On the outskirts of Seattle, the two vampires stood as they witnessed their newborn army fighting amongst themself from a distance. Riley sneered a little as he looked at them all, knowing that they were disposable and would be gone as soon as they had served their purpose. In less than 24 hours, he'd be free of the burden that they had became and he'd be with his love, freely and finally.

He felt a mixture of exhilaration and unease as he brushed tightly against the red-head on the secluded catwalk, away from the prying eyes of their newborn army. The dim light of the setting sun cast an eerie glow on their figures, creating a dark, discomfiting mirror image of the peaceful scenes that had unfolded earlier in the night. 

"You're not coming with us?" Riley asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

"It will be a last-minute decision. I told you how it works," Victoria replied, her tone calm but assertive. She knew that he was an easy target but she was beginning to get annoyed by his constant clinginess. The one thing that had drawn her to him as the perfect mouldable newborn was beginning to drive her crazy.

"Right, the Cullens have powers," Riley mumbled, his eyes glancing around nervously.

Victoria almost pulled away slightly, hiding the hint of irritation that came close to flickering across her features as she lowered her voice to a gentle purr and pressed herself against the younger vampire. "Don't underestimate them, Riley. You'll have the numbers, but they'll be able to anticipate your every move."

Riley shrugged, trying to hide his skepticism. "According to your dead friend."

The change in her expression was subtle but noticeable. Victoria pulled back a little from him, eyeing him intensely. Riley didn't know that James was her mate, but rather that Laurent had once been her close friend. He didn't know that this was all just one large revenge scheme, in the name of love and not friendship. 

"Yes, my dead friend. Laurent found out about the things they could do, and they killed him. But not before he told me."

"Maybe he was wrong," Riley suggested, trying to make sense of the situation. "I mean, this is supposed to be Cullen territory. But we've been tearing it up, and I've never even seen them here."

Fury flared in Victoria's eyes, and suddenly, she was standing several feet away from him, her posture defensive. "You don't trust me," she accused.

Riley hurriedly tried to backtrack, realizing that he might have offended the redhead. "No, no, it's not that. I trust you with my life. I'm just saying that..."

Victoria cut him off, her voice firm and resolute. "I'm doing this for us. So that we can feed without their retaliation. I can't live in fear anymore, waiting for them to attack. Waiting for her to attack, that ex of yours..."

In an instant, Riley found himself next to her, his arms wrapping around her protectively. "I won't let them," he vowed. "I'm going to end the Cullen clan. I swear. And Kiara Black too - I can't even remember any feelings for her, and even if I did I wouldn't hesitate. Not when it comes to you."

Victoria looked into his eyes, and a false hint of vulnerability softened her expression. She kissed him fiercely, as if trying to convey the depth of her emotions through that one passionate act. Everything was falling into place, and the Cullens were going to pay for the hell that they had put her through.

"I love you. So much," she whispered, her voice catching with unspoken emotions.

As the night deepened, they stood on the catwalk, lost in each other's embrace, oblivious to the dark forces gathering in the shadows. Unbeknownst to them, the Cullens had been planning, waiting for the right moment to confront the relentless army that Victoria had assembled.

There was one thing Victoria hadn't planned for: the wolves and the Cullens joining forces to take her down.

_____

"She's doing too much," Rosalie muttered as they walked behind Bella, Edward and Jacob. Bella had been smearing her blood over almost every tree they had passed, instead of just one or two here and there like Jasper had suggested that both girls do.

They wanted to draw attention away from the battleground, but not give away their direct location. Kiara wanted to agree with Rosalie, but she was well aware that they were in earshot of her brother and if he overheard her unease, she was sure that he would somehow find a way to sabotage the current plan. Sure, it had it's concerns, but overall she knew that it was their best chance.

Kiara couldn't help but strain her hearing a little as Bella and Edward spoke in hushed tones, getting the feeling that there was something they were discussing that they didn't want the wolves to hear. Whatever it was, it seemed like Rosalie wasn't interested as she continued to talk over the top of their hushed tones.

