( outfit for
chapter above )
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chapter seven
alliance.
"You never told me your boyfriend's house was a mansion," Darien scolded the young mother as him, Christina and Bella made their way up the front steps.
"It's not," Christina laughed with an eye roll. Bella weaved into the crowd as she saw a couple friends from school as the young mother and her friend stayed on the outskirts of the group.
"So, the rumors are true," Darien sighed as he placed an arm around her shoulders. "You two are back together."
"What rumors?" Christina scoffed, joking pushing him into the crowd of dancers.
He was quick to grip onto her arm as he got dragged through the living room. They both laughed as they ended up in the middle of the dancers, but it didn't stop him from leaning forward and answering, "Marilyn is terrible at keeping secrets."
Christina rolled her green eyes, but danced along with the music, not responding to his taunts.
"Thanks for inviting me," he mentioned over the crowd. "Even though there's no booze, I love a great party."
"Thank you!" Alice gushed as she squeezed her way through the crowd.
Christina chuckled. "Just be thankful you didn't get stuck with babysitting duty!"
Darien hummed with squinted eyes. "Funny." His brown eyes shifted over Christina's shoulder before gasping and pulling her deeper into the crowd.
"What is your deal—"
"That's the guy," Darien said, pointing to a blond walking in the middle of the crowd. He was heading towards the kitchen before greeting a bunch of friends hanging around the punch bowl.
"What guy?" Christina asked, turning back to look at her friend.
He scoffed before slapping her forearm.
"Ow?" She laughed before slapping his back.
They both started slapping each other's arms in retaliation, before Darien groaned, "alright, alright."
Christina grinned triumphantly.
"Remember how I told you about that guy that I dated for a short while, but broke it off with after he wouldn't admit that he was gay?" Darien explained, his brown eyes shifting back and forth between the young mother and the kitchen. Keeping an eye on the guy in question.
"Uh, sure," came Christina's answer.
Darien narrowed his eyes before sighing. "Alright, well that's him. He left me a voicemail asking me to give him another chance to prove himself, but I don't know."
"Go for it," Christina encouraged. "You seemed to really like the guy."
Darien sighed. "Yeah, but—"
"Nina!" Bella gripped onto her sister's arm, making both her and Darien look at her in alarm. "He's here."
"Who is?" Darien asked, but Christina was busy shifting her eyes throughout the crowd.
She didn't have to look long since him and his disciples were taller than most of the guests lingering around the front door. The young mother slipped out of Bella's grasp as she moved towards the front door with purpose; Bella following after her trying to slow her down.
Darien made a move to follow after the two sisters but was pulled away as the blond grabbed his attention; his heart dropping into his feet.
"Hey!" Christina caught the boys attention, her anger rising as she noticed Seth behind the three men. "What are you doing here?" Christina snared as she went toe to toe with Jacob, not afraid of staring up at his six foot four height.
"Bella invited me," Jacob pointed out, glancing behind the young mother towards the girl in question.
Bella was nervously looking around for a Cullen to pull Christina back before there was another broken wrist.
"Was her right hook too subtle for you?" Christina asked with a snap. "That was you being uninvited, pup. Now, go home."
Embry and Quil narrowed their eyes at Christina's words but Jacob just ignored her warning. He looked over Christina head towards Bella, "can we talk?"
Bella looked between her sister and her best friend before nodding her head with a sigh. Christina switched her glare from Jacob towards the three boys behind him and landed on Seth; who looked like he wanted to be anywhere other than in the presence of the angry mother.
"I guess she knows Seth," Quil joked looking back at the newest member of the pack.
"Look, I'm sorry, just let me explain—"
Christina made a grab for an umbrella next to the door, but was pulled away as Bella raced towards the stairs; Christina's wrist in her grasp.
"Bella!" Christina complained before seeing the look on Alice's face. The pixie was staring into the abyss of her own mind before blinking to attention, and noticed the two human sisters in front of her.
"Alice, what did you see?" Bella asked, ignoring the feel of the pack stepping behind the two girls; curious about what caught their attention so quickly.
"Okay." Jacob stepped closer to the three girls. "Something is going on. Tell me."
"It has nothing to do with you dogs," Christina snapped, still not happy with the fact they were here. Her fist gripped tightly as she glared back towards Seth. "Leave."
"I... need to talk with Jasper," Alice answered as she tried moving at the group.
Jacob was quick to put his arm up to block Alice's exit, while Embry and Quil stood behind her.
