Everything to me (A Paul Lahote imprint story)

Earth-rumbling

My mom doesn't seem surprised to see me at all. In fact I thought I saw a flicker of a smile flash across her face before a perfectly composed mask took over.

"Carmen, you failed to mention that your daughter lived in the supernatural world with us." The little girl comments in her eerie voice.

"She's only recently come to this world Jane." My mom says in reply.

Jane seems to lose her interest, until my mom moves towards me.

"What are you doing?" Jane inquires.

"I need to speak to my daughter in private. You deal with this mess, I'll meet you at home." My mom says.

"No. We are to deal with the Cullen's and report back to Aro." snaps Jane.

I'm having a hard time figuring out who's in charge here. There seems to be a power struggle between my mom and this Jane. So I'm only more confused when my mom turns to look Jane in the eye, and her voice turns smooth as butter, an almost mystical hum to it.

"I will talk to my daughter. Privately. I will join you when I am ready."

Jane's face is hard, but her eyes seem a little out of focus as she nods and continues her conversation with the Cullen's. They all have their eyes on my back as my mom pulls me into the woods until we are out of sight.

That's when I feel cold hard arms wrap me in an embrace.

"Oh darling I'd cry if I could!" My mother lets out in a tearless sort of sob. She pulls back and grabs my face in her hands, taking in the sight of my face. "Look how beautiful you are!"  She says with a dazzling smile. I'm really not sure what to do. My mind hasn't caught up and I stand there with my mouth gaping open.

"I can't imagine what you must be thinking darling. Can I fill you in on what's happened? Would that be ok?" My mother's voice is gentle, like she's trying not to scare me off. I manage a nod.

"I don't remember much from before I turned, but I always pushed to remember you and your father. I was walking home from the store alone I think, then I felt a horrible pain in my arm, like it was on fire. That's one thing I'll never forget. The fire. I don't know how long it lasted, but I woke up in the forest alone. I still to this day don't know who created me or why." Her eyebrows wrinkle together like she's trying to pull at a memory she can't quite reach. "Anyways, I knew from the legends what I'd become. I wanted nothing more than to come and find you and your father, but being so close to you, to anyone was dangerous. I hid for a while and when I finally felt ready to come back and find you, you'd gone. I did follow your trail to Vancouver. I actually tried to come see you at school once. But apparently I wasn't quite as ready as I thought. There were too many people around. I left before anything happened but I came really close to losing cont--"

"When?" I cut in. My mom tilts her head in question. "When did you come and see me at school?"

"You would have been 15 at the time. In March. I wasn't really keeping track of the days back then, but it was a really overcast day." She tells me, her perfect memory holding every detail.

I can't breath. My head is swimming and I can't seem to get my eyes to focus. It was her. I'd always wondered what had even triggered my shifting. We'd been so far away from the tribe. I'd assumed it was just because the gene was so strong in my bloodline. But no, it was because there had been a vampire very close, and the town needed a protector. She'd triggered the ancestors' pull within me to save my people from the enemy.

"You. You're the reason I shifted. That's the day I shift-f-ted for the first time." I can barely get the words out. Suddenly I'm filled with a rage at the fact that she could've come to see me earlier but just left me and my father to think she was dead.

"Why didn't you ever come to see us. And WHAT are you doing with them?" I nod my head back towards the group of creepy cloaked vampires. My breathing is coming in hot short bursts now.

"Darling it just wasn't safe. I wanted to give you guys a chance to move on. I had to make a life for myself somehow. I have a high place in the Volturi guard. I'm safe there." She says as explanation. "I have the ability to... get my way I guess. I'm really valuable to them."

"I can't believe it. All this time we thought you were dead. We mourned for you! And you were off living this pompous life with the bad guys?!" I'm shaking so violently now I can barely see her. I feel my spine twisting and rebuilding itself as I come down on four paws. It seems Sam had some of the boys stay in wolf form to keep tabs on me once they realized I wasn't with them, and they immediately flood my mind.

"Lucy! What's happened?" Jared's voice fills my head. I recap the last few minutes in my mind and I see that Paul is running, probably towards me.

I'm pacing back and forth in front of my mother. My anger is still pulsing through my veins.

"Darling, I know this must be hard to process. You have to know I always wanted to come back. But once I'd joined the Volturi, Aro forbid it."

I let out a huff at this. Did she not just say she had the ability to get what she wants?

"I couldn't defy my master. He's given me so much in this life." She says with a smile.

This isn't my mother. My mother was this care-free, bubbly woman who drew everyone in with her warm energy. I suppose she could still draw just about anybody in, but it seemed kind of voodoo-y to me now and it made my skin crawl. She doesn't look like she belongs to herself anymore, she looks brainwashed. My huffing has turned into low snarls because she's started moving towards me.

"Darling, relax. It's still me." She says reaching out her hand to rest on my muzzle, but I snap my jaw at her in warning, my hackles rising. This doesn't feel right and I want nothing more than to flee from this stranger before me.

My mother's voice becomes soft and I'm being sucked into her eyes.

"Darling. Relax. It's me, your mom. Come here." My body is moving without my permission. I still know that I don't want to, but I can't stop. I will my feet to stop moving forward, but It feels like my mind is stuck in someone else's body.

An earth-rumbling roar echoes through the trees behind me snapping my mind and body back together. Paul. I shuffle backwards and away from my mother as fast as my feet will carry me, and I'm beside Paul. He moves to stand in front of me and raises up taller than I've ever seen him. His need to protect me is making him stronger and more powerful.

"Amazing." My mother whispers to herself. I'd assumed that Paul's roar had simply startled my mother out of focus. But based on her reaction that's not the case. Had the strength of our bond just been that much more powerful? No one can hold any part of me over Paul.

My mom starts to back away slowly, eyes still on me.

"Don't worry darling. I'm sure I'll see you again." And with one last smile, she takes off and leaves no trace but the branches swaying from her swift departure.