Believe Me Chapter 17

Seth made quick work of getting everything he needed for Leah to stay at the Cullen’s house while she healed and passing along the message to Sam. He was even able to give his mom the good news about Leah finding her mate; he probably should have saved that news for Leah to share but he was too excited to keep it to himself. He was sure Leah would forgive him eventually.

After getting everything he needed, he made his way back to the Cullen’s house, happy to get back to where the action was taking place. From what little he heard about the meeting with the Elders, he was glad to be getting away from the reservation for a while as they cooled off. He wanted nothing to do with the political game they were playing. Seth and all the other wolves knew if push came to shove, Sam would do what was best for his wolves and the people they protected, even if it went against what the Elders wanted; the Elders couldn’t actually make them do anything. Seth was sure Sam would argue with the Elders and no matter what the results of that argument may be, he would stick with helping Bella and the Cullen’s. In the end, they needed to kill the vampires that were coming their way; that was all the mattered.

Seth knocked on the Cullen’s door and before he could reach the door with his knuckles for a second knock, it was whipped open by a blonde vampire he had learned was names Irina and she didn’t look happy. Seth smiled broadly regardless of how the vampire looked, no one could ever say he didn’t have manners.

“Hello, I brought some things for my sister, is it okay if I come inside?” He asked with a wide smile that irked Irina if only because he was so happy. She loved her mates but one of them was always good at annoying the hell out of her. Seeing the young shifter look so happy just grated on her.

“Come, your sister is in the same room she was before.” Irina said before moving away from the door and back to the living room, leaving the door open for the boy to walk in. She had other matters to attend to that were more important than whatever it was the shifter had to share with them.

“Is that really the best you have Kate?” Irina asked with only a slight growl, Bella was still in the room after all and the blonde didn’t want to scare her.

“No.” The warrior of the sisters said with a growl, “The best plan would be to call in all of our friends, magically get them here within the next twenty-four hours and then annihilate that bastard and all his newborns before they even start to move for the attack. That is my best plan but something tells me it’s likely not going to happen.” Kate said with a tone full of sarcasm.

“So the next best plan is to put Bella in the middle of an army where she will likely be killed?” Irina asked, her voice raising in anger.

Most of the Cullen’s had left the house shortly after Jasper and Kate had agreed on the plan; not bothering to check with anyone else. Irina and Tanya had automatically agreed with Kate in a show of solidarity in front of the Cullen patriarch, mostly to piss him off and how the Denali’s worked together whereas his coven worked separately of him.

Emmett and Rosalie went to hunt and to spend some time together before the inevitable fight. Edward and Carlisle went off to hunt in a different direction; most were concerned they were going to run off and try to get everyone in trouble either with the Volturi or the pack. No matter where they went, no one would be in trouble except for James so no one was very concerned about their possible disappearance. Esme stayed behind to ‘nurse’ Leah back to health, even though she was practically as good as new. Leah was basking in the attention and Esme was all too happy to give the attention. Jasper and Alice stayed in the house but went to their own room for their time together. That left the Denali’s, Bella and Victoria to their own devices. So the sister’s immediately went at each other; more like Irina and Kate went at each other while Tanya supervised to make sure no one actually attacked anyone

“I think it’s a good idea.” Bella said from her spot on the couch, watching the two sister’s fight. Tanya sat next to her and Victoria sat practically on top of her on the other side. Bella almost wished she had popcorn as she watched the two fight.

Bella had thought about being hidden away in the forest someplace away from Forks, the reservation and people in general. She thought perhaps a wolf could be with them since they smell bad to vampires to hide her scent and with Victoria by her side, she would be safe. But then she thought about how uncontrollable the newborns were meant to be according to everyone else. Could they really guarantee all the newborns would go where all the vampires would be waiting for them? Could they be that controlled? Bella thought if she was with the others then the newborns would smell her and go towards her, making sure they all went towards her and the vampires. Bella could see the good her being in the middle could do.

What she didn’t understand was why Irina was so vehemently against it. What was it to her if Bella was hurt or even killed? As far as she knew, the Denali’s had no allegiance to Victoria and therefore no reason to be so defensive when it came to her.

