Rosalie POV

It would have been quite amusing seeing Edward fly straight through the tree I threw him against if Bella hadn't be so still next to me.

Before I had a chance to get the beast inside me under control to not outright kill him I saw the smug look he wore and the sneer he sent towards Alice. I tackled him again and rammed my fist in his face until I felt his skin crack under the force. I only stopped when he wasn't struggling anymore but hanging limp in my arms. Alice had gone to take Bella back to her home which meant that I was alone with Edward.

I yanked him to his feet and snarled right into his face: „Take your power back Edward or I swear Carlisle won't be able to save you no matter what he does."

For a moment I could see the fear in his eyes but then his sneer reappeared and he cackled: „Oh I don't think you actually want me to do that Rose."

„And why oh dear brother do you think that?" I practically spat in his face.

„You see I wasn't able to read Bella's mind. That's what made me so sure she was my mate in the first place. But that fact is also the reason why there is nothing left of the Bella you knew inside of her right now. Not only did I take her free will and took control over her body, I also removed her active thoughts, otherwise there would've always been a part of her fighting against me and we can't have that now, can we?"

He cackled again and while I stared at him in utter disbelief I saw the madness swimming in his eyes for the first time. Alice had told me about the time when Edward had left Carlisle's side and went on a hunting frenzy within big cities but I never once witnessed his mad beast.

Defeat was the only thing that coursed through my body and numbly I let Edward go.

„You took her soul Edward? Just because you couldn't bear see Alice get what you always craved for?"

„You still don't understand Rosalie. Bella was never meant to be Alice's, she was meant to be mine. I am her mate and therefore I have the right to say what she needs and what will be good for her and those stupid feelings Jasper was sensing from her towards Alice were just not good for her."

Again I could only gape at his stupidity and desperately hoped for Bella's sake that Edward didn't take out all of her, that there still was something left of her soul. Alice had been so happy the other night and the knowing that my little sister just had her heart broken while I just stood beside it and did nothing hurt even worse than Edward's betrayal towards her.

When Emmet and Jasper reappeared to inform us that Bella was home with her father and somewhat functioning I told them with great regret that we couldn't do anything about what Edward had done and that telling Esme and Carlisle also wouldn't help Bella.

Emmet roared and had Jasper not taken hold of him around the waist in time I was sure he would've ripped Edward's stupid head straight from his neck.

We met Alice on our way home and I felt more than helpless when I couldn't do anything to ease her pain. I just took her small hand in my own and squeezed gently to let her know that she didn't have to go through all of this alone. Alice just smiled weakly and when we reached our home she went straight to her room and didn't come back down.

Esme sensed something happened and asked me quietly about it when we were alone in the garden out in our backyard but other than telling her that Alice had her heart broken because of the girl we met in the supermarket the other day I couldn't do anything.

Edward would just read it in her mind that I told her everything he did and I definitely didn't want to find out what else he could do to Bella just to hurt Alice even more.

Alice POV

It was pure torture to see Bella every day with Edward doing whatever he told her to and not recognize me at all when she looked my way.

My talk with Kate hadn't yet brought anything forward that would help me but the Denali's promised to keep looking for the slightest hint that there was a power that could bring Bella her soul back.

Some days when Edward decided to torment me even further he would ask me to look after Bella while he went away hunting. Only recently did I notice that the fog in Bella's eyes seemed to clear somewhat when we spent time alone together with Edward out of town. Last week she even said my name and looked at me with great confusion that I had been sure she remembered at least something. Before I had the chance to talk to her further however my pest of a brother had come back and all life left her eyes again.

This weekend Bella would be spending at our home so that Esme and Carlisle could formerly meet her and because Edward thought it would be a good idea to show her how utterly strong and powerful he was we were going to play baseball with Bella refereeing. Everyone except Edward and Carlisle were tense with their beasts near to the surface. Esme might not fully know what was going on but she of course had noticed my emotional state and the constant distance we all kept towards Edward and our borderline viciousness whenever he showed a sign of weakness.

When Saturday finally came and brought with it a slightly nervous Bella looking definitely too adorable in her baseball outfit for her own good I couldn't decide whether to be ecstatic or desolated about her presence.

I did however keep my thoughts to myself because I didn't want Edward ruining another good chance for me to get some time with Bella even if it was with him and my whole family in tow.

