GLADIOLUS || FELIX VOLTURI

twelve - gladiolus corms.

With a lot on Rowan's mind lately, she thought it was best to prioritize what little family she had left when she had the free time to do so. After her father's death, she didn't have much family left except her Uncle Charlie and Bella. Her mother had left her and her father when Rowan was young – too young to remember much about her. Through her mother leaving, and now her father's death, Rowan clung to her little family and didn't want to ever let go.

Rowan was sitting at the small circular dining table across from Charlie. She was reading, and he was still working on the Riley Biers case. The case file on the missing young man was spread open across the table, a photo of the young man in the center. Bella had just gotten home from the Cullen's house, walking into the kitchen to greet them both.

"Hey, have you guys eaten dinner yet?" Bella asked, laying her bag down on the kitchen floor and glancing over Charlie's shoulder, trying to catch a glance at his work.

Charlie shook his head, "Uh, no, I haven't." Rowan glanced up from her book to glance at her Uncle. She immediately noticed how tired and dejected he looked. Rowan couldn't help but feel bad for her Uncle. She knew how emotionally invested in this case he was, and it broke her heart to think it most likely wouldn't end well - especially with what she knew about Seattle. "This kid Riley Biers, disappeared over a year ago, and his poor parents have been papering Seattle with these things ever since," he continued with a sigh. Bella leaned against her father's chair as she looked at the picture, her own version of quiet support for him.

"You think they should just give up?" Bella asked. Rowan's eyes widened in shock at the question, her brows furrowing. Charlie's brows raised in surprise as well at Bella's question. He shook his head, eyes glancing from the picture of Riley back to his daughter.

"Well, I wouldn't if it were you or Rowan. Not ever."

Rowan squinted her eyes at Bella, glaring at her cousin. Of course, Charlie didn't understand what she was insinuating, but Rowan knew. She shook her head to herself, abruptly pushing up from the chair and heading up the stairs.

"Rowan? You alright?" Charlie called after his niece, concern apparent in his tone.

"I'm fine, just a bad stomachache. I'll be back in a little while," Rowan replied while going up the stairs, though instead of heading to her bedroom, she went to Bella's and waited for her cousin.

Bella had followed not long after, noticing something had upset her cousin. Once Bella reached the top of the stairs she noticed Rowan was sitting in her room on her bed. "Hey, everything okay?" Bella asked, walking into her bedroom and shutting the door behind her for privacy.

Rowan sighed, "I'm fine. It just makes me uncomfortable when you say things like that Bella. I know what you were getting at."

Bella looked at Rowan in confusion, "Like what?"

"'You think they should just give up?'" Rowan repeated, giving Bella a look of disapproval while she spoke. "C'mon Bells, I'm not stupid, I know what you were getting at."

Bella looked away from her cousin, her gaze shifting everywhere but Rowan. "I'm not trying to make you upset. But you aren't really thinking of just disappearing, are you?" Bella sighed, shrugging in exasperation at the question. "I don't know. I just assumed Edward would know what to say to Charlie when it happens."

"Yeah, but what do you expect me to say? Just lie to him and act like I don't know what happened?" Rowan stared in bewilderment at her cousin. It was becoming quickly apparent how little Bella had thought her plan through.

Bella paused for a moment after processing what Rowan said. She gave her cousin a confused look. "No. I just assumed..."

"Assumed what?" Rowan asked. It was clear to both of them that the tension between each other was growing. The conversation was turning more and more tense the longer it went on.

"The Volturi expect you to change also. So, I just assumed you wouldn't have to worry about that," Bella said slowly, as if she was walking on thin ice. Bella could sense this was a sensitive topic for her cousin, and treaded as carefully as she could to not upset her. Though, she was also sensing that Rowan didn't have all the information either.

"What? Expect me to change?" Rowan's eyes widened in shock. "What are you talking about?"

Bella stared at her cousin, almost feeling sorry for how confused she currently was. She took a seat next to Rowan as she continued speaking, "I'm not sure how much you know, but the Volturi only let us go because they knew we would be changed. Has Felix not told you this?"

