Chapter 8: Council Meetings and Angry Shifters

Bella wiped her hands across her jeans for the thousandth time, her lip in between her teeth. Paul waited patiently as she gathered herself, a comforting presence.

Bella cut the engine, hopping out of the truck. Paul exited the truck as well coming to a stand next to her. "Just breathe." He soothed, his fingers briefly grazing her cheek. Bella did as instructed, the tension slowly leaving her body. The small building was old, almost slanted, attesting to how long it has been there.

She pulled open the large door with a loud creak, and Paul held it open walking in after her. He was a blanket of warmth, one that engulfed her like a flame. Bella audibly gulped, shaking her head. The door closed with a loud bang, echoing throughout the room.

On a small platform sat Billy Black, Old Quil, Harry Clearwater, and a few other faces Bella did not recognize. It was Old Quil who spoke first as Bella and her wolf walked forward down the small isle. It reminded Bella of a church. "I don't remember inviting a wolf. You do best to listen child."

Bella hummed to herself, looking to Paul. "He invited himself." She answered, taking a seat. Paul didn't say anything, but sat next to her. While he looked bored, he was very aware and paying attention. His black eyes assessed the pedestal of sorts, looking to each of the members. His eyes met each one, daring them to step out of line.

"Bella. It has been brought to our attention that your former family, our enemy is in town, and your loyalty is now in question." Bella didn't let Billy finish, her face a mixture of disbelief and confusion. "My loyalty? You believe I still have ties with The Cullen's?"

Old Quil nodded slowly. "Yes, your loyalty. We don't know what you have ties to. You went missing for over a month, putting your wolves in jeopardy! While I don't agree to hold you to such high standards as that of an imprint, the alpha of the current packs insists that you are some important figure. I don't believe it. You must prove your loyalty."

"There's nothing to prove. She had her reasons. She's here now. She could've gone to Forks if she so chose, and yet she's here." Paul defended. He merely looked annoyed, but Bella knew that underneath that skin of his he was raging.

Bella laid her hand on his arm, feeling him vibrate beneath her. "It's okay. I'll do whatever. But there are some things you must know." Billy watched the two with high interest, his thoughts becoming worrisome by the second.

He had a bad feeling in his gut. Paul was a force to be reckoned with and what the others didn't realize was that Paul couldn't be tamed.

"There is nothing we need to hear from the likes of you. No more will we be letting this current pack call the shots! You listen to us, and listen good little girl. I don't believe that you tangled with our greatest Taha Aki, you were delusional. Unworthy. A child with a head too big for her brain. But if what you say is true, if you are one of us, you must act like it. You willingly left the first time, now you'll go because we say." An elder of which Bella had never met stated. She was an old woman, long white hair, dark, wise, brown eyes.

They called her the Old One.

Billy would say that the only thing stopping Paul from probably ripping into the Old One was Bella, and even then, Billy could see that it almost wasn't enough.

Paul's lip curled over his teeth, nose twitching as he fought to not phase. "That proves nothing. Not happening. We barely made it the first time." He snapped, springing to his feet. It's the first time Bella has seen him lose his cool. Bella stood with him, a hand on his chest.

"I agree. I'm not leaving them again. You need to understand that this generation of wolves is not about you. It's about us. Imprinting was never for the wolves' happiness! It was about stronger bloodlines. This pack is unlike others. I'm not normal. Paul isn't normal. Whatever Sam did, Embry, hell, the twins, it's not normal. Imprinting or whatever this is, isn't what it used to be. Things have changed. I did meet Taha Aki, he led me on a spiritual journey that I'll never forget. Leaving was my mistake, and I won't make that same mistake again. The Cullen's have no sway on me."

Everyone was quiet as they looked at one another. Old Quil stared at the two, eyes crinkling. "Very well. I think you understand the consequences if you choose to take the same path, as well as if you betray us. She has brought some insight to us that I was not aware of. Still, we can take no chances. If this bond is as strong as Sam Uley claims, we cannot risk a downfall."

