»—— act four. breaking dawn, part one
☽⋅── SEVENTEEN ──everyone is safe ─⋅☾

The last few hours leading up to the attack slowly passed, and everyone took their positions.

On the second floor of the home, Rosalie and Eleanor were stationed by a window, each holding a twin. Seth was on the floor below, prepared to run up if the need arose.

Outside, the rest of the family stood, with the only shifted members of Jake's pack being Jake and Leah.

Just on the outer sidelines, Quil and Embry stood, together with Emmett and Jasper.

At the centre, stood Eve and Edward much to Carlisle's dismay. However, she firmly asserted this was the only way.

Carlisle was clearly uneasy, but he trusted Eve's judgement.

As everyone stood there, waiting in the night, it was suddenly eerily quiet.

The silence that engulfed them was almost eerie. For a while, the only sounds were the occasional creak of a branch or the gentle murmur of the river, along with the occasional hoot of an owl.

Eve's gaze was fixed on the forest in front of her, her senses finely tuned for any sign of movement. Meanwhile, Edward's attention was consumed with listening for the thoughts of Sam's pack, searching for any indication of their presence.

But still, for the moment, it remained quiet.

Eve's eyes closed instinctively as she felt her instincts kick in, and at that exact moment, Edward received a faint hint of the pack's thoughts.

"Sam and Paul are leading the way," Edward stated to the group, "Jared is accompanying the two other members, and they're approaching cautiously."

The moment the words left his mouth, there was a slight rustle in the forest as the first of Sam's pack appeared across the river.

Edward related Sam's thought process, "He's willing to spare our lives if we simply surrender the twins."

Eve met Sam's gaze, her gaze steady. The members of the pack gradually took notice of her altered state, with her eyes being the most noticeable difference given her lack of scent.

Edward turned his attention towards Paul, whose mouth was practically salivating with bloodthirsty desire.

Eve moved forward slightly, and amidst the tension, Edward gave her a look of disbelief, but she gave him a reassuring glance, silently asking him to trust her.

Carlisle was torn between following her lead or intervening. His own concerns were clear on his face, but he remained silent as he watched her.

The wolves began to growl incessantly as Eve approached, but she halted just before stepping onto the river's edge. She looked directly at each member, even acknowledging those hiding in the trees, which compelled them to slowly emerge.

With a dangerous calm in her voice, Eve stated, "My family's fate does not lie within your authority to decide." She paused, her gaze hardening, "You didn't take the time to understand, and yet you went ahead with the attack." With a deep sigh, Eve then looked towards the house, her eyes meeting Rosalie's through the window.

In the home, Rosalie was watching everything unfold. She was the only one who knew how things would turn out in their favour. In response to Eve's silent message, the blonde Cullen nodded and began descending the staircase. Downstairs, she called out to Seth who redirected his gaze towards her voice.

The moment Seth turned and focused on Celeste, an overwhelming feeling washed over him. All of his prior recollections coalesced in that very moment.

He had been dreaming of a girl for as long as he could remember, ever since he was around ten years old.

This girl in his dreams had beautiful blonde hair and deep ocean-coloured blue eyes. They would converse frequently, and he had always hoped to meet her one day. But fate had not allowed it. She was like a dear friend to him, even if only in his dreams.

The dreams always concluded in the same manner, with the arrival of a boy who was eerily similar to her except for his distinctively different eyes. While her eyes were a vibrant shade of ocean blue, his eyes had a much darker hue of brown with a hint of green in the sun. This boy would consistently signal that it was time for the girl to return home. Each time, Seth would stand there, silently watching his dear friend leave without the opportunity to bid her farewell.

However, one day, those dreams abruptly ended, and no matter how much he strained himself, he couldn't see the girl again. Time flew by, but her return remained unreachable. Yet, there she was, before him now, much younger than in his dreams, but unmistakably her.

Although it wasn't a full imprint like his natural instincts might dictate, Seth recognized this as enough, knowing deep down that he needed to keep her, and her brother, safe.

Seth then made a swift decision, leaving the house and quickly shifting into his wolf form as he dashed past the Cullens.

His thoughts were so loud that neither Leah nor Jacob attempted to stop him as he dashed past them. When he reached Eve, Seth slowed down, and his gaze shifted toward Sam and his pack.

Eve placed a gentle hand on Seth's head and addressed Sam, "The laws you follow dictate that no harm can come to those a wolf imprints on. Seth protects them both." Her words were clear, and they all knew it was true.

The other pack members began to turn away, but Sam held his position, looking at them intently for a moment. He then turned his attention to Seth, and it was undeniable that this was different from the traditional imprinting.

Sam's thoughts were filled with confusion and curiosity as he looked at Seth. This was a unique imprinting, stronger than the traditional one, yet not completely overpowering Seth's control, leaving an intriguing mystery behind.

