Aiyanna
By the end of the day, the text I sent Sam about the information Edward had given me, was still unanswered.
It was the first time that we knew when Victoria was planning to come to Forks. It was our chance to use this information to our advantage.
Jessica and Angela had waited for me at the end of class, as we had planned to go to Angela's place and study. The fact that I knew I couldn't make it was saddening me more than it would have done before. Maybe because I also missed just being a 18-year old human.
When I walked up to them, my disappointment might have been visible on my face because Angela talked first.
"You can't make it today, can you ?" she assumed after interpreting my face expressions.
I sighed and shook my head. "Can we reschedule it to tomorrow ? I need to drop by somewhere."
Angela smiled and nudged my arm with hers. "Of course, yes."
I returned her smile and the three of us walked to the parking lot.
"Did Edward really talk to you earlier ? What did he say ?" Jessica asked, refering to when he found me during lunch period.
Of course, I couldn't really tell her about the information I had been given.
"He just explained why they had to leave so suddenly and why he judged best to break up with me. Nothing I didn't really know." I lied, making sure not to contradict their lie.
"Do you still love him ?" Jessica asked.
"Jess !" Angela hissed.
"Okay, sorry..."
I was thankful for Angela's intervention. It allowed me to escape Jessica's question.
What I felt for Edward was unexplainable. Whenever he was around, I didn't remember anything about the feelings I felt for him before I imprinted on him. The emptiness, the disappointment....it was as if he was the own remedy to the pain his departure had given me.
As soon as we walked out of the building and landed in the school's parking lot, I was reminded that he was probably listening to our conversation. Although I was sure Edward, Alice and Jasper had gotten to Edward's Volvo even before we all processed that the bell was ringing, they were strangely still there. Waiting. But why ?
"Are you sure you can't make it ?" Jessica asked me.
"Yes. Are you still going to study today ?" I asked them.
"Yeah. I went to every class and still feel like I need to study as much as you do."
I scoffed. "And yet, you're still going to prom."
"Mike invited me. There was no way I'd say no." Jessica answered, her tone making her answer obvious.
"Well, I'll see you guys tomorrow then." I told them, and Angela nodded before they both waved at me while walking to the right side of the parking lot where their cars were parked while mine was on the left side...where the Volvo was still parked.
With a sigh, I walked straight to my car while keeping my car as my focus point not to make eye contact with the Cullens. The three of them were seated inside the car, not saying a word. If they had been communicating, I would have heard them.
Once I hopped in my car and locked the doors, I heard Edward talk from his seat, behind his steering wheel.
"Alice is going to take Bella out of town for the weekend. At least we can have the certainty that Victoria won't go after her." Edward said.
Even if the Cullens hadn't taken on the responsibility to get Bella out of town, Sam or I would have assigned one of us to keep an eye on her. The boys wouldn't have liked it because it meant that they would miss the chase and only see it happening from afar, but we had to do it. Bella needed more protection than I did.
"Is there any chance that the vision could get any clearer ?" I asked.
If only we could know precisely where Victoria would come from, we could set the perfect ambush.
"Now that you wolves are getting involved, there are little chances for me to see anything." Alice answered, this time.
"I see..."
"Of course, if I catch something new we'll let you know."
I nodded, forgetting that they couldn't see me. "Thank you."
"Does your pack know how to take down one of us ?" I heard Jasper ask me.
I scoffed. "You guys left with information about your kind that I gladly shared with my pack. And even if I didn't know that much about vampires, I'm pretty sure our instincts would have been enough. Laurent paid the price already."
"Laurent came back ?" Edward asked, his surprise could be heard in his voice. "And you didn't see him ?" he then asked, but this time I felt like the question wasn't addressed to me.
There was a small pause, during which I believed Alice answered Edward's question in her mind.
"We wouldn't have killed him if he hadn't tried to kill Bella, who happened to be hiking that day of course. Besides, he didn't seem to have adopted your diet." I spoke again.
