– Denali, Alaska –
"Sweet Ali, you must breathe."
Alice paused her frantic packing and looked at the figure standing by the window with narrowed eyes. If the woman hadn't already been dead, and therefore unchanging, she would've insisted on a makeover. The old-fashioned blue dress she wore was barely tolerable in Alice's opinion. But then, she much preferred today's modern fashion to anything vintage.
"Breathe!" Alice cried hysterically. "Are you nuts? There's no time to breathe! Bella is going to die!"
"What you saw was one possible outcome." The woman spoke softly. "You have a wonderful gift, child. But you must remember, you see possibilities, not absolutes."
Alice huffed. "But it's still a possibility my best friend will die!"
"A possibility, yes," the spirit nodded in agreement.
"Good, you agree," Alice went back to her packing. "We'll just have to go back to Forks and make sure my vision doesn't come true."
The spirit smiled. "I never said that."
"So, you think it's a good idea to leave my best friend all alone and let her get herself killed?"
"I never said that, either."
Frustrated, Alice threw the shoe she was holding across the room. "Then what are you saying? That bad man is coming and he's going to hurt my Bella!"
"The Fates sent Peter to Bella, he's there to protect her . . ."
"Peter is a giant turd brain!" Alice growled, her anger bubbling to the surface. "And anyway, you told me his gift isn't working right. He couldn't even tell Bella about cute Kol! And what about the one who's got amazing taste in suits? He's gonna try to kill Nik. Bella's not going to like that, you know. She'll get upset if someone tries to hurt her Nik! And what about the one stuck in a coffin? Does she even know her new bestest bestie Katherine—the wonder slut—is dating Mr. I-Have-Good-Taste-In-Suites-But-Horrible-Taste-In-Women? I don't think so! Because Peter hasn't told her. Because he a turd brain!"
It was no secret that Alice didn't like Peter and he didn't like her. It didn't help matters that Peter thought Alice and Jasper were mated. He assumed Alice was using and manipulating Jasper. Though, Alice wasn't sure why he'd think something so stupid. Nobody could ever tell her Daddy what to do.
"Peter will be of no use to her when the bad man gets there and tries to hurt her! I've seen it! Peter won't even know! She'll be hurt and he won't know . . ."
With a tired sigh, she dropped down onto her bed and wrapped her arms around herself. It was exhausting trying to be big and help.
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Standing in the doorway, Jasper frowned as he watched Ali curl in on herself. Whatever was going on, it was too much for her mind to handle.
"Sweetheart, who are you talkin' to?"
As far as he could tell, there was nobody in the room with them, but that didn't mean there wasn't anyone there.
Ali had a fondness for communicating with the dead . . .
Well, to rephrase, she'd somehow become friends with a spirit. Just the one. Over the decades, she's tried to speak with the other spirits and make friends but—because she's apart vampire and a siphon—most spirits shun her. It hurt her so much that Jasper was forced to step in and forbid her from reaching out to the spirits. It wasn't something he did often, but to keep her from being hurt, he would do anything.
And then one day, about twelve years ago, this spirit showed up. Obeying his command, Ali had ignored her for a while but when it became obvious even to Jasper that the spirit wanted to talk to Ali, he encouraged the friendship. He wasn't sure why he'd done it. But it felt like the right thing to do at the time.
Twelve years into their friendship, the spirit had never harmed Ali or upset her. In fact, she was kind. Helpful, even.
With a soft, tired sigh, Ali lifted her head from her knees. "Qetsiyah. She came to visit when I had the vision of Bella dying."
Jasper joined Ali on the bed, pulling her into his arms so that she was sat on his lap. "What did you see, baby?"
"The bad man is coming to hurt my best friend . . ."
"Can you show me?"
With a nod of her head, he placed his fingers against her temple and let his mind enter hers. It was easy to find the vision. It was right there at the forefront, replaying over and over.
