A/N: Life update: I'm going home to England for the next month and won't be able to post while I'm there. This will be the last chapter until I get back. But, I promise, once I return, updates will continue and hopefully get a bit more regular.
Check out the Facebook page, BlueBubbleBurst, for updates. I might even post some fun pictures while I'm away.
Enjoy xoxo
– Forks, Washington –
Bella was still staring at her bedroom window, wondering where Qetsiyah had disappeared to, when Nan joined her on the bed.
"Are you ready to tell me why you're hiding up here instead of downstairs with your two hunky soulmates?"
Bella's eyes widened as she turned to Nan, a blush covering her cheeks. "Nan!"
"What?" Nan shrugged. "I'm not blind."
Bella shook her head. "Shouldn't we talk about what just happened?" She asked, hoping to change the subject.
Nan frowned.
"You know," Bella elaborated, "the ghost in my bedroom and Renee using dark magic . . ."
Nan shrugged. "I'm disappointed in your mother, but I'm not surprised she lied about removing her magic, nor am I surprised she's dabbling in the dark arts again."
Bella's eyes widened. "Again?"
"Mm." Nan nodded. "When she was fifteen, she ran away from home," she sighed, "eventually, your grandpa Beaufort and I found her in New Orleans. She got involved with a coven named the Tremé. They practice both Ancestral and Sacrificial magic."
"So, they kill people?"
"Not exactly," Nan said patiently. "Sacrificing a human with no magical ability is not beneficial to a witch seeking to gain more power. Despite this, witches who practice sacrificial magic have been known to sacrifice animals, such as snakes, rats, mice, goats, and birds, to achieve certain spells. However, by sacrificing a supernatural being, such as a vampire, werewolf, or another witch, they can channel said supernatural abilities, like gaining additional strength, speed, or healing."
Bella nodded in realization. "Oh, I see. So, by sacrificing another witch, they enhance their own magical power."
"Exactly," Nan smiled proudly. "There are some powerful witches in New Orleans. Not all of them practice sacrificial magic. And not every member of the Tremé coven practices sacrificial magic. You don't have to sacrifice someone to be powerful."
"Are those who practice sacrificial magic evil?" Bella wondered.
Nan shook her head. "I believe magic in its purest form is neutral. The practitioner and what they choose to do with the magic make them good or bad. If a witch is sacrificing human lives or children, yes, you could say they're evil. But if a witch is sacrificing a goat, well, I guess that depends on how you feel about goats . . ."
"The supernatural world isn't like the human world," Nan said. "I imagine, what I teach you, will be very different to what you were taught by the Cullens. The line between good and evil is thin and often there is a vast grey area where most supernatural beings, especially vampires, reside."
"For the most part, you will decide for yourself who is good and who isn't," Nan continued. "I can't make those decisions for you. I can help guide you and advise you, but ultimately, you must decide for yourself what is right and what you believe isn't. Many, many witches out there believe all vampires are evil and should be eradicated from the world. They believe, that because we are witches and possess magic, we are the superior beings."
"What do you believe, Nan?"
"Well, I don't believe all vampires are evil," she said. "If I did, I wouldn't live with Damon and Stefan and I certainly wouldn't have allowed my precious grandbaby to mate with two of the oldest and deadliest vampires in our world. For me," she smiled, "I believe it's less about the species and more about the person. A werewolf can be just as vicious and deadly as a vampire. But, so can a shapeshifter."
"Witches built the supernatural world. There wouldn't be vampires without witches. There wouldn't be werewolves without witches. And, I imagine, there wouldn't be cold ones without witches, either. So, one could easily say witches have the same aptitude for evil as any other species. We may have magic, but that doesn't mean we're superior."
Bella nodded. "It's the person, not the species. I like that. It's like that saying, 'You can't judge a book by its cover'. The same thing applies. You can't judge a person by their species. It's what's inside that matters."
Nan nodded and smiled. "But not everyone believes that," she sighed. "Being the mate of two Original vampires you will eventually come across someone who doesn't see your mates the way you do."
