Chapter 64 – A Truth, an Act of Love
On the other side, at Dante's house, Bella was sitting comfortably on the couch, the soft glow of the TV screen lighting up the dim living room. She was half-watching some late-night rerun, her mind wandering between the flickering images and the quiet emptiness of the house without Dante around. The sound of the doorbell suddenly cut through the low hum of the television, startling her slightly.
She paused the show, set the remote down, and walked to the door. When she opened it, Alice stood there, her pale skin almost glowing under the porch light, a small, knowing smile on her face.
Bella, seeing her, smiled back and said: "If you're looking for Dante, he's not here."
Alice said smiling: "No. I want to talk to you. Can I come in for a bit?"
Bella looked at Alice for a moment, weighing the unexpected visit, then nodded. "Alright. Come in."
Alice stepped inside gracefully, and Bella closed the door behind her. They moved to the living room and sat down on opposite ends of the couch.
Bella looked at Alice and asked, a bit awkwardly: "Well, do you want something to eat?"
Alice, seeing Bella's slightly uncomfortable attempt at hospitality, smiled warmly and said: "You don't need to pretend. Dante already told me about your family. So I know you must already know that we're vampires."
Bella said: "Yes. Dante told me about you guys."
Alice said: "And what did he say?"
Bella said: "Well, he said he doesn't recommend I date Edward. He says the relationship between a normal human and a vampire is like a hungry tiger and its owner—that one day it can end very badly."
Alice said: "I understand. So that was the reason you stayed distant from Edward after coming back from the trip. Well, but you're right. A normal human staying close to a vampire is a terrible combination. Not all vampires have such great self-control."
Bella, hearing that, stayed silent for a moment, then said: "So if you didn't come here for my brother, why did you come?"
Alice said: "Well, I saw Edward kind of sad, and since I know he would never come ask the reason himself, I came in his place."
Bella said: "I understand. So that was the reason you came to visit me."
Alice said: "Bella, can I ask you a question? Do you intend to give up on Edward after knowing he's dangerous?"
Bella said: "I don't know. It's just that when I first met him, he seemed so magical and mysterious. But when I found out my brother is a dragon and my dad's wife is a demigod and on top of that a wolf, the mystery I felt seemed to diminish a lot. And well, when I'm with my brother, I feel safe. But when I'm near Edward, I have doubts, thinking if he'll lose control and attack me. So honestly, I don't know anymore what I feel for him."
Alice, seeing the genuine confusion and conflict in Bella's eyes, sighed inwardly and thought: Dante, you idiot. You took such good care of her, treated her with so much affection and care, and showed so much strength that you raised her standards for relationships way too high. She's in a situation thinking: why should I work if I'm rich?
Alice sighed again and decided to make one last attempt to help her brother. She then looked at Bella and said: "You know, Bella, why don't you try getting to know him one last time to decide what you feel for him?"
Bella looked at Alice confused and asked: "What do you mean by that?"
Alice said: "Well, Dante must have told you too that we vampires can't go out in the sun, right? So thanks to this storm, we're going to play baseball. What do you think about coming along? You can see a bit of our life and how we live and decide if you want to be part of it or not."
Bella, hearing that, felt a bit hesitant. After all, she wasn't managing to face Edward right now, and now she'd have to face his entire family. Bella then thought: Well, it's true. Alice is right. I have to go to decide if I want to be part of this or not. Staying hidden doesn't help much. And in any emergency, I call Dante just like he told me. Now, will he hear? Well, he should hear. After all, he told me to shout his name.
Bella then looked at Alice and said: "Well, I think there's no big problem. But you know I'm a normal person. I can't play with you guys."
Alice smiling said: "It doesn't matter. You can be the game referee."
Bella said: "Then let's go."
Bella then got ready, and after a few minutes, the two took Bella's truck and drove to the location.
Arriving at the location, Bella saw everyone gathered in a clearing surrounded by tall trees, the storm clouds still hanging low overhead.
Esme Cullen smiled warmly and approached Bella first, her presence calm and maternal. "So you're Bella. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Carlisle Cullen approached next, his kind eyes meeting hers. "It's good to know you accepted our invitation. Alice already told us that your family is part of the supernatural world and that you know we're vampires."
Bella said: "Well, sorry if I'm bothering anyone."
Esme Cullen said: "You're not bothering anyone, dear. I'm just thinking if your family knows about the supernatural. They knew we were vampires. So that's why he gave the flowers. So kind of him. Thank him for me."
