Chapter 5- The meeting

Jasper's POV-

It was a chilly night, Garrett stood on my right and Rose on my left, apprehension and worry visible on each of our faces. I refused to get the others to this meeting. Of course, Tia could not be brought for the risk that she was human, but as for the others, I refused to expose them. Not until I was assured that there was no risk involved. It was better to keep them hidden. We did not know what we would be facing.

It was hardly a few minutes later when a rumbling sound reached my ears. It was an animal approaching our way. Slowly but steadily. A loud, ferocious animal.

"Jas," Rose whispered, afraid. The growling had increased. Multiple growls now reached our ears. More than one animal was coming our way.

A pack.

Animals couldn't harm us, but somehow, our instincts knew that these animals could not only harm us, but they could also tear us apart into a million pieces and swallow us.

"It's ok." I assured her. And myself. "Push comes to shove, we will fight."

I was not very certain of winning this fight. I had never really fought any vampire before. Excluding the playful fights with Garrett occasionally. Garrett had fought vampires before and had taught me a bit. But it was not the same. And we had no clue whether these animals had the upper hand against the likes of mine or not. Rose was worse than me when it came to a fight. Cliché apart, she fought worse than a woman. The bunch of us really needed to learn how to fight!

"How many do you think they are?" Garrett enquired.

I shrugged. That man had said five. I believe all five were coming to this meeting. Giving them the upper hand. Number majority and all of that!

"Five." I mumbled, just as five massive growling figures approached us, their mouths wide open as their pointed teeth threatened to tear us apart. They were...huge.

Bigger than a horse.

Fuck.

We could not win against them in a fight.

It would be impossible.

And stupidity.

They were walking in a v-like formation, a black wolf at the front, followed by two others- and then two others. He was the alpha.

Sam Uley.

Power radiated from him.

Not only was he the biggest wolf in the clearing, followed closely by a russet one, a strange maturity shone in his eyes. He had seen a bit of the world, if not much of it.

"Hello,"

They came to a rough stop in front of us, loud angry growls escaping their lips. A warning resounded from the Black one, before it all came to a stop, deadly silence settling over us.

"I believe you can understand me." I frowned at them. How were we supposed to have a conversation if they stayed in their current form? I did not speak wolf! "But in order for me to understand you too, you will have to change into your human form."

Was that possible?

I looked up. It was a full moon night.

Now, I was aware that not all the myths were to be believed. I was proof of that. But this was new territory for me.

The wolves stared at one another for a few long minutes, almost deciding against complying, finally the Black one rushed towards the trees that surrounded us, appearing minutes later in his human form.

He was tall. And built.

Very well built.

He could almost give Emmett a run for his money.

I could admit to myself that I was worried. And scared.

"Yes." he firmly answered. "You wished to talk to us."

I gulped, nodding my head. I was supposed to be the leader here. I was a confident person generally. I did not gulp or metaphorically sweat in nerve-wrecking situations!

But I had to protect the family. Coming here had been my decision. I could not let them die.

"Hello," I repeated my greeting, their stoic faces looking back at me. I sighed, continuing, "my name is Jasper Cullen..."

"Where is Carlisle?" Sam growled. "Our treaty is with him."

"Yes." I admitted. "Carlisle is not here, though."

He frowned at that. "Is your surname Cullen?"

"Yes. It is the name my coven associates by. We are the same coven formed by Carlisle, but he has not traveled here with us."

No sense in providing them with more information than required.

"Will he be joining you in the future?"

"He is not likely to."

"How can we trust you? Why should we?"

"Well, for one, we are standing here calmly holding a discussion with you. Were our intentions anything other than to uphold peace, we could have attacked."

"You would be dead by now in that scenario!" He spat out at me.

I shrugged. "We could always have staged a distraction. If not all, you could have lost some of your strength. Or there could be injuries."

"Is that a threat?"

He took a menacing step further, Rose clutching me tight.

