A/N: Hi again, sorry for the rather long time between updates. Busy couple of weeks … my husband was out of town a lot so I was often on full time baby duty. Aubrey's finding herself more and more awake these days, and doesn't seem to like my attention being anywhere but on her. :) Hope everyone is good and enjoys this next installment. Your reviews make me smile!
Thanks again to shasta53 for helping catch my sleep deprivation induced typos!
Target – EPOV
The sun filtered in through the window, catching Bella's hair and making it look almost golden. She was radiant in the morning light, and though I'd told her a thousand times how gorgeous she was, I wondered if she would ever truly believe me.
"Good morning," I whispered when she started to stir.
"Very good," she mumbled, tightening her grip on me, still half asleep.
I ran my fingers gently through her hair as her eyes fluttered open and struggled to focus.
"There's no hurry," I told her, not quite ready to let go yet. "It's still early."
"I know, but I feel kind of bad having left Charlie alone the past two days."
"He was alone every day before you came. I'm pretty sure he can take care of himself."
I was trying not to be paranoid, but something told me there was another reason she was anxious to get home. Was she hoping Jacob would have called to apologize? And if he hadn't, would she try to contact him, eager to make amends? As hard as it was, I tried to push those thoughts aside, reminding myself I'd promised to stay out of it.
"I still think I should get back. Besides, you'll be coming over soon, right?"
"Of course. I'll be right behind Alice. But, in keeping up appearances, I'll wait a respectable amount of time before coming in. How does five minutes sound?" I asked, winking at her.
She laughed, stretching up to kiss me.
Everyone decent in there? Alice teased, her footsteps right outside my door. Jasper said the energy was feeling a bit... charged last night.
I sighed, reluctantly pulling away from Bella's kiss.
"Come in, Alice," I said dryly. Bella's eyes widened and she blushed, scrambling to put a bit of space between us as Alice opened the door.
"Relax," she laughed as she stepped inside. Doesn't she know yet that there really is no such thing as privacy in this house?
I growled, too low for Bella to hear, and Alice rolled her eyes.
"I figured I'd be driving you home today, Bella, since Edward's technically not supposed to be home yet."
"Yes, thank you. I'm ready whenever you are," she said, then turned to me and added, "see you soon?"
"Not soon enough," I said, kissing her forehead.
I waited about ten minutes before heading out, wanting to give Bella at least some time with Charlie. When I arrived, I heard the TV on in the living room. I sighed. So much for father-daughter bonding time.
Just as I reached up to ring the doorbell, I realized something wasn't right. I caught an unfamiliar scent and my hands clenched into fists as Bella opened the door. The scent was even stronger inside the house.
"Edward? What –?" she started to ask, but I quickly interrupted, needing to know what was happening before panicking her.
"Give me two seconds. Don't move."
I ran silently past Charlie, up the stairs and to her room, horrified that the scent was stronger there than the rest of the house. Another vampire had been there, and it seemed they were the most interested in Bella.
My first thought was that Victoria had managed to come back into town undetected, but I'd tracked her before, and the unfamiliarity of the scent suggested someone else. It could easily be a member of the Volturi checking up on Bella, and if that was the case, they would be less than ecstatic about the fact that she was still human. It didn't seem likely, however, because I doubted Alice could have missed something like that. She'd been keeping a close watch on them, and as far as we knew, they had made no plans to visit us.
I made a quick circuit through the rest of the house. The scent was present, though more subtle, in Charlie's room, and it was only then that I realized the impossibility of him being alive right now. It added to my suspicion that it was one of the Volturi. They would have wanted to keep a low profile and they most likely would have resisted the urge to kill him. If it had been anyone else, I couldn't imagine them leaving him alive.
I raced back to Bella's side, hating the nervous look on her face. I was afraid to tell her my suspicions, knowing the conclusion it would lead her to. She was already in such a hurry to be changed, if she thought she – not to mention Charlie – were in danger because she was human, there would be no stopping her.
