Bella whipped around toward the trees, staring into them as if waiting for something to attack her.
There was this feeling in her chest, deep and instinctive, that something was very wrong. She should run away. It was like everything within her was telling her that something dangerous lurked in the trees.
After a few moments of silence, Bella relaxed. Maybe it was just a strange trick of the wind.
"Somebody help me!" The voice would be inaudible to human ears, but it screeched against Bella's. Before she knew it, she took off running it its direction.
This new hero complex thing she was developing was definitely going to get her killed.
She dodged trees as they blew past her, straining her ears for any signs of life. Or danger. Eventually, it wasn't a sound that brought her up short, but a smell.
Blood. Fresh blood.
She altered her direction the smallest bit to head toward the source of the smell, not out of bloodlust, but worry that she was going to be too late this time. The smell got thicker in the air as she neared whatever the cause was, and with it Bella scented something else on the air. It was almost animal smelling, but mixed with something putrid and foul. Like a rotting corpse of some deer.
Bella stopped running when she found the body.
The woman was barely older than Bella, herself. Splayed out across the dirt and grass, her waifish and delicate features told Bella a story of someone who had never worked a day in their lives. She wore a white dress of some kind, marred now by dirt and grass stains. If it weren't for the massive bloody hole in her abdomen, Bella would've assumed she was some random girl that lived on the compound that came out into the woods for a nap.
Surprisingly, Bella's bloodlust didn't flare up at the gaping wound, and, when Bella knelt closer to examine it, the smell of blood in her nose was…off somehow. Tainted. The wound itself was messy and imprecise. Whatever animals had caused it, as Bella determined it had been an animal by the claw marks, hadn't stayed for dinner. This was a kill for fun, done with passion and left without care.
"Help! Please!" A faint cry from further into the woods called to her, and Bella gave a last lingering look at the poor woman before sprinting after it. She could do nothing more for this girl, but she might be able to save someone.
As she ran towards the voice, Bella noticed that the direction she was going followed a trail of that same scent she'd noticed earlier. She tried to brush it off, but her body tensed further, and her eyes darted among the trees nervously. Whatever it was that attacked that woman wouldn't catch her by surprise if she had anything to say about it.
"Someone, plea—" The plea was cut off, but Bella was so close she just ran faster, rounding a tree to see the source.
It was a man wearing similar gear to those in the field earlier, and Bella thought he must've snuck out to see that woman she'd found, before they'd been attacked. She ran up to his bleeding form, and she could hear his struggling heartbeat. He had a wound similar to the woman's, a gash at his stomach designed to cause pain. A slow death. His eyes lit up when they found hers, and Bella ran to him, kneeling down beside his prone form.
"Please!" Blood bubbled up from his throat and down the side of his mouth as he moved, grabbing at her arm and pulling her closer. "It killed Mersa! You have to warn the men before the beast kills more!" He pulled at her, and she could see tears leaking from his eyes. Her jaw clenched as she looked down at him, and she could see that his fight against death would take him long before she could bring him back to the compound. "Please! I-I don't…" More tears leaked from his eyes, traveling down his cheeks and mixing with the blood at his throat. "I don't want to die."
"You—You're going to be okay." Bella spoke, her voice soft despite the clench in her jaw. "I can help—"
She didn't know how she hadn't noticed it. The smell from before, the one she followed to find this man, it lingered here. It was intense, thicker in the air then a smell should be, clinging from tree to tree almost like…they were marked.
She had entered its territory.
Something came at her from the side, and Bella didn't even have time to blink before her entire body went sailing, slamming into a tree. She hurried to her feet, back pressed against the tree as she scanned her surroundings. It was fast. Even as she searched through the trees, she couldn't see her assailant. It was hiding.
A growl rumbled through the trees, and Bella was once again in the air. Her body hit the dirt and she rolled to a crouch, using her hands as claws to stop her motion backwards. She didn't get a good look at whatever it was as she bull rushed it, hoping to take it by surprise. Her shoulder hit its mid-section, and this time she wasn't the one that went flying. It dropped back to the ground in a heap, making a rough sound, before slowly standing back up.
Bella couldn't help her gasp.
