EPOV.

Sleep didn't come easily for me that night, my brain was overflowing with new information and the events of the evening periodically flashed before my eyes. I thought about Bella, who had sheltered me from bullets, then about her brother, looking angrily in my direction. As a result, I awoke in a completely shattered state, grateful only that it was Saturday and I didn't have to go to school. My parents were already up and talking quietly while sitting at the table.

"Edward, you got up right on time, I just fried pancakes. All the toppings are in the fridge door."

"Thanks, mom."

My father gave me a careful look when I sat down for breakfast.

"How was your evening last night? You returned unusually antsy."

I nervously swallowed a piece of pancake, thinking about how to answer the question.

"Everything was fine, we went to one Italian restaurant. Mom, you'll love it, their risotto is to die for."

"That's fantastic. We're glad you're spending more time with your new friends. We were beginning to suspect it had something to do with that cute brunette who gave you a ride last night."

I nearly choked on my pancakes after my mother's words. I couldn't decide whether to be relieved or disappointed that my parents had decided that the source of my anxieties was simply a lovely brunette. How did they even see her?

"What? Were you spying on me?"

"No, but a mysterious expensive car in our driveway couldn't go unnoticed."

"It had to be Bella. We're just friends. She was simply the most willing to give me a lift out of everyone in the company."

I continued to eat my pancakes under the watchful eyes of my parents. I tried to look as casual as possible, trying to hide my real emotions. As agreed, I didn't tell my parents anything, trusting Cullens completely. Bella and I didn't discuss the next course of action, but I was hoping she would tell me everything at school on Monday. I didn't have her phone number, and I wasn't comfortable enough to contact her anyway, I already got them involved in this terrible thing.

I hurriedly hurried up to my room after eating my breakfast to avoid any further questioning. Homework was the most effective distraction. I sat for two hours solving differential equations, effectively blocking out all other thoughts. My phone abruptly rang, and an unknown number appeared on the screen. At first, I wanted to answer the phone, but then I thought it might be one of Hill's men. After a few seconds, the phone went silent, but then it rang again, and I decided to take a chance.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Edward, it's Bella. Sorry to call unannounced. Can you talk now?"

Like I could say no to Isabella Cullen? I haven't heard anything more absurd in a long time.

"Of course. I didn't know you had my phone number."

"Oh, trust me, we know how to get the information we need." A chuckle came from the phone, and I involuntarily smiled, but then I quickly came to my senses.

"You wanted to tell me something, didn't you? I don't think you just called me to talk."

"I'd love to chat with you for no reason, but you're right. I'm calling with an offer."

"Okay, well, I'm all ears."

"Remember how I said Alice's visions are most effective when she knows the person well?"

"Yeah, I remember that."

"We talked about your situation last night and decided it would be best if you came to see us today. Of course, if it's convenient to you. So, we'll kill two birds with one stone by introducing you to Alice while continuing to answer your questions."

"Today?"

"Yeah, the sooner we start, the better. But it's fine if you already have other plans. We can postpone the meeting until tomorrow."

I thought about my parents and their suspicious behavior.

"Today is good, but can I say that I'm going to your brothers? Mom is oddly interested in you, as it turns out they saw us while we were in my driveway."

"Strange, I didn't see anyone in the windows. And it's hard to hide things from me."

"I think they were looking at us through security cameras, we just installed newer ones not so long ago."

"Sneaky. So, from now on, we need to be a little more careful." Bella was quiet for two seconds. "I'll have Emmett pick you up, I don't think Jasper made a good impression last night."

I imagined that mountain of muscles that Bella called brother. Outwardly, Emmett was the most intimidating of all the Cullens, especially when paired with that blonde. Although I have never spoken to him.

"Can I drive my car? I'm causing you enough trouble as it is."

"I'm afraid you won't be able to find your way to us. Our house is more in the forest than in the town. It's extremely easy to miss the right turn."

My imagination created a vampire house in the middle of the forest. I began to imagine a dark gothic building with almost no windows, with an evil spire and gargoyles.

"Edward? Are you still here?"

"Oh yeah. I'm sorry, I was just thinking. Okay, so when should I expect Emmett?"

"Will half an hour work?"

"Yeah. I'll be waiting."

I put aside my homework and ran to the shower. Twenty minutes later I went downstairs where my parents were watching a movie together.

"Hey, parents, I'm leaving with a friend when I get home - I don't know."

"Look at that, Edward. Our boy's all grown up. He doesn't even ask our permission."

My dad laughed and hugged my mom.

