But before Jacob could reach us, the entire room went completely quiet. Everyone was frozen as they came walking through the front doors. The smell of revolting, a sickly sweet that brought the feeling of nausea. My stomach wrapped around itself in knots as anger raged through my veins. Hot and unrelenting. It was a fury that was irrational. Animalistic. An instinct that my body naturally responded to.

I forced my jaw shut as I felt a growl trying to force its way through my clenched teeth. I held it back, but many others in the room left out low menacing growls of displeasure. I was never the type of person to lay judgment on others, until I got to know them. Even though every cell of my body was telling me this group that just walked in was my enemy, monsters, disgusting, evil creatures. It wasn't a real opinion, it was hardwired into my DNA.

For Alice's sake, I would remain open minded. I owed her that much. After all, if she really was part vampire, then it would make sense that not all vampires are bad. Alice's birth was proof of that.

The vampires looked highly uncomfortable, they stood unnaturally frozen towards the front of the meeting hall. They stayed in a single group of six, three men and three women. They ranged in ages close to mine, to as old as late thirties. They all were shockingly beautiful. Their pale skin shimmered under the rays of the sun. Like diamonds. Their eyes were a vibrant topaz, making eye contact was mesmerizing. It felt like you were falling into a trance. Or being trapped under the gaze of your predator.

To my surprise I watched as Jacob changed direction abruptly, jogging over to the group of vampires without any sign of worry or anger. He looked at them, as if they were just a normal group of people. I felt a twinge in my chest. Maybe he wasn't that bad of a guy. He could act civilly with the vampires. There was no reason he couldn't get along with the rest of the packs. There was hope.

Edward cleared his throat with an unreadable expression coming to his face. "Since you will be part of my pack, as the luna, you will be seated with me and my pack for this meeting. If that's alright with you."

I nodded, feeling relieved that we didn't have to split up. I'm not sure if Sam was in love with the idea of me sitting with Edward, the less people in his pack, the weaker his pack appeared. The smaller packs would never get represented as well as larger packs. It was a numbers game. When these meetings ended in voting, it paid to be in the majority. At the moment, Edward and Jacob's pack had the most members, Jacob had two more than Edward's. But what tipped the scales in Jacob's favor was the fact that he also seemed to have a close bond with the vampire group as well. If they voted with the eclipse pack, it would all be up to Jacob. Which was a frightening concept to me. Who knows what he would deem, the rules of this peace treaty. But, as long as the blood moon pack and the La Push pack vote together, we should have the numbers for the votes.

This was up to Sam and Edward staying on the same page.

Edward took my hand, leading me to a table near the center of the meeting hall. The same table were Sam walked Leah over to. Although I could see the pain and torment on both of their faces. I had to avert my eyes from them. There was an atmosphere of tension that fell over them. I was nervous enough being around so many others. I didn't need to be sucked into their heart break as well.

Next Jacob came over, with a gorgeous vampire man at his side. They didn't appear to be tense, but the vampire kept his hands pulled behind his back. Neither one of them appeared bothered by the other. It was uncomfortable to watch, but I was impressed. Maybe wolves and vampires could naturally learn to get along with each other. If Jacob could do it, so could the rest of us.

Jacob's eyes lingered on me, a smug smile coming to his face. "This is Henry, I figured you might want to meet him." The statement was directed to me.

I hesitantly scanned over the vampire. Pale skin, eyes of pure gold, and ebony dark curls that hung partially over one side of his face. The man offered me a grin, that's when it clicked. The smile was so familiar, it was one that I saw on my best friend's face all the time. It was just something unique to her, that grin. Animated, but devilish. Innocent by scheming. This was Alice;s father. There was no doubt in my mind.

I stood excitedly. "It is so nice to meet you."

Henry seemed a little surprised, but the soft chuckle that fell past his lips, only confirmed my suspicions. Even his laugh sounded just like Alice's/

"It's Bella, right?" He held his hand out.

I went to reach my hand out as well, to shake hands. But Edward stopped me, lightly taking my outstretched hand and moving it back down to my side. He wrapped his hand firmly around my hand, as if to keep it from moving completely.

