Jacob was not present when we met the wolves at the old clearing where we used to play baseball. Where all this mess truly started. Had we not provoked James, or had we not brought Bella with us, or had we not thought we could evade him, we would not be here today facing a nest of newborns created by a rogue vampire hellbent on revenge. There was no way I would ever forget the lives taken in this disgusting display. Too many people had died in this game, and it was time to end it.

The many years I spent thinking myself a monster paled in comparison to the crimes Victoria had committed. Even James' despicable games of toying with humans, torturing them before finally ending their suffering, made me see how my own crimes were not so horrendous as I'd once believed. I'd give anything to be able to restore the lives of the humans I drained, but at least I had the peace of mind to know that they were vile, as evil as James and Victoria, and I killed them as painlessly as possible. They never saw me coming. Their future victims were safe. The many times my family tried to convince me that I was not a monster, never really sank in, until I saw how true monsters behaved. There was not one shred of similarity between them and me, other than we were of the same race.

Four wolves stood before us, unwilling to phase into human form until they were sure of our intentions. Two more wolves, including Jacob, had remained on the reservation in order to protect the people. They were wary of us, their thoughts concerned that we might still seek retaliation for their kidnapping attempt. The large black wolf, Sam, felt particularly ashamed that he let the young hothead lead them in the futile quest to rescue Bella when she did not need rescuing. He'd known of the pup's obsession with the girl even before he began to phase. Anyone could see he was in love with her, and had been since they spent their summers making sandcastles on the beaches of La Push. Once Jake phased and learned the secrets of the pack, he was insistent that Bella was his imprint. He would have stopped at nothing to find her and finally have her in his grasp. The pack mind was quite intriguing. As soon as one of them thought of something, a hundred other thoughts and memories splintered off in the minds of the others, giving me a complete picture of the situation from all angles. Jacob had been enraged when he discovered there was no rearranging of the universe once he laid eyes on Bella. He had just known that the pull he'd always felt for her meant she was his imprint, and to find out otherwise had sent him on a downward spiral. He fancied himself a much better match for her than a leech.

We come in peace. The eyes of the black wolf bore into my own. I nodded in understanding and shared the message with the rest of my family. Jasper also nodded, confirming the words were backed by their emotions. Alice's face scrunched up at the blank spots in her visions that didn't allow her to see the outcome of this meeting.

"As do we." Carlisle replied, remaining stoic between Eleazar and Emmett.

Neither side relaxed their defenses, despite the shared sentiment.

"We've located a large nest of newborn vampires in a warehouse outside of Seattle. We have been making plans to try to pick them off as we can, as your pack has been doing. Eventually, we will infiltrate the warehouse and destroy them all, as soon as the numbers are more in our favor. There were fourteen, plus the female, Victoria, who was not there. There may be more, but we don't know for sure. They fight amongst themselves, and Victoria simply turns more to replenish the ones who are lost. It is a vicious cycle that must be stopped before they are let loose on Seattle." Growls resonated through the trees and several of the wolves were eager to help take them out.

"If your pack would like to offer their assistance, the number would be more in our favor and we could end this sooner." I added. Sam was reluctant to let any members of his pack get involved in our mission, no matter how hard they were chomping at the bit. His reasoning being that they were needed in Forks to protect the people here should any more of the feral newborns find their way out here. "I understand. This is not your fight, and we appreciate you keeping watch over the town as well as the reservation."

When will you be going to fight? Sam asked.

I relayed the question to the rest of the group verbally.

"We aren't sure. We can't allow this to go on much longer, but we need to be sure that we have some chance at succeeding. There are fourteen of us here. Not all of our guests are animal drinkers like us, but you have our word that if they need to hunt it will not be anywhere near Forks or the reservation. They all understand and accept the treaty."

If they do not, understand that we will destroy them.

"They understand."

Be sure they do. Perhaps we should meet them, so we are aware of their scents. It would be a shame if we were to take out one of your guests, accidentally mistaking them for one of the newborns.

After I told Carlisle of our conversation, he agreed. "That would be a good precaution to take."

Tonight. Here. Midnight?

Everyone agreed to the meeting time.

Will Bella be with you?

I nodded in affirmation. The wolves needed to make sure they knew all our scents, and there was no way I was leaving Bella unprotected.

Jacob will be there, but he will not approach her. He will be on his best behavior. You have my word.

