Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters you recognize, the ones you don't are mine.

Chapter 7:

Tension in the Ranks

Jacob and myself were sitting in his room comparing hand sizes and laughing about how I might go to jail for corrupting a minor when a knock came on the door. Jacob shot up and pulled me with him, I was seeing stars. I couldn't have asked for a better day, we got along so well and I have never laughed as hard or as long with someone in my whole life. He understood me like no one else, there was no denying how much I loved Edward and how much he meant to me, but Jacob made me feel what I could never feel with Edward…warm. Edward was caring and very attentive to me, he pretty much gave me whatever I wanted and thought of himself after, but that's not what I needed. No matter what the topic or action I always seemed to be walking on eggshells with Edward, Jacob was different; we fight, he genuinely gets mad at me when I deserve it, and we laugh. He's not too afraid that I'll break and he makes me feel like I contribute something to the relationship, Edward was out of my league, with him I always questioned what he saw in me and why he like me, I didn't have to do that with Jacob. I had made my choice, and though I felt guilty, I wouldn't change my decision for the world.

We reached the door and Jacob opened it without thought. On the other side stood Ayden half naked and looked less than enthusiastic at my presence. He stared me down without saying a word before Jacob broke his eye line by standing in front of him. "Ayden…," he said coldly.

"Meeting 's started," Ayden replied, "Top of Grands Mountain."

"See ya there."

He smiled, turned, and walked away, "glad to see your face is healing nicely," he murmured almost inaudibly.

"Watch it Ayden," Jacob yelled after him. He turned back to me and kissed me on the cheek, "I guess I should get you home."

"No way, Jacob I'm coming."

"Oh ok…" he said a little skeptically.

"Jake I'm serious; they need to know the Cullen's would never hurt a fly."

"Bella, ok. I agree with you, jeez there's no reason to get all defensive, I'm on your side."

"Oh…" I said embarrassed. I was used to having to put up more of a fight with Edward, bringing me to a hostile meeting of werewolves would have never flied with him.

"I was planning on running there, but since you're coming were going to have to take your truck to the point and hike the rest of the way," he said heading back towards his room.

"Is that a problem, how far is it?" I said following him.

"Not too much, but here put these on," he threw me a hoodie and ski cap, "it's going to get kind of cold, and are you sure your foot's ok to hike on?"

"Oh yeah, Carlisle said it healed really nicely, I shouldn't have any problems with it," I said putting on the hoodie that was four sized too big. He took the hat from me and slid it on my head. He pulled it over my eyes and kissed my forehead through the thick itchy fabric. He amazed me, we were about to meet the entire wolf pack of the guy who made Jacob's face look like ground beef, to save the life of a person who he knew I stilled loved and was his mortal enemy. How could he be cute right now?

We drove to the point and hiked to the spot with little to no problem, except Jacob's frustration with my inability to keep up. When we got there everyone was waiting for us and they made that fact known when all heads turned and looked at us as we past the tree line into the small clearing. As we got closer all the faces that I recognized were on Jacob and mine's linked hands, and the faces I didn't were focused on my face. We all assembled into a large circle and Sam stepped forward.

"Ayden, we all know why you're here, and I'm here to tell you you're not welcome. My family along with all of my brothers' family have protected this territory for generations. I love you cousin, but you're not taking my land from me." He stood strong and confident. Quil and Jacob gave a howl of approval and clapped their hands.

Ayden stepped forward and I realized the scale of danger we all were in. Sam was tall and very muscular, but Ayden made him seem like a puppy in comparison. "My cousin, pride does not need to blind you here. It's obvious that your home has become littered with the leeches," I cringed and the terminology, "we can clear them out for you; all you have to do is step down as alpha."

Sam growled and showed his teeth at Ayden, whose arms were crossed and looked very smug. Ayden's pack was silent, stone faced, and ready to pounce, the tension was almost tangible. "Never," Sam said and took a step towards Ayden.

"Fine, but you know were just going to get it one way or another, you should just stay out of the way, cousin," Ayden proclaimed and let slip a smirk. I saw red, but I wasn't the only one; Jacob's grip on my hand released and by the time I looked over a sandy brown colored wolf was at my side growling and ready to rip Ayden's head off.

