ALICE

Rosalie glared at Alice, her anger radiating through the room. She was moments away from pulling Isabella's clothes off when Alice barged in, uninvited.

Alice stood frozen, her back pressed against the wall, wide-eyed and pale. She couldn’t comprehend what she was seeing—Isabella, with her otherworldly beauty and eerie calmness, Isabella was unlike anything Alice had ever seen before. What is she, a monster or some type of supernatural being? Regret hit her instantly. She shouldn’t have barged into the room without knocking.

Meanwhile, Isabella was relaxed, her sharp features soft with amusement. Rosalie’s anger sparked something deep within her—a thrill that only made her love Rosalie even more, as impossible as that seemed. A mischievous smirk spread across Isabella’s lips. She made a mental note to see if she could make Rosalie angry later.

“I’m waiting, Alice,” Rosalie snapped, her voice slicing through the tense silence. “What’s so important that you couldn’t knock or wait until you see me?”

Alice stammered, her words caught in her throat as her gaze kept darting to Isabella. “I—I—I…”

“Hey, Alice,” Rosalie tried again, trying to break Alice’s daze. Beside her, Isabella chuckled—a low, sultry sound that sent shivers down Alice’s spine. Isabella hadn’t met anyone this terrified of her in ages and it was exciting to see.

Rosalie sighed, exasperated. She turned to Isabella, her annoyance tempered by affection. “Im going to talk to Alice, please give me a moment.”

“Can I at least take a limb or two first?” Isabella asked, her tone half-joking, half-serious.

“What?!” Alice gasped, her horror palpable.

Rosalie shook her head at her mate, suppressing a smile. “I’ll be right outside,” she said, grabbing Alice’s arm and leading her out of the room. She shut the door firmly behind them.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

“Okay, Alice, talk,” Rosalie demanded, her anger renewed.

Alice sighed, casting a nervous glance at the closed door, she was trembling, which caught Rosalie's eyes. “What is Isabella?” she asked quietly.

Rosalie’s expression softened for the first time as she noticed how terrified her sister was. Gently, she placed a comforting hand on Alice’s trembling shoulder. “Oh, Alice…” Rosalie murmured, pulling her sister into a tight hug.

“She might look…different,” Rosalie continued, her tone patient. “But she’s a good person once you get to know her. Isabella is a demon, but she’s not a bloodthirsty killer.”

“Does she eat souls?” Alice whispered, her head resting against Rosalie’s chest.

Rosalie burst into laughter. “No, she doesn’t! At least…” She paused, suddenly thoughtful. “You know, I haven’t asked her. It didn’t cross my mind. But even if she did, it wouldn’t matter. I’ve accepted her for who and what she is—just as she’s accepted me.”

Rosalie stepped back, ending the hug. “Now, Alice, what did you want to tell me?”

Alice fidgeted nervously, wringing her hands. “Well, I wanted to ask if you’d go shopping with me.”

Rosalie raised an eyebrow. “That’s what was so important?”

“I didn’t get to pack all my clothes,” Alice explained quickly. “And I thought you might need some, too. So, I came to ask.”

“You mean to tell me,” Rosalie hissed, her voice low and dangerous, “that you barged into my mate’s room to ask if I could go shopping?”

Alice squeaked under Rosalie’s glare. “Well…yes. And it was important!”

Rosalie took a threatening step forward, and Alice instinctively stepped back. Then Rosalie stopped, taking a calming breath. She reminded herself that this was Alice—her eternally excitable sister, who lost all sense of reason whenever shopping was involved.

“Alice,” Rosalie said with forced patience, “I’ll go shopping with you tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” Alice protested.

Rosalie’s glare sharpened.

“Okay, okay! Tomorrow,” Alice conceded, her hands raised defensively. “And I’m…sorry for interrupting you and your mate.”

“Just don’t do it again,” Rosalie said firmly as she opened the door.

“What if it’s important?” Alice asked, testing the waters.

“Alice,” Rosalie said sternly.

“Okay, okay! I’m leaving!” Alice exclaimed, disappearing downstairs in a blur.

Rosalie stepped back into the room and closed the door behind her, locking it this time.

“Yes, I eat souls,” Isabella said, her voice casual.

Rosalie blinked in surprise. “You heard that?”

“My hearing surpasses even a vampire’s,” Isabella replied smoothly.

Rosalie smiled, walking toward her mate. She stood on her toes and wrapped her arms around Isabella’s neck, their eyes meeting.

“Then you know I don’t care that you eat souls,” Rosalie said softly. “You’re my mate, and I love you.”

“I love you too,” Isabella replied, pulling Rosalie into a deep kiss.