『 chapter xxvii: PRECIOUS, ALMIGHTY BLOOD. 』

THE STORM, THE LITERAL ONE, DID IN FACT pour down on the Reservation. June was still waiting for the metaphorical one to rain down on her, even more, as she took the journal of a dead girl and placed it on the ancient wooden table of her grandmothers home. June let out a soft sigh as she looked at the unopened journal. She didn't want to open it but she had too many unsolved questions and mysteries from her own blood, the bruises on her skin making some map to the ending of her search, a search she had started but now was too scared to start. June knew she was a fickle thing. She knew she says she wants all the answers, and here they were right in front of her, and she couldn't even look at it.

"Read it," Iris urges, touching her shoulder softly.

         June grabbed the journal, shifting the pages until she reached the last one. She wasted no time reading it.

⋆
June 21st, 1937

I had to return. Ephraim was making good on his promise to slaughter Edward once he saw him. I didn't doubt for second he'd smile while doing so. I had to return. I no longer sit in the comfort of his arms, I no longer hear the melodic chime of my dear Rosalie's voice. There's no soft look from Carlisle, his voice telling me that there's a whole life I can live beyond them. What he doesn't understand is that there is no life beyond him. My Edward. I write this on the grounds of the place that will mark my death. The meadow that splits their land and mine. An in between. I know what the future holds with my choice. If I cannot be a vampire, I will not be a Mender. I won't die on someone's terms. I'll die myself, the shell of who I was, who I was meant to be. Melanie. Not the Mender. Not the vampire lover. Not the girl who chose wrong. But Melanie. Daughter of Heath and Dahlia, sister to Susanna, blood of the Quileute tribe. I know they'll say I was selfish and that I did wrong my choosing to end my own life for the sake of not having to die because of my magic, because of the consequence nature gave me.

    Ephraim, if you find this, I'm sorry. I'm sorry you got stuck with a girl who's heart is stuck at staying a girl, fanciful and reckless and nothing of what a chief female should be. I know the arrangement we made to try and work out why the Spirits joined us together will be broken, but I hope you can move on from this, from the pain I've caused. Don't blame Edward, this was my idea, not his. He only ever wanted me to live, but I couldn't wait to die. And that's neither of your fault.

And lastly, most important to my descendant. My sister Susanna, who's no more than a child now, will most likely carry on the Capote female bloodline when shes grown. He blood of the Third Wife, the power of the Mender won't end with me. So I write the girl whom will bear the strange power that I was afflicted with. Don't think you're anything less than a miracle — my reason for passing is not because of what I am, but because of what I longed to be. Don't forget to look around you, don't let the Elders of your time guilt you into staying stuck in one place, this world can seem so big sometimes, we all come and go. Out of all the lies you might hear of me, the disgraced daughter, that's the truth of things. There will be moments in your life that will be hard. It's okay to hold on tight. And to let go.

                     I sincerely hope whoever's lucky enough to have half of your soul, is someone you love. Someone worth living for. Maybe mine is too, maybe it's a beautiful future, but right now, I see only one future. With the handcrafted dagger of my father sitting right beside me, I see my future. We're all born from the earth, I am the earths daughter, and I hear the earth calling me home. My future is here, to seep in the soil of my people before me.

It's a beautiful fate.

I hope yours is beautiful, too.

⋆

June stays re-reading the last line over and over until it's embedded in the deepest part of her mind. "She did kill herself."

Iris looks at her, "She did."

Her shaken granddaughter takes a breath, "Grandma, what did she mean ... what does this mean? Just tell me. Why did she say she wanted to die on her own terms? You said no one saw her fate but she was gonna die anyway, for–for men she didn't care for? What does that mean—" June starts getting frantic.

"Juniper, calm—"

"The Third Wife?" June starts again, rising from her seat as she paces. "The woman from the stories? Capote women are from her blood. What does that have to do with Mender's—"

"I do not have all the answers, you wish to know," Iris says with a pitiful tone, and Juniper frowns but she speaks again, her tone softer. She sits down. "I only know what I've inferred from all I've read, from the stories my mother told me. The Third Wife is a revered figure in our tribe, when the cold people struck terror on our lands, she was the one to save our people. For the love for her chief, for the love of her tribe, for the pride she had for what she was, a mere human woman with courage. A sacrifice like that ... it's bound to leave something behind in her name."

