Elemental Goddess
by: Wizardtho
Chapter 74: The Newcomers
BPOV:
The rest of the trip back to Washington went smoothly. Though I didn't have a microwave to heat the blood I needed, Jake's body temperature heated it for me quickly. I ended up drinking two bags before I felt the need for energy. Jake's stomach growled immediately in response, so Peter asked from the driver seat, “That time again, isn't it, Sugar?”
I hummed as I patted my belly, “The babies are steadily taking energy, little by little, and with the meeting... yeah, we're a little hungry.”
Jasper twirled his fingers on my tummy as he kissed my shoulder, then said, “Let's get you fed then, Darlin'. You have a certain place you want Jake to hunt?”
After a minute of thought, I got a jittery feeling, then looked deep into Jake's eyes. There was something there, but without Edward here, I couldn't tell exactly what was behind it. I could tell that he wasn't feeling comfortable about something, though.
I turned to sit on my knees as I placed my forehead on his muzzle, just breathing for a second. I was getting the same jittery feeling from deep inside myself, so I asked, “Is it hunting, Jake? Is that was has us jittery?”
Jake's head nodded as he whined and nudged my tummy gently. I looked at him questioningly, then said, “Something's wrong, and you're worried the babies will get hurt?”
Jake nodded in finality, so I took a minute to study him. Jasper suddenly said, “Jake's giving me the feeling of how he felt when Kendrick was outside of our circle in the clearing, Darlin.”
Then it hit me. I nodded to Jasper. “Jake, others are close, aren't they? Other shifters and vampires. Some are getting close... you think we might run into some if we stop, right?”
I got an internal confirmation right as Jake nodded, then said, “The babies and I will be fine until we get home. We'll have Kendrick meet up with his pack while we hunt, then when we're done, we can test the pack on the shields. I'm getting the same feeling, so I don't think we should stop. You'll let Edward know what you've been getting when we reach the safety of the house, right?”
Jake rolled his eyes, giving me his 'Chillax, Bells. Like I wouldn't tell him anyway' look. Jasper chuckled, so I huffed, “Okay, Brat. I get it. You'd tell him immediately so I would know. You don't have to give me that look.”
Jake and Kendrick both thought that was funny, and Jake's barking laugh effectively eased the mounting tension of my mates.
As we got within 50 miles of the house, Jake's ears flattened, then a low growl came rumbling through his chest. I immediately spun to look deep into Jake's eyes, instinctively knowing that we had a few new arrivals that were outside of the protective field. I grabbed Jake's muzzle, saying forcefully, “Stay in the protective fields, and do not for any reason leave them. Any wolf not phased needs to do it. Make sure to tell the Carlisle that we'll be coming in the back way, since the newcomers are around front. If their position alters, we need to know immediately. Take down anyone that comes near the SUVs before they can reach us. I can't have Kendrick phasing in here.”
Jake gave a low growl, then Jasper said, “He sent me a feeling of accomplishment, Darlin.”
Everything was okay again until we got about ten miles from the house. I felt my shields automatically making a bubble around the two vehicles, so I called out, “Edward, make sure you stay on our ass, my shields just popped into place. I don't know why you can't see them, but they're in place, so don't get too far.”
I looked behind us to see Edward closing the gap between the vehicles, then Peter said, “We're good, Kitten. You just do what you have to do. Let us worry about the rest.”
I nodded up to him, sending my mates my love, then closed my eyes as I said, “Kendrick, I sense your energy signature, but I need you to be still for me please. I need to search out the energy signatures of who's outside of the protective field. I need to go off of yours until I find your pack.”
After only a second, I found several new energy signatures. The vampire and shifter signatures were different from the normal animals around, much stronger. They differed from each other. I whispered out, “Other than Kendrick's 11, I'm detecting two other tribes, one with 8 and one with 9. Then there are 13 vampire signatures... strong ones... shit, Jazz... You need to Major up. I don't know why, but you and Captain need to be out full-force when you see the vamps. Shit goes south if you see them as Jasper and Peter.”
I immediately felt the shift as Jasper let the Major loose. Automatically, my eyes swirled as my goddess came out in full-force. Kendrick lowered his head as my mates all let out a hum, but I said, “Kendrick, you'll be at Major's side until just before we head out towards the newcomers. Your 11 have not gone through any testing, so you will need to be outside of my protective field until I ask for you to come forward. Go through the process again, along with your pack. Once everyone that's come has undergone the process, we'll find the time for you to be put through some rounds with Major.”
Kendrick nodded silently, then I felt my shield flare as Jake rumbled.
I looked at him, but Major said, “All's fine, Isabella. Jake's feelins are gettin' easier for me to understand without him sendin' them to me. He was just layin' down the law, is all. I think one of the wolves was gettin' edgy, but he told them to stay.”
Jake nodded in finality. Seconds after we passed the two-mile mark from the protective shield at the back of the property, Major's cell phone went off. He answered it immediately, then said after a minute, “They're what?”
I was concentrating on keeping tabs on the whereabouts of the newcomers, so I wasn't listening to what the other person said. “Alright. Make sure no one makes a move outside of the protective field, and do not engage them. We won't know intentions until they try to breach the barrier. Stay alert. We'll take the trail around to the garage.”
I heard his phone beep, then he whispered, “The second we got to the two mile mark away from the barrier, Carlisle said something happened, but that it wasn't bad. Said we had to see it to believe it.”
I nodded with my eyes closed, then said, “They aren't moving position. They’re all still in the trees outside the front part of the protective field.”
The moment both SUVs made it safely inside the barrier line, my shields automatically dissipated, so I nodded to Major. “They came up on their own, then dissipated as soon as both vehicles were safely inside the field. We're good, but we really need to talk to Eleazar about working with them. I need to gather energy, so stop at the old cabin first, Peter.”
He nodded then turned onto the path that led to the cabin. I scratched Jake's ear as I relaxed against Major.
As soon as we reached the cabin, Char and Peter were opening the doors for us, and the others were securing the area. Edward came back several minutes later, saying, “The area's secure. They've already moved your things from the cabin. I'm sure Esme and Rose took care of moving everything to the new cabin for you.”
I nodded as Peter and Char helped me from the SUV, immediately surrounding me in a hug. I hummed, then said, “I love you two. I promise we'll get back into a routine, but right now I need energy. Your sons are being little piggies.”
Major chuckled while patting my tummy, bending over to speak to it, “Be good to Momma, boys. She's gonna feed ya right now. Be patient for just another minute or two.”
I ran my fingers through his hair, kissed his lips lightly when he rose, then dropped fluidly into my lotus position right where I always gathered energy here.
We reached the back of the main house only 5 minutes later. As we all unloaded, I said clearly, “Kendrick, go to the treeline to phase, then make your way around to your pack. I want you at the head of your pack when I make my way down the front drive. When I call you to come forward, Jake will send you a signal through the mind link if a newcomer is sensed as a threat. Take that person down, but do not kill. I won't kill without reason, and I need to know why they were detected as a threat.”
He nodded, then dashed off to the treeline, so I turned to my group. “Jake, I'm with you, Major's in front of you, Char and Captain are at your flanks on their partner wolves. Alice, Edward... you're taking up the tail ends of the 'V' on Paul and Seth. Major, you need to take point here for the first few minutes, but you need to make sure you pet or scratch Jake every so often. The vamps need a clear understanding that the shifters are important to you, or things get hairy down the road. Same with everyone else. Be affectionate to your partner wolf.”
I saw everyone nod seriously, then Jake barked for them to go phase.
