The wolves were mostly silent, or, in the case of the more hot-tempered ones, arguing quite loudly in favor of Sam's proposal. They all knew what Sam meant, and Bella doubted they could really go against him in any capacity, anyway. The council members, sans Billy, were in an uproar. With another wave of his hand, Billy managed to calm them down enough to speak over the ones still whispering angrily.
"We are not giving Bella the ability to feed off of any human she sees. This is not permission to hunt people. This is permission to hunt the type of people that our own Protectors would kill if they saw them. Rapists, murderers, child molesters. The lowest of the low." Most of the council went silent at that, a few even nodding slightly with a harder look in their eyes. "She would be a predator that hunts predators." He looked back to Bella, and her jaw clenched as she gave him a firm nod.
"However, should any of the pack or the council here find that Bella has harmed an innocent person, she will be hunted down and exterminated immediately."
Bella took a deep breath and tried to fight down the strange thought that told her that if she was still human, she'd be feeling rather nauseous right about now.
The treaty was written up, and Bella made sure to look over the entire thing, as her mother taught her, before signing. When all was said and done, it was a rather quick affair, and the members of the pack that stayed after the council left started joking around quickly, breaking the tense atmosphere.
Bella was content to stay there until the pack went to sleep, but a buzzing in her pocket stole her attention.
Tanya: 'Head on over when you're ready.'
'On my way.' Bella sent it off and said her goodnights to the boys. Embry had Quil in a headlock and Paul was starting to take bets. She nodded once to Leah as she passed her and took off for another supernatural meeting.
When she knocked on the door to the Cullen's house, Kate greeted her with a slightly strained smirk. At Bella's questioning look, Kate rolled her eyes.
"Come on in. You're gonna wish you could still get drunk in a few minutes."
After the tension at the Council meeting, Bella had hoped for a different tone to this one, but upon entering the living room, she found the Denalis sitting around with varying degrees of discomfort written on their faces.
"Did someone die?" Bella asked, only half joking. Fortunately, judging by the chuckle that pulled out of a few of them, that was not the case.
"No, Bella," Tanya responded, a slight smile tugging at her lips, "no one died."
Bella let out an overdramatic sigh of relief, dropping into the empty seat beside Kate. "Well then I'm sure this meeting will be less stressful than the one I just had." At the questioning looks, Bella elaborated. "I met up with the council that, I guess, governs the shifters to discuss a treaty. Originally, they were going to just extend the treaty they had with the Cullens to include me, but Sam, the alpha of the pack, said that a new treaty was being drawn up. One that lets me feed on humans."
Kate let out an impressed whistle. "Damn, girl. Our cousins have been complaining about the 'narrow mindedness' of those pups for decades, and you got them to accept that? How did you manage that?"
"You are going to continue with your human diet, then." Irina interjected before Bella could respond. Bella wasn't sure what the tone in her voice meant, but she felt the need to explain herself.
"Yes. I am going to continue feeding on human blood." A few Denalis looked uncomfortable at that. "And the reason that the wolves allowed be to enter into a treaty with them, despite that, is due to the kind of humans I will be hunting. I tried, I really did, to live off of animal blood. And it wasn't that I couldn't handle the taste, or that human blood was just so much more appetizing that I chose this. I have fantastic control for a newborn, as I'm sure you've noticed," She received a few nods, "so I could've easily lived off of animal blood. But…" She trailed off, looking around the room at the golden eyes staring back at her. "Ok, I know this is going to sound strange, but I'm…morally opposed to it."
Bella had thought that she was the only vampire capable of being rendered this shocked, but apparently, she was wrong. Stunned faces surrounded her. She even saw a few jaws drop.
"You are…" Eleazar worked his jaw, "morally opposed to not killing people?"
"Yes." Bella's eyes widened. "No! No wait that's not what I meant." She let out a sigh and rubbed at her forehead. She may not feel the consequences of a headache anymore, but old habits died hard. "I just can't do it, alright? I tried to feed off of animals, but the whole time I kept thinking that there was literally nothing this animal had ever done wrong in it's whole damn life and there I was, killing it. It kept letting out these horribly sad sounds and struggling and—" Bella threw her hands up in the air. "I can't go around killing innocent animals when there are still rapists living in the world. Why would I do that?"
She froze. "Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course. You all obviously had a good reason to choose your diet and I swear I'm not trying to, like, convert you or anything, I just…" Bella took a deep breath, straightening her back from where she'd been hunching over. "The wolves created a treaty with me that allows me to hunt the scum of the earth. That's why they were okay with it."