We were in the middle of our game when a vision hit me so suddenly I nearly lost my balance during a throw. Three Nomads were heading our way and there seemed to be no option for us to get Bella out of here without it erupting into a fight.

Edward read my thoughts and ordered everyone around Bella to keep her scent as hidden as possible, then he went to stand next to Carlisle at the front of our coven as if that place belonged more to him than it did to Esme which nearly made me snarl at him but we couldn't show inner struggle while facing another coven in our territory.

The Nomads consisted out of two men and one woman, a fiery redhead that seemed somewhat familiar to me but that I couldn't really place. The blonde male stepped forward and directed his formal greeting towards Carlisle. It seemed like they heard us play and wanted to join in. It would have been pleasurable to interact with another coven that wasn't related to us like the Denali's were hadn't it been for a very frightened Bella in our midst.

Carlisle very nicely declined the approach because we apparently were nearly finished anyway and the storm wouldn't last for much longer. The Nomads were already on the verge of leaving when fate decided to screw us over once again and the wind turned, blowing Bella's scent directly towards the Nomads.

Their leader laughed and turned back around. A wicked smile etched on his face that made my insides curl.

„I see you brought a snack. Could it be that you just don't want to share? I could understand that, she smells absolutely delicious but perhaps that is negotiable?"

Edward didn't even think to maybe get out of this through talking because he growled loudly and was in James face not seconds after.

„She is no snack and I definitely won't be sharing her with you!"

That only made the Nomad laugh even more and he cooed at Edward.

„My, my you really are taken with this one, are you not? Plan to have her smell around for as long as you please yes?"

Edward made a move to strike at him but James just moved so fast that even Edward wasn't able to compare with him.

„We'll leave you and your pet alone for now but I may change my mind and when I do I'll make sure you're the first one to know."

With another insane giggle from James the Nomads left and Edward thundered back to us like a petulant child.

„We have to get Bella to safety. I won't wait for his next move, we must make ours first."

Jasper opened his mouth to object, he was after all the one with the most experience with hunter and prey but before he could utter a single word Carlisle nodded and said: „We will figure something out Edward. It is just understandable that you want to keep your mate safe."

I nearly snarled at my father for that comment but Rosalie smacked her elbow into my rips just in time to keep me from spilling anything important and sub-whispered: „Maybe we can get something out of this mess for you and Bella, just play along and keep your thoughts guarded."

I nodded sternly and followed my family and Bella back to our house. It was alarming that Bella was so calm, Edward had such a tight hold of her that she wasn't even able to feel her own emotions anymore. At least not when he concentrated and was aware of her like he was now.

In the end the plan was for me and Jasper to take Bella back to Phoenix to hide her so that the others could play a game of cat and mouse with James here in Forks. It was Jaspers idea which made Edward agree to it more easily as if he would have had the idea been mine.

The first real change happened on the plane. Bella suddenly jerked next to me and when I turned my concerned eyes to her the fog from her eyes was nearly non-existing and she seemed to be studying her surroundings. Before I could open my mouth to carefully speak to her, her head turned and she met my gaze.

„Alice! Why am I on a plane?"

I was so speechless, that it took me nearly a full minute to gather my wits and reply with a simple: „Bella, you're back." and the widest smile that I could manage.

Jasper next to me also noticed the change and tentatively asked: „What is the last thing you remember Bella?"

She scrunched her eyebrows in deep thought and mumbled: „My memories are weird. There are gaps between them that I can't seem to remember. I remember being in the forest behind the school with all of you and Edward rambling something about me being his mate which is just impossible because I know who my mate will be and that is not him nor any other male. After that there are just some glimpses. Some of them are of us in my room and then there is one with Rosalie in sports. She saved me from being knocked out by a volleyball I think. But I can't remember how I got on the plane."

Bella's emotions seemed to catch up with her because her breathing began to quicken and I could hear her heart beating rapidly in her chest. Jasper caught on as fast as I did and while I grabbed hold of her hand, he send out a wave of calm which seemed to do the job.

When her breathing was normal again she squeezed my hand thankfully and asked: „Okay, what did I forget? Please tell me everything, I hate the feeling of not knowing what happens with my own body."

A quick glance at Jasper told me that he was as eager as I was to tell Bella everything Edward did but on a plane between nearly a hundred humans which were probably very eager to listen in on our conversation was not the best idea, so I smiled warmly at her and promised her to not leave a single moment out when we got to the hotel. For now I just told her that we were headed to Phoenix because of something that happened back in Forks.