The cold morning air swept through the clearing, as Bella found herself on the isolated outskirts of the battlefield. It was deadly silent, and she couldn't help but frantically flicker her eyes between the two wolves and Edward, who were all deadly quiet as they watched the battle play out in their heads. She'd never liked being a fly on the wall, and this certainly wasn't any different. Her eyes overanalysed every movement they made, any sound that escaped their lips. From small snarls to Edward's mutterings of annoyance about Jasper doing too much at once, there was so much chaos that she just couldn't hear. 

Then just like that, Edward's mind was cut off from the battlefield, leaving him momentarily disoriented. He blinked, trying to regain his bearings, but the sense of unease grew as he realized that Seth and Kiara, too, had frozen in place. That scent... they all knew it too well at this point.

His eyes met Seth's, and in that brief moment, an unspoken understanding passed between them. With a tense look, Edward opened his mouth to order Seth to go, and without hesitation, Seth bolted away from the campsite, his wolf form a blur in the darkness. Kiara stayed put despite Edward's pleas, the girl instead shifting back into her human form and pulling on one of the spare sets of clothes at the side of the tent.

Bella's worry was palpable as she spoke, "Someone's hurt?"

Edward was more focused on how Kiara had just changed back from her safer form and into her human skin. He turned to face her with a deep scowl on his face, now aware that he was going to have to keep an eye on her too unless she shifted back.

"What the hell are you doing?" He spat, venom almost dripping from his lips as he noticed how Kiara was still in a defensive stance. "Shift back!"

Before he could say anything else, the crunch of a branch from the opposite side of the clearing caused his fight or flight instincts to kick in and instantly move to protect Bella without thought. He moved with preternatural speed, guiding Bella behind him against a cliff wall. With a swift, defensive stance, he positioned himself as a barrier between her and any potential danger. His senses were alert, his gaze scanning the surrounding area, as he listened intently to the sounds of the battlefield.

Edward didn't have time to answer before he heard the faint but distinct rustling of leaves nearby once more. His eyes narrowed as he focused on the direction of the sound. "She's close," he said quietly, his voice low but tense. "I can hear her thoughts. She knew we weren't there, but she caught my scent. Kiara, I swear..."

"It's not just her," Kiara breathed, her eyes meeting a red of crimson ones across the clearing and instantly feeling her stomach churn a little. Their suspicions had been right all along - Riley Biers was standing in front of her and had been working with Victoria this entire time.

The tension was palpable as Riley emerged from the shadows of the woods, catching Bella off guard. She recognized him immediately, the boy Kiara had a Summer fling with from the posters her father had shown her, now a pawn in Victoria's deadly game. Riley cautiously edged closer, his eyes locked onto every move Edward made, unsure of his next step. Bella and Edward maintained a cautious stance, anticipating the unfolding confrontation.

"Riley... Listen to me," Edward spoke firmly, attempting to reason with the conflicted boy. "Victoria is just using you to distract me. But she knows I'll kill you." Riley hesitated, surprised to be directly addressed by Edward. The weight of the situation hung heavy in the air as Edward continued, "In fact, she'll be glad she doesn't have to deal with you anymore."

Suddenly, Victoria emerged from the depths of the woods, completing a tense circle with Riley, Kiara, Bella, and Edward at its perimeter. Her presence exuded a mix of danger and malevolence, instilling fear in Bella's heart. Victoria was quick to refute Edward's words, aiming to manipulate Riley back to her side.

"Don't listen, Riley. I told you about their mind tricks," Victoria warned, her voice honeyed with deceit. "That one there, she's the one that loved you. She just wants you back and all to herself."

Kiara could have thrown up if it wasn't such a serious situation. She scoffed, her eyes alighting a fire of fury towards the red-head as the woman smirked towards the wolf from where she stood behind Riley.

"Dude, you were literally a Summer hook-up," Kiara interrupted, trying to make him realise that he was being played. "I have genuinely not thought of you since."