"The power I have, the one Melanie had," June starts slowly, looking down at her bruises. "It's because of the Third Wife?"

"I can think of no other theory." Iris tells her. "She is the beginning of all things for us. The savior for the Spirit Warriors."

"Spirit Warriors ..." June mumbles. "What are they? Melanie called the men she was supposed to die for Spirit Warriors."

Iris shrugs, "A term for the warriors of the tribe, the ones who'd protect us from neighboring threats, invaders. Cold ones. The tribe never selected them, I read they were chosen by the Spirits."

"Oh, yes, the Spirits." June mutters in false cheeriness.

"You should be prouder, Juniper, Mender's are rare—"

"Proud?" June echoes. "A girl killed herself because this rare power you want me to be proud of."

"She died because she didn't do her duty."

"Is that how I'll die?" June can't help but snap. "Out of duty? Because the almighty Spirits decided they needed some half-breed Quileute girl to make flowers come out of the ground? Oh yeah, I'm such a force to be reckoned with!"

"You killed a cold one with your own hands." Iris says with a stoic voice. "You saved your family, your sister. I'd be proud of that. I am proud of you. Why aren't you proud of yourself?"

June stiffens. "I don't ever want to kill someone again." 

"That cold one wasn't a person, he was dead already."

"Still," June says softly. "I had the strength to rip someone apart, cold one or not. I don't want that power. I don't want to be some ruthless girl, I want to be normal, I want to live normally and see my little brother get older and see Bella ridiculously happy and see my mom and dad get old and grey." June wipes the tears that fall. "I don't want to be this."

Iris places her hand on June's. "You've been so strong, Juniper."

"I've acted strong, Grandma. There's a difference."

Iris stares at her for a moment. She gets up and pulls Juniper into her arms. "There's notes Melanie wrote about her powers, tricks and ways she learned to channel it before ... you should have a look at them. See if they are still worth anything." Iris suggests. June nods in her hold. She pulls away. "Go on, your mother's gonna wonder why you've been gone for so long."

June gave her grandma a weak smile. She mumbled a goodbye. She let herself out, getting into the truck. She drove out of her grandmothers street and out into the familiar roads that were passing the houses of the Reservation. Her mind is clouded with the ache of a girl who's her great aunt, who was, who died, who's dead and deader than June will ever be, even when she too takes her final breaths. That's when June sees someone, roughly around her age, walking along side the dirt rode. She frowns as she watches the slumping of his shoulders — it takes her less than a few moments to know who it is. She pulls over, hoping it's who she thinks it is. The person doesn't stop walking or turn over his shoulder to look at who's pulled up to them.

"Hey!" June jogs a bit to catch up with him. "Quil!"

The boy turns to look at her, momentary shock registering in his features before he settles. He's taller than she remembers and his hair is still a bit shaggy, hidden under a red baseball cap. For a moment he could've passed for Jacob with how built he looked, but Jacob was much wider in the shoulder area. Still, when Quil faced June she was surprised at how much he too had changed and it scares her, for she had always been such a constant little thing and everything and everyone around her was changing. She wondered what was with all these Quileute boys? Were they feeding them experimental growth hormones?

June stuffs for keys in her pocket. "Quil." She repeats.

Quil's expression frightened her more than it surprised her. His face was bleak, brooding, his forehead creased with worry. "Oh, hey, June," he greeted her dully.

June smiles tentatively, "You okay?"

He stared at her, then shrugged. "Fine."

"Can I give you a ride somewhere?" June asked, a hopeful tone in her voice. She hadn't realized Quil was as apart of Jacob's life as she used to be. He too, was lonely.

"Yeah," he mumbled. He followed June as she turned and went to the passenger seat, climbing in. "Thanks."

