I won't tell you about the first hour.

I won't tell you how I helped burn the newborns, ensuring that every last threat was gone. How I checked on Carmen, on Irina and Kate, on our pack allies. On the other covens that had worked with mine.

Because I didn't.

Because anyone who came near me—near her—was a threat. Every problem a distraction.

I don't remember the moment my mouth filled with venom, don't remember snapping viciously at Kate. I only remember the way she took a careful step back. I don't remember striking the air near Alice when she tried to approach, but I remember the silence that followed. I don't remember what I said, only that it was a warning.

Everything else was background noise. The world had narrowed to a single point—Bella, broken and unmoving in my arms.

I watched, helpless, as the venom worked, creeping through her veins, stitching her back together piece by piece. The concave ruin of her chest, crushed by Victoria's final act of cruelty, was smoothing, knitting, healing into something new. But it wasn't fast enough.

I should have been grateful—it meant the venom had taken. It meant she was changing. But the silence—goddess, the silence.

She wasn't screaming. Wasn't writhing. Wasn't fighting against the fire.

It terrified me.

I had seen hundreds of turnings. None had ever been quiet. Even I, with all my restraint, had howled my throat raw, clawing at my own skin to escape the agony. But Bella—

She suffered in silence.

My hands trembled as I stroked her cheek, whispering soft words, urgent and desperate. "Come back to me, my love." My voice cracked, barely above a breath. "Please."

I stroked my fingers gently over her cheek, whispering to her, my voice soft, urgent, pleading. She didn't react. Her body was trapped inside its own burning transformation, and I could do nothing to reach her.

Only when her chest began to rise and fall in steady, even motions did I feel like I could breathe again.

–⊰❁⊱–

The house was ruined. The second property casualty in Victoria's war.

The bile one of her newborns had spewed was beyond toxic, eating through the wood and stone, leaving behind the lingering scent of acid and decay. Windows were shattered, doors were splintered, the walls bore the scars of the battle that had raged within them.

This was no place for a turning.

We had no blood bags. We had stored the reserves at the cabin, set aside as part of our deception. I didn't care who retrieved them. I didn't care that we had days before they would be needed.

I wanted them now.

I carried her from the ruins of the lounge, unwilling to leave her in that wreckage a moment longer. Every instinct screamed to keep her close, to shelter her, to guard her until she awoke.

I shouldn't have moved her so soon. I knew that. But I couldn't leave her there.

The bedroom was untouched compared to the rest of the house, though it felt too small, too fragile for the weight of what had happened. I laid her down carefully, arranging her as if she were only sleeping, as if this were only a passing moment.

Someone had left a bowl of warm water and a cloth by the door. I didn't ask who.

I wiped the blood from her skin with slow, careful motions, washing away the remnants of the battle, the last traces of her human fragility. I changed her into her favourite outfit, something soft and comfortable, something that would make her feel like herself again when she woke.

I told her I wouldn't leave. Not for a moment.

I told her everything.

I told her about the plans Alice and I had laid, how we had to deceive everyone—enemy and ally alike. How I had wanted to buy more time for her turning, knowing that she had wanted to be frozen at an age close to mine.

And then, I told her I was sorry.

Because I failed her in that.

I ran my fingers through her hair, smoothing the strands as I had done a thousand times before, as if my touch could anchor her, even here, even now. My hand trailed down her arm, brushing against her fingers. I crossed my fingers into hers.

Noting the difference in how our hands came together.

A ring now stood on my finger.

Not just any ring.

I had recognized it immediately.

It was Sasha's wedding ring. Over a thousand years old, carried through generations, worn by the mother who had turned us, protected us, and loved us.

There was nothing more fitting.

I felt my sisters in that decision, in the way Bella had chosen this—not something new, not something unfamiliar, but something tied to family, to us, to the bond that had become her home.

I felt their warmth. Their care. Their acceptance. Their blessing.

And so, desperately clutching her hand, I waited for my love to come back to me.

–⊰❁⊱–

I surfaced from the fire like breaking through ice, gasping into a world that was suddenly too much.

The burning had been endless, all-consuming, twisting me into something unrecognisable, making and unmaking me in every heartbeat. But now—it was gone.

And the silence it left behind was deafening.

Everything shattered into clarity at once.

My first breath was too sharp, the air thick with scents layered over each other—wood smoke, venom, old blood, the sharp bite of snow. My ears rang, each sound amplified, overlapping, the creak of the broken house too loud, the heartbeat outside too distant, the whisper of movement overwhelming.

And I could feel.

The bed beneath me, the fabric against my skin, the weight of someone holding my hand.

