(23) "The Intent Was Clear [And Unclear]."

Odessa tried to keep the fake smile she plastered on her face intact, but it was hard to do so when the irritated essence Huilen gave off suffocated her. She held onto Alec's hand as a lifeline and glanced back every few seconds to see if Nahuel and Huilen were still following them. They were. Huilen looked like she wanted to dig into Odessa and tear her apart, while Nahuel looked uncomfortable and a tad apologetic. Odessa couldn't help but notice the differences in their demeanors. They had no idea what Odessa had gone through mentally, yet Huilen was ready to judge her.

Honestly, Huilen was starting to get on her nerves. She treated Odessa like she was the ultimate evil - like she was a demon with no remorse. It was an in-your-face fact that she was a demon. But so was Huilen! They all were! Beings that lived off the blood of other beings were not the epitome of gods themselves. Incubi, Succubi, vampires, mosquitoes, and anything that eats anything other than the flesh of animals or plants. So, yeah, Odessa was a demon, but that didn't mean she acted like one or thought like one. She could be sympathetic and nice. She could be helpful and optimistic if need be. She could be an overall good person. Some of her past actions were built on the fear and anxiety of the unknown. Would someone find out about her mixed species, would someone find her and force her into doing something she didn't want to do, would she garner the Volturi's attention and die? Anyone would act out in a similar manner if they were in her shoes. But because Huilen didn't experience a damn thing Odessa did, she thought she could act like she was holier than thou. It was complete and utter bullshit, and Odessa was done taking it and fearing the outcome should she be in opposition.

As they reached the corner that hardly gave them privacy from prying eyes, Odessa felt her anxiety melt away and determination replace it. She'd fix her relationship with Nahuel, at the least, and try to brush off Huilen's sharp comments that were sure to come. Odessa felt the intensity of Aro's gaze beating down on them, so she gave him a quick look of reassurance. Alec stood to the side of Odessa yet slightly in front of her should something occur. Odessa thought it was unnecessary, but she allowed Alec to stand his ground.

"What happened to those girls?" Huilen demanded quickly.

"It was never my intention to harm them in any way," Odessa placated. "If they had never been in opposition to the Volturi, they would have been here celebrating."

"Celebrating what?" Huilen asked. "A murder?"

"The Volturi is intact and is as strong as ever. The vampires trying to overtake our reign and upturn the vampire world," Odessa answered.

"If they had succeeded, the whole world would have suffered," Alec tagged on tersely. "No one would have been safe. We did what we had to do."

"So, you killed them?" Huilen whispered accusatively.

"I did," Odessa admitted.

"Why?" Nahuel asked plainly. "You have never shown ill will towards Maysun and Jennifer, so why did you kill them?"

"She doesn't need a reason, Nahuel." Huilen said sharply. "Your mind is still too naive no matter how many times the world shows you that you cannot be to survive."

"Sometimes it is better not to be hardened by the world," Alec cut in. He gave Nahuel a gentle uptick of his mouth. "Hold on to it as long as you can. Life becomes too bleak once you do."

Nahuel contemplated his words before he nodded his head and reciprocated the smile. Then, he looked at Odessa for answers. Odessa straightened her back and said, "They captured me, and Jennifer refused to let me go. She taunted me and showed me the person she had turned into. Maysun held no ill will towards me and freed me. I was grateful for her help." She paused as she silently mourned the loss of a decent being. "Once Jennifer saw me, she mocked me, threatened me with the death of my mate. I admit, I acted rashly, but would you not if someone was being so heinous and sadistic? I attacked her and killed her without thinking."

"So, you killed her with no remorse," Huilen spat. "It seems like that's the only thing you all know how to do."

"I liked Jennifer," Odessa stated angrily. "I thought she and Maysun would be great sisters with time, and I was willing to love them!" Alec rubbed her arms soothingly. She took in a stuttered breath and continued. "Jennifer had lost her mind. She was too consumed with rage, and I could not allow her threats to become promises."

There was a pause of silence before Nahuel sadly said, "She is right, Huilen. Jennifer was lost, and she didn't want to be found. It is a great loss."

"A vampire that is unhinged is best dead," Odessa said. "There is no coming back from madness."

"She barely even lived," Huilen whispered. She turned her head away and blinked a couple times as she gathered herself. Nahuel turned to hug her, but she brushed him off, muttering a quiet, "I'm okay". She wiped under her eyes to rid herself of nonexistent tears. "What of Maysun?"

