"They'll have no idea I'm coming," I tried to reason with Marcus and Caius, "My mirror reflects Alice's visions and it hides my scent. They'll never know I'm there, but I can confirm whether we are dealing with an immortal child. Alice will be watching you and the other Volturi members, they don't know about me so I can slip in and out undetected".
Caius growled in annoyance, "I understand your reasoning vasílissa mou but there are too many risks involved".
"24 hours," I tried once again, "19-hour return trip by the private jet with 5-hours to investigate". None of my mates spoke for several minutes.
"21 hours," Marcus suddenly broke the silence, "19-hour return trip by the private jet with 2-hours to investigate and contact every 20 minutes during the 2-hour investigation window".
I quickly approached Marcus and pressed my lips against his, "Thank you to fos mou (my light)". I looked over at Caius who was deep in thought. I approached Caius and placed my hands on either side of his face, gently forcing him to lift his head and make eye contact with me.
"Please ma force (my strength)," I begged Caius. Despite how much I wanted too, I wouldn't do this without the approval of all my mates. Caius and I stared into each other's eyes for several, long quiet minutes.
"20 hours," Caius eventually broke the silence, "19-hour return trip by the private jet with one hour to investigate and contact every 20 minutes".
"20.5 hours," I countered, "19-hour return trip by the private jet with 90 minutes to investigate and contact every 15 minutes".
A small smirk appeared on Caius' face, "You are indeed a force to be reckoned with Lottie. Deal". I smiled gently at Caius before kissing him passionately. I poured all my gratitude and love into our kisses.
"Thank you ma force (my strength), thank you," I whispered as I briefly pulled away before we resumed kissing. Caius and I pulled away and we rested our foreheads together in silence. I knew Caius needed time to process the thought of me leaving the safety of the coven. Out of all my mates, Caius was the most protective and him allowing me to leave, even for such a short period of time, would be hard for him. I knew the Volturi had enemies and I didn't even want to imagine what would happen if I fell into their hands. My only saving grace was that my presence was currently unknown and my power protected my scent.
I kissed Caius one final time, "I'll leave within the hour".
I had been planning to ask this for a while but I was still hesitant on how to best approach the topic with my mates. I wanted to wait for the perfect moment but it never seemed an appropriate time. It was only one evening when Aro and I were playing a game of chess in our private library that I decided to rip the band-aid off so to speak.
"How do I earn money?" I asked Aro abruptly.
Aro looked up from the chess game, "Why would you need money my little swan?".
I looked away from my mate and focused my attention back to the chess game I was miserably losing, "I would like to buy something". I moved my pawn.
"And what would that something be?" Aro prompted as he moved his knight and took my pawn.
"Before I became a vampire, my fri…my friends and I restored a 1967 Chevrolet Impala. I unfortunately didn't get to finish it though. I want to rectify that," I explained. I moved my bishop and took Aro's knight. If Aro noticed my hesitation over my use of the term 'friends', he didn't mention it.
"Leave it with me little swan," Aro replied, effectively ending the conversation. While Aro and I had only known each other for a small time, I had come to understand the terms he would use when he was done with a conversation. 'Leave it with me' was normally his go to. I reluctantly dropped the topic and returned my attention to the game in front of us.
It was a week later when I approached Aro for our usual daily chess game when instead of leading me to the library, he directed me to follow him elsewhere. We entered a section of the castle I had never been to before and my curiosity continued to grow as I eagerly followed my mate. We entered a warehouse looking room and sitting in the middle was a dark blue 1967 Chevrolet Impala. It looked absolutely gorgeous.
"Wow," I whispered in surprised as I slowly approached the car and inspected it. Everything had been sculpted to perfection and the car looked stunning.
"Does this please you my little swan?" Aro asked from the doorway entry. I hadn't even realised he was observing me checking out the car in front of me.
"It's absolutely perfect," I admitted as I softly ran my hand down the hood of the car, paranoid that my newborn strength would damage the car.
Aro suddenly appeared beside me and placed his hand over mine on the car, "I sense a but though". I looked at him and hesitated. He had gone to a lot of effort to get me such a beautiful car. Did I dare ask a seemingly foolish request?
"Little swan?" Aro prompted.
'Rip it off like a band-aid,' I thought.
