Chapter Thirteen

“I thought Charlie raised you better!” Jake bellowed. He was nearly in my face, yelling and whining his disapproval. “What were you thinking when you agreed to that? Are you stupid? Do you want to die?”

They were good questions, but I diligently ignored him. He was starting to repeat himself now. I wondered what the Cullens thought of the one-sided conversation. They were still seated downstairs, patiently waiting, and listening, while we sorted things out in our camp.

“Jake, calm down,” Sam said softly. He was obviously aware of the vamps’ excellent hearing, but even he sounded distressed. “This isn’t the way—”

“Am I the only one upset about this?” he crowed. “She’s going to get herself killed!”

“I haven’t agreed to let her go. Now shut up or I will make you.”

Jake immediately closed his mouth. He looked almost ready to explode now. I never saw him so angry before, but I guess if one of my friends had agreed to enter a vampire’s nest with another vampire, I’d freak out too. He paced the floor from the door to the bed, but I knew that wouldn’t calm him down.

Us humans—or should I say not-so-human humans?—had moved upstairs for a round of tantrums in the master bedroom. Of course, that was after Embry brought the Marines up from the basement. All ten men were armed and positioned around the living room. I’m not sure if they realized the Cullens weren’t human, or if they just did everything Embry told them to do without question. Seriously, what was up with that? I knew army men were big on debts, so did Embry save all their lives or something?

“You can’t let that thing bite you, Bella,” Jake mumbled while he walked. Sam gave him a dark look.

I didn’t want to, but I had to. I already agreed, and I wasn’t going to back out now. Someone had to save Charlie. If infiltrating the nest was the only way, I had to do it. Unfortunately, I didn’t look at the big picture. It was only after I had agreed to be Jasper’s Renfield that I was told he wasn’t as trained as the others. In vampire years, he was still new to Carlisle’s diet, which meant he didn’t have the impressive self-control that Carlisle did.

Sure, any vampire could kill a human by taking too much blood, but I had a feeling Jasper wouldn’t stop there. He would probably suck the marrow from my bones, too.

And that’s how we ended up here.

We stood around the bedroom. None of us wanted to sit down; I think our nerves were too frazzled for any of us to really hold still. I fought to keep my hands down at my sides instead of hugging myself. I was feeling open and vulnerable, and with the accusing looks my friends were giving me, it made me feel worse.

“You can’t let her go in there,” Jake said stiffly. “They’re lying to her. They want to kill her. You heard the blond one!”

“I think someone needs a time out,” Embry chuckled from his corner.

Jake immediately turned on him. “I think someone needs to mind his own damn business.”

“Hey, I got roped into this. It isn’t Forks exclusive.”

“No one asked you to be here,” Jake growled.

“Guys!” Sam’s authoritative snap made us all jump. His face was dark with his anger, and I worried I would get the brunt of it. He pointed a thick finger at me and said one word. “Explain.”

I doubled my resolve and stood up straight. I wasn’t afraid of my own friends. Sure, I might’ve been scared of being alone with the vamps, and going into a huge nest, and maybe I was scared that I would be too late to save Charlie—but my friends? If I was afraid of them, why would I be here?

“No. You need to explain some things; otherwise I’m leaving with the Cullens immediately,” I answered sternly. “Tell me what happened outside with Jared. Was that really Paul?”

“Drop it, Bella,” Sam said. “It’s none of your business, and there are more important things to discuss.”

I glanced at the door. As if he was ordered, Embry went to lean against the door, effectively blocking me in. I’d jump out the window if it wouldn’t make me look childish.

“Yeah, so maybe there is,” I relented, “but I don’t like how you’re keeping secrets. I told you my secret before it showed up. I could’ve kept this whole thing to myself and met the Cullens alone. I could’ve been in Seattle by now, and you wouldn’t even know. What happened to us being able to tell each other anything?”

Sam sighed and shook his head. I knew exactly what he was thinking. I’m tired, and she’s being a pain in the ass. Yup, that was exactly what he thought. “I never thought you needed to know. You hung out with Seth all the time. Didn’t he tell you?”

The sound of his name made me cold. I finally gave into the urge and crossed my arms over my chest, hugging myself, trying to hold onto my warmth. “What . . . what could he have told me?”

“What only a Quileute can tell you.”

“What? That some people explode into hulking . . . oh my God. The legend?”

Sam nodded.

How could I possibly forget? Why didn’t it connect sooner? I’d heard their legends so many times before, but just like that day Seth and I went to the beach, we made fun of it. We never put much stock in people turning into wolves. Then I saw Jared transform. The giant wolf had been what was described in those stories, the way men could shift at will. I stayed standing, but it was an effort.

“Who else can do it?” I asked breathlessly.

“Me and Jacob,” replied Sam. “We were waiting to see if Seth would shift; usually siblings set each other off.” That meant Leah had already shifted before. Sam looked over to Embry, who was staring at the far wall. “Embry’s mom doesn’t come from La Push, so we think he inherited it from his dad or granddad.”

“Seriously?”

Embry scoffed, his voice taking on an ugly edge. “Yeah, and it got me kicked out of the military. I was on my way to colonel when some wanna-be mad scientist outed me after my first change. There were blood tests, court appearances, too many exams to count. Everything came back weird. They said I was ‘sick’; called it a fatal disease. I guess the official papers say I was KIA, but really, I said fuck it and left before they could serve the papers. But you know the government; they’re willing to cover up anything.”

“What about the other Marines?” I asked.

“We’re all friends. They knew something was up, and when they found out what was happening, they just . . . dropped out or something, I don’t know. None of us have gotten picked up yet, so I guess the military didn’t care enough about us to track down the freak.”

Wow. I would have never guessed. Poor Embry. From the sound of it, the military had been his life. I couldn’t imagine being torn away from something so important. But he was still seeing action, so it wasn’t all bad, right? He was fighting things stronger than humans. If I were in his shoes, that little fact would make me a happy camper.

But I had always wondered what made the Quileute’s great Super Soldiers; turned out they weren’t completely human. Good to know, but kind of frightening. Good because, according to the legend, they could kill vampires easily; scary because if they thought like wild wolves, well, I didn’t want to be around them. Unfortunately, this new piece of information had me searching the darkest corners of my mind to find any other legends. If vampires and werewolves were real, what else was true? Fuck, maybe I should’ve listened closer to the elders.

“Now what about you?” Sam asked me, interrupting my musing. “Why did you agree to go in with the vampire?”

Good question. I had a crappy answer. “They have Charlie. If the situation was reversed, and I had been taken, he would do anything to get me back. He would risk his life with a bunch of vampires to save me.”

“Charlie wouldn’t do that,” Jake cut in with a growl. “He would go in shooting, not this undercover crap you think you can pull. Charlie would find a way to bomb the place! The vamps are lying to you, Bella. They’ll take you down there and kill you.”

“No they won’t,” I said, trying to control my anger. I told Jake I wouldn’t argue with him anymore, and I was going to be sure I wasn’t the one to start screaming first. “The Cullens are different from other vampires. Haven’t you wondered why their eyes are gold instead of red? They don’t eat humans.”

“You can’t take everything at face value.”

“It’s true! I was in their house. None of them tried to attack me. They were basically human! Didn’t you hear Carlisle down there? He never attacked a human—he came out of the grave munching on animals. He’s a doctor, Jake. He saves people. If that doesn’t say compassion, I don’t know what does.”

My last sentence seemed to echo in the room. Everyone was silent. The once accusing eyes were now wide with shock.

That didn’t sound like me. I would never say something like that, especially about vampires. Only a bloodwhore would defend a vampire. But I was never bitten! Were they messing with my head? No, they could only do that if I’d been bitten. Oh shit.

I defended a vampire of my own free will.

Jake was the first to move. He let loose an animalistic growl that made me jump away from him, pulling my pistol.

“If you shift, I will shoot you,” I said weakly, already sighting down the gun.

A tremor ran up his arms. “Why? To protect your precious leeches?”

“No, because I’m fucking scared.”

Embry slipped between Jake and me with ease. He came to stand beside me. “Then you don’t need to be aiming your gun. He’s faster than your reflexes, anyway. Just put it away, Bella.”

“Jacob, step outside the room,” Sam ordered.

“If I go out there, I’m gonna kill all of them,” Jake rumbled.

“No you won’t. Now go.”

Embry took my elbow and moved me away from the door, away from Jake. It made me look weak, but I was being a girl right now, not a guy, so I didn’t complain. If I wanted to be a guy, I would’ve holstered my gun, stood defiantly in Jake’s way, and glared at him. I would show him I wasn’t afraid of him, but I already admitted to being scared. Scared of my best friend turning into a giant wolf, scared of the Cullens, and scared of myself. If I verbally defended a vampire, what else would I do for one?

Embry sat me on the bed, and when the door closed firmly behind Jacob, Sam knelt in front of me. Now he looked worried.

“Are you okay, Bella?” he asked. “You’re not acting like yourself.”

“I just defended a vampire,” I whispered stupidly.

“Yes, you did.”

“I sounded like a bloodwhore. I don’t have a mark.”

“Are you sure?”

“I checked everywhere on me! I know what they look like, but I have nothing. No scar. Nothing!”

He placed a warm hand on my clammy forehead. “How are you feeling? Sick? Do you feel compelled or attached to one of them? Are they messing with you?”

I shook my head, dislodging his hand. “No, no, I feel normal just . . . vulnerable. It’s stupid. I should have kept my mouth shut.”

Sam stood over me and wrapped me in his big arms. I pressed my face against his shirt, hoping I wouldn’t cry. It was a fluke—a scary fluke, but one nonetheless. It probably happened because I wanted to believe there was good in the Cullens now that I was going to be around them.

I pulled out of the hug first. I had to get a grip. This wasn’t me. I wasn’t afraid of anything. Okay, so that wasn’t true, but I couldn’t be afraid. I was a vampire hunter. And with that, a calming wave came over me, washing the fear away. I could breathe again.

It seemed to affect Sam, too. With a stubborn set to his jaw, his mind was back on business. “This is ultimately your decision, Bella. You’re the one the Volturi wants. You spent some time with the Cullens. Is their word any good?”

