Hello! As always, thank you so much for the support :)

I want to clarify a few things that I've forgotten in the past chapters.

In the books, Felix is the broad-shouldered one. For some reason, in my mind, it was Demetri, hence why Demetri is the big one.

While I might be guiding myself as much as possible on the book's description of the characters, as well as their stories, my story will differ greatly in major aspects. For instance, Alec and Jane in the books were changed when they were around 12-13 years old. Since I can't have Bella with a child, that is one of the changes. I still haven't written the men's stories, but I think I will remain truthful to their background in the books except for their age, and their human lives.

While Bella and her men might be in love, they're still getting to know each other. Bella is undergoing many changes in a short time, so she is bound to make stupid decisions and mess up. But her men are there to guide her. Still, they are also allowed to make stupid decisions. They might be vampires, but they're still sentient beings who learn through trial and error.

Bella hasn't had closure from Edward. I realized as I was writing this chapter, that they haven't spoken. It will come, I don't when, but it will come.

No, Edward doesn't know Bella has three mates. He might have glimpsed something in Demetri's mind, but he doesn't know the full extent.

Jane did fry Edward with her gift. I just didn't write it, since Bella wasn't paying attention.

Bella not having a scent is important, so keep that in mind :)

Hint: Didyme is also important. Don't forget about her.

I think that's all.

Enjoy!

THE LOCKET.

Chapter 9.

She checked in on her mates a few times during the weekend. Her guilt assuaged when she spoke with them on the phone, but it was still beating strongly enough for her to send a couple of texts here and there during her weekend away.

She had taken full advantage of Jane's and Renata's deal with the kings and thoroughly enjoyed her time with her friends. Most importantly, she used the time to think. She used the time to bask in the sun, the leisure and freedom this village offered her. She had taken one day to be completely alone. She went to the lake and stayed there from noon till night.

She processed the events of the past month. Seeing Alice again, fighting with Jacob, abandoning her father, saving Edward. Finding that Edward had withheld important information from her, only to be revealed by a choice she made. A bargain. She didn't know anything about the Volturi aside from what Edward had shared the days preceding her birthday. Edward regarded them as the most dangerous coven ever to phase the earth. And while that might be true, it was not the entire truth.

Yet, she hadn't known that when she made the bargain. When she decided to stay. Yes, something beautiful and good was waiting for her after all the heartache and hardship, but she couldn't help but resent Edward. She had given him her all. She had given him her heart, her trust, and her dreams of a future together. He had held those dreams before her, only to take them away. But he not only took her dreams of a future with him. He took his family – her family.

And she didn't know where she stood in that regard. She loved them – of course she did. And she missed them. She had meant her words to Carlisle. She still meant them. If Edward had only broken her heart, she would have found a way back to him. But in truth, not everything should be shouldered by Edward. The rest of the family made the choice as well. She wasn't privy to the conversation that ensued when Edward conveyed his decision to leave and leave her behind. Did anyone fight to stay? Did they think of her at all? Those questions haunted her, and she hadn't dared to ask Alice before all went sour.

She spent six months bearing her soul to an email that either didn't exist or the owner hadn't cared enough to reply. Six months in which she bled, barely ate, lost weight, and barely existed. She was there; her life had been put on pause indefinitely while the rest of the world went on. While her reason for smiling went on.

She hadn't given Edward the opportunity to explain. But what would he say? What could he say? Did she still want an explanation? She had a sense of closure with Carlisle, but she hadn't had an explanation from them. She deserved one, she decided. She would get it. After her transformation.

A transformation that she wanted badly enough that she could taste it; she could see the other side of the veil. She could see her future, bright as the sun, waving on the other side, taunting and daring her to rush. A transformation that Edward had forced on her. He knew the rules when he approached her, when he enthralled and seduced her. He knew the consequences of his entering her life. He knew the only way out was through, and yet, and yet he took the choice away from her. Based on a deluded sense of what he thought was the right choice, the right path.

Yes – she resented Edward. Yes – it would be a long time until the resentment fades.

He had thrown himself into the lions' den and dragged her in. Alice too. They knew she wouldn't have allowed anything bad to happen to him. Had they prayed on her human heart? Definitely.

And yet, she couldn't regret anything. She had come out of the other side triumphant, stronger, and happier. But she resented the way.

