"So, we came all this way and your plan is literally to just wander dark alleyways until you catch this dude having a snack?"
As soon as the words left her mouth, Kiara almost snorted at how stupid it sounded. She already was doubting the plan that the three vampires had concocted during their journey, but just questioning it out loud really helped her point.
Rosalie rolled her eyes, looking at Beverly who simply shrugged sheepishly. The older Hale sister had even gone as far as telling Kiara that had she not been Rosalie's mate, she would have thrown her out the car half-way through the trip and left her to the wilderness. Who knew that Kiara Black could be more annoying than a ten year old on a road trip?
At least they were out the car now and in the process of tracking down Garrett. In an ideal world, Alice would have been able to almost tell them the exact time and location to find the vampire - but as Kiara had long came to realise, this was not an ideal world and Alice wasn't answering her phone for some reason.
"Look, Kiara, I know this isn't your ideal plan, but we have to trust our instincts on this one. Garrett is a slippery one, and if we want any chance of finding him, we have to be patient," Beverly snapped after a moment, getting annoyed with the small mutters coming from the much younger girl.
Kiara gritted her teeth, feeling the tension rise between them as they continued down the dimly lit alleyway. The dense shadows seemed to swallow the faint streetlights, casting an eerie glow that made Kiara's wolf senses tingle with unease. She couldn't shake off the feeling of being watched, a prickling sensation that crawled down her spine.
As they rounded a corner, a low growl rumbled from the darkness ahead. Kiara's muscles tensed, her instincts urging her to protect her friends. Rosalie's hand shot out, halting Kiara in her tracks as she grabbed on to the hood of the fleece jacket that she'd thrown on once they stepped into the colder Chicago air.
"Looks like we found our boy," Emmett said coolly, a smirk playing on his lips. Kiara bristled at the casual way he referred to the situation, especially from the idea of Garrett that she had in her head from their road-trip conversations.
Kiara bristled as they stepped closer towards one dark alley, hearing pained grunts and groans mixed in with a few low chuckles of amusement. Everything in her nature told her to shift, to lunge into the alley and rush to the aid of the human that was crying out for help. Emmett grabbed her forearm, pushing her backwards a little and into Rosalie's side with a warning glance.
Right, she thought. Control yourself, Kie.
The scent of blood was now stronger, its metallic tang carried on the cold Chicago wind and hitting her nostrils. It nearly made her lose control right then.
"We can't just stand here and do nothing," Kiara muttered, her fists clenching at her sides. "Garrett is...he's..."
"Murdering someone," Emmett finished bluntly. His gaze remained steady on the dark alley entrance. He wasn't as affected by it as Kiara was, but she could see the tension in his posture; although she wasn't sure if it was because of her instead of the scene happening moments away from them.
The light shifted as a car drove past the other end of the alley, suddenly highlighting the very man before their eyes. Garrett was huddled over a figure, his back to them. His chuckles filled the alleyway with an icy laughter that made Kiara shudder.
Kiara couldn't help but growl at the sight of him. The entire situation felt wrong and she hated it. She hated how he was treating a human life as nothing more than a plaything, how he seemed to revel in it all. She took a deep breath in as the three vampires turned to send her one more warning look, and Rosalie's words echoed in her head about them picking off bad people - and she just hoped that Garrett still stuck to that policy.
"Shut up," Garrett spoke, his eyes not leaving the man he had pinned against the wall as he thrashed under his grip. "I hated the first British invasion. I hate the second one even more."
"Even the Beatles? Really Garrett?"
Kiara literally could not have thought of a less funny thing that Emmett could have counteracted that statement with, yet here he was with a shit-eating grin on his face as he positioned himself and Beverly ever so slightly infront of Kiara and Rosalie.
The red-eyed vampire instantly shot his head around to look at them, dropping the man to the ground with a smirk on his face as he recognised three of them without a single moment of hesitation.
While they engaged in a dialogue, Kiara focused on the victim of Garrett's monstrous appetite. A young man, probably not much older than her - skin pale as a ghost from the blood loss and eyes fluttering weakly between consciousness and darkness.
"Old habits die hard."
