Changing Tides
by Momma2fan
Chapter 19
Bella stood against the counter and waited until the shouting died down. When the pack realized she was still standing there with her arms crossed, they quieted and sat down.
“Thanks. Now, as I was saying,” she walked to the group and settled herself on Paul’s lap. “I’m going with you, because I have an idea. I’m gonna use Alice.”
She outlined the plan she had and although none of them wanted her around the leeches, they decided it did have merit.
After the pack left, Paul and Bella lay in bed. “You’re not to be alone with her. If you can’t have one of the wolves with you, at least let Blondie sit with you.”
“Okay,” Bella agreed.
***CT***
Bella was watching the pack spar with the Cullens. After she had watched for about thirty minutes, it was time to implement her plan.
“Alice, will you come sit with me, please?” She said in her normal tone. She could hear the wolves growl and looked across the field. “Stop it.”
Alice danced her way over to where Bella was sitting, excited to finally be able to talk to her. She didn’t see that Bella only wanted information.
After seeing the look on Alice’s face, Bella remembered her promise to Paul. “Rosalie?” she called. “Would you like to join us?”
Once the two vampires were seated with her, Rosalie at her side, Bella began. In a gentle voice, one which almost sounded like a hypnotherapist, she spoke to her former friend. “Alice, I need you to close your eyes and concentrate.” Once she complied, Bella continued. “I need you to think about the newborns who are coming. Picture them in your mind.”
Rosalie and Bella watched as Alice went into a trance-like state. Bella pulled some drawing paper and pencils out of the bag beside her and placed them in Alice’s hands.
“Draw their faces, Alice.” She watched as the vampire began furiously scribbling. “Take your time. We have all night.”
Rosalie and Bella watched, fascinated, as piece after piece was filled with images of people who once were human, but were soon coming to kill Bella in a twisted idea of revenge by their maker. When she finally stopped, there were twenty-five pages.
“Perfect, Alice. Now, one more thing.” Bella picked up the papers and pencil. “Which ones have special abilities?” She held up the images one by one and Alice told her if they were normal or had a gift.
“That one, he can control people's reactions.”
“What, like getting mad over something they normally wouldn’t?”
Alice nodded, “Yeah. It’s kind of like impulse control.”
“Can Jasper counteract him?”
“Maybe.”
Bella nodded and packed up her things. Standing from where she had been sitting on the ground, she whistled. “Sam, I got what we need. Let’s go.” Bella placed her hand on Rosalie’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. Well, at least she tried. Rose patted her hand with a smile.
***CT***
Bella had all twenty-five pages laid across Sam and Emily’s counter and table. She watched as the pack scrutinized every image, memorizing the faces of their enemy.
“What about powers?” Jared asked.
Bella walked forward and grabbed six pages. “These are the ones with gifts. According to Alice, only one of them would be a potential problem. He also may be the reason Jake went apeshit when he saw Paul’s mark on my neck.”
“What do you mean?” Jacob asked.
“Jared and Embry smelled a scent that morning, right?” When the pack nodded, she continued. “He can affect impulse control. I think he was in the woods, trying to find out how effective his gift would be. The way Jake reacted wasn’t him.”
“Were you able to get anything else out of the seer?” Paul wanted to know.
“No, but I think I can get her to concentrate hard enough to see around you guys. Why? What are you thinking?”
“I’m wondering if she can pinpoint exactly where and when they are gonna strike.”
“I can ask.” She looked at him, “That means I’m gonna have to come with you guys again. You gonna be okay with that?”
Paul sighed heavily. “Look, it’s no secret I hate you being around them, but I saw how it was tonight. I know you’re okay. Just stay away from Edwierd.”
The pack cracked up at his nickname for her ex.
“No problem. I hate that little shit.” Bella grinned.
“Alright, everyone out. Quil, Jacob, you’re on patrol.” Sam ordered.
***CT***
Unfortunately, a requirement of Bella’s online classes was for her to report to the campus for any and all final exams. Since she had to have a wolf with her at all times, she sat in a car with her brother as Jared drove her to campus. Paul would have gone, but he had patrol and Sam, as alpha, had to stay on the res.
“You ready for this, Bells?”
“Ugh, I’ve studied so much I better be. I’d like to spend a quiet night with my boyfriend. Between studying, patrols and training, Paul and I have barely seen each other.”
Jared looked over at her with a soft smile. “If it’s any consolation, he’s feeling the strain too.”
She looked back at him, “I know. Ever since he marked me, I can feel his emotions as if they were my own.”
They arrived at her school and he wished her luck as he dropped her off at her building and moved to wait in a place he had full view and could see what was coming.
Bella took both her finals and was just handing the last one to the professor, when Jared burst through the door. “Jared?”
“Are you done?” When she nodded, he grabbed her arm. “Let’s go,” pulling her out the door and dragging her with him. “We’ve got a problem.”
Bella jogged behind him trying to keep up with his long strides. When they got in the car, he started it up and gunned the engine, pulling away from the school.
“Jared, what’s going on?”
“I caught a scent, it’s not a Cullen.”
“One of the newborns maybe?”
“Most likely, but I need to get you back on the res.”
Bella looked at his shaking form. “Jared, look at me.” She waited until his eyes met hers. Instead of the normal brown eyes, she saw lupine yellow. “We’re safe for now. You need to calm yourself so the wolf backs down. You can’t get me home safely if you phase in the car.”
Jared took a few deep breaths, his eyes never leaving Bella. She watched as the wolf backed down. Jared blinked, knowing she was right to have stopped them. Paul would have killed him if he’d hurt her.
