Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight Saga or any of the characters in the story.

Thank you again to everyone who gave me their feedback. You are all awesome! Hopefully we'll get some answers in this chapter! Leave some feedback at the end if you care too, and happy reading!

Chapter Twenty Seven

As the night drew closer, Bella observed the atmosphere in Emily's home shift drastically. All of the boys seem to become more tense, their eyes shifting faster and their muscles bunching and releasing, preparing themselves for the meeting that would soon be happening.

They had all been attempting to watch some television after Emily had fixed them with dinner which Bella had helped with. She had to admit that even her own nerves were beginning to fray a little bit. Within only a few hours, she would be within feet of the blood sucking, dangerous creatures of the night that inhabited Forks. She could also tell that the stress was weighing on Jake more than he was letting on. Bella knew that the idea was not one of his favorites, but by the way he made sure that for the rest of the day he was constantly touching her, reassuring himself that she was alright, made her realize just how hard this was going to be for him.

The pack was just starting to watch some kind of show about a pawn shop on TV when Jake spoke to her seriously.

"I need you to take a shower before we leave, Bells. And you can borrow some of Emily's clothes as well. You can't wear your own when we go to meet them," he told her and her brows pulled together in confusion.

"Why?" she asked quietly. It was not out of protest, but rather she truly wanted to know why it was necessary. Did she smell terrible?

"Your scent is all over me, Bells. Your clothes smell like me, and so do, you. And even though it's going to kill me for them not to know you belong to the alpha, it's too dangerous for them to know that knowledge. Not to mention they still think that Sam is the alpha of the pack so it will make a better cover. They'll hopefully assume that you were staying with Sam after what happened, out of protection," he said to her. She nodded as she digested his words.

They did make sense, and after giving Jake a small kiss on the cheek in understanding, she stood from her place on his lap. Before she could get too far, he pulled her back and brought her face back to his for a soft, languid kiss. When he pulled back she tried to give him another reassuring smile before turning to leave the living room. Emily was smiling at her from the hallway and she led her upstairs into the small bathroom. Before she left, she handed Bella a pair of plain black leggings and a white long sleeved shirt. Emily said nothing, but gave her a small smile. However Bella could see how hesitant she was. Even she didn't think that this was a good idea, but deep down Bella knew that it had to be done.

She wasted no time in showering, scrubbing her entire body down with the plain scented soap and using some of Emily's flowery smelling shampoo. The shower hadn't been more than ten minutes long, but by the time Bella stepped out, her skin was pink from so much scrubbing. She didn't want to take any chances tonight.

She didn't bother to put on her underwear or bra as she slipped on the yoga pants and shirt. She used her towel to dry her hair as much as possible, running her fingers through it, she let it hang down her back. Her eyes caught themselves in the mirror and she paused for a moment to look herself over.

For some reason she did not look the same as she had only last week. She looked different… Something in the way her head was held and the expression in her eyes… She couldn't quite explain it, but she was not entirely against whatever change had taken place.

Sighing she unlocked the bathroom door and left the steam-filled room, walking back downstairs to rejoin the pack. They were no longer in the living room and Bella found herself walking into the kitchen where she found a lonely Emily.

"Where did the boys go?" she asked softly. Emily turned, and Bella noticed she was frantically rubbing her stomach when their eyes met.

"Outside… It's almost time," she said in a cracking voice, "Are you positive that you want to do this, Bella?"

"Absolutely… I need answers about this boy that is trying to follow me. I know that they are the only ones that can give them to me, and I know that I will be safe with the pack there," Bella said calmly. She rationalized her thoughts to the woman in front of her, even though she could see that they were falling on deaf ears. Bella walked over to Emily and gave her a small hug around her delicate shoulders, "I'll make sure that everyone comes home tonight. I bet it won't even last longer than an hour!"

"I hope you're right, Bella. Here… I got these for you," Emily sighed and held out a pair of plain black sandals. Bella took them gently from her hands and thanked her as she slipped them on. With one last nod, Bella turned on her heel and walking towards the door that led to the backyard. When she walked out into the cool, dark night she immediately searched for Jake, but she saw that he was already phased into his wolf form. The enormous hulking frame of her russet wolf, her Jake stood near the tree line. Bella was suddenly confused as to why he did not come to her when Leah appeared from the tree line in her human form with a small smile on her lips, following her was both Jared and Sam. Bella assumed that the other wolves were waiting in the forest.

"It seems that you'll be riding with me, tonight," Leah said with a smirk.

"I'm sorry, what?" Bella asked in a slow tone. She didn't quite understand what Leah had said to her.

"The border is a few miles from here, and to save time, you'll be taking a little ride on Leah. In the meantime, Jake has asked the others to restrain him while we are to give our scents to your body. It's very important that you don't make any kind of contact with Jake. If the vampires smell him on you it'll be very hard for him to maintain the illusion that he plays no significant part in being the alpha. Do you understand?" Sam's deep, calm voice asked her. Bella nodded her head in the affirmative and looked around his body back at her mate, who was still standing, stock still by the edge of the forest.