"Henry, I'd appreciate it if you didn't come into physical contact with my imprint. I understand that your powers are in better control now, than in the past, but I'd prefer to stay on the safe side." Edward spoke without an ounce of emotion in his tone or expression.

"Of course, I apologize," Henry nodded, unaffected by the comment. As if he has heard this a million times from others. "I do hope that we find some time after this meeting to talk though, I'd very much like to hear about my daughter." He said with a kind smile in my direction, before taking a seat at the other end of the table.

Jacob rolled his eyes, a glare pointed at Edward. "He's been trying really hard to get ready for this meeting. He isn't going to hurt anyone. You didn't have to treat him like he was some kind of threat."

"He is a threat, there is no telling when he is going to lose control over his abilities. I don't want anything to happen to anyone here, but especially Bella. If you claim she is your mate as well, don't you have the urge to keep her out of dangerous situations?" Edward muttered heatedly.

"The only threat here is the fools like you, that have their eyes set in the past. Old ways. Traditions of the ancestors. It's all bullshit. There will never be peace, as long as there are people like you, standing in the way of it." Jacob snipped, before turning his back. He paused for a moment, to throw a longing look in my direction. "She is my imprint, I feel it in my soul. And she will be mine. It's not a threat. It's a promise." With that, he walked away from the both of us.

Edward's shoulders trembled as he shot daggers into Jacob's back. He was clearly annoyed with this situation, but after a few calming breaths, he shifted his attention back to me.

"Wait here, I'll grab us a plate, they are serving some food. Is there anything in particular that you want me to grab you?" His relaxed smile was back.

"What are the options for meat?"

"Steak, ribs, or burgers."

My heart began to race, my mouth watered. Suddenly I felt like I was starving. Since I've truly joined the pack, my appetite has grown tremendously. I craved meat above all else. In the past I've been more of a salad person. I watched what I ate closely, in fear of weight problems. But I could no longer deny my hunger for meat and carbs.

"Ribs please," I couldn't hold back my enthusiasm.

Edward raised a brow, amusement dancing on his face. "Anything other than that?"

"Baked beans, potato salad, french fries, watermelon slices, macaroni and cheese."

It felt like I was about to start drooling. "Macaroni and cheese."

He nodded, leaning down to plant a delicate kiss on my lips, before making his way over to the table of food.

My lips tingled in response. I slid down into a seat at the table, trying to calm myself down. My heart skipped out of rhythm. My thoughts escaped me as I scanned over the room. Everyone was walking around, filling up their plates with food, finding places to sit and talking quietly amongst each other.

Leah sat down next to me, appearing lost and in pain. Her head stayed down as she stayed at the food on her plate. She piled it with several pieces of steak, along with a heaping pile of fries. She didn't eat, just stared.

I cleared my throat. "Are you alright?

She flinched, as if just realizing I was sitting next to her. "No, I'm not," There was a darkness in her voice that unnerved me. Her eyes flashed over to the table behind us. Her sights lingering on the woman Sam had just imprinted on. Emily. "That stupid bitch." Her comment was laced with venom.

How could you blame Leah for feeling this way? She has been dating Sam for years. They were very much in love. I know. I had to ride up here with them. It was complete hell. All the flirting and mushy talk. It was scary to think, in just seconds that relationship was ruined. Just by the power of the imprint.

"I mean, is it possible that things will just go back to normal? What if Sam stays away from her? What if he chooses you anyway?" I said quietly.

Leah sighed heavily, pointing a glare in my direction. "Well, you tell me. Would it be possible for you to love someone other than Edward? Would you be able to stay away from him?"

I hesitated, thinking carefully before answering. In truth, I don't think it was possible for me. I couldn't imagine loving someone more than Edward. And even this short time being away from him was hell. It was lonely and painful. No one could take his spot. If he were to disappear… I don't think I would have the strength to carry on.

"We aren't in the same position. Edward and I are in a different situation. I wasn't madly in love with someone else when we met."

"Edward was dating someone when the two of you met, it wasn't a secret, he was with one of the members of his pack. I think the chick's name was Tanya." Leah said with a raised brow.

