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It didn't take long for Jake to get back with Bella, Jake left after dropping her off at the door to join the pack. Emily being who she is opened her home to her with open arms. Bella having seen her face before I healed it looked almost gob smacked when she walked in the door to see her face healed. 

Bella almost jumped when Emily spoke to her asking if she wanted something to eat or drink. Bella just shook her head no but opened her mouth to ask, "What happened to your face it's almost completely healed?" 

Emily being her sweet self just laughed and said, "So that's what has you all worked up. I came across a fortuitous encounter with a healer." With that one sentence she clamed up and wouldn't answer anymore questions about her face from Bella. It was after a few more back and fourths that Bella even noticed I was there. She looked at me and then Emily before saying, "Who is this?" 

Emily just smiled and said, "This is Cordelia Waters, she is a good friend who is visiting for a while." Bella nodded and then tried talking with me, noticing my distress Emily said, "She doesn't speak."

Bella looked shocked and asked, "Then how do you communicate with her?" Emily giggled and said, "she has her ways."

I was getting a little thirsty so I asked Emily for some water through my mind. She got up without missing a beat or drawing attention to the fact that I was 'speaking' to her through her mind. With cup in hand I was feeling more relaxed. I was beginning to get dehydrated apparently I need to ingest a lot more water now that I am on the surface. Bella never stopped with her questions. It got to the point where I was beginning to wonder how anyone could put up with her. I don't remember her being this annoying in the books or movies. Her curiosity towards the supernatural is unnerving to say the least. Through all her rambling I was able to figure out where we were plot wise in the story we were at the part just before the joint training started. I'm hoping I can meet the Cullen's at the training spot with the wolves, I'll have to aske Sam. 

The pack didn't take long to return and with their return cam Bella's departure. I wasn't sad to see her leave, her attitude leaves much to be desired. 

Jasper POV

I am starting to get sick of Bella and Edward's drama. His emotions are all over the place when she is around. Frankly it is taxing on my nerves. If it wasn't for Archie being mates with Edward's sister him and I would have left this place months ago. Edyth is sweet and nothing like her dipstick of a brother so Archie and I deal with him. Archie is one misinterpreted vision away from snapping his neck. I can feel his frustration at Edward because he blames us for not handling the Victoria problem and because Edward blames me for his leaving Bella after her birthday disaster.

It's these thoughts that I push away whenever I get close enough to Edward that he can read my mind. With a look from Arch I know that Edward is close so I clear my mind and wait for him to return. Edward and Bella walk through the door and I immediately sense something is off with her smell. She usually has an overpowering tempting smell but right now it's muted with something other than wet dog smell. It smells like a fresh breeze that comes off the ocean on a cool morning.

I sit up and place my book down when Bella opens her mouth and says, "we have a problem." 

All of us turn towards her and I can feel her elation at being the center of attention. I hide my mental scoff with battle plans for the army approaching us so that Edward doesn't pick up on my distaste of his mate.

She then says, "The wolves at La Push have a guest with them and they won't tell me who she is and she won't even speak to me. They gave some lame excuse that she couldn't speak to try and throw me off. I also noticed that Emily's face was almost completely healed when I got there." 

The last bit got Carlisle curious, Edward didn't show a reaction to his thoughts so he must not know anything and is just genuinely curious about how this happened. I wasn't so concerned about the wolves not telling Bella everything. I was more concerned with the smell and how it almost soothed me. Edward snapped his head at me with that thought but I was almost to distracted to hear his growling at me to stop sniffing his mate. I turned to him after Arch elbowed me and said "I wasn't sniffing your mate I was trying to identify what other smell is on her outside of the typical dog smell that rolls off of her when she leaves the reservation." This got the others thinking but Carlisle finally said that he didn't smell anything other than dog. This led everyone to say the same. I simply said, "The smell is faint and it has almost dissipated." I wasn't surprised that I was the only one who could smell it. My upbringing in the vampire wars had heightened my senses when it came to sights and smells. I got up after that and went to my room to begin planning for the battle training with the wolves tomorrow. I'm the only one with battle experience so it was left to me and that was just fine with me.

