Just to clarify; Elias kept his promise and helped Alice out with the wedding. It was a gruesome act- that woman took the word extreme to a whole other extreme. She'd planned things to the minute, hell even the second- she'd thought of every possibility. There was nothing slipping past Alice leading up to the big day.
Well, other than Elias of course. She'd stressed and bossed him about for weeks and it took a lot of work to finally slip past her a day before the big event...for a very strategic event.
"Don't kill anyone and don't breathe!" Nate warns in a true Alice scolding fashion as the four of them stand, waiting for the invisible clock, in the forest.
It's pitch black but Elias can see everyone perfectly. Nate is fussing, twisting and untwisting strands of his long hair as he continues to spill advice that Eli is ignoring. Emmett paces, throwing a fist into his open palm over and over, the very picture of impatient. Jasper is next to the newborn, watching them all with a smirk and crossed arms.
Elias would use the sight of him as a distraction, but he's too amused at the minute and that makes the newborn think back to what they're gonna do. So he turns his chin away from the blond and thinks of something else. He wonders briefly if the tree he leans on is capable of blocking his hearing- maybe shoving his head back and through the bark will do? Probably not. It'd only mess up his hair.
"I'll be holding your arms like this-" Nate continues to narrate as he moves over in demonstrating, throwing a warning look at the newborn before gripping his biceps with heavy hands. It's a good restraint, but they all know Elias can get out of it if he really wanted. Let's hope he doesn't want to.
"Ok," Jasper sighs with mirth, pushing the olive skinned vampire away playfully from his mate. Nate glares at them both, especially as Elias laughs. "We've been over this. If anything I'll tackle him."
Eli's eyebrows rise, his mouth opens to say something that probably isn't family friendly. Jasper points at him with a stern, "no."
Eli's mouth shuts with a audible sound.
"Nate, I'll let you hold my hand, it'll be fine," the curly haired boy jokes, which really shouldn't be as funny as it is, but Jasper starts laughing under his breath and Eli feels like the best comedian in the world. The blond has such a pretty laugh...
"Come on!" Emmett calls, fed up as he checks the silver watch on his wrist. Its officially midnight, meaning Edward is late. Meaning they had to go collect him. "We're losing precious time here," the burly vampire mutters disapprovingly. He makes a hand motion to north, to the general population of Forks.
"Let's go," Eli orders, straightening up from the tree. His smile becomes challenging, Jasper already knows what he's going to say and starts running.
"Race!" He shouts, a little too late.
•••
Elias is the slowest runner. Even with his newborn strength as a advantage, he's the last in the group as they run. Can't have it all in life.
They're about a mile off from Bella Swans house- the group is slowing, their eagerness of the event paired with apprehension of making sure Elias doesn't hunt a human- when they hear Edward cry through gritted teeth, "Oh for the love of all that's holy!"
A light female voice comes next. "What's wrong?"
They're slowing to a stop now, finally at the house Elias used to class a second home. He's not breathing, no human scent has hit him yet, meaning it's easy to observe things without a instinct driven mind. Bellas light is on, her window shut. Eli can't still hear her clearly, he can hear her heart beating in it's clumsy pattern- he can hear Charlie's steady one too. His warmth is on the bottom floor. He's probably fell asleep watching tv again. Either way, Eli's quick to not focus on it all, especially as his mouth slicks with the idea of warm blood.
"You don't have to call my brothers. Apparently they're not letting me bow out tonight," Edward huffs in explanation, just as Nate bounds over to restrict Eli. It's not needed at the moment, but he's still great full. Better safe than sorry.
Bella sighs, sounding amused as she bids, "Have fun."
They're not moving quick enough for Emmett. Who, with a Cheshire Cat grin, jumps up to her window and scrapes his steel nails down the glass. The noise makes Elias shiver. "If you don't send Edward out, we're coming in after him!" He calls, proceeding to drop down.
"Go," Bella laughs, the sound makes Eli's shoulders relax under Nate's hold. "Before they break my house."
Eli can hear Edward move around and head to the window before he actually seeing him. His backs to them all as he kisses Bella goodbye. Elias ignores how her heart beats quicker. "I'll meet you at the alter," he promises sarcastically.