There was a loud roar from across the circle and Ayden's smallest sister was now a 9 foot midnight black wolf. My heart sunk when I remembered Jacob's face when I first saw him today. "WAIT! WAIT! SAM JUST TELL HIM ALREADY!" I screamed trying to make this all go away. Surely when they found out about the Cullen's true nature they wouldn't want to pursue this crusade.

"Shut up Bella, there is more to it than that," Sam said shooting me a disapproving look.

"Whoa," Ayden put his arm up in front of his gigantic sister, who stopped bearing her teeth, "Tell me what?" He was looking at me to finish my statement.

I looked over at Sam to get some sort of explanation of what I should do, but his head just fell and he closed his eyes. I looked back over at Ayden and pierced my lips together, Ayden's focus was now completely on me. His intentions however, were not lost on Jacob, whose growls got louder and more intense.

"Look," Ayden said sincerely over to Sam, "we are brothers in arms in this war against the bloodsuckers-"

"There's no war here," I shouted at him angrily but I should have just shut my mouth. Not only was all of Ayden's pack looking at me like they were about to kill me, but Sam, Quil, Embry, even Jacob turned to look at me disgusted. "I'm sorry Sam, I just don't see why there needs to be."

"These leeches," Ayden said through gritted teeth, "They have no limits, kill anyone and everyone with no remorse. They spread their disease to anyone they feel would make a nice play thing. They're monsters, who have torn apart my home time and time again. Jacob," He said once again switching his focus, "how can your imprint not share your views."

"Our vampire's aren't like that," I said matching Ayden's level of frustration, "and what do you mean imprint?"

Ayden and his entire pack laughed at me, he folded his arms and lost all of his previous aggravation in his voice, "Oh Jacob, she doesn't know, that's cute. Just tell me the situation she seems so keen on telling me already, if I don't get the information I need from this circle, I'll just get it from her, and I don't think you'll like how."

Jacob roared furiously at the last statement that was made and took another step forward. Sam ran in between Jacob and put his arms out, stopping both sides. "Look Ayden, we have a treaty with a family of vampires that live north of here. Generations ago, our families met and they promised us they were different then the rest of their kind, they feed off of animals, not humans. If they touch a human, we will be there, if not, we keep to ourselves. That's the treaty, by honoring it we have had less encounters with the vampires who wander onto our territory, and we also honor our ancestors."

Ayden's eyes turned to slits and his breathing got heavy, "A treaty? You made a treaty with the fucking things. Sam, honoring that treaty is not honoring your ancestors, it's disgracing them. Our people received the ability to turn into these majestic animals in hopes that the new found strength would help them eliminate the threat those leeches cause. You have squandered our sacred power cousin; you don't deserve to be a wolf."

"How dare you?" I said balling my fists, "Sam is an excellent leader, and is smart enough to avoid war when there doesn't need to be one. He sees that they pose no harm, but you, you're just a war monger, blinded by hate and crooked facts. You're the one who doesn't deserve the gift, not Sam."

"Watch your mouth pack rat," he said to me, "I may not know you, and you may be off limits cause of our laws and Jacob's petty choice on quality of mate, but I know the first time I met you, you reeked of parasites. Is that why you don't want us here, Bella was it? Is it because these Cullens are your friends." He scanned the rest of the circle and saw the faces change of everyone I knew, "Or are you in love with one of them? That's it isn't it, one of them put philia on you didn't they? You disgust me."

"Ayden, my answer is the same, I will not step down from my position as alpha, and I encourage you to leave. If you do not and you hunt down any of the Cullens while here, not only will you lose me as a brother in arms, but as a cousin, and we will declare war." Sam said calmly and matter-of-factly.

"Fine do it the hard way," Ayden replied and started towards the tree line, "Come on brothers, they have made their choice." The Hoh pack followed behind him, but the towering black wolf stayed put, still in attack position, staring at me, "Torrance…Now!" Ayden called back, and the wolf broke her stare and turned her back on us.

