Esperance || Paul Lahote

.xliii.

"cruel mothers are still mothers. they make us wars, they make us revolution. they teach us the truth early. mothers are humans, who sometimes give birth to their pain instead of children."
w o r d c o u n t : 1,097

Ezra stomped into the Cullen home dejectedly, tossing his water heavy jacket on the sofa beside the human who cuddled next to Alice. Ilan was on his heels along with Jasper and Emmett. "We traced the scent but it disappeared five miles south of Bella's house." He reported, locking his jaw in frustration as Emmett lumbered silently over to his best friend. Rosalie was quick to accept his presence, making room on the small armchair for him.

"Ilan and I tracked his energy a bit further. It faded completely at the entrance to Seatle so I've got Zephyr looking into any recent deaths or disappearances. Though if you'd have called us sooner we could have tracked it a lot further." Ezra remarked bitterly, running his hands through his hair to remove some of the water clinging to the dark locks. The scent had faded into the water, making not such a fun journey when it came time for him and Ilan to take over tracking.

"Somone's orchestrating this," Carlisle muttered, electing not to address Ezra's jab.

Bella paled. "Victoria?"

"No," Interjected Alice. "I would have seen her decide."

Edward crossed his arms, muscles rippling. "It has to be the Volturi."

Alice's face went blank. "I don't think it's the Volturi, I've been watching Aro's decisions too."

"The Volturi is very straightforward because they can be. They only ever use their own people. It's not above Victoria to allow someone else to orchestrate this. She knows the extent of your powers. Or Maddox. She's against everything about the Old Way. Recruiting vampires would probably be in her best interest if she's looking for power." Ezra explained, eagerly taking the clothes that Esme gathered for him and Ilan.

"I don't know about Maddox. She could hate vampires for the genocide and locking away of the witches but it's plausible." Ilan added, wringing out her hair.

"So we look into it." Emmett urged, cracking his knuckles with a smirk.

Bella's eyes whipped around the room to watch everyone as they spoke. She was clearly overwhelmed by all this information. "We'll take shifts guarding Bella at her house."

Ezra locked eyes with Ilan, tilting his head to the door. Wordlessly, she followed him out of the living room and up the stairs, to his old bedroom.

He inhaled deeply at the strangely familiar space. It felt like lifetimes ago that he resided there with Paul but he could still smell Paul's scents all over the sheets. Remnants of his research laid dejected on the desk, flattened into a clean pile by Alice, most likely. The bed was made and the room was immaculate like it was anticipating his return.

"Go ahead and get changed. There are a few towels in there if you need one." Ezra advised and Ilan looked up from the small picture she was examining. It was of him and Paul. He had gotten it printed out but never found the time to buy a frame but there it sat in a clean white frame. Alice's doing most likely, just like the clean room.

"You two look so right together," Ilan remarked, handing him the picture. "You should try and talk to him again."

"He doesn't want to talk to me. He's made that very clear." Ezra sighed, rubbing his thumb gently against the frame.

Ilan peeled off her soaking shirt and began to change into the dry clothes, pulling a Prussian blue sweater over her head. "So you make him talk to you. Neither of you will heal if you keep going like this. You still love him, don't you?"

Ezra pulled the picture from the frame, leaving the pieces on the table. "I'd take a hundred more years of torture if he'd speak to me. And I'd take a million more if he could love me again."

"Then tell him that. Make him talk to you. Make him work through things with you." Ezra glanced over at her. She had gotten so much older in such little time. It astounded him and made guilt stir in his stomach. He knew that he couldn't keep her from her fate forever but he could have at least protected her more.

Ezra asked with an amused smile, "When'd you get so educated on love?"

"I've started watching reality tv." Ilan joked, letting out a genuine laugh as Ezra couldn't help but do the same. "Hurry up and get dressed. We need to get back down there."

Ezra followed Ilan's lead, yanking off his damp shirt to reveal ever healing wound he had neglected to look at. Turning to the mirror reluctantly, Ezra's jaw clenched when he saw the carnage. There was hardly an inch of exposed skin. He knew that one day they would turn to white lines and red blotches but the pain would always be there.

"Still as sexy as ever, Cheif," Ilan remarked with a tight smile as she threw his shirt to him. "Now cover up, everyone's jealous."

"Thank you, Ilan." Ezra pulled the shirt on and once he finished, they were making their way down the stairs.

Edward was whisking Bella out the door as swiftly as possible with little more than a fleeting goodbye.

"Ezra," Carlisle called, beckoning the two witches into the living room once more. "We've decided to take shifts guarding Bella. She and Edward are going to talk to the pack about helping but I'd like to use them as little as we can. If you could help out it would be greatly appreciated. I'd like to use them as little as needed." The Cullen patriarch explained.

"Of course, you don't need to ask for our help, expect it." Ezra smiled, glancing over at Ilan who nodded in agreement. "Pair each of us with one of the wolves. We'll help better like that."

Carlisle sent him a knowing look. "Of course. Though, if you could communicate the times needed with Sam."

"No problem, Carlisle. Don't sweat it, we're going to keep her safe. I promise." Ezra reassured the man, though inside his head was a hurricane. It seemed as though all he was, all he ever would be was promises he was getting worse and worse at keeping.