AN: The next chapter :)

and happy holidays everyone!

Chapter 3

BPOV

'Well if it isn't the legend herself.' His gravelly voice filtered down the line.

'Hi Billy.' I greeted him.

'Bella.' He returned with a smile in his voice. 'to what do I owe the pleasure?'

'Well, you know I was in the neighbourhood and I figured I'd give you a call to see if I could stop by. Perhaps talk about that coven of vampires you've been hiding from me?'

It was quiet on the other line for a moment, then he sighed. 'Why don't you come here and we can talk.'

'I'm on my way.'

'The address hasn't changed.' He grumbled.

'I figured.' I grinned.

One thing about the Quileute's; they were consistent. They protected their land. Moving was out of the question. We hung up after a quick goodbye and then I quickly headed back to the car.

Billy and his pack were one of the three under my personal protection. They were Quileute natives who had the ability to shapeshift into wolves and it was important to me that Aro never find out about them. He would either kill them because he felt threatened by them, or enslave them because they could be useful. I didn't want either to happen. The natives valued human life and existed to protect the balance of nature. Their chiefs had been under my protection for as long as I remembered and as such I was an honorary member of their tribe.

Billy Black, or William, was the true chief of the tribe, tracing his lineage back to the very first natives that had claimed the land thousands of years ago. His grandfather Ephraim Black and I had been especially close, it warmed my heart that I could see much of my old friend in his grandson. I tried to visit at least once very few years. But it had been a while.

Still I kept appraised of them through email and phone calls, and of course my shield. An interesting thing I'd discovered long ago was that if I protected the chief and brought him under my shield, every new wolf would automatically receive my protection as well. It kept me in the loop of how many were in the pack at any given time. And since their change was triggered by vampires it gave me insight into how many vampires were in their vicinity. Right now there were four actively changing wolves, which was a normal number for the amount of vampire traffic this area received.

The road flew beneath my tires as I sped way above the speed limit towards the reservation near the pacific ocean. It took about two hours before I made my way down the familiar road that led to Billy's humble house that his grandfather had built at the start of the century. William, Billy's father, had always taken good care of it and now Billy lived in it and took care of it.

As I reached the town I slowed down, the small bendy roads did not lead itself to speeding very well, plus I was not about to be rude and drive like a maniac and startle the inhabitants and bring attention to myself in the proces.

The little blue door loomed in front of me before I knew it and I drove up and parked the car quickly. The house hadn't changed much over the years, a small extension at the back, a new shed a new roof. Just the regular changes that came with time. But I could still sense the presence of my old friend, and I smiled as I got out of the car.

The second I closed the door behind me, a loud snarl echoed around me. I turned causally towards the sound, interested who would be so idiotic to challenge me. A large black wolf emerged from the wooded area beside Billy's house. It's teeth were bared at me as it slowly stalked towards me, snarling viciously. I had to say I was impressed.

'You've grown Sam.' I said as I appraised him. His ears pricked up and he took a started step back. 'Yes, I know who you are and I think you know who I am. So just stand down and be a good boy.' I told him.

He snarled at me in response. Huh. I guess he didn't like being treated like a dog.

I shrugged. 'if you're going to act like a dog, I'm going to treat you like one. Now sit.'

'Sam.' Billy's voice lashed out, though Billy had lost much of his strength through illness and ageing, the voice of the chief carried a weight no shifter could ignore, and until Billy's son was old enough to take over, the wolves had to obey Billy.

'Excuse the boy, Isabella.' Billy said, glaring at Sam.

At the mention of my name, Sam gave a small yelp and turned back to the forest, setting off quickly.

I shook my head. It seemed I would have to have a talk to him before I left.

'Please come in.' Billy invited me.

I nodded and walked over. 'It seems your new pups still have a lot to learn.' I remarked drily.

Billy nodded. 'Sadly yes. Sam seems to have developed an extreme hate for vampires. He sees your kind as responsible for his change and everything that came with it.'

