Rosalie
We knew that we needed to train for the upcoming battle, but tonight we wanted to forget everything and enjoy a party with our family. I didn't know if the pack would continue to trust or accept the rest of my family after everything that happened with Alice, but I needed Jasper and they respected that. A lot of them had grown close to Carlisle and Esme, so I didn't expect that we'd have any issues. I had to admit that I was nervous for the bonfire tonight. I hadn't faced the council in a very long time, and I would be meeting Rachel Black. Paul and Leah seemed hesitant to discuss her with me, and I wondered what their history was.
Jasper had kept Alice's cellphone on him since her death. We didn't want Edward to know what had happened to her if we could avoid it. I was nervous about how this conflict with Victoria would play out now that we don't have Alice's gift. I was sad that we had lost her, but it was inevitable after the pack found out what she'd done. It surprised me that Paul and Embry had both voted to let her live. I assumed they had done that to make me happy, even though I had voted to execute her immediately. When we arrived home from Sam's, we had cleaned out many of her belongings. Jasper kept a few things for sentimental value, but the rest was thrown away or donated. She had hundreds of brand new outfits. We decided to take them to Sam's to see if any of the imprints wanted them before donating them.
"Are you ready to head over, Leah?" I yelled behind me as I carried a box of food out to her car.
Esme had made plenty of food for the pack and Emily asked if the three of us would come early to help her set everything up. The guys would all be joining us later. Esme was taking Alice's death much better than I had expected. Emmett had convinced Leah that they needed to be married before the battle this weekend, so we were planning a private ceremony with just the pack present. It wouldn't be extravagant, but it had to be perfect in case they didn't make it through to have their dream wedding.
"Ready, sis." Leah yelled as she came out the door carrying another box. She put her boxes in the trunk and slid in the driver's seat.
"Will Sue be there tonight, Leah?" Esme asked as she got in to the car. "I'm really excited to meet her, we can work on wedding planning together."
Leah chuckled. "She will, but really we are just doing something simple. We only have a few days, after all."
"Yes, but we still need a dress and the boys need tuxes. Have you decided who your bridesmaids will be?"
Leah looked down nervously. "I haven't. Rosalie will be my maid of honor, but Emmett wants one more person to stand up with him and I don't know who else to choose."
"Who did he pick?" I asked.
"Jasper and Paul." She replied. I had expected that.
"Do you have any ideas for your second person, Lee?"
She sighed. "Honestly, I wish it could be Seth. But if it needs to be a girl, I'm between Bella and Rachel."
"Oh, are you and Rachel close?" Esme asked.
"We were best friends before she left for college, but we haven't talked in years." She explained.
"You hadn't told me that, Lee." I commented.
She didn't reply and we had pulled up at the beach. I saw Sue, Kim, Bella, Emily, and another girl that I assumed was Rachel setting up tables and bringing out food. I wondered what Kim and Rachel would think of the enormous amounts of food the pack consumes. We grabbed our boxes of food and started our walk down to them. Leah and Esme set their boxes down and went to talk with Sue, while I worked with Bella to unpack everything.
Bella had finally started showing and her morning sickness was in full swing. She was still in her first trimester and showed me pictures from the first scan Carlisle had done. I was so excited for her. She said that Jacob was hoping for a boy but she thought it would be a girl. They hadn't told Charlie or Billy yet, they planned to tonight at the bonfire. I continued working next to Bella, but I was anxiously waiting for Paul to arrive. I had a feeling that I'd found out what they were hiding about Rachel once he got here. I saw Emmett's jeep pull up and I started to walk over, but was stopped by Harry Clearwater.
"Rosalie, do you have a moment to talk?" He asked me.
I had hardly spoken to any of the council since the meeting when they'd banned me from coming to the reservation, with the exception of last night. "Of course, Mr. Clearwater." I replied.
He laughed. "Just Harry, sweetheart."
He put his arm around me and we walked over to a table to sit down. I could see that Leah and Rachel were running over to meet Emmett and I hoped that Paul hadn't come with him.
"Rosalie, I just wanted to offer my condolences. I know you loved Alice." He told me.
I sighed. "She wasn't the Alice I loved anymore. I couldn't let her hurt anyone."
"It was very noble of your family to let one of your own go to protect our tribe. I really admire all of you for that." He said.
"I think Emmett is taking it the hardest. He didn't want to be the one to kill his sister."
