Disclaimer: The Twilight Saga is owned by Stephanie Meyer.
Rating: Rated 'T' for 'Teen'. May change later.
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Family, Fluff, Friendship, First Time, General, High School, Horror, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Romance, Supernatural, Vampires
Warnings: Adult Content, Blood, Discriminatory Language, Violence
Pairings: Jasper/Bella, Emmett/Rosalie, Carlisle/Esme, Peter/Charlotte
Summary: Your typical story. Boy meets girl. They fall in love. A baby is quickly made. What happens when the boy's a vampire? What happens when said vampire is killed before the baby's born? Renée doesn't know what's going to happen to her baby, but Nahuel promises to keep it safe from his father. Jasper/ Bella
11. Rules
February 1986
Bella's P. O. V.
After thirty-one years, we would finally be visiting a man I looked to as a brother. I saw him everyday in my visions, but he had not heard from me since he and Aunt Huilen left Canada. Hopefully they would not be too difficult to find, but we had been probing our way through the dry woods surrounding the South-Easternmost Brazilian portion of the Amazon Rainforest for a little over a week with no sign of our coven mates, and I hadn't felt a single ding on my mental radar from someone I knew or vampires in general. I could see where it was they were, but I didn't know this area, even with the visions coming in from them at a constant rate. In addition, all of this looked the same except for the occasional fallen and decaying tree.
However, this land was so lovely; I did not mind the searching. Maybe we could come across a section that we could transition into a home for us. Like fancy tree houses.
'Head a tad West.' Sure thing. I took a slight right, which had Mama and Daddy skidding across the swampland to keep up with my change in direction, and leapt to the branches. This way would be much quicker for me, and seeing as how I was half as fast as an actual vampire, this was a good thing. Just outside of three hours of running, I felt a familiar ping on my radar. Immediately, I perked up and motioned for my parents to travel closer to me; Mother took my left flank while Father took my right.
Just before I knew I would be nearing hearing distance of the person I was searching for, I slowed down to less than a human's walk. Quickly, I crouched down, creeping around the area as I snuck around their territory. My visions went through different scenarios, none of which were too awful; some were downright humorous. Then, I could see my victim, perched in the tree that ran straight through the middle of a half-finished version of those fancy tree houses I had been thinking about building deep within this rainforest where no one would dare to search.
As soon as I was in the proper positioning, I sprang. Free falling from the treetop, my parents still clinging to the tree trunk of the vegetation I had been in. I snarled wildly as my body collided with theirs, completely surprising my target. They went sliding back and into a free-fall; I followed after, grasping a flailing limb and tugging the body to my own. Just before we would have crashed into the ground, I expanded my physical shield to encompass my friend as well. A fall like this would cause any harm to either a vampire or a hybrid, but that did not mean it would not leave a half-breed a little sore from the impact if we were not cushioned.
The crash sounded with a dramatic boom; a couple of young trees were culled from the vibrations. Immediately, I released my capture from my arms, kicking the person away. Another ping sounded on my mental radar. The two of us growled as my parents and old coven mate tried to come within easy grappling distance of us.
Nahuel changed the direction of those growls to throw them at me, knowing this was more than a simple backyard tussle that we had been fond of when we lived together. He the coven leader of his two and I was the one for the McCarty Coven. I could feel the authority radiating from him, that power pulsing through his veins. When I was younger, I had felt it as well, but I had not understood it then. Now though, I would be taking it from him. He was family, like a brother to me, and he would know it. Like my parents, he and Huilen were mine.
With a snarl, he leapt for me. I twisted to the side, easily avoiding him. Nahuel was never one for a planned battle, a trait of his I would have to rectify while we were in the area with him. Gradually, I edged to the side, staying on the balls of my feet so that I could alter directions effortlessly. He feinted to his left and switched up to his right, which I went for before he could adjust directions. Grabbing his arm, I took a good hold of his shoulder and elbow, and slammed him into the ground just to pull him up and slam him down again on his other side. This was more aggravating for him than painful; even as strong as the desire for being his superior was, I would not be causing him any true damage. Other than the bite I would give him to assure my dominance.
After about twenty minutes of this, he was finally able to get away from me, loosening my hold on his body by prying my fingers off him with his other hand. This had been in mid slam, so he had been flung aside, where he toppled over yet another tree. This time it had not been so little. Snarling at me, he charged again. Honestly, this boy never thought. Again, I tossed him aside after roughing him up, and, again, he merely went head on into our battle instead of deciding the best course of action. He did not get anywhere close to me for me to require any use of my shield, and Alice's visions were not necessary to be able to see what he was doing.
