I did not sleep well that night.
All of that peace I felt from Tanya's presence was long gone. I didn't feel the tugging at all once she left which meant she didn't stay behind to keep an eye on me. Which was nice because I had privacy but it made sleeping all the more difficult.
Around four in the morning, I was ready to text Tanya and beg her to come over so I could sleep for at least an hour or two. My own stubbornness is what kept me from following through. I should have and deep down I knew Tanya would want to be here if I needed her.
By five I had given up on sleep. It was my own fault for refusing to ask for help. I really hoped this wasn't a regular occurrence, that meeting Tanya for the first time is what led to my restlessness. That I could handle. I would even interact with her more if it allowed me to sleep. But I absolutely refused to allow another vampire to share my bed. Yesterday was a one-time thing, because I wasn't feeling well. It would never happen again.
Since I was awake, I decided to finish unpacking my room. Charlie's face fell just a little every time he walked into the room and saw the pile of boxes. It was a bit of a challenge to empty the boxes without being too loud but I managed.
When six rolled around all of the boxes were emptied, but I had managed to make a far larger mess. All of my things were scattered around my room. Clothes were laid out on my bed. Piles and piles of books were on the floor along with my knickknacks.
I didn't have time to organize as I had to get ready for work. Irina had texted the night before asking me to work the morning shift today. Since I had nothing going on I didn't mind but it meant I would have to deal with the mess when I got home. I quickly showered and got dressed before heading downstairs. After work I needed to stop and get some more black jeans for work. I only have one pair.
Charlie was downstairs sipping coffee when I got to the kitchen. On the table was some toast with butter and jam. One of my favorites. Morning.
"Morning Bella," he greeted. "You look better."
I blushed, still embarrassed I had to leave the BBQ early because I wasn't feeling well. Whatever it was went away fairly quickly so I wasn't even sure I was sick to begin with.
I feel better. A bit of sleep did wonders. It wasn't a complete lie. The nap I had beside Tanya was the best sleep I had since they left. I would never admit it though.
"Really?" Charlie questioned. I met his eyes and realized he knew I was lying. "I got up around five-thirty and heard you moving around in your room."
I couldn't sleep anymore, after my nap. I silently begged him to believe my half-lie and not push.
Charlie stared about me for a minute before nodding. "Are you still feeling sick?" I shook my head. "What were you doing this morning?"
Unpacking. Charlie's eyes lit up as he read the word. My fears had been right. Charlie thought I didn't want to be here. Now he could see that I was happier here and accepted Alaska as my new home.
"Good, good," he muttered. "Have you heard from Tanya?"
I had to stop myself from groaning. Of course, Charlie had to like her. That made it so much worse. If Charlie didn't like her then it would be so much easier to stay away from her. But if he liked her… there was a small chance he would invite her over.
No, I haven't. She gave me her phone number if I needed it. I don't see any reason to contact her.
"Really?" Charlie asked raising an eyebrow at me. "You spent well over an hour talking to her at the BBQ. It seemed she was the only one that really held your attention."
I'm confused. Do you want me to contact her?
"She seems like she could be a good friend for you," Charlie said with a shrug. "I haven't seen you so engaged with someone in a while. It was nice to see."
She's older than me.
It really was ironic. Before my eighteenth birthday I was terrified of growing older, terrified of being older than him. Now I learn, the vampire I was meant for is actually seven years older than me, physically at least. It was difficult to wrap my mind around it.
"You're eighteen Bella," he pointed out. "Besides, I didn't say anything about dating her. Just that she would be a good friend for you. Unless you're thinking about dating her?"
I shook my head. No. I don't want to date her, or anyone. But I guess you're right. She would be a good friend. I glanced at the clock and sighed in relief. I have to go to work. I'd already warned him about working this morning.
"Have a good shift," Charlie said. "And bring me back some of those biscotti's," he called as I left the house.
