chapter┊ ✦. :: thirty three
♡ ﹙danger﹚ ❋ ˚ ݂ ꛒ

Carlisle and Lydia had agreed to leave the Cullen house for a while to seek their own start as a family. They weren't going to abandon the clan, but they wanted to spend some time alone. However, all their plans were shattered after what happened at the wedding.

Edward was shattered, and Carlisle was worried about what he might do. He didn't even have to ask, as Lydia was the one who told him that it would be best to stay and wait for things to calm down. But the days went by, and there was no sign that Edward would recover or that things would improve soon.

He was truly depressed, not even going hunting with his brothers; he simply stayed locked in his room all day. And he wasn't the only one affected; Alice was also deeply affected by everything that had happened, and not even Jasper could make her feel better. Never in her immortal life had she been betrayed in such a way.

She felt horrible. Painful.

And on the other hand, they knew nothing about Bella. Lydia ran into Charlie a couple of times, but Chief Swan mentioned that Bella had left a note and gone who knows where. Obviously, he was worried, mainly because she was pregnant, but there wasn't much he could do if she didn't want to be found.

Charlie didn't stop apologizing to the Cullen family for what his daughter had done. He also felt somewhat guilty, but in the end, nothing had been his fault, but Bella's.

Also, Lydia went to the reservation a couple of times; Seth really enjoyed spending time with Maven, and in general, the whole pack did, and she went with them at least once a week. She had asked about Jacob, but according to Sam, the guy was also devastated and spent his time locked in his room just like Edward. He wasn't eating either, and he wasn't spending time with the pack. No one knew what to do.

She didn't blame them. With the Cullens, it was exactly the same situation, and they didn't know what to do either.

A couple more months passed. Maven grew every day, being a healthy and strong boy. He was only six months old, but thanks to Emmett, he had learned to crawl and spent his time roaming around the house... of course, always under someone's supervision.

Everyone was in the house. Since they could eat normally, Esme and Rosalie spent time together in the kitchen trying out new recipes for everyone in the house. They could already smell the vegetarian lasagna that Rosalie had wanted to make all week.

Emmett and Maven were in the living room; they had removed the beautiful coffee table to have more space, and both were playing. Lydia and Carlisle were sitting on the sofa talking while watching Emmett and Maven laugh.

On the other hand, Alice and Jasper were setting the table for dinner together. It was something they could now enjoy doing as a family. Of course, they still needed to go hunting, but having dinner together as a family was something they had all wished for a long time.

However, at one point, Alice stopped her movements with a very worried expression. Jasper approached her with concern to try to reassure her, leaving the dishes aside.

"It's Bella," she said without blinking, looking into the distance. "She went to the Volturi and told them about Lydia and Maven. About her angel blood. Aro wants them both."

Everyone fell silent, looking at Lydia and Carlisle simultaneously.

"We won't allow it," Edward suddenly appeared. "No one will touch Lydia or my nephew. Not even Bella, and certainly not the Volturi."

Carlisle nodded in gratitude.

"We should assume they won't come alone. Angel blood was a myth, but Aro is insane, and who knows what he'll do now."

"For our fortune, Bella had no idea what happens when someone consumes her blood."

"I think it's a double-edged sword, not knowing... she might want to make her suffer to find out. And if she knew... she'd probably move mountains with her own hands to get it," Jasper commented.

"I guess we need to gather our own army," Emmett spoke casually as he tossed Maven into the air and caught him before he hit the ground.

"Can't we just run and hide?" Lydia said softly. The last thing she wanted was to be the center of a new fight. And to be honest, she was terrified.

Carlisle approached to hug her.

"Sooner or later, they'll find us. It's better to confront them now and end this once and for all. I won't let anyone hurt my family."

She nodded.

"I know some people who might help us," Evander began. "Surely the Denali will say yes, but they're not enough."

"Rose and I also have some acquaintances who owe us some favors," Emmett spoke from the floor.

"Jasper and I also know some people."

"Thank you," Carlisle spoke sincerely. "I also have some acquaintances who might help us."

"The wolves," Lydia said softly. "Maybe if I ask them... they'll agree." She didn't want to put more people at risk, but she would do everything in her power to protect her son.

"It's very likely that Sam will agree," Edward spoke. "They really have that uncontrollable need to protect you, and now Maven too. I saw it. They'll do anything."

"It will be like with Victoria; they'll be our secret weapon. They won't expect it," Jasper spoke again.

"But unlike what happened with Victoria... the Volturi have more experience on the battlefield, and not only that, they also have abilities that make them a thousand times more powerful."

"Alice, do you know how much time we have?"

"Not yet, but I'll try to see more."

"Don't pressure yourself. At least now we know they're coming, and that's better than being caught off guard."

"There's something I don't understand," this time it was Lydia who spoke, drawing everyone's attention.

"What is it?"

"Why would Bella do this? What would she gain by going to Aro? Also, wasn't she pregnant?"

"It's hard to understand what goes through her head," Alice said. "We've come to the conclusion that Bella only wanted Edward for immortality and counted on Jacob leaving her alone when she got married. But when she ruined the wedding, she ruined all her plans."

"But..." Lydia furrowed her brow. "I thought she really loved Edward. I'm sorry, that sounded horrible."

Edward shook his head.

"I thought so too. But I guess the time I was gone created a strong bond with Jacob... and in the end, she was only looking for one thing from me, but she really loved Jacob. I've thought a lot about it."

Lydia approached Edward and placed a hand on his back.

"Don't torment yourself with that, Edward. You did nothing wrong; you gave her everything you could, and she was seeking her own benefit."

Edward smiled just a bit.

"Thank you, Lydia. And don't worry, I won't let anyone hurt them." He had never heard such sincerity in someone's words before.

"Thank you all," she murmured on the verge of tears. "Truly."

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