"So that's what you dream about...becoming a monster?" Edward ridiculed.
"I need you to be calm."
"I'm very calm." Bella snarled.
Tanya gripped her arm, "Bella-"
Irina growled, "You're stressing her out, let her take her time!"
"Stop babying her."
Bella rolled her eyes as they continued to bicker, "I'm not babying her!" Irina said, before gently placed a hand on her shoulder, "We can stop and take a break if you'd like-"
"See! Babying her!" Tanya accused, and Bella would have laughed if she wasn't so aggravated.
"I love you both but would you please shut up!" She snapped, concentrating on the ceramic mug in her hand, "I don't need two moms breathing down my neck."
Tanya scoffed while Irina backed up, "Sorry, maličký, I just don't want you to feel overwhelmed."
Her older sister rolled her eyes, "Sure, I can't sleep with her, but you practically breastfeed her-"
"Tanya!" Irina glared at her, "I don't know who's more insufferable, you or Kate!" Bella snarled as the mug shattered between her fingertips and she stood to her feet.
"Son of a bitch!" She shrieked, losing herself in a bout of anger, a common occurrence that usually resulted in her destroying something, "I need a break." She was in Rosalie's room in seconds, flopping down on the floor and glaring up at the ceiling.
What good is strength if I can't control it? She wondered how the Cullens were able to do it, act human, drink animal blood, and survive high school without killing anyone or breaking anything. It's been a week and she still couldn't wrap her hand around a mug without it shattering.
She couldn't touch anything. All she had improved was her human walking and human gestures. While doing things at a normal pace was frustrating, it was far easier for her then trying not to break things.
"Would I be better at this if I still had my memory?" She wondered aloud. Being a vampire was all she knew, despite only being one for a little over a week. I don't know what it's like to be human, an experience she had no desire for, but one she believed could be useful.
"Admiration was like air to me, Bella. I was silly and shallow, but I was content." Rosalie's voice was bitter and hollow. It sounded wrong.
She frowned, "Silly and shallow? You mean when you were human?" When there was no response she groaned, rubbing her hands over her face, "Very helpful, thanks."
The light knock on the open door made her sit up, "You like this room." Irina said, making Bella shrug before looking around the room.
"I guess."
"...it's surprising, you know." Bella looked at her curiously, "Rose hates humans-"
"Don't you see, Bella? You already have everything. You have a whole life ahead of you–everything I want. And you're going to just throw it away."
Bella flinched, squeezing her eyes shut, but Irina continued, "You must be a special case."
"Hand me that wrench...and stop smiling. I'm entertaining you to placate my insufferable brother. This is not because I like you."
"Please, stop." She got to her feet, "I don't want to remember them. They left me," she growled, "Fuck them." It's not fair. I shouldn't miss people I don't know. But she did and it aggravated her beyond belief.
It was almost as aggravating as her own curiosity, her hidden desire to know what Bella left behind. It can't be worth it, not when she was already hurting due to unknown faces and the strange whispers in her mind.
Irina held her arms out and Bella practically threw herself into them, "I know...did you hear one of them?"
"Rosalie." She grumbled, resting her cheek atop her maker's head, "I want them gone, completely." She felt herself relax in her arms and sighed, grateful for the solace the blonde provided. But you don't want them gone, a treacherous voice whispered, a quiet mind is a lonely one.
She had gotten used to the voices, begrudgingly, she had even come to like them. Rosalie had the most to say, as did Edward, and she had grown fond of Emmett's random chuckles and the other voices of those she had forgotten. They're gone, but not completely. Her thoughts made her wonder if vampires could lose their minds.
Irina pressed a kiss to her shoulder, "I understand. When we see them again…" a growl erupted from her throat, making Bella smile slightly before pulling away.
"They're your family. Don't let me drive a wedge between you-"
"Too late for that," Tanya appeared, leaning against the doorframe, gold eyes darkening, "You're a Denali now, Bella, you're our family too." Isabella Denali sounds better than Isabella Cullen, she thought, smile broadening, I don't know Bella Swan, but that doesn't matter, not anymore, because I'm Bella Denali.
Irina nodded, "You're our sister now."
"I already consider you my sister." That voice was new, higher-pitched, and frustratingly familiar, just as they all were. It's either Esme or Alice's, and with it brought the same pain as the other voices did.
Stop it. They don't matter anymore, you're a Denali now.
"A slight against you is a slight against us. At the very least, when we encounter our cousins again, we'll shame them, and maybe smack them around a bit." She liked how quickly the sisters had taken to her, how quickly they had accepted her as their own.
It made venom fill her eyes and her maker cooed, grabbing her cheeks and moving her face down so she could kiss her forehead. She laughed, blinking her venom back and kissing her forehead in return.
Tanya moved forward, "Where's mine?" She all but demanded, making Irina roll her eyes and kiss her forehead as well. The eldest beamed before looking at Bella expectantly. The brunette smiled, leaning down to kiss her forehead when Tanya tilted her head up at the last second, making her kiss her lips.
She laughed when Bella's eyes turned black and her hands gripped her waist, "Tanya!" Irina snapped, moving between them, "Honestly, you give Kate a run for her money!" The newborn released a shaky breath, stupid Tanya, stupid newborn lust.
She rolled her eyes, "Oh, please. It was one little kiss. If Kate were here she'd have her tongue down her throat by now."
Bella looked at her in disbelief, and her amusement aided in squashing her lust, "She uh, sounds like a lot." Are they constantly horny?
Tanya snorted, "She's a wrecking ball and craves attention. She's more than a lot." She then turned to Irina, "Come now, sister, think of how sweet it would be to infuriate Edward in such a way? He's such a prude, just the thought of me giving her a peck on the lips will drive him to insanity."
Edward, she let out a snarl, drawing the concerned glances of the sisters.
Bella had had suspicions of just who Edward was to her. She understood from his voice that plagued her mind that they had been romantically involved. But he still left, and she detested thinking about him at all, especially when she was certain she had put his murky face to his voice.
She was able to see his face more clearly than anyone else's. His sharp jawline and small smile, features she couldn't see on any of the other images that had slipped through the cracks of her amnesia. His voice and face filled her with the same intense pain, and the fact that she could see him so well in comparison to the other murky faces had made her fear the worst.
"Will you be?" She heard her human voice ask, anxious and hesitant, "Will you really be here?"
"As long as you want me." His smooth voice responded. You lied. You left. Her chest ached and her hands balled into fists.
"I'll always want you," human Bella declared, "Forever." She nearly scoffed at that, dumb bitch.
"Maličký?"
"You are my life now." Edward murmured, and her throat tightened. No, this is wrong. The longing returned at full force and she hissed, speeding out of the room and out the door. I loved him, I loved him and he knew that and he still left. She tried to rationalize with herself as she darted through the forest, but I don't own him. Maybe we broke up or-
"You're no good for me, Bella." Her eyes widened and she roared, throwing herself forward and attacking the forestry. Her fists went through trees, her hands uprooted vegetation, rocks turned to dust and her angry screams pierced the air as she continued destroying all that was in her path.
There was no way to rationalize what the Cullens had done. What Edward had done. They all left, knowing the consequences, the large tree before her fell to the ground with a crash, they all left, knowing the laws of the Volturi.
Neither Tanya nor Irina came after her, and for that, she was grateful. She didn't want to be consoled or held, she wanted to be angry and hurt and alone. She wanted to wallow in her self-pity, if only for a little while. And she did. She let herself be angry and distraught over a family she could hardly remember, halfheartedly destroying more forestry before she sighed and collected herself.
A flash of red flickered in her peripheral vision and the strong scent of pine filled her nose. She frowned, tensing, and baring her teeth as a strange vampire appeared before her. She had brilliant red hair and ruby red eyes. Her pale skin sparkled in the sunlight, and Bella would have believed her to be beautiful if not for the haunting smile on her face.