I rolled my eyes at Charlie's parting request. I wasn't at all surprised he requested more biscotti's. He'd eaten all the ones I had brought home in a couple of days. I would bring back a few more for him. Not too many because he would eat them all, but two or three wouldn't be terrible.
There was snow everywhere. I had to be extra careful walking to my truck as the ground was icy. The driveway wasn't plowed. To my utter surprised there were chains attached to my truck already. I wasn't sure how they got on my truck as I definitely didn't do it. It was possible Charlie did but I expected he would have said something.
The drive to work was quick considering the snow. The roads weren't plowed up I could see the truck that would plow the roads driving around and it was only a matter of time until they got the roads done. I was starting to get used to Alaska and could easily get to and from work with no issues. Even going to school was no trouble now. It was early enough that I was able to park right in front of the shop. I looked around but I didn't see Claire.
I got out of the car and grabbed my whiteboard before heading to the front. The door was unlocked which was surprising. I walked inside and found Irina sitting at one of the tables.
"You came," Irina said pleased. "Thanks for coming in early. I know I originally scheduled you 11 to close, but I was hoping you could switch and do 7 to 3 on Sundays as well. Claire wants more time with her son."
I nodded. That's fine with me.
"Great," Irina said. She stood. "I got everything set up for you. I haven't made the coffee yet as it was a bit too early." She looked nervous which was strange as I didn't think it was possible for a vampire to be nervous.
Did you know? I showed her the whiteboard and she frowned. About Tanya and me. Did you know?
"I… yes," Irina admitted. "The first time you came into the shop, Tanya was here in the office. She felt you long before she saw you. When she found out you wanted a job she demanded that I hire you."
My face fell. So, I only got the job because I'm mated to Tanya. And it was a fact. I was mated to Tanya and I knew it. But I refused to accept that was my future.
"No," Irina said quickly. "I mean, yes that was a big part of it. But it wasn't the only reason. We knew you would struggle to find a job when you don't talk. Tanya wanted to make sure you were taken care of. I wasn't too sure at first but then Claire texted me. She told me you came in looking for a job but you didn't talk. I realized Claire wanted you to work here and she was willing to accommodate you. Since she was willing to make it work I agreed. So, yes, Tanya was a large part of it but it wasn't just Tanya."
I looked down. I wasn't going to quit. I loved my job no matter how challenging it could be, or how many vampires I had to deal with. But as much as it pained me to admit it, I owed Tanya for getting me this job in the first place.
Okay. There was so much I wanted to say but I didn't.
"Okay," Irina said repeating my words.
I got up and walked over to the coffee machines and started preparing the regular and decaf coffee. From what Claire told me, and from what I observed yesterday, we really didn't get customers before 7:30am. That gave me plenty of time to have fresh coffee for everyone, and get the pastries in the oven.
Once I had the coffee brewing, I put the first batch of pastries in the oven. This batch was scones, the most popular item we sold. I would have three batches of these to warm up before moving onto the biscotti's and other pastries.
"Tanya's coming by today," Irina announced after the computer was set up and ready to be used. I didn't know much about the technology aspect as it wasn't part of my job.
I looked up at the mention of Tanya's name. Part of me was thrilled she would be back because I would get that feeling of contentment that came with her presence. I couldn't deny the calming affect her presence had on me. On the other hand, the last thing I wanted was for her to try and woo me, even though I did give her permission to prove herself to me. That was mostly a way to make her think she had a chance when in reality, I didn't want her to have a chance.
Irina held my whiteboard out to me before I could try and search for it. Why?
Irina sighed. "I told her not to come. But you did give her a chance to prove she was a worthy mate. She takes that very seriously. She'll do anything to prove she's nothing like the Cullen's," Irina explained.
I looked away, not wanting the reminder of them. My perception of them was forever changed but there was still a part of me that loved them. I think I always would.
"I can tell her not to come," Irina offered.