I sighed. 'I hope you can bring him around. We protect the balance. You can't do that when you're blinded by hatred.'

Billy nodded in agreement.

We caught up for a while on what was happening with the tribe and what was going on in Volterra, before I broached the subject of the coven.

'So tell me about the seven vampires. You've had contact with them.' I stated.

Billy shifted in his seat, slightly uncomfortable and nodded. 'The Cullens. They were here for the first time 8o years ago.'

'What?' I asked shocked by this. Ephraim had never told me about them.

'There were only three back then. But grandfather recorded their names in the diaries. So when Carlisle Cullen called me three years ago. I knew it was them.'

'Why did they call you?'

'They asked permission to settle on the land close to Forks and mainstream there.'

'Mainstream?' I asked intrigued. There weren't many vampires that tried it. Most chose to live on the outskirts of human society so they could enjoy the freedom vampiric life gave without the constraints of having to appear human and adhering to societal rules.

'Yes, they try to assimilate as best they can to human life. They abstain completely from human blood. Grandfather gave Carlisle Cullen terms, and he agreed. So they were allowed to come and settle here. They agreed to adhere to the same rules, so I allowed it again.'

'They abstain completely from human blood? What do they hunt then?'

'Animals. They make sure to keep local populations intact as well.'

I questioned him about the members, but apart from their names, he couldn't tell me much else. They weren't in frequent contact, which was what Billy preferred. The Cullens weren't welcome on tribal land, and the tribe had little reason to run into them in Forks, as most of the amenities were right here on the reservation. The limited contact also helped to avoid accidents between the young wolves and the vampires.

'Dad?' someone called from outside.

'Jacob. Come inside.' Billy shouted back.

I smiled. I'd only seen Jacob, Billy's son, in passing ten years ago when he was just a little boy. But he was growing into a fine young man it seemed as he stepped through the door. I took a moment to study him. He was lanky and gangly, an awkward teenager still growing into his body. He should be nearing seventeen or eighteen by now and was probably beginning his final growth spurt. His muscle was packing on. I would give him a few months at most before he would start shifting and be ready to take over from his father and take his place as chief and alpha.

'Who are you?' he demanded rudely as his eyes landed on me.

I smirked at him. Obviously he didn't put much stock into tribal legends yet. Billy rolled his wheelchair over and smacked his son in the stomach, the only place he could reach.

'I raised you better than that. Show your elders some respect' he snapped.

Thoroughly chastised, Jacob ducked his head as he rubbed his stomach.

'It's fine.' I waved Billy's concern away. 'My name, young Jacob, is Isabella the First.'

Jacob's brow furrowed and then he blanched. 'You're… you…' he turned to his dad who nodded. 'Fuck me! You're the original vampire?' he shouted out, his jaw dropping quite literally.

I chuckled and nodded.

'Wow.' Was his only response.

'Well… I do hope you'll be more eloquent when you take over from your father and you'll be in contact with me more often.'

'huh?' was his brilliant reply this time.

I cocked a brow at Billy, who shrugged.

'Teenagers' he muttered.

I shook my head, I had firsthand experience of that too. The siblings had been a handful in their teens as well, with pretty much nothing but their own feelings and interests reaching them.

'Well Billy, thank you for the information. I'll be around for a while to look into things myself, I'll be dropping by every now and then.'

'Of course.' He nodded.

'I do hope you'll put more effort into Sam.'

'I'm trying.' He sighed.

I nodded. 'I'll keep my eye on him.'

Billy stiffened slightly, but nodded. It weren't only vampires that threatened the balance of the world, and if something else needed to be eliminated I wouldn't hesitate to do so. Billy knew this. I took my leave from father and son, getting a mumbled goodbye from Jacob which Billy quickly smacked him for again.

I headed out the house and got back in the car, but not before catching the start of what would probably be a very lengthy lecture for Jacob about respect and the importance of knowing the legends of the tribe.

