AN: I just wanted to thank each of you for your support, wonderful reviews, and all the likes and favourites. It truly does mean the world to me. Thank you! :)
Okay, here we are, chapter ten! Let's find out what Kol knows about this demon child our Bella is carrying!
It was just past noon when Charlie arrived home to find three more vampires in his living room, surrounding his daughter. He had a feeling that, if she were anything like her Nan, this was only the beginning.
The introductions were made by Marie. After telling him his eighteen-year-old daughter had found her soulmate in not one but two Original Vampires—one who'll be the Original Hybrid when he breaks the curse keeping his wolf at bay—she handed him a cold beer and roast beef sandwich. With plenty of those crispy fried onions and horseradish mayo. There was also the promise of another slice of warm apple pie.
Marie's answer to . . . well, pretty much anything, was food. Depressed, have a slice of pie. Sick, chicken noodle soup will cure any ailment. Happy, have a piece of cake. He could see where Bella got her love of baking. It certainly wasn't him or Renee. He can barely boil water and Renee just had to step into the kitchen and it bursts into flames.
Despite everything that was going on right now, Marie seemed to be in good spirits. Then again, she's been dealing with vampires her whole life. To Charlie—even though he's been a werewolf for fifteen years—most of this was new to him. He was glad he had an excuse to escape the house and all the drama. He needed his job now more than ever.
But still, no amount of delicious roast beef or pie would make him forget the news that was just shared with him.
"Are you telling me my eighteen-year-old little girl has two soulmates and they just happen to be thousand-year-old Original Vampires?" Charlie hissed, trying to keep his temper in check.
With a wave of her hand, Marie closed the kitchen door.
"Yes, Charlie, that's what I'm telling you. And keep your voice down, neither Bella nor Nik know yet."
"What do you mean they don't know? How could they not know?"
"Kol hasn't told them. And," she smiled happily, "Bella and Nik have been a bit preoccupied with each other to realize what's going on. I'm sure Bella already feels drawn to Kol but, she's so young and new to this world, I doubt she understands what she's feeling."
Charlie took a deep breath, popped open his beer, and took a long sip.
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"You know as well as I, what it means to find a soulmate, Charlie . . ." Marie warned, her blue eyes narrowed as she watched the police chief carefully.
He was a good man. And she cared for him dearly. But she would not allow him to upset his daughter if he chose to make a fuss about this unique situation.
The poor girl had been through a lot in her short life. She deserved some understanding and acceptance from her father. His blessing and support would go a long way in boosting Bella's confidence. Lord knows that needs all the lift it can get after a lifetime of living with Renee!
If Marie had known her only granddaughter was playing the caregiver to her own mother instead of being a little girl, she never would've left her in that situation.
Maybe I should hex Renee . . . It has been years since I turned someone into a toad . . .
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Charlie sighed and ran a hand down his face. "I know," he admitted. "I wouldn't dream of coming between a mated pair . . . or whatever you call this. It's just," he shook his head, "unexpected."
Marie nodded in agreement. "I'm not all that surprised," she admitted. "Bella is unique. She needs our support, guidance, and blessing now more than ever, Charlie."
He nodded in understanding.
"This unorthodox situation does make me wonder what will happen when Bella meets the two eldest Original brothers . . ."
Charlie's eyes widened as Marie made her way out of the kitchen, leaving him to digest her last words.
This situation was so far outside Charlie's wheelhouse he wasn't sure what to do or how he was supposed to react. Bella is his little girl. But, she's also eighteen and he would have to let her live her life however she sees fit. It's not like she can't take care of herself and make her own decisions. She's been doing it her whole life!
On the other hand, this situation is vastly different from taking care of Renee or dating that Edwin boy. She's so new to this world. She doesn't know the first thing about real vampires!
But she'll learn.
She has support now. She has him. Her Nan. Damon and Stefan. And . . . two soulmates . . . or, if Marie is right, four . . .
Four soulmates . . .
Four grown—thousand-year-old—men. All bound to and in love with his little girl.
Yeah. That's gonna take some getting used to . . .
It would be different if they were all human. He might have a chance to talk her out of it. But this is a soulmate bond.
Not just a soulmate bond between a vampire and a human, either. Niklaus Mikaelson is part werewolf.