I pulled Bella close to me, protecting her though I knew the immediate threat was long gone. I led her into the kitchen, scanning every inch of the room as if someone was going to jump out at us.
"Someone's been here," I whispered, worried Charlie might be eavesdropping on our conversation.
"I swear that no werewolves – " she started. For once I wished it had been the wolves.
"Not one one them," I said, looking meaningfully into her eyes. "One of us."
I was horrified, watching the sick look on her face as the fear set in.
"Victoria?" she gasped.
"It's not a scent I recognize."
"One of the Volturi," she said. It sounded more like a statement than a question.
"Probably."
She relaxed infinitesimally. The idea seemed slightly less terrifying to her than that of Victoria, which made me wonder if she had somehow blocked out the atrocities she'd witnessed in Italy. The Volturi were every bit as great of a threat to her as Victoria.
"When?" she asked.
"That's why I think it must have been them – it wasn't long ago, easily this morning while Charlie was sleeping. And whoever it was didn't touch him, so there must have been another purpose."
"Looking for me."
Her expression remained surprisingly calm, though her racing heart betrayed her terror. I cursed myself for having once again brought such horrors into her life. No one should have to live in fear for their life, and because of me, this was becoming an all too common worry. I stared at her, wishing more than anything that I could shield her from worry and pain, but knowing there was no way. At least not while she was human...
"What are you two hissing about in there?" Charlie's voice pulled me abruptly from my unwanted thoughts. I felt like a monster for having let it cross my mind – dooming her to this life could never be considered protecting her.
Bella's eyes, wide with fear, stared at Charlie as if she wanted to scream. I knew that look. It was the same look she'd had when she'd first been tracked by James and I'd tried to take her away from Charlie. She was scared for his life, so much so that, for the moment, concern for her own safety completely vanished.
Charlie misread her expression and broke into a smile.
"If you two are having a fight...well, don't let me interrupt."
Bella remained frozen as he left the room, and as I listened to her frantic breathing, I knew I couldn't stand for her to be in the house a moment longer. Her once seemingly safe home now felt tainted, and I hated myself all the more for it. I had to get her out.
"Let's go," I said, knowing what was coming next.
"But Charlie!" she protested. A second later, I had my phone out and was dialing. I'd been given no warning, so obviously Alice had missed whoever this intruder was, but I hoped that by now she had some idea of what was going on. If she had seen something, I was sure she would have already enlisted Emmett and Jasper's help in checking the area.
"Hey, what's going on?" Emmett answered, far too relaxed. Clearly, they were all still in the dark.
"Emmett," I said, then spoke quickly, not wanting Bella to hear any more than she needed to. "Alice missed something. A vampire, probably one of the Volturi, was here in Bella's room. I need to get her out of here, but she's afraid for Charlie. Can you and Jasper make a quick circuit through the woods around her house, then hang around for a bit while I talk to Alice?"
"Of course. Is Bella okay?" I appreciated the sincere concern in his voice. He truly looked at Bella like she was his little sister, and it meant a lot to me that even with Rosalie's opposition, he had accepted her into our family completely.
"She's okay, just shaken up. We'll both feel better when we've spoken with Alice. Hopefully she knows what this is all about. I'll talk to you later."
"No problem. Tell her not to worry about Charlie. We'll keep him safe."
The line went dead and I reached out to take Bella's arm. It was a struggle to stay calm, and I could feel her hesitation as I started walking toward the door. What I really wanted to do was pull her onto my back and run as fast as I could back to my house, though I didn't think Charlie was quite distracted enough not to notice us fly past him.
"Emmett and Jasper are on their way," I promised her, pleading with my eyes. "They'll sweep the woods. Charlie is fine."
Bella was eying me skeptically, but I felt her relax slightly beneath my touch. Although she was scared for Charlie, I could also tell she wasn't entirely comfortable being in the house. I walked us hastily to the door, and Bella looked at him, unable to hide the panic she was feeling. Charlie's muddled thoughts shifted from excitement to confusion as he took in the scene, but we didn't have time to stop and make up excuses.
