Bella didn’t go to school the next day, just to avoid hurting herself, and, instead, Mrs. McCall took her out shopping for art supplies and food so Bella could cook. She opted to cook her favorite pasta dish that everyone she’d ever cooked for had loved so much, even if it took some time to make it. The cooking was therapeutic, the aroma of the ingredients filled the kitchen, and she found solace in the rhythmic motions of chopping, stirring, and simmering.
Isaac’s texts provided a constant connection, and he seemed genuinely interested in her day. She shared photos of the cooking progress, creating a virtual bond despite the physical distance. Bella was at the home by herself, Mrs. McCall had gone to work for a few hours and assured Bella that the house was safe as it was lined with mountain ash, nobody could get in with everything locked up and the ash spread in the front door.
Cold Ones likely could.
But Bella didn’t want to worry. For the first time in a while she felt comfortable in her own skin, and the full use of a clean kitchen was a treat and a half. Around 3 PM, there was some knocking on the front door and she saw Isaac and Scott and everyone else standing in front of it as they returned from school and Bella had to remove a little of the ash for them to enter. Once she did that, everyone filed in and the house was soon filled with laughter and a lot of energy.
“You do know that sick days are actually meant for being in a relaxed state,” Lydia commented as everyone sat down around the kitchen table to be close to Bella.
“I am relaxed,” Bella replied as she leaned against the kitchen counter. “Food’s not ready by a long shot.”
“Oh, it’s a bit early for dinner, but since you’re here, we’re all hanging out in the kitchen,” Stiles remarked, pulling sodas from the fridge for everyone.
Isaac, drawn by the enticing aroma, peered into the sauce pot and couldn’t resist the temptation to sneak a taste. Before he could dip his finger in, Bella swiftly swatted his hand away. “Hey!”
“Use a spoon, for heaven’s sake!” Bella scolded, handing him a utensil. “It’s not ready yet, needs at least another hour to simmer.”
Isaac, undeterred, smirked and sampled a bit of the sauce with the spoon. “Oh, that’s actually quite nice.”
“Quite nice?” Bella raised an eyebrow, casting a playful glance at him. “That’s downright delicious, if I do say so myself.”
“Relax, I’m just teasing you,” he chuckled as he put the spoon in the sink and ran his hand over the small of her back as he passed her. “I like cooking,” Isaac replied as he looked at the herbs on the kitchen counter. “I’m glad you had fun today.”
“I’d rather have gone to school.”
Isaac watched her and shook his head with a smile on his face. “By the lack of pain I’m guessing that you’re not even lying.”
She shrugged. “I like this, too, but if I want to graduate this year, I still have to catch up with a lot of stuff.”
“Or, we could run away and just do whatever. Do we really need to graduate?”
“Yes,” Bella laughed. “It’s like a badge of honor, you only graduate high school once, right? We should be proud of that. It’s not something we can repeat.”
“Exactly,” Lydia agreed. “And then college, get a job, the whole, normal thing.”
“Yes,” Bella nodded as she continued her dish by unveiling risen dough in a bowl and started to shape it into two bread loaves. “Did I miss anything at school?”
“Not really. Bella, it’s okay to miss a few days of school,” Stiles piped up. “It’s not as if we haven’t missed anything over the years. Scott almost failed at some point.”
“I prefer not to miss anything. It’s not as if I’m sick,” Bella replied as she stirred her sauce. “If there was actually something wrong…”
Isaac rolled his eyes. “Tell me something that’s you bending the truth a little.”
“Are you serious? I am trying not to get hurt!”
“You’re sick,” Isaac concluded, a playful smile on his face. “See? Definitely worth it to stay home, or in this case, in a safe place.”
Bella put the dough into two cake tins and into the pre-heated oven. “I just don’t like feeling useless or in trouble,” she started as she leaned against the counter, looking at the others in the kitchen. “And the trouble I had was easily fixed, just keep running. This one actually hurts. How do you guys do this all the time?”
“Oh, we take turns,” Stiles said light-heartedly and nodded. “Makes it more fun and interesting. And seeing as you’re the new kid in town, of course it’s you.”