Bella carries the wolf gene, too. One day, she will transition and when she does, her wolf will not be separated from her mates. Whether she has one or four. She'll kill anyone who tries to come between them. Female werewolves were different from their male counterparts. Males could be some of the most vicious creatures on the planet. But when it came to her mate and children, females were downright terrifying. You don't want to cross a female mama wolf.
Was there a right way to feel about this?
The man in him wanted to fight against it. But the wolf knew that would only lead to pain and the loss of his child. He lost her once, he wasn't about to let it happen again.
Shaking his head, Charlie and his wolf knew the best thing he could do for his daughter was accept this. She's been hurt enough already. It's his job as her father to love her and care for her. To ensure that she is always safe and happy. If this was the path she was meant to walk, then he would stand beside her and offer his guidance and counsel whenever she needed it.
From what he's heard from other wolves, finding a mate is a rare and wonderful experience. If she were lucky enough to find such a bond, he would never deny her that happiness. Even if she was mated to four of the most feared and deadly men in their world.
With a deep breath, Charlie grabbed his beer and sandwich and walked into the living room.
Bella was curled up on the couch, resting in the arms of her new mate, who had his nose buried in her neck and seemed, at least to Charlie, oblivious to anything but the small girl wrapped around him.
The other male—a brunette boy—looked agitated as he paced in front of the fireplace.
That would need to be dealt with soon.
The boy looked like he was moments away from attacking his brother. With Bella between them, that could be disastrous.
Although, maybe not . . .
They're mated.
She could have a more calming, soothing effect on them . . .
Everything in Charlie knew that these boys—no matter how powerful they were—would not be able to harm their mate. In any way.
From the way Nik was looking at her, Charlie knew he'd never allow any harm to come to Bella. Kol might be agitated right now, but there was no way he'd ever be able to attack his mate. God help anyone who came between the two Originals and their mate. They'd see the world burn before they'd let anything happen to her. As terrifying as the thought was, as a father—as Isabella's father—it was oddly comforting to know she was so protected.
"So, Marie tells me you know how to deal with this pregnancy," Charlie stated, his eyes going to the dark-haired vampire, who'd been watching Bella.
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Kol tore his eyes away from his little mate. It took every ounce of strength he had not to join her on the sofa. He'd considered tearing Nik's arms off for touching her, but he decided that was unwise.
As much as he hated it, she was also Nik's mate. Doing anything against his brother would only serve to hurt her. And he couldn't bear the thought of harming his sweet little mate.
He would just have to learn to share her . . .
Instead of focusing on his brother cuddled up with their mate. Kol focused on the problem at hand. Saving her life needed to be their priority.
He could see, she was trying to be brave and strong in the face of this nightmare, but the fear was evident in her eyes. He could also see how tired she was and wondered when she'd last slept. Just like the other pregnancies he'd witnessed, despite her bloated belly, she was rapidly losing weight where the parasite was feasting on her.
"I've seen two pregnancies like this one," he confirmed.
"And the mothers?" Charlie asked. "Did they survive?"
"No," Kol answered. "I won't lie. By the time the parasite ripped itself out of the mother's womb, there was barely anything left of her. I tried to give them my blood and save their lives, but," he shook his head, "at that point, there was nothing left to save."
The silence in the room was heavy.
Charlie paled. "And when you say it ripped itself out of the womb . . ."
"There is nothing human about this thing," Kol explained. "It'll know when it's ready to be born. When that time comes, it will use its teeth and claws to tear its way out of Bella's womb."
"It's born with teeth . . ."
"And claws . . ."
Kol nodded. "It'll look like a regular baby, but, just like it's cold one father, it will have a full set of sharp teeth and nails or claws capable of ripping through anything."
"Well," Bella took a deep breath, "that's something to look forward to . . ."
Nik's arms tightened around her, holding her safe against his chest.
"It gets worse, I'm afraid, darling," Kol went on, focusing on Bella.
"Worse than it ripping itself out of me?"
Kol nodded. "Once it's born, it will devour as much blood as it can get. Its thirst is unsatiable. Anyone in the room with a heartbeat will become its prey. If there's anything left of you or if your heart is miraculously still beating, you will become its first meal."
