Eternal temptation

Chapter 6

The evening was already setting in, and the last rays of the sun were slowly disappearing behind the horizon. In the reddish glow of the sunset, a rusty pickup truck glided along the winding road leading to the vampires' house. As it advanced further along this road, the surrounding environment became increasingly gloomy. Trees towering on both sides concealed the house from prying eyes, creating a sense of isolation and inaccessibility.

Today, there was supposed to be a bonfire at the Quileute tribe, where the elders would share their legends. Bella couldn't wait to delve into them. Jacob had talked about them before, but only superficially. The task for the person was to bring Apollyma with them. Recently, Edward had revealed the imprinting of Paul on a vampire, and then Swan understood why the girl didn't leave the guest room, except for the days when she needed to hunt.

As they approached the house, Bella spotted a blonde girl near the entrance, hesitating whether she should go to the wolves.

"Hello," greeted Apollyma, climbing into the pickup.

"Hi, are you ready?" Bella was actually feeling uneasy; she had never been alone with her, and it was difficult to get used to the vampire.

"To be honest - no. Not at all."

That was the end of their conversation until they reached the Black's house. The air inside the car felt thicker, and with each passing minute, the silence became more palpable, as if it could be touched, but no one dared to speak. The only thing audible in the rusty "heap" was Swan's rapid heartbeat.

The Black's house was simple and unpretentious: located deep in the forest, made of rough wood painted in red, the front door was made of the same material, but painted white. There were small windows at the top of the door, through which the interior of the hallway could be seen. A couple of steps and a ramp led down from the door. There were no visible flowers or bright decorative elements around the house; simplicity and naturalness reigned here.

Bella turned off the engine and hurriedly got out of the car, unable to bear the oppressive silence. The vampire followed her. Jacob and his father were waiting for them near the house, as Apollyma later learned - it was Billy Black, one of the elders.

The man looked at the blonde with contempt, waiting for her to slip up and drink someone's blood. Swan and Jacob were chatting ahead, with Billy riding in a wheelchair to their right, while the vampire kept her distance from them.

They didn't have to walk for long, as the gathering took place near the Black's house, where the werewolves and their imprints were already seated. The bonfire was in the middle, with logs covered in moss placed around it, carefully arranged by someone. The flames illuminated the faces of the young people and pleasantly warmed their bodies.

With Apollyma's arrival, the friendly atmosphere changed in an instant. The wolves tensed up and looked towards the girl. Sam pulled Emily closer, and Jared did the same with Kim. However, Paul's imprint on the blonde had influenced the behavior of the werewolves - they didn't feel as inclined to tear her head off. It couldn't be said that everyone treated her extremely negatively; it was just with caution, knowing that it would take time for them to accept her. A lot of time.

Apollyma shyly lowered her head and stood not far from the log where Seth, Leah, and Embry were sitting.

"Lima!" The youngest wolf ran up to her with a happy smile and hugged her. At first, the vampire was taken aback, but she awkwardly accepted the embrace.

Not far from them, a growl was heard, and the immortal turned her gaze to the one who was growling. Paul. A small spark of hope ignited in her chest.

"Sit next to me."