"I'll be the one in white," Bella bids in the same tone.
Edward opens the window and jumps out, too fast for Bellas eyes. As soon as he lands, Emmett is wrapping a arm over his shoulder, shaking him. Edward shoves him to the ground with a laugh.
Elias, trying to not laugh as it meant breathing in, feels Nate's hands tighten as Bella moves to the window and into Eli's sight. She's so different looking in his vampire eyes, the colours of her hair more vibrant, her eyes deeper than he remembers. His chest tightens like somethings blocking his airways. She looks... fragile too, in a way he never saw as a human. She'd always been a pillar of support for him, especially as they were the same species. Elias was physically strong in the pair, but he'd always leant on her for the rest of his strength. He'd never seen her as a weak person.
It was different now. Now, he could see exactly how thin her skin was, how each beat of her heart went around her body. He could hear the air in her lungs. How easy it would be for her to get hurt! It made him want to panic. No wonder Edward and Jasper used to hover all the time. Elias felt like jumping up and wrapping his sister in his arms, despite no danger present- well, other than himself.
"You better not make him late!" She calls out the window. It hasn't even been a full second since Elias saw her. Nate switches his hold on the newborn, wrapping his arms around Eli's torso- something in his own body language had shown how he wanted to pounce on the girl. Funnily enough, it wasn't about blood. He'd have to explain that later.
Jasper jumps up to the window for his turn to talk to her. Eli is glad his mate missed the moment he just had. "Don't worry Bella, we'll get him home in plenty of time," the scarred boy, who's hair looked particularly silver in the weak moonlight, assures. Elias could only imagine what type of relaxation he was manipulating her emotions into.
"Jasper?" She says, already sounding calmer. "What do vampires do for bachelor parties? You're not taking him to a strip club, are you?"
Eli's can't help the silent laugher that shakes his shoulders at the mental image of Edward in a strip club.
"Don't tell her anything!" Emmett growls, though he too looks just as amused. Edward shoves him again, Emmett doesn't even attempt at dodging.
The words slip out before he can stop them. "Say yes!"
There's a pause as Elias realises he spoke, using the little air supply he has. He doesn't breathe in again, but he does watch as Bella throws herself to the window, almost butting heads with Jasper before he falls back to the ground. She looks around the dark garden, her eyes totally sweeping past Elias. "Is that...is that Elias?" Everyone can hear the hope in her voice.
"Yeah, he's with us," Edward calls, sobering up to the moment. He shifts, placing his back to Bella, watching Elias carefully. As much as this night was about fun, it was also a test to see if he could handle being near his sister. Jasper is similar in thought as he moves back to Eli, wrapping a arm around his waist. Eli leans into him, his mind calming knowing the blond is here. Safe.
"Someone get me a flashlight or something, I want to see him," Bella mutters, still trying to look out into the night. Eli's lips twitch. He was very different looking now, he's not sure she'd like what she saw...Jace hadn't.
Elias has little air left in his lungs to use for speaking, so he settles on a simple call of, "Hi Bella."
Bella sags in relief. She looked towards the direction of his voice, a smile lighting her features. "I miss you," she calls sadly, "Your voice sounds even deeper in real life."
"That's from all the smoking you did when human," Emmett whispers- or fakes it, since it's loud enough for Bella to hear. She giggles.
"I'll bite you," the newborn warns, the last of his air supply gone. Emmett grins even more.
"I meant it in a compliment," Bella assures, past the way it makes Emmett cackle even louder.
There's no air left in his lungs to talk. He needs to breathe in now. Elias eyes Jasper, nodding in a nonverbal way to say hold me tighter. The blond does, almost painfully. He's glad.
He inhales. The scent is taunting, mocking, tempting. Floral and sweet. Her heart beat just a small distance away, her warmth seeping from her body. He can feel it in his fingertips. Hell, he can see her pulse in the arch of her pale neck... it would be so easy to give in. Like how it used to be so easy to give into the urge to sleep, to just close your eyes and fall into that dark place of your mind...
Elias locks his muscles down as venom scorns his throat. That scent was better than any animal he's drank. But it was also Bella- who was leaning out the window, uncaring of the danger of being near him just because she wanted to be near him. It was the girl who held him as he was depressed. The girl who helped him fight. She was the girl who fanned his flames.