All her life, her parents, despite their love for her, had not been parenting enough. She had been forced to grow up, to mature before her time. Her mother and her scattered brain and string of husbands and hobbies. Her father and his workaholic lifestyle. She hadn't realized how starved for love she'd been until the Cullens gave it to her and, just like that, took it away.

Now, she had three males: the most powerful males in the vampire world at her beck and call. She had three fierce protectors and, eventually, lovers. She had truly needed this weekend away.

It had been a month since she made the move that changed her life forever. One month since she had officially decided to let Edward go. Part of her reluctance to move on physically with her mates was Edward. She didn't love him anymore. But there had been a last remnant of him in a tiny part of her heart whispering that it was too soon to love three men she hadn't known existed six months ago.

She yanked that part of her heart, held it, observed it, and blew it away in gentle goodbye. She had no place in her heart for another man. Least of all, him.

She pulled her phone away from her pocket. Demetri and Alec had texted her constantly, even with her few replies. But it was Felix who'd been radio silent. She feared that silence more than anything.

She texted each of her mates individually a heartfelt "I miss you. I'll see you tomorrow." And a candid of her with the sun on her face.

Saying a final goodbye to the girl she'd been until a month ago, she left her confessions and secrets hanging in the air of the villa. She stood up, gathered her clothes, and walked to the main house. Her past was behind her, but it wasn't forgotten, for she would get the answers she deserved. And she had the eternity to do so.

She asked Jane and Renata to leave the villa early the next day. She had come to peace with her soul, her thoughts, and her feelings, and she missed her mates too much to delay her departure a whole day. The girls agreed, no questions asked.

When they arrived at the castle at noon, she made sure to thank her friends for a much-needed getaway and skipped toward Demetri's room. As she opened the door and entered, she marveled once again at how at home she felt here. It was the same feeling she got in her mates' arms. The feeling that she finally belonged somewhere.

However, said homeowner was not in the room. She turned on her heel to leave when the bathroom door opened, revealing a towel-clad vampire. Her mouth watered, and her center throbbed. She ignored the spike of lust that coursed through her spine.

He oozed power. He must have been a strong human to pass along those muscles. His pectorals were defined, though there was no six-pack, his stomach looked strong, and it led to a deep v that disappeared beneath his towel. Droplets rolled down from his wet hair and his strong frame.

Demetri looked at her like a deer caught in the lights for a few seconds before regaining his composure. "You're back!" At least he was happy to see her.

And she wasn't talking about the rising bulge straining against the towel. He chose to ignore it too.

She smiled sheepishly and walked closer to him. "On a scale of 1 to 10, how mad are you?"

Demetri chuckled and kissed her brow. "I'm not mad, sweetheart."

Bella raised an eyebrow. He was not? "You're not?"

He shook his head. Still, he said, "If you want space, just tell us. Don't run away or turn off your phone. This is not us wanting to be overprotective or controlling over you. We want to know you're safe. And we didn't know if you were safe."

"But I was with Renata and Jane."

"We didn't know that for sure, Bella. All we knew was that your door was locked, I could not track you, and Renata and Jane were also gone. We didn't know if you were gone with them or still inside the castle."

Bella stood there, hearing Demetri's words like a bucket of ice-cold water. She had been so happy to step away for a few days, to enjoy the space, the last bit of freedom before she signed off her life. She hasn't stopped to think about how Jane's and Renata's plan would look from her mates' point of view. Especially after the library episode and Alec's sweet confession.

He carried on, "You're our human mate. We're more on edge because you're more breakable. We have many enemies, and word travels fast. Until your transformation is complete and you've had more training, we won't cease being overprotective of you." She understood. She really did. He grinned, his eyes shining with humor. "Maybe we won't ever cease being overprotective of you, but we won't be as overbearing as we are now."

Bella smiled shyly. It seems like the next months will be an adjustment for all.

"For what it's worth. I'm glad you had the space you needed. But next time, just talk to us, ok?" He caressed her arms. She hadn't realized she'd been shaking.

She nodded, numb into muteness.

"Felix took it the hardest. I think you need to speak with him." Bella's eyes widened.

Oh no! This is why he hadn't texted her back. Why her messages were left on read.