Pain stabbed into my chest. Tears immediately stung in my eyes, but I forced them back. Her words were like a wrecking ball. I felt like I had just been knocked off my feet, I was plummeting to the earth, about to meet my end. I sucked in a breath, letting my eyes turn down to my hands.

"He never mentioned that." I whispered.

But, I was sure he didn't introduce me to anyone with that name. I met his entire pack. Face to face. Although I didn't remember all their names, I was certain that he never brought up Tanya.

"Maybe it's a painful topic. I don't know. Sorry I said anything. I didn't want to upset you. I thought you knew already." Leah said with a subtle amount of regret seeping through her words.

I didn't raise my head. I remained still, I didn't speak. The pain overwhelmed me, to the point of silence. Even as Edward returned with two huge plates of food. One plate completely of ribs and the other macaroni and cheese.

He instantly sensed my mood. He sat down on the other side of me, wrapping a single arm around my shoulders. He leaned in to whisper in my ear. "What's wrong Bella?"

I wanted to flat out ignore him. I wanted to yell or curse, or just go home. I decided on just ignoring him. I didn't like being lied to. It may not have been a direct lie, but he was keeping secrets from me. How could I trust him? What else was he not telling me? I gritted my teeth for a moment, before picking up a rib.

He waited patiently, his arm becoming tense as he slid me closer, into his side. "Did I do something wrong?"

I glanced at him, which had been a mistake. The expression on his face was even more heartbreaking. Sadness clouded his perfect face. Desperation and regret danced in his eyes. My heart twisted uncomfortably in my chest. I felt my annoyance begin to melt away. But I held on tightly. Because if I let go of my anger, the only thing that was left was tears. I didn't want to look weak. I didn't want to look like the crazy jealous girlfriend, throwing a fit over one of her boyfriend's exes.

But it was more than that. It wasn't because Edward had a girlfriend before me. It was the fact that he kept that information a secret. He never mentioned her. If he was in a relationship with someone and our imprint ended that relationship, I would feel guilty. It would crush my spirit. I never wanted to come in between two people that loved each other. It was the reason my parents divorced. I didn't want to be the one to ruin things.

"Just leave me alone." I muttered quietly.

Please don't leave me alone.

Edward's brows pulled together, appearing hurt. I instantly regretted saying it. Again tears stung at my eyes. It didn't go unnoticed. His hand went up to lightly dry my eyes. He watched me carefully. "Please, tell me what I did. I can't fix this situation if you don't tell me. Unfortunately I can't read minds. Not unless we phase."

I sighed shakily. "You didn't tell me… about Tanya…"

His eyes hardened, his gaze ripped away from me. His body was shaking. Hands balled into fists under the table. I could see him attempting to calm himself down. Deep breathes, eyes closed. This was the closest I've ever seen him to losing control over himself. It was a bit startling. Leah noticed as well, looking surprised as she ducked her head and shifted her body away from us completely. She clearly wasn't about to get in the middle of this conversation.

"That vile woman is the last person I'd ever want to tell you about. I'd like to know who mentioned her to you." He narrowed his eyes.

"That's not important. I want to know why I had to hear about her from someone else. Is it true, you were in a relationship with her, at the same time we imprinted?" My voice wavered under the pain of that statement.

Edward sighed, his gaze turning soft. "No, our relationship ended well before the two of us met. I guess it's been nearly three years now, since her death."

All my anger dissolved. "She is… dead?"

Edward nodded tightly. "The alpha, before me, killed her. She was the first and last woman I was in a relationship with, before meeting you, that is."

"Well… I mean… What happened? Why would your alpha… kill her?"

"It's a long story, but without boring you with a lot of detail, I'll just say, there was a short period of time, where the children of my pack were going missing. When Tanya died, all that stopped."

She was kidnapping kids? Why on earth would someone do something like that?

"Were the kids… found?"

Edward shook his head with pained eyes. "The only one that was found was my brother Erik. But he was badly injured. If not for having increased healing abilities, he would have been paralyzed. His left leg still gives him troubles to this day."

