Disclaimer: Obviously Twilight and Vampire: The Masquerade do not belong to me.

Chapter III: Fate Driven

Two years earlier…

Blackness engulfed my vision. I had no concept of time or space. My body was numb, or what I perceived as numb. I wasn't entirely sure where I was or what had happened to me. A mental fog seemed to block any memory of what I was doing previously. It was extremely distressing. I wanted to move, but I couldn't feel my limbs. I wanted to scream, but nothing came out. I didn't understand! I felt paralyzed. I couldn't do anything but lay there on the bed... I was laying on a bed! That fact immediately penetrated my confused mind like a rushing current. But where was I? Whose bed was I on? It certainly felt like my own, but how did I get home? Wait… I could feel what I was on now!

Slowly, I felt feeling return to my body. My limbs started to tingle and become painful, a keen sign that sensation was returning. I began wiggling my toes and fingers, taking solace in the fact that I was slowly gaining control over my body. The tingling spread in waves up my limbs, into my torso, and finished at my head. Minute after minute went by, and after each tingling wave, an electric shock would pulse through my body, granting me more sensation. The moment I had full control over my body, a thundering pain coursed through me like a tidal wave. The power of it forced my body to contort violently on the bed. I screamed out in pain, my voice bouncing off walls and returned to my ears in a vicious, deafening cycle.

My muscles convulsed, shuddering at the unbearable pain. Then, in some strange act of mercy, a sudden wave of euphoria gushed through me. The waves began to pulsate through me rhythmically. It was like a constant wave of pleasure, each wave just as pleasurable as the last. It was the most pleasurable feeling I had ever felt. My body went immediately from the violent convulsing into a twitching writhe of ecstasy. A muffled moan escaped my slightly parted lips. It was pure bliss.

Soft, strong hands caressed my shoulders. In my euphoric state, I gladly welcomed it. I could feel the presence of the individual straddling above me, a feminine presence. A familiar scent washed into my senses then, peppermint and rosemary. In my clouded mind, the smell seemed to jog my memory. I opened my eyes to focus on the figure. My vision was still slightly blurry, but I could make out her basic features. Dark brown, almost black hair was tied into a messy bun. Her pale skin held an unmistakable olive tone. I could make out a chiseled, thin nose, which was still somehow acutely feminine. She had the most perfect round eyes. I could barely see relief and… sadness? Her plump red lips held a friendly smile as she stared down at me.

My cloudy vision cleared, and suddenly, my memories matched the goddess above me… Artemis! Confusion wrecked my features as I tried to understand what she was doing with me on a bed. Didn't we go out tonight? I don't understand. Did I drink way too much again? Oh, god… did we… no, I was still clothed. I glanced down at her clothing to see the same dark, form fitting dress she wore earlier in the night. Then what happened?

It was then that my memory lapse cleared. I remembered that we were walking down a quiet street in downtown Seattle, taking in the clear, warm night. It was late on a Friday night, and the city was buzzing with people enjoying a rare clear spring night. It was unusually warm, so we decided to walk to my apartment after our friendly dinner date. We were crossing the street when this silver sedan sped toward us, and… pain. Excruciating pain. The worst pain I had ever felt in my entire life. And, then, there was blackness.

The euphoria I was feeling seemed to fade away after this realization. A cold shiver ran down my spine as I gazed into the eyes of my beautiful friend. I could feel a haunted expression take over my features. She stared back at me with concern. Her right hand caressed my face, "Bella, listen to me. You've just been through a traumatic experience. I need you to focus on me. Can you do that?"

Her familiar Mediterranean accent soothed the panic attack that was slowly consuming me. I couldn't help one dark thought from penetrating my fragile senses… was I dead? Was this the afterlife? It took all the strength I had to push those thoughts from my mind and give her my undivided attention. It was then that the scent of something delicious hit my senses. It was sweet, but underneath the sweet scent, there was something strange about it. A weird hunger hit me. I swallowed hard as the scent seemed to consume my mind.

Artemis's hands grasped my face, forcing me to focus on her, "Bella, come back to me. I know exactly what you're feeling right now. Focus for a moment." Again, her voice oddly soothed me. All I wanted to do then was abide by her every command. I gave her a weak nod in return, not able to find my voice.