"Jacob, go home, your clothes are in shreds," Sam said letting out a huge gust of breath, "I'll take Bella home."

Jacob ran off into the trees and disappeared. Sam escorted me back to my truck after the rest of his pack dispersed. We didn't talk while we hiked, I was embarrassed that I spoke up, when I knew I should have just let Sam handle things. I feared I had made things worse. I turned on my truck with Sam in the passenger's side and looked at the time, 10:50. I only had ten minutes to get home before a parole violation, but Edward needed to know what was going on, his family was in danger.

We had only been driving for a couple of minutes in the darkness before the silence grew into too much. "Sam, what did Ayden mean by imprint?"

"Jacob's in love with you, that's all you need to know from me right now, and it's nothing you didn't know already. I'll let him explain the rest."

"I'm sorry about tonight, I know I shouldn't have said anything."

"It's not your fault Bella, and you're right, Ayden is blinded by his hatred for the bloodsuckers, but in the end he needed to know about the Cullens, he would have found out one way or another. I just wish that the information and generational heritage we have with the Cullens would have made some sort of difference in him. Though I guess I should have known."

"So what now," I said

"Now we wait, see what he does." He looked over to me and saw the concern in my face, "Bella I know that your concerns are different than mine, I don't necessarily like the Cullens, I just won't let him take my pack, but you have to know that I will honor my treaty to them. Even if I have to kill my own cousin."

"Thank you Sam."

We drove the rest of the way in silence, to say I was relieved was an over statement, I was still worried about Edward and the rest, but it was good to know that Sam was on our side. Sam got out a block before my house and let me pull up to my house alone. Charlie was waiting on the porch for me, arms crossed. I looked at the clock once more, 10:59. I ran up the stairs and into the house, Charlie slowly walked in behind me.

"Cutting it kind of close aren't we," he asked with a smirk, he was in a good mood.

"Sorry I lost track of time," I said heading for my room, "I was with Jacob. I'm tired, I think I'll just go to bed."

"Ok sweetheart."

I made it to my room and waited for Charlie to go to sleep. I had to call Edward and tell him about tonight. I heard the T.V turn off downstairs and Charlie's bedroom door close at around 12:30, I snuck down the stairs without making a sound and made my way to the phone in the kitchen. I dialed Edward's number and waited…

"Hello my love," I heard in the phone, his voice was pleasant and happy.

"Edward I need you to come over, I can't leave because of Charlie, but I need to tell you something," My voice did not match his, I couldn't mask the fear I felt for him.

"What's wrong Bella?"

"Everything," I said and heard the phone go out on the other side. I made my way back upstairs quickly not caring if I woke Charlie, for all he knew I needed a glass of water.

When I reached my bedroom Edward was already standing by my window. He rushed over to me and embarrassed me. I tried to pull him off but it was useless.

"Edward let me go…" I said, but it didn't sound like I meant it. The fuzziness returned to my head like it had every time I touched his stone cold body.

He pulled away and looked down at me, but I couldn't make eye contact, "Bella, I really figured you would need more time than this, he meant so much to you. I can't say I'm not pleased, but I am a little surprised."

"What are you talking about, Edward," I said, but I knew before he even responded. He thought that I called him to tell him I was done with Jacob and we could be with each other again.

"You smell of him, a lot… didn't you tell him today, isn't that why…" he couldn't finish and his eyes grew wide. Then they turned angry, then furious, he knew. I didn't have to tell him.

"I'm so sorry Edward," my eyes welled up with tears, how could I be such a horrible person?

He took a step back from me and closed his eyes; I followed his step and reached out to him. He didn't, he couldn't touch me. Just then Emmett jumped through my window and just missed Edward by a hair. Edward's eyes lit up and he looked over at Emmett. Edward pushed Emmett aside and flew out of the window.

Tears jetted down my face, but my expression was that of shock. Why was Emmett here? Before I could ask he answered my silent question.

"Jasper's been hurt," he said with wide eyes, I'm sure he was questioning my tears and Edwards grimace as he left, but he didn't ask. He to, without another word, jumped back out of my window and left me alone, shattered and confused.

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