Everything was going well, the wolves were doing fine, a few new additions were added to the pack. Carlisle and Esme returned a week after they had gone, Emmett and Lucia just a few days later, and all of us felt better when they were home.

Carlisle brought one more friend home with him, though friend might have been the wrong term. Alistair was a misanthropic English vampire who counted Carlisle as his closest acquaintance, though he could hardly stand a visit more than once a century. Alistair very much preferred to wander alone, and Carlisle had called in a lot of favors to get him here. He shunned all company, and it was clear he didn't have any admirers in the gathered covens.

The brooding dark-haired vampire took Carlisle at his word about Renesmee and Demetri's origins, refusing, like Amun, to touch her. Edward told Carlisle, Esme, and me that Alistair was afraid to be here, but more afraid of not knowing the outcome. He was deeply suspicious of all authority, and therefore naturally suspicious of the Volturi.

What was happening now seemed to confirm all his fears.

"Of course, now they'll know i was here," we heard him grumble to himself in the attic - his preferred spot to sulk. "No way to keep it from Aro at this point. Centuries on the run, that's what this will mean. Everyone Carlisle's talked to in the last decade will be on their list. I can't believe I got myself sucked into this mess. What a fine way to treat your friends."

But if he was right about having to run from the Volturi, at least he had more hope of doing that than the rest of us. Alistair was a tracker, though not nearly as precise and efficient as Demetri. Alistair just felt an elusive pull toward whatever he was seeking. But that pull would be enough to tell him which direction to run - the opposite direction from Demetri. His sense was a lot like mine, but mine was stronger.

And then another pair of unexpected friends arrived - unexpected, because neither Carlisle nor Rosalie had been able to contact the Amazons.

"Carlisle," the taller of the two very tall feline women greeted him when they arrived. Both of them seemed as if they'd been stretched - long arms and legs, long fingers, long black braids, and long faces with long noses. They wore nothing but animal skins - hide vests and tight-fitting pants that laced on the sides with leather ties. They were hidden in the amazon, natives. They lived a wild and free life, taking the skins of their kills for clothing.

But Alice had sent them, and that was interesting news, to put it mildly. Why was Alice in South America? Just because she'd seen that no one else would be able to get in touch with the Amazons.

"Zafrina and Senna! But Where's Kachiri?" Carlisle asked. I've never seen you three apart."

"Alice told us we needed to separate," Zafrina answered in the rough, deep voice, an effect of not speaking much I would guess. "It's uncomfortable to be away from each other, but Alice assured us that you needed us here, while she very much needed Kachiri somewhere else. That's all she would tell us, except that there was a great hurry...?" Zafrina's statement trailed off into a question. Demetri of course had no fear of the vampires and eagerly greeted them.

His happiness and open personality easily garnered the attention from everyone in the vicinity. Occasionally he would go with me to check in with Sam.

The news about Alice was oddly comforting. Clearly, she was on some obscure mission of her own as she avoided whatever Aro had planned for her.

Like I told them, Alice wouldn't abandon us.

Edward was thrilled to have the Amazons with us, because Zafrina was enormously talented; her gift could make a very dangerous offensive weapon. Not that Edward was asking for Zafrina to side with us in the battle, but if the Volturi did not pause when they saw our witnesses, perhaps they would pause for a different kind of scene.

"It's a very straightforward illusion," Edward explained. Edward's eyes unfocused slightly as he continued, holding onto Bella "She can make most people see whatever she wants them to see - see that, and nothing else. For example, right now I would appear to be alone in the middle of a rain forest. It's so clear I might possibly believe it, except for the fact that I can still feel you in my arms."

Zafrina's lips twitched into her hard version of a smile. A second later, Edward's eyes focused again, and he grinned back. "Impressive," he said.

Demetri was fascinated with the conversation; we were worried he might not be able to see anything, but Zafrina agreed to try. Like Edward he was able to see whatever she showed him.

"wow" he said after his eyes returned to normal. "mommy, it was so pretty" he said when he was in Rose's arms. Bella seemed happy to let them distract Renesmee, she was too focused on fighting better.

Her first attempt at learning to fight did not go well.

Edward had her pinned in about two seconds. And was unwilling to help. She tried with the others, Emmett and Lucia taught her a lot, but Emmett's was more so for revenge. She spent time with Kate trying to improve her ability.

I sat on the porch with Seth watching Demetri as he flitted through the others, Benjamin used his ability to manipulate the elements, Zafrina used her illusion manipulation to show them all kinds of places. It was nice seeing him so calm and at ease even though he was surrounded by immensely stronger individuals, any one of them could decide he was too dangerous and hurt him. But he didn't care one bit.

"Momma" Demetri called as he ran up to me.

"hey little man" he hugged me then moved close to whisper in my ears.

"Momma, can you show them wolfie?" he asked, referring to my wolf form. Benjamin stood with his mate, at the bottom of the steps an apologetic smile on his face. Eleazar and Carmen were behind him, with matching expressions.

"sorry about that, we were discussing the history of the Amarok and were curious" I looked back at Demetri, who was pleading with adorable eyes. I had hoped, since they were a mirror copy of mine that Rosalie would be the one to cave every time... but it was usually me. I smiled at him.

"okay."

