Tanya had lived through the dark ages. She had seen civilizations crumble, had walked through history as an observer and occasional participant, untouched by time. She had survived the wrath of the Volturi, the agony of loss, and the slow, inevitable loneliness that came with eternity.
But nothing—nothing—had ever made her feel like this.
The fear.
It curled in her stomach like ice, threading its way through her ribs, settling deep into the marrow of her bones.
Laurent.
He had been part of a coven that hunted Bella.
Her mate.
He was here. In Denali.
The knowledge made her stomach turn. Bella, who was so breakable, so human, who had no ability to protect herself from supernatural beings, had been stalked by predators who found amusement in playing with their prey. The thought of anyone harming her—of losing her before she even had the chance to love her, to turn her—was unbearable.
She forced herself to breathe, to push back the violent, instinctual panic that clawed at her throat.
Bella was safe now. She was here.
Tanya tightened her jaw, inhaling Bella's scent deeply, before exhaling slowly. She couldn't afford to lose herself in fear. Not now.
She needed answers.
Her voice was gentle, but urgent. "Would you please tell us how you were hunted."
Bella hesitated for a moment, gathering her thoughts. She glanced at Tanya, then at Kate, Irina, and the others, before exhaling. "It started when the Cullens took me to play baseball. James was a tracker, and something about me set him off. He decided it would be fun to chase me, to see how long I could run."
Tanya's fingers twitched.
Bella pressed on. "The Cullens protected me, but it only made him more determined. He tricked me into thinking he had my mother, lured me away from them. I went to meet him alone." She swallowed. "He toyed with me for a bit. Broke my leg. Cut me up. And then… he bit me."
Tanya stopped breathing.
The air in the room turned sharp, electric.
Bella lifted her wrist and pulled back her sleeve, revealing a faint, crescent-shaped scar.
A vampire's bite.
A wound that never should have been there.
Tanya stared. How had she never noticed?
She had seen scars before—on ancient vampires, on warriors, on those who bore their wounds like old battle marks. But this—this was on her mate.
She reached out before she could stop herself, tracing the mark with a touch so feather-light it barely registered. "I should have seen this," she murmured. "I should have known."
Bella covered Tanya's hand with her own, squeezing gently. "Tanya—"
"I should have felt it," Tanya whispered. "Our mate bond… I should have known something had hurt you."
The very thought of Bella bleeding out on a cold floor, alone, screaming in pain—made something deep inside her twist with a vicious, uncontrollable fury. She clenched her jaw, trying to steady herself. It wasn't Bella's fault. It wasn't hers. But the knowledge that Bella had suffered while Tanya had existed, oblivious, separate from her—
It was unbearable.
Tanya took a slow breath, trying to steady the fire in her chest, before finally lifting her gaze.
Her eyes locked onto Irina.
"Laurent." Tanya's voice was cold. "Why is he here?"
Irina flinched.
"He—" she started, but faltered, her expression flickering with something uncertain. "He said he was just passing through. He only stayed because he met me."
Kate scoffed.
"Irina." Tanya's voice was sharp, but not unkind. Not yet. "Did he ever mention Bella? Or Forks?"
Irina looked at Tanya, then at Bella. "No. Never."
Tanya's eyes narrowed. "You're sure?"
"I swear," Irina said, voice growing tight. "He never mentioned Forks. He never mentioned Bella."
A pause.
Tanya exhaled slowly, considering. But then—
"But," Irina added, "he did ask about the Cullens."
The room stilled.
Tanya's expression didn't change. But the air around them did.
Irina's fingers curled into fists at her sides. "He said he'd heard of them before. We talked about their… abilities."
Tanya's golden eyes darkened. "And what did you tell him?"
Silence.
Irina's throat bobbed.
The realisation crashed over Irina in waves now. She had been so sure, so confident that her faith in Laurent had been well-placed.
But she was standing in a room of people she loved, seeing the devastation on their faces, and for the first time—
For the first time, Irina wasn't sure at all.
"I told him about Edward's mind reading," she admitted. "Alice's visions. Jasper's abilities. I told him they had scattered from Forks."
Tanya's fists clenched.
"You told him," she repeated, voice barely above a whisper.
Irina felt sick.
"I didn't think—" she started.
"No," Tanya cut in, her voice clipped. "You didn't think."
And just like that, whatever faith Irina had been holding onto snapped.
She felt it break inside her, the fragile, foolish hope that Laurent and her could have been something—something more than just friends. That he had been honest with her, and forthright, like she had been with him.
Because he had been lying to her.
And now, she didn't just feel heartbroken.
She felt furious.
Kate hummed. "I do love a good interrogation."
Tanya ignored her, turning to Bella. Her voice softened. "And I need you to stay here."
Bella frowned. "What? Like while you interrogate him? That's… fine. I don't think I need to be there for that."
"Not just for that." Tanya exhaled, steadying herself. "I want you here. In my home. With us. With me."
Bella blinked.