“As long as I’m with you,” Victoria said from her spot of subtly drenching her mate with her own pheromones as if to make up for her mate previously being controlled by someone else’s. Victoria’s pheromones would not take away her mate’s thinking ability, simply make her happier and more content, “You will be safe, my power will not let you get hurt as long as I am alive.” Victoria vowed. She knew her power would take the safety of her mate as a higher priority than her own safety; especially since her mate was human.

“You can’t guarantee that.” Irina hissed at the redhead, not happy someone else was against her, “The safest place would be for Bella to be away from the fighting where the newborns could more easily get through our defenses and hurt or kill her.” Irina’s anger was growing as more people fought against what she thought was logical.

With a sigh, Tanya stood. She had hoped Irina would calm down and just accept their plan, to trust their mate would do what was best for their human and just accept that Kate’s prowess on the battle field was nothing to look down on. They have been together for a millennia, and with all that time Irina was still just as stubborn about the things she cared most for; stubborn to the point of being blind. She needed to believe her sisters’, her mates’ words were true and to follow her.

“Calm sister,” Tanya said while placing a stern hand on Irina’s shoulder to keep her still. Irina, contrary to what most people perceived, was more prone to rash actions than Kate. Kate may have a big mouth and loved to talk herself up, she generally wouldn’t act. Irina though, she would simmer in silence only to explode act rashly. Those rash actions could very well end with Irina in a very prone and dangerous situation if left unchecked. “Kate wouldn’t risk Bella without reason, perhaps there is something she has not shared that helps keep her so calm?”

Instead of answering, she only smirked as she heard Jasper walk down. He would be able to answer better than she could; he was closer to their ally than she was.

“I believe I can explain Irina.” Jasper said, his Southern drawl coming through strongly with his excitement for seeing his brother and sister that he hadn’t seen for some time. “A friend of mine, someone that cannot lose a battle due to his own gift, is coming to help us. With him here, there will be little to worry about as long as we follow what he says.”

“How can we trust this person?” Irina growled as Tanya wrapped her arm around her, pulling her mate into her. Tanya released more pheromones as a way to calm her mate and to let her think clearly without her instincts clouding her judgement.

Jasper only smiled, sensing the new instincts running rampant within Irina; apparently she was feeling a bit more protective over her new human, more than her mates were.

“When it comes to predictions, not even Alice can out predict him.” Jasper said with a smile, knowing his wife was a bit put out by being out-shown by someone. “Peter has a way about knowing things and never once have I witnessed him be wrong. Peter and his mate Charlotte will be on Bella’s protection detail and with Peter and Victoria there, there is no way Bella will be harmed. I promise you Irina, she will be safe.” Jasper swore with conviction. He knew there was no way Irina would completely relax until James and his army was killed. Until then, they would just have to put up with her grouchiness and as long as she didn’t do anything rash then they wouldn’t have anything to worry about.

Irina huffed with a new growl like sound, turned around and out of Tanya’s arms to plop herself down onto the couch next to Bella. Victoria huffed in annoyance when she felt Irina’s pheromones leak out of the vampire. The blonde was only doing it to mark Bella in some way to know that she had some claim to her human and likely to calm her own nerves as well. And while that wasn’t a problem within itself, the fact that she was doing so without Bella knowing was what was pissing her off. Without Bella knowing about the pheromones, no matter how little it would affect her, Irina was no better than Edward and Victoria would not stand for that.

“You better explain yourself to her before I do if you plan to continue to use your pheromones on her.” Victoria growled, loud enough for her mate to hear.

Bella frowned and turned towards Irina with a hurt expression on her face, “You were using them on me?” Was she going to try and control her like Edward had tried? Should she be worried?

Irina wanted to argue, to defend her actions, Victoria had a reason to be upset. Irina felt her anger leave her as she realized she and her sisters were going to have to explain sooner rather than later about their newfound connection. They had hoped to keep everything under-wraps until after they had dealt with the newborn army. But Irina’s rash actions and inability to not act on her emotions would mean they would need to explain sooner rather than later.

With a sigh, Irina started to explain.