Author's Note: Don't get too excited or hopeful on my ability to write right now, but here's another update. I'm not sure if my burst of inspiration will continue or not for any of my stories, but let's hope for the best.

Chapter 13

Time passed, and Bella was still being driven insane. Not only was her wolf tormenting her for running from Rosalie, but Bella was tormenting herself for all sorts of reasons revolving around the blonde too.

She didn't really understand why she had run. Well yeah, she did; obviously Bella had been beyond freaked out by her own feelings. What Bella really didn't understand was why she was beating herself up about it. She was actually regretting the fact that she had run away, and caught herself time and time again thinking back to that day, wondering what would have happened if she had reacted differently. Almost as if she was considering letting the stupid bloodsucker in, which was stupid.

You couldn't let a woman in. You just couldn't. The closer you held a woman to your heart, the more it hurt when they decided to backstab you. Bella's mother was a prime example of that when she had thrown Bella away like garbage, leaving a toddler Bella to wander La Push, lost and confused, calling for her mother, until someone, Charlie happened to pick her up. Then Bella's belief was proven again when she watched what Renee, Charlie's wife at the time, had done to the man who had saved her.

Loving a woman was pure stupidity, whether as family or as something more. The only reason Bella had brought herself to care about Leah, Emily, and Rachel so much was because of what they had done for her growing up. And even then, Bella had never actually fallen in love with them, had only started regarding them as family when the whole wolf thing came along. Hell, Bella hadn't even thought she had the capability to fall in love.

That is, until Rosalie.

No. No way in hell. That's the imprint talking, Black, Bella growled to herself, her hands fisting at her sides as she glared out at the Cullen territory from her side of the border. You don't fall in love, especially with that blonde bitch of a leech.

A cold, painful ball, colder even then the rain that was hitting her body, seemed to drop into Bella's stomach, making Bella feel sick even before her wolf started going crazy over Bella's mental rejection of their mate. Once again, Bella was reminded of why she was standing at the border in the middle of the night, soaked to the skin in only a sports bra and jeans that were only getting increasingly uncomfortable.

Bella hadn't seen or scented a single Cullen in nearly a week, and a part of Bella was terrified that after her fuck up, all of the Cullens had decided to move on. She was just so tempted to cross the border and learn for herself, but she couldn't, not with the way the Elders were riding her ass at the moment. They had been doing so ever since Colin and Brady had shifted and had started following her around like some lost puppies. It was bad enough that now kids even younger than Seth were starting to shift. Not only did it cause the rumor that Bella was even recruiting children into her gang to spread, but since the two now had some kind of hero worship for her going on, the Elders were getting grumpy. They didn't want Bella "corrupting" the kids, after all.

As if Bella didn't have enough stress and trouble to deal with, one of the Elders now insisted on being there every time Bella held a training session. Every. Single. Damn. Time. It was getting harder to get even a moment's peace, and it got to the point where Bella was too paranoid to even risk thinking about her troubles and emotions over Rosalie in fear that one of her wolves might accidentally slip and say something they shouldn't in front of one of the Elders.

One wrong move, and Bella knew, without a doubt, the Elders would have Bella's hide. And while Bella wanted to point out the sticks they all seemed to have up their asses by grabbing those sticks and shoving them as far up their rectums as she could, Bella wasn't about to risk doing anything that might fuck with her pack in the long run. Yet even her good behavior wasn't helping, only making the Elders more suspicious, as they knew Bella and knew she had to be up to something.

Which, if they knew what Bella was doing every night, she guessed she kind of was up to something. If that something meant desperately looking for any sign of the Cullens, Rosalie especially, to help deal with her fucked up emotions.

So here Bella was once again, soaked through and feeling like shit at four in the morning, staring out at the forest in Cullen territory like an idiot. And she continued to do just that, right up until the sun started to rise.

Sighing, Bella let out a low growl and nearly punched a tree, hating how stupid and almost...lovesick...she was acting, only to freeze when she heard a familiar voice. A voice that sounded just as pissed off as Bella felt.

