Hello! Just like with Full Moon, I'm slowly coming back from my long hibernation. I have plans to keep updating these series of one-sots/short stories, but I think I will put an end to Red Moon. Red Moon will close with the announcement of its final story being published as a separate story (For those of you following, "The Locket" will be a full-on fic further down the road. I need to finish Full Moon first and polish some details to have something readz to be uploaded soon)

Likewise, stay tuned for updates on all my current stories :)

In the meantime, stay safe, review, and enjoy.

PACK SOULS

Chapter 20: Vampire on the trees.

It's been six years since they left. Six years in which her life did a complete turnover. She never expected to love again, least of all to love another supernatural creature. She had been so naive when she thought vampires were the only supernatural creature wandering the earth.

Her misconception was cleared out when she got face to face with a werewolf. After that first encounter, she didn't look back.

Imagine her surprise when she learned that the boys she had met at Jacob's garage were all werewolves, belonging to the same pack, descendants of a long line of wolves that dated back to who knows when.

Imagine her surprise when she fell hard and fast for one of those boys. Sweet, tempered, and hot, he was everything she needed. When she learned of the imprint, she thanked God that there would be no drama in her life in that aspect. She didn't want a relationship with a guy who would abandon her against his wishes because he had to fulfill an unconscious desire to find the perfect mate.

Contrary to what her wolf thought, she didn't run away, cry, or scream. She simply smiled and said she was honored to be chosen as his perfect mate. That was the second moment she chose to hold on to.

Two years after the vampires broke her heart, she eloped with her wolf and got married. Her dad laughed hard and long when she came back married, much to her surprise. Charlie was always waiting for Bella to do something spontaneous; he just didn't realize that her first burst of spontaneity would be to elope. He was happy for her nonetheless, and they celebrated with a bonfire.

That journey brought her to the present. She has two beautiful daughters, a gorgeous house with a lovely backyard, amazing friends, and an amazing husband she loved with all her heart and who loved her in equal measure.

Her eldest daughter was only three years old. She had been a surprise for her and her wolf. They weren't planning on having a baby so early, but it was clear from the moment they found out, that they wanted her. She was a happy toddler who had the mischief vain of her father.

Her youngest was still on the quiet side, though she had a good pair of lungs, which she put to good use when announcing she was hungry or wanted to have her diaper changed.

Her daughters were the apple of their father's eyes. He melted into a puddle of goo when his girls unleashed their charm on him. He was overpowered and had a rough time saying no.

Bella smiled, watching her daughter ride her pedal-less bike. A gift from her paternal grandmother. It was cold outside, but she was so excited to use it that Bella conceded. She took her monitor outside and sat on the bench, where she would be safe from the breeze but where she could keep an eye on the monitor that showed the image of her sleeping infant and keep an eye on the restless toddler.

She was ready to call it a day, but she refrained, seeing the joy in her daughter's eyes. God helped her if she was like her and decided to ask for a bike on her sixteenth birthday. Charlie would call it poetic justice.

She stood in a flash when something on the top of the trees caught her attention. It was cold, but the snow didn't shine like that. She breathed in and out a few times, trying to calm her heart. She didn't want to alert the vampire on the trees of her knowledge.

"Hannah, baby, time to come inside." She congratulated herself for how her voice came out.

Hannah complied and rode to her mom, showing a row of uneven teeth, indicating that some of her teeth were growing. Bella smiled, charmed.

"Let's bake some cookies while we wait for daddy. What do you think?"

Hannah yelled excitedly and hopped in the house, abandoning her bike without a second thought. Bella laughed, picked up the tiny bike, and brought it inside.

With her back to the window, she fired a couple of texts to the group chat announcing the presence of a vampire close to her property and reassuring her husband and friends that she and her daughters were perfectly safe and tucked inside the house.

A sort of quarantine was mandated by Sam, prohibiting any of the imprints from leaving their current locations until he said so. Bella had no problem with that, and neither did the girls.

She kept busy with Hannah and the cookies. Her daughter loved to decorate them, and Bella loved the mess she left behind. It meant she enjoyed her activity and was a happy little girl with clumsy hands. Of course, Bella always made her help with the cleanup.

"Now, we put them in the oven." This was Hannah's least favorite part. She knew she had to stay clear of the oven, which meant her helper's duties were over.

"How long, mommy?"

Bella smiled and tabbed on her watch, putting the ten-minute timer. "Ten minutes, baby."

Hannah nodded obediently before letting out a big yawn. "How about we take a nap before daddy comes home?" Hannah raised her arms upwards in the universal toddler language for 'pick me up.' Bella would never get tired of holding her babies in her arms. She cradled her toddler to the sofa and laid her baby there while she sat next to her. Hannah grabbed the blanket her mom held for her and soon fell asleep.

