Tanya
The mate bond wasn't an exact science.
It didn't grant her insight into Bella's every emotion, none of the mundane lows of human existence. The small frustrations, the quiet melancholy, the restless boredom—those often passed unnoticed.
But the highs? The moments of bliss, of supernatural pleasure when they were together? Those resonated, echoing through the bond like a song meant only for them.
And when Bella was in distress?
Tanya knew.
The second it happened, it felt like something had snapped inside her. A pull so visceral, so immediate, that she was already moving before she had even registered why.
She didn't think—there was no time to think.
She just ran.
The world blurred around her. Snow. Trees. Roads. She barely registered the town, the blocks flying past in a haze of white and grey. The only thing that mattered was Bella.
She was close.
She heard it now—voices, raised and sharp. One familiar, one angry, one uncertain.
Then—Bella.
Her voice was smaller than it should be. Stressed.
Trying to placate.
Tanya moved.
The apartment door was half opened. She entered without hesitation.
Inside, the room was tense.
Bella stood frozen near the kitchen bench, her face pale, her hands shaking slightly.
A man—tall, dark, broad, vibrating with something just barely contained—was glaring at her, his fists clenched.
Next to him, Mary stood stiff, her expression pulled tight, confusion and defiance flickering across her face.
And the woman beside them—another stranger, tense and coiled—was watching everything with sharp, narrowed eyes, like she was calculating exactly how to end this.
Tanya's gaze locked onto Bella first.
Then slid to the man.
Her presence changed the air immediately.
The moment stretched.
Bella saw her and sagged, exhaling like she had been holding something in.
Tanya's eyes didn't leave the man.
Slowly—deliberately—she smiled.
It wasn't kind.
Not even close.
"So," Tanya said smoothly, voice like silk wrapped around steel. "Are we going to have a problem?"
Bella
Her apartment felt hollow and empty.
Oh—there were still things left. A duffel bag half-packed. Paperwork she hadn't sorted yet. A few dishes in the sink. A sweater that had dropped behind the couch that she was too lazy to fetch.
But it wasn't hers anymore.
Not really.
Her presence here felt like an afterthought. The space was cold, lifeless, stripped of anything that made it hers. It wasn't like the Coven house, where everything felt settled, permanent. Her books now lined the shelves of the family library. Her clothes hung in Tanya's wardrobe, where she dressed each morning under the quiet weight of her mate's lingering gaze. She woke up to the scent of wildflowers and fresh snow, the comforting weight of Tanya beside her.
She was here to collect what was left.
But instead, she was lingering.
A knock at the door pulled her out of her thoughts.
"Hold on!" she called, shoving a sweater into the bag. "Mary, you're early."
She moved toward the door, expecting her friend's familiar, teasing smirk.
Instead, she opened it to Jake.
Her brain barely had time to process before he grinned, wide and warm, and suddenly she was lifted off her feet.
"Bells," he exhaled, squeezing her so tightly it knocked the air out of her lungs. "God, I've missed you."
Bella blinked, stunned. "Jake?"
Jake pulled back just enough to look at her, his expression still bright. "What, no love for your best friend?"
"No, I—" Bella shook her head, laughing softly, still trying to catch up. "I'm just… surprised. What are you doing here?"
"We came to see you," Jake said simply.
We?
Bella's eyes flickered over his shoulder—Leah. Arms crossed, brows raised.
"We came to Denali," Leah corrected, rolling her eyes. "Jake's the one with unfinished business."
Jake ignored her, still looking at Bella.
And then—
Something changed.
His grin faded.
His brow furrowed, nose wrinkling slightly.
And then, his entire body went stiff.
Bella barely had time to react before his grip on her arms tightened—not painfully, but enough that her breath caught.
His jaw clenched.
Then, voice suddenly quiet, too quiet—
"Why do you smell like them?"
Bella froze.
Jake pulled back fully, eyes searching hers, his expression harder now.
His voice dropped.
"They're here?"
Bella's stomach lurched. "Who—"
"The Cullens," Jake snapped, his voice rising. "Bella, tell me you didn't go back to them."
Bella's blood went cold.
"No, Jake, it's not like that—"
Jake let go of her, stepping back like she had burned him. His fists clenched.
"Goddamn it, Bells," he hissed, pacing now. "After everything—after what they did—"
"Jake—"
"You know what they are like," he continued, his voice sharp, turning back to her. "And you still—"
His nose curled.
"You reek of them."
Bella's breath hitched.
The way he said it.
It wasn't just anger.
It was something feral.
Her pulse kicked up.
Something was wrong.
"Jake, you're scaring her," Leah muttered, stepping up beside him.
"Good," Jake snapped. "Maybe she should be scared. Maybe she should remember what happened the last time she trusted vampires."