The silence in the room made Bella fidget. Maybe that was too much. Maybe she should have stopped before she started talking about her new diet. She definitely shouldn't have practically insulted them for drinking from animals—.
"'Not that there's anything wrong with that.'" Kate burst out laughing, and Bella noticed small smiles on the rest of the Denalis' faces.
"I don't think you'll find any judgment for your choice of diet here, Bella." Tanya stated, and Bella saw Carmen and Eleazar nod in agreement.
Bella didn't have to fake the sigh of relief that she released. "Thanks. Sorry about…you know."
"Calling us heartless killers?" Kate raised a brow at her, her face mock serious. "For murdering 'innocent animals' while they're 'letting out these horribly sad sounds and struggling?'"
If Bella could blush, she would. "No! Shit." Kate started laughing again. "I swear, I didn't mean—"
"She knows what you meant, dear." Carmen smiled at her reassuringly. "She's just being difficult."
"No one in this coven would judge you for ridding the world of those kinds of animals," Irina spoke softly, "quite a few of us have had a similar diet, at one time or another."
"Yeah, kid." Kate finally calmed down a bit. "You're good. I was just messing with you."'
Bella relaxed back into the couch, a smile coming to her face. "Thank you." She received understanding smiles all around. "If that's not what this is about, can I ask what this meeting is for?" And the strain was back in their faces.
"We received a phone call earlier this morning." Tanya began, glancing around at the rest of her coven. "Our cousins, the Cullens," Bella flinched, "had arrived at our home in Alaska to find us missing. They called to ask where we were."
"In all of the…unexpectedness of the past few days, we'd forgotten they were coming to visit." At the complicated and tense look on Bella's face, Kate continued. "They're not coming here." And Bella could breath again. "There was talk of heading to Europe. I think I heard Alice talk about going shopping in Paris. We just wanted to let you know."
Bella nodded, but her thoughts was already turned inward. She'd managed to, at least slightly, push the Cullens from her mind these past few weeks. She'd been too focused on figuring out what was happening to her, and the time travel, the worrying like crazy about Didyme and trying to figure that out, to really have the free time to think about them. She didn't know how that made her feel, that she'd managed to be freed of this weight in her stomach when even just their names were mentioned, for it to return at the slightest provocation. She'd thought that maybe she was over it.
And Alice.
She didn't know why that was hitting her so hard. She was listening for word of Edward when the Denalis were speaking, but when he went unmentioned it didn't hurt nearly as much as she'd thought it would. Alice, however, was a different story.
Just her name made Bella's jaw clench against the tears that her eyes just barely managed to hold back. Hearing that she was still her old self, talking about shopping sprees in Paris, after everything that Bella had gone through? After Laurent and the wolves and the time travel. After they left her like she was nothing to them. And she was just as fine and dandy as ever. Even after what Edward had said when he'd left, Bella had thought that, at the very least, the girl who'd called herself her sister would be a tiny bit affected.
Bella couldn't decide if she was heartbroken or furious.
She lowered her face into her hands, breathing out forcefully to try and shake some of the anger that swirled in her mind. She didn't see the Denalis exchanging concerned glances over her head. "Thank you," she finally breathed out, "for telling me." She looked up at Tanya. "You're sure they're not coming here?" She couldn't tell if she was hopeful or fearful. Whichever the case, Tanya's nod relieved her of the feeling. "Alright, thank you."
"Well," Kate broke the silence that lingered after Bella's words, "so long as the serious talk is all over," she grinned at Bella, "can I interest you in a round of ass-whooping?" She waved her hand toward the game system that was still set up in the living room, and Bella couldn't remember if that was left here by the previous residents or if the Denalis had brought it.
Either way, she replied with a grin of her own. "So long as you have a pillow you can sit on later."
Kate guffawed, blurring over toward the television and setting it up. "So, little teleporter, what are you thinking: Mario Kart or some Smash Bros?" She held up the two games.
Bella considered her options for a moment, before raising her hand to point to Mario Kart. "As much as I'd like to kick the ass of your digital avatar tonight, Kate, I'm in the mood for some good, old fashioned—"
Her hands tingled.
"—seriously?" The change in tone from teasing to almost whining caught the attention of the rest of the Denalis, who were all sitting in to either watch, or participate in, the game. When they saw Bella flicker for a moment, Irina moved. She was suddenly right in front of Bella, looking her over as Bella's hands shook, just the smallest amount. She wouldn't have even caught it if she weren't a vampire.
