Chapter Thirty

Charlie

As I headed home I thought about the conversation I'd just had with Carlisle, if I didn't know better I'd have sworn it was from the Twilight Zone or something like it. Apparently my daughter had run off with a man old enough to be her grandfather many times over, who looked like a teenager! He was also a Major in the Confederate Army and now lived off the grid. I guess he'd have to with his secrets. Secrets, it was all about secrets. The Quileutes knew the secret and they knew Jasper, at least by reputation. The Cullens knew the secret and again knew Jasper at least by reputation although something told me they knew rather more. But no one was prepared to tell me this secret for fear of putting me in danger. What kind and where from they were also unwilling to say.

I thought I was living in a nice, quiet, safe, small town but it seems there were currents below the surface. Currents my daughter had got caught up in and she knew the secret but not from Jasper, she'd guessed. My head was spinning and I wasn't sure who to turn to next or who to trust. I'd always been under the impression that the Quileutes and the Cullens were enemies at least Billy, Jake and Harry had made no secret of their hatred for the Cullens. Now Jake was going out with Alice Cullen. Either I'd had it totally wrong or there were fractures in Forks of which I knew nothing. I wasn't putting money either way but none of it helped me find Bella. I just wished she'd ring me so I knew she was OK and not being forced to do anything. I even contemplated ringing Renee but I knew she'd just blow a gasket and insist on coming to Forks which wouldn't help anyone. I decided to give it a little longer before insisting someone fill me in on this damn secret. The thing that got me most of all was that everyone except me seemed to find it normal that a guy born in the 1800s should still be around and looking like a teenager, was it me?..

Alice

I still wasn't welcome on the Reservation, though using the treaty as an excuse seemed pretty lame but Jake seemed happy enough at our place and everyone accepted him, except of course for Rose. She made it very clear that she didn't like him although Esme had stopped her antics after she had FIDO printed on a pile of tee shirts and hung them up in his wardrobe, the rest of his tops mysteriously disappearing at the same time.

My visions were not so clear now I was with Jake, as if they were struggling to pass his aura. I didn't care, I'd found my mate at last and we were blissfully happy, even hunting together. We found the rivalry a great stimulant and after catching our prey he would phase back and often we would end up making love on the forest floor. Rose always glared at my dishevelled state when we arrived back but Jake just told her not to be jealous,

"I'll give Emmett a few pointers if you like".

Emmett laughed which put him in her bad books for a few days but he didn't seem to worry too much, he just had more time to play computer games with Jake. In many ways they were similar and found myself changing, I no longer worried so much about designer clothes or expensive presents. The very idea of getting Jake in Armani was laughable and I loved him just the way he was, my Wolf Man.

We sat watching the sunset, me resting my back between his legs when it happened. The first clear vision I'd had in a long time and I gasped with the vividness of it. Jake put his huge arms around me,

"What's the matter babe?"

I shook my head trying to dispel the terrible vision from my head.

"Jake we have to find Bella".

He tensed "Why? Is she in trouble?"

"No, but Charlie and the Major will be".

That got his full attention. "Charlie?"

"Yes. He's going to keep trying to find them and he'll come to the attention of the Volturi. He's going to get them all killed and he doesn't know it".

"So what do we do? Try to stop Charlie?"

I turned round and looked into his beautiful dark eyes.

"We have to find them now and persuade Bella to run. We have to fake her death to stop Charlie in his quest"

"What? We have to kill her?"

"Yes in a manner of speaking, if we don't the Volturi will find them and it wont be a pretty outcome. The major, Charlie, Bella all dead. Jake we have to go now".

"How long do we have?"

"I don't know, a while I think. Lets hope I can see where they are and have time to make arrangements. Could you track them if I got close enough?"

"Should be able to if they stop anywhere I can get her scent".

"OK, let's go".

We packed a few things and telling only Carlisle what we planned, left borrowing Emmett's truck as the most rugged. I didn't think the Major would be anywhere easily accessible.

"Great" said Rose seeing us ready to go. "Your truck will smell like a kennel. We'll have to get it fumigated Em".

Jake gave her a one finger salute as we drove away.

"She loves me really" he said with a smile.

To me Jake was the most beautiful man in the world but when he smiled it took my breath away. "God you are beautiful Jake" I said leaning across to kiss his scorching lips with my cold ones. "Same back at you my Ice Maiden".

I laughed and leaned against him as we drove.

"So what happens if we get Bella away?"

"Oh we have to, there is no if about it. I've already made arrangements to get her new papers and money. You and I can fake her death and then we have to leave her to make her own way. We can't be involved after that in case we're watched"

Peter

More shit on its way I could feel it, but it didn't feel like the Volturi. This was something else entirely and I didn't like the feeling. When I told the Major, he wanted more information than I had for him, as usual. We decided the best thing to do was to get Bella away until we knew the score. She and Charlotte took a trip to Denver shopping staying away until we rang them with the all clear. Charlotte was looking forward to it, she never had a female friend to go out with before, but Bella was less enthusiastic.

"I don't want to leave. I want to stay with you Jasper. You and Peter can protect me from whatever danger there is, especially as you don't think its the Volturi Peter".

Jasper

I took Bella to one side,

"I don't want you to leave darlin' but I think it's for the best until we know just who is coming. It will be easier for Peter and myself if we don't have to watch out for you. I'm going to miss you but I want you to go with Charlotte. Buy yourself some new clothes, do some girlie things just for a few days so I know you are safe".

"Its going to be hard, being away from you" she explained and I took her in my arms,

"I'm going to miss you just as much, I'll ring you every day. Just be safe for me."

She nodded, tears slipping down her cheeks. I brushed them away, resisting the almost overwhelming urge to taste them as I did so.