Love Is Flower Like

Chapter 31

"It's so we aren't apart," Bella supplied.

"Isn't having her so close to the fight detrimental?" Meadow asked. "What if some of them slip through and target her?"

"That's why I will be with her," Edward said.

"You're making a mistake," Meadow said. "As much as I don't like your mind-reading, it would be helpful to the fight."

"He's doing it for me," Bella said firmly. Meadow shrugged and left the subject alone. She wasn't there to argue.

"I'll have one of the pack stay with you, too," Meadow said. "It'll allow us to keep in contact with you and Bella during the fight."

"Jake can do it, right?" Bella asked. Then, sheepishly, she said, "I mean, I'd feel more comfortable if he was the one with us."

Meadow shook her head and said, "Jake needs to fight with us. He's one of the strongest fighters in the pack. It'll either be Seth or Quil."

"But aren't you worried about his safety? Wouldn't he be safer with me?"

"I understand you're worried, but please don't question my decisions regarding the pack again. I know that what I'm doing is what is best for the pack. I know you're Jake's friend, but it's insulting that you don't have faith in him. Jacob can take care of himself," Meadow said with no room for argument. "I have no more questions for you. Do you have any questions for me?"

"No. Thank you for coming, Meadow," Carlisle said warmly.

"Thank you for answering my questions. I hope we can maintain a friendly relationship."

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"How did your talk with the elders go?" Jake asked Meadow. The Black siblings were sitting on the cliff overlooking the ocean. Their legs were swinging as the sun tried to peek from behind the graying clouds. Meadow let her shoulders drop and a sigh left her mouth.

"There were a few problems," she confessed. She grabbed a pebble from beside her and threw it as far as she could. She heard it plop into the water and saw it disappear beneath the surface.

"I thought they were on board with the whole Alpha switch," Jake commented. "Don't tell me they changed their minds."

"They didn't change their mind. They just want another Sam; they want another person they can control and I'm not like that. I don't want to be an Alpha that caters to the needs of the elders instead of to the needs of the pack," she said stressfully.

"I get it," he said. "It's hard pleasing dad so it must be hard pleasing the elders."

"I don't care if I please them or dad anymore. I'm not going to let them or anyone dictate what I do anymore. It's time I bloom," she said. A small smile shined on her face and her brown eyes were closed off from the world. She was content with her life, for once.

"Yeah, well say something cheesy like that again and I'll be dictating what you can and cannot say," Jake joked with a snicker. Meadow let out a loud laugh and smiled widely at her younger brother. She threw an arm around his shoulders and pulled him closer to her in a one-armed hug. She was genuinely happy she had her brother by her side.

"Y'know, now that I'm going to be Alpha, I'm gonna need a Beta," she said off-handedly.

"You're not gonna let Jared keep the position?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I have a feeling he won't want to be Beta anymore, not without Sam."

"Leah?"

"Leah's great, but you have something she doesn't have."