"They're extremely smart," he went on. "Their minds are capable of retaining as much information as a cold one right from birth. They have perfect memory recall and mentally develop at a rate much faster than their chronological and biological age. Within days after birth, it'll be talking in complete sentences and walking."
"They're also immensely beautiful and capable of charming anyone into doing what they desire. If this thing asks for your loyalty, you'll be unable to deny it. If it asks you to kill, you will. Without thought. Whatever it wants, you will do."
"Like mind control."
"Or compulsion."
Kol nodded. "It'll reach full maturity in a matter of months. Once it reaches its late teens in physical appearance, it'll stop aging and become immortal. From what I've seen, these parasites are stronger and faster than cold ones. Their bloodlust is undeniable and uncontrollable. It'll massacre a town this size within days of its birth. And if it has powers from their cold one parent, they're even more dangerous."
"Edward is telepathic," Bella told them. "Does that mean . . ."
Kol nodded. "It probably is, too."
"If he's the father," Klaus reminded them.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, time out," Damon frowned, interrupting whatever Kol was about to ask, "are you telling me, this thing growing inside of Issy, can already read our minds?"
Kol sighed. "Honestly, I don't know. It's possible. I've never seen a gifted one, but there are documented cases that they can inherit the gifts of their parents."
"So, this thing is part cold one from its father's side but also part of Bella . . . wouldn't that make it a cold one, werewolf, witch tribrid?"
Everyone looked stunned.
"That never even occurred to me," Bella said softly. "It's part me . . ." Her eyes shifted back to Kol. "Does that mean there could be something good in it . . . if it's part of me . . ."
Unable to stand it any longer, Kol darted over to his mate and knelt in front of her. Gently, he took her hand in his, feeling the first sparks of their mating bond beginning to manifest.
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Klaus let out a displeased sound as Kol took Isabella's hand in his. He didn't like someone else touching her, even if it was only his brother.
As soon as the noise left his chest, she shifted against his side, taking his hand in her free one to calm the beast within him.
Something was going on with Kol. Klaus couldn't put his finger on it. He'd been on edge ever since they arrived. Perhaps it was just the spawn she was carrying. Klaus couldn't think of what else it could be . . .
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"You're a witch, darling. When you touch your belly," Kol placed their joined hands on Bella's bloated belly, "what do you feel?"
She looked down at her belly and sighed. "Darkness. It's cold and empty . . . and evil . . ."
"There is nothing good about the parasite growing inside of you. I wish I could tell you this will be different from the other births I've seen, but I believe, no matter who the mother is, a child of a cold one will always be a soulless monster that cannot be allowed to exist in our world."
With another sigh, she curled back into Nik's arms. "I know it's evil," she whispered. "But . . . I don't think I can kill it . . ."
"Shhh." Nik tightened his arms around her. "You won't have to, love."
She nodded her head, trusting that they'd take care of her and the thing she was carrying.
With a sigh, Kol turned back to the others, but he didn't let go of Bella's hand. Now that he was touching her, holding her, he couldn't bear to let go.
"I'm not sure how Bella's species will affect the parasite," he admitted. "The births I've seen have been with human females."
"I always thought it was impossible to be a witch and a vampire . . ." Damon frowned.
"That is correct, dear," Marie nodded. "Whether it's traditional vampires or cold ones, the hybridization of witches and vampires is impossible. I am a witch. If I was turned into a vampire, I'd lose my ability to do magic."
"Siphoners are different," she went on. "They are a subsection of witches born without the ability to generate their own magic. They possess a rare power that allows them to siphon magic from other sources and use that magic as their own. Therefore, when a siphoner is turned into a vampire, they retain their ability to siphon by siphoning themselves."
"Because vampires are magical beings," Kol smiled. "Essentially, they become their own battery."
Marie nodded. "Correct."
"And that's what Isabella is," Nik asked, "a siphoner?"
"Mm. I'm not sure about that," Marie frowned. "I believe Bella does siphon but there are differences. Siphoners typically require physical contact with a magical object or being, and when they siphon, their hands give off a faint, red glow. As you've seen, Bella's hands glow purple and there are also wisps of, either magic or energy, I'm not sure what that is yet. And her eyes turn purple."
"And those aren't normal traits of a siphoner?"
"No."