The rest of us walked into the center of the back yard where the family and on-duty wolves were. I smiled widely as I said, “It is so good to be home. God, did I miss all of you. Our meeting went well with the shaman, but before we go over everything and settle back in, we need to deal with the newcomers. I ask all of you to stand behind us, but please keep the elders and Charlie inside of your protection. My protective field is still well in place, but I don't want to take a chance that they could be hurt for any reason. I love you all, and we'll catch up on everything soon.”
After we all mounted our wolves, Major stood at Jake's muzzle, rubbing under his chin, whispering with a gleam in his eyes, “Let's go show 'em how things are done around here, Jake.”
Jake barked a laugh, then stood tall and growled low as Major turned. That was our signal to go, so we all made our way down the front drive like we were taking a leisurely stroll. Major made an almost devious laugh when I smelled several vampire scents that hit me on the breeze. That's when I saw all of the newcomers inside the treeline just 50 feet ahead of us... on their knees with their heads bowed, or on their bellies in the case of the shifters.
Instantly, my hands extended and my elements swirled with power. Major chuckled while rubbing his fingers along Jake's muzzle, saying clearly, “My Goddess... seems to me the riffraff decided to join the party.”
Jake growled menacingly, then Major said, “Crew! Front and center at 25 feet.”
All thirteen vampires scrambled to their feet, then stood with their hands behind their backs, feet shoulder width apart, their heads bowed within seconds.
Major continued to rub Jake's muzzle for a few seconds before he made a pass back and forth in front of the newcomers. When he stopped in the center again, he said in his battle calm voice, “I know for a fuckin' fact that Captain has tried to contact each and every one of ya within the last week. Here I was, thinkin' y'all might wanna be here to support me and my mates... since I've saved every one’a your good-for-nothin' asses more than once... but not one’a ya answered the goddamn phone when Captain called. Gimmie one good reason why I shouldn't ash each’a ya where ya stand... or better yet, let Jake and the pack make chew toys outta ya.”
Jake crouched a bit with a rumbling growl, but held his position as I scratched behind his ear.
After a second, a male said in a clear but hesitant tone, “Major, I was at my Spain villa when I started hearing rumors of the God of War making a comeback. A gathering of Gods and Goddesses -along with shifters- would be fighting to right the wrongs of our world, and were gathering in the northern U.S. I immediately got on the wire with the others, then set to meet up in person with them, only telling them it was a life or death situation. I couldn't take the chance that our phones could have gotten tampered, so once we all met up, I explained to them what I heard. We decided that if something was going down, we needed to be here for you. We started making our way here only an hour before we started each getting the call from Captain, so we knew we were right. The only reason we didn't pick up the phone was because we weren't sure our phones were safe.”
Major took one more pass back and forth in front of them, then stopped in front of the one who spoke, “Stefan, ya took initiative as soon as ya heard the news, and we'll talk more about what y'all have heard if ya pass Isabella's tests. She will not hesitate to kill any one’a ya, if ya mean us harm, and I'll warn ya once. Shit's hittin' the fan from all sides, so if one’a ya means us harm, ya won't live to leave here in one piece. You'll be ash in the wind before ya can blink. Isabella, My Mate... would ya like to add anythin'?”
I smirked down at him, winked, then said in my goddess tone, “You all have one chance to pass into the protective field. If it senses you as a threat to the cause, my mates, or anyone under my protection, I will know instantly.”
I smiled as Major came to wind his fingers in Jake's fur, then continued, “You see Jake here? He's just itchin’ to get his teeth into an enemy. I can guarantee he's stronger than any one of you here. One at a time, you will step forward to ten feet in front of Major, then state your name clearly for those of us who do not know you. Kendrick, step forward to the ten foot line, since I know you have passed through my field. You know what to do.”
With a nod from him as he took position, I felt my eyes swirl with power. My elements started rotating slowly above my hands as I looked at each of the newcomers, saying, “You may begin. The next in line will wait until given the command to come forward.”
The one who spoke -Stefan- took one step forward, then sought permission from Major with a look. Major nodded, so he continued slowly forward. As he breached the shield and stopped in front of Major, he said, “My name is Stefan, and know I speak for all of us when I say it would be an honor, to not only be under Major's command again, but help you any way possible along the path of your destiny, Goddess.”
He bowed deeply, so I nodded as I said, “You may step to the right of Captain until further notice.”
The process continued through all of the vampires, with no casualties, then it came time for the shifters. “Kendrick, I want an honest answer to my next question, as it will affect the outcome. Have you laid down the law concerning any harm coming to anyone under my protection, or myself and my mates?”
He shook his head no, but Edward added, “He's saying that his gut told him it was a bad time to lay down that order. When he spoke with his elders and the shaman, they forewarned him not to do anything of the like at that time.”
I nodded then asked the same of the of the other two tribes. The leader of each took a step forward to offer a similar explanation. I nodded, “Good. Should each member of your tribes make it through the protection field, then you will be asked to, but it will only be a non-violence clause for allies to the Goddess and her cause. Now, Kendrick. Your pack will mostly be in animal form unless eating, so I will have them go through the same process in their animal form as the vampires did. Edward will translate, so they need not fear being misunderstood because of their form. Once they pass and we have repeated the process with the other two tribes, I will ask each of the tribes to shift so that we can all correlate a face to an animal counterpart. You may begin by sending your beta through.”
In Kendrick's bear pack, we accepted all 11 members successfully. Next came the Alaska tribe of falcons, which had 8 members total. “The second-in-command will go first and the leader last, as we did with the bear tribe. I will explain my reasoning once we know that we are in the company of only trusted allies, but know that it is not to undermine your authority with your brothers and sisters. Falcons will go first, then the coyote tribe. You may begin now.”
Everything went smoothly with both tribes. My elements finally dissipated above my hands after the leader of the coyotes made it successfully through his introduction. “Thank you all for your patience through the process, but I must be certain that only trusted allies are in our midst. All will be explained, but take note that the ten foot line you all stepped up to is the edge of the protective field for this property. Jake will mind link the leaders of the shifter tribes the full areas that are protected, while Major will inform the vampires. Anything outside of a protected zone is considered enemy territory. There are a total of 4 safe zones in this area, including this property. Carlisle, did everyone get the names as they came through?”
Carlisle smiled with a nod, “Yes, My Dear, we did. We will help the elders to become familiar with them also.”
I nodded, kissed the top of Jake's big head, then flipped off of him and directly onto Major's back. He chuckled, then pulled me to wrap around his front, saying, “Ready to relax yet, My Playful Goddess?”
I hummed, “You betcha. It feels good to be back with our family again. Lets all gather in the back yard, get our hellos in, then we can have the packs phase one at a time into their human forms for those introductions.”
Major nuzzled into my neck, then said, “I'm sure that the family will be eager to reconnect. I can feel it in their emotions.”
I smiled widely, then kissed him before saying, “As for your riffraff,.. I suspect you guys will be catching up, too?”
Major chuckled, then said, “Yeah, but that usually happens over a few rounds of mock combat for us. They can wait for that until after things settle down a bit.”
I nodded, then turned my head to say, “Well, come on, you guys. No need for us to stand out here all damn day.”
Major laughed, then called as he jogged toward Carlisle and Esme, “You heard her, crew, at ease.”
I had Major detour to stop in front of Charlie and Sue, then hopped down and turned to them. I pulled them both gently to me, then hugged them as I whispered, “Everything went perfectly. There's no need for you to worry about us now. We're home and safe, and the babies are thriving.”
They both let out a relieved breath, then Charlie choked out, “God, are you a sight for sore eyes, Princess.”
I pulled back enough to kiss Sue's cheek, then cupped both of Charlie's as I said seriously, “I'm perfect, Dad. So are Jaiden and Preston. I'll even let Carlisle give me a once over, just to ease your minds.”
