Heart Of The Bear - R.H x OC x L.C

Chapter 6

Rosalie PoV

It's been a couple of weeks since my mate was in a fairly violent fight in the hallways, but she hasn't been the same since. Before she carried herself with a devil-may-care attitude, with her confidence and charm radiating from her. Now she wanders the halls looking tense and alert, and while most students don't hate her, they keep a clear distance from her. There are pockets of guys who have started picking fights with her, likely friends of Mike who still hasn't fully recovered physically, and while they never get even remotely as violent, they still often result in her having detention. 

It's clear that most of the time she's surrounded in a cloud of anger, to the point where even Jasper has a hard time affecting her emotions. Surprisingly Jasper has been the one in our family to engage the most with her, apparently having taken a liking to her after her stunt in history class on her first day here. It helps that being around her quells his bloodthirst for some reason, to the point where he can actually truly smile when they talk. 

Thinking back on the day of the fight though, always leaves a sour taste in my mouth. It was too sunny for us to attend that day, and we only learned about it after Carlisle went to work in the evening, and saw Mike and the extent of his injuries. He'd gotten home early in the morning, and informed us about the situation, and told us what the chief of police had told him about the situation. 

The boy had had the audacity to accuse my mate of raping a friend of his, and it made my blood boil. I knew better than anyone about the girls she slept with, and from what I'd overheard when she was flirting and when I could hear it, it was clear that she always made sure consent was given. Even going as far as to make them confirm their consent again right before… The act itself. 

It made me wonder why that particular accusation got to her as badly as it did, and if she had had some sort of personal experience with sexual assault. Had she known a victim personally? Or God forbid, had she been a victim herself in the past? As terrible as it made me feel, the thought of the latter made me feel connected to her in a way I'd never experienced before, even without considering the mate bond. 

Of course what led to her fight in the first place, was her sleeping with the girl Jessica. As much as seeing her make her way through the female population of the school hurt, I also couldn't blame her for doing it. She didn't know about our bond, and even if she did I still wasn't ready to accept it. I had slowly come to terms with having a female mate, and while it didn't upset me anymore, I still couldn't get myself to indulge in that prospect. 

All of that was without even mentioning the danger both she and my family would be in, had I chosen to approach her. Although I'd grown to accept my undeath over the cause of my long life, I would never force this experience on anyone else again, and accepting her as my mate would either mean her turning, or her growing old and dying by my side. The second being something I just couldn't survive seeing. She deserved to live her life, to grow old and start a family of her own as all humans should, if that was what they desired. 

I was ripped out of my exhausting thoughts by Sabrina sitting down on the couch next to me, pulling me into her to give me a hug. "You're thinking too hard again sister. And knowing that the particular frown on your face is reserved exclusively for your mate, I assume it's about her again." Giving her a silent nod, I could feel as much as hear her sigh. 

"You're burning yourself to the ground at this point Rose, and as your sister it's killing me. I might have been the younger one before we turned, but I can't help but worry about you." She's right, of course she is. She always was, even before we turned. She warned me about Royce, but being too caught up in being in love with the idea of love, I didn't heed her advice. And it ended up costing both of us dearly.

"You always were the smarter one of us Sab, as much as I loathe to admit it." My smile was kind, and her chuckle showed nothing but amusement. "Yes, yes I was. At least you're self aware enough to admit to it." Giving her a playful shove, we both laughed loudly. Sab had always been the light of my life, and her continued presence is what has prevented me from losing myself since we became vampires. 

Even though I doomed her to this life, she's never held any resentment towards me, nor has she loved me any less for it. "Have you considered taking some time off, and visiting our cousins? Maybe getting some distance between you and your mate will prove beneficial to your frame of mind, or at the very least give you a distraction for a while." Leaning my head on her shoulder, I consider her words deeply. Maybe she's right. Maybe what I need right now is some distance, and Jasper has already assured me he'll keep an eye on her in case things get bad and she needs a hand. 

"I think you're right as usual Sab, getting some distance will do me good. I'll leave once Carlisle gets back, and I can inform him of my decision in person." Her hum into my hair was low, but told me that she'd heard me clearly. "I truly hope it helps you, Rose. You deserve a break." Getting up from the couch, I make my way towards my room to pack what I'll need. 

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