But Edward wasn't one to back down. He knew he had an advantage, and he used it to undermine Victoria's influence on Riley. "I can read her mind, so I know what she thinks of you," he asserted with conviction.

Victoria's gaze locked onto Bella's with a bloodlust that sent shivers down her spine. The desire for revenge burned fiercely in her eyes, before she noticed that Kiara was standing without a protector. The easy target, Victoria mused, completely unaware that the girl that bore her teeth marks on her neck was one of the wolves that she had been taunting previously.

"She only created you and this army to avenge her true mate, James. It's the only thing she cares about. Not you," Edward exposed the painful truth to Riley, listening to the doubt that was beginning to trickle in Riley's mind.

Riley's resolve wavered, torn between loyalty to Victoria and doubt sown by Edward's words. He glanced at the red-haired vampire, searching for a hint of sincerity. Victoria, skilled in deception, appeared convincingly emotional, further clouding Riley's judgment.

"There's only you. You know that," Victoria intervened, her voice soft yet commanding as she attempted to reel him back into her control.

But Edward wasn't done. 

"Think about it. You're from Forks, you know the area and have an emotional connection to one of us. That's the only reason she chose you. She doesn't love you."

A flicker of uncertainty passed over Riley's face as doubt seeped into his mind. His loyalty to Victoria was beginning to waver, and the weight of his decision hung heavily in the balance. In that pivotal moment, the stage was set for an inevitable clash. Victoria's mind was made up - all three of them in the clearing were going to die today.

"You're dead," Riley snapped, lunging towards Kiara as they all sprung into action. She shut her eyes for a second, feeling the snap of her bones as the shift took over her body and feet turned into paws. The snow beneath her was colder than she expected, and Riley was moving faster than she had predicted too. She willed herself to brace for the crash of his hard body against hers, but it never came.

In a sudden twist of fate, Seth, in his wolf form, leaped from the cliff above, surprising Riley as he lunged forward, sinking his teeth into Riley's hand and dragging him away from his packmate. Roaring with fury and pain, Riley found himself on the defensive, circling warily to protect himself from Seth's relentless attacks.

'Why the fuck did you shift back?' Paul's voice echoed against her head from down on the main battleground as she watched Seth and Riley roll in the snow, waiting for the moment that she would be able to jump in and assist the boy. 

'Not now, Paul!' She snarled back, lunging as she snapped her jaw around Riley's ankle and tugged him off the other wolf. 'Focus on your own shit!'

As the battle raged between Seth, Kiara and Riley, Edward's attention was momentarily drawn away as he caught sight of Victoria attempting to slip away into the shadows of the trees. Edward knew he couldn't let her escape this time. Determined, he darted into her path, blocking her way.

"You can escape. You always do. But you won't get another chance like this again," Edward warned, his voice tinged with a mix of anger and frustration. Bella looked at him in disbelief, confused as to why he was taunting the vampire when she had literally made it her life goal to try and kill them all.

Victoria hissed at him, her eyes filled with venomous fury, yet she continued to back away, reluctant to face Edward's wrath. She knew that he was right - this was the only chance she was going to get without the rest of the wolves and the vampires being in the one place. It was four against two, instead of the entire coven and pack against one.

"You want her. You want me to feel the pain you felt when I killed James," Edward continued, his voice icy and determined. "When I tore him to pieces. When I turned him into ash. When I turned him into nothing."

The mention of James, her lost mate, ignited an inferno within Victoria. Unable to contain her rage any longer, she made a desperate charge toward Bella, seeking to inflict the same agony she had endured. Kiara's head titled, noticing how Edward was within reach of Bella and Victoria but not both at the same time.

She launched away from Riley since Seth was pretty much handling it, and slammed the entire weight of her body against Victoria as she pushed herself towards Bella. Edward and Bella both shouted out the wolf's name as they grappled with each other, locked in a deadly embrace as the vampire and shapeshifter rolled down the hillside.