"Could Bella be siphoning the parasite?" Charlie wondered, his eyes on his daughter's bloated belly.
Marie shrugged. "I don't know enough about the cold one's origins to know for sure what kind of magic created them. If magic created them."
"From what I've seen," Kol added, "unlike traditional vampires, cold ones retain no magic."
"Then how do they exist?" Stefan asked.
"I don't know," Kol shrugged. "There are dozens of theories but not even the oldest cold ones know for sure how they came about. There is one theory that suggests cold ones came long before magic existed in the world. I don't know if that's true or not. We may never know for sure."
"So, would that mean, Bella couldn't siphon a cold one?"
Kol nodded. "They're not immune to magic but, as far as I know, there isn't anything in them for her to siphon. But, with that said, I could be wrong. I've never met a siphon. All of this is just speculation."
"Bella's magic is unique," Marie reminded them. But if she's not siphoning the fetus, I'm not sure how she's doing magic. It shouldn't be possible in a siphon . . ."
Bella smiled and shrugged her tiny shoulders. "I'm all kinds of special, Nan."
"Does that mean the parasite will be special, too?"
Nik growled, frustrated by the conversation. There was no point in speculating. They needed facts, not theories. "It doesn't matter what it's capable of now or when it's born. This thing will not live long enough to take its first breath!"
"You're assuming it breaths," Damon worried.
A worried Charlie looked across the room at Marie. "Is there a witchy way to protect us from this parasite and ensure Bella doesn't die?"
"Edward couldn't read my mind," Bella offered. "Maybe there's something I can do to help?"
Marie shook her head. "He couldn't read your mind because you're a witch, sweetheart. We have a natural defense against a cold one's abilities."
"Perhaps, also, a spell to keep the cold ones out of the house," Nik suggested. "Cold ones don't need to be invited in like regular vampires."
"That's a great idea." Kol agreed.
Charlie nodded also in agreement. "I would assume, whoever did this to my daughter, will be back for the parasite once it's born."
Marie rolled her eyes. "Really, boys. I'm not new at this. I've already done a boundary spell. Nobody will enter this house without an invitation from Bella or Charlie. And, to be safe, there are protection spells on each of us to ensure the parasite can't manipulate our minds."
"Is there anything else we can do before it's born?" Stefan asked.
"Meredith Fell is on the way," Damon told them. "She's a doctor who knows about the supernatural. Can't she just take it out before it rips Issy apart?"
"No," Bella answered.
All eyes turned to her. She'd answered so quickly that worry and fear were evident in their gaze as they each wondered if she was somehow being controlled by the parasite to ensure its birth.
"Bells, sweetheart, this isn't like one of the stays you like to bring home, this thing is a monster that can kill us all . . ."
She smiled sheepishly. "Relax, Dad. I don't want to keep it. I just meant I don't think a regular scalpel is going to do the job."
Stefan frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Dad, could you pass me that knife?" Bella asked, reaching for the sharp knife Charlie had been using to cut an apple the previous night.
Unsure, Charlie handed his daughter the knife. Before any of the vampires could stop her, she thrust the thing toward her gut. There was a round of gasps and, on either side of her, two very dangerous growls, but upon impact with her bloated belly, the knife bent against her skin.
"See? Impenetrable. This thing isn't coming out of me until it's good and ready."
Nik took the knife from Bella, not looking at all pleased with her demonstration.
Charlie's heart was racing. "Are you trying to give your old man a heart attack?" He breathed. "A little less dramatic next time, Bells!"
She shrugged. "Sorry. I figured a demonstration would get us there quicker."
"So, an extraction is impossible."
"Not necessarily," Kol disagreed.
The sheer terror he'd just felt as he watched her plunge the knife toward her gut was beginning to subside. Thank the gods the thing bent and didn't hurt her. Though a little of his or Nik's blood would heal her, he still didn't want to see her hurt or injured.
"I have a few ideas but I'm going to need your help, Marie."
She nodded, eager to assist in any way she could if it meant saving her granddaughter.
"Peter, do you have anything to add?" Kol wondered, hoping The Fates might impart some vital wisdom right now. Though, if his gift was being tampered with by some outside force, could they trust it?
He nodded. "Pray."
A low growl came from Nik. "That's not helpful."