He shifted a little and took my hand. "Rosalie, I wanted to talk to you about Leah and Paul. They're both my children in my eyes. I know that you will be around a lot longer than I will and I want to know that you'll take care of them."
"Of course, Harry. Emmett will too. They are part of our family now." I assured him.
"That's what I wanted to hear." He patted my back. "I hear there will be a wedding in a few days. I knew Emmett was in a hurry but I didn't expect it to be so soon. I better let you go talk to your mother and Sue about the plans. Sue really wants to have a relationship with you. We will be your in laws when you marry Paul, after all."
I stood up and Harry hugged me. "And don't let Rachel get to you. I've never liked the girl." He whispered in my ear.
Harry walked away and I saw Paul standing next to Emmett with Rachel in front of him and Jasper on his other side. He smiled when he saw me and waved. Rachel noticed and tried to get his attention again. I knew that Paul was mine, but I could feel my rage building as I watched her vying for his attention. He giggled as he watched my expression change and I could feel Jasper trying to calm me down.
"Why don't you go introduce her to the Rosalie Hale I met the first time?" Bella was laughing at my side.
"That sounds like a wonderful idea." I agreed. "You can come with me if you'd like."
She stepped back. "I'm not trying to start problems with my future sister in law, but I'm on your side. Rach can be a bit much."
I started walking toward Paul, and Leah's glare wasn't lost on me. Paul smiled and pushed himself away from the jeep to move toward me. I threw myself at him, wrapping my arms and legs around him and kissing him passionately in front of both of our families. He put me down and pulled me close to him.
"Play nice, babe. She is the chief's daughter." He whispered in my ear. "I love you."
"When have you ever known me to play nice?" I said low enough that nobody else could hear.
He laughed and turned me around so that I was facing her and the rest of the family. He pulled me closer and wrapped his arms around me from behind. Rachel was staring at me fiercely, anger painted on her face. Leah tried to lighten the mood.
"Rachel, this is Rosalie. She's Paul's girlfriend and Emmett and Jasper's sister." She told her.
I scoffed and rolled my eyes. "And your best friend." I added.
She glared at me, disgust painted on her face. "Pauly has a girlfriend?"
"Did she stutter?" I replied.
Paul rolled his eyes. "Yes, Rach. We've been together for a long time now."
She looked me up and down. "I don't see a ring. You must not be that committed."
"You will soon." Paul responded. He leaned down and kissed my cheek.
Rachel scoffed and stomped off toward Bella and the council.
"What the hell was that?" Jasper asked me.
I growled at him. "What is your problem? You don't even know this girl."
He glared at me. "There's no need to torment her, Rosalie. I'm going to talk to Billy and Carlisle." He ran at an inhuman speed away from us.
"What was that about?" I asked everyone.
"I'm not sure babe, but I'm sure we'll find out later. Come on, I want you to meet Kim. I know you sorta met her this morning but she's going to be around a lot and I want you two to be friends."
Paul pulled me toward the party while Emmett and Leah went to talk to her parents. The pack didn't drink, alcohol did as little for them as it did for us, but the parties still got wild. They started the fire and the guys were playing football. Emmett joined in, but Jasper didn't. He sat between Carlisle and Billy Black whispering and staring intently at Rachel. I had hoped that Jasper would be content alone after losing Alice, and maybe that would still be the case. I didn't let it bother me and tried to enjoy my time with the other imprints.
Kim was a really good person, and we had great conversations now that my eyes weren't a blazing red. It would take time for them to fade back to their normal gold, but I wore my contacts tonight for the humans sake. Kim told us she'd had feelings for Jared for years, so I was glad to see imprinting getting something right. They were both single and fell in love quickly. No messy love triangles or hurt feelings involved like Sam and Paul had dealt with. She asked a lot of questions about us and what was going on and I happily answered. She was concerned with Edward and Victoria but I assured her we would take care of them. I didn't know if I needed to hear it more or if she did.
I didn't honestly believe that we could make it through this battle with no casualties. I didn't trust Alice, but losing her meant we lost one more fighter on our side. Even if someone phased, we didn't have time to train them to make up for losing her. I hadn't told Paul how I was feeling, but I did tell Sam. We agreed that my responsibility would be protecting the imprints. Leah would be with me, because it would be impossible for her or Emmett to fight at their best if they were distracted by trying to protect each other. I just hoped that I could protect them all. I knew I'd give my life for any of them if I had to. I had asked Sam what would happen to Paul if I died, and he said as long as I wasn't marked Paul would live through it. The wolf wouldn't accept any other woman as his mate, though.
