A/N Wow, so much to say! First off, THANK YOU to all of you wonderful people who continue to leave amazing reviews, including some newer readers! I dearly hope that this chapter does not disappoint, but I found that I've been dying to write this day for quite awhile, and it turned out very nicely. (It was also great therapy after two mid-terms and an intense softball game in one day...ugh. That's the reason why it's taken so long to get back on track. Nineteen hours of college is no joke.)
Anyways, you might hate me at the end of this chapter, so feel free to rant and rave in that cute little review box, or to leave me a sweet message if you like it. After this chapter, I anticipate no more than ten, but that may change as it continues to develop. Enjoy! :)
Just as life seemed to reach its peak, we found ourselves tumbling over the edge again.
After our morning with Elena, the guys had to forcibly drag Seth away from the reservation. The two of them were connected like magnets, and even though Elena assumed the attitude of her traditional leadership role in an attempt to act more mature, she too struggled to separate herself from him.
I understood her anxiety. If I, a nearly seven-year-old girl, had issues being apart from Jacob, I could only imagine the difficulty for a 28-year-old woman to let go of the man she would certainly marry, after waiting for him for so long.
Seth was happily pensive for the rest of the day, already planning how to inform the Elders of La Push that he would be joining a new tribe. Jacob, with the help of his Alpha tone, strongly suggested that he wait to share his news until after the tribal council with the Arikara. The Elders would need to know as much about the shape-shifters as possible to ensure good relations between tribes and acceptance of Seth's imprinting.
Still, the deterrence from shouting his love for Elena to the world didn't stop Seth from spontaneously beaming and asking random family members if they knew how amazing she was. Emmett started grumbling after the sixth time, earning smacks from Bella, Alice, and, surprisingly, Rosalie. Although I did hear her mutter at one point, "One less dog to feed…"
I was glowing, too. Every event seemed to draw my family closer together but also extend our web. Mom and I created a link between our family and the La Push tribe through Jacob, and now Seth, whom I always considered a brother, would further connect to the tribe of my new best friend. It all seemed perfect.
Then the day of our campfire council arrived and Elena sent a frantic text message to Seth saying that all of us, vampires, werewolves, and imprints, needed to convene at the Arikara reservation immediately.
It was with a sense of foreboding that my family rushed through the woods, structured in a tight formation with the wolves and their imprints in the center. Elena hadn't specified the threat in her short exchange with Seth, but I had a sinking gut feeling that it was one of us. My thoughts immediately jumped to Brady, but Elena would have told us if his coven had returned to Westhope. A nomad working for him, perhaps? Brady could likely use his gift across great distances if he targeted only one vampire.
Thankfully, we didn't cross any suspicious trails en route to the reservation. When we arrived, Morgan, Wesley, and Kathleen were huddled behind a tree, poised for a surprise attack, eyes darting nervously.
We slowed to a stop. I fought the urge to glance back at Seth, afraid of the fear I would likely find there. For such an important breach, it seemed strange that the Hart would not escort us to the reservation.
"Elena is physically well," was the first thing Kathleen said. Seth's shoulders visibly slumped in relief, and there was a collective sigh from our group. "The Elders would not allow her to leave but she insisted that we serve as your escorts."
"By all means," Carlisle replied, his face grim.
We followed Elena's most trusted herd members quickly. Beside me, Jacob looked thoughtful, and I allowed my thoughts to wander further. The Elders, for some reason, believed it unsafe, or at least unwise, to send Elena to us; however, Elena felt the need to send Kathleen, Wesley, and Morgan, rather than entrusting the task to another elk, for the same reason. I frowned, thinking of the way I attacked Elena the first day we met. Even without knowing she was the Hart, I was bent to kill. If this new threat knew the tribe's system…
I didn't want to ponder that possibility.
"Where are we going?" Claire whispered anxiously a few feet away. She was tucked safely onto Quil's furry back, and I could tell from the expression on his face that he was torn between wishing he had left Claire safely in La Push and feeling grateful that he could keep track of her himself.
"We have to meet with the other shape-shifters," Leah answered quietly, mindful of the Arikara's presence just ahead of them. "They have something important to tell us."
