After Your Heart Stops Beating OneShot Contest

Story Title: Consumed by Fire

Penname: SammyxWa

Summary: Bella has joined the Volturi and is sent back to Forks to deal with a group of vampires trying to take over the area. It's been 4 years since she saw Jacob and when they run into one another, sparks fly like wildfire.

Word Count: 5,185

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Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. This was written for fun.


"Isabella. Come here my child." His voice echoed against the marble walls surrounding them.

"Yes sir. What is it you need from me?"

"We are sending the Guard to Forks. It seems a few rouge vampires have taken over the area since the Cullen's left and we need them taken care of before the wolves there become trouble."

In this moment I was actually grateful for Alec and Jane teaching me to mask my emotions. I swallowed hard, something I still did out of human habit.

"Yes Aro. I will go with them. I know the wolves better than anyone else."

"Thank you Isabella. Please, be careful little one."

For two weeks we had been camping out around Forks and La Push. It seemed the Cullen's had left right after the newborn war and a few nomadic vampires had moved in, looking to take over the entire territory since they thought this was the perfect place to settle down. What they hadn't been expecting was the shape shifters in La Push. The wolves had torn four of the vampires to shreds, but six still remained in Forks. While the wolves were allowed to cross the old border now, they seemed to think it wouldn't be wise. None of them had seen head or tail of me since the newborn war. They had no idea if I was still in Forks. If I was, then the treaty still held.

Of all the wolves, I had expected Jacob to be able to tell if I was still in Forks. According to my sources, it seemed after I vanished, Emily got pregnant and Sam stopped phasing. This left Jacob in a position of authority, the Alpha, now and he had been too busy to visit. More and more La Push boys were changing and even another female had phased in the past two years. Demetri was staring at me again and I snarled at him out of frustration.

"What is it Demetri?"

"Are you sure you can do this Bella? I mean, you did love this wolf at one time."

My lip pulled up in a snarl. They knew about my past relationship with Jacob thanks to them showing up after the Cullen's and wolves took care of Victoria's newborn army. Hell, if they hadn't shown up, I might not even be here today. I had been bitten during the fight. Victoria had gotten me before Edward could take care of her. Of course, he was too caught up in killing her to realize what had happened. Alice was the one who had kept Edward from following me when I ran, still in pain from the transformation. She told him this was what my fate was to be.

Jane found me and they took me back to Volterra with them. Turns out the mental guard that kept Edward from reading my mind had manifested into an ability after my transformation had been complete. Aro took a liking to my ability, so he offered me a position in the guard. They knew other vampires like Edward and Aro knew I'd be useful in battle against them since Renata wasn't allowed to fight. I was their secret weapon. No one knew who I was and I liked it that way. Even the Cullen's had no idea where I was. Alice refused to tell them anything and even Edward had given up probing her mind eventually.

"I'll be fine Demetri. It's not like he still has feelings for me."

Surely he had moved on. Everyone knew Leah had a thing for him, even if she wouldn't admit it. We had all seen how she looked at him and it was amazing she could hide her feelings from the pack mind. I felt a twinge of jealousy at the thought of them being together. I had grown used to the feeling of being wanted that I wouldn't know what to do if Jacob rejected me the way I rejected him so many times. My attention returned to the world outside my emotions when Alec growled lowly next to me. Something was moving in the woods in front of us. It smelled like vampire, but no one could be sure. I quickly put up my mental shield, making sure it covered all of the Guard that surrounded me. It had been a good move.

Edward Anthony Cullen came walking out of the woods, eyes dark as coal and a fierce look on his face. He looked terrible and he was starving. We could all see it in his eyes. Why had he not been hunting? His eyes met mine and as he took in a deep breath, he realized who I was. The sadness that crossed his face would have broken my heart if I had not spent that last four years with the Volturi. "Bella? Is that really you?" He asked, his voice broken and rough from the hunger.

"Yes Edward. It is. Now leave. You have no business here."

"I came back to look for you. Alice told me you were still in Forks… I thought maybe…" He looked down.

"You thought that I'd be human and I'd come running back to you?" I asked, raising my eyebrow slightly. He simply nodded and I couldn't help but laugh a little.

"Pathetic Edward. Now get out of here before we're forced to kill you."