She sighed briefly. Her eyes began searching for something in my own that I couldn't recognize. I could see the concern still heavy in her features. She took a deep breath before speaking softly, "Do you remember what happened after dinner?" I nodded again, and she continued, "And you remember the car, yes?" Another nod, "Bella, there was an accident. A… um… massive accident. That car, it… you were struck by it. I tried to pull you out of the way, but it was speeding faster than I anticipated. The driver sped away, and I went into a frantic panic. I wanted to call EMS, but your condition was dire. I… did everything I could to save you."

For the second time in less than ten minutes, utter confusion engulfed me. Clearly someone saved me. I mean, I'm lying on my bed in my apartment. Unless the afterlife is extremely dull, I'd say that I'm still alive. She seemed to sense my thoughts and shook her head, "I know how vague that sounds. Here, let me show you something."

She let go of my face and slid off of my bed. She then turned to me with her arms held out, patiently asking for my hands. I explicitly trusted Artemis. Since the first day I met her, there was just something about her that told me I could trust her with everything, including my darkest secrets. We had only grown closer since then. But, for some reason, I hesitated to take her hands, but only for a moment. I had this feeling that whatever she was going to show me was going to change my entire world.

I reached for her hands, and let her help me up from my bed. I felt incredibly strong, like there was something untapped in me that wasn't there before. The world definitely felt changed somehow. It felt more alive. It was the strangest sensation I had ever felt. In a way, I felt renewed.

She led me into the master bathroom, hand in hand. She switched on the lights, which were almost too bright for me. I squinted, desperately trying to reduce the amount of light entering my eyes. Glancing around the bathroom toward my window, I could see that it was still dark outside. Strange… It felt like days have passed. This was really strange...

Artemis stopped in front of my mirror and faced me, "Look at your reflection. I can explain better afterward."

Trepidation gripped me hard as I turned toward my bathroom mirror. Staring back at me was something strange. The woman I saw was me, but she was uniquely different than what I remembered seeing before going out for our date. The color of my dyed black hair with blue streaks was somehow more vivid. It honestly looked alive with color. My skin looked even paler than it already was, almost bone white. This really made the vibrant color of my tattoos pop out even more than they had previously. The veins in my arms and face were more visible, causing me to believe that my skin was translucent. The hazel of my eyes now had a slight blood red color to them. It was like a ring of color appeared to circle my irises, where there wasn't one before. It was then that I noticed the t-shirt and lounge pants I was in, instead of the black cocktail dress from our date. Did she change me while I was unconscious?

My mouth dropped in shock when the most disturbing thing caught my eye. My top canine teeth had enlarged. They honestly resembled the fangs of vampires from movies and TV shows. But that didn't make any sense. Vampires don't have fangs. It was all myths to remove the attention from humans on them. I had learned that from my previous experience with the bastards who abandoned me. However, there the fangs were, clear as day. They glistened in the light of the bathroom. Shinny and new.

In surprise, I quickly covered my mouth with my right hand, and stared at my reflection in utter horror. I barely registered the figure of Artemis step behind me cautiously. She placed a tentative hand on my shoulder. I was too shocked to care, though.

I swallowed hard, still focusing on my reflection, "Wha… what happened to me?" Even my voice sounded different! It was almost too perfect in tone.

Artemis squeezed my shoulder reassuringly, "I… saved you… the only way I knew how."

I glanced at her briefly, still shocked, "What do you mean? I don't understand! You said I was hit by that car, but here I am! I don't understand…" I trailed off. My mind was starting to piece together some mystery that I subconsciously knew was there. A mystery that started when I first met Artemis.

The arm on my shoulder moved to trace two small scars on my neck. At first glance, they were barely noticeable, almost blending in with my ghastly pale flesh. But with the guidance of Artemis' hand, I saw them. They were small, round punctures, no larger than the size of long, human teeth. That thought alone caused my breath to hitch. They were almost the size and shape of my new fangs.

"Bella, that accident was critical. You had no chance. There was so much blood, and I only had time to do one thing," I watched her trace the marks on my neck, "I made you Kindred… I turned you into a vampire."

