The Grey Wolf [TWILIGHT/LEGACIES]

18

Neither Hope nor Renesmee, let alone Freya and Marcel, were prepared for the sudden arrival of Alaric Saltzman and his twin daughters.

And there he was - Alaric Saltzman, who used to be the principal of the Salvatore School. Of course, Hope knew none of that. She hadn't been attending the school for months. Not that she had much desire to. She had lost it. She had grown up and had decided to do other things with her life.

Next to Alaric stood his fraternal twin daughters - Elizabeth and Josette.

Lizzie, the blonde sister, reminded Renesmee of her aunt Rosalie. There was something in her eyes and even her height that made her intimidating at first glance. Renesmee was seeing Lizzie for the first time, yet she already came across as someone who was brutally honest and wouldn't take anyone's bullshit. Almost like aunt Rosalie.

Josie, the brunette sister, stood shorter than Lizzie, but still taller than both Hope and Renesmee. There was a softness in her eyes, contrasting with her sisters. It reminded Renesmee of her dear grandma Esme. She was already sure that if she introduced Josie to Esme, the two of them would click. Renesmee imagined Josie liked to cook or to bake. Perhaps she was even interested in gardening or interior design? She came across as such type of a person.

"Hope," Alaric spoke in disbelief, almost as if he hadn't expected her to be here. Almost as if the Mikaelsons were attempting to pull a prank on him. But they weren't. They had been honest with him when they had informed him that Hope was in New Orleans.

The reason they had informed him was to learn more about the reason Hope had not gone back to school. The entire family was concerned about Hope's education. They were sure Hayley Marshall-Kenner was rolling in her grave at the moment. She had insisted on her daughter attending the Salvatore School so that her daughter could get educated and not be socially isolated. Instead, if Hayley saw how Hope had practically dropped out, she would have had a heart attack. Hope imagined her father, Klaus, would say nothing about that. But Hayley had always been the stricter parent.

"Hope," Alaric began, "Come back to school."

"Why?", the tribrid demanded to know. She wanted a logical reason and not some nonsense about how she supposedly didn't have anywhere else to go. It was not true. "I don't belong at school. I don't belong among the teenagers and the school-aged kids. I'm an adult, Mr Saltzman."

Hope wanted her words to hit her old principal, to make him realise she was serious about that.

I know I started school a bit later. But, I'm 18 and a half now. And I can manage myself. I truly can. I know that you're probably worried about me. But please, worry about yourself. Worry about your family. Worry about Josie and Lizzie - they need you. They're only sixteen," she stressed on the girls' age, attempting to justify herself, "They're kids! I'll be fine. I have Renesmee", she motioned to the hybrid and then focused her gaze at Freya and Marcel, "My family remembers me."

She wanted the Saltzmans to see that she was doing just fine without them. It wasn't as if she couldn't keep relationships with them, that wasn't what she meant. She wanted to be on good terms with the twins. But she didn't want to go back to the life she had lead before she had jumped in Malivore. She didn't want to be the reason why Alaric barely spent any time with his daughters. It was enough their biological mother was dead and their surrogate mother had been too busy for the past couple of years. And with Alaric practically spending every possible minute teaching Hope how to defend herself or taking her to his supernatural missions, the twins were often left to feel neglected.