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“Would Ты like some tea, Summer?” Esme sweetly called to her, “No thank you, Esme.” Summer chimed politely, “I can drink and eat what humans do, but I don’t really prefer it.” Esme glanced back at Summer with a dazzling smile, “I understand, dear.” Everyone had gathered in the living room, all whispering a conversation about Summer under their breaths. She could hear them, no doubt, but she didn’t bother to scold them. She effortlessly comprehended the reason why everyone, except Carlisle and Esme, were apprehensive of her. She had taken Aro’s child, as if leaving wasn’t enough to infuriate him. Bella and the Cullens didn’t seem to have a problem with Chloe, though; in fact, Alice had asked to take Chloe from her for a while so the rest of them could play with her, and, naturally, Summer consented. At least her daughter wasn’t a problem…yet. “Let’s go into the living room sweetheart, shall we?” Carlisle courteously held his hand out to Summer, helping her off the bar стул she was sitting on, “Sure.” She beamed and made her way to the large front room where everyone was cooing over precious Chloe. Chloe squealed and gurgled in delight as Rosalie and Bella tickled her chubby tummy. The guys, excluding Edward, were having fun tossing Chloe up and down gently in the air and spinning her around the room. Alice brought a few Куклы downstairs for Chloe to play with; she was ecstatic when Chloe wanted her to play Куклы too. Summer couldn’t help but giggle at the sight of everyone waiting on her daughter’s hands and feet. “I can see that playing with toddlers isn’t something Ты all do very often.” Summer took a сиденье, место, сиденья on the dark blue leather settee and speculated as the Cullens continued to play with the adorable girl. “This is the first time any of us have handled a little child while vampires,” Rosalie commented. Summer noticed that she was the most enthused with Chloe. She felt sorry for Rosalie; it must have tortured her to know that she could never have a child to Любовь and nurture. Esme walked into the room a moment later, scooped Chloe up into her arms, and rocked her back and forth. She took a сиденье, место, сиденья Далее to Carlisle and continued to sway Chloe tenderly. Carlisle put his arm around his wife while the rest of them took seats on the sofas as well. Bella snuggled closely to Edward on the loveseat. There was that deep awkward silence again, Bella thought. She noticed everyone was simply staring at either Chloe или Summer. She was yearning in her сердце to know charming Summer better, but Edward, being his usual over-protective self, wouldn’t hear of it at the moment. Bella truly believed she’d Любовь Summer like a sister if she knew who she really was.
“So, aren’t Ты ready to interrogate me as yet, Carlisle?” Summer asked playfully. Carlisle’s lips tightened in a hard line, but his eyes remained amiable, “Yes, as a matter of fact, we all are.” “Well, I have the answers, just provide me with the questions.” Edward was the first to speak, “When and why did Ты leave the Volturi? Ты impudent wives are always under such heavy protection. How did Ты manage to escape from the guards?” Summer sighed and leaned her head back onto the cool leather, “I never ‘escaped’ per say, Edward. The only person who didn’t know I was leaving is obviously the elders, and when you’re one of the wives, it’s not very hard to keep a secret from them.” Edward kept his composure only because Jasper was controlling the mood in the room, “Very well. But when did Ты leave and why did Ты do it?” “I’ve left for three years now, about the time when Chloe was six months old. My pregnancy was, of course, a shock but delight to Aro, and I was quite elated about it also. In case Ты all were wondering, she is a half vampire, and ages the way I age. I’m obviously at my fullest aging point, eighteen, and it will be the same for her. But, she grows at a human pace, so her growth will be normal until after she turns eighteen. That little scientific side note was for you, Carlisle.” Carlisle chuckled lowly and kindly grinned.
“Anyways, to the reason why I left, it has nothing to do with my Любовь for Aro. Yes, I Любовь him, but I couldn’t stand to see the things he would do with our daughter. He loved her as a father should Любовь his offspring; I know that for a fact. However, as Ты all know, Aro loves to упряжь, ремень безопасности power for the sake of the Volturi’s respect. The еще power the clan harnesses, the еще intimidation they give. Not only does Chloe have the basic vampire abilities such as myself, but she can also detect lies, and, like me, use a shield to block mind readers, heal, and read thoughts. She and I can also mind roll, which means we can capture an infinite amount of people and mesmerize them, allowing them to forget where they are, what they were doing, and see a place other than where they are actually located. When Aro and I found that Chloe was capable of so much, he was еще than pleased. I heard he was already deciding what position she would hold in our clan. After a few months, I couldn’t медведь to hear him talk about using our only child like some puppet, so I left, even though it was the hardest thing I had ever done in all my one-thousand years of living.” Everyone stared at Summer in pure disbelief. “You’ve been a vampire for millennia?” Emmett bellowed out, “I didn’t even know our kind existed way back then.”
