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We climbed up the stairs pulling the door open. Edward was speaking "It wasn't a scent that Lilith or I recognized," He informs everyone. Bella sat on the couch next to Alice, Noah stands behind a concerned look on his normally expressionless features. His gold eyes kept sweeping down to Alice and Bella.
"A nomad passing through?" Esme brings up only for the idea to be shot down by Rose.
"A nomad wouldn't have left their father alive," I shiver at the thought, Bella looks at me her eyes as terrified by the thought as I was. Jasper's hand found its way to the small of my back and warmth spread over me.
"The scent disappeared about 5 miles south of their house," Jasper spoke up
"Someone orchestrating this," Carlisle said his eyebrows creased in thought
"Victoria?" Bella and I offer Emmett smirks and I roll my eyes knowing the joke that's floating through his head. Alice shakes her head, diminishing Emmett's joking mood.
"I would've seen her decide," Alice says I glance at Edward seeing the thoughts that were floating around his head.
"It has to be the Volturi,"
"I don't think it's the Volturi either, I've been watching Aro's decisions too,"
"No, Aro wouldn't try something this bold anyways. He wants you and Alice, but he'd come up with a crime he wouldn't send someone into our house not without knowing if I would be home or not," I say knowing I had become a formidable fighter and that Aro couldn't risk losing a guard to me and that the Cullens were a large enough coven to fight back.
"So we keep looking," Emmett says
"We'll also take shifts guarding the twins' house," I sigh feeling Rosalie's hatred toward the idea.
"Another protection detail?" She asks annoyed
"She's right," Bella speaks up, Edward looks at her questions in his black eyes. "You can't protect me, god knows you don't have to protect Lilith, watch our dad, and search for the intruder," She lists Jasper's arm looping around my waist at the thought of having to protect me
"And for Victoria," Rosalie adds
"And keep yourselves fed,"
"I'm not leaving you defenseless," Edward argues
"She won't be," I speak up, "I live there, and besides we could get outside help," Bella's eyes spark at the idea as we make eye contact, the silent conversation between us causes Edward to grow apprehensive. I tilt my head before nodding.
"What?"
"The wolves," Bella speaks up and Edward's face drops, but he knows he cannot argue I look at Jasper seeing his face was stone. I rub my hand on his arm, causing his eyes to soften. I look back at everyone else seeing the decision had been made and no one was happy about it.
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"Lilith?" Carlisle called and I glanced away from Jasper and our conversation and Carlisle nodded his head toward his office. I pull away from Jasper to follow him. "So I got a hold of my friend about the eyes," I nod "He says it sounds like a latent gift or a piece of a gift you already have," I think about it
"When I was human, I could protect myself in ways that were unnatural. Like with James, how I slowed my heart rate down to make him unaware of my presence. Or how I never had a scent and vampires didn't know I was around unless I was heard or seen," He pondered what I'd just said
"So you think that maybe you have some form of hyper self-preservation?" He starts to think his eyes flick thoughtfully. "The exact opposite of Bella, this is fascinating," He mumbles I smile, knowing he had something to think about besides Seattle, something new and exciting.
