Chapter 02
“Dear Isabella Swan,
Congratulations, you are now the proud owner of a dark object created by one of the world’s greatest minds.
Should you have turned, this beautiful pendant will do no harm to you.
If you haven’t, well, I suppose all I can tell you is, ‘good luck’ on the next lunar eclipse.
Should the challenges that lie before you become too much for you to bear, I invite you to join me in Volterra at your earliest convenience, where your future shall be decided.
Yours sincerely,
Aro Volturi.”
——-
Bella’s heart raced as she read the letter, feeling the malevolent energy emanating from the pendant. It was very unsettling and then she realised; it was a scare tactic. Aro was praying on her anxiety and fears. She didn’t know how he found her, but this was nothing but psychological warfare.
She put the necklace back into the envelope and took it upstairs to her room and decided to tuck into her pizza as she decided to continue to read the book they were reading for English.
Bella had nothing to worry about. Surely the letter and pendant were intended to scare her and it wasn’t a real thing. While she wasn’t that versed in the whole supernatural stuff other than what she had learned from her friends and her own experiences, surely someone could not just make an item and have it affect people.
Right?
Yeah, nothing was wrong.
Her phone alerted her that she had received a new text message and it was from Isaac, telling her that he was going to have dinner at Scott’s and then prepare for the night. He reminded Bella to stay inside at all costs, to which she sent a picture of her bed that was covered in pizza and a book.
She could appreciate Isaac’s diligence about keeping people safe, he respected her non-supernatural bubble and ease her anxiety. And she knew about him, his past. He had told her just about everything and she was unsure why he felt so comfortable around her despite her keeping her guard up.
Perhaps it was because she was the normal for him. Or whatever it was. She didn’t treat him any differently, perhaps that was why he liked to hang around with her.
She was already imagining what life would be like after graduation; if she were to leave Beacon Hills, she’d likely have a werewolf with the bluest of eyes accompanying her.
Aside from the picture, she also messaged Isaac that he needed to stay safe and that there was cold pizza for him for breakfast if he so desired because there was no way that she was able to eat the pizza by herself. She chuckled to herself, imagining Isaac’s reaction to the mention of pizza. Food was something they both enjoyed, very much so.
Minutes later, a faint tapping on her window drew her attention. Opening it, she found Isaac perched on the ledge, a lopsided grin on his face. He gracefully leaped into her room, landing with grace.
“Hey,” he greeted, his blue eyes reflecting both warmth and a hint of the supernatural. “Pizza time?”
“I thought you were babysitting?”
“I am,” he replied as he hopped onto the bed and opened the pizza box to grab a slice. “The moon is coming up and I can already feel its pull, I shouldn’t be here,” Isaac took a bite of the pizza. “Full disclosure; the lunar eclipse that’s about to happen?”
“Yes?”
“The shit that can hit the fan is me not being able to protect you or others because we briefly lose our strength,” he said a bit embarrassed. “But something is going on with Liam at the moment and we’re worried, so it’s all of us having to work together if he goes insane for those minutes. We’d still be sturdy enough but…”
“I understand,” she said as she handed him her drink. “And I really appreciate it, Isaac. I don’t like being outside in the dark anyway, you know this.”
“Right, why is that?”
Bella shrugged. “I’m scared of the dark.”
“Lies!” Isaac’s laughter echoed in the room as he playfully teased Bella about her fear of the dark. The atmosphere shifted from the weight of supernatural concerns to a lighter, more casual exchange between friends.
As he savoured another slice of pizza, Isaac’s gaze shifted to the window, where the moon was beginning to make its ascent in the night sky. The impending lunar eclipse seemed to cast a subtle anticipation in the air.
“I appreciate you not minding my little intrusion,” Isaac said between bites. “It’s not every day I get an offer for cold pizza.”
Bella smirked. “Consider it payment for being my personal supernatural guardian. I think it’s a fair trade.”
“Right,” he said as he wiped his hands on his jeans and took his scarf that he was wearing. He wrapped it carefully around Bella’s neck and planted a gentle kiss on the cheek.
Isaac’s unexpected gesture left a gentle warmth lingering on Bella’s cheek. The touch of the scarf around her neck felt comforting, a tangible reminder of the unique friendship they shared. For a brief moment, time seemed to slow, and the room held a quiet stillness.
