ʟᴏᴠᴇ ʟᴇᴛᴛᴇʀs | Twilight

𝐱𝐱𝐱𝐯.

| ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜɪʀᴛʏ ꜰɪᴠᴇ |

"I can't believe Rosalie and Alice managed to convince you to wear a dress," Hazel's mother signed, trying to keep from laughing. "You absolutely hate dresses, I thought?"

"I do," Hazel replied with a sigh. "They're very convincing, though. They make good arguments."

"Sure." Hazel's mother grinned knowingly. "You look very pretty in dresses, though, Hazel. It's nice to see you in them, even if you don't like the idea."

"What are we talking about?" Anthony emerged from the kitchen, looking between his mother and sister. He stood on an angle, the better eye closer to the pair than his injured one.

"Me in a dress," Hazel replied. "I've been told to wear one for the party at the Cullen's house."

"Your sister is going to look very nice, isn't she?" Their mother signed, smiling at her son. Anthony nodded with a wide grin. "See?" Hazel rolled her eyes.

"I'm going to my room," Hazel told the pair before getting up from the seat at the table she sat in.

She made her way up the spiral staircase, her fingers lightly gliding over the railing. The familiar smell of her vanilla incense greeted her when she entered her room, and she looked over to where she'd put the stick. Hazel frowned when she noticed it was only half-burnt. She'd began burning it before she'd left to go study with Minnie, and knew it wouldn't have been burnt by the time she came back, which was half an hour ago. She sighed, sitting down on her bed as she gazed at the incense. She knew what she had to do if she wanted answers because it didn't sit right with her. Hazel bit her lip and closed her eyes.

Do you know what happened?

It was one of them.

One of who?

Those foul creatures. The cold beings who walk this earth, defying death and laws of man.

A vampire?

With red eyes and pale skin. It was in here. It's no longer safe.

It took something.

Leave. You need to leave.

Hazel grimaced as the voices began to overlap. Goosebumps raised on her arms as a vision came into her head. It was a pair of blood-red eyes, then she saw a face. It was a boy with brown hair pale skin. He seemed to stare directly at Hazel. She scrunched up her face, a nauseating feeling washing over her. She forced her eyes open, blinking as she tried to rid the feeling and voices.

The first thing she did was pull out her phone, shaking fingers finding Alice's contact and quickly pressing out her message.

"Anthony!" She yelled as she did so, standing from her bed and heading out of her room. She heard him 'yes?" in response. "Tell Mum I'm going out, please. Tell her it's a minor emergency."

"Okay!" He called back. There were a few moments of silence and she heard him yell once more. "Mum says you can also stay over there if you need."

"Thanks!" Hazel shouted.

She hastily packed a spare pair of clothes into an old backpack and rushed out of her room after hearing his words, skipping several steps as she descended the stairs. She sent her brother a quick wave as she passed before rushing out of the door.

✰

"Who was it?" Carlisle queried Edward, who'd arrived just then with Bella. Hazel stood behind Alice, who sat on the couch, comforting the other human, keeping her hands near the petite vampire. "Someone we know?" She heard the door close, signalling Jasper and Emmett were back, and stepped to the side of the couch.

"A stranger," Edward replied, his eyebrows furrowed. "I didn't recognise his scent."

"A nomad passing through?" Esme questioned. She held a look of concern of her features.

"A passerby wouldn't have left Bella's father or Hazel's mother alive," Rosalie responded, looking up to an anxious Hazel.

"The scent disappeared about five miles south of Bella's house," Jasper told the family as he and Emmett joined them. Hazel looked over at him, her fears not ceasing despite his words.

"Someone's orchestrating this," Carlisle spoke.

"Victoria?" Bella suggested.

Hazel averted her gaze to the floor as the face the spirits in her home had seen popped into her mind. She wasn't sure how to bring it up into the conversation. Nervously, she began to fiddle with her thumbs until Jasper stepped closer to her, placing his hand on top of hers. She looked up, startled, but relaxed as Jasper offered her a reassuring smile.

"I would have seen her decide," Alice informed Bella with a shake of her head.

"Has to be the Volturi," Edward said.

"I don't think it's the Volturi, either," Alice shot back. "I've been watching Aro's decisions, too."

"So we keep looking," Emmett spoke up form where he stood beside Rosalie.

"We'll also take shifts guarding the girls at their homes," Carlisle told the group.

"Another protection detail," Rosalie spoke up, clearly annoyed.

"Rosalie."

"No, she's right," Hazel spoke for the first time.

"Yeah," Bella nodded. "You can't protect us, watch our parents, and search for the intruder."

"And for Victoria," Rosalie added.

"And keep yourselves fed."

"I'm not leaving you here defenseless," Edward told Bella.

"Well, I'm not going to let you starve," Bella shot back. "And we wouldn't be unprotected," Bella looked up at Hazel. "We... we have--"

"What?" Edward queried.

"The wolves," Hazel spoke up. "The pack would protect us, too."

"Yeah," Bella nodded.

"You want to trust those mutts?" Rosalie growled.

"I know you may not like them, but trust me. I've known them for a long time, and if I ask, I'm sure they'll agree to it," Hazel replied, sending a pleading look to the blonde.

"It will be a big help," Carlisle agreed.

"Edward," the boy turned Hazel's way, "you and Jacob aren't seeing eye-to-eye, so I'll help keep her safe, too."

"How are you going to do that?" Edward inquired.

"The spirits," Hazel replied. "My range of communication can reach them, so they'll be sure to alert me if something happens. And if I focus hard enough I can create a sort of wall, if you will. Solidify their intangible bodies so they only let people they know in."

"Ar you sure you can handle that?" Carlisle questioned.

"If you're going to hurt yourself, Hazel--" Bella began.

"I've got this," she nodded confidently. "I've been practicing. I know my limits, too."

"Thank you," Edward nodded.

✰ AUTHOR'S NOTE ✰

hey, how are you? i hope you have been drinking enough water and having some snacks. if not, go have some water now, please, if you can! :)

i hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'll let you go now, and I'll see you next time. bye! :)