Chapter Six, Meeting with the Cullens
The day Billy and Carlisle had decided upon had arrived. The pair had decided to hold the meeting on a Saturday in the afternoon at two o'clock pm, that way no one would be missing any work or school. As it was nearing two o'clock in the afternoon, Carlisle put aside the book he was reading and stood to his feet gathering everyone's attention.
"It's nearly time, we best head out. We wouldn't want to be late." Carlisle said diplomatically.
"Finally." Jasper sighed, racing off into the Forest heading towards the treaty line.
"Someone's eager." Emmett laughed teasingly, as the family followed behind Jasper to the treaty line. As the Cullens were running towards the treaty line they were shocked at how fast Jasper actually was, it was sort of eye opening to what he's experienced as they had all thought Edward was the fastest (something that caused a sour look to appear upon the auburn haired's face) but it seems like they were wrong.
Finally, the rest of the Cullens arrived noticing that all of the tribe elders were in the clearing with the four wolves around them, and with Jasper standing a good few feet away in respect. They couldn't help but notice, however, that one of the wolves was significantly smaller than the other three.
"Is that... Margot?" Emmett asked incredulously, staring at the pure white wolf apart from the silver stripe down her spine who was much smaller than the other three as it was more prominent as she stood between a dark silver wolf and a brown wolf.
"Emmett!" Rosalie hissed at her husband and mate, incredulously, as the wolves and Jasper growled at him.
"Sorry. Sorry." Emmett apologised quickly, hands raised.
"Carlisle. Thank you for agreeing to this meeting. I'll introduce you to the other Elder members: this is Old Quil and Joy Ateara, Tiffany and Peter Call, Harry and Sue Clearwater and Jamie and Cora Lahote." Billy introduced, pointing to each member from his seated position in his wheelchair. "There is much for us to discuss, and I for one, hope to come to an amicable agreement and put the differences aside for the betterment of two members of our families." Billy said diplomatically, as always he was the spokesperson as he was the leader of the tribe, despite not being the eldest. However, he did take the opinions and thoughts of the other elders of the tribe into account, hence why Old Quil and Joy Ateara, Tiffany and Peter Call, Harry and Sue Clearwater and Jamie and Cora Lahote were with him.
"Of course. I couldn't agree more." Carlisle agreed happily.
"As one of your members pointed out, my daughter is indeed smaller than the others and it has nothing to do with Mar being the first ever female shifter. But everything to do with her always being tiny. Whereas, the others grew several inches or even a foot, Margot only grew two inches. But that does not impact on her place in the pack but rather, enhances it as she's twice as fast as the others, and the pack could already keep up with a vampire running at full speed. Add Margot's double speed on top of that." Jamie bragged proudly.
"Jamie." The woman beside him, Cora, sighed, shaking her head while pinching her nose, very similar to how Rosalie acts with Emmett which shocked the blonde. She knew there was a reason she liked Margot so much, and as this was her mother, she understood where she got her balls from so to speak.
"What?" The man asked, shocked. "I can be proud of my Cub, Cora." He argued teasingly, lovingly kissing her temple before going stoic as he faced the Cullens once more.
"So, she's a danger to us!" Edward snapped, a growl in his throat.
"EDWARD!" Claire said aghast, slapping the back of his head, hard.
"No more than the rest of the pack." Tiffany added stiffly, but a smirk played on her lips. Billy held up his hand to stop anything else.
"This is besides the point." Billy interrupted. "The pack will not attack unless you give them a reason to, as you very well know." Billy said sharply, glaring at Edward. "Although, I would worry more about the danger closer to home." He added, with a nod towards Jasper, who was glaring darkly at Edward as though he wished he would combust into flames at any second.
"I have warned you once Edward! You try and stop me from being with my mate and I will end you!" Jasper growled, his eyes switching between gold and black as if he couldn't decide whether to let Major out and show this boy a lesson or keep his cool, for now.
"Now, this is the topic of the meeting today." Jamie added, causing nerves to flicker clearly across Jasper's marble-like features. "Do not worry. We have agreed we will not keep you from my daughter, as long as you treat her and her son Jayden with the love, care and respect they deserve." Jamie said firmly, seriously, a look on his face that said he'd end them without a second thought if Margot comes home with so much as tear tracks on her cheeks. Jasper nodded receiving the message loud and clear.
"I promise. I already care and respect her and it kills me not being able to be with her now; having to wait until I graduate, again, at Christmas. I've even brought a clearing in between our two lands and designed a house so she can be close to her pack as I can't come on to the Reservation. Despite not meeting Jayden yet, I know I will love him as my son." Jasper explained, shocking all in attendance as they hadn't known of Jasper's commitment to Margot and Jayden. Paul growled, stepping forward in front of Margot; he didn't like the thought of anyone taking his twin from him, but he'd never keep her from being with her Imprint. He'd never hurt his sister, his other half like that.
