Obsession - mama4dukes - Twilight Series (2024)

Chapter 1 Chapter Text

OBSESSION BY MAMA4DUKES

Contemplation is the action of looking thoughtfully at something for a long time, or in simpler terms, deep reflective thought.

Deep reflective thought was something Bella had been engaged in since before moving to Washington in December. Oh, she wasn’t regretting moving in with her father. It was something she had been wanting to do for some time in order to forge a closer relationship with him. Her mother, Renee, with whom she had grown up in Phoenix, Arizona, was happy as long as she didn’t have to deal with anything stressful. This, of course, precluded Bella from being able to discuss any problems she encountered while growing up. In short, she couldn’t be candid with her mother for fear of stressing her out. So, when her mother remarried and expressed a wish to travel with her new husband, Bella took the opportunity to suggest that she move in with her father so the newlyweds could travel without a teenager in tow. The newlyweds agreed with alacrity at the idea. Therefore, as soon as Christmas vacation started, Isabella Marie Swan moved in with her father.

Three weeks had passed since Bella moved in with her father, and she felt she hadn’t made a connection with him yet. It was clear her father was still uncomfortable with her. There had been a few awkward moments, especially during dinner, when they each seemed to want to say something to each other but decided not to. But Bella was determined to overcome the shyness because, for once, she wanted a dependable parent, not a flighty one.

Bella liked her new school. She felt safe, unlike at her old school, where it was not necessarily so. The new students were friendly, and she did her best to put herself forward instead of being her usual introverted self. Since moving to Forks, she made many changes. She had been on a quest for self-improvement ever since the incident.

Oh, the incident didn’t happen to her. In fact, it didn’t involve her or her group of friends at all. It was just something she had witnessed involuntarily, and the event made her feel helpless and guilty. She never wanted to feel that way again.

“Bella, I’m home. Come downstairs and have dinner. I brought pizza,” her father called, jogging her out of her thoughts.

“Coming!” she replied before heading downstairs to join her father. He had already set the table with pizza and salad. She sat down on the adjacent side of Charlie, happy to be eating dinner with him.

They quietly served themselves and ate a few bites before Charlie asked, “How was your day, kiddo? Are you enjoying your new school? It’s been a full week since you started there.”

Bella took a sip of her co*ke Zero before replying. This could be a good segue into what she wanted to discuss with her father. She considered her words carefully. “Um, I like it at Forks High. It’s way better than my old high school. The kids are super friendly, and well, I feel safe.”

Charlie put his beer down and turned to his daughter in concern. “Safe? Did something happen at your old school to make you feel unsafe? How come I wasn’t told about this? Are you okay? Did you report it to the school resource officer?”

“Dad, Dad. Stop. It didn’t happen to me, but the resource officer knows about it.” Hell, all of Phoenix knew about it. It had been on the news.

“Bella, what happened?” Charlie asked seriously.

She took a deep breath before speaking. “There was an incident at my school. It didn’t happen to me, but I witnessed it—a lot of students witnessed it.”

“Well, what was the incident?”

Bella shook her head at the sad memory. “In October, just before homecoming, a group of female students ganged up on a girl and beat her. I don’t know the reason, but apparently, it was gang-related. As I said, I wasn’t involved and didn’t know any of the students personally. All I know is that I had stayed to make up a history quiz after school, and when I walked out to go to my car, I was blocked because a crowd of kids had gathered. I tried to maneuver my way out because I had to go to work, but somehow ended up getting a prime view of the incident.” And then she started crying. She had no idea why, but the memory made her ill.

“Bella? Come here.” Charlie pulled his wailing daughter into his arms. Whatever she had witnessed must have impacted her, not in a good way. “Alright. Calm down and breathe with me. In through your nose; out through your mouth.” They repeated the exercise together several times until she was ready to talk. “What did you see?”

“Dad, the girls were kicking, punching, and pulling her hair. There were five attackers and one girl. Just one girl against five girls, and the five assailants were mean and ruthless. The other students stood around filming the incident like a TV show. No one defended the girl. I was about to turn around to get the school resource officer, but someone must have called him because he showed up along with the principal and a few security guards. When I looked down at the girl…” Bella teetered off, gasping, her tears falling in huge droplets down her cheeks. “Dad, when I looked down at the girl, she was lying face up on the ground with her eyes open and… lifeless. Daddy, I threw up when I saw that, and I thought… I thought… If it could happen to her, it could happen to me. I felt so helpless. I wished I could have helped her, and I felt guilty. I felt guilty because there was nothing I could do to help.”

“Oh, Bells. I wish you didn’t have to witness that incident. I really do. But, honey, your feeling so strongly about it proves you’re a good person. You, yourself, admitted that you witnessed the incident accidentally. You didn’t go seeking to film it like the other kids did. You were minding your business and trying to get to work when you came upon the scene. You reacted physically by throwing up, and that’s not uncommon either. In fact, it’s typical for rookie cops to react the same way you did. Now, we have to get you through the trauma because you’re feeling survivor’s guilt and a bit of post-traumatic stress, which isn’t surprising at all.”

Bella flung her arms around her father. She knew it would be a good idea to come and live with him. When she tried talking to her mother about the incident, she made it about herself, telling Phil how worried and sick she felt about Bella witnessing such a thing. And how much it stressed her out when bad things like that happened. It was at that exact moment Bella decided to move in with her father.

Quite frankly, she didn’t like Phil. Sure, he loved Renee, but he clearly felt Bella was a hindrance, an afterthought. So, when the pair suddenly got married over Thanksgiving without informing her, Bella felt no qualms about moving in with her father. She stayed for three weeks until school got out, and then Charlie flew into Phoenix so father and daughter could drive her car back to Washington together.

“You know, Bella. The first time I saw a murder victim, I reacted the same way you did. I vomited. I felt ashamed about my reaction, but Old Chief Martinson told me it proved I wasn’t a hardass. Empathy for the victim is essential, and you have that in droves. I’m proud of you for coming to me. You were brave in confessing your feelings,” Charlie said. “Now, let’s get you better.”

XOXO

The following day, Charlie took steps to get Bella some much-needed help. He first consulted with the police station’s staff psychologist, explaining what his daughter had imparted to him the previous evening.

“That’s a tough thing for Bella to have witnessed. She must have felt very vulnerable following the incident,” Julia Lahote surmised. “If she is comfortable talking to me, I’d be willing to see her. She’s your daughter, and as you’re aware, part of my job is to counsel the family of employees, too. I’d say you count as an employee since you are my employer.”

Charlie chuckled. “You make a good point, Jules. I’ll have Bella stop by at the station after school.”

“I look forward to meeting her.”

After returning to his office, Charlie closed the door and looked up the incident Bella told him about. Sure enough, a sixteen-year-old student was beaten to death at her old high school in Phoenix. Five girls between the ages of fourteen and seventeen were charged with her murder. What a complete waste of six lives! He sent as much information about the incident to Julia so she’d have an idea of what happened; then he got into his squad car and went to Forks High School to meet with the school resource officer and the principal, who were close friends of his. Both men were single fathers, and Charlie especially appreciated their guidance now that Bella was living with him.

“Thank you for telling us about Bella, Charlie,” Lieutenant Ken Marshall said. In addition to being hunting buddies, they had attended the police academy together. He was the school resource officer. “We’ll be able to keep an eye on Bella and help her feel safe. I’m not surprised she felt unsafe at her old high school after witnessing that incident.”

“Tell me about it. I was shocked to the core, and when I looked through emails from her old school, there was nothing regarding the incident except for a single email offering bereavement counselors for students and staff due to the death of a student. I discovered the information by going through the police database, and that’s after seeing videos posted online by students,” Charlie griped in disgust. “I’m glad she’s home with me now.”

“Did Renee say anything?” Billy Black, Charlie’s lifelong best friend and the high school principal, said. He was also the chief of the Quileute Nation.

Charlie sighed. “I didn’t bother calling her. Bella told me that Renee doesn’t like addressing anything unpleasant. It stresses her out. Her new husband was helping her through the tragedy.”

“Stresses her out? Are you kidding me? Renee is her mother, and in life, we face a good amount of stressors. So, Bella didn’t even have an adult she could go to for help dealing with her emotions. I’m glad she was proactive in coming to live with you, Charlie.” After a moment, Billy continued, “We will keep Bella under our radar, and I’m glad you’re getting her counseling. I think Julia is better equipped to handle the situation than the school guidance counselor.”

“I agree.” Charlie chuckled. Of course, Billy would promote Julia. He had been dating her for the last few months. “Now, how is Bella adjusting to school?”

“Well, she’s the most popular girl in school because she’s new. It looks like she’s trying her best not to be shy like usual. She’s become close to my daughter Katie and her group of friends. They’re all good kids,” Ken informed him.

“I think my one concern is she hasn’t signed up for any extracurricular activities since coming to Forks. When I brought it up, she said she’d be signing up for softball, but I encouraged her to do a club activity as well,” Billy opined. “She’ll need it when she applies for college.”

Charlie nodded appreciatively. “I’ll bring it up to her.”

“Katie is in the volunteer club. She might feel comfortable joining a club with someone she knows,” Ken suggested.

With that, Charlie returned to work, contemplating how to get his daughter to feel safe and secure again.

Chapter 2 Chapter Text

The weeks flew by, and counseling with Ms Lahote at the police station helped Bella compartmentalize her emotions tremendously. Ms Lahote shared her own experience as a teenager. She was raped when she was around Bella’s age by a total stranger and, as a result, birthed a child. Rather than resent the rapist, she made him the catalyst for change.

Bella recalled Ms Lahote’s words.“I refused to brood over the event and let it take control over my psyche or my choices. I made a choice not to be a victim of rape but a survivor of rape. It wasn’t easy, and I was on an emotional roller coaster for many years, but eventually, I came out on top. If I didn’t, I’d be victimizing myself to this day.

“That being said, it helped that I had a child to raise. When he was born, it dawned upon me that I could raise my son to become a good, well-mannered gentleman who worked hard, knew the difference between right and wrong, and respected women. To that end, I put my energy into becoming self-sufficient. I graduated from high school and found a way to support myself and my son while attending college. I vowed never to allow myself to be a victim again and became empowered. That is what I want for you, Bella. I want you to become empowered.”

Bella pointed out that her situation was not nearly as dire as Ms Lahote’s experience. After all, she had only witnessed a heinous crime being committed and a dead body.

“Yes, our situations are different, but we were both victims of fate. You didn’t ask to witness the murder—call it what it is—murder, nor did you ask to see the body of the dead girl. I certainly didn’t ask to be raped, but for whatever reason, those events happened to us. While it’s okay to consider those incidents, dwelling on them for an extended period of time can hinder recovery. And Bella, just because your circ*mstance is different from mine does not lessen the gravity of it. For the first time, you recognized the fragility of life and how precious it is. You’re angry at the five murderers, and you’re feeling guilty for living while the crime victim is no longer alive. You should not minimize your grief. I think the best gift you can give to yourself and the murder victim is empowering yourself so you can live your life to the fullest.”

During this time, Bella vested herself in her quest for self-improvement. She started attending karate classes again. As a child, she had taken karate from the time she was seven years old through middle school. She stopped when she began high school due to lack of time. Between her part-time job, school, and softball, she no longer had the time to devote to karate. But now that she was in Forks, she decided to restart her karate lessons, especially since her father still went to classes twice weekly. Charlie was a black belt and a long-time practitioner of the art, believing it centered him emotionally and mentally because he dealt with criminals on a daily basis at his job. Bella was demoted down to a green belt after re-testing. It took a while to get back into the swing of things and recall all her katas, but eventually, they returned to her. In any case, karate class was an excellent way for father and daughter to bond.

Bella also made sure not to overthink things. She tended to reflect on things too much—so much so that she brooded. Ms Lahote had suggested doing an activity if she found herself introspecting too much on one thing since softball season didn’t start until mid-March. In any case, Principal Black and her father suggested that she join a club to keep busy, so Bella became a member of the volunteer club. What better way was there to stay active within the community?

She also made sure to spend time with her father. She didn’t do enough of that with her mother, who had always gone out on dates or with friends in favor of spending time with her daughter. Bella found she enjoyed her father’s company. Charlie always found time to provide guidance when she needed it. He also helped with homework, and when he couldn’t understand something, he found someone who did. Just this past Wednesday, when Bella was having trouble with her math homework, they drove to the police station, where one of the rookie patrol officers helped her understand the equation. When Bella asked why he chose the police station, he replied he figured the young rookies were bound to understand math concepts more than he did since they were fresh out of school.

Sometimes, father and daughter would watch a movie together at home; other times, they’d go to La Push to have dinner with the Blacks or the Clearwaters. She made friends with the Clearwater kids. Leah and Seth were very friendly, although Leah had a sad aura about her. She already knew the Black kids—Jacob, and she used to make mud pies together when they were little. Rachel and Rebecca were both away at college.

Bella also hung out with her new school friends: Angela Weber, Jessica Stanley, Katie Marshall, Mike Newton, Eric Yorkie, Ben Cheney, and Tyler Crowley. They usually hung out at one of their houses and watched a movie together. Sometimes, they’d hang out at the diner or go to Sully’s for burgers. Today, they were at First Beach in La Push, where the subject of the Cullens came up.

The Cullens were an odd collection of five foster kids who lived in Forks. They lived with Dr and Mrs Cullen in the only mega mansion in town. They all dressed in designer clothes and looked like movie stars. They also drove expensive cars that looked out of place in Forks. In fact, they didn’t fit. They always hung out together in their own little clique and rarely spoke to the rest of the students. Of the five of them—three guys and two girls—there were two couples. The one single guy named Edward was creepy with a capital C. He was so eerie that Bella had to ask Principal Black for a schedule change due to a couple of incidents in chemistry class.

On Bella’s first day of school, she was seated next to him, and Edward Cullen acted like she smelled awful, scowling at her the entire time before abruptly leaving class. The second incident happened a week later when he returned to school and attempted to converse with her. He followed her to her locker after class. He made her feel super uncomfortable when he leaned in close to her and told her she was hard to read in a very accusing manner— for whatever reason. Then, Bella noticed Edward’s eyes, a unique golden color earlier, had turned coal black. She asked him about it, to which he curtly replied, “It’s the fluorescents,” before marching away in a huff. In the following days, she caught him staring at her, always glaring icily, which gave her goosebumps.

When Bella mentioned this to Ms Lahote, she encouraged her to speak to Principal Black immediately, especially since Edward Cullen discomposed her. So, she did precisely that, and Billy quickly moved Bella to a different section of chemistry so she wouldn’t have to endure Cullen’s attentions. It helped tremendously that her father’s best friend was the high school principal.

Sadly, Edward’s stalking—because that’s what Bella was beginning to feel like it was—didn’t stop there. During a field trip for the junior class to Seattle, he stuck by her side and asked intrusive questions, like why she moved to Washington and what was in Jacksonville. Bella hadn’t shared with anyone that her mother had recently moved to Jacksonville, Florida, so she felt especially discomposed. She was saved from replying when she tripped over her shoelace, which had come untied. Edward grasped her arm tightly so she wouldn’t fall and snapped, “Can you at least watch where you walk?”

“Dude, I never asked you to walk with me,” Bella pointed out. Jessica Stanley saved her when she strolled up excitedly to tell her that Mike Newton had asked her to the prom. Thankfully, Edward stormed away from her. Bella stuck by her friends until the end of the field trip and vowed never to let Edward Cullen catch her alone—never, ever.

It wasn’t Bella who brought up the Cullens, but Katie Marshall. Apparently, she had mustered up all her confidence and invited Edward Cullen to join their group at First Beach. He replied that he couldn’t go to La Push, implying he wasn’t allowed. This all happened when Jacob Black approached their group with a couple of his friends, Sam Uley and Embry Call, who overheard their conversation. Sam told Katie, point blank, “The Cullens don’t come here.”

“Well, thank God for that,” Bella burst in relief. “I wouldn’t want my stalker following me here.”

“You’re only saying that because you’re lucky enough that he pays attention to you, Bella,” Katie replied.

“You can have him. I don’t want him near me,” was Bella’s response. She, indeed, was concerned about his strange predilection for her.

“Cullen is stalking you?” Sam asked Bella, concerned because he knew what he was. “Have you talked to Chief Black about it?”

Bella nodded her head, confirming that she had. “Edward Cullen is weird, and he scares me. He’s always staring at me like a wolf chasing his prey.”

Embry and Sam’s eyes widened with that analogy, and their eyebrows shot up to their hairlines. They quickly turned to each other with stunned expressions when a wolf howl in the distance interrupted everyone.

“Great, Bella, you’ve brought on the wolves. Maybe it’s Edward Cullen. Ahwooo!” Tyler howled.

Bella laughed, smacking Tyler’s arm with her hat. “Aren’t you going to teach me how to surf?”

“Yeah, yeah. Come on, girl, let’s see if we can get you standing on a board.”

“Jake, I’ll see you tomorrow night, okay? It was nice to meet you,” Bella said to Embry and Sam before taking off towards the beach with Tyler.

XOXO

The following evening, the Swans had dinner at the Black residence. The Clearwaters were also guests. While the parents chatted, the kids strolled around the reservation when Jacob brought up Bella’s comparison of Edward Cullen to a wolf.

“I thought it was ironic because legend has it the Quileutes are supposedly descended from wolves, and the Cullens are descendants of an enemy clan.”

“Oh, not that story again, Jake. Bella will think we’re all nuts!” Leah cackled.

“Now you have to tell me,” Bella insisted. “I need to know.”

“Oh, fine. I’ll tell you,” Leah grinned, “but it’s like a ridiculous superstition. Anyhoo, supposedly, our great-grandfathers caught the Cullens hunting on our land a long time ago.”

“Like how long? Twenty-years? Thirty?”

“Longer. Apparently, it was when our great-grandfathers were still kids. Anyway, the story goes that they caught the Cullens hunting on our land, but the Cullens claimed they were something different. So, we made a treaty with them. If they promised to stay off our land, we wouldn’t expose what they really are.”

“But didn’t they just move here a couple of years ago?” Bella asked.

“Or moved back. Woooooo!” Jacob joked creepily.

“Well, what are they?”

“Who knows?” Leah brushed her away. “I’ve never met them. Thank God.”

Bella blew out a breath. “You don’t want to meet them, ever. Especially that Edward guy. He’s weird.”

The four of them stopped at the tribal store for some ice cream. Leah told Bella about how she was enrolled in a two-year RN transfer program at the local community college. “Eventually, I want to go to Washington State like Jake’s sister Rachel, but I haven’t figured out a major yet. What about you, Bella?”

“Oh, I don’t know. I know I want to attend college, but for the longest time, I lived in Arizona, so I thought I’d be attending the U of A. Now that I’m living with Dad, I’ll have to rethink that plan. Besides, I kind of like it better in Washington.” Bella didn’t mention that she hoped to earn a softball scholarship when it came time to apply for college.

And then Leah became quiet as she caught sight of a couple kissing each other. Bella recognized the guy as Sam Uley, whom she had met on the beach yesterday. He was with a pretty Native American woman with a deep gash on one side of her face. He was kissing her scars, hugging and holding her. Leah stared at the couple, transfixed.

“Come on. Let’s get out of here,” Seth muttered, gently guiding everyone towards the Black’s house.

“Leah, what’s wrong?” Bella asked when she saw her friend with tears streaming down her face. She glanced back at the couple and saw Sam staring at the group with concern.

“Ugh! Sam Uley pisses me off so much!” The ordinarily happy-go-lucky Seth spat. “He hurt my sister, Bella. That chick he’s with is our cousin Emily. Until last year, Leah and Sam were engaged, and then suddenly, Sam disappeared. When he came back, he had no explanation whatsoever about where he’d been, and then he took one look at Emily and started dating her. They’re now living together and engaged.”

“Seriously? That’s like next-level backstabbing if you ask me,” Jacob opined. He knew something had gone down between Leah and Emily, but no one confided in him.

Bella put an arm around Leah. “You don’t need anyone like that in your life. We’ll just put them in the weird and creepy category with the Cullens.” Then she faced her friend and looked into her eyes. “If you ever need to talk or just want to hang out for some girl time, you can call or text me anytime.”

Leah smiled at her. “Thanks, Bella. I’ll take you up on that offer. Maybe we can go get mani-pedis next weekend?”

“Ooh! That sounds interesting. I’ve never had a mani-pedi before.”

“Never? Didn’t your mother ever take you?”

Bella shook her head slowly and admitted to her new friend, “No, my mom never really had the time to spend with me. She had her own things going on.”

Chapter 3 Chapter Text

By the beginning of March, the topic of the month had shifted to the prom, which was two months away. Mike Newton and Jessica Stanley would go together, as would Angela Weber and Eric Yorkie. Ben Cheney and Tyler Crowley were taking their girlfriends. Bella didn’t have a date yet, but she planned to go solo to be with her friends. Katie Marshall was also in the same boat.

“We should look at prom dresses before the good ones are all taken,” Jess suggested during lunch in the cafeteria.

“That’s a good idea,” Angela agreed. “Let’s go to Port Angeles on Friday after school.”

Bella shrugged her shoulders. “I have to ask my dad, but if it’s okay with him, I’m in.”

“I’m in, too,” Katie chimed in. “We should have dinner and see a movie, too. You have to make it fun for Bella and me.”

“Well, of course, we’re going to do those things. We should never waste a trip to PA,” Jess said.

Throughout this conversation, Bella noticed Edward Cullen watching them with riveted interest. It almost appeared as if he could hear them, but that was impossible. He was on the other side of the cafeteria.There was no way he could hear them. Right?

But then again, there was that story Leah had told her about the Quileutes being descended from wolves and the Cullens being from a rival clan. Maybe the Cullens were werewolves? Bella chuckled at the thought. Clearly, she needed to stop reading supernatural romance novels.

XOXO

With parental permission confirmed, the friends headed to Port Angeles in Katie Marshall’s SUV for an afternoon and evening of fun. Their first stop was the dress shop, where they tried on multiple gowns.

“Don’t you dare try the royal blue on, Bella. You don’t have enough of a tan.”

Bella giggled, holding the dress up to her. “Oh my God, this color is fugly on me.”

“Yeah, it does look f*cked up, but unlike you, I have a natural tan,” Angela reminded her, taking the dress from her.

“I swear. I can’t believe you’re the minister’s daughter with all the swearing you do,” Katie noted.

“How do these make my boobs look?” Jessica asked, coming out of the fitting room wearing a skin-tight, curve-hugging dress.

“Um, no. Your boobs look like they’re squished together and popping out.”

“That’s the point. I want Mike to notice.”

“I highly doubt Mike isn’t going to notice. He can’t take his eyes off of you. Besides, if you wear that dress, you won’t be able to move because it’s so tight. I can even see your bony kneecaps. And you won’t be able to eat anything, and you love to eat, Jess,” Bella pointed out, reaching for a rose-colored dress and stepping into another fitting room. After a while, she cried, “Oh, this is all wrong! What the heck am I going to wear?”

