Disclaimer: Written under the derivative fan works act. All rights reserved to the original creator, Stephanie Meyer.

Title: The Darkest Part of the Night

Rating: M for graphic violence, blood play, vampire feeding, sexual situations, lemons, hot steamy angsty vampire lovin', underage drinking, smoking, drug use and overall bad behavior.

Premise: Edward left Carlisle to live the vampire lifestyle but he didn't leave his family behind. They left with him, feeding off the dregs of human society. What will happen when they finally meet a certain human girl? No Vegetarians allowed AU OOC ExB Lemons

Alternate Universe: This story uses more traditional vampire canon as opposed to Twilight sparklepires. Canon pairings eventually although Edward and company get a lot of play in this story until things settle down in later chapters (Obviously Bella won't be in the story until after she's born), pretty much OOC, ExB of course.

POV: EPOV (Edward) Edward tells this story. Any commentary from Rosalie, Alice or Bella will be posted as outtakes in a separate story.

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Author Notes:

Please note that this story is rated M for a reason, if you'd prefer not to deal with mature themes, please do not read this story.

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Chapter 33 A Night Out

Alice swept into the room with Rose following a little more tentatively a couple of steps behind her.

"Ok, enough discussion for one night. We need to get you dressed and get you out of here!" Alice stepped in front of Bella and grabbed her hands, pulling her up to her feet before she even had a chance to step back into her shoes.

"We're going out?" I asked. It was an unnecessary question. I knew very well what Alice had planned, but this was all new to Bella.

"Of course we are, Edward. Didn't you tell her? You've spent the last two nights talking about every boring subject you could think of. It's time to get out and have some fun. Now go get changed and we'll get Bella dressed to go out."

"Umm… Where are we going…?" Bella asked a little apprehensively as Alice dragged her towards her bedroom and Rose bent over to pick up her shoes.

"Well, I wanted to go hunting…" Alice started as Bella blanched white, even more pale than normal.

"Alice!" Rose admonished. "Be nice. This has got to be hard enough for her to deal with without you making sick jokes. We're just going to go to some nightclubs. Dancing, some drinks, it'll be fun and help you take your mind off of everything."

"Dancing?! Maybe hunting isn't such a bad idea after all…" Bella said a little timidly with a hint of a smile. Rose just stared at her like she'd suddenly grown two heads.

Alice wrapped her arm around her shoulder and gave her a one armed hug as she led her into the bedroom. "You're gonna be just fine, you'll see. I told you she was strong enough to deal with this, Rose. C'mon, let's get her dressed."

Alice turned and shot a look back at me as she was closing the door. "No peeking, I want you to be surprised," She said and then the door slammed shut.

Jasper and Emmett are waiting for you on the patio in the outdoor dining area… Alice thought. I thought that was appropriate… They have what you need… It's not really as bad as I remember like this… I could actually get used to it…

The girls disappeared into Bella's bedroom and I shook my head as I turned and walked to the glass doors that lead out onto the patio. Jasper and Emmett were there waiting for me with a couple of large thermos containers. They were already dressed for the evening in slacks, dress shirts and shiny dress shoes. It was quite a change from their typical travel clothes. Jasper was wearing a vest but hadn't put his jacket on yet. Emmett was wearing a sport coat and several gold chains around his neck with a couple of buttons open on his shirt.

"You know, I never lived like this before, but it isn't quite as bad as everyone makes it out to be," Jasper said as I walked over.

"I could almost get used to this," Emmett said. "But if we're going to tell her I like to eat bears, you know I'm going to have to try it for real. It actually sounds like it might be fun. I enjoyed hunting and eating bears when I was human. Rose always went on and on about how gross this was, but maybe that was just what you guys showed her how to hunt back then. It's nowhere near as good as human, but it's not so gross I couldn't live like this if it was necessary."

"Carlisle always said predators tasted better, but deer were very common and abundant when we were teaching Rose. Esme actually liked them, but I could never really stomach them, myself. They tasted like grass, and they were much too gamy for my taste. I figured Alice would come through when I started thinking about this. Where did she get the blood from?" I asked.

"Just like you told Bella, she set up some deals with some local slaughter houses," Jasper said. "Apparently she's been working on this for a while to make it work. She started this before we left Colorado, but she didn't even tell me about this until the delivery showed up tonight."

"Alright then… So what's on the menu tonight?"

"Pork or beef, your choice… Personally, I think the pig tastes more like the real thing, but maybe that's just me," Jasper said.

"I suppose I should try both, but give me the beef first if you think the pork is better."

Jasper opened the containers and poured a couple of large tumblers full for me. The scent hit me when he unscrewed the lids, but it didn't hit me the way human blood did. It wasn't as unappetizing as wild game had been all those years ago. Maybe it was something to do with how domestic animals were raised today with growth hormones and antibiotics that affected the blood, but it didn't seem quite as unpalatable as I remembered.

I picked up the first tumbler. "Bottoms up," I toasted, tipping my glass to Jasper and Emmett, and then I took a sip, getting my first taste of animal blood in literally decades.

It wasn't so bad that it was impossible to drink, but it was certainly nothing to write home about. It didn't affect me the same way human blood did, there was no orgasmic rush, no euphoric bliss. It tasted like blood, salty with a coppery tang, but at least it didn't make me want to gag and vomit. It did mute the burning in my throat, although it didn't quench the fire the way human blood did.

The beef blood tasted meaty with a hint of grass, but it wasn't overpoweringly gamy like I remembered deer blood tasting. It was immeasurably better than anything wild I remembered eating, but the best thing I could say about the experience was it didn't make me want to throw up.

I tried the pork blood next, and it was an order of magnitude better, but that wasn't saying much, considering the overall experience. The taste hinted at almost human, although it still didn't provide the orgasmic rush or euphoric bliss that I automatically associated with feeding. It was marginally acceptable. It compared to human blood the way six month old hard tack and stale water compared to a five star gourmet meal. You could live on it, but it was hardly living.

Doing this with any regularity would be like living on survival rations that made no allusions to palatability whatsoever. Living like this would be like living on foul tasting survival bread and water while being surrounded by a smorgasbord of gourmet fare, quite literally within your grasp for the taking.

"That pork blood isn't so impossibly bad that I couldn't do this for a while. Certainly not as good as human blood, but certainly better than anything wild I ever ate."

"Yes, it's acceptable," Jasper said, not quite frowning, but I didn't need to be an empath to know he wasn't overjoyed by the prospect of living like this.

"So what do you say? Can we do this for a year? I won't ask you to make a permanent change, but I need to be able to tell Bella I eat animals without lying to her. I'm going to have to do this if I want her to believe me."

