Chapter 17


Bella's jade green eyes fluttered open as she sensed the bleeding sun rays coming up over the misty horizon. Bella got out of bed and walked to the window, her eyes looking into the storm clouds and breathing in the promise of rain. Bella walked out the backdoor of her secluded cabin, her warm breath hanging in the brisk air. Bella crossed her arms and looked into the woods. Her thoughts lay in the future knowing that very soon she would be confronting Victoria.

' I cannot fail. I cannot let her get away from me this time.' Bella thought to herself as she played with her engagement ring. Bella's anxious thoughts were stilled as she felt the comforting and loving embrace of her soon to be wife. Bella blinked to bring herself to the present world and turned around to face Alice. Bella's jade eyes locked with honey and Bella felt her anxiety begin to melt away.

" I may not be a mind reader but you're thinking so hard I could hear you thinking all the way out to the boundary line" Alice joked causing the corners of Bella lips to tug upwards.

" I'm just focused is all, maybe a little anxious too if I were to be honest." Bella replied, causing Alice to pull Bella closer so that her head was resting against Bella's chest, listing to her heart beat.

"The plan is very well thought out. We all won't be far and will be able to come running as soon as Jake gives the signal. He is going to let Sam know through the shared thoughts when its time. I just wish I could still receive visions like I used to, I miss not having all the answers. I miss having the comfort of knowing you were safe. I'm not a fan of the unknown." Alice murmured and Bella sighed as she ran a comforting hand through Alice's hair.

" Hopefully your visions will return soon now that things are different between us, more connected, you know?" Bella replied. Alice was about to respond when Jake entered the cabin.

"Bella, we should go before the storm starts. It would look suspicious to a vampire that a human is walking around in a freezing downpour" Jake said rather sharply.

Bella shot a warning look at Jake as she felt Alice tense in her arms. She knew what needed to be done but she wasn't going to have Alice get any more upset than she was at this moment, Bella wanted Alice to be able to focus on the upcoming altercation without any added distractions. Bella let out a light huff, she couldn't help but feel as if Jake was being very inconsiderate at the moment. Bella did not say anything but focused back on calming Alice, at least as much as she could given the situation.

Bella finally felt Alice relax and sighed in relief after a few moments before nodding, the realization and finality of the moment suddenly weighing very heavily on her mind. Bella moved her free hand to Alice's waist. Bella's heart almost shattered at the concerned and pained expression in Alice's eyes. It was going against all that she had felt was right to be away from Alice, but knew it must be done. Bella let out the smallest of whimpers as she did her best to reassure Alice.

" I wish more than anything that you could be with me but we know that Victoria will not show if I am with you," Bella tried to reassure Alice who's eyes had begun to fill up with venom, tears forever frozen in place.

"I know. You better just come home to me," Alice finally murmured and Bella nodded, looking deep into her eyes. Bella leaned forward and rested her forehead against Alice's, the same she had always done to help comfort them both.

"I love you Alice Cullen. I will come back to you. I promise." Bella said in a soft voice before angling her face to kiss Alice on the lips. Alice shuddered at the raw emotion that Bella was trying to show in this kiss. They pulled back after what had felt like hours, even though it had only been a couple of seconds.

"I love you too, Bella Swan." Alice replied before letting Bella take a step backwards. Bella grabbed a pair of dark gray sweats, and a loose-fitting black shirt along with a zippo and a container of lighter fluid. She placed all these things into a small drawstring bag. Bella walked into the bathroom and changed into jeans, and a long sleeve navy top. She also grabbed a black coat for appearance purposes only.

Bella grabbed the drawstring bag and tied it to her pants through a beltloop and put on a pair of converse. Bella found that Alice had already left to join the rest of the family and Sam at the meeting point, a good 50 miles or so away. Bella nodded at Jake and the two left the cabin and began walking into the woods. They were stopped at the outskirts by Emily who handed Bella a small container. Bella gripped the plastic case and opened it with curiosity.