The creature, whatever it was, stood up on its back legs like a human, but it was at least eight feet tall. Its legs were bent backwards at the knees, looking like a dog's hind legs, and its arms drooped down lower than its knees, with long clawed fingers. The whole thing was covered in a layer of coarse, blood matted fur.
But, what really got Bella was its face. An elongated snout, almost like a dog, but more humanoid in shape, protruded from its head below its completely black eyes. And, when it opened its mouth to let out a snarl, Bella could see rows upon rows of sharp canine teeth.
Holy Shit Holy Shit HOly
It charged her.
Bella just barely managed to dodge as the thing copied her own attack and bull rushed her. She flipped over its back, tensing the tendons in her hands and clawed down it back, drawing its blood. The thing howled, turning back around to face her and running right back in.
Whatever it was, it was as fast as her, and definitely at least as strong. But it didn't seem to have any self-control.
It swiped at her with its claws, and Bella jumped back. She avoided claw after claw by barely a hair's breadth until she dove beneath it, kicking at one of its legs.
She heard a snap, and an enraged growl filled the air. Before she could even stand back up, a claw caught her shoulder, and white-hot pain filled Bella's side.
She let out her own cry, trying to sprint away from the thing, but it pinned her to the forest floor. She flipped onto her back and just barely had enough time to grab it's head as rows of canine teeth tried to snap around her neck.
Her arms trembled as she held it back. The thing was strong, and the full moon overhead highlighted the streaks of blood in its fur and the red smear in its teeth.
Full moon. Oh my god.
She didn't have time to linger on the realization that she was fighting off an honest to god werewolf because the thing started to use its claws to shove her further into the dirt.
It kept snapping its teeth at her, held back by just an inch by her arms, and she had to turn her head to the side at one point to avoid losing her nose.
From its position on top of her, it was undoubtedly stronger. And the wild abandon in its black eyes terrified her as the thrashing creature went for her neck again.
Bell grabbed either side of its mouth, and its teeth pierced her left hand. She didn't have the strength to push it off of her, so she had to improvise.
With all of her newborn vampire strength, Bella tightened her hold on its upper and lower jaw ands pulled.
The thing kept trying to snap at her, but she held its mouth open, prying it wider and wider as high-pitched whines started to come from its open throat. With one final burst of strength, Bella yanked, and a snapping sound filled the air as its jaw went limp.
The creature—werewolf let out a yelp and finally scrambled off of her. She didn't let it go far though, looping her arms around its head as it bucked and thrashed to get her off.
She tightened her grip, crushing its throat in her arms, and the thing went crazy. It started to run into trees, smashing into them with Bella taking the brunt of the damage, but she refused to let up.
And, with a final, sickening crunch, the beast went limp.
Bella stumbled back, impossible tired. She knew that vampires had unlimited energy, but holy shit.
She'd just killed a werewolf.
A furious wave of pain from her shoulder drew her attention, and Bella could see three large slashes from where its longest fingers had gotten her when it had slashed at her. Fuck, that hurt. She touched a gentle hand to it and pulled back with a hiss as it seemed to throb with pain at the slightest touch.
Can someone get lycanthropy from a scratch, or is it only a bite? Can a vampire even become a werewolf if they're already technically undead? Was she going to turn into some weird hybrid vampire-werewolf creature that—
A low moan broke her from her musings, and Bella turned to find the pain filled, but wide open, eyes of the dying man, staring at her from about 10 feet away. The werewolf must've tossed her back near him.
"Wait." Bella held up her hands in a placating gesture and then immediately lowered her right hand as pain branched out from her shoulder once more.
"You-you," the man trembled, staring at her with a quivering jaw, "You killed the beast. What are you?"
Bella ran back to his side, and he sucked in a startled breath as she appeared next to him. "I'm a different kind of beast." She gave him a closed mouth smile, trying to comfort him as more blood seeped into the forest floor.
"Then you are a beast sent by the gods." More tears ran freely from his eyes. "That monster killed my Mersa. I wanted to bring her peace and avenge her by slaying it, but it moved faster than the eye could see! And you," he gazed at her, and Bella was slightly uncomfortable to see awe in his eyes. "you killed it. You gave peace to my Mersa."
