Changing Tides
by Momma2fan
Chapter 15
Sam slammed down the phone after talking with the head leech. “Dammit,” he muttered under his breath.
“What’s going on, Sam?” Emily asked, wrapping her arms around him from behind.
“The leeches want a meeting. Tonight.”
“You have to call Bella, Sam. She needs to be there.”
Sam sighed and nodded his head. “I know. Do you think she’s ready to face them?”
Emily ducked under his arm, placed her hands on his cheeks and smiled at him. “She’s ready to face the Cullens. It’s the new threat that scares her.”
Nodding, Sam kissed her. “Thanks, Em.”
He grabbed the phone and called Paul. Afterward he called everyone else, including Billy and Charlie who both agreed they were going to be there as well.
***CT***
Bella and Paul met up with the rest of the pack at Sam’s. Billy and Charlie were also there, seated comfortably and bundled up in a side-by-side.
Bella grinned, “You two warm enough?”
“Toasty as can be, Bells.” Billy grinned.
“How is this gonna work, Sam?” Charlie turned to the Alpha, as did the others.
Sam stood up and addressed the entire group. “Jacob and I will go in the lead. Paul, I want you and Jared on our flanks. Bella, you will ride in on Embry, with Quil, Seth and Leah guarding you. Charlie, you drive that thing ahead of Embry and the others.” He paced his front porch, “I’m not sure what the leeches want, but I have a feeling it’s knowledge on Bella’s whereabouts. Bella, I don’t want you coming any closer to the front of the group until either I say something, or you feel it necessary. The leeches are gonna need to share their info on the newborns as well.”
“You got it, Sam.”
“Make sure you guard your thoughts. Edward will know everything you’re thinking.” Bella warned.
Once all the wolves were phased, Paul licked Bella’s cheek and yipped at her.
“I love you, too.” She ran her fingers through his fur and down his muzzle. Turning away from him, Embry lowered his body so Bella could climb on his back. Once she was settled and had a good grip, he rose and followed, Leah, Seth and Quil to the meeting point. They took their time, knowing Bella needed to be safe.
Sam, Jacob, Paul and Jared arrived at the treaty line, making sure they guarded their thoughts. The rumble of the side-by-side carrying Billy and Charlie startled the vampires who were standing six feet away.
“Thank you for coming?” Carlisle began. “Is this all of you?”
“There are a few more, but they will be along.” Charlie responded as he set up Billy in his wheelchair, next to Jacob.
“Chief Swan, I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“I’m sure you didn’t, Dr. Cullen.” Charlie stood next to Sam with his arms crossed.
“Where is Bella?” Edward growled.
“Now, you listen here, boy. You may be a vampire, but I won’t hesitate to shoot you. It may not hurt you, but it may shock you enough to slow you down.”
Sam growled and stepped slightly forward.
“The wolves want to know why we called this meeting.” Edward translated blandly.
“Are you going to phase so that we may speak?” Carlisle wanted to know.
“It depends on what you have to tell us.” Edward translated again.
“What we have to say pertains to Bella and we would like to tell her if at all possible.”
Just as Carlisle finished speaking, four more wolves entered the clearing, Bella astride one of them.
“Bella!” Alice squealed and bounced on her toes. “I’ve missed you.”
“I can’t say the same, Alice.” Embry lowered himself to allow her to slide off.
“Bella, how have you been, my dear daughter?” Esme smiled.
Bella stopped walking and stood next to Paul. Her eyebrows rose in her forehead at Esme’s words. “Daughter? I’m sorry,” she pressed her finger to her ear and wiggled it as if clearing a clog. “I must be hearing things. You see where I come from people who consider you a daughter or a sister or even a friend, don’t abandon them. They at least have the decency to say goodbye. They don’t allow their son’s to take them into the forest and dump them, in the most cruel, horrible and unnecessary manner, leaving them there to freeze to death. So no, Esme, I am not your daughter.”
“What are you talking about, Bella?” Jasper stepped forward.
“Oh, I think you know, Jasper. Your wife must have had a vision of how Edward broke up with me. But I’m betting there are other things you don’t know about Golden Boy Cullen.”
“Like what?” Emmett also stepped forward, his anger at Edward still strong.
Bella gripped Paul’s fur in order to keep herself in check. She hadn’t realized how angry she was until she saw them all face to face.