"Contacts. They will change your eyes to brown. They are not prescription so they shouldn't alter your vision but we wouldn't want her to see your eye color and figure anything out." Bella grabbed Emily and took her into a long hug. Bella quickly put in the contacts and gave Emily a thankful smile. They were slightly uncomfortable but necessary.

"Take care of yourself, the both of you" Emily finally smiled as she stood back from Bella. Bella and Jake nodded before heading out to the scheduled meetup area.


"Bella, wait!" Jake said after a few moments of them walking down the forest trails, stopping at the fork in the road. The right took them towards Charlie's and the left to the meetup area.

"What's up?" Bella asked with a raised eyebrow, forcing back an agitated sigh.

"My Dad is at your old place. I can sense him. We should stop by and say hi… Just in case, well you know. Things go bad. I want to have been able to say goodbye, just like you got to do with Alice and the Cullens." Jake said softly and Bella bit her lip in thought.

' Jake is right. I had been able to have a moment with my loved ones. Jake should be able to do the same as well. I just wish I knew why this feels so…off. I mean, why would Billy be at my old house? Still… the opportunity is there, and what kind of friend would I be if I said no to this request?'

"Well, okay." Bella agreed after a few moments of hesitation, " But just for a bit though. We have a plan in place and I don't want to make anyone nervous." Bella replied with a nod. Her thoughts turned to Alice who was waiting as patiently as possible. She didn't want to make her wait any longer than need be. She knew how much it bothered her not to be able to see into the future.

Jake nodded as they began a light jog to Charlie's. Bella's eyes focused onto the house as it came into view. Something inside was telling her that this was a bad idea, but she could not sense any danger or Victoria for that matter.

"Dad?" Jake called out with a smile as the two stopped near the porch.

Bella took a step forward before her senses were engulfed in the same horrible sweet smell she had experienced back at the Cullens. Bella's eyes shot to Jake but couldn't get a word out before the front door opened and Victoria stood with a lifeless body hanging around her shoulders like a scarf, the face hidden under her fiery red locks.

"Well, well, well. Look at what the dog dragged in" Victoria purred as she dropped the lifeless body of Billy Black to the ground.


The seconds seemed to slow. Bella turned her head to get Jake's attention but it was too late. Jake had phased, seemingly blinded by fury and grief and lunged full force at Victoria snarling.

"Jake, no!" Bella yelled but it was too late. Victoria simply smirked as her crimson eyes locked onto Jake as she delivered a sharp blow to Jake's head, her piercing nails sinking deep into Jake's skull and threw him, sending him flying backwards. His wolf body bounced in the air a few times before skidding to a stop causing his body to phase back on its own accord.

Bella ran over to his body and placed her index and middle finger against his neck, happy to feel a pulse but noted that Jake was unconscious and bleeding freely from the deep gash left by Victoria's sharp claws. Bella quickly shrugged off her jacket and wrapped it around Jake's head tightly in an effort to stop the bleeding. She knew that he should heal quickly but felt like she had to do something.

'Fuck my life…' Bella thought to herself. She had allowed them to fall right into a trap and it was unlikely that Jake had got the message across to Sam in time.

"How cute, the pitiful human tries to protect the mangy mutt" Victoria paused as she let out a chuckle, " Pathetic."

"You're making a huge mistake. The Cullens will eventually find you and will kill you if you hurt me" Bella replied as she stood up and faced Victoria, trying to stall as she began to try and formulate plan b.

"Is that so? Is that why they left you alone, knowing that I was in the area? Doesn't sound to me like they care all that much about you" Victoria countered as she began to walk around Bella slowly in a circle, who's eyes watched Victoria's movements.

"You wouldn't know anything about what it means for care for anyone or anything besides yourself, you monster" Bella growled back, clenching her fists tightly.

"Monster? No. But that is what you'll be once I am finished with you" Victoria grinned and licked her lips in anticipation, " I'm going to sink my teeth into your neck and will let you change. You'll become devoted to me as the bond between vampire and creator is established. I'll let you fuel your newborn desires and then I'll let the Volturi have you"

"Seems like you have it all figured out" Bella replied a few moments later as she moved into a defensive stance.