"I swear, my fucking brother is the most stupid, rash little princess I've ever had to deal with. If he had just listened to my idea, he wouldn't be at Angela's bedside right now, worrying like a little baby. She wasn't even that badly injured! It wasn't like James had tortured her or anything. He barely even had time to put his hands on her before we killed him. It's just a single broken wrist, for fuck…" Rosalie trailed off mid-rant, freezing in place as she caught sight of the large, gorgeous figure of her mate, who was completely soaked to the skin; not that Rosalie was in much better condition herself. Of course, in Rosalie's case, she was fully clothed, while Bella only wore a sports bra and jeans, bearing so much tantalizing, flawless skin and rippling muscle that Rosalie couldn't help but stare, devouring her mate's body with her eyes.

Immediately, Rosalie's instincts went haywire. Mate! Touch, take, claim, need…

The longing Rosalie felt the entire time she had been away seemed to double, making it hard to breathe. But at the same time, she was furious. Furious Bella had run away, and furious that Edward's little problem had pulled Rosalie away from Bella for so long.

"Hey, blondie," Bella muttered, unable to say anything else as she turned to stare at the woman she had been longing to catch a glimpse of for so long. How a girl could look so gorgeous dripping with water was beyond her. Rosalie should have been looking like a drowned rat, but instead she looked like some kind of mermaid princess who happened to grow some legs for the evening.

"Aren't you going to run away like a scared pup again, mutt?" Rosalie replied scathingly, crossing her arms over her chest as she leaned against a nearby tree with a glare. She expected a snapped retort, maybe even a comeback complete with a cocky grin, but to her surprise, emotions flashed across Bella's face, and the alpha seemed to be struggling with something.

"This imprint thing is a bitch and a half," Bella growled, shoving all of her warring emotions as far away as she could. Her wolf wasn't so easy to push away, and Bella had a quick grapple with the animal inside of her mind before giving up, not quite yet willing to admit that Bella needed it too. "Alright, alright," Bella snapped at the wolf, making Rosalie arch an eyebrow at her.

"Has being a wolf driven you so close to insanity that you're hearing voices now, or was that one of your packmates?" Rosalie asked dryly.

"Oh, I'm definitely losing my fucking mind," Bella growled as she stomped over to Rosalie, stopping right on the border. "Come here," Bella spat at Rosalie, still worked up from fighting with her wolf.

Rosalie narrowed her eyes, and was about to give it to Bella for talking to her like that, no matter how much she wanted to do just what Bella had said. But before Rosalie got the words out, Bella shook herself with a grimace.

"Shit, I didn't mean it like…" Bella met Rosalie's gaze, giving the blonde the most heartbreaking puppy dog look she had ever seen in all of her years as both a human and vampire. "Please, Rose?"

Letting out a long breath and reminding herself not to throw the "please" back in Bella's face, Rosalie walked over to Bella, taking her time just to show, both to herself and the alpha, that she hadn't been driven as crazy by the separation as it appeared Bella had been. Rosalie was pretty sure she had done a good job of that, seeing as Rosalie felt like she had just told the biggest lie in history without saying a word. Rosalie was actually amazed that she hadn't completely lost it in the short walk over to where Bella stood.

Once she had stopped walking, the two just stared at each other for the longest time. It was at that moment that Rosalie remembered that she was supposed to be trying to break down those walls Bella seemed to have and actually get to claiming the wolf. Rosalie had decided to give up on fighting the imprint, hadn't she? But damn it, why did she have to be so stubborn and proud all the time? She really would need Tanya to help her if this is the kind of way Rosalie acted towards her mate on instinct.

Bella just couldn't hold back anymore. She needed to touch her mate. So without any thought, Bella reached out and brushed some of the rain from Rosalie's cheek. Her fingers lingered, and both she and Rosalie sighed with relief from the contact.

The rain started to let up, but of course neither moved besides Bella cupping Rosalie's cheek, and Rosalie leaning in to the contact. Both girls gazed at each other, seeing the warring emotions in their mate's eyes.

"This is killing me," Bella said at last. "I hate you, hate this, but at the same time I don't. It's driving me insane."

"Well, I don't." Realizing what words had escaped her, Rosalie scowled. She wasn't one for leaving herself open and vulnerable, even with her mate. Especially with her mate, with what a piece of work Bella and she could be when around each other. "Not completely, anyways. I've wanted, needed a mate for so long, and if fate or whatever has decided that my mate is you...well, let's just say I've given up fighting it."