Bella smiled and said: "When he gets back from the trip, I'll tell him that."
Emmett Cullen clapped his hands together loudly. "Alright, everyone. Now that you've all introduced yourselves, let's go. I want to play."
Carlisle Cullen smiled and said: "Well, then let's go. Everyone in their places."
Edward looked at Bella for a second, his expression unreadable, then turned away.
Bella saw his look and stayed quiet, not knowing what to say. She went to Esme's side.
Esme Cullen smiled and said: "You come to my side here, dear. You're the referee."
The game then started.
Bella watched as they batted the ball with incredible force, the crack of impact echoing like thunder through the clearing.
Bella said: "Now I understand why they can only do this in rainy weather."
She then looked at the sky with lightning and thought: So all this is caused by Zeus, and my brother will have to fight such a powerful being. Will he be okay?
Esme Cullen beside her said: "What's wrong, dear? You're distracted."
Bella said: "It's nothing. I was just really surprised by all this."
Bella then watched the boys running after the ball at high speed and making giant jumps.
Bella It seemed incredible to be able to do that.
Rosalie Hale said smiling sarcastically: "It's not that cool. Not most of the time. It's pretty inconvenient."
Bella said: "Sorry. I didn't know that."
Alice, who was playing the ball, suddenly stopped. She then had a vision: three vampires and then the sky turns black, then a roar and a giant face in the middle of the darkness of the sky.
Alice opened her eyes, then raised her head up and saw that the sky had already stopped thundering and the sun was starting to rise.
Alice then turned to her family and shouted: "Stop!"
Everyone then looked toward the forest and heard footsteps approaching.
Alice then ran to Bella's side with the others and said: "Let's get out of here now."
Edward with a serious face looked toward the forest and said: "It's too late. I said. She doesn't belong to this world. I shouldn't have given the idea. Sorry, Bella. I put you in this."
Alice said beside her: "This is my fault too." She then looked at Bella and said: "Stay behind me, understood?"
Bella said confused: "What's happening?"
Laurent holding a ball said: "I think this belongs to you." He then threw the ball, and Carlisle Cullen caught it.
Laurent said: "I'm Laurent. These are Victoria and James."
Carlisle Cullen said: "Pleasure to meet you. I'm Carlisle. This is my family."
Laurent said: "Hi. Pleasure to meet you."
Carlisle Cullen said: "Unfortunately, your hunting activities have caused problems for us.
Laurent We're sorry. We hadn't realized this territory was occupied."
Carlisle Cullen said: "We maintain a permanent residence nearby."
Laurent said: "Really? Well, we won't cause any more problems. We were just passing through."
Victoria said: "The humans are tracking us, but we sent them east. They'll be safe."
Carlisle Cullen said: "Excellent. Good to know that."
Laurent said: "So, do you need three more players? Please, it's just a game."
Carlisle Cullen said: "Sure. Why not? Some of us were going to leave anyway. You can join. We bat first."
They then separated.
When the wind started blowing, James then caught Bella's scent, appeared suddenly in front of her, and grabbed her neck, saying: "You have a disgusting scent I wanted to forget."
At that moment, everyone stared.
Edward shouted: "Let her go now!"
James said, ignoring Edward: "You know, your scent reminds me of a strange guy who kicked me out of a bar in New York."
Alice said with rage: "You better let her go now or you'll regret it a lot. Listen to me. I'm serious."
Laurent said: "Why don't you leave the girl with us? You don't need to get involved in this, do you?"
Carlisle Cullen said: "I regret it, but we can't do that. Why don't you hand over the girl?"
Edward couldn't take it anymore and jumped at the guy trying to save Bella. Seeing he was attacked, James attacked Bella, but since he couldn't kill her, he only made a giant wound in her chest.
Bella then spat blood and fell backward.
Everyone was in shock.
Alice ran and held Bella lying in her arms.
Laurent smiled and said: "Well, folks, why fight now? There's lunch for everyone, isn't there?"
Bella in Alice's arms said in a hoarse voice: "Help... Dante..."
Victoria smiling hearing that said: "What are you calling your boyfriend? What is he going to do?"
Before she finished laughing, the sun that had risen disappeared in the middle of dark clouds that looked like pure darkness.
They then heard a thunderous roar that seemed to occupy the entire sky.
Alice said: "What the hell did you do? You're all going to die now."
