A/N: Welcome to my new story! This was just an idea that was running around in my head for a while. It's pretty short, with quick chapters. I'm planning on uploading one chapter a day. There are 12 chapters, plus this prologue and one interlude.

A few things to note:
This is a Bella/Jasper story.
This is an evil Alice story. I don't have a preference over how Alice is portrayed, as long as it's done well.
The concept of the mating bond is pretty similar to the mating bond from the A Court of Thorns and Roses series. I like exploring different ideas of mating bonds, including making the bond something more than just a feeling.

I think that's everything important. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Twilight is not mine.

Prologue: Edward

It was unsurprisingly overcast in the small town of Forks, Washington—though it could hardly be considered a small town anymore. It had grown quite a bit. The last time Edward Cullen had stepped foot in the city was 82 years ago, when he left his one true love, so she could live a normal, human life.

Edward sighed, running his hand through his hair as he thought about his sweet Isabella. She would have been 100 years old today if she was still alive. He figured that there was a small possibility that she still was, but his sister Alice—he cringed internally at calling her his sister after what they had done together—had squashed his hopes immediately, reminding him that even if she was alive, the chance that she was still in Forks was minuscule.

Besides, Alice had gone on, Bella had become fuzzy in Alice's visions since they'd left Forks, and she had disappeared completely five years after that—which usually meant that someone was dead. Edward hadn't wanted to think of that possibility. And if that was true, it could mean that Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie, and Esme were dead, as well—they had disappeared from Alice's visions around the same time that Bella had.

It had taken Edward a long time to convince Alice and their father Carlisle to return to Forks for a visit. Both of them considered Forks to be a place of bad luck—it was the place where their family had fallen apart. After Edward had made the decision to leave for Bella's own good, Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper had refused to listen to him. The three of them stayed behind, while Alice, Carlisle, and Esme left with Edward. Then, soon after, Esme went back, claiming that she couldn't abandon Bella so easily. Edward scoffed to himself—as though the decision to leave Bella had been easy!

While Edward knew that it had been hard on Alice and Carlisle to lose their mates, he needed to come back to Forks for this bit of closure. Maybe, if he finally had the chance to say good-bye, then he'd be able to move on with his life. He had tried everything he could think of: he'd attempted to socialize with other female vampires that he knew, and he even gave Tanya a chance, but none of them had quite a hold on him as Bella still had.

The only thing that Edward had tried that had left him confused was going to bed with Alice. After Edward had ended things with Tanya, Alice had started pressuring him into letting her help him move on. Even though Edward had tried things with Tanya, he had never slept with her, which he knew upset her. Alice, on the other hand, had piqued his interest. According to her, they were in the same boat: they'd both been heartbroken by their other halves, and all they had left was each other.

So Edward had taken Alice to bed. She had been extremely patient with him, coaching him throughout the experience. He had to admit, it had been quite enjoyable; so enjoyable that they continued to warm each other's beds. Although, Edward had to admit, he felt guilty every time they were finished. He was meant to be with Bella, and instead he was sleeping with a female whom he'd spent many years calling his sister. The guilt had continued to haunt him, until he'd finally made the decision to come to Forks—to say good-bye.

The town of Forks was hardly recognizable to Edward. It had changed a lot in the past 82 years; there were a lot of new buildings and businesses that had cropped up. Edward, Alice, and Carlisle had sat out on the patio of a cafe in the downtown area to discuss their next move.

The sound of a motorcycle broke through Edward's thoughts. He glanced up to see someone pulling into the lot and parking the bike in a spot. Edward immediately attempted to get a read on the person's mind, and froze when he couldn't hear anything coming from them. Only one person had ever been able to block him like that… but surely…

The person gracefully dismounted from the bike. They reached up and pulled their helmet off, and mahogany brown hair cascaded down the woman's back. She had a relatively lean build, her tight clothing accentuating the muscles in her legs and arms. Then her scent reached Edward; it was familiar to him, but there was something different enough that he couldn't place it right away. Although he didn't recognize the female, he could tell by her scent that she was a vampire.

Then the female turned to him, and he gasped.

"Bella?"