Bella, watching this intense battle unfold, felt her heart pounding in her chest. Her instinct to help was overwhelming, but she knew she could only get in the way of the powerful adversaries before her. So, she stood there, feeling helpless yet determined not to be a burden to those fighting for her safety.

The clash of supernatural forces continued, each blow and maneuver a testament to the high stakes of the confrontation. The woods bore witness to the tumultuous struggle, and the air crackled with tension and danger. Bella's emotions were torn between fear for her life and gratitude for the fierce protectors risking their own existence to keep her safe - which only worsened as she noticed that some of the snow was now faintly tainted with red droplets.

Riley's head snapped to the side as he too sensed the new smell, much more sensitive to blood than the two older vampires in the clearing. It didn't smell good, but it was still fresh blood. In a moment of blood-frenzy, Riley landed a powerful kick against Seth, sending the wolf crashing into the cliffside. Sharp shards of rock fell dangerously close to Bella, adding to the intensity of the situation. She yelled out as she moved to his side, her hands pressing against the wolf and begging him to get up. Seth, now battered and down, struggled to rise from the ground.

Riley's attention quickly shifted to Bella as soon as he realised that she was left unprotected while Edward tried to pry Victoria off Kiara, his malevolence aimed at the vulnerable human girl. The wolf noticed this, snarling at Edward to get to Bella while she continued darting around and avoiding attacks from the red-headed vampire. 

The dance of supernatural combat unfolded with breathtaking speed. Edward confronted Riley, forcefully kicking him back, then instantly pivoted to clash with Victoria, disrupting her attack. Kiara switched with Edward, moving over and slamming into Riley's side once more and causing him to be sent flying through the air.

In the midst of the turmoil, Bella's focus remained on Edward, her unwavering trust in him guiding her actions. As she watched the battle rage on, everything seemed to slow down, and time almost froze. Her eyes locked with Edward's, and in that moment, they understood each other like never before. He was pinned against Victoria, the wolves too busy in their fight with Riley to notice that his head was about to be removed from his body.

Bella's determination grew stronger, and she found an unexpected clarity in the chaos. With purposeful resolve, she seized a sharp piece of slate from the ground, her mind set on a daring plan. Without hesitation, she drove the shard into her own arm, causing blood to flow freely and drip onto the pristine white snow.

The scent of Bella's fresh blood filled the air, driving Riley into a frenzy as he spun toward her, his instincts taking over. Victoria also caught the alluring scent, her head whipping around to fixate on Bella, her thirst for the girl's blood evident in her predatory gaze.

In the midst of the unfolding drama, Bella's act had a profound effect. Riley's attention diverted from Edward, his fixation now on the wounded human in front of him. Victoria, too, was momentarily distracted by the tantalizing aroma, giving Edward a slight advantage in their struggle.

Kiara and Seth took advantage of the moment too, both wolves bringing their jaws down and around his arms and ripping one off each. Victoria's eyes fluttered to Riley who continued to scream her name as Seth dragged him away, his teeth pressing down into the vampires neck as he began to sever the head from the body. Kiara knew the boy could handle that himself, and instead turned around to rejoin Edward in stopping the red-head.

She slunked towards Bella, backing up until the girl was pressed flush against her back and the cliff-face behind them. If Victoria wanted to get to them, she'd have to go through Edward first. If she wanted to get to Bella, she had to go through them both first.

It was game over.

Edward's determination was unwavering, and with impressive skill, he forced Victoria into a vulnerable position, securing her in a death grip. Victoria's struggles were futile, her eyes locking onto Kiara and Bella's as a final act of defiance.

They met Victoria's glare with equal ferocity, all eyes locked in a tense showdown of wills. In a swift and decisive move, Edward's lips seemed to touch Victoria's neck, but it was no tender gesture. With a single bite, he tore a massive chunk from her neck, severing her head from her body. The nemesis was finally defeated, and Victoria's lifeless form crumpled to the ground.

The atmosphere shifted; the air turned still as the weight of the moment settled upon them. Victoria was gone, but her lingering movements were eerie, a testament to the supernatural forces at play.

