Back in Denali Bella and Tanya are still sat on the sofa chatting.
Just then the front door opened. And Jacob called out.
"Bella Tanya. Where are you? Hulien and Nahuel have just arrived
"We are in the living room" Tanya replied.
He and garret walked in followed by a tall dark skinned young looking man with hazel eyes and bright red cheeks. He looked sort of human but he had the vampiric beauty and paleness despise the darkness of his skin. Behind him walked a short dark skinned vampire her eyes shining bright red as rubies. I quailed against Tanya when I saw her and Tanya put a comforting hand on my arm, i felt a little better.
Garret spoke introducing them:
"Bella this is is Hulien and her nefew Nahuel"
"Hello Bella" said Hulien coming slowly closer it was obvious that she could tell I was afraid of her
"I hear that you have yet to meet a normal vampire that didn't want to kill you"
"Yeah " I squeaked.
"It's all right, I promise I won't hurt you" she reached out a hand slowly in much the same way that a human would reach out a hand a nervous animal.
Something in the tone of her voice reassured me and I slowly took her hand and shook it.
She sat on the sofa next to me and I tried to relax, Suddenly Nahuel laughed and I jumped at the noise startled. I realised the source of the noise almost immediately and I turned and looked at him
"Sorry" he said " it's just odd to see my aunt sitting with a human. Normally any human that gets that close is lunch"
I paled
"Nahuel that really isn't helpful we are trying to help bella stay alive not scare her to death" Hulien scolded
"Sorry" he said with a kicked puppy expression, the look on his face made me giggle. He looked up at me and smiled
"I really am sorry"
"Ok" I said. "Your the half human aren't you"
"Yes he said sitting on the coffee table in front of us. I was born a century and a half ago. we are hoping to use the knowledge of my mothers experience to help you.
"Your mother died didn't she" I asked matter of factly
"Yes" he replied sadly. "But I hope that out first hand knowledge will bring you through this safely."
Jacob came in and squeezed in between myself and Hulien he reached out and took my hand, with Tanya on one side and Jacob on the other I felt a lot safer and calmer. Hulien looked at him properly for the first time, she sniffed him then grimaced.
"What are you" she demanded harshly
"What" Jacob replied taken aback.
"You clearly aren't a vampire. Yet You radiate too much heat for a human and you smell wrong for a human too. What are you,"
Nahuel sniffed tentatively at Jacob
"Hulien he smells kinda like those wolves we ran into in Washington"
"What!" Demanded Jacob. Clearly rattled "You ran into my old pack? Please say you didn't bite any of them"
" no we ran off, they chased us for a while but turned back at the Canadian boarder. And so what if we had bitten them? they were sure trying to bite us," he paused re thinking what Jacob had said. "wait. YOUR pack?"
Jacob sighed, winked at me and stood up. In one fluid movement he slipped off his shorts and phased. A giant russet wolf filled most of the space next to the sofa. I was the only one who didn't react. Despite knowing about Jacob Tanya gasped and leant away from him. And Garret yelped. Hulien and Nahuel tho leapt across the room to opposite wall hissing. I glanced at them they were clearly terrified. I couldn't resist. I stood up and stepped over to Jacob reached up and stroked his nose. He leant down nuzzled my face and then leant further nuzzling my stomach. The baby kicked responding to Jacob and he nuzzled it again. I giggled and he looked up at me.
"Ok enough now. Phase back" I instructed. He did and pulled his shorts back on.
Hulien and Nahuel slowly walked back and sat down again still looking warily at Jacob. This time Hulien sat with Nahuel and Jacob and I sat next to Tanya me back in the middle.
"What are you," Hulien demanded again
"My pack are shape shifters a from the quilette reservation on the coast near forks. we protect the area from vampires. We too have never met a friendly red eye so if a red eye enters the area we attack first and ask questions later. I'm glad you got through ok though seeing as you are here to help bella and the baby"
He smiled at her and she smiled tentatively back
He turned to me
"I had better go call Sam I heard him for a moment just then I was too focused on you and he wasn't expecting me to phase so he didn't hear me or what's going on here. he's panicked about the vampires that passed through. I had better explain the situation."
"Ok see you soon"
He got up and left he room I heard the front door open and close. (There will be a meanwhile of what happens with Jacob next chapter)
I turned to Hulien who still looked a little worried
"It's ok he's perfectly safe"
She didn't look convinced
The baby kicked as if to remind me why Hulien was there changing the subject seemed like a good idea to me too.
"Well how do you plan on helping us then" I put a hand on my stomach to make it clear who the other part of the "us" was
"Tanya already told you the basics I think but Would you like to hear our plan in detail anyway?" Hulien asked
"Yes please"
Ok well Tanya tells me that you have already managed to drink some blood and that it enabled you to keep some human food down
I nodded
"That's brilliant, for now we will keep on with that to make sure you are both fed and that you stay strong. Size and time wise your pregnancy should last about 40 days. That's one day for every week of a human pregnancy. But yours won't be that long"
"Because you can't take the risk of waiting long enough for the baby to want to make its own way out right?"
