A/N: I'm so sorry I missed updating the last two Sundays! My life went to hell, there was chaos and pain and all of that other fun shit, and I didn't really have the time or energy to post/write for any of my stories. For those who were so understanding, thanks so much, you have no idea how much I appreciate it. As always, I can't wait to hear what you guys think about this chapter. I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 20

Obviously, Riley was not going to be allowed to fight any vampires. But trying to tell the human that was one of the hardest things any vampire or shifter had ever done. It wasn't long before Riley was arguing with every shifter, Bella, Rosalie, and even to some degree Jasper, for her right to train too.

"She's amazing," Kate breathed, an adoring grin on her face as her eyes sparked with excitement. It only figured that her mate would have such fire in her.

"That she is," Irina agreed with her own loving smile.

"She's also clearly trouble," Tanya said, but while her words could be seen as harsh, her tone was full of fondness.

"Riley, we've talked about this. You're human and you'll get hurt trying to punch us," Leah said pointedly. At first, Riley looked ready to argue with her, but then realization thankfully dawned on her face.

"Shit you're right." An evil look in her eyes was all the warning Leah got as Riley launched herself at the shifter, adding, "You better make sure I don't hit you then!"

"Are you insane?" Leah demanded as she only just managed to jump out of the way, growling in response to Riley's maniacal laughter.

Jasper grimaced at the powerful panic that came off of every single shifter in that moment. He knew he had to do something to calm Riley down, but what? The girl always seemed to be running on pure caffeine and overexcitement. Thankfully, as his eyes landed on Bella, he had an idea.

"Actually, Riley, there's someone who could use your help," Jasper called out, making the being of chaos in question pause.

"My help?" Riley couldn't help but feel a mix of suspiciousness and happiness at Jasper's words. It wasn't often that people actually wanted her help, and the chance of helping someone she cared about was something she always loved to do.

Kate loved the way Riley perked up at the mention of help. Fuck she's adorable.

Oh, she's so sweet, Irina melted at how interested Riley got in helping others.

Tanya kept her thoughts to herself, masking her thoughts with thoughts about Edward shirtless despite how much it had always disgusted her to think such things. It was great knowing how uncomfortable those thoughts made the mindreader, and there was the added benefit of him not being able to see her current fantasies involving her mate "helping" Tanya while in a very compromising position between the Denali leader's legs.

"Yes. While you two aren't going to be fighting any vampires, if you have any advice, I'd love for you to train Bella for me. I'm sure it would put all of us more at ease knowing she could hopefully defend herself better against other humans."

Riley frowned at that. Since when would Bella want to learn to fight? She had a feeling Jasper was just finding something for Riley to do to keep her out of the way, but when she glanced over at Bella, she found the brunette's eyes sparkling with interest.

Edward grimaced. "I'm not so sure it's a good idea to let Riley be the one to train her. Maybe we can get a professional?"

Many more people than just the Denali sisters didn't like the thinly veiled insult in Edward's words, but before anyone could say or do something to the mindreader, Riley was more than happy to take over.

"Oh, trust me, I'm always very gentle when it comes to Bella. Isn't that right, babe?" Riley purred. Thankfully she remembered to use her good hand when she reached out to the other human. Her arm looped around Bella's waist, pulling the brunette against her body suggestively. Bella found herself blushing despite her efforts not to, and it made the entire situation even more embarrassing.

Oh no she's a flirt. Damn it, Tanya grit her teeth to stop herself from snarling. Riley flirting with them was one thing, but to know she probably flirted with every girl she came across, even playfully...it certainly wasn't helping her possessiveness. Or her sister's, for that matter, seeing as she had to quickly reach out and snag each of their hands to stop them from moving closer to the two humans. Most likely their instincts were screaming at them to rip the two apart and put some claim to Riley, just like Tanya's instincts were.

The Denali sisters weren't the only one to react; Tanya noted how Leah hid a grimace as she shifted awkwardly, seeming to want to separate the two herself. There was no doubt there was a special relationship between Riley and Leah, one that Tanya and her sisters would have to get involved with. She refused to let anyone try to take her mate away from her.

Jacob also seemed interested in intervening, but he knew he had no claim over Bella, and if he said or tried anything, making a fool of himself would be the least of his problems. He was pretty sure if he appeared in any way aggressive or touched Riley the wrong way, his pack would probably tear him apart. Jacob could only hope it wouldn't be literally.

Of course, Edward also had to insert his own opinion. "Bella doesn't like public displays of affection," he blurted out with clear desperation, clearly uncomfortable with Bella being in someone else's arms. Especially if that someone else was Riley.