“I’m guessing you’ve been to the old house in Forks and haven’t been able to find us, right?”
“Right. Your scent is almost non-existent there.”
“That’s because we haven’t lived there since December.” Bella let go of Paul and began to pace. “You see, Sam found me the night Edward left me in the forest. I was cold, wet and incoherent. If not for him and Jared, I would have wallowed in self induced isolation, but they wouldn’t let me. Through them, I met Paul, who is my true soulmate.”
“You’re an imprint?” Carlisle asked.
“Yes.” Bella continued pacing. “It wasn’t until Jacob phased that we discovered Edward’s treachery. You may want to hold him so he doesn’t run,” she suggested to Emmett and Jasper.
“You see, unfortunately I was a little too close to Jake and my dad yelled my name just as he phased the first time. His paw caught my arm and scratched it up. In doing so, he split open the bite scar left behind by James. Imagine our surprise when venom began to leak from it.”
“You didn’t?” Carlisle growled at his son.
“She’s mine! I had to be able to find her!” Edward yelled, causing the pack to growl.
Bella stopped and faced her ex with her hands on her hips. “How’s it working, Edward?” she cocked her head to the side. “That’s not even the worst of it. The reason Dad and I had to move is because something broke into our house, Freddy Kruegered the walls and stole my clothes. Also, Victoria has been hunting for me. Still think she wasn’t a threat, Eddie?”
When he would have lunged at her, Paul leapt forward, just as Jasper and Emmett grabbed him and held him in stronger grips.
“We removed your venom, you son of a bitch. What were you gonna do, come back and drain me? If we’re being honest here, I think that’s a violation of the treaty. What do you think, Billy?”
“I do believe you’re right, Bells. They agreed not to drink from humans, which he did when he sucked out the other one’s venom. They also agreed not to harm humans, which obviously Edward planned to do later, by doing the former. So, yes, I do believe that qualifies as a violation.”
Bella shrugged at the Cullens. “I guess you can thank Edward for the fact that all of your lives are forfeit.”
“Now, wait a minute.” Carlisle argued. “Perhaps we can work out a deal?”
“What are you suggesting?”
Sam slammed down the phone after talking with the head leech. “Dammit,” he muttered under his breath.
“What’s going on, Sam?” Emily asked, wrapping her arms around him from behind.
“The leeches want a meeting. Tonight.”
“You have to call Bella, Sam. She needs to be there.”
Sam sighed and nodded his head. “I know. Do you think she’s ready to face them?”
Emily ducked under his arm, placed her hands on his cheeks and smiled at him. “She’s ready to face the Cullens. It’s the new threat that scares her.”
Nodding, Sam kissed her. “Thanks, Em.”
He grabbed the phone and called Paul. Afterward he called everyone else, including Billy and Charlie who both agreed they were going to be there as well.
***CT***
Bella and Paul met up with the rest of the pack at Sam’s. Billy and Charlie were also there, seated comfortably and bundled up in a side-by-side.
Bella grinned, “You two warm enough?”
“Toasty as can be, Bells.” Billy grinned.
“How is this gonna work, Sam?” Charlie turned to the Alpha, as did the others.
Sam stood up and addressed the entire group. “Jacob and I will go in the lead. Paul, I want you and Jared on our flanks. Bella, you will ride in on Embry, with Quil, Seth and Leah guarding you. Charlie, you drive that thing ahead of Embry and the others.” He paced his front porch, “I’m not sure what the leeches want, but I have a feeling it’s knowledge on Bella’s whereabouts. Bella, I don’t want you coming any closer to the front of the group until either I say something, or you feel it necessary. The leeches are gonna need to share their info on the newborns as well.”
“You got it, Sam.”
“Make sure you guard your thoughts. Edward will know everything you’re thinking.” Bella warned.
Once all the wolves were phased, Paul licked Bella’s cheek and yipped at her.
“I love you, too.” She ran her fingers through his fur and down his muzzle. Turning away from him, Embry lowered his body so Bella could climb on his back. Once she was settled and had a good grip, he rose and followed, Leah, Seth and Quil to the meeting point. They took their time, knowing Bella needed to be safe.