"Maysun was distraught and attacked me. I could not avoid her death at that moment," Odessa explained. "I had to get back to Alec and to the Volturi. I had no choice." She stressed the last part.

"You had choices, but you chose the one you thought you only had, and that is okay," Nahuel reassured her. "I do not hold it against you, Odessa. I am glad that I at least have one sister still remaining."

"Thank you, Nahuel," Odessa said happily. "You do not know how much that means to me to hear." She glanced at his arms laying limply by his sides and bit her lip hesitantly. "May I hug you?" Nahuel nodded his head and engulfed her in a hug. Odessa let go and held him at arm's length. "Does this mean I can visit in the near future? I did enjoy speaking with you."

"That is up to Huilen," he said apologetically. "It is her home, too, and I do not wish to make her uncomfortable."

"Odessa looked at Huilen with a calculating gaze. She observed confliction, hesitance, and then acceptance as Huilen thought it over. She looked reluctant to allow Odessa to visit whenever, but as she looked at Nahuel, Odessa knew she would agere. Huilen was the type of person to cave for the people she loves, and she loved Nahuel like he was her son. Odessa knew the hatred Huilen held for her was still there, but she didn't care as long as she didn't act on it. She envied Huilen. Odessa didn't have the same restraint, and it was likely she never would. Patience and being the bigger person wasn't in her skillset. Perhaps she should work on it.

"Fine," Huilen said. "But your mate is not welcome."

Odessa furrowed her eyebrows and opened her mouth to retort something, but Alec beat her to it. He rubbed his thumb over her hand and said, "That's fine. As long as you protect her from harm while I'm away, I have no problem with it."

"Really?" Odessa asked incredulously, Alec nodded his head.

"Huilen," Nahuel started, "Odessa may not have been birthed by my mother, but she is my sister. She is family. We should extend the same courtesy to her mate."

"It is alright," Odessa replied quickly. "I do not wish to push. She has done enough - agreed to enough."

"She's right," Alec said. "I am overprotective of my mate, but she is strong enough to protect herself. I am only wary that you may not protect her in times of danger."

"If she is important to Nhauel, then I will protect her no matter the strength of my feelings," Huilen argued.

"Then, I have no qualms," Alec said, satisfied.

"I'm glad we had this talk," Nahuel said. "All of my worries have been eased."

"I am, too," Odessa admitted. "I have been worried about your reaction. I understand that I am not the kindest being, but I want you to know that I never had malicious intent to harm our sisters."

"I believe you, Odessa," Nahuel reassured her. They smiled at each other before Nahuel continued. "I am going to speak with the Cullens. I am curious about how Renesmee is faring having parents by her side. Would you like to join me?"

Odessa shook her head and said, "I will speak with them later. I need a break, I think."

"Shall we dance, then?" Alec asked with a charming smile.

"That would be nice, yes," Odessa agreed. She addressed Nahuel and Huilen. "We will talk later, hopefully."

"Maybe," Huilen said. "There are many we'd like to meet."

They parted ways, migrating to different sides of the ballroom. It was packed, but the room was big enough to leave a decent-sized space for dancing. There was a handful of couples on the dancefloor, but many were too anxious to dance, opting to mingle instead. Alec led Odessa to the dancefloor and guided her into a starting position.

"Alec," she whispered. "I must warn you that I have no idea how to dance. I have never danced, actually."

"Don't worry, Odessa. I would never let my mate make a fool of me," he said. Odessa hit him on the arm and shot him a look. He chuckled and said, "Just follow my lead."

Odessa nodded her head and allowed him to whisk her around the dancefloor. She felt like an expert as he twirled her, dipped her, and pulled and pushed her away. It was the most fun Odessa had had in a long time. She threw her head back during a spin and giggled. As she came back up, she made eye contact with Alec and gifted him with a toothy smile.

"You are positively radiating tonight," Alec complimented her. He pulled her close and laid his head in the crook of her neck. It was easy to do and comfortable enough as her hells gave her a few extra inches. Odessa hummed and mirrored his actions, She placed a sweet, chaste kiss on his neck directly under his ear. She felt him shudder, so she placed another kiss in the same spot and relished in the low groan he let out. Abruptly, he pulled back and stared at her with lust-filled eyes.

"You are tempting me as if I won't take you right here and now," he growled out.

"Keep it in the bedroom," Heidi teased as Demetri guided her past them.

"I minted to," Alec promised. Odessa shivered and tried not to show how much she was affected by his words. "I'm going to ravage you as soon as this is over."

