I lean against Jasper as we watch the stars on his back porch. We sit in a comfortable silence. Every silence with Jasper is comfortable. I just love being in his arms. He may be cold but I never seem to want to pull away. The differences between our body temps is like a perfect example of the age old Yin and Yang. I jump when Jasper's phone rings. He sighs.
"Never a dull moment." He whispers, grabbing his phone. "Hello? What?! I'll be there."
He quickly hangs up.
"What's wrong?" I raise an eyebrow.
"Someone's been in your home." He stands before helping me up.
"My house?" My heart starts pounding.
"Yeah. I gotta go track the scent down." He kisses my cheek.
"Be safe." I say, quickly.
"Always, darlin'." He smiles before running away.
I walk inside and Rosalie runs over to me.
"Did Jasper tell you?" She asks, gently taking my hand.
"Yeah. It had to have happened while I was here. I could have noticed since I'm used to you guys being so quiet." I say.
"Come on." She gently pulls me to the couch.
I sit down next to Emmett who wraps an arm around me.
"Don't worry, Sunshine. I'll protect you." He smiles.
"I know you will, Em." I giggle slightly.
I look up at Edward as he and Bella enter the house. She sits down in a chair next to the couch as Edward starts pacing around. Alice pulls Bella into her arms and holds her. Kevin is hunting by himself since Bella was around. He didn't want to cause anything to happen like before. Rosalie, Carlisle and Esme are talking with Edward.
"Who was it? Someone we know?" Alice asks.
"Just a stranger. I didn't recognize his scent." Edward shakes his head.
"A nomad passing through?" Esme asks, looking toward Rosalie.
"A passer-by wouldn't have left Ally's father alive."
"...could...could it have been another vampire? From the Volturi? Coming to keep an eye on Bella and me? See if y'all have followed through and turned us?" I ask, speaking up a little louder than the soft tone I want to use. "They would've left Dad alive, right? Since they'd know who he is, and that he doesn't really know about vampires?"
I glance around, leaning into Emmett's embrace, wishing it was Jasper's arms 'round me. But, Emmett works for now, since he's one of my best friends. No one says a word in response to my question, but they all share a look. The door bursts open and Jasper walks in.
"His scent disappeared about five miles south of Ally's house." He says, walking over to me.
"Someone's orchestrating this." Edward shakes his head.
"Victoria?" Carlisle looks toward Alice.
"I would've seen her deciding." Alice says, stands up.
"It has to be the Volturi like Ally said." Emmett speaks up again.
"I don't think it's the Volturi either. I've been watching Aro's decisions, too." Alice crosses her arms.
"So we keep looking." Emmett stands up.
Jasper puts his hand out for me to take. I take it and he gently pulls me into his arms. I lay my head against his chest and sigh. His arms wrap 'round me, holding me close to him, making me feel safe, loved, and calm.
"We also take shifts, guarding the girls at their house." Carlisle says.
"Another protection detail? Can't Ally just stay here with us?" Rosalie crosses her arms and rolls her eyes.
"Rosalie." Carlisle scolds slightly.
"No, she's right. You can't protect me, watch my dad and search for the intruder. Let alone search for Victoria while trying to keep yourselves fed." Bella stands up.
"I'm not leaving you here defenseless." Edward turns to her.
"What about Ally?" Emmett glares over at Bella.
Bella turns her back to Emmett and looks at Edward.
"Well, I'm not gonna let you starve." Bella rolls her eyes slightly.
"We won't be unprotected...we have the pack." I speak up, smiling.
Jasper looks down at me with his eyebrow raised.
"Actually, that's a good idea." Carlisle nods with a smile.
***
The next morning, Jasper, Edward and I are waiting outside while Bella is in her bedroom with Jacob. Jasper wraps an arm around my shoulder as we wait quietly. Edward is frozen in place, staring at the door. When the door finally opens, Edward rushes to meet them at the stairs.
"Whoever it was, he left his stink behind. It went from Bella's window to Ally's bed then downstairs. It won't be hard to miss when we cross it again. We'll handle it from here." Jacob smirks slightly.
"Ally's room?" I speak up, talking in third person.
"We don't need you to handle anything." Edward snarls. "Or anyone."
