❄ Twilight Forever ❄ Book 1 ❄ Cold Fall ❄

❄ 19 ❄️ The City Of Forks Welcome You ❄️

"Are you related to the Cullens?" she asked him suddenly, her voice softly hesitant.

Rhys's golden eyes widened with a mixture of confusion and surprise. He glanced briefly at Wren before answering the elderly woman's question.

"I'm sorry, but I don't know anyone by the name of Cullen," he replied politely.

"Oh," said Mrs. Radcliff. "What about Denali?"

Rhys shook his head in reply to her question. "No."

"Oh." Mrs. Radcliff said again, blinking up at him in confusion. "I just thought that with the golden eyes you all share, I'd just assumed that you knew them by any chance."

She was now babbling, her cheeks flushing with her embarrassment. Rhys glanced over at Wren, a frown tugging at his lips. His golden topaz eyes scanned the street with one quick sweep before turning to look at Mrs. Radcliff.

"That is perfectly understandable," he answered her softly, smiling at her softly.

Mrs. Radcliff's blush deepened and she lowered her soft, grey eyes from his molten gold ones as she pressed a small, frail hand to her bosom, her heartbeat skyrocketing. Understanding how she was feeling, having a handsome male vampire smiling sweetly at you, working his charm, Wren whacked Rhys on the arm.

Stop it or you'll give her a heart attack. she growled at him inside of her mind.

Rhys looked at her with an innocent grin and she rolled her ice blue eyes back at him. She looked away from him and into Mrs. Radcliff's curious grey eyes again. She smiled at her again and the elderly woman blinked slowly, smiling shyly back at her.

"About the rooms, how much would it cost to rent them for the rest of this week?" When asked the elderly woman.

Mrs. Radcliff's smile brightened and she stepped backward, inviting them inside. Rhys motioned for Wren to proceed before him and she stepped inside the warm house. The entrance hall was small and homey, the walls painted a dark green color, the floor carpeted in a warm brown. A small, round antique table stood in the center of the floor with a vase filled with freshly picked freesia placed in the center of the gleaming tabletop. Behind the table, there was a small, dark wooden staircase that led up to the upper level of the house.

To their left there was the living room, to their right there was the dining room, both of them reflecting the entrance hall. The smell of freshly baked cookies, brownies, and pies wafted down the hall from the hidden kitchen.

"Come back to the kitchen for coffee and cookies and we will discuss the arrangement," said Mrs. Radcliff.

Wren and Rhys both followed her down the short hall and into the kitchen. A dozen cakes and pies lined the counter that ran the length of one wall with big glass platters full of cookies and brownies stood amongst them like hierarchy. Mrs. Radcliff waved Wren and Rhys into two of the four chairs surrounding the small square table in the center of the room as she flitted around the kitchen, placing a platter of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies and pouring cups of fresh coffee. When everything was neat and within easy access, Mrs. Radcliff took her place at the table and they all began discussing the rent.