-- Irena's POV --

The past few weeks have been an awful mix of exhilarating and infuriating. I cannot seem to decide which emotion is most appropriate for what I have been experiencing. When I first realised I'd need to work to get my mate to let me into her life, I never dreamed it would be this difficult. It has been over two months now since I met my Isabella that night. Two months of constantly aching for her, thinking of her and doing my very best to show her that I need her. Desperately.

My inner beast is constantly crying out for her and it has been exceedingly difficult to convince myself that kidnapping her and holding her hostage is not a good idea. The more she runs from me, the more she avoids me, the more difficult it is becoming to control myself around her. I want desperately to pull her into my arms and never let her go. To hold her close and soothe all the pain she holds so tightly around her heart.

Even now as I tackle the nearest deer and sink my teeth into its jugular I cannot seem to stop thinking of her. My sweet little mate who runs from me so determinedly. Though I swear it now that I will have my vengeance upon those that have harmed her. I just wish I knew who my targets were already but instead I am still as clueless as I was the night I met her. Her pain filled eyes, her fear, her heartbreak still haunting my every thought.

I have so many questions for her, so much I want to know yet all that pales in comparison to how much I need to hold her. Though I have no doubt it is a long time yet before I can do such a thing.

After I had drained my third deer of the day I dusted myself off and straightened my clothes out ready to return home as I take off at a run. I knew Carmen and Kate would be home soon from their visit to Isabella's House. Hopefully with an update and maybe with news of progress on getting close to my stubborn little mate.

Though I must admit that knowledge both makes me happy and slightly jealous all at once. Her father being keen to host weekly bonding nights is giving Kate the perfect opportunity to get close to my mate and I know she uses the opportunity to make sure my mate is safe and I am more than grateful that my sister is doing what she can to ensure my mates safety but knowing that Kate has the opportunity to be close to Bella so frequently, when I can't be makes me a little jealous because I would do anything to be able to be close to her.

Walking into our home I take a moment to breathe in deeply. Closing my eyes to savour the lingering scent of my mate that clings to my sister and my pseudo mothers clothes, indicating that they had infact got closer to Bella than we had as of yet. Her scent makes me feel as if I'm coming home, though the weakness of the scent makes my heart feel hallow, knowing that she is in fact not here. I'm so ready for her to stop running from me now, I do not know how much longer I can control my inner beast.

"Take a seat Irena" Tanya's voice startles me out of my inner musings and a snap my eyes quickly around the room. Taking in the stiff postures, the eyes dark with anger and concern and the way Kate's fingers spark minutely, her obvious upset causing her to lessen the control she usually has over the electric current that runs through her body.

"What's going on? Is Isabella alright?" I ask as I sit on the empty love seat facing my family. I look towards Kate and Carmen and I don't like what I see. Kate who is sitting on the sofa across from me, Carmen perched behind her on the arm with her hand resting on Kates shoulder in comfort, looking more furious than I have ever seen her. Whatever has happened has upset my sister and Carmen greatly and that fills me with apprehension. Especially knowing that they have just come from my mates house.

"Isabella knows what we are" Kates words are whispered, though the anger and upset are clear in her voice as she looks at me for the first time since I walked in and I can see the swirl of emotions in her eyes. Though what about Bella knowing has upset her so? We always suspected as much so why has confirmation caused such a reaction?

"We think that whoever hurt her so badly was a vampire" it's Carmen who answers my unspoken questions and her words have my already dead heart freezing where it lies as anger courses through me. A vampire?! Another vampire has been near my Isabella. MY mate!!! MINE!! How dare they!!! How dare this vampire come near what is mine!! I cannot help the loud growl that erupts from me and somewhere in my subconscious I recognise Tanya, Kate and Carmen trying to calm me but all I can see, all I can think about is the red haze of fury that flows within me.

No wonder my mate won't come near me. No wonder she runs from me. No wonder she is so terrified to be near me when another has harmed her!! My mate, my Isabella. I must go to her. I must see her.

Though the arms that suddenly pin me face first to the ground hinder me from my task. I must get away from them, I must get to Isabella, I must claim my mate. Show her that she is mine and I will never harm her.

