Chapter 8: Family meeting

The sun's rays hit the soil, making Bree's marble skin sparkle. The light folded from it, falling to the ground like a disco ball.

The horse-sized wolf stared at her. Its dark grey nose sniffed the air suspiciously as she laid on the ground, too scared to stand up. She was worried it was about to attack. She wasn't ready to go yet. Her memories of the dangerous wolves killing her former coven mates made her icy skin crawl. She wanted to run but didn't dare to do so. She knew that if she were to, she would end up dead.

The Cullens had fought alongside the wolves. Perhaps she could try to reason with the lone wolf before its pack members came to see what was going on. It had to be possible to talk to them. They had seemed to understand the yellow-eyes in the clearing. She wondered if they were in some type of union together. It would explain why they had fought together. There weren't really any other reasons why the Cullens and wolves would have come together like that.

The young teen eyed the wolf. It stared at her calmly, like it was assessing her and figuring out if she was about to attack. It didn't seem to trust her, that was for sure. Behind its brown eyes, there was nothing else except wariness. It was almost stabbing her with its gaze.

She didn't feel safe. She needed to find a way to calm the situation. Make the wolf leave her alone. But how she was going to do so was a question she did not know the answer to. Nevertheless, the sooner she was able to do so, the better. She didn't want to risk dying. Where were her capturers when they were needed? Why had they abandoned her when she needed them to come rescue her?

The sixteen-year-old girl let out a hiss. It was not her smartest move, but she wanted to assert dominance. Show that she was not scared of the intruder. Her hands dug themselves to the ground as she folded them tightly, feeling the dirt cluster inside her palms. She was ready to throw the wolf away if need arose.

The wolf responded to her sudden hiss by crouching down. Its eyes narrowed dangerously as it took support from the soil as well. The ground gave in under its paws, crumbling like the old ruins she had read about in geography.

The animal growled, taking her by surprise. The girl sprung upward, letting out another hiss. She had to flee. But where exactly, she thought frantically? Her senses searched the different directions discreetly, wishing the animal before her wouldn't notice. She fluttered her gaze quickly around, finding her previous trail of scent.

This interaction was not going well. Soon, her only option would be to run. She could try to follow her trail back to Carlisle and Esme. Surely they had started to wonder where she was and why she was taking so long to hunt a bear. They had to be searching for her, fearing that she had escaped.

Or at least that's what her logic said. She didn't know how great her logic was, but she hoped it wasn't the worst. If it were, she would be toast.

Her shimmering form started running. Her feet made dirt fly as she sped through the plants. They brushed against her, making her wonder were the green plant's against her? Did they want to help the wolf? She needed to know which side they were on. The way they brushed against her clothes was slightly terrifying. She was scared the bushes were going to strip her of her garments.

She felt the wolf's paws hitting the ground behind her. They felt like giant's steps, shaking the whole ground with their enormous feet. Her anxiety kicked in. What if she would genuinely die before reaching the two Cullens she had come to hunt with? It was a very real possibility.

Her run in the bushes looked like it had been a good call. She had managed to slow down the sleek grey wolf after her. She felt relief wash over her, even if it had slowed down the animal for only a few seconds. That was still something.

She desperately attempted to turn invisible. She closed her eyes while running, concentrating on her body. But there was nothing. She stayed visible. Frustration grew in her. Why didn't her gift work? This was already the second time it refused to turn on. It was beyond frustrating that the power didn't cooperate with her.

Bree was sure she was going to explode from the different emotions she was feeling. It was a miracle that she was still running. They whisked inside of her painfully as she flew on the forest floor, her steps taking her closer to the place she had last seen Esme and Carlisle.

She could hear the two yellow-eyes. Their words came from in front of her. Hope bloomed in her chest. She was close. Only a little bit anymore.

"Bree?"

Her trembling feet sprung faster onwards. She flew between the trees, dodging them like a rabid dog.

Her body came to a stop as she reached the two other vampires. Their eyes were glued behind her, wide from horror. Their gazes must have registered the wolf's movement and heard its footsteps.

"Bree, what have you done?" Esme gasped. She grabbed the girl, leaving her stunned by the action.

The teen let the woman pull her against her. She had an inkling that she should just let her do so. She wasn't sure if it was her survival instincts or something else, but she definitely wanted to follow them, instincts or not.

"Embry." Carlisle spoke calmly. His voice resonated in the thickening air.

