Disclaimer: I am not Stephanie Meyer. I do not own Twilight.

Chapter Twenty

I realized that most people would be nervous going into a house that had unknown vampires inside, but I found myself looking forward to it. I was eager to meet these vampires who had known the Cullens for decades, possibly even centuries.

I was the only one who was even remotely at ease, though. Leah was constantly clenching her fists in an effort to keep her cool. Jake was gripping my hand tightly and kept glancing around as if expecting us to be ambushed. Embry's arms were trembling and he was having trouble keeping his lips together. Quil was the only other one who seemed okay with being there, but he was still struggling somewhat. His fists were clenched and trembling.

"Ready?" I asked, putting my hand on the door handle of the Rabbit.

"Are you sure it's safe?" Jake asked for the hundredth time.

"Of course. Now, get your tail out from between your legs and let's move it!" I teased, climbing out of the car.

Jake, Leah, Quil, and Embry were right behind me. Jake ran around to meet me in front of the car, grabbing my hand in his own. Leah stood on my other side with Quil and Embry behind us.

"Chill, guys. They're not going to attack," I soothed, trying to calm them down.

"We don't know these leeches, Bella. We don't have a treaty with them," Jake frowned.

"Well, that's why we're here," I pointed out.

We still hadn't moved from the car. Sighing softly, I started walking, pulling Jake along behind me. He quickly moved so that he was leading me. He walked up the front steps and simply stared at the door.

Shaking my head at him, I reached around him and knocked sharply. Two seconds later, the door opened and everyone around me stiffened.

A beautiful young woman stood in the doorway. She was obviously had a Spanish heritage with her thick black hair and darker skin tone. Her golden eyes looked over the five of us briefly before she smiled widely and opened the door further.

"Can I help you?" she asked, her accent coming through.

I looked to Jake, expecting him to conduct the meeting, but he was glaring at the woman before us, his entire body tense. I glanced around at the rest of the pack and noticed they were in similar positions. Rolling my eyes at them, I moved to step forward.

"Hi. I'm Bella Swam. We're here to see Carlisle. Is he in?" I asked politely.

The woman's eyes brightened as she looked me over.

"So you're the little human we've all come to help protect!" she exclaimed, smiling wider.

"I guess," I shrugged, blushing slightly.

"Well, come on in. Carlisle's upstairs in his study with a few of the others, working out plans. I'm sure he won't mind the interruption, though," she assured me.

"Thanks," I smiled, following her into the house.

Jake yanked me back outside, growling softly. The woman stopped and turned to frown at us in confusion.

"Jake. Cool it. We need to go inside if we're going to do this," I hissed.

"I go in first," Jake bit back.

"Well, then, go. We don't have all day," I huffed, waving him on.

Jake frowned at me, but walked through the door. I followed directly behind him with Leah, Embry, and Quil following me. The Spanish woman smiled at me. I returned it a little apologetically.

"This way," she motioned.

We walked through the front room and towards the staircase. There were numerous vampires that I didn't know clustered around the front room. They watched us as we followed the Spanish vampire up the stairs to Carlisle's study.

She paused outside of Carlisle's office and knocked on the door lightly.

"Come in," Carlisle called.

She smiled at us and opened the door.

"Bella is here with some of her pack, Carlisle," the woman informed him.

"Yes. Of course. Send them in, Carmen," Carlisle answered, his voice bright.

The vampire, Carmen, pulled back and motioned for us to enter the room.

"Thank you," I murmured as we passed by.

Jake stood just by the door as it closed behind us. Taking hold of my hand, he prevented me from going further into the room. Leah stood just slightly in front of me on the opposite side. Quil and Embry stood directly on my right and left, our backs to the wall.

Carlisle was bent over his desk, looking over plans stretched out across it. Edward was beside him, watching us with a mixture of incredulousness and contempt. There were seven other vampires in the room with them, all focused on us.

"Bella! So good to see you again. And this is some of your pack?" Carlisle smiled, coming forward.