"If you say we eat animals, Patron, then we eat animals," Jasper said. It was just that simple for him. "I won't give the lie to your words."

"Emmett?" I asked.

"Sure, I'm down with it. I want to find a bear to eat if I'm going to say I eat them, but I can do this."

"What about Rose?"

"She doesn't want to admit it, but I think she was surprised that it tasted so different than what she remembered. Don't press her on the issue, but honestly I think she's relieved to give it a try. She's always done what was necessary to survive, but it was the killing that she hated. It was ok with her as long as she knew they deserved to die for their crimes, but she still didn't like doing it. She'll do this as long as you don't get in her face about it."

"We can still 'fall off the wagon' and have the occasional accident, right?" Jasper asked.

"I'm not going to force any of you to change your lifestyle. I'll see how long I can keep this up for Bella's sake. I doubt any of us will be able to stick with this permanently."

They both nodded. "Ok, I better go get changed. Thanks Jasper, Emmett, I'll see you at the car."

I nodded again and went back inside and walked into my room to change. Alice and Rose had already been dressed for our night out when they dragged Bella away to help her get dressed.

Alice was wearing a shimmery metallic purple mini dress and matching platform pumps with inch thick soles and five inch heels. Rose was dressed, or undressed as the case may be, in a red off the shoulder wrap around mini dress that tied in a bow on her hip. She was wearing red stilettos with matching bows and four inch heels. It looked more like one of the outfits she'd wear when she was going out hunting by herself and wanted to elicit a reaction from the wrong sort of guy.

I didn't 'peek' as Alice instructed while I changed, but I couldn't help but hear the girl's conversation as I dressed for the evening. I'd been following what was going on in her room while I was out making sure I wasn't lying to Bella.

"Ok… so what do you think I should wear?" Bella asked apprehensively. I knew she was looking at how Alice and Rose were dressed and it made her uncomfortable to consider wearing a similar outfit.

"You just hop in the shower, and I'll make sure your dress is ready," Alice said.

"I don't wear dresses Alice..."

"Sure you do, there were a couple hanging up in your room. Make sure you clip up your hair so we don't have to dry it before we style it. It's still clean enough from your shower this afternoon. Don't bother shaving, you look fine and we'll take care of that later..."

"Those are for special occasions... I don't wear dresses to go out..."

"You. Shower. Now. We can still talk while you're in the bathroom. We'll be able to hear you, and I'll make sure you can hear me."

"Fine." The bathroom door closed and I heard the shower come on.

"You can't just wear any old thing to go out to these clubs, Bella," Rose said loudly enough so she could hear her in the next room. "They have dress codes and don't allow jeans or baggy clothes."

"Besides, you'll want to fit in, so you have to dress the part," Alice continued. "We can afford VIP treatment but we have to look like we deserve it. These clubs have an image to maintain if they want to stay trendy and be the top nightclubs. Besides, I know Edward is going to like this."

"Fine, Alice, I guess this is a special occasion, but we need to talk. I'm ok with you buying me some clothes and all, but I want to pick out some of the things I want to wear. I know my wardrobe was in desperate need of a makeover, but let's not get carried away, ok? I still want to look like me when I get dressed."

"Fine, Bella. We can sit down and look at some catalogs and pick out some things together."

"Umm... Don't I need to try things on to know they'll fit?"

"No need, I'll know if they're going to fit or not. I'll just order sizes that'll fit you, or I can have custom alterations done if necessary. Just point out what you like and I'll take care of the rest."

"Ok..."

"Speaking of makeovers..., I made you a couple of appointments at the spa while we're here..."

"What kind of appointments...?"

"Oh, nothing major. Just the hair salon, a facial, manicure and pedicure, and a bikini wax. I went ahead and booked you for the full Brazilian, if that's ok... So, you should trim everything about a quarter inch long before your appointment..."

"What! Maybe a bikini wax is ok, but I know what a Brazilian is. That's pretty much everything gone! I'll look like I'm twelve years old! No way, Alice!"

"Fine, just talk to the aesthetician and tell her what you want, but I'd discuss it with Edward first. I have a pretty good idea what he likes."

"Yeah, I can imagine..."

"I'm coming in for a minute, Bella. I'll leave your underwear on the counter by the sink. Let me know when you're ready and we'll do your hair and makeup and get you dressed."

The bathroom door opened and then closed a second later.

"Fine..."

The shower shut off and the shower door opened and closed. There was the rustle of a towel and I knew she was drying off.

"I was going to ask you about some of the other stuff in those suitcases, Alice... Do I really need all that... stuff? Some of it's pretty personal..."

"You figured out how to use it all, right? I can show you if you're curious..." Alice asked with a hint of humor in her voice.

"I didn't use any of it!"

"But you know what it's all for right? Every girl should own at least one vibrator, but I noticed you didn't pack one..."

"There's more than one and there's different kinds! How many can I possibly need?"

"Some of them are for personal use, and some of them are for when you're playing together..."

"Playing together...?"

"You'll figure it out."

"Ok, so what about that funny looking long thin one? Most of its only about as big around as my finger, but it has those weird bumps... How is that any fun?"

"Umm... That one doesn't go in the front, Bella..." Rose commented, and I knew she had to have a smirk on her face, the way she said it.

"Not in the front...? Then where... Oh! Back there? Seriously? Is that even fun?"

"Oh yeah," Alice chimed in with a chuckle. "Just use plenty of lube when you play back there. It's narrow to start breaking you in to get you used to it, but it'll blow your mind if you go for it. I'm sure Edward will be more than happy to show you how to use it."

"Umm... Ok... That stuff was waiting for me when I got here..."

"Edward told you what I do, right? I knew what you'd need and I just bought it. I know, you won't use a lot of that stuff for a while yet, but it's there to play with if you get curious."

"Fine... Alice, where did you leave my underwear? I don't see them..."

"Right on the counter, next to your hand..."

"This!? What the hell am I supposed to do with this...?!"

"I thought you knew. You put one leg through at a time and it covers your..."

"I know how to put it on! I'm not going to wear this!"

"Suit yourself, but I didn't peg you as the sort to go commando..."

"It's a thong, Alice! Or at least part of a thong... This is dental floss and a triangle of spandex! You expect me to wear this to go out in?"

"Actually it's more like a G-string; a thong has a wider waistband on your hips and backside. You'll be wearing a dress over it and you don't want a panty line to show. I don't see what the big deal is..."

"I'm not wearing a dress!"

"Then you will be the hit of the party, won't you? But we'll have to go in the back way..."

"Alice! Fine, where's my bra?"

"You don't need a bra. You're sixteen and the very picture of perky. Besides, bra straps will ruin the lines of your dress and it won't stay up right..."