The girl heard how the thrumming of the ground came to an end. The wolf's paws had stopped moving. She didn't dare to look at what was happening behind her. She was scared to face the horse-sized animal. What if it attacked her when she turned around? She was childish. She thought that if she didn't look at the creature, it wouldn't see her.

Carlisle's brisk steps moved in front of Bree and Esme. "I assume Bree surpassed the border?"

The newborn stayed silent. She didn't even dare to breathe. Partly because she was scared, but also because the scent made her sick. It was the most vile smell she had ever smelled. She couldn't understand how the yellow-eyed vampires were so calm. It was like she was smelling wet mould. If she were human, she would have puked out of disgust.

"I'm utterly apologetic. We haven't had time to explain the treaty to her."

Pawsteps started to recede, causing the young teen to turn her head slightly in the caramel-haired woman's arms. Her eyes flashed with curiosity as they met Carlisle's. The man was looking at her, his face plastered with relief. The same emotion she had felt for a couple of minutes now, along with fear.

The blond man smiled at her encouragingly, trying to calm her down.

Someone was changing clothes. Bree heard the action as clearly as day. Fabrics rubbed against someone's body. It confused her profoundly. She couldn't wrap her head around the sound. What could have made a noise like that?

Soon it stopped and was replaced with footsteps. A boy came into view. His short black hair and brown eyes shone in the sun as he approached the trio.

Where had the wolf gone, and why did the brown-haired girl still smell the disgusting scent so strongly? It was disturbing.

"Carlisle." The stranger nodded, his daggering irises locked to the newborn.

There was something familiar about the irises. She couldn't place what, but she was sure she had seen them somewhere. She tried to jog her vampire memory, but was astounded that it wasn't working. Her memory was supposed to be enchanted, supernatural. Why couldn't she recognise the boy? It was odd.

"Embry." Carlisle greeted the stranger again. He looked at him politely. "May we talk with Sam?"

The boy called Embry nodded sharply, causing a small grin to form on the blond man's lips. "Thank you."

"Follow me. Sam wants to meet back at the border, or can I say the crime scene." The smelly human, Embry, said. His emotions were hidden by his blank face, not revealing themselves to the trio.

It did not help the newborn's turmoil. She was confused and sure that something bad was about to happen. Her body was starting to stiffen more, ready to bolt from her place. She had to keep all of her concentration on it so she would not run and exacerbate the situation.

Esme's hands stroked her back gently, nudging her to take a step back towards the direction she had almost lost her life in. Fear gripped her heart. She did not want to move.

"Bree." Carlisle commanded. He stood a metre away from her, waiting for her to walk to him. "We need to go."

The girl blinked. Her throat had formed a lump while she had ruminated in her thoughts.

"Let's go, sweetie. Everything is going to be okay. We will talk to Sam, explain what happened from your point of view, and sort everything out, alright?" the caramel-haired woman comforted behind. The vampire's hand's contact with her marble skin hardened.

She didn't have a choice. The young teen had to follow the others. They were going to hurt her if she disobeyed them. Before her brain had time to continue her thought, she took an unnecessarily long step towards the blond leader. Her sneakers squeaked, making her shudder backward.

Her humiliating movement did not, sadly, go unnoticed. Embry frowned, looking quite confused by her sudden movement. He had clearly never seen a vampire trembling the way she had.

The two yellow-eyes gave the boy an awkward smile. Their eyes now pleading with the young teen to walk, they turned their focus on her.

Bree hurried forward, rigid from embarrassment. Not wanting to risk delaying them with her idiotic blunders, her steps fastened.

She was becoming more convinced she was supposed to become a clown rather than a vampire. No normal immortal bounced like a ball from slight sounds, nor was the world against them either. There had to be something wrong with her. Maybe she should seriously think about a career switch. Being a vampire was clearly not for her at this point. She was on edge all the time, but she couldn't help it. It was in her nature. Or very least, caused by her human life.

The others followed her. Their steps echoed behind her, haunting her with their sounds. She realised it had not been the best idea to lead the group. Or was she leading it? The two Cullen's and the black-haired boy all stared at her back. Did they think she was going to bolt? Run for her life? And then decide to guard her from behind? It was a possibility. She had to admit that she was still considering fleeing away. Her nervous system would have loved the escape, but she doubted she would get far; therefore, it was useless to attempt.

