The UnForeseen Fall of Lahote (A Paul/Bella Fanfic)

11. Obsession

"For the longest time, I just thought he was being considerate. I have some phobias about vampires because I'd never met ones not trying to kill me before the Cullens, but Edward always seemed determined to make up for it. He had some of the same classes with me, and made it a point to sit near me and make me comfortable. It was puzzling and alarming to me." Bella admitted, a flush staining her cheeks when she tried to look me in the eyes and failed, "But I had never been away from my family and here were people who knew the inhuman side of me that's so difficult to keep hidden. A potential outlet was impossible to reject." She gave us a baleful smile, seeming to acknowledge that it was a similar draw that was coming from the Pack.

The smile darkened. "I grew to like the Cullens soon after that due to Edward's efforts. I even went to their house a few times. It was scary as hell to have so many of them near me at once, but I could practice my fighting with Jasper, play video games with Emmett, and Alice reminded me so much of a friend I had lost... That fondness I held for them turned out to backfire when I realized that Edward Cullen wanted much, much more. Something I simply couldn't give to him."

A growl ripped through my chest at the implications and physically rattled the girl in my arms. Isabella Swan, not seeming phased, swatted at me and lifted a dark eyebrow coolly. "Are you going to let me finish, Paul?"

I rubbed the back of my head and shrugged. "Sorry this isn't easy." I muttered.

"You think this is easy for me either?" She retorted incredulously before turning back to face Uley. "Rogues showed up in town, despite the Cullens' presence a couple months after I arrived and Edward finally had a legitimate excuse to be near me. As the only Cullen kid without an obvious significant other, him being my boyfriend in the town of Forks was something the family agreed on full heartedly to fulfill their promise to my mother." Bella's voice cracked suddenly, "It was as though I was trapped again, though I felt no desire to protect the Cullens as I did my family." I ran my thumb soothingly over the back of her hand, my emotions stunted from the calm that the imprint demanded.

"Edward religiously stalked me in the name of security for some time. Sleeping with a vamp's eyes on me was what finally broke me... I decided to run away as soon as the chance presented itself. Charlie would be safer without my blood scent saturating his place of rest and I would rid myself entirely of the constant watch I'd been under for my entire life. Fighting rogues would make me feel alive again. Death probably would've been welcome as well."

My eyes narrowed down as I looked down at Bella's brunette head. There was no way a lack of sleep, a creepy leech that couldn't take a hint, homesickness and being overly supervised would make my mate consider suicide. What had happened to her before Forks? What had she lost? She had literally imposed an exile from her people onto herself to escape it.

Bella gracefully stepped out of my trembling arms before turning on us. "I fled to Florida, trying to avoid capture from the Cullens whilst hoping the opposite from the rogues. There were three vamps, a small coven with red eyes. The leader, James, was an extremely gifted tracker and his mate Victoria is the one skirting your patrols today. Laurent, the one that died a few days ago, was the weakest and sanest of the lot. They found me a day and half after I flew the nest. It was all I could to do to last five minutes, and James had just snapped my leg when the Cullens rolled in. To make a long story short, James was burned, Laurent surrendered peacefully, and Victoria escaped."

Sam frowned, "Why is she here now?"

"She wants revenge for her mate. Stupid Edward's possessive behavior makes her view me as prey. A mate for a mate is how she views it."

"Your luck fucking sucks, babe." I couldn't keep my mouth shut anymore.

Bella let go of her husky laugh for a few seconds. "You don't know the half of this soap opera." The self-deprecating jab at herself was charming, I decided. She switched back to soldier stance again. "Sam, that's the intel I have for you. The redhead wants me, she has a gift for escaping, and she's seriously crazy."