The guys finished their game and everyone hurried over to the food. The other girls went to help out and get food themselves, but I stayed behind. Embry came over to sit by me and I was nervous to talk to him. Pretending not to care about him was really difficult, but I didn't want to make Quil or Jacob angrier than I already had.
"Hey, Rose." He sat down next to me. "I think we need to talk about what happened."
"I have nothing to say. I told you, I only did what I would have done for any of the pack." I answered coldly.
He turned to me. "Cut the shit. Paul told me what Quil and Jacob said to you."
"I don't know what you're talking about." I lied.
"They told me what they said Rosalie." He told me.
I looked down, away from him. "I can't keep hurting you, Embry."
He placed his hand on top of mine. "You'll only hurt me by lying to me and staying away."
"It's hard for me to be around you. I do love you, but I'm with Paul. When I thought you were going to die it was like something broke inside of me. I've never been that viscous before, and I've never drank human blood before. I feel like I'm betraying Paul by caring about you." I explained.
"You're not." He told me. "Paul understands. We talked about it after Alice died. Are you doing okay after everything?"
I nodded. "I knew Alice had to die. I can still control my thirst around humans, even around you. How are you feeling?"
"Physically, I'm basically back to normal. I haven't phased yet but Carlisle says I can fight this weekend. I'm hurt that Billy is my father and never told me. Jacob confronted him yesterday, but he still hasn't spoken to me yet." He looked down. "I had hoped it was Sam's dad, so at least he had thrown his other son away too. Or Quil's dad, because he died. It hurts more knowing that Billy was here this whole time and didn't say a word."
"I'm just sorry you're stuck with Rachel as a sister." I chuckled.
He laughed too. "Rach isn't that bad. She's always had a crush on Paul. Nothing ever happened between the two of them, she's just jealous."
"I guess I should cut your sister some slack then."
"You should." He agreed. "I hugged her earlier and she felt warm. I hope that she's just sick. I love Leah but I can't handle two bitches in the pack." I smacked his arm and he laughed at me. I leaned my head on his shoulder as we watched our family eating and laughing together.
"Do you think we'll make it out alive?" I asked him. "What if this is the last time we're all together?"
"We will. Even if we suffer losses, it's going to be okay. We will get through this together. Besides, we have the wedding together in a few days."
"Sam is trusting me to protect the imprints. What if I lose someone? What if they find me and I can't protect them all?"
He squeezed my hand. "One of the pack will be with you. I promise, it's going to be okay. You're stronger than you think."
Embry had much more confidence in me than I did. We walked toward the rest of the pack when I noticed my family sitting together with the council. I decided to join them instead. Jasper was giving me cold glares, but Emmett greeted me warmly. Billy looked at me as I sat next to Emmett.
"Thank you for saving my son, Rosalie." He said. "Jacob told me how difficult it must have been for you since you hadn't ever consumed human blood."
"I would have done it for any of the pack." I answered honestly. "I love Embry, I'm just glad that we were able to save him."
"You've changed my mind about your kind. All of you have, really." He told us. "I'm sorry about the loss of Alice, but you've proven to us that you will put our tribe and our pack above all else."
"We will." Jasper agreed.
"Charlie will be joining the council on a trip to the Makah reservation this weekend. Sue will stay behind in case anyone is injured." He explained.
Old Quil approached us. "Rosalie, if you don't mind we'd like to tell the story of your bravery tonight. Your name will be omitted of course." I nodded.
We walked over to sit around the fire. Rachel and Charlie were the only two present that weren't in on our secrets. Paul and Embry sat on either side of me, and Leah sat on Paul's other side. Rachel glared at us from across the fire. She sat between Bella and Emily.
I had never heard the legends before, and I enjoyed listening to them. Billy Black was an animated story teller, and even the parts I had lived through were captivating. I remembered the last pack- I was one of the signers of the original treaty. I could see the former wolves in the faces of Quil, Sam, and Jacob. Their wolves even had similar coat colors to their ancestors. As he finished telling the legends, along with the new story of me saving Embry, he turned to Charlie.
"Old friend, there are many things in this world you don't know. Supernatural things, like we speak of in our legends, and ordinary things that have been kept quiet over the years." He looked toward Rachel, and then Jacob. "I have done a grave disservice to our tribe and I've blemished the name of the Black line."
Charlie looked concerned. "What are you talking about, Billy? These legends are just stories. What could you have done wrong?"