"Hey, I'm going to head up," Edward called over to the duo as they looked over to see that Jacob had now joined Bella's side too. Kiara smiled gently at her brother, feeling a little bit of comfort in his presence. After everything that had been said and done between them, things were starting to feel a little bit more like they used to. She knew that Jacob still wasn't overly pleased about the imprint, but he had been trying to come to terms with it. Slow progress was still progress.

"We'll come with you," Rosalie replied, sending a side eyed glance towards Bella and Jacob. She knew exactly what Edward and Bella had been discussing, and she knew that Jacob needed to find out about their plans to get married without anyone else getting involved. Rosalie hoped that a moment of peace with him alone would be the push that Bella needed to just rip the bandaid off. She wasn't entirely sure what the repercussions would be from Kiara's side, but she knew that the youngest Black wolf had no reason to be against their union. 

Well, other that the elephant in the room that Bella was probably going to die and turn into a vampire at some point - much to Rosalie's disgust.

Edward nodded at her, turning on his heel and taking off into the forest without another word. Kiara huffed, sending Jacob and Bella a small smile before moving back into the shade of the trees to take her clothes off and avoid them shredding as she shifted. Rosalie smiled as the wolf stepped back into their line of sight, noticing the way that Kiara seemed to shine as the sun peeked through the trees and bounced off the black and russet fur.

"See you soon," Jacob called out to his sister. A promise.

_____

By the time Bella and Jacob had made it to the camp that the three had set up, snowflakes had began to dance in the air, swirling like a graceful ballet of frozen crystals. The wintry wind howled with an icy chill as Bella shivered a little, tucking herself a little tighter against Jacob as he slowed from a run to a walk. The trio watched as Jacob gently set her down near the campsite that had been erected against the sheltering face of the mountain. The entire time, Edward stood there, his eyes never leaving Bella.

Kiara snorted as she looked at Jacob, comparing the difference in clothing between the two siblings. Jacob was still in just his cropped shorts and no shirt, while Kiara had at least got a small coverup sweatshirt thrown over her shoulders now. They both ran hot, but even Kiara knew that the snow-peaked mountain top was a little bit colder than she was used to.

Amidst the flurry of his emotions, Edward turned to Jacob, acknowledging the role he had played in bringing Bella back. "Thank you," he said, a hint of gratitude in his voice. Rosalie rolled her eyes a little, causing Kiara to lightly nudge her in the side as she tried to remind her to play nice.

Jacob nodded in response, his expression firm and determined. Bella, however, turned her attention to him as well, her eyes reflecting gratitude and concern. "You should get back before the storm hits," she urged, worried for his safety.

But Jacob was resolute. "No, I'm staying," he replied, fully aware of the significance of his presence. "You'll need my connection to the pack, to keep tabs on what's going on."

Edward looked down, his displeasure at the idea apparent, especially since he didn't think it was necessary since Kiara was there. The counter argument had been more powerful, with the boy having insisted that Kiara couldn't stay in her wolf form all night as she would still need to sleep. She'd taken patrol the previous night, so she was already exhausted as it was. With the impending battle against the unknown forces, she needed her energy to be at its peak.

"You're not going to fight?" she asked, her voice tinged with surprise.

"He is," Kiara interrupted, wanting to just get settled into her and Rosalie's tent for the night. "Him and Rose will switch with Seth in the morning. He's not happy about missing the action, but it'll keep him out of trouble. Besides, I promised Leah I'd keep him safe up here."

Bella nodded at her friend's words, her heart a mix of conflicting emotions. She knew that not staying behind was the wisest choice for Jacob, yet she couldn't help but wish for his unwavering presence beside her.

Edward, sensing Bella's emotions, gently guided her towards the nearby tent. "Let's get you inside," he said tenderly, recognizing that she needed a moment to process everything that had happened. "You too, Kiara."

