Chapter Fifteen —— 𝐋𝐌𝐌

Even if you cannot change all the people around you, you can change the people you choose to be around. Life is too short to waste your time on people who don't respect, appreciate, and value you. Spend your life with people who make you smile, laugh, and feel loved.
——Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

"Alistair is gone," Edward murmured as I walked up to him.

I rolled my eyes.

"Of course, he's gone." I said as I placed a hand over my small bump.

Inside the front room, the main confrontation was physically apparent. Lining the walls was a ring of spectators, every vampire who had joined us, except for Alistair and the three involved in the quarrel.

Esme, Kebi, and Tia were the closest to the three vampires in the center; in the middle of the room, Amun was hissing at Carlisle and Benjamin.

Edward's jaw tightened and he moved quickly to Esme's side.

"Amun, if you want to go, no one is forcing you to stay," Carlisle said calmly.

"You're stealing half my coven, Carlisle!" Amun shrieked, stabbing one finger at Benjamin. "Is that why you called me here? To steal from me?" He asked.

"Dramatic." I said.

Carlisle sighed, and Benjamin rolled his eyes.

"Yes, Carlisle picked a fight with the Volturi, endangered his whole family, just to lure me here to my death," Benjamin said sarcastically. "Be reasonable, Amun. I'm committed to do the right thing here—I'm not joining any other coven. You can do whatever you want, of course, as Carlisle has pointed out." He continued.

"This won't end well," Amun growled. "Alistair was the only sane one here. We should all be running." He said.

"Think of who you're calling sane," Tia murmured in a quiet aside.

"We're all going to be slaughtered!" Amun exclaimed.

"It's not going to come to a fight," Carlisle said in a firm voice.

"You say!" Amun exclaimed.

"If it does, you can always switch sides, Amun. I'm sure the Volturi will appreciate your help." Carlisle said.

Amun sneered at him. "Perhaps that is the answer." He said.

Carlisle's answer was soft and sincere. "I wouldn't hold that against you, Amun. We have been friends for a long time, but I would never ask you to die for me." He said.

Amun's voice was more controlled, too. "But you're taking my Benjamin down with you." He said.

Carlisle put his hand on Amun's shoulder; Amun shook it off.

"I'll stay, Carlisle, but it might be to your detriment. I will join them if that's the road to survival. You're all fools to think that you can defy the Volturi." He scowled, then sighed, glanced at Edward, and added in an exasperated tone, "I will witness that the child has grown. That's nothing but the truth. Anyone would see that." He said.

"That's all we've ever asked." Carlisle said.

Amun grimaced, "But not all that you are getting, it seems." He turned on Benjamin. "I gave you life. You're wasting it." He added.

Benjamin's face looked colder than I'd ever seen it; the expression contrasted oddly with his boyish features.

"It's a pity you couldn't replace my will with your own in the process; perhaps then you would have been satisfied with me." Benjamin said.

Amun's eyes narrowed. He gestured abruptly to Kebi, and they stalked past us out the front door.

"He's not leaving," Edward said quietly to me, "but he'll be keeping his distance even more from now on. He wasn't bluffing when he spoke of joining the Volturi." He said.

"And I'll kill him if he does." I said.

Edward stared at me.

"When can I see Bella and Renesmee again?" He asked me.

I sighed.

I totally wanted to tell him that his wife may be in love with another man and definitely playing house with him but I knew that would cause Edward to go crazy so I decided to lie to him.

"I don't know; Bella is the one to make that call." I answered, walking away.

Rosalie walked up to me and grabbed my arm.

"It's not fair you're keeping Renesmee away from us. We're her family too." Rosalie said.

I looked down at her hand clenching my arm and growled.

"You stupid bitch!" I growled as I pushed her away from me with my hand.

"Althea! No!" Edward yelled as he grabbed me and pulled me away before Rosalie could attack me.

"Let me go, so I can kick her ass." I told Edward.

"Calm down, Althea, you're pregnant." Edward said.

I sighed and glared at Rosalie.

Emmett grabbed Rosalie.

"After I have this baby, blondie, I'm beating your ass if the Volturi doesn't kill you." I said with a grin.

"She's so evil." Rosalie said.

Edward let me go but still had a hand on my small bump.

I cleared my throat.

"Are you insane or do you have a death wish?" I asked him.

"I'm sorry; you're just so warm and the baby's thoughts are so beautiful." Edward answered.

I scrunched my face, confused.

"You can hear my baby's thoughts already." I said.