That seemed to satisfy Claire. Hannah looked unconvinced, but she refrained from countering Leah's statement. She understood as much of the situation as we did, thanks to Embry, so she knew that giving Claire the specifics at this point would be unnecessary. I reached over to Hannah and squeezed her hand.
The first thing I noticed about the reservation as we emerged from the trees was its unnerving quiet and stillness. If it weren't for the softly rumbling crowd spilling out of the small house that served as a doctor's office, I would have thought it was abandoned.
Our appearance caused a bit of a disturbance, to put it lightly. Not everyone on the reservation knew that we were allies, so the appearance of unfamiliar Native Americans and beautifully pale people like the vampires of legend sent a shock through the crowd. Elena's father noticed us first.
"Welcome, Cullens and Quileutes," he said amiably, trying to diffuse the tension. He addressed the crowd in the room. "You have seen all that there is to see. If you would please return to your homes and allow our guests to enter. We will notify you if anything changes."
The Arikara watched us warily as they departed, even a few members of Elena's herd. I knew then that it had to be a vampire, if we were enemies again.
Once the room was cleared, we could see Elena in the next room standing over a young teen, comforting a man and woman that I assumed were his parents. The teen was lying on a hospital bed, conscious, and the parents looked distraught at what Elena was telling them. Over in the corner, next to two other beds, were two more families holding each other, tears running unbidden down their faces. With a start, I noticed that each bed contained a human body covered by a sheet.
The two parents with Elena nodded and shook her hand before glancing down at their child, the mother taking his hand. Elena sighed soundlessly and faced us. Her eyes widened slightly before she forced a smile and left the room to meet us. "Thank you for coming," she managed, her voice cracking on the last syllable.
Seth rushed forward and caught her in his arms. Elena proceeded to weep unashamedly, soaking his shoulder with salty tears. The rest of us shifted awkwardly and fought tears of our own. Edward's face turned pained at whatever was running through Elena's head. I didn't want to know the full extent of her anguish.
Elena stilled after a few minutes and inhaled deeply. "I'm very sorry," she breathed out. "It's been a time of relative peace this last year. When such a tragedy strikes without warning, it is difficult to cope." She lowered her head. "I saw the thoughts of the three who were attacked and those who intervened. It is a heavy burden to bear."
We allowed a short pause before Jacob ventured, "Will you tell us what happened?"
Elena frowned further, sharpening an already startling expression on her usually contented face. "It came out of nowhere," she muttered. "A single female vampire, but a powerful one. Corbin, Alexia, and Will were patrolling the eastern border when she jumped Alexia, killing her instantly." I winced; that explained why we hadn't smelled anything amiss from our end.
"The vampire drained most of her blood before Will and Corbin realized what was going on. Because Corbin was a newer and younger addition to the group, Will placed himself in front of the attacker, but Corbin insisted on helping with the fight." Tears trailed down Elena's cheeks once more. "By the time Will and Corbin's combined thoughts reached the nearest herd members, it was too late. Four of my elk arrived at the scene just in time the vampire's fleeting figure already yards away and their fellow elk severely injured."
"Who was lying awake on the bed?" I asked hesitantly.
Elena faced me with a slight smile. "Corbin. Will's sacrifice worked too well, I'm afraid. He died before he made it to the border. His veins were filled with vampire venom." She shuddered. "Corbin was much luckier. The girl didn't bite him, for some reason, but rather settled for tearing into him with her hands."
It painted a gruesome picture in my mind. My family and I were more than capable of inflicting the same kind of damage on the human race and had witnessed enough horrific battles for one lifetime, let alone eternity.
"Did no one see who the vampire was, then?" Jacob followed up, peering at Elena curiously.
Elena sighed. "Only Corbin saw her face, but he asserted that she was not the same female in Brady's coven, even if she were using her power to affect her appearance," she answered. "The gift doesn't alter her scent." Her nose wrinkled slightly.
"But there is a new female in Brady's coven," Edward reminded her. "Brady's mate, Tamara. Would Corbin be willing to allow me to look into his memories? Even if she is not connected with Brady's coven in any way, I or one of my family members may recognize her."
