Note: For people caught up with the story I added a big section to Chapter 21: Jasper's Words of Wisdom which include Bella's first sexual experience. Worth checking out if you like that stuff.
Chapter 51
A few days later, Bella and Garrett were lounging in the forest after she had gone out to hunt. They stumbled upon an abandoned campsite, and Bella quickly rekindled the fire. They were nestled together in each other's arms, enjoying the warmth of the fire. Bella thought it would be a good time to discuss where they could head next.
"Garrett, have you ever been to China?" Bella asked.
Garrett nodded. "Yes, I have. It's a fascinating country with a rich history and culture."
Bella was happy to know that he had enjoyed the area. "Really? Do you know the language?"
Garrett smiled. "Yes, I do. If you want to go there, I'm sure you can pick it up easily, Bella."
"That sounds like a nice idea," Bella said. "I was looking on the internet and saw that the Gangkhar Puensum mountain has never been climbed completely by humans. It sounds like it would be fun. I've never told you about the 'vampire skiing' event I made up last year. We can have so much fun and see so many sights..."
She paused as they both heard the rush of footsteps, and before they knew it, they were surrounded by four unfamiliar vampires. Quickly, Bella raised her shield around Garrett and herself, preparing for their attack. Their intentions were unclear, but their hostile posture didn't bode well. With a sense of foreboding, she braced herself, knowing that they might have to fight for their survival.
But then, a voice came from the trees at the edge of the campsite. Bella would have recognized that flaming red hair anywhere, as she saw Victoria emerge from the trees. She hadn't seen or thought much of her in the years since she and James had threatened her and the Cullens. But now, she looked even more disheveled and unhinged than Bella remembered.
"You took away my mate," Victoria hissed, her eyes blazing with fury. "You killed James and now I'm going to do the same to you and your mate. I'll make sure you suffer, just like James did."
Bella tensed, ready to defend herself and Garrett, but Victoria continued her taunts.
Victoria's eyes glinted with malice as she spoke, her voice dripping with venom. "I won't kill you right away. No, no. That would be far too merciful. I want you to suffer, and suffer you will. I'll start with your precious mate, Bella. I'll make him scream and beg for mercy until he's nothing but a broken shell of himself, then I'll start burning his body part by part. And you, Bella, will watch as I slowly destroy him. I'll leave his head for you to look at while I torture you, so you'll never forget the pain you've caused me. Then, when I'm done with him, I'll come for you. I'll make you wish you were never born. I'll make sure you suffer every moment until you're begging for death, but death won't come." Victoria's lips twisted into a wicked grin, her eyes flickering with sadistic pleasure at the thought of the pain she would inflict. "And when you're just a head after I've burned your body I think I'll bury you deep in the earth so you can go mad in your misery for all eternity."
As Victoria continued her rant, threatening to take away the love that Bella had sought for so long, a seething rage built up inside of her. How dare this twisted monster try to steal her happiness. Bella's eyes glinted with fiery determination as she listened to Victoria's words, taking every insult and threat personally. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides as she waited for the perfect moment to strike.
And then, with a fierce intensity, Bella unleashed her power. She raised a shield to trap Victoria and lifted her four henchmen into the air, watching with satisfaction as they squirmed and writhed.
With an icy stare fixed on Victoria, Bella used her abilities to create a blazing inferno inside each vampire. All four screamed in unbearable agony as they burned from the inside out, their screams echoed through the forest as the flames roared and illuminated the night sky. Eventually, they were reduced to ashes that blew away in the wind.
As the smoke cleared, Victoria fell to her knees, utterly stunned by the sudden turn of events. Bella approached her, her eyes cold and hard as she stood over the trembling figure. Victoria looked small and insignificant on the ground, and Bella couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction as she towered over her former tormentor.
"James was a sadistic asshole, and it was his own doing that led to his death. Don't you dare try to pin that on me," Bella spat, her eyes blazing with fury. "And as for Garrett, you will never touch him. You come here, threatening to take away my happiness, but you don't get to decide my fate."
Bella took a step closer to Victoria, who was now trembling with fear. "You think you can hurt me? You think you can hurt the man I love?" Bella's voice was low and dangerous. "I will make sure that you never harm anyone ever again."
