Chapter 2:Blood Omen
The air inside the Cullen home was stifling with worry. The once comforting stillness now felt like the weight of a thousand unspoken fears. Bella sat at the edge of the leather couch, her hand trembling as she touched the wound that hadn't healed, the skin around it swollen and angry. It pulsed as if alive, darkening with infection. Edward's cool hand pressed against her back, but even his presence, which usually anchored her, felt fragile.
"I don't understand why it's not healing," Edward murmured, his eyes flicking between the wound and Bella's face. His voice, usually calm and measured, held a note of panic that he couldn't quite suppress.
"It should've healed instantly," Carlisle added, pacing the room. "She's a vampire now—this isn't normal."
The wound throbbed, an unnatural sensation for a vampire. Bella winced. She could feel something spreading through her, like venom coursing through her veins—only this wasn't the kind of venom that brought life. It felt like decay.
Carlisle moved swiftly, pulling out his phone. "I'll call Alice, Jasper, and Rosalie. We need more perspectives."
Edward squeezed Bella's hand, trying to hide the fear tightening his jaw. "We'll figure this out. We always do." But the slight quiver in his voice betrayed him.
Within minutes, the rest of the family arrived, their faces tight with concern. Jasper hovered near the door, watching Bella with guarded intensity, feeling the tension in the room swirl and deepen. Alice stood beside him, her fingers lightly grazing her temples as if trying to sift through a fog to find clarity. Rosalie's golden eyes flicked between Edward and Bella, her lips pressed into a hard line.
"Anything?" Edward asked Alice, desperation creeping into his tone.
Alice's eyes remained closed, her expression strained as she pushed deeper into the possible futures. "There's nothing yet," she whispered, opening her eyes slowly. "It's like something is blocking me, clouding what's to come."
Before anyone could respond, the door swung open, and Jacob stormed in with Sam Uley at his side. The earthy smell of the forest and wet fur accompanied them, filling the room with a stark reminder of the other world—the one filled with wolves. Bella shuddered as her gaze met Jacob's. The two of them shared a bond, something beyond friendship, but right now, all she felt was fear.
Jacob's brow furrowed as he knelt beside Bella, examining the wound. "That's not right," he muttered. "None of this is right." His gaze flicked to Carlisle. "You said she was bitten by a rogue wolf?"
Carlisle nodded. "We suspect it. Bella doesn't remember much, but the bite—it's not healing."
Sam Uley stepped forward, his tall frame towering over everyone. His dark eyes scanned Bella, his face unreadable. "We've been hunting this rogue wolf for weeks," Sam said, his voice low and heavy. "He's not one of us, and he doesn't follow our rules. If he bit her, this isn't just a wolf bite."
"It shouldn't be possible for her to be both," Jacob added, his voice tight. "No one can be both a wolf and a vampire. The transformation into a wolf is seamless, painless. But for Bella…" He looked at her with pity. "This seems more like a curse."
The word hung in the air like a death sentence.
Bella's breath hitched as the pain from the wound intensified. It felt as though something inside her was warring—vampire and wolf blood twisting, turning, fighting for dominance. Her head swam with dizziness.
"I'm fine," she said, though the words were weak, barely believable.
Sam shook his head. "No. You're not."
Alice stepped closer, her eyes narrowing. "Let me try something." She extended her hand toward Bella, hesitant, her fingers hovering just above Bella's arm before she touched the wound. The moment her skin made contact, Alice gasped, her body going rigid.
Her eyes narrowed with focus, every muscle in her body taut with concentration. The air around her seemed to shift, growing colder, as if something unseen had crept into the room. Slowly, she placed her hand on the festering wound, and the moment her skin made contact, she gasped—sharp and sudden, like she'd been struck. Her eyes flew open, but they were unseeing, fixed on something far beyond this reality.
"Alice?" Jasper called out, his voice cutting through the suffocating stillness. He moved toward her, his own body tense as he felt the rush of fear radiating from her. But Alice remained locked in the vision, her breath shallow, skin ashen.
Suddenly, the room seemed to fade for Alice, replaced by an overwhelming cascade of images—chaos, blood, and darkness. Blood. It poured from the skies like a torrential storm, staining the earth beneath it in an endless flood of red. It soaked through the trees, ran down the mountains, and flooded every corner of the world. Beneath the deluge, bodies lay strewn across the ground—unmoving, lifeless. Their faces were twisted in agony, frozen in death.
In the distance, looming like shadows over the massacre, stood the Volturi. They were statuesque, their cold, emotionless faces observing the devastation with an eerie calm. Aro, his long fingers curled like claws, raised his hand, his voice a soft, menacing whisper that echoed through Alice's mind. She is the one. His gaze shifted toward Bella, the corners of his mouth lifting ever so slightly, a dark hunger in his eyes. She cannot be allowed to exist.
The vision surged, growing more violent. The ground trembled beneath Alice's feet as fire ignited along the horizon, consuming everything in its path. The blood-slicked battlefield blurred into a nightmarish vision of destruction—everything torn apart, consumed by an unstoppable force.
Then came the moon—massive, glowing a deep, haunting crimson. Its light bathed the scene in an otherworldly glow, intensifying the horror. The blood moon.