"Oh…" If I could have fainted, I probably would have…

Present Day…

The memoirs of awakening as Kindred played behind my eyes vividly, as if they had just happened yesterday. I remembered every detail, every emotion, every touch, and every taste. I remembered everything with perfect clarity. The remainder of that night was long, but I had learned so much. It really seemed like fate meant for me to become a vampire, regardless of the path I chose in life. Ironic really, given my past with Cold Ones.

Voices startled me out of my sleep, familiar voices. They were close, some surrounding me, some further from me. One in particular came from right next to me, "Hey, sleeping beauty."

My eyes fluttered open. I turned my head to come face to face with the gorgeous Victoria. I grinned brightly at her and flung my arms around her in a bone-breaking embrace. I smiled into the crock of her neck.

I felt her vibrate with laughter as her arms wrapped around me, "Wow, there, Bells! You've got to conserve your energy."

"Fuck conserving energy! I don't even know how long it's been since I saw you, Vicky. Hugs now, rest later." I clung to her as if she would disappear when I let go of her.

"It's been three months," She breathed into my ear, "You've been running for three months. It's mid-December now." Her voice was full of disbelief.

Shock quickly built inside me and filled my soul. I slowly retracted myself from her arms, realizing that I was on the floor with her with a blanket wrapped around my waist. I stared at her in surprise. "I've been running out in the wilderness for three fucking months? That's impossible."

She shook her head, her red curls flowing slightly around her face, "Bella, we're great with time. You were honestly running for three months. You've gone three whole months without human blood. My understating is that a Kindred has never gone that long without sufficient nourishment."

I brought my hands to my eyes and rubbed them in confusion and frustration. I couldn't believe it! Like Vicky said, no Kindred has ever gone that long without human blood. The only nourishment I had was from the Denalis giving me that deer blood. The last time I had human blood was before I left Seattle. That would explain how groggy I feel. I was incredibly fucking lucky to even be moving right now.

I noticed a figure behind Victoria then. I glanced up to see Tanya, watching on with a concerned expression on her face. She met my eyes, and offered a reassuring smile, "Did you rest well, Bella?"

I nodded, offering a smile of my own, "It's been a while since I was able to sleep comfortably. Thank you."

Her smile widened a bit, "Of course."

I glanced between Tanya and Victoria curiously, "I see you guys have met? Are we all getting along?"

Tanya glanced at Victoria then glanced over to the sectional opposite of me, where Irina was sitting. Victoria looked back at Tanya then glanced over to Irina before turning back to me. They all shared this weird moment that I didn't get. Was this some strange Cold One thing? I watched them in confusion. Vicky shrugged nonchalantly, "Yeah, you could say that. We can talk later about it. My main concern right now is you."

"Right..." I drawled, looking between Victoria, Tanya, and Irina suspiciously. I sighed and looked down at my hands. They were their usual ghastly pale, but with a hint of blue. I knew that if I were still human, I'd have been dead from hypothermia, frozen somewhere in those deep woods, probably never to be found. The thought alone made a shiver run down my spine. It was kind of like having someone walk over your grave. I met Vicky's scarlet eyes, "Guess I'm just overwhelmed, but I'll be fine in a little while. I'm feeling a bit weak still."

"Once we can get human blood into you, I'm sure you'll feel infinitely stronger," Victoria smiled reassuringly. Her face then became stern, "Until then, its animal blood for you. At least we can maintain your current state with that."

I pursed my lips together, looking back down at my hands and glaring at them in frustration, "Somehow, I knew that was going to be the case," After a heavy sigh, I looked back to my redheaded friend, "Guess I have no choice. What about you, though? When was the last time you hunted?"

She glanced around the room and let out a heavy sigh that was similar to my own, "It's been a bit. I guess it's that damn animal diet for me, too. Once the storm lets up, you and I will go hunting."

"I couldn't agree more," I paused, and stared tentatively at Victoria before asking what my subconscious begged to know, "Do you have any news from Artemis?"

She took in a deep breath. Her expression turned thoughtful. She glanced at everyone in the room before looking back at me, "I do, and she's alright, if that's what you're wondering. She's worried about you. I don't know much, but… well, maybe we can talk about it once you're a little stronger?"

I let out the breath I didn't realize I was holding and nodded, "I'm glad she's alright. And, yeah, sure. I suppose it can wait a little longer. But I want to know soon, okay?"

