"The wolves will be here soon." Alice announced with a scowl. "My visions just vanished."
Jasper nodded tightly and ordered to stop the practice fights. "Some ground rules for the meeting." His eyes wandered from one face to the other. "We will of course show them how to kill a regular vampire. We will explain how they are easily incapacitated and how to properly end a life. But none of us with a gift will reveal how that will aid us in a fight. We know that the wolves have knowledge of Edward's gift that can no longer be prevented, and we will warn them of the threat the Volturi's gifts could present to them but I want none of you to reveal anything else about our families."
All of us nodded sternly.
Except Emmett of course. He dramatically rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on, Jazz. Where's the fun in that? We could show off a little. They wouldn't dare to even think of attacking if little Bella serves them some much needed humiliation."
I lowered my eyes bashfully as Emmett pointed to me.
Jasper shot him a look. "The goal is not to entertain ourselves, Emmett."
"What about my strength?" Emmett challenged. "I won't hide that."
Jasper pierced his lips. "You may use your extra strength while practicing but you will not point out that it is anything out of the ordinary, alright?"
Emmett pushed his lip out. Pouting.
His wife giggled while holding my sleeping daughter in her arms. "You can still show off your biceps, baby." She soothed him.
"I sure hope so." Emmett boomed, flexing his muscles dramatically. "It would be a tragedy to hide something so perfect. They would be missing out on one of the wonders of the world."
"It sure would be." Rosalie agreed.
"Now," Jasper reclaimed the attention. "We don't want them to know more than they need to. You never know when withheld intelligence might decide a fight for you. Alice might be blinded by them but that is still a good notifier for us should they one day decide to attack us. We would know of their approach before they would even leave for our house." He sighed. "And Bella's gift, though still largely untrained, is too precious and surprising to reveal. There is no reason why they should know such things about us. It's in our best interest to keep certain things concealed.
Dr. Cullen spoke up. "Jasper is right. We want to coexist peacefully. Unnecessary displays of power may complicate that goal."
"There is every possibility that they might one day turn on us. We would need surprise by our side in that event. Do you understand?" Jasper asked.
"Yes."
He nodded. Satisfied. "Good. We'll approach this with caution."
"I guess I'll have to save my killer moves for another time." Emmett grinned.
I could see Rosalie's dramatic eye roll.
"Preferably for an actual fight." Jasper agreed.
"They are almost here." Edward warned.
"What is their current attitude?" Dr. Cullen asked.
Edward concentrated for a second. "Neither positive nor negative. They want to learn from us and they are excited to get to fight ´actual´ vampires. Sam is quite calm. Others not so much."
"Who?" Jasper asked.
"The usual suspects. Paul is just angry at us. I think he is just an angry person overall. The others dont concern themselves with it. Then there is Leah. She hates her existence as a wolf and the fact that her condition forces her to run with the man who broke her heart by falling in loving with her cousin while he was with her. She sees us as the cause for her change." Edward sighed. "And then there is Jacob. He just generally hates us. No real reason. But he particularly wants to kill me because of the added glory that comes with killing the mind reader."
I growled lowly. He would have no opportunity to touch my husband. I would never allow it. I would sooner crush his entire body than let him harm my love.
Edward pulled me into his arms, my face against his chest, and rubbed my back. "Sam commanded that none of them will attack in anger. He wants to cooperate, at least for now. He sees us as the minor enemy against the overwhelming evil that he sees in the Volturi."
The night air carried the rustle of leaves as the Quileute wolves approached and we fell silent. I could hear the heavy breaths as they ran. Their paws on the soft forest floor. Claws that scratch against roots. Saliva dripped from their muzzles.
And finally the moon's silvery glow highlighted the tall figures emerging from the shadows. The wolves were massive. Their muscles twitched under the thick coat.
Immediately I searched out the rust colored fur of Jacob. I promised myself that I would not let my eyes leave him for the entire evening. He would have no chance to attack my husband.
Sam, the black wolf, stepped forward. His eyes fixed on my husband.
"Yes, Samuel. I will speak for you." He agreed to Sam's unspoken question. "They are hesitant and do not trust us enough to attend in their more vulnerable human form. For now I will be their communicator." He redundantly informed us again. He wisely kept the true range of his gift a mystery from the wolves.
"We mean you no harm." Esme said sincerely.
Edward shook his head. "Our words are not enough for them. They will not shift."
Dr. Cullen took his position in front of his family and me. "We understand your concerns and I am very grateful that you trust us enough to attend at all."
"Thank you." Edward responded flatly.
Sam nodded at him, urging him to continue.
"I myself have always been a nonviolent man,"
He was disrupted by scattered barks from the wolves. Jacob was among them.
"They deny you the right to call yourself a man." Edward explained calmly. "They suggest different names that I will not repeat out loud."
Dr. Cullen nodded at him but continued on. Unfazed by their reaction. "My son Jasper," he gestured, "has the most experience when it comes to fighting other vampires. He will teach us what he knows."
"We will happily learn from his experience." Edwards' voice was still unusually flat.
Jasper exchanged some glances with Edward, Eleazar and Rosalie. Clearly they were uncomfortable with the one sidedness of this partnership. I was as well.
"Right," Jasper stepped forward. "First, I ask you to forget everything you think you know about fighting vampires. This is nothing like the situations described in your tribe's legends. The Volturi are powerful. They have ruled over our world for millennia. You do not usually fight against them and win. Many have tried. And many have lost their lives because of it. This is no pair of nomadic vampires terrorizing your village. This is a legitimate threat to us all."
"Show us how to fight them then." Edward said for Sam.
Jasper nodded. "I will. But you need to realize that this is different from what your tribe has experienced before. Nothing compares."
"They are overly confident in their abilities." Edward commented.
"One massive advantage the Volturi have, and the paramount reason no one could ever defeat them is not their large numbers, although they are currently the largest coven there is, but the gifts some of their guard members have."
"Gifts?"
"You obviously know that Edward can read you mind."
Sam nodded.
"That is, what we call, a gift. He is not the only mind reader. Aro, the leader of the Volturi, is another. No gift ever works the same. Aro needs skin contact to use his gift but once he does touch you every thought you ever had will be his."
"Continue."
"There are many others. Some gifts are irrelevant in combat. One can see the bonds that bind people. One can create a happy environment. One is especially attractive to humans."
"What gifts are relevant?" Edward asked for Sam.
"There is Afton, he can make himself invisible. Renata can confuse you if you get near enough, you would forget why you even approached her. But the most precious gifts to the Volturi are Jane´s and Alec´s. The twins are feared in our world. Their gifts are opposites.
Jane can create the illusion of pain. She deceives the mind of her target into believing that they are being burned alive. The agonizing pain makes them collapse on the floor, writhing in pain. Although it is only an illusion, it has enough power to incapacitate.
Alec, on the other hand, can block your senses. He could be considered Jane's antidote. While she creates pain he takes any and all sensations. You will be blind and deaf. You can not smell, taste or feel. You will be caught in your own head. Cut off from the world. And you could be killed without even realizing it."
"If what you say is true, how can we fight such an opponent?"
"Every gift has its weakness. Even Aro is limited by his need for skin contact." Jasper said coolly. "Jane's gift is fast. It works instantaneously. But she can only use it on one person at a time. Alec can use his gift on many people at the same time. But it is slow. A shimmering fog that spreads."
"So Alec should be the first kill?"
"He should be. Yes. If he has you in his grasp once there will be no escape. You would be dead."