"Alice!" Bella whined. "This isn't underwear; it's an excuse for running around half naked! These panties don't cover anything, and now you won't even let me wear a bra either? Why bother?"

"Are you done, Bella? We're coming in..."

"I'm naked!"

"You're not naked," Alice said as the bathroom door opened and I heard them walk in. "You've got your panties on, and besides, I've seen it all before. We're all girls and you've been in a locker room before."

"Fine...!"

"Do you want to get started on her hair, Rose? Let me see your hands, Bella, and I'll see what I can do with these nails..."

There was the sound of a chair being dragged across the floor... "Have a seat and we'll get started..."

"Can I at least have a towel to wrap around myself...?"

"Sure, here..."

"Thank you."

"You have beautiful hair, Bella," Rose commented. "Just let the salon give you a trim, don't let them cut it. It's practically impossible to grow your hair out... after... Make sure you like it the way it is before you let Edward... Well, you know..."

"Thanks, Rose," Bella said.

"So, which shade do you like?" Alice asked. "You have blue undertones to your skin, and you're almost as pale as me. So, pink nude, fuchsia, dark violet or cherry red?"

"I don't do pink."

"Well, that's narrowing it down. I think fuchsia is out too then. The dark violet would go with your dress, but the cherry red is more striking…"

"Cherry red? Seriously?"

"Yes, I think so, it suits you. We'll try the cherry red, and start with your toes. If you don't like it, your shoes will cover it."

The girls were quiet for a while as they worked, and then Alice asked, "Ok, what do you think?"

"It's kind of red," Bella said.

"I like it," Rose said. "Go ahead and do her fingernails. Make sure you use the top coat so they dry faster..."

"I know how to paint nails so they dry fast, Rose. Her toenails are already dry enough for her shoes. If you're done with her hair, why don't you start on her makeup?"

"Ok... Her eyebrows could use a little attention..."

"Let the salon take care of that, we don't have time to pluck them now. Just concentrate on her eyes and lips... Maybe some blush on her cheeks to give her some color..."

More time passed as the girls worked. I was already dressed, but I was enjoying myself listening to them get Bella ready for our night out. I took one of Bella's cigarettes and lit it while I had a drink and waited for them to finish. It helped kill the aftertaste of the pork blood that lingered in my mouth after my evening meal.

"Wow! You do good work, Rose. I hardly recognize myself."

"Thank you. That was sort of my goal."

"Is it just me, or do I look older and more sophisticated, but it isn't heavy or overdone... You're going to have to teach me that trick with the lip liner pencil. There's no way I could do this myself right now."

"Thank you. Now we just have to get you into your dress and shoes, and you should be good to go." Rose said.

"Yeah, the dress... Ok, Alice, show me."

"Come in the other room..."

The chair scrapped against the floor and then two sets of heel and a pair of bare feet walked back into the bedroom.

"You're kidding, right? Where's the rest of it?"

"Quit stalling, Bella. Now hold up your arms so we can help you into it without mussing your hair and makeup..."

"Seriously, that's just the top, right?"

"It stretches... It'll cover everything that needs to be covered..."

"Don't I at least get some stockings or tights or something? We're going to a nightclub, right? This might be Phoenix, but there's no way I'm standing on the sidewalk in a line wearing that! People driving by will want to know if I charge by the hour!"

"Give me some credit, Bella. We don't stand in lines. I reserved us a VIP room. No lines, we get escorted in, and we have a private bouncer at the door to insure our privacy. You don't have to go down to the public dance floor if you don't want to, but we can watch all the action from our own private balcony. Of course, if we want to go into the other club next door, then we have to walk across the glass catwalk to get in and we don't have a room there..."

"Fine, but if you try and drag me down on the dance floor to shake my half-naked ass in front of god and everyone, I'll... I'll get Rose and Emmett to kick your ass!"

"Yeah, as if that'll ever happen. Now hold up your arms... There, that wasn't so bad now, was it?"

"I'm supposed to go out in public like this? This isn't dressed, Alice! I feel half naked! Why don't I just wear a sign that says, 'this one, right over here, she's asking for it...'?"

"No one will so much as lay a finger on you without your permission, Bella." Rose said with a dangerous undertone to her comment.

"I don't know, Rose... This dress is dangerous. How do you know nobody will try and cause trouble? I'm just asking for it, dressing like this..."

"You should be able to walk down the street buck naked and not be harassed or molested. Besides, if anyone so much as touches you, we'll kill them and nobody will ever find the bodies." Coming from somebody else, it might have been a joke, but Rose spoke with an icy seriousness and you knew she wasn't joking.

"Oh... Ok... I suppose that's true... Thanks."

"Ok, I've got your shoes," Alice said.

"Seriously?"

"They go with the outfit..."

"I'll fall and break my neck! How the hell am I supposed to dance in those, let alone walk in them, Alice? The shoes I was wearing today were taller than anything I've ever worn before, and I barely managed them. I seriously considered going barefoot, but the concrete was still too hot."

"Do you honestly think Edward will take his hands off of you long enough to let you fall once he sees you in that dress?"

"This isn't a dress. I could go out wrapped in the bath towel and be more dressed than this. At least it covered all of me! I don't even wear shorts this short, but at least there's something between my legs..."

"I'm, sure you'll have something between your legs before this night's over, just not before we get to the club..."

"Alice! That's not what I meant!"

"The bath towel wasn't quite that snug or form fitting, Bella, and they're usually terry cloth instead of metallic spandex. This is more like a tube top long enough to cover your ass," Rose commented. "Well most of your ass..." she added with a chuckle.

"I don't care, I just wish there was more of it. Is this even legal? I swear, if I bend over I'm going to totally moon whoever's standing behind me, but if I pull it down to cover my ass, my tits are gonna fall out! I can't go out like this, Alice!"

"Sure you can, just quit fidgeting around trying to adjust. You look hot and it covers everything it's supposed to cover. Now step into your shoes..."

"Fine..."

"See, that's not so bad. Rose, hold her up and help her practice walking around while I'll fix her purse."

"Ok," Rose said. "Stand with your knees straight, and see if you can raise yourself up on your toes to lift the heels about an inch."

"Like this?" Bella said.

"Yes, that's perfect. If you can do that you can walk in these shoes. Walking in high heels isn't like the walking you learned to do when you were a child. Take small, slow steps, and make sure not to bend your knees any more than you normally would. Heels tend to shorten your stride a bit, so the taller the heel, the shorter your stride ends up being."

"Ok..."

"Put your heel down first right before your toes. Don't just plop them down at the same time, and don't put your toes down first or you'll be walking on your toes all night. Once your weight is on the balls of your feet, shift your weight forward, as if you're walking on your tip toes. Your weight should transfer across your whole foot from heel to toe as you take a step."

