alliance

I paced the forest floor, trying to find the right words to tell Edward that I needed to help the wolves with the problem in Seattle but didn't want him involved.

No matter what I contemplated saying though, I could see only one possible reaction, him demanding to come along. And because there were no secrets in our family, Emmett and Jasper would want to join in, then Alice and Rosalie would go as well since their mates were... and soon enough it would be a whole family affair.

Which was exactly what I didn't want. My family needed to be safe, and I knew they wouldn't be going to Seattle.

Not that I'd be any safer going there, but I owed it to Jake. He'd helped me so much, and I honestly wasn't even sure if it was the kind of debt that could ever be paid.

Besides, the newborns in Seattle needed to die.

The only thing was, I couldn't just go there without explaining to Edward. I'd promised I wasn't going anywhere, promised I was done running, so I needed to let him know what was going on.

And that was my problem, because not only did I need to tell him, but I even genuinely wanted to. I just also wanted him to accept that I'd be back and we'd leave it at that.

I looked towards my home, then over to the outbuilding with my new vehicle. I knew Edward's heart had been in the right place when he'd bought me the truck, but there was a part of me that was sorely tempted to sink it like I had the other. I wouldn't, though.

After a moment, no more sure than I'd been when I'd first started pacing, I shook my head and headed inside to find Edward.

"Edward... I need to talk," I said quietly when I found him in our bedroom.

"Does it have to do with Alice mentally grumbling about our future disappearing?" He looked at me as he asked his question.

I flinched slightly before grumbling, "Most likely."

"Explain please."

"Seth stopped by earlier today, while you were with Alice picking up the... truck." I still wasn't at all certain about the over-the-top Lincoln. "The wolves are planning on making a trip to Seattle because the amount of destruction our kind is wreaking in Seattle is too much for them to ignore. Seth asked me to go help them as I have some practical knowledge which none of them do – at least according to him."

"And you're planning on going."

It wasn't a question, but I answered, anyway. "I owe Jake a lot. You know I do. Besides, he's my friend. That's reason enough on its own for me to go and try to help."

"Why do you insist on putting yourself in danger?"

"What would you do in my shoes if it was someone you cared for as a friend... as family?"

"I wouldn't do something if it was against your wishes, Beau. But you're going to go no matter what I say."

I opened my mouth for a moment before closing it and walking over to the wall of glass, looking outside. "If you really don't want me involved, I won't go, but what's happening in Seattle has the potential of affecting us, and you know it. If it gets much worse, the Volturi will get involved. And with how close we are to there..."

Edward sighed. "It's sort of a lose-lose situation no matter what. If we get involved and the Volturi show up afterward – especially if we don't take care of all the newborns – then they may say we caused more harm than good."

"But if we don't get involved, they will show up eventually for sure. And then..." I shrugged. "They know we live here. They know the wolves live here... Three birds one stone."

"I know. Like I said, we're potentially damned either way."

"There are ten wolves, and they are built to kill our kind. Maybe with a bit of advice on how to kill newborns, and a little extra help, they can take care of the problem in Seattle."

"And you put yourself in that equation?"

"Yes."

"Why? There is more than one vampire in this house with far more experience than you. In fact, we all have more experience than you."

"But I'm the only one they truly trust."

"Well, I'm going with you."

I banged my head against the glass, closing my eyes – though I wasn't the least bit surprised by his words. A moment later, Edward was right behind me, his hands wrapped around my waist as he rested his head against my back.

"If I was going to go do something dangerous and potentially very stupid, would you simply stay home and wait?"

"No." I immediately admitted before grumbling, "But I can be a hypocrite if I want to."

I felt his smile against my back. "No, you can't."

…

I was relatively certain Edward had wanted us to go to La Push in the new pick up, but there were several reasons why it wasn't a sensible idea. Not the least of which was the fact that driving meant we'd have to go through Forks to get there and I was still dead.

Honestly, the limitations of being dead made getting around more than a little annoying, and I knew we'd need to move soon.

I was loathe to admit how much the thought of leaving the family I'd found in the wolves behind forever affected me. I was sure we'd eventually return to Forks, but by the time a hundred years had passed all the wolves who I cared for would be dead. The thought of never seeing Jake again if we left was a harder pill to swallow than I wanted to admit.

But it needed to happen. For the wolves' sake as much as our own.

Of course, at least I'd be staying with the family who was my life, as well as the person I loved with everything in me, and that was what really mattered.

And, no matter what, I wasn't going to leave until the mess that was in Seattle was gone, as well as Victoria was taken care of.

Though I was sure some would argue that Victoria would follow if we left, I was no longer sure. I knew she wanted to kill me, but it was exceedingly clear she also wanted to hurt me first. And it didn't take a genius to figure out that the wolves were one easy way to do that.