The moment my mind recognized Tanya's presence, everything else fell away.

The thirst coiled low in my ribs, a hunger thrumming just beneath my skin—but it wasn't the strongest pull. Not even close.

Because Tanya was here.

And nothing else mattered.

Thought became motion in a sickening fluidity.

One moment, I was still. The next—I had Tanya in my arms.

My fingers curled around her shoulders, my body twisting, pulling her closer, closer, closer, until there was no space left between us. And it wasn't enough. I needed more.

The shock of the warmth of her body, the feel of her skin against mine, the scent of wildflowers and fresh snow, sent a shiver through me.

I opened my eyes, and it was like seeing her for the first time all over again.

Her gold-amber eyes held me captive, drawing me in. I felt something rushing toward me, like movement from a great distance, the bond stretching and snapping into place. Finished it's work, now that I was turned from human to vampire.

I let out a whimper, something needy and desperate pulling at my chest.

It was too much.

It was all-consuming.

"You're awake." Tanya's voice was hoarse, raw with emotion, her breath warm against my lips.

Her voice was the sweetest sound I had ever heard.

I reached my hand toward her face, wanting, needing, craving. Unable to explain it.

It must have shown in my expression, because she said "Whatever you need honey, I'm here for you."

My fingers traced the delicate curve of her jaw, glided over the high cut of her cheekbones, down to the perfect bow of her lips. At my touch, they parted slightly, an invitation I didn't hesitate to take.

I kissed her.

The taste of her exploded on my tongue—sweet, addictive, intoxicating. The moment our lips met, it consumed me, filled me with an endless, aching want.

And I completely lost control.

I didn't think. I moved.

One moment, Tanya was above me, speaking softly, steadying me, anchoring me to this new existence. The next—she was beneath me, sprawled across the bed, her golden eyes wide, startled, darkening with something deeper.

I straddled her, pressing her down, claiming my place against her body.

Somewhere in the background, the bedframe gave a sharp, splintering groan, collapsing slightly beneath us.

It didn't matter.

Nothing mattered except her.

My hands roamed over her arms, down the curve of her back, tracing every inch of silken skin stretched over unyielding strength. I had always thought of her as something golden and untouchable, something to be held with reverence—but beneath my fingers, she was fire and steel, supple yet unbreakable. And I was starving for her.

I kissed her like she was the sun and the stars and the moon in my sky.

I ran my tongue over her lips, traced their outline, caught her bottom lip between my teeth and bit down, before diving back in—claiming, devouring, drowning in her.

Tanya moaned into my mouth, melting, moulding into me, her body pliant and eager. She had never been submissive one.

But in this moment she surrendered to me.

And it was beyond intoxicating.

Somewhere in the haze, I reached forward, tore at her clothing, shredding fabric into useless scraps that I threw aside.

Tanya gasped, her hands reaching for me instinctively.

I caught them both, pinning them above her head with one hand.

Then, I began my worship.

I kissed my way down the elegant slope of her neck, dragging my tongue slowly across the skin there, delighting in the way she shivered beneath me.

Something new and undefined in me thrilled at the action.

She had to smell like me.

And I had to smell like her.

It was absolute truth.

I bit and kissed my way lower, dragging my tongue across the swell of her chest, lavishing one perfect breast, taking her nipple into my mouth, flicking my tongue against it, sucking until she was gasping, writhing beneath me.

I switched my attention to the other, rolling and squeezing it in my palm, revelling in the sounds she made, the way her body arched into my touch.

Her hands strained against my grip, but I held her firm, keeping her exactly where I wanted her.

Mine.

The word thrummed through me, primal and absolute.

I smirked against her venom flushed skin, trailing my lips lower, across the enter of her chest, down the taut muscles of her stomach. I kissed along the ridges of her abdomen, swirled my tongue into the hollow of her navel, following the path down, down, down.

Any other time, I would have teased her. Built her up, drawn it out, watched her unravel.

But this was different. This was claiming.

She was mine.

And I needed her to know it.

I pressed my mouth against her clit and sucked.

At the same moment, I thrust two fingers inside her, filling her with one fluid motion.

Tanya arched off the broken bed, a sound tearing from her throat—raw, unrestrained, wrecked.

She tasted so good . It was an indescribable rush as I consumed her.

She was incoherent, her body shaking beneath me, fingers tangled in my hair, pulling, grasping, desperate.

I fucked her with my hand, fast, deep, relentless. My tongue flicked against her in dizzying motions, a blur of sensation.

She moaned, cursed, sobbed my name, her entire body tensing, chasing the edge, surrendering to it.