"Where are we going?" Bella asked quietly, although we were well out of Charlie's hearing range.
"We're going to talk to Alice."
"You think maybe she saw something?"
"Maybe," I said, trying to force my voice to remain steady. It was difficult for me to admit even to myself how upset I was with Alice.
She'd been so confident, nearly cocky really, about how finely tuned her senses were when it came to watching Bella. She'd told me once that it was the clearest she'd ever seen a human, and though she'd refrained from saying it out loud, I'd heard the rest of her thought. Bella was almost as easy to see as a vampire, because she was already so familiar and accepting of our lifestyle, so ready to be a part of it. As upset as it had made me, I'd at least been able to take comfort in knowing Bella's future was in clear focus for Alice. So where was that clear picture now?
We arrived at my house a few minutes later. Emmett and Jasper were already gone, but the rest of my family stood waiting just inside the door. My eyes went instantly to Alice, eager to demand an explanation for how a vampire was allowed to get into Bella's room when she was supposedly on the lookout. Carlisle took one look at my expression and his thoughts were immediately reproachful.
Calmly, Edward, this isn't her fault. She already feels bad enough. Please remember, she can't see everything all at once.
But I was already gone, frustration and fear having overtaken rational thought.
"What happened?" I growled, glaring at her unmoving posture.
"I have no idea," she said softly, eyes fixed on mine. "I didn't see anything."
"How is that possible?"
"Edward," Bella whispered, shocked. She didn't often hear me angry.
"It's not an exact science, Edward," Carlisle said, this time out loud, making sure he had my full attention. I couldn't bring myself to look at him, partly because I was transfixed by the ire in Alice's usually loving eyes, and partly because I didn't want to see the disapproval I was sure was in Carlisle's.
"He was in her room, Alice. He could have still been there – waiting for her."
"I would have seen that." Give me some credit here. That would have affected her future and I wouldn't have missed that.
I cringed. By "affected her future," she might as well have said destroyed it.
"Really? You're sure?" I spat.
This is bordering on humiliating, Edward, and I don't deserve it, she thought icily.
"You've already got me watching the Volturi's decisions, watching for Victoria's return, watching Bella's every step. You want to add another? Do I just have to watch Charlie, or Bella's room, or the house, or the whole street, too? Edward, if I try to do too much, things are going to start slipping through the cracks."
"It looks like they already are," I said coldly.
"She was never in any danger. There was nothing to see." Everything about her future is exactly as it was. Everything, she added again for emphasis.A tiny smirk tugged at her mouth, and I spoke quickly to block out the image I was sure was about to back up that assurance.
"If you're watching Italy, why didn't you see them send – "
"I don't think it's them. I would have seen that."
"Who else would leave Charlie alive?"
I felt Bella's breath catch and she started to shake. It wasn't something she wanted to think about, but of course she knew it was true. A random rogue vampire wouldn't have thought twice about taking Charlie's life. All alone in the middle of the night, evidence so easily disposed of.
The Volturi, however, were all about keeping a low profile, and they wouldn't want to burn any bridges, especially where our family was concerned. They would have made sure that whomever they'd sent was well fed and in complete control. If this intruder was indeed one of them, Charlie had never been in any danger.
I watched as Alice quickly sifted through image after image, trying to find any clue, anything we might have missed, but there was nothing. For the first time since I'd arrived home, her voice softened and she sounded genuinely apologetic.
"I don't know," she said sadly.
"Helpful," I muttered.
"Stop it, Edward," Bella chided. I looked down at her, and it was less than a second before the guilt hit me. She'd been the one in danger, yet she would never blame Alice – or anyone for that matter – for circumstances that were clearly out of our control.
"You're right, Bella. I'm sorry." As soon as I'd said it, I knew she wanted my apology directed elsewhere. I turned to Alice, full of remorse. "Forgive me, Alice. I shouldn't be taking this out on you. That was inexcusable."
