His First Choice (A Twilight Story)

Newborns

I was weary about coming home after my stop in Seattle. If I'm being honest, I wasn't sure if I should be going home. I knew the others would hear about those teens one way or another, whether it was from the news or my thoughts. For some reason though, that interaction with the red-haired girl, Victoria, worried me more.

I was used to peoples emotions flowing through me, and there had been more than a few instances where those emotions had come from people who were rather.....hateful. But something about my entire interaction with her seemed off. The way her eyes narrowed when I mentioned Forks and how she asked about the Cullens as if she already knew. It didn't sit right with me, especially after the hate she had for them flowed through me.

When I stepped into the Cullens yard I knew something was off. Not only was there an old faded orange truck parked outside, but I could hear more than a couple beating hearts inside. Not only that, but a larger majority of those hearts belonged to the dogs.

I was inside in less than a second.

I've always considered myself to be on the more progressive side of our kind. When you're around for years on end you learn to be accepting of mostly everyone, but I did have my limits. For one, while I thought humans were ever so intriguing, I believed they had no business with our kind. Second, the smell of werewolves repulsed me. So walking into my familys home to find, not just a normal human, but Bella of all people, and surrounded by nearly half of the Quileute tribe came as quite a shock.

I took in the room as I stood deathly still in the doorway. The wolves were all stood awkwardly in the kitchen and I could see Esme rushing back and forth to make our guests a snack. I could hear Rosalie upstairs yelling at Emmett, who tried and failed to calm her down. My eyes landed on Edward, who was stood in front of Bella in such a way that made my heart skip a beat, minus the beating part. He was protecting her still, and it bothered me. I wasn't sure if it bothered me because she was human or because of what I had learned yesterday in the meadow. I shook off the feeling that arose in me and instead turned my attention to Carlisle who was deep in conversation with Jasper, Alice, and Sam - the pack leader.

"Finally, someone sensible!" Rosalie exclaimed as she descended the stairs, ignoring her mates protests.

"Rosalie, not now," Carlisle hushed her.

"Not now?" She sneered, "When, then, Carlisle? When would be a good time for this?"

"For what?" I asked, confusion growing in my voice.

"Marce, darling, please go change first," Esme called from the kitchen, "I can smell you from here!"

"Did you kill an entire village?" One of the younger boys from the pack asked jokingly, "You're covered in blood."

I watched as Jacob smacked him on the back of the head. Edwards head snapped up towards me. He took in my appearance and then I watched as his eyes widened. He muttered something under his breath, too fast for even myself to catch. Bella, who was standing right behind him, had heard it though, and whateved he said made her pace quicken.

"What about her?" Bella's panicked voice interrupted Carlisles conversation and he turned to face his son.

"She saw her," Edward nodded his head towards me.

"Can someone please explain what's going on?" I asked, anger replacing my confusion.

"There's an army after Bella," Alice spoke up. "A newborn army. They're after Bella."

"For what reason?" I was shocked that any newborn army had been formed, let alone one that was after Bella.

"Edward, why don't you tell Marceline why?" Rosalie finally managed to shrug Emmetts hand off her mouth.

"Someone had better tell me," I threatened, "Or I'll have Bella explain herself."

Edwards low growl surprised me. He was still protecting her and it disgusted me.

"A few months ago Bella had attracted a tracker," Rosalie drawled from the staircase, "He hunted her down. Nearly got our family killed."

"I killed him," Edward said, "And now his mate wants revenge."

Suddenly something clicked in place.

"Victoria," I breathed.

"You know her?" Carlisle asked. He stormed across the room to me. His voice wasn't his usual carefree tone. It was more fatherly, assertive.

"I...No, not really," I explained, "I met her...last night in Seattle. I had gone there after...." I shot a look at Edward, "I had found these teens...and she....Followed the smell. She seemed like just another wanderer until I mentioned Forks. That's when she brought up you guys...But I didn't think anything of it until she asked about her." I pointed to Bella. "That's when I left."

"So it is her," Sam announced loudly. "She's creating the army."

"She's getting revenge for her mate," Alice said quietly, "By killing his."

"But...Bella isn't his mate," Jacob interjected.

Rosalie sighed angrily, "She has no way of knowing that, and even if by some miracle we have a sit-down chit-chat with her she's still going to want blood for blood. Not only that, but this many untrained newborns is going to bring the Volturi, and the fact that she knows we have a human girl involved on all of this. We are all in danger."

"The Volt..uri?.. can't do anything if Bella knows because she would have found out anyways from being with the pack, right?" One of the younger boys asked.

"It doesn't matter. The army was made because Edward killed her mate to protect his mate," Alice answered, "Our family is in danger."

"The army is priority one," Jasper finally spoke up, "When the Volturi arrive it won't be difficult to explain that Bella is no threat because she's with the pack."

"Then all we have to do now is deal with Victoria," I said, finally.