She was only a little drunk, just a little. She swayed unsteadily on her feet, her wineskin was halfway empty, and she took another hearty drink, grinning widely as heat flooded her body and made her cheeks burn.

"Katrina!" Her head rolled to the side, and she laughed as Blanka stumbled towards her. Blanka was thin as a blade, a great archer but poor with a sword. She had black hair and brown eyes, and her nose was slightly crooked from having gotten into one to many brawls.

"Si opitý!" [You're drunk!]

"Nie, ty si!" [Noooo, you are!] They laughed, leaning against each other in an attempt to steady themselves. The fire burned brightly and the music played a jovial tune as the Tigre warriors ate and drank and danced and roughhoused.

The air was brisk, just as it always was on the mountain, but the alcohol warmed her in a way her many furs never could. Jozef and Lukas were competing in archery, both standing on wobbly legs and trying to remain steady as they fired arrows at the painted targets on the trees.

Klaudia and Kveta were singing loudly and offkey, encouraging their fellow warriors to join in. Marek bounded over to them, singing just as loudly, only being interrupted by his breathless laughter and hiccups.

Others sang along, and Katrina slung an arm around Blanka, lifting her wineskin as she joined in.

"A kto, ty, hrdý vlk povedal, že sa musím pokloniť tak nízko!" [And who, are you, the proud wolf said, that I must bow so low!]

Blanka tilted her head back and yelled to the heavens, "Len mačka ostrejšieho kmeňa, to je všetko, čo viem!" [Only a cat of a fiercer tribe, that's all the truth I know!]

Yusef approached them, leaning heavily against Katrina as they sang, "Kabát oranžovej, a pruhy čiernej, tiger má stále pazúry." [A coat of orange, and stripes of black, a tiger still has claws.] They released each other, all making claws with their fingers and laughing as they did so.

Kveta jumped on one of the stumps, pounding her chest with her fist, "A môj je dlhý, a ostrý môj vlk, oveľa ostrejší ako vy!" [And mine are long, and sharp my wolf, far sharper than yours!]

Katrina grinned, unsheathing her sword and lifting it high in the air, "A tak hovoril, a tak hovoril, že vlk z Vlci. Ale teraz mláďatá, plačú pre ich svorku, s nikto tam počuť." [And so he spoke, and so he spoke, that wolf of the Vlci. But now the pups, weep for their pack, with no one there to hear.]

Her fellow warriors followed suit, raising their blades and finishing the song, "A teraz mláďatá, plačú pre ich svorku, s nie, duša, počuť!" [And now the pups, weep for their pack, with not, a soul, to hear!] They cheered, beating their chests and some mimicked the roars of tigers.

"Dnes sme zabili Vlci bojovníkov, zajtra sa zmení ich dediny na popol!" [Today we slaughtered the Vlci warriors, tomorrow we'll turn their village to ash!] Yusef bellowed, earning him yells of approval, "Potom sa Medvede naučia báť tigre!" [Then, the Medvede will learn to fear the tiger!]

"Do čerta s medveďmi!" [Damn the bears!]

"Do čerta s vlkmi!" [Damn the wolves!]

He nodded, grinning wildly as he raised his horn filled with mead, "Nech nikdy nedozviete mier!" [May they never know peace!]

"Nech nikdy nedozviete mier!" [May they never know peace!]

Katrina matched his grin with a ferocious one of her own, "Tigre zostane kráľom hôr!" [The tiger will remain king of the mountains!]

"Kráľ hôr!" [King of the mountains!]

Yusef braced her shoulder, smiling at her before looking at his warriors, "Napi sa a buď dnes večer veselý. Zajtra bojujeme za nášho milovaného vodcu, Zaneta! Bojujeme za našich ľudí a náš domov." [Drink and be merry tonight. Tomorrow, we fight for our beloved leader, Zaneta! We fight for our people and our home.]

They cheered and went back to their festivities, eating and dancing and roughhousing and singing. It was a good night, especially after the day's victory against the Vlci.

"Budú krvácať." [They'll bleed.] Katrina promised, "Pre Claus a Aleksander a všetkých tých, ktorí k nim padli." [For Claus and Aleksander and all those who have fallen to them.]

Yusef gave her a sad smile, "Všetkých ich porazím za Aleksander, a potom jeho smrť bude mať zmysel." [I'll slaughter them all for my Aleksander, and then his death will have meaning.] The lingering guilt she felt was drowned out by another hearty gulp of her wine, and Yusef followed in suit with his mead.

Blanka draped herself on her shoulder, "Katrina, Jozef bol zíza na vás už nejakú dobu." [Katrina, Jozef has been staring at you for quite some time.] She said suggestively, making her scoff and shake her head.

"Je mi jedno." [I don't care.]

Yusef chuckled, "Samozrejme, že nie. Nie, keď máš svoju imaginárnu ženu." [Of course not. Not when you have your imaginary woman.]

She pointed at him and hiccuped, "Fuck ass!"

He furrowed his brow, "Hovorenie bľabotať, potom?" [Speaking gibberish, then?] It's not gibberish, it's the beautiful language of my beautiful demon.

"Bela nie je imaginárny!" [Bela isn't imaginary!] She snapped, shoving him roughly and cursing when he hardly moved. She was strong, but Yusef was built like a bear. Meaty arms, broad shoulders, and a hulking figure. His hair was a bright orange that matched his shaggy orange beard.

Blue eyes crinkled and a laugh escaped him, "Ak je taká skutočná, prečo si nás nepredviedol?" [If she's so real, why haven't you introduced us?]

Blanka hummed, "Nebuď krutý, Yusef. Nemôžeš poznať každého v našej dedine." [Don't be cruel, Yusef. You can't know everyone in our village.] Katrina nodded furiously, almost falling as she did so. Blanka reached out and steadied her, despite nearly falling herself.

"Je skutočná! A keď sa vrátime domov, vezmem si ju!" [She's real! And when we return home, I'm going to marry her!] She declared, smiling at the thought as she swayed on her feet.

"Predtým, než si ju vezmeš, by som sa s ňou aspoň rád stretol." [Before you marry her, I would at least like to meet her.] She whirled around, again nearly falling on her ass due to moving too quickly.

Her father stood there, smiling slightly as he crossed his arms over his chest. Tomas wasn't her birth father, she didn't know who her birth father was, but Tomas had raised her alongside her mother and loved her all the same.

For a time, Katrina was disliked due to her status of being a bastard, but that had changed quickly when she had proved herself in battle. Tomas had taught her everything she knew, and she hoped to be as good a warrior as he was.

He was a bit taller than her, with greying brown hair and bright blue eyes. He preferred to be clean shaven, but they had been camping for many months now, so his beard was growing, much to his annoyance, but Katrina thought it made him look more distinguished.

She should have been worried about their insistence upon meeting her demon, but she had had one too many flasks of wine, and she spoke callously because of it.

"Stretneš sa s ňou a budeš ju milovať. Aj matka." [You'll meet her and you'll love her. So will mother.] Katrina insisted, making Tomas's smile grow.

"Tvoja matka bude nadšená. Bála sa, že sa nikdy neusadíš, aj keď bude sklamaná, keď nedostane žiadne vnúčatá." [Your mother will be thrilled. She feared you'd never settle down, though she'll be disappointed when she's given no grandchildren.]

Blanka laughed, "Katrina nepotrebuje deti, keď je stále jedna." [Katrina doesn't need children when she still is one.]

"Ticho, ty opilec. [Quiet, you drunkard.] She grumbled before frowning at her father, "Vždy som bela milovala, nebola tam nikoho iného, a nikdy nebude." [I've always loved Bela, there's been no one else, and there never will be.]

His eyebrows raised, "Prečo tu nie je s nami, hádať sa? Ak ťa skrotí, žiadny vlk ani medveď by sa proti nej nečitil." [Why is she not here with us, fighting? If she can tame you, no wolf or bear would be able to stand against her.] Yusef and Blanka laughed while Katrina rolled her eyes.

"Veľmi smiešne." [Very funny.] She scoffed, but couldn't fight back her own smile, "Bela je najsilnejšia osoba, ktorú poznám." [Bela is the strongest person I know.] She took another swig of her wine and smiled, "Nemôžem sa dočkať, až sa s ňou milovať!" [I cannot wait to make love to her!]

Her father grimaced while Yusef belted out a loud chuckle, "Je dobré, že si ešte nezačal piť, Tomas. Aby ti tvoje mláďa nemieša žalúdok!" [It's a good thing you've not begun drinking yet, Tomas. Lest your cub turns your stomach!]

Tomas shook his head, "Deti sú požehnaním, aj keď vás znechucujú." [Children are a blessing, even if they disgust you.] Blanka giggled and Katrina scowled before waving him off.

"Ty tomu nerozumieš, je perfektná!" [You don't understand, she's perfect!] She sighed, and Blanka smirked.

"Teraz sa s ňou naozaj chcem stretnúť." [Now I really want to meet her.]

"Prevediem ťa svojou čepeľou." [I'll run you through with my blade.] Katrina grumbled, eyes widening when she felt the familiar tug in her chest, "Musím ísť." [I have to go.] She stumbled away from them, gulping down the rest of her drink before tossing her wineskin aside. Bela had only been gone for a week this time, she couldn't believe her luck.

"Katrina-"

"Dovidenia!" [Goodbye!] Blanka helped her to her horse, though she was walking with quivering legs and still drinking as she did so.

She leaned heavily against Dalibor and laughed as she clambered on top of him, "Vezmi ma domov, chlapče! Moja sladká Bela na mňa čaká!" [Take me home, boy! My sweet Bela is waiting for me!] He whinnied at her and she scowled, "Žiadna stonka, nie pred Blanka." [No backtalk, not in front of Blanka.]

Blanka looked up at her in surprise, "Bela je tu?" [Bela is here?]

She nodded, smiling smugly as she grabbed her horse's reins, "Navštívi, pretože je skutočná." [She'll visit because she's real.]

Her friend put her hand on Dalibor to steady herself, "Teraz sa s ňou môžem stretnúť." [Now I can meet her.]

"Nie-" [No-]

"Tak potom nie je, skutočná!" [She's not real, then!] She snorted, "Naša dedina je týždenná jazda odtiaľto. Medvede sú po celej ceste, cesta je príliš nebezpečná." [Our village is a week's ride from here. The Medvede are all over the roads, the journey is too dangerous.]

"Nie pre ňu, moja Bela je silnejšia ako akýkoľvek Medvede alebo Vlci!" [Not for her, my Bela is stronger than any Medvede or Vlci!] She said indignantly.

"Dokáž to! Stretnem sa s ňou a poviem Yusefovi, že hovoríš pravdu." [Prove it! Let me meet her, and I'll tell Yusef you speak true.]

Katrina knew her friend was baiting her, she knew this was a bad idea, but she grew tired of the constant mocking. Ak ju Blanka uvidí, len raz, budú vedieť, že je skutočná a je moja. [If Blanka sees her, just once, they'll know she's real and she's mine.]

"Fajn, ale jazdíš na vlastnom koni. Neemem ťa sem." [Fine, but you're riding your own horse. I'm not taking you back here.]

Blanka laughed triumphantly, pushing off Dalibor and going to her own horse, "Tak jednoduché!" [So easy!]

Katrina rolled her eyes, "Aj tvoja matka, teraz poďme! Nechal som ju čakať dosť dlho!" [So is your mother, now let's go! I've kept her waiting long enough!] The trek was longer than it should have been. Both the warriors were leaning heavily on their horses, not going faster than a trot for fear of being dismounted.

Blanka was taking sips from her wineskin before tossing it to Katrina, "Udrží ťa to v teple." [It'll keep you warm.] She smiled droopily. Víno je oveľa lepšie ako mead. [Wine is so much better than mead.] She gulped it down greedily, warmth flooding her chest and cheeks. Her mind felt foggy, and she threw the wineskin haphazardly behind her.

"Hej!" [Hey!]

"Prázdne" [Empty.]

Blanka glared at her, using both hands to brace her saddle and hold herself up as their horses walked up the snowy incline.

"Nepravy." [Bastard.]

Katrina hummed and smiled, "Viem že som." [I know I am.]

They arrived at her hut, the tug growing stronger as Katrina hastily dismounted. She was beyond grateful that her demon visited more frequently.

She adjusted her gambeson, quivering fingers adjusted her cloak before she marched inside, forgetting all about Blanka who cursed at her.

"Myslím, že by som mal zviazať kone?" [I suppose I should tie up the horses?]

Katrina ignored her, heart racing as she burst through the door. Bela. Her demon was sitting on her bed, looking as beautiful as she always did. She wore a strange looking tunic, it was red and the sleeves were cut off. Her blue breeches were made of a strange fabric she wasn't familiar with, and Katrina was about to ask when she noticed how her demon was sitting.

Bela's body was rigid and her eyes were closed. As usual, she wasn't breathing, and she looked to be restraining herself. She gripped her sheets tightly and clenched her jaw, swallowing thickly as the sound of Blanka's snow crunching footsteps came closer.

That's when Katrina realized her mistake, and her eyes widened, "Bela, to je v poriadku. Je to len Blanka, ona nie je chutná!" [Bela, it's okay. It's just Blanka, she's not tasty!] Her words were slurred and her movements frantic as she scrambled to sit on her lap.

She saw Bela's lip curl upward slightly, "Si opitý." [You're drunk.] She murmured, keeping her eyes shut but relaxing her posture when Katrina curled into her lap.

She rested her head on her chest, "Nie, len som si dal víno. Blanka je opitá, nie ja, nikdy nie som opitá, som v pohode!" [No, I just had some wine. Blanka is drunk, not me, I'm never drunk, I'm good!] She assured her, removing her gloves before she took Bela's fist in her hands.

She sighed at the feeling of cold skin against her hot palm, feeling at ease with her demon. Bela slowly unfurled her hand, letting Katrina toy with her fingers while her other hand continued to fist her sheets.

"Povedz svojmu priateľovi, aby odišiel." [Tell your friend to leave.]

"Chce ťa vidieť." [She wants to see you.]

"Nechcem ju vidieť." [I don't want to see her.] A low growl rumbled in her throat and Katrina sat up, looking at her in surprise. Warmth pooled in her belly and she blinked rapidly as she ran her fingers along the column of her throat, excited by the vibrations she felt and how the bestial noise grew louder.

"Milujem zvuky, ktoré robíš." [I love the noises you make.]

Bela stopped growling and Katrina felt her swallow, "Katrina." It was a warning, one she heeded, but only because her friend was outside. She withdrew her hand, shifting in Bela's lap when she thought of all the things she wanted to do to her demon.

Chcem, aby stratila kontrolu. [I want to make her lose control]

Blanka opened the door while grumbling, "Radšej by mala byť skutočná.-" [She better be real-] her eyes widened when she saw Bela, and her jaw dropped in disbelief. That's when Katrina remembered Bela's eye color, and she stiffened.

Ak Blanka zistí, že je démon, pokúsi sa ju zabiť. Alebo to povie všetkým a budú si myslieť, že som posadnutý. [If Blanka discovers she's a demon she'll try to kill her. Or she'll tell everyone, and they'll think I've been possessed.]

But when her demon opened her eyes they were no longer red, but a bright gold. She stared at her in shock but Bela ignored her, eyes darkening slightly as they focused on Blanka.

Her stare was intense, and Katrina frowned as her friend blushed and stumbled over herself as she took a step forward. Hlúpa Bela, byť krásna a pozerať sa na Blanku takto. [Stupid Bela, being beautiful and looking at Blanka like that.]

A part of her knew that Bela wanted to eat Blanka and that it was unnecessary for her to be jealous, but she couldn't help but want to chase Blanka out and tell her to never return.

"Ahoj, ja som Blanka." [Hello, I-I'm Blanka.] She stammered, staring at her demon in awe, "Katrina nepodarilo spomenúť, ako krásne ste boli-" [Katrina failed to mention how beautiful you were-]

"Ja som to neurobil!" [I did not!] Katrina snapped, looking at Bela, who was still staring at Blanka, "Hovorím všetkým, ako krásne ste! Vždy to robím! Pretože si veľmi krásna a ja im to stále hovorím! Blanka je idiot, nepočúvaj ju!" [I tell everyone how beautiful you are! I always do! Because you're very beautiful and I tell them that all the time! Blanka's an idiot, don't listen to her!]

Blanka ignored her, "Vaše oči ... Si anjel?" [Your eyes...are you an angel?]

Bela blinked, swallowing before she answered, "Nie." [No.] She swallowed again, grimacing slightly before she released Katrina's hand and rubbed at her throat.

"Si si istý?" [Are you sure?] She pressed on, "Znieš ako anjel a vyzeráš ako anjel." [You sound like an angel and you look like an angel.]

To her surprise, Bela gave Blanka a small smile, which made her friend's face become even redder, "Nie som anjel, ale ty to hovoríš." [I'm no angel, but you are kind to say so.]

Blanka's jaw dropped before she quickly closed it, eyes falling to the ground as she sheepishly answered, "Stále nie som presvedčený." [I'm still not convinced.]

Katrina disliked her friend's staring, and her flirting, "Stretli ste ju, teraz choď preč! Musím sa s tebou veľmi milovať, a nemôžem to urobiť s tebou tu!" [You met her, now go away! I must make sweet love to my Bela, and I can't do that with you here!]

Dark gold eyes looked at her, darkening even more so they were almost black. Katrina's breath hitched and Bela growled quietly before looking away from her.

Blanka didn't seem bothered by Katrina's anger towards her, and she bowed her head, "Dúfam, že ťa opäť stretnem, Bela, bolo mi potešením." [I hope I meet you again, Bela, it was a pleasure.] She smirked at Katrina before exiting her hut.

She felt relieved now that her friend had gone. Mal som priviezť Yusef, nemá rád ženy. [I should have brought Yusef, he doesn't like women.] She thought grumpily before she fell to the bed abruptly and looked up at Bela in surprise.

Her demon loomed over her, hands on either side of her head and eyes now a pitch black. She was straddling her, and Katrina felt as though her heart would burst from her chest as cold lips pressed against her neck.

Her mind felt foggy and a sigh escaped her, body trembling with want as Bela kissed her pulse point. Katrina reached up to touch her when Bela snarled, grabbing her wrists and pinning her down to the bed. Her grip was tight, not enough to hurt but enough to keep her from escaping, not that she wanted to.

Teeth nipped at her pulse and she groaned, eyes squeezing shut when a tongue ran up the column of her throat. Her hips jumped, grinding pleasantly against Bela's and making her demon growl.

Sharp teeth dug into her neck, not hard enough to break skin but hard enough to make her whimper. It was a mix of pain and pleasure, and she strained against Bela's wrists, wanting to break free so she could touch her, but to no avail.

A purr rumbled in her throat as she sucked harshly on Katrina's, making her gasp and arch her body so it was against Bela's. Her cold tongue lapped greedily along her skin and she nearly sobbed in desperation.

"Bela." She breathed, wishing she could take off her thick clothes as her body grew unbearably hot.

Her demon stopped abruptly, and her weight disappeared in seconds. Katrina was panting, incredibly frustrated as she sat up and looked for Bela. She stood at the opposite side of the room, looking just as angry as Katrina felt.

"Prečo si prestal!" [Why'd you stop!]

"Si opitý." [You're drunk.] She closed her eyes for a moment, calming herself before she opened them again, "Si opitý a ja mám zlú sebaoranu." [You're drunk and I have poor self-control.] Her voice was gentler now, and her eyes were no longer black.

Katrina scowled, "Len trochu opitá!" [Only a little drunk!] She stumbled to her feet, "Stále viem, že ťa chcem, koho zaujíma, či som opitý." [I still know that I want you, who cares if I'm drunk.]

"Ano." [I do.] Bela shook her head, "Nebolo by to správne." [It wouldn't be right.]

"Si démon! Nemal by si sa starať o to, čo je správne." [You're a demon! You're not supposed to care about what's right.]

She growled at her, "Záleží mi na tebe, Katrina. Nie ste myslieť jasne, a ja som skoro otočil vás..." [I care about you, Katrina. You're not thinking clearly, and I nearly turned you…] she trailed off, looking troubled for a moment before shaking her head, "Učím sa ovládať svoju silu, nechcem ťa trénovať." [I'm learning how to control my strength, I don't want to practice on you.]

Otočil si ma? čo to znamená? [Turned me? What does that mean?]

Bela looked remorseful, and she put her hands behind her back as though to prevent herself from grabbing her again. Môj jemný démon. [My gentle demon.] She had liked Bela's aggression, but she didn't like that she was now sad.

