The soft hues of the setting sun painted the room in a warm, golden glow as Rosalie and Kiara lay intertwined on the plush bed. Rosalie's ceiling-to-floor windows framed the sky like a masterpiece, casting long shadows against her workbench that danced across the room. The tranquility of the moment enveloped them, a sanctuary from the bustling world outside.

Kiara's fingers traced lazy patterns on Rosalie's arm, her touch a gentle reassurance of their shared reality. The delicate hum of contentment hung in the air, and Kiara revelled in the simplicity of this moment – the stillness broken only by the hushed whispers of leaves rustling in the evening breeze. 

"What are you thinking about?" Rosalie muttered, her eyes lazily flickering to stare at Kiara who was now pressing light kisses along her shoulder as they lay in rays of the setting sun that bathed the room.

Kiara's heart swelled with a quiet joy as she stole glances at Rosalie. Her imprint's profile was bathed in the soft light, revealing the tranquility etched across her features. The wolf marveled at the way the sunset painted Rosalie's hair with hues of amber, creating a halo around her that matched the warmth in Kiara's chest. She looked ethereal, Kiara mused, a small twitch in her lips as she wondered how she could be that lucky.

"Just how lucky I am," Kiara murmured gently, a twinkle in her eyes. "To exist in the same timeline as you."

The symphony of their friends' laughter and conversation downstairs served as a distant melody, a reminder of the world beyond their cocoon. But in this room, all that mattered was the present – the soft breathing of Rosalie beside her, the intertwining of their fingers, and the unspoken promise of shared tomorrows.

"I'd have waited for you," Rosalie told her, a gentle smile on her face as she gazed back at her. "For eternity."

"I know," Kiara replied, her cheeks heating up as she blushed. Rosalie laughed as Kiara groaned, trying to hide her now red cheeks with her hands as she found herself getting more embarrassed at the way she blushed from one simple comment from Rosalie. "Shut up."

The scent of Rosalie's perfume hung in the air, a fragrant reminder of the moments they had shared. Kiara closed her eyes, allowing the aroma to transport her to memories of stolen kisses and whispered confessions. It was a scent that encapsulated the essence of their love, a fragrance that defined the sanctuary they had built together.

A gentle breeze swept through the room, causing the curtains to sway in a graceful dance. The cool touch of Rosalie's skin was a contrast to the warmth radiating from Kiara, the reminder of how they naturally balanced each other out. Kiara rolled away from Rosalie, causing the blonde vampire to chuckle at her childish actions.

From downstairs, Bree and Seth could be heard giggling with each other, causing Kiara to smile at the sound. They only seemed to be getting closer and closer, and she liked the fact that Jacob's words on the beach a few days prior hadn't clouded Seth's stance on his friendship with Bree. The vampire was still getting used to life as an immortal, and Seth was taking it much better than Kiara had expected.

After all, it was only a few months ago that Bree even learned that vampires could step foot into the daylight - something that had broken Esme's heart when she realised that Bree had pretty much spent almost every minute of her second life in darkness until she met the Cullens. Her eyes were getting more and more golden by the day, and Kiara was sure that they would be gold by the time Bella and Edward returned from their honeymoon.

"Not long until the lovebirds are back," Kiara said to Rosalie as she pulled her sneakers back on, having checked the time on the clock and realising that her and Seth needed to leave now or they wouldn't make it back in time for the pack bonfire that night. She'd spent the better part of the afternoon being studied by Carlisle as he examined her healing vampire bites, much to Rosalie's disapproval. Kiara didn't mind it though, she was just as curious about it as Carlisle was.

"Unfortunately," Rosalie muttered, causing Kiara to playfully slap at her shoulder.

"Now now, play nice," Kiara joked. "That's your brother and sister-in-law."

Rosalie threw the throw pillow at the side of the bed towards Kiara, rolling her eyes as Kiara let laughter bark out into the air as she finished tying her shoelaces. She chuckled as she pulled on one of Emmett's old fleeces that had been claimed as her own, Rosalie having made sure to coat it in her own perfume to mark her claim on Kiara. That good old Rosalie Hale jealousy, Kiara had joked. Beverly had smirked, also glad that Kiara wasn't walking around with her mate's scent stuck to her.