Kiara felt her both relax a little as Edward instantly reached into his pocket, pulling out his lighter. The rustling of leaves to her left caused her head to snap around to see Seth dragging the remains of Riley's body back out from the treeline, having not wanted Bella to witness him maul the vampire to death. She joined him, helping to move the remaining vampire parts into one pile as Edward flung the lighter down to burn the parts.

'Kie, Seth, you guys good?!' 

Seth and Kiara snorted as they noticed the calmness in their minds now that their fighting had stopped, for it seemed like the main battle had concluded too. She could hear the concerned mutters of the pack who had caught glimpses of their fight while fighting their own battle, followed by sighs of relief as she answered for them both.

'Yeah, we're all good here. She's dead, Victoria is gone. Is Rose...'

'Yeah, she's safe.'

'Guys, I just mauled that son of a bitch!'

'SETH!' Everyone echoed, scolding the boy for swearing. Chuckles spread throughout the pack link as they all realised that everyone had survived the battle, no casualties from the pack or the coven. Just as Kiara and Seth started bantering with each other, Sam's stern voice broke through the link with a seriousness that hadn't been there seconds before.

'Alice needs Edward and Bella here. NOW!'

Edward turned as the wolves stilled, a sudden expression of concern crossing his features. They shared looks of concern with him before he looked at Bella, the girl having noticed that the wolves were both on edge.

"Something's wrong," Bella said, sensing the shift in the atmosphere.

"Alice needs us to go. And now," Edward responded urgently.

Bella's brow furrowed with confusion and worry. "Why? What's happening?"

Edward's face remained tense, torn between explaining and protecting her from the imminent danger. "I don't know, but we have to trust Alice. We need to leave, Bella."

The gravity of the situation weighed heavily upon them, yet they knew they couldn't delay. Their lives were bound to the intricate web of fate, and they had learned to heed the signs, especially when Alice's visions guided them.

______

Amidst the crackling flames, the Cullens and the wolves worked swiftly, dragging the remnants of the defeated newborns to the blazing pyre for their incineration. A purple-black smoke billowed from the fire, an eerie reminder of the deadly battle that had just taken place.

Kiara, Seth, Edward and Bella burst out of the trees, their hearts still racing from the intense conflict. Edward gently placed Bella down, having picked her up to make sure that they made it to the battleground as quickly as possible. Edward, Kiara and Bella made a beeline for Alice and the rest of the Cullens, who had gathered near the fire.

"How long?" Edward inquired urgently.

"A few minutes. Maybe ten," Alice replied, her visions guiding their actions.

Bella's gaze scanned the field, searching for Jacob amidst the aftermath of the fierce confrontation. Kiara's eyes weren't looking for her brother, knowing there was time to reunite later. Her wolf was screaming at her to just find her imprint.

"They timed their arrival well," Rosalie commented, her voice laced with annoyance. Kiara's head turned as she saw the blonde walking back from the bonfire, wanting nothing more than to just phase back and wrap her arms around her. Unfortunately for her, Kiara had shredded her spare clothes already, so she instead pressing herself against the vampire, allowing Rosalie to lightly rub her neck.

They'd have time to properly reunite once the Volturi were gone and everyone was back to their own respective homes.

"Probably hoping the newborns took a few of us out," Emmett chimed in.

Edward's attention was momentarily diverted as he saw an unexpected figure near the fire. "What's she doing here?" he asked, surprised and cautious.

Bella followed Edward's gaze and noticed the newborn, Bree, cowering by the fire. Esme explained, "We offered her safe haven if she stopped fighting, she took it."

Carlisle interjected with a sense of urgency as he looked directly at Kiara before his gaze flickered to where Sam was stalking towards them to find out what was going on, "The pack needs to leave. The Volturi won't honor a truce with the werewolves."

Bella's concern heightened as she realized that the safety of her friend Jacob was in question. "Where's Jacob?" she asked, her voice filled with worry.

And then just like that, Kiara watched as her brother's life was grasped by death himself.