AN: Here is an extra long chapter for you guys as a thank you for all the wonderful reviews and support I have received. This chapter will include a flashback and hopefully fill in some holes from past chapters. As always please read and review, your words are often just the motivation I need.
The following days passed by without trouble, something that both worried and relieved the family and guard. It was early morning when the first visitors arrived at the Cullen house, announced by a skipping Alice as she made her way down the stairs with Jasper following closely behind her.
"The Denali are here!" she declared excitedly to the house, knowing that all could hear her. "They will be here in approximately 5 minutes depending on whether Kate decides to take a small detour for a bear or not."
Not long after the Cullen family, along with Isabella, met downstairs in the living room, there was a soft knock at the door. Followed by a blur of blonde hair and energy as a body shoved its way into the house.
"Kate!" a woman's voice hissed. "It is rude to enter someone's home without knocking. And waiting for them to answer."
Isabella could practically feel the roll of the younger woman's eyes from her position on the couch beside Rosalie and couldn't help but smile as the small ball of blonde energy bounded into the room with a smile.
"Hi everyone, long time no see" Kate announced, her pearly white teeth flashing in the sunlight gleaming through the window. Kate paused with an arched brow as she spotted Isabella on the couch, golden eyes flickering over to Rosalie's briefly in question. "And who might this gorgeous new woman be?"
As Kate sauntered toward Isabella with a smirk, Rosalie growled in warning and placed a protective hand on Isabella's thigh. A hand on Kate's shoulder stopped the young woman from getting herself into any trouble and Kate smiled teasingly at the pair, Rosalie still glaring icily.
"Tanya, Kate, Irina so good to see you" Carlisle murmured his head dipping in polite greeting towards the three gorgeous blondes that had entered the room. "I regret that it wasn't under better circumstance."
"Oh, don't you worry your pretty little head Carlisle. I'm always up to kick some entitled vampire ass." Kate grinned goofily, and Isabella watched in surprise as electricity sparked around her fingertips as she jokingly flexed her muscles. Kate was quite like Emmett, Isabella decided with a small smile, taking Rosalie's fingers into her own to intertwine their hands.
From across the room Emmett's laughter boomed and he dove over to the small blonde before picking her up in a certainly bone crushing hug. He let her down with a yelp, rubbing his arm where Kate had no doubt shocked him.
"Emmett you wonderful ape it's good to see you." Kate smiled and Isabella noticed how Emmett faltered ever so slightly at the sight before giving his signature playful grin in return.
"Are Carmen and Eleazar joining us?" Carlisle asked.
Tanya nodded. "They left just after us so should be getting here in the next hour or so I would expect."
Isabella paused, brow furrowing before asking, "Eleazar? As in the vampire consultant on gift detection for the Volturi?"
"You know him?" Tanya asked.
"Yes, my name is Isabella Volturi. Eleazar helped me to realize the full extent of my gift and helped train me to use it." Upon hearing her name, Tanya's gaze faltered ever so slightly before she regained her composure.
"Isabella Volturi you say? I have heard much about you. Your reputation precedes you." Tanya gave a polite nod to Isabella before grimacing at the sound of Kate's voice piping up from her side.
"Wait a minute" Kate drawled. "Are you Bella? The Bella? Like used to be dating Eddie boy Bella?" Kate's eyes were wide, as if she had just discovered the best news of her existence.
When Isabella nodded Kate began to laugh, doubling over and beginning to wheeze despite her lack of the need for oxygen. "Oh my godthat is beautiful! Just freaking beautiful. Now you're all kick ass royalty or something and dating his sister? Ha! Where is he by the way? Out hunting?"
The moment the question left her lips, Kate knew that she had stumbled into deeper waters than she was expecting. A few pained grimaces flitted around the room and Isabella shifted uncomfortably.
"No, when he saw what I had become and saw the mate bond between Rose and I he ran off. We were hoping that he would have returned by now, but it seems as if he may have aligned himself with Abaddon, the ancient we are hunting, in an effort to get revenge. We are not actually sure what is going through his mind. When he left he seemed angry, hurt, and thought that I was his true mate being stolen from him by Rose. But, due to the knowledge that Abaddon has mind control powers, it is possible that Edward is an unaware pawn in a greater scheme."