"What can a weak human like you do to me?" Victoria laughed.

"Why don't we find out?" Bella mused. Victoria at that moment lunged forward just as the rain began to fall. Bella's eyes squinted in concentration, forcing the contacts out. At the very last second, Bella dodged in the air to the left, rolling and successfully missing the grasp of Victoria.

Victoria skidded to a stop, her shocked crimson eyes locked onto Bella.

"I've been told that you are a very special human but this is not possible" Victoria hissed.

Bella did not respond but stood back up and flicked her wet bangs out of her face.

"This ends here." Bella said fiercely, her jade eyes burning with determination.


Alice anxiously paced around the meeting area, her pale and lethal hands clenched tightly together, as she breathed hard and unnecessary breaths.

"Alice, you should try to relax. Being as anxious as you are will not help the situation." Carlisle murmured, his anxious eyes watching every movement.

"I can't help it. Something just feels wrong and not being able to see a damn thing is making this a thousand times worse." Alice sighed in frustration and sat back on her heels, rocking back and forth slightly.

"It does seem to be taking longer than anticipated for Jake to reach out to me. I'll call out to him and get a status…" Sam was stopped as Emily appeared, her eyes wide and filled with tears.

"Emily, what are you doing here?" Sam asked and quickly ran over to her, his fingers putting a few loose strands of hair behind her ear.

"Sam…It's Billy." Emily began but had to stop to take a breath, " He's missing."

"What?" Sam yelled his body quivering in concern.

" Sam, it gets worse… Victoria's smell was all over the cabin. The was also a lot of blood… I don't know she would have gotten past the Tribe, but she did." Emily grimaced as Sam's eyes widened and his jaw set into place.

"That damn leech is going to fucking pay!" Sam roared and turned away from Emily abruptly as his muscles began to tremble, only calming down as she ran a gentle hand through his hair. Alice watched the interaction closely, making mental notes. Once Sam was collected, he reached out to Jake and clenched his fists tightly after a few moments.

"Sam?" Alice questioned, unable to bear the silence for another second.

"Jake isn't responding. Something must be wrong. None of them can ignore the call of the Alpha" Sam replied as he watched Alice's eyes darken.

" The plan is out of the window. We need to move, now." Carlisle murmured and the Cullens took off to the meeting point, Alice slightly ahead of the Coven, feeling her eyes darken with every step.


Bella groaned in pain as she blocked one of Victoria's grabs but had felt the slight crack in her right wrist. Her feet slid against the slick mud and her breathing had become labored.

"What the fuck are you? You clearly aren't human anymore!" Victoria screamed in frustration.

Bella did not respond. She couldn't. Her jaw was clenched in frustration and concentration. Victoria hissed and moved forward quickly to the left. Bella moved to sidestep but her human nature finally caught the best of her as she slipped in the mud. Caught off guard for just a second, Victoria was able to grab Bella by her long hair and threw her into the ground, just as she had done with Rosalie. Bella groaned in pain from the impact and rolled over to her back. She had felt the snap of bones and knew ribs had been crushed. Given that she was having a difficult time breathing, she assumed that her lung had likely been punctured by one of the sharp shards.

"Finally, you're mine" Victoria purred as Bella moved her hand around aimlessly in the mud, " I was going to turn you but now I think I'll just drain you, the consequences be damned. I'm sure he will understand."

Bella could feel Victoria's cold breath against the heat of her neck. Bella grabbed a sharp jagged rock and with strength that she did not know that she had, she sliced the rock against her hair, slicing through it before launching herself backways and kneeling on knee a few feet from Victoria. Bella's left eye closed as sharp pain radiated throughout her body. Bella's long locks remained in Victoria's hand. Bella flicked her head, sending her now slightly longer than shoulder length hair out of her face and onto her back.

'I have to do something fast. My body is about to give out on me' Bella thought as she coughed up a bit of blood and spit it out on the ground.