"Bella. Vampirism suits you." Her voice was soft, alluring, but it put the newborn on edge. Paul mentioned a redhead trying to kill me, Victoria, is this her?
"Are you the one trying to kill me?" The smile disappeared and red eyes narrowed.
"You don't remember?"
"Nope." She shrugged but didn't risk letting her guard down and she remained slightly crouched, "When I turned I couldn't remember anything. I still don't." The anger on the vampire's face gave her a strange feeling of satisfaction. Glad I can be smug for all of two seconds before she murders me. She didn't have any combat training, all she had was sheer strength but she doubted that would help her in this situation.
A snarl escaped the older vampire and her hands curled into fists, "Your alleged mate killed mine, and you have the gall to forget who I am? Who he was?" She bared her teeth, "You insolent bitch! I'm Victoria, and you got my James killed."
Bella looked at her in disbelief, "I was told that he started it by trying to kill me." She then frowned, "I involuntarily lose my memory and I'm the asshole?" Victoria lunged at her without warning, taking them both to the ground and making Bella grunt at the impact.
She was on her back, growling as the redhead's hands wrapped around her throat, "You have a much stronger spine than I remember, where did that come from?"
"You're so docile it's sickening." Rosalie hissed, "You let him control you, but what about what you want? You let me insult you and you say nothing, why is that? Do I truly terrify you?"
Human Bella stammered, "Y-You're not scary, Rose. I just-"
"Pitiful."
"I just want to be your friend."
"You think I want to make friends with some stupid, spineless little girl?"
Victoria squeezed her neck and Bella gripped her forearms, "Who turned you?" Bella Swan may have been stupid and spineless, but I won't be.
"Fuck you."
She could hear the slight approval in Rosalie's voice, "Maybe you're not completely hopeless."
With a surge of confidence and a burst of strength, she was able to rip Victoria's hands off her, grinning as she threw her aside and got to her feet in an instant.
The redhead was nimble, gracefully spinning in the air and landing on her feet. She bared her teeth before launching herself back at the newborn.
Kill her. Kill her now! Her instincts screamed, and Bella cocked her fist back before swinging. However, Victoria merely laughed, putting her own hand out and loosely grabbing Bella's fist. The palm of her hand struck her knuckles, she allowed the strength of her punch to force her back, ricocheting off her fist and flipping backward.
Bella jumped after her, trying to wrap her arms around her but Victoria angled her body out of the way. They both landed on the forest floor and the newborn wasted no time rushing towards her, which was her first mistake.
Victoria stood there, smirking as Bella went on the offensive. At the last second, she ducked beneath her next punch before slamming her own fist into Bella's abdomen. She hissed at the sound of cracking skin, doubling over and sliding backward, unprepared for the vampire's next attack.
The redhead was on her in an instant, grabbing her by her hair and pulling her head back. With a snarl she bit down on her exposed neck, making the newborn shriek in pain, blindly reaching out and catching her attacker by the arm. She squeezed as tight as she could, satisfied by the loud cracking of skin despite the searing pain in her throat.
Victoria pulled away with a hiss, ramming her fist into Bella's face and making her fly backward. The impact was enough to make her body go through a tree. Both the vampire and the tree crashed to the ground with heavy thuds.
Shit. She was on her feet, ignoring the burning pain on her throat and the sharp sting on the bridge of her nose. She's toying with me, of that she was certain. The redhead stalked forward, a smirk on her lips and red eyes flashing with hatred as she stared at her. I need to get out of here.
Suddenly she froze, feeling the tug of an invisible tether that refused to let her move. Her body shuttered and her eyes widened, again?
However, she wasn't complaining this time, "You know, I wouldn't look so pleased with yourself." She taunted against her better judgment, "You've put in so much energy trying to kill me," she smiled, all teeth, "When I still don't even know who you are."
This had the desired effect and Victoria's smirk vanished, "Your death will be a slow one. You'll suffer for your insolence." Her body flickered, glitching as it had two weeks ago.
Victoria threw herself at her and Bella's grin only grew as the world around her was once again fading. She put up two middle fingers before everything went black.
When time spat Bella out she fell to one knee, gritting her teeth as she put a hand to her neck. Shit. Victoria was indeed still out to kill her, and she was lucky her weird power had saved her. And I made it worse by antagonizing her.
She'd have to inform Tanya and Irina as soon as she returned. They'd have to begin her combat training if she had any hope of protecting herself the next time she encountered Victoria.
Her exhaustion ebbed away when she took in her surroundings. She was in a small house rather than the woods, but to her relief she was alone and the house appeared to be isolated, as she could hear no voices or heartbeats.
She licked her hand and rubbed her venom coated palm on the bite. She could feel the cracks begin close and she did the same with her stomach. Despite the quick healing process, the dull ache in both wounds remained, especially the one on her neck.
She looked around with a furrowed brow. The home was made of large, grey stones. It's thatched roof smelled damp and whatever was in the black kettle smelled terrible and burnt.
However, the scent mixed with the smell of lavender, and she quickly held her breath, frustrated that she had forgotten herself. It's human, but the scent doesn't make my throat burn. If anything the smell relaxed her, made her forget about her injuries, and she furrowed her brow. Has my self-control improved? It seemed unlikely, but so was her time-traveling.
Hesitantly she allowed herself to breathe again, instantly hissing when lavender and burnt meat mixed with a far more mouth-watering smell. Her throat was on fire and she cursed, holding her breath and squeezing her eyes shut.
A man. He smells like smoked meat and–stop! She whined, body going completely rigid as she fought against her urges.
"You know, my record is almost as clean as Carlise's. Better than Esme. A thousand times better than Edward." Rosalie said, almost boasting as she spoke, "I've never tasted human blood."
A growl vibrated in her throat, "Rub it in, why don't you?" She focused on her surroundings once again, not daring to take another breath as she looked around.
The house was small and compact, no windows revealed the outside world, and the room she occupied was the only one in the home. Two beds sat opposite of each other, both against the wall on either side of the hearth. A small bow laid on one of the beds and beside it was a quiver filled with arrows. Before the hearth a large grizzly bear pelt was spread on the floor, jaw open and limbs outstretched.
In the middle of the room was a small, round table made of wood and two chairs. The wall above one of the beds was a shield, painted red and gold, covering the center of the shield was two crossed swords. I don't give a shit where I am. I'm thirsty.
She swallowed thickly, fighting the urge to breathe in the scent of the man once again. The thick wooden door that was between her and freedom was closed, and she worried that touching it would result in ripping it off its hinges.
The familiar sound of light and clumsy footsteps was approaching the house and she stiffened. Katrina? It was more of a hope than an assumption, and when the door burst open she couldn't help but smile and relax.
This time the girl was dressed in light padded armor and had a very real dagger sheathed to her hip, rather than the wooden sword she had carried with her. She wore no helmet, and her bright blonde hair was filled with leaves and dirt and was damp with sweat.
Upon seeing the vampire, she screamed and drew her dagger, pointing it at her, "Votrelec! Zabijem ťa!" [Intruder! I'll kill you!] Bella was learning Slovak but many words still escaped her, and she was far from fluent. She wasn't sure what the child said but the aggressive way she spoke made her chuckle.
She knew Katrina's eyesight was poor due to being human, and that the house was dark due to the lack of windows, save for the natural light of outside that came in from the open door; despite the sun appearing to be cloaked in clouds. It was fall, has no time passed since I've been away? Upon further examination of Katrina she noticed that the girl looked older, how long have I been away?
Bella smiled, stepping forward and giving a small wave, "Dobrý deň, Katrina." [Hello, Katrina.]