"You're wrong again, Charlie. There is a boy in this tribe that has lived his whole life not knowing who his father is and I've watched it happen for years and sat idly by."
"Dad, not no-" Jacob interrupted but was cut off.
"No, son. I've waited long enough." He responded. "Embry, I've known for years that you were mine and I am so sorry that I never acknowledged you."
Embry looked angry but nodded his head. I reached over and squeezed his hand.
Rachel stood up. "He's what? Did you cheat on my mother?"
"Rachel, I'm sorry. Embry is your brother." He told her.
She started shaking and Jacob rushed to her side. "Sis, it's okay. Calm down."
"IT'S NOT OKAY." She screamed. "I'm burning up Jake. I feel like I'm about to explode."
Jacob tried to usher her away from the imprints to no avail. She was standing too close to Bella and Emily and I wasn't going to let her hurt them. I started to stand up when Embry pushed me back down and walked over to her.
"Hey, Rach. I understand how you feel, I'm really upset too. Do you want to take a walk together?" He held his hand out to her.
She took his hand and slowly started to breathe evenly again. "Yeah, let's go. You too, Jake."
We watched as the three of them walked in to the woods. Things were tense for the rest of us, still sitting there after Billy's announcement. It wasn't news to the pack, but the council and Charlie were shocked.
"How could you do that to Sarah?" Charlie asked his friend.
"Charlie, I can't-"
"Dad, I'm pregnant." Bella blurted out.
"What?" Charlie and Billy asked at the same time.
She pulled a copy of the ultrasound from her bag and shifted everyone's focus from Billy's infidelity. Leah looked as uncomfortable as I was with all of the baby talk. Her period stopped when she started phasing, and now being with Emmett it seemed unlikely that she would ever have a child. She moved to take Embry's seat next to me and started telling me about her wedding plans. She had chosen colors and decided Bella would be her other bridesmaid, we just needed to go pick the dresses. Her wedding would be in two days on the beach with Billy officiating, so we had to go tomorrow. Esme used her connections to get Leah an appointment at an exclusive bridal shop that did in house alterations so everything could be ready in time. Leah planned for all of the girls to go with us- including Rachel. She wanted everyone to wear nice clothes for our pictures. Jasper had similar plans for the boys, all of the pack would be fitted for suits. Half of them would go with Emmett that morning, and the other half would ride up with Jasper a little later in the afternoon.
Paul nudged my side and I turned to look at him. "You guys want to get out of here?" He asked.
"Please." Leah replied.
Emmett chuckled. "What did you have in mind?"
"It just dawned on me that none of you Cullens have been cliff diving with the pack yet. Seth hasn't been yet either." Paul had a huge grin on his face.
I laughed. "Nice try, I am not getting wet. I don't have clothes to change in to."
"I have plenty of stuff we can use." Leah offered.
"So do I." Emily agreed.
"Did someone say cliff diving?" Jared asked. "I am so down!"
I groaned. "I really don't want to go, Paul."
"Oh, stop being a loser." Jared told me. "You're going, get over it."
"Fine." I agreed. "As long as I can throw you off the cliff first."
Everyone laughed at us and Jared agreed. Embry and Jacob had just come back with Rachel and the three of them agreed to go too. All of us girls went to Sam's house to borrow clothes from Emily. It was too cold for the humans to wear bathing suits, but we didn't want to get wet in our regular clothes. We all changed in to shorts and tshirts and drove out to meet the guys. It wouldn't have been difficult for me and Leah to run to the cliff, but we were content to ride with everyone else.
I was surprised to see that Jasper was there when we arrived. He was chatting with Sam and Paul and I started to join them when I noticed Jared standing by himself at the edge of the cliff with his back to me. Jared was trying really hard to have a relationship with me since Paul was his best friend. I was really happy for him and Kim. I ran up behind him and he didn't seem to hear me. I started to push him off the cliff and he grabbed my arm, pulling me down with him.
"I'm going to kill you, Cameron!" I screamed as we fell.
I had to admit, cliff diving was a hell of a rush. I hadn't done anything this fun in years. My body collided with the cold water and I saw Jared swim up quickly, gasping for air. We made our way to the shore where the council still sat. They were all cackling when they saw me.
"Didn't expect that, did you Rosie?" Harry teased me.
"I see how you treat ladies now, Cameron." Charlie chuckled. "Maybe that's why those girls were complaining about you."