Bella frowned at Old Quil, wondering what they had in mind. An insane idea came to her head, and she knew no one would like it, but what better way to get rid of her past than to confront it?

"I'll meet with them alone." She proposed, sighing to herself. "Just me. No wolves. What better way than to tell them myself? I'll tell them to leave, and if I can do that, then I think that's enough. I'm not leaving my family again. The Cullen's were my past. This is my future."

The Old One grunted quietly. The girl had a point, and she knew that temptation was hard to resist. If Bella could stand up to their enemy, she's chosen her side. "Fine. Alone. But shall you betray us, shall you choose the Cold One's, you'll be dead to us."

Bella only nodded, and looked to Paul to gauge his reaction. He pushed a stand of hair behind her ear frowning. "I trust you." He said quietly.

Bella intertwined their fingers, following Paul as he led them out of the small building.

Bella drove towards the treaty line, sighing. "Sam's going to flip." She muttered. Paul chuckled from beside her. "Of course. Did you expect him to smile?" Bella snorted, shaking her head. She stopped a few ways away behind the wolves, who were standing in the street.

"You'll be here?" She asked, looking over at him. Her brown eyes were now shining with worry, gnawing her bottom lip, an old habit she really needed to break. Paul turned to her, his eyes hard yet reassuring. "Midnight. All bets are off after that."

His voice held promise, maybe even a threat, but that only went to soothe Bella more. He was gone in a blink, the passenger door shutting immediately. Her door opened, hand held out for hers.

Shutting the door, they walked hand in hand. The pack were in their human forms, and Bella kept her gaze from the Cullen's for the moment. Sam immediately turned around, his brown eyes hard.

"What the hell are you two doing here? We can handle this without you." Paul gave Sam a warning look. "Trust me. I wouldn't bring her here willingly. The council's doing. It's either make Bella leave or this. Alone."

Sam just blinked looking frustrated. "What the hell? You expect me… us to just let Bella walk with the enemy? The same ones who left her for dead? The Counil must think we're stupid. Not happening." Sam snapped, folding his arms over his chest. Bella let go of Paul's hand and walked forward until she was inches away from Sam. "Of course they do. I'm doing this. I made a mistake leaving, and I won't do it again. Do you trust me?" She asked, looking up from her lashes, giving Sam the puppy dog eyes.

Sam scoffed, frowning at her. "That's a stupid question. Of course I do. It's them I don't trust." Bella stood on her toes, kissing Sam's cheek. "I'll be fine. Midnight I'll be here." Sam had to stop himself from grabbing Bella and tossing her over his shoulder.

"If not?" Embry interjected, his eyes just as worrisome. Bella gave a wry smile looking to Paul. "He knows what to do." Before crossing the treaty line, Bella looked to Carlisle. "Is it okay if we talk?" Carlisle immediately nodded, holding no grudge for someone he once called a daughter.

"We'll have you back safe and sound." Bella gave a single nod before crossing the invisible line. She was gone in seconds, leaving the wolves feeling anxiety crawl up their bodies. "If Bella isn't here by midnight?" Jamie asked.

Paul was quiet as he listened, brows drawn. "As I told Bella. All bets are off."

Sam bit the inside of his cheek to hide his growl, his wolf in total agreement. Treaty be damned.

THAU

Bella slid off of Esme's back, landing gently on her feet. She gave the woman a gentle smile, finally taking a look at her former family. They all looked the same as when they left, bringing memories of that disastrous hole back to her mind. Just briefly though. That part of her life was over.

Alice was her bubbly self, wrapped around Jasper who looked semi comfortable and relieved. Esme and Carlisle was smiling like always, and Emmett was his ever grinning self. Rosalie was still the same mellow blonde, a blank look on her face. Edward was the last to see, and his expression shocked her the most.

He looked sad, yet perplexed. Bella noticed one thing they all had in common: there was a look in their eyes. A look that told Bella something was wrong. Bella put her hands in her back pockets frowning. "Why are you guys back?" She asked, following after them inside the home.