"Oh..., ok, I get it... That is better..."

"Keep your legs close together. With practice you'll learn to cross one foot slightly in front of the other to give your hips a little more sway, but it'll take some extra practice to master that. For now, you're doing just fine."

"Ok, Here's your purse," Alice said.

"Why bother, Alice? It's smaller than my wallet. What am I supposed to carry in here?"

"Your ID, pocket money, credit card, cell phone, lipstick and a compact. Anything else you need, Edward can carry for you. That's why we take the guys with us. They have pockets."

"Well, maybe that's not the only reason we take them," Rose said. "They do have other uses."

"Fine, are you ready to go?"

"No..." Bella said.

"Good, let's go!" Alice said. "Edward, we're coming out! You better not have peeked!"

"Just hold onto my arm until we're in the other room, Bella," Rose said. "Hold onto Edward until we're in the car and when we go into the club. Walking outside on uneven surfaces is ten times harder than walking on even hard surfaced floors or carpet. You'll need to sit down and rest your feet every twenty minutes or so, but don't take off your shoes, or your feet will swell, and it'll hurt worse when you put them back on."

"Ok, Thanks Rose. Why do we even bother wearing shoes like this if they're such a hassle and hurt to wear?"

"Well, we don't have any of those problems and can wear them all the time without our feet hurting." Rose replied.

"And human girls wear them because they make them look totally hot," Alice chimed in as she pushed the bedroom door open.

The girls walked out of the bedroom and Bella was absolutely stunning. I was glad I hadn't peeked. The sight of her dressed up and ready to go out absolutely took my breath away.

The dress wasn't nearly as bad as Bella had made it out to be or how Rose had teased her. It was an electric blue metallic spandex mini dress. It was strapless and covered her breasts like a tube top and clung to her body, covering her hips and coming to below mid-thigh. It was perhaps much more daring than anything she had ever worn before, but her ass most certainly wasn't hanging out and she wasn't going to fall out of the top simply walking around, bending over or even dancing. She wasn't going to moon anybody bending over or walking, in fact, the dress was tight enough and clingy enough that it would be fairly hard to even see up it if you tried. On the other hand, it clung to her like it had been painted on and left nothing to the imagination.

The shoes were matching electric blue stilettos with a three inch heel. They were very daring for Bella, and perhaps an inch taller than the sandals she'd been wearing this evening.

"You are so beautiful…" I said when I could speak again.

I could see Bella stop being self-conscious about what she was wearing as she blushed the most adorable shade of pink and then looked me up and down as her eyes darkened with lust.

I didn't think I was dressed too incredibly spectacular this evening, but it had the desired effect upon Bella. I was wearing a pair of light colored dress slacks, a button down dress shirt with a couple of buttons undone and a Ralph Lauren vest. I wore all my normal accessories, my signet ring, watch, my Volturi crest and a couple of gold chains. I hadn't gone out of my way to try and control my hair, and I knew it was in its normal messy disarray.

"Ok, hand your purse to Rose, and I'll help you into your jacket," Alice said to Bella.

It seemed to break her out of her reverie, and she turned to look at Alice. "There's a jacket too? I thought you were going to drag me out in public like this… Why didn't you say something before?" Bella asked as she handed her clutch to Rose.

"I wanted to see the look on Edward's face when he saw you, and if you knew there was a jacket too, you would have insisted on putting it on before we came out here."

Alice produced a matching short half jacket with three quarter length sleeves. It was open in the front, but went nicely with the dress, and covered Bella's shoulders and arms to mid forearm.

"Ok…" Bella said. "This is better. I've still never worn anything like this out in public, but I don't feel quite so naked or undressed now…"

"I can help you with that if it's a problem," I said with a smirk.

"Umm… maybe later… So where are we going?" Bella asked.

"I don't know, but I'm sure Alice and Rose have picked out some interesting clubs. Shall we?" I asked, stepping close and wrapping my arm around Bella's waist to escort her out of the suite and out to the lobby of the resort complex.

I knew we weren't going to ride motorcycles dressed like this. There was a limousine with driver waiting for us when we got to the lobby, and the doorman held the door for us as we walked out to our car.

There was more than enough room for the six of us as we got into the back of the limo. The driver held the door open for Alice and Rose to enter first, while Bella clung to my side, then I helped her into the back to the car. The driver closed the door and went up front to get in. We pulled away for the curb and drove out of the resort complex, headed for downtown.

"So, is it safe to talk here?" Bella asked, glancing at the driver through the glass partition separating the front seat from the much larger back seat lounge area.

"It's safe enough," Edward said. "This compartment is sound proofed. The driver can't hear anything we discuss, and if he does, I'll know it and we'll deal with it."

"So if he heard me say that I'm riding in the back of a Limo with five vampires, you'd have to kill him?"

"Not necessarily... If he believed you, it could get uncomfortable for him... Chances are he wouldn't believe you though. I'm hoping that won't often become an issue, Bella. You understand how important protecting our secret is. Not talking about it in pubic is probably the easiest way to keep the people around us safe from harm."

"Fine... I get it, be discrete and don't talk about sensitive subjects where people might hear what we're talking about. That's why I asked first, but if he did hear me and he did believe me, then what, you'd just kill him?"

"If it was the only option we were left with, then yes. I wouldn't want to though. He isn't a criminal. He has a family, a wife and a couple of daughters. If it was necessary to protect the secret, I'd do it, but I wouldn't want to be forced into that situation. If it did become an issue, I'd offer him the opportunity to join us instead."

"Only most of the vampires in the world aren't as nice as you claim to be. You'd offer to turn him into another cold blooded killer to salve your conscience instead of simply solving the problem and even more people would die. If you turned him so you wouldn't have to kill him and have his death on your hands and conscience, he most likely would end up feeding on random strangers, wouldn't he? Then even more people would die so he could live..."

"Most vampires do, Bella," Jasper replied. "Every man has to learn to live with his own conscience and the decisions he makes in life. I lived like that for many years. It was all I knew and it was what was necessary to survive. I prefer the life we lead now compared to what I knew when I was first turned."

"Edward mentioned that, that you were turned during a war because you were a soldier..."

"Yes, it was 1864 and I was the youngest Major in the Texas Cavalry. Maria turned me to fight for her in the Great Southern Vampire War."

"Um... ok... So, if you don't mind my asking, what do vampires fight wars over, and why would she turn you to fight for her?"

Jasper turned to look at me. I nodded, Bella, was going to have to hear this eventually. We might as well address this subject now so she had some time to prepare. The transition wasn't nearly as difficult when the person being turned was prepared and knew what to expect.