I grinned.

I usually stayed in Seattle whenever I visited, preferring the large comfortable hotels there over staying on the reservation where my close proximity could trigger an unwanted change. I always avoided that. This time I would be staying closer, I had spotted a motel just outside of Forks that would serve me well enough. I hoped it would be far enough away to not interfere with the wolves. But then again, I was sure I wouldn't be here long enough to really impact them. I drove out of the reservation and headed to Forks.

I pulled into the motel just outside of Forks and got a room on a per night basis. I figured that would be less conspicuous than just leaving the car next to the woods for entire nights and days on end. It was getting late by the time I settled into my room. The shops were all closed, the high school had definitely already closed for the day. I wouldn't be able to start my inquiry today.

I sat down on the bed, looking over the brochures that were left in the room, advertising the lodge as the local watering hole. I debated for a moment if I would head over. perhaps someone there had heard of the Cullens. Then again, it seemed unlikely a coven of vampires would hang out in a human bar.

Don't get me wrong, some vampires definitely did. It was a good way to find prey, or in the case of succubi a different sort of prey. But I didn't think this was the sort of coven to do that. If they had settled here a few years before they were blending in. Drunkards going missing would definitely be noticed in a town this small.

I decided against going mostly because I also didn't feel like dealing with drunk men all night, they could be fun and a nice way to spend an evening or two, but I wasn't in the mood for that right now.

I pulled out my phone and spoke to Jane for a while, updating her on what I'd done so far, which was admittedly not a lot since this afternoon. Her end hadn't changed all that much either. Aro had put out the summons for the vampire who had published the book, but they hadn't heard back yet. We hung up after a while and I settled on the bed with my laptop. I could spend the night catching myself up on everything I'd missed these past few months.

When dawn broke again I was mostly caught up on current affairs. I still needed to catch up on Africa though, but that would have to wait. I headed for a shower and chose some outdoorsy clothes, a hiking tourist would be a good enough cover I figured. Then I got in my car and headed into town. Forks wasn't large by any definition of the word, and I wondered how the coven kept themselves a secret.

Though with the perpetually dark and cloudy sky, blending in didn't seem all that hard. Rain threatened constantly and overcast seemed to be the norm. I made sure to pull my hood up, and look chagrined at the rain, like the rest of the humans, as I got out of the car at the grocery store. The inside of the story was exactly what I'd expected for a small town. I grabbed a basket and started roaming the aisles, keeping my ears open as I mingled with the townspeople out on their errands.

As I was browsing the pasta selection, I picked up on the name the Cullens. I slowly crept closer. An aisle over two women were gossiping.

'She came in and just about cleared out the entire store. She left with three carts.' One of the women said, sounding appalled.

'I heard she donates it to the shelter in Port Angeles.' The other responded.

'Really? I thought she'd need it herself to feed all those teenagers. I don't know how she does it.'

I had expected disdain and weariness when I first overheard them, but they were actually kind as they spoke about Esme Cullen, the adopted mother of five teenagers and wife of Dr Carlisle Cullen. Apparently she was heavily involved with local charities. I guess the ladies appreciated that.

I grabbed the pasta in front of me and moved on again. It seemed the Cullens were good at blending in. but I hadn't expected one of them to be a doctor. It piqued my interest.

I quickly paid for my pasta and headed back to my car, to consider my next move. I could stop by the hospital, but I figured that would just draw their attention. Instead I decided to head into town and see if I could learn something else in the other shops in town. There weren't many shops in this town anyway; an outdoor shop, a few boutiques and a hardware store.

I decided to headed into the outdoor shop first. It was called Newton's Olympic Outfitters.

I stepped inside and was pleasantly surprised at the size of the store. There must be a good hiking business here. A middle aged man greeted me with a smile and I greeted him back. But a familiar scent quickly had me pulling my shield tightly around myself to mask my scent and presence. I silently headed over to the back of the store, keeping a weary eye on the aisles.