Before any of us could react, a different vampire leapt from the shadows. It seemed my guard had been pushed out just deep enough into the forest to deflect his thoughts from Edward. The young male leapt at Edward and the two were soon snapping teeth and rolling towards us. Demetri, Alec and I quickly leaped out of the way. Jane was perched high in a tree and she was giggling like a child watching puppies wrestle with one another. The two males fought until the younger and stronger one got Edward into a deadly grip. They struggled a bit more and Edward managed to break free and kill the younger vampire. Jane clapped and I couldn't help but shake my head at her. It seemed like the other vampires that had taken root here had tracked Edward's scent to this part of the forest and he hadn't been expecting us to be here. They probably didn't know our scent since most vampires only knew us from stories and legends.

With the fight over, Edward was back to looking at me with a mixture of sadness and… pity? I wrinkled my nose at him and pointed in the direction of Seattle. "Get out of here Edward. If another of those vampires comes, I'm going to help it kill you. Go. Hunt and go find your family."

"As you wish."

My red eyes became wide at what he said. How dare he recite that line to me in this situation. He was not Wesley and I definitely wasn't Buttercup. I growled again, lower than before, but it was still loud enough for him to hear. Once he was gone, I looked to the others and we all came together in the middle of the open field we had been hunkered down in. "It's time. If that vampire was truly one of the coven that has settled here, that means the others will be looking for him soon. I think we should pay them a visit." We all shared a dark look on our faces as we pulled the hoods of the robes we wore over our heads, turning on our heels and running towards the old Cullen house.

When we arrived, we realized we had waited too long. Flashes of fur and snarling teeth were streaking everywhere and it seemed the wolves greatly outnumbered us all. One wolf yelped out loudly and fell to the ground from his mid-air leap. Looking to my left, I saw Jane grinning like the Cheshire Cat. Rolling my eyes, I gave the signal and we all moved into the melee. Our deep red robes could be seen by all and I could see it in the wolves eyes that they knew who we were. It may have been four years ago when Jane and the others showed up, but the Volturi were not easily forgotten. As the battle grew more intense, I noticed the wolves backing off, allowing us to kill off those who threatened our secrecy.

I thought we wouldn't even have to confront the wolves but I had been wrong. My side suddenly burned and my back arched as I was slammed into a tree. A huge russet colored wolf stood before me, baring his teeth and staring deep into my red eyes. I recovered quickly, taking a defensive stance that I had seen Jasper use while fighting the newborns. I may have been human then, but I paid attention carefully as the Cullen's trained. We stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity when a heavy wind passed us both. The smell of pine and motor oil entered my nose and I gasped softly. "Jacob?" I asked, amazed at how much bigger he looked now. I remembered Sam being bigger than the others as well. Maybe it came with becoming Alpha of the pack.

As I said his name, I saw the recognition flash in his intelligent eyes. Looking back to the pack, they all turned and headed back towards La Push. I wanted to say more, but the others were staring at me and I knew they would tell Aro if I gave chase to the other half of what I used to be. Demetri and I started two huge bonfires and burned all the bodies while Jane and Alec patrolled the area in case a vampire had managed to slip by them in the mayhem. Demetri kept asking me if I was okay and I finally had to slap him to shut him up. He wasn't this caring towards anyone, but something told me he had recently developed feelings for me after watching me tear a rogue vampire in half without any help.

When Alec and Jane returned, they took Demetri and went hunting in a nearby large city where a missing hobo or three wouldn't be noticed right away. I had fed the previous night so I would be fine for a few more days. While they hunted, I found myself walking through the halls of the abandoned Cullen house. My fingers ran over the charred walls and I allowed myself to flinch when I came to his door. Fingertips brushed the door knob but I did not dare answer. I knew all the rooms still looked as they did when I was human since only Alice changed her room once a month when something new came into interior design. I left the house after fifteen minutes in order to head towards the designated meeting place. The others would meet me there and we would head back to Volterra and report to Aro.

I had barely made it out of Forks when I was stopped by a flash of fur before me. I knew it was Jacob before he phased and put on a pair of sweatpants that had been tied to his ankle. He was taller, if that was even possible. His dark brown eyes smoldered as they stared deep into my red ones. We stood there, completely silent, just staring as if we had never seen the other before. So many emotions ran between us, sparks seemed to almost crackle in the air between us. It was amazing how we didn't even need to speak in order to know what the other felt.

