Chapter 25

"Selene, get down!" Riana hissed, knowing they had to stay out of sight while the danger was here.

"I have to see what's going on! Jake is out there!" She whispered frantically, looking back at Riana with pleading jade eyes. "I'll be careful, but tell me you're not curious about what's going on."

Sighing heavily, Riana couldn't stop nodding even if her life depended on it. "Just be careful, Sel." She softly said, causing Riana to nod and barely peaked her head up until her eyes could see out of the window, blinking at all the black cloaked people out there. "Who are they?"

"I don't know."

"What do they look like?" Riana asked in a shaky voice, chewing her thumbnail nervously.

"They're all in black cloaks with hoods on; they look like some kind of powerful clan…" Selene answered and pressed her finger to her lips, just wanting to watch the scene unfold.

"I wish it was a good evening, Aro." Carlisle said, keeping Esme close to his side, squaring his shoulders. "To what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?" He inquired, staring at Irina and knew instantly she'd been the one who told the Volturi about Renesmee.

Their suspicions had been confirmed, someone from the Denali Coven had gone to the Volturi to tell them about Bella and Edward's creation. Carlisle knew the Denali still held somewhat of a grudge against them because of the decimation of their friend Laurent, especially Irina. She had dated him and the wolves destroyed him in order to save Bella's life when she was still human. Laurent had come back to Forks to hunt Bella down as a favor to Victoria and nearly killed her, only to be saved by the pack.

"Well first and foremost, where is the lovely Isabella Swan?" Aro asked in a demanding, soft voice.

"It's actually Bella Cullen now." Bella stated and stepped forward, folding her arms in front of her chest, hoping Seth had her daughter secure.

Aro smiled widely at the red eyed beauty before him and couldn't help clasping his hands together with joy. "As I suspected, you have made an enchanting immortal, Isabella." He fingered a strand of her hair, that soft smile never leaving his face. "I am pleased to see you followed through with turning her, Edward."

"It was not without difficulty." Edward stated, though he had to admit he enjoyed having Bella immortal.

"And her powers?" Aro inquired, holding his hand out for Bella, arching an eyebrow when she hesitated. "Would you do me the honor, Isabella dear?"

Déjà vu spread throughout her body because Bella remembered Aro wanting to do this when she went to Volterra to save Edward. "Of course."

She slipped her hand into his and was pulled forward a little more, swallowing past the lump that formed in her throat. Bella was still getting used to not having a beating heart and silently hoped her sister stayed out of sight. The Volturi would not hesitate in the slightest to destroy them if they were spotted and there was no way Bella was allowing one of her family members to be killed. She would die defending Selene, knowing she owed the girl that much, and kept her red eyes focused on Aro's.

"I see nothing." Aro grinned from ear to ear, slowly releasing her hand. "You have some kind of shield that prevents people from reading your mind."

That was a relief to hear and Bella simply shrugged, acting as if she didn't know what he was talking about. "I don't know what to tell you, I have no idea what it is." She said, though truthfully Bella had found out what exactly her power was, and it rendered the Volturi's power against them useless. So if a fight did ensue, the Cullen's would have protection through Bella and the Volturi would never know it.

"Enough of this nonsense!" Caius stepped forward, scowling angrily because he honestly didn't think Bella wouldn't fall through with their agreement in becoming immortal. He was deeply disappointed and clutched Irina's shoulders, pushing her forward a little. "We are here for another reason, Aro."

"Impatience will get you absolutely nowhere, Caius." Aro sighed deeply, staring at the Olympic Coven with astute eyes. "Irina Denali came to us a few weeks ago and informed us that a child was born between the two of you." He pointed at Edward and Bella, arching a slow eyebrow when they immediately stepped forward.

"Yes we did." There was no point in lying to the Volturi and Edward instantly took Bella's hand, their fingers lacing together.

"An Immortal Child is forbidden to our kind." Aro explained in a deceptively cool voice. "I am afraid…"

"She is not an Immortal Child." Bella argued and immediately stopped going toward Aro when Edward squeezed her hand. "She's half human and half vampire…"

"Irina, please tell them exactly what you told us." Aro ordered, causing the woman to step forward.

"I saw the Immortal Child being carried from this house to a small cottage to the west by Isabella. She is growing at a rapid pace and drinks blood, but has a beating heart." Irina explained, refusing to meet the eyes of the Cullen's, knowing she was betraying them. At first she thought the Cullen's had killed Laurent, only to find out by spying on them that the wolves had been responsible. If they would've given Laurent justice and destroyed the wolves that currently surrounded them, she would've kept their secret hidden. "I have done research and I know they created this monster in order to overthrow the Volturi's power."

"You are certain of this?" Aro asked, causing Irina to nod without preamble.

This isn't good; the Volturi is starting to get antsy. Sam finally voiced his opinion, causing the other wolves to glance at him momentarily. Jake, we have to do something.

Not yet, Bella said they could handle this and they had a plan to make sure the Volturi was proven wrong. Jake wondered briefly if Bella was just overconfident, glancing up at the window to make sure both Selene and Riana stayed out of sight. We need to get them out of here soon if this continues, Paul.

