Chapter 3: Shadows of the Past
The night had settled around them, a quiet, almost suffocating stillness enveloping the small cabin nestled deep in the woods. From the porch, Bella could hear the distant rustling of the trees, the occasional snap of a twig breaking under the weight of a passing animal, and the soft murmur of wind sweeping through the dense forest. It was the kind of silence that both soothed and unsettled her. For years, she and Eyota had moved from place to place, always on the run, always searching for a safe haven—one where they could keep their heads down, blend into the shadows, and avoid drawing attention. Yet tonight, as Bella sat beside Eyota, her mind felt far from peaceful.
Her thoughts were interrupted when Eyota's phone rang, cutting through the heavy silence. Bella glanced at her guardian, sensing that the conversation on the other end would reveal answers—answers Bella wasn't sure she was ready to hear. Eyota's dark eyes narrowed as she read the unknown number on the screen. Without hesitation, she answered the call, her voice calm but with a subtle wariness in her posture, a shift Bella could feel in the air around them.
"Hello?" Eyota's voice was steady, but there was an edge to it, a warning Bella recognized well.
The voice on the other end was smooth, polite, yet carried an undeniable urgency. "Is this Eyota?" The voice asked, and Bella's pulse quickened. "My name is Carlisle Cullen. I understand this might be unexpected, but I hope we can arrange a meeting. We've recently encountered your ward, Bella, and we have reason to believe she might be connected to our family. We need to speak with you both. It's very important."
Bella felt the world tilt beneath her. Carlisle Cullen. The man who had just spoken her name. Her mind raced, spinning with a thousand questions. Why had he mentioned her name? How could they know about her?
Eyota's gaze shifted to the firepit as she spoke again, her tone even but filled with caution. "I'm listening, Carlisle. But I need to know more. What is it that you want with Bella?"
Carlisle's voice softened, though his words were firm, carrying a weight that Bella couldn't ignore. "We've been following a trail of unusual circumstances, and Bella—there's something about her that we can't ignore. We believe she might be part of our family. If you're open to it, I'd like to meet with both of you to discuss this further. We won't make any moves without your consent, of course, but we can't ignore the possibility any longer."
Bella's heart hammered in her chest, her thoughts racing with every word Carlisle spoke. Could this man—Carlisle Cullen—know something about her past? Could he be part of the mystery that had always surrounded her?
After the call ended, Eyota turned to face Bella, her expression unreadable, her gaze distant. "That was Carlisle Cullen. He wants to meet with us."
Bella's heart pounded in her chest, a strange mixture of anticipation and fear. The mention of the Cullens—those whispered stories, those half-formed rumors—felt like a jolt of electricity. Carlisle Cullen had just called. Why? What did he want? How could they know about her?
The strange phone call they had just received kept echoing in her thoughts. A voice, smooth and calm, had spoken her name—Bella's name—and with that simple utterance, her heart had fluttered. The voice belonged to Carlisle Cullen, and with those words, everything in Bella's life had shifted. She wasn't sure why, but there was a weight in the air—a tension she couldn't quite place. The Cullens knew something. Something about her past. Something that could change everything she thought she knew about herself.
The air around them felt thick, charged with an unspoken energy. Eyota sat beside her, her dark eyes focused on the firepit in front of them, her mind clearly preoccupied with the same thoughts that plagued Bella. Eyota was more than just a guardian—she was a protector, a constant in Bella's life. Since the day Eyota had found Bella abandoned as an infant, there had been an unspoken bond between them. Eyota had always been there, taking care of Bella, teaching her to survive, to hide, and to control the powers and instincts that seemed to reside within her.
But despite Eyota's love and protection, Bella had always felt different—like she didn't truly belong. Eyota had never told her much about her origins, always deflecting whenever Bella asked. Over the years, Bella had come to accept that. But tonight… tonight was different. The mention of the Cullens had opened a door she wasn't sure she was ready to walk through.
For a long moment, Bella was silent, grappling with the weight of the situation. She had spent years with Eyota, living in isolation, away from the world. Bella had always felt like something was missing, like she didn't belong in this world. But now, with Carlisle's call, the pieces of her life were starting to fall into place. Maybe the Cullens were the key to understanding who she really was.
But at the same time, a shiver of unease crept down her spine. There was something off about all of this. Eyota had always said they couldn't afford to draw attention to themselves—that they had to stay hidden. And now, the Cullens were seeking them out. Bella's thoughts spun, unsure of what to make of it all.
Eyota's voice broke through her thoughts again, firm and steady. "We need to be ready. If they want to see you, we have to decide if we can trust them—or if we need to keep running."
Bella's heart raced as she processed Eyota's words. The Cullens might know more than she was prepared to hear. But one thing was certain: this was the beginning of a path that would lead her to the truth about who she really was. And once she walked down that path, there would be no turning back.
It had been a stormy night when it all began. The rain fell in sheets, soaking the earth in a relentless downpour. Eyota had been tracking a Cold One—one of the vampire predators that had been encroaching upon her people's land. It wasn't unusual for her to patrol the edges of the forest, keeping the area safe from the creatures that roamed within it. But on that night, something had called her deeper into the woods. An inexplicable pull, something that seemed to emanate from the very earth itself. Eyota had followed the sensation, drawn by an unseen force, until she reached a small clearing.
There, in the center of the forest, she found the infant.
The baby was abandoned, crying weakly in the rain, her tiny body shivering from the cold. Eyota's heart ached at the sight. The child was barely clothed, clearly left to die. She had never expected to find anything like this, especially in such a desolate, dangerous place. But there was something undeniably strong about the child, something that defied the odds of survival.
Eyota had knelt beside the baby, feeling an overwhelming connection—a sense of purpose that she couldn't explain. She knew the child's name without question. Isabella. It was a name whispered to her by something deeper, something meant to be. The resonance it carried told her everything. She had to protect this child, keep her safe from whatever dangers awaited.
Eyota had cradled the baby in her arms, feeling a strange warmth emanating from her despite the cold, unforgiving storm. There was power within the child, something far stronger than any infant had a right to possess. It was unlike anything Eyota had ever encountered in her long life.
Eyota made the decision then and there. She would raise Bella as her own, keeping her hidden from the prying eyes of those who might seek to exploit her gifts. She would teach her to control the hunger she had always felt but never understood. Bella grew quickly—far faster than any normal child. And as the years passed, it became clear that she wasn't like the others. Bella was special.
But now… now, the call—the mention of Bella being connected to the Cullens—changed everything.
Eyota's voice brought Bella back to the present. "We need to be ready. If they want to see you, we have to decide if we can trust them—or if we need to keep running."
Bella's heart raced, her breath catching in her chest. The Cullens might know more than she was ready to hear. This was the beginning of a journey into the truth of her past, and there would be no turning back.