"I would rather not." I clarified. "I am not here to fight or prove my superiority. I am aware of my capabilities and weaknesses. I wish for a peaceful existence. We don't want to harm any of you. Never will. You live on your land, and we live on ours. A peaceful co-existence, that's all we seek."

He was quiet for a few long minutes, contemplating my answer, "neither of you feed on humans?"

"No. We choose to drink from animals. Hence the golden eye-color."

"If this is a trick, we will skin you alive!"

I smiled. "If this was a trick, I wouldn't have been so forthcoming in my answers."

He nodded his head, his eyes forming a conclusion. "Fine. But you will harm no human. Not even accidently."

"Agreed." I shrugged.

While Garrett wasn't as comfortable as Rose and me when it came to feeding on animals, neither of us would knowingly kill a human and risk the treaty.

"And you will inform us in advance if you have any visitors of your kind."

"Noted."

He sighed. "We can conclude this meeting. I will inform the elders that the treaty stands just the way it was."

He was met with loud, angry growls, his pack unhappy with his decision to let go without a fight, a ferocious quiet leaving his lips.

"I am the alpha and I have made my decision." He gritted his teeth angrily at his pack mates, a few of them cowering in fear. "You may leave." He turned to look at us.

I nodded my head at that. "Thank you. We do genuinely believe that a peaceful existence can be maintained between us."

He scoffed in denial, the three of us leaving the clearing and heading towards our new home.

I wasn't about to believe that we could reside here permanently. I would rather not with the very prevalent wet dog stench. Our home was far away from here. And we were going back. But hopefully, two more people would be accompanying us when we returned.

Bella's POV-

"What the fuck do you mean they are not leaving?"

"Bella."

"Jake, I am not talking to you. Sam, how are you so comfortable with risking our entire tribe in the hands of those evil bloodsuckers? I expected more from you!"

"The treaty..."

"Screw the treaty!"

I did not trust the vampires one small bit. They weren't meant to live amongst humans. It was unnatural. A trap. They would betray us. I just knew it!

"Where are they staying?"

"Why does it concern you?" Sam quirked an eyebrow at me.

I smiled. "So, that I don't accidentally trespass their land. You do know that I regularly visit Forks?"

While Charlie and I resided on the reservation, and I did attend the tribal school with Jake and all the other members of the pack, the yoga class that I conducted for beginners at the cultural center down in the main square every alternate day guaranteed that I make the drive to Forks. Also, with Charlie working at the police station in Forks, a drive down was guaranteed when he missed out on dinner time, with me packing something hot for him to munch on. It wasn't an everyday occurrence, just say five times in a week!

The man surely knew how to keep himself occupied!

"Fine." he scoffed, Jake offering him a disbelieving look.

Sam was strict but fair. I should have hated the man. He had broken the heart of my best friend. But I knew him better than that. Sam Uley was never unfair. He never knowingly supported the wrong. I had seen him since the time I had no clue how to differentiate between right and wrong, and if there was something that had remained unchanged in all these years, he was a leader. Through and through.

"We had sent Jared and Embry to track their scent and figure out where they planned to live. It is a small cottage on the outskirts..."

"The abandoned one?"

"Yes." he shrugged. "They have rebuilt the whole thing."

Weird Ms. Daisy's cottage of nightmares. Every child knew of her and her scary house. That thing could give you nightmares! Ms. Daisy had been one of the respected members of Forks, before a blazing fire turned her house into a dump and claimed the life of her husband. She had survived. She had been out at work when tragedy struck. But she never recovered from the loss. The house was never tended to. It remained burnt and destroyed. She continued to live there alone till she breathed her last a year ago. No one was willing to buy her house, or even think of residing in it. It spoke the tale of her sadness and despair. A bad omen.

"Bella, we have promised them to maintain peace..."

You have promised them, Sam. Not me.

I refused to let them stay here. They would have to leave.

If they stayed here, more kids would phase from the proximity. I could not have that. There could be no more regret-filled Jake's roaming around this reservation.

Fortunately for me, they did not consider me a snack!