Ch. 1: The Beginning

Isabella stood by the fallen tree, in the pouring rain, waiting. She had told everyone noon. She looked at the trees around her, not finding any familiar scents. Isabella sat on the tree, fidgeting with the moon pendant around her neck, watching the waves of the lake.1

“Isabella?” Victoria’s voice called to her through the trees. Isabella tucked the necklace under her shirt and stood up. Naomi and Cameron appeared first followed by Victoria. “Hello Naomi, Cameron,” Isabella said. She turned to Victoria. “Where are Rayne and Cole?” Victoria shrugged. Naomi and Cameron sat on the tree and started talking casually. Isabella got comfortable on the grass, leaning against the tree. She looked up at the darkening sky. “At least it has stopped raining,” Victoria said, joining Isabella on the ground. “Yeah,” Isabella replied.2

“…It’s not my problem. You should’ve said something to her earlier,” Rayne’s voice echoed over the trees toward them. Isabella stared in the direction of her voice and whispered, “There’s Rayne and Cole now. And it sounds like an argument is coming our way.”3

“I will not tell her. She will not listen to me. Where are we?” Cole snapped back at Rayne. He came into sight, batting branches away from his face, with Rayne following behind. Cole blinked, his eyes meeting Isabella’s. Isabella looked away, whispering, “I wonder what he was supposed to say…” Victoria did not reply, but watched Cole come closer. 4

When Rayne and Cole joined the rest of the group Isabella said, “We’re here because we need to figure out what we will do about Yumiko, considering she is a danger to us all.” Victoria nodded and Rayne agreed quietly along with Isabella. “I think we should find her, just like she found Isabella, and we should kill her,” Victoria growled. Isabella stood silent as Rayne, Naomi, Cameron, and Cole agreed. “She’s dangerous, even if all six of us are together against her,” Isabella muttered. “Five,” Cole said. Isabella looked directly at him for the first time. “What do you mean?” she said. “You won’t fight her, I won’t let you,” he replied, looking back into Isabella’s face. “I will fight her. You won’t stop me,” she argued. “Watch me,” Cole said, stepping closer. Isabella involuntarily took a step back. “Cole, you will not touch her,” Victoria said, glaring at him. 5

“And you can’t tell me what to do,” he said furiously. Rayne and Naomi also took a step back, Cameron stood his ground. Isabella slid in between them glaring up at Cole. “Stop arguing you two,” she said. Cole tried to go around her and she got into his way again. This time, Isabella pulled her dagger out of its sheath. Cole eyed it warily. She put it back, thinking about how dangerous that could’ve been. Cole ignored the threat though and tried, once again, to get around Isabella. Isabella shoved him to the wet grass and held him there, her teeth inches away from the flesh of his shoulder. “Are you going to behave now?” she whispered in Cole’s ear. He growled softly at her. 6

“There. That wasn’t so hard now was it?” Isabella let him stand up and then walked over to stand next to Victoria. “Everyone meet back here in about three hours, and we will settle this. Right now, I need some time to relax.” Rayne, Victoria, Naomi laughed and Cameron smiled. Cole and Victoria glared at each other while Isabella watched them carefully. Naomi and Cameron walked back through the trees with Rayne. 7

“Isabella? Can I speak with you?” Cole said, keeping his voice flat and his face vacant. Isabella nodded, turning to Victoria’s worried look. “Go. I will be home in a little while. If there’s anything wrong, I have my cell phone,” Isabella reassured her. Victoria nodded, and walked away. Cole watched her disappear into the trees. Isabella faced him. “What?” she said. “Why don’t you let someone else take care of Yumiko?” he asked. “She’s my problem and I will deal with my problems,” Isabella replied. Cole glared at her, saying, “I am going to take care of Yumiko, you shall be miles away.”8

“No, I won’t let you,” Isabella said, her voice quavering. She started to slip her jacket off. Cole smiled, catching the waver in her voice. He came closer to her, she froze, her jacket halfway off. “Why don’t you let me worry about Yumiko, Larka?” he asked, tracing the line from her ear to her chin with his fingertips. Isabella growled softly at him but did not move. “Don’t call me that. I’ve already told you, she’s mine,” Isabella told him. “And I’ve told you that she is not,” Cole argued. He pulled her face closer to his. “I said no,” she murmured. His lips brushed hers; he was enticing her. Isabella sighed and Cole pressed his lips to hers, pushing her back against the tree. 9

“At least I can have you,” Cole whispered. He kissed her again, this time making it last. Cole pulled Isabella’s jacket off of her shoulders and let it fall to the ground, still kissing her. Cole kissed her neck and picked her up. He sat her down on the broken tree and kissed her shoulder. 10

