Chapter Seven
"How extraordinary," Carlisle commented. "So she is very talented. Amazing in a little child."
"I am not little!" Elizabeth shouted at Carlisle.
"Elizabeth," I called sharply. "Do not raise your voice."
"Yes, momma. I'm sorry," Elizabeth said sadly.
"Apologize to Mr. Cullen," I told her firmly.
"I'm sorry Mr. Cullen."
"It's quite alright ma'am, " Carlisle said with a smile. "And you can call me Carlisle."
"Is that all right momma? Can I call him Carlisle?" Elizabeth asked me hopefully.
"Of course, he just said to call him that. You can call the Cullens pretty much whatever they ask you to call them," I replied, looking over to the Cullens for confirmation. They all nodded.
"Anyways. So Jake, what are you doing over here so early in the morning?" I asked him curiously.
"I was just going to bring you up to date on what's happening on the rez with the pack," he replied.
"Ahem!" Elizabeth cleared her throat sharply.
"And to visit my favorite half-vampire half-human," he commended.
"I'm your only half-vampire half-human, of course I'm your favorite," she said smugly.
"Elizabeth Swan!" I warned her.
She had the audacity to smile smugly at me, knowing that I would never really punish her. Well, at least, she had never pushed me that far yet.
"As I was saying Belly," Jake continued as if we had never interrupted him. "on the rez we have a situation."
"Don't call me Belly, Jake! And, what's going on at the rez?"
"We have a wedding coming up. Sam and Emily have finally decided to tie the knot after what, three years of ." Jake said with a smile.
"So, nothing new on Victoria?" I asked cautiously, forgetting that the Cullens were in the room and listening to our every word.
"Victoria!?" the Cullens all asked sharply.
"What about Victoria?" Edward asked, his fist clenched.
"Well, leech," Jake said in a deep harsh voice, "when you left, Victoria never stopped hunting down Bella. First she sends this vampire here to look for her. Of course, the leech that he was, was people in the woods for quite a while. People were starting to notice the people disappearing. People, as always, blaming it on the bears or wolves."
"So, you have never really ceased contact with vampires have you?" Alice asked.
"No, I have had plenty of contact. You do remember Laurent, don't you?" I asked.
"Yes, he went to the Denali's to try the vegetarian way of life," Esme recalled in her soft voice.
"Yes, well he did and it didn't work very well. He confessed to me that it was hard and he sometimes cheated. Laurent also said that he had come quite fond of the Denali's, Irina especially. He had been out hunting when Victoria found him and sent him after me; to find out if I was still in Forks and to bring me to her. When he found me, he was very thirsty and said that he wasn't going to follow Victoria's orders. Instead, he would do away with me. He told me that I should be thankful that he had found me first. Because Victoria wanted to hurt me. Of course, Laurent is now no more. You see, the wolves found me in the woods and killed him," I told them somberly.
"Damn Laurent to the deepest pits of hell!" Edward hissed.
"Watch your language around my daughter, Cullen!" I yelled at him, glaring.
"You mean our daughter don't you?" Edward asked.
"You. May. Have. Fathered. Her. But. You. Have. Not. Been. Around. You can call her your daughter, when you start acting like a father. Until then, never again are you to call yourself her father." I explained to him in my coldest tone.
At my words, a deep look of hurt appeared on his face. I almost softened mine and ran at him sobbing but out of the corner of my eye, I saw Alice imperceptibly shake her head at me.
Almost a second later, his immovable cold mask was back. I turned away from him, leaving him to contemplate his next move.
"You see, Laurent explained to me why Victoria wants me . In her eyes it is right, mate for mate. I tried to get Laurent to tell her that it wasn't like that between the two of us anymore. James was Victoria's mate and you know how upset vampires get at the people who rid the world of their mates. That is also why the Denali's are quite put out with us. The wolves killed Laurent, but before they did, he admitted that he had grown quite close to Irina during his stay with them. Laurent is because of me and at the hands...well paws, of the wolves. Irina is very upset because her mate happens to be no longer with us." I continued on, like Edward had never wrongfully gave himself a title he did not deserve.
"Her mate?" Jasper asked.
"Laurent," I said his name with distaste.
"Momma," my daughter called to me, holding out her arms.
Rosalie walked over to me and somewhat reluctantly held my daughter out to me. She placed my Elizabeth in my arms and walked back over to Emmet, who wrapped his arms around her waist. She looked a bit sad, but brightened when Elizabeth waved at her and smiled.
"Thank you for holding me and being nice to me Miss Cullen," Elizabeth warmly said with a small smile on her face.
"You can call me Rosalie or Rose, if that's any easier," Rosalie replied smiling.
"Rose. Aunt Rose," Elizabeth said with a decisive shake of her head.