" MINE !!!" The word escapes me as a snarl as I fight desperately to free myself from whom I now recognise as Tanya. The only one in the coven old enough and therefore strong enough to hold me down.

"Yes yours, Isabella is yours" her words cause my growling to diminish in intensity but I still can't find the calm through my anger. I still need to get my mate.

"Isabella is yours but you have to calm down Irena, you cannot go to her because you will scare her, more than she already is" I growl in response. Darn it. Damn her words of wisdom and her making sense when all I want is my mate.

"There is more to discuss and we need you calm. Isabella needs you to calm. We cannot help her if you are letting your instincts control you" the firm tone of my coven leader is present and it works in reigning in my beast. Ceasing my struggling I lay still, not entirely calm but willing to listen to what Tanya has to say.

"Good Irena, deep breathes and calm yourself. Once your calm I'll let you up and then we can discuss all of what Carmen and Kate have discovered and figure out how to go about getting your mate" though at first having Tanya pin me, feeling the weight of her pressing down on my back, the domineering hand on my neck felt restrictive but now, now that I can see past the fury it is more reassuring than anything else because I know my sister would always be there when I needed her and that included when my beast took over and could potentially do something reckless like traumatising my mate in a fit of rage.

Five minutes later I felt calm enough to move but knew she would not let me up until she felt me cemetery relax and give in to her demands. Focusing on my breathing I pull in slow unnecessary breathes and gradually relax my tense muscles. Tilting my head to the side in a sign of submission and her reaction is instant. The moment I submit, she removes her hand from my neck and stands, letting me turn around and helping me up to my feat with a reassuring smile. It is rare she feels the need to have us submit to her, though it is a sign of our respect for her as our coven leader. But she knows me well enough to know that it is what she needs from me to show that I have calmed. To let me up a moment before I fully submit would just encourage my anger.

"Thanks Tan" I murmur sheepishly, feeling rather silly now that I was back in control. I could have ruined any progress we had made so far with Isabella if I had been able to reach her house like I had intended. I could have scared her even more because I know while I was that far gone in my instincts I wouldn't have hesitated in holding my human mate hostage in my arms and attacking anyone that came near her.

"Not a problem Rena" she responds with an easy smile before it slips and I watch her put her coven leader head on.

"Now Carmen, Kate what else have you found out?" She asks and yet again I find myself focused intently on the two, praying that what they have to share will not set me off again.

"The reason we know she knows exactly what we are is because she submitted to me and her reaction was instinctual, like she had been forced to submit time and time again. She automatically submitted but what made it worse was the scent of her fear was so strong it was almost completely overwhelming" Kate murmured quietly.

"She reacted instinctively but fearfully? How did you get her to submit? What did she do?" I couldn't help the soft growl that escaped as I asked my questions, though I forced myself to keep breathing calmly in an attempt to temp down my rage.

"I was running my fingers through her hair. Once she had come down the stairs from having a min freak out about our presence and Carmen had gone up to check on her we made sure she had to sit between us on her fathers sofa. I ran my fingers through her hair at the base of her neck and Carmen put her hand on Bella's thigh to calm her. It began to work and I decided that there was one way to test whether or not she had interacted with a vampire before as we suspected so I put my thumb over her pulse on her neck. She automatically tilted her head in submission but as soon as it happened the scent of fear grew" Kate explained now much calmer than she was before though I could see her wince as she spoke of my mates obvious fear.

Again though I found myself fighting the urge to give in to my anger. The more I learned the more furious I became. That was my mate who had been hurt. My very human, very vulnerable mate. Before I had a chance to react in any way I felt Tanya's hand land on my shoulder, half restraining half soothing as she gripped me lightly.

"We got her to calm down eventually but she couldn't get away from us fast enough when the evening ended. She excused herself to bed just before we left" Carmen continued, still sounding upset. It was clear our coven mother had claimed a child in my mate. I would recognise her reaction anywhere. The concern in her tone equivalent to what she showed whenever one of us were upset or injured.