"Paul doesn't like that idea. He doesn't want you taking her from him." Edward said boredom was clear in his tone and a smirk was on his lips.
"I highly doubt that is true." Carlisle spoke up, a deep frown of disappointment clear on his face as the wolves snapped threateningly at them and the elders looked about done with this meeting and looked ready to leave. He didn't understand why Edward was trying to ruin things for Jasper, but he wouldn't allow it and he knew he should've listened to his sister's concerns about Edward's behaviour years ago, or perhaps he should've listened and never turned Edward in the first place as per Claire's concerns. Whatever she had seen in human Edward's past had greatly disturbed her.
'Could it have pertained to his character and actions, and not what he'd endured as I had first thought.' Carlisle mused thoughtfully, skilfully blocking his thoughts from Edward.
"With a younger twin sister myself, I understand the bond between Paul and Margot better than anyone other than them and my sister Claire. The fear that your twin will leave you and you won't get to see them as much when you've been together all your lives is incredibly strong and all consuming." Carlisle added. "But in contrast to that: is never wanting to upset and hurt your other half even if it means you won't see them as much." Paul, in wolf form, nodded his head reluctantly, whining happily and wagging his tail as Margot rubbed her head against his shoulder as she spoke to him in her mind.
'I'd never leave you behind Paulie. I wouldn't be able to function without you. Maybe you could move in with me? If I did indeed move into this house Jasper's building. You've been by my side through everything and there's no one that could ever replace you. I love you Paulie.' Margot told him firmly.
'Thank you Marlie. I love you too. I wouldn't know what to do without you either and I'd never leave you.' Paul said happily, rubbing his larger head gently against his baby sister's.
"That is incredibly thoughtful of you Jasper and is something you'll need to discuss with Margot eventually but in the meantime we have all agreed that as long as you are with Margot you and only you are allowed on our land. Do not betray the trust we have installed within you. You will seriously regret it if you do." Peter said seriously, just as Margot whined at them all, looking behind them as she became antsy.
"We're nearly finished, sweetheart, then you can go back to Jayden. Leah, Seth and Cara will be taking good care of him." Sue said soothingly, scratching Margot's ear to calm her.
"Thank you. Thank you. You won't regret this, I promise you." Jasper said almost giddily with happiness, his accent becoming thicker with his euphoria.
"See that we don't." Harry and Quil said firmly.
"The other thing we wanted to inform you of Carlisle is that more of our tribe could shift including Leah and Cara, as it's proven that women can also shift." Billy explained.
"What's the cause?" Carlisle wondered, hoping he wasn't pushing their already severely pressed luck.
"You." Joy stated, shocking the entire Cullen clan. "Our grandparents, the ones you made a treaty with, were the last ones to shift. We have the magic in our blood but it was never triggered, unfortunately our children are now suffering through the change. When you move in, the fever sets in and they shift. It's incredibly painful the first time." Joy explained.
"And with there being so many of us, more will shift until the playing field is leveled." Claire realised.
"Yes." Peter spoke up. "We've warned all of our children what could happen to them. I have a feeling my daughter will be the next one to shift. However, if any nomad vampires pass through here with all of you here it will, of course, cause more of them to shift all at once."
"I never realised we were the cause of such a change." Carlisle said sadly, not liking the fact they'd caused several young lives to drastically change.
"What's done is done. It led my daughter to her Imprint so that's a plus. Without our Imprints or if they leave it causes unbearable pain within their chests and causes them to slowly wither away." Jamie said with a frown, fear clear on his face as he never wanted to see his daughter go through anymore pain. Or his son.
"I'm not leaving. Not ever. It causes us pain, as well if our soulmate leaves. The pain is unbearable and often we go to the Volturi to end our existence." Jasper explained quickly.
"That's good to hear." Jamie and Cora sighed with relief, clear in their tone.
"Thank you for informing us." Carlisle and Claire said graciously.
"Jasper, are you coming over?" Cora asked.
"I would love to Ma'am, but I'm going to hunt some bears and mountain lions with Emmett once we've finished here." Jasper said regretfully.
"Perhaps call Billy if you come back early enough then you can come over." Cora suggested, as Margot couldn't help but let some eager whines slip through her lips.
"I will." Jasper promised, a smile on his lips and his eyes fixed on Margot.
Despite being the first to arrive out of the Cullens, Jasper was the last to leave as he watched Margot leave, until he could no longer see her, Emmett waiting impatiently for him in the tree line.
"Come on Jazz!" Emmett complained. "Let's gooooo!" He whined, bouncing from foot to foot like a large child.
"I'm coming you man-child." Jasper sighed sufferingly.
"Hey! I resent - actually, no I like that. Least I'm not an old man." Emmett teased, taking off into the Forest with Jasper right behind him. The pair of them play fighting until they get to their hunting grounds, effectively taking their minds off Edward and his attitude lately. They couldn't believe he nearly ruined everything. Something was seriously wrong with him.