This was a part of her gift he hated. She shouldn't have to see such monstrous things. If there was a way to put a stop to her visions, he wouldn't hesitate.
When the vision came to an end, Jasper left her mind and placed a soft kiss on her temple.
"Keep packing. I'll make some calls to make sure Bella is protected until we get there. We'll leave in an hour."
Ali's head snapped up. "I can go see Bella again?" She asked, her voice full of excitement.
Jasper smiled and nodded. "Yes, sweetheart. You can."
He knew he never should've listened to Carlisle and Edward. Bella's a danger magnet. It was only a matter of time before she found herself in one situation or another.
From what he knew from Ali, Qetsiyah, and his own contacts in Forks, Bella was surrounded by supernaturals who could keep her safe, but he wasn't sure any of them were prepared for this threat and he wasn't going to wait and risk her life.
With a frown, Ali huffed. "Does this mean I have to be big again?"
Jasper chuckled. "No, baby. When we leave here, you never need to be big again if you don't want to."
"We not comin' back?"
"No," he said, decided.
He was done hiding. It was only hurting Ali the longer they masqueraded as cold ones. Edward had done enough damage. Jasper wouldn't risk him coming back and continuing to threaten and manipulate Ali.
Right now, was the perfect time to leave. Carlisle was at the hospital. Rosalie and Emmett were off on another honeymoon. Esme was spending all her time searching for another house to renovate. And Edward was off sulking. There was nobody to try and convince him to stay.
"Not ever?"
"Not ever," he answered. "Pack as much as you can. I'll have someone collect our things and bring them to our new home when we find one."
─── ･｡ﾟ: *. .* :ﾟ. ───
Excitement poured out of Ali as she jumped off Jasper's lap and went back to her packing. She was going to see her best friend again. She'd warn her about the bad man that would try to kill her and then they'd have a sleepover and color together like they used to!
She'd finally be able to introduce Bella to Qetsiyah. Qetsiyah was sure Bella would be able to see her again, as long as Ali siphoned the spells from Bella's mind. And then they could all be best friends and nothing would ever hurt them ever, ever again.
Well, as long as that weird lady with the strange voice didn't show up. Ali didn't like that lady very much. She was mean and scary.
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– Forks, Washington –
Klaus watched Bella nap on the sofa. He knew he needed to call Billy Black back and meet with him about their problem, but leaving wasn't that simple. Now that he'd met her and she was safe in his arms—or as safe as she could be right now—he didn't want to let her out of his sight for even a moment.
It was bad enough that there was something inside of her trying to kill her—something he couldn't see or fight—he also had to worry about the long list of enemies he'd acquired in the last thousand years. If anyone found out he'd mated—especially while she was in this condition and vulnerable—they'd crawl out of their hovels to attack her just to get to him.
Losing her now was not an option.
He didn't know what the future held for them or how any of this worked, but he would not allow her to die because of him.
Perhaps—thinking back on it—he should've taken Kol's advice and killed his enemies instead of allowing them to live and spread the tale of the monstrous Klaus Mikaelson. He wanted to make a name for himself. And it worked. Very well. He was feared. His name was only uttered in hushed reverent whispers.
He never considered what would happen if he found his soulmate.
Hell, who was he kidding? He never believed such a thing could exist for a monster like him.
Breaking him from his thoughts, Kol cleared his throat and asked Klaus and Charlie to take a walk with him.
"Brother—"
"It's important, Nik," Kol insisted.
"Don't worry, dear. I'll stay with her until you return," Marie smiled happily as she read through her grimoire, trying to find a spell to help extract the parasite from Bella before it could rip her open with its teeth.
Reluctantly, Klaus stood and followed his brother out of the house and then into the surrounding forest, wondering what could possibly be so important.
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Before she succumbed to exhaustion, Kol had questioned Bella about Edward's gift. He needed to know his strengths and weaknesses. Just in case he was the father.