He decided not to question the peculiarities of this imprinting, knowing the pack law was absolute. He turned and left, acknowledging that someday he would need to make a formal apology for the near attack on them.

Once the pack had left, Eve turned to face Seth, who flinched but relaxed as she petted his head. She smiled gently and said, "It's okay, Seth. I can't be angry, because you've known Celeste longer than I have as her mother... which is an odd thing to say out loud."

Carlisle slowly approached, curious about the situation, and Eve met his gaze as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders. He didn't need an explanation right then and there; he was just glad everyone was safe and the fight had been averted.

He and Eve exchanged a silent look before turning their attention to the family, who were all filtering back into the house.

Eve then turned to Seth and spoke gently, "We can talk about it another time," she said before he nodded and went to join his sister and Jake, who had their own private conversation in their wolf forms.

Eve sighed and turned to face Carlisle within his embrace, her expression softening as she spoke with a hint of excitement, "Now that it's safe, do you want to hunt together?" She reached up and brushed her fingers lightly against his face.

His eyes darkened slightly, a sign of his hunger. He chuckled softly at her words and nodded in agreement. As they turned to the nearby forest, the trees provided a cover of shade as they entered the denser foliage.

...

The morning sun rose, bringing with it a sense of peace and tranquillity. Now that the threat had passed, the pack members had returned home, and Eve had learned from Leah that they had mended their relationships with Sam and the others. Though they still remained in separate packs, there was a newfound understanding and respect among them all.

Leah began to explain how much trouble the pack members were in with their families, but she also mentioned that some members of the community, including Sue Clearwater, Quil's grandfather, and Billy, understood and accepted that things had occurred and worked out. They acknowledged the unique nature of Seth's imprinting, which was difficult to fully comprehend, yet they agreed it was a fascinating development that would require further exploration over time.

Back at the Cullen household, things had taken a significant turn. Alice, who had previously been reluctant to hold the twins, had overcome her reservations and was now lovingly embracing them. They were her siblings, after all.

However, the family was concerned about something else. The twins were growing faster than they wished, as they now appeared to be a few months old. Given that they had only existed for a few days, this rapid growth was troubling.

Within the first week, the rate of their ageing slowed down, and they appeared to be around 4 months old. The family felt somewhat relieved that the rapid growth had halted, but they knew they would have to closely monitor this situation.

During one of those days in peace, Eve entered the first floor and spotted Eleanor lying on the ground, watching over the twins as they played on their mats.

"All my babies are together," Eve jokingly remarked as Eleanor looked up from the floor and waved her hand.

Eleanor inquired, "Is Carlisle not here?"

Eve shook her head and joined Eleanor on the floor, but chose to sit instead of lying down. She replied, "He's at work. There's much he needs to catch up on at the hospital."

Eleanor then asked, "How are you going to go back to work? You look so different now, and I doubt you can always rely on foundation and contacts. Rosalie mentioned that the venom would melt them if used for too long."

Eve chuckled lightly, conceding to her daughter's observation. "You're absolutely right," she admitted. "We haven't had the chance to discuss it thoroughly yet, but I hope we can find a viable solution when the time comes."

She then sighed, expressing her frustration at not being able to work. Nevertheless, the drastic transformation she had undergone made her contemplate the profound changes in her life.

She was aware that at some point, the reality of everything would eventually sink in. Despite the current sense of normalcy, her feelings seemed to be on a timer, delayed by the whirlwind of events that preceded this moment.

As she sat, her mind began to drift and wander. With everything that had happened, her emotions were on a hold, waiting for the moment everything would hit her.

She sighed once more, a mix of acceptance and melancholy washing over her. She knew that life had drastically changed, and she would need to embrace and accept what was to come.

Eve decided to redirect her attention to her children, engaging in conversation with Eleanor about college life. She also took the opportunity to entertain the twins.

For a time, it was just the four of them, since the others had gone out to restock the house with essentials, mainly food and items for the twins.

They indulged themselves in jokes, stories and laughter, creating a peaceful and joyful atmosphere. The absence of the others in the house allowed them a chance to spend quality time together without any distractions.

As the moments passed, the connection between mother and daughter grew stronger. It was a time to bond and create lasting memories, making the most out of the peaceful and intimate setting.

Eleanor still felt a slight uneasiness about making direct eye contact with her mother, and Eve understood her daughter's hesitance. Despite their shared conversations, there was an unspoken understanding that allowed them to communicate without Eleanor having to meet her gaze. The redness of her eyes, however, would linger for a while longer, but eventually, the golden hue would take its place, and Eleanor would no longer be troubled by them.

But despite the subtle distance that the eyes brought, the mother-daughter bond remained strong, built on love, trust, and mutual understanding. The connection they shared was unbreakable, even in the face of the changes they had both endured.