Chapter 10

I froze on the stairs in complete panic.

I was so shocked to move, and both kids were crying and clinging to my arms. It took me a long moment before I became even able to sit down on the steps. I hugged my babies and they both rested their heads on my chest. They calmed down a bit as I moved both my hands in harmony stroking their hairs.

"Mommy is it dangerous?" asked Serena when we all became calmer.

I thought before replying because I didn't want to scare her, but I didn't want ever to lie to her.

"It will be alright baby" was all I could say.

"No mommy, it's about the evil man who wants you to leave us and be with him," she said hugging me harder.

I knew I had underestimated my daughter, because she seemed to understand every single thing. I was so troubled to answer her but I had to.

"No, no, baby, I will never leave you, it will be fine in the end, just trust your daddy and uncles!" I said in the calmest tone I could voice.

My phone started ringing. I knew it had to be related to the events, so I ran with the kids to see who the caller was; it was Carlisle. I freed my hands quickly and answered him.

"Hello" I answered.

"Bella, I need to talk to Jacob right now, is he beside you?" he asked in urgency.

"No Carlisle, he left now, what happened? Why is Edward here?"

"Oh no!" he paused "Bella, did he cross borders already?"

"Yes! What happened?" I said with a cry.

"I have no idea about the details," he said, and then he explained "I just came from the hospital, we had an emergency, and I found now a note from Alice. Apparently she saw Edward talking to you, then he disappeared so she knew he was planning to go to La Push, so she followed hoping she could to stop him"

"Alice?" I questioned, "Oh, this is so bad" I said in pain.

"Did he harm them? Damn it, I think should come" Carlisle said.

"No Carlisle, please don't, it will make things worse, I'll try to handle this" I said.

"Ok, Bella I hope you are right!" he replied.

I ended the phone call with an outline of a plan. I had to stop Jacob from breaking the treaty. Whatever Edward was up to, it was lame and he probably just wanted to trigger more guilt out of me. It didn't deserve at all losing the peace that had been for years between the wolf pack and the Cullens. I was also so worried about Alice; she was so innocent in all of this.

My plan was to drop Serena and Harry at Rachel's, and then try to get some information out of her. Her husband was most probably with Jacob too.

"Come Serena we have to move fast" I carried both my kids again, and headed towards the outside.

The door opened, as I was about to let myself out. It was Embry and I felt relieved since I believed his presence was ought to make my plan easier.

"Hey, what are you doing?" He asked in anger.

"Embry, please help me!" I pleaded.

"Actually I'm here to take the kids to Billy's with the rest of the families, Jacob said you're free whether you want to join or not, he won't force you" Embry said.

"Seriously? What on earth is that about?" I shouted.

"Well I didn't believe his thoughts but you were about to run away with the kids, weren't you?"

"Embry are you crazy?" I said in disgust "Stop the accusations now, and please help me reach Jacob. We have to stop a disaster, you can't break the treaty like this."

Embry was not listening he grabbed the kids out of my hands, I tried to fight but he was stronger. The poor kids started to cry again.

"Embry please, don't do this to my babies. Listen to me! There's a misunderstanding. I called Edward to tell him bluntly I don't want to be with him, he became crazy with jealousy and Alice followed to stop him!"

Embry looked confused but he walked away with the kids anyway.

"Please think it over for a moment. I just stopped Carlisle from coming along. One person's hasty reaction based on a moment of jealousy can't just break years of peace!" I tried to reason with him.

Embry sighed "Listen Bella, I was ordered, I can literally do nothing else before I drive the kids safely to Billy's. Come with me now, and when we reach I'll phase and try to reach Jacob, deal?"

I had no other option but to follow him. We took my car, as it would be faster since Embry wouldn't be able to escort us all as a running wolf. When we arrived I saw Leah in her wolf form, she was guarding the house.


We entered Billy's house in minutes. Everyone was there with Billy, Rachel, Kim and their children, Old Quil, even my father and Sue. The news had travelled fast because everyone was looking at me with either disappointment or disgust. I was so drowned in fear to consider defending myself.

I had so many scary questions in my head; what if someone got injured because of me? What if Carlisle and the rest of the Cullens came to fight? What if Jacob got hurt? What if Edward came near my kids? I turned to Embry and begged him to go on.

He ran outdoors and I was left alone with questioning eyes. Serena ran to Billy's lap and I put Harry down on the floor. Then I walked towards the doorstep, waiting for Embry, what was taking him so long?

"So you dropped the kids and you are leaving now?" Rachel asked.

I looked back to them all, every pair of eyes was looking at me with accusations. It was obvious how little their faith was in me, even my own father. It hurt so much.

"Mommy, are you leaving with them?" Serena dared to ask again.

"No Serena!" I replied in tears "I told you, Mommy would never leave you"

"But you want to be with the evil man, don't you?" she asked.

My heart sank to my knees, no; my little daughter wasn't clueless at all. She was scared of abandonment all this time, and it was entirely my fault.

Rachel ran towards my daughter then she hugged her to comfort her. I was about to storm my anger against Rachel, when Leah entered in her human form. Embry, human too, followed her.

"Bella we have to go" She said.

"No, Leah you heard Jake." shouted Embry.

"Yeah, he ordered you but not me, let's go Bella," She said in confirmation.

"What happened?" I asked them both.

"He won't listen!" said Embry in disappointment.

