Chapter 1

"Broken vows are like broken mirrors. They leave those who held to them bleeding and staring at fractured images of themselves."
― Richard Paul Evans

Bella P.O.V

I was going to tell him today, to tell him my secret, to tell him that I was similar to him to stop him from worrying, but…

He left me. He didn't want me.

Those, are the only things I knew. I had given my heart and soul to him completely, and yet, he left. He promised me that he would never leave me, he promised me he would always protect me. I just laid there, sinking deeper and deeper into a vast ocean of despair.

I couldn't breathe, I couldn't do anything. I had lost everything, the only person I had ever truly loved. Why? Why must my life just be one never-ending fall?

I was there in the forest; laying down for who knows how long? I looked up at the moon, the trees and the stars; everything was less stunning, less exuberant. I eventually sunk into an unconscious stupor.

I arose hours later to the sound of panicked voices calling my name, and the gentle movements of the person carrying me. I looked up to try and identify said person when I did I saw a tall, tanned man with dark hair, who had a grim line etched across his face. He had an aura of authority emitting from him and a fierce fire burning in his eyes. As I continued to take in my surroundings, he spoke and said "Hello Bella, my name is Sam Uley, are you okay?" I was about to reply when the hysterical voice of Charlie interrupted, "Sam, is she okay? Please give her to me." Sam then gently placed me into Charlie's struggling arms, and the whole search party then converged on us. Charlie managed to avoid the babble of questions with the excuse that I needed to be taken care of, well it wasn't so much of an excuse; I needed someone to look after me, like he did. Charlie then carried me inside, despite Sam's protests, and wrapped me up in blankets from the top of the cupboard. "Bella, are you feeling alright?" said Dr Gerandy in a hushed tone, speaking to me as if I was mentally unsound. It took me some moments to compose myself, I couldn't just say what had happened to me, but either way I replied to him saying "I'm not hurt," even if it was far from the truth mentally, but physically I wasn't hurt. He proceeded to prod and poke me to find out what was wrong, then he casually spoke and said "What happened to you? Why were you in the woods? " I couldn't answer, the fear clawing up my throat, I needed to calm myself enough to give a more believable answer. So I whispered, the lack of water making my throat hoarse, "I got lost." The faces of the older generation of the Quileute Tribe looked down on me with doubtful eyes, obviously not believing my lie. Yet, they remained silent and thankfully the others believed me, Dr Gerandy came to the conclusion that all I needed was to do was get some sleep, if only. Eventually, Charlie thanked everyone and they dispersed. Sleep then came…

I woke up screaming, this had been happening recently a lot this week, the pain never leaving and all- consuming. The nightmare is always the same, yet the pain never subsides, each time it re-awakens everything. A never ending cycle of suffering, Charlie came rushing in again trying to calm me down, but it doesn't stop the nightmare. I try to not scream too much, to make it easier on Charlie, but I just can't, all of it is killing me. My world has shattered and crumbled and I couldn't stop it, my life has no meaning. If only he waited to let me show him but, he didn't want me at all; secret or no secret. I, unfortunately, fell back into my slumber.

Months past in a blur, forever the same…

I needed to do something, but everywhere I looked reminded me of him: The truck which he forever complained about being too slow or too old, begging me to get a newer, faster car which I continuously refused to do. The weather with its unpredictability like our first encounter and the weeks that followed after, he blew hot and cold, never staying with one emotion always either ignoring me or irritating me to death. I had to do something, Charlie was ageing from all the stress I was causing him; every time I looked at him he had just that one more wrinkle, just that one more grey hair. If I had never meant him before, I would say that he is ten years older than he really is. I did try, I mean my grades were better than ever and I replied to everyone when they asked me a direct question, but then again I knew and they knew I wasn't really there, I was just an empty shell. Not anymore, I am going to be me again.

To further induce this attempt, I am going to try and be a better Bella, no more wallowing, I will get my life together again. I need to learn to embrace who I am, which means I need to embrace my secret. My secret, if only I'd told him he may not have gone, but he said he didn't want me so he probably would have left even if I had told him. My secret is that I'm a dragon, I can transform into it whenever I want and when I do my skin is impenetrable, not even vampire skin can pierce it. I had recently forgotten about it, I had originally cast it off as a faraway dream, thinking it was impossible but then it happened.

~Flashback~

I was getting worried about Edward's behaviour, it wasn't like him to be so distant. I was going to take a shower and do my usual night-time routine, then suddenly an eerie, bright light started glowing through the forest and crawled up the brickwork of the house. I was frozen solid, I couldn't move, my heart started to palpitate erratically, the panic was overwhelming. The light suddenly started to rise up and take form, during this it kept making an angelic humming sound, which had a calming influence and helped get my heartbeat back into a normal pace. Then a final thrum and the form had completed, that was when I nearly fainted from the sight.

It was the form of my grandma, Grandma Marie to be exact, I stayed still, too afraid to move in case of the form attacking me. It couldn't possibly be my grandma, she had died six years ago, hence the proof that it couldn't be her, a barely audible voice broke me from my reverie, "Bella, it really is me, I came because I need to tell you something that will be important for you in the time to come." I couldn't believe her, I mean could I really trust her? "How are you here? You died, I know you did," a soft chuckle slipped through her lips "If vampires exist, can't spirits?" She had me there, I mean if one mythical creature exists, why shouldn't the rest of them? Still cautious of her I remained standing, but I indicated her to proceed. "Oh, how beautiful you grew up to be, but never mind that, do you remember?" Perplexed, I wondered what she was referring to, obviously the confusion was written across my face for then she uttered "When you were a child in Phoenix and you came of age, I came to you and told you of our heritage." Our heritage? What is she talking about? She continued "You are last in the line of our family to be given the powers of shapeshifting into a dragon." Once she had said this, a flood of memories came back to me of purple, iridescent scales and magnificent, strong wings carrying me through the wispy clouds. Shell-shocked with this information, I simply nodded in realisation. I then, when I had recovered enough, questioned "Why are you telling me this now?" Her reply was, "You will know the answer to that question in good time, all I am permitted to tell you is that your future depends on it." Well, that's helpful, "Wait, how do I turn into a dragon?" "Your inner dragon will appear naturally and when you want it to," Oh, well I feel dumb.

She then started to lose form and back into the form of eerie light, I then shouted "Don't leave yet! I still need to ask you, will the others have seen us? What's it's like on the other side?" "Spirits are immune to vampire gifts," and with that she left, not answering my other question.

~End of Flashback~

So, I have decided I'm going to embrace my dragon and fulfil my destiny.