They'd become an important and inexplicable part of my life – even if the same couldn't be said for their relationship with the rest of my family.

…

"What will my last name be when we move?" I asked as we made our way to La Push.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Alice, Emmett, and you are all Cullens while Rosalie and Jasper are Hales. And though I know you change the actual surnames, you still keep the general story – you three being adopted orphans, and Rosalie and Jasper being Esme's niblings. I don't really have the blond supermodel look to fit in as a Hale. It's gonna be weird as us both being Cullens at whatever school we end up at."

"You'd make a fine Hale, Beau." When I arched my eyebrow at him, he continued with."You're perfect, Beau."

I snorted. "And you're biased."

"You never have seen yourself clearly."

"Really?" There was so much scathing sarcasm laced in my single-word, two-syllable question that it should have precisely explained my opinion of that statement.

"Yes, really. You are amazing, whether you believe it or not."

"Your definition of amazing concerns me, Edward." I knew better than to say it, as he'd made his opinion clear on my continuing opinion of myself being a monster, but I knew what I was. It was alright though, I was accepting of it, and as long as I was with Edward and our family – I was in control of it.

He couldn't say anything else before we reached Emily's house.

I paused.

It had become relatively commonplace for me to visit the house over the months while I'd been staying in Jacob's cabin, but I'd never smelled any of the Cullens at the home, and I wasn't sure what to do as a result.

Even though Jacob had given complete acceptance of my family being allowed to come and go as they please, it didn't change how I was sure some of the others would still feel about any of them being there. Even I wasn't a hundred percent wanted by all the wolves, not to mention Emily who was always nervous around me – a reaction that would be tantalizing to the killer in me if she didn't smell so much like Sam all the time.

"Come on, they're inside," Edward said.

I couldn't think of a good reason not to continue to the house, so I did, with Edward walking beside me.

The sliding glass door opened before we reached the house and Jacob stepped outside, crossing his arms over his chest.

"So, a little birdy told me you were going to be coming here to help, but I was sure the birdy was wrong. After all, my Beau ran off to Tijuana after threatening me because I kissed him, and I'm certain if he'd decided to come back, he would have told me by now." He was angry and hurt – beyond obvious from his words and his voice.

I flinched. "I'm sorry, Jake."

"You don't have anything to apologize for. He knew exactly what he was doing," Edward said through gritted teeth.

"Get out of my head!" Jacob snapped, turning his glare on Edward.

"Then stop trying to make him feel guilty. You knew, all along, he was never yours. He was never going to be yours. Don't try to twist him in knots now. You knew this was how your story with him was always bound to end."

"If you're worried that just a few choice words will bring him back to my side, then you can't be that sure of him."

I stepped in between the two of them before one of the two went after the other. "Stop it! Both of you! I am not some prime piece of steak for the two of you to fight over."

I looked between two of them... Opposites in every way. While Edward was lanky, soft, and slightly muscular; Jake was all hard lines and toned body. While Edward was pale white with his silky copper hair; Jake, on the other hand, had thick black hair which matched his body. But for all that... They were very much the same as well – as was evident by the stance they both had at the moment, not to mention the fact that I could practically see the smoke coming out of their noses.

"I'm here –" I looked at Edward, smiling slightly before starting over. "We're here to help with taking care of the problem in Seattle, Jake. And I am sorry. It was never my intention to hurt you, and I know you knew that, at the end of the day, Edward would always be my mate... but for all that, you're still human..." Part of me wanted to continue, but I didn't know how to vocalize it without potentially sounding degrading or trite with my words.

I noticed out of the corner of my eye as Jake rolled his eyes. "Stop. You're going to make me blush... or something." I turned to look at him as he dropped his arms to his sides, loosening up some. "Well, come inside. We have a bunch of imbeciles who think running through Seattle headfirst is the best way to take this on. So, please help."

I arched an eyebrow but didn't bother to point out he would have done the same thing not that long ago in order to get to Victoria if I hadn't stopped him.

For a few seconds, there was nothing, before he muttered, "That's different." Then turned on his heel and headed back into Sam and Emily's house.

I rolled my eyes and started to follow Jake, but Edward stopped me with a hand on my arm, murmuring, "He's still hurt, you know."

"He has a right to be." Even though I knew I'd finally made the right choice for myself, for Edward, and even – ultimately – for Jake... between the bond he and I had formed, and the feelings I knew he had for me... well, I honestly couldn't blame him.

After a moment, I forced myself to shake it off, focusing on the task at hand. "Come on, let's head inside."

It was weird entering the house and finding the wolves all in different poses, all deathly silent and the only human in the room was Emily. Though the scents of both Kim and Clay were strong enough to tell me they'd been there recently – I sort of doubted Edward would pick them up, as it had taken me a long time to catch the scents when they were buried under the much stronger stench of the wolves.