She nodded, an understanding smile gracing her features, "Of course, Bells. I promise you that." She then clapped her hands on her thighs and stood up. She offered her hands to me, a polite gesture to ask me to get up. "What do you say we take in our surroundings a little? Can't have you laying around all day, can we? Plus, there's something I think you'd appreciate"

I gave her a small smile and took her hands, "Yeah, sure. Why not?"

My legs were pretty weak, causing me to wobble on my unsteady gait. Before Victoria could support me, Tanya was by my side, wrapping an arm around my waist. I smiled thankfully at her, "Thanks, Tanya."

She winked and nodded, "Of course. I doubt you would want to be one of the few vampires in history to lose their balance and topple over."

I just shrugged, "Probably not, but I have a history of being a little unorthodox. Seems to fit my character." I smirked at her as she shook her head. She chuckled a little, and helped me get my bearings before I started walking around their home.

I took a deep breath and started walking, letting Victoria and Tanya guide me. I still felt unsteady, but at least I felt safe with their assistance. Satisfied after taking several steps, I started to familiarize myself with my new surroundings. About fifteen feet from the sectional was a beautiful stonework fireplace. It wasn't oversized, but it was certainly intended to be a centerpiece in the room. Next to the sectional was a beige leather loveseat. It matched the sectional perfectly. Looking back to the fireplace, I noticed a portrait of the Denali coven. It was in monochrome, but still looked relatively recent. Their clothing looked modern.

Glancing around the room as we circled the sectional, I could definitely see just how homey their place was. The living room we were in was massive. The walls were an off white, and really seemed to complement the various shades of brown from the oak that made up the ceiling and accents. The walls were adorned with ancient looking décor, many of the designs I couldn't place. Various windows allowed for a clear view of the wilderness. At one end of the room was a hallway. It looked like it led to an entertainment room, from what I could tell. At the opposite end of the large room was short hallway leading to a foyer with a set of beautifully carved double doors. The design almost looked Eastern European. Above the entrance graced an amazing chandelier. It almost looked like it was carved out of elk antlers. It was breathtaking.

We made our way further into the room and turned down a hallway to the right. The hall had three ways to turn. To our left was a large, probably unused, kitchen. I caught a glance of stainless steel appliances. To our right were stairs to a second level, as well as a door to what I guessed was a powder room. We continued down the hallway. More ancient artworks and décor hung from the walls. Some looked Mediterranean in origin, others held that same European look as the front door. As we entered the final room of the first floor, the first thing that hit me was the massive floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out into the wild Alaskan wilderness.

The woods seemed to stretch on for miles. The only sign of civilization was the path that led from a door at the end of the room. It seemed to snake into the forest and disappear. Footprints on the path were quickly being covered by the storm. A snow-capped mountain peaked my attention. It climbed high above the tree line, glistening in the Aurora Borealis. Even through the snow storm, that mountain shined through the white and black of the winter night like a beckon of hope. I couldn't help the stunned expression that overtook on my face.

"Wow…" I breathed out to myself, completely forgetting my present company. My mouth fell open as I stared wide-eyed at the beauty before me. It was pristine, untouched by human hands. One of the last frontiers on this Earth. "I knew you'd like it. It's majestic." Victoria announced from in front of me. I couldn't seem to find the appropriate words to agree.

Tanya's giggle caught my attention, waking me from my daze, "You are absolutely adorable when you're gob smacked. It's beautiful, isn't it? The truest work of art. Nature undisturbed."

I nodded my head slowly, unable to turn away from this amazing site. Sure, Washington State had mountains, but this was different. It really did seem like no one ever stepped foot on this mountain. There were no buildings, as far as I could tell. Nothing seemed to take away from its pureness.

Victoria gave me a slight tug and guided us over toward another set of sofas. It looked like this room was a comfortable place for observation. Tanya helped me sit down on one end of the couch. Vicky sat on the couch in front of me. Once we settled in, Tanya gave me a warm smile, "I'm going to let the two of you talk. The family will give you ladies privacy. Just give us a holler if either of you need anything." With that, Tanya gave us one last smile, lingering on me for a moment, and left the room to return to her coven.