Elias relaxes his body, allowing the scent to settle in his throat. He won't hunt. At least not here, not now. He won't let the dark parts of his vampire mind take over.
"I miss you too," Elias calls to her, his voice hitching in emotion. His brothers and mate relax a notch, Nate's hands loosen a inch. "You can't even begin to understand how much I miss your humour. I make one joke about anything that's happened in this century and all the family look at me like I've spoken another language."
There's noises of protest. Of course its false, but recently everyone had picked on Elias for being a newborn, so he'd taken his turn of calling them old bastards.
Bella laughs, shaking her head. "I'm afraid it's too late to back out of the family now, you've got to put up with it."
He huffs comically. "Guess so," he agrees lamely.
"We better get going," Jasper says, loud enough for Bella to hear. He wasn't ever the one to push Eli's boundaries too hard, a few minutes of being near human blood is enough. Especially as his eyes are already turning a deeper black colour in hunger.
Emmett agrees instantly, eager for their 'bachelor party' to begin. Nate let's go, trusting Jasper to hold onto Eli. Edward doesn't move, always precious of Bellas safety. Elias couldn't even blame him, not now he could truly understand.
"Bye Bella, try to have a full nights rest," Elias calls out softly, always hopeless at showing his emotions through his tone no matter how hard he tried. Unless it was anger, that seemed to seep out pretty easily.
"You too," she smiles, then grimaces, realising her knee jerk reaction of a answer is wrong. Eli's laugh isn't the only one to be heard as they turn and run.
•••
They head north for a better hunting group. Because this party wasn't really a party, just a last hunt before the wedding. It's good too, especially with how Eli's eyes are black- he'd been pushing himself recently, trying to go longer from feeding, trying to see how long he could burn for before having to extinguish it with blood. He'd gone over a week before everything got to much. He snarled at Alice, accidentally, when she'd been complaining of... something. Elias couldn't remember. The colour of silk ribbons on chairs? Something he's sure wasn't really important to anyone but her. It wasn't a excuse for his behaviour, still. After he'd returned, cheeks flushed with blood and feeling considerably better, he'd apologised. She was a good sport about it all.
Either way, it'd been another week since feeding. A bad idea since being near Bella, but they'd theorised if he was starving before seeing her and could still resist, he'd get a pass of being 'near' other humans at the wedding. Elias was proud, if he was honest, but he wasn't showing it, because that would reveal how he'd been secretly doubting himself. So smug is how he acts as they hunt.
He and Jasper detour from the group as they find a mountain lion to share. The scent of it aren't appealing, even if it is a carnivore, especially with being so close to humans earlier. It was harder to lose himself in the hunt, but the burn in his throat lessened after his kill.
Jasper makes good of the situation too- after they share the second lion. There's blood dropping from Eli's lips- he's still not the best at the 'clean' thing- and the blond dips down to kiss the blood away, shoving Elias back until he hits the hard oak of a tree. Elias' eyes close as he pushes himself to the blond, his tongue reaching into the familiar territory of Jaspers mouth. Everything of Jaspers body is familiar, there's nothing Elias hasn't explored on him- no scar or millimetre of skin. The curly haired vampire still reaches out like he's exploring something new, his gasp the sound of surprise, like this is the first time they'd kissed.
Eli's hands are sliding from the blondes stomach and to his belt when he realises they can't do this- not now, at least. He stiffens his actions, pulling back from Jaspers lips with narrowed eyes, gauging his reaction. The blond looks pleased with himself, pleased with how of one simple kiss can make Elias have such a reaction to the point he forgets where they are. He'd been doing that lately, pushing Eli's limits, seeing how he could make the newborn get lost just by his presence.
"Cocky fucker," the newborn huffs, turning his back to his mate as he makes his way back to where everyone else is hunting. He's not actually mad, but he loves to tease the blond.
Jasper knows this too, since he's laughing as he catches up with the newborn. When they make an appearance to Nate, Edward and Emmett, they're holding hands and calm looking.
