I don't own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.
Cheryl, Noles, and Gabby, thank you for pre-reading, and April, thank you for editing. Any mistakes left are my own.
Ch.5
EPOV
"You have the house on the street that everyone thinks is haunted on Halloween. It looks even more creepy on the outside," Kitten commented as I drove up the driveway.
I chuckled. "Well, a vampire, and now a witch, live here, so they wouldn't be wrong."
She tilted her head to the side as she bit her lip, looking at the house.
"I know I said you could decorate the house, but keep in mind, any major outward changes would bring unwanted attention from the humans." I suspected she was up to something.
She frowned slightly, looking disappointed. Which in turn made me feel guilty for disappointing her, once again. She already had to give up the cat she found. Its owner had been looking for it a few streets over and Isabella used her magic to return it to them. It wouldn't be practical for us to have a living animal anyways.
"Though I suppose, a few changes gradually over time would go unnoticed," I suggested.
She softly smiled, and after a moment the facade of the mansion looked a few shades lighter and cleaner. A few pots of brightly covered mums and a pumpkin appeared near the front door.
I drove into the garage and parked then quickly moved to Kitten's side to open her door. She stepped out and raised an eyebrow.
"Why do you have so many cars?" she asked.
"A bit of a passion of mine. I have more money than I know what to do with, so why not splurge? I can get you any car you wish, you can't always magic yourself around," I offered.
"No need," she said, and then the ugliest truck I'd ever seen appeared in an empty spot.
"What is that monstrosity?" I asked in disgust.
"My truck." She shrugged.
"It's so old, does it even run?" I snorted.
"Well, you're older and you still run," she teased.
I gave her a sharp look. "Very funny."
"I thought so." She laughed.
Kitten's eyes were filled with humor. She was smiling, looking really happy and relaxed for the first time. I wished her happiness would never change. She was gorgeous, and it took everything in me not to pull her into my arms and kiss her. But the looming conversation would probably dampen the mood once again.
"I'll deal with you later. Right now, we have people waiting for us." I grabbed her hand and led her to the elevator.
As the doors closed her smile dropped slightly. I raised her wrist to my lips and kissed it. "It will be fine."
"I know you've said they're your family. But the people I already considered to be family turned on me. Plus, my own father kept a very large secret from me. And you…so forgive me that I have problems trusting anyone. Especially since I have a pack wanting to kill me."
"I only sent you away to keep you safe. I now know you're safer with me. I won't let anything or anyone ever touch you," I reassured her, then kissed her forehead. Her heart fluttered and a warm pulse emitted around our hands.
Hopefully, this meeting would end fast, so we could get to know each other better. I picked up a voice of someone who I didn't expect to be here. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to prepare Isabella for what I'd put off telling her.
We stepped through the doorway to the dining room that we used as a meeting room. Esme, the matriarch of our family, came rushing up and pulled Isabella into a one armed hug.
"Oh, my dear, you're all grown up and look beautiful, just like your mother." Esme pulled back when Isabella didn't hug her back right away. "I'm sorry. I got carried away, you probably don't even remember me."
Isabella hesitated and her eyes flickered over Esme's missing arm. "I called you May. You baked cookies with me. Ginger snaps?"
I was pretty sure that Isabella had read the memory from Esme's mind, since she was thinking about it at the time. But I didn't say anything, considering it made Esme happy.
Alice stepped forward, looking irritated that she still couldn't see Isabella in her visions.
"Dolls and tea parties, right?" Isabella asked softly.
"Right. But I'm more curious to know why my visions are wrong when I look for you." Alice narrowed her eyes.
Isabella leaned into me, and I growled in warning to Alice. Jasper's defenses went up, and he pulled his mate back to his side.
"I meant no offense to you personally. I'm hyperaware when magic, or as you call them powers, are used against me. So, it was a defensive mechanism at the time to protect myself. After recent events, I've learned to be very leery of who I can trust," Isabella explained.
"Your powers seem to have grown stronger than expected. You would be right to be cautious of who to trust. Our worst enemies were friends, who can often betray us," Carlisle spoke up cryptically.
"I've learned that the hard way," Isabella stated.
"So have we," Carlisle said coldly, and his eyes darkened.
Isabella took a half step back. Esme glanced at her mate and reached out to touch his arm. "Carlisle, don't scare her. She's done nothing wrong."
