CHAPTER SIX
ROSALIE
I felt as if I were floating when I returned home from my date. Long after sunset, I bid Bella goodbye and drove home, humming the sweet tune she played for me twice. The sensation within me was indescribable; I felt that nothing could ever hurt me again.
All was well.
Yes.
That was the name of this feeling.
All was well.
I caught myself humming and stopped as I walked to the illuminated porch. Licking my lips, I adjusted my hair and froze over my composure before I walked inside.
Unsurprisingly, my siblings and Esme all waited, just quivering with anticipation.
"Alice!" called out Edward. "Is this your big moment?"
My sister glided into the forefront of the room and shook her head. "Not yet. Rose doesn't fall in love easily. Or at least admit it easily."
Edward argued, "She's never thought about anyone the way she thinks about Bella."
"Yeah, like what?" I snapped.
Edward smirked when he said, "For example, you think her hair smells amazing and her lips are soft as silk."
"Get out of my head!" I began to storm away but Esme gently grabbed my arm and squeezed it.
"Please stay. We want to hear about your date. It's the first one you've ever been on as a vampire," she said softly, smiling. "He's just teasing you."
"I know he's teasing me. That's why I'm leaving." But I sighed at what I saw in her eyes. This came from love, as much as I despised it.
Alice looked innocent enough when she inquired, "Did you have fun?"
"Yes," I snapped, and I turned around. "It was lovely. We went swimming at the waterfall and watched the sunset. She kissed me on the nose by accident. I intend to ask her out again."
"She's so in love with you. It's so obvious," gushed Alice, clasping her hands dramatically over her heart.
I reluctantly admitted, "I have to agree after today. She's willing to risk very much just to be by my side. Many people have, of course, but not like this."
Edward said, "She loves a vampire. That's impressive."
"If she's so impressive, perhaps you would like to date her." That earned me a glare from Tanya but I honestly could not care less. "Might I mention she also is a—a—a creature of the night and so it isn't exactly admirable. She's just as weird as I am."
Alice piped up from the sofa, "See, there we're touching on something. A match made in Heaven. Two weirdos in love. It's perfect."
Were I not a vampire, I was certain I would be blushing right now; the embarrassment felt like it permeated every fiber of my being.
I settled on saying, "Oh, shut up."
Emmett spoke for the first time. "Did you take pictures?"
"You especially shut up." I faintly smiled.
It ended the conversation, at least.
[X]
That night, Emmett sat beside me on the pristine sofa. He was watching Suicide Squad for the trillionth time. I remained intently focused on a Special Issue of Vogue featuring Meryl Streep. We spent our nights like this rather often.
Despite a few crude jokes, Emmett did not bother me about Bella. I deeply appreciated that about him; he was certainly my favorite sibling.
Carlisle stepped through the door—he took numerous late shifts at the hospital—and Emmett paused the movie in the middle of an intense fight scene.
"Rose," said Carlisle, stepping in front of the television. "How was your date with Bella?"
I remained silent for some time, uncertain how to reply.
"It was good. I liked it. I liked it a lot," I admitted, intently studying my hands to avoid making any eye contact.
Carlisle shot a glance at Emmett for a moment, before turning his attention back to me. "Good. I'm glad you had fun. Did you two…?"
I sweetly replied, setting down my magazine. "Did we do anything? Not really. We hiked and swam and played in her backyard like dumb kids. I don't think you have anything to worry about."
Carlisle offered a small smile. "I do feel like you're my daughter. I admit this strikes a brand new parental nerve I've discovered. Yet, the interspecies…"
"My freaky—oh, Alice called it something good—she called it—oh!—right, she called it the Horizontal Monster Mash." I smirked. Emmett choked on a laugh he attempted to suppress.
"There's nothing innately wrong about your match." Carlisle rested his briefcase on the coffee table and sat down across from me. "I'm more worried about you biting her."
Irritably, I retorted, "I have self-control."
Carlisle calmly shook his head and proceeded to explain, "In a heated situation, when her blood smells far different to you than to everyone else… if you bit a Quileute shifter, we would have gone beyond breaking the treaty."
"I won't break the treaty. I won't," I insisted without hesitation. "And I won't make the wolves angry in any other way either."
"You've probably already made them angry by sparking a relationship with one of their own."
"Bella is the one who did her gross imprint thing on me. I'm humoring her. The wolf. It is not my fault and I refuse to let them blame this on me."
"Just… use caution. I worry."
I said with grand conviction, "You have no need to. I have this under control."
Our conversation ended.
[X]
After school on Friday, I stood in the damp, chilly spring air with several other students, and Alice beside me, watching Bella's tennis game. Jessica—Bella Swan's only friend—shivered merely a few inches away from me, her eyes wandering away from the bouncing yellow ball.
"Not a tennis fan?" I asked the human.
She stared at me, lips parted slightly. I did not at first understand the shock, until I realized it was the first time I ever spoke to her.
"Oh, uh, I guess I like it. It's just cold and damp." She shoved her hands into her light pink windbreaker pockets.
Icily, I replied, "We live in Forks. It is always cold and damp."
"Yup. Good point." Jessica averted her eyes. Alice gave a small smirk, clearly entertained.