"Can we destroy this car together? Not completely damage it beyond repair but enough that we can restore it. Sculpt it in the way we want it to be," I quickly said before my nerves got the better of me. Aro's expression was almost comical.
"Let me make sure I have this right my little swan," Aro began, "You want to destroy a perfectly good car so you can put it back together? There are mechanics who do that and you won't get dirty".
A sly smile appeared on my face, "Well mio salvatore (my saviour), you raise a very good point". I untangled my hand from Aro's and walked around the car to the side where I knew the oil tank was. I carefully popped the fuel cap off and slid my hand into the fuel tank, the metal easily giving way due to my vampire strength.
"Mio salvatore (my saviour)?" Aro raised an eyebrow at his nickname.
I could fuel the oil and managed to scope up some of the oil in my hand, "You turned me. You saved my life. I owe all my happiness to you. My saviour in your favourite language of Italian seems appropriate I would say".
"Charlotte-," Aro began before I interrupted him.
"Lottie. All my family and friends did. As a vampire, only my mates will," I smiled.
Aro smiled as well, "Lottie. My Lottie-". As Aro was speaking, I quickly pulled my hand out of the fuel tank and flung the oil at Aro. I watched in gleeful satisfaction as some of the oil landed on Aro's cheek. Whether he chose not to avoid it I'll never know but the stunned expression on his face would be something I would never forget.
"I love you Aro, mio salvatore (my saviour). However, you need to loosen up," I purred as my oil stained fingers curled around the door handle, "We both know that you are the unofficial leader of the Volturi. Yes, our mates contribute but the decisions are ultimately decided by you. I feel that you sometimes forget that there is more to life than endless power and blind ambition".
I tugged the car door off its hinges, "As your mate I know you. You're constantly on guard and plotting…so…you need to loosen up". I flung the car door at Aro and watched in delight as he side-stepped out of the way.
"Well my dear Lottie," Aro swiftly ripped the car's hood off, "I would hate to disappoint you". I found myself quickly having to move out of the way of a flying piece of metal. Within moments a car door flies towards me and I realised I had to retaliate. I pulled a tyre off the car and toss it in Aro's general direction. It was then I heard the most wonderful sound, Aro's laugh. His true genuine laugh. It was magical. We continued dismantling the car and tossing the pieces at each other until there was physically nothing left of the car to throw.
"It definitely needs to be restored now," I chuckled looking at the dismantled car, "Did you have fun?".
Aro strolled over to me and wrapped his arms around my waist as his chin came to rest on my shoulder, "More then I have in a long time Lottie".
I placed my hands over his and hummed, "You have no idea how happy that makes me Aro. I'm so glad you enjoyed yourself". He squeezed me tightly in his arms as we stood in a comfortable silence.
"What do we need to do now Lottie?" Aro asked. I looked at the destroyed shell of a car in front of me and I was excited to share my passion with my mate.
"Let's break it down. First off," I began as I approached the car.
Arriving in Seattle in a private jet was such a surreal experience. Despite it being impossible, I thought my heart would burst out of my chest from the anxiety I was feeling. I looked over myself in the mirror one last time. I looked completely unrecognisable. The oversize sunglasses hid my red eyes along with most of my face, the bleach blonde curly shoulder length wig hid my brunette hair and the black catsuit was something I would never normally wear. If by any chance I stumbled across someone I use to know from my human life, I was as far away from the Charlotte they knew that they would never recognise me.
"Siamo arrivati tua altezza (we have arrived your highness)," the hostess called out in Italian. I fixed my wig one last time before exiting the bathroom.
"Grazie (thank you)," I said in Italian as I walked past her and approached the exit of the plane, "Ci vediamo tra 90 minuti (see you in 90 minutes). The crew that joined me on my trip to Seattle was the Volturi's most trusted flight crew.
Abrax was an Egyptian man who had been changed in his mid-forties and had been the pilot of the Volturi coven for as long as planes existed. He was even the pilot who flew the jet when I was human. The hostess on the flight was a female vampire called Ahura. Abrax turned Ahura when she was a young teenager, borderline almost immortal child. Thankfully when the duo came across the Volturi's path, Ahura had been a vampire for many decades and her bloodlust control saved them from the Volturi's justice.
