"Yes," Emmett replied while stepping towards James.

Laurent knew better than to become aggressive when there were so many vampires protecting Bella. He caught sight of Jasper who had his hands clenched so tightly that his scars shown pearly white. He looked quickly away and towards James while giving him a dark look. What the hell are you doing? Are you trying to get us killed? He thought.

James slowly pulled out of his crouch but his thoughts and eyes were still on Bella. No matter what happened now, he was going to hunt her. Tonight - she will be mine, James thought excitedly. This should make for a much more interesting sport, he continued and it was obvious that our presence made the hunt considerably more interesting.

I refused to move from my protective stance, remaining forcibly in his way. Jasper's waves of calm were working on the other two vampires but not on James. He seemed completely unaffected, like his body overrode it for the mere thought of a hunt as intriguing as this one would be.

This one should be fun; I bet James is already making plans. Victoria thought while failing extravagantly to hide the excitement of the hunt on her face.

"It appears we have a lot to learn about each other," Laurent spoke smoothly, trying to placate the situation.

"Indeed," Carlisle's voice was relatively calm.

I don't understand the fascination. "But we'd like to accept your invitation." Laurent's eyes darted toward Bella and me and then quickly away.

Good...Good, keep talking. This should help me out, James thought while his face lit up with a feverous fanatical glow.

"And, of course, we will not harm the human girl. We won't hunt in your range, as I said." Laurent added.

James threw him a disgruntled look. Well that doesn't help me out at all, he thought angrily. Or...maybe this will bring them into a false sense of security and they will let their guard down, James continued to plan in his head.

Carlisle studied Laurent's expression for several seconds. He seems to be handling this relatively well. I don't think inviting them over will hurt anything, Carlisle contemplated. "We'll show you the way. Jasper, Rosalie, Esme?" he called.

All three of them moved forward blocking Bella from their view. Alice bounded up next to Bella while Emmett walked backwards to us, never letting James out of his sight, knowing that I could see everything he saw.

I'm coming with you, Edward. I won't let anything happen to Bella, Emmett thought protectively.

We need to leave now, Alice thought urgently.

"Let's go, Bella." I commanded.

Bella didn't move; her eyes were wide in terror and shock. I grabbed her by the elbow and pulled her towards the jeep. Emmett and Alice stayed behind me, protecting both of us from any form of attack they might try to come at us with, all of us working as a seamless team.

We don't have much time, Edward. James will be after Bella shortly. Carlisle won't be able to stall them for long. Alice looked upset.

My impatience of her slow human pace was unbearable so by the time we reached the forest edge I threw Bella on my back as gentle as I could without slowing down and then I ran for it. Emmett and Alice were struggling to keep up with me; I was flying through the forest in a fury trying to get Bella away from the danger. I knew that this whole experience was jarring for Bella but the most important thing right now was for her to be safe. When we arrived next to the jeep I opened the door to the backseat and practically threw her in as the rest of us hurried into the Jeep.

The key was protruding from the ignition already and I turned it quickly while the engine roared to life. "Strap her in," I ordered Emmett who was already in the backseat.

We have to go - now! Alice shouted from her head. She was already sitting in the passenger's seat looking extremely anxious.

Her thoughts were unnecessary because I was already spinning the Jeep around to face the mountain road.

Hurry, he's close. Alice's eyes were wide with terror for Bella.

I was muttering ferociously while several profanities come through my lips, words that I would never use in front of a lady. Emmett and Alice were on full alert, constantly updating me in their thoughts at what was going on around us.

I can't hear or see anything. Emmett informed me urgently.

He lost Bella's scent once we took off in the Jeep, she explained to me, relaxing slightly.

I watched Bella in the review mirror and through Emmett's eyes. She was bouncing up and down on the seat, her eyes wide. I suddenly wished Jasper had come along with us to keep her calm.

Go south, they will split up but the prospects of them finding us are slim. Oh, she paused in thought, looks like they aren't planning to leave so quickly after everything after all. I wonder what they are going to do, Alice tried to look further in the future but there were too many decisions that hadn't been decided yet.

I turned south on the main road.

"Where are we going?" Bella finally spoke with a squeak.

No one answered her.

Just tell her, Alice commanded.

I shook my head slightly. Emmett realized we were having one of our private conversations and understood what I was answering.

"Dammit, Edward! Where are you taking me?" Bella shouted this time, looking horrified.

I looked in the review mirror at her slightly crest fallen face and it broke my resolve. "We have to get you away from here - far away - now." I said hastily.

I pressed the accelerator down harder at my words while the Jeep's speed reached a hundred and five miles an hour.

"Turn around! You have to take me home!" she vehemently exclaimed.

This is exactly why I didn't want to tell her where we were going because I knew that she would demand what I couldn't give her. I looked in the review mirror again to see her face. She was fighting with the harness, tearing at the straps with tears welling up in her eyes.

"Emmett," I called.

Emmett looked down at her while she was angrily grasping at the straps. Jeez, she is in a fury. Emmett thought. He brought his hands to her wrists and held them tightly in his grasp. Bella looked in the review mirror with pure anguish in her eyes.

"No! Edward! No, you can't do this," she cried out.

When she begged and pleaded with me like this it broke my heart. I returned her gaze in the mirror. "I have to, Bella, now please be quiet." I implored.