June is silent as she starts the truck. She only speaks until she puts it in gear. "How are you?" She blurts out before she can think.

"I'm ... okay." Quil answers glumly. He looks at her, seemingly as if he was just realizing who she was. "I should be asking how you are."

June doesn't look at him, the pain is as if all of the bruises on her body start throbbing. "You heard."

"The whole Rez heard." Quil confirms and it doesn't surprise her that her love life is so openly known of. "Especially since Jake beat that guy up who had his hands over you. The Jake I knew wouldn't have ... but I guess that happens when you join your cousin and them."

June frowns, "Have you seen Jacob?"

"From a distance," Quil sighed and elaborated when June looked at him. "He was with Embry and I know they saw me ... they just turned and jogged into the forest and I followed them, calling them for about an hour. Then I just started walking back home and now I'm here."

June thinks about that. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Quil says with a shake of his head. "I'm sorry for you. Not-Not in a bad way, just in a ... you deserve better kinda way. I didn't think Jake would be stupid enough to let the girl he's been in love with since he was five, go."

In love with. June didn't miss the way it sounded past tense, or the way the words were dripping with pity. "He was too good for me, anyway." She says in a mumble. "But yeah, I guess my cousins got more influence on the Rez than I thought."

"None of them ever leave Sam's side." Quil turned his head and spit out the open window. "It's more than some influence." June hums to herself. He got that right. It was something more than just loyalty. It had to be. "Sorry, know he's your cousin and all—"

"Don't worry, Q." June says earnestly, giving him a tiny smile as she drives. "You know, I work today down at the diner. Come around six, free shake and burger, on me."

Quil seems interested but it doesn't take the full gloominess on his face. He nods regardless, "Sure, thanks June. You've always been so cool to everyone." He smiles back, then turns back to look ahead. He points up, "My house is right there."

June pulls over once she gets closer to the house. Quil looks to her, "Thanks for the ride — I'll see you later, Junie."

She parks and has to reach over to unlock the door. Her hand brushes against his arm and she has to bite her inner cheek to keep from letting out a hiss of pain. His skin was melting, exactly the way Jacob's felt the day of her moms baby shower. No. She composed herself and lets Quil jump out.

"Bye, Q." She manages to get out in a strained voice.

She sees that Old Quil is sitting on the porch and stands when he sees his grandson walk up. June smiles at the old man and he nods to her, his smile wide and he bows his head a bit at her before he follows Quil inside the house. June frowns as she reversed, her heart beating rapidly as she felt her palms glowing again. Did everyone on this Reservation, the Elders at least, know what the hell she was? The knowing look on Old Quil's face told her that they might, nothing could stop them from not knowing.

•—•—•—•

JUNE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT SHE'D FIND BY HER making a trek that Bella made every few weeks. But the meadow held some meaning. It was a place where Edward Cullen, a vampire, took girls, Melanie first then Bella now, human and more fragile than him. At first June thought it was shady to bring your current girlfriend in the absence of the wrongful death of the other. But Edward had never, when he was present, treated Bella like some second choice. Edward went many years without saying her name but from what June's read, he really did love her and treated her with the upmost respect and adoration. He had even, Melanie wrote scribbled part of her journal, began courting me. How nice, how chivalrous. But of course, they were so different. A strange girl for a Native American tribe and a vampire boy who's aristocracy was leveled with royalty — in all the journals June read, she couldn't stop but think how they never would've worked, too many things were against them.

June arrived, frowning at the sight before her. It was dead. The meadow was nothing from her dreams, from what Bella described it as. Bella had told her there was no point going but June had a feeling she had to be there. She had to see if it could trigger some memory.

Melanie died here. Took her last breaths here, her blood seeped into the soil below, the precious and almighty blood that was spilled because she didn't want that of her lovers to do the same. Her life was ended in a place where others begin, where Edward dared to .