Sam's glare was once again cold enough to break crystal, but I wasn't surprised. Even though he'd warmed to me a little while I'd been staying at Jake's cabin, the reality was that Sam never really seemed to see eye to eye with me for very long.

Then again, his stare was no longer the harshest amongst them as that dubious honor belonged to Collin, although Brady wasn't far behind. I did get it. They'd both lost a parent to a vampire – more specifically, they'd both lost a parent because of Victoria.

"Well, if you got some idea how we're going to do this, let's hear it," Leah grumbled from where she was sitting on the stairs leading to the second floor of the small house.

Edward beat me to talking. "You will have to stay as wolves for the entire time we're in Seattle. Being wolves will allow you some anonymity, though being the size that all of you are, it's also going to cause its own set of problems. There's nothing that can be done for that, though. Reality is, by us going to Seattle, we're asking for trouble. Beau and I will have to practice absolute stealth, but the vampires in Seattle aren't going to care if they're seen or not. Frankly, it's pure luck that there haven't been some reports of people sparkling already, though I suppose we should take that as a blessing as it means they tend to come out more at night than the day, and the night may be just enough cover to protect most of you from notice.

"The thing that we have to worry about will be human exposure. There are, after all, more than half a million people living in Seattle. And human exposure to vampires, especially if they realize any of us are something other than normal humans is extremely bad."

Sam's eyes never strayed from mine as his eyes narrowed slightly at Edward's words.

"That's right, Sam. What Beau told you about our rulers is absolutely true. If humans start talking about humans who sparkle in the sun or move faster than a car, it will get back to them. And they will come down and kill all involved. That includes us. And it includes you."

Jared spoke up, "They can't be that strong."

"They're stronger, actually. Emmett and Rosalie could run, if Alice had a vision soon enough to give some warning, but they wouldn't. And the rest of us... Demetri knows at least one-half of our minds. He knows Carlisle's, Alice's, and mine. So there's nowhere for us to run to. He could track us anywhere. Our mates could escape, possibly, but they'd never leave us."

"They know Beau too," Jake said, frowning.

"They actually don't. Demetri's gift is mental, and my shield protects against mental powers, but like Edward said, I'm not going to leave my mate. So it's a moot point." I took a deep breath. "And humans spotting you is going to be just as big of a problem as if they spot us. Though, to our knowledge, there isn't a clan of shape-shifters that police your kind, Aro – one of the Volturi leaders – has a deep-seated fear of werewolves. And if evidence gets back that one, or more, is loose in Seattle, they will come. And they certainly won't honor the treaty that you have with us. They won't care. So we have to avoid exposure at all costs.

"Almost guaranteed, the newborns will be staying in something abandoned, and more specifically something large enough to house two dozen young vampires, which won't be a house. That's why I went through the train-yard, or started to. It would be one of only a couple places where I'd suspect we might find them. But, though there was some smell of vampires in the rail-yard, it wasn't heavy enough to be where they were staying. It makes me suspect they may be staying in a warehouse. And while there are warehouses throughout Seattle, a vast majority of them are between 1st and 4th streets on the south-side. And that's where I'm betting they'll be. Though we won't be sure until we go."

"And we're going in blind. Alice's never been able to get a lock on where they're at, and now that you'll be going, she won't be able to." Edward pointed out.

"So we make a beeline for the warehouses when we go to attack?" Sam asked.

"Yes. Though deciding when to go is going to be a problem. I think we'd be more likely to find them in one place if we went during the day, but the exposure risk would be huge that way. Of course, the exposure risk by us going out at night may not be any less..." Edward trailed off as he frowned, spinning around to look at the sliding glass back door.

"What is it?" I asked, immediately on alert as I turned to look as well.

"You'll find out soon enough," Edward muttered and headed toward the door.

He opened it just as I noticed Alice in the forest.

"They're going to be coming here!" she shouted.

I was out the sliding glass door before Edward. "What do you mean they're coming here?"

"The newborns. A decision's been made. They're coming to Forks."

"Why?" I demanded.

Alice looked behind me, towards Edward. "You should have told him Jasper's idea." She focused back on me. "There's only one reason that Jasper could think of for an army being made in Seattle. And that's because of us. We're the only thing here."

For a brief moment, I was hurt that Edward hadn't told me, but I'd also told him it was okay, that it didn't matter, so I let it go. I was sure, if I'd pushed, he'd have told me. I narrowed my eyes at Alice. "There's more though, isn't there? Why are they coming now?"

"Not now. In three days." She swallowed. "And they're coming because of you."

I couldn't help it, I froze, statue solid.