Bit of a boring filler, but I hope you all enjoy!
*
Charlie picked the girls up a couple of days later, after a weekend of joy and laughter and tears with their mom. While Sophie was happy to be back home, a part of her wished she could have stayed with her mom for a little bit longer.
Being in the sunshine had been healing for her, the same way it always was in Forks on the rare days that the sun peeked through the clouds. The Florida beaches were even more relaxing and she rejoiced in the change in scenery for some of her artwork.
And besides, now she was back to her reality. Her reality of vampires and werewolves, missing teenagers, and overwhelming expectations.
It wasn't long after the girls were dropped off at the house that Bella's phone rang. From where Sophie sat in the living room, she could hear Bella speaking to someone and assumed it was Edward. She fumbled with her own phone in her hands, wondering what to do with her time now that she was home.
She had been texting Jennifer on and off lately, the messages mainly consisting of updates of their progress. Sophie was extremely relieved to hear how well Jennifer had been doing and the two had made plans to see each other soon.
She felt restless and anxious and knew it was probably because she would see the kings again soon. The uncomfortable pressure in her chest had almost completely eased but Sophie knew it wouldn't completely go away until she saw at least one of them again.
But she wasn't ready to. She didn't care how many times people said that the kings wouldn't care about facing her eating disorder with her, because she didn't want them feeling the same things her family and friends had dealt with for years.
She didn't want to hurt anyone else, no matter if they were mated to her or not.
Sophie wasted most of that Sunday staring at the ceiling while lying on the couch. Bella had left some time ago, likely to go to Edward's. The boy still made her blood boil and with every passing interaction with him, Sophie was ready to tell Bella the truth.
She wondered if Edward could hear it in her thoughts, the want to protect her sister and keep her away from the boy. All she wanted to know was why Edward had lied to Bella in the first place - Bella was practically obsessed with Edward, Sophie was sure that not being his mate wouldn't make a difference in her affections.
It was nearing evening when Sophie heard a knock on the front door. She sighed, covering her eyes with her hands when she heard it, knowing it had to be the kings or one of the Cullens'. For a moment, she considered ignoring it just to keep the reality at bay for a little while longer. She knew it was pointless though - whoever was at the door knew she was in the house.
"Coming!" She shouted as she pushed herself off the couch, sliding on some slippers as she made her ways towards the front door. Sophie pulled her sweater over her hands after she opened the door, her lips thinning into a smile when she saw all three of her mates. "Hi."
The ache that had been residing in her chest the last few days disappeared the moment she saw the kings, leaving her feeling lighter than she had been. Caius, Marcus, and Aro all stood just outside, their eyes all alight with pleasure as they stared at her. Sophie pushed herself into the open door a little more as she tilted her head towards the inside of the house. "You can come in."
The three entered the house, each looking out of place in the small home. Though they were all dressed casually, they had an air about them that boasted wealth and comfort. It was almost a strange sight to see them standing in the Swan home.
Aro was the first to speak. "How was your visit with your mother?"
"It was really nice." Sophie answered him as she moved back to the sofa. She glanced down at her phone to check the time, noting she still had a few hours before her dad was home for good. "Had a good visit and the change in scenery was needed."
"Glad to hear it." Marcus smiled at her, taking his own spot in Charlie's armchair. "Though, we are glad you're back. The bond has been quite uncomfortable the past few days."
"Yeah, tell me about it." She mumbled, rubbing absentmindedly at her chest. "Is it always going to be like that?"
"It is likely, at least until the bond is fully complete or until you join us in Volterra." Caius shrugged casually, like what he was saying was completely normal information for Sophie. "Strange that you're able to feel it so strongly, though."
Sophie frowned warily at Caius. "What do you mean by 'fully complete?'"
She didn't miss the looks that Aro and Marcus shot towards Caius and she couldn't help the anxiety that shot through her. Caius either didn't see the looks or was choosing to ignore them in favor of looking around the house, as if he hadn't been there before.
Aro huffed in annoyance, pinching the bridge of his nose. "We were going to wait until you were more accepting of the bond before explaining anything further but it seems as if we should tell you now. Completing a mating bond is done with a bite, traditionally to the neck of the, well, less dominant one of the pair. Since there are three of us, though, and only one of you, all three of us would complete the bite."
Sophie paled, her blue eyes wide as she took in the information. While she was slightly relieved that completing the mating process didn't involve any sordid sexual traditions, she was not so sure about the fact that she would be bitten three times in order for the kings to fully claim her.
Marcus leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees. "This will not happen until you are completely ready, Sophie. You were not supposed to know of it this early, but Caius often has trouble holding his tongue."
"Right." She couldn't help the outburst of nervous giggles that escaped her. Really, maybe this whole experience had been a dream. Maybe she was still in the inpatient center, dreaming, waiting for her dad to pick her up from discharge. This couldn't be real life. "Is there anything else that's important for me to know right now? Might as well throw all of it out there."
"Nothing that needs to be discussed now, my dear." Aro reassured her with an easy grin. "We want to hear about your trip."
Caius snorted from his spot, where he was leaning against the wall leading to the stairs. "If she wants to discuss everything, we may as well discuss the subject of her change."
Aro and Marcus both snarled at their brother, their demeanor turning from comforting to dangerous in the blink of an eye. Sophie hunched down in the couch, her hand moving to grip her upper forearm, as she tried to make herself smaller. Caius' eyes found her immediately, a flash of guilt appearing in them before he looked away.
"Another subject for a different night, then." He grumbled, his face twisted into a scowl.
