Chapter Thirty Two

Charlie

Emmett ran me back so Bella could spend more time with Jasper and the rest of the family and I felt his eyes on me as he drove, then he turned to look at me and grinned,

"You are one cool customer Chief Swan. You sit here with a vampire, on a lonely road and you don't bat an eyelid."

"Well I guess I thought if you were going to kill me you'd have done it before we left."

He laughed at this,

"Yeah you're probably right there. I guess that's where Bella gets it from eh?"

"She's very much like me I guess, more than she's like her mother anyway. Your girlfriend doesn't seem as keen on us though. She didn't look happy when she walked in and saw me."

"Rose is nervous, she finds being a vampire embarrassing, she hates the thought of anyone finding out and labelling her a monster, Mind I pointed out to her that if any humans found out about us we'd kill them anyway...present company excluded of course."

"Thank you for that caveat. Have you been together long?"

"Sure. Rose saved my life. When she met me I was on the way to being a grizzlies dinner. She saved me and carried me back to Carlisle then begged him to change me. We've been together ever since. I couldn't imagine being without my Rose."

"So she didn't change you?"

"No, it takes a special strength to do that. When we scent human blood, especially if its been spilled its like a shark I guess, very difficult to stop yourself from attacking and even more difficult to taste that blood and not drain the whole body. Carlisle and Jasper are the only two I know of who have done it more than once. I guess the Volturi must have too but I don't know anything about them, you'd have to ask Carlisle."

"Carlisle changed you all?"

" Except Alice and Jazz yes. We don't know who turned Alice, she doesn't remember anything about her human life, she was in an asylum, classed as insane or a witch because she accurately predicted the future. As for Jazz well his story is a very different one but it's not mine to tell and I don't know most of the details in any case. Well here we are but it looks like you've got visitors waiting and they won't be happy to see you with me, you want me to hang around a while?"

I looked out of the windscreen to see Harry's car parked up outside the house and sighed,

"No its OK Emmett but thanks anyway. I'll be fine."

I climbed out of Emmett's monster truck and waited till he'd pulled away before walking over to Harry,

"Been waiting long Harry?"

His gaze followed the truck out of sight before answering,

"I think we need to talk Charlie."

"Yeah me too, you'd better come in and bring Sam with you."

They got out of the car and followed me into the house taking seats in the kitchen while I made coffee.

"Your arm seems better Charlie."

"Yeah almost as good as new. I was lucky I guess."

"From your tone I take it you know what happened. Did the Cullens tell you?"

The name was almost spat out as if it tasted foul.

"Actually I worked it out for myself Harry, Carlisle just confirmed my suspicions."

"So you know what they are and you still went with them?"

He looked round,

"I guess Bella's with one of them too".

"Yes she is but I don't think she's in any more danger than she would be sitting here now do you?"

"We would never hurt Bella."

"I didn't think you'd ever hurt me but I was wrong. All these years, all the time you kept silent about what you were, laughed the legends off as stories for children instead of the warning they really were. Paul was the one who attacked me wasn't he?"

"Carlisle tell you that?"

"No, Sam did actually when he had a very interesting and enlightening conversation outside my bedroom window. What I want to know is why me and why now? Why haven't I heard anything about the wolves before now? The odd missing hiker or runaway I searched for over the years, were they victims of the wolves?"

"No."

Harry's voice was adamant and loud,

"The wolves are guardians, we keep the tribe safe from the vampires Charlie."

"Safe Sam? Then why was I attacked? I'm not a vampire."

"It was an accident. The wolves disappeared the last time the Cullens left Forks and were almost forgotten but when they came back so did the guardians. They are the ones to blame for what happened."

"Really? I thought Paul was to blame, Paul and his hot head. You should keep the wolves on a leash if they can't control themselves better."

Sam

I understood Charlie's reluctance to give us the benefit of the doubt but he needed to understand how dangerous it was for himself and Bella to have the Cullens in their lives.

"Chief Swan. The wolves are kept under control normally, Paul's outburst was an accident, it wont happen again."

"Have there been other accidents Sam or is he different in some way?"

"Paul is hot-headed and he hasn't been a wolf long. He is still learning to control it."

"So that's his excuse for almost killing me? You still haven't answered my question Harry."

They exchanged a glance and Sam shook his head wearily,

"Paul isn't the only accident we've had, no. When I first changed I had difficulty in controlling my confusion and anger and I lashed out once but I never killed anyone."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better Sam?"

"No I was just stating a fact. I did however scar someone."

I thought about this and a vision of Emily swan before my eyes.

"You are responsible for Emily's scars? You did that to her? The woman you love? Emily? And she's still prepared to marry you? You have a very understanding fiancée Sam. I'll give her that."

"Emily knows it wasn't intentional, no more than your attack was."

"What about Billy? Is he another victim of the wolves?"

"Jake phased for the first time and Billy was unfortunate enough to be too close. They were arguing".

"You know something, you shouldn't be calling yourselves guardians, you do more damage than the people you are supposed to be protecting us from."

"I appreciate why you might think that Charlie but it's really not true".

"Oh really? Then give me a list of the people the Cullens have injured or killed while they've been here."

I waited but there was no answer

"Well?"

"The Cullens have a treaty with the tribe, we let them live so long as they don't bite a human, that keeps them in check."

"What about your side of the treaty though? Don't you have a similar stipulation because if not then I seriously think you should consider it before you kill someone."

I could see we weren't going to get anywhere while Charlie was in this mood but I had to give it one last shot.

"Chief Swan, the Cullens are dangerous whatever they may have told you and none more so than Jasper Hale who is with your daughter right now. Do you know anything about him?"

"I guess you're about to tell me Sam."

"Yes because its my responsibility to show you the error of your ways. Your daughter is out with a man who has the blood of hundreds of humans on his hands. He is responsible for wiping out entire villages in Mexico. He is the perfect killing machine turned by a psychotic Mexican woman called Maria for that very purpose. Do you really want your daughter involved with a mass murderer? Ask him if you don't believe us."

"Why would he tell me anything?"

"Because despite everything I've just said he isn't a liar. Ask him, ask Jasper Whitlock what he's responsible for, the answer will sicken you. Harry come on we're wasting our breath."