It wasn't easy to think about anything but her father after that visit, but Bella did everything she could to stay on task.
Time was running out. The Cullens had been paying close attention to the news outlets of the Pacific Northwest, and there were just enough missing persons, just enough odd reports to be able to connect the dots.
Jamie's army had to be nearly finished. Bella wondered how he was fairing without Leanne, but knew he and Xavi had managed to do it for decades without her. Maybe Jamie was actually having to take an active role this time around rather than leave the dirty work to others.
Bella was sitting in the living room by the still-shuttered windows, her eyes closed, practicing separating her shield away from herself when Carlisle called them together.
Bella felt the shield snap back into place, losing the progress she had made. She tried not to show her frustration, something that had gotten increasingly difficult.
"I don't believe we can put it off any longer," Carlisle said, looking around at the group. Everyone was there except Esme and Emmett, who had gone hunting. "It's time to go to the tribe."
Alice looked frustrated, and Bella knew it was because she couldn't see anything once the wolves were involved. Edward's mouth curled up into a disgusted grimace, Rosalie looked ready to gag, and Jasper remained expressionless.
But no one argued. There was no getting around it; they needed help, and the wolves were likely to get involved whether they asked or not. The confusion of battle combined with an uncoordinated effort would likely lead to unintentional casualties.
"Bella, I think we need to tell them who you are," Carlisle said to her.
She froze. She wasn't sure what the response would be from these people who apparently had known her as a human. Would they expect something from her? How would they react when they knew she had no memory of them? Would they tell her father? Would they refuse to help?
"Why?" She asked.
"Because I believe the fallout if they were to find we've been hiding your identity would be greater than if we are up front with them," Carlisle replied.
Bella pondered this point and, selfishly, her mind turned towards thoughts of her father. These people were her father's friends. They were a link to him. She knew they were unlikely to help her in any way, but perhaps once this was all over…
"Okay," she replied quietly.
The meeting was not the same as the first one.
Only Carlisle, Edward, Jasper, and Bella came. Emmett had been beside himself when he found out he wouldn't be coming, but had calmed down once Carlisle explained that Alice was keeping an eye on Jamie's decisions, and so he, Esme, and Rosalie needed to stay back at the house with her.
Jasper was on edge, both from being separated from Alice and having their forces split down the middle.
Bella was not much more comfortable. As necessary as this meeting was, it felt wrong to be split like this; it felt like a mistake Jamie would happily take advantage of. But Alice had been certain that he was still holed away in the outskirts of Seattle with his growing army.
She recognized the old man in the wheelchair. Billy. The young man behind him must be his son. Jacob, Edward had called him. These were Charlie's friends. They looked like they could be kind, when they weren't scowling at their sworn enemies. Sam was also in human form again. He must be a leader, someone whose voice needed to be available.
Three large wolves accompanied them this time, and Bella recognized the addition. It was the silver one she had injured on the cliffs, and he had his teeth bared, eyes locked on her. She pulled her own lips back, showing her teeth, and nearly snarled at him.
Paul Lehote, that's what Billy called him, Bella remembered.
Carlisle placed a hand on her shoulder, and she tried to reign in her ire. It was more difficult this time around with the wolves, because this time Jasper had only his own agitation to share.
"Billy, thank you for agreeing to meet us," Carlisle said.
"Has your new young one already erred? If that is what you are here to tell us, Carlisle, I-"
"No, she has not. She has taken to our lifestyle remarkably well, in fact."
Bella knew she would have blushed if she had been human, but there were more important matters in front of her. Paul Lehote and his clear intent to rip her apart, for example.
"Well then, why drag us out here today?" Billy asked.
"I am sorry to inform you that there is a threat approaching. A threat to us all." Carlisle's voice was calm, but grave.
The Quileutes were silent for a moment.
"A threat from your kind?" Sam asked.
"Yes, I'm afraid so."
"Explain," Billy said. The wolves were shifting now and sniffing the air as if expecting a vampire army to come bursting through the trees at any moment. They weren't too far off.
"There is a vampire from the south who attacked two of my family members. Thankfully, they were able to fight him off, but now he comes with an army of newborn vampires. He is currently in Seattle, but has plans to attack Forks."
"This must have something to do with the new one," Sam said, pointing at Bella. "Tell me it doesn't, Carlisle."
"Yes." Carlisle hesitated for a beat. "Jamie is the one who created her."
The burst of snarls and growls that erupted at this admission made Bella take her own defensive stance, which seemed to fuel the wolves' fire. It wasn't Jasper's hand that restrained her this time, though, but Edward's.
He, too, was focused on the wolves, his face a mask of fearsome warning, but he grabbed Bella's upper arm and dragged her slightly behind him.
"If this Jamie is after that one, then give it back to him and avoid the coming war," Billy said, his eyes narrow.
"We will not sacrifice one of our own, just as I'm sure you would not." Carlisle's voice, usually so pleasant, was cold. It paled in comparison to Edward's responding snarl, though.
Sam spat on the ground before saying, "Do not compare yourselves to us."
