A/N: She has finally met Peter and Charlotte and the meeting went as well as could be expected. However, another problem is lurking about, one of the nomads was watching the school and it looks like his sights are set on Bella. Why? What does this mean? Enjoy the new chapter!

Chapter 18 – Escapes and Preparation

Breaking through the tree line, a man rejoined his compatriots as his face beamed with a bright smile and he laughed maniacally. Today was both a revelation and fun. Even being chased gave him a small thrill that he had not experienced in a while, and that's what made this all the more enjoyable to him.

"James, why are we still in the area? We need to move before we are caught," a dark haired man stated, determination gleaming in his eyes. He didn't understand why they were still there and to him, his coven leader was making a grave mistake; and yet he dare not leave because James held the power… at least not yet. There was still a part of him that wanted to see how all of this would play out, and he could always jump ship later.

The blond man's smile broadened, "Because there are a couple of things I want, and I won't leave until I get everything I came for, but if you don't like it, you can leave any time you want to."

"Everything… You knew what you would find up here and that's why you decided to come here?" Laurent inquired. Up till now he believed that they were roaming randomly.

"Of course. Why could somewhere if there is no sport, something worth getting for your own gain?" James declared, a malevolent glint in his eyes.

Laurent didn't know if it was the steel gaze or the malicious intent he could see and feel, but a chill swam through his body and it would have manifested itself in a shudder, but he stopped it before it could. Showing weakness in front of his coven leader, whether or not he felt loyal to him or not, especially this leader, could lead to his demise, and Laurent was not ready to die this day.

"So I take it you found everything you were looking for?" Victoria simpered as she sauntered up to her mate. She also knew better than to cross James, but in her mind, the blond was less likely to kill her than others, or at least she had convinced herself it was true.

Turning to gaze at the redhead for a moment, James nodded, "I have, and I even got a bonus out of it… something I lost and finally found." When scouting the area around the school and looking for his prey, he noticed someone protecting the girl he sought, someone he had not expected to see here in Forks, someone he didn't expect to be associated with his prey of choice, and someone he had been searching for a while now. This had truly turned into a good day and fortune was smiling down on him.

Quileute Tribe…

"How did he get away?" Sam demanded to know from the two wolves that had been patrolling the border at the time.

Paul looked defensive and uncomfortable, and the only reason he felt the need to back down was because this man was his alpha and leader, "I stayed behind and watched that Cullen to make sure he would not come onto our land."

Growling, Sam fisted his hands. He wanted to hit something, someone, but he needed to remain calm… as much as possible in this particular situation. Instead of striking out, his squeezed his fists until the knuckles turned white and bellowed, "Why the hell would you do that? The Cullen's know about the treaty and they know better than to break it! Instead you allowed one of the newer pups to follow the leech we have been searching for and the target got away!"

"It was my fault," Jared stepped forward to take the blame. He had been the one that set off to pursue the stranger and he had been the one that had been unable to catch him or kill him; therefore the responsibility lay at his doorstep and not that of his pack mate's.

Sam took a step back away from Paul lest he let his temper get away from him right now, "No, you may have failed to catch the leech, but Paul should have gone with you and not bothered about the Cullen."

"The Cullen's are our enemies too!" Paul defended his actions.

"We have a fucking treaty with the Cullen's and they know better than to do anything to break it! We have been trying to catch and stop these strangers so that leech should have been your priority, not the damn Cullen who didn't even try to jump the ravine! Instead you want to puff yourself up and show that you were the bigger man and lost our opportunity to take down the enemy!" The alpha rounded on his subordinate.

Paul tried again, "I had to…" However, he didn't make it far before he was met with the burning glare from his leader. Yes, he would admit, silently, that he was in the wrong, but admitting it aloud was like swallowing a box of nails.

"NO, YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO! You should have stayed with Jared, gathered the others, and taken care of the leech that has been murdering the people in the area. Instead you chose to have a pissing contest with a vampire that wouldn't dare cross onto our land!" Sam seethed, and when it looked as if Paul might argue even further, he ordered him, "Keep your excuses to yourself because I don't want to hear them. You are on patrol again tonight and another fuck up like this and you won't like the consequences. Now both of you get out of my sight!"

Without any more arguments or words exchanged Jared and Paul left Sam's house as soon as possible. Jared had called the others to him, but the vampire he had been following had disappeared before anyone got there to help him. If Paul had been with him, there was a chance that the nomad would have not gotten away… at least more of a chance than there would have been with only one wolf.

Jared glanced at his pack brother and shook his head. The other man was pissed and looked ready to blow a gasket, thus it did not surprise him at all when Paul shifted and took off without another word, running as fast as he could away from Sam and Jared; and the newer pack member new better than to chase after the wolf who was a known hothead. No, right now it was better for him if he left Paul alone because right now the other wolf was liable to rip him to pieces if he followed. In order to make sure he survived, Jared started walking in the opposite direction, far away from Paul.

Running through the woods, Paul griped and fumed, yelling and complaining in his head and not caring if the others in the pack could hear him, "My fault? How is it my fault? The Cullen's are leeches too and we should not let our guards down around him. If I had not been guarding him, who knows what would have happened. And just because I didn't follow Jared does not mean that the other leech would have been taken care of. This is horseshit!" If anyone responded, he didn't pay attention. If anyone heard him, they tried to ignore him. It was a symbiotic relationship at that moment in time, otherwise it might have created more trouble.