He nodded and hugged me tightly once more, then I saw Carlisle and Esme out of the corner of my eye. “I'll catch up to you guys in a bit, okay?”
They both chuckled as I dashed toward Carlisle and Esme. I let out a breath as I was pulled into Carlisle's strong arms. Esme came up and hugged me from behind, so I whispered, “God, I missed you.”
They let out a collective shaky breath, then Carlisle said, “Don't leave like that again, Honey, please.”
Esme added, “Keeping track through the pack isn't the same as seeing for ourselves that you are well. I don't like not being near when you could be in danger.”
I pressed my lips softly to Carlisle's, then turned to do the same with Esme. I cupped her cheek while whispering, “We're perfect... all of us. Now I need to say hello to everyone else, but after all the necessary stuff is taken care of, Carlisle can do his doctor bit to ease everyone's worries. Do you happen to have something made up for the newcomers to eat? I don't know when the last time any of them ate was.”
Esme smiled as she assured me that the garage fridge was already holding food for everyone. It was just waiting to be plated.
Seconds later, I was stolen from Carlisle and Esme's arms, surrounded by the familiar feel of Rose and Emmett. I hummed as I nuzzled into Rose's neck, “Hello, My Sweet Girl. My Hercules. God, it feels good to be in your arms. Did you help keep everyone on task while we were away?”
Emmett nodded into my shoulder, humming, “Mm-hmm,” as Rose kissed my neck and mumbled, “I hate that job. You're never to leave us for that long again, Bella. Promise me.”
I chuckled, kissed her lips lightly, then whispered, “Oh, Rose. I love you immensely, but Honey, you know I can't promise you that. We don't know what's ahead of us. I can promise you that if I have to go away again, I will try to work it out that you get to go with us.”
Emmett grumbled, “We'd better,” as Rose nodded in finality.
That's when I heard my favorite succubus calling out, “Hey, stop hogging the Goddess, you two. There are others that want to say hello, you know.”
They both released me with a chuckle, so I flipped myself onto Tanya's back as I said, “How's my favorite cousin? Think you can handle me sucking up more succubus from you soon?”
Tanya laughed outright, along with my mates who were standing next to her. She grinned widely as I hopped down and stood in front of her, “You can suck up all the succubus you want from me, Babe. Anytime. Glad you're back.”
Kate threw her arm around my shoulder as she said in a relieved tone, “These guys have been slave drivers the last couple days, Bella. They're much less cranky when you're around.”
I chuckled then smirked at her, “Yeah, like you guys weren't just as cranky and worried as they were. Admit it.”
Everyone laughed at that, then I kissed my mates before making my way over to Carmen and Eleazar. He smiled brightly, “You look extremely well, My Goddess.”
I hugged him and Carmen both, then said, “I am, thank you. I have new info for you on my shields, which we'll need to discuss soon.”
He nodded seriously, then Carmen said, “I know you wish to see the elders, Young Goddess, so we won't keep you. We have learned much from them while we worked on the cabins, and are eager to tell you about it all soon.”
I grinned my agreement, then made my way to the elders, where Charlie and Sue had joined them around the fire pit.
Quil was in his wolf form laying next to his namesake, so I scratched behind his ear before kissing old Quil on the cheek. “I hear you had an eventful couple of days. We have much to discuss, but I will tell you that the problem with my shield alarms being painful has been rectified. I will no longer need to constantly draw energy during them. Plus, the materials for the battle gear have all been blessed.”
I kissed Billy's cheek, then Sam's, continuing, “The issue with why everyone is coming sooner than we thought, is because the shaman wove a spell to call allies to me. We still need to be on guard, because there's no guarantee that an enemy won't show up acting as a friend, but that is what the shaman told us during the meeting.”
They all smiled at me, then Quil offered, “I know you need to finish the human identification, Young Goddess. Our talk can hold until you have done that and relaxed for a few minutes.”
I thanked them, then stood. After turning to hold my hands out to my mates, Jasper stood behind me, wrapping his arms around me to lay on my tummy. Peter and Char both kissed a shoulder as the took my hands. I noticed the newcomers all watching us curiously, then Major called attention.
The back yard went silent quickly, so I said, “First of all, welcome to our new allies. I will be asking you to phase to your human form one pack at a time, to be able to put face to animal counterpart. Before you do, I'll introduce everyone here. When I say your name and position, if applicable, please either stand or raise your hand.”
I went through the introductions, then said to the new packs, “I know most of you must be hungry. I promise that after we meet you in your human forms, Esme and the other girls will be plating food for each of you. You need not worry about food or any other necessities while under my protection, as it will be supplied by my mates and myself. All you have to do is tell one of us what you need, and we will get it for you. As for the vampires, we will be needing to discuss an alternative to you hunting in state.”
My dad cleared his throat, so I smiled down at him. He asked hesitantly, “Could they hunt like Peter and Char used to, or would it be too dangerous? If not that, would the donated blood work for them like it does you?”
I beamed at my father, then said, “You've thought about this a lot while I was gone, haven't you, Dad? Both are good alternatives, but hunting outside a protective field would be putting them in danger. Carlisle, would the donated blood work?”
Carlisle nodded with a bright smile, “It will, Dear. With your approval, I can start calling my contacts to gather everything they can spare me. You'll need more soon, too, since I only had a certain amount accumulated for you.”
I nodded, then looked at the vampires, “Will you all agree to drink donated blood while you are under my protection? It can be heated to temperature, and would ease the mind of many here that no one died to supply it.”
They all agreed readily, so I called for Kendrick's tribe of bears to please take to the trees and phase.
After all of the shifters introduced themselves in their human form, I started aching, since it was past time to let someone feed from me. Jake immediately looked at me with a whine. I saw Carlisle and Esme looking at the four of us longingly, so I looked at my mates. They smiled and nodded, then we all made our way to them. I whispered to each of them almost silently, “I know you two need time with us, so I thought you would like to take this feeding.”
They hugged me tightly, then directed us to the master bedroom. I was instantly tackled gently to the bed, with Carlisle and Esme both trying to undress me quickly, my mates laughing at their excitement as Jake laid silently down by the door.
Other than caressing and light teasing, neither of them took it any further while they fed, until I felt Captain crawl up between my legs with a moan, “God, I need to make ya cum for me, Little One. It's been too long since I've had your taste on my tongue.”
The look in his onyx eyes spiked my arousal. Carlisle and Esme both moaned, sucking harder in response. I wrapped my hands in their hair just as Captain nipped Major and Jasper's bite marks, then licked a line straight up my core with a moan.
We ended up making love to Carlisle and Esme after they got done feeding. It was a tender reconnecting time for all of us. While Char and I lavished our attention on Esme, Carlisle got the same treatment from Major and Captain, then we switched so that Char and I had time with Carlisle. We had missed them dearly while we were gone, so I wasn't surprised that our reunion was a tender one.
It was 2 hours after we disappeared, when we finally arrived back outside. I saw many of the newcomers looking at us strangely. I knew we had to put an end to it. I sat under the tree between Major's legs, with Captain and Char on either side of us, then called them to us.
After they all sat, I said, “I see the looks on your faces. I know you're wondering. I don't want there to be any misconceptions, so I'm going to tell you all now. My mates and I are intimate with the Cullens. We do not cheat on each other, because any time something intimate happens, my mates and I are always in the same room. I am never with anyone other than my mates without them being there or involved, and neither are they. It started as an extension to the bonding that normally happens when I let someone feed from me.”
