I stared at my reflection in the mirror and I did not like it at all. It was Halloween and for some reason, that I had forgotten and now regretted, I had allowed Kate to pick out my costume.

Irina had picked me up from school. According to her, Tanya wasn't allowed to see me until it was time to go to the party. The shop was closed as Irina and I, and apparently Claire, were going to the party tonight.

I asked Claire about it at work yesterday. She said holidays were big for Irina and the family and Claire was always invited. Claire never really went to the events but this year she decided to go.

I adjusted the fangs in my mouth. I still can't believe I allowed Kate to dress me up like a vampire for Halloween. I looked nothing like a real vampire. My eyes were still brown and I had fangs and a cape. Kate and Irina thought it was funny. I thought I looked dumb.

In the last two weeks, I had spent a little more time with Kate. Tanya took me to Kate's garage a few times so I could check the progress of my truck. While it didn't look like she was accomplishing much, other than tearing my truck apart, Kate assured me she was making progress. Though it would still take several more weeks before it was done.

I didn't mind as much as I thought I would. I got to spend more time with Tanya. It was because of that extra time that I was now decent at sign language. I could hold full conversations with Tanya and Irina, and Kate when I saw her. Anything I didn't know I could spell out and Tanya could teach me.

Once Charlie had realized I was learning, Tanya ended up teaching him as well. He wasn't quite as far in learning as me but he could understand most of what I was saying to him. Tanya was always there to translate the rest.

There was a knock at my door and Charlie walked inside. "Bella, are you about ready?" he asked me. Even after these last few weeks, he still hates that I'm supernaturally bound to Tanya. While I wasn't thrilled by it either, I was starting to get used to it.

He eyed my outfit. "Vampire, really?"

Kate, I signed. Charlie snorted.

Kate was the Denali Charlie liked the most. That wasn't to say that he didn't like the others, because he did, even if he didn't want to admit it. Well not so much Tanya. But Kate, somehow, was different. I think it is because Kate is so relaxed about everything. It allows Charlie a chance to relax as well.

"Are you sure you're going to be okay at this party?" Charlie asked. "I know you're 18 but it is a frat party."

Tanya, Kate and Irina will be there, I signed slowly so he could understand me. You know none of them will let anything happen to me.

"Yeah I know," Charlie agreed. "I don't like the thought of you going to a frat party and drinking but I won't stop you… as long as you're careful."

I'll be okay, I assured him. I don't plan on drinking much or at all.

Charlie nodded in approval. I know he didn't approve of the whole frat party aspect of the evening. But he was determined to let me make my own decisions since I was eighteen. I think there was a part of him that was simply glad I was having fun.

There was a knock at the front door and I sighed. They were here.

I followed Charlie downstairs. He had the front door open before I made it down the stairs.

Tanya sighed when she saw me. She had no idea what my costume was and now that she knew, she didn't seem amused.

That bad? I signed.

Tanya shook her head. "I should have known Kate would do something like this," she said.

I studied Tanya's costume. It appeared she was dressed as a fairly. She was wearing a silver dress that was way too short in my opinion. On her back was wings. I could see the straps that held them in place.

You look nice.

"Thank you," Tanya said. She held her hand out to me. "Are you ready to go?"

I glanced at Charlie before taking her hand. "Have fun Bella," Charlie said. "And text me when you get back to the Denali's house safely."

"I'll make sure you know when she is back safe," Tanya promised. She, like me, knew I would probably be asleep by the time we returned.

"Thanks," Charlie said gruffly.

Tanya and I left the house. In Kate's car, was Kate and Irina, waiting for us. Kate honked the horn and gestured for us to hurry up.

Tanya held the door open so I could get in the backseat. She got in on the other side before I could even shut the door.

As Kate started driving, I took a minute to study their costumes. Kate had on a pirate costume, or sexy pirate would be more accurate. Irina was dressed as Wonder Woman, complete with dark hair wig. It seemed they went all out for Halloween and I was pleased all I had to wear was black jeans and a shirt, a cape, fake fangs and a little bit of makeup.

"The drive will be about an hour," Irina told me. "We were sure if we should get you food before the party. Frat boys aren't known for being good cooks."

They'll most likely have snacks, I signed. I can eat those and we can stop for food after.

