Interlude

A few hours before

As I crouched among the shadows of the dense forest, my gaze fixated on the small house nestled in the clearing below. It was a quaint, unassuming dwelling, yet it held the key to everything I desired. The girl's father lived there, a man who unknowingly would give me my first victory on my path to avenging my mate. I just needed to wait for the right, perfect moment to ensure the little wrench would witness just how much suffering I was going to inflict upon her.

I watched with narrowed eyes as lights flickered on and off inside the house, signaling the movements of its occupant. My lips curled into a sneer as I observed the mundane activities taking place within those walls. How easily humans lived their lives, oblivious to the dangers lurking in the darkness outside.

My mind swirled with bitter thoughts and simmering rage. How dare they, those self-righteous vampires, think themselves superior to the likes of me? They pranced around with their rules and their laws, enforcing their twisted sense of justice while condemning those who dared to defy them. They had taken everything from me – my coven, my mate, my very existence – all because of their precious rules.

And now, I had lost my beloved mate, because of an insignificant human girl; Isabella Marie Swan. The mere thought of her name sent a surge of fury coursing through my veins. She was nothing, a mere mortal who had somehow managed to catch the attention of my mate, leading to his demise.

I had been tracking her for weeks now, my faithful new coven tasked with observing her every move, learning her habits, studying what she cared about. It sickened me to see how easily she went about her life, oblivious to the crimes she committed.

But soon, she would learn. She would learn the price of crossing me, of taking what was mine away. And when she did, there would be no mercy. No forgiveness.

I would make her pay for the pain she had caused me. For the loss I had suffered. And when I was done with her, the stupid coven enamored with her would rue the day they ever dared to cross me.

As I lingered in the shadows, my senses attuned to the sounds of the night, the man inside the house having now fallen asleep, when a new disturbance caught my attention. The unmistakable rumble of an approaching vehicle echoed through the forest, breaking the eerie silence that had enveloped the night.

I watched with disdain as a cab pulled up to the house, its headlights piercing the darkness like glaring eyes. From the backseat emerged a woman, her figure familiar yet foreign. She moved with an hurried excitement and such obvious happiness that I wanted to rip it off her face right now. I held myself and observed her more closely.

Her features bore a striking resemblance to the girl I had been tracking. She was tall, with flowing chestnut hair that cascaded down her back in gentle waves. Her eyes, though weary, held a glimmer of warmth and kindness that made my skin crawl. This must be her mother, Renee, I realized, my memory flashing back to the files I had stolen from the high school months ago.

A predatory smile spread across my lips as a new plan began to form in my mind. Killing her father would not truly bring me the satisfaction I craved yet. But taking Renee... that had potential. No one was here to welcome her, the man was asleep. It was now or never.

I was suddenly overtaken with a sense of urgency, my precious gift letting me know that I needed to escape and fast. Not overthinking my new plan, I waited the few seconds until the cab went out of sight and went for my prey, grabbing her duffel bag as I knocked her out before dashing away through the trees as the sound of the blasted beasts from the reservation started to come closer. I was ahead though, and I relished in the knowledge that Bella Swan may have evaded me for now, but her loved ones would not be so lucky. And when the time came, all those she cared for would pay dearly for their role in my suffering.