Images of Laurent's red eyes or the way he had stared at Bella as if he was looking at the most delicious food in the world resurfaced in my mind, which I believed Edward saw too.
"Then Victoria's really moving on her own." Jasper deducted. "It's good to know."
I could almost see Jasper plotting for this weekend's chase. I knew his story, and how he had been involved with newborns and war. Fights were his expertise.
Although the boys had made it clear that they wanted to deal with Victoria on their own without working with the Cullens, I strangely found myself sharing information with them. Well, they were as involved as we were. It all started with them.
Now that I thought about it, I hadn't felt discomfort as I talked to them. Probably because we were in different cars, not facing each other. I thought I could never talk to them again, or at least not on the first day of school.
But then, I realized that the reason why I hadn't felt uncomfortable was because the subject wasn't touching me personally. It was all about our common target.
Maybe I controlled my feelings more than I thought I did. Which was scarier, now that I thought about the imprint. Was I really not in control of my feelings around Edward, as I thought I was ?
"We never should have left, you idiot..." Alice snarled, but this time again, I felt like these words weren't directed to me either. "Aiyanna, I'm sorry. I should have stood up to Edward when he told us to leave so suddenly. We never should have left you alone like this."
Alice knew Edward better than I did. Even if one of them stood up to him, he never would have let them stay or give me a heads up before leaving.
Whether I liked it or not, it looked like I would have to be around the Cullens more than I intended to. It was beneficial for both sides.
So, just like I was able to put my feelings aside during this whole conversation, I decided to do the same for the rest of the day and the ones that were to come.
"I'll take the apologies for now. The rest will need time." I said.
"I'm okay with that. I have eternity ahead of me." Alice answered, and I could almost sense her smile through her voice.
I refrained a smile from curving my lips upwards. "So do I..." I exhaled.
~~
We gathered at Sam's place after school most of the time, so I had no doubts that most of the boys would be there by the time I would join them.
When I parked in front of Sam's place, I saw a few faces peeking through the open door to see who it was. Since my school was in Forks, it took longer for me to come here than for them, who attended the same high school in La Push.
I grabbed my bag and walked towards the small house.
Sam and Paul were in patrol today, which explained why they were not here and why Sam hadn't answered my text yet.
As I walked in, I noticed that both Ricky and Jacob were getting themselves ready for patrol so Sam and Paul could come back home.
"Wait a minute." I told them, as I put my bag on the chair I planned to sit on to do my homework before I greeted the others. "Emily's not here ?"
The only ones here were Embry, Quil, Seth, Jacob and Ricky. Emily's scent lingered in the house but I couldn't feel her presence.
"She went out with her sister and Claire, my niece...niece ? Cousin ? Niece ?" Seth answered, suddenly doubting as he thought of his family tree.
I smiled slightly. "Niece. And Leah ?"
"I think she's home. Do you want me to call her ?"
I shook my head. "Can you do that for me, please ?"
Seth quickly nodded and did as I asked.
"Is something wrong ?" Ricky asked me.
"Victoria is coming to town this weekend" I answered.
"What ? How do you know that ?" Quil asked, his eyes wide open.
I had already told the boys about vampire's gifts but Quil, Leah and Seth didn't know about it yet. I hadn't given them any information on vampires yet as I wished to wait for their training to really tell them everything I knew about them.
"I saw the Cullens at school. Some vampires have gifts which can be either dangerous or not, to us. It gives them an advantage compared to regular vampires." I told both Quil and Seth. "While Edward can read thoughts, Jasper can control and feel people's emotions and finally, Alice can see the future."
"So the leech saw the redhead coming." Jacob deducted, to which I nodded.
"Yes, but there's a flaw in her gift apparently. We blur her visions. If one of us is around her or if we get involved with the person she wants to see the future of, she won't see anything. Which means that she can't see our future either."
As a werewolf, it was great news that a vampire couldn't predict our plans, even though there were no reasons for us to plot against them. The treaty was very well respected on our side.
"That's good news for us." Embry intervened. "Did she say where the redhead would come from ?"
