Apparently, when Emmett left that day I freed the wolves from their vampire shifting imperative, he'd run all the way to Alaska to visit another coven of what they call 'vegetarian' vampires. This also explained their different eye color, which was a question I had completely forgotten to ask about since connecting with so many vampires.

The Denali coven were considered 'cousins' and friends to the Cullens based on mutual respect and their shared diets, though the three sisters were all over a thousand years old, which really kinda fucked with my head when I found out. Then I realized I didn't know any of my vampire family's ages and suddenly I felt like a reverse-pedo after throwing myself at Rosalie. Luckily, Leah was apparently too distracted with interrogating her brother's imprint to catch that thought.

"How did you two even meet?" Leah interrupted Emmett's rambling diatribe about the Denalis.

"Well," he went on, frowning, "the Denalis were quite irritated with the Cullen family since the man we sent to visit them to learn our vegetarian ways only went there to spy on us before running back to track Bella for Victoria. Except, the Denalis caught on to his betrayal and ended him before he could return."

I was sitting up in an instant, energy crackling at my fingertips. "Some bitch is hunting Bella?!"

Everyone flinched at whatever they saw on my face, Leah reaching over to run her fingers through my hair in a surprisingly comforting gesture. "Apparently, when the Cullens killed the tracker, James, they left his mate alive. She wants revenge, and she considers killing Bella a fair exchange, a 'mate for a mate' as she calls it."

Rosalie snatched Leah's hand back just in time as my energy became a swirling vortex of destruction, hovering just above my skin. "She is not his mate!"

"We all know this and agree," Sam's voice was powerful yet gentle enough that it didn't incense my anger further. "The problem is, it doesn't seem to matter to this redhead. She had been testing our borders for the first two weeks of your coma. We made sure each wolf on patrol had at least one vampire with them in case your soul slipped and they lost their phasing mid-chase."

I cringed, realizing just how much hell I'd put my Clan through in the last three weeks. "You said for the first two weeks. Where is the bitch now?!"

"Actually, that's where pup and I come in," Emmett teasingly grabbed the young wolf by the waist.

Seth wasn't quite finished rolling his eyes when he took over the discussion. "I hadn't been a wolf as long as Leah when the failing phases began happening. I freaked out and kept getting turned around in the woods, until one day this red-eyed vampire showed up out of nowhere. I didn't recognize him and I knew his eyes meant he was a human drinker, so I was pretty much screwed until this handsome lug showed up." He nudged Emmett, and if I weren't so worried about Bella then I might have teased them. Instead, I zapped them both in their thighs, earning yelps from them both.

"Right, storytime now, play later," Emmett grumbled, earning a threatening growl from Leah who still seemed to be considering murder. "Aaaanyway, so yeah, I see this human-drinker about to attack what I thought was a human judging by the smell, so I managed to stop this guy but he ran off before I could finish him off. I did get his scent and followed it to the sea, but that's where it ended.

"By the time I got back to Seth, I instead found the most gorgeous wolf I'd ever seen. Sandy brown coat, silly little wolfy grin, he was adorable! But then our eyes met and everything changed." He was smiling at his mate with so much love and adoration that the six-foot tall, gangly wolf-boy flushed a deep russeted color all the way down his neck.

"Is this why you've been missing for a month?" Leah growled, tone laced with intention to commit if she didn't like their answer.

"Not exactly," Seth returned, a sheepish grin on his youthful features. "Emmett has been the perfect gentleman and we both agreed that until I finish my advanced wolf maturity that nothing would happen between us, ya know, like that."

"Same boat, kid," I thought frustratingly, drawing the boy up short as he looked around at Sam and Leah before his eyes landed on me.

"Did you just..."

I sighed and glanced at Leah before turning back to the two additions to my soul connections. "Welcome to the Lockwell Clan, boys. If either of you breaks your celibacy before you've matured, Leah has free reign to do as she pleases to either of you."

"Whoa! So cool!" he exclaimed excitedly, before a confused look took over his features. "Wait, what does that mean?"

Emmett burst out laughing and even Leah chuckled a bit, her imprint smiling at the adult-sized kid. "It means," I began aloud, adding into the entirety of my soul connections, "That you are a part of a very large family and protected by my entire family line. And I will never leave any of you ever again. You have my solemn vow."