"What if I am too tired to continue these . . . festivities?" she questioned hazily, She was focused on his voice, the spicy smell of his skin, and the plumpness of his lips.

He kissed her earlobe, sucking on it and biting it with his teeth before growling out, "Then I will apologize now. I don't intend to let you so much as breathe without saying my name."

"Is that a promise?" she asked. "Do not say things you do not intend to do."

"I promise I will have you begging for mercy. What would you like first: my tongue or my-."

"Quite a conversation for public ears," Carlisle interrupted. Odessa and Alec tensed before they deflated. Odessa groaned in annoyance and glared at him and Esme. Carlisle chuckled and apologized, though it did nothing to persuade the couple to detach themselves from each other.

"Sorry for the intrusion," Esme apologized. "We wanted to see how you were faring after everything that happened, and we weren't sure if we'd have time to."

Odessa sighed and dropped her arms from her mate. "You are not the Cullens I want to speak to, but nevertheless, thank you for your concern," she said.

"We know you wish to speak to Renesmee. We came over to talk to you first to ease some of the tension," Carlisle told them.

"Their tension, you mean?" Alec asked as he led them off the dancefloor. "I admit Odessa was hard to deal with and acted with her feelings more than her mind, but we have already come to terms with the situation."

"I am glad to hear that," Esme said. "Bella and Edward are still apprehensive."

"I understand, to an extent. I did overstep some boundaries, though that was never my intention. I simply wanted Renesmee to visit me rather than the other way around. There is much to learn from the Volturi. I thought she would benefit from it."

"We know that, Odessa," Carlisle said. "They are just overprotective."

"I get it," she said shortly. "I do not like it, but I get it."

"Thank you," Carlisle said as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "I will try to reassure them that all is well. Renesmee has worried greatly about you since news of the attack reached us."

"She had nothing to worry about," Odessa said softly as she thought of the small hybrid. "I am not so weak as to succumb to lowly villains. Besides, I cannot visit her if I am dead."

"And we are so glad you are," Esme said warmly.

"Agreed. We were cautious at first about your intentions with Renesmee, but there is no denying that you will never let harm come to her," Carlisle said.

"We appreciate it dearly," Esme continued. Odessa smiled stiffly at the unexpected warmness.

"Well, we will let you get back to your flirting," Carlisle smirked as Esme led them back to the Cullens.

Odessa scoffed and buried her face in Alec's chest. "I feel like I just got caught doing something scandalous by my parents."

"It did feel quite wrong to have been interrupted by them," Alec mused. Odessa hummed in agreement before she sighed and glanced over at Renesmee longingly. The younger hybrid was arguing with her parents, throwing a tantrum and ignoring the eyes humorously watching the trio. She shouted, then stomped away towards Odessa. Odessa blinked down at her as she stopped in front of Odessa and began mumbling about unfair parents. Then, she brightened and threw her arms around Odessa in an excited hug.

"Odessa!" she shouted excitedly. "I was so worried when Grandpa Carlisle told us the Volturi was attacked, I thought - I mean he told us there were so many people who died. I had a nightmare that one of them was you." Her bottom lip jutted out and her eyes welled up with tears. Odessa couldn't help herself as she encased Renesmee in a tight, comforting hug.

"I am okay, Renesmee," Odessa assured her. "You did not have to run from your family."

"Mom and dad said I wasn't allowed to talk to you, even though I really wanted to," Renesmee complained. "It wasn't fair."

"Your mother and your father have every right to after my visit. They only want to do what is best for you, which includes keeping you away from threats and danger. In their eyes, that is what I am. They are just trying to protect you."

"But you're not a threat, 'Dessa!" Renesmee shouted out. "You're nice to me, and you understand me! You're my friend!"

"I am grateful to be considered your friend, Renesmee," Odessa said gently as she bent down to Renesmee's level, "and I am glad that you are willing to defend your friends, but it is not nice to disrespect people who love you and care for you." She straightened and held a hand out. "Now, let us straighten this out with your parents."

"Do we have to? I'm still mad at them."

"Yes. I do not want to get into more trouble with them, and I do not want the three of you to argue over something as trivial as me."

Reluctantly, Renesmee grabbed her hand and let her whisk her back to her parents. Alec trailed behind them, keeping a close eye on the parents they were approaching. He wouldn't allow them to ridicule Odessa, especially after everything she'd been through. Bella and Edward waited impatiently as they approached, and as soon as they reached them, they pulled Renesmee towards them and placed a hand each on her shoulders. Silently, they addressed the two Volturi members, uncertain on how to continue. Odessa pursed her lips and looked around awkwardly as she tried to think of something to say. Alec beat her to it.