"I'm fine, Edward," Bella snapped, narrowing her eyes at her kinda boyfriend before turning back to Riley. She couldn't help blush a little harder when Riley wiggled her eyebrows knowingly at Bella with an evil grin. Riley had done it on purpose, and was more than happy to keep doing it if Bella wanted her to. She loved rubbing anything she could in Edward's face, and strangely enough, Bella found she wanted to rub some things in Edward's face herself. Later, she would probably feel guilty, but for now… "I'd love for you to train me, Riley."

Riley shot a gloating look over at Edward, completely unaware of the four pairs of eyes, three vampire and one shifter, staring hard at Bella with jealousy. She started to lead Bella away, arm still wrapped around Bella's waist. "Right this way, Bella. I'll show you how a real bitch fights."

"No you don't, you're training over here," Sam said and gestured to a flat piece of land behind the shifters and away from the vampires.

"The fuck, why?" Riley didn't really care where they trained. Problem was, what she did hate was being told what to do; especially if there's a stupid reason behind it. She narrowed her eyes at Sam, all but bristling as she caught him glancing over at the vampires. "Sam, I swear to god, if I haven't beaten it into your head that these vamps-"

Holy fuck she's feisty. Kate licked her lips at Riley's display, and while a few shifters shot her concerned and protective looks, she didn't care. Kate had no intentions of eating her-well, no interest in her blood, at least. There were plenty of other ways Kate wanted to eat the human after witnessing the display of fire.

Sam held up his hands defensively, and the fact that he actually looked nervous was almost laughable. "I have my reasons. We have one incredibly reckless human training one insanely clumsy one. It's just a precaution in case either of you start to bleed; this way, if a vampire loses it, we'll have some shifters between you and them ready to intervene if any vampire loses control."

Ugh, fuck. He had a point. While Riley didn't give a damn about spilling any blood herself, whether the vampires actually found her tasty or not, Bella's blood was a different thing. Not only did it apparently smell amazing to everyone, but she really didn't want to cause another hissy fit where everyone thought they were too dangerous to be around Bella. Of course they couldn't leave with such a threat hanging over their heads, but they could still hurt Bella's feelings by acting all weird.

None of the Denali sisters liked that Riley was now moving further away, especially with such disgustingly smelling shifters between them. However, none of them could say or do anything about it either. After all, while they hated to admit it, the alpha mutt had a good reason to insist on this.

"Fine. You win...this time," Riley muttered. Damn them and their common sense. "C'mon, Bella."

"Sure." Bella tried not to smile when Riley all but pouted as the girl led Bella away. Once more, Riley hadn't led Bella very far before she was stopped once more, this time by Paul and Leah. Paul had his arms crossed over his puffed out chest, trying to look as tough as possible, while Leah was more concerned and mildly anxious.

"Fuck, what now?" Riley demanded in exasperation.

"Just wanted to remind you to be careful is all," Paul grunted. He side eyed the three blonde vamps whose gazes were completely glued to Riley. He was trying to silently warn them to back off and not to try shit, but they ignored him. For once, Paul didn't see it as rude; the vamps didn't even seem to realize he was there.

"Oh, come on, I'm not that reckless. I know not to do stupid shit when training." Riley knew he wasn't warning her about the training, though. Not just because Paul was keeping his eyes on the vampires past them, but because she could feel the gazes of the three Denali sisters as well. She had no idea if her previous reaction was what caused them to watch her so intensely or if it was her insanely obvious attraction to them that Riley was shit at controlling, or if it was something else entirely. Quite honestly, she didn't really care at this particular moment; she just wanted it to stop.

It was insane; Riley, the girl of endless lust, not wanting the attention of three insanely beautiful blondes? If Sasha were here, she'd be doubled over in laughter at Riley's expense. But Riley just couldn't help how she felt; their gazes were unnerving. Riley's reaction to their very existence was mildly terrifying. Everything about them was just...dangerous. Unpredictable. Unknown.

As it always did when her emotions got the best of her and thoughts of Sasha filled her head, Riley's right hand moved to grip the locket, rubbing it for comfort. She barely even registered the jolts of pain up her arm.

"Nah, I just…" Paul didn't want to outright say he didn't like how the vamps were looking at Riley; he had promised to behave, after all.

Leah stepped forward, taking Riley's right hand gently with both of hers. Realizing what she was doing, Riley stopped messing with her necklace and looked up at Leah in surprise. "For once in your life, please, for the love of god, don't use your bad hand while you're training. You haven't even recovered yet from the last time."

Her words along with the concerned and upset looks on the faces of the pack and Bella got all of the vampires' attention. Most importantly, it got the three Denali sisters' attention. Their gazes flew to the arm that was covered in a glove, their anxiety and concern only heightened when they found that the article of clothing covered the arm from their sight. Unable to see it, their minds were filled with all sorts of crazy reasons as to what could be wrong. The urge to go to Riley was strong, stopped only by Carmen and Eleazar putting themselves between the three women and their mate. While understanding and sympathetic toward their coven mates, they also knew that jumping into a group of shifters would certainly only make the current relations tenser.