Bella flinched.
Jake knew.
She barely had time to process before—
A voice.
Sharp. Familiar.
"Who the hell are you? And why are you yelling at my best friend?"
Bella turned.
Mary.
She stood in the doorway, arms crossed, sharp eyes flicking between them.
Jake went rigid.
His breath caught—just for a second.
And then—
Something shifted.
Jake stilled.
Completely.
His breath hitched.
His body jerked, like something snapped inside him.
Bella watched, confused, unnerved, as his entire expression changed.
The anger—the tension—everything drained from him in an instant.
His dark eyes locked onto Mary.
Unblinking.
Unmoving.
Like he had forgotten how to breathe.
Bella frowned. "Jake?"
Jake didn't respond.
Didn't even acknowledge her.
His entire focus was on Mary.
And Mary—
Mary was staring right back at him, looking equal parts confused and alarmed.
Bella turned to Leah. "What just—"
Leah swore under her breath.
Bella had never heard her sound unnerved before.
Then, in a whisper, so soft Bella almost missed it—
"He imprinted."
Then - movement in the door, a flash of blonde - a comforting voice filling the room.
Tanya
Tanya stepped forward into a room sweltering in tension, her words still ringing in the air.
The scent hit her before she even reached Bella. Musky, primal, unmistakable. Wolves. Shifters. The same creatures Carlisle had spoken of from Forks, now here in her town.
The room still carried Bella's scent, but the pieces of her life were already elsewhere—woven into their home where they truly belonged. This was to be Bella's final visit, a last step before the keys were handed back.
But none of that mattered.
Not when her mate stood there, pale and trembling, her heartbeat a frantic rhythm against the heavy silence.
Tanya reached her without hesitation, wrapping her in her arms, letting the bond settle something feral inside her. The beast that had gripped at her ribs since she had felt Bella's distress finally… released. A little.
Bella melted into her, pressing closer, grounding herself in Tanya's cool strength. Then, hidden from the others, she tipped her head up and mouthed, Jake knows.
Jake.
Jacob Black. The wolf who had stayed when the Cullens had left. The friend who had been there when Bella had no one.
Tanya took in a slow breath. Then regretted it, the smell was pungent. Of course he knows. The Cullens had so much to answer for.
This was not a situation she wanted to be in. Shifters were ruled by emotion, and one of them—Jacob—was on the edge of losing control. That alone was a problem. But the bigger issue?
Mary.
A human who knew nothing. A human who was sticking her nose where it didn't belong.
And if this turned into a fight, she would see things she shouldn't—and would have to be turned or silenced.
How the hell had Alice not seen this? This was playing out nothing like her warning.
Tanya kept her expression composed, but inside, she was already calculating the possibilities, already preparing for whatever came next.
She turned her gaze back to the room, breaking the stifling silence with a smooth, deliberate tone.
"So," she murmured, voice laced with something both sharp and amused. "Who needs a drink?"
The wolves stiffened at the implication.
But it was Mary who spoke first, incredulous and still reeling.
"Do I ever. What the fuck were you saying about vampires?"
The air was thick with tension as they stepped out onto the snow-dusted street, the chill doing nothing to cool the heat of the situation.
Mary walked between Bella and Tanya, her arms crossed, her expression sharp with suspicion. Interrogation mode engaged.
"So," Mary started, her breath clouding in the freezing air. "Are you going to tell me what the hell that was about, or do I need to start guessing?"
Bella winced. "Mary—"
"No, no," Mary cut in, eyes narrowing. "I want to be clear here. I walked into my best friend's apartment, and the first thing I hear is vampires—" she turned to glare at Jacob, who had been conspicuously silent, "—and this dude growling at you like you'd committed a crime."
Jake's gaze was glued to Mary—unblinking, unreadable.
Leah scowled and smacked him upside the head. "Stop staring, you idiot."
Jake blinked, startled, then rubbed the back of his head, grumbling under his breath. But his eyes flickered back to Mary almost immediately, like he couldn't help himself.
Mary barely noticed. She was too busy turning back to Bella, walking backward to keep her eyes on her like a detective pressing for a confession.
"What I don't get," Mary continued, stabbing a gloved finger toward Bella, "is why you looked like you were about to pass out, why this guy was ready to punch a hole in the wall, and why your girlfriend—" she jerked a thumb at Tanya, "—looked like she was about two seconds from ripping someone's throat out."
Bella swallowed, casting a desperate look at Tanya.
Tanya, who had taken up position between them and the wolves, a quiet, unmoving force, her presence alone an unspoken warning: You will not touch my mate.
"Mary, I—" Bella tried again, but Mary just steamrolled ahead, her voice rising in frustration.