"Alright," Rosalie interrupted, waving off the moment, "you two still haven't explained why you disappeared for so long."

"Oh, right!" Emmett's eyes widened at whatever was going through his mind. "We both decided we were just kinda done with everything after the incident with playing toss-the-Witch and went to Seattle and bought an apartment."

Leah was back to growling at this point but I was done with her 'protective sister' default. So I swatted her on the nose, 'bad-dog' style. The funny part is, it seemed to work as her face scrunched up adorably in this sweet look of confusion.

Then she was death glaring at me and I wondered if I had enough magick built up in me to fly out the window. "If you ever do that again, I will bite your clit off and feed it to you, understood?"

I was equal parts aroused and terrified because I had no doubt she might actually carry out her threat, and I really wanted her head between my legs for reasons other than vengeance. Oh holy hell, now Rosalie was thinking of just such an occurrence and I had to slam my barrier into place but not before experiencing Leah's sharp teeth nibbling-

"Victoria is creating a newborn army!" Emmett practically shouted, and it was only his interruption that brought attention to just how thick the air was with sexual tension. Not just from me, but Rosalie and Leah. I could sense Sam's interest, as well as her absent imprint.

The room was suddenly filled with the triad mates and Jasper and Alice, and I subtly began dusting the room with the only scent I could think of, freesia, in order to clear out the lingering scent of arousal.

"I don't understand," I commented, drawing everyone's attention. "What is a 'newborn army' and why is everyone freaking out?"

It was Jasper who stepped forward to answer. "Vampires are never as physically strong as they are in their first year of life. Their human blood still burns through their cells. I once fought in the Southern Vampire Wars for a warlord named Maria. She would turn as many vampires as she could at a time and it was my job to train them to fight and control their instincts. If Victoria is creating a newborn army and Alice hasn't seen it, then that means she has to have someone helping her."

"That man who almost got Seth," Emmett interjected suddenly. "He didn't look like a nomad, and he didn't look like he was there for Seth. I think he was testing our defenses."

Alice's eyes widened as she shot Jasper a panicked look. She blurred out of the room, returning with an open sketch pad. "Is this him?"

Seth and Emmett took one look at the picture before nodding. "Yeah," Emmett growled, "that's the asshole."

Alice began passing the pad around, "Does anyone recognize him? He looks to be college age, so 19 or 20."

When the pad reached my hand, the page began to smolder and smoke. The pad was quickly retrieved as I forcefully pulled my magick back under my control. "Riley Biers. He's from Forks, used to go to my blood parents' church. She chose him because he knows the town, its people. When did you draw that, Alice?"

The pixie flinched and shrunk back into her mate. "Earlier today, while trying to get visions of Victoria, this briefly came to mind."

"What aren't you saying?" I growled, feeling my body warming against the increase in magick threatening to be unleashed.

"He was in Bella's room," she whispered, but she might as well have yelled it in the silence that followed. "He took one of her shirts."

The lamp beside me exploded, barely causing me to flinch. "Future, or past?"

"I-I can't tell," Alice cried, her frustration obvious in the rush of tears that filled her eyes. "They've figured out how to get around my visions for the most part."

"Emmett, Seth," both men came to attention quickly at the command in my voice. "Go to Bella's, check her room for his scent. Make whatever excuse you need to if she's there, but do not cause her any undue stress."

"Looks like that won't be a problem," Alice said, the roaring sound of Bella's old truck snarling its way up their drive could be heard coming from miles away.

"Go now, then," I ordered, both men blurring out of the room immediately. "Esme," I addressed my Ma'atem much more respectfully, though my voice lost none of its authority. "Whatever you've been doing to keep her away from me, continue that routine. I need time to think, time to figure out what to do about this whole situation."

Because Bella knew I was in love with her now. She knew I was a Witch, inhuman, and that in less than two months on the night of our joint birthday, I was going to summon Lilith and be gifted a mate. Why was she still coming around looking for me? Did she expect a miraculous recovery or did she not believe the cover story?

All this went through my mind while I listened to Bella pull up the drive. Her door slammed shut and her footfalls stomped angrily, and I could tell from where I lay that she was upset.