"No. I guess I just thought that was you. I feel pretty stupid for thinking that now though, looking back on what all Aro said," Rowan muttered.

"Don't. It's all confusing. They have their own world, with their own rules. It's hard navigating it sometimes," Bella said with a shrug, giving her cousin a small comforting smile. Bella laid a hand on Rowan's shoulder, hoping to give some sort of comfort to her cousin.

"I don't want that life, Bella," Rowan said quietly. It was clear to Bella that Rowan was distressed at the news. Rowan's expression looked numb, but Bella knew her enough to know she was distraught at the idea of turning immortal.

"I just lost my father, I won't lose you and Charlie too," Rowan continued, taking a trembling breath after she spoke. Rowan didn't fully know why this was so upsetting to her. She didn't like the idea of not having a choice in the matter, but more so, the idea of never seeing her Uncle again and allowing him to think both her and Bella went missing? That was enough to leave Rowan distraught. She would fight this decision as much as she could.

"Why don't we go out and get something to eat? I bet we could convince Charlie to go to the diner," Bella suggested with a small smile, squeezing Rowan's shoulder while she spoke. Rowan laughed, thankful Bella was moving on and attempting to distract her. Rowan's thoughts were quickly spiraling into thinking of her father – a place she didn't want to be at the moment.

"Sure, that sounds great," Rowan replied with a smile.

---

It was the night of Bella's graduation. Rowan was getting ready for the ceremony, dressing nicer than usual for the occasion. Her usual baggy shirt and old jeans wouldn't do. The past few days had been uneventful for Rowan, but from what she had heard, very eventful for Bella. Charlie had informed her of Bella's sprained wrist after punching Jacob. Overall, seemed like a momentous graduation week to say the least.

As Rowan finished up, Charlie yelled up the stairs at her, "Rowan, you coming? It's time to go." She had been taking her time, stalling as she remembered back to her own high school graduation. She had graduated early and decided not to walk for her diploma. It was a choice she regretted now, but looking back, as her father was on his deathbed during her last year of school, her priorities were elsewhere during that time.

"Yeah, coming," Rowan shouted back. She took a deep breath before walking down the stairs to join her Uncle before heading out the front door. The Cullens were already throwing a graduation party, but Rowan was still going to make sure Bella received a meaningful gift from her. She would do anything she could to make sure Bella had a better graduation experience than she did – that was something Rowan felt strongly about.

---

Felix stared as the sounds of loud wailing and chaos below him echoed through the surrounding back alleyways. Jane, Alec, and Demetri, and he had been observing the chaos in Seattle. Currently, they stood at the top of a building, observing the large army as they created more chaos, shedding more blood. Felix had been the one closest to Seattle, so he had the most information to report to Jane regarding the mess.

"They've already drawn too much attention," Demetri stated, staring in frustration as the army continued to kill mortals and destroy property.

"So has our inaction," Felix added. He knew there was a fine line when speaking with Jane, especially since she was leading the current mission to handle the situation in Seattle. Though, Felix also knew that their inaction had been noticed, that much was made clear from his previous conversation with Rowan. The Cullen's had clearly noticed at least, and Felix knew they weren't the only ones.

"Others may begin to question the Volturi's effectiveness," Felix voiced, glancing down at Jane while he spoke. He noticed from the corner of his eye that Alec and Demetri were now staring at him as he spoke. While Alec kept a blank expression, he saw Demetri slightly shake his head at his closest friend, silently warning him not to push the subject any further.

"Let them," Jane replied. It was no shock to the others that Jane cared less what outsiders thought, though this frustrated Felix more. He took a step back from the group, turning away as he thought about what to say – if he should push the subject more.

"Maybe we should consult with Aro," Felix suggested. He knew the suggestion would anger the young vampire, but at this point, Felix was well beyond frustrated with how the current crisis in Seattle was playing out.