"I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Always," Rosalie murmured, pressing one last quick kiss to Kiara's lips before the girl left the room and bounded downstairs towards Seth. Bree's head snapped to the stairs as Kiara came down, tensing a little as she noticed the other wolf was staring back at her. Kiara hadn't had much time to really speak to Bree - since Bree was either always with Seth or Kiara was always with Rosalie - but they had an unspoken agreement.

Seth's smile dropped a little as he noticed Kiara appear, realising that his time with Bree was up for now. He felt guilty immediately for thinking it, not wanting his pack brothers and sisters to think that he didn't like spending time with them. 

"We better get going," Seth said, giving Bree a quick hug before turning back to Kiara and handing her his mom's car keys. "Mom said that I could drive here but not back," he explained. "So can you?"

Kiara laughed at the thought of Sue Clearwater biting her nails as she watched Seth drive away in her car. He had only just got his permit, although Harry had unofficially been teaching him since he turned 14 anyway. That being said, his few short years of learning certainly hadn't made him a good drive and Kiara couldn't blame Sue for only allowing him to drive on the condition that Kiara drove back.

The other Quileute nodded, taking the keys from him and giving Bree a small wave in farewell before Seth and her thanked Esme for having them into her home as they passed by her. The woman simply smiled back at them, loving having two (always hungry) teenagers that she could actually cook for for a change.. The two of them stepped outside into the night air and made their way towards Kiara's car, laughing and joking as they went until they were safely inside the car and on their way.

____

Seth and Kiara arrived just in time for the bonfire to begin. The sun had now set, and it was Paul who noticed the duo approaching before anyone else had. There was a little bit of tension as the elders noticed them, the words hanging in the air from their previous disapproval of their imprints. But the two of them didn't care, and Kiara found herself drawn towards Paul's wave as she spotted him sat on one of the logs by the fire. Seth followed her, not wanting to let her out of his sight for a second.

 Paul had saved Kiara a seat and a hot dog - her favourite - and he gave her an encouraging smile as she sat down beside him. The bonfire was only just lit, but all around them was laughter and chatter from the pack members who'd already arrived. There was also music playing in the background, some songs familiar to Kiara from when she'd been hanging out with Bella in the weeks leading up to the wedding.

Kiara had missed this, the vibe of just being with her friends and family and no sense of impending doom. It was nice, for once.

"Was beginning to think you'd chickened out." Paul teased, his arm wrapped around Rachel who was deep in a conversation with Emily beside them. "Big leech-loving Kiara Black, scared of some old opinionated men..."

"Very funny, Paul," Kiara said, rolling her eyes a little although the hint of a smile on her lips told him that she did find it a little funny.

Seth chuckled and added, "She was almost too busy being pampered by Rosalie."

Some of the pack members around them laughed at the thought of Kiara being pampered, the sound echoing and bouncing off the trees that surrounded them. She rolled her eyes once more, just being glad that they could now have these joking conversations about her imprint instead of the hostility it had been for a long time. The fire crackled and popped, the heat radiating in waves that made Kiara feel cozy and safe.

She had missed this camaraderie and the way they all joked with each other. It was nice to be reminded that they still had each other, despite everything that had happened. Kiara leaned her head on Paul's shoulder, feeling the warmth of the fire on her skin and the steady beat of his heart. She closed her eyes for a moment, taking in the moment of peace before opening them to find Leah approaching them with a grin on her face.

"Hey Kie," Leah greeted them, taking a seat on the log opposite them. "How's leech life treating you?"

"So polite" she said, her eyes meeting Seth's for a moment as she laughed, before she turned back to Leah. She dropped her voice a little as she looked at her best friend, nothing but sincerity in her eyes. "I'm really happy, Leah."

Leah nodded, her eyes softening a little. "I'm happy for you," she said, reaching out to give Kiara's hand a squeeze. "You deserve it."

They said nothing more on the topic, knowing that the small interaction was leaps and bounds for Leah. It hurt her to know that the Cullens were vampires, and that her brother and best friend were now linked to them forever, but she loved them more than her hatred for the vampires.