I stood there in silence I found rather comfortable until the match ended. Forks High reigned victorious and before I knew it, Bella Swan ran at me, soaked with sweat, feverish beneath the frigid, gradually intensifying rain.
Bella threw her arms around me before I could stop her, and planted a burning kiss on my icy cheek. I could only liken the sensation to sun rays grazing the surface of the moon.
I whispered in her ear, "Why do I intimidate humans so much?"
"Full disclosure, I think you intimidate non-humans too." She stepped away from me with a goofy grin on her face.
"Well, perhaps I like it that way," I decided, crossing my arms.
Bella kept smiling.
"Are you two…?" asked Jessica, startling me. "Are you two together or something?"
Bella looked at me, awaiting my decision. I suppose I did hold all of the cards, and now was the moment to play them properly.
"I don't know," I admitted. "We've only been on one date."
"No labels yet, then?" Jessica giggled. I wanted to bite her. Why did everyone constantly want me to make choices about Bella Swan? I needed time to decide if I was ready or not.
"No labels yet," I crisply clarified. "It is much too soon."
"She did save your life from that car. Like a lady Tarzan." Jessica stepped closer to her friend. "It'd be weirder if you two didn't get together."
"Thank you for your input. I should go." I turned to my semi-sister. "Alice, come on. Esme is making our favorite dinner, remember?"
"Right," Alice chirped without hesitation. "See ya, Bella!"
I gently waved at the wolf, and then departed in a hurry.
[X]
Late Friday night, "I need to speak to you all," said Carlisle to the entire coven.
He just returned from the hospital and he looked grave. We all slowly gathered in the main living room and he stood in front of the television to address us.
Carlisle briskly began, "The topic has been abuzz in this house—"
Thoughtlessly, I cried out, "My life with Bella is private!"
I wanted to tear off my own arm from pure and utter shame and humiliation when I saw Carlisle's expression. How could I be so stupid?
"This isn't about that. This is about Amunet." He gazed down at his feet for a moment. "We received a call from the Denali Cov—"
Tanya tensed and pleaded, "Are they okay? Please tell me."
"Your sisters are safe. They had nothing to do with me and the Volturi. But we now certainly know Amunet is seeking us. Irina said Angelique showed up at their house in the mountains."
Tanya cried out, voice constricted with emotion, "But they're hidden! They're well-hidden!"
Esme empathetically squeezed her shoulder. I wrung my hands, uncertain how to even begin consoling someone.
"I know. Irina said Amunet wasn't with Angelique. Angelique was operating with the support of a tracker and his small coven, and knowing Amunet, that is only a fraction of her followers to come."
Edward intensely leaned forward. "Followers?"
Carlisle sharply nodded. "Amunet headed a massive cult of vampires that endangered humanity and endangered the Volturi. That is why we needed to bury her, to stop her. Those not killed by Aro for their crimes disbanded and, as far as I know, became independent nomads or settled covens of their own. Cutting off the head of the snake was very effective in Amunet's case. It may be effective again, but I think it's best we don't get involved unless she involves us first."
Tanya insisted, "She involved us the moment she started tracking us."
"I know you're worried about your family, but I don't think they are in any immediate danger," said Carlisle.
The room suddenly felt very calm. My panic receded and I shot a quick glance at Jasper. He never liked it when anything became too tense. And this—with an apparently invincible ancient vampire on the loose looking for our coven—was the epitome of tense.
No one said a word for several long minutes, until the buzz of my phone interrupted the silence. I slowly picked it up and saw a new text from Bella Swan.
'Charlie wants to meet you and Carlisle. He invited you guys to lunch with me. Are you free tomorrow afternoon?'
I pursed my lips and decided to give it a few hours thought. Right now, I needed to help my family figure out what to do about Amunet and Angelique.
[X]
After a lengthy and pointless discussion about whether or not we should fight Amunet and Angelique, I turned my attention to the potential lunch with Chief Swan and his daughter. I at last made my decision—far more easily than my coven made the decision to stay out of Amunet's way unless absolutely necessary—and I strode into Carlisle's home office.
The office was flawlessly organized and the surfaces all were polished. It smelled of mahogany candles. Carlisle sat at his desk, which faced the window, and pored over papers.
I cleared my throat and he turned to face me, looking as weary as a vampire could. It made me uncomfortable to worsen his stress, but I forced myself to inquire anyway. "So, Carlisle, Chief Swan wants you and me and Bella to go to lunch together tomorrow."
"It would be a pleasure," the patriarch of my coven replied, much to my relief.
I withdrew my phone from my pocket and replied to Bella, Yes. How about three?
She replied almost instantaneously with, 'Sounds good!'
"Three o'clock. I imagine she'll tell us the restaurant soon," I said, nodding. Carlisle offered a smile but it was forced. "I hope this doesn't make our problems with Amunet worse."
"No. It's a wonderful reprieve. I'm so happy you found your mate, Rose. It's one good thing in a world that is looking very bleak at the moment."
"I don't know if I'd call her my mate."
He slyly smiled. I suppressed an angry pout.
"She's your mate. You're her imprint. It's a very beautiful thing and I think the sooner you accept it, the happier you'll be and the freer you'll feel."
"Maybe so," I said, although I did not believe it.
I was far from ready to accept the notion of having a mate.