He gazed down at her tenderly. Flashes of the night that Esme lost her arm filled his mind. Isabella gasped and looked shocked.
"You can read minds too, I take it. For one who doesn't want powers used on them, you seem to have no qualms about using it on others," Jasper criticized Isabella.
"I—" Kitten turned bright red.
"Careful, Jasper, she might send Big Foot after you again. Or Edward, himself, if you don't start being nicer." Emmett chuckled, coming to her defense.
"She's not blocking me anymore. Don't be hard on her, I don't blame her for being cautious after what she's been through," Alice said to Jasper.
"You can see the past too?" Isabella questioned.
"No. Now that you're not blocking me, I can see tonight's conversation clearly. I also can tell we are going to be great friends." Alice gave Isabella a warm smile, and she returned it. "Jasper is overprotective, not much different than Edward. Jasper's not always this way."
"Speaking of the meeting, can we start already? I have things to do," Rosalie spoke up.
"I agree with Rosalie, let's get this over with." I nodded, gesturing to the table.
I went to one head and pulled out the chair to my right for Isabella before taking my seat. Emmett sat to my left while Carlisle took the opposite end. Thankfully, Alice sat on Isabella's other side.
"Chief Black called me; he got my number off of Charlie's cell phone. The tribe is calling Bella a mass murderer." Carlisle shifted his eyes to Bella.
"There was no mass. Only one mutt, who couldn't keep his hands off what was mine," I growled. Isabella looked at me with one eyebrow raised. "Kitten, why don't you explain to them what happened."
Everyone remained quiet as Isabella explained everything that had happened. Everyone had been fairly sympathetic, except for, surprisingly, Rosalie. I figured of anyone, given her past, she'd be more understanding.
"Let me get this straight, you want us to fight a bunch of mutts for a girl, who wasn't even faithful to you?" Rosalie said crossly.
The crystal candlestick closest to her shattered. It startled everyone, but Alice, Isabella, and myself.
Isabella glared at Rosalie. "I haven't intentionally disrespected my mate. When my magic was taken from me, so were my memories of Edward. I would think you would—"
"I'd what?" Rosalie hissed, angry that she thought Isabella was going to mention her own abusive past.
Isabella paused for only a moment. "You wouldn't woman shame, especially when I explained I didn't encourage Jacob. Do you also hold your own mate or mine accountable for their transgressions; when they should've known they had mates out in the world somewhere? Or only women?"
Rosalie glared at my mate, furious that she had spoken up against her. Rosalie also wasn't willing to admit she was wrong.
"I have to agree with Bella. She didn't do anything wrong. If anyone did, it was Jacob; and I would also say her father for keeping the fact she was a witch and had a mate a secret for so long," Alice defended my Kitten.
"I also agree. And the family will do everything we can to protect you. I made a promise to your mother, and I plan on keeping it," Esme announced while Carlisle hmphed beside her.
Emmett pounded his fist into his hand. "So, we're going to have a fight with the wolves. Sweet, it has been getting boring around here."
"Perhaps not. I've told them Edward was in Volterra. Hopefully, we can kill two birds with one stone, and they'll take each other out." Carlisle chuckled darkly.
"I don't understand," Isabella said.
"The Volturi are one our rival families, and Casius, one their bosses, detests wolves even more than our family. If the wolves go there to find you it will lead to a fight," I explained to her, then turned to Carlisle. "It's diabolical. I like it."
"If they go. Aren't they more homebodies? What do you see darlin'?" Jasper asked his wife.
"I can't see them." Alice frowned, looking at Isabella.
"I'm not blocking you." Isabella closed her eyes for a moment. "I can see them and they're still in La Push. Occasionally at my father's house, they've noticed my truck gone."
"Good, it's settled. They may not go as far as Italy; but we'll stay away from the Pacific Northwest Coast, they will eventually die out. In the meantime, Isabella will keep an eye out for any changes," I decided. I felt a zap to my side as I called her by her given name. I glanced at her, and she acted as if nothing happened.
A mixture of emotions filtered through the family. A few, like Emmett and Jasper, always enjoyed a good fight. Esme and Alice were willing if it meant protecting the family. Rosalie was dead set against it. Carlisle feared for Esme getting hurt again so he too was against a fight. At one time, I also would've been for it, but protecting my mate came first. I already had the feeling she would be a fighter and not stay back.
A/N: And now you have met the rest of the Cullens. What do you think? Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me.