She really hadn't thought this through. It had been a week since she saved Laurent, and she has kept him frozen. Every-time her power wears off, she immediately freezes him again. It hadn't been her intention, but she was at a bit of a loss on where to go from here. It was March 11th; the day Bella figures out Jacob, Sam, and the Quileute boys are wolves. 5 days before the suicida - depressed human jumps off a cliff and nearly drowns.
Daphne has considered just drowning her -- but she has attempted to suppress her more murderous tendencies.
Laurent's cellphone had also been blowing up, and Daphne had little doubt it was Irina... She is sure there must be over 100 missed calls, and Daphne was beginning to feel like an ass for ignoring them.
She couldn't control everything, no matter how much she tried, and keeping Laurent from his mate was not helping anything. She hadn't intended to keep him quite so long; but now that it was done, she had to face him, and she had to face Irina.
It was about 3 hours later that Irina called again, and this time, Daphne answered, "Laurent's Phone... Daphne, speaking.
She heard the pause, could almost hear the gears turning in Irina's head. The surprise, the suspicion, the confusion. "Daphne...?" Another pause. "My name is Irina... Can I talk to Laurent?"
Daphne wrinkles her nose, correctly assuming Irina is thinking affair. Her emerald eyes panning the room until they land on the frozen baby Laurent in the bassinet stashed in the corner of the cozy living room. "He's indisposed at the moment, I'm afraid." Daphne purses her lips, realizing that likely didn't help the cheating assumptions. Would it be more or less suspicious to just blurt out that they weren't sleeping together?
Irina's unblinking golden eyes glare at the phone with a mix of accusation, hurt, and confusion in her eyes. Tanya and Kate move closer, one hand on her lower back, another on her shoulder -- offering her silent support as they listen in. Carmen and Eleazar entering the room not far from behind them. "Indisposed? What does that mean? Where has he been? Who are you? I've been calling his phone for a week now and I've heard absolutely nothing!"
Daphne winces, her tongue running along her upper lip, exhaling slowly, "In order? He physically cannot come to the phone right now. My name is Daphne Devereaux. I apologize for not answering before now ... I wasn't quite sure what to do with him, truly. And to clear up any misconceptions, he isn't cheating on you as far as I'm aware."
Irina feels a part of her chest unclench with the knowledge that Laurent isn't cheating -- but she only feels more confusion, more concern. "What do you mean you weren't quite sure what to do with him? What happened? and you still haven't told me why he can't come to the phone."
Daphne clicks her tongue, leaning back on her couch, one leg crossed over the other, her red dress going to her mid thigh with slits in either side. Her eyes land back on the bassinet. "He came to Forks, at the request of an old friend -- Victoria, if you're aware of her. Unfortunately for him, she failed to mention that she had been dodging wolves, and she essentially used him as bait." She could almost feel the horror through the phone. "Shapeshifters -- not werewolves, if that makes a difference." She didn't think it did, regardless, they were enemies. "I saved him, but then I had no idea what to do with him. The wolves are looking for him... and me for saving him and they regularly patrol Forks."
Irina swallows the mounting horror; torn between anger, relief, and sadness -- how close she came to losing her mate after waiting so long for him. Kate hugs her from behind, Tanya from the side, Carmen and Eleazar also joining in. Their own horror carefully muted, but she can see it. In the way Tanya's body is tense, stiff -- the Coven leader replacing her gentle older sister, a leader, ready to fight and defend her family. In the way Kate's eyes are fierce, her fingers clenching in the way they do when she's eager to use her gift on someone. Eleazar a statue at her side, the father she never had -- Carmen brow furrowed in worry as they all listen to the call. "You saved him." She repeated, needed to say it aloud to remind herself Laurent was alive. Would not feel better until she heard him, seen him with her own eyes. "I - we have questions... you don't sound like a vampire and how exactly are you keeping him? How is he indisposed to the point that he cannot speak to me?"