"That's awful," I looked away from him in shame. "I feel like a complete idiot for being upset."

He offered me a gentle smile, before pulling me in to kiss my forehead. "No, I should have been more open about my past. Without the context, I would have been upset as well."

"Not to keep bringing it up, but how was your relationship with her? Did she make you happy?"

Edward paused with a thoughtful look. "The first month was okay, but it never felt completely right. There was always something off about her. I should have listened to my instincts. The second month was a nightmare. Her behavior became erratic, uncontrollable and progressively violent. At that point I was about to break things off with her. That's when she told me she was pregnant with my child. Not the truth, but at the time, I believed her and stayed."

There was a pinch of jealousy as Edward admitted he had been previously intimate. I had already come to that conclusion on my own. After the events of last night, I knew it wasn't the first time he had sex. Although I was secretly hoping that I would have been his first time. I was happy enough to be the last one.

As a woman, sex meant something different. It's special, it holds more meaning than senseless pleasure. It's the intimacy, the bond, being close with someone, completely exposed. Being accepted and desired. Comfort, passion, a symbol of two people that cared deeply for one another. It's not how all women felt, but it's how I felt. It's how Rene always described it.

But the same can't be said for men. Their conception of what sex is, can be completely different. In the mind of a man, sex doesn't hold as much meaning. It's an act between two people that find each other attractive. It's instinctually to reproduce. No feelings need to be attached for them to make love. It can be purely to satisfy their needs.

That's why some women are so heart broken, when they give up their virginity to a man, they do so because they have feelings. Maybe not for all women. But the men will take what they get and part ways, no feelings attached.

That's what was so frustrating, I've seen it happen time after time. Men will lie, cover up their true intentions, make the women believe that they want to have sex, because they have feelings. But it's a cheap trick. It's just to convince them to go along with it. Men were selfish creatures. They would do anything and say anything to get what they wanted.

But I don't think Edward is like the others. Not like Mike, or the boys at school that would leer at any girls within their proximity. I don't know if it is because of our imprint, or because that was the kind of person he was. But I knew deep down in my heart, Edward's feelings were real. Last night, he wasn't selfish, he was thoughtful. It was slow and gentle, even with eyes, so hungry with lust, his love and devotion was present in each touch, each kiss. Edward made me feel like I was the only person in the world that mattered. I couldn't have asked for a better man, to give my virginity to.

"So, you stayed with her, for how much longer?" I asked, all signs of my previous negative mood vanished.

Edward seemed to breathe out a sigh of relief, as if he had just made it over a hurdle. "I stuck around maybe another month, she let it slip that she lied about the pregnancy. Well, she lied about who the father of the baby was."

My eyes widened. "She was having an affair?"

Edward shrugged his shoulders, not seeming bothered by the comment. "I already had my suspicions. Just a random man that lived in Forks. Not part of the pack or anything like that. He was her imprint. I left after she admitted her true feelings for this man. I wasn't heartbroken, I was more so relieved that I finally was free of her. I know that may make me sound insensitive, but she made me so miserable. I just couldn't seem to find the courage to leave. It always felt like, if I wasn't there, she would find a way to hurt herself or anyone she came into contact with."

"I can't even imagine going through something so awful. I thought that I had it bad when I was dating Mike. It sounds like you had a much harder time," I paused, taking a few bites from the ribs. "And what about her baby?"

She carried it full term, but when they delivered the baby, it was stillborn. No pulse, lifeless. That's when she really went out of control." There was some sadness in his voice.

For a while the both of us ate in silence. I felt pity towards Tanya. Slightly. Only because I couldn't wrap my head around the pain of losing a child. Maybe that's what caused her mental state to snap, the way it did. All those missing children. Did she want to punish those who didn't lose their child, like she did? Had it been such a painful reminder, that she wanted to take some of the edge off of her suffering? The thought chilled me to my core.

