I had finally decided that it was time for me to return to the Cullen house. I wasn't about to admit that the only reason I left Emily's was because Jacob brought Bella over. Everyone could feel the tension between us as she caught sight of the Volturi crest hanging around my neck. It had become rare for me to take it off other than when I showered, patrolled, trained, or took Claire to the beach. I sighed as I walked through the door and let go of Luna's power. The situation in Seattle was growing worse and I knew it even without Alec telling me when he got the chance to call. I quickly went up to my room and unpacked everything and placed it where I once had it. I had spent the last day at Emily's washing all my dirty clothes that I tended to wear either when I took Claire to the beach or when I patrolled with some of the pack. I shoved my suitcases back under my bed where they once were before the family split up so many months ago.
"Welcome home Alexis." I heard Esme's soft voice say. I turned to look at my mother figure and smiled.
"It doesn't even feel like home anymore Esme. It's not like the others are glad I'm back either, other than you and Carlisle." I tell her quietly, feeling everyone's apprehension.
"They'll come around. Just give them time." She tells me. I nod and watch as she walks away leaving me to my thoughts. I messed with the crest around my neck thinking of my mate. I smirked when Edward rushed into my room not long after Esme left. I growled as he pinned me to the wall.
"Let me go." I hissed at him. He ignored me before running out of the room, his hand still gripping my neck. He ran outside and pinned me to a tree. He growled causing the whole family to come outside.
"You wanna be a Volturi so badly then go. No one wants you here." He hissed between clenched teeth.
I had been holding my power back but when I heard those words I lost what little bit of control I had left. I screamed as the familiar mist appeared, but unlike any other time it surrounded my whole body as Edward flew back taking the crest with him. The familiar look of fear on his face. "No. It's you who doesn't want me here, Masen." I growled while he was still under my gift. "I left once because your mate pissed me off. I don't care that she was trying to save you from Felix. I'm pissed because the day she decided to jump off that cliff I was trying to catch the redhead. I came back to Forks while you were gone. I saw how broken she really was when I'd stand guard outside her house every night after she found out about the pack. I could hear her screams from the nightmares that you caused her. I kept Victoria away from her when she kept trying to get through the pack. I had to watch as Laurent returned and threatened Bella, but I didn't step in because I would not be the one to cause Irina so much pain." I would have continued but I was tackled by someone who was running full force at me. I immediately calmed at the smell of my mate. I felt my gift leave Edward and come back toward me. I breathed in and took a couple calming breaths as I heard Edwards scream of pain. I pushed Alec off of me and looked toward Esme.
"Just give them time right." I said as calmly as I could without Jasper using his gift. "It seems Edward made his decision. I'm no longer someone he considers family Esme all because my mate belongs to the coven threatening his mate. After Isabella is changed and the situation is taken care of I'm gone." I say glaring toward the vampire holding back his screams of pain. I stood up from where I was and stalked toward the one person I had trusted the most when I first joined the Cullen's. "You wondered why the Romanians changed me, now you know." I hiss at him as I jerk my necklace away from him before looking at Jane letting her know she could let him out from under her gift. I stalk inside and ignore everyone other than the Volturi who silently follow after me. I looked out my window and watched as the Cullen's left to give us some privacy before I looked at the guard. "How?"
"We heard the scream all the way in Seattle. It didn't help that Alec lost control of his gift like you did." Jane said. "We left and ran here hoping to stop you before you did something you'd regret."
I nodded and hissed as the cracks were still healing from the tight hold Edward had on my neck. "I don't even know how I lost control. I typically have fear under lock and key." I said quietly.
"Why not start about with how it happened." Demetri said.
I explained everything that happened from Bella showing up on the Rez to right before Alec tackled me. They were silent for a few minutes taking in the information. "How often have you used fear?" Luna asked, breaking the silence.
"Not since I left Vladimir and Stefan. About 10 years, but I used it on the tracker when we took him down." I said after a minute. "After that I haven't really used it much. It's not a gift I particularly like."
"Do you think it's because you needed some type of lease on your anger from not catching Victoria?" Felix asked me.
"No. I've never lost control of it. It only tends to happen..." I stopped short as I thought about it. That day when I had gone to Seattle and Riley attacked me and today when Edward did the same. "When I feel threatened." I say after a moment. I sigh and reach under my bed to once again grab my suitcases. I began packing everything in the room that I could fit into them before I motioned for the guards to follow me. I wasn't about to stay in the house, but I'd still stay on this side of the treaty line.
"Where are we going?" Alec asked as we left the Cullen house.
"Esme built a small cottage about 2 years ago deep in the forest. I tended to go there so I could practice my gifts without hurting anyone. It was a birthday gift for me in case I wanted to get away from all the lovey-dovey shit." I told him as we reached a small clearing with a stream close by and the cabin.
I moved toward the stream and lifted up a wet rock that had the key underneath. I smiled and moved to the door and unlocked it. "I hid the key so that if the others tried to find it in the main house they wouldn't. This was my safe place." I explained further as we walked in. "Besides it's close enough to Seattle and far away from Edwards hateful glares that I know I'll end up receiving if I stayed." They looked around before turning to face me. "It gets you guys out of the hotel and you can be out in the sunlight without being seen." I tell them as I take my luggage to the only bedroom in the cottage.
"We'll leave you and Alec alone and get our things out of the hotel." I heard Luna say. I hummed and quickly unpacked before I went back into the small living room where Alec was. I gently took his hand and led him over to the couch where we sat and talked until the others arrived.
I found myself back in the main house that night after hunting. I was in the middle of a conversation with Rose when both Edward and Bella walked in. I had Alice let Bella know that I wanted to apologize to her. Before I had the chance to though I caught a glimpse of what was going on through Edwards mind. As if I was the one in Bella's room I smelled the familiar scent of Riley Biers. Before Edward had a chance to see in my head I threw up the same wall I had up when I went to see Alec in Seattle. I stayed quiet after everyone began talking about why a nomad would leave Bella's father alive. I hissed when Edward said he thought it was the Volturi. Then came the new protection detail that Bella proposed. We would keep watch over Bella and switch with the pack when we needed to hunt.
I stepped outside to call Sam to let him know the new plan. Just like me he was apprehensive about it, but eventually agreed. After the new uneasy alliance was in place I apologized to Bella.
"I wanted to say I'm sorry for the way I reacted when you said those things after we returned from Volterra." I say loud enough for her to hear when she joins me outside. I looked up at the sky before facing the mortal girl. "I'd never change my diet to human blood after everything I went through to control my bloodlust. I planned on talking to Aro about it when I did go back after your change." I tell her before taking off toward the cottage after hearing Edward walk outside.