A/N… I'll let you get to it.

~oOo~

Chapter 25

BELLA

Edward and I followed Sam back to the lodge that now seemed to be overflowing with immortals and wolves. Demetri and Carina met us at the edge of the woods, but the best sight was Caroline wrapped up in Archie's arms as they sat on one of the picnic tables.

"Glad you're safe," I said, hugging Carina and then Demetri.

"It was close at first, but we had the advantage," Carina whispered, gesturing to Archie. "Like we stayed invisible the whole way to the airport."

Edward and I chuckled, and I walked by Archie, ruffling his hair. "You did awesome, buddy."

"Thanks, Bella."

Archie grinned shyly from over the top of Caroline's head. I wasn't going to break up that reunion, though. Caroline looked like she was pretty much going to tie him to her for a bit. Of all of us, I understood that feeling.

Edward snorted, kissing my temple. "Indeed, my love."

However, most of our family and friends were surrounding a young, scared immortal. By young, I was pretty sure he wasn't much older than Edward when he was turned. He was familiar, too.

Edward's head snapped up from watching the young boy. "Who is he?"

"He guarded Esme and me when it wasn't Niko," I said, meeting Esme's gaze across the group of people. "Do you remember?"

She shook her head. "No, but you were more aware than me down there."

I pursed my lips, glancing to Marcus when he stepped forward, but before anyone could say anything, Edward had that poor boy in his hands and pressed dangerously into the closest tree trunk.

"Edward!" a bunch of us yelled, but he didn't even bat an eye.

"You like holding people against their will. We can do the same," he threatened in a low, deadly voice.

"Caius…" the boy started to squeak, but his neck was instantly in Edward's large hands. Immortal flesh started to crack and tear, sounding like ripping metal.

My eyes met Demetri's, and he shrugged a shoulder. "I don't blame him, Bells. You didn't see what Ed went through."

I then turned to Marcus. "Do you have questions? Or do you want this boy gone, because…" I trailed off, pointing up and down Edward's body because he was about to remove the boy's head.

Marcus flashed a grin. "Please, amore."

I walked to Edward because no one else was going to go anywhere near him in the mood he was in right then. Even Jasper looked like he was going to let Edward do whatever he wanted.

"Edward… Baby, you gotta let them question him," I soothed, raking my fingers through his hair to knock the leaves out that had fallen from the tree. "Sweetheart? When they're done, he's all yours. But you have to let them ask their questions."

I then switched to thoughts to gain his attention. Edward, this boy didn't touch me. He merely stood at the door of my cell. That's it. He was just a guard. He wasn't cruel or unreasonable. He just stood there.

Black, feral eyes flashed to mine briefly, and Edward's brow furrowed because he'd meant what he'd said back when he found me. Every one of them would suffer for taking Esme and me.

Edward, please? I trailed my fingers lightly down his arm to his wrist. Baby, let him go. At least for now.

Edward's jaw rolled with the grit of his teeth, and his nostrils flared. He bit down on his bottom lip, yanking the boy away from the tree and tossing him back to the middle of the group of people.

The wolves chuckled, and Jasper had the boy back on his knees on the ground.

Look at me, I mentally commanded Edward, who hadn't moved from his position by the tree. His eyes were still black, still filled with hate and bad intentions. They need you to listen to him, baby. You've got to calm down. I get it, and I'm not going to stop you… But only after they're done.

"He…"

"I know."

"But…"

"He needs to spill his information before you spill his ashes, Edward. Please focus."

My lion loved me too much sometimes. But we couldn't allow personal vendettas to get in the way of readying ourselves for this fight against Caius. We just couldn't. And I dared Edward to argue that point.

He nodded at my thoughts, raking both hands through his hair. It took him a second or two to get himself together, but he let out a long sigh, leaning in to press a harsh kiss to the middle of my forehead.

"For the record, there's no loving you too much," he whispered against my skin.

Snorting into a soft giggle, I said, "You know… You listen to the shit you want to hear."

He fought his smile and won. "Maybe."

Maybe…

I narrowed my eyes but tugged his hand. "C'mon. They're waiting for you."

I sat down between Esme and Alice. The former kissed my temple, and the latter set her head on my shoulder.

Marcus walked to Edward, giving his shoulder a squeeze before facing the young boy. The kid didn't know exactly where to look, but his deep-red eyes kept going back to my husband – which was probably smart, considering how close he'd come to killing the boy.

"What's your name?" Marcus asked him.

"Leland."

"Well, Leland, why don't you tell us what Caius has ordered you to do."

"Find immortals with yellow eyes," Leland answered, taking a gaze around him. When his eyes landed on Esme and me, he flinched. "Kill as many as I can and then tell them where you are. He wants her back."