I took a breath, then continued, “I am pregnant with Jasper and Peter's sons. The way we had to ensure that I would be able to nurse the babies, meant that I would need to have my mates nurse from me until they were born. Blood and milk both need to flow, along with my milk production needing to be quite high. With my mates constantly feeding from me every few hours, they were becoming too full. The nutrient count that is in my breast milk for the twins was filling them to the point where feeding would have become a burden if we didn't bring others in. Yes, the Cullens all feed from me, and yes, it goes further than feeding. It does not, however, lessen what I share with my mates. Now I will take questions, but please note that I will not tolerate disrespect, just because you may not agree with our personal choices.”
I saw several smirks on the faces of the vampires, but it was Jeremy, the leader of the falcon tribe that spoke up first. “How is it that you can carry life inside you, while you clearly do not have a beating heart?”
I smiled, “It is the goddess in me at work, along with the magic of my protector here... Jake. I became pregnant just before my turning. I had the feeling just after I made love to both Peter and Jasper, that if I got to Jake and the wolves in time, something important would happen. I did, and Jake resting his head on my belly is what enabled my mates' frozen little swimmers to thaw. His heat kept rising in spurts, so I likened it to melting an ice cube. That led me to epiphany 100 of that day, and figuring out how my mates could father children with me. The goddess prepared me for my turning. The parts of me that need to create and nurture life still work as they would normally... they're just amp'd up. Blood and energy that I take in automatically get portioned out, to be given to the babies and to nursing. My abdomen is no weaker than any other area on my body because of the pregnancy, nor will my bones break any easier than another vampire's will.”
Jade, one of the crew smiled widely, “Congratulations to all of you. My question is this, if your bones won't break as easily, won't it be hard for them to expand and allow the children to grow?”
I smiled, then said, “Edward has become my pregnancy doula, because I had to help the babies rush through the first trimester of the pregnancy before my turning. Though everything went perfectly with the twins, my hips and pelvis didn't catch up. Edward is licensed in pregnancy massage, so he helps my hips and pelvis shift into the proper position. Between Carlisle and Edward being my doctors, Edward taking on my pregnancy massage and needs, as well as the goddess in me being strong and instinctive, I am well cared for. The twins are strong and very healthy.”
Everyone smiled at that. The leader of the coyote tribe, Zander, asked after a few moments of silence, “The babies... will they be special like you? Will they have destinies of their own?”
I smiled with a nod of agreement, “Yes, Zander. That is why it is so very important that we all work as one. I know it will be difficult at times for shifters and vampires to work together; I’m not naive enough to think everything will be fluffy puppies and rainbows. It will be very difficult at times, but if we don't work together to win the first battle, I will lose the babies, then we will lose every battle we go into. There is no compromise on this. We're working for a better way of life for both shifters and vampires. If we can't work together, the consequences will be felt globally. The prophecy states that my children will have their own great destinies to fulfill, but that there will be no children or destinies unless we win the battles. The timeline has shifted, since Major and I didn't let our feelings for each other be known until much later than we were supposed to, so everything will be fast tracked until it catches up to where it's supposed to be. Does that make sense?”
Damon, one of the crew offered, “So you were supposed to make love to Major sooner than you did, but you weren't supposed to get pregnant until later in your mating timeline?”
I nodded as Major offered with a kiss to my shoulder, “Yes. In the prophecy, it stated that if the battles were won, that the goddess would be able to conceive with her mates, though they thought it impossible. She wasn't supposed to get pregnant until after all three battles, but as ya can all clearly hear, she is carryin’ our sons.”
Andrew, one of the falcon tribe looked thoughtful for a moment, so I waited. When he spoke, he asked, “You speak of battles, plural... which our legend vaguely states, also... and about how if we can't work together, the consequences are globally felt. Do you know who the battles are against and what those consequences would be?”
I nodded, “We believe the three battles will be a revenge-seeking vampire here in Washington that is raising herself a newly-turned vampire army, a sadistic bitch in the south who turned the Major, and the vampire leaders. The one here, Victoria... she slippery, and has been known to somehow get herself out of sticky situations. She was one of a coven of three nomads, whose leader decided to make me his most fascinating game after the Cullens protected a human me. Long story made extremely short, James, the leader tortured and bit me before Edward could pull him off. Major killed him and torched the whole place, but I found out during my torture that James had no mate. Victoria believes he was her mate, and is out to kill me for a mate-for-mate vendetta that isn't true. Edward wasn't my mate, nor was James hers.”
I looked around then continued, “She tried to get to me several times, but has been stopped each time. She's making help now, though. She's turning humans, raising an army of uncontrolled, bloodlust-crazed vampires. She knows how to get around Alice's visions, and plans to attack in just under a month's time. The kicker, is that she somehow was able to get her hands on cursed jewelry pieces. None of you must ever touch one with your bare hands. We have already killed several scouts that tried to breach the protective fields. Some were wearing enchanted pieces. I'll let any of you know what they are beforehand, so that you can retrieve them safely. They need to all be taken to the shaman, then be unbound from their purpose before they can be destroyed. If we don't win against Victoria, both Forks and La Push will perish. The reservation will be destroyed, along with everyone in this town. She may not even stop there, and decide to wipe the state from the map. Those are the consequences of losing this first battle.”
Everyone seemed to be getting the picture now, so I said, “Yes, we are being hit from all sides. Your lives under my protection will not be a walk in the park, and for that I apologise. The end result, if we win these battles, will be well worth it for all, though. As for the bitch in the south, any of the crew could tell you more about her than I could. Maria is a sadistic and twisted vampire, who fights over feeding territory by training and having her army fight other ones... only we think she's not satisfied with just the south anymore. She want me. With me under her control, she could potentially keep all of the continental U.S as her personal feeding grounds. She is not above killing anyone in her path to get to me, either. Not any of you, not my mates. Yes, she would love to have Major and Captain under her thumb again, since that's where Major earned the God of War title, but she's not above killing them to torture me.”
Stefan gasped as he clutched his mate Ang to his side, then choked out, “But... that would...”
I nodded sadly, my hands automatically coming out in front of me to show the four pieces of my mates that I held within me. I looked around at the shifters as I said, “If any one of them is killed, the piece of their soul that you see would die also. It would not disappear, though, and the pain would be enough to cripple me. I will explain at another time, but I almost became lost when the piece of Peter's soul that I hold became damaged while I was human. You can tell whose soul piece is whose by the color. Jasper's is green, Peter's is red, Char's is blue, and Major's is the silver swirling one. We are all bound as tightly as possible. I hold a literal piece of their soul inside me. They hold the same of me and each other. If one of us should die, we all fall.”
Major placed his hands gently on my tummy, silently reminding me it wouldn't do well for me to become upset. I let out a breath, then stated, “As for the vampire leaders in Europe, the Volturi have been secretly finding any excuse they can to round up gifted vampires. Aro -one of the kings- wants me as his prized plaything. With me under his rule, he would be unstoppable. He would openly round up gifted vampires, slaying all who stood in his way. Shifters wouldn't stand a chance. Any tribe who still had the ability to shift would be slaughtered, including the women and children. We must win these three battles, if we are to find a peaceful existence for all supernaturals.”
The beta from the coyote tribe, Greg, ran his fingers through his hair as he let out a breath. He looked up at me with a worried look, then said, “But won't someone else just rise up in the place of this Aro guy, that's just as bad as he is?”
I smirked, asking, “Are my mates and I as bad as Aro? During my turning, I had several visions of things I needed to know or glimpses of the future. One of them showed me at the end of the Volturi battle. I was on the castle steps, telling our allies that the corrupt rule of the Volturi was over… that my family and I would be taking over to make a just system of government.”