[X]
The next day, I stood in Port Angeles outside of Bella Italia. Carlisle remained still as a statue beside me as we waited for Charlie and Bella Swan to arrive. At last, they strode down the sidewalk and planted their feet straight across from us.
Carlisle swiftly struck up conversation with Charlie. I rubbed my lips together, waiting for Bella to set the tone of the afternoon.
She reached into her ratty messenger bag and handed me a beautifully painted picture.
"I hope this isn't too geeky." She blushed. I held my breath to ensure I did not breathe in the sweet scent of her blood.
It portrayed—in exquisite detail—the waterfall, and two nondescript figures in the topaz water, pale skin a stark contrast against the muddy evergreen trees.
"I like it," I earnestly said, and Bella's grin stretched ten miles wide.
Before we could speak further, Charlie turned his attention to me.
"What are your intentions towards my daughter?" gruffly demanded Chief Swan.
I answered as calmly as possible, "I would like to court her, sir."
"Court me?" a baffled Bella inquired.
For the first time tonight, nervousness coursed through me. "Date her? I think I meant date her. I am… not certain of this protocol, sir." I turned to look over my shoulder and saw that Carlisle appeared amused by this ordeal.
As if sharing this unspoken mirth, Chief Swan looked about to laugh and I wondered if I was doing this wrong. I had to be.
"I'm sorry," I said. "I've never done this before."
"You're doing fine, kid," said Chief Swan with a casual chuckle. "Let's get a bite to eat, and I can interrogate you." Pause. "I'm just kidding."
I smiled my loveliest and most enchanting smile as we walked into the restaurant.
[X]
After lunch, I was nauseated and decided to duck away with Bella. Charlie and Carlisle were in the middle of conversation; that went well, at least.
"That was like eating dirt," I coldly said, a sneer creeping onto my lips as I ducked behind a building and choked up the small salad I ate.
When I looked up, Bella did not seem too disgusted. She still stared at me like I was the Milky Way on a cloudless night in the mountains. I did not think I could understand it; if I saw her vomiting, I knew I would be uncomfortable for at least a few minutes.
"Care to go the shops?" Bella offered and I nodded.
We began to walk up the street side by side.
As we made our way towards the shops, Bella silently looked at me for the longest time. I loved gazing into her eyes, but I did not know if that made her my mate or not. Perhaps it just made her beautiful to me.
She awkwardly broke the ice. "So, uh, do vampires have reflections?" Bella asked and I couldn't help but laugh. She was cute, if nothing else.
"Yes. The only reason vampires couldn't in the past was because mirrors were backed with silver. Now they're usually not."
"So… in an old mirror you wouldn't have a reflection?"
"Mmm, who knows? A question for Carlisle instead, perhaps."
Bella smiled. We turned into a shop of miscellaneous baubles, jewelry and other gifts in an almost uniform and rather hideous shade of salmon pink.
The silence was comfortable. I could not help but enjoy that, standing in a shop, saying nothing but not struggling to come up with anything to say.
Bella broke that spell when she stopped at a section of stuffed animals.
"Oh, look how cute this is," Bella remarked, squeezing the paw of a stuffed otter.
"Let me buy it for you," I insisted and Bella infuriatingly shook her head again. "Why are you so afraid of me giving you a gift? It is not abnormal to give your—your—your girlfriend a present."
It pained me to say that word. She ought to realize how damned lucky she was that I was allowing her to be my girlfriend.
Bella said, "I hate it when people spend money on me."
"Don't be difficult," I snapped a little too harshly. "It's a cheap stuffed animal."
After a moment of faintly pouting, Bella relented and I bought her a gift.
Did this mean we were dating?
I had no clue.
[X]
The afternoon became evening, and Bella and I stopped in a quaint hipster coffee shop.
"Pinball," I brightly commented, loosely pointing at a flashing machine.
Bella stopped looking at me and looked at the line of arcade games behind dirty glass and fliers for poetry nights. She held a mocha firmly in one hand while I strode to the pinball machine.
"I suck at that," Bella said with a small laugh. "Are you any good?"
Faintly smiling, I explained, "Well, I've had decades to perfect my skills. Car repair, French, arcade games. I have degrees in business, electrical engineering and astrophysics. I studied pre-med, but never went on to med school. Long story short, let me borrow a quarter."
Bella rummaged in the fraying front pocket of her bag and at last handed me a coin. I accepted it and started up a game. She watched over my shoulder while I utilized every vampire advantage it took to achieve the high score.
When I finally looked up and stepped back, Bella applauded me. I rolled my eyes.
Bella's eyelashes fluttered as she composed herself. "That was awesome. I mean, if you were trying to impress me, I'm really impressed."
"I was not trying to impress you," I airily lied, softly shrugging one shoulder. "Pinball is fun."
Bella grins and throws away her empty cup. I start walking towards the door and she scurries to catch up with me. We step into the damp, cold air and turn to each other.
"Uhm, can I hold your hand?" asked Bella and I took a moment to think.
"Alright," I said, intertwining our fingers. "We should get back to Carlisle and Charlie. I'm certain they are waiting for us."
"Probably." Bella nodded, blushing bright red.
A vision of digging my teeth into her neck and tearing out her jugular dominates my mind. The hot blood splashes across my cold skin as I drink it in, and she fades away in a sea of crimson. I bite my lip and force that unwanted fantasy away.
