instinct is telling me that this isn't the end of Tanya's hostile behavior.
A/N: I have taken creative liberty with mythology and have twisted it to fit this fic.
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