"Hello, Bella dear," I could hear Esme greeting the girl at the door. "I'm afraid there's still been no change in her condi-"

"Stuff it, Esme!" I don't know who was more shocked, me or Esme, but I didn't waste any time before reaching into Esme's senses to see through her eyes. Bella stood there just inside the door, Esme strategically blocking Bella's entrance. "I'm so sick of everyone lying to me! First, Edward tries to convince me that Angela is some evil sorceress that has brainwashed his family against him. And when I asked why he doesn't live in the main house anymore, he says he doesn't want to risk being infected with whatever evil taint has corrupted his family. And not only have you all lied to my face about Angela's condition, but I know for a fact that she's awake!"

She shoved her hand forward and I couldn't help but gape at the sight of the rose I had given her that day. "After Angela flew off, this rose turned into a bud but never once fully wilted. And today it finally bloomed so I know she's awake. Take me to her or I will open a vein and ruin every damn one of you!"

I saw the blade before any of the other vampires could act, my magick lashing out and piercing her soul straight to the heart. Bella seized up, the razor blade falling from loose fingers as she gasped and shuddered in my magickal embrace. I had no choice now, I had done the one thing I'd forced myself to never do. I had reached into her soul and now she was an inescapable part of me. "Bring her to me, Esme."

Without hesitation, Esme stepped aside and gestured for Bella to follow her. I released my touch from both women, turning to the others in my room. "Clear out, now."

There were no arguments, everyone left in blurred motions that Bella's human eyes would be unable to track as she and Esme took the stairs at a human pace. Eventually, they reached the open door to my hospital-style room, my eyes closing quickly when I remembered their altered state.

I waved off Esme who closed the door behind Bella, sealing us in with an illusion of privacy. A wave of my hand turned illusion into reality as I silenced and cloaked the room. Still, I did not look at Bella, terrified of what I might see, or how she might react. I heard her shuddered breath as she stood there at the door. I heard her poor heart leap before her feet hit the floor rapidly.

I prepared myself to be slapped, not even bothering to defend myself, when instead a warm body collided with mine, arms suddenly holding me close, a cold wetness hitting my cheek. Bella was hugging me. Bella was crying? After the way I had left her and disappeared for three weeks?

I slowly brought my arms up around her back, clutching the love of my life to me in as gentle of a hold as possible, a whimper slipping from me at the same time a quiet sob shook from the human. I had my face buried into the delicate curve of her throat where I could feel her heart pounding away, all the pain and sorrow peeling away layer by layer until there was only myself and my Bella.

"Why?" she whispered into my hair, and I could hear the choked sounds of her losing the fight against her emotions. "Why did you just leave me like that? You dumped all this new information on me then just disappeared and then everything hurt and no one would tell me what happened to you or-"

I pulled away, grasping the sides of her face before finally opening my eyes. Her gaze widened at what she was seeing but she didn't look away, didn't pull away in revulsion. She simply stared in wonder as I began to shush her, using my thumbs to brush away her tears. She was laying sideways across my lap but neither of us seemed to notice nor care.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered vehemently, staring directly into those chocolate eyes of hers. "I can never apologize enough, not to you and not to the rest of my Clan. But please believe me when I say I'm never going anywhere like that again."

She looked back and forth between my strange eyes for the longest time, and for the first time I felt her seeing me. Not just Angela the human, the woman, the girl whose worth was more than her smarts. She was seeing Angela the Witch, a powerful force in her own right and whatever she saw brought a look of awe to her beautiful face.

"You can't look at me like that," I whispered harshly, blinking my eyes closed as tears began to well up again.

Bella's voice sounded slightly breathless when she responded. "Like what, Ang?"

"Like I matter to you," I ground out between my teeth, my magick and emotions welling up in time together as my heart and soul called out for her.

"Ang," Bella whispered, her voice taking on a quietly playful tone as she bumped my shoulder with her forehead. "You're my best friend. I know I kinda got caught up in the Cullen bedazzling but you were my rock from the beginning. I knew no matter what happened that you'd always be there for me."

Then why did you choose him?! I wanted to shout out the injustice of it. Though, if I were being fair, I hadn't even told her about my feelings except in a pain-fueled goodbye.