"No matter what he has done, our hope is to bring him home alive" Alice spoke, "He isn't a bad man, and we intend to help not hurt him."
The Denali sisters nodded their acknowledgment. The group got to talking about other things, lighter subjects amidst talk of the upcoming war they hoped to prevent, when there was a knock on the door. Esme stood to answer it, graciously welcoming the small group as they entered the home.
Leah, Seth, Jane, Alec, and Jax all walked into the room, taking in the newcomers with wary eyes. Tanya gasped in surprise upon seeing the witch twins so casual and almost peaceful in appearance, eyes locking onto the subtle brushing of hands occurring between Jane and Leah as they approached.
Jane's lips curled into a sneer and reveled in the slight twitch the three sisters gave in response. However, it was when a quick jab to her side surprised her enough to break her deadly stare, that Jane shifted almost apologetically. The shifter next to her gave her a reprimanding look, reducing one of the most terrifying and supposedly sadistic vampires in the world to a sheepish young woman.
The surprise that filled the room from the side of the Denali sisters was nearly tangible and Jane immediately slammed her glare back in place before finding a seat on the fireplace with her mate and the rest of their group. Leah provided the sisters with a small smile as she placed a calming hand on the small of Jane's back when they sat.
"Wow this just gets better and better" Kate breathed out with a wondrous smile. "Jane Volturi whipped by none other than a wolfie from the rez."
Jane growled, and Kate leaped with a yelp. The teasing smile never left her face, but Kate held up her hands, electricity arching between her fingertips, and winked. Jane's growl was cut short by the warm hand rubbing circles on her back, strong fingers calling attention to the wolf beside her.
Leah looked the blonde vampire over with a slight smile tugging at her lips. "Alright Sparky enough bothering my imprint. I assume you're one of the groups here to help?"
Kate grinned in delight at the nickname and clapped her hands together as she nodded.
"My name is Kate, and these are my sisters Tanya and Irina. You look like a shifter and you smell like one too."
"Ah yes. My name is Leah and I am the new alpha of the La Push pack. We are wolf shifters and we recently underwent a change in leadership. I probably would have kept us out of this whole mess had I not imprinted on Jane here but… wouldn't change a thing even if I could."
It was a few hours later when Carmen and Eleazar arrived. Carlisle and the rest of the group greeted them, Isabella taking a few extra moments to envelop Eleazar in a tight hug before releasing him and returning his gentle smile.
Not long after everyone was settled, Jasper suggested that the group begin training. Since he had the most experience next to Jax, they would be running the training. As the group wandered outside, Leah phased and called her pack as well.
When about a dozen massive wolves emerged from the trees and settled themselves in a group next to the large clearing where the training would take place, Kate whistled in appreciation, giving a goofy thumbs up to Jane who simply scowled at her in return. The largest gray wolf seemed to chuckle at that, and Kate smirked at her, realizing who was behind the dangerous ball of fur.
"Alright" Jasper called out, commanding the attention of those around him. "To begin, there are differences to note between newborns and vampires that have been around for a while. They are stronger than us, faster than us, and they operate more on instinct than anything else."
"As shifters you do not want to let a newborn get their arms around you. They have the strength to crush you or at least to shatter a few bones. Unlike vampires we still have organs and blood to worry about. A shattered rib could puncture a vital organ or artery and cause you to die within minutes even with your superior healing abilities." Jax stated.
"Emmett would you mind sparring with me? Don't hold back" Jasper asked.
Emmett cracked his knuckles and grinned, flexing his giant arms and stalking toward Jasper. Jasper simply waited, eyes locked onto the burly man's form. Emmett ran toward him and lunged, crashing into Jasper with a loud bang and was quickly thrown off. Emmett arched through the air and landed on his feet before swinging at Jasper who again used Emmett's own momentum against him. After a few more moves were shown to the vampires and wolves around, Jasper ended their sparring session and clapped Emmett on the back.