“Carlisle’s is, but I don’t know about the rest,” I said. “I never really talked to any of them . . . besides Alice, that is. She might be able to be trusted.”

“The black-haired one, right?” he asked. I nodded. “Do you think Jasper can be trusted?”

“Well, I think he’s Alice’s mate. He doesn’t seem too bad, and we spoke briefly before. Kinda.” Kinda meaning, when Jasper shoved my face into the floor the first time we met.

“What does that mean?”

“It doesn’t matter right now. I’m about to get bitten by a vampire that might kill me, that’s what matters.” I rubbed my temples. “I don’t know how to do this. What if he bites me, and I’m instantly bound to him?”

“That’s a question for the vampires,” Embry said. “How about you make your final decision so we can get moving? I need a location if you want us set up around the area.”

That’s right. They still had yet to tell us where the Volturi were located in Seattle. Was it bad or just that big of a secret?

Sam sighed. “You’re right, Embry. I want to scout the area before she goes down. I want to know every exit and entrance accessible to humans. We should know who goes in and out of the building or tunnel or wherever they are and at what times.”

Embry gave that mocking salute and grin. “Right away, boss man. I’ll do my best to get your information.”

He left the room without even being asked. I guess he took Sam’s thoughts as orders and was going to get to work. I looked up to Sam. I knew he was disappointed about my choice, but what else was he thinking? That all this was crazy? Did he want to quit and go home?

Oh, I’d love to be able to do that, but Charlie was still missing and my house was two streets away, burnt to the ground. When all this was over, where would we go? Would Charlie want to stay in Forks? Duh, of course he would; he wouldn’t let all the hard work go to waste. He’d want to relish the freedom of his town.

What about Sam’s fiancé? Would Sam live with her?

“So what is it, Bella?” he asked. “Are you really going to do this?”

“I already said I would. I’m not going back on it,” I said. “It doesn’t matter if my bones are shaking; I’m gonna to do this. I have to. It’s for Charlie.”

“It’s not always about other people. Think about yourself, be selfish.”

I shook my head. “It’s not just about Charlie, Sam. It’s for everyone in Forks. It’s even about me, because I want those monsters dead for what they’ve done to our town.”

He held up his hands in defeat. “Charlie will have my head when he finds out I let you down there, but he only has himself to blame. You’re his daughter; you inherited his stubbornness. I know if I told you not to go, you would sneak out under my nose and come back in a body bag.”

“Or end up in a vampire-run hospital in Seattle. They could always finish what their master started,” I said casually. “If Aro starts anything.”

“Worst case scenario?”

“Worst case scenario,” I agreed.

“Then you better not get injured down there.”

I grinned and held up a hand. “Scout’s honor, Captain.”

“That’s Lieutenant, and you were never a scout of any kind.”

“I was upset they wouldn’t let me be a Boy Scout!”

He laughed and pulled me off the bed, onto my feet. “Come on. Let’s go talk to the big bad vampires. Maybe you’ll make it out of their grasps scar-free.”

My laugh had turned a little hysterical when he said that. Me, scared of a few vampires? Never. But I really wasn’t looking forward to the bite. What if he did kill me? Then who would save Charlie?

Jacob wasn’t in the hall or the living room, and Embry was out of sight, but all the Marines were where we left them. I assumed Jake and Embry were in the kitchen, because as long as there was a vampire outside, no one would go there. Yeah, Rosalie still hadn’t been invited back in, and Emmett didn’t come back inside either. If I couldn’t see the gleam of blond hair through the window behind the couch, I’d have said they took off. She wouldn’t dare defy her master after embarrassing him like that.

I wondered if it was cold out there for them. It was the middle of November, after all. Did vampires feel the cold? I shook my head. Not important; mind on business, Bella. I had a feeling Jasper had something to do with my wandering mind. I still wasn’t sure what exactly his power was, but I knew it dealt with manipulation, and I didn’t like it.

The Cullens were still in their spots. Did they even blink while we were gone? Did they shift at all? They looked tense, and I guess that was to be expected. They were surrounded by trained professionals. There was no guarantee the Marines could shoot faster than the Cullens could move, but I was willing to bet it would be close.

Sam told the Marines they could go back to sleep, but they refused to move. Apparently they only listened to Embry and weren’t informed that their boss had a boss of his own. Sam was leading the whole operation; Embry answered to him.

He must have heard his men from the kitchen, because Embry stuck his head through the doorway and told them, “Listen to the good man, fellas. He’s in charge of everyone, including you, so go back to sleep. Oh, by the way, boss man, they’re withholding information.” Embry disappeared again. Whatever was happening in the kitchen must’ve been important.

And with that, the living room seemed to get larger as the Marines filed down into the basement. I heard someone sigh behind us and turned to find the Cullens relaxing, or shifting nervously. Glad to know I wasn’t the only one who was intimidated by the Marines. They were some big dudes.

When the final man closed the door behind him, Sam sat in the kitchen chair that we hadn’t bothered to move while I stood beside him. I wasn’t muscle, but Sam had negotiations to make for information. He got the chair because I was done talking to them. I was going to be bitten and dragged into the lowest circle of Hell. My part was done.

Carlisle spoke before Sam could get a word out. “I know what you’re thinking, but it’s not as bad as he makes it sound. If I had offered the information to your Marines, they would have alerted the guards, and we would not be able to get within ten feet of the area. They don’t exactly look like civilians who live in the Seattle area, and the Volturi would spot this difference.”

“They’re trained to blend in with the public,” Embry replied, appearing on the other side of Sam. He took a bite of the sandwich he had in his hand. “I think you just don’t want us to know your dirty secrets. Trying to get us to go in blind—shame, shame.”

“Why keep the location to yourself?” Sam asked.

“If you can promise to keep the Marines off of the premises, I will tell you,” Carlisle answered.

“What would happen if they scouted the area?”

“Very bad things,” Alice said from her spot on the floor. “As long as nothing appears out of the ordinary before Bella gets inside, everything will be fine. You can send the Marines out after she’s safely in the catacombs.”

I balked. “Safely in where?”

“Loose lips, Alice,” Carlisle chided lightly. She giggled.

The tension returned. A catacomb was not the scenery I had in mind. I did not want to walk through a hallway made of bones.

“Alright, enough with the cloak and dagger shit. Where are the Volturi located?” Sam wasn’t fooling around anymore. “I can’t speak for the Marines, but my people won’t get near the area. Embry?”

“I like the spunky chick,” said Embry. There was a mysterious grin on his face. “Seems like she knows too much, and that’s always a good thing. If you say it’s a bad idea, I’ll keep my men here until Bella’s underground.”

Alice matched his grin with one of her own. Was Embry associating with the vampires behind our backs?

Carlisle commanded the room’s attention back to him. “Very well. The location of the Volturi is actually no secret; their nest is very public, with a constant flow of people daily. They reside underneath St. James Cathedral, in the natural catacombs of Seattle’s underground.”

“Under a church?” Sam asked with a hint of surprise.

“Yes. It does seem a little unnatural, doesn’t it? But we are not affected by holy items, and we can enter a church without bursting into flames. In fact, I used to attend church weekly before I started working Sunday’s.”

Sam and I shared a questioning look. What kind of vampires hid underneath a church? I thought we would have to pass through some underwater cavern on the outskirts of Seattle. Nope, just walk through a church. How . . . anti-climatic. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad after all.

“So they’re stationed under a church,” Sam repeated. “Was that the best they could do on short notice, or does it mean something to them?”

Carlisle took a second to think about it. “Well, I suppose they chose the cathedral because it resembles their home. I’m sure you’ve seen it. St. James Cathedral towers over all the other buildings with its high pillars; it’s decorated in an elegant, almost ancient way. Yes, I think that’s why they chose it.”

“Actually, it’s because of the tunnels,” answered Jasper. “I never saw their home in Italy, but I’ve heard stories about the town and the clock tower, and apparently the masters were pleased they found something that resembled it. But the truth is, they moved to the cathedral because of the underground tunnels. They stretch everywhere in the city, and we could be in a different part of the town in the blink of an eye. There’s also a naturally formed dungeon in the undercroft, but it’s been blocked off from the public and never mentioned. The Volturi still use it, along with the new expansions they’ve made.”

“What kind of expansions?” Sam asked.

“The last time I was there, they were adding more space to the dungeon area and living quarters, and fitting certain parts for electricity.”

“When were you last with the Volturi?”

“It’s been fifty-six years. I was turned in 1863 in Texas and after a few years of solitude, I was brought to the Seattle branch of the Volturi. Alice found me around 1950 and that was when I was introduced to my new life.” He offered way more information than necessary, but it was helpful. Sam wouldn’t have to ask any more questions about his age.

I did the math in my head. Jasper had been with the Volturi for eighty-seven years, and then disappeared for fifty-six years. He was at least one hundred forty-three years old, give or take some years. That was a long time to live. It made for a tough vampire. “So you don’t really know your way around their nest anymore,” I said.

Jasper smiled humorlessly. “They are not modern vampires, Bella. They wouldn’t change with the times. I’m certain the nest is much the same. Moving around is not the problem; getting the clearance to go certain places is. They do not let their guards run wherever they please. You earn the right.”

“You earn their trust.”

“Exactly. My departure will make them wary of my return, but I have a strong feeling when I show you off, I’ll be back in the elite guard. Showing that I can tame Aro’s prized jewel will definitely earn me. . . .” He struggled to find the word.

“Brownie points,” Alice supplied. “When Aro sees you, Bella, he won’t care about Jasper’s past; he’ll worry about Jasper’s future. Jasper has something he wants, and Aro will try every trick in the book to make Jasper give you up.”

“Why am I so special to him, anyway?” I asked. “You never really told us that.”

“We don’t know the reason. We only know that Aro singled you out because he thinks you’re infallible. Other than that?” She shrugged.

Sam spoke up. “And how do you even know that much?”