"Lizzie, you've been telling me this for the last two years, don't embarrass the kid." But then my father turned sternly to me. "But we want to know where you are and who you're with. And make sure your phone is always charged."

I knew it wasn't unreasonable control so I tried not to get annoyed.

"I'm going to Emmett Cullen's house, he has a big family, in addition to him, there are four more brothers and sisters. All the same age. Don't worry, their parents will be home."

"Five kids the same age? I barely had you, and there's five kids. Poor mother."

"They're all adopted, mom. Perhaps you've heard of Dr. Cullen's family?"

"I may have even met Mrs. Cullen at the store. She was wearing such a beautiful coat. I couldn't help but ask where it came from. But that woman looked so young to be the mother of five teenagers, it must have been another Mrs. Cullen."

"I think it was her. Dr Cullen looks quite young too."

A few seconds later there was a knock on the door and I headed out. Emmett was leaning against the front door frame, a playful smile on his face.

"Hi, Edward. I'll be your personal driver for the day."

He gave me his huge hand for a handshake, and I didn't hesitate to give mine back.

"Hey, Emmett. Thanks for your help."

"No problem, I finally feel like a real teenager. This is the first time I'm helping my sister meet a guy almost in secret. Your folks are no slouch. Figured out to watch you through the security cameras. Did you hang out with girls in Chicago the same way?"

I was a little taken aback by how straightforward his questions were. So far, all of the Cullens I've met had been the epitome of politeness and, at times, aristocratic restraint. A wide smile and a slight mockery in his voice were a pleasant surprise for me.

"My whole life in Chicago was so much easier."

My answer was bittersweet, and no one dared to comment further. I looked up at the big jeep that I had never seen before and saw that Emmett was already behind the wheel and all the windows were wide open.

"Windows for your own safety. I haven't been this close to human in a long time."

I shifted slightly in my seat after his words, unsure how to respond. Perhaps I should have thanked him for his thoughtfulness? So far, the rules of vampire etiquette have remained a mystery to me.

"How difficult is it for you to be around people? I mean, you go to school almost every day, which is must be kind of weird."

"Some find it more difficult than others. Carlisle, for example, is a doctor as you know. His situation is nothing like ours. He probably doesn't even notice the thirst anymore, he has a unique self-control. Even though I find this challenging, I still have more self-control than Jasper. The problem is, he and I tasted human blood in the past, so now we always have something to compare it to. That makes it harder for both of us"

Did that mean that Emmett and Jasper didn't always feed on animal blood? I felt my pulse speed up a bit. Emmett shifted his gaze to me, as if he could hear my erratic heartbeat. Bella said that their hearing is many times more powerful than human, so any changes in my heart rates were likely to be detected. Emmett broke into a wide smile, as if he was amused by my reaction.

"Well, you asked. Didn't mean to scare you." Somehow, his smile said otherwise. "In my defense, I will say that honesty is the best policy."

"So, you and Jasper used to hunt more than just animals?"

"Not quite so, at least in my case. Jasper was turned in a completely different atmosphere, his creator gave him no alternative. If you want, you can ask him directly. Jas will tell you everything better than I. The most important thing is that from his first day and for a long time he fed on human blood. For vampires, this is the most delicious thing they can taste. The transition to animal blood was difficult for him." Maybe that's why Jasper always seemed so menacing. Emmett claims that he's continuously fighting with himself.

"What about you?"

"It's a whole different story with me. I drank animal blood since I was a newborn. My self-control was on the same level with an average vampire. I could be among a huge crowd and remain calm, but everything changed when I smelled this scent. The woman was standing a few meters away from me in her garden. After I took another breath, everything was a blur. One second, I was standing in the distance, the next thing I knew, I had a lifeless body in my hands. I didn't even know what was happening, my body was literally out of my control. All I could feel at that moment was an incredible feeling of fullness. For the first time in years, I didn't feel thirsty, but at what cost?"

Emmett's expression was unusually serious, his customary grin replaced with sorrow and regret.

"What caused that to happen? Is it because you resisted yourself for so long?"

"Carlisle doesn't think so. There is a theory that all humans smell differently for vampires. Some may smell generally pleasant to everyone, while others may smell too pleasant for one particular vampire. This is what happened to me that day, me and that woman were just unfortunate to meet. Some traditional vampires consider this as a gift from above. La Tua Cantant - it's the Italian term for a human whose blood appeals to a particular vampire. This is extremely rare."

I probably sat in silence for a minute, thinking about what Emmett had said. He made it sound like an inevitable incident, so my attitude toward him didn't change.

"Did that make it difficult for you to return to animal blood?"