I considered taking Irina's offer. It seemed she really was trying. No, she can come. I did promise to give Tanya a chance to prove herself. That wouldn't happen if I refused to see her. She was honest with me and I owed her that much. Although, I did feel bad for giving her the wrong idea.
"I'll let her know," Irina said.
The first customer came in around 7:20am. It was a little earlier than we were used to but not by much. Luckily, everything was ready and they only wanted a cup of regular coffee.
Once the customer left I made myself a latte, my lack of sleep was starting to get to me. As I sipped my latte I thought about offering one to Irina. Now that I knew they could eat and drink it changed my perspective a bit. I decided against it. I figured if she wanted coffee she would either ask me or make it herself.
Irina turned around to face me. "Why did you decide to give Tanya a chance?" Irina questioned curiously.
Does it matter? I wasn't entirely sure I wanted to answer honestly. My answers would most likely get back to Tanya.
"It does," Irina said. "You want nothing to do with us. Yet you agreed to give Tanya a chance. I love my sister and I don't want her to get hurt."
I'm not trying to hurt her. I'm giving her a chance to prove herself to be different, nothing more than that. That's what I told her.
Irina shook her head. "That may be your intention but I don't think Tanya sees it that way," Irina said. "She thinks she's trying to woo you."
I sighed. I just met her yesterday. Why would she assume that?
"Vampires don't work the same way as humans. We move faster emotionally. You may have met yesterday, but Tanya already loves you," Irina informed me.
I didn't understand that. I'm sure it had to do with vampire mating, and I didn't know much about it, but how could she love me already? I had a feeling it was something I wouldn't understand unless I was a vampire and I really did not want be a vampire.
"How much does your father know?" Irina asked curious.
Nothing, I scribbled quickly. I showed the message to her before continuing on. I know it's not allowed. Besides, I figured it was safer if he didn't know.
Irina frowned. "What makes you think it's not allowed?" I blushed and looked down. "Of course. Tanya mentioned they had a habit of misinformation. Bella, you're not the first human mated to a vampire. It's fairly uncommon, but it does happen. Although, I will admit it is rare for a mate to be so young. But even still, it's okay to tell your immediate family. In this case, your father."
I don't know how he would react to that. Or if he could even handle it.
"Tanya can see how much your father loves you," Irina said. "I have no doubt he would be shocked. Perhaps even angry at you for keeping secrets. Probably Tanya too for being mated to you. But in the end, I believe he would be okay."
I had to admit. The thought of telling Charlie was appealing. There had been so many times that I had wished I could tell him. When I had to flee to Phoenix because of James. I hated the pain I had to cause Charlie for him to allow me to go. But I didn't have a choice. It was either hurt him or disappear and leave him wondering if I was alive or dead. Telling him would have made things so much easier. If Charlie did hate me, I wouldn't blame him, but I don't think I could handle it.
I've hurt him so much because of them. I don't know if he'll ever forgive me for that.
Irina sat down on the edge of the counter. "Did Tanya tell you about our change?"
She said your aunt turned her and she turned you and Kate.
"That is true," Irina said with a nod. "When Tanya first turned… she disappeared for about a year. Kate and I were frantic but back then, it wasn't unheard of for someone to disappear, especially not a beautiful woman. Eventually she returned but she was different. She didn't tell us what she had become, just that something had happened. Anyway, Kate was turned because she was dying. She ended turning me but I wasn't drying, or even sick. For years I resented Tanya for turning me and for not telling me the truth when she returned." She sighed. "The point is, I can understand where your father is coming from but in the end, he loves you and will forgive you, just as I did Tanya."
What she said made a lot of sense. Deep down I hoped it was true, even if I didn't believe it. Right now, I didn't see a reason to tell him. I frowned. Maybe I should tell him anyway. I did owe him the truth.
"If you do decide to tell him, we are more than happy to help you," Irina continued after a minute.
Thank you. While I wasn't entirely sure I would take them up on their offer, it was nice of them to offer.