Dark blue eyes blinked owlishly at her, "Bela?" She rushed towards her, eyes filled with mirth but her face was red and her dagger was pointed at her abdomen, "Hlúpy démon! Kde si bol! Prečo si odišiel? Si zlý väzeň!" [Stupid demon! Where were you! Why did you leave? You are a bad prisoner!] Bella understood bits and pieces, she understood that Katrina asked where she went.
Her brow furrowed as she tried to explain with her limited vocabulary, "Odchádzam, nie naschvál. Nemôžem si pomôcť." [I leave, not on purpose. I can't help it.]
This confused the child and she withdrew her dagger, "Volali ťa späť do pekla?" [Were you called back to hell?]
Pekla? The hell does that mean?
When she didn't respond the girl asked, "Prečo ste tu?" [Why are you here?]
The vampire shrugged helplessly, "Neviem. Nemôžem si pomôcť." [I do not know. I can't help it.]
Katrina tapped her chin thoughtfully, "Si môj démon?" [Are you my demon?]
She grimaced, "Neviem." [I do not know.]
"Diabol ti nič nepovedal? Jemné. Nechám ťa, ty si môj démon." [Does the Devil tell you nothing? Fine. I will keep you, you are my demon.] Her demon? Katrina then smiled, "Je dobré, že mi teraz rozumieš. Minule si znel hlúpo." [It's good that you understand me now. You sounded silly last time.]
Bella frowned, trying to put together the pieces of conversation that she understood, "Ja tomu rozumiem málo. Cvičím." [I understand little. I practice.] She contemplated admitting that she wasn't truly a demon but then thought better of it.
The Volturi are not to be disobeyed. That was the first lesson she learned and she refused to be like the Cullens and jeopardize Katrina's life.
Katrina grinned, sheathing her dagger and throwing herself at her, "Dobrý!" [Good!] Bella stiffened, making the girl pull back and scowl up at her, "Prečo ma neobjímaš? To je neslušné!" [Why do you not hug me? That's rude!]
She could feel her heartbeat, but still, there was no desire to tear her apart, "Som príliš silný. Ublížil som ti." [I am too strong. I hurt you.] No human has hugged her. Katrina felt soft and breakable and that worried her immensely.
"Tak mi neubližuj, hlupáčik Bela." [Then don't hurt me, stupid Bela.] She hugged her again and Bella swallowed thickly, very lightly putting her arms on her shoulders but not daring to wrap her in an embrace, "Dávaš veľmi zlé objatia." [You give a very bad hug.] She grumbled, pulling away, face a bright red as she looked away from her.
She understood 'bad' and 'hug', "Prepáč." [Sorry.] She frowned, "Ako dlho som bol preč?" [How long was I gone?] Katrina looked at her, "Prečo...si sám?" [Why...you alone?]
The blonde huffed, "Som bojovník, nič sa nebojím!" [I'm a warrior, I fear nothing!] She then grumbled, "Bol si preč rok. Teraz mám sedem. Lovím s otcom, aby som priniesol jedlo späť do nášho kmeňa." [You were gone for a year. I'm seven now. I'm hunting with my father to bring food back to our tribe.] Something about her father, and she's seven years old.
Unsure of what to say she gave her an awkward smile, "Dobrý. Sedem dobrých." [Good. Seven good.] A year? It's been two weeks.
Katrina frowned at her before saying, "Pôjdeš so mnou. Rozbijeme viac vecí." [You come with me. We will break more things.] She grabbed her hand and, just as last time, Bella splayed her fingers out so as not to crush the child's hand.
"Kam ideme? Kde je otec?" [Where we go? Where is father?] She asked, letting Katrina lead her out of the small house. Bella could feel the calluses on the smaller girl's hand and she looked at her curiously, how good is she with a blade? How often does she train?
The blonde smiled, "Môj otec loví kačice. Vrátil som sa, aby som si poluk, ale ty si tu a chcem sa hrať." [My father is hunting for ducks. I came back for my bow, but you're here now and I want to play.]
"I didn't understand any of what you just said."
"...čo?" [What?]
"Nič." [Nothing.]
They walked in silence for a while, far from the small house and deeper into the woods, "Nikto ťa nemôže vidieť, inak sa ti pokúsi ublížiť." [No one can see you, or they'll try to hurt you.] She talks too fast. I can hardly keep up, but the word 'hurt' stuck out to her and she shook Katrina's hand off hers.
Bella frowned, "Bolieť? Si zranený? Ublížil som ti?" [Hurt? You are hurt? I hurt you?]
Katrina laughed at her, "Hlúpa Bela! Som tvrdý a silný bojovník!" [Silly Bela! I'm a tough and strong warrior!] She took her hand again, and the hesitant vampire allowed her to lead them, "Pamätám si to slovo, ktoré si ma naučil." [I remember that word you taught me.]
"Slovo?" [Word?]
She nodded excitedly, "Fuck!" Fuck!
Bella shook her head and wagged her finger, "Nie, Katrina! Zlý! Slovo je zlé! Nehovor to!" [No, Katrina! Bad! Word is bad! Don't say it!]
Blue eyes gleamed with defiance, "Prečo nie?" [Why not?] Little asshole.
"Je to dospelé slovo." [It is grown up word.]
She shrugged, "Je mi jedno." [I don't care.] Bella didn't know what she said but she knew that Katrina was indeed still acting like a little asshole.
"For someone so small, you sure have a big mouth."
When the girl deemed they were far away enough she stopped, releasing Bella's hand and retrieving a rock. She smiled slightly, holding out her palm. Despite her efforts to be gentle it still crumbled into dust. They did this for a while, Katrina laughing with glee while Bella watched on in amusement.
It was a nice distraction, talking to an aggressive wild child and indulging in her curiosities. While she worried about exposing herself, she couldn't help but want to show off a little. Tanya and Irina breathe down my neck about being human, but Katrina wants to see me be more.
"Bela! Môžeš rozdrviť tento strom?" [Bela! Can you crush this tree?] Bella tilted her head in confusion and the girl huffed, pointing at the thin white aspen tree, "Rozdrviť to!" [Crush this!]
"Oh," she sized the tree up and snorted, "I can definitely destroy this." She wrapped one hand around the trunk, and though it was a little too thick for her to completely grasp, she was still able to crush it with ease. Katrina squealed in delight as the tree's body was completely severed, falling to the ground with a loud crash.
"Dobrá Bela! Dobrý démon!" [Good Bela! Good demon!] Now she talks to me like I'm a dog, great. Without warning, she took off running, "Som hladný! Poď, môj démon! Poďme jesť jablká!" [I'm hungry! Come, my demon! Let's eat apples!] Hungry?
Bella wasn't good at running at a human pace, so she walked quickly instead. I know I look ridiculous but I can't speed in front of her like it's nothing...can I? She sped and then stopped, doing that most of the way and stopping only when Katrina would look back at her.
"Si pomalý! Ponáhľať!" [You are slow! Hurry!] Katrina stopped when they made it to a tall apple tree.
She grabbed a branch and began to climb, "Opatrní!" [Careful!] She was high up, and an overwhelming fear suddenly gripped Bella by the throat. What's wrong with me?
"Ac, ty si zvláštny démon." [Ah, you are a strange demon.] The child shimmied onto the limb of the tree, grabbing an apple and throwing it at her, "Jesť!" [Eat!]
Bella caught it, grimacing as it exploded in her hand, "Žiadne jedenie." [No eat.] She wrinkled her nose, shaking the juices off her hand and onto her jeans.
Katrina plucked another apple from the limb and hummed, "Oh, to je pravda, démoni hody na tele ľudí!" [Oh, that's right, demons feast on the flesh of humans!] She took a bite from the apple and frowned, "Ale nechceš ma zjesť, však?" [But you don't want to eat me, right?]
Surprisingly, no, I don't want to rip out your throat and drain you dry, "Žiadne jedenie." [No eat.] She said again, pointing at Katrina before frowning, "Si tu?" [You here?] She pointed at the ground, "Zraníš sa…" [You get hurt in…] she trailed off.