"Yes, it's extremely difficult. It happened not so long ago, and now all the blood simply pales in comparison to that one. Especially animal blood. I can never forget that taste."

I looked with sympathy at Emmett. Underneath his frightening exterior was a caring individual.

After a few more miles I saw something in the woods, and suddenly we were in lawn in front of a house. To say I was surprised would be an understatement. The mansion in front of me was nothing like I had imagined. Definitely no gargoyles or goth spires. The house was definitely old, but it was clearly modernized not so long ago. I used to think that my parents managed to find a pretty decent home for Forks, but it pales in comparison to those three floors, luxurious floor-to-ceiling windows, and the magnificent view that opens up from it to the forest and river. Everything about this house was amazing.

"Well? Ready to meet the whole vampire family?"

"Yeah." My answer sounded surprisingly more confident than I expected.

Emmett opened the heavy door and let me in. The interior was much more unexpected than the exterior. It was very bright, open, and spacious. There were definitely no coffins, at least not in the living room.

Waiting to greet us, standing just to the left of the door were Dr. Cullen, at his side was Esme, I assumed, the only one of the family I'd never seen before. And Bella. Esme had the same pale, beautiful features as the rest of the them, heart-shaped face and soft caramel-colored hair. They smiled in welcome, but made no move to approach, trying not frighten me, I guessed. Bella was the first to break the silence.

"Hello Edward. I'm glad you were able to come today."

I couldn't help smiling back.

"Hello, Bella. Mr. and Mrs. Cullen." I slowly reached out to them for a handshake.

"Edward, just call us Carlisle and Esme. We prefer to be on the first name basis."

Esme surprised me by wrapping me in a firm yet gentle hug instead of shaking hands.

"We sorry for having to meet under such difficult circumstances, but everyone is delighted to know you. You haven't had time to eat yet, have you? We called you so spontaneously. Can I cook something for you?"

Do they eat regular food?

"Oh, I thought you don't eat human food?"

"We don't really eat it, but we always have it, a full fridge. We keep it for cover, you never know who can drop by to visit us. And it will be much stranger if no one in the neighborhood actually sees how we purchase it on a regular basis. We don't need any extra suspicions. Except that we don't cook them, so I'm a little concerned about the taste, though I think I can make a sandwich. If you want."

Carlisle glanced at Esme with fondness and a warm grin. It looked like Esme really wanted to cook me a meal instead of doing it out of politeness. I actually found it terrible to decline the offer.

"If you don't mind, I'd appreciate a sandwich right now."

"I'm glad I can finally use the kitchen for its intended purpose. Go to the living room for now, everyone is waiting there."

Bella led me into the next room, where all the remaining Cullens were. Emmett was already cuddling Rosalie, while Alice and Jasper sat on the love seat. Carlisle stood off to the side, adjusting something on the heating system.

"I hope it's warm enough here. We rarely heat it because we don't feel the cold."

"Everything is great. Very human appropriate." Carlisle chuckled. "You have a really wonderful house, that is quite different from what I expected."

"Just don't tell me that you imagined a tomb with coffins instead of ordinary furniture?" Bella asked with mock horror.

I almost blushed with embarrassment, and Emmett busted out laughing at this moment. Even the ever-gloomy Rosalie smiled.

"You promised that you wouldn't make any assumptions!"

"It was yesterday. I didn't make any new promises." I could only shrug my shoulders and grin, trying not to reveal my embarrassment.

Bella smiled and shook her head.

"Even though you probably already know everyone, let me introduce you anyway. That fairy sitting on the Jasper's lap is Alice." Alice gave me a friendly smile and waved her hand. "The gorgeous blonde in Emmett's hands is Rosalie."

Bella sent a meaningful look at Rosalie, who rolled her eyes and nodded slightly at me. Not the most welcoming reception, but I didn't expect much more.

"Hi everyone, nice to finally meet you all. Once again, I apologize for all the hassle."

Carlisle, who was passing by, squeezed my shoulder in encouragement.

"We couldn't stay away and not help. You guys start talking, and I'll go help Esme."

Bella nodded her head in agreement and looked at Alice.

"We discussed several strategies this night and have already begun to search for the necessary information. For now, the whole plan is for Alice to watch over your safety through visions, while me, Jasper and Emmett handle the pressure levers. We need to figure out who is actually in charge, because everything so far indicates that it is not Albert Hill."

"But it was them who opened the hunt for my father."