Everyone smiled widely at that statement, then Greg said with a smirk, “Now that I can see following along with.”
The rest of the trip back to Washington went smoothly. Though I didn't have a microwave to heat the blood I needed, Jake's body temperature heated it for me quickly. I ended up drinking two bags before I felt the need for energy. Jake's stomach growled immediately in response, so Peter asked from the driver seat, “That time again, isn't it, Sugar?”
I hummed as I patted my belly, “The babies are steadily taking energy, little by little, and with the meeting... yeah, we're a little hungry.”
Jasper twirled his fingers on my tummy as he kissed my shoulder, then said, “Let's get you fed then, Darlin'. You have a certain place you want Jake to hunt?”
After a minute of thought, I got a jittery feeling, then looked deep into Jake's eyes. There was something there, but without Edward here, I couldn't tell exactly what was behind it. I could tell that he wasn't feeling comfortable about something, though.
I turned to sit on my knees as I placed my forehead on his muzzle, just breathing for a second. I was getting the same jittery feeling from deep inside myself, so I asked, “Is it hunting, Jake? Is that was has us jittery?”
Jake's head nodded as he whined and nudged my tummy gently. I looked at him questioningly, then said, “Something's wrong, and you're worried the babies will get hurt?”
Jake nodded in finality, so I took a minute to study him. Jasper suddenly said, “Jake's giving me the feeling of how he felt when Kendrick was outside of our circle in the clearing, Darlin.”
Then it hit me. I nodded to Jasper. “Jake, others are close, aren't they? Other shifters and vampires. Some are getting close... you think we might run into some if we stop, right?”
I got an internal confirmation right as Jake nodded, then said, “The babies and I will be fine until we get home. We'll have Kendrick meet up with his pack while we hunt, then when we're done, we can test the pack on the shields. I'm getting the same feeling, so I don't think we should stop. You'll let Edward know what you've been getting when we reach the safety of the house, right?”
Jake rolled his eyes, giving me his 'Chillax, Bells. Like I wouldn't tell him anyway' look. Jasper chuckled, so I huffed, “Okay, Brat. I get it. You'd tell him immediately so I would know. You don't have to give me that look.”
Jake and Kendrick both thought that was funny, and Jake's barking laugh effectively eased the mounting tension of my mates.
As we got within 50 miles of the house, Jake's ears flattened, then a low growl came rumbling through his chest. I immediately spun to look deep into Jake's eyes, instinctively knowing that we had a few new arrivals that were outside of the protective field. I grabbed Jake's muzzle, saying forcefully, “Stay in the protective fields, and do not for any reason leave them. Any wolf not phased needs to do it. Make sure to tell the Carlisle that we'll be coming in the back way, since the newcomers are around front. If their position alters, we need to know immediately. Take down anyone that comes near the SUVs before they can reach us. I can't have Kendrick phasing in here.”
Jake gave a low growl, then Jasper said, “He sent me a feeling of accomplishment, Darlin.”
Everything was okay again until we got about ten miles from the house. I felt my shields automatically making a bubble around the two vehicles, so I called out, “Edward, make sure you stay on our ass, my shields just popped into place. I don't know why you can't see them, but they're in place, so don't get too far.”
I looked behind us to see Edward closing the gap between the vehicles, then Peter said, “We're good, Kitten. You just do what you have to do. Let us worry about the rest.”
I nodded up to him, sending my mates my love, then closed my eyes as I said, “Kendrick, I sense your energy signature, but I need you to be still for me please. I need to search out the energy signatures of who's outside of the protective field. I need to go off of yours until I find your pack.”
After only a second, I found several new energy signatures. The vampire and shifter signatures were different from the normal animals around, much stronger. They differed from each other. I whispered out, “Other than Kendrick's 11, I'm detecting two other tribes, one with 8 and one with 9. Then there are 13 vampire signatures... strong ones... shit, Jazz... You need to Major up. I don't know why, but you and Captain need to be out full-force when you see the vamps. Shit goes south if you see them as Jasper and Peter.”
I immediately felt the shift as Jasper let the Major loose. Automatically, my eyes swirled as my goddess came out in full-force. Kendrick lowered his head as my mates all let out a hum, but I said, “Kendrick, you'll be at Major's side until just before we head out towards the newcomers. Your 11 have not gone through any testing, so you will need to be outside of my protective field until I ask for you to come forward. Go through the process again, along with your pack. Once everyone that's come has undergone the process, we'll find the time for you to be put through some rounds with Major.”
Kendrick nodded silently, then I felt my shield flare as Jake rumbled.
I looked at him, but Major said, “All's fine, Isabella. Jake's feelins are gettin' easier for me to understand without him sendin' them to me. He was just layin' down the law, is all. I think one of the wolves was gettin' edgy, but he told them to stay.”
Jake nodded in finality. Seconds after we passed the two-mile mark from the protective shield at the back of the property, Major's cell phone went off. He answered it immediately, then said after a minute, “They're what?”
I was concentrating on keeping tabs on the whereabouts of the newcomers, so I wasn't listening to what the other person said. “Alright. Make sure no one makes a move outside of the protective field, and do not engage them. We won't know intentions until they try to breach the barrier. Stay alert. We'll take the trail around to the garage.”
I heard his phone beep, then he whispered, “The second we got to the two mile mark away from the barrier, Carlisle said something happened, but that it wasn't bad. Said we had to see it to believe it.”
I nodded with my eyes closed, then said, “They aren't moving position. They’re all still in the trees outside the front part of the protective field.”
The moment both SUVs made it safely inside the barrier line, my shields automatically dissipated, so I nodded to Major. “They came up on their own, then dissipated as soon as both vehicles were safely inside the field. We're good, but we really need to talk to Eleazar about working with them. I need to gather energy, so stop at the old cabin first, Peter.”
He nodded then turned onto the path that led to the cabin. I scratched Jake's ear as I relaxed against Major.
As soon as we reached the cabin, Char and Peter were opening the doors for us, and the others were securing the area. Edward came back several minutes later, saying, “The area's secure. They've already moved your things from the cabin. I'm sure Esme and Rose took care of moving everything to the new cabin for you.”
I nodded as Peter and Char helped me from the SUV, immediately surrounding me in a hug. I hummed, then said, “I love you two. I promise we'll get back into a routine, but right now I need energy. Your sons are being little piggies.”
Major chuckled while patting my tummy, bending over to speak to it, “Be good to Momma, boys. She's gonna feed ya right now. Be patient for just another minute or two.”
I ran my fingers through his hair, kissed his lips lightly when he rose, then dropped fluidly into my lotus position right where I always gathered energy here.
We reached the back of the main house only 5 minutes later. As we all unloaded, I said clearly, “Kendrick, go to the treeline to phase, then make your way around to your pack. I want you at the head of your pack when I make my way down the front drive. When I call you to come forward, Jake will send you a signal through the mind link if a newcomer is sensed as a threat. Take that person down, but do not kill. I won't kill without reason, and I need to know why they were detected as a threat.”
He nodded, then dashed off to the treeline, so I turned to my group. “Jake, I'm with you, Major's in front of you, Char and Captain are at your flanks on their partner wolves. Alice, Edward... you're taking up the tail ends of the 'V' on Paul and Seth. Major, you need to take point here for the first few minutes, but you need to make sure you pet or scratch Jake every so often. The vamps need a clear understanding that the shifters are important to you, or things get hairy down the road. Same with everyone else. Be affectionate to your partner wolf.”
I saw everyone nod seriously, then Jake barked for them to go phase.