When he first started observing the army, it was clear to Felix that it would need to be destroyed. Though Jane wanted him to only observe, and take no action. At the moment, Felix thought nothing of this – even thinking getting more information on the group was smart at the time. But now, remembering back to Rowan's panicked face as she realized someone had touched her in her sleep – remembering how he could have been so close to losing her. Felix was ready to end it all.

It wasn't more than a second after his suggestion that he felt pain engulf his every sense. Felix collapsed with a grunt as he was paralyzed by the amount of pain he felt due to Jane. "Aro's decisions are being watched," Jane stated, a hint of annoyance in her tone. She watched him writhe in pain for a moment longer, before releasing him from the effects of her gift. With a gasp, Felix fell to the ground. As he attempted to recollect himself, attempting to quell his quickly growing anger as well, Jane spoke again, "We must decide."

"Then decide, sister. It's time."

"Yes, it is."

As the twins spoke, Demetri walked over to his friend, a brow raised at him. He helped Felix stand, the two making eye contact once Felix was finally up. "Don't start," Felix muttered to him. Demetri only shrugged, a playful smile on his lips. The two rejoined the twins as they stared back down at the chaos.

"Either we let them do what they were created for, or we end them. Decisions, decisions," Jane said, tilting her head as she watched the newborns in action.

"This impacts more than just the Cullen's," Felix stated, his voice full of frustration. He was doing his best to keep his anger concealed, but it was quickly building up more and more.

"Like your mate?" Jane asked. While her face stayed emotionless, the edge of her lip twitched up into a tiny malicious smile. Felix could tell she was baiting him to continue. His hands bundled into fists as he stiffened at the mention of Rowan.

"Remind yourself where your loyalties lie Felix," Jane stated, before turning around and walking away. Alec quickly followed his sister, as both Demetri and Felix stayed back. Demetri watched as the two twins left, making sure there was a decent amount of space before speaking to his friend.

"Ballsy of you to say that. Stupid, but ballsy," Demetri stated with a look of surprise. Felix was never the one to step too much out of line, so Demetri was surprised at how much his friend had pushed. "You alright?" Demetri asked, noticing Felix's continued silence. He placed his hand on Felix's shoulder, hoping to anchor him back to reality.

Felix stared at the chaos below him as Demetri talked, only thinking about ripping each and every newborn below him apart. Once he felt Demetri's touch, he tore his gaze away, back to his friend. "She's not their target, but that doesn't mean she isn't in danger. I know he's down there, the one that touched her. I'd go and rip his head off now if I could," Felix said, his voice sounding raspy with how much pent-up rage was coursing through him.

"In due time, but not right now," Demetri responded. He started to pull Felix away from the view of the newborn army, ushering him away from the scene – hoping to slightly calm his emotions. "Come, let's go feed, maybe that'll make you feel better," Demetri suggested, a brow raised at his friend as he waited for his reaction.

Felix huffed, his fists relaxing slightly as he started to walk away with Demetri, "Fine." Demetri gave Felix a pat on the back, before walking off with him.

---

Bella's graduation ceremony went smoothly, and Charlie only teared up a couple of times. Overall, Rowan thought it was a successful night. She was incredibly proud of her cousin, jumping up with Charlie cheering and clapping as loud as she could when Bella accepted her diploma. After the ceremony, Bella walked with Rowan and Charlie back to his car. They gave their congratulations again, passing hugs around, before ready to head home. Bella was going to be heading to Edward's for a party, and Rowan was planning to head home and relax.

"Hey, did you want to join?" Bella asked, a hopeful look in her eyes.

"Join? At the party?" Rowan asked, surprised she was even invited.

"Yeah. I mean, I know you didn't really get to celebrate yours last year with everything that happened, so I wanted to offer," Bella said with a shrug, a small smile on her face.

"Oh. Wow, that's really nice. Thank you, Bella," Rowan said in return. A wave of emotions hit Rowan at that moment, but she simply smiled, feeling more thankful than anything for Bella and her thoughtful offer at that moment.