I faced Victoria. She appeared thoughtful for a moment as she studied me. A contemplative expression dawned on her as she continued studying me. Part of me wanted to feel uncomfortable, and I probably would have if I didn't know this woman as well as I did. Over the last two-and-a-half years, I've come to consider Victoria my sister. We told each other everything, sparing no details. There was nothing I wouldn't do for her. Hell, I'd gladly lay down my life for her. And I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that she would do the same for me.

As she continued to stare at me, I noticed that there was this gleam in her eyes. It was a dead giveaway that she knew something that she didn't know how to explain. I titled my head to the side and raised an eyebrow curiously, "You know how some people know each other so well that even their quirks let them know when something's on their mind?" She nodded, a smirk appearing on her face. I continued, "Well, you get this glimmer in your eyes whenever you want to say something, but you just don't know how."

Her smirk grew into a grin. She nodded and shrugged in agreement, "I think we know each other too well." She sighed heavily and leaned back into the couch, and crossed her legs, "I'll start with the more crucial stuff." She took a deep breath, then continued, "The Sabbat aren't far behind us, you know? We have maybe a few weeks' time before the catch our scent."

The Sabbat. The more radicalized counterpart to the Camarilla. To many within the Camarilla, the Sabbat were seen as anarchists, devoid of any real rules or regulations. They rejected our Traditions, which meant that they rejected the Masquerade. The Sabbat believed in personal responsibility. They policed themselves, and held a very loose organization. In many ways, the Sabbat were our exact opposites.

In the centuries since its formation, the Sabbat have gone head-to-head with the Camarilla. There have been wars and attempts at power grabs, especially over the last hundred years. The Camarilla and Sabbat have been fighting for control of territory all over the world. Most of these fights were of a political nature, but they've turned violent recently. That led to the reason I was now on the run. I was avoiding my assassination.

I swallowed hard, trying to concentrate as the memories rushed into my head. I focused on the redhead across from me, nodding slightly, "I know. What should we do? I'm just one Kindred against Lord knows how many Sabbat. I doubt they'd send just one assassin to take out the Childe of Artemis Orthia. They'd want to make sure I was dead." Dread coursed through my veins like fire. I knew there would be an assassin party on my heels. It's only a matter of time before they find me.

Vicky shook her head. She was silent for a few minutes as she pondered our current situation. She then nodded once, appearing to decide on something and looked at me, "My best suggestion is to remain here for now. The Sabbat won't attack you in a house of my species. It'd be a huge violation, and would likely get the Volturi involved in an investigation. Neither of our species wants that."

And that was true. The Kindred and the Volturi have a pact with each other. We can mingle, but neither species gets involved with the other politically. We don't harm each, and we don't interfere with internal issues. Doing so would make the pact void. Neither species could afford the ramifications of that scenario.

"Alright, so it's settled. We'll stay here, for now." I sighed heavily and leaned back into the couch, folding my arms and sitting cross-legged as I thought. My eyes gravitated to the mountain in the background behind Victoria. I just stared blankly at it, lost in my thoughts.

The clearing of a throat brought me back to reality. I gave Victoria my attention again. She had this odd expression on her face. I hummed at her, causing her to smirk. "So, there was something not so heavy that I wanted to talk about." She spoke quietly and leaned forward a bit. "What's your impression of the Denali coven?"

I shrugged nonchalantly, "I mean, they took me in. I'm a stranger and a Kindred. They didn't need to do that for me. They've been nothing but kind to me since then. They seem like good people, so far."

She nodded and glanced down at her clasped hands. Her eyes met mine cautiously, "You know, there was a bit of discussion when you were asleep. It's not really my place to mention it, but I think this could be really good for us."

"What do you mean?" I frowned in confused.

She took a deep breath and continued, "I mean that, well… you know how my species is with mates, right?" I nodded and she continued again, "It happens very quickly, especially when the mated pair are both vampires."

I nodded, still confused, "Yeah, I suppose it's a lot like the shifters and Imprinting. All they have to do is lock eyes and they know. Why are you bringing this up?" Why is she talking about this?

"I know you caught the look Irina and I shared a while ago…" She paused and looked into my eyes. I'm sure she saw the confusion present in them.

Eventually, what she was saying clicked, "Oh…" I breathed out. She's saying her and Irina are mates! This shit is too much, I swear.