"Come to me after if you need me." He pressed a kiss to her forehead. This is why Demetri was the head of the guard. He could speak about his emotions and remain calm, even if he had a storm brewing up inside.

"I love you." It was a pathetic confession, but she felt it was the moment to say the words.

Demetri tightened his hold on her. "God, sweetheart. I love you too." She stood there, wrapped in his arms, for a few more seconds until she stepped away. She couldn't delay her meeting with Felix any longer.

"I meant it. Come to me afterward." Bella nodded. His words felt like a prediction of how the conversation with Felix would end.

Her heart sank to her stomach. But like a coward, she delayed the conversation until the late afternoon.

It wasn't hard to find Felix. He was in his room. His laptop lay abandoned on a table in front of the sofas. She entered hesitantly; his mood oozed anger. She wasn't scared of him, but his posture gave her pause. Her instincts raging with her heart and her brain.

"Bella." No Princess. Where had princess gone?

She felt her throat tightening, and she forced herself to swallow. This was a situation she had gotten herself into.

"Hi." She stood at the door, unsure what to do.

"Are you scared of me?" His rude tone felt like a lash. She chose to ignore it.

"No. But you're angry."

"I'm fucking pissed, Princess. Angry doesn't cover it." She felt a tingle at her nickname. The guilt she thought had been assuaged when she spoke with them on the phone came back in full force. Had she screwed up so badly?

"I'm sorry. I didn't stop to think how Jane and Renata's plan would look like from your point of view. It was insensitive of me." It was the truth. Though, she said it partly because she felt it and partly because she thought he wanted to hear it.

She realized the latter was not true when Felix snorted derisively.

"You ran away." Bella was wrong. He wasn't angry. He was hurt.

"I didn't run away." She said more forcefully than intended. She gentled her voice when she spoke next. "Jane and Renata took me to a villa, and I contacted you as soon as I had enough reception all weekend." She'd be damned if she let him gaslight her into believing something that wasn't true. He'd been the one who had decided not to answer her back.

She hadn't run away.

"You had strippers!" He roared.

Bella looked at him, stunned. Was that what he was hurt about?

"Felix. Do you honestly believe we had strippers?" She couldn't hide the humor in her voice.

He fell silent, and his silence hurt. He was not amused. Her smile faltered and melted away. "After everything we've said to each other and what we've done, do you trust me that little?"

"I don't know." He barked. He could barely look at her.

She understood he was hurt. But he was hurt over something that hadn't even happened. But she had to remember he didn't know that never happened.

"Do you all believe that?"

"I won't speak for the others. I speak for myself."

That wasn't a no.

"I'm sorry I worried you. I'm sorry I took too long to contact you. But I'm not sorry I had a weekend away with my friends. I understand you were concerned, and I apologize for making you feel that way." She held her head high as she met his eyes.

He remained silent. "Do you really not trust me? Could you honestly sit there and believe that I would betray you? That I would cheat on you?" The accusation hurt more than anything else.

"I barely know you. How can I know for sure?" She gasped as she felt a third of her heart chip.

He's angry and hurt. He's only lashing out. He doesn't really believe all that.

"I understand." No, she didn't. But she didn't know what to say.

"Get out." He averted his gaze from her.

This time, the chip gave way to a crack. "What?" Was he kicking her out?

"Get. Out."

She left without saying anything else to him. He was clear on where he stood.

"For the record. Jane only mentioned strippers to bait you. I never thought it would shatter your trust in me. I'll leave you alone from now on."

She had barely left the room when a sob left her mouth without her consent. She hurried through the halls, running into Alec.

"Hey, darling." He greeted as if the weekend hadn't happened. She grabbed his shirt and held onto him like he was her last lifeline. "Hey, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

"He hates me." She sobbed incomprehensible things after that. Alec carried her bridal style to his room and set her on the bed. Shortly after, Demetri barged in, looking like he wanted to kill someone.

"What did he say to you, sweetheart?" His tone was surprisingly gentle compared to the murderous energy he oozed.

She shook her head. This was between Felix and her. She won't drag the other two into this mess.

"She doesn't want to tell me either." Alec volunteered from his place. She was cuddled into a ball on his side while he ran his cool fingers up and down her sun-kissed back.