As Isaac abruptly moved away, red colouring his cheeks. He hastened toward the window, his werewolf agility evident in the fluidity of his movements. A sheepish smile played on his lips as he glanced back at Bella.
“I really have to go, good night, Bella,” he said, the words carrying a mix of apology and sincerity.
“Uh… good night and thanks?” Bella responded, her mind catching up with the unexpected yet appreciated gesture. The scarf wrapped snugly around her neck emitted a faint trace of Isaac’s scent and it was nice and warm due to Isaac’s body heat.
Isaac offered a nod and a small smile before gracefully leaping out of the window, disappearing into the night.
Left alone in her room, Bella touched the scarf around her neck, a thoughtful smile playing on her lips. Isaac was so gentle with her and this gesture surprised her. Oh, what was she going to do now?
The next day, Bella went to school. She was really glad to find out that Aro’s letter had been nothing but an attempt to scare her senseless, because nothing had actually happened during the lunar eclipse. The pendant was just scary looking and her brain had done the rest. It was still unnerving, though, that Aro knew where she was.
She had briefly considered wrapping Isaac’s scarf around her neck but decided against it. Isaac’s presence in the classroom brought a sense of familiarity to Bella as she settled into her seat. She observed the group, relieved to see them in good spirits and not showing any signs of exhaustion from the previous night’s lunar eclipse.
“Uneventful night?” Bella inquired as she took her place next to Isaac.
“We all behaved,” he affirmed with a nod. The subtle camaraderie among the supernatural members of the group seemed to be a shared understanding of their responsibilities.
Bella chuckled. “Well, that’s a relief.”
Isaac grinned in agreement. “Absolutely!”
As the conversation shifted to Bella’s night, she confessed, “Oh, I slept. I kinda wanted to see the eclipse, but I was out cold.”
“You didn’t miss much,” Isaac reassured her, his blue eyes holding a trace of mischief. “The moon did its thing, and we did ours—.”
Bella shot him a quizzical look, intrigued by the unfinished sentence. Isaac merely smirked in response, his attention now focused on the lesson unfolding before them.
The day progressed with the ebb and flow of classes, discussions, and the shuffling of students between periods. During lunch, Bella joined them at the lunch table and Lydia, the resident banshee – if Bella remembered correctly, was just staring at her.
“If you want me to leave…” Bella said a little unsure as she addressed her.
“No, stay,” Lydia replied as she cocked her head. “There’s something different about you.”
Bella’s brow furrowed slightly. “Different? How so?”
Lydia’s gaze seemed to linger for a moment longer before she spoke, her banshee instincts attuned to subtle shifts in the supernatural tapestry around them. “It’s like… a new energy. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but it’s there.”
The rest of the group exchanged intrigued glances, knowing that Lydia’s abilities often allowed her to perceive things beyond the ordinary. Isaac leaned in, his curiosity evident. “Any idea what it could be?”
Lydia shrugged, a mysterious smile playing on her lips. “Not yet. But it’s definitely something worth keeping an eye on.”
Isaac turned to Bella with a cheeky smile on his face. “Bella?”
“Hm?”
“Any idea?”
“No?”
Isaac’s grin widened as he leaned in slightly, his tone teasing. “Well, someone seems to have sparked Lydia’s supernatural radar. You’re like the mysterious enigma of the day.”
Bella rolled her eyes playfully. “Me? Mysterious? That’s a first.”
Lydia, still studying Bella with a thoughtful gaze, chimed in, “Maybe something happened last night that we’re not aware of.”
The others exchanged intrigued glances, waiting for Bella to shed light on any hidden events. Bella, however, maintained an air of nonchalance. “Sorry to disappoint you, but my life is as ordinary as it gets. No secret night adventures here.”
It was then when Bella felt a sharp pain in her side, almost as if she had gotten stabbed. And the pain wasn’t brief, either. It intensified, causing her to wince and clutch her side. Concern flickered across Isaac’s face as he leaned closer.
“Bella, are you okay? What’s happening?”
Bella winced again, trying to suppress the discomfort. “I don’t know… it just hurts suddenly. I’m sure it’ll be over soon.” Was it close to that time of the month? No, it wasn’t. Was it on the side where her appendix was? No. Constipation, that must be it then.