"I didn't know I had another kind of option," she whispered, and I realized far too late that she was now just as entrenched in my mind, body, and soul, as the rest of my Clan. All because a single touch from her and I was undone, unmade, reborn as whatever she wanted from me.

I swallowed down the thick lump of trepidation as I pulled away to once again look her in the eyes. Her brows were furrowed, her disappointment obvious as she lightly clung to my shoulders as I opened the rest of my heart to her. "By the time I realized how far I'd fallen for you, you were already in his arms. I could never be so selfish as to steal your happiness just because I was suddenly madly in love with you."

I heard and felt her breath catch, her gaze bouncing back and forth between my eyes, a slight sheen of tears making them look molten in the morning light. "I never knew it was okay to feel that way about another girl. I mean, you hear about it every so often, Ellen and other celebrities. I actually thought I'd end up alone until Edward showed interest, if I'm honest."

I tilted my head, brows furrowing. "Why would you think that? You're the most beautiful girl I've ever known, funny and smart and just so damn sweet it's sickening sometimes."

An adorable giggle slipped from her as she grinned before rolling her eyes. "You say that, but I know for a fact that you've made out with Rosalie Hale, so your argument is invalid."

I narrowed my eyes, a slow smirk working its way onto my lips that had Bella's eyes widening before looking around for a place to retreat to. But it was far too late, I already had her in my clutches and judging by the squeal that left her lips as I began digging my fingers into her sides, she knew it. It was the sweetest sound I had ever heard and finally I was the one making her laugh, I was the one making her happy.

Eventually she managed to roll off my lap, winding up with us laying on our sides facing each other as she continued to have little giggle fits. She was an absolute wonder to behold, my fingers idly brushing back some hair from her face. Eventually she settled enough to speak, and though my magick kept our space free from prying ears, she kept her voice to a whisper.

"Please, tell me what happened that day. You got so upset all of a sudden and then you just shut down. It was like you suddenly became someone else entirely. And then you flew off - impressive, by the way - and not even an hour later I felt as if my heart was dying in my chest."

I took a deep unnecessary breath, willing away my tears as I fought to keep my magick under control. "When you spoke of how you loved Edward and how much his family meant to you, I just felt the last bit of my hope die. I rushed out the explanation for what I am and what would be expected of me soon, then I had to get out of there. I didn't know it at the time, but I broke a bond I held with you that I never knew existed. I almost killed my heart that day."

I swallowed but I couldn't hold back the tears. "Esme is what is called my Ma'atem, my chosen mother. My magick has ensured that she and I are closer than blood mother and child could ever be. She caught me as I landed in my sanctuary, asking who had hurt me when I began to break down, but Leah and Rosalie showed up not long after claiming I had done this to myself. They were right, but at the time all I could feel was pain and betrayal. Someone pulled Esme out of my arms just in time because my magick went out of control and I would have lost myself entirely were it not for my Clan's swift actions."

Feeling Bella's warm hand on my wet cheek had my eyes shooting open, wondering when I'd closed them. "Emmett threw me in a river," this had the intended effect of having Bella snort out inelegantly, her hand leaving my cheek to shove so my shoulder, only to pause as she began squeezing at the toned muscles months of training and enhancement spells had given me. I cleared my throat, causing her to jump, a warm blush tinting those pale cheeks the most beautiful shade of red. She seemed embarrassed, but I just grinned and flexed my left arm, thankful for the short-sleeves of my hospital gown as her eyes glazed a bit as she observed the definition I was presenting to her.

I eventually put my arm back at my side, deciding to continue my story. "Quite literally, though, Emmett had to throw me five miles across the forest to land me ass-over-tea-kettle in the sanctified waters of the nearby river. My first friend in the supernatural world is a nature spirit called a Dryad. He was able to forcibly submerge my body in the water until it filled my lungs even as I tried to kill him." I frowned heavily at the memory of those final broken moments. "Esme begged for his life even as I thought mine was being taken, and so I released him so my mother would not lose her mate."

Bella had a confusing mix of anger and confusion on her face. "You told me to ask Edward about Esme and Carlisle's mate, but he said he didn't know what you were talking about. But are you telling me they were willing to kill you, just like that?!"

