39 | SURRENDER |

IT DIDN'T TAKE LONG TO CLEAR OUT THE HOUSE. It helped that Jasper was able to manipulate everyone's emotions until every last high school graduate left. He had eagerly left Aurora alone as he helped downstairs, leaving her to her tumultuous thoughts.

Aurora finally left the attic when the only humans she sensed were Bella and the shapeshifters. Well, she smelled them at least. The wet-dog stench was enough to hamper the large amount of human's who had been in the house. She hadn't ever met any of them face to face, but she knew Jacob Black was technically her stepbrother from what Bella told her. He was also the same Jake who had been causing a lot of trouble in the girl's life which aggravated Aurora. Split feelings or not, consent was key and he violated that despite Bella forgiving him as evident by the way she stood next to him.

Jacob matched Aurora's challenging stare, though unaware of her reasons behind it. It angered him to see someone he once considered his sister a bloodsucker. The other two boys stared at the newborn as she gracefully entered the living room where they all gathered.

It was the first time they had all seen her, not including the brief glimpse Embry had had of her from the forest. It was odd how perfect Rory looked, the last time they saw her as human she had tanned skin, wild messy hair, and expressive hazel eyes but now with her porcelain skin, long wavy hair like an old Hollywood starlet, and cautious topaz eyes, it was unnerving.

Aurora met their stares with a raise of her brow. The wolf pack clearly despised her. They barely tolerated the Cullens, but Aurora was technically not bound to the treaty—she was free to do whatever she liked which expectantly pissed all the Quiluetes off. If only they knew what she could do. She'd like to see them try to win in a fight against her. Her lips played at a mocking smirk.

"How long?" Edward asked Alice, his brows furrowed.

Alice pursed her lips. "They'll be here in four days."

And Aurora would be leaving in three. The smirk dropped. She wouldn't be able to help them. It suddenly hit her how little time she had left with them. She had no choice but to leave.

And they had no idea at all their biggest battle would begin with the worst betrayal.

Carlisle shook his head. "This could turn into a blood bath."

"Who's behind it?" Edward asked Alice, reading her thoughts surrounding the vision.

Alice frowned. "I didn't see anyone I recognize. Maybe one..." The tiny vampire glanced at Edward pointedly, hoping he'd be able to provide some clarification.

Edward's eyes filled with realization as he recognized the face he saw in Alice's vision. "I know his face. He's local—Riley Biers. He didn't start this."

Esme frowned, worried of the heightening danger posed to her family. "Whoever did is staying out of the action."

Why did that sound sickeningly familiar? Aurora thought, pursing her lips in a firm line. How coincidental was it that an entire newborn army bent on destroying the Cullens would be coming to town the very next day after she left the Cullens to return to the Volturi?

The bad feeling in her gut worsened. If what she thought was correct, then it was very possible that either the guard members in Seattle were behind the entire affair, maybe it was their mission after all, or they were just allowing it all to happen. There was no way with Alec's intelligence and Demetri's tracking ability that they hadn't found the newborns. Maybe her being sent to the Cullens was a mere distraction. It made her ill to think she was a tool in all of this.

"They must be playing with the blind spots in your vision," Carlisle came to the conclusion, only further supporting Aurora's hypothesis.

"How clever," Aurora scoffed bitterly. "They kept us in the dark until the last possible moment to leave us vastly unprepared." Perhaps it was a good thing she would be leaving for Seattle before the newborn army left for Forks. Hopefully Aurora would make it in time to find the army and stop them herself if need be. Obviously the Volturi weren't going to do anything.

Jasper avoided looking at her. It wasn't the time to get distracted. His tone was firm, like he was the general of Maria's newborn army again as he looked at everyone else in the living room. "Either way, the army is coming...and there aren't enough of us to protect the town."

Jacob held up his hands, tired of being ignored as the bloodsuckers discussed whatever stopped the party. "Hold up. What damn army?" he demanded to know.

Carlisle exchanged a glance with the others, debating on telling the wolves the truth. Edward shook his head no, but Carlisle continued, "Newborns. Our kind."

"Vampires newly changed like Rory." Bella clarified to the boys.

