A/N: This is my first story. This story was placed in 1918 when Edward was dying in the hospital. If you read the last paragraph on my homepage, you will see that it was written from the viewpoint of Arin Cullen, Edward's actual sister. My disclaimer can also be read on my homepage. If there is anything that you would like to see in the next chapter please leave a review. This will help me out a lot.

Preface

Hunger is what drives us all. It is the reason that we kill. It is the reason why I was standing in front of these hunters. Here in the center of Volterra.

I was tired of Carlisle's way of life. He was very good at explaining why he lived the way he did, but it just wasn't enough. Why should we change who we are? Life has always been about balance, there is a predator for every prey. A lion won't eat grass just because he feels sorry for the gazelle he hunts. It is his natural food source, why choose something different?

At that moment, I was being led through an antechamber and into a large room. As I entered, I noticed other vampires standing staring at me. They had thoughts and expressions ranging from hostility to disapproval. The one that had led me here was just curious, as if I was just a thing for study. There were a million questions running through his mind. It was driving me insane. I remembered his name was Demetri and I was about to answer one of his unspoken questions when three ancient vampires came into view.

Chapter 1: Dying

I had promised my father to keep Edward safe. He was always my first priority. There was no way that I was going to let anything hurt him. He was my little brother. I loved him too much. My father was dying. He knew that Edward would need looking after and he trusted me to do it. He died just a few hours later. Now it was just my mother taking care of both of us.

There had been an influenza outbreak. My mother was the first to show signs after my father died from it. Edward was the next to show signs. He steadily grew worse like my mother. I was relatively okay but the signs had started to show. We decided that the best place to be was in the hospital. All three of us were now laying in hospital beds. There was a blond haired doctor who would come to see us often. It was always at night when he would check on us so I assumed he only worked night shifts. We seemed to be the first people he checked on every night. I think he had taken a liking to my mother.

There was a bad night shortly after we were admitted to the hospital. My mother had gotten worse. I didn't see her making it out of this. When she saw the doctor she set her jaw and glared at him. She told him in one of her commanding voices she used when Edward or I had misbehaved, "Save them!" He then promised he would try. She continued insisting that he do everything in his power. He left with an unhappy look in his eyes. She started to say,"Arianna, I know what he is. He can do what no other doctor can," but I got her settled down. " Mother calm down. He is just a tired doctor, I can tell by the circles under his eyes." She didn't say anything after that She died about an hour later.

Edward had fallen asleep next to me. He looked much worse than I did and I wasn't sure how much longer he would last. "Edward, stay with me," I called. He didn't answer me. I was getting ready to shake him awake when the blond haired doctor came and took my mother away. He had what looked like indecision streaked across his face. He came back and started to wheel Edward away from me. "No, he isn't dead," I tried to protest, but the doctor said,"Shh, it's alright. I'm not taking him to the morgue. You're both coming home with me. Your mother had me promise to do everything in my power to save you and you're only getting worse while you stay here." At this point I started to loose consciousness. He could see this and was becoming relieved. I started to protest again," But wha...," but I was asleep.

When I awoke, I was relieved to see Edward laying next to me. He was still asleep. He was looking worse now. I started to look around and I realized the doctor was sitting in a chair next to me. He smiled at me when I looked at him. "I'm glad you're awake, I didn't know how long you were going to be out," he said as he stood up. I was confused. How long had I been out? "Where are we?" I finally managed to ask. My thoughts were muddled.

"You're in my home. I brought you here last night. Do you remember?" he asked. I nodded my head. He walked around to check on Edward. "Your mother made me promise to do everything in my power to save you both and here was the only place I could do it. I'm Carlisle by the way."

"Arin," I said with a nod. "I remember that. After you left she started spouting things about how she knew what you were and that you could do what no doctor could. I think the fever had finally gotten to her." I was calm now, no longer confused, as the previous nights memories came back to me. I was feeling a little better so I sat up, looking around again, and my eyes rested on the doctor. I realized how beautiful he was. I guess it was in the stress of the hospital that I had never really looked at him. He was so beautiful it made my heart throb painfully. He was like an angel. I was just a little curious to know who this strange beautiful doctor was.

"She wasn't wrong. I have special abilities that no other doctors have, well humans really, " he grimaced. His words broke through my gawking and made me ask," What?"

He smiled at me and said,"Your mother wasn't wrong. I have enhanced abilities."

I stared at him, trying to figure out what he was talking about. "What do you mean enhanced abilities? What kind of abilities?" Was I hearing him right?

"I am a va..," he started to say, but then stopped to stare at me instead, with a slightly hungry look in his eyes. I was getting freaked out. "Why are you staring at me like that?" I felt something wet sliding down my upper lip.

"You have blood running out of your nose and ears," he said in a distressed tone. He started to come towards me, but my head was getting dizzy and I couldn't make out what anything was anymore." Arianna..," he almost yelled, but I couldn't hear him anymore.

Everything was black and I was realizing a burning pain shooting through me like fire.