Alice looked up to Carlisle, who nodded. She turned back to us with a smile. “I have a special ability that lets me see the future. It’s never concrete, because the future is always changing, but if someone makes a certain decision, I can see a long list of outcomes. Like earlier, when you wanted to send the big guys out to the cathedral, I saw all the terrible things that would happen. It would’ve triggered every alarm. There was a major lockdown, and Charlie’s death—even Jessica and Lauren. They’re down there, and Aro is planning to use them against you. I’ve been watching Aro since you called, Bella. His insanity makes it hard to see him, he’s constantly changing his mind, but I know he has Charlie, and he’s impatiently waiting for your arrival.”

I felt cold again. He knew we were coming? Well, I kind of guessed he would expect me to show up sooner or later, but did he know what we had planned? If Aro thought I was impossible to catch, wouldn’t he wonder how Jasper “tamed” me? I swallowed the lump in my throat. I couldn’t back out. I had to do this.

“Well what are we waiting for?” My voice broke on the way out, and I fought to control my nerves. “Let’s not keep the old vamp waiting.”

“Before we get started,” Carlisle said hurriedly, “how do you feel about all this, Bella? Are you sure you’re comfortable with this plan?”

“Sure, sure,” I answered, and it sounded rushed and panicked even to my own ears. “The sooner we get started, the sooner we finish and have Seattle back in proper control.”

The truth was I was anything but calm. Inside I was a trembling mess. This plan went against everything I was ever taught, everything I was raised to believe. Vampires were not our allies; we didn’t use them to kill other vamps. We killed vampires, not trust them to watch our back. And we definitely did not invite a vamp to bite us on purpose! But I had to go through with it. I might have to get Sam to hold me down during that part. I didn’t want to rely on my instincts and accidentally shoot Jasper after he promised to get himself killed with me.

The look Carlisle gave me made me squirm. He wasn’t convinced. No one was convinced.

Finally, I confessed, “Look, I’m not happy about it, and you can’t expect me to be. This is way out of my comfort zone. But this isn’t about me being comfortable. I’m doing this for Charlie and all the people in Seattle. I’m going to find out why these ancient vampires came to America, and I’m going to put an end to it. If I get myself killed during the process”—I bit my lip briefly, steeling my nerves—“then I die knowing I did everything I could. But I won’t go down easy; I will take someone with me.”

Silence stretched in the room. Sam’s face clearly said he was unhappy with me, but he couldn’t stop me now. My mind was officially made up. I was going to go into an ancient vampire’s nest, free Charlie, try to kill the vampire and all his fledglings, and make it out alive. If that meant I had to trust a vampire to watch my back, damn it, I’d do it.

Embry sighed and gave himself a little shake. Was it a shudder? “I’d hate to be the vampire that crosses your path. You sure are a crazy bitch, and I wish you the best of luck. I’m gonna head downstairs and see if my men have any incendiary ammo left. You’ll need it.”

I didn’t tell him I had yet to use my incendiary ammo, but I thanked him anyway. I would need as much ammunition as I could get. When the flags went up, I wanted to make sure only me, Jasper, and Charlie would be getting out alive.

Carlisle gave me a small smile. “Then it’s time to move. The weather calls for clear skies in the morning, so you want to be below ground before dawn.”

I looked to the digital clock above the TV. Almost two o’clock in the morning. Where did the time go?

“How long will the bite take?” I asked.

“Not long,” Jasper replied. “I might need a few minutes afterward to compose myself, of course. It’s been a long time since my last taste of human blood, and there is something . . . different about your blood. Your smell is stronger than other humans.”

“Stronger?” I resisted the urge to smell myself. It was a vampire thing; whatever he smelled, I wouldn’t be able to pick it up. How creepy was it that a vamp could smell blood underneath the skin? Very.

“Maybe it’s because I have Edward’s emotions to influence me, but yes, it smells sweeter than normal human blood. I’d say you’re diabetic, but they always had a slight sour aftertaste.” He chuckled and the smile that appeared on his face made me cringe. It was way too happy, way too flirty. “I guess we’ll find out soon enough.”

I ignored the suggestive look and focused on the important part. We really didn’t have time for it—after all, we still had to drive to Seattle—but the way they kept talking about Edward made me uncomfortable. “What about Edward? Rosalie mentioned him before, and if he’s going to try to kill me, I want some warning now.”

Carlisle was about to say something when Alice popped in, grinning at the glowering statue on the sofa arm. Why was she always smiling? “You already decided to go; you don’t trust Jasper alone with her. So, Edward, why not speak for yourself?”

Edward came to life. He crossed his arms over his chest and gave Alice his best glare. “We don’t have time, Alice,” he snapped. But I heard the words he didn’t want to say.

“Oh, we have plenty of time,” I encouraged, almost irritably. It was a wonder I wasn’t fondling my guns. “I want to know why your coven keeps mentioning us together.”

“They are my family, not my coven, and it’s only stupidity that brings the conversations back to me.” He turned to his family. “So I made a mistake. Can we let it go now?”

“Edward loves you,” chimed Alice with a laugh. My jaw dropped.

“Alice!” he hissed.

“I’m kidding! It’s not love, but wouldn’t it be hilarious? Like some kind of fairytale; a vampire falls in love with a human. I was kidding, Bella, really. But there is some kind of interest or infatuation; he can’t hear your thoughts, and it’s driving him crazy.”

“Shut up, Alice!”

“So he’s a mind reader?” Sam asked, not at all bothered by Edward’s rage.

Alice nodded. “Exactly, and Bella is blocking him somehow. She’s the first one to ever do it. He thought he heard her once, but she was only talking in her sleep. I asked him to put a clock in the guest room—he stayed there for hours, watching, listening. If it wasn’t so interesting to watch, I’d say it was creepy.”

I closed my mouth and turned my eyes to Edward, who was trying very hard to look everywhere but at me. If vampires could blush, I was sure he would be red from head to toe. I almost felt sorry for him, but I couldn’t. Rosalie had said he tried to kill me even while I was dying. He watched me sleep! That alone was just . . . weird. I didn’t even want to think about it.

I shook my head, waving my heads in front of my face. “That’s just weird. Don’t tell me anymore. And he is not coming with us to the church.”

“Actually, I am,” Edward spat. “Do you really think Jasper will be able to watch over you and move through the underground at the same time? You need more than one of us with you. Besides, Jasper already asked me to oversee the biting.”

“If you think you’re biting me too, you better think again!”

Carlisle interrupted our spat with his always calm voice. “Don’t worry, Bella, we have it all planned,” he said pleasantly. “When you arrive in Woodinville—”

“Woodinville? I thought we were going to Seattle. That’s way past Seattle,” I said.

“We own a house there, where you’ll be able to freshen up before going to the cathedral.”

“Seattle is almost an hour away from Woodinville, and it will take four hours to get there from Forks.”

Carlisle seemed to be waiting for something. I almost asked, but he answered the question. “I’m sorry, are you done? I thought we were talking to a vampire hunter, not a whiny child.” If it didn’t sound like he was mocking me, I might’ve shot him. He continued with a soft smile. “Again, don’t worry, Bella. We thought of everything before you hit the cathedral door. After that, it’s up to you, Jasper, and Edward. Yet, I believe someone on your side also called for back up for you.”

I would’ve asked, but we were losing time. It would take about four hours and some change to get to Woodinville; we had to leave immediately.

I sighed. “Fine. When are we doing this thing?”

“Now, if you want,” Jasper said. “I think we should go somewhere a little more private—”

“Absolutely not,” Sam barked.

“No, no, you don’t understand. A bite can be very . . . intimate between vampire and human. I thought Bella would like the privacy, just in case.”

My heart leapt into my throat. “In case of what?” In case he killed me?

That almost flirtatious look came back to his face, and I wondered how Alice felt. Wasn’t she worried about Jasper’s attitude? Oh, of course not. He was just after the red stuff flowing inside of me. Nothing personal. Ugh.

“Fine! Whatever we’re doing, let’s do it quick,” I complained. “We’re burning nighttime.”

“The upstairs bedroom?” Jasper suggested. I opened my mouth, but he cut me off. “It’s not what you think. I only ask because it has a door, and I don’t want you to hit your head.”

I almost asked what he meant by that, but he was already moving toward the stairs, Edward following him. They really expected me to join them? I looked at Sam; he had no advice. We were officially in the dark.

“I’m not entirely comfortable with this,” I sighed, “so I want you on the door. And you”—I pointed at Carlisle—“you can be there too. Sam won’t know when Jasper’s taken too much, and I trust you to control your fledglings.”

“Alright, that’s fair. Sam and I will be standing right outside the door,” Carlisle replied.

Before I journeyed up the stairs, I heard Alice behind me, “He won’t hurt you, Bella.” Yeah, I wasn’t going to believe that.

The walk down the hallway made me feel like I was on death row. My nerves were acting up again, and by the time I reached the door, I was a jittery mess. Fuck, I couldn’t do this. I didn’t even ask what would happen when he bit me. Would it hurt? Would we really be Master and Renfield? Shit, shit, fucking shit!

I stepped inside the room once Carlisle and Sam took positions on opposite sides of the door. Jasper stood at the foot of the bed with a calm smile, and just by looking at him my nerves dissipated. I almost smiled at him, but then the door slammed behind me. I jumped and wheeled around to find Edward leaning on the door like Embry had earlier.

“Why are you even here?” I asked, but it didn’t have the anger I wanted behind it. There was a tight ball of dread resting inside me, but I think Jasper was keeping the worst of it at bay.

“His odd infatuation with you will make sure that I don’t accidentally kill you,” Jasper answered, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt. What did he expect to happen? Would it be messy?

“You know, that isn’t helping my nerves.”

“I know, and I’m very sorry. I want it to be comfortable for you, but with your vigilance against vampires, I don’t know how to do that besides using the full extent of my power.”

“And what would that mean?”

He grinned. “You wouldn’t feel any pain.”

“So it will hurt. Figures. I have a few questions for you before you bite me.” He made an elegant motion, and I guess that meant continue. “Where are you biting me?”

“The neck is a very personal place, and the scent is much more concentrated there. The wrist will do just fine.”

“Will I be bound to you afterward?”

“No.”

“Are you going to turn me?” I asked.

“No. It’s a simple bite, Bella,” he answered. “I just need enough blood to smell like you and cover up the gold.”

“This is the only time you’re biting me, right? You won’t have to do it again while we’re down there?”

