Bella kissed the back of Rosalie's hand when she felt it tighten in her own as they drove closer to the reservation. She knew this would be hard for Rosalie but hoped it would at least not turn violent.
"Are you ok?" Bella asked Rosalie.
"Yeah it's just we are coming up on the border and I can smell them more strongly now." Rosalie explained giving her a pained smile.
"They told us they would meet us at the town line and escort us to the meeting place so I expect to see at least a few wolves pretty soon." Bella said.
"They are right there." Rosalie pointed to the side of the road where Sam and 4 wolves stood waiting for them.
Sam waved for them to stop as Rosalie rolled down her window he spoke."Greetings white tiger. Welcome to our tribal land.It would be an honor if you would allow me to escort you to the elders."
Before Rosalie could protest Bella said." Of course thank you.Please get in."
Sam got into the back seat not even acknowledging Rosalie existence. "Just follow the wolves and they will bring you to Chief Black's house."
Rosalie sighed for what she new wouldn't be the last time today and followed the wolves to a small house where a group of what she assumed were members of the tribe were waiting outside for them. Before she could even get Bella's door a young boy ran over with a face full of awe and pulled it open. The group watched silently as Bella stepped out and stood before them.
A man in a wheelchair about Charlie's age was the first to speak. "Great white tiger you honor us with your presence. My name is Chief Billy Black, please come inside. I'll introduce you to the others."
Rosalie grabbed Bella's hand and whispered in her ear. "Together?" She asked.
"Together." Bella promised intertwining their fingers and ignoring the awed and surprised expressions on the village people's faces as they watched Rosalie and herself walk into the Chief's house.
"I know it's not much but I made some snacks for you to enjoy during our meeting." A woman about Rosalie's height told her motioning to a large plate of muffins sitting on the table.
"White tiger this Sue Clearwater. She is one of the elders as is Quil Ateara the fourth." Billy explained pointing to a man about Bella's height with a large build and grey speckled hair.
"It's a pleasure to meet you white tiger. Please take a seat." Quil pulled out a chair for Bella only to step away quickly at Rosalie's growl."My apologies. I meant no harm."
"Please you don't have to call me white tiger. My name is Bella. Bella Swan and this is my imprint Rosalie Hale."Bella said taking the seat at the table with Rosalie sitting her right and the three elders across from them.
"Bella Swan? Is your father Charlie?" At Bella's nod Billy continued. "He mentioned his daughter was coming to live with him but I didn't think it would be the white tiger. He doesn't know you're a shifter does he?"
"No he does not. I only found out about him a year ago. My shifting comes from my mother's side of the family." Bella explained.
"Charlie is a good friend of mine. You actually have some of his facial features now that I'm looking at you." Billy said with a smile.
"He did mention he liked to go fishing here with some of his friends. I was supposed to come on my last visit but we didn't have the time." Bella told him.
Rosalie cleared her throat. "We came here hoping you might be able to tell us about Bella's white tiger abilities. We know very little and wanted to see if you could explain a few things that have happened to us since we have become mated."
"You know nothing of your abilities?" Sue asked surprised .
"No I only knew one shifter, my grandfather and he died three months after I learned I could shift. He told me the basics of shifting and mentioned I had a great destiny but we both thought we would have more time for him to tell me." Bella explained.
"Your mother doesn't know about shifting?" Bella shook her head. " You are the offspring of the only daughter but still I would have thought your mother would have known." Billy said thoughtfully.
"My mother wasn't very present in my life until my grandparents died. They kept that part of their lives from her so I just continued to do so. She isn't worth much thought. I would be grateful if you would tell me what you know." Bella told them.
"Alright I guess we should start at the beginning. Our tribe settled these lands many hundreds of years ago. We weren't always shifters but evolved into them as our needs to defend our lands became necessary. I won't get into our history of shifting as I'm sure it is very different from your own. It was my grandfather that made the treaty with your family Rosalie. He had great respect for your family's ways and because of that I am glad that if the white tiger was to have a vampire imprint it is you."Billy chuckled at the Rosalie's look of surprise at his words.