A few more pairs sparred impressively before Alice and Isabella were paired together. Isabella winked at the smaller vampire before disappearing entirely, causing a small giggle to come from Alice. As they began to spar, it became quickly obvious that Alice was a good match for Isabella, dodging invisible attacks before they even came and landing a few solid hits of her own.
After one solid shove was landed, Alice flew backwards into the trees, Isabella chasing after her, only to find a distinct lack of Alice where she should have been. Without warning, Isabella felt a small body crash into her own, strong arms wrapping around her neck and waist. With a teasing kiss on the cheek Alice let go and the pair returned to the main clearing.
"Stupid future seeing pixie" Isabella playfully grumbled as she returned to Rosalie's side.
The aforementioned vampire smiled deviously at her and blew her a kiss with a wink.
"Too bad you didn't use the full force of your gift" Rosalie whispered into Isabella's ear with a smirk. Isabella grinned and put a finger up to her lips as if to prevent the blonde from spilling an important secret.
"Alright now, everyone break into pairs. Wolves take turns sparring with a variety of us vampires and watching the way in which your pack mates fight. Your connection and ability to communicate with one another provides a great advantage on the battlefield so long as you learn to function as a team. You are stronger together than you are apart. Do not let emotion get in the way of your fighting and you will be better off for it." Jasper spoke.
As soon as the groups began forming, Isabella felt herself being pulled off to the side by strong, delicate hands. Golden eyes twinkled in challenge and violet flashed in response. Rosalie crouched into a defensive stance and Isabella matched her pose, gesturing with her hand in a come hither motion. As Rosalie leaped at her, Isabella reacted by sliding underneath the woman and grabbing her ankle to trip up her landing.
Landing ungracefully in the dirt, Rosalie stood and looked down at her blouse with darkening eyes. With a small growl Rosalie leaped once again, quickly changing direction once in the air so that Bella's counter attack hit thin air. It was then that Rosalie tackled her mate and pinned her to the ground, arms above her head.
Isabella's eyes rapidly darkened until they were a deep purple that almost appeared black, violet flecks swimming in their hungry depths. Rosalie's eyes were also nearly black upon realizing the position that they found themselves in and noticing the increasing desire beneath her. With a low growl Isabella suddenly flipped their positions, pinning Rosalie to the ground and leaning in until their lips were only a hairs breadth apart. The scent of her mate, mixed with something else, something rich and heady, filled Isabella's senses and she stumbled backwards.
Isabella squeezed her eyes shut and stopped breathing, alarming the blonde who quickly sat up and approached her. Rosalie placed a tentative hand on Isabella's face, directing her attention to the golden eyes worriedly looking for her to meet her gaze.
"I'm sorry" Isabella whispered. "I don't want you to feel pressured or rushed into this. You have far more experience fighting your instincts than I do and I…" Isabella trailed off, opening her softening back to violet eyes.
"I may have more experience with instinct, but I do not have experience fighting this particular instinct. It's… difficult" Rosalie grimaced.
"So, it's not just me wanting to jump your bones and struggling not to then?" Isabella cracked a smile and Rosalie laughed, a light melodic sound that made Isabella's heart lurch in her chest.
"Of course not." Rosalie paused. "Perhaps when this is all over we can try a date. A real date that is."
Isabella smiled and traced her thumb lovingly over her mate's cheek, reveling in the softness of skin that used to feel as hard as marble. She nodded once, leaning in to place a lingering kiss on the cheek her thumb had just been tracing, internally cheering when she saw Rosalie appear to blush.
"I'm going to make an honest woman of you Rosalie Hale, that much I can promise." Deep violet eyes twinkled with emotion and the weight and depth of the promise made.
Leah watched as her pack learned to fight, wincing every time that one of them got wrapped or thrown, smiling proudly every time that one of them landed a blow or successfully learned a maneuver. It was definitely strange, she thought, standing side by side with vampires after so many years of learning to despise their very existence.
