Love You To Death

The next few weeks passed with relative ease. Bella began to meet Rosalie in the school parking lot, often leaning against her old truck for the blonde to finish classes for the day and walk out. Rosalie would roll her eyes playfully each time Bella offered her a ride home in her old truck, as if the vampire didn't have more than enough cars of her own to get her around. But the feeling of being cared for, and seeing the effort Bella put into their relationship, did more to melt the ice around her dead heart than the mating bond could have on it's own.

As Charlie got progressively better, Bella found herself spending more time at the Cullen house than she had anticipated. What had started as a tentative exploration of Rosalie’s world was quickly becoming a second home, much to her surprise. The Cullens were warm and welcoming, each offering their own unique charm. Even Edward, once the staunchest opponent of her relationship with Rosalie, seemed to be making an effort to build a bridge between them.

One afternoon, Bella was seated on the deck of the Cullen house, sipping on a cup of tea Esme had prepared for her. Edward joined her, carrying a thick book in his hand. He sat a few steps away, the sunlight catching his pale skin in a subtle shimmer.

“Jane Austen,” Edward said, holding up the book. “Rosalie mentioned you like her novels.”

Bella blinked, surprised. “I didn’t peg you for a romantic.”

Edward chuckled, his golden eyes warm. “I wouldn’t say that, but I do have an appreciation for the classics. I thought we could talk about them sometime. Unless, of course, you’d rather avoid me altogether.”

Bella smirked, her posture relaxing slightly. “You’re not that bad, Edward. And I wouldn’t mind a little book chat. Most people just tune me out when I start talking about the classics. I’ve been meaning to reread Pride and Prejudice anyway. ”

“Good choice,” Edward said with a faint smile. “I’ll try not to ruin it with my commentary.”

Bella laughed, feeling some of the lingering tension between them dissipate. "Maybe a unique take on it wouldn't be amiss," she admitted. She was beginning to see Edward in a different light, not just as Rosalie’s overprotective brother, but as someone who genuinely wanted to connect. They discovered they had a lot in common besides just books. Edward loved music as well, and began sharing his passions about it with Bella in the form of curating playlists of songs he felt fit the mood of whatever book she was currently reading.

The rest of the family was equally inviting. Esme had taken to treating Bella like a daughter, fussing over her with small gestures of kindness. Carlisle often joined her and Rosalie during her visits, offering fascinating stories from his centuries of experience. Alice, of course, had already declared Bella her best friend and was constantly trying to involve her in family activities. One particular day, she had dragged Bella into the living room to teach her a card game, much to Emmett’s amusement.

“I’m telling you, Bella,” Emmett said, lounging on the couch, “Alice cheats. She pretends she’s just good at cards, but really, she’s using her visions to win.”

Alice gasped in mock outrage. “I do no such thing!”

“Uh-huh,” Emmett said with a grin. “Just wait until she drags you into a game of chess. It’s brutal.”

Bella laughed, feeling at ease in their playful banter. For the first time since returning to Forks, she felt like she belonged somewhere. It made her thankful to be Rosalie's mate, wanting nothing more than for her days to continue on as they had been. She knew she needed to start thinking about her future again, now that Charlie was on the mend, but she was also afraid of bursting this bubble of happiness she found herself in.

Later that evening, Rosalie pulled Bella into her room, her golden eyes glinting with the excitement of finally prying her mate away from her family. "I've been waiting to get you alone all day," Rosalie said breathlessly as she nudged Bella back towards her bed, the brunette falling onto it gracelessly.

Before Bella could reply, Rosalie closed the distance between them, climbing onto the bed as Bella laid back against her pillows. Rosalie sat back on her calves, admiring her mate, spread out in her bed, in her space, still unable to believe she found this sort of happiness after a lifetime of closing herself off to the world.

She moved forward, holding her body above Bella's, bending her head down until her lips were brushing softly against Bella’s. The kiss was slow and deliberate, and outpouring of feelings from the connection they both felt so strongly. Bella leaned into it, her fingers sliding up to tangle in Rosalie’s golden hair.

The kiss deepened, and Bella felt a thrill run down her spine as one of Rosalie’s cool hands settled on her waist, the blonde's tongue sliding against hers. To Bella, Rosalie tasted like iced champagne, the taste addictive and exciting every time. Rosalie was almost always careful with her, controlled, but there was an intensity behind her movements that made Bella’s breath catch. Bella longed to make the blonde lose control, to know what it would be like to have Rosalie unleashed.

The thought alone spurred Bella on. She wasted no time in wrapping her arms around the blonde, pulling her body down until she lay fully against Bella fully while they kissed.