"Yes," Aurora wrinkled her nose snobbishly, not caring to be compared to the approaching horde of senseless, wild vampires, "except worse."

"They're all bloodsuckers," Jacob huffed in a way insinuating there was no difference between Rory and the army.

It was obviously meant as an insult, but she was tougher than that. Aurora raised her brow at the russet skinned wolf. He really wanted to get into this now?

"Stop it, Jake," Bella spoke up, defending Rory immediately to the surprise of the boy, "This is serious. And dangerous."

Embry stepped forward, interrupting Jacob from his snide retort. "What are they after?"

Alice looked straight at Bella. "They were passing around Bella's scent. A red blouse."

Ah, shit, Aurora thought. Maybe it wasn't the Volturi after all. She knew they didn't truly care for her. She had a bad feeling that the person behind the whole army was at the very tip of her tongue—or her memory. It was only a matter of figuring it out before it was too late.

Embry's eyes widened. "They're after Bella?"

"What the hell does this mean?" Jacob's nostrils flared with anger. He looked over to the girl he loved and hated how the bloodsuckers surrounding them had put her in danger. Again.

Carlisle sighed. "It means an ugly fight. With lives lost."

The room falls silent in the face of solemnity. They all knew this could be one of the last moments they would be together.

Jacob exchanged a look with Quil and Embry. They both nodded to Jacob's unasked question. "Alright...We're in," he declared, much to the surprise of the vampires.

Bella gaped at her best friend. "No. You'll get yourselves killed, no way."

Jacob rolled his eyes. "I wasn't asking for permission."

Bella turned to her boyfriend. "Edward."

Aurora held in a laugh at the exchange. How foolish and oblivious Bella truly was. Bella had the two men wrapped around her finger.

However, Edward, for once, didn't take her side. He was in the midst of a stare off with the shapeshifter. "It means more protection for you," he murmured with a note of finality.

Carlisle nodded slowly. He was reluctant to put the pack in danger, but he knew for the sake of his family, it was the only way. "Do you believe Sam will agree to...an understanding?" he asked the three boys.

"As long as we get to kill some vampires." Jacob's eyes flashed to his undead stepsister who merely rolled her eyes at the childishness.

Aurora raised her brow. "Will you get over it already, pup?"

While the two step-siblings glared at each other, the Cullen patriarch turned to the only person in the family who had the most expertise in war. "Jasper?"

He tilted his head, calculating the advantage of allying with the wolves. "They'll give us the numbers. And the newborns won't know they even exist. That'll give us an edge."

"We'll need to coordinate."

Bella shook her head. "Carlisle, they're gonna get hurt."

"They're not the only ones," Aurora murmured, trying to mask her guilt.

She looked around the room; Emmett and Rosalie held each others hands trying to be strong, Esme looked despaired at the incoming threat to her family, the three wolves were unsettled, Edward stared at Bella, his deepest fear of losing her becoming a real risk. And Jasper—who Aurora had hurt and used yet he still stared at her like she was the sun—his eyes were trained on her, knowing the second meaning behind her words.

Edward frowned, accidentally catching Jasper's thoughts that revealed Aurora's admittance of deciding to not stay with the Cullens for much longer. The mind reader sighed, knowing that was a whole other matter bound to cause strife in his already stressed out family. He hoped she would at least have the courtesy to leave after the battle and not before—he didn't want his family to have their hearts ripped out before the army even arrived. He chose not to voice his opinions and focus on the current matter at hand.

Carlisle looked around his dear family. "We'll all need some training." The blond doctor met eyes with Jacob. "Fighting newborns requires knowledge that Jasper has. You're welcome to join us."

Jacob crossed his arms, showing off his bulging biceps. "Name the time and place."

➖

In a small clearing deep in the forest and very secluded from any possible human interaction, eight vampires and one human girl stood next to the silver Jeep, waiting for the wolves's arrival.

The couples all stood together; Esme held Carlisle's hand, Emmett's arm was slung over Rosalie's shoulder, and Edward's arm was wrapped around Bella's waist. Alice, Jasper, and Rory—the single vampires—stood by themselves; considering the ex couple's kiss the previous night, it was too awkward for casual conversation. Rory sat on top of the Jeep's hood, quietly sketching and waiting for the newborn army training to begin.