"You okay? I mean, are you alright with this? It just happened when I entered their home and saw her." She actually looked worried about my reaction. I didn't understand why. Her love life was really none of my business. Why would that matter to me?

I smiled warmly at her, "Victoria, come on. Really? You think that this would hurt our friendship? Listen, you're the closest thing I've ever had to a sister. I wish you two nothing but the best. Just take it slow, alright? I know your kind likes to rush into things"

She grinned brightly at me, her pearl white teeth glimmering in the soft lights, "Thank you, Bella. That means so much to me."

She leaned forward to hug me, which I gladly returned. I held her tightly and closed my eyes. She moved to sit down next to me, never breaking our embrace. We stayed in our embrace for a while. It was enormously comforting. I could feel how tense she was, but that was slowly melting away. I could only imagine how worried she was about my reaction. But she knew me better than that. I understood that mates were destined to be together. They didn't have a choice. Sure, wording it like that sounded bad, but it was true. It was honestly fate… if you believed in that sort of thing.

I saw it with the pack, specifically with Sam and Emily. Imprinting was instantaneous. They still took it slow, mostly because Emily was human, but they were always together. It was beautiful to watch, especially with my relationship history. It gave me hope.

"You two gonna hug all night?" Irina's amused voice broke our comfortable silence. We both chuckled and separated.

I turned to see Irina leaning against the entrance to the hall, arms crossed and a grin on her face. I smiled and shook my head, "What? Can't sisters share a few moments of peace while they bond?" I teased her lightly.

She shrugged, her grin still prominently displayed, "I'm not judging. My sisters and I have been together for centuries. Believe me, I understand completely." She uncrossed her arms and pushed herself off the wall.

I could see the excitement in Victoria's eyes and the immediate change in her posture when Irina appeared. She looked nervous, but happy. I noticed the hesitation in her face, but that soon broke, and she smiled at her. A look of longing soon appeared in her eyes. For a moment, I wondered how hard this was for her. Eleven years ago, James was killed by them. Yes, they were defending me, and I do believe he got what he deserved, but I truly felt for Vicky.

She later told me that James couldn't resist his thirst or the hunt of something new and different. In a way, she knew it would someday get him killed. That didn't mean it didn't hurt her when she lost him. Now, here we are in Denali, Alaska, and Victoria meets Irina. Fate, I guess.

I glanced between the two and smiled. I nudged Vicky gently, nodding toward Irina. "Why don't you girls go chit-chat or whatever?"

"B, we don't have to? It can wait. We have forever. I mean, what about you?" Her worried expression returned.

I shook my head. I wish she didn't feel that way. I smirked at her, "Oh, come on, Red. I'm good here. Look," I pointed to the mountain range, "I've got one hell of a view to keep me company. Besides… I think I need some time alone to gather my thoughts."

She nodded, and leaned forward to kiss my forehead. Then she stood up and walked over to Irina. I watched as they wrapped an arm around each other's waist and walked back toward the hallway.

"Irina," I called out.

She stopped and turned toward me. There was a pleasant smile on her face, "Yes, little Bella?"

A mischievous smirk graced my lips as I looked over the two of them. "Try not to have too much fun. And… I'm very happy for the both of you."

Irina grinned and unwrapped herself from Victoria. She walked over to me, and wrapped her arms around me in a loving embrace. It was so similar to the way Victoria and I would hug. It was sisterly. I just smiled and hugged her back.

"Thank you. That means a lot to me. I know how much she means to you." Irina whispered gently.

"You're welcome. Now… off you go! Don't get too sentimental on me." She giggled slightly, unwrapped herself from me and kissed my forehead. Then, she walked over to Vicky and continued into the hallway.

I brought my attention back to the mountain in silence. A lot has happened in such a short amount of time, and I was just barely starting to catch up. In truth, I was overwhelmed. I just needed a little while to myself. Maybe I can put everything into perspective.

Time seemed to melt away as I stared into the dark night. I brought my knees up to my chest, and crossed my arms over them. The house was utterly silent. In the soft lights, I wondered what time it was. The darkness of the sky made me wonder. The night seemed pretty endless. I had a vague understanding of winters in Alaska, so I assumed there were far more hours of night than, say, Seattle, during the winter months. At least daylight wouldn't be an issue. That's always a plus.