When Rosalie’s lips trailed down Bella’s jawline to her neck, Bella shivered in anticipation and tilted her head back to fully expose her neck to the blonde. Then Bella slid her hands under Rosalie's shirt, feeling the cool of her skin against the overheated sensation in her own. She felt the faintest scrape of Rosalie’s fangs against her skin, the sensation still both startling and exhilarating. With a soft sigh of pleasure at the sensation, Bella couldn't help but roll her hips up into Rosalie’s hard body above her, seeking more contact. Their make out sessions had been increasing in frequency as of late, and Bella felt herself on the verge of exploding at any moment with her pent up desire.

“That feels so good Rose,” Bella whispered, her voice trembling with a mixture of excitement and nervousness. Rosalie could feel the faint way Bella's body would tremble beneath her when things got heated between them and she savored every second of it. Rosalie smirked against her skin before the going back to work on Bella's neck, licking, sucking, and mostly gently, scraping the skin at Bella's pulse point with her fangs. She felt as Bella wrapped her legs around her lower body, holding their bodies together as she resisted the desire to bite down. When Bella's breathy moan rang out near her ear, Rosalie nearly almost did before pulling back just enough to meet Bella’s eyes.

“You are so hard to resist,” she said softly, her voice tinged with both heavy desire and concern that her instincts to complete their mating bond would overcome her if she didn't take a minute to cool off. She was aware she'd been kissing Bella with her fangs out more and more lately, she'seven pretty sure she's felt Bella running her tongue over them from time to time while they kissed. “I don’t want to do anything you don't like, or scare you though, if it's too much.”

Bella shook her head quickly. “You don't scare me. Rose, I want you so badly I can't stand it.” she paused, looking around the room before grinning up at the blonde, trying to ease the tension she was reading across the Rosalie's features. They seemed to keep having these start then stop moments as of late, and while it was playing hell on her hormones, she understood the very real life implications of what would happen if Rosalie lost control over herself for real. "Though we may want to invest in curtains for all these windows before you finally have your way with me?"

Rosalie studied her carefully, searching for any sign of hesitation. When she found none, her expression softened and she let out a small huff of laughter. “I suppose so,” she admitted. “I'd hate to have to fight to defend your honor should some random passeryby be walking by in the deep woods in the middle of the night.”

Bella rolled her eyes at the sarcasm, still not releasing the blonde from above her body. She appreciated the efforts Rosalie made to at least make it seem as if Bella was close to being able to contain her. “I would probably also find that to be quite the turn on,” she admitted.

Rosalie grinned down at Bella, her thumb brushing over her cheek. “Everything I do turns you on.”

Bella leaned up, pressing a soft kiss to Rosalie’s lips. “Truth. But I'm dating a literally Goddess here. I can only be so self contained in those sorts of circumstances.”

“Can I ask you something?” Rosalie said, her tone hesitant.

Bella nodded, her gaze curious. “Of course.”

Rosalie glanced down for a moment before rolling her body off of Bella's so she was laying on her side, facing Bella instead. “I know this is extremely fast, and I even have my own mixed feelings on it, but have you thought about it yet? About what it would mean to become like me?”

Bella blinked, the question catching her off guard. “You mean becoming a vampire?”

Rosalie nodded, her jaw tightening slightly. “I know it’s a lot to think about, but it’s something we need to talk about at some point. If we’re going to have a real future together it’s a decision you might have to make.”

Bella hesitated, her mind going back to when she had asked Rosalie about the Volturi. She knew at some point she would be in danger if she didn't do it, but it still felt too surreal for her to latch fully onto the idea of it. “I’ve thought about it,” she admitted. “But I don’t know. It’s not an easy thing to wrap my head around. I'm still putting off thinking about my last few semesters of school, trying to decide how to just stay here in Forks with you now. How to get my shit together enough to feel worthy of you. It feels so right to just dive in and give into it, but there's another part of my brain that balks at the thought. Am I being one of the crazy U-Haul lesbians changing my whole life around for a hot vampire I've only just met? The whole thing sounds absurd in my head when stacked against everything I grew up believing and learning,” she paused, then reached to take one of Rosalie's hands in her own. "Then I look at you, or you kiss me, and I feel like it's the only thing that's ever made sense in my life."

Rosalie’s expression softened, her fingers tracing idle patterns on Bella’s hand. “It’s not something I ever want to pressure you into. Your life, your choices they matter to me. But I don't want to lose you either," she admitted. "But I also don't want to hold you back in life while I'm stuck as this for eternity."

Bella nodded slowly, her gaze steady. She could sense the melancholy beginning to creep into Rosalie, so she reached out and cupped her cheek to get the blonde's eyes back on hers. "You won’t lose me because of that stuff. We will figure it out as it comes," she reassured before flashing easy grin. "Though you may lose me to self-combustion if we don't do something about this curtain situation soon,” she added before leaning up as she pushed Rosalie down into the bed, taking the lead this time.

---

The soft glow of moonlight filtered through the bedroom’s massive windows, casting a silvery hue over Rosalie and Bella. Bella had dozed off moments earlier, her head resting on Rosalie’s chest, her breathing slow and even. Rosalie’s hand idly traced soothing circles on Bella’s back, her mind adrift in the peaceful moment.