He was angry with me. I hadn't returned to him. I hadn't even contacted to let him know I was okay. Four years he paced around La Push, waiting for me. I felt nothing but regret for the decision I had made. I should have chosen Jacob while I was still human. I should have never run back to Edward when he went to the Volturi to die. I never should have let Alice drag me away. He took a step forward, his eyes never leaving mine. I took one to match his. With each single step we took towards one another, the sparks became more intense, the tension grew so thick I just knew one of the sparks would ignite it and we would both be consumed by the flames. We stood toe to toe now and he looked down at me from his towering height. I stood on the tips of my toes, stretching my body to reach towards his face. I needed to be closer to him, but neither of us moved as our foreheads touched.

"Bella." His whisper was husky, dark and dangerous. Was he going to tear me limb from limb to kill me? Or would he take me here in the woods, push deep into me and show me what I had been missing all these years? My hands rested on his hips, above the hem of his sweatpants. His flesh burned and I heard his heart beat increase as I squeezed slightly.

"So warm. I forgot how beautiful and warm my personal sun was." My words were barely above a whisper as I looked up at him. Brown locked with red once more and that was when it happened. He dipped his head down, mine arced up, lips brushed and fire consumed us both. The spark caught the tension on fire and we were consumed in the flames of the suppressed lust that flowed between us both. My body moved on its own as I jumped up, wrapping my legs around his waist in one fluid motion. He took a few steps forward, pinning my back against a tree as his mouth devoured my own. Lips smashed together, tongues danced with one another and our moans became one. I felt him grow underneath me; the sweatpants did nothing to hide it.

"Jacob."

His name escaped my lips as he moved his hot kisses to my neck, looking for the spot that would make me melt. He found it, right below my ear and as I moaned, he growled and bit me there. My back arched, pushing me hard against his body, crying out while I felt my thighs shake against his frame. He pushed into my core, desperately seeking the warmth that was no longer there. Cold fingertips dug into his scalp, pulling up to yank the dark locks that I had wanted to pull for so long. His moan lit my insides on fire, something I hadn't felt since I became a vampire. My nails trailed from the back of his head, down his neck and to his shoulders, leaving scorching trails of want, of need. Our lips met again, the forest around us vanished and he pushed me harder into the tree. We both stopped, pulling back slowly only so Jacob could breathe. I found myself panting heavily, not wanting this to ever stop.

"I missed you Bella. I want to do so much more, but you have to go. You can no longer be part of my world."

I found myself repeating a sentence that defined my love life. "You…don't…want…me?" My voice cracked and I felt the urge to kiss him again, to show him that I could be a part of his world. I wanted to pin him to the ground and make love to him, to warm my forever icy skin against his burning flesh, to lick that flesh, taking in his taste to I would never forget it. He put me down, his hands moving up my body to my face, palms cupping my cheeks softly. My eyes were big, doe-like, as they had been when I was human and I prayed he felt my pain and told me he was just kidding about what he had said.

"Please Bella. Go. We just… We're two different monsters now. I don't know if I can love my mortal enemy and protect my pack at the same time." His lips touched mine again in one last passionate kiss before he left me standing there, my back still against the tree and my skin still warm from his touch. I pulled a disposable cell phone from the pocket of my pants and I quickly dialed the number of Alec's matching phone. "I ran into some trouble here… I can handle it myself. Go back to Volterra without me. Tell Aro I'll be back within the week. I have a feeling we are onto something bigger than we think." Lies. I hated telling them, especially in person because my still present human habits always alerted the older vampires of my deceit. At least I could lie convincingly over the phone. Alec said he would relay the message and that he hoped Aro wouldn't kill me when I got back.

After running for what seems like forever to me, I found myself in front of Charlie's old house. He and Sue had become close after Harry passed and last year, they had run off to Vegas like two teenagers and gotten married without telling anyone. I had given both my parents a P.O. Box so they could write me letters if they wanted to. Sue had written me last year to tell me that Charlie had moved in with her on the reservation. Leah hated the whole situation, but she was off at college in California now and Seth loved the idea. He liked fishing with Charlie and the two got along well. I smiled as I looked at the house. So many memories were trapped within those walls, so many nights I spent with Edward and so many nights I screamed out from the nightmares he left me with; the nightmares that Jacob chased away. The house was basically storage now, so I knew it would be empty if I went inside.. As I walked up the stairs and onto the porch, I closed my eyes and thought back to the nights that Jacob walked me up these stairs after we had spent all that time together.