"I appreciate it more than you know, but I think I'm going to head back. You go enjoy your party though! I had my time, and now it's yours," Rowan said with a grin, ushering Bella towards Edward's car. "He's waiting, so go!" Rowan said with a laugh.

"Alright, well, see you later," Bella said with a laugh of her own, waving at Rowan and Charlie before joining Edward.

Rowan watched Bella walk away with a melancholy smile, as if she was reminiscing about what could have been during her own graduation. She got in the passenger side, Charlie shooting her an understanding smile. "I know it hasn't been easy, but thank you for being there for her tonight," he said while starting the car. Rowan simply shrugged, "It's what family does."

Later that night, Rowan was sitting on her bed flipping through her family photo album. The album was a collection of photos spanning from her father's childhood up to Rowan's teenage years. Whenever she was missing her dad most, she would play his favorite John Denver CD from the radio in her room, and flip through photos of her childhood. As the songs of her childhood flooded her room, she sighed, as it hit her that her father had been gone for well over a year.

---

Rowan had stayed up late the night of Bella's graduation. She hadn't been able to sleep with her emotions so high. When Bella came home, she had went straight to Rowan's room, filling her cousin in on everything Alice had seen. While shocked at the information, Rowan was at least thankful that they all had a better understanding of the situation they were dealing with now.

This information led to both Bella and Rowan joining the Cullen's for training early in the morning, somewhere in the middle of the dense forest of Forks. She rode with Edward and Bella, and felt like the odd man out the whole car ride over. Once getting out of the car at the training location, she was incredibly thankful to see the pack arriving as soon as they got there. While she couldn't really converse with him, she still felt the comfort of having her best friend present with her.

Rowan stood to the side as Carlisle and Jasper welcomed the pack and informed them on newborn vampires. Rowan herself learned a lot as well, as this was all new information for her too. As Jasper continued speaking, she quietly made her way to stand next to Paul in his wolf form. She remembered what he looked like from her first confrontation with him months ago. The two glanced at each other, Rowan shooting him a smile. She leaned against him as she listened to Jasper, quietly thankful for Paul's presence.

"A newborn army doesn't need thousands like a human army, but no human army could stand against them," Jasper continued into his speech. "Now the two most important things to remember are: first, never let them get their arms around you – they'll crush you instantly. And second, never go for the obvious kill. They'll be expecting that, and you will lose."

The rest of the hour passed with the Cullen's sparring with each other, and Jasper picking apart their methods. Honestly, Rowan learned a lot just from observing. She knew she couldn't fight, but she still was able to learn simple combat tips from Jasper. Though, there was a huge part of her that wished she could help somehow. She wasn't close with many of those around her, but she still cared for many of them, and didn't want any harm to come to either the pack or the Cullen's. Of course, she especially worried for Paul during this fight, but knew she had to trust in him to be fine in the end.

When it was time for the pack to leave, she gave a nod to Paul, who gave a nod back in his form, and soon left. Rowan made a mental note to visit him soon, and spend time with him before the fight. She walked over to Bella who was now sitting on the car. Rowan leaned against the hood of the car near where her cousin was sitting.

"How are you feeling about all this?" Rowan asked, glancing from the Cullen's who were wrapping up back to her cousin.

Bella shrugged, her gaze directed towards the ground. It was clear to Rowan she was stressed, and she couldn't blame her either. "It's not your fault, you know," Rowan said, hoping to comfort Bella a little.

Before Bella could respond, Jasper walked past the girls, catching Bella's attention. "Jasper," Bella voiced, catching his attention, causing him to pause in his step. "Are you sure there is nothing I can do to help?"

"Well, your presence alone, your scent, will distract the newborns. Their hunting instinct will take over and drive them crazy," Jasper stated. His gaze moved from Bella to Rowan, "Your scent would too. It's similar enough to hers that it may distract them from her location as well. Just something to keep in mind," he said before returning his gaze to Bella. Jasper and Bella continued talking, but Rowan had checked out of the conversation after hearing Jasper talk about a newborn army and 'battle scars'. She made her way to the other side of the car, sitting inside and waiting for everyone to be finished. As she waited, Jasper's words were replaying in her head. It made Rowan realize that maybe she could help after all.