The world tilted, the corners of her vision going fuzzy.
She didn't know how, but Bella managed to speak this time. "Okay, I swear, I will be right—"
Everything went white.
Bella landed on her feet this time. Or maybe 'landed' isn't exactly the right word, but it comes as close to the strange feeling of displacement as Bella can get.
Trees stood tall all around Bella, and for a moment she felt her heart give a phantom 'thud' before she realized that these were a different kind of tree than the ones near Didyme's cabin. These were much more gnarled and twisted, giving off a haunting feeling that mixed a little too well with the darkening sky above her. Night wasn't quite here, but it was approaching fast.
Bella glanced around, seeing nothing but trees and dirt in all directions. She seemed to be in a forest, but where? And when? She couldn't see any marks of civilization, or any signs of people at all in any direction. Bella heaved a sigh. Would it be wrong to sit there and wait to go back to the present? But last time it was days before she'd returned.
With a disgruntled grunt, Bella picked a random direction and began running. She'd probably run across something eventually, right? And limitless energy had to be good for something.
She was running for just under 10 minutes when she found the road. Or, maybe path was a better description. It wasn't paved, and no stones or gravel were unnaturally placed to make it seem more like a road. There were obvious tracks from both humans and horses, as well as what Bella thought might be the tracks of wagons, so at least Bella could narrow down the time frame to after they invented the wheel, Bella thought with a huff.
She followed along the path, picking the direction that most of the footprints seemed to be going but staying out of sight in the trees, just to be careful. The sun had completely vanished from the sky and night had settled in when Bella first saw other people. Or heard them.
There weren't any people along the road, but she could hear the heartbeats and muffled breathing of at least five people that were hidden away in the bushes and trees on either side of the road. Bella slowed her approach, her silent footsteps bringing her closer to the confusing scene. She could see men crouching low in the bushes, all of them silent but with their eyes fixated on the path ahead.
Upon closer inspection, Bella noticed that each of them was armed with daggers and other weapons. One of the men, this one with ripped clothing and—Bella sniffed the air—blood on his face walked into the middle of the path and, with a quick glance at the bushes to receive a nod from one of the men, laid down in the middle of the road.
What the hell are they doing?
A sound from down the road caught Bella's attention, and she focused in on it. It sounded like horses, but also something else. A wagon, maybe? Maybe it was a merchant traveling to a bigger city to sell their wares. Bella would only have to follow them to find more people. Almost a minute after she'd heard it, Bella watched as the hidden men straightened, some pulling out their weapons, others crouching lower to the ground.
They seemed to be almost…preparing for something.
It took Bella far longer than she'd admit to realize what was happening, and by the time she had, the horses were already in view. They were tall, healthy looking horses, probably bred specifically for the job they were now carrying out, which was to draw a carriage. An actual carriage. Not a very modern looking one, but definitely big enough to hold a few people and some extra weight, judging by the wooden chest stored on the back of it. The chest was painted vivid and eye-catching colors, as was the rest of the carriage.
Looking from the men in the bushes to the carriage, Bella thought painting a literal target may have not been the smartest move on their part.
As the carriage rolled forward, Bella could see the moment when the man holding the reigns saw the body in the road. His eyes widened, and he yanked back on the reigns, stopping the horses.
Oh, come on. This is an obvious trap. He can't actually be falling for it.
Then again, these people never had cable. They hadn't watched the same cliché work a hundred times, but Bella figured they would at least be wary. Apparently not, considering the man immediately jumped down and ran to the man. The moon was barely lighting up the sky, just a sliver illuminating the night, so the man had to get down on his knees and check the body up close. Bella almost wanted to warn him, but something stopped her short. She couldn't keep messing with the lives of everyone she saw in these trips.
Sooner or later, the butterfly effect was going to bite her in the ass.
It's just a robbery. They'll take the money and go. And, from the looks of it, these people had the money to spare.
The second his knees hit the dirt, the man laying on the ground turned around fluidly and stuck a dagger in the driver's gut. Bella's sharp gasp was completely drowned out by the man's scream, which seemed to be the signal for the men in the bushes, who all rushed out into the road.
"Check the carriage!" One of the men, probably the leader, yelled at two of them. Bella didn't have long to speculate on the slightly different version of the language that Didyme had taught her before the men opened the carriage and pulled two screaming women out.