I let my mind empty as I sat there. I just wanted to ignore what was behind me for the time being. Just push it into the back of my mind for a few days. I couldn't say if I was honestly safe here, but I could rest for a while, at least. Like Vicky said, not even the Sabbat would risk attacking me on Cold One territory. Especially when that territory includes five vampires, six with Victoria. It'd be suicide. Not even a Sabbat assassin would risk that. They needed to survive to bring news back to their leaders that I was dead. It'd be an embarrassment to Artemis' reign. How could she rule over the Seattle Camarilla if she couldn't even protect her own Childe? At least, that would be the assumption. It would cause doubt in her ability to govern. Chaos would follow. And that was what the Sabbat wanted. An unstable climate in the Camarilla. Easy to overthrow…

"Mind if I join you?" Tanya's slight Eastern European accent broke through the silence, startling me slightly.

My head shot over to my left, taking in the smirking strawberry-blonde as she stood at the edge of the couch. Her hands were clasped in front of her elegantly, but there was an edge of playfulness in her posture. I saw that in all of her coven. They all seemed to be less uptight, which was in stark contrast of their cousins.

"Nice job at startling me," I teased, scouting over and patting the spot next to me, "Of course you can join me."

A gleam of contentment shinned in her golden eyes, "Thank you." She smiled and sat next to me, tucking her right leg under her left, and turned toward me. She braced her head on her hand as she glanced between me and the mountain. "You really enjoy that view, don't you?"

I looked back out the window, sighing as I took it in, "I really do. It's more prominent than the ones I'm used to in Washington. I could sit here and stare at it forever." She hummed in agreement and we fell into silence, seeming to enjoy the moment. I glanced over to her to see her focused on the wilderness. "Thank you. For taking me in, I mean"

She turned back to me, a soft smile on her lips. "Of course, Bella. We weren't going to let you freeze out there. You're welcome to stay here as long as you wish." She placed her left hand on my arm. Even through my thick coat, it was very comforting. It lingered there for a moment before she brought it back into her lap.

"Could be here a while, you know. Seems our sisters are newly mated. Guess that makes all of us close now," I couldn't help the chuckle that escaped my throat.

She let out a light laugh, smiling brightly afterward, "That's true. Seems we're stuck together." I almost felt like there was a hidden meaning to that sentence, I let it slide. You heard her say we're mates, remember? My subconscious surprised me as we sat there.

I frowned briefly and turned my head to look away from her inconspicuously. I don't think it worked, however, as I felt her shift toward me a little. "Is everything alright? I'm not making you uncomfortable, am I?"

I shook my head and faced her, offering the best friendly smile I could in an attempt at covering my now tense body language. "No, I'm perfectly fine. I'm just… overwhelmed, I guess."

I knew she didn't completely buy it, but she simply nodded in understanding. "Of course. You've been through a tremendous amount in such a short time. It's only natural to feel overwhelmed."

Isn't that the truth! I scoffed to myself, "Yeah, I think this has been the calmest I've been in months. I'm having a hard time adjusting." And I was. Everything was coming at me too fast.

"If there's anything I can do to help you, let me know. I'll gladly assist in any way I can." And I honestly felt she was sincere. I felt like she would do anything for me, even though she barely knew me. I didn't know how much of that was her mating bond to me or her naturally wanting to help someone in need. I assumed it was both. She struck me as an incredibly caring individual.

A ping of guilt ran through me then. Obviously, I overheard them discussing me, but I doubt they knew that. I felt bad for her. For all she knew, I had no idea I was her mate. I couldn't withhold that, even if I didn't know how to approach such a thing. I was already overwhelmed with running for my life. I doubt I could handle a vampire mating bond on top of that. She couldn't help that, Isabella Swan. You must understand that. This was fate, I guess. Nothing can change that. And who said you needed to rush into anything? You can take it as slow as you want.

Furrowing my brows in frustration, I huffed and ran a hand through my hair. I took a moment to gather my thoughts. Just tell her. I decided to agree with my damn subconscious. I turned my head to face her. She looked absolutely worried. I could only imagine what was going on in her head at that moment. I cleared my throat and prepared myself for the most awkward discussion of my life.