Walking in, I flipped the light switch to see if the electricity was still on. Turns out it was. Even the water was left on as I found out by turning on the water faucet in the kitchen. Charlie must have been making some good money off his retirement if this place still had utilities. My legs instinctively took me to my old room and nothing had changed. It still looked like it did when I told Charlie I had been accepted into an overseas school program that would be a "once in a lifetime opportunity". I apologized for days over the phone after I came out of the dark corner of my room in the Volterra underground. He said he understood and he would send me some of my clothes, which he did the next week. I wanted to cry so bad for leaving my father behind like I had, but Sue took good care of him and it didn't hurt as much to think about him anymore.

Looking in my closet, I realized he didn't send all of my clothes. I avoided the ones that smelled like Edward, but I did find the flannel shirt and jeans I wore when I hung out with Jake for the last time. They smelled like his garage and I laid them out on my bed as I stripped down and went to take a shower. While it was necessary, I wanted Jake's scent off of me in case Demetri came to find me to drag me back to Aro with them. Knowing that he might, I finished my shower quickly and grabbed the cell phone from the pocket of my old pants. I called HQs number and Hiedi answered. "Let me talk to Aro."

"Yes Isabella? I was in the middle of dinner."

"Has Alec called you?"

"Of course darling. Take your time. We all knew this wasn't going to be easy for you. You have exactly one week and then I'm sending Demetri to either retrieve or kill you."

The line went dead and I snapped the phone closed. I dried off with my towel and I wrapped my hair up in it before putting back on the matching black and turquoise bra and panties II had been wearing. I slipped on my ripped up jeans and then carefully slid on a plain t-shirt with the flannel shirt over it. Sitting on my bed, I wondered what I should do. I needed to see Jacob again but I couldn't get close to him without risking the other wolves attacking me. I took in a deep breath, taking in my own scent. It was an old body wash Charlie had bought me years ago that had been at the back of the cabinet under the sink. It was better than that nasty strawberry stuff I used to use. I can't believe I used to think that stuff smelled good.

Fifteen minutes later, I took my hair out of the towel and dried it. It was still a deep chocolate brown with reddish highlights that shined in the light. I grabbed my old blow dryer and went to town on drying the long locks. Halfway through, a sound downstairs caught my attention. The blow dryer hit the floor as I smelled the hot scent of a shape shifter downstairs. We ran into one another on the stairs and I was staring down a snarling Seth. Even he had grown so much over the years. "Seth! Calm down! It's me. Bella." My name made his eyes go wide and his jaw dropped. Even though he knew what I was, he pulled me into a tight hug while a huge grin ran from ear to ear.

"I knew Jake smelled like you when he came back! He tried to tell me it was his secret girlfriend. That guy can't keep anything from me." Seth beamed as he pointed to his head. I knew there was no way Jacob would have been able to hide our little encounter from the pack. They would all know soon and then who would know what would happen. We sat downstairs and talked for awhile about what I had missed over the past few years. I asked him why he wasn't trying to kill me since I had become a Cold One. He laughed and told me that even if Edward had changed me, Jacob would have never let anyone lay a finger on me. Seth told me that Jacob would have even fought off Sam if it would have come down to disobeying his Alpha in order to protect me. I couldn't help but smile at the words that came from Seth's mouth and as I was about to ask him if I could have Jake's number when the boy got up and moved towards the door.

"Shit. Go Bella. Sneak out your window. Charlie and Mom are pulling up."

I felt a chill run up my spine, as if I could even get chills. I ran upstairs and hid any evidence of my being in the house before I opened my window and jumped out of it. I saw Seth come and close it behind me. This all happened in the less than a minute it took for Sue and Charlie to pull up and open the car doors. I stuck to the side of the house as I waited to run until I heard the two of them close the front door behind them. Once the locked clicked close, I took off at a near blinding speed towards La Push. I needed to talk to Jacob and I didn't care if I had to fight through the whole pack to get to him. I was going to talk to him and convince him to give us a chance. I at least wanted the rest of the week to prove to him that this could work out. He was the warmth that I was missing so desperately in my cold life.

