Chapter Fifty

Sue

Charlie had put Seth in a very difficult position even though Harry had rung to warn us Charlie was getting too close to the truth for comfort. He had spoken to Seth and told him to reveal nothing of our secret but I could see Seth was unhappy at this, he liked both Bella and her father and he respected Charlie. I handed Charlie a mug of coffee and he sat opposite Seth staring into my son's face,

"Well? Someone is going to have to tell me the truth eventually and my daughter is missing. I need to know what's going on."

Seth nodded despite my warning shake of the head and sat forward in his chair,

"Do you trust me Chief Swan?"

"In what context Seth? I'm not sure I trust anyone any longer."

"To tell you the truth, you might be inclined to think I'm making this up but it's all true."

"Seth!"

I snapped at my son but he just continued,

"All the legends are true Chief Swan, the spirit warriors are Quileutes who change shape to wolves, the only creatures that can kill a vampire. Many years ago a coven of vampires appeared in Forks and made a treaty with the Quileute elders. They said they were different, that they were no threat to us because they lived exclusively on animal blood. The treaty allowed them to remain so long as none bit a human. That coven was headed by Carlisle Cullen. The Cullens are Cold Ones, vampires to you."

Charlie looked as if he wanted to call Seth a liar but couldn't because he believed Seth's words,

"So Bella has been dating a vampire? Jasper Hale is one too?"

"Yes Chief, they all are but I believe they would never break the treaty."

"So how long ago was the treaty signed?"

"Many years ago, I don't know exactly."

"Many years? How old is Carlisle then?"

"Again I don't know, you would have to ask him but a lot older than he appears, the rest of them too."

I put a hand on my son's shoulder,

"Seth should not have told you but as he has I can corroborate his story, its all true, Bella has been dating a vampire and that's why we dislike them so much."

"Why didn't anyone warn her? Or me for that matter?"

"Bella knew, Jake and Billy tried to warn her but they found out she already knew, it didn't seem to matter to her Chief."

Charlie shook his head slumping back in his chair and ignoring the coffee before him on the table.

Charlie

It seemed everyone knew about the Cullens except me. All my friends and not one had alerted me to the danger my daughter was in. How could she know Jasper was a vampire and still go out with him, sleep at the Cullen house.? A terrible thought crossed my mind,

"She hasn't been bitten has she? I mean she isn't becoming one of them?"

"No Charlie, she's still human. If they had bitten her we would know, the pack would have sensed it and you would know. From what I hear it isn't a pleasant experience and it takes some time."

I understood I needed to speak to the Cullens so leaving the Clearwaters in the kitchen I grabbed the phone and rang the Cullen house and Esme answered.

"Chief Swan? Is everything OK?"

"No, everything is not OK and I'm sure you're aware of that. I'm coming over and I expect you to have some answers for me."

"Well I do have to go out."

"No you don't, not unless you want me to put an APB out on all the family. From what I've learned that might be more than a little inconvenient for you, dangerous even."

There was a short silence as the import of my words sunk in, she understood I knew their secret.

"Very well I'll be waiting."

Seth wanted to go with me but his mother forbade it and I wasn't going to make things any worse for him than they already were, I knew he was going to be in deep trouble with his family and the elders for telling me their secret. As I drove to the Cullen place it occurred to me that I had no idea what I was going to say and the closer I got the more absurd it sounded, could I really accuse Esme Cullen of being a vampire? She would probably laugh in my face. And Carlisle? A vampire masquerading as a doctor, up to his elbows in human blood on a daily basis? Was this some kind of elaborate hoax? I didn't think so, not with Bella missing but it still sounded fantastic. When I pulled up outside the house I saw Esme standing at the stop of the steps waiting and she looked slightly alarmed, beside her stood Alice and two people looking less like vampires I couldn't imagine. They smiled uncertainly as I reached them and I was invited inside. The house looked nothing like a vampire's lair either, something must be wrong with the story I had been told, it just had to be. I decided to start out cautiously.

"My daughter is missing and the man who took he killed a police officer to do it."

They both watched me but said nothing so I continued,

"You don't seem shocked by this news, I take it you already knew?"

"We are looking for her Chief Swan."

"Really? You know who took her Mrs Cullen?"

"No, not exactly but we have been trying to keep her safe ever since Jasper went missing. I take it from your threat of earlier that someone, probably one of the Quileutes has told you our secret?"

"Secret? You mean about being a coven of vampires who live on animal blood? Yeah they told me. I also discovered my friends are shape shifters or something like that. They turn into giant wolves to kill vampires. Its a lot to take in as I'm sure you can appreciate."

"But you believed them?"

"I don't know what to believe but I think they believe it and that concerns me almost as much. What about you? What do you have to say about all this?"

Esme

Chief Swan already knew the worst about us now I had to make him believe the best.

"I won't deny it Chief Swan, we are vampires and we do live on animal blood, we are no threat to you, your daughter, or any other human, and my husband does all he can to alleviate the suffering of humans."

"And Bella knew all this? About you and Jasper and she still kept seeing you?"

"Yes, Bella believed we were good people and she loves Jasper."

"Where is Jasper? He hasn't been around for a while?"

"It's a very long story but he was blackmailed into leaving Forks by an old enemy."

"Blackmailed?"

"Yes, this enemy found out about his relationship with your daughter and threatened to kill her or her family if he did not return to her."

"Her? And he went just like that? I take it this enemy is a vampire too?"

"Yes and a very dangerous one and to answer your other question he went immediately, he loves your daughter and he would do anything to keep her happy and safe. Even risk his own life."

"Love? So what happened? Did he escape?"

"No, the place he went was attacked, he's missing too."

"Jasper's missing too? Who attacked them?"

"We don't know but we expect to very soon. A friend is tapping into a satellite to find out who and where they went."

"You have a hacker as a friend? Do you realize how bizarre this all sounds?"

"Of course but that doesn't make it lies Chief Swan. Alice has been watching over Bella, that's why she stayed here for a few nights and Alice was with her in school except for the one day it was too sunny."

"Sunny? You can't go out in the sunlight?"

"Oh we can, but it would give away our difference."

"How?"

"Lets just say our skin reacts to sunlight, its not important now. Carlisle and the others are in Mexico now, waiting to find out where Jasper was taken and they are trying to find out who took Bella and why. We think the two are connected, find one and we find the other."

"So you're telling me your family dropped everything to go find Jasper leaving you and Alice to watch Bella and now they are looking for both?"

"Yes but we never thought Bella would be in any danger, Jasper did as he was ordered and that should have guaranteed her safety."

"So what do we do now?"

"We wait for Darius to tell us who has Jasper and then we go to rescue him and Bella too. We adore your daughter Chief Swan and will do all in our power to save her."

"Yeah well seeing as you were the ones who got her into danger in the first place you'll excuse me for being a little sceptical."