And then, just as she was about to come, I felt it—something strange, something new.

My mouth filled with venom.

A rush of instinct hit me, overwhelming, undeniable.

"Mine." The word rumbled from my throat, thick with need.

Tanya trembled, her body arching, her fingers tightening against the sheets. Her eyes—dark and dazed—locked onto mine, molten and liquid gold.

"Mine," I whispered again, dragging my teeth lightly over her thigh, teasing. Preparing .

Her breath stuttered, her body writhing beneath me. "Yours," she choked out, her voice breaking. "Yours, Bella. Always."

My fingers drove into her deep, curling, hitting the spot that made her cry out. My tongue worked in tandem, a relentless, desperate need to drive her over the edge—

And then I bit her.

Tanya shattered.

Her cry was raw, unrestrained, her body convulsing, shuddering as my venom fused with hers, sealing us together, forever.

The moment stretched—something more than physical, something spiritual, something eternal.

I pulled back, licking the wound reverently, my lips brushing against the fresh mark—my mark.

Tanya lay beneath me, breathless, wrecked, glowing. She lifted a shaking hand, cupping my jaw, guiding my mouth back to hers.

"Yours," she whispered again.

I kissed her like a vow.

Tanya's breathing was ragged, her eyes dazed, sated, glowing with something fierce and wild.

I lifted my head, licking my lips, my body thrumming, charged, electric.

I hadn't even realized I had moved back down her, and was staring at the perfect impression of my bite—a silvery scar already forming against her pale skin.

Tanya noticed my expression, and laughed.

It was soft, breathless, beautiful.

She pulled me up again, wrapping her arms around me, drawing me in until our foreheads touched.

Her fingers slid through my hair, slow, soothing.

"Ahoj, vtáčik môj," she whispered, the Slovak flowing like silk off her tongue.

Something inside me melted at the sound of it.

I exhaled sharply, completely entranced.

"Tan, I didn't mean to bite you. I mean, I kind of did but—"

She laughed again, pressing a kiss to my temple.

"It's more than fine, baby. More than fine," she murmured. "You gave me the mating bite. You mixed your venom with mine. Now, our scents will mingle. Everyone who scents us will know we are a mated pair."

I blinked, suddenly not feeling guilty at all.

She looked so happy.

I smirked, tilting my head. "So… do I get one?"

Tanya's golden eyes gleamed.

"In about ten minutes," she purred. "The only question is—where do you want it?"

And then my clothes joined hers on the floor.

–⊰❁⊱–

The moment we stepped out into the crisp Alaskan air, something inside me unlocked.

This was what I was made for.

Every instinct, every sharpened sense, every fibre of my being aligned with the hunt.

Tanya ran ahead, a golden blur through the snow, leading me into the vast wilderness. I followed without hesitation, without effort. The wind should have been deafening at this speed, but instead, it was a song, every sound clear, crisp, meant for me to hear.

Then, the scent.

Something warm and alive, pumping with rich, hot blood.

My body moved before my mind caught up.

One moment, I was running beside Tanya. The next, I was gone, hurtling through the trees, closing the distance in a single breath.

The elk barely had time to react.

I tackled the massive animal mid-stride, the impact shaking the earth as we crashed through the undergrowth. It thrashed, struggling beneath me, but it was pointless.

I was stronger. Faster.

It was nothing.

I struck fast, venom flooding my mouth, teeth sinking into hot, beating life. The rush was instant, a flood of warmth, power, something deeper than satisfaction.

For a moment, nothing else existed.

Only this.

Only the kill.

I came back to myself slowly.

The body beneath me had gone still, the blood gone, drained, empty.

Tanya was watching me.

I sat back on my heels, blinking down at myself, at the body beneath me, at the sheer force with which I had taken it down.

I wiped at my lips, still overwhelmed, still buzzing.

Tanya knelt in front of me, golden eyes soft and knowing.

She reached out, fingers brushing over the bite mark on my neck—the one I had taken from her. That she had gifted to me.

"I didn't know I'd love it this much" she murmured.

I shivered as she touched it, the nerves coming alive and singing for her.

I reached for her, dragging her into a slow, claiming kiss, tasting the warmth of my hunt still lingering on my lips.

She smiled against my mouth.

"Come, my love. Let's go home."

–⊰❁⊱–

The moment I saw my sisters, the coven bond ignited inside me.

It wasn't something gradual or distant. It was instant, absolute—like stepping into warmth after being cold for too long. It curled through my bones, settled beneath my skin, an invisible tether binding me to them—to something ancient, something unshakable.