Jake growled and Carlisle stopped a few feet away from us.

"Stop it," I scolded, slapping his arm.

Jake cut off his growl, but continued baring his teeth at the vampires in the room. Leah, Quil, and Embry weren't much better. I wondered briefly if bringing them along had been a good idea.

I dropped Jake's hand and darted between him and Leah before any of them could make a move to stop me. Before they could move, I walked up and hugged Carlisle.

"I'm sorry they're being so rude. It's all the unknown vampires," I explained, laughing slightly.

"Understandable," Carlisle chuckled, patting my back.

I pulled away from him and turned to glare at my pack members.

"Now, stop being all wolfy and relax. They're not going to hurt me or you," I insisted.

"Bella. Come back here," Jake gritted, his eyes flashing with concern.

"Jake. Please?" I whined, pouting slightly.

He jerked a little, as if my pleas had caused him slight pain. I knew that as his imprint, he wanted to give me anything I desired, but he couldn't go against his instincts that told him vampires were dangerous. His conflicting emotions were causing him to hurt.

I was instantly across the room, grasping his hand. His grip tightened on mine almost painfully. I leaned up and kissed the underside of his jaw, reassuring him of my safety. His entire body relaxed as soon as my lips touched his skin.

"Sorry. She's my imprint," Jake breathed as a way of explanation to the vampires.

"No need to explain, Jacob. We understand," Carlisle assured him with a small smile.

"So, now that that's out of the way, let's get down to business," I grinned, rubbing my hands together.

"So this isn't a social call?" Carlisle teased.

"Not quite," I laughed.

"You didn't warn us about the new vampires that would be in the area. If you had, we would have set this up much sooner. We need to be able to recognize your… friends from the Volturi," Jake explained.

"Sam would like for us to set up a meeting for everyone. When would be the best time for you?" I asked politely.

"We could meet tonight. In the clearing. If that is agreeable to you and your Alpha?" Carlisle offered.

"Hold on one sec," I hummed, closing my eyes.

I reached through the pack mind to contact Sam. He and the rest of the pack were patrolling the border between La Push and the Cullens' territory.

What's up, Bella? Sam asked as soon as our minds linked.

Hey, Sam. Carlisle wants to know if you're up for a meet tonight at the clearing? I explained.

Midnight?

"Does midnight work for you?" I asked Carlisle, tilting my head to the side.

Ugh. I'd been hanging out with wolves for way too long.

"We'll be there," Carlisle agreed.

You catch that, Sam? I asked.

Got it, Sam answered.

I closed off the mind link and smiled at those around me.

"Sam says it sounds good. We'll meet you there tonight," I informed them.

"We will see you then," Carlisle nodded.

Quil and Embry started backing out of the room while Leah and Jake waited for me.

"Is Alice here?" I asked, not wanting to leave without speaking to her.

"Of course. I believe she's in her room. You are more than welcome to go see her," Carlisle smiled.

"Thanks, Carlisle. See you later," I waved, walking out of the room.

Jake and Leah followed after me and we stood in the hallway.

"You guys don't have to hang around, but I need to see Alice and Esme," I said.

"You're not staying here without some form of protection," Jake growled, his eyes narrowed.

I smiled up at him, reaching up to give him a kiss. When I pulled away, his face was relaxed and calm. I giggled lightly as he opened his eyes, giving me a grin.

"Love you," I murmured.

"I love you, too," Jake replied, kissing me again.

"Now, you are not coming with me to talk to Alice. We need girl time," I insisted when he pulled away.

His face instantly darkened and he opened his mouth to reply, but I beat him to it.

"Leah is coming with me instead," I blurted out.

His jaw snapped closed and he glanced at Leah.

"Fine," Leah grumbled.

I laughed and grabbed her hand.

"It'll be fine. I promise not to let her put he leech clothes on you," I teased.

Leah's eyes widened and she actually looked afraid.

"I was kidding, Leah," I laughed.

"Better be," Leah mumbled as I pulled her towards Alice's room.