Her senses located a heartbeat. It was coming from the border. Its delicious pumps brought the taste of blood to her tongue. The sweet taste of human she had missed. To her bewilderment, her nose filled with the revolting smell again. She gagged, frowning at the scent. When it had left her nostrils as she left the two vampire's and the human behind, she had thought it would not come back. The wolf was, after all, gone, but she had been obviously wrong.

The wind played with her dark hair, moving it backwards towards the others. She stopped. Her crimson gaze had caught a person. She snarled.

"Bree! Stop it," Esme commanded, distraught. Her hands found their way to her shoulders as she walked up to her. "Please calm down. It's just Sam. It seems he arrived before us."

Carlisle's steps quickened, and he took hold of the newborn's right hand. "You have to behave. We cannot leave the wolves any reason to break the treaty." He lowered his voice so that only the girl heard his words.

She gulped nervously, looking into his golden eyes.

"Come on, let's go." The blond man's voice softened from the distress in her pupils. He and Esme nudged her onward, keeping their hands on her firmly. They had not appreciated her sudden snarl.

The stars lit up in the sky as the trio returned to Cullen's house. They had stayed discussing the broken treaty with Sam, the leader of the Quileutes, for multiple hours. The discussion had been heated at the start, but both sides had come to an agreement eventually. The agreement being that Bree was not allowed to be left alone like the way she had been until she had better control of herself.

She did not like it. It rubbed her the wrong way. She didn't want to be babysitted every time she went to hunt or outside the house—not like she went outside anyways without company, but the point still stood. She hated the thought of someone staring at her when she hunted. Couldn't she prey on the animals in peace? Why had Carlisle and Esme agreed to the dumb rule? It was infuriating.

For most of the conversation, the newborn had stayed mostly silent. She had been held by both the patriarch and the matriarch of the yellow eyes. Their grip had not left her until they were well on their way back to the house. The trip back to the modern-looking home was silent. Everyone seemed to be in their own thoughts, wondering their luck or, in the girl's case, anxiously gazing around.

She didn't trust the wolves after learning the truth about them. Apparently, Embry, the human boy, was actually a shapeshifter. She had smelled the wolf's scent still in the air after his appearance because his body produced that awful smell. Sam was also a shapeshifter. How were the Cullens able to live so close to the scary creatures? She simply couldn't understand their mental process. Weren't they terrified about the wolves breaking the treaty on their own accord and ambushing them? She shuddered.

The trio arrived at the safety of Cullen's yard. The white house rose in front of the young teen, still making her feel in awe at its sheer size and looks. She couldn't believe something so extravagant had been built in the middle of the forest. It wasn't like anyone would see it, except occasional humans wandering to the house for some reason or another.

Her sneakers crossed the dirt road with ease. She wanted to get back inside. The whole meeting at the border had left her shaken up. She doubted she had ever felt so keen on going back to the house before. Even the thought of the white building made her heart ache from desperation.

Carlisle's demeanour filled with relief as he opened the front door swiftly. He looked pleased with the outcome of the chat with Sam. The blond man forwarded her to step inside first, his eyes gleaming.

As Bree made her move, she was almost run over by Edward. The bronze-haired boy hissed furiously. "Carlisle!"

"Son." The leader acknowledged him, his lips pressed together. "I suppose we need to have a family meeting."

Nervousness gripped the girl. She flipped her head towards the two, eyes wide like an owl. Her feet stood still, examining the surrounding room. She was able to hear the other Cullens in their respective rooms. Their breathing quickened from the mind reader's outburst.

"So may we go to the living room?" the leader continued.

"Yes." Edward nodded, agreeing with his father. He didn't look happy.

The boy's eyes narrowed towards the newborn before he disappeared from the room, most likely going to the soon-to-be war zone, the living room. She wanted to stay downstairs. The idea of going to a room full of vampires happy to finally have a reason to destroy her didn't seem like that great of an idea. But she doubted she was going to be given a choice, so she walked hesitantly to the start of the demonic glass stairs.

They were surely laughing at her again, pushing her already anxious body to new dimensions. She hated them.

Her faltering steps climbed up the hell-like stairs. She could feel the heat from embarrassment go up her cheeks. Glad that she couldn't form a blush, she finished her climb, coming to the end of the stairs. She walked, worried, to the living room, trying to think of ways to escape. She needed to have an out when things went rough.