She was stubborn, as always. "I won't! You have to take me back - Charlie will call the FBI! They'll be all over your family - Carlisle and Esme! They'll have to leave, to hide forever!" She shouted with a tragic expression displayed on her face.

Of course Bella was being selfless. It was just in her nature to care about everyone else when her life was in danger. This was nothing to our family - the FBI - it's happened before with Jasper and Emmett.

"Calm down, Bella." I commanded. "We've been there before," I was almost crying with exasperation.

"Not over me, you don't! You're not ruining everything over me!" she began struggling under Emmett's hold.

Edward, what do you want me to do? I don't want to hurt her but she is going to hurt herself with all of her struggling. Emmett thoughts became worried immediately.

"Edward, pull over," Alice directed. Bella has a good plan if you will just listen to her.

I gave Alice a grave look while pressing the gas down even harder, showing her that I wasn't even going to slow down, let alone pull over.

"Edward, let's just talk this through," she continued. He's not following us; he actually has no idea where we went. Now pull over, she inclined her head toward the roads shoulder.

"You don't understand," I yelled in frustration.

Alice had no idea that James was a tracker - that when he hunted his prey he never gave up and always conquered. I couldn't bring Bella back to Forks, he would find her and she would be in danger again. If she were to die, I would too.

"He's a tracker, Alice, did you see that? He's a tracker!" I shouted.

Crap! Emmett looked grim.

"Pull over, Edward." Do it now! We have to talk about this now! We are in this together and we all have to make the decisions together. That includes Bella! Alice raised her eyebrows like she was daring me to disagree with her.

I looked down at the speedometer as the Jeep had reached one-twenty.

"Do it, Edward," Alice said to me in a bossy disapproving voice while glaring at me.

She needed to understand, I had to explain to her but I didn't want to say this in front of Bella. I didn't want her to be more terrorized than she already was. I looked into the review mirror again as I saw Bella's encouraging eyes telling me to pull over. Her heart was hammering loudly in her chest and her scent was circling all of us in the Jeep, emphasizing her human frailness. I closed my eyes for a fraction of a second, hoping when I opened them again that this would all be over with. I couldn't stop, I must keep going!

"Listen to me, Alice," I gave her a reproachful look. "I saw his mind. Tracking is his passion, his obsession - and he wants her, Alice - her, specifically. He begins the hunt tonight."

"He doesn't know where -" Alice began but I cut her off.

"How long do you think it will take him to cross her scent in town? His plan was already set before the words were out of Laurent's mouth."

I heard a faint gasp come from Bella's lips and I looked quickly in the review mirror to see her lips parted in pure horror. "Charlie! You can't leave him there! You can't leave him!" she shouted and began thrashing against Emmett and the harness with nothing but pure worry in her expression.

"She's right," Alice said while she looked to the future and then she looked at me in horror.

I quickly dived into her mind, her vision was devastating. Bella! She will be so hurt and broken I don't know if we could fix her if Charlie is killed. We have to stop him - now!

At the thought of what this could do to her I automatically slowed down. I didn't want her to die, but I could protect her from him... but I couldn't protect her from the agony, the grief that she would have to suffer if her father was killed. It would be torture to see her in such pain or worse, if she finally took the blame off herself and realized it was entirely my fault and refused to let me comfort her.

Alice could almost see my brain hard at work. "Let's just look at our options for a minute," she said coaxingly, knowing that I was deep in thought about our options.

The Jeep slowed as I took my foot off the accelerator slowly and the speedometer showed the Jeep slowing down to ninety miles an hour.

In Alice's vision James would give Victoria the first kill - Charlie. Victoria was his mate and they were extremely vicious together, feeding off of each other's ruthlessness. She would display Charlie's dead body to try and coax us back - and it would work! I slammed the brakes while pulling into the shoulder. I felt horribly powerless. The car behind me screeched to a halt too and honked their horn. I saw Bella slam back into the seat and I was instantly nervous I had done something to hurt her but she looked unscathed.

I turned to look at Alice. "There are no options," I howled.

To bring her back when that monster was hunting her - I just couldn't bare it if something were to happen. My brain was in limbo.

"I'm not leaving Charlie!" Bella yelled louder than I had ever heard but I ignored her.

"We have to take her back," Emmett said quietly.

"No," I said with authority.

"He's no match for us, Edward. He won't be able to touch her," Emmett promised.

"He'll wait," I explained.

We'll beat him at his own game then! "I can wait, too." Emmett said while grinning widely.

"You didn't see - you don't understand. Once he commits to a hunt, he's unshakeable. We'd have to kill him." I shouted.

And this is a problem because? "That's an option," he replied unperturbed.

I was becoming angrier because I knew I was going to lose this argument. "And the female. She's with him. If it turns into a fight, the leader will go with them, too."

Three against seven? Please! "There are enough of us."

"There's another option," Alice replied quietly.

She saw what Bella was planning in her head and the only way she saw this plan was if it was a possibility. This made me angrier than before. "There - is - no - other - option!" I shouted.

I could see the shock on Bella and Emmett's face in the mirror. I turned to look at Alice. She has a good plan and you know it! Alice barked in her head.

I continued to stare at her with deepest dislike.

If she doesn't convince James that she is no longer in Forks than he will let Victoria kill Charlie. You can't let that happen. What would Carlisle say?

I continued to glare at her and her logic.

"Does anyone want to hear my plan?" Bella asked.

"No," I growled because I already knew her plan and disagreed with it.