As the night wore on, Kiara found herself getting lost in the stories and laughter of the pack. They swapped tales of their adventures and misadventures, each one more ridiculous than the last. Kiara found herself laughing harder than she had in a long time, feeling like she was finally able to let go of some of the worry and fear that had been weighing her down.

Eventually, when the fire had started to die down, they all began to pack up and head home. Kiara and Seth said their goodbyes to the pack, promising to see them all soon. As they walked back to the car, Kiara couldn't help but feel grateful for the sense of belonging she felt with her pack once again.

She turned to Seth and smiled. "Thanks for coming with me tonight. It was fun."

"Yeah, I'm glad we came," Seth admitted, knowing that Kiara knew he didn't really want to. "I wasn't sure about how... everyone would be. You were calmer that I expected."

"You get used to it," Kiara joked, talking about the cold stares of some of the elders. "I like to call it perfecting my art."

"What art?"

"The art of imprinting on a vampire."

Seth paused for a moment. "You are so weird." 

____

A week after the bonfire, Kiara felt herself stir as she picked up on the noise of laughter from down the hall. She slowly blinked as she tried to get the sleep out of her eyes, letting her ears listen in so that she could figure out who was laughing so loudly in her house.

It had been almost a week since Rosalie had called her and said she was heading out of town on a hunting trip with Bree, informing her that the others were also heading out of town on various different trips before Edward and Bella returned. Kiara and Seth had both discussed that it was a little strange they were going on a week long hunting trip, but Rosalie had told her they were also planning on stopping in Alaska to see the Denalis and would likely stay for a few days.

"Remember when Sarah smashed old Quil's vase? I thought he was going to have her head on a stick for the rest of our days."

Kiara perked up when she heard her mother's name. It wasn't often that she got to hear stories about her mother, since Billy had always found it hard to talk about her to the twins. She knew it was because they reminded him of their mother, but she couldn't help herself from listening in as she sat up in her bed.

Charlie - she noted. She hadn't expected to hear the gruff voice in her living room, but the melodic motherly tones of Sue made her wonder why all three parents had suddenly gathered in the Black household kitchen. Slipping on the same clothes from the night before (and why not? It wasn't like anyone would see her other than the adults who had literally changed her diaper before), Kiara slowly started to slide towards the kitchen and towards the smell of freshly baked muffins.

"There she is!" Sue teased, a smile on her face as she was the first to notice Kiara had entered the room. "Sleeping beauty herself."

"Ha ha," Kiara sarcastically replied, reaching for a muffin before Sue playfully slapped her hand away with a knowing look. Charlie didn't know why Kiara and Jacob always were hungry, but Sue also wanted to make sure that the Chief at least got a muffin before Jacob and Kiara inevitably ate the rest of the batch. "Didn't expect to be woken up with the sound of you guys."

Billy smiled at his youngest, his eyes not having the same twinkle in them that he had been sporting all week since the bonfire. Kiara felt some suspicion come over her as she noticed that Sue's smile wasn't quite reaching her cheeks and Billy was clearly holding back from saying something to her. Something wasn't right.

"Well, I was just telling your old man and Sue that Bella and Edward have had to extend their trip," Charlie told her, slight concern in his voice. She felt her blood run cold as the words left his mouth, a nauseous feeling coming over her as she realised why Sue and her father weren't quite shimmering with delight at the news. "Bella's came down with something, real nasty apparently."

"I'm sure," Kiara muttered, feeling a bit of anger rise at the back of her neck as she realised that Rosalie had lied to her. There was no way in hell that Bella suddenly got sick at the same time that the entire Cullen family were out of state. No wonder her and Seth had felt confused about the situation - because they could instinctively feel their imprints were hiding something from them.

Billy noticed the way Kiara's hands seemed to clench at her side, reaching a hand out and lightly pressing it to her arm to bring her back to them before she did something she'd regret. Her eyes snapped down to his, and she slowly relaxed her hands before looking back to Charlie who looked surprised at how annoyed she seemed by the revelation.

"Sorry Charlie, I'm running late for... something but if I hear anything from her I'll let you know," Kiara told him, storming out of the house without a second thought. She could hear Billy apologising to Charlie for her behaviour, making up some excuse about how her and Jacob had fallen out and refused to be around each other - perfect timing since she just heard the growl of Jacob's motorbike as she shifted into the treeline.