Scott let out a chuckle. “It works that way.”
“In that sense, you’re lucky that you ran into us,” Liam added. “Scott saved all of us, one way or another. And no matter how hopeless things seem, there’s always a way.”
“You guys are all so cheesy, it makes me nauseous,” Bella shook her head laughing. “But is there any news?”
“To be honest, your trouble is a little bit different, I don’t think that either Deaton or Argent had ever considered vampires being a threat to Beacon Hills. I did go to the animal clinic during lunch and Deaton was on the phone to someone named Klaus, talking about the pendant, so I’m sure he’ll call soon with updates,” Scott explained to Bella. “But it’d be helpful if you could tell us about the Cold Ones, should they come to Beacon Hills, how do we stop them?”
Bella crossed her arms over her chest, exhaling as she gazed down at the floor. “They’re a secretive community, and their laws are absolute. Just being here and talking about them is a minor miracle. They’re smooth-skinned, flawless—like marble. Their allure lies in perfection, and let’s be honest, humans are drawn to perfection. Deny it all you want, but it’s true. When you become a vampire, even if you were average-looking before, you transform into something breathtaking.”
“That’s kinda shallow,” Stiles remarked.
Bella chuckled uneasily, scratching her head. “Thanks.”
“Not… not saying you’re…”
“But I am. Hormonal teenager. Lonely. Perfect target. Anyway, the coven I got involved with likes to… well, the head of the family, if you can call it that, enjoys collecting special people. That’s why they have a mind reader, someone drop-dead gorgeous, someone super strong, someone who can manipulate emotions, and someone who can see the future or track you from a distance. The only one who’s remotely normal is his wife. And me? I became more interesting when the mind reader couldn’t read my thoughts.”
“So… they’re shallow,” Stiles concluded. “Nice.”
“Oh, yeah. It’s also hard to wean yourself off of their influence. It’s the entire package that keeps drawing you in once you’re hooked. It’s like a drug. It’s been months but I still… occasionally catch myself thinking that maybe I should give them a call, especially now that their King sent me the pendant, thinking that maybe they care about me as a person and would do something about it, but then I catch myself knowing that I’m just a toy to them until I turn.”
“Were you going to?” Isaac asked carefully.
“Turn? Oh yeah, absolutely. I wanted to become a vampire, and I was to be turned after our wedding. Call them? I still have all of their phone numbers in my phone, I think I need a new phone number.”
“Why?”
Bella shrugged. “It seemed the best thing, really. I’ve always felt out of place, out of step with everyone. And who wouldn’t want to become absolutely flawless, live forever and do whatever you wanted for as long as you wanted? Become strong. Fast. The only threat to you being other Cold Ones and shifter wolves because there’s nothing on the planet that’s stronger or faster than you. That was… until my 18th birthday. They threw me a party against my will, I don’t really… feel comfortable to be noticed. But I nearly got killed because of a papercut. It woke me up and then I realized they had been manipulating me all along,” Bella let out a breath and took a peek through the oven window to make sure her bread wasn’t burning. “I don’t think they would come for me. If they were, they’d be here already. I told them to leave me alone, and part of me believes they’ll keep their distance. It’s the Volturi and their guard that will likely come down here—a mix of trained fighters, Cold Ones with abilities like inflicting pain with just a thought.”
Bella poured herself a glass of water and told the rest of the story to all of them, every important detail about the Cold Ones. How they look in the sun, how they track someone, how their blood and saliva is a burning venom. How humans and human weapons won’t work and that bullets will likely bounce off their skin. How complete and utter destruction with a lot of force and fire would definitely kill Cold Ones.
“Sounds easy enough…” Liam mused.
“Sure,” Bella shrugged. “But again, if they send the super powered Cold Ones to come and get my ass, you have more things to worry about. It’s why I’m thinking it might just be best for me to leave and—”
“No!” Scott and Isaac chorused.
“Absolutely not,” Stiles added. “Are you insane?”