Marcus and Abrax had become friends over the centuries, and arguably the only true friend Marcus had after Didyme's death. The duo did not crave wealth of physical items but desired the wealth that was knowledge. While vampires were almost indestructible, a high-speed crash in an airplane could potentially kill one. Marcus reached out to Abrax about being the coven's pilot and the emergence of such advanced technology drew the duo to serve the coven. When not flying planes, Abrax and Ahura were free to conduct whatever scientific experiments they desired. I wasn't exactly sure of the details but all I knew was that the Volturi didn't look too closely at what the duo chose to do. While they had mastered countless languages over the years, they chose only to speak in Italian to assist me with my learning.
The plane door popped opened and I quickly began my journey to Forks after sending a text to my mates. Being a newborn, my speed was impressive and I was at the Forks border within minutes. It felt so strange being home. Nothing had changed about Forks but so much had changed with me. I vaguely recalled where the Cullen's lived from the one time I had picked Bella up and I could sense multiple vampires along with something unknown in the area of the woods. I followed my senses and dashed into the woods towards the large gathering of vampires.
My favourite part of the whole castle was the impressive 39-acre garden. It was a wonderland of various plants and flowers from across the world. The rose garden was without a doubt the jewel in the crown and bloomed in the very centre of the masterpiece. It was one of those perfect days where the wind blew just strongly enough for the already beautiful garden to further come alive with the gentle swaying of the roses. With the rose garden being in the centre, I was free to come whether it be day or night as it was private enough that no one could see anyone sparkle. My mates had a visiting coven from Japan later tonight so they had the afternoon free to themselves. Aro was off conversing with his favourite guards while Marcus had gone to visit Didyme's grave. I smiled softly to myself as I lightly trailed my fingers over the various rose petals. I found a patch of roses underneath the sun and had decided to spend the afternoon sitting in the garden, just enjoying nature's beauty.
"I wish you could see through my eyes how incredibly stunning you look".
I turned around and I beamed, "Caius". Caius was leaning up against the stone pillar with his arms crossed, just watching me. He's body shielded in the shadows.
I held out my hand, "Come join me". He pushed himself off the pillar and walked into the sunlight. My breath would have been taken away if possible. He came alive under the sun and his skin literally turned to diamonds before my eyes. He sat down beside me and I quickly made myself comfortable on his lap. I wrapped my arms around his neck and rested my head against his chest.
"I forgot how clingy you are. Like my own personal koala," Caius chuckled in amusement and started to stroke my hair. I smiled into his chest and enjoyed being able to spend the alone time with him.
"You're always so strong. If the best support I can be is your personal koala, then personal koala I shall be," I commented, "This garden reminds me of the one at Buckingham Palace".
Caius scoffed, "Please. What do you think inspired the garden at Buckingham Palace?".
I lifted my head and looked at Caius in surprise, "This? This inspired Buckingham Palace?".
"But of course. Years ago, Aro toyed with the idea of introducing the human royal families into the fact that vampires were real. It was an idea centred around having easier access to blood as the world was starting to change. The castle was opened to the royal families and their selected staff. It was eventually decided against introducing our existence to the humans but by that stage, it was far too late to cancel. They came, they saw, they were sent away and we hid ourselves for several decades until everyone who had ever visited died," Caius explained.
"Or they became a meal if they asked too many questions," I added cheekily.
Caius chuckled but agreed, "Or they became a meal if they asked too many questions". Caius and I laid in the sun, wrapped in each other's arms.
"What was your human life like?" I asked.
Caius hummed as his hand stroked my arm, "I don't remember much. I was born in Greece somewhere around 1300BC and became a vampire several years later. I only remember flashes. I had six siblings with myself being the eldest. Three younger brothers and three younger sisters".
"The eldest of six? Explains why you're always so protective," I teased my mate.
"Very funny vasílissa mou," Caius kissed my forehead, "I remember the busy mealtimes I had with my siblings and when I became an uncle. I can't remember which of my siblings had the kids but I recall playing games with the children".
I didn't respond immediately, "Do you miss them?".
"During my first few decades as a vampire, I recall the sadness over the lost of my loved ones but I then found Athenodora and Aro and Marcus. The rest is history," Caius trailed off. Caius and I continued to cuddle in the sunlight and it was then that the inspiration for Caius' nickname struck me.