Edward looked up suddenly, his amber eyes staring past the trees. "They're here."

Out of the mist, eight giant wolves trotted into sight, their eyes filled with wariness at the amount of vampires in the clearing despite the alliance.

"I could smell it," Aurora nearly gagged, most of the other vampires agreeing with her, but cared more for proprietary than the newborn did. Aurora couldn't stop the look of disgust appearing on her face at the foul smell of the shapeshifters—it was absolutely horrendous, but they didn't look that happy to see her either.

A lot of the wolves had grown familiar with Rory Aden when she would visit the Rez with her mom the previous summer. Now it was the first time many of them were seeing her as a fully fledged vampire.

Edward looked to Cullens with explanation. "They don't trust us enough to be in their human forms."

"So much for an armistice," Aurora muttered under her breath sarcastically, sharing a look with Rosalie at the pack's ridiculous continued belief that the Cullens would go back on their word. She hopped off the Jeep , leaving her sketchbook on the hood, and faced the pack with crossed arms.

She tied her long hair up in a messy bun, not wanting it to be in the way when she inevitably sparred with someone. She was a little excited to show off her skills—she had hardly felt like a real vampire anymore, despite her undead state. In the last month, she barely used her gift besides persuading people to trust her or inhibiting Edward Cullen from hearing her thoughts. Besides the lack of sleep and hunting of animals, Aurora felt almost normal.

Carlisle nodded at the pack with respect. "They came. That's what matters."

"Hey, Jake," Bella said, as the russet colored wolf neared her, not caring for his pack mates sharp stares.

"Will you translate?" Carlisle asked Edward, who nodded deftly, already taking up the job dutifully. Carlisle slowly walked toward the pack, making sure not to make any sudden movements.

The biggest wolf with black fur and a piercing stare stepped forward. He was the alpha, Sam, they had reminded Aurora.

"Welcome," Carlisle offered them a brief smile as he gestured towards his stoic son, "Jasper has experience with newborns. He'll teach us how to defeat them."

Edward picked up the thoughts of Sam, "They want to know how the 'newborns' is differ from us."

Carlisle nodded, "They're a great deal stronger than us, because their own human blood lingers in their tissues. Our kind is never more physically powerful than in our first several months of this life." He cast a grin at Rory's direction, who froze when everyone else followed his gaze. "Lucky enough, Rory here is a newborn still, so we'll have some of that immeasurable strength with us this weekend."

Aurora forced herself to smile and act as though nothing was wrong, laughing lightly with the other Cullens at the comment meant to lift the somber mood. Edward and Jasper remained silent, knowing the newborn's secret. Carlisle then nodded to Jasper to take over.

Jasper clenched and unclenched his jaw before addressing the wolves, his southern drawl stronger than usual. "Carlisle's right. That's why they are created. A newborn army, doesn't need thousands like a human army. And no human army could stand against them. The two most important things to remember are, first—never let them get their arms around you. They'll crush you instantly. The second—never go for the obvious kill. They'll be expecting that," Jasper then met the gaze of each wolf warningly, "And you will lose."

Finding everyone's reactions sufficient, the blond turned to the vampires, "Emmett?"

Both walked to the area with more space for sparring and stood about thirty feet apart, "Don't hold back."

Emmett cracked his knuckles as a large smirk spread across his lips. "Not in my nature."

Emmett charged at Jasper with impossible speed, but Jasper was a virtual blur. The blond stepped out of the brawnier vampire's grasp several times, flipping over each other or throwing each other.

Aurora stood beside Rosalie, watching the boys with keen interest. Aurora wasn't sure what she was expecting from Jasper's fighting skills, but she was impressed and understood why Carlisle and the others deferred to him. Emmett had brute strength, but Jasper had strategy which made him better.

Jasper suddenly threw Emmett onto his back, his hand at his throat.

Emmett got up from the dirt, "Again!"

Others went at it, taking Jasper's advice and instructions. Rosalie was fierce and fast. Esme lacked the speed of her children, but her punches sent them to the ground. During Edward and Carlisle's turn, Aurora raised her brows as the bronze haired vampire threw his father onto the ground. Edward stood, thinking he had won the fight.