“I don’t want you guys to get hurt,” Bella replied, taking another sip of her water before setting the glass down on the counter. “I don’t want anyone to get hurt because of me, because I made a stupid decision and got myself in trouble with them. My plan has always been to just… stay for as long as I can and then leave, and that eventually, years from now, they’d catch up to me.”
“And then you’d turn or die.”
“But at least I’d been human for a bit longer.”
“There’s a good number of us, we can handle them,” Liam said, self assured.
Bella glanced at Liam, appreciating his determination, but her concern lingered. “It’s not that simple. These creatures are relentless, and their abilities go beyond what you might encounter on a regular basis. Plus, there’s the Volturi and their guard. They’re not to be underestimated.”
“So… this may be very out of left field and perhaps a bit ridiculous…” Isaac said as he leaned against the counter next to Bella. “It’s turn or die, right?”
“Right…” Bella answered a bit unsure, not sure what he was going to say.
“And if you’d turned, you wouldn’t have had issues with that pendant, right?”
“Correct…”
Bella noticed an imaginary lightbulb flicker to life over Stiles’ head. “Oh! Did they specify what you had to be turned into?” he asked with excitement.
“Well, the coven promised the King that I’d be turned after the wedding and since that didn’t come or isn’t in the future, I think we’re in breach of contract? I don’t know. I don’t want to turn, I’d rather be me.”
“Of course, but what if you can still be you but experience discomfort once a month?” Stiles pressed.
“Stiles, I’m a girl; I’m always dealing with discomfort once a month,” Bella retorted, rolling her eyes.
“And there’s no guarantee it works,” Lydia chimed in. “Remember Jackson? Me?”
“Yeah, but that was a Hale bite in both cases. Scott’s been pretty successful so far,” Stiles shrugged and gestured towards Liam. “Just look at him.”
Bella began to realize what they were suggesting. “No. I don’t think that’s a good idea, no. Absolutely not.”
“Why not?” Stiles inquired.
“Because a lot can go wrong, and on top of that, I have Cold One venom in my body. There’s no telling what it could do to me. From what I’ve learned so far, even a bite from an Alpha doesn’t guarantee turning. I don’t mind dying because I made my bed so I have to lie in it but I don’t want to die in a world of pain. No,” Bella rambled, her concerns pouring out. “No offense to you, Scott, but…”
“Oh, no, it’s a good idea. It’s smart. I was thinking that too, and I would have done it with your permission,” Scott nodded. “But you’re right; we don’t know what would happen, and it could only be worse with that venom. But for the love of God, stop saying you don’t mind dying.”
The room fell into a thoughtful silence as the weight of the potential solution lingered in the air. Bella’s reluctance to entertain the idea was evident, her eyes scanning each face in the room, searching for understanding or support. Scott’s proposal hung in the air, a risky yet seemingly logical solution to the impending threat.
Isaac broke the silence, his gaze unwavering as he addressed Bella, wishing she’d drop her dead wish, but he wasn’t going to give up on her. Turning, at this point, or even attempting, was a better option. “It’s a lot to think about, I get that. Turning into a werewolf is a serious decision, and given your unique situation, it’s even more complicated. But maybe there’s a middle ground. We don’t have to rush into anything.”
“I just want to know if Dr. Deaton can help. If not, figure out if the turn or die thing is connected to turning into a Cold One,” Bella turned around and started to make herb butter after stirring her pasta sauce.
“Why are you so at peace with dying?” Lydia wondered, not sure why someone would choose death over living.
Bella let out a sigh as she mixed the butter, the garlic and herbs. “I guess… I realize the mess that I’ve found myself in, how messed up things have become. The only reason why I’m worried is because of you and the danger I brought to Beacon Hills.”
Isaac was waiting for Bella to double over in pain but the lack of it either meant that Dr. Deaton had succeeded in breaking the curse, or worse, that Bella was speaking the truth.
“Then why insist on staying alive too?” Lydia asked her. “I’m just trying to understand.”
“It’s more of a ‘fuck you’ to them, I guess. The longer I stay alive, human, the longer they have to wait for what they want. And personally, I don’t want to die unless I’ve finished high school at least. It means I’ve accomplished something,” Bella stated proudly. “Everything else is a bonus.”