We start walking back towards the restaurant hand in hand.
A group of guys stood smoking outside of a small bar. My body shook slightly, my senses flashing into a heightened state, as if I were hunting in the woods. Smells stronger, colors brighter, details twice as focused and intense.
One of them wolf whistled at a wolf and vampiress. I tugged on Bella to hurry her along.
The moment that overbold young man made a pass at the girl I was with—and she yelped, inhaling sharply from contact on her feverish skin—I did not hesitate to punch him in the face. His nose crunched sickeningly beneath my knuckles. As he fell back, he arched and crashed to the pavement; I forgot to restrain my vampiric force. Withholding a gag, I grabbed Bella's warm arm and we sprinted away from the scene.
We ran, ran, ran. At last, we came to a stop near the edge of an alleyway. Bella turned to me, gasping for breath. I had no need to do such a thing.
"What was—what was that?" Bella asked, aghast. I locked eyes with her. The brown did not seem as soft and beautiful; it was as hard as molten bronze. "We could've just kept walking. He was an asshole but…" Bella caught her breath. "Thanks, though. Thanks."
"I just got a little scared and panicked. It should be nothing. I do not believe my actions exposed our supernatural nature," I said, trying to ease away from my panicked state.
"I was just scared I was gonna turn into a wolf in the middle of Port Angeles." Pause. "You got scared. Why would humans scare you?"
I stood silently for a few moments.
The easiest answer would be that I wanted to stick up for my girlfriend. The harder answer would help Bella understand why my affection would be difficult to gain.
While both of those choices had benefits, only one truly appealed to me, despite making my skin crawl at the slightest thought.
"I never intended to tell you this so early…" I took a slow breath. "But perhaps it will also help you understand why I'm reluctant to be with you, to be with anyone at all. Carlisle—he only turns people when they're already dying. He transforms someone into a vampire to… save them, for lack of a better word. To give them a second chance might be better phrasing."
After a moment's hesitation, I told her my story. From the beginning, to the end, to the details of my revenge. I spared to say only what made me too sick to mention.
When I at last finished the tale and fell silent, Bella looked faint. I knew I should have kept my mouth shut. It made me sick to say a single word about my past as a human.
"I'm sorry," she said, and I was aware no better words existed. It was hard to discuss. "You—you make it sound like being a vampire was… just as bad as dying like that."
"I'm grateful," I said. "I really am. Yet, not a day goes by I don't wish for a normal life. Do you? Do you ever wish you weren't a wolf? You were just ordinary?"
"I dunno. I try not to think about it. It's pretty new to me." Bella stared at her feet for a moment. She looked so angry and I felt wildly confused. The girl should be elated I chose to speak to her about something that made me want to throw up. Not angry.
I did not want her to hurt. That did not make her my mate, but I knew I was stuck with her as a wolf imprint, and I knew I did not want to hurt someone dedicated to keeping me happy and safe. Why was she so hurt?
I snapped myself out of my spiraling thoughts and prodded, "But if you had to choose between being a human and being a shifter…?"
Bella did not even hesitate to reply, "Shifter. It makes me feel stronger than I used to be. I mean, what's there really to miss out on? This date was pretty normal for two teenagers."
I clenched and unclenched my fists. I glared at the cloudy sky. I turned to Bella and stared straight into her eyes.
Fiercely, the fabric of my dress knotted in my fists, I explained, "I want to eat ice cream in the sunshine. I want to sleep and dream at night. I want to kiss someone without worrying I'll rip out their jugular with my teeth. I want to have babies and I want to watch them grow up and spoil them with stuffed animals. I lost… I lost more than I gained."
Silence.
"You're kind of angsty," softly said Bella.
I snapped, "I've earned my right to be… kind of angsty. Maybe being a wolf is easier. Maybe you're closer to human than to beast."
"I can be human. If I stop phasing, I grow old and end up pretty normal. But, even if I had that much control at this point, I wouldn't make that choice. I've spent my life being ordinary and bland and just a background character in other people's stories. I have my own story now."
Something hit me like a brick to the gut. I was angry at Bella for not seeing what I lost. I was angry at Bella for not being kinder and more sympathetic about how hard it was to tell that story. I was angry at Bella for trying to be some kind of overprotective girlfriend.
But now…
Now tears blossomed in my stinging eyes. My curse of undeath was about to wound yet another soul.
I whispered, taking Bella's hands in mine, "If I'm your imprint, and I'm immortal, does that mean you have to keep phasing forever?"
Bella said, "I guess. I stick by my imprint no matter what."
I furrowed my brow. "Even if I snapped and went on a killing spree, you wouldn't do what a Quiluete shifter must do and destroy me?"
"You're an exception, the only exception, even if my pack wouldn't see it that way."
Quizzically, I inquired, "Your pack?"
"Well, it just consists of me and two guys at the moment, but it's supposed to get even bigger. But, thing is, I'm the alpha, so none of them can order me to hurt you."
"The alpha, huh?" I smirked. Okay, maybe that sounded a little bit hot.
She blushed. I forgot I was breathing for the benefit of the crowded streets and the scent of her blood made me want to scream. The wolf in Bella insisted that she fall in love with me. The vampire in me insisted that I drain her of blood.