"Ma force (my strength)," I broke the comfortable silence.
"Ma force (my strength)?" Caius asked in confusion.
I hummed in agreement, "My strength in your favourite language of French. You are the unstoppable typhoon and the ruthless river that doesn't bend for anyone. Hence your nickname of ma force (my strength)".
"I'll be back in a moment Charlotte," Caius said before he untangled himself and disappeared. I stretched in the sunlight like an overgrown cat and lifted my hand up to admire the diamond like shine. I heard Caius reappear and when I looked at him, I was surprised to see he had set up a little art station. He had a paint easel set up with a canvas on it and a range of colours beside him.
"Lottie," I said to him as I watched him start to paint at a human pace, "Lottie is what my family and friends use to call me. As a vampire, only my mates can call me Lottie. What are you painting?".
"As you know Lottie, painting has always been something to calm me. What better way to celebrate your nickname for me then to forever picture this moment," Caius explained as his eyes moved from the canvas to myself and then back to the canvas.
I chuckled, "They do say 'take a picture and it'll last longer'. Or in your case, paint a picture, it'll last longer".
Caius hummed in agreement, "The downside with the rapid advancement of technology is that the art of painting has been lost. Painting allows me to capture every line, every spec of detail that I can see but a camera does not do justice for".
"Well then," I rolled onto my side and placed one hand on my hip and another hand underneath my head, "Paint me like one of your French girls".
Caius rolled his eyes at my childish behaviour, "From my own firsthand knowledge, no such love story ever occurred on the Titanic nor would it have ever occurred on the Titanic. The first-class passengers had no mingling with the peasants. Don't move".
"I refuse to let you ruin Titanic for me," I muttered. Caius leant to the side of the canvas to look at me and smirked slyly.
"Did you know when I was on the Titanic," Caius began.
"We shouldn't be out here much longer Nessie," Jacob said in concern as he watched his imprint wonder through the woods, "It's going to be night soon and your mother would literally kill me".
Renesmee nodded in understanding but continued to walk deeper into the woods, "I understand but just a bit longer". Suddenly, a bleach blonde haired vampire wearing a catsuit appeared in front of her. Jacob roared and quickly transformed into a giant wolf, ready to attack and defend his imprint. Renesmee quickly moved away from the stranger and stood behind Jacob.
"Woah!" the vampire held her hands up, "I mean no harm! I'm sorry for startling you". Jacob growled in warning, he had already sent an alert to his pack mates for backup. He studied the leech in front of him and was not impressed by what he saw. The female vampire had bleach blonde curly hair, wore the most ridiculous oversized sunglasses he had ever seen and the black catsuit she wore left absolutely nothing to the imagination.
'It's obvious how she attracts her meals,' Jacob thought in disgust, not even realising he had portrayed his thoughts over his pack's link.
'Ooo! A total babe huh? I can't wait to see,' Embry thought, 'I'll be there in two'.
'Keep it in your pants Embry,' Jared replied in disgust, 'Two minutes out as well'.
'Jokes on you Jared! I ain't wearing any pants!' Embry responded cheekily.
Jared pretended to vomit, 'Hey mate. I can only sense you and Nessie. I can't sense the vampire'.
Renesmee's head popped out around Jacob's form, "Are you another vampire here to help my family?". Jacob quickly closed off the pack link, ready to defend his imprint no matter the cost but he did note that Jared was right. He couldn't smell the leech in front of him.
The woman smiled, "I am".
Renesmee smiled back at the mystery vampire and walked around her imprint towards her, despite the warning growl of her mate. She held her hand out but the female didn't react. Just then, Embry and Jared's wolf forms came crashing into the clearing. The female vampire dropped into a crouch position, preparing herself for a fight. Renesmee looked at the two wolves.
"Embry, Jared," Renesmee scowled them before she looked at the defensive vampire, "I'm sorry about them. I need you to hold my hand to see my proof". The female vampire didn't move for several long minutes before she held out her hand, still crouching down and not moving from her spot. Renesmee approached the female and just before their hands touched, the previously undetectable scent of the female vampire filled the air. Renesmee placed her hand in the mysterious female's and Jacob watched on edge as Nessie showed the vampire her memories. Jacob suddenly sensed two vampires approaching from the Cullen's house.
