Hybrid

by KorKor11

She should have died once the venom entered her system, but she didn't. Now, Bella Swan is a strange hybrid of sorts, half vampire and half shifter. She flees from her pack in Arizona, stuck with the maker bond that ties her to her attacker, she tries to make a new home with her father in Forks. With a hatred for vampires, things only get worse when she meets her imprint, Rosalie H

1. Chapter 1

The ache in her chest was one that caused discomfort, longing, but it could be ignored.

It has to be ignored.

Because the thoughts that came with it were dangerous.

They were absurd, even, and she knew that. But what she didn't know was why she felt this way in the first place.

"Little wolf."

She felt a tremor run down her spine.

Fuck you.

Her jaw tightened and her body went rigid as the flight attendant stopped at her seat.

"Would you like anything to drink?" She asked, turning to Bella with a smile before she actually looked at her. "Or…um…I can get you some pretzels?" Her cheeks burned red and Bella had to lean back in her seat.

She could hear the woman's heart pounding in her chest, and she had to quickly avert her gaze and give a somber shake of her head.

Normally, she would have taken the pretzels, and the other five bags of pretzels that she had declined when they were offered.

"No." She said quietly. Not trusting herself to say more.

The woman swallowed thickly, smiling again as she nodded. "No worries. Just let me know if you need anything!" She watched in dismay as the flight attendant moved on to the next aisle.

Bella wished that it was pretzels that she was craving, but eating stale salted crackers was the last thing she wanted to do. The burn in her throat served as a reminder of what she now was. And while she had control of her thirst, she still sometimes feared opening her mouth.

"Come with me."

The ache was dull, yet it persisted.

Everything was different now.

Bella couldn't stay in Phoenix, and she couldn't stay with her pack, not after that red-headed bitch bit her.

"Little wolf."

Her hands curled into fists.

Everything was different now.

Her scent was muted.

She smelled like cinnamon, or at least, that's what her mother told her, but it was difficult to take Renee seriously. The woman was infuriating, a poor mother and a poor wolf, but maybe her critique was too harsh.

Renee had tried, after all, and that meant something.

Not much but...something.

Bella shifted in her seat, dual-colored eyes staring out the window.

She tried to focus on the beautiful sunset rather than the nice-smelling people that were trapped on the plane with her. With a sigh she adjusted her earbuds, turning her music up, trying to keep herself distracted.

She ran her fingers over the silvery scar on her wrist, the venom should have killed her, but instead, it made her...something else.

Something strange.

Everything was different, and it was all because of that persistent bloodsucker.

In some ways, the venom was a gift.

It broke her pack link. No longer could they infiltrate her thoughts, but she had been able to read them just as clearly.

It was strange, a good strange.

James no longer had control of her, and she left at the first opportunity.

A bloodsucker freed her but cursed her just the same.

Now she was going to live with her father in Forks, and poor Charlie was none the wiser about her shifting, nor her newfound desire to rob a blood bank.

I'm not letting this setback stop me from finishing school.

When she had first started shifting she had been taken out of public school, forced to homeschool with the rest of the younger shifters in her pack. All the adults were too worried about their temper, for good reason.

And, it was definitely a gamble to re-enroll in a public school, but Bella's temper had been noticeably less volatile after her pack link was severed.

A sharp sting ran down her spine and she straightened slightly, muscle memory caused her to arch away from the pain and she felt her jaw tighten.

Bastard.

The pain went away and she relaxed in her seat, grateful at least for the minor distraction it provided her from the burn in her throat.

When will this go away?

Her thirst wasn't overwhelming, but it was bothersome enough to be noticeable. She swallowed another mouth full of venom, staring out the window again.

Before she was anyone or anything else, she was a shifter first.

Feeding on people, the very thought of it was enough to make her skin prickle in irritation. It was against everything she and her wolf stood for.

It was against her nature.

Being part bloodsucker is against my nature.

She would waste no more time on her self-loathing. She had had plenty of time to pity herself when she was turned, spending weeks in the Arizona mountains in order to avoid her pack.

They didn't know what she was.

They couldn't know what she was.

She avoided her pack.

She avoided the sun.

And she had tried to avoid her mother when she deemed herself fit to be around people.

Bella continued to hold her breath, moving her shoulders up and down, trying to look as though she were still breathing, but fuck was that difficult.

She didn't know much about bloodsuckers, just that they ate people, smelled dreadfully sweet, and were practically made of stone.

In Arizona, they had only ever come out at night or on cloudy days, leading her to assume that they couldn't be out in the sun. Tearing them apart and burning the pieces was the only way to truly kill them, so, in her mind, it only made sense that the bloodsuckers avoided the sun, just as they avoided fire.

They didn't blow up in the sun, that much she knew. But they still avoided the daylight altogether.

Maybe it hurts their eyes?

But when she had camped out in caves, avoiding the rays of sunlight, looking out of the openings hadn't bothered her vision whatsoever.

Bella didn't know much about bloodsuckers.

She was supposed to be there to teach me-

Her armrest creaked and she quickly placed her hands back in her lap, just barely stopping herself from ripping it off the seat.

Shit. Get it together. You want her dead.

Her resolve was shaky at best, especially when the dull ache of longing returned.

Fuck her and fuck this.

She wasn't weak. She had survived the venom, something no other wolf had been able to do. That had been the hard part. If she had to put up with some strange, residual desire to be reunited with her attacker, then so be it.

When will this go away?

Bella didn't know much about bloodsuckers.

She didn't know why her chest ached for the parasite that attacked her. And since there was nothing she could do about it, she didn't care to know what the feeling was.

She did know that bloodsuckers were monsters to be hunted down and killed.

"She's dead! Oh god! She's dead!"

Her eyes burned and she shoved the memory from her mind. Bloodsuckers were monsters but...she also knew they weren't all exactly alike.

"I saved her! Look! See for yourself!"

Some were more clever than others.

"Oh…thank you. I didn't want us to fight, especially since we share a common goal."

Her thoughts drifted to the brown haired, red eyed vampire.

What was her name?

Her brow furrowed.

She stuck out her hand to me.

She remembered it vividly.

The bloodsucker had smiled at her, lips stained red and eyes filled with something akin to appreciation.

Warmth.

Relief.

Relief that Bella hadn't attacked her.

And she remembers standing over her, refusing to change into her human form as her wolf snapped her teeth at the outstretched hand.

I let her live.

She wasn't sure why.

Then she tried to shake my hand. As though I was gullible enough to let my guard down.

Bella knew bloodsuckers couldn't be trusted. She hadn't been gullible enough to let her guard down and yet…

I was gullible enough to let her live.

Her frown deepened.

I shouldn't have, but I did.

She remembers how crestfallen the bloodsucker had looked when she had spurned her, alleged, show of goodwill.

It was strange.

I used to think bloodsuckers didn't have feelings. But now…I'm not so sure.

In reality, she should have known better. Especially when Bree-

Bella clenched her jaw, sinking further into her seat when she noticed that she was no longer fake breathing.

"You know what they are! What they took from us!"

Everything.

She didn't know what possessed her to extend mercy to that animal. But she had, and she had suffered the consequences for her insubordination.

I'll never let another parasite trick me.

She focused on moving her shoulders up and down, keeping the pace steady as she eyed the moving chest of another passenger.

Never again.

Bella was able to ignore blood that pumped against his pulse, focusing only on the timing of his breaths and mimicking his movements until she had it memorized.

That bloodsucker doesn't matter.

She looked down at her hands, keeping them folded in her lap.

"Little wolf."

The ache in her chest grew larger and it made her jaw clench.

Neither does that one.

Bella pushed the bloodsuckers from her mind, continuing to concentrate on the steady and subtle rise and fall of her shoulders.

It mitigated the ache in her chest and gave her something more important to focus on.

Those bloodsuckers aren't worth my time.

She looked out the window again, adjusting her tinted sunglasses. With her sharper eyesight the tint did nothing to cover the brightness of the world around her. However, the tint did shield the human eye from her now strange colored one, so the sunglasses were still good for something.

I'm free now. Bloodsuckers aren't worth my time.

She swallowed the venom that pooled in her cheeks, grateful the plane was touching down.

None of them are.

She waited patiently for everyone to file out before she stood, awkwardly asking a flight attendant for assistance with the overhead carriage.

"Excuse me, I'm sorry to bother you. Would you mind helping me with my luggage? I hurt my wrist and forgot my brace." Her voice was rough from a lack of use. It was the first time in weeks she had formulated more than one sentence.

The man looked a little dazed by the sight of her but was quick to do as she asked. She gave him a grateful smile before carefully grabbing her suitcase and exiting the plane.

The weeks spent in the wilderness had helped with testing her strength, picking up stones and crushing them on accident with the sheer strength she was unaccustomed to. But she had kept practicing with stones until she finally managed not to dissolve them into dust.

She hadn't quite mastered the most delicate of twigs yet. But she had managed to pick up a few without snapping them, so that was something.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket but she couldn't be bothered. The only people that were able to contact her were her parents.

Her old pack was blocked, and soon her mother would be too.

It's for the best.

A clean slate, that's what she needed. That's what her best friend had done, leaving without a trace and without any warning.

She swallowed the bitterness as her phone vibrated again.

It had been a miracle that she was able to handle the device without crushing it. Even with all her practice, she still found that she struggled at times with the most mundane things. Texting being one of them.

Bella knew the message was from her mother, demanding to know where she'd gone.

If I leave, who will clean your house? Who will take care of you?

She almost laughed at that, gleeful at the thought of blocking the woman.

Not my problem.

She couldn't have left at a better time, especially since Renee found her imprint.

Not like she'll need me anymore anyway.

Bella walked through the airport, still holding her breath she turned her music up in a failed attempt to drown out the loud voices. Her volume was already the highest it could go, much to her annoyance.

Another curse, super hearing in her human form.

Human form? Not anymore.

The combined footsteps of those in the airport sounded like a stampede. And the way cheap, gritty plastic wheels squeaked against the floor was almost enough to give her a headache.

But she didn't get those anymore. Or, perhaps she didn't get them as easily as she once did.

Bella stepped outside, relieved to see the clouds covering up the setting sun.

I know bloodsuckers don't burn, but I've only seen them at night. Maybe the sun weakens them.

That's why she had worn her long sleeve shirt, sweat pants, and a baseball cap. She wore gloves, and sunglasses and even appeared at the Phoenix airport under the shade of an umbrella.

She wasn't going to take any chances in the Arizona sun. But with the dreary Washington sun, she felt more comfortable.

She had gotten the occasional wide-eyed glance, but who had time to gawk at a stranger when there was a plane to catch?

Forks Washington was densely forested and she planned on exploring the dangers of sunlight in solitude; in an area she could quickly duck beneath the shade of the tall trees if things went to shit.

"Bells!" She perked up at the sight of her father, smiling broadly as he waved his hands to get her attention. He had parked by the curb.

Jesus, he brought his cruiser?

She chuckled, carefully pulling out her headphones, a mistake on her part.

The cacophony of voices and noises slammed into her and caused her to stop abruptly, blinking rapidly as she tried to calm herself.

It took her a moment to adjust to the sounds and collect herself, and when she did she was able to smile again.

Her focus was solely on her father, and the noises began to fade into the background. "Hey, dad."

She made sure to give a slight wave, stopping just an arms-length away. She didn't think she'd crush his bones if she touched him.

But better safe than sorry-

He awkwardly embraced her, and she felt herself stiffen in discomfort.

Cold arms. Bones snapping. Can't-

Luckily the hug was quick, and when he pulled away Bella nearly gasped for air as the panic slowly began to subside.

What the fuck was that?

All she could see was her and all she could feel was the slow suffocation-

"Ah, geez, I'm sorry Bells I didn't mean to make it weird." Her dad grimaced, scratching the back of his neck. "I know it's been a while, I was just excited and-"

That fucking bitch. What did she do to me?

"Dad, it's cool." She didn't expect to react the way she did to his embrace, but she would have been hesitant to initiate any form of physical contact anyway. "I'm just...not a hugger."

"Oh! Well, uh, must get that from me." He wouldn't look her in the eye, not that he could see them anyway due to her sunglasses, but she felt like a massive asshole.

It had been years since she had last seen him.

She shifted awkwardly before clearing her throat. "But, uh, if anyone was going to give me a hug, I'm glad it was you."

Nice save, jackass.

But it did the trick, and her father chuckled. "Glad I can be the exception."

Her memory was a bit foggy.

Her father felt like a stranger, but at the same time, he didn't. She didn't know how to feel, but she was touched that he was excited to see her.

His dark eyes finally stopped darting around, and when he looked at her he stared at her owlishly. "Sorry, you're just...wow. You're beautiful, Bells." He blinked, stuttering as he corrected himself. "N-Not that you haven't always been beautiful! You've just...you've really grown up."

Ever since she had been bit, the few humans she had interacted with almost always faltered when they first saw her.

It was strange and sometimes uncomfortable, but more often than not it was amusing. Becoming more beautiful was fine, great, even, but all the attention that came with it wasn't exactly welcome.

However, she was endeared by her father, and she couldn't help but laugh at his clumsiness. "I must get it from you."

She wished she could say her father hadn't changed over the years.

His bushy brown mustache remained intact and his messy hair still gave him a disheveled appearance.

But her eyesight was sharper, everything was clearer, and she could see the frown lines and the slight gauntness in his face and the darkening circles beneath his eyes.

Goddamit, Charlie, do you take care of yourself?

Bella was beginning to wonder if coming here was a mistake.

Would she have to baby Charlie just as she did Renee? Did she escape Arizona to come to a place that was more of the same?

Or maybe this new eyesight only revealed what she hadn't been able to see before.

He is the police chief, I bet he spends a lot of late nights at the precinct.

Charlie chuckled. "Oh yeah, I'm quite the looker." His joke was awkward and flat but Bella appreciated it nonetheless. "That's a lot of clothes you got on, you must burn like your old man."

"Phoenix is a hot and unforgiving place." She agreed, evoking an amused huff from him.

