Edward POV
My breath was taken away as Bella appeared on the stairway before sprinting down it. Carlisle and Eleazar were right behind her.
Part of my breath was taken away by Bella's beauty, just as effective on me as it had been the first time I'd seen her, and the other part by her dress. It was no longer a beautiful pure white, it was now a stiff resemblance covered in Bella's blood.
Now Bella looked like an avenging goddess as opposed to a normal goddess, as fierce and beautiful as ever. Her golden tinged eyes flicker to mine as she lands in the entrance hall but she instantly looks away from me.
Glad you're okay son. Carlisle says silently to me, not taking his gaze off Alice. "Is something the matter, Alice?" He asks out loud.
Alice looks troubled as she presses her slender fingers together. "Yes." She says quietly. "I've had a vision. We have some… visitors coming here."
"Who?" Carlisle asks quickly, his tone sharp.
"The dogs." She spits.
"Don't call them that Alice." Carlisle says firmly. "We have to respect them. We have a treaty with them."
"And nowhere in the damn treaty does it say I can't call them dogs, Carlisle. They stink." Alice protests.
I hadn't taken my eyes off Bella so I noticed when she looked up sharply. "Who are the dogs?" She questions.
"You really don't want to know." Alice mutters before turning to Carlisle. "There are thirteen vampires in this house, they are only expecting seven. What the hell do we do?"
"Explain to them that we have visitors." Carlisle says calmly. "The treaty does not say we cannot have them."
"Yes but when they see Bella they are going to freak. She'll look like a newborn to them." Alice points out.
"Hate to be obvious, but she is a newborn." Emmett interjects.
Carlisle remains just as calm as ever. "Well we'll just have to explain to them, besides Bella's newborn appearance she has the maturity and control of one of us." He explains patiently.
"Alice darling," Esme says suddenly, "I thought you couldn't see the pack in your visions."
I frown at Alice, waiting for her explanation. Alice shakes her head in exasperation. "I didn't see them exactly, just the blank space around them as I usually do. It was Bella who my vision centered around. For some reason she was directly involved with the mutts."
"What?" I hiss. "You never said Bella was involved!"
She shoots me a steely look. "Because, dear brother, I knew this would be exactly how you reacted. We need you to have a clear head for this even if it does involve Bella." She rolls her eyes.
"Everything is about Bella." Rosalie mutters petulantly.
"Shut up Rosalie." Alice and I say in unison. Alice continues speaking, giving out orders rapidly. "I need someone to get the Denalis and Carmen and explain to them what's going on. We have five minutes at most."
"I'll go." Jasper volunteers instantly and I hear his thoughts as he turns to leave. Bella's blood soaked dress is driving me mental. I need to get out of here.
"There's no time to get her to change it now." I murmur softly and Jasper looks ashamed. "I know you're strong enough to stay focused right now." I reassure him.
Alice, never slow on the update realised what I was talking about and she took Jasper's hand, squeezing it assuredly. "You're in control." She says earnestly. "Now, go find them and explain the situation."
Jasper looks relieved as he presses his lips to Alice's and blurs out of the room. "I'll go with him to help." Eleazar volunteers, his thoughts full of Carmen as he blurs out of the room after Jasper.
Alice doesn't stop for anything. "Emmett, Rosalie. I need you. Come with me." She says instantly.
Rosalie and Emmett don't hesitate; they follow Alice out of the room. When she was in this mood, there was no point in ignoring her. I catch Alice's thoughts as she leaves. You have an almost empty room. Use it to sort things out between you and Bella before the pack get here. She urges silently.
My eyes flicker to Bella who is stood awkwardly at the bottom of the staircase, very deliberately avoiding my gaze. Carlisle clears his throat loudly and I turn to look at him, raising an eyebrow. You should probably speak to Bella. The sooner the better. He commands mentally.
I nod at him curtly and turn to look at Bella. "Bella." I say quietly.
Her eyes flicker tome and then away again. Again Edward. Esme thinks gently. She looks unsure. "Don't you think we have a lovely lawn, Carlisle?" She asks out loud.
I have to smother a laugh as Carlisle agrees with her. They were trying to give me as much privacy as the situation would allow. I appreciated that.