Cullen House…

After the introductions were made, everyone moved inside the house. Peter continued to study Bella and after her retort could somewhat see what Jasper saw in her. There was a fire and strength hidden deep within her that may be missed at first, but could be seen within ten minutes of knowing her. It pulled people towards her, and like Helen of Troy it could unite or destroy. Peter was fully aware of the conflicts between some of the boys at school, the issue with Edward, and about Jaspers feelings for Bella; and yet being in her presence, there was no doubt where her loyalty lay… with Jasper, which is how it should be. The newcomer may still have issues with the fact that she is human and therefore could be a temptation for the major, however, seeing her with Jasper, talking to her, and observing how the others reacted around her, well minus Rose, Peter had to admit that she intrigued him a bit. And if the prissy princess didn't like her, then that was all the more reason he had to embrace her into the family.

Like her mate, Charlotte studied the human closely, and like him, she could see why Jasper had been so taken with Bella. The brunette was strong, appeared to be loyal to Jasper, and was not running in the face of unprecedented danger. Although it had been quite some time since Charlotte had been a human herself, she had been around humans, hunted them, and seen their reactions enough to know that most would have run away at the first opportunity. Instead Bella had stayed by Jasper's side, accepted his explanation, accepted him, and refused to let him go. Now the newly mated couple had to face the hatred from one vampire in the Cullen coven, an attack from other, a school of hormonal teenagers, and three nomad vampires running amuck in the area and killing people. Not only were the nomads terrorizing the countryside, but it seemed as if one of them was targeting Bella for some odd reason and no one seemed to have a clue about the reasoning. Yes, Charlotte firmly believed that almost anyone else would have left Jasper instead of reciprocating his feelings. That lone action proved how strong Bella really was, and anyone that wanted to argue that point and separate the couple would have to go through a line of vamps hell bent on protecting the new mates.

It was after everyone had gone inside and settled down in the living room that everything had come out: the nomads, Edward, and what had happened at school that very day. The only thing that wasn't mentioned in Bella's presence was the fact that there was a wolf pack on Quileute land because it wasn't the Cullen's secret to tell, and Peter and Charlotte already knew about them.

As everyone sat in the living room, everything that had happened during the day was brought up and Bella found herself trembling ever so slightly. Someone had really been in the woods watching her? That was why Alice and Emmett were following her around? Why in the world would anyone be out to get her? She wasn't anything special and had not special abilities… well besides the fact that Edward couldn't read her mind and that wasn't really a special ability. Was it? She was a human girl who had just moved from Arizona to Forks, and didn't have much to offer the general populace. Feeling Jasper's arm wrap around her, Bella felt comfort in his embrace and took solace in his strength. As she breathed in deeply, she took in his scent and allowed it to further calm her nerves eventually ending her shaking. At a moment like this, her mate could have easily used his gift on her, but for some reason he had chosen not too; and glancing across the room at Peter and Charlotte's intense gazes, she was glad he had not. She wanted to be strong and brave without depending on his gift.

The moment he felt Bella's body stop trembling and could feel her emotions calm down from the terrifying news she had just received, he smiled. She was a brave girl and he could not be more proud of her. Although he could have used his gift and calmed her down immediately, Jasper didn't for two reasons: he wanted to show Peter and Charlotte how strong and courageous Bella truly was, and he knew that Bella would have probably preferred he didn't use it on her. Besides, with the dangerous road they were about to travel, gumption would be needed to make it through for at least part of their journey. He would be there to hold her hand, help her when needed, and carry her when she couldn't walk, and he was sure she felt the same way.

"So, where do we begin major?" Peter questioned his longtime friend.

Turning to Alice, Jasper asked, "Do you have anythin' that can point us in the right direction Alice?"

Alice quickly scanned mental images and visions she had received and was still getting and finally shook her head, "I only know that they will come in from the east tomorrow. One hunts Bella because he has seen her before when she was in Arizona. The other two will follow him. They will be back at the school tomorrow… all three of them. Edward will be back tomorrow night and go to Bella's house to take her away."

"That lil shit!" Jasper snarled.

"We'll worry about him tomorrow night. It looks like we have to deal with the other three problem children first," Peter reminded the major.

Nodding, Charlotte suggested, "If Alice can tell us where they will be tomorrow, we can be ready and waiting for them."

"We'll get to the school early and scope out the area. From there we can find the best areas to hide and wait," Jasper declared, "We need to get these bastards before they create more trouble and before they can get to Bella."

Rose rolled her eyes and left the room. She didn't need to hear any more and didn't particularly care what happened, at least that is what she projected to the group at large. This girl, this human girl was going to be the downfall of their coven; she could just feel it, and that is why she protested Bella's inclusion so strongly.

"I'll go and get her," Emmett sighed.

"Don't bother. She has made her feelings known. Let her go for now," Jasper ordered. He scanned the room and looked at the faces of his friends and family members, "Tomorrow could possibly lead to war. I want Peter and Charlotte with me on the front lines since we have the most fightin' experience. Everyone else needs to be close in case we need backup. I don't want any of them escapin'. This needs to end with us."