Slowly, Leah was pulled into a recent memory, one of initial struggle that gave way to the sight before her now.
Leah stood amidst her brothers and friends, fur teased ever so lightly by the gentle breeze. The smell of rotting corpses rolled in perfume filled her nose and she tensed, noticing the stiff bodies and growls coming from those around her.
They were approaching the treaty line, ready to fight should it come to that, since they had smelled vampires on their lands recently. Sam began a conversation with the cold ones and Leah watched as the lead vampire tried to placate the agitated pack. For all the hate instilled in them towards the vampires, Leah thought, they might not deserve it. In her time as a wolf, Leah and the rest of the pack had never even encountered another vampire besides the Cullens. And, though dangerous, they chose to live the life of humans, attempting to blend in, though not as a ruse to murder people.
Since she had known them, the Cullens had been nothing but polite to the pack. Except for the blonde with the icy glare that could rival even her own. Leah's eyes tracked over to the blonde in question and she internally smiled, watching the scowl mar the beautiful woman's face. There were bad vampires out there of this Leah could be certain, but she did not see the reason for such hate towards all vampires in general, especially given that their only experiences with them were almost entirely good.
It was then that a loud growl ripped her from her thoughts and she watched as Paul leap toward the Cullens, shifting mid air with a snarl. She gasped however when Paul seemed to hit an invisible wall, falling back to the ground with a surprised yelp before growling even louder at the Cullens. Leah could hear her packmates trying to make sense of the new barrier, immediately blaming the Cullens. As Leah looked at the group of vampires however she could see shock and even a slight bit of alarm reflected across the family.
When a woman appeared out of nowhere in between the pack and the Cullens, Leah took a rapid step backwards in surprise. The woman was standing next to a massive black lion with wings that spanned many yards on either side of him. He stood regally before the pack, violet eyes daring any of them to make a move that Leah was nearly certain would be their last. There was a certain power, a commanding presence that the duo possessed that none could deny.
Leah watched as the entire Cullen family looked even more shocked than before, though she was not sure how that was even possible. Blondie's eyes were wide, filled with emotion that Leah had never expected to see on the ice queen. The two women seemed entranced with one another, a familiar name slipping from red lips.
"Bella?"
Leah tuned out the rest then as the pack shifted wildly, one mind standing out above the rest.
Bella? Holy shit it's Bella – Jake's voice sounded in the pack mind.
Whoa no way – Seth breathed – She's so, so badass now
She's one of them – Sam growled out through the pack link – The Cullens will pay for breaking the treaty
Are you serious? – Leah asked incredulously – They were just as surprised to see her as we were. They left remember? Whoever made her into one of them, they aren't part of the Cullens
Sam growled but remained silent as murmurs of agreement filtered through the pack link. Hundreds of rapid thoughts cycled through the link and Leah internally sighed, wishing she could cut herself off from the link to avoid the growing headache. Leah allowed her feelings to enter the link, hearing hesitant mumblings of agreement and feelings of uncertainty as she thought about the vilification of the vampires and its lack of apparent purpose since they didn't hunt humans. That line of thought was cut off however when Sam sent out a command to keep them quiet, his dark eyes sweeping over the pack and resting on the scene playing out before them.
It was nighttime when Sam called the pack together, declaring that there would be another meeting with the vampires taking place to discuss everything that had happened. Once they arrived, Leah listened as Sam threatened the newcomers and Cullens in a show of macho strength. Leah doubted that he truly wanted to fight, but he, along with the rest of the pack, are proud creatures unlikely to back down from a fight.
However, when the beautiful woman with violet eyes and an unfamiliar tan man at her side began to laugh, Leah couldn't help but feel affronted. Did this woman, this Bella it would seem, not think that the wolves were a threat? Bella continued to mock Sam's declaration, only adding to the fury that was building within the pack.
Bella asked the small blonde with the terrifying red eyes next to her what they did to those that threatened them and the blonde smirked before focusing her gaze on Sam. When Sam dropped to the forest floor in agony, his pain sweeping through the pack link and making them all breathless, Leah narrowed her eyes. No matter how much she disliked Sam due to their past or his style of leadership, Leah did not take well to people messing with her pack mates. She knew however that it would be a foolish idea to challenge the vampires before her, and wondered briefly why they were fronting with power plays.