Demetri tsked his tongue, feeling powerless and lost seeing his little mate suffering. He wanted to go find Felix, rip him a new one, punch him, and punish him for making her cry and hurting her. But she needed his comfort first. He would force some sense into his friend later.

She fell asleep crying in Alec's arms. It was restless because the oppression in her chest would not go away.

She had been so angry and sad when she went to sleep that the voices in the room felt like part of a dream.

"What am I doing here?" It sounded like Felix's voice.

"I don't know what you said to her because she doesn't want to discuss it. But she's only been repeating that you hate her. Fix it." Demetri's voice rang with the authority of his order.

The rest of their interaction was lost to the wind as she fell back into a deeper but still restless sleep.

When the following day came, she woke up alone but to a note on her pillow.

We're in the training room all day. Come find us when you're ready.

She went through her morning routine, feeling the third of her heart slowly bleed. But she refused to whole up in her room. She would not succumb to heartache until it was the only thing on her mind. She had done that once, and it had led her nowhere.

She had responsibilities, and she wouldn't let Marcus down.

She fired a text on the group chat, letting Alec know she's gotten his note and that she'd be in the library working with Marcus and Jane. She didn't owe Felix anything, not after he made it painfully clear he thought she had cheated on him – at least. Texting on the chat group felt like a way of showing she wasn't hiding.

After settling her rumbling stomach with tea, she made it to the library without running into anyone, which was a miracle since the castle was buzzing with activity at all hours.

Jane got to her as soon as she crossed the doors. "I'm so sorry I got you into so much trouble. I really didn't think it would backfire like this." Jane hugged her tightly, forgetting she was hugging a human.

"Jane, you're cutting my air supply." Bella tapped her on the back, and Jane released her immediately, apologizing again.

"Did Alec say anything to you?"

"No. Alec didn't say anything. Felix tore me a new one, though."

"When was this?"

"Around two am."

So after he cracked her heart.

"I'll deal with him." She would. One way or another.

Hours passed, and they had made significant progress on their plans to start a digital database. Around four in the afternoon, Heidi knocked on the door, letting them know food was here. Jane and Marcus excused themselves and went to eat.

Bella went inside Didyme's alcove and sat on her chair.

"How did you deal with your mate hurting you?" She asked out loud, voicing her concerns for the first time since last night. She wasn't expecting her to ghostly appear before her and share words of wisdom, of course.

She stayed there, cleaning and dusting. There wasn't much she could do. Marcus had given her the green light to read the journals after he'd decided she'd been right. He didn't want to lose Didyme.

Her phone pinged with a message. She dusted her hands before grabbing her phone and unlocking it.

Felix: Are you still in the library?

Bella: Yes.

She sat her phone down, thinking he'd eat, and then come to her.

Ten minutes later, her phone pinged again.

Felix: Princess, where are you?

Her cracked heart sang at her nickname. No matter how utterly disappointed she was, she had hope that they could move past this. Things couldn't be so bad if he called her princess and sought her out. Demetri and Alec might have ordered him to fix things, but he was still his own person, and if he was looking for her, it was because he'd decided to patch things up – judging by the use of her nickname.

Bella: Still in the library.

Her message had just gone out when her phone rang with Felix's call.

"Hey."

He sighed, relieved. "I went to the library. You're not there." His tone was gentle but guarded.

Bella smacked herself on the forehead, the sound echoing in the room. Right, she was in Didymen's hideout. She forgot that only Marcus knew about it. "I am. Come inside." She hung up, shelved the journal she had taken out but had not opened, and left the room just as Felix crossed the door.

"The fuck?" He whispered. "What's in there?"

"None of your concern." She replied.

Felix winced. "Fuck." He took three long strides, and once he reached her, he tucked her tightly against his chest. She wasn't sure how to receive the gesture. Wasn't sure if she wanted to step away or hug him so tightly, she didn't know where she started, and he ended.

"I shouldn't have spoken with you last night. I should have waited. I was angry and hurt, and I said some stupid shit I don't even think or believe. And I'm so fucking sorry I hurt you."

His voice cracked. It was the vampire equivalent of crying.

But his words came back. The accusation and his order to get out of his room.

