Bella returned from visiting her mother, finding me already at her house. As she entered, she confided in me about her time with her mother, expressing how much she cherished those moments but struggled with the inevitable goodbyes. Aware that it marked the final occasion she would lay eyes on her before undergoing the transformation into a vampire.

I neglected to mention the encounter with Victoria, opting instead to conceal the lingering handprint around my throat with a scarf. The thought of recounting what my Grams had revealed to me weighed heavily on me, especially seeing Bella's joy at being back. I couldn't bear to burden her with worries. My worries.

As the school day progressed, I couldn't shake the unease that settled over me when Bella failed to appear in any of my classes. Concern gnawed at me until I mustered the courage to inquire about her whereabouts. Students revealed that she had climbed on a motorcycle with a boy from La Push. Instantly, I connected the dots: it had to be Jacob. He had been evading Bella's and my attempts to reach him for weeks, only to suddenly materialize and whisk her away for a ride. A picture of Edward's reaction to this revelation flashed in my mind, and I could almost feel the tension crackling in the air. But he would have been mostly pissed at the fact.

As night descended upon the town, I lingered at school to finish up some tasks. Pulling into my driveway, I expertly manoeuvred the truck into its spot before switching off the engine and swinging open the door. Stepping out, I closed the door with a resounding thud and secured the truck with a click of the lock. I strolled around, my gaze fixed on my car keys which also housed the house key. Upon reaching the porch steps, I began to ascend, my focus still on the keys until I lifted my eyes and found myself met with a pair of charcoal-black eyes. Leaning against the front door frame was Emmett.

Suppressing a sigh, memories of my actions from the other day flooded my thoughts. "Emmett, hey," I greeted, attempting to mask any hint of unease. "What are you doing here?" I inquired, reaching the final step and stepping onto the porch.

"I need you to come with me," Emmett stated with a gravity that caught my attention, prompting a concerned tilt of my head. "I'll explain on the way," he continued, as though he could anticipate my questions before I even asked them.

Without a word of protest, I descended the porch steps and stepped onto the path, Emmett immediately matching my pace. His presence was reassuring as he took the lead, guiding us towards the car he had brought. Although I didn't have a chance to fully inspect it, I obediently slid into the passenger seat and closed the door with a firm thud. As the engine roared to life, propelling us forward, I braced myself for whatever awaited us. I just had a gut feeling that it wasn't going to be good...

...............

During the drive, Emmett elaborated on the situation. Edward had caught a scent he couldn't identify, sparking concern for Bella's safety. Given recent events involving Victoria, Carlisle deemed it necessary for me to be brought to them for protection. While the gesture was appreciated, a surge of anger welled within me as I contemplated the circumstances. If only they were aware of my true nature and the assistance I could offer, perhaps it would alleviate the tension. Yet, I couldn't shake the nagging doubt: would revealing the truth truly change anything, or would the status quo persist?

In a matter of moments, we pulled up to the house, and I practically leapt out of the car before Emmett had even fully halted it. Racing up the steps, I swung open the front door with a swift motion, my footsteps echoing through the quiet foyer as I ascended the staircase. Soft murmurs of conversation drifted from the living room above, guiding my steps.

Entering the room, I found Bella seated on the plush blue couch, engaged in conversation with Alice. Rose occupied a red leather armchair by the fireplace, her posture poised and alert. Esme stood nearby, her gentle presence a comforting presence in the room. Carlisle stood beside Alice; his demeanour composed yet attentive. And in the centre of it all stood Edward, his expression unreadable as his eyes met with mine, briefly.

"Bella," I exhaled her name, locking eyes with her as she sprang to her feet and dashed towards me. Meeting her halfway, we collided in a tight embrace, the worry evident in my racing heart palpable against her own. "Are you okay?" I asked, pulling back slightly once the hug felt sufficient.

"Are you?!" Bella's voice rose, her gaze fixated on the scarf adorning my neck, and I winced inwardly, realizing someone must have informed her about my encounter with Victoria. "Why didn't you tell me?" Her words were tinged with anger, yet laced with genuine concern.

"I didn't want you to worry," I responded, reaching for the black woolly scarf and unravelling it from around my neck. As it fell away, Bella's gaze fixed upon the black and purple imprint that remained, a silent testament to the recent ordeal. Though the swelling had subsided and the pain had dissipated, thanks to my Gram's tea, she looked utterly devastated at the sight.

"Oh, Charlotte," Bella exclaimed, running a hand through her hair. I braced myself, uncertain if she was about to scold me. Instead, she surprised me by doing the opposite, pulling me into another hug with even greater intensity, her arms enveloping me tightly. "Don't... Don't ever go outside," she states earnestly as if implying she'd prefer to put me on house arrest. However, I couldn't help but chuckle at her directive.

"I faced a vampire and lived to tell the tale. That's gotta count for something," I retorted, watching as she pulled back from the hug, her gaze meeting mine as she shook her head softly, a chuckle escaping her lips. "I'm ok, Bella, really," I reassured her, gripping her hand as it slid down my arm. I wanted to convey that I hadn't been seriously injured and that there wouldn't be any lasting effects.