"I understand. I'm not happy about it, either." And I promise I'll keep an even closer watch until we know exactly what we're up against, she added silently, likely not wanting to frighten Bella further.
"Okay," I said, promising myself to remain as rational and pragmatic as possible. The last thing Bella needed was to see how fearful I was about the situation. The best thing we could do for her at this precise moment was to let her know she was protected. "Let's look at this logically. What are the possibilities?"
She's being tracked again. Can't keep herself out of trouble for five minutes, Rosalie thought icily.
Another coven spontaneously decided to pass through the town and happened to catch her scent, Alice thought, searching for a reason she didn't see them coming.
Poor dear, it must be terrifying knowing someone was in her home.
Esme's motherly kindness and concern took over her every thought, and I led Bella to the couch to sit beside her. She put her arm lovingly around Bella's shoulder while I held Bella's hands tightly in mine, careful not to crush her but feeling a desperate desire to hold her closer.
"Victoria?" Carlisle asked as I sifted through everyone's thoughts, trying to find something I hadn't already considered.
"No. I didn't know the scent. He might have been from the Volturi, someone I've never met..."
Alice was quick to interject. "Aro hasn't asked anyone to look for her yet. I will see that. I'm waiting for it."
That was when it hit me. The reason one of them could have slipped through Alice's radar. She was watching for the wrong thing.
"You're watching for an official command?"
"You think someone's acting on their own? Why?"
The Volturi presented a united front on the surface, but I'd had the opportunity to look into their minds. It was fascinating the way Aro simply assumed the others would follow him blindly, yet the more I heard, the more I realized that some of their loyalties were holding on by a very thin thread.
"Caius's idea," I said, remembering the way he'd been virtually ready to strike Alice and I down when we refused to join them. And Bella … I was appalled at how quickly he had decided she must be destroyed.
"Or Jane's ..." Alice added. "They both have the resources to send an unfamiliar face... "
"And the motivation." I felt my fists clench as I thought back to Jane's hate-filled mind. She was drunk with the power, and willing to do whatever was necessary to hold onto her place of honor at Aro's side.
From the moment Aro made his proposition to us she was furious, under the impression that adding Alice and my talents to the mix would diminish her importance in his eyes. Then, when she heard Aro discussing the possibilities of Bella's future powers, should she be changed and choose to join them, a new wave of hatred took over. Her fury was fueled even more by the fact that her particular talent had absolutely no effect on Bella.
Esme's words broke into my thoughts and I forced myself to relax, reminding myself of the necessity of keeping a cool head.
"It doesn't make sense, though," she said, her arm still around Bella. "If whoever it was meant to wait for Bella, Alice would have seen that. He – or she – had no intention of hurting Bella. Or Charlie, for that matter."
Bella went rigid at my side.
"It's going to be fine, Bella," Esme said soothingly.
"But what was the point then?" Carlisle said, mostly to himself.
"Checking to see if I'm still human?" Bella asked, her voice surprisingly steady, like it was a valid reason for them to have made a visit. I chose not to dwell on that.
"Possible," Carlisle said. Then he glanced at me so quickly I was sure Bella hadn't seen. We may have less time than we think.
My eyes widened, but before I had time to let the panic truly take over, Rosalie's bitter mind distracted me.
Idiot's already made her choice, might as well get it over with and be done with it. Then they can go run off to wherever it is they're going and leave the rest of us alone. So ridiculous … constantly on the lookout … don't know how Alice can stand it …
As she launched into a string of incoherent insults, I felt miserable and hopeless. Rosalie, my one strange but sure partner in the battle to keep Bella human, had finally given up. Even she was tired of the fight, ready to give in for the sake of convenience.
As my thoughts grew more dejected by the second, Emmett and Jasper came running into the house.