"Why don't you talk to me?" Jacob said, glaring down at Alice.
Christina stepped forward with menace in her eyes. "Yeah, you're real good about forcing girls to do what you want, aren't you, mongrel?"
Jacob lowered his glare until he met Christina's green stormy eyes. She stepped closer to him with her fist raised, but instead of meeting a warm face, it met a cool hand. Christina gritted her teeth as Carlisle held her to his chest, and Jasper appeared on the other side of Jacob's arm.
"Let's not make more of a scene," Carlisle whispered gently in his girlfriends ear, making her relax her posture and step back from Jacob and more into Carlisle's embrace.
"I suggest removing your arm," Jasper threaten, making eye contact with Jacob with crazed golden eyes. "Before I do."
Jacob slowly dropped his arm and stepped back from the vampires, as the pack stood together once again.
"The decisions been made," Alice spike up, gaining back the attention to her.
"You're not going to Seattle," Bella said slowly.
Alice shook her head. "No... they're coming here."
With his arms still around Christina, keeping her calm, Carlisle spoke up to the group. "Let's move this discussion to my office." His golden eyes moved around the room where the newly graduated students were partying.
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"How long?" Edward asked as all of the Cullens— and much to Christina and Rosalie's displeasure— along with the wolf pack settled themselves in Carlisle's office.
Christina sat down on Carlisle's window sill next to Bella. She refused to let go of Carlisle's hand that was rested on her thigh, trying to keep her emotions under control. He gently squeezed her thigh as he sensed her anxiety raise higher.
"They'll be here in four days," Alice answered, not pleasing either of the humans in the room.
"This could turn into a blood bath," Carlisle muttered softly. Christina's heart dropped as her grip tighten around his hand.
"Who's behind it?" Edward asked, crossing his arms against his chest.
"I didn't see anyone I recognized." Alice paused as she thought over the vision. "Maybe one..."
"I know his face," Edward nodded. "He's local, Riley Biers."
"He went missing about a year ago," Christina mentioned with a frown. "His parents have been putting up fliers everywhere. My dad brought some home the other day."
"He didn't start this," Edward continued.
Alice sighed. "Whoever did is staying out of the action."
"They must be playing with the blind spots in your visions," Carlisle pointed out.
"Either way," Jasper started, shifting his position from the wall to be the edge of the circle. All eyes turns towards him as he continued, "the army is coming... and there aren't enough of us to protect the town."
Christina stood along with Bella as anxiety started to settle within both of their bones. Carlisle immediately pulled Christina into his side, feeling the race of her heart against his rib cage.
Jacob stepped forward, away from the three boys behind him. "Hold on. What damn army?"
Carlisle and Edward glanced at each other, having a silent conversation between the two of them before the former answered, "newborns... our kind."
"What are they after?" Embry questioned.
All eyes turned towards Alice for an answer. She sighed deeply. "They were passing around a few scents— Bella's, Christina's and Annie's."
A burning sensation started from behind Christina's eyes as growls were heard throughout the room. "Carlisle," Christina mumbled looking up towards the doctor. "He took Annie once already—"
"It's alright," he whispered, bringing her into his chest as tears leaked out of her eyes, staining his button up shirt.
"They're after the girls?" Embry snarled.
"What the hell does that mean?" Jacob snapped, not liking how long they were out of the loop for.
"It means an ugly fight," Carlisle answered, still trying to soothe the upset mother. "With lives lost."
It was silent for a moment as all four wolves looked to each other. They all had a silent conversation with their eyes before each giving a single nod.
"Alright, we're in," Jacob announced.
Christina turned her red rimmed eyes towards the wolf pack as Bella objected harshly. "No. You'll get yourselves killed. No way."
Jacob's lips twitched up into a smirk with amusement, before dropping. "I wasn't asking permission."
"Edward—"
"It means more protection for you," Edward interrupted Bella, giving a single nod to the wolves.
Bella gaped at her boyfriend before looking towards the leader of the coven. "Carlisle."
He purses his lips before looking towards Jacob. "Do you believe Sam will agree to... an understanding?"
Jacob nodded his head with a smirk. "As long as we get to kill some vampires."
"Jasper?" Carlisle asked, looking towards his newest son.
The blond nodded his head. "They'll give us the numbers. And the newborns won't know they even exist. That'll give us an edge."
Carlisle nodded before looking back towards the wolves. "We'll need to coordinate."
"Christina, come on," Bella pleaded looking at the tearful mother. "They'll get hurt."