From what Kol gathered, the boy was a piss-poor telepath with barely any range and not even a slither of control.
"Kol," Nik sighed, his annoyance beginning to show.
When he was sure they were far enough away from the house that nobody could hear them and the chance of the parasite reading their minds was decreased, he stopped.
"What I'm about to say doesn't go any further than the three of us," he said seriously.
"What aren't you telling my daughter?"
Kol shook his head. "If I could tell her, I would, Charlie. But I fear what Bella knows the parasite will also know. Not only does it have senses far greater than a human but it might even be telepathic."
"Then why tell us?"
"Because Nik and I are Original Vampires, nobody, not even this parasite can breech our minds. And Bella has assured me Edward Cullen couldn't read your mind."
Charlie frowned. "I don't have a clue why that could be, I'm just a regular wolf . . ."
"It could well be Bella's doing, but right now, I don't know enough about her magic to say for sure."
"Or, cold ones can't breach the minds of wolves, either," Klaus suggested. "Not even an Original can compel a wolf, perhaps a cold one's abilities are more limited than we know."
"Possibly," Kol agreed.
"What is it you wanted to tell us, son?"
"The parasite is feeding on Bella's blood. That's why she's rapidly losing weight. In time—and not much of it—she'll be a mere shell of what she was before this happened to her."
Charlie sighed. "She was losing weight before this happened to her . . ."
"Why?"
"That damn boyfriend of hers," Charlie growled. "He was always telling her what to eat and when! Like he was some damn expert. Turns out, the little fucker doesn't even eat!"
Kol frowned. "Why would he do that?"
"Control." Nik hissed.
"So, we need to find a way for her to eat, right?" Charlie asked, eyeing the very angry Original beside him. "To help her get stronger before this thing rips her open?"
Kol nodded. "Problem is, the parasite is part cold one and whatever she consumes, it rejects and she brings back up."
"And if we give her blood," Nik sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "it won't just make Isabella stronger, it'll make the parasite stronger, too."
"Exactly," Kol nodded.
"You wouldn't bring us out here if you didn't have a solution. So, out with it. What's your plan?"
"It's just a theory." Kol looked at Charlie. "Bella is your daughter; therefore, she carries the werewolf gene and won't be harmed by werewolf toxin . . ."
Nik smirked, realizing where his brother was going with his. "But she's carrying a hybrid that's part cold one and they are affected by werewolf toxin."
Charlie frowned. "They are? I thought these little bastards were immune to everything."
"They have a few weaknesses. Though, from what I've seen, most younger cold ones are cocky and think they're immune to everything."
Charlie nodded. "And werewolf toxin is one thing that can harm them?"
"Yes," Nik nodded. "Their reaction to a wolf bite isn't the same as a traditional vampire. When a vampire is bitten they have hallucinations, extreme thirst, and will eventually go rabid. It's slow and painful."
Kol smirked. "When a cold one is bitten, they burn from the inside. The werewolf toxin attacks their venom and destroys it."
"That's your plan for Bella," Nik realized.
"Yes," Kol nodded. "We weaken the parasite while strengthening Bella by mixing werewolf toxin into the blood we feed her. And, hopefully, the parasite will feed on the blood-toxin mixture and Bella will be able to eat and gain some of the nutrition she's losing. If we can strengthen her for the birth, there's more chance she'll survive."
"That's only if the parasite doesn't carry the wolf gene as well . . ." Charlie pointed out.
Kol nodded. "From what I've seen, usually these parasites take after their cold one fathers more than their human mother. I'm hoping it'll be the same for Bella, but right now, there's no way to know for sure."
"It's worth a try, regardless."
Charlie was nodding his head. "Sounds good to me. But how do we get the thing out of her without killing her?"
Kol sighed, his shoulders slumping. "I don't know. But if we can figure out a way for Dr. Fell to perform a C-Section we should do it as soon as possible."
"Before it has the chance to get any bigger and harm my mate further." Nik nodded in agreement.
