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I couldn't breathe. Laurent made it here to Alaska? How? It couldn't be a coincidence that he showed up after I did. Was he tracking me, like James did? No, it couldn't be. Tanya said it would be next to impossible for Victoria to track me to Alaska. There was no way for Laurent to do it.

I was so stuck in my head that I could barely hear the voices of the people around me.

"Bella," Tanya said gently.

I heard her voice. It was the clearest of the three. But the words didn't affect me. Even the concern she felt, that I could feel because it was that strong, wasn't affecting me.

"Bella," Tanya said again.

She took my face in her hands and forced me to meet her eyes. She wasn't using her full strength, or even half her full strength. She could have made me pay attention to her far easier.

"Bella, it will be okay. We will not let Laurent hurt you or Charlie," Tanya said softly. "It'll be okay."

Tears dropped onto her hand. She gently wiped them from my cheek. I nodded against her hands and wrapped my arms around her.

"What's going on?" Charlie demanded. It couldn't be easy on him to watch my breakdown and how no idea why it was happening.

"There's a lot that you haven't been told yet," Tanya said. Her eyes didn't leave my face as she spoke. "Laurent is a vampire that Bella originally met in Forks. He was part of a coven that tried to kill her."

Charlie's eyes narrowed. "I'd like to see him try now," he said angrily.

"Charlie, we understand your concern for Bella, but you need to remember, Laurent is a vampire," Irina told him. "Let us deal with him."

I glanced at Charlie. He looked torn between wanting to deal with Laurent himself and wanting to let Irina and the others to deal with it.

"We need to go," Tanya said releasing my face. "I would like you to come Bella, but if you don't feel comfortable I understand."

"You want Bella to go," Charlie said in disbelief. "He tried to kill her."

"As far as I know, Laurent never actually tried to kill Bella," Tanya said. She glanced at me and I nodded. "Even if he wants her dead, he'll never get close enough."

"We would never put Bella in danger," Irina added. "There's five of us. We can easily handle him."

"I want answers," Tanya continued. "And Bella deserves to get answers for herself. But I will not force her to go. It's her choice. It's always her choice."

I want to go, I shakily wrote. I trusted Tanya and Irina. There was no use denying it. I knew they would keep me safe.

Tanya nodded. "I won't let him hurt you," she promised.

"You know about Kate's gift," Irina told me. "There's no chance he'll get near you. None of us will allow it."

"I'm going too," Charlie said standing up.

"Charlie," Tanya started.

"Don't try to stop me," Charlie interrupted. "This is my daughter. I was left out of what happened with the Cullen's and look what happened." He shook his head. "I'm not letting that happen again. So, either I go with you or Bella doesn't go."

I wanted to protest but before I could, Tanya grabbed my hand to stop me from writing. "You're right Charlie," Tanya said softly. "It's not fair to exclude you after telling you about us. If you wish to come we will not stop you. We do need to leave now though. There's only so long Kate can be patient."

We all stood and slowly exited the house. Charlie was last so he could lock up. I hoped they wouldn't let Charlie drive. He had drunk three beers in less than an hour. It seemed my concerns were for not as I watched Irina gesture to her car.

I followed Tanya to her car. I didn't even think about it. I just knew that's where I wanted to be. "Before we get there, there's something I need to tell you," Tanya said as we left my driveway. I glanced at her but didn't bother asking. "You know how Carlisle is the leader of the Cullen's?" I nodded. "Well, all covens have a leader. Typically, the oldest of the coven but not always. I should have told you sooner but you didn't want to be involved with us so I didn't see a reason. But now, with Laurent's presence, it's necessary to tell you." She paused. "I am the leader of the Denali coven."

I was a little surprised by the announcement. I'd seen Irina tell Tanya what to do more than once and Tanya would listen without argument. It could have to do with them actually being sisters.

What does Laurent's presence have to do with me knowing you're the leader?