Sam, Jacob, Paul and Jared arrived at the treaty line, making sure they guarded their thoughts. The rumble of the side-by-side carrying Billy and Charlie startled the vampires who were standing six feet away.
“Thank you for coming?” Carlisle began. “Is this all of you?”
“There are a few more, but they will be along.” Charlie responded as he set up Billy in his wheelchair, next to Jacob.
“Chief Swan, I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“I’m sure you didn’t, Dr. Cullen.” Charlie stood next to Sam with his arms crossed.
“Where is Bella?” Edward growled.
“Now, you listen here, boy. You may be a vampire, but I won’t hesitate to shoot you. It may not hurt you, but it may shock you enough to slow you down.”
Sam growled and stepped slightly forward.
“The wolves want to know why we called this meeting.” Edward translated blandly.
“Are you going to phase so that we may speak?” Carlisle wanted to know.
“It depends on what you have to tell us.” Edward translated again.
“What we have to say pertains to Bella and we would like to tell her if at all possible.”
Just as Carlisle finished speaking, four more wolves entered the clearing, Bella astride one of them.
“Bella!” Alice squealed and bounced on her toes. “I’ve missed you.”
“I can’t say the same, Alice.” Embry lowered himself to allow her to slide off.
“Bella, how have you been, my dear daughter?” Esme smiled.
Bella stopped walking and stood next to Paul. Her eyebrows rose in her forehead at Esme’s words. “Daughter? I’m sorry,” she pressed her finger to her ear and wiggled it as if clearing a clog. “I must be hearing things. You see where I come from people who consider you a daughter or a sister or even a friend, don’t abandon them. They at least have the decency to say goodbye. They don’t allow their son’s to take them into the forest and dump them, in the most cruel, horrible and unnecessary manner, leaving them there to freeze to death. So no, Esme, I am not your daughter.”
“What are you talking about, Bella?” Jasper stepped forward.
“Oh, I think you know, Jasper. Your wife must have had a vision of how Edward broke up with me. But I’m betting there are other things you don’t know about Golden Boy Cullen.”
“Like what?” Emmett also stepped forward, his anger at Edward still strong.
Bella gripped Paul’s fur in order to keep herself in check. She hadn’t realized how angry she was until she saw them all face to face.
“I’m guessing you’ve been to the old house in Forks and haven’t been able to find us, right?”
“Right. Your scent is almost non-existent there.”
“That’s because we haven’t lived there since December.” Bella let go of Paul and began to pace. “You see, Sam found me the night Edward left me in the forest. I was cold, wet and incoherent. If not for him and Jared, I would have wallowed in self induced isolation, but they wouldn’t let me. Through them, I met Paul, who is my true soulmate.”
“You’re an imprint?” Carlisle asked.
“Yes.” Bella continued pacing. “It wasn’t until Jacob phased that we discovered Edward’s treachery. You may want to hold him so he doesn’t run,” she suggested to Emmett and Jasper.
“You see, unfortunately I was a little too close to Jake and my dad yelled my name just as he phased the first time. His paw caught my arm and scratched it up. In doing so, he split open the bite scar left behind by James. Imagine our surprise when venom began to leak from it.”
“You didn’t?” Carlisle growled at his son.
“She’s mine! I had to be able to find her!” Edward yelled, causing the pack to growl.
Bella stopped and faced her ex with her hands on her hips. “How’s it working, Edward?” she cocked her head to the side. “That’s not even the worst of it. The reason Dad and I had to move is because something broke into our house, Freddy Kruegered the walls and stole my clothes. Also, Victoria has been hunting for me. Still think she wasn’t a threat, Eddie?”
When he would have lunged at her, Paul leapt forward, just as Jasper and Emmett grabbed him and held him in stronger grips.
“We removed your venom, you son of a bitch. What were you gonna do, come back and drain me? If we’re being honest here, I think that’s a violation of the treaty. What do you think, Billy?”
“I do believe you’re right, Bells. They agreed not to drink from humans, which he did when he sucked out the other one’s venom. They also agreed not to harm humans, which obviously Edward planned to do later, by doing the former. So, yes, I do believe that qualifies as a violation.”
Bella shrugged at the Cullens. “I guess you can thank Edward for the fact that all of your lives are forfeit.”
“Now, wait a minute.” Carlisle argued. “Perhaps we can work out a deal?”
“What are you suggesting?”