Part 2

School.

She should have remembered that. Back in Volterra the Cullens were often ridiculed for Carlisle's attempt to live as a human with his coven, playing 'father' to his children.

Bella snorted at the idea, yet she herself willingly called one of the Volturi Masters Father. But to Bella that was a mark of respect for the older vampire than for having paternal feelings for him. She retained little memory of her own human life and none at all of the man who fathered her. So she lacked the experience to understand it, taking more from the roles portrayed by wild animals than by humans. Large mammals often cast out their offspring to fend for themselves after they had learned to hunt. Of course some animals lived in packs and to Bella that is what she considered the Volturi to an extent, they were the strongest of the strong, allowing them the best feeding grounds, and the control of the weak.

The Cullens on the other hand were like a pride of lions attempting to feed and live as the wildebeest do. And that was just plain offensive to the other lions.

But Bella understood about forming a family.

She counted several among the Volturi guard alone as brother or sister. But to work beside humans, attend high school with them as if they were your equals? That, Bella would never understand.

But here she was, finding the high school and checking out the surround area of Forks as if it held an appeal to her beyond the opportunity to spend time with the human girl Alice. It annoyed her on principle. Had the girl been with any other group of vampires or had Bella found her alone living without knowledge of vampires then Bella's course of action would have been very simple.

Want.

Take.

Have.

Standing at the top of the food chain as Bella did, she had nothing to fear from allowing herself to act out her base instincts. Only now she had the complication of the Cullens to deal with, whom Aro had great fondness for, she doubted even she would get away with just taking the girl.

Bella sighed and started making her way back to the Cullen house she knew she would have to tread carefully so as not to turn Alice against her. Even if she was her mate, the fact that she was human meant she would feel strangely drawn to Bella but could still allow her emotions to dissuade her from forming a true connection. Humans were so weak minded and tended to form a collective opinion on subjects so as to appear normal amongst peers and this was especially true of teenagers.

It was also unlikely that the Cullens would approve of them even with being mates. Claiming the girl would mean taking her back to Volterra, away from the Cullens. She could by right have them all taken to Volterra to go before the Masters for simply having the human among them but Bella knew the girl was unlikely to favour her were she to cause any of the Cullens harm.

That left her with the option of meeting them under the guise of attending the same school. It would let them acknowledge each other as vampires without putting the Cullens on alert as to her true motivation.

Caught up in her thoughts on how to win Alice over Bella almost didn't notice the musky odour in the night air until the stench was almost on top of her. Ducking low on instinct she avoided the sharp teeth and claws that sailed over her by inches, as a massive fur covered body crashed into the forest floor a few feet from her and spun around to come back at her.

Standing to her full height, Bella eyed the animal before a smile lit up her face as she grasped this was no woodland predator and in fact she was dealing with a wolf shifter, she hadn't encountered animal shifters of any kind in several years so this was a great find indeed.

"Oh," She said as the thing lowered its grey and black speckled fur covered body into a crouch and growled at her as it prepared to attack again. It obviously knew what she was but didn't know enough to realise that it had gone from hunter to the hunted having lost the element of surprise after its first attack. "Puppy, you are so far out of your league." She informed it with a grin and shake of her head as she circled around keeping her body centred as she waited for it to make its move.

As they stalked around each other Bella studied the scents in the air and came to the conclusion that the shifter was alone, although there was the faint smell of others drifting towards her on the ocean breeze.

A pack of shifters living so close to the Cullens? It was a strange thought as it was doubtful the two knew nothing of each other, so perhaps this one had come looking for an easier target, mistaking Bella for one of the Cullen vampires.

She grinned and came to a standstill and waited. "Your move mutt."

The shifter growled at her, its eyes narrowing and she knew from the small tells of its muscles it was about to pounce at her.

It never stood a chance.

As it leapt at her with is claws aimed and jaw wide she pulled her body in tight and pushed low to throw herself under its body, twisting as she went to reach out and grip its back leg as it passed over her and dug her heels in to stop her movement and give her the leverage to snap the hind leg with a savage turn of her wrists.

The large grey wolf howled in pain as it landed, limping heavily as it quickly tried to shift around to face her again.

Bella stood there smirking at it. While not fatal, the injury would have meant looming death to any other animal had it attacked Bella, but that wasn't in Bella's plans tonight.