Leland pointed my way but jumped back when Edward stepped forward.

"He sent you…alone to take her?" Edward asked, almost amused, giving me a quick glance.

My family chuckled, the wolves snorted and shifted on their feet, and Demetri muttered, "Good luck with that."

Leland, though, shook his head. "No. I wasn't alone, but we split up in the woods."

Edward shot a look to Jacob's wolf form. "Now that's not quite true. Is it, Leland?" he asked, listening to the whole pack's answer, but he was also listening to Leland all at the same time, which was impressive.

I could read Edward better than anyone, so amusement that they'd sent just one scout to look for us, for me was still on his face, especially when his gaze shot to mine once or twice when my thoughts centered around the idea that Leland was essentially an expendable test. They'd sent him out looking for me, and he wouldn't have succeeded, because it would've taken Niko or Greta to even get close to taking me again.

"He's a decoy or…or…test. If he doesn't report back, then they'll know where we are," I muttered, but they all heard me.

"But if we let him go, Caius will know all about the wolves in less than twenty-four hours," Jasper added, glancing between Marcus, Demetri, Carlisle, and Edward.

The latter was studying Leland, and he stepped closer. "Caius sent you to die, Leland," he said, his voice low, soft, but his tone was dangerous and on the edge of a growl.

Leland would die, no matter what the majority of the vote was out there. I could see it all over Edward's face. This fight, this battle that Caius wanted so badly, would be bloody and violent, and most of it would come from my family because they'd dared to touch us. We'd held no ill will against anyone, and Caius decided to fuck with us anyway. And that just pissed us all off.

Edward's eyes were darkening again, most likely at my thoughts. I was angry all over again.

"Where's Caius now?" I asked aloud.

Edward turned to Leland to wait for the answer and then decided to speak every thought the boy was thinking. "Boat…or ship, heading our way. He'll want to be close but not too close. Yes, we were responsible for killing twenty of your people. No, we won't stop unless Caius does. No, you won't be seeing him again."

Marcus sighed deeply, placing a hand on Edward's shoulder. There was a touch of wry amusement at Edward from Marcus, but mostly respect crossed his usually stoic face.

"Where were you to meet up with him, Leland? Should I let you live," Marcus asked.

Leland didn't answer, only shook his head as he glanced between Marcus and Edward.

Edward tilted his head, casting a glance back at Marcus. "Oregon. Tillamook? Astoria?" He spun his gaze back to Leland. "Yes, I'm the mind reader Caius warned you about."

"Astoria is a port, so that would make the better location," Carlisle finally said, stepping forward. As much as I loved Carlisle, he was going to plead for this boy's life, and I was certain he'd be met with his son's complete and total resistance.

"No," Edward stated fiercely, pointing to Carlisle. "He dies for no other reason than he allowed two women to be held captive." He gestured to Esme and then me. "He can't be released, because he's seen not only where we are but also who is with us. His loyalty is not wavering whatsoever." He pointed Marcus's way, which meant the ties Marcus could see could not be swayed in order to save his life.

"Leland, you've been most helpful. Unfortunately, my brother used you like a canary in a coal mine. You won't be returning to him," Marcus stated without much emotion. He looked to Carlisle. "As much as I understand your mercy over this boy, I can't allow him to take information back to my brother."

Demetri stepped to Carlisle. "I understand, Carlisle. He was used and innocent in what he was told, but this war has only just begun."

I wrinkled my nose at that, but he wasn't lying. We were about see more immortal death than we could imagine. And most of the time, I could see Carlisle's point of view, but not this, not when so much was coming our way.

Demetri nodded to Edward, and they both snatched the boy up along with Jasper. Jacob, Seth, and Sam followed them into the woods.

My husband's voice was subdued when he said, "He set you up for failure, Leland. He knew that even if you made it past me, then you'd never have made it past Bella. All you were to him was a beacon, an arrow to point him in the right direction."

I didn't get up to follow. Edward seemed to have the need to finish it. I set my head on Esme's shoulder as a fire was started somewhere in the distance.

~oOo~

EDWARD

I paced around the smoldering embers left of Leland's fire. I couldn't seem to contain my anger, and my beautiful Bella was right – if I didn't focus on the bigger picture, then we could make mistakes.

Jasper and Demetri had left me to scatter the ashes, but the former knew I needed a minute to get my head straight. Carlisle's scent drew closer, and I met his gaze through potent purple smoke.

His thoughts were filled with concern and worry. My reaction to Leland was instantly volatile, and if it hadn't been for Bella, there would've been no stopping me. I paced some more, letting him gather his thoughts. There was no judgement, and even though he didn't like that the young immortal had to perish, he understood the why of it all.