“That’s right. Did I answer all your questions?”

I swallowed hard and nodded.

“Then come sit on the bed,” he said, trying hard to hide the excitement in his voice.

I hesitated, looking behind me where Edward was holding up the wall. He looked almost as eager as Jasper. Suddenly I felt like I was in a lions den, and I wanted out.

“We won’t hurt you, Bella,” Jasper said, drawing my attention back to him. “This is our first test as partners. You have to trust me.”

He was right. I hated it, but he was right. I felt like a robot as I stiffly approached the bed. My legs weren’t working properly, and I knew it was just my instincts. I wasn’t supposed to get near vampires; I had to kill them. I took a deep breath, expelling it slowly, as I sat on the bed. I had to keep reminding myself I already made up my mind.

Jasper knelt in front of me, trying to be nonthreatening, but I saw the eager spark in his eyes. I would have been worried, but thanks to Jasper’s power, he kept me calm. What I was even afraid of? It would probably feel like a bee sting. One sip and then it’s over.

He touched my hand, and I cringed, pulling away from him. Okay, so I wasn’t all that calm. “Please, Bella,” he said softly, “I’m as uncomfortable as you are. We are both turning our backs to everything we ever believed. I’ll do this quickly, for both our sakes.”

I tentatively held out my shaking right hand; I never compromised my left hand, the shooting hand. His cold fingers enveloped mine, drawing my wrist toward his mouth. He took a deep breath, and that caused my nerves to spike again.

“Don’t tense,” he whispered against my pounding pulse. “It makes it hurt worse. I’ll help you through some of the pain. Are you ready?”

I closed my eyes and nodded. My breath came out on a long sigh as his teeth broke through my skin. My eyes popped opened with the sensation, and my mouth gaped to scream, but all that came out was a soft moan. The reaction scared me, until the feeling increased and washed conscious thoughts away. It felt like a string connected him and things lower in my body, and with every pull from his mouth, that string vibrated, and I gave a little gasp with each one.

That string thickened, turned into something more. Phantom hands touched me everywhere. I was a throbbing ball of sensation.

My back arched sharply when one of those hands passed over my breasts. My body couldn’t stay still. I fell back on the bed, my torso twisting. I feared the pressure building inside. Oh God, it was too much. My free hand clawed at my hair, my thigh, his hair, even the blanket beneath me. I felt the blood rushing through my veins, willing to go to his eager mouth. Every gasp, grunt, and moan scared me, yet it never lasted. The fear was quickly replaced by a wave of lust, which caused me to cry out. My body was doing a wild dance on the bed, and when he took one last pull, I screamed as the pressure lashed out. I felt like I was flying for a few minutes or maybe it was hours, until I was brought back to earth, gasping, by someone licking my wrist.

I tried to slow my breathing as I peeled my eyes open. What just happened? What did he do to me? If that was what a vampire’s bite felt like every time . . . no way. I wasn’t even finishing that thought.

I propped myself up on one elbow to find Jasper’s tongue tracing over the wound; it was still open, still bleeding. Didn’t I hear from someone that vamps have anticoagulant in their saliva or venom, or whatever it is? I had to get pressure on my wrist, but I was too tired. I tugged on my arm, trying to get Jasper to let me go.

He released me without a fight and stood up in a flash. His new red eyes were wide, glancing around the room as if he had never seen it before. I slowed my pulse, hoping I wouldn’t bleed to death, and glanced down at my wrist. The wound was wide and gushing. I hoped there wouldn’t be a scar.

Jasper’s abrupt laugh made me jump. He stared at his hands, flexing them. “I forgot what it feels like to wield this much power.”

Edward was at his side, but Jasper held up his hand. “I’m fine. Give me a minute; I’m afraid I’ll break something.”

Edward came to the bed, a thousand questions on his face, and I noticed something was different with his eyes. They seemed darker. “Bella, are you okay?” he asked. His voice shook a little. Did he want to munch on me too?

My heart finally stopped trying to leap out of my chest, my breathing soft and even. Yeah, I think I’d be all right. I kept my eyes on my wrist. Was it just me, or did the wound look smaller than before? I sat up and wiped away the small amount of blood. The skin was red from the pressure of Jasper’s lips, and I watched with wide eyes as it slowly healed. It looked like the skin was knitting itself together.

“Bella?” Edward repeated, and his voice was stronger now.

I cleared my throat. I needed a drink of water; it felt dry and raw. “What happened?” I rasped.

“Jasper used his power so you wouldn’t feel the pain,” he answered. “I don’t believe the orgasm was necessary, but he got carried away. Was it that good?” That last bit wasn’t directed at me.

Carlisle and Sam were in the room now, and I didn’t remember hearing the door open. How much did Jasper take?

Jasper shuddered and answered Edward’s question. “You felt it. It was amazing. There’s no doubt in my mind about winning over Aro; even if I have to fight for my spot, I’ll win. This rush is incredible.”

Sam helped me off the bed, but I couldn’t stand on my own feet. I wobbled and clung to his arm, the room spinning slightly. He held me upright. “Are you okay?”

“A little shaky,” I whispered weakly. “He might’ve over done it. I can’t walk.”

Without warning, Sam swept me up in his arms. I gave a little scream as the room picked up speed and resisted the urge to punch him. “We’ll be downstairs,” he told the vamps.

“A glass of orange juice will do her good,” Carlisle replied. “The wound will close shortly, just keep pressure on it.”

I pressed my left hand over the cut. It wasn’t even sore. Sam carried me downstairs to the kitchen and set me carefully in one of the chairs. I glanced up to find the room empty. Where the hell was Jake? Did Sam make him go outside in the backyard, or was he in the basement? And what happened to Jared and Paul? They basically disappeared. I was starting to worry. Speaking of the basement, the door opened, and for a second I thought it might’ve been our missing men, but it was only Embry. His arms were full of magazine clips. He looked up from his treasure and nearly dropped them down the stairs when he spotted me.

“Whoa, what happened to you?” he asked. “You look a little pale, but there are definite signs of a proper fucking.”

Sam set a tall glass of cold orange juice beside my elbow, and I reached for it with greedy, shaking hands. I guzzled down half the glass before I had to breathe.

“She went through with it,” was Sam’s curt reply.

Embry gave a low whistle. “You’ve got more guts than I do, girlie. How was it?”

I shook my head. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Did it hurt?”

“No.” My face blazed, and I took another gulp of juice. Just thinking about it was making me feel weird. Little tingly shockwaves were sparking deep in my belly, and I couldn’t control the shudder that raced up my spine.

Embry grinned. “Well let’s see the battle scar.”

I held up my arm to show him the fading wound, but there wasn’t much left to it. It was just an angry pink line.

“There’s nothing exciting about that at all. I thought it would be a huge, bloody gash. You should get a refund.” Sam’s glare made Embry quickly change topics. He held up the magazines. “Oh, picked these up for you. You’re lucky we’re heavily armed; otherwise I’m not sure I would have found the right bullets. We don’t have much of NATO-type incendiary, but it should be enough for your FAMAS. Still, use them sparingly. And here’s your 12-gauge. I’d suggest loading them into the Striker now, that way you’re good to go.”

“Wonderful thinking,” Carlisle’s soft voice came from behind him. I looked up to find he had either soundlessly entered the kitchen, or I was just that out of it. “It’s good to always think of the possible future and take the defensive. When you have a mighty shield, it doesn’t matter how strong you are; you can stand against the toughest enemies.” He pulled out the chair closest to me, turned it so we faced each other, and sat down. “How are you doing? May I see your arm?”

I gave it to him without a fight. I knew what happened if I fought him; he would embarrass me again. So I quietly nursed my juice as his chilly fingers turned my arm this way and that. I guessed he was looking for a scar, but I didn’t see anything.

“It won’t scar, but the wound may stay as a pink line for a little while. Any discomfort?”

I shook my head.

“Are you light-headed, woozy?”

“I feel fine now, tha—t’s it, no more questions. I’m fine.” I did not just nearly thank a vampire, did I? No, it was just a slip. I was tired, that’s all.

Carlisle smirked. He knew what I’d been about to say. I really, really hated vampire hearing. “I can see that. Well then, if you are feeling more yourself, I think I hear the road calling your name.”

“I agree. Is there anything else I need to know before I dive in?”

“He mentioned something about Aro having a power earlier,” Embry said.

“Ah, that I did,” Carlisle sighed. “I apologize for not mentioning it sooner; however, I think his power is the last of your worries. You see, Aro has an ability much like Edward’s. He can read minds, but not from a distance, only through touch. Since you thwart Edward’s ability, I believe Aro will meet the same wall. Just remember, there are many vampires with many different abilities; you will have to rely on your own discretion to decide who is talented and who is not.”

Gee, that was helpful. I rolled my eyes and stood, my legs finally sturdy underneath me, and gathered the ammunition scattered on the table. I’d have to find that ammo bag Embry gave me in Sacramento; it held my incendiary rounds and a few extra knives. I’d need everything I could get my hands on.

As if he read my mind, Embry produced a small duffel bag from the floor with a grin. I peeked inside before tossing in the ammo; it was mine, the Striker cleaning kit sat on top of everything. How he found it, I wouldn’t ask. I slung the bag over my shoulder and continued into the living room. Jasper, Edward, and Alice waited by the door. Was she coming with us? Maybe she was waiting for Carlisle; they wouldn’t stay here. But Carlisle’s wife—what was her name?—stayed seated on the couch.

“Are we ready?” Alice asked with a twinkle in her mischievous eyes.

“You’re coming too?” I groaned.

“Only for the ride to Woodinville. I have to make you look presentable to the ancients.”

I turned to Carlisle. “Are you all going back to Portland, or will you be close if we need you?”

“I already talked to your leader about that, and it seems like I’ll be staying here for now,” he replied. “It will be easy for my family to find a few of the tunnels in the city, to help the Marines.”

“At this point, I guess any help is better than none.” I turned to Sam and gave a watery smile. “Last chance. Wanna talk me out of it?”

“Nah, I’ve come to terms with the fact that I can’t talk you out of anything. So good luck down there; don’t get killed.” That was an order.

“Or end up in the hospital,” I added.

