Twilight: blood & brimstone

Bella hadn't been the same since that night in the truck.

She was quieter. More distracted.

Less certain.

I could feel it in the way she lingered after our conversations, in the way her eyes drifted toward me when she thought I wasn't watching.

She was thinking about me now.

And thinking was dangerous.

For her.

For him.

For all of them.

Forks High – Lunch

I watched her from across the cafeteria.

She was sitting with the Cullens—what was left of them, anyway—picking at her food, barely listening as Alice chattered beside her.

She didn't belong there anymore.

She just hadn't realized it yet.

Jasper did.

His golden eyes flickered toward me from across the room, his face unreadable. He could feel what was happening, could sense the slow, inevitable shift inside her.

And he knew it was my fault.

Good.

I smirked, leaning back in my chair, tapping my fingers lazily against the table.

Bella's gaze flicked up then, just for a second—

But it was enough.

Enough for her heart to skip.

Enough for her to look away too quickly.

Enough for Alice to notice.

I watched as Alice's expression shifted, her too-sharp eyes narrowing slightly as she followed Bella's gaze back to me.

Then—her entire body stiffened.

I frowned.

She was seeing something.

Something that hadn't happened yet.

Before I could react, Alice's eyes went wide, her hand shooting out to grip Bella's wrist.

And then—

The doors to the cafeteria slammed open.

The entire room went still.

And standing in the doorway, eyes black with hunger, fury rolling off him in waves—

Was Edward.

Forks High – The Reckoning

He didn't move at first.

Didn't breathe.

Just stared at her.

Like she was something he'd lost. Something he'd abandoned only to return and find it slipping through his fingers.

Something that wasn't his anymore.

Bella gasped softly, her entire body going rigid. "Edward."

The moment his name left her lips, he was gone.

One second he was by the door—

The next, he was in front of her, moving too fast for human eyes, his hands gripping the edge of the table so hard the wood groaned under the pressure.

His voice was low. Unsteady. "Tell me it's not true."

Bella blinked. "What?"

His jaw clenched. "Tell me you didn't let him in."

Silence.

Heavy. Smothering.

Alice looked away.

Jasper tensed.

The others?

They didn't move.

Because they already knew.

Bella swallowed hard. "I—"

She hesitated.

And that broke him.

His hands slammed against the table, the sound like a gunshot in the silence. "Bella."

I grinned.

Because she wasn't answering him.

Because she couldn't.

Because the moment she hesitated—she had already answered.

His breathing was ragged now, unnecessary but sharp, his entire body vibrating with the effort to keep himself together.

It was beautiful.

I decided to make it worse.

I stood slowly, deliberately, letting the room feel the shift, letting him feel it.

His black eyes snapped to mine, something wild inside them. "You."

I smirked. "Me."

He moved so fast I barely had time to register it before he was in my face, his grip twisting into my collar, dragging me forward with a force that would've broken a human in half.

But I wasn't human.

So I just laughed.

He hated that.

His hands shook with restraint, his breath ragged. "What did you do to her?"

I tilted my head, voice lazy. "Nothing she didn't want."

A growl tore from his throat, deep and inhuman.

Bella shot up from the table. "Edward, stop."

But he didn't hear her.

Didn't care.

His control was breaking.

And I was loving every second of it.

His fingers tightened in my shirt, his lips pulling back over his teeth. "She's mine."

I chuckled. "She was."

His whole body snapped.

And then—

The room exploded into motion.

Jasper was on him in an instant, yanking him back before he could strike, his hands digging into Edward's shoulders with a warning grip.

Alice was at Bella's side, shielding her, her eyes terrified.

Emmett stepped in front of Rosalie, bracing himself like he was actually ready to fight me.

The humans were frozen.

Not moving. Not breathing.

Too afraid to understand what they were seeing.

Edward was still staring at me, his body trembling with fury, his lips curling around words he couldn't seem to force out.

I leaned in slightly, just enough to let him feel my smirk. "Go ahead. Lose control."

His breathing stopped.

Because he wanted to.

And I?

I wanted him to watch as I took everything from him.

Bella. His control. His certainty.

I had already started.

And now?

Now it was just a matter of time.