'Must be Edward and Bella,' he thought as he continued to watch the exchange between his imprint and the unknown vampire. After the exchange, Nessie moved her hand away.
"Will you help my family?" She asked the vampire.
The vampire smiled at her, "I promise I will pass this onto my mate". Her scent disappeared and then the female vampire took off just as Bella arrived in the clearing.
"Who was that?" she hissed as she quickly rushed over to her daughter. Edward arrived a few seconds later and looked relieved once when he found his wife and child unharmed.
'An unknown female vampire. She was here to hear Nessie's story,' Jacob thought as he was in his wolf form, 'She said she would talk to her mate'.
"She came here as a potential ally. She left to talk to her mate," Edward repeated for his family.
"Why would she not wait for us to arrive?" Bella asked in concerned.
Embry shifted guiltily and thought, 'Jared and I may have spooked her when we arrived. She was on edge and may have thought more wolves were coming'.
Edward nodded in understanding, "That makes sense. Embry stated that his and Jared's arrival spooked the female and she may have fled thinking there were more wolves coming. What doesn't make sense is that her scent appeared and then disappeared within moments".
"A gifted vampire then?" Bella guessed.
"Could be," Edward replied, "I don't recognise the scent so she's no one familiar to our coven".
Jacob piped up through his thoughts, 'We only could smell her just before Nessie touched her and disappeared once Nessie drew away'.
"Jacob said that her scent appeared just before Nessie touched her and stopped after Nessie shared her story," Edward looked concerned.
"Let's head back home and we can talk with the others," Bella said as she scooped Renesmee into her arms and headed back to the house.
'Gotta admit, she looked like a babe though for a leech,' Embry chuckled through the pack link.
'Seriously dude?' Jacob replied in annoyance.
'Come on! She was drop dead gorgeous! Though her meals probably do drop dead,' Embry teased, knowing he was winding Jacob up.
Jacob sighed in defeat and chose to let Embry win this round.
One of the many benefits of the castle being so big was that it seemed to have everything! Not just one industrial size kitchen but three industrial size kitchens. It didn't make much sense considering none of the vampires could eat and there was a very limited number of human staff on hand. However, as I could bake to my heart's content, I was not complaining. Making myself bake at a human pace had been critical to the development of my vampire skills. When I first started baking, I had grossly underestimated my strength and just about destroyed every piece of cookware and equipment. It had quickly forced me to learn how much strength I needed to use to grasp items and use them without breaking them. Particularly extremely delicate items such as eggs. My gosh I must have gone through hundreds of eggs before I finally figured out how much strength to use. I was halfway through separating several egg whites and egg yolks into different bowls when I sensed Marcus approaching.
"Hello i kardiá mou," he greeted as he entered the kitchen.
His eyes trailed over the various mixing bowls and dirty dishes surrounding me, "You're cooking quite a bit".
"When the new receptionist Luna delivered the food to the local church, the priest mentioned they were holding a feast this coming weekend and wanted to know whether we could donate any additional food. They are attempting to gather all the homeless and low-income earners both in the city and in the countryside to celebrate a feast together to boost their spirits," I explained as I continued to separate the eggs.
Marcus hummed as he approached me and lent against the kitchen bench, "And Luna informed this to you directly?".
I nodded. I placed the discarded eggshell down before picking up another egg and cracking it, "Don't worry Marcus. I informed dear Luna of the way these issues were handled and that in future she should report it to either Demetri or Felix, probably Felix since he is such a flirt, and that the message would be given to me. Don't kill this one. I actually like her".
"I'll keep that in mind," Marcus replied, "What are you making?".
"Tiramisu," I chirped, "I've just about finished this section if you want to help?".
Marcus smiled at me, "I am happy to watch you Charlotte".
"Lottie. That's what my family and friends use to call me. As a vampire, that right is only reserved for my mates," I smiled at Marcus before I discarded the broken eggshells and plugged in the KitchenAid. I had wanted a KitchenAid for years but the price prevented me from ever getting one. It was the only piece of equipment that I refused to touch until I had my strength under control. My inner chef died inside at the thought of damaging it.
"Lottie," Marcus repeated, "A nickname I will only ever use in your or my brothers' presence". I poured the egg yolks and required amount of sugar into the KitchenAid before setting it to the appropriate speed.
