PREVIOUSLY:

During our small exchange, a signal must have been sent. A fog was spreading across the field, low to the ground and hard to see. As the first of my former family noticed and expressed her alarm, I wrapped only my physical shield behind them like a scoop. It seems I was able to manipulate it after all. One by one they froze, eyes going blank. I turned toward the Masters and waited for the conference to end. I had no idea where we would go from here.

As I looked around, my gaze fell on Edward and my eyes narrowed. Suddenly I remembered an exchange we had several weeks ago.

"Demetri is mine," Edward said in a hard, tight voice. I looked at him quickly and saw that his expression had turned violent. "Why?" I whispered. He didn't answer at first. We were to the river when he finally murmured, "For Alice. It's the only thanks I can give her now for the last fifty years."

I wonder now if he had known, or if had simply been a coincidence; my husband so intent on killing my true mate.

As I pondered this thought, a tinkling laugh came from the trees. "I know what you're thinking Bella, but I swear I had no part in this. I haven't had a clear vision of you since you got pregnant, and none of you alone since your change." Alice came skipping out, Jasper her ever present sentinel at her shoulder.

"How could he have known Alice? Am I really supposed to believe this is chance?"

Aro interceded before I could work myself into a fury. "Isabella, we will get to the truth of the matter. Alice, please come to see me. Chelsea, I will need you and Marcus working together as well." At my confused look, he nodded to me. "I forget you do not know our secrets yet. Marcus can spot the strength and type of bonds people have, while Chelsea can manipulate them, though it takes much energy for her to do so. They will need to work together to figure out which bonds are false, and which are true, and start the work of correcting what has happened here. I have hopes that some true bonds may be able to form once the false ones are broken, though I think you were able to break free due to your shield."

At this Aro turned to Marcus, who nodded his agreement. "Yes, her false bonds are broken. Though your bonds are all a bit shaky at the moment young Bella, your mate notwithstanding of course."

Alice had reached us at this point and held her hand out to Aro with a peaceful expression on her face. I hoped it was true, I hoped my best friend had been true all this time. Aro held for several minutes, then looked up and nodded to me. "She speaks the truth, and she has found evidence of your dear daughter's future immortality at maturity. You do not need to fear this, at least."

I speculatively eyed my former family for a few moments. "I think we have a bigger problem. I have been practicing with my mental shield for weeks now, and I have had every member of the Olympic Coven under it at one point or another. Nothing in the bonds changed. My gift can't stop whoever is doing this, and Eleazor hasn't spoken of any bonding gifts."

At this Caius came to life, stalking across the field to Eleazor's side. "Alec! Remove your fog from him alone. We need Aro to do a full reading of the gifts present as Eleazor sees them." As soon as the fog lifted from his face, Eleazor found himself being marched to our group's side.

While we waited, I brought my request to the front of my mind and touched my fingertips to Aro's hand. He nodded his assent. With a breath of relief, I moved to Chelsea's side, giving Demetri a reassuring squeeze of the hand. He raised his brow to me but otherwise said nothing. It was gratifying to be given so much trust after being locked in a cage for so long.

"Chelsea, Master Marcus, before you start could you tell me if my daughter's mate bond is true or not? I worry for the strength of it at her age and it has made her feel stifled." I begged, hoping my daughter and best friend could be free, and that this would not cause any bad blood between us and the wolves. We had finally formed some sort of peace, and I truly did not want to lose them. They had become part of my family, even with their growly attitudes.

Marcus spoke up then. "Yes, Renesmee's mate bond is fabricated. It gives the same poisoned color as the mate bonds between Rosalie and Emmett, and Kate and Garrett. What I find strange is that only one wolf appears to have met his true mate. A few of the others appear to have fabricated mate bonds as well, though they appear…different in nature. They likely were not imposed by the same force as yours was with Edward. It seems we have multiple mysteries to solve here."

At a signal from him, Chelsea reached up and pulled in the air, and Ness sagged in relief in my arms, free. Across the field, Jacob collapsed, though the wolves were all still under the influence of Alec.