Once they headed into the living room, Carlisle's expression changed. "We're here because your life may be in danger." Bella frowned letting out a sigh. "If this is about Victoria.." She started, only to be interrupted by Edward. "It's the Volturi."

Bella sat on the loveseat confused. "Why would the Volturi be coming after me? How do they even know I exist?" She asked looking to them for answers.

"Irina. A cousin of ours in Denali. When Laurent was killed by the wolves, I'm assuming that's true, she came looking for him. She came here to the house, saw the pictures and put two and two together. She wants us to pay. She had no idea we had moved on at the time, nor will she believe that Laurent wasn't the shining star she believed him to be." Carlisle explained.

Bella just blinked a few times staring at him. "So...what does that have to do with me?" She asked. It was Jasper who answered her question, his face grim. "The Volturi won't honor a treaty with the wolves, and we have broken the most absolute law. Human knowledge. They're going to kill you, and any human who knows. That includes the humans on the Rez." Bella paled, all the blood draining from her cheeks. "I hope you're happy." Rosalie whispered, walking away from the group.

Bella stood quickly, stomping after Rosalie. Although she had no strength to stop Rosalie from moving, the blonde stopped as Bella grabbed her arm. "You know what? Fuck you. No one is making you stay here. I've chosen my life and I will never change a thing, no matter what you and your family put me through. Your family left me, and horribly enough, I left mine and I regret it deeply. But I'm here now, and I won't let some royal bloodsuckers take me away again." She snapped.

She turned away and looked at the shocked faces of her former family, only Emmett wearing a small smirk despite his wife being chewed out, and Jasper's slight nod. "I'm sorry, but that's how I feel. I know what I need to do. You can stay and fight, or leave. It's nearing midnight. Paul will cross the border...and he doesn't play nice. Thank you Carlisle for coming back, but I won't force you to help me."

Carlisle nodded in understanding. "It's what we should do. We owe you that much. Let's get you back home shall we?"

She followed after Carlisle, but stopped short. "If we survive this...don't come back." She gave them an apologetic smile, but this was her goodbye, despite her most likely seeing them in days time. Carlisle opened her door and once she was in, he sped his way to the drivers side. He peeled out of the driveway heading for the boundary point. "When are they coming?" She asked after a while, looking out the window.

"Alice will be watching their decisions. She saw snow, so in a few months." Bella nodded. "Gives me time. It was good seeing you." She whispered softly. Carlisle patted her hand, giving her a smile of his own. "You too Bella."

Bella's demeanor immediately changed as her eyes set on the pacing shifter. She hopped out of the Mercedes closing the door. Carlisle stepped out as well, giving a small smile as Bella all but ran across the short distance embracing the large teen.

The two didn't say anything but their eyes said it all. It was interesting to Carlisle, viewing a relationship outside of his own species. Carlisle could see the way they shifted towards each other, the way his hands squeezed her hips briefly, the way she snuggly fit her head under his chin.

They were fated in the stars from the beginning of time itself. Paul turned his attention to Carlisle raising a brow. Carlisle nodded his way and leaned against the hood. "Can you request a meeting with Sam? There are some important things that needs to be discussed. It's about Bella...and your tribe."

Paul tensed, his eyes flashing to Bella briefly. "What things?" He bit out, his arm looping Bella's waist. "I'll explain it. It's important. We'll talk to Sam, he'll call you." Carlisle nodded, getting back into his car and speeding away.

Paul lifted Bella's chin, his face giving nothing away, but his eyes held worry. "What's going on? Who's after you this time?" Bella sighed, and looked towards the woods. "Let's get to Sam's first. I'll explain it then."

Paul pulled her along, looking around before passing the tree line. "I need to find Taha Aki." Paul gave her a confused look before shrugging slightly. "I'm sure it's for a reason. Sam's getting antsy." He twitched slightly, rolling his neck.

Bella gave him a smile, pushing everything away for the moment, basking in the feeling of content.

Much thanks to my lovely beta. Hmz0975.