Nemala by byť smutná, nesmie byť smutná. [She shouldn't be sad, she's not allowed to be sad.] She frowned, kto ju urobil smutným? Podrežem im hrdlo a urobím ju šťastnou! [Who made her sad? I'll slit their throat and make her happy!]

Katrina, still wondering who hurt her demon, realized she was waiting for a response, "Ja sa starám o vás taky...a budem v poriadku." [I care about you too...and I'll be good.]

Bela relaxed, smiling gently at her, "Dakujem." [Thank you.]

"Kto ťa urobil smutným? Zabijem ich!" [Who made you sad? I'll kill them!] She declared, drawing her sword, arms wobbling as she pointed her blade towards the door.

"For the love of god." Bela rushed towards her, eyes wide as she grabbed the blade of her sword, "Nikto! Odložme to-" [No one! Let's put this away-]

"Si príliš milá, Bela." [You're too nice, Bela.] She tried to pull her sword away but to no avail, "Nechaj to tak! Musím zabiť toho bastarda, ktorý ti dal smutné oči!" [Let go! I must kill the bastard that gave you sad eyes!]

She laughed, "Katrina, nikto ma neomyšil." [Katrina, no one made me sad.]

This made her falter, and she stopped pulling on her sword, "Sľub? Neklam mi, Bela, nemôžem ťa ochrániť, ak klameš." [Promise? Don't lie to me, Bela, I can't protect you if you lie.]

Gold eyes filled with warmth, "Myslel som, že ťa mám chrániť." [I thought I was supposed to protect you.] She gently extracted the blade from her hand and leaned it against the wall.

Katrina interlaced their fingers, trying to keep steady as the room began to spin, "Teraz som dospelý bojovník. Aj ja ťa môžem ochrániť." [I'm a grown warrior, now. I can protect you too.] She puffed out her chest, "Zabijem všetko, čo sa ti pokúsi ublížiť. Démoni, anjeli, pekelné psy, ľudia...nič." [I'll kill anything that tries to hurt you. Demons, angels, hellhounds, humans...anything.] She looked at her earnestly, trying to get her to understand, "Sľubujem ti svoj život." [I pledge my life to you.]

Bela stared at her with wide eyes, "I'm going to chalk this up to you being drunk," her hand cupped her cheek and swept blonde strands of hair from her face, "Nesťľuj svoj život niečomu, čo už neži." [Don't pledge your life to something that no longer lives."

Pila aj Bela? [Has Bela been drinking too?]

Katrina frowned at her, "Žiješ." [You do live.]

"Moje srdce už neprekoná." [My heart no longer beats.] Her hand slipped from Katrina's cheek and to her chest, no doubt feeling her erratic heartbeat beneath her palm, "Nevadí mi to, nepamätám si, kedy sa to stalo naposledy," [I don't mind it, I don't remember the last time it did,] gold eyes stared at her chest for a moment before looking into blue eyes, "Ale páči sa mi, že tvoj robí, a chcem, aby to aj naďalej robiť." [But I like that yours does, and I want it to continue to do so.]

Ako si taká hlúpa? [How are you so stupid?]

The warrior covered Bela's hand with her own, "Je to tvoje. Som tvoja." [It's yours. I'm yours.]

Bela's eyes darkened, but only for a moment, and she smiled sadly at her, "Si opitý-" [You're drunk-]

"Aj keby som nebol, povedal by som ti to isté." [Even if I weren't, I would tell you the same thing.] Of that she was certain.

She stared at her for a moment, doubt flickered across gold eyes, and Katrina grew frustrated by the sight. Myslím to vážne, myslím to všetko, prečo o mne pochybuješ? [I mean it, I mean all of it, why do you doubt me?]

Bela looked like she wanted to argue, but she didn't, and instead, she nodded, "Ty sa o mňa postaraj a ja sa o teba postarám." [You take care of me, and I take care of you.] She then paused before smiling, "Aj ja som tvoja." [I'm yours too.]

Katrina grinned, kissing her demon roughly as warmth flooded her chest. Bela let her, kissing her back and growling when Katrina grabbed her firm ass.

"Myslel som, že si povedal, že budeš dobrý." [I thought you said you'd be good.] Bela chided, pulling away and gritting her teeth as Katrina panted slightly.

Ako môžem byť dobrý, keď mi poviete sladké slová a vyzeráte tak krásne? [How can I be good when you tell me sweet words and look so beautiful?]

"Môžu sa démoni opiť?" [Can demons get drunk?] Katrina asked, leaning down to reach under her bed. She pulled out her spare wineskin and held it up with a grin.

Bela pinched the bridge of her nose, "I can't believe you consider me to be the demon when you're a seductive, functioning alcoholic."

Katrina frowned at her, "Jedného dňa ma naučíš svoj krásny jazyk?" [Someday, will you teach me your beautiful language?]

This caught her demon off guard, "Myslíš, že môj jazyk je krásny?" [You think my language is beautiful?]

"Myslím, že si. Myslím, že všetko na tebe je krásne." [I think you are. I think everything about you is beautiful.] She grinned when Bela looked away from her, shifting from one foot to the other before casting a shy glance at her.

"Si veľmi milá, keď si opitá." [You're very sweet when you're drunk.] Katrina was about to retort when Bela shook her head, "Démoni sa nemôžu opiť." [Demons can't get drunk.] She nearly pouted but refrained. Instead, she moved towards her demon, tripping as she did so.

Bela closed the distance between them, moving faster than she could see, and caught her with ease. She gently grasped her shoulders and steadied her, and their proximity made Katrina's thoughts go off the deep end.

"Ochutnáte moje víno? Prosím? Je to veľmi dobré, a rád by som sa o to s vami podelil." [Will you taste my wine? Please? It's very good, and I'd like to share it with you.]

Her demon sighed, "Fajn, ale potom pôjdeš do postele." [Fine, but then you're going to bed.]

She smiled deviously at her, "Berieš ma do postele?" [You're taking me to bed?]

"Katrina."

"Bela."

She rolled her eyes and held out her hand, "Nech to máme za nami." [Let's get this over with.]

Katrina opened the wineskin, "Potom, čo som si niektoré." [After I have some.] She insisted, ignoring her grumblings as she took some hearty gulps of the sweet tasting wine. She made a bit of a mess, and the dark red liquid slipped down her chin and onto her throat.

When she finished, she closed the wineskin and dropped it to the floor. Bela, who had been staring at her lips and the trail of wine that went down her throat, now looked at her in confusion.

"Nemal som to ochutnať-" [Wasn't I supposed to taste it-]

"Tu." [Here.] Katrina grabbed the back of her neck, pulling herself to her strong demon, and she slammed her lips against hers. Bela grunted in surprise but didn't pull away.

She growled before grabbing her waist in a pleasantly bruising grip. She surprised Katrina by nipping her bottom lip and making her gasp. She took advantage, thrusting her tongue in her mouth and running it along her own.

Heat pooled in her stomach, and she couldn't stop the small whimper that escaped her. Her demon tasted sweet, she tasted like a fruit she couldn't describe, and she wanted more.

Katrina ran her hand beneath Bela's strange tunic, and she hummed happily at the smooth expanse of skin. Her hands slid up her abdomen, loving the feel of her demon's purr against her lips.

Robím ju šťastnou. [I'm making her happy.]

She soon grew frustrated when she discovered that more fabric covered her breasts. Bela growled again, making her body tingle in excitement at the vibration that rumbled against her lips.

She slipped her hand beneath the fabric and Bela pulled away from her, "Katrina." She snapped, taking her arms and pushing away from her body. Her eyes were black as coal, and the warrior ran her tongue over her own swollen lips as she stared at Bela.

Katrina noticed her demon hadn't placed her hands back on her waist, and the warrior smiled dreamily at her and put her arms around her neck, "Bela." She crooned, leaning in again to kiss her, only for Bela to move her head back.

"Robíš to naozaj ťažké." [You're making this really difficult.]

Nahnevala som ju na mňa? [Did I make her angry with me?]

She felt her eyes water and she began to pull away, "I just like kissing you."

Bela looked at her incredulously, "Ste...Chystáš sa plakať?" [Are you...are you about to cry?]

"Chystáš sa plakať?" [Are you about to cry?] She mocked angrily, cursing when a hiccup escaped her, "Áno, chystám sa plakať! Robíš ma smutným!" [Yes, I'm about to cry! You're making me sad!]

"Ako ťa robím smutným?" [How am I making you sad?]

Katrina sneered at her and tried to pull away but Bela held on to her, smiling in amusement and only further angering her, "Rád ťa bozkávam, páči sa mi viac, než len ovládať môj meč, a ako sa mi odvďačíš? Hovoríš mi ťažké!" [I like kissing you, I like it more than wielding my sword, and how do you repay me? You call me difficult!]

Bela blinked, "Povedal som, že to sťažuješ. Nenazvať som ťa ťažko-" [I said you're making this difficult. I didn't call you difficult-]

"Viem, čo si myslel, Bela!" [I know what you meant, Bela!] Tears cascaded down her cheeks and she looked away from her, "Som veľmi inteligentný!" [I'm very intelligent!]

A kiss was pressed against her temple, nearly luring her into a false sense of security, "Áno, si veľmi inteligentný." [Yes, you're very intelligent.]

"Nepovýšte ma!" [Don't patronize me!]

"Je mi ľúto." [I'm sorry.] She didn't sound very sorry, "Prečo si nahnevaný?" [Why are you upset?]

"Naštvaná?" [Upset?] She huffed, "Som opitý a zraniteľný a zrelý na užívanie, ale ty si príliš vznešený!" [I'm drunk and vulnerable and ripe for the taking but you are too noble!] She poked her chest roughly with her index finger, "Chcem, aby si bola moja žena a ty si myslíš, že som ťažký?" [I wish to make you my wife and you think I'm difficult?]

Bela's eyes widened, "Manželka?" [Wife?]

Katrina groaned in exasperation, "Ano! Manželka! Koho iného by som si vzal?" [Yes! Wife! Who else would I marry?]

"Uh...shit, I don't know." She chuckled, "I didn't think you'd be such a weepy drunk!"

"Potom ma môžete naučiť svoj krásny jazyk a môžeme mať krásne pekelné šteniatka spolu!" [Then you can teach me your beautiful language and we can have beautiful hellhound puppies together!] The tears came faster and Katrina sniffled, "Viem, že nemôžeme mať deti, ale určite by som sa chcela znova a znova pokúsiť len preto, aby som si bola istá." [I know we can't have children, but I would certainly like to try over and over again just to be sure.]

Bela laughed, "Holy shit, you're adorable." Katrina couldn't believe she was laughing at her.

"Smeješ sa, keď ti otvorím srdce!" [You laugh when I open my heart to you!]

Her demon did a poor job of hiding her smile as she rubbed her sides gently, nearly distracting her, "Je mi ľúto. Počúvam, sľubujem." [I'm sorry. I'm listening, I promise.]

"Budeme sa brať!" [We're getting married!]

"Áno, viem toho veľa." [Yes, I know that much.]

She sniffled again, looking away from her demon, "Ale možno máš iné myšlienky, pretože si myslíš, že som ťažký. Len ťa rád bozkávam veľa a-" [But maybe you're having second thoughts because you think I'm difficult. I just like kissing you a lot and-] Bela surged forward, pressing a hard kiss to her lips before quickly pulling away.

"Aj ja ťa rád bozkávam, len chcem byť opatrný." [I like kissing you too, I just want to be careful.] She assured her, "Nemyslím si, že si ťažký," [I don't think you're difficult,] she paused, "Actually, you're so much fucking work but," she then smiled, "Stále si myslím, že si milá." [I still think you're lovely.] Katrina perked up as tears slipped down her cheeks, "Prečo stále plačeš?" [Why are you still crying?] She sounded somewhat panicked and Katrina laughed.

"Sú to šťastné slzy, moja krásna Bela!" [They're happy tears, my beautiful Bela!] She sighed dreamily, "Budeme sa brať a mať roztomilé pekelné šteňatá! Potom sa budeme veľmi snažiť mať dieťa!" [We will get married and have cute hellhound puppies! Then we'll try very hard to have a child!]

Bela gently wiped her tears away, "Ak je to to, čo chceš." [If that's what you want.]

"To je...to je to, čo chceš?" [It is...is that what you want?]

She smiled, "Chcem, aby si bola šťastná." [I want you to be happy.]

"A to ťa urobí šťastným?" [And that will make you happy?]

"Ano." [Yes.] Bela nodded, "Rovnako ako bozkávanie vás robí radosť." [Just like kissing you makes me happy.]

Katrina felt her eyes water again, "Dobrý! Milujem bozkávanie ťa! Je to zábava, ale chcem ťa pobozkať aj na iných miestach." [Good! I love kissing you! It's fun, but I want to kiss you in other places too.]

Bela sighed, and her arms around her tightened slightly, "Good fucking grief."

"Fucking?" Katrina mused, smile broadening, "Fuck, Stále to slovo poznám. A ass a shit. Ale fuck je najviac zábavy povedať." [Fuck, I still know that word. And ass and shit. But fuck is the most fun to say.] A wave of exhaustion washed over her and she yawned before putting her head on Bela's shoulder, "Som unavený. Vyzleč ma, aby sme mohli spať." [I'm tired. Undress me so we can sleep.]

"Nemôžeš sa vyzliecť?" [You can't undress yourself?]

"Niiiiiiieeee." [Nooooo.] She nuzzled into her shoulder, "Musíš, som ospalý." [You have to, I'm sleepy.]

Bela sighed, "Len s tým pomáham," [I'm only helping with this,] she tugged at her gambeson and helped her slip it off, "Tam." [There.] She wore a loose tunic beneath it, much to her annoyance, and she decided she'd take it off later.

Katrina pouted, taking her demon's hand and putting it on the lace of her breeches, "Cítim sa veľmi závrat, Bela, potrebujem tvoju pomoc-" [I feel very dizzy, Bela, I need your help-]

"You're so full of shit!"

She swayed dramatically on her feet, "Bela, prosím ťa. Potrebujem pomoc, som len hlúpy a závratný človek. Potrebujem svojho silného démona, aby mi pomohol-" [Bela, please? I need help, I'm just a silly and dizzy human. I need my strong demon to help me-]

"Ugh! You're such a dick." Bela grumbled, making Katrina grin as she began to undo her breeches.

"Dick."

"Prestaň s tým." [Stop that.]

"Dick! Dick! Dick!"

"Katrina!"

"Fuck ass shit dick!"

"Mohli by ste sa správať v tvojom veku-" [Could you act your age-]

She giggled and her demon scowled at her, "Dick! Dic-" Bela pressed her lips against hers, fingers hooking in the waist of her pants and pulling her closer. Katrina sighed in her mouth, leaning against her, and letting her fingers find the button of Bela's strange breeches.

Bela pulled away, smiling slightly and wagging her finger at her, "Pekný pokus." [Nice try.] She went and laid on her bed, "The funny thing is, if you couldn't get past my zipper sober, there's no way you could do it drunk." Katrina watched her dumbly, a little frustrated with her language change, "Wow, it's like the zipper is the final boss." Bela laughed, closing her eyes and stretching out on the bed, "I should keep wearing jeans around you. They might work better than a chastity belt."

Taký arogantný. Hovorenie v jej inom jazyku a vyzerá tak potešený sama so sebou. [So smug. Speaking in her other language and looking so pleased with herself.]

Katrina took off the rest of her clothes before going to the bed. Bela's eyes popped open, and just before Katrina got to the bed her demon disappeared in a burst of speed, making her grumble in annoyance.

Bela was on the opposite side of the room, eyes on the ceiling and hands curled into fists as a soft growl escaped her.

"Knock it off, you maniac!"

"Prestaň byť dieťa!" [Stop being a baby!] Katrina shot back, unsure of what Bela said, "Spím nahý!" [I sleep naked!]

"Klamár!" [Liar!]

"Nie som!" [I am not!]

"Yes you are, pervert! You slept with clothes on the last time I was here!"

"Prestaň hovoriť v tom jazyku!" [Stop speaking in that language!]

"Prestaň na mňa hádzať svoje pekné telo! Zakryte sa!" [Stop throwing your pretty body at me! Cover up!]

She smirked at her, "Myslíš, že moje telo je pekné? Myslím, že tvoja je tiež, kiežby si mi to povedal-" [Oh, you think my body's pretty? I think yours is too, I wish you would let me see-]

"Nie! Zlá Katrina! Povedal si, že budeš dobrý!" [No! Bad Katrina! You said you'd be good!]

Katrina scowled at her, "Jemné! Dám na mňa deku, potom si ľahneš so mnou?" [Fine! I'll put a blanket on me, then will you lay with me?] Bela nodded, eyes still fixed on the ceiling, and Katrina scoffed before wrapping the sheets around her body.

Bela's black eyes glared at her and she felt her cheeks burn red, "Stále si veľmi krásna, keď si nahnevaná." [You're still very beautiful when you're angry.]

"Tvoj strieborný jazyk na mňa nebude fungovať." [Your silver tongue won't work on me.] She grumbled before approaching the bed.

Katrina hummed, smiling sleepily at her, "Ak by bol môj jazyk striebrom, tvoje šaty by boli vypnuté. Mám jazyk medi." [If my tongue was silver your clothes would be off. I have a tongue of copper.]

This made her demon chuckle, and she slid into the bed next to her. She laid on her back, staring up at the ceiling with her hands pressed against her side.

Katrina frowned, moving so she draped herself over Bela's body and she sighed before burrowing her face into the crook of her neck. The sheets had dragged down her body, exposing half of her chest and making Bela grumble in annoyance.

The warrior sat up slightly, giving her demon a scowl, "Prestaň s tým." [Stop that.] She then grabbed her arms, "Drž ma." [Hold me.] Bela's dark eyes stared at her for a moment before she sighed and slipped her arms around her blanket covered waist. She rolled them to the side so Katrina was no longer on top of her, and covered her in more blankets before holding her close.

Katrina nestled into her, smiling when the soothing sound of purring came from her demon's throat. Her eyes closed and she fell asleep instantly.

Bela stayed with her through the night, surprising her when she opened her eyes. Her head was throbbing and she couldn't quite remember what happened last night. The Tigre had been celebrating, she had been drinking and...oh she had been drinking.

The demon's eyes were closed and she looked as though she were made of stone. Like a beautiful statue. A quiet yawn escaped Katrina and she burrowed deeper into Bela's arms, watching her sleeping face.

"Je neslušné pozerať sa." [It's rude to stare.] She jumped, scowling as Bela chuckled and heat flooded her cheeks. Bright gold eyes fluttered open and her jaw dropped.

"Tvoje oči, nie sú červené." [Your eyes, they're not red.] She wasn't sure how she felt about the change. The eye color didn't change her demon's beauty, she actually liked the gold, it suited her, but Katrina would miss the familiarity of red eyes. Bela didn't look like a demon, not anymore.

"Je to preto, že nejem ľudí, ale zvieratá." [It's because I don't eat humans, but animals.] She sighed, "Včera večer som odišiel, len na chvíľu. Lovil som, musel som po stretnutí s Blanka, ale vrátil som sa." [I left last night, only for a moment. I hunted, I had to after meeting Blanka, but I came right back.]

"Stretli ste Blanka?" [You met Blanka?] Her voice was raspy, and she grimaced as her head began to throb. Noticing her discomfort, her demon put a cold hand on her forehead, helping to ease the ache and making her sigh in relief.

Bela hummed, "Áno, a teraz vieš, prečo nedýcham. Keby som dýchal, bola by mŕtva." [Yes, and now you know why I don't breathe. Had I been breathing, she would be dead.] Katrina looked at her with wide eyes, "Viem, že si bola opitá, ale musíme byť opatrní. Nechcem nikomu ublížiť a nechcem ti ublížiť." [I know you were drunk, but we have to be careful. I don't want to hurt anyone, and I don't want to hurt you.]

Ako som bol opitý, že som tak hlúpo vytýčil svojho priateľa a démona nebezpečenstvu? [How drunk was I that I so foolishly put my friend and demon in danger?]

Katrina felt guilt encompass her, "Je mi ľúto." [I'm sorry.] She was now extremely grateful Bela constantly held her breath. Not only did it keep Blanka and Bela safe, but the bitter tang of alcohol lingered on her breath and soured her mouth. She was certain she smelled fairly unpleasant.

"Čo tvoja hlava?" [How's your head?] She adjusted her hand, moving it slightly so her thumb could gently stroke just above her eyebrow.