I take a deep breath. "Bella." I say again, louder.
Her eyes travel to mine but this time she doesn't look away. "What?" She asks coldly.
Her tone surprises me but I persist. "Why will you hardly look at me?" I question. "Have I done something wrong?"
Bella's eyes flickered to Carlisle and Esme who were very deliberately ignoring our conversation, staring at some fixed point out of the window, before she answered. "Do you think I can honestly forgive myself?" She asks in a low voice.
I frown. "Forgive yourself for what?"
Her eyes are remorseful. "For putting you in a position like that… For putting Jasper in a position like that. I know he is the newest of you and to do that to him… well no wonder he couldn't control himself." Her voice was miserable.
"Bella," I say in shock, "that… what happened was out of your control!"
She casts her eyes downwards, refusing to look at me. "I shouldn't have put any of you in that position. Especially you. You could have so easily lost control, control you have worked hard for all these years and I would have been the person responsible."
"And you could have died Bella! Because of me." I growl back.
"Stop blaming yourself!" She growls back. "It was my fault."
"No, you stop blaming yourself!" I growl furiously. "The whole damn thing was out of our control. It happened and hopefully it won't happen again. So leave it alone."
Bella still doesn't look up so I blur across the room and before I know what I'm doing I grab her chin and press my lips fiercely against hers, ignoring the burn in my throat at her scent. I kiss her thoroughly until she relaxes in my arms and then I pull away, grinning. "I win."
Bella looks stunned for a second but then she smiles. "No, you do not win." She says mischievously. "I can play dirty too."
"Not in our piano room, I hope." Emmett winks at me, walking back into the room. Alice was beaming from behind him and Rosalie looked relatively neutral, which surprised me. One brief look at her thoughts showed that she was musing about the dogs visit.
Jasper blurred into the room then, followed by the Denalis, Eleazar and Carmen. "They're up to date." He tells us.
"Good." Alice says sharply. "My vision has just disappeared. They're here."
I picked up on the pack's thoughts straight away. I groan mentally at the chaos. "They're in human form." I tell the room. "Which means they're not here to attack."
"How many?" Carlisle asks.
"Five." I answer.
"You'll monitor their thoughts?" Carlisle requests.
"Absolutely. We better get in the foyer." I tell him, taking off. Our party of vampires blur into the foyer, following me. Carlisle and Esme stand next to me. Jasper and Emmett stand just behind us, tensed and waiting. Alice, Rosalie and Carmen were stood at the bottom of the stairs looking wary, with the Denali sisters just to their right. Bella and Eleazar were hovering near the door we'd just blurred through.
My attention is diverted as the thumping on the door begins. "Ugh, someone let the dogs in." Alice mutters. "Before they break the door."
Carlisle shoots her a warning look before calmly opening the door. He steps back politely as five bare-chested boys march in. They moved almost in synchronisation, reminding me of brothers with their similarities; they all had the same long, round muscles, the same red-brown skin, the same cropped black hair and the same expression of disgust on their face. Instantly the one they call Paul groans. "God, you leeches stink!"
The Denali sisters, Eleazar, Carmen and Bella all bristle at the insult, not used to the werewolves' rude behaviour.
"Least we don't smell like wet dog." Alice growls, her face livid.
"Stop!" The eldest, Sam, roars as the other four boys start to growl low in their throats. "We are not here to attack, remember?"
The word of the Alpha immediately calmed the others. Sam turned to us, his thoughts full of trepidation. "Why so many lee… vampires?" He asks through clenched teeth. I didn't miss the fact that he was talking only to Carlisle, ignoring the rest of us. It didn't surprise me, Carlisle was the most civilised and if the dogs had to talk to someone they'd rather it was him.
"Just some visitors." Carlisle says smoothly. "Friends of ours. All vegetarians."
Sam's thoughts were full of anger as he answered. "That brings me on to today's visit. We have a request for your less civilised friends." He growls.
"By request he means order." A mutt, Jacob growled.