"Food after," Tanya told her sisters, as they couldn't see me signing.

Kate nodded and drove straight to Anchorage. Claire was meeting us there as she would likely have to leave early to relieve the babysitter.

I leaned against Tanya and closed my eyes. I wasn't really tired. Tanya had spent the last two weeks with me at night. I originally planned on ending the arrangement after a few days. Not only did I not want to rely on Tanya to sleep, but it wasn't fair to lead her on. But I never managed to tell her to stop coming.

"Are you tired?" Tanya muttered.

I shook my head. Comfortable, I signed.

Tanya wrapped her arm around me. "Bella, what do you think of Tanya's costume?" Kate asked. "I helped her pick it out."

I glanced at Tanya's costume. The dress was very short and with her sitting down it was much more noticeable. Her thighs were barely covered by the frills at the end of the dress. My eyes lingered a bit too long. Tanya nudged me to get my attention.

She looks nice, I signed.

Irina turned so she could see me. "Nice," Irina repeated. "So, you checking out Tanya is just 'nice'?"

"Irina," Tanya growled as I blushed.

Irina held up her hands. "I'm just saying. We went through a lot of effort to dress you up and all Bella can say is that you look nice."

You dressed her like that for a frat party, I signed to Irina.

Irina looked to Tanya and Tanya shrugged. "I'm not helping you out of this. I told you the same thing when you both insisted I wear this."

Kate was suspiciously quiet. Either she was talking to quietly for me to hear… or she was afraid to say something and piss off Tanya. My guess was the later as they were all good about not talking quietly.

I could admit, to myself, that Tanya looked good, better than good, in her costume. I liked the dress more than I should, which is why I simply said she looked nice. What I didn't like was the thought of all those frats boys eyeing her like a piece of meat. Of course, if that was what she wanted then I wouldn't stand in her way. She deserved to be happy.

An hour later, Kate parallel parked next to a large house with cars all around. We were here. I hadn't felt nervous until this moment. I watched as people made their way to the house. They all looked to be college aged. It made me realize how much I did not belong here. I was barely legal and a high school student.

"Before we go in there's something we need to talk to you about," Irina started.

My heart dropped. Was this the part where they decided I wasn't attractive enough to attend the party and they wanted me to stay in the car. They wouldn't be wrong.

"Bella," Tanya said softly. "It's nothing bad. But we do need to talk about your safety."

My safety? I hadn't even thought about it. With the three of them there, my safety was the least of my concerns.

"You can drink if you want," Kate said. "But never accept a drink from anyone but us, or wait for one of us to give you the okay to drink it."

Why?

"This is a frat house," Irina reminded me. "It doesn't happen often but it is possible someone will try to roofie you. That's why we want to check your drinks."

They can't be smelled, I pointed out. I didn't know much about date rape drugs but I knew that.

"By humans," Tanya said. "Our senses are stronger so we can smell them." She touched my cheek. "I want you to have fun. But I need you to be safe. Please, be careful."

Okay, I agreed. It wasn't hard to agree to. I trusted them.

"Alright, let's go," Kate said getting out of the car.

Kate and Irina led the way to the house with Tanya and I walking behind them. There were other people approaching the house at the same time as us. The men were eying all three of them, mainly Kate and Tanya since they were showing the most skin, but also Irina. I wasn't getting many looks at all, which I found refreshing. At least this wouldn't be a repeat of my first day at Forks High.

The front door swung open when we got there and a guy dressed as a Greek God, Zeus I assumed based on the fake lightening bolt he was holding, was standing on the other side. In his other hand was a cup of…something, alcohol most likely.

"Kate Denali," he exclaimed. He took a sip of his drink. "I was wondering if you were gonna show up." His eyes went to the rest of us. "And who are these lovely ladies?"

"My sisters, Irina, Tanya and Bella," Kate said pointing us each out.

I froze in shock. Sister? I signed to Tanya.

Tanya leaned forward to whisper in my ear. "Would you rather Kate tell him the truth?"

No, I didn't want Kate to tell the truth. But calling Tanya a sister… it was wrong. I don't know what we are, but we were certainly not sisters.

"It's okay," Tanya said. "In an hour or so, everyone will be too drunk to remember."