Her phone buzzed on the bedside table, the screen lighting up with a message from Alice. Careful not to disturb Bella, Rosalie reached over and opened it.

Alice:Smells like wolves near the edge of the property. Be careful. I’ll keep watch tonight.

Rosalie frowned, her jaw tightening. She glanced down at Bella, peacefully oblivious, and decided not to wake her. Wolves near their home weren’t unusual, but this wasn’t just a wandering animal if her sister was informing her of it; it was unmistakably the scent of shifters. Alice would have been more specific if it were anything else.

Sliding her phone back onto the table, Rosalie resolved to keep an eye out. After Bella told her about Jake's issues with their relationship, and knowing the shifters were prone to high bursts of emotion, she couldn't help but feel ill at ease knowing one of them, most likely Jake, had been sulking around the property. Rosalie knew he and Bella were childhood friends and because of that she respected Bella's wishes to leave well enough alone, for now.

Over the next few days, Rosalie’s unease grew. At first, it was faint: a trace of the wolves’ scent lingering near Bella's truck in the driveway, on the front porch, she could even swear she caught the scent in the school parking lot one day when Bella had decided to pick her up. The realization sent Rosalie’s protective instincts into overdrive.

She didn’t mention it to Bella. There was no need to frighten her unnecessarily, especially since Bella already had enough tension to deal with between Jacob and her growing relationship with Rosalie. Still, Rosalie began accompanying Bella more frequently, refusing to leave her side for long. Whether at the Cullen house or Bella’s, Rosalie was a constant shadow, her senses on high alert.

---

Jacob crouched low behind the thick brush, the damp earth beneath him doing little to cool the heat radiating off his body. His dark eyes were locked on the window of Bella’s bedroom, where he could just make out the silhouettes of Bella and Rosalie inside.

Bella was laughing, her voice muffled but warm, and it twisted something deep inside Jacob. She should have seeked him out when she returned to Forks, not the cold, lifeless monster who had stolen her away.

He growled softly under his breath, the sound vibrating through his chest. From the moment Bella had told him about Rosalie, he’d told himself it was because she didn’t understand; because Rosalie had tricked her, bewitched her. Bella wasn’t herself. She couldn’t be. She wasn’t thinking clearly.

He shifted slightly, his massive frame moving with practiced stealth. He had been watching Bella and Rosalie for days, learning their patterns. Bella spent most of her time at the Cullen house now, wrapped up in their world of lies and deceit. When she wasn’t there, Rosalie was at her side, never leaving her alone for long.

The thought of Rosalie made Jacob’s blood boil. She wasn’t just dangerous — she was unnatural. She didn’t belong in Bella’s life, didn’t deserve to take up space in her heart.

Jacob clenched his fists, his claws itching to emerge. But he couldn’t act yet, not alone. He needed the pack. He needed Sam.

Later that night, Jacob stormed into the clearing where the pack often met. Sam was already there, his tall frame silhouetted against the moonlight. The rest of the pack was scattered nearby, talking in low tones. They all turned as Jacob approached, his fury palpable.

“What’s going on, Jacob?” Sam asked, his tone calm but firm.

“It’s Bella,” Jacob said, his voice rough. “She’s in danger. Rosalie Hale has got her wrapped around her finger. I’ve seen them together, and Bella’s not herself. She’s... She’s being controlled.”

Sam’s expression hardened, and he exchanged a glance with the other pack members. “Are you sure about this? That's a dangerous accusation, Jacob. You know how I feel about those pale face freaks but they've always toed the line.”

“Yes!” Jacob snapped, his voice rising. “She didn’t choose her. She’s under their influence. You know what they’re capable of, Sam. They’ve manipulated her, probably threatened her. They can't come on our land so they are going after the next best thing. Bella and Charlie. They want to provoke us! Why else would they come for the two people that matter the most to my family. Bella came back and they saw their opportunity to get to us through them and took it!”

Sam sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “And what do you suggest we do? We can’t just storm the Cullen house and drag her out. She’s a human, Jacob. This isn’t our fight.”

“She’s practically one of us, Sam! She grew up here, she's ours,” Jacob shouted, his hands shaking with barely contained rage. “And they’ve taken her. We can’t just stand by and let it happen.”

Sam studied Jacob for a long moment before nodding slowly. He wasn't sure if Jake was right or not, but it could be plausible. At least enough to warrant further investigation and if it finally got him the confrontation with the Cullen's he'd been itching for, then even better. “Fine. But we do this carefully. No fights unless it’s absolutely necessary. We will start watching them more closely, and when we find anything at all that proves it we will take it to the council.”

Jacob’s heart pounded with anticipation. Finally, he was going to get Bella back. “She’ll thank me for this,” he muttered under his breath as the pack began to plan. And if the pack couldn't find evidence of wrong doing on their own, he would just have to make a convincing enough story to take to the council on his own.