Jake, Quil, and Embry glanced at each other. I turned around before smiling at them.

"Why don't you guys go find Emmett and Jasper? I'm sure they'll keep you occupied," I suggested.

Without waiting for their answer, I turned and pulled Leah down the hall. I stopped outside Alice's door and reached up to knock. Before I could, the door opened and Alice was bouncing on the balls of her feet, smiling widely at me.

"Bella!" Alice cried, jumping forward to hug me tightly.

"Hi, Alice," I smiled.

"Hello, Leah. It's nice to meet you. In your not furry form," Alice chuckled.

Leah glared and bared her teeth at Alice.

"Stop it," I scolded, glaring at her.

"It's fine, Bella. Mortal enemies and all," Alice shrugged.

"Not for long if I have anything to say about it," I insisted.

Alice just laughed and pulled me further into her room. Leah followed one step behind. Alice and I flopped down on the bed while Leah stood uncomfortably beside us. I looked up at her and sighed.

"You can sit down, you know. She's not going to hurt us," I shook my head.

"I don't want to smell like a leech anymore than I already will," Leah glared.

Alice hissed at her and Leah growled in response.

"Stop it. Both of you," I frowned.

They stayed in their crouched positions, leaning towards each other, but stopped making threatening noises.

"You two are going to have to get used to each other. I will bring the vampires and the werewolves together. The sooner you accept it, the easier it will go," I huffed.

"Just because we've agreed to fight with them doesn't mean we have to like them," Leah snarled.

"Ridiculous!" I cried, throwing my hands up.

The two looked at me, frowning.

"You two need to set an example! I need your help. Please, just try to get along," I pleaded, getting desperate.

Alice and Leah looked at each other with contempt. Slowly, they leaned forward until they were right the other's face. They were both gritting their teeth in an attempt to keep back their growls.

"We'll work together," Alice stated.

"Just in order to win this fight," Leah finished.

Alice stuck her hand out. Leah looked at it for a long minute before putting her own in Alice's briefly. They dropped hands almost as soon as they touched, jerking away from all forms of contact.

I squealed, clapping my hands and jumping up and down.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" I cried, hugging them both.

"Ugh! Bella!" Leah snapped, tugging out of my embrace.

"The stench!" Alice added, snorting.

I rolled my eyes and settled back on the bed. I flopped down, flinging my arms out to the side and looked out up at the ceiling. Alice's face popped into view.

"So, Bella. You know that senior prom is coming up," Alice grinned.

"Yeah," I answered slowly.

I wasn't sure where she was going with this.

"Dress shopping!" Alice squealed, bouncing up and down on the bed.

"NO! No, Alice," I shouted, sitting up abruptly, my eyes wide.

Alice looked at me with her puppy-dog eyes. I turned sharply to Leah, begging her with my eyes to help me. Leah was watching Alice, though, paying little attention to me.

"Bel-la," Alice whined.

I glanced over at her out of the corner of my eyes. She had her hands clasped in front of her, silently pleading me.

"Alice. No," I complained.

"Please," Alice pouted.

I gritted my teeth in an attempt to hold in the traitorous yes that was forming on my tongue. And then, she did the absolute worse thing possible to an Omega who was bound to a wolf pack.

She whimpered. Like a little puppy.

"Fine!" I cried.

I threw my arms around Alice, my instincts telling me to comfort her. Alice laughed and hugged me back, bouncing on the bed again.

"I'm so excited! We'll go this weekend!" Alice exclaimed, clapping her hands as she pulled away.

"I don't know if the guys will be okay with that, Bella," Leah frowned.

"Well, you'll just have to come with us and be Bella's body guard," Alice grinned.

Leah jerked back, surprised. I smiled at her and Alice laughed.

"Come on, Leah. It'll be fun. Shopping," I enticed sarcastically.

Leah grimaced and looked at the floor, trying to decide.

"Please, Leah? It's the only way Sam and Jacob will let her go," Alice asked.

