Love Bite

Chapter 35

I DO NOT OWN CHARACTER OR TWILIGHT

There was a split second in which nothing happened and Kate winked at her, and then came the pain.

Jolts of electricity shot down her arm and along every nerve in her body like gleeful sprites, playing havoc on her muscles and straightening her spine like a two-by-four never could. Bella swore and she snarled and shook, fangs flashing at a heedless Kate. She trembled wildly, and barely, barely remembered that she was supposed to being trying to stop this.

On purpose, that is.

Come on. Come on, come on, come on! Make it stop. Come to me. I know you're there. I know I can. I did it before. I know I can make this stop! So why the fuck am I not making it stop?

Nothing happened. No fluttering of power, of heat in her bones and fire in her heart. After what must have been a solid sixty seconds, everyone seemed to realize how hopelessly she was failing, so Kate decided to up the ante a little bit.

Or a lot a bit.

"Maybe this will help you out..." Kate drawled.

The painful static turned to lightning lancing through her and Bella yelped in agony. Like a gunshot to the base of her skull, she snapped from consciousness to instinct before she could stop it. She hit her knees, hissing like a viper pit, and when it became clear that she had lost it, Kate abruptly let go of her hand.

The pain stopped and Bella curled in on herself in dead silence, shaking. All around the wolves and vampires watched with thinly disguised disappointment. She could feel the shame and frustration creeping up on her sanity.

Bring it back. Stop. Calm down. I am not mindless. I am human. I am Isabella Swan. I will not lose it. I will NOT lose control...

Her training hadn't been entirely useless, it seemed. She managed to calm down even before Alice came over and began whispering soothingly to her, rubbing her back gently, and with one heavy breath she brought herself back together.

"Again," she said the second she did.

"Bella..." Alice murmured worriedly as Kate's eyebrows shot up.

"Maybe we should take a break," Carlisle tried to intervene.

"No. Again," Bella snapped, standing up quickly. "I'm going to do this."

She shoved her hand at Kate stiffly, determinedly.

I mean it. I'm going to do this if it kills me. I have to. I have to prove to them that I can protect them with these stupid powers. I have to make sure I don't get everyone killed. I can do this. I have to do this.

"If you insist..." Kate cocked her head slightly.

If Bella wasn't mistaken, she thought she could see respect forming in the blonde's expression. A moment later Kate's slender hand wrapped around hers and they were off.

It was a repeat of the first attempt. A lot of pain, a lot of Bella not being able to use her gift, and ending with her on the verge of losing all control. By the time she stopped gasping for air, her whole body buzzing, she was already on her feet.

"Again," she said, holding her hand out. Kate hesitated, clearly surprised as the Cullens all voiced protests. Even several of the wolves loosed woofs of concern for their Mother of the Sun. Leah came trotting up and growled at her as if to admonish her for her stupidity, but Bella ignored her.

"Bella, honey, please..." Alice pleaded with her, gently grabbing onto her outstretched hand but Bella turned on her fiercely.

"I'm going to do this. I'm fine, Alice. I can do this. Trust me," Bella begged of her fervently, meaning it.