Peter sighed. "There's a reason the Volturi don't broadcast the possibility of hybrids. It's against cold one law to have sex with a human unless the human dies or is turned immediately after. This thing is pure evil. It's worse than any cold one. It has no soul. No conscience. All it will know is an insatiable hunger. If we can't figure out a way to neutralize it before birth or immediately after, this town is fucked."
Marie frowned and hit Peter upside the head. "Language, young man! There are ladies present."
He ducked his head. "My apologies, ma'am." His eyes shifted between Kol and Nik. "If the Volturi find out about this we're fu—"
Bella giggled. "I go with forked."
"Yeah," Peter nodded. "We're forked big time. If they find out," his eyes shifted to Kol and then Nik, "it won't matter who she's mated with, they will nuke the whole town to ensure that thing does not live."
"What about calling your brother?" Nik asked. "Is there anything he'd be able to do?"
Peter's eyes went to Bella. "I believe you know my baby brother, little lady."
Bella frowned.
"Jasper Whitlock."
She shook her head. "The only Jasper I know is Jasper Hale who's mated and married to Alice Cullen."
A growl came from Peter as his eyes darkened. "Hale is the name he goes by to blend in with that . . . family so they can play human," he spat. "And I assure you, he ain't mated to that manipulative bi—" his eyes went to Marie who was staring at him with narrowed eyes. "Midget."
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Bella frowned.
She wasn't sure what to make of Alice. On the one hand, she was manipulative and seemed to be helping Edward. But on the other, there was something so childlike and innocent about her. She was exuberant and sweet. It was hard not to love her. It was also hard not to notice how easily she slipped into this childlike mindset.
What was that?
Bella loves to color as much as the next five-year-old, but she's always been a bit odd. Do regular teenagers like to color? She didn't think that was something teens did. Maybe for art class, but not directly out of children's coloring books. Alice's bedroom walls were covered in pictures of Disney princesses that she'd colored with her crayons.
Was that normal?
Bella knew Alice liked to live vicariously through her and do all the things regular girls did, all the things she couldn't remember doing as a human because of her memory loss when she was turned.
Was that true?
Did she genuinely want to be Bella's friend, or was it all a lie so that she could help Edward manipulate the poor, naive human?
Was everything Alice told her a lie?
It was so hard to know what was right and what was just a façade. And her memory was still hazy. She didn't know why that was, either. Did Alice do that?
No.
That was Edward's doing.
Alice was kind and sweet . . .
At least, that's what Bella thought . . .
Was that wrong?
None of it made sense and Bella was starting to wonder if she really knew Alice.
"Love?" Nik worried. "Are you alright?"
Kol shifted closer to his mate, taking her hand in his again.
"I don't know anymore," Bella whispered. "Nothing makes sense. I don't know if anything I've been told is right . . ." She looked over at Peter. "You and Jasper are brothers? Like blood?"
"Yes, ma'am," Peter nodded with a proud smile on his face. "Our momma had seven children. All boys except our baby sister, Clara Beth. She was just nine when I was turned in 1859 at the age of twenty-six."
"I was twelve when Jasper was born," he continued. "I already had four younger brothers to take care of but there was somethin' different about Jasper. I knew he was gonna be a handful." He chuckled, shaking his head. "Then just five years later, momma gave us Clara Beth," he sighed, "what I would've given to see her grow up . . ."
Seeing the emotion in his eyes, Bella reached across Nik and placed her hand on Peter's. "I'm sorry you lost them. But I promise, we will bring Jasper home and get him away from that coven."
Peter smiled and placed his hand on top of hers. "Thank you, Miss. Bella. But first, we need to focus on you and riddin' you of this parasite. Right now, my brother ain't gonna be any help to us when he's wrapped up in whatever voodoo that midget has placed on him."
"Voodoo?" Kol frowned. "You think she's performed some kind of magic on him?"
Frowning, Bella looked back at Peter. "When was he turned, Peter?"
"I turned him in 1864. He was injured during the war and, I couldn't bear to lose him again."
Bella nodded. "So, he's a normal vampire, like you?"
Peter nodded. "Why?"
"Well," she sighed, "I don't know anything about voodoo but someone's done something because the whole coven believes he's a cold one."