None of that was bothering him more than my mood, though.

"I… I can't help it," I admitted to him, continuing to monitor a fire that had honestly died out, but I couldn't help that either. "To see it…see him in her mind guarding her…their damn cell…" I trailed off, and he stayed quiet.

This was an old way of dealing with me. He hadn't had to wait out my temper in some time. Not since Bella, of that I was certain. In fact, he was wondering if he needed her help.

I huffed a humorless laugh. "No, I can't… I need… She shouldn't see this."

He scoffed. "She's seen you worse, son."

"I know. I just…" I sighed, shoving my hands into the front pockets of my jeans. "Every time something triggers her or reminds her of that underground place or…or when it takes her a minute to realize I'm real… I just…" My hands came back out of my pockets, curling to claws. "I want them all. I want them dead. I want Caius's ashes."

Carlisle nodded, his own temper getting the best of him. Mentally, he noted – and was very grateful – that Esme had no real residual side effects from their time with Caius. He also thought that Bella shouldered every bit of it the entire time they were in his possession. She had done what was needed in order to keep them both safe and set them free.

I nodded, and as much that thought made me proud and grateful, it still hurt me to watch her struggle.

"She's been through so much already," I whispered, but I know he heard me. "Never mind what she went through when she crossed my path the first damn time, or James and the ballet studio, but then…I added to it all by not only lying, but also taking away the family she'd come to love. And I left her literally to the damn wolves."

"Son…"

I shook my head. "I just left her to defend her love for me against… I just… I wanted to protect her!"

He smiled – sadly, I noted – and walked my way. "Edward, stop. You know none of that has anything to do with now. And you are remarkable with her, especially considering her issues now."

I snorted at the word issues. "She deserves peace."

"She has peace. She has it in abundance with you; it's in her ability to laugh and love and get through to you when no one can. This isn't about your failure. It was about Caius's success. You didn't fail her, Edward. He caught us off guard."

"Well, that won't happen again."

He wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "Of that, I have no doubt." He met my gaze. "Prague could've gone a hell of a lot worse than it did. He could've killed them both. Honestly, I'd rather sit down with her for the rest of eternity in vampire therapy – as she likes to call it – than the alternative, Edward. So if she needs a little extra love and support and patience, then so be it. Because if I'd lost her, then I would've lost you too. And my heart can't take that, son."

Grimacing, I nodded, glaring at the fire that was now completely out. He couldn't even entertain the idea of losing Esme, so I knew he was being completely honest.

"Now, Marcus would like to change some things concerning patrols and that ship Caius is on, and he wants to go over Demetri's trip to Egypt. He asked me to come get you."

"Okay," I said, letting out a deep sigh and nodding his way that I was under control.

We walked back to the lodge, and everyone was gathered around Marcus and Demetri. Sam and Seth had transformed back into their human form, but Jacob was curled up like a giant lap dog at Bella's feet.

He was trying so damn hard just to appease her, to go at her pace, but he honestly missed her friendship. His thoughts concerning Eddie's and Izzy's excitement at having spent the day with us had hurt him and given him hope. Even more, they'd told him what she'd said about staying safe and Eddie's desire to shift. In spite of all that he'd put Bella through, the fact that she still loved and protected his children meant everything to him.

Funnily enough, Jacob in his wolf form didn't seem to bother her as much. And he was totally using it as a way to ease her anxiety.

I sat down behind her, pulling her close and kissing the back of her head. When she mentally asked me if I was okay, I hummed into her hair that I was.

Demetri stepped forward, gazing over the lot of us, starting with the few wolves – both in and out of human form – the Denali family, and finally, the members of my family who were present. We hadn't heard from Rose and Emmett or Kevin, Adrian, and Brody. We'd all assumed that Rose and Emmett would be the longer trek because they had to hunt down the Amazon coven in the jungles of Brazil.

Demetri turned to Marcus. "You have the support of the Egyptian coven. Though, it didn't come from Amun. It came from Benjamin. He knows Carlisle and Edward, and he respects their choices. They said to call when you're ready for them."

"Thank you, Demetri."

Marcus paced a little, and when he glanced over us, the ties to each other and to him were bright and unwavering. It awed him, really. I wanted to tell him he'd earned it since the fires in Volterra. He'd only ever treated everyone with respect until they didn't deserve it. He'd stayed with us so long that the animal blood diet became something he understood and stayed on much of the time. He was completely the opposite of this brothers. He wasn't angry and harsh like Caius, and he didn't manipulate or connive like Aro. He just wanted everyone to live in peace and to protect the secret that was the immortal world. Anything above that simply wasn't something he worried over.