"Vampire wars are fought over territory and the boundaries of a region that a particular coven claims and controls."

"Ok... So why do vampires fight over territory? Nobody even knows you exist. You're certainly not collecting taxes or profiting off of the crops and businesses in the area..."

"Hunting rights," Rose said. "They fight over territory to control the hunting rights to the area."

"Oh... So by hunting rights, you mean..."

"Yes," I said. "The vampires that control a territory can claim the hunting rights to the region and are within their rights to exclude other vampires from feeding on the humans in their territory. Often one coven or another will petition the Volturi over claims of encroachment or poaching. It's a constant irritation, particularly in the south."

"Ok... I guess I still don't get it. Why would you fight a war over something like that? Aren't there plenty of people to go around? Jesus... I can't believe I'm even saying this..., but there are six billion humans on the planet... Why do you have to fight over them?"

"We haven't fought over them for nearly sixty years," Jasper said.

That was another lie if you came right down to it, but there hadn't been a major war in the last sixty years. We didn't allow the situation to get out of hand on that scale, but only through continuous vigilance and handling smaller matters as they cropped up and we became aware of them. Preventing more wars was my real job as Magister.

Jasper continued his explanation to Bella, while I contemplated what we did to prevent war. "To answer your question, though, even the most cruel and ravenous among us realize that they have to be discrete and remain anonymous. Secrecy is paramount to our survival.

"Standing in polar opposition to that necessity is the fact of our nature, that vampires live to hunt and feed upon humans. It's in our nature to enjoy it and desire to do it, regardless of the consequences to our conscience and morality. Many vampires sacrifice their morality and humanity to their baser instincts after they're turned. It's easier for them to think of themselves as something different and totally apart from humanity to do what they're required to do to survive.

"Obviously, if you control a large hunting range and vast territory, you can hunt more often and feed more frequently without rousing suspicions about your activities. Of course, controlling a large hunting range requires a large and powerful coven to drive off random vampires and to discourage poachers from encroaching upon your territory."

"Ok, so I take it having a large enough coven to protect your territory kind of defeats the purpose of having a large territory in the first place. More vampires on your side means more mouths to feed and cuts into the availability of feeding more often... because you like it so much..."

"Balancing the size of a coven with the available hunting range has been a constant struggle for centuries."

"Ok... So how do the wars play into all of this?"

"Obviously, if you eliminate the competition for the hunting rights in a region, your coven can feed more frequently. The Wars started off as inter coven warfare to increase the size of a given covens range. If you wiped out all the smaller covens and consolidated a larger territory, you could clam a larger hunting range. The surviving covens grew larger for mutual protection, but eventually a young vampire named Benito came up with an idea that revolutionized inter-coven warfare.

"Benito rationalized that if he created a large number of newborn vampires, he could turn them loose on his opponents to destroy them. No coven could stand against his newborn armies, and he came to control a vast territory. Of course others followed his example and the wars escalated."

"Um... Newborn vampires? You mean people who are freshly turned... Why would that give him an advantage in a fight?"

"We are never more savage, ruthless and devastating in combat than during the first year of our second life. The human blood remaining within our tissues when we are first turned gives newborn vampires superior strength for their first year of life. Our abilities and superior training gives us an advantage, but a large group of newborn vampires has a distinct and definite advantage over the typical coven of ordinary vampires in a fight.

"It is easy for a vampire wishing to form an army to easily create a group of newborns and point them in the direction of their enemy. They will simply destroy everything in their path, and then the newborns are expendable once the fighting is done. With luck, most of them are destroyed in the fighting, and individually, they're easily dispatched when no longer necessary. Most were destroyed by the covens who had created them once their usefulness ended."

"So you're saying a coven that wanted to wipe out it's neighbors would change a bunch of people to turn them into monsters, use them to fight their battles for them, and then just kill them when they were done with them? That's disgusting and horrible!"

"That's why it's illegal and why we finally stepped in to end the practice," I said.

Of course that wasn't really why the Volturi put an end to the wars. They didn't care about the humans, or even the newborns for that matter, but when the wars became so large and devastating that they risked exposing all of us, they were forced to take action.

"So, is that what I'm going to be like when you turn me, savage, ruthless and devastating? Will I even be me anymore? Am I going to want to hunt and feed, eat people so much that I'll be willing to sacrifice my humanity and morality?"

"Devastatingly beautiful, but you already are." I said, holding Bella close to try and allay her fears and comfort her.

"One newborn vampire isn't so difficult to rein in and control," Jasper said. "You may be prone to emotional outbursts and you may feel out of control at times, after you're turned. It's not uncommon for newborns to be volatile and prone to sudden rapid mood swings, but preparation for the transition and knowing what to expect mitigate many of the worst complications of the change. It will pass rapidly, within six months to a year, and you should feel like yourself again. Much sooner in many cases, but a year is worst case scenario."

"You don't have to sacrifice your humanity, Bella," Rose said. "I had a hard time accepting all of this when I was new, but I didn't go off rampaging through the night. I never had any accidents..." Rose glanced disapprovingly at Emmett as she spoke.

"You're never going to let me live that down, are you?" Emmett said, sounding exasperated. "That was over seventy years ago, and you're still pissed off about that. So I had a couple of accidents..."

"We had to move three times in six months, Emmett," Rose said. "We had hunters chasing us!"

"Fine," Then Emmett turned to address Bella. "I had a bit of a tough time adjusting to the lifestyle, Bella, but I got over it. I had a couple of accidents early on, but I haven't slipped up in over fifty years."

"So, by accident you mean..."

Emmett shrugged. "Some people smell better than others. Sometimes you just can't help yourself. It's a lot harder when you're new. It gets easier with time."

"Edward said you all eat animals..."

Emmett shrugged again. "The last time I had a bite to eat, it came from a pig, and by pig, I don't mean a derogatory reference to a cop. More like the barnyard kind of pig that goes, 'squeal'. People taste a whole hell of a lot better, but we save that for the ones who really deserve it. It's a matter of personal preference. Most of us eat people and say eating animals is disgusting."

I felt Bella shudder beside me. "Oh... This is all a lot to consider... So if I changed my mind and said I didn't want this...?"

"That's not really an option anymore," Jasper said. "I'm sure Edward explained the rules to you?"

"Um... Yeah, he did. So I either have to become like all of you, or you have to kill me..."

I couldn't help the small growl in my chest that I tried to suppress. "Nobody is going to so much as harm a single hair on your head..." I said.

"It goes much deeper than that now, Bella," Alice said. "You and Edward are mates..."

"I get it, we're made for each other and we're fated to be together forever... It's like some kind of crazy magic thing drawing us together..."

