Chapter 42

Bella POV

The dark forest was quiet, save for the soft breeze that rustled through the treetops above. In a tea-induced haze, I followed the calling of the trees whispering, "come."

Normally, I would be nervous, and overcome with past hurts walking through the forest by myself at night. Instead, I felt a blanket of calm draped over me, allowing me to feel nothing but safe and comfortable as I made my way through. I could only imagine that it was simply another effect of the tea.

As I continued to walk farther and farther from camp where I had danced with the fire sprites, the details of the wooded area began to fade more and more until I was surrounded by a void. I recognized this place from my dreams prior to drinking the hallucinogenic tea. This was the same in-between place where my ancestral guide had shown me Edward's true nightmarish nature.

I spun around, my eyes searching for Haylas, knowing he would be here to guide me through whatever visions were to come. Sure enough, my focus landed on a tall figure that resembled my packmate Paul, as well as my own father, Charlie. It was still hard to believe that we were all a part of the same family. I wondered briefly if I could talk to Charlie about this, I was sure that he would want contact with some of his family since he was the only adopted son of my grandparents. Since they'd passed away, Charlie only had me for family.

"Bella," Haylas greeted me with a small nod and a gentle smile. "It is good to see you well."

Feeling a bit disoriented, the only thing I could do was smile back at him.

A chill ran through me, and before I knew it, I was no longer surrounded by the void, but by a snow covered field dipped into a valley with mountains on either side. It was freezing out, and the sun was peeking through heavy cloud cover in the sky.

In the distance I could spot a viscous battle going on. All that I could see was the clashing of different colored fur with marble flesh and the glistening white snow encompassing the whole scene.

Filled with distress, I clambered my way through the snow to get closer to the ensuing chaos. The scene seemed to slip further and further away from me, despite my best efforts to catch up with it. I wouldn't have been able to do anything to help anyways. I knew that, but I still felt that I had to at least try.

Inexplicably, I was thrust forward, clumsily coming to land right in front of a humongous black wolf with soulful eyes that couldn't see me. My Sam. Just as I had come to a stop in front of him, a cold one had Sam's torso entangled in its arms of stone. A heinous crack came followed by a pitiful whimper.

The wind howled around me as a silent scream fell from my lips in a burst of foggy breath. Before I could process anything that happened, the cold one was beheaded and I was crouched down in front of my fallen mate.

Before I was overcome with hysterics I knew were coming, I was transported to stand in Sam's home. I was watching in on myself, laying beside a sleeping Sam. I looked so small compared to his hulking form, and yet he was the one that looked frail. The other me sniffled, and that was when I noticed she was crying quietly into his side.

"It's okay, baby. I know what to do," other me whispered when she looked up at Sam's unresponsive face. She moved her hand to cup his jaw and stretched up to reach his still lips. "I love you."

After her whispered words to Sam, other me took a deep breath, eyes closed, then stood and made her way to the door, eyes open, filled with a steely resolve. There was no sign that she had been crying at all.

I followed her to the living room where the rest of our pack were awaiting her leadership. I knew that they must have heard her...my… tears, but no one said a word of it.

The other imprints' eyes were filled with sadness and pity, even Emily's. The wolves all looked at her with solemn respect and an unwavering faith that both filled me with pride and fear. I was afraid that I would let them down, other me didn't show it though.

Just as soon as other me had opened her mouth to address the pack, the scene faded and I was once again in the void with just Haylas and myself.

"How can I help? How do I prevent this from happening in real life?" I asked frantically as I turned to face my ancestor.

"You cannot prevent this. It is destiny," he spoke sternly, he had more to show me, it seemed. He raised his hand to guide me to a new scene. Before it could dissolve into something more clear and I could make out the shapes and colors swirling around me, Haylas spoke up once more, "you can help your pack by being their leader. You are their rightful alpha while their true alpha is indisposed. The threat will not be over once your mate is injured. Your wolves, and the imprints as well, will need your strength and your guidance."

When the colors and shapes settled into one setting around me, I could see Sam and myself holding each other close on the beach. We were older versions of ourselves, but we looked so... peaceful.

Sam leaned down to kiss me, and I became a part of the scene. I was no longer dissociated into two. I felt the life in his kiss, the warmth in his lips. My mate was going to be okay. I kissed him back with everything that I had and wrapped my arms around his neck, trying to pull myself impossibly closer to his strong body.

"Ewww! Daddy, gross!" I heard the most precious voice in the world say in exaggerated disgust. I pulled away from my mate and looked at who instinctively knew was our child.

"Why is that gross? I love your mother, Adriel, and she said it was okay to kiss her," Sam explained to the young boy, then turned to me and said, "apparently he kissed Magnolia and got in trouble at school today."

"But I looove her Daddy!" Adriel tried defending himself with his father's own logic.

"Well you have to make sure she wants you to kiss her before you do it!" I chimed in, I guess it was never too early to teach boys these sorts of things.

"Where are you running off to now, son?" Sam called after the boy as he ran away.

"I'm going to ask Ella if I can kiss her!" He tripped while half turned to respond to his dad's question. Adriel simply brushed himself off and kept running in the general direction of Jacob and Angela who were down the beach with two little girls, who I could only assume were their Daughters. I did remember Angela briefly mentioning how much she loved the name Magnolia at one point or another. They must have had twins.

"Oh boy, we are raising a ladies man!" I laughed, leaning back into my man's sturdy arms.

"Let's hope his little brother will be able to keep him in line," he muttered in response as he crouched down to his knees and left a gentle kiss on my stomach. My stomach that I hadn't yet noticed was just starting to round out with proof that we were to have another child.

We stayed that way, on the beach, for what seemed like a lifetime, but not nearly enough time at all, then the beach faded and I was yet again standing in the void, facing Haylas Lahote.

"You should not mess with destiny, you see. Do not tell Sam of the battle and his injury, lest you change the future you have set out before you…"

Author's note:

I hope you like this little chapter!

It's certainly a lot to take in - I hate that Sam will be hurt, but what a beautiful future they have together. Hopefully Bella will manage to not change the future now that she knows what is destined to be.

Also, guilty admission here… I started a new story. I just started posting it. I was really trying to hold off until this one was 100% completed and posted, buuuut my imagination has been running wild lately. What can I say?

You should check it out! It is a Seth x OC story titled, The Background!

If you like this story so far, I am sure you will like that one, and if you are in the mood for a completed fic, check out my Quil x Bella story called Never Let You Go!

Happy Reading!

Dahlia