"Well, come on in ladies," the frat boy said. "I'm Eric. Drinks are in the kitchen. Help yourself."

We stepped inside the house and I was surprised by how clean it was. There were cups everywhere. People would set them down, forget about them and go get another one. But the house itself was clean. Something I didn't expect from frat boys.

Tanya led me to the kitchen while Kate and Irina went… somewhere. The kitchen island was covered in an assortment of chips and dips. The kitchen table was full of various alcohols, most of which I'd never heard of.

"Do you want a drink?" Tanya questioned.

I frowned at the assortment of drinks. I don't know anything about… I paused, trying to think of the sign for alcohol. I pointed to the drinks.

Tanya demonstrated the sign so I would know for the future. "I can make you something," she offered. "Back in the 90s I was a bartender."

My eyes widened in surprise. She never told me much about her life. Why did you stop? I assumed it had to do with her age.

Tanya grabbed a couple bottles and started pouring a drink. "One was the lack of aging," she admitted. "But I also broke one too many hands of men that thought that they could grab my ass."

I clenched my fists. Tanya looked up at the intense, sudden emotion coming from me. "It's okay Bella," she said softly. "It was a while ago and nothing bad happened." She handed me a drink. "Try it. I promise you'll like it."

I took a hesitant sip of the drink. It was surprisingly good. I could taste the alcohol but it wasn't as strong as I expected. I mostly tasted the orange juice and cranberry juice she added. I handed the drink to her so I could sign. It's good. What's it called?

She handed the drink back and I took another sip. "Sex on the beach," she answered. I choked on my drink. "Sorry," she said gently rubbing my back. I glared at her. "I wasn't trying to make you choke, but I wasn't lying. That's really what it is called."

Are all drink names that weird?

"Some of them," Tanya said with a shrug. She handed me back my drink. "Remind me to make you an Adios, motherfucker next."

She scanned the assorted beers before she grabbed a random one and twisted the top off. I recognized the beer as something Charlie enjoyed drinking and I knew for a fact a bottle opener was needed to open it. I looked around but no one was paying attention to us.

"Come on," she said putting her hand on my back. "There's usually activities outside."

We made our way through the crowd of college students. I grabbed the slider door to open it when I heard someone call my name. I turned and found Claire approaching us.

"Claire," Tanya greeted.

I studied Claire's appearance. She was dressed as a witch, complete with the hat. It was a modest costume, much like mine.

I waved at her. Irina had taught her a few signs, enough for us to communicate more efficiently at work but it wasn't enough to hold a real conversation. Tanya would have to translate for me.

How are you?

Tanya translated. "I'm good. Have you guys been here long?"

"Not long," Tanya answered. "Only ten minutes." Claire eyed the drink I was holding. I nudged Tanya, pointed to my drink and then tilted my head in Claire's direction.

"Would you like a drink Claire?" Tanya asked politely. "I was telling Bella earlier, I used to be a bartender so I have experience mixing drinks. I made hers."

"That would be great Tanya, thank you," Claire said gratefully.

"Do you have a preference?" Tanya asked.

"Not really," Claire replied. "Just no tequila." Tanya headed back to the kitchen while Claire and I moved to the side, out of people's way. "Should I be worried?"

I laughed and shook my head. I pointed to my drink and gave her a thumbs up. I took a big sip as I awkwardly waited for Tanya to return.

"Tanya taught you sign language right?" Claire asked. I nodded. "I thought you were maybe born mute. But you didn't know sign language so that was strange. What happened that made you stop talking?"

I froze. I really didn't want to talk about this. Claire was nice and all but she wouldn't understand. I chugged down the rest of my drink. My throat burned a little, there was a lot more alcohol in the bottom of the cup.

Tanya returned with two drinks in her hand. The beer she had was lost somewhere. She handed me one and Claire the other. I put my old cup over the new one. I frowned at the sight of the drink. It wasn't the same one.

"Adios motherfucker," Tanya reminded me. I nodded. She turned her attention to Claire. "I made you a rum and coke, I hope that's okay."

I sipped my drink. It wasn't bad but the other one was better. "This is perfect," Claire said taking the drink. I could tell she wanted to ask me again, why I didn't talk, but she didn't.

"We were headed outside," Tanya told her. "Would you like to join us?"