"Speaking of mates . . ." Charlie grinned, his eyes on Kol. "Perhaps there's something you'd like to share with your brother?"
Kol's eyes widened. "Now?" He shook his head. "I don't think now is the best time . . ."
"Better now than later. As soon as you tell Nik, the two of you can talk to Bells. This is not something you want to keep from her. Trust me, son. I know my daughter. You do not want to start out by lying or keeping something from her . . ."
"Kol," Nik growled. "What don't I know?"
"Okay. Umm." He took a deep breath. "I . . . I met my soulmate . . ."
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Klaus relaxed upon hearing Kol's words. His gaze softened. For him, finding his Isabella had touched him deeply. He could only hope that, whoever Kol's mate was, she would have a profound effect on his brother and change him for the better.
He may not say it often, if ever, but he truly does adore his little brother. He did not relish the thought of daggering him again. It was only for the safety of his mate that he'd begun making plans. But if he'd found his soulmate, his person, then . . .
"Who might this soulmate be, brother?" He asked, his eyes narrowing.
Kol hadn't left his sight since he awoke. It couldn't be one of the flight attendants. Kol never would've left her in Seattle. And he killed most of them. It wasn't anyone in New York. And it wasn't anyone he'd met before he was daggered. If it were, Klaus would know about them by now. He also dismissed Peter, Stefan, Damon, and Charlie. Kol was far too interested in the fairer sex to take a male to his bed. And he was sure his brother hadn't found his soulmate in Marie.
That only left . . .
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"Bella," Kol replied, a soft smile on his face.
For a moment, the forest was completely silent.
Then a roar ripped through Nik's chest. His eyes turned yellow with the rise of his wolf and he lunged for his brother, grabbing him roughly by his collar.
"Tell me you're joking!" He snarled, pinning Kol to the nearest tree. He could feel his fangs pressing against his gums.
Behind them, Charlie sighed.
"I would never joke about something like this!" Kol growled, pushing back on his brother, attempting to loosen his hold, but Nik was stronger and didn't budge.
"Then you're lying!"
"I'm not lying, either!"
"Then whatever you think you feel, you're wrong!" Nik shouted. "Soulmates are between two people. Me and Isabella!"
"Don't you think I know that?" Kol growled back. "I'm the one who believes in the soulmate bond! I'm the one who's researched and spent centuries of my life devoted to learning all I can about magic! Until you set eyes on her, you didn't believe soulmates existed! But I did, Nik. I've always believed. And trust me, brother, I've never heard about multiple soulmate matches!"
From the corner of his eye, Klaus saw Marie and Peter slowly approach them.
"Then whatever your feeling is wrong!" He growled, veins appearing beneath his eyes.
"No, it's not!" Kol snarled, his eyes darkening as the veins appeared and his fangs pressed against his gums.
The brothers were chest to chest, snarling at one another.
"Enough!" Marie raised her voice. "Both of you, back up, now!"
The two Original vampires growled back at her.
Narrowing her eyes, Marie leveled her gaze on the two men. Her power surged within her, sending both vampires to their knees, clutching their heads with an aneurysm.
When she was sure they'd had enough and would remain calm, she released them from her spell.
Before either Original could move to attack her, she held up a hand.
"I am an old woman," she said calmly, "and the grandmother of your mate. I suggest you show me some respect and remember your manners!"
With a growl, Nik turned away from the old woman and began to pace.
"Now," Marie continued, "what's the problem?"
"Kol told Nik about his mating bond with Isabella."
"She is mine!" Nik snarled, whirling around to face his brother.
Kol growled in return. "Actually, brother, she's ours."
"No, absolutely not!" He was ready to attack his brother again. He didn't want to hurt his mate's grandmother, but there was no way he'd let this happen.
Taking a deep breath, he looked at Peter. "Why didn't you tell me about this?"
"I didn't know," Peter admitted.