“Don’t worry. We’re in the same boat—no date, no dress,” Katie groaned. We still have time and can always go to Silverdale or Olympia.”

“True. We’ll figure it out.”

“Oh my God, that blue looks so nice on you, Angela.”

“Yeah, I like it. I think I’ll take it.” Angela wore the blue halter dress that looked so heinous against Bella’s skin.

“What about this one?” Jess asked, putting on the rose-colored number Bella had just taken off.

“Better. Your boobs don’t look like they’re suffocating.”

Just then, several drunk college students tapped on the window and made catcalls. One of them made lewd gestures with his tongue while another grabbed his crotch.

“Gross,” Bella cringed, turning her back on the boys.

“Yeah, no kidding.”

Angela and Jess paid for their dresses, leaving them behind for alterations. They’d pick them up when ready in a couple of weeks.

“You know, we have to consider alteration time, too. I didn’t realize that,” Katie said.

“Neither did I. I’ll have to talk to my dad about going to Olympia later. Where is it?”

“South of us, about three hours away.”

“There’s no way my dad will let me drive so far away alone. He barely let me drive when we traveled up from Phoenix.”

“Yeah, that’s why we have to ask them to take us, and we’ll see if we can go together. They’re friends, so it should be easy to persuade them.”

Bella shrugged and nodded. “Well, that makes sense.”

The girls cut through an alleyway and parking lot to get to the movie theatre. They figured there were four of them, so there was safety in numbers. What they weren’t expecting was to run into the drunk college students who harassed them through the window of the dress shop. They were drinking in the parking lot, and they had predatory expressions on their faces. They quickly surrounded the girls.

XOXO

Paul Lahote sighed as he walked out of the Thunderbird and Whale bookstore. It was his mother’s birthday, and he had purchased a book on legends of Native American tribes that she’d been eyeing for a while. Earlier, he had gone to the bakery to pick up a birthday cake for her.

Paul, a member of the Quileute Nation, was the only child of Dr Julia Lahote—though she preferred to be called Ms Lahote. His mother was a psychologist at the Forks Police Department. She had raised him independently since she had him at seventeen, the same age he was now. Paul knew his mother had struggled initially and worked herself to the bone to support him while educating herself. It was why he was happy to make her birthdays special.

As he approached the parking lot where his Ford Focus was parked, Paul heard a girl yelling, “Get away from us, you scumbags!”

Paul’s sense of honor didn’t allow him to walk away, especially when people were in danger. He rushed to the scene to see what was going on. A group of eight or nine college students--all male and drunk--harassed four girls. The drunkards formed a circle around the girls, encompassing them so they couldn’t leave. Whatever those guys were up to, it wasn’t friendly. The girls were desperately trying to get away from them.

“Hey, Hey. Where are you going?” One of the guys asked with a lascivious leer on his face.

“Why don’t you hang out with us?” Another suggested, licking his lips in anticipation of god only knowing what.

They surrounded the girls, groping them, touching them, and intimidating them. Paul wasn’t going to stand for that. His mother had been a rape victim, and he was the result of the rape. He didn’t know who his father was; neither did his mother, and he wasn’t about to let the girls get victimized.

As he approached, a feisty brunette girl kneed one of the guys in the balls, sending him to the ground, doubled over. She jabbed another in the windpipe and clocked his jaw, but one of his friends grabbed the girl from behind, immobilizing her. “I like a wild one. I’m going to have fun with you,” he sneered, his voice laden with an undercurrent of menace. The girl didn’t give up, though; she furiously jabbed the guy holding her with her elbow several times, attempting to get free.

“Hey! Leave the girls alone!” Paul shouted, approaching the scene.

“What are you going to do, boy, defend them all on your own?” One of the guys puffed out.

Paul cracked his knuckles. “Yeah,” he smirked. “Come and get me.”

The guys left the girls and suddenly stalked toward Paul. He wasn’t worried. He had a special gift—courtesy of an ancestor from his mother’s line.

“Oh my God, Bella! What are you doing?” Katie called.

“We can’t let this guy let us defend us on his own. What if he’s killed? I won’t stand for it.”

Bella joined the fray and decided to practice some of her karate moves. Indeed, she had no idea what she was doing and got slugged more than a few times, but she got several good kicks and punches in. She refused to be a bystander like at her old high school.

Paul, meanwhile, was having an easy time of it. He was much stronger than these twerps, and he was easily defending himself, clocking them with hooks and jabs, and flinging others away. The brunette girl did her best to help him when she didn’t need to. She was a little spitfire, getting back up to fight whenever she was knocked down. He liked her spirit.

Two of the other girls rushed one of the drunkards together, kicking, slapping, and pulling his hair. The other girl frantically called someone, probably the police. Suddenly, the drunks dispersed and ran away.

The avenging angel stood up on her own before Paul could help her. “Ow! I didn’t realize it hurt so much to get punched,” she commented, rubbing the side of her head. “Thanks for coming to our defense. We would have been in trouble if you weren’t there.”

“No problem. Those guys were nothing but trouble.” Paul looked into the girl’s eyes. “What’s your name?”

And then it happened. Holy sh*t. Not now. Not here. Well, Sam warned him it would occur at the most inopportune time and place. He felt like an invisible lasso was binding him to the girl before him. Suddenly, nothing else in the world mattered but her. He would do anything, be anything for her.

Paul also had an incredible urge to sing “As Long As You Love Me” by the Backstreet Boys to her because, for some reason, he thought the lyrics were appropriate to the situation. Or maybe he should draw huge hearts on the sand at First Beach and write Paul and… What the heck is her name?

Paul Lahote had just imprinted on a complete stranger. He’d never seen her before, and he knew a lot of people both in Forks and La Push. He even recognized the three other girls. They were students at Forks High, although two of their names escaped him. He had found his soulmate—the girl his entire world would revolve around for life, and he didn’t even know her name. Quileute magic was weird.

Who was she? What if she was a hardened criminal? Or worse. What if she was flighty and fake? He couldn’t handle that.

“Oh, my God. Paul, thank god you were here. I didn’t recognize you with short hair.” Katie Marshall approached them. She had been the girl on the phone. “I called 911. Paul’s mother works at the station, Bella. She’s Julia Lahote, the psychologist at the police station. Paul, this is Bella Swan—Chief Swan’s daughter.”

Well, at least Paul knew who the girl was now. Her father was his mom’s boss.

Suddenly, a silver Volvo skidded into the parking lot with headlights blaring. A tall, copper-haired boy stepped out of it, and everyone instantly recognized Edward Cullen. He glared sinisterly at Bella and ordered, “Get in!”

“f*ck, no!” she hollered.

“It wasn’t a request,” Cullen snarled, grabbing Bella by the arm. She immediately struggled to break free, but he had an icy, cold grip on her. His hand was so cold that she thought her arm would become frostbitten.

“Who the hell do you think you are? You have no right to order me around.”

“Bella, that boy isn’t safe,” Edward growled. He’s a predator.”

“Who? Paul? He just saved us all. He’s a hero. You’re the predator. You’ve been stalking me since I arrived at Forks High School. Now, leave me and my friends alone!”

Edward tried to force Bella into his car. “Let go of my friend, you asshole, or I’ll tell my dad!” Katie cried, latching onto Bella and refusing to let go.

Edward finally released her, and the girls scurried behind Paul, who stepped toe to toe with the creep. There was a staring contest, and both boys refused to back down.

“I can’t read you clearly,” Edward Cullen mumbled, shaking his head. All he could get from the boy was, ‘Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh’ over and over again. He fixed an icy glare on Bella. “We’ll discuss this on Monday,” he grunted before peeling out of the parking lot, almost mowing down Paul.

“You weren’t kidding about him being creepy!” Jess commented to Bella.

“I told you.”

“It’s like he’s obsessed with you,” Angela pointed out. “That is so not good.”

“We need to tell our dads,” Katie stated, just as sirens sounded and two police cars pulled into the parking lot.

Paul wondered why the hell a vampire was obsessed with his imprint. Why couldn’t life ever be easy for him?

The kids explained what happened to the Port Angeles police officers, who put the kids in the squad cars and brought them all to the station after realizing three out of five had parents who worked in law enforcement. An hour later, Charlie Swan, Ken Marshall, and Julia Lahote rushed into the station. They were still at work when they received a phone call from the Port Angeles police chief. Twenty minutes after their arrival, the Webers and the Stanleys showed up.

Katie submitted evidence by way of photos. While everyone was fighting, she had taken pictures and video of the incident to identify the attackers. She had no intention of publishing anything on social media. She just wanted their attackers arrested.

One of the investigating officers blew out a breath. “I can identify most of them. The kid in the red shirt is my nephew and some of his high school hockey team friends. They’re all on Spring Break from college and are home for the week.” He shook his head. “I’m sorry about this. We’ll handle this on our end and keep you updated, Charlie. I’m glad the girls are okay.

“Well, we were lucky Paul was here to defend us,” Jess pointed out. “And Bella, you went in and fought valiantly, too.”

“Yeah, but I can one hundred percent say that putting everything I learned in karate class into play wasn’t easy. I was fighting those guys off where I could. Oh, and getting punched for real hurts.”

“Why did you fight those boys?” the Port Angeles police chief asked curiously.

“Well, I couldn’t let Paul defend us on his own. He might have been killed, and I couldn’t allow that to happen,” Bella explained. “I would never recover if I saw anything like that.”

She looked up to see Lieutenant Marshall, Ms Lahote, and her father smiling knowingly at her. They knew she had made a great deal of progress in getting a handle on her mental health since arriving in Forks.

“Well, Charlie, your daughter should get checked out at the hospital. She took several hard punches and might have a concussion.”

“I’d seriously go to Port Angeles because you don’t want that creepy Edward Cullen’s father checking you out,” Katie advised.

“Oh, yeah. We should tell everyone about what happened to him. That was seriously freaky!” Jess added.

The girls explained to their parents and the police officer how Edward Cullen suddenly appeared, demanding Bella get in his vehicle.

Paul added his two cents, too. He didn’t like the idea of a vampire stalking his imprint. As soon as he returned to the reservation, he planned on mentioning tonight’s events to Chief Black. It was a momentous day for him, even if he hadn’t explained it to Bella yet.

After everything concluded, the kids went home with their parents. Ken Marshall drove Katie’s SUV home while Paul drove his mom in his car. They had caught rides with Charlie. The other girls went home with their parents while Charlie took Bella to the emergency room in Port Angeles because it was better if she was seen sooner rather than later. Miraculously, she only suffered a black eye and a whole bunch of bruises and was treated and released to her father’s care.

XOXO

“What were you doing in Port Angeles, Paul?” Julia asked as her son started the engine.

Paul shook his head. He’d wanted to surprise his mother, but it wasn’t happening now. “Mom, if you look in the backseat, you’ll see a box from the bakery. It’s your birthday today. I wanted to surprise you.”

“You are just too sweet. Thank you, Paul. Have you had dinner yet?”

“No, I wasn’t expecting to have to defend girls from a bunch of drunks.”

“Well, I’m glad you were there to help them, especially Bella. I have a soft spot in my heart for her. Why don’t you drive to Bella Italia? Let’s get dinner there. We can bring the cake you bought for me and have it for dessert.”

“Mom, if we go to Bella Italia, I want the Tiramisu for dessert.”

Julia laughed. “Alright, we’ll save the cake for home then.”

Julia took in the sight of her son. She loved the boy more than life itself. Her boy, born through adversity, was a treasure. He was intelligent, respectful, and worked hard in school. This school year had been challenging for Paul. In October, her son had phased into a shapeshifting wolf, an utterly unexpected occurrence. She knew of the legends of her tribe, of course, but had assumed they were a folk tale.

With the arrival of the Cullen Family, a vampire coven that had previously resided in Forks in the 1930s, some of the boys turned into wolves due to a long-dormant gene that activates with the long-time presence of vampires. Julia carried the gene and passed it on to Paul.

Other than her son, Sam Uley, Jared Cameron, and Embry Call had also shifted. Their job is to protect La Push from vampires. It had been a difficult transition for the boys, who needed to adapt to their new abilities while still attending school. On top of that, one of the boys underwent the phenomenon of imprinting. Imprinting happened when a wolf met his soulmate, the one he’d keep and protect forever. An imprint was formed for the wolves by the spirits. Sadly, the first imprinting caused a dilemma. Poor Leah Clearwater, who had been Sam Uley’s fiancée, was shunted aside in favor of her cousin Emily. Leah had fallen into a deep depression, but according to Billy, she was finally climbing out of it with the help of a new friend: Bella Swan. Fortunately, none of the other boys had imprinted yet. They didn’t need that complication, too.

Julia and Paul placed their orders and talked while waiting for their dinner. Her son reached into his backpack and presented her with a bag from her favorite bookstore. “Sorry, I didn’t have time to wrap it. It’s your birthday present. Open it, Mom.”

“Oh, Paul. You shouldn’t be spending your hard-earned money on me.” Her son worked as a river guide on the Hoh Reservation during the summers when it was peak tourist season.

“Aw, Mom. You’re so worth it.” Paul flashed her his trademark smile. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” Julia opened the bag and pulled out a book on Native American Legends. It was the one she had been eyeing for a while. How did he know? “How did you know I wanted this book?”

“Mom, I saw you looking it up over and over again. And you left your laptop the other day with the page for the book open. Duh.”

“Well, you’re a perceptive kid.”

“I take after you.” Paul’s expression was contemplative. It looked like he was considering whether or not to say something to her.

“Whatever you’re thinking, Paul, it’s better out than in,” Julia reminded him. She was a firm believer that if something needed to be said, it was better to air it out instead of letting it ferment.

“Alright, then. Mom, I imprinted.”

Julia’s mouth popped open and shut several times. She wasn’t sure how to respond. Her son was too young to have a soulmate. “On whom? Did it happen at school? Is it one of your classmates?”

“No, not one of my classmates! That would be like unfair punishment. I feel like they’re all ditzes.” Paul tapped the side of his head. “I need a bit more originality. I don’t like it when girls agree with everything a guy says to make it seem like they have something in common.”

“Well, then, who did you imprint on?”

“Oh, the super pretty girl I met tonight. Her name is Bella Swan.”

Julia’s eyes widened. “You imprinted on my boss’s daughter?”

“Yeah. I looked into Bella’s eyes, and suddenly, everything in the world fell into place. Am I making any sense?”

Julia sighed. “If everything Billy explained about imprinting is true, then yes. Just don’t rush into things like Sam did with Emily. Treat her with the utmost respect.”

“Of course, Mom.”

Chapter 4 Chapter Text

“Dad, I look awful,” Bella whined, looking into the mirror on Monday morning. Her eye was now a strange mottled purple, and her body hurt all over.

“That’s what you get for jumping into the equivalent of a mosh pit. Wear your bruises like a badge of honor. I’m glad you were able to use your karate blocks. It saved you from major injury.” While Charlie understood Bella’s need to hop in and defend Paul, he still didn’t like it. He hated to see his daughter hurt.

The Port Angeles police chief touched base with him yesterday afternoon. All the assailants involved in the incident had been arrested and were awaiting arraignment. He was glad the case was being taken seriously despite one of the boys having a relative in law enforcement.

“Do I have to go to school?” Bella whined, drawing Charlie’s attention away from his thoughts.

“Hell, yes, you do. You’re injured, but it’s not life-threatening. And I’m afraid the bruising will worsen before it gets better.”

“Fine,” she grumbled and drove to school after hugging her dad goodbye.

When she got to school and parked, her friends were all waiting for her at the entrance. “Make way for the prizefighter!” Mike Newton yelled. The rest of the students applauded. She noticed that at least one of her friends stuck by her side the entire time, which was a good thing because Creepy Cullen shot daggers at her as he trailed her.

At lunch, one of Edward’s sisters, the short one who dated the hot blonde, approached her. “Hi, I’m Alice,” she squeaked.

Bella arched an eyebrow at her.

“So, anyway, my brother is sorry he couldn’t get to you on time the other night. One of the roads was down to a single lane due to an unexpected sinkhole, and I didn’t see that. You understand, don’t you?”

“Understand what?” Katie asked.

“Oh, well, my brother feels super bad that he wasn’t there to protect Bella.”

“Oh, but he doesn’t care about the rest of my friends? What a gentleman?” Sarcasm dripped from Bella’s voice.

“Uh, Alice, trust me when I say Bella doesn’t want your creepy-ass brother’s protection,” Angela informed her.

“Yes, she does. They’re mat... meant for each other.”

Bella shook her head. “Listen. Your brother is a freak. I want nothing to do with him. Is that understood? So, I’m asking you nicely to tell him to stay away from me and my friends, and the same request applies to you, too.”

“Alice, you should eat your lunch before it gets cold.” The weird girl’s blond boyfriend, the hot one named Jasper, gently took her arm and guided her to the lunch table. “I’m sorry about her. I’ll make sure she stays away from you.” He nodded to Bella, meeting her eyes and winking.

“How the f*ck does the strange Cullen girl get a hot boyfriend with a velvety voice, a sexy accent, and manners while you and I are still single?” Katie questioned.

“Who knows? Maybe we’re meant for bigger and better.”

“Yeah. Not in this town.”

“Hey, we’re sitting here, you know!” Mike looked mock offended.

“You guys totally don’t count. You’re our friends, and we’re not crazy enough to date you. Plus, none of us are hot enough for Mr. Quarterback Crowley. He’s so on fire; only the homecoming queen will do for him.”

Bella and Katie made kissing noises at him. Tyler had been dating Lauren Mallory since his freshman year in high school. She was the head cheerleader, part of a different friend group. However, he was a good guy and didn’t abandon his friends for the popular set.

When school ended, Bella headed to the police station. With Edward Cullen skulking around, her father refused to let her be at home alone, so she had to hang out at the station until he finished work. She didn’t mind. It was only for a couple of weeks until softball practice started. Speaking of which, she had tryouts next week. She knew she’d make the team. She had been on the varsity team at her high school in Arizona since her freshman year, so she saw no reason for that to change.

Bella had been twiddling her thumbs for a few minutes when her father asked, “Bells, don’t you have homework?”

“Nope. I finished everything in study hall.”

“So you have nothing to do.”

“Nothing at all,” Bella replied.

“Good. Then, you can go to the staff lounge room, wipe everything down, and organize the refrigerator and cabinets. You also need to take all the trash out to the big dumpster. Tomorrow, you can wipe down the exterior of all the file cabinets and mop the floors in the entire station.”

Bella’s jaw dropped. “Why am I being punished for being stalked?”

“Katie will be here to help in a few minutes. I hear there are prom dresses in it for the two of you. Lieutenant Marshall and I will drive you girls to Olympia on Saturday.”

Bella’s frown instantly transformed into a radiant smile. “You mean we don’t have to pay for our dresses?” She had seen the prices at the dress shop in Port Angeles and was floored by how astronomical everything was. Katie had told her there would be more choices in Olympia, and the prices would be more reasonable.

“Call it sweat equity.” Charlie grinned and ruffled his daughter’s hair. “Make sure you do a good job.”

Katie arrived a few minutes later with her father. “We are so lucky! We have the best dads in the world!”

“Yeah, we do,” Bella agreed, smiling. She considered her mother. She possibly would have paid for half of the prom dress but most likely would have made Bella pay for the whole thing herself. Renee would not have allowed her to work off the dress with sweat equity. No, Bella had worked part-time for her spending money since she was fourteen. The only thing Renee paid for that was considered ‘extra’ was softball and anything to do it.

The girls got to work immediately. Cleaning the staff lounge room took work. The cops were absolute slobs! They spent the first hour working on the refrigerator. There was food in there from two years ago. Bella’s father told them to toss anything over three days old, 90 percent of the contents. They threw out decrepit-looking lunches, old condiments, and spaghetti so moldy that it had seen better days--five years ago. In the end, an unopened container of French Vanilla coffee creamer remained a brand-new bottle of ketchup, and bottled water. The only reason the bottled water was in there was because the girls loaded up the refrigerator with an unopened case they spotted. It took them until after five pm, but they finally got to the lounge room spotless.

Hopefully, tomorrow’s cleaning will be easier. In any case, working a few hours for their fathers to pay for their prom dresses was a win-win for them.

XOXO

Billy sat wide-eyed while listening to his girlfriend. Julia Lahote was beautiful, intelligent, and the bravest woman he knew. He never thought he’d date again after Sarah passed away seven years ago, but here he was, falling in love again. But today, Julia was discussing more serious topics.

She explained what had transpired between her son Paul and Bella Swan on Friday night.

Now, Billy had a soft spot in his heart for Bella. She was his best friend’s daughter; he had known her since he first met her as a newborn at the hospital. He considered her family. Never in his life did he imagine that Paul would imprint on Bella. She was now officially under Quileute protection; however, how would he broach the topic of supernaturals and soulmates with her? And should he tell Charlie or not?

“You need to tell Charlie first,” Julia suggested as if reading his mind. She was so wise. “He needs to know because he just got Bella back, and if you put a gag order on her, it would only put distance between them.”

“I’ll consider it,” Billy said.

“You also need to speak to Carlisle Cullen. According to Paul, Edward Cullen attempted to force Bella into his Volvo on Friday night. And on Monday, Alice Cullen approached her in the cafeteria. Bella said that she spouted strange nonsense about Edward being sorry about not being able to get to her on time on Friday, which leads me to believe they somehow knew about what happened to the girls in the parking lot. Bella repeatedly informs Edward Cullen that she is uninterested in him, but he keeps approaching and watching her. And you can’t say anything about this to Charlie because I just broke the patient and therapist confidentiality agreement. Damn it, Billy. I’m so worried about her.”

Billy reached under the table and clasped Julia’s hand in his. “I’ll keep her safe. I promise. How does Paul feel about everything?”

“He told me that after he tells her about the imprinting, he’s asking her to his prom.”

Billy chuckled. “That’s a teenager for you. At least you have the advantage of knowing Bella is a good, steady girl. Of course, I may be biased.”

“You are, but so am I. She’s my favorite patient, you know? Charlie and Ken devised the idea for the girls to clean the police station in exchange for prom dresses. They’re taking Bella and Katie to Olympia on Saturday. Can you imagine them shopping for dresses?”

“God, no. I remember having to take Rachel and Rebecca. I’d better tell them not to get the dresses altered in Olympia. The seamstress at the dry cleaners in Forks is cheaper and quicker. She could use the business, too.”

“Always trying to do good for the community, my love.”

Billy loved Julia, too. She was so different from Sarah, who had been a homemaker and wholly vested in her children but dependent on him financially and to make decisions. She also loved to paint. She had been a talented artist; some of her paintings were hanging in the tribal lodge. And Billy had one he prized above all. She had painted a family portrait, using a photo of them with the children. Sarah had passed away shortly after completing the painting.