"You'll appreciate Forks, then." He said, before looking her up and down. "You've really, uh, gotten tall." She was a few inches taller than he was. "Must be eating well." His eyes bulged and she could hear his heartbeat quicken. "Erm, don't take that in a rude way! You look like you've been working out, I just meant-"

She laughed, feeling more at ease by her father's fumbling attempts to connect with her. "You're fine, let's just go home."

His heartbeat slowed and he relaxed his stiff posture, giving her a small smile. "Alright," he glanced at her suitcase. "That's all you brought?"

I'd like to see you pack more thoughtfully when there are wolves at your door.

"Yep, now let's roll, chief, I'm starving." He smiled, taking her suitcase and opening the passenger side door for her.

Thank fuck.

Bella thinks she could open the door with no problem, she had pulled out her earbuds earlier and they didn't break. But she found that she was more prone to breaking things when under more stress.

And the mere thought of accidentally ripping off the door handle, or the car door, was very stressful.

Charlie put her stuff in the trunk and they were off.

The ride consisted of awkward conversations and painfully long stretches of silence, but Bella loved every second of it.

Renee had so often ignored her or spoke about nonsensical things, never inquiring about Bella's life and only talking about her own.

It was nice that Charlie asked so many questions.

They weren't deep or meaningful.

On the contrary, they were very basic, surface-level questions.

The kind of questions Bella would expect to hear in one of those stupid ice-breaker questions that she and the other shifters had to do when they first started homeschooling together.

Favorite color. Favorite food. Favorite subject in school.

She asked the same of him.

His answers were simple.

He didn't bother providing any insight or context.

"Orange. Steak. English."

That answer had surprised her, as had the answer he gave her when she asked why he liked English.

"Writing's a lot easier than talking." He mumbled, "Well, for me it is."

It was fun, in a way.

It felt like they were old friends that were re-learning one another.

Bella's only gripe about Charlie was how slow he drove; as if they were taking a Sunday stroll.

He's only going sixty.

Not only was he going slow, but the world around them was moving just as slowly. She couldn't even stare out the window without getting annoyed.

When the sun was swallowed by the stars Bella took her cap and glasses off.

They pulled into Charlie's favorite diner and Charlie, ever the gentleman, never let her open her own door.

Upon entering the diner he looked at her in surprise. "Whoa, Bells, what happened to your eye?"

That bloodsucking bitch bit me.

"No clue. I just woke up and poof, one brown eye and one gold eye." It had been red when she had first awoken from her pain-induced coma. After a few days spent in the woods, oddly enough her eye had turned gold, and for that, she was beyond grateful.

She wondered if full-fledged vampires could live off a diet like that. She had never seen any of them hunt animals.

They're monsters. Why would they ever consider sparing humans?

"It looks good on you."

She still refused to breathe, for the sake of her father and the diner's patrons.

They sat at their booth with little fanfare, and she smiled politely at those that greeted them and entertained their questions.

"Excited for school?"

"Do you remember me?"

"You gonna keep your old man in line?"

"Do you have his appetite?"

"Are you wearing a colored contact?"

It was a bit uncomfortable, and the burn in the back of her throat worried her, but she entertained them nonetheless.

"Yes. No. Yes. Yes. No."

She ordered two cheeseburgers and Charlie ordered his usual steak and fries.

Bella looked at her father, ignoring the grumbling of her stomach.

Thank god I can still eat food.

That would have been the true tragedy of it all.

A life without waffles and burgers.

"How've you been? What have you been up to?"

He seemed surprised by the question, eyebrows raising as he straightened in his seat. "Oh, um, good! Doing real good." He paused, blood rushing to his cheeks, and Bella felt her jaw tighten as she continued to hold her breath. "I still fish with Harry Clearwater, you remember him? His kids are around your age, well, Leah is, Seth is fifteen, but I think you'd get along well with them."

"Dad, I asked about you, not the Clearwater's." She couldn't keep the amusement out of her voice, but it died when she noticed even more blood rush to his face.

The burn roared in the back of her throat and for a moment she thought she was going to cry.

Charlie scratched the back of his neck. "Right, well, not much is going on with me. It's a small town, not much to do, but that's fine by me. I like a quiet town." He seemed almost embarrassed with his answer.

Bella shrugged, slumping in her seat when she realized just how stiffly she'd been sitting. "Phoenix had too much going on. Everything was too...loud. Forks will be a good change of pace."

His blush disappeared and the burn became more tolerable.

"I'm glad you called." The warmth in his voice, the words that went unspoken, the soft look he gave her made her eyes widen in surprise.

Renee would sometimes say things like that. She seemed genuine, too.

Her mother wasn't a monster, and she wasn't a terrible person.

She just wasn't a mother.

Over the past couple of years there hadn't been much warmth within her pack.

There had been hidden moments, pockets of hope within the shifters when they weren't around their Alpha. Or moments when their Alpha remembered who he was before he became jaded and vengeful.

Like her mother, she knew James cared, he just didn't show it like he used to.

Bella loved him for the man he used to be. Her Alpha, her mentor, her close friend and confidant, a father to the fatherless, and so dependable and fearless that his personality alone had inspired loyalty.

She knew it wasn't easy to break a pack link, she had gotten lucky, but she also knew many of her packmates stayed because they believed their Alpha would get better.

They hadn't become disillusioned like some of the others.

They hadn't become disillusioned like she had.

Bella stared at her father, unsure what to make of his honesty, so she said, "I'm glad too."

She hadn't been to Forks since she was ten, having shifted soon after returning from Washington.

Her and Charlie's visitations had turned into phone calls and Facetimes. She was no longer able to fly out to him, so he flew to her instead with monitored visitations from her mother.

But the visits stopped when she turned fifteen, reverting back to only phone calls and Facetimes.

It's been three years since she had seen him in person, all because Charlie and Renee had gotten into a bad argument.

"I only invited her to stay for the summer!"

"You shouldn't have invited her at all!"

"She has another home, Renee! How could you be so upset that I want to spend more time with our daughter!"

"My daughter! She's mine-"

"Because you never gave me the chance!"

It had been ugly.

But even then she had known why she couldn't spend those months with Charlie. She had a duty to her pack.

But now…

She didn't know what to think.

Unbidden thoughts of Joseph made her jaw tighten, but she forced herself to relax.

"Being here will be good for me." She hoped she was right.

Charlie smiled at her and they sat in comfortable silence until their food was served.

Only when the burgers and fries were put in front of her did she inhale.

It had been an accident and she nearly panicked when the differing smells wafted over her.

The smell of freshly cooked burgers helped mute the scents of the other patrons, much to her relief. Her burgers were rare, and she didn't bother with condiments as she wolfed them down.

The taste of blood was enough to help soothe the burn in her throat, if only a little.

It was nice to breathe again. Nice to be reaffirmed that, despite being half parasite, she didn't want to slaughter and drain everyone in the diner.

Charlie looked at her in surprise as she devoured her fries just as quickly. He was only halfway through his steak, and she drank her water in two large gulps.

Not full but satisfied, she contemplated asking for more but thought better of it.

Charlie looks like he's about to have a heart attack.

She licked her lips, meeting his gaze with a bemused look. "Dad, it's rude to stare. You might make me self-conscious."

He blinked, slowly looking down at his food before looking back up at her. "You eat like a bear." It was her turn to be surprised as he began to laugh. "A very sophisticated and ladylike bear, of course."

She pointed at his steak. "Careful, old man, or this bear is coming for your steak next."

"Don't make me get my rifle."

The bantering came naturally, and Bella found that she was enjoying herself.

"That a threat, Swan? I'll call the police."

He stared at her, eyes narrowed as he slowly reached into his pocket.

He pulled out his wallet and opened it to her. "I am the police." Bella's eyes widened as she stared at his badge, and a peel of laughter escaped her.

It had been a long time since she had been able to feel this carefree. She used to be a lot more fun before her pack fell apart.

Before Rasheera…

She doesn't let herself go there, instead, focusing on the surprising levity she felt in that moment.

The guilt would come later. The regret would come later. The self-loathing would come later.

But for now, she embraced the warmth in her chest and the relief in her heart.

Her father grinned at her, the largest smile she'd seen since he had picked her up, and it made her happy.

---

The house smelled like Charlie.

A hint of pine, leather, and men's deodorant.

Overall, she was just glad her father didn't smell appetizing.

She had run away to Forks on a whim, thoughtlessly endangering her father, and it was sheer luck that his blood didn't call to her.

Her room remained the same, a sight that made her smile fondly and then wrinkle her nose in disgust. The walls were the color of dull lavender, her bedspread was hot pink, and her rug was a bright turquoise.

The decorations of a ten year old paired with the nostalgia of an absent father.

It wasn't his fault. It wasn't her mother's, either.

It's just how things were.

Bella didn't sleep long, maybe two hours tops, and she spent the rest of the night listening to music while attempting to gently pick random objects up.

Can bloodsuckers sleep? Do they sleep during the day?

It was difficult, she broke a few things out of frustration, but nothing of value.

At five in the morning, she went downstairs to cook.

She had crushed three eggs in an attempt to carefully pick them up, and she nearly blew a fuse until she picked up the fourth one without issue.

Does every bloodsucker struggle with this shit?

Her thoughts drifted to the redhead.

"Little wolf."

For a moment the scar on her wrist burned, and she was filled with that same longing she had felt when she had woken up alone.

This is stupid.

James would hate her, another reason she had to escape Arizona.

"They're parasites. They have no morals. You know this!"

Bella stared blankly at the sizzling bacon.

"I know this."

She wouldn't be like the other parasites. Not when she still had the blood of shifters running through her veins. She would use her newfound abilities for good.

But doubt ravaged her mind as flames licked at her throat.

Even when she was free of her toxic pack she was still imprisoned by her own guilt. Imprisoned by what she had become, and the shame that came with abandoning her fractured family.

"He's different now…soon it'll be time to leave. And when you do, run. Run and don't look back."

Bella turned the stove off.

Easier said than done.

She made Charlie's breakfast before making her own, limiting herself to only six eggs and three strips of bacon, which did nothing to sate her appetite.

The sun hadn't yet come out and she decided to risk going outside. She slipped into the woods behind her house, maintaining a light jog until she was out of view from the house.

"Okay, bloodsuckers can run fast." She grumbled to herself, releasing a breath as she rocketed forward. The forest whizzed by and a startled laugh escaped her.

Her old human form could run fast, but never this fast.

I wonder if I could beat a bloodsucker in a race.

Bella came to a stop, breathing heavily, exhilarated, and smiling broadly.

The sun was beginning to rise and she waited, standing partially beneath a thick pine tree, body rigid as light filtered through the branches. She allowed the rays of the morning sun to hit her skin and…

"Nothing?" Her skin seemed brighter like there was a faint glow to it, but it was nothing out of the ordinary. "Hmph, I don't even sizzle." She sighed, placing her hands on her hips and contemplating what else to try.

"Bloodsuckers can jump high too...so if I just..." She jumped as high as she could. "Shit!" She was practically flying, her head peeking up over the trees, earning her a face full of sun. On her way down everything looked as though it were in slow motion.

It felt magical in a way, feeling so weightless and free.

"Holy shit," she breathed, feet lightly touching the ground. "Holy shit." She repeated, unable to stop the smile from spreading across her lips.

She wondered what else she could do.

She wondered if all bloodsuckers were this amazed by their abilities when they first turned.

She wondered why, despite being an abomination, she didn't quite feel like a monster.

The burn in her throat came back with a vengeance, and a quiet hiss escaped her as she swallowed her venom.

Damn.

When Bella lived in the caves she discovered she could go two days without needing to feed. The third day had been difficult to manage, and she didn't want to push her luck by seeing how long she could go without blood.

The hybrid would have never forgiven herself if she had forced herself into a frenzy and attacked some harmless mountain climbers.

I'm better than that. Better than other bloodsuckers.

The knowledge of this made her feel better, and she smiled again.

Bella was eager to run through a seemingly endless forest. The shift no longer caused pain, it was seamless, as easy as breathing.

She burst from her skin, and the first thing she noticed was how red her fur had become. It was a dark red like her right eye had been before it changed to gold. Her fur used to be a more russet color, but that was no longer the case.

Red.

Her teeth bared at the thought of the redhead, anger and fear mixing with that familiar longing that caused her heart to ache.

She ruins everything.

Shaking her massive head Bella bounded forward into the woods, running faster than she ever had.

The world was no longer a blur, her vision was sharper, clearer, and it was beyond thrilling.

She expected to hear the voices of her pack, despite having gone without them for weeks.

James would tell them to stay vigilant. Diego would make a stupid joke that would make everyone groan. Terra would give everyone a pep talk before showing them, against their will, some of the motivational videos she had been watching.

Lesa would complain about it being another boring day because parasites were more wary of their pack now. Chanel would challenge everyone to an arbitrary contest in order to keep herself, and Lesa, entertained. The other wolves would complain or shit talk or snap at each other to stay on the lookout.

Bella listened.

Bella heard nothing.

Her mind had never been so empty and she thinks she should have been used to the silence by now but she wasn't.

A blessing and a curse.

Bella's heart thundered in her chest, another gift, the ability to maintain her beating heart. It was slower now but it was still there.

If anything she was now the perfect hunter, and if what Renee said was true, she no longer smelled like a wolf.

Bloodsuckers wouldn't know what hit them.

But did she want to continue hunting them?

She leaped over a fallen tree, digging her claws deep into the earth and running faster.

I should. It's what I was born to do, and I'm stronger now.

She was eighteen now, eighteen forever. She had nothing but time to train.

Nothing but time to kill.

She could smell the elk before she saw it. He had been wounded, and she could smell the blood coming from his neck.

The world around her slowed, and her eyes widened as she launched herself forward.

Blood.

It was all she could think about.

It was all she wanted.

It smelled amazing, and she couldn't wait to sink her sharp teeth into his tender flesh.

When she was bitten she had been left to die in the forest, and when she awoke she had the most painful burn in her throat.

And she was gone. She left me and I was alone and I needed her–

Bella snarled, anger driving her to run even faster as she tore through the forest.

The longing she felt had returned, but she didn't know why.

Once again, she pushed the thoughts away. It didn't make the ache in her chest subside.

But she ignored it.

Again.

Choosing instead to be angry, because that was a more justified emotion than whatever strange longing she felt.