Edward smiled like a real smile.

"Stop smiling; you're freaking me out." I said.

"You're lucky to have such a protective and smart son; he's in there saying he'll attack Rosalie once he's out of your womb." Edward said with a chuckle.

I laughed.

"It's a boy!" I exclaimed.

"I think so." Edward said.

—🦋—

"Edward said I'm having a boy." I told Embry.

"Really?" Embry asked as he placed his hands on my bump.

"Yes, and he can hear his thoughts," I answered. "And he wants to beat up, Rosalie once he's out." I added.

Embry chuckled.

"That's my boy." Embry said.

I placed my hands on top of his hands.

"Now that we know what we are having; do you want to pick a name?" I asked him.

Embry nodded.

"Yeah, our son needs a cool name." Embry replied.

"Like what?" I asked.

"Enzo!" Embry exclaimed.

I patted my stomach.

"Enzo, I like it." I said.

"Good because that's the only name I came up with." Embry said.

I chuckled.

"So, do you think Lape and Bella are together?" Embry asked.

I sighed heavily.

"I have a feeling that they have something going on but I don't want to say it out loud." I explained.

"Well, I think they do. I mean I thought Bella was in love with Edward but when I see her with Lape, they look like they have been together for years. They do this weird thing where they move as one." Embry said.

"I don't think Bella really loves Edward; she loves what he represented. You know Bella had a hard childhood so I think with Edward she found an outlet from her childhood but with Lape, he's everything she needs and deserves." I said, sighing.

Embry nodded.

"I get what you're saying. I can definitely see that's why Bella has done things the way she has." Embry said.

"I just hope she end things with Edward before things gets worse for us." I said.

"Maybe, she should do it after we face the Volturi." Embry said.

"Honestly, I just hope she does the right thing for her and Renesmee." I said.

—🦋—

"This is the quietest I have ever seen Leah." Jacob said.

The boys looked over to Leah who hummed happily and danced a little in her seat as she munched on her syrup -covered, fruit salad.

"Leave her alone. The baby has been kicking her ass lately and this is one of her calmest moments." Quil said.

The pack with the skin walker tribe, Lape, Bella and Renesmee had went to the beach as this would be one of the last days together before the confrontation with the Volturi. The pack wanted to spend as much time together.

"Is it me or is Bella and Lape have serious romantic vibes going on?" Paul asked as he watched Lape teach Renesmee to swim with Bella beside him.

"They kissed the other day; well, Bella kissed Lape." Leah said as she smiled widely.

"And you didn't tell me!" Quil exclaimed.

Leah chuckled.

"I had a million things going on yesterday, Quil." Leah said.

"So, what happens with Edward?" Embry asked.

"It's a win for me; I was fighting so long for Bella to stay human and she will now. Lape is way better than Edward even and Charlie actually likes him." Jacob answered.

"Maybe, Edward will sacrifice himself to the Volturi." Quil said.

"Let's hope so or else he may fight Lape to the death for Bella and I'm hundred percent sure that Lape is twice as stronger and powerful than Edward." Leah said.

Jacob sighed.

"I don't think Edward will fight Lape for Bella. Now, I want you guys to take what I'm about to say with a grain of salt... I think Edward likes someone else." Jacob said.

"Who?" Paul asked.

"I noticed at the Cullens' that Edward likes to stand next to someone whenever she comes around." Jacob replied.

Embry was starting to shake.

"You better not be talking about Althea." Embry said with a growl.

"Hey, I'm just saying; he always finds a way to touch her even touching her belly and smiling. It's completely different from when Bella was pregnant and he looked sick all the time." Jacob said.

"That's it, I'm going to kill him. Just because Lape stole his woman does not mean he can steal mine." Embry said.

Leah sucked her teeth.

"Does Althea even know she's your woman?" Leah asked.

Embry opened his mouth to say something but shut it.

Leah rolled her eyes.

"That's what I thought." Leah said.

"She's having his baby; she's totally yours." Quil said.

"She's just a babymama." Paul said.

"Anyway, don't worry Embry there is no way Edward could snatch Althea away from you." Jacob said.

"I don't Althea and Edward would definitely be a power couple." Leah said.

Embry groaned.

"Lee-Lee, stop it." Quil said.

Leah chuckled.

"No, I love it. I'm going to tell Althea all about this conversation and she's going to kick Jacob's ass for even suggesting that Edward wants her." Leah said.

Jacob froze.

"He's so dead." Paul said, smirking.