The table we were sitting at began to fill. Sam came over, to sit with Leah. They both seemed tense, being so close to each other. It was awkward, to say the least. Jacob came as well, sitting down across from me with a smirk. He was joined by a pretty girl. She kept a cold gaze on me. It was clear she didn't like me already. She clung to Jacob's arm, smashing her chest into the side of his arm. I think her name was Jane. She was Jacob's… Beta and by how close the two of them were, I'd say they were probably dating. Although this relationship seemed one-sided. Jacob didn't pay much mind to her. But the arrival of the vampires stole all of my attention as they took their seats as well. A man and woman. They didn't have any food, they just sat perfectly still and watched their surroundings carefully. They looked like statues.

Anxiety crawled around my stomach.

Sam mentioned the leader of the vampire coven was Raymund, his wife, Claire sat next to him. They appeared deeply in love. Raymund watched over his mate, with fierce determination. His golden eyes didn't leave her for more than a few seconds. He watched her every breath, ready to act, if she needed him to. Clarie had a very welcoming presence. She seemed kind and controlled at all times. She smiled at anyone that passed her by. Even when she received cold stares in return. Out of all of them, she seemed the most friendly. Besides Alice's father, Henry.

The thought of Henry reminded me of something I wanted to ask Edward about.

"You mentioned that Henry had a power, that's why you didn't want us to shake hands." I asked quietly.

Edward stiffened, his eyes darting over towards Raymund and Claire, before resting on me. "That's right. Some vampires have special abilities."

"What is his ability?"

"With just a touch, Henry can read someone's future and modify its course." Raymund spoke up. His voice was surprisingly smooth. Not what I had pictured.

"How does that work?" I raised a brow.

"Imagine a set of dominos, perfectly erected in a straight line, ready to fall in a fluid line, a chain reaction. The dominos represent events leading up to a certain outcome. Henry can pick up a domino and remove it from the line. So as events begin, there will be a gap, that path will be blocked, it won't reach the final event." Raymund explained, keeping his expression blank.

A bit of a confusing concept, but I think I understood what he was trying to say.

"So, let's say, hypothetically, my future was to buy a new car. How would Henry influence that?"

Raymund now had a hint of a smile on his face. "Well, he would see the events that would lead up to you buying a car, then remove or change a small detail in one event, that will change the direction of your future. Such as, removing the day you apply for a job, to make enough money for you to buy the car."

"That's an incredible power."

"It isn't without risks. Henry has to be very careful with his abilities. It would be wise to not come into contact with him. He could accidentally change your future in a negative way." Raymund's demeanor changed slightly, turning a bit melancholy.

Claire noticed the shift and gave her husband a smile, leaning in to peck his cheek. "There is always hope for the future. Nothing is paved in stone. Things will get better. I'm sure of it." She radiant positivity.

There was a sudden surge of happiness and peace that surrounded the air. Everyone seemed to sense it. I watched in amazement as everyone's tense posture melted into contentment. Even I felt myself resting more comfortably into Edward's side. Did she have an ability as well? Her joy and positivity rubbed off on all of us.

Raymund chuckled quietly, a smile coming to his face as he reached over to stroke his wife's cheek delicately. "Easy love, your emotions are starting to affect everyone."

Claire chewed her bottom lip, containing herself a bit. The warm, happy feelings slowly drained out of me, leaving me in a state of yearning. I had really enjoyed feeling so light and happy. My anxiety returned, along with some sadness I felt from Edward's story of Tanya. Somehow, I felt even worse than I did before.

No one made any comments, but I could see that the others were returning to their tense, untrusting posture. They avoided eye contact with the two vampires. Some of them trembled uncontrollably. But not to the point that they were about to snap. They all kept in control. Although, I could see that Leah was suffering the most.

Tears lingered in her eyes, she got up roughly from her seat and marched away.

Sam watched after her, guilt on his face. He put his head down for a minute. They both were hurting. It was hard to watch. I thought about getting up and following after Leah, but I saw that she had stormed outside and phased. She was running. From her feelings, or from Sam. I wasn't sure which. I should give her space. Hopefully she would return, before the real meeting started.

