XxX

Inspirational Song: Lifehouse – Hanging By A Moment

XxX

Victoria was after me so naturally Edward was being more protective than usual. Or would the word be controlling?

It took everything I had to get him to let me come to this meeting.

Why? Because a klutzy, accident-prone Bella around vampires and werewolves wasn't something in Edward's plan. How I finally got him to let me come tonight was still a mystery to me.

Either way, here I stood. A vampire wall built around me. Rosalie and Emmett to my left with Alice and Jasper behind me. Esme and Edward were on my right and Carlisle stood before us, the rightful place of the coven's patriarch.

Each of them watched the tree line, waiting for them to approach.

I knew that my senses were nothing compared to that of my vampire family, but even I could hear the wolves as they approached. I cocked my head as I strained my eyes to see across the meadow. One day I would be like them. I would belong. And I would be able to see werewolves coming out of the forest no matter the hour.

Finally, I caught sight of a dark shadow moving. Sam. The alpha of the pack, the leader just like Carlisle was to his coven. But, of course, I would never say that to the pack. The worse thing I could do was to compare them to their mortal enemy, and I had promised Edward that I would keep myself safe...well, as safe as I could at night in a meadow filled with holes and sticks.

More movement caught my attention as more wolves appeared through the thick trees.

My breath caught in my throat as a warm feeling shot through me. Something was going to happen tonight, something big. And it had nothing to do with Victoria.

Edward instinctively took my hand in his. I looked up to him, wanting to be comforted by his gentle eyes and his crooked smile, but he refused to look at me. His eyes narrowed as he scanned their minds, I followed suit and looked to the wolves.

There seemed to be a lot more of them then I remembered. The more I blinked, the clearer my vision seemed to become as I got used to the darkness.

I knew that Sam was the huge black one at the head of the pack and that Jacob was the russet one a few feet behind him. Embry was the lean grey wolf with black splotches on his back and I would guess that the chocolate wolf next to Embry was Quil.

A small shutter ran through me as I caught sight of the large silvery-grey wolf. Paul. I learned a really big lesson a while back: never slap a werewolf, no matter how mad you are. Even if you don't know that they are a werewolf, if they are big and massive, just don't slap them.

I sighed and continued to look over the other wolves.

The rest of the pack I didn't know. But one in particular did catch my attention.

A small wolf, probably half the size of the rest, stood in the back. He, or maybe she, wasn't pushing the tough façade. I was mesmerized by the dark ashy-brown color of their fur that moved in the night wind, the color was so unique and truly beautiful.

They kept their head down, their soft brown eyes darting up every now and then as the wolves talked amongst themselves. The wolf looked to be the youngest of the pack.

Carlisle stepped forward, "We all welcome you and are so grateful that you have agreed to help us. We will be forever in your debt."

I smiled, Carlisle talked his age, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Edward dropped my hand and walked over to his father. He was the interpreter for tonight's festivities.

"They want to know how the newborns differ from us." Edward said, his topaz eyes never once leaving Sam's.

My thoughts started to wander as Carlisle explained things that I already knew. I found myself looking over the wolves once more, my eyes seeking out the ashy-brown one again.

I titled my head as I watched him – I was convinced the wolf was a he now – as he hung on every word that Carlisle spoke.

I saw the other wolves looking around, probably talking, and yet it didn't break the young wolf's concentration once. Sam turned, giving a silent command, and everyone turned back to Carlisle.

I just kept staring at that one wolf. I don't know why I was so intrigued by him, but I just couldn't look away until he looked at me.

It felt like a game. Like a staring contest in reverse.

And then he looked straight at me. His brown eyes locked on mine and they grew wider.

My heart sped up for a second before evening out. Esme was by my side in an instant, thinking I was upset by whatever Carlisle and Edward were talking about instead of the piercing gaze of the wolf.

He still hadn't looked away. It was like he was reading my every thought and feeling, like he was looking into my very soul.

A snarl brought me back to reality. With a quick shake of my head, I looked up to see Edward, his eyes narrowed on the wolf before they flashed to me.

I took an involuntary step back, for the first time I could see the predator that Edward really was.

"Get her out of here." Edward snapped through clenched teeth.

Alice gently touched my arm, and, with a sisterly smile, she led me away from the large group. I started to follow, a blush spreading across my cheek.

A snarl made me turn around. Edward was crouched now in front of the pack. I couldn't tell who he was mad at.

Then I caught sight of the ashy-brown wolf whose eyes were still locked on me, and he wasn't in the back like he had been. I hadn't noticed when he had moved closer to the front, but he continued forward, completely ignorant of the threatening vampire before him.

His pack wasn't though. They snarled and growled at Edward, who snapped back.

"Get. Her. Out. Of. Here. NOW." Edward said, his voice harsh and deadly.

Alice tugged harder on my arm, her small tongue sticking out of her mouth slightly. Esme came over to help and Rosalie stood off to the side, looking just as intrigued by the situation as I was.

"Edward, what is wrong?" Carlisle said, stepping between his son and the pack.

He growled a bit, shifting his position, "That dog imprinted."

"What? On who?" It was the first time I had heard Rosalie sound anything other than cold.

Only one word came out of his mouth. Just one. The one word that changed everything. The feeling that had come over me earlier started anew with that one word, that one name.

"Bella."

And everything went black.

XxX