The warrior sighed, leaning into her touch and feeling her cheeks grow warm, "Lepšie." [Better.]

"Dobrý. Dám ti vodu." [Good. I'll get you water.] Her demon pulled away and was about to get up when Katrina panicked.

She didn't want to get up, a part of her feared that releasing her demon would make her leave, and another part of her just wanted to lay in bed with her. It was nice and comforting and being so close to Bela filled her with peace.

She held onto her tighter, "Katrina." Bela shifted out of her arms and she felt anger seep into her. Her head was now pounding, which was her fault for moving so quickly to grab her demon's hand, but she couldn't help it. She only wanted to lay in bed and spend the day in her arms while giving her lazy kisses.

"Nie, Bela, prosím, nechaj ma..." [No, Bela, please just let me…] she shifted, realizing she had no clothes on and looking at her demon with wide eyes, "Páčilo sa mi-" [Did we-]

She laughed, "Prajete si." [You wish.] Cold lips pressed against her forehead and her cheeks turned red, "Bola si opitá." [You were drunk.] Sakra. [Dammit.] Though she believed that might have been for the best. She actually wanted to remember her first time with Bela.

"Aspoň sme sa pobozkali?" [Did we at least kiss?] She pressed her body closer to Bela's, making gold eyes turn black. Suddenly her demon was a couple feet away, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at the floor.

"Si horší ako Tanya." [You're worse than Tanya.] Tanya?

She sat up, not caring as the sheet slipped off her torso, "Kto do pekla je Tanya?" [Who the hell is Tanya?]

Her eyes widened slightly and she sighed, "Shit." Bela shook her head, continuing to stare at the ground, "Ďalší démon priateľ-" [Another demon friend-]

"Som horší ako ona? Takže sa ťa snaží dotknúť?" [I'm worse than her? So she tries to touch you?]

"Podpichuje ma, to tak nemyslela vážne." [She teases me, she doesn't mean it.] She grumbled, waving her off and only further stoking the flames of her anger.

"Ak sa ťa dotkne, prebehnem ju mečom." [If she touches you I'll run her through with my sword.]

Bela smiled in amusement, "Well, I suppose it was nice knowing her." She chuckled at whatever she had just said before shaking her head, "Nie je takú chúlostivá, len koketná, to je všetko." [She's not that touchy, just flirtatious, that's all.]

With her anger came fear. Démoni sú krásni, a stavím sa, že Tanya je krásna, čo ak ju Má Bela rada viac ako ja? [Demons are beautiful, and I bet Tanya is beautiful, what if Bela likes her more than me?] Katrina took a deep breath. Nebudem na ňu kričať, povedal som, že mi bude lepšie. Nič nie je jej vina. [I won't yell at her, I said I'd be better. Nothing's her fault.]

"Je pekná?" [Is she pretty?]

Bela looked at her, black eyes never straying from her blue ones as she answered, "Áno, ale nie tak pekná ako ty. Teraz, prosím, oblečieš si nejaké šaty?" [Yes, but not as pretty as you. Now, will you please put on some clothes?]

She slowly stumbled out of bed, scratching the back of her head as she went to her dresser, "Si si istý?" [Are you sure?]

"Hm?"

"Si si istý, že som krajšia ako ona?" [Are you sure I'm prettier than her?] She hated how weak she sounded, but her fear was genuine. No one was as beautiful as her demon, none of the humans could compare, and she had never been interested in being with anyone other than Bela.

Čo ak sa ma nudí a nechá ma pre ďalšieho démona? Alebo iného človeka? [What if she grows bored of me and leaves me for another demon? Or another human?]

"This is a very familiar conversation," Katrina stared at her blankly, "No, myslím, že si." [Well, I think you are.] Bela hummed, keeping her gaze directed towards the floor.

She slipped on a tunic, "Aj keď mám jazvy?" [Even though I have scars?]

"Páčia sa mi tvoje jazvy, a malé pehy na moste nosa, a malá jazva, ktorá je sotva viditeľná na brade, a rez na pere," [I like your scars, and the little freckles on the bridge of your nose, and the small scar that's barely visible on your chin, and the cut on your lip,] she listed off easily, as though she had thought about it for quite some time, "A páči sa mi, ako často sa červenáš, a aký si bezohľadný, aj keď ma robíš strachom." [And I like how often you blush, and how reckless you are, even though you make me worry.]

Katrina pulled her breeches up, staring at her demon in awe, "Páčia sa ti všetky tie veci?" [You like all those things?]

Bela chuckled, approaching her slowly and grabbing the strings to her breeches, "Samozrejme že áno." Of course I do," the warrior's face burned as Bela began to tie the strings, "Páčiš sa mi. Si môj človek." [I like you. You're my human.] She finished tying the strings and gave her a chaste kiss on the lips, "Môj rovný." [My equal.]

Her heart swelled with affection and she cursed herself when she felt fears prick her eyes. She blinked them back and looked away from her demon. Katrina had never been good with words, she found them to be useless more often than not. Actions were more telling of a person's character, but at that moment she wished she was better with her words.

"Kiež by som vám mohol povedať pekné slová. Nie som s nimi dobrý." [I wish I could tell you pretty words. I'm no good with them.] She confessed, and Bela laughed.

"Včera si mi povedal veľa pekných slov." [You told me plenty of pretty words last night.]

"Oh nie." [Oh no.] She wished she had never woken up.

Bela grinned, wide and wild and she felt her heart hammer in her chest, "Povedal si mi, že chceš, aby sme sa vzali, a aby sme spolu vychovávali pekelné šteniatka." [You told me you wanted us to get married, and raise hellhound puppies together.] Koľko som musel vypiť? [How much did I have to drink?] She had meant it, of course, but she wasn't going to tell Bela her plans for their future, at least, not yet.

"Ⅰ...Bol som opitý! Neviem, čo som hovoril!" [I...I was drunk! I don't know what I was saying!] She spluttered, embarrassment colored her cheeks as Bela pulled her closer, "Ani si nepamätám minulú noc." [I don't even remember last night.] She looked away from her, fighting back her smile as Bela pressed a kiss to her cheek.

"Škoda, bol som tak dychtivý pre naše nanášanie." [A shame, I was so eager for our consummation.] She teased.

Katrina straightened, looking at her demon with wide eyes, "Oh, bol som opitý, ale nie tak opitý! Chcem si ťa vziať a naplniť naše manželstvo. Nastolím sa s tebou." [Oh, I was drunk, but not that drunk! I mean to marry you, and properly consummate our marriage. I'll consummate at any time with you.]

Bela smirked, "Easy there, tiger, you can't even get past my zipper." She pulled away from her, "Čo budeme dnes robiť?" [What are we doing today?]

Katrina, never one to control her mouth, couldn't help but ask, "Môžu démoni vziať?" [Can demons marry?]

She blinked, staring at her for a moment before answering, "Nechápem, prečo nie." [I don't see why not.]

The warrior nodded slowly, "Ty nezoše age." [You don't age.]

Bela looked hesitant, knowing where this was going, "Ja nie." [I don't.] She began to withdraw from her embrace, "Tomto...Možno by sme nemali..." [This...maybe we shouldn't…] she trailed off, going still in her arms.

Nechceš, aby to skončilo a ja tiež nie. [You don't want this to end and neither do I.]

"Existuje spôsob, ako sa stať démonom?" [Is there a way for me to become a demon?] She asked, gently rubbing Bela's arms and trying to coax her into relaxing.

Her demon swallowed thickly, gritting her teeth for a moment before answering, "Áno, ale nemôžem ťa premeniť." [Yes, but I can't turn you.]

She frowned, "Ak sa bojíš o moju dušu, nemal by si. Nemôže byť žiadne zatratenie, ak som s tebou." [If you fear for my soul, you shouldn't. There can be no damnation if I'm with you.] Bela's eyes widened, and a small smile graced her lips, making Katrina's heart stutter in her chest.

"A ty si povedal, že nie si dobrý s peknými slovami." [And you said you were no good with pretty words.] Her cheeks burned as her demon stared at her intently, "Nie je to tvoja duša, o ktorý sa bojím, aj keď by som mal," [It's not your soul I worry about, though I should,] she confessed, "Snažím sa byť dobrým démonom, ale som sebecká." [I try to be a good demon, but I'm a selfish one.]

"Páči sa mi, že si sebecký." [I like that you're selfish.] She insisted, feeling warmth bloom in her chest, "Páči sa mi, že ma chceš. Aj ja ťa chcem, viac než čokoľvek iné." [I like that you want me. I want you too, more than anything.]

Bela smiled softly at her, "Viac pekných slov, mám ich rád." [More pretty words, I like them.] She then sighed, looking frustrated as she spoke, "Nemôžem ťa premeniť, pretože by som bol tvoj stvoriteľ. Tvorcovia musia strážiť svojich démonov, pomôcť im prispôsobiť sa zmene. Moja moc je príliš nekonzistentná, nebol by som tu, aby som ti pomohla." [I can't turn you because I'd be your maker. Makers have to watch over their demons, help them adjust to the change. My power is too inconsistent, I wouldn't be here to help you.]

Katrina scowled, "Je mi jedno! Môžem sa učiť sám seba." [I don't care! I can teach myself.]

"Mohol by si. Ale mohol by si sa dostať do problémov a byť zabitý. To nemôžeme riskovať." [You could. But you could get in trouble and be killed. We can't risk that.] Bela shook her head.

"Potom nájdeme iného démona, ktorý ma zmení." [Then we find another demon to turn me.]

She paused, looking at her thoughtfully, "To by mohlo fungovať." [That could work.] She then sighed, "Kým ho nenájdem," [Until I find one,] she was about to pull away from her, "Kým ho nenájdem." [Maybe we should slow down.] Katrina clung to her, making her shoulders slump, "Nevieme, či nájdem iného démona a nechcem zničiť žiadnu lásku, ktorú by si našiel s človekom-" [We don't know if I can find another demon and I don't want to ruin any love you could find with a human-]

"Nie." [No.] Katrina grumbled, "To je problém na neskôr." [That's a problem for later.] She slid her hands up to cup her cheeks, smiling gently as Bella leaned into her touch, "Teraz ma máš a ja ťa mám." [You have me now, and I have you.] Ako by sa s tebou mohol porovnať nejaký hlúpy človek. [As though any stupid human could compare to you.]

"Ak je to to, čo chceš." [If that's what you want.] Bela murmured.

"Je to, čo chcete?" [Is that what you want?]

She hummed and leaned closer to her, "Povedal som ti, že som veľmi sebecký démon." [I told you, I'm a very selfish demon.]

Katrina's smile broadened, and she threaded her fingers through dark locks, "Dobry." [Good.] She kissed her briefly before Bela pulled away.

"Nikdy si neodpovedal na moju otázku. Čo budeme dnes robiť?" [You never answered my question. What are we doing today?]

She wracked her brain, trying to fight past her slight headache before her eyes widened, "Invázia je dnes večer." [The invasion's tonight.] She gave her demon a parting kiss before pulling away from her.

"Invázia?" [The invasion?] She heard the worry in Bela's voice and she gave her an easy smile.

"Ľahká invázia. Vyradíme väčšinu Vlci síl, takže rozdrvíme zvyšok ich kmeňa." [An easy invasion. We've taken out most of the Vlci forces, so we're going to crush the remainder of their tribe.] She put on her gambeson before she buckled her sword around her waist. Bela didn't speak and that worried her.

"Bela?" She wouldn't even look at her, gold eyes fixed on the floor, and hands balled into fists, "Bela." Katrina reached out to her but Bela moved out of reach, "Kde je problém?" [What's wrong?"]

Her lips pursed and she glanced at her before looking away, "Nič." [Nothing.] She shook her head before forcing a smile, "Nauč ma svoje spôsoby boja. Mohol by som sa veľa naučiť od bojovníka." [Teach me your ways of fighting. I could learn a lot from a warrior.]

Katrina's concern was temporarily forgotten and she perked up, "Budeš trénovať so mnou?" [You'll train with me?] Bela nodded, her smile becoming more sincere as Katrina jumped forward and grabbed her hand, "Naučil si ma, ako byť rýchly ako vietor, dovoľte mi, aby som vás naučí, ako byť pevný ako hora." [You taught me how to be swift as the wind, let me teach you how to be firm like a mountain.]

Her free hand picked up her spare sword and Bela allowed herself to be dragged outside. Her demon greeted Dalibor with a gentle pat to his flank and Katrina smiled at them before she gave her hand another tug.

When they were away from the hut and her horse, Katrina handed Bela the spare sword before drawing her own.

"Keď vaši nepriatelia sú príliš rýchle, je lepšie zasadiť sami a odkloniť skôr ako útok. Unavte ich skôr, než udrieš." [When your enemies are too quick, it's better to plant yourself and deflect rather than attack. Get them tired before you strike.] She explained, suppressing her amused smile as Bela frowned at the spare sword and tapped its blade curiously, "Viem, že je to zlý tréning, pretože si príliš rýchly, ale-" [I know this is poor training, since you're much too fast, but-]

Bela's gentle smile cut her off and her cheeks bloomed red, "Musím sa toho veľa naučiť, a oceňujem, že ma učíš." [I have much to learn, and I appreciate that you're teaching me.]

"Naučím ťa, čo len chceš." [I-I'll teach you whatever you want.] She stammered, berating herself for being so flustered when Bela laughed.

"Pobozkal by som ťa, ale bojujem s mojimi impulzmi." [I would kiss you but I struggle with my impulses.] She said it so casually, not trying to be flirtatious, but to convey honesty. Yet Katrina still felt her heart rate increase, "Si v poriadku?" [Are you alright?]

How her demon could be so oblivious was beyond her, but the warrior was grateful for it now.

"Jemné! Len... Prestaň s tým!" [Fine! Just...stop doing that!]

"Robiť čo?" [Doing what?]

"Takto sa na mňa pozerám." [Looking at me like that.] She grumbled.

Bela smirked, "Myslel som, že sa ti to páči, keď sa na teba pozriem." [I thought you liked it when I looked at you.]

"Rozptyľuješ ma." [You're distracting me.] She closed her eyes and stepped away.

Her demon's alluring voice reached her ears, "Katrina," she cooed, "Prečo si taká vzdialená? Hlavne po všetkých tých veciach, ktoré si včera povedal-" [Why are you being so distant? Especially after all the things you said last night-]

"Bela!" She snapped, eyes popping open, "Povedal si mi, aby som bol dobrý, teraz ti hovorím, aby si sa správal!" [You told me to be good, now I'm telling you to behave!] Bela's head tilted back and she laughed, loud and full, and her eyes shone like topaz. Katrina's annoyance was forgotten when her brilliant smile was directed at her.

"Dobre, budem sa správať slušne!" [Fine, I'll behave!] She took an experimental swing of her sword, which was a blur of silver, "Meče sú pekné," [Swords are nice,] her grin became wild, and her eyes darkened in a way that would have intimidated Katrina, were she not accustomed to her demon, "Bojuj so mnou!" [Fight me!]

Katrina laughed gleefully, charging forward and swinging at Bela wildly, "Si perfektná!" [You're perfect!]

They continued like this for a while, Bela deflecting and Katrina attacking, getting a feel for her demon's fighting style. She was light on her feet, always on her toes like a good brawler.

Ak by bojovala s niekým s jej rýchlosťou a silou, nebola by schopná sa správne odkloniť. Bola by mimo rovnováhy. [If she fought someone with her speed and strength, she wouldn't be able to deflect properly. She'd be off-balance.]

Katrina stopped, panting slightly as sweat beaded down her forehead, "Zasadiť nohy. Musíš byť pevný a pevný, ako hora." [Plant your feet. You must be firm, and solid, like a mountain.] She instructed, tapping Bela's calves with the side of her blade.

Bela listened, though her lips quirked upward, "Nemohol by som byť lavína?" [Could I not be an avalanche?] She mused, making Katrina roll her eyes.

"Lavíny nie sú pevné!" [Avalanches aren't firm!]

"Tell that to those that are smothered to death by them." She grumbled, earning her calf a light swat with the warrior's blade.

"Žiadny! Hlavne vo vašom zvláštnom jazyku." [No backtalk! Especially in your strange language.]

"Zvláštny jazyk? Povedal si, že minulú noc je to krásne." [Strange language? You said it was beautiful last night.] She teased, making Katrina scowl.

"Je to krásne! A ty tiež!" [It is beautiful! And so are you!] She yelled, "Teraz, prosím, správajte sa slušne!" [Now, will you please behave!]

Her smile was beyond endearing, "Prepáč." [Sorry.]

"Hlúpy démon," [Stupid demon,] Katrina muttered before shaking her head, "Ak sa vychyľuješ, nemôžeš byť na tvojich chudé. Byť rýchly je dobrý, ale nie ak ste neskúsený. Preto je dobré počkať. Je múdre byť pevný a odkloniť, zatiaľ čo vy hľadáte otvorenie. Alebo počkajte, kým tvoj nepriateľ vynaví." [If you're deflecting, you can't be on your toes. Being fast is good, but not if you're inexperienced. That's why it's good to wait. It's smart to be firm and deflect while you look for an opening. Or wait for your enemy to tire out.] She explained, taken aback by the way her demon stared at her.

She felt her cheeks heat up, "Co?" [What?]

Bela smiled, "Nič. Poďme ešte raz." [Nothing. Let's go again.]

They practiced until dark storm clouds loomed above. The winds picked up and Katrina stopped, eyes lighting up as the smell of rain filled the air.

She sheathed her sword before wiping the sweat from her brow, "Búrka. Bela, no tak!" [A storm. Bela, come on!] She ran to the edge of her summit that overlooked the gorge below, staring up at the dark clouds above with anticipation.

Bela was at her side in seconds, looking out at the sky curiously, "Máš rád búrky?" [You like storms?]

Katrina grinned, "Mám rád blesky." [I like lightning.] She watched as it streaked across the sky, "Je to rýchle a mocné. To scorches krajine a opustí svoju značku," [It's fast and powerful. It scorches the earth and leaves its mark,] she was quiet for a moment, "Raz dúfam, že to isté." [I someday hope to do the same.]

Her demon hummed, reaching out and grabbing her hand, "Nemyslím si, že na teba niekto môže zabudnúť." [I don't think anyone can forget you.] The blonde stared at their intertwined fingers.

Ale žiješ večne, čo ak nenájdeme iného démona, ktorý by ma zmenil? Čo ak zomriem a ty na mňa zabudneš? [But you live forever, what if we can't find another demon to turn me? What if I die and you forget about me?]

Thunder rumbled in the distance and blue eyes met gold, "Dokonca aj ty?" [Even you?]

Bela smiled, "Zvlášť ja," [Especially me,] she looked out as more lightning pierced the dark sky, "Mám navždy na teba myslieť." [I have forever to think about you.] She then laughed, her soft smile shifting into a teasing one, "Moja osobná búrka." [My own personal thunderstorm.]

Katrina decided she liked that, "Pretože som hlučný a hrôzostrašný." [Because I'm loud and fearsome.]

Bela slipped her arms around her waist, "Si desivá. Zvlášť, keď sa opiješ a objímeš sa ku mne a požiadaš ma, aby som ti pomohol vyzliecť sa." [You're terrifying. Especially when you get drunk and cuddle up to me and ask me to help you undress.] Katrina's complaints died in her throat when Bela pressed their lips together. She pulled away much too quickly and Katrina nearly complained, again, when she was given a beautiful smile, "Bolo to milé." [It was cute.]

She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest, "Nie som rozkošný. Som desivý a vražedný!" [I'm not cute. I'm scary and murderous!]

Bela hummed, holding her closer and pressing a kiss to her neck, making her face heat up, "Samozrejme, že si." [Of course you are, cutie.]

"Bela!" Her demon laughed, burying her face in the crook of her neck. Katrina rolled her eyes but relaxed into her, wishing they could do this forever. Banter and spar and watch thunderstorms and kiss and hold each other and...

"Myslím že ťa milujem." [I think I love you.] She hadn't meant to say it aloud, but she did, and she tensed when Bela pulled away slightly. Her heart felt as though it was going to burst from her chest when her demon remained silent. Katrina feared she had said it too early, but she wouldn't take those words back. She meant them.

Bela kissed her temple before resting her chin on her shoulder, "Myslím, že aj ja ťa milujem." [Well, I think I love you too.] Katrina turned in her arms, smiling widely and making the demon shake her head, "Nebuď príliš vzrušený. Povedal som, že myslím, že nie, že by som to vedel." [Don't get too excited. I said I think, not that I know.]

