"The Quileutes have requested a meeting," Carlisle announced the next day.

"When?"

"Today. As soon as possible."

Late morning light, gray through the clouds, was streaming in through the south wall of windows. It created a lovely effect in the house, Bella noted. It had been a long time since she appreciated something so simple.

She was leaning against the east wall, observing as much as she could. The chief of the early morning hours had been spent with Alice fishing through a massive trunk of clothes, all of which seemed to be her size. That was suspicious to Bella, but she didn't dwell too long on it. What could be so threatening about well-fitted designer jeans?

Bella had grown to feel true affection for the pixie-like vampire, even if she had become slightly overwhelmed by her exuberance and the sheer number of outfit changes.

"Why do I have to change? These clothes haven't been damaged." Bella had smoothed down the soft sweater, enjoying the feel of it beneath her hands.

"You have so much to learn." Alice had shaken her head.

Even Jasper, who hadn't left Bella's side since her arrival, had offered an opinion here and there. Bella guessed that if you were mated to Alice, you had to give in to this obsession, or else live miserably for the rest of eternity.

So there Bella was, leaning against the east wall, observing as much as she could about the Cullens' odd lifestyle, as well-dressed as she had ever been in her life, human or vampire.

"We should meet them soon. We owe them an explanation," Esme murmured.

"Bella." Carlisle turned to where she stood in her out-of-the-way corner. "Would you mind accompanying us to the meeting? I believe the conversation will largely pertain to you, so it would be helpful if you were there to help us clear things up."

"A meeting? With humans?" She couldn't keep the tone of alarm out of her voice.

"Yes. We will, of course, be there to support you however you need. And I believe it would be wise to take you on your first hunt for animal blood."

"Why? I just hunted-" Bella stopped short. She felt shame, a little embarrassment, and a lot of horror at her memory of those five men in Seattle.

They did not linger on her slip-up though.

"Please, trust us. A fresh feeding will help you to remain in control. Plus, I think it best to introduce you to our ways as soon as possible."

"So, we just go hunt like normal? But for animals?" For some odd reason, Bella felt afraid. She had never felt awkward or self-conscious when hunting previously. She had allowed her instincts and natural reactions to guide her. But her natural reactions had never led her to a nice juicy dog. She cringed at the image.

"All I've seen around here are rabbits and deer. And they don't stick around for long," she pointed out.

"The herbivores are not particularly the most appetizing, but they do in a pinch. When we have more time, we tend to search out carnivores. It still is not nearly as satiating as human blood, but much better than the smaller animals."

Carlisle was explaining patiently, but Bella was still having a hard time picturing it, and she was afraid to mess up. Would they make her leave if she couldn't do it? Would she be able to go back to hunting humans when she knew there was an alternative, no matter how bad she was at it?

"Don't worry, once you're in the hunt, your instincts will carry you much the same way." Jasper's words reassured her, but she had learned not to fully trust how she felt with him around.

"Carnivores, you say?"

Carlisle nodded. "Yes, but we may be limited today, since we are short on time."

"Can we start with those wolf bear things?" Bella asked bitterly, remembering her eventful entrance into Forks.

For some reason, that caused all of them to laugh, even Rosalie and Edward. Bella did not join in, and was perplexed by the reaction.

"No, I don't think you'd like that very much. They aren't much more appetizing than the rabbits. Much less, actually," Emmett guffawed. "Though I would pay good money to see you go at it with them again. Remind them who they're dealing with."

Bella remembered the horrendous stench that had followed the beasts, and recoiled mentally. No, they certainly didn't smell appetizing in the slightest.

"Emmett," Carlisle chided. "Bella, those wolves were actually shapeshifters. They were members of the tribe who have a genetic gift. It allows them to defend their land, and it has served them well in the past."

"Those things werepeople?" Bella exclaimed.

"Yes, members of the Quileute tribe."

"Why do you stay here? With those things wandering around?"

Carlisle smiled indulgently. "We actually are able to exist quite peacefully with them, thanks to the treaty. That is actually why they want to meet today, to clear up the misunderstanding from last night."

"'Misunderstanding.'" She smiled at the civility of his phrasing. But she supposed she shouldn't be surprised, standing here in Dr. Vampire's family mansion wearing clothes with French labels.

"I apologize for not explaining further, but time is of the essence right now. Will you agree to accompany us?"

Bella hesitated. "You'll help me with the human thing?"

Carlisle nodded. "Trust me, they don't smell much more appetizing in human form. And their scent will cover the one or two humans who may be there, as well."

"And they won't try to kill me again?"

"No. And if they did, we certainly wouldn't allow it."

Bella finally nodded, and Emmett clapped his hands together once.

"Alright! Our little feral stray is willing to be domesticated." He threw an arm around Bella's shoulders and began walking her out the back door. "Come on, kitty cat, let's teach you how to hunt Cullen style. Then we've got some wolf bear things to meet."

His bellowing laugh echoed through the trees as they set off at a brisk pace, and Bella couldn't help responding with a small smile of her own.

Almost the whole coven accompanied her on her first hunt, all except Rosalie and Esme. Bella had been nervous about such a large audience to something she wasn't completely sure about, but was put at ease when they didn't linger too close to her.