"Edward, we need their help. They're made for this." Jasper glares at Edward.
"I could care less what you need. I'm here to help Bella and Ally." Jacob scuffs, stepping forward.
"No. You're done here." Edward stares him down.
"No, you're done here." Jacob moves toward him.
Bella pushes her way between them.
"Stop. I'm tired of this. From now on I'm Switzerland, okay?" She tries to push them apart. "Alexia, help me."
"My boyfriend and best friend aren't fighting. You're on your own." I shrug.
Jasper and Paul actually get along. Paul hated the idea of being friends with a vampire at first but when Jasper was actually introduced at the treaty line one day, he changed his mind. He said that Jasper wasn't like the rest of the vampires. They don't hang out like they're BFFs but they don't fight like Jacob and Edward.
"Stop." Bella finally pushes them apart. "I don't expect you guys to chuck a football around together or even braid each other's hair. Fine. But we have a lot of problems. And this is one temporary solution. Are you willing to at least try?"
After a long tense beat, Edward finally nods. Jacob rolls his eyes very slightly before nodding himself.
"Alright, so you need to coordinate. Schedules and stuff." I speak up.
"Would the pack prefer days or nights?" Bella asks.
"Nights." Jacob says.
"Will days work for you?" I look up at Jasper who nods.
"Good. See? How hard was that?" She smiles.
I roll my eyes.
"Like pulling teeth." I gently push past the group.
I walk up to my room with Jasper following close behind. Jasper sniffs around my room before shaking his head.
"I can't tell if he touched anything. It's faint in here. A lot less than the rest of the house." He sighs and sits on my bed.
I walk over to him and wrap my arms around his neck, standing between his legs. He gently wraps his arms around my waist.
"I'll be okay, Jazz." I whisper.
"I'll make sure you're protected. I ain't letting anything happen to you." He whispers before looking up at me.
I smile slightly before lowering my head down towards his. He leans up and our lips meet in a passionate kiss. I smile against his lips and he squeezes me gently before pulling away.
"I love you, Alexia." He looks into my eyes.
"I love you, Jasper." I smile wider.
***
The next day, I'm riding in Edward's Volvo with him and Bella. We're going to the reservation today since the rest of the Clan has to hunt. Kevin hunted before but that was because he was extra hungry. Jacob agreed to be the one picking us up at the treaty line. He's going to be hanging out with Bella while I'm going to be sticking with Paul since Jasper trusts him, even after what happened with Emmett.
Edward finally pulls over and 30 yards down the road is a shirtless Jacob leaning against his Rabbit.
"Doesn't he own a shirt?" Edward looks over at Bella.
"We're good here, you should go." Bella smiles slightly.
I quickly get out of the car and walk over to Jacob.
"Hey." He smiles at me.
"Hey, Jake. She'll be out in a minute." I nod toward him.
I climb into the backseat and close the door when I see Bella exit the Volvo. Jacob hugs her and Edward quickly peels out. I roll my eyes. Jacob helps Bella into the car before driving to Sam's house. I get out and run inside.
"Ally!" Paul yells, loudly.
I laugh and run over to him. He pulls me into a tight but gentle hug.
"How are you guys?" I ask, looking up at him.
"We're good. You are gonna have a night ahead of you." He smiles.
I pull away from the hug with a raised eyebrow.
"What do you mean?"
"We are having a bonfire tonight." He smiles. "You get to hear the legends."
"Really?" I squeal and hug him again.
He laughs and accepts the hug.
"Do you wanna help Emily get all the food together?" He asks.
I nod. "Yeah. It'll give me something to do."
I pull from the hug and quickly walk over to Emily.
"Hey, Sunshine." She smiles.
"Hey, Em. I'm here to help. Put me to work." I giggle.
That's what we do for the next couple of hours. We made hot dogs, potato salad, pasta salad, cookies and brownies. I help all the guys and Emily take the food to the spot on the beach where they always have the bonfires. The guys get large trees and set them around the fire. I fix myself a plate and sit down next to Paul. Seth is sitting on the other side of me and we're talking about the new movie that came out a few days ago.
I laugh as he acts out a small part of it.
"Is that really what happened?" I take a bite of my hotdog.