"Long gone, hours ago," Emmett said, adding a silent apology to me. "The trail went East, then South, and disappeared on a side road. Had a car waiting."
"That's bad luck," I said under my breath as an image of the wolf pack tearing the menace limb from limb filled my mind. "If he'd gone west … well, it would be nice for those dogs to make themselves useful."
Bella's breath caught and I saw her shake. She was worried about her friends being in danger because of her, just like she worried when my family took on James last year. One vampire posed no threat to a coven our size, or a pack like the one Jacob ran with. Would she ever realize that she was the only fragile, breakable one in the picture?
"Neither of us recognized him," Jasper said. "But here. Maybe you know the scent." He handed Carlisle a piece of greenery, but when he smelled it, he shook his head dismally.
"No. Not familiar. No one I've ever met."
"Perhaps we're looking at this the wrong way. Maybe it's a coincidence ..." Esme started to say.
Everyone's thoughts turned instantly skeptical – all except for Carlisle who was filled with nothing but love and admiration.
My love, the eternal optimist …
"I don't mean a coincidence that a stranger happened to pick Bella's house to visit at random," she amended, taking in the expressions around her. "I meant that maybe someone was just curious. Our scent is all around her. Was he wondering what draws us there?"
"Why wouldn't he just come here then?" Emmett asked, eyebrow raised. "If he was just curious?" To Emmett, everyone in the world had a tendency to make things more complicated than they needed to be.
That's my boy, Esme thought with a grin.
"You would," she said. "The rest of us aren't always so direct. Our family is very large – he or she might be frightened. But Charlie wasn't harmed. This doesn't have to be an enemy."
Please, Edward, for your sake and for Bella's, try to relax. Don't always assume the worst, she silently pleaded. Carlisle was still watching her, awe in his eyes and his thoughts, while the rest of us pondered the possibility.
It wasn't completely out of the question. With Bella's luck, and her being so prone to dangerous situations, it would just figure that yet another random vampire would decide to take an interest in her. Not that that made me feel any better about the situation. If anything, it added an element of uncertainty that made me impossibly more nervous. At least if it was Victoria or one of the Volturi, we knew what we were up against. What if this was another tracker like James? What if he already had Bella's scent in his head and was looking for her right now?
I suddenly realized Alice was watching me indignantly.
I see that look on your face. Stop picturing some new horror, we have enough to worry about as it is. I know I missed this one, but I won't let it happen again She's fine.
After I nodded reluctantly, she spoke aloud, her voice infused with confidence.
"I don't think so. The timing of it was too perfect … This visitor was so careful to make no contact. Almost like he or she knew that I would see ..."
"He could have other reasons for not making contact," Esme said calmly.
"Does it really matter who it was?" Bella asked, her heart racing. I knew that frightened sound, recognized the panic in her voice. I knew what she was going to say before she said it. "Just the chance that someone was looking for me … isn't that reason enough? We shouldn't wait for graduation."
"No, Bella," I said firmly, though I'd learned by now that my unwavering tone meant basically nothing to her where this subject was concerned. "It's not that bad. If you're really in danger, we'll know."
I shot a quick look at Carlisle, pleading with my eyes for him to be the voice of reason. I'd concluded it was easier for Bella to listen to him where timing was concerned, since she knew he supported her decision to be changed to begin with.
"Think of Charlie," he said gently. "Think of how it would hurt him if you disappeared."
"I am thinking of Charlie!" she shrieked. "He's the one I'm worried about! What if my little guest had happened to be thirsty last night? As long as I'm around Charlie, he's a target, too. If anything happened to him, it would be all my fault!"
"Hardly, Bella," Esme said sweetly. It would be ours, for not protecting you the way we've promised to. I could hear the hurt and worry as she allowed herself one brief moment to do what she'd instructed me not to do – fear the worst. "And nothing will happen to Charlie," she added, gently stroking Bella's hair. "We're just going to have to be more careful."
