Tenebrous ↠ Volturi Kings {1} ✓

039

"Personal question," Irina said as we finished packing what I would need for the trip.

"Probable answer," I responded. "What's on your mind?"

"Let's hypothesize for a second and suppose that, when we arrive in Forks, we find out that Edward is telling the truth," Irina said.

"Alright. I'll still be pissed that they decided to keep me in the dark, rather than trust me with something as big as the birth of my niece," I stressed.

"I don't blame you. I'm no stranger to holding grudges," Irina said, and shot me a tiny smile.

"What are you asking, then?" I zipped up my bag and flopped down on my bed, legs hanging over the side.

"Well, here's where the personal comes in. If Edward is telling the truth, and humans can get pregnant from vampires-"

What she was asking immediately clicked. "Oh. Oh. I hadn't thought of that."

"Well, would you be... at risk? Of being pregnant? You don't have to answer."

"Yes, the kings and I have been..." I cleared my throat, "intimate. But I wouldn't be at risk. I've been on birth control for my periods since I was fifteen."

"Smart," Irina mused. Yes, period blood was dead blood, but I didn't want to take any risks living in a house of vampires. Plus, your whole family knowing exactly when you're on your period? Embarrassing.

"Yeah. Now I'm doubly glad I'm on them. I don't think I'd make a very good mother," I said.

"Why not?"

I shrugged. "Just not my thing, I guess. I've never been good with kids. Plus, I was let down by basically every adult in my life. I wouldn't want to let my child down and leave them as messed up as me."

"It's your decision, and none of my business, but if you did decide to have a child... I don't think you would mess it up," Irina said.

I sat up and gave her a smile. "Thanks."

"My queen?" Jane lightly knocked, poking her head in the room. I spotted Alec behind her. "I don't mean to interrupt, but it's time to go."

"We're ready. Thank you, Jane," I said, grabbing my bag and heaving it over my good shoulder. My injured shoulder had healed very nicely, but it was still tender and prone to aching whenever weather fronts came through.

"I'll take that, my queen," Alec offered. I passed the bag to him and he carried it like it was nothing.

"Thank you, Alec," I said.

"Of course. Follow us," Alec said. I took a final glance around my wing before following the twins out the door, wishing I could simply stay and pretend none of this had ever happened.

Considering we were leaving at night, I had the luxury of sleeping through most of the flight. I wasn't sure I would be able to, with thoughts running through my head as they were, but Aro had me prop my pillow against him so he could run his fingers through my hair, and I was out like a light.

I woke a few hours before we were scheduled to land at a private airstrip in Port Angeles. I changed into a fresh set of clothes, my crest hanging heavy over my shirt. I had never noticed the weight before, but now that we were heading to deal judgement on my own family...

"What's the plan?" I asked. "I trust Alice when she says that Bella isn't a danger. I don't believe she would say anything to put me in the way of bodily harm, which is about as far as my trust extends at the moment. I want to be there when we first visit them."