The rest of us walked into the center of the back yard where the family and on-duty wolves were. I smiled widely as I said, “It is so good to be home. God, did I miss all of you. Our meeting went well with the shaman, but before we go over everything and settle back in, we need to deal with the newcomers. I ask all of you to stand behind us, but please keep the elders and Charlie inside of your protection. My protective field is still well in place, but I don't want to take a chance that they could be hurt for any reason. I love you all, and we'll catch up on everything soon.”
After we all mounted our wolves, Major stood at Jake's muzzle, rubbing under his chin, whispering with a gleam in his eyes, “Let's go show 'em how things are done around here, Jake.”
Jake barked a laugh, then stood tall and growled low as Major turned. That was our signal to go, so we all made our way down the front drive like we were taking a leisurely stroll. Major made an almost devious laugh when I smelled several vampire scents that hit me on the breeze. That's when I saw all of the newcomers inside the treeline just 50 feet ahead of us... on their knees with their heads bowed, or on their bellies in the case of the shifters.
Instantly, my hands extended and my elements swirled with power. Major chuckled while rubbing his fingers along Jake's muzzle, saying clearly, “My Goddess... seems to me the riffraff decided to join the party.”
Jake growled menacingly, then Major said, “Crew! Front and center at 25 feet.”
All thirteen vampires scrambled to their feet, then stood with their hands behind their backs, feet shoulder width apart, their heads bowed within seconds.
Major continued to rub Jake's muzzle for a few seconds before he made a pass back and forth in front of the newcomers. When he stopped in the center again, he said in his battle calm voice, “I know for a fuckin' fact that Captain has tried to contact each and every one of ya within the last week. Here I was, thinkin' y'all might wanna be here to support me and my mates... since I've saved every one’a your good-for-nothin' asses more than once... but not one’a ya answered the goddamn phone when Captain called. Gimmie one good reason why I shouldn't ash each’a ya where ya stand... or better yet, let Jake and the pack make chew toys outta ya.”
Jake crouched a bit with a rumbling growl, but held his position as I scratched behind his ear.
After a second, a male said in a clear but hesitant tone, “Major, I was at my Spain villa when I started hearing rumors of the God of War making a comeback. A gathering of Gods and Goddesses -along with shifters- would be fighting to right the wrongs of our world, and were gathering in the northern U.S. I immediately got on the wire with the others, then set to meet up in person with them, only telling them it was a life or death situation. I couldn't take the chance that our phones could have gotten tampered, so once we all met up, I explained to them what I heard. We decided that if something was going down, we needed to be here for you. We started making our way here only an hour before we started each getting the call from Captain, so we knew we were right. The only reason we didn't pick up the phone was because we weren't sure our phones were safe.”
Major took one more pass back and forth in front of them, then stopped in front of the one who spoke, “Stefan, ya took initiative as soon as ya heard the news, and we'll talk more about what y'all have heard if ya pass Isabella's tests. She will not hesitate to kill any one’a ya, if ya mean us harm, and I'll warn ya once. Shit's hittin' the fan from all sides, so if one’a ya means us harm, ya won't live to leave here in one piece. You'll be ash in the wind before ya can blink. Isabella, My Mate... would ya like to add anythin'?”
I smirked down at him, winked, then said in my goddess tone, “You all have one chance to pass into the protective field. If it senses you as a threat to the cause, my mates, or anyone under my protection, I will know instantly.”
I smiled as Major came to wind his fingers in Jake's fur, then continued, “You see Jake here? He's just itchin’ to get his teeth into an enemy. I can guarantee he's stronger than any one of you here. One at a time, you will step forward to ten feet in front of Major, then state your name clearly for those of us who do not know you. Kendrick, step forward to the ten foot line, since I know you have passed through my field. You know what to do.”
With a nod from him as he took position, I felt my eyes swirl with power. My elements started rotating slowly above my hands as I looked at each of the newcomers, saying, “You may begin. The next in line will wait until given the command to come forward.”
The one who spoke -Stefan- took one step forward, then sought permission from Major with a look. Major nodded, so he continued slowly forward. As he breached the shield and stopped in front of Major, he said, “My name is Stefan, and know I speak for all of us when I say it would be an honor, to not only be under Major's command again, but help you any way possible along the path of your destiny, Goddess.”
He bowed deeply, so I nodded as I said, “You may step to the right of Captain until further notice.”
The process continued through all of the vampires, with no casualties, then it came time for the shifters. “Kendrick, I want an honest answer to my next question, as it will affect the outcome. Have you laid down the law concerning any harm coming to anyone under my protection, or myself and my mates?”
He shook his head no, but Edward added, “He's saying that his gut told him it was a bad time to lay down that order. When he spoke with his elders and the shaman, they forewarned him not to do anything of the like at that time.”
I nodded then asked the same of the of the other two tribes. The leader of each took a step forward to offer a similar explanation. I nodded, “Good. Should each member of your tribes make it through the protection field, then you will be asked to, but it will only be a non-violence clause for allies to the Goddess and her cause. Now, Kendrick. Your pack will mostly be in animal form unless eating, so I will have them go through the same process in their animal form as the vampires did. Edward will translate, so they need not fear being misunderstood because of their form. Once they pass and we have repeated the process with the other two tribes, I will ask each of the tribes to shift so that we can all correlate a face to an animal counterpart. You may begin by sending your beta through.”
In Kendrick's bear pack, we accepted all 11 members successfully. Next came the Alaska tribe of falcons, which had 8 members total. “The second-in-command will go first and the leader last, as we did with the bear tribe. I will explain my reasoning once we know that we are in the company of only trusted allies, but know that it is not to undermine your authority with your brothers and sisters. Falcons will go first, then the coyote tribe. You may begin now.”
Everything went smoothly with both tribes. My elements finally dissipated above my hands after the leader of the coyotes made it successfully through his introduction. “Thank you all for your patience through the process, but I must be certain that only trusted allies are in our midst. All will be explained, but take note that the ten foot line you all stepped up to is the edge of the protective field for this property. Jake will mind link the leaders of the shifter tribes the full areas that are protected, while Major will inform the vampires. Anything outside of a protected zone is considered enemy territory. There are a total of 4 safe zones in this area, including this property. Carlisle, did everyone get the names as they came through?”
Carlisle smiled with a nod, “Yes, My Dear, we did. We will help the elders to become familiar with them also.”
I nodded, kissed the top of Jake's big head, then flipped off of him and directly onto Major's back. He chuckled, then pulled me to wrap around his front, saying, “Ready to relax yet, My Playful Goddess?”
I hummed, “You betcha. It feels good to be back with our family again. Lets all gather in the back yard, get our hellos in, then we can have the packs phase one at a time into their human forms for those introductions.”
Major nuzzled into my neck, then said, “I'm sure that the family will be eager to reconnect. I can feel it in their emotions.”
I smiled widely, then kissed him before saying, “As for your riffraff,.. I suspect you guys will be catching up, too?”
Major chuckled, then said, “Yeah, but that usually happens over a few rounds of mock combat for us. They can wait for that until after things settle down a bit.”
I nodded, then turned my head to say, “Well, come on, you guys. No need for us to stand out here all damn day.”
Major laughed, then called as he jogged toward Carlisle and Esme, “You heard her, crew, at ease.”
I had Major detour to stop in front of Charlie and Sue, then hopped down and turned to them. I pulled them both gently to me, then hugged them as I whispered, “Everything went perfectly. There's no need for you to worry about us now. We're home and safe, and the babies are thriving.”
They both let out a relieved breath, then Charlie choked out, “God, are you a sight for sore eyes, Princess.”
I pulled back enough to kiss Sue's cheek, then cupped both of Charlie's as I said seriously, “I'm perfect, Dad. So are Jaiden and Preston. I'll even let Carlisle give me a once over, just to ease your minds.”