“Yeah, or that.” He stepped closer and gave me a quick, tight hug. “Better get moving before Jacob realizes you’re gone. He’ll stop the car with his bare hands.”

“Tell everyone I said good bye. And please, please, make Angela train with her guns. If you all have to bail me out, she should at least know how to shoot down the sight, not from the hip.”

That made Embry laugh. “Don’t worry; we’ll set up a make-shift range around here somewhere. My guys get antsy if they don’t have something to shoot. Next time you see her, Angela will be a completely different person.”

“Cool. Then I guess . . . I’m on my way to Seattle. Try not to kill each other while I’m gone.”

“Ma’am, yes, ma’am!” Embry saluted.

I rolled my eyes and went to the closet near the door. I think I recall Mrs. Cheney saying she stuffed a coat for each of us in here, and sure enough, there was a military-style blue coat hanging up with my name pinned to it. I pulled off the tag, set the bag on the floor before I slipped into the coat, and settled it around me. Huh, despite it looking tight, it hid the guns well. It was roomy and comfortable, and most importantly, warm. Mrs. Cheney sure knew what she was doing.

Jasper opened the door, and the four of us filed outside into the freezing night. Rosalie jumped up with an open mouth, ready to say something, but Edward cut her off. We didn’t have the time for another explanation or apology. It was half past two; the drive to Woodinville would take up most of the night.

I didn’t see it thanks to the fight that took place earlier, but parked in the street was a sleek black car; it was Carlisle’s Mercedes. It looked ready to break a few speeding laws. No one argued about seating; Edward drove, Jasper got shotgun, and Alice and I crawled into the backseat. With the night, the car’s tinted windows made everything ten times darker. The only light in the car was when Edward started the purring engine and the dash lights illuminated his face.

“Heater,” Alice murmured.

She must’ve noticed my shivering. I wouldn’t have said anything, but I guess I could depend on Alice to look out for me. She did seem a little more friendly compared to the others. Edward flicked a few buttons and knobs before putting the car in gear. I turned in the seat as far as the seatbelt would let me. I had a feeling I wouldn’t see anything normal for a long time, and I wanted to remember the comfy sofa, the bright kitchen, but instead I saw something that shook my resolve.

The windows made it hard to see, but as we drove off, I was sure it was Jacob who was standing in the bright doorway, thinking he’d never see me again.

Chapter Twelve

The warm edge of the dream world faded until I was left with cold reality. I turned over, trying to hold onto that last bit of warmth, and smacked at the hands shaking me. I had to cling to these lazy feelings. I fought to return to my dream. I loved the sound of a lake at six in the morning; the magic of fish hitting the surface and birds and crickets chirping together. I rarely fished, but I loved to recline in the boat with a book and listen to nature. The warm fuzzies I had were too relaxing to let escape.

“Bella, it’s eleven thirty-eight,” a voice called from the distance.

That was supposed to mean something to me, but what was it? I didn’t care about time. I had all the time in the world out on the pond. I wanted to sleep. I had nothing better to do; everything was safe.

The pond was ripped away. Bright images flashed behind my eyes in the darkness—all the events that led up to this moment.

Everything was not safe.

I jumped back to consciousness with a snap. Angela hovered over me with a smile, and the next thing I realized was that I was lying on the sofa. Did I kick Angela off during my nap? I always was a bit of a fitful sleeper.

I stretched easily, the last shred of the warm dream sliding away. Wait. My hands felt for the straps of the holster, but I already knew it was gone; my shirt was too loose, that stretch had been too comfortable. I sat up and searched the room with blurry eyes. Most of the lights had been turned off, the TV playing some cop drama, and it was surprisingly empty. I figured some of the Marines would be up for guard duty or something, just in case.

“I’m sorry, Bella,” Angela said sheepishly. I rubbed my eyes and gave her my attention to see she held my shoulder rig. “I took off your holster while you slept. I thought you might be more comfortable.”

I ran my fingers through my hair, trying to flatten it but knew it was too thick to do any good without a brush. I hated that she took my gun. No wonder I had such a lousy nap. But I must’ve been way more exhausted than I thought; I didn’t feel her touching me or wake up when my gun disappeared. She was only trying to help, and I couldn’t hate her for that. At least, I could try not to hate her for it. “Thanks, Angela. Where’s Sam?” I asked.

Ugh, my mouth felt fuzzy, like something might’ve crawled in there and died. Hopefully my breath didn’t smell that bad. I took back my rig as she answered.

“Sam crashed upstairs. I swear it looks like he aged a few years in a matter of days. It’s scary how work can affect people.”

“Where’s everyone else?”

“Marines are still sleeping in the basement.” I jumped at the masculine voice; I didn’t even see Mike sitting in the armchair. “All the others disappeared upstairs,” he answered.

“How were things while I slept?”

“I really think we ran all those bastards out of town. Good riddance.” He grinned at me, and the swelling of his injuries made it look painful. “It’s been silent so far. Besides your sleep talking, that is.”

I ignored the jab, trying hard to keep my face from overheating. No matter how many times people joked about it, my childish habits still made me uncomfortable. I especially hated blushing. How come I could fight against vampires, yet blush so easily? Fate was a cold, cruel harpy.

Mike was laughing to himself, but I turned my back on him. With a satisfied smile, I settled the rig around me, snug on my shoulders how I liked it, and drew my pistol. Since I got the bigger guns, I felt it had been neglected, and that just wasn’t fair. The pistol would always be close to my heart, but sometimes it took a lot more than a 9mm bullet to kill a vampire.

Angela eyed me speculatively. “Bella, is something going on?”

“What do you mean?” Was I that easy to read? Maybe. Playing with my gun wasn’t helping that matter. I holstered the pistol. It needed a good cleaning, but that would have to wait.

“You’re acting weird again. I mean, why not just sleep the whole night? Why not let Sam sleep? You’re hiding something from us, and I’m worried. It isn’t like you to make a brash decision. Whatever you need, I can help.”

Her words made me reconsider. Sam needed the rest. He had a huge load on his shoulders, and I wasn’t entirely sure I wanted him to meet Carlisle. He could make things worse. I was going into it with a level head and itchy trigger finger; Sam could just yell and make a fuss, ending negotiations and leaving us without a lead. Then again, Sam wasn’t the type to yell without a good reason. Having calm, quiet Angela with me might’ve been the better choice. She might’ve kept me composed instead of dealing with the emotions that would volley between me and Sam, but he was our leader, and leaders should always be present for negotiations.

“Thanks, but this is a little too dangerous for you, Angela,” I said.

She frowned, but she was never one to argue. Thank goodness for small miracles. “Okay then. Just be careful.”

“Don’t worry about me; I’ve got it under control.” I hope, I added silently. “I’m going to talk to Sam. Why don’t you get some sleep? I have a feeling it’s going to be a long day.”

In the middle of a crisis, no one passes up the chance to get some rest. Angela stripped out of her holster and took my spot on the couch. I grabbed the FAMAS and Striker from the floor, settling them around me, before I dashed up the stairs. I heard the frustrated sigh before I turned the corner. Embry sat against the wall at the top of the steps with a cell phone pressed to his ear, rubbing his temple with his free hand. It sounded like he was at the end of a stressful conversation.

“And you haven’t talked to the guy in years?” he asked the phone. I tried not to listen, but I had no idea where Sam was camping for the night, and Embry might know. “Big favor, huh? Shit, man, you’re not seriously going to do it, are you? That place gave you nightmares.” He waited for a reply. “Well, if you could. Fine, whatever; it’s your call. Let me know if anything turns up, Pete.” He snapped the phone shut, his breath coming out as a frustrated growl.

I fought against the temptation to ask what his conversation was about. It wasn’t my business. I knew he wouldn’t tell me, but it was a big impulse to beat. “Hey Embry, do you know where Sam is?”

“Same room where the brain trust was earlier,” he replied, his voice dark with his anger. “Careful, though. The other guys are sleeping in there, too. You might step on them.”

I was about to continue down the hall when he grabbed my wrist. “Bella, you didn’t happen to open a can of worms recently, did you?”

“What?” I asked. My heart jumped into my throat. “What makes you say that?”

“My sources are saying there’s a ruckus going on in the underworld. It started after you made a certain phone call.”

“I only called a . . . friend.” I choked on the word, and the look he gave me said he wasn’t convinced. “Tell your sources to run their information again. I haven’t done anything.”

He released my wrist. “I don’t appreciate liars, Bella. Whatever you’re protecting, it’s gonna bite you hard. Just tell me this, is the shit about to hit the fan?”

“Why, so you and your scary ex-military friends can get out of here?” I hissed. I didn’t like how he was cornering me. What did I do? I called for help. That’s it, that’s all I did. That shouldn’t change anything. Why did Embry believe I was mucking things up in the underworld?

“No. I need to know so I can call in more backup,” he replied. “The worse that can happen now is that we’re taken off guard. I want everyone to be well protected.”

Who knew Embry cared? I sighed with my exhaustion as I touched the straps of the rig. It wasn’t as comforting as the cool leather had been, but it helped a little. “Honestly Embry, I don’t know what’s happening. Right now we’re just meeting with someone who can help us get to the Seattle nest. We’ll go from there.”

“Don’t get us killed, girlie.”

I ignored his comment and continued down the hall. Thanks to Embry, I was ten thousand times more nervous than I originally was. Did I do the right thing when I called Carlisle? It still felt like betrayal, but we were literally in the dark. Our intelligence group had nothing to work with, and we had no information to lead us to the nest.

Carlisle was basically our only hope of finding Charlie.

The master bedroom door was shut. Loud, angry snores sounded behind the wood, and I hesitated going inside. Embry said other guys were sleeping inside, as well. I was guessing that was Jared, Paul, and Jacob. I already knew where the Marines were, and assumed Eric was in his room. My dilemma wasn’t who was in the room, but how to enter. You didn’t just walk right in there. With four armed men, most likely sleeping with one eye open, I could get shot.

I opened the door slowly to make sure no one was sleeping near the doorway and peeked inside the room. With the hallway light, I saw Jake passed out on a pile of blankets closest to the hall. He barely stirred when the light touched him. I tiptoed into the room, tried not to step on Jake, and found Sam on the bed.

