FRONTATION

  "Okay, Rose, where did you get that freaky cat?" Nyx hissed at the disrespect. She was in her small form, resting on Rosalie's p while Rosalie leaned against the headboard of her bed, petting her.

  Emmett looked at Nyx suspiciously. He was sitting on the edge of Rosalie's bed. " she uand me?" he asked, sitting on the edge of Rosalie's bed.

  Rosalie smirked. "Yes, she does, Emmett. And watch what you say around her."

  "Where's she from?" Alice asked, sitting beside Emmett on the edge of Rosalie's bed.

  Rosalie sighed, w if she should tell her family about Isabel's true nature.

  There was a knock at the door.

  "e in," Rosalie called.

  Esme entered, log the door behind her. She had a ptive look on her face. "What's wrong, Esme?" Rosalie asked. She was always closer to Esme than Carlisle. She didn't trust Carlisle at all. She patted the bed beside her, inviting Esme to sit beside her.

  Esme sat down, mirr Rosalie's position on the bed. Nyx looked at her, then jumped up to lie on Esme's p.

  "Oh, she likes you," Rosalie said, surprised by Esme's expression. "Go ahead, pet her."

  Esme hesitated before petting Nyx. The cat began to purr, and Rosalie smiled.

  "Why doesn't she wao pet her?" Alice pouted.

  "She doesn't trust you yet, Alice," Rosalie replied. "But she likes you and Esme, immediately."

  "I don't know what to say about that, Alice," Rosalie said.

  Esme looked at Rosalie with a raised brow. "Where is she from?"

  "She's my mate's panion."

  " I assume that your mate is not human?" Esme asked.

  "Yes, that's correct," Rosalie replied, holding her hand to stop Alice from asking. "No, Alice, I'm not going to reveal what my mate is just yet."

  "You don't have to," Emmett interjected. "I already know what she is."

  "Oh really? Then tell us, Emmett. What is my mate?" Rosalie asked.

  "Well… she owns a bck cat that ge sizes. I'd say she's a witch," Emmett said fidently.

  "Definitely a witch!" Alice joined in.

  "t, you're wrong," Rosalie ughed.

  "A shapeshifter?" Alice guessed.

  "Nope, wrong again," Rosalie said.

  Emmett scratched his head. "A werewolf?" he ventured.

  Rosalie gave him a look. "t, she's not a werewolf. Have you ever heard of a werewolf having a cat for a panion?"

  "Well, no, but it could happet said with a shrug.

  Rosalie sighed.

  Esme chuckled. "As much as I love this game you've got going on, I o warn you, Rose," Esme said, looking at Rosalie seriously.

  Rosalie turo Esme. "What's wrong?"

  "Jasper is surrounded by darkness. I felt it when I left downstairs," Esme said. "And Edward is pnning to kill you."

  "Those assholes," Emmett muttered, angry. "I'm not surprised by Edward, but why is Jasper being like this?"

  "I think he knows how powerful Nyx is, and that power extends to your mate. I think he's going to try to get your mate for himself,"

  Esme warned. "He always loves power."

  Nyx hissed, eg the tension in the room. Fortunately, the room was soundproof, so their versation remained private.

  "Are you sure?" Alice asked, her voice full of . She khat Esme had the gift of knowing people's true iions just by looking at them. Sometimes, Esme could pick up on things even Alice couldn't. Esme had been the oo warn Alice that Jasper was using her and was not her true mate. Alice was still grateful for that warning.

  Only the three of them—Alice, Rosalie, at—knew about Esme's gift. Not even Carlisle knew.

  Carlisle had ged Esme, hoping she would bee his mate, but Esme woke up with the ability to sense Carlisle's true iions. She could have left, but something told her to stay. And now she knew why. Meetit, Rosalie, and Alice had been a joy. Esme had taken them in as her children, even though she was in Carlisle's . She'd made it clear to him that she did not want any romantic retionship with him. Carlisle had been angry at first but had agreed, and now they all knew how to avoid Edward's gift so he wouldn't learn their private matters.

  "Jasper will never be able to trol my mate," Rosalie said firmly. "And I hope he doesn't try. He will only meet his death if he messes with her."

  Rosalie turo Esme. "Thanks for the warning.

  "I will alrotect all of you in any way I ," Esme said.

  "I'm grateful for that," Alice said, squeezing Esme's hand affeately.

  "What are you going to do, Rose?" Emmett asked.

  "I'm going to leave this ."

  "You 't!" Alice said, her voice full of worry.