"He may listen to her," Leah explained to him.

"I wont let you go" Embry's tone was getting higher "It's not safe for both of you!"

"Hey, hey what the hell is going on?" My father interfered.

"Listen Bella" Leah went on ignoring the audience "He wont listen to Embry, I heard Embry, I know what happened. You are right, that's not worth breaking the treaty. Both bloodsuckers are still alive now and we have to go stop them being killed"

"Won't someone explain?" Billy was losing it.

"Bella called Edward to tell him her final choice was Jake" Embry went on "he got jealous and came here without thinking and Alice followed trying to stop him"

"So you aren't really leaving?" Rachel asked me happily.

Leah cut my reply "Now we have to go, Bella convinced Carlisle not to come for now, so we have to stop the disaster."

"No" Charlie said putting his arm around my shoulder "you won't take her there, you know what happened the last time she was between them"

"Dad, but if it turned into a real battle, Jake will be in danger so is everyone else, trust me" I replied calmly.

"No" Embry said, "Jacob will kill me."

"Emb," said Leah "We can't stay werewolves forever. If the peace is broken, we will be in it for life, I won't let that happen when I can stop it"

She then turned to Charlie,

"Don't worry chief, I'll be with her, no harm will happen."

She grabbed my hand and forced me to run out of the house towards my car.


Leah parked and told me we were close. She then explained she'd have to phase at the last minute, in order not to give Jacob the chance to order her away. She pointed towards the direction we should be going in case Jacob could stop her. As soon as Leah phased I heard a loud howl and I shivered because I knew it was Jacob. Soon enough the wolf Leah was slowing down, and I realized what that meant.

"Jacob" I screamed, "We are already here, and you have to listen to me" I talked as I kept walking, and Leah was moving beside me again.

I approached the scene. Alice and Edward were standing close to each other. Quil, Paul and Seth – in their wolf forms were rotating around them in a full circle, not leaving any room for them to escape, on the other side from where we approached wolf Jared was standing alarmed.

"Bella" screamed Alice as she saw me. "Please help, we don't mean any harm, Edward was just frustrated."

"Shut up bloodsucker" Jacob was emerging from the woods in his human form.

"Bella" he shouted "Why are you here? My words were clear, go home now!"

"Jacob you can't order me and you have to listen to me," I shouted back.

"Go home with Leah, right now" he screamed.

"Jake, please think about this. If you kill any of them, the treaty will be broken and you will spend all your lives fighting. Is that the future you want for your friends? Yourself? Our children?" I tried to reason with him.

"I'm so surprised you care that much about the children!" he said bitterly, and his words stung.

"Jacob" I said holding my tears up "Stop this!"

"He will never change, and he will never deserve you." Edward interfered.

"Shut up Edward" I tried to make sense to both of them "you are both letting your jealousy drag both your families into hell."

I paused then talked to Jacob alone.

"Don't break the treaty," I begged.

"I wont Bella, they did when they crossed the line." He said with a smug face.

Leah was still beside me; I thought she was ordered to stay on the side.

I came closer to Jacob and had the courage to hold both his hands in mine "Jacob, please, can we have a moment alone?"

"Bella it's dangerous" he said, obviously less angry.

"You have five wolves here and they are just two vampires and we won't be far away, I just need to talk to you in private" I pleaded.

"Ok." He lifted me up and ran.

When he stopped, he put me down, and nodded giving me the sign that it was safe now to talk.

"Jake, I get you don't trust me, and I understand you won't easily be over what I did to you, but please try to listen."

He looked at me with so many emotions in his eyes.

"You know why Leah helped me here?" I asked, "She's scared of this life. You will have to remain wolves forever. We will all be living in wars. Do you want this life for us Jake?"

"Well, Bella, I won't accept them breaking the rules just because I'm too afraid to fight. I know you think they are nice, but they are still vampires. I also don't think I can live safe, if they think they can come in and out that way, we should react."

"You do have a point, but he came here frustrated, and Alice was just trying to help" I replied.

"They are now so scared" I added, "Maybe the fear they are in now is enough. I'm not suggesting you let your guard down, just give them a chance and if they did it again, I'll be fighting with you"

He chuckled "Oh that will make them scared!"

"Yes" I said with pride.

"I'm just so angry, what was he thinking coming to you?" Jacob asked

"I have no idea, he probably wanted to talk in person and try to guilt me again," I said. Then I begged one more time "Please Jake!"

"Ok, I have one condition, Carlisle has to send him away for a long time." he said

"Yes chief" I replied in agreement.

Suddenly Jacob became stiff, he cursed then phased.

I then heard Alice's voice, "Bella, take care, I don't know what he's thinking" She was running against us.

"Go home Bella" Alice said in despair "Edward tricked Seth, he ran through him and they are all after him, and I can't see through them."

Jacob stood protectively in front of me but it wasn't enough. Two cold strong hands grabbed from my back, I couldn't move my hands as I started to scream but I the pain stopped me… Sharp teeth bit me in my neck!

Jacob pushed the body away; he was over him joined by Leah and Quil as they started breaking Edward into pieces.

I would have never expected Edward to harm me that way, after all his love to me.

It took me a second to figured it out, Edward wasn't killing me or sucking my blood, he had a completely different plan. He was taking away the option of me choosing my family.

Jacob was right and again I was too late, I only realized that as the venom started burning my blood.