"She couldn't see that, unfortunately." I answered before I looked back at Jacob. "They'll be taking Bella out of town just in case."
I knew that Jacob and Bella were close. At least, that was how I left them before I ran away, which was why I judged important for him to know about this detail.
However, against all odds, Jacob didn't react much to it. His face had no emotions at the mention of her name, contrarily to before.
"The fact that we're able to know when Victoria's coming should be to our advantage." I spoke again before my eyes flickered to both Quil and Seth who put his phone down after sending a text to Leah. "That's why I'm going to speed up your training. I'll do my part today and Wednesday. Sam will take care of the rest."
It was mandatory for them to be trained, but I knew very well that even if we managed to catch Victoria this weekend, Quil, Seth and Leah wouldn't be on the first line. It was too soon and too dangerous for them.
"Since Sam and Paul were on patrol today, Ricky and Jacob will come with me. I'm sorry Embry, but can you take their shift tonight ?" I asked him.
Our shifts were generally set in advance so we could actually balance with our lives on the side. None of us liked to have our shift changed so suddenly, but then, it was something we got used to.
"Only if you take mine on Thursday." Embry negociated, giving me his fakest smile.
"I would love to." I said, returning his smile. "I'll text Jared too. He's going to kill me." I sighed.
Embry scoffed. "Orders are orders."
The sound of a car on the way to the house brought our attention outside. Although Sam had a car, he barely used it and since he was on patrol during daytime today, the chances for him to be the driver were close to zero.
Emily was sitting on the passenger seat, next to a woman who looked like her, if not a bit older and without the scar on the side of her face.
The child Claire, as Seth had called her, was seated in a child's seat behind Emily. She was the cutest child I had seen in a long time. Her full cheeks were slightly pink, which made me want to bite them and her hair had been put into high pigtails with pink ribbons on both of them. She was two or three years old at most.
Seth was faster than the rest of us and went outside as Emily's sister parked beside my car, and came out of it followed by Emily.
"Seth ! How are you big guy ?" Emily's sister asked as she went for a hug directly while Emily took care of taking Claire out of her seat.
"I'm good !" Seth answered on the same tone.
Emily's sister, whom I still didn't know the name of, smiled at Seth softly. "How is Sue doing ? And Leah ?"
"We're still getting used to it." Seth said.
I walked to the porch and felt the presence of the guys behind me, doing so as well.
"Setty uncle !" Claire exclaimed with her arms open while being carried by Emily.
Seth was quick to accept Claire's invitation to carry him and twirled her around once she was in his arms.
"I missed you Claire-bear !" Seth told her.
As much heartwarming and cute this scene was, something none of us would have expected happened right before our eyes.
I felt it. We all did.
The change in the atmosphere.
When Seth stopped turning, Claire had looked at the entrance of the house where we were all standing. However, she was looking past us. Her eyes had encountered Quil's who had been frozen on his seat since the beginning and I knew what it felt like oh too well.
I could almost see the invisible yet unbreakable string that tied Quil to Claire in front of my eyes.
"What is it Claire ?" Her mother asked, as she brought her daughter's attention back to herself.
The boys and I eyed each other, before my eyes fell on Emily who looked back at me with doubts visible on her face expressions.
No matter how crazy it was, it did happened.
I lightly nodded at Emily, confirming the assumptions in her mind, and her face expressions turned for a shocked one.
Quil imprinted on the two-year old Claire.
A/N : Okay ! I read your comments on the previous chapter regarding Aiyanna's cold behavior towards the Cullens so I changed my plans a little to soften her a little bit. It's not much though but it's progress.
Also, I have a question for you guys. In the story, the week just started and Victoria's only coming on the weekend. So, do you guys want to read a little bit more human scenes where Aiyanna's at school, hanging out with her human friends, attending class and stuff or do you guys just want to skip to Victoria's chase ?
I tend to skip a lot of Aiyanna's human moments because I'm scared it might be too boring, but that's my opinion. If you actually want to have more day-to-day chapters (while still trying to make it interesting), I can make that happen.
So let me know ;-)