Daphne sighs, realizing this is a much longer conversation than she originally planned to have, but she liked the Denali sisters -- she would give them the answers they wanted, she had no reason to lie, and she wouldn't. "It's a bit of a long story... though, if you want to see him, I can give you my address and you can come here. It's in neutral territory between the Cullen's property and the Quileute land -- as long as you don't stop to sight see; they shouldn't bother you, though I can't promise about their hostility levels, they aren't fond of vampires."
Kate grins, her eyes lighting up, endless possibilities running through her mind. "We could play with the puppies first."
Eleazar feels his lips twitch though her tries not to encourage her. Carmen sighs, sending her a look of fond exasperation. Irina glares unimpressed. "Maybe we could focus on getting my mate away from them before you decide to piss them off."
Tanya steps between her sisters, barely restraining the eyeroll. "She's right, Kate. We won't be fighting with the wolves, nor will we provoke them." She makes sure to use her Coven Leader voice, the more official one -- the one that let's Kate know it was an order and not a request.
Daphne hears it all, feeling a strange flutter in her chest when she hears Tanya's voice. She hangs up, using Laurent's phone to send her address. She walks over to the bassinet, peering down at the baby Laurent inside. If one were to ignore his wide-open red eyes -- you could simply assume he was sleeping. "You had better have been worth it."
15 HOURS LATER ...
Daphne shouldn't have been surprised it had taken them so long. After all - the vampires here could only run at a speed of 100 miles per hour, -- with Edward apparently being faster, at speeds of 125. And "Newborn Vampires" running at 130-135. It was strange to her.
Fledglings ran between 78 - 109 at their base speed -- Fledglings were considered the toddlers in her community. No longer a Yeanling (newly transitioned or newly born) but also not old enough to be considered a Youngling (teenagers).
If you wanted to get a bit more technical, her car was faster than they were -- the Bugatti Chiron reaching up to 300 ... she could floor it and outrun them.
That just shouldn't happen.
The supernatural wasn't meant to have a speed cap; nor a cap at all!
"Vampires" were meant to continue to get stronger, faster, better as they aged.
These "vampires" were frozen as they were, never changing, never improving... they simply existed.
What kind of life was that?
At 1,000 years old, which is how old she knew the Denali's were -- they would be considered Ancient's in her world. She's not sure if they're considered that here as well but she absolutely knows it does not hold the same meaning, the same respect, the same reverence that it does among her people.
The mortal world felt wrong, and she wondered if every-one of her kind that lived among humans for a time felt the same way until they grew used to it.
She didn't think so.
Because they had kept their distance from the Mortal Worlds' Supernatural since the signing of the Accords.
She took out her own phone, her finger hovering over the speed dial -- the urge to call her mother, her older brother, even one of her other siblings was so strong. She felt lost, in a way she had never felt before.
And that feeling could be boiled down to one cause ... she had no idea what she was doing. How was she meant to stop this? How was she meant to fix this? That same nagging little voice ... Kill the human. whispered in her ear and she snarled, only just managing to not slam her phone on the granite countertop. She knows she could, but she hasn't reached that point yet -- killing the human now felt like admitting defeat, and she was nothing if not resiliently stubborn.
She splays her hand on the countertop, her head bent forward, chin to her chest. The stress was already beginning to make her head swim. She pushes away from the counter, meeting them at the door; opening it before they can knock, could hear them coming long before they reached the door.
She locks eyes with Irina first, naturally. Irina was tall, 5'9 compared to Daphne's 5'6. Her golden blonde hair was in a flawless bun, not a single hair out of place. She was dressed modestly, humanly; a jacket with fur on the inside, blue jeans that hugged her curves, heeled boots with fur along the opening -- the most open Denali sister, or so they say, and she can see why. Her thoughts so plainly written on her face, How could a human save my mate from the wolves?
"Irina, I presume?" She asks, if only to break the silence.
Irina nods, once, slow but deliberate. "And that makes you Daphne." Perhaps she was already looking for holes in Daphne's story, but she wouldn't find any, so she was free to try. She never told them she was human; never told anyone she was human ... it was hardly her fault everyone assumed.