Even in the dim light he looked dead tired. His face was peaceful and slack in sleep, but I saw the dark bags under his eyes. He didn’t sleep in the truck like some of us, he probably didn’t even sleep the night before while he planned our last minute arrival, and he had more to deal with than the rest of us. I hated to wake him, but he wanted to be there when Carlisle showed up. The only question was: how do you wake someone who slept with a gun under their pillow, and who could use it effectively while half unconscious? And how do you make sure the other guys stay sleeping?

Ah, screw it.

I flipped on the overhead light and called Sam’s name. Jake woke up first, groaning and complaining, before punching Sam in the leg. I noticed Paul’s head peeking over the foot of the bed, glaring at me with all the anger he could muster. Sam rolled on the bed, and it kind of worried me because his hand was under the pillow, but he didn’t pull a gun.

“What is it?” he mumbled, his eyes barely open a crack.

“He’ll be here any minute,” I answered simply. He knew what it meant.

He sat up and rubbed his eyes, giving a small groan. He was as reluctant as anyone to get up after so little sleep. “I’ll be down in a minute. If he gets here before I get downstairs, don’t answer the door. Make him wait outside.”

I nodded and left him to wake up. What we could all use was a hot pot of coffee, but I wasn’t sure where the Yorkie’s stored their beans around here. Besides, it might make too much noise. I wanted as few people awake as possible when Carlisle arrived; the less to know about his visit, the better.

Two minutes until midnight and Sam was wide awake, unlike me. I was rubbing my eyes furiously, hoping I wouldn’t pass out during our impromptu meeting. I was still feeling the aftereffect of the immense adrenaline rush that pushed me through the day and the shock I’d had about Charlie. I didn’t get enough sleep to recover. But whatever Carlisle had to say, it was something important enough, or scared him enough, that he couldn’t talk over the phone. I had to stay awake.

Jacob, Paul, and Jared were awake, too. When they came clomping down the stairs, I told them to go back to bed; they weren’t needed for this meeting. Sam said he wanted backup, just in case. I’d guessed that’s why Embry hadn’t found a place to crash as well. He was alert on the sofa, watching Mike flip channels. Nothing was on this late. I wished he’d gone to sleep like Angela. She was curled in a ball on one end of the sofa, sound asleep already.

None of the other men knew what they were waiting for; at least, I didn’t think Sam would tell them. If Paul was angry the first time I met him, then he was going to be livid about this. Hiding information, meeting face-to-face with the things we vowed to kill—all because we didn’t have proper information. Maybe calling Carlisle had been a hasty decision. Suddenly, I wasn’t so comfortable with my brilliant plan. I wondered if, when he showed up, he would leave if I told him to. Sure, and pigs fly.

I hugged my pistol closer, the butt digging into the side of my breast. It was sturdy and couldn’t second-guess itself. I needed that. Right now, it was the only thing I could count on. It would always fire as long as it had bullets, and I usually had a lot of those. Yeah, pretty darn dependable.

Sam noticed my nerves. He was about to say something, but our time was up. There was a light knock at the front door. Paul stiffened at Sam’s side, and Jake cursed under his breath. Sam put a hand on Paul’s chest, and that small touch seemed to calm him. He motioned to Embry, who got up and answered the second, more hurried knock. His FN P90 pistol was out by his thigh, hidden behind the door.

The strain in the house was tangible, but Embry showed none of it on his face. He grinned at our guest. He was so calm, so normal, that it kind of scared me. Wasn’t he against vampires, too? How come he wasn’t glaring and growling, like Paul? Actually, I wasn’t aware a human could make the kind of noises Paul was making; he sounded more like an enraged beast. His body was shaking so fast it was a fine vibration that coursed through his body, and scared me. I thought he was having a seizure, but the concentration and anger on his face was unmistakable.

“Well, I didn’t know Jehovah’s Witnesses had a night shift,” Embry said pleasantly. “I’m not sure I can let you into the house.”

“We don’t need to be invited in, if that’s what you’re getting at,” a deep voice replied good-naturedly.

That didn’t sound like Carlisle. I squeezed past Jared’s broad back to get closer to the door, but I didn’t get very far. One second the house was quiet, only the low hum of the TV invading that space, but with the next second the tension exploded. There was an ugly ripping sound, someone pushed me towards the steps, out of the way of the problem, and I had just a second to turn and see a blur of gray run out the door. I caught myself on the banister and hit the safety on my gun before hurrying after Sam. Mike and a frazzled Angela followed me.

Standing off to the side of the porch was Carlisle’s entire coven, except one was missing. They stared, captivated, by whatever was happening in the street. I turned slowly towards the loud growling to find a fight.

The missing Cullen, the big burly one I saw once, was wrestling with . . . a giant wolf. I saw the gleam of its silver pelt from the streetlight, the ferocious growls and snarls tearing from its throat loud enough to shake the house windows. Where did it come from? It wasn’t in the house, was it? Had it been lurking in the streets? I never saw such a huge wolf before. What the hell was it?

The vampire caught the drooling jaws of the wolf in his hands. He laughed like it was all fun and games, like that thing wasn’t about to rip his face off! The wolf snarled and swiped a massive paw at him; he vanished, but quickly reappeared behind the wolf.

I raised my gun, but I wasn’t sure my pistol could do any damage against that beast. Jake caught my arm, lowering my gun. I looked up into his face, but he wasn’t even surprised. His eyes were cold as he tried to keep them on the vampires huddled on the porch, yet his attention continually drifted toward the fight. What was he thinking? We had to shoot that thing! If the vampire didn’t kill it, we would all be done for. That thing looked way more than vicious.

In my peripheral vision I caught Jared handing his weapons off to Embry before jumping onto the lawn. I screamed for him to come back, but as he ran across the lawn, he completely transformed. With a small explosion, Jared’s big body was replaced by a dark brown wolf as bulky as the gray one.

The brown one—was it really Jared?—tackled the gray wolf just before it could grab the vampire. The gray wolf whined, quickly getting to its feet, and started growling at the new wolf. In the blink of an eye, it lashed out with a massive paw. Jared didn’t flinch; he dodged the attack and grabbed the gray wolf by the back of the neck with his jaws, holding it down while it thrashed and whined and yipped.

My hands were shaking around my gun. It took me three tries to flick the safety on. It’d suck if I shot someone by accident because of my weak nerves. The vampire left the cooling fight, joining us near the house. He didn’t have a scratch on him, his speed giving him the upper hand, and he smiled at his coven. I tried to ignore the wolves in the street, but with their barking and growling, it was hard to do. Worrying about it would just send me into shock. I couldn’t let that happen. Since I wasn’t allowed to shoot it, I concentrated on simple matters. Like the vampire. What was his name? I heard it once from Alice, but I couldn’t remember.

“He didn’t have to help,” the vamp said, rotating his shoulder. Was he hurt? No, that’d be impossible. “I almost had him.”

“Paul needs to be put in his place now and then,” Sam replied frigidly.

“P-Paul?” I sputtered. “You mean those things are actually Jared and Paul?”

He glanced down at me, then over my head. I assumed he was looking at Jacob. “It’s a long story.”

That was a yes. Oh my god. I had to sit down.

He turned his attention to Mike and Angela who were standing in the doorway looking as pale as I felt. “Go find something to do in the basement. Don’t disturb the Marines.”

Sam was in his lieutenant mode, the one that no one argued with. Mike and Angela disappeared into the house. I had a feeling they would’ve argued, knowing there were vampires outside, but I think they wanted to be as far away from the giant wolves as possible. How they even transformed like that, I’d never know. I wasn’t sure I wanted to. Maybe it was an illusion.

My nerves were on a rampage, but I wasn’t going to show that to the vampires. There had been way too many close calls with tears recently, and I was definitely feeling stressed, but that didn’t mean I had to broadcast it for the vamps. I had to suck it up, get a hold of myself. I swallowed the scream building my throat, but I couldn’t fight the physical reaction. My knees were feeling a bit weak; seeing Jared explode like that was more terrifying than facing a really old vampire. Would he be okay? What about Paul, if that was really him? Jake must’ve noticed something was wrong, or I looked too pale, because he offered to help me walk or sit down. I shook him off. Sam wanted him inside, not coddling me. He did what Sam ordered.

Sam was completely unaffected by the fight. He wasted no time inviting the vampires in, turning his back to lead them into the living room, while Embry brought up the rear. It was a big show of faith from Sam. I would’ve walked backwards to keep an eye on the vamps.

If Sam wasn’t concerned, then I wouldn’t be either; we had more pressing matters than men turning into giant wolves, at least, for now. When it didn’t make me look stupid in front of the vamps, I’d ask Sam what happened. Right now, the Cullens didn’t need to know we had a huge hiccup in our communication.

I entered the spacious living room last to find the vampires seated on or around the couch. Carlisle, his wife, and Jasper—I remembered him because of our first encounter—had the couch. The auburn-haired vamp sat on the arm, while Alice was folded up gracefully on the floor with the big guy beside her, and the blond girl in his lap.

A single chair from the kitchen was set in front of them. I got the chair, not Sam, because I called the meeting, and he already decided to be muscle. I think he didn’t want to talk to the vamps, and I couldn’t blame him for that. Seeing Carlisle and his coven made this all look like a bad idea. But it was too late to do anything about it; judging by the polite smile on Carlisle’s face, he wasn’t going anywhere. On the other hand, I didn’t like how Blondie was glaring at us. I wondered if it would hold up in the face of a gun.

I took a deep breath and sat in the chair, situating the guns around me. The Striker was loose at my side, but I kept the pistol in view on my lap as a threat. Although, I was pretty sure the guys at my back were threatening enough. They each held onto their guns, glaring. None of us were happy about this meeting.

Well, let’s get this show on the road.

“Good to see you again, Carlisle,” I said politely—begrudgingly, but polite. I would try to be civil first, but if that didn’t get me answers, then, and only then, would I get ugly.

My approach seemed to surprise him. A little of the tension went out of his body, and his smile became more natural. “Yes, good to see you as well, although I must say I’m surprised. I think our current situation is close, but I believe you said the next time we met, I would be staring into your new weapons.” He chuckled, and it took me a minute to realize it was a joke.