Bella shook her head. "I'm under no disillusions, Nan. These are men who've lived for a thousand years. To the world, they're deadly, dangerous vampires, who have likely committed unspeakable atrocities. Kol told me between him and Nik they have a body count in the hundreds of thousands."
"How do you feel about that?"
Bella thought about that for a moment. She knew how she felt. It wasn't something she really needed to consider. It unnerved her a little, how easily she accepted their pasts. She'd never liked the thought of harming an innocent. It's one of the reasons she felt so safe with the Cullens. They didn't kill humans. Instead, they drank animal blood. Somehow, that made them safer.
Well, that's what past Bella thought. Current Bella was beginning to have some doubts.
"Their pasts are a part of them," she said finally. "I don't see the point in dwelling on it when there's nothing I can do to change it. Nor would I want to change them. I'm mated to these men for a reason. And no matter what they've done in their pasts, I can't see them as evil or monsters because they're not. Not to me."
Nan smiled proudly as she wrapped her arms around Bella's shoulders. "But, you realize," she said seriously, "there are those in the world who won't see them as you do . . ."
Bella nodded. "That's fine. It may even work to my benefit. I've seen movies and read a lot of books. I know how this works. If I'm as powerful as you believe I am . . ."
"And you are," Nan said seriously.
"Then, eventually, I'm going to accumulate enemies who fear me just because of my power."
Nan nodded. "Mm. Yes, that is a concern. There are those in our world who will want your power as their own and they will stop at nothing to get it. There are also those who will seek to destroy you, believing you to be a danger to our world. You'll need to be protected—"
Bella held up her hand to stop whatever Nan was about to say. "While I agree, to an extent, and I'll let you protect me for now, I also want to learn how to protect myself. I won't spend my life locked away because my well-meaning family is worried I'll get hurt or some unknown enemy is coming after me. I'll l live my life however I wish. I will not, however, allow anyone else to bully me or hide me away from the world like Edward did. I'm not going back to that life. With that said, however, I want to start my training as soon as possible. Just in case . . ."
"Just in case?" Nan frowned. "Have you seen something, my darling?" She asked. "I saw you were sketching earlier; are you having visions?"
Bella nodded. "It was more like a dream and I can't be sure what any of it means. Then there's Qetsiyah's warning about someone on the other side causing trouble. We need to find out more about that . . ."
"We will," Nan promised. "May I see your sketches?"
Bella reached over to her bedside table for her sketchbook and then turned back to Nan. As she went to hand the book over, she paused and frowned. "What's Expression?" She asked. "And why do I feel you're avoiding answering this question, Nan?"
She sighed. "Because I am, dear."
"Why?"
"Because Expression is not something I ever wanted you to learn about," she answered honestly.
"It's that bad?"
"Worse." Nan shook her head. "Alright. I suppose you need to know if your mother goes down this path." She took Bella's hand in hers, holding onto her tightly. "Expression is the manifestation of one's will. A practitioner of Expression could do anything. But it comes at a very high price." Nan's eyes met Bella's. "Expression," she said seriously, "draws on the power of sacrifice."
Bella felt her heart plummet into her stomach. "Like sacrificial magic," she realized. "So, that means, Renee is killing people?" She shook her head. "Or animals . . . or," her eyes widened, "other witches?"
"If she's practicing Expression or headed in that direction, yes." Nan nodded. "There are three separate sacrifices of twelve innocent lives that must take place for someone to harness the full power of Expression."
"That's thirty-six lives!"
Nan nodded. "I don't know a lot about Expression. But I think between myself, Kol, and Shiela Bennett we might be able to stop Renee before she goes down this path."
"If she hasn't already," Bella whispered.
Nan shook her head. "When she was here, if she'd killed, I would've sensed it."
"Not if she didn't want you to . . ."
Nan frowned.
"You said, expression is the manifestation of your will. If she didn't want you to sense her magic or sense that she's taken a life, wouldn't she just have to will it not to happen?"