"Ladies? It's just Rosalie." Jared replied. "I'd never bother an actual girl like that."
I pushed Jared playfully and we both ran back up to the cliff. Everyone erupted with laughter when they saw us, even Paul.
"Paul!" I yelled. "Nothing to say in my defense here?"
"Oh no, babe. You told me that you can fight your own battles." He came over to hug me, but didn't stop laughing. "Besides, you're the one that pushed him. You doubted the wolf's hearing, he knew you were behind him the whole time."
We took turns jumping, and Jasper even joined. Leah and I jumped together a few times, and again with Paul and Emmett. I watched worriedly as Embry jumped, concerned that he wasn't still fully healed from his injuries. He seemed to be getting around fine, but he hadn't been able to phase yet. Paul ran behind me as I watched Embry go down and grabbed me, throwing me off the cliff with him. The three of us made it back to the top and I noticed that Bella and Rachel were both still dry.
"Aren't you guys going to jump?" I asked them.
Rachel shook her head. "I'm afraid to jump by myself. Unless you want to jump with me, Paul?"
I couldn't believe she'd asked him that right in front of me. I glared at Paul waiting for his answer. "I'll jump with you." I heard from behind me. I turned to see Jasper standing there, smiling at us.
"Really?" Rachel asked. "You want to?"
He held his hand out to her. "Sure, darlin'. Let's go."
I shook my head and watched as the two of them walked to the edge of the cliff. Jasper leaned down and she climbed on his back. He jumped off the cliff and I heard her screams on the way down. I couldn't believe how he was acting with her.
"Don't you want to jump, Bella?" I wondered.
She looked down. "Jacob has been jumping with Quil and Embry. I'll go with him when they're done."
"We can go together if you want to." I offered.
Paul's expression soured. "Do you really think that's a good idea? She's pregnant."
Why was he so concerned? He hasn't ever shown any interest in Bella before.
"Bella!" Jacob yelled. "Come on, jump with me this time!"
She grabbed my hand. "Come with me, Rosalie."
Paul put his hand out in front of her, stopping us. "No, this is a bad idea. You're pregnant, B."
B? When the hell did he start calling her that?
Jacob walked toward us. "What's your problem, Paul?"
"You're putting her in danger." He growled. "She doesn't need to jump off a cliff in her condition."
Jacob stood in don't of me and Bella, separating Paul from us. "You think I'd put my imprint in danger? She's carrying MY baby."
"You're putting her and the baby in danger now." Paul snarled at him.
I interjected. "There are two doctors and a nurse here and you think we'd let Bella jump if it wasn't safe? Do you not trust me, Paul?"
His expression softened as we made eye contact. "Of course I do, babe. But this seems too dangerous for her while she's pregnant."
Bella backed away from us. "He's right, guys. I'm just going to go sit with my dad on the beach. Thank you for looking out for me, Paul."
I grabbed her arm. "No, Bella. If you want to jump, you can jump. I think you and baby will be fine and so does Carlisle or you wouldn't be up here."
"Are you sure?" She asked me. I nodded. "Are you okay with it, Paul? Jacob?"
Jacob shook his head and picked her up. "I don't care what Paul thinks. It's fine, we're jumping."
Paul scowled at them as they walked away.
"What the hell was that, Paul?"
He tried to hug me and I moved away from him. "What, babe? I told you, I didn't want her to get hurt. She's having the first pack baby and my wolf wants to protect them both."
I couldn't argue with him, and I had to admit that it was sweet of him to be so concerned. I was jealous of Bella and her ability to have a child, but I also felt protective of the two of them. Paul was misunderstood in the same way that I often am. We both loved fiercely and passionately, and that was one of the things that made us perfect for each other.
"That's actually really kind of you, to be concerned for Bella and the baby." I hugged him. "Do you want to jump again?"
He kissed the top of my head. "Of course." He took my hand and we ran to the cliff's edge together.
Our relationship had come such a long way. We still weren't perfect by any means, but he was everything I'd ever needed.
Cliff diving with the pack was the perfect way to end our day. We spent hours jumping together, and Bella was fine like I assured her she'd be. After jumping with Jasper the first time Rachel worked up the nerve to jump with Leah and I, but seemed to cling to Jasper for the rest of the evening. I didn't like it, but it was better him than Paul. My brother deserved to be happy after losing Alice, but hopefully it wouldn't be with Rachel.