Alice jolted back into the present, gasping for air as if she had been drowning in that sea of blood. She stumbled backward, her hand flying to her chest as her wide eyes darted around the room, as though the vision might still be lingering in the shadows.
Edward was beside her in an instant, his hands gripping her arms gently, trying to ground her. His voice, usually soothing, trembled with concern. "Alice, what did you see?"
"They will know," Alice whispered, her voice barely audible, yet it cut through the silence like a knife. Her lips quivered as her eyes, still unfocused, met Edward's. "And they will be coming."
A tense quiet settled over the room, thick with unspoken terror.
"When?" Edward pressed, though his voice was hollow.
Alice's breath caught as the final image of the crimson moon seared into her mind. "On the next blood moon," she rasped. Her words hung heavy in the air, like the final toll of a death bell.
Carlisle's expression shifted, a rare flicker of fear crossing his face. "The blood moon," he said softly, his voice grave, "that's in less than a month."
Bella's breath quickened. She glanced down at her arm, the wound still festering, darker than before. She could feel it now—the foreign energy within her, writhing beneath her skin, a grotesque blend of vampire and wolf blood battling for dominance. The sickness was spreading, coursing through her veins like poison. Every breath felt labored, her chest tightening as if the very air was turning against her.
Edward's hands tightened around Alice's arms, his jaw clenched. "We don't have much time."
Bella stared at the festering wound on her arm, a grotesque maroon color that pulsed ominously, as if something dark was stirring beneath the surface. Her heart raced, anxiety clawing at her insides. But then, without warning, the wound began to close. The sickly, darkened skin began to fade, knitting itself back together before her horrified eyes.
"It's healing," she whispered, a flicker of hope momentarily brightening her features. But it was a fleeting moment, as a sharp, unforgiving pain blossomed in her chest.
Her breath hitched, and she doubled over, clutching her stomach as a violent cough tore through her. Thick, dark blood splattered from her mouth, landing in sickening pools against the floor, each drop pooling like an omen of what was to come.
"Bella!" Edward's voice sliced through her panic, frantic and urgent as he rushed to her side, catching her before she collapsed completely. "What's happening?"
She tried to respond, but her throat constricted, another spasm forcing a choke from her lips. Her vision blurred as a wave of agony crashed over her, each throb in her body sending shards of pain spiraling through her. Searing, blinding pain shot through her, igniting every nerve ending as she screamed, a raw, primal sound that echoed off the walls, reverberating through the very core of the room.
Then the impossible happened—her bones began to snap. The sounds were sickening cracks, loud and jarring, a gruesome symphony of transformation. Her body twisted and contorted in ways it was never meant to, each shift feeling like it was tearing her apart from the inside.
Carlisle stepped closer, his face a mixture of horror and disbelief. "No… this can't be."
Bella's hands twisted grotesquely, her fingers elongating, claw-like appendages breaking through where nails had once been. The skin on her arms rippled violently, fur sprouting in patches as her body buckled and jerked, spasms wracking her frame. She could feel her spine curving, bones shifting with a brutal force, each movement more excruciating than the last.
"Make it stop!" Bella sobbed, the sound barely human, her voice morphing as her jaw elongated, sharp fangs bursting forth from her gums. The agony was overwhelming; her skin felt like it was being ripped apart as it morphed. A deep, guttural growl clawed its way out of her throat, drowning out her pleas.
"Bella, I'm here!" Edward's voice cracked, desperate as he held her, but it was no use. The transformation was relentless, tearing through her humanity. She could feel her limbs growing larger, stronger, as her body reshaped itself, fur cascading across her form—thick and pure white as freshly fallen snow. It was a dazzling contrast to the blood that had spilled from her lips.
But what shocked everyone in the room wasn't just her size; she was towering over them, far bigger than any wolf they had ever encountered. Her form was majestic and terrifying, a living embodiment of the very essence of power. Her fur gleamed unnaturally, catching the light as if illuminated from within. But the most striking feature was her eyes—no warm golden hue of a wolf's gaze; instead, they burned with the deep, blood-red glow of a vampire. Those eyes were fierce and predatory, reflecting an intelligence that seemed both familiar and utterly foreign.
Suddenly, Jacob burst into the room, his expression a storm of concern and anger. His eyes widened as he took in the sight of Bella—massive and transformed, a creature of nightmares. "Don't touch her!" he shouted, stepping forward, muscles tense, ready to spring into action.
Edward's gaze flicked toward Jacob, his expression a mixture of confusion and frustration. "I'm trying to help her, Jacob!"
Jacob shook his head vehemently, his voice low and forceful. "It'll only hurt her more if her emotions are running wild. Nobody touch her!"
Bella's massive wolf head turned slightly, recognizing both of them, but unable to bridge the gap between her human past and the instinct-driven present. The room filled with a palpable tension, a standoff echoing through the silence.
"She's… different," Jasper muttered, the weight of disbelief heavy in his words. "This isn't like anything we've seen before."
Bella, now fully transformed into a colossal, white wolf, lifted her head, her crimson eyes scanning the room. There was something more to her transformation, something darker and far more dangerous than any of them could comprehend. Her chest heaved as if the change had drained her, but the raw power radiating from her was palpable, almost intoxicating.
Edward knelt beside her, his voice a shaky whisper, filled with both hope and fear. "