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— Chapter Five — ❝ The girl is with us ❞
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Upon their arrival in the clearing, three pairs of eyes stared at the large coven. The same coven that gathered in the middle of the clearing, stares mixed with harshness and caution, the patriarch with cautious welcoming, and the matriarch with a kindness only she could offer.
At the front, whom one could only assume the leader, was a man. His pale skin had an olive tone to it, his hair dark. He was beautiful to the human girl hidden amongst the Cullen ranks, although less beautiful than Rosalie.
Towards the back were two more that held one another, a man and a woman. The woman seemed cautious, eyes flitting over each face in the Cullen family, her long and unruly hair was a vibrant red, similar to fire. The man was uniquely average for a vampire, unattractive compared to his companions, with his light brown hair cropped short. All three with two things in common, their bare feet and striking red eyes. They had fed recently.
It was quiet as they came to a stop a mere yard away, everyone eyeing one another. The redhead set her sights upon the biggest, Emmett, her eyes showing her readiness to run away. The man at her side slowly ran his eyes across Rosalie, then Aurora, stopping upon Alice before filling with a sense of familiarity. He then set his sights on Edward, the one so obviously on edge.
The leader looked at everyone, settling upon the leader, Carlisle. The man who stood confidently at the front of the large coven, with a strained smile.
The man in front spoke first, a French accent sounding as he held the stray baseball up, "I believe this belongs to you?"
He tossed it to Carlisle, the man swiftly catching it and thanking the man with the same strained smile.
"I am Laurent, and this is Victoria and James," The man quickly introduced, gesturing towards the two behind him.
"I'm Carlisle, this is my family," He began to gesture towards the ones behind him, taking care not to single one out, "This is Esme, Aurora, and Alice. Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie, Bella and Edward."
"Hello." Laurent greeted with a smile.
"I'm afraid your hunting activities here have.." Carlisle cut to the chase, "Caused something of a mess for us."
"Our apologies," Laurent swiftly apologized, "We didn't realize the territory had already been claimed."
"Yes. Well, we maintain a permanent residence nearby." Carlisle once again gave the man a strained smile. From behind him, Aurora nudged him in caution. The group did not look like they wanted to sip on animals anytime soon.
"Really?" Laurent looked to James in shock, the latter glaring at Edward, "Well, we won't be a problem anymore. We were just passing through."
"Excellent."
"So, could you use three more players?" Laurent asked hopefully, seeing the hesitant looks on their faces, "Oh, come on. Just one more game."
"Sure, why not?" Carlisle agreed, glancing back at Edward, "A few of us were leaving, you can take their place. We'll bat first."
"I'm the one with the wicked curve ball," Victoria smirked as she caught the ball thrown to Laurent. Despite this, she still seemed ready to run at any given moment.
"Oh well I think we can handle that," Jasper grinned.
Laurent let out a teasing noise, drawing laughter from a few.
As everyone starts to walk away, the wind rustles Bella's hair underneath her baseball cap.
A sweet scent flows through the air, entering each of the vampire's noses.
James' eyes darkened as his chest rumbled, he looked ravenous and hostile.
"You brought a snack," James growled out as the Cullen family surrounded Bella, Edward pushing the girl further behind him and Alice.
"You're human," Laurent said, curiously, staring deeply at the nervous human.
"The girl is with us," Aurora hissed as she stepped forward, "It would be best for you to take your leave."
"I can see the game is over," Laurent cautioned as he backed up, "We'll go now."
"James?" He called as James' stood still, crouched like a cobra. He took a moment before running off.
"Get Bella out of here," Carlisle told Edward as they gathered the baseball equipment, "Go."
Aurora narrowed her eyes at the boy, "He means now. Leave."
Edward grabbed Bella, running off with Emmett and Alice at his heels. Aurora, Esme, Rosalie, and Carlisle all swiftly ran off.
Back at their home, they begin to pack their cars, ready for the inevitable fight coming their way.
In the end, much against Edward's wishes, it was decided that Alice and Jasper would take Bella back to Phoenix. Esme, Rosalie, and Aurora would remain in Forks to watch for Victoria while aiding the rest in fooling James with Bella's scent.