"One more thing," Jasper walked towards the two, Edward looked at Jasper expecting advice, until he was suddenly pulled to the dirt by Carlisle. Jasper shook his head, "Never turn your back on your enemy."

Then Alice and Jasper went at each other for a good ten minutes, spiraling and twisting out of each other's grasps. A lovely dance that proved the pair's familiarity with each other. Alice's eyes were slightly glazed over, not looking at him, as she saw his moves before he even made them, but his quickness just nearly catching her each time.

Out of nowhere, Alice is perched on his back. Jasper's stoic expression softens as she giggles carelessly and bends her head to bare her teeth inches from the skin of his jugular. "Gotchya," she beamed brightly.

As the pair laughed comfortably, Aurora felt her lips curl into a sneer. She didn't know why the sight of the long time companions jostling each other infuriated her—she had no reason to be upset. The newborn's eye twitched at the sight of Alice ruffling his wavy hair affectionately.

"Rors, you're up next!" Emmett hooted, pushing her forward from her stiffened position.

Aurora felt all eyes on her as she switched places with Alice—who frowned when Aurora didn't return her encouraging smile—and settled across from Jasper. She unclenched her fists as she exhaled, pushing her confusing emotions away so she could focus.

Jasper raised a brow at her strained expression.

"Are you alright?" He frowned as her emotions suddenly faded away like she was human again.

He wondered if the reason he couldn't read her emotions before was because Rory had been unknowingly controlling her emotions to be unreadable. He exchanged a look with Edward, who Jasper knew was reading his thoughts, and the bronze haired vampire shrugged at the blond's conclusion.

She smiled. "Perfect."

"Take it easy on her, Jazz!" Emmett called out, a little unsure of how the former couple would handle sparring. He remembered Rory as a petite human girl.

"The newborns won't, so give me all you got, Hale," she called out, the corner of her lips lifting in anticipation of showing off her skills. Her feet were spaced apart just enough to appear unsure of herself—another nuance of the training she had received with the Volturi.

"As you wish, ma'am," he bowed his head once as he shifted into position.

Without warning, he was coming for her, a blur to Bella who watched with wonder and horror as Rory made no movements to dodge out of the way. Everyone thought they would collide and send Rory flying across half the woods by Jasper's insane speed.

Aurora simply stood with her hands behind her back and a small smile.

"Stop."

Instead of tackling her like he meant to, Jasper came to a sudden halt, half his body pounced in the air and his arms in an unnatural position.

The Volturi guard in her finally appeared.

Their audience didn't know what to do other than stare in awe at the display of complete and utter control. Jasper tried to force his body to listen to him—and not the dark haired beauty smiling darkly on his behalf—to no avail.

She felt a delicious darkness take over, a feeling she hadn't had in weeks. She was insatiable.

"Now do a flip, Jasper," she whispered hypnotically, her gift so potent and alluring that even the wolves twitched to follow her command, only stopped by her specification for Jasper.

Jasper, in no control of his body, flipped instantly, landing hard on his back. The ground quaked by the force.

"What the fuck!" Paul's thoughts echoed to the pack who all shared the same sentiments at witnessing this unexpected brandishing of power from Rory. They weren't expecting this.

She was more dangerous than any of them thought.

"That wasn't exactly fair," Jasper breathed out, brushing his waves from his eyes in an endearing manner.

"I never said I was," she grinned wickedly.

"Again," Jasper got to his feet in a split second. He eyed his ex girlfriend curiously. "This time...no gifts, Rory. I wanna make sure you can handle yourself just in case," he added, not trying to make it obvious of his blatant concern over her. If she did stay for the battle, and he hoped that she would, Jasper didn't want to worry about her too much.

"Fine," Aurora shrugged, not bothering to argue about it.

She was trained by the best of the best. How else did they think she spent her months with the Volturi? Just flounce around the castle in designer dresses and bath in blood instead of learning how to fight or strengthen her gift? Please, she had enough time to do it all. She was a multitasker.

