ᴘʀᴇᴛᴇɴᴅ ʟᴏᴠᴇ | Twilight

𝐱𝐯.

Hazel sat uncomfortably in the middle of the Cullen's comfortable couch. Alice held the girls pinky and Jasper used his empathic ability to calm her. The vampires hadn't said anything the entire five minutes she'd been there, and neither had Hazel. Everyone in the room was feeling tense, even Rosalie hod forgotten to fix her signature scowl on her face.

"Carlisle," the blonde doctor turned to his wife, Esme. "We should tell her about that." He glanced at the three on the couch before back to the woman.

"I supposed that's a good place to start," Carlisle Cullen sighed. He stopped his pacing and faced Hazel. "You know about the relationships between us all, right?" Hazel nodded. "We'll, there's something more to it."

"Each of us has a partner that we find when we're a vampire. They are like our one and true love for eternity," Esme explained.

"Like a soulmate?" Hazel asked. Carlisle confirmed the question with a nod.

"We prefer to just call them mates, though. To a vampire, a mate is like the sun and they're the planet orbiting them." Hazel nodded to show she understood. "Alice and Jasper are mates, but you're they're mate, too. It's rare, but it can happen."

"The smell of a human mate can drive a vampire into a frenzy," Esme cut in. "They can barely control themselves."

"Then should I really be this close?" Hazel glanced at the two beside her. They chuckled at her concern.

"She said 'barely', she didn't say we couldn't," Alice told the human with a smile like the Cheshire Cat.

"It is all right, Hazel," Carlisle offered the girl a kind smile. "Usually, vampires will distance themselves from their mate if their mat is human, like Edward's done. But Alice and Jasper seem to prefer doing the opposite."

"Does this mean I have to be turned into a vampire or something like that?" From beside Hazel, Alice shook her head.

"You don't have to if you don't want to," Alice frowned. "And we'd much prefer if you didn't."

"Besides, you've only known them for a few weeks," Carlisle noted, "you should be allowed more time to get to know them." Hazel nodded.

"Come on, it's getting late. Let me drive you back home," Alice offered, holding out her hand to the girl. Hazel took her outstretched palm and followed her outside.

The pair climbed into what Hazel recognised to be Edward's silver Volvo. Alice turned on the engine and drove out of the driveway and down the road as soon as Hazel was buckled in. Hazel stared out of the window, watching the trees as they flew past the vehicle. Alice took note of the girl's confused expression.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Alice inquired with a chuckle.

"What about the people that have been attacked by animals? Is it vampires doing that?" Alice frowned. Hazel watched as the pale girl slowly nodded her head, and a chill ran down the length of her spine.

"But, don't be worried, they won't hurt you." Alice looked over to her mate and smiled reassuringly. "We'll make sure of it."

☆

The events that had unfolded the prior night had completely exhausted Hazel so much that she had fallen asleep in the car. She'd woken up the next morning in her bed, under the covers, but with last night's clothing on and no recollection of how she'd gotten there. She'd just assumed it was Alice's doing. The one thing she was absolutely certain about, however, was that now she had to keep the biggest secret of her life.

"Bye," Hazel waved with a dopey grin on her face as Alice skipped back to her honey blonde Jasper.

"You two just keep getting more and more affectionate each time you see each other," Victor rolled his eyes, watching the pixie-like girl skip away.

"I swear to all the godly powers that if you and Alice don't get together by prom, I'm going to scream," Minnie hurriedly whispered after Alice had given Hazel a hug good morning.

Hazel turned to her friend and gave her an annoyed glare. Minnie merely ignored her and grabbed her forearm.

"You two should just date already!" Minnie groaned, squeezing Hazel's limb. Then she gasped loudly. "Even better idea! You Alice and Jasper, all in a relationship with one another. That would be my dream come true!" Minnie squealed. Hazel covered the girl's mouth immediately.

"Mins, has anyone ever told you to shut up?" Hazel asked with a huff.

"That would mean they would actually have to willingly let a third person into their relationship," Victor noted. "And that's just plain weird." Hazel turned her glare to the freckled boy.

"With how weird those two are, I wouldn't cross that off for their 'to-do' list." Christian cackled.

Hazel hit him with her free arm, giving him a look that could kill. Then she turned to gaze at Jasper and Alice, who stood a little ways away. The pair were talking to each other - with Alice doing most of it - but every once in a while they'd look over to Hazel's small group.

"They're actually real good and kind people, " Hazel defended the pair, glancing back at Minnie to avoid their gaze, "and polyamory isn't weird. It's beautiful." Hazel said, catching the quick smile Alice shot her way.

"They're made for each other," Minnie sighed, watching the fleeting exchange between the three. "They're absolutely perfect."