Can our kind even kill wolves? I found myself wondering. They're strong. Stronger than humans, aren't they?
Maybe a wolf and vampire were not as doomed of a match as I believed.
Just maybe.
BELLA
The day after my first date with Rosalie, I hopped out of my truck on Jacob's gravel driveway. He was mowing the lawn shirtless and shot me a quick wave punctuated by a lopsided grin. Quil and Embry goofed off in the yard nearby. I playfully averted my eyes and Jacob shook his head.
I walked up to the house and stepped inside, hoping I could talk to Billy about my date and about my worries of the cross-species liason I was now caught up in. But as soon as I stepped inside, I inhaled the sweet scent of blueberry muffins. Then I saw a young woman smiling and working in the kitchen, laughing beside the oddly flustered Sam Uley.
Billy was focused on some old war movie in the living room.
"Hi," I nervously said, edging closer to the unfamiliar girl. "I'm Bella."
"I'm Emily." She set down a wooden spoon and shook my hand.
Sam turned to me and stated, "I imprinted on her."
Something within me twisted angrily, but I swallowed the rage. Instead, I commented lightly, "I guess I'm not so alone then."
"We're having a movie marathon day with Billy. You wanna come?"
"If these blueberry muffins are involved, yeah, I do." I forced a smile. That confusing anger simmered beneath the surface and I continued to ignore it.
"So, she knows about the wolves?" I asked.
"Yes. She's basically part of the pack now. All imprints are."
"All of them?" I skeptically asked, cocking an eyebrow. "I don't see anyone inviting Rose over for muffins and movies."
Billy turned his chair to face me. "It would break the treaty. If not, she would be welcome."
"We wouldn't welcome a vampire, right, Madame Alpha?" Sam growled and Emily's eyes widened.
"Vampires?" she breathlessly asked, staring straight at Sam.
Sam explained, "Yeah. Our mortal enemy. We were born and created to protect our lands, protect our home, protect our people. And mainly, we must protect our people from vampires."
Billy calmly interjected, "The Cullens are good people. I trust that they won't break the treaty. It is Bella's decision."
I rubbed my face. "I wouldn't bring Rose around. I was just being childish. My pack has to come first and if you all don't feel safe with her here. I will suck that up, because I'm Alpha."
The emphasis seemed necessary, given Sam's puffed up chest.
"A female Alpha. Girl power." Emily winked at me. It calmed the situation by tendfold.
"Yeah. Pale Face Power," Sam grumbled.
I let him have that one. He needed to cool off and it would be a stupid move to goad him further just because I was pissed.
"I might only be half Quileute," I said, "but I'm full wolf, and I'm fully on your side."
Sam cracked his knuckles. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. I really do." He stepped towards me. "But, now that I've met Emily, I know just how far I would go to protect her and love her. You would go that far for a vampire. How is the pack supposed to trust you?"
"What pack?" I demanded. "The two of us?"
A knock on the door interrupted our conversation. I strode down the linoleum hallway and opened the door to reveal a man I had met a few times at bonfires: Old Quil.
I wondered if I should say anything, and decided to silently step inside and close the door behind the old man.
Old Quil stepped through the door. He examined each and every person in the house and said calmly, "Jared just phased. He is waiting in the car; I feared that there would be people around who could not know of the wolves yet. The boys outside cannot."
Well, this was sure as Hell going to be an interesting visit to the reservation.
[X]
A blueberry muffin in each hand, I sat across from Jared. Sam took a seat beside me and we both gazed silently at the newest addition to the pack.
"We should make a pamphlet or something. So You're a Werewolf," I said and Sam shook his head. Jared laughed faintly. "I guess Old Quil told you the story."
Jared nodded. "I wouldn't believe it if I… if I didn't have paws an hour ago."
"Yeah. It's pretty shocking. Especially when you have my complexion," I said and he nervously laughed yet again. It visibly irritated Sam.
"Could you take this seriously? Just because the filthy vampire girl is greasing your—"
I jumped to my feet. Sam followed suit. He was a hulking young man, three years older than me, and I knew I was scared. I also knew I needed to stand my ground.
"What did you just say? I didn't hear you."
"You didn't hear me because you interrupted me before I was done."
"Okay, go on, finish your sentence."
Sam enunciated each syllable. "Just because the filthy vampire girl is greasing your pole doesn't mean you're above your duties as a wolf. As an Alpha. You're a pitiful excuse for an Alpha when you're—you're a vampire lover. A leech-screwer and—"
I regretted the destruction of Billy's property when I lost control and transformed there and then in to a snarling wolf. Sam lost it a split second after me.
'You want to be Alpha?' I thought fiercely. To my shock, the voice of my mind echoed in an eerie double timbre. 'Fight me.'
'Gladly,' boomed Sam's livid response.
He jumped at me, and I at him. We tore at each other, teeth and claws, while no one raised a hand to stop us. I barely registered the pain from the bites and scratches on my body. All I could do was keep going, keep fighting, although nothing in my nature leant itself to success.
Sam rammed his head against me while I fell and I crashed into the wall. Whimpering, I slid to the floor and dizzily looked up and around, trying to predict his next attack.
He ran towards me, preparing to leap. I winched just anticipating him making contact.