"Carlisle needs you," Rosalie called back, his eyes snapping to hers with an intensity that Kiara instantly hated. She quivered in her spot a little, her skin suddenly feeling uncomfortable and tight as her inner wolf called out at her to block Rosalie from his view.
The blonde squeezed her girlfriend's forearm, holding her tightly against her side and trying to subtlety remind her that there was a time and a place for her protectiveness and this was not it.
"Sounds interesting," Garrett replied, his eyes not leaving theirs as the man screamed and crawled away from the vampire. His red eyes flickered to Kiara's soft brown ones, an amused smirk falling onto his lips instantly as he realised there was no red, black or gold that coated them like the other vampires.
She wasn't a vampire AND she was standing on the arm of Rosalie Hale. Very interesting indeed.
"First I better finish my meal," Garrett replied, turning and lunging towards the man on the ground.
Without a second of hesitation, Rosalie placed a hand on the side of Kiara's face, moving her head to look at the blonde and not at the sight that was happening down the alleyway. Kiara winced a little as she kept her eyes on Rosalie's, bile rising in her throat as her hearing picked up the sound of Garrett crushing the man's windpipe and ripping his flesh from his neck.
The metallic scent of blood grew thicker in the air, and Kiara's fingernails dug into Rosalie's arm. She felt the blonde vampire's gaze on her, those beautiful golden eyes filled with a mix of sympathy and determination.
"Don't look," Rosalie whispered, her cool hand still cupping Kiara's face.
Emmett and Beverly stared at the scene unfolding before them with equal parts disgust and amusement.
Garrett finished with his meal, relishing the last drops of warm blood before dropping the lifeless man onto the cold concrete ground. He turned back towards them, wiping his mouth with an unfortunate air of satisfaction.
"Now, what did you say Carlisle needed?" he asked casually as if nothing had happened.
"We can explain on the journey back to Forks."
Garrett, in all his cold indifference, glanced at the lifeless body, then back at Emmett, licking blood from his lips.
"Well...I guess I could spare some time for Carlisle."
"Kiara," Rosalie murmured, drawing a shaky breath from the girl. The blonde vampire forced herself to keep a steady gaze on her girlfriend, knowing that any flicker of discomfort would only add to Kiara's struggles. "We can get on the next flight back if that's..."
"Yeah, please," Kiara replied, not even trying to say that she'd put up with the car ride back. She knew that they had said Garrett wasn't a monster, but man... watching him kill someone like that? Yeah, she didn't want to be on a 30 hour road-trip beside him.
Beverly stepped forward and gave both Rosalie and Kiara a reassuring smile.
"We'll meet you back at home," she said softly before turning to look at the red-eyed vampire who was still licking his lips from his recent kill.
Garrett let out another nonchalant shrug before stepping over the remains of his meal, heading their way. He gave a short nod at Beverly's words before focusing on Rosalie and Kiara - more specifically on Kiara.
"Interesting mate you've got there, Rosie," Garrett mused, eyes flashing a dangerous bright red that sent chills down Kiara's spine as he turned to look at the wolf. "Got a weak stomach for this sort of thing? I guess some diets are too rich for others."
Kiara clenched her jaw angrily at his mockery but said nothing. Instead, she buried her face into Rosalie's cool shoulder, trying to block out the stench of blood that was beginning to make her nauseous.
Rosalie shot Garrett a warning look but didn't say anything either. She knew it was useless to argue with him right now; and she knew that the man would certain be biting his own tongue when he eventually discovered that Kiara wasn't like Bella Swan had been - she wasn't as human as Garrett seemed to think.
Kiara couldn't help but press herself more into Rosalie's comforting presence. The blonde vampire held her close, whispering soft reassurances into her ear as they said their goodbyes to the three vampires and stepped into a taxi moments later.
The wolf looked out the window as she nibbled at her fingernails, Rosalie speaking on her phone to someone in... french, maybe? Kiara mused, not knowing that her imprint spoke french but being able to pick out one or two words from her one semester of classes she'd taken when she was younger.
They still had a long night ahead of them — filled with plane rides and explanations — but at that moment surrounded by sparkling city lights with Rosalie's arm safely around her waist, she somehow found it in herself to feel just a little bit at ease.