"Here puppy, puppy."

As Bella stalked towards the shifter it whimpered and possibly realised it was in real danger, tried to scramble away from her. As it turned away in an attempt to run Bella jumped forward falling on the large body as she wrapped her arms around the shifters neck and started tightening her grip, taking them both to the ground.

It howled, struggling to free itself as it tried to claw at her, but she'd judged her angles correctly and so she was out of range.

"Now, now, just relax." Bella told it as her hold started to starve the shifter's body of oxygen and its movements slowed and weakened. She chuckled and soon felt it go limp in her arms.

Standing over the unconscious body she took in its colouring, it was male, obvious by its member, and looked young. Something she also suspected from its thoughtless attacks on her.

The main advantage wolves had in hunting its prey was the fact that they were pack animals and wore down their prey before going in for the kill. This shifter acted alone, so it was perhaps the outsider in its pack or a lower member eager to move up the ranks by killing her.

In any case it lost, and Bella now had a prize that she needed to move out of the area and fast before any of the other shifters came for it. Luckily the shifter returned to its human form which made running with it easier as she lifted it up onto her shoulder.

xxxxx

"Hey Gianna!" Bella had to travel a few miles from her previous location in order to use a pay phone as she never carried a cell phone. She had never once liked the idea of being at the beck and call of anyone who knew your number, especially when it came to the Volturi, she didn't enjoy feeling like some lackey. "I need a pick up from Seattle ASAP with a handler or two."

Bella listened to the receptionist tap a keyboard for several minutes.

"Monday 7.30pm local?" Came the response in heavily accented English.

Bella pouted as it meant that she'd have to leave as soon as school let out in order to make it when what she'd been hoping to do was follow a certain human around. "Sure Gia, thanks."

"And who is the package to be delivered to?" The receptionist asked.

Bella grinned at the thought of its arrival to Volterra. "It's for Father. Is he around?"

"One moment please." Gianna replied putting Bella on hold with some very annoying music.

While still human, Bella held a great fondness for the receptionist that took the goings on in and around Volterra all in her stride, from the tourists being taken to their deaths to the pain and torture the guards often inflicted to others.

But Gia was out of bounds to every vampire on pain of death if they so much as harmed a hair on the woman's head. She'd originally been told she would be turned into one of them if she worked for them, it had been a lie at the time but now several years later Bella couldn't imagine the place without her.

No one else in Volterra could do as good a job as the human female. Aro would simply be lost without her keeping him up to date with expected arrivals and correspondence from other coven's around the world who were constantly seeking support and favour from the Masters on all manner of things.

Someone would have to turn Gianna soon before something unexpected happened to the woman and took her from them.

"Is there anything else I can do for you before I put you through?"

"No thank you Gia." Bella replied warmly. A few moments later a male voice came through the line that had Bella scowling.

"Isabella my dear!"

That was not Father. Bella pouted for a second before deciding just to get on with it. "Hey Aro, Father busy?"

"Oh, you know Marcus, he rarely leaves his basement just for calls."

Bella sighed. That was true, although she did take heart that her gift would be a welcome distraction to Marcus' work.

"So, did everything go to plan? It is unlike you to call, is there a problem?" Aro asked in his lilting voice which Bella often found condescending.

Bella's lip twitched as she held back a growl. "Of course everything went well."

"Good, good."

"In fact I'm sending Father a gift that I found on my travels which I'm sure he'll enjoy." She told him.

"Is that so?"

"It should arrive mid-week, please make sure Marcus is prepared."

"Oh, he will be pleased, such a treasure you are Isabella."

Bella rolled her eyes.

"Are you returning?" Aro asked leadingly as he suspected there was more to the call.

"Not for a while I don't think." Bella admitted.

"Hm." There was a pause from Aro and Bella slipped a few more coins into the phone even as they dropped to the ground as she'd broken it to retrieve the coins to make the call in the first place. Money was something she had no use for expect for situations like this one. "I was told you're in Washington? Are you currently in Seattle my dear?"

Bella frowned, wondering where Aro was going by this line of questioning. "Close."

"Ah, then would I be mistaken in guessing you might have taken interest in a Coven in that area?"

"Maybe." She admitted reluctantly.

"So the Cullens have returned to Forks, I was led to believe they were still in Alaska at this present time."