The scent of one of the Cullens was quite thick in here. Either one of them was here, or they visited here a lot. Well, actually it was both I realized. I crept closer to the aisle where the scent was thickest making sure not to draw attention to myself. I rounded the aisle and saw a man with blonde hair, pale skin and golden eyes.

I was taken aback by that for a moment. Maintaining perfectly golden eyes was quite a feat. It seemed they really did drink exclusively from animals. I hadn't met many vampires who had adopted that lifestyle this completely. It was interesting to say the least.

I kept at a distance as the Cullen member was seemingly comparing two sets of rope before picking one and heading to the register.

'Another trip planned Dr Cullen?' The man behind the counter asked him.

Ah, this had to be Carlisle Cullen then, the coven master and the one who apparently worked at the hospital as a doctor.

He nodded. 'There's good weather coming up. Would be a shame to waste it.'

'Indeed.' The man gave Carlisle a tight smile. It seemed Carlisle was respected, but the human was still weary of him and slightly unsettled, subconsciously knowing there was something dangerous in front of him. Carlisle paid and the left the store.

I released my shield as the door closed after him and grabbed the first thing my hands touched to make myself seem less conspicuous. It was a hiking map I realized as I put it on the counter to pay.

I was fairly confident I had a good enough idea of the situation that I could start seeking them out now. But still I wanted to be thorough. I had only gathered information on the leaders of the coven. That still left five members unaccounted for. So I went to the other stores around town as well to see if I could learn some more about this family as they were known around town.

It was evening again by the time I was done. My information on the coven had only grown a small bit. The five other members were apparently attending the high school around here. Dr and Mrs Cullen had adopted them all. And there were two couples among the children, which had caused quite a bit of scandal it appeared.

I ordered everything in my mind and started to plan a way to approach them. Simply heading to their home seemed unlikely to be a good idea. It would probably be seen as a threat. A chance meeting in the woods would be better. Neutral ground.

I would have to call Billy to see if he knew of any spots I was likely to run into them.

As I picked up my phone to call him, it started ringing. Jane's name flashed across the screen.

'Jane?' I answered.

'I think something's going on.' she whispered down the line.

'What's happening?' I asked, on full alert now.

'Aro is acting strange.'

'In what way?'

'I'm not sure. But he's being too nice to me and Alec. I think he's trying to get us to roll over on you.'

I sighed. Really, this man was getting on my nerves. 'Just keep your distance. And keep your eyes and ears open. Both of you.'

'When are you coming back.'

'It will be awhile. I've only been gone a few days, Jane.' I told her, she sighed into the phone. 'Don't worry so much. You can do this, Jane. Aro is just a vampire.'

'An ancient one and very powerful.' She hissed.

'Jane.' I scolded her. 'Do not tell me you fear Aro.'

'No, I don't.' she said, but her voice was uncertain.

'I know I'm not there right now, but know nothing can hurt you. You and your brother are under my protection. You are safe. I promise you. Aro is only trying to get you on his side. He probably wants information on my gifts or my weaknesses. Indulge him, but don't let him fool you.'

'Never.'

'Good.'

'Do you actually want us to tell him things about you?'

'Not yet. Make him work for it.'

'I can do that.' She seemed to have calmed down.

'Good. Keep me updated.'

'Alright, but please do try to hurry.'

'I'll try. Give my love to Alec.'

We hung up and I shot a quick text to Alec asking him to keep an eye on his sister. Jane was slightly nervous without me, and I didn't want her to accidentaly reveal her gift when pushed into a corner by Aro.

When I pulled up Billy's number, I realized it was already nearing midnight. Billy probably wouldn't appreciate being called from his bed, for a quite inconsequential question. It could wait until the morning I decided. I went back to my motel room and caught up on what had happened in Africa during my absence for the remainder of the night.