"For the longest time, I just thought he was being considerate. I have some phobias about vampires because I'd never met ones not trying to kill me before the Cullens, but Edward always seemed determined to make up for it. He had some of the same classes with me, and made it a point to sit near me and make me comfortable. It was puzzling and alarming to me." Bella admitted, a flush staining her cheeks when she tried to look me in the eyes and failed, "But I had never been away from my family and here were people who knew the inhuman side of me that's so difficult to keep hidden. A potential outlet was impossible to reject." She gave us a baleful smile, seeming to acknowledge that it was a similar draw that was coming from the Pack.
The smile darkened. "I grew to like the Cullens soon after that due to Edward's efforts. I even went to their house a few times. It was scary as hell to have so many of them near me at once, but I could practice my fighting with Jasper, play video games with Emmett, and Alice reminded me so much of a friend I had lost... That fondness I held for them turned out to backfire when I realized that Edward Cullen wanted much, much more. Something I simply couldn't give to him."
A growl ripped through my chest at the implications and physically rattled the girl in my arms. Isabella Swan, not seeming phased, swatted at me and lifted a dark eyebrow coolly. "Are you going to let me finish, Paul?"
I rubbed the back of my head and shrugged. "Sorry this isn't easy." I muttered.
"You think this is easy for me either?" She retorted incredulously before turning back to face Uley. "Rogues showed up in town, despite the Cullens' presence a couple months after I arrived and Edward finally had a legitimate excuse to be near me. As the only Cullen kid without an obvious significant other, him being my boyfriend in the town of Forks was something the family agreed on full heartedly to fulfill their promise to my mother." Bella's voice cracked suddenly, "It was as though I was trapped again, though I felt no desire to protect the Cullens as I did my family." I ran my thumb soothingly over the back of her hand, my emotions stunted from the calm that the imprint demanded.
"Edward religiously stalked me in the name of security for some time. Sleeping with a vamp's eyes on me was what finally broke me... I decided to run away as soon as the chance presented itself. Charlie would be safer without my blood scent saturating his place of rest and I would rid myself entirely of the constant watch I'd been under for my entire life. Fighting rogues would make me feel alive again. Death probably would've been welcome as well."
My eyes narrowed down as I looked down at Bella's brunette head. There was no way a lack of sleep, a creepy leech that couldn't take a hint, homesickness and being overly supervised would make my mate consider suicide. What had happened to her before Forks? What had she lost? She had literally imposed an exile from her people onto herself to escape it.
Bella gracefully stepped out of my trembling arms before turning on us. "I fled to Florida, trying to avoid capture from the Cullens whilst hoping the opposite from the rogues. There were three vamps, a small coven with red eyes. The leader, James, was an extremely gifted tracker and his mate Victoria is the one skirting your patrols today. Laurent, the one that died a few days ago, was the weakest and sanest of the lot. They found me a day and half after I flew the nest. It was all I could to do to last five minutes, and James had just snapped my leg when the Cullens rolled in. To make a long story short, James was burned, Laurent surrendered peacefully, and Victoria escaped."
Sam frowned, "Why is she here now?"
"She wants revenge for her mate. Stupid Edward's possessive behavior makes her view me as prey. A mate for a mate is how she views it."
"Your luck fucking sucks, babe." I couldn't keep my mouth shut anymore.
Bella let go of her husky laugh for a few seconds. "You don't know the half of this soap opera." The self-deprecating jab at herself was charming, I decided. She switched back to soldier stance again. "Sam, that's the intel I have for you. The redhead wants me, she has a gift for escaping, and she's seriously crazy."
"This should help us quite a bit, thanks Bella." Sam was already deep in thought.
"I won't get involved on your territory unless you have something in mind. But now that I am healed, I will go after her in other places if that's what it comes down to. I'm what she wants and I'm going to set this right." The rabbit's plump lips were set in determination.
Not even my imprint's strong desire to be autonomous could stifle my growl at the idea. I did keep my human mouth shut successfully however. She had chosen death over being stifled once. I was protective but not stupid.
Bella's eyes flew to mine, and the silence that ensued was deafening. We both stood in our silent staring match until Sam cleared his throat. "I don't think that would be necessary. We are certainly not in a position to deny help, and I can definitely think up some positions for you."
A huge grin split her face and she left my side to enthusiastically hug Sam. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! I promise you won't regret this!" She shook the huge man with nearly every word.
