Chapter 12 – New Meetings

"Come quickly and quietly Bella, come on." Jasper was impatient. He was crouched on my window sill, with his palm outstretched toward me. I pulled on a warm jacket and took his hand. Adrenaline poured through me as he held me and jumped from the window. I almost screamed but held it in. I knew Jasper would not harm me and I didn't want to wake Charlie. "Bella, you'll have to climb on my back. When we get there, I am going to do something strange so that I know I can trust the wolves. Do not be afraid okay?"

I was terrified but Jasper emanated waves of calm, which soothed my aching desire to go back to my warm bed. I wondered what he would do that could scare me. And he could always ensure I was calm anyway. I think that's what alarmed me the most. His back was rigid and cold, like marble under the thin cloth of his shirt. His body moved so fast that I had to close my eyes against the wind.

We stopped abruptly in a clearing surrounded by large bushes and plenty of trees. The wolves were already there, waiting impatiently it seemed. Jasper took me from his back and placed me firmly on my two feet behind him. I was hidden from the view of the wolves. They did not appreciate this. A collective growl started to build up from wolf to wolf. I watched them in their various earthy colours – all of them raising himself up to his fullest extent – and I finally appreciated the extent of their power. They made me shudder by just looking at them.

"Okay mutts! Let's get some things straight before I get started. Bella will come with me when I leave. She is almost like my...prisoner of war." Jasper chuckled as he finished his sentence. A lone wolf let out a howl of anger. Sam's large black wolf stepped forward and phased back to his human form. I averted my eyes from his naked body.

"Vampire, we trusted you enough to let you come here to us. We did not attack you as we should have when we smelled you with the other. What do you want with Bella?" Sam demanded respect as he spoke, his voiced laced with his alpha prowess. I shuddered; he was scary when he spoke like that. I realised it was Jasper's fear I felt, he was projecting onto me. Next moment I was calm again. My mind wandered. I was elsewhere, yet I was still here in this strange meeting.

"Oh Sam, I won't harm her. I promise. It's just that I need to know that she is not in danger around you. I know you are chasing her enemy also. But I need to know that you will not over react when you find out about what happened between Bella and I last year." I saw straight through Jaspers plan. He was making sure that the wolves would not kill him when they found out he had almost bitten me, or at least tried to.

"No, Jasper…" I tried. Jasper shushed me.

"They must know Bella" Jasper shook, almost like the way the wolves did when angry, but I sensed his fear. He didn't really want to do this. Maybe Alice had told him to. "When we had Bella's birthday party last year, she cut her finger opening a present. I could not control myself."

Growling erupted all around us. Jasper lifted me and placed me in front him. "Explain" He muttered into my ear. The wolves didn't hear him over their growling. Jasper stopped controlling my feelings and I felt my real fear overtake the calm.

"I …I – it wasn't his fault. Well, yes, but – but he didn't actually do anything. It – it was nothing – nothing, I swear. He was sorry, he apologised to me. You- you – you have no reason to be afraid of Jasper. You must trust him. Please just listen…" I let my frenzied begging sink into the thoughts of all of the wolves around me. Sam held up a hand and they all silenced. Sam looked calm. He nodded at Jasper who let me go. I ran to the wolf who meant the most to me.

Shaggy russet brown fur called out to my hands as I ran my hands down his huge torso, scratching behind his ears. His eyes were the same deep dark pools of love that they always were. I hugged him and smelled the forest. It was exhilarating. I loved Jacob even as wolf. I looked back at Jasper, who smiled in return. Sam had walked over to stand at his side.

"Tell us your tale then Cullen."

I snuggled in next to the heat of the Jacob wolf's body and prepared myself for this story.

"Alice has been watching the decisions of Victoria for a while. She is a bitter vampire. She will stop at nothing until she sees Bella dead. Alice and I tracked her for a while, but to no avail. She had learned to avoid Alice. She makes snap decisions and seldom plans anything out. When you had that encounter with Laurent, we knew it was the beginning of something worse. Victoria was not only out in vengeance for Bella, but also to the wolves. She snuck around, finding out tales and secrets. When she discovered what you all were, her future was clear for Alice to see." Jasper hesitated before he continued. I had so much to ask him. I knew it wasn't the right time.

"So, Alice and I tried to contact Victoria again. Her plans are cruel. So cruel. She wants you all dead. She will make you watch while she tortures Bella …she will kill Bella with the pack as an audience. When she is finished she will kill you all one by one. She wants to find your families and kill them too. She will never give up until she knows that there will be no more wolves to destroy her plans. Laurent was meant to capture Bella."

I gasped as I realised what true danger we were in. Sam however, was definitely in war-mode. "How can she do this alone? Wouldn't she need some sort of backup? I know she is powerful, but not nearly as much as any of you Cullen's…" Sam was all business.

"No, she won't be alone. She is recruiting more of our kind as we speak. She plans to spend a month travelling. She will get more to support her cause. But I estimate that it will total about ten vampires. From what Alice can see, that number will be reduced when they arrive in Forks, there will be eight. Alice and I will intercept two of them on the way here. You may kill the rest."