Bella swallowed as she stared down at the dying man, a crazy thought forming in her head. "I could give peace to you to." She could see the fear that sprang into him at the thought, even while he lay there dying. "Or, I could make you like me."
His breath stuttered, a strange mix of caution, hope, and fear rose from him and into the air. It was so potent that Bella could smell it. "Please."
"If I do," Bella's eyes hardened, "you will have to do as I say. I will not create a beast just to let him loose on the people that live here. If I turn you, you will harm no innocent. It will be difficult, but I will help you." She looked off to the side. "While I can."
"Yes." The man's firm words were sounding less like a plea. "I will be a good beast." He smiled past his tears. "Like you."
Bella nodded, swallowing her venom as she steeled herself. "And what is your name, my soon to be Childe?"
"Cretus." He grabbed at her arm as she lowered herself down to his neck, his grip somehow firm but also almost…reverent.
"Pleasure to meet you, Cretus." He let out a startled laugh. "And I'm sorry, but this is going to hurt."
She bit him.
The screams were a bit hard to cover up, even as far out into the woods as they were, and Bella knew people were starting to talk about the 'banshee' in the woods.
After the first day of sitting by Cretus' side as he began his change, Bella knew she'd have to do something about the gigantic, stinking body of a werewolf that was starting to attract flies. She hefted the thing up, speaking lowly to Cretus, despite knowing he wouldn't hear her, and drug the thing further into the forest. She spent a few hours there, pulling the body apart and spreading it about. She'd had to bury most of it.
She did, however, keep a few teeth.
She'd killed a werewolf, she got to keep a souvenir. Sue her.
Well, a souvenir apart from the scars that were forming on her left hand and right shoulder. She'd gone hunting during the second day, looking to replenish her strength and rid herself of the cracks lining her skin from the attack. One would-be rapist later, and Bella's eyes were a satisfied bright red, and most of the damage had vanished.
Apart from the marks where its teeth and claws had punctured her skin. Whatever werewolves were made of, they could definitely kill vampires. She shuddered at how close to death she'd gotten this time. Irina and Kate were right, she needed to control this thing before she wound up in the jaws of something worse.
Another thing about the attack that had bothered her was something Carlisle had said to her when she'd gone on one of her 'question the vampire' sprees that her curios nature so often provoked. She'd asked if there was anything else supernatural in the world, and Carlisle had given her a strange look that she now knew to be him trying not to break the treaty with the shifters on the Rez.
Then he'd spoken about how werewolves used to exist, a long time ago. They had been supposedly wiped out on the orders of one of the Kings, Caius. That was one thing she wasn't going to fault the leaders of the vampire world for. But, Carlisle had said that they'd gone extinct from the hunting over two thousand years ago.
She may have gone back in time even further than she'd originally thought. It was a terrifying realization. The only thing that distracted her from it was Cretus.
The rest of the time she spent at her screaming Childe's side, and she was startled by the strange bond she felt forming. She knew Carlisle had mentioned feeling a bond toward his maker, and that those bonds were secondary only to mating bonds, but she was still taken aback by the protectiveness she felt over this complete stranger.
It was like she could feel this pull toward him that grew stronger with each passing moment as the change took him. It wasn't a romantic feeling, but it was powerful. Bella couldn't understand the idea that a single maker out there had ever been able to just leave their Childe if they all felt this way.
She sincerely hoped she wouldn't have to leave her own so soon.
On the third day, red eyes opened to a new world.
Bella had been watching over him, listening to the sound of his slowing heart as it gave its final beats. She'd been worrying over how little control most newborns had, as she knew she was an exception to the rule. She was worried that he'd immediately attack her and go off on a rampage.
When he immediately locked eyes with her upon awakening, however, Bella took the awe-filled smile that overtook his face as a good sign.
He'd tried to speak, but his words were choked off as he grasped at his throat and looked at her with desperate eyes. She nodded at him and motioned for him to get up, which he did in an instant, looking down at his body in wonder.
"This is the hard part, Cretus." She spoke, and all of his attention was on her, almost like a soldier awaiting commands from their superior officer. "What we are requires us to drink blood to survive." When his gaze didn't immediately turn revolted, she continued. "I made a decision to drink human blood, the blood of the rapists and murderers and other trash, but there is always the option to drink animal blood, should you choose that."