June bent down, touching the dead grass, with subtle concentration, grow, grow, grow, replaying in her mind. She tried to retrace the steps that were left in the journal of Melanie — June had gotten a hang of her emotions gaining control over her power, it was time to learn to channel it when she wanted. Like a charm, a brilliant bonnet grew slowly from the ground. June smiled at it, despite the small bruise that formed on her hand, she was happy. She didn't have to think of anything bad or anything good. She did it all on her own. Satisfied, she stood up, ready to make other trials that might help her. But she stayed put once she saw something. Someone.

A figure she surely knew was he last person she's ever dream of seeing. The last time she had heard of him, Edward had told her that Laurent took solace in their cousin's coven, the Denali's who lived in Alaska. Laurent had taken a good time with the fellow vampires who, like the Cullen's, didn't survive off of human blood for ethical reasons. But seeing a vampire in such a long time, June forgot how cautious to be, how elegant and heightened the air always seemed to be dialed and how the air always smelled like snow to whenever a vampire was in the area. But there he was, standing right in front of her with an equally bemused expression on his unearthly face.

"Laurent."

"Juniper." Laurent addressed her, his eyes shining with recognition. "How lovely, I didn't expect to see you here?"

               June lets a easy smile fall over her face. "You didn't? I live here, remember?" She says almost teasingly, as if her mind is warning her: play it safe. "It's you I'm surprised to see. Last I heard you were slumming it with snow dogs in Alaska."

Laurent was a still bemused, "I did have a stay there. Tanya is very kind, her sister Irina, even more so." He explains quickly, a content smile on his face. "I came to see the Cullen's ... but I found their home empty? What do you make of that?"

"They've moved on," June replied smoothly. Why would he visit them ... maybe for the Denali's? Maybe ... "It was time anyway. Suspicions coming up about their unusualness and whatnot."

"I assume your sister is here as well?" Laurent asks casually but she can almost hear his real motive. "Strictly the smell of vampires fleeing were there, not a human scent so enticing as your sisters in the air — I'm surprised they left her behind, wasn't she a pet of some sorts to the Cullen's?"

June paused a bit. "Something like that." She says coolly. "They visit, though. Edward's very ... protective over my sister." When Laurent says nothing at first, only studies her face, she continues, lying expertly, "I'd be more than happy to tell Carlisle you stopped by—"

"Do the Cullen's visit, often?" Laurent moves his hands softly around as if he couldn't find the words.

June could feel the danger already, her palms felt like they were burning, they were surely glowing a brilliant amber by now. "All the time." She goes on. "How is life in Alaska by the way? With Tanya and all of them?"

Laurent seemed taken off track by the question but answered it anyway, "I find myself enjoying the novelty of staying in one place at the same time, Juniper." He admits loftily. "Irina has shone me a life, one I have never known since my turning ... it's quite difficult I'll admit, it amazes me the lifestyle they've kept up for so long." The dark is more prominent in his eyes when he stares right at her. "Sometimes I cheat."

June smiles, she's won wars with that smile. "I know Jasper had that problem, too. Being the newest and all." She relays casually.

Laurent nods thoughtfully, "Is why they left?"

June swallows thickly. "No," She lies a bit. "No it's not why they left; Jasper does better at home, but Carlisle thought it was time for a move as I said."

"And they're," Laurent paused as he circled her slowly. "I'm assuming ... far away from here?"

June had dealt with one vampire who wanted her dead before. He was ripped to shreds. "Was there something you needed?"

Laurent stopped his circling of her and stood straighter, not as laid back as he once had been. His red eyes were gleaming with a darkened tint and the small sunshine that peaked through the clouds made his skin have that inhumanly glow to it. She could tell he was hungry, she had been best friends with Edward long enough to know when she was speaking to a hungry vampire.

"I'm here as a favor." Laurent says.

"A favor," June echoes, her mind racing. Would the Cullen's really have sent him to them to see if they were still capable of surving? "From?"

"Victoria."