She hardly needed to learn anything, but she participated in Jasper's training because she was expected to. It was also nice to remind everyone she wasn't a helpless human girl anymore.

Jasper rushed at her and she copied his movements, knowing they'd all expect her to crash into him, but instead she leaped up, grabbed the thick tree branch above them, and used it to flip over. She landed behind Jasper and just as he turned in attempt to grab her, her foot was already there, kicking him square in the chest, and sending him sprawling twenty feet away past the wolves who had parted as Jasper went flying. The crash was louder than thunder as a couple trees fell over.

"Holy shit, where did you learn how to fight like that?" Emmett crowed, his eyes wide with shock at the unexpected move she pulled. She had beaten Jasper twice.

Rosalie shrugged, a small smile on her face. "She was a Volturi guard..."

Esme and Bella clapped at the display.

Aurora glanced at the Cullens, accidentally distracted by their compliments. She didn't notice Jasper had recovered and was coming for her until it was too late. She felt the ground disappear and not wanting to be completely embarrassed, Aurora managed to grab ahold of Jasper's black shirt.

He caught himself on his hands, his knees on either side of Aurora's torso as she laid flat on her back. His long legs straddled her waist, and her hair haloed around her head, loose from its bun. This was familiar.

She glanced at his lips—remembering the smooth feeling and sweet taste from the night before.

They met eyes.

Then, Jasper got up to his feet and offered her his hand to stand up. Her fingers tightened around his as she pulled herself up, a part of her didn't want to let go, but she did anyways and stuffed her fingers into her pockets.

"Never lose focus. Even when you think the fight is over, it's just begun," he stated loudly, looking to the rest of his 'students' who all acknowledged his words. "Arrogance will be what newborns depend on to win. Do not let them."

Aurora was affronted by his analysis of her attack albeit it being begrudgingly true. He had made an example of her. It surprised her how much she liked this side of Jasper Hale. He had spent the last month treating her like glass, afraid of being himself, she had picked up on that.

Later on, as she listened to his private conversation with Bella about his past, she learned—or relearned—why she had fallen in love with the former Major in the first place. She smiled when he shifted into a softer tone as he addressed how the human Rory Aden made his difficult beginning worth it.

She wondered if she was still worth it.

Her decision remained unmade yet.

➖

There were only three more days until the battle, meaning Aurora only had two more with the Cullens. After training, the Cullens decided to go on a hunt to begin preparing for the battle. They would return the next day where they would go over positions and strategies with the pack. Aurora volunteered to opt out of the hunt and take Bella to the Rez. Edward was unsure of trusting Aurora, but he needed to hunt considering he and Bella had the house to themselves the next night.

"Bella, this is a bad idea," Aurora muttered as Bella parked her rusty truck into the driveway of the small red wooden house, bearing the name 'Black' on the mailbox. She could sense that one human was in the house, typing on a computer while watching the news.

The brunette smiled at the newborn, "You used to thrive on bad ideas before you were a vampire, Rors. Just try, okay?" Bella pleaded, hoping that her plan would work out for her best friend.

Since hearing Jasper's story, his bloody past and fears of being nothing more than a monster, feeling nothing for decades until a certain hazel eyed girl with a big heart showed him the meaning of love and acceptance—he had waited for her his entire life, quietly admitting Rory was the sole purpose of his existence. Jasper didn't care that it seemed unlikely for them to ever reconnect, being near her was enough for him. Having always been a shipper of the relationship, Bella was now very determined to help restore it and bring happiness to both beings—no matter what.

"Fine," Aurora acquiesced, not having much choice either way. She just hoped the pack took their time realizing a vampire was on their land. "You're lucky I can control minds otherwise we'd be in big trouble if this goes badly."

"I really think this might help you," Bella insisted, her gut instinct pushing at her to reunite her friend with her mother.

"Or it may give my mother a heart attack and the wolf pack will tear me apart," Aurora offered pointedly, the nervousness apparent in her trembling tone.

"It'll be fine," Bella said, glancing towards the house again. She grinned in anticipation as she hopped out of the vehicle, leaving Aurora in the can. "Okay. Just wait here..."