"What happened when she had her mini melt down?" Tanya asked, directing the conversation when it was clear I wouldn't be able to remain calm if I was forced to speak."When we entered Charlie's she was in the living room talking to the other female detective on Kate's team. They were laughing about Charlie's inability to cook and teasing Charlie about it. She was laughing, calm and seemed happy until she caught sight of Kate and I, something about seeing me set her off. She had this look of longing and pain in her eyes and it was as if there was brief recognition. She excused herself and we could hear her make her way to her room sobbing. I followed her and she let me comfort her briefly, when she got better control of herself she asked me to leave and before I left the room entirely she whispered that she couldn't go through that pain again. Though what pain she is referring too we do not know" Carmen explained, her tone soft and longing as if she ached to be able to comfort my mate and take away her pain. Which I suppose is entirely accurate knowing Carmen who had the most loving heart I had ever known.

"So it is clear we need to confront Isabella, sooner rather than later. We need to know the truth and we need to ensure Isabella is clear on her position in this coven as soon as possible" Tanya stated, straightening up as she gently led us. It was this ability of hers, to command and lead but with such care and patience that made me appreciate her even more. She always did what was best for us, always managed to put our coven first and it was what had led us this far.

After the death of our creator Sasha, Tanya had taken it upon herself to guide Kate and I, even in our grief where all three of us gave in to our more animalistic urges, sleeping with and killing humans whenever we pleased she always made sure we kept under the radar, were never discovered and kept us safe. She guided us out of our grief eventually too, teaching us how to hunt and feed on animals and when Carmen and Eleazer joined us it felt naturally that she continued to lead.

"How do we confront her without her running or scaring her?" Eleazer chimed in for the first time tonight, our father figure was always more quiet and observant than the rest of us.

"She feels the bonds, if we can get her here surrounded by us I think we can keep her calm enough to avoid her freaking out too badly or running" Carmen murmured and her words made me smile for the first time tonight. Knowing that my little mate actually felt the familial bonds meant that unknowingly or not she had opened herself up to the mate bond and our coven. Once the mate bond took root within a mate it became something that they could not fight. It meant she would not be able to fight her need for me as much as I could not fight my need for her. It meant that getting her to open up, getting her to trust us had now become even more likely.

"She's excepted the bond, without knowing it I suspect" as if reading my mind Kate spoke up, a hint of a smile gracing her features as she looked at me and I couldn't help but smile back.

~ Bella's POV ~

I felt like screaming, ever since Kate and Carmen left two days ago, I had felt an intense longing in my gut, as if I needed something that wasn't here. Though to a degree that nothing I had done succeeded in distracting me from it. It was almost painful.

To make it worse, the way Carmen and Kate had comforted me felt so natural it was frightening. It was as if I were part of their family and always had been. It made me feel cared for in a way that not even the Cullen's had. The motherly affection from Carmen felt more meaningful than Esme's had ever been and it made me feel guilty. I had loved and still loved Esme, her absence had hurt me deeply, more so than Edwards hurtful words ever had.

Kate's easy banter reminded me so much of Emmet and that had hurt, though it felt as if Kate was far more at ease around me than any of the Cullen's ever had been. She wasn't afraid to be near me.

Irena was another of the Denali's that caused me a mix of pain and confusion. Being near her felt weird, she made me feel secure and safe, her constant appearances in my daily life had annoyed me to start with though the longer it went on the less I could deny I didn't at least find some comfort in her disturbances. There was also the fact that she had no visible reaction to the scent of my blood when I had gotten that paper cut in the library. Her eyes hadn't darkened in the slightest. They remained the bright gold I always saw whenever she was around.

It made no sense. Edward had always said my blood sung to him, that it was a constant struggle not to give in to the need he had to drink from me. The other Cullen's had also had a difficult time resisting temptation. After all, Jasper's slip had been the catalyst in them leaving. It was my humanity, my fallibility that had ensured that the Cullen's needed to leave. I hadn't been good enough for them. So why didn't Irena react to my blood? Why were the Denali's consistently trying to get close. And why did I feel like I needed them so badly? I had so many questions, questions I knew would never be answered unless I allowed myself to do the most reckless thing imaginable.

Let the vampires in.