"More careful?" Bella asked, her eyes unfathomable. Once again, I was left hating myself for ever having brought this upon her. No one should have to fear for their lives and the lives of those they love, because of the company they keep.
"It's all going to be fine, Bella," Alice said, though her eyes were on me, her thoughts echoing the sentiment as I held Bella's hand with all the strength I could allow.
Bella stayed with us a little while longer, and though she made no more mention of her transformation date, I knew it was the foremost thing on her mind. By the time I drove her home, she was practically sulking.
"You won't be alone for a second," I promised, although I knew that wasn't what was bothering her. "Someone will always be there. Emmett, Alice, Jasper ..."
"This is ridiculous. They'll get so bored, they'll have to kill me themselves, just for something to do."
Even when I knew she was kidding, her lack of concern for her well being always made me nervous.
"Hilarious, Bella," I muttered as we pulled into her driveway.
When we walked inside, Charlie's thoughts were … smug. And strangely hopeful, though I couldn't tell exactly why.
"I'll be right back," I told Bella as she cooked Charlie's dinner. I said it in as light a tone as I could muster, but of course she understood what I was doing. It wasn't that I didn't trust Emmett and Jasper to have thoroughly scoured the area, but if we'd learned one thing today it was that things change quickly, and we can't necessarily see everything coming in advance. Things could change in a matter of seconds.
I ran a quick circle around the house's perimeter, catching no unfamiliar scents, no sign that anything wasn't exactly as it should be. I ran to the end of her street, then made a loop through the surrounding wooded area. I was certain that if one of us was nearby, that would be the ideal place to hide, undetected among the constantly changing scents of the forest.
When I was sure the area was clear, I made my way back to Bella's house just in time to hear why Charlie had seemed so enthusiastic.
"Jacob called again," he said pointedly the moment I'd walked through the door.
"Is that a fact?" Bella answered dryly. I had to suppress a grin at Charlie's crestfallen expression. He must have been underestimating how upset Bella was with Jacob. Personally, I thought she'd been very clear about the matter, but of course I was paying close attention.
"Don't be petty, Bella," he said. "He sounded really low."
"Is Jacob paying you for all the P.R., or are you a volunteer?"
Charlie's low mumbles blended perfectly with the cluttered confusion of his mind. He wanted to know what Jacob had done to make Bella turn her back on him so completely, but he knew it wasn't his place to ask. He was frustrated and at a loss, so he eventually excused himself to the living room where he pretended to watch TV while listening intently to us.
"Good night, Bella," I said politely – and deliberately loudly – smiling as Bella rolled her eyes. "See you soon," I added in a whisper, grazing her ear with my lips.
It was a fast trip back home. Emmett was guarding Bella's house, and while I felt nothing but confidence in his ability to protect her, I was feeling somewhat guilty for putting my entire family out, and was eager to relieve him of his post.
I changed my clothes and asked Alice if she'd seen anything new.
"Nothing to report in town. And no changes in Italy as far as I can see. Everyone seems more or less content, with no immediate plans to visit or check in."
"Unless someone decides to come here on a whim," I said dismally. "They all know the way your ability works. Do you think someone could be using it against you, blocking you in a sense by not planning ahead?"
"We've always run that risk. It's as true today as it ever was. The only difference is that now something has happened to scare you, and it's made you more aware of the loopholes in my power." I'm sorry, she added silently, and a new wave of guilt hit me.
"Don't be sorry," I said, forcing a smile. "I appreciate everything you do, and I'm sure it will be enough."
With a sigh, she nodded and left the room. She wanted to believe me as much as I wanted to believe myself.
Without another moment's hesitation, I was running back to Bella's house.
All clear, Emmett thought when I came into view.
"Thank you," I called softly to him as I climbed up into her window.
I'd been worried that Bella would have trouble sleeping, knowing that an uninvited guest had been in her room, but she seemed surprisingly at ease. I suspected it was at least partly an act to make me feel better, but I didn't dare question her, or make her think about it any more than she likely already was.