Nan's eyes widened in realization. Her shoulders slumped as the weight of this dawned on her. "I'll, um, have to speak with the spirits tonight. Find out what they know. If they know anything." Her blue eyes shifted back to her granddaughter. "Have you seen anything?"
Bella shook her head. "Nothing involving Renee. I don't think." She handed Nan her sketchbook and turned to the right pages. "Mostly it's just small things like a massive sandy brown wolf . . ."
"That's Seth," Nan smiled fondly. "He's a shifter. Some of the Quileute boys, as well as Seth's sister Leah, turn into very large wolves when they're exposed to cold ones."
Bella nodded. "What about this ancient-looking book."
"Oh, that's my grimoire! I'll show it to you later."
Bella nodded and then sighed. "Why am I seeing all these things, Nan?"
Nan wrapped her arm around Bella's shoulders, pulling her in for a warm hug. "Because you're special, my darling."
Without moving her head, Bella looked up at Nan and sighed.
Nan smiled, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "My mother was psychic, you know . . ."
Bella shifted so that she was looking directly at Nan. "Was?" She asked. "Is she . . ." Tears welled up in her eyes. "Did she . . ."
Realizing what had upset her granddaughter, Nan shook her head. "No, my darling. She's not dead." She sighed and shook her head. "She suffered a stroke a little while ago and, when I couldn't handle her on my own, I had to put her into a retirement home."
Bella's bottom lip trembled. "She had a stroke? Is she . . . How is . . ."
"Shhh. My darling, you're getting yourself worked up for no reason. Ma is fine. You know her, she's as strong as an ox."
"It was a stroke!"
"Very minor," Nan nodded. "There was no permanent damage . . ." she sighed, "well, I've had to bind her magic."
Bella's eyes widened. "Wait, that's like a thing?" She asked in awe.
"Mm. Yes. I didn't want to but the stroke destroyed the part of her brain that sensors what she says. So, she says whatever she thinks. She can't help it. It would've been too dangerous to allow her to go into the home with her magic intact. She's already told four nurses she's a witch and tried to put cures on several of the residents. Thankfully, with no magic, they just think she's . . ."
"Lost her marbles?" Bella provided.
Nan nodded. "Well, yes."
"But she's okay, right? The home is nice?"
"Oh yes," Nan smiled. "Serenity Oaks is lovely and only a fifteen-minute drive from my home, so she isn't too far."
Bella nodded, feeling a little more at ease. She hadn't seen her great-grandmother in many, many years. She used to love spending Christmas in New York with Nan, great-grandma, and great-grandpa Umberto when she was a little girl. Renee quickly put a stop to that and then they moved to Phoenix. Bella begged her mother to let her go to see them but she always refused.
What is it with people wanting to isolate me from everyone? First Renee and then Edward!
With a shake of her head, she turned back to her sketchbook and continued showing Nan her other drawings. One way or another, she was getting answers today.
Some of the sketches Nan recognized and was able to tell Bella their meaning—like the floating feather was likely telekinesis, and the flyer for Mystic Falls annual Founders Day celebration coming up in a few weeks—but other things, like the translucent, milky-colored, flat stone or the strange drawings on the cave wall, she didn't know.
"Oh, who is this?" Nan asked, staring down at the handsome man dressed in an impeccable suit.
"I don't know," Bella sighed, staring down at him.
Nan watched her with a knowing smile. "But you feel a connection to him . . ."
Bella nodded. "And to this man," she flipped to the page of the man in the coffin with the knife in his heart.
Nan stared at the picture momentarily, then looked back at Bella. "I think it's time you spoke with your mates, my darling."
"Do you know who these men are, Nan?"
"I believe I do," she nodded. "But this is a conversation you must have with Nik and Kol. Not me."
"I don't—"
Nan held up a hand. "Now is the perfect time. I need to go finish up dinner so you have about forty-five minutes. And your father is watching a game with Damon, Stefan, and Seth so he won't notice you have two gorgeous vampire men in your bedroom."
"Nan!" Bella grumbled, a deep blush covering her cheeks.
