I.

"It's because I'm your mate."

"What?" Rosalie asked softly, not entirely sure she heard Bella correctly, but the serious look on the demon's face told her that she heard correctly. "But…" Rosalie started but faltered. Even for a vampire's processing power, this was a lot for the blonde.

"That's why your instincts don't go haywire around me," Bella admitted, wincing a little as her back throbbed. "They believe I would never harm you because I'm your mate. So how could I?" Rosalie blinked once, then twice.

"How?" She asked hesitantly. "I don't feel… I don't feel a mating bond with you." Rosalie said. She knew she had some sort of relationship with Bella, but it didn't feel like a mating bond. At least not one that had been described to her by all the mated pairs in her life, which were numerous.

"I thought…" Bella said, hesitating. "It probably doesn't matter what I thought." She said, a little defeated. "Demons don't have mates." She said. "We're not supposed to at least." Rosalie frowned.

"Then how is this," She gestured between the two of them "possible?" She questioned, despite getting the one answer she wanted, it left her with more questions than enlightenment.

"That's… complicated." Bella said, biting her lower lip. Rosalie snarled a little.

"Then explain it to me!" Rosalie hissed. "If I am what you say I am, then you'd think I'd deserve a bit of an explanation." Bella flinched at the harsh tone Rosalie took with her.

"You deserve so much more than that," Bella replied, a little sadly. "I thought I was protecting you." Bella continued, putting a warm hand on Rosalie's forearm. The blonde allowed it for the moment, but she had to admit to herself, she equal parts confused and angry. Confused because she didn't know why she couldn't have just gotten a straightforward mating bond. And angry because Bella seemed to know what was going on. At least she knew more than Rosalie knew. And if Rosalie was to believe Bella, and she had no reason not to, the explanation involved her. And given her history, she didn't like being left at a disadvantage, no matter how small, when it came to matters of the heart.

"You should know that I hate when people make decisions about me, for me," Rosalie said curtly. A part of her hated to behave coldly towards Bella, but she wanted answers. Bella nodded slightly, as much as her position laying on the couch would allow.

"I do. In hindsight, I regret the way I handled things. But at the time, it was for the best." Bella said, struggling to sit up. Rosalie went to gently lay her back down, but Bella stopped her. "I need to do this." She said, throwing her legs over the edge of the couch, her feet planted on the ground. Rosalie scooted to the side, keeping a careful eye on Bella as the demon winced again, her mark pulsating visibly.

"Before I do this, I need you to understand, demons don't have mates," Bella said, looking seriously at Rosalie. "We weren't granted that gift. My kind hardly even know love. Lust, sure. But true love? No. I wanted… I thought that this would be easier for you." Rosalie looked at Bella curiously, though cautious. Bella just shrugged sadly, outstretching her arms, hands palms up. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes as she inhaled. She exhaled, opening them. Rosalie saw them glowing a bright red, her form flickering between her human form and her demonic one.

Bella began reciting what sounded like a spell, but not in a language that Rosalie recognized. It felt older, primal. Rosalie felt a tugging at her heart as Bella chanted. It was like a plastic film had been placed over it, trapping her emotions within. And as Bella recited her chant, the film was dissolved, leaving her emotions untrapped. Rosalie hissed, her eyes landing on Bella and for the first time, she felt the pull. The longing to claim and mark the demon with her own teeth, erase the demonic scars from her back and replace it with her own scars. Rosalie began breathing heavily, even though she didn't need the air intake. Bella's natural scent didn't help her reactions to the demon.

Bella slowly stopped chanting, the glow fading and her human form stabilizing. Rosalie inched away from her until her back hit the coffee table. "Bella," Rosalie said, her voice quivering. "What did you…?" She trailed off, her question obvious.

"I muted our bond the moment I laid eyes on you," Bella replied, grabbing a shirt that was lying on the couch, pulling it over her head. She seemed to have fully recovered from whatever was affecting her not a few moments prior. She stretched out her shoulders, flexing her hands a few times and rolling her shoulders. "Suppressed it if you'd like." She added.

"Why?" Rosalie asked, her jaw clenched. Her golden eyes glaring at Bella.

"I didn't think you were ready for it," Bella admitted sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck.

"And that was your choice to make?" Rosalie snarled. Bella raised her hands in surrender.

"I… no, it wasn't. But I didn't know you then. I felt your emotions tying themselves to me when you entered that club. I thought it would be easier to ease you into my world if you didn't have a mating bond pressing at your mind. At least not once fully realized. I couldn't mute it fully, it was still there, just obscured."

