CHAPTER 11
Forest
Victoria moved with inhuman agility through the shadows. The vast Forks forest, now covered in complete, grim darkness, allowed her to blend with her surroundings… She inhaled the air. The scent electrified her skin.
It pulled her like a magnet.
"What are you?" she whispered to herself.
The dark forest was her playground…
And the scent she felt — warm, alive, almost obscene — made it different from any other prey.
She ran faster than anyone. Her speed combined with her agility created a dangerous combination. She looked like a wild predator in the middle of the night…
And no one could stop her…
She kept running, following her instincts, wanting to find whatever had touched something inside her.
She reached the permitted boundary… Crossing that territory meant death.
Her eyes stared forward, trying to see beyond what her body and senses allowed. She couldn't. Not tonight…
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> Port Angeles Parking Lot
The parking lot lights glowed faintly, contrasting with the dark atmosphere.
Bella was scared. Her breathing was unsteady, her body heated up and she felt a disgusting sensation in her stomach.
The four men from the dress shop surrounded her, all with obscene looks on their faces… They reeked of alcohol. They were young, maybe college students judging by their clothes…
"Take my bag," she tried to convince the one in front.
"We don't want that," said another while trying to touch her.
She gathered courage and wrapped the strap of the bag around her hand to use it as a weapon… She thought that if Logan were with her, this would not be happening…
When one of them tried to approach her, Bella hit him with her bag and the thick book she had bought. The guy folded in pain and the others laughed…
The remaining three lunged at her, leaving her frozen, but…
The headlights blinded them and the screech of tires echoed near the place.
The Volvo almost hit them as they jumped aside, and the driver's door opened…
Edward Cullen appeared… so fast that neither Bella nor the others noticed until he was already standing between her and them.
His gaze was terrifying, so intimidating that they stepped back instinctively, not by choice.
As if he were animalistic, supernatural.
They retreated and Edward turned back toward his car. Bella stood frozen, trying to understand what had happened…
He simply pulled her inside the car without saying a word.
Inside, Bella stared at him. He was furious, and it made her feel strangely unsettled.
Edward gripped the steering wheel, his jaw clenched.
"How did you find me?" Bella asked, feeling the heavy tension.
Edward clenched his teeth tighter and didn't answer.
"I should go back and tear their heads off…"
"No, you can't do that," Bella insisted, trying to lighten the mood.
"You don't know everything they were thinking about you…" Edward's expression darkened again. "You can't imagine the disgusting things they would've done to you if I hadn't appeared!"
Bella was shocked by his outburst. Something about it felt true, as if he could really sense it.
"And you know what they were thinking?" Bella asked.
He stared into her eyes again.
"It's not hard to imagine," he said, turning his attention back to the wheel.
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> Logan
His breathing was fast, his senses activated with full force, his hands sweating. He felt the cold wind that hit his face and the heavy clouds in the dark sky… an unusual scent.
The smell Logan sensed was nauseating — sickly sweet, with a faint rose scent trying to cover it, something almost dead…
Painful to his senses.
Maybe it was his Quileute Gene…
A shiver ran down his spine, his steps felt heavy, and his sweaty hands trembled as he reached for the door…
That smell…?
Suddenly, the air filled with a different layer of scent. Roses and champagne? Cinnamon and cookies?
Just enough for him to think he wasn't on the edge of death…
When he was about to open the door, he jumped back… someone was already waiting for him…
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> Port Angeles Restaurant
Bella got out of the Volvo in silence and headed toward the restaurant where she was supposed to meet her friends. Jessica and Angela were waiting with worried expressions…
"Where were you?" Angela asked, nearly crying.
"We waited for you," Jessica stood in front of her, checking if she was hurt. "You didn't answer our messages and we were really worried!"
"What happened to you? Are you okay?" Jessica continued bombarding Bella with questions.
Edward appeared beside Bella. Jessica and Angela immediately went silent, staring in disbelief.
"I'm really sorry about that." Edward gave them his most charming smile.
It worked — both girls blushed and looked away shyly.
"Well… we were just… I think we're leaving now," Jessica muttered, not knowing how to react.
She passed by Bella, giving her a look that said she should follow. Bella was about to go when Edward spoke abruptly.
"I want to make sure Bella eats something before she leaves," his voice had a unique charm. "Only if you want to, of course."
He looked directly at Bella, and she felt a strange tension from the way he looked at her. Something about him felt different from anyone she'd ever known.
"I'll take you back afterward," he added — exactly what she needed to hear.
Angela and Jessica exchanged stunned looks.
"That's really sweet," Angela said.
"He's very thoughtful," Jessica added.
Bella didn't need to think anymore.
"I'd like to eat something," she said shyly.
She looked at the girls and waved goodbye.
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Inside the restaurant, their hands brushed slightly with an involuntary movement, and that touch sent electricity through Bella's body.
She felt it instantly — and also felt Edward's skin. Cold. Far colder than a human should be…
They sat outside on the terrace, with a glowing waterfall behind them.
A waitress placed a plate of grilled salmon in front of Bella…
She glanced at Edward, confused as to why he hadn't ordered anything.
"You're not eating?" Bella tried to break the strange tension.
"I'm on a diet," Edward said as if it were a reasonable excuse.
He looked at her with a distant expression, as if he were intoxicated. He stared as if she were the only thing in the world, yet his gaze seemed pained…
Bella felt something strange in the air and, without knowing why, thought of Logan.
She sensed something—some danger she didn't understand…
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To be continued.
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For the fans of the saga: whose scent do you think Logan sensed?
Thanks for reading the chapter. 🐻