Claire's eyes lit up. "Sure, that would be great," she said.

We went outside and I figured out where Kate had gone. She was playing darts with three guys. Kate heard us approach and turned. "Bella," she exclaimed. If I didn't know Kate, I would assume she was drunk. "Come play."

I glanced at Tanya and Tanya shrugged. "I'm sure you can't do that much damage," Tanya joked.

I glared at her before marching over to Kate's side. I took the offered dart and studied it. It was metal which concerned me a bit but I was committed at this point. I downed my entire drink, ignoring the burning as I chugged. I winced at the taste. It wasn't all that good when you chugged it. I could practically feel Kate's amusement. When I finished, I threw the cup on the ground and willed myself to not throw up. I would not give Kate the satisfaction.

I swayed slightly and my eyesight was a bit blurred as I tried to line up my shot. I realized just as I let the dart fly, that I shouldn't be trying to throw darts under the effects of alcohol. Lucky for me, I've always been terrible at anything physical. The dart travelled a few feet more dropping to the ground. It got nowhere near the dartboard.

Kate howled with laughter as I staggered back to Tanya's side. "You okay?" Tanya asked.

I nodded. Can you make another of the first drink? I refused to refer to it by its actual name.

"Are you sure?" Tanya questioned in concern. I nodded. It probably wasn't the best idea to drink more but I was feeling relaxed and I didn't want that feeling to go away. "Alright. I'll get you another but I am getting you some water as well." Tanya turned her attention to Claire. "Will you watch her? I don't like the idea of leaving her alone." I watched as Tanya's eyes went to her sister. She may have been speaking to Claire, but she was also speaking to Kate.

"Of course," Claire said. "I'll watch her."

Tanya headed back inside while Claire and I hung out outside, watching Kate and some guys play darts. Kate was winning, if there was such a thing in darts, which wasn't a surprise. But I did watch as she purposely missed a few shots in order to seem more human. It also helped that she wasn't drinking while the other guys were already hammered.

Several minutes had passed, I guessed as things were a bit blurry and I couldn't properly check the time, and Tanya still hadn't returned. I knew she was still around. I could feel her in the same general direction as the kitchen. But I couldn't imagine what was taking her so long. It wasn't that I was in a hurry to get my drink, I simply wanted her beside me.

I finally decided I had enough and was going to go look for Tanya. I waved at Kate to get her attention since Claire didn't know sign language.

I'm going to find Tanya.

Kate frowned but nodded. "She's going to find Tanya," Kate translated.

"I'll go with you," Claire offered.

I shook my head. Stay here. I'll just be a minute.

Claire looked unsure. "She'll be fine," Kate told her, though she didn't seem convinced. I had no doubt she would be listening to see if I needed her.

I slowly made my way back inside the house in search of Tanya. I followed the bond straight back to the kitchen. I could see now why Tanya had taken so long. She was surrounded by college boys. She handed one a drink before making the next one. I couldn't hear what was being said but based on the body language of some of the guys, they were definitely hitting on her.

I hated it.

I hated seeing men surround her. I hated the fact that they were interested in her. It wasn't surprising. She was beautiful and, in her costume, she was even more breathtaking. Plus, she was a vampire. It was in their nature to draw humans in.

Still, I hated it.

I glared at the boys. She was mine, even if I wasn't ready to admit it. I froze as I thought about it. Was that the problem? Was she looking elsewhere because I didn't want her? Would she hook up with one of these guys just to fulfill that need for intimacy that she wasn't getting from me?

The very thought of that made my heart ache in a way it never did with Edward. I thought Edward had broken me and in a way he did. But it was nothing compared to what I was feeling now.

Tanya's eyes snapped up to meet mine. Whatever I was feeling right now, I honestly couldn't say what it was, was strong enough that it caused a reaction in her. She muttered something to the boys before making her way over to me.

"Bella," she said when she was standing in front of me. "What's going on? You seemed fine and then all of a sudden I felt despair."

I didn't know how to explain it to her. I wished I had my whiteboard so I could write down my thoughts. I doubt it would make much sense but at least I could form some words.

She gently cupped my face. "Bella," she whispered.

The feel of her hand on my face caused something in me to snap. I grabbed her dress and pulled her closer to me before pressing my lips firmly against hers.