On the other hand, there was Julia. She was a brilliant, independent woman—reliant on no man. She loved her son with ferocity and raised him to have a backbone of steel. She enjoyed her job as the staff psychologist at the police station because she helped people overcome their issues. And she loved Quileute culture. In that, she was similar to Sarah.

Billy looked into Julia’s eyes and smiled. A spur-of-the-moment decision made him say, “I love you, Julia. You’ve made me look forward to living each day to the fullest, and I find I cannot wait until our sons graduate from high school. Let’s get married. Please?” And when his girlfriend stared back at him in shock, he continued, “Pretty, please?”

She clutched her stomach and rolled with laughter, “I will marry you, Billy Black, but only because you added the pretty, please.”

Chapter 5 Chapter Text

On Wednesday, when Edward Cullen approached her, Bella checked her text messages while standing by her car. She tried to walk away, but he trapped her against the door by placing his hands on the vehicle, framing her body. He donned a greasy smile on his face.

“I want to apologize for Friday night. I tried to get to you, but a traffic incident delayed me. If I hadn’t been delayed, that savage mutt wouldn’t have got there first,” he griped in frustration. The fake smile had disappeared, and now his expression was furious. Bella noticed Edward clenched his teeth so hard, she thought they’d shatter. He kept balling his hands into fists, curling and unfurling them, and pressing them into the car’s driver’s side window frame. He was fuming like an angry pit bull, poised for attack, and his breathing was… his breathing…He wasn’t breathing. Cullen’s chest wasn’t moving up or down, nor did she feel any of his breaths, which she should have at this proximity. And then he traced an ice-cold finger around her black eye, making her shiver in fright. “If only I had gotten to you on time, this would not have happened. I’m here to tell you that it won’t happen again. I’ll keep you safe going forward. I’ll always keep you safe. You’ll always be safe with me.”

Fear thrummed through Bella’s veins as she realized that Edward Cullen was not quite normal. In fact, he was rather disturbing. Her heart began racing as panic overtook her body. She also thought that perhaps there was some merit to the folktale Leah had shared about the Quileutes and the Cullens.Was it possible that the Cullens were really from an enemy clan? Was Edward Cullen a werewolf?She gulped as she realized it was probable that the monster in front of her was inhuman.

Chapter 6 Chapter Text

By the end of dinner, everyone realized the impromptu dinner the tribal chief ordered was significant, especially when Old Quil showed up for dessert with his grandson Quil. More telling for Paul was when his wolf brothers, Sam Uley, Jared Cameron, and Embry Call, arrived. Tiffany Call, Embry’s mother, was the last to arrive.

“Welcome,” Billy greeted after everyone was seated. The tribal chief remained standing. “I called this meeting today because I’d like to address some weighty items. I know the attendees at this gathering are unusual, but needs must, and I request you listen to all I have to say before interrupting me. I promise to answer all your questions.”

Billy slanted a significant look at Old Quil, who was about to say something. Once all eyes were on him, the tribal chief continued, “I’d like to begin with introductions. For those of you who haven’t met her, the young lady sitting between Leah and Paul is Isabella Swan. She is Charlie’s daughter. You all know Charlie, of course.” Everyone flashed a smile or a timid wave to the police chief. “Bella is a junior at Forks High School, and yes, this information is also noteworthy.

“So now, I’m going to begin with a tale some of you know as truth and others as legend. As you know, the Quileutes have always been a close-knit tribe. We have always protected ourselves from evil, which has been true since the beginning. We have always had magic in our blood.”

“William, I need to speak to you outside. Now!” Old Quil growled.

“No,” Billy quelled the old elder with a straightforward word before continuing. “As I said, we have always had magic in our blood—magic that has come to our aid in times of distress. The same magic has allowed some tribal members to transform into great wolves to protect our land from enemies. One day, many centuries ago, a few of our warriors encountered a creature who looked like man but was ten times as strong, with skin as hard as stone and cold like ice.”

A sharp intake of breath from Bella momentarily shifted everyone’s attention away from Billy to her. She grasped hold of Leah’s hand with a look of distress.

The tribal chief continued with his tale. “The creature attacked members of our tribe—killing them by draining them of their blood, which they needed to survive. Our warriors could phase into wolves, ripping the creature apart with their sharp teeth, but they could not completely kill them. They discovered fire was the only thing that completely destroyed him. Unfortunately, the creature was not the only one—there was another: his mate. She was hellbent on vengeance and took it out on the tribe. She killed all the warriors except for one, Taha Aki—the old tribal chief. He was the only warrior left to protect the tribe. His sons had died bravely fighting the female creature, so it was up to him. He quickly transformed into his great wolf form, but the creature was strong and soon able to gain the upper hand. What she didn’t count on was Taha Aki’s third wife. She was no magical being, but she was angry that the creature had taken so much from the tribe, and she was devastated that her sons were all destroyed by the monster. The third wife had an enormous amount of courage, and she did the only thing she could think of—she stabbed herself in the stomach, drawing blood. The bloodthirsty creature was immediately distracted, dropped Taha Aki, and headed straight for his wife. It allowed the remaining warrior enough time to dive on top of the monster and destroy her.”

“Wonderful, William! You have now shared our tribal secrets with those who do not need to know,” Old Quil berated.

“I beg to differ, Old Man. Tiffany needed to know, and so did Leah. And you will soon discover why Bella and Charlie need to know. Now, don’t interrupt me again!” After Billy got hold of his temper, he dropped the next bombshell. “As you can imagine, you may be wondering why I’m sharing this story with you, and all I can say is Quileute magic is active once again. Sitting in this room are six wolves—and three boys who will soon transition.” Everyone’s eyes fixed on the tribal chief. “When the Cullens moved to town a year-and-a-half ago, the magic activated. Our genes sensed an enemy, just like they did in Taha Aki’s time and when the Cullens first lived in the area during my grandfather’s time. The Cullens are vampires, but my grandfather formed a treaty with them since their food source is animal blood rather than human blood. As long as they do not enter Quileute land, we will keep their secret, and they will keep ours. Of course, we reworked the treaty because, initially, Quileutes were not allowed to leave La Push, which I argued personally with Carlisle Cullen was unreasonable, especially since Harry is also a physician at the hospital. Quileutes are a part of every fabric of society—not just on the Olympic Peninsula but worldwide. Even the vampire realized that recalling everyone and restricting them to La Push was inhumane and would open up many legal issues, drawing attention to the existence of supernaturals.

“Now, the reason why I told you all this story is because it affects you directly. I’ll begin by introducing the spirit warriors Sam Uley, Jared Cameron, Paul Lahote, and Embry Call, our young warriors. They are led by Harry and me. I was the first to transform because I was surrounded by five Cullen vampires daily; the second was Harry because he works directly with Carlisle Cullen. We are glad that we were the first to turn because we have been able to guide the boys through their change. Now, I will explain how it affects you.” Billy glanced at Bella, who appeared befuddled. “Bella? Is there something I can clarify for you?”

She nodded, crinkling her lips and nose to think. “So, Edward Cullen is not a werewolf? You guys are?”

“No, Edward Cullen is a vampire. They are rivals of the wolves. And we are not werewolves. We are shapeshifters. We can only shift into wolves. Why did you think Edward Cullen was a werewolf?”

“Oh, it was the rival clan theory. I assumed it was werewolf versus werewolf, but this makes more sense. I’m good now.”

Billy turned to Tiffany. “I know you’re surprised Embry is a wolf. We were all surprised, in fact, especially considering your Makah heritage. But now you know why your son has been coming and going from the house at all hours of the night. He has been protecting the reservation. Now, I’d like to know who Embry’s father is.”

Tiffany shook her head, tears filling her eyes. “I don’t want to say. It will hurt people.”

“Tiffany, we need to know for the sake of our tribe. You can tell me in private if you’d like.”

Embry’s mother squeezed her eyes shut, took a deep breath, and confessed, “It was Quil Ateara the Fourth. I didn’t even know Joy was his wife. He lied to me. When I told him I was pregnant, he somehow managed to arrange housing for me. I’m grateful he did that. While he was alive, he provided what support he could, but after he died in that wreck, it all ended.”

And then, in complete shock and surprise, Old Quil gasped, “I have another grandson.”

“Well, gee, it was kind of obvious,” Jacob pointed out, “Embry and Quil were always close like brothers. And now we know why.”

“Thank you for sharing this information, Tiffany. We will note it in the Ateara line, and I’m sure Old Quil will welcome you both to their family.”

“Of course, we will. I wish I had known sooner,” the old man said sincerely. “I would have ensured any child support my son provided would have continued. If you allow, I would like to be present in my grandson’s life, just like I am with young Quil.”

Tiffany and Embry nodded tentatively in reply.

“Now, let’s move on to Leah. Among this group, you now know who is a warrior and who is not. Sam transformed while he was dating you. Let me get to the next part of my explanation. Supernatural beings all share a phenomenon called mating. Vampires have mates. At least two of the couples within the Cullen Coven are mated. Wolves, too, have mates. Our mates are called imprints, and we form a spiritual bond with them from the moment our eyes meet. Some of the wolves have imprinted, including Harry, Sam, and me. We are pleased that Harry imprinted on Sue as soon as he first phased because that would have caused severe complications. The second to imprint was me, on Julia last year.”

“You didn’t tell me you imprinted on me, nor did you mention you and Harry werewolves,” Julia noted. “Hmm?”

Billy chuckled. “Yes, well, Harry and I put a gag order on the boys because it was on a need-to-know basis only. Basically, we didn’t want the Cullens to find out. Also, I didn’t want you to think I was dating you simply because of the imprint. I’ve always found you attractive, Julia.”

“Stop! TMI!” Jake interrupted. “I really don’t want to hear you flirting with Paul’s mom, Dad.”

“Right. Well, let’s move on, shall we?” Billy turned his attention back to Leah. “I am sorry to say that Sam imprinted on Emily. It is the reason why he suddenly broke up with you.”

“I’m so sorry, Leah,” Sam said solemnly. “I did love you when we were together and…”

“No,” Leah shook her head. “I don’t want to hear it. Regardless of whether you imprinted or not, you did not handle our breakup well. Hell, you didn’t even bother breaking up with me. You just shacked up with my slu*t cousin.”

“Don’t you ever disparage my imprint!” Sam growled, getting in his ex-girlfriend’s face. Leah stood defiantly, and then, surprisingly, Bella did, too. She stood in front of her friend, valiantly defending her.

“You have no right to say anything to my friend. I saw you making out with your fiancée and flaunting your relationship before Leah. I don’t care if a supernatural mandate forced you to be with her. The mandate doesn’t tell you to forget about common decency and hurt your former fiancée’s feelings, dick!”

Sam Uley snarled, his face twisted, his entire body shaking when Paul suddenly stood up and punched him across the jaw, making his head snap back. “Don’t even think about hurting my imprint, or I’ll f*ck you up. Besides, keeping imprints safe is the most sacred pack law.”

“What?” Bella cried.

“But she’s Hok’wat,” Sam protested, completely surprised.

“And now that Paul has made short work of the subsequent part of my speech, I would like to address the next issue. Before that, two things: Bella and Paul, you will watch your language in front of your parents and elders. Samuel, you will sit by my side lest you lose control again.” As soon as Sam was in place, Billy spoke again. “On Friday, Paul imprinted on Bella while in Port Angeles. The reason why this information is significant enough to impart our tribal secrets to Chief Swan is because Bella is being stalked by the vampire Edward Cullen.”

“You mentioned that when Sam and I first met you on the beach with your friends,” Embry recalled.

“I did. Edward Cullen has been weird since my first day at Forks High. I had to ask for a schedule change because he freaked me out. I’ve repeatedly reported him to Uncle Billy—Principal Black, and the school resource officer. They’ve done what they could to keep me safe, and so have my friends. On Friday, Cullen tried to order me into his car, but Paul and my friends ensured he could not take off with me. I’d say the worst incident to date was today. Edward Cullen trapped me against my car and said some odd things to me.”

“What exactly did he say to you, kiddo?” Charlie’s eyes were rife with concern for his daughter.

“He wanted to apologize for not getting to me in time on Friday night, and then he became angry that Paul had gotten there first. Then he repeatedly said something about always keeping me safe. Throughout this, I became increasingly frightened. I noticed something odd about him. You see, right now, when Sam was upset, his body became rigid, his breathing became louder and more prominent, and I could feel his breaths because he was up in my face. Edward Cullen was the exact same distance from me, and I noticed he didn’t breathe once. Even worse, he touched my black eye, and his fingers were ice cold. Well, I became so terrified that I screamed for my friend Tyler, who immediately came to help me. Edward ran away, but before he did, he snarled, ‘We’ll discuss your disobedience later,’ to me.

Bella wasn’t done yet. “Tyler noticed that Edward had damaged my vehicle. He dented the window frame with his bare hands in his anger. And then I lost it. I left my car at school, and Ty insisted on driving me to the police station because I was too frazzled to drive. You weren’t there, but Ms Lahote was, and she brought me to the reservation.”

After Bella finished reciting her story, the room was silent for quite some time. Old Quil broke the silence. “Well, I understand why you divulged our secrets to the Swans. Now, how can we keep young Isabella safe?”

“We’ll get to that soon, Old Quil,” Billy said. “I want to let Jacob, Quil, and Seth know why they’ve been invited to this meeting. The three of you will be the next to transform. The changes are already happening within you, and I wanted to warn you rather than let it be a surprise like it was for Sam, Jared, Paul, and Embry. And before we go on, there are some skeptics among you, so I’d like to invite two of you to phase into your wolf forms.”

“I’ll do it,” Sam volunteered.

“Me, too,” Embry offered. He figured his mother wouldn’t fully believe everything revealed tonight until she saw him in his wolf form.

They all hurried out to the backyard, which led into the woods. Sam and Embry immediately phased into their majestic wolf forms, and when they all returned to Billy’s living room, Charlie broke the silence by asking, “Uh, are either of you available to come hunting with us next week?”

“Haha! I guessed you’d say something snarky like that if you ever found out,” Harry chuckled. But I believe the topic of the evening is what we are going to do to ensure Bella’s safety.”

“Maybe she can come to school with us,” Seth suggested excitedly.

“If only that were possible,” Harry said. “Unfortunately, she has to be a resident of La Push to attend the tribal school.”

Seth looked confused. “But then why are we allowed to attend school in Forks?”

“We have a choice because even though we are a sovereign nation, La Push is within the boundaries of the Forks school district. That’s why some kids choose to attend public school in Forks.”

“Bummer. It would have been cool to have Bells in school with us.”

“Honestly, I don’t think it’s a matter of keeping me safe during school,” Bella pointed out. “My friends won’t leave my side after today, and Uncle Billy will be there to protect me. I mean Principal Black. It’s after school when they aren’t all with me.”

“Well, going forward, I will drive you to and from school,” Charlie decided. “At least until something can be done about Edward Cullen.”

“That’s a good start, Charlie, but I have another issue to discuss. Waylon Forge’s death today was caused by a group of human-feeding vampires. You will notice that the Cullens all have golden eyes. Their eyes become that color when they survive on animal blood for an extended period of time. Vampires who feed from humans all have blood-red eyes.”

Bella raised her hand.

“Yes, Bella?”

“I notice Edward Cullen’s eyes go from gold to black, especially when he’s giving me the evil eye. What does that mean?”

“Well, from what I could discern from the old journals, when a vampire’s eyes become black, it means they are suffering from desire or hunger.”

Bella’s jaw dropped. “Hunger? I don’t want to become a vampire. Happy meal! And how could it be hunger? On the first day of school, he acted like I had a severe case of body odor, which I don’t.”

“We’re getting to that.” Billy sighed. “I called Carlisle Cullen today and addressed several issues, including the fact that you are Paul’s imprint and, therefore, under Quileute protection. According to Carlisle, his son believes you are his mate.”

“No, no, no, no! Bella is my imprint. How could she be Edward’s mate?” Paul asked. “I imprinted on her for sure. I felt the bonds Sam described.”

“Carlisle does not think it’s possible that Bella is his mate; rather, he believes Edward is obsessed with Bella’s blood.”

“That’s even worse!” Jared spat.

“And what bonds?” Charlie asked. “Do they hurt?”

“I think he’s talking about figurative bonds, Dad. It’s like that weird eye juju thing I feel whenever Paul looks into my eyes, but that’s neither here nor there. Daddy, I really don’t want to be offered up on a platter to Edward Cullen. He scares the crap out of me, and his sister Alice is a close second. I don’t know what the hot cowboy sees in her.”

“What hot cowboy?” Paul asked. “Am I going to have to start listening to country music?”

“You can listen to whatever you want to. I prefer country, but that doesn’t mean you have to listen to it. Anyway, I like a whole bunch of different genres.”

Paul was devastated at this news. He hoped she at least liked a few boyband songs. Maybe he could audition for America’s Got Talent, and Simon Cowell would put him in a boyband. That would be cool.

“Enough!” Billy hollered. “You and Bella can get to know each other later. Now, we need to discuss the danger to Forks and La Push. Clearly, there are human-feeding vampires running around the area. The Cullens have no idea who they are, but I can tell you that no treaty binds the human feeders. They will come and go from La Push at will, so we must all be on guard. As for Bella’s situation, Carlisle Cullen will call me directly after having a discussion with Edward. We will start there. Bella, always stay vigilant, and stay with your friends while at school until your father picks you up. If he can’t pick you up, you will stay with me until he can. For the rest of you kids, the buddy system applies to you, too. Leah, no long solo walks on the reservation. Is that understood?”

“Yes, Billy.”

XOXO

When Bella arrived at school on Thursday, she was met with another shock. Her car was gone. Fortunately, her father was with her because he was dropping her off.

“Daddy, do I have a target on my forehead or something? What are the chances of my car getting stolen in Forks, Washington, from the school parking lot with multiple security cameras?”

Charlie leaned over to hug his daughter. “Aw, kiddo. I wish I knew, but I have access to the video feed at the station, so I’ll take a look at them there. Let’s get you inside.”

Charlie ensured Bella was with her friends and then stopped to see Ken. He explained that Bella’s car had been stolen, which was suspicious because car thefts were rare in Forks. They looked at the live feed from dismissal time to the present, and the car seemed to be there the entire time.

“No, the car isn’t there. The video has been corrupted. Look at the time stamp. The video has been running on a fifteen-minute loop beginning at 3:12 a.m.”

“I’m going to the station to look at the feed there. I’ll call you if I have anything.”

“Alright, I’ll tell Billy what’s going on.”

Charlie rushed to the station to check out the video feed. He went directly to the media room to look at the tapes. He fast-forwarded to 3:10 a.m. The car was still there, but then, at 3:12 a.m., Cullen arrived. Bingo! He made two copies of the tape, transferring one to an external hard drive and one to a thumb drive. He wasn’t taking any chances.

Charlie asked Billy to stop by the station as soon as possible. Ten minutes later, his friend arrived with a worried expression. “I heard about what happened to Bella’s car and the video feed. What did you find?”

Charlie showed his friend the video. Edward Cullen had smashed in Bella’s car window, hot-wired it, and driven off to who knows where. In another video, he broke into the school building on foot through an unlocked second-floor window. He went straight to Ken’s office, where the cameras were. Clearly, he had no idea that the video feeds went to two separate locations because the school footage was the only one Cullen had tampered with.

“I think we need to meet with Carlisle Cullen in person. I’ll try to arrange it for this afternoon if you’re free.”

“Set it up. I’ll make time.” Charlie nodded.

XOXO

At lunch, Bella sat with her usual group in the cafeteria. They were discussing whether or not to rent a limo for prom when Edward Cullen approached her with a bouquet of red roses, placing them next to her lunch tray on the table. “I couldn’t help but overhear the conversation, but there will be no need for you to chip in for a limousine with these people, Bella. I’ll pick you up for the prom. We don’t associate with the masses, after all.”

Tyler got to his feet, as did Mike Newton. Several of their football teammates approached to back them up. “After the sh*t you pulled yesterday, you have some nerve assuming she’s going to the prom with you,” Tyler growled.

“Dude, I’m not going anywhere with you, ever. You creep me out, and I have no idea why you keep approaching me, but I want you to stay the f*ck away from me!” Bella snapped.

“How dare you use such unladylike language in front of me?”

“Go f*ck yourself, asshole!”

The Cullen, built like a brick house, grabbed Edward and pulled him away. “Sorry about my brother. He’s spoiled and doesn’t understand the meaning of the word no. I’ll do my best to keep him away from you,” Emmett said, dragging his brother back to the lunch table where the rest of the coven sat.

Bella was fuming. She was so angry. It was bad enough that Edward had damaged her car yesterday, but now it had been stolen. Did the creep have something to do with it? Angrily, Bella snatched her chocolate milk and Mike’s, along with the roses Edward left on the table. She stalked to the Cullen table and hurled the milk into Edward Cullen’s face. Then she smacked him across the face with the bouquet of roses, which alarmingly shredded on impact.

“Listen to me, f*cker! When a girl says no, she means no, or didn’t your family teach you that? I. DO. NOT. LIKE. YOU. Can you get that through your thick skull? Or are you mentally deficient? I’ve asked you to stay away from me multiple times. I’ve even had my schedule changed because you annoy the living f*ck out of me, but no, you’re a persistent little sh*t, aren’t you? Now, this is the last time I’m going to ask you nicely to stay away from me!” And then Bella had a thought, “If I find out you had something to do with my car being stolen, especially after you dented the sh*t out of it yesterday, I will sue your motherf*cking ass! Is that understood?”

Bella didn’t give him a chance to reply. She glanced at Jasper, the hot cowboy, and noticed his eyes narrowed at Edward. She also saw the blonde girl’s blistering expression directed at Edward, and her big hulking boyfriend’s stern expression. Alice looked terrified while Edward glowered defiantly back at Bella.

“Isabella Swan, come with me, please,” Lieutenant Marshall stated, motioning toward the cafeteria doors.

Immediately, her entire lunch table, plus about twenty others, argued that Cullen had provoked Bella into losing her temper. She grabbed her backpack and headed out of the cafeteria.

The school resource officer took Bella directly to Principal Black’s office, where she faced Billy and Ken. “Would you like to explain what happened?”

“I lost my temper, but in my defense, I’ve had a horrible day and was provoked. Edward Cullen had the nerve to listen in on a conversation I was having with my friends about prom. We were trying to devise a plan for a limo rental when he told me that I didn’t need to go in on a limo because he’d be picking me up. And then something snapped, and I just lost it. I threw chocolate milk in his face and hit him with a bouquet of roses he gave me. I also lectured him. Bella peered at the two men with a desperate countenance. She stomped her foot in frustration. “I just want a normal day of peace. I want to hang out with my friends, go to the diner, and not worry about getting kidnapped by a stalker. On top of that, I haven’t been able to practice for softball tryouts next week all because of that Edward brat.”