Bella shrugged, it had sounded from what she'd manage to overhear that they had just recently arrived but she wasn't going to give Aro more information than he already had. "I guess."

"Well, you will give Carlisle my best wishes and express my hopes that he will once again grace us here with his presence, he and his family are so fascinating."

"Uh, huh. Will do."

"Wonderful!" He said excited at the prospect of her interaction with Carlisle and the Cullens. "And when can I expect your return?"

Bella's eyes narrowed as Aro's tone went from gleeful to serious in the space of seconds.

"I'll call back and find out how my package was received." She told Aro without any emotion. While she enjoyed these little assignments on behalf of the Volturi, she did them to keep herself from killing members of the guard out of sheer boredom.

Eternal life wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

Of course that was before Bella had come across Alice Cullen.

"Well Isabella the halls around this place will miss you so whatever it is that has caught your attention with Carlisle's way of life, remember you have a duty here."

Another eye roll. "Of course Master Aro, I'll return as soon as I'm done here."

"Very well."

And with that Aro hung up.

Bella returned the receiver to its place and glanced down at the small mountain of quarters on the booth floor. She shook her head at the damage and left. She had a few hours left till sun up when Alice would awaken and Bella could get a better understanding of the girl.

After all of these years it was heartening to find her life was about to hold a whole new meaning and purpose to it.

Bella had a mate to introduce herself to in the next few days.

She grinned as her excitement started to build as she raced back into the woods.

xxxxxx

A few miles from the Cullen house Bella was nearly overwhelmed by the stench of wet dog in the air.

Intrigued by the strength of the smell and by finding more evidence of shifters in the area Bella altered her path and headed directly for the scent.

Careful to remain hidden Bella was soon listening to growls and snarls as voices argued in the near distance as she slowed her run to a jog, still looking out for any danger.

"It was a bloodsucker!" Came a an angry shout as Bella slipped unnoticed behind a tree as she took in three of the Cullens standing off against several shifter wolves and two native American boys who stood bare chested in jean shorts.

"Well it wasn't any of us mutt!" Came the thundering voice of the male Bella had seen with Alice in Seattle, Emmett she'd gathered was his name.

"You are the only leeches in the area." The younger male accused.

"Can we all calm down please?" Carlisle asked, hoping to prevent either group starting a fight. He did his best to ignore the constant growling from the wolves and focused on Sam, the pack leader.

"I'm sorry to hear that a member of your tribe has gone missing Sam, but what makes you so certain it was the result of a vampire?" He asked.

Sam's jaws clenched as he fought with his wolf to remain in human form. "Because I was wolf at the time and he told us he'd caught the scent of a leech."

"Where was this?" Carlisle asked.

"At the edge of our land just before Forks." Sam replied.

Carlisle shook his head. "My family haven't been anywhere near there since we arrived."

"And we're supposed to just trust your word for that?"

"Jacob!" Sam barked at his beta, they were here for information, not to start a war.

"What?" The other boy asked, rounding on Sam. "Paul's gone missing and instead of getting out there and trying to find him we're talking to leeches!"

There was a moment of silence as the Cullens watched the face-off.

"So, he's still alive?" Emmett asked out of curiosity.

Sam turned back to the vampires, dismissing Jacob's temper. "We would feel it if he'd died but he's not in wolf form so we have no way of communicating with him." He explained.

"He's telling the truth." Edward informed Carlisle.

Carlisle nodded with a frown. "Are you sure it was a vampire?"

"Of course we are!" Jacob growled at them as the wolves shifted restlessly beside him, looking eager to attack. "We raced out to where he was but by the time we got there he was gone, but there was a faint smell of rotting flesh, just like you fuckers!"

"Jacob, that's enough!" Sam admonished the younger boy. He turned back to Carlisle. "We're sure it was a vampire."

Carlisle nodded, acceptingly. "Forgive me, it's just unheard of that a vampire would attack one such as you and not kill." He got the increased noise of growling he'd expected from his statement, but he was assured of Sam's control of his pack. "We would have no use for you even as food."

"Because you reek!" Emmett cut in, his face twisting into a grimace just at the thought of feeding from one of the mutts in front of him. "No offence." He added with a grin as several barks were directed at him.

"Then we're done here." Sam said, the Cullens had nothing to tell them about Paul's disappearance and staying any longer would likely end with a fight.