You don't have to tell me twice. They won't be able to cross the treaty line or we can rip every single one of them to shreds. Paul growled softly, causing all of the other wolves to nod.

How much longer do we have to wait then, Jake? Embry asked, growing slowly impatient because the danger lurking in the air right now was only heightening.

When do I leave with Nessie? Seth demanded, refusing to let these bloodsuckers touch her, his sandy colored fur and gigantic body hiding Renesmee from sight.

Five minutes.

The pack all nodded in agreement, turning back to the scene before them.

"I can assure you, Irina, that we have not created an Immortal Child. She is not immortal because she has a beating heart. Did you not think of that?" Edward asked politely, golden eyes locking with Aro's, knowing he made a good point. "I am terribly sorry you had to trouble yourselves to come all this way on a false accusation, Aro."

"But it's not false!" Irina cried out suddenly, eyes widening. "I know she is...now where is she? Why are you hiding her if she isn't an Immortal Child?"

"Enough Irina." Caius ordered, pulling her back toward him, the same scowl on his face of pure annoyance. "Aro…"

"Give me your hand Edward; let me read your thoughts." Aro demanded, extending his hand, knowing that was the only way to prove Renesmee's innocence. "Now."

Edward slid his hand into Aro's and allowed the vampire to read every thought he had, including Bella's awful pregnancy that nearly killed her, to when she was changed right after their daughter was born. Aro stared straight ahead, seeing the child in his mind with a beating heart, yet she still had the thirst for blood. She had bronze curls like her father and chocolate brown eyes that reminded Bella of her human life with pale skin like a vampire. Aro slowly released Edward's hand a few minutes later, nodding in understanding.

"Renesmee is her name?" He asked, causing both Edward and Bella to nod. "Then Renesmee Cullen is not an Immortal Child, Irina."

Irina swallowed hard and lowered her head, closing her eyes. "I-I'm sorry, I thought she was and was only trying to protect our kind…" She lied, not believing her plan had backfired to have the Cullen's destroyed just as Laurent had been by this pack of savages. "I suppose I was wrong…" She grudgingly admitted, lifting her head to glare at Edward, her blonde locks flowing over her shoulders with cold amber eyes.

"Kill her." Caius ordered the guard in a bored tone, causing Irina's eyes to widen in horror.

"No, no please!"

The guard obeyed and completely destroyed Irina right before their eyes, ripping her limbs off as her body crumbled into dust before them, her screams echoing in the air. "Oh my god…" Selene whispered, covering her mouth with her hand, and Riana instantly pulled her back down as tears formed in both of their eyes.

"I don't want to know what happened. I just want to be with Paul again." Riana whispered, feeling as though her heart might give out from how fast it was pounding.

"Jake, please be careful…"

Caius set the remains of Irina's broken form in ablaze, the fire lighting the sky at that moment. "Aro, the werewolves are a danger as well, perhaps we should dispose of them while we're here." He wanted to fight someone or something, beady red eyes moving to the wolves that surrounded them, smirking. "They look as though they want to attack us."

"They are not real werewolves." Edward informed, refusing to release his wife's hand, knowing she wanted to destroy Caius and, in truth, so did he.

"That is correct, Aro. They are known as…"

"Shape-shifters." Aro cut Carlisle off, glancing around at all of the wolves that surrounded them. "They are not a threat, Caius. We do not want to start an unnecessary war."

"Fine, then what about the child?" Caius knew he was losing this fight, but refused to give up yet. "Just because she is not an Immortal Child, doesn't mean she doesn't pose a threat to us still. We should destroy her and save ourselves the trouble of doing so years down the road."

No! Seth shouted in his mind, causing the other wolves to immediately become defensive.

Calm down all of you. Let's wait and see what happens first. Seth, you need to get Renesmee out of here if they start attacking us. Jake ordered, causing the sandy wolf to nod once, still keeping Renesmee out of sight.

Bella knew the wolves were secretly conversing because Edward kept glancing at them, knowing they were ready to attack if necessary. "Forgive me, Caius, but you are wrong again." Alice's twinkling voice finally spoke up, Jasper right beside her. "We have found proof that Renesmee is not the only half human, half vampire hybrid born. I have seen it."

Aro was intrigued now, turning his full attention on Alice, and extended his hand silently. Alice stepped forward and slid her hand into his, Aro instantly seeing an extremely handsome young Latin man with rich dark brown skin, eyes the color of warm teak, and attractive features. His black hair was pulled back in a long braid that went over his shoulder and Aro could already sense the same presence in this vision as he did now, knowing Renesmee wasn't far away.

"His name?"

"My name is Nahuel." The man suddenly walked out of the darkness, knowing Alice and Jasper would need physical proof in order to save their niece. "I am a human/vampire hybrid and have lived for nearly one hundred and fifty years." He nodded to Alice and Jasper, who had left the Cullen's right after Bella's change, knowing they would need something to prove to the Volturi of Renesmee's innocence.