Lydia observed Bella with a mix of curiosity and concern. “You’re incredibly resilient, you know that?”
“I’ve had to be,” Bella replied, a faint smile playing on her lips. “Life’s thrown some curveballs my way.”
Isaac chimed in, his gaze fixed on Bella. “And you’re still standing. That’s impressive.”
Bella chuckled, a self-deprecating tone in her voice. “Well, sometimes I’m barely standing, but I manage somehow.”
“So, finishing high school is the goal?” Lydia asked as she poured everyone another drink.
Bella nodded. “Yeah, it might sound silly, but it’s something normal. Something I can control in the chaos that is my life right now.”
Around dinner time and after Mrs. McCall came home accompanied by Sheriff Stillinski, Scott, Stiles and Isaac were home for dinner too. Fortunately, Bella had cooked more than enough for everyone.
“Wow, Bella, this looks amazing!” Stiles exclaimed, taking a seat.
Isaac nodded in agreement. “You really outdid yourself.”
Scott flashed a grateful smile at Bella. “Thanks for doing this. It means a lot.”
Bella modestly shrugged off the praise. “It’s the least I could do. Besides, I needed a distraction from the impending doom.”
Mrs. McCall joined them at the table, her eyes sparkling with appreciation. “Bella, this is incredible. You’re a fantastic cook.”
Bella blushed, unused to such compliments. “Thank you, Mrs. McCall. I just enjoy cooking, and it’s nice to have a proper kitchen to do it in.”
“I had an interesting phone call today,” Sheriff Stilinski said while they were eating, both he and his son had a mountain of food on their plate, Stiles was less than happy as he’d been trying to get his dad to eat healthier, and Bella’s food was certainly very indulgent. “From the Chief of Police in Forks, Washington.”
“Oh God,” Bella muttered, her cheeks red with embarrassment. “I am so sorry.”
“Melissa filled me in on what went on last night with her messaging your father in your stead.”
“I just can’t, right now.”
“As I was told,” Stilinski nodded. “I told him I’d do a welfare check on his daughter and I’ll give him a call tomorrow. I just figured you didn’t want to tell him what’s going on with you?”
“Dad doesn’t know about all of this, he might learn at some point as I believe he has shown interest in one of the women on the reservation and, of course, his best friend lives there, but I doubt he’d like to hear that somehow…”
“His only daughter is way ahead of him and involved.”
“Yeah.”
“I get that,” Stilinski reassured her. “Don’t worry, he’ll learn that his daughter was having fun with her friends last night and got a little drunk and they played a game of pass around the phone.”
“Thank you, Sheriff. Once this is over I will give him a call, I promise.”
“You’d better.”
“Dads are the worst. Dads who are cops are even worse,” Bella laughed. “Always worried.”
“Amen!” Stiles cheered.
After dinner, Bella put the leftovers in containers and did the dishes with Isaac. “You know, you cooked up a storm, you shouldn’t be doing the dishes, too,” he said softly.
“I want to.”
“I want a lot of things too, but that doesn’t mean that I’ll be getting it. You need to sit your ass down.”
“No.”
“Do you have to be this stubborn all the time?”
“Yes.”
In a fit of anger, Isaac forcefully smashed a plate, sending shattered fragments clattering onto the kitchen counter. Without hesitation, he took Bella’s hand and pulled her along, storming out to the backyard.
In the backyard, the cool night air contrasted with the heated tension between Isaac and Bella. He released her hand, pacing back and forth as frustration radiated from him.
“Why are you so calm about this? Why don’t you care?” Isaac demanded, his voice tinged with anger. “Why are you okay with dying? Why is dying your best plan?”
Bella took a step back, giving him some space. It was the last night of the full moon and while the moon wasn’t up completely, she knew that his emotions were heightened because of it. “I do care, Isaac. But fighting it won’t change anything. My main priority is that there will be no casualties on your side.”