"Your time is about up. I can smell the free flowing blood in your system. I can hear you dying." Victoria smiled as she let Bella's hair strands go from her grasp. Bella could not stand up. The corner of her vision began to grow darker. Bella played with her engagement ring before taking it off and placed it in the drawstring bag. Her glace shot at Jake seeing blood all over her jacket.

'She will kill him after me' Bella thought, watching Victoria begin to advance, at a slow, menacing pace. It was a game now. Bella closed her eyes and focused on Alice, her imprint, her world, her everything. Bella lifted her fingers to her bracelet, undoing the clasp and holding it tightly in her blood and mud coated palm.

' Alice… I don't know if this will work but I have to try. I don't have much time. I am sorry, Alice…Everyone.' Bella thought as Victoria continued to advance.

"I am going to end this, now." Bella whispered as she dropped the bracelet, making a final decision.


The Cullens and Sam looked around the previously agreed upon clearing, finding no trace of Bella or Jake anywhere.

"They haven't been here. No one has" Rosalie stated as she looked around the area, unable to find the atrocious wet dog smell of Jake or the pleasant jasmine of Bella.

"This can't be right. We all agreed on this spot. They should be here" Jasper sighed as he looked around, searching for emotions, anywhere.

Alice furrowed her eyebrows in thought, trying with everything she had to focus on Bella to try and force her to see something, anything. Suddenly and much to her own surprise, she felt a familiar tingling sensation, one she had not experienced in months.

"Alice!" She's finally getting a vision" Emmett yelled, causing everyone to pause and look at Alice as her eyes became unfocused. After a few moments of excruciating silence, Alice came back to the present. Her already darkening eyes turned a light shade of black as her lips lifted in a snarl.

"Alice, what did you see?" Esme asked, her concerned gaze locked onto Alice. Jasper hissed and took a couple of steps backward, his face contorted in pain.

"Jazz?" Rosalie asked, her tone laced with concern.

"Anger, lust for vengeance, the urge to kill." Jasper finally gasped out, his eyes growing dark. Alice's feelings were simply too strong for him to control.

Alice turned from her family without a word and broke into a dead sprint, her family and Sam wasting no time following.

'Please, Bella. Hold on.' Alice thought to herself as she pushed her legs to move faster.


"What do you think you're going to accomplish here?" Victoria purred as she moved closer to the crumpled body of Bella.

" I've never given much thought to how I would die, but dying in the place of someone I love seems like a good way to go" Bella replied with a slight smirk as she felt Victoria's hand going for her chest; for her heart specifically. Bella's eyes shot open and at the very last moment and drawing from whatever bit of strength she had left, she moved her body forward, pushing her body to meet Victoria's sharp claw like nails. Bella could feel her body heat up as she phased midair, just as Victoria's arm went through her chest.

Victoria's eyes grew with fright but there was no time to recover. Her whole arm was through Bella up to her elbow.

Bella howled in pain but pushed her wolf body forward, her mouth opening to reveal strong fangs that gripped Victoria's neck. Bella clamped down hard, feeling the porcelain like substance break through her teeth. Bella put her front and back paws against Victoria's body and pulled back, whimpering in pain as she felt Victoria's cold arm leave her chest. Bella fell back to the ground and let Victoria's disconnected head fall from her mouth. Bella's body phased back on its own accord.

Bella coughed up a large amount of blood and looked down at the damage, groaning in the process. With weak and shaky movements from her injuries and blood loss, Bella grabbed the drawstring bag and pulled out the lighter and fluid. Bella doused the body of Victoria in the fluid and then threw the lit zippo on the body, watching it ignite.

Bella felt her body growing weaker by the second, her vision becoming fuzzy. Even with her heightened healing abilities, she was not recovering as quickly as she knew she needed to. She reached into the bag and pulled out the sweats and loose shirt, clenching her jaw as she slid on the clothes. She would be damned if she would die and be found naked, besides Alice would likely not want anyone to her in that state. It would hurt enough to find her dead. Bella almost passed out from the pain as the shirt slid against her open gaping wound through her chest.