I woke up alone. I woke up as this fucked up parasite wolf and I didn't know what to do. I still don't.

Her wolf had gone wild, hunting excessively, drinking the blood from the corpses, and then eating the carcasses.

At first, she had been disgusted, but it made the burn subside, and humans didn't smell as good after a long hunt.

Because, no matter what fucked up feelings she felt for the bloodsucker, she wouldn't kill humans.

It was against her very nature.

Being a parasite is against my very nature.

The massive wolf snarled again, letting her anger consume her as her claws dug into the forest floor.

She came across the elk.

He bleated when he saw her and began running, but he was so slow in comparison that, had she not been so enraged, she would have felt sorry for him. She raced towards him, snarling as she pounced, teeth sinking into the back of his neck and claws digging into his shoulders.

He bleated again when she brought them to the ground, teeth latching onto his neck and blood flowing into her mouth. His cries quickly quieted, the burn in her throat vanished, and she ate until she was full.

---

Bella's affliction was beneficial in another way, which was sneaking home without being spotted by one of the neighbors. She was covered in animal blood, her hands were drenched, her cheeks and lips stained, and more than a few splatters of crimson had already set into her clothes.

Sneaking back home was a must.

She could thank the bloodsucker speed for that one. Running home as a wolf wasn't an option, she was much too large, and the last thing she needed was for humans to catch a glimpse of her.

If she didn't have venom coursing through her veins, she thinks she would have been deemed the town cannibal by Ms. Claudia from across the street, who was already awake and tending to her garden.

It would have been a scandal, and Bella hadn't even been in Forks for a full twenty-four hours.

If I didn't have venom in my veins, I wouldn't be in this predicament in the first place.

She didn't dwell on it. She couldn't. Not now, when she was actually having some fun.

The world moved in slow motion, and the shifter could only laugh as she plucked a flower from Ms. Claudia's garden before escaping into her bedroom.

"...oh…those damn kids. Plucking my flowers!"

Bella laughed again, and by the time she was in her room it was seven.

In true Forks fashion, the clouds had covered the sun.

With a steady hand, and a cautious one, she managed not to break the shower when she turned the water on. She had even managed to scrub and throw her bloody clothes into the washer without incident before darting back into her room.

It was almost enough to boost her morale.

Almost.

I'm getting better at controlling my strength.

But it didn't erase the fact that she was an abomination.

Running around the forest at such a speed had been fun.

Jumping into the clouds had been fun.

Stealing one of Ms. Claudia's petunias had been fun.

But what I am is wrong. The venom should have killed me.

And maybe she wished that it had, if only to forgo the strange desire she had to be reunited with the bloodsucker that bit her.

The feeling was difficult to explain.

It was born based on necessity. Survival. The desire to be cared for and...

Taught?

She didn't know. But what she did know was that those thoughts unsettled her. They made her stomach churn.

How could she possibly stand to be around someone like her? Someone that had hurt her, and terrorized humans just for the hell of it? How could she feel such a need to be around this bloodsucker, yet feel such fear and hatred for her at the same time?

Let it go. She's gone. She can't find you here.

Bella took a long shower, turning the water as hot as it could go, as if it could cleanse her of her conflicting thoughts.

All it did was warm her skin and make her mind wander, so perhaps it was a good thing.

Do bloodsuckers shower? They have to, right?

Fire killed them. But she wondered if they had an aversion to all things hot.

No. Because they wouldn't have been in Arizona, right?

But she had never seen them in direct sunlight. It made her wonder if she could withstand the sun because she was only half a bloodsucker.

But surely it would have still hurt me a little.

This...affliction that she was dealing with really emphasized the fact that she knew next to nothing about parasites.

It made her wish she could find that brunette again. Maybe she could answer all her questions.

No. She had gotten me in enough trouble.

That was a mistake she didn't plan on making again.

Can't trust a bloodsucker.

Bella didn't have many clothes, her departure from Phoenix had been rushed, but at least she had the comfort of her favorite blue jeans and a black tank top.

She checked herself in the mirror once more.

I look fucking pale enough to be a bloodsucker.

But she could admit that whatever was in their venom made her face look better than any skincare technique she could use.

She looked regal, beautiful in a way she could never attain when she was just a wolf. On her face, all the blemishes were gone, save for the deep scar that ran over the corner of her mouth.

Another gift from the redhead.

Along with the dark red undertones that mixed with her brown hair. It was hardly noticeable, but it was enough to make her scowl.

Bitch.

She huffed, brushing her teeth furiously, ridding them of the blood stains before slipping out of her room.

Bella could hear Charlie digging into his eggs and she grinned, jumping from the top of the stairs and landing at the bottom with a loud thud.

"Jesus, Bells!"

She laughed, gliding into the kitchen with an easy smile, "Just keeping you on your toes, chief!"

"Just giving me a heart attack," he grumbled, sipping from his coffee mug. "Thanks for the food. How early were you up? These were cold by the time I came into the kitchen."

"Five. But I slept like a rock last night so that's probably why."

I drank, I don't know how much elk blood, and I feel amazing.

She felt energized, as though she had two pots of coffee, and she wondered if all bloodsuckers felt the same after they fed.

If animal blood does this, imagine what human blood could do.

She didn't entertain the thought, or at least, she tried not to. The fact that that had even come to mind made her stomach churn with unease.

Get it together. You've been fighting these urges since you've been turned.

Bella knew she couldn't beat herself down for every stray thought she had. She could only monitor them and take care not to act on them.

She couldn't dwell on this long, not when Charlie was smiling at her as though she could do no wrong.

"Well, at least one of us is a morning person." The sound of a car coming into the driveway made her frown.

She looked at the door, nose wrinkling at the smell of wet dog.

More shifters?

For a moment she panicked, and she wondered if it was her Alpha. He had always been an exceptional tracker, having the best sense of smell in the pack.

But he didn't find me in the mountains. There's no way he could find me here-

The hysteria was short-lived, their scents were different. This shifter was still an Alpha, but one who had yet to shift.

The smell intensified and her jaw tightened as she fought back a hiss.

Have we always smelled that bad?

It wasn't as bad as vampires, but it was strong and took some getting used to.

Charlie jumped to his feet when knuckles rapped against the door.

"I have a surprise for you!" He enthused, grabbing her hand.

She allowed him to drag her to the door, throwing it open and heartily greeting Billy and Jacob Black. She didn't remember them well, just bits and pieces, but she greeted them warmly just the same.

Billy grasped her hands, smiling widely at her. "Bella, it's so great to see you."

Deep, brown eyes searched hers. Looking for something, perhaps confirmation about what she was, but she didn't give him the satisfaction.

She smiled blithely at him. "You too, Billy." His long black hair was pulled into a low ponytail, and a black cowboy hat rested atop his head.

He looked like a force to be reckoned with, a smugness in his smile and a glint in his eye as his strong rough hands gave hers a gentle squeeze.

"You've gotten tall. Didn't get that from your short father, that's for sure." He gave her a wink as he released her hands, and they both chuckled quietly at Charlie's reaction.

A laugh of disbelief escaped her father. "Easy, Black, I'd hate to have to teach you a lesson in front of your son." Charlie put his fists up, smiling as Billy did the same.

"I could kick your butt even in my wheelchair, Swan."

She wondered if Billy knew what she was, or if he only suspected it. But, again, she wouldn't let herself dwell on it.

This was a clean slate for her.

Bella rolled her eyes fondly as the two play fought before she turned her attention to Jake.

He had grown like a weed, and he stood a few inches taller than her. His long black hair went to the middle of his back and his skin was light brown.

His smile was radiant and endearing, almost infectious. "Bella, I'm glad you're back!" Jake was a sweet kid but a ticking time bomb.

His smell was so strong that she had to stop herself from recoiling when he stepped closer to her. However, the moment his arm touched hers she withdrew quickly. The last thing she needed was a hug.

His skin was hot, feverish, even, and it made her grimace.

He could turn any day now.

Jake stepped back, looking embarrassed as he instead held up his hand.

"Sorry, I should have asked first." He wiggled his hand. "High fives instead?"

Grateful and relieved that he was so understanding, she slapped her palm against his. "Thanks."

Jake was nice.

She didn't remember him all that well, but she held a glimmer of hope that he would make a far superior Alpha than her past one.

Even so, if there was one thing she was certain of, it was that she had no interest in associating with his pack.

She had just escaped her other pack, and the last thing she needed was another Alpha telling her what to do, no matter how kind Jake could be.

The shifter's embarrassment subsided and he gave her another sunny smile. "I told Quil and Embry that you were back. They'll be excited to see you." He enthused. "We're all finally back together."

Fuck.

She remembered them as well as she remembered Jake, which was hardly at all. And while his excitement was endearing, she couldn't help but grimace at the thought of seeing them again.

Are they shifters too? What am I getting myself into?

Billy was watching her closely while Charlie planned their next fishing trip, and while he was subtle about it, Bella could practically feel his dark eyes examining her.

She forced a smile. "Sounds awesome."

If they are shifters, I'll just stay away.

But luck had never been on her side.

---

The surprise was a red rusted truck.

It was old, that much she could tell. She had never been good with cars, but she was grateful to have any form of transportation.

After Jake and Billy departed, and after she reluctantly gave Jake her phone number, she drove to school as fast as her old truck would allow.

Seventy was pushing it, the truck made odd noises, it was loud and chaotic and she loved it.

When she pulled into the parking lot she felt her heart flutter nervously in her chest.

It had been a long time since she had met anyone around her age that wasn't a shifter.

Her closest friend had left the pack when they were sixteen. He hadn't even taken his phone with him. He hadn't even said goodbye. She hadn't even been able to say goodbye to Dakota.

That's the past. This is a fresh start for me.

The reminder lifted her spirits.

Bella no longer had to be the hardened Beta that kept her pack in line. She no longer had to worry about angering her touchy Alpha or, for the time being, hunting down murderous vampires.

There was no responsibility in Forks. Only the freedom to be herself.

No one knew her. There were no expectations hindering her from being whoever she wanted to be.

Whoever I used to be.

Before the pack fell apart she had been a happy, easy-going person. There would be a lot of unlearning to do now that she had escaped her Alpha. It would probably take her a little while to learn herself again, but she was more than willing to re-discover who she was before everything went to shit.

Despite her nerves, she was excited at the prospect of making new friends. She was excited by being granted the chance to start a new life.

A better one.

Bella forced herself to walk at a normal pace, alternating between smiling at every potential friend she saw and following her schedule to her first class. Many of the student body only stared at her with wide eyes, and she knew it would take time to connect with the humans.

It was in instances like this that she found herself missing the pack link. It made things so much easier.

Harder too.

Her mind was empty, a blessing and a curse. She was free, but with that freedom came a loneliness that she had been fighting at every turn.

She had grown up with her pack, and not hearing their voices everytime she shifted was difficult. Despite all their issues, despite all her own issues, they had been her family, and she still loved them.

But that wasn't something she could dwell on now.

I don't have to be lonely anymore. I can make new friends here.

Much to her relief, the smells of the blood-filled population didn't cause her throat to feel more than a dull burn, but she encountered another overwhelming scent that made her freeze.

Bloodsuckers.

She ripped out her headphones, listening closely for any signs of an attack.

The sickly sweet smell was just as bothersome as the scent of the shifters, another curse she could blame the redhead for.

She heard nothing that would indicate the slaughter of the student populace, but there were so many scents that it made her head swim and her body shudder.

Bloodsuckers and shifters, of fucking course.

"Hey! You're Isabella, right? Chief Swan's daughter?" She blinked, looking down at a short black-haired boy that held a camera.

He came up to her chest, and she was surprised he didn't break his neck looking up at her, seeing as he was far too close for comfort.

She took a step back. "Just Bella is fine." She hadn't meant to sound so prickly, but the bloodsuckers filled her with unease.

There was more than one, and she couldn't exactly shift to handle it at the moment. But she also didn't want to wait until they attacked.

Relax. Nothing's happened. Maybe a human was around one.

But she knew that was far from the truth.

The boy awkwardly cleared his throat, garnering her attention. He stared at her for a moment as though starstruck before he composed himself.

"Well, just Bella, I'm Eric. I was hoping to get your picture for the school paper-"

"No!"

Can bloodsuckers show up in photographs? I can see my reflection but is it the same for photos?

She hated that she hadn't thought of that before. Because, if she had, she would have taken plenty of selfies to ensure this wouldn't be the issue it is now.

"I don't give you permission to take any photos of me. Nothing personal, I just hate cameras." She rushed out, trying to listen for the bloodsuckers but picking up nothing of interest.

They were definitely in the building, and a slight tremor ran down her spine as she looked around warily.

If they attacked what would I do? There's only one of me.

Flashes of red eyes and red hair nearly made her flinch, and her jaw tightened at the human screams that echoed in her mind.

"Think before you act. See your advantage before it's gone."

She forced herself to relax.

They haven't attacked. They don't know what I am. I have to wait.

Eric's eyebrows raised. "Oh, alright, sorry." He smiled sheepishly, "Can I at least walk you to your next class? Being the new kid sucks, so it couldn't hurt to have a friend."

A friend?

Bella looked at him in surprise, touched by his offer as she gave him a grateful smile. "Sure…thanks." He let his camera dangle from the strap and she handed him her schedule. "I need to get to calculus, bestie."

Eric huffed out a quiet laugh, leading her through the halls with a smile.

Her new friend chatted idly as they walked the halls, and while Bella appreciated his laid back behavior, she was still on alert for any bloodsuckers that were in the building.

She had picked up on four different scents, and while the venom made her stronger she doubted she could take on four of them.

Bella felt bad she hadn't been listening to her new friend, but it was for his sake and the rest of the student body that she stayed vigilant. She promised herself that she would get to know him better another time, as well as give him the attentive ear he deserved.

They came to a stop outside the calculus room. "Hey, since we're besties now, does that mean you're eating at my lunch table?"

She couldn't help but grin, "Yeah, thanks. And thanks for walking me, I'll see you at lunch." She decided she liked Eric, she didn't know him well but he seemed nice enough. Based on the lewd conversations she'd been hearing from some of her peers, she was really hoping Eric wasn't a weirdo.