Laurent shouted: "You know what the hell this is? Speak now!"
Alice said: "I don't need to speak. Look up."
They then looked up, and everyone froze in fear. A black dragon hundreds of meters tall with a face full of teeth staring at them with an open mouth, from where all the darkness in the sky seemed to come.
Victoria said trembling: "What monster is that?"
Carlisle Cullen, seeing his family in panic, said: "We must get out of here now."
Rosalie Hale to the dragon, trembling with fear, said: "I don't think he looks like he's going to let us leave."
The dragon in the sky then descended with a giant claw. It grabbed the three vampires and used darkness in its giant claws, devouring their souls, making them scream in pain.
Dante in his dragon form said: "Usually I don't use this power because I don't like destroying souls, but you don't need them anymore." He said while closing his dragon claws, causing a sonic boom.
He then looked at the vampires from Alice's family on the ground with rage.
Alice seeing that said: "I know you're angry, Dante, but that won't solve anything. We have to save Bella first."
Everyone in the family hearing her call the giant dragon Dante stared at Alice without understanding.
Dante then in his black dragon form looked at Bella in Alice's arms and said: "Alright."
He then returned to his human form and approached Alice, ignoring the shocked looks from her family.
Dante then took Bella in his arms and said, looking at Carlisle Cullen: "You're a doctor, right? See how she is."
Carlisle Cullen said: "I don't have the equipment for this here. Only at Forks Community Hospital."
Dante said: "Then what are you waiting for? Let's go."
They then ran. Arriving there, Dante placed Bella on the stretcher. She was taken by the team.
He sat in the hospital chair and stayed silent. Then he took his cell phone and called his parents to inform them.
In less than an hour, they arrived running through the hospital door.
Charlie said: "Son, where's Bella? Where is she?"
Dante with a serious face said: "She's in the operating room."
Sera said with rage: "Damned vampires. I knew I shouldn't have let her go with them."
Dante said in a somber tone: "If I had known, I would have killed all the strange vampires that came near this city."
Charlie seeing his wife and son full of hatred said: "That's not the solution. Don't let hatred cloud your head."
Dante stayed silent and said nothing.
At that moment, Carlisle Cullen appeared with a bad face.
Charlie ran in front of him: "Doctor, how is my daughter? Speak now."
Carlisle Cullen said: "Sorry, but the wound in her chest hit her heart. We can't get a new one in less than three days. She will die. The problem is that this list takes too long."
Charlie hearing that was in shock and said: "This... how is this possible?"
Dante who was silent said: "There's a way."
Everyone then looked at him in shock. Charlie knows his son has powers, so if he said there's a way, it's because there is.
Dante said: "But for this way to work, I need to confirm something first."
He then looked at his father and said: "Dad, I need you to do a DNA test with Bella and me to confirm something. Only by confirming my doubt can I save Bella."
Charlie had doubts about why his son asked for this, but if it's necessary, then let it be. He looked at Carlisle and said: "Do the DNA test."
Dante said: "Hurry. We don't have much time to waste. Oh yes, you know my situation, so you're the one who has to do this test."
Carlisle said: "I understand. So that's why you called me. Then come with me."
They then went to the room to take samples.
After a moment taking the genetic samples, Carlisle said: "Well, everything is here."
Charlie said: "And how long will it take for the result to come out?"
Carlisle said: "Usually it takes days, but due to the urgent situation, I'll finish in 24 hours."
Dante said nothing. He just went to the hospital room where his sister was and sat beside her. He then put his head down and said sadly: "Well, you're such an idiot. I already told you not to play with tigers. One day it would cause trouble."
His father and mother entered the room and sat beside him.
Charlie approached and held Bella's hand and said: "My daughter, you're going to be okay."
They then stayed quiet waiting for the test to be ready.
24 hours later, Carlisle entered the room with a shocked face and said: "The tests came out, but I don't understand anything."
Charlie said: "What are you talking about? Tell me the result now."
Dante opened his eyes and looked at him seriously and said: "Tell me the result that's there. You don't know which result I want, so don't lie."
Carlisle took a deep breath and said: "Well, the DNA test results say that Dante is not your son and Bella is your daughter."
Charlie was in shock hearing that, and Dante smiling said relieved: "Yes. Now I can save Bella."
Charlie looked at his son in shock and asked: "You know what's happening, son?"
Dante looked at his father's anxious face and smiled and explained simply: "I am your son, but I'm not your son anymore."