Acting as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened, we slipped seamlessly back into our normal routine. Wrapped tightly in her quilt to shield her from my frozen skin, Bella curled up into me as best she could, and I sung to her until she fell asleep. My fingers ran gently through her hair while I listened intently for any sign of distress in her dreams. It was the one place she couldn't hide from me or put on any type of bravado, so I was grateful when I heard nothing but her normal sighs and declarations of love.
Charlie left early the next morning, allowing Bella and I a rare morning of uninterrupted togetherness. I watched her eat breakfast, trying to decipher the meaning behind the nervousness in her eyes as she glanced over at me. Surely she had plenty to fear, but I doubted that was what this particular look was about. I wished I was wrong, but something told me Jacob was on her mind, and that our short but enjoyable werewolf embargo was about to end.
"I'm going to let Jacob off the hook," she finally said. I put on my very best, sincerest smile. Staying out of it, not making her choices for her …
"I knew you'd forgive him. Holding grudges is not one of your many talents."
Bella looked satisfied by my show of civility, and I watched in polite acceptance as she dialed his number. I listened silently as he babbled out his inane apology, wishing I didn't notice the way it made Bella's face light up. I didn't flinch when he invited her down for a visit. My careful facade remained fully intact until he callously joked about making it up to her by taking her cliff diving.
A low snarl ripped through me, and I was grateful I'd opted to keep a bit of distance between myself and Bella. Clearly it had been too low for her to hear, and I quickly reset the smile on my face. Bella looked at me warily before declining his invitation.
"Not right now," she said sadly.
"He's not thrilled with me, is he?" Jacob asked, and I was stunned when I realized he sounded embarrassed. He must have known Bella would have told me exactly what he said. Perhaps he did actually realize how heartless and foolish he'd been.
"That's not the problem," Bella explained. "There's … well, there's this other problem that's slightly more worrisome than a bratty teenage werewolf..."
Couldn't have said it better myself, I thought, feeling rather proud of Bella.
When he asked what was wrong, I heard her hesitation. She could put on her brave face as much as she wanted, but it was obvious she didn't want to talk about it more than she had to. In any case, there was something I wanted to ask Jacob. I motioned toward the phone and Bella scrutinized me, trying to figure out my intention.
"Bella?" Jacob asked when she remained silent.
I gestured again, reaching closer to the phone. I didn't understand her refusal. It wasn't like I could reach through the phone and strangle him, as appealing as the prospect was.
"Do you mind speaking to Edward?" she finally asked cautiously.
"Okay," he said after deliberating. "This should be interesting."
The look on Bella's face as she handed me the phone was more than a little amusing. She was staring at me wide-eyed, silently telling me to mind my manners. Though it was hard to believe, I was actually finding it quite easy to keep my feelings toward Jacob in check. I'd started to realize I would always have the upper hand because I understood something he didn't. Bella was happier when I was nice to him.
"Hello, Jacob," I said with a smile.
"Hi, bloodsucker. To what do I owe this displeasure?"
"Someone was here – not a scent I know," I said, choosing to ignore him rather than play into his game. "Has your pack come across anything new?"
"Nope. No vamps in our territory. They all know better," he said pompously, though I could hear a twinge of nervousness in his voice. "You know, just because there's some new parasite running around, that doesn't give you the right to keep Bella away if she wants to come here. She'd be perfectly safe with us. No one's going to get past us, and you know it."
"Here's the crux, Jacob. I won't be letting Bella out of my sight till I get this taken care of. It's nothing personal – "
"You don't own her!" he spat. There was a pause, and when he spoke again, his voice was calmer. "Now, don't think that I don't get it. You guys are together and she wants to spend the majority of her time with you. I don't like it, but I'm not going to try to fight her on it. I already messed up once. Anyway, I figure you're going to be out trying to find this mystery vampire, and all I'm saying is that while you're out searching, you should let her be here. The whole pack is on constant vampire watch, we'll keep her safe."