"I don't think we had the chance to do it last time, but we want to apologize for the inconvenience we caused during our visit," Alec said formally.

"Your mate isn't on the same page as you," Edward said stiffly.

Odessa frowned and said, "It is true I was not thinking of apologizing when Alec said that, but I am apologetic."

"I'm sure you are," Bella bit out.

"Look," Odessa said. "I did not come over here to argue with you. I simply wanted to bring Renesmee back. Although I would like to talk to her and catch up on how she is doing, it is my understanding that the two of you were not ready for her to be near me."

"Thank you for respecting our boundaries this time," Bella said.

Odessa couldn't help the flare of irritation that spiked inside her. She could feel it trying to claw its way out, scratching at her skin and begging for release. She took a deep breath in and tried to relax herself. She let it out and smiled. "Of course. As Alec said, we are deeply sorry for the scene we caused. I am deeply apologetic. I should have respected your opinion. I regret my actions and the distress I caused."

"You should be," Edward said shortly. "Now, if you'll excuse us."

He turned Renesmee away from them and tried walking off, but Renesmee planted her feet firmly and released his hold on her. "I'm not going. I want to talk to 'Dessa."

"Renesmee," Bella scolded her.

"No!" Renesmee shouted as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Odessa already apologized and she's really sorry for what she did. Can't you see that?"

"Apologizing and feeling regretful is the least she could do," Bella told her. "Now, let's go."

"No! I'm not leaving until I get to talk to her for more than ten minutes."

They stared each other down, neither one budging. After a moment, Edward sighed and pulled Bella back. "Love, let her talk to her so we can be done with this."

"Fine," Bella resigned, "but you only get ten minutes to talk."

Renesmee cheered as Odessa felt relief wash over her. Bella and Edward walked away enough to give them a semblance of privacy. They kept an eye on Renesmee, though, and were ready to come to her rescue if need be.

"I'm so happy," Renesmee told Odessa. "I didn't think they would let me talk to you, but they did!"

"I am happy, too," Odessa said. "Now, tell me all about how you have been fairing."

"Everything is going great! Mom and dad are finally letting me go to school. I didn't start yet because it's the middle of the school year, but now that my growth has leveled out, they're going to sign me up next year. I'll be in the seventh grade!"

"That is very exciting! I am guessing you moved, then?"

"Yes! We moved across the country to Vermont. The town we moved to is like Forks and it has a lot of forests so Jake can run around and. . ."

"Esteemed guests, I thank you for graciously attending our ball tonight," Aro said as he clapped his hands together and pasted a warm smile on his face. Caius and Marcus flanked him on the steps leading down to the room. The wives stood directly behind them. Felix, Demetri, Jane, Alec, and Odessa stood a few steps down from them, showing a united front. It was intimidating to look at.

"It is wonderful to see so many familiar faces," Marcus said slowly.

"Although the enemies we faced were organized and nefarious in their attempts to uproot our community, we fared well and bested them," Caius said with a devious smirk. "We faced many casualties, but they all faced certain death."

"In truth, we held this ball, not to exchange pleasantries, but to warn you of the consequences of moving against us. We may have lost some of our members," Aro announced. "But with a new member of our elite guard," he gestured towards Odessa who bowed, "and our long-standing members," he gestured towards Alec, Demetri, Jane, and Felix who bowed, as well, "we are as strong as ever."

"Let it be known that the Volturi still stand," Caius said. "If you are thinking of plans to dethrone us, cease those thoughts immediately. Continue and we will find out and execute you on sight without hesitation."

"We thank you. Truly, we thank you for your support," Marcus said, "and we hope you enjoy the rest of your evening."

I think I came up with a system to update as frequently as possible while still being away from my laptop. I have been writing the chapters down in a notebook and then typing them up. Honestly, I think I've been able to write chapters out faster on paper than when I usually just type them out on the computer. So, yeah. I shouldn't be away too much now.

Only 3 chapters left of this fanfic! I'm excited to finish it. I always feel so accomplished after doing so, and it feels great to finish off the end of the year strong. Anyway, make sure you get in your last minute votes on my poll for the next love interest! It's on my quotev account under the username NotDeadYet16! Once I finish this story, I will end the poll and start writing the next one!

Stay Awesome!