"You realize how fucked up this is, don't you?" Bella demanded, getting a little pissed off. "Everything we are mixes like oil and water. Not just our personalities; we're werewolf and vampire, and on opposite sides. We have a treaty line separating us since before I was born, for fucks sake. We even smell horrible, practically repulsive to each other. Not to mention I-" Bella immediately cut herself off and looked away with a low snarl, realizing that she had been seconds away from revealing something personal about herself, something she had never talked to anyone about, even her father and Jacob. She had never felt the need to share it before, and she'd be damned if she was going to talk about it now, regardless of how easily Bella had nearly admitted it.

"You don't smell bad to me. Just the opposite." Rosalie could tell she was losing Bella fast-something Bella had been about to say must have set her off. With a desperation she'd never admit, she grabbed Bella's hand, which was still cupping her face. Bella's eyes, which had gone distant and darkened, not with anger but with something that deeply troubled her, focused again. She looked up at Rosalie, and for a moment, Rosalie saw it; the look on Bella's face was so lonely and scared, it would have taken Rosalie's breath away had she needed to breathe. This wasn't the look of a wounded alpha, this was the face of a hurt, abandoned child, one who was terrified of being alone again.

A second later, the expression was gone, and Bella was frowning at Rosalie. The blonde didn't know if Bella had even realized she had accidentally let Rosalie see inside of her, but she knew better to bring it up. Rosalie had her own demons, after all, and her own reactions to it being brought up caused her to go on the defensive. If by defensive, that meant Rosalie would verbally and even physically attack whoever mentioned it, doing everything she could to tear whoever it was down and make them understand that they should never talk about whatever the subject was again.

Trying to lighten the mood, Rosalie offered Bella a wry smile. "Yeah, that's right, I'll admit it. You don't just smell good to me; your scent draws me in." Her smile turned into a smirk as she added, "Your little pack, on the other hand, reeks. And I often smell them all over you. So perhaps you should bathe a little more often, perhaps five times a day? Then I might actually be able to stand being in your presence and enjoy your natural scent while pretending you still smell horrible." Rosalie was getting a little nervous now, as Bella still didn't say anything. Exuding nothing but confidence, Rosalie dropped her hand from Bella's and placed it on her cocked hip. "What? You can't honestly tell me that I don't smell good to you too. I'm your fucking imprint, aren't I?"

"Yeah," Bella admitted softly, almost under her breath, as she nodded. There was a flash of vulnerability in her eyes, but Rosalie didn't get a chance to study it as Bella grabbed Rosalie around the waist and jerked her into her body. Rosalie fought the urge to shiver as Bella's hot body enveloped hers, almost as if the alpha were shielding her from the outside world. Bella's face in Rosalie's neck, Bella breathed in Rosalie's scent, making her instincts go haywire and her wolf howl in joy, before admitting, "Your scent draws me in too."

Had Rosalie been human, she would have broken out in goosebumps as Bella's breath danced across her skin. She felt warmer than ever before as she said, "That's what I thought." Strangely enough, she actually sounded breathless. How could a creature who didn't need to breathe actually be out of breath?

Bella's body shuddered with need. All of the reasons as to why this was a bad idea flooded her mind, but her wolf was there to block them, chase them away, and let Bella bask in how good it felt now that she was giving in.

Rosalie's arms circled Bella's neck and Rosalie pressed closer, feeling Bella's muscled body against her, without a thought. And that was the thing, Rosalie couldn't think. Not a single word or wonder about how something so simple could feel this good came into her head. Her mind was completely silent, her instincts, which were usually screaming at her to give in to her need and take her mate by any means necessary, were just as quiet as her mind. And Rosalie had never felt more content in her entire life.

Rosalie went from a puddle of mush in Bella's arms to hyper alert stone, however, the second Bella's teeth scraped along Rosalie's neck. All of her instincts woke back up, and Rosalie gasped at the intensity of it. The desire for Bella's bite, and the need for Rosalie to do the same to the wolf, was nearly overwhelming, to the point Rosalie's fingers dug in to Bella's back in an effort to anchor herself.

Bella tightened her grip with a low rumble, sensing the change in Rosalie's body, sensing her need. Her wolf was pacing, snarling, demanding Bella give it to Rosalie. That Bella bite and fuck and claim, to give both herself and the vampire what they needed so badly.