  "Listen to me," Rosalie said, looking serious. "My mate told me that animal blood is poison to our bodies, and it will eventually kill us. I sehat my mate is not lying to me, and I think you should heed the warning too. I'm going to ge my diet to human blood."

  "But Rose, I don't want to kill i humans," Alice said.

  "You hunt the bad humans—murderers, rapists—or drink from blood bags. It's your choice. But I'm leaving because I know once I ge my diet, Carlisle will punish me or banish me from his . Might as well I leave."

  " I e with you?" Emmett asked.

  "Me too," Alice said.

  "There is nothing for me here if all of you leave, I'm ing too, Esme added.

  "Are you willing to ge your diet?" Rosalie asked.

  "Yes, I will," Emmett said. "If it ends up killihen I'll switan blood."

  Alice sighed, "Me Too.""I agreed as well, Esme said."

  "Okay, good. I have a date with Isabel tomorrow night. I'll warn her about Jasper. In the meantime, I think we should rent an apartment until we decide what to do from there."

  "Yes, that's a good pn," Alice agreed.

  "When do we leave?" Emmett asked.

  "Now would be good. Why wait? It's not like we have anything else to do," Rosalie said.

  "Great! I'm going to pack," Alice said, standing up and leaving the room.

  "Me too," Emmett added as he followed.

  Esme sighed. "Carlisle not going to take this well," she said, still petting Nyx.

  "I know, but he won't be able to stop us," Rosalie said with vi. "Go pack, Esme. I'll do the same."

  Esme got up and pyx on the bed, petting her o time before leaving to pack.

  -Meanwhile, Carlisle arrived home. He hadn't eve his bag down before Edward started filling him in on the events that had happened.

  Carlisle couldn't believe it about Nyx, but he knew his son wasn't lying.

  Rosalie came dowairs with Esme, Alice, at behihey all had suitcases in their hands, and Nyx walked in front of Rosalie iiger-sized form.

  "What's going on here?" Carlisle asked, worry in his tone.

  "We're leaving," Rosalie said.

  "What? Why?" Carlisle asked.

  "It's because of her mate," Edward sneered.

  "Don't look so surprised, Carlisle. I wao leave the moment you ged me."

  Carlisle sighed. "Esme, I thought things were progressiween us…"

  "You thought wrong," Esme replied. "It's time I leave. The only reason I'm here is because of my children."

  Carlisle's anger fred. "You see here, you bitch," he hissed, revealing his true self. "I did everything for you, and this is how you repay me? No. None of you are leaving. I own you. I own you all."

  Rosalie ughed. "You own nothing. Let's go, guys."

  Carlisle stepped forward, blog their way. Edward and Jasper followed suit.

  "You must see reason," Jasper said.

  "I think Rosalie's mate is dangerous to all of us," he added.

  Nyx roared, her fur standing on end, showing her displeasure as she stepped in front of Rosalie.

  "Be careful," Edward said, his voice filled with tension as he touched his healed neck. "That thing pierce our skin."

  "It doesn't matter," Rosalie snapped. "None of you fight off all of us, move, or else."

  "You're not going to leave," Carlisle gritted out.

  "No," Alice said, shaking her head. "If we stay, we will all be dead iure. We should leave."

  Carlisle gred at Alice. "Is that what you see?"

  "Yes," Alice replied. "It's the future, and you should know, Carlisle, that animal blood is poison to us. I suggest you ge your diet."

  "Where the hell do you hear that," Carlisle asked in a hard tone.

  "Rosalie has already corrupted them, Carlisle. We don't hem. Edward sneered. "Let them leave."

  "No. They are part of my , and that bond will st forever. This nonsense about animals is a lie—I’m n. I’m always right!" Carlisle's words were ced with cold certainty.

  Rosalie was tired of this discussion if you could call it that. "Let's go guys." She said making a move to leave.

  Carlise hissed, eyes bck, cws out as he ran towards Rosalie, he would stop her even if he had to kill her.

  Nyx’s roar cut through the air. With lightning speed, Nyx lu Carlisle, sinking her fangs deep into his neck. Preventing him from reag Rosalie.

  Carlisle's scream echoed in the room, his hands desperately trying to pry Nyx off. The force of the bite sent waves of pain c through him, but it was Edward who acted first. With a swift motion, Edward kicked Nyx with all his strength, sending her crashing into the nearby wall with a deafening thud.

  "No!" Rosalie screamed, her voice filled with panic as she rushed towards Nyx to che her.

  Emmett hissed in anger with Alid Esme mirrored Emmett. They're going to defend and protect Rosalie and Nyx.

  Edward and Jasper stood iween Carlise and his siblings, ready for the move.