"Strom." [Tree.]
"...áno! Zraníš sa na strom!" [Yes! You get hurt in tree!]
Katrina laughed carelessly, standing on her feet and balancing on the now precariously swinging limb, "Hlúpa Bela! Stále leziem! Som ako veverička." [Silly Bela! I climb all the time! I'm like a squirrel.] She frowned as though she offended herself, "Veverička bojovníka s nožom!" [A warrior squirrel, with a knife!] She drew her small blade and Bella's anxiety skyrocketed.
"Nie! Zlá Katrina! Si zranený! Si zranený!" [No! Bad Katrina! You hurt! You hurt!] She pointed at the ground in front of her, "Si tu! Si tu!" [You here! You here!] What if she falls and bleeds and I can't control myself? The thought of the girl getting hurt put her on edge, the thought of being the one to hurt her made her anger build and her throat constrict.
Katrina stuck her tongue out at Bella and she couldn't help but gasp, affronted by her disregard for her own safety. Her anger grew as the girl began to walk along the limb, swinging her dagger carelessly while she ate her apple. She has surprisingly good balance, but that didn't ease her worries.
"Ugh! You're insufferable!" Bella shouted, "Get down here before I climb up and get you myself! And put the knife away, you ass!"
Her anger only served to make Katrina smirk, "Ass." She parroted, making the vampire gawk.
"Nie! Zlá Katrina!" [No! Bad Katrina!]
"Fuck ass!" She crowed, laughing loudly and making Bella all but screech in frustration.
"Ty tu, lebo ťa zjem!" [You here, or I eat you!] She threatened, baring her teeth and pointing at the ground again.
Katrina rolled her eyes before sheathing her blade, "Nebudeš ma jesť, si môj démon." [You won't eat me, you're my demon.] She leaned down, plucking another apple from its stem before stretching her arms out wide, "Chyť ma, Bela." [Catch me, Bela.] Katrina let herself fall backward and Bella's eyes widened as her instincts kicked in.
The child fell in what looked to be slow motion, eyes closed and a smile on her face as the vampire raced beneath her. She held out her arms, catching the girl with ease and glaring at her grin. She's crazy, she has to be. What if I vanished when she did that? What if she hurt herself? They were in a time that had poor medical care, of that Bella was certain, and the fact that she risked her life so impulsively made her grit her teeth.
She clapped her hands in delight, "Oh! veľmi dobre! Si rýchly!" [Oh! Very good! You're fast!]
Bella put her down, "Are you insane! I can't believe you!" She reached out, cupping Kate's cheeks and examining her closely, "Si zranený?" [You hurt?] She was warm beneath her fingers, and her pulse steadily increased as red eyes scanned her for any injuries.
Katrina shivered, "Nie som zranený, Bela! Máš studené ruky, ale cítia sa pekne." [I'm not hurt, Bela! Your hands are cold, but they feel nice.] Bella's eyes bulged and she pulled away quickly, staring down at her hands in disbelief before looking back up at Katrina.
"How…" she picked up the nearest rock, jaw dropping as it crumbled as soon as she wrapped her fingers around it, "You should be dust right now. How are you alive? How did I not hurt you?" The very thought of Katrina being turned to dust due to her strength made her jaw tighten, "Ublížil som ti? Poviem ti to! Ty nepočúvaš! Buď zlý!" [I hurt you? I tell you! You don't listen! You be bad!]
To her surprise the girl ducked her head, looking down at her feet and folding her hands behind her back, "Prepáč, Bela, nechcela som ťa naštvať. Len som sa s tebou chcel asi hrať." [I'm sorry, Bela, I didn't mean to make you mad. I just wanted to play with you.] Big blue eyes stared up at her, "Je mi to naozaj ľúto." [I'm really sorry.]
Her anger quickly dissipated and she sighed, "Už nie." [No again.] She said sternly, earning her a vigorous nod, "Nie je šialený...strach. Vystrašil som sa." [Not mad...scared. I scared.] She gestured at Katrina, "Vystrašil som sa, že som ti ublížil." [I scared I hurt you.] She looked at her hands, "Príliš silný." [Too strong.] She held them out to show her, "Zranil som ťa." [Hurt you.]
Katrina took her hands in hers, "Hlúpa Bela, nemôžeš mi ublížiť. Si môj démon." [Silly Bela, you can't hurt me. You're my demon.] Her smile was large and gentle, different from her usual chaotic ones, and her cheeks were a bright red. She dropped Bella's hands and wrapped her arms around her waist, "Pozri? Udržuj ma v bezpečí." [See? You keep me safe.] In what world do demons protect people?
But that did bring the smallest smile to her face, being seen as a protector rather than a monster, "...áno. Bezpečné." [Yes. Safe.]
Pushing her luck, Bella slowly wrapped her arms around Katrina, stunned when the girl didn't so much as flinch. I crush everything, but not her. She wondered what that meant, she wondered if it was the same for all humans or if Katrina was the exception.
She seems to be the exception to a lot of things. She was incredibly warm and soft. Bella could hear her heart thundering in her chest and she chalked it up to the adrenaline of her little stunt. It's a good thing I'm already dead or this girl would give me a heart attack.
The familiar tug made her stiffen and she blinked, watching as her form shuttered and Katrina looked up at her with wide eyes.
"Bela?"
She gave her a gentle smile, trying to calm her, "Ja idem." [I go.]
Katrina held her tighter, "Nie! Ešte nie!" [No! Not yet!] Her form glitched again and the darkness surrounded her, "Bela!" The desperation in her voice made venom flood her eyes. I'm sorry. She wasn't sure where this sadness came from, but it was strong and it made her chest ache.
"Dovidenia, Katrina." [Goodbye, Katrina.]
Bella arrived at the house, rubbing her chest and hoping the pain would subside. I left her alone, she grimaced, but I can't control it. And it's better to be in the present, I don't belong in the past.
She wondered why her strange ability continued to take her to Katrina, is she important to me? She must be if I'm able to touch her without killing her and smell her without wanting her blood. She had been thrown into the girl's world twice, and she was certain she would see her again.
"Bella!" Irina's voice interrupted her musings and she burst through the treeline, "Tanya, I found her!"
Both sisters were in her space immediately, Irina was cupping her cheeks and looking at her closely while Tanya wore a look of scrutiny, "Where were you? We smelled another vampire in the area and-" her gold eyes found her neck and she hissed, "How did you get that!"
Irina's eyes widened and she gently ran her thumb along the scar, "It...no, that's impossible." She looked at Tanya, "Tanya-"
"You're right, that's not possible." She said resolutely, though doubt flickered in her eyes, "She was far older than us, and the last thing we need is to get Kate's hopes up."
Bella frowned, "What?"
"Nothing." Tanya snapped, clearly sore about the topic, and making Bella cower back slightly, feeling bad for upsetting her.
Irina hissed at her sister, "Stop it! She was curious!" The strawberry blonde winced before looking away from them, "Bella, we'll have that conversation another day. Right now it's important for you to tell us where you went and who did this to you." Her maker soothed, making her relax slightly.
"The redhead, Victoria, she found me…and I'm pretty sure she still wants me dead." She said dryly, "But I escaped and...here I am."
Irina growled before she pulled Bella into a tight and protective embrace, "This is what I feared. We ran into the wolves along the border. They warned that a stray vampire was found on their land. They killed him but...we're not sure what that means."
Bella wrapped her arms around her maker, resting her chin on her shoulder and looking at Tanya expectantly, "It could be a random vampire, or she could have other vampires willing to help her get to you." She explained, making the newborn stiffen, "It appears we'll have to begin your training sooner rather than later...we don't yet know if we'll need to call the rest of our family."
She pulled away from the embrace, "What about the wolves? Would they be willing to help?"