Before, the name Melanie was always a cause for June's loss of breath. The girl who's face she stole by a series of rather unfavorable events. Now, the name Victoria sent alarms blaring in her mind. She had been a fear for June for many days now. June knew she wouldn't go away, not until June was as dead as Victoria's mate. She pictured the beautiful woman, her flaming hair and matching eyes that hated the Cullen's and June and her sister. But most importantly, Victoria hated June. June was the one to rip James throat out with her bare hands. She killed James. And now Victoria, whom they knew wasn't gonna go quietly, wanted revenge. In Victoria's mind, revenge was rightfully so, for June and the Cullen's ripped her mate apart for their own safety. June saw how it looked — two fragile humans over someone like James left Victoria dumbfounded, and frankly there was no comparison for the redhead. June had known, she told Edward so, but he was so hung up on his guilt for putting Bella in danger again, he must've not thought it through.

"I was wondering when I'd hear her name again," June smiles wistfully, confusing Laurent. "So she found you after all?"

Laurent continues, "She found me. Told me a very interesting story ..." he says almost with a latent excitement. "One about a girl, long ago, with the same face as you that almost launched a war."

June stiffens. How Victoria knew of Melanie was another thing she'd never know ... not now, at least. Her silence was taken as a token to keep speaking. He did so, as if he was some little child playing with his food.

"You'd be surprised how known that face is, fair one," Laurent continues. "Do you know this story?"

"I'm sure I've heard it, in parts." June says dismissively.

"It's a very interesting story."

"So you've said." June replies.

"Victoria's done her research," Laurent smirks. "She knows how important that lovely face is to Edward."

June clenches her jaw. Research, "I'm assuming Victoria sent you here ... for, what? To see if the Cullen's were still here?"

"To see if you and your sister were still under their protection," Laurent elaborated, finally getting to the point. "Victoria thinks it's only fair, since you killed her mate so viciously ... she saw the whole thing she says, she saw how you ripped James apart ... she believes it's an eye for an eye thing. And for the fact that you take Melanie's face ... Victoria knew of her and her tie to Edward you see. It's makes it all the more of a loss to lose such a face as yours all over again. She wants him to feel pain. As she has been."

June didn't stiffen. She didn't feel confused, she knew this day was coming. They were in a meadow. Diamonds in the ground ... she wondered if maybe that was incorrect and the only stone person there was Laurent. This was her death. It was finally happening. If she was going to die, let it happen. Laurent could kill her, but not anyone else. She'd make that clear. But the only thing she did feel confused about was why Edward would feel such pain? He didn't love her the way he loved her sister. He cared for her deeply, he was loyal as any best friend would be. But he didn't love her.

"There's a flaw to her plan," June speaks strongly and it surprises Laurent in her face of death. "Clearly my death won't mean much to Edward if they left us behind, don't you think?"

Laurent nods, "It's a conclusion I have just summed up, fair one. Which is why I will be the one to kill you," He spoke the words she knew. "Victoria will not happy but as long as you are dead ... she'll be sated."

"She should've come herself then," June speaks again. "Or is she afraid she'll meet the same fate as her lover?"

"She is threatened by what you are ..." Laurent tells her and flashes of James' beautiful skin being torn apart flashes in her mind. "For your kind is so rare. It's a shame I will have to end a beautiful creature like you, they do so come only in little quantity, if not ever. Victoria had such plans for your death, Juniper. I shiver at the thought of them ... I will be merciful."

June should feel grateful. But she feels nothing. All she thinks about is Jacob ... his smile and his laughter and the way he kissed her under the stars on the First Beach and the moment he promised her forever at the little place only they knew, the art shack that had the moon shine coming in from the windows. Jacob Black will be her greatest what if and she won't even get a chance to say goodbye.

"Don't touch Bella," June said sternly, out of nowhere. She thought of her sister and the depressive state she might fall back into. Maybe her death will bring Edward back ... Bella will be okay. "Or anyone else in my family. Give me your word you'll protect them if Victoria will be as angry as you say. If you're gonna kill me ... at least lie to the Cullen's if they ask and say it was Victoria ... it'll be better that way. Promise me you'll do that."

Laurent furrowed his brows, as if her willingness to die gave him such a heavy heart. "The sister that wants to die ... for the sister that wants to live forever."