Rosalie and Kiara weren't going to argue with that - they'd seen enough of the love triangle to last them for the rest of the year. Almost an hour passed by in their cozy shelter, before Kiara found herself shuffling and leaning against Rosalie to try and cool down a little. The storm raged outside, but her werewolf body heat had created an uncomfortable warmth in the tent. Kiara was faintly aware of Jacob unzipping Bella and Edwards tent but tuned out the argument that she was sure Edward and Jacob were about to have.

Rosalie welcomed the gesture, understanding Kiara's need for comfort in such an intense moment. She wrapped her arm around the girl, offering a reassuring presence that they were in this together. The crackling of nearby firewood added an additional touch of comfort to the atmosphere, and for a moment, the world outside seemed distant and muted.

Kiara's mind couldn't help but wander to the upcoming battle against the newborns and potentially Victoria. The thought of the coven and her pack facing unknown adversaries, with so much at stake, weighed heavily on her heart. A piece of her wondered, deep down, if this was all her fault for wandering around the forest by herself the first time she had encountered Victoria. Her hand subconsciously reached up to trace along the raised scar from where the vampire's teeth had sunk into her neck.

Rosalie noticed the action, letting out a small disgruntled noise as she reached over to intertwine their fingers together instead. Kiara smiled up at her, a soft blush crossing her face as she leaned back and let Rosalie fully encircle her arms around the girl. Ever since Kiara had accepted the imprint, the one place in the world that she felt the most comfortable was in her girlfriend's arms.

"Do you ever regret coming to Forks?" Kiara asked, no judgement in her voice as she titled her head to look at Rosalie in the dim light. She felt how the blonde tensed up a little at the question, but there was no hesitation in the vampire's answer to her.

"Yes and no, but ultimately never - because it led me to you," Rosalie replied, being vague in her answer as she thought about the impending reveal of Bella getting engaged to Edward. She regretted that aspect of her family coming to Forks. A human life was inevitably going to be ruined because of their kind once more, so yes, she did have some regrets about taking up residence in the town. "I'd never regret meeting you."

"I'm glad," Kiara replied, a little bit of smugness in her chest as Rosalie said that. The fire outside that illuminated their tent crackled, its embers casting dots and glows that danced like tiny stars in the sky. There was no uncertainty in Kiara's thoughts as she snuggled a little closer to Rosalie, her eyes fluttering shut as she slowly began to drift off in the comfort of the blonde's arms.

"Can you, at least attempt to control your thoughts?"

"I really get under that ice cold skin of yours, don't I?"

She sighed as she flickered her eyes open in annoyance at the sounds of Edward and Jacob bickering in the tent across the snowy mountain top from the girls. Rosalie scoffed a little, almost being able to feel the agitation that was now seeping from Kiara at her almost sleep being disrupted.

"Do they ever rest?"

"Edward asked her to marry him, and she said yes. Your brother doesn't know yet."

A beat of silence passed as Kiara thought she had imagined the words that came from Rosalie's mouth. It wasn't surprising, but yet she found herself truly taken aback by the scenario that was now being presented in front of her.

Fuck. Kiara thought, her heart skipping a beat as the questions slowly started to rush around her head. She pushed them down, knowing that now was not the time.

"Oh."

"Kie..." Rosalie started, but the brunette stopped her.

"We can talk about this after we've made sure everyone is safe," Kiara replied, sending Rosalie a smile to show that she wasn't upset at her for not having told her sooner. "But if it's alright with you, I don't think Jake needs to know until after... everything. He won't have a clear head."

Kiara wasn't sure she would either. She knew what Bella marrying Edward meant, she wasn't stupid. It had been discussed time and time again by the pack. Humans didn't just marry vampires and grow old with them.

A piece of her wondered what this was all for. They were about to fight an army of newborn vampires to protect Bella Swan from dying. A piece of Kiara prayed that none of her pack mates or friends were going to get killed in the process of keeping Bella alive. In Kiara's eyes, she was dying anyway.

_____

The morning came quicker than Kiara had expected, and with it came the departure of Rosalie. Seth had arrived and there was no time to be wasted in preparation for the battle that was brewing. He had shifted back into his human boy form, and had been rekindling the fire that had blown out since Jacob had ended up sleeping in the tent with Bella instead of on guard like originally planned.