"It was also my grandfather that told me the legends of the great white tiger. It was foretold by a shaman in the 1700's that a day would come when the shifters would be under a great threat and would need a defender to lead them to victory or not only the shifter races would be in danger but all other supernatural races as well. That defender was to be born to the only daughter of the royal tiger bloodline. It would be more powerful than any shifter that came before it with eyes that could see into your very essence and fur of white to show the absolute purity of its soul."
"What is this threat that Bella is supposed to fight?" Rosalie asked with a touch of worry in her voice. This is what she was afraid of. She knew Bella wasn't meant for the human world and hearing that she was to be a defender of the supernatural races confirmed her worst fears.
"I don't know what the fight is. The vision has been reinterpreted by many generations and some even believe that it won't be one great fight at all but a series of different events that the great white tiger is involved in that will change the course of supernatural history." Billy told them giving Bella a sad smile.
"Was anything said about my imprint? She has had very obvious changes to her body after we accepted the bond and we wanted to know what else to expect." Bella asked.
"What changes are you speaking of?" Quil asked concerned.
"My eyes are this color now they aren't contacts. Also I have a greater speed, strength, my body temperature is warm now and I am able to sleep." Rosalie told them.
"I've never heard of a shifter ever being able to transfer abilities to their imprint before. That's amazing." Sue said looking into Rosalie's eyes in awe.
"I bit Rosalie while we were, well we were. You know for the first time.Anyway I bit her and it was as if the changes happened right after the bite happened." Bella explained.
"Incredible."Quil said."You truly are everything we have been expecting. I feel so honored to be alive to meet you."
"Since you don't know exactly what threat is going to come my way what is it that you need from me?" Bella asked.
"We only wish to be able to call you a friend to our tribe and should anything happen we hope we could count on you to help as you can count on us to help you should you need it." Billy said.
With a nod from Rosalie Bella replied. "You have not only my help but the help of my imprint should ever a time come you need it."
"Thank you Bella. We would be honored if both you and your imprint would stay and have dinner with the tribe. We have all grown up hearing the stories of the white tiger and have passed them on to the next generation and it would a great honor if you would share a meal with us." Quil asked.
"I would love to stay for a meal. I just have to let Charlie know where I am. I'll go call him real quick and come right back." Bella said standing up and walking outside with Rosalie right behind her.
Bella decided a text was a better idea as she didn't know if Charlie ever made it home from work this morning and if he had she didn't want to wake him.
Rosalie put her arms around Bella and laid her head against Bella's chest taking comfort in the heavy thundering of Bella's heart and asked. "What do you think about all this?"
Bella kissed the top of Rosalie's head and pulled her close. "I think Arizona is where we are going to get our answers. My grandfather had always told me I had a great destiny but this kind of confirmed the seriousness of it all."
"I'm not one to agree with the wolves and mostly believe they are just superstitious fools but I could almost feel the foreboding coming from Billy's story. I worry for my family. I really don't want to leave them here without us and Esme. We still don't know what Edward is up to and if he is hearing about the legend of the white tiger than he will be even more hellbent on getting control over you. I don't think the five of them could stop him from whatever plan he has come up with." Rosalie told her the concern heavy in her voice.
"We should take them with us to Arizona. I know I initially was against it but Billy has me thinking otherwise. He said all supernatural races not just shifters. I won't give them free range of the grounds but I will allow them to stay there so we aren't separated. Will that make you feel better?" Bella asked Rosalie.
"Thank you my love. It will make me feel a lot better having them close by." Rosalie said giving her a gentle kiss of gratitude.
Bella's phone pinged with a text from Charlie telling her to have fun and he would see her tomorrow because the case was still ongoing and they needed all hands on deck. After reassuring her that he had slept and eaten she and Rosalie went back to Billy's house hand and hand.