Summer laughed cheerily, “Yes…and on the contrary, I enjoy living the life of a vampire. Maybe I don’t hate it as Ты all do since I can still sleep, have children, and eat like a human, but I find this life quite exhilarating, but only when Ты follow after Carlisle’s rules on feeding.” Alice cocked her head in confusion, “So Summer, since Ты live, well…lived, and thrived with the Volturi, didn’t they hate Ты for using the alternate way of feeding?” “No, and I think that’s because I was the wife of an elder. If I was anything less, I would have probably been restricted to the custom way of feeding.” “How did Ты manage to become the wife of Aro, Summer?” Bella asked very shyly. Summer smiled at her warmly, and Bella suddenly realized why her name was Summer; she was such a warm and loving person, like a beam of sunshine. “Well, Bella, I actually had a human mother and a vampire father, similar to Ты and Edward. She became pregnant with me, thus making me a crossover. She became a vampire soon after I was born, though, because unfortunately, I couldn’t be birthed like a normal human being. She was nearly killed giving birth to me, but my father saved her at the very last moment. After five years или so, word got out about my being a ‘cross-breed’, and the Volturi heard the news shortly thereafter. My parents and I were escorted to Volterra, Italy by two husky Volturi guards and taken to the elders. Though my parents had stunning capabilities, Aro killed them for creating me. Apparently, they thought I could somehow cause much damage on my own.
Aro was about to kill me as well, but I used my shield to convey my thoughts to him. I explained my powers and my ability to age, and I won him over in a heartbeat. He decided to keep me under the Volturi’s watch, and I grew with them, learned from them, and enhanced my skills because of their teachings. As I grew, Aro and I found ourselves drawn еще and еще to each other. Finally, we fell in love…if Ты want to call Вампиры drawn to one another ‘love.’ I found my mate, and so I became a wife of an elder rather than the mistress over the guard.” Each of the Cullens remained silent, trying to soak all this information in about Summer. “There’s only one thing I regret though…” Summer trailed off, her voice saddened by memory. “And what is that, Summer?” Bella asked anxiously. She didn’t want to sit around any longer; she stood and walked over to sit Далее to Summer. Edward tried to grab hold of her waist, but she maneuvered away from him. Bella put her arm around Summer’s shoulders and stroked her semi-warm hand. Summer was surprised Bella refused to maintain her distance. She thought for sure Bella was afraid of her. Bella’s sympathetic gesture made her сердце dance. She rested her head softly on Bella’s shoulder, “I wish Aro never took my parents away from me.” “That’s always the hardest thing about this lifestyle, angel,” Esme replied in a caressing tone, “you always have to give up at least one thing Ты hold dear to your heart.” A tear trickled down Summer’s plump, red cheek, “I don’t want Chloe to suffer the same fate. I want Aro to be a part of her life and mine.” Carlisle knelt before Summer and ran his frigid fingers through Summer’s shiny locks, “Though I don’t advocate the Volturi, I think Ты should go back, dear. Ты have an attachment there. Aro won’t hurt his own daughter; I know him very well. He may not be the most sincere vampire, but there are two people in this world that he will never harm, Ты and Chloe.”
“I don’t know about that, Carlisle. I’ve been gone so long. I know Ты know Aro well, but he’s not a patient man towards anyone. I doubt he wants anything to do with me now, besides getting Chloe back. I’ll probably face death the moment he lays his eyes on me again.” “Where have Ты been these three years, Summer?” asked Jasper suspiciously. “I’ve been to a variety of places, Jasper. Canada, China, the Caribbean, but mostly here in the U.S.. I’ve worked as an elementary school art teacher, a receptionist, a nurse, and now a singer. But tonight was my last night performing, because I’ve stayed in this profession too long. Aro could find me easily if I simply stay in one play for еще than a year. I had this last концерт near Forks for a reason though.” Carlisle’s eyes narrowed, “What do Ты mean?” Summer took a deep breath, “Aro knows how fond I am of you, Carlisle. I’ve asked a pyschic friend of mine to keep Aro in her psychic view so that I would know what Переместить he would make Далее to find Chloe and I. She called me about a week назад to tell me that Ты all showed up in her vision. Carlisle, Aro is having suspicions about you. He may be reaching to the conclusion that Ты either have me или you’re helping me. He hasn’t reached to that point as yet, but I had to come and warn you. Your family could be at risk of death at the hands of the Volturi.” The room fell silent, but Summer didn’t want to see the expression on any of their faces. She knew what they were feeling mentally though. Horror filled the minds of the Cullens and Bella. Summer was sure she heard Edward’s hand rip through the armrest of the диван, мягкий уголок he was sitting on, too.