"Yeah! You can even ask Leah!" He laughs.
I look toward Leah who is watching us.
"He's right." She smiles slightly.
Leah and I have an understanding. She knows I'm not ready to become a vampire and I know she never wanted to be a wolf. She just wanted to be with Sam but since Sam is now with Emily, that can't happen. She also knows I'm not around to hurt any of the pack members. Not like Bella is with Jake.
"Jake!" I hear Seth call out.
He quickly gets off the tree and runs over to Jake and Bella who are walking toward us. A few minutes later, Sam whistles, catching Seth and Jake's attention. They quickly grab their food and sit down on the fallen trees around the fire.
"Since everyone is now here, it's time for the legends." Billy smiles. "The Quileutes have been a small tribe from the beginning but we've always had magic in our blood. We were great spirit warriors, Shape Shifters, that transformed into the powerful wolf. This enabled us to scare off our enemies and protect our tribe."
I smile widely, listening to the legends. Paul bumps me causing me to look at him. He winks and smiles before whispering super low. I almost don't hear him.
"This is the part you definitely need to listen to."
I nod before looking at Billy again.
"One day our warriors came across a creature. It looked like a man, but it was hard like stone and cold as ice. Our warriors' sharp teeth finally tore it apart but only fire would completely destroy it. They lived in fear, the Cold Man was not alone. And they were right. She took her vengeances out on the village. Our elder chief, Taha Aki, was the only spirit warrior left to save the tribe after his son was killed. Taha Aki's Third Wife could see that he would lose. The Third Wife was no magical being, no special powers but one..." He pauses and smiles. "Courage. The Third Wife's sacrifice distracted the Cold Woman, long enough for Taha Aki to destroy her. She saved the tribe. Over time, our enemies have disappeared but one remains. The Cold Ones. Our magic awakens when they are near. And we sense it now, we feel the threat in our blood. Something terrible is coming and we must all be ready..." Billy looks at me then Bella. "All of us."
I look at Paul before whispering, "The Third Wife. She was an imprint wasn't she?"
He smiles and nods.
"She was."
"I knew it. I could tell because of her sacrifice." I smile. "I'd probably do the same for Jasper."
I stand up and throw my plate away. Paul takes a minute before standing and throwing his garbage away. He takes me home that night. Jasper told Paul that he doesn't have to meet us at the treaty line. He can drop me off at the front door. And that's what he did. We get out of the car to see Jasper waiting on my front porch.
"Hey, Jasper." Paul nods.
"Paul." Jasper smiles slightly.
Jasper puts his hand out toward him and Paul shakes his head, chuckling. Paul pulls him into a 'bro hug.' Jasper's eyes widen slightly before patting his back. They pull from the hug and nod to each other.
"What was that about?" I ask, looking at Paul.
"You are Jasper's 'imprint.' " He says. "I know he's an enemy but if you're soulmates, I can't be angry about it."
Jasper smiles slightly.
"Thank you, Paul."
"I'll see you guys later, okay?" Paul smiles.
I nod before waving. Paul gets into his car and drives toward the reservation.
"Did you have fun?" Jasper asks, turning toward me.
I nod fast. "I did. I learned a lot about their legends. Billy even told us how the treaty came to be!"
"Make me feel older, why don't you?" He smirks.
"You weren't there, though." I wrap my arms around his waist.
"Yeah. But I'm older than that treaty." He chuckles, wrapping his arms around my shoulders.
I giggle. "You may be old, but you are still hot as well. Besides, I like my men like I like my Scotch, aged well, like over 100 years old, and able to take your breath away in a second."
He laughs and kisses my forehead. My dad walks out the front door but stops when he sees us. Jasper and I back away from each other. My dad shakes his head, smiling slightly.
"I gotta go to Seattle for the next two days. I'll be home then." He says, fixing his Chief of Police's jacket.
"Okay. I'll go stay at the Cullens. Rose wanted to hang out tomorrow anyway." I say, walking toward him.
"That's fine by me." He hugs me, gently.
"Be safe, Old Man." I whisper.
He smiles before whispering. "Always, Ally-Cat."
He gets into his cruiser and drives off. Jasper walks me inside and I quickly pack up a bag of clothes.