“I understand how you feel, Bella. You’re in an untenable situation, but you should not approach Edward Cullen for your own safety. I’m going to send you back to class right now, okay? I want you to come back here at the end of the day.” Billy quickly handed her a hall pass, and Ken walked her to her class.

Billy sighed. He’d also have to bring this issue up with Carlisle Cullen this afternoon.

XOXO

Carlisle Cullen arrived at Forks High School at five p.m. with Jasper, who insisted he attend the meeting. He had been warned in advance that Chief Swan would be there since it involved his daughter. Chief Black also informed him that Chief Swan knew about the existence of vampires and wolves.

Carlisle and Jasper sat across from Billy and Charlie. They addressed several incidents which had occurred between Bella and Edward. “Your son has been obsessed with my daughter from day one. She has not been able to relax since she arrived in Forks because of him, and I would like to know what it will take to make him leave her alone. What is his problem anyway?” Chief Swan asked.

“My son believes Bella is his mate, but I don’t think it’s true, nor does Jasper. We think that Bella is Edward’s singer. A singer to a vampire is someone whose blood calls to him—similar to how heroin calls to a drug addict,” Carlisle confessed.

“Carlisle, if Edward does something stupid and hurts Bella, we will kill him,” Billy informed him. “Bella is mated to a wolf. And you know that supernatural law states all mates must be protected.”

“I understand, and if we can’t get Edward to understand the severity of the situation, we will move to another town,” declared Carlisle.

“We’ll get to that later. There’s another issue I’d like to discuss—the matter of Bella’s car. We have a video of Edward breaking into it and driving away. He also tampered with the video in the school resource officer’s office. Fortunately, my specialist was able to retrieve the original.”

Charlie played the video of Edward stealing the car. Then he showed Carlisle the footage from earlier on Wednesday afternoon when Bella looked terrified because Edward had trapped her against her car. “Now, you tell me. You claim to have sons and daughters, but it’s all just a facade. If someone threatened your child the way Edward has my Bella, how would you handle it?”

Carlisle Cullen shifted in his seat and looked uncomfortably down at his feet. He had no answer because he’d never been a father—not in the true sense. He had no idea how to reply to this man because he was so very sorry that the man’s daughter had been frightened. Carlisle could see genuine fear on the girl’s face in the video, which was unacceptable.

When Carlisle didn’t reply, Jasper said, “I will eliminate Edward myself if he doesn’t listen to reason. You have my word. I like that little girl of yours. She has spirit. Oh, and Carlisle will be replacing your daughter’s car. We got Edward to confess to stealing it, then destroying it so he could gift her a safer vehicle.”

“Chief Swan, I know my son’s methods are unconventional, but his heart is in the right place. He wants Bella to be safe,” Carlisle argued.

The three others in the office stared at the doctor with dumbfounded expressions. Could Carlisle Cullen be so clueless?

Jasper fixed Carlisle with a stern expression. “His heart is in the right place? Carlisle, what Edward did to Bella’s car is blatant theft. His icy heart is only concerned with self-gratification. He doesn’t care about Bella, her car, or anyone else for that matter. Now, will you replace Bella’s car because I don’t think the Swans should be responsible for something they didn’t cause?”

Carlisle nodded. “Yes, of course, I will replace Bella’s car with a vehicle of her choosing--not Edward’s.”

“And what exactly happened to my daughter’s car?” Charlie asked.

“Edward set it on fire,” Jasper informed her. “I was able to get the truth out of him after some… stimulation.”

Billy wondered exactly how Jasper ‘stimulated’ Edward. It must have been painful.

Charlie stood up, appalled. He slammed his fists down onto the table. “Your son has a mental illness and needs professional help. Bella is still a child—a minor. Edward Cullen has no business sniffing around her, and frankly speaking, if he were a human high school student, he would be sitting in juvie, awaiting a hearing on his mental health. He would most definitely be, at minimum, suspended from school.

“Furthermore, your fitness as a parent would be in question, and you would be at risk of losing custody of him. However, Edward isn’t human. If he was alive in the 1930’s during your first stay, he’s an old man masquerading as a teenage boy. Now, I understand your goal is to blend in with humans. I’m telling you now that you aren’t blending.”

This statement, more than anything, appeared to stun Carlisle Cullen. Charlie wondered in what world he thought they’d blend in with humans dressed in their designer duds while driving their fancy vehicles. They could never work in reconnaissance. It might work in a big city, but this was Forks, Washington. The fanciest thing going on in this town was the prom.

“Chief Swan, I will personally guarantee your daughter’s safety,” Jasper declared. “Carlisle does not speak for me. He is not my sire, and I have been my own master for many centuries. If needs must, I’ll bring in my own people to see to Edward.” Jasper then turned to Billy. “Chief Black, I’d like to address the issue of the dead humans in the area. Yesterday, we encountered three nomadic vampires. We hope they are simply passing through the area, but they appear untrustworthy. They are a trio consisting of one woman with flaming red hair, a man with long, blonde hair tied in a ponytail, and a black man with dreadlocks wearing a burgundy lounge suit. They go by the names Victoria, James, and Laurent. Your wolves should be warned to be on the lookout for them.

Jasper continued, “I’ve discussed this with Carlisle, and I’d also like to offer my services to teach the wolves how to fight off vampires. I’m sure they are inexperienced. I have hundreds of years of experience as a soldier in the Civil War and the Southern Vampire Wars.”

“Southern Vampire Wars? What is that?” Charlie asked.

“It was a territorial war involving vampire clans in southern Texas and Mexico.”

Billy decided to take advantage of his offer. “Alright. We can schedule a time with the boys if I have your cell number. Bear in mind they’re still in high school—this is the first time around for them.”

“They’re that young?” Carlisle asked. “I thought they would be older.”

“Only two are. Your extended presence activates our genes and makes the boys transform.”

Carlisle looked genuinely remorseful. “I’m sorry. I had no idea we were the cause. You’re saying these boys were leading normal lives until we came around. I just thought… Well, I imagined there was a permanent wolf presence in La Push. I never imagined we were the catalyst for an unwelcome foray for your tribe into the world of supernaturals.”

The meeting continued with tentative plans to train the wolves for battle, ensure Bella’s safety, replace her vehicle, and keep Edward at bay.

Chapter 7 Chapter Text

On Monday morning, the students were all aflutter when two new students joined the junior class. During the meeting on Thursday with the vampires, it was decided that the best person to keep Bella Swan safe would be her wolf. To that end, with Julia’s agreement, Paul enrolled at Forks High School.

However, in Billy’s opinion, two wolves were better than one, so Jared Cameron joined the junior class. Billy ensured Paul’s schedule mirrored Bella’s, except for two classes, where he placed Jared. Seeing Paul’s transcript, Billy was surprised the boy was a straight ‘A’ student. The lowest grade he’d ever gotten was an A- during one-quarter of Biology, but his grades averaged out to an A for the entire semester.

Jared, on the other hand, needed to get his grades up. He had an A in Math, but mostly C’s with a D in English. He’d light a flame under the boy’s ass to get him to focus more. Jared, especially, had gotten a kick out of the opportunity to attend a regular public school. The only school he had ever attended was the tribal school, so this was a new experience for him. Billy had to personally speak to the Camerons to allow this to happen. After Billy promised to keep an eye on the boy’s academics, they agreed with alacrity. Seeing his grades, he knew why.

Paul had never been an object of interest, but walking through the halls of Forks High School, he could see the curiosity of all the students as they all gawked at him. He wondered if the members of the Backstreet Boys or One Direction felt like he did right now. It didn’t help that as he walked through the hallway, he was mentally singing ‘Everybody’ by the Backstreet Boys. Then, he wondered if he was the only person who compared his life experiences to boy band songs.

XOXO

“I can’t believe you have a prom date, Bella. I’m the only dateless one at our table now,” Katie whined while they made their way to lunch. “I’m going to be like a third wheel, or actually an eleventh wheel.”

“You could always ask Jared,” Paul suggested. “He doesn’t have a date.”

“I can’t ask him. I’ve never met him,” Katie giggled.

Jared had been hanging back, dawdling along in awe of the vast school. “Hey, Jared, come here,” called Paul.

“What is it?” Jared asked, approaching the group.

“Meet Katie. She’s going to be your prom date,” Paul said, inclining his head toward her.

Bella slapped her forehead. “Oh my God, Paul! Have you no tact? You can’t go declaring that Katie is going to be Jared’s prom date.”

Paul shrugged. “Why not?”

Jared sighed and held out his hand in introduction. “I’m Jared Cameron,” he greeted, meeting her eyes. He shuddered as Quileute magic wove a knot around the pair. “You’re hot,” he whispered.

“I am? Oh, wow,” Katie breathed, mesmerized. “No one has ever said that about me. My dad and grandparents say I’m pretty, but I’ve never gotten hot. You’re the first!” She still hadn’t let go of Jared’s hand, and there was no sign he was releasing hers soon.

Sam once told everyone touching his imprint felt like a thrumming of electricity churning through his veins—like sparks, but pleasant ones. Of course, Paul still hadn’t touched Bella yet. They’d met at the strangest place.

“Uh, let’s leave Katie and Jared alone.” Paul clasped Bella’s hand in his. There was a sharp burst of shock as their hands connected.

“Ow! Use some Downey when you do laundry,” Bella suggested. “Talk about static cling. You should moisturize your hands, too. They’re dry.” But she didn’t let go of his hand, and Paul felt that steady physical connection, as if their hands had suddenly developed heartbeats—and he liked it. He wasn’t ever letting go of his imprint’s hand.

XOXO

“Are you kidding me?” Billy burst when Paul and Bella informed him about Jared imprinting on Katie. “And this happened when?”

“When I introduced them to each other a few minutes ago,” Paul informed him. “I saw it happening right before my eyes. I hope I didn’t look that dazed and confused when I first imprinted.”

“Jared was doing that eye juju thing to Katie, only he was more obvious about it than Paul was,” Bella added.

“What is an eye juju thing?” Billy needed Bella to define it because he had no idea what the girl was nattering on about.

“Well, when we first met, Paul stared at me for an extra long time, looking as if I was the most perfectly seared filet mignon in the world, topped with butter and just a hint of garlic, the center a nice warm red—tender, juicy, and so mouthwatering. I couldn’t stop looking at him, either. I was transfixed momentarily, but then Katie interrupted us, and the whole Edward Cullen debacle happened. By the way, the filets on Wednesday were overcooked. You should have Daddy teach you proper timing. He’s better at grilling.”

“So, I looked dazed and confused?” Paul asked.

“No, just hungry for steak.”

“Get to lunch. Now! I’ll see you at tryouts, Bella.” Billy motioned to the door. What the hell was it with the Swans and their steak obsession? And what kind of girl compares the moment of imprinting with a filet mignon?

After the door closed, he wondered how he would deal with this new debacle involving Jared. He decided to call Charlie, who always had good advice to give.

XOXO

There were no Cullens in school today because it was sunny out, and the excellent weather would continue for the next few days. Bella warmed up with the other girls, preparing for tryouts. A van carrying kids from the tribal school arrived earlier. There was a long-standing agreement with the tribal school, allowing the kids to participate in Forks High School sports if they wanted to. Paul had been on the baseball team since freshman year. That’s how he knew some of the other students.

Bella noticed her father sitting on the stands with Lieutenant Marshall. Katie was also on the softball team. She was hoping to make it onto the varsity team this year.

Principal Black and Coach Clapp jointly coached the team. They ran the girls through drills. Immediately, it became apparent that Bella’s skill level surpassed the others--even Coach Clapp’s. Billy wasn’t surprised by this. Charlie had been a baseball phenom and had attended university on a baseball scholarship. It was there that he had met Renee. She had been at the same university on a softball scholarship.

As the hour passed, Billy was surprised to see Charlie watching Bella from the stands instead of coming onto the field. They moved on to batting practice. Coach Clapp, who had pitched while she was at Forks High, threw the balls. It took two pitches with Bella at bat for Charlie to come onto the diamond.

“What the hell are you doing, Bells? Choke up on that bat.”

Bella rolled her eyes, refocused, and knocked the ball out of the field. It landed directly onto the windshield of Charlie’s cruiser, shattering it. “Sorry, Dad.” Billy thought she didn’t seem sorry at all. In fact, she had a smirk on her face.

Billy chuckled. “You did advise her to choke up on the bat, Charlie.”

“Yeah, I did.”

“Maybe you should grab your glove from the trunk of the cruiser and help us coach these girls. I know you want to. We welcome parental assistance. Ken helps all the time.” Of course, Billy didn’t mention that Katie desperately needed help. She was nowhere near Bella’s level, but the girl enjoyed playing.

It took less than ten seconds for Charlie to take off running to his cruiser for his glove.

Bella glanced up at Billy with a mock scowl. “I don’t know why you told him he could assist. He’s going to be a nightmare!”

XOXO

On Saturday, Billy invited Ken Marshall and his daughter, Katie, to his house for dinner. He also invited Jared and his parents. Of course, because Jane Cameron had no tact, her first question was, “Where is Mrs. Marshall?”

Ken explained that he had been a single father since his daughter’s birth. Ken had met Katie’s mother while he was a rookie patrolman in Spokane. He had dated the woman for a few months, but they quickly realized they had nothing in common. Several months later, he received a call from the local hospital. The mother of his child wanted to give her up for adoption, and the agency needed Ken to sign away his custodial rights. He refused to do so, stating he hadn’t been informed about the pregnancy as they had broken up months ago, but now that he was aware, he was keeping the child. To make a long story short, Ken was awarded full legal custody of the child, and Katie’s mother walked away permanently, which was what she wanted in the first place. A few months later, Ken returned to his hometown of Forks, where his parents helped care for his daughter while he was at work. To this day, they are a terrific support system.

“So, why are we here?” Ken asked after dinner. Billy rarely had him over for dinner, and it was very odd that the Camerons were here.

Then Billy delved into a far-fetched fantasy about the Quileutes always having magic in their blood, vampires, and wolves, and Katie and Jared being soulmates. He also added that the Cullens were vampires and Jared was a wolf.

“Alright, Billy. Are you trying to take up screenwriting as a hobby or something because, judging by how nutty the world is becoming, you might be able to sell this hogwash?”

Billy sighed. “I’m not joking, Jared is a wolf, and so is Paul. They started attending Forks High School to protect Bella Swan from Edward Cullen.”

“Alright, alright, I’ll go with it for now, but what’s this drivel about my Katie and Jared being soulmates?”

“It’s exactly how I explained it. The spirits thought Katie and Jared were meant for each other and, for lack of better terms, assigned them to each other.”

Ken began howling in laughter. “You’re talking nonsense, Billy. I don’t know how you can be a high school principal if you believe this rot.”

They were interrupted by urgent knocking, and Sam Uley stood on the doorstep with a desperate expression.

“Come inside. What’s going on?” When Sam looked warily around the room, Billy reassured him. “You can speak in front of these people.”

“Jake just phased.”

“Oh… Oh!” Billy gasped.

“And so did Jenny Cameron.”

“Jenny?” All the Camerons gasped.

“But she’s a girl! How?” Jane Cameron asked.

Billy held his hand up in a sign requesting calm.

“Well, I think Katie and I should leave. This seems like a family issue,” Ken said, standing up and readying to depart.

“Sit down!” Billy ordered in an unusually commanding voice. Ken sat immediately. The chief addressed Sam. “Where are they?”

They’re in your backyard. Paul and Embry are keeping them at bay, and uh…” “What else? Spit it out!”

Sam looked embarrassed but admitted with trepidation, “Bella and Leah are playing fetch with them.”

Billy ran his palms over his face. Why were the girls even with them? Maybe Bella had been visiting Leah. That has to be it because Paul had patrol duty this weekend.

He stood up. “Okay, everyone, come with me.” He led everyone out the back door to the forest, walked a few hundred yards to a heavily forested area, and approached Bella and Leah, who were pitching softballs into the woods. An enormous chocolate brown wolf trotted up to them with a softball clamped in its mighty jaws and dropped it at Bella’s feet. She picked the ball up and pitched it into the woods. The brown wolf went darting after it. A silver wolf approached with a smaller wolf with grey-brown fur on his heels. They stopped when they saw Billy.

“Paul, tell everyone to phase back. Is this Jacob or Jenny?” A minute later, Paul returned to his human form.

“Billy, for the record, I believe everything you told me earlier now,” Ken Marshall said.

“This is Jenny,” Paul replied, then his attention turned to his imprint. “Hey.”

“Hey, yourself,” Bella replied.

“Stop the flirting. Everyone, let’s return to the house. Bella, what are you doing on the reservation?”

“Daddy had to go to Sequim for some police business, so he dropped me off at Leah’s. He’ll be back later tonight. If not, I’m to spend the night.”

“Right.”

Paul returned to wolf form. Jenny was having trouble returning to human form. He shifted back again and explained. “Jenny doesn’t want to transform because she’ll be naked.”

“Oh, I see.” Billy hadn’t even considered that complication. “Bells, run back into the house and grab something from Rebecca’s closet. Leah, go with her. Buddy system, remember?”

“Yes, Billy,” the girls replied and ran into the house.

“Well, Billy, any other mind-blowing surprises tonight?” Ken asked.

“I’m marrying Julia.”

“That’s like the worst kept secret on the Olympic Peninsula.”

Chapter 8 Chapter Text

The following Tuesday, the Cullens returned to school because the long stretch of sunny days ended when the heavens opened up to a deluge. Edward Cullen was surprised to see the new students from the reservation. He became livid when he saw Bella and Paul holding hands. But he couldn’t approach them. Carlisle had warned him not to go near the girl. She was under Quileute protection. According to him, Paul, the wolf, was her mate.

So, Edward spent the week attending classes, becoming increasingly enraged when he saw his mate with the mutt. By Friday, his anger had reached a new pinnacle when he saw his mate kissing the boy by his vehicle after their team practice. It wasn’t even a European car. How could his mate stand it? Edward sped toward his home and threw a temper tantrum unlike any he’d thrown before, decimating tree after tree in the forest.

“Edward,” Rose warned. “She doesn’t even like you. Give it a rest.”

“I don’t understand how that could be. She just needs to be shown the error of her ways. She was all but whoring herself out to that mutt in public. How could she do that? And in public, too!”

“I highly doubt she was doing anything as excessive as you described. Bella Swan is a nice girl.” Rose arranged a bouquet of tulips into a vase and set it on a circular end table, admiring its beauty.

“She was kissing him. My mate was kissing another man and a mutt, a dog, at that! Once she is mine, she will learn right from wrong if I have to beat it into her!”

“Edward, hitting a woman is wrong. And so is forcing someone who doesn’t want to be with you into a relationship. That kind of one-sided relationship is doomed for failure. Trust me, I know. I survived an abusive relationship,” Esme Cullen, Carlisle’s mate, advised.

“I’m not abusive.” Edward laughed. “I’m just teaching her manners, and she needs to show her mate,” he pointed to himself, “respect!” He flung the vase of tulips Rosalie had just arranged at Esme’s head. Fortunately, she was quick enough to catch the vase before it shattered, but Rose would have to rearrange the tulips.

“She’s not your mate,” Alice warned. “I can no longer see a future for you that includes her.”

“That’s not possible. You once saw me with her. How can she simply disappear from your visions?” Edward asked, upset that his chosen mate was no longer visible to the seer. “Can’t you see, I yearn for her. The scent of her blood is exquisite, and I burn for her. I need her with me. She is mine.” His face twisted into one of deranged lust.

“Edward, if she’s no longer in my visions, then she’s no longer in your future,” Alice insisted.

“When? When did she disappear completely from your visions?” Edward growled, pinning Alice up against the wall by her throat.

“Let go of Alice! You have no right to threaten any of us,” Rosalie chastised Edward.

Alice gulped, frightened. Edward intimidated her, which he did when he didn’t get his way. “She… She disappeared after the incident in Port Angeles. If you had gotten to her on time…”

“Then I’ll just have to take out the competition,” Edward snarled before letting out a roar of rage and disappearing into the forest surrounding their house.

Alice rubbed her temples as a vision came to her, and then she let out a blood-curdling scream.

XOXO

When Billy Black drove home, he was surprised to see three of the Cullen vampires—the female ones—flagging him down. He pulled over immediately and rolled his window down.

“Sorry to disturb you, Principal Black,” Mrs. Cullen stated. “We are here with information about Edward that cannot wait. Alice saw a vision.”

“Edward will stop at nothing to get Bella Swan, but his new target is her mate, Paul. He thinks that if he murders Paul, Bella will go to him for comfort, but we all know it’s not true. The only way, the only way to…”

“Tell him, Alice!” Rosalie urged.

“The only way to stop him is to kill him. Your entire tribe is in danger, and so is our coven. If Edward cannot have Bella by the end of the school year, he will inform the Volturi, and we will all die. We will die for keeping knowledge of your existence a secret.”

And the Volturi are?”

“The Volturi are the ruling vampire council. They live in Volterra, Italy. They will kill anyone they find different. In my vision, in the worst-case scenario, your entire tribe will be decimated, and they will keep Bella Swan as a prize—a token, if you will.”

“And where is Edward now?”

“He is hunting right now, and then he’ll return to our house as if he did nothing wrong, but the three of us are fed up, and so are Emmett and Jasper. We cannot walk on eggshells in our own homes any longer. That’s why we’re here.”

“Thank you for the information.”

“Sir, if you give us your cell number, we can text you if anyone is in danger,” Rose suggested.

Billy exchanged numbers with the women, thanking the spirits they had the foresight to warn him. Now, he had to consider how to outsmart the predator. He would not allow anyone on the reservation to get hurt, especially Julia’s son.

XOXO

On Monday afternoon, Paul gave Bella a lingering kiss on the lips immediately following softball and baseball practice. They were at their lockers, retrieving their backpacks, and taking the opportunity to be alone in an empty school. They’d been kissing a lot lately, especially when they had a rare moment alone.

Suddenly, Paul found himself flying through the air and flung into a classroom door. Thankfully, the door was made of metal, so he didn’t go through the classroom.

Paul heard Bella scream his name in worry. Edward Cullen yelled at her about something or another. Paul careened into Edward, knocking him down, but the vampire was strong, and soon they were grappling on the floor. The vampire slugged Paul’s jaw twice in a row.

“She’s mine!” Edward growled. “I will kill you.” He picked Paul up and slammed him into a wall.

And then suddenly, a loud clanging sound was heard as Bella struck the back of Edward’s skull with her softball bat. Before the vampire could attack his girl, Paul kicked out with his legs, knocking the vampire flat on his back. He straddled the vampire, hammering his elbow into his windpipe, and clocked his jaw, then his temple.

Paul saw Jared running to help. In that moment of distraction, Edward pushed Paul off of him, slamming him against the lockers. He had him in a chokehold.

“I’m coming, Paul!” Jared yelled.

“Understand this, wolf,” Edward snarled. “You are to keep your distance from my mate. Bella is mine.”