Kate. Irina. I could fell the pull of the others further inside the house, and a warmth like the sun behind me in Tanya.

My family. It was so comfortable to be with them.

They caught me in a group hug the moment I came in the door, eyes shining. Happy to see me. Happy I was whole.

They led me through the hastily repaired living room, I could see Alice and Jasper, the Whitlock Coven, Leah… and-

The second my eyes found Carmen, a sharp, broken sound tore from my throat.

She was alive.

Put back together. Weakened, but whole.

Her head lifted at the noise, golden eyes bright despite everything, her expression open, welcoming.

"Bella, mi niña," she exhaled, and then I was moving, falling into her arms.

She was still unsteady, her body visibly weaker than it should have been, the venom still knitting her together, rebuilding what had been severed. But she held me anyway.

I shook, unable to contain the sheer weight of everything that had led to this moment.

The last time I had seen her, she had been collapsing in on herself, her body failing in parts, her unlife slipping away. I had thought—since that one awful, crushing moment—that she was gone forever.

But she wasn't.

She was here.

Alive.

I pressed my face into her shoulder, gripping onto her like fate would take her away again.

Her hands smoothed over my back, gentle, familiar. Soft Spanish comforts spilled from her lips, murmured words of love and reassurance. She spoke to me like I was the one that was hurt, as if this embrace could soothe away all my worries.

And it did.

Goddess, it did.

I felt Tanya at my back, an unwavering presence, but for this moment, I needed Carmen.

When she finally pulled back, she blinked adoringly at me, as if I were something precious. And then—she stumbled.

I caught her without thinking, with the kind of ease that startled even me.

Kate groaned from across the room, her arms crossed as she gave an exasperated sigh.

"She's been like this all day."

Carmen huffed, swatting a delicate hand toward her sister. "I am adjusting."

Tanya chuckled, her lips brushing the back of my neck. "We should be patient. She has had quite the ordeal."

"I do not need patience," Carmen insisted, lifting her chin with determination. Heading back to her chair.

And then—she tripped over nothing.

Kate sighed, rubbing her temple. "She needs a helmet."

I laughed, swiping at my eyes, still raw, still overwhelmed, still reeling from everything that had happened.

Carmen turned toward me, her expression open, filled with something soft and knowing. She reached up, cupping my cheek gently, the way a mother might, her touch light but comforting.

Her golden eyes shone with warmth.

"Oh, Bella, mi niña," she murmured, her thumb brushing comfortingly along my jaw. "Look at you."

I blinked, momentarily caught off guard.

Irina nudged me gently, her smile just a little too smug.

"You should see yourself, little sister."

And I realised I wanted to.

I wanted to see what they saw.

What I had become.

–⊰❁⊱–

I hesitated in front of the mirror.

I wasn't afraid, exactly. But uncertain? Anxious? Sure.

For days—for my entire life—I had only known myself one way. Human. Soft. Breakable. A creature of warmth and fragility.

Imperfect, but not upset about it.

I took a slow breath and lifted my gaze.

The woman staring back at me wasn't me.

She was too sharp. Too still. Too breathtaking.

My skin was smooth, flawless, no longer marked by the faint remnants of human life—no bruises, no freckles, no imperfections. Just porcelain, luminous, almost too perfect to be real. I looked like marble carved into something otherworldly.

And my eyes—goddess, my eyes.

They were red.

Not just red, but impossibly vivid, burning bright, catching every fragment of light and reflecting it back. Dark rubies rimmed in fire.

I inhaled sharply.

Tanya stepped behind me, her presence wrapping around me in a quiet reassuring comfort.

I lifted my hand to my face, as if touching it would make it real.

The motion was unnaturally fluid, effortless—too fast, too controlled. There was no hesitation, no weight to my limbs. I moved like water, like breath, like I had been waiting my entire life to exist in this body.

And then my fingers brushed my throat—the mark.

The bite.

Tanya's bite.

It gleamed against my pale skin—silver and permanent, stark against the softness of my collarbone.

I traced the raised edges with a slow, reverent touch.

Mine. Hers.

Tanya stepped closer, her hands resting at my waist, her chin settling against my shoulder.

"You wear me beautifully, vtáčik môj," she murmured, her breath ghosting over my skin.

I shuddered.

For a moment, I forgot the mirror, forgot the stranger looking back at me, forgot everything except her.

I turned, pressing into her body, burying my face against her neck. She smelled like home.

Tanya's arms tightened around me. "How do you feel?"

I exhaled, slow and steady.

"Like my body and soul have finally caught up to each other."

–⊰❁⊱–