She was just glad to get back to her pack and just hoped that Jacob and Leah had more fun in Denali.
____
"Hey! Kie!"
Kiara barely had a second to react before arms were thrown around her shoulders, causing her to drop her backpack and stumble backwards slightly as she adjusted to the extra weight leaning against her. Rosalie chuckled from beside her, simply picking up her backpack and heading into the Cullen residence without another word.
"Seth," Kiara breathed, laughing a little as she peeled him off her. "You're acting like I've been sent away for war or something."
"Well, I didn't know when you'd be back!" Seth exclaimed, stepping back and rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "And Rosalie was all... cryptic about who you were going to meet."
"Because it was none of your business," Rosalie called out from the front door, an amused smile on her lips as she entered the house. His dark eyes flicked past her to where Rosalie had disappeared with Kiara's bag.
"Did I interrupt something?" he asked with a smirk, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned his back against the porch railing.
"Yeah, you interrupted me getting my luggage back into the house," Kiara retorted, rolling her eyes fondly at him. His infectious grin had her smiling despite feeling drained from the journey. After a moment she grinned, giving Seth a grateful side glance before reaching out and ruffling his hair.
"Knock it off!" Seth laughed out in protest but didn't move to push her hand away. Instead, he seemed content to continue their journey towards the house just as they were.
Kiara took a few steps up towards the house when her and Seth both stilled, Carlisle exiting the front door and noticing the way they'd both instinctively turned towards the tree line. The blond vampire snapped his gaze in the same direction, surprise flickering across his face for a second as he listened to rustles in the bushes.
Seth took a step back as Kiara brushed her shoulder past him slightly, moving so that she was edging down the steps in front of him. Carlisle noticed how the smile had dropped from her lips, but she didn't seem overly defensive which he took as a good sign.
That makes sense, Carlisle thought as footsteps on gravel sounded from the line, Sam Uley himself walking out fully clothed for a change. Paul and Jared were on his sides, both smiling softly at Kiara as she walked past the house to meet them where they were.
"I would have called, but you said you were out of town," Sam said, shaking hands with Kiara as she came to stand in front of them. Seth moved closely behind her, smiling at Jared and Paul who returned the gesture.
Carlisle watched with amusement from the porch steps, surprised at how things were now so civil compared to previously. He guessed that there was too much history for them all to stay holding on to their grudges for too long.
"I literally just got back moments ago," Kiara joked, her eyes avoiding Paul's. It was clear from the way that he was looking at her that he was still adamant that he wanted to switch to her pack, but that wasn't what Sam was clearly here to discuss. "I'm surprised you were planning on coming here knowing I was gone."
If Sam took any offensive to the defensive in her tone, he didn't voice it.
"Yeah, well, this seemed pretty important," he replied, the smile gone from his lips as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small folded page. Kiara titled her head, accepting it from his hands and allowing her eyes to roll over the handwritten script on the paper.
'Gather as many witnesses as you can before the snow sticks to the ground. That's when they'll come.'
"Carlisle!" Kiara called out, not turning to look at the man.
The other four wolves jumped a little as the man appeared directly beside her without any hesitation, Kiara being so used to it that she didn't even bat an eyelid. His golden eyes were filled with concern as he read the words too, surprised as he instantly recognised it to be Alice's hand-writing.
"Alice asked me to give you that," Sam explained, his attention focused on the vampire leader now. "She and Jasper crossed our lands to the ocean last night."
Carlisle and Kiara shared a look, before Carlisle thanked Sam and headed back inside with Seth on his trail as he went to inform the others that were still at the house about Alice and Jaspers departure. Carlisle and Esme had already planned to head to Brazil that night, so they were all a little confused as to why Alice was instructing them to continue doing what they had planned anyway.
Just as Kiara went to turn around, Sam's firm hand grasped her elbow and stopped her from walking after Seth and Carlisle.
"Kie, what's going on?"
Kiara sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose for a second. The last thing she wanted to do was get the other pack involved in more vampire drama.