Charlie was confused hearing that and asked: "What does that mean?"
Dante explained very simply: "Before awakening, I was normal and your son with your DNA. But the moment I became a dragon, I stopped being human. Which means you're not my father anymore, you're my dad. Understood?"
Charlie said: "I understand. So by turning into a dragon, you no longer have my blood and that's why it was negative. I got it. But what does that have to do with saving your sister?"
Dante became serious and said: "Because I'm going to give her my heart."
Sera said: "Are you crazy, Dante? How are you going to do something like that? You'll die!"
Dante said: "No, mom. Do you know the hydra?"
Sera said: "Of course I know."
Dante said: "I devoured her and gained her super regeneration. Meaning, even if I take out my heart to give one to Bella, I'll regenerate another. So there's no problem. At most, I can stay a little weak for the last few days before fully recovering."
Everyone stayed silent. After all, this is the only plan that can save Bella's life.
Dante said: "Prepare the operating room. We're going to use it."
Carlisle was going to say that protocols and rules need to be followed, but he looked at Dante who was one step away from exploding and remembered the giant dragon. He then said: "Everything will be ready in one hour."
He then left the room.
Seeing him leave, Charlie looked at his son seriously and said: "Son, you still haven't answered why you asked for the DNA test."
Dante sighed and answered: "For a simple reason. After Bella has my heart, the chance of her having interest in other guys is zero. Because my heart isn't from a human, it's from a dragon. It's impossible for her to like another person. Because she'll be linked to me, and the chance of her falling in love with me is certain. After all, I noticed she was showing a lot of feelings for me. So to avoid any complication if she falls in love, I wanted to make sure the DNA wasn't the same. In other words, to avoid problems."
Charlie hearing that was in shock, but he then asked: "And if it had been positive for both?"
Dante became serious and said: "There are a lot of bad people in the world, you know, Dad? Some heart would definitely work. It was just a matter of testing with several criminals. One would work."
Sera said: "Well, then it's good news that you didn't have to do that, son."
Dante said: "You're not going to complain to me for wanting to kill them?"
Sera said: "I'm a demigod who grew up fighting to survive among monsters. I don't care about that."
At that moment, Carlisle said: "Everything is ready. But since no one else can know about this, only I will do the surgery alone. So let's go, Dante and Bella."
Dante looking at his father said: "We're going, Dad."
Charlie took a deep breath and said: "Please save her."
Dante nodded and said: "Yes."
Dante :, Mom,you should come with me. When I take out my heart, I might get a little dizzy until another one regenerates. I need your help.
Sera said: "Of course, son. Let's go."
They then went down the hallway disguised as nurse and doctor, arriving at the room.
Carlisle said: "Let's begin."
When he was about to start, Dante asked: "Do you want me to take out my heart now or after you've already taken Bella's first?"
Carlisle thought for a bit and asked: "Does it take long to take yours out?"
Dante said: "No. It's quick."
Carlisle said: "I understand. Let's take Bella's first and then we transplant yours to her."
Having decided that, he then began the surgery, and Dante and Sera waited standing.
After several hours, Carlisle connected Bella to the heart-lung machine.
Carlisle then turned to Dante and said: "The time has come."
Dante heard that and just took a deep breath, knowing how much this shit was going to hurt. He then created a portal and teleported his heart to the prepared container.
He then spat blood and knelt.
Sera held her son while his heart began to regenerate.
Carlisle went to the container and picked up the heart that looked like a dark blue ruby with blue smoke coming out of it. After being impressed, he began the surgery on Bella.
After a few hours, he said: "Well, everything is done. Now we have to see how she will adapt to this heart. After all, it didn't come from a human."
Dante, who had already recovered, approached and placed his hand on Bella's chest and controlled the energy of the heart that was about to revolt . After a while, the energy calmed down.
Dante said: "Well, now she's practically turned into a semi-dragon."
Sera said: "The same way we demigods are?"
Dante said: "I think so. But we'll have to wait for her to wake up to see the difference."
When Carlisle said: "I think you should sleep a little. Now that she's out of danger, you should rest."
Dante said: "I'll do that. Just one doubt, Carlisle. Has Bella's scent changed?"
Carlisle said: "It changed completely. It feels like I'm smelling you, and she has nothing of the old scent."
Dante smiling said: "Nothing, nothing. Good to know that. Then I'm
He said, leaving the operating room.
Dante thought: That was a complicated day, huh.