Leah's gaze snapped up to Alice's in shock. I was a little surprised, too. Just a few minutes ago, they'd been ready to rip each other apart. Now, Alice was asking Leah to go shopping. It really was kind of funny when I thought about it.

"Okay. If Sam agrees," Leah whispered.

Alice squealed and clapped her hands again. I laughed as she flung her arms around me again. Leah smiled slightly and moved closer, perching on the edge of Alice's bed.

I felt the shift. We were one step closer to bringing the two species together.

The tension in the air was palpable. I could, almost literally, reach out my hand and touch it. I glanced over at Jasper to see how he was handling everyone's emotions. He was smiling slightly, his hands behind his back, watching me. When he caught my eyes, he winked and smiled wider. I smiled back, shaking my head.

All the covens that had been at the Cullen's house this morning were warily watching my pack. Sam was human, standing in front of the rest of us. The others were circled around me, protecting me from their enemy. Seth was, once again, at my side.

I sighed, waiting for the staring match to be over. A few of the vampires smiled at my obvious impatience. I grinned back and shrugged.

I had met all the new vampires earlier while visiting Alice.

The Denali clan was standing closer to the Cullens and my wolves than any other coven. Carmen was holding Eleazar's hand, smiling at me softly. Irina, Kate, and Tanya were right beside them, watching us cautiously. One of the American nomads, Garrett, was standing by Kate, holding her hand as he stood a little in front of her.

Jasper and Alice were standing with the American nomads, specifically Peter and Charlotte. I knew Jasper had been with Peter for quite some time before Alice had found him. Randall and Mary were with them, each happy to see each other after a long time of being apart. They were friends who would occasionally find each other in their travels.

On the other the Denali's was the Irish coven. Carlisle held a soft spot for the leader of that coven, Siobhan. She was a large woman, but had a kind heart and easy laugh which was good seeing as her mate, Liam, was extremely hard-faced. They were both protective over Maggie who definitely looked Irish with her bouncy red curls.

The Amazon coven was behind the others, looking very stern. Kachiri, Senna, and Zafrina scared me the most with their hard features, animal skin clothing, and large bodies. Beside them were the Egyptians, Amun, Kebi, Benjamin, and Tia. The European nomad, Alastair, was standing by them.

The last two were the oddest. Stefan and Vladimir were the Roman vampires. The Volturi had replaced them when they took control of the vampire world. They were hoping to reclaim their place of power by defeating the Volturi in this battle.

A few of them had powers that could be used during the battle. My eyes picked out those vampires easily. Kate could shock anyone who came close to her, but it was all in the victim's mind. I'd watched as she knocked Garrett flat on his back. Zafrina planted pictures in your mind and made you think you were somewhere else. Benjamin could control the elements with ease. Maggie could tell when she was being lied to and normally made it known with a hiss of anger. Siobhan could affect the outcome of any event just by willing it in the direction she wanted. Alistair was a tracker, though not as dangerous as the Volturi's.

Neither Kate nor Zafrina's powers worked on me. We had attempted both earlier that afternoon, much to Jake's disproval. I smiled fondly at him as I also scolded him internally.

Flashback

Alice led me and Leah downstairs, absolutely giddy over the thought of our shopping trip. I glanced around the room, looking for my wolf. He, Embry, and Quil were standing against the wall between the stairs and the door. He relaxed slightly when I came to stand in front of him.

"Ready to go home?" I asked softly, taking his hand in mine.

"Not yet, Bella. We want to make introductions first," Carlisle answered before Jake could.

Jake frowned at Carlisle, but nodded his head once.

Suddenly, there were a lot more vampires in the room. They were all watching me intently. Jake growled softly and tightened his grip on my hand, pulling me closer to him and wrapping an arm around my waist.

"Shh," I murmured, rubbing his chest.

"Not to worry, Jacob. No one here will harm Bella," Carlisle assured him.

Jake's gaze darted around the room, assessing each vampire individually. Slowly, Jake nodded, giving Carlisle permission.