Did someone hurt her? I'll kill them. Having been a warrior, Kate hadn't thought much about the scars on Riley's body. Had even been proud of her mate for having them, seeing them as badges of honor, proof her mate had taken on enemies and won. They were all old wounds, and Kate knew she currently couldn't do anything about anyone who inflicted them. Now that she learned there was a very current wound, however, she was a lot more ready to act. Ready to kill. Her eyes took in Riley with a new perspective, and thanks to the way Riley's body was turned, she could now see the scars on Riley's back and neck through her hair, the scar that peeked out from the hem of her shirt, or the strange burn mark on her hip that was mostly covered by her jeans. Those were not wounds you would get in battle-those looked like they were wound inflicted from torture.

Kate froze in her fury, both at the ones who hurt her mate, but also herself; she should have remembered battles don't happen in the same way anymore. Should have realized that Riley had gone through unknown horrors sooner. Her coven would call her stupid for thinking it, but she felt like she should have been there to protect Riley from everyone who had ever tried to hirt her. I'll kill them. I'll hunt down and kill every person who ever hurt her. Anyone who dared hurt my mate, dared to torture her, are going to pay a thousand fold. I swear it. I wasn't there for you in the past, but I'm going to be here for you now. I'm going to do whatever it takes to make sure you're never hurt like that again.

"What is wrong with Riley's arm?" Tanya's voice was so sharp and commanding, so intense, it made a few of the shifters jump in surprise. Leah tensed but didn't reply, waiting for Riley to choose what to say or do instead.

Why do you care? Why can't you and your sisters just stay away from me and stop making me feel weird? Riley wanted to say, but of course she wouldn't.

"Nothing, nothing is wrong." Wow, that was the worst lie Riley had ever told in her life. Sadly, everyone there knew it.

Riley made the mistake of glancing over at the Denalis, but it wasn't the looks of frustration on their faces that were the problem. The problem was the way Tanya managed to catch Riley's eyes with her own, and just like that, Riley felt captured. She was completely at the coven leader's mercy until Tanya chose to let Riley go.

"What's wrong with your arm, Riley?" Tanya asked. The silken, coaxing tone of her voice, coupled with the subtle command, backed with so much power, was almost too much for the human.

Riley couldn't speak. Could barely remember to breathe. The only saving grace was the way the wind shifted, blowing her scent away from the vampires. That way, the only ones who got a lungful of Riley's arousal were the surrounding shifters.

Fuck. Is she trying to make me cream my jeans here? Riley's arousal was almost painful. She hadn't known she would be so painfully turned on by a gorgeous and dominant blonde vampire, yet here she was. Ready to basically orgasm just from a voice.

Quite a few shifters looked disgusted at having smelled her reaction, but they still glared openly at Tanya and the other two blonde Denalis, both who were tense at Tanya's sides. Kate was still frozen in her anger, struggling not to react in a way Riley might not like. Irina was held in place by Carmen's arm around her shoulders, but the youngest blonde itched to move. She desperately wanted to go to Riley's side, to help her and tend to her however she could. Oh, if only she could do just that. Yet she could tell just how badly Riley would react if Irina were to try, and it held her back just as much as Carmen's arm.

Tanya felt she had waited long enough for Riley to answer, so she decided she needed to ask again.

"Riley." A single word, a prompt, but it was her name. Her name, which was spoken by a way too beautiful vampire, in a way too sexy voice. Riley felt herself melting, her knees weakening with such piercing golden eyes on her. The amount of power the woman had over her was terrifying. Terrifying and thrilling and Riley didn't even know what she wanted anymore. She knew that her heart was hammering almost out of her chest, and she knew every vampire could hear it.

She also knew that Tanya was really, really hot. All three Denalis were. So fucking hot and sexy and Riley totally wasn't imagining them naked...

Tanya wasn't one who enjoyed repeating herself; she was used to her commands, whether information or action, being obeyed immediately. She knew her mate was struggling, but she needed to know how her mate was hurt. Needed to know what happened and how so she could figure out how to fix it. "What happened to your arm, Riley? Tell me."

Leah and Paul bristled at her tone. They didn't care how Riley was reacting, only that Tanya was ordering and pushing Riley when she either couldn't, or didn't want to, speak.

"If she doesn't want to tell you-" Leah started hotly, but she didn't finish. Riley had managed to find her voice, and she didn't hesitate to speak.

"I said it's nothing! My arm just blew up a little, okay?" Riley blurted, desperate for Tanya to release whatever hold the vampire's eyes had on her.

Her reaction stunned all of the vampires, and thankfully, when Tanya's eyes widened, Riley found she was somehow able to look away.

"It blew up? What do you mean, your arm blew up? Arms don't blow up, Riley." Irina, surprisingly, was the one to speak first.