She rolled her eyes and cupped her face in her hands, "Jemné. Viem, že ťa milujem." [Fine. I know I love you.]

Her demon grinned, "Oh, dobre. Viem, že ťa tiež milujem-" [Oh, good. I know I love you too-] Katrina slammed their lips together, but it was a short kiss. Bela pulled away, joyful laughter spilling from her lips as gold eyes darted around her face, as though trying to memorize everything about her. Katrina's own nervous laugh escaped her, which turned into a genuine one as Bela peppered kisses all over her face.

And as thunder boomed overhead and lightning lit up the sky, Katrina was certain she'd never felt happier.

"Rosie, look!" She watched in slight amusement as Emmett barreled into their room with a flustered Bella in his arms, "Bellsy drew a picture of us!" Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were wide as she clutched the paper to her chest.

"It's not good! I was just doodling-"

"So modest. Rose, check this out, our Bella is an artist!" Rosalie stepped forward, smirking as brown eyes quickly darted away from her gold ones.

"I'm thrilled to look at the wonderful stick figures you drew." She drawled, snatching the paper from her hands.

Bella yelped before trying to grab it back, "Hey! It's just a stupid picture-"

Emmett hugged her tighter to him and laughed, "We need to work on your self-esteem. It's a beautiful picture! Edward agrees-"

"Edward's a lovesick idiot with poor taste," Rosalie snorted, holding up the picture to examine it, "However, even a broken clock is right twice a day." It was of the entire family, a drawing of a photo they took five years ago when they went to Spain.

The entire family looked good, despite the small smudges of pencil marks that were left behind. Keen eyes picked up on the detail given to Edward and she nearly scoffed at the sight. Edward's tousled hair was almost perfect, Bella got his minuscule smile right and the cut of his jaw.

Then she looked at herself, surprised to see the same amount of care had gone into her drawing. From her hair to her eyebrows to her gentle smile, Bella had drawn her so carefully it was nearly identical to the family photo.

"It's not bad." She walked over to her dresser, putting the picture in the top shelf before closing it, "Before you say anything, no, I don't like it, and no, I'm not keeping it." Rosalie ignored her husband's knowing smile.

Bella blinked, face still a bright red as she glanced at her dresser, "Um, you uh...why'd you put that in your dresser-"

"Because I wanted to."

To her surprise, Bella rolled her eyes and slumped in Emmett's arms, "Well, I'm glad you're keeping it for no other reason than because you want to. And I can only infer that it's because you kind of like it."

Emmett's eyes widened and he laughed, "Whoa! When'd you get claws, Bella?"

Her eyes widened, "Oh! Uh, I'm sorry!" She spluttered, "I've been hanging out with Leah more and she's...uh." Her face reddened once again, and Rosalie fought back a hiss.

She didn't like that Bella was hanging around the wolves so frequently, even though the human wasn't aware of what they truly were. But she wasn't Edward, and she wouldn't reprimand or forbid Bella from spending time with them, though she worried for her safety.

Leah, Jake, and Paul were on the brink of shifting. This made them far more dangerous, and should Bella get too close to them when they were angry that could be the end for her.

"Don't apologize as though you hurt my feelings." She all but growled, forcing herself to soften when she noticed Bella caving in on herself, "I didn't know you could draw."

Emmett released her, only to sling an arm around her shoulders, "Yeah, I didn't either."

Bella shrugged, looking embarrassed due to the attention, "It's not a big deal."

Rosalie refrained from rolling her eyes, "Have you always liked drawing?"

The human looked hesitant when answering, staring at her feet when she said, "Yeah. It keeps everything quiet."

"Are things normally loud?"

"Sometimes I hear voices…voices I don't know them but they sound so familiar..." she trailed off and shook her head, "It's nothing." That was new and somewhat worrying.

Emmett looked at her in concern, "Bella-"

"It's nothing." She said tersely, drenching the room in silence.

Rosalie looked at the human closely before asking, "What's your favorite color?" Changing the subject seemed to be the only way to put the human at ease.

Bella made a confused noise before an amused smile spread across her lips, "What are we, on a middle school date?" Rosalie was loathed to admit that that was a good comeback, one she would save for later. Emmett giggled, quickly quieting when Rosalie shot him a glare.

"You wish," she smirked when Bella's cheeks reddened, "Now, answer the question, smartass."

Bella scratched the back of her neck, a nervous tick, and cleared her throat before saying, "Blue." Of course, what a boring color.

"Blue."

"Specifically cyan, but a lighter shade of cyan. I don't know about turquoise, it has a bit too much green." She glanced between her and Emmett, "What about you guys?"

"Green." Emmett said, "I don't have a reason, it's just a nice color."

Rosalie shrugged, "Gold, red, and purple." She could hear Edward enter the house and she nearly growled, annoyed by his intrusion as he entered her room. His face brightened at the sight of Bella, who wasn't aware he had arrived.

"Those are good colors." Bella agreed, "They compliment your eyes and hair really well."

Edward stepped forward, embracing Bella from behind and making her jump in surprise, "Don't let Alice hear you talk about complementary colors. She'll want to take you shopping."

Her cheeks were flushed and she relaxed in his embrace, smiling shyly as he pressed a kiss to her cheek, "That would certainly be a disaster." The two of them made her sick.

"Alright, get this disgusting display," she gestured at the two of them, "Out of my room."

Emmett smirked at her, hugging her from behind and resting his head on her shoulder, "Like we haven't done worse." Bella looked immensely uncomfortable, burying herself deeper in Edward's arms, and Rosalie frowned.

Usually, she'd laugh and blush and trip over herself when Emmett made lewd jokes. But now it was as though she could hardly stand to look at them.

Edward never lost his happy smile, much to her annoyance, and he kissed Bella's cheek before pulling away, "Would you like to practice piano? Or we could go to the meadow, I know you've been looking forward to painting it."

Bella shrugged, looking bewildered by the fact that she was given a choice, "Oh, um, whatever you'd like to do-"

Rosalie rolled her eyes, "Bella." She looked at her, "Remember what we talked about."

The human blinked before nodding, "Right."

Edward stared at Rosalie with a furrowed brow, "And what have you two been talking about?"

Don't worry, I haven't mentioned that you're not her mate. I figured I'd save that for you.

His jaw clenched, "She is. I know she is."

Even if she is, which she's not, you're still not entitled to know about our conversation. It's between us.

"Oh, because you two are such good friends?" He sneered, "Her constantly being nice to you and you putting her down every chance you get." That struck a nerve, triggering a feeling she hadn't allowed herself to dwell on. Guilt.

She detested that Edward was right, she was incredibly rude to Bella, but most of the time she didn't mean it.

Edward shook his head, "She can't read your mind. How is she supposed to know that?"

Emmett tightened his grip on her and glared at their brother, "Cool it, Eddie-"

"I'm not angry. I'm asking a question."

Bella shifted uncomfortably, "Can we please not fight?" She sighed, "We should go." She took his hand, giving it a light tug, "We can do whatever you want-" and that's when Rosalie decided to strike.

"No, Bella. You deserve to choose. Don't let him lead you around like some dog on a leash." She had always been vindictive, never one to crash and burn, especially by herself.

Edward, to her surprise, didn't get angry. Instead, he looked at Bella with wide eyes, something akin to guilt colored his face.

"Do you feel that way?"

Her cheeks burned and her eyes quickly darted away from his intense gaze, "It's not that bad."

"But it is." He shook his head, "I don't want to control you...I'm sorry." His apology was sincere and his eyes were gentle as he put his hand under her chin and tilted it up, making her look at him.

Affection, love, burned bright in the human's eyes as she put her hand on his arm, "It's okay. I just like spending time with you." Emmett made gagging noises and Bella giggled, "Shut up. You and Rose are way worse than we are."

Edward stared at Bella with the same adoration in his eyes, the same love that the human held for him, "What would you like to do today?"

Bella looked at him thoughtfully, "I could go for a movie."

His nose scrunched up and he scowled playfully at her, "Do you ever tire of watching Kill Bill?"

Rosalie raised a brow, "Kill Bill?"

Bella shot her an embarrassed glance before smiling at Edward, "It's a classic! You and Alice have the worst taste when it comes to movies." She sighed, "Jasper makes me watch a lot of old westerns, but at least they're interesting and fast-paced."

Edward looked affronted, "You prefer the rushed stories of his westerns to the Titanic? It's an excellent film!"

"An excellent film to nap to!"

Emmett chuckled, "I'm sorry, I hate to insert myself in a marital dispute but...Titanic is boring and Kill Bill is amazing. Bella is right about everything."

Bella beamed at him, "Thank you, Emmett. This is why we're movie buddies."

"You introduced me to Kill Bill and I got you on Old Boy." Her mate grinned, "I knew you'd love that movie."

Bella nodded enthusiastically, "We're going to rewatch it tomorrow, right?"

It irked her that she had yet to have a movie night with Bella. But Edward had been right, she put Bella down often, most times without thinking of how she felt. Why would Bella want to watch a movie with someone who constantly berated her?

Bella wasn't a vampire that was hundreds of years old, she was a human teenager with the same glaring insecurities as her peers. Rosalie had wanted to curb her meekness, not crush her spirit. 'Perhaps I should be more gentle in my approach,' she thought, glaring at Edward as he gave her a grateful smile.

This isn't for you, and it's not because I like your stupid little human. She's like a mouse, and I hate rodents.

But his knowing smile never left his face, even as he tuned back into Emmett and Bella's conversation.

"Of course! Then we're watching the American version," he made a face, "It's terrible. But I need someone to vent about it with."

The girl grimaced, "But the Korean one is-"

"A masterpiece."

"Exactly! No need for a remake." She turned to Edward, "Okay. Old Boy first and then Kill Bill. I won't take no for an answer!" She declared.

Edward laughed and Rosalie frowned, she had never seen him so animated. They may not have been mates, but she was certain he loved Bella deeply. A part of her was happy for her brother, but a larger part of her was concerned.

When Bella turned she would find out the truth, and Edward would be shaken from his ditzy illusion. There would be a rift, there would be heartbreak. She had no qualms with her brother dating the human, but he wasn't honest with himself or with her.

'She wants to be a vampire because she thinks Edward's her mate,' she watched them closely, 'she wants to throw away her life for love, a love that's built on lies.' It was a mess, all of it was, and when it all came crashing down it was Bella who would feel the brunt of the pain.

"Stop glaring at her," Emmett growled, drawing her attention to Edward's vicious gaze that was directed towards her, "They're her thoughts. Leave them be."

You'll have to tell her the truth someday, Edward, preferably before she turns.

Bella glanced between the two of them before planting a light kiss on Edward's lips. He blinked in surprise, tearing his gaze off Rosalie and looking at the girl with an apologetic smile.

"Be nice."

He ducked his head sheepishly, "I'm sorry. My sister can be quite vexing."

"That's funny, coming from a brooding, immortalized seventeen year old that can't act his true age." She snapped, "Why don't you go drape yourself over the piano and play some half-assed rendition of Beethoven as you cry about the futile existence of soulless, bloodsucking monsters that are wrought with evil and only deserving of damnation." Emmett choked back a laugh while Bella stared at her in surprise.

Edward narrowed his eyes, "As though you're any better. You envy my relationship with Bella," the human's heart stuttered in her chest, but they were too engrossed in their argument to pay it any mind.

"Envy?" Her laugh was hollow, "Ah, yes, I envy your relationship with the spineless human that has to be cared for like a common household pet." Though her facial expression remained angry, she inwardly berated herself. 'I went too far,' Bella's eyes fell to the ground and she pulled away from Edward.

"I'm, uh, gonna wait downstairs." She muttered, shoulders slumping as she trudged out of her room and down the steps. 'Dammit.'

"Rose." Emmett's disapproving tone of voice only further cemented her shame for lashing out at the human. She didn't deserve it.

Edward watched Bella go, brow furrowed in concern, "I'll be with you in a moment." He then turned his glare on Rosalie, "That was low, even for you." He shook his head, keeping his voice low, "And that wasn't what I meant and you know it. You envy her humanity, and you envy that I'm mated to her. It drives you mad that I do human things with her, like meeting her father and spending time with her human friends."

"Edward-" her warning was cut off as he continued to speak, acting as though she hadn't opened her mouth.

"I'm the closest one in our family to having a taste of humanity again, and you can't stand that." She was about to scream at him, to read him for filth just as she had done earlier, but he was right and it was petrifying.

Emmett held her tighter, a comforting hug that she could hardly register, "You're out of line, Edward, get the fuck out of our room."

The slam of the front door made them all pause. Bella was in the kitchen when Alice and Jasper entered the house.

"Bella," Jasper had a smile in his voice, "I know you don't have an aptitude for it, but I would love to play a video game with you."

She heard the girl sigh, "I know you're trying to cheer me up, but I don't think shooting at virtual people is going to help."

Alice laughed, "We figured. So we got you a gift." The rustling of a bag was heard.

Bella sounded hesitant, "Thanks but...you really shouldn't have." Slow fingers crinkled the bag, opening it gingerly.

The front door opened and closed again, and Carlisle entered, "I got your text." He spoke only loud enough for the vampires to hear, "Your mother will be home soon, she's helping a client with some in-home renovations."

Rosalie grimaced, 'Alice saw me hurt Bella in her vision.' Now her entire family was doing things to cheer her up, but she couldn't be a part of that, not when she had been the one to ruin Bella's mood in the first place.

She thought of the picture Bella drew of them, ignoring Edward's curious gaze as he sifted through her thoughts.

The human hadn't minded when she put it away in her dresser, and, as always, she had taken Rosalie's barbs with grace. Not once had Bella lashed out at her, and she truly thought it was only a matter of time before she did. Rosalie didn't know how she hadn't already snapped at her.

Sometimes she could be outright cruel, and when she was she was only given a sad smile and a weak laugh. If anything that was worse. Rosalie hated how forgiving the girl was, she hated how guilty she felt for putting that expression on Bella's face.

Normally, she wouldn't have cared, but it wasn't just anyone she was hurting. It was Bella Swan.

Bella Swan, the infuriating girl that had somehow gained her affection despite her obnoxiously demure demeanor. The girl she had saved and felt a connection to ever since. The girl that drew pretty pictures of their family and loved all of them so openly they already considered her to be a part of their family.

"Oh, hi Carlisle." Bella greeted, pausing her gift opening for a moment, "I thought you had to work until seven."

"Normally I do. But there weren't as many patients today so I was permitted to leave early." He walked towards the kitchen, "Esme will be home soon, and since you're here I thought it'd be nice to make you some dinner. Would stir fry be acceptable?"

In true Bella fashion, she hesitated and stammered, "Y-You don't have to cook for me! I can always-"

"Bella," his gentle voice made her stop talking, "I know you're perfectly capable of doing things yourself, but we also like taking care of you, so please let us."

Her voice was soft, surprised even, "Oh...okay. Thank you." She murmured.

Carlisle hummed, "Were my children still human, I'd do the same for them." He began to pull out the utensils necessary to make stir fry, "Besides, I would hate to interrupt from your new game."

"My new...oh yeah." She grumbled sheepishly, pulling it out of the bag, "A 3DS and...Animal Crossing New Leaf?"

Jasper stepped forward, "A wonderful game, even Alice likes it."

"I have a town of my own!" Alice declared, "I'll help you set yours up, it's not hard, it's very relaxing, actually." Her voice darkened, "Until that bastard Tom Nook comes for his bells.

"Tom Nook?"

"You're too hard on him," Jasper chided, "He gives a lot of his money to charity, he says so himself."

A mocking laugh echoed in the house, "He's a raccoon, Jasper! They're the thieves of the animal world! He's clearly lying to gain our sympathy and hard-earned bells!"

Jasper chuckled before addressing Bella, "If you couldn't tell, I also have the game. Once you're comfortable enough we could all play together. Until then, Alice and I would love to help you set it up."

Bella's voice was filled with amusement, "Okay, that actually sounds fun."

The vampires proceeded to help her, and that's when Rosalie noticed the warm smile on Edward's face. For a moment she had forgotten they had even been fighting.

The mind reader looked at her, and his voice was softer now as he said, "If you can put aside your pride, you can feel just as I do." He swiftly moved past her, going into her dresser and placing Bella's drawing in her hands, "The human experiences she provides aren't exclusive to just me."

Esme came home, happily greeting the family and kissing Bella's temple before helping her mate in the kitchen.

"Ooh, stir fry night?"

Carlisle chuckled, "It's the only thing I can make by myself. I always cook burgers and other meats for too long because I fear making her sick with undercooked meat." He confessed, earning him an affectionate kiss from Esme.

"Your cooking has improved a lot since you first started," she assured him.

"I have you and Bella to thank for that. Maybe tomorrow night you could help me grill steaks? We could send Edward over to her house with them, I'm sure she and Charlie would love them."

"That's a wonderful idea!"

Meanwhile, Bella let out an outraged yell as she jumped up off the couch, "How the hell is a tent ten-thousand bells! I don't even have any money!"

"Language." Esme chided and she squeaked in surprise.

"Oh! Sorry!"

Alice laughed as Bella sat back down on the couch, "A crook! I'm telling you!"

Jasper made a disapproving sound, "He needs to make a living too. And he donates most of the bells to charity."

"What charity, Jasper?" Alice interrogated, "He runs a monopoly for Christ's sake."

"He donates the money to children in need," he argued, "And he doesn't run a monopoly. You can buy things from Reese and Cyrus."

"Not the necessities, which you can only get from Tom Crook's stupid shack. Which he upgrades continuously as you give him more money."

"Tom Crook," Bella laughed, before a quiet gasp escaped her, "Whoa...everything's so pretty."

Rosalie blinked, staring at the drawing as she listened to her family. Was Edward right? Could further pursuing a friendship with Bella give her a taste of what she so desperately longed for?

Edward placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and gave it a light squeeze, "Whenever you'd like to spend time with her, just ask, I'm sure she'd be delighted to." He went to leave her room when he stopped and glanced back at her, "Bella has a way about her, a genuine curiosity and a gentleness that makes me hate what I am a little less. She makes me question whether or not I'm truly a monster...because surely monsters don't love as deeply as I do, nor are they loved so deeply in return by someone as wonderful as her."

Rosalie didn't acknowledge him as he left, and she didn't look up from Bella's drawing, even when Emmett gently placed his hands on her waist and kissed her cheek.

"Eddie may have a point...and you aren't fooling anyone. We all know you like Bella." His voice was soft, understanding but firm, meaning she had no way to refute his claim. He knew her better than anyone, and there was no point in arguing with him.

Her fingers gently traced the pencil lines, stopping when they came to her own form. She examined the painstaking detail that went into her and Edward's faces, and a soft sigh escaped her.

"Edward is a lovesick idiot." She grumbled, eyes still fixed on the drawing.

'But even a broken clock is right twice a day.'

"Rose!"

She quickly put the drawing back into her dresser, right as Bella zoomed into her room with Ghost in her arms. The newborn was smiling widely, and her wolf pup barked loudly, wriggling happily in her arms.

"Ghost caught his first grasshopper!"

Rosalie rolled her eyes, "That's why you burst into my room, yelling like lunatic?" She approached the two, threading her fingers gentle through Ghost's fur in a silent greeting. Sometimes he reminded her of Bella, stupid and loud, but also endearing.

Bella laughed, "Yeah, it's exciting! He and I have been training very hard!" That's when she noticed the rips and grass stains in the knees of her jeans. She's a wild animal herself.

Rosalie was quiet for a moment, glancing at her dresser before looking at Bella, "Have you ever thought about drawing?"

The newborn frowned, setting her squirming wolf pup down, "Uh, no? Why would I?" She gritted her teeth as Bella shook her head, "That sounds boring and tedious." She stared at her, "What brought that up?"

"Nothing." She hadn't wanted to believe that Bella was different, but the differences between Bella Denali and Bella Swan were glaring.

Bella Denali was bold and angry and rambunctious. Perhaps some of that was due to her being a newborn, but Bella Swan was shy and quiet with a subtle sarcasm to her. Denali wouldn't know subtlety if it bit her in the ass.

What really bothered her was how carefree Denali was in comparison to Swan. She barely had any memories of her past life, but she was the happiest Rosalie had ever seen her.

Swan, according to Paul, was broken due to their absence, but now her memories were gone and she moved on. She developed tight bonds with Irina and Tanya, she planned to leave with them.

We screwed up, her jaw tightened, I screwed up. But she doesn't belong with them, she was always ours. Now, Bella showed no interest in becoming a Cullen or staying in Forks, and that unsettled her.

The newborn asked Rosalie questions about herself and Alice but never inquired about the rest of their family. She gave the wolves more consideration and it was infuriating.