"Enough, Bella," Christina lectured. "Just the other day, you wanted to be out in the field."
Bella frowned at the fact that her sister was right before shuffling into Edward's embrace.
"We're all going to need some training," Carlisle stated, running his hand up and down Christina's arm for comfort. "Fighting newborns requires knowledge that Jasper has. You're welcome to join us."
Jacob nodded his head. "Just name the time and place."
Bella tried pleading one last time to get someone to see reason. "Jake... you don't know what you're getting yourself in to."
Jacob clinked his tongue. "Bella... this is what we do. You two should be happy," Jacob taunted lightly as he looked at both sisters. "Look at us, working together. You're the one who wanted us to get along, remember?"
"Watch your tone, pup," Christina snapped.
Carlisle gripped tightly onto Christina's upper arm; not enough to hurt, just enough pressure to keep her in place as the wolves left the office.
Emmett chuckled as he glanced over towards the young mother. "You sure you don't want to become a vampire? You'd be one spitfire."
Christina relaxed her body against Carlisle's with an eye roll. She leaned heavily against him as the day's events played a toll against her energy.
"Come," he whispered as the rest of the Cullens conversed battle plans. "Let's get you to bed."
She numbingly nodded her head as she followed him out of the office and into the bedroom a few steps down the hall. She smiled softly as she stared at the set of pajamas on the foot of Carlisle's bed.
"Thanks, Alice," she spoke clearly as she grabbed the silk outfit, knowing that the pixie could hear her from down the hall.
"I'm going to chat with Jasper about meeting times," Carlisle muttered softly, landing a kiss on top of Christina's head. "I'll be back shortly."
She muttered an okay under her breath even though he was gone in the flash of an eye, and before she could get her word out. She lazily climbed out of the dress she wore before getting into the silk pajamas— the fabric feeling cool against her skin making her arms and legs get goosebumps.
Christina stepped into the bathroom attached to Carlisle's room before taking a face cloth and putting soap and warm water on it. She gently rubbed the makeup off her face, and brushed through her curly hair with her fingers, before slipping her hair in an elastic at the top of her head.
As she climbed into the left side of the bed, Carlisle opened the door to the room and smiled reassuringly to the young mother.
She gently patted the spot next to her, and he was quick to disappear into the bathroom and change out of his button down shirt and slacks— remembering the last time she questioned his bed clothing.
She smiled softly into his sweatshirt as he laid next to her. The smile slowly left her face as her worries from before came to the front part of her mind. She wrapped an arm tightly around his middle as she felt tears well up in her eyes again.
Carlisle, smelling the saltiness in the air, was quick to turn onto his side to make eye contact with Christina's forest hues. He slipped a thumb under her eyes as the first tear fell. "Talk to me," he whispered softly.
"I don't want to lose anybody," Christina admitted, sending a fresh set of tears down her face as she looked up into Carlisle's eyes. "I'm so scared o-of losing any one— especially you, or Bella, or Annie. My sweet girl, she's only six years old. She's so young—"
"I'm not going to let anything happen to that precious girl," Carlisle promised, continuing his act of wiping away her tears as they fell.
"You can't be everywhere at once," Christina sobbed as she leaned her head on his chest. "I already lost you once, I can't lose you again— not after I just got you back."
Carlisle shook his head, feeling his undead heart break at the cries of his lover. He ran his fingers down her spine, tucking her further into his chest and under his chin. "I'm not going anywhere. I just got you back too, you know."
She sniffled as an answer to his question.
"I promise I'll come back to you," Carlisle muttered into her hair. "We'll be okay. We have the numbers to win this fight."
"My heart hurts just thinking about you all fighting out there," Christina cried out as she looked up from his chest.
A faint smile twitched on Carlisle's lips. "This coming from the one who's trying to fight two werewolves with a baseball bat?"
She laughed through her tears as she rest her head back onto her collarbone.
"Rest, my love," Carlisle whispered into the night. Christina took a deep inhale of breath, trying to calm down as she closed her eyes. "Tomorrow's a new day."
The last thing Christina remembered was the feel of his cool lips landing on top of her head— before darkness.
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I played myself— this chapter got me in my feels so BAD. I couldn't stop crying towards the end of it. I had somehow put myself in Christina's position and just felt the anxiety she did about everyone being in danger. Oh man. I think this is my favorite chapter (besides the one of her and Carlisle getting back together because let's be real 🥵)
Happy Reading ~