As she drew herself back up straight and looked at Sam, she nodded once again, signaling that she was ready. In that moment everything happened in a flurry. Sam's arms had wrapped around her, enveloping her into his warmth, and at the same time she heard the ear splitting, irate snarl of a wolf. She jumped a mile, but Sam still did not release her. In the back of her mind she had to clamp down on the reaction to rip away from Sam and run towards her mate. She knew that this was going to be difficult, but it was part of the plan, and she had to protect the pack, no matter how uncomfortable this process would be.

Finally Sam pulled back, and she barely had time to get a glimpse of her russet wolf snarling viciously on the ground and being pinned down by three others before Jared's own hands began rubbing up and down her arms. Again, Bella shuddered in disgust at the feeling of his hands on her body. They weren't as warm as Jakes… They weren't Jake's. And it was so utterly wrong.

More snarling erupted near the tree line and the snaps of large jaws echoed in the night.

"Hurry it up, you guys," Bella grit out between her teeth, trying to subdue the urge to vomit at the scents that now surrounded her. Quickly Jared pulled her against him for a moment and then let go, almost throwing her into Leah's arms. It was different with Leah. She did not feel as disgusted, but still she wasn't entire comfortable. Her entire body vibrated with the need to run to Jake and rub her body against his rough, warm fur. She noticed that the growls had quieted down as she was let go of Leah and the other wolves had backed off of Jake.

He stood there, staring into her eyes with his own ink pool ones and she saw out of the corner of her eye, Sam and Jared return to the forest while Leah remained beside her.

"Ready, little bird?" Leah asked with a smirk on her face. Bella somehow found it in herself to roll her eyes at Leah's little nickname, despite how tense the next hour was going to be.

"Technically I'm older than you," Bella replied with a fake glare. Leah laughed a bit and ruffled Bella's hair as one would do with a child.

"Yeah, but I'm also way bigger," she quipped and then jogged into the cover of the forest. Bella stood alone in the backyard for a moment, just staring at the intense gaze of her mate. Every bone in her body willed her to go to him, and yet she resisted because she knew that she could not.

It was only seconds later that a smaller gray wolf trotted out of the woods and stopped momentarily beside Jake. The gray wolf yipped at him and his enormous head swiveled to the side to look at it. For a moment they stared at each other before the gray wolf trotted closer to Bella. Her heart stuttered in her chest for a moment, even though she knew that it wouldn't harm her. It was still a bit daunting to see a wolf the same size as a horse coming closer to you… Even if they did turn into a human... As the wolf laid down to the ground, Bella realized that it was in fact, Leah, who she was looking at.

Sighing she grabbed a handful of Leah's thick pelt and threw one of her legs over the side of her new found friend. Leah rose from the ground and began walking back towards the forest.

"I'm not too heavy, am I?" Bella worried gently. She was immediately aware that Jake had followed behind them directly beside Leah's back left leg. Leah responded with a bark that sounded interestingly enough like a laugh and Bella rolled her eyes again.

"I was just wondering," she snapped back as her hands held on tighter to the warm gray fur. As the dense forest closed around their bodies, shrouding them in darkness, Bella was aware at how quiet it was. The wolves barely made a sound as they all walked through the underbrush. Bella counted in her head that all of the boys were now in their second form as they all made their way towards the border.

Without warning Bella watched as a midnight black wolf appeared in front of Leah while a brown one and a silvery one also appeared on her right. Meanwhile, Jake stayed in his position behind Leah's left side. Bella realized that the wolves had made a more organized, triangular formation with the three other wolves in a line behind the leading five. Without warning Bella felt Leah begin to move faster into a trot. She barely heard her soft warning bark and had time to hold tighter to her fur before the entire pack began to run through the forest.

Bella brought her body closer to Leah's so that she would not hit her head on any low-lying branches while they ran through the dense forest of the reservation. There was a chill in the air as it raced past her body, and she severely regretted forgetting a jacket as she shivered slightly. However instead of dwelling on it, Bella set her mind on a focused path. She couldn't afford to worry about trivial things at this time. She was determined to ask her questions and get the hell out.

It was too dark for Bella to see the scenery that passed by her, but she knew that they were going much faster than it felt. Honestly, it was no different than riding a horse… Well, aside from the fur that provided an excellent hand hold. Almost five minutes after they had started running, the wolves all began to slow down. They were nearing an empty clearing in the woods, and the moonlight from the gaps in the trees above fell down onto the earth, making it easier for Bella's eyes to see.

Glancing over her shoulder she saw the three other wolves come to a stop while the rest continued walking forward. Bella turned back around and was shocked to see that there were now six pale figures standing in three pairs, all in a straight line, directly in the moonlight.

Immediately, Bella was able to recognize the small dark haired female vampire that had come to "visit" her only two nights ago. Had it truly been that long? It felt so much longer than that…

Bella watched the black wolf come to a stop, and so did the others. The silver and the brown one remained locked in their flanking positions, as did Leah and Jake. Slowly, Leah let her body slide towards the ground and with shaky legs, Bella slid off of her back. Standing alone now, Bella was overcome with the chill around her without Leah's body heat to fend it off.