But Daphne smiled, her professional smile, the one she's seen her mother give to put people at ease -- to accentuate her beauty, to dazzle them in a way they could hardly fight. It was hard to hate her family, and even harder to dislike Daphne. Not impossible if one was truly determined to do so, but more often than not, she could slip passed their defenses. Settling somewhere in their chest before they even realized what was happening. It was easier through touch... it would settle deeper, become almost an addiction, but she wasn't trying to do that to Irina. She simply wanted to put the vampire at ease. "That would be me. And you brought company."
Her eyes moved next to the woman standing beside Irina, to her right. She was shorter than Irina, shorter than Daphne as well -- around 5'5. Carmen. She had a beautiful, motherly, heart shaped face. Her golden eyes soft, curious, but not hostile or suspicious. A gentle smile already on her darker tinted lips. "I'm Carmen. It's lovely to meet you, dear."
Daphne smiled more genuinely this time, her expression softening, acknowledging her words with a dip of her chin. Her eyes glide toward Eleazar whose hold on his mates' waist was loose and casual. He too, didn't hold any suspicion or hostility in his gaze. A gentle curiosity, a slight furrow in his brow in frustration. "I'm Eleazar." His golden eyes flicking between her own, his neat black hir hung to the nape of his neck. "I cannot read her... it's like she's invisible though we see her standing there." His lips barely moved, his voice pitched low enough that a human would never have heard him.
No one responded to his words but their interest in her only increased. She chose not to inform them she could hear him. Not yet at least.
What happens next takes her off guard, surprises her ... she hadn't seen it coming, as soon as her emerald eyes lock on Tanya's liquid gold the entire world stops, time stops, the world tilts on its axis. Tanya... her heart flutters in her chest, the air sucked out of her lungs, her knees feel weak enough that she has to grip the doorknob that much tighter to keep herself upright. Her eyes trace long strawberry blonde curls that flow like waves down a slender, smooth neck. A curved jaw that Daphne imagines running her lips along, Plump, kissable lips parted in her own reaction to the surprise bond between them, but Daphne cannot for the life of her concentrate enough to process the emotions playing across Tanya's face.
All she knows is that she cannot look away, like if she did then Tanya would disappear and her heart clenches, so tight she feels it might explode at just the thought. She can't decide if she should step forward or stay rooted, her fingers twitching, aching to touch, to feel, to trace, to memorize. She feels her mouth somehow simultaneously water and run dry; she has to swallow a mouthful of the nectar (venom mixed saliva with special properties) pooling along her tongue.
She doesn't know when she bit her lip, but she felt the second she bit hard enough to draw blood; she sees Tanya's eyes drop to the action, and feels a rush of heat, need, longing, yearning -- for her lips, her touch, sweet whispers between just the two of them. Declarations of love, of devotion -- because who was Daphne without Tanya? No one... not anymore.
She opened her mouth but couldn't find the words, couldn't speak or think or breathe ... Tanya moves, like she is going to step forward or perhaps lean forward -- and someone clears their throat. Daphne doesn't know who did it, not really, couldn't tell you even if you asked, but she knows it breaks the spell, her eyes involuntarily moving away from Tanya, following the sound to Kate but she cannot see her, sees through her. She inhales sharply, unaware of the last breath she took, swallowing another mouthful of nectar, her tongue darting out to catch the drop of blood on her lower lip. She can feel their eyes; Tanya's eyes, Tanya's eyes... Tanya's eyes! She shivers, shudders, another deep inhale, a shaky breath; she's sure they all realize what just happened and she's almost glad they assume she is human.
They won't push or ask or point it out; not yet, though she knows they know, just as she knows Tanya knows she is affected, that she felt it, feels it still. She forces her legs to work, slowly stepping backwards, opening the door wider, absently motioning them inside. Hyper aware of the exact moment Tanya walks inside; the vampire, her vampire, her mate walking close enough she can almost touch her, feel her -- her senses assaulted by her scent; summer peaches and vanilla.
She takes a deep breath, her head swimming in Tanya's scent as she slowly closes her front door. She tries to appear unaffected but she's aware that ship has sailed, crashed into an iceberg, burned and sunk to the bottom of the ocean. She shakes her head, trying to think, to breathe ... she had been neglecting her appetite for the last week; at the time, she was sure she could get away with it -- and now she was suffering for it. She was thirsty, and hungry ... oh so damn hungry, in more ways than one.