"Yes that's right Hulien replied"
Nahuel sucked in a breath loudly and I looked up at him. He seemed surprised that I knew that particular detail. He opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. He closed his mouth and ducked his head. Hulien put a reassuring hand on his shoulder he looked up at me again and managed to speak
"You know how my kind are naturally born?"
"Yes"
"Then why are you letting it live why allow me here my kind are monsters"
"No you aren't" I insisted
"What but a monster would kill its own mother without a second thought"
"Nahuel it wasn't your fault you were only a baby you were just acting on instinct."
He didn't look. Convinced.
"Nahuel even human babies kill their mothers sometimes. It's not something to hate yourself for, you are who you are. You are no more a monster than Hulien is or Tanya or Jacob. And my baby isn't a monster either." I folded my arms over my stomach " I love it very much."
He looked at me and half smiled.
"Maybe if you survive this I will believe you."
"Well then I will just have to make sure I survive" I grinned.
"Shall we get back to topic" Hulien asked smiling
"Ok" I replied turning my attention back to her
"Right well. as I was saying your right Bella. We will deliver your baby at about 37 days. So that's how long you will be pregnant for. Due to the baby being strong I expect you are already feeling movement?
"Yes nudges" I confirmed
"That's the baby kicking They will get stronger. In about a 10 days they will probably start hurting I'm afraid and you will most likely bruise. By about 20 days the baby will be stronge than you and if it kicks the wrong place it might crack a rib or two."
She must have noticed the mildly panicked look that my face had acquired because she added
"But don't worry we can get medical supplies fairly easily."
"Ok" I said relaxing slightly.
And as soon as the baby is out we are going to change you. Just to be on the safe side"
"Yh Tanya said that. She said it might be possible to keep me human but that the risk of me dying would be dangerously high"
"Exactly it will be safest to turn you. The venom will heal any damage the baby has done and any damage we cause getting it out. And Tanya says that you were already planning to become one of us is that right?"
"Yes, so it's not really a big deal. It's just I'm not looking forward to the pain and I don't really like the idea of missing my babies first three days."
"There might be a solution to that"
I spun round Carmen was standing in the doorway I hadn't heard her come in she noticed my shock
"Sorry Bella. I forgot that your human senses are weaker and that you wouldn't have heard me walk in.
"It's ok. You said you might have a solution "
"Yes. We haven't told the others this but when Elazar changed me the transformation only took about 12 hours."
"How" I gasped "I thought it took three days"
"That's because almost every vampire that has been Changed has only been bitten once"
I gave her a puzzled look
"I don't understand"
Ellazar had a theory. He thought that the length of time the venom took to complete the transformation might be directly linked to the amount of venom In the system."
"If that's the case how come nobody has figured it out before."
"Well originally vampires were created when a vampire got disrupted during a feed the human was left behind having been bitten and he or she transformed, then when vampires started deliberately turning humans they did so by doing what had turned the accidental ones. Biting at the major pulse point on the neck. It became one of those this is how it's always been done so it must be the right way things"
"Oh ok. Well how did Ellazar's theory work practically"
"He bit me on all the major pulse points of my body and about a hundred other places in between effectively forcing all the venom the could into my body. With so much venom in my system and so many entrance points the transformation was over in just 12 hours"
"Brilliant" I said grinning."we can use the same tactic for me"
Carmen grinned back.
"Would you like me to ask Ellazar to do it" she asked
"No!" I said with a suddenness that surprised everyone myself included "Tanya said she would change me" I looked at her "you can apply Ellazar's method and change me can't you"
"I'm not sure bella " Tanya looked scared "biting you that many times without losing control it would be in incredibly hard. Ellazar is much older that me you would be safer with him. I couldn't bear it if I lost control and hurt you"
"The others can be there" I insisted "they can hold u back of you look like your about to lose controll."
"I'm still not sure bella"
"please Tanya"
I didn't know why but for some reason it was vitally important that Tanya was the one who would change me
"Ok. I will try but if I give any sign of losing control Hulien and Nahuel will take me away and Ellazar takes over ok?"
"Ok" I said smiling at her "You can do it I have faith in you"
"Right" Hulien said
"I think we have been through everything. Do you have any questions?"
"Just one. But it's for Nahuel. If that's ok?"
"Of course bella what do you want to know"
"What will the baby be like?" I asked.
"I mean I know it's gonna grow fast but vampires have advanced mental abbilities don't they. What will that mean for him or her how aware is it now. What will it be like when it's born"
"Well I can remember being in my mothers womb and I can distinctly remember being born" he winced "but at that point I didn't have much thought only instinct. I bit Hulien when she tried to pick me up and she crawled away. I realised I had to find her. By the time she was fully aware a few days later I could understand what she was saying to me but I couldn't reply. I guess I would say I was a toddler mind wise.
"When did you start to talk"
"About a week old"
"Crikey." He just smiled at me
Any other questions bella"! Hulien asked.
"Just one" I grinned and looked at Tanya.
"Please can we have some food" I held out my cup.
Tanya laughed took the cup and headed for the kitchen.