"I, um, have to tell you something, but I'm not too sure what will happen if I do." I didn't want to push the topic, but I couldn't keep this to myself.

She gave me a half-smile, "You can tell me anything." Her voice was so comforting to me.

I sighed, I was never good at this stuff. I wasn't sure how to bring this up, so, I just went for it, "I overheard you guys talking, after I hung up with Vicky, I mean. I didn't mean to eavesdrop on a private discussion, but I couldn't tune it out. I, um… I heard you mention that I was… your, um, mate." There! I said it. Happy, subconscious?!

Instinctively, I looked away. I tried to look everywhere but her face. I felt embarrassed. Gentle fingers touched my chin, lifting it slightly. I met Tanya's eyes. There was that longing I saw in them when our eyes locked when her family found me in the snow. I think I now understood why. I'm not sure how long she was waiting to meet her mate, but it must've been a long time. She looked a bit lonely. That's something I could one hundred percent relate to. My only relationship was with someone who abandoned me on a forest floor ten years ago. Can't say dating has been high on my to-do list since then.

She stared into my eyes, searching for something. It was the same thing she had done out in the snow. She took a deep breath, but held my gaze, "Yes, that's true. I was hoping to wait on this discussion, mostly because I wasn't sure how to approach it. How much do you know about mates, Bella?"

She let go of my chin, but kept her hand close to my leg. I continued to look into her eyes. In a strange way, it helped calm me, "Victoria told me that vampires know they're mates the instant they make eye contact. She said it was a powerful bond. It's almost like fate."

"Fate." Tanya said the word at the same time I did. "All of that is true. Carmen and Eleazar tell me the same thing. I can definitely confirm that now. I hope… I hope this doesn't make you uncomfortable. I know you're going through so much. And I understand that we just met. I would just hate to add to your stress."

I shook my head and glanced down. I bit my bottom lip slightly; an old habit from when I was human. I did it when I was nervous. "As long as we start this slow, I think I can handle it. I mean, I just met you. As far as I know, Kindred don't feel mating bonds. I want to get to know you, though. I hope that's okay?" I was so nervous. I felt so out of my element.

The brightest smile I had ever seen grew on her lips. It felt contagious, and I couldn't help but smile. "Of course, Bella. We can absolutely go at your pace. I'd be happy to do that." There was a mixture of relief and pure happiness in her eyes.

To my surprise, relief was the biggest emotion I was feeling. "Thank you, Tanya." It was all I could muster, oddly. In an act of instinct, I leaned over to hug her. I wasn't sure if I should even do that, but I felt the need to. I wrapped my arms around her neck. A moment later, her arms snaked around my waist. It just felt right. We lingered that way for a minute, before slowly separating. We stayed close, and she took my right hand, and started to trace lines on it lazily. It felt pretty good. I got lost in the feeling of Tanya's line tracing for a while, losing track of time. It was nice. We fell into a content silence. Nothing was uncomfortable, and I didn't feel rushed into anything.

I started to watch her trace her imaginary lines on my hand. As I looked down, I noticed how tattered and dirty my clothes were. I'd been running for three months, I guess that was bound to happen. Thankfully, as a vampire, I didn't have body odor, so that was good at least. A shower would be nice, though. The warmth of the water would feel great. I still felt sore.

"So, question for you," she hummed in response, sounding completely content with the moment, "Um, do you mind if I use your shower?"

She laughed and smirked at me mischievously, "Feeling dirty, huh?"

I smirked and shook my head, "Totally not what you're thinking. It's, just, been three months since I showered last. Plus, look at these clothes! They're ruined." I frowned, realizing that I have nothing to wear after the shower.

"Well, we're about the same size. I may have something comfortable for you." She stood up and offered her hands to me to follow her. I smiled and took them. She led me down the hall and toward the stairs to the second level. I had a feeling getting to know Tanya and her family would be very interesting. I still had my reservations about the whole mating thing, but as long as I wasn't pressured into anything, I think everything would be fine. If this was fate, I could be okay with it.

I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter! I just wanted to point out that, even though Bella found out about her and Tanya being mates fairly quickly, they won't be rushing into anything. So, if anyone had any concerns about that, I have you covered :-)