She'd worry about Jacob later - but right now, all she could think about was getting to the Cullen's to see just how far Rosalie had been willing to lie to her. She didn't understand it - Rosalie knew that Kiara had negotiated a peace treaty for Bella to be changed - so why did they lie and hide it from the pack?

Regardless of what the blonde said, Kiara knew one thing: she was fucking pissed.

_____

By the time Kiara had arrived at the Cullen residence, shifted back and gotten changed, Edward had picked up on her angry thoughts from inside the household. He'd excused himself, muttering to the rest of them that they had unwanted company - and they all had two bets on who that could possibly be.

The way his eyes had flickered to Rosalie for a quick moment had narrowed their guesses down to one confirmed shapeshifter, who was currently storming across the wet grass and mud towards Edward with a furious look on her face.

"What the fuck is wrong with you people?" Kiara yelled out, not caring who heard her. Edward simply stood still with a deadpan expression on his face, not even flinching at the anger radiating off of her.

"Kiara," Edward breathed out, shaking his head in disbelief. He'd never seen her so angry before - and he couldn't blame her either. She had every right to be angry - after all, Rosalie had lied to her... they all had. He could hear the flurry of her thoughts as she threw accusations at him and his family, images of Bella being bitten and turned clouding her brain.

"Don't! Don't try and explain yourself, because it won't do any good. You should have told me the truth - I deserved that much." Her voice wavered as she said this, feeling like she'd been betrayed by her own family members. Edward put an arm up to block her way again, standing tall and attempting to use his height and control over the situation as leverage.

The entire Cullen family had gone silent, knowing very well that telling the truth was their only way out of this situation - but none of them wanted to step up and take responsibility. Rosalie stayed still in the shadows of the house, listening as everything unfolded with a heavy heart - not knowing what the consequences would be for all of them when Kiara found out the truth. Not knowing what it meant for her and Kiara.

Kiara was determined to get past Edward, to go into the house and confront them all - but her efforts were in vain. Instead of relenting, he held his ground, throwing her back on the ground with his vampire strength when she tried to barge past him once again.

She got up, snarling and ready to fight - but then she heard a voice from upstairs. It was Bella's voice; calling out for Edward to bring Kiara up.

The sound of her voice from upstairs cut through the silence. Kiara's confusion quickly overtook her anger as she realised that Bella hadn't been turned yet - and if that was so, then what else had Rosalie lied about? She felt a twinge of fear in her chest - what else did she not know?

"Let me see her," Kiara asked softly, the thought of Bella still being human washing over her like a wave of relief. She stepped away from Edward, allowing him to lead the way upstairs towards the Cullen's living room - trying to make sense of what had happened before they'd arrived at this exact moment. Kiara looked up at Edward silently, seeing the same dread in his eyes as he looked down at her.

Kiara stepped through the doorway of the living room and felt her heart squeeze in her chest. There was Bella - curled up on the couch and looking so small, so fragile and human. Rosalie was standing in front of her protectively, blocking Kiara's view like a shield.

At first, Kiara thought she was going to apologise and didn't want to listen to it - but then she realised that Rosalie wasn't there to apologize. She was there in a protective stance, shielding Bella from any harm that could come from Kiara.

Kiara felt a sharp pang of betrayal at this realization - why would Rosalie think that she would hurt Bella? For a moment, Kiara thought about turning around and walking out, but the sight of Edward's sad face convinced her not to give up just yet. But before she had time to dwell on it further, Bella spoke up - telling Rosalie to let Kiara see her.

Rosalie slowly stepped aside, allowing Kiara full view of Bella for the first time since they'd arrived. Kiara took a few steps closer, intending to hug Bella - but then Carlisle stepped in front of her, blocking her way.

Kiara felt a wave of annoyance wash over her - it seemed like everyone was intent on stopping her from getting close to Bella. All emotions and questions were forgotten as she snapped back at the Cullens, ready to argue with them all before finally getting to the truth of the matter.

But then something unexpected happened - Bella shifted in her seat, and the blanket that had been covering her lap fell off. And there it was - in that moment, Kiara saw the truth: Bella Swan was pregnant.

"What the fuck have you done?"