Tanya didn't answer right away but it didn't appear she was ignoring my question. It looked like she was trying to think of an answer. "As you've no doubt heard, we're possessive creatures," Tanya started. "Rationally, I know you don't belong to me. I meant what I said, it will always be your choice. But when it comes to vampires, sometimes we can't help those thoughts and feelings. Laurent may not have directly hurt you but he was part of a coven that targeted you. I want him to pay but I also need to think of what's best for our coven." She gripped the steering wheel a little too tightly. I put my hand over hers and her grip loosened. "I never realized how hard it would be to be a coven leader and mated to someone."

You mean a human?

"Anyone in general. But it is certainly more difficult with a human mate," she admitted. Tanya took my hand. "At the end of the day, I will choose you."

I pulled my hand away from her so I could write. I don't want you to choose between me and your family.

"It's hard to fully understand unless you're a vampire yourself," Tanya said. There was no judgment. "I love my sisters, and even Carmen and Eleazar, and I would die to protect them but I would die without you. The bond between mates is stronger than anything even families."

So the Cullen's… I didn't get a chance to finish writing as Tanya was already answering my question.

"At the end of the day, they would choose their own mate over the others," Tanya finished. "Kate and Irina know that and although they are not mated, they understand it."

That did explain a lot. Maybe I was too harsh in my judgments against them. Even if Emmett wanted to stay, and I really hoped he had wanted to stay, the minute Rosalie decided to go, he would follow. It made me feel a little better in regards to Emmett. The same was most likely true for Alice and Jasper as well.

Tanya turned down a dirt road. I hadn't been to this side of town. There were only a few houses here and there. I imagine most of them owned a decent amount of land.

"We have about 20 acres of land," Tanya said. Either I was easy to read or she guessed my thoughts. "We didn't always have this much land. We bought it over the decades. Any time land next to us is for sale, we buy it. We've expanded the house too. There's a garage for Kate, a library, a large deck with a hot tub, and a rather large kitchen. Carmen uses the kitchen to cook for the homeless in surrounding areas. We also all have master bedrooms and a couple spare rooms."

Your home sounds nice.

"It can be your home too," Tanya said softly. She turned left, down what looked to be the driveway. "I mean it. You're a part of our family, no matter what happens between us."

How are you so calm about the possibility of us not being romantically involved? It was maddening how nice she was about everything. Do you not care?

I looked at Tanya and instantly regretted my words. She was mad. This was the first time she's been mad at me. I didn't like it. "Of course I care," she hissed. "The thought of not spending my life with you, is painful. No matter how selfish I want to be… I can't. I have to do what is best for you and that means giving you the chance to make your own choices. No matter how much it hurts me to do so."

She stopped the car in front of the most beautiful house I've ever seen. I could easily picture myself living here for the rest of my life, human or vampire.

I'm sorry. You've done so much for me. You've been patient and understanding and I… you don't deserve any of it. It's my fault you're not getting your happy ending. I'm sorry.

Tanya turned to face me. "Bella," she said gently. "It's not your fault. I wish you never met the Cullen's," she admitted. "I think of it, at night when I know you're asleep. I wonder how things would be for us if you hadn't met them. Would you move here for college? Would we meet and fall in love like humans before I told you the truth? Or would you never come here and fall in love with a human? Never knowing you were meant for more."

You wish I never met the Cullen's. Sometimes I wish that too. But if I never met them, then I wouldn't be here right now. I never would have met you, or Irina, or even Kate. I truly believe I was meant to meet them because meeting them brought me here…to you.

"Bella," Tanya whispered.

I shook my head. I shouldn't have said that. It's not fair, getting your hopes up. I tapped my chin with my marker. I don't love you. I winced at the look on her face. I hadn't meant it to be so cruel and I prayed to any God that would listen that I never caused that look again. But I do care about you. And, as much as I hate to admit it, I believe one day, maybe, it could turn to love.

Tanya didn't respond right away. I was worried I had upset her too much but to my surprise she smiled at me. "That is more than I hoped for," Tanya said.

She glanced out the window. I followed her gaze. Irina and Charlie were standing by Irina's car, waiting for us.