Sometimes she wondered what voices Bella had heard when she was human, and she wondered what they said to her. It was maddening to know the truth had died along with Bella Swan.

"Rose-"

"Don't you have some training to do with Eleazar?" She snapped.

Bella shrugged, not bothered by her harsh tone but shifting awkwardly as she spoke, "Yeah...wanna come watch? You don't have to if you don't want to, it's whatever." There's Bella Swan.

Rosalie hummed, "I'd love to watch you get thrown around like a ragdoll."

The newborn grinned, "Awesome. Let's go, bestie!" This is Bella Denali, the true pest that she is.

"Bella-"

"Sorry. You're my bestie number two." She amended, giggling and running away as Rosalie lunged at her, "I don't want to upset Alice, it's nothing personal!"

"You should be more concerned with upsetting me."

Bella bolted out of the house, shooting a smirk at Rosalie as they ran into the woods, "Then you should stop making it so fun."

Another difference was that Bella Denali was far more comfortable in her own skin. It wasn't vanity, Rosalie wouldn't even define it as confidence. The newborn loved what she was, the loss of her memories came with the loss of her insecurities. And for that Rosalie was glad.

They raced to the clearing and were greeted by Alice and the other Denali's. Bella smiled at Alice, opening her arms for an embrace. Alice jumped in them, laughing and hugging her tightly.

As though you didn't see each other a mere few minutes ago. Rosalie inwardly berated herself, unable to help the jealousy she felt at seeing how easy it was for Alice and Bella to get along.

Irina, of course, was quick to greet the newborn next. She got on her tiptoes and kissed Bella's cheek, gold eyes glancing at her before they looked back at Bella.

Bitch.

Rosalie knew she had no reason to be jealous of the Denali. Irina was Bella's maker, of course the brunette was close to her. If anything, Rosalie felt somewhat smug by that fact.

Bella isn't close to you voluntarily, she wants to tell her but thinks better of it.

Tanya jumped on the newborn's back and kissed her neck before slipping off. Bella's eyes darkened slightly, no doubt struggling with her newborn lust, but she behaved herself and merely smiled at the succubus instead.

Rosalie watched her closely, looking for any signs of discomfort in the newborn. She found none, but Bella noticed her stare and she looked at her. The brunette gave her an appreciative nod, one she ignored.

She heard her soft chuckle and nearly glared at her, but she refused to give the mischievous newborn the satisfaction of riling her up.

Eleazar stepped forward, smiling at Bella as she approached him, "Bella, how exciting. Are you ready?" She nodded, saying nothing as she got in her stance.

It was different. She stood tall, feet firmly planted rather than her being on her toes as she normally was. Bella didn't attack first as she usually did, instead, she waited and watched him carefully.

Eleazar rushed forward first, tired of waiting. His movements were powerful, as was his fighting style. He attacked in seemingly erratic bursts, but there was nothing random about his attacks. They were all calculated and dangerous.

Bella stood firm, planting her feet despite having been taught to keep on her toes. She didn't dodge when Eleazar lunged at her, instead, she faced him head-on. She swung at his arms, batting them away and sending him off-kilter.

Rosalie expected her to pounce, falling into Eleazar's trap, but Bella remained rooted to the spot, only turning her body to watch as the man circled her. He came at her, again and again, and she continued to fend him off with her newborn strength.

Eleazar looked absolutely delighted, "Bella, you're doing great!" He lowered his stance, eyes focused on her right leg, and he shot forward, angling his body so he instead went for her left. A fakeout Bella was prepared for.

She lifted her right foot and slammed it into his side, making him grunt in surprise and go flying.

"Excellent, maličký!" Irina cheered, making Bella lose focus and grin at her. Eleazar had braced a thick tree stump in order to stop his fall, and without a moment's hesitation, he launched himself off the tree and towards Bella.

She noticed too late and she sighed, "Shi-" he slammed into her, taking her to the ground. Tanya laughed as Eleazar grinned down at the newborn.

"Good form, Bella, but next time, try not to let yourself get distracted."

She huffed and stared up at the sky, "Fine, but only if you promise that next time, you'll try not to hold back."

He chuckled, standing to his feet and holding out his hand to her, "Deal," she took it with a smile and got to her feet.

Tanya and Irina approached them, "Where did you learn that?" Irina pressed, oddly intense about her question, and Bella frowned while Tanya stared at the newborn curiously.

"I don't know...the other way wasn't working for me, at least not yet. I'm very inexperienced, so I figured watching and waiting would be the best method for me, at least for now."

"So you taught yourself that?" Tanya asked skeptically.

Bella rolled her eyes, "You'd be surprised how many things people can come up with when they think about more than sex and eating people-" she squealed as Tanya tackled her.

"You brat!"

"Help! She's trying to kill me!" She laughed as they rolled in the dirt and swatted playfully at each other, "Rina! Save me from this monstrous succubus!" Rosalie watched the newborn with narrowed eyes. She's deflecting from the question, and she's damn good at it.

She glanced at Alice, to see if she also noticed Bella's distraction, but her sister was only laughing as Irina reached out and grabbed Tanya's arm. The Denali leader had straddled the newborn and was speaking provocatively to the black eyed Bella until her sister intervened.

"Irina." Tanya sighed, allowing herself to be pulled off the newborn, "You used to be so much more fun."

"I won't let you corrupt my newborn." Bella jumped to her feet, blinking rapidly as she tried to calm herself.

Eleazar put his hands on her shoulders and gave her a comforting smile, "It gets easier." He chuckled, "Someday Tanya won't affect you in any way."

Rosalie didn't miss the way Bella and Alice glanced at each other, the smaller vampire smirked and the newborn glared at her before turning back to Eleazar.

Already those two have secrets? Rosalie and Bella Swan had been very close, but it was always Alice she confided in. It aggravated her to no end.

"Uh, right," Bella grumbled, rolling her eyes when Tanya blew her a kiss.

"No one gets over me, I don't expect you to be any different."

Bella stared at her, "Yeah, I bet no one was able to get over you. Especially since you killed everyone when you were done with them-"

"That's it!" Tanya lunged at her, only to be grabbed by a laughing Irina.

"Oh, stop that."

Eleazar smiled at them before turning back to Bella, "You're quite the instigator."

Bella glanced at Rosalie and then back at Eleazar, "Well, I learned from the best." For once, she's not wrong.

He nodded, giving her shoulders a squeeze before he pulled away "Of course...I would like to get to know you better. I'm not sure if you have any interest in music, but I could teach you how to play the guitar if you'd like." The guitar? That's not right, she wanted to play the piano.

Bella nodded enthusiastically, "Yeah! You've convinced me, it sounds so nice and, between you and me, I could really use a hobby." You had a hobby. You loved art and the piano and Animal Crossing.

"Good. We'll get started after we train some more." No, this is all wrong. She's all wrong.

As though reading her mind, Alice appeared, taking her hand and ushering her away from the group, "We'll be back! Rose agreed to go hunting with me."

Bella gave them a careless wave, "Have fun," before she grinned at something ridiculous Tanya said. She then turned back to Eleazar to continue their training.

Rosalie followed Alice to the house, still fuming and jaw still clenched. They were silent the whole way home, and when they arrived, Alice blocked her from disappearing into the garage.

"Rose-"

"I don't want to hear any of your bullshit optimism." She snapped, brushing past her, "I'm not-"

"Rose!" Alice's snarl made her freeze and look back at her in surprise, "Stop running, dammit! It'll only make things worse."

She growled, turning her back on her sister, "I'm not running. I'm just accepting the inevitable." She swallowed thickly, unsure where the rush of emotion came from as a shuttered breath escaped her, "Bella won't ever regain all her memories. Even if she did, she'd still leave with them."

Alice sighed, reaching out and gently taking her arm, "I know...I've accepted that."

Rosalie whirled on her, anger spiking at Alice's easy acceptance, "How? How could you possibly accept her leaving? She's your best friend, Alice!"

The smaller vampire gave her a nod, remaining calm as she spoke, "I know. I love her, that's why I'm more than okay with her leaving with the Denali's."

Rosalie grit her teeth, "So, what? You're giving up on her?"

"I didn't say that-"

"You're letting her go without even putting up a fight!" Unbidden memories came to the surface, memories she had tried to keep suppressed.

"Rose," Bella Swan pleaded, "Please, you have to let me go." To this day she didn't know what she had done to hurt Bella. The human had looked so sad and she hadn't known how to fix it.

I let her go, and that was the last time we spoke. She had avoided Bella at her eighteenth birthday party, and the human had done the same. Then Jasper attacked and before she knew it they left Forks. I didn't say goodbye. I let her go when something was wrong and we all left without a word.

Rosalie had been too proud to pursue Bella Swan, and she had never made things right. With Bella's memory gone, she wondered if she would ever discover what she had done to hurt her.

The understanding look in the seer's eyes was so infuriating that she nearly struck her, "We're not talking about me, are we?" Rosalie flinched and moved away from her, only for Alice to lunge forward and wrap her in a tight embrace, "I know you love her, we both do, and we'll miss her and that's okay, Rose, I promise you it's okay."

Rosalie squeezed her eyes shut, feeling her resolve begin to crumble as she hugged her sister back and buried her face in her shoulder.

"Nothing's okay, Alice. I hate her. I detest her!" Her eyes burned with venom as Alice began to gently rub her back, "She's different, she's…" she trailed off, unable to say the words. She's a Denali.

The seer pressed a kiss to her temple, "She's still Bella, even if she's different. Going to Alaska will be good for her, better for her than staying with us." Her voice wavered, "After everything with Edward and Jasper...well, I want what's best for her." That's because you're not selfish like I am, "You're not fooling anyone, by the way. You loved who Bella was, and you love who she's become."

Rosalie pulled herself together and moved away from their embrace, "Whatever." She wouldn't dignify such nonsense with a response. However, she did give her sister's hand a gentle squeeze before disappearing into the garage. Thank you, she wants to tell her, for being strong when I can't.

"I love you!" Her sister called out as she shut the door behind her.

"I suppose I love you as well." Alice's words hadn't made her feel much better, but she didn't mind the hug, not that she'd tell her extremely affectionate sister the truth.

She was working on cars for two hours, thinking about Bella's inevitable departure. Perhaps it would be better if she left. Alice is right, Jasper and Edward won't stay away forever. But she didn't want to lose her friend, it aggravated her to realize how much she genuinely enjoyed Bella's company.

She spent so much time with Emmett and I. Rosalie wondered if she and Bella would have gotten so close if she hadn't saved her in Port Angeles.

She hated thinking of that night, of remembering Bella's screams for help and the fear in her eyes as she fought against the men that grabbed her. It made her own unpleasant experiences resurface, and she hadn't given it a second thought when she rushed in to save her.

Alice had had the vision of Bella's assault and was planning to save the human herself. But Edward had read Alice's mind, and the two bickered about who would save her when Rosalie intervened.

She knew Alice would have probably been a more suitable choice. She was sweet and gentle and she and Bella were friends.

Edward would no doubt have read the men's minds and get in a tizzy. He had once killed and fed from men with those types of vulgar thoughts, and he would take it personally.

He would unintentionally make the entire situation about himself, stewing in his rage as he drove Bella home, who would be shaken up and torn between coming to terms with what happened and consoling the brooding mind reader.

However, the more Rosalie had thought about it, the more she realized that she wanted to save the girl. Not for glory or praise, but because she knew exactly how to care for her after.

Rosalie told Bella everything she wished had been said to her when she had been raped at the end of her human life. But Carlisle was more clinical, more awkward in his approach despite his gentle and caring nature. When Esme joined their family she had been the one to soothe her hurt.

Bella's situation came with a delicacy that only she and Esme understood, and Rosalie had left her two siblings in the dust of her BMW.

I don't like thinking about that night, she slammed the hood of her car down, but the conversation after...I liked that a lot.

"Rose!" The garage door slammed open and she nearly hissed at the disturbance.

"Where's your little entourage?"

Bella stood there, a red 3DS clutched tightly in her hand, and a wide grin on her lips, "They're doing a sweep for Victoria, but more importantly, you'll never guess what Paul gave me!"

Rosalie blinked, fighting back her fond smile as she stared at the 3DS blankly, "A 3DS-"

"A 3DS!" Bella opened it, "He said Swan had left it at his house. It has this game...Animal Crossing? Weird, but it looks cute!" She enthused, "I feel bad restarting it, Swan worked damn hard on her town...maybe I'll look around first?" You still like Animal Crossing and Kill Bill. It was a comforting familiarity.

Rosalie was in front of her in seconds, speaking without realizing the treacherous words that were about to leave her mouth, "Alice and I can help you make a new town, if you'd like."

The newborn stared at her in shock, "You've played?"

She rolled her eyes and grabbed her arm, "Of course not. But you two never shut up about it, so I know enough." She dragged her to the living room, where a grinning Alice was already waiting for them on the couch.

When the Denali's returned the Cullens had sandwiched Bella between them, both were watching her play with rapt attention. The newborn had restarted it five times because, "Bella Junior shouldn't have to wear those ugly bangs," and she had just gotten around to meeting Tom Nook.

"How the fuck does a tent cost ten-thousand bells!" She shouted, glaring at the screen, "More like Tom Crook." Rosalie and Alice exchanged small smiles before Rosalie caught herself and rolled her eyes.

"It's not that bad if you manage your bells correctly. Fossils will be your best source of income."

Bella frowned at her, "Do you hear yourself right now? I'm being extorted and you're siding with the raccoon?" Against her better judgment, Rosalie rested her head on Bella's shoulder, mimicking Alice, and Bella stiffened in surprise before she relaxed.

"I can appreciate Mr. Nook's heartless pursuit of bells at the expense of others." Rosalie hummed, making Alice scoff.

"Of course you would like him."

"Yes. I just said I did." And even as Irina, Tanya, and Eleazar crowded them to watch, Rosalie felt at ease for the first time in weeks.

Bella had been avoiding Rosalie like the plague, and no one knew why. No one except Alice and Jasper.

Edward and Rosalie were playing a duet on the piano, and Alice observed Bella as she stared at the two. Brown eyes looked at both of them in adoration, and her cheeks were a bright red as she watched their faces closely. This wasn't a new occurrence, but only she and Jasper were aware of Bella's conflicting feelings.

When Rosalie looked up to meet her gaze, Bella quickly looked away, turning her head completely and making the blonde frown.

Alice gently took her hand, making the human startle, "Let's go for a run."

Bella looked at Alice with slight shame and regret. The seer gave her a gentle smile before silently gesturing for them to leave.

The human nodded, swallowing thickly and silently following Alice out of the house. Her heart was beating erratically in her chest and her breathing became uneven as she clambered onto Alice's back.

"Where are you going?" Edward asked, he and Rosalie standing in the doorway and staring at them curiously. Bella didn't look at either of them, instead, she buried her face in Alice's shoulder.

Rosalie sneered at the two of them, but Alice knew her sister well, and she knew she was burying her hurt with anger at Bella's avoidance.

Alice made sure to keep her thoughts in check, thinking of how much fun it'd be to ask Bella to go shopping with her later that day.

The seer glanced at them, "We'll be back later. Bella and I are going to have some girl talk." She sped off before they could ask any more questions. Bella clung to her tightly, and when they were far enough away from the house Alice came to a stop.

Bella slipped off her back, trembling like a leaf as she stared at her feet, "I...I didn't mean to-"

"Bella-"

"I didn't!" She looked at her with wide eyes, silently pleading, "You have to believe me! I didn't...I never wanted to!"

Alice gave her a sad smile and took both her shaking hands in hers, "I know. It's not your fault."

She swallowed thickly, tears welling up in her eyes as she stared at their hands, "I still love Edward. I really do."

"I believe you." She spoke gently, heart breaking as a soft sob escaped the girl.

"It's just...she saved me," tears rolled down her cheeks, "She saved me and she can be really cruel, but she doesn't mean it, I know she doesn't. She's really kind to me and she asks what I think about things and she listens to what I have to say and she-" another sob cut her off and she shook her head, pulling away from Alice, "I'm so sorry."

The seer felt her own eyes well with venom, "Why are you apologizing?"

Bella wiped her eyes, now puffy from crying, and tears continued to fall, "Because, what I'm feeling isn't right." She croaked, "Liking girls...Edward says it's a phase, a normal experience for humans to question their sexuality. But this doesn't feel like a phase."

Alice clenched her jaw, "It's not a phase, Bella, your feelings are real, and there's nothing wrong with them."

Bella curled in on herself, "It's wrong to be in love with two people. Especially because she's mated to my friend and she's Edward's sister...but I've been trying so hard to fight it and I've been staying away from her." She sniffled, "I'm hurting her, but I'm hurting myself if I keep going like this."

"I understand." Alice drew her into a tight embrace, "I'm so sorry."

Bella clung to her, "Am I actually Edward's mate? I thought mates couldn't love anyone else." Alice said nothing, it wasn't her place to affirm the human's discovery. Edward would have to be the one to tell her the truth, she deserved to hear it from him.

Her silence only made her friend panic, "Please don't tell him." She begged, pulling away and looking at her through puffy red eyes, "He'd hate me and he'd hate Rosalie and she would find out and hate me and so would Emmett and I can't-"

"Bella." She put her hands on her shoulders, "No one would hate you. I'm good at guarding my thoughts, no one will know, I promise." She paused, "Jasper actually already knew and I...picked up on it and asked him."

Her bottom lip quivered and she hung her head, "I'm that obvious?"

Alice gave her a small smile, "Not really. You blush all the time, just more so when you're around Edward or Rosalie." She looked at her closely, "Want to get out of here? Maybe watch a stupid movie at your house?"

Bella smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes, "Yeah."

"We can watch Kill Bill again. That's pretty stupid-"

"That's not a stupid movie. It's amazing." She insisted, sounding a little better as she got on Alice's back.

"You only like it because it's Uma Thurman killing an unreasonable amount of people with a katana."

"Yes, Alice, that's why most people like it. And I like the story!"

She rolled her eyes as she began to run to Bella's house, "A revenge plot. Super interesting."

"You're super interesting." The human grumbled sarcastically, clinging tightly to her as the vampire laughed.

"You're such a baby."

"You're bullying me and my favorite movie because you have terrible taste!"

Alice arrived at her house in record time, "I'm not bullying! It's just not my favorite movie-"

"Ah," Bella hummed, slipping off her back and unlocking her front door, "It's your ignorance that's blinded you."

They walked in, and Alice scowled at her playfully, "My ignorance?" Bella smirked in amusement as they made their way to the living room.

"Yes." She turned on the television and the seer paused, wondering if there was anything else she could do for her friend. Bella seemed fine, but she knew it was because she was bottling up her feelings.

Maybe she didn't want to talk about it, but she wanted to be sure, "Bella." Her friend looked at her as she plopped down on the couch, "Do you want to talk about it more? Or do you want to drop it?" She berated herself when she noticed her eyes begin to water, "What do you need from me?"

Bella blinked away her tears, "I need…" she trailed off, curling into Alice's side when she sat down, "I need Japanese steel."

The seer squinted at her, "You're quoting the movie-"

"Alice. I will burst into tears if you don't indulge me." She would have thought her friend to be joking if she didn't know any better.

She slipped an arm around her and held her close, "Why do you need Japanese steel?" She quoted, smiling when Bella perked up and grinned at her before quickly schooling her facial expression.

"I have vermin to kill." Alice giggled at how serious she sounded, she couldn't imagine Bella doing anything with a katana except for tripping and impaling herself, "Hey, you're going off script!"

She smiled widely before shaking her head, "How unprofessional of me-"

"Still off-script. I'm about to start sobbing."

She rolled her eyes before getting back into character, "You must have big rats if you need Alice Cullen's steel." Though she could admit, she was a fan of the theatrics.

Bella picked up the remote, "Huge." She pretended to swing it like a sword, "Hiya!" Promptly smacking Alice in the face and making Bella yelp, "Ah! I'm sorry I was going to stop in front of your face but I-"

Alice cut her off with a peel of laughter, "You're such a dork!"

Bella pouted, face blooming red as she turned away from her, "I'm not a dork." She turned on the tv and curled back into Alice's side, "You're a dork."

"I am not-"

"You made me watch The Devil Wears Prada three times so I could get better at quoting the movie and understanding your inside jokes."

Alice frowned at her, "I'm sorry watching an iconic and brilliant movie was such a burden to you."

"You quizzed me about designers after we watched it! It was stressful!"

"And you failed all of them. Proving we need to watch it a fourth time."