"That's exactly what Aro and Caius said as well. They would only ever use Lottie if it was just us, their nicknames within the coven and Charlotte on formal occasions when dealing with other vampires. Marcus…only if you're comfortable of course," I began, "What was Didyme like? I know she meant a lot too you". Marcus didn't reply. Didyme was a topic that Marcus had yet to fully disclose to me. During our time together, he had mentioned that she was his deceased wife, Aro's sister and how her loss severely impacted him. It was that profound loss that made him truly understand what I was going through with the loss of my family and he had helped me through the time. I stopped the KitchenAid.
I opened a container of mascarpone and scooped the substance out into the KitchenAid, "I don't ask this to hurt you. As you said to me when I first became a vampire, talking about the happy times with my loved ones would ease the burden and you were right. While it hurt at first and even still hurts now, it's not as difficult as it once was".
I added the vanilla extract and turned the KitchenAid back on, "I know how hard it is so you don't-".
"She was so kind and beautiful. She had the special ability of happiness induction which made everyone who met her fall in love with her," Marcus interrupted me, "While I knew we were not mates, our bond was as close to a mate bond as possible. When she died…I was devastated. Knowing that I had yet to find my mate was the only thing that kept me going. I couldn't bear the thought of putting my mate through the loss of their mate. The pain I felt was unbearable and I refused to let anyone else suffer what I was going through". I switched the KitchenAid off and approached Marcus. I wrapped my arms around him in support and I felt him pull me tighter into an embrace.
"Despite being a vampire, she had absolutely no grace at all. During one of our very first dates, she somehow managed to fall into the lake. She laughed at herself. She couldn't care less if others thought she was clumsy. That's why I fell in love with her. She was vibrant, unapologetic and genuine," Marcus continued, "We didn't care about ruling or the coven, as long as we had each other we were happy".
I squeezed Marcus tighter in comfort, "Can I ask what happened?".
"She was murdered by an enemy coven. Shortly after Aro gave his blessing for myself and Didyme to leave, an enemy coven had attacked us and slaughtered her. Aro arrived for their scheduled meal together and came across her slain body," Marcus' voice was heavy with grief, "I can't imagine how hard it was for Aro to discover his murdered sister. We were never able to find the vampire or vampires who did it but because of Didyme's power that resulted in vampires falling in love with her, it was suspected that a love-struck vampire killed her once she rejected them. It haunts me and I can only imagine how much it haunts Aro". Marcus started shaking slightly. It was impossible for vampires to cry tears but if it were, Marcus would be doing it now. We stood there, wrapped in each other's arms for hours. Eventually he's shaking stopped.
"To fos mou (my light)," I whispered, "That's my nickname for you Marcus, to fos mou (my light). Despite your pain and heartache, you took the burden of my sorrows and acted as my light in my darkest time".
"My light in Greek. Do you know why I call you i kardiá mou? The knowledge that one day I would find you kept my shattered heart going. You are literally i kardiá mou," Marcus lifted my chin with his hand and pressed his lips against mine. The kiss was soft and gentle but yet filled with so many emotions at the same time.
Marcus was first to pull away and stared lovingly into my eyes, "What is the next step in this tiramisu making?".
'Jacob…he…he just turned into a fucking wolf…a giant disgusting smelling wolf,' I thought to myself in shock as I watched my former friend transform into a large copper coloured wolf. When I entered the clearing, I was surprised to say the least when I saw Jacob and a young brunette-haired child. My surprise quickly changed to shock when I saw him TURN INTO A GIANT FUCKING WOLF!
'My gosh he stinks,' I thought as I did my best to keep my facial expressions under control. The young child quickly created distance between myself and her and hid behind the wolf…who was once human.
"Woah!" I quickly put my hands up in the universal surrender way, "I mean no harm! I'm sorry for startling you". The child popped her head out from behind Jacob's, if that wolf is even still considered Jacob, and it allowed me to have a better look at her. She was beautiful with high cheekbones, full lips and her eyes were chocolate brown, reminding me so much of my twin. It didn't take a genius to figure out that this child was a mixture of Edward and Bella.
"Are you another vampire here to help my family?" she asked in curiosity.
I smiled at her innocent, child like nature, "I am". The child smiled at me and walked around Jacob. Jacob growled in warning but the child didn't seem to mind as she headed towards me. She stopped several metres away and held out her hand.