Nik frowned. "You're telling me, The Fates didn't warn you about this?"
"Yes," Peter nodded, "that's what I'm telling you."
"Why the bloody hell not?"
Peter shrugged. "I don't know."
With a sigh, Marie looked up at Peter. "You're not helping matters, young man. Go sit on that log over there." She pushed him toward the log and turned to face the angry Original when Peter had done as she told him. "Peter seems to be having some problems with his gift right now. We're unsure why, how, or even who could be tampering with it."
Nik looked over at Peter sitting slumped on the log. "When was the last time The Fates spoke to you?"
"When we left New York to come here. The last I heard from them was when they told me Kol was vital in keeping Bella alive and that she only had until October 10th."
"Is this important?" Kol asked, looking between the three. "I know I'm mated to Bella. And it's pretty obvious Nik is, too. We'll just have to learn to . . . God help me . . ." he sighed, "share."
"I think this could be important, yes," Marie nodded and then turned back to Nik. "When I last spoke with Peter, we wondered if someone was purposefully blocking or manipulating his gift somehow. It would take someone with great power and knowledge. And they'd only be able to manipulate Peter's side of the gift."
Marie went on to tell Nik all about their previous discussion and the thoughts they'd had about Peter's gift being tampered with. But nobody knew who it could be or why they'd wish to keep this unique mating from happening.
Nik sighed and shook his head. "It's the Original Witch. It's got to be."
Kol frowned. "You think our mother is purposefully keeping us from our mate. Why?"
"Call it a hunch." Nik shook his head and sighed. "This isn't getting us anywhere. Our focus needs to be on Isabella and figuring out how to get that parasite out of her. Everything else can wait until she's safe."
Kol nodded. "We need more than magic if Dr. Fell is going to perform a C-Section successfully. Are there any cold ones that owe you a favor?"
"None," Klaus answered.
Marie frowned, taken back by the ease with which the two brothers shifted the conversation. Perhaps that was due to their age. She wasn't sure. As they made plans to save their mate, there was no sign of the previous aggression and hostility in them. They were focused and determined.
"I might have another idea," Nik said, pulling his cell phone out of his jacket pocket as he began to walk away. With a sigh, he turned to face his brother. "Go back to the house and stay with Isabella. I'll be back in a few hours. If anything happens, call me immediately. And Kol," his eyes hardened, "do not tell her about this until I return."
Kol frowned. "Why?"
"Because I've just told her she can only have one soulmate. Wolves, especially, do not share their mates with anyone. If you go and tell her she's also your soulmate, she might not take it very well."
"He's right, son," Charlie sighed, nodding his head in agreement. "That damn Edmund told her she was his soulmate and look how that turned out. If you tell her about this bond, without Nik there, it might not end well for either of you and she doesn't need that kind of stress right now."
Kol sighed but agreed to wait until Nik came back. "I won't wait forever, Nik," he warned.
Klaus nodded. "Go back to the house and stay with Isabella. I'll be back in a few hours. And Kol," his eyes hardened, "do not leave her side for anything."
Kol nodded. "I promise, brother. I'll keep our mate safe."
With another sigh, Klaus turned his back on his little brother and took off into the forest. As he walked, he dialed a familiar number and put his phone to his ear.
Billy black answered on the first ring.
"Mr. Black," he grinned, "I believe we need to talk."
─── ･｡ﾟ: *. .* :ﾟ. ───
When Kol returned to the Swan residence, Bella was still fast asleep, curled up on the sofa with her pink bunny tucked under her arm.
She looked so sweet and innocent.
With a smile on his face, he pressed a soft, tender kiss to her forehead. And then made himself comfortable on the floor beside her, resting his back against the sofa. He couldn't bear to be parted from her again. Not now that he'd found her.
─── ･｡ﾟ: *. .* :ﾟ. ───
Bella woke with a start, her eyes snapping open as the dream she'd been having faded from her mind.