They group up, lounging lazily across a few borders, the conversation slipping easily between them all. Jaspers snug in Eli's side as they sit on the floor, their back to a rock. The newborn drops his head onto the blond's shoulder comfortably. Emmett is the only one not to engage all the time- since he's at the tree line, having the time of his life with a pissed off bear.
"Has he ever gotten bored of doing that?" Elias ask's, watching as he dodged a swipe of the bears arm. It's not needed, since the bear can't hurt him, the burly vampire is more likely just putting on a show for them. Or pissing off the bear more before finally hunting it.
"Not that I know of," Nate answers, 'oohing' like a viewer in the stands of a boxing ring when Emmett allows one of the bears hits to push him to the ground. The bear drops over Emmett, but before it can try anything, Emmett jumps up and appears behind the bear.
Emmett taps it on the shoulder, correcting its confusion since the bears sniffing where he used to sit. The animal roars as it turns around and jumps up onto its hind legs, trying to fight again. Elias isn't even going to lie when he says it's a comical sight. He's surprised the bear hasn't charged at them yet with how loud they're laughing. The sound of them only spurs Emmett on with his performance.
Eli's distracted from the sight when a hand drops on his shoulder. He stiffens, then relaxes, once looking up to where Edward sits on the rock Eli's leaning against. He's grinning, his eyes light. "You did good, earlier, with Bella."
Elias shrugs like it means nothing, like the whole situation earlier was a breeze. "When I focus on how much I want to see her and not how her blood makes me feel, I can start to fight my instincts."
Nates picks at the rock he's sat on, breaking a handful off to throw at Edward. The copper haired vampire leans back to dodge it, now wanting to get dirty. "Excited?" Nate asks.
Edwards smile turns softer as he thinks of the wedding tomorrow. "Nervous, more like it. I hadn't expected that, but I'm pretty sure that's Bella's mood rubbing off on me."
"It probably is," Jasper confirms surely, listening to them but his eyes securely stuck on where Emmett still fights the bear.
Eli arches his head back, looking Edward in the eye to try show how genuine he is when he says, "She'll love it, you know? Not when she thinks about it ahead of time, but in the moment, when she's walking down the isle, she'll forgot about it all and be happy she's with you."
"Because she loves me," he guesses with a quirk of his lips. He believes the newborn wholeheartedly- he's stopped questioning a long while ago how easy it was for them to understand each other.
"For some reason. I don't see the appeal at all," Elias smirks, looking back to where Emmett fights the bear, not even attempting to move when it's Edwards turn to throw a handful of crumbles rocks at him. They land in his hair, annoyingly, which makes Nate and Edward crack in laughter. Before he can shake them out, Jasper starts threading his fingers through the dark curly strands. Eli leans into his touch, liking the feel of it all.
The sound of a phone ringing breaks all of their moods. The fun atmosphere, the relaxation, shatters. Everyone looks to Elias, to the phone that's buzzing in his pocket. He knew what they all thought. Bella and her bad luck. Alice is ringing to tell them something.
Eli's hands are on his phone in an instant, pulling it out. "Jace," the newborn reads from the screen. All the men visibly sigh in relief. Emmett laughs wickedly and goes back to the bear.
Eli is up and half a mile away in a second, trying to gain a fake sense of security. He needs to go further to be from their ears , but he hasn't got the time.
"Hello?" He asks, his confusion and anxiety deepening his voice.
"Hi," Jace says. He sounds surprised, confused. He doesn't sound hurt, or worried though, so Eli's' shoulder relax without command. "Hi, Um, hi, hello. I don't know what to say."
Elias grins sharply, even if the werewolf can't see it, it makes himself feel lighter, normal. Like how it used to feel like when he spoke to Jace, not with all this uncertain tension. Everything is so changed now.
"You rang me and you don't know what to say?" He scoffs.
"Oh bite me," is Jace's usual reply to Eli's sarcasm. Then when he realises how those words are different now, what they mean, he gulps.
"Nah, you seem like you'd taste bad," Elias hums, washing out the tension as if he's oblivious to it. Jace laughs to himself shortly. At least Eli's personality hasn't changed.
"Ok," the wolf starts surely, the working of a rant clear to Elias. "Well I was wondering what you was doing for the wedding. Because I was invited and I want to go, but it might be awkward-"
"-if you haven't noticed, I'm dead to the world. I can't be your date," the vampire jokes nonchalantly, unsure where this is going.