I became lost in my thoughts as I was once again reminded about how similar she looked to my sister. When she smiles, it was like looking at a younger version of myself. Suddenly, a light grey wolf and a dark brown wolf burst into the clearing. While they weren't as big as Jacob, they were still pretty damn big. Caius' training instantly kicked in and I crouched down into a defensive position. I hadn't even heard them coming! I was so focused on the child in front of me that I didn't pay attention to my surroundings.
I cringed inwardly, 'Caius would have my head if he knew how careless I just was'. Determined not to be caught off guard again, I re-focused myself. The child turned to the two incoming wolves.
"Embry, Jared," she scowled them before she looked back towards me, "I'm sorry about them. I need you to hold my hand to see my proof".
My mind short circuited.
'…are you fucking serious? Embry's a wolf as well! What the fuck happened since I've been gone?' I thought in disbelief. I had to push that shock away because I had to deal with the situation on my hands first. My power was currently keeping my scent hidden away and undetected by the Cullen's but it meant I wouldn't see whatever it was that the child wanted to show me. If I dropped my power, I could see what she wanted to show me but it would alert the Cullen's.
'It's a risk I'll have to take,' I thought to myself, 'My newborn speed gives me the upper hand because I'll leave long before they can get here. My mates need this information. Lower my power, see whatever it is that the child wants, raise my power and then run like a bat out of hell'. Once I was confident with my plan, I held out my hand. I needed to be ready to flee as soon as I could. The child approached me and just before our hands touched, I lowered my power.
'20 seconds tops before I need to get out of here,' I thought to myself as I could sense two vampires approach. As the child's hand placed in mine, I watched in amazement as images filled my head. Bella being pregnant as a human and her birth from a human mother with her father being a vampire. The child pulled her hand away.
'15 seconds,' I thought to myself, 'Maybe even less. One is moving fast…fuck, Bella would be a newborn too. How the hell did I not consider that!'.
"Will you help my family?" the child, whose name I discovered to be Renesmee, asked. Certainly not the name I would have called my child but that's a different story.
I smiled reassuringly at her, "I promise I will pass this onto my mate". I quickly raised my shield and bolted from the scene as fast as I could as I suspected Bella was moments away. Only a newborn could move that fast and since Renesmee had all but confirmed she was Bella's child, it was definitely Bella.
'That was cutting it close,' I thought as I ran towards Seattle, 'Let's leave the awkward family reunion for another time'. I arrived at the private jet and quickly climbed on board. Abrax and Ahura were casually lounging around but quickly snapped to attention when they saw me enter.
"Andiamo (Let's go)," I ordered.
"Inteso (Understood)," Abrax replied and dashed into the cockpit. I took a seat on the expensive leather lounge and let out a sigh of relief at the success of the mission. I tore the wig off and removed the sunglasses as I relaxed into the comfortable lounge. It was only then that I felt my phone buzz.
'Oh bugger,' I thought, 'I completely forgot to check in with my mates'. I hesitantly pulled my phone out and dreaded checking it.
21 text messages
10 missed calls
I quickly sent them a message apologising for the lack of communication but noted that my mission was a success.
We'll talk when you return.
I cringed at the blunt reply from Caius. It didn't take a genius to figure out that he was mad.
"Hai avuto successo (Were you successful)?" Ahura asked.
I sent another text apologising to my mates before I looked at the child-like vampire, "Sì".
Hello everyone!
Thank you as always for your continued support and your well wishes! I am slowly but surely on the way to recovery and hope for an update at least once a week (or there around) once I'm back to full health!
I apologise in advanced if the translation are not quite correct. I used Google translator so I already expect there to be errors. Anyway, I hoped this chapter lived up to expectations. I can assure you that the Cullen's will eventually find out about Lottie and the reveal is going to be so, so worth the build up! My aim for this chapter was to show how Lottie made each leader better. Aro's ruthless ambition, Caius' hard shell and Marcus' heartache were the key areas I wanted to focus on this time.
I completely forgot to mention last time as well about the release date of Midnight Sun! I am so excited for the novel and I can't wait to see the next instalment of the Twilight Saga!
Thank you once again for your continued support!
Stay safe xxx