Jacob didn’t get the joke. He stepped forward, sighting down that beautiful AA-12 shotgun. The fledglings held their breath and Jasper looked ready to jump up and fight.

“We can change that,” Jake said. He didn’t sound like himself. There was a roll of a growl under his words.

Things were starting to get ugly when they weren’t supposed to. I wanted to get up and push his arm down, but I knew it wouldn’t do any good. He would probably shoot us all by accident if I did that. So I stayed seated, trying to muster up all the calm in my body. It wasn’t much.

“Jake, that’s really unnecessary,” I said. “They haven’t done anything yet. Don’t point a gun unless you’re going to pull the trigger.”

“I plan to,” he replied in that growling voice. “These leeches shouldn’t be here. It isn’t their problem.”

“It became their problem when I called them and Carlisle had an answer. Now knock it off.”

“Jacob.” It was one word, just his name, but when Sam said it, it sounded like a threat. It worked. Jake lowered the gun against his will and stepped back. He swallowed his anger because Sam told him to—very interesting.

A cold wind rushed across my skin, and suddenly I wasn’t angry at Jake, or worried about Jared. In fact, I felt strangely indifferent about them and our guests. I glanced behind me to see Sam holding his gun with a more relaxed grip, and Jake didn’t even hold a shadow of his previous rage.

I shook my head, hoping I could dislodge whatever blocked me from my previous emotions. Something was wrong. Fuck, it was one of them. “What did you do?” I asked, turning back to Carlisle. His eyes were wide and not all that innocent.

“I have no idea what you mean, Bella. I didn’t do anything,” he answered, smoothing his pant leg. For being a vampire, he sucked at lying.

“One of you did something that made us, I don’t know, calm down or something. I don’t appreciate it.”

“It was me,” Jasper said hesitantly, “and I’m sorry. We just want this meeting to go smoothly.”

“Why does it matter for you?” I asked. My fingers were running steadily over my pistol, each pass taking me closer to the trigger. Maybe I should shoot one, just to get rid of the impulse. Vampires were for shooting, not conversing.

Carlisle touched Jasper’s shoulder; he wanted to do all the talking, to keep all the secrets to himself. Lovely.

“We’re as anxious as you are, Bella,” Carlisle said. “This isn’t a topic our kind likes to discuss, you realize. You may think of us as strong, unmovable creatures, but everyone has fears. Ours is the very darkness you want to find. With any luck we can avoid drawing their attention tonight, but I feel like uttering their name even once will get back to their ears.” He stood slowly and turned on the floor lamp beside the sofa. “I’ve been thinking about that mark you carry since you left, and after a little research, I think I found my answer. First, may I see your mark once more? I believe it will confirm my fears.”

Sam held me in my seat before I could move. I looked up to see a calm mask, but there was a wrinkle between his eyebrows that said he wasn’t happy. “You’re not going to mind-fuck her, are you?”

“I give you my word I won’t touch her,” he replied. To prove it, he held up his hands.

Sam’s hand withdrew. He still wasn’t happy, but he liked what Carlisle did. I didn’t know why Sam was treating him like a human. Carlisle could snap my neck in the blink of an eye; no one would notice it until I was dead on the floor.

I stood, holstering my pistol, leaving the safety off, and went to the vamp. I heard someone suck in a breath behind me, but apparently he had nothing to say, or Sam gave a crippling glare. Yeah, I already knew it was Jake.

Carlisle kept his hands up by his head as we met between the two sides. His easy smile was still on his face, his whole stance saying he was no threat to us, but I wasn’t sure that was true. I didn’t trust Carlisle . . . but I didn’t not trust him. He saved my life; I didn’t think he was going to waste all that hard work now.

Standing so close to him, I had to look at him, and I saw things I never noticed before. His hair was more of a sandy blond than platinum, and he was exactly a head taller than me; my eyes just barely cleared his chest. He still smelled like the dead, that sweet scent of a preserved corpse, but I never noticed how human he looked. Even the lines that showed on his face as he smiled confused me. Was he really a vampire? Well, duh, but he didn’t look like a monster. I could almost see why men and women would give themselves up to a vampire. Almost.

Turning my back to him, I moved my hair aside and pulled the shirt so he could see that ugly “V” in its elegant script. I watched Sam and Jake for any indication that something fishy was happening behind me. There was nothing. They just looked tense and very, very unhappy.

“Turn towards the light, please,” Carlisle murmured. I did as he asked and shivered as his cold breath ran down my spine. “Ah, there it is. You may not know this, but you have more than one mark on you. It belongs to those who hold a special place in their vaults.”

“What are you talking about?” Sam asked.

I felt Carlisle move, the guys raised their guns, but he only traced the air above my skin. “Originally, it may have been placed because she is Charlie Swan’s daughter, but there is definitely more to it now. It is not your average mark. It’s a crest put on the body during the tattoo process, positioned in the middle of the ‘V’. It’s applied with vampire venom, giving it a ghostly glow against the skin. It appears as a silver scar, yet is hardly noticeable unless in the right light.”

I wheeled around, my eyes bugging out of my head. “What!” I shrieked. “Are you saying I have venom inside me?”

“Not exactly. It’s a superficial imprint, meaning no venom would enter the blood stream, but remain in that small area of raised skin so the body cannot heal it. Unlike the other one, this mark is permanent.”

My head was spinning. I collapsed into my chair. Permanent? Venom? Wouldn’t that make me a vampire? No, it couldn’t be true. If I was a vampire, I’d have no trouble killing others, and it seemed I could barely hold my own in a fight anymore. Maybe I was getting weaker? Well, it wouldn’t kill me to work out a little. No, that’s not right.

“Stop it!” I nearly pointed my gun at Jasper, but I settled for fisting my shirt in my hands. “I’m allowed to be scared, so stop stealing my emotions, damn it!”

“Would there be others with this mark?” Sam asked. His mind was always on business. I couldn’t argue; I really wanted the vamps gone now, too.

Carlisle returned to his seat and took his wife’s hand in a comforting gesture. “I’m not sure, but it’s possible. Seeing how some of you are humans of extraordinary talent, you may also have the mark. Anyone who piques their interest, and that’s usually only strong or important political figures, has the possibility of bearing the mark.”

“How about you start explaining who they are,” Sam barked.

“Yes, of course.” Carlisle sighed heavily. “It’s just a matter of how much you need to know and how much I can tell you. Where to begin, is the question. You do not need my life story, so I suppose I will tell you the facts.

“These vampires controlling your area are often referred to as our police. I told Bella they created the vampiric race, and I wasn’t lying. They are the oldest of our kind, the very fathers of our existence; though if you ask them personally which started it, I’m not sure you would get an honest answer.

“They call themselves the Volturi. Only three are in charge, yet their guards all act as their coven. I can’t tell you exactly how old the father’s are, but as far as I’m aware, they have existed since the beginning of time. Perhaps they were never human, but angels, and were part of the fall from Grace.

“When I met them in Italy many, many years ago, I was already in control of my . . . carnal urges. I have never attacked a human, but the Volturi are not so civil. They didn’t kill humans for sustenance, they did it for sport. They brought in humans to chase and kill for fun. I hoped to change that. They were the first vampires I had found that were organized, and I enjoyed their company compared to the revenants in England.”

“I bet you didn’t stay with them for very long,” I snapped. I was definitely feeling more myself now.

“I stayed for fifty-two years. I only put up with it for so long because I was sure I could influence them, and for a while, I did. The friendship I found in Aro was what I had needed at the time, and he was willing to be open-minded despite laughing at me when I first arrived.”

“Who is Aro?” I hated to ask. The name sounded seriously old and powerful, and just saying it sent a chill down my spine.

“Aro is one of the three fathers. He acts as the head of the Volturi. He is usually the voice of reason amongst them, but don’t be fooled; he’s anything but sane. He is perhaps the strongest of them with his odd power, yet I feel it wears on his mentality.”

“What kind of power?” Embry asked, almost excitedly.

Carlisle opened his mouth to answer, but closed it and shook his head. “Let us come back to that in a bit. I’d rather make my point then answer questions.”

“How about you skip all the pretty words and tell us what I asked you here for,” I suggested.

He grinned. “Very well, I will try to be blunt and skip the ‘pretty words.’” The smile slipped away. “These men are terribly powerful. I’m not sure if they completely understand just how much they hold, and it’s because of this I say there is no way you can get your battalion into their domain. They could kill you all with a flick of their wrist.”

“You don’t know what we can do.”

“True enough, but I know what you want to do, and I know what the Volturi have to counter your modern weapons. It’s public knowledge in our world who you are, Bella. Not just because of your work with this resistance group, but because Aro has singled you out.”

I felt the confusion on my face as I asked, “What?”

“The Volturi are always looking to expand their powerbase. Aro has sent some of his most skilled killers after you, and they never returned. What does that tell him? You are a very powerful force to be reckoned with, and he wants that strength.”

“That’s impossible,” I said with a weak voice. “The vamps that I fought were amateurs.”

Jake cleared his throat, and I jumped. “What you fought might’ve been babies,” he said darkly, “but the leeches we found in the forest when we swept the town were a hundred times worse. They knew what they were doing.”

I almost asked him when he went hunting vampires, but that would make me look stupid in front of the Cullens. I thought I had a man’s reasoning inside me, but maybe I was too female for my own good. It was bad enough that I couldn’t hold onto my emotions, I didn’t need to be an emotional and stupid woman to them. “Then . . . I didn’t kill them. Why is he after me? It’s you he should be looking for!”

An ugly, evil grin spread his lips. “He doesn’t know that. We made sure none of them made it back.”

“But Bella,” Carlisle interrupted, “don’t you see how this works in your favor? You’ll be untouched in their underground. No one will try you; they think you’re an unparalleled vampire hunter.”

I shook my head in disbelief. All of this just seemed too unreal. An ancient vampire wanted me to join his guards, or something like that? Why? All because he believed I killed a few of his men? There was no way someone would buy into that—I sure wasn’t. “Wait, wait, wait.” I waved my hands in front of my face, his words just catching up in my thought process. “You said that—in their underground—like we’re not going in guns-a-blazin’. What was that about?”