"Not on your life," a new voice interrupted, Rosalie walking into the room, with Leah, Sam, and Emily, who had shot up another several inches since I'd last seen her. How they got through my wards was baffling enough, but the fact that all four of them entered and closed the door once again behind them was almost terrifying. There was no way I'd be able to separate my affections for all five women, even with Bella blushing up a storm lying next to me on my bed.

"Calm your glorious tits, jailbait," Leah grumbled as she flipped around her previous seat and straddled it near the end if the bed, the other three women following suit in their own manner; Rosalie sitting gracefully beside her mate, legs crossed primly; Sam sitting back with one leg kicked over the other, fingers steepled in her lap with that dominant arch-brow stare of hers; Emily sitting with her back against her chair leaning into her imprint, head resting on the Alpha's shoulder.

Bella sat up with a nervous air about her as I simply flopped over onto my back and stared down the other women. "I really need to start putting do-not-disturb warnings on my wards. The fact that you four can still get through without my consent is getting annoying."

"Technically," Emily interjected, a knowing smile on her smooth face, "if you hadn't wanted us involved in this conversation then we wouldn't have gotten through the wards in the first place."

"Yeah," Sam added, nodding her head towards Leah and Rosalie. "And do you honestly think these two twats would respect a do-not-disturb sign? It would only give them more incentive to interrupt."

I sighed, letting my head fall back against the pillow. "Bella, you, of course, know Rosalie. The bitch on her left who is trying way too hard to look like a hard-ass is her mate, Leah Clearwater." I was sure Leah was making some kind of loving gesture towards me but I chose to ignore it. "The actual hard-ass to Rosalie's right is Samantha Uley, and the adorably precious dove draped over Sam is her imprint-what their kind call their mates, basically."

"Their 'kind'?" Bella asked, and oops, I flinched as I sat up in a blur of motion that had Bella jumping in surprise. "Holy crap, you're as fast as a vampire!"

"Faster," I remarked offhandedly as I looked to Sam for support on this one. I know they have secrecy laws, both vampires and the wolves, but obviously Bella had to be an exception. With a nod from Sam, I decided it was time to bring Bella into our world fully.

I turned to bodily face the brunette who was still looking at me with surprise. "Bella," I waited for her eyes to clear and focus on me. "You've heard me talk about my Clan, right?" She nodded, holding her posture studiously stiff. It was kind of adorable. "Focus, useless lesbian!" I flinched at the volume of Rosalie's mental bitch slap. "Do you remember that Monday after prom weekend where I missed school?" Again, she nodded. "That was the first time I met Leah and Sam, who it turns out are shapeshifters who take on the form of massive wolves that pack quite a headbutt." I sent Leah a glare who just flipped me off in return.

"Wait," Bella gasped, "so the stories about the Third wife and the Cold Ones were completely true?! You really do turn into wolves?"

Sam nodded, drawing the brunette's attention, who seemed to be having just as much trouble maintaining eye-contact as I did when I first met them. You would think they'd have brought spare clothing with them by now after three weeks, but no, sports bras and sexy cut-offs were wolf-chic apparently. "Due to Taha Aki's anger over the loss of his third wife, our tribe's ability to phase into wolves became generationally dependent on the presence of vampires. When the Cullens showed up here two years ago, I was the first to undergo the shift and became Alpha of the Pack to come."

"Except someone can't fucking help meddling in the affairs of other supernaturals." I could feel Leah's glare but it had no real bite in it. This was her face she wore around people she didn't know, and intentionally or not, Bella had already been the cause of so much pain.

"What she's referring to," I continued calmly, wondering if I could get away with another nose flick before my life-expectancy expired, "is the fact that because she needed money, I whored out my magick to her to help her win a bet."

As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I felt a terrifying amount of glee from Leah. Her grin was all wolf as she held the threat of her words over me like the Sword of Damocles. "Don't you fucking dare!"

She was so far into her wolf that her eyes were reflecting light, golden and bright. Alas, it was Bella who would come to damn me as she asked, "What kind of bet?"

I swallowed, glancing between Leah and Bella before I decided that the truth might set me free. "So, before we get to that, you should know that I was forced to meet with the Cullens the day of this bet due to a slip of the tongue by Alice the previous day. I lost control of my emotions, which meant I lost control of my magick, and I...kinda...incinerated several dozen trees in my backyard."