“Never!” Bella hollered and slammed her bat on Edward’s bicep, forcing him to drop Paul.

The vampire immediately turned toward her. “How dare… Ungh!” Edward stopped mid-speech and grunted as Bella’s trusty bat connected with his groin.

“Do not f*ck with me, my boyfriend, or my friends, you little deranged sh*t!” Bella whacked the vampire’s privates with the bat again for good measure, causing her stalker to drop to his knees with an agonized expression.

“There you are, Edward,” Emmett greeted, taking hold of him. “That looks like it hurt, but I believe you’re expected at home.”

“Are the two of you okay?” Jasper asked, approaching Bella and Paul with a worried expression.

“Yeah. The creep just came out of nowhere and attacked us,” Paul explained.

“Well, you’re lucky your girlfriend was there. She’s a little wildcat.” Jasper turned to Bella. “You should carry that bat with you for the time being, darling. It’s a good weapon for a hellraiser like you.”

“Wow!” Katie grabbed Bella’s arm and smiled. “Bella and I love country music,” she gushed.

“Oh, yeah? I’m more partial to seventies rock and disco, but I can do a little country. We will take Eddie with us and have a ‘stimulating’ conversation with him now. Y’all stay together—for safety,” he warned.

“Oh, my God! His voice is like velvet,” Katie gushed.

“Katie! Seriously?” Jared asked, nonplussed that his mate could be attracted to a vampire.

“I’m sorry, but the guy has a sexy voice. There’s no way you’re going to win this one, Jared,” Bella said, laughing. “And stop being jealous of a voice. Green isn’t a good color on you.”

Paul pulled Bella into his arms. “That’s twice you’ve come to my defense. You’re making it a habit.” He squeezed her tight, breathing in her scent. “But country music, Bella? Seriously?”

Bella rolled her eyes. “I don’t know what your problem is with country music. And for your information, I listen to a whole bunch of different genres of music. For example, when I was fighting right now, I channeled Pantera’s ‘Cowboys From Hell.’ It gets me into a fighting mood.”

“Really? Do you often think about songs when you do things?”

“Oh, sure. When I’m at bat, I’m generally singing Motley Crue’s ‘Live Wire’ in my head.”

“Huh, interesting.” Paul refused to admit that ‘Big Time Rush’ was his ’at bat’ song. Maybe he should add more variety to his life. No, no. Boy bands are the bomb!

“We need to report this.” Bella let out a long sigh.

“Yeah, we probably should,” Paul agreed, looking at the disaster. The metal door was dented. The wall had a huge hole where his head had hit, and the row of lockers was mangled. A massive crater was on the floor where the vampire had landed. It looked like a warzone. How were they going to explain this mess?

XOXO

Within two weeks, the damage inflicted on the high school by the supernatural brawl had been repaired. Brand new lockers were installed throughout the high school, courtesy of Carlisle Cullen. Word around town was that vandals wrecked the school overnight. Ken and Charlie pulled the security video in case anyone came looking for them. Paul and Edward’s brawl was atypical of a usual human school fight, and it wouldn’t do for anyone without knowledge of supernaturals to see the recording.

Edward Cullen still attended Forks High School, but he always had a keeper with him. Either Jasper or Emmett stuck by his side. They would walk him to class and be waiting for him afterward. Bella thought it served him right to lose his independence.

Major Jasper Whitlock—not Hale, his student alias—taught all the wolves how to take out a vampire. They met each evening to go over fight tactics. He was surprised to find Principal Billy Black and Dr. Harry Clearwater were werewolves but decided to keep that information to himself. Carlisle would not handle the information responsibly and would inform Edward first.

Paul was honest when he confessed that he was much weaker during the fight with Edward due to his inability to phase into his wolf form. Edward had been physically stronger and faster.

Jasper had explained that Paul’s physical strength and speed would be matched when he was in his wolf form. He was still physically more robust than an average human by leaps and bounds.

Later, Jasper urged Carlisle to move away from the area after Edward was dealt with because it wasn’t fair to pit experienced vampires against teenagers.“The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, Carlisle,” Jasper stated, referring to the Quileutes. “This has been their home for centuries. You have no right to disrupt the natural growth process of these teenagers just because you want to pretend to be human for a few years. These kids deserve to be able to grow up without worrying about whether or not they’ll be killed by vampires, regardless of whether we feed from animal blood or not. They should enjoy their youth, hanging out with their friends and going to the prom without any hindrances. They should be allowed to be carefree, but you’ve taken that choice away by living among them and forcing their transformation. It is wrong, and if these kids were vampires, it would be akin to creating an immortal child. You know that even the Volturi has made it illegal to change anyone under eighteen now and highly encourages waiting until the human is, at least, over twenty before transforming them. They enacted that law after realizing Jane and Alec were too unstable and had to be put down. And now, look at Edward’s instability. He’s seventeen and stuck at seventeen, incapable of developing beyond that age because he was spoiled rotten by his human parents and then by you. He has remained immature and become arrogant to boot. And he is a danger to the community.”

After Jasper’s harsh words, he had spoken to his mate, Esme, expecting sympathy. He was shocked to the core when she informed him that she had washed her hands of Edward. She had seen his true nature too many times, and he reminded her of her abusive husband from her human years.

Rosalie and Emmett had long been disgusted with Edward, so there would be no support from that corner. Alice was already skidding on thin ice with her companion Jasper for the original lie she told—that Bella Swan was Edward’s mate.

One thing was certain: Carlisle had to decide what to do about Edward before the Volturi took notice.

Chapter 9 Chapter Text

March soon turned into April, and the kids carried on attending school and participating in various club and sports activities. Bella was a star player on the varsity softball team, and for the first time, Forks High School had a shot at making it to states, which envigorated the girls to put more effort into honing their skills.

Edward Cullen had remained on the down-low, not disturbing Bella or Paul. The kids had gone to the diner in Forks several times with their friends. They had also brought friends to La Push to hang out at First Beach or one of their houses. Bella and Paul had yet to have permission to go to Port Angeles because getting lulled into a false sense of security now would be a major faux pas at this stage. Unfortunately, for Jared and Katie, their parents handed down the same restrictions.

But it was early evening on a Saturday today, and the baseball and softball teams had won their games. The crowd at Sully’s was in a celebratory mood, and Forks High School students filled the booths and mobbed the parking lot. Music was blaring from car speakers as kids celebrated, couples made out in cars, and others simply hung out with friends. Several students danced along to the music. There was lots of conversation, laughs, giggles, and joking around.

In the far corner of the parking lot, abutting the forest, a handsome Quileute boy with a chiseled jawline and muscular physique had his back against his car. He was holding a beautiful brunette girl with wavy hair and a beautiful smile in his arms. In the background, on the stereo, 98 Degrees crooned ‘I Do Cherish You,’ which was precisely how they felt about each other. They were quietly talking, occasionally sharing kisses, and getting excited about the prom, which would be in May. Their relationship had been filled with tumultuous experiences, but they stayed positive. Each day, they fell more and more in love with each other. The spirits definitely got it right when they paired these two.

With one final kiss, they decided to join their friends. The girl skipped away to join her friends while the boy turned the music off and locked up the vehicle. He had stepped inside to do just that when a Silver Aston Martin with dark, tinted windows hurtled toward the boy’s car at top speed. It caught the students’ attention; several were screaming, some were filming, and many called 911.

The Aston Martin slammed into the driver’s side door of the Ford Focus at top speed before it purposely backed up and rammed into the gas tank. As the Aston Martin sped away from the scene, the Ford Focus exploded, and the girl screamed in agony.

Bella’s friends immediately surrounded her, holding her as she cried. She tried to run to the burning car, but Jared and Tyler had a firm hold on her. She’d hurt herself if she got near the raging inferno. They had to wait until emergency crews arrived, and sirens could be heard in the distance.

XOXO

If it weren’t for his supernatural speed, Paul would have died in the explosion. Instead, he opened the passenger side door and rolled to safety into the woods where he had parked his car next to. The force of the blast from the explosion blew his body deeper into the forest, causing him to hit a tree. He supposed that was a good thing because he could see the fire from where he was sitting. He wanted to get to Bella to tell her he was okay, so he attempted to stand but swayed, his vision blurring.

Suddenly, two ice-cold hands wrapped around his body. Paul could vaguely make out words being said to him. They sounded muffled, and his head felt unsteady.

A loud ringing in his ears caused him to clasp his hands over them. His body began shaking—most likely in reaction to the explosion. He thought it was an odd time for the lyrics to ‘Bodyshakin’ by 911 to run through his mind. And then Paul passed out cold.

XOXO

Jasper Whitlock picked up Paul, trying to figure out what to do. Usually, he’d take him back to the house and have Carlisle examine him, but it was not possible with Edward living there. Besides, he had a sneaky suspicion that Edward was behind the blast.

Jasper then made a split decision and began running. He crossed into Quileute territory, hoping to outrun any wolves who were on guard. Upon arrival, he scented out Chief Black’s house, catching him as he was helping a beautiful woman into the passenger seat. Fortunately, no wolves caught him during his daring rescue mission.

“What the hell are you doing here? I know you’ve been helping us, but vampires can’t be on this reservation!”

“I know, and I’m sorry, Chief Black, but it was an emergency. I needed to get Paul to safety.”

“Paul!” the woman cried, hopping out of the car. She brushed the boy’s hair back. “Oh, Paul! You’re alive. Thank you—thank you, whoever you are, Mr. Vampire—for bringing my son back.”

“Jasper Whitlock, it was my honor, ma’am.” He bowed to the woman and gave her a quick smile.

“Oh, my! Bella and Katie are right about your voice being like velvet. Poor Jared—he can’t help the voice he was born with.” She smiled with relief and gratitude at Jasper. “My name is Julia Lahote. I’m Paul’s mother.”

“You’d better come inside. The wolves are all at the blast site right now.” Billy opened the door so Jasper could carry the unconscious Paul inside. The vampire placed the boy down on the sofa.

Billy called Harry and told him to stop by immediately and to bring his medical bag. Within a few minutes, he entered the house with Charlie. They had been on their way to the blast scene when Billy called, and they immediately turned around. They looked surprised to see Jasper sitting in the living room.

“Jasper found Paul in the woods and brought him here to safety,” Billy explained.

“Do you know what happened?” Charlie immediately asked Jasper.

“I actually have no idea. I came across Paul while I was hunting in the woods. I heard an explosion, so I ran toward it. Paul was thrown in my direction by the force of the blast. He landed about a foot away from me.” Jasper nodded, then decided to share his conjecture. “It sounded like something detonated. It wasn’t a normal explosion. Can you share what you know?”

Charlie nodded. “I haven’t been to the scene yet, but word is, a silver sports car collided with the driver’s side of Paul’s car while he was sitting inside at a high rate of speed. The driver reversed and slammed into the gas tank. The car sped away, and Paul’s car exploded a few seconds later. My detectives are examining videos from the parking lot and those submitted by witnesses.”

Jasper stood and paced while Harry examined Paul. “I think he’s in shock,” Jasper explained to Harry. “I spoke to him, but he couldn’t hear me. He clutched his ears, and I suspect he was a bit dizzy before he passed out. I saw a lot of this during the war. I imagine he just needs rest, and he’ll heal up quicker than a normal human.”

“Thank you, Jasper. You’ve proven to be a true friend to the Quileutes.”

“Of course. Paul is a nice kid, and so is his imprint. If I were you, I’d get Bella over to the reservation as soon as possible to see her mate with her own eyes. I’ve seen mates become suicidal with just the thought of their mate dying.”

Billy immediately called Jared, who was already at the scene. “Bring Bella and Katie to my house now. Paul is safe.” He hung up before any questions could be asked.

They sat and waited for Jared and the girls to arrive, chatting about the Civil War. Bella ran straight to Paul’s side, kneeling by him and taking his hand in hers. “Oh, thank God. He’s okay. I got so scared when I saw his car explode. I thought he had… I thought he’d… I’m so happy he’s okay.”

“As long as you’re okay, he hasn’t died, Bella. It’s how supernatural mating works. He cannot live in a world without you, and vice versa,” Jasper explained.

Harry and Billy turned to each other, completely stunned. Then Billy stood up and said, “Well, no one gave us that memo!”

Jasper laughed. “It’s most likely because while you are supernatural, you are mortal. If you’re not phasing, you have fairly normal lifespans. I have never experienced all the benefits of mating yet, so I can’t speak with the surety of experience.”

“So, that Alice girl is your mate?” Katie asked.

“No, Alice is just a companion.”

“Oh, thank God. Bella and I thought for sure something was wonky in your DNA for you to be with her—not that she’s a bad person or anything. It’s just a little weird to see you with her because you’re a very hot cowboy while she’s more…”

“Circus clown?” Bella offered.

“No, something else.”

“Tinker Bell?” Jasper asked.

“No, Tinker Bell is too cute.” And then Katie broke out into a brilliant smile. “I know! She’s like… Have you ever seen Harry Potter?”

“Katie, we have more important things to discuss than who Jasper’s companion reminds you of,” Billy reminded her with a quelling look.

Katie ignored him. “Oh, but this is important. Have you seen the Harry Potter movies, Jasper?”

“I have seen the movies and read the books,” Jasper admitted. “I do not believe my companion is like Hermione Granger. Bella actually reminds me of Hermione but with darker hair.”

“Hermione? Oh, no—not Hermione. Hermione is too pretty. No, Alice reminds me of Dobby.”

“Bite your tongue,” Bella chastised her friend with a look of ferocity. “I like Dobby. He’s annoying but loyal.”

“I like Dobby, too,” Paul groaned, squeezing Bella’s hand. “Alice is like Winky.”

“Paul!” Several voices cried in relief.

Paul pulled Bella into a hug, relieved to see her beautiful, albeit worried face. He trailed a finger down her face and cooed, “I’m okay. I’m doing much better than I was right after the blast. I’m just happy to see you’re safe.”

“Well, I see I’ve been replaced,” Julia joked.

Paul slowly raised himself to a seated position. This time, he didn’t feel any of the dizziness or instability he felt earlier. He turned to his mother. “Thanks for worrying, Mom.”

“I’m just glad you were brought home safe to me.” Julia glanced up at the lone vampire in the room. “We have Jasper to thank.”

“Thanks, man,” Paul said, holding out his hand to shake.

Jasper took it and shook the wolf’s hand. “Maybe you can clarify a few mysteries and tell us what happened. I found you in the woods after the explosion.”

Harry held his hand up to stall everyone. He examined Paul quickly, checking his lungs and vitals and asking a few pointed questions about his health. When he was done, he handed the boy a bottle of water and told him to take slow sips.

“We were at Sully’s, celebrating our wins,” Paul said. “Bella and I had just parked the car at the far corner by the woods. It’s not really a parking spot, but the lot was packed, and that part is usually wide open. We stood outside talking for a bit, then decided to join our friends. Bella went first. We could see them in plain sight.” “Yeah, we could. Jared and I waved them over because it was mobbed at Sully’s, and we wanted to try to get a table,” Katie confirmed.

“I hung back to shut the stereo off and lock up the car. I looked up to ensure Bella was safe when a silver Aston Martin came from around the corner and headed straight for me—not the car, but me. I didn’t know what to do, so I dove out of the passenger side door and rolled into the woods. I heard the initial impact, a second collision, and a massive explosion. My first instinct was to get to Bella, but when I tried to stand up, I felt my body shaking, and my ears rang something awful. Someone said something to me, but it was muffled. And then I don’t know what happened.”

“And you said a silver Aston Martin hit your car?” Jasper asked.

“Definitely. I recognized the winged logo on the car. It was a sweet ride—well, probably used to be.”

Jasper dropped his forehead into his palm, squeezing his temples as if trying to relieve a headache. After a moment, he glanced at everyone and admitted, “Edward owns a silver Aston Martin.”

“How are we going to handle this situation?” Julia asked her fiancee. This isn’t fair to any of the kids—Bella, Paul, Katie, Jared, and anyone they’re friends with. They aren’t safe anywhere. Edward Cullen endangered the lives of every single person at Sully’s.”

Julia was interrupted when Charlie’s phone buzzed. “This is Chief Swan,” he answered. A few minutes later, he turned to the room. “That was the fire chief. They suspected some sort of homemade incendiary device was planted in Paul’s car. They have confirmed that there were no human remains in the vehicle, so now they’re scouring the woods looking for him.”

“Exactly how are we going to come up with a story about how Paul got to safety?” Julia questioned.

Charlie shrugged his shoulders. “I’ll figure something out. I need to get going. Bella, Katie—I need you girls to stay in La Push until I pick you up later this evening. I’ll explain everything to your father, Katie. Paul and Jared, you two stay put, too. I don’t want anyone seeing you.

Jasper stood up and turned to Charlie. “Can you spare five more minutes for me, please? I need to discuss something with y’all. It’s important.”

“Of course,” Charlie said, sitting down.

Jasper nodded, then began speaking. “I’ve told you and Chief Black before that I’m master of my own line.” Billy and Charlie acknowledged he had. “What I haven’t told you is that I am prepared to assert dominance over Carlisle and incorporate his coven into mine. I have the support of Rose and Emmett and, more recently—Esme, Carlisle’s mate. Although a kind man, Carlisle is too weak to master his own line; otherwise, he wouldn’t have blindly followed Alice and Edward. They ran roughshod over him. Alice’s latest stunt is what caused Edward’s obsession with Bella. She lied, stating that Bella was Edward’s mate. He, of course, believed her. Once he caught a whiff of Bella’s blood, it was all over—he wanted her. Carlisle explained to you before that Bella is Edward’s singer. Her blood calls to him like heroin does to a drug addict. What he didn’t tell you is that most singers wind up dead and drained by the vampire who wanted him or her.

When Charlie tried to interrupt, Jasper held a hand up to stay him before continuing, “Back to my story. To incorporate Carlisle’s line under mine, I’ve required both Alice and Edward be destroyed. They have no business to be among the civilized—human or supernatural. They’ve become co*cky because of their gifts, Alice because of her ability to see into the future and Edward because he can read minds. However, I admit that Alice has done her best to redeem herself.

“Edward’s mind-reading abilities have been shorting lately—a sign that he is entirely out of control. He hasn’t been able to read the minds of Chief Swan and Bella at all, and he can barely read Paul.”

“What do you mean by he can barely read me?” Paul asked.

“A few times, Edward has griped that all he can decipher from your mind are words like, ‘Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh,’ or ‘Mmm bob ba dupa dop ba du bob’ over and over again in a rhythmic beat. It’s driving him crazy that he can’t decipher anything in your mind.”

Julia flashed a sly grin at her son. She knew exactly what songs he had been running through his head.

“Wow, it sure sounds like it,” Paul replied. He really wanted to burst out laughing but chose not to share the information.

The blonde vampire stood up. “I am willing to cut a deal with you. It’s time I took matters into my own hands. I can destroy Edward, but I need someone else to do it to maintain cordial relations with Carlisle—a future member of my line. It can’t be by my own hands. I have two friends—Peter and Charlotte. They’ll do the culling for me, but they will need their safety guaranteed when they come to the area.”

“Anything is okay. Edward Cullen is a menace,” Billy assured.

“Peter and Charlotte follow a traditional diet. They survive off of human blood.”

“Okay!” Billy exclaimed. “I wasn’t expecting that.”

“They only feed from hardened criminals, drug abusers on the brink of death, terminally ill people in desperation for relief, child abusers, and rapists. They have excellent control and are kind, almost to a fault. Their sense of justice is well-formed, though. Peter is my right-hand man.”

“Well, hell, I can even point them in the right direction for their meals. I know a lot of assholes who need to be removed from the planet,” Charlie admitted. “Jasper has been trustworthy thus far, Billy. I say let his friends come to town.

“Please, Billy. I just want to take my girl to the prom,” Paul pleaded. “Most of the vampires have been kind—especially Jasper.”

Charlie’s opinion weighed heavily in Billy’s decision, as did Paul’s plea. “Okay, they are welcome in town, but I’d like to meet them with the wolves and Charlie to identify them.”

“Fair enough. I’ll call them tonight.”

“Excellent. Well, I have to get going. Do you need a ride back to town, Jasper?”

Before Jasper could reply, Billy suggested, “Go with Charlie, Jasper. If the wolves are headed back here, they might attack you because they don’t know about tonight yet.”

“Good idea.”

After saying his farewells, Jasper hopped into Charlie’s cruiser and had him drop him off near the high school; he’d run back to his house from there. He also asked Charlie to tell Paul that his vehicle would be replaced, courtesy of Carlisle.

XOXO

It was already close to midnight when Charlie finally picked Bella up in La Push and brought her back home. The investigation had taken a great deal of time. Explosions simply were not commonplace in Forks. He wanted to bring Edward Cullen in for questioning, but for now, he was sitting on the information of who had committed the crime. His detectives would discover the identity of the perp soon enough.

Exhausted from the long day, Charlie took his clothes off and threw on his pajama pants. He hadn’t even had time to change into his uniform earlier. Today had been his day off. He had gone to his daughter’s game and then to the res to watch a game with Harry when he got the call. Hell, they had heard the explosion in La Push; it was so loud.

Charlie slipped under the covers and fell asleep in no time. He was in a peaceful slumber, not even dreaming, when a blood-curdling scream woke him up.

XOXO

Bella had been sleeping fitfully when a sudden gust of air woke her up. She shivered and tried to fall back asleep, but she was freezing. She turned onto her other side and snuggled into her blankets more to get comfortable when she came face to face with a pair of golden eyes.

“Hello,” Edward Cullen whispered as if nothing was wrong with the fact that he was in her room, in the middle of the night, and in her bed. “He’s gone now. I took care of him. We can be together—forever. I love you, Bella Swan. You’re mine now.”

Then Bella’s survival instincts kicked in, and she screamed while simultaneously hopping out of bed. “Daddy!” She shrieked, then reached for her bat.

“Shut your mouth! Do you want people to hear you?” Edward approached her with a vicious scowl on his face.

“Yes, I do want someone to hear! Daddy! Help me!”

“I don’t understand what your problem is, Bella!” Edward spat. “Why don’t you want me? Tell me! Tell me why!”

Aside from the fact that the vampire was clinically insane, Bella thought she was losing her mind, too. As soon as Edward said, ‘Tell me why,’ she thought of the Backstreet Boys. Paul’s boy band obsession, which he tried to hide from her, was worming its way into her heart. Fortunately, there was no need to reply because her father came to the rescue.

Charlie Swan broke open Bella’s door with a single kick in time to see Edward Cullen jumping out of her window. He turned to his daughter and pulled her into his arms. She broke down and cried, shaking in his arms.

After Charlie calmed Bella down, he asked her what had happened and became incensed after hearing her rendition of what had transpired. He set Bella up on the old chaise lounge in his room and waited until she drifted off to sleep. She had been too afraid to sleep in her room.