"This is not productive-" Carlisle began.
"No, it is not. We will do what is necessary to protect our people. Whatever is necessary," Billy interrupted.
"If it would make any difference, I would give myself up." Bella surprised everyone by speaking, most of all herself. "But he'll come anyway. I know him, better than I even know myself. Nothing will stop him from coming to Forks now, not even my death or surrender. He has the numbers, so if we don't help each other, then both of us will lose."
Everyone was silent.
Finally, Sam asked, "How would we even be able to work together?"
"For one, we would halt hostilities. I understand that you may never be able to fully trust us, but if we are to work together, then we cannot be threatening harm to each other," Carlisle said, glancing at the silver wolf's unchanged stance.
"And if we were to agree to that…?" Billy asked.
"Two of our members have experience with the southern newborn armies. They have been helping us, guiding us, in the best way to fight. Your fighting members would be welcome to join and learn, as well."
"Very well," Sam said, turning to look at Billy. Apparently the old man had the final say.
"Why would we need your kind to teach us how to fight? We have been fighting your kind for generations with success," Billy asked.
"A newborn army would be a novelty to you. They are primarily used in the south. Our kind are never stronger, never more lethal, than in our first year after being created. Fighting one of them is like nothing you've ever experienced. And there are dozens coming our way," Jasper replied.
"And we must have your instruction to fight them?" Billy sounded indignant.
"Unless you plan to stand down, then you will need to hear what we have to share," Jasper said.
"We will not stand down," Billy answered. "And we will accept your invitation."
Bella's hands were still in fists. She felt tense, but a delicate truce seemed to be forming, and the tension began to come down.
"There is one other matter we would like to bring to your attention," Carlisle said.
Billy looked suspicious, his eyes on their leader. But Jacob, Bella had noticed, had been scrutinizing her ever since she had spoken.
"I believe you are good friends with the Forks Police Chief, Charlie Swan," Carlisle continued.
"What does Charlie have to do with this?" Billy asked.
"His daughter, Isabella, went missing some time ago."
"Yes," Billy said. "Over a year ago. She and her mother."
"We have come to know what happened to the two of them," Carlisle said.
Billy's eyes finally joined his son's. They were wide, disbelieving, as he examined Bella from head to toe.
"No," he breathed.
"They were attacked by a coven in Louisiana. Renee was killed, but Bella…" Carlisle trailed off, his implication clear.
"No," Billy repeated.
All the Quileute's eyes were on her now. She had expected the grief, the shock, even the disbelief. What she hadn't expected to affect her was the revulsion she saw in all of their faces, both human and wolf.
"That is why your scent was at his house," Billy accused, his eyes still on her.
Bella couldn't speak. Her throat was stuck with emotion. She nodded once in response.
"That is why she came here in the first place. She escaped a horrific situation, seeking somewhere more peaceful. And so she sought out her father," Carlisle spoke for her, and Bella was grateful.
"No," Billy's exclamation came out as a growl rather than a whisper this time. "You stay away from him."
"If you could just-"
"No," Billy interrupted Carlisle again. "That is a condition of our cooperation with you. You keep that thing away from Charlie, do you understand?"
Carlisle was about to protest, but Bella silenced him with a touch to the shoulder. They needed the wolves, as much as she hated to admit it. They needed them to work together if Jamie was going to be stopped.
"I'll stay away," she said, finding her voice. Billy and Jacob were still looking at her with a mixture of sadness and disgust.
"We will make sure of that," Billy replied. "Tell us when and where, Carlisle, and the pack will be there."
"I'll stay away if," Bella interjected. The tension seemed to ramp up again, waiting on her ultimatum. "You need to promise me that you'll look after him. He's grieving himself into an early grave."
Billy's expression didn't change, but he nodded once. That one nod seemed to take an immense weight off of Bella's chest that had been there since she had seen her father, since she had learned what was his inevitable future if he stayed on the path he was on.
"Thank you," she whispered to their retreating backs.
Their first meeting with the wolves was set for that night, and Bella could feel all her nerves keyed up. It was the same feeling she had gotten before fighting another coven with Jamie.
"It'll be fine," Edward murmured against the side of her head, and even though his words were basically meaningless, she felt herself relax slightly.
They were in a large clearing, far away from any civilization. Emmett tried distracting her with stories of the baseball games they had played in that field. According to him, whatever team he was on always won.
"Once all this is over, we'll have to get a game together," Emmett said.
Bella didn't reply. It was hard to see past the next several days. It felt as if she were on a train, and the rails were about to end, right where Jamie was waiting.
Bella heard their approach a beat before sensing their stench and felt herself go stone still.
"Easy," Jasper said, though he himself looked coiled with anxiety.
"Dear God," Carlisle whispered as the wolves entered the clearing, likely tallying them up.
Ten.
Bella recounted several times, knowing there was no mistake.
Ten werewolves. The Quileutes had been holding out on them. Bella dared a quick side glance to Edward, whose lips were pressed together tightly. How had they managed to hide this many from the mind reader?