The vampire and werewolf's entwined fingers bore witness to the depth of their bond, a love that transcended the boundaries of their respective worlds. They had fought against all odds to be together, and now, they stood united not just in love but in a common cause. Kiara just prayed that they'd be standing like this in a few hours, with no casualties on their side.

"I never thought I'd be standing here, holding hands with a vampire," Kiara joked, a mixture of awe and admiration in her voice as she gazed at Rosalie. Rosalie simply rolled her eyes, scoffing at how corny she was being and almost hating that it was in front of someone else.

Rosalie smiled, her golden eyes softening with affection. "Life has a way of surprising us."

"Indeed, it does. I can't believe how far we've come."

"We'll be fine," Rosalie reassured Kiara, sensing that the girl was beginning to stress over them not being near each other during the fight. Sam had pre-warned Kiara that not being with her imprint was going to be very hard to suck up, but Rosalie had been adamant that she needed to be fighting alongside her family. "Nothing will tear us apart."

Kiara's gaze held a mix of love and determination as she leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to Rosalie's lips. 

"I'll see you soon," she whispered, her breath mingling with Rosalie's. "As soon as any of the boys give the all clear, I'll be right at your side."

"Don't worry, I'll keep her safe," Seth said from the campfire, puffing his chest up a little. Rosalie still was cold towards all of the wolves, but Kiara noticed how she fought to keep her lip from twitching upwards a little at the boys attempt to ease them both. 

"More like the other way around," Kiara muttered before stepping back from Rosalie with one last quick kiss. The blonde nodded at them both, her eyes not leaving Kiara's until she sped into the trees towards the heart of the battleground below.

Seth continued to watch Kiara out of the corner of his eye, having been separately warned by Sam that she was more likely to be easily agitated and stressed once Rosalie had left her. He had seen it in Sam that morning when the man had said goodbye to Emily, but there was a higher level of risk here. Emily wasn't fighting in the battle whereas Rosalie was all but leading the charge.

She let out a deep sigh, her eyes fixed on the horizon where Rosalie had merged into the trees as she went to stand alongside the young boy. "I can't help but feel useless, Seth. We're supposed to be part of the pack, fighting alongside them, and yet here we are, left behind."

Seth nodded, his gaze mirroring the concern in his friend's eyes. "It sucks, but they want to protect us."

"But I don't want to be protected like a helpless pup," Kiara retorted, her frustration evident. "Jake, your sister, the boys... they're out there risking their lives, and I'm stuck here, twiddling my thumbs and just waiting to see if Riley or Victoria are going to turn up and try to kill Bella or me."

Seth placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, understanding the pain of feeling sidelined while their siblings fought against the army below them. "They've been through Jasper's training a lot, and they know what they're doing."

"I just wish there was something we could do, some way we could help."

Seth grinned at her, that child-like look back on his face that Kiara wished she could protect forever. Even with the death of his father and him and his sister turning into wolves, Seth had never once let that spark inside of him get crushed. Kiara thought the world would be a better place if everyone just loved as warmly as Seth did.

"Sometimes, the best way to help is to trust and have faith in those we care about," Seth replied, causing Kiara to look at him in amusement.

"When did you get so smart?"

The two chuckled between each other, before their laughter stopped as they watched Jacob storm away into the trees. Seth furrowed his eyebrows, not sure why his friend would leave without saying goodbye to them. Kiara felt her stomach drop, her eyes flickering across the clearing to look at where Edward and Bella were standing with different expressions on their faces.

"Kie..." Bella started, but a loud howl broke through the air and interrupted Kiara, Edward and Seth's attention span. She might not have heard it, but the three supernaturals certainly did. Bella jumped in surprise as Seth and Kiara phased without a second of hesitation, their clothes now lying in shredded piles on the ground with their heckles raised as they felt the chatter of the pack curse through their heads.

"It's starting."