Tanya's fingers tightened around hers. "While there is any threat to you, I don't want you alone. I won't let anything happen to you."
Something flickered across Bella's face—conflict, emotion, something tangled and complicated.
Because of course she wanted to stay.
Tanya was her mate. Her home.
But this wasn't just about Tanya wanting her close. It was about protection. About fear.
Bella knew what it was like to be protected to the point of suffocation. To be shielded by people who thought they knew what was best for her.
And this wasn't that. This was different. But still—
She exhaled, studying Tanya's expression, the raw fear behind her golden eyes.
Tanya wasn't trying to control her.
She was terrified of losing her.
Bella squeezed Tanya's hand, holding it tight. "You don't have to convince me, Tanya."
Tanya's breath hitched.
"I want to stay," Bella said, voice steady now. "Not because of this… situation. Not because I need protection. Because I want to be here. With you."
Tanya's shoulders relaxed.
Bella smiled, small but sure. "But if you try to lock me in a tower, we're going to have a problem."
Kate snorted.
Tanya let out a breathless laugh, shaking her head. "Noted."
Bella leaned into her side. "Good."
Tanya kissed her temple, lingering. "Then we find Laurent."
Her voice was softer now.
But no less deadly.
Alice
Alice was sewing when the vision hit.
It wasn't a future she had been looking for, it was an unexpected warning of what was to come.
One second, she was placing embroidery on a cuff, and the next—
The world fractured.
Paper. Files. Newspaper clippings. A map of Denali, inked up with red lines marking properties and land. Carmen. Eleazar. Kate. Irina. Tanya.
A hospital record. Isabella Swan. Broken femur. Blood Loss.
Missing persons report. Closed after 48 hours.
A yearbook. Forks High, 2006.
The Cullen's. A picture of her family.
A woman—Mary—sitting in a dimly lit apartment, her desk covered in research, tapping a pen against her lip, her mind whirring as she pieced it together.
A new scene flickered forward—
Mary standing in front of Bella.
Brows furrowed. Voice careful.
"Who are they, Bella?"
Alice ripped herself out of the vision so violently that the fabric tore in front of her.
Jasper was already there, his cool hands steadying her shoulders before the shards hit the floor. "Alice?" His voice was calm, but sharp with focus.
She was shaking.
She sucked in a breath, trying to steady herself. "I need to make a call."
Jasper watched her, unmoving, as she fished her phone from her pocket and pressed a contact she hadn't dialled in a long time.
It rang.
Once.
Twice.
Then—
"Alice."
Tanya's voice was flat and unreadable.
Alice exhaled. "We have a problem."
A pause.
Then, dryly—"Of course we do."
Alice ignored the jab. "There's a human in Denali. She's getting too close."
The shift in Tanya's energy was immediate. A fraction sharper, the casual edge disappearing.
"Define 'too close.'"
Alice swallowed. "Her name is Mary. She's a journalist—she's relentless. She's piecing it together, Tanya. Bella's past, the hospital records, the real estate transactions, the yearbook photos. She's connecting the dots."
Silence.
Alice pressed on. "She's not going to stop. Not just because she's suspicious—because she's worried about Bella. She's her friend. And when she figures out that she can't explain what she's found, she's going to confront her."
Another pause. Then—
"You're sure?"
Alice closed her eyes. "I just saw it."
Tanya exhaled, long and slow. "You're sure she'll go to Bella first?"
"Yes."
Tanya hummed. "Good. That buys me time."
Alice tensed. "Tanya—"
Tanya's voice was smooth. Too smooth. "Relax, Alice. I'll handle it."
Alice didn't relax.
Tanya was furious at the Cullen's. Alice knew that. She had every right to be.
But she was also grateful—even if she'd never say it.
Tanya would never let a threat to her coven go unanswered. Not now. Not ever.
Alice inhaled carefully. "Don't tell Bella I called."
Tanya let out a low, amused breath.
Then, voice smooth as silk, she asked, "Are you afraid of what she'll say to me, or what she'll feel about you?"
Alice's grip tightened around the edge of the counter. "Tanya."
A slow exhale. Then, a chuckle—low, edged with something Alice didn't want to unpack.
"For services rendered, I will not mention it - unless it becomes relevant."
The line disconnected.
Alice let out a breath and set the phone down, rubbing at her temples.
Jasper, still lounging against the counter, lifted a brow. "Well?"
Alice exhaled. "Tanya's going to handle it."
Jasper studied her, a lazy smirk curling at his lips. "You're afraid of her."
Alice shot him a glare. "I'm afraid of hurting Bella. Of stirring up everything she's spent the last two years moving past."
Jasper tilted his head. "And of what Tanya might say to her?"
Alice hesitated. Then, sighed. "That too."
Jasper just grinned, too knowing for his own good. "Well, darling, that sounds like a future problem."
Alice groaned, pressing the heels of her hands into her eyes.
It really, really did.
Laurent
Laurent had never met the other two Denali sisters before, but he knew of them.