"Date?" Emmett shouts in glee in the distance, pausing his fight with the bear. Elias turns his back to the direction of the man, especially as he starts laughing and teasing Jasper.
"No, no not that," Jace laughs breathlessly, though he doesn't sound disgusted of the idea of 'date' and the word 'vampire' like most wolves would be. "You can't be there and I know that, because Bella told Seth, who told me. Well, all of us in the pack, because our thoughts aren't ours..." he trails off, realising he's blabbering stuff Eli already knows.
Elias is sure he can hear the wolf smack himself through the phone. It makes him chuckle low in his throat. Jace stops, listening to it for a moment, liking how it's almost like the one Elias used to let out when they joked about. "But I was wondering if you'd...like me to wait with you? Whenever you're gonna run off to?" He finally asks, sobering up.
Elias isn't going to lie, his heart does warm. Jace thought about him, he hasn't totally cut him off and thrown him into the wind just because he'd turn. There was room, foundation, for their friendship to be built back up again.
"I'm going to be near the wedding. Close enough to see it, but yes, that'll work. Actually that's kind of perfect, since one of the Denalis we're going to babysit me. So to speak," he reveals, one hand coming up to play with the silver sun necklace hanging around his throat.
"Who are they?" Jace says cautiously.
Eli's careful to keep his tone neutral as he tells, "Extended family. I haven't technically met them yet."
Jace hums. Eli can imagine him nodding.
"So it's a deal? I'll make sure you don't kill anyone, you save me the embarrassment of trailing after Seth because I have no one to talk to. I mean, I'll have to pop in, because I want to see Bella and Edward at least. And because I know your family will serve all the fancy food and I want a plate."
Your family. It's a small thing, but it shows how Jace as accepted Elias and his new role, his new life. A full smiles spreads on Eli's lips. "Yes, that will be perfect. Thank you, Jace."
"It's fine," the wolf whispers, shocked with the thanks. He clears his throat. "Do I come when everyone else does or?"
"Alice will tell me, she's planning it all. I'll text you," the vampire says, his voice higher at the end as he's uncertain either the statement.
"Ok. I'll see you," Jace confirms. Elias hangs up without another word.
He walks back at human pace to his family, feeling a little giddy. He had his friend back.
"Cheating on Jasper are we now?" Nate calls once he's in eyesight. The groups reaction is childish giggles.
Elias rolls his eyes, walking a slow pace next to Emmett and the bear, who are still playing their game of boxing. "As if any man could ever compare to Jasper," he chides, impossibly simply, before shoving Emmett by the shoulders, watching as he sends him and the bear tumbling to the ground.
•••
The suns just peaking the sky when they head back. Emmett, Edward and Nate are sent to work the moment they're in ear shot. The house is transformed, lights hanging everywhere- Elias vaguely remembers them from the graduation party- only know they're paired with more elegant decor. Elias looks around in awe as they walk closer to the house- he'd helped plan, but he hadn't realised to what scale Alice could go to. He underestimated her.
"Be nice," Jasper says, leaning until his lips brush Eli's ear. It makes a buzz vibrate through his body before it gets squashed by realising what's about to happen.
"I'm nice," the newborn defends himself, a useless attempt. He's half concentrating on the decor, the smell of the flowers emitting from the house, as they enter through the back door. It's all a attempt to not focus on how there's four people on the second floor that he doesn't recognise. What he's about to meet.
Jasper smile is as stunning as it mocking.
"No you're standoffish at first, then when you warm up to people you're completely enchanting," he states surely.
Elias can't help but scoff. That man has a warped view of him. "Sure I am," he can't help but mutter.
They're walking up the stairs now. Eli's chest tightens uncomfortably, his fingers tingle with heat. Jaspers watching him carefully, so he notices this. He reaches out, linking their fingers, extinguishing the warmth that builds there as it knows it can't stay when Jasper touches. "Relax, it's only family. You'll be okay," he says in a promise.
The conversation in the living room stops. Eli's back straightens, his face wipes of emotions. The hand that holds Jaspers is tight and unable to let go. "Don't stop touching me," he asks, needing his grounding mate for this. Meeting new people have never been his strong suit, especially when they already know of him.