As if through a layer of water, I heard Emily's voice, "I brought more muff—"
She screamed, piercing the haze, and I stumbled to my feet, paws dug into the tribal patterned carpet. I smelled the blood before I saw the scene. Sam rose in his human form, running to her and the waves of blood pouring from her face.
I needed to stay and help. I needed to get her to the hospital. I needed to stand beside my pack and the imprint included.
But I panicked.
This was my fault.
What happened to Emily was my fault.
And so, still a wolf, I ran towards the woods, bounding through them. Raindrops kissed my fur as I ran through the grey mid-morning drizzle. I looked up at the white sun behind the gossamer clouds for a moment, then resumed my flight from Billy's house.
I left my purse, my clothes, my car.
None of those mattered when I felt that tug of the Alpha in me. One of my pack was hurt physically, and the other was hurt mentally. I needed to help them, but I just kept running in the direction of Forks.
I thought to myself on repeat, Coward, coward, coward. Isabella Swan, you are a coward.
After an endless run, I snuck into the house and slid on my softest, best smelling clothes. I combed my wet hair and touched up my make-up in the mirror. The longer I looked at my reflection, the more I hated myself and my decision to run away from what I did in La Push.
But I did not think I could go back.
I sat down on my bed and stared at the wall for hours.
[X]
After my tennis game on Friday, I went home with my dad. He gushed for the entire drive about how proud he was, how he loved every move I made on the court. As we pulled up to the house, he parked but did not open the car doors.
I turned to him.
Charlie swallowed and said, "You spend a lot of time in La Push these days."
"Oh, uh, do I?" I wondered if I was ever going back after my mistake with Emily, a sweet girl who made muffins for her new family.
Charlie awkwardly rolled his shoulder and ran his hand through his hair. "I didn't know how to ask, but are you and Jacob dating now?"
"Jake?" I laughed. "I do love him but like a brother. Seriously platonic, dad."
"Oh. Good." Pause. "He wouldn't be a bad choice, though."
"Actually, y'know the girl Rosalie Hale who took me hiking and came over to hang out? She's the one I'm dating now. I think. I'm not entirely sure if we're a couple or not, but it—it was a date."
"Oh." He looked startled, but then composed himself. "She's a pretty girl. A pretty girl who I better meet if you want to go out with her."
"I'll text her and ask."
Charlie sternly stated, "Don't ask. Demand."
"Okay," I said, raising my eyebrows.
I typed out my message and then crossed my fingers.
[X]
After receiving my reply in the dead of the night, I decided to paint a picture for Rosalie Hale. I tried a few halfhearted sketches of ideas before tossing them out. Slowly, I stood and hooked up my phone to its speakers. My thumb landed on the song I had not stopped listening to since the Valentine's Dance: "La Vie En Rose."
I made it my muse as I painted.
The waterfall seemed suitable. The right place. The right feeling.
As I painted the topaz water, it flowed in my mind to the tune of the sweet, crackling melody.
[X]
On my date, watching Rosalie play pinball was one of the most incredible things I had ever seen in my life. In the simplest of terms, it blew me away. I certainly noticed the perks of immortality.
Once she hit the high score, the two of us walked out onto the sidewalk. The sun began to set, staining the cloudy sky orange and pink. I was preoccupied by her narrowed molten gold eyes when I heard the sorry excuse for a guy.
I intended to keep walking. Rosalie made that difficult by unleashing her vampire strength on the crude drunk. Before I knew it, we were running.
Once we stopped, I caught my breath. She was lucky to not need to breathe. I was eternal life, fierce fire, and she was cold undeath beneath the moon. It worked for me; I thought it was pretty romantic.
"What was—what was that?" I asked, trying to hold back my horror. Rosalie locked eyes with me and I was briefly lost in their immense beauty. "We could've just kept walking," I continued, the protective side of the imprint rising to the surface. "He was an asshole but…" I decided to keep cool. She clearly could take care of herself. The guy arched when she punched him. "Thanks, though. Thanks."
"I just got a little scared and panicked. It should be nothing. I do not believe my actions exposed our supernatural nature." She sounded stilted and worried in a way that made a beast in my chest growl.
"I was just scared I was gonna turn into a wolf in the middle of Port Angeles." Pause. "You got scared. Why would humans scare you?"
Rosalie fell silent and I began to sweat, worried I said something wrong.
I gazed at her pleadingly.
At last, she spoke. "I never intended to tell you this so early. But perhaps it will also help you understand why I'm reluctant to be with you, to be with anyone at all. Carlisle—he only turns people when they're already dying. He transforms someone into a vampire to… save them, for lack of a better word. To give them a second chance might be better phrasing."
"That's nice of him," I awkwardly said.
"I've only dated one other person in my life," said Rosalie. "Before you, that is. It was a very long time ago. I was young, human and beautiful. Very beautiful. It attracted a wealthy suitor, which was the best thing that ever happened to my middle-class family. It was a gift to me too, because I loved the special treatment, the looks, what people were willing to do for my beauty."
"I can understand it," I blurted out.
"I know. His name was Royce King. He wanted me and I wanted him—well, I wanted the social status that came from courting him—and we very quickly planned a lavish wedding."
