The Safe Wizards

46: The Shifters

The smell of wet dog hit Jasper as he walked hand in hand with Harry into the small restaurant in downtown Forks, preceded by Carlisle and Andromeda. Every fiber of the vampire's being tensed as he spotted the two men, whom he knew to be shifters, sitting at a large table, the men who transformed themselves into giant wolves to protect their village from vampires. Sure, a non-aggression treaty had been signed long ago, but Jasper couldn't be serene knowing that they would have a say in his relationship with Harry.

The Weasleys' had explained to Carlisle the day of their discussion with Harry the ins and outs of turning into a chalice and the consequences it would have for the couple and their loved ones. Reassured, the doctor had told his family the next day in Jasper's absence. From what Edward had told him, the discussion had been very agitated, but after several hours of everyone talking, they had agreed that Jasper making Harry his chalice was indeed the right thing to do.

So Carlisle had called Billy, the chief of the Quileute tribe, to convince him to meet with them.

One of the two men stood up, thirty-something, Native American, medium-length black hair, brown eyes, holding out his hand to introduce himself. Jeff was his name and he had no desire to be there. Andromeda and Carlisle went around the table to greet the other man, the couple followed them. Native American, mid-length graying hair, in his fifties, the man was in a wheelchair.

"Andromeda, it's a pleasure to see you again."

"The pleasure is mutual, Billy."

"Carlisle, I didn't expect to see you again so soon."

"Let's just say there was some new information I wasn't aware of when we last met."

Carlisle had indeed met with the tribal elders a month earlier to reconfirm the treaty signed by their ancestors during their last stay in Forks. Normally they would not have met again, but the situation was nothing like what they had experienced before.

"Gentlemen, I'd like you to meet Harry, Teddy's father and his companion Jasper," introduced Andromeda.

"Your son Carlisle?" asked Billy, but Jasper knew that the two men didn't need to ask the question to find out.

The doctor nodded and they all sat down. They placed their orders quickly, four coffees and two glasses of red wine, then Harry quietly cast a silence spell over them and Carlisle launched into the explanations.

"Harry and Jasper are soul mates, the bond between them is almost complete, but when a vampire is in this situation, he has the need to transform his mate to make sure he spends eternity with him."

"If he turns him, he will break the treaty," Jeff interrupted him vehemently.

Harry took the hand of his overstretched mate in his left hand and ran his right hand under his shirt, caressing the cold skin of his back. Jasper didn't lack much in the way of attacking the man who felt nothing but hatred for them, but the contact he had with his wizard allowed him to dampen the emotions he was receiving and keep his control.

"We are well aware of that," Harry replied calmly, cutting Carlisle off. "But there is another solution. A solution that would allow me to live as long as he has and finish completing our bond."

Billy motioned to Jeff to be quiet. They all remained silent as the waitress placed their order with an appreciative look at the vampires, which changed when she noted the way the couple stood. The disgust she gave off at this point made Jasper turn his head towards her, giving her a dark and threatening look. Harry sent a wave of love through their bond, immediately calming the empath. They both knew she wouldn't be the last to have that kind of reaction, Forks was a small town where there were, besides them, no openly gay couples. No one commented, but everyone, even the shifters, disapproved of the waitress' attitude. The mortals took a sip of coffee before Billy spoke up in a calm voice, without animosity.