Edward and I had several more plates of food, along with the others. I didn't stop, until I felt full, which took a lot longer than usual. But the men at the table just kept eating. They had endless appetites. I had no hopes of keeping up with them. So I just sat back and took note of everyone in the room. The La Push pack was sitting together with the blood moon pack. It was odd seeing them getting along. It almost seemed natural. Emmett and Paul were arm wrestling, while Erik waited patiently to go against the winner. Jared and Jasper were talking animatedly about battle tactics. Emily and Angela seemed to be having a quiet talk as well. They both were smiling and seemed comfortable enough. I could really see a good alliance forming between the packs. The three stooges of Sam's pack, the newer guys that joined, Erin, Dylan and Brady melted into the rest of the group, blended into the background. They were friendly enough, but lacked a lot of personality. It was easy to forget they existed. Although, I sensed Dylan's stress from here. His eyes kept flickering over to a few tables away. Over at the vampire table, there was a pretty girl, strawberry blonde, soft doll-like features. She kept looking at him as well.

I had a feeling that something was going on there. But I decided to tuck that thought away for later. It's best to not add to the list of troubles Sam had at the moment. Instead, my attention was pulled to the other table. The eclipse pack was sitting at the vampire table. It seemed that everyone was comfortable there. No one was bickering or being disrespectful. It was calm and tranquil, like wind blowing gently through the trees.

It was clear, the main source of hostility was between the blood moon pack and the eclipse pack. Their rivalry was demonstrated through every word and action they threw at each other. They didn't like each other and it began with the Alphas of the packs. Edward and Jacob.

Even as we sat at the table, they scowled coldly at each other. Edward's hand was resting on my thigh, our hands intertwined. He was relying on my support. But Jacob was watching me too. His eyes roamed my body openly.

"You really look sexy in that little black dress," Jacob muttered, his eyes clouded in desire.

I shivered, lowering my head slightly. "Thanks,"

Edward glared murderously in Jacob's direction. "Keep your lewd comments to yourself."

Jacob snorted. "I have the right to voice my opinion, especially if it involves my imprint. Why don't you mind your own business."

"She isn't your imprint," Both Edward and the girl clinging to Jacob's side, voiced in unison. They glanced at each other for a moment, before Edward continued glowering at Jacob and Jane, turning her furious sights on me.

Unbothered, Jacob looked at Jane now, unimpressed. "Let's get this straight. I haven't imprinted on you. So this isn't your business. Our relationship is more of a give and take. I sleep with you and in turn, you are my Beta."

Jane hung her head in embarrassment for a moment, before giving Jacob a pouty look. "You are mine. I can feel it. I know we are meant to be together. Why do you keep rejecting me? No matter where you go, or who else you find. You always come back to me."

"You know, when you're having a bad day, so your mom makes you a nice warm apple pie, to cheer you up? It's nice and comforting. You feel loved and appreciated. But once you eat the pie, it's gone. A nice treat, but you move on with your day, feeling a little better. You are an apple pie." Jacob replied with a frown.

I wasn't sure I liked this part of Jacob. He seemed really insensitive. It wasn't an attractive look for him. But I couldn't deny, when his eyes reached mine again, my heart skipped a beat.

"But, you know, if you are always in the dark. Walking alone. Cold and scared. Unable to see anything but pitch blackness. Then suddenly the sun comes out. Warming your world. Illuminating your path. Giving you the purpose to keep walking. Well that is what you are Bella. My sunshine." He responded with a tender smile.

I looked away from him, touched by his words. I forced myself to remain expressionless. I knew my actions would only hurt Edward if I didn't respond carefully. I could feel everyone's eyes on me at the table. Sam, Raymund and Claire, Jane, Edward. They were quiet, waiting for my response.

I wasn't nearly as creative with my words. I was more of a get to the point, kind of person. But maybe with a little effort I could say something, that would be open and honest, but at the same time, help everyone understand my thoughts and feelings.

"The sunsets, darkness returns, just as dark as it had been before. Just a moment of wonderful light, before being extinguished. I'll never stay. Because I will always be chasing the moon. Edward, is my moon."

A/N: Thanks to all who took the time to review the last chapter. It means a lot to me. I hope you are all enjoying the story so far!