Sam grunted from the impact and laughed good-humoredly while ruffling her hair. "Well, it'd be nice to get a nap before the next shift. Paul, you'll be up next."
I was already moving back to my paper. "Yeah, yeah, I hear you, old man." The clock was ticking.
Bella's POV
Why won't the stupid nudist call me? I couldn't get that stupid thought out of my head for the last week. I saw Paul every day after school for "community service", but it wasn't enough. It was just too odd, how much I wanted to see that cranky, hot guy. To be near him but surrounded by his pack brothers was frustrating. It shouldn't be possible. I knew that, but I hadn't felt like this for anyone since him.
I shouldn't be able to feel anything remotely like this ever again.
"Earth to Bella?" A hand wove in front of my face, "You there?"
I blinked, glanced up, and then tried not to stifle a groan. Mike. Newton. Of course, as soon as I reconnected with my human friends in Forks, Mike's "Bella Train" had to renew itself. I already had one terrifying female trying to kill me; Jessica Stanley did not have to be the next in line.
"I think I'm here." Five minutes till seventh bell ring, it was easy enough to countdown.
Mike smiled at me, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "So Bella, ya working Friday night?"
I went over the schedule in my head, knowing that lying would be pointless since his family owned the store. "No, I don't think so."
"You want to go out to eat and catch a movie or something? We were kind of interrupted a couple of weeks ago."
The night Jake had saved me from this persistent beast, yes I do recall. I tried to look remorseful. "Actually Mike, I'm kinda grounded for the next month..."
"What for? Bella, the good girl, finally going bad?"
I like my flirting a little more crude than that. Thoughts rushed in, unbidden, of Paul's disgusting tactics that were so funny to me. My cheeks burned and a nonchalant shrug was all that could be mustered. The bell rang and I waved at Mike without turning around.
I stopped by the house, planning on grabbing a beautiful tank top I had been eyeing the last couple days before heading to the Rez. As I rummaged through my drawers, it finally happened. The house phone rang.
I picked the phone slowly up, mentally preparing to not hear his voice. Disappointment was starting to get old, and Charlie kept looking amused whenever I raced down the stairs.
"Hey rabbit."
"Nudist."
A deep rumple of laughter. "Nudist? All you saw were my asscheeks, rabbit. I should show you more than that sometime if we want that nickname to be accurate."
Heat crept up my neck and a shiver went down my spine. "I'd like to keep my eyesight, thanks."
A pause of silence on the phone, but somehow I knew he was holding back another laugh. "So I called you because we are always surrounded by imbeciles. Are you free Friday night?"
It sucked to say it this time. "I'm grounded."
"Don't act like you can't sneak out a window, I've got a late date planned. It'll be fun, promise."
The eager huskiness in his voice made me uncertain. "Who said anything about a date? And if it was, why is it a late date for the first one? I'm not like that." I told him uncertainly.
"You most definitely are not like that." Honest surprise was in his voice. "This excursion is totally innocent and fun, I swear on Sir Alpha's life. And we don't have to call it a date either."
I giggled at the thought of Sam in armor and riding a horse. It suited him. I softened.
"Alrighty, bust me out on Friday." Maybe I wasn't such a good girl after all.
The Wildlands Correctional Facility was Hell on Earth. Inmates damned by the judge to this place never left. For John Lahote, a day never passed where he wished he could see the beautiful forests of LaPush again. He missed the unnaturally tall pines, the scent of dirt and dew, and the peace most of all. He did not, however, miss his traitorous tribe, the very reason he was in this hellhole in the first place.
John was moping about this on the tenth anniversary of his sentence when something unexpected occurred.
"Lahote, there's a woman here to see you."
He blinked at the guard. "What?"
He hadn't seen a woman in a long time. The last one he'd seen was his mother, who'd visited him to tell him that she was disowning him. Just like her tribe, a traitorous bitch. Probably died holding his little bastard son's hand.
John walked heavily escorted to the visitation area. His curiosity was heightened when he saw his mysterious visitor's appearance. The woman was unworldly and gorgeous, catlike, and had flaming red hair that cascaded down her back dramatically. She smiled at the grimy sight of him, revealing pearly white teeth.
"Hello, John. I cannot possibly express how happy I am to meet you."
The chill down John's back was easy for him to ignore.
—————-
What'd you think?
Bella and Paul have a date!!! Sort of?
I also just had to start bringing in Victoria!
More action to come in the next chapter, promise
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