But he was truly concerned with this upcoming fight. To lose anyone in front of him would hurt him greatly. He'd come to love my family. He found the wolves to be noble warriors. He'd found true friendships again in Carlisle and Eleazar because they'd both spent time over the centuries in Italy. We'd found peace over the last several years, and the fact that Caius wanted to disrupt it made Marcus angry.

"Call them," he stated, looking to Demetri. "Call them in. And while you're at it, check on the rest of them. If you can't reach them, leave them messages so that they know to bring all who are willing to come."

Demetri and Carina immediately pulled out their phones and walked away.

Jake's head popped up, and he looked to me. Edward, do we need to send a group to Astoria?

"Probably," I answered him but then asked Marcus his question.

"If we send someone, I don't want them seen. They are to report only when Caius's ship has docked. I can't risk any of you being overrun or outnumbered should you be seen."

"Well, that means me," Archie piped up, which made us all chuckle.

"Not alone," Marcus countered.

"We'll go," I volunteered. "Bella and I can take Archie and Caroline to Astoria to wait."

That seemed to make everyone gasp, but it was the beautiful girl in front of me to which I focused my attention. "It's a good combination. You and Archie with my mind reading will make for a formidable group. Caroline won't be recognized by any of Caius's people if she chooses to go." I focused back on Marcus, who was a bit nervous to send Bella and me. "We'll see them come in, and we'll come right back here. Our scent will lead them right where you want this battle to take place. We will be your bait."

Bella turned in my arms. Are you sure you want us to be the ones who go?

I nodded. "I do. You and Archie will work together. We're not going to start anything, but we will lead them in, because I'll almost bet Niko will catch your scent first."

Bella's brow furrowed, and her mind sorted through what I was telling her. Okay, I trust you. If you think it should be us, then we'll go.

I glanced to Jacob. "We need the wolves to stay a secret for as long as possible. Can you please focus your patrols to the surrounding areas for more scouts?"

Absolutely. Are we aiming for the same clearing where we fought Felix? Jake asked me, and I relayed the question to Marcus.

"Yes, I think that would be best," Marcus replied, looking up when Demetri joined the group again. "News?"

"Brody, Adrian, and Kevin made it to Dublin just fine. They're bringing the Irish coven back with them. They've already booked a flight to Sea-Tac. Benjamin has booked his flights as well."

"Excellent," he replied, looking to Carina, who was shaking her head. "No contact for Rosalie and Emmett. Understandable."

Marcus turned back to me, sorting through the what-ifs. "Okay," he finally conceded. "Do it, but just the four of you. And you're only there to lead them back. As you said, you're the bait to get them to where we want them. And son, you'd better stay safe while you're gone."

Nodding, I stood up, offering Bella my hand and looking to Archie. "I know you just got here, but we need to get a bag together and go. I want to already be in Astoria when that ship docks."

Bella tugged my hand to guide me back to our cabin. Once we were inside, she turned to me.

"You okay?" she asked aloud, but her thoughts were centered around my reaction to Leland and then suddenly volunteering us for this next part.

Nodding, I walked to the bed and sat on the edge. "Yes, ma'am. I just want this over."

Do you have some alternate plan for Astoria, Edward? she asked me silently as she walked to stand between my legs. Something I should know before we traipse our happy asses over there?

Grinning at her snarky mental sarcasm, I shook my head. "No, I really think we are the best ones to guide him in. He wants us too much. And with the unknown addition of Archie, that means we can go invisible should we need a quick escape." I cupped her face, bringing her in for a light kiss. "I found myself rather angry at me earlier, but Carlisle helped point out that I can't always protect you, but also if it wasn't for you, we wouldn't have you both here, that you shouldered most of the weight of Caius's kidnapping. That if you hadn't, then Carlisle and I might have lost you both."

Bella frowned at that, but she nodded a little.

"You're so strong, Bella. And I think we need to shoulder this part, since it's you and me he wants so badly."

"And if he succeeds in taking one of us?" she asked with a touch of sexy growl to her tone.

"Then we do what we've trained for, what we've practiced. I trust you."

"And I trust you."

I raised my eyebrow, silently asking if she was in.

"Okay, but once the four of us are there, we need to put together a Plan B, Mr. Cullen," she stated softly. "A contingency plan if needed."

I pulled her in for another light kiss. "Yes, my love. Now, pack a light bag."

~oOo~

A/N… A pissed off Edward is just…so much fun to write. We're getting closer to big and scary things.

No songs added to the playlist.

I want to thank all of you who checked out my new story Common Ground. If you didn't get the notification, make sure to check your alert settings. Apparently, you have to opt for email alerts every few months or so. Anyway, that next update is Tuesday, and this one will be next Sunday.

So until then… Mooches, Deb ;)