"If this Alice girl has done something, she could be working with a witch . . ." Stefan suggested.
"Or she is one," Charlie suggested.
Everyone turned to look at him.
"I'm just sayin'," he shrugged, "if she's a vamp, she can't be workin' the hocus pocus. But if she's a witch, she could easily be manipulating the whole coven. And, honestly, there was somethin' off about that girl . . . I could never put my finger on it . . . she seemed . . ."
"Psychotic?" Peter offered.
"Young," Charlie corrected. "There was somethin' sweet and innocent about her."
So, Bella wasn't the only one who noticed.
"Trust me," Peter grumbled, "there ain't nothing sweet or innocent about Alice Cullen. That bitch has been manipulating' my brother for decades."
"Aren't witches mortal . . ."
"Yeah."
"Then how could she be a witch?"
"When did she meet Jasper?"
"1950," Bella answered. "At least that's what I was told."
"Fifty-nine years ago . . . how old is this girl?"
"Physically, seventeen or eighteen, I think," Bella answered. "But she was turned in . . . I think she said it was 1920 or 22, I'm not sure. Sometime around then."
Peter shook his head. "You were lied to, lil lady. Jasper met Alice in 1882. She was 19. He never told me how they met, just that she was his soulmate so he turned her."
"Wait," Bella frowned, "Alice is a traditional vampire, too?"
Another lie!
This was making less and less sense the more she learned.
Was their whole friendship a façade like Alice and Jasper masquerading as cold ones? And why were they pretending to be cold ones? They must have a reason. Were they running from something? Hiding in plain sight, maybe. Were they in danger? Or did they just like to mess with people's minds?
Peter nodded. "She is."
"So, why are she and Jasper pretending to be cold ones?" Bella frowned.
"And how?"
Nan looked over at Bella. "There are only two options. If Alice is a traditional vampire, as Peter says, then she's either working with a witch or she was a siphon before she was turned and she is now a hybrid siphon-vampire."
"Which would mean she comes from the Gemini coven . . ." Bella realized.
Nan nodded. "Which could explain why they're masquerading as cold ones. If she's a siphon and she grew up in the Gemini coven she likely has a very tragic past."
"Tragic or not," Peter spat, "it doesn't excuse her manipulating and using my brother for her own agenda."
Peter's hostility toward Alice was starting to annoy Bella. Part of her understood it. Maybe Alice was an evil mastermind who was using Jasper. Maybe she was just a regular vampire working with a witch for . . . who the hell knows what reason!
But, if Nan is right and Alice is a siphon who comes from the Gemini coven, she could just be an innocent girl who'd been horribly abused and, somehow Jasper found her and saved her. That seemed like something Jasper would do. He was a good man. A strong man. A man who Bella couldn't see being so easily manipulated and used. She'd seen the way he looked at Alice. He adored her. Could that have been fake?
"If Jasper is a normal vampire, like you guys, does that mean he can't be the father of this," Bella pointed to her belly, "thing?"
"Yes," Peter and Kol spoke at the same time.
"Regular vamps can't procreate," Damon agreed. "But we sure do love to try," he grinned, wiggling his eyebrows at her.
"Eww. Uncle Damon, that's gross. I don't want to think about you trying to procreate . . ."
"You're a mated woman now, Is. I bet you and the big bad hybrid . . ."
Nik let out a low growl. "Enough! This is pointless. We need to focus on Isabella. Once this parasite is out of her, we'll get your brother back, Peter," he promised. Then he turned his narrowed, golden eyes, on Damon. "I am not the hybrid yet. But when I am, if I hear you discussing my private relationship with Isabella, I'll bite you!"
Bella didn't know what it was, or why it affected her so much, but there was something very sexy about her mate right now. She curled into him, soothing his rising anger. Her free hand went to rest against his steady heartbeat as her lips brushed across his scruffy jaw.
He grumbled and pressed a kiss to the crown of her head as he wrapped his arms around her to keep her against him.
Peter cleared his throat. "Uh, yeah. I agree with Nik. Jasper can wait. Bella can't. The Fates believe she doesn't have much time left."
"How long?" Nik asked, the words coming out as a barely restrained growl.
"Eight days," Peter answered. "By October 10th, one way or another, this'll be over."