Only Jasper and Carlisle stayed close by, one out of distrust, she presumed, and the other to provide guidance.

"Don't think too much about it. Allow your instincts to take control."

Bella tried to do as Carlisle instructed, but found herself reluctant to do so. The last time she had leaned into her more basic nature, five men had died.

"It's okay. We are monitoring the area. There are no humans nearby," Jasper said from 15 feet to her left. "And if we do cross any, we won't let anything happen."

So that was why so many of them had come. She felt a little better now, and tried to open up her senses, reaching out to her surroundings.

The incredible vampire hearing had been overwhelming when she had first awoken, but now she found it to be soothing.

There was the telltale stillness of the forest that came with a vampire's presence; most creatures fled from them. There was the whisper of leaves, the rustle of her companions' clothing as they moved, the sound of rushing water in the distance.

She shifted her focus to the water; her ears had caught another sound, a familiar one.

A large, wet, beating heart.

She set off, all of her attention now on that heartbeat and what it promised. She heard the others shift their pace and direction to match hers. She would have an audience, but that didn't bother her anymore.

The sound of the water was getting closer, as was the heartbeat. Before long, the source of both were in sight, and she only hesitated slightly at the sight of the elk.

The Cullens had been right; her instincts worked much the same as when she had hunted humans. Within half a second, her teeth found the carotid. The fur was very unpleasant; she tried not to focus on that, but rather on the hot flow of blood, oddly tangy and thin-tasting.

She drained it quickly, dropping the massive body back to the ground. It was not nearly as pleasant as human blood, and even though her throat had not been burning, she knew animal blood would not be sufficient to fully quench her thirst when the time came.

But when Bella looked down at the lifeless body at her feet, she didn't feel any guilt. The animal had not suffered, and there was no human family to mourn the loss. She would take tangy, thin blood any day if it meant she felt like this after a meal.

She couldn't help but feel hopeful. She had completed her first hunt, Cullen-style, as Emmett had put it.

She was brought back to her surroundings by a resounding whoop from Emmett, who was bounding over the river just then.

"Atta girl! And Alice will be pleased because she gets to play dress-up again!"

Jasper and Emmett snickered when Bella looked distressed by the state of her clothing, the front of which was covered in blood.

"Alice, I'm so sorry," she said. "I'm usually…cleaner. I don't know what happened."

"Don't worry Bella," Alice laughed, dancing over to her side. She moved so gracefully, even by vampire standards. "The switch to animals can take some getting used to. I knew you might have some trouble, so I planned accordingly."

"Well done, Bella." Carlisle, too, had found an elk for himself, but did not have a spot of blood anywhere on his person. "How do you feel?"

"Okay. I mean, it didn't taste very good. But it's doable. I wasn't sure I would be any good at this."

"You'll get better."

Bella was surprised when Edward spoke, his velvet voice carrying from where he stood a little further apart than the rest. He didn't look hostile today, and even had a small smile. Maybe he had been scolded into being more polite. Politeness seemed to be a priority for this coven. Or maybe he just hadn't trusted that she could adapt to their lifestyle. Either way, Bella just nodded in response.

"Hopefully sooner rather than later," she said, smoothing down the destroyed blouse uselessly.

They made their way back to the house then, both Jasper and Edward finding small meals of their own along the way. Bella watched them, the grace with which they moved, how they stalked the animals, how they snapped the neck and managed the larger bodies to avoid any spillage. She took mental notes, hoping she could recreate their movement patterns. Both of them were larger than she was, though, so she would have to adjust for her size.

"Make it look so easy," Bella grumbled, smiling when Alice laughed.

"Come on, let's find you something else to wear. That's probably not a great look when you're trying to convince some werewolves you aren't a murderer."

The relatively pleasant morning swiftly shifted to an anxious afternoon. Carlisle thought it best for all of them to go meet the Quileutes and present a united front. He didn't want to look as if they were hiding anything, or anyone, either.

"Bella, we will have you remain behind us, please. Jasper will stay close to you."

Bella nodded, for once grateful that her overbearing emotional manipulator would be close by.

"Alice?" Carlisle asked, and everyone but Bella seemed to know what the question was.

Alice shook her head. "Nothing, as usual."

Carlisle seemed unhappy with this answer, but shrugged.

"Edward, we will need you to-"

"Yes, I know."

Bella wasn't comfortable being the only one not in the know. Was Edward some kind of expert fighter? He was tall, but leaner than the other males, and didn't seem to possess any special capabilities. Bella had certainly been about to hand him his ass the previous night.

Maybe that was why he seemed so surly.

He's a sore loser.

This thought brought her some small joy.

"If things escalate, Jasper and Esme, I need you to get Bella away from the situation. She does not fall under the protection of the treaty."

"If things escalate, I want to stay. I've been in my fair share of fights," Bella protested.

"Oh, we can tell," Emmett joked, and Rosalie smacked him on the shoulder.

Bella would've felt embarrassed by the reference to her scars, but there were more important matters at hand.

"A fight is exactly what we want to avoid, Bella. I need you to agree to flee the situation with Jasper and Esme if it comes to that. Please."

