"Are they thirsty?" Esme whispered.

I shook my head.

That's good to hear. Esme was relieved.

I headed back to Bella quickly. "You catch, Esme. I'll call it now."

I stood in front of Bella protectively. I would die to save her if I had to. She didn't deserve any fate but life. My insides were plummeting sickeningly with each aching second before the crimson eyed creatures were to come into view.

I won't let anything happen to her, I swear. Alice tried to assure me.

She had refused to go back onto the field, staying at Bella's side in a protective stance. I knew that in this moment Alice showed her loyalty to me. The space between her and Jasper made him relatively nervous and he, too, was staying closer to Alice because of the situation. Emmett and Rosalie were staying in the infield. Chaos was filling everyone's minds around me.

The wind blew across Bella's neck sending her sultry scent down my lungs. "Take your hair down," I commanded.

Her face looked positively terrified as she obediently slid her rubber band out of her hair and shook it out. She could tell that eminent danger was around the corner. The smell assaulted my lungs again.

"The others are coming now," she stated.

I knew she could understand. Her knowing mind always amazed me. For a fleeting second I thought about what it would do to me if she were no longer around. Pain ripped through my chest leaving large angry scratches.

"Yes, stay very still, keep quiet, and don't move from my side, please," I pleaded.

The billowing wind blew her scent towards me again. Each time it was a reminder of how easily this could go wrong. The knot in my stomach tightened. I pulled her hair forward and tried to wrap it as closely to her neck as possible.

Edward...Edward. Edward! Alice was shouting my name from her head but I was too preoccupied to notice. "That won't help," she whispered, "I could smell her from across the field."

"I know," I said, frustrated.

Bella was like a gazelle in a sea of lions.

I didn't want to scare her but you wouldn't respond. Alice sighed in her thoughts.

The rest of my family began playing baseball again. This time they were lightly bunting the ball and barely running at top speeds. We weren't interested in the game anymore. The waves of terror continued emitting from everyone's mind. I felt Bella's heat against me. She had moved within inches of my body. "What did Esme ask you?" she whispered.

I wasn't going to tell her but I realized that I had too. I hesitated for only a second. "Whether they were thirsty," I was thoroughly discomposed.

This is the dumbest idea ever. I don't know what the hell Edward is thinking keeping her human. Grr. So frail and...mortal. Rosalie wailed in a real temper.

I ignored her because I was too busy looking for the minds of strangers in the forest.

I wonder how many there are. An unknown 'voice' flitted through my head.

My eyes snapped up to the edge of the tree line. I couldn't believe I had put Bella in this kind of danger. I was constantly putting her in harm's way. "I'm sorry Bella," I cried, "It was stupid, irresponsible, to expose you like this. I'm so sorry."

I couldn't expect forgiveness because I didn't deserve it.

This should be interesting. I heard an unfamiliar female's mind.

I heard them in the distance and so did the rest of my family. There was a quivering silence cutting through the air as my family peered out at the darkening forest in the direction of the coming doom. They were just lurking out of sight. I was convinced for a whole shining second that they had changed their minds until three dark figures emerged from the forest.

20. Tracker

Each vampire strode out of the forest with a wild expression on their face while their brilliant bright red eyes glittered. The three of them came closer together once they saw how many of us there were. The female had long red curly hair and a catlike appearance. The two males were both tall and built. As they came closer to my family I could understand their chaotic thoughts - our family was large for our kind and civilized compared to most other nomads. I knew what these kind of vampires looked like already, so their torn clothes, disheveled hair and bare feet were not something that would take me off guard.

All of their thoughts were thinking in sync with each other. How many vampires are there?

They were all shocked as they made their way towards us. Our numbers were an unpleasant surprise to them. They drifted ever closer to us with extreme caution.

Carlisle, Emmett and Jasper walked toward the approaching vampires to greet them, leaving only a short distance between us. I stationed myself securely in front of Bella. The visitors were cautiously looking around, mentally tabulating their chances of winning if a fight were to ensue. Once they began closing ranks with my family I began to listen carefully to their thoughts, making sure none of them sensed Bella for what she was - a human.

Their eyes aren't red... but... How weird. The vampire named Laurent thought.

As they descended upon us I had already figured out their names. Each one of them was thinking about the other in turn. The vampire named Victoria was looking anxiously between Laurent and the other male vampire, James. She didn't like the idea that James had to put Laurent in the front - to seem the leader of their coven but she was also grateful that he did because if there was an attack Laurent would be killed first and not her precious James.

Her eyes darted in our direction. Why are they huddled around that one girl? Victoria thought.

As she continued to look in our direction I concentrated on her thoughts alone. She was unknowingly absorbing the signs of the subtle differences between our kind and Bella's. Bella was the only human in a sea of vampires. The scent had not hit her yet. I began concentrating on the others thoughts also. James was a particularly vicious vampire. He was constantly gloating about how superior he was in his mind.

James had caught sight of the many scars on Jaspers skin. Look at all of those battle scars. I'll keep my eye on him. He is the real danger of this coven. James was thinking strategy.

I just don't understand why so many would gather together like this. Laurent thought.

My family and the visitors finally met. "We thought we heard a game," Laurent said lazily. "I'm Laurent, these are Victoria and James." He gestured toward the others.

Carlisle looked completely at ease as he spoke. "I'm Carlisle," he began in a hollow voice. "This is my family, Emmett and Jasper, Rosalie, Esme and Alice, Edward and Bella." He pointed to each grouping as he spoke.