Chapter One — 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐓𝐨 𝐋𝐚 𝐏𝐮𝐬𝐡

Althea feels awkward, naked in the bed, waiting for Lape. 

She debates whether she should start getting dressed, but she doesn't want Lape to think that she's trying to duck out, trying to leave.

The bathroom door opens and walks out. 

Althea can't stop staring.

Lape snags his boxers, pulls them on while looking at Althea.

"How long are you in town for?" Lape asked.

"Don't know yet," Althea replies.

Lape waits for her to say more, say something, but the silence stretches out. 

"No one knows I'm here yet.  No one but you." Althea said, sternly.

Lape gives a little nod as he is sitting on the bed, now, almost within touching distance. 

"I won't tell anyone, Althea." He said.

"Good, I plan to attend Bella's wedding then leave." Althea said.

"Charlie's daughter, right?" He asked.

"Yup." She answered.

"Who gets married right after graduating High school?" He asked.

"Some people do." She replies.

"She's totally pregnant." He said.

"Bella would never." She said.

—                                    —                                           —

The trip to Forks was so quiet that I could hear each tiny rattle in the car's engine.

The trees passed by in a blur of evergreen, and the mist clouded the windshield without a single drop of rain falling.

I finally pull up to my uncle Charlie's house and sit in the car looking at the house in dread.

Giving another sigh I finally turn off the car and get out.

I trudge up the drive as unenthusiastically as possible.

Finally making it to the door, it opens just as I finish knocking.

I'm met with Charlie, who as soon as he recognizes its me, starts to smile.

"Althea! It's so good to see you. I'm so glad you're here." Charlie said.

"Bella! Althea is here!" Charlie exclaimed as he let's me in the house and awkwardly gives me a hug.

"I missed you uncle Charlie." I said.

"I missed you too, Thea." Charlie said.

We walk into the living room where Bella is sitting on the couch with some guy and a couple another people.

"Althea, this is Edward and his family, they wanted to meet you." Charlie said.

Bella stands up and faces me.

"Hi, Althea, this is Edward, my fiancé and this his parents, Carlisle and Esme, his brothers, Jasper and Emmett and his sisters, Rosalie and Alice." Bella said, introducing and pointing me to each person.

"It's so nice to meet you, Althea, Bella has told us so many wonderful things about you and how close you two used to be." Esme said, quickly standing up to hug me but I take a step back and almost move behind Charlie.

"Althea, does not do well with others so please refrain from hugging or touching her." Charlie said.

"I'm going upstairs." I said.

"No, wait, Althea please join us for dinner." Bella said.

"No, thank you. I'm full and I really don't want to be around you all." I said.

"Ladies and gentlemen, my lovely niece, Althea." Charlie said as I walk up the stairs.

—                                    —                                           —

"What do you want?" I asked, opening the door to Bella's because Bella called out my name.

"Can we talk?" Bella asked.

The room goes silent again and I inwardly sigh. I don't even want to talk to her, the least she could do is start a conversation if she's going to ask me to come in here.

"So, Bella." I said.

"Yes?" Bella asked.

"Do mind telling me how or why in hell you are planning to marry a vampire tomorrow afternoon." I spoke angrily but still cautious that no one overheard.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Bella said in a low voice.

"Isabella, I know you better than you know yourself. I know when you're lying to me." I said.

"What are you talking about?" Bella asked in a panicked voice.

"You can trust me you know. I would never betray the same way you'd never betray me, right? Are you being held against your will? I mean no one in their right mind would let themselves get involved with Vampires, so what is it?" I replied.

"Okay, Edward is a ...a....a vampire." Bella said in the soft, warm voice. "But you cannot tell anyone, it's dangerous for humans to know about Vampires." She added.

There was a moment of silence until I spoke up.

"You let vampires around your human father, Bella. Are you stupid?" I asked.

"What? They would never harm Charlie, Althea, I know them, I trust them and soon I'll be one of them." Bella answered.

"You're so selfish, do you know what losing you will do to Charlie?" I asked.

"And that's why I invited you to my wedding. I need you to stay and take care of Charlie for me, Althea, I need to know he'll be alright after the wedding and my change." Bella answered.

"I could slap you, you know that right." I said.

"I know but Althea, how do you know about Vampires?" Bella asked.

"I'm definitely going to slap you." I answered.

"Althea." Bella said, holding up her arms to block her face from me as I rolled my eyes.

"Bella, Charlie isn't gonna let it go so easily. He would never quit looking for you if you disappeared without a trace. It'll ruin him." I said.

"Then you'll just have to be there for him when that happens," Bella reassured me. "It's gonna happen no matter what. I won't be able to tell him that I'm a vampire, it's too dangerous. We'll come up with something when the time comes." Bella said.

"We? I'm not getting involved with your bullshit fantasy, Bella, you will deal with Charlie and I'll be long gone." I said.

"Althea, please." Bella begged.

"No, I do not agree with your decision to become a vampire and I sure as hell do not agree with what this will do to Charlie." I said as I got up from her bed and headed for the door.

"Althea, please, understand this from my point of view." Bella said.

"That's the thing, Bella, I do understand because I've been where you are." I said as I opened her bedroom door and walked out.