"We do not need your permission to kill vampires. We do that when we feel they become a threat. I respect your courage in coming here to warn us, but how can you help us?" Sam was angry now as he spoke. I felt Jake stiffen next to me when Sam asked Jasper for his help.

Jasper smiled and talked about the Cullen's, he spoke of each ones gift. He told us that all of them would come to defend me, as it was one of their own who had gotten me in this mess.

I zoned out while Sam and Jasper discussed tactics. Some of the wolves closed in around the two so that they could hear better the discussion between two generals. Jake stayed where he was beside me. He leaned his huge muzzle towards my neck and breathed in deeply. He was such an animal smelling me. The darkest grey wolf sauntered over to us. He sat down as Jake's wolf walked away.

"Paul?" I asked, unsure of whether or not it was Paul. The wolf inclined its head which I took as a yes. I walked up to him and scratched his ear too. I wasn't sure if they like this, but it seemed to soothe them. They were all so tense. Jacob came back in all of his half-naked glory. He had gone with Sam to get some sweats. I was thankful as I don't think I could keep my lust under if Jake had appeared naked. Jake sat on the grass next to me and said Paul wanted to talk with me later. He looked confused but I simply smiled back at him.

Paul, I knew now, had a soft side. I guessed he wanted to get something off of his chest before he had to phase again with his brothers. Jake spoke to Paul.

"We're going to head towards my place. We'll meet you in the forest there. Don't keep her long because I have to drop her off on the border for the leech at two." Paul's wolf simply trotted away at a leisurely pace. Jake shook his head. "What did you do to him Bella?"

"Nothing, well, I don't think I did anyway…" I struggled to remember. I hadn't done anything to Paul but allow him to use me as a rafter to lean on. I didn't expect him to be strong and aggressive all of the time. Maybe he appreciated that.

"Well, Bella he keeps thinking about you. Not in a bad way, just as friend. But that's it. He thinks of you as a friend and not – well, sorry, but – a bitch like he normally does. You must have done something, Bells?"

I shook my head and laughed, explaining to Jake about cooking lunch for Paul again. Jake pulled me close and kissed me. It felt strange to be able to kiss Jake whenever I wanted to. I didn't have to ask him or make sure he was okay with it. He was always okay with touching me and making me feel loved. And I loved where this was going. I kissed him back as I got to my feet. Jake picked me up and ran to the trees by his house, where an anxious Paul was standing, hands in his pockets.

"Hey" Jake placed a hand on Paul's shoulder as he walked past him and into the house.

"Hey Bella. I didn't …um… well, I didn't thank you for the other day. Yesterday, I didn't thank you for it. And apologize for it too. Thanks for hearing me out. And sorry for making you hear me out. I was horrible to you, I know I was… But I am grateful Bella. So what do you say, Swan? Friends?"

I was startled. Paul had never been so nice in all the time I had been hanging round with the pack. I nodded and pulled him in for a hug. Which I second guessed but he held me tight. I guessed he hadn't had a friend other than the pack in a long time. We stood like that hugging for a while. Paul started to whisper in my ear.

"I better let you go back out to Jake. Bella, it's so nice to have a friend who can't hear my thoughts. But if you ever tell anyone, I will be out to get you. I swear it. But thanks anyways. Don't forget." I was confused. I laughed but instantly regretted it when I saw Paul look hurt.

"I promise you Paul I won't tell. Anyway I told Jake you like me now because I cooked for you… so let's keep it that way, yeah?" Paul barked out a laugh and walked away. He was so different when his guard wasn't up. I wished I could show Jake that side of his friend. I couldn't though. And I treasured each friend I made these days. I didn't have too many.

The few days were uneventful. Jasper left town after briefing the pack on fighting techniques. I spent every spare minute down in La Push, which Charlie loved. And when Jake was patrolling, or too tired, I hung out with Paul. Jake was curious about mine and Paul's relationship, but he couldn't stop me from having a friend. It was really helping Paul to have someone to vent to as well. He treated me a little better and even once tried to help me cook the pack's lunch. He did end up being shooed from the kitchen by Emily but he tried none the less.

Jake and I had spent most of our time kissing and talking. I told him of my fear that he would imprint, but he was so sure that he couldn't ever look at another girl. I believed him. I hoped upon hope that this would be my happy ending. I just had to ignore the little voice in my head telling me it wasn't forever. I was now seldom cold; I didn't like the cold anymore. Being near Jasper when he came to give an update was bad enough. The wolves were rubbing off on me.

This evening was exactly a week from when the first meeting took place between the pack and Jasper. Jake was uneasy in my presence. We were both in his house watching a movie. He was so unsettled that I offered him a walk on the beach. He agreed that it would clear his head and threw me a large raincoat. I was appreciative of his protectiveness now. Protective like a boyfriend – although we hadn't discussed that yet.