Bella's eyes widened, which I feared she might just pop a socket if they widened any further. Still, I hurried on, needing to get this story over and done with. "Unfortunately, this drew both Sam and Leah's attention as well as two vampires who were out hunting, Alice and Jasper."

Bella gasped, an affronted furrow to her brows. "You mean that sight-seeing little shit knew you were a Witch and didn't tell me?!"

I raised my hands in a placating gesture. "To be fair, I asked them not to tell anyone. Alice and Jasper swore they wouldn't tell their family, except Peeping-Tom Barbie over here was about three miles away stalking me."

Rosalie glared but I just stuck my tongue out at her, safe in the distance between us. "What did I tell you about that tongue?!"

I snapped my tongue back behind my teeth feeling whatever equivalent of blushing was for my kind rushing to my cheeks. "Apparently, the Cullens decided to leave me alone so long as I showed no signs of being a danger to their secrets. Rosalie went against their wish and came searching for me, though she would have been unable to find my home due to its protective magick hiding it.

"Unfortunately, Rosalie expressed her doubt of my abilities, and so I had to give a small demonstration."

Bella sighed and gave me a put-upon look. "What did you do, Ang?"

I fought to keep the grin from my face as I glanced at Rosalie. "Say hello to Impact-Velocity Barbie."

Rosalie hissed, though Leah did chuckle at her side. "Come on, babe, it was kind of hilarious and you definitely deserved it."

Rosalie pouted at her mate before turning away with a huff. "She launched me into the air and across three miles of forest only to create a crater in her backyard."

Bella was looking at me with a mixture of awe and more than a little laughter behind a bitten lip. "Please tell me you got that on camera."

"Listen here, little bloodbag," Rosalie growled, and before anyone could so much as blink, the blonde was plastered into the far wall as my right eye began to burn.

Bella's hand on my arm had me snapping back to reality as I called back my magick, releasing Rosalie and healing any damage I may have caused. "Fuck, I'm so sorry! I don't know what came over me."

Bella was reaching over to a side table and pulling out a few tissues before returning to me. She began dabbing at my right eye, pulling the tissue away black with what I assumed was my blood. "I'm going to assume none of that was normal. Are you okay?"

Rosalie had regained her seat, still dusting plaster out of her hair. "Armando warned us this might happen. Angela hasn't stabilized yet after nearly turning into a full Lilitu Wight. I shouldn't have insulted Bella like that. Not only was it rude, which I apologize for, Bella, but it was a surefire way to set Angela off."

Bella looked shaken, eyes wide, face pale. "Did...Did Rosalie Hale just apologize to me? What timeline am I in? I get it, I'm actually the one in the coma!"

I casually reached over and poked her side, causing her to yelp and swat at my hand. "You're as sane as you've always been, which considering you befriended a family of vampires, isn't saying much."

Bella gave an affronted gasp, her hands swatting ineffectually at my arm. "Hey, you're one to talk! You befriended way more supernaturals than I have!"

I mean, I am one of those supernaturals, but it's probably best not to bring that up right now. "Back on track here, I was going to let everyone go about their lives, live and let live. Except, Alice had accidentally oath bound herself and the other vampires present to keep my secrets on pain of death. So even if they could guard their thoughts, there was bound to be one stray thought that would slip by to Edward, and then Alice would drop dead."

This again had Bella's eyes bugging out, but I just accepted that as they norm for the time being. "So it was decided that the only way to release Alice from her unintentional contract of secrecy was for me to reveal myself as a Witch to the rest of the Cullens. The next day we all met up at the original treaty line that separated the Cullen territory from the Quileute lands."

"You're leaving out the part where you gave Rosalie a peep-show," Leah added in, earning a glare from me as I felt my eye beginning to burn. It took a tremendous force of will not to cast whatever that new magick was.

"How the hell was I to know B&E-Barbie would just fucking be sitting there when I came out of the shower?!"

"Oh, and let's not forget her famous entrance," Rosalie added. "Most powerful Witch in the fucking world, just invented flying magick, and she pops down and says, 'Ta-da!'!

I groaned and pressed my face into my hand. "Lilith take me now, please. Look! I had just fucking taught myself to fly, would any of you have any brain power left for some epic intro?"

"You showed a definite lack of brain power when you went digging around in my soul like a kitten with a ball of yarn."