Carlisle had spoken of them once—distant allies to the Cullen's, a coven that had chosen peace. Other vampires had whispered about them in centuries past—the legendary Succubi of the North, predators who once hunted men for blood and for pleasure.
Their reputation had changed over time, evolving into something civilized, restrained. A coven that fed on animals instead of humans, that lived in harmony with the mortals around them.
But none of that mattered now.
Irina had mentioned her sisters before—offhand comments, small stories shared in the quiet of their meetings. Tanya, the leader, the eldest, fierce and loyal. Kate, the sharp one, wicked with her humour, lethal in any fight.
And now—now they stood before him.
And Laurent realized too late that he had never truly known them at all.
These were not pacifists.
These were predators.
Tanya, though she had yet to introduce herself, had the posture of a queen—not haughty, but dangerous in her stillness. Her golden eyes were not kind. The other blonde—Kate, was looser, but not relaxed. She carried herself like someone who enjoyed a fight.
Irina was unreadable.
She wasn't looking at him.
That was what unsettled him the most.
"We need to talk," Tanya said.
Laurent, though wary, knew better than to show weakness. He straightened, keeping his posture measured, his expression neutral.
"I would say I'm at your service," he drawled, "but I get the sense this isn't a friendly conversation."
Kate smirked. "Look at that," she said, glancing at Tanya. "He's got instincts."
Laurent ignored her, his gaze flicking to Irina.
What had changed?
"You called me here," he said carefully. "I assumed we'd be alone."
Irina inhaled sharply.
And then, finally, she spoke.
"You lied to me."
Laurent blinked.
"I have no idea what you mean."
Irina's golden eyes darkened.
"Bella."
Laurent stilled.
The name meant nothing to him—at first.
Bella.
Bella Swan.
James' quarry.
His coven members failed hunt.
The girl they had tracked.
The girl he had barely paid attention to.
A slow, creeping realization settled in his chest.
Irina thought he was here for her.
For Bella.
Laurent carefully did not react.
He hadn't known Bella Swan was here, in Denali. He hadn't known where she had gone after the Cullens had left Forks.
Victoria hadn't told him that.
Victoria had only given him one directive—learn about the Cullens' capabilities, their numbers, their weaknesses.
And he had.
He hadn't questioned why she wanted that information.
But now—now he knew.
Victoria wasn't just tracking Bella.
She was hunting her.
Laurent's stomach turned.
Irina exhaled sharply, taking a step forward. "You never told me you had history with them." Her voice was strained. "You let me tell you everything. About my family. About the Cullens." Her throat bobbed. "About their abilities."
Laurent went still.
Ah.
So that was the mistake.
Irina had talked.
And now she realized what that meant.
Tanya's voice was ice cold.
"Why are you in Denali, Laurent?"
Laurent hesitated, but he knew better than to outright lie.
"Carlisle mentioned your coven once," he said smoothly. "I was curious. I had nowhere else to go." He met her gaze, measured. "I didn't think my presence would be an issue."
Kate laughed once, sharp and humourless.
"You expect us to believe that?" she asked.
Laurent kept his expression neutral.
Tanya tilted her head, studying him.
Then, she moved.
Too fast.
Her hand wrapped around his throat, slamming him back against the tree.
Laurent barely had time to react before the air was crushed from his lungs.
"You're here because Carlisle mentioned us?" Tanya repeated, her voice deadly quiet. "Or because Victoria sent you?"
Laurent froze.
Irina sucked in a sharp breath.
Kate went completely still.
Tanya's grip didn't tighten.
She didn't need to.
The threat in her voice, in her stare, in the sheer power behind the casual grip she had on his throat—it was enough.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Laurent lied.
Tanya's eyes burned.
"Try again."
Laurent knew when to cut his losses.
Slowly, he exhaled.
"I didn't know Bella was here," he admitted. "Victoria sent me to learn more about the Cullens. Their numbers. Their gifts." He met Tanya's gaze. "She didn't tell me why."
Tanya's grip tightened just slightly.
Laurent's jaw clenched.
Irina made a small, broken sound, but she didn't stop Tanya.
"You let Irina tell you everything," Tanya murmured, voice barely above a whisper. "And you never thought to ask why Victoria cared?"
Laurent kept his face blank.
"I didn't ask questions."
Kate scoffed.
"Oh, Laurent." Tanya's voice was mocking now. "You don't get to play ignorant. Not when you knew James. What he did to her."
Laurent hesitated.
That was a mistake.
Tanya's eyes flashed.
And suddenly—he understood.
Mate for a mate.
Edward took James from her. Victoria would take Bella from Edward.
She wants vengeance.
And he had led her straight to it.
Laurent's breath stilled in his chest.
This was worse than he thought.
Far, far worse.
Kate sighed, almost bored.
"Well," she said. "You're dead."
Laurent swallowed.
Tanya's grip didn't loosen.
And Irina—Irina wouldn't meet his eyes.
For the last time, Laurent felt something all too familiar.
Panic.
Then pain.
Then… nothing.