Isaac wasn’t quite sure what to do, but he could tell she was in pain. And knowing he probably shouldn’t be doing this until they found out what was going on, he placed a jacket over her arm and slid his hand underneath it, touching her arm to ease her pain, if only for a brief time. “How’s that?”
Bella let out a sigh of relief. The pain was still there, but it was less. Isaac had told her about their kind of werewolf being able to take someone’s pain, even if the effect was only briefly. But hopefully it was long enough for it to go away. “You didn’t have to—”
“Shh, don’t worry about it,” Isaac interrupted with a reassuring smile. His blue eyes reflected genuine concern as he continued to provide a soothing touch. Bella couldn’t help but appreciate the warmth of his hand against her skin, a welcome distraction from the persistent pain.
Despite the temporary relief from Isaac’s touch, the pain persisted, fluctuating in intensity. Isaac, sensing her discomfort, kept his focus on her, his concern deepening.
“We should get you to the clinic,” Isaac suggested, glancing around at the concerned faces of their friends.
Bella hesitated, not wanting to make a scene. “I’m fine, really,” she said before the pain worsened slightly. “I might just go home and sleep it off.”
“Are you sure nothing supernatural happened to you, Bella?” Scott asked worried, sensing the despair in his beta.
“Must be last night’s pizza,” she said bravely and slowly got to her feet. “I’ll be fine, I promise,” she said as she gently brushed Isaac’s back as she passed him. “You stay here.”
“You can’t make me,” he said as he picked up both their bags and followed her.
“You’re acting as if this is a big deal,” Bella managed to laugh. “It’s not,” she added before her leg gave out on her and Isaac managed to catch her before she fell on the floor. “Okay, maybe it is.”
“Yeah, I’m getting you to the clinic.”
“I’m not a dog!”
“Hospital!”
“I’ll call my mom, she can meet you at the clinic,” Scott said quickly as he pulled out his phone.
“Guys…” Bella sighed. “I’m sure there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation…” Forget constipation, maybe a brain bleed? Wasn’t she too young for one?
Once they were clear of school, Isaac lifted her into her arms as if she weighed nothing and took her to the clinic. “Don’t say I’m overreacting,” he said as he opened the door.
“What the fuck happened last night for you to be so concerned?”
“Nothing. But in case you forgot, it’s Valentine’s day and there’s still another two nights of a full moon, and seeing as you’re a gorgeous but breakable human being, we all agree better to be safe than sorry,” he said as he pushed through the wooden doors towards the treatment room; Isaac had already picked up that nobody but Deaton was at the clinic. “I said I was going to shield you from the supernatural, so once Dr. Deaton tells us that it’s not supernatural, you’re going to the hospital.”
Bella huffed and groaned as Isaac helped her onto the examination table. “Careful now, one would think you’ve caught feelings.”
“Well maybe I have,” he said as he crossed his arms over his chest as he stared her down after putting her on the table and making sure she couldn’t fall off.
Isaac’s admission caught Bella off guard, and for a moment, the pain in her side was overshadowed by the unexpected revelation. She met his gaze, a mix of surprise and confusion in her eyes. The air in the clinic seemed to shift, the tension between them palpable.
“You… have feelings?” Bella asked, a hint of disbelief in her voice. The thought of Isaac harboring emotions for her hadn’t crossed her mind. They were friends, nothing more, right?
Isaac uncrossed his arms, his expression sincere. “Yeah, I do. More than I expected, to be honest.” He took a step closer, his concern for her evident. “And seeing you in pain like this, it’s making me realize how much I care about you.”
Deaton had remained to the side as he had seen the anxiety on Isaac’s face. If he knew one thing, it was to find the right moment with him, and right now didn’t seem the right moment. As Bella remained silent for a long time, likely thinking of Isaac’s words to her, he tentatively took a step forward. “Isaac, can I approach?”
Bella was still processing Isaac’s admission. She appreciated Isaac’s honesty, but the sudden weight of his feelings added another layer of complexity to her life. While she hadn’t imagined leaving Beacon Hills without Isaac, to hear that he actually felt something more was breaking her mind at the moment.