Elena pursed her lips. "It's not what I would normally allow, but desperate times call for desperate measures, they always say. I will explain the situation to Corbin and let you know."
The leader disappeared for a moment, Seth at her side. I glanced worriedly at Edward. Could it really be Tamara behind all this drama? I didn't want to accuse my former best friend of such an act. Being annoyingly desperate to make the man I loved fall for her was one thing, but killing teenagers? It seemed beyond her realm of capabilities.
Elena returned soon after. "He has granted permission for you to peruse his memories as long as you promise not to peruse any further than today's attack," she informed my father.
"I can see only what he allows me to see," Edward answered, but good-naturedly added, "I will not look into his thoughts beyond what is necessary."
Elena nodded and led Edward away, leaving the rest of us in anxious suspense. When he rejoined us, his expression was troubled. "It's Tamara," he confirmed quietly. He glanced at Elena. "She is a newborn, right at about nine months old. She has a good deal of strength, and I would assume that Brady's gift can control some of her wilder instincts."
My face crumpled at the news. Tamara was a murderer. If she was attacking the Arikara, that made her our enemy. I felt my heart begin a panicked flutter.
As we all began muttering amongst ourselves and pondering the situation, Alice leapt suddenly from her cross-legged position on the floor. "They're taking the next flight to Italy!" she blurted.
Every member of my family gasped sharply. Jacob jerked me to his side and wrapped his arms protectively around my waist. "What's in Italy?" Elena asked, confused by our reactions.
"Vampire royalty," Bella spat. "You don't want to see them unless you have a death wish—" She cut off abruptly.
"Then why would Brady's coven willingly go there?" Elena wanted to know.
"It doesn't have to be your own death wish," Edward answered gravely. "They plan to implicate us, initiate another war between covens."
Elena frowned. "But they don't have any reason to implicate you!" she protested.
"They don't need one," Jacob said darkly. "But in this case, their alliance with not one tribe of shape-shifters but two distinctly separate ones should be enough to convict them."
The Arikara's leader paled. "You mean we've put you in danger?" she whispered.
Seth rubbed her arm soothingly. "The Volturi would have fabricated some excuse to justify a conflict eventually," he told her. "And Brady's coven likely planned to alert them of your existence anyway. In this way they can kill two birds with one stone." Seth's arms tightened noticeably around Elena's small frame.
Elena took a deep breath to collect herself. "What do we do?" she asked.
"We prepare for the worst," Rosalie said bluntly. "The last time the Volturi confronted us, we rallied as many vampires—and shape-shifters—that were willing to support us."
"And our fame has increased such that many more will probably back our cause," Carlisle added, albeit with resignation. He didn't quite revel in the attention my family had attracted.
"Well, my tribe will certainly add our strength to yours," Elena said decisively. "Their fight is just as much with us as it is with you. Besides," she continued, stepping closer to Seth, "we don't turn our back on family."
Carlisle nodded. "We are very grateful for your willingness," he told her. "I hope that the Volturi do not listen to Brady, but we will prepare ourselves for every outcome."
Every outcome. The ominous tone in his voice pointed directly to the possibility that never seemed to elude us. Even in immortality, there was mortal danger, and this conflict could very well end up being much worse than the one over my birth. I stared at the faces of my family, my brothers and sisters, my new friends, and then flashed through more pictures in my mind: the Denalis, if they agreed to fight, Sam and his pack in La Push, even my friends in school, Garet, Jonathan, Annalee, Kirsten, and Craig. Would this fight draw them into the mix, too? I would never forgive myself if the supernatural world affected their perfectly natural lives.
Tamara's POV
My heightened senses bristled as I followed the long stone hallway to what Brady described as a throne room of sorts. The mere possibility of revealing too many secrets and subjecting my Brady and his sister to an eternity of service was impossible to bear, and the unnerving presence of the two guards who escorted me teased my newborn instincts mercilessly. Thankfully, Brady had honed his gift to reach across great distances. I could sense his concentration from the miles between us, and welcomed it readily. It wouldn't do for me to lose control here.