The pack was starving by the time we had finished, so we all went back to Sam's place. Emily and Bella cooked for everyone and I chuckled watching Jasper eat with Rachel to appear human. We discussed our plan for tomorrow to get everyone to the stores to buy wedding clothes. Emmett and Leah were both so excited for their wedding, and I hoped everything would go smoothly. After everyone finished eating, Jasper invited them back to our family's home.
"Just one thing we need to do first, Jasper." Sam announced. "Rachel, there are a few things we need to tell you."
"No, Sam." Jacob growled. "Not right now."
Sam glared back at him. "This is what your father asked me to do, Jake. He's having the same conversation with Charlie right now."
"My dad?" Bella gasped. "It's not safe for them to know, Sam!"
Why would she say that? What had Edward told her? "What do you mean, Bella?" Emmett asked.
She looked away from us. "I know about the Volturi." She whispered.
"The what?" Paul asked me. I shook my head. I didn't want to crush their spirits before our upcoming battle. We could never stand against the Volturi.
Jasper sighed. "I don't know what Edward has told you Bella, but I'm not worried about the Volturi. Nothing has ever happened to the council despite knowing our secret."
"What damn secret?" Rachel wondered.
"The legends your-" Embry stopped himself. "Well, our dad I suppose, told us tonight. They're all true."
She started laughing. "You're all fucking delusional."
"No, we're not." I growled at her.
"One of the stories he told was about me and Rosalie. See, look." He walked over to her and showed her the scar from the nomad's bite. "I was bitten by a bad vampire, and Rose sucked the venom out."
Rachel looked terrified. "That can't be true. Shouldn't her eyes be red if she drank your blood?"
I walked over to a mirror in Emily's hallway and took out my contacts. The red had slowly began to fade, but was undeniably still there. "I wore contacts so the humans wouldn't be uncomfortable." I explained.
She looked back at Embry. "So you're a wolf?"
"We all are. Well, except for the Cullens." Jacob answered.
"Why are you all telling me this?"
"Because something terrible is coming." Quil told her. "We all have to be ready for it. Just being around us puts you in danger, and we have to make sure you understand. We will do our best to protect you, but don't go anywhere alone until this is taken care of. You need to be with a member of the pack or one of the Cullens at all times."
Sam nodded in agreement. Jasper put his hand on her knee. "Don't be afraid, darlin'. We will keep you safe, I promise. We're going to meet some of my friends when we get to my house. They have red eyes like Rosalie does right now, but they won't hurt you. They're here to help us with our problem."
"Can I see one of you as the wolf?" She asked.
"Follow me." Leah stood from her chair and walked outside.
We all followed her outside and she ran out in the woods to strip her clothes and phase. She came back as the wolf and Rachel was in awe.
"Are you all this size?" She asked.
Jacob laughed. "Of course not. Me and Sam are the biggest. I'll show you." He ran to the woods and phased as well, his large wolf towered over Leah.
"This is a lot to take in." Rachel said, to no one in particular.
"Believe me, I know how you feel. I didn't grow up hearing the legends." Bella commented.
Kim scoffed. "I seriously don't want to hear it. I came over to pick up muffins and almost got killed by a psychotic vampire."
"I'm so sorry about that again, Kim." Emmett told her. "Alice wasn't always so bad."
"It's okay, Emmett." Kim assured him. "You saved me, remember?"
"At least she didn't bite you." Bella raised her sleeve to show her scar from James.
Paul ran over to her and grabbed her arm. "What the fuck, B? How did this happen?"
Emmett pushed her sleeve down and shook his head. "Story for another time."
Paul looked at me. "Did you know about this?"
I nodded. He ran away from us and phased, taking off in the woods. He wasn't running away from us but I didn't chase him. I didn't understand his new feelings toward Bella, but I had worked too hard to trust him to throw any accusations his way.
Rachel turned to Jasper. "Can we go to your house now? I want to meet your friends." He nodded and took her hand, leading her to Emmett's jeep.
The other imprints and Embry rode over with them. He still hadn't phased yet, and we didn't want him to until his condition had improved. The rest of us opted to run. Quil jokingly told Leah that he was faster than her, so the two of them decided to race. I called Jasper who agreed to stand outside and determine the winner. I stood back while everyone ran toward my family's house and reflected on everything that had transpired. Alice was gone and this was my life now, these people were my family. No matter what unfolded with Victoria and Edward, I would cherish the last few days that we had spent together. I took off toward my home to see Peter and Charlotte. It would take some time to get used to this, but. I was ready to embrace our new normal.