Irina nodded, "Their alpha requests a meeting in a week's time. He has to meet with the elders of their pack beforehand. There was another one, Paul, he wants you to meet him along the border tomorrow."
"Geez, Bells, you're a mess, you know that?"
She nodded, "I will."
Her maker frowned, "Not alone."
"I'll have Paul with me, I'll be fine." She assured her, and Irina looked as though she were about to argue when Tanya intervened.
"Our maličký survived her first fight with an experienced vampire. I'm sure she and the wolf will be just fine." She said, "And I doubt Victoria will try again so soon." I sincerely hope she doesn't.
Bella smiled at her, "Thanks," she then looked at her aggravated maker, "What if you patrol our side of the border when we meet?"
She scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest before conceding, "...alright. But the wolves are unpredictable. If he tries anything, treaty be damned."
"Bella, you came." He didn't smell as bad as the others, but maybe that was because she had already warmed up to the idea of him and the friendship they had.
"I have killed a hundred times more often than you have, you disgusting beast." Rosalie hissed, "Don't forget that." Bella shouldn't have found her amusing but she did. Of course she hates the wolves, she hates everything.
She smiled, pushing Rosalie from her mind, "Hey, Paul." They stood awkwardly in the woods, both on either side of the border, "Uh...would you like to come over here?"
His eyebrows raised, "That's against the treaty-"
She waved him off, a small on her lips, "I'm a Denali, the Cullens are gone, and I give you permission to cross."
Paul grinned, stepping across the border, "Well, now I feel special." He stopped in front of her, shifting on his feet awkwardly as his grin fell, "Do you, uh," he balled his hands into fists and sighed, and she tried not to get annoyed with how slowly he moved, "Can I give you a hug?"
"You're such a sad sack of shit, you know that? Stop crying over some leech." She heard him sneer, "He left, so what? If anything you should be angry! Jesus, you're worse than Leah."
"Why are you being so cruel!" Human Bella yelled, "Why can't you just leave me alone!"
"Bells?"
"There you go! Get angry!" He urged.
"Fuck you! Go away!" She screamed, surprising the vampire with the fire in her voice.
"Fuck me? Fuck you! Why are you even at their house?"
"Why are you!"
Bella Denali looked at Bella Swan in surprise. Her cheeks were red and wet and her eyes were puffy. She looked as though she were caving in on herself, shoulders slumped and arms wrapped around her middle, as though trying to protect herself from the pain. The sight nearly made her snarl, and she found herself appreciating Paul's angered response towards her.
Paul sneered at her, crossing his arms over his chest as he gestured around the room, "Because this is pathetic. He's clearly moved on, and you should too."
Edward's room was a familiar sight, one that made her chest ache slightly and her hands ball into fists. The walls were lined with shelves for his books and CDs and vinyl records that she couldn't believe he had left behind. His stereo had collected dust in his absence, his bed was neatly made, and the strange knick-knacks remained on his dresser.
"It's not that simple!"
"Let me guess, the Cullens were going to make you one of them and you were all going to run off into the sunset, glittering like fucking disco balls." He snorted, unmoved by the tears that welled in her eyes.
She picked up one of the many books at her disposal and threw it at his face, "Fuck you and fuck off!" She screeched, and a startled Paul ducked. The book hadn't even been close to hitting him, and instead, it struck a small glass statue that sat on the vampire's dresser. It fell from its perch, falling into the ground and exploding into shards of glass.
Both the shifter and human froze, staring at the broken statue in shock. Bella's chest was heaving, face still flushed and bottom lip quivering as she realized what she had done. However, she didn't look as sad. The tears stopped falling and posture straightened, eyes flickering back to Paul.
The wolf slowly approached the dresser, trying to look nonchalant as he put his large arm on its surface. With a fake yawn, he stretched, arm sliding forward and knocking off a ceramic vase. It fell with a shatter, making Bella flinch.
Bella Denali couldn't help but smile. The sound of breaking glass sounded immensely satisfying.
Paul gave a feigned look of surprise, "Oops."
Bella stared at the pieces for a moment before she moved to one of the many shelves. She grabbed a CD, examining it for a moment before snapping it in half.
She dropped the pieces to the floor and mimicked Paul's look of shock, "Double oops."
The vampire laughed, pleasantly surprised to see her human self participating in the destruction.
He grinned, grabbing the dresser and tipping it over, "Shit, I'm so clumsy today!" It fell with a loud crash, cracking the wood and making Bella match his mischievous grin with one her own.
"Well, I'm always clumsy." She shrugged, getting on her knees and reaching beneath Edward's bed.
She watched in disbelief as Bella Swan pulled out a pristine, wooden bat.
"Always clumsy, and never good at sports." She swung the bat, knocking a whole row of CDs off the shelf.
Paul laughed, watching her in awe as she began individually crushing the cases with the bat, "There you go!" She stopped when he approached another shelf, pulling out a random CD and wagging it in front of her face, "Surely some classical music will soothe us. He has the Nutcracker!"
The Nutcracker Suite by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky played loudly in the background, making Bella laugh. The soft strings made Paul do a rather ungraceful twirl before he jumped on Edward's bed. He jumped high, grinning when Bella joined him, baseball bat still in hand.
"So, what do we break first?"
Bella looked around the room, pausing when the trumpets began to play, "I don't know, everything?" They hopped off the bed and she approached another shelf, waiting until the cymbals sounded before she brought the bat down on an expensive looking set of headphones.
It took her two swings to break them and Paul laughed, reaching out and ripping another shelf off the wall and snapping it in half over his knee. Books plummeted to the ground but he quickly turned his attention to the vinyl records. He removed them from their cases and jumped on them.
"Fuck you, leech!" He snarled, smile wide and feral and this made Bella hesitate, "Oh, don't give me that! He's rich and they're not here anymore! We've gone too far to turn back now!"
"Shit, you're right." She began swinging wildly with the bat, hitting everything in sight and laughing as she did so. Her swings were weak and clumsy, but she didn't seem to mind, so long as she was able to break things. Paul continued to destroy things with his bare hands, going to the bed and ripping the pillows out.
Feathers burst from its broken seams, filling the room with a decent amount of feathers. He turned on the ceiling fan to the highest setting, and they both stopped to marvel at the way the white feathers danced in the air.
Their reign of terror continued with Bella attacking inanimate objects and Paul getting his hands on a sharpie, one used to label various shelves and CD cases. He littered his walls with profanities and obscene photos.
She discovered Bella Swan was just as immature as she currently was, laughing in unison with her past self at the crudely and poorly drawn image of Edward with a dick in his mouth. He then wrote, 'Hope you got off sucking your own dick. Love, Bella Swan and Paul Lahote :p'
Bella set the bat down and approached Paul with a book in her hands, ripping out the pages and throwing them in the air as the soft sound of the xylophone played. He joined her and they were back to jumping on the bed, laughing as they were surrounded by feathers and book pages that flew in the air. Some feathers got stuck in her hair but she didn't mind, too busy vandalizing and smiling and leaning against Paul as she laughed so hard she could barely keep upright.
The room had been thoroughly trashed and the music continued to play in the background. Soon, however, the tears of mirth turned into tears of anger and sorrow. She stumbled off the bed, picking up the bat and approaching the stereo.
With an enraged scream, she brought it down with a surprising amount of strength. It crushed the top of the stereo, making the CD skip, distorting the music.
She felt her smile fall as she watched her past self bring the bat down several times, screaming and crying and blubbering as grief mixed with hatred.
"Fuck you! Fuck you! Fuck you!" She shrieked, not stopping until the stereo was in pieces. When she was done she threw the bat to the ground and held herself, arms wrapping around her middle and she bent over as a sob racked her body.
Paul came from behind her, holding her tight to him. She turned in his arms, burying her face in his chest and holding him just as tightly as she continued to sob. Aside from her sniffling and crying, the room was silent.