As the lion's eyes swept over the pack, his gaze evaluating, Leah figured that it must be an attempt to get the pack in line. The group was powerful, that much was obvious, but Leah knew that without such blatant displays of power and aggression, the inner wolf in them would likely want to fight the intruders. It was smart really, though she still did not like it, and showed a certain level of understanding of the way in which their minds and pack mentality worked. Interesting, interesting indeed.
When Sam continued to press, something about the pack's job being protection from leeches, the large tan man stepped forward quickly, his dark eyes smoldering with anger that seemed eerily personal. As he shifted, the pack rustled uncomfortably, the bright violet eyes of the winged lion boring into their very souls.
When a deep, unfamiliar voice filled their minds, the pack was filled with shock and panic. The great majestic beast before them stood proudly, his words drilling into the very nature of what it meant to be a shifter and raking at the disgrace of ancestors he knew held a very important place in the La Push culture. He spoke of his people, a nearly extinct race of powerful shifters that were meant to protect the world. He spoke of vampires being allies rather than enemies. Each and every word held a certain potent power to it, his very voice seeping into the recesses of the wolves' minds.
Leah stepped forward along with her brother when the large lion finished speaking. She was tired of being trapped in the cycle of anger and hate that seemed to fuel the pack. She wanted to learn about this other way, about the other shifters in the world, and about her ancestors of whom Jax spoke as if he had somehow known them personally.
When Sam lunged at them in anger, no doubt intending to restate control, the large lion met him in the air and knocked him so hard there was an audible crunch. As Sam jumped to his feet and began running toward the creature, Jax's voice thundered through their minds with a command so forceful that Leah had to remind herself to breathe. Sam slammed to a halt under the sheer force of will being projected toward him and Jax spoke once again.
Whatever he did, Leah was not entirely certain, but she knew the moment that Sam began to shrink and her form began to grow, a certain power newly running through her veins with intense heat, that something extremely big had just happened. Somehow, this shifter had just taken away Sam's ability to be alpha and that ability had subsequently transferred to the next in line. Her.
Leah spoke hesitantly, despite the power coursing through her body, and called for a pack meeting. They slowly journeyed further into their own territory to avoid being overheard. Leah looked at Sam who looked exhausted and defeated, offering no resistance to her newfound title, at least not yet at least.
"I don't even know where to start" Leah sighed. "I feel betrayed by the council and by you Sam. I didn't know that there were other shifters out there and we have been raised to believe that vampires are our mortal enemies. I never agreed with that, which most of you know. If you pay attention to them, truly pay attention, you will see a family. A leader who provides more for the community as a doctor than I think we ever have. As the new alpha I plan to change things. I wish to learn and escape from these feelings of hatred and pain and anger that we are all so trapped by."
There were soft murmurs of agreement, some coming with layers of uncertainty and hesitation that Leah took in stride, knowing that it was inevitable especially for such large changes. All the wolves then turned to Sam, an act of habitual deference more than anything.
Sam sighed and looked away, his eyes pained. "When I first became alpha of this pack, I never intended to start wars or let pride and anger lead me or any of you. I cannot forget what we have been taught, that vampires are abominations that must be destroyed in order to protect human life which we hold so sacred. The council is not wrong, simply misguided perhaps. Without the alpha blood running through me, there is little fight in me left. I allowed my mind to be clouded and in turn clouded all of your minds. Already, things feel so different within the pack. I was more of one to fall in line and listen to my elders, something that Leah has never been quite so good at." Sam smiled gently. "I won't lie and say that part of me wants to hold on to the alpha, fight you for it, or at least cause unrest in the pack until things go back to the way they were. But I know that you will make a good alpha, that I would never want to hurt my family, and that deep down that lion guy was right. There is a lot wrong with the way we have learned to think and I knew bits and pieces but I always assumed that the council ran on the model of our ancestors rather than bitterness and revenge. I want to make our ancestors proud, and if I have to give up being the alpha in order to do so then so be it."