"And why—" she jabbed a finger toward Jacob and Leah, oblivious to how closely they were listening, "—are they talking about smells? They smell everything about you? Is this some weird Forks thing? Some backwoods, creepy childhood pact? And the Cullens? Are the Cullens in Denali?"
Bella stiffened. "No!"
Mary narrowed her eyes. "Then why—"
Jake made a low noise in the back of his throat, like a suppressed growl.
Leah smacked him again. Harder this time.
"Stop it!" she hissed under her breath. "I swear to God, if you don't stop staring, I will bury you in the snow."
Jake finally tore his gaze away from Mary, looking somewhere off into the distance, jaw clenched so tightly it looked like he might break a tooth.
Mary, completely unaware of the supernatural minefield she was stepping through, just huffed and turned back to Bella. "You are lying to me."
Bella let out a strangled laugh, her nerves completely frayed. "Mary, I—I don't even know where to start."
Tanya exhaled slowly through her nose. Bella could practically feel her mate restraining herself from just throwing Mary over her shoulder and sprinting back to the Denali house.
"This," Mary muttered, shoving her hands into her jacket pockets, "is some next-level Twilight Zone shit."
Tanya
Tanya leaned against the bar, the picture of composed elegance, but beneath the polished exterior was steel. Unyielding.
She folded her arms, letting the words spill out, slow and deliberate. "There are things in this world that, once known, cannot be unknown." Her voice was soft, but firm. "You don't get to dip your toe in. You are either in, or you are out. And once you're in, there is no going back." A pause. The ghost of a smile. "Sometimes, ignorance is bliss."
Her golden eyes flicked to Mary.
Mary, who was already too far in.
Mary, who was sharp enough to recognize a warning when she heard one.
Jake immediately stepped in front of her before she could react. Protective. Instinctive. A low growl, barely restrained, rumbled in his chest.
Bella, standing beside Tanya, stiffened slightly, but said nothing.
"Yeah?" Jake's voice was low, dangerous. "And what gives you the right to tell her that?" His shoulders squared, muscles coiled, barely keeping himself from trembling with frustration. "That's not how it works where we're from. We've got an agreement. A treaty."
Tanya tilted her head, assessing. "Do you?" she mused, something amused flickering beneath her words. "And who is that treaty with?"
Jake's nostrils flared. "With people like you."
The Cullens. Unspoken, but hanging in the air like a challenge.
Tanya's lips curved, just slightly. Not quite a smile. "Ah." She tapped a manicured nail against her glass, slow and thoughtful. "And you believe that's enough?"
Leah exhaled sharply, crossing her arms, but didn't step in. She was watching Jake now, measuring.
Jake's jaw tightened. "It has been."
Tanya gave him a long, measured look before speaking again. "Perhaps." A pause. "But you should ask yourself… that treaty—" she tilted her head slightly, eyes sharp, "is it truly with those who make the rules?
Something flickered across Jake's face.
He didn't like that.
Neither did Mary.
Mary crossed her arms. "I can take care of myself, thanks." She shot Jake a sharp look before turning her glare on Tanya. "And I don't need any of you deciding what I do or don't get to know."
Jake's fists clenched at his sides, his stance rigid. "I know that." His voice had dropped an octave, the edge of something raw scraping against the words. "But you don't understand what you're stepping into."
Leah's gaze darted to him, but still, she stayed quiet.
Mary's eyes narrowed. "Then tell me."
Tanya's gaze flickered between them before settling on Jake. Understanding bloomed behind golden irises. "Well?" she prompted, voice laced with amusement. "She's your responsibility now, isn't she?"
Jake hesitated.
The weight of it settled between them.
Bella, still watching, reached for her drink at the same time as Tanya, almost unconsciously.
Mary exhaled sharply, her frustration rolling off her in waves. "I might not know what's going on, but I know when people are talking in circles. And I am done being left in the dark."
Silence. Heavy. Thick.
James, blissfully unaware of the minefield beneath his feet, strolled over, grin wide.
"So… round of drinks, or are we all just gonna stare at each other like it's a funeral?"
The breath left them all at once, a collective exhale.
Tanya smirked, finally breaking eye contact with Jake and Mary. "Drinks," she said smoothly, picking up her glass. "Mary, I think you need one."
Mary didn't even blink. "Oh, I know I do."
Jake, jaw still tight, finally turned away from Tanya, his focus locking entirely on Mary. His voice was low, meant only for her. "We'll talk." A beat. "But not here."
Mary held his gaze for a long moment, then nodded.
Tanya, watching them, curled her arm around her mate, her fingers brushing absently along Bella's spine.
Leah finally let out a breath and muttered, "Well, that was exhausting."
This was going to be interesting.