Trapped in Twilight, Help!

Chapter 43

Carlisle was home just after us, in his office, on his phone with Billy Black. I could hear him shouting through the phone even up in my room. I was trying to focus my homework, but whatever happened had Rose and Emmett and Tanya rushing home too. I wanted to know what was going on, but I realized that now wasn't the time to ask. I'd find out soon enough.

"Edythe?"

I looked up to see Alice slip into my room, shutting the door softly behind her. "Did I do something -"

"What?" Alice furrowed her eyebrows at me. "No, you haven't done anything." She sighed, "We're just overreacting."

Curiosity got the better of me. "Overreacting about what?"

"All of this," Alice gestured vaguely at something over her shoulder (I hope it wasn't at my overflowing bookshelf). "It's a perfectly fine thing to have happen. It's wonderful, actually. Really a sweet thing. Kind of a Romeo and Juliet thing -"

"You do know that they both died, right? After knowing each other for three days." I blurted.

Alice rolled her eyes almost black eyes at me. They haven't had time to go hunting, I assumed it was because of the actual bear attacks and they'd be going out this weekend. "Duh, I know that. I was just saying - it's a rivalry thing. Love can overcome anything."

I worried my bottom lip between my teeth. "What, did Bella become a vampire in the two minutes it was that I saw her and got in the car?"

Alice gave me a look and I gave one back to her - what? I was guessing.

The doorbell rang and Alice stiffened, she cussed and stood up. "I didn't even know they were coming - stay here, please, Edy."

I nodded solemnly and readjusted myself my bed, looking out at the surrounding forest. There was a vaguely familiar truck in the driveway - one I've only seen once. Today, at the high school.

Carlisle, I realized, wasn't shouting at anyone anymore.

*

Twenty minutes later, I couldn't take it anymore, I stood up, grabbing my thick cardigan, I jogged downstairs, slipping it over my tank top. There were people at the door, on the porch. Esme was in the living room, watching me as I came down the stairs.

Esme smiled wistfully, "You should have been down here twenty minutes ago."

"Alice told me to stay upstairs." I halted on the last step, suddenly aware of my bare feet.

Esme sighed and shook her head, "Alice is jumpy. Come on, darling." Esme led me to the front door - which was wide open - but through the wall the Cullens made with their bodies and the lack of height on my part, I couldn't see who was there.

"You are your mates just as we have our imprints," A gravely voice was saying. "We're want to rewrite the Treaty - this was never considered when you first moved here -"

"Not going to happen," Edward growled, fists curled at his sides. Tanya was there now, had on his arm with a tight look on her usually smiling face.

"Edward," Carlisle said tiredly, "Let them talk. Which aspects of the Treaty are you willing to change?"

"Almost all of it," The same voice said. "We want to make the Treaty line void if it means her being able to come on to our side - with you, without you - whatever."

Carlisle turned as I stepped out onto the porch, playing with the hem of my thick cardigan. I didn't need to ask what was going on - whatever it was, it was change. A big change.

Emmett was snarling at a few of the muscled Rez boys. There were ten of them, almost three times as many of them than in the books at this time. I couldn't tell who was who, except for Jacob Black, who was scrutinizing me, but not scathing. In fact, all of them were looking at me. They all wore different expressions and I couldn't tell what they were thinking.

The gravelly-voiced man cleared this throat and addressed me, "Edythe Cullen?"

"Yes?" I said, crossing my arms over my chest defensively.

"I'm Sam." He said, then he gestured behind him to the guy bigger and beefier than the rest. The beefy boy's jaw was locked and his eyes locked on my face. "This is Paul, my third."

"Okay..." My heart started thudding but, for the first time, I didn't care if they could all hear it.

"Do you know what imprinting is?"

Thoughts....?