"Thank you. Understand, that if he is not, I will intervene if necessary."

I understand, but please give us a chance to restrain him first.

"If he is any threat to Bella, I will not hesitate." The rest of the group watched our one-sided conversation, most of them understanding the subject being discussed. The other wolves were embarrassed by Jacob's behavior, except for Paul. He felt they should take out any and all leeches they came across and he didn't even try to conceal his hatred for our kind. He growled at my threat, but Sam commanded him to stand down. I watched as the sleek gray wolf cowered under his Alpha's command. I made a note to warn the rest of my family and friends of that particular wolf's temper and unbridled hatred. It would be in our best interest to watch our back in any dealings we may have with him. He seemed to be much more loyal to Jacob's cause than Sam's orders. As I understood it, the wolves absolutely had to obey their Alpha, but Paul's thoughts revealed that Jacob was actually the rightful Alpha due to his bloodline. Things could get interesting if the pack ever decided to split, or if Jacob wanted to replace Sam. For now, things seemed stable amongst the rest of the pack, and I hoped they stayed that way. The last thing we needed was werewolf trouble on top of the current newborn issue.

Edward.

I focused my attention on Sam as he addressed me.

I know you have no reason to trust us, but I wanted to give you my word as Alpha that we offer our most sincere apologies for the misunderstanding that took place when we attempted to rescue Bella. I know we are sworn enemies. The men of our tribe mutate in order to protect our families from your kind. It is hard to overcome the hatred associated with that, but Ephraim saw something in your coven all those years ago and put his trust in you. I want you to know, as the current Alpha, I do as well. I know you would never hurt a human willingly. I know there are some in our tribe who are appalled at Bella's involvement with your family, and they are not seeing the situation clearly. Out of all of us, I am probably the only one who understands what you and Bella have. That Emily can still love me after what I did...

He shook his massive head and whimpered. His pain was palpable even without Jasper's gift and subsequent mental commentary.

We are no better than you. We have both been thrust into this supernatural world with little to no choice. Both of us have had to struggle to gain control over our instincts. Imprinting is the way our pack assured that the gene it passed on to future generations. I had no choice but to submit when I laid eyes on my Emily, and I could never be without her. To know that I almost destroyed her... A wolf has no life without his imprint. I believe your kind has their own version of this phenomenon.

I nodded, following the gist of his thoughts before he managed to form them into words. It amazed me that he was trying to compare the two of us in some kind of spirit of warped brotherhood. While I could never see any of us hunting alongside the Quileutes, the sentiment was appreciated.

I was the one who found Bella in the woods when you left her that day. I saw first hand how devastated she was. I know you did not harm her, only that you were trying to protect her by removing yourselves from her life. That is something I could never attempt. I would be a shell of a man without Emily. Apparently your kind does not fare well without their mate either.

He paused as I'm sure he saw the flicker of pain across my features. No we do not fare well at all. "Leaving her was the worst mistake I ever made." I whispered, knowing he heard me. Not wanting to further emasculate me in front of my family and the pack he continued his mental speech.

What I'm trying to say is that we're both supernatural creatures with our own struggles...but we're both in love with women who would probably be better off if they'd never met us. However, they did, and they love us, despite what we are. Who knows, maybe it's our redemption for being dealt hands of fate that were out of our control. She's everything to me, my light, my happiness...just as I'm sure Bella is to you. It's not for me to stand in the way of that kind of love. You have done your best to care for Bella, and because of that I am granting an exception to the treaty. If you wish to truly make her your mate, there will be no retribution. This is the only exception we will make though.

My carefully composed expression cracked in surprise. It was a moment before I could reply.

"I appreciate that more than you will know. It is something we have planned for after we marry"

Carlisle's frantic thoughts called out to me. Edward, what are you agreeing to? This affects us all. Please, son...

"Sam has granted us an exception to the treaty. We may change Bella without fearing retaliation."

Carlisle's expression mirrored my own in surprise. "Oh! Well, thank you. We appreciate the consideration."

Sam nodded in his direction.

Edward, also know that we will help protect Bella, if you need us to. While I cannot send my pack to fight beside you, I would offer my home as a safe house for her while your family is otherwise engaged. The reservation will be guarded heavily until this matter is resolved. Jacob will not be allowed near her either. Please consider it.