He didn’t blame her. How could she not be frightened to find a vampire in her bed?

Chapter 10 Chapter Text

On Sunday, Charlie drove Bella to La Push with a packed suitcase. She would stay with the Clearwaters for the week. It was spring break, and school was not in session. Usually, he’d let his daughter stay on her own at home, but with an obsessive vampire after her blood, it was not a possibility.

Charlie’s house, in the meantime, had become headquarters for Jasper’s coven of vampires. So far, three vampires resided at the Swan’s house while they figured out a game plan for eliminating Edward. As long as they didn’t eat him, Charlie didn’t care. Besides, he found the vampires to be fascinating conversationalists. They spoke of history, baseball, the Civil War, hunting, and many other things. They also discussed how different life as a vampire was, having to drink blood for survival, and how much they missed food.

While Charlie was asleep, the vampires protected his house for him. He was sure they also cleaned it for him and maybe did a little work on it because the house had never looked so good in his entire life. Considering he had grown up in the house, that was saying something.

“Did you paint the walls?” Charlie asked on Tuesday morning.

“We get bored.” Peter shrugged his shoulders. “Being awake 24/7 can get tiresome.”

“I see,” Charlie said.

“Do you have anything else you need done? Maybe a car that needs to be maintained? I see an old Dodge Ram parked in your garage.”

“Sure. Go for it. It used to belong to my dad. It’s over twenty years old. He bought it a few years before he died. I rarely drive it because I have the cruiser. I might as well put miles on the vehicle the job gives me rather than my personal vehicle.”

“I see. Well, I’ll give it a tune-up for you.”

“Knock yourself out,” Charlie told him.

Work had been hectic. Through cell phone videos submitted to the police, Charlie’s detectives traced the Aston Martin to Anthony Masen of Chicago, Illinois. Of course, the only problem was that the only Anthony Masen they found in the Chicago area was a two-week-old infant.

When Charlie brought this up to Jasper, he explained that Edward’s human birth name was Edward Anthony Masen. Sadly, they couldn’t form a connection between Edward Cullen, who had no middle initial, whose last known residence was Denali, Alaska, and Edward Anthony Masen of Chicago, Illinois.

XOXO

Paul was having the time of his life. He was on Spring Break, and while he didn’t have a vehicle to drive, it didn’t matter. His girlfriend was staying down the road and around the corner from him. He had been restricted to the reservation, whether in wolf or human form. His job was to keep his imprint safe, which suited him fine.

Bella and Paul discovered making out on the sofa was way better than doing the same in the car. Of course, they didn’t have too much time alone. The Clearwaters ran a tight ship, and so did Chief Black, who somehow found many errands to run around the reservation. Paul was pretty sure they had people to paint the walls of the tribal lodge, but that’s what the pair found themselves doing.

“It occurred to me, Bella,” Paul paused while he rolled the excess paint off the paint roller in the tray, “you’ve never explained why you moved to Forks in the middle of the school year.”

Bella stopped painting, unsure of how to proceed. It wasn’t something she usually talked about, but she knew she should tell Paul the whole story. Unconsciously, she dragged her lower lip between her teeth while figuring out what to say. She finally settled on pulling up one of the articles about the incident on her phone. She asked Paul to read the story, which he did. After he was done, she told her story while continuing to paint the wall. “I inadvertently witnessed the whole thing. Those girls kept beating her after she lost consciousness. She died right there on the school grounds. I saw her eyes wide open, her body unmoving, and I felt so bad for her. I also felt a combination of fear for my safety, guilt for not being able to help her, and… and so many other feelings, but that’s not where it ended.”

Paul shifted closer to Bella, wondering what more there could be.

“Seeing the dead body freaked me out, but it’s not what affected me the most. It was my mother. When I told her I was afraid of going to school because of what happened, she became all frazzled and made it about her. She didn’t address my issues; she dismissed them and called attention to herself to garner care and sympathy from Phil, her boyfriend.

“After witnessing the murder, I no longer felt safe at school, but being unable to turn to my mother, I had to deal with everything alone. So, I was like a zombie. I went through the motions of life for a while there—I attended school, went to my part-time job, did my homework, and then did it all over again the next day. I felt so alone and helpless, but everything changed on Thanksgiving weekend.”

“What happened then?” Paul asked, putting his paint roller down.

“Well, my mother married Phil—only she didn’t tell me. She and Phil flew to Reno and got hitched. They left me alone for the entirety of Thanksgiving weekend and surprised me on Sunday with the news of their marriage.” Bella shook her head at the memory, letting out a heavy sigh. “It dawned upon me that my mother was selfish and would always do whatever she wanted without sparing a thought for anyone else, especially me. So, I made a decision. What I wanted and needed most was an attentive parent who cared about my well-being. I knew I had one, but he was up north in Washington.

“When I came home from school on the Monday after Thanksgiving, my mother said she wanted to be able to travel with Phil and support him more at his away games. So, I told her I was completely on board with her decision, then called my father and asked if I could move in with him. Three weeks later, Dad flew into Phoenix. When I got home from school on the last day before Christmas break, we packed up my Camry and drove to Washington together. And then I began attending Forks High School, and your mom helped me work through my issues.”

“Thanks for sharing your story with me, Bella. I know it wasn’t easy.” Paul tilted her chin so their eyes met. He traced her lips with his index finger before meeting her lips with his for a deep, lingering kiss. He vowed right then and there to be her support—her rock, to be there for her. And like Kismet, the song on his playlist shuffled to ‘I’ll Be There For You’ by the Backstreet Boys. So, he decided to take advantage of the situation, pull her into his arms, and dance with her.

XOXO

On Wednesday, during dinner, there was a surprise in La Push when Leah Clearwater suddenly transformed into a wolf, followed by Seth. They’d been expecting Seth’s change; Leah’s—not at all.

“I am not playing catch with you, Bella,” Leah griped.

“That is so hypocritical of you. I think it’s so cool you’re a wolf. And now Jenny Cameron won’t be alone.”

“True. True, but this was so unexpected. I’m not sure how to process the change,” Leah admitted.

“You’ll figure it out, and I’m here for you. You know that, right, Leah?”

“I do. You’re like the best kid sister.”

“Yeah, she is,” Seth chimed in. “She’s like the coolest big sister. She should have been a Clearwater.”

After Leah and Seth phased, Paul was tasked with training them to stay in control. Billy took Bella to the tribal offices, where they worked on the tribal newsletter together. This took the better part of the morning. Afterward, they organized the tribal archives together. They talked about Rachel and Rebecca. Rachel was returning from college in a few weeks while Rebecca stayed in Hawaii.

“Well, do you blame her, Uncle Billy?”

“She’s not staying in Hawaii because it’s paradise, Bells. Rebecca is staying because she met a boy—a surfer.”

“Is that all he does? I mean, does he have some sort of a future?”

Billy shrugged. “According to Rebecca, Solomon is a professional surfer who tours the world for competitions.”

“And you’re just going to let her?” Bella asked curiously.

“Ah, Bella. It’s not a matter of giving her permission. Rebecca will make her own choices. If she made an error in committing to Solomon, it would be her own mistake. She can always come home, but while I try to influence her choices, the final choice will always be up to her.”

“That’s what Dad says—except for softball camp. He’s looking for one in Washington this year but doesn’t want it to be in Seattle or Spokane.”

“I know a few good ones, and I agree with him that you should go. I have high hopes that you’ll earn a softball scholarship. In fact, we’re just about done here, so why don’t we grab Jake and have a practice session?”

“Awesome! Can we play baseball instead, though? Jake can use the practice.”

“Of course.” Billy removed the ball cap from Bella’s head, then ruffled her hair with a chuckle.

It was after practice that there was an emergency. Charlie called to say two dead bodies were found in odd circ*mstances in Port Angeles. The bodies were completely drained of blood. The reason why he had been called was because the deceased were residents of Forks: Lauren Mallory and her mother Linda had been the victims.

Bella was saddened, but her immediate concern went to her friend Tyler Crowley, Lauren’s longtime steady. Although she didn’t know Lauren well, their few interactions had been pleasant, and she had been looking forward to getting to know her.

Jasper informed Billy and Charlie that the deaths were caused by the same trio of vampires who killed Waylon Forge. He had a team of vampires searching for them with a kill-on-sight order for each of them and asked that the wolves watch out for them, too.

With the deaths of Lauren and her mother, there was heightened security everywhere in Forks and La Push. Bella would stay in La Push for her safety for now. She continued to stay with the Clearwaters. Julia would drive her to school with Paul since neither kids had vehicles.

Chapter 11 Chapter Text

When Bella and Paul arrived at school on Monday, the mood was somber in contrast to the bright, sunny skies outside. The first thing both kids did was greet Tyler. Bella, especially, gave him a big hug. She had grown close to Ty, who was like a protective brother to her. He missed Lauren and knew not how to process what had happened.

Forks High School was providing grief counselors to any student who needed one. Bella took Tyler aside during lunch and encouraged him to speak to a counselor, but he stubbornly played the tough guy. “Ty, I know people grieve differently, but this was a direct hit on you. You dated Lauren long before I arrived in Forks and have known her since you were kids. There is no way that this isn’t affecting you.”

Tyler’s body tensed up, and he began shaking—wracking sobs overtook his body, and Bella reached over and held her friend. “I loved her, Bella. And I don’t know if I can go on any longer. She was my life. She was misunderstood not only by her friends but also by her acquaintances because of her mother. Linda was a kind woman, but she was very… I don’t want to say anything negative about someone who has passed, but let’s just say the men in town really enjoyed her. She could never commit to one guy, and Lauren would often wake up to find that some guy her mother picked up at a bar had slept over. Everyone thought Lauren was like her mother.”

Bella sighed. “I know what that’s like. My mom used to be like Lauren’s mom until she remarried. I think women like that go from men to men because they’re looking for someone to take care of them. They are misunderstood in a different way than how Lauren was misunderstood. I’ve only met Lauren a few times, but she seemed kind and independent.”

Tyler tilted his head, gazing at Bella with a look of astonishment. “Those are the exact words Lauren used when describing you. She was looking forward to getting to know you.”

“Well, I’m sorry I’ll never get to know her.”

“Me, too.” Tyler shook his head. “I don’t know how I’m going to go on and to make matters worse, we argued before she died.”

Bella steepled her fingers under her chin, smiled, and asked, “About what?”

“About her friends and how fake they are.” Bella followed Tyler’s gaze over to the table occupied by Lauren’s friends. They were all crying loudly, drawing attention to themselves. “None of them were her true friends. I can’t imagine anyone at our lunch table, even Jess, acting like that phony bunch.”

“I think Lauren understood you were just looking out for her. Sometimes, it’s hard to see things when you’re on the inside. It’s easier for someone on the outside to look at things objectively. It had to have occurred to her that you always sat with your own friends for lunch instead of with hers. And I noticed none of her friends offer you support; they keep glaring at us, though.”

“They don’t like our lunch table. We’re not cool enough for them.”

“The way I see it, they’re not cool enough for us.” Bella smiled kindly at Tyler. “Thank you for hearing me out. It’s up to you whether or not you see one of the grief counselors, but in my opinion, you should go. Ms Lahote from the police station is one of the counselors assisting today. If I were you, I’d see her. It’s who I see.” With a wink, she left her friend to contemplate her words.

XOXO

On Thursday, the Cullens finally returned to school as it was the first overcast day after vacation. When Bella arrived at her locker in the morning, she found Edward Cullen leaning against it with a bright smile on his face. His countenance soon turned into a frown when Paul caught up to her and slung an arm around her.

“Excuse me. I need to get to my locker,” Bella said.

Edward’s mouth opened, then closed, then opened again. He looked like a pufferfish. “But he’s dead. I made sure of that,” he whispered to himself, confused. He stared at Paul worriedly as if he was a specter.

“Can you move?” Bella repeated.

A firm hand landed on Edward’s shoulder. “You know the rules. Don’t approach her,” Emmett forced him away from the lockers with a vice-like grip.

“You don’t understand,” Edward whined in protestation, “he’s not supposed to be alive. I took care of him.”

Bella stared in shock at the crazy vampire. He had absolutely no remorse for attempting to murder Paul. What kind of a deranged monster was he? Completely upset, Bella approached her stalker. “You listen to me, f*cker. You have intruded on my life over and over ever since I arrived in this town. The next time you cross paths with me or my loved ones, I will ensure it’s the last thing you ever do. Now, stay away from us. Do you understand me?”

“What she said,” Paul simply stated, pointing to Bella because he had nothing to add. Then, he kissed his imprint full on the lips to further antagonize the vampire. He put his arm around her, cooed, “Come on, babe,” and led her away.

Edward Cullen stood stunned in the hallway. How could his mate speak to him with such disrespect after all the effort he’d exerted to bring them together? He even destroyed his beloved Aston Martin, thinking she would appreciate the sacrifice he made for her. Well, he’d have to redouble his efforts, and as soon as they married, she would be taught obedience. Her vile language was beyond the pale, primarily because she directed it at him. He wouldn’t put it up with it.

But first…

Paul Lahote must die.

XOXO

The baseball and softball teams celebrated another win on Saturday but didn’t go to Sully’s to celebrate. It was shut down for renovations. Instead, they all went home to process recent events that seemed to have hurtled their part of the Olympic Peninsula into a miasma of grief.

There was some good news for the wolves on Saturday night. The three nomadic vampires who had killed the Mallory women had been culled by Jasper, Peter, and Charlotte. They had returned to Forks and scented vampires at the Swan residence, so they knocked on the door. Charlotte lulled them into a false sense of security by welcoming them into the home like a proper Southern hostess. She then promptly removed the female vampire’s head, and while her two partners watched in shock, Jasper and Peter decapitated the two males. And thus, Victoria, James, and Laurent’s lives came to an unremarkable end. Of course, fire laws prevented them from burning the bodies of the vampires, so they used Charlie’s propane grill. They now owed the Swans a new grill because Charlie vowed he wasn’t cooking on his old one anymore after he saw three heads sitting on the grill grates, dissolving into purple smoke.

On Sunday, Lauren and Linda Mallory’s joint funeral was held. The funeral was a simple graveside service for mother and daughter as they had no family left. The entire town had seemingly shown up to pay their respects and mourn the deceased. Tyler ignored Lauren’s fake friends and mourned her in his own way. All his friends were there to bolster him at her funeral, especially Bella, who held his hand the entire time and stood staunchly beside him, providing friendship and support. Mike Newton stood on his other side. There were sneers and snickers from Lauren’s false friends, some of whom accused Bella of taking advantage and infringing on Lauren’s territory. One look from Paul that brooked no opposition quelled that supposition.

Tyler had taken Bella’s advice and met with Ms Lahote, who was helping him deal with the emotional trauma of Lauren’s death. He also became close friends with Paul, whom he never knew until recently. Paul was a stand-up guy, and Tyler could understand why Bella was dating him.

After the funeral, everyone assembled at a potluck held at Mr Weber’s church to remember the deceased and celebrate their lives. Following the gathering, Tyler didn’t want to be alone, so Paul invited him to hang out at La Push. The three friends went for a walk along the shoreline. Bella and Paul allowed their friend to contemplate silently, though they stayed by his side.

Suddenly, Tyler broke off from the couple and stood close to the water’s edge, shouting to the heavens, “Whyyyyy? Why her? Do you even exist, God?” And then he dropped to his news and began crying. “Lauren, why did you have to leave me so soon? Send me a sign! Tell me everything is going to be okay!”

“I’ll go to him,” Bella whispered to Paul before walking to her friend’s side and wrapping her arms around him.

Paul leaned against a tree as he watched his girlfriend hold her friend. He wasn’t jealous at all of her actions. No, the care and loyalty his imprint showed her friends is what he admired the most about her. Tyler needed Bella’s embrace right now. The raw grief his friend was feeling was palpable to all. The guy had unexpectedly lost his girl, the one he’d dated since his freshman year of high school. Paul couldn’t imagine how Tyler felt right now. If he were in his shoes, he’d probably fling himself into the ocean in hopes of drowning.

His relationship with Bella was solid, albeit it had been fraught with turmoil, caused mainly by Edward Cullen. He loved her more than his life and trusted her with his heart. The couple had taken things slowly with each other. They weren’t like Sam and Emily or Katie and Jared. Paul and Bella took the time to get to know each other. The other two couples had hopped into bed with each other within a week of the imprint. Bella and he hadn’t gone further than holding hands and kissing. There was no need to go further for now. They knew they’d get there eventually.

His rumination was interrupted when he heard Tyler holler, “What the f*ck, Cullen!”

“You whor*!” Edward Cullen shouted at Bella. “I guess that savage wasn’t enough for you! Now, you’re giving yourself to a darkie.”

“You racist son-of-a-bitch!” Bella yelled. “How dare you enter Quileute lands and start spouting your prejudiced views!”

While Bella unleashed her fury on Cullen, Paul sent a group text message to all the vampires and wolves he knew:911! Come to Second Beach ASAP! Edward Cullen is attacking Bella and Tyler!

“You are deluded, prejudiced, and the worst kind of monster to ever roam the earth! And by the way, f*ckwit, you owe both Paul and me new modes of transportation. Yeah, I know it was you who tried to kill my boyfriend! You think you’re better and smarter than everyone, but I know the truth, you are worse than the scum beneath my shoes. If I could, I’d stomp you like the little insect you are, but as it is, I have something better and stronger to combat little turds like you!” Bella stopped her tirade as Paul approached the group in human form.

“Sorry, babe, I was just sending a text message.” Paul turned to Edward and donned a perplexed expression. “What are you doing here?”

With a look of superiority and a malicious grin, Edward stated, “Bella is cheating on both of us with this… this…”

“American?” Paul finished for him.

“My mom was born in Jamaica, but her family moved to Forks when she was five. My father is Irish with ancestors from Barbados from Cromwell’s days.”

“For real?” Bella’s head snapped to Tyler.

“Yep, Dad was born and raised in Ireland—he speaks with an Irish accent and everything. In fact, he has the notoriety of being the only person with an Irish accent in Forks—black or white. So, I actually have dual American and Irish citizenship.”

“Cool!” Paul chortled.

“That is quite fascinating,” Edward Cullen admitted, “but it doesn’t change the fact that you…”

“Oh, hey, guys!” Jared Cameron approached the trio, standing behind Cullen. He was soon joined by Jacob, Embry, and Sam. The three of them formed a blockade along with Paul.

“Bella, why don’t you head back to Billy’s? I’m sure Tyler will keep you safe,” Paul suggested.

“No way, man. I’m staying to kick Cullen’s ass,” Tyler insisted.

“Uh, Ty. I think Paul is right. We should go.”

Jenny, Leah, and Seth soon strolled onto the beach with Harry and Billy, completing the circle around Edward Cullen. Every single wolf glared directly into the vampire’s eyes. They were all still in human form, waiting for Bella and Tyler to leave so they could phase into wolf form.

Edward Cullen looked around and realized he needed to escape. The wolves could kill him for being on Quileute land, but he had come here to collect his errant mate. He discovered that she had been temporarily relocated to La Push for safety from him.As if he would hurt her?

Edward took in his surroundings. The wolves formed a tight circle around him. His best bet would be to run through Tyler. It would most likely kill him, but the situation required a sacrifice. Unfortunately, his mate was standing face-to-face with her new beau, urging him to leave with her. Bella’s back was to him.

With an evil smile, Edward grabbed Bella, keeping her back to him and wrapping one arm around her neck while the other secured her arm to her side. She felt wonderful in his arms—as if she belonged there. He had never experienced the wonders of the flesh, but he looked forward to familiarizing himself with those pleasures as soon as she became his wife.

The wolves closed in on them. He had to get to safety. He looked for an opening, but there was none.

“Are you insane, Cullen! Leave Bella alone!” Tyler bravely yelled.

“You’re going to let my imprint go, Cullen. You don’t want to hurt her,” Paul growled.

“Excuse me, Edward. I understand you have an insatiable need to kidnap me, but would you mind loosening your hold before you break my arm with your enormous strength,” Bella requested sweetly.

“Of course. I apologize, my love,” Edward complied as he removed his hold on her arm. A smile flits across his face.His mate complimented him. She said he was strong.

The vampire didn’t notice Bella shove her hand in her pocket to remove a small rectangular device. He was so delighted by his mate’s acknowledgment of his prowess that he decided to bask in the joy for a few moments. Suddenly, Edward let out a high-pitched, agonized shriek of pain: “Aiyeeeeee!” The vampire immediately froze and looked for the source of torment.

Bella held a live taser to his testicl*s with a look of malevolent glee. Mate or not, he could not exist with a woman who would cruelly abuse his most sensitive male organs with delight. Edward immediately backed away from her, straight into Quileute Chief William Black’s arms, who held him with surprising strength. The vampire struggled to get free but to no avail.

Paul immediately pulled his imprint away to safety. “Ouch! Ouch! Turn that sh*t off,” he yelped when the taser accidentally touched his arm.

“Sorry,” Bella grimaced and immediately powered off the taser.

Edward glanced up from his position of captivity and saw that help was coming. His entire family, Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper, were approaching him at vampire speed. Even Peter and Charlotte Whitlock rushed toward them. Typically, he wanted nothing to do with those low-class vampires, but today, he was elated to see them. He assumed Alice must have called to tell them because she was missing from the group.

Billy donned his high school principal persona and turned to Carlisle and Esme. “Dr and Mrs Cullen, I believe this belongs to you.”

Carlisle shook his head. “No. No longer.”

“What?” Edward cried. “Father, what do you mean I no longer belong to you? I’ve been a member of your coven for over a hundred years. You changed me, don’t you remember? I’m your son, your companion.”

“And you abused those privileges by putting human kids in danger. You stalked Bella Swan from the moment you arrived in Forks, Washington, even sneaking into her room at night, frightening her and taking away her sense of security. But even worse, you attempted to murder Paul Lahote by blowing up his car. No, Edward, you are no longer a part of my coven!”

“But where am I to go? I need protection. And I no longer want Bella Swan. She is a sad*st. She seems to have an unusual fascination with abusing my testicl*s!”

There were several snickers and chuckles from the others.

“That a girl,” Jasper whispered to her. He had gifted her the taser, stating that she might find it useful and less cumbersome than a bat.

“Well, if no one wants me, I’ll be leaving,” Edward huffed, acting hurt. The wolves made an opening for him. He held his head up high and walked past them. He glanced at Carlisle with pleading eyes, attempting to guilt him into letting him stay. Seeing it was impossible, he walked away but ran straight into Peter Whitlock.

“Goodbye, Edward,” Peter said kindly, and then…

With one fell swoop, Peter twisted Edward’s head off.

“Oh, sh*t!” Tyler cried, his eyes wide with shock.

“That was freaky! I’ve never seen anything like it,” Leah gasped. She turned to Tyler. “Hey, are you okay?”