Calculus rolled by slowly but she met a nice girl named Angela who, lucky her, was also friends with Eric.

Still no bloodsucker attack.

In English, she met Mike, a tall basketball player that smelled like men's deodorant. He had sandy blonde hair and bright blue eyes. They stood at his desk talking, though Bella felt like she was mostly listening while providing halfhearted responses.

Mike was earnest with his introduction, and he gave her the attentiveness she wished she had been able to give Eric. The attentiveness she wished she could fully return.

But her nerves were frayed and she struggled paying attention as she tried to listen for the bloodsuckers.

If they haven't attacked…

She forced herself to look more relaxed, slouching ever so slightly and trying to pay Mike more attention as glanced out into the bustling hallway.

Can't let my guard down. But I can't be weird, either.

Her hatred for bloodsuckers reared its head, and she shuddered in an attempt to cover up the tremble that rippled through her body.

A fresh start, and the bloodsuckers have already ruined it for me.

They were interfering with her ability to make new friends. With her ability to live the normal life that she desired. Bella was a protector of humanity, this wasn't something she could ignore.

She knew there would be a parasite threat the moment she realized Jake was a shifter. But she hadn't thought they would have infested the high school.

What the fuck are these shifters doing? No one's posted here. I couldn't smell any of them in town or in the woods near my house. Where are the patrols? Why aren't they scent marking their territory?

Their lack of action made the former Beta furious. James would have never allowed for something like this to happen.

He's a son of a bitch, but at least there was structure.

"You came a month late." Mike's voice pulled her from her thoughts before she could further spiral. "Couldn't stand Arizona for one more year?" His cheeks reddened and he cleared his throat. "Not that it's bad you're here. It's cool and you seem cool and Forks is pretty cool-"

A hand clapped his shoulder and a girl shot him an amused smile as she walked by. "Nice save, Newton. Real smooth."

His face fell but he huffed out a quiet laugh. "Thanks, Mo." He meant it, most likely because she stopped his rambling.

She had dark brown skin and long black braids that went down to her butt. She wore gold hooped earrings, matching her gold necklace, and her smile was so infectious and beautiful that Bella couldn't help but smile back. She would have blushed if she could.

Other students filed in behind her, walking to their seats as she did the same, taking the spot next to Mike's desk.

"Hi, I'm Bella." She extended her hand without thinking, but was relieved when the pretty girl humored her and gave her hand a shake.

"Monique. But you can call me Mo." She reached into her bag and pulled out a paper before focusing her attention on a typed essay.

Bella tore her gaze away from her and looked at Mike. "Forks is pretty cool." She told him, relieved that he no longer looked like a kicked puppy as he smiled again. "What's your favorite thing to do here?"

Bloodsuckers and their stench plagued her mind, but she was trying to function properly in spite of her discomfort.

"Have you ever surfed before?" She shook her head and his smile grew. "Sometimes my friends and I go surfing on the weekends at Ruby Beach. I've been trying to convince Mo to come with us forever but-"

Monique didn't even bother looking up from her essay as she scoffed at him. "Why? So I can get eaten by a shark? We have no business being in the ocean."

Mike rolled his eyes but his amused smile shined through. "Shark attacks are rare-"

"But not impossible. No thank you." She put her hand up, keeping her eyes fixated on her work. "Give me five minutes, then we can argue about it."

The basketball player laughed before giving Bella his undivided attention. "What about you, Arizona? Want to surf with us sometime, or are you scared of sharks too?" His tone was light, teasing, and Bella smiled.

"Yeah, that would be fun." They exchanged numbers and she laughed when Monique grumbled, 'your funeral' under her breath.

As their English teacher walked in, the hybrid did a quick glance around the room in order to find a spot. On Mike's left there was another student, and Monique sat at his right, but the desk next to her was empty.

Yes!

She happily sat next to the beautiful girl before pulling out one of her notebooks.

She thought about Charlie, and how his favorite subject was English, and with that in mind she vowed to take it seriously. Maybe that would help them connect better.

She thought about bloodsuckers and how frustrated she was that she couldn't act without anyone getting hurt.

Bella didn't hear a word of the lecture when the bell rang.

Dammit. Get it together. Fresh start. New friends. Worry about the parasites when they start acting out. Don't worry about them now. There's nothing you can do.

With a sigh she pushed her troubled thoughts from her mind before abruptly turning to Monique. "Want to be friends?" They gathered their things, standing with the rest of the students as Monique looked at her in surprise.

Shit.

Being half parasite may have made her less volatile, but it didn't stop her from blurting things out without thinking.

"You're forward."

Feeling insecure, Bella winced. "Uh, sorry-"

"You're good." Monique laughed, walking next to her as they left the classroom. "We can be friends…if you're cool, okay? Let's get to know each other first."

That wasn't a no, and usually building lasting friendships took time. "Yes! I'd like that!" Bella enthused, eyes widening when her new potential friend gave her a smile.

Bella nearly slammed into Mike, too caught up in Monique's smile, but she managed to stop just before she hit his back.

Monique laughed again. "See you later, future friend. Be careful swimming with the sharks." She then said to Mike, "Good luck, lover boy."

His eyes widened. "Mo, seriously-"

She reached out, taking his hands in hers before turning to Bella. "I call him lover boy 'cause he loves everything and everyone. A true golden retriever."

Mike blushed, looking away from her as Bella grinned, "I love a lot of things and people too." She loved to do a lot of things before the pack fell apart.

Monique's eyes glittered with mischief as she released his hands and took a step backward. "Yeah, you seem like the type. I can practically see your tail wagging." Bella was grateful she could no longer blush. "Might have to call Newton something else, then." She walked in the opposite direction of them as she called out. "Don't fall too hard, lover girl. See ya."

Bella stared after her, uttering out, "Uh, yeah! You too!"

Lover girl…

The hybrid thought of all the pain she had caused, all the pain that had been inflicted on her.

Am I a lover girl?

She was at one point. And she thinks she can be again.

"Ignore her, Mo just likes to tease everyone." Mike told her fondly. "I'm not a lover boy, I just blush a lot and it's super annoying." He confessed before asking, "Since we're friends, can I walk you to your next class?"

Bella smiled at him in appreciation, linking their arms together as they began walking down the hall. "Sure, thanks!" True to his word, he blushed, but Bella didn't comment on it.

Besides her new dislike for hugs Bella liked physical contact.

In the pack they had all wrestled and laid in each others laps

She was just happy to have another friend.

Still no bloodsucker attack.

When it was finally time for lunch her guard was still up, but she felt more confused than anything.

Relax. Wait.

She had a penchant for impatience, but that would do her no good now.

"Bella!"

Instead, she thought about how she was going to sit with her new friends, and this eased her mind.

If only a little.

Bella smiled at the sight of Eric waving her over and she joined him in line. "Hey," she greeted. "I met your friend, Angela."

He perked up at the mention of her. "Oh! Yeah, I forgot you two would have calculus together. She's super cool."

She nodded as they moved up in the line. "I like her."

Friendships were a tricky thing.

Bella and Eric didn't have shifting to draw them closer together. And, aside from hunting parasites and playing video games, Bella realized she didn't do much. She didn't have much to talk about.

She floundered for a moment, trying to find something else to say but nothing came to mind.

Hey, Eric, behead and burn any bloodsuckers lately?

She nearly facepalmed at her own hopelessness.

"She's also super smart. Almost as smart as me." Eric puffed out his chest, grabbing a lunch trey and handing it to Bella before taking one of his own.

Bella chuckled at that, relieved he was on the more chatty side. "Must be an honor to be almost as smart as you." She was testing the waters, gauging his reaction as he frowned at her.

"It is!" He insisted, a playfully smile forming on his lips as he moved down the lunchline. "You're sassy, Swan. With my asshole friends, that's a good quality to have."

She preened at her new friend's approval. "Looks like we'll all get along."

Eric nodded before he looked around conspicuously. "Well, between you and me, Lauren is kinda grumpy." He lowered his voice as he warned her. "She's pretty cool once you get to know her, she just isn't great with new people. If she starts being weird, ignore her. I bet she'll warm up to you in no time."

Bella's eyes widened, cherishing their first shared secret and vowing to never break his trust. "Thanks for the heads up." She whispered back.

He winked at her. "No problem." He spoke at a normal volume again. "I wish I had had one before I met her."

She grabbed her trey that consisted of an overcooked cheeseburger, two small bags of chips, two apples, and three cookies, before following Eric to his lunch table.

Monique waved at her as she passed her table and Bella gave her an enthusiastic, "Hey, Mo!"

She gave her an amused smile as Bella passed by. "Lover girl."

Bella decided she liked the nickname as she continued to follow Eric through the cafeteria.

She gave Mike and Angela a broad smile as she sat down. "Hey guys."

Angela smiled sweetly at her. "Hi, Bella. Glad you're sitting with us."

Mike grinned. "Long time no see, Arizona."

"You know Mikey and Angie. This is Jessica." Jessica was a cute girl with brown skin and long, thick, curly black hair that was tied into a high ponytail. She had dark brown eyes and looked excited to see Bella, which made the hybrid feel happy and welcome. She had dimples and a bright smile to match.

She looked athletic, wearing a yellow Forks basketball hoodie that swallowed her smaller frame. Bella wondered if she played.

"Lauren." Lauren would look prettier if she wasn't glaring at Bella for whatever reason. Her eyes were a dark blue, her skin as pale as a bloodsucker's, and she had light brown hair that went to her shoulders.

"And Tyler." Tyler was tall with light brown skin. His shoulders were broad and he was rather handsome. He had tight, short black curls and wore a Forks football hoodie. He was also smiling at Bella, helping put her more at ease as she smiled back.

Eric introduced her with a chipper smile of his own. "Everyone, this is Bella."

She gave her three new potential friends the same friendly wave she had given Mike and Angela. "Nice to meet you all."

"Same here." Tyler nodded before glancing at Mike. "Newbie, maybe you can settle something for us."

Mike rolled his eyes, but a smile tugged at his lips as he leaned back in his seat. "Here we go."

Bella stared at Tyler attentively as he asked, "Which sport takes the most skill, basketball or football?"

She frowned, this wasn't a question she was prepared to answer. She didn't watch sports, and she didn't plan on watching them anytime soon.

Why watch them when I can play them?

"Orrrrrrr," Jessica chimed in. "Cheerleading?"

That was something she knew about, and she nodded sagely at Jessica. "Cheerleading. You're throwing each other a lot and doing flips."

Jessica leaned to her right, getting in Tyler's face and yelling, "HA!"

"Shut up!" He laughed, crossing his large arms over his chest and rolling his eyes.

Jessica was beaming as she gazed up at the hybrid. "Bella, you don't know how, like, refreshing it is to be around someone with common sense."

Mike stuck his tongue out at Bella. "Kiss up."

The praise followed with the banter emboldened her. "Well, she's a lot prettier than you, Mike."

Laughter followed and Jessica leaned closer to Tyler, whispering, "I like her!"

He scoffed at that, giving her a slight bump with his shoulder. "Doesn't take much with you, Jess. Just a compliment."

"You're just, like, jealous 'cause she knows I'm pretty and that my sport is better than yours."

Bella listened to them bicker, smiling to herself as she began to eat her lunch. She wasn't necessarily hungry, but she couldn't help but indulge herself in a snack.

Lauren was staring at her with narrowed eyes, sizing her up and then wrinkling her nose at her trey.

"You eat a lot."

You don't know the half of it.

Angela frowned at the girl. "Lauren."

"What? I'm just saying. She eats like a guy."

Quips like that had never gotten under her skin, especially when her old packmates constantly insulted each other for fun.

"I'm a growing girl, I need my food." She replied easily, taking another bite of her burger.

"And, Bella obviously works out. Check out those guns!" Eric gestured to her arms, and while they were well-muscled, they weren't nearly as impressive as some of the other girls in her old pack.

"I hope you're a licensed gun owner." Angela laughed awkwardly and Bella stared at her.

"Angela."

She groaned and hung her head. "I'm sorry."

Eric gave Angela a genuine smile before forcing out a fake laugh, he then sighed and patted his stomach before saying, "I thought it was a good one, Ange."

A light blush colored her cheeks, making Bella look away as she adjusted her glasses and smiled shyly at Eric. "It was dumb, but thanks."

Tyler looked between the two before patting his hand over his heart. "It wasn't dumb, I laughed in here, where it counts."

Lauren added, "And it made me smile." Bella was a little surprised the cantankerous girl was comforting Angela. She didn't seem friendly at all, but it was nice to see that she did have a softer side for her friends.

Eric did say she didn't like strangers.

Angela chuckled and her blush faded. "Thanks…but you guys don't have to make me feel better. I know it was a lame joke." She smiled and waved them off as she picked up her fork, piercing her salad. "I'll do better next time."

"Just make sure to leave the joke book at home." Mike said, and Bella perked up in interest.

"You have a joke book?"

"Someone change the subject." Lauren muttered, making Angela scowl at her.

Damn.

Jessica was looking at Bella with newfound interest. "So, I don't mean to be rude but, did you actually move from Arizona? You're really pale." She twirled a tight black curl around her finger as she looked at her curiously.

She thought back to the group's earlier banter.

"I'm white, Jessica, why the fuck would I be dancing in the sun all day?" Jessica was startled for a moment before laughing along with their group, she seemed a little embarrassed so Bella was quick to say, "I burn really easily, the sun and I are mortal enemies."

Assuaged by her explanation Jessica smiled gratefully at her. "Makes sense. Not that I've ever had that problem." She teased, earning another laugh from their group. "Like, you should see Mike in the summer. He becomes a lobster."

A strangled noise escaped the athlete as Tyler snickered, high fiving Jessica under the table as she giggled quietly.

Bella expertly kept her gaze on Jessica as Mike's face became a bright red. "Damn, that sucks. Sounds like he wouldn't last a day in Arizona."

"He totally wouldn't."

Lauren interjected before Mike could defend himself. "What's wrong with your eyes?"

Their table became silent, and discomfort settled over them like a thick blanket.

It was a blunt question asked with the intention of being rude, but Bella didn't mind. "It's called heterochromia. It's when your eyes are two different colors."