Her walk came to an end when she settled to sit on an armchair, furthest from the yellow-eyes in the room. The whole coven had gathered in the room, watching her, Carlisle, and Esme with unreadable expressions.

"Alice said she stopped seeing you. Did you have a confrontation with the wolves?" Jasper asked before anyone had said anything. His blaming gaze stopped to look at the young teen.

"Yes. Bree crossed the border accidentally, but it's all sorted out now." The blond leader nodded reassuringly. "It wasn't her fault. We should have made sure to explain the treaty to her and made sure she would not break it."

The reveal caused growls from the scarred boy. His sister, the blond goddess, joined his snarls. Their eyes sourced Bree, clearly placing all the blame on her.

Bree stayed silent, not daring to add gasoline to the flames. She knew what would happen if she were to say something, and it wouldn't end well for her. Her father had taught her that.

"This is why I was against bringing her to our house and keeping her until the Volturi graces us with their presence. They gave us the option to finish her off. We should do it before she destroys our lives." Jasper spat.

Carlisle frowned. He put his hands in his pockets, opening his mouth.

Rosalie wedged her opinion in before he had time to say anything. "I agree with Jasper. She is endangering our family, and I cannot stand that. She is too big of a risk." The goddess sized her up.

The girl flinched under her eyes, praying that nothing would happen to her. She was quite badly freaked out, but at the same time, she was ready for the blowout. Her eyes looked discreetly around, gazing at the windows, carpets, furniture, and anything that could save her life. She could try tossing the comfortable seat she sat on. It would distract the yellow-eyes enough for her to flee.

"We are not going to kill her. The small disturbance with the Quileutes is handled. There ought to be no reason to do anything rash." The blond man answered strictly. He locked Rosalie's eyes to his own. "Nothing will happen to the newborn."

His words made the golden-haired goddess roll her eyes, but she seemed to settle down in her seat. Her face and stance not as hostile as before.

"Jasper?" Carlisle called for the boy. He wore a stern look.

Jasper narrowed his eyes more, his teeth showing as he scowled. "This is too dangerous, Carlisle. You know nothing about newborns."

The amber-eyed leader sighed, glancing at Bree. "Jasper, I've dealt with four newborns before. I'm fairly sure I know what I'm talking about."

The scarred boy huffed.

"C'mon Jazz! I'm sure Bree is not going to cause us any more trouble. And if she will, it could be fun." Emmett chimed in. He grinned proudly at his words, chuckling when the other boy gave him a glare. "Chill, dude. Seriously. Like Carlisle said, everything is handled."

"It is going to be serious when she kills us all." Jasper hissed.

"That's enough!" Esme raised her voice. She stood up from her seat, walking up to the crimson-eyed girl. Her hands settled on her shoulders.

The newborn looked at the woman, side-eyeing the scarred boy. She felt his glare again. It burned her body, making her feel uncomfortable.

It was now or never. She needed to leave.

Edward's eyes flashed as he let out a warning snarl. "Bree, do not even dare to leave your seat."

His words made everyone else's gaze fall upon her. She squirmed as Esme's hold on her strengthened. She was beyond terrified now. How was she supposed to escape when all of the yellow-eyes were staring at her, waiting for her to do or say something? This was not how she was supposed to flee. She had to figure out a new plan immediately. Her life depended on it.

"Please Bree. Do not make this situation worse than it already is." Alice said. Her pleading words urged her to not take action. "If you try to escape now, Jasper will attempt to hurt you."

But it was too late. The young teen had jumped up from her seat, shaking the caramel-haired vampire's hands from her shoulders. Her breathing accelerated as she tried to make a run for her life. Her insides were screaming at her, telling her to leave. All of her gathered panic from the days captivated thrust open from her heart. They bled to the floor as she flew across the room, towards freedom.

Her escape was cut short as Edward appeared in front of her, effectively blocking her way out. She got thrown to the ground with a thud. Hands appeared on her back, seizing her from moving.

Splintered wood pieces flew everywhere from the floor when she got pushed against it. She let out an ear-piercing scream as pain jolted through her neck. It struck her like thunder, leaving her paralysed from fear.

This was it. She was going to die.

A/N: Hi! I was supposed to publish this chapter last Friday, but I forgot, so here it is a few days late. The next chapter will be posted tomorrow. After that, my publishing schedule will change to posting every other Monday like I'm doing over at Ao3