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SKIN & BONES
vi. THE SILENCE OF THE LAMB
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SHAKING HER HEAD, LORELAI uncontrollably laughed as she sat beside her sister moments later at the top of the hill. "Are you fucking with me, Bella?" she demanded in amusement. "Okay, say Dad lets you get a butterfly tattoo. I still wouldn't approve!"
Making a face, Bella asked, "What! Why?"
"That's lame as hell!" she continued to tease. "I'd rather see you get a... oh, I don't know... a chain-smoking bunny on your ribcage or something. Now, that is what I call a conversation starter."
Oh, how times seemed to be so much easier.
Rory had never thought about what it was like to have a blood singer of her own. She knew Bella was Edward's. She knew Alice was Stella's, as well as James's. She knew that having a blood singer, or in more formal terms, la tua cantante meant that the blood of one specific being was what you craved most.
She couldn't quite wrap her mind around what had just happened. Between her sister dying and realizing that her newborn niece's blood was what she desired most, Rory was sure she was going to be sick.
"Alice! Jasper!" shouted Edward while Rory emotionlessly stared at Bella's unmoving body. Rosalie had just taken baby Renesmee out of the room, and Jacob was too busy crying his eyes out over Bella's death to do anything else.
Rory exited the room her little sister had just died in, feeling absolutely empty. The sound of the wolves growing viciously filled her ears. She scoffed. She couldn't believe that after everything, those stupid mutts had the audacity to come in and try to kill Renesmee.
Perhaps it was the fact that Renesmee's blood sang to Rory or perhaps it was the fact that Rory had a lot of anger and frustration she needed to get out that made her feel so incredibly protective over her niece. Rory didn't care to figure out which one it was.
"We're outnumbered."
"By a lot."
Rory exited the Cullen household. Her boyfriend, her brother-in-law, and Alice stood in a single line at the entrance of the home.
"I won't let them hurt my family," Rory snarled, making her way forward. Despite feeling entirely drained from what she had just put herself through, this newfound protectiveness seemed to fuel some energy into Rory.
Rory glanced back at Jasper, who had noticed a newfound rush of fury in her. He was concerned. Regardless, they could talk about that later. Instead, they looked back at the wolves before they proceeded to charge at the four vampires.
The more Rory thought about the werewolves hurting Renesmee, the angrier Rory grew. With every punch, every kick, every shout, Rory felt herself becoming the equivalent to the Incredible Hulk.
Rory narrowed her eyes at Sam Uley in his wolf form. He hovered over Edward, who laid on the ground. Rory released some kind of strange battle cry whilst running at Sam, throwing him off of her brother-in-law.
From behind her, Carlisle, Esme, and Emmett returned onto the property, throwing down the wolves in their way.
Rory looked around at the madness, pushing away each wolf who came near her. After all this time, Rory had considered them friends. However, now, all she could think about was protecting Renesmee, despite how much she craved her niece's blood.
Swallowing the knot in her throat, Rory was so close to snapping a wolf's neck when Jacob went dashing onto the scene.
"Stop!" shouted Jacob. He glared daggers into Sam's wolf form, jumping back when the wolf nipped at him. "It's over! You kill her, you kill me!"
Jacob growled at them as he shifted into his wolf form. Rory snapped her gaze in Edward's direction as he declared, "Jacob imprinted. They can't hurt her. Whoever a wolf imprints on can't be harmed. It is their most absolute law."
'Of course Ren is his imprint and my blood singer. Of course Ren also happens to be my sister's daughter. Of course,' Rory thought loudly.
Edward's gaze snapped in his sister-in-law's direction. Now, after ignoring her for so long, was he hearing her thoughts as the wolves backed away.
Now, Edward Cullen was hearing the Manipulator loud and clear.
And, boy, was Rory scared.
Revised: January 7th, 2020