He looked thoughtful for a moment. When he looked back at her, she knew he still couldn't speak over the pain in his throat, but he gestured at her meaningfully. "You wish to live like me?" Bella questioned, and was answered with a firm nod. "Very well, then follow."
Cretus trailed after her speeding form, looking at first startled, then overjoyed at his new speed, and they'd had to go much further then the compound, coming upon a large city that was much more well-built than what Bella was expecting for something so old, to find another rapist. They'd had to stick to the outskirts; Bella didn't want to test the newborn's control too much too soon.
Very quickly, it became apparent to her that maybe something else besides her venom had transferred over to the newborn during his change. His eyes remained a bright red, no matter how close to the city they got. Even when an unfortunate man passed them by, Cretus hadn't even spared him a glance, continuing to listen out for signs of a struggle, like Bella had told him to.
It seemed that the newborn had inherited her strange brand of self-control.
After they had successfully completed the hunt, with no unfortunate accidents, Bella took him back into the woods, as far away from people as she could manage. Just to be safe.
The second they stepped into the territory of the former werewolf, Cretus had turned toward Bella and promptly dropped to one knee.
"Domina." His hand came up to rest over his unbeating heart, and Bella's eyes widened. "I do not know how to thank you for this strange and incredible new life you have granted me, but I will start with my servitude."
"Your what?" Bella breathed out. "Wait. I don't own you. You don't owe me anything for this."
"You saved my life," he argued, "I owe you everything, Domina."
"Bella." His brow furrowed. "My name is Bella, not Domina."
He smiled, "Domina is not a name, it is a title. One you have earned."
Bella was still confused. She thought she'd heard that title somewhere in one of her history classes, but she couldn't remember what it meant. "Alright. But you can call me Bella."
He nodded, the smile not leaving his face.
"Cretus," Bella began, gazing down at the man who still rested on one knee, "there is a lot to tell you, and I don't know how much time I have to do it."
It was a long conversation, lasting a full day and well into the night, but Bella managed to get across exactly what had happened to her, and how she was there. She didn't know why, but he was much more open to the concept of time travel than Didyme. The sharp stab of pain in her chest at the thought of the woman didn't help her focus as she spoke.
From there, Bella imparted the understanding of exactly how limited her time with Cretus was, and the solemn look, bordering desperation, that she received was echoed in her own heart. She wanted to be there for her Childe, needed to be, but she knew she couldn't be. And she had no one to bring him back with her.
After that talk, Cretus spent the rest of the week looking at Bella with a heavy concern in his eyes, seemingly waiting for the moment she started to disappear, so he could clutch to her and try to make her stay. After a whole week of this, Bella had to speak up.
"I need you to promise me that when I leave—"
"If." Cretus interrupted, a sour look on his face.
"When I leave," she continued, sparing him a reprimanding glance, "you will continue to live on as I have taught you. I don't know if I'll be able to return here, but I need to know you will not forsake everything you've learned the moment I go."
"Domina—"
"Bella." It was her turn to interrupt him.
"…Bella, I will follow your ways long after you," he seemed to choke up a bit, "leave."
It was almost like her gift was just waiting for permission.
The second the final word left his mouth, Bella could feel the telltale prickling in her fingers, and her almost mournful gasp made Cretus' eyes grow wide and fearful.
"No!" He grabbed at her arms. "No, please. Not yet. I-you can't leave me yet! I'm not ready!"
The corners of her vision went fuzzy, and Bella, for the first time, actively looked at her shield. It spread out across her, and she could see it crawling up her arms at a quick pace, leaving an after image of her as it took her back. She turned back to Cretus. Panic was written all over his face, and Bella managed to reach out a hand to cup his cheek, despite the weighted down feeling in her arms.
"I will try to return." She could see a part of her shield, almost like an echo, latch onto him. It covered his own mind, and Bella almost wanted to smile at the thought that a part of her was so clearly staying with her Childe.
Tears that would never flow over his cheeks again pooled in Cretus' eyes as Bella faded from time.
I know this chapter doesn't have a lot of interaction between Bella and Athenodora, but Cretus is important. You'll get much more of her next time, I promise. And thank you to every person that left a review!