Eventually, I grew tired of his games. I took him by the throat and slammed him into the forest floor to straddle his body. Before he could react, I shoved my venom-coated teeth into his shoulder.
Vampires had two types of venom. There was the one that was everyday use; it was constantly in their mouth, weak, and a great deal of it was necessary to turn a human. This was the type Nahuel had. There was the other type; he or she used it for special occasions such as marking one's mate with his or her scent or putting a Coven Bond on another vampire, and it was much easier to turn a human with this kind. This type burned a great deal more when a vampire was bitten since it was much more potent; another vampire could smell this in the flesh of someone that had been bitten with it. This was why vampires used it to 'Mark' their mates. The burning was why he or she used it in Coven Bonds; the one being possessed was to understand who their 'owner' was.
Coven leaders are the only ones that perform these 'Coven Bonds'. It forever marks the bitten as a member of their coven and is something that should never be undone. Removing the vampire from the coven would require the flesh to be permanently removed from the body and then for the hole for the missing section to be branded with hot iron to smooth over the flesh. The act of the bite itself was instinctual, usually caused by the coven leader finding the coven mate in some sort of danger. Typically, these bites were on the back of the neck, shoulders, wrists, ankles, inside of the elbows, or shoulder blades. The side of the neck or the crook connecting it to the shoulders was usually reserved for mates. This had been information I received from both Peter's gift and a phone call from the Denali Coven.
I had both of these types of venom. Moreover, the latter was what I used to push into Nahuel's bloodstream. The only other hybrid I personally knew began an ear-piercing scream that Huilen tried to attack me for causing. Thankfully, Mother and Father held her back while I continued my work. She would be next. Once I was satisfied with the first bite, I did it again to thicken it further. Repeatedly, I did this until it was obvious to human standards.
Whipping around, I lunged for my aunt and held her down with my physical shield. This was not like with Nahuel where we started out on equal footing, sans my powers; she was much stronger than I was. Quickly, I went for the kill and sunk my choppers into the back of her neck, pushing in the more heady venom. Like with her nephew, I did this multiple times. Once I was finished, I could feel more electricity pulsing through me, stronger than it was before due to having more people within my coven.
When the first left my mother, father, and me when we went to New York, I hadn't felt such a strong connection to these people. But, since Joham had visited, bringing along his demon spawn daughter, Serena, with him, my instincts with marking them upon sight ignited. They were my family, and they now knew it.
Nahuel was the first to move, still giving me the occasional hiss from the burning of the venom in his body. "I'd ask why you did this, but I am not sure I desire to know." Still rubbing at the mark, he sighed. "I have lead Huilen and I for a very long time, Bella. It isn't in me to be subservient."
Smiling at the man, I answered calmly, "I don't ask you to be. I don't ask it of my parents. My ways can be learnt with time. If you like, they can explain to you how it is my coven, my family, works." My brother in everything except blood wasn't too enthusiastic to learn early on about how I ran my ship, and scurried off. I had a feeling that he would be difficult about the change in power.
But Aunt Huilen wasn't. She knew how coven leaders reacted to defiance and didn't desire such a reaction from me; she was covered with enough bites as it was. "Does she have any rules?"
Daddy grinned at her. I knew he wanted to tell her false information, but with one look from me, that desire was crushed. "She's pretty lenient. Check in with her if you want to leave the area. Don't disobey orders. Don't go into her space. Don't challenge any other people head on, always bring it to her. If you have any problems, bring them up to her, she'll deal with it. don't ask her fifty times what the future of something you want to do might bring. Don-"
"Wait," she interrupted, "the future?"
This time, it was Mama. "We've got a lot to explain to the two of you."
Thankfully, Huilen was willing to wait until Nahuel came back from his tantrum to explain the goings on of what went down the past thirty-one years. Plenty of questions were asked, all sorts of information was given, and my patience had been tested. That was a trait that was necessary in any good coven leader: patience. Along with generosity and forgiveness. I was a pretty patient person, but I wasn't sure I had those other two traits. My parents said that I did, but they were my parents. They were biased.
"We think that's why she has this need to be a coven leader, to lead us. These gifts are too much for her and she needs a semblance of control. About twenty years ago, she said you futures were going haywire. And she still refers to Joham as 'The Bad Man'." I do wish Daddy would stop bringing that up.
Immediately, the two newest permanent members of my coven sprang up. "Joham's coming here? But he just visited ten years ago; he was so damn pissed that we didn't have you. He was hoping that you would hav"
"He was hoping that I would have gone into my first ovulation. I know. That won't be happening within the next fifteen years, at least." I sighed, scrubbing my hands over my face. "He isn't coming. He was trying to make another boy. One I might be interested in mating with. Jennifer was born instead. He's thinking about trying again, but he doesn't want Jennifer to think he doesn't want her."