One of them Bella actually recognized as the woman from an earlier trip. The one who was attacked before that Bella had saved. She still wore her necklace around her neck. The other was much younger, somewhere in that awkward stage between child and teenager; her limbs too long and her movements jilted, as if she was still getting used to her new height. It wasn't until the men forced both women to their knees in front of the leader that Bella saw the eyes of the teenager.
Beautiful brown eyes glared up at the sneering man before her, and Bella somehow knew that this was the baby that the woman had been protecting last time.
Never the same place twice, huh?
"Empty the chest! We need to make this look good!" The leader spoke, never taking his eyes off of the older woman's. He leaned down, putting his face close to hers, and Bella practically recoiled for her. "Your cousin sends his regards." And he pulled out his own dagger.
These weren't bandits. These were hired killers.
Bella didn't allow herself to think. Fuck the butterflies.
She blurred in, grabbing the dagger, and raced back out before anyone could so much as blink, leaving the man staring at his empty hand in utter bewilderment.
Another blur, and one of the men who had been reaching for the wooden chest was on the ground, neck twisted at an unnatural angle. The man who had been helping him screamed, and the rest started to look toward the trees in a frenzy, but the leader seemed more angry than scared.
"You!" He pointed to one of his men. "Give me your dagger!" The man in question clutched at it, eyes darting to the trees. "Now!" the leader yelled, and the man flinched before tossing his dagger at the leader's feet. Once again, he raised the dagger to the woman's throat.
And then it was sticking out of the throat of the man who had tossed it to him.
The man who had screamed the first time took off running, racing the direction the wagon had come, and the women seemed to take this as their cue. The older woman shoved the perturbed leader before shouting to the younger one, "Get back to the carriage!" When the girl showed hesitance, she pushed her toward the carriage a bit with a, "Now, Sulpicia!" That finally got the girl to run and she hopped into the carriage and shut it behind her just as a muffled scream came from the direction of the man who ran.
Only two men were left, now: the one who'd stabbed the driver, and the leader.
The leader wasted no time in grabbing the woman, who put up a decent fight, but the man easily overpowered her with sheer strength. He pulled her to his chest, and grabbed the last dagger from the other man, setting it against her throat.
"Whoever you are, I swear to Zeus that you are making a mistake! The rightful heir offered riches that you couldn't even imagine!" He spoke into the air, walking with his chest to the woman's back as he backed toward the carriage. "And, luckily for you, I seem to be down a few men! You may have their share of the reward if—" He cut off at the sight in front of him.
Bella had raced up to the other man who was still looking around wildly and grasped him by the chin, yanking his head to the side to bare his throat to her. Her bright red eyes stood out in the darkness while she stared the leader down as she bit into the second to last man's neck. The leader stood stock still, stunned from the sudden appearance of this demon.
"By Hades…" The words left his mouth in whisper of horror and awe.
Bella dropped the empty carcass to the ground, still staring at the leader, and slowly stalked forward. The man matched her pace, step for step, until his back was up against the carriage. Bella used a burst of speed to be in front of him in the next moment, and both he and the woman let out gasps. Bella could see his hand had reflexively cut a small line on the woman's neck. It was artificial, but the scent of blood still hit the air.
In a flash the dagger was gone, and Bella was holding the man by his throat against the carriage, just a few steps away from the woman.
"Hades didn't send me." Bella grinned at him, and tears leaked from his eyes. "But tell him I said hello." And she sunk her teeth into his neck, pulling the blood into her mouth hard to quicken his death.
When, finally, the last body dropped to the ground, Bella let out a satisfied sigh and turned to the woman whose heart was beating so hard that Bella thought it might rip itself out of her chest.
Her hands started tingling, and the corners of her vision were blurring along with them.
"Hello again."
Bella faded out—
—and right back into the living room, surrounded by Denalis.
Her shirt was soaked with blood from some of the men, and it had a slash in it from where the running one had managed to cut at her with his dagger. Her feet were covered in dirt, and her first thought was that she was getting the pristine looking carpet dirty.
She made eye contact with a stupefied Kate, still holding two games in her hands.
"You mind if I take a shower before Mario Kart?"
A/N: Keeping up with the updating schedule so far! Please let me know what you think by leaving a review! Side note, if I were to write a story about Bella with a denali sister after this one, which sister should it be? Or, less rarely seen, should I make a story about Bella and Maria, the vampire that turned Jasper? Are there any pairings or story ideas you want to see written?