Jaspers voice is like honey as he whispers, "As if I would ever stray."
Elias cracks a little grin as he side eyes him. He's so confident, so sure of the situation. Elias leans into his side as they walk, allowing his scent, his touch, to smooth the worries of his newborn mind.
"Elias," Esme calls when they're at the top of the stairs. Elias watches her only as she walks over, taking his face in his hands when close enough. She brushes the curls from his hair, like many family members do as it's a physical of of affection he allows, looking into his vivid red eyes. "Better now?" She asks, regarding his thirst.
"Definitely," he assures, smiling softly at her. Happy knowing he isn't hurting now, she slides her hand to his shoulder and guides him and Jasper to where the Denalis are watching.
Carlisle is smiling at them, aware of Eli's anxiety but sure everything will work out. Elias does a once over at him, taking strength from the fact that if Carlisle is sure Elias can do this, along with everyone else, he doesn't have to doubt himself. Finally, with a somewhat friendly expression, he looks towards the Denalis.
The front of the group, their leader, is Tanya. Elias is shocked to see her dressed already for the wedding in a soft lilac dress that hugs her curves. She stands tall and curious as she takes Elias in. She's shorter than Eli, but her demeanour makes up for it, much like how Alice can make you forget she's short from how loud she is. She has curly blond hair going down her back and framing her pointed face- there's something about her expression that is playful and sly.
Elias switches to the other blond sister, Kate. She's in a matching dress, but stands more laidback about everything. Her hair is pin straight, she's watching Elias and Jasper with something akin to fondness.
The next two, Carmen and Eleazer, have a flush of olive in their vampire pale skin. Much like Nate. Their hair is dark, the woman's a shade different with how it's tinted with red. There's something about them, the woman at least, with how she watches with excitement but caution, embraced by her taller mate, that reminds Elias of himself. She was probably nervous too. It wasn't often that you met new family. Elias feels his face soften into something nicer .
"Jasper," Tanya exclaims once she's stopped eyeing Elias. Her eyes are pointed on where Jasper is holding Elias as she walks over. "You finally found the one you were looking for I see?"
"He kept me waiting," Jasper smirks, accepting the hug she gives him with one arm.
"In my defence, I didn't know you existed, otherwise I would have hurried up," Elias tuts, eyeing Jasper with mirth. Laughter floats from everyone's mouth.
"I'm so happy for you. You seem so much better now you've found him," Tanya sighs, looking up at Jasper with honesty. She steps from the hug, angles herself to Eli. "May I?" She asks, holding up her arms for a hug, aware that some stranger near your neck isn't what most newborns can handle.
Elias nods, stepping to her and embracing her around the shoulder with one arm, since the other is occupied holding Jaspers hand. She's soft and warm, like every vampire, her scent is something icy yet nice. Elias saves it in his mind as hers.
"It's good to meet you all, I've heard about you already. Carlisle is very fond of you," Elias speaks politely, pulling back the moment she does. Carlisle flashes him a happy grin.
"As are we," Kate speaks, not asking permission as she takes Elias into a hug. Elias laughs lightly in surprise. When she pulls back, her face is pondering, "your scent is highly unusual."
"Yeah, I've heard that before," Elias hums, throwing a look to Jasper, who doesn't even seem guilty. Carmen and Eleazer laugh to themselves, like everyone else, making no move to follow their siblings to hug in greeting. Eli isn't at all offended, he isn't much a hugger with new people either.
"I have to apologise for not assisting during your fight," Tanya announces, taking her sisters hand. They share a look of guilt, like they've spoken of this many times before. "A family is supposed to help each other in times of crisis, we know that. You must understand that we were standing by our sister Irina and her need for revenge against the wolves, for killing Laurent."
Everyone's looking at Elias and Jasper. This is what they'd been waiting for. The rest of the family had spoken and forgiven them, but they are the odd one out. Elias was the one that had died on that mountaintop, protecting his family, because they'd been outnumbered.
"I can understand," Elias speaks through a stiff jaw. Jaspers hand squeezes his, "I don't like it, but I understand." He can. If Bella was the one to say she didn't want to help them, because they'd wronged her in whatever way... he'd have stayed. He'd have taken her side.