She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, leaning back against the house. She couldn't help but glance back at the house, wanting nothing more than to be inside with Rosalie. But she had obligations to her pack, and responsibilities to uphold. She signed up for this when she decided to keep her pack as hers.
"Vampires from Italy are planning to come here," she began, her voice steady despite the anxiety starting to gnaw at her insides. "They're not so friendly."
"The Volturi." Sam released her elbow and stepped back, his face hardening. The surprise on Paul's and Jared's faces quickly morphed into similar expressions.
"Well," Sam said after a moment of heavy silence, "we'll do what we can to help."
"Sam-"
"I've said what I said, Kie. The pack has faced danger before," Sam pointed out with a shrug. "Plus we owe you one. We owe... them one."
There was a short pause between them as Kiara scanned his face for any sign of doubt or concern. All she was met with was the promise in his eyes and the stubbornness that she'd always associated with the man.
"This isn't like before," Kiara started but Sam cut her off.
"I know."
A silence fell between them.
Kiara was surprised at the lack of objections from the two other boys on either side of Sam, but a quick glance at them both told her that they were in too. She wasn't that surprised by Paul, since he was trying his hardest to win her back, but she was surprised at how easily Jared was willing to suddenly stick his neck out for the Cullens.
"So Alice and Jasper have gone AWOL," Kiara recapped. "We're not sure why but according to this note, they want us to gather witnesses - which we were doing anyway."
"That's why you weren't here yesterday," Paul replied, confusion in his voice.
"I was helping Rosalie, Emmett and Beverly find an... old friend."
Another silence, more comfortable than the last.
Kiara cleared her throat, breaking the silence and drawing all eyes back to her. She felt a surge of confidence, bolstered by the steady gaze of her old packmates.
Sam raised an eyebrow at her, curiosity sparking in his eyes. Paul looked skeptical, but he didn't interrupt. He just crossed his arms over his chest and waited for her to continue. Jared simply nodded, urging her on with an encouraging smile.
"More vampires mean more... activity," Kiara began cautiously, watching their reactions keenly. She saw comprehension dawn in Sam's eyes first, followed by a flicker of concern on Paul's face. Jared stayed impassive but there was a spark of understanding in his gaze.
"Activity that might trigger more shifts among our people," Sam completed, laying out the crux of her thought before them.
The silence that followed was heavy with implications. Though they had learned to live in harmony with the Cullens and even Kiara's bond with Rosalie was now accepted, it was still a touchy subject amongst the tribe.
"The visiting vamps have agreed to hunt outside our area," Kiara added quickly, wanting to quell any immediate fears. "But..."
"They've still got to hunt somewhere," Sam murmured, following her unease.
"Yeah," she murmured, her eyes flickering back to the house where she could see Carlisle showing the note to Rosalie, Seth, Bree and Esme inside.
"The tribe has always adapted," Sam confirmed, his voice steady and confident despite the trepidation they all felt inside. "No matter what outsiders bring into our world, we can handle it. We have handled it, time and time again."
The affirmation brought a sigh of relief from Kiara as she nodded in agreement. It was probably the most supportive Sam had ever been regarding the Cullens and it brought a small smile to Kiara's lips.
Kiara's gaze lingered on Rosalie's silhouette in the window. Even from this distance, she could sense worrying emanating from her lover. The thought of losing Rosalie or anyone from her newfound family was unbearable.
"There's something else you aren't telling us," Paul stated, his voice much lower than the rest of their conversation had been. "Something they don't know."
Kiara looked back at Paul, an almost begging look in her eyes as Sam and Jared bristled at the fact that Paul had clearly been right for Kiara to have reacted like that.
"Yeah," Kiara responded, meeting Paul's gaze but saying no more. The look in her eyes was not of fear or anxiety but of a strong, unwavering determination. The boys exchanged glances, expecting her to continue. "I'll tell you. But not here, not now."
This brought raised eyebrows and confused frowns from the others. Kiara sighed, running a hand through her tousled black hair.
"Look, it's not something that's gonna change anything right this second. And it can wait until after we've dealt with...well, everything."
"Okay, then," Paul spoke up after a moment of heavy silence. His voice was soft, supportive. "I trust you."