The coven leader was asking nicely when he didn't have to, and she was a guest here. She nodded once.

"Thank you."

With that, they were off, opting for the faster option of running rather than driving.

Bella felt herself tensing with every moment, as if she were on her way to a battle with Jamie. But she had to smother those instincts, like she had had to with so many others recently.

She smelled them first. It was that awful wet dog odor that had initially alerted her to their presence on the beach, and she wrinkled her nose in disgust. She heard two large heartbeats and three smaller ones.

Humans, she realized with a panic.

But the Cullens had promised not to allow her to slip up. And they had been right; the reek of the werewolves was sufficient to quell her appetite.

When they arrived at the clearing, they fell into a well-thought formation: Carlisle, Edward, and Emmett up front. Rosalie and Alice on their flanks. Jasper and Esme on either side of Bella in the back.

At the sight of the wolves, Bella could feel herself spiraling further into her fight or flight instinct that had allowed her to survive in the hostile south. She was grateful when she felt the familiar weight of Jasper's hand on her shoulder, soon followed by the wave of calm.

Esme slid a hand into Bella's as well, and this was almost as comforting.

Bella turned her attention back to the tribe's representatives: two wolves on either side of three men with russet-colored skin. An older man in a wheelchair was in the middle, and two males that looked to be in their late teens to early twenties accompanied him.

The two younger Quileutes wore cutoff jeans and no shirts, and if Bella had any money to her name, she would've bet all of it that they could explode into giant dogs, as well.

"Carlisle," the old man began, his voice grave. "I am sure you know why we called this meeting."

"Yes, there was a misunderstanding at the boundary last night. I am hopeful we can clear it up now, Billy."

"Misunderstanding? Is that what you'd call it?" The old man called Billy spat. "Paul Lehote had half his ribs broken on our land by one of your kind. I'd say 'misunderstanding' is not a strong enough word."

"That is most unfortunate. We sincerely hope he has a speedy recovery." Carlisle gestured vaguely behind him while keeping his eyes on Billy. "A vampire traveled up to our territory, completely unaware of the agreement we have with the tribe. She has been made aware of the treaty and has readily agreed to abide by it."

Billy was quiet, but the older of the two humans flanking him spoke. "She is not like you. We can see from her eyes that she feeds on humans. How can we trust that she will not hunt here?"

"That is a fair question, Sam. B-" Carlisle had been about to refer to her by name, but cut his sentence short.

It had been subtle. So subtle that she was certain the wolf people didn't notice. Edward had pressed the back of his hand against Carlisle's, a silent communication that Carlisle had apparently understood.

"Our new friend was changed relatively recently, and so her eyes will remain red for a short time regardless of her feeding habits. She has also agreed to abide by our diet, and we will help her do so."

This was met with another pause of silence.

"Let this new friend of yours come forward and speak for herself, then, if she is so amiable to all of these arrangements," Billy finally said.

"Ah, yes, well, I believe that would be an unwise choice. While we are confident that we can help her maintain control, a certain amount of caution must be exercised until she becomes acclimated to this new lifestyle. Proximity to humans must be limited for a time. We will, of course, arrange another meeting later on, if you still wish to speak with her."

Bella wanted to bristle at the implication that she couldn't control herself, but sensed that something else was going on. She decided to trust Carlisle.

Sam spat in disgust, but raised his voice. "She does not need to approach us to give her verbal consent. Do you agree with these terms or not?"

Bella looked to Carlisle, who nodded at her.

"Yes," she said, making eye contact with the men. Sam and Billy wore matching faces of disgust, but the youngest was looking at her with something else, almost quizzical.

The wolves shifted and growled, their way of showing displeasure at the situation. It took every bit of Bella's self-control not to drop into a defensive stance, which certainly would have escalated the situation.

"We are holding you responsible for it, Carlisle. Any more 'misunderstandings' by this one and we will consider the treaty broken." The older man's voice was grave.

"Agreed."

Everyone seemed to relax a little at this. It hadn't come to a fight. The wolves and the men were retreating. Jasper lifted his hand from her shoulder.

"Shall we?" Carlisle gestured for them to leave.

"That's it?" Bella asked, surprised.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean…I'm surprised they're just letting us go. If anyone had attacked Jamie's coven, he wouldn't have rested until they were dead."

"Our feral stray wanted a fight." Emmett shoved her, and she looked at him indignantly. What was he doing? Did he want her to rip his arms off?

"He's just playing," ever-present Jasper explained, a small smile on his lips.

"Oh." Bella thought about all the ways this coven touched each other casually. Holding hands, arms around each other, gentle brushes, playful shoves. The only time she had been touched in a non-hostile manner was when Jamie wanted to have sex, and even that got rough sometimes. "That's going to take some getting used to."

"Well, we've got plenty of time, now that the dogs are off our backs." Emmett poked her, and this time she managed not to react negatively.

"Why don't we finish this conversation at home?" Edward gritted through his teeth, his face looking pained.

Does that guy ever relax?

She amused herself on the run back to the house by imagining that Edward had been changed into a vampire with a stick up his ass, and now it was stuck there forever.