"That's part of it. If anything happens to you, Edward will die. We can't kill you without killing Edward too. None of us are going to harm you, because first of all, we all love you like a sister already, and secondly because if any harm were to befall you, we lose Edward too. We all love him like a brother, and he is our leader. We're all sworn to protect him with our lives, and by extension, you too."

"What?" Bella exclaimed, sitting up straight and staring at Alice. "What do you mean Edward would die? That cannot happen! I won't allow it!"

"See," Alice said. "You feel the bond, too."

"Fine... I get that. I feel it, and I know this is real. How the hell does that mean Edward dies if something happens to me?"

"You're joined at the soul, Bella. It isn't just physical anymore. It's a much more profound connection. You're two halves of a whole and you cannot exist without your other half."

"Oh..."

"If anything happens to either of you, the other won't last long. You might survive because you're still human, but it wouldn't be much of a life. You'd never be able to love anyone else, and there are still the rules to consider. If something happened to you, Edward would probably live long enough to exact his revenge on the responsible parties, but once they were dead too, he'd slip into a lethargic apathy where he would be unable to care for himself or even feed until he wasted away to nothing. Most vampires faced with an eternity alone after losing their mates suicide to speed up the process and end the pain."

"That can't happen! I won't allow that to happen! There cannot be a world where Edward doesn't exist...!"

"I love you too, Bella. I'm not going to allow anything or any one to harm you," I said as I pulled her close.

"Except for you..."

I sighed. "Yes... Except for me... I do not wish to hurt you, but it is necessary. I'll allow you all the time you need to be ready. It's much easier to deal with if you're adequately prepared..."

"A year seems like an awfully long time, Edward..."

There were chuckles from the others, and they tried to hide their reactions to the comment, but it was easily apparent that they were reacting to Bella's comment. She blushed a most delicious shade of pink.

"Fine, I get it. A year is nothing to all of you. You count time in decades and eras. You're all older than my grandparents, even if we almost look like we're the same age. I can't help being young, I'm working on it as fast as I can, but a year seems like an eternity to me. The last seventeen certainly haven't exactly flown by from my perspective."

"Don't worry, kiddo," Emmett said. "We'll kick back and talk about this fifty years from now, and we'll all have a good laugh about it. You're gonna do just fine."

"A year is highly irregular and a major concession that comes extremely close to breaking the rules," Jasper said, looking at me disapprovingly. "Edward is Magister though..." He conceded when I glared back at him. "He is the voice of the Volturi in this land. If he desires to give you a year, then we are bound to accept his judgment."

Bella didn't seem convinced, but the Limousine stopped next to the curb then, and Bella looked up startled that we'd arrived at our destination. The driver got out to open the door for us, and then we were getting out of the limo onto the sidewalk in front of the club.

It was early for us, but the club scene was in full swing. The club was crowded and there was a line stretching down the front of the building of people waiting to get in. There were a couple of bouncers in front of the door, standing behind a velvet rope. One of them was holding a clipboard and I knew they were checking all of us out, just like the people in line who were waiting to get in.

At least there were enough twenty-somethings in the crowd that we'd easily fit in. Some of the girls waiting to get in didn't look much older than Bella. Some of them were the same age as her and were ready to show their fake IDs to get passed the bouncers. I doubted they'd even card them if they were willing to pay an alternate form of cover charge. From their thoughts, most of them were.

The bouncers probably would have let us in regardless because we looked good enough to get in and fit the clubs image, or we could have bought our way in with a bribe. It would have been cheaper than the VIP room Alice had booked, but then we would have been in the general club with everyone else. A VIP room would allow us to enjoy the club atmosphere without having all the humans right up in our faces.

Of course we didn't get in line. Alice led us right up to the bouncers.

"Cullen, party of six," Alice said to the bouncer with the clipboard.

He looked at his list and nodded. "Ok, you're in." He signaled to the other bouncer, and he opened the velvet rope for us and opened the door so we could walk into the club.

There was an entry foyer with a coat check and a girl at the counter to check our IDs. Normally the bouncer outside would have, but considering we had a VIP room booked, he just assumed all of us were of age. Alice walked up to the counter to deal with the hostess. This was Phoenix, after all, none of us had coats.

"Cullen, party of six," Alice said again to the girl at the counter.

"Oh, ok. I just need to see the credit card you used to book the VIP room, and then I need to verify everyone's ID."

"Of course," Alice said as she opened her clutch and passed her black credit card over to the girl. The girls eyes go big, but she didn't overreact too badly. She was aware of what you had to do to qualify for a card like that.

There were knock off cards from some of the other credit card companies with lower requirements, but basically, you had to do at least two hundred and fifty thousand dollars of business with the credit card company a year to be offered an invitation for the card, and then pay the annual fee up front. It was worth it to carry a million dollars worth of credit in your pocket. It came in handy in an emergency, and just having the card opened a lot of doors. It automatically guaranteed VIP service just about anywhere you could use a credit card.

We all made our way to the counter to show our IDs and have our hands stamped. She assumed the IDs were fake, but considering the kind of money we were spending, she didn't give it a second thought. She was right, of course, but she thought we were too young, while the IDs altered the fact that we were all much older than we looked, except for Bella, of course. She was right about her.

Another bouncer showed up at the entry into the club as she looked over our IDs. He was six foot five, African American and looked like he could play professional football if he wanted too. He was wearing a pair of black slacks and a black t-shirt stretched across his chest with the word 'security' in block letters across the front.

"This is Maurice," the girl said. "He's the bouncer for your private VIP room. You can invite other guests in, but one of your party will have to escort them in. If you want anybody removed, just let Maurice know. There's a private bar in your VIP room and the liquor you reserved should be stocked."

"Thank you," Alice said. The room also usually came with a private hostess to serve the drinks as well, but Alice had declined the service. It defeated the purpose of getting a private room in our case, although the hostess typically joined in with the party in most cases. We didn't need another human with us tonight.

The club was packed and the dance floors were full. The bars were crowded and most of the tables were full. It was modern club décor with chrome and glass motif. The bar was chrome and Plexiglas with mirror covering the wall behind the bar. The tables were clear see-through glass and Plexiglas with chrome and glass chairs. The music was loud and pounding and it made it difficult for most of the people to talk. There was a laser light show and and colored lights, although most of the club was darkened. That didn't effect us unless we wanted it to, but it set the mood.

Maurice led the way, and we followed him through the club to a broad chrome and glass stairway leading to the second floor. There were several semi-private VIP rooms on the second floor. Most of them had balconies overlooking the main floor below. There was another bar and dance floor upstairs.