"I fought someone like James, I killed him," Juniper says, the look of a girl who's spilled blood and hated it. "I've learned to be ready to die a long time ago."

"I'll accept your wish." Laurent says in a fascinated whisper, his breath icy. "Close your eyes. You'll feel nothing—"

But as June stands there, awaiting her death, she hears nothing. She thinks of Willie, of Bella, of her parents and their lovely faces. She can feel Jacob's hands on her face as he kissed her, always holding her face to make sure she wasn't a dream. June sniffles a bit as she remembers the feeling too well, too vividly. It hurts her so much she whimpers and she can hear Laurent shush her like if speaking to a spooked horse. She thinks of her baby brother and holding him for the first time, his blue eyes, her moms soft hands and her dads crooked smile and Bella's deep laugh. June feels cold hands wrap around her neck and they paralyze her even more. But her hyper hearing betray the tranquil state she had put her body in for her death and awoke her by the sound of rustling from the brush behind them. Laurent sneered.

"I don't believe it ..." He muttered in disbelief as he kept his eyes trained on the brush, dropping his cold hands from her neck.

June regained some air to lungs and she knew she shouldn't have turned. Once she did, June could barely feel the ground below her. A massive, massive, coal black wolf appeared from the forest brush — practically feet away from them. The long muzzle grimaced, revealing a line of dagger-like incisors. A grisly snarl rolled out from between the teeth, rumbling across the clearing like a prolonged crack of thunder. June slowly took a step back. About four more wolves came out, flanking the black wolf on either side, all different fur colors and about the same size — if not smaller — as the black wolf. She held her breath as she watched shakily as the massive wolves trained their attention on Laurent. They wanted him. Dead, by the way they prowled. Laurent was backing toward the edge of the trees, and, under the freezing terror, confusion swept through June. Why was Laurent retreating? Granted, the wolf was monstrous in size, but it was just an animal. What reason would a vampire have for fearing an animal, just like the ones that June had seen Rosalie and Jasper have for lunch? But Laurent was afraid. His eyes were wide with horror, big and red and terrified.

June knew then. "I'm not dying today," She whispers.

Laurent seemed to hear her and his eyes widened. Without another glance to her, he ran off in his vampire speed. The black wolf growled and bared his long teeth, making a run after Laurent. Those wolves were after Laurent in a second, sprinting across the open grass with a few powerful bounds, snarling and snapping so loudly that it sounded like the crackle of lightning, the smaller wolves do the same, following after the black wolf that was clearly the alpha of the small pack. The sound faded with surprising swiftness once they disappeared into the woods. A russet wolf stopped near her, June let out a shaky breath. Rookie mistake, June, she told herself as the wolf turned its head slightly at the sound of her strained gasp. It began looking at her with large toffee colored eyes. June shakily marveled at the beauty and dangerousness of it. The wolf's eyes were dark, nearly black. But they looked at her with eyes too deep and meaningful for a wild wolf, or any animal for that matter. The eyes, so deep and toffee colored ... they reminded her of Jacob. She'd die happily, even more eagerly by Laurent's own hands if she got to see those eyes once more. And there they were, on the head of a giant wolf, apart of a pack that all turned their attention on chasing after. It was a killer, responsible for the deaths and missing hikers. The wolf seemed to regard her, strangely, and took off towards his pack without issue. With that, June let out a choked sob she had been holding and ran the opposite direction, running and running until she wouldn't be able to run anymore, he mind was making her not look back. June couldn't believe that those wolves finished off Laurent, he might've killed them in the time she's been running away. There was no way those overgrown dogs could've gotten through Laurent's granite skin, no way his human-blood diet kept him strong, strong enough to tear those wolves apart.

Run, run, run. She kept running. The icy air whipped at her skin like needles, but she kept her pace. She didn't seem to be tired by the time she found the familiar scenery of her backyard forest area, it seemed almost inhuman how fast and how swift she had gotten out of the woods and then she felt stupid for even thinking anything she did nowadays was logical.

June could've wept in joy as she saw her backyard.