She knew that once everything was over, she would have to tell them. Admit to them all - wolves and vampires - about the discovery Carlisle had made about her vampire bites. Admit to them that something was changing inside her.
But for now, they had bigger fish to fry.
_____
"Aunt Kie! Aunt Rose!"
Renesmee came bounding out of the car, barely stopping for a second as she threw herself towards Kiara who was standing on the steps of the house. Rosalie chuckled as she swapped woman, moving from Kiara to hug the blonde vampire instead.
Kiara ruffled her hair, narrowly dodging the bare hand that came towards her arm, wiggling a finger at Renesmee who pouted a little.
"No, I'd rather not have you subject me to seeing myself throw up again, Nessie."
"Kiara," Bella called out, a warning in her voice as she used the nickname that she hated. Despite her tone, there was a small ghost of a smile on her lips as she watched her daughter with the couple. "Leave it be."
Jacob stepped out of the car, bringing his sister into a tight hug as soon as his feet touched solid ground. Kiara furrowed her eyebrows in surprise, not used to Jacob openly showing affection but there was something about the group that she just couldn't quite put her finger on. She looked between the three before turning her head to see Edward taking Renesmee's backpack out of the car and Leah still sitting in the backseat - clearly no intention of moving.
"What's up with her?"
"Yeah, about that..." Jacob murmured as Leah's eyes snapped up to meet theirs through the glass. "I think you should like, speak to her... sooner rather than later. And like really soon, as in before the Denali's arrive. They won't be long behind us."
"What did you do?" She wasn't exactly accusing him, but given his history with the Cullen family, she wouldn't put it past him to have caused a situation.
"Nothing!" Jacob insisted, looking hurt. "It's not about me!" He pointedly looked towards the car and Leah. Kiara sighed deeply at that, understanding that this was something she couldn't pawn off onto Jacob.
"Okay, okay," she acquiesced, holding her hands up in surrender.
Kiara glanced at Jacob with a puzzled look, before shifting her gaze back to the car. The dull grey skies reflected off the glossy jet-black paint of the car door as she approached, leaving her own reflection staring back at her.
Tapping the glass lightly, Kiara gave Leah a soft smile only to receive an unreadable expression in return. Taking in a deep breath, she yanked open the car door and slid into the backseat, right next to Leah.
Kiara sat silently for a moment, waiting for Leah to take the initiative. When nothing came but silence vibrating off them as much as the car's idle engine, she decided to delve headfirst.
"Jacob tells me you have something you need to talk about," said Kiara calmly, her eyes searching Leah's face for any signs of what was to come.
Leah sighed heavily before turning towards Kiara with an odd look in her eyes before turning and staring back ahead. She continued staring straight ahead for the longest time as if trying to will herself somewhere else entirely. Kiara said nothing and just waited in silence until Leah finally spoke.
"I imprinted," she said in a small voice without turning to look at Kiara.
Kiara blinked at Leah in surprise, unable to mask her shock despite having mentally prepared herself for all sorts of news - but not this.
"Leah, that's-"
"On a girl."
"Ah," was all Kiara could muster up initially, processing the news and its implications. She let out a low whistle. "I mean... are you open to girls? I know we haven't spoke much about your -"
"Who is also a vampire."
"Oh," Kiara mused. "Well, you know, me and Seth - we know what it's..."
"And is a Denali."
What the fuck is going on with all these imprints, Kiara thought.
"You...what?" she stammered, not quite sure if she had heard right. The confirmation was there in Leah's eyes; they were glazed over with an unspoken longing that made Kiara's own heart ache.
Nodding slightly, Leah turned to face Kiara properly for the first time since entering the car. Her eyes bore into Kiara's, holding a level of seriousness that she rarely ever showed.
"I imprinted. On one of the Denali sisters."
"Wow," Kiara finally managed to whisper out, her voice distant as she patted Leah's hand. Her mind was flooded with thoughts of what could happen next. This wasn't the same as her and Seth imprinting on a Cullen... this was much more unexpected and that was saying something.
Leah's face was a canvas of conflicting emotions. She sighed, rubbled her face in exasperation, and then finally let out an ironic chuckle.
