Chapter four

Bella was lying on the beach, waiting for Edward to return. He had gone mainland to hunt and she was starting to get worried. The phones had died and all she could do was wait. The beach was beautiful and she surveyed her surroundings. Something made her stop, as she looked over at the tress, she could have sworn she had seen a pair of ruby eyes and sparkling skin, but the image was now gone, and Bella shook it away as she walked back inside to get a drink.

When Bella walked inside the house, she jumped when she saw Piangi, the electrician, standing on a ladder in the kitchen.

"Oh, Piangi!" she exclaimed, "I thought you had left!"

Piangi, who didn't speak much English, simply nodded. Bella moved to the fridge, opening its door and letting the icy cold air wash over her. She filled two glasses with water, giving one to Piangi.

"Thank you" he said, drinking the whole glass in one gulp.

"I go down to basement, yes?"

Bella nodded, "Thanks Piangi. I'm sorry about this. I have no idea why all the power shut off"

Something in the way Piangi stared at her stopped Bella's chatter.

"Piangi… Is something wrong?"

He shook his head, a slight smile to his lips, "nothing is wrong. I'll go and fix that… light." He walked down the stairs as Bella started chopping Piangi some fruit salad. She brought a slippery mango from the fridge and started to cut.

Slice. Slice. Slice.

Bella started to wonder. Why was Edward taking so long? Why had Piangi been acting so strangely? Come to think of it, his English had improved quite too much since he entered the house. And Piangi was only human; maybe it was wrong to suspect him of something.

Slice. Slice. Slice.

Suddenly, Bella became aware of a familiar smell of rust and salt. Blood. With horror, Bella looked down to see both her hands covered in blood. She had not been chopping the mango, but her hand.

She leapt back from the bench, frantically searching around for a towel. Blood dripped to the floor in deep red splotches, and the room began to spin. She heard someone coming up the stairs.

"Piangi?" she asked, with a tremor in her voice. The man that came towards her was fat and stout like Piangi, but with all the spinning in the room she couldn't be sure, for as he leapt to her side, he was suddenly slimmer, and darker skinned. Before Bella could make sense of it all, all went black.

***

Angela lay, curled up on the cold, hard wooden floor that had become her prison. Her eyes were closed but she was not asleep, though she was dreaming. Dreaming of Ben, and what he was doing, whether he was thinking of her and if he was okay.

In St. Petersburg, Ben too was thinking of Angela, searching the streets for any sight of Xavier or Angela. Angela was obstructed from her reverie as the thick metal door screeched open, and Bella was shoved inside the room.

"No!" Bella cried as she attempted to push back the door. But it was too late; the door slammed closed and she turned around to see Angela there, staring at Bella in confusion and shock.

"Bella!" exclaimed Angela after a moment, throwing her arms around her friend. Bella was momentarily confused.

"Angela… how did you…?" then she remembered Xavier.

Angela looked down in shock at Bella's hand, eyes widening, "Bella! What happened? Did Xavier…?"

Bella instantly shook her head, "No, it wasn't Xavier. I, erm… well, I cut myself"

Angela took her words the wrong way.

"No, no… not like that. I was chopping a mango, and I cut my hand" Bella flinched as she moved it. Angela ripped part of her jacket and started to bandage it.

"Bella… what are we going to do?" asked Angela after a while of silence.

"I don't know, Angela… I don't know why he's doing this"

Angela's expression darkened, "He said… he said he loves me"

Bella's face was blank. It was a few seconds before she revived herself, "what?!"

Angela's face crumpled in tears, and Bella hugged her again.

Should I tell her? thought Bella. Edward had made it clear from the start that she wasn't to reveal the existence of vampires, but surely Angela's case was an exception?

"Angela…" Bella began unsurely, "I have something to tell you…"

***

Edward jumped from the boat onto the wave-stricken beach, eager to see Bella. After Jasper had raced with Alice to catch the first flight to Rio, Edward was prepared to face the wrath of Bella from his extended absence.

Edward went into the house, and even in the dark he could sense something was wrong. The strong scent of Bella's blood made him freeze. He raced into the kitchen, and saw a trail of her blood leading to the bedroom.

"Bella!" Edward cried out, clinging to the hope that she was sleeping in her room. On the bed, there was a note.

With increasing terror, Edward picked it up and his eyes scanned the page.

Dear Edward,

As punishment for keeping Ben from me, I am now keeping Bella from you. You may find that next time you see her, that is, if there is a next time, she may be somewhat different to as you remembered.

From X

P.S Should you attempt to rescue her, Bella will die a very long, painful death.

Edward crumpled the note in his hand and had disappeared in a millisecond. He had now only one hope: Jasper.

***

Ben slammed his fist on the car's steering wheel in exasperation. He had searched St Petersburg for five days and still no sign of Angela or that crazy, insane freak who had taken her. He hadn't even found the hotel Xavier and Angela were meant to be at.