The morning rush came along, ending Irina's attempts to continue conversations. It was nice as I always felt on guard when talking to Irina and even Tanya.
In between making drinks I watched how the customers interacted with Irina. Most of them were wary around her. Several people knew her and were talking to her but even then, they were hesitant. It was the way people interacted with them back in Forks. It was interesting to see when I wasn't directly involved.
The rush this morning last about two hours. I had just enough time to finish a set of drinks before I had to go back and do three more. I did manage to get a couple free minutes to make myself another drink. Unfortunately, I didn't have much time to drink it before having to rush to make even more lattes.
Around ten traffic started to slow down. We were getting a few people here and there but overall there wasn't many. That left Irina and I alone, making it easier for Irina to try and talk to me.
"You look tired," Irina noted once we were alone again. "And you've had two coffee's already. Even Claire doesn't drink that much."
I shrugged. Do you want me to stop drinking coffee?
Irina's eyes widened at the message. "No, of course not. I'm more than happy to let you and Claire drink as much coffee as you want. I'm simply curious and concerned."
I didn't sleep well.
"Oh," Irina said. "Are you still adjusting to being in a new town or is it something else?"
I don't think it's being here. I ended up taking a nap. I think that may have disrupted my sleep. I erased the message as soon as she read it and thought about how to rephrase my next question. Tanya mentioned there are five of you in your coven. What happened to Laurent?
"Who?" Irina asked confused.
Laurent. He was in James' coven. Victoria stayed with James to hunt me but Laurent left because he didn't want to fight. He said in was interested in your lifestyle. Ca… my hand shook as I tried to write out the name. Carlisle told him about you guys. I thought he was part of your coven.
I regretted saying anything as Irina looked furious. "What happened to this James and Victoria?"
James was killed by… well he was killed. Victoria, I don't know. I think she disappeared after he was killed.
Irina took a step toward me. "Bella, this is very important. Was Victoria James' mate?"
I thought back to spring. It hurt to think about but if Irina said it was important then I believed her. I don't remember hearing anything about it. Why? Why is this so important?
Irina pulled out her phone. Her fingers flew across the keyboard. It made me wonder if the phone could keep up with her speed. "Tanya's on her way," Irina announced. She looked at me. "If Victoria is James' mate, it means you're in danger. If a vampire's mate is killed, they will want revenge. The Cullen's," she ignored my flinch, "killed James, right?" I nodded. "In your defense?" Another nod. "She'll blame you for his death and she will try to kill you." Irina sighed. "Those idiots, when I get ahold of them they'll be begging for death."
The tugging was back and it was getting stronger. Tanya was almost here and judging by how fast she was approaching, she was running and not driving. She's here, I wrote just as the door opened.
"Bella," Tanya exclaimed. She looked relieved to see me and as much as I hated to admit it, I felt the same. "Irina, are you sure?"
"She doesn't know for sure if they were mated," Irina answered. "But if there's even a chance…"
"We need to hunt her," Tanya agreed.
"I don't know about that," Irina said. Tanya glared at her. Irina held up her hand to stop the inevitable protest. "We cannot go to Forks and hunt her down and we don't know if she knows Bella is gone, or that she's here in Alaska. We'll keep an eye out here. If we scent any new vampires, then we can hunt."
Tanya said something I couldn't hear. Irina had responded in an equally low tone and I realized they were purposely leaving me out of the conversation. Just like they used to do. I grabbed my whiteboard and banged it on the counter, startling both of the vampires.
"Sorry Bella," Tanya apologized. I glared at her and she looked down. She knew exactly why I was mad at her. Tanya sighed. "I had suggested we start patrolling around your house. But as Irina pointed out it is unnecessary and an invasion of your privacy." I nodded in agreement with Irina. "I'm sorry Bella. I shouldn't have suggested it."