"You might be right – " I started to agree, but apparently he wasn't listening anymore.
"Come to think of it, why aren't you out trying to find him right now? If it were me, I wouldn't rest until I'd caught the filthy bloodsucker." He paused, an idea forming in his mind. "In fact, if it's open vampire season up there, what would you say to granting the wolves an all access pass if we happen to catch the scent while he's on his way to Forks. I could maybe talk to Sam about allowing you guys the same access, if you caught the scent tracking him toward La Push. I don't know if he'll go for it, but it seems stupid to risk losing the trail over some boundary line."
"That's an interesting suggestion. We're quite willing to renegotiate. If Sam is amenable."
"I'll see what I can do. Keeping that thing away from Bella is the most important thing right now. I think even Sam will understand that."
"Thank you." It was amazing how fighting for a common good can put everything in perspective.
"So," Jacob continued, "when you do go out tracking this thing, who's going with you? I mean, does Bella have enough bodyguards left over?"
I thought about my promise to always have one of my family members with her during the short periods of time when I wasn't there. I'd also been entertaining the idea of taking a slightly longer tracking expedition, just to check all the surrounding areas, and while I'd considered taking Emmett and Jasper along, I much preferred the idea of going by myself and leaving the rest of them to watch over her. Strength in numbers seemed like the best way to go.
"I'd planned to go alone, actually. And leave her with the others."
"Oh, come on. If you're taking off, let Bella come stay with us. Then you can take the whole vampire hunting party if you want, and you don't have to worry about her. Like I said, we're on constant watch here. Nothing's getting through."
I thought briefly about it, trying my best to ignore the sick feeling in my gut at the thought of willingly turning her over to the wolves' protection. But, as much as I hated to admit it, he did have a point. They were quite capable where tracking was concerned, and they wouldn't hesitate for one second to rip whoever this was to pieces. They might have even finished off Victoria, if the issue of the boundary line hadn't come into play. And now we were working on making that line slightly less of on issue.
"I'll try to consider it objectively. As objectively as I'm capable of," I said.
"Hey, do you think I can stop by there and catch a whiff of the leech's scent while it's still strong? It'll be easier to track him if I know exactly what I'm looking for."
"That's not a half-bad idea. When?"
"The sooner the better. Now, if that's okay. I mean, if you can pry yourself away from Bella long enough for me to step in for a few minutes."
I was well past being irritated with his childish mockery. We were taking steps toward finding our intruder. That was all that mattered.
"No, that's fine. I'd like a chance to follow the trail personally, anyway. Ten minutes ..."
"And you'll be gone by the time I get there?"
"Certainly." I turned to Bella who was watching me with expectant eyes. "Bella?" I said, handing her the phone.
"What was that all about?" she asked the moment the phone was to her ear.
I tuned Jacob out politely while he told her the plan, however, when Bella warned him not to do anything risky, I heard him laugh at the same time I did. My Bella. After all this time, she was still always worried about the wrong things.
"You're coming up?" she said, after another minute. The excitement in her voice and eyes was impossible to miss.
"Jake, I really don't like the idea of you tracking – " she said worriedly, and I rolled my eyes. A moment later, she hung up the phone and turned to me, disbelieving.
"Yes, we're calling a temporary truce," I said gently. "Some things are simply more important than century-long rivalries."
She was still watching me skeptically as I ran my fingers through her hair, stopping to rest my hand on her cheek.
"Don't worry about us, Bella. Either of us. We're both fine, and more than capable of handing this. All you have to do is keep yourself safe, and we're happy."
I smiled as she relaxed under my touch. She truly was the most extraordinary creature I'd ever met. Somehow, this beautiful girl was special enough to both the vampires and the werewolves, that the rules were being changed. Maybe it wouldn't last beyond this immediate threat, but I could feel a perceptible shift in the balance between our family and the tribe. As strange and unsettling as it might be, we were now fighting the same enemy. And that changed everything.