"Pretty sure that movie isn't where I'm supposed to get most of that information-"

"Heresy!"

"You and your theatrics." Bella turned on the movie before nestling into her, scooting lower on the couch so she could rest her head on Alice's shoulder.

"My theatrics are the best thing about me," she watched as The Bride made her way into the chapel, "Fine. I love this movie, but only because I love you. Other than that it's a little gory for my taste."

Bella laughed, "Too gory for a fucking vampire?"

"Whoa! What's with the f-bombs!"

She gave her a sheepish smile, "Erm, sorry. Leah and Paul curse a lot. They're kind of corrupting me and Jake." Of course, the soon to be shifters were the ones teaching Bella such coarse language.

However, she wasn't bothered, if anything she liked that Bella had a bite to her voice now. She wasn't nearly as demure as she used to be.

Alice looked at her curiously, "You talk about Leah a lot. Do you…"

Her face turned red, "She's my friend." She shook her head, "I still love Edward. Just because I have these...feelings doesn't mean I like every girl I interact with."

The seer quickly back peddled, "I know! I only asked because she's hot and has abs. I thought it was a valid question, and it's a valid crush-"

"What, do you have a crush on her?"

"Funny."

"I thought so."

They watched the movie in silence for a while when Alice rested her cheek atop Bella's head, "Rose would like this movie."

"She would," Bella responded stiffly.

Alice grimaced but pushed forward, "I know you're struggling but...she misses you. She won't say it but she does. She thinks she did something wrong."

"She did," Bella groused, "She infected me with these emotions."

"Bella."

She sighed and slumped against her, "I know...maybe we could all do a movie night or something. But I'm sitting next to Jasper and Edward and you're going to sit in my lap."

Alice laughed, kissing her temple before saying, "A full proof plan. But you should really consider my safety." When Bella stared blankly at her she sighed, "Rose is prone to jealousy. When we left the house I thought her glare alone would kill me."

Bella pretended not to care, but Alice could hear the way her heart fluttered in her chest, "Edward gets jealous when I hang out with Paul and Rosalie gets jealous when I hang out with you. Awesome."

Alice laughed, "At least it's flattering?"

"It's annoying."

"That too!"

Bella huffed in frustration before shaking her head, "When I'm a vampire I'll find my mate and this whole thing will be over." She glared at her lap, "I'll go to fucking Alaska if I have to."

Alice gasped in mock horror, "Not Alaska!"

Her eyes glinted with amusement, "Shut up, you know I hate the cold."

"You won't even feel it-"

"Anyways," Alice stuck her tongue out at her, "I'll find them and I'll fall in love and I won't have to worry about Rosalie ever again." She sighed, "Maybe I'll be remarkably lucky and Edward will actually be my mate...but I don't know if he is. If he was...I don't think I'd be in love with his sister too."

'You wouldn't be.'

Alice held her a little tighter, "If you need a traveling buddy…"

"Obviously." She laughed, kissing her arm, "There's no one I'd rather run around the country with."

She had to stop herself from cheering in excitement, "Yes! Girls trip! We'll make stops at Mall of America and the-"

A warm hand covered her mouth, "I'm mate shopping, not clothes shopping."

When she removed her hand Alice rolled her eyes, "It's called multitasking. You don't want to find your mate while you're dressed like a scrub, do you?"

Bella looked affronted, "Okay, my wardrobe isn't that bad-"

"It's atrocious. God. No effort is put in and-"

"Your blathering is making me miss the movie." Bella cut her off, sounding eerily like Rosalie and making Alice stare at her with wide eyes.

"Wow." Maybe it's good that they're spending time apart.

"Hm?"

"Nothing."

They were silent for a moment, Bella watching in awe as The Bride swiftly cut down her foes. She relaxed further into Alice's arms, eyelids drooping as the movie continued.

She yawned and her eyes fluttered shut, "Thank you. You always take good care of me."

Alice smiled, "And I always will."

But she didn't and she wondered if she'd ever forgive herself for leaving.

Alice watched in silence as Bella crouched on the forest floor, Ghost close to her side as he stalked an insect.

Paul's harsh accusations and brutal truths had been an eye-opener, an unsettling one at that. Her family had given Bella false hope, dangling promises in front of her face and leaving the moment things got difficult.

Jasper had been so distraught over his actions that he left ahead of them; unable to look Bella in the face after nearly killing her. Tayna's right, we should have turned her before then.

Edward be damned. It wasn't his decision, Bella wasn't his mate, and even if she was the choice should have always been hers. But Alice couldn't bear to stay, she had to comfort her mate and wrestle with her own guilt.

Bella had been attacked and she couldn't even be in the same room as her. She had been ashamed. Rosalie and Emmett were so quick to jump to her defense when all she did was stand there and scream. She had been useless, just as her visions had been.

She needed me and I wasn't there. She had nightmares and I wasn't there.

"Goddammit," the newborn grumbled, watching in mild annoyance as the grasshopper hopped away, "Ghost, you pounced too early!" Bella looked at her, "He was so close!"

She smiled but it didn't reach her eyes, "I could tell."

When she had her vision of Bella dying she had grieved. She knew she couldn't tell the family, especially Edward or Esme. Rosalie, she believed, was the only one strong enough to go with her to Forks and see for herself.

Carlisle would have told Esme, Esme would break down, Edward would read her thoughts and do something foolish, Emmett would have lashed out in a fit of rage, and Jasper would have only hated himself more than he already did.

Rosalie was the best when it came to keeping her emotions in check as well as her thoughts. Or so, that's what Alice believed until she told her about her vision.

"What do you mean, dead?" She had demanded, "Check again. She's not dead. She's not fucking dead, Alice, check again." Alice had tried but could no longer see Bella, which she now knew was because of the shifters, and Rosalie had lost it.

"She can't survive a few months without us babysitting her?" She had sneered, "Pitiful. She's fucking pitiful. That's why she's dead." It had gone from insults to complete silence as the blonde struggled to cope with the news. She struggled to retain her icy demeanor, but she couldn't convince Alice; not with her wavering voice and glassy eyes and trembling hands.

Any comfort Alice attempted to provide had been shot down, with Rosalie refusing to speak any more on the matter.

It wasn't until they got to Forks that Rosalie broke down again. The faint smell of Bella's spilled blood along with the sight of ripped clothes had made Alice sob and Rosalie lash out.

"You stupid, miserable girl! I left to give you life and this is how you repay me? By dying!"

Her sister had been so distraught that she let Alice hold her. It was overwhelming, especially when Rosalie reacted the way she did. Oftentimes she fought vulnerability with cruelty, but coming to the spot they believed their friend had died in had made her quiet and teary eyed and sad. So visibly sad in a way Alice had never seen before.

Alice held her sister close, "It's alright to be sad. I loved her too."

Rosalie had shoved her away, wiping angrily at her eyes despite not a drop of venom falling, "I'm not sad! And I didn't…I just...she was my friend."

Bella stood to her feet, backing away quietly as Ghost stalked another insect, "I don't want to smother him, so I'll give him some space. He needs to become more independent."

"Good idea." Alice murmured, not really listening.

We thought you were dead, and now you belong with the Denali's.

Her memory was gone, and it was evident that her attachment to Tanya and Irina was unshakeable. They had saved her, taught her to adjust to life as a newborn, and they so obviously adored her. It's like they've been friends for years. She was going to leave with them and it bothered her immensely.

But it's for the best, she reminded herself, she can't stay with us, not when Edward and Jasper upset her so much. She needs space, and I can always go visit her. It wouldn't be the same, but this wasn't about her, it was about what would make Bella happy.

"Alice, are you alright? You seem kinda sad." Well, that wouldn't do. She was Alice Cullen, the happy one.

So she did what she did best and grinned, "I don't know the meaning of the word sad."

Bella frowned, "We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." Dammit, when did you get observant?

"Actually," she said, "You're in trouble. You didn't give me all the juicy details about the last time you saw your human!" That brightened her mood. Alice loved that she and Bella could talk about this together. It felt like old times, like when Bella needed to rant about Edward or Rosalie.

Bella accidentally outing herself had caused the newborn to panic. The last thing Alice had wanted to do was raise questions from Rosalie, who would demand to know how Alice knew of Bella's sexuality. The seer pretended to be in the dark, for Bella's sake. If she remembers then she remembers.

The last thing she wanted to do was reopen the can of worms that was Bella Swan having feelings for an already mated Rosalie Hale. Hopefully, she never remembers that.

The newborn looked hesitant, eyes darting around the forest clearing before finding her shoes, "Oh! Uh, she was drunk-"

Alice grinned, putting her hands on her shoulders and giving them a light shake, "Don't leave anything out! What kind of drunk is she?"

She missed being able to make Bella blush so easily, but it was nice that she was still just as easily flustered.

"A bit handsy...and very emotional and sweet." Bella's gentle smile had her taken aback. She hadn't seen that look in months, and even then, the tenderness in her smile and the warmth in her eyes was far more intense than she had ever seen.

Alice stared at her, "What else?"

A breathless laugh escaped her, "She says she's not good with pretty words," gold eyes brightened, "But...I don't know, it's cheesy."

"Too cheesy to tell your best friend?"

Bella hummed thoughtfully before smiling once again, "Definitely too cheesy to tell you. But I will say I've never been happier than when I'm with her." She then sighed, "Geez, that was cheesy too. But it's-"

"And you don't want to feed on her?" Alice pressed, "Have you ever thought about hurting her?"

She looked offended by the very idea of it, "Of course not!" She paused, anger fleeting and shame taking its place, "Well, I nearly turned her that night...I didn't even think about her blood. I just wanted her to be like us." Her voice had gone quiet, and she kept her head down, as though preparing to be scolded for her actions.

Instead, Alice laughed in delight and tackled Bella to the ground. The newborn grunted, scowling up at her but didn't bother trying to get up as Alice grinned down at her.

"Bella!"

"You're incredibly loud."

"Yes! Because-"

"You realize you don't have to tackle me every time you discover something exciting, right?"

She rolled her eyes, "Yes I do, it's our tradition." Bella opened her mouth to protest but Alice wouldn't let her, "The human! She's your mate! She has to be!"

Alice had been watching her closely, especially when she interacted with Rosalie. The love was there, but it wasn't romantic whatsoever. At first, she had chalked it up to the loss of her memories, and maybe that was attributed to her loss of love, but Bella finding her mate no doubt played the biggest role in the newborn moving on.

You did it, you found her.

Bella blinked before a brilliant grin appeared, "Holy shit, are you serious?"

"You don't want to drain her...how do you feel when you leave her?"

Her face crumpled, "I hate it. It hurts," she rubbed at her chest, "Here. And I don't know when I'll be back so I'm worried too much time will pass and she'll move on with someone else." Her eyes gleamed with jealousy at the mere thought and she snarled, "Then I'll have to watch her be happy with them and-" she stopped abruptly, blinking in surprise before shaking her head, "Whoa."

Alice grinned, "Possessiveness! Another trait of mates!"

Bella looked rattled by her own reaction, "I don't...Alice, I don't want to feel like that." She rubbed at her chest uncomfortably, "Shit."

"It's normal. She's human so you two aren't fully mated, yet. When she reciprocates the mate bond fully, it should get better...after a while." She grimaced when Bella scowled.

"Are you kidding me? She's going to be the ring to my Gollum?" Alice stared at her in confusion and Bella sighed, "Lord of the Rings. Irina watched those movies and the Hobbit with me this weekend-"

"I know, I just got super bored and went shopping with Rosalie and Tanya instead." Before Bella could scold her, she asked, "This human, you never told me her name."

The newborn perked, "Oh! Right!" She smiled, "It's Katrina." Alice froze, no, surely not.

A blonde haired blue eyed girl named Katrina that Bella only sees in the past, it's completely possible. They hadn't been able to speak often about Bella's human since they were constantly around the others.

"Katrina...where's she from? What's she like?"

She shrugged, "I don't know, but she speaks Slovak which is why mine is so good. I've been learning so I could talk to her."

"That's so cute, but you have to tell me what she's like." She pressed, making Bella frown.

"Want to know her bra size too?"

"Would you grow up!"

She smirked, "I'm just kidding...Bi-lice Cullen-"

"Bella!"

"I'm kidding!" The newborn laughed, "It's just fun pushing your buttons." Vampire Bella is much more of an instigator than human Bella, she thought grumpily. "Katrina is such an asshole but in a good way," she grinned, "She's a strong warrior, really good with a sword, kind of a hothead, a bit of a maniac, and a bigger flirt than Tanya which is saying something."

Alice was reeling from the information. That has to be Kate. But I have to be careful about how I approach this, in the unlikely event I'm wrong.

"Come on. We should get back." She scooped Ghost into her arms and took off towards the house before Bella could even utter a word.

She caught up with her, "Something wrong?"

"Nope!" She said cheerily, thoughts racing as the house came into view. Eleazar was sitting on the porch, strumming his guitar gently with his eyes closed. Rosalie sat next to him, scribbling something down on a piece of paper.

Irina and Tanya were sparring, zipping around the clearing and taunting each other as they threw punches and kicks. Alice decided it'd be safer to put Ghost in the house. Irina noticed them first, smiling as Bella zoomed towards her. She stopped the fight, but Tanya didn't.

She smirked, jumping up, and planting her feet on the base of the tree and launched herself forward. Tanya slammed her fist into Irina's chest, making her yelp in surprise and fly backward.

A soft chuckle was heard from Rosalie as Irina slammed into the ground, the force of the punch made her slide into a nearby tree. Bella snarled at Tanya before going to her maker, looking over her worriedly as she helped her to her feet.

"Rina-"

Irina cut her off with a small laugh, "I'm fine, Bella," the newborn still didn't look convinced, brushing the leaves and dirt from her back and gently plucking twigs from her hair.

"She's a vampire. You don't have to dote on her like she's actually hurt." Rosalie grumbled, earning a small smirk from Irina but she was ultimately ignored by the newborn.

Bella shot Tanya a glare, "You don't fight fair." Her maker put a hand on her shoulder, speaking softly and making her newborn relax.

Alice remembered first meeting the Cullens with Jasper. Esme, Edward, Rosalie, and Emmett had had the same instinctual protective nature when it came to Carlisle. They were far tamer now, but it had been a bit agitating at first.

Edward and Rosalie were the most protective due to their already distrustful nature, so Alice knew Bella could be much worse than she currently was.

Tanya winked at the newborn, "No, I don't. I fight very dirty, and I'd be more than willing to show you-"

Rosalie rolled her eyes, "Spare us your subpar flirting, I'm begging you." She then gestured at Bella, "She's not one of your helpless, mortal victims, so your seduction is pointless."

Bella laughed and Irina smiled as Tanya glared at Rosalie, "That was decades ago...why should I bother explaining anything to you. You're-"

Alice quickly intervened, "When are Kate and Carmen arriving?"

Eleazar stopped his strumming and looked at her, "Two weeks, why?"

"We need them here, now." Everyone stared at her curiously and she quickly said, "We need all the vampires we can get to keep Bella safe. Victoria is up to something big, so we have to make sure our perimeter is covered."

Rosalie glared at her, "I would rather be dismembered and lit on fire than spend more time than necessary with Kate. She's more insufferable than you and Bella." Okay, that's rude but I can't get distracted. This is for Bella.

However, the newborn frowned, "Hey!"

"Not now, Bella," Rosalie waved her off, "The adults are speaking."

"How am I always dragged into this?" She grumbled, nestling closer to Irina as she wrapped her into a hug.

"Pay her no mind, we all know you're an adult."

Tanya looked at her incredulously, "How is she an adult when you baby her?"

"I don't baby her!" She snapped, "Just yesterday Ghost peed in the house, and Bella cleaned it up without me even having to ask-"

Rosalie narrowed her eyes at a sheepish Bella, "In which room?"

Bella opened her mouth to answer when Irina shook her head, "You don't have to answer her."

Tanya stepped forward, "No, but you need to answer me." Bella looked away from her and leaned further into Irina's embrace.

"Tanya, she cleaned it up-" Irina began but her sister glared at her.

"I want her to speak for herself! She needs to be more independent!" She turned her attention back to the newborn, "Bella Marie Denali so help me if you don't speak up-"

Bella scowled at her, "Are you my mother or my succubus?"

Tanya smirked, "We can discuss your mommy kink later."

Alice could practically see Bella's blush, despite her no longer being able to do so, "I don't have a mommy kink!"

"Where did Ghost pee?"

"...the living room."

"You said he didn't have any accidents yesterday."

She crossed her arms over her chest, "Yeah, because I knew you'd yell at me."

"I'm not yelling-"

Irina frowned, "Your voice is raised. Clearly you're aggressive."

"That doesn't mean I'm yelling!"

"You're yelling now."

"I'm yelling at you, not Bella!"

Eleazar watched them curiously, "Is a raised voice the equivalent of yelling?"

Irina sighed, "I wouldn't normally say yes, but Tanya can be extremely harsh with Bella."

Tanya's jaw dropped, "Because I don't spoil her and let her have everything she wants?"

Alice groaned in exasperation, "Can we parent Bella later, please?" Bella's cry of outrage was ignored by all except Irina, who assured her that they were only teasing her.

Eleazar hummed, setting his guitar aside, "We did get quite sidetracked, didn't we?" He smiled, "I suppose I could ask Kate and Carmen to arrive sooner. Within the week, perhaps...though it's probably not necessary."

Tanya looked somewhat nervous, "I worry about Kate's reaction towards Bella."

The brunette sighed, "Yes, yes, because I look eerily like your old friend." She said tiredly, resting her head atop Irina's, who held her a bit tighter. Alice had to suppress her smile, it has to be her, this is no mere coincidence.

"Kate's tough, she'll be fine," Alice insisted, "Bella's a shield, Kate could help us test to see how well Bella can manifest it. Is it only mental? Or is it also physical?"

Eleazar perked up, "An excellent question! I'll tell them to come sooner, it would help with Bella's training."

Irina seemed hesitant but she nodded slowly, "Kate is our best fighter. Her training Bella in her power and fighting would be helpful."

"And I would be oh so happy to see Carmen." Eleazar smiled, and Tanya's resolve crumbled at seeing the happiness on her brother's face.

"Fine. Contact them."

Alice ignored Rosalie's glare and clapped her hands together, "Yay!"

"What are you up to?" Her sister asked, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Bella was also staring at her curiously and she merely shrugged her shoulders, "I'm only doing what's best for Bella."

"And bringing Kate here to agitate everyone is what's best for Bella?"

Tanya glowered at her, "Watch how you talk about my sister, Rose." While Tanya would accept the occasional jab thrown at her sisters, she could get overprotective.

The blonde rolled her eyes, and Alice intervened before the argument could escalate, "Yeah, I think bringing Kate here would be what's best for Bella." Everyone stared at her and she played it off with a chuckle, "For her training, of course."

Bella nodded slowly, "If she's the best then I should learn from her."

"Exactly." Alice then grabbed her hand, "Irina, do you mind if I borrow Bella for a moment?" Irina released her hold on the newborn and the seer smiled, "We have a movie to watch!"

Bella perked up, "Which movie?"

"The Devil Wears Prada."

Tanya, Irina, and Rosalie followed them into the house while Eleazar stayed behind to call the remainder of their family.

"Why does that movie make me feel…" Bella trailed off with a frown, "Stressed?" Alice was already planning her pop quiz.

"I have no clue, it's a great movie."

"Well...okay." Bella sat on the couch and Alice jumped into her lap before Irina and Rosalie could start World War Bella, once again. Tanya sat on the other side of them, a small smirk on her face as Irina turned the television on.

Rosalie and Irina sat next to each other, both stiff and aggravated about their seats, but Alice paid them no mind. She was surprised by how invested Bella was in the movie. She stayed silent the entire time, not even blinking when Tanya curled into her side.

Alice hardly paid the movie any attention, her thoughts were focused solely on Bella and Kate's reunion. She hoped it was everything Bella needed, and she hoped Kate would no longer be restless.

"Leah?" The grey wolf bowed her head, ears pressed against her skull as Bella looked at her with wide eyes. Her tail twitched nervously as she lowered her body to the forest floor and closed her eyes, fearing the expression on her friend's face.

She had gone against Sam's order and revealed herself to Bella. Paul and Jake had stayed away, but she couldn't, not when Bella was in such a precarious state.

On nights when the thought of Emily and Sam became too unbearable, it was Bella who was always at her side. They later shared an understanding created by the abandonment of the men they had loved.