She finally turns around, her emerald eyes seeking out Tanya without her input. Tanya's eyes are a darker, burnt gold, clearly showing that Daphne isn't the only one affected by their impromptu meeting... She's positive they can smell how aroused she is, hear how fast her heart is beating in her chest, though that isn't all they will hear. Perhaps it's worse for Tanya, only in the way that she assumes Daphne is human, they all do, would until she revealed the truth, about her world, about her family, about her kind
Another much more dramatic clearing of someone's through but at least Daphne recognizes it this time, Kate. Her eyes snap to the sound, she's as gorgeous as all 3 sisters are -- she can understand why they would be referred to as the "Original Succubus" though that's amusing in more ways than one. Her hair is so straight she is sure it could be used to cut something, her golden eyes alight with amusement, mischief; the kind a middle child can only be responsible for. She looks as if she wants to laugh, to start teasing Tanya or Daphne or both but an elbow to the side from Irina makes her pout a bit but bite her tongue. "I'm Kate, Tanya's other sister."
She must hear the way Tanya's name makes Daphne's hear skip a beat, literally, because she bites her lip and looks away, her lips curled in a grin she is desperately trying to fight. Daphne is sure she would be blushing, if she were the least bit embarrassed.
Irina steps forward, breaking the silence, clearing her throat, getting Daphne's attention back on her; Tanya tenses a little when she does. It's irrational, she knows her sisters won't hurt her mate but she's human, fragile, beautiful... she can't help it when she steps forward, too. Not close enough to crowd her little human who clearly feels the bond between them but close enough as a warning that she doesn't want Irina to get any closer.
Daphne sees it all, of course she does and her heart flutters at the protectiveness of Tanya, she is used to being protected and if they weren't mates, she might have bristled (as younger siblings do when it's assumed they need protection), but its endearing because its Tanya.
Irina rolls her eyes but nods, stepping back again, until Tanya's shoulders untense. "I don't want to --" She trails off, unsure what to say... Daphne looks human, but she said she saved her mate from the wolves. The Denali Coven have no answers and only more questions but now they can't properly interrogate the human; not when she is part of their family, not when she is mated to Tanya, not when she is now a sister, too, whether she realizes it or not. "Where is Laurent?"
Daphne's eyes flick to the bassinet in the corner, her lips twitching a little, but she can't fight the smile. It's not funny, she supposes, not really, but something about imagining Irina's reaction is. Their eyes follow the movement.
It's Tanya who asks, her voice tense, her eyes darker still, Daphne can almost smell the emotion. Jealousy. "You have a baby?" Her voice is low but not a growl, like she's fighting instincts she knows are irrational but can't help it.
Daphne takes pity on her, finally giving into the instinct to reach out, her fingers brushing Tanya's hand, her breath catching yet again at the way her skin feels against her fingertips. She sees Tanya's body relax, her burnt golden eyes flicking to Daphne with emotions that she cannot yet decipher. "No." Daphne's voice is noticeably more breathless when she responds. That single and simple word putting Tanya more at ease than anything else. "Laurent is in there."
They're staring at her now, and she is aware how that sounds; truly she is -- so she isn't offended by the way Carmen and Eleazar look at her like she is a small human who has had a mental break, or how Kate is doing her absolute best not to laugh, to the point she is holding a hand over her mouth, or how Irina's staring at her with a look of pure irritation.
Tanya growls low, half stepping in front of her, glaring at both of her sisters. "Watch it, Irina." Her voice is, once again, low enough that they assume Daphne can't hear.
Irina glares at Tanya, the same look of irritation. "For fucks sake Tanya, I'm not going to hurt her; I just want to know where -- "
But movement in the bassinet makes them all stop, pause, and as one they turn to stare, like a scene out of a movie. Especially when they hear Laurent's voice coming from inside of it. "Hello? Human? Can you not freeze me again, I'd just like to talk. I'm not angry."