The tenderness in which the wolf held her and rubbed her back made her eyes widen in surprise. They had been in that position before, clinging to each other as Bella Swan cried her eyes out. There was no awkwardness between them, only a gentleness that astounded her.
"Let's get out of here." He murmured, pulling back and wiping her tears away with his thumb, "Leah has whiskey, Jake has tequila, Embry has pizza, and I have you."
Bella gave him a watery smile and a soft laugh, "You're so cheesy."
He scoffed, but not before pressing a kiss to her forehead, "Last time I try to be nice and heartfelt." Paul looked around the room for a moment, "I think we did good."
Her gaze fell to Paul's message to Edward, "Well, we should be careful, he might put it all together and blame us." She said dryly, smiling slightly at their handiwork.
Paul slung an arm around her shoulders and laughed as he led her out of the room, "Oh, I'm counting on it." He grinned at her, "You can bet your ass that he'll never forget you."
"Bella?" Hot flesh touched her shoulder and she nearly jumped, surprised by the heat of the shifter, "Are you alright? You spaced out on me for a second." He looked at her with concern, and she felt her dead heart swell with affection.
"Leah had whiskey, Jake had tequila, Embry had pizza, and you had me." She quoted, smiling as his eyes widened, "Please tell me we got wasted."
He tilted his head back and let out a thundering laugh, crushing her in his embrace, "Oh, we got beyond wasted." She didn't risk touching him, instead, she laid her head against his chest and he kissed the top of her head, "We started a bonfire at Embry's house. At one point you were on Jake's shoulders, holding up a bottle of tequila and declaring yourself the queen of wolves."
Bella laughed as he pulled away, "Was I?" He sat on the ground and she followed his lead, crossing her legs and resting her chin on her knuckles.
"Fuck off…" he paused and frowned, "Actually, kinda. Even Leah likes you."
At the mention of the girl shifter, Bella felt her shoulders slump, "Liked." She corrected, earning her an eye roll from the wolf.
"She'll get over it."
"She looked at me like I was the scum of the earth." She muttered, "Then I broke her collarbone defending a woman I hadn't even known for a full week." Paul grimaced and she groaned, "I don't really remember her. You're the first person I've had an actual memory of."
He smiled smugly, tilting his chin up as his chest puffed out, "Well, I'm pretty unforgettable."
"It was one memory, don't get too excited."
"Oh, I'm plenty excited." He waggled his eyebrows, "I'm your first."
She laughed, enjoying how easy it was to talk to Paul, "Fuck you." She gave his shoulder, what she thought to be, a light punch. But he yelped and was knocked off his ass and onto his back.
He slid a little ways away, cursing as he held his shoulder and groggily got to his feet, "Shit. I didn't mean to piss you off."
She was in front of him so quickly he jumped back in surprise, "Fuck! I'm so sorry! I've been trying to control my strength but it's really hard and-"
"Bells, it's cool, you didn't break anything." But she detected the dark blue contusion that was beginning to form beneath his skin.
"I gave you a bruise! That's a huge deal!"
He winced when he raised his arms slightly, putting his hands on her shoulders and gripping her tightly, "Hey, stop freaking out, okay? Shifters heal fast and you're new to this whole...being a vampire, thing." It didn't escape her notice that he didn't call her a bloodsucker or leech, "Shifters fuck up all the time. It just takes practice."
But I have been practicing. After she had returned from the past she went right back to practicing both Slovak and interacting with objects. Despite having been able to catch Katrina and touch her face with no problems, she still couldn't touch objects, or people, without fucking up.
However, Paul's words helped soothe her, and she nodded slowly, "I...alright. I'm still sorry."
He gave her an easy-going smile before withdrawing his hands, "And I'm still okay, okay? This bruise will heal in thirty minutes tops." He then jerked his head in the direction that led deeper into Cullen territory, "Your babysitters gonna get pissed if we go for a run?"
Bella snorted, a small smile on her lips, "Like I said, I'm a Denali. They won't do anything if you're with me."
"Aren't you moving up in the world."
"I'm top of the food chain now," she grinned, all teeth, "Mind if I hunt?"
Paul rolled his eyes as he took off his pants, "Mind if I judge you?"
"What's there to judge!"
"I doubt your clumsiness escaped your transformation."
"Fall down again, Bella?" Emmett taunted.
The girl's voice from earlier chimed in, "Try not to fall today. We don't have time for a concussion."
"Oh, fuck you."
He exploded into his silver wolf and they took off into the forest, and she laughed as he barked at her, impressing her with his ability to keep up, "Good boy." She teased, making him snap his teeth playfully at her.
They ran for a while, racing each other and discovering that she was indeed faster than him, if only by a little. She would jump off trees, showing off and making him roll his eyes as he watched her.
Bella was perched on a branch, grinning cockily at him, "Did someone say I was clumsy? Could a clumsy person do this?" She launched herself off the branch, underestimating its strength as well as her own, and it snapped off the tree. She fell to the ground with a surprised yelp but managed to land on her feet and she hissed in agitation.
Paul's yips and barks sounded like laughter and she scowled at him, "Shut up! I didn't fall on my ass, alright, I was still smooth!" He rolled his eyes, prancing up to her and licking her whole face with his tongue before tearing off into the woods. "Gross! You're dead!" She chased after him, catching up easily but not daring to touch him. I wish I could control this strength already so we can actually have fun.
They stopped, but only so Bella could bring down a prowling cougar. As she drained it Paul sat on his haunches, waiting patiently for her to finish.
The smell of vanilla washed over her, making Paul growl and his hackles rise. Before she knew it Irina was wrapped around her, evoking a small laugh. Irina hugged her tightly, and the speed in which she embraced her made Bella slide backward, feet digging into the earth to keep them both upright.
Paul snarled, lunging forward and snapping his teeth at her. Bella grabbed her maker, pulling her away quickly and baring her teeth at the wolf.
"Paul! Stop it! It's just Irina!" She shielded Irina with her body, relaxing only when the fur on Paul's neck laid back down. He bowed his head, tail wagging nervously as his ears flattened to his skull. It'd be hypocritical for a newborn to reprimand him for acting on instinct.
He approached them with his body lowered, a whine in his throat as Bella patted his head, "Good boy!" He huffed at her, but tapped his head against hers before looking at Irina.
"You were taking a while." She turned her attention towards the wolf and glared at him disdainfully, "Why is the wolf on our land?"
"I said he could. We were talking and now we're running." The newborn quickly defended, "The Denali's have a truce with Paul."
Irina's harsh glare softened and she looked at her with fond exasperation, "I'm glad you've taken so quickly to our family and our family name, but that decision can only be made by our coven leader," Bella cocked an eyebrow, a silent request for her to continue, "Tanya."
"Tanya?"
"Yes, she's the oldest," Irina frowned, "We've talked about this."
"I thought you were joking." But it made perfect sense. Despite her wandering eye and suggestive comments, Bella had noticed that she was the one Irina looked to for guidance.
This made her laugh, and her hands gently held hers, "She can be quite...silly, at times. But she's a very capable leader." She then looked at Paul, "Since you're a friend of Bella...I recognize the truce."
Paul's tail wagged Bella smiled, stroking his head again, "Thank you."
Irina pinched her cheek, "Anything for my maličký," she cooed, smiling as Bella gave her a teasing scowl and moved her face away.
"I saw my first memory." She told her before gesturing towards the wolf, "It was of me and Paul."
She looked between them in surprise, "Oh...I didn't realize you two-" she stopped and chuckled when Bella made a face. The idea of them together seemed wrong, strangely enough. Paul was handsome and funny and kind to her, but imagining his lips on hers nearly made her recoil.