"We think there may be more wolves going to phase…" Jake explained to me in one easy sentence all that was on his mind. I knew they didn't want more wolves, not because they were strong enough without, but because it wasn't a life they would have picked. Jake wanted more than anything to be free from his wolf. I patted his arm pitifully, hoping to let him know I understood. All of a sudden, there was howl from the woods. "It's Sam. I better go. Go back to my house, and stay there 'till I get back…" He shouted at me as he ran toward the forest, leaving a few pieces of clothing strewn on the ground as he ran to phase on the fly.

The wait back at Billy's place was horrendous. I was terrified as to what was going on. I hoped it was new wolves phasing for the first time. I don't think I was ready for the war just yet, not this soon.

"I'll call Charlie and tell him you're staying over, okay? Don't worry he won't mind." Billy said timidly when he noticed how much of a state I was in. He had had to guess where Jake was because I was too shell-shocked to tell him. Billy told me to go to jakes room and try to sleep. He winked at me as I walked away. Billy was so funny – just like Jake. I could see where his joyful personality came from.

It was real late when Jake got back. I hadn't slept but I was in a zombie-like state when he returned. I had fought sleep for so long, I wasn't even thinking properly.

"Bells, hey, wake up, oh you're awake! Bella! Hello-o? Bella?"

I jumped up and hugged him tight. I had never missed his warmth so much. I hadn't realised I cared this much about Jake. Even to think of him hurting, it hurt me.

"It was new wolves. Brady and Colin. They had been having a fight and both lost their tempers. Lucky nobody saw them, they were right on the beach. They are only fifteen…"

"And you're only sixteen still. But that doesn't matter… How did it go?" I argued, trying to get him to tell me more. I moved up in the bed and sat with my back to his headboard. He sat down next to me and placed a hand on my leg. I looked at him properly then. His face had red marks all over it which continued down to his arms and chest. I gasped and he shrugged it off. I knew he healed quickly but there were a lot of marks.

"You should see Embry. When there are two it's harder to calm them down because they feed off of each other's anxiety. They were very violent. Well, at least now we know how Paul felt keeping us back when we phased. Sam is talking to them now, they'll be fine." I rubbed my fingers absentmindedly over the now healed skin on Jake's upper body as he spoke.

Jake pulled me back down under the blankets and lay beside me. I let myself absorb his heat and I felt the sleep take me. I went to sleep a happy girl, yet I was woken hours later by a tapping on Jake's window. His tiny box room was so small that I was shoved nearly out of the window when he leapt up to open it.

"Morning guys. You gotta come down to Emily's and see this…" Quil shouted as he ran away.

Jake led us down after I was ready. We were both curious as to what was happening. When we arrived, it seemed like the new arrivals were making life difficult for themselves. They wouldn't yield to Sam as their alpha. Jacob thought this a very funny situation. I felt sorry for Brady and Colin. They were both very tall, thin boys with smug faces. I assumed they thought they were better than the rest of the guys; although they weren't the biggest by a long shot.

Sam was very angry – it was easy to tell even though he wasn't shaking. His face had a forced calm about it. "You two – if you won't submit as wolves then you will submit as men. Or else I'll have to teach you."

The two boys laughed and sniggered at Sam, whose eyes had a malicious gleam to them now.

"This is going to be so good. Watch Bells…" Jake whispered so nobody else could hear in my ear.

"On your knees, NOW!" Sam roared. Even I felt like I had to bow down to him. Brady and Colin fought against it, but they eventually collapsed onto their knees in the middle of the kitchen.

The pack all broke out in raucous laughter. I couldn't help myself either. The two new boys had looked very funny when forced to kneel down in front of Sam. They were both very disgruntled now, and didn't look so smug anymore.

Sam kneeled down before them, and started talking to them gently. "You two better learn respect. The way this pack works is through that, each member has a role. We are family. And we are accepting you into it. So play nice. I am your alpha and you will answer to me. And that space in not negotiable or open for change."

Sam's words were final. When he finished he helped the two guys up to their feet where they shook his hand awkwardly.

"See Bells, Sam has such power. He could make us do anything he wants. He tries not to though. Those two are jerks…" Jake was trying to explain to me but got into a rant about his new brothers. I watched Sam as he walked toward Emily. She was smiling assuredly at him. They looked so much in love. I saw now why Sam was the alpha. He could switch it on and off in a moment. He had ultimate control. Maybe it was his accident before that made him be so controlled.

It was obvious why the alpha space wasn't open in this pack. I knew Jake was next in line for it, but he had refused it. He wanted to put it off for a while. Seeing now what Sam had to do, I was grateful that Jake had put it off.

"I can't wait to be able to do that!" He exclaimed beside me. Everyone just laughed.

I was again glad the space wasn't open.

A/N - You had all better be glad I'm so nice...

I know I said I wasn't going to update until I got some reviews;

So, I'm giving you one more chance!

Please give me some reviews, I won't update till then!

I don't like begging, I just need some positive/negative feedback?

Please?

Thanks for reading :)