Apology accepted. I would give her this one time because I could understand her panic to an extent. That and she hadn't actually done anything yet, other than a quick check. If she did try to watch me at all times then I would never speak to her again. Maybe this bond would come in handy since I always knew if she was close to me.
"We'll keep a look out for other vampires approaching the area," Tanya said. "Irina's right. We don't know if this Victoria person knows you're here. But we need to be ready to fight if she does show up."
"Bella mentioned another vampire," Irina added. "Laurent, right?" I nodded. "Carlisle sent him here but he never came to the house to meet us."
Tanya frowned. "I wish we could call Carlisle," she said with a sigh.
It was my turn to frown. Why can't you?
"The only way we could explain knowing about the nomads and their potential to attack you, is from you or them," Tanya answered. "They would realize we have contact with you and would possibly come to Alaska. Unless that's what you want?"
I shook my head. I wasn't ready to see them yet. I wasn't sure if I would ever be ready. No, don't say anything unless there's no other choice.
They nodded in agreement. "There wouldn't be a need," Irina said. "We could easily handle one or two vampires. Kate has a gift, that works much like a taser, but she can control the intensity. It can be as simple as a shock, or as dangerous as being struck by lightning."
That sounded rather terrifying. "Don't worry. She won't use it against you, not if she wants to keep her limbs attached," Tanya told me. Somehow that did not make me feel better. I hated when he would be at odds with his siblings. But the thought of coming between Tanya and her flesh and blood sisters was something I couldn't imagine.
"I don't know Tanya," Irina said thoughtfully. "She was immune to his gift. I think there's a good chance she could be immune to Kate's."
Tanya glared at her. "The only way we will find out is if Bella agrees to test it," Tanya said with a growl.
I glanced at Irina in time to see her roll her eyes at Tanya. "Yes of course," she said like it was obvious.
A customer walked through the door. I rushed back to my spot near all the machines and waited to see what he would order. "Coffee, black," the man requested. "And your number."
My head shot up in surprise. It was the first person I'd seen that was openly trying to flirt with Irina. "One coffee black," Irina repeated. She ignored the man's request for her number. I wondered if the man was smart enough to understand she was rejecting him.
I poured the coffee and passed it to Irina. Irina handed it to the man. "Your number isn't on here," the man said with a pout.
I glanced at Tanya. She was sweated at one of the booths, flipping through a magazine. I could see a grin on her face. She was listening in and apparently enjoying Irina's discomfort.
"Yes, and you're not getting it," Irina said firmly.
"What about her?" I looked up and saw the man staring at me. He wanted my number now that Irina rejected him. I glanced at Tanya again and she was no longer grinning. She looked downright murderous. I could feel her anger as if it was own and it bothered me greatly.
"No," Irina answered. "This is not a place to pick up women. Take your coffee and get out."
The man opened his mouth to say something but one look at Irina and he ran out of the shop. Irina turned around and her eyes were black. That had to be what scared me away. "Are you okay?" she asked concerned.
I pointed to Tanya. She was still furious and it was starting to get to me. "Tanya," Irina snapped.
The anger disappeared almost instantly and Tanya was kneeling in front of me. "Are you okay Bella?" she asked concerned.
Irina pressed my whiteboard into my hands. I'm okay. I wasn't worried about him. I knew you guys wouldn't let anything happen. It's the anger… I can't cope with it.
"I'm sorry Bella," Tanya said softly. "I'm trying to control it. I really am, but it isn't as easy as I thought."
I nodded. Did you put the chains on my truck?"
I looked up and I swear if it was possible, Tanya would be blushing. "I did before I left," she admitted. "I let your father know I was doing it and he agreed. He was going to do it himself. I'll take them off before you leave. They're not needed anymore."
Thank you. I appreciate it.
Tanya looked happy that I appreciated her efforts. She shifted in her spot, not a normal vampire reaction. "I had planned on bringing you lunch here," she started. "But I wasn't able, so I was wondering, will you go out to lunch with me?"