She stepped away. "No." She shook her head. "You don't get to come here, say some pretty words, and expect me to forgive you just like that. You hurt me. You don't trust me. You made it painstakingly clear that you think I would be capable of cheating on you. So no. It will take more than this."

She wanted to walk away, to leave Felix in the library and go somewhere else. But she had no other sanctuary beside the very room she had come out from; that was a secret between her and Marcus—a secret she would never betray.

Still, she stayed put in her place because Felix had come to speak with her.

"No. I know I fucked up. Royally. But don't give up on me, Princess. Please." Again, his voice cracked at the end. His eyes shone with the vampire equivalent of tears he could no longer shed.

It spoke volumes to Bella that he was choosing to fight, that he hadn't let her walk away hurt to simmer in what had happened. He'd made a mistake, and so had she. She'd scared them, and he'd been hurt by assumptions. Maybe they came from somewhere deep she didn't know yet. But was she really giving up on him just like that?

Edward had given up at the first sight of danger. He'd been waiting to flee since James attacked her. He'd given up on their relationship; he hadn't wanted to fight for them. If she walked away from him now, she wouldn't be any better than Edward had been. And she wasn't a coward. She didn't run when she was hurt.

She'd claimed she'd grown. Wasn't speaking part of growing?

She nodded slowly to herself, and Felix took that as a sign she was not giving up on him. He grabbed her and tucked her against his chest. She clung to him, her eyes watering. Without realizing it, she started shaking with her sobs. Felix muttered another curse and carried her bridal style to his room.

She cried for a while, and he let her dampen his shirt while he felt like the lowest of scum for being the one responsible for her state.

Slowly, she started calming, her sobs less violent, and her breathing less labored. She walked into the bathroom to clean herself a little. She didn't like what she saw in the mirror, but she forced herself to look. Red cheeks, swollen lips, and eyes. Still, that hollowness that had haunted her when Edward left was nowhere in sight. And she knew it was because, despite the hurt, and the harsh words spoken in a moment of anger, they hadn't given up on each other – would never give up on each other.

He was sitting against the headboard, waiting for her. She didn't hesitate to climb back into his side and curl up to him. Just like he didn't hesitate to wrap an arm around her and settle his hand on her hip, his thumb tracing lazy patterns on the skin between her shirt and leggings.

They stayed in silence for a while. Felix was the first one to break it.

"I know I said some stupid shit yesterday. But believe me when I say I don't believe and will never believe you would cheat on me or any of us. It was stupid of me to believe you would actually have strippers." He allowed himself to chuckle humorlessly until it transformed into a real laugh. "Fuck, I'm a complete asshole. Jane loves baiting me. Since she can't fry me with her gift because we're not allowed to use our gifts against each other, she uses her words to mess with me. I usually retaliate by calling her a witch."

A tiny smile spread on Bella's face. "You kicked me out of your room." Her voice was barely a whisper, her throat sore from her crying. Felix winced at the sound.

He tightened his hold. "I kicked you out because I was losing my temper and was very close to saying something you would have never forgiven me for. I saw you were hurt – that I had hurt you, but I was so angry."

Bella sat up, wanting to look at his face. He traced a thumb over her lips and up her cheeks. "So you never believed I had cheated on you?" That had been the base of the entire discussion: that he didn't trust her.

Felix snorted. "Of course not!" He rested his brow on hers. "I might have believed that Jane was crazy enough to hire strippers, but I never thought you would do anything like that."

Bella's chest heaved in relief. "Do you trust me?"

"One hundred percent, princess. Never, ever doubt that."

She nodded. She believed him. She felt the crack in her heart repair itself. "If you ever pull a stunt like that, you won't find me so forgiving." She warned.

He nodded solemnly against her brow. "I swear I'll never give you a reason to cry over me or doubt me. I might piss you off, and say stupid shit, but I will never hurt you or make you doubt me."

She nodded again, breathing him in until the distance was too much. She found his lips, and he opened them to allow her entry. Their kiss was sweet and sour; it was an apology and forgiveness. It was sorrow and love.

"I love you, princess. So much." He murmured reverently against her lips.

She opened her eyes, and those red eyes, so lovely, so bright from a recent meal, seemed to say that love was too small a word for what he felt, but since those were the words that could best describe his feelings, he was happy to hand them to her.

"I love you, too."