"Damnit, my body is just about done" Bella groaned out loud. She couldn't feel the pain, in fact she couldn't feel much of anything. Bella closed her eyes, focusing on Alice's face, her laugh, her smile. Bella managed to reach into the drawstring bag and slid her engagement ring back on her finger, before her world turned to blackness.


It was at this moment that Alice reached Charlie's house. Alice's nose crinkled at the smell of gasoline and blood, both scents lingered strongly in the air. Alice ran to the front, taking note of Victoria's burning body but her attention focused to the broken body of her mate. Alice ran forward, falling to her knees and picking up Bella's unconscious body. Alice gasped as she felt the warm sensation of Bella's life supply seep down her hands and drip off of her forearms and onto the ground.

"Bella, oh fuck. Carlisle!" Alice screamed as she heard Bella's heart barely beating.

"Why isn't she healing? She's supposed to heal!" Alice sobbed out as Carlisle dropped to a knee, his expression grim, causing Rosalie to gasp and turn into Emmett's embrace who somberly looked at Bella.

"We aren't invincible like you. There is simply too much trauma." Sam finally sighed as he knelt down to pick Jake up in one hand and Billy in the other.

"There must be something, anything we can do. Please, do something. I can't lose her. She's my everything. Bella, please. Don't leave me. You promised…" Alice continued to sob against Bella's chest.

"Alice, the only thing we can do at this point would be to change her but we can't due to the treaties. I am so sorry." Carlisle confirmed, looking away bitterly as Alice's agony laced scream shattered whatever soul he had left.


"Alice...Do it." Sam finally said a few moments later, his back to the Cullens.

"What?" Alice replied, her eyes looing up to Sam.

" I don't know if you can given her shifter blood, but if we do nothing she will die. I can't allow that. Try and change her. You have my permission. She gave her life to save Jake, you all and us. Consider this breach in the treaty a debt repaid." Sam replied as he took off towards the tribe with Jake and the body of Billy held tightly in his grasp.

"Alice, we don't have much time. You need to do it. She's your mate. You know the type of bond that is created between creator and vampire is a rather strong and intimate one. I can change her but I think that this will only bring you closer as mates. I know you can do this" Carlisle murmured, running a reassuring hand down Alice's arm.

Alice didn't reply but she picked up Bella's left arm and brought Bella's wrist to her lips, feeling the quickly weakening pulse point beneath her lips. She knew that Bella and her had briefly discussed this but nothing had really been definitive. There had not been time to fully discuss everything and Alice wasn't even sure if this life was truly what Bella had wanted. Alice had wanted the change if it were to happen to take place at the comfort of their home, done so in love, not in an act of selfish desperation on her end.

"Alice…" Carlisle warned as Bella's heartrate was almost nonexistent. Alice looked down to Bella and made her decision.

" Bella, my love. I am so sorry. Please, forgive me. I'm too weak to carry on this existence without you" Alice whispered as she bit down on Bella's wrist. Alice's teeth sunk through Bella's skin like butter. Alice's eyes grew wide and then rolled back at the taste of Bella's blood. It was the most intoxicating substance she had ever tasted and she was not able to cut off the blood flow. Alice knew she was now feeding off of her, but could not stop.

"Alice, you need to stop now. You're killing her. She doesn't have much blood left." Carlisle instructed, his eyes locked onto Alice, who did not respond but continued to feed.

"Alice!" Carlisle finally yelled causing Alice's eyes to snap to his. Alice launched herself backwards from Bella, wiping her mouth clean with the back of her hand as she took a few staggering steps back, trying to gain control of her senses.

Alice blinked a few times, her normal topaz eyes now hinted with a red tone around her iris. Alice felt disgusted with herself but knew that she had to do right by Bella. Alice leaned down and picked Bella up, gently cradling her mate's broken body against her own as she ran back to the house, hoping and praying to a god that she did not believe in that she herself would not become the reason why her mate did not wake up from an internal slumber.