"Hold on a minute…" mumbled Ben, peering over the strange looking Russian map he held.

"It's upside down!"

Ben couldn't believe his stupidity. He had been so worried he wasn't thinking clearly.

Ben stopped at a small café to order lunch and re-evaluate his plans. He pulled out the notes and stared at the signature. Xavier Ivanov. Suddenly an idea struck him. Ben searched the streets for a phone box, finally spotting a blue one at the end of the street. He raced to it and tugged on the handle. It wouldn't budge. He knocked loudly on the door. A man with greasy hair, brown eyes and a large brown coat emerged and looked Ben up and down with a frown on his face.

"Yes…?" he was British, judging by his accent.

"Can I please use that phone…?" he asked, pointing to the small phone box on the side of the larger one.

The strange man looked at it, and then back at Ben.

"Well, I would advise against it. It doesn't work. I don't think it's ever really worked…" the man trailed off, a hand on his chin.

Ben was confused, "what are you doing in there?" he asked, but judging by the man's expression, he just said, "never mind. Do you know where I can find a phone box?" The man pointed at the other end of the street, where Ben could spot a bright red one 20 metres down.

"Thanks, er…?"

The man replied, "I'm the Doctor"

"Thanks… Doctor" Ben sprinted away from the strange Doctor and grabbed the phone book and prayed Xavier was listed. An X Ivanov was currently residing in 38 Amriya Street, St Petersburg. Ben got back into his car and continued studying his map. Now all he would have to do was wait until Xavier returned to his home, and rescue Angela.

***

Xavier walked into the dank and dusty room he was keeping Bella and Angela in. His face lit up in a smile when he saw Angela.

"Come, Angela. We're going for a walk"

Angela's fingers clenched. Bella nodded, subtly reassuring her friend. Slowly, Angela got to her feet and walked out the door, as Xavier slammed it with a resounding boom that made Bella jump.

It took Angela a while to adjust to the bright light. The scenery was beautiful – it took Angela's breath away. She swept her eyes across the landscape. Lush green grass and vegetation spread as far as a huge grey wall that surrounded the premises like a prison.

Suddenly she became aware of Xavier's eyes on her. Angela turned quickly to catch his burning eyes scorch her soul. Immediately she was frightened. She stood in the sun and he in the shadows, They were two very different people… vampire. Angela shuddered. How could she ever learn to love such a beast?

"So… um… when do you think you'll be letting Bella and I go?"

Xavier's expression of intense love faltered, "Go? What do you mean, 'GO'?!" he grabbed Angela by the shoulders.

"As long as I love you... you will never, 'go'!!"

Angela was hit with a sudden hatred and despair, "Xavier, you have to understand that I can't live here with you… not forever"

Xavier's eyes seemed to pity himself, as if he suddenly realized the enormity of his predicament.

"Is there anything I could do to make you stay?" the emotion in his voice made Angela look up.

"No," she whispered.

"I love you, Angela. I've never… experienced this before. I hope that Ben Cheney burns in hell!"

Angela's eyes flashed and she opened her mouth to protest. Suddenly, Xavier threw his stone arms around her, and forced his lips to hers. Angela recognized how different this felt to Ben, how forceful Xavier was. She tried to struggle, but, as Bella had said, vampires were much stronger than mere humans. Blood boiled under her skin, burned in her lips. His breath came in a wild gasp. Xavier's hands knotted in her hair*. It felt so wrong, but at the same time very hypnotic, as if she wanted to kiss him. But no, she didn't. Xavier finally released her and she leapt back.

"How dare you!" she screamed, "I hate you! I hate you! I don't care if you keep me here a thousand years, or if you torture me with a billion kisses! I will never, ever love you!"

Xavier stepped back, his entire body pulsing in rage. He begun to shake uncontrollably in his anger. Xavier struggled to calm himself, knowing what was about to happen, but the rage was too strong for him, and he began his transformation. All in a second, Xavier's clothes split, his body began to distort, his teeth grew sharper and his legs longer.

All that now remained was a shiny black wolf, howling at his new form.

Angela stood, frozen in shock and fear. Vampires were enough, but werewolves too? Bella hadn't mentioned such a thing. It was ridiculous, all around her, her world was changing into supernatural chaos. What was next? Witches? She longed for her normal life back with Ben and school. Xavier still stood howling at her. Angela stared at him. The large, noisy, ferocious monster who had taken away her freedom. Angela was distracted for a moment from her fear as Xavier's cry had just been answered.

There was another wolf in the area.

Xavier at first tried to ignore the ferocious howl as his huge beast form stepped towards Angela. How could Angela refuse me? Xavier was hurt by her rejection, but angry, too, as he pounded the grass with his paw and flew towards her, where Angela stood frozen in terror.

Xavier's black, shiny fur glinted red in the sunlight, which gave him the aura of a demon from hell.

Angela's last thoughts flew to Ben. She wished she could have said goodbye...

To be continued...

NOTE: *sentence adapted from Twilight