She jogged to the door, but from the angle Bella had parked the truck, Aurora couldn't see the woman who opened the door and welcomed the girl into the house. If Aurora's heart still worked, it would be pounding. Her fingers drummed on the door's armrest as she listened to Bella and her mother chat.

Aurora peered out the window towards the woods as her senses prickled. "Alright, is that a horde of shirtless beefcakes emerging from the woods and heading straight for me? Yup, it is." The pack had finally discovered a vampire was on their land and they did not look happy.

Her eyes flickered towards the house again, "Bella, if you don't give me the signal in two seconds then I'm going to take off."

They continued to talk about the weather of all things. Hurry up and bring me up, Bella, or I'm going to be really dead this time, Aurora thought exasperatedly as the shirtless men were sprinting across the large field now.

"Ah fuck. They're going to tear me apart," Aurora sighed, catching the expressions on the wolves' faces as they realized the scent of vampire was coming from Jacob's house. "That's it. I'm going in."

Probably regretting the decision to forgo the plan, Aurora was a blur as she entered the house and interrupted the conversation abruptly.

Stella was in the middle of her sentence as the door suddenly slammed open, "Bella what are you talking abou—"

Aurora froze in place as a woman, petite and dark haired with streaks of grey and Aurora's face, laid a pair of hazel eyes full on her.

Bella looked between the two women who had both been shocked into silence at seeing each other. "Rory, you were supposed to wait for the signal," Bella whispered, biting her lip.

Aurora didn't give one fuck about the pack minutes away from storming into the house. The woman, her mother, stared at her with tears filling her eyes. She felt no temptation for her mother's blood. She felt nothing, but warmth.

"Please tell me I'm not dreaming again," Stella murmured, her voice cracking as her eyes searched the intruder's familiar face.

A large dog—an older German Shepard—trotted over to the three women in the living room. The dog barked excitably and rushed over to the new girl—but froze as Orion realized her human had changed. Aurora glanced from the dog to her mother.

"Mama..." She took a hesitant step forward. "I'm..."

She didn't know what words were appropriate to explain her appearance. She was alive, but she was also dead in a way. She was back, but not forever. She was Aurora, but she was also Rory.

"Mija, aye cómo he esperado tanto para verte de nuevo," Stella nearly sobbed as she rushed forward and unexpectedly threw her arms around her daughter. Rory was cold and felt harder than marble, but Stella didn't care as she felt her daughter carefully wrap her arms around her. "I knew you'd come back home to me."

"Rory!" Jacob threw open the door, his eyes filled with horror as he saw the newborn wrap her arms around his stepmother. "Get away from her!"

Orion, regardless of her conflicted feelings over her human, growled at Jacob, sensing his hostility and standing between her caretake for the last few months and her human as if she could protect Aurora more than she could herself.

Sam stepped in, his deep voice snapping at the newborn who pulled away from her confused mother. "You can't be here!"

"Great," Aurora muttered, casting a look of 'help' towards Bella who looked disappointed by the pack's appearance.

Stella stepped forward, but kept her hand clasped in Aurora's. "Jake? What are you talking about? Rory has finally returned," she smiled softly at her daughter then narrowed her eyes as more shirtless boys filled her doorway. "Why are you all in here anyways?"

Sam was absolutely furious. "Stella, I'm sorry but you need to step away from her. She's not who you think she is," he glared at the vampire.

Stella glared back, not sure what these boys had against her daughter all of a sudden. The boys had mourned her disappearance just as the rest of the town, and always spoke of missing Rory.

"Rory is my daughter, Sam. I think you boys need to leave," Stella raised her brow as she snapped at the obvious pack leader of the horde of shirtless teenage boys. "This is a private matter."

Aurora sighed, glancing at her mother sadly and at the wolves with defeat. "No, mama, they're right. I shouldn't have come here. I just complicated things." It did fill her with smugness as a few of the boys shuffled about guiltily, knowing Stella Black only wanted to see her daughter.

"Let her stay." A voice grumbled, parting the crowd as a man rolled his wheelchair into the living room. His black cowboy hat tilted forward as he nodded at Aurora in acceptance.

"Billy?" Sam furrowed his brows, as if his hearing had failed him.

