Twilight: Bite Me

04

ᴋɪᴍʙᴇʀʟʏ ᴘᴏᴠ

"Mom!" I groaned, throwing my hands up in frustration. "You can't just lock me up because people are dying! That doesn't justify isolating me from the world." Her arms folded tightly across her chest as she glared at me with the kind of resolve only a mother could muster.

"That is exactly the reason, Kimberly. Immortality doesn't make us invincible. You know there are threats out there capable of killing us—permanently." Her voice dropped, low and restrained, but every word carried the weight of authority. "There are whispers of hunters with ironwood stakes, blood rituals going missing, sigils turning up near old ley lines."

My breath hitched at that last part. Sigils. Ley lines. That wasn't just mortal superstition anymore.

"From now on, you're to be home by 9:45. No exceptions."

I opened my mouth to protest, but she shut me down with a sharp look. "No buts, ands, or ifs. End of discussion." Her glowing green eyes pierced through me, a silent warning that further arguments were futile. Reluctantly, I gave in. "Fine," I muttered, shrugging as if I didn't care.

The tension melted away as her expression softened, a warm smile breaking through. "I love you," I murmured, stepping forward to wrap my arms around her. She returned the hug, her voice tender. "I love you too, petal," she said, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of my head.

Just as we were beginning to relax, the front door creaked open. Charlie and Bella stepped in, their faces shadowed with worry. My mom immediately crossed the room, pulling Charlie into a tight hug, her sorrowful smile doing little to mask her concern.

"Are you okay, Charlie?" I asked, stepping closer.

He nodded, though his eyes betrayed his unease. He reached into a bag, pulling out bear spray and pepper spray. "Here," he said, handing them to us. "Please, for my sake, take these. I can't stand the thought of losing you. Bringing you two here only to have you hurt would kill me."

I stifled a laugh at his earnestness, taking the bear spray and nodding. "We'll be careful," I promised.

"Now, let's eat," Mom interjected, her tone brighter as she tried to change the subject. We gathered around the dining table, where plates of chicken and shrimp fettuccine waited, their savory aroma filling the room.

I ate in silence, savoring each bite while stealing glances at the moonlight spilling through the windows. Something about the way the light bent tonight—too sharp, too silver—made my skin crawl.

Bella finished first, standing up to kiss Charlie's cheek before heading upstairs. I stayed behind, waiting until both my mother and Charlie had finished before clearing their plates.

As they climbed the stairs, I waved my hand, muttering a quick incantation under my breath. "Vardis domna." The dishes floated toward the sink, scrubbing themselves while the counters sparkled clean. Household spells weren't my specialty—too finicky—but this one I had down.

Afterward, I made my way to Bella's room, where I found her crouched over her laptop, scrolling through a series of unsettling images.

I leaned against the doorframe, smirking. "Vampires? What are you, five?"

She spun around, glaring at me. "Do you ever knock?"

I shook my head, motioning for her to continue. "This is fascinating," I said, stepping inside.

Bella sighed but returned to her screen, clicking through article after article. Despite the exaggerated images—fangs, red eyes, ridiculous cloaks—the information itself was...surprisingly accurate. My smile faded when I saw one image: a sigil etched into a tree, exactly like the one I saw last week near the edge of the woods.