We have to go inside. Tanya nodded. Is it bad I would rather stay in this car with you?

"It's not bad," Tanya assured me. "Though there are better places we could spend time together. When we go inside, I need you to stay by my side unless I tell you otherwise. The second I see him I'm going to want to rip his throat out. Actually, I want to rip his throat out now. But with you by my side, I won't, because it could put you at risk. However, if it does come to a fight I want you away from it."

I'll stay close to you. It's not as horrible as I originally thought.

We got out of the car and walked over to Charlie and Irina.

"Is everything okay?" Charlie asked me. I nodded. He didn't look convinced but seemed to realize this wasn't the time to discuss it. "Well let's get this over with. I'm looking forward to seeing this…vampire get his ass kicked."

Laughter was heard from the house. I was pretty sure it was Kate.

"I'm looking forward to that too," Tanya said. Irina nodded.

When I thought about the first time I would see the Denali's house, this isn't what I imagined. Honestly, I imagined it to be much like my first meeting with the Cullen's. Them going out of their way to make me comfortable. It wasn't that I thought they had to. But from what I heard about them, it seemed likely.

The house was tense. I could feel it. I could also hear low voices coming from what I assumed was the living room.

Why did they invite him in?

"They didn't realize who he was," Tanya told me. "I'll be having words with them about inviting in random vampires."

"No need Tanya," Kate said as we walked into the living room. "We learned our lesson."

Kate was standing behind the couch with her arms crossed over her chest. She was glaring at Laurent from across the room. Another woman was standing beside her, talking quietly enough that Charlie and I couldn't hear. There was a man standing between Laurent and Kate and who I assumed was Carmen. Which meant the man was Eleazar.

I briefly looked at the three before turning my attention to Laurent. He hadn't changed at all since I last saw him. He wore the same clothes, his marble chest exposed. He was dirtier than before. That was the only difference I could see. There were twigs stuck in his dreadlocks.

I met his eyes, they were a deep red. I shuddered at the sight. I hated red eyes on vampires. It always reminded me James.

Tanya felt me tense up beside her and wrapped an arm around my waist. I leaned against her, enjoying that small amount of comfort.

"Bella," Laurent greeted. His French accent was far more noticeable now than it was when we first met. "It's good to see you. It's been a while."

"Why are you here Laurent?" Tanya demanded.

"You know who I am?" he questioned in surprise. "Your sister didn't tell you anything about me, other than my name. I'm assuming Bella has told you?" Tanya gave a short nod. "Then you know I mean no harm. I didn't fight alongside James and Victoria."

"You didn't fight because you're a coward," Kate muttered just loud enough for Charlie and I to hear.

I laughed and Laurent growled. I wasn't sure if he was growling at Kate for her comment, or me for laughing at it. It didn't matter because Tanya was pissed.

"Watch yourself Laurent," Tanya warned. "You may be a guest in my home but I won't hesitate to kill you."

I realized, Kate was right. Laurent was a coward. Not only that but he seemed to be scared of dying.

"I apologize," Laurent said bowing his head.

"Why are you here Laurent?" Tanya repeated. "It's been months since you were sent here, why come now?"

"I… I wasn't sure if I wanted to come," Laurent said. "I am interested in your lifestyle but I wasn't sure I was ready for the commitment. I finally decided I was ready."

"It's a bit suspicious if you ask me," Irina noted. I glanced at her and she wasn't even looking at Laurent. She was looking at her nails. "Bella shows up and three weeks later you happen to show up. It's quite the coincidence."

"You think I followed Bella here?" Laurent questioned in disbelief. "What motivation would I have for following a human to Alaska?"

Charlie was strangely quiet throughout all of this. I wondered if maybe he understood that it was best to let the vampires deal with this. I appreciated him staying out of it. I loved Charlie but he was out of his element with vampires.

"Eleazar?" Tanya questioned.

"No, nothing," Eleazar answered. His eyes went to me and he nodded.

"I'll tell you after," Tanya whispered in my ear.

I let it go for now but if she didn't bring it up later, I would.

