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𝗔𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻 / 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗗𝘂𝗻𝗲 ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
She couldn't explain it.
Every single dead nerve that Coraline ever had in her body yearned yet her mind opposed. Seeing that woman, Alice, made her want to learn and acknowledge further of her life as if it was an obligation to do. It caused a frenzy in her sense, making it difficult to have a steady mind and was glad that Aspen blocked her mind away from Edward to not hear her loud thoughts that was thinking.
Still and frozen in time, Coraline stood over a ledge of the Cullen residence with her arms propped down on its edges as sole exterior facade of coldness.
The discussion last night lingered in her mind. . .
"The numbers are increasing every hour. I've counted ten but this newborn that followed my trail told me there were twenty at best. Some were gifted but they wouldn't know how to control it." The Cullens and Dunes combined listened intently to Coraline who explains half the reasons why she stayed in Seattle for a few more hours than her family. "Their leader. . . his name's Riley Biers, if ever that's helpful."
"Riley Biers?" Edward repeats in confusion, expected to hear her thoughts but only silence in return. Then Coraline stiffly nods after accidentally meeting Alice's gaze and only to look away in fear of resistence. "He's local. He wouldn't start this."
"Riley Biers went missing a year ago. His parents reported it to the police and never found him again." Carlisle informs with his hands clasped together in front of him, sitting on the couch. Half the immortals in the living room only stands, including Coraline Dune who was too tense to stay in one seat.
"Until now." said Emmett, broody chest being covered with his arms.
"What's our plan of action against this? The Volturi must've heard it all the way from Volterra by now." Caspian said and wonders himself how come the guards hasn't ceased any of the newborns yet.
"We fight." It was already an obvious answer but it still made Carlisle uncomfortable. He didn't relish killing any of his kind, even if it was someone fuelled with vengeance and revenge. Either way, none of them knew it yet but there was someone behind Riley, controlling everything.
"I'm surprised the Volturi hasn't intervened yet." Aspen comments, leaning on a table with her arms spread across its surface, standing with her adoptive sibling — Coraline Dune.
Coraline shakes her head slightly, "They're strategizing against your family." Eyebrows in a scrunch, she felt repulsed by the King's motives when she realizes their intentions.
"What does that mean?"
"News like this doesn't go past Aro's head. It means they know but would rather let the newborn demolish your entire family to gain who is left." Everleigh lightly scoffs, annoyed by the Volturi's actions lately especially after hearing the story of their motives about recruiting Edward and Alice Cullen. As well as a mere human like Bella who had potential.
"Then it means Aro's not the one making decisions." Alice was staring into the floor, trying to see Aro's decisions but it was all useless misfortunes. "I don't see him or Caius involved."
"Then who's in charge?" Esme questions, deeply disturbed for her family and as well as for Leigh's.
They didn't know for sure.
Door opens just behind Coraline, expecting to be indulged in an old friend's presence sooner as the rest went their seperate ways. Rosalie — however — thought it was time to get over herself and talk to someone who adviced her but she didn't listen in the end.
"You don't seem to change after almost a century." It was Rosalie who first broke silence, standing besides her but a space between them. Afraid to overstep their already torn friendship.
"Centuries before that, I've lived hundreds of lives and I don't seem to change at all." Coraline was upset at Rosalie for ever breaking Aspen's fragile heart for leaving. Rosalie left her in a loop of endless regret, acknowledging that Aspen loved her romantically but left anyways out of anger. "Have you spoken to Aspen?" She asks sternly.
Rosalie seem to tense, "I haven't had the chance to. She won't let me."
"Do you know?" Coraline questions out of defense for her sister. Her eyes meet Rosalie's who seems conflicted and guilty.
"Yes."
"Does your husband know that she loves you?" Aspen doesn't admire the talks she held with her family if it includes Rosalie Hale. It made her mood turn sour, life turn grey and reason to continue to life to disappear.
Rosalie turns her head to the view in front of them, night sky twinkle in the dark above and forest stood proudly. Then she pursues, "Emmett's understanding as he can be." She lets out a dried chuckle, amused by her own selfish actions. "I've warned him countless of times that I won't ever love him the same way I felt about Aspen. Still, I thought he finally proved me wrong until I saw your sister with a different look she'd give me when I last saw her."
"I. . . assumed you didn't reciprocate what she felt all those years before."
"You assumed wrong." Rosalie sadly smiles to herself. "We shared a moment. Just once, it completed my life despite getting married in two weeks back then. She pleaded for me to break the engagement and go run away with her and your family."
Coraline Dune cracks a discreet smile, shaking it off quickly as a protest of seeming weak. "Sounds like her." Then she sighs, hearing Aspen's soft laugh inside the house and caused by Alice who was being a rightful house host tonight. Hearing Alice's laugh made Coraline feel an unfamiliar emotion, one she had stayed away from but failed today. "Acknowledge him too."
"Him?" Rosalie carefully asks, the sudden advice made her confuse.
"Rosalie, I know you don't listen to my advices very well but. . ." Coraline pauses, hearing tended footsteps come closer to where they are and that's when she sighs again, knowing who it was just by a footstep. "Don't feel bad by choosing the one. Not even if you choose Aspen, someone's always tended to get hurt no matter who you choose."
The advice made Rosalie think, didn't have much to say or ask when Coraline pursues to jump off the balcony and running in the woods to avoid her own problems. The sudden disappearance and action caused the glassed doors to open, Alice reviewing the aura in the air and looking at Rosalie who meets her expectant gaze.