"Yes, you are right, and they will not calm down just like that. That is why we need to influence them through someone they fear and respect. Their main sponsor. So far, all our attempts to identify this mysterious customer ended in failure, we know for sure that the main trail goes somewhere in Europe. Whoever it is, he's acting carefully."

From the new information vein on my temple throbbed, everything turned out to be much more complicated than I expected. At that moment, Carlisle and Esme came out of the kitchen carrying a tray of my sandwiches and a glass of water. Esme smiled sympathetically at me.

"Thank you."

"I was happy to do it, no need to thank me. I used to love to cook, and now I have a reason again."

I immediately leaned over to take a bite and smiled. Тhe sandwich was perfect. I quickly resumed our discussion after a little break.

"If you still manage to track down the main leader, what do you plan to do then? How will this help my family? In my opinion, it will only aggravate the situation if even more criminals find out about it."

"We don't know yet; according to Alice, the visions have been pretty mixed so far. We're on the right track, but the eventual outcome of the search remains unclear. And some of the facts really confused us."

"What do you mean?" I could not even imagine what could confuse an entire family of vampires.

"Every time we got closer to a clue, Alice saw us with the Volturi." Bella winced and looked guiltily at Carlisle.

"Who are these Volturi?"

"Remember, I once told you that vampires have their own leaders? They keep order and enforce laws. Their clan is called the Volturi."

I thought about her words and tried to understand why Cullens looked so worried.

"This is bad? What does this mean? Could these Volturi be related to the Hill family in some way?"

Bella exchanged glances with Carlisle again. The emotion on her face became even more noticeable. Carlisle decided to answer my question.

"We don't know for sure, but several facts point to that. Meeting with them is certainly an inevitable event."

I remembered some of Bella's words about law and order.

"If they enforce laws, I don't know how it is in your world, but in our country the attempted murder of innocent people is punishable by law."

Emmett, who had been sitting silently before, burst out laughing.

"Dude, in case you haven't noticed, we're talking about vampires here. Killing people is definitely not a crime in the eyes of the Volturi. They rather disapprove of our diet. They don't care how many people in the world die and who does it. But our family actually broke one law."

"Emmet!" Bella glared at her brother. "We said that we would not frighten him even more now. His heart's gonna pop out of his chest."

Emmett shrugged, and Rosalie, who was sitting next to him, finally decided to intervene in the conversation.

"Emmett is right. He must know what you have gotten us and him into."

"Bella? What's happening? What law was Emmet talking about?" Bella looked down at her hands guiltily, avoiding my gaze. "Bella?"

"Vampires don't have a lot of laws, some of them are more like unwritten rules. But everyone knows that under no circumstances should the secret of our existence be revealed to people. All witnesses must be killed before this hits the masses. Yesterday we were forced to break it."

I froze, replaying Bella's words in my head. If earlier I felt guilty for causing unnecessary trouble for them, now the feeling of guilt has increased significantly.

"And what is the punishment?"

"Death, for both vampires and humans. Almost without exception." Rosalie broke her silence again, sending Bella an angry look at the same time.

I instantly wanted to stand between these two, in order to somehow shield Bella from the angry looks of the blonde. I was the only one to blame in this room. But Bella was not taken aback and decided to finally answer her sister.

"Rosalie, stop it. Was I supposed to let him die there? The Volturi don't know anything yet. Maybe we are wrong, and they have nothing to do with it. We're causing panic too soon."

"Why do we even have to tell them what I know about you? Maybe you accidentally found out about my difficult situation and decided to help?" I knew my plan was going to fail, but I tried to figure out at least one way out of this situation. Bella smiled sadly in response.

"In addition to the insanity of your proposition, you are unaware of one crucial aspect. The Volturi is made up almost entirely of talented vampires. And one of their main leaders has a very important ability. Only through a second handshake Aro can access all your thoughts and memories. There is no way to hide the truth. The only way out of this mess is to send me alone."

Panic overtook me with the speed of wildfire.

"No! Bella, no! Didn't we just talk about how the final outcome is death? Do you have suicidal tendencies all of the sudden?!"

"Edward? Calm down, no one's going anywhere. I suggested this because Aro's gift doesn't work on me. Jasper, a little help here?" Instantly I felt a sense of calmness wash over me. As soon as my breathing returned to normal, Bella took my hand, trying to get my attention.

"If Jasper stops calming you, do you think you can handle it on your own?"

Not knowing exactly what Bella meant, I still nodded in agreement. The artificial calm dissipated after a few seconds, yet the old panic didn't come back.

"What was it? He's sitting a couple of meters away from me!"

Bella smiled slyly.