Night quickly fell on the small town of Forks and I found myself sneaking through the dense woods towards the La Push border. Taking in a deep breath, I could smell Seth and Paul patrolling about a mile from where I was. Since I was downwind, I didn't think they would notice me, but it seemed I missed Colin being downwind of me. He caught my scent and before I knew it, I was fighting off three huge wolves. Seth was staying back, acting like he was looking for others, but I knew he didn't want to hurt me. I grabbed Colin around the neck and took him to the ground with a hard thud. I felt a few bones crack under his taught muscles, but I knew they would heal in just a matter of minutes. Paul lunged at me and I was able to smack him away long enough to give Colin a good squeeze, breaking a few more bones before I left him there to heal up while I made a run for it.

I was heading towards Oregon as the pack chased me. Three more had joined up with Paul while Seth stayed with Colin. I didn't know the scents of the three new wolves and I prayed that Seth was trying to tell Jacob that it was me they were chasing. Paul caught up with me and snapped at my leg as he tried to get me to trip up so they could all pounce on me at the same time. I stumbled but didn't fall and I could hear him growl behind me. Suddenly, two of the newer wolves broke off from Paul and the other. They were going to try to ambush me. I cursed under my breath as I made a sharp right turn, heading towards the ocean. Paul and the unknown wolf were right on my heels as I reached a cliff, the water below crashed in white waves against the sharp rocks below. I skidded to a stop, turning to face the two animals that had chased me.

"Please. Don't do this." I pleaded, truly scared of actually dying this time around. I should have gone back with Alec and the others. I never should have come after Jacob. He was probably better off without me anyway. Paul took a step forward, causing me to take one back. My heel was hanging over the edge of the cliff. With teeth bared, the large wolf lunged and as I stumbled back, my arm was grabbed by someone warm. As the scent of motor oil enters my nose, I knew it was Jake who has saved me. He pulled me tight against his body, shielding me from the others. My eyes closed as I took in his scent, my hands in fists on his chest as I tried not to shake from overwhelming emotions.

"What the fuck Jacob? Why the hell would you save her!" It was Paul who was yelling. I looked up to see Jacob turn his head and give Paul a death glare that might have even made Aro shiver a little.

"It's Bella you dip shit! I wasn't just going to let you kill her!" He snapped, his voice deeper than usual. Was that his Alpha voice or was he just that pissed? Paul looked at me again and pouted, his arms crossing over his chest. It was obvious that he wasn't exactly happy about that fact that he couldn't kill me like he had wanted to. The other three wolves were introduced to me as Kyle, Lillian, and Jack. We all said hello before Seth grabbed Paul and the others so they could head back home. Apparently Emily was making pasta and they all quickly forgot that I was even there as soon as food was mentioned. When the others were out of hearing range, Jacob grabbed my face and kissed me roughly. I moaned into the kiss and as my nails dug into the skin of his chest, he growled into the kiss.

"How did you find me?" I asked, trying to make sure he had enough air as I placed small kisses on his lips.

"Seth told me he had run into you. When we phased for our round of patrolling, we heard what was going on and it seems we got here just in time." He smiled down at me with lust and love mixed in those dark eyes.

"Does this mean?" My voice wavered a bit. I could stay with Jacob, but I would have to deal with Aro and the others if I did.

"I couldn't live without you Bella, whether you are human or vampire or anything for that matter. I love you and nothing will change that." We kissed again; a long passionate kiss that would have made a crow blush. The kiss was broken so Jacob could breathe and I had an idea on how I could stay here with him and still please Aro.

A week passed and Demetri came to pick me up. I simply gave him a letter and told him to take it back to Aro. He wrinkled his nose but did as I asked without asking me any questions. That was one thing I liked about Demetri, he didn't ask a lot of questions. I would miss that about the Volturi because it seemed that the wolves asked questions about everything. As I walked back into the house, Jacob pulled me into his arms, and yet again, the fire consumed us as we kissed.

My Dearest Aro,

I figured you saw this coming, but I thought I'd let you know that I have chosen to stay with Jacob and the wolf pack of La Push. Seeing as how this is an apparent hot spot for vampires, vegetarian or not, I figure I'm of better use here. The Guard will be fine without me. I promise. Tell them I will miss them dearly and I will miss you as well. If anything happens here, I will send word as quickly as possible. Thank you for everything Aro. You will always be my favourite, but I have to follow my heart.

Best Regards,

Bella Swan


A/N : Hope this was as good as I think it is! Thanks to Angela4148 for being my beta! Reviews are loved and totally appreciated in every way!