"How did you find us?" Kate asked.

"The Cullen's mentioned you were in Alaska," Laurent started. "I've been in Alaska for close to a week, looking around, trying to figure out where you could be."

"You found us," Carmen said. "What is your plan now? We won't let you harm the humans here."

Laurent held up his hands. "I have no desire to harm any humans. I told you, I want to learn your lifestyle."

"You want to learn," Tanya repeated. "Yet your eyes are bright red, like you just hunted. Probably nearby."

"I said I wanted to learn, not that I had attempted yet," Laurent pointed out. "I thought it would be easier with some… support." He first eyed Tanya and then Irina.

I could guess the kind of support he was thinking about. It made me angry that he dared eye either one of them like a piece of meat. I clenched my fists. Tanya noticed and gently pried my fist open before taking my hand. "It's okay Bella," she muttered.

Laurent's eyes darted back and forth between me and Tanya. He seemed to realize something was different with us. His eyes widened as he appeared to figure it out. "Interesting, I thought Bella was attached to the Cullen boy, Edward was it?" I flinched and Tanya growled at him. "Now it seems her affections are elsewhere."

That was the limit for Charlie. I saw him move toward Laurent with his fist clenched. "Now see here, you don't get to come here and start making comments about my daughter," he started.

Laurent's nostrils flared and he hissed. "I don't need some human telling me what I can and cannot say."

He moved forward, toward Charlie. Kate and Irina moved too quickly for me to see. But they were instantly crouched in front of Charlie. Tanya shoved me behind her and crouched down. In a matter of second, the Denali sisters were protecting me and Charlie. Carmen and Eleazar had moved closer to us as well but they weren't crouched down yet.

"I've had enough of this," Tanya hissed. "I don't trust you and I doubt your honesty. So, we're going to get the truth out of you, one way or another. Kate?"

Kate straightened up and stalked toward him. Laurent attempted to run but Carmen and Eleazar ran over and grabbed ahold of him. They dragged him forward to Kate.

"What is going on?" Charlie questioned in confusion.

"I'll explain later Charlie," Irina promised. She and Tanya were no longer crouched down as Carmen, Eleazar and Kate had Laurent surrounded.

Kate grabbed Laurent's arm and he dropped to the ground screaming. I could see why Tanya was so upset when Kate tried her power on me. "Why are you here Laurent?" Kate asked.

"I told you, I want to learn about your lifestyle," Laurent said gritting his teeth.

I glanced at Tanya's face. How can you be sure he's lying?

"After a thousand years you learn to recognize the signs," Tanya answered. "His appearance within weeks of you moving here is too suspicious to ignore."

And if it turns out he's not lying?

Kate cranked up her power and asked him once again why he was here. Laurent told her the same thing as before.

"He's not leaving here alive Bella," Tanya said. "The Cullen's never should have left him and Victoria alive. We are simply correcting that mistake."

I could see the electricity coming off Kate when she zapped Laurent again. I imagine if he could, he would be crying. "Why are you here?" Kate repeated.

"Vi…Victoria," Laurent stuttered out. "She wanted to know where the Cullen's were. She thought the Cullen's would lead her to Bella. I told Victoria about the coven here. She…she asked me to talk to you, to see if I could figure out where they were. I never expected Bella to be here!"

"Enough," Tanya roared.

She was angry… no angry didn't cover it. She was furious. Her anger was bleeding through the bond, to the point that I was starting to feel angry.

"Tanya," Irina called. She seemed to notice what was happening. "Tanya, you need to calm down before you hurt Bella."

Tanya's attention immediately went to me. "Bella," she said softly. The anger was slowly fading but it didn't disappear completely. She was trying hard to get herself under control. "I'm sorry. I'm trying to control it. I promise. It'll be dealt with soon."

"Tanya, what do you want us to do?" Eleazar asked, tightening his grip on Laurent's arm.

Tanya turned to face the four. She looked every bit the coven leader she was. Far more formidable than Carlisle ever was. "Kill him," she said coldly.

Just as she finished speaking, everything went black.