Paul had introduced them, and initially, she disliked the girl. Leah believed her to be too spineless, too gentle and demure, and it was annoying. Bella was pitiful when they first met, and it was Leah that helped put an end to that.

When the Cullens left, drunken nights were spent singing poorly and loudly to break up songs as they cursed their ex-lovers, or drawing stupid pictures of them just to make each other laugh.

When they were together everything felt alright.

Then Jake left them. Quil, Embry, and Paul were next, and then they only had each other. Bella needed Leah, and Leah needed Bella. It wasn't healthy, she knew that, to cling so tightly to someone, to use them as a balm to soothe the ache of loneliness.

They grew closer, Leah would even consider her to be her best friend. Sleepovers were sleepless nights where they stayed up talking about everything and nothing at all.

Bella introduced her to her friends from school, and things seemed to be looking up for them. Then she turned into this overgrown beast and was told to stay away from Bella, for Bella's safety.

Of course, she didn't listen. She couldn't abandon her best friend. Paul and Jake hadn't wanted to, neither had Quil and Embry, but they all respected Sam while Leah had no such qualms with disobeying him.

When her father had died, they ruled his death as a heart attack, but it was that redheaded leech that had attacked him, that much Leah knew. It was shortly after she shifted, so Sam didn't command her to stay away from Bella, he knew she could only take so much.

She had withdrawn for as long as she could, which wasn't very long considering she had to take care of her little brother. For Seth and her father and mother, she swore every red eyed leech that stumbled into Forks would die by her hand.

After his death, Bella stayed with her and Seth through the funeral and for a couple weeks afterward. She made food and did what she could to help their mother around the house.

The girl always complained about being cold, but she was the warmest person Leah knew. She couldn't stay away from her, not when Bella needed her, not when she needed Bella.

"Leah," a gentle hand caressed her head and her eyes opened, surprised to see Bella standing over her with a warm smile, "You nearly made me shit my pants." She said softly, and Leah shifted back, laughing loudly and embracing her.

Bella squeaked, no doubt surprised by her nakedness but Leah didn't care, "You're so dramatic."

The flustered girl awkwardly patted her bareback, "Uh, dramatic? You turned into a giant wolf and I just drank a pot of coffee. I was being honest."

She paused, pulling away and frowning at her, "It's midnight..."

Bella closed her eyes, "Okay, I can't talk to you until you put some clothes on."

"Bella, stop trying to change the subject."

Her eyes popped open and she scowled, "Oh my god, I'm not! I just can't...you're just...Leah put some fucking clothes on!"

Leah rolled her eyes, picking up her shirt off the forest floor and putting it on, "You're not sleeping."

"I can't sleep." She grumbled, rubbing her eyes before shaking her head, "Not that that matters...you're a shifter?" She mused, "I guess it was stupid of me to assume those were only stories, especially when vampires are running around."

Leah's eyes bulged, "You knew the Cullens were-"

"Yeah," she said dismissively, "Please refrain from lecturing me. I've heard it all before." She then grabbed Leah's hand and smiled, "It's amazing, what you are."

Leah smiled blithely at her, "You're a fan of monsters, then." Though it perturbed her that Bella was so accepting of bloodsuckers, of all creatures. Didn't she know how vile they were?

"A huge fan."

This made her sigh and she held her hand tighter before leading her towards her house, "Come on, let's get you some sleep."

"I'm not tired." She had no bite in her voice, and Leah knew the moment they stepped inside, the light would reveal the dark circles beneath Bella's eyes. She had no resistance in her, and she let herself be limply dragged along.

Leah rolled her eyes, though she worried greatly for her friend, "You'll crash soon enough."

"...then we can talk about your shifting powers tomorrow?" She nodded and Bella sighed, "Is that why everyone's been avoiding me?"

"I didn't."

This made her friend laugh, "That's because you're sucky at keeping secrets."

"Am not, I just tell you everything."

"That makes for a poor secret keeper," Bella whispered conspiratorially before smiling widely, "Okay, a secret for a secret." She interlaced their fingers and frowned thoughtfully, "Hmm...I...can't think of anything you don't already know." She confessed sheepishly, and Leah laughed.

"Looks like you also make for a poor secret keeper."

"No, I just tell you everything." Her eyes widened, "Oh, yeah! Leah, you'll never guess what happened today!"

She looked at her curiously as her house came into view, "What?"

"So, word on the street is," she looked around, as though she didn't want to be heard, "Leah Clearwater can turn into a wolf at will. It's so fucking cool! I actually saw it myself and it was-" she laughed as the shifter gave her a playful shove.

"You're the worst."

"What! I said I'd tell you everything!"

"Fuck off, smartass."

They entered the house and Bella asked, "Could I ride you?" She paused and groaned when she realized what she said, "Your wolf, I mean. You're a very pretty wolf, I like how grey your fur is, it almost looks blue."

Leah felt her cheeks burn at the complement. She had been self-conscious about shifting, but she should have known that Bella wouldn't have cared.

'Of course, she's weird enough to be amazed by my wolf.'

"Now who's warm and mushy like oatmeal?"

Bella chuckled as Leah led her up the stairs, "I'm always cold, though."

Leah settled onto her bed and slid over to make room, "Your skin is always cold," she agreed, grateful for her own warm body heat as Bella burrowed into her, "You need to stop drinking so much coffee. It's not working anymore, and you need to sleep."

Bella yawned and snuggled into her, "Yeah, you're probably right." She murmured, "Thanks for telling me...about your wolf. I hope you don't get in trouble." Leah nearly groaned, she still hadn't told her that Sam, of all people, was her Alpha, but that could wait until the morning when Bella was well-rested.

"You think I give a shit about getting in trouble?" Leah held her close and closed her eyes, "Thanks for not freaking out."

"The big bad wolf isn't scary since I'm not a piggy." She mumbled, tucking herself under Leah's chin and relaxing in her arms.

"You're so fucking weird."

A soft laugh escaped her, "Yeah, I know."

Cold or not, she was still certain Bella Swan was the warmest person she's ever met.

Bella didn't have the same warm glow about her, not anymore. She looked as though she were made of stone, and Leah hated it. So many things about her were different.

Her eyes were gold, her voice was clearer and more gentle, her scent was overwhelmingly sweet, and she moved so gracefully it was unnerving. She looked and sounded perfect, but it wasn't perfect to Leah.

Paul had no qualms greeting the vampire, giving her a gentle hug and apologizing for his outburst from the other day. It was Jake who approached her next, but Leah stood back, watching her undead friend closely.

Where she had been at ease with Paul, she was stiff and uncomfortable around Jake. Her smile was measured, not quite meeting her eyes, but she was far from unfriendly. She accepted his hug with ease, even laughed at whatever dumb thing he said to her. She was trying, and Leah supposed that meant something.

The shifter slowly moved closer, and gold eyes landed on her, "Hi."

"Hey."

Where human Bella would have fidgeted awkwardly, leech Bella stood stiff as a board, "I'm sorry about your collarbone."

"Don't worry about it." Leah glanced at the dark bite mark she left on her forearm. I'm not sorry about that. Bella hadn't been her intended target, but she was still a leech and she had broken her collarbone in return. They were even as far as she was concerned.

Human Bella would have tripped over herself to apologize, but leech Bella had no such issue with letting it go, "I won't, then." She stared at her for a moment before turning on her heel, "Eleazar made steaks." She said, leading the three into the house.

The shifter could smell that the other bloodsuckers weren't home, and for that she was grateful. She could hardly handle Bella and she'd barely said a word to her.

"Should we trust a vamp to make good food?" Jake questioned, making the newborn chuckle.

"His mate cooks all the time. I'm sure his food is fine." It was weird, hearing Bella speak so casually about mates as she moved swiftly through the house. Her movements were supposed to be clunky and awkward, not fluid, and graceful.

"Where'd everyone go?" Paul asked, happily helping himself to three steaks before sitting at the table.

Bella sat next to him, wrinkling her nose at his food before she shrugged, "They wanted to give us privacy. And Rose doesn't like shifters."

"The blonde Cullen...how's that going?" Leah cut in, taking her plate to the table and sitting by Jake. She knew all about her old crush on Rosalie, though she wondered if Bella could even remember it.

She forgot me and everyone else, she thought bitterly, surely she's forgotten that too. It gave her some satisfaction to know that Bella had forgotten the Cullens too. That they'd have to awkwardly maneuver around her as she struggled with her missing memories.

The leech furrowed her brow, "How's it going?"

"Seeing her, I mean." She used her fork to toy with her steak, "Since she abandoned you, and all." Leah tried to sound nonchalant but she just sounded bitter.

"Leah," Jake muttered, shooting her a glare that she ignored.

Bella sighed, "We're fine. I don't hate her if that's what you mean. She's...I had a memory of her and we talked and we're good." She smiled impishly after her, "It's actually really fun to make her mad." Leah supposed it was difficult to be upset with people you couldn't remember, but it still bothered her that Rosalie had been forgiven so easily.

Jake pushed forward, "Paul says you remember trashing Edward's room. Wish you guys had called me, I would have helped."

Paul grinned, "We wrecked his shit."

Bella's grin mirrored his, "I wish I could have done that as a vampire." She then looked at Leah, "Do you want to?" She's trying to reconnect with me, "Erm, help us destroy more, I mean. I figured we could play baseball with some of his records or something."

Leah stared at her for a moment, "Why, so we can ignore the massive, awkward elephant in the room?"

Paul snarled at her, "Would you stop being so fucking difficult-"

"Do you remember me, at all?" She asked, unable to keep the hurt out of her voice, "A memory? A voice? Something?" Her grip on her fork tightened and she nearly snapped in half, "You were my best friend."

She wasn't hungry. She didn't want to dance around awkward pleasantries and pretend she was okay with whatever Bella was. Paul says she hears Rosalie the most, which is bullshit. That leech left and I was here with her the whole time. Does that mean anything to her?

Bella's gentle smile made her look away, "I know we were close. I know you helped keep the nightmares away." She looked at her in surprise, "And I called you a bowl of oatmeal and you said I was a weirdo."

She let her guard down for a moment, "Because who the fuck compares people to oatmeal?"

This made her old friend laugh, "Your skin was hot and you were being mushy!"

Jake nodded, "Like a bowl of oatmeal."

"Exactly!"

Paul smirked at her, "Or a fresh dog shit." Bella laughed as Leah leaned over and slammed her fist into his shoulder, "Ow! Fuck, Leah!"

"If we weren't in a mansion I'd throw you out of the goddamn window." She grumbled, watching Bella as she slumped in her seat and hid her laugh behind her hand.

"Fresh dog shit...that was a good one."

Leah scowled, "Yeah, well, you look like white bird shit." Bella laughed even harder and she found herself relaxing as her old mannerisms came into play. The way her nose scrunched up when she laughed and the crooked tilt of her lips. For a second she didn't see a leech, she saw her friend.

"Very pretty bird shit," Jake assured her.

Bella smiled at him, "Why, thank you."

"Kiss ass." He ignored his grumbling packmates, pushing his empty plate aside and standing up, "That wasn't half bad. Now, do we get to help trash his room or what?"

Paul slammed his hands on the table and stood up with a grin, "Fuck yeah!"

Leah followed the three to Edward's trashed room. She had been there before, but the only difference was that the door looked as though it had been blown off its hinges.

Bella smiled sheepishly, "I uh, I was young and couldn't control my strength."

Paul snorted, "Wasn't that two weeks ago?" Another difference Leah had to get used to. Her once noodle armed friend was now an extremely strong leech.

The bloodsucker glared at him, "Anyways," she walked into the room and picked up a sharpie before handing it to Leah, "Please," she gestured at the note left on the wall, "You have to sign in before we can get to work."

She wrote Leah Clearwater, beneath Paul and Bella's names, and Jake signed his name as well before Bella retrieved a baseball bat.

Jake grinned, "Are you finally coordinated now, Bells?"

Bella rolled her eyes, "Just how clumsy was she?" She grumbled under her breath, making Leah frown. She?

Before she could dwell on this Jake chucked a book at the leech, who smacked it with the baseball bat and sent it flying in Leah's direction. The wolf ducked, eyes wide as it sailed past her head and into the hallway, leaving a trail of loose pages in its wake.

"Jesus," Jake gawked and Paul laughed when Bella gave them a curtsy before turning to Leah.

"Sorry, I wasn't aiming for you I just-"

"Watch the fuck out," she picked up the nearest thing, a broken record, and chucked at the bloodsucker, who caught it with ease and laughed at her.

"Or what? You're gonna huff and puff and blow my house down?" Leah froze, eyes wide as Bella's nose scrunched up, and she felt like such an idiot, "Only pigs are scared of the big bad wolf." Leah blinked rapidly, body shuttering and she gritted her teeth.

"Stop it."

Bella's smile died and worry overtook the mirth in gold eyes, "Leah?" She moved closer to her, touching her arm and making the shifter bristle. Her skin was unnaturally cold, Bella always hated the cold, and now her skin felt like ice.

She shoved her away, more infuriated when Bella barely budged, "I said stop it! You're not her!" The hurt in the leech's eyes only made her feel worse, and she lashed out, "You don't even have the memories that made Bella who she was. You forgave Rosalie after everything that happened. If you were really Bella, you would have run as far as you could from her-"

Paul roughly grabbed her shoulder, "Why are you making this so difficult!"

"I'm not making this difficult!" She pushed his hand off her, "You and Jake are stupid enough to delude yourself about who she is, but I'm not. I know what she really is, but you two choose to ignore it." Leah leveled her glare at the leech, "She's a monster, a leech."

Jake sighed, taking a more gentle approach than Paul, since he had always had more patience with her, "It's not her fault that she lost her memories, and it's not her fault that she's a vampire." He gestured at the leech, "She hasn't even had human blood-"

"No, she's right." This surprised all three of the shifters, and Leah was agitated with the understanding look in Bella's eyes, "With how awkward this day has been, maybe it's best if you all leave. We can mess this room up another day...I have to train with Tanya anyway."

The bloodsucker paused for a moment, as though she were listening to someone, before she walked forward, brushing past Leah and dropping the bat as she exited the room.

Paul rushed to catch up with her, "Bella, she's just angry, she doesn't mean it."

Bella stopped, "Yes, she does. But that's okay. I'm a monster but that doesn't bother me." She gave him a rueful smile, "Apparently I've always been a huge fan of monsters."

Her words nearly knocked the breath out of her, and her eyes widened in horror. Bella had been so accepting of her shifting, supportive, even, and how had she repaid her? I called her a leech and a monster.

Leah's mind was racing. She's the same creature as the monster that killed my dad. But she hasn't hurt anyone. But she's not the same girl I befriended. Is that her fault? No, but she's so different, it's awful. She was turned against her will by a vampire that nearly killed her. She likes being a vampire. You want her to hate herself? To be miserable? No. What do you want, then?

The shifter ignored the comforting embrace Jake pulled her in, as an apologetic Paul walked quickly to keep up with Bella.

"I know it's hard," Jake empathized, not minding that she was limp in his embrace, "But...I think it couldn't hurt to give her a chance." I think it could, she laid her head on his shoulder, I think it could destroy us. Her memories are gone, everything we had is gone.

Bella's voice rang out through the house, "Paul, seriously, I'm not mad, I promise." She sighed, "Everyone's adjusting and...Leah isn't the first to have a problem with my memory loss. Rosalie is...yeah." She grumbled before raising her voice, "If I can get her to like me then I can win your heart too, Clearwater! Just you wait!"

A small smile tugged at her lips but she said nothing, instead, she chose to hug Jake back, grateful for his more understanding nature. Bella's memories are gone, her eyes pricked with tears, but that doesn't mean she's gone.

They left the house and the question burned in her mind as she tore through the forest, leaving Paul and Jake in the dust.

What do you want?

A whine escaped her wolf and she ran faster, mind flooded with regrets and indecisions and the heartbreak that could come with befriending the vampire.

What do you want?

She didn't know how long she ran, but she knew she was no longer in Washington. Leah could no longer sense the pack link, but even then she didn't stop.

I don't know.

She was going to meet Kate and Carmen today, the last of the Denali's. Bella sighed, pacing as she stood with the Denali's and the two Cullens in front of the house.

Bella could care less about meeting them, she was anxious for an entirely different reason. The ache in her chest was becoming unbearable, she needed to see Katrina, or else she was sure she'd die. The pain was worse than when she thought about Edward or the other Cullens.

It was making her aggravated. I don't want to meet stupid Kate or stupid Carmen, I just want to be with stupid Katrina.

Rosalie frowned, stepping in the way of her pacing, "What's the matter with you?" She demanded, voice harsh but eyes soft as they looked at her in concern.

Irina was at her side in a moment, "Bella?"

"I'm fine!" She snapped, turning away from the two, "Fuck. I'm just…" she growled, thoughts too scattered to come up with an excuse.

Alice appeared in front of her, giving her a gentle smile and taking her hand, "Hey, you're alright, I promise everything will be perfect." She was practically vibrating with happiness, and Bella narrowed her eyes but relaxed at her friend's assurance.

"Okay...okay, if you're sure."

Eleazar looked at her worriedly, "Bella, would you prefer to meet them one at a time? Would that help ease some of your anxiety?" She liked Eleazar. He was very thoughtful, more so than all but Irina, who only had him beat due to being her maker. I destroyed one of his guitars and he wasn't even angry with me.

She sighed, smiling slightly at him, "No, I'd feel silly doing that. But thank you." She froze when a tug pulled at her and she looked at Alice in alarm, only for the seer to shake her head and grip her hand more tightly.

"Do you trust me?"

Tanya stood to her feet, "What's going on?"

The ache in her chest now felt like a stabbing pain, "Nothing!" She snarled, trying to pull away from Alice, "Dammit, Alice! I have to go!"

Rosalie reached for her, "Bella, what's wrong?" Gentle hands gripped her cheeks and Bella bit back a snarl. Her free hand went to her chest and she bent over, overwhelmed by the pain. What's happening?

"Please, you have to let me go." Rosalie's eyes widened, perturbed by her word choice. There was something there, but she didn't have time to dwell on it as another sharp pain struck her chest.

However, Rosalie didn't move away, she instead gripped her shoulders firmly, "I won't let you go until you tell me what's wrong." Her gold eyes were pleading and Bella felt almost guilty for yelling at her. But I have to get away and they're all hovering.

"What's wrong is that you won't let me go!"

A rueful smile spread across her lips, "No, I won't."

She snarled in rage as her body flickered. They can't know. They'd be angry with her for lying, they could tell the Volturi, they could-

"Bella!" Irina was at her side now, grabbing her arm, "Alice, what's happening to her!" She demanded, but the seer shook her head and stepped away from her friend.

Instead, she addressed Bella, "I've seen what happens," gold eyes snapped open and looked at her, "They'll understand when you return. You have nothing to fear, I promise." She could hear the vampires approaching and she squeezed her eyes shut once again.

"Okay." She murmured, "I trust you."

From the treeline, she saw a flash of blonde hair and her world went black.

"Držte sa vzadu, démoni!" [Stay back, demons!] Bella's eyes widened at the sound of Katrina's slightly panicked voice.

"Katrina." Bella raced towards the sound of her human's heartbeat. She had been taken to a snowy forest, no doubt still in the mountains, and for the first time since she'd traveled to the past, she allowed herself to breathe.

The sweet smell of other vampires filled her nose, along with the soothing scent of lavender and ozone. She could faintly make out the smell of human blood, but every scent paled in comparison to Katrina's.

She followed the scents and ran faster than she ever had. If they touch her I'll kill them. I'll tear them apart and make them wish they were dead. Panic enveloped her, and she wished more than anything that Tanya and Irina were here. They'd know what to do, they'd be able fight off the vampires that were cornering her human.

"Statočný človek...ste sa stretli s naším druhom pred," [A brave human...you've encountered our kind before,] an older woman's voice rang out. The vampires and Katrina came into view.

The two wore hooded cloaks and long dresses, and Katrina stood with her sword drawn. The tip of the blade was broken off and the warrior was covered in blood that wasn't her own. It splattered her cheeks and gambeson, and her sword was drenched in crimson.

The blood didn't bother her, not when her mate was right there, in trouble as she was surrounded by the two vampires. But Katrina looked fearless as she pointed her sword at them.

She tilted her head up, looking proud as she said, "Radšej odíďte. Mám vlastného démona a ona ťa zabije." [You two better leave. I have a demon of my own, and she'll kill you.]