"And when you learned more about me, you didn't think to just tell me the truth?" Rosalie questioned, her temper rising. She could understand a demon who wanted to befriend her keeping some things from her. But her own mate?

"Maybe I had hoped that you'd learn to love me on your own," Bella said quietly, so quietly that Rosalie almost didn't hear her. "And then when I told you, it would lessen the blow. You'd understand that I did it for us. You weren't ready to be thrust into my world. In fact, you found out about the whole demon thing sooner than I would have liked as well."

"Were you planning on ever telling me?" Rosalie questioned coldly. "Any of it?" Bella flinched a little at the tone.

I…" She hesitated. And that was it for Rosalie. She snarled, getting to her feet.

"I think that makes everything rather clear." She scoffed as she made her way for the door. Bella, in response, shot off the couch, reaching for Rosalie's forearm. The moment her fingers touched Rosalie's skin, the blonde hissed, turning quickly and snarling at Bella. "Don't." She said, her eyes blackening. Bella backed up slowly, not wanting to startle the irate vampire further.

"Rose…" Bella said, genuine regret in her eyes. "I didn't…" She said but Rosalie cut her off.

"Save it Bella," Rosalie said curtly before opening the door to walk out into the cool night air, slamming the door behind her. Bella was left in her entryway, alone and full of regret.

II.

Rosalie made her way back to the Cullen home. The rest of her siblings were still at the dance, so it was only Esme and Carlisle at home when she arrived. Esme greeted her at the door, but immediately her emotions shifted to concern as she actually laid eyes on Rosalie. "Rose, is everything alright? Did something happen?" She asked. Rosalie shook her head once.

"Everything is just perfect." She said sarcastically. "Please Esme, I'm not the mood tonight." She said. She tried not to take her emotions out on Esme, who had done nothing but love her. Esme, knowing her daughter, knew that Rosalie was not in the state of mind to be bargained with, so she relented, nodding once.

"I'm here if you want to talk about it." She said softly as Rosalie made her way up the stairs to her bedroom. She shut herself in her room, shedding herself of her heels and dress, tossing it carelessly on the floor. She couldn't bear to look at it for the time being. She changed into some more comfortable clothes, before jumping off her balcony, landing gracefully on the ground, running into the forest.

On her way through, she smashed her fist into a few trees before tracking a few deer, slamming into one and tearing it to shreds, taking her chaotic emotions out on the poor animal. She sank her teeth into the deer, draining it in a matter of moments. Rosalie dropped to her knees on the forest floor as soon as she had her fill. She breathed heavily, but slowly.

Despite her anger towards Bella manipulating her emotions, she still felt a draw to the demon. She could feel exactly how far away Bella was from her. Could feel the regret that Bella was experiencing. She almost wanted to run back to the demon's home, gather her up in her arms and forgive her. But another, more dominant part of her brain, couldn't help but feel almost dirty. It wasn't the same as Royce, not by a long shot. If it was, she probably could never imagine ever forgiving Bella. But the demon using magic to hide her mating bond from her hurt. It felt like an invasion of the privacy that she valued so much. And perhaps equally so, Bella lied to her about it.

She could understand hiding the demon thing from a friend. Or even a possible romantic partner. But her relationship to Bella was deeper than that. She had lived her entire vampiric life believing that once she found her mate, she would find something that she could confide everything in. And that they would do the same for her. But if Bella, a demon who did not mate, was hers, did any of it matter? Was this a relationship that Bella could just hold over her head for the rest of her life? She wanted to believe Bella wouldn't do that to her, but she wasn't sure of anything anymore.

Rosalie was so in her head, that she didn't hear another set of footsteps approaching and putting a hand carefully and softly on her shoulder. Her head snapped up and she snarled at the individual. Emmett recoiled quickly, putting his hands up where she could see them. "Hey, it's just me." Rosalie calmed down immediately, letting out a small laugh of disbelief.

"Esme or Alice?" She asked as he helped her to her feet.

"Esme. She called. She's concerned about you. She said you came home rather upset and then just took off. And then she heard trees coming down." Emmett teased before trying to be serious. "What happened? You seemed to be having a good time with Bella at the dance before I lost track of you." He asked. Rosalie shook her head.

"It's a long story." She said, rubbing her left forearm with her right hand. Emmett shrugged.

"We have time. If you want to share, that is." He added. Rosalie hesitated. But sighed.

