Chapter 4

At last, Raizel reached the bookstore he had been searching for: "Thunderbird and Whale Bookstore." He couldn't help but find the name amusing, and to top it off, the bookstore was situated atop a hill with no other stores nearby. Raizel was surprised by how the bookstore had managed to survive over the years, given its remote location and presumably old establishment. Nevertheless, he was here for books, so he pushed aside his thoughts and entered the store.

Inside, he was greeted by a Native American man who seemed friendly enough. Raizel explained that he had called ahead to inquire about a particular book, and to his relief, the staff had already set it aside for him to collect and pay for. After obtaining the book, Raizel couldn't resist flipping through a few pages as he made his way out of the store. The more he read, the more his face broke into a small smile of satisfaction.

Unbeknownst to him, there were curious eyes watching him from afar. Sensing another presence approaching, Raizel slowly turned to her side, only to find himself face-to-face with Bella.

Seeing Raizel turn towards her, Bella became nervous but remained to engage in conversation. "Um, hi," she greeted softly, her gaze flickering between his eyes and the book he held. "That book you're holding... I was actually interested in it too. Didn't expect to find someone else here looking for it.".

Raizel glanced at the book and nodded, indicating his recent interest in such books. "Yes, I've been delving into these kinds of books lately," he admitted. Curious, he then turned the question back to her. "Do you need this book?".

Bella hesitated for a moment before responding, her eyes betraying her desire for the book. "Um, well, I was just browsing... but I suppose I could use it," she replied tentatively.

Raizel considered her response before making a decision. "I no longer need this book since I've found what I was looking for," he said, offering the book to Bella. "You can borrow it if you like, or it will just gather dust on my shelf."

Bella's eyes widened in surprise at his generosity, but she insisted on paying for the book if he intended to sell it to her. However, Raizel shook his head, declining her offer. "I have no use for it now, so you can have it for free," he said with a small smile.

She hesitated, feeling a bit uncomfortable about accepting the book for free from a stranger she had just met. Still, Bella extended her hand to borrow it, offering a polite "thank you" before preparing to move away.

Raizel watched her go with a small smile, not expecting to meet her today. Yet, he was aware of what would likely happen next. If he was willing, he could meet Edward as well. However, he didn't feel inclined to.

Deciding to head back, Raizel changed his course halfway through. How could he let go of the chance to mess a little with Edward?

Next second, Raizel moved with supernatural speed, barely visible to mortal eyes, and arrived at an open place where he could see Bella being followed by two individuals, eventually surrounded by more men. With a calm demeanor, Raizel simply walked towards them, his presence soon noticed by the group. As his eyes glowed with a red hue, those who saw him began to scatter, alerting others to his presence. Bella watched in astonishment as her pursuers fled, leaving her alone with Raizel.

Raizel approached her, maintaining his stoic expression, and asked, "Are you okay?" Bella, feeling nervous about the situation, responded with a hesitant "Hmm."

Suddenly, a car rushed towards them, causing Bella to step back in fear. She recognized Edward as he emerged from the car, which stopped just inches away from Raizel. Bella looked back and forth between the two with apprehension.

Raizel remained composed as he turned his gaze towards Edward. Meanwhile, Edward, both terrified and nervous, found himself unable to read Raizel's mind. Just as he was about to make a move towards Raizel, he heard a voice in his mind saying, "Boy, you are rude," causing him to freeze in place.

With a nervous glance back at Raizel, Edward instructed Bella, "Get in the car," attempting to assert control of the situation. However, before he could fully assume an aggressive stance, Raizel was suddenly too close for comfort, moving with a speed that even Bella was terrified by the speed at which Raizel moved, unable to track him with her eyes.

For a moment, Raizel and Edward locked eyes, the tension palpable as Edward slowly tried to adopt a defensive stance. Finally, Raizel smiled and said, "We will meet again." With that, he stepped back and simply walked away, waving his hand towards Bella before disappearing into the distance.

Soon, a black car came into view, and Raizel got into it, leaving Bella and Edward behind.