---

Later that day, a few hours after the training in the woods, Rowan was in the backyard gardening. Charlie was at work, and Bella was at the Cullen's household, so she was alone. She had bought Gladiolus bulbs to plant – her favorite flower. She was well beyond stressed and nervous for the upcoming battle. She didn't know her place in the fight as well, if she could even figure out a role for herself in the conflict. Gardening brought a sense of calm, and the plants brought a sense of belonging. It was her version of self-care before the storm that was coming.

"Gladiolus corms?" A familiar voice from behind her spoke. She jumped, dropping the small tool in her hand in surprise. Her head whipped around to see Felix standing behind her, a small smile on his face. "Jesus, you scare me every time you do that," Rowan said, but a smile quickly grew on her face.

"Where you been? A lot's happened in the few days you've been gone," Rowan said, turning back to her gardening task. Felix took a step closer to her, standing directly behind her now. Rowan had been sitting on the ground while gardening, so he had a perfect view of her gardening rituals. "Seattle," Felix answered swiftly, though his tone grew tense when he said the city name. He knew his anger would grow if he thought about what happened the last time he was there, so he did his best to ignore the past and be in the present with his mate.

"Hm. Then I guess we have a lot to catch up on regarding Seattle," Rowan stated, continuing to plant another bulb. "Later though. I like to be stress-free doing this. You can pull up that garden chair over there if you want," Rowan added. It didn't impact Felix at all to stand, since he didn't grow fatigued, but he did as Rowan suggested simply because she showed the care to do so. As Felix pulled up the chair next to her, Rowan paused, finally processing what his first words were, "Wait, did you say Gladiolus corms?" She looked at Felix in surprise.

"That is what those are, correct?" Felix asked in return, motioning to the bulb she was holding. He recognized the corms from his past, so he knew he was correct, but still wanted to hear his mate talk about her passion.

"Yeah, they are. I'm just surprised that you know that? I mean, most people don't," Rowan voiced in confusion. Felix laughed at her confusion, "Well, I'm not unfamiliar with the flower, or the bulbs for that matter. When I was mortal, some men going off to war, and some gladiators as well, wore those corms around their necks. I think it was meant to be for luck in battle, though it never did them any good. I wore them myself a few times, when I was more naïve," Felix informed her. As he spoke, he watched as the look of fascination grew on Rowan's face, her smile growing larger by the second. He couldn't help but smile as well.

"That's...amazing. I never knew that. They're my favorite flower, I plant them every year. I like to do new plants every few years, but I always make sure I add these to my garden. I never knew they would have such a connection to you like that," Rowan said, smiling down at the bulbs in her hands. Felix quietly watched as she began gardening again, a smile on his face as well. Once she finished gardening for the day, going inside to clean her hands off as well, she joined Felix outside again. By the time she returned, Felix had placed the chair back by the outdoor table, so he was standing and examining the state of her current garden.

"I know it looks messy now, but it'll look better soon once everything grows," Rowan said with a sheepish shrug. Felix gave her a nod, stating surely, "I believe you." A comfortable silence settled between the two. Rowan stared off into the forest that surrounded the house as she attempted to collect her thoughts, while Felix stared at his mate, wondering what she was thinking.

Rowan stuffed her hands into the pocket of her hoodie, walking a few steps away from the house, standing in the center of the empty backyard. Felix raised a brow at her, but followed in her footsteps. "Wanna take a walk with me? I'd like to clear my head," Rowan asked, nodding her head towards the woods near her. Felix shrugged, "Lead the way."

The two walked in silence for a while. Rowan didn't have a destination in mind, just until she found a clearing she liked. She eventually found an area she liked – it was bare for the most part, except for a couple of large rocks and the surrounding trees, but mostly bare. "So, the Cullen's trained today," Rowan spoke aloud, leaning against one of the surrounding trees while she spoke.

