Her Three Kings {Volturi Kings}

Chapter Six

Somewhere in Western Canada, near the Alaskan border

The next day they picked up John's truck from the lot it had been stored in. While the vampires drove, Lily slept. Occasionally she woke for a bathroom break or to eat something then she went right back to sleep. Carlisle monitored her condition and declared it part of the healing process.

When they arrived at the house, the entire family was waiting outside for them. Emmett had barely stopped the car before the back door was thrown open and Lily was scooped up into Jasper's arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her face into his chest. "Hi, Jazzy."

A smile quirked on his face. "Hello, darlin'." He hurried her inside and kept her in his arms as he settled on the couch. Alice was immediately on one side of him and Edward on the other. Esme ran a hand over the girl's head and then hurried toward the kitchen to fix her something to eat.

The family gathered around them, just wanting to be near their friend that was hurting so much. Just needing her to know that they were there. That's how things remained for an hour. People shuffled around but they remained in the same room. The constant being Jasper and Lily who maintained their positions. She wouldn't even move to eat, much to Esme's worry.

Edward was leaning against the wall, when he finally broke the silence after picking up Jasper's thoughts. "What do you mean you can't tell what she's feeling?"

Everyone's attention snapped to the empath. "I mean I can't read her. She's blank." He brushed some hair off her face and tucked it behind her ear. "I keep sending out calming emotions but I have no idea if it's working or not."

Lily turned her face into his chest again as another tear rolled down her cheek. She could only imagine what a wreck she'd be without Jasper. Lowering the block on her thoughts seemed simpler than speaking for the moment. He doesn't need to feel that, Eddie. He didn't kill dad. He didn't...no one needs to feel what I'm feeling right now except me. Why would I torture him? Or you? Then she slid the block back into place before he could see the images of her father's death that seemed to play over and over again in her head.

The mind reader cleared his throat. "She said no one needs to feel what she's feeling right now. She didn't want to torture him."

There is a long stretch of silence until Carlisle breaks it. "Your control has gotten much better. You couldn't block Jasper before."

She sat up slowly and looked at the people around her. She needed to get her shit together. At least a little bit. She owed it to them. Her tongue darted out trying to moisten chapped lips. "Could I get some water?" she asked and a glass appeared in front of her seconds later. After taking a long drink, she moved from Jasper's lap to place her glass on the table.

Instead of returning to where she was, she walked over and pulled Edward to the couch so she could curl into his side. He put his arm around her with a chuckle. "I missed you, too."

Her eyes found Esme. "Could I have some of that food now?"

The woman's eye lit. "Of course."

When Esme returned with the food, Lily sat straight and started eating. After a few bites, she started talking. "I think he followed me home from the marketplace."

The others exchanged glances. "You don't have to do this right now," Alice said.

"Or ever," Carlisle added.

"I know," she said with a nod and another bite of food. "It didn't occur to me at the time, but later it seemed obvious that he was the one watching me. He said as much. The only reason that I'm still alive is he apparently liked to play with his food. John showed up before he could eat me."