“Uh, yeah,” Isaac replied, taking a step back and letting out a breath. “She uh, started to hurt during lunch and it only got worse. I took some of her pain away but I just want to make sure she’s not hurt by anything coming from… you know, us, before I take her to the hospital.”
“It’s the pizza,” Bella let out a groan as another wave of pain came over her. “I don’t know what else it can be,” she said through gritted teeth as now her foot started to hurt. She wanted to cry out and swear like a goddamn sailor but if Isaac was right about how he felt about her, and how his behaviour had been so far, she wanted to tread lightly so as to not to cause herself to end up like Emily Young back in Forks with her face all torn up by werewolf mittens.
“I ate the pizza, I’m fine,” Isaac informed Deaton. “If it’s the pizza, I would at least be a little bit uncomfortable if she’s having a reaction to her pizza like she is.”
“Perhaps,” Deaton replied, knowing what Bella had told him and he wasn’t sure if she had informed Isaac yet about her own supernatural problem. He put on some gloves and superficially checked Bella’s areas of worry and hurt, and he couldn’t see any broken bones, but bruising had started to show. “A scan at the hospital could tell us if you were bleeding internally.”
“It doesn’t feel like I am…”
“How do you know?”
“It just doesn’t feel like I am…” Bella sucked in some air as another wave of pain washed over her. “There’s no bruising on my torso, I’m not vomiting blood and I’m not pissing blood.”
“Did you talk to someone yesterday you haven’t met before or touched something? Received a gift from someone?”
Bella stilled then. Of course she had. It was the pendant that Aro sent, that she had believed to have been psychological warfare to get her to turn or die. She wasn’t going to be turned into a vampire, absolutely not. “No,” she shook her head, but couldn’t help but cry out in pain as the skin on her arm started to tear in half, a large gash appearing on her arm and blood flowing out of it.
Isaac’s eyes widened in alarm at the sudden manifestation of the gash on Bella’s arm. Dr. Deaton, reacting swiftly, reached for his medical kit. “Hold on, Bella. We need to address this immediately.”
Isaac, torn between panic and determination, gripped Bella’s hand. “What the hell is happening?”
Bella winced but managed to speak through gritted teeth as she looked at Deaton. “I brushed it off as psychological warfare.”
Dr. Deaton examined the gash carefully, his experienced eyes trying to discern the nature of her injury. “What did you brush off?” he said as he wrapped her arm up in gauze and secured it tightly to try and stop the bleeding.
“Pendant and letter…”
“Isaac, check her bag but don’t touch anything that looks like a necklace,” Deaton ordered the young werewolf. “If nothing is in her bag, head to her home and find it, please.”
Isaac nodded, his worry etched on his face, and swiftly went through Bella’s bag to carry out Dr. Deaton’s instructions. Meanwhile, Dr. Deaton continued his examination of Bella, ensuring the gash was securely bandaged.
Bella winced again as the pain persisted, but she met Dr. Deaton’s gaze with determination. “I thought it was just a threat. Aro Volturi sent me a pendant and a letter, something about choices and consequences. I didn’t take it seriously.”
Isaac, still searching through her bag, looked up with a puzzled expression. “Who’s Aro Volturi?”
Bella winced once more before answering, “No one…” She cried out in pain again as another part of her body started to hurt. “Damn it!”
Deaton, aware of the answer, was intrigued as he secured the bandages around her arm. “Bella, how about you tell him the truth?” he coaxed her.
Bella hesitated for a moment, grappling with the pain and the decision to reveal the truth. As another wave of agony swept through her, she finally relented. “Aro Volturi is… a vampire leader. He sent me that pendant, basically reminding me about our deal.”
Isaac, holding the envelope with the pendant he found in her bag, raised an eyebrow. “Vampires are real? What deal? Is this the supernatural trouble you’re trying to avoid?”
Dr. Deaton continued his examination, listening and watching as Bella reluctantly divulged, “This is a subset of vampires called the Cold Ones. They live in covens, self-made families. Cold Ones have leaders, a council if you will, called the Volturi. They made the laws that all Cold Ones are to obey or face death and they concern the secrecy around their existence,” she eventually said and noticed that her pain was getting less. “You know, the usual… hunts must be inconspicuous with victims that wouldn’t be missed and such…”
“Okay? What does that have to do with you?” Isaac, too, noticed how Bella was relaxing and her body was slowly healing.
