Chapter 1
Bella stood off to the side watching in awe as the Cullen family ran and played at speeds her mind could barely keep up with. As she watched Edward she noticed how even in the comfort of their meadow he was rarely so carefree, a smile plastered on his face, laughter tumbling from his lips. In short he was radiant; he glowed far beyond what was normal for a vampire, at least any she had met; it was contagious, even cold and distant Rosalie seemed to glow in the dim light of the thick cloud cover. Bella was beginning to feel that as an insignificant human she would never be responsible for that look on his face and was beginning to realize that vampirism was necessary for them.
All too suddenly the world tilted on its axis, all shimmering stopped and all any joy that was previously abundant was ripped from their marzipan faces. Just moments ago Jasper was an image of perfection, a smile on his face, dirty from playing hard, bright eyes from the vampire equivalent of adrenaline settling in his eyes. Now they had darkened and quickly shot to Alice in concern as a vision took her.
"I was wrong." Alice breathed out. Her eyes slipped from the darkened gaze of her lover and connected with the now obsidian stare of her brother. Edward bowed his head steeling himself against the onslaught of Alice's vision. "I'm sorry Edward…. If would've seen it sooner I, I.. I could have done something but we're too late."
Carlisle flitted forward, his hands sealing with his mates. "Would someone care to explain, there is only one among us who can read minds and correct me if I'm wrong, but it most certainly isn't me." Normally Emmett would have shaken the ground with his laughter at small joke his 23 year old father made but in this was no laughing matter. Nostrils flared, eyes roaming the tree line and Rosalie planted behind him, he began looking for boulders close to the surface of the ground, fallen trees to use during a fight.
Bella came forward to Edward grasping his hand, scanning the tense postures of the Cullen's, looking for answers. "What's too late Alice? What's wrong? Is it Charlie?" Bella looked into the eyes of her…it was moments like this that she faltered. For Charlie's sake along with other humans they used the term boyfriend, but it seemed inadequate.
"I don't have time to explain all of it right now Bella, but in short Alice had a vision of a coven of nomads in town." Bella recalled Waylon's body being lifted into the ambulance not too long ago, and nights her father wasn't home because he was helping the officers a few towns over with animal attacks. "Yes you were right Bella, and it seems our guests have come across our trail and are headed this way. Take your hair down, breathe as evenly as possible and stand still behind me." She wanted to argue but the desperation in his eyes made her hold her tongue and do as he asked.
Just as Bella got herself in to position with the others, three dirty gorgeous wild looking statues ghosted out of the trees and into the clearing. Carlisle, irritated that his "children" had left him out of the conversation was annoyed that he would be unprepared for this confrontation, nevertheless he smooth out his expression and waited.