Bella clung to my side and I kept my arm around her to lead her through the club. I knew she was still leery of the shoes Alice had made her wear, but she didn't seem to have nearly as much trouble with them as she had expected to. I had a feeling her supposed clumsiness was a self-fulfilling prophecy, and when she wasn't actively worrying about walking and her footing, she was much more graceful, stable and sure-footed than she gave herself credit for. Anyone who could ride a motorcycle as well as she did had to have an innate sense of balance, or she wouldn't do as well as she did.

The private VIP room had room for a dozen or more people with a couple of cocktail tables, a couple of large open lounge style booths along the back wall, a private dance floor and a private bar stocked with the liquor Alice had requested. The open balcony overlooked the main dance floor below. The railing was a clear sheet of glass with a chrome banister rail across the top. The way the balcony was setup, I was pretty sure anybody below us would be able to look up the skirts of the girls up here if they stood at the railing to look over at the crowd below.

Nobody below us would be able to see back into the private room, but anyone in one of the other private VIP rooms would be able to see in. It might be difficult for a human to know what was happening in our VIP room, but I could see quite clearly into the other rooms. Obviously a lot of the patrons considered the semi-private VIP rooms private enough to be fairly intimate. Maybe the humans couldn't see very clearly what was going on, but I was pretty sure even Bella could figure out what was going on when two people moved the way they were moving together in some of the private rooms.

Alice had mentioned that there was another club next door, but that you had to walk across a causeway to get there. The bridge started up here on the second floor of the club, crossed over the middle of the main dance floor, went out through the wall, crossed to the other building and ended inside the other club.

The good news was that you could get into both or either club without having to pay another cover charge or wait in line. The obvious drawback was that the causeway or bridge was clear see-through glass and walking across it meant everybody on the lower level could look up the skirts of all the girls who walked across it. That certainly didn't prevent anyone from using it. In fact it seemed to be an attraction, and there was a steady flow of people moving across the causeway in both directions. It seemed like a lot of the girls were even more brazen when crossing it and made sure the people below got a good look.

The other club was just as upscale and trendy, but it was done in a dark hardwood and brass design motif. It sounded like they had a live local band playing instead of a DJ. I could see the advantages in both clubs. The band sounded good and I wouldn't mind seeing them. This club offered the private rooms and looked like it was more open and had larger dance floors. Both clubs had their attractions, and a major attraction seemed to be the fact that you could visit both of them as long as you didn't mind being part of the show.

Maurice took up his position outside the door to keep our party private. We settled into one of the lounge booths while Jasper went to the bar to fix drinks. He was back in minutes, passing drinks around.

"So, this is what you do all the time?" Bella asked after Jasper handed her a glass of white wine and she took a healthy sip. "I mean, every single night since I met you, we've ended up in a bar for drinks and dancing..."

"Not every night," I said. "Last night we didn't go out, and we do other things together... after."

Bella blushed again. She knew what 'after' activities I was referring to. I knew she could see into the some of the other VIP rooms, and the people there weren't waiting until after. It was why they had come here.

"You know what I mean. Is this all you do? I'm not knocking it, this is amazing, but it seems to me it would get boring after a while if this was all you did all the time."

"This is actually kind of a vacation for us, Bella," Rose said. "We keep busy with other things too."

"This is the first time we've ever been to Phoenix," Emmett said. "The fair was a hoot, I haven't been to one in years and it was fun."

"I spent the last couple of evenings catching up on our business interests," Alice said. "It kept me busy while you and Edward were having your heart to heart. Most of our investments and the businesses we own are run by managers and management companies, but I still keep tabs on them, and there are always some things that require a more direct approach. Considering the global economy and the emergence of China as an economic power, you can pretty much conduct business around the clock now.

"You're going to be pretty busy for the next five of six years finishing high school, and then possibly getting a degree from an online university if you want one. After you finish school, you can help out with that if management is something that interests you. A business administration degree is one of the easier ones to do online."

"We travel extensively," Jasper said. "Of course, you'll be traveling with us. You'll get to see most of the United States, Canada and Mexico. We've been as far south as Costa Rico on the motorcycles, but typically we fly if we need to show the flag in South America. Rio has a great nightlife..."

"And some fabulous places to shop," Alice chimed in.

"When we go to Vegas, we can go to some of the casinos and see some shows," I said. "Then of course, we need to go visit your father, but I want us to be married before we go to Washington. We have a house on a property in Vancouver, but we can rent something in Seattle while we're visiting."

"Seattle's a three hour drive from my dad's place. We might want to find something a little closer..."

"Don't worry, I'll handle it..." Alice said. Then she frowned. "There aren't any decent hotels in the area. Most aren't much better than that dump we were staying at when we first got here... Maybe I should just buy something..."

"Talk to Esme," I suggested. "She's familiar with the area..."

Alice smiled. "Yes... that should work out nicely..." She didn't elaborate on what she'd seen, and I knew better than to ask. She'd let me know when I needed to know and I trusted her to take care of the arrangements.

"Fine," Bella said. "So, online high school and then online college while we crisscross North America and visit the houses you own. Sounds like a plan. Isn't gambling in Vegas going to be a little difficult? I mean, sure, you can give me an ID that says I'm twenty-one and you've got more money than god. That doesn't mean I'm going to look twenty-one..."

"I think we discussed this very subject earlier this evening," I said.

"Ok, I get it. That's why you want me to wait, but how are we going to get away with it now?"

"Jasper, Rose and Emmett have no problem blending in. They still look about as young as you can get away with and not have a problem. We don't go to all the clubs. We have arrangements with some of them. They know better than to harass us. The staff will be made aware of our presence when we visit, and security won't bother us while we enjoy the casino and the other entertainments that they offer."

"So, are you saying you own the casino and they aren't going to throw us out because you'd fire all of them if they did?"

"No, we haven't actually invested much in the entertainment industry," Alice said. "Although we do have agreements with people who have. Possibly not the actual owners, but important people who have a say in their operations."

"Let me guess, you have ties to the mafia and organized crime?"

"Very soft ties," I said. "I don't condone criminal activity, but often our interests run in the same vein. Solving some of their problems solves some of our problems, and it would draw too much attention to simply wipe them out, if that was even possible. Not all of their dealings are strictly illegal. Neither are ours. It does come in handy when we visit a place like Vegas, or Atlantic City, or Reno. Hell, there are even casinos in Council Bluffs, Iowa, across the Missouri River from Omaha, Nebraska."

"Fine, so you're saying we'll be able to gamble, drink and go to shows without being bothered by the fact that we look too young. I can go to school online and Alice just offered me a job when I graduate. If this all works for you, why am I waiting a year? You seem to have this all figured out."