"Well mine did." Riley kicked at a rock, looking anywhere but at the vampires. "Just a little bit, though." She peeked up at Irina from under her lashes as she held the thumb and pointer finger of her bad hand about an inch apart. "Like this much."

Carlisle let out a sigh. "Maybe training should be put on hold. I think I need to examine your arm again."

Riley stiffened and immediately released Bella to back away, hiding behind Leah and Paul. "Like hell. I'm fine. I don't need a doctor."

"Yeah you do." Paul picked Riley up before she could register what he was doing, throwing the girl over his shoulder. To many people's surprise, he took a few steps forward, keeping his eyes on Carlisle. "Her arm is getting worse. She needs help. Please, Doc; please help her."

Everyone was stunned. This was one of the wolves who hated vampires the most. He was also the most aggressive, temperamental, and naturally angry shifter in the entire pack. Yet here he was, asking a vampire for help.

Carlisle nodded. "Bring her inside; I'll see what I can do."

Riley actually didn't fight or complain about how Paul was treating her like a sack of potatoes. She was still too shocked at Paul's actions to think to do either. "Holy shit...Paul, did you just say please?"

Paul didn't glance at her or hesitate as he followed Carlisle into a throng of vampires. "Fuck yeah I did. And I'll say it again too if that's what I have to do to get you some fucking help."

Riley had no idea how to reply to that. She still wasn't used to people doing things for her, especially something as grand as Paul asking his natural enemies for help.

"...You're such a fuck nugget," Riley said at last.

"Love you too, pipsqueak."

"Actually, it looks like you're a fuck nugget with a death wish." Riley lifted her dominant hand to hit Paul hard on the back. Before she could, hands caught her arm with amazing gentleness, and Riley found herself looking into gentle golden eyes. Shit. They were a thousand times more beautiful up close, but something wasn't right with them. It made Riley stop and search the blonde's gaze, trying to figure out what felt so wrong.

"Let's not hurt yourself further, okay?" Irina spoke softly, her voice just as gentle as her eyes. Riley easily picked up the pleading in her voice.

Fear. There was fear in her eyes. That's what Riley didn't like. Fear didn't belong in the eyes of such a beautiful vampire. She wanted that emotion gone. But how? What did Irina have to be afraid of? The only thing that Riley could think of to cause that level of fear was the...the Volturi. Shit. The rules. Not letting humans live with the knowledge of vampires. All of the Denalis were terrified of the Volturi and being caught breaking the rules, and here were two humans who clearly knew too much right in front of her.

Was that what Irina was scared of? Obviously. Yet her actions didn't match up to her fear. It almost looked like she was afraid of Riley. No, not afraid of Riley, that wasn't quite right. But Riley was a cause of that fear, and the worry that Irina harbored as well. Worry for Riley, Riley could see now. Yet that only brought forth more questions and confusion.

Riley nodded mutely, showing she understood, and let Irina choose what to do next. She expected Irina to release Riley's arm so she could move away from the tense shifter who had frozen in the doorway the second Irina had appeared. Yet Irina didn't. Instead, her hands slid down to grasp Riley's fist, and this time, Riley was the one being studied. The way Irina looked at her was strangely intimate and it made Riley feel open...vulnerable. But not in a bad way. Weirdly enough, Riley kind of liked it. Of course, liking being vulnerable was the worst thing Riley could feel, and she quickly shut it down. She would not let herself be okay with this. Yet even with her rejection of her own emotions, she couldn't bring herself to reclaim her arm or do anything that might be seen as a rejection of Irina.

When Riley didn't try to pull away, Irina's gaze flooded with relief, and the fear disappeared. As if Irina had been scared of Riley's reaction. Riley didn't have much time to think about Irina's fears, however, as Irina promptly blinded Riley with a bright, dazzling smile. A smile which also left Riley struck dumb.

"Fuck, you're beautiful," Riley mumbled in awe. "That smile makes me want to marry you."

Irina's following laugh was music to Riley's ears, and she found herself grinning dopily at the sound.

"Okay, casanova, you can continue to seduce the vampires later. Now let's get your arm looked at." Steeling himself, Paul stepped inside of the Cullen house, and Irina followed, never releasing Riley's hand. "You're going to have to woman up and just let the doctor help you, okay? I'm sure we can give you a lollipop later."

That was all Riley needed for her happy little bubble to come crashing down. Fuck, that's right. Carlisle. A doctor. A doctor who was going to be looking at Riley, touching Riley…

Riley was going to be sick.

Extra A/N: This is a long overdo shoutout to my friend CJ, who has helped me so fucking much for the last few months. You've been one of the people to help with my published stories and with my unpublished ones, but you've also helped me with all of my life dramas. So thanks for being so amazing CJ, love you dude.