"When I talked about talented vampires, I may have forgotten to mention Jasper. He's a very strong empath. Not only can he feel what you're feeling, he can also manipulate your emotions. He can send you any emotion he wants: fear, joy, sadness, anger, passion. You name it."

I looked at Jasper with open surprise and admiration. He only laughed, apparently amused by my amazement. During the day, Jasper became the biggest surprise out of all the Cullens. First Emmett's confession, now this. It's always the quiet ones.

"Thanks for your help, I don't know why I overreacted. It's probably just exhaustion."

Jasper gave me a knowing look but said nothing. Then he exchanged enigmatic looks with Alice, as if asking her a question, and she just nodded silently. Weird.

"Back to the topic. When you mentioned Aro's gift wouldn't work on you, what did you mean?"

"I thought you'd missed it." Bella smiled sweetly. "I also have a specific talent. Although not as cool as Alice's or Jasper's, but still. I'm a shield. We used to think that I could only block mental talents, but lately I've been practicing on developing its physical side. So far, not very successful, but it doesn't matter." I smiled at her enthusiasm, and even felt some pride. I always knew that Bella was special, even for vampires.

"So, there's no way this Aro can read your mind?"

"Yes, he has tried this multiple times. I think it pretty much pissed him off. He thought he would be the exception."

"Wait, so you've met him before? Do you all personally know the Volturi?"

I was very surprised by the information. Judging by their previous reaction, they should have been avoided. But then again what could they possible be hiding before meeting me? It's not likely, they had a habit of telling people their big secret.

At my words, all Cullens frowned.

"Only Carlisle and I know him personally. But I'd rather not discuss it now. It's defiantly not my favorite memory."

What did this vampire boss have to do with Bella? That's when I realized how little I actually knew about her past. Just yesterday morning, I thought Bella was simply a teenager with usual teenage problems and worries, but in fact, she already had more than forty years of life under her belt. This new realization made me sad. For the first time I thought about our age difference. Could Bella be interested in me, see me as more than just a schoolmate? Insecurity had always been abnormal for me, and here I felt it for the first time, I tensed up and became irritated. Jasper was puzzled by my conflicted emotions, and he looked at me with curiosity, but I ignored him. I needed to stop thinking about it.

"So, the whole plan is for me to introduce Alice to my parents? Is there nothing else I can do?"

It was terrible for me, I felt completely powerless. I wanted to be useful to the Cullens and my family.

"That's all for now. Don't worry. We hope that soon we can move a little further in our search. Jasper knows one human who can help us. He works quite closely with the criminal world, helps us with document forgery, but he has plenty of other clients besides us. Most likely he or one of his colleagues worked with Albert Hill, or better yet, with his boss."

The new detail gave me hope, but I still had questions.

"What if this Jasper's guy refuses to speak to you? If it comes out that he blabbed about someone, then his days are numbered. He's not gonna risk it."

In response to my words, Jasper gave me a somewhat creepy smile.

"You've already been acquainted with my gift, but you haven't felt its full potential. Now, Mr. Jenks will feel it full, so he'll talk, don't worry."

Okay, that was scary. I didn't even want to know the details of how Jasper would apply his talent. Bella noticed my awkward pause and touched my hand.

"Do you want to walk around the house? Take a little time off from these topics."

I nodded gladly and went after Bella. The house was incredible and said so much about its owners. All these things from different times and different parts of the world, like the first editions of books, records, paintings, vases, and sculptures. I eagerly listened to each new story, imagining all family members in a specific setting.

"You've been to Chicago a few times?"

The last place on our tour was Bella's room, and we went up to the third floor.

"Yeah, the last time was actually just two years ago. Emmet dragged me to a Chicago Cubs match. I personally think he just likes the team's name. Someday I'll tell you about his obsession with bears."

"Sounds like something interesting. Do you like baseball?"

"My father loved it very much. It's like a memory to me now."

Bella had hardly mentioned her biological parents, perhaps because I didn't know the full story, or perhaps because she didn't want to.

"I don't mean to be rude, but I'm really curious. Can I ask you a question about your parents?" Bella seemed surprised by my question, but she agreed anyway. "You were turned thirty years ago, weren't you? This happened quite recently in comparison to other members of your family. What happened to your parents?"

Bella smiled sadly.

"Did I mention the circumstances behind my transformation?" I nodded in the affirmative. "The last time I talked about this, I left out a few facts. I'll tell you a little more about my past life, if you want."

"Sure." I offered a firm nod.

"Then I suggest going to my room and continuing there." She said this and opened the door for me.

I'd be delighted to receive your feedback. Thanks for reading.