It didn't matter now, though. The Cullens should be happy there were this many wolves, now that they were allies, right?
Bella had a hard time convincing herself of that. Yes, the numbers were favorable when they had a common enemy in Jamie; but what happened when that was dealt with?
If we're even still here to worry about that.
Bella kept her pessimistic thoughts to herself.
"Edward?" Carlisle beckoned him forward to translate, as none of the werewolves had come in human form.
"They don't trust us enough to phase," Edward said, his eyes on the line of monstrosities.
Bella found the silver gray wolf in the line; Paul, they had called him. The one she had injured her first night here. He was looking at her, too. Maybe hoping to get his teeth around her during this little practice session.
She hoped he would try.
"Welcome," Carlisle greeted the guests, his voice straining for politeness.
"We are not here for pleasantries, Carlisle," Edward's voice was flat as he conveyed the wolf leader's response. "We are here to watch only, as it is unwise to engage in combat, even for practice. You said that there were things we needed to know to beat these newly changed vampires."
"Yes," Carlisle continued. "My son, Jasper, has experience in this area and will teach us how to fight the newborn army. I am certain that you can adapt what you learn from his instruction to your own fighting style."
"How will these vampires differ from you?" Edward asked for the wolf.
"They are brand new to this life, and at the strongest they will ever be. They rely on brute strength, but without skill or strategy. Like children, almost. Their leaders, on the other hand, are all strategy and skill from what we have learned. It is best that we handle the mature vampires."
"Do you not think us capable enough to handle anything more than what you call 'children?'" Edward managed to keep his voice flat and even, though Bella was certain that the wolf had not meant it to sound as cordial as it did.
"Not at all," Carlisle replied. "Simply that we have certain gifts of our own that make us more suited to manage the leaders. The newborns will certainly be a challenge, one that you and your pack should be able to rise to with ease."
Bella snapped her teeth together. It wasn't enough for anyone but Alice standing next to her to hear, who grabbed her wrist in warning. Carlisle was placating, trying to keep the peace between the uneasy allies, but Bella was having more difficulty with that.
Jasper stepped forward stiffly, his eyes darting across the line of wolves, just as Bella's kept doing. She felt her anxiety rising with each moment; if she were still human, she was convinced she would have cracked a tooth, she was clenching her teeth so hard.
Not only did the wolves have the numbers on them, but one of the Cullens' most valuable weapons in Alice was completely nullified.
They still had Edward, though, who didn't look much more relaxed than Jasper.
Good, thought Bella, stay vigilant.
"Carlisle is right," Jasper addressed the vampires only, but refused to turn his back on the pack. "The most important thing to remember is to not let them get their arms around you. If they do, they'll crush you with their strength. The second most important thing is to never go for the obvious kill. They'll be expecting that, and you will lose."
Bella watched as Jasper called Emmett forward. A wise choice to start with; Emmett's style was the closest to a newborn's.
"Try to catch me," Jasper said, beckoning Emmett forward.
It was a quick demonstration.
Emmett roared in anger as Jasper kept slipping through his attacks with ease. It was all very simple, Jasper was hardly having to work. Emmett continued to charge in obvious lunges and reaches, and Jasper merely had to feint one way or the other. He was a cat playing with its food.
Bella would have laughed had the circumstances been different.
Once enough demonstration had been displayed, Jasper finally put an end to it by feigning right, then circling around to attack from Emmett's left. Within half a second, Jasper's teeth were at Emmett's throat.
"Again!" Emmett demanded, but Edward stepped forward instead to take his turn.
Edward and his mind reading capabilities at least provided a challenge for Jasper, so much so that they had to end it in a draw.
Everyone else then took a turn. Next it was Alice, who flitted around Jasper with ease; it was almost a dance.
Carlisle was adequate, but lacked a certain quality. Bella guessed it was viciousness, something likely not even in the gentle doctor's vocabulary.
Rosalie was a capable fighter. She certainly knew how to be vicious; her speed was average, but she was crafty enough to make up for any deficit there; and she was tall enough that her reach would give her an advantage.
It was difficult to watch Esme go, and Bella hoped she would not be needed for much in the actual battle. It pained her to know that when she first came upon the Cullens, she had singled Esme out immediately as the weak link. Jamie would certainly do the same.
"Bella?" Jasper asked, his hand gesturing towards the empty space where his opponents had lined up only to be dismantled one by one.
Bella was torn. She loved sparring, especially when there was a purpose to it. But she had not taken her eyes off the line of wolves for more than a few seconds, and only then to assess each family member's proficiency.
She would not only have to take her focus off of them to spar, but she would have to tip her hand, so to speak.
Bella shook her head once, her eyes darting between Jasper and the wolves.
He simply nodded in response and moved on.
The rest of the meeting did not last long. The wolves asked a couple questions through Edward, and Bella grew more and more agitated. It felt wrong, telling the enemy all their strategies, all their techniques.
They're not the enemy we have to worry about, a voice reminded her in the back of her head.
Yeah, she retorted to herself, but what if one day they are?