"Althea." Bella called out after me.

—                                    —                                           —

The next morning I spend it lounging around, not really wanting to do anything.

It isn't until twelve thirty when Charlie reminds me I have to go with Bella to Edward and his family's house for my dress fitting, that I finally make a loud over exaggerated groan and start getting ready.

Bella is downstairs waiting for me as I slowly come out of my room and down the stairs.

"Ready?" Bella asked.

"I still don't understand why I have to be your maid of honor." I answered.

"It was Alice's idea." Bella said.

"Aren't you the bride?" I asked as we walked out of the house.

"I'm letting Alice plan the wedding so it's her way of making sure everything goes perfect." She answered.

"I have never heard of a bride letting someone else plan her wedding. Gosh, you're such a pushover." I said as we got in her truck.

"No, I'm not." She said.

"Sure." I said.

Bella pulls out of the driveway and we head for the Cullens' residence.

The truck finally makes it outside the house, neither of us making a sound.

"Can you please just do as I ask Thea?" Bella asked.

"I'm not listening to you, Bella." I answered.

Bella gives a sigh, "Please?" She asked.

"Bella, I will strangle you." I replied.

The door opens and Edward walks out and glares at me.

"Fuck off!" I said as I glare back at him.

We walk into the house and Edward starts to lead them into the living room.

"I'm so glad you're here, Althea, I have the perfect dress for you." Alice squealed as she goes to grab my hand.

"Do not touch me. You cannot touch someone without their permission. Where are your manners?" I asked.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Alice replies.

"Althea." Bella said.

"Look here, Bella, I'm only doing this for Charlie but if you think I'm going to be nice to Vampires, you are more stupid than I thought." I said.

"She knows." Edward said.

"I know since the moment I saw you and your family." I said.

Rosalie scoffs and scowls, "Great another one. Just what we need." She said.

I rolled my eyes.

"Another one? I have no desire to be here or join your coven." I said.

"So, you know everything about us?" Edward asked.

"Yes, and I would love for you all to know I absolutely hate your kind." I answered the I looked at Alice. "Now, Alice since you are the one of the seer ability then you can see me in the dress so there's no point of me being here so, I'll be heading to La Push." I said as I grab Bella's keys and head out the door.

"Althea!" Bella called out.

—                                    —                                           —

"And that's what happened so far." Embry said.

"So, let me get this straight, not only is Bella marrying a vampire but Jacob is also in love with her and now he has ran away because he can't handle her being with Edward." I said as I sat down at Sam and Emily's and Embry filled me in on what has been happening around since I left.

"Hopefully, Billy won't be mad that we told you about everything but since you're on the council, it's only right you be informed on everything." Sam said.

"Relax, Sam, Billy will just have to deal with it. It is my right to know as an elder of the council." I said.

"Are you going to Bella's wedding?" Seth asked.

"I have to since I'm her goddamn maid of honor." I answered.

"Really?" Jared asked.

"Trust me, I didn't want to but the pixie chick got to Charlie and he would not let me say no." I replied.

"Sucks to be you." Paul said.

"Trust me, I know. I can't stand their smell." I said.

"Wait, Althea, you can smell them?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, they smell like corpse drenched in expensive perfume. Just horrible." I answered.

"Sam." Emily said.

Everyone was now looking at me.

"What?" I asked.

"Althea, I think you're going to phase." Quil answered.

"Well, it's too late to think when I already have." I said.

"When did this happen?" Embry asked.

"A few years back, like Bella I was in a relationship with a Vampire, Roman, but I did not know he was one until he asked me to marry him. Of course, I immediately said no but for some reason he wouldn't leave me alone. He would always appear everywhere I was then I noticed what I thought what was a fever was just me being to phase and the more he appeared the more I got angry." I answered.

I folded my arms over my chest as I continued to tell my story.

"Then one day, he said he wanted to change me so I could be with him forever but I still didn't understand what he meant until I remembered the bonfires and the legends about our people then I phased as he said I would be his forever. I killed him and I sat next to his body for two days before I burned the house down." I said.

"Althea, I'm sorry you went through that." Embry said.

"But why didn't you return when you found out you could  shift into a wolf?" Sam asked.

"Because that's not the only thing that happened to me." I answered.

"What do you mean?" Paul asked.

"After I killed Roman, his coven came after me and they caught up to me and I don't know one minute I'm planning on phasing then the next minute I'm underground." I replied.

"What do you mean underground like you sunk into the ground?" Emily asked.

"Yes, then I quickly rise up out of the ground and they said my eyes were glowing this green color and I was so confused but it scared them and they ran but a few days later I quickly caught up to them and killed them all. I couldn't afford having them alive and planning to take me out." I answered.

"Maybe there's something old Quil might know what's happening to you." Jared said.

"Oh, I know why I'm like this." I said.

"Then tell us." Leah said.

"A tribe made up of only women that I found on my journey to figure what was going on with me, told me that I'm a skinwalker." I said.

"What's a skinwalker?" Paul asked.

"Skinwalkers are powerful shapeshifters, and apparently only women have the ability to be skinwalkers." I answered as I looked at Leah.

"Does that mean?" Leah asked.

"Yes." I answered.