He almost looked embarrassed. “I came up with a plan on short notice, and we will get to that, but wouldn’t you rather know about your father first?”

My heart leapt into my throat. “Charlie? What about him? Is he okay? Do you know?”

“Well, no, I’m not sure of his physical safety, but I know why he was taken. Apparently, it was an attempt to bait you. Aro figures if he can draw you into the dark, he can claim you. It’s true. However, with your consent, I have a plan to stop my old friend. Have you come up with anything yet?”

That question wasn’t for me. “Our intel is slow going,” Sam answered. “But with what you’ve told us, and if you’re willing to answer some questions, I’m sure we can have a solid plan in a few hours. I’m willing to hear you out, though.”

The surprise on Carlisle’s face was instant and real. I guess he thought we would run the show with no input from the peanut gallery. We needed his information; that’s why I called him. “It was the best I could come up with on such short notice. You might not like it, but we can alter details if you want. As you know, I have an intimate knowledge of how Aro works and my . . . specialist knows how the coven is run. The quickest, though perhaps not the safest way, to free Charlie and destroy the Volturi is to get Bella inside. Yet it won’t work unless she puts on an act.”

“Wait. Just Bella, and what kind of act?” Jake asked gruffly.

“Yes. I suggest only Bella because sending anyone else would be too unconventional. There might be a stronger person, but there is no stronger player than her. Aro wants her, no one else, yet his greed makes him blind and weak. Knowing she is so close, but can’t have her, will drive him mad. It may jeopardize my coven in the process. When Aro learns one of mine ‘captured’ his prized jewel, he will think we are stronger than him. But I have a feeling Bella will not make it easy for any of us with her stubbornness.”

“What are you getting at?” Sam asked, and his voice was definitely less friendly.

“Bella can play the role of a Renfield. It will get her inside and—”

“What does a Renfield even do for the vampire?” Sam interrupted. I was about to ask the same thing. I knew a little bit about their job, but I wanted to know what I was getting into.

“They are basically a human shield,” Carlisle said uncomfortably. “A Renfield protects their master, and is always available for a donation at any time. They are very different from a”—he tried to find a better word, but we all knew what he meant to say—“scarlet woman. Renfield’s work for their master, they protect their master. They often run errands in the daylight. Of course, Bella won’t have to do any of that except when she’s around the Volturi, which shouldn’t be often, if our plan goes correctly. My son will do all the work.”

“Which son?” I asked, because I was getting tired of them talking over my head. I didn’t care if they were each group’s leader, I wasn’t a bargaining chip.

Carlisle made a motion, and Jasper slowly stood up. He looked uncomfortable surrounded by guns, but they weren’t pointed at him yet; after we had started on the wrong foot, things seemed to be going smoothly now. Stiffly, he rolled up the sleeve of his right arm, and turned his wrist over so we all could see the dark outline on the thin skin. It looked like a crest, but I couldn’t be sure from where I sat. How was it even on his skin? A vampire couldn’t get a tattoo, could it? The skin would heal over it.

“I used to be a part of their elite guard,” he explained. “I wasn’t happy with where my life was going, so I left them . . . abruptly, I should say. But with any luck, I can get my spot back, making it easier to move around the facility. It’s true that it would kill Aro for her to be within reach, but there are certain rules that even he follows, and if you, Bella, are okay with it, we can appear as master and Renfield.”

Silence stretched on as I contemplated what he said. My body was cold, and I think I was going into shock. I heard what he said, I just couldn’t believe it. Walk into a huge coven of murderous vampires with only Jasper to protect me? I didn’t bother counting myself. I couldn’t fend off a coven, especially with them being so old. They could kill me with a look.

I stared at Jasper, and he stared back. Be his Renfield? What would I do? Look pretty and smile for the Volturi? I knew it meant one thing particularly, and I definitely didn’t like that. He would have to bite me. No. No, no, no. Absolutely not.

“I can’t,” I croaked. “I can’t do it.”

“There’s no other way,” Carlisle said sadly. “Your entire force cannot get inside, but you and Jasper could easily do their job. You could be the hero here.”

“It’s not about being a hero, it’s about staying alive. And there’s no way I trust my safety with a vampire.”

“I’m with Bella on this,” Sam said. “Hell will freeze over before she goes into that pit alone.”

“I agree,” the blond female sneered. We all looked at her with our confusion. She stood and held her pretty head high, glaring at me. “I don’t want my brother sacrificing himself just to save one person. He shouldn’t have to go back to that awful place for you.”

Because Carlisle was here, and I trusted him to keep his fledglings in check, I glared right back at her. I wasn’t afraid of her, but she seemed easy to anger. We didn’t need an angry vampire on our hands.

“Rosalie, we talked about this on the way over.” Carlisle sighed.

“I don’t care! I’m not happy about this, and you always encourage us to speak our minds. I’m not going to sit quietly while you order Jasper to go back to that nightmare. Why should we endanger ourselves for some humans? They can obviously take care of themselves. They’re armed to the teeth. I think the girl should go alone—by herself, without one of us.”

“Rosie-bear,” Emmett said anxiously.

“No, Emmett, no pet names. I’m not going to calm down. This is ridiculous! I agree with the Volturi. Humans should be killed, they don’t mean anything. We shouldn’t have to die for them.”

“I don’t need a vampire to protect me,” I argued.

“Oh really? Then go. Go right into their nest and kill all them. I’ll wait right here. I’m sure you’ll make it back just fine on your own.” She placed a hand on her jutted hip. The picture of condescension.

“Or we could send her with Edward,” Emmett said with a grin.

Edward stiffened on the couch arm. Apparently we weren’t the only ones with problems in our camp; the vamps were even feuding.

Rosalie scoffed. “He would kill her before they got there.”

“Rose,” Carlisle hissed, and it was the first time he sounded dangerous. She didn’t look sorry at all.

“You see the way he looks at her. He tried to kill her before he brought her to the house, and he stalked her even when she was under your protection. He watched her while she slept, Carlisle. Just let Edward kill her so we can be done with this.”

“Go wait outside, Rosalie,” Carlisle said with a dark voice. With his anger, he was slowly starting to look like the monster he really was.

She immediately backed down. That condescending smirk disappeared to fear and worry. Her master gave her an order; all her free will just flew out the window. There was no room for argument. With a quiet sob, she left the house. There was a pregnant pause, and then Emmett jumped up to go after her. I didn’t realize I was holding my breath until it came out as a hard gasp.

Carlisle sighed and took his seat again. He was back to being a man, not a master. I knew about the authority a master held over his fledglings—blood ties were a bitch—but I never saw it in action. To know someone could mutter just a few words to control you was scary.

But what was scarier was finding out I hadn’t been wrong. I was watched while in Portland. I glanced at Edward to find him just as uncomfortable as I felt. Did he really watch me while I slept? And what did Rosalie mean when she said he almost killed me? I knew I was a bloody mess when I arrived at the Cullen house, but Edward didn’t seem that young. I’d guess he was at least fifty. Couldn’t he control himself? Did Carlisle’s way of life make them more susceptible to human blood?

I pushed the fear aside. I’d deal with it later. Right now I fought not to hyperventilate, but that didn’t stop me from pulling my Striker closer. These vamps were getting under my skin, and I didn’t like it.

“I apologize for Rosalie’s rude behavior,” Carlisle said tiredly. They didn’t get tired, so I knew it was an act. “She’s just worried for our family, as we all are.”

“Did you force Jasper to put himself on the chopping block?” I asked with a shaking voice. Fuck, pull it together, Bella. I cleared my throat and tried again. “That was some serious power you had. You can make your fledglings do anything, huh?”

He looked shocked. “Of course not. I told Jasper what I had been thinking, and he offered to do it. His connections to the Volturi are strong.”

“But I want to put an end to it,” Jasper added. “It’s wrong how they treat humans. They need to be stopped.”

“Do you have a master there? Is that why you want to go back, to kill him?” That was fine with me. He could kill his target while I burned the rest.

“Kill my mistress, yes. I know what she’s planning, and I want to stop it before it’s too late.”

“So . . . if I agree to this, that means we would go in there, kill anything that moves—together, no Lone Ranger crap—and free my dad and any salvageable humans. Do I have that right?”

“Yes, but there’s a catch.”

“With vampires, there’s always a catch.”

He chuckled. “And you’re not going to be happy about it. If I am to regain my spot among the guard, I can’t go in with golden eyes; Aro knows all about gold eyes. And if you are going to play my Renfield, that means we need a connection. For both our sanities, I won’t make you my real Renfield, but I still need to”—he made a waffling motion with his hand, searching for a word, I think—“smell like you. Renfield’s are a walking blood bank for their master, as you well know.”

“No way,” Jake growled. He stepped in front of me, glaring down that huge body to meet my eyes. “You can’t let a vampire bite you. That goes against everything you’ve fought for.”

I sighed. “Mind your own business, Jake. We’ve been through this.”

“He can mess with your mind, Bella.”

Edward snorted, and Jake turned that glare on him. “You got something to say?”

He shrugged. “Slip of the tongue,” was his stand-offish answer. I caught the mysterious smile that passed between him and Alice that disappeared in a blink. Jake didn’t notice; he turned back to Sam.

“You can’t let her do this,” he whined. Because that’s what it was now; not anger, not fear, just whining. He didn’t want me to do this, and really, neither did I.

“She can do whatever she wants,” Sam replied. “I’m not happy about it, but if she feels it will save Charlie sooner, then she should do it. She won’t be alone, Jake. And we’ll scout the area, set up forces where we can before she goes down.” He looked down and I met his eyes. “Are you going to do this, Bella?”

I tightened my grip on the Striker. Could I really do it? Throw everything I’ve ever learned to the wind and let some vampire I didn’t know bite and protect me? No, I couldn’t. But I could act like a girl and suck up my pride. I wasn’t doing this for me. I was doing it for all the humans the Volturi captured and killed. I was doing it for Harry, and Seth and Tyler, and for Charlie. If I thought I’d do stupid stuff for Charlie, this was suicidal.

With a heavy sigh, I nodded. “When do we start?”