Maria's biggest opponents were slaughtered by me and I had made sure Maria would be the only coven leader left in the South. Just as predicted she went mad with power and blood lust. Becoming reckless and inviting attention was all I wanted for her. She would die a a painful death. Jasper had gotten to her first and taken the chance away from me to do so for killing my sister.
The human me was playing her role well, she made Edward and Jacob meet at her home a couple of times along with Seth while I was away. It was no cementing friendship but it was something. She hurt her hand once while Edward was away hunting and went to Cullen house with the boys in tow. They were both uncomfortable but kept their mouths shut. Sometimes i wonder if it was deliberate. Carlisle patched it up easily and Esme made them some pancakes which they hurriedly shoved down. Esme was used to cooking for the human me and was actually very happy feeding the boys. They did not believe in the stories but the genes in them had put them on alert.
The dogs had taken liking to Jacob and the cats to Edward, they didn't fight but it did cause lots of hissing in the house. Charlie was fed up with them.
Bella's eighteenth birthday was giving me shivers and her birthday would have been a disaster if things occurred like earlier. So I asked her to accept gifts but under the condition that gifts would be for her animals only. No one actually listened to her though. No paper cut drama ensued because she insisted Edward to do the unwrapping citing her bandaged hands. Thank god for that. I did not want a repeat telecast of those months when Edward had left for my own good. Charlie was thus much more amicable than before with Edward and I breathed in relief.
The whole year was pleasant and quiet and then things changed. After a kitchen knife incident which made Edward nearly loose control he tried to leave. Being the drama queen he was, he used his words to sting the human me. But she had seen the future and in fit of rage called him a little sissy in front of the whole family. Edward was mortified and Emmett didn't stop laughing till Esme scolded him for being immature. He didn't leave and never brought it up ever again .
When Jacob transformed to a werewolf, he no longer visited. The stories had turned out to be true in the end after all. It was painful to be away from him but it needed to happen anyways. Rite of passage they call it.
The human me had increased her meditation in the meantime and could feel the shield of her mind already. She could not lift the veil but I didn't feel the it till I was a vampire. She would be unstoppable as one.
I ventured south again when a few members of the Volturi namely Jane, Alistair, Felix and Alec came to finish the carnage by Maria. Caius was an unexpected treat but they all died in the end . It was funny how much they all screamed for help. I loved killing them all over again. South was free of vampires for now.
I was anxious as the last part of the plan was in motion. With the news of the death of so many members of the Volturi reached others, so did I to meet the Romanians. I left them a map to the deep caves and cervices of Volterra which was my base of operations in the future and the rest was up to them.
Here Bella and Edward were engaged soon and Charlie didn't fuss much. Dates didn't change and the wedding was breathtaking . Jacob had become more open to vampires at the end and attended the wedding wedding went without any major drama and I had made sure to invite Garrett. The Denali coven went home with one more than they came with.