"You don't want to rush into this, Bella..." Rose said. "I get it, this is pretty much inevitable now... It has to happen... I know the rules and the consequences, but savor every sunrise while you still can. It'll be close to two or three hundred years before you see another one, and even then there are severe consequences. Think about this and don't just rush headlong into it. Do everything you want to do and experience everything you want to experience before you do this. Think about it long and hard and make a list of what's important for you to do before... Once you take that step, there's no going back... I would have taken more time if it had been offered to me. I never got to say goodbye to my parents..."

"Oh... Yeah... I suppose you have a point... I'd like to visit Charlie, I guess. You're right though, it'll be easier if we're married first. I doubt he'd let me leave with you again unless we make it legal first."

"Good, that's settled then," I said, setting my empty glass on the table. "Would you prefer to dance up here, or would you like to go down to the main dance floor?" I asked as I removed the empty wine glass from Bella's hand and set it on the table.

"Um... Who said anything about dancing...?" Bella asked as I stood up and pulled her up to her feet. Jasper and Alice and Rose and Emmett were already moving towards our private dance floor.

"You did mention that all we seemed to do was go out drinking and dancing. You said we'd gone dancing every night since we met. Why quit while you're ahead? You have seemed to rather enjoy it."

"Fine... I'll admit it does have it's merits. I think that has everything to do with the company you keep, though..."

"I have to say I agree completely. The company and my partner in particular make this the most special part of visiting a place like this. It would be nowhere near as enjoyable an experience without you by my side. You complete the evening and make it special."

I pulled Bella closer and held her as she wrapped her arms around my neck. She certainly wasn't thinking about her shoes as we moved to our own rhythm and ignored the fact that the music was really much too fast for the kind of slow intimate dance we enjoyed as we stared into each others eyes.

I held Bella and we moved to the music, sometimes the music we heard, sometimes to our own rhythm as we danced together. At first, I kept my hands on her to support her so she wouldn't fall, but as the evening progressed, she became more confident and accepted the fact that she could indeed walk and dance in those shoes. We moved apart a bit and danced together to some of the faster songs.

Bella relaxed and enjoyed herself, and it was bit like watching a flower bloom as she came into her own, grew more confident and accepted her new reality.

She left our VIP room with Alice and Rose to visit the ladies room. I knew what they discussed, but I was a little surprised at their suggestion when they came back.

Bella walked up to me and took my hand. "Alice tells me you want to go watch the band in the other club. They're going to start another set in a couple of minutes. Let's go watch them."

"Do you want to go?" I asked.

"I wouldn't have said anything if I didn't want to go. It sounds like fun and I like that music too."

I glanced at the causeway we'd have to cross to go to the other club. "Are you sure?"

Bella laughed. "Yes, I'm sure. Maybe I complained a little about Alice stuffing me into this outfit, but nobody is going to see anything if they try to look up my skirt. Besides, there's fifty other girls out there who want them to look and they're making a lot easier than I am. We'll be across in two minutes. Just don't freak out if anybody does look, ok? I'm with you and I don't want anybody else."

"Ok, thank you. That band does really sound very good. Lets go watch them play."

Jasper refreshed our drinks, and then we left the VIP room to cross the causeway over to the other club. It was perhaps a more grueling experience for me than Bella. She was able to simply enjoy the club and the party atmosphere, the loud music, flashing colored light show and the lasers drawing patterns on anything that intersected their path. I on the other hand knew just how many on the men here looked at her and did in fact try to look up her skirt as we crossed to the other club. She was correct, though. They couldn't really see anything, but it didn't stop them from trying or their fantasies of what they'd like to do with her given the opportunity. That was much worse for me, but I just kept my arm wrapped around her waist, held her close and kept walking.

She was correct though, we were across quickly and into the other club. Emmett and Rose led the way, and the crowd parted before them. People simply moved out of their way as they cleared a path for us through the crowd. Whether they were intimidated by Emmett's sheer massive bulk, or the palpable predator vibe that both Rose and Emmett projected, the way opened and people got out of their way in a hurry, sometime pushing their neighbors aside to clear out from in front of Emmett and Rose. A bubble of space surrounded our group, regardless, as Alice and Jasper brought up the rear and walked behind us.

There was a low stage setup beyond the dance floor in the club, and the band equipment was setup. Alice moved ahead of our group and led us to a table set up beside the dance floor but with a good view of the band. We sat down for a few minutes as the band came back out and checked their instruments and equipment before they started their next set.

I was surprised when Bella reached for my hand to pull me up. "C'mon," she said. "We'll have a better view from the dance floor."

Nobody was dancing yet because the band hadn't started to play. I was enjoying just standing there holding Bella when a familiar scent caught my attention. I looked behind us and Andrea was sitting at the bar with Vincent. She wanted to talk.

Alice was instantly at my side. "She just wants to talk. Nothing is going to happen. I'll stay with Bella."

"Thank you Alice," I said. Then I leaned down to whisper in Bella's ear. "I'll be right back. I need to see what she wants."

Bella glanced back at the bar, and immediately recognized Andrea as one of Charles friends. She looked around, but she didn't find Charles or Rachel anywhere. They weren't here, or I would have known it.

"They aren't here," I said. "They're alone. I'll be right back."

Bella nodded. "Alright, hurry back."

I nodded and stepped away to go to the bar. There was an empty space next to Andrea.

"What do you want?" I asked. For one so young, she was doing an excellent job of guarding her thoughts.

"This was a chance meeting. We just dropped in for a snack on our way out of town. I was asked to deliver a message if we ran into you again. The favor you asked for has been done. The girl learned that you had taken your mate, so there was no longer any reason to prolong our stay here."

"The girl is on her way to Colorado?"

"No. Chandler is going to keep her and train her himself."

"You left him. You're leaving to be on your own with Vincent."

"It was time for us to move on and make our own way in the world. We're traveling back north out of this heat and sun."

I nodded. "Go in peace then. Thank you for the news. We'll need to move on shortly as well then if the police become involved."

Andrea nodded. "Thank you, Magister. It's an honor to be of service."

I got up and returned to Bella and Alice.

"What did she want?" Bella asked.

"Just paying her respects. She's here to see the band too," I lied. She didn't need to know they were hunting and whoever they picked up here would disappear when they left with them.

Of course Alice had heard everything, and she was already looking at our future to make sure we stayed clear of the police and the investigation into Rachel's disappearance. For now, Bella didn't need to know what had happened yet. It would only upset her, and she had enough worries on her mind to deal with.

Author's note:

I know, finally, another chapter. I can't say that there'll be any kind of regular posting schedule, but this story will be finished. Barring chapters running long and getting split up, this should have about ten chapters left to go.

Reviews are always appreciated. I'd love to hear what you think. I read all the reviews, although I don't necessarily reply to all of them. I usually answer questions as long as they don't give away too much of what's to come.