Nan smiled as she slipped off the bed. She gave Bella's sketchbook a tap. "Make sure you show them this. They could have answers I don't. And if you see Qetsiyah again, tell her I'd like to see her, please."
With that, Nan was gone and Bella was once again left alone in her bedroom.
The quiet didn't last. Not even two minutes later, there was a gentle knock at her door.
Taking a deep breath, she let it out slowly, unsure why she was nervous suddenly. "Come in."
The moment the door was opened, their eyes set on her. Kol entered first with Nik hot on his heels. Kol's eyes never left hers, but Nik was a little more cautious. His eyes shifted around the room. Bella wasn't sure what he was looking for, possibly the ghost he wouldn't be able to see.
She giggled to herself, wondering if that was the right answer. He seemed like a man who didn't trust easily.
"What are you giggling about, angel?" Kol grinned, joining her on the bed.
As Nik turned to her and she looked up into his lovely blue eyes, her emotions shifted again and she burst into tears.
─── ・。゚: *. .* :゚. ───
Panic shot through Kol. Big wet tears rolled down his mate's pale cheeks as she curled in on herself. Not an easy feat when it looked like she was hiding a beachball under her sweater.
"Love . . ." Nik darted over to them. He wavered for a moment, unsure how to proceed. It was times like this when he wished for Elijah or even Rebekah. They were better with emotions. Better at comforting whomever he'd upset.
"I . . . I . . . I . . . I'm . . . I'm sorry!" Isabella sobbed.
Beside her, Kol was frozen. His eyes were wide. Unsure what to do or say. He looked over at his brother. "Do something!"
Nik took another step forward. "Uh," he cleared his throat. "Love, uh," his eyes brightened and he looked back at Kol. "Maybe we should buy her something."
Kol nodded. "What would you usually do for Bekah when she's upset?"
Nik thought for a moment. "Hmm. The last time she cried real tears I bought her that castle in Italy."
Kol turned back to Bella. "Would that help, angel? Would it make you happy if Nik bought you a castle?"
Slowly, with narrowed eyes, Bella lifted her head. The tears had stopped. But they'd been replaced with a much different emotion. "No," she hissed, "I do not want a castle! What the hell am I going to do with a goddamn castle!"
As her hands began to glow purple, Nik and Kol's eyes widened. "Uh oh," Kol whispered. "I don't think she wants a castle, Nik . . ."
"No, brother, I don't think she does . . ."
─── ・。゚: *. .* :゚. ───
Downstairs in the living room, Charlie, Damon, Stefan, and Peter were listening to what was going on upstairs.
Shaking his head, Charlie got up from his recliner. "Damn fuckin' idiots. A thousand years old and neither of them knows anything about women! What the fuck are they thinking buying my daughter a castle?"
Damon nodded. "Mmm. I agree. You never start by buying a big gift like a castle. You start small. Then work up to real estate and, if the relationship ever gets serious enough, maybe you buy a castle . . ."
Stefan and Peter stared at Damon like he'd lost his mind, but Charlie wasn't listening. He was halfway to the door when Marie appeared.
"Leave them be, Charlie."
"My daughter—"
"Is mated," Marie interrupted, her voice calm but stern. "I know it's hard, dear, but you know what will happen if you attempt to come between them."
Charlie scoffed. "Those two have no idea what it takes to look after her!"
"Let's hope they never have the chance to throw that back in your face," Marie stated.
Charlie's face fell as he took a step back, as if Marie had physically struck him. "I—"
"I know it hurts, dear," Marie continued, her voice gentler now as she led him by the arm back to his recliner. "We weren't there when she needed us. Neither of us did right by her as she was growing up. We left her with her mother, knowing full well what kind of woman Renee was and what she could've done to Bella. We could've done more," she sighed heavily, "we should've done more."
Charlie flopped back down into his chair. "Then I owe it to her to protect her now!"
"We can't make up for not being there for her when she was a child by coming between her and her mates," Marie continued. "Trying to stake a claim on her now will not end well for any of us."