"Bella is my mate." She said, the words falling from her tongue felt foreign. Yet they felt right. Like the admission would will it into the world. Emmett grinned.

"That's great, Rose!" He exclaimed, going in for a hug, but Rosalie put a hand on his chest to stop him. "What?" He asked.

"There's more." She said, taking a breath. "What I'm about to say stays between us, you understand? Not even Edward. In fact, especially not Edward," She said, deadly serious. Emmett recognized the tone, one Rosalie used when she expected him to keep her secrets or suffer a punishment worse than death. Emmett nodded, crossing his heart.

"Eddie will be kept in the dark, promise." He said, guiding Rosalie to sit on a fallen log, sitting next to her, keeping his hands to himself. Rosalie looked like she needed her space.

"She's a demon," Rosalie said. Emmett frowned.

"Like hellspawn, red skin, forked tail kind of thing?" He asked, a little skeptical.

"Something like that," Rosalie mumbled. Emmett just shrugged. He wasn't in a place to question her. And he figured if vampires and werewolves existed, there had to be others out there.

"So what's the problem? You've never been particularly religious since you were turned." He asked.

"She…" Rosalie paused. "She used her powers to hide the bond from me. Messed with my emotions and my head. And then lied about it." Rosalie said, letting out an accompanying growl. Emmett grimaced, knowing how much Rosalie hated both of those things. The lying and the invasion of privacy. Both she regarded highly in her life, almost sacred.

"And now you're trying to fight your bond and took it out on some trees?" He asked. Rosalie grunted.

"I suppose. I mean, my mind keeps jumping back and forth. On the one hand, maybe I overreacted. If I had learned all of this when I first met her, who knows what I would have done. Maybe she was right and I wasn't ready. But…" She said before Emmett stopped her by grabbing her hand.

"No. Maybe you wouldn't have been ready then. But you're not wrong for feeling the way you do. Given what happened to you, I'm surprised you didn't rip her limb from limb." He joked. Rosalie chuckled. "There's a smile!" Emmett said gleefully. Rosalie rolled her eyes, but the smile remained intact.

"I wouldn't have stood a chance against her. I'd be ash on the floor before I even landed a punch." Rosalie said. Emmett tilted his head to the side.

"She's that strong?' He asked and she nodded. "Well, she would be fun to spar." He thought out loud before looking sheepishly at her, silently apologizing. Rosalie just shrugged.

"It's okay. You're probably right." She said. "I just… I wish I knew what to do. I can't stand to look at her right now, but a part of me still longs to run back to her, right now." She said. Emmett nodded.

"I can't imagine what that's like, but I do know you. And I know you'll make the right choice for you. And that's what matters." He reassured her. Rosalie looked to the side at him.

"You know, sometimes you're smarter than you look." She teased. Emmett looked mock offended.

"Hey!" He exclaimed as Rosalie got to her feet, offering him her hand.

"Fancy going to find some bears and take the weekend to see who can down more?" Rosalie asked, a playful glint in her eyes. Emmett met her gaze with an enthusiastic nod, taking her hand and getting to his feet.

"Race you." He said before speeding off. Rosalie just chuckled before bolting after him.

III.

Bella sat on the couch, her face buried in her hands. How had she not seen that coming? She knew that Rosalie would see what she did a major betrayal. But how could she have done anything differently? All her age, experience and powers couldn't have prepared her for the aching in her heart.

She felt Charlie sit down next to her. "She'll forgive you. But you have to work for it. You've been keeping things from her for too long." He said. Bella sighed.

"I've lived so long in the shadows. Pulling the strings. Whispering in ears. I don't even know where to start. And if she'll even listen to me anymore. What if I ruined what could have been?" She asked, uncharacteristically unsure of herself.

"Never thought I'd see the day when I'd be giving you advice but matters of the heart are my expertise. I promise you'll regret it if you don't do everything in your vast power to make it up to her. If you truly care for her. Which is another thing I never thought I'd see."

"Where do I even start? My life spans the entirety of known and unknown history."

"I'd start with your true name."

Sooo...

I don't like drawing angst out for too long, but I felt this was appropriate. I feel like there's so much emphasis in the books/movies of how a mating bond is different from a friendship and even a normal relationship. And where Rosalie could... overlook some things when she thought her and Bella were friends, possibly love interests, but she couldn't, knowing they're mates.

Hopefully that explained a few more things, perhaps sparked a few more questions. Oh how I enjoy answering 1 question and creating 2 more.