Felix nodded, keeping his true thoughts to himself, "Good. They need it with what's coming."

Rowan hummed in agreement, "I was there when they did. Learned some things about combat. It was cool," she added. Felix couldn't help but scoff at the idea of the Cullen's teaching his mate about combat. "If you wanted to learn about combat, you should've asked me," Felix said, a hint of annoyance in his tone. He took great pride in his combat skills after all.

A smirk grew on Rowan's face at Felix's reaction, "Are you actually jealous?" Felix grimaced at the idea of being jealous, shooting Rowan a frown. "What is there to be jealous about? All I stated was a fact. I doubt they taught you much."

It was Rowan's turn to scoff now, rolling her eyes at his words. She crossed her arms as she spoke, "They taught me just fine."

"Fine. Maybe they did," Felix replied. A moment of silence grew between them, the two not moving, only staring at each other. Normally, any silence between the two was comforting – never uncomfortable. This time was different. While it wasn't uncomfortable, it somehow felt different. She kept her arms crossed, too stubborn to move on from their small petty argument. Though, almost without realizing she was doing it, her eyes trailed from his face, down his body, then back up. Felix definitely noticed, a small smirk growing on his lips. Rowan's eyes widened at this, her gaze darting away from Felix – looking anywhere but him.

"If they trained you so well, then tell me-" Felix started, and before Rowan could fully process what was happening, with incredible speed, he was standing directly in front of her. Both of his hands were against the tree on either side of her head, practically trapping her against the tree. She gasped the moment he appeared in front of her, her shocked gaze staring up into his own.

"What would you do in a moment like this?" Felix finished his sentence from before. Once the shock of how fast he truly was settled, Rowan couldn't help but laugh slightly at the question asked. "Against a vampire? I think we both know I'd be screwed," she answered with a playful smile.

Felix hummed in agreement, tilting his head as he stared down at his mate in front of him, "Probably so." His eyes trailed slowly from Rowan's eyes to her lips. He took in her whole appearance, a reminder to how beautiful she was. A reminder to how attracted he was to her.

"Felix," Rowan said attempting to gain his attention, though she spoke much softer this time. "Rowan," Felix replied. His voice was quieter as well as he spoke her name, more hoarse than usual. It was obvious that he longed for the woman in front of him, but he waited – allowing Rowan to move at her own pace.

As Felix's gaze met her own once again, she took in his alluring red eyes, his longing stare. Since meeting him, there was always a part of her that had built walls to protect herself emotionally from the man she felt so much for so quickly. Finding out that they were mates definitely answered a lot of questions for her, yet still frightened her immensely. And while there was a still a part of her that was scared of any sort of commitment - the more time she spent with Felix, the more she started to realize that the mental walls she built weren't necessary. While meeting his gaze she realized, in that moment, she felt safest with him.

Rowan's hands moved up to firmly hold Felix's face, pulling him down so their lips could meet. The second their lips met, Felix groaned slightly from finally feeling her touch. Felix moved his hands, one tenderly holding her jaw, the other holding her waist. With each move he was mindful of his strength, being as gentle as possible with her. It started as a tender kiss, but grew stronger and more passionate with each passing second. While his touch was cold, Rowan felt as if a fire was sparked inside her chest.

Finally, Rowan broke the kiss, gasping for air. Felix almost immediately leaned in for another, but held himself back. Instead, he leaned his forehead against hers, allowing their noses to touch. He slowly opened his eyes, taking in her disheveled appearance. As Rowan breathed heavily, attempting to catch her breath, Felix couldn't help but gently laugh.

"What? What's funny?" Rowan asked, a small laugh escaping her lips as well.

"Nothing's funny. I just forget you mortals need to breathe sometimes," Felix said, a playful smile upon his lips as he spoke.

"Ah, yes. Please excuse us for needing air to live," Rowan replied with a playful smile of her own.