"No, it wasn't that!" She cried, embarrassed by Paul's bark that sounded suspiciously like laughter, "We...did something..." she grinned, "Can we have Paul over?"
Irina frowned, unimpressed with Paul's wolfy smile, "I don't know…"
"Please! He'll be good!"
"He smells."
"Please!" She looked at her with wide eyes and clasped her hands together pleadingly, "He's potty trained!" The annoyed huff of the wolf nearly made her laugh.
Irina sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration, "I have to put my foot down. He can be on our land but not in the house. Dogs belong outside."
"You. Baby. Her." Tanya grumbled, stepping aside as the three entered the house, "Jesus, you'd think living for centuries would teach you the ability to say no."
"Shut up." Irina snapped, "This is the only wolf we'll have in the house, Bella agreed."
Tanya rolled her eyes, "Good lord, Irina! You spoil her!"
"Sometimes she deserves to be spoiled!"
"Not at the expense of our once nice smelling house!"
Paul wrinkled his nose as he walked into the living room, "Shit. And you say I smell?" Bella shrugged, feeling somewhat anxious about going into Edward's room, "Hey," he grabbed her hand and she made sure not to grip his in return, "I got you."
Tanya looked at them in disbelief before scowling at Irina, "So the wolf can have her but I can't?"
The wolf in question laughed while Bella frowned, "We're not together!"
Irina rolled her eyes while Tanya perked up, "Oh, that's good. You would have really hurt my feelings if you chose this puppy over me." Being with Tanya does sound more appealing...her eyes widened, wait, has Bella always liked girls?
Paul snorted before he tugged on her hand impatiently, "C'mon! I want to see our handiwork!" They went up the stairs at a frustratingly slow pace, tailed by Tanya and Irina as they went to Edward's room, "Would you like to do the honors?"
She smiled, "Sure." Forgetting herself she grabbed the doorknob, snarling when it instantly crushed between her fingers and broke off.
Paul laughed, releasing her hand as he held his stomach, "Oh, you dumbass, I didn't think you'd actually fall for that!" Ignoring him, she pushed the door open, blowing it off the hinges and making it fall to the ground with a slam.
The state of his room made the Denali sisters gawk and Paul cackle with glee. Feathers and torn out book pages were everywhere. Shelves were split in half, splinters of wood and broken CDs and records littered the floor, the stereo was crushed thoroughly, and the bat laid at the foot of the shredded up bed.
Irina looked at her with wide eyes, "You two did this?"
The wolf slung an arm around the newborn's shoulders, smiling widely, "Yes, yes we did."
Tanya smirked, nodding her head at the note Paul had left and the picture he had drawn, "A nice touch." She looked at Bella, "I'm very much looking forward to our cousins returning, eventually." She pulled out her phone, snapping a couple of pictures, "Kate's going to love this."
"Kate?" Paul asked.
"Their other sister." Bella supplied and he hummed in response.
Irina allowed a small smile to creep on her lips, "You definitely gave him something to remember you by...something he's deserving of."
"You know, Edward, as a brother, you are sometimes a disappointment." It was the same voice she had heard earlier, the one that called her a sister and joked about her getting a concussion. Who the fuck are you? It had to either be Esme or Alice.
At times she regretted not asking more about the Cullen's family dynamic, but she believed that it was for the best. I've seen a memory with Paul and that was fine, great, even. The last thing I need is to become attached to the vampires that left.
And yet, Rosalie decided to give her own input, "I love him as a brother, but he's irritated me from the first moment I heard him speak." A quiet laugh escaped her, perhaps memories of Rosalie wouldn't be so bad, either. Doubt crept into her mind, she left you too, and it was almost enough to sour her mood completely and she quickly banished Rosalie from her thoughts.
The four marveled at the wreckage for a moment longer before going back downstairs. Paul departed, promising to return when he was able, much to the sisters' exasperation, and Bella was thrust into training once again.
"Why can't I just live like a vampire instead of pretending to be a stupid human!" Bella yelled after breaking her fifth ceramic cup. There was only one left and she wasn't keen on attempting to pick it up whatsoever.
"We're not nomads, Bella, we actually reside in cities. Learning how to be human is good for your self-control and integral as a new addition to our family." Tanya explained, and Bella growled softly, rationality is stupid. Why be a rational human when I can be an angry vampire?
"There won't be human experiences afterward." Edward warned her, doing nothing but stoking the flames of her outrage, "You don't get a second chance at humanity, Bella."
The newborn crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the remaining coffee mug, "Humans are weak and pathetic! Pretending to be them is insulting!" She snarled, "I can't even remember being human, but I bet it was stupid and-" I bet that's why they left. Anger mixed with sadness and she growled, fighting the desire to tear the entire house apart.
Irina gave her a gentle smile, wrapping her arms around her helping her relax, "There's a beauty in humanity, maličký, a joy in the normalcy of living as they do." Her thoughts drifted to Katrina, to her red cheeks and warm skin, not hot like a shifter but a comforting warmth, "When you pick this up, think gentle thoughts, think of something fragile you'd never want to destroy. Perhaps something in Rosalie's room?" She suggested, "Or maybe a person, like your wolf friend?"
I've hurt Paul, and I'm sure I'd fuck up and break something in Rosalie's room if I even thought about practicing there. She thought of Katrina, of how she had caught her and held her face in her hands, of how she didn't struggle with her bloodlust while around her.
Bella sighed as Irina removed her arms from around her, and she turned her attention back to the last ceramic mug. Katrina, Katrina, Katrina. She closed her eyes, reaching out and grabbing the mug, not daring to breathe as her eyes popped open.
"Holy shit."
"Bella!" Tanya cried, grinning widely at her, "You did it!"
Irina hugged her again, "We're so proud of you!"
"I did it." She said dumbly, unable to believe that had worked, "Holy shit! I did it!" She laughed, holding the mug up as though it were a trophy, "Yes!" Her excitement proved to be too much for her, and the mug shattered. But it didn't bring her down from her high, it only made her laugh harder as she tossed the pieces aside.
Tanya joined in the hug, "What was that about humans?" She teased, "They're weak and pathetic? And how did you feel about pretending to be one?"
"But we'll always be this," Rosalie sighed, "Frozen. Never moving forward. That's what I miss the most. Possibilities." Perhaps Irina was right, perhaps there was a beauty in humanity, but it was one she hadn't known for herself.
She smiled, pulling away from their embrace, "I guess," she thought of Katrina's beating heart and red cheeks, and of Rosalie's apparent desire to be human once again, "I guess humans aren't terrible."
It had been a week since Victoria's attack and tomorrow the Denali's were to meet with the pack of shifters. Her training was grueling, but only in the sense of her poor patience and her desire to attack head-on. It was a common trait in newborns, the sisters had assured her, but it didn't make her training any less frustrating.
It was midday and Bella had a rare moment to herself. Tanya and Irina were hunting, not too far from the house, and Bella was sitting on the living room couch. She was gently cradling a glass bowl as she watched the television.
"Yet another dead body found in Seattle." The newswoman reported, "This is the sixth one in two weeks, and each death has left police baffled-"
Bella narrowed her eyes as two foreign scents washed over her. One smelled like roses, the other smelled like mint. They were too close to the house for comfort, and she turned the television off quickly. What if it's Victoria's lackeys?
They were near her home, they were in her territory, and she was led by instinct rather than rationality as she heard the swift footfalls of approaching vampires. The bowl in her hands shattered, glass sprinkling all over the hardwood, and she snarled, speeding out of the house and towards the trespassers.
Bella could make out blonde and brunette colored hair, two women, two threats. Their faces looked distorted, shadowed, and the only thought in her mind was eradicating the enemy. She could feel her anger build, the Denali scent is everywhere yet they continue to trespass. It was unacceptable and she felt affronted.
With a roar she threw herself forward, slamming into the smaller one and taking her to the ground. She yelped in surprise, and Bella leaped off her before the snarling blonde could grab her.