No. If Bella gave in now, if Bella opened herself up to this girl, let herself love her, she'd be leaving herself vulnerable. Rosalie would leave her, just like Bella's mother had done. Would leave her screaming and crying and begging for her to come back, just like the pathetic little kid Bella had been all those years ago. There was no way it couldn't happen, not with them on opposite sides, even with the mating bond.

Rosalie buried her face in Bella's throat and whimpered with need, and Bella stared down at the blonde in her arms. Despite knowing what would happen, in that moment, Bella didn't care. She was going to do it. She was going to love this vampire, even if they fought every minute of their lives together, if that meant Rosalie would be happy. Bella would take on the agony when Rosalie left her, just for one more moment like this.

Bella leaned in, her mouth skimming Rosalie's neck, letting out a wolvin whine as Rosalie tilted her head to the side, giving Bella more access. Bella was about to bite, to claim Rosalie as hers, if only for a moment. And then she sensed it. Or, more specifically, she sensed them.

"Bella, we came to check on-what the-?"

With a snarl, Bella released Rosalie and spun to glare at Colin and Brady, claws out and eyes taking on a feral tinge of her wolf.

"Shit. Is that a vampire?" Colin gasped, staring dumbly at Bella, as Rosalie was behind Bella, being shielded by her. Brady shuddered with a snarl, his wolf rising, demanding it be released to fight the potential threat.

"It's nothing," Bella snapped, the alpha in her so strong, even in her voice, that it pressed down on the two young teens like a physical force. Brady stopped fighting the shift, as his wolf retreated with a whine, and both boys dropped to a knee.

Rosalie felt the power too, but instead of needing to fall, Rosalie felt the need to rise towards it, be closer towards it. Her nails scraping the skin of Bella's upper back, Rosalie pressed her body against Bella's from behind, kissing Bella's skin right between her shoulder blades.

Bella tensed under the kiss, nearly distracted from the boys by her need to have Rosalie, right then and there. But she couldn't. For one thing, she was right in front of two very impressionable teens, teens who didn't know what was going on.

"Go," Bella growled at Rosalie, digging her claws into her palms in an effort to control herself. "Now. Before we find ourselves in even more shit."

At first, Rosalie scowled, and nearly even opened her mouth to start arguing. However, she then realized Bella clearly had some alpha business to take care of, and how hard it might be, as Bella would need to explain why she had been holding a vampire on pack lands. Also, while Rosalie still buzzed, her body craving more from the alpha, they clearly couldn't continue, and Rosalie didn't want to end everything on a bad note. Who knew how far that would take both of them back?

Rosalie touched Bella's back in understanding, and then she was running. Running, and then hunting as she struggled to deal with all the wild emotions inside of her. But even after filling herself, she still felt need. Need to fight and punch and fuck. None of which was easily taken care of, at least not right now.

Tanya. Rosalie needed to call Tanya. The older vampire would calm her just like she always did, and they would be able to update each other.

Desperate, Rosalie grabbed her phone and made the call. Tanya picked up on the first ring.

"What happened?" Tanya asked, concern in her voice. She knew something was wrong, and that Rosalie needed to talk before Rosalie could even take a breath, could even think about whether the older vampire might actually be able to hear this without feeling any type of discomfort or pain.

All it took was that honey voice, and Rosalie spilled everything that happened. Tanya listened attentively, then offered advice, and openly wondered about Bella's reaction to certain events and what might have happened to her. Then, when Tanya sensed Rosalie couldn't handle anymore talk about her mate troubles, Tanya easily and seamlessly switched topics to what was going on up in Denali.

Rosalie sensed there might be something wrong, and so she started to press the other blonde for answers, knowing that Tanya probably didn't want to give Rosalie any more stress. Finally, Tanya broke and admitted that there might be some trouble with Laurent, who was wooing Irina, and Rosalie gave some advice about that; mainly, to rip off his balls and shove them down his throat if he tried anything.

They talked and talked, talked until Rosalie's battery was about to die and the sun was setting. Having no choice but to hang up, as she didn't want to continue having this conversation at the house where nosey vampires might be able to listen in, the two said their goodbyes and ended the call.

Feeling much better, although incomplete, Rosalie let out a sigh and looked back towards the reservation, craving her mate. Instead of following her desire, Rosalie turned away and started walking home.