***The morning of training***In the field***

Jasper POV

We got to the clearing in the woods before the wolves this gave me a short minute to figure out how I would communicate with them. I'm sure Edward wont translate all of what they say because of his hatred of Jacob Black. At this thought I can see the wolves approach, but what is curious is that the big black wolf has a small woman on his back. She cant be more than 5'2 with long black hair braided down to the small of her back just above her butt. Her eyes are a soul piercing blue and her lips are the color coral. She is wearing jeans and a cream turtle neck that I feel the need to rip off of her and hiking boots. Her practical outfit shouldn't make me go crazy but here I am not being able to think while looking at her.

That's when it hits me that she isn't riding on a dog she is riding on a man, a man that is not me. With this thought I can't hold the guttural growl that escapes from me past my lips. This stops the wolves approach but the girl just jumps down from the black wolf and walks closer to us but pauses to wait for some reason. The black wolf runs behind a tree to shift but returns rather quickly. Once he reaches her side they both walk forward. Bothered by this but keeping the growl in check before I can do any more damage to our relations than I already have. I take a step forward with Carlisle at my side he seems pleased that the wolf was willing to shift so we could communicate. 

The two walked to the edge of the tree line and I could see the women look at the man and then he spoke "I am Sam current Alpha of the pack and this is Cordelia. The pack and I have come for your training, while Cordelia came because she was curious about your family. She has told me that I can reveal to you what she is but she doesn't want to answer a lot of questions right now."

Carlisle steps forward once and looks to Sam and says, "I am Carlisle and this is my family. My mate Esme and my children Jasper, Edward, Archie, Edyth, Emmet, and Rosalie. now that introductions are out of the way I would like to ask what you are?" Sam opens his mouth to speak but is stopped by Cordelia by a hand on his chest and then I and my family hear in our mind's "I am what you would call a mermaid although we prefer the term mer-folk but for now the name doesn't matter. I am here to provide healing for the wolves in the case of injury during the training." with that being said she steps back into the line behind the wolves. 

After pushing down my irrational irritation that she has once again stepped away from me behind other men I look to the wolves and ask, "Are there are any questions before we begin?"

Sam the alpha says, "What is the difference between you and the army that is coming?" I look at him and say, "Our kind is never more strong than in our first year of this life."

Carlisle adds "That is because our human blood that still lingers in our tissues." Nodding at this Sam then say "lets begin."

After a few hours I noticed that the wolves were getting tired, a few were injured during the mock battles but were quick to return after a trip to the river bank where Cordelia was sitting. I decided that this was enough for today so I said to the group that we were done for the day. Walking back towards the Jeep by the river next to Cordelia, Bella stops me and asks, "Why do you know so much about fighting other vampires?" I chuckle at her rude question but still answer her to avoid a fight with Edward "I didn't have the same upbringing as my adopted siblings. I was sired during the end of the civil war. I was the youngest major in the Texas cavalry, all without seeing any real battle. Her name was Maria and she was raising an army to rule the south. Not for any grand goals or anything she just wanted territory to feed in and revenge of course. Not noble just twisted, she used me to control her armies and made me dispose of them before they reached the year old mark. It was a vicious way of life but I've left it behind me now. Archie found me in a diner and we headed out to find our family and hopefully our mates. Arch lucked out with Edy and I'm still waiting."

Archie then came over a placed and hand on my shoulder and said, "I got you bro. You never have to be that again and your mate is closer than you think." With a wink and a head tilt that only I know is pointing in the direction of Cordelia. My heart soars at the thought but I hide it from Edward. I am beginning to think he wants the whole family to focus on Bella and her well being. Bella and Edward leave quickly in the Jeep while some of the wolves start to take off but for some reason Cordelia, Sam and two other wolves stay. Carlisle, Esme, Archie, Edyth, Rosalie and Emmet stay as well.

Cordelia steps forward and looks to me and speaks to our minds again "I have a question for you Jasper." I smile at her and say, "Go right ahead darlin." she smiles at me but steps forward and says in her own way "May I please touch your hand? I have been getting a feeling about you since the moment I laid eyes on you." At her declaration I am almost giddy but I say, "Yes you may" while holding out my hand for her to take.