The Inevitable

Chapter 12 Warning

"What do you mean visi…" Bella trailed off, her jaw dropping as three people quickly came into view.

A low growl sounded from Emmett. Edward turned to look at him with narrowed eyes. "Don't," he hissed in barely more than a whisper. "Don't make it worse."

Bella started walking forward slowly. Alice grabbed her arm, but she yanked it away forcefully and continued on.

"Stop," the one in front said firmly.

"I….I don't…it's not…Jacob?" All of her words were choked.

"Bella," he said harshly. But she could hear something else in his voice. Some kind of longing.

"How…how is this…"

"I think what Bella may be trying to say," Edward began as he walked to Bella.

"How old are you?" she interrupted, staring at Jacob wide eyed the entire time.

"I'm two years younger than you…same as always."

"How? How are you so…young? Did…did you get bit or something?"

The girl to Jacob's left snorted. Bella looked at her closely. She looked vaguely familiar, but Bella couldn't quite place her. Same with the man to his right. She was sure she knew who they were…but she couldn't make herself remember.

"I…I don't understand," she said in a daze.

"We didn't get bit," Jacob said tersely. "We're werewolves. Remember?"

"That makes you stay young?"

"As long as we keep turning, we don't age. If we stop, we'll start aging again."

"Why do you smell so bad?" She bit her lip right after she said it, afraid she would offend him.

He laughed a cold laugh. "I guess we must smell as good to you as you do to us."

"Can we get on with this?" the girl said impatiently, glaring over at Bella.

"And you're a werewolf too?" Bella asked incredulously, staring at her.

"Obviously," she said, rolling her eyes.

"If you're here to remind us, we're already well aware," Edward said calmly from Bella's side. She looked over at him, surprised; she hadn't realized he was right next to her.

"Remind us of what? What is going on here?"

Jacob merely glared at Edward for a minute before turning his eyes back to Bella. "The treaty. We wanted to make sure it was still well understood."

"Treaty? What treaty?" Bella asked in confusion.

"We're not going to bite anyone," Alice hissed from Bella's other side.

"Bite someone?"

"Our kind made a treaty with your…leader long ago. We leave them…we leave you guys alone…just as long as you don't bite anyone. If you do, the treaty is broken…and we kill you." Jacob said all of this calmly, staring at Bella.