Marcus was the first to settle down again, Aro still staring at the blonde while Marcus comforted their mate. "As you may have noticed, Caius is brash about most things. He does mean well for you, Sophie, but we will discuss that another night."
Truthfully, she hadn't begun to think about what being a mate to vampire kings might mean. But Caius was right - she would have to turn eventually or accept the fact that she would only survive with them for a human lifetime. The thought of turning into a vampire made her sick to her stomach and she clenched her free hand in front of her abdomen.
Aro finally relaxed, his full attention now back on his mate and tuned into the nervousness she was suddenly feeling. "Honestly, Sophie, it is nothing to worry about now. Now, tell us, what is your mother like?"
Sophie couldn't help but laugh again, her head slightly hurting at the quick change of moods. "She's a little hard to describe, honestly."
Aro only settled into his place on the arm of Charlie's chair beside Marcus and grinned. "We've got time."
With another soft smile towards Aro and Marcus, Sophie began to describe her trip in detail and tell them all about Renee.
*
Sophie saw Jacob the next evening. He was happy to see her, the two of them easily catching up and telling each other about their weekends. Jacob was visibly excited, though it was also clear that he was trying to hide it. Sophie caught onto it quickly, questioning her friend on his abnormally happy mood.
"I actually got to talk to Leah this weekend." He told her, his tan brown cheeks brightening with a blush. "And we had an actual conversation without her glaring or snapping at me."
Sophie laughed at him, to which Jake responded with a playful shove. "Don't laugh, Soph! This is a big step in communicating with her."
"I'm not laughing at you." She giggled again into her palm. "I'm happy for you! I've never seen you so excited over a girl before, even Bella."
At the mention of her sister, Jacob went silent, the joy that was once on his face disappearing for a brief moment. "Bella was just a crush and really, I think it was just because we were hanging out so often. Don't get me wrong - I love her - but I'll never see her as more than a friend."
"I know." Sophie squeezed Jacob's arm in a reassuring way. "And she feels the same. Have you talked to her?"
He shook his head. "Not much since you came back from... you know. It's weird, after all the time we spent together to just pretend like it never happened."
Jacob still had a hard time talking about what happened between Bella and Edward and their spontaneous trip to Italy to save him. He was trying his best to be supportive for Sophie in her situation with the kings, but besides that, he never talked about the days she went abroad or asked about how Bella was doing.
"Yeah, I understand. But she misses you and I know she worries." Sophie told him, trying her best not to push him too much. "Maybe just reach out, let her know that you're at least not completely silent. You don't have to go back to how things were before."
After a moment, Jake nodded his agreement. "Yeah, that probably wouldn't be a bad thing."
"Anyway." Sophie leaned back, bringing her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around her legs. "I'm excited about you and Leah. I think you two will be good for each other."
The blush returned to his skin and his smile turned sheepish. "I just really, really hope she gives me a chance. Even if it's not in a romantic way at first, I just want to be close to her all the time."
Sophie smiled, her expression softening as she stared at her best friend. Jacob was so excited to even talk to Leah, she really hoped the girl would try with him and not let him down. His words made her think back to her kings and how she felt about them - she wished it was as easy for her as it was for Jake.
She wished she could let herself be excited around them and miss them when they're gone.
"So, anything else exciting happen this weekend?" She changed the subject, her thoughts shooting a painful tug through her heart. "I've told you all about mine."
"Oh yeah." The mood changed again and Jacob suddenly looked at Sophie with an uncertain look in his eyes, like he wasn't sure that he should be telling Sophie the truth. He sighed. "The redhead made an appearance, but she got away before the Cullens' or the pack could grab her. Your kings are working on trying to find her again."
"What?" Sophie breathed. "Victoria is back?"
"She was." Jacob nodded. "But like I said, she got away before we could catch her."
Sophie let out a long breath, her thoughts racing. The vampire was still after her sister, causing an uneasy panic to fill her body. It was clear that Victoria would stop at nothing to get what she wanted, and Sophie wondered if they would be able to catch her before anyone got hurt.
"No one told me." She whispered, thinking back to when her mates visited her last night. "I just saw Aro, Marcus, and Caius last night and they didn't tell me."
The rest of their evening had been relatively calm. The kings had stayed with her right until Charlie got home, disappearing out of the house before he could be suspicious about a thing. Sophie would even say that she had fun with all three of them, allowing herself to enjoy their company instead of worrying about their future.
"Bella and Edward don't even know, according to Dr. Cullen." Jacob said, like he was trying to make it better. "I'm sure he knows now, but there's no telling if he told Bella. And I'm sure your mates are just trying to protect you."
Sophie wanted to be mad but couldn't find the strength to be. In fact, she almost wished that Jacob hadn't told her. She was tired of this being her life now - she'd had enough monsters to battle before she found out about the supernatural.
"I just want Bella to be safe." Sophie sighed, bringing her hand up to rub at her face. "I just want everyone I love to be safe."
"We're doing everything we can to keep you and Bella safe, I promise." Jacob reached over to grab Sophie, pulling her into her side and kissing her forehead. "You have a lot of people here for you. And I know that everyone is going to try their hardest to protect both of you."
Sophie could only lift her lips a little, trying to be positive alongside Jake. She laid her head back on his shoulder, hoping and praying that her friend wasn't wrong.
***
I'm not the biggest fan of this chapter but I hope you all enjoy. The next chapter is almost finished and it's one I've been wanting to write for ages so I hope everyone likes it when it's posted!
pleuvoirx