Carlisle smiled and motioned for a few of the vampires to come over. We were introduced to each of the vampires by their coven. I knew the wolves would remember all of them and I would be able to pick their minds for names and relations. I immediately recognized the last group Carlisle waved forward.

"This is the Denali clan. Tanya, Irina, Kate, Eleazar, and Carmen," Carlisle introduced.

"Nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you all," I smiled.

The three sisters were similar in color and each one was breathtakingly beautiful. Each had blond hair, though Tanya's was curly while the others' were straight. I was positive they had each had blue eyes before their change.

"Nice to meet you, too, Bella. We've heard much about you, too," Tanya greeted.

"If it was from Emmett, none of it is true," I claimed, laughing slightly.

They all laughed with me and I heard Emmett growl. Jake snarled in response. I sighed and reached up to rub his chest soothingly again. The rumbling stopped and he looked down at me.

"Be nice," I admonished softly.

Jake scowled and turned back to the vampires. Carmen stepped forward with the only male in the coven. I figured he was Eleazar.

"It's nice to meet you, Bella," Carmen smiled.

"You, too," I agreed.

Jake growled again and pulled me behind his back. I frowned and followed his gaze to see who he was growling at this time. Carmen's mate was staring at me intently, his golden eyes wide and unblinking. It was a little creepy and I moved further behind Jake, unsure of Eleazar's intentions. Jake sensed my spike in fear and growled louder.

Embry, Quil, and Leah sensed it as well and moved into formation. Embry and Quil stood on either side of Jake, effectively blocking me from view. Leah was positioned behind Quil on my left. It was a typical defensive position.

"Stop staring at Bella," Jake ground out.

"I'm sorry. Your mate, though. She is blocking me," Eleazar frowned, glancing briefly at Jake before returning his attention to me.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Jake asked, tightening his hold on my hand.

"I think she's a shield," Eleazar answered slowly.

The entire room got quiet. Everyone was looking at me with open curiosity and interest. I blushed and ducked further behind the guys.

"That would explain things," Carlisle murmured.

"What things? What's he talking about? What the hell is going on?" Jake roared, quickly losing his control.

I saw Jasper move out of the corner of my eye, but I was already ahead of him. I opened my connection to Jake and let him feel how safe I felt, how I wasn't scared with him there. He calmed down gradually, relaxing his shoulders as he went. He squeezed my hand in thanks.

"Explain," Jake ordered, his voice hard.

"Eleazar has the ability to sense power and abilities in people," Carlisle said.

Jake frowned, waiting for more information.

"Your mate is blocking me. I can't get a read on her. I should be able to read her Omega abilities, but I'm not getting anything. She's completely blank. The only plausible explanation is that she is a shield," Eleazar continued.

"What the hell does that mean?" Jake gritted, losing his patience.

"Exactly what I said. She's blocking me from reading her. I don't know how else I can explain it to you," Eleazar growled, frustrated.

"I can't read her mind, Eleazar. Do you think this shield of hers is blocking her from me?" Edward asked, coming forward from the back of the room.

"Possibly. I've never heard of a human having such a strong power manifesting before their change," Eleazar admitted.

Everyone was listening to the exchange with rapt attention. Eleazar was frowning at the floor, Edward reading his thoughts.

Suddenly, Edward snarled and lunged at Eleazar. Carlisle grabbed hold of him and pulled him back, Jasper and Emmett moving to help him. Jake backed up, pushing me further against the wall in an effort to keep me from getting hurt.

"NO!" Edward shouted as Emmett and Jasper pulled me out of the room.

"Calm down, Edward. It was just a thought," Eleazar shrugged.

"What did you think?" Carmen frowned in concern.

"I just wondered if Bella would be immune to Kate's power," Eleazar explained.

"What's her power?" Jake asked, glaring at the vampire in question.

"I shock people. Or rather, I make them think they're getting shocked," Kate answered.

"That's not very impressive," Quil snorted.

"Oh, really?" Kate smirked.

We all watched as she reached over and touched Garrett, who had been standing by her for the duration of the meeting. Garrett grinned as she reached for him. As soon as her hand connected with him, he fell to the floor, convulsing.