With that, Bella lifted Victoria up into the air with her shield and suspended her there floating in front of them. Bella could feel her powers pulsating within her, calling out to be unleashed. Without warning, Bella raised her hand, and with a swift motion, used her shield to slice off Victoria's arm at the shoulder. Victoria let out a blood-curdling scream as venom dripped out of the stump. "Is that all you got?" Bella sneered, her eyes flashing with fury. Without waiting for a response, she raised her other hand and sliced off Victoria's other arm. Venom continued to spurt from the wounds as Victoria screamed in pain. Bella was just getting started. With a flick of her wrist, Bella sliced off Victoria's legs, Victoria floated there just a head and torso. "Say goodbye to this world, Victoria," Bella said, her voice like steel. "Maybe you'll find some solace in hell with James. Or maybe, you'll just be gone forever."
With Bella's final words to Victoria, she let loose one last surge of power, slicing off Victoria's head in one clean swipe. She dropped the floating torso to the ground in a heap with Victoria's other parts. Bella set all the parts on fire and watched as they turned to ash and blew away.
Bella stood still and took a deep breath, trying to calm down. She studied her hands for a time and then down at the ground as the last ashes blew away, a creeping dread slowly took over her as she realized what she had just done. "I know I did what I had to do, but I never wanted to resort to that kind of violence," she said, her voice trembling with emotion. "It's just that... when she threatened you, it was like something inside of me snapped. I couldn't let her hurt you or take away what we have."
Garrett took Bella's hands and pulled her close to him. "I know, love. I understand why you did it, and I don't blame you. You were protecting us," he said, his voice soft and soothing.
Bella leaned her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, trying to calm herself down. "But the way I did it... It was so brutal. I didn't think I was capable of that kind of violence," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Garrett gently stroked her hair, trying to comfort her. "You had no other choice, Bella. You did what you had to do to protect us," he said, his voice filled with compassion.
Bella looked up at him, she knew she would be crying if she could. "But I don't want to be like that," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I don't want to be the kind of person who takes pleasure in killing. I never want to feel that way again."
Garrett nodded understandingly. "Then you won't be," he said firmly. "You will remember this day and if we ever have to defend ourselves by taking a life, I know you will do it in a way that you are comfortable with. You won't ever have to be like you were today if you make a choice not to be. I promise."
Bella leaned into Garrett's embrace once again, feeling a sense of comfort and safety wash over her. She knew that he was right and that she could make a different choice in the future. But for now, she allowed herself to feel the weight of her actions and the emotions that came with them.
Bella and Garrett hugged each other tightly for a long time, feeling the warmth and love they had for each other. Eventually the sun started to rise and Bella loosened her embrace. Bella looked up into Garrett's eyes, feeling a sense of peace wash over her. "Thank you for being here for me," she said softly.
Garrett smiled down at her. "Always, my love," he replied, kissing her forehead. "We have eternity together to make the most of every moment. Let's go out and create a future of happiness, love, and adventure."
Garrett looked at Bella with a grin. "Let's leave this area. Come run with me and let's watch the ocean as the sun rises." he said, and Bella's eyes sparkled with delight. With a nod, they took off, their feet pounding against the forest floor.
As they ran, Bella felt the cool breeze whipping through her hair and the warmth of the sun on her back. She felt so alive, so free. Garrett was right beside her, matching her stride for stride. They laughed and played with each other, reveling in the beauty of the forest around them. They leapt over fallen logs, dodged around trees, and took in the splendor of the beautiful scenery.
It was exactly what Bella needed, a chance to escape the tension of their recent confrontation and release all her pent-up energy. As they ran through the forest, the sense of joy and freedom that she craved washed over her, filling her with renewed strength and vitality."
As they approached a high cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Bella smiled. She grabbed Garrett around the waist and she jumped in a spinning leap, their bodies rotating around and around as they sailed over the cliff's edge and plummeted towards the water. But as they fell, Bella erected her shield around their bodies and took control of their descent, leveling themselves out to be skimming a few feet above the ocean's surface.
As they moved over the water, Bella felt a sense of complete freedom and happiness. She felt so lucky to have Garrett by her side, and the love she felt for him was indescribable. She looked at him and saw a future full of endless possibilities, and she knew that together they could conquer anything. The wind whipped through their hair, as the sun rose higher behind them, casting a warm glow over the water. Bella felt an urge to push her limits, to go faster and higher than ever before. Putting all of her energy into her shield, they surged forward, their bodies streaking above the water with increasing speed towards the horizon.
* That is the last chapter of the official story. I will post the epilogue on Monday. I want to thank everyone for reading my story. It's the first story I have ever written, and I have really enjoyed doing it. While the official story is ending, I have thought of some interesting bits of Bella's life that take place in the years to follow that I would like to write. Additionally, I have an idea for a 'what could have been' scene between Bella and Edward before they broke up which I hope to post in a week or two. *