Isaac ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply. “I can’t stand the thought of you being in danger. It’s driving me crazy.”
“That’s cute,” she said, taking another step back as she kept her eyes on him. “I was in danger long before I came to Beacon Hills. The only reason why it’s upsetting you is because you caught feelings.”
“Didn’t you?”
Bella bit her lip as she crossed her arms over her chest, wanting to look away but for her safety, she didn’t. She was pretty sure that by now Scott was at least looking out of the window to ensure that his beta wouldn’t do anything stupid, but Bella wasn’t so sure if she wasn’t going to do something stupid to upset Isaac even further.
“Oh come on, Bella.”
“I did exactly what I didn’t want to happen.”
“Which is?”
She was going to lie, but she really didn’t want to be at a disadvantage right now. “Making friends and taking a liking to someone.”
“Okay, then why are you so hellbent on dying? You want to make us all upset? I’ve already lost a lot of people, Bella, I don’t think I can stand to lose you, too.”
Bella sighed, her resolve wavering under the weight of Isaac’s emotions. She took a moment before speaking, her voice carrying a mix of resignation and determination. “Isaac, I don’t want to die, but I’ve made peace with it, I made that peace when I left Forks. Sometimes the options we’re left with just aren’t great. I can’t risk anyone else getting hurt because of me. The longer I’m around, the more danger you all face.”
Isaac’s frustration shifted to a deep concern. “There has to be another way. We can figure something out, together. I can’t just stand by and watch you give up.”
Bella’s eyes softened, and she stepped closer to him. “I appreciate your concern, Isaac, I really do. But I’ve been through a lot, and I’ve learned that sometimes sacrifices need to be made for the greater good. I don’t want you to lose anyone else either, which is why you’re making it really difficult for me.”
Isaac ran a hand through his hair, clearly torn between understanding her perspective and refusing to accept it. “Yeah well, we’re not letting you go without a fight. We’re not going to let you give up because there are always options, and I promise you, that once everything is okay, you and I are going to have a serious discussion on what you and I are, because I want more.”
“We’re nothing,” she said, anticipating the impending stab of pain in her side. Bella understood it would only intensify from this point onward if this conversation persisted.
“Bullshit!” he spat at her. “I can hear your heartbeat, you know. I see you stealing glances. I hear the smile in your voice. I can feel how your skin heats up when I’m close to you, I see the cute red on your cheeks. When are we going to see the real you?”
“This is the real me,” she replied, taking another step back as her arm started to hurt now. “I’m an asshole. I don’t deserve you or anyone else as my friend, I’m only here because you all insist in trying to save me. Yes, I often wonder what it’d be like if this wasn’t going on and what would happen; I’d love to travel the world with you. Find a place to live and just be. But that won’t happen, Isaac, because as long as I’m here, as long as I’m alive, you guys are in danger of getting hurt or worse, so yeah, this is the real me, I don’t mean for you to catch feelings for me, or have people who care about me.”
“Fine. Leave.”
Bella gestured to the sky. “It’s getting dark, the sun’s gone.”
“And?”
Bella looked at him, his face filled with emotion, and she was pretty sure there were manly tears behind his eyes. His body was slightly shaking in anger and his hands were clenched in fists, waiting for her response. “Thank Mrs. McCall for me,” she said softly as she pushed past him and unlatched the gate before disappearing into the alleyway.
Her footsteps echoed faintly against the narrow walls as she walked away. The night air was cool, a stark contrast to the heated exchange she had just left behind. She needed a good cry, repack herself and leave, but she wasn’t allowing herself to fall apart so close to a bunch of werewolves with super hearing, speaking of which, she could hear Isaac and Scott yelling at each other as she started to walk towards the home she shared.
Her body hurt, and she was sure that her arm was bleeding again, but she felt numb to the pain right now as she was trying to stop her emotions from taking over.
She’d been walking for a while and found herself passing the local liquor store but having to adhere to the drinking laws and she knew she wouldn’t be able to get a bottle of alcohol. Bella kept walking, hugging herself tight as she felt eyes on her as the night fell. She entered the animal clinic, as it was still open and found Dr. Deaton looking defeated at the little fire he created. “Hello.”