And then it happened. Leah felt a jolt in her body and her heart thumping a million beats a minute. A spiritual bond was forming between her and the guy before her.

Was her hair and makeup okay? Thank goodness she didn’t have to turn into a wolf. She didn’t want to scare off her imprint.

“Holy sh*t! This is the best news of my life. My two besties are soulmates.” Bella took Leah’s hand and placed it in Tyler’s, and they immediately felt the electricity. “There’s your sign from Lauren,” she told Tyler. “Everything will be okay.”

“Well, now that this is done, we will leave you and your tribe in peace,” Carlisle addressed Billy and Harry. “You understand that I’ll need to give the hospital time to find a replacement, so it will take several weeks until we can leave town permanently. The two problematic members have been dispatched, so there should be no more issues.”

Carlisle turned to Bella and Paul with remorse. “I apologize from the bottom of my heart for all the trouble we caused.” He shook his head. “I thought we could live peacefully among humans, but alas, it was wishful thinking on my part. In any case, I am no longer master of the coven.” And then Dr Cullen looked directly into Jasper’s eyes. “I hereby cede control and all authority and responsibility of my coven to Major Jasper Whitlock.” With that, Carlisle and Esme left the beach.

“You know, the reason why Carlisle can’t be coven master is because he just left without torching the damned body!” Peter complained. “I suppose we can use Charlie’s grill again.”

“How about a bonfire?” Billy suggested. “I think it would be less conspicuous than carrying the body back to Forks.”

Emmett shrugged and joked, “Sure, as long as you don’t throw us in there. I’m not ready to die yet.”

Once the pyre blazed, and Edward had dissolved into purple smoke, Tyler finally asked, “Can someone please tell me what just happened? Because I’m so confused.”

Afterward, when Tyler Crowley walked into his house at midnight, he was a bit freaked out. It had been an eye-opening day for him. He learned about vampires, shapeshifting wolves, and soulmates before he was sworn to secrecy. Oh, yeah, and then he was grounded for breaking curfew and coming home at midnight on a school night. Oh, well. It was worth it. He had met an incredible girl named Leah Clearwater, seemingly sent straight to him from Lauren.

XOXO

Bella was finally able to return to her house in Forks on Monday. She found they had house guests—if vampires could be considered guests. She looked around the house curiously. “Did you guys do something to the house?”

“Just a little this and that,” Peter replied. “Your dad doesn’t mind. We get bored staying up all night, you see.”

“Ah, okay. If my dad said it is okay, then it is okay.”

“Come and sit down, sweet pea. You, too, Chief Swan. I made some of my southern fried chicken, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, gravy, biscuits, cornbread, and apple pie for you,” Charlotte pointed to the spread on the table. “Oh, and I made hush puppies, too.”

“No vegetables?” Bella asked, looking at the bounty.

“Honey, there are plenty of veggies on the table. I made mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, and my mama always told me cornbread counted as a vegetable, too.”

“Potatoes are veggies, kiddo,” Charlie said, looking toward their chef. “Just go with it.”

Bella shrugged her shoulders and dug into the food. “Yeah, I guess they are.”

Peter and Charlotte Whitlock stayed for another month, which was exactly how long it took for the hospital to find a new physician to replace Dr. Cullen. The Swans didn’t mind. They enjoyed the Whitlocks’ company a great deal, and apparently, the Swan house gave them a ton of activities to stay busy.

The Swans didn’t know that while they were gone from the house during the day and sleeping at night, all the vampires in town visited the Swan home to stay busy. By the time they left Forks, the house had been given a new paint job—inside and out, the kitchens and bathrooms had been refurbished, and new flooring and windows had been installed. Bella’s room had been completely updated, so she didn’t have bad memories of waking up to find Edward in her bed. There was one oddity she didn’t understand. The vampires had installed French doors that opened up to a balcony overlooking the forest where the window Edward had snuck in from had been. Peter told her that while she didn’t understand why it was installed now, she would understand and appreciate it later—and apparently, so would her wolf. Several months later, when Paul began sneaking into her room at night, Bella completely understood the necessity for the balcony.

The old Dodge Ram in Charlie’s garage had become Peter and Rosalie’s new pet project. By the time they were done, the vehicle had been spruced up and customized to the hilt with a brand new engine, paint job, seats, and a whole slew of bells and whistles to make it comfortable for a father-daughter road trip.

Bella and Paul did, indeed, receive new vehicles to replace the ones destroyed by Edward Cullen. Jasper and Peter personally took the kids shopping. The kids had decided on going with a smaller sedan like the ones that had been destroyed, but the vampires persuaded them to get larger vehicles.“Look to the future and take advantage of the situation. You two will be going to college next year, and you’ll need good, reliable vehicles to last you during those years and beyond. Besides, Carlisle is paying,”Jasper reminded them. Peter added the angle that a larger vehicle was a safer one. Paul ended up with a new full-size Toyota truck, while Bella chose a Toyota Land Cruiser. Both vehicles were decked out with every available amenity and customized with bulletproof glass, tinted windows, roll bars, and a rocking stereo system.

As for the vampires, they stayed for an additional month to finalize personal arrangements. They decided to scatter to different parts. While they were part of Jasper’s coven, they could move about freely as long as they checked in with him occasionally. He would provide protection from any evil vampires or other supernaturals. Carlisle and Esme moved to New York City, where the doctor found a new position. Emmett and Rosalie returned to her birthplace of Rochester, New York, for a few years. Peter and Charlotte went home to Oklahoma. Jasper, meanwhile, collected his mate Kate from Alaska, married her, and then moved home to Texas.

Alice, on the other hand, knowing she was about to be executed, ran away to Massachusetts where she was now making bank as a fortune teller in Salem. She could always stay one step ahead of everyone with her visions. She avoided members of her former Cullen, the Volturi, the Quileute Pack, and especially Jasper for self-preservation. Jasper knew well enough where she had planted herself, but he’d decided not to cull her since she had shown remorse and even informed him that Kate was his mate.

Amid all the happenings, Billy and Julia got married in what was supposed to be a small Quileute ceremony for close friends and family. It ended up being an entire weekend shindig involving the towns of Forks and La Push. Everyone needed a big, happy celebration after the recent tragic events—even the vampires participated. The wedding was held at Reverend Weber’s church, officiated by Revered Weber and the Quileute shaman, Old Quil.

Combining the Black and Lahote households was a bit more of a challenge because there simply wasn’t enough space in either of their homes. Billy’s house was a bit larger, so Paul took the guest bedroom while his mother and stepfather had an addition built to enlarge the Black family home. Julia’s home still had twenty years left on the mortgage, so she sold it and put the proceeds toward Paul’s college fund.

For Paul, adjusting to living with just his mother as an only child and having a father and siblings was challenging. There were new rules that both the Lahote and Black kids had to adjust to. Surprisingly, Paul was more independent and conscientious of parental needs than Rachel and Jacob. He had to learn to lean on Billy and his step-siblings more. He also had to get used to having Rachel and Jacob around. Thank God she was going back to college in the Fall. She was nice, but the way she hen-pecked annoyed him. Ah, well, she wasn’t his problem. Embry imprinted on her as soon as he saw her. He shuddered, thinking about being stuck with her.

Rebecca Black still had not come home. Instead, she quit college and chose to elope with her surfer in Hawaii. Billy and Julia announced they would take the kids on a family vacay/honeymoon in the summer to check in and visit Rebecca once school got out.

Paul didn’t think it was fair. He wouldn’t see his imprint for a whole six weeks. While the Black / Lahote trip was only two weeks, Bella would be attending softball camp at UCLA for an entire month. After that, Charlie would drive down and pick her up so they could tour California, which included three nights at Disneyland on the way home. Paul’s vacation would consist of beaches, sunny skies, no imprint, and no Mickey Mouse. Where the hell was the justice in that?

But all this would occur in the summer, and the kids had more important things to worry about—like the prom.

Chapter 12 Chapter Text

“I don’t understand how this is part of preparing for the prom,” Eric complained, rubbing his bicep. The poor guy looked as if he was going to cry.

The guys were all getting ready at Mike’s house for the prom, where the stretch limo would pick them all up. Mike’s parents were hosting a pre-prom get-together for all the kids and parents. It was still early in the day, and the guys were in the basem*nt working out. Neither Eric nor Ben understood why they were being tortured.

“Because you want to look good tonight, dude. Chicks dig muscles, and you want to look swole in your tux,” Mike assured.

“I don’t think Angela cares whether I’m swole or not.”

“Hell, yes, she does. And who knows? You might get lucky tonight. What if you have to take your shirt and jacket off? You want to be pumped up for that,” Jared added.

Eric gave his buddies a sly grin. “Trust me. She doesn’t care. She’s already seen me with my shirt off.”

The boys roared in a raucous applause and high-fived Eric.

“Man, I didn’t know you and Angela had it in you,” Mike admitted.

“Neither did I. Besides, it wasn’t planned. It just happened.”

“Yeah, that’s how it was for Jess and me, too.”

Paul pumped out some pull-ups as his buddies dished on their sex lives. He respected Bella too much to kiss and tell. He had no doubt he and Bella would eventually go all the way, but he wasn’t going to share their time together with his buddies. It occurred to him that Tyler wasn’t like that either. He never dished on what he and Lauren did together when she was still alive, and they were together. Now that he and Leah were dating, he didn’t hear a peep out of him either. Leah deserved that sort of respect, especially after having to watch Sam and Emily constantly making out in public. Paul didn’t like Emily at all. He thought she was a sanctimonious bitch.

“Paul, can you teach me how to do a pull-up?” Ben Cheney asked. “I really want to work on getting a better body. I don’t have any muscles.”

“Ben, dude, a pull-up is advanced for someone who doesn’t usually exercise. How about we start with pushups,” Paul offered.

Tyler suggested, “Have him hold a high plank first. That way, he can position himself correctly when he does an actual pushup.”

Paul did exactly as Tyler recommended and then taught Ben how to do a pushup. “So, we finally get to meet your girlfriend. Where does she go to school?” They had never met her because Ben always went to her house instead of bringing her to hang out with their group.

“She goes to the tribal school on the Quileute Res,” Ben informed them.

“What?” Paul and Jared both questioned simultaneously.

“I thought I told you guys.”

“Dude, you’ve never mentioned her school to any of us.” Mike tilted his head, agreeing with his friends. “We all just assumed she went to Port Angeles or something.”

“Who is she? How did you meet her?” Paul asked

“Oh, her name is Kim Bayak. She’s a junior at the tribal school. She goes to Peninsula College on the weekends. We’re both in the dual-enrollment program.”

“What a small world? We know Kim. She’s very quiet.” Paul didn’t mention that she used to have a major crush on Jared and followed him around like a stray puppy. For some reason, Taylor Swift’s, ‘You Belong To Me’ came to mind when he considered that situation. Poor Jared. Ah, well, at least he has Katie now.

The prom was going to be interesting for sure.

XOXO

Bella had spent the entire morning at karate class with her father. Today was her belt promotion test, and she had earned her blue belt. Afterward, Charlie took her to a late lunch at the diner to celebrate.

“Bella, don’t you have a prom to go to?” Cora, one of the longtime waitresses, asked. She brought out two glasses of ice water and two menus.

Bella peered around the diner. There were no high school students on the premises. Usually, on a Saturday, the establishment was packed with kids. “Uh, I don’t meet my friends until five. Why? Should I be getting ready now?”

“No, I suppose not. It’s just that most girls spend the entire day getting ready for the prom. I remember when my Chrissy went, she spent the day getting pampered. She had her hair and makeup done and went to the nail salon for a mani-pedi. Today is a day for celebration,” Cora chortled.

Charlie laughed aloud, slapping a firm palm on Bella’s shoulder. “It definitely is a day for celebrating. My Bells was promoted to blue belt in Karate today. Do you have any of that cobbler we both like?”

Cora seemed a little taken aback. Charlie Swan was absolutely clueless about raising a young lady. Ah, well. His daughter didn’t seem bothered by it at all. It wasn’t her business anyway.

XOXO

Immediately following lunch, Bella and Charlie returned home. Today was the last day of Peter and Charlotte’s stay. The couple had adopted the Swans as their own, as had Jasper. There was something effortless about the father and daughter. They had a bond that not many parents had with their children. Bella admitted to the couple that she had moved to Forks to become closer to her father after realizing her mother only cared about herself and her new husband.

While staying with the Swans, the three Whitlocks realized that both Bella and Charlie needed some TLC, so they stayed for a while, cooking, and cleaning for them and giving the tired old house a much-needed update. It was easy to do. Most of the tasks were completed while the Swans were at work or school, and some renovations were done overnight while the Swans slept. Jasper used his gift to put them into a deep state of rest on a nightly basis so they wouldn’t be disturbed by all the noise.

Bella stepped out of the shower, put on some shorts and a T-shirt, and sat at the new makeup vanity that had been put in for her when she renovated her room. It was actually an antique that belonged to her grandmother, but one of the vampires found it in the attic and restored it to its former glory, and it now sat in her room. Of course, Bella didn’t know the first thing about makeup. She’d only ever used a little mascara and lip gloss.

There was a knock on the door. “Come in,” Bella said.

Charlotte Whitlock, Rosalie Hale, and Esme Cullen walked inside, armed with a whole slew of bags.

“Thanks for letting us do this, Bella,” Esme said.

“No problem. I need all the help I can get.” Bella smiled as the women got to work. Each of them had always dreamt of having a child to care for, but their sudden change into vampires had removed that option from them. Then, into their lives came Bella. Sure, their initial introduction had been rocky due to Edward stalking her, but once she got to know them, she became a fiercely loyal friend.

Preparing Bella for the prom was a dream come true for these women. To them, it was like a once-in-a-lifetime mother-daughter bonding experience that they’d never have again. And the fact that Bella was letting them get her ready rather than spending the day with her friends meant the world to them. Not many humans would readily befriend vampires and treat them as if they weren’t any different from any other person walking down the road. Both Charlie and Bella shared this trait.

The three women wanted to make everything perfect for Bella, so they pampered, primped, and primed her, making sure she looked gorgeous for her special night. They blow-dried her hair and gathered it into a fashionable updo, leaving a couple of pin-curled strands loose to frame her pretty face. And then they did her makeup, teaching her the basics as they went along. It was something Renee had never done for Bella. They slipped a tube of lipstick and a powder compact into a silver clutch that matched her silver heels. They’d spent the month teaching her to walk and dance in the first high-heeled shoes the girl had ever owned.

After she was ready, the three ladies helped her into her prom dress. She wore a beautiful emerald green gown with a sweetheart neckline and a long, flowy A-line skirt. “What do you think?” Bella asked. “My dad picked it for me when I couldn’t decide.

“The dress is beautiful, but you are stunning,” Rosalie said, venom clouding her eyes. “Now, put on your heels so we can put some finishing touches on you.”

Charlotte clasped a beautiful three-strand pearl choker with a clear, teardrop-shaped diamond dangling from the center. Esme placed a pair of matching earrings in her ear. Meanwhile, Rosalie secured her hair with pearly pins that did double duty by holding her hair in place.

“There. Now you’re perfect,” Rosalie whispered.

Bella considered the three vampire women. Each of their lives had been cut tragically short, but they had been given second chances to live. Sure, they were no longer human, but they overcame their individual tragedies to become strong, independent women. Bella thought Paul’s mother would have enjoyed getting to know them, especially Rosalie, since their stories struck similar chords. They were survivors in their own way, and so was she.

Bella had survived a tumultuous school year, which included witnessing a murder, having a selfish and uncaring mother, and being stalked by a psychotic vampire. During this time, she learned to speak up for herself and stand on her own two feet, but she also knew it was okay to reach out for help when needed. Her friends stood by her side during her times of crisis, and Bella also learned empathy. When Tyler lost Lauren, she immediately reached out to him and made sure to help him through his time of need, even when he tried to dismiss her concerns. In the past, she might have simply walked away, dejected, but—this year—she learned the importance of give and take in any friendship.

Giving and taking were also relevant in Bella’s relationship with her father. She spent time visiting with the Blacks and Clearwaters because she knew they were important to him. And from her father’s friendships, she formed her own close bonds with Jake and Leah. When it came to her relationship with her father, the most significant was that she now lived with a dependable parent whom she could turn to in times of crisis or happiness. Spending time with Charlie, whether it was attending karate class with him, sitting side-by-side with him as he attempted to help her with homework, or simply playing catch with him, had been one of the highlights of her year. She never shared this kind of closeness with Renee, who never had time for her because she was always worried about pleasing whoever was the man in her life at the time.

Sometimes, she wished she had gone to live with her father much earlier, but in hindsight, her experiences had been the catalyst for change for her. If she hadn’t seen the murder in the schoolyard and had simply come to live with her father, would she have made an effort to amend her outlook? No, if Bella hadn’t witnessed the heinous crime, she would have come to Forks, not knowing she was craving parental attention, and perhaps would have even found Edward Cullen’s attentions to be romantic. So, yes, while witnessing the murder was horrific, it was also paramount because it became the guiding force in her metamorphosis into an empowered teen. Bella Swan was aware she still had a long way to go, but nothing would stop her now, especially with all the support she had around her.

Bella looked at her transformation in the full-length mirror. She didn’t recognize herself. Never in her life did she think she could look so beautiful. She felt incredible, too. The stunning pearl jewelry set off the emerald green of her dress, bringing even more life to its vivid color. She inspected the jewelry closely. “Uh, these aren’t real pearls and diamonds, is it?”

“Of course they are,” Rosalie replied.

“Oh, my God! What if I lose them? How am I going to return them to you?” Bella immediately tried to take the precious jewels off.

“Stop.” Rose gently took her hands in hers. When she had Bella’s attention, she said, “First of all, you will not lose them. You’re too responsible to do that. Second, they’re yours. They are a gift from the three of us, and before you argue that it’s too much, let me tell you why we did this.

“Bella, I don’t think you realize how special this month has been for us. None of us—not one of us will have the pleasure of having a human daughter to love and raise. You gave us the gift, if even for a short time, to experience motherhood. Never in our vampiric existence did we ever believe we’d have an opportunity such as this. You accepted us without prejudice despite the horrors inflicted on you and your mate by Edward, our coven member. And from the beginning, you were never rude to any of us—only to Edward and Alice, both of whom deserved it. You withheld your judgment on the rest of us.”

Charlotte interrupted, “In Peter’s and my case, your father accepted us without any reservations, and when you came home, you trusted us not to hurt you. And then you allowed my undead heart to grieve a long-dormant memory. When I was changed, I was returning from the doctor. My first pregnancy had just been confirmed, and I was excited to go home and tell my husband. I was snatched off the street by three women who turned me for the purpose of fighting in their vile vampire war.”

She shook her head. “I didn’t have an opportunity to mourn my human life, but when your father allowed Pete and I to temporarily live in his house, the memories came flowing back. My human husband and I had just built the house we lived in. It was very similar in appearance to this house—maybe that’s what brought everything back. I don’t know, but I can tell you that what happened next was healing. I realized that both your father and you needed some mothering, and you both let me into your lives—allowing me free reign in the house. You both pretended not to notice when we blatantly remodeled the interior of your house without asking, and you allowed me to pamper you both as I would have a son and granddaughter.”

“You’re the best-looking grandma I’ve ever seen! Trust me on this,” Bella joked.

“Well, I will say, it was the only perk I got to take with me from my human life. I was always pretty.”

“Oh, please. Your looks don’t compare to mine,” Rosalie joked.

Bella looked at the beautiful pearls and the brilliant diamonds. “It’s still too much. This must have cost a fortune.”

Esme stepped into the conversation. “But the gift you gave us, Bella, is priceless. You gave us back our humanity. And the jewelry? Well, it’s what we would have given to our daughters if we had our own. Fortunately for us, you gave us the privilege of having a daughter for a short time. Thank you.”

With tears in her eyes, Bella said, “Thank you. I didn’t really do anything special but thank you for spoiling me. I wish you didn’t have to leave tonight. It was really nice having three moms. I’ll treasure this time forever.”

“Oh! No, no, no! Don’t cry, sweetheart. You’ll ruin your makeup,” Charlotte warned. “Now, stand up and give us all hugs. You are just so gorgeous.” She cupped her chin and smiled, taking in the girl’s pretty countenance. “Be confident, Bella.”

“Remember: a strong woman is a beautiful woman,” Rosalie murmured softly.

Esme simply smiled and said, “Thank you for being you, Bella. Always stay kind and generous.”

The three women walked downstairs with her, where Charlie and their mates were waiting.

“Wow, kiddo! You sure clean up nice.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

“Beautiful,” Emmett said simply.

“You are lovely,” Carlisle added.

“Well, look at you, Darlin. You’re as pretty as a picture,” Peter complimented.

“Wow, Bella! You look like an angel,” Jasper winked. “Paul might break into one of his boy band songs as soon as he sees you.”

“God, I hope not. That would be embarrassing.”

They all posed for photos together. They even took a portrait of all three using the timer feature on their phones. After a bit more chatting, it was time for the Swans to leave. Charlie would drive Bella to the Newton home and stay for a parents’ dinner.

“Now, be good and enjoy the prom. I have no doubt that you’ll achieve any goal you strive for as long as you stay true to yourself. You’re a special young lady, Bella, and it’s been a privilege to know you.” Jasper smiled, took her hand, and kissed it.

“What he means is, ‘Stay gold, Ponyboy,’” Peter chortled, quoting from the Outsiders.

Bella laughed and then hugged all the vampires in the house. “I love each and every one of you,” she told them as she left.

The vampires stood framed in the doorway, watching the Swans leave. To them, it was the most brutal goodbye they’d ever experienced. They each vowed to keep an eye on the father-daughter pair forever. And unknown to the Swans, they were officially under Jasper’s protection.

About an hour later, after completing several last-minute tasks, the vampires departed Forks. Each one of them would continue to cherish their time with the Swans many centuries after Bella and Charlie departed the earth.

XOXO

At five p.m. sharp, the girls and parents began arriving at the Newton home. The atmosphere was celebratory—the boys all looked sharp, and the girls were beautiful. Kim Bayak, Ben’s date, looked uncomfortable, as did her parents. But then the Camerons arrived, followed by the Clearwaters. Billy and Julia Black arrived a few minutes later. The Bayaks realized there were many Quileute parents among the group, and they had no need to feel awkward. The parents in this group were all friendly and welcoming.

“Are we all here?” Mr Newton asked, looking around.

“No, Bella and Charlie aren’t here yet,” Billy informed everyone before reaching for one of the tiny quiches. Unfortunately, as the high school principal, he was required to attend the prom, so he couldn’t stay for the parents’ dinner and would have to choke down the food catered to the prom.

“Where could they possibly be? The Swans only live two blocks away,” Mrs Newton pointed out.

XOXO

“What do you mean I have to get a boutonniere for Paul? No one told me about that!” Bella griped.