Jake roared and backed me completely into the wall, pressing his back against my chest.

"Stay away from her!" Jake growled.

"Jake," I murmured, wrapping my arms around his waist.

His arm flew to cover mine, keeping me close to him. He was still growling, along with the others. They had moved to stand in front of Jake, blocking me completely.

"Shh, honey. It's okay. I'm okay," I whispered into his back, placing a few kisses along his spine.

He was trembling from the force of his emotions, unable to contain himself.

"I think we should try it," Alice piped up.

Jake snarled in her direction causing Jasper to respond in a similar manner. Alice just rolled her eyes as Jasper crouched in front of her. She huffed a breath as she caught my eye.

"Calm down, Jazz. He's not going to do anything," Alice assured him.

Jasper stood up, but kept his eyes glued to Jake.

"I promise, I'll only do it a little. I'd never do to Bella what I did to Garrett. Garrett's just a pain junky," Kate chuckled.

"It's the hottest thing I've ever experienced," Garrett shrugged, eyeing Kate.

Kate rolled her eyes and turned to look at me through the russet colored bodies.

"What do you think, Bella? No more than a static shock," Kate offered.

I contemplated it. How bad could it be, really? Besides, if it was all mental, she probably wouldn't be able to hurt me.

"Sure," I agreed.

Jake snarled furiously and spun around to face me, grabbing my arms. His eyes were wild as they locked onto mine. He shook me gently, pulling me up to his level.

"You will not," Jake snapped, his teeth bared.

"Jake," I murmured.

"No!" Jake cut me off.

I smiled softly at him and brought my hands up to frame his face. His anger crumbled to be replaced by absolute terror. I stroked his face, hoping to calm him down.

"She won't hurt me, honey," I murmured, leaning forward to place a kiss on his lips.

He didn't move to kiss me, so I kissed his eyelids, his cheek bones, his nose, his forehead, anywhere I could reach. His breathing gradually evened out and he was able to set me back on my feet. He pulled me into his chest and I buried my face into his warmth.

"Just once, Bells. I can't take any more than once," Jake whispered into my hair brokenly.

I nodded and pulled away from him slightly. Embry, Quil, and Leah were still blocking the others from getting too close to us, but once Jake stepped away, they parted and let us pass through.

Jake frowned at Kate and kept me behind him.

"One shock. Lowest setting," Jake ordered.

Kate nodded, her face serious. She knew this was hard for Jake to do, but it needed to be done. We had to know what my shield entailed.

"I have to touch her. If it works, she'll only get a slight shock like touching metal after rubbing your feet across carpet," Kate explained before she did anything.

Jake nodded, his entire body tense.

Kate smiled at me and held out her hand for mine. Watching Jake's face the whole time, I moved my hand into hers. It seemed like everyone in the room was holding their breath, waiting.

"Are you doing it yet?" I frowned, turning to look at Kate.

She was watching my hand, her face scrunched up in concentration. Finally, she let my hand fall, huffing in frustration.

"It doesn't work. And that wasn't low," Kate frowned.

"What?" Jake shouted, pulling me behind him again.

Kate was instantly behind Garrett and the two men were growling at each other.

"Stop it! Stop right now, Jacob Black!" I yelled, tugging him back.

He stumbled back a step and stopped growling.

"You said a little shock. What the hell, leech?" Jake glared.

"I started with the lowest setting, but when it didn't work, I turned it up. It didn't hurt her, so I don't know why you're getting angry," Kate pointed out.

"It's true, Jake. I'm completely fine," I assured him.

He glanced back at me, assessing the damage for himself. When he had assured himself that I was, in fact, perfectly fine, he relaxed. He sighed and ran his hand over his face.

"No more. I can't take any more today," Jake pleaded.

I felt tears well up in my eyes at his obvious pain. I wrapped my arms around his waist and held him as tightly as possible. His arms wrapped around me and he nuzzled the top of my head.