"Those boys are idiots! They have no idea how to care for her! I failed to protect her once, I owe it to her to protect her now that she's in my care!" Even as he spoke the words, he knew his argument was weak and pathetic.
Truth was, his little girl was no longer a little girl. She was a mated woman. And the worst thing he could do for her was come between her and her mates. It would solve nothing. Hell, it might just make things worse for her. And, despite their stupidity, there was no way two men like Kol and Niklaus were ever going to allow him to push them aside or stake a claim on their mate when he had no right to do so.
Yes, she was his daughter. But she was their mate. And, in this world, the mate bond trumps everything.
"Her mates will learn to care for her," Marie stated calmly. "And if you think you can protect her better than four Original vampires—one who likely has more magical knowledge than any witch on this earth and another who is about to become a hybrid—you're fooling yourself, Charlie Swan. There is nobody more qualified to protect her than her soulmates. If you try to come between them, it will only make things worse and I know that is not what you want."
Charlie closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Did you say four, Marie?" He asked, gripping the arms of his recliner. "My daughter is the soulmate of all four Originals?"
From upstairs, they heard a loud snarl from one of the boys.
"Bloody hell," Kol hissed.
Marie smiled and patted Charlie's arm. "Breath, Charlie. Seth, dear," she called, "bring Charlie a beer."
"Four," Charlie murmured, his eyes wide. "My Bells is mated to . . . to . . . to four . . . four men!"
Marie squeezed his arm. "I believe so, yes."
"I think something stronger than beer is in order," Damon said, looking bewildered at what Marie had just told them. His reaction was nothing compared to the sheer shock on Charlie's face as he continued to mumble to himself.
─── ・。゚: *. .* :゚. ───
Straightening up, Nik closed the distance between him and Bella. Sitting on the edge of her bed, he took her glowing purple hands in his.
"What could you possibly be sorry about, love?" He asked, using his free hand to brush away her tears. "You've done nothing wrong."
"I ran away," she whispered. "I hurt you!"
Kol's brows knit together. "You think you hurt us?"
"You told me . . . what you told me . . ."
"That you're mated to both of us," Kol smiled.
"Yeah, that," Bella nodded. "And I got scared, so I ran away . . ."
"What's there to be afraid of?"
"Are you scared of us?" Nik panicked. "You need to know, love, we'd never harm you!"
Kol nodded; his tone serious. "We'd burn the world to ash before we ever harm a hair on your beautiful head!"
Bella shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes. "I'm not worried you'll hurt me. I'm worried I won't be enough! I'm just an ordinary girl. I'm just Bella. That's it. Nothing special. What could you possibly see in me? You're grown men who've lived for a thousand years. How could I ever live up to the women of your past or whatever it is you desire in a relationship? I only turned eighteen last month! Surely you want a woman who's beautiful and experienced not . . not . . ." she looked down at herself and burst into tears again. "Not a knocked-up ugmo freak!"
'Ugmo' Kol mouthed, unsure what that word meant. He'd never heard it before so he figured it was a new modern word. Whatever it meant, it obviously wasn't very good.
"You're right, angel, Nik and I have been with our fair share of women over the centuries," Kol nodded in agreement.
Nik hissed. "That's not helping, brother!"
Kol shrugged. "What's the point in lying? We've bedded many, many, many women." Gently, he took Bella's chin between his finger and thumb and turned her head toward him. "But no matter how many women are in our past, you, my angel, are our future."
"I hate to admit it, but Kol's right," Nik nodded. "The women who came before you mean nothing to us anymore. That's how it works when you find your soulmate."
"You're our everything," Kol added, his voice soft as he held his delicate mate in his arms. "But you must know, Nik and I would never push you. We know you're young and innocent and, while we are not, we could never go against your wishes or do anything to cause you harm or pain."
Nik shifted so that he was sitting beside his mate. He smiled happily when she leaned into him. "You are ours, Isabella," he told her. "And there is nothing sexier than knowing you belong to us as fiercely as we belong to you."
Kol nodded in agreement.