Mama growled lowly in her throat. "No offense Nahuel, but your father's an asshole." We all laughed.
"None taken."
July 1986
I had been right. Nahuel wasn't going to just fall in line where my authority was concerned. Instead of being able to relax my mind, being able to take a mental vacation from the anxiety of living in a populous city, I had to stress over his challenges in leadership. Everything I did, he had a rebuttal. Any rule I had, he broke within reason. He wasn't so much of an idiot that he actively sought out other covens.
His latest offense was his snooping through my things. That was just rude. He took my vision journal! Even Father wasn't oblivious enough to take something that personal. He didn't steal from me period; Mama would've taken his hand for that. It didn't take me long to find his scent. Really, it was a wonder how these two hadn't been found yet, despite the fact that they lived in such a remote location in the rain forest. Nahuel sucked at fighting and hiding his trail. Wasn't he better than this the last time I saw him?
Apparently, he thought he was safe, because his mental ping was still in the same place. The tree in front of me, towards the top. I leapt from branch to branch of the trees surrounding it and landing gently on the balls of my feet. He knew I was here, but I didn't care. I wasn't going to put up with this anymore. I was getting tired of his ornery ways.
"Why haven't you told him?" I was confused. "If you know he's your mate, why haven't you gone after him?" He was actually reading it? I merely thought he was trying to rile me up.
Jerk.
Slowly, I sat next to him. This was a topic that had never been discussed in my family. For one, no one else knew I had a mate. "He's happy."
"But you are in pain being away from him. That must count for something."
"At first, it was because I was happy this way. I didn't want a mate. I wanted to be alone. I tried to search out futures and information on how to break the bond, but nothing worked. I was stuck like that, bonded to a man I didn't want or like. I began to hate him, just for existing. For being alive to have this retched thing tied to me. The more I saw of him, the less I liked. He slept with any woman willing to take him and it was disgusting. I couldn't stand the person I was seeing. And… he couldn't either.
"He's a tired man, Nan." I never did drop that stupid nickname, doubted I ever would. "He's existed through a lot. He's 'The God of War', and part of that frightens me. Not that he can destroy just about anything he comes across-I want a strong fighter-but the fact that he's so intense. I can't deal with his bull like he needs. I can barely keep a hold on myself. Half of the time I feel like I'm losing my mind. You don't understand what it's like, to see the things I see. To know what I know. It's difficult just to get out of bed in the morning. How am I going to take care of him if I can't even take care of myself? Mama has to remind me to eat in the morning because I can't remember to do it. Daddy has to catch most of my food for me because I'm too mentally exhausted to do it. Do you really think 'The God of War' is going to put up with that? No. He is not going to want me." I sighed, pulling my knees up to my chest and wrapping my arms around my legs tightly.
I felt his hand pat my back gently. Or, at least pat my shield. "I am sorry. I cannot make things better for you like you need. I had been hoping life got easier for you while we were away. Seems like it became a great deal worse."
"I'm tired. I'm tired of the visions. I'm tired of the knowing. I'm tired of the emotions. I'm tired of my shield, of my radar. I'm tired. I'm just so dang tired."
"Let us take care of you for right now."
"My parents are trying to talk Aunt Huilen into visiting Las Vegas this Christmas. I don't know how I'm going to refuse their request when they're so set on going. Maybe next year, but this year a couple of Volturi members will be there. It's just not a good idea."
"I'll tell them for you."
"I also need to warn Huilen. She needs to hunt tomorrow, not next week like she plans. The clouds will come out too soon for her to find a hiding place then."
"I'll let her know."
"I'm going to have to go to the city in a few weeks. Garrett needs to be warned about a visitor."
"I can do that too, but who's Garrett?"
I scoffed at him. "No, you can't Nahuel. I wish there was some way to show you, but there isn't and you can't. You can't do what I do. You can't ease this for me. I wanted to come here so that I could deal with the stress that living in the city caused me, but I can't. There's too much for me to dotoo much for me to know. You can't do what I do. I wish you could help, but you cant.
"The only way you can make all of this easier is for you to stop testing my patience. After a long while, we'll be leaving you, and I'm going to have to trust you to see after Huilen, like you have all this time. Right now, I can't. I don't. I am this coven leader and you are part of my coven. I can't trust you Nan, and that hurts."
"Still, who's Garrett?" I laughed, having forgotten that we never told our extended family about the Mississippi Mishap.