"You know, you should start leaving clothes at my house." He says, sitting down.
"Why?" I ask, glancing at him.
"You're there more than you're here anymore. Why not?" He asks.
"If you're sure." I giggle.
"Of course. It was my idea." He smirks.
I playfully roll my eyes. He chuckles and when I finish packing, we leave the house. The next day, Jasper, Carlisle and I are watching the news while sitting on the couch. Emmett is draped over the back of the couch behind me. Alice, Kevin and Rosalie are upstairs.
"Police are baffled by the escalating murders and disappearances. Police from other towns are coming to help with search..." The reporter says on the TV.
Edward and Bella enter the living room from outside when the reporter continues.
"Theories range from a vicious new gang to wildly active serial killer...Reporting live, Dawn Chubai. CNN."
"It's getting worse." Carlisle shakes his head. "We're going to have to do something."
"It takes more than one of our kind to cause the damage they're reporting. Quite a few more." Jasper says, scooting up in his seat. "They're undisciplined, conspicuous..."
"Newborns." Edward speaks up.
"What, like new vampires?" Bella glances at him.
"In their first few months after the change..." Edward starts.
"That's when we're at our most uncontrollable, vicious, insane with thirst." Jasper finishes, glancing at me.
"Something to look forward to." Emmett smirks at Bella.
"No one has trained these newborns, but this isn't random." Jasper says.
"Isn't that what you used to fight?" I look at Jasper.
He nods. "They are mean, vicious. Someone is doing this on purpose."
"Someone's creating an army." Carlisle looks at him.
Jasper nods but Emmett stands up from behind me and smiles.
"Oh, now we're definitely going to Seattle." Emmett claps his hands.
"An Army of vampires?" Bella shakes her head. "This is crazy."
"And they've been created to fight someone." Jasper stands.
I follow suit and sigh.
"It has to be Victoria. She's coming after you two for revenge." I speak up.
"No. It has to be the Volturi." Edward rolls his eyes at me.
"Edward, think about this. Victoria hates you and Jasper. You killed her mate." I cross my arms.
"I read Aro's mind. He wants me and Alice to join him. Our gifts would shore up his power." Edward glares at me.
"Ally is right. The Volturi wouldn't need the newborns." Jasper says, stepping toward him.
"Regardless of why they were made, if we don't put a stop to them, the Volturi will since they are tearing up Seattle. I'm surprised they've let it go this long." Carlisle says, standing up and walking between the brothers.
"Aro knows we'd never choose him as long as our family is still alive." Edward says. "An army could solve that for him."
"They don't need newborns." Jasper says, once again. "They have a lot of people they can get in Italy."
"We can't wait two weeks for graduation, you need to change us now..." Bella speaks up.
"What?!" I snap. "No!"
"You'd be a liability as a newborn. Unable to control your instincts. An easy target." Jasper says, backing me up.
"There's also your father to consider. And your mother. How terrible would it be for them if you both suddenly disappeared." Carlisle backs me up as well, putting his hand on Bella's shoulder.
She rolls her eyes and walks away from the living room. I follow behind her and stop her.
"Bella, I don't want to be a vampire yet. I want to..." I start.
"You'll be one anyway! Why does it matter when?" She snaps at me.
"Because I want the choice to be mine! And, we have a father who would never stop searching for us if we disappeared. You have mom wrapped around your finger who would never forgive dad if you 'died.' You have friends who would grieve over you while you're watching from afar. Don't you ever think about someone besides yourself?" I cross my arms.
"I think about you. You'd be happier if you were a vamp..." I cut her off.
"How would you know? Yes, I'd be with Jasper forever but I also have family and friends. You'd never be able to see Jacob again. I'd never be able to sit in Emily's kitchen and make brownies and muffins. I'd be the enemy to my best friend, Paul. Think about others before you make decisions for everyone else."
I turn away from her and walk to Jasper. He opens his arms which I happily fall into. He sighs slightly and kisses my head.
"I'm glad you're thinking about everyone else as well as yourself." He whispers.
"I love you, but I do have to think about my father." I whisper.
"I love you even more for that. You make this decision for your own thoughts. Not Bella's."
He kisses my head and holds me close.