Sorry folks I'll be away for a week from tomorrow so posting will be a little sporadic but I promise to do my best and of course I'll keep writing! Please keep the reviews coming so I know how I'm doing. Jules x

Chapter Forty Four

Dante

So The Major was somewhere close by, something I didn't like but there was little I could do about it and Stefan would be incensed if I didn't at least try to talk to him. We all knew what his response would be. If only we could find a way to persuade him but taking his mate was a one way road to death, No Alice Cullen was strictly off-limits besides which she would see if I decided to try something like that and stop me...then The Major would find me and take me apart inch by inch, no I needed some other way but there was none that I knew of. I decided I'd better phone and let Stefan and Vladimir know I'd seen him though, it paid to keep them up to date and paid well.

"So The Major is close by. And how was Alice?"

"The same as ever, less than delighted to see me. She had a human with her though."

"A human? Why?"

"I've no idea, she didn't explain but the human girl seemed comfortable in her presence."

"A girl? Very interesting. See what you can find out about this girl, she must be involved with the Cullens somehow, maybe Edward Cullen has finally found a mate."

"I already have a task to perform. The human girl you sent me to check looks like she is going to be very interesting. I've left her with Angeline, testing out her powers now she's transformed. If things go as well as I think then you might finally have a useful weapon in your arsenal."

"Good, then leave Angeline to watch the girl and you see what you can find out about the Cullens pet. Or if you are scared send Angeline to do the spying."

"I'm not afraid of the Cullens but a man would be crazy not to be wary of Major Whitlock."

"Then be careful Dante we'd hate to lose you."

I cursed as I headed back to the shack we were using in the National park. It was far enough out that no human was likely to see or hear anything but it meant having to supply our newborn with humans to feed on. Soon she would be able to hunt for herself but her gift needed checking first and if she was indeed as talented as I thought then she would be a great asset, one the Volturi would snatch if they found out, another reason to keep her under wraps. Angeline was waiting when I got back and she didn't look happy,

"What's wrong?"

"I'm sick of this, I'm so thirsty my throat is burning, you look after her for a while. I need to hunt."

"Very well but I have a task for you while you are away."

"If it gives me more time away from her then I'm happy to do just about anything."

"You've heard of the Cullens?"

"Of course, who hasn't? They're the crazies who live on animal blood."

"Well they're here in Denali somewhere. I want you to find out where and see what's going on with the human they have with them. I think she might be Edward Cullens mate but I need to be sure. Just be careful because not only do they have a mind reader and Alice who sees the future but Major Whitlock."

"Oh, the big bad bogey man. Don't worry I'm not getting close enough for Edward to hear me and as long as I'm just looking I doubt Alice will even register my presence."

The arrogance of the newer vampires was staggering sometimes, Angeline was only eighty years old, changed when she was 22 so she should know better than to assume she was safe but as long as she was happy to take the risks I would let her. Our newborn had proved a handful but she was learning that if she did as I asked she would be fed, if not she suffered thirst. It wasn't a difficult training regime and worked well every time although in this case I knew Angeline was getting thoroughly bored with being here as the unknowing guinea pig. Our task was almost over, another week at the most and we would be able to travel with our new charge back to Romania and leave her with the brothers there ready for a new challenge. It was silent inside the shack and I opened the door cautiously but I needn't have worried, our charge was sitting quietly reading a book, my ability to calm newborns was my biggest attribute and she relaxed enough to smile as she saw me.

"Did I do good Dante?"

I nodded and approached her

"You did very well Veronique, very well indeed. You have your gift under control now?"

"Unless I'm thirsty yes. I can channel it where I want, I visualised it as you told me, like a sticky ball I can throw at my target. It stays until I call it back but it annoys me I have only one."

"My dear Veronique, one is all you need. You will be targeting specific people for our masters. Remember that it's what keeps you alive, talk up the positives of your gift not the negatives, its safer child."

She looked at me and sighed,

"Why do you insist on calling me child?"

"Because my dear in comparison to me that's what you are. Don't let it worry you though. Soon you will be leaving here and going to a new home with our masters and then you will truly be a child for they are ancient."

"Is that why they want to wrest control of our world from the Volturi?"

"Yes, they ruled us once but became lazy and lost their power to the Volturi. One day it will be theirs again though. With the help of talents like yours."

Angeline was gone two days and I was beginning to think she was delaying on purpose to leave me with our thirsty charge but when she came back she had a human with her which she threw to Veronique and with information for me.

"I saw the human but she's not alone, not the only human with the Cullens."

"Really? Tell me more."

"You were wrong about Edward Cullen, he has a mate but it's not the human girl Bella Swan. It's a vampire called Josie. Bella is with your Major."

I laughed at that,

"Yes of course next you'll be telling me that Carlisle Cullen drinks human blood!"

"I thought sarcasm was below you Dante! Bella Swan is The Majors mate and the other human is her father Charlie who it seems is Tanya Denali's mate. What a tangled web they weave!"

"You mean it don't you? Bella is involved with The Major? I thought there was something different about her. This could work to our advantage. I need to make a call, see if I can persuade the brothers to let me try a small experiment."

"What experiment? Don't tell me we're going to be stuck in this godforsaken place even longer?"

"Just a while and it will be worth it my dear, well worth it if it comes off."

As I thought Stefan was more eager than Vladimir who wanted our newborn there safe but I persuaded them by dangling the prize if I were right before them and that did it. So now I had to prove it would work and first I decided on a small experiment. One that wouldn't alert anyone to danger, at least I thought not.