“Bella, oh, uhm… how are you feeling?”
She held up her bleeding arm. “I was wondering if you had some bandages.”
Deaton let out a defeated sigh as he grabbed the bandages. “My contact told me how to destroy Dark Objects, but it seems as if you’re still affected by it?”
“Yeah, sorry.”
“That’s alright,” he said, beginning to carefully bandage her arm. “There was a slim chance of it working anyway. My contact believed that the pendant was crafted to force the afflicted to either become supernatural or face death for the curse to lift.”
“That’s very cruel.”
“In my experience, the supernatural world has a cruel side indeed,” Deaton said, securing the bandages. “But it also possesses its beautiful aspects, depending on how you perceive it.”
“And, I suppose, what kind of creature you are.”
“I suppose so,” he shrugged. “Certain supernatural beings exhibit a more violent streak.”
“I only see trouble. A lot of fighting over petty things.”
Deaton chuckled. “Bella, wars have started over religion, over women, over land disputes. If people want to fight, they will find something. It’s how you use your powers that determines whether being supernatural has beautiful sides. Take Scott, for example—a werewolf with the ability to alleviate pain. In that regard, he helps many animals, and I believe Isaac has assisted you a little. That’s beautiful.”
“I guess. So, what’s next?”
“Back to the drawing board, I suppose. With Aro’s threat of you having to turn or die, and this pendant echoing the same message, it seems you’re doubly cursed. I also doubt that, while Scott is powerful, the wolves can defeat an army of Cold Ones.”
“I don’t think so either,” Bella agreed, resignation in her voice. “Their spirit is there, though.”
“Of course, there is always hope. They always find a way.”
“What if there’s no hope?”
“John C. Maxwell once said; where there is no hope in the future, there is no power in the present,” Deaton replied. “Hope is what gives you power to fight. Hope is the last thing ever lost. Always keep hoping, it keeps you alive and fighting.”
Bella nodded. “Thanks, Dr. Deaton. Thank you for your guidance,” she said as she headed to the door. “I’d better get home.”
“I’m not giving up on you, Bella, I’ll do what I can from my position to help you and help Scott and Isaac to help you.”
She nodded again and left the clinic. Bella wrapped her arms around her again and quickly made her way to her house where she quickly packed up her belongings and wanted to throw her luggage into her car but an entire delegation of the Volturi army was standing outside her home. Would Jane have brought newborns with her?
“Bella! Aro will be delighted to turn you himself!” Jane greeted her with a sinister smile. “Come quietly, won’t you?”
“I was just on my way to the airport, actually,” Bella retorted, her tone laced with sarcasm, before she doubled over in pain and cried out. Her bag slipped from her grasp as she slowly sank to her knees.
“Excellent timing,” Jane remarked, gesturing to her underlings to approach Bella.
Bella emitted a wry chuckle as she reached for a hunting knife tucked into her boot, pressing it against her neck. “Back off… or you’ll be facing Aro’s wrath for your incompetence.”
“Bella,” Jane chided, her tone dripping with condescension. “We both know you won’t do that.”
“You sure about that?” Bella smirked as she removed the knife from her neck but instead of yielding, she made a deliberate, gruesome cut in her hand and tore off the bandage from her arm. The blood gushed out, a crimson cascade that elicited predatory hunger from the soldiers in Jane’s ranks.
Driven by a savage instinct, the Newborns lunged forward, their movements feral and unbridled. Their teeth sank into Bella’s flesh, tearing and gnashing with a grotesque fervor. Bella’s laughter intertwined with agonized cries, echoing in the air as the newborns reveled in the gruesome feast, their poisonous saliva mixing with her blood in a macabre dance of violence and pain.
“No!” Jane’s screech pierced the air, a desperate plea that fell on deaf ears. The sounds of tearing flesh and Bella’s pained cries drowned out everything else. Amidst the chaos, a wolf’s primal roar echoed, as the darkness eagerly enveloped Bella, swallowing her consciousness whole.