Everyone looked at Lauren for a response, but she seemed surprised that Bella wasn't annoyed by her. "Oh…okay." She had nothing to add, cheeks turning red and making the hybrid look away with a clenched jaw.

Get a grip.

From that point on the conversation flowed easily within their group, and Bella was having a good time until a strong scent hit her.

It smelled like roses and it made her posture instantly straighten. Never had someone smelled that good. Bella wanted to wrap herself in it like a blanket.

She blinked, body stiffening when the scent blended together with the overbearing sweet smells of the bloodsuckers.

Then they walked in, and the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. There were five of them, which was odd and unnerving, she had never seen more than four together at a time.

The first girl was small with short, spiky brown hair and…

What the hell?

Bella squinted, surprised to see gold eyes instead of red.

Can bloodsuckers wear contacts? But why gold?

Bella wondered if it was something to do with animal blood, but that couldn't be right.

Bloodsuckers drink from humans, they always have.

But she drank from animals, and her eye had turned from red to gold…

Doesn't matter. Doesn't change what they are.

She was still a shifter, that's what made her different. That's what provided her restraint.

The first vampire she noticed was petite and Bella wondered if she had once been a ballerina.

Her eyebrows were thin, looking as delicate as she did, and her eyes were large. She was beautiful, every bloodsucker is beautiful, that much she could admit.

The girl resembled a pixie, gracefully dancing into the cafeteria, stopping only to grab the hand of one of the males.

The sight of him nearly made her snarl, and her hands curled into fists momentarily before she forced herself to relax.

He wore a white button-up shirt with his sleeves rolled up to expose his forearms. She could see the crisscross of bloodsucker bite marks, resembling her own scar on her wrist.

He's been in more fights than me.

Her eyes traveled to the thick bite on his neck and on his jaw.

And he's never lost.

As if noticing her discomfort, from across the room, he looked at her. He stared at her curiously and she stared back, shoulders hunched defensively until he finally looked away.

His eyes were gold too, and she couldn't understand why.

His hair was the color of honey and his skin looked like marble. He was lean, on edge, and Bella wondered if she could risk fighting him one on one.

She had killed her fair share of bloodsuckers, but none with the scars he had.

"Oh, you spotted the Cullens." Lauren sounded bitter, and Bella wondered what the Cullens had done to upset her.

"I guess I have."

The girl leaned towards her, pointing them out as they filed in. "The small one is Alice, she's a freak, and the one who's holding her hand is Jasper, who is also a freak. But at least Alice is just weird, you know? Jasper gives me serial killer vibes."

Bella laughed. "Why is that?"

Lauren disliked the Cullens for completely arbitrary reasons. But it did make Bella like Lauren a little more.

"He looks like he's in pain all the time. Like he can't stand being around other people."

Is it a bloodlust problem? Why the fuck are bloodsuckers even enrolled at a high school?

"He does seem really uncomfortable." Bella agreed.

Lauren looked at her appreciatively. "Yeah, he gives me the creeps."

The idea of bonding with Lauren over shit-talking vampires was an amusing one. It nearly made her laugh again.

Tyler chimed in, "He's in my history class. He has a weird vibe but he hasn't said or done anything weird. He's just quiet. Let me borrow his notes once though, so he seems alright. Kinda cute if you're into that sorta thing."

Mike frowned at that. "Cute?"

His friend shrugged nonchalantly. "I mean, sure. I'm not attracted to him or anything, but all the Cullens are cute, right? That's why everyone was throwing themselves at them when they first showed up."

Bella looked at him, masking her surprise as he leaned back into his seat.

They don't know?

Tyler had been a little obvious with the way he looked at Mike. But if he wasn't out, it would make sense that his friends hadn't noticed.

His hesitancy was indicative of growing up in a smalltown, and a harsh reminder that Bella might need to keep her cards a little closer to her chest. These people may be her potential friends, but they were still strangers, and she would definitely need to feel them out a little more before she said anything about her own sexual orientation.

In Phoenix it hadn't been an issue, and her mother didn't care about anyone but herself and now, her imprint.

But Forks is different. Small.

Not even Charlie knew she was a lesbian. She didn't know if he would brush it off as Renee had or if he would be uncomfortable. She liked to think that he would be accepting. And he had been so happy that she moved to Forks with him…

At the very least, we just won't talk about it.

Through no fault of his own, he hadn't been an active father in her life during her teen years. She had no expectations of him, and therefore she couldn't find it in her to be nervous about that impending conversation.

Eric laughed and shook his head. "No way, man. Rosalie and Alice are cute. Jasper, Edward, and Emmett are scary."

"Rosalie's scary too." Mike grumbled before sighing. "But…cute, sure."

Jessica grinned. "Cute is not a strong enough word for the Cullen boys."

"Dreamy is more like it." Angela swooned, making the two giggle as the boys groaned and rolled their eyes.

Lauren huffed at that, though a smile played on her lips. "Whatever you want to call them, they're all so stuck up and snooty."

"If I had the body of like, Rosalie Hale, I'd be just as stuck up and snooty." Jessica interjected with another snicker, curling one of her dark curls around her index finger. "Oh! But, like, no homo, or anything." She tacked on awkwardly, earning her a laugh from Lauren and a slight wince from Tyler.

"Jess, really?" Angela sighed, making Jessica sit up straighter in her seat.

"What! Not, like, in a bad way! I was just saying!" She looked at Mike and Eric for support. "You guys say it all the time!"

Mike shifted awkwardly before offering an uncomfortable smile. "Yeah. Not in a mean way."

"Not at all in a mean way." Eric agreed, cowing at the sight of Angela's glare before turning to Bella. "We just-"

"Tyler's right." Bella grunted, tiring of the conversation as she leaned back in her chair. "All the Cullens are…cute, regardless of sexual orientation, not that that matters."

Tyler looked at her in surprise before giving her a slight nod. "See? Newbie gets it."

"I do." His gratitude was silent, but she could see it in his eyes, and that made her smile return.

Lauren sighed, broadcasting that she was bored before turning her attention back towards Bella.

"Anyways, all the Cullens are adopted by Esme and Carlisle Cullen. They can't have kids. But it's even weirder because Alice and Jasper are dating and they're practically related."

Shit there's two more? The shifters have to know about them, right?

She couldn't take on all of them by herself, not unless she got some of them alone. And even then it was risky.

Angela was quick to interject. "Jasper is a Hale, so is Rosalie. Alice and Jasper aren't related by blood so it really doesn't matter."

Jessica tossed in her two cents. "Yeah but they live together, it's still kinda weird. Not straight up, like, incest, or anything. Just…different."

Bella could care less. "Sure." They were a fake family, so whatever their relations it didn't matter.

Lauren pointed at the giant one. "The black-haired one is Emmett, some rumors are going around that he's dating his adopted sister, Rosalie, but that has yet to be confirmed, which is a genuine shame."

Emmett was smirking at her description of him and turned to Jasper as they sat at their table.

"Hear that, Jaspy? It's a genuine shame that the girls don't know if I'm available." He boasted, and Jasper rolled his eyes.

"Lauren is still more interested in Edward." He had a southern accent and had it not been for his very existence she would have found it to be charming.

"You just suck the fun out of everything." Emmett grumbled, "Pun intended."

Emmett looked like a professional weightlifter. He had short, black hair that was slightly curly. His shoulders and biceps were massive and, had she not seen Jasper, she would have believed Emmet to be the most threatening. He was the tallest bloodsucker, she found him to be handsome, especially with his wide smile and dimples that gave him a boyish charm.

Bella turned her attention to the next Cullen. "That's Edward, single and beautiful, but apparently no one around here is good enough for him."

Edward was beautiful, his hair was the color of bronze and tousled haphazardly. It was a stylized type of disheveled. He was tall, not as tall as Emmett or Jasper, but taller than Bella by a few inches. He was more on the thin and lanky side but he still had a somewhat muscular build.

Edward was looking at Jasper, his brow furrowed and then he looked at Bella.

More gold, and no one thinks that's weird?

Bella held his gaze, challenged it.

She felt a presence in her mind, making her eyes tighten as she continued to stare at him.

How many of them have powers?

He looked away with a frown, appearing frustrated, and she only relaxed when she felt the presence leave her mind.

Bastard.

Whatever he wanted her to do or whatever he wanted to see he wouldn't be able to. Her mind was blocked off after the redhead bit her.

Lauren misunderstood her stare. "He doesn't date, don't waste your time."

Bella snorted, tearing her gaze away from him. "I won't. He's definitely not my type."

Lauren looked at her in surprise. "Really? Most people are crazy about him."

It seemed gossiping was Lauren's love language, and Bella was amused by her and couldn't help but play along. "Is he your type?"

Lauren scowled. "I don't like him."

The hybrid nodded slowly at this before leaning back in her seat. "Yeah, you're out of his league."

She wasn't lying.

What could bloodsuckers offer but death and destruction? She had seen the terror they spread since she was a child. She had felt the pain they had left behind. She had experienced the aftermath of their destruction, the great loss that was felt after each bloodsucker attack.

"We have one of the largest shifter packs in the country. I'm Beta for twenty years, a shifter for longer, and even more experienced than our Alpha. But…I couldn't save my daughter."

For every wolf or human that fell to a bloodsucker, her pack had killed two more.

"What good is vengeance when they're still gone?"

For every wolf or human that fell to a bloodsucker, Bella had lost a piece of herself. The aftermath of their attacks had left her hardened, bitter, and so furious she hadn't been able to recognize herself anymore.

And James made it worse-

A gentle hand rested on her wrist, making her look up in surprise.

Jessica was smiling at her, banishing the somber thoughts from her mind as she felt herself relax.

I don't have to be like that anymore. I can be myself again.

Lauren was trying to deduce whether or not Bella had just insulted her while Jessica gave Bella's wrist a squeeze and said, "Angie and I, like, just told her that the other day! Edward's hot but he doesn't date." She turned to Lauren, removing her hand from Bella. "You def could do better."

Emmett's voice made Bella's ear twitch. "Ouch. Hear that Eddie? Lauren Mallory was wasting her time with you."

She didn't look over at them, but she could hear the amusement in his voice. "She is. But Jessica doesn't believe that. She's just being a good friend."

"And the new girl?"

"…I can't read her."

Read me? Read my mind?

Alice spoke up next. "I can't see her, either…and her eye…isn't that strange?"

See me?

She had fought bloodsuckers with gifts, pesky things that they were. But whatever abilities Edward and Alice had didn't seem to work on her, for whatever reason, and she felt triumphant by this fact.

Bella was mildly nervous that her gold eye had warranted suspicion with the bloodsuckers, but that was a bridge she would cross when she got there.

Lauren garnered Bella's attention once again. "Well, thanks." She told her flatly before she pointed out the last bloodsucker. "And that's Rosalie Hale. A total bitch, she hates everyone." Lauren informed her, and Bella suddenly couldn't breathe.

Rosalie was heartbreakingly beautiful, even for a bloodsucker. Her figure resembled that of a model, tall and statuesque. Her hair was the color of gold, falling to the middle of her back. She had high cheekbones, full lips, and a sharp jawline. Everything about her was flawless, and she was the one that smelled like roses.

Finally, a bloodsucker that doesn't stink.

She sat with her family, and gold eyes looked up to meet Bella's dual-colored ones.

The world stopped, it was like Bella could only see Rosalie, like she was her world. Her eyes widened and for a moment her heart stopped beating.

Oh fuck.

Bella sucked in a breath as her heart stuttered back to life, now thundering loudly in her chest as she stared at Rosalie. She could see a life with her. The two of them living out eternity with nothing but smiles and laughter and kisses and-

Oh fuck!

Rosalie was staring at her with the same startled expression.

I have to protect her, I have to love her and cherish her and-

Rosalie stood up abruptly, shooting her an icy glare before storming out of the cafeteria. Bella blinked, shaking her head vigorously in an attempt to clear her mind.

Did I just...on a fucking bloodsucker?

She wanted to follow her, make sure she was alright and-

"So, Edward isn't your type…what is your type?" Jessica asked, rolling her eyes at Mike as he perked up in interest.

Bella stared at the cafeteria doors, shrugging as she said, "I've always been partial to blondes."

---

Bella's world was certainly ending.

She was already somehow attached to the redhead, and now Rosalie.

Just my fucking luck.

She thinks of how Paul would taunt her about her misfortune.

She thinks James would kill her if he ever discovered what she was unfortunate enough to imprint on.

"You'd sympathize with a parasite? After everything they've done to us!"

She thinks she should do the job herself for falling for the enemy.

"Let's see if the parasite would do the same!"

But she wouldn't do that to Charlie. And she was no longer under the Alpha's thumb.

For the first time in years, she was free to make her own choices. She was free to make her own mistakes.

However, a part of her longed for James's direction. For his finality when it came to decisions.

He would have told me to stay away from Rosalie…he might have made me kill her.

The very thought of harming the blonde made a tremor run down her spine, and her throat constricted as a growl nearly escaped her.

Shit.

Of everyone she could imprint on, it had to be a bloodsucking monster.

Her wolf's reprimand was swift, and a stabbing pain pierced her brain. Her jaw clenched, the pain was fleeting, only to serve as a reminder that Rosalie was their imprint and should be treated as such.

Bella had never heard of a wolf rejecting their imprint. On occasion, but with few instances, imprints have rejected their wolves.

Rejected wolves all reacted differently to the rejection. Some never recovered. Some were able to break their pack links and lived the rest of their days as lone wolves.

Others were able to bounce back, find love elsewhere.

"A cheap imitation. To even call it love is a lie…better to call it fondness instead."

Bella trudged through the halls, no longer able to muster a friendly smile at the students as she walked with Tyler to her next class.

Would Rosalie reject me?

That would be for the best. But, even then, Bella couldn't help but stay vigilant for the scent of roses as she moved through the school.

She hoped and prayed that the imprint was a mistake, but she knew better.

Not even the longing she felt for the redhead had been as intense. If anything, the imprint dulled the desire to see the bloodsucker, if only slightly.

"Hey, you good?" Tyler's concern made her look up at him.

"Yeah, sorry. Just thinking."