Anger surged in me over merely that. The idea of anyone marrying Rosalie other than me made me want to punch the nearby brick storefront. But that feeling paled in comparison to my reaction to what came next. She spoke as if she were telling a story, and the story pained me. Were the monster not long dead, I thought I would go hunt him down and rip his throat out. Or worse. My fists clenched. Her gilded eyes glazed over.
"I thought I died when I woke up. But I wasn't that lucky," she whispered as a finale.
It killed me. Killed me. Killed me.
I clenched my jaw to keep from shifting and going Godzilla on Port Angeles.
[X]
After the lunch, settling in at home, Charlie said in earnest, "I like her."
"You do?" I breathlessly asked, eyes widening. My worries melted away.
Charlie settled on the sofa. I remained standing; my body still shook with slowly receding energy. "Yeah. She seems fine. A little uppity, but fine."
"I like her a lot," I said, examining the marks on my palms from my nails. I kept thinking about how hauntingly calm her words were when she spoke of Royce King. She rehearsed that speech. It was clear that he left a mark no venom or kiss could cure.
"Good. You'll keep seeing her, then?" asked Charlie.
"Yeah," I said, my voice cracking. "Yeah, I will."
Charlie just nodded.
He never was a man of many words.
[X]
Alice showed up on my doorstep unexpectedly on a drizzly grey mid-morning. Charlie was charmed by her within minutes—to no one's surprise—and invited her inside. I strode downstairs and held up my phone.
"So, what's this random text from you inviting me to play baseball?" I inquired, waving my phone around a bit for emphasis.
"Come on. You're practically family now that you're melting the Ice Princess. Come play with us." Alice bounced twice with her hands clasped.
"I hate the rain," I remarked, but I shrugged at her and grabbed my bag from the coatrack. "But I like you people for some reason."
Alice winked at me. I shook my head. Charlie looked baffled beyond belief.
"Don't stay out late," he gruffly insisted and I nodded.
"I'll be home soon. I promise." I jokingly saluted him and stepped out into the rain with Alice. We stood in front of a hulking Jeep. "Not what I expected you to drive."
"It's Emmett's. This baseball game is, um, intense." Alice giggled. "It's probably not the best way for you to meet my family and all, but it's always fun."
"Yes. Baseball in the rain. In the forest, apparently."
"We have to play in the rain. Only during thunderstorms or it gets… loud."
I had no response to that.
[X]
After racing Alice halfway up a mountain, I stumbled to a stop in front of the entire Cullen Coven. Esme greeted me with a hug. She smelled of floral perfume and cashmere sweaters. Everyone else gave me a few words of welcome. I stood surrounded by vampires, a wolf in their midst, an absolute outsider, and felt vaguely at home.
It made me think of the pack I abandoned out of cowardice. I thought of the countless calls from Jake I ignored. The fact that no one else bothered to make contact with me after what happened. If the wolves did not want me anymore, at least the vampires did.
"So," said Emmett, "do you think a wolf can keep up with the vampire crew?"
"I do," I said, although my voice faintly shook. I worried I could come off as overconfident, but I did not want to seem like a puddle of goo either. This simple exchange made my heart race and my palms sweat.
"Well, Bella, batter up," said Esme with a warm smile. "You're on Rose's team."
I saw her at last; she was striding onto the makeshift diamond from the woods. The ball in her hand told the story; she must have been retrieving it.
Just seeing the dim light reflecting on her golden hair set my world on fire.
Seeing her smile at me was almost my death.
[X]
We were in an intense high point of the game when Carlisle glanced around at us all and held up his hands.
"Stop!" he exclaimed and Rosalie tumbled to her knees (she was seconds from stealing
I began to run to help her up before I saw what made Carlisle's so passionately call off the game. Three foreboding figures approached from the tree line.
Two men. A woman. All vampires; I could smell them. A voice inside of me I never before had met cried out in anguish, 'Kill them! Quickly!'
Before I could react, "Well, well, well, what have we here," said the beautiful woman with fiery hair. "We hardly run into our own kind these days."
The blond male vampire beside her purred, "I'm James, this is Victoria, and this is Laurent."
Carlisle stared at Edward. I knew they were exchanging information, and wished I was in on it.
"A pleasure to meet you all. Care to join us in this game?" Carlisle smiled confidently. "We could use a few extra players."
"I would have accepted in another world, but, in this one, I swore my fealty to the woman who will secure our race's destiny."
"Amunet," muttered Carlisle. He looked up and spoke clearly. "Which of you is the tracker?"
The man with dark skin pointed at the blond, as did the ginger woman.
"My colleagues have outed me, I see," said James, smirking. "The Denali Clan must have warned you we were coming. It would've been cleaner to kill them, but Amunet does not wish for any vampire blood to be spilled."
"Then let us walk away," Carlisle stated. "No blood spilled. I pose no threat to Amunet; I am no longer a friend of the Volturi and live a calm life of peace with my coven."
"Amunet doesn't want to kill you. She wants to do something much, much worse. We are merely here to… fetch you all." James's lips contorted into a sick grin.
I swallowed the urge inside of me to shift. It hurt, it burned, and I knew I could not hold out as long as I needed to, so I squeezed my eyes shut and left it to fate.
"James, you didn't introduce me to your new friends," said another voice, emerging from the forest. Another vampire. It had to be. That drew my attention enough for the emotion to recede.