He nodded and hugged me tightly once more, then I saw Carlisle and Esme out of the corner of my eye. “I'll catch up to you guys in a bit, okay?”
They both chuckled as I dashed toward Carlisle and Esme. I let out a breath as I was pulled into Carlisle's strong arms. Esme came up and hugged me from behind, so I whispered, “God, I missed you.”
They let out a collective shaky breath, then Carlisle said, “Don't leave like that again, Honey, please.”
Esme added, “Keeping track through the pack isn't the same as seeing for ourselves that you are well. I don't like not being near when you could be in danger.”
I pressed my lips softly to Carlisle's, then turned to do the same with Esme. I cupped her cheek while whispering, “We're perfect... all of us. Now I need to say hello to everyone else, but after all the necessary stuff is taken care of, Carlisle can do his doctor bit to ease everyone's worries. Do you happen to have something made up for the newcomers to eat? I don't know when the last time any of them ate was.”
Esme smiled as she assured me that the garage fridge was already holding food for everyone. It was just waiting to be plated.
Seconds later, I was stolen from Carlisle and Esme's arms, surrounded by the familiar feel of Rose and Emmett. I hummed as I nuzzled into Rose's neck, “Hello, My Sweet Girl. My Hercules. God, it feels good to be in your arms. Did you help keep everyone on task while we were away?”
Emmett nodded into my shoulder, humming, “Mm-hmm,” as Rose kissed my neck and mumbled, “I hate that job. You're never to leave us for that long again, Bella. Promise me.”
I chuckled, kissed her lips lightly, then whispered, “Oh, Rose. I love you immensely, but Honey, you know I can't promise you that. We don't know what's ahead of us. I can promise you that if I have to go away again, I will try to work it out that you get to go with us.”
Emmett grumbled, “We'd better,” as Rose nodded in finality.
That's when I heard my favorite succubus calling out, “Hey, stop hogging the Goddess, you two. There are others that want to say hello, you know.”
They both released me with a chuckle, so I flipped myself onto Tanya's back as I said, “How's my favorite cousin? Think you can handle me sucking up more succubus from you soon?”
Tanya laughed outright, along with my mates who were standing next to her. She grinned widely as I hopped down and stood in front of her, “You can suck up all the succubus you want from me, Babe. Anytime. Glad you're back.”
Kate threw her arm around my shoulder as she said in a relieved tone, “These guys have been slave drivers the last couple days, Bella. They're much less cranky when you're around.”
I chuckled then smirked at her, “Yeah, like you guys weren't just as cranky and worried as they were. Admit it.”
Everyone laughed at that, then I kissed my mates before making my way over to Carmen and Eleazar. He smiled brightly, “You look extremely well, My Goddess.”
I hugged him and Carmen both, then said, “I am, thank you. I have new info for you on my shields, which we'll need to discuss soon.”
He nodded seriously, then Carmen said, “I know you wish to see the elders, Young Goddess, so we won't keep you. We have learned much from them while we worked on the cabins, and are eager to tell you about it all soon.”
I grinned my agreement, then made my way to the elders, where Charlie and Sue had joined them around the fire pit.
Quil was in his wolf form laying next to his namesake, so I scratched behind his ear before kissing old Quil on the cheek. “I hear you had an eventful couple of days. We have much to discuss, but I will tell you that the problem with my shield alarms being painful has been rectified. I will no longer need to constantly draw energy during them. Plus, the materials for the battle gear have all been blessed.”
I kissed Billy's cheek, then Sam's, continuing, “The issue with why everyone is coming sooner than we thought, is because the shaman wove a spell to call allies to me. We still need to be on guard, because there's no guarantee that an enemy won't show up acting as a friend, but that is what the shaman told us during the meeting.”
They all smiled at me, then Quil offered, “I know you need to finish the human identification, Young Goddess. Our talk can hold until you have done that and relaxed for a few minutes.”
I thanked them, then stood. After turning to hold my hands out to my mates, Jasper stood behind me, wrapping his arms around me to lay on my tummy. Peter and Char both kissed a shoulder as the took my hands. I noticed the newcomers all watching us curiously, then Major called attention.
The back yard went silent quickly, so I said, “First of all, welcome to our new allies. I will be asking you to phase to your human form one pack at a time, to be able to put face to animal counterpart. Before you do, I'll introduce everyone here. When I say your name and position, if applicable, please either stand or raise your hand.”
I went through the introductions, then said to the new packs, “I know most of you must be hungry. I promise that after we meet you in your human forms, Esme and the other girls will be plating food for each of you. You need not worry about food or any other necessities while under my protection, as it will be supplied by my mates and myself. All you have to do is tell one of us what you need, and we will get it for you. As for the vampires, we will be needing to discuss an alternative to you hunting in state.”
My dad cleared his throat, so I smiled down at him. He asked hesitantly, “Could they hunt like Peter and Char used to, or would it be too dangerous? If not that, would the donated blood work for them like it does you?”
I beamed at my father, then said, “You've thought about this a lot while I was gone, haven't you, Dad? Both are good alternatives, but hunting outside a protective field would be putting them in danger. Carlisle, would the donated blood work?”
Carlisle nodded with a bright smile, “It will, Dear. With your approval, I can start calling my contacts to gather everything they can spare me. You'll need more soon, too, since I only had a certain amount accumulated for you.”
I nodded, then looked at the vampires, “Will you all agree to drink donated blood while you are under my protection? It can be heated to temperature, and would ease the mind of many here that no one died to supply it.”
They all agreed readily, so I called for Kendrick's tribe of bears to please take to the trees and phase.
After all of the shifters introduced themselves in their human form, I started aching, since it was past time to let someone feed from me. Jake immediately looked at me with a whine. I saw Carlisle and Esme looking at the four of us longingly, so I looked at my mates. They smiled and nodded, then we all made our way to them. I whispered to each of them almost silently, “I know you two need time with us, so I thought you would like to take this feeding.”
They hugged me tightly, then directed us to the master bedroom. I was instantly tackled gently to the bed, with Carlisle and Esme both trying to undress me quickly, my mates laughing at their excitement as Jake laid silently down by the door.
Other than caressing and light teasing, neither of them took it any further while they fed, until I felt Captain crawl up between my legs with a moan, “God, I need to make ya cum for me, Little One. It's been too long since I've had your taste on my tongue.”
The look in his onyx eyes spiked my arousal. Carlisle and Esme both moaned, sucking harder in response. I wrapped my hands in their hair just as Captain nipped Major and Jasper's bite marks, then licked a line straight up my core with a moan.
We ended up making love to Carlisle and Esme after they got done feeding. It was a tender reconnecting time for all of us. While Char and I lavished our attention on Esme, Carlisle got the same treatment from Major and Captain, then we switched so that Char and I had time with Carlisle. We had missed them dearly while we were gone, so I wasn't surprised that our reunion was a tender one.
It was 2 hours after we disappeared, when we finally arrived back outside. I saw many of the newcomers looking at us strangely. I knew we had to put an end to it. I sat under the tree between Major's legs, with Captain and Char on either side of us, then called them to us.
After they all sat, I said, “I see the looks on your faces. I know you're wondering. I don't want there to be any misconceptions, so I'm going to tell you all now. My mates and I are intimate with the Cullens. We do not cheat on each other, because any time something intimate happens, my mates and I are always in the same room. I am never with anyone other than my mates without them being there or involved, and neither are they. It started as an extension to the bonding that normally happens when I let someone feed from me.”