His brown eyes searched hers for a moment before he gave her a gentle bump with his arm. "Thinking about how much better football is than cheerleading?" He looked around before saying, "It's okay, Jess isn't here, you don't have to lie."

Bella felt a smile tug on her lips as she also looked around. "You sure you want the truth?" He nodded vigorously and she lowered her voice. "I think…that sports are boring as shit."

Tyler gasped at that, looking at her as though she had grown a second nose. "Blasphemy!" He put a hand on his chest as he shook his head. "You don't mean that."

She laughed, appreciating the distraction as they stopped outside of her classroom. "Athletes are impressive, sports are hard! I just never cared about watching them. I'd rather watch reality tv or something."

He blinked at her, slowly reaching out and placing a heavy hand on her shoulder. "I'm glad you feel safe enough with me to reveal just how damaged you actually are-"

"I wouldn't say damaged-"

"Don't worry. We'll take baby steps. Maybe some sports movies will help ease you into the amazing world that is sports-"

"Tyler." She cut him off with a sigh as she patted the hand on her shoulder before removing it. "I get you're in shock but…you're embarrassing yourself. You're better than this."

He stared at her before a scoff escaped him. "Denial, of course. Don't worry, newbie, we'll start you off with Basketball Wives and go from there."

Bella perked up at this. "Wives?"

He laughed and ushered her into the empty classroom. "Freak!" He stepped back with an amused smile still in place. "I didn't want to assume but the way you were staring at Rosalie-"

She blanched, feeling panicked as she tried to detect the location of the other bloodsuckers. "Tyler shut the fuck up!" She all but hissed, unable to stop a strained laugh from escaping her as he gave her a wink.

"Don't worry, your secret's safe with me. I'm more of an Emmett man myself, but I must say that you have great taste. Expensive taste." With a smirk and a wave he left the room. "Catch your gay ass later, newbie."

"Oh my god-yeah yours too you piece of shit!" She was blushing…in a way. She just couldn't feel the heat rise to her cheeks like it used to.

Dick.

She whipped out her phone with a scowl, not wanting to risk outing Tyler by continuing to yell after him.

Bella: At least im not gay for Mike

Tyler: Hmm cute. Just keep your mouth closed and only open it for Rosalie ;)

Bella gawked at her phone.

Bella: Ur mom

It didn't make sense but she genuinely had no idea what to say.

Bella: I won't say anything about your gay ass I swear…but still fuck you!

Tyler: You wish :p

She huffed out a laugh, tucking her phone away before her levity was crushed by reality.

Her feelings for Rosalie were complicated, but Tyler had made her feel better. He had helped take her mind off the severity of her situation, and for that she was grateful.

But when she was left in the empty classroom all her anxieties came back with a vengeance.

It was her first day of school. She made some friends, potential friends, and she met the love of her life.

A bloodsucker.

And there's seven of them and only one of me and Jake hasn't shifted yet and-

Bella couldn't afford to lose her shit, not when she had a couple more classes left. And she was, at the very least, more at ease due to the vampires not attacking the students.

Are they biding their time? Waiting until they're bored to start killing everyone?

She couldn't be sure. But what she did know was that she couldn't trust them, even if their eyes weren't red.

Since Bella was the first person in her biology class she decided to take a seat in the middle row.

"Score, window seat." She plopped down, putting her bookbag in the seat next to her, as she waited for everyone else to show up.

She pulled out her notebook, doodling thoughtlessly while thinking of gold hair and gold eyes.

Bella Hale, Rosalie Swan-

Bella ripped the page out, crumpling it and tossing it into the trash bin from her seat.

My imprint can't be a bloodsucker, it must be a mistake.

She wondered if this had happened to any other shifters before, and with a groan she smacked her head onto the table.

Fuck this.

She lifted her head, staring blankly at her notebook as she began doodling once again. This time it was of a wolf, sloppily made with mismatched limbs that varied in length and a nose that was as sharp as a triangle.

Drawing wasn't one of her strengths.

Then she drew a vampire with a melon for a head and sharp fangs that pointed out of her smile.

Part of her was frustrated that she couldn't do Rosalie justice. Another part of her was annoyed that she gave a shit in the first place.

Students filed into the classroom, and the sickly sweet scent of a bloodsucker washed over her. Her pencil snapped in her hand, which thankfully went unnoticed by the chattering students as they went to their assigned seats.

Bella bristled, shoving the broken pencil and notebook into her backpack and tucking it away. Edward walked in and she pushed herself closer to the window, wishing she could leave as quickly as possible.

Bella put a hand over her nose, keeping her head down as he walked over to her. "Excuse me, do you mind if I sit by you?" His voice was smooth, and if he didn't smell so terrible, if he wasn't a bloodsucking monster, she might have found it calming.

She glanced around the classroom to see all the seats were filled.

The universe just loves to fuck me.

She moved her bag and he sat next to her, her body tensed and she tried to ignore him as he turned and smiled politely at her.

"I should introduce myself, I'm Edward Cullen."

And I'm going to be sick.

"You must be Isabella."

Sickabella.

Bella removed her hand from her face, giving him a brisk nod. "Bella." She couldn't afford to hold her breath, he would definitely notice if she went the entirety of biology without breathing. Her nostrils burned and she prayed she would get used to his stench sooner rather than later.

"Bella. That's a lovely name." All the patience she had for her potential human friends didn't apply to bloodsuckers. And it never would.

"They're monsters to be dealt with. You don't break bread with parasites."

She faced straight ahead, trying to pay attention to the lecture. "Thanks." She held back a growl that threatened to spill from her lips as he continued to stare at her. "Do I have something on my face or do you have a staring problem?" From her peripheral, she could see his eyes widened.

"My apologies, your eyes are just very...different. Why is one gold? That's an unusual color."

She looked at him in disbelief. "You and your unrelated siblings all have gold eyes, and it's my single gold eye that's unusual?"

He seemed unnerved by her observation. "I didn't mean to be rude, I was only curious...you're just very difficult to read." Again, she felt something probe her mind.

I can't wait to rip your head from your body. I'll slaughter you and the rest of your phony family.

"Could be because I'm not a book." She muttered, trying to keep her anger in check as a tremor threatened to make her shift on the spot.

Get it together.

Everything about Edward was unnerving. From his scent to his questions to his body language. He was far too comfortable around her.

If you knew what I was…

He tilted his head, looking at her curiously. "Do I make you uncomfortable? You're very stiff."

For the love of god.

"Thanks for the narration, and no, cats make me uncomfortable, you're just you."

She wished her new potential friends were in her class. She wished they could sit next to one of them instead. Hell, even a grouchy Lauren would be more welcome than any bloodsucker.

"You fear cats?"

Bella had hunted down depraved bloodsuckers since she was a child. She had seen the unimaginable horrors their kind committed. She had seen the core of the parasites she's hunted.

Some boasted about how many humans they killed. Others screamed and cursed at her and her pack. Then there were the ones that were silent, not egging the wolves on but focusing on their own survival as they ran. And there were the occasional beggars, pleading for their lives and promising to never hunt a human again.

But she doesn't think she's ever met a parasite that was so annoying.

She gritted her teeth. "No, they just make me uncomfortable."

His brow furrowed, eyes bright with interest as he asked, "Why?"

Bella's eyes widened in rage as she whirled on him.

That's it!

"Mr. Cullen and Ms. Swan, is my teaching interrupting your conversation?"

Bella froze, blinking rapidly as she faced forward in her seat.

I really can't blush anymore.

Even with all eyes on her and Edward she couldn't so much as feel the heat rise to her cheeks. For that, she was grateful.

But she was more embarrassed that she had let the parasite rile her up so much.

"No sir, sorry." She grumbled, and Edward uttered an apology as well.

Why does he ask so many questions? Why is he even here?

Her jaw tightened at the whispers and snickers she heard from their classmates.

"Holy shit," someone muttered. "Edward Cullen is actually talking to someone."

"What does he even see in her?"

"I saw her walking with Tyler earlier. I'd pay to see Cullen and Crowley fight."

"Oh, Crowley's beating Cullen's ass for sure."

"Her first day and she already has Edward Cullen's attention. Legend."

"More like slut."

"Hmm…a slutty legend."

Their teacher clapped his hands loudly, effectively silencing the room before he continued with the lecture.

A slutty legend.

Bella was mildly annoyed that they thought she would be a slutty legend for Edward Cullen. But the label was amusing if nothing else.

Edward slid a piece of paper towards her, continuing to stare intensely at their teacher as though he were actually listening.

Bella glanced at it.

Sorry I got you in trouble.

She blinked.

Passing notes with a bloodsucker?

Try as she might, she couldn't help but be amused as she took the paper from him, scribbling a response before sliding it back.

You should be.

Out of the corner of her eye she could see a small smile tug at his lips. She had almost been distracted from his scent until they sat in silence for the remainder of class.

Bloodsuckers have always smelled horrible, but she had never spent a prolonged period of time in their presence.

Well, almost never.

"Little wolf."

Bella could feel the bite on her wrist burn, and her desire to be with the redhead made her head spin.

I woke up alone. No one to…teach me?

She didn't understand.

When class ended she stood quickly and practically raced out of the room. Holding her breath for a few seconds until Edward's overpowering stench faded.

Fucker.

She couldn't believe she'd have to put up with his bullshit everyday.

It's fine. Just PE and then I can go home.

When she neared the locker room the smell returned but it was less potent, and there were two of them now.

Shit.

"Hello!" The pixie bloodsucker, Alice, fell in step with her and Bella couldn't help but hunch her shoulders. Bracing herself for whatever scheme this parasite was up to.

"Hey." She replied gruffly.

The big one, Emmett, walked on her other side. Boxing her in and making her hands curl into fists as she shoved them into her pockets.

The small bloodsucker gave her a bright smile and stuck out her hand. "I'm Alice. This is my brother, Emmett." The big bloodsucker grinned at her. "And you're the new girl, Bella, right?"

The hybrid stared at her hand until she awkwardly lowered it. "Yep." She lowered her gaze, feeling immensely claustrophobic as they walked. They squeezed past other students, squished even closer together and Bella's hands began to tremble in her pockets.

Get it together.

Her skin was burning and she swallowed a mouth full of venom.

"Can't always be so angry, pup. You've got to keep your mind clear."

James's voice, ironically, was what made her hands still.

"Stay strong. Stay with me."

She exhaled, her skin cooled and her hands no longer trembled.

I'm with you.

Alice hummed, folding her hands behind her back. "Soooo, how do you like Forks so far?" She had the nerve to sound amused by her curtness and Bella felt her anger spike, but it wasn't nearly as volatile as it was earlier.

"Why do you care?" She groused, ignoring the curious stares of the bloodsuckers.

Alice smiled. "Just making conversation." She tilted her head to the side as they continued walking. "Any particular reason you aren't fond of me?" Before Bella could snap back she said, "I saw you talking to Lauren. And I hear all the gossip around school."

Emmett spoke up, "None of it's true…unless they're positive." He joked.

Bella almost scoffed at that. "Sure." She was wary of his proximity, of Alice's too.

She had killed big parasites before. They were typically the strongest of their kind, while the smaller ones like Alice were quick and more annoying to chase.

Both types of bloodsuckers were dangerous in their own right. But Bella favored leaning more towards Alice.

They were in an enclosed corridor. Most of the bigger and stronger parasites relied only on their strength in a fight, making them sloppy and easier to manage if they were cornered.

The smaller and faster parasites used their wits far more than their larger counterparts.

And while Bella would normally stay closer to a parasite like Emmett, given their predictability and head on approach, they were in an enclosed corridor with humans milling about.

It would be easier for Emmett to get her trapped in a hold, whereas Alice appeared to lack the same physical capacity of her companion, and would be less likely to attempt to physically restrain her.

Not only that, but should Emmett grab her she would struggle to break free as well as shift, not wanting to harm any of the humans nearby.

"You don't believe me?"

She rolled her eyes. "Edward talked to me in biology and everyone nearly shit a brick." Even now they were garnering stares as they walked through the halls. "Ever consider that some of the negative rumors are true? You guys come off as pretty stuck up when you ignore everyone."

Emmett frowned at her. "When we first got here it wasn't like anyone was exactly begging to be our friends."

Bloodsuckers don't have friends.

It was strange to hear them refer to themselves as brother and sister. But she knew it was all a ruse. All parasites ever did was lie and try to weasel their way out of things.

Doesn't explain why they're here.

Alice sighed, looking down at her feet and mumbling, "I don't mean to be stuck up. I'm just not great at talking to people. I get too excited and it freaks them out."

Bella could sympathize with the struggle to socialize. She was very fortunate that she had stumbled upon a group of chatty, peppy humans that directed the conversations.

And while Alice sounded genuine in her struggle, Bella knew better than to sympathize with a parasite. However, she also knew outright hostility would look strange on her part.

She wouldn't be cruel to the bloodsuckers, not until she understood their motive. But even then, she would never be their friend.

"That sucks." She offered lamely, trying to keep her frustration in check as she said, "People suck." She didn't know what else to say, and Alice giggled.

"Seems you're just as bad at talking to people as I am."

Against her better judgment, Bella smiled and shrugged. "Seems I am."

"Don't worry, you're perfect! I know we'll be the best of friends!" The bloodsucker enthused.

Emmett nodded in agreement. "The best of friends!"

Bella didn't respond.

The scent of roses returned and she felt herself straighten. It took all of her strength not to search for her imprint or feel giddy that they were in the same PE class.

Fuck me.

They parted from Emmett and entered the women's locker room, Alice held the door open for her and Bella didn't so much as utter a thank you.

Rosalie's in here changing and I-

"Omg, we have PE together!" Jessica's voice drew her back, making her smile as she approached her and a grumpy Lauren. "We always have to be on the same team so we can, like, have the best time!"

Alice, thankfully, didn't linger. Instead, she walked off, most likely to join Rosalie in the other part of the locker room.

Rosalie's here, getting changed and-

Lauren sighed. "I hate this class." She glanced at Bella. "But I'm glad you're here, new girl."

Bella grinned, placing her hands on her hips. "Really?"

"Yeah. You look like an overachiever."

Bella's grin broadened. "I am. We'll win every game." She gave her a thumbs up and Lauren huffed out a begrudging laugh.