Billy Black gestured to the newborn. "Rory is my stepdaughter. She's not your responsibility in my house. Please wait outside, boys. You too, Jake," he added, a surprise to everyone in the room.

"Yeah, boys," Rory eyed the pack members who had squished themselves in the doorway. "Go outside." She couldn't stop herself from using her gift to give the shifters a final push to get out. A part of her wanted to stick her tongue out at them childishly.

Before following the others, Jacob laid his eyes on the girl awkwardly watching the situation unfold in the background. "Bella, can we talk?" he asked with a note of urgency.

The brunette hesitated, but with Aurora's encouraging nod, Bella sighed. "I'll be back," she whispered to the newborn as she stepped out of the house. Even Orion, the dog Aurora somewhat recognized, ran out the house.

As the door shut, Aurora and Billy shared a look of understanding. He hated what she was, but she was family. And his love for his wife and stepdaughter surpassed his hate for her lifestyle.

"Billy, Rory, someone better explain to me what that was," Stella looked between the two with narrowed eyes, "because it seems to me everyone else has known you're not actually dead or missing, but me—your mother."

Aurora exchanged a furtive glance with Billy, before carefully stepping closer to the woman, "Mama, can you trust me when I tell you that I can't tell? I want to, you deserve to know where I've been all these months, what happened to me—but if I do then I'll have to go far away again and never return in order to protect you."

She didn't even want to get into the fact that the only thing she remembered about her mother was her name. Aurora felt her eyes prickle with a burning sensation of tears that would never shed. She had lost everything, her humanity, her memory, but she couldn't deny the irrefutable love for her mother.

"None of it matters anymore," Stella declared with a decisive jerk of her head. "All that matters is that you're safe and alive." She paused at her word choice, taking a moment to stare at her daughter's altered face, searching the blatant differences to her now discernibly unflawed physical appearance—and her eyes. They were a peculiar shade of gold, with ruby flecks—they reminded Stella of the jasper stone. Aurora was silent under the woman's close scrutiny.

Stella looked between her husband and daughter as her eyes widened in realization. "Are you...like the Cullens? From the stories Billy told me?" She was no idiot, and she was beginning to put together why the boys stormed in and why her daughter was so cold and perfect.

Aurora gaped at her mother's question and turned to Billy accusatorially, "You told her?" she asked, confirming her mother's question and conveying her ire at her stepfather all at once.

"Just the basics from my people's legends," Billy clarified unapologetically. "She is my wife."

Aurora inhaled, calming herself down. She had freaked out over the possibility of her mother being in danger for knowing the vampire secret, but considering from what she researched about Quiluetes, Stella Black technically didn't know the full secret.

Aurora swallowed, meeting her mother and stepfather's stare. "I'm sorry I missed the wedding," she said quietly, "I got...lost. I changed. But I came back."

"And that's all that matters, mi amor," Stella closed the distance between them, placing her hand on her daughter's marble cheek affectionately. "I don't care what happened just that you came back to us. To me."

"Even though I'm not the same as I was before?" The words were spoken smoothly, but it didn't hide the girl's fear of rejection.

Stella smiled softly, and shook her head. "No matter what, Rory, you will always be my daughter."

The slightly taller woman ignored the freezing cold temperature of her daughter's flawless porcelain skin as she leaned forward and pressed a single kiss on her forehead.

Remember who you are.

Aurora gasped at the burst of energy emitting from her forehead.

Then she collapsed on the ground.

➖

i couldnt resist the whole kiss breaks the curse. i feel it was more important that it would be rory and her mother reuniting that recovers her amnesia idc if it doesn't make sense this is fanfiction yall it dont gotta lol

*also i didnt see a point in writing a scene where jasper tells bella his past bc it would be redundant considering i had written that dialogue back in chapter 10 or so

ALSO YALL oddtae made a whole ass trailer for this story, im having trouble uploading it but as soon as i figure it out imma post it because it's honestly amazing!

andddd ont top of that i have a major surprise for u guys, that MANY have u have been asking about, so im so excited but i have to wait to announce it when eclipse is overrrr 😈

comment below what u think the surprise is