𝘊𝘙𝘐𝘔𝘚𝘖𝘕 ° 𝘑𝘈𝘚𝘗𝘌𝘙 𝘏𝘈𝘓𝘌 ✓

50 | EXPOSED |

"YOU STRIPPED NUDE AND THEN SHIFTED INTO A WOLF IN FRONT OF CHARLIE?" Rory was having a hard time not slapping Jacob Black across the face again. With the baby napping upstairs, she had less of a reason not to hit the smirk right off his face. He had to have a death wish, really. Or be the biggest idiot on the planet.

"Look, I solved a problem. You guys were leaving." He shrugged while the room full of vampires glared at him. "What did you expect me to do?"

"Asked to come with? Suggested a different solution? Shut the fuck up?" Rory spat out, completely livid with her stepbrother. "I'm so telling Billy." Jasper rubbed her shoulders, concentrating on relieving the room of some tension before things got out of hand.

"Now who's the snitch?" Jacob groaned, knowing his father wouldn't be happy he had not only shifted in front of Billy's best friend, but he had further endangered Charlie, Bella, and Rory.

Bella glared at him. "You don't realize the danger you've put him in. The Volturi will kill anyone who knows about us."

"Another thing they can strike us down for," Rory groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose. "The damned secret."

"No, I didn't tell him about you. Just me. I only said you were different," he clarified as though he were a genius.

Edward narrowed his eyes as he read Jacob's thoughts. "And that we have a niece who we adopted."

"I mean, seriously?" Bella rubbed her face frustratedly. "Jake, he's not just gonna let that go."

"So, you're making Bella answer the rest of his questions," Rory pointed out one of the many flaws in Jacob's plan. "Job well done."

"Did you consider the physical pain he'll put Bella through? It'll be like sticking a white hot branding iron down her throat," Jasper described the agony of a vampire's first close encounter with a human they were actively trying to not kill. He glanced at Bella's vivid red eyes. "And that's assuming she can control her thirst."

"Look, Charlie's been in hell," Jacob tried to appeal to Bella, "And I know you'll be much happier with him in your life."

"Jacob, don't try and pretend you're doing this for anyone but yourself," Rory laughed bitterly. "I thought I was selfish for coming back, but you've really done it this time."

He was immune to her ire as he crossed his arms. "Sorry you feel that way because he'll be here in 10 minutes."

"Fan-fucking-tastic."

➖

Alice helpfully handed Bella a pair of brown contacts in a plain white case and a small mirror. "These will irritate your eyes at first."

They all watched the nervous newborn as her red eyes were masked under the dark brown shade. The entire family seemed to quickly realize Bella could not pass for human at all—her perfect, flawless skin, to her graceful, lithe disposition. To be fair, since she awoke, she never had to worry about pretending. It was easy to forget what normal humans were like. She needed a crash course in humanity from a room of vampires.

Carlisle offered his advice first. "The main thing is not to move too fast." Bella nodded slowly, taking a hesitant, measured step forward.

"Try taking a seat," Esme suggested with a warm smile. Bella turned, her gaze trained on the plain chair in the corner, as she took a step toward it. Then promptly slammed into it at speed faster than Sonic. Esme winced. "Maybe a tad slower."

Alice tapped her chin. "And blink at least three times a minute." Bella's eyes blinked repeatedly, almost ten times the amount Alice suggested in just ten seconds.