"You won't hate me if I'm an underachiever?"

"Nope!"

She gave her a nod. "Good. You and miss cheerleader can do all the work. I'll supervise."

Jessica smiled at them as she pulled her shirt over her head. "I think Mike's in our class too! We'll have the best team ever."

The two continued to chatter as they changed into their PE clothes. Bella grabbed hers and made her way to a stall, not feeling up to answering any questions about the scars on her body.

Especially the ones on her back. It had taken those a full day to heal due to how deep they were.

"Your thoughtlessness could have killed you. So let these scars serve as a reminder."

She would never forget. He had made sure of that.

"She doesn't like me." Alice spoke quietly, too quiet for human ears to hear.

"Don't be stupid. She doesn't even know you. Not that it matters." The most beautiful voice responded, still quiet and speaking fast. "She's just some human. Their lifespans are just as laughable as their opinions."

Bella bristled at that, torn between swooning over the angel's voice and snarling at her disregard for humanity.

Alice sighed. "Rose, you're not helping. Edward really likes her."

He's barking up the wrong tree.

This confused her. Edward didn't seem flirtatious in their biology class, if anything he seemed curious. Nosey. Annoying. But nothing he did was indicative of a crush.

She had most likely misunderstood what Alice meant. Edward didn't like her in the romantic sense, he was just like the other bloodsuckers from his coven. He only wanted to be "friends."

Bella pulled on the rest of her clothes. As she stepped out of the stall she couldn't help but look at her imprint.

Rosalie had been wearing heels and designer clothes, but now she wore a white form fitting t-shirt, black running shorts, and white sneakers. She looked comfortable, cute. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail and Bella stared at her.

In a way, she looked softer.

Bella wanted to kiss her.

Rosalie sneered at the shorter bloodsucker. "Edward's an idiot. She clearly wants nothing to do with him."

Alice asked, "And how would you know that?"

The rest of the girls were lined up, ready to exit the locker room and enter the gym.

Rosalie and Bella's eyes met, and they both looked away just as quickly as Bella got in line beside Jessica and Lauren.

The hybrid couldn't help but sneak one more glance at Rosalie, who was staring at Alice with pursed lips and her arms crossed over her chest.

"I just do."

---

"Tell me."

She kept her gaze straight ahead, refusing to look at the human as she passed her, choosing to go to the opposite side of the court with her sister in tow.

"Are you sure?"

The human smelled like cinnamon and pine needles, her scent relaxed her and infuriated her all the same.

"I wouldn't ask you if I wasn't sure."

She ignored her brother's enthusiastic greeting, choosing to stand on the empty volleyball court next to him as he and Alice began chatting.

"Okay…you're very confused right now."

Rosalie heard laughter, and she looked up to see Jessica Stanley resting her hand on Bella's bicep.

"Not because of what you don't know."

Her jaw clenched.

"But because you're afraid of what you do know. You're afraid to see your life clearly. You're afraid of being happy-"

She looked away from them.

"That's enough. We're done here."

She had no right to be jealous over a mate she refused to claim.

"Rose-"

Bella Swan couldn't be her mate. No one could.

"I said we're done."

Rosalie doesn't know if any vampire has rejected their mate. She thinks she might be the first one to attempt it.

She just had to be human.

However, for a human, she was surprisingly beautiful. Her gold and brown eyes twinkled with mischief as she spoke animatedly with Jessica and Lauren. A small, deep scar ran down the corner of her mouth, giving her a more rugged charm.

She had a tattoo on her right wrist, a stupid design of an animal's claw marks scratching through skin and leaving four jagged black lines. Her hair was a deep brown with red undertones, it made Rosalie wonder how it would look in the rays of the sun.

Bella was tall with broad shoulders, well muscled biceps, and a near flawless complexion.

Rosalie may not have claimed her, but at the very least her mate soothed her own vanity. She knows she would look good on Bella's arm, and that makes her feel pleased.

But the attention Bella was getting was wanting to say the least.

"What's up, team." Mike jogged up to the girls, smiling broadly as he high fived Bella. "Ready to kick some ass at volleyball?"

Bella grinned and crossed her arms over her chest. "Hell yeah!" Rosalie couldn't help but stare at her muscles.

"I won't be kicking anything. I'll be supervising." Lauren said, making Mike laugh.

"I'd expect nothing less, boss."

Lauren chuckled at that. "Good. Just don't embarrass me out there."

Jessica, again, laid her hand on Bella's arm and gave a cheery smile. "I would never let that happen." She looked up at her, eyes glazing over as she said, "And with Bella I think we'll be unstoppable. Like, look at her."

Rosalie swallowed the hiss that threatened to escape her.

Bella looked endeared by her. Her dual colored eyes shined with mirth as she smiled down at the cheerleader, a quiet huff of laughter escaping her as they looked at one another.

Bella seemed happy by their closeness. For what reason Rosalie couldn't fathom, but she knew if she were human this would make her sick to her stomach. It was a disgusting display of weakness on Jessica's part, and sheer oblivious stupidity on Bella's part.

Idiots.

Her glare faltered when Bella looked into her eyes. And the vampire couldn't help but stare at her again.

Humans felt the mate bond, the pull wasn't as strong as it was for a vampire, but they felt it nonetheless.

I want nothing to do with you.

She tried transferring that thought through the bond, but Bella continued to stare and so did she.

Mike sucked in a breath as though he'd been hit in the gut. "Ooh, ouch, Stanley. Do my basketball skills mean nothing?"

Jessica rested her head on the side of Bella's shoulder, keeping her hand on her bicep as she rolled her eyes. "Some of us actually have a volleyball background-"

"You played it once in seventh grade-"

"So, yes, your basketball skills mean nothing." This made Lauren laugh and Mike scowl.

"You'll eat your words when we play basketball." He then turned to Bella, who frowned at Rosalie before giving him her attention. "You do look like you kick serious ass…maybe you can give me a few pointers?" He looked at her with that same stupid expression as Jessica-

Both of them are you serious?

The oaf, of course, didn't seem to notice the flirting. She leaned her head against Jessica's while using her free arm to sling around Mike's shoulders to give him a squeeze. Rosalie could see a hint of a blush flaring on Jessica's smooth brown skin, while Mike's entire pale face burned red.

Lauren looked in between Jessica and Mike with a furrowed brow, suspicion creeping into her eyes as she fixed her gaze on Bella.

Rosalie couldn't remember the last time she had felt so furious. Couldn't remember the last time she had felt genuine envy, and she had to force herself to look away. Her hands had balled into fists without her realizing, and she quickly unfurled them, hating that she had been affected by those stupid humans so easily.

It doesn't matter. They're nothing.

"Don't worry, team. I may hate watching sports but I love playing them. We got this." She flashed a dazzling smile at Lauren, making the girl's eyes widen, slightly stunned, and she added, "We also have the best supervisor around, so there's no way we can lose."

Lauren blinked for a moment, as though in a stupor, before a genuine laugh escaped her. "You're right about that, new girl."

Rosalie was grateful that Edward and Jasper weren't with her. Her intrusive brothers would have picked up on her emotions and thoughts with ease, and then her entire family would know she mated on the infuriating human.

She was also grateful that Emmett and Alice had kept themselves entertained. The chattiest Cullens hadn't noticed Rosalie's stares. The only one that noticed was Bella and even then-

Her brother garnered her attention with his deep laugh. "Damn, watching Jess and Mike throw themselves at Bella shouldn't be this funny."

Alice looked over at them with a petulant pout. "Oh, they can do all that but she hates me for wanting to be her friend."

Emmett shrugged. "You know how Lauren is. Rejected by Edward once and bitter ever since. It makes sense that Bella doesn't like us. Lauren was in her ear all lunch period."

He knew better than to ask Rosalie why she had left so abruptly.

They all knew better.

She had been lucky that Edward had been too busy trying to read Bella's mind when she realized just who Bella was to her. Jasper was already suspicious of her emotions, and when Rosalie left she made sure that all Edward detected was her annoyance at Lauren's comments.

He had taken the bait and informed their siblings why she had been upset. But even then, they all knew that wasn't the truth.

Rosalie Hale didn't concern herself with the opinions of any human, especially Lauren Mallory.

I just can't believe I mated on a human.

At most, her siblings would all come to her at different times, trying and failing to figure out what had really gotten under her skin. But it was none of their business, because she would never subject her mate to vampirism.

But her gold eyes…Edward's inability to read her mind…Alice's inability to see her future…

She didn't know what that meant. Her mate presented as human, with her beating heart and large appetite and the scar on her lip. Vampires didn't scar, and even the La Push wolves barely had a scratch on them due to their quick healing abilities.

Carlisle had told her that some humans presented gifts before they were turned. That would explain why her invasive siblings, save for Jasper, couldn't detect anything about her.

Jasper said we make her feel uncomfortable and angry.

But that didn't mean anything. It was rare but there were humans that felt unsettled by them, humans that could see past their beauty and could subconsciously identify them as the threats they truly were.

The humans that could came off as uncomfortable, somewhat frightened, or even borderline hostile. Bella's reaction to the vampires wasn't one that raised any eyebrows. Another human, Monique, had also been notably wary of the Cullens, choosing to always avoid Emmett in their shared history class.

Rosalie couldn't help but feel somewhat proud of her mate's discernment and caution. She just wished she was as perceptive when people were obviously flirting with her-

Stop it. She's not ours.

Her inner vampire growled at that but she paid it no mind.

"I guess." Alice muttered glumly. Emmett slipped an arm around her shoulders and ruffled her hair.

"Hey!"

"Cheer up." She pushed their laughing brother away, fixing her hair with a scowl as he continued. "Once she sees how charming we are she'll be dying to be our new best friend."

Idiots.

Before Rosalie could scold her siblings, the seer said, "You're right!" She was chipper once again before she noticed coach Carol walking into the gym. "Shoot, I forgot." Alice sighed. "Coach is assigning us to teams." She pouted and put her hands on her hips. "I saw it this morning. It's definitely to split us up."

Emmett laughed while Rosalie tried not to think about Bella's smile. "Duh. I mean, the three of us on a team? That wouldn't be fair." He nudged her with his elbow. "Right, Rosie?"

She rolled her eyes, thankful for the subject change. "Couldn't care less." Which wasn't completely untrue. They all had a competitive streak that was only dampened by the fact that they had to play with humans.

"But you should! If we play well maybe we can impress Bella-"

Her eyes narrowed. "What is wrong with you?" She looked pointedly at Alice before continuing, "Are Jasper and I the only ones with any sense? We don't know this girl. Her gold eye is concerning. Edward can't read her mind. Alice can't see her in visions. She already hates all of us. But because Edward has some stupid crush we all suddenly need to get to know her?"

Her sister frowned. "Uh, yeah? When's the last time Edward liked anyone? This is a huge deal! We should be happy for him."

"I should be happy that our idiot brother feels something besides self-loathing?" She asked dryly, keeping her temper in check. "She's not his mate. It's a waste of time and so is he."

Emmett mirrored Alice's surprised facial expression, and Rosalie wondered if she had gone too far.

She wondered if she genuinely cared about hurting Edward's feelings.

If he wasn't such an idiot…drooling all over Bella when she's mine-

Rosalie froze, schooling her facial expression to one of indifference as she silently berated herself.

She's not mine. She's not. I wouldn't do that to her.

Before her siblings could chastise her, coach Carole walked to the center of the gym with her clipboard in hand.

"Afternoon, class. Today's volleyball, and before you get excited I've already created a list of teams." A collective groan echoed through the gymnasium and coach Carole smiled. "That's the spirit!" She looked down at her clipboard. "Cullen one and two are with Stanley, Mallory, Jackson, and Newton. You'll be team blue and you're all on court one."

The humans deflated, grumbling under their breaths as they left their shiny new human behind. Rosalie watched her siblings high five, give her a hasty apology and a "we'll go easy on you", before they jogged over to court one with the humans.

"For the red team I want Smith, Morgan, Hernandez, Williams, Hale, and Swan. All of you are on court one against the blue team. For the green team-"

Bella and Rosalie couldn't help themselves, locking eyes the moment they were dismissed to the first court.

The human flashed her a sunny smile that would have made her blush if she still had the ability to do so.

Rosalie wondered if she was cursed.

Everyone shuffled to their respective courts.

"Mallory, no supervising!" Coach Carol snapped, making Lauren groan and step onto the court. Mike and Jessica turned to each other, laughing quietly as she yelled at them to shut up.

When Rosalie saw Bella head to the back of the court, she was quick to take the middle spot at the net. She needed to keep her distance for both of their sakes. But she couldn't help turning her head to see Bella's position on the court.

Dual colored eyes met her gold ones as Bella took the middle spot on the back of the court. She stood just a few inches taller than Rosalie, and with her muscles she should realistically be in the front row.

On the opposite side of the court Emmett stood by the net across from Rosalie. And Alice took the same position in the back as Bella had. Mike was on the right side, and Jessica was on the left. Lauren stood miserably in the back with Alice and the other human, Johnny.

Bella quietly introduced herself to the four humans she didn't know before approaching Rosalie.

"Hi, I'm-"

Rosalie examined her fingernails, not bothering to look up at her. "The whole school knows."

Emmett spoke up before Bella could respond. "Don't worry, Rosalie's all bark and no bite." He grinned cheekily when she glared at him.

"Just like Emmett's all forehead and no brain." She shot back, satisfied when his grin turned into a pout and a few snickers came from the humans.

"Fine, she has some bite." Her brother conceded. "But I'll humble her soon enough when I crush her in volleyball." His grin returned and she rolled her eyes.

Rosalie thought her cold demeanor would be off putting, but it was clear her mate was more amused than anything.

Bella smiled before slowly stepping back into her spot. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Rosalie." Her voice was warm, the vampire liked how her name sounded on her tongue.

She looked at her. "It always is." And when Bella laughed, eyes brightening with mirth and full lips pulling into a dazzling grin, Rosalie couldn't suppress a small smile of her own.

---

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Rosalie." Bella mocked, smashing her pillow over her face groaning in annoyance. "Stupid! Stupid!"

