Defective - Jacob Black {1}

Chapter 62: Manipulation

Aro did not cross the clearing, back towards the safety of his guard, but instead he waved them forward to join him and his small group of bodyguards.

Edward started backing up immediately, pulling on Bella's arm, and then my own and Emmett's. We travelled backwards towards our own lines of safety, keeping our eyes on the advancing wave of black and grey cloaks. Jacob and Seth were the slowest to retreat, and the horrific fear flowed into me and I forgot how to breathe. My feet froze in their place as I watched the fur on both their shoulders stand on point as they bared their fangs at Aro.

"Jacob?" I called out, trying to keep the shakiness out of my voice.

He had promised me.

At the sound of my voice he straightened up and covered his fangs with his lips and turned around, with Seth jogging a little to keep up with him. I let out a wobbly breath as the boys met me, and we reached the family at the same time the Volturi reached Aro and surrounded him. Between the two sides there was now only fifty yards, any of us could leap that distance in the fraction of a second.

Caius's shrill voice began to argue with Aro at the first instance. "How can you abide this infamy? Why do we stand here impotently in the face of such an outrageous crime, covered by such a ridiculous deception?" Caius was so angry he didn't even care that we were hearing this dispute, he wanted to be the voice for what most of the Volturi were feeling.

"Because it's all true," Aro told him calmly. "Every word of it. See how many witnesses stand ready to give evidence that they have seen this miraculous child grow and mature in just the short time they've known her. That they have felt the warmth of the blood that pulses in her veins." Aro's gesture swept from Amun on one side across to Siobhan on the other.

Caius's mouth abruptly snapped shut, lost for words. He glanced anxiously at their own witnesses and feared that they would no longer stick by them now that Aro had been convinced. A slaughter of the Cullens and their witness would just be uncalled for now.

The white-haired vampire began to deliberate... what excuse could he conjure up out of thin air? I didn't like their so-called pondering so I checked on impenetrable fabric of my shield and wrapped even tighter around our group. I pulled it tighter around everyone so it acted like a second skin, only a small tether as wide as a strand of thread kept the shield tied to myself. Now if a member of the Volturi moved to attack us, they wouldn't be able to get under my shield to mentally harm anyone.

Then, like another little nudge, I felt Bella's shield push out, wrapping over mine exactly. She took a little longer than I did to pull it in tight around everyone but she got there in the end. I paid attention as she wrapped it around myself and squeezed my hand. My only assumption was that she done it just in case I lost my focus and my own shield dropped, leaving myself exposed.

Three more seconds passed, and then Caius came to a conclusion. "The werewolves," he murmured.

Just at their mention Bella and I secured our shields around the packs.

"Ah, brother..." Aro's face crumpled into something that resembled embarrassment, because the boys and Leah weren't werewolves, they were shape-shifters.

"Will you defend that alliance, too, Aro?" Caius demanded. "The Children of the Moon have been our bitter enemies from the dawn of time. We have hunted them to near extinction in Europe and Asia. Yet Carlisle encourages a familiar relationship with this enormous infestation - no doubt in an attempt to overthrow us. The better to protect his warped lifestyle. And look!" He practically screamed, pointing at me. "They're making their own hybrids as well."

I cleared my throat quite loudly to gain their attention and Caius glared at me. Aro's embarrassment went to the next level as he placed his delicate hand over his face.