“No, you can’t,” Isabella murmured. Cole moved back to her neck, growling quietly. “Why not?” He kissed her neck and then the corner of her mouth. Isabella leaned back a little. Cole jumped up next to her and pushed her down onto the tree. “Why can’t I have you?” he asked. “Because… I say so,” she said. Cole’s eyes were a warm blue color. He kissed her again, his hand sliding down to her waist. Isabella ran her fingers through his hair as they kissed. 11

“You are mine,” he whispered. She turned her head, resisting and showing her neck without realizing it. He growled; she stopped moving. He wanted her; he wanted to bite. Isabella felt fear rush through her. Cole shuddered. “You want it so much and I’m surprised that you don’t just take it,” she whispered. This infuriated Cole. “You think I wouldn’t ask your permission first?” he asked, still resisting her overpowering scent and the rush of fear through her blood. He was inches from her. He could just take it as she said. She smiled. “Well this is me giving you permission,” she whispered. He gave in. 12

His hand went to the other side of her neck and he bit down. Isabella shivered and then gasped. A raindrop fell and hit her nose. Cole let her go, sitting up. It started to pour again. Isabella sat up, kissed his nose, and jumped off the dead tree. She grabbed her jacket and took off, disappearing into the trees. “Somehow I knew she would run,” Cole muttered. “I’ll stay around until they all come back.”
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Isabella unlocked the door to the house she shared with Victoria whenever she felt lonely. Isabella sighed. Cole’s scent was all over her and she knew Victoria would be furious. Isabella turned the doorknob. It wasn’t her fault; Cole had seduced her. “I’d like to see her try to blame me,” Isabella whispered angrily. She pushed the door open, dropping her jacket by the door on the couch. Victoria was nowhere to be found. “Oh well. I’m hungry anyways,” Isabella sighed.13

Isabella made some ramen, ate it, and was putting the bowl in the sink when she heard Victoria come in. There was a gasp and then Victoria was in the kitchen. “He’s all over you!” was the first words from her mouth. She was yelling. Isabella turned to her and just looked at Victoria. “Why is he all over you?” she exclaimed, now furious. Isabella turned back to the dishes in the sink. “No reason,” Isabella murmured. Victoria grabbed her arm and turned Isabella around. Victoria glared at her. “What did he do?!” Victoria yelled. Isabella said nothing. “What happened?” she asked, trying desperately to sound calm. Isabella sighed. “He… seduced me so that I wouldn’t fight,” she said hesitantly and then quickly added, “But I didn’t give in. I said I would fight and I will… and… I let him bite me.” Victoria tensed up. “Uh, Tori? Victoria? Can you, uh… let go… please?” Isabella stuttered, her eyes wide. 14

“Grab your jacket,” Victoria said, pulling Isabella towards the door. “Whoa, quit yanking me around, would you,” Isabella yelled. Victoria didn’t let go. Isabella grabbed her jacket just before the door slammed shut. “Jesus, Victoria!!” echoed down the stairs. 15

Victoria stood in the trees, still keeping a good grip on Isabella. She was looking at the dead tree. “I am going to leave you here while I go look for Cole,” Victoria whispered to Isabella. Isabella’s eyes widened. “No!” Isabella yelled. The birds in the trees above them flew off scared of the sudden noise. Victoria pinned her to the ground clamping a hand over her mouth. 16

“Do you want me to kill him?” she murmured. Isabella shook her head, her eyes getting wider every second. “I’m just going to talk with him,” Victoria muttered. Isabella glared at her. Victoria let her up. She dragged Isabella to the tree. “I’ll be back,” Victoria said. She put a string around Isabella’s neck and tied it into a knot. She tied the other end of it to the tree. “Don’t try to get out of it. Enchanted string is not easy to break,” she said. “You put a leash on me,” Isabella yelled. “What if Cole gets past you and comes back to me?!” Victoria smiled, saying, “He won’t.” Isabella was speechless. Victoria turned and walked away, disappearing into the trees. 17

“Ow,” Isabella growled, pulling at the enchanted string. She lay back against the tree, looking up at the few stars she could see through the thick clouds. “It’s only been half an hour since everyone left this place and I’m back here already. Time goes so slowly,” she murmured. The wind picked up and the stars disappeared. It started to drizzle. 18

“Actually, it goes very quickly. Especially when you are in danger,” Cole’s voice said over the wind. He appeared next to her. Isabella gasped and fell off of the tree, trying to get away from him. She got yanked back by the neck and arm. Victoria had slipped a string on her wrist when she wasn’t paying attention. 19

“Ow,” Isabella moaned, lying flat on her back now. The smell of Cole’s blood filled the air, making Isabella growl. “Cole, why are you bleeding?” she asked. “I had to deal with a few demons that were attracted to the area,” he told her weakly. “It’s not easy when you’re being constantly plagued with… thoughts about…” and he collapsed, right next to Isabella. When she looked at him, she gasped and pulled as hard as possible at the string. Isabella wondered why the tree wasn’t being pulled out of the ground by now. Cole was covered in his own blood. 20