"Yeah, wow indeed."
Kiara could see the amount of stress Leah had been under, imprinted or not, and it made her heart sank.
"Hey," she said softly, placing a comforting hand on Leah's shoulder. "We'll figure this out. We always do."
Leah nodded slowly at Kiara's words and allowed herself a small smile of appreciation.
The car door opened again, and Jacob glanced at the two with an inquisitive look that faded into relief when he got a nod from his sister, signalling that things were at least somewhat alright.
"Not to ruin the mood, but Edward wants to move his car into the garage before Emmett and the others get back. Looks like they're only a few miles out - along with the Denalis."
Kiara and Leah both groaned at the same time, Leah turning to look at her in confusion as to why she was groaning at the news that the vampires were returning.
"It's a long story," Kiara breathed, a twinkle in her eyes as she laughed a little, moving out of the back-seat and into the fresh air. "You guys weren't the only one with a bit of an eventful trip."
Rosalie's curiosity towards their lengthy whispering in the car finally got the better of her and she waited on the porch steps for Kiara as soon as she stepped out of the vehicle. In contrast to her usual icy demeanour, Rosalie expressed genuine concern hidden behind her golden eyes.
"What was that about?" she asked quietly. Kiara threw Rosalie a tired smile before leaning against her beloved vampire for support.
"Just a bit of a situation brewing up," she replied cryptically, not wanting to set Leah off. She lowered her voice as she leaned in and pressed her lips against Rosalie's ear. "Leah imprinted on a Denali."
Rosalie raised an eyebrow at her but didn't press further, instead, she wrapped an arm around Kiara and held her close.
"Can I ask you a question?" Kiara murmured, aware that they had a minute of peace before everything got crazy again.
"Always."
Kiara paused, before deciding to just bite the bullet.
"Did you sleep with Garrett, like before me?"
Rosalie, who had been nuzzling Kiara's hair, froze at the sudden question. Her golden eyes wide with surprise, she pulled back to look at Kiara. After a moment, comprehension dawned on her and she let out a short laugh.
"Are you... jealous?"
Kiara shifted uncomfortably, her gaze fixed on some distant point. Her silence spoke volumes.
"Hey," Rosalie said gently, lifting Kiara's chin so their eyes could meet. "Yes, I did. A few times. But that was a long time ago, before I even knew you existed... well, before you did actually exist, if we want to be factual."
An uncanny wave of jealousy washed over her - irrational and childish, but it was there nonetheless. Followed by a momentarily wave of disgust - not at Rosalie having slept with him, but rather Rosalie reminding her of their age gap.
"Please don't remind me that you're like, geriatric," Kiara muttered, Rosalie just rolling her eyes at the response.
Seeing Kiara's unease, Rosalie smirked, her competitive nature coming to the fore. She leaned in closer until their noses were practically touching.
"Remember how you slept with Paul before me?" she teased causing Kiara to groan and bury her face in Rosalie's neck in embarrassment. "And Riley? And various other one-night stands?"
"You don't play fair do you?" Kiara mumbled into Rosalie's skin but her tone was lighter than before, the jealousy receding.
Rosalie smiled back at her then, pressing a soft kiss to Kiara's forehead before pulling her closer into her arms. Their bodies fit perfectly together, a reminder that they were literally made for each other.
"Garrett is many things, but he's respectable," Rosalie murmured gently as she trailed light kisses from Kiara's forehead to her lips. "He knows we're history, and even if he thought we weren't, he would never think about making a move now that he knows I have a mate."
Kiara hummed at that.
The world might have been full of chaos and uncertainty, but there was one thing Kiara knew for sure: Rosalie Hale was hers and she was Rosalie Hale's – past relationships notwithstanding.
And in the end, that was all that mattered.
____
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In the book and film, Alice and Jasper leave before they go to find friends, but I swapped it up just so things flowed a little bit better for this story :)
For those of you that guessed Leah was going to imprint on Kate - you were right! I do love Garrett and Kate, but I wanted to explore this dynamic too. It's certainly going to be a lot different than how Rosalie x Kiara's bond started, which is going to be very fun.