The couple of days leading up to the weekend passed relatively quickly now that I was simultaneously looking forward to and dreading revealing my true nature to Lila.

As if my nerves weren't already shot from worrying what Lila would think of me, Alice must have seen what I was going to do on the weekend and Edward decided to confront me about it.

"Don't do it," he whispered at vampiric speed during Biology, "You'll put her in danger."

"I would never put Lila in danger, and you don't get to tell me what to do," I replied in the same manner.

Edward looked like he was about to have an aneurysm.

"Haven't you heard of the Volturi? Don't you know our laws?" He asked, barely controlled fury colouring his voice.

"Yes I have and yes I do," I answered.

"And you're going to do it anyway?" Edward said, flabbergasted.

I sighed, "She deserves to know who I am, who we are, because she is such a big part of my life. Honestly, I'd be surprised if she hasn't figured it out already. She probably just hasn't said anything."

"No, I won't let you put her in danger like that!" He growled.

I looked at him then, "It's not your decision to make, she isn't yours. She isn't Bella."

A flicker of pain passed over his features at the mention of Bella.

"You're wrong," Edward said, "She is Bella, reincarnated."

I barely concealed the shock and hurt I was feeling. I couldn't believe he thought she was Bella, me, but at the same time I could. He thought she had the same 'talent' as I did as a human.

Again I wondered, did I really look that different?

"Lila isn't Bella reincarnated," I told him. I could see he was about to argue with me so I added, "Trust me on this, please."

Something in my expression must have persuaded him. He just nodded.

"I promise I won't tell her your family's stories, only what we are," I said, because I felt like I needed to convince him it would be ok.

Again Edward nodded, "I'll let them know."

"Thanks" I replied.

And then it was Saturday. I felt like my nerves were on fire.

Seth and I had decided to tell her over lunch at Seth's house.

As per the plan, I picked Lila up on my way to the reservation.

"Seth sounded really nervous on the phone this morning," She said as she jumped into my car, "He isn't going to break up with me, is he?"

Lila looked as worried as I was.

"Sweetie, the last thing he is going to do is break up with you," I told her with a smile, "I actually think it would probably kill him to do that."

"Oh," she said as we pulled out of her street.

I elbowed her arm, "Don't worry, you'll understand why he is so nervous really soon. I promise it's nothing bad."

She nodded, "And you will be there?"

"Of course," I replied, "I'm not going to throw you to the wolves."

As soon as I had spoken I was mentally kicking myself for the use of that saying. I was such an idiot sometimes.

"I'll be right next to you for as long as you want me there," I finished, recovering somewhat from my idiocy.

The rest of the drive to the reservation was spent in silence, both of us in our own little worlds fretting about one thing or another.

After what felt like hours of driving, I pulled into the Black's driveway. Seth was waiting out the front and came over to greet us.

Well, when I say greet us I mean he threw a brief hello in my direction before giving Lila a big hug and a kiss.

Normally I would have given them both a hard time about it, but there was a chance this would be the last time both of them would be happy. So I let them have their moment.

"Come on," Seth said when they finally allowed daylight between them, "I want to show you the clearing."

Seth took Lila by the hand and led her to the clearing without saying a word to me. He didn't need to; this was part of the plan. Although, Lila did look over her shoulder at me a couple of times to check I was following them.

"Ok,' Seth started once we were all settled under a tree at the edge of the clearing, "Remember when we first met? And Jake told that legend about the Cold Ones?"

Lila nodded, looking unsure of where he was going. Then again, she was expecting a break up.

"Well, it's not a legend, it's more of a historical story," Seth continued.

"As in, less Camelot and more Civil War?" Lila clarified. The poor thing had absolutely no idea where this was going.

"That's right," I answered her, giving her an encouraging smile.

"So you are saying that wolf shifters and …" Lila paused looking for the right word.

"Vampires," I supplied.

"…and vampires, are real?" She finished.

"Yes," Seth confirmed, "and that's not all."

Seth looked at me, his eyes full of fear. I smiled what I hoped was an encouraging smile although I was just as petrified.

He took a big breath, "I'm a wolf shifter and Marie is a vampire."

Lila looked at us and we looked back. Seth and I were now the ones confused. We had expected shock, horror and fear, not a thoughtful stare.

Then she smiled. "I always knew there was something special about you guys," she told us, happily.

I think Seth and I both looked like gaping fish. This was definitely not the reaction we were expecting.

"What?" Lila giggled at us, "You were both too beautiful, too strong and too hot or cold. I figured if you didn't tell me, I probably didn't need to know."

"You are just like your grandmother," I smiled. Lila glowed at the compliment.

Seth still looked worried. "There is something else," He said.

He then went on to explain about imprints and exactly how old he was. He never looked away from Lila as if afraid she would disappear the moment he did.

He didn't need to worry.

The moment he finished, she jumped on him enveloping him in a hug.

"I love you," Lila said. She could not have said any other words that would have made Seth's face light up as much as her declaration just did.

I had waited so long for Seth look like that and I was so glad I was around to see it.

"I love you too," He replied squeezing her lightly, "I need to go let the pack know that you know our secret and Marie has something else she wants to talk to you about."

After kissing Lila lightly on the lips Seth backed into the clearing and shifted.

"He is so beautiful!" gushed Lila.

I'm pretty sure Seth puffed his chest out and strutted out of the clearing as proud as a peacock.

But that's just what I saw.

Once Seth was out of sight, Lila turned to me.

"So what's your big secret?" She asked.

I sighed, "You remember the story of Bella and Edward?"

"Of course," Lila replied, "It's all my grandmother told me as a child."

"Ok, so, what if I told you I was Bella?" I half asked her.

She looked at me confused.

"When I was human, I was Isabella Marie Swan," I said, trying to clarify.

"But she died."

"No, she became a vampire, she became me, Marie Penn," I said.

"Ok, elaborate," Lila demanded politely.

So I told her how clumsy I was as a human and how I fell in love with Edward Cullen, that even though I was human, we were soul mates.

"Wait," She interrupted, "Edward Cullen sounds a lot like Edward Masen."

"Yeah," I smiled ruefully, "That's because they are the same person. Edward and his family are vampires too, the original Cold Ones from the story actually."

"Whoa, so I've been 'dating' your vampire soul mate? How does he not recognise you?" Lila was horrified.

"Yeah, basically and I have no idea, I didn't think I changed that much," I answered her.

"Oh my god, I am so sorry, that must have been awful to watch," She apologised, "But why did he fall for me in the first place?"

"That's my fault actually," I went on to explain my gift and how I'd used it to give her privacy from his abilities but that it backfired because he now thought she was me reincarnated.

"That is so weird!" She exclaimed, "I was going to tell him on Monday I wanted to go steady with Seth but now I don't think it can wait any longer. I'll call him right now."

So that's exactly what Lila did.

And Edward was not happy about it at all.