PETRICHOR , paul lahote.

035. family values

LENA RETURNED TO the Cullen household in Jake's car a little later than she'd planned. Her detour that consisted of going to Paul's, running away from Paul's and then going back to Paul's took quite a while. When she got back, the family were no longer in the house and had ventured out into the woods where Lena and Benjamin were earlier.

She walked up to the family, but just as she was about to greet them, she heard something. It was running, from afar, and it was definitely a vampire - only these ones weren't invited. Almost as soon as she heard them, she sprung into action, sprinting towards where they were coming from and shifting on the way.

Her growls echoed around the forest as she got closer. She could hear other wolves around her now, hopefully chasing them right into her trap. She could sense some uncertainty from them, making her believe that they could be some newer shifters. She sped up.

The two men were dressed in odd black clothing, one with dark hair and the other with bright white locks. They both had shining red eyes, and their grins were obvious tells of their intentions in Forks. They spotted her quickly, and moved to leap over her, but Lena quickly switched up and stopped herself from running too far before moving to chase them from behind once they had landed on the other side of her.

Before she could, however, the wolves that were behind her crashed into her instead of going around and they landed in a heap. Lena could briefly spot Jacob running in front of them before she untangled herself from the newbies and followed behind. When she caught up, the men were perched on a tree and the rest of the Cullens had caught up too.

"Vladimir, Stefan." Carlisle spoke, "You're a long way from home."

"What are they doing here?" She heard Kate mutter.

"We heard the Volturi were moving against you." Stefan's Romanian accent was thick as he spoke, "But that you would not stand alone."

"We didn't do what we were accused of."

"We do not care what you did, Carlisle." He rolled his eyes.

Vladimir put in his two cents, "We have been waiting a millennium for the Italian scum to be challenged."

"It is not our plan to fight the Volturi." Carlisle commented, but Lena saw Edward make a face.

"Shame." Stefan muttered, "Aro's witnesses will be so disappointed."

"They enjoy a good fight." The two men laughed with themselves, smirking.

"Aro's witnesses?"

It wasn't long before everyone was gathered in the Cullen's living room - it made Lena and Jake a little uneasy, which caused them to uncharacteristically stick together in one corner of the room whilst Eleazar explained what he knew.

"When Aro wants someone from a Coven, it isn't long before evidence turns up proving that coven committed some crime." He spoke gravely.

"So he's done this before?" Bella asked.

"It happens so rarely, I never realised it was a pattern." The man responded.

"Apparently he always pardons one person who's thoughts he claims are repentant." Carlisle added.

"This person always has an ability." Eleazar continued, "And they're always given a place with the guard."

"This is all about Alice." Edward said, "He has no-one like her."

"Which is why she left." Bella deducted.

"Why does he need witnesses?" Lena asked, "Aren't they, like, the Royal Family of the Vampire community or something?"