“I really don’t want to talk about this…” Bella let out a groan as the pain intensified again.
“I don’t think you have a choice, Bella,” Deaton said kindly as he took the envelope from Isaac and emptied its contents onto his desk, not touching the pendant but he was going to get as much information from it as possible. “I think you’re cursed.”
“One of the laws is that if a human becomes aware of the Cold Ones, it’s up to the vampires involved to silence that human permanently. Either make the human immortal like them, or… death,” Bella said reluctantly, not looking at Isaac because she knew he was going to be mad.
Isaac’s expression darkened as the weight of Bella’s revelation settled in. His mind raced, processing the implications of what she had just disclosed. “So, they’re basically threatening you because you found out about them?”
“I did more than that… I have interacted with this particular coven on a daily basis since moving to Forks. I was infatuated with one of them and I got hurt because of them. But because I was so deeply involved with them, I wanted to be a part of them and the hurt was just something I had to endure. I also drew attention to myself by knowing about them by actually going to Volterra and saving one of them from exposing themselves to the sun… so yeah…”
“That scar on your wrist.”
Bella nodded. “I was a chew toy for one of their enemies.”
“Bella,” Isaac sighed. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I don’t want to endanger anyone. This is my problem and it shouldn’t be yours.”
Isaac’s concern deepened, his eyes reflecting a mix of worry and frustration. “Bella, keeping something like this from me doesn’t protect anyone. We’re in this together now, whether you like it or not.”
Dr. Deaton, having listened carefully, added his perspective. “Isaac is right. Secrets in matters like these only breed vulnerability. Now, seeing as you’re doing a lot better as you’re not hiding things, I am inclined to believe that this pendant is indeed a dark object as the accompanying letter states and I need to make a few phone calls to gather some information,” he added and then sighed. “May I suggest you keep telling the truth, inform Scott about this and the threat against you so he can prepare?”
“Do I really have to? I could just leave…”
“Your life’s on the line here, you’re not leaving,” Scott’s voice sounded from the doorway. Bella wasn’t sure how long he’d been standing there but it was likely long enough. “We’re going to help you.”
“You don’t get it, even if I’d survive that pendant, they won’t stop coming after me until I turn or die,” Bella said, slightly getting aggravated. “They have nothing but time, they’re stronger than you and you can’t just kill them. Their skin is made out of marble and their blood is venom. Despite you being a werewolf and all, that will hurt and it can kill you, or worse; turn you.”
Scott stepped further into the treatment room, his expression determined. “We’ve faced worse,” he said as he gently placed a hand on her shoulder. “Whether you like it or not, we happen to like you even if you’ve been quiet about all of this. I understand, we all do. But we all learned that you’re stronger together. Stand and fight, no matter how long it takes; we’ll find a way.”
Bella sighed, realising she had been officially adopted, despite her having tried so hard not to get attached to people and people getting attached to her. “Fine, I’ll stay. But let’s be clear; I’m not turning into a vampire.”
“It seems that you’ll be alright for now as long as you’re not hiding your true feelings and thoughts, Bella, and of course, tell the truth,” Deaton said as he locked away the pendant and letter.
“You can stay over at my house until Deaton finds a way to stop you hurting,” Scott offered. “My mom is a nurse, she can help when things get too bad and you start bleeding again.”
“Scott’s right, it’s the safest place right now,” Isaac agreed as he helped Bella off the examination table. “We’ll swing by your place to pick up some things.”
“Aren’t I better off by myself? Less chance of —”
“You interacting with people like a real person?” Scott interrupted Bella playfully. “Absolutely, but you’re not getting a choice in this matter at this point. We’ll try to avoid talking about things that make you uncomfortable, how’s that?”
Bella sighed in defeat, there was no way that she was going to get away with sneaking away. “Thank you, Dr. Deaton,” she said as she followed Scott out of the room, and really hoped that there was going to be an easy fix to her current predicament because it sucked and she really hoped nobody was going to take advantage of the fact that it looked like she was going to get hurt if she was going to hide her feelings or avoiding speaking about things.