I studied Jacob carefully. Jacob had grown into some of his potential in the last eight months since the last signing of the treaty. He'd passed the point where the soft muscles of childhood hardened into the solid, lanky build of a teenager; the tendons and veins had become prominent under the red-brown skin of his arms, his hands. His face had hardened too, the planes of his cheekbones sharper, his jaw squared off.
Why the hell is that leech staring at me? I heard Jacob think. I had to smother a laugh as I learnt, directly from the pack connection that Jacob was the newest member of the pack but they were expecting more very soon with Quil Aetera next in line. I frowned as I learnt that Jacob was the rightful Alpha but had given that up. The reasons for that weren't clear though. I hadn't realised that I was still staring at Jacob thoughtfully until his thoughts interrupted me again.
Seriously, that bastard better stop staring or I'll tear him apart.
I made my voice as cold as steel as I stared Jacob down. "I'd like to see you try, Jacob." I growl and the growl is mirrored by the vampires behind me.
Jacob bristles, along with the rest of his pack. "Did you just…?"
I smirk. "Read your mind? Yup."
Sam did not look happy; his black eyes were sharp. "It's true then?" He asks unhappily.
I pick up on his thoughts. "That some of our kind possess supernatural gifts? Yes, it is." I say gleefully.
"We have a right to know what gifts you possess then in case…" Sam beings sharply but I cut him off.
"In case it comes to a fight?" I question sharply. "But that would give you the advantage, wouldn't it? We don't know how many more werewolves you're expecting, do we?"
"But…" Paul begins brusquely.
"No." Sam holds up his hand. "The bloodsucker has a point."
I smile sweetly at him. "Thank you, mutt."
Sam scowls as he fixes his eyes on Carlisle, all pretences of civility gone. "Like Jacob said, if you don't stop the damn leeches from killing humans, we will, whether they're friends of yours or not, got it?" He asks sharply.
Carlisle frowns. "What are you talking about? What vampires? I wasn't aware of any more in the area."
"Yeah right." Jacob mutters.
"Jacob." Sam says warningly, his gaze fixed on Carlisle. "So you're not aware of any vampires in the area?"
"No," Carlisle says truthfully, "the only vampires in the area that I'm aware of is those in this house and we're all vegetarians. We don't hunt humans."
"Then you don't care if we hunt the murdering leeches?" Sam asks carefully and his thoughts showed that he did not trust Carlisle.
Carlisle looks troubled at the thought of killing. "Certainly, although they probably won't be aware that we have a full residence here. We could talk to them, tell them to leave."
Sam did not look convinced but he nodded. "You better, or we'll be dealing with it." He says sharply.
"Noted." Carlisle said. "How many are there?"
"Three, two males, one female." Sam tells him. "We've been trying to track them but they always seem able to predict our moves and stay just out of range." He scowls. "Probably because one of them has a supernatural gift."
"They're probably just passing through." Carlisle says quietly.
Sam shakes his head. "They're looking for something, slaughtering any humans that get in their way." He says coldly.
Carlisle flinches. "How many humans?" He asks sharply.
"Four. Two more are missing." Sam answers bluntly.
"We'll speak to them." Carlisle promises, his thoughts bleak.
"And if they don't listen to you?" Sam queries.
"If they won't leave, then by all means, kill them." There was no hesitation in Carlisle's voice. He too wanted to protect the humans in the area.
Even Sam could not deny the blatant honesty in Carlisle's voice and he nodded brusquely. "Good, you have three days. Let's go."
But the dogs never left because at that moment Jacob opened his big fat mouth. "You said that all the leeches were vegetarians!" He roars at Carlisle.
Carlisle looks bewildered. "They all are?" He says questioningly.
"Yeah right!" Jacob growls, stepping forward so he's next to Sam and closer to us. "Then why the hell are her eyes glowing like a red flame?"
I cursed mentally, knowing exactly who he was talking about before I turned to look at where he was pointing.
Yep, at Bella.
Bella's future just disappeared. Alice told me silently. This is it.
Crap. I think mentally as I blur over to Bella's side without thinking. "She is a vegetarian!" I growl, a mixture of fury and panic consuming me as Paul starts to shake in anger.
"Paul!" Sam says sharply and Paul takes deep breaths to calm himself.