Felix laughed softly, "I suppose you're excused."

The two softly laughed together, forehead to forehead – nose to nose. It was Felix who moved in for another kiss though, a gentle one this time. It didn't last nearly as long as their first – only a passing moment. As Felix pulled away, Rowan inhaled a trembling breath.

"You know, I did ask you to walk with me to discuss something serious. Not just do this," Rowan said jokingly. "Ah, straight to business, I see," Felix replied, jokingly as well. Rowan only rolled her eyes, a lighthearted smile present on her face though.

Felix took a step away from Rowan, giving her more space to speak. Rowan cleared her throat as she thought of how to word her thoughts. She wasn't sure how Felix would react to what she was going to say, as she knew it was a reckless plan.

"I assume you know a little about the army coming here," Rowan stated, hinting that she knew the Volturi was involved somewhat, but not going any further into that messy topic. Felix's facial expression hardened slightly, as it was still a sore subject for him. "Well, the Cullen's have a plan, and suggested that both Bella and I could use our, uh, 'scent' to distract the newborn vampires. I haven't figured out all the details, but I plan to be there somehow. I thought maybe Paul could stay with me for a while or-"

Felix laughed incredulously as he listed to Rowan's words – listened to her reckless plan. "They want to use you? Risk you for their petty battle?" He asked, frustration seeping into his words.

Rowan furrowed her brows in confusion. She didn't blame him for being upset, on the contrary, she actually expected it almost. "Well, I wouldn't say they're 'using me.' I just want to help," Rowan continued with a shrug. Felix stared in disbelief and frustration, having to stop himself from speaking before he said something he would regret.

"I don't trust you to be watched by anyone else. Not after what happened already," Felix said slowly, picking his words very carefully, "If you are truly set on this plan of yours, then I'll be there with you."

Rowan's eyes widened in surprise at his reply. "What? No. I won't risk you getting into trouble with Aro. Plus, as I said, I'm sure Paul will be there," Rowan said, shaking her head at his idea. Felix scoffed, "I don't even know Paul. You think I would trust him with your life?" Felix hissed, taking a protective step towards Rowan. "I won't be foolish enough to trust someone else to watch over you ever again," Felix said surely, his tone full of emotion.

"I don't want you in trouble for my sake," Rowan softly replied.

Felix shook his head slightly, a small smile forming upon his face, "I have my orders from Aro, so I'll be fine to be with you. Even if Jane doesn't like it."

Rowan nodded, though she was still nervous. While her involvement in the battle was one thing she was worried to tell him about, there was also another topic she knew needed discussing. "Um, there's also the topic of Paul and the others, since you may possibly meet him-" Rowan started.

"I already know about them," Felix answered, seemingly unfazed about the topic at hand.

Rowan, once again, was surprised by his reaction. "I'm sorry, what? Don't you guys hate each other?"

Felix huffed out a small laugh at Rowan's words. "You could say that. Though I just generally avoid them when in the area for obvious reasons. Plus, I know you are close with many of them, so I look the other way."

"Don't you need to report them-"

"They are close to you, so I look the other way," Felix repeated, as if he didn't want to speak further on the subject. Felix knew he could arguably get in quite a lot of trouble for not disclosing his knowledge of Rowan's friends. Though, he could never betray his mate like that. Thus, his solution being to avoid any knowledge and existence of the wolves as much as possible.

It took Rowan a second, but she nodded in understanding, a small thankful smile on her lips as she did so. "Well, since that's all out in the open now, shall we head back?" Rowan asked.

"After you," Felix said with a nod, motioning to the path back towards her house. As they walked back, Rowan mainly conversing in small-talk, Felix couldn't help but stare at his mate and wish she would back out of her role in the upcoming battle. Though, as always, he would do everything in his power to keep her safe.

---

a/n:  thank you so much for the love and support regarding my last chapter and also my health. it means so much to me <3 i hope you enjoy this chapter! felix fell hard and i'm here for it 😌