             June rushed out of the woods and smiled as she saw her house right in front of her. She raced into the house, slamming the door behind her. She saw her dad along with Harry Clearwater all in some fishing gear, they had just come back it seemed. 

"DAD! I SAW THEM!" June screamed as she saw him.

Charlie looked at her bewildered and steadied her as she tried to catch her breath. "June? What the hell? What's going on—"

"Its not a bear!" She screamed out. She didn't notice the frightened look on Harry's face. "They're wolves, I saw them in the wood right now—"

"In the woods?" Charlie echoed her words and pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head at her. "June, what the hell were you doing in the woods? I told you and your sister very clearly—"

Daphne comes in just then, holding Willie in her arms as he smiles at June who beams at his chubby face. His dark hair is already curling at his head. "What's going on?" Her mom asks as June takes told of Willie.

               Charlie points at June just as Bella comes down the stairs, most likely hearing her younger sisters screaming. "This one just said she came from the woods? What did I tell them?" He says with a sigh.

Daphne puts her hands on her hips, "Juniper Swan—"

"Oh my god, this isn't the point!" June says as she bobs up and down and makes Willie giggle as he grabs her hair and tries to put it in his mouth. "There's massive wolves going around killing people, not bears!"

Willie coos and coos. June kisses his head.

"Are you sure, June?" Harry Clearwater steps up, his eyes clear and wide.

"I saw them," June nods in confirmation, trying to untangle her hair from Willie's solid baby grasp. "They were after–something." She stops and Bella catches the slip and freezes a bit as well.

Charlie sighs, "Well, Okay." He nods to her. He looks up at Harry. "What'dda say? Feel like going hunting, finally get Sue some wolf pelts, get some of your guys together?"

Harry falters a bit an June doesn't miss the slip up like everyone overlooked hers. "Yeah—I'll do that." He says vacantly as he passes them, going to the living room to make a phone call.

Daphne followed Charlie as he said something about heading down to the station. Willie squirmed in June's hold as Bella came up, her eyes wide with worry. "What'd you see?" Her older sister asked in a hushed whisper.

June kisses Willie's temple to settle him and her baby brother nuzzles into her neck. June's blue eyes meet Bella's brown ones, "Laurent." She uttered the name. She saw the play of emotions, the abrupt recognition and subtle hope, but June killed it as she said, "He was Victoria's spy. Came to see if ... if they were still here, if they were still protecting us."

Bella's forehead creased with worry, she leaned in more and softly touched Willie's head. "And?"

"He knows we're not," June gulped, holding Willie closer.

"And the wolves?"

"They were after Laurent," June says confusingly. She didn't understand why the hungry animals that were wrecking havoc on their town would go after the hardest kill. "They're probably dead by now, Laurent's whispering back in her ear no doubt."

Bella puts a hand over her forehead. "He helped us. Why—"

"Does it matter?" June hisses lowly. "He tried to kill me and he might've if those overgrown dogs hadn't intervened. You can't trust vampires, don't you know that by now?" Looking at her sisters face she softened. "Sorry, I shouldn't have—"

"Don't worry," Bella assures quickly, but the anguish in her eyes wasn't unnoticed. She takes a breath. "What do we do now, June? We're sitting ducks, and dad and Daphne ... even Willie?" Bella panicked a bit, rubbing her face. "Fuck, I wish he would've let the venom get me—"

"Don't say that," June frowns, knowing how much her sister wanted to be a vampire before but she didn't think that the desire had stayed? Surely Bella didn't want to be a vampire anymore? June, however disgruntled, rocks Willie in her arms and she looks down at his tired face. All the baby does is sleep. "Lets just hope I get that freaky adrenaline rush to rip apart two more vampires, yeah? We'll be okay. All of us." She didn't know who she was assuring.

Bella glances at her. She nods slowly but doesn't say anything. But judging by her eyes, she was just as scared as June was. And their fatal flaw? They'd never admit it. Not now anyway.

note: sorry it's late and a filler :((((((( but yes! june is a mender and what's a mender? youll find out soon ;)