"And the sharing thing?" She asked. "Are you two going to be able to handle that?"
"We'll—" Kol trailed off as the conversation downstairs caught his attention.
"And if you think you can protect her better than four Original vampires—one who likely has more magical knowledge than any witch on this earth and another who is about to become a hybrid—you're fooling yourself, Charlie Swan. There is nobody more qualified to protect her than her soulmates. If you try to come between them, it will only make things worse and I know that is not what you want."
A low, dangerous snarl came from Nik.
"Bloody hell," Kol hissed. "Did she just say four?" He demanded. "As in . . . Oh, bloody hell . . . "
"What are you talking about?" Bella asked. "Four what?"
Nik's eyes narrowed as another growl reverberated through his chest. Jaw locked, his nostrils flared in his anger. "Your grandmother seems to think you have four soulmates, love."
"Four?" She whispered. "Oh!" She gasped. "Oh, my god! That's it!"
Reaching over Kol she tried to grab her sketchbook from the bedside table but couldn't quite reach it. "Damn belly . . ." she grumbled.
"Let me," Kol chuckled, easily reaching for the book and handing it to her. As she took the book, he pressed a kiss to her temple.
"Thank you," she smiled as she set the book on her lap. "So, apparently," she looked up at Nik, "I'm psychic. And I've been having visions. It's been happening for as long as I can remember. But when I got to Forks and started dating Edward, he destroyed my artwork and did something to make me stop drawing or painting. I'm still not sure what he did but when I think negatively toward him, my wrist itches and sometimes burns."
Gently, Nik took her wrist in his hand and turned it over. Marring her otherwise flawless skin was a nasty-looking bitemark. It wasn't anything a human would notice or question, but to anyone supernatural, it would act as a beacon to warn others away.
Another growl—this one much angrier—tore through his chest. "He marked you," he hissed.
"That's what I was worried about," Kol sighed. "Has the mark always been cold?"
Bella nodded. "Yeah."
Kol took her wrist from Nik to inspect the mark. It was crudely done. He brought it to his nose, breathed in her lovely scent, and ran his thumb across the teeth marks. He could feel the venom beneath her skin as if it was chasing where his thumb moved.
"I don't understand; what is it?"
"It's a mark meant to signal to other cold ones that you're owned. It means you're his pet," Kol told her. "The itch and burn you feel comes from the venom. When you think badly of him, the venom reacts and gives you a little jolt, warning you not to think negatively about your Master. It also adds his scent to yours, which acts as a type of protection, warning other cold ones you belong to him."
Nik and Kol watched their mate carefully, wondering how she'd react to this latest piece of information. They weren't entirely sure what to expect from her.
"He made me into his pet?"
Kol nodded.
"Of course, he did!" She seethed. "Why am I so surprised? That's all I ever was to that . . . that . . . despicable, sanctimonious, little worm! I want to make him suffer!" She hissed as her eyes turned purple and wisps of purple magic curled around her fingers. "Can you teach me how to hex him?"
Kol grinned. "I can teach you all sorts of things, angel. What do you have in mind?"
She thought for a moment. "I want him to have boils on his penis!" She declared. "A face full of the worst, pus-oozing acne, revolting breath, a beer belly, and moobs!"
"Moobs?" Kol questioned. "What are moobs?"
"Man boobs." She clarified. "Saggy ones."
Nik smiled, enjoying this side of her. "Anything else, love?"
"Yes," she hissed. "I want to hit him where it really hurts . . ."
"Penis boils don't do it for you?"
"No. I want him to start barking like a dog anytime he even thinks about playing his piano or creating music."
With the kind of power his little mate possessed, Kol wouldn't be surprised if she hadn't just hexed the shit out of her ex! He'd been talking to Marie about Bella's power and listening to her theories. If she was right, Bella was going to be more powerful than any witch he'd ever met. The idea that she could hex someone who wasn't in the same room as her wasn't out of the realm of possibilities.