“It’s tradition Bella. You usually have to order one well ahead of time,” Charlie informed her. He was driving his newly revamped, souped-up Dodge Ram. Peter and Rosalie had painted racing stripes on it for him.

“Well, what are we going to do?”

“Don’t worry about it, Bells. I’ll sweet-talk the florist,” Charlie assured her.

A few minutes later, the florist shook her head at Charlie. “Only because it’s you, Charlie. The other kids have already picked up their flowers. I was about to close up.” She turned her attention to Bella. “What is your date’s name?”

“Uh, Paul Lahote. Why?”

“Lahote. It begins with an L,” the florist muttered while flipping through a notebook. Ah, here we are. Paul Lahote. Wow, the boy has good taste.” She took in Bella’s prom ensemble, impressed. “Okay, I’ll put a boutonniere together for you in a jiffy.”

“Why did you look up Paul?” Bella asked.

“Because I am the only florist in Forks, La Push, and the surrounding areas. I keep a record of what each kid buys for their dates so their flowers will match. I wouldn’t want you to clash. Most girls inform their dates about the color of the dress they’re wearing, which I can tell from Paul’s order you did.”

“Okay, sure.”

Within minutes, the woman had a pink rose boutonniere ready for Bella to present to Paul. “Thanks for doing this, Lil. How much do I owe you?” Charlie asked.

“Nothing. Just get out of my shop so I can go home.” Lil followed them to the door, locked it behind them, and flipped the sign to ‘closed.’

“I’ll bring you a coffee sometime next week,” Charlie called behind him.

Lil had a good laugh after the Swans left. Almost twenty-five years ago, Charlie Swan and his parents had shown up to the store at closing time, begging her to make a last-minute wrist corsage for his date. Clearly, the daughter took after the father.

XOXO

The Swans arrived at the Newton house delayed by fifteen minutes but no worse for the wear with a boutonniere in hand. Bella looked heart-stopping in her emerald green gown, and her smile was radiant. When Paul saw his date walking into the house, he felt as if the spirits were taking hold of his body again. She was absolutely breathtaking.

“You look stunning,” Paul whispered, taking her hand.

Before Bella could reply, Angela cut in with, “Wow! No wonder it took you longer to get ready. You look so beautiful, Bella.”

“Thanks.” Bella blushed in embarrassment. “This is for you.” Bella gave Paul the little box with the boutonniere in it. “Uh, it’s freshly made by the florist in Forks.”

“Is that why you were late?” Billy asked Charlie, narrowing his eyes at his friend.

“Well, no one gave Bella the memo about the boutonniere, so we had to make a quick stop at Lil’s, right?”

Bella nodded her head, vigorously agreeing with her father.

The adults who graduated with Charlie burst into laughter at Charlie’s reply. “If I can recall,” Ken Marshall said, “you were late to the prom because you were getting a wrist corsage made for your date by Lil.” With that, the kids joined in the laughter, too.

“No wonder she threw us out, Dad!”

“Bella, dear, we were waiting for you so we could film the floral exchange,” Mrs Newton informed her.

“Oh, sorry.” She took back the box and gave it to her dad to hold.

“No, no, Bella. You need to hold on to the box. We want you girls to stand here while the boys walk in to pick you up. Mr Newton will film everything.”

“Is all this pomp necessary?” Bella asked.

“Of course, it is. This is prom!”

“Well, Mr. and Mrs. Black just got married, and there was no floral exchange ceremony. And I’m going to tell you a hundred percent that a wedding is more important than a prom.” Bella nodded her head knowingly.

Before Mrs Newton could reply, the other girls dragged their combative friend to the side. “Bella, you have to understand that Mikey is Mr and Mrs Newton’s only child,” Jess explained in a whisper. “She treats every major event in his life like it’s going to be his last, so you have to just go with it.”

“Well, that’s morbid. Do they think he’s going to die or something?”

“I never thought of it that way,” Jess admitted. “Just go along with her theatrics. Please, Bella?”

“Fine.” Bella tilted her head and turned to the lone girl she didn’t know. She extended her hand. “I’m Bella Swan, you must be Ben’s date.”

“Oh, I am. I’m Kim Bayak.” She was a shorter girl with a bit of a hunchback. She had long black hair and almond-shaped eyes hidden behind a pair of thick glasses.

“Nice to meet you,” Bella replied. “So, you go to Port Angeles High?”

“Oh, no. I go to the tribal school in La Push. I met Ben in Port Angeles at Peninsula College. We’re in the dual-enrollment program together.”

“What’s that?” Bella asked.

“Oh, it’s a program where you can earn college credits while attending high school. Ben and I will have earned associate degrees by the time we graduate from high school, if all goes well.”

“Impressive.” Before Bella could say anything further, Mrs Newton rushed inside to line the girls up. She put Angela at the head, followed by Leah, Kim, Katie, Bella, and Jess.

“Okay, let me just start the music, and Mr Newton can begin filming.” Mrs Newton clicked on her phone, and ‘Every Breath You Take’ by the Police started playing.

“Are you daft, Karen? You’re playing a song about jealousy and stalking for the prom?” Mr. Crowley asked. True to what Tyler said, his father spoke with a thick Irish accent.

“It’s a romantic song!” Karen insisted.

“Have you ever paid attention to the lyrics?” Lieutenant Marshall asked. “I’ll pick the song.” He scrolled through his phone after hooking it up and hit play. Air Supply’s ‘Lost in Love’ began playing.

“Ew! What’s this old fogie music?” Jess complained. All the girls followed suit, protesting about the music.

“I feel like we need something less mushy,” Bella added.

“I’ve got the perfect prom song.” Charlie strolled up to the Bluetooth speaker, hit play, and Def Leppard began blasting in the house.

“No, no, no! ‘Pour Some Sugar On Me’ is not an appropriate prom song, Charlie!” Mrs Newton protested. “It’s more…”

“For after the prom?” Joe Cameron joked, guffawing and winking at his wife.

“That’s why you have six kids, Joe,” Billy quipped.

“Personally, I kind of like it,” Mr Newton added. “It’s uplifting.”

“I don’t see why this doesn’t count as a prom song. They played it at my prom,” Charlie insisted.

The teens were becoming impatient. At this point, they didn’t care what song was played for their intro. While the other parents argued about song choices, Julia Lahote Black connected her phone to the speaker and hit play. Her song of choice: ‘Drowning’ by the Backstreet Boys. The song was quickly given a thumbs up by the girls, Mr Newton started filming, and the new Mrs Black hit play.

The boys walked into the house carrying their floral gift, beginning with Ben, who slipped a wrist corsage on Angela’s wrist, followed by Tyler, who did the same with Leah. Eric pinned a huge, red rose corsage that clashed terribly with poor Kim’s powder blue prom dress. The roses were ensconced in baby’s breath and bundled together with red and gold ribbons. On its own, it wasn’t bad, but against the powder blue dress, it stood out like an inflamed zit about to explode.

Bella noticed that Paul looked tense. He tapped his toes, clenched his fists, and occasionally squeezed his eyes shut in frustration. He opened his eyes and looked straight at her. “Are you okay?” She whispered worriedly.

XOXO

Paul had to admit that the song was perfect for the moment. He was filled with nervous energy and wanted to break out and sing along, but he didn’t want to embarrass himself because most guys weren’t into boy bands. He was afraid of becoming the laughingstock of his group, so he did everything he could not to sing, including stuffing his fist in his mouth.

He turned to his mother, who waggled her eyebrows at him. He figured it was her. She was the only one who knew about his boy band obsession, and she had to go and do it—she had to play one of his favorite songs.

Why was he so worried about everyone discovering his preference for boybands. If he couldn’t be himself with his friends, they weren’t his true friends anyway. He’d have to find a way to bring up the subject with them. Damn it! He wanted to sing. He tampered down on his desire by sucking in his cheeks.

Paul had a momentary reprieve as he looked at the ghastly corsage Ben had pinned on Kim’s dress. Why, Ben? Why? He needed to pull his friend aside and give him lessons in style because that red rose did nothing for that ugly light blue dress.

It was Jared’s turn now. Paul didn’t pay attention to what his friend was doing but glanced at his imprint, who returned his gaze with concerned eyes. By this time, his right leg was shaking. “Are you okay?” Bella mouthed to him.

Hell, yes, he was okay—more than okay. He was going to the prom with the most beautiful girl in the world—the one who owned his heart. It had only been a little over two months since he imprinted on her, but it seemed like a lifetime. How had he survived this long without her? He couldn’t imagine his life without her being a part of it.

Suddenly, their eyes met again, and he realized nothing mattered at all—except for Bella. And with a sudden burst of euphoria, Paul slid on his knees, stopping in front of his girl with one hand outstretched toward her. As soon as she took it, he slipped the corsage onto her wrist, then stood up with her in his arms just as the song hit the chorus. He twirled her in his arms and sang to her.

Every time I breathe, I take you in, and my heart beats again
Baby, I can’t help it; you keep me drowning in your love
Every time I try to rise above, I’m swept away by love
Baby, I can’t help it; you keep me drowning in your love

But the surprising thing was that Mike joined in, followed by Tyler, Eric, Jared, and Ben—in that order. None of his friends made fun of him. They all sang along and danced with their dates, having the time of their lives.

“Guys, fall talent show—we’re doing this song,” Paul declared after the tune was done. His friends all high-fived him. And he’d never been happier in his life.

Chapter 13 Chapter Text

The prom was excellent, but compared to Paul’s epic performance during the floral exchange, everything else simply didn’t rise to the challenge that night. It didn’t matter, though. The friends all had a fantastic time together and repeated the experience the following year at their senior prom.

After high school graduation, some of the group went off to college, while others attended tech school.

Kim and Ben received associate degrees concurrently with their high school diplomas. They started college as juniors at Washington State University—majoring in computer science with a minor in cybersecurity. Following their college graduation, they married and worked in Silicon Valley—one at Google, the other at Oracle. But they couldn’t stand the area, so they moved to Port Angeles to begin their cybersecurity firm.

Katie and Jared, both of whom were never very studious, earned vocational certificates. Jared became an EMT and eventually a paramedic, while Katie became a massage therapist. They were married and lived in La Push. Katie worked at a spa in Port Angeles.

Leah completed her Associate in Nursing degree at Peninsula College when her friends finished high school. She transferred to Washington State University for her Bachelor of Science in Nursing. After two years in Pullman, she was hired as a registered nurse at Forks Medical. Meanwhile, Tyler earned a two-year Criminal Justice degree at Peninsula College and then attended the police academy. He was hired by Charlie immediately. Leah and Tyler now lived in Forks.

Unfortunately, not all the couples stayed together. Angela and Eric broke up just before their high school graduation, and Jessica and Mike broke up after their freshman year of college.

Jessica attended the University of Washington for a year before dropping out due to a miserable freshman year, which included breaking up with Mike. She never returned to college; instead, she did a six-year stint in the Army, then returned to Forks and became a 911 dispatcher. Upon her return, she hooked up with Eric Yorkie, whom she ran into while having a lone dinner at the diner. They hit it off immediately, and within six months, they were married in front of family and friends at Reverend Weber’s church. Eric was a chemistry teacher at Forks High School, and all the kids were terrified of his pop quizzes.

Angela earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Photography at Seattle University. She returned to Forks after graduation and opened up a little photo studio, her goal from the beginning. She ran a brisk business as the only photographer in the area. She was hired to take family portraits, senior photos, and, of course, weddings. She also did all the yearly pictures for the area schools. In fact, her business did so well that she had to move to a larger studio. She found the perfect spot in a little strip mall next to Newton’s Olympic Outfitters, where Mike had just returned to manage the business with his parents after a five-and-a-half-year stint of heavy partying at the University of Colorado in Boulder. Not one of his friends was surprised he enjoyed his independence to the fullest, especially with Mrs Newton’s helicopter parenting. Angela and Mike hooked up and were married in a double ceremony with Jessica and Eric, attended by all their friends.

As for the pack, after the Cullens left, they disbanded for the most part, as no vampires crossed the area during their lifetime. They all eventually began careers after completing their education and remained acquaintances. Most stayed in the area, but others moved away to follow their dreams.

Paul remained close friends with Jared because he was part of his lunch table. He also maintained close relations with Tyler and Leah because Bella and he were close to them. After the events of junior year, it was impossible for the group not to remain friends.

Paul was also close with his extended family—the Blacks. Billy and Julia were still going strong and in love as ever. During Paul’s senior year, his mother gave birth to a little girl—a testament to Billy and Julia’s love. She was loved by all of her half-brothers and sisters. She was also the driving force that caused both Paul and Jacob to attend college very far away because she was loud!

In the fall of her senior year of high school, Bella was offered several full scholarships by universities that wanted her to play for them. Most of the scouts had been keeping an eye on her since her freshman year of high school. Despite moving from a D1 high school to a D3, the recruiters continued to follow her stats and communicated with the softball camps she attended. The recruiters also knew she came from outstanding stock; being the daughter of Charlie Swan and the former Renee Higgenbotham was no joke—both had been fantastic ball players during college. In fact, Charlie Swan could have signed with the major league if he hadn’t followed his dreams of becoming a cop.

Several colleges with top softball programs offered her a full ride, but she refused to sign with them. The universities could not understand what was holding her back. Most girls would have immediately jumped at the offer from any one of the universities, but Bella would not budge. She kindly but firmly informed the colleges that she was still considering her options.

One representative knew his chances of recruiting Bella Swan were next to nil. The girl had offers from some of the top ten softball programs in the United States, while the college he represented ranked at twenty-four. He was about to head to his car and take off to speak to the next prospect when he happened to be in the right place at the right time. He overheard a conversation between the girl and her friends about colleges. Bella refused to select a college until she knew where her boyfriend Paul was going, which wouldn’t be until January—at the earliest if he applied through early decision. Through the course of the conversation, he discovered that the boyfriend was in the running for class valedictorian or at least salutatorian. And that’s when an idea brewed in the recruiter’s brain.

After learning the boyfriend’s name from a passing student, he called one of his colleagues, who called in a favor to get Paul Lahote’s SAT scores. The next day, he met with Paul Lahote’s mother, Bella Swan’s father, and the principal of the high school, who he learned was the boy’s stepfather. The recruiter put his offer on the table: a full athletic scholarship covering room, board, tuition, and books for Isabella Swan in exchange for her talents on the softball pitch. In addition, Paul Lahote would be offered a full academic scholarship covering tuition, room, board, and books. Each scholarship was renewable based on academic achievement and, for Bella, athletic performance.

The parents were ready to sign, but the kids were the ones who bargained for more. Paul required single rooms for each of them for each year they were there. This was readily agreed upon. It was Bella Swan who wanted something more. She told the recruiter she’d be willing to sign if, and only if, she was awarded an additional scholarship.“I promise I’ll keep my grades up, but I want something else. I plan on becoming a physical therapist, which requires two additional years of postgraduate work. I either want the NCAA postgraduate scholarship or whatever Baylor can muster up—the more lucrative, the better; otherwise, I’m signing with UT or OU.”

And that threat did it. The University of Texas and the University of Oklahoma were number one and two in the softball ranking. They were also the bane to the representative’s recruitment efforts. As long as those universities existed, he could never hope to recruit a top prospect, and Bella Swan was the ‘it’ girl of the recruitment year. After excusing himself, the man called his higher-ups to make the deal come to fruition. Within the hour, Bella Swan and Paul Lahote had committed to Baylor University. They still had to submit applications as a formality, but they had signed a deal, and their futures for the next four years were set in stone.

So, Bella and Paul attended Baylor University in Texas. Bella played softball for four years admirably and also maintained a respectable 3.8 GPA while majoring in Exercise Physiology. She received a scholarship covering her tuition, fees, and books for her postgraduate work at the same university.

On the other hand, Paul horrified both Billy and Julia when he earned his Bachelor’s in Fine Arts in Musical Theatre. The parents wondered how on earth Paul would get a job after college. Julia began regretting introducing boy bands to her son. Fortunately, he applied to law school during his senior year and continued at the same university as Bella.

The couple rented an apartment together near campus during graduate school, working part-time jobs to pay for rent and expenses. They knew they were luckier than most graduate students. Bella and Paul had earned scholarships to cover most of their school expenses, so it was no problem for them to work part-time to make up the difference.

Chapter 14 Chapter Text

Epilogue

Eleven Years Later…
Forks High School Reunion

And so we come to the end of our tale, the members of the lunch table gathered in the gym of Forks High School for their ten-year high school reunion. The room was decorated with balloons and streamers. A DJ spun tunes from their generation, and couples danced on the makeshift dance floor. With the exception of Bella and Paul, all the couples in their friend group were married. As was their style, they saw no need to rush into anything so serious as marriage. The couple had returned to Forks three years ago after Paul completed law school and passed the bar. Paul worked in the prosecutor’s office for two years before opening up his own law practice on Forks Avenue. He was also the official lawyer for the tribe. Bella worked as a physical therapist at Forks Hospital, but plans were being made for her to open her own private practice in town.

The couple lived in Charlie’s house. He now lived with his new wife, Coach Clapp, who had been Bella’s old softball coach at Forks High School. It was a second marriage for both. Coach Clapp’s husband had divorced her after discovering she could not have children due to an issue with her ovaries. Her ex-husband now lived in Oregon and had eight kids and counting.

Charlie and Anna—Coach Clapp’s first name—began chatting when Bella joined the softball team. They discovered they had a lot in common, including a mad love for anything sports. When Charlie first went to her house to watch the Seattle Mariners defeat the New York Yankees on Anna’s 100-inch Sony TV, he knew she was the girl for him. So, with Bella’s approval, one week after Bella graduated from high school, Charlie married his perfect match, and Coach Clapp became Coach Swan. The couple moved into Coach Clapp’s house because it had the larger TV. Three years ago, when Bella and Paul returned to Forks, he offered the house to them. He didn’t sell it to them. After all, he inherited the home from his parents when they passed away; Charlie simply signed the deed to Bella.

“Hi, Dad.” Bella hugged her father. He attended with his wife, who was still the PE teacher and softball coach at Forks High School.

“I can’t believe it’s been ten years since you graduated from high school, kiddo. You’ve accomplished so much with your life. Hell, I never imagined I would be your patient.” Charlie had recently had rotator cuff surgery, and Bella was his physical therapist, guiding him through recovery.

“It’s been a long road, but I don’t regret any of it. Working hard during college really paid off.”

Charlie chuckled. “Yeah, it did. And now you want to open your own practice.”

“I do. And it will be sooner rather than later. The small business loan I applied for just went through, and if all goes well, I have high hopes of being able to pay it back within the first two years.”

“Congratulations, kiddo. Your business will be a success; I just know it.”

Billy approached with Julia. “Bella, I hear from Jacob that congratulations are in order.”

“Yeah, we got the loan.” Jake was Bella’s business partner and a physical therapist. He decided to follow in Bella’s footsteps and become a physical therapist after Rachel wound up in physical therapy after a car accident. He watched the therapist help Rachel re-learn how to walk and was thoroughly impressed. So, he declared a major and put his heart and soul into earning it.

Bella and Jake had been discussing opening a shop together since they were five and six years old, but back then, they were going to sell mud pies. Now, they were opening a private physical therapy practice, serving Forks, La Push, and the surrounding areas. They’d come a long way since mud pies.

XOXO

“Bella, are you and Paul ever going to tie the knot?” Katie asked. “Jared and I are celebrating our tenth anniversary next year. You two have been together just as long as we have.”

Bella took a sip of her wine… her crappy wine. She grimaced. “Eventually,” she replied, then changed the topic. “What cheap ass picked this wine?” They were seated at a round table by the dance floor, watching everyone get drunker and drunker as the evening passed. How anyone could get drunk on this swill, she had no idea.

Angela motioned toward the reunion committee with her chin. It was the same group who organized the junior prom—the snooty cheerleaders.

“They aren’t aging well,” Jess noted. She had a bone to pick with them. That particular group was among the first to disparage her choice not to continue with college and to join the Army. For Jess, it had been the best decision. During her freshman year, she realized that academics weren’t for her and that she needed grounding, which the military provided for her.

“No, they aren’t,” Bella agreed, “and they’re now permanently on my sh*t list because of this disgusting wine. There are better cheap wines out there than this. They didn’t have to go for the bottom of the barrel!”

Angela laughed. “Um, it’s not like they were ever on your favorites list, Bella. Besides, maybe they don’t know better about the wine.”

“True.” Bella nodded, and then a sudden realization hit her: “Where are the guys?” As she chatted with her friends, she realized their other halves had all slipped away.

“I have no idea. They’re probably just talking. They talk more than we do. It’s like they have extra long lunches, and then they meet at our house for god only knows what on the weekends.”

“I’m just glad they’re all still friends. Our lunch table has survived the separation.” Bella caught sight of Kim and Leah, who had gone to the tribal school. “And we still have our honorary members.”

“This is very true. This calls for a toast.” Kim reached into her tote bag and dug out a bottle and a wine opener. She smirked at her friends. “I brought the good stuff. Ben and I picked this up in Aberdeen last month.”

“I was wondering why you brought a canvas tote bag in,” Jess said.

“Quileutes like to take care of their friends,” Kim replied with a wink. “And I brought the ugly tote bag because I stashed three more bottles of wine here,” she admitted.

“God, I love you!” Bella burst as she poured the rest of the crappy wine into a plant.

“Oh my God! Bella, that’s a fake tree!” Leah informed her.

“Oops!” She examined the tree. “I think they had this tree up at one of our proms, too. I wonder if they just dig this out for special occasions.”

While Kim poured the wine, there was some kind of commotion on the dance floor. Suddenly, the DJ asked everyone to clear the dance floor. And when the crowd dispersed, there remained six men: Ben, Eric, Jared, Mike, Paul, and Tyler. Then the speakers started blaring a One Direction song, and the guys began serenading their ladies, just like they did at the junior prom. The crowd went absolutely wild.

Bella laughed as she watched her boyfriend lead the five other guys in their performance. She loved this side of Paul. She encouraged him to major in Musical Theatre during college because it was what he wanted to do. By the time freshman year of college began, he was burnt out from focusing so much on pleasing his mother. While Bella understood why Paul wanted to please Julia, there was a limit.“I’m sure your mom doesn’t want you to please her to the detriment of your happiness,”she had told him. Paul had taken Bella’s words to heart and had run with it. In fact, even now, he was heavily involved in the local community theatre with Mike and, surprisingly, Eric. They were trying to recruit the rest of their friends.

As the song ‘Night Changes’ came to an end, the other guys formed a half circle behind Paul, who dropped to one knee and sang the last verse of the song, “It will never change me and you.” Then he pulled out a diamond ring from his pocket and held it out in front of his imprint with a smile. “I love you, Bella. Marry me.”

Bella put her right hand on her heart and extended the other as she bubbled with happiness. “Yes, Paul. Yes, I will marry you.”

‘And they danced all night to the best song ever.’

Well, they did.

And they lived happily ever after.