Bella breathed a sigh of relief. Hannah was too young to understand about vampires and wolves and mortal enemies, so she and her wolf decided to wait until she was old enough to understand to tell her.

And speaking of her wolf, she heard the front door opening and hurried steps coming into the living room. Bella bolted off the couch and jumped into her wolf's arms.

"Are you alright?" He whispered in her ear.

Bella nodded but did not let go for a few minutes, not only because she was scared but because she enjoyed his smell and how his arms made her feel.

"I'm scared, Em."

Embry kissed his wife's forehead and held her tightly until she was ready to be released.

"Me too, sweetheart. You and the girls are my reason for living. I came here as fast as I could."

Bella released Embry from her tight grip and kissed him chastely on the lips.

"Was it a vampire?"

Embry nodded and pointed to the kitchen. Bella followed.

"It was a Cullen."

He had been at a crossroads between wanting to destroy the threat hovering around his property and fleeing home to protect his girls from everything. In the end, his alpha took the decision off his hands. Sam told him to go home and stay there with his family. The rest of the pack would take care of the vampire, and if his presence were needed, one of the wolves would just howl to alert him.

Luckily, some of the boys were patrolling and arrived early at the scene, managing to get some information to Embry before he phased out and came inside his house.

"Do you know which one?"

Embry nodded. "It was one of the women. She was short with blond-brown hair."

Bella resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Guys sucked at describing people.

"Long or short hair?"

"Long."

"Esme." At Embry's confusion, she elaborated. "She's Carlisle's -the doctor- wife. She acted like the foster mom. No special gifts that I know of."

"She was passing through, according to what she told Paul and Seth."

"Through the reservation. Why? Aren't they prohibited from coming in here?"

"She followed your scent, and when she realized she was in our territory, she waited until we discovered her to apologize for intruding. She said she realized she scared you, which wasn't her intention."

"So, she's alone."

"From what she told us, she is." Embry watched her closely. He didn't want to upset her, but he's also never lied to her, and he wasn't going to start now.

"Thank god. I thought you were going to tell me that they were coming back or some shit like that." She reclined her head on her wolf's chest and was once again enveloped by his strong arms.

Embry squeezed her teasingly, making her giggle. Bella lifted her head and stared into her husband's eyes. "I love you." She loved to say those words randomly during the day, mainly because they caught him off guard, and she enjoyed the little hint of shyness left there from the boy she met six years ago.

Embry kissed her, enjoying the sweet taste of her lips. "I love you too, sweetheart."

They stayed wrapped in each other for a few more seconds until her timer beeped, announcing it was time to take the cookies out.

"Where's my other angel?"

Bella laughed softly. Natia was only a few weeks old, and just as with Hannah, Embry was smitten with her. He was such a good dad.

"Still asleep. She should wake up soon, though. Might as well check on her."

"I'll go." He kissed her cheek and left to find her infant daughter.

And just like her father, as soon as food was mentioned, her eldest daughter would pop her head inside the kitchen. She had her father's appetite and the metabolism of a wolf. If the next generation phased, she was sure at least one of her daughters would phase.

Embry caught Hannah coming inside the kitchen and bent down to pick her up. "You little cookie monster!" He tickled her belly, making her giggle and scream, trying to break free.

"No, daddy. Tickles."

"Oh, it tickles?" he asked, faking innocence. Hannah nodded seriously and put her two chubby little hands on each of her father's cheeks and pressed down.

"Show daddy what you showed me today, sweetie."

Hannah smiled and showed Embry her new empty gums. Embry opened his eyes in exaggerated surprise, which excited Hannah. "You lost another tooth?" The little girl nodded. "Did it hurt?"

Hannah hid her face in the crook of his neck. Embry chuckled, knowing there was a story behind it. "What happened?"

"You know when we were discussing that she is your spitting image?" Embry nodded. "Well, she got my tolerance for the sight of blood. She threw up and cried. I swear I was waiting for you or any of the wolves to call and ask what was happening. It was that loud." Embry chuckled and patted his little girl's back. "She eventually calmed down, and we stepped outside for a little while."

"Like mother, like daughter." He teased, leaning over to capture Bella's mouth in a short kiss.

…

…

…

Esme was released from the wolves' interrogation with the promise that she would not follow anyone anymore and would never come here again. Her species was not welcome on the reservation, and they didn't like her spying on one of their own.

Esme could still see the image of that blond little girl riding her bike and shrieking excitedly. She could still see Bella's figure, slightly rounder on the hips, but still, the same petite girl that had come into her house seven years ago.

Esme didn't expect Bella to wait forever for them, but something inside her broke when she heard her mention the word daddy a few times. She looked happy, healthy, and in love.

She would forever hold that image in her mind. Happy and sad for the daughter that she once had. But that was the thing: Bella was no longer her daughter; she was a stranger now.