“Thanks, sis. Let’s get home.”
Bella stood against the counter and waited until the shouting died down. When the pack realized she was still standing there with her arms crossed, they quieted and sat down.
“Thanks. Now, as I was saying,” she walked to the group and settled herself on Paul’s lap. “I’m going with you, because I have an idea. I’m gonna use Alice.”
She outlined the plan she had and although none of them wanted her around the leeches, they decided it did have merit.
After the pack left, Paul and Bella lay in bed. “You’re not to be alone with her. If you can’t have one of the wolves with you, at least let Blondie sit with you.”
“Okay,” Bella agreed.
***CT***
Bella was watching the pack spar with the Cullens. After she had watched for about thirty minutes, it was time to implement her plan.
“Alice, will you come sit with me, please?” She said in her normal tone. She could hear the wolves growl and looked across the field. “Stop it.”
Alice danced her way over to where Bella was sitting, excited to finally be able to talk to her. She didn’t see that Bella only wanted information.
After seeing the look on Alice’s face, Bella remembered her promise to Paul. “Rosalie?” she called. “Would you like to join us?”
Once the two vampires were seated with her, Rosalie at her side, Bella began. In a gentle voice, one which almost sounded like a hypnotherapist, she spoke to her former friend. “Alice, I need you to close your eyes and concentrate.” Once she complied, Bella continued. “I need you to think about the newborns who are coming. Picture them in your mind.”
Rosalie and Bella watched as Alice went into a trance-like state. Bella pulled some drawing paper and pencils out of the bag beside her and placed them in Alice’s hands.
“Draw their faces, Alice.” She watched as the vampire began furiously scribbling. “Take your time. We have all night.”
Rosalie and Bella watched, fascinated, as piece after piece was filled with images of people who once were human, but were soon coming to kill Bella in a twisted idea of revenge by their maker. When she finally stopped, there were twenty-five pages.
“Perfect, Alice. Now, one more thing.” Bella picked up the papers and pencil. “Which ones have special abilities?” She held up the images one by one and Alice told her if they were normal or had a gift.
“That one, he can control people's reactions.”
“What, like getting mad over something they normally wouldn’t?”
Alice nodded, “Yeah. It’s kind of like impulse control.”
“Can Jasper counteract him?”
“Maybe.”
Bella nodded and packed up her things. Standing from where she had been sitting on the ground, she whistled. “Sam, I got what we need. Let’s go.” Bella placed her hand on Rosalie’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. Well, at least she tried. Rose patted her hand with a smile.
***CT***
Bella had all twenty-five pages laid across Sam and Emily’s counter and table. She watched as the pack scrutinized every image, memorizing the faces of their enemy.
“What about powers?” Jared asked.
Bella walked forward and grabbed six pages. “These are the ones with gifts. According to Alice, only one of them would be a potential problem. He also may be the reason Jake went apeshit when he saw Paul’s mark on my neck.”
“What do you mean?” Jacob asked.
“Jared and Embry smelled a scent that morning, right?” When the pack nodded, she continued. “He can affect impulse control. I think he was in the woods, trying to find out how effective his gift would be. The way Jake reacted wasn’t him.”
“Were you able to get anything else out of the seer?” Paul wanted to know.
“No, but I think I can get her to concentrate hard enough to see around you guys. Why? What are you thinking?”
“I’m wondering if she can pinpoint exactly where and when they are gonna strike.”
“I can ask.” She looked at him, “That means I’m gonna have to come with you guys again. You gonna be okay with that?”
Paul sighed heavily. “Look, it’s no secret I hate you being around them, but I saw how it was tonight. I know you’re okay. Just stay away from Edwierd.”
The pack cracked up at his nickname for her ex.
“No problem. I hate that little shit.” Bella grinned.
“Alright, everyone out. Quil, Jacob, you’re on patrol.” Sam ordered.
***CT***
Unfortunately, a requirement of Bella’s online classes was for her to report to the campus for any and all final exams. Since she had to have a wolf with her at all times, she sat in a car with her brother as Jared drove her to campus. Paul would have gone, but he had patrol and Sam, as alpha, had to stay on the res.
“You ready for this, Bells?”
“Ugh, I’ve studied so much I better be. I’d like to spend a quiet night with my boyfriend. Between studying, patrols and training, Paul and I have barely seen each other.”
Jared looked over at her with a soft smile. “If it’s any consolation, he’s feeling the strain too.”
She looked back at him, “I know. Ever since he marked me, I can feel his emotions as if they were my own.”
They arrived at her school and he wished her luck as he dropped her off at her building and moved to wait in a place he had full view and could see what was coming.
Bella took both her finals and was just handing the last one to the professor, when Jared burst through the door. “Jared?”
“Are you done?” When she nodded, he grabbed her arm. “Let’s go,” pulling her out the door and dragging her with him. “We’ve got a problem.”
Bella jogged behind him trying to keep up with his long strides. When they got in the car, he started it up and gunned the engine, pulling away from the school.
“Jared, what’s going on?”
“I caught a scent, it’s not a Cullen.”
“One of the newborns maybe?”
“Most likely, but I need to get you back on the res.”
Bella looked at his shaking form. “Jared, look at me.” She waited until his eyes met hers. Instead of the normal brown eyes, she saw lupine yellow. “We’re safe for now. You need to calm yourself so the wolf backs down. You can’t get me home safely if you phase in the car.”
Jared took a few deep breaths, his eyes never leaving Bella. She watched as the wolf backed down. Jared blinked, knowing she was right to have stopped them. Paul would have killed him if he’d hurt her.
“Thanks, sis. Let’s get home.”