"Angelique," said Carlisle, and that name seemed to mean something to every single Cullen. All I saw was a slender and smirking platinum blonde cold one in impractical heels emerging from the shadow of the trees. "You've been looking for us, haven't you?"
"I found you," said Angelique, and she gestured loosely at James. "Or, at least, my tracker companion did. He did well."
Carlisle stepped forward and Esme futilely reached for him.
"Where is she?" demanded the doctor, and I was utterly stunned by the ferocity of his words. He even scared me with the way he spoke.
"Why would I tell you that? What could I possibly gain by giving up Amunet? I assure you, however, that my mate has more important things to do than wipe out your insignificant coven so weak they don't even feed on humans. Think more carefully before you speak, Carlisle Cullen." At last, Angelique turned to me and cocked an eyebrow. "What is that thing?"
I lost it. I lost it under the gaze of those crimson eyes.
My body twisted, contorted, exploded, and I was reborn as a gigantic snarling wolf. That panicked every vampire, including Angelique. I decided to growl and snap my teeth, attempting to scare them away instead of tearing them limb from limb; I was not sure I could do that.
"The sedatives work on her just as well as the others!" snarled Angelique, glowering at her companions. "Do not be cowards or you will suffer a terrible price!"
I growled and advanced several steps. Rosalie moved with me.
James's two accomplices did not seem to care much about the terrible price that Angelique threatened.
"I don't like this, James!" cried out Victoria, backing away. She turned to Laurent and he nodded, russet eyes wide. "I never liked this damned Amunet idea in the first place!"
"She has a good point," spat Laurent, but James paid him no mind.
They ran from the scene, disappearing into the dark evergreens, as I slowly, snarling approached Angelique and James. Rosalie stood not far behind me, fists clenched. Jasper bared his fangs, ready for a fight. Esme stood behind Carlisle, and he watched from the center of the field, examining every action every person took. Emmett, Edward and Tanya looked more than ready for a fight. I guess I had good backup, even without my pack.
Angelique pushed up her skirt and withdrew a small gun from a holster. Vials lined the silk, and she picked one up. I turned to James and pounced, but, in mid-air, I felt a needle puncture my skin. Shocked, I tumbled over, not making contact with the tracker.
I faded from my form as a wolf while the sedative coursed through my veins.
Rosalie ran forward to me at a speed that gave me vertigo. But another vial hit the back of her neck and she collapsed on top of my naked body.
The drugs gave me no choice but to surrender to the darkness.
I blacked out.
[X]
When I woke up, I lay in an open field beneath the stars. I turned and saw Emmett, Alice and Jasper lying not far from me, all still unconscious. I sat up to try to wake them, but then realized I was stark naked. No, no, no. This was my worst nightmare.
I grabbed Emmett's gigantic varsity sweater and wrapped it around myself like a robe.
Okay. Now I could do this.
I woke Emmett first and he groggily sat up, rubbing his eyes. He helped me wake Alice and Jasper. Alice—as the tiniest—was the most weak, dizzy and lethargic.
"Why did they leave us here?" I croaked, glancing around. "They took…"
Jasper murmured, "Carlisle, Edward, Esme, Tanya, Rosalie… The closest people to Carlisle, I guess. Amunet sure holds a grudge."
"Who's Amunet? Can somebody please fill me in," I begged, eyes wide.
"Amunet is the first vampire ever created. She lived many years, and gathered a following of people who believed vampires were the superior species. She tried to overthrow the Volturi, and Carlisle helped them when they stopped her."
"How did they stop her?" I whispered.
"They buried her alive in Barcelona. A mortal construction crew woke her up a few weeks ago. Angelique is her mate, and she escaped the Volturi's attention when Amuent was imprisoned."
I felt sick as I said, "Buried her alive? No wonder she's bitter."
"We can find them before it's too late."
"How?" I asked.
"Let's get home and make a plan." Jasper picked up Alice.
Emmett and I stood in such a hurry that my head spun. Without saying a word, we all ran at preternatural speed through the woods. Jasper led the way. We stopped at an incredible manor. I gaped at it from afar.
Slowly, I walked inside. I half-expected a lair with coffins and cobwebs. Instead, I saw a tastefully decorated mansion. It could belong to any wealthy human out there. Emmett led me upstairs to Rosalie's room and I found an outfit of hers. I slunk into the lavish marble bathroom to change, the whole time shaking from rage and fear.
I was terrified. Until today, I thought my imprint was safe. She was powerful, a vampire… but now she was up against creatures just as powerful as her.
Once I was dressed, I walked downstairs and saw Emmett, Alice and Jasper standing around the kitchen counter. The room was evidently unused, and just as beautiful as everything else in the house. I ran my fingertip across the icy stone before looking up.
"Any plans?" Jasper inquired.
They all looked to me. God knows why.
Yet…
"I know what we can do…" I hesitated. "We could get Sam and Jared to help. I can track the scent alone, I know, but with my pack I'm stronger and we have better chances. But I…"
The hopeful expression on Emmett's face stopped me midsentence; I did not need to tell them about the wedge between me and the other wolves. I picked up my phone and started to text Jacob.
I knew I needed to face my pack again, despite my shame and pain.
Why?
Because I needed to rescue Rosalie at any cost.