August
It was time for one of my routine visits to a somewhat far away tourist trap city called Itaibuba. It was in Pará, Brazil. We were much closer to the river where Amazonas, Pará, and Mato Grosso connected. In fact, the meeting point of the river was about 120 miles east of the Trans-Amazonian Highway that passed right through Apuí, Amazonas, Brazil, and we were smack dab in the middle of that stretch of tree filled land. Well, if you were smack in the middle and went south-southeast about another seventy-five to a hundred miles. No one would travel that far in, they'd easily get lost and die. Nahuel and Huilen lived at the Eastern base of a large hill; a hill I liked to climb to the tops of the trees to watch the sunrise from.
As soon as we found Huilen and Nahuel, we bought a 'small' house that was mostly to be used to whenever we went to town. It was a six hour drive from Apuí, so it was plenty far from our home. So far, I was going once a week to deal with stock market issues and vision business. Normally, one of my four coven mates would tag along, but I all but snarled at each of the vampires when they tried to follow me. Nahuel had learned to leave me alone after our little talk. I wasn't ready to deal with him yet.
The boy next door to my house watched me pull into the drive way, ogling the yellow Dino I drove. Whenever I was living in the Amazon, I typically kept it towards the edge of the road about thirty minutes out of the very border of the town, hidden in the wilderness and covered by a tarp, when I was staying with the rest of the coven. Nothing was kept in this house that was too expensive or worth stealing while we were away. If you didn't count the clothes.
Immediately after I locked my car up, he started up on his fuss. The classic 'Hey Baby' mess I heard wherever I went; between Mama and Aunt Huilen, I seemed to know some fine-looking women. The only time I attended college, Daddy had gotten so upset by a few males hounding after my mother and I that he nearly got himself arrested. No one would touch his wife or his baby. Of course, I had been his 'twin sister' to the general public. I wasn't sure how people believed that; we looked a good four years apart. I ignored this guy, just like I ignored all those others, and slammed my house door closed with my hip, the bags of laundry tossed over my shoulder. I really didn't see what they saw in me. I'm just little ol' Bella.
It was while I was sorting through the bags of clothes that needed to be washed that I decided to make that phone call. I was pleased with modern day's invention of the cordless phone. Propping the device up on my shoulder and holding it in place with my cheek, I listened to it ring. We'd be having a huge bill at the end of the month for the long distance.
"Denali residence. This is Kate. How may I help you?"
"Hello, Kate, is Garrett there?"
There was a pause. "Yes. May I know who's calling?" A polite one, she was. I knew Irena wouldn't have been so kind.
"McCarty."
"I might not have spoken to her in a long time, but I know her voice when I hear it. And you-you are not Rosalie." Unfortunately, my empathic skills didn't work over the phone, but that didn't mean I didn't know the stereotypical sounds of a woman filled with jealous suspicion.
"You would be right. I'm not Rosalie. Still, I respect Garrett and your family, so I need to give him a word of warning."
Again, she paused. "Very well. One moment."
It took a good ten minutes, with the sounds of a heated argument in the background, before I was finally greeted by the American Revolutionary War Man. "Hello, Garrett speaking."
"Hello Garrett. You'll be the only one to listen to me when I warn you of your visitor in a few days. So, I suggest you listen and get them to heed my words." I was fairly sure he was nodding instead of answering me outright, but that didn't matter much to me. "The Volturi are coming for a visit. Aro hasn't decided who to send, but one of the Guard is coming to check up on Eleazar. He's leaning towards Demetri, his prized tracker. Alice needs to leave before this happens. If Aro hears word of there being a seer in the Denali Coven, he'll send in Chelsea. Believe me whoever gets sent there will recognize the signs of a seer. Don't let them know Tanya has a mate at all. Don't lie, but avoid the subject of Tanya's mating all together. But don't be fishy either."
"Why are you helping us? Not that I'm against you warning us, but why would you do it?" That was a question I asked myself more often than not.
"You're a good person, as is your mate and her coven. Although, I don't particularly care for Irena. Besides, we've got a 'Be Good to the Seer, And She'll Be Good Enough to You That She Might Warn You if Someone's Trying to Destroy Your Coven' kind of relationship going on here. You haven't done anything for me as of yet, but the time will come."
"Thank you."
"Also, can you keep your coven mates from contacting us? We enjoy our privacy. Besides, you'll just be wandering around aimlessly for however long you spend searching for us. I'm a seer, I'll know when you get close. And, I'd rather not move again. We just settled down."
"I'll try my best." Which meant he'd try to distract her with sex. Fantastic. Well, at least this phone number was registered for our house in Mississippi. "Thank you again."
"You're welcome, Garrett. Goodbye." And with that, I started up the washing machine.
Ending Author's Notes: Hopefully it's up to what you're wanting after such a long wait.
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