I took a breath, then continued, “I am pregnant with Jasper and Peter's sons. The way we had to ensure that I would be able to nurse the babies, meant that I would need to have my mates nurse from me until they were born. Blood and milk both need to flow, along with my milk production needing to be quite high. With my mates constantly feeding from me every few hours, they were becoming too full. The nutrient count that is in my breast milk for the twins was filling them to the point where feeding would have become a burden if we didn't bring others in. Yes, the Cullens all feed from me, and yes, it goes further than feeding. It does not, however, lessen what I share with my mates. Now I will take questions, but please note that I will not tolerate disrespect, just because you may not agree with our personal choices.”
I saw several smirks on the faces of the vampires, but it was Jeremy, the leader of the falcon tribe that spoke up first. “How is it that you can carry life inside you, while you clearly do not have a beating heart?”
I smiled, “It is the goddess in me at work, along with the magic of my protector here... Jake. I became pregnant just before my turning. I had the feeling just after I made love to both Peter and Jasper, that if I got to Jake and the wolves in time, something important would happen. I did, and Jake resting his head on my belly is what enabled my mates' frozen little swimmers to thaw. His heat kept rising in spurts, so I likened it to melting an ice cube. That led me to epiphany 100 of that day, and figuring out how my mates could father children with me. The goddess prepared me for my turning. The parts of me that need to create and nurture life still work as they would normally... they're just amp'd up. Blood and energy that I take in automatically get portioned out, to be given to the babies and to nursing. My abdomen is no weaker than any other area on my body because of the pregnancy, nor will my bones break any easier than another vampire's will.”
Jade, one of the crew smiled widely, “Congratulations to all of you. My question is this, if your bones won't break as easily, won't it be hard for them to expand and allow the children to grow?”
I smiled, then said, “Edward has become my pregnancy doula, because I had to help the babies rush through the first trimester of the pregnancy before my turning. Though everything went perfectly with the twins, my hips and pelvis didn't catch up. Edward is licensed in pregnancy massage, so he helps my hips and pelvis shift into the proper position. Between Carlisle and Edward being my doctors, Edward taking on my pregnancy massage and needs, as well as the goddess in me being strong and instinctive, I am well cared for. The twins are strong and very healthy.”
Everyone smiled at that. The leader of the coyote tribe, Zander, asked after a few moments of silence, “The babies... will they be special like you? Will they have destinies of their own?”
I smiled with a nod of agreement, “Yes, Zander. That is why it is so very important that we all work as one. I know it will be difficult at times for shifters and vampires to work together; I’m not naive enough to think everything will be fluffy puppies and rainbows. It will be very difficult at times, but if we don't work together to win the first battle, I will lose the babies, then we will lose every battle we go into. There is no compromise on this. We're working for a better way of life for both shifters and vampires. If we can't work together, the consequences will be felt globally. The prophecy states that my children will have their own great destinies to fulfill, but that there will be no children or destinies unless we win the battles. The timeline has shifted, since Major and I didn't let our feelings for each other be known until much later than we were supposed to, so everything will be fast tracked until it catches up to where it's supposed to be. Does that make sense?”
Damon, one of the crew offered, “So you were supposed to make love to Major sooner than you did, but you weren't supposed to get pregnant until later in your mating timeline?”
I nodded as Major offered with a kiss to my shoulder, “Yes. In the prophecy, it stated that if the battles were won, that the goddess would be able to conceive with her mates, though they thought it impossible. She wasn't supposed to get pregnant until after all three battles, but as ya can all clearly hear, she is carryin’ our sons.”
Andrew, one of the falcon tribe looked thoughtful for a moment, so I waited. When he spoke, he asked, “You speak of battles, plural... which our legend vaguely states, also... and about how if we can't work together, the consequences are globally felt. Do you know who the battles are against and what those consequences would be?”
I nodded, “We believe the three battles will be a revenge-seeking vampire here in Washington that is raising herself a newly-turned vampire army, a sadistic bitch in the south who turned the Major, and the vampire leaders. The one here, Victoria... she slippery, and has been known to somehow get herself out of sticky situations. She was one of a coven of three nomads, whose leader decided to make me his most fascinating game after the Cullens protected a human me. Long story made extremely short, James, the leader tortured and bit me before Edward could pull him off. Major killed him and torched the whole place, but I found out during my torture that James had no mate. Victoria believes he was her mate, and is out to kill me for a mate-for-mate vendetta that isn't true. Edward wasn't my mate, nor was James hers.”
I looked around then continued, “She tried to get to me several times, but has been stopped each time. She's making help now, though. She's turning humans, raising an army of uncontrolled, bloodlust-crazed vampires. She knows how to get around Alice's visions, and plans to attack in just under a month's time. The kicker, is that she somehow was able to get her hands on cursed jewelry pieces. None of you must ever touch one with your bare hands. We have already killed several scouts that tried to breach the protective fields. Some were wearing enchanted pieces. I'll let any of you know what they are beforehand, so that you can retrieve them safely. They need to all be taken to the shaman, then be unbound from their purpose before they can be destroyed. If we don't win against Victoria, both Forks and La Push will perish. The reservation will be destroyed, along with everyone in this town. She may not even stop there, and decide to wipe the state from the map. Those are the consequences of losing this first battle.”
Everyone seemed to be getting the picture now, so I said, “Yes, we are being hit from all sides. Your lives under my protection will not be a walk in the park, and for that I apologise. The end result, if we win these battles, will be well worth it for all, though. As for the bitch in the south, any of the crew could tell you more about her than I could. Maria is a sadistic and twisted vampire, who fights over feeding territory by training and having her army fight other ones... only we think she's not satisfied with just the south anymore. She want me. With me under her control, she could potentially keep all of the continental U.S as her personal feeding grounds. She is not above killing anyone in her path to get to me, either. Not any of you, not my mates. Yes, she would love to have Major and Captain under her thumb again, since that's where Major earned the God of War title, but she's not above killing them to torture me.”
Stefan gasped as he clutched his mate Ang to his side, then choked out, “But... that would...”
I nodded sadly, my hands automatically coming out in front of me to show the four pieces of my mates that I held within me. I looked around at the shifters as I said, “If any one of them is killed, the piece of their soul that you see would die also. It would not disappear, though, and the pain would be enough to cripple me. I will explain at another time, but I almost became lost when the piece of Peter's soul that I hold became damaged while I was human. You can tell whose soul piece is whose by the color. Jasper's is green, Peter's is red, Char's is blue, and Major's is the silver swirling one. We are all bound as tightly as possible. I hold a literal piece of their soul inside me. They hold the same of me and each other. If one of us should die, we all fall.”
Major placed his hands gently on my tummy, silently reminding me it wouldn't do well for me to become upset. I let out a breath, then stated, “As for the vampire leaders in Europe, the Volturi have been secretly finding any excuse they can to round up gifted vampires. Aro -one of the kings- wants me as his prized plaything. With me under his rule, he would be unstoppable. He would openly round up gifted vampires, slaying all who stood in his way. Shifters wouldn't stand a chance. Any tribe who still had the ability to shift would be slaughtered, including the women and children. We must win these three battles, if we are to find a peaceful existence for all supernaturals.”
The beta from the coyote tribe, Greg, ran his fingers through his hair as he let out a breath. He looked up at me with a worried look, then said, “But won't someone else just rise up in the place of this Aro guy, that's just as bad as he is?”
I smirked, asking, “Are my mates and I as bad as Aro? During my turning, I had several visions of things I needed to know or glimpses of the future. One of them showed me at the end of the Volturi battle. I was on the castle steps, telling our allies that the corrupt rule of the Volturi was over… that my family and I would be taking over to make a just system of government.”
Everyone smiled widely at that statement, then Greg said with a smirk, “Now that I can see following along with.”