"Still not hearing a 'thank you' for that!" I muttered, crossing my arms under my chest while staring over Leah's shoulder. "My digging found your ingrained hatred of all things vampires, which, in case you forgot, is why Rosalie is at your side."

"She's kinda got a point, love," Rosalie sent her mate a loving smirk. "Besides, she knocked herself out for three hours. And we all remember whose name she kept calling for."

I felt myself pale as I glanced around the room, panicked. No one had told me I said anything in my sleep! And the only reason they would even bring it up is if it had been Bella's name.

"Oh, you talk in your sleep too?" Bella asked casually, looking over at me. It hadn't escaped me that Bella had yet to move off the bed and into one of the many chairs.

"Apparently," I grumbled, glaring at the women, daring them to reveal anything.

Luckily, Bella chose to continue herself. "Edward and Alice both told me that I talk in my sleep but neither will tell me what I say. I figure it's something embarrassing or something completely off my rocker."

Rosalie was grinning with a little too much satisfaction as she tapped the side of her head, opening our mental chat. "You said her name over and over again, begging her not to leave, to choose you. Bella calls out for you, saying she misses you and asking where you went."

I was floored, but in the best possible way. If Bella thought about me so deeply that she expressed her feelings unconsciously in her sleep, then that had to mean something, didn't it?! More sharpened daggers of hope stabbed into my heart and I had begun to crave their agony.

"But yes," Sam went on, glancing sideways at her beta and Leah's imprint, "Apparently, your little Angela here is quite the powerful and unique Witch. According to Armando, Angela is a Soul Weaver. She soul-bound my entire Pack and some of the vampires to her own soul, and tethered our phasing ability to her existence. Well, all except Emily here." She paused and smiled lovingly at her imprint. "You see, Leah and I were engaged before I shifted for the first time. Angela already mentioned that we have mates similar vampires called imprints. The moment I met Emily's eyes, I knew she was the one for me. I didn't handle this between the three of us well, suppressed my emotions and in a fit of anger, I phased too close to Emily. My claws tore her face up pretty bad." She blinked back tears as she cupped Emily's smooth cheek.

Leah chose to continue for her, all the old spite and anger missing from her voice. "I thought she was lying about the wolf thing at first, that she was just cheating on me. I phased for the first time later that week when I got into an argument with my dad on the subject. He defended Sam's right to be with her imprint and I couldn't take it. It all just exploded and suddenly I was standing there on four paws and my dad clutching his chest." She swallowed hard, Rosalie's hand finding its way into hers in silent support. This was new information for me as well, so I did the natural thing and took Bella's hand in mine and leaned against her, pleasantly surprised when her head fell onto my shoulder.

"My dad died of a heart attack, and Seth phased later that month. We held a quiet funeral. This was before you arrived, Bella, but your dad showed up. He was always close with my dad and Billy. Unfortunately, there exists between all wolves what we call Pack mind, a shared telepathic bond where nothing can be hidden from one another. I had to suffer through Sam's thoughts of Emily over and over, but as my Alpha, I had no choice but to obey Sam as well. It was torture every day I had to share the Pack mind with her, all up until Angela decided to rewrite our genetic code."

She sent me this loving smile that I still wasn't quite used to seeing aimed my way. It caused Bella to tighten her hold on my hand curiously, but she didn't say anything. "When Angela passed out, myself and Rosalie ran to catch her at the same time, only to lock eyes and that was all it took. Until that moment, I had refused to meet anyone's gaze for fear of what an imprint bond would do to me. Then suddenly I had Rosalie and nothing really mattered anymore, other than protecting Angela, of course. It wouldn't be until much later that day that we'd all learn that she had Clan-bound our entire Pack to her soul."

I tried not to let their loving emotions overwhelm my already fragile mental state. I was practically euphoric having Bella at my side, adding in these four women whose souls I had personally held, I might fucking cry. "It was accidental, but according to Armando it is a self-preservation instinct to form a coven, or in my family's case, the Lockwell Clan."

Bella leaned back, a small frown of confusion marring her beautiful features. "I thought your name was-"

Magick shot up my arm and into Bella before I could control it, the instinctual anger at anything to do with those humans always capable of setting me off. But instead of a cry of pain as I expected, an exhale that sounded suspiciously like a moan left the brunette's gaping lips. We were left staring at one another, my body tingling all over as that sound played over and over on repeat in my head.