"Démoni?" [Demons?] The older woman chuckled, "Statočný alebo hlúpy, možno oboje. Tvoje vyhrážky ma nedesia, dieťa, aj keď ma intríg." [Brave or stupid, perhaps both. Your threats don't scare me, child, though you intrigue me.] She then gestured at the vampire next to her, "Pozrime sa, ako dlho trvá tvoja statočnosť. Tatyana, dať jej jemné pripomenutie jej menejcennosti, že?" [Let's see how long your bravery lasts. Tatyana, give her a gentle reminder of her inferiority, would you?]

Bella moved closer, trying to come up with a plan but she garnered the other vampire's attention with her scent. Tatyana was too fixated on Katrina, lunging forward and making Bella charge at her.

"Zastaviť!" [Stop!] She snarled, feeling something in her mind snap.

The attacking vampire slammed into an invisible barrier, bouncing off and crashing into the ground. Did I do that? Bella jumped so she was in between Tatyana and Katrina, crouched and ready to protect her human with her life, though she hoped it wouldn't have to come to that.

Katrina laughed loudly, "Povedal som ti! Môj démon je silnejší ako ty, fuck ass!" [I told you! My demon is stronger than you, fuck ass!] Jesus, this isn't the time, "Bela! To bolo úžasné! Nevedel som, že to môžeš urobiť!" [Bela! That was amazing! I didn't know you could do that!] I didn't either. She would have smiled were she not up against two vampires and trying to protect her very human mate.

Tatyana hissed and rolled to her feet. The newborn's mind felt hazy from whatever shield she had manifested, but she couldn't afford to let her guard down.

Bella hissed back, bracing herself for the stranger's attack, "Dotkni sa jej a zomri!" [Touch her and die!]

She ripped off her hood and revealed strawberry blonde hair and blood red eyes. Bella froze, eyes widening and mouth falling open in disbelief.

Tanya.

Bella couldn't believe her eyes. Her coven leader stood there, wearing a satin colored dress with red-stained lips that were curled into a snarl. She looked murderous, so unlike the Tanya from the present that she could do nothing but stare at her. She looks like a dangerous succubus.

"Holy shit." She laughed in disbelief, "Oh my god." Her eyes bulged, "Oh my god." This Tanya wasn't her Tanya, she was Tatyana, and she was a human drinker.

When Tatyana saw Bella she also stopped, giving her a slow once over before smirking, "Tvoj dar je pôsobivý. Skoro rovnako pôsobivé ako vaše telo." [Your gift is impressive. Almost as impressive as your body.] Yep, that's definitely Tanya.

Katrina moved forward, "Rozrežem ťa na dve časti, smilsa!" [I'll cut you in two, harlot!] Bella put out her arm, stopping her mate from escalating the already tense situation.

Tatyana bared her teeth, "Dávaj si pozor na jazyk, aby si ho nestil, čudák!" [Watch your tongue lest you lose it, human!]

Bella growled, "Opatrní." [Careful.]

The other vampire was standing at Tatyana's side in an instant, arms crossed over her chest and hood pulled off her head.

She had bright blonde hair, resembling Katrina's coloring but it was wavy like Tanya's. Her facial features were sharp, she looked like royalty with the way she carried herself along with her prominent cheekbones.

The strange vampire looked to be in her late twenties or early thirties, and her scrutiny made Bella stand a little straighter.

"Ignoruj moju dcéru, je ešte mladá a má sa čo učiť." [Ignore my daughter, she's still young and has much to learn.] Daughter? Tanya and Irina hadn't spoken about a mother, nor had they said a word about who their maker was, "Som Sasha a toto je Tatyana. Kto si?" [I'm Sasha, and this is Tatyana. Who are you?]

Tanya was turned first, she remembered, going through the list, then Kate, then Irina. But maybe Kate hasn't been turned yet, there's only Tanya and Sasha here.

"Bela." It was difficult to tear her gaze away from Tanya. Tatyana, she reminded herself. I can't call her Tanya. Tatyana noticed her staring and smirked, making Bella look away quickly.

Katrina grumbled angrily before grabbing Bella's hand. This made the newborn chuckle, but she kept her gaze locked on the two vampires before her.

Sasha garnered her attention, "Tento človek, prečo ju chrániš? Prečo máš zlaté oči?" [This human, why do you protect her? Why are your eyes gold?] She eyed her outfit with disdain, "A prečo sa obliekaš ako muž? Čo ťa posadla, aby si nosil také zvláštne oblečenie?" [And why do you dress like a man? What possessed you to wear such strange clothing?]

Bella frowned, looking down at her attire. A tight t-shirt and slightly baggy sweatpants. Okay, well, excuse me for not planning to dress like I'm from the middle ages. I didn't have time to raid a costume shop.

She chose to ignore her comment on her attire, "Je to moja kamoška. Nedovolím ti jej ublížiť." [She's my mate. I won't let you harm her.]

Katrina's hand tightened around her own, making her turn to look at her, "Tvoj kamoš?" [Your mate?] She sounded in awe of her. The title itself was pretty self-explanatory, and Bella assumed her human had a basic grasp of the concept.

She gave her hand a gentle pat, "Môžeme sa o tom porozprávať neskôr?" [Can we talk about this later?]

Sasha regarded Bella with surprise, "Je to tvoja kamoška a ty si ju neprešiel?" [She's your mate and you haven't turned her?] She then shook her head, "Moja dcéra a ja sme ju nechceli zabiť, práve naopak." [My daughter and I weren't going to kill her, quite the opposite.] She then smiled in slight amusement, "Nikdy som nevidel takého nebojácny človek. Udrela ma mečom a chcela som ju vystrašiť, len aby som zistila, či by som mohla." [I've never seen such a fearless human. She struck me with her sword and I wanted to give her a scare, just to see if I could.] Quite the opposite? Were they going to turn her?

Katrina snorted, "Démoni ma nestraší. Bela by vás oboch mohla zabiť!" [Demons don't scare me. Bela could kill you both!] Please stop talking me up you're going to get me killed. Though she appreciated that Katrina had so much faith in her, her training was far from complete.

Tatyana laughed mockingly, "Nie sme démoni, ty hlúpa dievčina." [We're not demons, you stupid girl.] She looked at Bella, "To si jej povedal?" [That's what you told her?] Okay, so you're a bit of an ass.

The newborn scowled, "Zákony Volturi sa musia dodržiavať. Povedať jej pravdu by nás oboch mohlo zabiť." [The laws of the Volturi are to be upheld. Telling her the truth could get us both killed.] To her surprise the blonde merely rolled her eyes, not taking her seriously.

Sasha shook her head, "Máte zdravý strach z Volturi, nemáme. Moja dcéra a ja nie sme dosť významní na to, aby sme ich upriamili pozornosť." [You have a healthy fear of the Volturi, we do not. My daughter and I are not significant enough to draw their attention.]

"Všade majú oči," [They have eyes everywhere,] Bella argued, "Nemohol som riskovať, že jej poviem o našej existencii." [I couldn't risk telling her of our existence.]

The warrior huffed impatiently, "o čom hovoríš?" [What are you talking about?] I had to tell her sometime.

She sighed and turned to her, "Sme upíri...Nechcel som ťa ohroziť tým, že som ti povedal pravdu." [We're vampires...I didn't want to endanger you by telling you the truth.]

Katrina grit her teeth, "Celý čas si klamal? Tak kam pôjdeš, ak nie peklo." [You were lying this whole time? Then where do you go, if not Hell?]

"Peklo?" [Hell?] Tatyana's laugh was cruel and Bella felt her anger build.

"Drž hubu!" [Shut up!] She preferred her Tanya to this Tatyana any day.

Red eyes raked over her form, "Bol by som rád, keby si ma urobil-" [I would love for you to make me-] she hissed when Sasha smacked her upside the head.

"Ticho, dieťa." [Quiet, child.] She reprimanded, "Je to už štyridsať rokov a vy aj naďalej provokovať upírov máme málo vedomostí o," [It's been forty years and you continue to provoke vampires we have little knowledge of,] the older woman watched Katrina closely, "Tvoj upír mal pravdu, keď bol opatrný, dievča, aj keď si myslím, že je to zbytočné." [Your vampire was right to be cautious, girl, though I believe it to be unnecessary.]

Katrina seemed torn, and Bella interlaced their fingers, "Len som ťa chcel udržať v bezpečí. Je mi ľúto, že som musela klamať, aby som to urobila." [I just wanted to keep you safe. I'm sorry I had to lie to do it.]

She stared at their hands for a moment before nodding slowly, "Rozumiem." [I understand.] Relief flooded her and she smiled, kissing the back of her hand and her smile broadened when Katrina's cheeks bloomed red.

Tatyana snorted, "Klamal si bezduchá. Volturi používajú strach diktovať, zasahujú len vtedy, ak sa stane niečo katastrofálne." [You lied for no reason. The Volturi use fear to dictate, they only intervene if something catastrophic happens.]

Tanya and Irina always look so scared when they speak of the Volturi. Bella glanced at the smug Tatyana, did they have to learn the hard way? Where is Sasha in the present?

"Povedal som aby som bol ticho." [I said to be quiet.] Her mother snapped, and Tatyana cowered away, making her roll her eyes before saying, "Vysvetli si oči." [Explain your eyes.]

Sasha was talking to her now, and there was something about her that made Bella want to obey. She figured it was because of her imposing stature, despite her being only a couple inches taller than Tatyana.

"Pijem zo zvierat." [I drink from animals.]

Tatyana's nose scrunched up in disgust, "Prečo by si to urobil? Ľudská krv je tak bohatá a-" [Why would you do that? Human blood is so rich and-]

"Nikdy som nemal ľudskú krv, nevedel by som." [I've never had human blood, I wouldn't know.] She said stiffly, before addressing the surprised Sasha, "Môj stvoriteľ trval na tom, aby som pil zo zvierat, povedala, že je to lepšia alternatíva k ľudskej krvi." [My maker insisted I drink from animals, she says it's a better alternative to human blood.]

"Tvoj stvoriteľ znie hlúpo." [Your maker sounds foolish.] Sasha huffed, and Bella nearly smiled, apparently you practically raised her, "Aj keď som nájsť vaše sebaoranu byť impozantný," [Though I find your self-control to be impressive,] she then turned to her daughter, "Vidíš teraz, Tatyana? Nemôžeme podceňovať žiadny náš druh." [Do you see now, Tatyana? We can't underestimate any of our kind.] She gestured at the newborn, "Vysvetli prečo je nebezpečná." [Explain why she's dangerous.]

Tatyana sighed, staring at Bella for a moment, "Jej sebaoranová kontrola naznačuje, že je staršia ako ja, čo znamená, že by mohla byť lepšia bojovníčka. A jej dar sa zdá byť nejaký štít, tak provokovať ju by bolo hlúpe." [Her self-control indicates she's older than me, meaning she could be a better fighter. And her gift seems to be some sort of shield, so provoking her would be foolish.]

"Čo ešte?" [What else?]

She rolled her eyes but quickly straightened when Sasha glared at her, "Má veľa jaziev," [She has many scars,] she gestured at her forearm, "Prežila útok od vlkov, a ona má uhryznutie na krku od iných upírov. Boli tak blízko, že ju zabili, ale prežila, čo naznačuje, že je silná. Nemám žiadny spôsob, ako vedieť s istotou, ale je lepšie byť opatrný." [She survived an attack from the wolves, and she has bites on her throat from other vampires. They were that close to killing her but she survived, indicating she's strong. I have no way of knowing for certain, but it's better to be cautious.]

"Presne. Musíš byť opatrnejší," [Exactly. You need to be more careful,] she scolded, "Nabudúce, keď budeš taký bezohľadný, nebudem tam, aby som opravil tvoje chyby. Nechám upíra, aby ťa trochu prehodzli, keďže sa očividne rád učíš veci tvrdo." [Next time you're so reckless I won't be there to fix your blunders. I'll let the vampire toss you around a bit, since you clearly like to learn things the hard way.]

She bowed her head, "Áno, mami, budem opatrnejší. Je mi ľúto." [Yes, mother, I'll be more careful. I'm sorry.] It was strange seeing Tatyana scolded, Bella thought it to be somewhat amusing.

Sasha nodded, looking pleased, "Dobry." [Good.] She looked at Bella, "Nikdy si nemal ľudskú krv, preto nehrozíš, že sa premeníš na svojho človeka?" [You've never had human blood, is that why you don't risk turning your human?]

She hesitated before saying, "To a môj ďalší dar ma odtiaľto odnáš by som sa o ňu postarať." [That and my other gift takes me away from here. I wouldn't be able to take care of her.]

Tatyana's eyes widened, "Máš dva darčeky?" [You have two gifts?] Her eyes darkened and Bella suppressed a sigh. I love you but you're so fucking exhausting.

"Ano." [I do.] She addressed Sasha, "Ak ste nechceli ublížiť Katrina...potom si ju chcel otočiť. Prečo?" [If you didn't want to harm Katrina...then you wanted to turn her. Why?]

The older woman stared at Katrina for a moment, "Vyzerá veľmi podobne ako moja Tatyana." [She looks very much like my Tatyana.] Her lip twitched upward, "A je statočná, trochu hlúpa, ale statočná a silná." [And she's brave, a bit stupid, but brave and strong.] She gestured at the human, "Díval som sa, ako s ľahkosťou vyreže troch mužov, bola by výborným upírom.A moja dcéra by mohla použiť sestru, rovnako ako chcem mať ďalšie dieťa." [I watched her cut down three men with ease, she'd make an excellent vampire. And my daughter could use a sister, just as I desire to have another child.]

Bella blinked, this was exactly what she wanted. But Tanya and Irina had never spoken of Katrina, only Kate. Her eyes bulged and she looked at Katrina in shock. If Tatyana is now Tanya, then Katrina has to be...

"Kate." She didn't mean to say it aloud, but she did, and her human looked at her with a furrowed brow. It all makes sense, that means she's at the house now, as a vampire.

"Kate? Kto je to hlúpe meno?" [Kate? Who's stupid name is that?] She then shook her head, "Na tom nezáleží." [That doesn't matter.] Her grip on Bella's hand tightened, "Bela, toto sme chceli! Našli sme upírov, ktorí ma premiesli." [Bela, this is what we wanted! We found vampires who will turn me.]

Her mind was racing, if Katrina was Kate, which Bella was now certain she was, that meant her turning would be inevitable. Still, she felt obliged to warn her of what she'd become.

"Bude to bolieť," [It'll hurt,] she said, feeling a spike of worry as she thought of Katrina enduring the transformation, "Bude to trvať niekoľko dní. Potom budete-" [It will take a couple days. Then you'll-]

"Bela," she stopped, swallowing thickly when warm hands cupped her cheeks, "Je mi jedno." [I don't care.] The vampire couldn't help but laugh softly.

"Myslel som si, ale nechcem, aby si niečo ľutoval." [I figured, but I don't want you to regret anything.] She confessed, making Katrina roll her eyes.

"Príliš sa bojíš." [You worry too much.] She hesitated for a moment, "Chceš, aby som bol ako ty?" [Do you want me to be like you?]

More than anything.

Bella Swan was reprimanded for wanting to be a vampire, the wolves and Edward and Rosalie had tried their damndest to dissuade her. And while they made great cases for humanity, they still hadn't listened to what she wanted, and she didn't want to make the same mistake with Katrina.

"Ak je to to, čo ťa urobí šťastným." [If that's what will make you happy.] Bella didn't want to pressure her human.

"Bude to...ale bude to radosť?" [It will...but will that make you happy?]

She decided to speak truthfully, "Áno, urobilo by som sa veľmi šťastným." [Yes, it'd make me very happy.] Katrina gave her a breathtaking smile before pressing her lips against hers. It was brief, but Bella could feel her entire body lighting up. She felt like she had been struck by lightning.

She had nearly forgotten the other vampires were there until Sasha spoke up, "Tak sa rozhodlo." [It's decided, then.] She gave Bella an apologetic look, "Najlepšie bude, ak to rýchlo skončíme." [It's best to get this over with quickly.]

Before she could move Tatyana grabbed her, ripping her away from Katrina and holding her back by her arms.

"What the fuck!"

Sasha was behind Katrina in a burst of speed, sweeping her hair aside and biting down harshly on her throat. Her human screeched in pain and Bella snarled, kicking backward and slamming her foot into Tatyana's stomach.

She hissed, flying back and losing her grip on Bella, who raced forward to attack Sasha. She wasn't thinking clearly, her instincts were screaming at her to protect Katrina, who was now on the ground, writhing in agony as venom coursed through her blood.

The older vampire didn't move until Bella pounced. She stepped to the side, avoiding her attack with ease, and as the newborn flew by she reached out, grabbing Bella by the neck in a nearly crushing grip.

Bella choked before hissing angrily as she was held up by Sasha, who looked up at her in annoyance as she gave her neck a squeeze. She thrashed uselessly against her grip and swiped at her face that was just out of reach.

"Možno si staršia ako Tatyana, ale stále si mladá a bezohľadná." [You may be older than Tatyana, but you're still young and reckless.] She spoke as though she were chastising a child, "Ukľudni sa, hneď. Ak nie zachovať svoju dôstojnosť, potom byť tam pre svojho partnera." [Calm yourself, now. If not to preserve your dignity, then to be there for your mate.] This made Bella go limp, and she blinked as her angered haze was cut through by the piercing scream of Katrina.

Sasha released her and she was at her side in an instant, the pain in her throat forgotten as she gently held her mate's body in her arms. Her eyes burned with venom as her fearless human screeched and sobbed. She fisted Bella's shirt and curled into her, body quivering from the intense pain caused by the venom. It hurt to see her in such pain, and she wanted nothing more than make her suffering end.

Tatyana approached them, "Nikdy som nežiadú sestru," [I never asked for a sister,] she grumbled, and Sasha growled at her.

"Už ťa viac nepokazím tým, že ti umožní správať sa ako dieťa." [I'll not spoil you any longer by allowing you to act like a child.] Her daughter lowered her gaze in submission, "Katrina je tvoja sestra a ty budeš za ňu zodpovedný." [Katrina is your sister, and you'll be responsible for her.]

"Co!" [What!]

"Ticho!" [Silence!] She looked at Bella, who was speaking gently to her mate and paying them little attention as she stroked her hair, "Mala by si byť vďačná, Tatyana, tak ako ja." [You should be grateful, Tatyana, just as I am.]

Bella noticed Sasha staring at her and she looked up, "A prečo by som mal byť vďačný?" [And why should I be grateful?] Tatyana groused. There was something strange in Sasha's eyes, something Bella couldn't decipher.

"Dnes si získal dve sestry a ja som získal dve dcéry." [You've gained two sisters today, and I've gained two daughters.]

AN: 32k get fucked. Wasn't gonna update tonight/this morning but this week I was kissed by a pretty girl, TWICE so I felt obligated to update for the gays. Translating is such a pain in the ass I hate itttttt. The Slovak doesn't add to the word count either.

Of course I'm referencing the Rains of Castamere, the best damn GOT song. And Animal Crossing New Leaf is my shit, New Horizons is cool but I have no damn friends to play with and damn if I don't love me some New Leaf.

Muahahahahaha a cliffy. Therapist Alice is my shit. Also, yeah, don't leave me alone with Rosalie and Bella because I'm so fucking partial to their ship it HURTS and I have no one to blame but myself. Fuck off Hoe and Stoic, I'm sleep deprived and enjoy causing shipping chaos.

anonimous fish: Alright... You shook me to my core with this chapter ! I can't even grasp the concept of waiting with this story !
I'm not the biggest fan of Bella/Kate but I have to make an exception for you. This is pure beauty.
And the relationship between Rosalie and Bella is so well worked on ! URGH ! You've got magic in your fingers to be able to write something like that !
Keep going ! Cause you got me hooked !

Shucks, thanks. And I raise you that you're not the biggest Bella/Kate fan because there are hardly any Katella stories! She's my FAVORITE Denali and I get zilch from other writers so I gotta do this my damn self! Hope this chapter is good for ya! *Insert lewd joke about magic fingers, or whatever*

CoolAsALavaLamp: First:I fucking adore you for even thinking this up and love you for actually writing it. I've been following Temporal Tide since it was first posted and cannot tell you how loudly I squealed when I saw that someone took the idea and sprinted off with it. I love your version of the characters and you bust my balls with every snarky comment of Bella's. Keep it up!

First: I fucking adore you for this nice ass review. I'm glad you're digging snarky Bella, I do so love her, and that you like the characters! They're a bitch and a half to write but I'm glad I can do them some justice :)

I'd get to more but I'm fucking dying. Please review! Feel free to yell at me about the cliff hanger. I was originally gonna make the chapter longer and have the reunion be in but I'm an asshole.