Then again, the reason they didn't help is because they believed, through their sister Irinas judgment, that Laurent had been killed unfairly from the wolves. As if Elias wasn't there- a moment from death because Laurent was going to kill them both that day. Its funny. Irina didn't like the wolves because they killed Laurent... but Elias was halfway there himself before they stepped in. They don't know that though, and they won't know that- not today at least. It'd cause too much tension. Maybe he'll tell them - not Irina, because that's cruel to dangle that information to someone who had feelings for Laurent- in the future, if they grew close.
"Jasper," Tanya calls, accepting Eli's words with thankfulness. "Will you forgive us?"
Elias doesn't even need to look to know how Jaspers face sets. Stoic, hidden, harsh. They've spoken about it before and how it makes Jasper feel. It's like he's a soldier again, remembering the time he came across the worst part of battle- Eli's bloody body in his arms. The uncertainty of it all, even if Eli's heart beats in the memory- the injury and the pain his mate was in is horrible. A nightmare- something he couldn't protected Elias from. Not that he should blame himself- like Elias has said a thousand times over.
It's clear from Jaspers silence that no, he doesn't forgive them. He can move past this, for the sake of normalcy and being family. But he won't forgive them. They were family and they hadn't fought with them.
Carlisle doesn't apologise for Jaspers answer, because he can't blame him. He only laughs to ease the tension, explaining to the Denalis, "Jaspers still extremely protective of Elias and how he was turned, it was...traumatic, to say the least."
Elias lips spread into a sharp grin. "Ah, at least I got a crack at her before she killed me," he shrugs, looking to Jasper, allowing his own amusement to show. Jasper relaxes a little, smiling back at his mate.
Carmen speaks up for the whole of them when she asks, "I do not understand, the woman turned you?"
Oh. Eli's expression shifts into confusion. He glances at Carlisle and Esme, who say from expression alone that no, they haven't explained what happened to Elias that day.
"Not purposely," the newborn states, lifting one hand to make a clawing motion near his neck, "She tried ripping my throat out but was distracted with the fact she was on fire."
"Because you set her on fire," Jasper corrects, slightly amused about it. He liked the fact Elias held his own, even human.
"Do you have a gift?" Eleazer speaks with a furrowed brow. He looks directly at Elias, his expression trying, "I'm trying to concentrate but it's difficult. I'm sure Carlisle has told you how I can sense peoples gifts. But as I look at you, it's as if..."
"You're grasping after smoke," Is the immediate reply from Jasper- tired sounding. Because he knows from experience what Eleazer feels right now as he tries reading the newborn.
Elias eyes his pouting mate sarcastically, shrugging, "I swear, if I could let you feel my emotions, I would."
"I know," Jasper sniffs, but his eyes are still golden and warm as they watch Eli.
"You always do find the Interesting ones Carlisle," Eleazer hums, watching Elias and Jasper with interest. He doesn't know what power Elias has, but he knows it's powerful, just like his mates. What a pair they are together.
"They find me," Carlisle corrects, giving his sons a smile. He turns towards the Denalis, sweeping an arm to the backyard, where the ceremony will take place. "We can discuss more at a later date. We all have our roles to play and Elias needs to be dressed and gone before any human gets here."
There's a sigh from multiple lips at being left hanging. Elias laughs lightly.
"I suppose we do have forever to get to know each other," Kate teases, winking at the newborn, "but I want to hear all of it."
Eli makes a mock x over his heart in promise.
Once they're gone, Esme leading them out with talk of who's coming, Elias turns to Carlisle, his worry clear on his sharp features. "They know about the wolves coming, don't they?" He asks in a volume that only Carlisle will be able to hear.
"Yes," Carlisle nods, coming over, pressing one hand against both sons cheeks, looking between them happily, "rest assured, today will go smoothly."
Hi! This is kinda a filler chapter, but I like how it has no boundaries and it was brand new? Also the cute family moments melt my heart.
Sorry for the long wait, life's hectic and dramatic for me at the moment. But I came out to my family? So there's that as a positive.
I hope you all like the chapter!
Leave some love,