Sam gave Carlisle a reluctant nod of respect and turned to shift back into his wolf form and leave only to stop when Jacob gripped his arm.

"You can't be serious!" Jacob yelled. "We haven't even gotten to the fact Paul was out here patrolling because we found out they have a god damn human living with them!"

Sam fought back the urge to shove Jacob away from him and put him in his place. While Sam was the older of the two and had shifted first, by rights the Alpha position was Jacobs, and if he took control of the pack right now Sam knew they'd be attacking the Cullens within minutes.

He turned back to the Cullens. "One of our tribe was in town yesterday and saw two leech-vampires with a girl who was eating, is it true? Do you have a human in your coven?"

Emmett bared his teeth, not liking this turn of questioning.

"Alice is still human yes." Carlisle informed them.

"Turning her will breach the treaty, you know that don't you?" Sam asked just so everyone was clear on where they stood.

"Stay on your side of the line and we'll stay on ours mutt!" Emmett threatened inching past Carlisle to get into Sam's face.

Sam ignored the large vampire and eyed Carlisle. "Our Elders may wish to speak with her."

Carlisle sighed. Their stay in Forks was supposed to have been easy enough, but it was proving very eventful after only a few days. He wasn't sure that would bode well for the rest of their intended stay.

"That will be for Alice to decide, she's in no danger from any of us." He said to Sam.

Jacob scoffed at that.

"We're sorry about your friend, but we've seen no evidence of any other vampires in this area, although there was an encounter in Seattle, perhaps a nomad passed through the area from there tonight?"

Sam digested that information, Seattle wasn't that far away and he felt some of the pack shift nervously as well. "We'll look into it."

With that he turned and ran, shifting form and racing into the forest away from the Cullens followed quickly by the rest of the pack and more reluctantly by Jacob, who remained human enough to scowl at the vampires before turning his back on them too.

That left Edward, Carlisle and Emmett to stare after them.

"What do you think?" Carlisle asked his sons.

Edward had his usual scowl in place, having listened to the pack talk to each other he was positive they were telling the truth, but Carlisle had been right, a vampire would have just killed the La Push wolf. He turned to his father and crossed his arms over his chest.

"I think coming here was a mistake and we should leave." He told Carlisle as Emmett snorted.

With a sigh Carlisle started the journey back to their home now that the immediate threat from the wolves had been somewhat resolved. "Your mother likes it here and Alice is looking forward to going to school, so too is Bree." He replied to his son who ran beside him as Emmett trailed a little further back, no doubt checking that none of the wolves had decided to follow them.

"They are too unstable for us to be safe here. And I am thinking of Mother when I say that, even with one of them gone I managed to find out that they have a larger pack than the one around the last time we were here." He continued to argue. "We should just leave."

Having some of her questions answered, Bella debated following the shifters to see just how many there were around but thought better of it as she heard the young looking male, Edward, attempt to convince Carlisle that the coven should move on.

Had she not been trying to remain undetected she would have scoffed at his worry. Instead she continued to follow after them at a distance as they took off to their home.

She slowed, hidden by the trees, and watched as the three vampires entered their house then walked around to reclaim a tree branch she had sat in a few hours ago to eye the human.

When she reached her spot she found Alice still sleeping which was good, and there was two vampires in the room with her. Bella liked that especially, because it meant they were protecting the girl while the other few were meeting with the wolf pack.

As she watched the curly haired male left Rosalie with Alice and joined the rest of the coven as the group of six congregated in the living area to discuss the situation with the wolves.

Bella paid no interest to the debate on whether to stay or go as she was only there to watch over the girl.

Leaving the area or not wouldn't change anything for Bella, she would go where the girl went, but part of her had been looking forward to the idea of walking into that school on Monday and meeting her.

But Bella could adapt to changing situations.

And if the Cullens chose to leave she could have free rein with the shifters. Father would enjoy that.

She smiled as she watched Rosalie flick through some magazine as she lay beside the human on the bed. She wondered how long it would take her to switch places with the blonde, and be the one watching over Alice as she slept.

Soon, she hoped.

xxxxxxxxxxx

AN/

Hey guys!

The title is latin, google it, sorry if it confuses some of you into thinking this story wasn't in English, but really, it just wouldn't have the same effect if it was translated.

Anyhow, that was the second chapter.

And guess what?

They meet in the next part!

Yay!