"Thank you. I will." I nodded a little more curtly than I intended. The idea of allowing a pack of young werewolves to watch over my Bella soured my stomach. I hated the situation we were in. I needed to remain by her side, but I knew my family needed me, not only to fight, but also because my gift gave us quite an advantage. It would put them at risk to leave me behind, and if anyone got past the family and found us, I would be hard pressed to keep her safe against two or more vampires. On the reservation, she would have the entire pack to watch over her, even if they were young, they had experience and had not lost anyone to a vampire. Perhaps it was something I should consider more seriously. It could be the solution.

A few last details and pleasantries were exchanged before we parted ways. I was anxious to return to Bella and I knew I should discuss this with her before making any decisions. It should be up to her ultimately, but her safety was never something I could take lightly and I felt she needed the input of the family in order to make a fully informed decision. I wasn't sure how she would respond to that. If there was one thing I'd finally learned – Bella did not like being told what to do. She'd never understand how difficult it was for me to give up control of her safety. Of course, I don't think she ever really understood how much danger she'd actually been in either.

I shared everything with our group as we ran back to the house. Carlisle urged me to consider Sam's offer seriously. Jasper agreed that it would be the safest solution. She would be tucked away in Sam's house with his wife Emily, and the pack would be guarding the reservation very literally with their lives. She'd likely have very little contact with any of the wolves, and if they could get her there with no trail, it would be impossible for the newborns to track her if any got past them. Victoria might know of the wolves, but if she didn't find Bella's trail leading her there, she wouldn't have any reason to look. It did make sense, but could I give up that control?

The next few days were a flurry of activity as we took shifts staking out the warehouse and attempting to lure newborns away one or two at a time. The fresh donated blood Carlisle procured certainly worked as we'd hoped. The newborns never been trained or taught any kind of control. Victoria just turned them and then left them to their instincts. They scented the blood and became overwhelmed with the singular mission of obtaining it. They were easy to pick off that way, rarely sensing us before we had our teeth to their throats. We were careful to carry their pieces back to the clearing in Forks before burning them. We didn't want the others to become suspicious.

There was one blond male vampire who was older than the others, more in control. He seemed to have been left in charge of corralling the others. Riley. The only thoughts of Victoria I could glean from his mind were of them in compromising positions. He would dwell on those escapades constantly. He considered her his mate, and I couldn't help the pang of sadness I felt when I realized she was only using this boy. He was younger than I'd been when turned. She had ended his human life and cursed him to this immortality only to be used as a pawn in her games. None of the others seemed to have much contact with the fiery red-head and it made me wary. It was as if she knew our talents and how to avoid them somehow. We'd tried tracking and hunting her, but she always evaded us. I was beginning to wonder if she had some kind of gift for it.

I took out my frustrations on a male newborn that night. He looked to be in his thirties and was filthy. His hair and skin covered with dirt and blood, probably from his own change as well as any humans he had drained. As agreed, I offered him a chance to surrender and learn our way of life. He laughed and then attacked in an attempt to get to the fresh blood we had opened further back on the trail. We'd had yet to have one of them take us up on our offer. Kate and I carried the pieces back to Forks that night and destroyed them. His name was David. The toll of human and vampire life weighed heavily on us all.

The entire household was in a military mindset, led by Jasper, Carlisle, and Eleazar. We worked out strategies and tried to come up with a foolproof plan for finally taking the whole nest out. However, we all knew that our end goal was to take Victoria down, and we didn't want to act until we were sure we would have her. She had no attachment to these newborns, and once they were eliminated, she would simply move on and create more. She was the one we had to stop. Somehow we had to lure her our and make her confront us. We had no pawn in this game though...other than Bella that is. I was positive that if we took Riley and tried to use him as leverage against her, she'd let him burn before giving herself up. While Jasper was correct, that using Bella as bait would most likely bring Victoria out of hiding, it was absolutely out of the question. I wouldn't allow her to be placed in that kind of danger.

Our days and nights were filled with training, planning, missions, and hunting. Jasper, Peter and Charlotte had the most experience fighting newborns, so they led the training, breaking us up into groups. We hunted every other day in order to keep up our strength, making sure no one went off alone. Peter and Charlotte partook of the donated blood so they could stay close to the house. Jasper was in full on military mode, and it wasn't hard to see why he'd been Maria's favorite. Watching the three of them was fascinating. We'd never had much of a need to fight before, always the peaceful coven who avoided conflict. They had taken over and turned us into quite a formidable group of fighters. With our unique gifts and their skill, we were more confident about facing Victoria's nest.