"Dvaja vinníci!" [Two trespassers!] Bella warned, knowing the sisters would hear her. She moved quickly, move like lightning, strike like lightning. The blonde raced towards her, eyes black and unfocused as she lunged forward.
Red eyes narrowed, go for the legs, and she dropped to the ground. This surprised the attacking vampire but it was too late. Bella brought her arm forward, slamming it into her shins and making her lose her balance. She put her arms out, catching herself and swiftly jumping onto her feet.
Bella laughed, surprised she had truly been able to land a hit at all. Now I should probably run. The smaller vampire was darting towards her, quick and nimble much like Victoria. She could smell her sisters approaching and was about to take off in their direction when the blonde vampire took her by surprise and tackled her to the ground.
The blonde straddled her and Bella hissed, about to throw her off when the smaller vampire grabbed her wrists and aided her companion in holding her down. She could hear the Denali's quick footsteps and, despite the circumstances, she felt triumphant.
"You're trespassing on Denali territory! Leave!" She bellowed, baring her teeth and squirming in their strong grips. She finally got a good look at their faces, and her eyes widened slightly at the blonde's beauty.
She was extremely beautiful, even for a vampire. Her face was slender with high cheekbones and full red lips. Her hair was the color of gold, and she looked so familiar it made her chest ache. The brunette had short spiky hair, and while she was beautiful as well, she resembled a pixie more than a model.
That's when their eyes reverted to gold and they stared down at her in shock. Gold eyes? No, that can't be. The Cullens had left, and it was clear they didn't plan to return for quite some time. But I know these faces, they're familiar. Could it really be them?
The faces she had seen were murky and distorted, as though her conscious had no desire to remember them either. But the blonde hair, the spiked brown hair, and the gold eyes matched those that had lurked in her mind since she had awoken. But she still didn't know who they were, not really. She didn't know their names nor their identities.
"Bella?" The brunette looked at her in utter disbelief and she tensed, "I...how? I couldn't even tell it was you." The voice that called me her sister.
Hurt and anger mixed into one but she refused to yield, you don't leave family, "Who are you? Are you a part of the Cullen's coven?"
The blonde's eyes flashed with irritation but before she could speak Irina crashed into her. Bella took this opportunity to yank her arms forward, effectively throwing the brunette away from her and jumping to her feet.
The small vampire landed on her feet with ease, not taking her eyes off Bella as Tanya came to stand in front of her protectively.
"What are you two doing here?" Their leader demanded, garnering the brunette's attention. Irina and the other blonde were rolling around in the dirt, snarling as they tried to get the upper hand and making Bella laugh in disbelief. Two supermodels rolling in the dirt, how absurd...and hot? This made her brow furrow, did Bella Swan like blondes? But Edward wasn't blonde...maybe I have better taste than she did.
Her laughter made her maker freeze before releasing the blonde and shoving her aside, "Maličký! Are you alright?" The strange vampire got to her feet, snarling at Irina and making Bella snarl back defensively. The other vampire sneered at her, eyes flashing with hurt but quickly hardening into a glare before she brushed the dirt off her clothes.
Irina was in front of Bella in an instant, and she was momentarily distracted from the other vampires, "I'm fine, Rina." She assured her, relaxing beneath her gentle touch. Slender fingers combed dirt and leaves from her hair and she leaned into her side.
"Must you be so reckless." She scolded, "You're lucky it was just the Cullens."
"Well, I had to defend our territory." The newborn said before smiling sheepishly, "I uh...I wasn't really thinking."
Her maker smiled gently at her, patting her cheek, "You're a newborn, it gets better with time...well, hopefully."
The brunette took a step forward, looking between the three in confusion, "Would someone please explain what's going on?" The blonde at her side looked immensely aggravated, dark eyes glaring at the ground, "Bella, you're supposed to be dead."
Bella raised a brow, "Well, I am."
Tanya smirked at her before glaring at the Cullens, "Your irresponsible family left her, alone, and Laurent attacked her."
Her jaw clenched, "I...we didn't want to leave her!" Her voice was filled with desperation, but it did nothing to appease the anger of the blonde sisters, "I saw Laurent attack her but I didn't see you two saving her."
"Why bother returning, Alice?" Alice. She saw Alice smiling at her with an arm full of shopping bags, Alice laying in the lap of a man whose face she couldn't make out, and Alice hugging her close with a brilliant smile on her lips.
"I just know we're going to be the best of friends!"
I think we might have been, before you left.
"To verify if what I saw came true."
Bella frowned, looking at Irina quizzically, "How did she see him attack me?"
"She has visions of the future. She's a seer."
Her eyes widened and a grin stretched across her face, momentarily forgetting her anger towards the Cullens, "That's amazing!" She turned to the smaller vampire, "What am I going to hunt! Ooh, wait! Am I going to kick Tanya's ass today during training?" The eldest Denali laughed, but Irina wasn't in a jovial mood.
Alice looked baffled, "Bella, you already know this, what happened-"
Her maker glowered at them, "Your family left. You killed Victoria's mate and now she's trying to kill Bella." She bared her teeth at the two Cullens, "She was alone and Laurent was…" she trailed off, eyes filling with venom that she quickly blinked away, "I saved her but the change was too traumatic, as were the events that led to her turning. She lost her memory."
Bella felt uncomfortable, only relaxing when Irina slipped her hand into hers, "I, um...I see pieces." She said, looking away from them as she spoke, "I saw a memory of me and Paul, sometimes I'll see faces but they're...I can't make them out that well. I mostly hear voices."
Alice looked heartbroken, eyes softening as she looked at the newborn, "Bella...you don't remember any of us?"
"Bits and pieces, like I said. But truly the only memory I have is of Paul, and even then, I don't actually remember him as a person or anything else he and I have done together."
Irina scoffed, "It's better that she has no memory of you and your idiotic family. You broke the laws of the Volturi and then left her to die. Bella is a Denali now, and when she can control her thirst we'll take her back to Alaska with us."
Tanya nodded in agreement, "You two left before, feel free to do so again."
"Spare me the platitudes and piety." The blonde finally spoke, and Bella perked at the sound of her voice and the familiar ice that came with it, "I refuse to be lectured over a decision I had no control of." She put a hand on her hip, "Victoria's back and we're not leaving, not until she's dead."
Bella was staring at her in awe, but Irina spoke before she had the chance to, "We don't need your help. The wolves are-"
"Inexperienced mongrels." She finished dryly, "You two have your hands full with a newborn and a vengeful vampire. Don't turn us away because of pride." She looked at the newborn, "What do you think, Bella? Or should I even bother asking you since you've lost your memories as well as what little rational thought you had left." She snorted, "Attacking two vampires, honestly, it pains me how predictable you are."
Rosalie.
Bella pulled away from her maker, approaching the vampire with wide eyes and wandering hands. Her hands cupped her cheeks and the blonde growled to save face. But she didn't move away as Bella examined her closely.
A soft laugh escaped the newborn, "I apologize for being such a monster," she quoted, making gold eyes widen as she continued, "I'll try to behave myself from now on." Red lips quirked slightly, as though the blonde was trying to suppress her pleased smile, "...hey, Rose."
12k and tired. Woot, finished! More Katrina next chapter, like, a lot more. Paul and Bella are best friends because it's what they deserve. In the books Bella described Rosalie as being one of the most beautiful people she's ever seen, "heterosexual" Bella compared Rosalie's looks to Edward and just went on a tangent about how beautiful they both were...Steph once again robbed me of any chance of cannon happiness.
Don't feel like answer reviews this chapter cuz I'm really tired. Hybrid is in the works, we 5k in so we keeping it pushing. Kid Kate is superior to any other possible Twilight kid and I'll die on this hill.
Please leave me your reviews, I have a family to feed!