Once she seemed satisfied with my appearance and noted my calm demeanour, she nodded in silent agreement with my reassurance. Hand in hand, we made our way back to the couch, Alice graciously shifting to make space for Bella and me. Bella settled in between Alice and me, forming a comforting trio on the couch. Crossing one leg over the other, I glanced around at the Cullens, observing the shared characteristic of their charcoal-black eyes, with their usual golden hue nowhere to be seen. I recalled Emmett mentioning that when they refrain from feeding for a while, their eyes transition to black.

"Who is it? Someone we know?" Carlisle inquired, his gaze fixed on Edward, hands tucked into his pants pockets.

"This stranger, I didn't recognise his scent," Edward responded to Carlisle's query, at least we knew it was a he.

"A nomad passing through?" Esme suggested, offering a potential explanation.

"A passerby wouldn't have left Bella's father alive," Rose interjected, grim though the notion was, it rang true.

"The scent disappeared about five miles south of Bella's house," Jasper announced, entering the room alongside Emmett. It was evident they had ventured out together to track down this mysterious individual. Emmett circled around Jasper, positioning himself a few inches away from the couch to my left, assuming a protective stance as if he were standing guard over me.

"Someone's orchestrating this," Carlisle declared, emphasizing that it couldn't be a mere coincidence.

"Victoria?" Bella suggested, voicing the name that had also crossed my mind as a potential culprit.

I observed Alice shake her head before she spoke. "I would have seen her decision," she affirmed, redirecting her gaze to Bella.

"It must be the Volturi," Edward declared, and the mere mention of their name ignited a fire of hate within me. Unconsciously, I clenched my hand into a fist, feeling the colour drain from my knuckles as they turned white.

"I don't think it's the Volturi either," Alice stated, her head tilting towards Edward. "I've been watching Aro's decisions too," she added, keeping track of all relevant people in this situation.

"So, we keep looking," Emmett's rough voice interjected from beside me, prompting me to turn my attention and lift my head to meet the side of his face, as he stared at his family. His arms were crossed over his broad, tense chest, a posture that I had come to recognize over the months I had spent here, indicating his determination and readiness for action.

"We'll also take shifts guarding Bella and Charlotte at their houses," Carlisle announced a plan, prompting me to quickly redirect my focus towards him.

"Another protection detail?" Rose remarked dryly, her displeasure evident in her tone.

"Rosalie," Carlisle cautioned gently, his gaze meeting hers.

"No, she's right," Bella interjected from my right, her eyes lifting to meet Edward's gaze. "You can't protect both me and Charlotte, watch over my dad and her grandma, and search for the intruder," she reasoned, recognizing the limitations of their resources.

"And for Victoria," Rosalie added, her eyes locking with Bella's.

"And feed yourselves," I interjected, my voice adding to the tension permeating the room.

"I'm not leaving you defenceless," Edward declared, his gaze unwaveringly fixed on Bella, conveying his determination not to leave her side in the face of any potential threat.

"Well, I'm not gonna let you starve," Bella asserted, prioritizing Edward's needs over her own. "And I won't be unprotected. I-I have—" Bella faltered, her gaze drifting away from Edward. However, she avoided looking in my direction, unwilling to reveal anything further.

"What?" Edward narrowed his gaze, curious about Bella's intentions, though I had a vague inkling of who she might be referring to.

"You're referring to Jacob, aren't you?" I questioned, tilting my head as I shifted my gaze to Bella, who met it and nodded in confirmation. "I know you guys want to look out for me, and that's sweet, but I don't need a protection detail," I added, eyes fluttering between the Cullens for a moment, as they seemed taken back by my comment.

"Charlotte, we need to keep you safe in case Victoria or this stranger comes after you," Emmett's rough voice resonated in my ears, prompting me to meet his gaze. There was something unsettling about his black eyes, but I refused to let fear take hold.

They needed to know; after all, they had been there for me countless times, and now they were putting themselves at risk for my sake. I couldn't allow it. If I possessed the ability to make a difference, then I was damn well going to use it. Their unwavering support compelled me to act, fuelled by a sense of duty and gratitude.

"Ok. I need to tell you all something," I exclaimed, springing up from the couch with a sense of urgency as if the words were poised to spill out at any moment. Bella abruptly rose beside me, clutching onto my forearm tightly, her fingers wrapping around with a firm grip.

"Charlotte, are you sure?" Bella turned inward, her voice barely audible as she muttered the words, attempting to keep them from being overheard, though I knew they would have been.

"They deserve to know," I replied, offering her a gentle expression that conveyed my implicit trust in them, akin to the trust I had placed in her. She nodded briefly, loosening her grip on my forearm before swiftly settling back onto the couch. I redirected my focus to the room, noting that everyone seemed to be on the edge of their seats, eagerly anticipating what I was about to confess.

I released a deep sigh through pursed lips, mentally preparing myself to divulge the significant secret I had been holding. "I know why Victoria is hunting me," I started, my voice trembling slightly at the outset but quickly regaining its composure. "It's because I'm a witch," the words tumbled out too quickly for me to soften their impact. Their reactions were akin to stone statues, their faces expressionless as they processed my revelation, unwilling to display any emotion.

Oh boy, what have I done?

**********************