"She's a newborn." Carlisle says quickly. "Hence why her eyes are red. If you look closely, you'll see golden tinges to them from the animal blood."
Sam cringes at the mention of blood. "Er, no thanks." He mutters, before frowning. "I thought newborns couldn't resist human blood." He asks suspiciously.
"What would you know about newborns?" I growl at him, still defensive over Bella.
"He's a werewolf you fool! It's his job to know about leeches!" Paul roars before shuddering violently and exploding into wolf form. Dark silver fur flew out from the boy, coalescing into a shape more than five times his size – a massive crouched shape, ready to spring.
Our visitors gasped as one, shocked at the massive size of the wolf. He was as big as a horse.
"Paul!" Sam roars and the wolf that is Paul hesitates. "Don't you dare! Lay there and stay! NOW!" The word of the Alpha is law. Paul whimpers and lays down on the floor, his thoughts racing but literally unable to move.
So the word of the Alpha took away free will too, I noted. The werewolves really were tightly bound.
"She isn't the average newborn." Carlisle says hurriedly, his eyes fixed on Paul. "She's in full control of herself."
Sam nods, but Jacob growls. "That's complete bull!" He yells. "Look at her dress! It's covered in blood! She's a killer!"
Shit. Alice curses mentally as the rest of the dogs bristle, even Sam. This really isn't good Edward.
"It's my own blood, you fool." Bella growls suddenly, shocking the wolves with her fierce expression. Her chestnut hair was blowing wildly around her, her anger giving her extra adrenaline.
"Right." Jacob snarls at Bella and I want to rip his head off for the way he's talking to her. "Leeches don't bleed, so try a new one why don't you, you lying bitch!"
"Keep on talking to her like that and I'll rip your head off!" I threaten, my voice silky with anger.
"Edward!" Carlisle says sharply.
"Who are you, her father?" Jacob says coldly to me, ignoring Carlisle.
"Jacob!" Sam warns.
"Edward." Bella says as I make a movement towards the mongrel, grabbing my arm and abating some of my fury a little. "I can fight my own battles, remember? Let me deal with this mutt." Her voice turned sharp. "Let me spell this out, dog," she growls, "I am not a normal vampire, newborn or not. I have human blood and I don't like the taste of human blood. I will not let some mongrel who does not know me accuse me of being a liar. Do you get that?"
Jacob blanches at her fury before recovering and sneering. "I think you're lying again." He growls.
"And I think I'm going to let Edward rip you limb from limb if you don't shut the hell up Jacob!" Bella growls sharply.
"The bloodsucker is right, Jacob." Sam says loudly. "You need to calm down. We're not here to fight."
"And you, whoever you are," Bella growls at Sam, "my name is Bella, not bloodsucker. Show some respect! You notice how I called Jacob by his name?"
Sam's entire body froze. "Bella what?" He asks, his voice strangled, his thoughts a jumble.
"What?" Bella asks blankly, taken aback by the sudden change in subject.
"What's your last name?" Sam roars, making us all jump, including his own pack. I focus on him intently, trying to get a fix on his frenzied thoughts.
"Swan." Bella mutters reluctantly.
"You're Isabella Swan?" Sam demands, his voice like ice.
Bella nods mutely, her expression confused and the room is instantly abuzz with thoughts.
Shit. That was Emmett.
How the hell did we miss that? That was Alice.
Oh my god. That was Carlisle.
We're in trouble now. Esme thought blankly.
This makes things a whole lot worse. Jasper groaned silently.
Why does that bitch continue to cause problems? And that, of course was Rosalie. I growled at her but Bella turned to me before I could go kill Rosalie.
"Edward, what's going on?" She had picked up on the change in atmosphere.
Funnily enough, it was Sam who told her. "You're Charlie Swan's daughter, aren't you?"
The werewolves turned rigid and even Paul stopped growling. Obviously the mutts had only just caught on to where the rest of us were. "No." Jacob whispers, his face paling. "She can't be."
A flicker of pain appears on Bella's face. "I was before I died and became a vampire." She says quietly. "Why is that important?"
"Because Charlie is here, in Forks. He's the Chief of Police." Sam says grimly.