"Okay?"

I nodded "yep, I need to go check in with Sam anyway, and make sure Leah isn't getting into trouble" I whispered.

"yay, let me go get mommy" with that he ran off.

"sorry, we didn't mean to"

I smiled at the boy who was probably no older than me, physically at least "it's okay, I don't mind."

"you mean you don't mind shredding some clothes?" Emmett chuckled.

I smirked "it's easier than the other way, too many eyes"

That caught the attention of the Denali coven, I knew everyone was listening even Amun and his mate. Everyone of the Vampires here had heard of the legend of the Amarok and met Korinna but none of them (minus the Cullen's) has seen it happen.

"ohh what do you mean too many eyes?" Kate chuckled.

All of the Cullen's laughed, Demetri returned with Rose who was looking at me amusedly. "my clothes don't just fade in and out of existence."

"like the Hulk" Seth replied standing with me. He was planning on coming too, just to check in but also hoping to tease Leah some more.

Everyone looked at us quizzically "right... very old people who don't watch superhero movies" I mumbled.

"or someone really giving away that they are a child" Emmett joked.

I stood up glancing at Rose, then back to Emmett with a smirk "not technically a child anymore"

Before anyone could say anything I phased. Only Rose and Edward really knew what today was, and Edward allowed Rose and I some privacy.

"yeah" Demetri called excitedly watching me. I heard many gasps, but it was Amun that spoke.

"Ahmose, it's true."

"cool" Benjamin spoke awe lacing his voice. Seth jumped too and phased standing next to me.

'how's that for shock' he chuckled. I nodded then looked at Edward.

'I'm going to check in with Sam. Then I'll be back, and Demetri and I can go for a run'

"she's going to check in with Sam" Edward said out loud, before looking at Demetri "when she gets back she'll take you for a run"

Demetri nodded excitedly looking up at Rose. I bid everyone a nod and walked past them slowly, before taking off in a sprint to La Push. I came across Leah's scent along the way.

'hey Al,' Leah's voice rang out

'Not doing anything naughty are we?'

Seth and Nestor let out a laugh while Leah protested vehemently.

'no... we were...'

'relax we're just messing with you. We're just doing a check then we'll head back'

'they doing anything interesting?' Nestor asked.

'they're trying to teach Bella to fight'

'is it working' I heard Leah ask.

I showed them everything 'so not really' Leah chuckled.

'no, but she can expand her shield now, which is helpful' I got to the border and saw Sam and Jacob, they had finished their run and were waiting on our daily reports.

'hey Sam, Jake. We have everyone accounted for back at the Cullen's... Well, all the Vampires that we sought out, we don't know about wolves."

'that's good, how's it going over there?' Jacob asked.

'well, they aren't as opposed to our kind as we thought they would be. I think Demetri helps with that, and Korinna. They seem accepting everything's coming together.' I told them. 'now I need to get back, I promised Demetri we could go for a run'

I nodded then Leah, Nestor, Seth, and I took off back to our home. Thinking about sleep or lunch, both. Seth thought of Renesmee.

'everyone loves her' he said happily 'Demetri too.'

'he's a doll.' The other three laughed 'seriously he's living it up. I'm waiting for him to pull out a tuxedo.'

'an extrovert like his momma' Leah chuckled.

'yeah, yeah' I stopped suddenly the feeling of movement filtering through my paws. A feeling that shouldn't be here. I lifted my nose and smelt something that shouldn't be here.

'An uninvited guest' I growled. The others growled with me, and we ran off in the direction to find them.

'Vampires, definitely' Nestor replied.

Seth added 'two of them'

'and moving fast'

We chased them effortlessly through the woods, Leah, and I each grabbing a piece of their shirts before they launched into the air to hop from tree to tree. I surprised them though by jumping after and climbing just slightly before falling to the ground. Nestor attempted to grab them as well, but he's never fought a vampire. Never needed too.

They jumped onto a cliff, too high for us to reach and sat down. The blonde one whistled like we were dogs, which got a snarl from the four of us. But no one moved as we heard Carlisle and some of the others show up. I stared at the obvious leader, the dark haired one and his eyes widened comically, before he let out a hiss.

'what's this guy's problem?' Seth asked.

"Amarok's"

'So, he's heard the rumors' Nestor replied smugly as he looked at the two vampires.

'he looks scared' Seth said

'Good' Leah commented.

Carlisle joined at the front of the group, Edward, Bella, Eleazar, Kate and Garrett were with him.

"Vladmir, Stefan. You're a long way from home" Carlisle spoke sounding slightly upset.

"what are they doing here" Kate muttered

"We heard the Volturi were moving against you, but that you would not stand alone" the blonde answered.

"we didn't do what we were accused of" Carlisle spoke.

"we do not care what you did Carlisle"

"We have been waiting a millennium" the dark haired one said, sounding an awful lot like Dracula "for the Italian scum to be challenged"

"it is not our plan to fight the Volturi"

"Shame, Aro's witnesses will be so disappointed" the blonde said

"they enjoy a good fight" the other spoke laughing slightly.

"Aro's witnesses?"

"still hoping they'll listen" blondie said.

"they sure will be surprised to see their biggest missed opportunity thriving" the dark haired one said looking at the four of us.