Chapter nine.

Bella POV.

I couldn't believe my ears.

"So are you ok with this now?" I asked Alwin.

"Ok with it? Well, I kind of have to be, don't I? But I want to hear the whole story." he said giving me a meaningful look.

"Well....... um ok. After I left the house I decided to go for a run in the woods, I was about to turn around because I was so close to the La Push line, but then I smelled it. Her blood, it was so strong. Stronger than usual I mean, blood doesn't usually do anything for me but I can always smell it. But this....... my stomach clenched and I wanted it. I wanted her Alwin." I stopped and looked up to judge his reaction. He was looking down and when he realized I'd stopped talking he looked up.

"But wait. What do you mean blood doesn't do anything for you? I mean all that stuff with Victoria......." he let his question trail off. I smiled a little, I knew he'd pick up on that.

"The things I did to people when I was with Victoria were things I was trained to do. Not things I wanted to do. True, over time I started to get really into it but that was for the hunt, never the blood. Yes, I drank it but to be truthful, it was never that good to me." I told him. He simply nodded, waiting for me to continue.

"So like I was saying, I wanted her and whenever I was standing over her she opened her eyes. She looked straight at me and she....... she held her little arms out to me. I couldn't do it. I couldn't kill her after that but I knew she was dying from something else.I don't know what happened to her....... she smelled bad once I got past the blood. I just....... I don't know Alwin. It was weird, I felt like I needed to protect her." I told him. He seemed like he really did understand so I smiled.

"But you know, we still have hell to pay with everybody else." he said. I just nodded, I knew all too well.

Alice POV.

After two hours of searching for Bella I heard Jasper's cell phone ringing from where he was standing behind me. He pulled it out and flipped it open all in one swift motion. I smiled to myself, he's so handsome. My smile instantly faded as I saw his eyes quickly snap to my face and away. He turned his back and was talking rapidly into the phone, had I been human I wouldn't have understood a word. As it was I only little clips here and there. I was at his side at the same instant he was closing his cell phone and putting it back in his pocket.

"What's going on?" I asked him. In my mind I was quickly trying to skim the future for anything but instead there was nothing. I frowned and he caught my chin with his hand.

"You're not going to find anything. She's in La Push." he told me. My frown deepened.

"So?" I asked.

"With Jacob. The kid's a wolf." he told me simply.

"Why can't I see anything though?" I was losing my patience.

"I don't know. Carlisle said Victor can't see anything either, he's been trying all day. That's who called Maureen earlier, he said the wolves showed up and he couldn't see anything at all anymore." he told me.

"Oh." I muttered. He was staring at me nervously and I knew he was feeling my frustration. I shook all those thoughts from my head, I didn't want to put him through my confusion and now wasn't the time anyway.

"Well, do we know why she's over there?" I asked him and he shook his head.

"Carlisle said we all need to meet back at home. Now." he said.

Without another word we took off in the direction of home, our hands entwined, the run making us both feel a little better. In a matter of minutes we were approaching the back of the house and as we slowed down I saw Edward sitting at his piano through the huge window in the living room. He wasn't playing anything, just sitting there. I felt Jasper stiffen next to me and upon glancing at his face I knew this wasn't good. I squeezed his hand and gave him a small smile and he tried to return it but seemed to be in too much pain. Poor thing.

We walked in through the back door and found everybody sitting in the living room, talking in quick whispers. They stopped when we entered and Carlisle motioned for us to sit down on the couch. We did and when I saw one of Jacob's friends there in human form my worry shot through the roof. I saw Jasper wince slightly next to me and I mouthed sorry to him.

"This is Quil." Carlisle told us, pointing to the boy.

"He's the one who found Bella." Carlisle said and I could tell he was about to start explaining until Quil jumped up from his spot on the floor.

"I smelled her. There's two of them, it smells awful. I don't know what the hell Jacob thinks he's doing but he's lost his mind!" he has a look of utter disgust on his face and he was pacing around the room. Rosalie gave a sniff of disgust.

"You don't smell like roses yourself." she said.

He ignored her and looked at Carlisle.

"Well? Just what do you intend to do about this?" he demanded. Edward let loose a low growl from his spot in front of the piano.

"You will not speak to him with such disrespect." he said. Carlisle held up a hand and shook his head.

"It's ok Edward. As for what I intend to do about this, I don't plan on doing anything." he said. I felt my jaw drop, what did he mean he wasn't going to do anything?

"If Jacob is with her then she was invited over there. It doesn't qualify as breaking the treaty. Now we need to discuss the real issue at hand here." he said and started standing up. Quil backed up and Rosalie snarled at him.

"As if you need to be scared of Carlisle. He's the one trying to save your ass." she spat at him.

"Now Rose." Esme said and Rosalie sat back down but not before a huge dramatic eye roll.

"One of your kind lost their cool. Not one of yours. YOU'RE the ones on trial here!" Edward was suddenly up from the piano bench and marching toward Quil.

"Which one of you did it?!" his voice was at a yell now and he had a terrifying look on his face. I got up to keep myself between the two of them and Jasper did the same.

"What is going on?" I called to Carlisle.

"There was an attack." he said.