Not mine... Don't own...

I know there has been no Seth in this story yet, but don't worry, this is gonna be a very long story and Seth will eventually have a big roll in it. Be patient. If you want to be technical about it, he is in this chapter, though it's not actually stated. Enjoy.

Carlisle POV

It was nearing midnight as I stood at the border between our territory and the La Push reservation. There was only a sliver of moon showing tonight. It would have actually been a very pleasant evening, if the circumstances were different. Jasper stood beside me, shifting his weight slightly from foot to foot. It was an unnecessary gesture, but we were all so use to "playing human" that it came naturally. Even to Jasper, who has had the hardest time adjusting to our lifestyle. I had asked the younger man to accompany me to the meeting, just in case. He was handy to have around in situations were things could get heated and, with young werewolves, things could get heated very quickly and go very bad if they did. Yep, being able to control the emotions of others might just come in handy tonight. I was hoping it would prove to be an unnecessary precaution, though.

Bella had wanted to attend the meeting, but I had Edward take her home instead. I know she meant well, but I needed this to be as calm and peaceful a meeting as possible. Not exactly two words that described Bella these days and the Wolves would probably be even more on edge if Bella were standing with us. They didn't trust us around humans, even ones who stood with us willingly and with full knowledge of our existence. It was best for her to go home and get some rest. With any luck, the pack would agree to assist and we would all be able to relax just a little bit more. Not that I could relax fully in any case. I disliked violence, but I'm not naive to think it is not warranted sometimes. Being forced into it, however, still made me uneasy.

I shifted my attention to the sound of approaching paw steps. It sounded to be at least 3 wolves. This was not a surprise. I didn't think Sam would come out to meet me without back-up. The steps halted for a moment, then started back up, this time with only 2 wolves and one human foot step. A moment later, Sam walked out of the woods, flanked by 2 wolves. The one on his right was a smokey gray color, while the one on his left was a sandy tan. They didn't growl in our direction, but you got the distinct feeling they wanted to.

I took a step forward. "Thank you for meeting us."

Sam bowed his head in acknowledgment. "Jacob says you have something you'd like to discuss?"

"Yes." I began. I had organized what I was going to say hours before the meeting. Fortunately, I had decades of practice being civil and getting people to see things my way. "I'm guessing you have heard about the disappearances and murders going on in Seattle."

"I have read about it in the papers and seen it on the news, yes." Sam confirmed.

"The chaos is being caused by vampires. An army of newborn vampires to be exact. They are being created by the vampire your pack has been tracking the last few months, Victoria. We have recently discovered she plans to bring the army here, to Forks. The main goal of this army is to get revenge on Isabella Swan and my family. We were forced to kill Victoria's mate when he decided to try and make Bella his next meal. She is hell bent on vengeance, regardless of how many people she has to kill in the process."

Sam looked at me with skepticism. "How do you know this army is coming here?"

I had figured he'd ask that question.

"My daughter, Alice, has a gift which allows her to see the events of the future, but she can only see that which has been decided. Victoria has been careful not to make any decisions until it was only days before her planned attack."

"And how reliable are these visions your daughter has?"

"She's very rarely wrong. If I were a betting man, I would not bet against her." I was being honest. Alice had a nearly perfect track record with her visions. And even the ones that didn't turn out quite right were still close. "My family and I plan to intercept the army and stop them before they get too close to town, but they outnumber us by a small margin. If any of the newborns get past us and make it to town, many innocent lives will be lost."

I examined Sam closely as he thought through what I had told him. He was no doubt debating whether or not I was telling the truth. Having a civil conversation was one thing, trusting me was a whole different can of worms. "How many vampires in this army?"

"At the moment, 20, but the number changes since newborn vampires tend to fight amongst themselves when not properly managed. There is also still time for her to add more, but I doubt the number will get much bigger than it is now." I explained.

Sam was silent for a few moments, then spoke up. "I will need to run this past the elders, but I believe it is in our best interest to help you contain this treat. I will send final word to you through Jacob."

"Thank you." I nodded in acceptance. "Also, my family will be doing some planning and training tomorrow night around midnight in the clearing just past the Forks border. It is in neutral territory and the pack is welcome to attend." I gestured to Jasper. "My son has a great deal of experience fighting newborn vampires. He will be instructing us on how best to dispatch them. It might also be helpful for us to plan a strategy if we are to be working together."

Sam once again nodded is head in acknowledgement, then turned and headed back the way he came, followed closely by the two wolves. Jasper and I also turned and headed back to the house. Once we were out of earshot of the pack and not quite in earshot of the house, I stopped. Jasper stopped as well and looked at me questioningly.

"Something wrong Carlisle?" Jasper asked.

"No, I was just wondering about your impressions of the meeting. What were their feelings like?"

"They didn't trust us. I felt hate and anxiety. But I also felt curiosity from Sam. He felt genuinely interested in the situation. He understands how dangerous it would be for the town if any of the newborns get by us. More importantly, they were all excited about the prospect of getting to kill vampires. Sam hid it well on the outside, but he couldn't hide his feelings. I believe they will join us for this battle."

"I believe they will too." I agreed. "They are very young werewolves and are certainly itching for a fight. As long as the Elders agree."

"One thing's for sure," Jasper commented as we continued the journey back to the house. "this is going to be one of the strangest alliances in history."

I had to agree.

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