"Do you think Bella is impervious to my power?"

I looked over to see Zafrina looking at Carlisle curiously.

"I don't see why she wouldn't be," Carlisle admitted.

"Would you allow me to try?" Zafrina asked Jake.

"What is it?" Jake mumbled, his voice tired.

"All I would do is project a picture in her mind, making her think she's somewhere else. I could do it to you as well so you'd know she's not hurting," Zafrina offered.

"Fine," Jake sighed, his shoulders slumping.

I rubbed circles on his back, nuzzling my head into his chest. He stiffened against me and his arms tightened. I looked up to see him with a dazed look on his face.

"What do you see?" I asked quietly.

"Holy shit! I'm in the middle of the freaking rainforest!" Jake exclaimed.

I giggled and held him tighter. Zafrina smiled and released Jake from her vision. He blinked a few times and smiled over at her.

"Now that was something else," Jake grinned.

"Glad you enjoyed it," Zafrina laughed.

End Flashback

I sighed again, wishing we could get this meeting on the road. I was tired and wanted nothing more than to curl up in bed with my wolf.

"How would you like to do this, Sam?" Carlisle asked.

Finally! I thought.

Impatient, Bella? Seth chuckled.

God, you have no idea. I just wanna go home and go to bed, I groaned.

Yeah, we saw that, Quil said, choking on his laughter.

Shut up, Quil, Jake snapped, coming to my defense.

Focus, morons. Sam's talking, Leah growled.

"My pack and I will walk amongst you, learning each scent. Please stay very still as this will already be difficult enough," Sam requested.

"Of course," Carlisle agreed.

Sam nodded and phased back.

Move in, Sam ordered.

I stayed where I was with Seth. He'd memorize all the scents through the other wolves' minds. I threaded my fingers through his fur as the wolves began walking around the vampire covens.

"Do we have any idea when they will be arriving?" I asked, looking at Alice.

"They'll leave in about a week," Alice shrugged.

"You don't have a specific time when they'll get here?" I frowned.

"Um, no. Your wolves are involved. I can't see much except them leaving," Alice grumbled.

"Oh. I forgot about that. Sorry, Alice," I sighed.

"Don't worry about it, Bella," Alice grinned.

"Maybe I'll get another dream that'll be more concrete," I thought aloud.

"That would be helpful," Alice giggled.

I rolled my eyes at her and smiled. Seth barked a laugh and shook his head. I patted his head a little harder than usual and he mock growled at me. I growled back and laughed.

"You don't scare me, Seth," I reminded him.

Seth huffed and ignored me. His mind focused back on the scent of the vampires.

Done, Sam grunted, moving back into formation around me.

"Thanks for the meeting, Carlisle. You do realize that while your guests are here, they are your responsibility, right? They can't hunt in or around Forks," I informed him, frowning slightly.

"Not to worry, Bella. We have something set up," Carlisle assured me.

"Thank you," I nodded.

Meet here tomorrow for a training session. Same time, Sam instructed.

"Sam wants to meet here tomorrow for a training session at the same time. Would that be alright with you?" I asked.

"Of course," Carlisle agreed.

"Alright. We'll head out then. Thank you all for the help in this. We really appreciate it," I said quietly.

Everyone nodded in my direction, some of them smiling, before disappearing back towards the Cullen's. Then it was just me and my wolves.

"Let's go home," I sighed.

Jake trotted over and lowered himself to the ground. I climbed onto his back and nestled into his fur. The movement of his body beneath me lulled me to sleep as he took us towards home.

I know I kinda fell off the face of the earth, but it's all my professors' faults! They gave me three papers to do in less than three days!! So, I'm really sorry it took so long, but I made this chapter extra long for you!! It's seventeen pages! Longest one yet!!

Can you believe we've made it to FOUR HUNDRED REVIEWS?!?!?! Seriously, you guys!! I love you!!!

Next chapter will be up Saturday at the latest. My hands need a break from typing and my eyes need a rest from staring at a computer screen. Hahaha! See you guys next chapter!!