With Her, I Burn

Chapter 1

Bella sat on the bed, her knees tucked up under her chin, her eyes empty and dead, staring at the wall.

Her heart was grasped by pain like a serpent gripping its prey. Bella had an emptiness inside. Her body yearned for anything to fill that void.

He had been gone for a month. It's been a month since He took a piece of her with him.

It had also been a month since His family had left.

It had been two weeks since Bella had seen that vibrant, red hair outside her window.

It had been one week since Bella realized it was Victoria. She'd come to avenge her mate. She should, of course. She knew it was only a matter of time until she died for the actions of Him and His family.

Bella didn't give a damn if she lived or died. Not anymore.

Charlie was worried. Bella was practically the living dead. She did everything it took to keep herself alive but no more. Angela and Jessica of course tried to get her out of it but they could only do so much. Charlie hadn't given up on her. Yet.

Renee called Charlie every week and badgered him to get Bella to come to her in Florida, at least if anything for just a holiday. "A fresh start." She had said.

Bella had a plan though. She couldn't let Charlie get caught in the cross fire between her and Victoria. No other innocent blood would be shed, only her own.

At exactly 11pm, when Charlie had done his usual check in on her and tried to encourage her to talk to him. Bella tried and even attempted to give him a hug and whispered a hoarse "I love you, dad."

"I love you too, Bells. "

Bella smiled sadly while getting dressed. Her dad deserved a better daughter.

At 11.15pm, Bella snuck out of the house as not to wake her dad and walked toward the tree line into the forest. The same spot where he left her. Bella swallowed past the lump in her throat and pushed forward until she came to a small clearing.

At 11.26pm, Bella saw a flash of red in the trees surrounding her. She had come.

"I know you're there, Victoria. I am alone. I offer myself to you in payment for the death of your mate." Bella was surprised she had managed to get all of that out without stuttering in fear.

That was the thing though. Bella wasn't afraid anymore.

"They left you." Not a question but a statement.

Bella looked to where she thought she heard Victoria's voice come from but nothing was there. Just trees.

"Yes. I wasn't ...I wasn't his mate. Edward's. " Bella felt the emptiness within her gape even wider.

"I know. A true mate would never leave their mate defenseless, especially if said mate is human."

Bella's heart that was broken already, seemed to shrivel up into dust within her chest. She knew already what Victoria had said but to hear it confirmed was a pain that was even greater.

"I know I have no right to ask any favors but I ask only one thing, please don't hurt my dad. He had no part in it. Please." Bella whispered.

"I can do that. Once I've killed you, I will follow you in death. There will be nothing tethering me to Earth anymore."

Bella then saw her. Victoria looked just as dead and empty as Bella felt but still ethereally beautiful.

Victoria walked calmly towards Bella while maintaining eye contact.

Once she was nothing but a few inches from Bella did she raise her hand and glide her fingers over Bella's cheek. To an outsider it would be mistaken as a lovers touch but Bella knew otherwise.

"I will show you a mercy that the Cullens did not show my James. I will make it quick."

Victoria slowly angled her face to Bella's neck, getting closer.

Before she could strike however, a howl came from the trees, quite close then Bella could hear the heavy thuds of paws. They were too heavy, as if from bears instead of wolves.

Victoria looked over shoulder, not at all perplexed. She almost had a smile on her face.

"It seems fate has different plans for you, Bella."

Bears. Bears came out of the tree line. Only they weren't bears. They were wolves. Giant wolves. Abnormally large.

They were making a beeline straight for Victoria,their mouths open in ferocious snarls. A sleek looking gray wolf flanking it's bigger counterparts seemed the most intent on tearing into Victoria. The wolves seemed to have not noticed Bella or seemingly did not care.

The smaller gray wolf for just a moment looked in Bella's direction, their eyes meeting for just a fleeting second.

And then everything went black.