We'd taken out six newborns in four days and I was worried. It was enough that Riley would notice. It was enough that he would become suspicious. We would have to strike soon, before they could regroup. Before she could revise her strategy.

Bella was left mostly to her own devices during all of this. It hurt not to spend every moment together as we had on the island, but we had to finish this and ensure her safety. We had an eternity stretched out before us, these weeks would be mere memories soon. She spent a good amount of her time with the Denali sisters, surprisingly. They were as eager as Alice to help her with wedding plans, since there hadn't been such an occasion since Rose's last nuptials. Bella held her ground and declined their assistance though. Neither one of us really wanted Tanya involved at all. I wasn't as quick to forgive as some of the others. Our wedding should be intimate, and right now Tanya was not a part of our familial circle. She'd betrayed us all and it would take quite some time before I trusted her again. I felt very strongly that my sisters should be the only ones helping her, and they were too involved in trying to take out Victoria to focus on wedding details. Our time together was limited. We'd exchange smiles, but hers were always sad or her expression tight, the stress of the situation showing plainly in her demeanor. I made sure to be there when she went to bed so I could hold her, and that was the only time it felt like everything was right with the world. We rarely talked, and I had yet to bring up Sam's offer, knowing I was an idiot for not doing it already. A part of me hoped it wouldn't come to that.

Jasper and Alice both gave me not so subtle hints that she was pulling away from me, and that I needed to do something to bring her back. I was so singularly focused on getting rid of the threat Victoria held over us, that I ignored them like the idiot I was. My heart ached for her, but I was committed to the mission. There would be plenty of time for us to reconnect after this was taken care of.

It was on the fifth day that the sound of shattering glass echoed through the house. Immediately seeking out the thoughts of the one who was responsible, my mind was filled with chaotic images of our family, newborn vampires, and then nothing. I flew to my tiny clairvoyant sister's side and watched her as she frantically sought to piece the fragments together, making decisions and searching over and over in order to try to change the outcome.

Every vision ending with the black.

Jasper sensed our terror and wrapped his arms around his wife, waiting for her to explain. The rest of the house was silent, waiting anxiously, except for the beating of Bella's heart. She was tucked away upstairs, unaware that there was anything wrong.

"Bella?" I asked her. My voice a strangled whisper.

She searched, and Bella's future disappeared as well, though it was close to the house and some of us were by her side. I think it's because you've decided to send her with the wolves. Alice was positive that was the cause.

"Maybe they come to our aid after all?"

She shook her head. Sam said they wouldn't.

We both knew then that this whole situation may very well be hopeless. The only available option was for Bella to go to the reservation and to let the wolves protect her. Whatever happened to our family, she couldn't be there. We couldn't risk her like that. She was too precious. We couldn't just walk away either. Human life was too precious.

Everyone, save Bella, was aware something was horribly wrong. We gathered around the table that had been the site of so many family meetings and Alice explained what she saw. No one wavered from the mission, but they thought we should call Aro and ask for assistance. We were not the law makers and their guard was trained to handle rogue vampires such as this.

Eleazar made the decision to call Aro, and Alice searched our future again. "They will agree to send Jane, Felix, and Demetri, but our future remains the same."

"Are you sure it's not just the wolves." Carlisle asked.

"I can't be sure, no. I've never been able to get a clear picture of this situation because there are too many decisions to be made, and I think Victoria knows how to avoid my foresight somehow." She pouted in frustration.

"So, we're not facing certain death. It's possible we may still make it out of this. Picking off the newborns has been too easy. I don't see how she could possibly be victorious against our experience and skill, especially now that her numbers have dwindled."

Alice's brow furrowed before she nodded in agreement. "You're right, Carlisle. We can't give up. I'm sure there's an explanation for the blank spots. It's just so frustrating."

Jasper gently massaged her shoulders in a comforting gesture. "It'll be alright Alice. I know what we're facing, and the odds are greatly in our favor." He projected his confidence into the room, and Peter and Charlotte nodded in agreement. The three of them were certain we could handle this. Whatever was causing Alice's visions to short circuit would not be allowed to sway our confidence.