"Wh-What was that?" Bella eventually managed to breathe out quietly.

"I'm not sure," I answered honestly, fighting not to attempt a repeat just to hear her pleasure again. "Mentions of my blood relatives usually ends with the closest thing to me taking the brunt of my emotional outbursts of magick. You should have been shocked or burnt or something."

"Oh it was a shock, alright," she murmured quietly, apparently forgetting she was in a room full of supernatural creatures with heightened senses as she looked around wide-eyed. "I mean, um..."

"Don't worry," Leah cut her off teasingly, "we've all experienced that 'shock' before."

This just seemed to make Bella blush harder, her shoulders drawing up to her ears and she grumbled unintelligibly. I couldn't help but nudge her shoulder as I smirked down at the girl. "I imagine the reason Sam mentioned Emily's former scars is because the day Rosalie and I were late for school was the day I took hold of these four souls and gave them absolution at Emily's behest. She chose that each of them should bear one of the three scars that marred the right side of her face at the time. What they didn't know is that I was already pouring my magick into each of them to instantly heal all the scars before they could take."

Bella looked right to Rosalie and the scar that split the far right side of her face. "Yeah, Rosalie chose her own absolution through the permanent marring of her own perfection. To show the world she was more than her beauty, which had always been true, by the way."

Bella was nodding her agreement, her gaze lingering on the scar, her fingers twitching like she wanted to trace it. I smiled at the unconscious way she accepted these four souls as if they were a part of us, even without realizing how true it was.

"But we are getting ahead of ourselves," Leah interrupted, an evil grin on her face. "Before Angela got personal with the inner workings of my soul, Armando came onto the scene. I'm sure you'll meet him as soon as he gets back from filing a certain forgetful blonde's divorce papers. Turns out Dryads tend to mate with established couples to guarantee the continuation of the species."

"What she's saying," Rosalie interrupted, glaring down her nose at her taller mate, "is that Armando set off mating instincts in the already mated Esme and Carlisle. When he realized this, he immediately tried to go to his mates, only to be intercepted by the dumbest fucking immortal on the planet. Of course, none of us expected Esme to be the one to put Edward in a headlock and nearly tear his head off."

Bella gasped, hands covering her mouth. "No way! Esme attacked Edward?!"

I nodded, smiling despite the coming shitstorm when Bella found out who actually decapitated the golden boy. "When she realized what she was doing, she of course backed off and apologized profusely. But Edward just couldn't keep his fucking mouth shut and called Armando a 'thing' and asked why they acted like they wanted 'it'." I couldn't quite hold back back another discharge of energy as I remembered the bile he hurled at my friend and family.

Bella's face turned into my shoulder and I had to grit my teeth through a groan as she bit into my shoulder, her body trembling as she once again took the brunt of my unfocused magick. We were both breathing heavily as she pulled away and met my gaze, her pupils blown wide as she struggled to get her breathing under control.

"C-Can you stop doing that?" she whimpered pitifully, and if I didn't have an audience then I swear to Lilith I would have her on her back while pouring every ounce of magick I could into her.

"Sorry," I nearly growled the word, unable to hold back the urgency in my voice. "Usually when someone gets hit with my magick they suffer pain. I don't know why it's different with you."

"You know, there's an obvious answer to that," Rosalie sent my way privately. "She's your mate."

I blinked at the painfully hopeful jab to my heart that came with her words. "But I don't get to choose. And if some demon inhabits her body, she won't be my Bella anymore. No, I couldn't do that to her, I can't lose her like that when she's only just now reaching out to me."

"Keep it in mind when the time comes, that's all I'm saying."

Bella cleared her throat before eventually asking the damning question. "So what was this bet you keep avoiding talking about?"

I cringed and turned a sheepish grin towards my lap. "Well, Edward obviously continued to make an ass out of himself and insult the triad mate bond, which triggered Esme and Carlisle into cornering Edward. The wolves were taking bets on who would take off his head first." I paused, taking a fortifying breath I no longer needed before continuing. "Leah and her brother Seth had a hundred on me. So I might have sliced Edward's head off..."