Leah's eyes swelled with tears as she looked at her ex-fiancee, meeting his eyes with a gentle, hesitant smile. There was bad blood, bad roots, and plenty to fix within the pack, but Leah knew that with Sam's support and the support of those around her that it would someday work.
In her mind's eye Leah imagined the pack as she hoped to make it and she could feel the wolves around her brim with hope. She made a silent promise to them to protect them and to lead them not only to victory but to new frontiers. The pack stayed and talked for a while, Leah trying her best to soothe the uncertainty and the hardwired hate that the pack felt. They then went to the party that the Cullens had decided to throw, Leah encouraging her pack mates to mingle and get to know the so called enemies that they thought they knew.
Hours later as the party raged on, she smiled proudly at her wolves, watching as Paul flexed and settled in for an arm wrestle with the largest Cullen son, Emmett, she thought. She watched as Seth scurried off with Isabella for a moment, only to return with bottles and wine glasses, which to her amazement contained blood for the vampires. She watched as Isabella, adoration and awe obvious on her features, talked to her newfound mate. The tension from earlier had begun to disappear, and Leah settled in to enjoy the party, arms raising to dance with the music.
Leah was pulled from her memory by a gentle hand on her arm, familiar red eyes smiling up at her as she wrapped a strong tan arm around the smaller girl's waist. Over the past couple of nights, Leah and the rest of the pack, along with the new vampires and the Cullens, had begun to build more rooms into the Cullen home for all of the incoming visitors to stay at should they so choose. With at least a dozen rooms, probably closer to 20 if Leah could remember correctly, there would be plenty of room for the guests, especially since most of them did not need sleep like the shifters.
Leah glanced down and pressed a tender kiss to the top of her imprints head as Jane looked up at her, a question already forming on her lips. "Will you stay with me?" Jane asked, turning toward the brunette whose warmth she was wrapped up in.
"I'll always stay with you Jane" Leah responded softly.
"We should stay here for the night; we can't risk being away for too long. I understand if you need to go back to your pack."
Leah used her finger to tilt Jane's head up ever so slightly so that their eyes met.
"They can last a single night without their alpha present. I'm exhausted and I would prefer to sleep with you in my arms than in bed alone."
Jane smiled and pressed a gentle kiss to Leah's hand as she pulled her in the direction of the Cullen's back door where the others were slowly filing in. Esme saw the two girls approaching and quickly offered them one of the many new guest rooms, seeing the fatigue slowly take over Leah's body.
By the time that Leah and Jane settled into their room, Leah was already half asleep. She didn't even bother going to the bathroom to change into the pajamas that Esme had somehow managed to lay out without either girl noticing. Instead, she picked them up and slowly began to remove her clothing until she stood in only her undergarments, preparing to put the large tshirt and shorts on.
When she looked over however, Leah saw the dark red eyes of her imprint slowly raking up her form and a blush colored her cheeks. When their eyes met, Leah could swear that Jane would be redder than her eyes if vampires could blush and laughed, throwing her discarded tank top at the blonde before finishing getting dressed.
As Leah crawled into bed, Jane stood awkwardly by the door, unsure of what to do. It was when Leah smiled and pulled back the covers over the space beside her that Jane made her way over. Hesitantly, Jane slipped underneath the covers and nearly moaned at the warmth that her mate's body was radiating out, naturally enhanced by the comforter on top of them. Leah turned and nuzzled into the small vampire at her side, arms wrapping around a cool waist as she laid her head on Jane's shoulder.
Jane froze as she felt Leah snuggle into her, lips ever so close to the blonde vampire's smooth neck. Soon, sleep overcame her mate and Leah's breathing slowed and deepened. Jane had to admit, it was nice to feel so loved and trusted. Her mind was filled with thoughts of her tan mate as Leah's smell overtook Jane's senses.
This was her wolf. And she'd be damned if she let anyone hurt her wolf.