Shivering slightly she squared her shoulders and took a deep breath. Then, without saying a word she took a few steps forward so that she stood directly next to Sam's side. It was eerily silent for a long moment before one of the vampires spoke.

"Isabella, isn't it?" asked a blonde male. He seemed to be the oldest out of the line, and even still he looked incredibly beautiful standing before her. The female next to her seemed familiar and with a start, Bella remembered that she was the female that had been with the other boy that had tried to attack her. Bella could almost feel the intensity of the wolves' atmosphere around her. They were waiting for these vampire to slip up just once, so that they might be able to attack them once and for all.

"Yes, it is," Bella's voice sounded much shakier than she would've liked and she silently cursed herself before she drew in a calming breath, "And you are?"

"My name is Carlisle Cullen. This is my family. My wife, Esme," he indicated the woman she remembered from the grocery store, "My son, Emmett and his wife Rosalie," he continued, pointing to the pair on his right consisting of an enormously muscled boy with curly hair and a gorgeous blonde woman, "And I know that you've already met Alice, my other daughter, and this is her mate, Jasper."

Bella cast her glance over that the tiny vampire girl and the much taller, broader looking male by her side that had chin length blonde hair. She nodded slowly in response and gave no indication that she planned to introduce the pack of wolves that had accompanied her.

"I believe that you had some information you thought I would find relevant?" Bella asked shortly. She did not want to waste any time in small talk and introductions.

"Ah, yes. We wanted to meet and speak with you in regard to our other son Edward. He is the one that you had the unfortunate run in with, which we do truly apologize for. You see, his actions were completely against what he believes in," Carlisle tried to explain while Bella set a level stare on him, "You are Edward's singer, as some call it."

"Please explain what that means," she said calmly, keeping her eyes locked with the blonde vampire.

"It means that he is attracted to the scent of your blood more than any other human's. His thirst completely overcame him when you ran into him unexpectedly and he has not been able to gain control of his rational side since then. As his mentor, I have instilled the ideas in his mind, as I have with the rest of my family, that feeding from humans is something that can be entirely avoided. However, in the event, such as this where Edward has become too unpredictable for any of us to gain an advantage and subdue him, we all agreed that we must inform you of him.

"He, like many of our kind, received a gift after his transformation. He was given the ability to read minds, as well as being able to influence other's decisions. He can essentially read a person's mind and feed them answers in order to gain their faith, trust, and devotion. He could create an army with the persuasion he wields over individuals. Especially humans who are more easily susceptible to our gifts in any case.

"Edward is the fastest out of my family. He always has been, and he is a clever boy. With his gifts, he was always able to outsmart most of the vampires he encountered. There is little he would stop at to covet what he deemed worthy of his time. And while we do consider ourselves to be his family, we do not condone his actions of attacking you. He was not in his correct state of mind, although that does not justify his actions in anyway."

When the oldest Cullen had stopped speaking, the clearing was silent once again. Bella mulled over the information in her head as she looked from one vampire to another.

"And what do you suggest if he should come back? How can he be stopped?" she finally asked.

"Honestly, Isabella, there is no advice I can give to you on that subject. While I think it is best that you stay as close to your mate as possible," Carlisle's eyes flicked over towards Jake, and her heart clenched in her chest. She barely breathed as she hoped that he would not figure out that he was the alpha, however his eyes settled back on her, "As vampire law states, if a male threatens to kill another male's mate, it is justified in a fight to the death. We have no rule over what your mate chooses to do against him, but as his family, I ask you not to kill him, should he try and attack you. He does not know what he is doing."

Bella stared into his eyes for a long time as she thought about his words. Setting her jaw with determination, she looked at him with pure conviction.

"I cannot speak for the pack, and I cannot make that promise to you," she replied to him in a cold voice, then turned around to return to Leah.

"Isabella, wait!"

Bella heard the tinkling voice of Alice Cullen and she shivered as if it had been nails on a chalkboard. Turning back around she looked at the smallest of the Cullens. She looked to be no more than a wisp of a girl, and briefly Bella wondered how old she had been when she had become the monster she was today.

"I apologize for scaring you the other day… I only meant to help you. I know it must have been terrifying for you, and also your mate… But I truly am sorry for it," she said in a soft voice. Bella did not know how to respond. Because to her it wasn't okay.

"I understand," she finally settled on as a response and then turned back to go towards Leah. Without pause, Leah's body slunk to the ground and Bella hoisted herself onto her back once again. As the wolves all turned to submerge themselves back into the forest, Bella heard Alice speak again.

"Please, call us… If you ever need anything. Our number is in the phonebook," she said, almost pleadingly. Bella knew that she felt bad for what her "brother" was doing, but she had to suppress the snort of laughter that came from her. Their number was in the phonebook? For undead creatures of the night, they sure seemed to love acting like humans…

She did not respond as she clung tighter to Leah's warm fur. Her entire body ached to be closer to Jake who walked in the same spot he had been in on the journey to the border. It wasn't long before the pack was running at top speed once again through the brush, back towards Emily's house.

We've finally gotten some answers! Leave me some feedback if you care too, and I hope that you liked the chapter! Thanks for reading!