Dream might be the wrong word. It was more like flashes of jumbled images she could barely make out.
Blinking, she stared at Kol as he watched her trying to catch her breath. Her heart was frantically beating in her chest.
"You're safe, poppet. Take slow breaths," he said calmly.
"Where's Nik?"
"He went to help the shifters in La Push. He'll be back soon."
She frowned. "Shifters?" Thinking twice, she shook her head. "Don't tell me." She ran a hand through her hair, squeezing her eyes closed. "Too much information in my head."
"What can I do, darling?"
"I—" she took a shuddering breath, "I need my sketchbook. In my bedroom. On my desk. And a pencil. Please."
He was gone before she'd even finished her sentence and just a moment later, back with what she'd asked for.
Carefully, she attempted to sit up. It was difficult with her aching body. She was pretty sure her belly had grown in the short time she was napping. She smiled when Kol wrapped his arm around her and gently helped her up.
"Thank you," she breathed.
The tingling, electrical surge was there again when he touched her. It was odd. And she wondered what it meant, but right now, she couldn't bring herself to ask. There was too much information in her head. She needed time to process.
She wasn't sure what her strange dream meant. If it meant anything.
She wasn't even sure it was a dream.
Kol placed her sketchbook in her hand and offered her the pencil he'd brought with him.
"Thank you," she mumbled, opening her sketchbook to a new page.
Everything had moved so quickly. She wasn't sure where to start.
There were flashes of deep red eyes. The Cullen house. A tall, gangly, sandy brown wolf the size of a horse bounding through the forest. An ancient-looking book. A translucent, milky-colored, flat stone, set in an antique wooden box. An antique compass. A floating feather. Strange drawings on a cave wall. An antique necklace with an amber stone. A blonde vampire, bearing her fangs just moments before she's staked by Damon. The word Petrova. A flyer for 'The Founders Day 150th anniversary'. A silver necklace. Katherine hanging from the ceiling. A bridge. And two very handsome men. One in an impeccable suit, looking very dapper. And the other was lying in a coffin with a silver knife sticking out of his chest.
She wanted to believe she was just dreaming about these odd things. But something in her told her this was important and she couldn't ignore it as she normally would. She needed to remember. She needed to know what these things meant.
"Kol," she sighed, "you know a lot about witches, right?"
He nodded. "I've spent much of my life learning about magic and working with some of the best and most talented witches on the planet. I hold them in high esteem. Why do you ask, darling?"
She looked down at her hands and then sighed. "Are witches psychic?"
"They can be, yes. It can depend on the witch and their abilities and strengths. Some are better at it than others. Some witches have an aptitude for divination. There are also beings such as oracles, seers, mediums, and prophets."
Bella nodded and then sighed again. She didn't like the idea of being psychic. Though she supposed, her dislike of the gift stemmed from her association with Alice. But if there is more going on with Alice than what Bella knows, maybe the gift wasn't so bad.
Either way, it would seem, as a witch, she had some form of the gift. Whatever her magic was trying to tell her, it was important. And, no matter how she feels about being psychic, she couldn't ignore this. Especially if this blonde girl, whoever she was, would become a problem in the future. Surely Uncle Damon wouldn't stake an innocent girl, right?
And who were the two men? The one in the suit was very handsome. The guy in the coffin was obviously dead. Why would she have a vision of someone already dead?
She wasn't sure. But she had four ancient vampires living in her house, a werewolf, and a powerful witch. One of them would likely know the answer to her questions. Hopefully.
With that in mind, she opened her sketchbook and began to draw. She started with the two men. She was drawn to them more than the other things she'd seen. They were important. She just wasn't sure why.
AN: A lot happened in this chapter. Qetsiyah made an appearance. That's going to be interesting. Jasper and Ali are headed back to Forks. Nik knows about Kol's mating with Bella. And Bella's starting to have visions.
What did you guys think? Let me know in the comments. xoxo