After a few more questions and more convincing, Aro finally decided that Renesmee wasn't a threat. "My sincerest apologies for this intrusion, Carlisle. We were only concerned with protecting our kind and nothing more." Aro stated, holding his hand up to silence Caius when the man went to argue, red eyes moving toward Bella. "I do hope to see you again very soon, Mrs. Cullen." Then he noticed something Bella was wearing and beamed from ear to ear. "And might I add, that necklace looks exquisite on you."

Bella smiled for the first time genuinely, allowing Aro to take her hand again to press a soft kiss to the back of it. "Thank you, Aro." She murmured and immediately walked away, needing to have Renesmee in her arms at that moment.

"I do hope the next time we see each other will be on better terms."

"Actually, there is one thing you can do for us, Aro." Carlisle said, stopping them from leaving, and glanced over at Luke. He explained what Luke did and asked for the Volturi to lock him up in Volterra.

"Very well, it is the least we can do after causing you trouble."

Snapping his fingers, the guard instantly took Luke by the arms, destroying him just as they had done Irina. Carlisle was appalled, though he knew the Volturi didn't want to deal with Luke's behavior and hoped Riana hadn't witnessed that. Aro then swept away without another word, the rest of the Volturi in tow, including a very irritated and angered Caius.

Jane, Alec, Felix and Demitri had kept quiet, allowing their leaders to deal with the situation on their own. Marcus was just relieved that no fighting had ensued, wanting to get back to his throne in Volterra. Once Carlisle was certain the Volturi was gone, thanks to Alice's vision; he nodded at the wolves as they all began phasing, tossing clothes on. Seth had a firm hold on Renesmee, who kept touching him, her way of communication and giggled when he kissed her small fingertips.

"Seth, thank you so much." Bella whispered, taking her daughter from him and held her close, Edward holding both of them, glad it was finally over.

Jacob didn't waste another second and met Selene at the stairs as she ran down them, Riana following suit. She jumped in his arms, legs wrapping around his waist as they kissed hungrily, passionately. Her fingers buried in his soft short cropped black hair, their eyes locking together and all Selene wanted was to be married to him as soon as possible.

Riana cried as Paul explained to her what happened to Luke, clinging to him for dear life, and Paul carried her away from the Cullen's back to the reservation. Selene's heart broke for her best friend, though she knew deep down Riana already thought Luke was dead, especially after being turned into a bloodsucker. The rest of the wolves followed suit; Carlisle, Esme, Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, Emmett and Nahuel went inside the house, leaving Jacob, Selene, Edward, Bella and Renesmee outside.

"So…you were changed into a vampire?" Selene asked as her and Bella took a walk away from the guys, clasping her hands in front of her.

Bella smiled with sparkling red eyes, nodding. "Yes, I wanted to be with Edward in every way and I couldn't bare growing old while he stayed the same. I want to be with him forever, he's my other half." She said, causing Selene to nod in understanding.

"Does Charlie know about this?" Selene asked hesitantly, already knowing the answer to that question as Bella simply shot her a look. "Sorry, are you ever going to tell him though?"

"I don't know yet, but I really want to. I don't want to lose my family just because of what I am." Bella sighed almost wistfully, stopping as they both stared into the woods deep in thought. "So, when's the wedding and am I invited?"

Selene smiled and glanced down at the beautiful stone on her left ring finger, shrugging. "I'm not sure right now and you can come if you want. You all are invited." They faced each other then, Bella taking Selene's hands in her own, seeing the tears brewing in her sister's eyes.

"I'm sorry for the way I treated you, Selene. It won't happen again, I was just angry and…"

Selene held her hand up, squeezing Bella's hands in return. "I don't blame you for how you treated me and it's in the past. Maybe we can finally start from the beginning and be real sisters one day."

Bella nodded and sighed when her daughter began crying, Edward's chuckling following. "I have to go tend to her. Thanks again, Selene." She then swept away gracefully and took Renesmee from Edward's arms, kissing her forehead. "Let's go home." Edward grinned and proceeded to guide his family through the trees toward their small cottage.

Selene slowly turned around to face Jacob, not able to get enough of those incredible dark eyes of his. "I think Bells had a great idea." He lifted Selene in his arms, kissing her breathlessly, and began the trip back to La Push so the rest of the pack could be officially introduced to his future bride. "So, when did you wanna get hitched?"

Shrugging, Selene caressed his face tenderly, leaning her head on his shoulder. "Sooner or later, but right now, I just want to be with you in every way possible."

Jacob groaned when she began nibbling at his ear and slowly lowered her down to the ground, rain beginning to fall around them in a curtain. They took each other to heights only they could reach, not caring if others were worrying about them. Selene melted into Jacob and writhed as he made passionate love to her, not caring if it was in a bed, against a tree or deep in the forest where hardly anyone could hear her screams.

"Jake…"

"Selene…"

Deep down, both of them knew that sooner or later, they would've found their way to each other and just got lost in the moment, allowing the world to vanish around them.

The End.