The possibility that somewhere in the world Edward Cullen was walking around with boils on his dick and the worst case of acne anyone has ever seen greatly appealed to Kol. Though, boils and acne were nothing compared to the fun and games he planned to play with the cold one who'd harmed his mate.
"Can you do something to fix this or remove the venom?" She asked, her voice oddly calm now.
Cautiously, Kol nodded. "It would mean cutting open your wrist and sucking out the venom."
"And then healing you with our blood," Nik added.
"That's it?" She asked. "Just a little cut, suck, and heal? No rituals or chanting or anything?"
"Well, it does require one of us to taste your blood and you'd need to trust us not to kill you."
She looked between the brothers and smiled. "I trust you both," she assured them. "But I'm not choosing which of you gets to taste my blood first," she said adamantly.
Nik grinned. "I'm the oldest."
"I have more experience with cold ones." Kol countered.
"I have better control."
Kol rolled his eyes. "I have great control. I just don't see the need to deny myself like certain people . . ."
Bella shook her head. "Why don't you flip a coin?" she suggested. "Heads Nik gets the honors, tails, Kol goes first."
To make it fair and ensure neither cheated, Bella used one of the coins from her piggy bank and flipped it into the air. She caught the coin and placed it on the back of her hand. She then held it out between them so they could all see the results.
"Tails." She called.
Kol's face lit up in a huge smile. Nik growled and pouted.
─── ・。゚: *. .* :゚. ───
Bella patted Nik's leg and shifted her body toward Kol, holding out her arm expectantly.
"Are you sure about this, love?"
"Unless you know of another way to get the venom out, we don't have much choice." She looked up at Kol, meeting his eyes. "I trust you."
She watched in awe as his face changed, revealing his true vampire visage. The sclera of his eyes turned blood-red, dark veins appeared beneath his eyes and his canine teeth extended into razor-sharp fangs. She wasn't sure if she was supposed to find this side of him attractive, but she did.
Slowly, she reached out and brushed her fingers beneath his eyes, feeling the blood pumping powerfully through the veins.
Kol smirked. "Still trust me, darling?"
She nodded. "Yes."
Without another thought, Kol took her wrist into his hand and brought it up to his lips. There was a moment of pain as his teeth sliced into her flesh but it was quickly replaced by a feeling of sheer and utter bliss. She didn't understand that at all. Was being bitten supposed to feel this good? Or was it because the bite came from one of her mates?
At that moment, she didn't care. It felt too good to care!
Her body arched toward Kol's as her head fell back against Nik's shoulder. She could feel his eyes on her. His hand gripped her waist, reminding her that he was there, too.
There was something very erotic about the whole situation.
Behind her, Nik began nuzzling her throat as Kol sucked on her wrist. A moment later, he lifted his head, a grimace on his face as he turned and spat something into her trash can. It took all of a second before his lips were back on her wrist.
Her whole body heated as he began to drink from her. She could tell when her blood was venom-free because his face changed from one of disgust to pure bliss.
"Kol . . ." She panted, her body shaking from the pleasure of his bite.
He didn't drink much of her blood. After a moment, he lifted his head from her wrist and bit into his own, holding it out to her. "Drink, angel. It'll heal you."
Ordinarily, she would have refused. She's never been very good around blood. But this was different. There was something deep inside of her, urging her to drink from him.
She brought his arm to her mouth and wrapped her lips around the wound. The taste of his blood was unlike anything she'd ever experienced. It didn't taste like Niks. The taste of Kol was magical. Earthy and sweet. Full of wonder and hope. She could taste the subtle nuances of apples. Mixed with the warmth of vanilla and an alluring sandalwood. It was playful and exciting. The taste of him dancing on her tastebuds.
As she drank, the bitemark on her wrist began to heal and finally, now venom-free, healed. It was as if there'd never been a mark there. Her skin was smooth and flawless, erasing any trace of Edward Cullen.
A/N: I'll admit it, I've been watching way too much Golden Girls. Bella's great-grandmother Sophia will be joining us soon. She's inspired by Sophia Petrillo.
Let me know what you think!