She hadn't even meant to introduce herself to Rosalie, who was already aware of who she was. She had meant to give her the cold shoulder, like she had the rest of the bloodsuckers.

But it was as though she were incapable of being mean to her. Just being around her put her in a better mood and-

Her phone dinged, a welcome distraction, and she launched her pillow across the room as she sat up. She and Eric had been texting a little, so had she and Mike and Angela.

Jess: Can't believeeeee u guys won

Bella smiled, it was only a matter of time Lauren caved and texted her. But she could be patient until then.

I made so many new friends today.

Bella: Had to make a good impression on my first day :p

Jess: U sure did :) even Lauren likes u, but she won't admit it yet

Bella: High praise :D

Charlie still wasn't home and she had completed her homework.

Texting her new friends was supposed to be fun. And it was, a little, but it would be more fun if she wasn't so miserable.

Tyler: Heard you and Hale hit it off

Tyler: Jess said she isn't as mean to you as she is to other people

Bella sighed, tossing her phone onto her bed and zipping to her window with vampiric speed. She opened it, welcoming the cold air on her now hot skin.

What did I do to deserve this?

Rosalie's voice sounded like honey, and the small smile she would give Bella when she would do well in volleyball…

Of course I had to win.

Emmett and Alice were making them work for it, even Jessica and Mike were putting up a good fight. It had been a close game, and it turns out that Lauren was indeed a better supervisor than a player, which Rosalie had shamelessly exploited in order to get them the victory they needed.

Controlling her movements had been difficult, making sure she didn't react in a way that was inhumanly possible had been difficult. She had let a few balls drop on purpose, but her competitive spirit had gotten the better of her.

Her imprint's small smiles had gotten the better of her. The opposing team had reached twenty points, then Bella never let another ball hit the floor.

And, of course, Rosalie had been no slouch either. It had been fun watching her play, shooting the occasional insult at Emmett and Alice who eagerly returned the banter. She had moved so fluidly, and Bella wished she could watch her play without holding back.

Bella had had a good rapport with all the humans on the court, but especially her new potential friends, who she was certain were now her friends.

While she had been more supportive of the humans on their team, Rosalie had less patience for errors. Something that was normally a turn off for Bella, but Rosalie was never overtly rude unless it was directed to her siblings.

She would only glare at whoever made the fuck up before they got back to playing. Bella was competitive too, but it was easier to be softer when playing with humans.

And then we beat them and Rosalie smiled at me and-

Bella leaned on the windowpane, closing her eyes as a gust of cold hair hit her.

She was conflicted. Torn between accepting the imprint without question, and looking past the perfection of Rosalie Hale to the bloodsucker that she truly was.

How many people has she killed? And now I'm bound to her.

She felt restless and angry.

A fucking bloodsucker, my life is truly a joke.

Her wolf snarled at her and she audibly snarled back. Her skin burned and itched, demanding to be replaced by thick red fur. But she refused, knowing she would be more susceptible to the imprint in her wolf form.

Rosalie had made her forget that five bloodsuckers were attending a human filled high school.

This coven was a powerful one. Visions, mind reading, and who knew what else. It unsettled Bella, and while she was grateful she was a blindspot for Edward and Alice, she couldn't help but wonder what other tricks the Cullens had.

"Don't forget yourself, pup. Play your games when the work is done. Not before."

She had dropped her guard, become too comfortable, and even tolerated the presence of Emmett and Alice as they played volleyball.

She thinks of how James would punish her if he could see her now. Her hesitation. Her weakness.

"When we shift we are no longer human. Make sure to put aside all your humanity when you hunt down the parasites, because they will have none for you."

"They had none in the first place." She finished numbly.

But the Cullens had been…strange. In PE she had overheard Alice and Emmett coming up with ways to befriend her. She didn't understand their motives. She didn't understand why Edward had a crush on her.

Gross.

And it was clear that Rosalie felt something for her. She knew bloodsuckers mated, and part of her hoped Rosalie had mated on her just as she had imprinted.

The blonde had kept staring at her. She had stormed out of the cafeteria the second Bella imprinted on her.

So why is she so mad at the idea of us being friends?

"Fuck this." Bella grumbled, angry all over again at the fact that she even cared what any of those bloodsuckers thought about her. "Fuck them."

"You let her go! Do you think she would have done the same for you!"

Her thoughts drifted to the redhead.

"Little wolf."

Her body shuddered. The unsettling yearning she felt remained, but it wasn't nearly as strong as her longing to be with her imprint.

Stupid fucking imprint.

This had to be against the rules. There was no way she imprinted on a bloodsucker of all things. It was revolting, it made her stomach curl and her nostrils flare as she contemplated putting a fist-shaped hole into her wall.

And she had acted so stupidly in front of her. Seeming so eager like a...like a...

Lover girl.

She understood now why Mike hadn't been a fan of the nickname, 'lover boy.' Because, if acting as idiotic as she had in front of her enemy meant she was a lover girl, she hated it.

Bella laughed bitterly. "I get it now." She grumbled, staring out into the night. "Everything I've done…I'm finally paying for it."

"I see it in your eyes. We're the same."

This was what she deserved, imprinting on a monster, just like her.

"Bells-I'm sorry! I didn't mean it!"

Living after the bite of another monster, wishing the redhead was with her and taking care of her.

"Sorry doesn't fix your fuck up, does it!"

How pitiful and fucked up was her life going to become? How could she even think about kissing an undead freak like Rosalie Hale?

"You gotta keep your mind, Bella. We need you."

She slammed her window shut, stomach churning as she stumbled to her bed and collapsed on the mattress. It felt as though her body was at war with itself, making her tremble as she clutched curled in on herself, trying to still her shaking body but to no avail.

Bella couldn't reject Rosalie, it was physically impossible, but she could at least try.

"Everything we do…in the end, it always comes back to bite us in the ass."

She was beginning to regret leaving Arizona.

If I stayed, he would have killed me.

She missed Terra's optimism and her stupid motivational videos. She missed Bree's joy and the silly games she created, the type of games the older shifters complained about but indulged her and ended up enjoying themselves.

She missed Diego's dumb jokes and unsolicited advice that he had learned from his many lovers. She missed Lesa's air of superiority paired with her doting nature, always mothering the younger shifters, including Bella. She missed Chanel's intense challenges, and the way she worshiped Lesa without fail.

She missed Joseph's stories and Rasheera's warm smiles and Paul's laughter and James…

She thinks that, before everything fell apart, James would have helped her every step of the way.

She missed a past she could never return to.

A past that was made further unreachable due to the redhead's meddling.

"It'll never be as it was. You have to accept that."

Tears burned her eyes but they didn't fall. She couldn't cry, not anymore.

"Bella, you're better than this-"

"I'm the best I've ever been!"

Guilt and sorrow and resentment swirled together, and rage burned in her chest.

She was paying for her sins.

Joseph paid for his.

She thinks of how he would hate to see her like this, and for the time being, that was enough to push all the pain and anger from her mind.

Forks was her fresh start, her clean slate. She could be herself again, whoever that was. And she could make new memories with her new friends and her father.

The redhead had ruined her, she had made her an abomination, but she had also given her another chance.

Bella squeezed her eyes shut, forcing herself to sleep.

That night she dreamt of fiery red hair and eyes the color of blood. The bloodsucker was chasing her, toying with her. No matter how fast Bella ran, the bloodsucker was always right on her heels.

"I'm coming for you, little wolf." She purred, "You belong to me."

…

Bella gripped the spatula tightly, keeping her gaze lowered as she watched the sizzling bacon cook on the skillet.

"Sorry. I should have told you earlier-"

The warm hand of her father rested on her shoulder, and he gave it a gentle squeeze before pulling away. "Don't apologize, Bells." He flipped the eggs before looking at her. "Seen a lot of things on the force…I, uh…I get nightmares too." Charlie mumbled, making her look at him in surprise.

"You do?"

A blush crept up his neck as he shrugged. "Sometimes." He cleared his throat, checking on the eggs as he said, "Waking you up isn't a problem." Soft brown eyes looked at her. "You're my kid, you don't have to apologize for stuff like that." He smiled, awkward and unsure as he continued. "I'm your dad. I'm supposed to chase nightmares away."

Bella still felt guilty, but she appreciated his reassurance. "Thanks."

They were silent until the food was fully cooked.

It was three in the morning, by all rights Charlie should be going back to sleep. But after he had woken her up he had insisted on staying up with her.

"It's my day off. I nap anyways and…whenever I wake up I always eat. Let's make some food."

Renee would wake her up, make sure she was okay, and then go back to sleep. Bella had appreciated that her mother had woken her up at all, even going as far as to express genuine concern.

Needless to say, she was very surprised by her father's reaction to her nightmares. She understood that they wouldn't always be able to do this together whenever she had a bad dream, but it was still nice, and she was already feeling better.

The two sat at the kitchen table.

"Think it's too early for coffee?"

Bella laughed, taking a bite of bacon before shaking her head. "I'm positive it's too early for coffee."

Charlie blinked blearily at her, rubbing at his eyes. "I'm not an early bird, like you." He stood up and groggily stumbled to the coffee maker. "Want some?"

She decided to humor him. "Sure, why not."

"Guess it's not too early for coffee." He replied cheekily, earning him an amused smile.

"Yeah, yeah. Just didn't want you to be alone in your jitters."

Her nightmare had rattled her. It made her wonder if the bloodsucker was after her. It made the ache in her chest return.

Fucking bitch.

It also terrified her. That bloodsucker terrified her. There was a sense of helplessness she felt whenever she thought of her attacker. Normally, Bella would crave for a rematch, for vengeance.

But this time her instincts screamed at her to stay away.

Whatever the ache in her chest was, it signified that a fight with the bloodsucker would be a terrible idea.

It wouldn't be a fight I would win.

Then there was Rosalie, her undead imprint and her heart ached with the thought of-

Get a grip. She's a monster. Just like the rest of them.

Bella knew resistance was futile, but there was no way she would give in without a fight. Maybe there was a way to beat the imprint. Maybe she could ask Billy Black about it.

Charlie returned with two coffee cups, setting one down in front of Bella before sitting with his own. "There we go." He blew on his coffee, and she watched the steam rise into the air.

"Thanks, dad. This is nice." She told him truthfully, pushing the vampires out of her mind, but never for long.

He gave her a sleepy nod. "Anytime, Bells. And, uh…if you ever want to talk about the nightmares…we can. But we also don't have to." He amended quickly. "Whatever you're comfortable with. Just know I'm always here if you need me."

She thinks he means it, and that makes her smile. "That's nice of you." She cradled her mug in her hands before saying, "Same here. With your nightmares and whatever else. If, um…" she trailed off awkwardly, somewhat nervous to offer to be what she had once been to Renee. "If you need to." She said, too cautious to say the word want.

Charlie looked more awake now as an appreciative smile adorned his lips. "I appreciate that, kiddo."

They ate their food in a comfortable silence. Bella drank her steaming hot cup of coffee instantly, and while her father looked at her as though she were crazy, he didn't comment on it. Instead, he chuckled and sipped on his.

This is…nice.

Her phone vibrated and she frowned, wondering who was up so early.

Jake: Bonfire this weekend, you in?

Bella looked at her father. "Jake invited me to a bonfire this weekend." She didn't want to go, but she figured Charlie would know more about it.

"Welp, he beat me to the punch. I was going to invite you. It's at La Push. Great food, great stories, and great company. Billy invited me last week. I was going to let you settle in before asking if you wanted to be stuck with your old man on a saturday night." He blushed and looked away from her.

Bella lowered her gaze as she said, "Sounds like fun." She didn't want to be closer to the shifter if she didn't have to be, but Charlie was trying to bond and she did think it would be a nice night.

"I get if you want to go with Jake. You should go." Charlie said, taking another sip from his coffee. "He's a nice boy, and you could stand to make some friends."

Bella sighed, "Gee, thanks for the encouragement, dad."

His eyes widened. "Oh! I didn't mean it like that-"

"And I'll have you know, I made a lot of friends." She laughed, deciding not to torture him.

Charlie relaxed, raising a bushy brow as he asked, "Is that right?"

She nodded with a triumphant smile. "Yep! Eric, Angela, Jessica, Tyler, Mike, and Lauren." She paused for a moment before saying, "And I made some potential friends. This girl, her name's Monique, she said we could be friends after we got to know each other better."

He listened to her thoughtfully before he frowned. "Well, Monique is right. You don't know these kids that well and-"

Bella rolled her eyes. "Dad."

"I don't mean to lecture, but you should be careful." He took a sip of his coffee. "Hm…actually, what are their last names? I probably know them or their parents."

Geez.

She sighed, resisting the urge to smile as she shook her head. "Dad. I'll be careful, okay? I swear." She noticed his eyes drop to the scar on her lip and she frowned at him. "It was my friend's dog, she just got too excited and jumped up-"

Her lie made his eyes roll. "I'm a detective, Bella. One that happens to deal with a lot more animal cases than you would think."

Shit.

"I won't pry and I won't keep lecturing you. You know you can talk to me whenever you want. Whenever you're ready." He assured her, changing the subject much to her relief. "I'm glad you're popular at school. Seems you're better at socializing than your old man."

This made her laugh. "Seems so." She finished her food, still starving, and she knew she'd have to hunt when she came home.

"New friends aside, you should still spend some time with Jake. You two were childhood friends. The best mud pie chefs Billy and I had ever seen." The memory made him smile, but Bella barely had any recollection of it herself.

But it was sweet that her father recalled it so fondly. "I'd love to go with you." She gave him an easy smile, "And I'll catch up with Jake. But only if you help me with dinner tonight. I found a new recipe for stir fry I want to try."

Charlie nodded, appearing touched as his smile broadened. "Sounds perfect, Bells."

Bella: My dad invited me, so I'll see you there

Jake: Sweet, I'll save you a seat

So much for not associating with the wolves.

Bella put her phone away and, as always, her thoughts drifted to Rosalie.

Playing with puppies and bloodsuckers, what could possibly go wrong?

AN: 24k better than my usual 50-60k!

I fucking hated this story so I re-wrote it.

HAPPY BLACK HISTORY MONTH!

To celebrate Jess is black, my favorite precious human I adore her!